Scary Spinach

When I was a kid, my favorite foods were grapefruit and spinach. I guess I was born to be a dietitian, huh? My dad and I used to plant four rows of spinach in the garden every summer. I would go out and clip a whole big bowl full and bring it inside, wash it, and microwave it for a minute to wilt it and eat the entire thing. I love spinach salads, spanakopita (Greek spinach pie), spinach and feta omelets, palak paneer (Indian dish), spinach dip, spinach lasagna, and just about anything else I can put spinach into.

You can imagine my disappointment when I hear about spinach leaving our shelves. Spinach recalls are once again creating all kinds of hysteria around the country. I guess it is well founded—it is scary to think about getting sick and it is ironic that it can happen from one of the nutritional powerhouse foods!

Spinach has been recalled because of contamination of E. Coli and Salmonella. Both of these are microscopic bacteria, and therefore you cannot “see” whether the spinach looks bad or harmful. Both can also make you sick—fever, diarrhea, vomiting are the most common symptoms of contamination.

The source

Spinach is grown in fields--fields irrigated with water that is collected near farms that have animals. Many crops are also fertilized with manure. Animal waste can easily contain salmonella, E. coli, and other bacteria that can be very harmful when ingested by humans.

Does this mean you should avoid all spinach or leafy greens? Absolutely not! When you think about the amount of spinach in our food supply and the small number of people who get sick, it is riskier getting in your car and driving to the grocery store to pick up that spinach. People at highest risk of getting sick are children, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Those people may want to avoid it for now. But everyone else is fine to eat spinach, but see below for prevention guidelines.

Prevention

The best way to prevent any food borne illness is to wash your produce! You don’t need soap, but you do need water and your hands. Manual handling of produce is actually the best way to get rid of bacteria. Use your hands to rinse all produce, not just spinach. Even if the bag says that it was already washed, wash it again. You cannot be too cautious when it comes to food safety.

Benefits of spinach

Spinach is loaded in:

• Vit C
• Iron
• Folic Acid
• Beta Carotene
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin
• Some calcium, magnesium, zinc, and fiber

Photo of spinach courtesy of reivax

Labels: food safety, Tara Gidus

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F as in Fat

The fourth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) came out today. The stats are not good. No states decreased in obesity rates from last year, and there was a rise in obesity rates in 31 states. The South is especially looking bad. The reports shows that 8 of the 10 states with highest overweight stats for children as well as 10 of the 15 states with the highest rates of adult obesity are located in the South.

Here are some interesting observations from this report:

• 85% of Americans believe that obesity is an epidemic.
• Jeff Levi, PhD, Executive Director of TFAH, says, “Poor nutrition and physical inactivity are robbing America of our healthy and productivity.”
• 21% of American adults report they do not engage in any physical activity. Mississippi, the state with the highest rate of obesity, also has the highest rate of inactivity.
• Every state has school PE requirements, but many are limited in scope for not enforced.
• More than 2/3 of Americans believe children do not participate in adequate amounts of physical activity during the school day or outside of school. More than 70% of Americans rated proposals to increase PE in schools as very useful.
• 60% of Americans favor a proposal to measure students’ Body Mass Index (BMI) annually and confidentially provide this information to parents.
• 81% of Americans believe that the government should have a role in addressing the obesity crisis.

My thoughts

Adults are getting heavier in this country. It is an epidemic and each year the statistics keep getting worse. But the saddest news is that now we are seeing that our children are also greatly affected by our poor habits and examples. They are becoming overweight and obese at alarming rates—childhood obesity has tripled in the past 20 years. People seem to be getting the message that we are getting fatter, but yet the stats show that we continue to get fatter. We need public health policies to help us, especially when it comes to setting policies in our schools around nutrition and physical activity. We need employers to offer incentives to get people to lose weight, quit smoking, and adopt healthier lifestyles. And most of all, we need to be an example to our children. If you won’t do it for yourself, please do it for your children. The generation of children we are raising has a shorter life expectancy than we do because of health consequences associated with obesity. Help your children (and grandchildren). Show them what it means to eat smaller portions and to choose lower calorie foods (and like them!). Show them how enjoyable it can be to move your body. Get them involved in sports and go out there and do it with them. With some effort and good role modeling we may be able to halt the childhood obesity epidemic and maybe even reverse it!

