Live Your Life, Not Your Diet

Going Greek (Yogurt)

2009-04-06T09:35:00.002-04:00

We all know that yogurt is good for us. Low fat yogurt provides a good source of dairy and calcium, helping to make our bones stronger. Yogurt is also packed with beneficial bacterial cultures that help support digestion and our immune system. But do you ever get bored of your watery, runny American-style yogurt? Have you been looking for a thicker more indulgent alternative that will still keep you healthy? Look no further…Greek yogurt is here to stay! Greek yogurt is a better alternative to the stuff we’re used to eating. Just make sure to opt for the low-fat or non-fat varieties of the yogurt.

Why is Greek Yogurt So Good?

Texture - Greek yogurt has a smooth, rich and thick consistency that tastes too good to be true! Part of what makes Greek yogurt different than regular yogurt is that it is strained to remove the whey, giving it a dense texture
Versatility - Greek yogurt can be used for both savory and sweet dishes. Due to its thick texture and rich taste, many people use it as a substitute for milk, sour cream and even crème fraiche when cooking or baking.
More Protein - With more protein than the average American yogurt, Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse. Since it is strained, the protein content is concentrated, providing an average of 20g per cup as opposed to 13g per cup for the American style.
Easier to Digest - Greek yogurt contains less carbs than regular yogurt and therefore less lactose, the sugar in dairy products that can sometimes upset people’s stomachs.
Fullness Factor - Greek yogurt is dense and so high in protein that it keeps you feeling full and satisfied

Heather's Favorites

Favorite Yogurt Brand: Fage 0 or 2% Yogurt
Favorite things to Add to it: 1-2 tbsp of Knorr Soup Mix (or salsa if you’re salt-sensitive)
Favorite Time of the Day to Use It: 4pm snack with sliced cucumber and peppers

Stephanie's Favorites

Favorite Yogurt Brand: Oikos Organic Greek 0% Yogurt
Favorite things to Add to it: Crushed garlic, onions and chopped cucumber (to make tzaziki)
Favorite Time to Use It: At dinner on top of poached salmon or chicken kebabs

Dara's Favorites

Favorite Yogurt Brand: Chobani ‘Fruit on the Bottom’ Blueberry Greek 0% Yogurt
Favorite things to Add to it: ½ cup of KashiGoLean Cereal, cinnamon and 1 tsp of ground flax
Favorite Time to Use It: Breakfast (a healthier version of a yogurt parfait)

Spice It Up With Cinnamon

2009-03-19T12:57:00.000-04:00

Myth or Fact? Cinnamon Has Health Benefits

FACT. Cinnamon is a unique and flavorful seasoning, exotic to the taste buds. But besides being a perfect enhancer to some great dishes, cinnamon is also good for you! Cinnamon has lots of healthy attributes besides being able to give your palate something to smile about.

One of the first human studies on cinnamon was published in 2003 in a medical journal called Diabetes Care. Sixty people with type 2 diabetes took 1,3, or 6 grams of cinnamon in pill form daily, an amount roughly equivalent to ¼ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. After 40 days, all 3 amounts of cinnamon reduced fasting blood sugars and the bad ‘LDL’ cholesterol.

Besides reducing blood sugar and lowering bad cholesterol, many studies have revealed other potential health benefits of cinnamon:

Cinnamon acts as a natural preservative for food
Is a good source of manganese, iron and calcium
May aid in treating some bacterial infections
May help reduce inflammation

Cinnamon often gets a bad rap… because cinnamon buns, cinnamon toast or pumpkin pie are the foods that may come to mind. But cinnamon can be included in our daily diet in a much more healthy way. The best part of cinnamon is that it’s easy to add to foods you already eat. All you need is a ½ teaspoon a day.

Try these tricks to get some more spice in your life:

Add some cinnamon to hot oatmeal or cold fiber cereal
Mix some into 1 tbsp of peanut butter and spread onto celery sticks
Stir some into plain yogurt
Sprinkle some over baked sweet potatoes or carrots
Add some to a store-bought rub to go on grilled chicken

Sprinkle some straight into your coffee, skim latte or skim cappuccino

Are frozen fruits and vegetables less healthy than fresh fruits and vegetables?

2009-03-11T10:58:00.001-04:00

I am happy to report that this is a Myth. Common sense might lead us to believe that fresh fruits and vegetables would be far more nutritious than their frozen counterparts. Although this is generally accepted, did you know that fresh produce is picked, boxed, often transported over long distances and then left to sit on store shelves for up to several weeks? The time lapse between picking fresh produce and purchasing them at a store can often cause them to lose some of their nutritional value as they are exposed to light and air. Both taste and texture may also be diminished.

Before getting to the freezer, frozen fruits and vegetables are first picked, they are quickly blanched (cooked for a short time in boiling water or steamed) and immediately frozen and packaged, generally when nutrient levels are at their highest. So frozen fruits and vegetables are processed at their peak, in terms of freshness, and nutrition. This means that the vitamins and nutrients are preserved until the next time the package is opened.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Food Information Council (IFIC) both report that nutrients in produce are generally NOT lost during freezing (and canning) and they provide the same essential nutrients and health benefits as fresh. Another bonus of going frozen is that it’s often less expensive than their fresh counterparts. Though fresh fruits and veggies may be more visually appealing and taste better, they don’t last as long in your fridge and may not be the most nutritious.

At the end of the day, any fruits and vegetables are better than none at all. Just remember:

Buy fresh produce in season and buy local when possible
Buy non-seasonal produce frozen (if possible)
Even using canned fruits and veggies without added salt or sugar is also a good choice

Here are some great ways to include fruits and veggies into your daily routine:

Buy a variety of fruits and vegetables (choose a wide range of colors!) in the fresh and frozen form

Keep a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter and in the office
Have some cut-up vegetables in the refrigerator at all times for easy snacking
Add fresh or frozen fruit to your breakfast meal in cereal, oatmeal or yogurt
Choose fruit for dessert (frozen grapes anyone?!)
Add a mix of frozen vegetables when you prepare soups, sauces and casseroles

A Possible Connection Between High Frustose Corn Syrup and Mercury

2009-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has already been deemed a possible suspect in the obesity epidemic. Now, two studies published last month report that mercury has been found in many tested samples of commercial HFCS and in brand name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second-highest labeled ingredient.

HFCS has replaced sugar as a sweetener in many common food items like BBQ sauce, jam, cereals, yogurt, ketchup, and other condiments. Many popular sodas also contain HFCS. HFCS has been widely used because it extends the shelf life of processed foods and has replaced table sugar because it is cheaper.

Given that mercury is toxic at all levels and the fact that so many of the products we consume contain HFCS, I have included a few commonly consumed culprits and their HFCS-free alternatives below:

	Contains HFCS	HFCS-Free
Bread	Weight Watchers 100% whole wheat bread	Ezekiel 4:9
Yogurt	Yoplait	Fage
Cereal	Kellog's Corn Flakes	Barbara's puffins
Nutrition Bars	Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars	Lara or Cliff Nectar bars
Ketchup	Heinz	Annie's Natural Organic Ketchup
Salad Dressing	Wishbone Salad Spritzer Classic Caesar	Most Newman's Own
Crackers	Wheat Thins	FiberRich
Soup	Campbells tomato soup	Amy's light in Sodium
Oatmeal	Quaker Oatmeal to Go	McCann's Irish Oatmeal

Although this is an interesting study, there still needs to be more research conducted to truly understand its health consequences. Truth is, HFCS, like other sugars, when consumed in excess have many negative health consequences. Just like other forms of sugar/sweeteners, it provides no nutrients. If you are concerned about the amount of HFCS in your diet: Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins and limit your intake of junk food!:

SOURCE: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, news release, Jan. 26, 2009

The Peanut Butter Outbreak

2009-02-12T18:27:00.002-05:00

Myth or Fact? All peanut butter products are contaminated by Salmonella

MYTH. If the recent Salmonella scare has made you think twice about eating anything containing peanuts, you're not alone. Over 500 Americans have been affected in over 43 states by various peanut butter and peanut paste-containing products (including 9 deaths). Officials have isolated the source of the outbreak to contaminated peanut butter and peanut paste produced by The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) at its Blakely, Georgia processing plant. PCA’s products are used in hundreds of different food items including cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream.

As unfortunate as this situation is, not all peanut products are affected. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “major national brands of jarred peanut butter found in grocery stores are not affected by the PCA recall” and the makers of my favorite peanut butter product, Justin’s 100 Calorie Nut Butter Pack (available at Whole Foods) claim that their products are still safe to eat as well.

For information about the Salmonella outbreak, including a searchable list of products recalled by the FDA, visit www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/peanutbutterrecall

How Our Food Choices Impact The Environment

2009-02-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

Myth or Fact? Weight gain leads to global warming?

FACT! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average weight of Americans increased by 10 pounds during the 1990’s. This increase in weight required airlines to consume an additional 350 million gallons of jet fuel in 2000 leading to the release of 3.8 million more tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. So what can you do about this? Either start holding your breath, stop flying, or better yet considering shedding those extra pounds.

Here are some easy (food-related) ways that we can all support the environment:

Support local farmers by buying whole, locally produced foods such as fruits and vegetables to avoid the extra energy costs associated with the production and transportation of processed foods.
Buy organic dairy products to ensure that you are not promoting the use of growth hormones or antibiotics in cows.
Choose certified organic meats to avoid contributing to the widespread use of antibiotics.
Eat species of fish that aren’t overfished and are also lowest in mercury and other toxins (avoid Chilean sea bass, Atlantic cod, King crab, Grouper, Sea scallops, Albacore, blue fin, big eye, yellow fin tuna). Go to: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/115/nofish for the complete guide.
Instead of bottled water, buy a reusable water container that is BPA-free certified. Also use a water filter at home and at work.
Use sustainable, reusable storage containers.

Recipe: Easy Super Bowl Veggie Dip

2009-01-28T09:45:00.000-05:00

Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
2 containers (160z) of Greek 0 or 2% yogurt

Combine both ingredients in a medium bowl. A great treat to dip your favorite veggies in.

Super Bowl Snack Shocker

2009-01-27T09:45:00.000-05:00

Myth or Fact? A few Super Bowl bar snacks can equal the total number of calories I should consume in one day?

SAD BUT TRUE (FACT)! Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest eating day of the year (second only to Thanksgiving) - But don’t let this interfere with your weight loss goals! Instead, let me offer you some simple, healthy substitutions that will keep you feeling energized and on track.

I recommend that you steer clear of snacks like these...

5 fried chicken wings - Calories 800; Fat g 50
Nachos (6 chips with cheese) - Calories 600; Fat g 34
Potato chips (10) with 2 tbsp onion dip- Calories 210; Fat g 15
3 beers (12 oz each) - Calories 450; Fat g 0

Grand Total: 2060 Calories 99 grams of fat

And instead gravitate toward snacks like these...

5 Baked Chicken Wings - Calories 375; Fat g 23
4 baked whole wheat pitas slices and 1/3 cup garlic/white bean dip - Calories 175; Fat g 5
4 cups non fat air popped popcorn - Calories 110; Fat g 0
All the water you want

Grand Total: 660 Calories 28 grams of fat

And if the above aren't enough, here are a few more snacking secrets that I recommend to all my clients:

Substitute low-fat Greek yogurt for sour cream
Drink light beer instead of regular beer
Order pizza with veggies and light cheese instead of meat lovers pizza
Eat vegetarian chili instead of beef chili
Make subs using mustard instead of mayo
Order a fruit platter
Take a walk during halftime

And remember, if you indulged a little more than usual, it’s just one day. Make sure to get right back on track the next morning.

DIET CLEANSES Myth or Fact: Cleansing/Detox diets are a good way to jump start my diet?

2009-01-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

SORRY, BIG MYTH! There is little evidence to support that detox diets, such as The Master Cleanse, do much more than lead to unhealthy, unpleasant side effects. In fact, detox diets can actually do more harm than good as they lead to muscle breakdown and a shortage of some very important vitamins and minerals which weakens our immune system and our ability to fight off infection.

In addition, most detox-type diets incorporate little to no protein, which are not only the basic building blocks of cells but also a key ingredient to losing weight. Our body naturally cleanses itself through the kidneys and liver, so a diet that promises to “cleanse” really isn’t necessary.

Still not convinced? Detox diets can also make you feel lightheaded, lethargic and cranky – making you not so fun to be around (can anyone spell bad breath?).

Our recommendation: “cleanse” your diet by introducing more whole fruits and vegetables and by avoiding refined carbohydrates such as white rice, white bread and sugar, which provide minimal nutrients and can be calorically-dense.

Try Trading This For That...

2008-12-17T11:00:00.002-05:00

To satisfy a sweet tooth, trade that slice of hot apple pie for a steamy skim latte dusted with apple-pie spice. Calorie savings: 200

Stave off winter’s chill with a third of the calories—and 4 times more filling fiber—by replacing your standby cup of creamy New England clam chowder with hearty minestrone. Calorie savings: 180

For a satisfying on-the-go breakfast, grab a bowl of piping hot oatmeal with almonds instead of a sausage, egg, and cheese on a bagel. Calorie savings: 335

4 Easy Ways to Keep Your Waistline in Check Over The Holidays

2008-12-17T11:00:00.001-05:00

Pencil in physical activity. Treat exercise as you would any other important event—a party, a business meeting, a date—and write it on your calendar. And this doesn’t mean you need to make a trip to the gym. If you’ve nixed the trainer and gym membership to save your pennies, go outside and walk or run for 20 to 30 minutes; before your morning shower is a great time to do this. Think about what you want to wear, eat, and accomplish that day. You’ll start your days with a renewed sense of purpose and empowerment that will help keep you on track.
Plan your meals ahead. Doing so is a great want to control cost and calories. Do you have leftovers from a healthy dinner you made? Bring them for lunch. Or grab staples like yogurt, oatmeal, cottage cheese, and fresh fruit from your fridge and pantry and bring them to work for breakfast and a snack. Not only will you eat healthier and save money, but you’ll feel prepared to turn down office fare like donuts and bagels at breakfast, the never-ending spread of mystery sandwiches for lunch, and those ubiquitous holidays gifts of chocolate, cookies, and cupcakes that seems to arrive at the same time daily. And if the 1:00 lunch meeting is absolutely unavoidable, peruse the restaurant’s menu ahead of time and arrive knowing what you want to order.
Don’t arrive hungry… to holiday dinners and parties, that is. Many people forgo food before an event to save up calories, but being ravenous upon arrival makes it that much easier to binge and that much harder to select healthier options in the face of temptation. And we’re all familiar with the allure of those mini quiches, tuna tartars, bite-size burgers, bacon-wrapped scallops… Need I go on? Make it a point to have a healthy (and satisfying) snack before heading to the bar or party. My favorites include a Luna or Gnu bar, or two fiber-rich crackers with a wedge of Laughing Cow Light cheese. And don’t forget: Ladies, wear something fitted like a little black dress and gentlemen, buckle your belts one notch tighter—the more aware you are of your body, the less you’ll eat.
Celebrate with limits. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of the holidays, but set boundaries for yourself when it comes to the never-ending supply of canapés and alcohol. For each hors d’oeuvres you grab, take a napkin and aim not to exceed four. As for alcohol, I am not about to advise you abstain entirely. That’s simply not realistic. However, make it your modus operandi to alternate your elixir of choice with a glass of water or seltzer with a lime. Not only will you save calories (and money if it’s not an open bar), but you’ll also maintain control over what you eat.

Goodbye Summer; Hello Skinny

2008-09-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

Did you have a shocking morning? Did you try to zip up those back-to-work pants and find that a gruesome little bulge followed you home from vacation along with the sand in your shoes? There’s something about summer.... the margaritas, the lobster with drawn butter, the caftans. It’s all too easy to find that the relaxed days and long evenings encourage a bit less self-discipline. Some people can put on as much as ten pounds between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Really!

But don’t despair. My team of dietitians at Nu-Train and my book, The Wall Street Diet, can help you get back on track and into your skinny-jeans by Columbus Day.

Here’s what you have going in your favor: there’s a snap in the air and you’re more stimulated and focused. It’s back to business! So start your fall strong and get into your best shape ever. Here’s how: Take a look at your routine and your diet and see where you could use some improvement. Some quick tips are below:

Get back to Phase Eating
Phase Eating is a tip that I explain in detail in The Wall Street Diet (on page 30). Phase Eaters eat the same thing for breakfast and/or lunch for weeks on end. Why? Because for many people variety can prompt overeating. If a meal is simple and automatic - say yogurt and fruit or an egg-white omelet every day for breakfast; a chicken Caesar salad with light dressing for lunch - you won’t be tempted to overindulge. Phase Eating can work at dinner too when you can find a couple of frozen dinner entrees that you enjoy. When you get home after a long day of work, you can pop something into the micro and be enjoying your meal before you even have a chance to consider dialing out for Chinese or pasta. Phase Eating can help you shift your focus from food to family, work and activities and it’s a great technique for shedding excess summer weight.

Limit Alcohol
Many people drink more in the summer and they often drink more highly-caloric frozen type drinks. Many of my clients have had great success when they’ve skipped their alcohol, or limited themselves to one drink, when they’re trying to get back in shape after summer. Just skipping two glasses of wine daily can add up to 5.76 pounds lost in three months. Most people can do this without difficulty. Skipping alcohol can also help you boost energy levels and increase your focus and productivity at work. (For more detailed tips on skipping alcohol, see The Wall Street Diet, page 135.)

Change Up Your Exercise Routine
Have you been playing tennis? Jogging on the beach? Riding your bike? The change in weather could mean that these activities will no longer appeal. Or perhaps you’ve been going to the same exercise class at the gym for the past year. Or maybe you haven’t been exercising at all. Fall is a good time to re-assess your exercise goals. Maybe a session with a personal trainer or finding an exercise buddy or perhaps joining a gym for the first time will be the motivation you need to keep active into the winter months.

Streamline Your Fall Wardrobe
Nothing makes y ou feel better and more in control than looking good. Adding a few pieces to your fall wardrobe is a great way to reinforce your weight loss goals. But remember, wearing form-fitting clothes help to keep eating in check. Ban the leggings and loose dresses and look for things that hug your body. My clients frequently tell me that this tip is extremely helpful: when they’re well dressed in form-fitting clothes that flatter them, they’re much less likely to fall prey to the kind of mindless eating that can sneak on the pounds.

Lazy Summer Diet Tips

2008-07-31T14:00:00.000-04:00

Summertime and the dieting is lazy! That's right. The hot, humid days of mid-summer encourage us to take the easy route. And if you think dieting always has to be a challenge, you'll be happy to learn some of my favorite lazy dieting tips which will help you cut calories effortlessly. These simple suggestions can turn mindless eating into mindless losing. Adopt just a few of them and by the time you're ready for your fall wardrobe, you'll be that much closer to your goal weight.

Most of us eat too fast and our brain doesn't have time to register that we're full. So we keep eating! A simple trick to break out of this pattern is to put your knife and fork own three times during a meal. Stop. Take a breath. Join the conversation. You'll eat slower and you'll consume less.

Drink water with your meals. If you're eating in a restaurant, have the goal of three fill-ups in the course of the meal. If you're sipping water, you're not eating; You're getting closer to your daily water intake goal (see The Wall Street Diet, page 38 for tips on water drinking) and you're filling up on non-cal fluids rather than more fattening things.

Order two appetizers for dinner. This is a great, lazy way to a healthy, low-cal dinner. Skip the heavy entrees and go for two light, tasty appetizers instead. You'll cut calories and you'll keep pace with other diners who might be having an appetizer plus an entree. See The Wall Street Diet, page 129, for some recommended appetizer choices. A couple of good bets include fresh gazpacho, shrimp cocktail, caprese salad (mozzarella and tomato) or steamed mussels in white wine and garlic.

Wear fitted clothes. This is a great mindless way to keep your eating goals at the top of your 'to-do' list. Nothing says "eat light" like a pair of snug pants and/or a belt. It's a constant reminder that you don't ever want to feel stuffed and that eating light feels right.

Kill your cravings. If you're going out to eat or expect to have a nice dinner at home but you're hungry enough to eat a buffalo, put a lid on your appetite with a pre-dinner nibble. Many of my clients do this routinely and swear it's a lifesaver. Have two Fiber Rich crackers and a large drink of water about an hour or so before dinner. You'll be master of the menu as you order healthy selections and push the bread away.

Pop a breath strip. The taste of peppermint, or any mint, kills appetite. So enjoy a breath strip at any time during the day when you want to avoid a snack. If you're headed to an office birthday party, trying to fight late-night cravings or facing a breakfast buffet that's
a carb carnival, a breath strip can put the brakes on your mindless indulgence.

That was easy, right? Reaching your goal weight can be as simple as adopting some simple strategies that help keep you on track. You can find a host of these strategies in The Wall Street Diet.

How to Turn Snacks Into Your Secret Diet Weapon

2008-07-10T13:23:00.004-04:00

Let's face it: the pothole in every dieter's road to success is hunger. We don't eat just because something tastes good: we eat because we're totally starving! That is why I want to convert you to the Wall Street Diet approach to snacks. Strategic snacking is one of the most effective weapons you have against a poor food choice or (shudder!) a binge. When you keep your hunger in check with an appropriate snack, you're making it much easier to stick to your healthy food choices. But there's a key word here - strategic. If you snack mindlessly (and sometimes stress or fatigue can promote mindless snacking) you'll be adding extra calories to your daily intake without accomplishing your goal of minimizing hunger.

Here are my top Strategic Snacking Tips (you'll find many more in my book, The Wall Street Diet).

