Get Paid to Lose Weight?

A study came out this week from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine that found that people are more likely to lose weight if they are paid to do it, even if it is a small amount. Companies pay attention: Your healthcare costs are significantly higher for overweight and obese employees. If you can pay them a relatively small amount of money to lose weight, why not? As someone who is not overweight, though, I think there does need to be some sort of incentive for those who have managed to maintain a healthy weight in today’s world if you are going to be paying others for weight loss.

I did some consulting work for a company last year who was committed to improving the health of it’s employees. They hired me to work with each employee individually to set a health goal. This goal could be anything: lose weight, stop smoking, run a 5K, etc. As long as it was measurable, it could be a goal. If the employee attained the goal at the end of the year, they got a $750 payout. That will pay for some nice Christmas presents.

What surprised me the most was that not every employee took advantage of the benefit. All they had to do was sit down with me for an hour to set a goal and create an action plan to attain the goal. They set their own goal, so it isn’t like they had to do something completely unattainable. Get paid to improve your own health? What more of an incentive do you need?

What do you think? Should employers pay you to lose weight? I think offering some health incentives can help with employee moral by showing how much you care about their health.

Here are some ideas of ways employers can decrease stress and promote a healthy lifestyle:

• Smoking cessation programs
• Gym memberships
• Free healthy snacks and water
• Onsite wellness center
• Free chair massages once a week
• Seminars on various wellness topics
• Individual counseling for nutrition, fitness, smoking cessation, etc.
• Wellness dollars that can reimburse employees for purchased gym equipment for their home

Photo courtesy of sami keinanen

Labels: Tara Gidus, weight loss

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Thank You Kevin MD Grand Rounds

Thank you to Kevin MD for publishing my nutrition storytelling blog post in Grand Rounds 3.53 this week. Grand Rounds is a compilation of interesting medical blogs from the past week. Check it out. Lots of links and interesting reading.

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Keeping You Safe

September is National Food Safety Education Month, so I thought I would put in my two cents about how to prevent illness. With all of the spinach and other lettuce scares in the past year, I think it is always good for us to be thinking about how to keep our food as safe as possible.

There is one thing that is by far the most important thing when it comes to food safety:

Wash your hands under hot running water with soap for at least 20 seconds. Rubbing your hands vigorously will help get rid of bacteria and viruses and wash them away.

Viruses cause over half of foodborne illness each year, and simply washing your hands can cut back dramatically on the spread of these viruses.

One of the most common viruses is norovirus, commonly called the “stomach flu.” Many people think they have the flu, when in fact it is foodborne illness. Another one is Hepatitis A, which is transmitted through food or water contaminated with human waste. The most common symptoms of both of these are vomiting or diarrhea.

Here are some food safety reminders:

• When in doubt, throw it out. Leftovers do not have a long shelf life in the fridge. Don’t keep anything longer than a week, and most leftovers should be eaten or thrown away within 3-4 days.
• Wash hands before preparing food
• Wash hands before eating food
• Wash hands between handling meats and other foods
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, even if they say prewashed
• Cook food thoroughly, use a meat thermometer for meats and cook to steaming hot for everything else
• Defrost frozen food in the fridge (set to 40 degrees or lower). Other alternatives are thawing in the microwave or under cold water. Do not thaw on the countertop
• Store leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Do not leave them out on the counter to “breathe.”
• In a party/buffet situation, keep all perishable foods on ice and change ice frequently. Do not let perishable foods sit out for more than 2 hours.

How safe is your kitchen? Try this quiz

For more information, check out www.homefoodsafety.org

Photo courtesy of aka Kath

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Nutrition Storytelling

I read a good book recently, The Power of Story: Rewrite Your Destiny in Business and in Life by Dr. Jim Loehr. It talks about how we all have “old stories” that we believe to be true but that are not working for us. He explains how you can create a new story so that you create a new destiny and mission for your life. It is a pretty awesome concept and I highly recommend the book! Click here to view it on Amazon.

The stories we tell ourselves can be very powerful, and many of us have elaborate stories around nutrition. Some common stories include:

• I am genetically predisposed to be overweight, so I might as well just accept it
• I don’t have time to stop and eat, I am too busy
  
• As long as it is healthy food, I can eat as much as I want
• If I skip meals I will lose weight
• I can eat anything I want because I will burn it off with exercise
• All of the foods that I like are bad for me
• I have no self control
  

Good nutrition has lasting effects in many areas of your life. It can drastically improve health outcomes, leaving you with a better quality and quantity of life. Eating right also keeps our mood and our energy levels stable and at their peak for mission success. Improving your diet is, for many people, one of the most difficult changes to make. Food tastes good, and the environment we live in promotes overeating and poor choices of what to eat. We need to take responsibility for our own food choices. It takes practice and planning to have healthy snacks on hand and to limit portions of meals.

