Around the World in 19 Days… September 28, 2009

…That is what my life has felt like this past month. Can anyone relate? I literally have had no extra time to blog! I hate being absent for so long. Forgive me, few and faithful readers. Here’s a little recap of what I have been up to:

I traveled to upstate New York for a family birthday; I started 2 new nutrition and lifestyle programs at the Y; I gave 2 grocery store tours and 2 team talks to athletes at JU;I got sick with the cold crud (not the flu, thankfully); I had one Saturday of absolutely nothing planned and that is also what I did (in attempts to get better); I put on my first Jacksonville Dietetic Association meeting as president-elect; the Seminoles had a great win (BYU); the Seminoles had a great loss (USF); and lastly, I traveled to Athens Georgia for my first Georgia Bulldogs football game. And that’s where the content of this post comes from.

Yesterday, as I was driving home through Atlanta, I noticed 2 billboards right next to each other. I have never seen billboards like these ones before. The first was for The Varsity restaurant and stated that “Vitamin V”, as in The Varsity, was all you needed. The second board was for another fast food restaurant that stated,” Antidepressants without medication” and showed a picture of a yummy dessert. I was a little taken aback by these signs because they were such blatant slaps in the face for healthy eating. Both restaurants wanted you to eat their food to feel better about yourself and life.

I think I was slightly offended by these messages because I work with so many people who know they emotional/stress eat and don’t want to. In fact, we all eat this way at one point or another. The fact is that certain foods make us feel better, especially ones that aren’t the best for our long-term health or weight. I think that to some degree, it’s good that food makes us feel better. It’s a natural response. But we all abuse it too. So what do we do about our personal “vitamin V’s” and food antidepressants? Well, I think we all need an individual plan of attack and have to recognize our patterns. We have to train ourselves to start thinking before we put food in our mouths. Here are 2 strategies for helping you overcome some stress and emotional eating.

1. Think about when you stress and/or emotional eat. Jot down circumstances that set you off , the time of day it regularly occurs and the foods you usually go to. Then identify some food substitutions or physical distractions to help change your response.

2. Pause before you put something in your mouth. I think even if you have a fleeting thought of “Am I really hungry for this?” (or something similar) you are making a positive step. The goal is to think and then eat, not just put food in your mouth.

Again, I apologize for my absence. Life has been crazy, but whose isn’t? No matter what is going on, there is always some time for healthy eating. Have a healthy day!

Colon Cleansing September 9, 2009

Colon cleansing is definitely a health trend right now. There seems to be all kind of products available to help you detox. I am often asked if detoxing/cleansing is necessary. At this point, no research has suggested that it is particularly helpful. It is more about the food you eat day-to-day then the substance you put in your colon, that makes a difference.

To address the idea that there is layers of “crud” building up in people’s guts: My mother-in-law is an OR nurse who often does scoping procedures. She has seen her share of people’s intestines. I asked her if she has ever seen any build-up in someone’s colons and she said “never.” Hmmm.

Here (http://www.webmd.com/balance/natural-colon-cleansing-is-it-necessary) is a great article on Webmd that really evaluates the pros and cons of colon cleansing. Here is an exert that I like.

Why Colon Cleansing is likely not Needed:

• Natural bacteria in the colon detoxify food wastes.
• The liver also neutralizes toxins.
• Mucus membranes in the colon keep unwanted substances from reentering the blood and tissues.
• The colon sheds old cells about every three days, preventing a buildup of harmful material.
• The normal number of bowel movements varies from person to person. It may be as often as a few times a day or as little as a few times a week.
• Increasing the number of bowel movements doesn’t improve weight loss. That’s because the body absorbs most calories before they reach the large intestine.

The best way to detox and cleanse is to increase your fiber intake to about 30 grams a day, drink lots of water and eat fruits and veggies. It’s also a lot more fun.

Have a healthy day!

Stress Totally Stinks September 4, 2009

I have had a stressful week. I work between 3 and 5 regular jobs (all less than part time) and every few months all of them demand my time. Thus has been the past 2 weeks. My mind has been filled with a long to-do list and trying to stay organized all the while remembering where I am driving to. It gets really confusing sometimes.

So yesterday I was driving to my third location (and third technical job) of the day. I was pressed for time, didn’t have copies made for my group, was trying to help a co-worker who was confused about an important issue, and did not have internet access all day! I realized I was hungry and pulled out my snack from lunch bag, an apple, I think. After about 15 minutes I realized I had eaten 3 snacks, was no longer hungry, and didn’t care. In a moment of panic I realized I was stress eating! We have all been there and it really is a good moment when you catch yourself. I immediately put in a relaxing cd which helped calm me down and reconnect my brain to my belly.

We all handle stress in different ways. Food is so magical, though, in that it seems to make our cares float away in a moment of chocolate (or salty, or crunchy, or creamy) delight. I think if we have this reaction to food, it’s essentially good. We should enjoy food! Life would stink without our favorite foods. But we cannot abuse it!

Breaking stress-eating habits takes some effort. First, you have to think about when you stress-eat and what you choose. Second, make it difficult to get your hands on that food (don’t buy it or keep it at work). Third, make a plan to substitute a healthier food (bring it with you) or habit (exercise, phone call, read, etc).  You will need a plan to change your habits. It just won’t happen all of the sudden.

It is now Friday and a long, relaxing weekend is ahead. I am so glad. Hopefully my mind will slow down and re-coop after some rest, healthy food and hard exercise. Take a few moments to de-stress from your week with something other than food. Take a walk, go to your favorite website, call a good friend…whatever works.

Have a healthy and relaxing weekend!

Good News for Stevia Fanatics and Splenda too! September 3, 2009

Ahh… the splenda vs stevia battle continues. Some interesting scientific news came out this week about these two sweeteners.

1. Sweetleaf Stevia is now not only a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) product but has also received the “no objection” blessing of the FDA.  This is considered the gold standard in safety labeling for food. Awesome news, right?! So keep on using Stevia products, although this certification is for Sweetleaf brand only. Check out this link for an easy to understand briefing: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Legislation/FDA-has-no-objection-to-GRAS-for-SweetLeaf-stevia

2. The research about Splenda/Sucralose that came out last year (see September 28, 2008 post) has come under scrutiny. This study found that using recommended amounts of sucralose decreased helpful bacteria in the guts … of rats. An independent panel (very important detail) of researchers have reevaluated the study and found it lacked scientific rigor. This basically means that the conclusions from the study are not really valid. The sucralose witch-hunt will continue on! Check out the brief at: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Sucralose-safety-scientifically-sound-Expert-panel

What do you think about this? Which product do you prefer to use and why?

It’s Official September 2, 2009

I am now a Dolphin!

http://www.judolphins.com/news/default/176/13514/