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.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Diet DOs and DON'Ts for the New Year
It's THAT time of year! If you aren't sure what I am talking about, go to your local supermarket and let the magazine covers tell the story: Us Weekly will tell you which celebrity diets really work and People will inspire you with stories of average Americans who lost "half their size." If you, like so many Americans, are contemplating how you are going to lose those extra pounds come January 2nd, I hope you might find the following guidelines helpful when choosing a diet plan or coming up with your own plan for a healthier 2011.
* DO make this the year that healthy eating and exercise become habits, not just brief phases that mark the two weeks after New Year and/or the 2 weeks before your bikini vacation in the summer.
* DO make this the year that you eat more fruits and vegetables to increase your life expectancy, not just the year you starve yourself to get into a particular dress.
* DO make this the year you throw away the meal replacement bars and buy a cookbook instead. Go for comprehensive titles like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything or How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (I asked for these for Christmas and can't wait to dig in).
* DO let 2011 be the year you stop thinking about what you can't eat and start thinking about what you should eat (i.e grains, greens, good fats, etc!).
* DO make 2011 the year you change your life, not just your weight.
Now for what NOT to do:
1) Don't go on a diet that involves mixing any kind of powder with water and calls that a "meal replacement."
2) Don't follow a diet that encourages you to "satisfy your sweet tooth" with non-foods like fat-free cool whip or sugar-free jello.
3) Don't do a diet that requires you to carry a Ziploc bag of supplements in your purse or gym bag.
4) Don't follow a diet that forbids you to eat fruit. Did you put on weight because you ate too much fruit over the holidays? Of course not.
5) Don't follow a diet that never once asks you to actually cook or prepare anything yourself. In other words, if it starts with 1-800-(fill in the diet) and requires you to unwrap and microwave all your meals, put the phone down!
Research shows that people can lose weight on any and every diet if they stick to it. No matter what theory it's based on, every diet on the market involves some form of calorie restriction even if it never mentions the word calorie. When you take in less calories, you lose weight. However, research also shows that 90% of diets fail in the long-term because nearly everyone who loses weight on a diet eventually gains it back. This is why any successful diet must involve or at least spur an actual lifestyle change that is maintainable once the glory of the weight-loss high wears off.
In my experience (both personal and professional) plans that emphasize the consumption of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats and unrefined carbohydrates (think nuts, beans and whole grains like steel cut oats, quinoa and brown rice) and encourage you to cook your own meals have the best chance for success. Diets based around cooking and eating real food (as opposed to counting grams of fat or calculating caloric intake) work because you will feel so good from cutting the processed junk that you will be encouraged to avoid it in the future, and you will learn how to prepare healthy meals so making good choices will become second nature. To find out more about my plans for helping people make good health a habit, visit my website www.inhabithealth.com.
Have a Happy, Healthy 2011!
* DO make this the year that healthy eating and exercise become habits, not just brief phases that mark the two weeks after New Year and/or the 2 weeks before your bikini vacation in the summer.
* DO make this the year that you eat more fruits and vegetables to increase your life expectancy, not just the year you starve yourself to get into a particular dress.
* DO make this the year you throw away the meal replacement bars and buy a cookbook instead. Go for comprehensive titles like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything or How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (I asked for these for Christmas and can't wait to dig in).
* DO let 2011 be the year you stop thinking about what you can't eat and start thinking about what you should eat (i.e grains, greens, good fats, etc!).
* DO make 2011 the year you change your life, not just your weight.
Now for what NOT to do:
1) Don't go on a diet that involves mixing any kind of powder with water and calls that a "meal replacement."
2) Don't follow a diet that encourages you to "satisfy your sweet tooth" with non-foods like fat-free cool whip or sugar-free jello.
3) Don't do a diet that requires you to carry a Ziploc bag of supplements in your purse or gym bag.
4) Don't follow a diet that forbids you to eat fruit. Did you put on weight because you ate too much fruit over the holidays? Of course not.
5) Don't follow a diet that never once asks you to actually cook or prepare anything yourself. In other words, if it starts with 1-800-(fill in the diet) and requires you to unwrap and microwave all your meals, put the phone down!
Research shows that people can lose weight on any and every diet if they stick to it. No matter what theory it's based on, every diet on the market involves some form of calorie restriction even if it never mentions the word calorie. When you take in less calories, you lose weight. However, research also shows that 90% of diets fail in the long-term because nearly everyone who loses weight on a diet eventually gains it back. This is why any successful diet must involve or at least spur an actual lifestyle change that is maintainable once the glory of the weight-loss high wears off.
In my experience (both personal and professional) plans that emphasize the consumption of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats and unrefined carbohydrates (think nuts, beans and whole grains like steel cut oats, quinoa and brown rice) and encourage you to cook your own meals have the best chance for success. Diets based around cooking and eating real food (as opposed to counting grams of fat or calculating caloric intake) work because you will feel so good from cutting the processed junk that you will be encouraged to avoid it in the future, and you will learn how to prepare healthy meals so making good choices will become second nature. To find out more about my plans for helping people make good health a habit, visit my website www.inhabithealth.com.
Have a Happy, Healthy 2011!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Organic? To Buy or Not to Buy
I just had lunch at "Yeah! Burger," a gourmet burger shop run by one of Atlanta's top chef's, Shaun Doty. Richard Blais, of actual Top Chef fame, has a similar place, Flip, on the other side of town. Both of these chefs, renowned for their talent in the kitchen, have given up their fine-dining restaurants to run burger joints, because, I presume, that's where money can be made in the restaurant industry in this economy. For the record, my cobb salad with "all-natural, free-range" chicken was fantastic as were the hand-cut fries I nipped off my son's plate. When I go some day for dinner I plan to try to either the "all-natural" turkey or bison burger. To me this restaurant embodied the two trends going on around food right now - wanting to eat high quality food but needing to eat affordable food during a tough economy.
I have been thinking a lot lately about how the positive trend of increased awareness around proper nutrition (and the dangers of our industrial food supply) can co-exist with the other trend on every one's mind - our unstable global economy. Just as we finally see a willingness in politicians of both parties to tackle the childhood obesity crisis, we also see an uptick in advertising from fast food chains like Pizza Hut promising to feed a family of 4 a nutritionally empty meal (large pizza, a liter of Pepsi and cinnamon sticks) for something like $10, which is no doubt appealing to a struggling family. The standard argument against higher taxes on sodas and other nutritionally empty foods is that it is a "regressive tax" that will hurt those that can least afford it the most. While most people reading this blog are probably fortunate enough not to have to choose between putting cheap food or no food on the table, some of us probably still ask ourselves how important it is to eat high-priced organic and fresh food during a bad economy. I won't claim to be an expert on the topic of organic food, but I will share with you what I believe to be the real reason to eat organic food and my list of the foods I believe you should buy organic or not buy at all.
The main reason to buy "USDA certified organic" food is because the growth, production and distribution processes for these foods are inspected and have to meet rigorous standards to get stamped with the organic seal. No other foods, including those labeled "all-natural" or "hormone free" or "humanely raised" have to meet any standards other than those of the farmer or producer if they are not labeled "certified organic." Most farmers and food producers are not inspected at all. For the most part, if a brand claims to be "all-natural" or "free-range" it is probably a little better than something that doesn't claim to be that but there is no guarantee. Now, does "organic" always mean healthy? No. Ask any of the overweight people I see at the Whole Foods hot bar piling up their plates with organic mac and cheese, fried chicken and pizza. If I am craving something like that, I do feel better if I eat it somewhere like Whole Foods rather than out of a frozen box from the supermarket because it is fresher, taste better and free of unnecessary additives, preservatives and fillers. I believe that organic and natural food is greeted with more kindness and efficiency by our digestive systems and less likely to make us feel crappy, but I think too much organic mac and cheese will make you fat just like too much processed mac and cheese will.
