Rejuvenate With Nutrition: A Healthy Eating Guide

Slimming Down Without The Diet Mentailty

2015-01-12T11:06:00.001-06:00

Many people have heard about the diet mentality. What is the diet mentality? It is the constant mindfulness on the kind of food a person eats. While many people are mindful of what they eat, they are still able to focus on other activities in life. A person with a constant mindfulness on food are not able to stop thinking about they eat. They are completely consumed by it.

Most individuals with this mentality divide food into "good" and "bad." This type of mindset leads people to feel that any food eaten from the "bad" category will make the person "bad" in some way. Then they feel guilty about what they did and beat themselves up for not being "strong enough" to resist the food. Conversely, if a person eats anything in the "good" category then they are a "good" person and they feel happy and good about themselves. Allowing food have such power over their emotional well-being is highly detrimental to a person's self esteem and view of themselves. How does a person feel about themselves if they are eating "bad" foods all the time? They feel like they are horrible losers that are out of control. These types of feeling and behaviors can snowball. The person will probably develop an eating disorder if they have not already developed one. They will try to only eat "good" foods, but when they find that they are tempted and eat "bad" foods they will binge -- eat a very large amount very quickly -- and purge (bulimia nervosa) or starve themselves (anorexia nervosa). Most eating disorders at their base are the sufferer's need to be perfect in every way and the way they eat is one of the few things they feel they can control.

Is there a diet mentality in the United States as a country? There seems to be since the mass media and diet industry plays on these feelings to get American's to buy their products. There are celebrity diet gurus with no training in nutrition or weight management telling people what to eat and what foods are "good" and "bad." This industry has essentially created the diet mentality as a way for people to buy more books and listen to their crooked advice. Almost the entire industry of popular diet books are made to play on people's need to feel good about themselves and their desire to lose weight. The United States has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world and these popular weight loss celebrities are not helping the situation. In fact, it could be argued that they are actually making it worse. It is obvious that their programs for weight loss don't work, because if they did Americans would not have a weight problem.

In addition, it is getting harder to separate real science and real weight management professionals from the quacks. Most real professionals choose to call foods healthy or unhealthy and work with people using techniques for careful scientific study. People desperately want to be healthy but the way these celebrity diet gurus pass around misinformation the real science based health information has become drowned out. We must be very careful to not fall prey to the "good" food and "bad" food mentality. We must realize that all food can be part of a healthy diet and that we are not bad if we eat a "bad" food. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are the base to any healthy diet but eating this way does not make us "good" people. We are good people by are everyday actions toward each other. It has nothing to do with what we eat.

Book Review: The DASH Diet To End Obesity by William M. Manger

2015-01-07T13:50:00.000-06:00

The DASH Diet To End Obesity is a small book that contains information about the obesity epidemic and how the DASH diet can help reduce it. The book mainly gives tips on how to lose weight instead of being about the DASH diet itself. Most of the information is helpful but basic.

The book starts with a explanation of how obesity is affecting the health of Americans. It explains how much an individual should weigh, the related diseases (high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes) that can develop from being overweight or obese, and how these conditions can be prevented. Most of this information is very basic and can be found online or through reading other books. There is a brief discussion on how the food industry can affect our choices and the choices our children make when deciding what to eat. This is interesting information that could have been expanded.

The next section discusses what Americans are doing wrong with their current diets. Americans appear to be doing a lot wrong. Overeating is making us age faster and is decreasing our quality of life as we age. We also drink to many of our calories in the sugar filled soft drinks. There is some good science in this section that could also be expanded. This information is very easy to understand and drives home that over consumption is contributing to the obesity problem.

Next, the book gives a very basic overview of the DASH diet. There are no sample meal plans or menu suggestions, but a chart of how many servings per day a person should consume. This information is not a good resource for actually implementing the DASH diet into your life. It gives no information on how to actually change your eating habits to fit with the recommendations of the diet. Some basic information would have been more helpful but there is none. The book does give some very helpful tips on general healthy eating and weight loss. These tips make up the most helpful part of the book. The suggestions are realistic and most people would have no trouble implementing at least a few of them.

The chapter for using the DASH diet with diabetes was quite helpful. This section gives basic information on how carbohydrates and insulin work in the body, then discusses how counting carbohydrates can fit into the general DASH plan. DASH emphasizes vegetable and fruit consumption as the base of the diet which is very healthy for people with diabetes. This section gives a sample meal plan and carbohydrate count for the food included. There are also tips for portion sizes when selecting carbohydrate containing foods.

The last chapter is about salt. Sodium restriction is a very important component of the DASH diet. The current recommendation is that individuals with high blood pressure consume 1500mg of sodium or less a day. The chapter explains how sodium effects the body and kidneys. There is also a chart for common foods with their sodium levels. This chapter is helpful for learning why sodium is unhealthy and a few tips for lower sodium intake. The information could have been more detailed to better explain how to decrease sodium. Most processed food items have a large amount of sodium and a list of requirements for lower sodium would have been appropriate. Lower sodium recipes would have been extremely helpful in this section.

Overall, the book has some good information but is too basic to help someone implement the DASH plan into their daily life. A much better book would be The DASH Diet For Weight Loss.

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Stop Food Cravings: A Simple Approach

2014-12-26T15:24:00.000-06:00

Food cravings are one of the most difficult things to manage when trying to eat healthier. Many people crave desserts such as cookies or other high fat sweets. The most important thing to remember is willpower will not completely stop food cravings. Many of your cravings are due to emotional eating. Emotional eating, eating when stressed from not dealing with problems, is very difficult to control. These cravings are controlled by the complex chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters. We have learned that when we eat certain foods they activate the feel good neurotransmitters. These chemicals take away our bad feelings and everything feels better-but it doesn't last. Most cravings are this response in action. Finding the source of your stress and dealing with it will help stop food cravings.