Photo courtesy of Trust for America's Health (TFAH)

Labels: obesity, overweight. childhood obesity, Tara Gidus

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A Few Less Bites

Could you leave these two bites of sandwich behind?

My best friend in college was one of those people who hardly ever finished her plate. She was a cute, petite, blonde, blue-eyed girl (still is!) and she just naturally would stop when she had enough to eat. Because she eat smaller portions she was hungry more frequently. People would sometimes comment on how they saw her eating so often but she was able to maintain her petite figure and they couldn’t figure out how.

In our society, we are constantly faced with large portions. We are also constantly faced with food everywhere we turn—every party, reception, sporting event, and even a lot of business meetings. We eat when we aren’t hungry just because we see or smell food. We have lost our natural in-born ability to stop when we are satisfied and we often eat to fullness or even over-fullness.

The difference for me between being satisfied, full, and over-full is a matter of a few bites. We had pizza the other night and I always have the dilemma of whether I should have one last piece. I love pizza, it is one of my favorite foods. When I am faced with a good pizza it is hard for me to say no, especially when there is just one piece left and it is not as good the next day. That extra piece of pizza crosses me over from being satisfied to feeling over-full.

If you are struggling with weight loss, or simply want to prevent gaining weight, here is a solution. I know many people are sick of “diets” and reading the latest diet book or getting confused counting their calories, carbs, fat, etc. So let’s keep it simple.

Eat a few less bites. Don’t worry about what it is you are eating, simply eat less of it.

Your next meal, leave a few bites behind. I know your mom told you to clean your plate, but really, where is the food going to go if you eat it all when the excess is going to make you over-full? I will give you a hint…it is not going to starving children in any third world country. It is only depositing itself in an unattractive manner to soften your stomach, doubling that chin, or worse yet, adding thunder to those thighs. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it is true.

Bottom line

Eat to satisfaction instead of fullness, and very rarely (if ever) eat to over-fullness. You will have more energy. You will feel better about yourself. And, most importantly, you may even lose weight!

Photo of bite of sandwich courtesy of jeffreywithtwof's

Labels: maintaining weight loss, portion control, Tara Gidus

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Fuel During Exercise

I recently did a blog post on what to eat before exercise and what to eat after exercise. That brings me to the next question…what should I have, if anything, during exercise?

The rule of thumb that I live by is that if you are doing less than 60 minutes of cardio (or weights for that matter) you do not need anything but water to hydrate. You do not need a sports drink with sugar for that short duration of exercise. If you do like the taste of a sports drink and you want to drink it even though you are doing less than 60 minutes, that is fine and you may even get a little bit better performance from it. However, if you are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain and are relying on burning those calories in your session of exercise, you do not need to drink them right back on with a sports drink!

You do need water, so drink 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during exercise. If you choose to drink a sports drink, that will hydrate you and counts as your water (you don't need 8 ounces of both, but you could do a little of each if you want).

That being said….there are occasions when you may need something with sugar, or calories, to keep you going. Again, the rule of thumb is if you are going an hour or more, then you will need some sugar to get you to the finish.

What should you eat/drink?

You want high glycemic index carbs during exercise. High GI carbs will be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream so you can use them right away. Examples: Sports drinks, sports gels, jelly beans, gummy candy, pretzels, bananas, diluted juice, honey sticks, etc. I personally stick with sports drinks and gels because they are easy, fairly tasty, and convenient. I can tuck a gel into my shorts or plant some sports drink on my route.

How much do you need?

You need about 30-60 grams of carb per hour of endurance cardiovascular exercise. Read labels of the particular brand you are using, but most sports drinks have about 15 grams per 8 fl oz (1 cup) serving.

Just because you don’t need it if you do less than one hour of exercise doesn’t mean that you should start at one hour into exercise to get sugar. If you are going for a long endurance session, start at 15-20 minutes into it with the sugar containing fluids or foods so that you don’t crash when you get to one hour. Continue all the way through and after your exercise is finished.

Things to consider:

1. When you are exercising, your body is finicky with what it will accept. Gastrointestinal (GI) upset (aka diarrhea) is very common among athletes if they eat the wrong things (even if they eat the right things!)
2. Sports drinks are formulated with the exact percentage of carbohydrate that is absorbed properly with minimal GI upset. If you drink full strength juice instead of sports drink, you may experience serious cramping and diarrhea.
3. If you choose to use gels or jelly beans or candy, make sure you drink water with it to help with absorption and to dilute the amount of sugar coming in.