So, if organic foods are raised and produced with higher standards, it makes sense that the foods you would most want to buy organic are those that are otherwise grown and produced under very poor or questionable circumstances. For this reason, I ALWAYS BUY organic eggs, dairy products and meat. The animals raised under conventional methods are treated in a detestable fashion (stuffed into spaces they can't move in and given large quantities of food that is not natural to their systems -- remember, cows are herbivores but the ones raised in factory farms are fed grain) and they often become sick because of it and are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. Eating meat with antibiotics is now thought to be part of the reason for the recent increase in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in animals and humans. Also, industrial farmers trying to get the most meat from their animals for profit reasons often give their animals growth hormones. The amount of growth hormones people consume by eating animal products is thought to be a reason why girls menstruate so much earlier than they used to, as well as a possible reason for the increased likelihood of developing certain types of cancer when one consumes a diet high in red meat. For these reasons, I always buy organic eggs, meat and dairy. When dining out, I occasionally eat meat that is not organic or humanely raised (if it doesn't say it is, it's not) and I am not proud of that, but I find it hard to live up to even my own high standards all the time. The more I learn, the less likely I am to eat things of unknown origin, but it still happens from time to time because I am human, occasionally hormonal and have cravings.
After doing a fair amount of research on organic foods, I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to eat organic fruits and vegetables IF you take the time to wash them and peel them. Research has shown that washing produce removes the majority of potentially dangerous microbes found on it. I buy organic apples because my son will just grab one and eat it with the peel on and I know that the peel is where most of the residue from the pesticides would linger in a conventionally grown apple. While I think organic bananas taste better than regular (some may dispute that), I would not hesitate to eat a non-organic banana because I would peel it first - same with an orange or an avocado. I don't eat many raw vegetables, but if you like to eat raw carrots multiple times a week, you should buy organic because of the quantity you are consuming (any risk posed from pesticides certainly adds up if you are eating something frequently). If you are cooking your vegetables, you are most likely killing off any dangerous microbes anyway. I typically spend the extra money on organic fruits and vegetables because I think they taste better and I am willing to sacrifice some material things like new shoes or jeans for better tasting food. There is also some evidence that organic fruits and vegetables contain slightly more nutrients (likely because they are grown in richer soil), but if you are on a budget, the difference is not significant enough to worry about in my opinion.
It is also helpful to know about "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen" a list put together by EWG (the Environmental Working Group) of the most and least contaminated fruit and vegetables. This shopping guide (also available as an iphone app) is great to have in your wallet so you know what fruits and vegetables to buy organic, or wash extra carefully or not buy at all if you cannot afford to buy organic. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing you might want to be more vigilant about not allowing any chemicals into your body and the easiest way to do this is to buy certified organic if you can afford it.
So, if you are feeling the squeeze financially but still want to eat a healthy diet, the advice is similar for anyone who wants to be healthy and cut their risk of preventable disease - eat less animal products and processed foods and more plant foods, just wash them first!
Just a reminder this holiday season that 37 million people in the United States do not have enough to eat right now. To help, consider volunteering at your local food bank or giving a holiday donation to an organization like Feeding America. While we can debate the politics and benefits of organics, some families are just trying to figure out how to put food on the table so if you can, help those less fortunate this holiday season.
For more information on how to eat, feel and live better, consider hiring a health coach. Visit my website for more information on my programs.
Cheers to your health!
I have been thinking a lot lately about how the positive trend of increased awareness around proper nutrition (and the dangers of our industrial food supply) can co-exist with the other trend on every one's mind - our unstable global economy. Just as we finally see a willingness in politicians of both parties to tackle the childhood obesity crisis, we also see an uptick in advertising from fast food chains like Pizza Hut promising to feed a family of 4 a nutritionally empty meal (large pizza, a liter of Pepsi and cinnamon sticks) for something like $10, which is no doubt appealing to a struggling family. The standard argument against higher taxes on sodas and other nutritionally empty foods is that it is a "regressive tax" that will hurt those that can least afford it the most. While most people reading this blog are probably fortunate enough not to have to choose between putting cheap food or no food on the table, some of us probably still ask ourselves how important it is to eat high-priced organic and fresh food during a bad economy. I won't claim to be an expert on the topic of organic food, but I will share with you what I believe to be the real reason to eat organic food and my list of the foods I believe you should buy organic or not buy at all.
The main reason to buy "USDA certified organic" food is because the growth, production and distribution processes for these foods are inspected and have to meet rigorous standards to get stamped with the organic seal. No other foods, including those labeled "all-natural" or "hormone free" or "humanely raised" have to meet any standards other than those of the farmer or producer if they are not labeled "certified organic." Most farmers and food producers are not inspected at all. For the most part, if a brand claims to be "all-natural" or "free-range" it is probably a little better than something that doesn't claim to be that but there is no guarantee. Now, does "organic" always mean healthy? No. Ask any of the overweight people I see at the Whole Foods hot bar piling up their plates with organic mac and cheese, fried chicken and pizza. If I am craving something like that, I do feel better if I eat it somewhere like Whole Foods rather than out of a frozen box from the supermarket because it is fresher, taste better and free of unnecessary additives, preservatives and fillers. I believe that organic and natural food is greeted with more kindness and efficiency by our digestive systems and less likely to make us feel crappy, but I think too much organic mac and cheese will make you fat just like too much processed mac and cheese will.
So, if organic foods are raised and produced with higher standards, it makes sense that the foods you would most want to buy organic are those that are otherwise grown and produced under very poor or questionable circumstances. For this reason, I ALWAYS BUY organic eggs, dairy products and meat. The animals raised under conventional methods are treated in a detestable fashion (stuffed into spaces they can't move in and given large quantities of food that is not natural to their systems -- remember, cows are herbivores but the ones raised in factory farms are fed grain) and they often become sick because of it and are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. Eating meat with antibiotics is now thought to be part of the reason for the recent increase in antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in animals and humans. Also, industrial farmers trying to get the most meat from their animals for profit reasons often give their animals growth hormones. The amount of growth hormones people consume by eating animal products is thought to be a reason why girls menstruate so much earlier than they used to, as well as a possible reason for the increased likelihood of developing certain types of cancer when one consumes a diet high in red meat. For these reasons, I always buy organic eggs, meat and dairy. When dining out, I occasionally eat meat that is not organic or humanely raised (if it doesn't say it is, it's not) and I am not proud of that, but I find it hard to live up to even my own high standards all the time. The more I learn, the less likely I am to eat things of unknown origin, but it still happens from time to time because I am human, occasionally hormonal and have cravings.
