Want to improve your chances for long term health?

“USA Today” published an article on June 12, 2013 with some great evidenced-based information for preventing elevated blood sugar.

There’s a new study that showed the benefits for walking 15 minutes after every meal:  “If you’re at risk for developing type 2 diabetes, then take a walk after every meal.”.  This works as well as one-45 minute walk once each day.

People know they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes if they have these characteristics (according to the American Diabetes Association):

1. People over age 45
2. People with family history of type 2 diabetes
3. People who are overweight
4. People who do not exercise regularly
5. People with low HDL cholesterol or high triglycerides, or high blood pressure
6. Certain racial and ethnic groups (non-Hispanic blacks, Hispanic/Latino Americans, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders, and American Indians and Alaska Natives
7. Woman who had gestational diabetes or who gave birth to a baby weighing 9 or more pounds at birth

Walking after every meal, especially dinner helps lower post-meal blood sugar for 3 or more hours, based on the study referenced in the article.  The study was done at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.  Loretta DiPietro, the study lead’s author stated, “You eat a meal.  You wait a half-hour and you go for a 15-minute walk, and it has proven effective in controlling blood sugar levels, but you have to do it every day after every meal.  This amount of walking is not a prescription for weight loss or cardiovascular fitness – it’s a prescription for controlling blood sugar.”.

The timing of the walks is important to provide the benefit.  Walking causes the muscles to contract, clearing the blood sugar for the walker.

“USA Today” reports that there are, “…almost 26 million children and adults (8.3% of the population) in the USA [who] have diabetes, and about 79 million Americans  [who] have pre-diabetes.”  Diabetes is one of the leading contributors to heart disease/stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, neuropathy (nerve disease), and amputation.  According to the American Diabetes Association, it costs the US $176 in direct medical costs each year.

John Anderson, president of the American Diabetes Association stated, “What we don’t know is if it [post meal 15-minute walk] is going to make a big difference over time in people’s progression from prediabetes to diabetes – any more than the standard exercise advice of walking 30 minute a day five days a week.”

What has been proved is the Diabetes Prevention Program.  With a 5-7% weight loss and physical activity that equals 150 minutes per week, a person has a decreased risk for developing type 2 diabetes, or delaying its onset.  The YMCA’s across the country offer this program in many communities, including Rochester, NY.  Call:  585-341-4064 for information, or check our website:  YMCA’s DPP.

This study promotes moving, and recognizes acute benefits of moving.  Stay tuned for more info!

Fact or Fiction: Read and find out NOW!

Healthy food is deemed as such because there is scientific evidence to prove that it is.  The gold standard go to resource to sort out whether food is healthy is a Registered Dietitian.  RD’s study nutrition science, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry, among additional related subjects at accredited colleges and universities.

There is a tremendous “quack” factor regarding nutrition information that is available all over the proverbial map.  When searching for the “holy grail” for how to nourish yourself best, look with scrutiny.  Rules of thumb:  if the claim is miraculous, it probably will not be effective, if the claim eliminates entire food groups, you may end up deficient in a nutrient, if the claim comes from animal studies only (rats), more information related to human consumption is warranted….  etc.  (You get the picture.)

The problem with the “quack” factor, is that it is vast.  Here, from the “Ottawa Citizen” is information from RDs that helps sort out some nutritional facts from fiction.