Photo courtesy of istockphoto

Labels: exercise, sports nutrition, Tara Gidus

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Thank You Med-Source Back To School Grand Rounds

Thank you to Med-Source for publishing my Avoiding the Freshman 15 blog for this week's Grand Rounds 3.48 Back To School edition! To read more medical blogs on Back To School, click here.

Labels: college, Grand Rounds, Tara Gidus, weight loss

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Back to School May Trigger Eating Disorder

It is back to school time! My last post was about how to prevent gaining the “Freshman 15” when you start college, but there is another serious problem that happens to many other adolescents and young adults, with college being the most common time for it to strike. Here is my story.

I went to school out of state (I went to Purdue University and grew up in Wisconsin). I only knew one other person from my class going to Purdue, so I was worried about making new friends. Oh yeah, and then there was the concern of studying and getting good grades. These things were all on my mind, but of most concern to me honestly was gaining the Freshman 15. I had heard about it and saw how all the girls in the class above me were scrutinized when they came home for holidays and breaks to see if they had put on the dreaded pounds.

Of course, not everyone gains weight when they go to college. For many women, the pressure not to gain weight is overwhelming. Life is out of control with everything being new—new friends, new place to live, new classes, new everything! When life is out of control, many women (and some men) try to control the only things they do have control over--what they eat and how much they exercise. This can easily lead to an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In fact, it is estimated that at least 10% of college women suffer from an eating disorder.

I did not gain any weight my freshman year, and in fact, I lost weight and fell into this trap of trying to control my external environment through controlling my what I ate and my exercise. I lived right across from the gym, and I quickly became the step aerobics queen and would often run or do stairmaster before or after an aerobics class. I became a vegetarian and restricted my food.

Luckily, my parents noticed right away what was happening and got me help fairly quickly. Eating disorders are very serious, and someone who falls trap to one lives with it the rest of their life. An eating disorder has very little to do with food, but is a psychological illness. If you suspect an eating disorder in anyone you love, approach them with compassion and love (not accusing). Wrap your arms around them to get them help.

Here are just a few of the signs and symptoms that someone you love may be falling into the trap of an eating disorder:

• Withdrawal from normal activities
• Intense fear of gaining weight or being fat
• Acting hyperactive, depressed, moody, or insecure
• Abnormal significant weight loss or weight gain in a short amount of time
• Eating tiny portions, refusing to eat, or denying hunger
• Exercising excessively or compulsively
• Bingeing and purging
• Secretive eating or hiding food
• Disappearing after eating, often to the bathroom
• Feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty about eating or overeating
• Distorted Body Image
  

To learn more about Anorexia, Bulimia, or Binge Eating Disorder, check out these links:

National Eating Disorders Association

10 Things Parents Can Do to Prevent an Eating Disorder

Mirror Mirror

Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center

ANRED - Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc.

National Institutes of Health: Facts About Eating Disorders

Labels: college, eating disorder, Tara Gidus

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Freshman 15

One of my best friends just sent her son to college last weekend and it reminded me of my freshman year. I can’t believe it was 15 years ago that I went off to Purdue University as a freshman--how time has flown!

Going away to college is probably one of the most exciting yet unpredictable life events. You are going out on your own for the first time and have a freedom you have not known before. Many people gain weight their freshman year due to late night pizza while studying, unlimited buffets in the dorm cafeteria, dessert available at every meal, an ice cream machine in the dining room, and of course an increase in alcohol calories (not everyone, but for many college freshman). Many teens were active in sports in high school but then go to college and their exercise dwindles. All of these factors result in the dreaded “Freshman 15” pound weight gain.

If you are heading out to college this fall, here are tips to avoid the “Freshman 15”:

1. Eat nutritious foods and don’t “junk out.” It is easy to find yourself snacking while studying, drinking coffee drinks or soft drinks full of sugar to stay awake, or giving in to late night cravings. Have nutritious foods like yogurt, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers and low fat cheese, nuts, and cereal on hand for healthier, lower calorie snacks and meals.
2. Pay attention to portions. If your cafeteria has an all you can eat set-up you can end up with much more food on your plate than you are used to getting at the dinner table at home. Take small amounts and only go back for seconds if you are truly still hungry.
3. As Mom always said, eat your vegetables! They are low in calories and will provide you with lots of disease fighting phytonutrients and vitamins and minerals for brain power.
4. Plan study breaks that include movement. Aim for a break every hour to hour and a half. Go for a walk around the block, go up and down the stairs a few times, do some yoga or stretching, or just do some jumping jacks in your room!
5. Exercise daily. Go to the gym and work out for at least 30 minutes every day. If you don’t think you have the time, remember that you will be more efficient studying and won’t need the caffeine if you have more energy. Exercise is a natural energy booster! Start right away with the exercise so it becomes routine.
   