After doing a fair amount of research on organic foods, I have come to the conclusion that it is not necessary to eat organic fruits and vegetables IF you take the time to wash them and peel them. Research has shown that washing produce removes the majority of potentially dangerous microbes found on it. I buy organic apples because my son will just grab one and eat it with the peel on and I know that the peel is where most of the residue from the pesticides would linger in a conventionally grown apple. While I think organic bananas taste better than regular (some may dispute that), I would not hesitate to eat a non-organic banana because I would peel it first - same with an orange or an avocado. I don't eat many raw vegetables, but if you like to eat raw carrots multiple times a week, you should buy organic because of the quantity you are consuming (any risk posed from pesticides certainly adds up if you are eating something frequently). If you are cooking your vegetables, you are most likely killing off any dangerous microbes anyway. I typically spend the extra money on organic fruits and vegetables because I think they taste better and I am willing to sacrifice some material things like new shoes or jeans for better tasting food. There is also some evidence that organic fruits and vegetables contain slightly more nutrients (likely because they are grown in richer soil), but if you are on a budget, the difference is not significant enough to worry about in my opinion.
It is also helpful to know about "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Clean Fifteen" a list put together by EWG (the Environmental Working Group) of the most and least contaminated fruit and vegetables. This shopping guide (also available as an iphone app) is great to have in your wallet so you know what fruits and vegetables to buy organic, or wash extra carefully or not buy at all if you cannot afford to buy organic. Also, if you are pregnant or nursing you might want to be more vigilant about not allowing any chemicals into your body and the easiest way to do this is to buy certified organic if you can afford it.
So, if you are feeling the squeeze financially but still want to eat a healthy diet, the advice is similar for anyone who wants to be healthy and cut their risk of preventable disease - eat less animal products and processed foods and more plant foods, just wash them first!
Just a reminder this holiday season that 37 million people in the United States do not have enough to eat right now. To help, consider volunteering at your local food bank or giving a holiday donation to an organization like Feeding America. While we can debate the politics and benefits of organics, some families are just trying to figure out how to put food on the table so if you can, help those less fortunate this holiday season.
For more information on how to eat, feel and live better, consider hiring a health coach. Visit my website for more information on my programs.
Cheers to your health!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
5 "Scary" Foods Not To Fear this Halloween (or any other time)
Think of this piece as a companion piece to my September post on Not So healthy Health Foods. Just as there are plenty of foods out there that undeservingly get labeled health foods by misguided (and possibly unprincipled) marketing executives, there are also many foods that for some reason or another get a bum rap as being "bad" or "unhealthy" when really, as long as they are consumed in moderation, are healthy or at least health neutral in my book. The fear of several of these foods is lingering around from the fat-phobic 80s and early 90s, while a few of them are feared for their high carb content as a result of the more recent low carb-craze. While I see positive signs that people are finally starting to realize that being healthy is more about eating fresh, whole foods from the earth than about counting out fat and carbohydrate grams, there are still some foods I hear people despair about that I think can be a part of a healthy diet as long as you don't overdo it.
1. Eggs, especially the yolk. While we all hear of egg white omelets as being the breakfast of choice for celebrities and fitness fanatics, those of us who are more concerned with proper nutrition than our body fat percentage should know that a) most of the nutrients in the egg are located in the yolk and b) an entire egg still only has 70 calories which means you could scramble 2 eggs and eat them on a piece of lightly buttered toast for less calories than you find in most bowls of milk and cereal (and way less sugar). Because eggs are an animal product they do contain cholesterol; however, few people know (and this is a fact) that eating cholesterol does not actually raise your bad cholesterol levels, but eating saturated fat does. Eggs contain some saturated fat but not enough to worry about and the nutrients in eggs, including selenium, B12 and Vitamin D (which are necessary nutrients not found in many foods) more than make up for the amount of fat. Many people (including me) find that starting their day with a couple of eggs instead of cereal helps keep their blood sugar levels stable and cuts cravings for sugar and carbs later in the day. Given the recent salmonella scare, choose organic eggs from the supermarket or fresh eggs from a local provider you trust. I think the extra money is worth it regardless because few animals are treated more poorly than the chickens kept in battery cages to produce cheap supermarket eggs. So, choose wisely and eat up! Veggie omelets and frittatas make great brunch and dinner meals as well. Once a week my husband and I enjoy a veggie frittata and salad for dinner. It's a great way to get rid of unused veggies and get your protein too.
2. Butter. Ever notice how packages of butter never tell you they are healthy but packages of margarine always do? Well, the truth is that neither of them are health foods, but my choice: real butter in moderation every time before any type of margarine. While most margarine no longer contains high amounts of trans fat (warning: due to ridiculous FDA laws in America, food companies can call their product "trans-fat free" if it contains 1 g or less of trans-fat so many still contain trace amounts), it is still a highly processed food made in a factory. The very thing about margarine that makes in convenient - it's spreadability - is also what makes it suspicious. To keep the fats from becoming solid at cool temperatures, they undergo chemical processes such as partial hydrogenation, that render them unrecognizable and useless to the body, therefore causing the body to store them purely as fat. However, butter is a natural product that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Yes, it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but let's not forget that these are things your body actually needs, just in small amounts. A few teaspoons of butter (about 50 cal) can go a long way for flavoring steamed veggies, and because veggies contain fat soluble vitamins, butter can actually help you absorb the nutrients in the veggies better. Where people go wrong is cooking something already high in sat fat like a steak in loads of butter and then placing another pat of butter on top and eating it with a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream. Yes, that's overkill. But a little butter on whole grain toast or broccoli? Go for it!
3. White potatoes. I will never understand how white potatoes got lumped in with white foods like white bread, flour and sugar in the low carb craze, but they did and have been sworn off by many well meaning people as a result. First a personal anecdote: I have never been thinner in my adult life than when I lived off white potatoes for dinner every night. I was so broke in NYC for a time that I literally ate a microwaved baked potato (with light sour cream and fake butter - GROSS) and steamed broccoli every night for dinner. I also ate plain bagels at breakfast during that time but I just didn't eat very much in general so I was Mrs. Poor Quality Control for sure. Now for the more scientific explanation of why they are not evil: white potatoes come from the earth. They contain loads of vitamins and minerals (especially in the skin) and are low in calories as long as you don't load up on the toppings. A medium size baked potato has 130 calories. Yes, they have a higher "glycemic load" than most vegetables but that doesn't make them bad for you as long as you are not living off french fries or "scattered, smothered and covered" hash browns at the Waffle House. So, find a medium size potato, brush the skin with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, bake it at 400 for about an hour, add a touch of real butter or sour cream and experience heaven for about 250 calories. Eat this with a small piece of salmon and some steamed veggies and you have a perfectly balanced meal. Another delicious treat that's healthier than it sounds: oven-baked french fries. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes (keep the skin on), toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic and roast on a large baking sheet at 400. Be sure to spread the "fries" out so they crisp and brown on all sides.
4. White Rice. As I mentioned in my Not So Healthy Health Foods post, many nutrition experts are now coming forward and claiming white rice to be healthier than whole wheat bread. Why? It's less processed. It's just brown rice with the outer shell removed but it's still a fairly in tact whole grain, unlike the pulverized flour used to make breads. This doesn't mean you need to have your turkey sandwich on white rice patties, rather that you shouldn't fear one and consider the other a health food. While brown rice is better for you, white rice just works better for some dishes and you should feel free to cook with it in moderation. Stick to 1/2-3/4 cup per person. The trick is to measure out the dry rice before you cook it and know that 1/4 cup dry=1/2 cup cooked. Top it with lean protein and/or veggies and for a balanced meal. In England, they serve chili over white rice, which is not something I have had here but is really delicious. A bean and grain combo makes for an excellent vegetarian meal choice as a grain+ a bean forms a complete protein.
