Snack Smart
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
I talked in
yesterday's blog about the importance of eating every 2-4 hours. Snacks are key to keeping your energy level up, but the wrong snacks can cause you to crash and burn. For snacks I generally recommend staying to 100-200 calories. Snacks are not intended to fill you up, but rather they are a bridge between meals. They bridge your appetite and your energy to keep you from getting fatigued. In addition, snacks help to keep you from getting irritable, they keep your metabolism in check, and they help to keep you focused on the tasks at hand.
I like to choose snacks that have carbs and either protein and/or fiber. The protein and fiber help to prevent you from getting a sharp rise and subsequent crash in your blood sugar. You may experience a crash in energy if you eat simple carbs alone, but combining them with a little bit of protein can help.
Here are some of my favorites (read labels to get the calorie count you want):
Whole grain crackers and hummus
Raw veggies (peppers, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli) dipped in hummus
String cheese and apple
Laughing Cow light cheese and whole grain crackers
Pria Bar Luna Bar Lara Bar Glenny’s Soy Crisps
Glenny’s Blondies or Brownies (the chocolate peanut butter is the BEST!)
Vitamuffin tops
½ sandwich of choice (be careful of condiments to keep calories down)
Apple and peanut butter
Any piece of fresh fruit
Kalahari Fruit Trekker bar Kashi granola bar
Small cup of whole grain cereal (I use a coffee cup instead of a bowl to control portion)
Dried plums (they come
individually wrapped now)
V-8 juice
Light yogurt
Slimfast shake
Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, soy nuts, etc.
Cup of bean-based soup
Peanut or Almond M&M’s (the nuts give some fiber/protein)
1 egg on ½ whole grain English muffin
Greek yogurt with fresh fruit (the fat free tastes great!)
Sometimes I like something sweet as a snack, but sometimes I just want something that is more like real food than snack food. I make a half sandwich, cup of soup, egg, etc. I feel like I have eaten something more substantial even though the calories are the same as some of the more traditional foods you think of as snacks. If you are really hungry at snack time, try eating “real food” like this and you will probably be more satisfied.
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To Snack or Not To Snack
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Eat 6 times a day. Don’t snack between meals or you will gain weight. Stop eating after 7 PM. Are you confused? You are not alone! Just like many things in the nutrition world, the advice on snacking has been mixed.
After searching for the answer to this question for many clients who are striving to control cravings and get sustained energy, I have come to the overwhelming conclusion that eating light and eating often is the best policy. How often is often and how light is light? That varies from person to person. But here are some tips to help you figure it out for yourself.
Eating lightEating light is difficult to do in our
super-sized environment. I follow my fullness cues to determine when to stop. Again, this is difficult to determine because we are so accustomed to cleaning our plates and eating everything put in front of us. My best advice is to
eat slowly so the signal can get to the brain that you are getting satisfied. The other advice I have is to stop when you are
satisfied, not when you are full. Keep telling yourself that you only need to eat enough food to get through the next 3 or at the most 4 hours. Don’t try to eat as much food as possible to get you through 7-8 hours. That is too much food for your body to process at one time. That brings me to my next point….
Eating often
In order to prevent cravings and get sustained energy, you need to keep your glucose, or blood sugar, in the proper range. When you go too long without eating, it signals to your brain that you are starving and your body stores fat because it doesn’t know how long you are going to starve it or often you are going to do that to it. Your brain then tells your taste buds that you want sugar because it is instant energy. Your brain may also be craving fat because it is very dense in energy (calories). If you eat often you will not crave these foods because your body will be getting sustained energy and it will not have to try to manipulate your brain to try to get energy. Your body cannot use more food than it needs for a 4 hour period. The job of insulin is to come in and break down food into energy (glucose) and get it into the cells where it is needed within a certain period of time. If you feed your body more than it needs, the body will simply release more and more insulin and will put the extra food into fat storage.
Bottom line
Eat small amounts every 3-4 hours. If you limit your portions at meals you can make room for extra calories as snacks. This leads to more energy, increased metabolism, and decreased cravings for high sugar and high fat foods.
I ran out of room today, but I will continue tomorrow with some ideas for snacks.