Know yourself. Some of my clients have told me that strategic snacking has enabled them to lose weight that they've never been able to lose before. But other clients learn that they don't need snacks at all. How do you tell? It's simple: try going from lunch to dinner without a snack. If you find that you are able to make good choices at dinner and that you're not utterly starving, you probably don't need a snack. If, on the other hand, you're desperate to eat just about anything by the time 5pm rolls around, you are a good candidate for a mid-afternoon snack. I've got lots more details on how to figure out your eating style in The Wall Street Diet (pages 19 - 44). In general, most people who feel they need a snack do well to have a single mid-afternoon snack. People who require more calories because of size or activity level might also choose a mid-morning snack and/or an evening snack. Again, the key is to know yourself and limit your snacking to what's useful and strategic in helping you reach your goals.

Meet the Snacks. OK, so you know you really need a snack to help keep you on track. What do you choose? I have lots of snack recommendations in The Wall Street Diet but here's a condensed version:

If you need a mid-morning snack: Choose a light snack of no more than 80 calories. This might be an apple. 6 ounces of Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, one Laughing Cow Light cheese and a Fiber Rich cracker.

If you need an afternoon snack: The Wall Street Diet (pages 311 -312) includes a complete list of recommended afternoon snacks. They are all up to 200 calories. A few good choices include: a Larabar, a Luna bar, a Nature Valley Granola bar, a 1.3 oz bag of Glenny's Soy Crisps.

If you need an evening snack: An evening snack should be less than 80 calories and it should be eaten right after dinner. A few good choices include Tofutti pops, Edy's Fruit Bars, a frozen Dannon Light & Fit yogurt.

Watch your Weekends. Weekends can be a tough time to diet. You're off schedule. You're socializing and spending time with friends and family. Snacks can play a big role in helping your stick to your eating goals. I suggest you keep lots of healthy snacks on hand for weekends. It's better to over-indulge in a healthy snack than to lose control at a brunch buffet! Some good choices include all the snacks mentioned above a well as low-sodium V-8 juice with lemon over ice, sugar free hot chocolate, cut up cucumber or peppers, soy crisps and herbal teas. For more tips on weekend snacking, see The Wall Street Diet (pages 190-191).

Don't be a health-snack-nut. Have you noticed all those portion-controlled healthy snacks that fill the supermarket aisles these days? What could be wrong with a whole-grain, organic snack? Well, first there are the calories...Even portion controlled snacks can pile on calories. Many of my clients tell me that they find it impossible to stop at one little snack! Moreover, for many dieters, the practice is worse than the calories. Once you get accustomed to downing a nibble here and a bite there it can be a hard habit to break. So limit your snacks to my Wall Street Diet recommended choices and enjoy them strategically, not mindlessly!

Travel Light:How to Turn Your Next Business Trip Into a Spa Trip

2008-06-19T23:42:00.002-04:00

Here’s a fresh idea that can change your whole approach to travel. Many of my clients swear by this strategy. Think of your trip – whether for business or pleasure, for two days or a week – as a spa trip. You’ll be away from the usual distractions of your home and family life and it’s your opportunity to focus on…. You! Begin with your flight. A few of my clients use air travel as a ‘cleanse’. They request only hot water and lemon to drink and they fast (unless the flight is quite long). They arrive at their destinations refreshed and light. In fact, an interesting recent study from Harvard researchers published in Science reveals that skipping food in the air may help beat jet lag. It seems the body has a ‘feeding’ clock in the brain and skipping food prompts you to stay awake until you can eat. So what could be better: more alert and more slim! I have lots of details on how to turn an ordinary trip into a Spa Trip. See pages 160 – 165 of The Wall Street Diet.

Travel Light: Eating Well While Enroute

2008-06-19T23:41:00.001-04:00

It’s not hard to eat well en route no matter what the sky demons throw at you. Consider the time of day that you’ll be traveling as well as the duration of your flight.

Breakfast. If you’re grabbing an early morning flight, you need to be prepared for a terminal breakfast. I have lots of very specific tips in the The Wall Street Diet on how to find an excellent breakfast at the airport (see pages150-151) even if nothing but Hudson News is open. Here’s my famous “One-Stop Breakfast”: Dash into Starbucks or any coffee shop for a venti skim latte. Yes, it really is half of a healthy breakfast. It’s a shot of espresso along with roughly 9 ounces of milk that will cost you about 200 calories. The second stop is a piece of fruit. Grab a banana or any other fruit. There. You’re done! And you won’t be sitting at the gate or on the tarmac, starving!

Lunch and dinner are really nutrition twins when it comes to travel. The two top choices are a sandwich (choose a turkey on whole wheat with mustard and lettuce) or a chicken Caesar salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You can find these at most any airport. Starbucks, which is everywhere, make a good stop because they list the calories on their packaged sandwiches. (In The Wall Street Diet you’ll find detailed airport-by-airport “cheat sheets” on where to eat at most major airports in the world. See pages 261-303.)

Snacks. Don’t forget snacks. They’re lifesavers for when you’re stalled on the tarmac or delayed in the terminal. I have a full list of recommended snacks in The Wall Street Diet. (See pages 153-155.) Excellent snacks include cut up veggies or a piece of fruit or Crispy Delite fruit or Nature Valley Fruit Crisps. An energy bar such as Luna toasted nuts and cranberry, Balance honey yogurt or Kashi TLC granola bar make good choices. Good protein choices include Justin’s nut butter and 2 Fiber Rich crackers or 2 mini Babybel Light or Laughing Cow Light and 2 Fiber Rich crackers.

Diet Recovery Strategies: The Veggie Night

2008-05-28T09:55:00.001-04:00

Want to jump-start your diet week? Try a Veggie Night on Sunday night. Or perhaps you had an over-indulgence at a barbeque or picnic. A Veggie Night will re-set your eating clock and get you back to clean and mean. Like a Protein Day, a Veggie Night is just what it sounds like: a night where your dinner is comprised of simply vegetables. (You can find lots of details and suggestions about Veggie Nights in The Wall Street Diet, page 88.) Some of my clients routinely use Veggie Nights one night a week until they reach their goal weight. Others reserve their Veggie Nights as a re-set tool. Whichever works for you… A Veggie Night dinner might be a baked white or sweet potato and two measured cups of steamed vegetables. This meal can be on your plate in under ten minutes if you use your trusty microwave.

Diet Recovery Strategy: The Protein Day

2008-05-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

A Protein Day is a super-effective tool that will help you re-set your eating patterns. (It’s described in detail on page 87 of The Wall Street Diet) It’s nothing complicated but it’s surprisingly effective. My clients especially like to use it after a trip or a vacation where they’ve overindulged. A Protein Day is just what it says: a day where you eat primarily protein. For example, breakfast might be 2 eggs, any style, or a 4 to 6-egg-white vegetable omelet. Lunch could be a grilled chicken, fish or any protein over greens with a very, very light dressing. Dinner would be the same as lunch plus perhaps some steamed vegetables. These meals are filling and readily available anywhere. A Protein Day will get you back on diet track.

Banning the "Pickable, Poppable, Dippable, Unstoppable"

2008-05-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

Eating is fun. Eating is sometimes unconscious. Put those two facts together with large quantities of food and you’ve got a diet disaster in the making. You know what I’m talking about: those chips in laundry bag sizes, those chocolate samplers that layer on forever… It’s just too tempting. Even healthy foods like cherry tomatoes and carrot sticks and hummus dips can wreak havoc when eaten in large quantities. Many of my clients are champion “mindless eaters” and, when faced with a big bowl of, well, just about anything, they’ll keep going until they reach the bottom. The solution to this is obvious: don’t expose yourself to the Pickable, Poppable... See The Wall Street Diet, page 29 for some specific Pickable, Poppable solutions. But it’s helpful just to recognize that you can’t have vast quantities of food around. Rely on portion-controlled snacks. But small quantities of items like energy bars. Don’t keep a drawer full of healthy, tempting snacks at work. And when you put out the bowl of cherry tomatoes out for the kids, keep it out of your reach!

How to Recover from the “Might-as-Well” Day

2008-05-16T21:05:00.000-04:00

We’ve all had “Might-as-Well” Days. We begin brilliantly with a healthy breakfast, a light lunch of a salad with a protein and a piece of fruit in the afternoon. And then (can you hear the horror movie sound track?) you come undone. There’s a birthday party down the hall or the Girl Scouts make their cookie delivery or, well, you know what happens next. You justify eating just about anything because you already blew your diet and you “might as well”. You’ve begun a downward spiral that will only end when your head hits the pillow. This can add up to many, many calories. To say nothing of the bad feeling of failure and frustration. Don’t let it happen to you! Don’t be a “I’ll start again on Monday” dieter. Start again right now! How? See The Wall Street Diet, pages 31, 40, 87, etc. for tons of “Might-as-Well” tips, but for most people, just recognizing a “Might-as-Well” day for what it is helps you firm up resolve even after you’ve had that whopping piece of cake or half box of Thin Mints. Stop and think: isn’t it better to stop at 300 or 500 or even 1000 extra calories than to continue on the road to ruin? For lots of tips on how to recover from “Might-as-Well” Days, see The Wall Street Diet, page 87.)

Tips to Combat the Late Night Munchies

2008-05-14T21:03:00.000-04:00

It's all too often that my clients tell me they are “good” all day and then when they settled in for the evening in front of the TV they just couldn’t hold it together any longer! Sundown snackers will grab anything that can’t run away and call it a snack. A handful of cookies, a sleeve of crackers, six ‘portion controlled’ packs of chips…. Nothing is safe! And of course the calories mount up. Most of us do this because the evening is the only part of the day when we can really relax. The rushing around is behind us and we feel, if only subconsciously, that we deserve a reward. Also, while we may be distracted all day by overlapping demands, the evening is finally a time to call our own. Whew! Another frantic day done. Time to unwind. Time to comfort ourselves. Time to, well, eat! Of course, excess calories are the biggest negative to evening snacking. But there are others. Late-night eating can cause you to sleep poorly and wake up tired and with a food hangover to boot. I have a host of solutions to this common dilemma in my book (see The Wall Street Diet, page 36), but here’s one tip that really works: the Turkey Solution. I discovered this trick myself to curb my own night time munchies. Keep three or four quarter-pound bags of sliced turkey (from the deli) in the fridge. Choose low-sodium turkey and avoid honey-roasted, smoked or spiced turkey. Each of these ¼ pound bags will have only about 150 calories. If you’re really, truly hungry, the turkey will satisfy you (and give you a tryptophan boost which will help you sleep.) But if you’re just munching, after a few mouthfuls of turkey, you’ll call it quits. Check out my food blog (link) and let me know if this trick works for you or if you have any other effective late-night snack buster solutions.

Q: My spring calendar is filled with celebrations and parties. How do I control myself when I'm standing next to the mixed nuts and they're handing ou

2008-05-11T10:11:00.001-04:00

A: First, observe the arm’s length rule. Always stay an arm’s length of pickable, poppable, unstoppable food. You know what I’m talking about – cheese, nuts, hummus dip… It may sound simple but it’s a tip that’s saved my clients thousands of calories. Be strategic about where you sit and you’ll have less to sit on!

Second, have a plan. Think ahead about your food intake on celebration day. Don’t go anywhere hungry. Pack a protein bar if you’ve got a long stretch between meals. Make a decision in advance about what treats you’re going to enjoy. One piece of wedding cake is fine if you’ve decided in advance that it will be your treat for the day.

A few other tips include: keep a seltzer with lemon or lime in your hands at all times to keep your hands busy. Wear form-fitting clothes (it’s amazing what a snug waistband will do for your willpower!) Be the talker, not the eater. Focus on the celebration – the people, the event – not the food. For a full selection of very specific, very helpful tips on how to handle celebrations, including top cocktail party food picks (page 226), see The Wall Street Diet.

Q: I really, truly can't exercise. Is my diet doomed?

2008-05-09T07:30:00.001-04:00

A: I’m so glad to have a chance to answer this question. If I had a dime for everyone who tells me that they can’t diet because they can’t exercise! My response: Don’t! Exercise, that is. If no time to exercise is keeping you from dieting then you should cross exercise off your to-do list for now. It does take time to exercise; it doesn’t take time to eat well. In my experience roughly 80 percent of weight loss is the result of food intake not calories spent in exercise. I myself am an avid exerciser and depend on it to reduce stress as well as for heart and whole body health. But for busy people, adding exercise can become a stress in itself and a barrier to weight loss because it’s an excuse not to eat well. If you’re already exercising, great; continue. But if you can’t find time to exercise now, don’t worry. Focus on eating well - rely on the Wall Street strategies for busy people - and you’ll ultimately reach your goal. For lots of details on how to think about exercise so you won’t be discouraged, as well as countless suggestions, see The Wall Street Diet. (Page 199 gives my famous “twenty minute rule”.)

Q: I use diet soda to cut down on daily calorie intake. Good or bad idea?

2008-05-07T10:09:00.003-04:00

A: Bad idea. Most people who drink diet soda are drinking it as a replacement for water and water is always the best hydrator. Water can actually help boost metabolism. There’s some evidence that suggests that diet drinks can even have a negative effect on weight loss. A recent study found that study animals who ate yogurt sweetened with saccharine versus those who ate it sweetened with sugar experienced weight gain. How’s that for depressing? They’re not certain why this would happen. It could be some metabolic change stimulated by the artificial sweetener or it could be a behavioral change (I’m eating low-cal yogurt so I can have the cupcake.) Some researchers speculate that the artificial sweetener actually triggers your insulin levels and if your insulin levels are triggered you will crave and therefore eat more carbohydrates and more calories overall. In my experience, clients who drink diet soda aren’t drinking water. Despite the fact that some research indicates that water is not important for weight loss, I have seen over and over again clients who are perfect eaters/exercisers but drink no water and can’t seem to lose an ounce. When I insist they up their water intake they lose weight. There is no better research then 10 years of experience! If you are a diet soda addict, try to reduce your intake if you can’t cut it out entirely and make it your goal to get in 6-8 cups of water before drinking your diet soda (this trick always works because there is only so much fluid you can fit into your body : ) . Also try to get in 1 liter by lunch…busy people always wait until the end of the day and there is no way to cram it all in after 6 without having your sleep suffer from the constant bathroom trips. I give a host of tips on water in The Wall Street Diet including recommended daily amounts and how water intake affects weight loss. (You can find a hot tip on the dangers of “diet” mixers on page 134 of The Wall Street Diet.) Bottom line…less diet soda and more water is the way to go to reach your goal.

How to look and feel fabulous this summer

2008-04-15T12:39:00.002-04:00

Have you looked at the calendar lately? There are less than 60 days to Memorial Day weekend! 30 and 40° weather will soon be a memory, and we’ll be basking in 80° sunshine. If your New Year resolutions slipped away in the past few weeks, buried by cold weather, snow, work and family responsibilities, don’t worry: there’s still time to get healthy, fit and lean for summer!

Stress and work productivity
Some of us work better under stress. Give me a deadline, and my creative juices start to flow! The Yerkes-Dawson law states that as stress increases, so does efficiency and production – to a point. At some level, stress becomes too much for us, and burn-out grinds performance and efficiency to a halt.

Stress also has a food connection. Chronic stress actually increases the production of cortisol, a hormone that makes us crave rich, sweet, pleasurable foods. Cortisol demands food high in fat and carbohydrate such as potato chips, donuts, and ice cream to provide a steady source of energy in case we need escape from raging saber-tooth tigers, or deal with escalating work requirements. Cortisol also tells our body to store those extra calories as fat cells in our abdomen, which then turns off the stress hormones.

What do you do when your stress levels zoom through the ceiling? After 9/11, a survey by the American Institute for Cancer Research found that 20% of people were eating more comfort foods such as mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese. 19% sought out sugar to reduce their stress, reaching for cookies and ice cream. Comfort foods such as cookies, snack crackers, and donuts may make us think we feel better. But that feeling only lasts for a few minutes, and then reality kicks in. We feel physically terrible because our blood sugar is dropping like a rocket. We feel emotionally drained because we ate far more than we anticipated. Our stress levels go even higher because we feel like we just can’t cope and meet our health goals at the same time.

A 3-step approach for success
Don’t let your hectic work, social, and travel schedule get in the way of meeting your health and fitness goals. In my new book, The Wall Street Diet, I outline numerous strategies to reaching your goals. Instead of increasing your stress levels by adding yet another project – a diet – to your already jam-packed life, put these three simple yet effective tips into place.

Tip 1: Prioritize
Maybe you have 5, 10, or more items on your to-do list to get your body health-and-fitness-ready for summer. Prioritize that list, and focus on just one weak area. If you try to do everything at once, you’re going to increase your stress levels, which typically leads to inactivity and failure. Each week pick one primary goal for the week, and stick with it.

For example, you might decide to start with alcohol consumption. Alcohol is the fastest way to add empty calories, and it weakens your resolve to choose healthier foods. The average serving of 1.5 ounces of 80-proof alcohol contains about 90 calories before adding mixers. There’s no need to abstain from alcohol completely. Instead, you might choose to drink only one mixed drink per day. Or you might decide to stick with a glass of wine and forgo high calorie mixers. Try drinking mineral water with a slice of lime at a cocktail party instead of alcohol.

By prioritizing your to-do list, you’ll keep your goals manageable and feel successful. Each small success breeds even more success, and before you know it you’ll make progress in every area on that list.

Tip #2: Prepare
Preparation trumps will power every time. Plan out what you’re going to eat for breakfast and lunch. Limit yourself to one or two breakfast choices, and just a few lunch options to keep it simple and hassle-free. Plan for at least three days per week where you have a finite lunch and dinner, such as a turkey sandwich from the corner deli or a frozen meal for dinner. Pick one or two snacks to bring with you each day. A 6-ounce container of Dannon Lite and Fit yogurt, a Kashi TLC granola bar, an apple, or a Babybel light cheese are satisfying, healthy snacks that won’t increase your stress levels.

Plan ahead for a weekly massage to work away stress. Take a 5 minute walk outside in the middle of the day to let the sunshine revive your spirits. Before you step into a stressful meeting or pick up the phone to call a difficult client, take 5-10 deep, slow breaths. Let the air fill your lungs and energize your body, and exhale away stress and tension.

#3: Recover
If you view any slipup as a defeat instead of a bump in the road, or you demand perfection in your eating habits, you’re more likely to increase your stress levels and strike out on your health and fitness goals. Resetting yourself by doing something active and concrete helps you restructure your thinking so you avoid an all-or-nothing attitude that cripples your success.

Use a Protein Day after a day filled with eating disasters to get right back on track. Base your meals and snacks around protein: eggs or egg whites for breakfast, grilled chicken or fish in a salad for lunch and with steamed vegetables for dinner, and canned tuna or sliced turkey for snacks. A Protein Day gives your body a break from carbohydrates and breaks the cycle of overeating and then feeling terrible.

Another recovery tool is a Veggie Night, where you microwave a white or sweet potato and two cups of vegetables. In less than 10 minutes you have a satisfying meal that helps erase the earlier lapses of the day. Enjoying a Veggie Night helps you regroup, so you wake up the next morning feeling light and ready for a balanced breakfast.

Two months and counting!
Enjoy the warmer weather, sunnier days, and longer periods of daylight as we move through Spring into Memorial Day Weekend. With the tips outlined here, you’ll be beach-ready before you know it!

Spring Pilaf with Salmon and Asparagus

2008-04-01T23:03:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups (1-inch) diagonally cut asparagus
3 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Bring water to a boil in a large skillet; add salmon (skin side up). Return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fish with a slotted spoon and discard water; cool fish slightly. Remove and discard skin; break fish into large pieces.

Return pan to heat; melt butter over medium-high heat. Add asparagus; cook 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice, peas, and broth; cook 1 minute. Add salmon, parsley, and remaining ingredients; stir well to combine. Cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 391(29% from fat); FAT 12.8g (sat 3.4g,mono 4.3g,poly 4g); PROTEIN 24.7g; CHOLESTEROL 61mg; CALCIUM 43mg; SODIUM 385mg; FIBER 2.7g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 42.9g

From Cooking Light, APRIL 2003

Research Roundup: How to reduce your risk of heart disease

2008-04-01T23:02:00.000-04:00

Are you curious about what to eat – and what not to eat – to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease? The OmniHeart trial published information in the February 2008 issue of The Journal of the American Dietetic Association on the effectiveness of three different eating patterns to decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors. Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium intake were kept even in the three groups, but total carbohydrate, protein, and monounsaturated fat content differed. All three diets lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and decreased overall risk of developing heart disease. Each diet emphasized the use of fresh fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; included whole grains, nuts, and fish; and reduced intake of red meat, sweets, and sugary beverages.

These global, population-based messages are important, but science is taking the next step in making individualized recommendations, based on your personal genetic profile. Navigenics is one company with a federally certified laboratory that screens personal genetic material from a sample of saliva and provides clinically-based, individual feedback on specific steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In the near future, your physician will be able to give you precise guidelines on lifestyle habits to prevent chronic disease. For now, keep eating your fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, and whole grains.

Honey Oatmeal Muffins

2008-02-01T23:07:00.000-05:00

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients
¾ cup rolled oats
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
14 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup honey
½ cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil

Directions
Combine oats, flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and soda; mix well. Beat eggs, honey, milk and oil together; mix well. Pour honey mixture over dry ingredients; mix only until moistened. Spoon into oiled muffin tins. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.

Nutrition Information
179 calories
32% of calories from fat
6.5g fat
36mg cholesterol
26 g carbohydrate
2.5 g dietary fiber
5 g protein
178mg sodium

Source: National Honey Board www.honey.com

Sugar Substitutes and Weight Gain

2008-02-01T23:06:00.001-05:00

Researchers from Purdue University tested this theory on two groups of rats in three different experiments. They discovered that rats fed yogurt sweetened with saccharin went on to eat more calories and gained more body fat and weight than another group of rats fed yogurt sweetened with glucose, which is basically pure sugar. The researchers theorize that our bodies expect sweet foods to contain calories, and when they don’t, we overcompensate by eating more calories throughout the day. The findings, published in the February 2008 issue of Behavioral Neuroscience, present a possible explanation for the rising tide of obesity, even in the presence of thousands of foods and beverages sweetened with no-calorie sugar substitutes. This study was done in rats, not humans, and it only used saccharin, an older sugar substitute that is less widely used than aspartame or sucralose. However, limiting your sweet intake – from both sugar and sugar substitutes, seems like a prudent step to maintain a healthy body weight.