One strategy to combat this type of craving is to learn to effectively manage stress without using food. When you get a food craving, ask yourself how hungry you feel. If you are not physically hungry, stop and wait 15-30 minutes. During this time ask yourself "Why do I want this food?" "What will it do for me?" If you have determined you need it to relieve stress or boredom, find something else to do. Going for a walk or run is a great way to relieve stress. It also produces the feel good chemicals in your brain. Sitting down and listening to upbeat music is also another good way to relieve stress. Write down at least 15 activities you can do instead of eat. Place this list on your refrigerator. When a food craving hits, pick an activity from this list and do it.

If you feel that emotional eating is not the cause of your food cravings, you may be in a diet mind set. This is the belief that you must never eat anything that is a "bad" food. Most diets have a list of "good" and "bad" foods which many dieters feel they must stick to religiously. Since forbidden foods are always more appealing, you develop a strong craving for what you think you should never have. What many dieters fail to realize is that all foods can be included in a healthy diet -- even desserts.

The key to not overeating is to eat high fat foods in moderation. Practice the 90/10 rule for healthy eating. This rule says eat 90 percent healthy foods, and the other 10 percent the high fat foods you enjoy. The majority of the time eat a healthy and balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain and lean meats, such as chicken. Do not skip meals or eliminate entire food groups. This will only cause you to eat more at the next meal. Attempting to starve yourself will not make you lose weight. It will only make you eat more when you do have a meal. Practice these strategies and food cravings will become a distant memory.

Top 5 Tips for Staying Slim This Holiday Season

2014-12-17T11:44:00.000-06:00

The holidays are a wonderful time of year filled with family, friends and food. However, there is a downside to the holidays - calorie overload. People gain the most weight in the month between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. The culprit? Most, if not all, of the food is high in fat and calories - and people eat it. The holiday binge eating feels out of control and by New Year's Day everyone feels they need to go on a diet.

Much of this weight gain can be avoided with a few simple techniques. Since many people are against eating a low fat or low calorie meal on the actual holiday, it is better to focus on the various parties with friends and co-workers. Eating a high fat, high calorie meal one or two times a year is not going to make you gain considerable amounts of weight. What does matter is how you are eating over a long period of time. If you are able to keep the food you eat in a healthy range over the entire holiday season than eating the big holiday meal with not cause considerable weight gain or emotional stress.

A great way to start this process is to make low calorie/low fat versions of your favorite dishes for all those holiday parties. This is not as difficult as it may sound. Only a few easy strategies can help you save some calories -and pounds. Using these simple techniques can keep you from gaining a large amount of weight over the holidays.

1. Revamp your favorite recipes to be lower in fat. You can do this by using reduced fat ingredients such a lower fat cheese or sour cream. This will not significantly change the taste but will save a considerable amount of fat and calories from the recipe. You can also use less of a high fat ingredient if you feel their may be too much of it in your dish.

2. Find recipes that use vegetables and fruits as the base ingredient. If you are going to a party and need to bring a dish, choose one that has a lot of vegetables or fruit in it. The other ingredients should be flavor enhancers but should not cover up the taste of the main fruit or vegetable. This will ensure that you will at least eat your vegetables and helping other people get their vegetables too.

3. When you make a dessert, choose low fat versions of your favorite recipes. Overeating during a holiday party can wreck havoc on your weight, but eating a big dessert on top of it can send you over the edge. Eating a small amount of a lower calorie dessert will help keep you on the right path.

4. Consider skipping dessert. It may seem like a sin to not have dessert during the holidays but it can save you a considerable amount of fat and calories, even more than eating a lower fat dessert. It is not a written rule that you need to eat everything that is given to you at a party. If you feel too full, don't eat it.

5. Make sure to exercise daily. Physical activity is very important during the holiday season. You need to stay fit while eating lower fat versions of your favorite holiday meals. You will still be eating more food than you normally would. However, exercise will help speed up your metabolism so you can burn off the extra calories.

Book Review: Blood Pressure Down By Janet Bond Brill, PH.D, RD, LDN

2014-12-10T09:43:00.000-06:00

The Blood Pressure Down plan is a concise plan to lower your blood pressure. It consists of 10 steps that you need to take to lower your blood pressure without drugs, although she states that drugs may be needed with this plan if your blood pressure is especially high. The book is very easy to understand and implement.

The book begins with a very simple scientific overview of how blood pressure can become elevated. This includes lifestyle choices and food habits that are proven to increase blood pressure, especially the increase of sodium intake in our diets. She defines both numbers of the blood pressure reading and what normal blood pressure should be. There are many sidebars with more in depth information on the subjects related to the chapter. These are very interesting and informative. The book then explains how blood pressure can damage the body, such as the eyes, kidneys and heart. This section is not heavy with scientific jargon or any other difficult to understand concepts, and it also includes pictures to help the reader understand the concepts discussed.

Next, the book goes through the 10 steps of the plan. They are: lose weight, eat potassium, magnesium and calcium, eat soy protein, eat dark chocolate, drink red wine, get physical activity and take four supplements. Each section has recommended intake, a food list and scientific evidence backing up her recommendations. There is also a chapter on decreasing sodium intake and how it can decrease your blood pressure. These chapters are very straightforward and seem easy to implement.

There were a few questionable parts to these recommendations. The first is eating soy. She states soy is safe if you are not allergic but most of the chapter is about substituting red meat for vegetable protein. You could easily swap out a red meat laden meal with a vegetarian meal made with beans or quinoa. Soy can be quite harsh on some people who are not allergic and does not need to be the basis of a blood pressure plan especially if the entire reason for eating it is to avoid red meat. There are many no soy vegetarian dishes that can make the need for soy unnecessary. Luckily she states in the book that if something is not working for you or you are allergic don't include it in your blood pressure plan.

The last part of the book is low sodium recipes. They use a salt substitute and herbs/spices to give them flavor. The recipes are all whole foods without any weird ingredients. There are breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes along with some snack ideas. This is a good ending to a highly recommended book.

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Healthy Meal Planning On A Budget

2014-07-21T08:43:00.000-05:00

Successful meal planning is not difficult but is vitally important for keeping you and your family well fed and healthy. Planning meals for the coming week saves time and money. It is important to go food shopping only once a week -- with a list. Going every day or every other day causes you to spend more money than necessary. It also wastes time you could be spending with your family. Avoid shopping after work when you are so starving you want to buy-and eat--everything in sight. Also, you are more likely to eat unhealthy highly processed foods. Planning for the week ahead will make mealtime much easier and you are more likely to choose healthier options.