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A new alli for weight loss
Friday, May 25, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
On June 14 a new over the counter weight loss product is coming to store shelves. It is called
alli and is a smaller dose but the same drug as the prescription drug orlistat, or
Xenical.
alli is available without a prescription. As a prescription drug, orlistat was given in doses of 120 mg and has been on the market since 1999. alli is orlistat, but it is a 60 mg dosage instead. The clinical trials have shown that it helps people lose up to 50% more weight than dieting alone. If you lose 10 pounds on your own, you may lost 15 pounds taking alli.
How does it work?
alli works in the digestive tract and blocks about 25% of the fat you eat from being absorbed and digested. That means you are not getting calories from the fat, leading to a calorie deficit.
CautionBecause the fat is not absorbed, it is excreted in an undigested form. Please use caution when taking alli because the more fat you eat, the more fat is excreted. As you can imagine, this can create some undesirable side effects such as oily gas or diarrhea and urgent bowel movements. While this does not sound pleasant, if you follow the instructions and don’t eat more than 15-20 grams of fat per meal that you take it, you will not experience these unpleasant side effects.
Another word of caution, the manufacturer,
GlaxoSmithKline, recommends taking a multivitamin daily if you are taking alli. Some medical professionals are concerned that you will not absorb some fat soluble vitamins due to not absorbing some fat, but the research has shown that vitamin levels stayed in normal range. Taking a multivitamin is just assurance just in case you are not absorbing completely anyway.
Get helpGlaxoSmithKline is offering a 152-page book called
are you losing it? for sale to use along with alli. The book is full of answers and encouragement from top weight loss experts. I recommend getting the book and visiting the
alli website if you want more information or plan on using this new product. Another good website to check out is
www.questioneverything.com. Of course, I always recommend seeing a
Registered Dietitian for assistance with your diet.
No magic pill
Weight loss is one of the most difficult things for many people to master. This pill is not magical and MUST be used in combination with changing your lifestyle incorporating a reduced-calorie, low-fat diet and exercise in order to have success in losing weight and keeping it off!
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Sample Day When Training
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
As promised, here is a sample day of what I would eat when marathon training:
Snack before run: 3/4 cup Total or Wheaties either dry handfuls or with ½ cup soy or skim milk OR a banana
During run: Gatorade or water, depending on distance. If more than 10 miles, Gatorade every 2-3 miles plus some water. Sometimes I do gels instead of Gatorade and eat one-half of the gel at a time.
After run: Whole grain toast or English muffin with peanut butter, a little jelly, glass of skim or soy milk, and a banana or other fruit OR Oatmeal made with milk not water for protein with some frozen blueberries or dried cranberries added before microwaving (I like the Quaker Weight Control and I add ½ cup Allbran to it before cooking) OR Bowl of cereal (whole grain) with fresh fruit and skim or soy milk or light yogurt. I often add a small amount of Allbran or Fiber One mixed with other cereals to boost fiber.
Midmorning snack: Piece of fresh fruit OR light yogurt OR string cheese OR Pria, Zone, Luna, Lara, etc bar OR
Vitamuffin top OR
Glenny’s soy crisps OR
Glenny’s Brownie or Blondie barLunch: Frozen meal of choice OR
Flatout wrap sandwich with hummus and veggies OR Salad with tons of different veggies, tuna, cheese, cottage cheese, or veggie pepperoni for protein, light salad dressing, maybe some whole grain crackers for crunch on the side.
Midafternoon snack: Same as morning choices. A little bit of chocolate may sneak in there instead of those snacks, though.
Dinner: Protein of choice (usually fish or veggie substitute), starch of choice (brown rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.), veggie of choice (I use a lot of frozen veggies and micro them for convenience). Usually have a small piece of chocolate to finish the meal like one Ghiradelli square
Snack in evening (if desired): Sorbet OR milk and a cookie OR Glenny’s brownie OR light popcorn
A few comments:
Remember that I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian who includes a little bit of fish in my diet. If you enjoy animal proteins, that is fine, just keep them lean.
I try to eat every 3-4 hours to keep my energy level up and get necessary nutrients. Eating more often helps me get the calories I need without feeling overfull at meals. My meals are not very large portions because I snack often. I always try to have grain, protein, and fruit and/or veggie at every meal. Snacks just get me from meal to meal with provding energy and preventing hunger.
