Nutrition For Slackers

The Woman on Page 194

2009-08-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

Magazines are often criticized for their unrealistic standards of beauty (who invented airbrushing, anyway? Can we outlaw it?) Check out this blog from Glamour magazine's editor - it seems that there was a tiny picture of a beautiful, sexy, and realistic woman that appeared on page 194, and the emails from appreciative women everywhere started flooding the editor's inbox.

These are the images and inspiration our daughters deserve - fit women can and do have curves, sexy is an attitude, and life is worth enjoying. Good for you, Glamour!

Nutrition information - Who can you believe?

2009-08-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Information overload is definitely par for course in the modern world - it is difficult to avoid being bombarded with information, whether you are looking for it or not. One of the most frustrating things for a nutrition professional is to witness bad information being given out by reputable media outlets.

Please read my colleague Rebecca Scritchfield's blog about The Price of Misinformation in the Media - she did such an excellent job of summing up two disappointing nutrition stories done recently by very credible media outlets - Time Magazine and Good Morning America.

The bottom line is this - nutrition is a science, and to reach the absolute truth, you need to go to the science. Please be careful about who you listen to out there - at the very least, taking bad advice can lead to futile efforts and wasted time; at the worst, it can lead to furthering your health problems. Think of all the people who are now inspired to not exercise in order to lose weight - thanks, Time magazine, for your help.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

2009-08-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

The first week in August is always World Breastfeeding Week, and in honor of it, I thought I'd post one of my favorite "cult classic" pictures (well, in the breastfeeding world it's a classic). Obviously, this is one smart baby!

The research is astoundingly clear about breastfeeding - it is truly magical stuff. The thing is, it can be difficult to do when you live in a society that doesn't support it. If you haven't grown up witnessing aunties and cousins breastfeed their newborn, or if you feel the glare of other people when you try to nurse in public, you're going to tempted to break out the free formula.

Breastfed babies end up smarter, healthier, and leaner. So, it makes economical sense for our country to embrace breastfeeding and not shun it.

The shirt at the top says it all, and it is a perfect gift for the lactating momma in your life!

A Salad for Everyone

2009-07-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is an ambitious article from Mark Bittman:

The Minimalist - Recipes for 101 Simple Salads for the Season - NYTimes.com

Look it over and just try not to be tempted to make at least one of them!

I love salads in the summer for a few different reasons - they let you avoid cooking, they are nice and cool (I live in the desert, so this is important), and they are a great way to get in some fruits and vegetables. But, it is so easy to get in a salad rut. In the summer, we have so many fresh ingredients available to us to yummy up a salad. One of my favorites is to add summer fruit to a fresh salad, like nectarines or plums.

As I've probably said before on this blog, one of the best ways to eat better is to concentrate on trying to eat more fruits and vegetables. Remember, beans can count as a veggie! I think I'll try Mr. Bittman's suggestion for summer cherries, since I still have a good bunch in my frig:

" Pit and halve cherries (or halve and pit cherries), then cook gently with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar until they break down. Toss with chopped radicchio, endive, escarole or a combination, some toasted hazelnuts and more oil and vinegar, if necessary." Yummy! Which one will you try?

The power of paying attention

2009-07-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

I was working at the computer the other day, and overheard an interview on a local news station with an inspiring woman who lost a substantial amount of weight - I believe she was in her 60's, and had gotten into dancing. The reason she decided to try and lose weight was because some of the dance moves she was learning required her partner to lift her up in the air - she felt bad for her poor partner, so made some changes so that she would be lighter.

The thing she did that struck me the most was this - she started paying attention to her hunger. She said that sometimes her life was so busy that she simply ate because it seemed like the thing to do - she learned that if she would simply check in with herself before eating (take a breath, focus, calm the chaos a bit, have a little water), she discovered that more often than not, she wasn't even hungry!

Here is an inspiring video to promote a new book by Dr. Michelle May, who runs a business called Am I Hungry? (amihungry.com). Dr. May is all about intuitive eating, and I am looking forward to reading (and probably wholeheartedly recommending!) her new book. It is a reminder of the power of simply paying attention to what you eat, and making sure that you enjoy it!

The One Bite Rule

2009-07-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Feeding kids can be tough. You do your part and buy the food, cook the food, get everyone to the table, sit down to enjoy the food and... protest from the 4-year old begins. So, you break out your rule: "Just take one bite (or three bites, or whatever your household rule is)".