5. Nuts. While I think most people of my generation and younger understand that nuts are good for you, there are still a lot of older people (yes, I'm talking to you mom) avoiding them for fear of the fat content. Nuts are high in good fat and full of minerals. They are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. I can't find it at the moment, but a few weeks ago I read a study in which they gave two different groups of people about 1500 extra calories a day for a few weeks but one group got it all in candy and the other all in peanuts. The peanut group gained very little or no weight, while the candy group gained what you would expect. The candy group had an increase in insulin levels but no increase in metabolism, while the peanut group had an increase in resting metabolism and no increase in blood sugar levels. The point of the study was to prove that a calorie is not just a calorie and, it's just one study, but it did. The problem with nuts is that most store-bought nuts are overly salted and people eat them in too large of portions. A proper portion of nuts is 1/4 cup (about a handful). If you can't handle the unsalted variety, do what I do: buy one bag salted and one bag unsalted and throw them all into a big ziploc and shake it. The less salt on them, the less addictive they are and you may find you can actually stick to the portion size. Of course some nuts are healthier than others, but any can be used as a garnish on a salad, stir-fry or oatmeal without guilt. Personally, if I'm going to take in the fat and calories found in a 1/4 cup of nuts (about 170 cal, 16 g fat), I prefer it to be from the most nutrient dense nuts like walnuts (highest in omega 3s - brain food!) and almonds (highest in calcium and fiber).
One caveat about the above: when I am discussing a food that is high in animal fat like butter, keep in mind that if you are overweight or have a history of heart disease in your family, this is still a food that should only figure into your diet on special occasions. Likewise, a food with a higher carbohydrate content like white rice is still a food someone who is overweight or has high insulin levels may want to be wary of. However, if you are healthy and do not need to lose a lot of weight, enjoy these foods in moderation without guilt.
For more information on how to eat a balanced diet and other health concerns, consider hiring a health coach. Visit my website www.inhabithealth.com for more information on my programs.
1. Eggs, especially the yolk. While we all hear of egg white omelets as being the breakfast of choice for celebrities and fitness fanatics, those of us who are more concerned with proper nutrition than our body fat percentage should know that a) most of the nutrients in the egg are located in the yolk and b) an entire egg still only has 70 calories which means you could scramble 2 eggs and eat them on a piece of lightly buttered toast for less calories than you find in most bowls of milk and cereal (and way less sugar). Because eggs are an animal product they do contain cholesterol; however, few people know (and this is a fact) that eating cholesterol does not actually raise your bad cholesterol levels, but eating saturated fat does. Eggs contain some saturated fat but not enough to worry about and the nutrients in eggs, including selenium, B12 and Vitamin D (which are necessary nutrients not found in many foods) more than make up for the amount of fat. Many people (including me) find that starting their day with a couple of eggs instead of cereal helps keep their blood sugar levels stable and cuts cravings for sugar and carbs later in the day. Given the recent salmonella scare, choose organic eggs from the supermarket or fresh eggs from a local provider you trust. I think the extra money is worth it regardless because few animals are treated more poorly than the chickens kept in battery cages to produce cheap supermarket eggs. So, choose wisely and eat up! Veggie omelets and frittatas make great brunch and dinner meals as well. Once a week my husband and I enjoy a veggie frittata and salad for dinner. It's a great way to get rid of unused veggies and get your protein too.
2. Butter. Ever notice how packages of butter never tell you they are healthy but packages of margarine always do? Well, the truth is that neither of them are health foods, but my choice: real butter in moderation every time before any type of margarine. While most margarine no longer contains high amounts of trans fat (warning: due to ridiculous FDA laws in America, food companies can call their product "trans-fat free" if it contains 1 g or less of trans-fat so many still contain trace amounts), it is still a highly processed food made in a factory. The very thing about margarine that makes in convenient - it's spreadability - is also what makes it suspicious. To keep the fats from becoming solid at cool temperatures, they undergo chemical processes such as partial hydrogenation, that render them unrecognizable and useless to the body, therefore causing the body to store them purely as fat. However, butter is a natural product that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Yes, it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but let's not forget that these are things your body actually needs, just in small amounts. A few teaspoons of butter (about 50 cal) can go a long way for flavoring steamed veggies, and because veggies contain fat soluble vitamins, butter can actually help you absorb the nutrients in the veggies better. Where people go wrong is cooking something already high in sat fat like a steak in loads of butter and then placing another pat of butter on top and eating it with a baked potato loaded with butter and sour cream. Yes, that's overkill. But a little butter on whole grain toast or broccoli? Go for it!
3. White potatoes. I will never understand how white potatoes got lumped in with white foods like white bread, flour and sugar in the low carb craze, but they did and have been sworn off by many well meaning people as a result. First a personal anecdote: I have never been thinner in my adult life than when I lived off white potatoes for dinner every night. I was so broke in NYC for a time that I literally ate a microwaved baked potato (with light sour cream and fake butter - GROSS) and steamed broccoli every night for dinner. I also ate plain bagels at breakfast during that time but I just didn't eat very much in general so I was Mrs. Poor Quality Control for sure. Now for the more scientific explanation of why they are not evil: white potatoes come from the earth. They contain loads of vitamins and minerals (especially in the skin) and are low in calories as long as you don't load up on the toppings. A medium size baked potato has 130 calories. Yes, they have a higher "glycemic load" than most vegetables but that doesn't make them bad for you as long as you are not living off french fries or "scattered, smothered and covered" hash browns at the Waffle House. So, find a medium size potato, brush the skin with olive oil, sea salt and pepper, bake it at 400 for about an hour, add a touch of real butter or sour cream and experience heaven for about 250 calories. Eat this with a small piece of salmon and some steamed veggies and you have a perfectly balanced meal. Another delicious treat that's healthier than it sounds: oven-baked french fries. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes (keep the skin on), toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic and roast on a large baking sheet at 400. Be sure to spread the "fries" out so they crisp and brown on all sides.
4. White Rice. As I mentioned in my Not So Healthy Health Foods post, many nutrition experts are now coming forward and claiming white rice to be healthier than whole wheat bread. Why? It's less processed. It's just brown rice with the outer shell removed but it's still a fairly in tact whole grain, unlike the pulverized flour used to make breads. This doesn't mean you need to have your turkey sandwich on white rice patties, rather that you shouldn't fear one and consider the other a health food. While brown rice is better for you, white rice just works better for some dishes and you should feel free to cook with it in moderation. Stick to 1/2-3/4 cup per person. The trick is to measure out the dry rice before you cook it and know that 1/4 cup dry=1/2 cup cooked. Top it with lean protein and/or veggies and for a balanced meal. In England, they serve chili over white rice, which is not something I have had here but is really delicious. A bean and grain combo makes for an excellent vegetarian meal choice as a grain+ a bean forms a complete protein.
5. Nuts. While I think most people of my generation and younger understand that nuts are good for you, there are still a lot of older people (yes, I'm talking to you mom) avoiding them for fear of the fat content. Nuts are high in good fat and full of minerals. They are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. I can't find it at the moment, but a few weeks ago I read a study in which they gave two different groups of people about 1500 extra calories a day for a few weeks but one group got it all in candy and the other all in peanuts. The peanut group gained very little or no weight, while the candy group gained what you would expect. The candy group had an increase in insulin levels but no increase in metabolism, while the peanut group had an increase in resting metabolism and no increase in blood sugar levels. The point of the study was to prove that a calorie is not just a calorie and, it's just one study, but it did. The problem with nuts is that most store-bought nuts are overly salted and people eat them in too large of portions. A proper portion of nuts is 1/4 cup (about a handful). If you can't handle the unsalted variety, do what I do: buy one bag salted and one bag unsalted and throw them all into a big ziploc and shake it. The less salt on them, the less addictive they are and you may find you can actually stick to the portion size. Of course some nuts are healthier than others, but any can be used as a garnish on a salad, stir-fry or oatmeal without guilt. Personally, if I'm going to take in the fat and calories found in a 1/4 cup of nuts (about 170 cal, 16 g fat), I prefer it to be from the most nutrient dense nuts like walnuts (highest in omega 3s - brain food!) and almonds (highest in calcium and fiber).