I drink a lot of water, occasional diet soft drink, or flavored water like
Propel. I do not drink juice because I prefer fresh whole fruit to juice for more fullness. I know runners hate to eat before their morning run, but I really try to have at least a couple of handfuls of dry cereal or a banana (even a half banana) or a couple of swigs of Gatorade before I start to get the glucose flowing in my bloodstream from the long fast overnight.
Also, this is a near perfect day. I eat out fairly often, which is not reflected in this day. My choices are not as good when I eat out!
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Fueling Runners
Monday, May 21, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
I have had a request to talk about how to eat when you are training for a marathon and to give a typical day of what I would eat when I was in training. I will talk about what I learned when I trained for my first marathon today and tomorrow I will have a sample day.
You often hear about how vitally important carbohydrates are for athletes, especially for runners. Carbs are, of course, your body’s preferred source of energy, but fat and protein are also vital to the diet to have success in eating right for an athlete. I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian (no meat but ate eggs and dairy) for 12 years before I started marathon training. The most important lesson I learned was that, as a vegetarian especially, I was getting plenty of carbs, but I actually needed more protein in my diet! I know you are thinking that long distance runners, unlike weight lifters, don’t really need much more protein. However, runners are using their muscles almost as much as weight lifters, but just in different ways.
Protein needs for endurance athletes (runners, cyclists, etc.) are higher than the average couch potato, but just not quite as high as heavy weight lifters. In fact, the RDA for protein is only 0.8 g/kg of body weight. To figure out your protein needs, take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms (kg). Multiply this by 0.8 grams. For example, a sedentary 150 pound person is 68 kg and needs 54 grams of protein per day.
An endurance athlete, or even a recreational exerciser who does more than 4 hours of aerobic exercise per week, needs 1.2 – 1.4 grams/kg of protein. For that 150 pound person, that would be about 82-95 grams of protein per day.
To get more protein, I made sure that I had a good source of protein at every meal. I didn’t realize it before, but I had a lot of meals that were primarily carbs and not much protein to be found. And I am a dietitian!
Protein was really important for me for two reasons. One was to repair and rebuild the muscles I was abusing with long mileage. The other, though, was because I was
starving all the time! Carbs are used up very quickly (remember, body’s preferred source of energy). Protein takes a little bit longer to digest, so it stays with you longer. I found that when I added more protein to my diet I recovered more quickly from workouts and I also didn’t feel as hungry. I have talked to many marathon runners who actually
gain weight when they train for a marathon because they are so hungry all the time! Snack regularly to keep your metabolism up (don’t go more than 3-4 hours without eating something) and also make sure you are getting enough protein!
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Could You Be Allergic?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
This week is
Food Allergy Awareness Week, so I thought I would spend a few minutes talking about how serious
food allergies can be. This was not an area of specialty for me, but if you have someone close to you with a food allergy, you can become an expert really quickly! I am a Girl Scout leader and one of my girls is allergic to peanuts so my awareness went up quite a bit several years ago when we met.
Only 1% of adults and 3% of children have an actual allergy to food. Children can often outgrow allergies, but adults do not. Many people think they are allergic, but it could be a different reaction that is not actually an allergy. If it is a true allergy, some can be mild and some can be very serious and even lead to death. Common reactions are hives, eczema, or asthma. In severe cases it can cause anaphylaxis, which is a drop in blood pressure that can cause shock to the body and ultimately death. Timing is everything when anaphylaxis is happening, and many people with severe allergies carry an
EpiPen (shot of epinephrine).
8 Most Common food allergens:
Shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crab)
Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
Fish
Eggs
Peanuts
Milk
Soy
Wheat
I think the scariest of these is the peanut allergy. Peanuts even in very, very small amounts can cause a reaction in those highly allergic. Many airlines have actually stopped serving peanuts because of some people having a reaction to the particles released in the air in a confined place. In addition, you may have seen packages that say, “Processed in a plant that manufactures peanuts.” M&M’s are an example of a food that do not contain peanuts in their plain variety, but because Peanut M&M’s are processed in the same facility, someone highly allergic should stay away from even the Plain M&M’s.