Some of our nutrition stories have been with us for our entire lives and they are difficult to rewrite. If you want lasting success in your life, evaluate your old story and figure out what needs to change. Don’t dwell on what isn’t working right now, but rather focus on articulating what will work. Create a new story around new behaviors you want to incorporate and start to live that new story.

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Asparagus Urine

This might be kind of a weird blog today, but it is a question I actually get asked fairly often. Have you ever noticed that when you eat asparagus your urine smells different? Some of you may think I am crazy writing this because you have never experienced it and others are nodding your head and saying, “YES, I have always wondered why that is!” I finally did the research when I was asked yet again this week.

The reason for the smell is a sulfer compound called mercaptan. This compound is also found in rotten eggs, onion, garlic, and the secretions of skunks. When you eat asparagus, your digestive tract breaks down the mercaptan and the resulting by-products cause the smell. It happens quickly, and you may even be able to notice the smell as early as 15 minutes after eating it! Mercaptan and the resulting odor is not harmful in any way.

I figured that it had to be some kind of enzyme or compound, and now I know the exact name to tell people. What I find fascinating, though, is that not everyone has the gene to break down the mercaptan, so some people have no idea what you are talking about when you say your pee smells funny after eating asparagus! The studies vary, but it seems that certain ethnic populations have it more than others. This has not been highly studied, so don’t ask me exactly which people, but studies have been done on small groups of British, French, and Israeli Jews. It seems that all of the French had it and only about half of the Britains produced the odor. The Israeli Jews were also mixed, but some of them who did produce the odor could not smell it. Interesting…..

Fun Info on Asparagus:

• Member of the lily family along with onions, leeks, and garlic
• Can be eaten raw or cooked and can be canned or frozen for storage
• Asparagus can grow 10 inches in a 24 hour period under ideal conditions
• The larger the diameter, the better the quality
• Asparagus was first cultivated 2500 years ago in Greece
• Asparagus comes from the Greek word meaning stalk or shoot
• Once planted, it must go through 3 growing seasons before it can be harvested
• Asparagus is very low in calories at less than 4 calories per spear
• It is the leading vegetable source of folic acid
• It is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin C, and thiamin
• Contains no fat or cholesterol and very little sodium naturally

Click for more information on Asparagus or for some tasty asparagus recipes

Photo courtesy of Laurel Fan

Labels: Tara Gidus, vegetables

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Thank you Six Until Me Grand Rounds

Thank you to Kerri at Six Until Me for hosting Grand Rounds 3.52 this week. She made it into a really nice, funny story complete with links to all kinds of medical blogs to read. Kerri has a blog about diabetes, and she included my post on Aspartame Safety this week. Check it out!

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Anti-Aging Diet

We all want that magical plan that will allow us to grow old gracefully, minimizing wrinkles, preserving our memory, and keeping us healthy, too. Does diet really have an impact? I may be a little biased, but I think so! Of course, other lifestyle factors like smoking, exercise, sleep, stress, and more can also affect the way we age pretty dramatically. I can’t guarantee a wrinkle-free body for life, but I will share with you the research on diet and aging that seems to be fairly strong.

Inflammation

Much of what causes wrinkles, chronic diseases, and mental decline have to do with inflammation in our body. The best defense is going to be an antioxidant and phytonutrient-rich diet. You have heard me talk about it before—the power of these substances is huge! Foods rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals help reduce the free radical damage to the cells, keeping them healthy for the long term.

On the flip side, foods high in sugar, refined starch, saturated fat, and trans fat may accelerate aging by promoting inflammation when insulin levels rise in response to eating these foods.

What to eat

Fruits and vegetables. Any fruit or vegetable is food, but look for those high in antioxidants like berries, grapes, spinach, broccoli, legumes, artichokes, peppers, potatoes, and citrus fruits. Try some of the hot trendy fruits like pomegranate Try to get 8-10 servings of fruits and/or vegetables total per day (or more than 5 cups).

Whole grains. They are packed in phytonutrients, fiber, and other important vitamins and minerals. Think outside the box and try some new whole grains like quinoa, barley, buckwheat, corn, and don’t forget oats. Try to get half of your grain servings as whole grains, or at least 3 servings per day.