When planning a meal, go through the sale flier of your grocery store to see what items are on sale. This will help reduce your overall grocery bill. Note which items you normally eat during the week. For instance, if you always have pork tenderloin, notice if that is on sale or if some other pork you like is on sale. Remember that the store will also have in-store only sales that are not featured in the flier. These sales are sometimes related to what the store advertises in their weekly circular.

Once you have done this, search for recipes that have the sale items as the main ingredient. The best way to save on money is to not make complicated meals with a lot of ingredients that you have never heard of before. This will cause you to have a lot of leftover ingredients that will spoil. When you want to try something new, only choose one or two new food items. This will keep you from spending money on foods that will eventually go bad.

When searching for meals always keep in mind the Plate Method--fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with protein, and the last quarter with a complex carbohydrate/starch. Using the plate method can make meal planning simple. For example, a possible dinner could be a grilled chicken breast, ½ cup of brown rice with toasted almonds, and a steamed vegetable such as broccoli.

Once you have your desired recipes, make a grocery list. Note which items are on sale, and how much you are required to buy for your recipes. This is an extremely important step; not having a list with these specifics will cause you to buy more food than necessary. Without a list, you could forget what you really wanted to buy or get a bunch of unrelated items.

Once you have done your shopping for the week, plan out which recipe you will make on what day of the week. For example, you plan to make the chicken breast dish on a Monday. This type of planning makes the rest of the week run smoothly, reduce your stress level and you can feel good about serving healthy meals to your family.

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The "Secrets" To Long Term Weight Loss

2014-07-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

For many, losing weight can seem like a goal that may never be accomplished. So many struggle and feel so discouraged with weight loss. But many do lose weight and kept it off long term. These individuals do not feel deprived or miserable. In fact, most feel energized and hopeful. There are a few key steps that increase your chances of losing weight and keeping it off. Many of these findings come from studying the 5,000 individuals who are part of the National Weight Control Registry. Participant have has on average a 66 pound weight loss and have kept it off for at least 5 years.

The first step is to assess how ready you are to change your lifestyle. There is no fad diet or short term plan you can go on that will lead to long term weight loss. You must change your eating habits and lifestyle for the rest of your life. For some, this may seem like a very overwhelming task and they just want to do something easy. Many of these individuals want something they can stop doing after a short period. If this is the case, then consider waiting a few months. During this time, list ways that permanent lifestyle change will help you improve your life and health.

Once you have decided that you are ready, you need to decide how you want to change your eating habits. 98 percent of the participants in the National Weight Control Registry changed their eating habits. Many chose a low fat, low calorie diet. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats/poultry and low fat diary products. Reduce the portions of food you take in so you are consuming fewer calories. It is also important that you make time to eat breakfast. 78 percent of National Weight Control Registry participants eat breakfast every day. This will start the day right and you will feel energized. Be sure to space out your daily meals to every 3-4 hours. This regulates your metabolism and keeps your weight in check. If you wait longer to eat, you will be so hungry that you overeat leading to weight gain. Be sure the eating plan you chose is one you can stick with. Remember, it is important that you like the food you are eating.

The next component of long term weight loss is physical activity. 94 percent of the individuals in the National Weight Control Registry exercised, and 90 percent of those were physically active for at least an hour a day. Their preferred method of activity was walking. Be sure to choose an activity you enjoy. It will be easier to stick with if you choose to participate in a sport, preferably a group sport and have team members help hold you accountable. Besides a sport, be more physically active in your daily life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park at the end of the parking lot and walk. Many in the Registry watch less than 10 hours of TV a week. Spending less time in front of the TV (and computer) can help with weight loss. Spend the time you would be watching TV being active.

The last component of long term weight loss is self monitoring. 75 percent of the National Weight Control Registry participants monitored their eating habits, physical activity and weight. Weighing yourself every week can help you keep tabs of how you are maintaining your weight. You will also know if you begin to gain a few pounds and can take steps to lose that extra weight. One of these steps is keeping a food journal. Write down everything you eat, including the time the food was eaten and the specific amounts. If you begin to gain a few pounds, you can use this tool to see if you need to modify your eating. Keeping an exercise journal can also help you monitor how much physical activity you are getting in. This is especially helpful if you begin to gain a few pounds. You can quickly diagnose where the weight gain is coming from-food intake or exercise? These tools are meant to keep you informed of your weight and they will be vitally important to stop any weight gain.

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Book Review: The Fast Diet By Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer

2014-04-07T11:26:00.001-05:00

The Fast Diet: The Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, Live Longer by Michael Mosley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Fast Diet by Dr. Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer is a small book explaining a method of fasting the authors call the 5-2 diet. This diet consists of eating normally for five days of the week and then restricting calories the remaining two days. This concept is based on what Dr. Mosley learned in his BBC Horizon documentary Eat, Fast, Live Longer. He tried different forms of fasting to improve his health and eventually created his own 5-2 approach.

The Fast Diet begins by giving an overview of the science behind fasting and all of its benefits such as helping to prevent cancer, diabetes and depression. This chapter is not very detailed as there needs to be more study on how fasting creates these benefits. Many of the studies have been done on mice and there are not many studies done on humans. So much of the advise in the book comes from what they have seen work in animal studies. Both authors then detail why they decided to start the 5-2 fasting method and the kinds of results they hoped to have.

The second part of the book gives the details of the 5-2 feast/fast program in practice. For two days during a 7 day week a fasting individual would eat 600 calories a day for men and 500 calories a day for women. They stress that during these days you need to eat nutrient dense foods since you will be eating a considerable amount less than normal. They emphasize a plant based diet rich in vegetables and fruit. They recommend for best results that you eat breakfast and dinner. It is more effective for a person to fast for a considerable period of time. For best results they recommend not eating for a least 16 hours.

