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/

Fish Doesn’t Have to be Tricky August 24, 2009

Cooking fish takes some practice. That is for sure. I have been cooking up the stuff for about 3 years and I am still using trial and error. I’ve had a few successes and I’ll share one below. The key is to not give up. Keep trying new kinds of fish and methods and I promise you will find a winner. I have burned many a fish, stunk up the house, and turned someting yummy into something gross. But I just keep trucking.

This summer we have been grilling our fish (go figure). In order to grill a fish, it has to be a thick, meaty fish. We have really been enjoying Mahi Mahi. Salmon also works well. Thin fish fillets will likely fall apart on the grill.

When you grill anything the trick is (first spray the grill) to not touch your meat till it is ready to be flipped. Don’t mess with it at all. When it’s ready to be turned it should come right off the grill. If the meat sticks at all, leave it because it’s not ready. Often this means a little less cooking time on the second side.

Here’s what I did tonight for dinner:

• Preheat grill to medium high.
• Season Mahi with Crazy Salt (spice isle at the grocery store) on both sides.
• Spray grill with non-stick spray
• Lay down fish and walk away. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes with the lid on.
• Flip and cook an additional 5 minutes. Fish should be firm but give some when you press into it gently.

And that is all folks. It is really easy. I also cut up some mango wedges and grilled them. I served the fish with the mango on top. To keep with the fruit theme, I put blueberries on our green salad. It was delicious.

Keep on cooking fish! It’s healthy and tasty. Please post any other good fish ideas you have. Happy grilling!

A Little Redemption August 20, 2009

Just for the record, my trainer, Katie, kicked my booty this morning during our workout. I figure I deserved it, and now I feel a whole lot better. Sometimes you just need a good kick in the pants from intense exercise to get you back into the swing of things.

Make a healthy choice today!

Cookies are my Kryptonite August 19, 2009

I’m going to put myself out there and share my deep dark secret. I hope you can handle it. The fact is I love to bake. There, I said it. I am a dietitian who loves to make all things sweet. (God and I have had many conversations over why this truth exists.)  And if I really had to get specific, I would say that my favorite food in the whole wide world is cookies. If I could live off cookies, I would, and in heaven, I will be. =)

Well, this week seems to have been all about baked goods for me. I try to limit my baking because honestly, I eat what I make. But this week, I had offered to make something for two events and then was also blessed by friend’s World’s Best Cookies (I capitilize this because I mean it). So here it is Wednesday and I have eaten more cookies than I care to admit. I also don’t feel very good. I really want to go run a long distance (at 9pm at night) to make up for it. I know when I feel the “make up for it” mentality, I have gone a little too far. (Like I said, I am really putting myself out there.)

So why am I telling you this? I tell you this because I have a decision to make just like everyone else. What is the next healthy decision that I am going to make? I sometimes feel like poor eating choices come in about tens. One quickly leads to another and another and another. When I start eating a lot of sweets (over a few days time) it sometimes feels difficult to stop. Have you ever felt that way? It’s like it’s so hard to get into the habit of healthy choices and so easy to fall into a string of poor choices.

Now I need a plan for the rest of  my week to get myself back on track. Step 1 – throw out all remaining sweets. No wait, my hubby took care of that one already. 2 – Think through tomorrow’s decisions including a little extra cardio time, planned lunch, and smart snacks.  3 – Gear up for weekend eating by thinking through where I will be eating and how I can make calorie appropriate decisions.

The point of my confession today is that we all struggle with our food kryptonite, whatever it may be. We will always love that food too. There’s no getting around it. But we have to identify habits that allow us to have a healthier relationship with that food. Mine starts with limiting my baking. This is something I choose to do for my own well-being.

Think about your kryptonite food(s) today and start coming up with strategies to help you fit it into your life in a healthy way. It takes continual effort. I am certainly not superwoman yet.

Have a healthy day and save your calories for a really awesome cookie!

The Great World of Food and Health August 17, 2009

Warning: Today’s post is a little random and kind of deep. Enjoy, I think.

In the past 12 hours I have had some interesting thoughts float through my head. It all started last night as I read someones blog and noticed they had traveled around the world. The focus of their trip, as far as I could tell, was simply to learn how other cultures live and seek good health. This is a fascinating concept to me – that people approach health very differently in other parts of the world. I can’t help but wonder who has it right. Is it the non-animal-protein eaters? Is the whole-grain obsessed? Is it the eat-local-only people? There are so many approaches to eating and many of them are good.

As a dietitian my practice of nutrition is based on science. This is what the essence of being a RD is. I can’t just make up something  (or use one person’s story) about eating and how it effects the body and then tell everyone to do it. The scientific method is a good process that I do not resist, but it leaves me wanting more information sometimes. Science is a slow process that doesn’t always give clear answers to the original question.

I have always felt that one of my greatest roles as a dietitian is to help the public understand the scientific messages of nutrition and how to apply them to their daily lives. But what about the other nutrition concepts that have no research behind them (yet) but produce fantastic health in other cultures? I really want to learn more about how other people (non-Americans) go about health and nutrition. This is probably going to become a life-long quest. Food is such an important element to life. It brings people together and obviously promotes health. I hope I get the chance over the course of my life to learn from other cultures around their meal table.

In conclusion, I hope my thoughts haven’t left you more confused about how you should eat. On the contrary, be encouraged that there are many good approaches to eating. Remember, eating healthy is simple. You don’t need expensive food and tons of time, necessarily. Healthy eating comes in many levels and I encourage you to continue to make small changes, one at a time, toward healthier eating.  Ask yourself this today,” What does it mean to me to ‘eat healthy’ ? What am I working towards?” We all have a different answer to that question which is great. Just don’t forget the basics: produce, whole grains and fiber, reduce saturated fat, and be mindful of calories. 

And in the meantime, I think it’s ok to be influenced by others philosophy of eating. Please post some of your impressions of eating that you’ve learned from other cultures or even other people in your immediate life. I am so curious.

Have a healthy day!

The Healthiest Food EVER? August 15, 2009

I was recently asked by someone I met (who found out I was a dietitian) what the healthiest single food is. I am tickled by this question. Every food offers our bodies different nutrients and health-promoting properties. There are so many healthy foods that you just can’t pick one.

If I could read into his question a little, I would infer that maybe he was really asking, “what’s the one change that I can make in my diet that will make a difference?” Now, I do enjoy thinking of nutrition in this way. Everyone can make one little change in their eating that can make a difference on their health.

My favorite change to suggest is eating more fiber. This one change has so many positive effects on your total health.The goal is increase your intake between 30-40 grams a day. This takes some work but is totally doable. Track your intake at www.thedailyplate.com, one of my favorite online food journals.

So take a  minute to think about one little change you can make this week to your eating. Sometimes, it only takes one to make a difference in your life!