Photo of Purdue Pete courtesy of ckroberts61
Photo of Purdue University emblem courtesy of The Udall Legacy Bus

Labels: college, Tara Gidus, weight gain

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Post Exercise Fuel

My last post was on what to eat before a workout, and now I will talk about what to eat after a workout.

When you are exercising, you are tearing muscles and depleting your glycogen stores. So it makes sense that we need fuel to address both of these things. I recommend high glycemic index (GI) carbs following exercise so that you can get glucose into your muscles to replenish glycogen as soon as possible. A small amount of protein is also beneficial to start repairing and rebuilding the muscles you used and abused during the workout.

Timing is important after exercise to recover most quickly and efficiently. It is best to get something to eat within 30 minutes of finishing your exercise. If you are going to be eating your next meal within an hour or two, then a small snack of 150-200 calories is fine followed by that next meal. If your meal will be sooner, then just use the meal to refuel. If it was an especially hard or long workout, have some sports drink as you are finishing your exercise to start replenishing glycogen until you can get some food.

Of course, make sure you are hydrating as well as eating! Some people like to do double purpose and have a sports drink that contains protein as a recovery drink. These products are fine, but I personally don’t like the taste enough to drink them. I would rather either eat a nutrition bar (with carbs and a little protein) or have my next meal of “real food.”

Here are some ideas for post exercise snacks or meals:

• Bagel (or English muffin, toast) with cheese or peanut butter
• Fruit juice with a cheese stick
• Dried fruit and nuts (make your own trail mix)
• Cottage cheese with fruit
• Yogurt with fruit
• Turkey, ham, or roast beef sandwich
• Chocolate milk
• Cereal with milk
• Crackers with low fat cheese
• Rice or popcorn cakes with Nutella (or any nut butter)
  
• Nutrition bar (at least 5 grams protein and 15 grams carb as a snack size, more if it is meal size)
• Nutrition shake (like Slimfast or EAS AdvantEDGE)
• Eggs and toast
• Veggie omelet with toast
• Pancakes and eggs (can you tell I workout in the morning and eat breakfast foods post workout a lot?)
• Smoothie (make sure it is made with milk or yogurt or has a scoop of protein powder)
• Your next meal: Any lean protein (lean beef, chicken, pork, fish, veggie burger, egg) with any starch (rice, potatoes, pasta, bread) and some vegetables

A few things to remember:

1. If you are the type of person that is not hungry after working out, at least eat something small within 30 minutes. If you don't want anything solid, have a sports drink, milk, or nutrition shake.
2. You need 16 ounces of water for every pound you lost during exercise. I recommend drinking at least 16-20 ounces of water after every exercise session. Drink more if you are a heavy sweater or it was a long workout.
3. The sooner you eat something after exercise, the quicker you will recover. It may even prevent you from getting sore after a hard workout!
4. Carbs are just as important as protein post workout. Many people think you only need protein to rebuild muscle, but your body will break down that protein to replenish glycogen if you don't eat some carbs and then you won't have any protein left to repair your muscles!

Photo courtesy of istockphoto

Labels: exercise, sports nutrition, Tara Gidus

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Pre Exercise Fuel

I had a request from a Diet Dish reader to give advice on what to eat before a workout and what to eat after a workout. Today I will talk about pre workout and tomorrow I will post about post workout.

The main goal for eating something before a workout is to get energy for the workout. Since carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy, a meal or snack fairly high in carbohydrate makes sense. You can either have all carb, or a mix of mostly carb with some fat and/or protein along with it. The type of carbohydrate can make a difference, especially for a competitive athlete or someone trying to improve performance. For the everyday exerciser, the most important thing is just having something 30 minutes up to 2 hours before exercise (or right before if you can stomach it). If you are not competitive, what you eat isn’t as important as the fact that you are eating it. That being said, let’s look at what is optimal.

