Now that I am the girl with the nutrition blog, when I seem noshing on anything other than quinoa and kale I get comments like "wow, bet you won't tell your readers to eat that" or "hmm, haven't seen anything about the nutritional value of nachos on your blog." While I expect the comments to a degree and even make them myself occasionally (as in "won't be blogging about that huge piece of cake I just had"), the nature of the comments surprise me sometimes, especially because I don't consider this blog to be anti-indulgence or anti-any food group. I see it as one of many tools that can help people have a better understanding of the relationship between what they eat and how they look and feel. On the positive side, such comments force me to clarify what messages I am really trying to convey with the blog and what rules I live by when it comes to diet, health and nutrition.
When I interact with other members of social networking groups about health and nutrition or visit the alumni message boards of IIN, I can't help but notice that I am more lax about what I put in to my body than most people calling themselves health and nutrition experts. I don't really know my way around a supplements aisle; I don't avoid dairy or gluten like the plague; I love to eat out (everything from Tex-Mex to five-star dining) and I let my child eat more sugar than he probably should, especially if it means he'll stop whining. Anyone who knows me knows that while my weight falls in a healthy range and I like to exercise, I am not particularly thin nor do I ever eat like a bird. If forced to say whether I was in the "eat to live" or "live to eat" category I might have to say the latter; however, I do believe in a strong connection between what we eat and how we live. To sum up, I would say that I eat "very consciously but not very conscientiously." I may not always eat really healthfully, but I know when I am and when I'm not, and I try to strike a good balance between the quality of my diet and the overall quality of my life. Because life should be like a box of chocolates, not a bag of brown rice, right?
But do I practice what people think I preach? To briefly describe my own dietary habits, what works for me is to prepare most of my own meals using whole, natural ingredients (think steel cut oats or scrambled eggs in the morning, a large salad with ample protein for lunch and fish with vegetables for dinner), but splurge occasionally, mostly on the weekends -- eating whatever I desire at restaurants, venturing out for ice cream with my son or enjoying a decadent meal cooked by my husband. I tend to prefer what people think of as healthy food, but I have a big appetite so curbing portions is a bigger challenge for me than cutting out junk. I try not to overdo the sugar and generally avoid heavily processed foods, fast food and fried foods; but for me, it's really more about getting the right stuff in than keeping the wrong stuff out, so I make sure I am eating from every food group and getting plenty of plants in my diet. So, that's what I practice in a nutshell.
As for what preach ... What I want this blog to be about is sharing information (based on my studies and common sense) about what foods are healthful and what foods are not (and what "foods" are not actually food) and then letting people take that knowledge and do what they want with it, including disagree with it. I try to distinguish between what foods are healthful as opposed to what foods make sense on a weight-loss plan because too many people, as a result of the media messaging and marketing around food, think the definition of health food is diet food (low fat, low calorie) or think diet food is always good for you. I couldn't disagree more. I want to stop people from thinking they were "good that day" because they subsisted on a slim fast bar, a Diet Coke and a low-calorie frozen entree. In my opinion, this is where the culture of food and weight has gotten so off base: people think homemade lasagna is BAD and meal replacement shakes sweetened with aspartame are GOOD. I like to think I am clearing the noise a little and helping you actually LISTEN to your own body rather than the cacophony of mixed messages coming at you from diet books, magazines and food advertisers, all of which care more about their bottom line than the size of your bottom (not to mention your insulin and cholesterol levels).
I also like to think I am helping people, especially women, be realistic about health and weight. Every week someone I know starts a new celebrity-endorsed cleanse or fad diet in the hopes of losing those 5-10 lbs they don't really need to lose. When I see stick-thin celebrities in magazines confessing "I was bulimic" or "I was obsessed with my weight," I think "DUH!" Looking like a model takes either a ton of good habits or a lot of bad habits. Being TV-thin means eating very conscientiously whether you are being health-conscious or not. Some of these celebrities may really eat healthfully and stick to a plant-based diet or veggies and lean protein, but it's also possible that many use unhealthy tricks to stay thin like stimulants, purging or starvation. As I have told a few people, crack and meth will make you skinny too but they aren't good for you. That being said, nuts and whole grain breads are good for you but eat loads of either a day and you won't be thin. Being healthy takes many forms; healthy for you may be a size 10, but it may be a 2 for someone else. One of the first steps to being healthy is being realistic about what weight is healthy for you.
Being Hollywood thin takes more sacrifice than I am willing to make, but being healthy also takes effort -- cooking a lot of your own meals, regular exercise, using will power when necessary -- and I am willing to do that work. This is my balance. It works for me. Inhabit Health's mission is to help you find your own balance by providing you with the knowledge and tools to make dietary choices that empower you and make sense for your life. Inhabit Health is not about shedding pounds, it's about shedding light on a field clouded by misinformation and false marketing promises. I want to be sure I am answering your questions so feel free to suggest an idea for a blog post; I can't promise I will tackle it, but I will at least try to direct you to someone who does. As always, thanks for reading!