• Sea Salt: Is it healthier than tables salt?  NO.  They have the same basic nutritional value.  Table salt usually has iodine added, so it actually has an added essential nutrient (for healthy thyroid function).  The difference between the two is texture and taste.  Sprinkling either on your food?  Remember to try to limit sodium to 2300mg per day (that is the equivalent of a teaspoon of salt)
•  Oysters are an aphrodisiac?  YES.  They contain amino acids that boost sex hormone in humans.  Oysters also have dopamine, which stimulates the brain’s arousal center.
• Brown Sugar more nutritious than white?  NO.  There really is no difference between the two.  Maple syrup & honey are also NOT more nutritious than sugar.  When eaten, they are all adding glucose (sugar) to your body.
• Microwaving destroys nutrients?  YES (minimally).  This is for vitamin B12.  B12 is important for building proteins in the body, building red blood cells, and normal function of nervous tissue.  B12 is found in clams, oysters, mussels, liver, caviar, octopus, fish, crab, lobster, beef, lamb, cheese, & eggs.  Avoid microwaving these every time you eat them to be sure you get your Vitamin B12.
• Microwaving food and letting it sit for a few moments is important for safety?  YES.  It prevents mouth burns.  It also helps microwaved food cook more thoroughly.  The colder areas absorb the heat from the hotter parts of the food.  The time frame is an extra minute or two!
• The 3-Second Rule is safe?  YES if…  they are processed foods with salty or sugary surfaces.  Bacteria don’t easily survive on these surfaces.  Cookies have low moisture content, a place where bacteria thrive, so they are safe too.
• Multi-Grain and Whole-Grain foods are equally nutritious?  NO.  Multigrain sounds wholesome, but it may have the bran and germ stripped to promote longer shelf life, better taste, and better appearance.  The germ and bran are important sources of fiber, vitamin E and antioxidants.  Look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving!
• Probiotics are essential for good health?  NO.  Probiotics, which can be added to foods like yogurt and cheese are bacteria that aid in digestion.  They may reduce symptoms of irritable bowl syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and diarrhea related to antibiotics.  A diet without probiotics can also produce a healthy digestive system.  Think probiotics are helping you?   Be sure they are lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.

 

 

Step away from the TV right into a National Park!

The expression “If you build it, they will come.” resonates in the world of trying to help folks obtain and maintain a healthy diet.  With access to healthy food, and in some cases only healthy food, it’s a no-brainer as to what a hungry person, determined to eat, will do.  On a related note, location, location, location this summer might influence what your kids/you consume.

A Study published in the International Journal of Public Health finds that the more time in front the TV with higher exposure to TV advertisements may lead to increased consumption of sweetened beverages among children.  The study showed  “each additional hour in front of the TV increased the likelihood of regular consumption [of sugar sweetened beverages] by 50%….”.  Children of parents who were less strict about TV advertisements were twice as likely to consume sweetened beverages every week.

What to do?????  Get up, get out, and GO to a US national park!

The “Salt Lake Tribune” published an article:  “Healthy menu options coming to a Utah national park near you.”  In it, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and the National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis announced that as part of  “a healthful and sustainable food initiative”, national parks will offer a new range of healthy catering options.  The initiative builds on the 2011 “Healthy Parks, Healthy People”, pairing visitors’ health with the outdoors.

The food will be lower in calories, lower in fat and sodium, include meat without hormones, fresh and local, and sustainable.  Some of the menu options are juniper smoked bison strip loin, gluten-free almond crusted chicken tenders, and fresh spring strawberries and cream.

Sam Kass, executive director of “Let’s Move”, Mrs. Obama’s program that is aimed at eliminating childhood obesity, states that the potential impact of this initiative is huge, given the people traffic passing through the parks annually.

Activity in the parks, followed by healthy eating, makes “perfect sense….”, said Mike Litterst, spokesman for the National Park Service.  The healthier options were “more in keeping with the activities available in US national parks.”  It adds to the convenience that people are looking for.  People do not have to pack a picnic of healthy foods to assure a beneficial intake when they are in US national parks.  They know they can get the food there!

So….  step away from the TV…. step towards activity and healthy eating into a National Park!

Got (Chocolate) Milk After a Workout?

The Center for Science in the Public Interest, in their “Beyond the Buzz” section of the June, 2013 edition talks about whether people should drink chocolate milk after exercise…. or not.

CSPI reports that, “When it comes to recovering from intense exercise, a classic childhood beverage has taken the spotlight.”.  The beverage is none other than chocolate milk!

Our bodies pull energy primarily from two sources.  In our bodies, when we are inactive, our bodies get energy from fat so that we can breathe, blink, shift in our seats, etc.  For more intense activity (brisk walking, running, swimming, etc.), our bodies cannot burn fat fast enough, so we rely on carbohydrates.

When bodies perform endurance physical activity, muscle glycogen needs to be restored.  Glycogen consists of long chains of glucose (sugar).  Our bodies convert glucose to glycogen in order to store it.  We store it in the muscles and in the liver.  Human bodies do not have a good deal of glycogen stored at any given time (a contrast to the vast stores of fat that most of us have).