You want to go for something that is low to moderate in glycemic index (GI). You want something low to moderate so that you get sustained energy from it. A high glycemic food can come and go from the bloodstream too quickly and may even be gone before you start your exercise!

Examples of Low and Moderate GI pre workout snacks:

• Most fresh fruit (apple, orange, pear, nectarine, plum). Grapes and bananas are slightly higher but also a good choice
• Nuts
• Trail mix of nuts and dried fruit
• Oatmeal
• Cereal with greater than 3 grams of fiber (Wheaties, Total, Cheerios, Kashi, etc.)
• Milk
• Most nutrition bars (look for at least 5 grams of protein and 15 grams of carb)
• Yogurt
• Veggies and hummus
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• Hard boiled egg
• Whole grain crackers and cheese
• Tomato or vegetable juice
• Whole grain English muffin or toast and peanut butter or cheese
• Half sandwich (ie bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato)
• Whole grain fig cookies

A few things to consider

1. Make sure that what you eat sits well in your stomach. You do not want to be “tasting” your meal or snack the entire workout
2. Hydrate well with water before, during, and after exercise. Aim to get 16 ounces of water 1-2 hours before exercise of any type
3. It doesn’t matter if you are doing cardio or weights, the important part of a pre exercise meal is getting glucose to the muscles
4. You can eat something 2 hours before exercise or right before, depending on the quantity and how comfortable you are digesting the food

Labels: exercise, sports nutrition, Tara Gidus

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Sudden Changes Ground Rounds

Thank you to Christian Bachmann of Med Journal Watch for publishing my Pregnancy Do's and Don'ts in Grand Rounds 3:47 on Sudden Changes. Grand Rounds is a compilation of the best of medical-oriented blogs and this time the theme is change. There are 41 different blog entrys highlighted. Check it out and enjoy some new blogs!

Labels: Grand Rounds, pregnancy, Tara Gidus

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Healthy Dining Out

Eating out is so much more common now than it was when I was growing up. We were lucky if we got to go to McDonald’s after church a couple times per month, and that was about the extent of our eating out. Now, according to the National Restaurant Association, Americans eat out an average of four to five times per week. Back in the day, eating out was a treat and an indulgence. You could get the creamy or the fried or the dessert every time you went out because it was only a few times per month. But when you are eating out five or more times per week, you cannot indulge every time you go out or your waistline will pay for it!

A poll found that 2/3 of dieters said they stick to their diets even when eating out. They are able to find or create healthy options without overindulging. How do they find those options? It isn’t easy, but the good news is that there are resources available.

Here is one resource for you. Check out www.healthydiningfinder.com The National Restaurant Association (NRA) supports the site and encourages it's members to participate. The site was created with partial funding from the Centers for Disease Prevention (CDC)

This website is free and it gives detailed nutrition information on featured menu items that fit their nutrition criteria. You may find the nutrition info for dishes on this website that you cannot even find at the restaurant’s own website! In addition, the website offers tips on how to make the dish even healthier with the “Special Request” advice.

Some of Healthy Dining Finder nutrition criteria:
Entrees less than 750 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 8 grams of saturated fat
Appetizers, side dishes, desserts less than 250 calories, 8 grams fat, 3 grams saturated fat

Hopefully we will see more and more restaurants offering selections that fit the criteria so that we can all make tasty, healthy choices when eating out!
Photo courtesy of extravigator

Labels: dining out, restaurant, Tara Gidus

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Working the Graveyard Shift

I had a question recently from a Diet Dish reader asking about working the graveyard shift and how to eat with those hours. Talk about a nutritional nightmare! I have had a few clients in the past who work the night shift, and all of them struggled with figuring out what to eat and when to eat it. Most of them would not eat during their shift and then eat “breakfast” when they got off of their shift in the morning before going to bed. It always puzzled me as to why they felt they needed to eat breakfast foods at 7 AM even though they had been up for the past 14 hours and it was past dinner time for them.