The Skinny on Sweeters

2008-02-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Eat too many sugary foods and you run the risk of weight gain and a trip to the dentist to take care of cavities. Some people say that we should use a more natural sweetener than table sugar, such as honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar. And what about sugar substitutes – are they safe to use on a regular basis?

Nutritive vs. Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Nutritive sweeteners such as table sugar, molasses, and polyols provide energy and contain 2-4 calories per gram of weight. Non-nutritive sweeteners contain no calories, because they are far sweeter than sugar and only tiny amounts are necessary.

Sugar
Sucrose and fructose make up sugar and other sweeteners that occur naturally in foods. Our body doesn’t differentiate between the sugar in an apple, the sugar we stir into our coffee, or the sugar that sweetens muffins and cookies. Molasses, honey, fruit juice concentrate, corn syrup, raw sugar, and brown sugar are examples of sugars routinely added to commercially prepared foods or used at home.

Polyols
Polyols are sweeteners that aren’t well digested and therefore provide about half the calories of sugar. Commonly referred to as ‘sugar alcohols’, the preferred name is polyol, because they’re neither sugar nor alcohol. Polyols sweeten lower-calorie foods such as ice cream, candy, and baked goods that are often labeled “sugar free”, “no sugar added”, or “no added sugars”. Foods that contain polyols are also allowed to use the health claim “Does not promote tooth decay”. Caution: some people experience gas, bloating, or even diarrhea if they consume too many polyols. Just because a food is sugar-free doesn’t mean we should eat a lot of it!
One of the most popular polyols is xylitol, which found naturally in many fruits and vegetables. Xylitol has the same bulk and sweetness as sugar, but one-third fewer calories because it is not completely digested. According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, chewing sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol between meals can significantly decrease risk of dental caries.

Sugar Substitutes
There are five different sugar substitutes currently approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame have undergone rigorous testing and are safe for normal use.

1. Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low, Sugar Twin, Sweet Magic) is the oldest sugar substitute, widely used for over 100 years. It’s 300-400 times sweeter than sugar. In 1977 saccharin was banned due to research showing it caused cancerous tumors in rats. After thorough scientific review, in 1985 the American Medical Association determined that saccharin is safe for human consumption. Because other sugar substitutes with better taste and little or no aftertaste are now available, saccharin is used less often. Children should not use saccharin due to limited research on its safety in this age group. Pregnant women are cautioned to avoid saccharin because it crosses the placenta.
2. Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet, SweetMate, NatraTaste), 180 times sweeter than sugar, was approved for general use in 1976. The widespread allegation that the breakdown products of aspartame – methanol and formate – cause lupus, multiple sclerosis, or brain tumors is untrue, with additional research proving the safety of aspartame.
3. Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, SweetOne, Swiss Sweet) was approved for use in 1988. It’s most often used in combination with other sweeteners or in soft drinks, and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. One of the byproducts of acesulfame potassium is phenylalanine, a naturally occurring amino acid. Phenylalanine is safe for everyone except for the small percentage of people with phenylketonuria who cannot metabolize it. That’s why you see the statement “Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine” on any food or beverage that contains acesulfame potassium.
4. Sucralose (Splenda) is actually made from sucrose, or table sugar. That’s why the advertising for sucralose says it tastes like sugar. Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar and is used in hundreds of foods and beverages. Sucralose is made by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule. Chlorine is actually a natural part of many types of foods we eat every day, including lettuce, tomatoes, and melons, and the small amounts present in sucralose are safe for human consumption.
5. Neotame is a sweetening powerhouse: it’s 7000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar! It was approved for general use in 2002, and is typically found blended with other sugar substitutes in foods and beverages.

Stevia is a sweetener made from a South American shrub. It cannot be marketed or sold as a sweetener within the United States because the FDA has not yet established its safety. You’ll find stevia marketed as a dietary supplement in many health stores.

There are two sugar substitutes currently undergoing review by the FDA:

1. Alitame (Aclame) is 2000 times sweeter than sugar, and enhances the flavor of other sugar substitutes. It’s currently approved for use in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the People’s Republic of China.
2. Cycalmate was discovered in 1937 and was approved for use in the US until 1970, when it was banned due to concerns it led to cancer in animals. In 1985 the National Academy of Sciences concluded that cyclamates are not carcinogenic on their own, and there is currently a petition to reapprove its use. It’s only 30 times sweeter than sugar, but when combined with other sugar substitutes can enhance the overall sweet flavor.

Three other non-caloric sweeteners are currently approved for use in the US as flavor enhancers, not sweeteners. They are 50-3000 times sweeter than sugar, but require additional research before they can be utilized as sugar substitutes. Dihydrochalcones (DHCs), glycyrrhizin and thaumatin (Thalin) are found in beverages, chewing gum, and some baked goods.

Because sugar substitutes are so much sweeter than sugar, a little goes a very long way. Other ingredients, such as maltodextrin or polydextrose, are added to sugar substitute packets to provide bulk. The current trend is to blend two or more different sugar substitutes together for the best-tasting product.

How Much Is Too Much?
The National Academy of Sciences’ Food Nutrition Board recommends no more than 25% of total calories should come from added sugars, including sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup. For a woman eating 1400 calories per day, 350 calories could potentially come from added sugars. Adding some sweetness to foods increases our enjoyment of eating, and keeping sugar consumption to a moderate level is definitely part of a balanced, healthy diet.

Up to 90% of consumers routinely use sugar substitutes, or foods that already contain sugar substitutes. The FDA determines an acceptable amount of each sugar substitute that can be safely used over a person’s lifetime, and includes a 100-fold safety factor. That means you could eat 100 times the recommended amount of a sugar substitute and not worry about health problems. Research studies show that the vast majority of people use healthy amounts of sugar substitutes.

Our Sweet Recommendations
Recent research published in the Journal of Food Science shows that the more artificial sweeteners we use, the more we crave sweet foods and beverages, which may increase our overall calorie intake and make it more difficult to lose weight. And the research we discuss in this newsletter brings up a disturbing possibility that using sugar substitute may actually cause our body to crave more calories, so that we gain body fat. It makes sense to use the least amount of sugars and sugar substitutes possible, especially if they’re used in foods that don’t contain many healthy nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Water or skim milk are healthier beverages than diet soda; a fresh apple packs a larger nutrient punch than canned applesauce sweetened with Splenda, and candy is still candy – even if it’s sugar free!

Oriental Clementine Spinach

2008-01-01T23:10:00.000-05:00

In the winter, it may feel like fresh fruit and vegetables are missing. However, clementines are prominent in the supermarkets this time of year. Moreover, clementines are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. This recipe is low in calories and full of flavor. It is a great way to include more fruits and vegetables and get started on some wonderful eating habits.

Serves 6

2 packages (10 oz. each) fresh spinach
1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. sugar
3 clementines, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Remove stems and wash spinach. Place spinach and ¼ cup of water in a large saucepan. Cook covered over medium-heat for 4 to 5 minutes until leaves are just wilted, stirring occasionally. Drain well.
Combine vegetable broth, soy sauce, and sugar in a saucepot. Bring to a boil. Stir in spinach and Clementine pieces and heat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.

**The above recipe was adapted from The Produce For Better Health Foundation

Research Round-up: Predicting Weight Maintenance

2008-01-01T23:08:00.000-05:00

We all know there are many ways to lose weight - some are healthy and some are not so healthy. Generally, when simply looking to drop pounds in any way possible, such as a detox diet, you can end up packing on even more weight later on. In a recent study, slated to be published in January of 2008 in Preventing Chronic Diseases, researchers looked at the dietary practices and physical activity changes that led to successful weight maintenance. The researchers analyzed data on number of daily fruit and vegetable servings, minutes per week of physical activity, dining out frequency and confidence in one's ability to engage in behavioral strategies. They found that adults who reported not eating at fast-food restaurants (as compared with going two or more times per week) were more successful at weight loss maintenance. In addition, those who consumed fewer than five fruits and vegetables, but accrued more than 420 minutes of physical activity per week, or those who consumed five or more servings of fruits and vegetables and accrued 150 minutes or more of physical activity were more successful maintainers than those adults who consumed fewer than 5 fruits or vegetables per day and who were sedentary. Therefore, the behaviors that were adopted in order to initially lose the weight do indeed have some bearing on whether you will be able to keep the weight off. As you embark on your New Year's resolution, please keep this in mind, and aim for a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and physical activity.

The Scoop on Detox Diets

2008-01-01T16:29:00.000-05:00

"Detox" is apparently the magic word in the dieting world. Whether it is through celebrities or magazine diet plans the benefits of detoxification seem to be touted everywhere. But, what exactly is detox, and is it beneficial?

The Claim
Those who support detox claim that our bodies are constantly overloaded with toxins. These can include pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides, alcohol, caffeine, and food additives. They claim that when these toxins build up in our systems, health problems can occur, including weight gain, headaches, bloating, fatigue, and a general lack of well-being. The advocates for detox feel that removing these toxins will help us to lose weight and feel better.

What is Detox?
There are many methods of detoxification. They range from pleasant activities such as saunas and massage to fairly unpleasant procedures such as colonic irrigation or bowel enemas. For many detox plans, herbal supplements are also recommended, and as is most popular in the United States, a detox plan will almost always have a large dietary component. Detox diets may include fasting, consuming only fruits and vegetables, consuming a limited range of foods, or avoiding caffeine and alcohol.

The Facts
Even though detox diets seem to be mainstream in popular culture, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the human body needs help getting rid of waste products if it is healthy. Our bodies are completely capable of excreting waste without fasting, enemas, or induced sweating - that's why we have a liver, lungs, kidneys, and skin.

Strict detox diets that are followed for a long period of time can actually lead to nutritional deficiencies and associated health problems. For instance, if you follow only a juice diet, then you will be missing nutrients such as calcium. A prolonged deficiency of calcium may lead to osteoporosis or brittle bones down the line. Moreover, if you fast for a significant period of time, then your metabolism will likely slow down, and your body will adjust to a very low calorie intake. Therefore, when you return to a normal eating pattern, you will be more likely to gain weight.

Is there Weight Loss?
Of course! How can there not be weight loss when you are barely eating anything? Cutting out major food groups - or all food - will drastically slash your caloric intake. In fact, the more severe the "detox", the more weight you'll be likely to lose simply due to a lack of food. Plus, the fact that you are drinking loads of water helps lead to a loss of water weight as well. However, as mentioned above, the weight loss will be accompanied by a slowing of your metabolism, leading to a very likely weight regain once real foods are reintroduced to the diet.

Are there any pros to detoxing?
Many people are probably following unhealthy diets. If following a one or two day detox plan helps get you into a healthy eating frame of mind, then a detox can be great. Detox diets can encourage healthy eating habits such as including more produce into your diet, drinking more water, or cutting back on processed foods. Detox diets also encourage forgoing alcohol and caffeine. All of these changes can be wonderful for your health and motivate you to get on track.

So What Should I do?
If you feel you need a one or two day detox to get you on track, then fine. But then please, give it up! Severe restriction is not healthy and is almost definitely not maintainable in the long-term. In addition, many of these detox plans put certain foods on a pedestal. While a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, there is no one food that can provide nutritional nirvana. During this New Year, if you want to maintain or achieve optimal health, the best approach is a balanced diet and regular exercise.

re you curious about what to eat – and what not to eat – to decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease? The OmniHeart trial published information in the February 2008 issue of The Journal of the American Dietetic Association on the effectiveness of three different eating patterns to decrease blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors. Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium intake were kept even in the three groups, but total carbohydrate, protein, and monounsaturated fat content differed. All three diets lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and decreased overall risk of developing heart disease. Each diet emphasized the use of fresh fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products; included whole grains, nuts, and fish; and reduced intake of red meat, sweets, and sugary beverages.

These global, population-based messages are important, but science is taking the next step in making individualized recommendations, based on your personal genetic profile. Navigenics is one company with a federally certified laboratory that screens personal genetic material from a sample of saliva and provides clinically-based, individual feedback on specific steps you can take to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In the near future, your physician will be able to give you precise guidelines on lifestyle habits to prevent chronic disease. For now, keep eating your fruit, vegetables, nuts, fish, and whole grains.

Turkey Cutlets with Cranberries

2007-12-01T23:14:00.000-05:00

Though there are no magic foods that erase stress and immediately induce sleep, there are components of foods that may help. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain, which naturally enhances sleep. In addition, vitamin C has been found to help reduce both the physical and psychological effects of stress on the body. This recipe, which is perfect for the holidays, contains both of these components. The turkey contains tryptophan, and the cranberries and orange juice contain vitamin C. Plus, the recipe is delicious, easy, and quick!

Serves 4

4 Turkey Cutlets (approximately 4-5 ounces each)
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup sliced onions
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray. Place the cutlets in the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Top with onions, cranberries, orange juice, and vinegar.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Calories per serving: ~275

High-Fat Food and Sleep

2007-12-01T23:13:00.001-05:00

A recent study shows that sleep and weight gain is a two-way street. Previous research seemed to indicate that lack of sleep led to weight gain. However, in a recent study published in Cell Metabolism in November 2007, researchers found that a high-fat diet may in fact be a cause of disrupted sleep, thus leading to further weight gain. In this study, mice fed a high-fat diet gained weight and showed a disruption in their circadian clock. These mice, after initially being fed a high-fat diet ate extra calories when they should have been sleeping or resting, and it was these extra calories that led to weight gain. So, avoid this vicious cycle by eating a diet that is balanced and moderate in fat.

Stress, Sleep, and Weight Gain – Oh My!

2007-12-01T16:40:00.000-05:00

In late October of this year, the American Psychological Association released the results of a national survey on stress. They found that 1/3 of Americans are living with extreme stress, and that nearly half of Americans believe their stress levels have increased over the last five years. In addition, a majority of adults (63%) do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation. In fact, over the past 40 years, Americans have cut their sleep time by 1-2 hours a night. These trends towards more stress and less sleep coincide with Americans becoming heavier each year. It is no surprise then that recent research has found that both stress and sleep are correlated with weight gain.

Sleep
Lack of sleep appears to affect hormone levels. Leptin is a hormone released by fat cells which signals the brain to stop eating. Ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach, signals the body to continue eating. Studies have shown that in individuals who are sleep deprived (i.e. sleeping less than 8 hours per night), leptin levels are lower and ghrelin levels are higher. This combination is therefore likely to increase appetite. On top of all that, the brain interprets a drop in leptin as a sign of starvation. In order to protect itself, the body not only responds by increasing your appetite, but it also burns fewer calories.

But, that’s not all. Lack of sleep also seems to affect insulin resistance and blood glucose levels. Insulin is the hormone that lets glucose (aka blood sugar) into the body’s cells, to be burned for energy. When people are insulin resistant, the insulin does not work efficiently. This can increase the risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Stress
As with lack of sleep, being stressed also affects certain hormones. When the body is stressed, it releases adrenaline, along with corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol. The adrenaline and CRH first affect the body by decreasing your appetite, since in the typical “fight or flight response” (when stress is highest), having to stop and eat would surely not help to save your life. However, this decreased appetite only lasts for a short time. Cortisol kicks in later. Its job is to help the body replenish its stores when the stress has passed, and cortisol’s effects last a lot longer. Moreover, since the body is looking to quickly replenish its energy stores, it begins to crave sugar. Cortisol may also work to slow down your metabolism, since it is trying to quickly replenish lost nutritional stores.

Stress may also affect weight gain in other ways. Aside from cortisol’s affect on the body, stress often leads to nervous energy. An increase in nervous energy in some people leads to nervous or emotional eating. Furthermore, stress is also largely associated with a lack of time. This lack of time may affect being able to prepare healthy meals, leading to an increase in fast food consumption. It may lead to less time to exercise. Or, it may lead to a lack of sleep, thus starting a vicious cycle…

What to do?

1. Try a stress-reducing activity such as listening to soothing music or going for a walk.
2. Maintain a regular bed and wake-time schedule, including weekends.
3. Get organized. Create lists and schedules to get work done. Delegate tasks when possible.
4. Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed. A calorie is a calorie, and eating late at night won’t lead to weight gain. However, eating late at night can make you more uncomfortable when you lie down for bed and thus interrupt sleep.
5. Exercise! Exercise helps to reduce stress, makes it easier to fall asleep, and contributes to a more sounds sleep. Just try to complete your workout a few hours before bed.

Greek Pasta with White Beans and Spinach

2007-10-01T23:21:00.001-04:00

This recipe is quick, easy, and a perfect way to increase carbohydrate consumption prior to The Big Day. Using beans not only provides protein, but they also provide approximately 15-20 grams of carbohydrate per ½ cup serving.

Serves 8 regularly or 4 when training

Ingredients:
1 lb. box penne
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can Cannellini or White Beans
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
10 ounces fresh Spinach, chopped
½ cup low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water as directed on the package.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large non-stick skillet until translucent.
Add tomatoes, beans, and seasonings to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
Add spinach to the sauce and cook until spinach wilts, stirring constantly.
Serve sauce over pasta, and sprinkle with feta.

	Serves 4	Serves 8
Calories	440	220
Carbohydrates	76 g	38 g
Fat	7 g	3.5 g
Protein	16 g	8 g

Glycemic Index and Exercise Performance

2007-10-01T23:21:00.000-04:00

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods that is based on the food’s effect on blood sugar as compared with a standard reference food’s effect. Though the GI was originally devised to aid diabetics, it is now extensively used in sports nutrition to aid athletes in the selection of appropriate carbohydrates to choose for training. In a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers investigated the effects of meals with different glycemic indexes on the metabolic response during exercise in women. Eight active women participated in two trials. In each trial they received a test breakfast 3 hours before performing a 60 minute run. The first trial consisted of a high-glycemic breakfast, while the second was low-glycemic. Researchers found that the low-glycemic breakfast resulted in a higher rate of fat oxidation during exercise than did a high-glycemic meal. While endurance athletes may require the higher glycemic meal, those individuals desiring weight loss may benefit from consuming lower-glycemic foods prior to exercise.

Marathon Eating 101

2007-10-01T16:40:00.000-04:00

Running a marathon, or training for any big sport’s event, is a huge commitment, and takes months of preparation. Training, however, does not simply consist of sprints, scrimmages, or other heart-pumping related activities. A major component is nutrition. Without proper fuel for your body, you will be unable to reach your maximum potential.

There are four nutrients on which to focus during training. These include water, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. When you drink enough water and eat a balanced diet, your body can work efficiently and provide energy to fuel performance.

Water
Water makes up 60 percent of your body and is involved in essentially every bodily process. Unlike with other nutrients, your body cannot store excess water - you must replace whatever you lose. There is a fine line, however, between drinking too little and drinking too much. If you drink too little, you run the risk of dehydration, which hampers performance and increases the risk of heat illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Conversely, too much fluid puts you at risk for hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in the blood drops too low. Although rare, hyponatremia can result in seizure, coma, or death. Those at risk are people who drink too much and do not adequately replace the sodium lost in sweat.

The best way to prevent hyponatremia and dehydration is to learn the correct way to hydrate.

* Drink to Hydrate: Your fluid-replacement goal is to drink the perfect amount of fluid, resulting in neither weight loss or weight gain. A helpful tool may be to estimate your sweat rate. Weigh yourself before and after a workout. Then account for fluid consumed during training and add this to the total weight loss.

For instance, if you lost 1 pound (16 oz) during 1 hour of training, and drank 16 oz, you should drink 32oz (16 + 16) each hour during similar intensity exercise training.
* Include More Salt: Salt is lost through sweat, so make certain to replace all of the salt lost during training. Consider including more salty snacks (i.e. pretzels or crackers) into your diet.

* Invest in Sports Drinks: Drinks, such as Gatorade®, help keep your body hydrated while replacing essential electrolytes, like salt, during exercise. Because of the added flavor, you are more likely to consume more. These drinks are preferred over water during long distance or intense training or competition.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the preferred source of fuel for the body. They are found in fruits, vegetables, starches, and other foods. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose for immediate energy or stores it in the liver and muscle tissues as glycogen. Muscle glycogen is used during endurance sports. As glycogen is depleted, an individual may become fatigued and unable to maintain training and racing intensity. With high intensity training, 60-70% of calories should come from carbohydrates. Remember: while we usually encourage high fiber and whole grains, opt for low fiber foods (i.e. white pasta, potatoes, etc.) when training to avoid gastric distress and cramping.

* Stock up before*: Eat carbohydrates for at least several days before competing so that you start with glycogen loaded muscles.

* Be consistent during: If training or competing for more than an hour, eat carbohydrates during the activity to replenish energy and delay fatigue. Consider energy gel supplementation. A typical gel has 90-100 calories composed mostly of carbohydrates. These are especially helpful during colder days when the sweat rate is lower, and you are not prone to drink as much. Gels, however, can upset your stomach, so try using them to gage your tolerance prior to the competition.

* Replenish: After a long run or an intense training session, your muscle glycogen stores will be depleted. Therefore, eat a carbohydrate snack of approximately 100-300 calories immediately after training. Snacks may include pretzels, baked chips, or frozen fruit pops.

*A note on carbohydrate (carbo) loading: Carbo-loading is a method some athletes use to maximize glycogen stores. The original method began 1 week prior to the event. For the first 3 days, athletes ate a very low carbohydrate diet (about 10% of total calories) and exercised intensely to deplete glycogen stores. The following 3 days the athlete ate a very high carbohydrate diet (about 90% of total calories) and reduced exercise intensity to maximize glycogen stores. Over the years this technique has been modified and the depletion phase has basically been eliminated. Now athletes usually just increase carbohydrate intake for the 3 days prior to the event (about 70% of calories) and decrease exercise intensity. Consult a physician before attempting a carbo-loading diet.