Water. Water is our most essential nutrient—we would die within days to weeks without fresh water. It is good for your entire body, from your organs inside your body to your largest organ, your skin! Women should get 72 ounces of fluid daily and men 100 ounces.

Beans, beans, and more beans. The type of beans I am talking about are the legumes, which are the black beans, chickpeas, lentils, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, etc. The are full of high quality protein, soluble fiber, and essential B vitamins.

Low fat dairy. Milk is great, but think also low sugar yogurt, kefir, and low fat cheese. Everyone should get at least 2-4 servings per day.

Fish. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish have been shown to help reduce inflammation. Try to get at least 6 ounces per week. Look for fatty fishes like salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, and sardines.

Here’s to aging beautifully and healthfully!

Photo courtesy of istockphoto.com

Labels: aging, antioxidants, phytochemicals, Tara Gidus

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Back to School

Kids everywhere are getting back into the routine of waking up earlier, riding the bus, playing sports after school, and of course doing their homework! How can you keep them healthy? Offer nutritious foods for breakfast, lunch, and after school snacks, followed by your healthy family dinner meal.

Breakfast

It is true—it is the most important meal of the day! Numerous research studies show that kids who eat a nutritious breakfast do better in school. They concentrate better, they have more energy, and they are less moody.

Simple breakfast ideas

• Whole grain cereal with milk and fresh fruit
• Oatmeal made with milk, topped with fresh berries or sliced banana
• Whole grain toast with peanut butter and sliced banana
• Whole grain English muffin egg sandwich
• Whole grain frozen waffles with fresh berries on top
• Light yogurt, low fat granola, and fresh fruit

Lunch

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, lunch isn’t far behind. Metabolism is peaked for the day at lunch, and your kids still have a lot of school time and after school sports and homework left later in the day. A healthy lunch is vital to sustained energy for the rest of the day.

Packable lunches

• Sandwiches: Use whole grain tortillas, pitas, or flatbreads for a new twist on the old sandwich.
• Sides: Instead of the usual bag of chips, give them soy crisps, baby carrots, cheese cubes, trail mix, bread sticks, yogurts, string cheese, or cottage cheese containers
• Creativity: Get creative with different shapes of sandwiches, cheese cubes, and even vegetables and fruits.
• Well rounded: Include at least three of the five food groups for a balanced, well-rounded lunch:

• Fruit (fresh fruit already cut up for them, 100% juice boxes, dried fruit, canned fruit in it’s own juice)
  
• Vegetables (tomato juice, cut up variety of veggies, spinach, tomato on sandwiches and wraps)
  
• Dairy (yogurt, milk, pudding, cheese)
• Whole grains (whole wheat tortillas, bread, cereal, crackers)
• Protein (turkey, lean lunch meat, hummus, vegetarian alternatives like veggie burgers, nuts, peanut butter).

Snacks

Most kids are starving by the time they get out of school. Be prepared with a healthy snack so they don’t hit the vending machine or fast food restaurant.

Smart snacks

• Light yogurt
• Half a sandwich
• Fresh fruit
• Fruit kabobs (put fresh fruit on sticks)
• Trail mix
• Bowl of cereal
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• Nutrition bars
• Nutrition shake (Carnation Instant Breakfast, for example)
• Soy Crisps
• Veggies and hummus
• Smoothie of fresh or frozen fruit and milk or yogurt

Creating healthy eaters when they are kids will lead to healthy eating habits as they grow into adults. With the obesity epidemic in America, we need to do all we can to encourage healthy habits now!

Photo courtesy of andrei!

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Aspartame Safety

Do you drink a lot of diet soda and wonder how safe some of those sweeteners are? Today I will talk about aspartame, one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. Aspartame was approved by the FDA back in 1981. Since that time, it has become a very popular artificial sweetener. In order for an artificial sweetener to be approved, it goes through rigorous testing for safety to make sure it is safe to be in our food supply.

A report was published in this month’s (September, 2007) issue of Critical Reviews in Toxicology. The report is the findings of an analysis of all scientific information available to date on aspartame. The scientists concluded that aspartame is perfectly safe.

Safety

You may have heard some people claim that aspartame breaks down into harmful components, causing everything from Alzheimer’s disease to cancer. These claims are completely unfounded according to the report. No credible evidence was found that aspartame is carcinogenic or has any other adverse effects when consumed even at levels many times higher than the recommended limit.