The good news for people who suffer from allergies is that
food labels are now mandated by the FDA to list in common language if the food contains any of the eight most common allergens. Instead of saying “whey” which is a protein in milk, the label has to say, “contains milk” somewhere on the label. Usually you can find this info after the ingredient listing.
If you have a friend or family member who has an allergy, make sure that you read labels to see if what you are cooking or serving may unknowingly contain that allergen.
Be safe and read labels to keep everyone else safe, too!
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Fat on the inside?
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Did you see this article that came out last week, Thin people might be fat on the inside?
The basic idea of the article is that even though you may appear thin from the outside, you can have a significant amount of fat deposits on the “inside.” By inside, we mean internal fat cushioning the organs like the heart, liver, pancreas, etc. The researchers scanned people with an MRI machine to show where they were storing fat. Surprisingly, many people who appeared thin had large deposits of fat on the inside of their bodies.
Risk factors for having too much internal fat in this study included:
1. Eating fatty, sugary foods but in quantities low enough to not get a lot of external fat
2. Not exercising enough to work off the high fat and high sugar foods
3. Controlling your weight through diet without exercise
This reminds me of the debate that many medical experts have: Is it better to be Fit and Fat or to be Thin and Unfit? Sounds to me like this research backs up the importance of staying fit even if you are carrying a few extra pounds. Carrying extra fat weight puts us at higher risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. Even if that fat is not visible to the naked eye, according to this article.
Just because you are thin to the eye does not mean you do not have a high body fat percentage. I remember when I was in grad school and had to do a lot of body fat testing using skinfold calipers (you know…those little things that pinch your fat). I would eyeball a person and think I could tell what his or her body fat was going to be. After a while I stopped guessing because I was wrong a lot more than I was right! Once I grabbed the back of their arm to pinch their fat I was shocked at how much fat the people who appeared thin had!
Muscle takes up space on our bodies. If you have a large amount of muscle, you will look bigger to the naked eye. If you have a layer of fat on top of the muscle, you will appear even more fat to the general public because fat is more visible as the layer on top of the muscle. That does NOT mean that you should not do resistance training and gain muscle. Having a lot of muscle is not a risk factor for disease.
Bottom line
You cannot get fit without working out. Doing aerobic exercise will help you to prevent storing fat on the inside as well as the outside of your body. Limit foods high in sugars and fat that are high in calorie density and likely to contribute to exceeding your calorie needs for the day.
PS. Obviously this cat is fat on the outside and I can only imagine that he is fat on the inside, too!
Photo courtesy of Yukari
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Pregnancy "Do's and Don'ts," Part Three
Monday, May 14, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Now that you know not to eat double portions of everything and you have learned to love your body, let’s finish this series with some other helpful hints for what to eat and not eat when you are pregnant.
Do
Cook food to proper temperatureI know this might seem like obvious advice, but food safety is of utmost importance when you are pregnant. Your body has had years to build up it’s immunity to those little bugs like
listeria, e. coli, salmonella, etc. But your baby’s body has essentially very little immunity. The bacteria can pass over to the fetus and cause infections, premature delivery, and miscarriage. When heating leftovers, microwave until steaming hot.
Don’t
Eat raw or unpasteurized meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, or raw eggsComing from a sushi lover, this is easier said than done. Veggie sushi, California rolls made of crabstick, and sushi with shrimp or other cooked fish is fine. Stay away from raw or undercooked tuna and salmon. You may see lists of cheeses like brie, feta, blue, camembert, and queso blanco fresco also on the list of no-no’s. In the US, most cheese is going to be pasteurized. Feta is fine as long as the ingredient label says it is pasteurized. I would stay away from the moldy cheeses like blue (roquefort) and gorgonzola.
Eggs also need to be cooked well—no more sunny side up or over easy. Order them scrambled well or over hard. Be aware of raw eggs in things like mousse or cookie dough. Now I am really getting mean—no raw cookie dough!