The third part of the book gives you practical tips for dealing with feelings you most likely will have when starting this program. There is also a large section of frequently asked questions about their 5-2 fasting method. This part is very detailed and one of the most helpful parts of the book. The book then gives sample menus for ten fast days at both calorie levels, plus recipes for the food given in the menus. The food is mostly plant based with a small amount of meat. The fast day food is nutritionally sound and nutrient dense and the recipes are simple and quick to make. The book ends with a collection of case studies and glowing comments. These ending comments seem more like an advertisement for the diet's wonderful benefits rather than an honest overview of people's experiences.

This type of plan seems more sustainable then a continuous fast for 3-4 days. It works because participates will naturally eat less on the other five days. Overall they are eating less than they were before they started the program. The book states that you can eating whatever you want on non fasting days which basically gives the green light to eat processed fast food. There is no science stated in this book that says you are hurting your health by eating junk food most of the time which is a big red flag. Since most of the benefits of fasting have only been seen in mice, it is too early to know if a diet like this is truly a good idea.

Overall, the book seems more like a fad diet than a health eating plan. Fasting can have benefits but trying to promote the diet by hyping up the "eat whatever you want on the other days" feels like a ploy to sell books.

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How To Shop For Fresh Produce At A Farmer's Market

2014-04-04T08:05:00.000-05:00

Shopping for fresh produce at your local farmer’s market is the one of the easiest and best ways to not only purchase fresh fruits and vegetables but to support your local farmers. Farmer’s markets can have a variety of fresh produce and flowers plus homemade food from people in the community. This is the freshest, tastiest and least expensive food you can buy when done right. With a little research and planning, you can come back from a farmer’s market with an array of fresh produce.

To find a local farmer’s market check out your local paper or online. Local Harvest lists all of the farmer’s markets from around the country. To pick a place to go to, make a visit the farmer’s market first before buying anything. During this visit, check out what the vendors offer and talk to the farmers. Find out how their fresh produce is grown, such as whether they use conventional or organic farming methods. Some farmer’s market vendors also sell meat, poultry and eggs. Find out how their animals were raised and if they are given any hormones or antibiotics. Also ask if the animals were grass fed or corn fed. The answers to these questions will be important and will help you decide if you will go to that particular farmer/farmers market. Sometimes conventional farmers have an oversupply of crops and need to sell them and use farmers market to get rid of this excess crop – this produce is essentially the same food as in the grocery store. If you are looking for fresh organic produce from local farmers you need to research the farmers.

Once you have decided on a particular market, it is important to begin with a list of items you will need -- just like when shopping at a grocery store. This starts with meal planning for the week. When you are planning meals, keep in mind what fruits and vegetables are in season at the time. Farmer’s markets sell fresh produce in season, meaning that at any given time the only produce available are those foods that ripen during that period. For example, you decide you want to make an apple dish but it is May and asparagus is in season. You will need to plan for this. Search the internet for a handy guide that tells you which fresh produce is in season in your area. If it is spring, you will find many spring vegetables such as asparagus, at the farm stand. If you are going in the fall you will find a variety of fresh fall fruit and vegetables such as apples and pumpkins. Plan meals according to the season and you will not have any trouble finding what you are looking for.

Next, plan to go early, preferably right when they open. You want to get the freshest produce and have as much selection as possible. If you go later in the day you risk losing out on the best fruits and vegetables. Much of the food will spoil from sitting out in the hot sun, and there will only be throwaways left. When you start shopping go to the vendors you picked out when you were doing your research and buy from them. Get as much as you can from your list—if you planned well you should be able to get most of the fresh produce from the farmers market. Also be sure to bring your own bags. Some vendors have bags but some may not. Bring a large reusable bag to make it easier to carry your food home.

Remember that all the food at the market is fresh from the ground or picked that day or the day before. These items are real foods that have not been processed in the way supermarket produce has been. You will need to know how to clean your fresh produce once you get it home. There will be clumps of dirt, some bugs, sand and other inedible material. This is to be expected. Get some good quality organic vegetable soap and wash your root vegetables and fruits. Submerse green in a sink full of water at least twice to clean out the dirt.

Shopping at the right farmer’s market can be a great experience. To find a market close to you visit www.localharvest.org.

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Save On Food By Growing Your Own Vegetables

2014-03-10T11:21:00.001-05:00

Growing your own food is a money saving and healthy endeavor. Growing your own fruits and vegetables in a backyard garden can provide you with organic food at a significantly lower cost than buying organic produce at the grocery store. Planting a backyard garden is not as difficult as some may believe, and it will produce enough food for the entire growing season and even longer when they are preserved for later use. Freezing or canning your garden produce can give you fresh summer vegetables during cold winter months without having to buy more at the grocery store.

Before you begin your garden you will need to decide where you are going to put your plot. Gardens do not have to be large fields. A small patch will fit you and your family’s needs perfectly. Many square food gardens are only about 4 feet by 4 feet. A patch this small can provide more than enough food for a family of four plus enough for preserving for later use or to give to a food pantry. Decide how much food you want to grow and create a garden that will fit that amount. A garden plot also needs to be in a sunny area, with well draining soil. Most food plants need full sun to grow properly.

Next, you will need to create exceptionally healthy soil. Building a raised bed is perfect for this and there are many square foot gardening kits available that have cut down on a considerable amount of work. Also raised beds allow you to fill the space with the kind of nutrient rich soil that will grow extremely nutritious organic food. The soil is the most important part of any garden as this is where the vegetables get their nutrients. You will want to put in a many nutrients as you can. To do this you will need to add compost to your raised bed. Compost is decomposed organic matter from grass clippings, dead leaves, kitchen scraps and other materials. It has so many healthy microorganism that a garden would not be complete with out it. You can start you own compost pile by putting kitchen scraps and dead leaves into a outdoor compost bin or in a big pile surrounding buy chicken wire. The matter needs to be rotated to make sure all of it breaking down and that it won’t start to smell like rotting food.