Here is my advice for someone working the night shift:

1. Eat when you are awake. Don’t look at the clock the same as you did when you were keeping normal hours. You need to rearrange your eating times to fit your working and sleeping schedule, not the rest of the world’s schedule who are working first shift.
2. Eat within one hour of getting up. This is your breakfast. If you sleep from 9 AM to 4 PM, eat your breakfast at 5 PM. Even though that is dinnertime for other people, it is breakfast for you.
3. Eat small amounts every 3-4 hours. Eat a snack 3 hours after your breakfast and lunch 2 hours after that. Eat another snack 3 hours after lunch and then dinner a few hours after that. Large meals and eating lots of sugar or fat can make us feel sleepy. Keep your meals small and frequent instead of large and spaced far apart.
4. Don’t eat a big meal when you get off work right before you go to bed. Eating a small snack before bed is fine, but don’t eat a large meal.
5. Bring healthy snacks with you so you don’t rely on the vending machine or scrounge around for leftover junk food lying around.
6. Don’t load up on caffeine. I know it is not natural for your body to be up the entire night and caffeine can save you from falling asleep on the job. However, the caffeine can easily throw off your sleeping schedule and soon you will be getting no sleep. It is hard enough to sleep in the middle of the day, but leftover caffeine in your system can make it near to possible.
7. Get energy from movement! Instead of that caffeine, get up and move when you feel sleepy. Go for a walk, do a couple of flights of stairs, do some jumping jacks, do anything that will get you moving. Movement will give you more energy and make you feel more awake than any caffeine will.

I hope these tips help you to stay awake and alert!

Photo courtesy of *BGP*

Labels: night shift, Tara Gidus

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Eating Amnesia

How good is your memory? Do you have "eating amnesia? " This is not a technical medical term, and I am sort of joking with the phrase. But it is something that I am always on the lookout for when I evaluate someone’s diet. I have had many clients in my years of individual consultations who have kept detailed records of what they are eating, counting calories, logging their exercise and weight, and can’t figure out why they aren’t losing weight. For example, they may come to me with a food log saying they ate 1400 calories and burned 300-400 calories in exercise, and yet they don’t seem to be losing weight. The math doesn’t add up: on paper it looks like they should be losing a pound a week (depending on the size of the person in question) at that rate! Usually the problem is eating amnesia.

Eating amnesia comes in two forms. One is eating something and forgetting that you ate it and not writing it in the log at all. Classic examples:

• A handful of jelly beans (or other candy) out of the candy jar at work
• Three French fries off of your child’s plate
• A bite of hot fudge sundae from your spouse’s dish
• You forget you had a piece of bread from the bread basket
• You don't think the creamer in your coffee needs to be recorded
  

The other form of eating amnesia is forgetting how big the portion was when you go back later to log your food. Examples:

• You estimate 1 tablespoon of mayo on your sub, but they really squirted on 4 tablespoons.
• You write down a small cookie for 80 calories and it was really 250 calories
• You think your bagel was 250 calories but it is really 340 calories
• You estimate that you ate ½ cup of mashed potatoes but it was really 1 cup
• You think you only used 1 tablespoon of oil to dip your bread, but it really soaked up 3 tablespoons
  

Eating amnesia is not conscious and can really be a cause of major frustration for a lot of people who are trying to lose weight. I am sort of joking when I call it amnesia, but it really is a serious problem.

Tips to combat eating amnesia:

1. Measure your food so you know exactly how much you are getting
2. Overestimate the portion size when in doubt
3. Write down what you eat as you are eating it or immediately afterwards
4. Eat only from your own plate and don’t “steal” food from other’s plates
5. Go to restaurant websites and look up what you ate to get an accurate count

Photo courtesy of chewywong

Labels: Tara Gidus, weight loss

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Eating for Your Eyes

My father is blind from a hereditary eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. He was diagnosed at a young age but didn’t go legally blind until he was in his 40’s. It runs in the family; his father, grandfather, sister, niece, and others have the disease. Luckily my brother and I did not get the disease. Growing up, we were always careful as kids to not leave our shoes and toys laying in the middle of the floor because Dad would trip over them. He now has a leader dog named Dusty Dog who keeps him on track.

Needless to say, I have been interested in the connection of diet and eye health for many years. Most of the research has to do with prevention of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

Vitamins C, A (beta carotene), and E as well as zinc have been found to slow down development of AMD. Vitamins C and E may also help prevent or slow down cataracts.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin are phytochemicals that also help eye health by killing off free radicals that damage cells in the eyes. It is thought that lutein and zeaxanthin act as a sort of natural sunglasses, stopping harmful light from damaging the retina. They also may help prevent cataracts.

What should you eat for healthy eyes?