In intense, prolonged  exercise (marathon running), humans run out of glycogen.  In the marathoners’ community, it’s referred to as “hitting the wall”.  Athletes who compete in events where they need  train multiple times during the day, for example Iron Man training (triathletes), glycogen stores need to be restored quickly.  This is where the question comes:  Got (chocolate) milk?

Studies from the Medical Science Sports Exercise Journal and the International Journal of Sorts Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism have shown that post a strenuous workout, drinking chocolate milk is one of the best ways to recover quickly (better than drinking sugary sports drinks such as Gatorade).

The milk has lactose as its carbohydrate source, which contains glucose.  It has protein which speeds up the body’s glycogen synthesis.  Milk contains electrolytes:  potassium, calcium, and sodium for rehydration.  CHOCOLATE milk has extra sugar which provides additional carbohydrates for energy storage.  The typical low-fat chocolate milk has a ratio of carbs:protein of 4:1, which CSPI reports as the ideal ratio to rapidly replenish glycogen stores.

It is true that humans can get the carbs and protein in their next meal, but their next meal has to be very soon after the physical activity (within an hour!).

Most people are not training to do a marathon or an Iron Man triathlon (high intensity workouts with a 2 hour duration).  So:  do we need chocolate milk (or sports drinks, for that matter)?  Probably not.  Going for a brisk walk does not deplete glycogen stores.  The extra calories from Chocolate Milk (or sports drinks) might tip the body balance towards gaining weight.

According to CSPI:  “Unless you’re doing prolonged, intense exercise on successive days, or more than one strenuous workout on the same day, you don’t need chocolate milk (or any food or fluid) to recover.”

Keep you at a healthy weight in mind.  Balance calories with physical activity to do this!

Dip it, they’ll eat it!

Reuters cited the online May 22, 2013 “Journal of Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics” that there is now study evidence that offering dip alongside vegetables encouraged kids to eat veggies they would have normally avoided.

At Penn State University, 34 preschoolers were given a taste test that included vegetables with a low-fat dip.  More of the children said that they liked the vegetables when they were paired with a flavored dip.  31 percent of the kids liked the vegetables alone.  64% liked them with the flavored dip.  The study was done by Jennifer Savage at PSU’s Center for Childhood Obesity Research.  Only 6% of the kids refused the vegetable and flavored dip, while 18 percent refused vegetables without any dip.

Another experiment published by the Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, where the researchers gave 27 preschoolers plain celery or squash, they found that kids ate less than 1/4 cup of each.  If the vegetables were offered with dip, the kids ate more:  1/2 cup of celery and about 1/3 cup squash.

According to Marlene Schwartz of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, kids are notorious for disliking vegetables, and the problem has grown because kids’ diets are less healthy.  It’s safe to deduce, then, that adding dip will better assure important vegetable intake.  Schwartz also stated that the important thing  [for preschoolers] is not how much vegetables kids eat, but getting children to be willing to try vegetables and be open to liking them.  “If you can get preschoolers to see themselves as people who try a bunch of different vegetables and try them in different ways and like vegetables, then you can really reinforce that way of seeing themselves and that’s going to help you in the long run,” she said.  For kids/people in general, another deduction is that if they already proclaim the dislike of vegetables and they generally refuse to eat them, healthy dips might change this!

Here are some links to healthy dip recipes to try with your vegetables (& fruits) * healthy meaning low-calorie, not necessarily high nutrient:

http://www.cookinglight.com/healthy-living/healthy-habits/eat-vegetables-fruits-00412000069675/page20.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/healthy_chips_and_dips_recipes

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Snacks-and-Appetizers_UCM_301942_Article.jsp

Happy Birthday ChooseMyPlate!!!!

June 2, 2013 is a day to celebrate!  It’s the first birthday of the release of the MyPlate food icon.  It replaced MyPyramid, and was unveiled by First Lady, Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about a year ago.  It prompts people to eat healthy:  ChooseMyPlate.gov

Here from the United States Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is >>>>>>

“choose MyPlate, 10 tips to a great plate”