DoRefrigerate promptly and make sure your fridge is at 40 degrees or less.Buy a thermometer for your fridge to make sure it is at the proper temperature. Take food out off the fridge and eat it as soon after as possible. If you have
leftovers from a restaurant, get them home and refrigerated within 2 hours of the meal or just throw them away.
Don’t
Let perishable food sit out on the counter for more than 2 hours.
When you make the lasagna, serve and eat. Get the leftovers in the fridge as soon as possible. Don’t eat pizza that has been sitting out for several hours. Anytime
perishable food sits out at room temperature it is breeding tons of little bacteria just waiting to attack your stomach.
Do
Eat fishes high in omega three fatty acids
Your baby’s brain will thank you for the DHA and EPA in fishes. They are essential to brain growth and development. Stick to fishes like salmon, trout, and herring. Tuna is also a good choice, but read the next statement for the limits. If you don’t like fish, you can eat ground flax seeds or take a fish oil supplement (make sure it is from low mercury fishes). Another option is to eat certain brands of
eggs high in omega-3's.
Don’t
Eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefishAll four of these fishes are highest in
mercury. Mercury can stay and build up in your bloodstream for many months, so even watching mercury content of fish pre-pregnancy is smart. If you like tuna, you can safely consume 6 oz of “white,” or albacore, tuna per week or 12 oz of “light” tuna per week while you are pregnant.
I have so many other tips for pregnancy, but I think these three posts will do it for now. Let me know if you have any other questions and I will be happy to answer or create a whole new post on your topic.
Labels: fish, food safety, mercury, pregnancy, Tara Gidus
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Pregnancy "Do's and Don'ts," Part Two
Friday, May 11, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Yesterday I talked about how much to eat, what to eat, and the importance of supplements in
Pregnancy Do's and Don’ts Part One. Today I will go in a different direction with what I have learned during pregnancy. This may be the most important lesson I have learned.
Do
Love Your BodyI have worked hard throughout my life to stay in shape. I eat a balanced diet (with room for chocolate). I have run 7 marathons in less than 4 years. Pregnancy was very new and foreign to me and I was worried about what would happen to my body when I got pregnant. Would I get “fat?” Would people be looking at me because I am a dietitian to see if I gained the right amount of weight and not an ounce too much? Would I feel sluggish and “big?” Would my face get puffy? Would I look the same from behind as I used to? As women, we tend to obsess a little bit too much over these sorts of thoughts. Here is the truth: my body has changed. A lot. But I love it! I have unsightly varicose and spider veins, swelling ankles, and a little bit more padding in quite a few different areas. However, instead of feeling embarrassed or defeated, I look at my body as an incredible vehicle to bring a new life into this world. The most important thing to me is not fitting into a certain size jeans. I feel blessed in my new role as expectant mother, but more importantly I feel a responsibility to treat my body with utmost care to house and grow this child for 9 months. If my body has to change to create a new life, that is a small price to pay.
Don’t Obsess over every stretch mark
Keep yourself active through moderate exercise most days of the week. Eat a variety of healthy foods and satisfy your appetite. Your body is going to change and hopefully your attitude toward your body will change along with it! Your body needs to stretch to fit a new life inside and your mind needs to stretch to embrace that new life. Even if those stretch marks and varicose veins stay with you long after pregnancy, look at them with pride at what your body was able to accomplish. It is a true miracle every time a child is born. Your body was made to bend, stretch, and even waddle while carrying a child. Embrace it!
Since I went on so long in this blog, I will need to add another
Part 3 to my advice for expectant mothers. For Mother’s Day this weekend, give yourself the gift of body love. Ladies, embrace the changes. Guys, tell your gorgeous expectant lady how incredible she looks and how every day of her pregnancy she has gotten more beautiful.
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Pregnancy "Do's and Don'ts" Part One
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Today is the start of my 34th week of pregnancy! I am starting to get ready, nesting a little bit, and also dealing with some anxiety! I have learned a thing or two about
nutrition for pregnancy that I didn’t know before, so here are some tips broken down in a simple “do's and don’ts” format.
DO
Eat for 1.15You only need 300 more calories per day. It comes out to about 1.15 times more than your normal diet, depending on how much you were eating before. This is like having a few more
bites at each meal. It doesn’t take much! That being said, I know that I was extremely hungry during my second trimester but now that I am winding down and much bigger, I am not as hungry and get full very quickly. Follow your appetite. Some days you will eat less than normal and some days it will be much more. You may eat the same as pre-pregnancy your first trimester, a lot more your second, and a varied amount during your third.