One caveat about the above: when I am discussing a food that is high in animal fat like butter, keep in mind that if you are overweight or have a history of heart disease in your family, this is still a food that should only figure into your diet on special occasions. Likewise, a food with a higher carbohydrate content like white rice is still a food someone who is overweight or has high insulin levels may want to be wary of. However, if you are healthy and do not need to lose a lot of weight, enjoy these foods in moderation without guilt.
For more information on how to eat a balanced diet and other health concerns, consider hiring a health coach. Visit my website www.inhabithealth.com for more information on my programs.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Quality and Quantity: Why Both Matter
When I talk to people who are unhappy with their weight or their energy level (or both), they tend to be either sacrificing quantity control or sacrificing quality control. Once of these will lead to being overweight; one will lead to being low on energy and generally unhealthy. In order to both feel and look good, we must pay attention to both the quality of the foods we eat and the quantity of food we eat. Let me offer you an example of each problem:
Ms. Poor Quality Control:
Breakfast: Venti skim latte, a chocolate-peanut flavored Slim-fast snack bar eaten in the car
Snack: Another venti skim latte
Lunch: One slice of pizza and a diet coke
Afternoon snack: pretzels or chips from the vending machine at work
Dinner: 2 glasses of wine, a Lean Cuisine pasta entree and a Skinny Cow ice cream bar
Total Calories: About 1500
This calorie count is on the lower end for a woman but would be healthy for a smaller, only moderately active woman so this person is exerting good quantity control. She only had one piece of pizza and one real snack and her portions of everything were reasonable.
Nutrient Value: ???????????? I hate to say it but the antioxidants in the wine might make alcohol the healthiest thing this person had all day. This woman would probably look very thin and wear a size 2 or 4, but she could still be at high risk for certain health issues like hypoglycemia, insomnia or chronic fatigue, infertility and even cancer because of the poor quality of her diet. She would also likely not feel very good and may appear tired and pale from the lack of nutrition or jittery from all the caffeine.
Ms. Poor Quantity Control:
Breakfast: Large bowl of all-natural granola with organic soy milk and a banana
Snack: half a 12 oz bag of roasted almonds (3/4 cup)
Lunch: Baked brie and roasted veggie sandwich on crusty 9-grain bread from a gourmet vegetarian sandwich shop; Greek Yogurt, honey and blueberry parfait from the same shop
Snack: Lara Bar
Dinner: 1 glass of red wine, 8 oz piece of salmon, 2 heaping helpings of brown rice, spinach salad with a a generous splash of a bottled "all natural" balsamic vinaigrette and 6 squares of dark chocolate
Total Calories: Almost 3000
Although this person ate only healthy foods, she consumed way too many calories for anyone not training for a marathon. Granola is very calorically dense and is better as a garnish on yogurt than eaten as a cereal. A serving size of almonds is 1/4 cup; she had 3 x that. Sandwich shops tend to use thick cuts of bread and overdo the cheese. An appropriate serving size of brown rice is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and 5-6 oz of salmon should be enough. A Lara Bar is a high calorie snack if it is eaten between large meals and one or two squares of dark chocolate is a great sweet treat, but she overdid it. Bottled salad dressings are very high in calories and she probably used more than the average serving size of 2 Tbsp.
Nutrient Value: Very high. She has ample servings of fruit, veggies and whole grains as well as excellent protein sources and a good amount of healthy fat. This could in fact be an ideal diet if she trimmed about 1000 calories from it. This person has excellent quality control but poor quantity control. This woman would likely be quite healthy by medical testing standards and have very low risk factors for disease yet still be on the heavy side and unhappy with her appearance.
The comparison: If these women were the same height, the woman with the poor quality diet would be significantly thinner because she takes in considerably less calories; however she would likely have much less energy than the woman with the quantity control issue. She would also be likely to have pale or sallow skin and more cellulite, both of which can be caused by eating a diet high in processed foods and low in nutrients. The thin woman could actually have higher total cholesterol because she eats bad fat but no good fat, and she could also have unstable blood sugar levels because too many of her calories come from nutritionally empty foods that are high in sugar and low in fiber.
The Compromise: So ideally, in order to maintain a healthy weight and healthy energy levels and to have that healthy glow, we need to control the quality and quantity of what goes into our body. The ideal diet would actually be a calorie-controlled version of the second diet. Something like this:
Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and a 1/2 cup of blueberries
Calories: Approximately 1800-2000
Nutrient Value: Very high
Some people still do better when they allow themselves to eat what they want (within reason) but control the portions and some people do better when they cut out certain poor quality foods but still allow themselves generous portions. However, if you let either your quantity or quality get out of control, you will sacrifice either your waistline or your health. A good rule of thumb: when eating a poor quality food, eat a very small quantity of it; when eating a high quality food, allow yourself more of it but still don't exceed a reasonable portion size.
To find out more about how to add high quality foods to your diet or what an appropriate portion size of every food is, consider signing up for one of my health and nutrition coaching programs. You can find out more on my website www.inhabithealth.com.
Ms. Poor Quality Control:
Breakfast: Venti skim latte, a chocolate-peanut flavored Slim-fast snack bar eaten in the car
Snack: Another venti skim latte
Lunch: One slice of pizza and a diet coke
Afternoon snack: pretzels or chips from the vending machine at work
Dinner: 2 glasses of wine, a Lean Cuisine pasta entree and a Skinny Cow ice cream bar
Total Calories: About 1500
This calorie count is on the lower end for a woman but would be healthy for a smaller, only moderately active woman so this person is exerting good quantity control. She only had one piece of pizza and one real snack and her portions of everything were reasonable.
Nutrient Value: ???????????? I hate to say it but the antioxidants in the wine might make alcohol the healthiest thing this person had all day. This woman would probably look very thin and wear a size 2 or 4, but she could still be at high risk for certain health issues like hypoglycemia, insomnia or chronic fatigue, infertility and even cancer because of the poor quality of her diet. She would also likely not feel very good and may appear tired and pale from the lack of nutrition or jittery from all the caffeine.
Ms. Poor Quantity Control:
Breakfast: Large bowl of all-natural granola with organic soy milk and a banana
Snack: half a 12 oz bag of roasted almonds (3/4 cup)
Lunch: Baked brie and roasted veggie sandwich on crusty 9-grain bread from a gourmet vegetarian sandwich shop; Greek Yogurt, honey and blueberry parfait from the same shop
Snack: Lara Bar
Dinner: 1 glass of red wine, 8 oz piece of salmon, 2 heaping helpings of brown rice, spinach salad with a a generous splash of a bottled "all natural" balsamic vinaigrette and 6 squares of dark chocolate
Total Calories: Almost 3000
Although this person ate only healthy foods, she consumed way too many calories for anyone not training for a marathon. Granola is very calorically dense and is better as a garnish on yogurt than eaten as a cereal. A serving size of almonds is 1/4 cup; she had 3 x that. Sandwich shops tend to use thick cuts of bread and overdo the cheese. An appropriate serving size of brown rice is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup and 5-6 oz of salmon should be enough. A Lara Bar is a high calorie snack if it is eaten between large meals and one or two squares of dark chocolate is a great sweet treat, but she overdid it. Bottled salad dressings are very high in calories and she probably used more than the average serving size of 2 Tbsp.