Protein
Protein is needed for muscle and tissue growth and repair. However, too much protein can cause dehydration and muscle heaviness. When muscle glycogen stores are high, protein contributes less than 5% of the energy needed by the body. When glycogen stores are low, protein must be used for energy and may contribute as much as 10% of the energy needed. This process of using protein for energy is expensive and inefficient, and should be avoided as much as possible.

* Increased Needs: Endurance athletes need up to 50% more protein than sedentary adults.

* Avoid Excess: Consume no more than 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. A high protein diet, especially after heavy training will cause incomplete replenishment of muscle glycogen and impair performance.

Fats
Fats are required in small amounts by the body for certain critical functions and as an alternative energy source to glucose. Eating too much fat, however, is associated with heart disease, some cancers, and other major problems. A high fat intake probably means you aren’t getting enough carbohydrates. Moreover, a high fat diet is difficult to digest and may cause sluggishness.

* Aim for Moderation: All individuals, including athletes, should consume less than 30% of total calories from fat and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat.

While these basic guidelines will help, we do recommend seeking personalized advice when it comes to intense training. Every body is different, and it is important to make sure you are adequately nourished and hydrated during training and during the event.

Homemade Snack Bar

2007-09-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

Though there are definitely snack bars out there that taste good and are fairly balanced, sometimes you like to know exactly what’s going in your bar. This recipe is easy and fits all of our requirements for being a balanced snack bar. Best of all, it tastes good!

Serves 10

3 ½ cups quick oats
1 ½ cups powdered non-fat milk
4 scoops chocolate or vanilla protein powder
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup sugar-free maple syrup
2 egg whites
¼ cup orange juice
1 tsp Vanilla
¼ cup natural applesauce

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and blend well.
In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, egg whites, orange juice, vanilla, and applesauce.
Stir wet mixture (step 3) into dry mixture (step 2).
Spread mixture evenly onto a sprayed baking sheet.
Bake until edges are crisp and brown.
Cut into 10 bars.

Calories: ~185
Fat: 2g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Protein: 15g
Total Carbohydrates: 27g
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 18g

Night Snacking and Weight

2007-09-01T23:23:00.000-04:00

Night-snacking tends to be a problem for many. After dinner, we finally have a chance to relax. Oftentimes that relaxation comes with snacking. In a study published in 2004 by the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, researchers examined whether eating a calorie-controlled snack at night would help with weight management in night snackers. Sixty-two men and women were divided into two groups: calorie-controlled night snackers vs. ad libitum night snackers. The participants followed their assigned night-snacking routine for four weeks. After four weeks, those in the calorie-controlled night snacking group lost about 2 pounds while those in the group who ate ad libitum lost less than half a pound. Though in this case the calorie controlled snack was a measured out bowl of cereal, any calorie controlled item (i.e. a snack bar) may help to keep you from overeating and thus gaining weight.

Snack Bar Break

2007-09-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

Though in an ideal world we would all eat balanced meals and snacks with whole grains, lean protein, and lots of fruits and vegetables, realistically it is often too time consuming and impractical. However, we can’t just starve until we have time to grab a decent meal. That’s where bars come in. Bars are quick, and if you choose the “right” ones, they can be balanced and filling. They are great to keep in your purse or briefcase if a meeting runs late and lunch seems far away, in the glove compartment of your car if you get stuck in traffic, or by the front door if there’s no time for breakfast so you can grab one and go.

The tricky part when it comes to bars is figuring out which ones are best or the most balanced. To help you, we’ve outlined a few nutrients/ingredients to watch for when choosing a bar. The major question to ask yourself, however, is will this bar help me eat less later or will it simply set off a sugar craving and leave me wanting more.

Calories
As a snack, ideally it should have less than 200 calories. If you’re replacing a meal, it can be higher than this, but beware that the very high calorie bars usually contain loads of sugar and/or saturated fat.

Fiber
Fiber helps by slowing digestion and allowing you to feel fuller longer. Finding high fiber bars can be tough, but aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per bar.

Protein
There are loads of high protein bars out there, but the main idea of protein is to balance out the carbohydrates and satiate us longer. There is no need to go overboard with protein (keep in mind, this is just a snack), but aim to get at least 7 grams in your bar.

Fat
You do want to have some fat in your bar to keep your snack balanced, to allow for a more satisfying snack, and to improve the taste and texture of the bar. However, try to keep the fat below 5 grams, with as little as possible coming from saturated fat. Also, avoid any bars with trans fats.

Sugar
This is definitely the hardest ingredient to assess. Most of the bars contain lots of sugar to improve taste. We decided to judge sugar based on its relation to fiber in the bar. Aim for bars that have at most a 6 to 1 ratio of sugars to fiber. For instance, if a bar has 3 grams of fiber, it should have no more than 18 grams of sugar.

To be honest, it was almost impossible to find a bar that fit all of our requirements. The bottom line is that you have to choose which ingredients are most important to you, and which bars help you most in staving off hunger (and which you like the taste of!). We’ve chosen some of our favorites to give you some ideas. The bars in bold fit every requirement.

Bar	Calories	Total Fat(g)	Saturated Fat(g)	Protein(g)	Carbs(g)	Fiber(g)	Sugar(g)
Bellybar™ (for pregnant women)	170-180	4-6	1-2.5	8	22-26	2	11-13
Clif® Mojo™	180-210	8-11	1-2	9-10	19-23	2-3	8-12
Gnu® Foods	130-140	3	0-1	3-4	30-32	12	8-9
Kashi™ GOLEAN® Roll!	190-200	5	1.5-2	12	27-29	6	13-14
Kashi™ TLC™*	120-180	2-6	0.5	5-7	19-26	4	5-8
Larabar®	180	4	2	8	29	5	11
Luna® Sunrise™	180	4	2	8	29	5	11
Luna®*	180-190	3.5-6	0.5-3	9-10	23-28	3-5	9-11
Pria® Complete Nutrition	170	6	4	11	22	5	7
Slim Fast® Optima™ Meal On-The-Go Bar	180-220	4-9	2.5-4	8	28-35	2-3	12-16
thinkGreen™	180-190	5-7	1-3	6-7	27-29	2-4	15-22

*Not every bar in this brand fits all of the requirements.

Take this guide with you as you navigate the supermarket aisles. By keeping balanced, healthy bars on hand, you will never have an excuse for going hungry!

Gazpacho with Chickpeas

2007-08-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

Low calorie soups and salads are invaluable as natural appetite suppressants. Since soups and salads are full of water (or watery ingredients), they help to fill you up before you indulge in a big lunch or dinner. Moreover, if you add extra fiber to your meal, you will also feel fuller sooner. This recipe combines all of these aspects in one easy, refreshing, and tasty dish. No need for diet pills when you can fill up on veggies!

Serves 6

2 – 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice
½ cup tomato juice
2 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 seedless cucumber, cut into a ¼-inch dice
1 small onion, cut into a ¼-inch dice
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (can leave in seeds for spicier soup)
1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsps lime juice
¼ - ½ teaspoon cumin (to taste)
2 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro (can substitute flat-leaf parsley if prefer)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a food processor or blender, blend a ½ cup of the diced tomatoes with the tomato juice and olive oil. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Calories: ~140
Fiber: 6

Natural Herbs or Foods and Weight Loss…or not?

2007-08-01T23:25:00.000-04:00

Considering the main topic of this newsletter is diet pills and weight loss drugs, we wanted to report on a single natural food or herb that is touted for weight loss and present the current research. Amazingly, after searching through the peer-reviewed journals, we found almost no actual research regarding the most common weight-loss ingredients. We searched apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, ginger, ginseng, green tea, and even some of the less common ingredients like turmeric and rhubarb. Though there were a few animal studies regarding one or two of these ingredients, and a few actual studies on green tea, a couple of the searches brought up absolutely nothing (i.e. apple cider vinegar). Yes, we could have chosen one of those rare random studies to report on, but we think a stronger take-home message this month is to beware of what you hear or read. As our fruitless search has shown, the ingredients in most weight loss supplements have barely been researched, and though they may seem harmless because they are common household ingredients, taking large doses of them has not been satisfactorily tested (or even tested at all). When there are actual studies regarding natural ingredients and weight loss, we’ll get back to you.

The Skinny on Diet Pills

2007-08-01T16:42:00.000-04:00

With the release of Alli this past June, diet pills are once again in the spotlight. The claims are appealing: “Lose 30 lbs in 30 days” or “Melt your fat away”. But, do these pills really work? And more importantly, are they even safe? We’ve broken down for you some of the more popular over the counter and prescription diet pills on the market to let you decide for yourself. As a disclaimer, we believe that there are no magic pills to get you to your goal – changing your lifestyle is the only truly tested and effective method.

Prescription Drugs
Research regarding prescription drugs is more thorough and credible since they have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Prescription weight loss drugs are intended for individuals with medically significant weight problems, and are intended to be used in conjunction with dietary, behavioral, and exercise programs. If used correctly by the intended group of users, oftentimes they can be a lifesaver. For those who do not fit the description of the intended user, or for those who simply take the pills without changing their lifestyle, expect disappointment.

Orlistat (Brand name prescription drug: Xenical; OTC drug: Alli)
How it Works: Orlistat blocks the absorption of fat by working on the digestive system. It is claimed to inhibit the action of an enzyme called lipase, which breaks down dietary fat so the body can absorb it. Orlistat blocks the absorption of up to 30% of dietary fat, and the unabsorbed fat is eliminated through the stool.

Research: According to the FDA, before orlistat was approved in 1999, it was tested in seven clinical trials, in which more than 4,000 obese individuals participated. Each of these trials used orlistat in conjunction with a low-calorie, low-fat diet, and an exercise routine. Overall, 57% of people taking orlistat lost at least 5% of their body weight as compared to 31% who took a placebo.

Side Effects: Due to the fact that unabsorbed fat will exit through the stools, many gastrointestinal side effects may exist. Perhaps most embarrassing is that users may experience oily rectal seepage and in extreme cases, may need adult diapers. Fecal urgency, gas with discharge, and frequent, oily bowel movements are also possible. In addition, orlistat interferes with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E, and K) and may also limit the absorption of healthy fats like fish oil or flaxseed oil. As a result, nutritional deficiencies may occur.

Sibutramine (brand name: Meridia)
How it Works: Sibutramine is a monoamine reuptake inhibitor, which means that is blocks the reabsorption of certain neurotransmitters, or messengers to the brain. This allows the levels of these neurotransmitters to increase, which then helps to control appetite. Thus, sibutramine is mostly an appetite suppressant.

Research: Manufacturers report several double-blind, placebo controlled trials. There was evidence that various levels of sibutramine led to significantly more weight loss in obese individuals, than for those who used the placebo. As with orlistat, these studies were done in conjunction with a healthy eating and exercise plan.

Side Effects: The most common side effects are dry mouth, anorexia, headache, insomnia, and constipation. Some users also experience an increase in blood pressure and heart rate.

OTC Drugs
Over the counter weight loss drugs are not subject to approval or regulation by the FDA. As a result, we have limited research on the hundreds of OTC diet pills out there, and almost no long-term research. In addition, because these pills aren’t regulated, they may not even have the amount of an effective ingredient that is stated on the bottle. There are hundreds of diet pills out there. This is only a small sample.

Alli
The only FDA approved OTC drug. See orlistat (above).

TrimSpa X32
How it Works: Trimspa, endorsed by the late Anna Nicole Smith, has many different ingredients in it. Unfortunately, TrimSpa no longer lists each of the ingredients separately, but rather states that it has a “x32 proprietary blend”. We were able to uncover some of the ingredients. Ingredients like caffeine, bitter orange, and green tea extract are thought to work as stimulants. Hoodia, chromium, and glucomannan (fiber) are proposed to work as appetite suppressants.

Research: Clinical trials have not shown that the ingredients in TrimSpa can reduce body fat. There is some evidence that green tea extract may aid in weight loss, and there is clear evidence that fiber (i.e. glucomannan) will lead to satiety, thus decreasing one’s appetite. However, none of the ingredients have been significantly proven to lead to weight loss.

Side Effects: Due to the fact that many of the ingredients have been insufficiently tested, there is concern that in large doses, some of these ingredients may be harmful. Bitter orange (naringin) may interfere with many common prescription drugs such as antiarrhythmics, anticoagulants, statins, immunosuppressants, calcium channel blockers, and protease inhibitors. Ingredients in TrimSpa may lead to insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, and restlessness. TrimSpa may also cause migraines in susceptible people since it contains cocoa extract which contains tyramine. Hoodia, a popular ingredient on its own, and thought to suppress appetite, is also still in the beginning research stages. There is a possibility that it can lead to liver toxicity. Moreover, Hoodia is a protected plant, and because OTC diet pills are not regulated, most of the pills don’t have as much Hoodia as is stated on the packaging.

Xenadrine EFX
How it Works: As with the TrimSpa, Xenadrine has a long list of ingredients. These include green tea leaf extract, bitter orange, caffeine, cocoa extract, grapeseed extract, ginger root, and guarana. These ingredients are purported to speed up the metabolism.

Research: Though proponents of Xenadrine claim numerous clinical trials have been completed, it was hard for us to find any. The two we did find were extremely small studies of six and ten subjects. In addition, we found it dodgy that the Xenadrine website listed “returning shortly…” under the tab for clinical studies. When we called the company, they could not elaborate.

Side Effects: The same side effects noted for specific ingredients in TrimSpa are noted here. In addition, people taking Xenadrine have noticed nausea and upset stomachs, anxiety, shaking, cramps, increased heart rate, and increased sweating.

There are hundreds of other diet pills out on the market. Most of the OTC diet pills rely on the fine print that states it must be combined with a low-calorie diet and exercise. In reality, if you followed the healthy diet and exercise portion, you would lose weight. However, in certain cases, prescription drugs may be helpful and/or necessary, but that must be determined by your physician. With all diet pills remember - if it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is.

Red, White, and Blue Trifle

2007-07-01T23:29:00.000-04:00

It’s summertime, and though we all may “scream for ice cream”, our waistlines are begging us to lighten up. Luckily, summertime is also chock full of fresh fruit, a naturally sweet dessert, which provide us with many important vitamins, minerals, fiber and water.
In fact, we need at least 2-4 servings of fruit per day. The following recipe combines 2 of these delicious fruits in a satisfying and low-calorie dessert.

Serves 15

1 package prepared low-calorie instant vanilla pudding
1- 8-ounce container fat-free or light whipped topping, ½ cup divided
2 ¼ cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided (2 cups & ¼ cup)
2 ¼ cups blueberries, divided (2 cups & ¼ cup)
1 prepared (10 ounces) angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes

Fold the vanilla pudding into the whipping topping (minus the reserved ½ cup of whipped cream).
Combine the 2 cups of strawberries and 2 cups of blueberries.
Place half the cake cubes in the bottom of a 2- to 3- quart trifle dish or straight-sided glass serving bowl. Top with half of the fruit mixture and then half of the whipped cream mixture. Repeat layers with remaining cake and fruit mixture. Spoon remaining whipped cream mixture over the fruit mixture. Place reserved ½ cup of whipped cream on top.
Arrange reserved strawberry slices and blueberries over the whipped cream.
Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

Calories per serving: ~170

Flavonoids and Cognitive Decline

2007-07-01T23:28:00.000-04:00

Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants that are found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and red wine. The benefits of flavonoids have been highly touted, especially as it relates to cancer prevention. In a study published this year by the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found that flavonoids may also help with cognitive function. Over 1600 subjects, age 65 and over, were followed for 10 years. At baseline, all participants were evaluated and found to be free from dementia. In addition, information on dietary flavonoid intake was collected at baseline. Over the 10 year period, participants were cognitively evaluated four times. The researchers found that those participants who consumed the most flavonoids from food did significantly better on the mental examinations 10 years later than those who consumed the least amount of flavonoids. Just one more reason to visit your Farmer’s Market and load up on fresh produce…

Eating Seasonally

2007-07-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

No longer do you have to drive to rural areas for the fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, and seasonal culinary creations of the farms. In the last few years, Farmer's Markets have been popping up and becoming increasingly popular in both urban and suburban neighborhoods. Towns and cities alike have happily sectioned off streets monthly, or even weekly, for nearby farms to provide residents access to locally grown food. While many look at jaunts to the Farmer's Market as occasional quaint outings, however, there are major benefits to regularly frequenting the local markets and to eating seasonally.

Health
Whether or not we realize it, the foods that are grown locally are essentially preparing us for the days ahead. Spring vegetables, like lettuce, kale, asparagus, and spinach, help to clean us out after a long winter. The summer harvest of grains and fruit helps to give us energy for the long days. The produce of autumn, including squash, apples, carrots, and beets, provide warmth and sweetness to help nourish us prior to the long winter. And finally, the winter foods, which generally are stored, like dried fruits, nuts, and other, heavy, dense foods, help to provide resilience.

Intact Nutrients
As soon as a piece of fruit (or any produce) is plucked from the tree, the nutritional breakdown begins. Certain vitamins, particularly vitamin C, are very unstable and though they may be present fresh off the vine, are largely depleted after a few days. Supermarket produce may be shipped from a thousand (or more) miles away. As a result, the produce sits around for many days constantly losing some of the key nutrients.

Since local farms must adjust to the seasonal weather, the fields are also turned over more frequently. Thus, a patch of land that held cucumbers in the summer may hold root vegetables in the fall and winter. This turnover encourages a more nutrient-rich soil, which translates into a more nutrient-dense product (not to mention a tastier product).

Freshness
Locally grown produce is typically picked the day before arriving at the Farmer's Market. As a result, the produce is picked ripe or at its peak. Moreover, after a day at the Farmer's Market, leftover produce is generally not saved to be sold the next day. Instead it is used for jams and baked goods. On the other hand, supermarket produce is harvested well before ripeness so that it can withstand bulk handling and long range shipping. That means that when supermarket produce first hits the shelf, it is at least a week old. In fact, the automatic spraying of the produce section every few minutes is mainly done to perk up the week-old vegetables. It doesn't help that nutrients of the produce leach out at each spraying.

Fewer Preservatives
Many of the small growers at Farmer's Markets are organic growers, which mean they do not use any synthetic compounds on their fields. Even for those local farmers who do use some chemicals, however, the amount which they use is far less than large commercial farms. Moreover, because local farms pick their produce at its peak, they do not use any chemical ripening agents. And because they get their produce to market almost immediately, they do not need to coat their produce in wax or add any other preservative.

Variety
Nowadays, when you walk into a supermarket, you may never know the season. Due to global trade, the supermarkets will always have melon, tomatoes, and tropical fruit. Without any new options, we can easily encounter food fatigue. And when we tire of fruits and vegetables, it is too easy to fall into the rut of treating ourselves with high-fat and high-sugar foods to perk up our food repertoires. However, when we eat seasonally, we can look forward to the juicy summer watermelon or the savory autumn artichokes. Plus, by purchasing seasonal foods, and not splurging on that $10 clamshell of blueberries in the dead of winter, you can also save money.

Incorporating seasonal eating into your lifestyle demands a bit more time, thought, and commitment. As a result, however, you will be rewarded with more robust flavors and loads more nutrients – your body, your palette, and the Earth will definitely thank you!

Seasonal Produce Calendar (New York)

This chart, adapted from the Greenmarket NYC chart, will help you determine the seasonality of your favorite fruits and vegetables.

Season	Vegetables	Fruit
Winter	Dried beans, beets, carrots, collard greens, leeks, onions, parsnips, potatoes, winter squash, turnips	Apples, pears
Spring	Asparagus, dried beans, cabbage, carrots, beet greens, mesclun, onions, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, zucchini, turnip greens	Apples, pears
Summer	Asparagus, snap beans, dried beans, beets, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, herbs, lettuce, leeks, mesclun, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, turnip greens, winter squash, zucchini	Apples, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, currants, peaches, plums, strawberries, raspberries
Fall	Snap beans, dried beans, beets, beet greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, corn, eggplant, fennel, herbs, kale, lettuce, leeks, lima beans, mesclun, onions, parsnip, potatoes, pumpkin, scallions, spinach, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips, winter squash, zucchini	Apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, peaches, pears, plums, raspberries, watermelon

Caffeine and Weight

2007-06-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

The findings regarding caffeine and weight loss seem to change daily. While nothing is conclusive, a recent study shed some light on caffeine intake and long term weight change in both men and women. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006, followed 18,416 men and 39,740 women from 1986 to 1998. Caffeine intake was initially assessed in 1986 and then reassessed every two to four years. Weight for each participant was recorded at baseline and then again in 1998. The study did find a lower mean weight gain in participants who increased, rather than decreased, their caffeine consumption. However, due to the nature of the study, it is impossible to assume that higher caffeine consumption actually causes weight loss as many other factors may have been involved; rather caffeine is simply associated with weight loss. Moreover, in men, the association between caffeine intake and weight was mostly present in younger participants. In women, the association was stronger in those who had a higher body mass index (>=25), who were less physically active, or who were current smokers. This study does lay the groundwork for future research, but for now there is no reason to run out and load up on caffeine. The best advice is to stay active and eat a balanced diet.

Coffee Beverages Exposed

2007-06-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

With spring in full swing, and summer just a few short weeks away, we now find ourselves strolling outside as we delight in the beautiful weather. Oftentimes, these strolls are accompanied by jaunts into a coffee shop or an ice cream store to get a frosty treat. While many may feel that opting for the coffee is the healthier or least caloric choice, many times this is not the case. A serving of vanilla ice cream (which is ½ a cup) is only 145 calories, while a serving of a blended coffee beverage (16 oz) can range anywhere from 180 to 580 calories! The following chart gives a breakdown of some of your favorite coffee treats:

Product	Serving Size(oz)	Calories	Total Fat(g)	Saturated Fat(g)	Carbs(g)	Sugars(g)	Protein(g)
Starbucks Coffee Frappuccino Blended Coffee – no whip	16	260	3.5	2	52	44	5
Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino - whip	16	580	22	13	86	65	14
Dunkin Donuts Coffee Coolatta with Milk	16	210	4	2.5	42	40	4
Cosi Arctic Latte	16	530	16	unknown	94	unkown	6
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Ice Blended, Mocha, with non-fat milk and regular powder	16	390	7	4.7	58	39	11
Caribou Coffee Coffee Cooler	16	220	4	4	46	40	2

Luckily, you can mimic some of these frosty beverages while also cutting down on the calories.