DON’T
Eat for 2People will try to force food on you and affectionately say, “You can have it…you are eating for two!” Your friends and family mean well, and they are probably even jealous of the fact that you can eat more than you used to! Just remember, don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to gorge or to “get fat.” Any excess weight you gain while you are pregnant will have to come off or be accepted once that little one enters the world. Studies show that women who gain 30 pounds vs 80 pounds during pregnancy do not have significantly different birth weights of their babies.
DO
Make calories countYour baby does not need extra sugar but rather vitamins, minerals, proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats, etc. Aim for 25 grams of protein more than pre-pregnancy and the rest of the calories can come from carbs and healthy fats.
DON’T
“Junk out”
Even if you don’t eat too many calories, what you choose could be low in nutritional value and is not contributing to the health of the baby. Think, "Does my baby need this chocolate candy bar or would a chocolate pudding made with real milk be a better choice?"
DO
Take your prenatal vitaminIf you suspect your prenatal vitamin is making you sick, at least take a regular multivitamin and an extra 400 mcg. of folic acid. If you have trouble remembering to take it, place it out somewhere obvious. Have it in sight next to something you do routinely every day like your toothbrush, keys, or purse. Also, I learned to take my prenatal vitamin with food in the evening and I didn't feel sick from it.
DON’TTake other supplements or herbals without your doctor's blessingYou may think what you are taking is perfectly harmless, but you may not know of a little known side effect on your baby. Check with your doctor before taking even an extra iron pill!
I will have more tips on how to eat when pregnant tomorrow!
Photo of Tara at 31 weeks pregnant
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Night Noshing
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Do you wish you could sleep like Sleeping Beauty? Instead, do you wake up often throughout the night and the only thing that will get you back to sleep is a visit to Ben and Jerry?
How often do you eat in the middle of the night? I am not talking about eating chips while you are on the couch watching
Idol, but rather it is more like you get out of bed at 2 AM to eat. There is actually a name for this called
Night Eating Syndrome (NES). NES is diagnosed when someone eats at night, is fully aware of eating, and might not be able to get back to sleep unless he or she eats.
Another disorder called
Nocturnal Sleep-Related Eating Disorder (NS-RED) happens when someone is unconscious, or sleepwalking. A person gets out of bed in the middle of the night and eats and doesn’t know they did it until the next day when they see the empty wrappers or ice cream tub in the sink. Talk about not enjoying your ice cream! You don't even remember eating it!
Both of these disorders are considered to be
eating disorders as well as
sleep disorders. It happens to men and women and affects about 1-3% of the population.
Researchers are working on finding causes, but preliminary research finds the following risk factors:
- Not eating breakfast
- Depression
- High levels of stress
- Skipping lunch
- Alcohol abuse
- Disturbed circadian rhythms of food intake
What can you do if you have NES or NS-RED?
Seek professional help from a doctor as well as
Registered Dietitian. Your doctor may order a sleep study to see if your sleeping circadian rhythms are disturbed or if it just your food rhythms affected. Research also shows that prescription antidepressants have been highly effective in treating both syndromes. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of an antidepressant.
Modify your diet1. Don't skip meals (eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day)
2. Add strategically placed snacks between meals
3. Avoid all caffeine
4. Avoid all alcohol
Happy slumbers!
Photo courtesy of caseywestLabels: sleep, Tara Gidus
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Losing our Marbles?
Monday, May 07, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
I read an interesting
article today in the newspaper on brain development and memory decline as we age. The article states:
“During your 30s, the blood flow to your brain begins to decrease, making it more challenging to remember events or details as well or as quickly. Despite the decline in mental abilities, your intellect remains the same, as does your ability to grow intellectually and emotionally.”
I am very happy to hear that researchers have determined that our intellect remains the same but we just need to get the blood flowing! How do we get the blood flowing? You guessed it…..diet and exercise!