Nutrient Value: Very high. She has ample servings of fruit, veggies and whole grains as well as excellent protein sources and a good amount of healthy fat. This could in fact be an ideal diet if she trimmed about 1000 calories from it. This person has excellent quality control but poor quantity control. This woman would likely be quite healthy by medical testing standards and have very low risk factors for disease yet still be on the heavy side and unhappy with her appearance.
The comparison: If these women were the same height, the woman with the poor quality diet would be significantly thinner because she takes in considerably less calories; however she would likely have much less energy than the woman with the quantity control issue. She would also be likely to have pale or sallow skin and more cellulite, both of which can be caused by eating a diet high in processed foods and low in nutrients. The thin woman could actually have higher total cholesterol because she eats bad fat but no good fat, and she could also have unstable blood sugar levels because too many of her calories come from nutritionally empty foods that are high in sugar and low in fiber.
The Compromise: So ideally, in order to maintain a healthy weight and healthy energy levels and to have that healthy glow, we need to control the quality and quantity of what goes into our body. The ideal diet would actually be a calorie-controlled version of the second diet. Something like this:
Breakfast: Greek Yogurt with 1/4 cup granola and a 1/2 cup of blueberries
Snack: 1/4 cup of roasted or raw almonds
Lunch: Open-face veggie sandwich on one piece of whole grain bread with one slice of cheese, an apple
Snack: Lara Bar
Dinner: 1 glass of red wine, 5 oz piece of salmon, 1 scoop of brown rice, 2 cups steamed spinach with fresh lemon juice and 1-2 squares of dark chocolate
Calories: Approximately 1800-2000
Nutrient Value: Very high
Some people still do better when they allow themselves to eat what they want (within reason) but control the portions and some people do better when they cut out certain poor quality foods but still allow themselves generous portions. However, if you let either your quantity or quality get out of control, you will sacrifice either your waistline or your health. A good rule of thumb: when eating a poor quality food, eat a very small quantity of it; when eating a high quality food, allow yourself more of it but still don't exceed a reasonable portion size.
To find out more about how to add high quality foods to your diet or what an appropriate portion size of every food is, consider signing up for one of my health and nutrition coaching programs. You can find out more on my website www.inhabithealth.com.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Not so healthy "Health Foods"
A post like this has been writing itself in my brain for some time now, but reading Marion Nestle's fantastic book, "What to Eat" has finally spurred me to get it in writing. Since I started studying nutrition in depth, it has become quite a challenge not to say "you know that isn't really that good for you" every time a friend or family member eats one of the following foods, or even worse claims to have eaten a "very healthy breakfast" that consists of 2 or more of these foods at the same meal. So rather than insulting your choices while you are trying to enjoy them (because there is nothing more annoying - except perhaps when you order something at a restaurant and a shockingly large portion arrives and everyone says "Whoa!!!" Hungry???" as if you knew they were going to serve 3 meals worth of pasta), I am going to list my top 5 unhealthy "health foods" here. In my opinion, the following foods get WAY more attention and credit as health foods than they deserve. It doesn't mean these foods have have no nutritional value, just that for some reason (i.e. good marketing) these foods have the guise of health when, in fact, they present as many or more problems than they solve, especially for anyone trying to lose weight or increase energy.
1) Whole Wheat Bread (especially commercially prepared and sold): I hate to tell all of you who feel smug when you order your sub on whole wheat every day at lunch, but the effect it has on your blood sugar is only marginally better than that of white bread. It is better for you than white bread because it contains more fiber and protein and is therefore more nutrient-dense, but it is still a processed product made from flour, and when grains are pulverized into flour, they form a starch that is quickly converted into sugar in your bloodstream. You don't need to stop eating whole wheat bread, but if your daily diet (like many Americans) is whole wheat toast or bagel for breakfast, a sandwich on whole wheat at lunch, whole wheat crackers and cheese for snack, etc. you are stalk consuming too much flour (and gluten) and therefore introducing too much sugar into your bloodstream. My guess is that you also feel hungry and lightheaded within 2-3 hours after these meals from the sugar crash. You might feel better than you would if you had all that on white bread, but you would be amazed at how much more energy you would have if you switched to steel cut oats for breakfast, ate a salad with lean protein at lunch and snacked on raw veggies with guacamole.
2) "Whole Grain," "High Fiber" and Other "Healthy" boxed cereals: These are the pet peeve of nutrition coaches like myself who stress the importance of eating whole, fresh foods. Processed cereals come in big boxes and are made by big companies like Kellog's who use all that box space to make myriad and highly suspicious health claims about their products. As Michael Pollan says, if your food tells you it's healthy, it probably isn't (your kale isn't bragging about its iron content is it?). When cereal is made in a factory, they can add all the stuff to it they want... and they do - including not just fiber, anti-oxidants, omega-3s or whatever the new buzz word is, but also sugar, sugar and more sugar. Considering most people eat about twice the portion size listed on a box of cereal, they are often taking in between 4 (the least offensive ones) and 40 (!!!) grams of sugar just at breakfast (not to mention the huge glass of OJ and our next food), which often leads to a day-long pursuit of chasing the sugar high you had at 8 am. Did you know that Special K, All Bran and Corn Flakes all contain high fructose corn syrup? Gross. See this chart for more information. Even Kashi products, which are better than most, have on average 6 g of sugar per serving and like I said, most people eat more than a serving. Try steel-cut oats or eggs and a piece of whole grain toast (preferably made by a local bakery) instead.
3) Flavored Yogurt: "What to Eat" has a great chapter about yogurt called "Yogurt: Health Food or Dessert." Here is the gist: People don't drink as much milk as they used to so dairy producers have had to find other ways to sell the heck out of cow's milk, and they have thanks to Dannon, Yoplait and other makers of this concoction of sweetened, cultured cow's milk presented in all manner and sizes of cartons, tubes (Go-gurt - gross!) and bottles. In all truth, unless you are eating PLAIN yogurt (preferably the thicker, higher protein Greek yogurts), you are eating the equivalent of ice cream under the guise of a health food. Yes, there are great tasting nonfat yogurts, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any supermarket variety with less than 14 grams of sugar, whereas many have as much as 17 to 22 g of sugar. Considering 4 g = 1 tsp of sugar, that's scary! And before you yell, "but it comes from fruit," look closely, most fruit flavored varieties are sweetened with fruit juice concentrates or unnatural sweeteners.
Think of how many well-meaning people eat or feed their kids breakfasts like yogurt, cereal and a banana -- a meal containing as much as 50 g of sugar before 9 am (and that's not including the sugar you put in your coffee or in your kid's juice). If you still crave yogurt, get plain low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt, add a tsp of honey and throw some almonds and berries on top for a much healthier breakfast (with natural forms of probiotics, omega-3 fats and anti-oxidants) or eat it for dessert because that's what most commercially sold yogurt is. If you use flavored yogurt to satisfy sweet cravings thinking it's better than ice cream or cake, you'd be better off with a few squares of dark chocolate.