For more information on my personalized coaching style, visit my website www.inhabithealth.com.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Hidden Cost of "Free" Foods
A few years ago I came across an interesting article on debt counseling; one part in particular really intrigued me: the article quoted a debt counselor who said his #1 rule for women who shop too much and get into debt was to never buy anything on sale. The reason for this being that you are more likely to buy things you don't really need when they are on sale because you convince yourself you are getting a deal. Although I have never had a shopping addiction, I took this to heart because I noticed the things in my closet that I never wore were all things I bought on sale. This debt counselor also said that you should never buy things you don't love enough to buy at full price.
Well, I feel the exact same way about "free" food items, i.e. the "sugar-free" and "fat-free" products that fill the aisles of major supermarket chains (and now the plethora of "gluten-free" and "dairy-free" items - appropriate product choices for a consumer with a real gluten or lactose intolerance but not exactly a health boon for the rest of us). The bottom line is this: when you think something is free, you are a lot more likely to overindulge and pay the price later, whether it's cookies, chips, shoes or handbags!
Just like those 40% off must-have designer shoes, all of these "free" foods are still costly (to your health if not your budget). Before we get into some of the hidden costs of "free" foods, first let me remind you that any food that claims to be healthy usually isn't. Why? Because if it's telling you it's healthy, it comes in a box and that means it's processed and packaged. Do the carrots or sprouts in the produce aisle tell you they are fat and dairy and gluten free? No, but they are. However, you better believe that sugary cereal produced by the major manufacturer will tout its so-called healthy virtues - "cholesterol-free" (duh! it's not an animal product), "low-fat" and "a great source of whole grains" (yeah, plus 20 grams of sugar to make up for the lack of fat and to disguise the healthy whole grain taste).
So, that's the first problem with these foods: any food that is altered from its original state, whether the fat is removed or the sugar or something else, is more processed and thus less natural. Highly processed food is now being recognized by most health and nutrition experts as the #1 problem in the American diet and the #1 reason for the increase in the chronic diseases that kill so many Americans every year although they are preventable. For a summary on this and other problems with America's food supply, see this great op-ed by Mark Bittman.
The second problem with these "free" foods is what's put in them to compensate for the lack of sugar, fat or whatever else was removed. The sugar that should be in sugar-free foods is generally replaced by aspartame, which is a known neurotoxin and thought to be carcinogenic in large amounts. I try to never touch the stuff personally. Most people love sweets and it's perfectly natural to want something sweet at the end of a meal. My advice: Try a small piece of good dark chocolate or some fresh berries instead. Never go grocery shopping hungry, when you are likely to be tempted by cakes and cookies placed in strategic locations to get you at your weakest. It's best to not keep a lot of sweets in the house, but if you have a spouse or kid that demands them, find something that they love but you can do without (for us, it's the ginger or cocoa snaps shaped like hearts that they sell at Whole Foods - husband and son love them, but they do not tempt me in the least). Whatever you do, do not resort to non-foods full of artificial ingredients like sugar-free jello or pudding pops.
As you may have noticed by now, most "fat-free" foods are very high in either sugar, carbohydrates, chemicals or all three. Don't even get me started on "fat free Half and Half." If Half and Half is by definition half cream and half whole milk, what is this stuff made of? Suffice it to say it involves a series of chemical reactions dreamed up by a highly paid "food scientist." We all know by now that margarine is worse for you than butter and that fat-free cookies, cakes and flavored yogurts are just piles of sugar that never really satisfy you but still make you gain weight. Fat itself, in reasonable amounts, does not make you fat. It is a necessary part of the human diet, and it's the component of food that satisfies you - this is why people find they can eat 10 fat-free cookies in one sitting. Most experts agree you can safely consume 25-30% of your calories from fat (all the better if it's mostly the unsaturated kind) without putting on weight or increasing your risk of disease.
My advice: buy and eat whole fat or low-fat versions of the foods you love (Greek yogurt is something that is best in the low fat version, not whole or free) but learn what the actual serving size is. A tablespoon of butter or sour cream will not kill you or make you fat. Just like everyone should have a clothing budget, it is smart to have your own personal food "budget" as well. Love butter and cheese? Can't live without cream in your coffee? Fine, have an appropriate serving size of real stuff (about 1 oz) and skim fat or calories from somewhere else in your diet OR if you are incapable of eating a small amount of something, avoid it all together if you are trying to lose weight (see how this relates to the theory of buy full price or not at all!), but don't fill up on poor tasting, highly processed substitutes for the original.
For problems with gluten and diary free items for those that don't need them, read this post in my archive.