Here are some powerful brain foods:
1. Omega-3 fatty acids (think salmon, sardines, herring, tuna, flax seeds,
certain eggs)
Why? Foods high in omega-3’s have DHA which is important for brain function and development. Egg yolk also has choline which has been shown to help improve memory and may decrease senility as you age.
2. Folic acid (think asparagus, legumes, oranges, spinach)
Why? Studies have shown that folic acid helps people think more clearly and remember certain events. It has also been linked to reducing risk of heart disease.
3. Antioxidants (think blueberries, chocolate, legumes, whole grains, green vegetables, etc)
Why? Antioxidants kill off free radicals which attack the cells and lead to disease and possible memory loss by protecting your brain cells.
4. Tea (think green or black)
Why? Tea is also high in antioxidants and a certain kind of phytochemical called polyphenols. Studies have specifically linked drinking green tea to decreases in brain cognition as we age, but black tea has a lot of emerging science for memory as well.
Another reason to exercise
Exercise also helps with memory and loss of brain function by improving circulation. Improved circulation leads to increased blood flow to all tissues, including the brain!
Last word
I know I need all the help I can get to keep my brain sharp as I age. This is motivation enough for me to really examine my daily routine of the choices of foods going into my body. It also motivates me to get out of bed and get moving in the morning! Hopefully you feel the same and we will all be doing Sudoko when we are in our 90's!
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Pumped Up Soft Drinks
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Americans are getting the most calories from soft drinks than from any other source. An
article by the Center for Science in the Public Interest says Americans drink more than 50 gallons of soft drinks per year. For the first time in decades, soft drink consumption was down in the United States in 2004. Soft drink companies are encouraging their research and development teams to come up with new and innovative products to try to turn this trend around.
The Coca Cola company has just launched a new product,
Diet Coke Plus. Basically it is Diet Coke with added vitamins and minerals. It has added niacin, B6, B12, zinc, and magnesium. PepsiCo has announced that it will have a similar product, Tava, ready to launch in the fall of 2007. It is said to have added niacin, B6, Vitamin E, and chromium. Dr. Pepper/Seven Up, Inc. came out with their
7 Up Plus product back in 2004. It has 5% fruit juice and calcium.
Are these beverages good for you? All of the beverages listed above are diet, so they are not contributing a significant amount of calories to the diet. I do not have a problem with drinking diet soft drinks in moderation. If you have one or two per day, it is not a big deal. If you start drinking 10 cans of diet soda per day, that is a lot. However, no medical evidence to date shows that it is harmful to your body to drink diet soft drinks. Non-nutritive sweeteners have been highly studied and approved for consumption.
These new drinks are being touted as “healthy” soft drinks because of the added vitamins and minerals. The American diet as a whole is not deficient in niacin, Vitamins B6, B12, or E. Zinc, magnesium, and chromium are also abundant in our food supply and in our diets. Calcium intake is low for many people, and if you are going to drink a diet soft drink anyway, drinking one with added calcium may not be a bad idea. That brings me to another point. It is a myth that soft drinks leach calcium from your bones. The plain and simple truth is that in the past 30 years
milk consumption has gone down and soft drink consumption has gone up. People are getting less calcium and replacing it with soft drinks. You can easily get your calcium from 2-4 servings of milk, yogurt, cheese, or calcium fortified food products each day.
Chromium has been touted in some arenas as being a weight loss supplement, claiming to burn fat and increase metabolism. The studies to this point have been inconclusive and have not shown this effect.
Bottom line
If you are going to drink an occasional diet soft drink anyway, these soft drinks with added vitamins and minerals will not hurt you. There are not enough nutrients added to be harmful. However, if you are eating a well-balanced diet, you do not need the extra vitamins and minerals they are adding. Eat whole grains, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy for a well balanced diet. Drink water for hydration.
Labels: soft drinks, Tara Gidus, vitamins
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Spring Cleaning Part Three: The Pantry
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Now that you have the fridge and freezer cleaned out, you can start getting to work on the pantry. The pantry doesn’t have as many food safety or even quality issues, but most people’s pantries are a mess, so I thought I would include it! :)
Temperature
Keep your pantry at a cool temperature, at least under 85 degrees. You may think this is a no brainer, but pay attention to details. I have lights that are under the cabinets in my kitchen and the shelves above these lights get really hot! I have learned not to store food but rather dishes in these cabinets. I keep my food in a separate place that has better temperature regulation. You may have food stored in a cabinet close to the stove or the refrigerator’s heat unit. Think about moving that food to a different spot if it gets too hot.
