Health Coach Q & A
Are we going to receive a handout once the webinar is done?
You can always come to the Lark webinar hub and see recent webinar recordings, summaries, and question and answer sessions.
If you need more help, please open a ticket with Lark Support!
What is the Facebook group?
The Lark DPP Facebook group is a private group for Lark DPP members. You can interact with Lark coaches and other Lark DPP members. Members talk about food, weight, recipes, the Lark app, workouts, and more. It’s a place for support and camaraderie. You can request to be admitted here.
I'm training for the NYC Marathon. I will be 59 years old in November. Would be great to know a runner's diet.
Good luck with your training! A marathon is quite an accomplishment.
For most people, a runner’s diet is similar to any other healthy diet. It has vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, whole grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, reduced-fat dairy products, and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados.
If your training mileage is high and you need more calories than you used to before you started training, you can add in healthy snacks. A serving or two more grains or starchy vegetables (like potatoes) and/or an ounce or two more nuts may do it. You may need a bit more protein, like an extra serving of fish per day, or a couple of extra egg whites. Whenever you need more calories or protein, the trick is to opt for healthy foods that will give you the most support.
What is a good example of unsaturated fats? that one is always on my list to eat
That’s a great question! Unsaturated fats are often referred to as “healthy fats,” though that’s a little simplified. Here are some examples of sources.
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Nuts and seeds
- Olive oil, canola oil, and safflower oil
- Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
- Avocados
Here’s more information on healthy fats.
I struggle with what’s affordable and healthy.
That’s a common challenge, and it’s hard! Usually, there are ways to save some money when making healthier choices. For example, you can choose store-brand products instead of name-brand products, and make your own single-serving “snack packs” instead of buying individually packaged snacks. Other tips are to prepare your own fruits and vegetables instead of buying pre-cut ones, and to try plant-based foods more often than meat.
There are more tips here and here.
Grocery stores are far and out of the way. So it is challenging to eat the best food.
That’s definitely a challenge if you can’t get to a store more than once or twice a month, but luckily there are some ways to preserve food. For example, purchase certain shelf-stable foods like tuna, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and whole-grain pasta. You can buy fresh fish and chicken and freeze it raw or cooked. Cooked vegetables are also fine frozen.
Many types of fruits and vegetables may last longer than you think. Here are some examples of foods that can last trip to trip.
- Celery
- Onions
- Apples
- Winter squash like butternut and acorn
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes
- Beets, carrots, turnips, rutabaga, and other root vegetables
Try eating tomatoes, cucumbers, and bananas first after your shopping trip. Frozen fruits are good choices, like berries, cantaloupe, and peaches.
Here are some more tips!
Where can I find healthy recipes for meals and snacks?
We invite you to check out our recipe collection! Just click on “view more recipes,” to see our recipes. We’re always adding more. You can also check out some of our ideas like for healthy snacks, high-protein oatmeal, and meal plans. You can always browse our blog for more ideas and recipes.
It’s harder to eat healthier when you don't like many types of veggies
That’s a challenge. Luckily, there are a lot of vegetables to try, and a lot of ways to try them, whether raw, cooked, or hidden in recipes so you don’t even know they’re there! Here are some examples of ways to eat vegetables for people who don’t like them.
If you fall off your healthy eating, how can you get back on track?
It can be challenging and discouraging when you fall off the bandwagon, but the bandwagon is always ready for you to come back! There are a lot of strategies for getting back on track.
- Forgive yourself.
- Realize that small steps matter. It doesn’t take a major lifestyle change to make a difference.
- Log your meals so you can see what you’re truly eating.
- Make 1-2 small changes like having an extra serving of vegetables before lunch and dinner, and having only half of a serving of dessert.
Here’s our webinar on plateaus and setbacks!
I would love great Mediterranean healthy recipes.
A Mediterranean diet is a healthy pattern with heart-healthy fats, whole grains, fish, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. We have some ideas here and you can make your own recipes with ingredients like these.
- Fresh and dried herbs like mint leaves, parsley, basil leaves, dried thyme, and fresh rosemary
- Vegetables like zucchini, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers
- Salmon and other fish
- Feta cheese
- Garbanzo beans and lentils
- Olive oil and avocados
- Lemon juice and balsamic vinegar
Here are some examples of simple dishes.
- Greek Chickpea Salad with chickpeas, cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano.
- Grilled Salmon with Lemon and Herbs with fresh salmon, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and dill.
- Mediterranean Stuffed Bell Peppers with bell peppers, cooked quinoa or barley, diced tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese, and kalamata olives.
- Tabbouleh with cooked bulgur, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, and olive oil.
- Eggplant Caponata with egggplant, celery, tomatoes, olives, capers, red wine vinegar, and olive oil served over crusty whole-grain bread or toast, or whole-wheat pita, or as a side dish.
- Lentil and Spinach Soup with lentils, spinach, low-sodium broth, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, and olive oil.
- Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Wrap with roasted zucchini, eggplant, and bell peppers, hummus, and fresh arugula or spinach on a whole-wheat tortilla or wrap, or in a whole-wheat pita pocket.
Is it important to log oil such as olive oil, canola or butter for cooking?
Yes! It’s important to log everything you eat! Cooking fats are especially important to log because they can add a lot of calories before you realize. Every tablespoon of oil or butter has 100-120 calories, for example. It’s good to log every component of your recipes and meals!
Is there a true difference between organic fruits and vegetables and non organic? And if affordability is not an issue, is it better healthwise to buy organic?
Organic fruits and vegetables are part of the USDA National Organic Program. They:
- Are grown without synthetic pesticides and herbicides, though some natural pesticides are used.
- Use natural fertilizers like compost or manure, while conventional farming often uses synthetic fertilizers.
- Are not genetically modified (GM).
Some studies suggest organic produce may have slightly higher levels of certain nutrients, but some studies find no difference from conventionally grown produce.
If you’re looking for the most impactful choices for organic produce, consider looking at the full list of the Dirty Dozen, neutral, and Clean 15 products. Dirty Dozen produce types are more likely to have benefits when you choose organic, while Clean 15 products don’t tend to retain synthetic chemicals and there’s not much difference between organic and conventional products.
How can you figure out the range for the carbs you need daily?
That’s a great question!
There’s a wide range of carbs that’s considered healthy. One approach is to start with 45-65% of total daily calories, adjusting based on activity level and goals. Divide by 4 to get grams of carbs daily.
A low-carb diet might have 40% or fewer grams of carbs daily.
The Adequate Intake for carbs is set at 130 grams per day. That would be considered a low-carb diet, though not a keto diet.
It’s best to talk to your doctor about your own needs!
What webinar is on October 2nd and how can we sign up?
The webinar is, “Master Calorie Balance to Take Charge of Everyday Choices for Weight Loss,” and you can sign up from the link in your email invitation the week before the webinar. We hope to see you there!