1. Balance Calories:  Find out how many YOU need for a day to manage your weight.  www.ChooseMyPlate.gov can help.  Being physically active tips the balance.
2. Enjoy your food, but eat less:  Take TIME to fully enjoy your food as you eat it.  Fast eating often means overeating.  Not paying attention to what you’re eating does the same.  Focus on your hunger and full cues.  They work much better when you eat slowly.
3. Avoid oversized portions:  Use a smaller plate, bowl, and glass.  Portion out foods before you eat.  When you eat out, choose smaller sized options, share dishes, or have your doggy made up before your food is served.
4. Foods to eat MORE often:  Vegetables, Fruits, Whole Grains and Fat Free/1% Milk & Dairy Products.  These foods have nutrients you need for health, including potassium, calcium, Vitamin D, & fiber.  Make them the basis for meals and snacks.
5. Make HALF your plate fruits & vegetables:  Choose red, orange, & dark-green vegetables for your meals.  Add fruit to meals as part of main or side dishes or as dessert.
6. Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk:  They have the SAME amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but fewer calories and less saturated fat.
7. Make HALF your grains whole grains:  Substitute refined products for whole-grain products – look for at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.
8. Eat these LESS often:  foods high in solid fats, added sugars, and salt.  They include cakes, cookies, ice cream, candies, sweetened drinks, fatty meats (ribs, sausages, bacon, and hot dogs).  They should be treats, not everyday foods.
9. Watch the sodium:  Look at the Nutrition Facts label and choose lower sodium versions of foods like bread, soup, and frozen meals.  Some buzz words to look for:  “low sodium”, “reduced sodium”, or “no salt added”.
10. Drink WATER:  Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages.  Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are major sources of added sugar and calories in American diets.

So:  start dancing the birthday dance and grab a fruit and low-fat yogurt treat!  Celebrate:  be HEALTHY!

 

 

The Jibber-Jabber on Javaaaaah Creamer

Another word from the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s April, 2013 issue.

The creamer for coffee business is booming.  CSPI reported that in 2012, 67% of adults drank coffee daily.  Here’s the skinny on the creamer and coffee aisles of the grocery store.

• Coffee-Mate:  10 calories and “0” grams of fat per teaspoon.  According to label laws, 0 grams of fat means “less than 0.5 grams”.  In your coffee, watch the serving size:  as it goes up, this creamer is no longer non-fat.  If you take 2 Tablespoons of Coffee-Mate, it has 50 calories and 1.5 grams of fat (1.4 of them are saturated).
• Real Dairy Creamers:  Try ones that are part skim/part cream, and their fat content nets to 2% milk.  Land O’Lakes Fat-Free Half and Half works, or Whole Foods 365 Organic Original Coffee Creamer (skim mixed with soybean oil).  Better choices in Flavored creamers are harder to find because they add sugar, which adds calories.  Nestle Coffee-mate Low Fat Natural Bliss is the best of the “evils, with 20 calories per tablespoon.  Bailey’s Fat Free is close to this with 25 calories.  Many of the flavored creamers have double the calories of half and half per tablespoon!
• Soy or Coconut Milk:  Remember that soy creamers might not necessarily be heart healthy because they may contain palm oil, which provides saturated fat.  A good creamer choice in this arena is Trader Joe’s Soy Creamers, which use healthier oils (canola).  So Delicious Coconut Milk is a newer creamer.  The Original (unflavored) only has 10 calories per tablespoon.  Coconut milk creamer has about 1/10 the saturated fat of coconut oil creamer!
• Sugar & Oil Creamers:  CSPI becomes facetious here, because they claim that’s what International Delight and Nestle Coffee-mate liquids should call themselves.  International Delight uses palm oil (1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon).  The fat-free varieties contain added sugar and the sugar-free varieties contain acesulfame potassium (Splenda:  CSPI is not convinced that acesulfame potassium is safe for human consumption).  Coffee-mate’s multi-serve liquids are made with partially hydrogenated oils and claim to be trans fat free, BUT CSPI had them analyzed.  It was found that they contained the always-to-be-avoided trans fat to the tune of .5 grams of trans fat per tablespoon.
• Starbucks VIA:  In 2009, we were introduced to this “gourmet” instant coffee.  What we got:  60 calories and 3 tsp of added sugar in 8oz.
• Keurig & Hills Bros:  Keurig brought us coffee K-cups, which contain 2 grams of saturated fat.  Hills Bros is worse.  A three tbsp. serving offers 120 calories, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 3 tsp of sugar.
•  Energy Drinks:  There has been a jump in Emergency Room visits since 2005 related to energy drinks.  They contain high doses of caffeine.  The information on how much caffeine is generally not disclosed on the labels.  15oz of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy has 145mg of caffeine:  this is where the “Energy” comes from, NOT from the added B-vitamins, ginseng, guarana, inositol, maltodextrin, and taurine.  Half of a 15oz can of Blue Sky Café Energy has 100mg of caffeine.  The “natural energy” comes from the caffeine of the coffee and the guarana.  Java Monster Coffee + Energy has 150mg caffeine in a 15oz can.  The label directs people to drink 1 can every 4 hours, with a limit of 3 cans per day.  This would be about the same as drinking 48oz of McDonald’s coffee.
• Ready-to-Drink:  It is hard to find ready-to-drink brews that are low in calories.  Starbucks Vanilla, Caramel, and Coffee + Milk only have 110 calories, but the calories come from sugar, they are low in milk, and they are sweetened with acesulfame potassium (see note on this above).  Starbucks Frappuccinos:  they have 200 calories and 5.5 tsp of added sugar (the “Light” cuts the calories to 100:  the sweetener is acesulfame potassium.  International Delight Iced Coffees have 150 calories per one cup (they use skim milk) plus 4 tsp of added sugar.  Again, the Light version eliminates some sugar:  the sweetener is acesulfame potassium.  They offer 6gm of protein per cup.  Straight milk has 8.
• Silk Iced Lattes:  There are only 100 calories per cup, but 4.5 tsp sugar with only 2gm of protein.  Empty calories.
• Illy Issimo:  It is coffee, milk, and 3tsp of added sugar.  There are 100 calories in an 8.45oz can.  If you just drink the Caffe flavor, the calories are 50 with no sugar.