Training yourself to eat all things in moderation is the key to maintaining your weight over time; so instead of going on 4 crash diets a year where you cut fat and sugar, try this at every meal: fill 60-80% of your plate with vegetables and other whole, plant-based foods and then use animal protein and/or fatty foods as fillers and garnishes: think a large salad topped with 3 oz of protein, a handful of shredded cheese or nuts and 1-2 tablespoons of an olive oil or yogurt based dressing; or a roasted vegetable and whole wheat cous cous salad tossed with an oz of feta cheese and a touch of olive oil. You get the idea. If not, you know where to find me: www.inhabithealth.com.
Well, I feel the exact same way about "free" food items, i.e. the "sugar-free" and "fat-free" products that fill the aisles of major supermarket chains (and now the plethora of "gluten-free" and "dairy-free" items - appropriate product choices for a consumer with a real gluten or lactose intolerance but not exactly a health boon for the rest of us). The bottom line is this: when you think something is free, you are a lot more likely to overindulge and pay the price later, whether it's cookies, chips, shoes or handbags!
Just like those 40% off must-have designer shoes, all of these "free" foods are still costly (to your health if not your budget). Before we get into some of the hidden costs of "free" foods, first let me remind you that any food that claims to be healthy usually isn't. Why? Because if it's telling you it's healthy, it comes in a box and that means it's processed and packaged. Do the carrots or sprouts in the produce aisle tell you they are fat and dairy and gluten free? No, but they are. However, you better believe that sugary cereal produced by the major manufacturer will tout its so-called healthy virtues - "cholesterol-free" (duh! it's not an animal product), "low-fat" and "a great source of whole grains" (yeah, plus 20 grams of sugar to make up for the lack of fat and to disguise the healthy whole grain taste).
So, that's the first problem with these foods: any food that is altered from its original state, whether the fat is removed or the sugar or something else, is more processed and thus less natural. Highly processed food is now being recognized by most health and nutrition experts as the #1 problem in the American diet and the #1 reason for the increase in the chronic diseases that kill so many Americans every year although they are preventable. For a summary on this and other problems with America's food supply, see this great op-ed by Mark Bittman.
The second problem with these "free" foods is what's put in them to compensate for the lack of sugar, fat or whatever else was removed. The sugar that should be in sugar-free foods is generally replaced by aspartame, which is a known neurotoxin and thought to be carcinogenic in large amounts. I try to never touch the stuff personally. Most people love sweets and it's perfectly natural to want something sweet at the end of a meal. My advice: Try a small piece of good dark chocolate or some fresh berries instead. Never go grocery shopping hungry, when you are likely to be tempted by cakes and cookies placed in strategic locations to get you at your weakest. It's best to not keep a lot of sweets in the house, but if you have a spouse or kid that demands them, find something that they love but you can do without (for us, it's the ginger or cocoa snaps shaped like hearts that they sell at Whole Foods - husband and son love them, but they do not tempt me in the least). Whatever you do, do not resort to non-foods full of artificial ingredients like sugar-free jello or pudding pops.
As you may have noticed by now, most "fat-free" foods are very high in either sugar, carbohydrates, chemicals or all three. Don't even get me started on "fat free Half and Half." If Half and Half is by definition half cream and half whole milk, what is this stuff made of? Suffice it to say it involves a series of chemical reactions dreamed up by a highly paid "food scientist." We all know by now that margarine is worse for you than butter and that fat-free cookies, cakes and flavored yogurts are just piles of sugar that never really satisfy you but still make you gain weight. Fat itself, in reasonable amounts, does not make you fat. It is a necessary part of the human diet, and it's the component of food that satisfies you - this is why people find they can eat 10 fat-free cookies in one sitting. Most experts agree you can safely consume 25-30% of your calories from fat (all the better if it's mostly the unsaturated kind) without putting on weight or increasing your risk of disease.
My advice: buy and eat whole fat or low-fat versions of the foods you love (Greek yogurt is something that is best in the low fat version, not whole or free) but learn what the actual serving size is. A tablespoon of butter or sour cream will not kill you or make you fat. Just like everyone should have a clothing budget, it is smart to have your own personal food "budget" as well. Love butter and cheese? Can't live without cream in your coffee? Fine, have an appropriate serving size of real stuff (about 1 oz) and skim fat or calories from somewhere else in your diet OR if you are incapable of eating a small amount of something, avoid it all together if you are trying to lose weight (see how this relates to the theory of buy full price or not at all!), but don't fill up on poor tasting, highly processed substitutes for the original.
For problems with gluten and diary free items for those that don't need them, read this post in my archive.
Training yourself to eat all things in moderation is the key to maintaining your weight over time; so instead of going on 4 crash diets a year where you cut fat and sugar, try this at every meal: fill 60-80% of your plate with vegetables and other whole, plant-based foods and then use animal protein and/or fatty foods as fillers and garnishes: think a large salad topped with 3 oz of protein, a handful of shredded cheese or nuts and 1-2 tablespoons of an olive oil or yogurt based dressing; or a roasted vegetable and whole wheat cous cous salad tossed with an oz of feta cheese and a touch of olive oil. You get the idea. If not, you know where to find me: www.inhabithealth.com.
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