But, is the one-bite rule a good thing or a bad thing? My answer is - it completetly depends on the mood at the table. If the child is enjoying the attention, and needs a little nudge to remember to take a spoonful of peas once in awhile, then so be it. But, once the mood changes and the child is now feeling bullied, it is time to back off. The reason is simple - nobody has ever been bullied into liking broccoli. Okay, maybe some people were bullied into trying a food and ended up liking it, but if you ask ten adults on the street if they were ever forced into trying a food and later ended up liking it, you'd get about nine NO WAYS. Many adults will tell you about food they still avoid just because of being forced to eat it as a child.

As much as possible, keep the atmosphere at the dinner table light-hearted - this isn't a time to argue, nag, complain, etc. The family meal is a valuable part of children's development, and keeping it pleasant makes it even more powerful. You don't have to do circus tricks, but put it at their level - sing some songs, like this silly one from a popular kids' TV show (I learned it because my 4-year-old was singing it one day as he ate his lunch). Help kids realize the connection between the food they are eating and their muscles, or growing big and strong, or whatever else they are into. Just stop short of forcing - you will know the point.

My favorite magazine....

2009-06-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

I don't think you can find a single Dietitian out there who does not gush over Cooking Light magazine. I am one of them, and here goes -

Cooking Light magazine really manages to capture the happy side of being healthy; after a few issues, you really start to get the feel for a balanced way of living, without any of those pesky "should's" and "shouldn'ts". It is never preachy, and doesn't fall for the latest fad diet - it simply celebrates good food and good living.

They also have a great website with a search engine for recipes (free!). I love the reader's comments and rating, too - they help when trying to choose a recipe. (the search engine switches over to Myrecipes.com, but it will tell you where each recipe originally came from, including the issue it came from).

I'm going to try this five-star rated recipe for Classic Potato Salad this week (my husband and I both grabbed bags of potatoes on our individual shopping trips, so we're up to our eyeballs in taters). What will you make next?

Soda and beans

2009-06-22T09:54:00.000-07:00

I love this kind of nutrition advice, especially when it's based on actual research:

Researchers at the University of Southern California working with overweight Latino teenagers concluded that making small changes similar to cutting out one can of soda a day and adding just a half cup of beans a day can make a big difference in health.

These simple dietary changes do two things - cutting out one can of soda a day wipes out 150 calories of pure sugar - it's the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar that the teens are no longer taking in. Adding just one half cup of beans a day will add in about 7 grams of fiber and about 7 grams of protein - both fiber and protein are very helpful in keeping us full for longer.

The take-home message is that it doesn't have to be huge to make a difference - adding in some nutrient dense foods like beans, vegetables, whole grains and whole fruit really helps; calories can be shaven off in all kinds of places without making you feel deprived or unsatisfied - a can of soda less here, a slice of low-fat cheese there.

If you're in Arizona, tune in to Arizona Midday on Weds, June 24 (Channel 12 from 1-2), when I'll be giving tips for sneaking in nutrition, including a recipe from the Meal Makeover Moms website (with their permission, of course!) for Cheesy Black Bean Burgers - getting in those beans can be yummy!

Friends Don't Let Friends Fat Talk

2009-06-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've stumbled across this powerful video, which was produced as part of a "Fat Talk Free" Week that actually happened last fall - the idea was promoted by Delta Delta Delta in coordination with Seventeen magazine and some other interest groups to promote body image in women - check out the video by clicking here.

After the video, sign up to receive email blasts on the issue of ending fat talk - and, just for today, don't let the "f" word cross your pretty lips!

Raising Arizona Kids - April issue

2009-04-15T13:35:00.000-07:00

I've got an article in this month's issue of Raising Arizona Kids, about starting to garden with your kids. I think learning how to garden is a lot like learning how to cook - it's best to start learning when you're really small and you can just absorb the lessons while you hang out and watch. I didn't grow up gardening or cooking, so I'm playing catch-up now as an adult. Kids that grow up watching someone cook (and garden!), asking questions, sometimes participating, sometimes messing things up - become adults who are truly comfortable in the kitchen (and garden!). They don't worry so much about minor details, and develop an intuition on what will work and what won't. So, let your kids bug you in the kitchen, and let them dig their hands in that garden - even if things aren't planted in neat little rows when they are involved!