So what is acesulfame potassium?   The trade name is “Splenda”.  The CSPI claims that safety tests are inadequate, but the proof is regarded as having flaws.  You can be the judge:  start here!    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570055/pdf/ehp0114-a0516a.pdf

Some GREAT Consumer Product Info

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, consumers need to beware of food companies trying to snag customers by making food sound healthy.  Consumers need to put on their thinking caps and inquisitive eyes!  Many new foods craft the image of healthiness:  it’s a lot  smoke and mirrors.

• Enjoy Life Plentils Lentil Chips:  They sound healthy because “lentils” are healthy (containing plant-based protein and a good source of fiber).  Not so fast!  They are made of lentil powder, potato starch, oil, salt, and turmeric.  A one ounce serving has 130 calories, 3 grams of protein and only 1 gram of fiber.  Eating these gets you one more gram of protein and fiber than if you ate potato or corn chips.  They are higher in sodium than Lays Classic Potato Chips and Tostitos Original Tortilla Chips.
• Nabisco’s belVita Chocolate Breakfast Biscuits:  “Power up”?  They claim to contain 19g whole grain and to have energy-releasing B-vitamins.  Stop right there!  The whole grains are healthy, but 20% of belVita’s grains are refined.  Calorie-for-calorie, they have 1/2 the sugar of an Oreo.  Nabisco does not claim health in these, they claim a “new kind of breakfast”.  The B-vitamin claim is incorrect!  B-vitamins do not make you feel more energetic.  Thebiscuits are not a good source of protein with 3-4grams per serving.  These biscuits are an okay choice if you are having them with 2 foods from 2 different food groups (yogurt, milk, fruit, eggs, etc.)
• Ronzoni Garden Delight Pasta Boxes:  “With a Half Serving of Vegetables per 2oz Portion.”  Hmmmmmm…..  No.  It’s a quarter cup of “vegetable solids” from dried carrot, tomato, and spinach.  The 2oz serving has about the equivalent of one sixtieth of a carrot or 3 spinach leaves.  Mueller’s Hidden Veggie pastas are worse.  Their dried veggie source is corn, with 1/2 the Vitamin A of the Ronzoni product.  The bottom line is that Veggie pastas are made mostly  from white flour and pale in comparison to eating vegetables.
• Bolthouse Farms Protein Plus Shakes (owned by Campbell Soup!):  Their extra protein comes from soy protein isolate and whey protein concentrate.  There are 800 calories per bottle with 64gm of protein.  64gm of protein can be easily found in a well-balanced diet of 2-3oz meat servings plus 2-8oz glasses of skim milk.  Mango Protein Plus bottle claims to contain nutrients to metabolize protein and fat for energy and offer lean muscle nourishment.  It also claims to be essential for the immune system.  There’s actually no evidence that this is true.  In both cases, the average adult is looking to get fruits and veggies from food and to shoot for 20 grams of protein per meal from food
• KIND Plus Pomegranate:  Claims to prevent weight gain.  Studies were done to prove this wrong, and they did!  KIND Plus bars also claim to maintain the immune system and healthy skin:  this is also unfounded unless you’re malnourished to begin with.  The nutrition in these bars are as easily found in food:  apples, oranges, Greek yogurt, etc.
• Girl Scout Cookies:  They are trying to change what they sell in the midst of the obesity epidemic.  Their faux healthy cookie:  Mango Cremes with Nutrifusion are made with refined sugar and oil in the same proportion as most other cookies.  Their ingredient:  palm oil, gives them twice the saturated fat of Oreos.  The Girl Scouts are using fool tactics to sell these!
• Post Honey Bunches of Oats Greek Honey Crunch:  The yogurt is YOGURT POWDER!  It is heat treated, which kills the yogurt cultures and the protein.  Rickland Orchards Greek Yogurt Bars are made with a “Greek yogurt coating” that has more sugar, palm kernel oil, palm oil, and shea oil than Greek yogurt.  In both cases, the protein is coming from isolated soy protein and skim milk powder:  not from yogurt!