Once you have planned out where your plot will be and the kind of soil you will use, you need to decide what to plant. This should follow your taste buds—plant the foods you normally eat. If you eat a lot of bell peppers, plant a row of those. If you eat a lot of broccoli, plant a row as well. Pick whatever vegetables are your favorites and that you believe are easy to grow. If you are growing from seed, start them inside about 6 weeks before you plan on planting them into the ground. Planting from seeds is much less expensive than buying plants at the garden nursery. You certainly can buy the plants at the nursery as well and plant as soon as you get home. If you start your plants from seed you will need ample time to harden them off, or get the used to being outside. To do this take the plant outside every day, for an hour at first and then lengthen the amount of time the plant is outside. This method will ensure to not shock the tender plant. Once it has been exclusively outside for a few days you can plant it in the garden.

During the course of the season, water and weed to make sure your plants grow properly. It also helps to put some compost around them to beef up the nutrition of the soil. Check you garden daily to see how the plants are doing and keep a log of which plants are doing very well and which ones are not performing as you would have hoped. Continue to plant ones that do well, as they will produce the most food.

Soon you will have real vegetables that are ready to be harvested. Harvest the amount of food you need for a recipe right before you start to cook with it for maximum flavor and nutrition. Wash the vegetables with vegetable wash, and cook. The taste of fresh vegetables right out of the garden can not compete with the flavor of store bought produce. Plus, fresh from the garden vegetables have not lost any nutrients due being shipped and left sitting around in warehouses. You will have the highest quality food you can get and right from your own backyard.

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Book Review: The Omni Diet by Tana Amen

2013-09-25T09:39:00.000-05:00

The Omni Diet: Two Weeks to Lose Weight, Reverse Illness, and Control Your Genes by Tana Amen
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The Omni Diet is a book written by Tana Amen, wife of brain doctor Daniel Amen. Tana Amen is a registered nurse who claims to have developed this diet to help herself with many of her own health problems and now uses this knowledge and her connections with her husband to teach this diet to others through the Amen Clinics.

The basic diet is very similar to the Paleo Diet, consisting of 30 percent protein (mostly from meat) and 70 percent plant based foods, mostly vegetables. The diet excludes all dairy products, soy, grains containing gluten, sugar, corn, and heavily processed food. This diet does not encourage fruit consumption but does recommend eating berries, such as blueberries and strawberries. The book strongly encourages eating vegetables and raw nuts and seeds.

A recurring theme is to eat like a gorilla. Gorillas eat a large amount of plant food and a small amount of meat. The problem with this is humans are obviously not gorillas even if we share 99 percent of their DNA. Human evolved to eat a wide variety of foods and we are opportunistic eaters. Keeping our diet strictly like a gorilla has the potential for nutrient deficiencies as we will miss out on key vitamins and minerals that we could easily (and cheaply) get from food such as milk and grains. The only two recommendations the book makes is not avoid highly processed foods and added sugar. Eating whole plant foods is the best way to increase health. Avoiding added sugar will also decrease you risk of diabetes and help with weight loss.

There are three phases to help you get started on the Omni diet but the most important phase is the first. The other two phases are basically relaxing the strict rules of the first phase. The diet has a large list of foods not allowed as stated above. Much of her rationale is based on sketchy science from researchers with agendas. This diet eliminates entire food groups and has the potential for creating nutrient deficiencies. The book does include menu plans but there is not much variety to the sample menus and a person will easily become bored. There is a decent chapter on exercise that will help educate you on the basics of health physical activity.

The book is actually pretty thin on getting in depth information to help you change your behavior. It reads more like an advertisement for taking her class at the clinics than an actual diet book. Most of the book lectures you on why the diet is great and has stories of amazing transformations through this eating plan. 75 percent of the book is filled with these stories but we must wait until the very end of the book to learn how to put the diet into action. Once we get there, it is a bare bones overview of what is basically the Paleo diet. To somehow make the diet different, she recommends strange foods (camu camu powder) that many people can not find in their ordinary grocery store and most likely have no idea how to use. She claims that most of the "superfoods" she recommends can be found at Whole Foods. This is a problem for people on limited budgets who cannot afford such products.

Then to fill in the gaps in your daily nutrition (most likely caused by this diet) she recommends taking at least five supplements. Then she includes a quiz to help us find out what other supplements you may need to take to feel our best. If the diet did not exclude all the food that is does, readers would not need to take this many supplements. "Filling in the gaps" (as she calls it) is taking one supplement not at least five. But you need not worry--the Amen Clinics sell all the supplements you need!

I recommend you avoid this book. Restricting your diet then "filling in the gaps" with supplements is not healthy. The Omni diet reads like an advertisement for the Amen Clinics supplement business and not a way to really increase health.

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Tips for Getting Kids In The Kitchen

2013-09-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

One of the keys to teaching children healthy eating habits is to start early. This can be done by getting kids in the kitchen and teaching them how to cook. Start involving your children at age 5-6. Kids will be more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods if they have a part in making them. Most children will find cooking fun and will want to be in the kitchen with you. A consequence of cooking will be that they do better in math and reading, have more confidence and you will be spending some quality time together. Plus, they will be learning skills they can use for the rest of their lives.

If you want your children to be healthy, you need to be healthy yourself. Children imitate what the people around them are doing. If you eat vegetables so will your children. Start at an early age by offering a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. If you start them early, they will want to eat them as they get older. This is also true for cooking. If kids see you in the kitchen cooking, they will naturally want to cook with you. This is a great way to teach them about where food comes from, how to prepare it, and the best things to eat. Be sure to pick a time when you are not in a hurry and you can take your time to teach them. Always use kid friendly recipes that are easy to prepare. A child will most likely get bored if their meal takes too long.

Give them simple tasks which do not require any sharp knives and doesn’t involve cooking on a burner. For example, they can wash the fruits and vegetables for the meal. Use this opportunity to teach them about food safety. They can snap the ends off of green beans or measure ingredients using plastic measuring cups and spoons. This is also a great opportunity to teach them about basic math such as addition and subtraction. You can also have them read the recipe while you are making it together. This will help to improve their reading skills and they will progress in school easier. They will love helping you and you will hear all about their day and how they feel.

When they are able, you can teach them how to prepare simple snack items. This will enable them to make their own food when they are hungry. There are so many simple snacks that you can teach your children to prepare. Keep it healthy, such as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or fruit with a cheese stick.