Aspartame breaks down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Methanol is a natural breakdown product of many foods and is not found to be harmful.

How much is safe?

The FDA has approved 50 mg of aspartame per kg of body weight per day as the safe level, or Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). The average intake of people who use aspartame is 4.9 mg/kg/day, or less than 10% of the ADI.

Is it OK for me?

Aspartame has been shown to have no adverse effects. It is safe for pregnant women, lactating women, diabetics, children, obese individuals, and almost everyone. The only exception is people who have phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is a rare inherited disease where a person does not break down phenylalanine properly.

Other interesting info on aspartame

• Discovered by accident in 1965
• It is in over 6000 food and pharmaceutical products
• It is approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose
• It has the same number of calories as sugar on a weight to weight basis but since it is so sweet it is used in much smaller quantities
• Aspartame accounts for nearly 60% of all artificial sweetener use
• A serving of skim milk has 6 times more phenylalanine and 13 times more aspartic acid than the same amount of beverage sweetened with aspartame
• No evidence has been found that aspartame contributes to weight gain. The opposite is actually true—you can cut calories by using aspartame in the place of sugar

Bottom line
No medical evidence to date links aspartame to headaches, depression, weight gain, etc. If you think aspartame gives you a headache, avoid it. If you are not sure whether it is safe for you during pregnancy, avoid it. I trust the research done to date, but everyone's body is unique and you have the personal choice whether you want to use it or not.

For more information on Aspartame, visit www.aboutaspartame.com
For recipes using aspartame, click here
For information on aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, visit the Calorie Control Council

Image of Equal box courtesy of www.equal.com

Labels: artificial sweeteners, aspartame, Tara Gidus

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Should You Drink?

I am sure you have heard about the potential health benefits of alcohol. Does that mean you should start drinking if you are not someone who normally enjoys a drink? How much is OK to drink? Let’s look at it a little bit more closely.

Potential benefits

Numerous studies in the past few years have been touting benefits of drinking. There are three reasons why alcohol has this reputation. One is for the blood thinning aspect of alcohol. Drinking one to two drinks per day is sort of like taking an aspirin every day. It has mild blood thinning aspects to it. The other benefit you hear about is the antioxidants. Red wine has the biggest reputation for this and it is for the resveratrol. However, white wine also has antioxidants and so does beer (barley and hops have antioxidants). Some research has also suggested that drinking alcohol may increase HDL, or good, cholesterol.

Potential Risk

With alcohol there is a definite rule that if a little is good, more is not better. Health risks of drinking alcohol are very well documented, but these risks generally occur when people go above the moderation principle. Health risks include heart disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, gallstones, pancreatitis. In fact, a new study was released this week on the potential increased risk of endometrial cancer in women who consume more than two drinks per day. Alcohol abuse can also affect a person’s emotional wellbeing, moods, and relationships.

Moderation

Moderation with alcohol is defined as one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. Moderation is if you have this amount each day (or less often). You cannot add up your drinks for the week and have 7 on Friday night and still be within your moderation level. Alcohol is a toxin and health risk increases greatly after consumption of two drinks.

What is one drink?

5 oz of wine

12 oz of beer

1.5 (one shot) of 80-proof distilled spirits (hard liquor)

All of these drinks in these amounts have equivalent amounts of alcohol in them. It doesn’t matter if the wine is white or red, dry or sweet, or if the beer is light or regular.

Bottom line

Enjoy a drink or two if you wish. Do not start drinking because you keep hearing about the potential health benefits. There are other ways to get the benefits without starting to drink. If you want more antioxidants, eat some grapes or other fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you want to raise your HDL, get out there and exercise or reduce your body fat. If you think you need the blood thinning benefits, talk to your doctor about starting a low dose aspirin every day.

Cheers!

To read more about alcohol abuse and dependence, click here.

Photo of red wine courtesy of istockphoto

Photo of alcohol equivalents courtesy of Distilled Spirits Council

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Preservatives and Behavior in Children

As a new mom of a 10-week old baby I have not yet experienced hyperactivity as a result of feeding sugar or preservatives to my child. But I have heard from many clients and friends who are parents that they swear sugar gives their children a ‘high’ and that preservatives contribute to hyperactivity. To be honest, I have somewhat dismissed their claims because of a lack of solid evidence. That was until a pretty significant study was released this week in The Lancet, a very well respected medical journal.

