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Want to give your wellness routines a boost this new year? Start with checking out an RD's intel on these well-being boosting ingredients.
Want to give your wellness routines a boost this new year? Start with checking out an RD's intel on these well-being boosting ingredients.
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Advice from the Eagles' Executive Chef and Team Nutritionist that you can incorporate into your everyday breakfast, shoulder pads optional.
Advice from the Eagles' Executive Chef and Team Nutritionist that you can incorporate into your everyday breakfast, shoulder pads optional.
The Philadelphia Eagles have soared to victory with their second Super Bowl win after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. The high stakes match turned out to be a blowout, ending at a score of 40 to 22, with the Eagles flying high.
While fans enjoyed Super Bowl snacks in the comfort of their homes, the players on the field had a much different approach to game-day fueling. The Philadelphia Eagles have an Executive Chef, James Sirles, whose entire job is to prepare game-day-ready meals that provide the energy, endurance, and focus needed for the players to perform at their peak.
“Fueling is all about prioritizing both quantity and quality of nutrition—making sure you’re eating enough overall is critical, but also making sure you’re eating high-quality foods that fuel you, reduce inflammation, and give you energy,” Sirles says.
Here’s how he prepares the team (and himself) for game-winning days, and how you can steal some of his winning advice.
Most mornings, you can find Sirles working out––it’s his way of clearing his head and getting ready for the day. Before he heads to the facility, he *always* eats breakfast (and log it in MyFitnessPal), whether it’s a protein-packed smoothie or a 3-egg omelet with vegetables.
Sirles tells family and friends: “If I’m not taking care of myself, how can I expect to take care of the team?” His morning routine keeps him disciplined and ready for a day of fueling the Eagles.
During the week, it’s all about making balanced meals that fuel both practice and recovery. They prepare nutrient-dense meals with a balance of lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Grilling is also a huge component of work; the players like meat!
Sirles also focuses on ensuring the team eats enough total calories to fuel their training sessions and keep their bodies at optimal strength to excel on gameday. Smoothies that include fruits, peanut butter, sometimes yogurt, and protein powder are at the ready, plus heartier meals like omelets with toast, then pasta with lots of protein and veggies and loaded baked potatoes for later-in-the-day options.
On game day, the focus shifts a bit, to have easily-accessible energy, and maintaining that energy throughout the game. Sirles prepares very digestible foods, like rice or potatoes for carbohydrates, paired with lean proteins (chicken, turkey, or fish). He also steers clear of anything too heavy or fatty (no greasy or deep-fried foods), as these could lead to discomfort.
The Eagles are obsessed with avocados—they go through tons every week, mostly for the team speciality: Monster Mash, which is a healthy macro-balanced meal with brown rice, avocado, and ground beef. The players also love quinoa and it is extremely versatile—it can be used in pancakes, muffins, hash, and as a base for protein-packed breakfast bowls.
They also—unsurprisingly—go through many cartons of eggs every week. Whether it’s scrambled, poached, or omelets, eggs are a breakfast staple for the team. The team also eats enough bananas and oranges each week to rival a grocery store—there is always a lot of fresh fruit, perfect for grab-and-go mornings.
“Meal plans that meet the versatile needs of athletes include high-calorie, high-nutrient plates that can be utilized in a number of scenarios,” says Stephanie Nelson, RDN. “For example, a game-day meal needs to include easily-digestible foods like rice and potatoes to ensure optimal energy, while meals that fuel for a day of training and recovery are more balanced with protein, fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates with fiber, and healthy fats.”
All of this ensures players are eating enough food overall, but that they are also eating high-quality foods and an overall balanced meal plan that provides all the nutrients needed for performance and recovery. “This includes vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more, found in a wide variety of foods across all food groups,” says Nelson.
“Breakfast is a great opportunity to set you up for success for your day,” says Nelson. “Choose something nourishing and filling to give you the energy to tackle your morning.” This includes aiming for a well-composed option with protein, fiber-forward carbohydrates like whole wheat toast or quinoa, and some fat for that long-term energy that keeps you full and focused.
“That’s why we love eggs, which contain fat and protein, and quinoa, which contain carbohydrates, fiber, and a little bit of protein,” she says. “A balanced breakfast like that can set you up for success for the morning.” The focus on quinoa and eggs can benefit anyone, because a protein-filled breakfast is important to support things like metabolism and brain-health.
Nelson also recommends sweet potatoes for long-lasting energy. “They’re packed with fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, they also support overall health,” she says. “Try incorporating them into your breakfast routine–whether mashed, roasted, or baked–to stay energized and ready to take on the day.”
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Fay Nutrition is on a mission to make nutritionists more accessible to Americans. We tried out the service—here is our honest review.
Fay Nutrition is on a mission to make nutritionists more accessible to Americans. We tried out the service—here is our honest review.