After the preparation is complete, they can help you clean up the dirty dishes. This is also a great teaching opportunity. Kids will learn to clean up after themselves and will have these skills when they are older. Getting them to clean when they are young, instead of watching TV or playing video games while others are working, is a great way to teach a positive work ethic and self sufficiency.

Gestational Diabetes

2013-09-04T09:45:00.000-05:00

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes that affects pregnant women. The symptoms are usually minor such as blurred vision, fatigue, and increase thirst and urination. However, these symptoms can signal a dangerous increase in blood glucose that can affect the lives of you and your unborn baby. Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed through an oral blood glucose tolerance test. It can also be diagnosed through a fasting blood glucose test. If the pregnant mother’s blood sugar is elevated above 126 then the diagnosis is confirmed. Usually the mother’s blood sugar returns to normal after the baby is born. However, she is now at increased risk to developing Type 2 diabetes within the next 10 years. It is recommended that she continue to eat healthy and exercise to help prevent Type 2 diabetes.

It is important to get regular prenatal care especially if you have gestational diabetes. The increase blood sugar can put undue stress on the mother and baby. The baby will be unusually large at birth, could have hypoglycemia after birth, and can get jaundice. Babies born to women with gestational diabetes are more prone to childhood – and adult - obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes will need to monitor their blood sugar and make the recommended dietary changes to keep their blood glucose within normal limits. This can be done with diet alone but sometimes women will need insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs. The diet for gestational diabetes is very similar to other forms of diabetes. Women must monitor their intake of carbohydrates to keep their insulin levels working normally. Carbohydrate counting is the process of counting how many carbohydrates you are eating and balancing that with the amount of insulin you will need to inject. The process works for those on insulin and those you do not need it. The steady carbohydrate intake is the main driver of insulin production. If the amount of carbohydrates you take in is not steady blood sugar will go haywire. You will need to see a Registered Dietitian who will give you a diet that spells out how many carbohydrates you will need to consume at each meal. Following this diet will help keep you and your baby healthy.

In general, carbohydrate counting consists of choosing complex carbohydrate foods that will slowly raise blood sugar and keep spikes in check. The goal is to keep blood sugar in the normal limits and avoid wild ups and down. Be sure to eat enough calories to support you and the growth of your baby. You need to eat about 300 extra calories a day to support the extra growth. Be sure to choose high fiber, nutrient dense foods. Eating a variety of healthy fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with some protein is the best way to keep blood sugar in check and for the fetus to grow normally. Choose foods that are filled with fiber. Aim for at least 25 grams of fiber a day. Meals should be spread out into three main meals and two snacks, while avoiding high sugar beverages, such as juice, right before bed. This raises the risk of a blood sugar spike in the middle of the night and possible hypoglycemia in the morning. For breakfast eat a protein based meal with little carbohydrate. Insulin tends not lower blood sugar as well in the morning as at other times of the day. Eating protein will help insulin lower blood sugar more effectively.

Moderate physical activity is also recommended to help keep blood sugar in the normal limits. Ask you doctor about how much and how intense the exercise should be. Over exercising can cause more problems and should be avoided. Usually a brisk walk is all that is needed to keep mother and baby healthy. If you work out to much you risk not only injuring yourself but you risk starting preterm labor. Be sure to drink plenty of water, at least 64oz or 10 (8oz) glasses a day, whether you exercise or not. Both you and the baby need to stay hydrated. You may need to drink more water if you sweat a lot during physical activity.

Eating when you have diabetes can be confusing. A Registered Dietitian can help make sense of it all. To contact one in your area, visit www.eatright.org.

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Preparing For A Healthy Pregnancy

2013-09-02T16:14:00.000-05:00

Pregnancy is a time of joy and anticipation. As the weeks go buy you start to feel your baby growing and developing inside you. During this time, you will to eat nutrient dense foods. You are also concerned about gaining the appropriate amount of weight. Many women concentrate on having a healthy pregnancy, but most do not realize that they needed to start this process many months before they become pregnant. Healthy eating habits before conception are just as important as healthy eating during each trimester of pregnancy.

One of the most important aspects of having a healthy baby is what you eat before you conceive. You should begin eating a healthy diet at least a year to 18 months before you begin trying to become pregnant. This gives your body adequate time to resolve any minor nutrient deficiencies and for you to lose excess weight if necessary. It is very important for you to be at a healthy body weight when you become pregnant. This will decrease the risk of birth defects and other problems. A health body weight is defined as a BMI of 19-24. If you are overweight, the developing fetus will be at risk for higher birth weight which will increase the risk of obesity as adults. Healthy babies are born from healthy mothers—it is that simple.

Weight loss can be achieved by an increase in exercise and healthy eating. Focus your meals on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low fat dairy products. An important aspect of this renewed eating plan is to start incorporating foods that your developing baby will need to grow properly. These foods should contain calcium, iron, and folic acid.

Incorporating enough calcium in your diet is important since you will need to eat an increased amount during pregnancy. Calcium is an important nutrient for the development of the baby’s skeleton and if you do not intake enough calcium the fetus will begin taking for your bones and you are at risk for osteoporosis. Good food sources of calcium are low fat dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, and dark leafy green vegetables.

Iron is another major focus of your new diet plan. Iron is important for not only fetal development to help you avoid iron deficiency anemia. If you do not eat enough iron fortified foods the baby will take the iron from your body. Some good sources of iron are chicken liver, beef, and oysters. Aim to keep your beef intake down to a maximum of twice a week. Other vegetable sources of iron are iron fortified cold cereal, iron fortified oatmeal, lentils, and a variety of beans, such as kidney beans. Choose to eat these foods without any dairy products as the calcium in dairy products can inhibit iron absorption.

Another important nutrient to incorporate into your diet is folic acid (a B vitamin). This nutrient will help to decrease the risk of neural tube defects in the developing fetus. Folic acid is found in orange juice, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. A variety of beans are also good sources of folic acid.

During this time you will also want to increase your physical activity. This not only aides in weight loss but also strengthens you body for the demands of pregnancy and childbirth. Aim for some form of physical activity, such as walking or biking for 30 minutes 3-5 days a week.