Spongebob in my kitchen

2009-03-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

I found this bag of frozen edamame with Spongebob on the front, and I figured I'd buy it to coaxe my picky little 3-year-old to actually eat a vegetable. Now, as you know from my blog, I believe in putting the veggie on the plate but not forcing the veggie down the hatch - they need to be able to try the veggie in their own (excrutiatingly slow) time.

Being a bit of a slacker mom, my 3-year old has been introduced to Spongebob and his friend, Patrick. So, yes, he was very impressed to see the weird little guy in our refrigerator. His brother, the more ambitious eater of the two, dove right in to the edamame, popping them into his mouth. The 3-year-old watched, amused, and finally - he tried it! And he liked it!

I forget about edamame in the world of veggies, since it's not something I was raised on - the only time I eat it is when I'm out with my husband for sushi, with no kids in sight (aaaaah...) But, edamame is actually very kid-friendly. It has a very mild, almost buttery taste, and it is fun for kids to be able to "play with their food" by popping the soybeans out of the pod into their mouth. It's a great source of protein and fiber, and contains something called isoflavones, which are quite healthy and only found in soy.

I think I'll invite the yellow guy back again soon.

Ode to Trader Joe's

2009-02-24T15:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a funny video that came across my desk - it's an ode to Trader Joe's, which I love going to. TJ's has interesting and sometimes quirky food items, but won't break the bank like some other specialty grocery stores - enjoy!

A Whole World in Your Belly

2009-02-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the human body is made up of 10 trillion cells? If you think that's mind-boggling, now consider this: there are ten times that many bacteria living inside of your intestines. Some experts have labeled this universe in your gut as the "forgotten organ", because these little guys do all kinds of stuff for our bodies. In fact, the activity of bacteria in your colon makes the colon the most metabollically active organ in your body!

Some of the activity of these bugs can be annoying - for example, they help to digest some of the food that we can't digest - this makes more of the calories we eat available to us, but also can cause bloating and gas from the gas they release after eating. But, they do so much more for us, and science is really just now figuring out the whats and hows; it's very complicated, because it kind of depends on "who" is the dominant strain in your gut (they estimate that you have between 300 to 1000 different strains in there). Bacteria eat, they fight, they release all kinds of by-products; everything they do has an effect on the host (us!).

The science is still new, but having a gut-full of "good" bacteria seems to be helpful at keeping our immune system running properly, and may even be linked to whether or not we become obese!

So, how to develop and nurture a bellyful of the good guys? It is likely related to our overall and longterm diet - and it is likely most beneficial to eat a plant-based diet over the long term. Yes, it comes back to the fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. It also seems to be helful to eat what is termed "fermented foods" - yogurt, buttermilk, kefir, and sauerkraut for example.

By the way, one of the theories to explain why exclusively breastfed babies tend to end up as lean adults is that they are allowed to "grow" the right mix of gut bacteria and establish a nice strong colony of the good guys. Fascinating, right? Now, go have your beans today!

Go Arizona Cardinals!

2009-01-26T06:57:00.001-08:00

I'm going to be on Arizona Midday today making a couple of healthy dips you can take to your Super B...oops, I mean Big Game parties - here they are!

Arizona Cardinal’s Red Pepper Hummus

1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (4 ounce) jar roasted red peppers
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 ½ Tbs tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt

Puree all ingredients in an electric blender or food processor until smooth and fluffy. Serve immediately, or store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Pittsburgh Steeler’s Black Bean and Mango Salsa

1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups mango, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
6 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
¼ cup lime juice
1 Tbs olive oil
Hot sauce to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Toss and serve.

As if!

2009-01-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Right out of college, I had a job doing nutrition counseling. I was so green, I really felt like I was making it up as I went along. But, one client stuck with me, I think because we were both surprised that I actually helped her a little.

She wanted to eat better, but hated to go to the grocery store. Now, there are a lot of different ways to eat healthy, but if you won't step foot into the grocery store, you've put up a wall that is just too high to climb. You simply have to go to the grocery store, or be lucky enough to have someone do it for you. I tried to problem solve with her, only to be met with "yeah, buts...". Finally, I said "Here's what I want you to do - for the next couple of weeks, I want you to pretend you don't hate going to the grocery store, and then go". It was a weird suggestion, but it was weird enough that she didn't have a "yeah, but" to give me.

The next time I saw her she told me that it worked - she pretended not to hate the grocery store, went grocery shopping, and found out that it wasn't that bad.

