When faced with choosing proper portion sizes, remember you have one of the most useful tools right at your fingertips – actually, ATTATCHED to your fingertips!
Your hand is a great measuring device, and it goes with you everywhere. With a little preliminary experimenting, you’ll never be caught unprepared again. Read more →
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – or corn syrup that has been broken down and processed to form a ratio-specific blend of fructose and glucose – has become the go-to sweetener for the United States food industry. Two of the main reasons for this are that the high fructose blend, in comparison to sucrose (or table sugar), is sweeter in taste and cheaper to produce.
In today’s grocery store you will find HFCS listed in the ingredient list for almost any processed food that you purchase – from breads and cereals to lunch meats and yogurts. The significance of this continues to be argued. Read more →
One of the concepts stressed to our Optifast patients in the “Making the Transition” class is that minimizing variety is helpful when re-introducing food back into the diet.
Recently, however, it has been pointed out to me that this concept is a bit confusing – as most of the time it’s the opposite advice that one hears (such as “eat a variety of fruits and vegetables”).
So what gives??
While it is necessary to eat a variety of foods in order to get all the vitamins and minerals that a body needs to function properly, it may seem overwhelming to have to think about (or be tempted with) variety – especially if an individual hasn’t had to deal with “real” food for three months. For this reason, we encourage meal planning with only a small selection of foods at first. It may seem boring or counter-productive to limit choices when the ultimate goal is to eat a calorically appropriate daily diet that provides all necessary nutrients; but, at least initially, it may be the best approach for the transition period.
Be assured that by the time our Optifast patients reach the end of their transition period, they will have hopefully picked up many tips and tools to create and enjoy a multitude of different meal options that keep them happy and healthy…because it’s true: variety IS the spice of life!
Recently, while perusing the Dole Nutrition Institute Newsletter, I came across an interesting article about palmitic acid, a saturated fat found in meat and whole milk dairy foods, as well as in palm oil (which is used extensively as a preservative in shelf-stable processed foods).
According to research done at the University of Cincinnati, palmitic acid actually interferes with the metabolic process that controls appetite and thermogenesis (the conversion of calories to body heat).
Usually, when fat is ingested, there is a rise in blood leptin levels – which still occurs when the fat consumed is palmitic acid. However, the presence of palmitic acid reduces the normal brain response to leptin (the actual hormone that triggers satiety and thermogenesis) by roughly half…so even though the hormone is present, the brain ignores it!!
Basically, what this research suggests is that, when you eat a food containing high levels of palmitic acid (think: cookies, chips, pastries, ice cream, etc), you are at an even higher risk of over-consuming the food because your body, itself, doesn’t even realize when it’s had enough.
Take home message? Check the ingredient list and steering clear of anything containing palm oil (good luck!)…
Dole prefers you to stick to fruits and vegetables (which, by the way, not only fill you up physically, but also contain compounds that help support the right hormonal balance needed for hunger control) – imagine that!
Read the Dole Article HERE.
(for the most weight gain, that is!!)
Well, perhaps for some of us this doesn’t come as a big surprise, but French fries can help make you fat.
A recently published study in the New England Journal of Medicine compared the weight gain associated with an additional daily serving of different foods. Over a four year period French fries caused an additional 3.35 lb weight gain.
“This suggests that the path to eating fewer calories is not simply to count calories, but to focus on consuming a more healthy diet in general,” stated the lead author, Dariush Mosaffarian. And the foods associated with slight weight loss over the same time period? Fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains and yogurt!
So, next time the choice is between an order of French fries and a fresh salad- choose the salad!
Almonds are high in fiber, low in cholesterol, and nutrient-rich (in magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and calcium – to name a few)…
Almond milk, in it’s purest form, consists of ground almonds and water.
Regular, unsweetened almond milk can be drunk on its own, or used as a substitute for cow’s milk in many recipes – which, when combined with its health benefits, makes almond milk ideal for individuals who are lactose-intolerant, have soy allergies (and therefore cannot drink soy milk), or are interested in losing weight.
There are several almond milk options (including those with additives and sweeteners) – but in general, if you choose unsweetened almond milk (remember to read the nutrient facts label and the ingredient list) it contains less calories, carbohydrates, and cholesterol – and more fiber – than a comparable amount of [any type of] cow’s milk.