Remember:  claims are generally marketing ploys to get you to buy things.  Look deep and be educated!  Eat “real food” whenever possible.  Real food gives real nutrients

 

“Fooled by Food”: Monday morning on Tuesday, the Conclusion

The exciting finale  from the article published in April, 2013 by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.  Professor Wansink of Cornell University was interviewed by CSPI.

When last you visited us, the focus was on “What… makes people happy with fewer calories?’.  The focus was home.  Here are additional arenas and strategies (home is addressed here too!) to keep you ahead of being fooled.

• Fast Food Restaurants:  A study was done where the results showed that when people ate at a fast food restaurant, in soft light, they ate eighteen percent fewer calories and they rated the food more appealing.  The reason:  It is hypothesized that since they stayed in the restaurant (during the study) 9 minutes longer with the changed ambiance, they were more relaxed and they ate more slowly.  Their satiety cues caught up given more time:  perhaps they realized their fullness & stopped eating.  Additionally, the food may have become cold and less appealing (french fries in a fast food joint) so they stopped eating.  The people may have had enough.  This works at home too.  The more relaxed the environment, the more relaxed you are, you eat more slowly, and you end up eating less (use quiet music, low TV sound, candlelight, etc.)
• Sit Down Restaurants:  Usually people spend more time in sit down restaurants than in fast food places.  Interestingly, according to Professor Wansink’s book:  “Slim by Design”, thinner people sit near windows and in lighter, well-traveled parts of the restaurant.  Heavier people sit near the TV, bar, and in dark corners.  In these spots, they spend more time, which may explain why they are over eating.

Bottom line:  Be as relaxed as you can in your eating environment, focusing on eating, i.e. your speed & quantity ingested (also ENJOYING!).  Try to sit in the open when you are out at a sit down place.  You probably won’t find low light/quietness at McDonald’s, so eat slowly & enjoy & pay attention to your body’s cues 😉

• Stress!  For college students, it was found that they generally eat healthier when they arrive on campus.  As the year goes on, they slowly begin eating less healthy.  It is, in part, because of final exams.  More than that, though,  it is because of the overload of papers and projects throughout the entire year.  In similar observations of stress with non-college students, i.e. holidays, it was found that people stress eat because of the apprehension of having family visit, having to buy presents, having to finish projects.

Bottom line:  Be aware!  Discover stress relief that does not involve eating.  Try:  yoga, meditation, “Am I really hungry?”, keep a food diary, get support from the people around you, take a walk, watch a movie, listen to music, surf the internet, call a friend, don’t keep unhealthy food in the house/near you (go out and have them as a treat), make set-backs turn into positive experiences…..

 

• Keeping food on your desk.  Don’t do it (common sense)!  People who have a bowl of chocolate sitting on their desk eat about 125 more calories per day than if the chocolate is just six feet away.