A lot of the healthy habits that we would like to have are sabotaged by our own "stinkin' thinkin". How many times have I grumbled about hating to exercise - making it feel like I'm walking through thick mud just to get my bum on that treadmill - only to remember that it's really not that bad, and actually feels good once it's done.

Next time you find yourself hating something that's actually good for you, try this trick - act as if you don't hate it. Teachers use this technique when they assign students a debate topic that is opposite of what the student really believes. When you are forced to act as if you believe something, you actually end up closer to believing it.

2009 - Bring it on!

2008-12-31T07:48:00.000-08:00

There are a ton of New Year's Resolution advice articles out there, but I liked this one, mainly because it is great advice from some of my fellow RD colleagues. If they had asked me to pipe in for this particular article, here is what I would have added:

For 2009, commit to yourself to really pay attention to your own hunger cues. If you aren't hungry, wait until you are to begin eating. If you are hungry, go ahead and eat! And, in the middle of eating, check in with yourself - are you pleasantly full yet? Time to stop eating.

While you are at it, approach food and eating with joy only - if that piece of chocolate fudge is truly calling your name, sit down and really enjoy it! Don't force yourself to eat things you don't like, but do approach food with curiosity and openness - be willing to try, and open to learning about new foods and new ways to prepare them.

Happy New Year!

You mean pancakes don't have to be microwaved?

2008-12-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

In my son's first grade class, they do journaling on topics given by the teacher. Once every few months, they send home the journal and the parents get to read all the interesting things that come out of their 6-year-old's mind. This is how I found out that I am slacking in the pancake department. In one of my son's journal entries, he bragged that he can make pancakes - just put them in the microwave! hmmmm....

So, I decided to actually "make" pancakes once in awhile instead of pulling them out of the freezer. I found a mix that I really like - the Krusteaz Wheat and Honey mix worked out nicely - it's first ingredient is whole wheat flour, meaning that it qualifies as a whole grain serving, and it doesn't contain trans-fats. Also, it gives about 4 g of fiber per serving - the best part is that you only have to add water - adding eggs and water is too much for this slacker mom in the morning. OK, I added a couple chocolate chips to make it pass the kid test, but they gobbled them up!

Alice Waters rocks!

2008-12-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Don't know who Alice Waters is? In the foodie world, she's a rock star - she is the owner/operator of a restaurant called Chez Panisse, which serves locally grown, organic food in a rotating menu (she started this way back in 1971, before it was cool, so to speak); I think the other thing that I really love about Ms. Waters is her creation of the "edible schoolyard".

Check out this article on how she's trying to bring the Slow Food movement into the White House with the new president's "kitchen cabinet" - I'm not sure if President-elect Obama realizes exactly what he's being offered here - Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl are offering to be on his personal chef advisory board - it's a little like Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughan teaming up and offering to teach a new start-up band a little something about the guitar.

Jump on it, Obama!!

Get off the diet rollercoaster, Oprah!

2008-12-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of talk in the media lately about Oprah - it seems she has gained her weight back. She's done some interviews about it that I've half listened to - in one, she reveals that she "fell off her diet", and as an example, found herself devouring a pound of cookies in bed. This is how I know she is still firmly in the diet mentality. People who have broken out of (or never fell into) the diet mentality don't eat a whole pound of cookies in bed at one time, because they simply don't want to. Cookies are just - cookies. Yummy, yes; magical, no.

I think it's interesting that Oprah's best friend, Gayle King, seems to live with the non-diet approach. She loves food, and will even go on trips for the show in search of the country's best pizza or cake. But, she doesn't seem to feel guilty about it, and she also doesn't seem to struggle with her weight. This doesn't mean that she never works out or never tries to eat healthy - living the non-diet approach does not mean you don't try to take care of yourself. But, sometimes taking care of yourself means going in search of the world's best pizza.

Lentils that a 3-year old will eat

2008-12-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that my 3-year old is one of the pickiest eaters I have met? I actually suspect that he may be a supertaster, but I'll write about that later. I do want to share an easy, yummy, and healthy recipe that he has actually eaten more than once. I got it out of one of my favorite cookbooks, which I bought on a whim while at a car wash:

Hamburger and Lentil soup

Throw all of this into a crockpot and cook it all day - yum!