• Dark colored veggies like spinach, broccoli, peas, sweet potatoes, green bean, squash, kale, pumpkin
• Other veggies like green beans, sweet corn, brussel sprouts, peppers, romaine lettuce
• Fruits like melons, oranges, grapefruit, mango, papaya, grapes, kiwi, plums and prunes

How much?

As much as you can eat! Try to get 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and as many from the list above as possible.

What about supplements?

A nutritional supplement can help, and in fact one study found that risk of cataract is 60% lower among people who use a multivitamin or other supplement containing Vitamin C and E for more than 10 years. However, I would rather get your nutrients through food. When you get the nutrients through food, they are absorbed better and you get the synergy of all naturally occurring plant substances working together to prevent disease. Check out this article on vision supplements for more info on supplements.

New research

A study in this month’s American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a connection between eating high glycemic index (GI) foods and AMD. High GI foods are typically full of sugar and refined grains. This is preliminary research and just one study, but it won’t hurt to cut back on high GI foods anyway.

This is a picture of my Dad with Dusty Dog, his Leader Dog for the Blind.

Labels: phytochemicals, Tara Gidus, vision

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Myth and Fact of Increasing Breast Milk Supply

I wrote two previous posts on breast feeding, one on basic nursing nutrition and one on nursing no no’s. Check both of those out if you have not read them already!

August 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week, so these three posts are very timely! In fact, Zimbabwe is one of 120 countries taking breast feeding seriously, citing that just breast feeding in the first hour of life could reduce early deaths of infants by 13 percent!

Myths

1. Certain foods will increase milk supply if you eat them. In fact, no particular foods you can eat to increase your milk supply
2. Beer increases milk supply. In fact, it can decrease supply because alcohol stays in your milk and tastes bitter. The baby may drink less of your milk, therefore decreasing your supply.
3. Taking a multi or prenatal vitamin will inhibit milk coming in. This is not true. Do not stop your vitamin. In fact, taking it will ensure you are getting the proper nutrients to support you and your breast milk.
4. You need more calcium in your diet when you are breastfeeding. In fact, you need the same as everyone else, which is 1,000 mg per day. It is very important, however, that you get that 1,000 mg per day. Aim for 3-5 servings of dairy per day and take a supplement if you are unable to get at least three servings daily.
5. If you are vegetarian you will be deficient in nutrients. If you are a vegan, make sure you are taking a multivitamin that contains vitamin B12 (only in animal products or fortified in food). If you are lacto-ovo vegetarian, it is also still a good idea to take a multivitamin.
6. Most people should not eat peanuts, soy, milk, wheat, or other common allergens when breastfeeding. In fact, allergic reactions from human milk are extremely rare. If you have a strong family history of allergies, talk to your pediatrician about avoiding these foods while breast feeding.

Fact

1. Frequent stimulation of the breast and frequent expression of milk will increase milk supply the most. The more often your baby nurses, the more milk your body will make. Most newborns feed 10-12 times per day.
2. Brewer’s yeast is a supplement that contains protein, iron, and B vitamins and may help increase milk supply. This has not been studied thoroughly on lactating women and I do not recommend taking it without consulting your doctor or pharmacist first.
   
3. Milk thistle and fenugreek are also supplements that may or may not increase milk supply. These have also not have thoroughly studied and I would not recommend taking them without discussing with your doctor or pharmacist first.
   
4. Caffeine can stimulate milk production, but it also stimulates baby, making him fussy and not sleep well.
5. Adequate sleep, rest, and fluids will promote maximum milk production
6. Stress can decrease milk production
7. Birth control pills may decrease milk supply

Did you know?

• It is rare for a woman to not be able to produce enough milk for her baby
• Most women produce 25-40 ounces of milk per day.
• Your baby can get up to 1,000 calories per day from your breast milk
• Breast milk contains 330 mg of calcium per quart
• Quality of breast milk is only affected in extreme conditions of malnutrition. Your body will take nutrients from you to make breast milk and you will become malnourished before your baby does!
• The flavors in the foods you eat will get passed on to the baby. Your child may be more likely to eat broccoli when introduced to him later if he was exposed to the flavors when you were breastfeeding! I think this is the best motivation to eat your veggies!

Here are some resources for breast feeding moms:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/
http://www.kellymom.org/
http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/

Photo taken yesterday of Basil with his "Got Milk?" onesie on. Thanks to my friend Stephanie who gave me a four pack of "Got Milk" onesies from the Dairy Council.

Labels: breast feeding, lactation, nursing, Tara Gidus

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