This study showed that some common food dyes and the preservative sodium benzoate causes hyperactivity and higher levels of distraction in some children. This is a British medical journal, and the study was also done in Britain. The study fed the same children fruit drinks with the preservatives and food dyes and also drinks free of both and compared their behavior. They found that the 3-year olds studied had a bigger response than the 8 and 9-year olds. The researchers noted that it did not cause full blown Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) symptoms, but did increase lack of concentration, fidgeting, talking or interrupting too much, and restlessness.

This is the first study of this kind to be published with such a significant link between artificial ingredients and hyperactivity. Previous studies have not shown strong correlations and many physicians dismiss the idea of a connection between artificial ingredients and behavior.

Bottom line

My thought is this: If you think your child is sensitive to food dyes, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, or anything else they are eating, drinking, or consuming, then eliminate or reduce it in their diet. I do believe that everyone has different sensitivities to certain chemicals and additives. Some people have no reaction whatsoever to dyes and artificial ingredients while others are allergic or may exhibit these hyperactive symptoms. If you are unsure, eliminate these ingredients for a week and slowly add one back at a time and see how the behavior of your child changes. Modify their diet accordingly with what you suspect may be giving them a problem.

Seek the advice of a registered dietitian (RD) to help you and your children with any nutritional concerns. An RD can help you with an elimination diet to isolate potential problematic foods. An RD can also help you identify which foods contain the potential offenders. Reading labels can be very confusing, so seek the advice of a professional to assist you!

Photo of fruit drink courtesy of KO

Labels: children, preservatives, Tara Gidus

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Cheers to Cherries

You have heard about the antioxidant benefits of blueberries and other berries, but what about cherries? I personally love cherries. The good news is that they are not just a summer fruit anymore. You can get them dried, frozen, canned, or even as juice! I often buy them frozen and put them in my oatmeal before I microwave it and they add some wonderful flavor and sweetness.

The compound that makes tart cherries so red is anthocyanin, a phytochemical known as a flavonoid.

The compounds found in cherries may help to:

1. Reduce inflammation and pain of arthritis and gout
2. Offer protection against heart disease and certain cancers
3. Reduce risk of diabetes
4. Aid in treatment and possible prevention of memory loss

Tart vs Sweet

There is a distinct difference between tart and sweet cherries. Sweet cherries are grown primarily for fresh eating. The most famous sweet cherry variety is the Bing cherry. Bing cherries are a dark red/burgundy color, but there are also lighter sweet cherry varieties such as Ranier and Queen Anne.

Tart cherries, also known as sour cherries, are used for canning and processing to make jams and pies. Tart cherries have a distinct, bright red color. Tart cherries are rarely sold fresh because they are so tart. Montmorency is the only tart cherry grown commercially in the US.

Other fun facts about cherries:

• Cherries were brought to America by ship with early settlers in the 1600s
• Michigan is the leader in producing tart cherries. They produce 200-250 million pounds of tart cherries per year
• In 1852, Peter Dougherty,a Presbyterian missionary living in northern Michigan, planted cherry trees on Old Mission Peninsula (near Traverse City, Michigan). Much to the surprise of the other farmers and Indians who lived in the area, Dougherty's cherry trees flourished and soon other residents of the area planted trees. The area proved to be ideal for growing cherries because Lake Michigan tempers Arctic winds in winter and cools the orchards in summer.
• There are 7,000 cherries on an average tart cherry tree and it takes 250 cherries to make a cherry pie.
• The third week of July is usually the peak of cherry harvest in the US.
• Cherry pie filling is the number one pie filling sold in the US
• Tart cherries contain 19 times the of beta carotene of blueberries and strawberries
• They are also rich in Vitamin C and Vitamin E and also provide potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, and fiber

• Tart cherries are one of the few known food sources of melatonin. Melatonin is an antioxidant that helps regulate our circadian rhythms and natural sleep patterns
• A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that tart cherries ranked 14 in the top 50 foods for highest antioxidant content per serving size—surpassing red wine, prunes, dark chocolate and orange juice

Get creative with your cherries! Here is a link to more cherry recipes than you will know what to do with! For snack ideas, especially for the kids, click here.

For more information on cherries and even more recipes, check out www.choosecherries.com

Photo of cherries courtesy of www.choosecherries.com

Labels: antioxidants, fruit, Tara Gidus

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Thank You .Parallel Universes. for Grand Rounds

Thank you to Dr. Emer and .Parallel Universes. for publishing my post A Few Less Bites in Grand Rounds 3:50.
Grand Rounds is a compilation of medical blogs for the past week. Click on the Grand Rounds link above and read some interesting posts from other medical bloggers!

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