Basic Blended Coffee Base*
Serves 2

1¼ cup strong coffee, chilled
1 cup skim milk
3 packets artificial sweetener (i.e. splenda, equal, etc.)
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 cups ice

Put everything in a blender and blend until desired consistency.
Serve.

Calories per serving: ~95

*To flavor your blended coffee, try adding a teaspoon of sugar-free vanilla, hazelnut, chocolate, or caramel syrup. These flavorings will provide additional sweetness, so you may want to decrease the amount of artificial sweetener or sugar in the recipe.

The Lowdown on Energy Drinks

2007-06-01T16:43:00.000-04:00

In 1997, with the introduction of Red Bull, energy drinks began as a significant category in the US market. Since then, the market has grown by 50% almost yearly, and the energy drink market now totals more than four billion dollars. Clearly, this indicates that many Americans are consuming these caffeine laden trendy beverages, but are they really that good for us?

What is an Energy Drink?
Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Monster, Cocaine, and Hype Energy, are beverages that contain large doses of caffeine, sugar, taurine, and other legal stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng. These energy drinks may contain anywhere from 80mg of caffeine for 8 oz (about the equivalent of a strong cup of coffee) to 250mg. Energy drinks purport to have “functionality”, including increasing concentration and cognitive performance of the consumer. The basis of these statements, however, lies in inconclusive data, from a limited number of studies. To de-bunk some of these claims, we will breakdown the most common ingredients.

Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the main active ingredients found in energy drinks. In spite of extensive research, the evidence with regard to the health implications of caffeine is inconclusive. There is, however, some evidence that high acute intakes of caffeine are associated with tachycardia (fast heart beat) and acute increases in blood pressure. Too much caffeine may also cause nervousness, irritability, and insomnia. The longer term risks, or possible benefits, of caffeine on cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are less known.

Guarana
Guarana, a native South American plant, contains guaranine, a substance that is chemically similar to caffeine with likely comparable stimulant effects. There is very little information regarding the effects of guarana, and in the US, it is unregulated. As a result, many health professionals are wary of guarana-containing products.

Taurine
Taurine is a normal metabolite in the body that is synthesized from the amino acid cysteine or other sulphur or cysteine containing compounds. Taurine, which is naturally present in the diet, has been shown to have beneficial health effects, including decreasing blood pressure. No published studies have found any negative physiological effects of high intakes of taurine in healthy adults. However, there have been no conclusive studies regarding taurine’s interaction with the other stimulants in energy drinks.

The Dangers of Energy Drinks
While none of the common active ingredients in energy drinks seem to be particularly harmful alone, there has been limited research studying the combination of these ingredients on health. Energy drinks’ stimulating properties have been anecdotally reported to increase heart rate and blood pressure, dehydrate the body, and prevent sleep. These effects may be particularly harmful if the drinks are used in sporting contexts. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Vitamin Water, have certain compositional requirements with regard to carbohydrates, electrolytes, and osmolarity. Energy drinks, on the other hand, do not have these requirements and because they contain caffeine, a known diuretic, they can greatly dehydrate an individual, whereas in sporting events or exercise, they would be needed to rehydrate. In addition, socially energy drinks are now used as mixers for alcoholic cocktails. The danger in this lies in the fact that energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant. As a result, the stimulant properties of the energy drinks can mask the feeling of intoxication and can lead a person to drink well beyond the safe limit. Finally, though not necessarily dangerous, energy drinks contain loads of sugar, and therefore contain numerous calories. Thus, consuming energy drinks, especially in place of water, can lead to weight gain.

Healthier Alternatives
Instead of relying on energy drinks to wake you up, there are numerous lifestyle changes you can make to boost your energy naturally.

Eat breakfast. Eating something in the morning can rev up your metabolism and start your day out right.
Eat every few hours. Oftentimes we get tired because our blood sugar drops too low. To prevent the drop, try and eat a healthy meal or snack every few hours.
Drink water. If you’re dehydrated, you will feel fatigued. Get your 8-10 8 oz glasses to keep you awake.
Decrease sweets. Consuming products high in sugar will lead to a peak in blood sugar and then a major drop. The drop is what leads to feelings of fatigue. If you cut out sweets, you’ll avoid the blood sugar swings.
Exercise! Getting your blood flowing and getting into shape will increase your metabolism and stamina.
Sleep. You’ll always feel tired if you don’t get your Z’s. Try to slow down and aim for at least 7 hours of sleep per night.

Fiber One Breaded Chicken

2007-05-01T23:35:00.000-04:00

Cereal doesn’t have to just be for breakfast anymore. By crushing whole-grain, high-fiber cereals, and using them in recipes, you can add great taste, and lots of fiber to your meals.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 oz container non-fat plain yogurt, drained
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsps honey
1 Tbsp orange juice
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c Fiber One cereal, finely crushed

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine yogurt, ginger, mustard, honey, orange juice, salt and pepper.
Dip each chicken breast into the yogurt mixture, then dredge each coated piece into the Fiber One breadcrumbs.
Place the coated chicken into a baking dish and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until done.

Calories per serving: ~215

Eating Breakfast for Weight Management

2007-05-01T23:34:00.000-04:00

In a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition in 2003, it was reported that people who skip breakfast are heavier than those who eat it. The researchers analyzed data from 16,452 adults who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) from 1988 to 1994. They found that those who ate ready-to-eat cereal, cooked cereal, or quick breads had a significantly lower body mass index than those subjects who ate meat and eggs for breakfast or those who skipped breakfast. In addition, a cross-sectional study reported in Obesity Research in 2002 further supports this point. The researchers in this study examined the eating patterns of 2,959 subjects who had maintained a weight loss in the National Weight Control Registry. Though the researchers could not make a causative connection between breakfast consumption and weight loss, they did note that eating breakfast was a common characteristic to successful weight loss maintainers. The bottom line? Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast. It can only help with keeping your weight down.

Breakfast Cereals : A How-to Guide

2007-05-01T16:44:00.000-04:00

Though we’ve come a long way from the tasteless gruel of the 1800’s, we now have a whole new set of problems. With the plethora of breakfast options out there, it is now difficult to decide what to consume to start your day off right. Simply navigating down the cold cereal aisle can be overwhelming. The colorful boxes, with the catchy names, extraordinary box designs, and the promise of fruity sweet tastes appeal to our senses, but how do you decide which cereal is actually most nutritious? The following guidelines will help you select a healthy and filling cereal:

Be the adult. If you let your children choose, you will absolutely end up with a sugary cereal, since kids are influenced by box design and TV ads. Remember that the appearance of the box has nothing to do with what’s inside. Look past that attractive picture on the front and look straight to the side panel (the nutrition facts).
Read the “Nutrition Facts” and “Ingredients List”. The information listed here is standardized so it is easier to compare between boxes of cereal, than by just paying attention to the hype advertised on the front of the box. Check to see what constitutes a serving size before comparing the calories, sugar, fat, etc.
The grains should be whole. Under ingredients, it should say “whole wheat” or “wheat bran” and not simply “wheat”.
Protein content should be at least 5 grams per serving. Protein is what leaves you feeling satisfied, so you don’t want to skimp on this macronutrient.
The total carbohydrate to sugar ratio should be no less than four to one. This means that if there are 24 grams of carbohydrates in the cereal, then the sugars should be listed as 6 grams or less. This ratio shows that the majority of carbohydrates come from grains and fiber and not just from added sugars.
Check for fiber. One of the most important components of cereal is fiber. Aside from preventing constipation, fiber also helps to fill you up. Look for cereals that contain at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. Keep in mind, however, that if you are opting for the “high fiber” cereals, you will want to also increase your fluid intake. Increasing fiber intake too quickly can lead to gas and bloating.
Take those vitamins! For the most part, cereal is a major source of certain nutrients. These include folic acid, zinc, iron, and other B-vitamins. Check to see that your cereal is providing at least 25% of the RDA for these nutrients.
Beware of fruit. Don’t be fooled by the fruity name or the dehydrated red berries that are floating in that bowl. Dried fruit is actually heavier than grains, so it will be listed towards the top of the ingredient list, leading you to believe that there is a lot of fruit in there. In most cereals, however, there is actually very little fruit. A better bet would be to skip the fruity cereals, and add your own fresh fruit to the bowl.
What to avoid. There are certain ingredients that a nutritious cereal should not contain. These include hydrogenated oils, dyes or artificial colors, and chemical preservatives. If you see these on the ingredient list, keep walking!
Don’t forget the milk. Whatever cereal you are consuming, chances are it is still missing some key amino acids (the building blocks of protein). By having that cereal with milk, you will be adding extra protein and making up for those few amino acid deficiencies in the grain. Remember though, keep that milk low in fat and opt for skim or 1% milk.

To further help you wade through the cereal aisle, we’ve compiled our top ten list of nutritious cereals (in no particular order!). You can find these at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Wild Oats, and many standard grocery chains. Each of these cereals has a serving size of ¾ cup or larger, at least 5 grams of fiber, more than 5 grams of protein, and less than 9 grams of sugar.

Uncle Sam Original Cereal (10 g fiber, 7 g protein, <1>
Arrowhead Mills Shredded Wheat bite size (6 g fiber, 6 g protein, 2 g sugar)
Nutritious Living Hi Lo (6 g fiber, 12 g protein, 3 g sugar)
Nature’s Path Raisin Bran (9 g fiber, 5 g protein, 5 g sugar)
Nutritious Living Dr. Sears Zone Honey Almond (5 g fiber, 14 g protein, 5 g sugar)
Kashi Go Lean (10 g fiber, 13 g protein, 6 g sugar)
Nature’s Path Optimum Slim (11 g fiber, 9 g protein, 7 g sugar)
Kashi Organic Promise Autumn Wheat (6 g fiber, 5 g protein, 7 g sugar)
Back to Nature Banana Nut Multibran (13 g fiber, 5 g protein, 9 g sugar)
Kashi Good Friends (12 g fiber, 5 g protein, 9 g sugar)

Now there is no excuse not to eat a healthy breakfast!

Trans Fats and Fertility

2007-04-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

In a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January of 2007, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that the more trans fats a woman consumes, the more likely she is to be infertile. The researchers conducted a study of 18,555 married, premenopausal women with no history of infertility who either attempted a pregnancy or became pregnant between 1991 and 1999. The diet of the participants was assessed twice during the follow-up period through use of a food-frequency questionnaire. For each 2% increase in the intake of energy from trans fats as opposed to carbohydrates, researchers found there was a 73% greater risk of infertility. The risk rose to 79% for every 2% of energy consumed as trans fats if they replaced omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. And for every 2% of calories from trans fats consumed in place of monounsaturated fats, the risk of infertility more than doubled. For a woman eating an 1800 calorie diet, 2% of energy consumed as trans fats is only 4 grams, which is not that much. To try and totally cut out trans fats, avoid any product that lists hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list.

Trans Fats 101

2007-04-01T16:45:00.000-04:00

As of January 1, 2006, the FDA mandated that all nutrition labels include the number of grams of trans fat in a food item. Since then, it seems as though trans fats are always making headlines. KFC was sued for using oils with trans fat, the New York City Board of Health voted this past fall to prohibit the use of artificial trans fat in the City’s 20,000 restaurants, and many products are now advertising that they are trans fat-free. So what is all the hype about?

What are Trans Fatty Acids?
Trans fats, short for transaturated fats, are artificial fats that are created through a process called hydrogenation. In this process, hydrogen gas is added to unsaturated fatty acids and liquid fats are converted to solid fats. The main purpose of this is to increase the shelf life and flavor stability of foods. Trans fats also add texture and density to foods, help to create spreadable products (i.e. margarine), and lower the cost of products.

Where are Trans Fats Found?
Trans fats are found naturally in animal foods in very small amounts. These natural trans fats, however, are not the focus in the media. Rather it is the artificial or man-made trans fats. These artificial trans fats are found in products containing “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated oil”. They are abundant in processed foods including margarines, shortenings, cakes, cookies, crackers, snack foods, non-dairy creamers, donuts, and more. Trans fats can also be found in deep-fried foods, such as fast foods.

Why are Trans Fats Bad for Us?
Originally, saturated fats, found in butter, cheese, and beef were thought to be the worst type of fat. Saturated fats increase total cholesterol by increasing both LDL (“the bad”) and HDL (“the good”) cholesterol. As a result, items like margarine (which contain trans fat) were thought to be good replacements for their saturated fat counterparts. Overtime, however, it was discovered that trans fats actually have a worse effect on cardiovascular disease risk. Whereas saturated fats raise both bad and good cholesterol, trans fats actually raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol, causing the arteries to become clogged and increasing the risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Trans fats may also increase cardiovascular disease risk by triggering inflammation. In addition, trans fats may have a possible connection to insulin resistance and may increase risk of diabetes.

How can we Avoid Trans Fats in the Diet?

Identify high fat and trans fat foods. Start to read food labels and review the ingredients listed. Avoid foods with “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils. This is especially important if the hydrogenated oil is listed as one of the first ingredients. This means there is a lot of it in the food product. Sometimes you may see that a products is listed as containing zero trans fat grams but still has partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list. This is because a food product can claim to have zero grams of trans fat if it contains less than 0.5 grams.
Learn the trans fat food categories. These may include:

- Fast foods: French fries, fried chicken, biscuits, fried fish, and pie desserts
- Donuts, muffins
- Crackers
- Cookies
- Cakes, pies, and icing
- Pop tarts
- Microwave popped corn
- Canned biscuits
- Non-dairy creamer and international and instant latte coffee beverages
- Margarine, shortening
Choose alternative fats. Try olive, canola, peanut, or flax oils in place of the hydrogenated stuff.
Eat Fresh. Aim for more fresh fruits and vegetables. Try new recipes with fruits, veggies, beans, or chicken. If you make the food, you will be able to opt for the healthier fat options.

How Much Trans Fat is Too Much?
There is no set numerical value of trans fat that is regarded as “too much”. However, the American Heart Association recommends that trans fats in the diet should be restricted to less than 1% of the energy consumed by the body. This usually translates into less than 2 to 3 grams per day. Currently, the FDA estimates that the US population consumes about 5.8 grams of trans fat or 2.6% of calories as trans fats. For the good of our bodies, let’s start to bring that number down. But beware of products that advertise themselves as “trans-fat free”, that doesn’t mean they are fat-free. In fact, many items still contain a fair amount of saturated fat. So keep reading those labels!

Rainbow Salad

2007-03-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

This recipe packs in so many different fruits and vegetables, that you’ll be sure to hit all the color categories. With such a sweet and delicious salad, you’ll be shocked that it’s actually good for you!

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
Salad:
2- 10 oz packages baby spinach
1 pint grape tomatoes
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ cup corn (preferably fresh)
1 can mandarin oranges
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 can hearts of palm
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded, in a medium dice
½ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing:
4 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon honey mustard
Salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
3. Dress the salad immediately before serving and toss to coat.

Calories: 160/ serving for 8 servings
200/ serving for 6 servings

Vegetarians Gain Less Weight

2007-03-01T23:36:00.000-05:00

Scientists at the University of Oxford found that vegetarians are less likely to gain weight than their meat-eating counterparts. The study compared the diets of 21,966 British men and women from 1994-1999, and then followed up with the participants from 2000-2003. They found that weight gain was somewhat smaller in vegans and fish-eaters as compared to meat-eaters. What is more pertinent, however, is that the study revealed individuals who changed from meat-eating to the direction of fish-eating, vegetarian, or vegan, showed the smallest amount of weight gain. Though it is not conclusive as to why the change caused the smallest weight gain, it does seem clear that including more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may help maintain your waistline.

Eat by Color

2007-03-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

Red and orange, green and blue, shiny yellow, purple too, all the colors that we know…should be on your plate!

Nearly all fruits and vegetables are low in fat and contain healthy components called phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are natural plant compounds that provide a variety of health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. These phytochemicals are what give produce their vibrant colors. The goal then, is to consume our “5 a Day” while varying the types and colors of fruits and vegetables.

According to Dr. David Heber, author of “What Color is Your Diet?”, there are seven color categories of produce, each providing their own array of phytochemicals and health benefits.

Red Group
Examples: tomatoes, watermelon, red grapes, radishes, pomegranates, and pink grapefruit.

Specific phytochemicals in red fruits and vegetables such as lycopene and anthocyanins are important because they help rid the body of free radicals that damage genes. Research indicates that lycopene protects against prostate cancer, as well as heart and lung disease. In addition, anthocyanins help to reduce the effect of sun damage on the skin from free radicals as well as assist in circulatory issues. There is also evidence that these phytochemicals help with memory function, urinary tract health, heart health, and by lowering the risk of certain cancers.

Yellow/Green Group
Examples: spinach, collard greens, yellow corn, peas, avocado, and honeydew.

This group is a great source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Both of these components are believed to reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Orange Group
Examples: carrots, mangoes, apricots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, acorn squash, and sweet potatoes.

The orange fruits and vegetables contain carotenoids and bioflavonoids that may help prevent cancer by repairing DNA. The beta-carotene in this group, which converts to vitamin A, is also good for night vision.

Orange/Yellow Group
Includes oranges, pineapple, peaches, papaya, and nectarines.

This group contains beta cryptoxanthin, a strong antioxidant that protects against free radicals that can damage your cells and DNA. Research has shown that beta-cryptoxanthin is protective against lung and colon cancer. In addition, it may reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. This group is also high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect cells.

Red/Purple Group
Examples: figs, beets, eggplant, purple grapes, cranberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, red apples, and red wine.

Red/purple fruits and vegetables contain health promoting phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and phenolics, which protect against heart disease and blood clots. These phytochemicals may also delay the aging of cells in the body and help in healthy aging. In addition, there is some evidence they may help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and help with memory function. Of this group, blueberries have the highest antioxidant activity because of a large anthocyanin concentration.

Green Group
Examples: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, and kale.

This group contains the chemicals sulforaphane and isocyanate, and they also contain indoles. Each of these substances helps to protect against cancer by inhibiting the action of carcinogens.

White/Green Group
Examples: leeks, scallions, garlic, onions, celery, pears, white wine, cauliflower, endive, green grapes, and chives.

White fruits and vegetables contain a variety of phytochemicals such as allicin, which is found not only in garlic and onions but in an array of brown and tan foods as well. This particular phytochemical has some antibiotic properties, similar to anti-bacterials and anti-fungals, in addition to having antitumor properties. Other foods in this group also contain quercetin and kaempferol. Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine properties. It may also be protective against prostate cancer. Kaempferol is also an antioxidant and may prevent arteriosclerosis. In addition, quercetin and kaempferol work synergistically to reduce cell proliferation of cancer cells.

A colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, healthfully prepared can make a significant contribution to a diet that will assist in promoting good health. In addition, focusing on fruits and vegetables will help you to fill up on low-calorie foods, thus helping to lower your overall caloric intake. So, consider this a challenge, and start to count the number of colorful fruits and veggies that you get each day!

Water and Weight Loss

2007-02-01T23:38:00.001-05:00

We’ve been saying it forever, but there is finally evidence to back us up – drinking water can help you to lose weight. In October 2006, the Obesity Society presented compelling research to this effect. Researchers analyzed weight-loss data on 240 overweight women between the ages of 25 to 50, who were following one of several popular diet plans, all of which restricted carbohydrate consumption to some degree. The data showed that prior to starting the weight loss programs, the women drank an average of about two cans of sugary drinks a day (including both sodas and juices). The findings indicated that dieters who replaced almost all sweetened drinks with water lost an average of 5 pounds more than the dieters who did not. Moreover, the dieters who drank more than four cups of water a day lost an additional two pounds more than the dieters who did not drink as much. Whether it’s through the replacement of high calorie beverages or through unexplained properties of water, the bottom line is that drinking water when added to a healthy diet may help to shed some pounds. So, drink up!

2 Great Parfait Recipes

2007-02-01T23:38:00.000-05:00

Valentine’s Day Breakfast Parfait

Serves 2

Ingredients:
¾ cup non-fat strawberry yogurt
¼ cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup sliced strawberries + 2 whole strawberries
¾ cup low-fat granola type cereal, such as Kashi Go-lean crunch or Grape Nuts

In a clear dessert, parfait, or champagne glass, spoon 3 tablespoons strawberry yogurt into the bottom of each glass. Top with 1-2 tablespoons sliced strawberries. Layer 2 tablespoons cereal on top of the strawberries.
For the next set of layers, spoon 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt on top of the cereal. Repeat the strawberry and cereal layer.
For the final layers, spoon 3 tablespoons strawberry yogurt on top of the cereal. Repeat the strawberry and cereal layer.
Top each glass with a whole strawberry.

Calories per serving: ~160

Banana Pudding Parfait

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 ¼ cups skim milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package sugar-free vanilla pudding mix
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 large ripe banana, thinly sliced
½ cup low-fat vanilla wafers, crushed
¼ cup non-fat whipped topping

Mix yogurt, milk, vanilla, pudding, and nutmeg together, until well blended.
Evenly divide mixture into the bottom of 4 wine goblets or parfait glasses.
Top each glass with banana slices.
Layer 1/8 cup of crushed wafers across the top of each glass. Try to evenly cover the bananas to prevent discoloration.
Top with 1 tablespoon of whipped topping.