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As a registered dietitian (RD) with more than a decade of experience, I’ve worked in a range of healthcare settings over the years— from inpatient hospitals and outpatient clinics to private practices—and the one issue that continues to plague all of these establishments is lack of insurance coverage for nutrition consultation.
While patients in a hospital can typically seek the counsel of an RD as part of their stay, many won’t be able to continue that care once they go home as insurance coverage in outpatient and private practice settings is hard to come by. If clients do have coverage, it’s often for a very limited amount of sessions (around two per year maximum) Given that proper nutrition is one of the primary ways to prevent several types of chronic diseases, working with a nutritionist on healthy eating habits is something that almost all adults could benefit from.
Thankfully, one company has made it their mission to address these long-standing issues for patients and nutrition professionals alike…and that company is Fay Nutrition. As an RD, I tested this online service to get firsthand insight into how it works, what it offers, and if it’s worth trying.
Fay Nutrition is an online platform that connects board-certified registered dietitians/nutritionists (RDs and RDNs) to individuals through insurance-covered virtual or in-person appointments. It’s also the nation’s biggest and fastest-growing network of dietitians.
Fay was started by Sammy Faycurry, co-founder and CEO of Fay Nutrition. “Both my mom and sister are registered dietitians, and before starting at Harvard Business School, I was helping them with their private practice,” he said. “What I learned was that many dietitians struggled to accept insurance and open a private practice, yet so many people needed the help of an affordable, personal dietitian.”
Faycurry soon made it his mission to empower RDs and make medical nutrition therapy more affordable and accessible to Americans. “In America, over half of adults1 have one or more preventable conditions linked to eating patterns, but access to nutrition care has been gate-kept by prohibitively high costs and obstacles for dietitians to accept insurance,” he explained. The company aims to help millions of Americans live longer, healthier, and happier lives through the power of nutrition.
A platform linking you to RDs that take your insurance certainly sounds alluring, but what is it actually like to use? Here’s how my test run went.
Given that I was trying the platform on a demo, I was given a special link with an accompanying payment method to use upon signing up. For at-home users, you’d sign up as you would for any other service, inputting your basic personal and payment information (for co-pays if you have any). You then enter your health insurance information. If you don’t have health insurance, your journey on the platform will end here as it hinges upon this prerequisite.
From there, it offered me a list of RDs to choose from based on my location, insurance company, and primary nutrition concern. With each listed RD, you can read a little bit about their philosophy and what areas of nutrition they specialize in.
The first RD I chose wasn’t actually available to see new clients—which was a little confusing, to be honest—but the next one I picked was. However, even though available for both virtual and in-person appointments, this next RD was located in Connecticut—a very long drive from my home in Colorado for an in-person session. If I hadn’t been looking for a virtual appointment, this would have required additional time and searching to find a Colorado-based RD.
Thankfully, virtual worked for me, so I went with the Connecticut-based RD and was able to get an appointment within a week of booking, which is impressive given that many outpatient and private practice RDs are booked out for weeks (if not longer). Booking was simple and I received plenty of helpful email communication after the fact, sharing everything I needed to know before the appointment, as well as frequent appointment reminders. Logging into my appointment was just as simple—I clicked the Zoom link in the email and entered right into the meeting.
My RD was very competent with an impressive 25 years of experience working in a range of settings with a variety of patients. She did all the right things when it came to an initial consultation: inquiring about my medical history, family history, basic biometrics, typical eating patterns, activity level, and more. She then offered very sound nutrition advice (I opted to receive general nutrition information) that was catered to me, recommending balanced eating practices that included all the major food groups (in line with my dietary preferences) to provide the correct amount of macro- and micronutrients.
We also had a candid conversation about who I was and what I was up to. This RD had nothing but positive things to say about working with Fay as a long-time professional in the field. She explained how Fay took care of all the behind-the-scenes insurance work, freeing up RDs to see more clients and often landing patients several covered appointments. This has allowed her to have long-standing relationships with Fay clients, making an even bigger impact on their health through nutrition therapy.
She shared several Fay client success stories with me and assured me that she was being compensated competitively by the company—all things I love to hear as an RD who supports other RDs.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, I think Fay Nutrition is providing a great service for both RDs and patients. Throughout my career, I’ve seen time and time again how problematic a lack of insurance coverage for nutrition services can be for those who need it.
Fay addresses this by doing the grunt work for users and dietitians—a middleman that serves both sides. This enables more Americans (with health insurance) to receive nutrition care, while also empowering RDs to build up their businesses. The company also has an extensive vetting process for new hires (according to the RD I spoke to), ensuring that only experienced and well-qualified providers are featured on the platform.
So if you’re seeking nutrition consultation and have health insurance, it’s more than worth logging onto Fay to see what your options are. It’s far quicker and less frustrating than calling your insurance company for coverage confirmation and then doing additional leg work to find covered RDs in your area.
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Advice from the Eagles' Executive Chef and Team Nutritionist that you can incorporate into your everyday breakfast, shoulder pads optional.
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