The Role of Dietary Iron in a Healthy Life

2013-08-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

Dietary iron is an important nutrient for keeping the body healthy and strong. Dietary iron is found in hemoglobin (red blood cells) and in myoglobin (muscle cells). Iron is needed to help carry and release oxygen from both red blood cells and muscle cells. Getting too little iron can cause iron deficiency anemia, a lack of iron in red blood cells from poor absorption. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include lack of energy, pale skin, light headedness, deceased appetite, and brittle finger nails.

Iron deficiency often occurs during pregnancy when the developing fetus may take iron from the mother’s body – especially when there is not enough for both the developing baby and the mother. Iron deficiency can also occur during a women’s menstrual cycle from the shedding of the blood layer in her uterus. Infants, young children and adolescents also need extra iron to support their rapid growth. Infant and young children have a milk based diet that lends them susceptible to iron deficiency. Adolescent girls are also vulnerable from their rapid growth and initiation of their menstrual cycle.

In contrast, getting too much iron can also be a significant problem. Iron toxicity can cause heart damage, liver damage, and bacterial infections. Symptoms of iron toxicity are loss of appetite, gray look to the skin, headaches, lack of energy, and shortness of breath. Toxicity usually occurs when a person takes too many iron supplements. It is very rare to get too much iron from diet alone.

There are two forms of iron in the foods we eat, Heme iron and nonheme iron. Heme iron usually comes from animal products such as beef, poultry, and fish. Most of the iron our body absorbs is heme iron. Nonheme iron comes from plant based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. For example, kidney beans are a good source of nonheme iron. Both heme iron and nonheme iron are needed by the body to maintain total iron stores at a healthy level.

There are ways to enhance the absorption of iron by combining certain foods. Heme iron is easier for the body to absorb. It also has a compound that helps nonheme iron be absorbed by the body when both are consumed during the same meal. Another way to improve the absorption of nonheme iron is to consume some vitamin C/citric acid such as citrus fruits and juice, with your meal. Lactic acid also helps with nonheme iron absorption. Nonheme iron is also more available to the body if the nonheme food is cooked in a cast iron skillet or pot. Certain foods decrease the absorption of nonheme iron and should be avoided when eating heme iron containing foods. Avoid excessive amounts of coffee or tea and food that contain tannic acid, high fiber foods such as bran and fiber supplements, large amounts of calcium during a meal, and some food additives.

Getting enough iron is tricky, since there are delicate systems at work. It can be very difficult to create menus when some vegetables may actually inhibit iron absorption and some increase it. The safest bet is to eat a generally healthy and balanced diet rich is fruits, vegetable, whole grains, lean meats and poultry, and low fat diary products. Aim to eat one meal a day that is meat based with some whole citrus fruit or fruit juice with it. For example, for breakfast you can have a piece of low sodium breakfast ham with a glass of orange juice. Another meal option could be beef and kidney bean chili and a salad (no spinach) with a citrus based dressing.

How To Create A Healthy Breakfast

2013-08-28T10:52:00.001-05:00

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is the time when you are breaking the fast your body has been going through during sleep, and revitalizing your brain for the day ahead. Eating breakfast can keep you alert throughout the morning and regulate your metabolism. This will help to keep you from overeating during the rest of the day. Breakfast also keeps your body out of starvation mode. Starvation mode can lead to weight gain because your body is trying to save every calorie you eat. Breakfast does not have to be a difficult endeavor. Follow these steps for easy weekday breakfasts.

Meal planning is the most important concept to getting a healthy breakfast on the table fast. It is important to sit down and plan out what you will eat during the week. Avoid fast food breakfasts as they will lead to weight gain, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It is a much healthier idea to make your own healthy breakfast. Think about the week ahead and what kind of breakfast you would like to eat. This is the time to get ingredients for simple but healthy high fiber muffins or breakfast scones. Make the muffins/scones on a weekend when you have more time. Bake and cool completely then place them into a freezer bag or freezable container. When you would like to eat one, take it out of the freezer bag/container and microwave for about 15-20 seconds. For something more substantial, you can even make pancakes or waffles. Mix up your favorite high fiber pancake/waffle recipe and cook according to the recipe. Once cooked, cool completely and place into a freezer bag or freezable container. When you need your breakfast, take out how many pancakes/waffles you want to eat and reheat in the toaster or toaster oven. Each of these items freeze perfectly until you want to take one or two during the week.

Another healthy breakfast idea is eggs. Not only are eggs cheap but they are quick cooking and filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are not the demons they once were but you do need to keep your consumption of eggs down to about 1 to 2 a week or less. Eggs still are a high calories food and contain some saturated fat. A great way to use eggs is to make a vegetable omelet or frittata. Take any leftover vegetable you have in the refrigerator (you can also use a frozen vegetable mix with no sauce) and put then into a hot sauté pan. Cover the vegetables with two beaten eggs and scramble until eggs are firm and vegetables are hot. You could also serve this with two defrosted pancakes or a muffin.

Smoothies are another great breakfast option and they are so simple to prepare. Simply mix you favorite frozen or fresh fruit into a blender with some vanilla (or another flavor) low fat yogurt, add a little flaxseed meal and blend. You can drink alone or have with a defrosted scone. You can also make this mixture ahead and either keep it in the refrigerator or freeze to use later in the week. There are so many combinations that the possibilities are endless.

One of the most important aspects of any meal planning is to have a good source of recipes. There are many website online that have hundreds, even thousands, of recipes. These recipes will help you cook/bake healthy breakfast foods fast. There are also many cookbooks and cooking magazines at your local library that have a wealth of great recipes that will meet your needs. Using these techniques it is no longer too easy to skip breakfast.

Healthy Action Step: Aim to eat breakfast at least three times a week.

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How To Cook Your Way To Health

2013-08-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Low fat cooking has been given a negative spin in the last several years. For years beforehand we were told that eating low fat foods would help the US population lose weight and become healthier. But the opposite has occurred. Americans are continuing to gain weight at an alarming pace, even with the widespread consumption of low fat products--mostly in the form of low fat cookies and other processed foods. Most low fat processed foods have a high amount of sugar to compensate for removing fat from the food. People thought the food was healthier and they ate more than they should have. The sugar in the food did not decrease the calories in the food. The low fat craze also turned into a food marketing campaign to sell more processed food products. Food companies realized that Americans would buy up low fat products -- and eat them.