Calories per serving: ~125

Spotlight: Priobiotics

2007-02-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

With nutrition and health, it happens all the time. Suddenly through marketing or through increased interest from a few highly respected media personalities, certain fads or foods hit the spotlight. And while sometimes it may lead to a misinformed public blindly following a new fad (i.e. The Cabbage Soup Diet, The Ball Diet, etc.), occasionally a few healthful gems are unearthed. One such beneficial food component is probiotics. Though probiotics were discovered back in the early twentieth century (and recognized as healthy bacteria way before that), it is only in the last few years that probiotics have made it big. Oprah has mentioned them in both her magazine and on her show, and now each major yogurt company is touting the different probiotic cultures that their yogurts contain. So, we now know that probiotics are good for us, but what exactly are they?

What They Are
Probiotics are friendly bacteria. These bacteria naturally live in our stomach and intestines, which keeps us healthy and functioning. In fact, it has been estimated that there are more healthy bacterial cells associated with the human body than there are human cells, and that there are over 400 species of probiotics. The intestinal microflora, which means the variety of bacteria in our intestines, is highly specific for each individual. These friendly bacteria begin to accumulate in our gastrointestinal (GI) tracts from infancy, and tend to remain fairly stable over time. However, our microflora develops in stages throughout our lives and are affected by diet, illness, and even environmental factors. This is important since optimal gut and digestive health is necessary for the absorption of nutrients and for removing toxins. For this reason, many health professionals feel that ingesting probiotics to further ensure GI health is beneficial.

Why They’re Getting Even More Press
Recently, there has been a plethora of new research regarding probiotics and health. All of the research, however, is preliminary and mostly inconclusive so don’t try and treat any medical problems without consulting a physician.

Intestinal Benefits

Promote recovery from diarrhea
Help alleviate symptoms of lactose intolerance and malabsorption
Relieve constipation

Immune System Effects

Stimulate gastrointestinal immunity
Reduce chance of infection from common pathogens (i.e. Shigella, Salmonella)
Normalize immune responses
Inhibit chronic sub-clinical inflammation
Improve inflammatory conditions with an autoimmune component, such as asthma, eczema, or Crohn’s disease

Effects on Disease

Improve food allergies
Promote recovery from vaginal (bacterial and yeast), urinary tract, and bladder infections
Reduce several risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Reduce several risk factors for intestinal cancers
Ameliorate inflammatory intestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

Where We Get Them
Probiotics can be found in supplements and in foods such as certain yogurts and other dairy products. Consuming probiotics from foods, however, appears to be the best way to go. Dairy foods help to protect probiotic bacteria. Since our stomachs are highly acidic, many varieties of probiotics may die before they even reach our colons. Dairy foods, however, help to buffer stomach acid and increase the chance that the bacteria will survive into the intestine. The most common bacterial strains added in yogurt are L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, and L acidophilus, so look for these on the label. It is important to note that not all yogurts contain active bacterial culture. Make sure to check the label for words such as “live cultures” or “active cultures”. Also, avoid yogurts that say “heat treated after culturing” since this means that the live cultures were destroyed and will be of no benefit to you. Finally, the potency, or amount, of live cultures is also important since a certain number of cells are required to attain the benefit. Check to see if the label states how many viable organisms are in the product.

The Bottom Line
Probiotics are a current trend that is actually healthy for our bodies. Including one serving of yogurt or another probiotic containing food per day, can help you reap the benefits.

Aside from its probiotic qualities, yogurt is also a great source of protein, calcium, B vitamins and other nutrients. To ensure the probiotic health benefits, however, you don’t want to heat the yogurt or you will destroy the live cultures. Instead, try incorporating it into cool dishes like cold soups, dips, salad dressings, or parfaits.

Touchdown Turkey Chili

2007-01-01T23:40:00.000-05:00

In order to not penalize your waistline this Super Bowl Sunday (and your New Year’s resolution for that matter), try this healthy chili recipe. In this chili recipe we bench the fattier sausage or ground beef and send in the lean ground turkey instead. The result is sure to score a touchdown with any crowd!

Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1.5 pounds lean ground turkey (97% fat-free)*
1- 1 ounce package taco mix seasoning
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 – 14.5 ounce can fat-free beef broth*
1- 7 ounce jar salsa
1- 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1- 7 ounce can chopped green chile peppers
1- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained
1- 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
Fat-free sour cream (optional)
Low-fat shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large stock-pot over medium-high heat. Crumble turkey into the pot and break apart as much as possible.
Season with taco mix, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste. Continue cooking until turkey is well browned.
Pour in beef broth and simmer about 5 minutes.
Add salsa, tomatoes, green chiles, chickpeas, and black beans, and continue cooking at a simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust thickness as necessary by adding water.
While chili is cooking, heat one teaspoon of oil in a skillet. Cook onion and green bell pepper until onion is translucent and pepper is slightly browned. Add onion and pepper to the chili pot and continue to simmer.
Heat the third teaspoon of oil in the same skillet and add the zucchini. Cook until lightly browned. Add the zucchini to the chili and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
Ladle chili into bowls. Top with a dollop of fat-free sour cream or low-fat shredded cheese if desired.

Calories per serving (without cheese or sour cream): ~350

*To make this a vegetarian recipe, you can substitute 2 Lightlife Gimme Lean, Ground Beef Style packages for the ground turkey and mushroom or vegetable stock for the beef stock.

Startling Statistics

2007-01-01T23:39:00.000-05:00

Did you know that…

The Super Bowl is ranked as the number two food consumption event of the year, second only to Thanksgiving?
Americans consume 30.4 million pounds of snack foods during the Super Bowl?
Americans consume more than 11 million pounds of potato chips on Super Bowl Sunday?
Americans double their average daily consumption of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday, consuming more than 33 million pounds of goodies in one day?
The average Super Bowl watcher consumes about 1200 calories during the course of the game?
An additional $11.8 million is sold in beer prior to Super Bowl Sunday?
$237.2 million are spent on soft drinks during the week leading up to the Super Bowl?

This year, let’s try to bring down the numbers. Nu-train newsletter readers, America and your body need you!

Statistics courtesy of Nubella.com

Defending your Waistline on Super Bowl Sunday

2007-01-01T16:47:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl Sunday can be one of the toughest days of the year when it comes to eating. With the unlimited spread of snack foods, giant hero sandwiches, pizza, wings, and not to mention beer, it can be pretty hard to defend those resolutions that were made just a few weeks earlier. This year, however, with just a little planning, we can easily score big on taste without penalizing our waistlines.

The Game Plan

Prior to Kickoff
First, ensure that you aren’t starving by the time your Super Bowl party starts. Make sure that you eat regular meals (i.e. breakfast, lunch, and a PM snack) before you arrive at your party so that you can perform well at game-time.

The Defense
As a Super Bowl party guest, you will be playing on someone else’s turf, and so you will need to be on the defensive.

When you get to the party, hold off on hitting the food table. Converse with the other guests, and grab a glass of water to help fill you up.
Allow yourself a small taste of everything at the party that you want. After that, bench the fattier options, and send in the low-cal replacements.
Bring something with you. Prepare a healthy dish such as a turkey chili, or arrange a colorful fruit or vegetable platter with a low-fat yogurt based dip.
Bench the high-cal beverages. Though Super Bowl Sunday may encourage loads of beer drinking, remember that one regular beer contains about 150 calories. Try water, seltzer, or diet drinks instead. If you feel you are missing out on the alcohol, try a wine spritzer (1/2 wine, ½ sparkling water), or even a light beer.

The Offense
If you’re the one throwing the party, you have the home field advantage. Instead of putting out the usual fatty fare, surprise your opponents and slim down the options.

Though chili has a wonderful healthy base of beans and tomatoes, the beef, sausage, cheese, and sour cream can intercept your healthy eating plan. Try choosing extra-lean ground beef or turkey, or opt for a soy crumble. Try low-fat cheese and/or non-fat sour cream in place of the higher calorie condiments.
Instead of saucy, fried wings, try oven-frying some boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut the breasts into bite size pieces, dip them in egg whites or buttermilk, and dredge them in either breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs. Bake in the oven and serve with a honey-mustard or barbecue sauce.
Foot-long heros may be an old standby on Super Bowl Sunday, but the high-fat and high-sodium meats, the cheeses, the oil, and the mayonnaise (not to mention the sheer quantity), can easily add up to hundreds of extra calories. Instead of buying the pre-made sandwiches, make a sandwich platter. Arrange different lean meats like turkey, chicken, and ham. Put out low-fat dressings and mayo, and loads of veggies. Provide a variety of whole grain breads, wraps, and rolls.
For a low-fat cornbread, use part whole-wheat flour, low-fat or fat-free buttermilk, and canola oil.
Bake tortilla chips or pita wedges and serve with low-fat dips that use fat-free or reduced-fat yogurt, sour cream, or cream cheese as their base.
Load your potato skins with salsa and a sprinkling of reduced fat cheese instead of bacon and cheese sauce. Top with a small dollop of non-fat sour cream if desired.
Order pizza without cheese and ask for extra veggies.
Put out pretzels, popcorn, and baked chips instead of greasy potato chips.
Don’t forget the veggies! Put out a big vegetable platter with a variety of cut-up veggies and low-fat dip.
Provide other drink options aside from beer. Keep plenty of water, coffee, and diet drinks on hand.

Whether you’re at home or away this Super Bowl Sunday, you are now prepared to avoid getting sacked by those extra pounds. Now all you need to do is hope that your football team is as prepared as you are.

Nutritious Eggnog Recipe

2006-12-01T08:12:00.001-05:00

With the holiday season comes traditions, family gatherings, and of course, lots of eating and drinking. It’s no wonder that we tend to put on weight during the holidays. Though rich foods like sweet potato casserole and stuffing pack on the calories, we oftentimes forget that our beverages may be sabotaging our weight management efforts as well. One such figure predator is eggnog. Though this creamy beverage is delicious and comforting, one cup can add an additional 350 calories, and who can stop at one? This holiday season let’s make eggnog a friend, not a foe, and trim down the calories.

Serves 6.

Ingredients:
5 cups skim milk
8 oz evaporated skim milk (NOT sweetened condensed milk)
1 cup egg substitute
Sweetener to taste*
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp rum extract
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon

In a saucepan, gently heat the skim milk, evaporated milk, egg substitute and sweetener over a low flame, stirring regularly until the mixture has thickened.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add in the vanilla, rum, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
Pour into 6 cups and sprinkle on additional nutmeg and cinnamon.

Calories: ~130 (You save 220 calories)!

*If you prefer real sugar to artificial sweetener, measure carefully how much sugar you are adding. Each additional teaspoon of sugar adds 15 calories.

Not much of a cook? Try a ready-prepared light eggnog. Vitasoy’s Holly Nog is just 120 calories and Silk Nog is 180 calories per cup.

Tis the Season to Gain Weight?

2006-12-01T08:08:00.000-05:00

A study published in 2000 in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that there is indeed weight gain during the six weeks that include Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Nearly 200 subjects were followed for three periods: preholiday (from late September to mid-November), holiday (mid-November to early January), and postholiday (from mid-January to early March). The researchers found that there was a significant increase in weight during the holiday period of about one pound. Though this amount of weight gain is less than what is commonly suspected, it is interesting to note that of the individuals who were overweight or obese, 14% gained more than 5 pounds during this period. In addition, among all the participants, weight gain during the six week holiday season explained over half of annual weight gain. Therefore, it seems that holiday weight gain may in fact be an important contributor to overall weight gain and to the rising prevalence of obesity.

During this holiday season, keep our top ten list in mind, and avoid the extra holiday pounds.

Eating Healthy for the Holidays

2006-12-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

Holiday time can be difficult, with lots of temptations and calorie-laden feasts. Between the holiday sweets lying around the office, preparing the holiday meals, and then attending the holiday parties and dinners, it seems almost impossible to avoid putting on holiday weight. But, just because you’re trying to eat healthfully, doesn’t mean that you need to avoid the festivities or accept the extra pounds. With a little planning, it is possible to maintain your weight during the holiday season.

Watch your portions! Divide your plate in half. Fill one half with vegetables. Divide the remaining half of your plate in half again. Fill one part with protein and the remaining part with the starch at the meal.
Prioritize. Holiday meals usually have lots of foods that you will find appealing. But are there foods that specifically define the holiday for you, i.e., candied yams or honey glazed ham? Pass on the usual calorically expensive fare like chips and dip, and opt for the holiday specific food as your treat at the meal.
Avoid skipping meals. Though we are sometimes tempted to “save calories”, this tactic can lead to overeating. In fact, it may even be helpful to eat something healthy before you head out to a meal, such as yogurt or a small meal replacement bar, in order to curb your appetite when high-calorie foods are abundant.
Dessert is not a meal. It is a supplement to the end of a balanced meal. Try to choose the fruit or sorbet option. If that dense chocolate cake is calling your name, take a small piece, but then stop. It is ok to treat yourself (as long as it is in moderation), and there is no point in feeling guilty when you are eating something you love. Just remind yourself that there will be even more holiday eating.
Increase exercise. Since you will be eating more during the holidays, increase your physical activity. Go out for a stroll after a big meal, or hit up an exercise class the morning before a holiday dinner.
Watch what you’re drinking. Don’t waste your calories on beverages. Avoid sodas and juices, and beware of alcohol. Alcohol not only contains empty calories, but it can also further stimulate the appetite. A good festive alternative is some sparkling water with a lemon twist – sparkling water has zero calories.
Make healthy choices. Try to choose the steamed or roasted vegetables over the green bean casserole. Choose a baked potato or rice over stuffing.
Conversation is calorie free! Talk to the people around you and slow down while you’re eating. If the holiday party is buffet style, don’t rush straight for the food table. Greet your friends and family, and settle in before even looking at the food. Remember, these meals tend to be long. Rather than inhaling your food and then going back for more, try to make your plate last the whole meal.
Be a host(ess) with the most(ess). If you’re making the meal, provide some healthy alternatives like baked sweet potatoes, instead of candied yams. At the start of the meal pass the food around once and then place the serving dishes on a side table. This way, you will be less likely to mindlessly take more food during the meal. And don’t forget, you can send home leftovers with your guests. (If you are not the host, but the dinner is pot-luck, bring a healthy dish that you know you can eat, like a big salad or a raw veggie platter with a yogurt or cottage cheese based dip).
Maintain. Thanksgiving through New Years is a very difficult time when it comes to eating. Don’t expect to lose weight during this time period or you may be in for disappointment. Rather, focus your efforts on maintaining your weight during the holidays, and on enjoying your time with your friends and family.

Preparing for the Holiday Meal

2006-11-01T08:09:00.001-05:00

It’s important to prepare yourself for the upcoming Thanksgiving meal when the national norm is overeating to the point of discomfort. Maybe in prior years you tried skipping breakfast and lunch, and then found yourself gorging on seconds and thirds when the stuffing was passed. When sitting down to a holiday meal, ask yourself what you really want. Try to distinguish between the foods you think you want and the foods you really do want. For example, the mashed potatoes may look good, but Aunt Betty brought them and sometimes she cooks ‘from a box’…so they might not be that satisfying. And the rolls…you can get these rolls at the bakery any day, but Aunt Linda’s corn pudding is a once a year specialty.

Think about how you will feel after the meal. Do you want to feel your stomach in your throat and have to loosen your belt? Or, would you like to feel full but not ‘bursting’? Before you eat is a perfect time to focus on how you want to feel when the meal is done.

When filling your plate with the bountiful spread, visualize your plate in thirds. Divide your foods into categories of protein, carbohydrate, and vegetable, and fill your plate in those proportions. For example, turkey is a protein, braised brussel sprouts would be the vegetable, and carrot soufflé or sweet potato would be the carbohydrate. Life is full of choices, and this meal is just another one. Choose the carrot soufflé or the sweet potatoes, or a half portion of each.

Slow it down. Put your fork down between bites, engage in conversation, and chew your food. During the time between dinner and dessert, why not suggest a family walk around the park? Take a half hour to go outside stretch your limbs. When dessert comes, check in with yourself to see how full you already are. Try filling your plate with fruit salad and including one special treat. It’s less about depriving yourself, and more about focusing on how much you really need. This is a holiday about being thankful. Be thankful that you can get up from your chair without feeling stuffed and uncomfortable, and that you have learned healthful ways of treating your body.

Get Rid of the Excess Food

2006-11-01T08:09:00.000-05:00

This eating season from Halloween through to New Years can generate a lot of excess food. From leftover candy to leftover turkey and trimmings to leftover holiday cookies and pie, leftovers are sometimes hard to part with. If you are one of the many who can’t bear to throw out good ‘leftover’ food, don’t fret. Tossing the jello salad into the trash does not directly help feed the hungry, nor does ‘finishing it up’ or ‘getting rid of it’ by eating it. If the only way you know how to get rid of leftovers is by eating them….here are some options that will help keep the pounds off.

First of all, pace yourself. Finishing the pie in one day to ‘get rid of it’ isn’t a great strategy. If you love it, have a small piece a few times during the week, while making sure to eat your normal healthy diet throughout the day. It’s possible to incorporate holiday foods into a healthy diet. Slice turkey to top a big green salad, have a portion of stuffing as your starch at dinner. Have a high fiber cereal and fruit for breakfast and save a sliver of pumpkin pie for a snack.

If you don’t want to eat it, do what everyone else does…bring it to the office! Co-workers will be delighted to partake of your leftover corn pudding. If you really don’t want the temptation of leftovers for weeks on end…do you guests a flavorful favor. Since this is the season of giving, gift your guests with dinner for two. If guests are at your home, they won’t have leftovers. So share the wealth. Go to your local Chinese restaurant and purchase some take-out containers. During the holiday festivities, have the children decorate the boxes with stickers, markers, and ribbons. When the meal is over, hand each guest a box for them to fill with leftovers. It’s a great way to teach kids about giving and moderation. Your guests will be delighted at the thought, and you will have put your leftovers to good use.

An Alternative to Passing out Candy on Halloween

2006-10-31T08:10:00.000-05:00

Every Halloween we think about healthy treats to dole out, but raisins don’t always appeal to kids, and which Princess or Pirate is going to eat an apple over a chocolate bar? Here are some kid approved healthy treats that you can feel good about giving. Did you know that kids will snatch up school supplies? Try giving out glittery pencils or sports team pens, fun erasers, or stickers. As long as you don’t eat them, there are no calories in a box of crayons, colored markers, or sidewalk chalk. Take a trip to your local dollar store for a cornucopia of little goodies, jacks, superballs, decks of cards, rubber spiders, toys, books, and art supplies. Who said Halloween had to be about junk food

How far would you go for a Snicker's Bar?

2006-10-01T08:10:00.000-04:00

How far would you go for a Snicker’s bar? How about 2.78 miles? That’s how long it would take an average adult to walk off the calories in one full sized candy bar. How about a King Size Milky Way? Get on your walking shoes, leave our front doors, go south to City Hall Park. Throw in one Hershey’s kiss and that will take you to Battery Park. That’s a long haul for a bit of chocolate. Thinking about bite sized candy? The miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups will cost you 1/3 mile for each one. Grabbing a handful of Hershey’s kisses from the bowl? Try a ¼ mile for each kiss and lace up!

Tip: Before unwrapping that Halloween treat, put your running shoes on first, and then see if you still want it.

Comfort Foods & Nutrition

2006-10-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

Cooler weather certainly stirs the craving for warmer foods. And isn’t it funny that warmer foods conjure up steaming mashed potatoes, cheesy macaroni, and not necessarily a bowl of steamed carrots? Well if your cravings for comfort foods star the good old carbohydrate, here are some foods you that will satisfy your craving and still keep you comfortable in your clothes.

Mashed potatoes were a staple in my house growing up. Here’s a recipe I devised so that I could still enjoy that creamy taste, without overdoing the carbs. Cut one head of cauliflower into small chunks. Boil the cauliflower with one clove of garlic and a pinch of salt. Drain it in a colander, and put in a food processor. Blend with ½ cup light mayo or ½ cup 2% Total Greek Yogurt. Add pepper and serve. You can also blend the cauliflower with low fat milk, olive oil, or a mix of any of the above.

Comfort foods don’t have to be full of refined carbohydrate and fat. Think about the warm flavors of baked beans, veggie chili, chicken noodle soup, or spaghetti and meat balls. Spaghetti and meat balls? Sure! Try whole wheat pasta, Trader Joe’s frozen turkey meat balls, and a sugar free tomato sauce like Muir Glen’s Organic Chunky Tomato Sauce. Recipe makeovers like this are easy to do. Hankering for Mom’s chicken noodle soup? Combine a box of Imagine’s Free Range Chicken Broth, some leftover chicken, a can of red beans for extra fiber, a package of frozen broccoli for added vitamins, and try out Shirataki noodles by House Foods. Shirataki means ‘tofu shaped noodles’, and these noodles are low in calories, fat, and very low in carbohydrate as they are made from tofu. Perfect for wheat free diets. Found in Whole Foods, a ½ cup is 3 grams of carbohydrate and only 20 calories. Wow, that’s a comforting thought!

Here’s a sampling of some other good food choices for the season. If you look up macaroni and cheese in the dictionary, I’m sure the definition is “comfort food”. As we know, it’s not necessarily the food, but the portion that turns a food into an ‘unhealthy’ choice. Annie’s Mac &Cheese in microwavable single serving pouches supports a healthy portion size and has only 40 calories of fat for each 240 calorie serving. Now, if you make Annie’s Mac & Cheese in the box…you’ll have to remember the box makes 3 servings. A box of Kraft Mac & Cheese also serves three, yet one serving runs 380 calories and 140 of those from fat. (Not to mention the added artificial colorings).