Refrigerate after opening
Pay attention to labels of food. Things like soy sauce, catsup, barbecue sauce, pickles, soy milk, canned ham, etc. all needs to be refrigerated after opening. Some people keep peanut butter in their fridge, but it is not necessary and makes it hard to spread!
Cans
Do not use cans that are leaking, buldging, badly dented, or with loose lids
Do not taste something in a can that you suspect may have gone bad
Low acid cans (most foods) last 2-5 years
High acid cans (tomatoes, fruit, sauerkraut) last only 12-18 months
Flour and spices
Flour, sugar, and spices have a fairly long shelf life if kept tightly closed. If you notice bugs in your flour, throw it out! This can happen! You can store flour in a tightly wrapped plastic bag in the freezer, but get it to room temperature before you use it for best results. Whole wheat flour should always be kept in the freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid. Spices lose their flavor quickly if they are exposed to heat (stored near stove) or sunlight.
Baking powder and soda
Baking soda is both alkaline and acid, so it is a chemical reaction waiting to happen. Keep it cool and dry otherwise when you go to use it, your cake may not rise properly. Don’t keep baking powder more than 6-12 months or baking soda longer than 18 months for best quality.
This wraps up the spring cleaning set of blogs. Let me leave you with two more things:
1. Tip: Write the date on cans and other packages when you bring them home from the grocery store so you always know how long something has been lurking in your pantry, fridge, or freezer.
2. When in doubt, throw it out! Your health is more important than trying to “use up” something that has been sitting around way too long.
Photo courtesy of Irish TypepadLabels: Tara Gidus
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Spring Cleaning Part Two: The Freezer
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Tara Gidus, MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N
Now that you cleaned out your refrigerator, let’s work on the freezer. I think the freezer is also a highly neglected area of the kitchen. We tend to stuff food in there, never to be thought about again for months or years!
Freezer Burn
Freezer burn is simply drying out of the food. It usually happens because something was improperly wrapped and moisture has escaped. Water particles are literally moving from the piece of food to the side of the freezer, oxygen comes in, and the food turns white and very dry. It is not necessarily bad for you to eat freezer burned food, but the quality definitely goes down. To prevent freezer burn, make sure your food is wrapped tightly. I think the freezer grade plastic bags work well. Try to get all air out of it when you are ready to store it.
Bacteria Growth
One important thing to remember is that, just like the fridge, bacteria is not killed in the freezer. The growth of bacteria is halted while it is in that temperature, but not killed. Do not thaw foods on the counter because as soon as the food gets to higher than 40 degrees, that bacteria comes out of hibernation and starts multiplying! Proper thawing is essential! Thaw in cold water in the sink, in the fridge, or on the thaw setting on your microwave only!
Refreezing
Also, do not refreeze raw meats. Once a meat has been thawed, it needs to be cooked within 24 hours. You can refreeze it once it has been cooked, but not if it has been thawed and is still in the raw state.
Timing
Rule of thumb: Nothing should stay in your freezer longer than one year! I know your grandma used to keep things for 10 years, but I am telling you that quality and safety is severely compromised! Make sure you date packages when you put them in the freezer so you know how long it has been there.
Here are some common freezer foods and their shelf life:
- Steaks, raw: 6-12 months
- Ground Meat, raw: 4 months
- Poultry,whole: 12 months
- Poultry, pieces (breast): 9 months
- Meats, cooked: 4 months
- Ham, cured: 4 months
- Ham, sliced, cooked: 1-2 months
- Sausage: 1-2 months
- Shrimp: 12 months
- Fish, raw: 6 months
- Vegetables: 10-12 months
- Grapes: 1 month
- Cheese: 6 months
- Bread products: 2 months
- Egg substitute: 12 months
Have some frozen foods for dinner tonight!
Image courtesy of chippenziedeutch
Labels: food safety, freezer, Tara Gidus
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