Bear in mind, however, it tastes nothing like cow’s milk (it has a light, nutty flavor) – so if you usually have a hard time warming up to something new, try it first as a milk replacement (in your coffee, perhaps) before going all out and downing an entire cup……remember, small steps are better than no steps at all!!
Whether or not you identify with being a vegetarian, there is one thing that the lifestyle has going for it – BEANS!
Beans are a great source of low-fat protein (and fiber!) – and a good addition to almost any dish that you would otherwise pair with meat. Chilies, soups, salads, etc.
Here’s a website that offers tons of bean recipes to get you started: http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/bean-recipes.php
Happy Cooking ~
On June 2nd, the First Lady helped to unveil the federal government’s new “food icon”, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. It’s a simple graphic representation of the 2010 Guidelines for Healthy Americans, and the replacement for the Food Guide Pyramid (the USDA’s 1992 food icon) and/or MyPyramid (the USDA’s 2005 food icon).
The Guidelines main messages include:
Balance Calories
Foods to Increase
Foods to Reduce
To quote the press release, “As Americans are experiencing epidemic rates of overweight and obesity, the online resources and tools [which can be found on ChooseMyPlate.gov] can empower people to make healthier food choices for themselves, their families, and their children.” Additionally, later this year, USDA will unveil an exciting “go-to” online tool that consumers can use to personalize and manage their dietary and physical activity choices – a perfect compliment to any weight loss program!!
Many patients express interest in nutritional supplements and vitamins. Among these, CoQ 10 has been a major topic of discussion. CoQ10 is a fat-soluble vitamin-like substance present in every cell of the body and facilitates the production of energy within cells. It is found naturally in many foods (particularly high amounts in organ meats, certain fish, and peanuts) and is also synthesized in the body. CoQ 10 is the coenzyme for several mitochondrial (the cellular energy producer) enzymes.
Additionally, CoQ 10 is a powerful antioxidant, functioning as a free radical scavenger. This may be beneficial in reducing cancer risk, enhancing immune function, and slowing the progression of atherosclerosis (cholesterol plaque in arteries). These antioxidant effects might slow down the aging process and related degenerative diseases. Patients suffering from congestive heart failure have seen improvement with CoQ 10 as well.
The dosage recommendations for CoQ 10 vary, but between 60mg and 100mg daily is effective and well tolerated.
Recently, on a mission to find a jar of “healthy” peanut butter at the grocery store (did you know that most peanut butters contain trans fat?), I came across an ingredient listing that I haven’t encountered before: “hydrogenated oil” – not the infamous “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” (better known as trans fat) – just “hydrogenated oil”…naturally, I had to investigate…
The process of hydrogenation was actually discovered/invented over a century ago. It involves “fusing” additional hydrogen atoms to a chain of carbon atoms wherever there are double bonds holding the carbon atoms together. Fatty acids (one type of “carbon chain” molecule) are characterized as either saturated or unsaturated based on the presence of double bonds – if a “carbon chain” contains no double bonds, it is said to be saturated; if there are double bonds, it is unsaturated. When the additional hydrogen atoms are “fused” to the double-bonded carbon atoms in a “carbon chain” the double bond is broken, resulting in either partial or full saturation of the fatty acid, depending on whether or not all of the double bonds have been replaced with single bonds.
Chemically speaking, trans fats are unsaturated fats – however research has shown that they are worse for us than saturated fats. A more current research theory suggests that the enzyme responsible for breaking down fatty acids cannot metabolize the trans fat molecule configuration, which ultimately results in the trans fat remaining in the blood stream for a much longer period of time, increasing the likelihood of it contributing to arterial plaque build-up (which increases the risk of coronary heart disease).
With all that said, here’s the deal. Partially/fully hydrogenated oils are used in foods for a variety of reasons – they increase a product’s shelf life, decrease the need for refrigeration, and lower the cost of food production. Further, completely (or fully) hydrogenated oils are comparable to saturated fats, from a chemical point of view. If the label isn’t specific, meaning it uses neither the word “partially” nor “fully” to describe the “hydrogenated oil” – it could mean that the product contains trans fat, a chemically altered fat similar in form to a saturated fat, OR a little of both. None of which are a good thing – in my (humble) opinion…