1 pound lean hamburger, chopped onions, diced carrots, 2 cups (or one package) lentils, 1 quart tomato juice, 2 to 3 cups water, minced garlic, 1/2 tsp marjoram, 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Who thought of this name?

2008-12-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

I am impressed with all of the new frozen vegetables that you just stick in the microwave right in the bag, but I came across this line from Green Giant - they call them Steamers.

Now. I must explain that I grew up with brothers only, I am married to a man who still has a sense of humor that a 12-year old boy would appreciate, and I have two young boys. So, if you get why I think the name "Steamers" for a vegetable line is funny, then you also probably have little boys/grown boys roaming around in your life. If you don't get it, go find a 12-year old boy and ask him what a Steamer is.

Making it through the holidays

2008-12-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

One of the main reasons we gain weight over the holidays is due to all of the dang food available. I have a knack for the obvious, right? Stay with me -

If you are concerned about gaining weight over the holidays, I challenge you to concentrate on just one thing: eat only what you really like, and if you really like it, pay attention while you are eating so that you can actually enjoy it!

There are so many mindless eating (and drinking!) opportunities during the holidays: the candy sitting out at the receptionist desk, cookies brought in by co-workers, fruit cake delivered to your door (maybe this is a lost tradition - I've never actually had this happen, but I hear that it used to happen to everyone), uncomfortable parties where you need to keep busy by eating and drinking, and so on.

This is a great month to practice these steps - before you eat anything, ask yourself if you actually want it. If not, take a pass. You can always come back to it later. After you start eating something, ask yourself if you really like it. If it doesn't taste great, why waste the calories? Save them for something fantastic.

And of course, we come to the question - what about nutrition? "If I eat only what I like, I'll only eat brownies" - if this is you, then think of this as baby step number one out of the diet mentality - you may want to read my earlier posts on the diet mentality.

Now that we are all eating only what we like, is anyone actually going to eat fruit cake?

One of my favorite things!

2008-12-05T15:00:00.000-08:00

I really love this product from Birds Eye vegetables - individually frozen packages of baby brussel sprouts - bonus: they don't have any sauce on them. You just stick them in the microwave for a couple minutes, and you have a perfect portion for one of brussel sprouts - yum!

There must be a new technology in the wrapping business, because now there are all kinds of "micro in the bag" veggies available - frozen and fresh. I just bought some fresh broccoli at Fresh and Easy that you microwave in the bag, and it turned out great! I'm a little freaked out by the microwaving in plastic concept, because that just seems like something you shouldn't do - but, I'll trust that this technology was tested and approved for human consumption (it was, wasn't it...?)

Have a plan

2008-12-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

One of the first things a person does when trying to eat healthy is to "load up on fruits and vegetables". In fact, if you look inside any magazine that offers healthy eating tips, you will probably find this exact mandate offerred as advice. The problem is that there is rarely a plan in place to use all of those fruits and veggies - and so, they sit. And go bad. And the well-intentions to eat better turn to frustration as money and food are thrown away.

The intent of the advice is valid - fruits and veggies are indeed the rock-stars of the food world. If you focus on just that one thing - eating more of your fruits and veggies - you will end up eating a healthier diet. The problem is the fact that they are perishable. You can buy a box of Twinkies without having to worry about eating them in the next few days. Those Twinkies can languish for years, or even centuries, if you believe the tales.

The best way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet is to do a little pre-planning. Instead of just hurling random produce into your cart at the market, think ahead of time - what kind of fruit would you like to add to your cereal in the morning? What kind of vegetable can you add to your typical turkey sandwich? Before you throw those kiwifruit into your basket, think about when specifically you plan to eat them.

Don't forget about the other forms of fruits and veggies - frozen, canned, and dried; these versions can also be healthy (sometimes even healthier - more on that later) - and they help stretch the time between grocery visits.

Pumpkin muffins

2008-12-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

I had a can of pumpkin leftover from Thanksgiving, because I meant to make the pumpkin pie, but traveling to the grocery store at 7pm the night before Thanksgiving means you may not be able to find any pie crusts.... so, Marie Callendar made the pie for me, and I needed to find another use for canned pumpkin.

Anyway, here's the recipe, and it's a hit with the short people in my house! I used half whole wheat flour, and I didn't have any molasses, so I used blue agave syrup; I used a little less butter and sugar than the recipe calls for, and, per the request of the resident 6-year old, I added some chocolate chips. Yummy!