4) Energy Bars and Protein Bars: Sure they give you energy -- from sugar! With the exception of Lara Bars, which on average contain less than 5 ingredients (all of which are natural), I cannot really recommend any power bars, energy bars or whatever you might call them (i.e. lunch on the go). Most also contain loads of preservatives and artificial ingredients, and even the "organic" ones just contain too many ingredients period. You wouldn't believe how many clever names sugar can fall under in an organic energy bar. Unless you are biking with Lance Armstrong, you really have no business inhaling 20 g of sugar and 17 grams of protein in 5 bites anyway. If you are consuming these for jolts of energy on a really long workout, that's one thing, but as a snack during the work day, they are a very poor choice as you are just filling your body with more sugar, processed forms of protein and other crap than it needs. Have an apple and some almonds instead.
5) Pretzels: A holdover from the "fat-free"craze of the 80s and early 90s, pretzels still have a rep as healthy snacks. This is very puzzling to me because pretzels are the exact nutritional equivalent of white bread with salt on it. Does anyone think that's healthy? Sure, some fancy ones are made with whole wheat flour but for some reason when big food companies make something with whole wheat instead of white flour, they often assume people won't like the healthier taste and add more sugar, salt or even high fructose corn syrup to make up the difference so if you are shopping for a healthier version, read the labels very carefully. I'm not saying kids shouldn't eat pretzels (most are active enough to burn off the sugar that quickly rushes into their bloodstream) but please, for the love of mother nature, stop calling them "really healthy snacks." They are made of flour, salt and sugar: the American healthcare crisis trifecta! A really healthy snack: an apple with natural almond butter, raw veggies with hummus or a generous handful of walnuts.
Thanks for letting me wax non-poetically on my soapbox. It felt good! I am taking clients now so to find out more about private or group nutrition coaching, visit www.inhabithealth.com.
1) Whole Wheat Bread (especially commercially prepared and sold): I hate to tell all of you who feel smug when you order your sub on whole wheat every day at lunch, but the effect it has on your blood sugar is only marginally better than that of white bread. It is better for you than white bread because it contains more fiber and protein and is therefore more nutrient-dense, but it is still a processed product made from flour, and when grains are pulverized into flour, they form a starch that is quickly converted into sugar in your bloodstream. You don't need to stop eating whole wheat bread, but if your daily diet (like many Americans) is whole wheat toast or bagel for breakfast, a sandwich on whole wheat at lunch, whole wheat crackers and cheese for snack, etc. you are stalk consuming too much flour (and gluten) and therefore introducing too much sugar into your bloodstream. My guess is that you also feel hungry and lightheaded within 2-3 hours after these meals from the sugar crash. You might feel better than you would if you had all that on white bread, but you would be amazed at how much more energy you would have if you switched to steel cut oats for breakfast, ate a salad with lean protein at lunch and snacked on raw veggies with guacamole.
2) "Whole Grain," "High Fiber" and Other "Healthy" boxed cereals: These are the pet peeve of nutrition coaches like myself who stress the importance of eating whole, fresh foods. Processed cereals come in big boxes and are made by big companies like Kellog's who use all that box space to make myriad and highly suspicious health claims about their products. As Michael Pollan says, if your food tells you it's healthy, it probably isn't (your kale isn't bragging about its iron content is it?). When cereal is made in a factory, they can add all the stuff to it they want... and they do - including not just fiber, anti-oxidants, omega-3s or whatever the new buzz word is, but also sugar, sugar and more sugar. Considering most people eat about twice the portion size listed on a box of cereal, they are often taking in between 4 (the least offensive ones) and 40 (!!!) grams of sugar just at breakfast (not to mention the huge glass of OJ and our next food), which often leads to a day-long pursuit of chasing the sugar high you had at 8 am. Did you know that Special K, All Bran and Corn Flakes all contain high fructose corn syrup? Gross. See this chart for more information. Even Kashi products, which are better than most, have on average 6 g of sugar per serving and like I said, most people eat more than a serving. Try steel-cut oats or eggs and a piece of whole grain toast (preferably made by a local bakery) instead.
3) Flavored Yogurt: "What to Eat" has a great chapter about yogurt called "Yogurt: Health Food or Dessert." Here is the gist: People don't drink as much milk as they used to so dairy producers have had to find other ways to sell the heck out of cow's milk, and they have thanks to Dannon, Yoplait and other makers of this concoction of sweetened, cultured cow's milk presented in all manner and sizes of cartons, tubes (Go-gurt - gross!) and bottles. In all truth, unless you are eating PLAIN yogurt (preferably the thicker, higher protein Greek yogurts), you are eating the equivalent of ice cream under the guise of a health food. Yes, there are great tasting nonfat yogurts, but you'd be hard-pressed to find any supermarket variety with less than 14 grams of sugar, whereas many have as much as 17 to 22 g of sugar. Considering 4 g = 1 tsp of sugar, that's scary! And before you yell, "but it comes from fruit," look closely, most fruit flavored varieties are sweetened with fruit juice concentrates or unnatural sweeteners.
Think of how many well-meaning people eat or feed their kids breakfasts like yogurt, cereal and a banana -- a meal containing as much as 50 g of sugar before 9 am (and that's not including the sugar you put in your coffee or in your kid's juice). If you still crave yogurt, get plain low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt, add a tsp of honey and throw some almonds and berries on top for a much healthier breakfast (with natural forms of probiotics, omega-3 fats and anti-oxidants) or eat it for dessert because that's what most commercially sold yogurt is. If you use flavored yogurt to satisfy sweet cravings thinking it's better than ice cream or cake, you'd be better off with a few squares of dark chocolate.
4) Energy Bars and Protein Bars: Sure they give you energy -- from sugar! With the exception of Lara Bars, which on average contain less than 5 ingredients (all of which are natural), I cannot really recommend any power bars, energy bars or whatever you might call them (i.e. lunch on the go). Most also contain loads of preservatives and artificial ingredients, and even the "organic" ones just contain too many ingredients period. You wouldn't believe how many clever names sugar can fall under in an organic energy bar. Unless you are biking with Lance Armstrong, you really have no business inhaling 20 g of sugar and 17 grams of protein in 5 bites anyway. If you are consuming these for jolts of energy on a really long workout, that's one thing, but as a snack during the work day, they are a very poor choice as you are just filling your body with more sugar, processed forms of protein and other crap than it needs. Have an apple and some almonds instead.
5) Pretzels: A holdover from the "fat-free"craze of the 80s and early 90s, pretzels still have a rep as healthy snacks. This is very puzzling to me because pretzels are the exact nutritional equivalent of white bread with salt on it. Does anyone think that's healthy? Sure, some fancy ones are made with whole wheat flour but for some reason when big food companies make something with whole wheat instead of white flour, they often assume people won't like the healthier taste and add more sugar, salt or even high fructose corn syrup to make up the difference so if you are shopping for a healthier version, read the labels very carefully. I'm not saying kids shouldn't eat pretzels (most are active enough to burn off the sugar that quickly rushes into their bloodstream) but please, for the love of mother nature, stop calling them "really healthy snacks." They are made of flour, salt and sugar: the American healthcare crisis trifecta! A really healthy snack: an apple with natural almond butter, raw veggies with hummus or a generous handful of walnuts.
Thanks for letting me wax non-poetically on my soapbox. It felt good! I am taking clients now so to find out more about private or group nutrition coaching, visit www.inhabithealth.com.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Recipes: Legume Time!