 

• Grocery Shopping.  Studies have shown that people really do NOT buy more when you grocery shop hungry.  BUT they buy fewer healthy foods, and more convenient, highly processed food that they can eat quickly (breakfast cereals, frozen food, Hamburger Helper, candy, and crackers).  They stay away from fruits, vegetables, and healthy dairy.  The mere thought of how long it would be before they would be able to eat a chicken/vegetable stir-fry sways them to buy the fast, convenient, generally higher calorie/fat/sodium/sugar foods.

Want to know more?  Professor Wansink has a new book:  “Slim by Design:  Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life”.  The premise:  80% of the food we buy is within ~3 miles of where we live (food radius).  Choose the 5 places that cause you to overeat (they can be home and work along with the grocery store or a restaurant).  Make small changes in each of these places.  You can become slim by design!

And the last word on this series….  There is now a Slim by Design Global Registry:  www.SlimByDesign.org  It registers people who have been slim all of their lives.  By studying the habits, patterns, tips, and attitudes of these people, their goal is to help others learn some secrets and insights they have used to stay slim.  Use it as a resource!

“Fooled by Food”: The Cliff Hanger at the End of the Week!

The Center for Science in the Public Interest’s article featuring the wisdom from the research of Professor Brian Wansink, Cornell University, offers the cliff hanger for this week.  Practical information for you!

The price of food:  does it influence how much people buy?  The answer is not simple.  How much you buy obviously depends on how much money you have.  Being below the poverty line, you have to buy the smaller items because you are budgeted, according to Wansink.  “… if you’re above the poverty line, you can afford larger items.  That’s where you get the Costco or Sam’s Club effect.  You buy large quantities because you’re saving money.”, says Wansink.  The Professor wrote a book called “Mindless Eating”.  In it he speaks to studies that show that when items like juice boxes, granola bars, small bags of chips, etc. are individually packaged, you end up eating them more frequently:  seven times per week vs. four.  BUT, “if you buy a larger package of cereal or ground beef or pasta or pretzels, you eat more every time you open it.” – Wansink.  The practical tip for portion/calorie control is to NOT avoid big packages. Divide the big packages into smaller packages and to put them somewhere that you don’t see them all the time/can store them/can’t easily get to them.  If you are buying small packages, put them away for the same reasons.  Out of sight = out of mind = less chance of over eating!

Another idea for healthy snacking comes from this study at Cornell.  200 kids were given either all-they-could-eat chips OR a combination of cut-up vegetables and round Babybel cheeses while they watched TV.  Kids given the chips ate 620 calories’ worth, but kids given the cheese/vegetables ate only 170 calories’ worth.  In overweight kids the difference was even more pronounced:  they ate more chips than the others.  The reasoning is quite simple.  Cheese/vegetables take longer to chew.  The combination was more satisfying because it’s fun to eat and there’s more variety in creamy cheese and crunchy vegetables.  The study was done on  women, and the results were similar.  Wansink has no data (yet) for men, but hypothesizes that it will be also similar.  The obvious practical tip:  serve crunchy vegetables with low fat creamy dip!

Trigger Foods (simple psychology!)…  Another study at the buffet indicated that the first food that people saw influenced what they took even if they didn’t take that food.  If they saw a bowl of fruit first, they were more likely to take more fruit than eggs and bacon.  If they saw eggs and bacon first, they took more of that than fruit.  AT HOME:  Make sure that the first food you see and serve is the healthiest food on the table.  Serve the vegetables/fruit first!

What makes people happy with fewer calories?  The Cornell researchers again checked this out by giving folks snacks to find out how much eaten would cause them to be satisfied.  They found that once people swallow something they do not have much memory of how much they ate.  If you are served and eat something tasty in a large or a small portion, 15 minutes after you ate it, you remember that it was yummy, but you do not remember how many bites you took.  So with cravings, take a small bite/amount of something that you crave, wait 10 minutes, and your craving will have been satisfied.  If you are at risk of bingeing because there is more of the craved food right in front of you, eat that small amount, and go to the restroom, walk around the block, bring your laundry basket upstairs and put away 10 min of laundry, write an email, etc.  The distraction will save you from eating more, and you will have satisfied your craving.  This does not work when a person is truly hungry.  Often when we crave, it is not related to hunger!

Here’s a visual to leave you with re: your plates!

Have a delightful weekend, and thank a Veteran!  Coming next week: more tips for you.