If a bowl of creamy, steamy soup is your comfort, there are many products on the market that are low in fat and sodium than the average cream of mushroom in a can. Amy’s Light in Sodium Soups are a treat new to the market. With organic varieties including cream of tomato, butternut squash, lentil vegetable, and split pea, they will warm you from head to toe. One serving of Amy’s Light Cream of Tomato is only 100 calories and 340 mgs of sodium, with 2 grams of fat. For comparison sake, Campbell’s Creamy Tomato Ranchero packs a serving with 130 calories and 800 mgs of sodium, not to mention 6 grams of fat. Remember to read labels, pay attention to portion sizes, and to find comfort in places other than the refrigerator!

Making The Most of Lunch

2006-09-01T08:11:00.001-04:00

Brown bagging it is not just for school kids anymore. Even if you are heading to the office, you’ll certainly eat better if you pack it yourself. Right? For adults and kids alike, making an interesting, appetizing, and nutritious quick lunch can be a snap.
How can you make a lunchbox kid- appealing, parent- approved, and adult acceptable? Here are five tips to help you or your child get a nutritious lunch that is yummy, exciting, and easy to make.

Pack a pallet of colors. Include colorful foods for eye appeal. A colorful meal indicates an abundance of vitamins (green jello doesn’t count). Try sweet red pepper slices, bright orange steamed yams and carrots, green broccoli trees and dark lettuce leaves, yellow apples, purple grapes and on and on.
Variety is the spice of life. Pack a variety of foods. Most people don’t have trouble with the starch and fat part of lunch. Remembering the fruits and vegetables turns a boring turkey on bread into a snazzy fiber packed turkey, avocado, sprouts, and red onion eye appealing meal.Try choosing at least one food from each category of Fruit, Vegetable, Whole Grain, and Protein. Include non meat sources of protein like beans, tofu, nuts, seeds, organic eggs and cheese. Varying your choices will make lunch more interesting.
Plan Ahead. 7:02 am Monday morning is not the best time for culinary inspiration, and often that means pb&j for the kids or pizza on the go for you. The time and stress saved by planning will really make a difference. Make a weekly lunch plan, like a school lunch calendar, and have your child help in the decision process. Make lists of lunch choices in the food categories listed above, and have your child choose what to eat on each day. Compromise. You pick the grain, she picks the fruit. Maybe you pick 3 lunches and he picks 2. Make an agreement with your child that the lunch gets tasted or eaten, and not traded or trashed. Having your child help make his lunch will teach them about good nutrition and simple cooking skills that will be valuable for a lifetime.
Be creative. If you or your child hates apples, oranges, and bananas, try some kiwi, berries, or Asian pears. Make fruit easy to eat- peel a tangerine. Pack sliced pineapple and cantaloupe with toothpicks for easy eating. Save up some small yogurt size plastic containers and fill one with sweet pepper hummus and pack colorful and crunchy veggies for dipping. Include hand eaten foods for youngsters. Eating with our hands is fun. Make it a wrap! Fill a tortilla with veggies or beans, rice, leftover salad and salsa, and roll it up. Expand your lunch options and buy an insulated lunch box or thermos to keep foods hot or cold.
Drinks. Try to focus on water. Kids get enough sodas and sugar drinks without adults giving it to them directly. And for adults, who needs those extra “empty” calories that soda provides? Beverages such as dairy, soy and rice milks can be nutritious too. Try herbal iced teas and flavored waters for variety.

A few other helpful suggestions...

Wraps are a quick and ideal way to transform a boring sandwich into a veggie packed hand held epicurean delight. Wraps can be high calorie traps, so reading labels and choosing specific brands at home can make a big difference. La Tortilla Factory has debuted a line of heart healthy, low carb, whole wheat, and organic wraps in delicious flavors such as rosemary olive oil and basil. These wraps, unlike others that deliver a whopping 330 calories, range from 50-100 calories for a single wrap. Sounds like a winner for tomorrow’s lunch. You can pick them up at Westerly Health Foods or Good and Plenty To Go in Manhattan.

Lunch Box Treats: Give an old favorite new life- spread peanut butter between two apple slices. Add raisins for fun. Freeze some grapes, and watch them turn into wonderful tiny ice-pop treats. Scoop some granola into a baggie, add a small handful of chocolate chips. Drop in a heavenly Lara or Nectar snack bar. Ingredients? Nuts, fruit, spices and nothing else!

Don’t Forget Breakfast!

2006-09-01T08:11:00.000-04:00

We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but did you know that what our kids eat for breakfast can have an effect on school performance? Research shows that having eggs for breakfast can enhance memory function. Choline, rich in eggs and nuts, is a nutrient important in memory cell production during childhood. So, scramble up an egg or hard boil one for the road, even if breakfast has to be quick, it can still be nutritious.

Weight Loss Strategy: Use Small Utensils

2006-08-01T08:18:00.001-04:00

Did you know that using a smaller size plate and smaller serving utensils can be a good weight loss strategy? Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign evaluated the portions of diners at an ice cream social when their party bowls and serving spoons were downsized. When using larger serving utensils, people ate about 15% more. In addition, when that large ice cream scoop was paired with a big bowl, they ate about 57% more. So, when dishing out the dessert, downsize the bowls and serving utensils. It will look like you are eating a lot more than you are.

Water, water, everywhere, but that’s not what I want to drink!

2006-08-01T08:18:00.000-04:00

Did you know an 8 oz pina colada on a hot summer night will set you back about 500 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat? Remember too, that liquids do not help us to feel full and satisfied. Drinking high calorie libations will not curb your appetite at meal times, so when the thirst hits, here’s what to do. What will you drink this weekend?

	Serving Size	Calories	Survery Says...		Serving Size	Calories	Survey Says...
Pina Colada	8oz	500 + 5 grams of saturated fat	Try again	White Wine	8oz	160 + 0 grams of fat	Good choice
Regular Beer	12oz can	146	Not so bad but...	Lite Beer	12oz can	99	Better
Wine Cooler	12oz	125	That's the equivalent of one regular hot dog	Wine Spritzer	12oz	120	Enjoy
Soda	12 oz	155	13 teaspoons sugar	Flavored Seltzer	Any size	0	Why not
Cranberry Juice	8oz	116	31 grams of pure carbs	Cranberry Spritzer in Sparkling water	8oz	15	Bingo!

BBQ Make Over

2006-08-01T08:16:00.001-04:00

If anticipation of the next family BBQ leaves you feeling hot under the collar, no sweat. A BBQ doesn’t have to dish out the calories and fat. Here’s how to make your next summer soirée a bit on the lighter side.

BBQ’s invariably mean hot dogs, hamburgers, coleslaw, fresh corn on the cob, potato salad, and an array of cookies, brownies, and ice cream. Sound good? Well, with a little recipe magic you can whip up a lower fat, higher fiber BBQ that is satisfying, delicious, and healthy.

The first place to start is the grocery store. There is a big nutritional difference between a regular hot dog and a lower fat, lower salt version. Ball Park Fat Free Franks and Hebrew National 97% Fat Free Franks are two brands that have taken out the fat, lowered the sodium, and still make you feel like you’re standing at home plate. By making a hot dog switch, you can spare yourself about 130 calories and 16 grams of fat per dog! Of course, you can always throw a few veggie dogs on the grill for your vegetarian niece. Tasty and cholesterol free, Yves Veggie Cuisine Fat-Free wieners are big hit with the teens.

Same advice goes for hamburgers. Buy lean ground beef or turkey, and load up on the fixings. By adding a pile of lettuce, tomato, and some grilled red onions, you add a bit fiber to help fill you up faster. You can also try a veggie burger for variety. The Morningstar line of faux meats is a sure home run.

Besides buying whole wheat buns, serving iced tea instead of sugar-laden soda, and upgrading your trans fat greasy finger potato chips to an olive oil crusted sweet potato chip, you can trim your menu by slimming down your sides. Try a French style potato salad marinated with white wine, mustard, tarragon, and olive oil, or a Greek potato salad dressed in a low fat yogurt sauce with dill and mint. Both will save you the cholesterol and saturated fat of traditional egg and mayonnaise dressing.

Coleslaw can be a colorful, low saturated fat and fiber packed addition to any meal. Keep the coleslaw honest by dressing it with rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, ginger, and a touch of sweetener. The Asian flavor will wow your guests with its authenticity.

Baked beans are good… but a chick pea salad with fresh parsley, lemon juice, and garlic is better. Baked beans can be loaded with added sugar. Keeping beans on the menu means more fiber and a low fat source of protein. A colorful black beans salad with red pepper, corn, and cilantro will perk up any party table and keep you slim in your swimsuit.

What about dessert? Fresh fruit is a staple during summer months. Topping it with homemade whipped cream can be a delightful and healthier alternative to brownie a la mode. Focusing on fruit based desserts ensures a bit of nutrition even in dessert. Watch out for pre-made pie crusts filled with trans fats. Whole Foods sells a trans free frozen pie crust that saves the time of making it from scratch.

Finding Nutrition at The Grocery Store: A Guided Tour

2006-05-01T08:21:00.001-04:00

Here it is…some of our favorite items for your next grocery list. The sacred list revealed just for you.

The Breakfast Bundle:

Kashi GoLean Cereal – You’ve heard us boasting about this cereal again and again. You can’t get much better than 10 grams of fiber, 13g of protein and a mere 6g of sugar all for just 140 calories per cup. Toss in a few blueberries or strawberries, some skim milk, and you’ve got a champion breakfast that’s kind to your waistline and cholesterol. It’ll keep you satiated and energized throughout the morning. Skip over GoLean’s “Crunch” counterpart and save your sugar for a fresh piece of fruit instead! If you need to go easy on your digestive system, check the shelves for Kashi’s Heart to Heart cereal. Still low in sugar and calories it’s another healthful start to your morning.
McCanns Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal -- Oatmeal’s an excellent, nutrient-rich jumpstart to your morning. Steel cut oats in particular rise above the rest in whole grain content, containing more fiber, iron and B vitamins than standard types of rolled oats. With this hot cereal, a little goes a long way. Though the portion size is just ¼ cup of uncooked oats, the end product is a hearty bowl of steaming oatmeal – a great breakfast to fuel you first thing in the morning or as an energizing snack before hitting the gym or anytime.
Fage Total Greek Yogurt (0% or 2%) – So many of you can’t seem to stop raving about Fage yogurt, we just had to include it in our ‘best of’ list. Packed with 7 more grams of protein than most other plain low-fat yogurts, this container of Greek goodness is low in sugar and touts a deliciously creamy consistency. Pair with fresh fruit or a sprinkling of high-fiber cereal and you’ve got a calcium-rich, low-calorie breakfast or sprinkle with cinnamon for a satisfying snack. Stonyfield Farms Organic Low-fat Plain Yogurt and Horizon Organic Non-fat Plain Yogurt are also great choices.

Lovin’ the Lunch Crowd:

La Tortilla Wraps – A world of exciting lite lunch options awaits you with La Tortilla wraps. Why are these particular tortillas so darn special? With a mere 50 calories, 8 grams of dietary fiber and 2 grams of fat, you can’t beat the nutrition facts on this label. Most other wrap brands average between 130-250 calories and usually skimp on the fiber content (fiber is digested more slowly and helps us maintain satiety much longer). Choose from a variety of flavors and spice up lunchtime. Get creative with healthful ingredients such as grilled chicken strips, turkey slices, lite tuna salad, a rainbow of veggies, low-fat cheese, avocado slices and much more!
Applegate Farms Turkey Slices – No nitrates (chemical preservatives) or antibiotics, low in sodium and very versatile…we’re big fans of this brand name for deli meats. Great for sandwiches, wraps, to toss into salads or even just as a quick, filling snack on their own, test out these turkey slices, we’ll think you’ll be quite pleased.

Snack Attack (Go ahead, you’ve got the tools to handle it!):

Low-fat Laughing Cow Cheese – We’re bringing you back to your childhood with these fun circles of red-cased cheese. Low-fat Laughing Cow circles or wedges are super-easy to toss in your work/travel bag when you’re on-the-go or to keep on-hand in your fridge. Just 35 calories a pop and a good source of calcium, 1 or 2 pieces serve as great snacks alone or with high-fiber crackers or apple slices.
Glenny’s Soy Crisps – If you craving that ‘chippy’ crunch, we’ve got just the answer. Soy chips pack in crunch, flavor and a nice dose of protein to fill you up without all the extra-calories or hydrogenated fats found in many other chips. Reach for the 1.3oz – with 140 calories and 10 grams of soy protein per bag.
Lara Bars – A wholesome, all-natural snack, Lara Bars are made with organic fruits and nuts making them great sources of vitamin E, healthy omega 3 & 6 fatty acids, and fiber not to mention antioxidants and an array of other vitamins and minerals. Be mindful that these bars are slightly higher in calories and healthful fats -- excellent to keep around for when you get caught in a bind and hunger hits! They’re also great go-to items for travel, long runs or hikes, or simply running errands all weekend!
Gnu Bars – Relatively new to the market, Flavor & Fiber bars by Gnu Foods provide a powerful punch of fiber along with complex carbohydrates that will rev you up around the inevitable 4pm slump. At 130 calories, these are great organic option for an afternoon or pre-workout snack or a quick breakfast on-the-run. Bonus points, the kids will love ‘em too!

DeLITEful Dinners:

Amy’s Kitchen Organic Bowls – Can’t bear to think about making dinner after a long day? Skip the high-calorie Chinese take-out and reach into the freezer for an easy, flavorful meal by Amy’s Organics. Don’t fear, you can still go ethnic – high on flavor and healthful ingredients. Amy’s has a great line of vegetarian entrees that convey realistic portion sizes to the tee (amazing what a normal portion looks like isn’t it!). Our favorites happen to be loaded with veggies and protein. In particular, we love the Tofu Vegetable Lasagna, Low-Sodium Brown Rice, Vegetables & Tofu Bowl, Indian Palak Paneer, Indian Mattar Tofu, and Low-Sodium Black Bean Vegetable Enchiladas to name a few!
Shirataki Noodles – For all you pasta lovers out there, this favorite pick is for you! Shirataki noodles are a fabulous substitute for pasta or rice in a variety of dishes. Made from tofu, Shirataki noodles go well with any dish or flavoring, Italian, Asian, you name it. And yes, at 40 calories for the entire 8oz serving, you can have the whole bag!

Tasty Treats:

Stonyfield Farms Squeezers – Pop these organic yogurt tubes in the freezer for a fun, creamy evening treat for a skinny 60 calories and get a boost of your daily calcium need at the same time!
Tofutti Fudge Pop Treats – We’re big chocolate fans, and we know many of you are too! Yes, chocolate, in moderation, can fit into a healthful diet. Satisfying that craving with Tofutti Fudge Pops – rich flavor for only 30 calories!

Movie Theatre Munchies:

Smart Pop Mini Bags – Heading to the movie theatres is always a fun activity until you hit the snack bar…watch out for a high-calorie disaster zone! Bypass the movie popcorn, a small with butter is a whopping 580 calories and 47 grams of fat! Instead, bring your own – Orville Redenbacher’s Smart Pop Mini Bags are a tasty, healthful choice at 110 calories and 2 grams of fat per bag. What a difference, munch away! We also love Good Health Half Naked Popcorn with Olive Oil (but be sure to stick to the 4 cup portion size!)
Essence Water (by Glaceau)– Need something cold to go with your popcorn? Essence Water brings a little excitement to your good ol’ H20. Naturally flavored and zero calories, pick your favorite fruited flavor to sip on. Great for when you’re watching the big screen or anytime.

Nutrition Properties of Mint

2006-05-01T08:21:00.000-04:00

It’s 3pm, you’re stuck behind your computer at work daydreaming away about the gorgeous warm weather outside. If this situation sounds all too familiar you might want to reach for a cup of mint tea, a breath mint or gum, or some minty-fresh hand lotion to perk you back up. Studies show that the aroma and flavor of mint can enhance motivation, concentration, stimulate our central nervous system and decrease fatigue. When the weather gets warmer, try a glass of unsweetened mint iced-tea or toss some chopped fresh mint leaves into salads or yogurt sauces for grilled meat and chicken. Mint’s also a deliciously refreshing way to end a perfect summertime meal, try it sprinkled over fresh fruit.

Minted Summer Fruit Salad
Serves 8
2 mangoes, cubed
3 kiwis, cubed
2 nectarines, cubed
1 medium, cantaloupe, cubed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped + a few fresh mint sprigs for garnish
2 Tablespoons honey

Mix chopped mint with honey in a small bowl. Assemble diced fruit in large serving bowl, drizzle mint-honey mixture over fruit, toss and serve. Can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead of time and chilled.

Nutrition Facts: 110 calories, 0g fat, 26g carbohydrate, 3g fiber.

Hoodia Know?

2006-05-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

We know many of you have been inquiring about Hoodia, a natural appetite suppressant that has recently received quite a bit of media exposure. We’ve broken down all the research and the claims to answer your questions.

What is it? Hoodia Gordonii is a natural appetite suppressant that originates from cactus plants grown in Africa’s Kalahari desert. Tribal bushmen in Africa have used hoodia for thousands of years to stave off hunger during long-hunting trips.

How does work? Hoodia sends signals to the brain that indicate a sense of fullness, similarly to what occurs when we eat a meal and our blood sugar levels rise, but no food has actually been consumed. The claims state that hoodia wipes out any thought of food or hunger pangs. Hoodia also kills signs of thirst, which can lead to dehydration and potential health risks.

Is it safe? To date, there are no long-term studies to show the safety and effectiveness of hoodia. Diabetics should not use the supplement as it has a clear effect on blood sugar levels. Individuals with diabetes need to ensure they maintain steady blood sugar levels through a healthful, balanced diet and good sources of complex carbohydrates.

The bottom line: Choosing hoodia or weight-loss supplements over wholesome foods can deprive your body of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to thrive and prevent disease. A healthy diet and exercise is always the optimal choice for weight loss, well-being and disease prevention.

Diet Tips to Look Your Summertime Best

2006-05-01T08:19:00.000-04:00

Ready or not, it’s time to shed those layers of clothing. Play smart and prep ahead of time for upcoming events so you look and feel your ‘summer best.’

Break a Sweat – There’s no better time to intensify your exercise routine. Diet, exercise and adequate sleep are the integral pieces to the slim down/tone up puzzle. Warm weather is a great motivation to get moving and mix it up. Give your body and metabolism a nice jumpstart, try incorporating various workouts into your weekly schedule -- a scenic run through Central Park or a cycling class, some light to moderate strength training for toning, maybe a yoga or pilates class or two and you’re set! Choose a type of exercise you truly enjoy and success is a sure thing.
Fill Up on Fresh Fruits & Vegetables – Spring and summer bring endless delicious fresh fruits and vegetables to your table. Hit the farmers’ market or your local grocery store and stock up on seasonal produce. Color your plate with greens, asparagus, artichokes, red peppers, berries, peaches, plums, melon, snap peas, tomatoes, basil, summer squash and an array of other fresh picks. Keep cut veggies in your fridge directly at eye level when you open the door – they’re great for a quick munch or to pair with a lite yogurt dip or ¼ cup of hummus for a healthy snack. Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day! (1 serving of raw vegetables = 1 cup • 1 serving of cooked vegetables = ½ cup • 1 serving of fruit = 1 piece or 1 cup fruit salad/berries)
Water…and More Water! – Staying hydrated in the heat is a key component to replenishing your body’s needs and keeping a slim, fit figure by promoting healthy metabolism and digestion. We often misread signs of ‘hunger’ when in actuality, we’re thirsty! Quench your thirst before you get dehydrated by keeping a bottle of water with you at all times. Our bodies adapt to warm weather by perspiring more efficiently, meaning we need pay that much more attention on maintaining hydration levels. Guzzle 2 or 3 – 24oz sport bottles or 2 liters a day and that unwanted ‘beach bloat’ will be history in no time! Tired of plain ol’ water? Spruce it up with a slice or two of lemon or lime or try unsweetened iced herbal or green tea. (If you’re on the go, try Starbuck’s Passion or Green Iced Teas with a little Lemonade for a fun treat – just ask for it unsweetened to keep the calories and sugar to a minimum!)
Beat the Bloat – Feeling a bit bloated is never welcomed, particularly when we’re dawning summer clothing and beachwear. A few quick tips to slenderize your stomach – skip things that increase your consumption of extra air such as carbonated drinks (diet sodas, seltzers etc), gum, and drinking through a straw. Limit your consumption of salty, sodium-rich foods such as canned soups and vegetables, frozen dinners, cold cuts, processed snacks – remember the daily recommended intake of sodium is 1,500 milligrams with a maximum upper limit of 2,300 milligrams. Try a quick trick and check food labels to ensure you’re staying below your sodium goal – just one cup of canned soup can have upwards of 800-900 milligrams of sodium! Also, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water to decrease sodium and water retention and to keep your digestion going strong! Finally, if you’ve got a sensitive stomach, watch out for artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame etc) in beverages, gum and foods – they may act as diuretics and can cause a bloating effect.
Do reach for citrus as well as fruits and vegetables with high water content like watermelon and cucumber which help encourage water loss, again helping to bring down bloating.
Think Lite & Turn on the Grill – Summer is the perfect time to lighten up at meal and snack times. Winter’s hearty comfort foods are a thing of the past. Indulge yourself in healthy, satisfying dishes packed with vitamins, minerals and flavor that happen to be on the lighter side. Grilling is an incredibly healthy, easy cooking method that allows you to whittle down the fat and boost aroma and flavor. Get creative and grill up your favorites -- chicken breasts, fish, seafood, vegetables, or even some fresh pineapple or peach slices for a new, lite twist on dessert! A little olive oil, fresh lemon or citrus, herbs and spices are excellent ways to enhance grilled foods and bring dishes to life healthfully!
Homerun Snacks at Baseball Games – Summertime is synonymous with an exciting baseball game. If you’re worried about what to eat when you head into that extra inning, think again! Surprisingly, you can find some great choices at the ballpark. For a nutritious, satisfying snack, look to the guy selling roasted peanuts. Share the bag with others, though peanuts are loaded with healthy fat, they are high in calories. Aim for a serving, about 28 peanuts (165 calories). If you’re not a nut lover, many stadium concession stands now carry veggie dogs and veggie burgers, an excellent choice without the saturated fat of a regular burger. If nothing else, come prepared…pack a turkey sandwich on whole wheat or some fresh fruit or veggies to snack on. Moderate your beer consumption, enticing as they are. Sip on one or two lite beers and keep water by your side over the course of the big game.
On Top of Your Diet & Your Golf Game – Play a round of 18 holes can certainly stir up a hearty appetite. Pack some healthy snacks like fresh cut fruits and vegetables or high fiber crackers and low-fat cheese to bring in the golf cart. Read your hunger cues to keep your metabolism, energy levels, and your golf swing going strong. Allowing yourself to go too long, over 4-5 hours, without any food can set you up for over doing it at your next meal.
Handling Happy Hour – Who doesn’t love finishing out a long workday with a cocktail or two, especially when the weather’s warm. But when happy hour invites start piling up, so can the alcohol calories. Drink in moderation, one or two lite beer, glasses of wine or liquor drinks. Switch to club soda or seltzer as a no-calorie mixer instead of sugary tonic water, soda and cranberry juice. Stay hydrated by sipping on a glass of water in between drinks. You can always surpass alcohol altogether and hold onto a glass of refreshing club soda and lime. Let yourself get engrossed in a great conversation with a colleague or friend, remember you’re there to socialize and enjoy the company of others, not just the drinks.
Stay Focused on Your Goal -- Our most important tip on this list, stay motivated and focused on your ultimate goal! Reward your hard work every now and again, treat yourself to something just for you that’s not food related…a massage, a manicure, a new CD – you pick! Eat healthfully, stay active and restore energy levels with sound sleep and an incredible summer is around the corner.