Beans have been called "nature's perfect food" by many a nutrition expert because they are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber and low in fat. Because they are a plant protein, they are naturally cholesterol free (unlike animal protein sources), and a great main course option for vegetarians. They are also high in iron and folic acid, two essential nutrients than can be hard to come by in the Standard American Diet or, as I like to call it, SAD. And, in tough economic times, I must add that they are CHEAP. I really can't think of any other food that can fill you up and deliver proper nutrition for so little money.
Of course what makes beans so filling is the high fiber content and that is also what can make beans a nemesis for some sensitive digestive systems. As for that little "issue" some people have with beans, there are a few ways to work around this: 1) eat smaller portions and introduce them slowly to the system; 2) add digestion-easing spices and condiments to bean dishes; 3) cook your own beans from scratch so that you can ensure longer soaking and cooking times, both of which will make them more digestible.
Here are a couple ideas for adding legumes to your daily diet as well as two recipes for excellent bean dishes that work well as a side dish or main dish.
Add beans to your salad or substitute beans for the meat. Here are a few of my favorite "salad hold the lettuce" combos:
1) Chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow peppers (think about veggies that go well with hummus), sunflower seeds, a sprinkle of good grated parmesan cheese.
2) Black beans, yellow peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken (optional).
3) Edamame, shrimp, steamed asparagus and/or broccoli, cherry tomatoes.
Tip: throw all the ingredients into a tupperware container. Drizzle the juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp of olive or flax oil onto the contents. Cover and shake. Add a little pepper and sea salt if you wish. Eat out of container if you are on the go or dump into a nicer dish if eating at home. This "shaking" method allows you to cover all of the contents with about half the amount of dressing you might normally use.
Recipe: Curried Lentils: I have been obsessed with these ever since my brother-in-law made them for me almost two years ago. My husband started making them and I have finally mastered it on my own. This recipe serves 2-4 depending on whether you are eating it as a main or side dish. One of my favorite meals is pan roasted salmon or seared tuna over sauteed spinach and curried lentils.
Lentils don't have to be soaked but I still recommend it to cut down on cooking time. Soak 1 cup of green or brown lentils for about an hour. Drain and set aside. Sautee chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat (always put onions on a few minutes before garlic). Add a healthy amount of cumin and/or curry powder (just cumin is also fine). Add a bay leaf or two (optional). Add the lentils. Add 2-3 cups water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender, which can take 10-20 minutes depending on soak time.
This is a great dish because cumin and bay leaf are digestion-promoting spices and should ease the digestion of the lentils. According to cooks.com you can also just throw all this in a pot and simmer for 40 minutes but I haven't tried it that way.
Recipe: Chickpea Croquettes
I had absolutely nothing to do with the conception of this recipe so I cannot take any credit, but they are to-die-for. This recipe from the gorgeous vegetarian recipes blog Fresh 365 is adapted from Vegetarian Times. I am pasting it for ease, but I recommend visiting the site because the blogger is also a photographer and just looking at this site will make you crave vegetables.
Of course what makes beans so filling is the high fiber content and that is also what can make beans a nemesis for some sensitive digestive systems. As for that little "issue" some people have with beans, there are a few ways to work around this: 1) eat smaller portions and introduce them slowly to the system; 2) add digestion-easing spices and condiments to bean dishes; 3) cook your own beans from scratch so that you can ensure longer soaking and cooking times, both of which will make them more digestible.
Here are a couple ideas for adding legumes to your daily diet as well as two recipes for excellent bean dishes that work well as a side dish or main dish.
Add beans to your salad or substitute beans for the meat. Here are a few of my favorite "salad hold the lettuce" combos:
1) Chick peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow peppers (think about veggies that go well with hummus), sunflower seeds, a sprinkle of good grated parmesan cheese.
2) Black beans, yellow peppers, avocado, grape tomatoes, grilled chicken (optional).
3) Edamame, shrimp, steamed asparagus and/or broccoli, cherry tomatoes.
Tip: throw all the ingredients into a tupperware container. Drizzle the juice of 1/2 lemon and/or 1tsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tsp of olive or flax oil onto the contents. Cover and shake. Add a little pepper and sea salt if you wish. Eat out of container if you are on the go or dump into a nicer dish if eating at home. This "shaking" method allows you to cover all of the contents with about half the amount of dressing you might normally use.
Recipe: Curried Lentils: I have been obsessed with these ever since my brother-in-law made them for me almost two years ago. My husband started making them and I have finally mastered it on my own. This recipe serves 2-4 depending on whether you are eating it as a main or side dish. One of my favorite meals is pan roasted salmon or seared tuna over sauteed spinach and curried lentils.
Lentils don't have to be soaked but I still recommend it to cut down on cooking time. Soak 1 cup of green or brown lentils for about an hour. Drain and set aside. Sautee chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil over medium heat (always put onions on a few minutes before garlic). Add a healthy amount of cumin and/or curry powder (just cumin is also fine). Add a bay leaf or two (optional). Add the lentils. Add 2-3 cups water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender, which can take 10-20 minutes depending on soak time.
This is a great dish because cumin and bay leaf are digestion-promoting spices and should ease the digestion of the lentils. According to cooks.com you can also just throw all this in a pot and simmer for 40 minutes but I haven't tried it that way.
Recipe: Chickpea Croquettes
I had absolutely nothing to do with the conception of this recipe so I cannot take any credit, but they are to-die-for. This recipe from the gorgeous vegetarian recipes blog Fresh 365 is adapted from Vegetarian Times. I am pasting it for ease, but I recommend visiting the site because the blogger is also a photographer and just looking at this site will make you crave vegetables.
Chickpea Croquettes
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c hot water
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 habanero or jalapeno, minced (optional)
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 T chopped cilantro leaves
3 T olive oil
In a large bowl, add flour, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Stir until well combined. Add in chickpeas, scallions, pepper, habanero, garlic and cilantro. Stir well.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, over medium heat. With your hands, form the chickpea mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2“ thick (the patties may be quite wet, but will stay together when cooked). Place 4 patties in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. With a spatula, flip patties, and cook 4-5 minutes on the other side, until that side begins to brown. Transfer to a plate, or cook for an additional minute on each side, until desired doneness. Repeat with the remaining 4 patties. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or chopped avocado.
1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c hot water
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 habanero or jalapeno, minced (optional)
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 T chopped cilantro leaves
3 T olive oil
In a large bowl, add flour, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Stir until well combined. Add in chickpeas, scallions, pepper, habanero, garlic and cilantro. Stir well.
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, over medium heat. With your hands, form the chickpea mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2“ thick (the patties may be quite wet, but will stay together when cooked). Place 4 patties in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. With a spatula, flip patties, and cook 4-5 minutes on the other side, until that side begins to brown. Transfer to a plate, or cook for an additional minute on each side, until desired doneness. Repeat with the remaining 4 patties. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or chopped avocado.
These are terrific as a main dish served with a chopped romaine or spinach salad. Try making your salad dressing with lemon juice, herbs, a touch of olive oil, garlic and non-fat Greek yogurt for a really healthy meal option.
I hope you enjoy these ideas for adding beans to your daily diet. By the way, I am now officially certified as a Holistic Health Coach so please visit my website if you are interested in private nutrition and health coaching by phone or in-person. As always, thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoy these ideas for adding beans to your daily diet. By the way, I am now officially certified as a Holistic Health Coach so please visit my website if you are interested in private nutrition and health coaching by phone or in-person. As always, thanks for reading!
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