Grapefruits Lower Cholesterol

2006-04-01T08:22:00.000-05:00

A recent research study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found that grapefruit, particularly the sweet ruby red variety, has protective benefits against triglyceride levels. Participants in the study all had formerly been on cholesterol-lowering medication and found the treatment ineffective. Instead of continuing their medication, participants consumed 1 grapefruit per day and saw a significantly positive outcome. Ruby red grapefruit helped decrease blood triglyceride levels by 17%, LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels by 20% and total cholesterol levels by 15.5%. In addition, researchers found ruby red grapefruit to have higher amounts of antioxidants than blond/yellow grapefruit. The vibrant ruby red poses benefit to anyone seeking to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and prevent disease risk. Half a grapefruit is a serving -- a terrific choice by itself, in a salad or as a flavorful topping for chicken or fish.

A note of medical precaution: If you are currently taking cholesterol medication, the ‘statin’ family of drugs including Zocor and Lipitor, do not cease treatment without consulting your physician. Do not consume grapefruit if you are taking a ‘statin’ medication as the two interact and may pose serious health risks.

Improve Your Memory With Salmon

2006-03-01T08:25:00.000-05:00

A recent study published in the December 2005 issue of the Archives of Neurology, reports that fish can improve cognitive function later in life. In following nearly 3,718 individuals ages 65 and older for a period of six years, researchers found that participants who ate fish once a week slowed the decline of mental function by 10% while those who consumed fish twice a week or more reduced the decline by 13%, correlating to 4 years in mental age. Lead researchers hoped to determine whether ‘healthy’ omega-3 fatty acids played a significant role in slowing cognitive decline. Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are crucial in brain development early in life and have also been found to lower the risk heart disease, Alzheimers and stroke. Though the study found no distinct association between fish rich in omega-3s and cognitive function, researchers intend to continue to examine the potential correlation. The protective qualities of fish could stem from omega-3s or simply from fish’s healthy nutrient profile, which is extremely low in saturated fat.

So what’s the take-home message? Stock up on fish on your trip to the grocery store and do something good for your health. Incorporate fish at least 1-2 times per week into your diet. Try fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like wild salmon, tuna and halibut as well as low-fat, high-protein ‘white’ fish like cod, tilapia, and monkfish to name just a few.

Seared Citrus Wild Salmon w. White Wine & Herbs

Cooking spray
4-4oz salmon fillets
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
4 fresh chives
2 thyme sprigs
2 oregano sprigs
2 tarragon sprigs
¼ cup dry white wine
4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices fresh lemon

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Place fish on prepared pan. Combine rinds; spread over fish. Arrange chives, thyme, oregano, and tarragon horizontally across fish. Arrange lemon slices on top of herbs and pour white wine over fillets. Cover with foil; seal. Bake at 450° for 8-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Makes 4 4oz servings. Recipe adapted from www.cookinglight.com.

Nutrient Analysis:
Calories 253; Fat 9.8g (sat 2.3g,mono 4.3g,poly 2.3g); Protein 28.9g; Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 292mg; Carbohydrate 0.4g

Crunching the Numbers to Reach Your Daily Calcium Need

2006-03-01T08:24:00.000-05:00

Where do you now get your daily need of calcium from? Surprisingly, it may be a lot easier than you think.

True, the recent findings of the nationwide Women’s Health Initiative study saw no broad benefit form calcium and vitamin D supplements in preventing bones fractures and osteoporosis. After following over 36,000 women ages 50 to 79 for 7 years, the study found that supplements may provide many individuals, males and females, a false sense of security. What are you to do? Turn to your daily diet for the answer, we know that calcium is best absorbed by your body from food itself. But before you start making a calcium-rich grocery list, let’s breakdown the facts.

Why is calcium so important? Calcium is one of the most essential minerals for growth and reproduction and bone density maintenance. It allows for the development of strong, healthy teeth and bones. Calcium also plays a key role in blood flow, hormone secretion, muscle contraction and ensuring a normal heartbeat.

Who needs it most? The daily recommendation of calcium varies depending on age and gender. Growing infants, children and adolescents as well as pregnant and lactating women and post-menopausal women all have additional calcium needs.

Daily Calcium Requirements:

Lifestage	Daily Requirement
1-3 years	500mg
5-8 years	800mg
9-18 years	1300mg
Pregnancy & Lactation	1000mg (1300 mg if <18yrs)
19-50 years	1000mg
>50 years	1200mg

Where You’ll Find it in Common Foods
You’ll easily find calcium in many foods and beverages you commonly consume on daily basis. A variety of calcium-fortified products are also popping up on shelves these days. Aim for 3-4 servings of some of the items listed below and you’ll hit your calcium goal in no time! A sample day of eating to get your calcium requirement could look like: yogurt at breakfast, salad with canned salmon for lunch, a glass of skim milk & a handful of almonds for snack and you’re there!

Item	Portion Size	Calcium (mg)
Plain low-fat yogurt	1 cup (8oz)	415 mg
Skim Plus milk	1 cup (8oz)	400 mg
Canned salmon with bones	3oz	345 mg
Skim & low-fat milk	1 cup (8oz)	302 mg
Low-fat soy, rice, almond milk	1 cup (8oz)	300 – 330 mg (by brand)
Fortified orange juice	1 cup (8oz)	300 mg
Swiss cheese	1 oz	272 mg
Cheddar cheese	1 oz	204 mg
Dark leafy greens, cooked (kale, spinach, collards, bok choy)	½ cup	179 mg *calcium may not be as well absorbed due to fiber content
Almonds	2 oz	150 mg
Black beans	1 cup	120 mg
Blackstrap molasses	1 tbsp	137 mg

Should you Toss those Supplements?
Don’t throw your calcium supplements in the trash just yet. Try to get as much of your calcium from your diet as possible, but in the case you need to take a supplement every now and then, look for the following…
Between Viactiv, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and calcium citrate…what’s what and what will best suite your needs? Narrow your choices and opt for calcium citrate which can be taken at anytime, with or without food, and doesn’t interfere with iron absorption. Calcium carbonate, also a good choice, must be taken with food and shouldn’t be taken along with an iron supplement. Keep in mind that the body best absorbs calcium when taken multiple times a day in amounts of 500mg or less -- most brand name supplements are 500 mg per pill. Remember, a supplement is just that; try to consume the majority of your daily calcium needs from quality dietary sources as listed above.

The Dynamic Duo: Calcium & Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential in enhancing the absorption of calcium. Conveniently, many calcium supplements come in combination with vitamin D. Vitamin D is also found in many foods including cheese, fortified milk and orange juice, butter, fish and fortified cereals. Even better, exposure to sunshine causes the body to produce vitamin D on its own. Just 10-15 minutes of sun 3 times a week is adequate to produce the body’s required amount of vitamin D.

Farmer’s Market Fresh – Why & When to Choose Organic

2006-03-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

You’ve heard all the talk, ‘organic this’, ‘hormone-free that’. Does buying organic as opposed to conventional foods really make a difference? Should you be concerned?

Organic foods are grown and produced under strict government regulations and are stamped with a ‘USDA Organic’ seal. Farmers and organic food and beverage companies follow specific standards -- fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains are grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides; free-range poultry, wild fish and grass-fed beef are raised in their natural environments without added hormones or antibiotics; eggs and dairy products follow suit. In addition, when you purchase items from your local farmers market, you’re supporting community growers and environment-friendly farming methods.

So what’s the benefit to you and your health? Eating seasonal, natural foods, means you’re consuming less potential toxins and contaminants over the long-term. At the same time, you’re nourishing your body with quality nutrients and decreasing disease risk. A study published by the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry found that organic produce contains higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants than conventional produce – in particular, corn 59% greater, blackberries 50% greater, and strawberries 19% greater. Another study conducted by the University of California-Davis reviewed 41 research trials and found that the nutritional quality of organic produce was superior to that of its conventional counterparts. On average, organic produce contains 29% more magnesium, 27% vitamin C, 21% more iron, and 14% more phosphorus.

As nutrient-rich as they are, organic produce and grocery items can also be a bit steeper when it comes to the price tag. We’ve come up with a quick list of ‘best bets’, try to purchase these items organically whenever possible, as they may be more permeable to pesticides and hormones. So take a trip to your local farmer’s market sometime soon, it’s a great way to recharge your body’s battery, kiss toxins goodbye and ‘reset your clock’ just in time for spring!

Berries, all varieties	Dark leafy greens, lettuces	Grapes, green and red
Broccoli & cauliflower	Apples, all varieties	Tomatoes
Bell peppers	Corn	Cucumbers
Potatoes, rice	Peaches, nectarines, plums	Green beans
Milk & eggs	Free-range chicken, wild salmon & fish	Grass-fed beef & bison

Quick tip: Though organic foods do indeed have great health benefits, remember to watch calories, fat content and portion sizes with certain organic items like cookies, chips, desserts, pastas and rices, marinades, sauces and more.

The Valentine's Day Diet

2006-02-01T08:27:00.000-05:00

t wouldn’t be an official Valentine’s Day without a wee bit of indulgence. Have treats in healthful moderation and beware of some common high-calorie, high-fat culprits. Satisfy your sweet tooth by choosing the best of the best…rich, gourmet dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more) or a luscious chocolate-dipped strawberry. A little bit of the good stuff will go a long way!

Cupid’s Delightfully Low-Cal Picks

STOP in the Name of Love!!! (i.e. avoid these)

Dark chocolate-dipped strawberry (1) = 48 calories, 2g fat
Hershey’s dark chocolate kisses (2) = 50 calories, 2g fat
2-3 squares 70% dark chocolate (Dagoba, Green & Black’s,
Plantation) = 70 calories, 3-4g fat
Chocolate fudge (1 piece, .6oz) = 70 calories, 1.8g fat
Godiva Amaretto Truffle (1) = 110 calories, 6.5g fat
1 cup berries + 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar = 74 calories, 0g fat
¾ cup berries + 3 Tbsp Lite Cool Whip = 80 calories, 1g fat

Chocolate martini (1) = 438 calories, 20g fat
Lindt milk chocolate truffle w. smooth filling (1) = 239
calories, 19g fat
Mini chocolate éclair (1) = 293 calories, 17.6g fat
Flourless chocolate cake (1 piece) = 440 calories, 34g fat
Chocolate mousse (1 serving) = 380 calories, 15g fat
Chocolate molten cake w. vanilla ice cream (1 piece, from a nation-wide restaurant chain) = 1270 calories, 62g fat!!!

Skin Deep Nutrition: Eating for that Gorgeous ‘Winter Glow’

2006-02-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

As wonderful as ski season and snowflakes are, winter can unfortunately wreck havoc on our delicate skin – chapped lips, dry, cracked hands and feet. But with the help of nourishing, antioxidant-packed fruits, vegetables and “healthy” fats, we can moisturize and replenish our skin and provide bodies with health-promoting nutrients. Incorporate the foods we’ve listed below into your daily diet and you’ll have that gorgeous ‘glow’ back in no time.

Fabulous Fresh Fruit

Berries: Blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are rich in flavonoids, a type of antioxidants that help delay the aging process and strengthen collagen in the skin. Berries are also high in vitamin C, which helps maintain capillary walls & promote skin elasticity & plumpness.
Kiwi: Kiwis are high in vitamin C and antioxidants to promote skin elasticity and smoothness.
Mango: Mangoes are high in vitamin A, C, & E and rich in antioxidants. Eat them moderation however, as mangoes are high in calories and sugar!
Citrus fruit: Grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes all help cleanse our digestive systems and clear the skin. Citrus fruits also boast a wealth of vitamin C.

Eat Your Veggies

Broccoli: A nutrient-rich cruciferous vegetable, broccoli is high in fiber, iron, antioxidants, folate and vitamins A, C and B2 – all of which promote healthy skin, hair and nails and prevent premature signs of aging. Broccoli also helps stimulate the digestive system, liver and kidneys to remove toxins internally, encouraging the external effect of beautiful, smooth skin.
Beets: Beets are pack powerful antioxidants, flavonoids, and aid in stimulating the digestive system and immune function. Their benefits shine through from the inside-out by reviving dull skin and promoting renewal and repair.

Healthy Fats

Salmon, tuna, flaxseed, avocado, walnuts, and olive oil: ‘Healthy’ fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acids found in the items above, help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Such fats provide skin cells with nourishing moisture and oil to help prevent wrinkles and dryness. Healthy as they are, these fats still are high in calories so you’ll want to watch the amount you’re consuming – keep these serving sizes in mind: 3-4oz salmon & tuna (size of a deck of cards), 1/5 an avocado (2-3 thin slices), ¼ cup walnuts, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil per meal.

A Day’s Menu of Healthy Eating for Beautiful Skin

Breakfast: ½ grapefruit + 1 cup high-fiber cereal w. 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal, ½ cup fresh berries & skim milk
Mid-Morning Snack: low-fat plain, Greek yogurt w. diced mango and kiwi
Lunch: Seared salmon and arugula salad w. roasted beets and balsamic vinaigrette + 2 high-fiber crackers
Afternoon Snack: ¼ cup walnuts (10-12 havles) OR 8 oz. of a blueberry, raspberry & banana smoothie w. skim or non-fat soy milk & 1 teaspoon honey
Dinner: Grilled tuna w. pomegranate & avocado salsa & steamed broccoli

Is Coffee Good For Me?

2006-01-01T08:30:00.000-05:00

Can’t do without your morning cup o’ joe? If you thought you were making a better choice by skipping the caffeine, you may want to think again. A report presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions back in November noted that excessive consumption of decaffeinated coffee may lead to an increase in LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, and thus, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the Fuqua Heart Center in Atlanta stated that individuals who consume 3 to 6 cups of decaf a day may benefit from “a combined approach of diet, exercise, weight loss and cessation of decaffeinated coffee,” which could effectively reduce LDL levels by 30% and help avoid using drug therapy to treat high cholesterol.

Unfortunately, the moral of this story isn’t cut and dry. Researchers also found that if an individual is not overweight, with a body mass index (BMI) under 25, decaf coffee may decrease levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) by 30%. In comparison, overweight individuals with a BMI above 25 presented beneficial HDL-raising results by nearly 50% from the consumption of decaf coffee.

What’s the bottom line? Evidence remains under investigation and each individual is different, personalized recommendations are best. Stick to 1-2 cups of coffee, decaf or regular, a day though and you’re in good shape. Keep those unwanted extra-pounds off with straight, black coffee or some skim milk with minimal sugar or sweetener. If you’re seeking to cut back on your caffeine cravings, try an Americano, espresso with hot water (espresso contains less caffeine than regular coffee). Or try a new twist in your daily routine and switch to green tea for a healthful change…a little caffeine goes a long way.

Trans Fat & Food Allergen Labels: An Overview

2006-01-01T08:29:00.000-05:00

A nutrition-minded start to 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new, long-awaited federal regulations requiring all food companies to list trans fatty acid content on packaged food labels earlier this month. You and fellow grocery store-goers across the country will now be able to distinguish between what’s ‘heart-healthy’ and what’s not with the inclusion of trans fat content on all food labels. Trans fatty acids are ‘unhealthy’, ultra-saturated (or ‘hydrogenated’) fats used to preserve shelf-life and are linked to increasing the risk heart disease by raising levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. Trans fats are most often found in processed foods, commercial baked goods and snacks (eg. cookies, cakes, donuts, chips), fried foods and vegetable shortening and margarines. So the next time you’re weaving through grocery aisles, take a peek at what you’re about to put into your cart. Aim to choose products with zero or extremely minimal amounts of trans fats. In addition to checking the nutrition label itself, look out for ‘red-light’ words in the ingredient list such as “partially hydrogenated”.

Along with the inclusion of trans fat content, the FDA is also requiring food companies to list any potential allergenic ingredients on all food packages. Common food allergens include nuts, milk, peanuts, eggs, shellfish, soybeans and wheat. This regulation will make grocery shopping much easier and put many individuals, particularly parents, at ease when choosing new products. According to statistics from the National Institute of Health (NIH) food allergies affect nearly 5 million Americans, an estimated 5-8% of young children and 1-2% of adults.

Fighting The Common Cold Through Good Nutrition

2006-01-01T08:28:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of year again, dust off the Kleenex and cough medicine. Flu shot or not, cold season is here in full swing. But with our simple tips and sound nutrition you can give your immune system a boost and banish the sniffles, sore-throat, aches and pains.

Eat up, squash your symptoms:

A shot of C: Vitamin C increases cold-combative white bloods cells and helps shorten the duration of sickness. Look to brightly-colored, fresh fruits and vegetables such as grapefruits, oranges, kiwi, dark leafy green vegetables, broccoli and red peppers.
Up the antioxidants: Reduce your body’s natural inflammatory response that turns on to battle a cold with stocking up on powerful antioxidants. Choose fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. Beta-carotene (vitamin A) in particular helps heighten immunity and is found in yellow and orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and cantaloupes as well as dark leafy greens. Some research shows that drinking 2-3 cups of green tea per day also aids in sparking our natural defenses with its high level of polyphenols, a type of antioxidants. Salmon is another excellent choice which boasts anti-inflammatory properties and packs another bonus punch of ‘heart-healthy fats’ with omega-3 fatty acids.
Beneficial bacteria: Consuming a serving of plain low-fat yogurt on a daily basis can help maintain a strong immune system by promoting the growth of healthy bacteria.
In the zone with zinc: Touted as one of the best minerals to ward off a cold, zinc is best absorbed from sources of red meat as well as chicken, legumes, oysters and fortified whole grain cereals. Zinc aids in the development of white blood cells, immunity-boosters. Be careful of overloading with supplements however, too much zinc may actually decrease immune-function. Aim to stay in the range of 8mg per day for women and 11mg per day for men.
Clear the decks!: Help clear your sinuses with hot liquids – mom was right all those year, a steaming bowl of chicken soup does have its benefits. You can also help break up congestion with ‘mucilaginous agents’; try sipping a cup of ginger tea, or add garlic, chili, or even a bit of zesty horseradish to warm, hearty dishes.
Sweat out the germs: Daily exercise and physical activity helps to stimulate the production of white blood cells, our “immunity-superstars” and thereby, helps prevent the occurrence of a cold or the flu. Sweating also helps release bacteria and toxins that build up in our bodies and contribute to sickness.
Preventative measures: Leading a healthy lifestyle will do much to help prevent the onset of pesky colds. Be sure to get adequate sleep each night and limit items that weaken our body’s defenses such as alcohol, excess sugar and refined carbohydrates, excess fat, and fried and processed foods.

A Day’s Menu of Cold-Fighting Food:

Breakfast: ½ grapefruit + 1 cup high fiber cereal like Kashi Go Lean w. ½ cup skim milk & ½ cup blueberries
Mid-morning snack: 1 cup green tea or ginger tea + 6oz plain low-fat yogurt like Stonyfield Farms Plain Organic Low-fat Yogurt or Fage Total Greek Yogurt 0%
Lunch: 3 cups (1 small bowl) Asian-Inspired Chicken & Vegetable Soup (see recipe below) + 2 Fiber Rich crackers
Afternoon Snack: 1 cup green tea or ginger tea + 1 Lara Bar or 12 almonds
Dinner: 3-6oz (1-2 decks of cards) poached salmon + 1 cup (2 fists) cooked spinach sautéed with 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, garlic & red pepper flakes + ½ cup brown rice

Asian-Inspired Chicken & Vegetable Soup
4 cups water
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch-thick slices
1 lb fresh kale, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, salt to taste
3 tablespoons chopped green onion

Bring water and broth to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Add chicken and simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat and cover, then let stand until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and cool 10 minutes. Reserve poaching liquid, uncovered.

While chicken is poaching, cook onion in olive oil in a 4-quart heavy pot, covered, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots, salt, and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add poaching liquid, kale and ginger and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat.

While vegetables are cooking, shred chicken into 1/4-inch-wide strips (about 1 inch long). When vegetables are done simmering, stir chicken into soup along with green onions.

Makes 4 to 6 servings. Recipe adapted from www.epicurious.com.

Nutrient Analysis:
Calories 275; Fat 9.5g (sat 1.7g); Protein 32g; Cholesterol 77mg; Sodium 251mg; Carbohydrate 17g; Fiber 5g