What would have been better for Americans was to stop buying the processed foods and learn to like fruits and vegetable based snacks/meals. These are naturally low fat and full of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If the public had learned that the most effective way to lose weight and increase health was to consume these naturally healthy foods perhaps the obesity epidemic would be slowing. Health professionals should have emphasized teaching Americans how to cook at home, because in order for people to eat more fruits and vegetables people need to know how to cook. There is a hidden, and growing, epidemic of people who cannot cook for themselves. People with no time or money to cook find it easier to buy their foods from a fast food restaurant or a meal in a box. But it does not have to be this way. Cooking can really be as quick--sometimes quicker--as take out. Low fat cooking, in particular, is really about making fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain the base of your diet.

A plant based diet is really not hard to follow, but you do need a good source of recipes. There are many websites that have hundreds of good recipes. Choose easy recipes that that take 30 minutes or less to prepare and don’t use a lot of unfamiliar ingredients. Chicken recipes are always a good start. Boneless chicken breasts are naturally low in fat and are a fast protein to cook. Make sure the recipes have vegetables either topping the chicken or in the sauce. Avoid red meat such as beef whenever possible. Red meat is high in saturated fat which has been implicated in increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Next you need to learn to plan meals for the week. This is not as hard at it sounds, but does take some thought before going to the grocery store. Try to buy food that is on sale in the bulk meat section. The store sometimes has family size meat packages that go on sale. After you bring the packages home, break them down into 4-6 servings and freeze. This helps keep the cost down and gives you a protein source.

Third, focus on in season produce to also keep costs down. Seasonal produce is always cheaper than out of season produce. There are many great recipes for seasonal produce online. Check your grocery circular for which fruits/vegetables are exceptionally low. A great money saving idea is to buy a large amount of on sale produce and freeze in servings of 4-6 for use throughout the year. This technique also works if you go to the farmer’s market or pick you own farm and bring home a large amount of produce from this trip.

Lastly, aim to make one or two vegetarian meal a week. This is a sure fire way to not only save money but to learn how to eat a more plant based diet. There are many vegetarian recipes/website that can give you ideas on what to make. Not only does this keep your grocery bill down but it also helps your health because you are eating more vegetables and whole grains.

Healthy Action Step: Work towards learning to cook dinner at least twice a week. As you start to become more comfortable, increase cooking dinner to three times a week.

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How To Reduce Your Sodium Intake

2013-08-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

Sodium is an important element -- one that our bodies need to function properly. Sodium helps maintain our acid/base balance, signals our muscles to contract, and keeps our water balance in check. Sodium also regulates how much water our body stores and how this water is used. But many times the amount of sodium we eat is too much for our body to handle properly. Too much sodium (including table salt) can cause many health issues such as dehydration, hypertension, kidney disease and elevated blood glucose levels. Sodium causes high blood pressure when it removes water from the blood, making the heart pump harder to get blood throughout the entire body. Those with kidney disease, diabetes, and hypertension are required to eat a low sodium diet to reduce the salt burden on their system.

The recommended sodium intake is 2400mg or less a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of table salt. For those at risk for, or have been diagnosed with, hypertension, 1500mg of sodium or less is the recommended amount. Most of the food we eat contains sodium so it is very easy to meet the recommended intake—and easy to get too much. Most of the sodium/salt in an individual’s diet comes from packaged foods. There is sodium in nearly every packaged food so it is important to read the Nutrition Facts label to determine how much sodium is in a serving for the food you are planning to eat. Highly processed packaged foods such as dehydrated potatoes and other dehydrated foods, canned food, and boxed mixes have the most sodium.

To reduce the amount of sodium in your diet it is important to stick with fresh fruits and vegetables and other unprocessed, unpackaged foods. These items typically have far less sodium/salt than processed foods. Also, when you cook with whole foods you can control how much salt you put into the food. Only a small amount of the sodium we eat comes from salting your food during cooking. If you want to reduce your salt to the lowest level possible, there are many good sodium replacements that can make your food taste just as delicious without any salt. Instead of over salting, you can add lemon juice and pepper to bring out the natural flavor of the food. You can also add herbs such as rosemary and thyme. These herbs taste much better with the natural flavors of what you are cooking than a handful of salt does.

If you do not want to cook, you can choose reduced sodium packaged foods when you want to use a packaged food item, but be sure to only add a small amount of extra salt or none at all. To have complete control over your salt intake it is best to cook your own food. If you don’t know how to cook, take a cooking class through continuing education. Learning to make a few simple low salt meals will keep you healthy and your blood pressure in check.

It is also important to drink enough water, especially if you choose to eat even reduced sodium packaged foods. Reduced sodium foods still have considerable sodium in them that can be detrimental to your health. The water you drink will keep you from becoming dehydrated. Small amounts of sodium will reduce the amount of water in the body – and water retention can also lead to weight gain.

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Book Review: The DASH Diet For Weight Loss

2013-06-03T13:05:00.000-05:00

The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight and Keep It Off--the Healthy Way--with America's Most Respected Diet by Thomas J. Moore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The DASH Diet For Weight Loss by Thomas J Moore, MD is a top notch book on weight loss using the DASH Diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH Diet was originally created as a treatment for people with high blood pressure (hypertension). Through extensive scientific study, the original diet is also shown to help prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes. DASH has also been ranked the number one diet by US News and World Report. This book takes the essential principals of the original DASH diet and assigns different calorie levels based on your current weight.

The books begins with an explanation of the basics of weight loss and determining your body mass index (BMI). From there you determine your calorie goal for optimal weight loss. Each of these things has an easy step by step approach with charts. They are very easy to use but are only able to give you an estimate of your actual numbers. If you want, or need, more accurate information, see a Registered Dietitian. Once you have determined your estimate of your calorie intake, you are given you calorie goal for weight loss and the number of servings in each DASH group. The groups insist of Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Dairy, Meat/Fish/Poultry/Eggs, Nuts/Seeds/Legumes, Added Fats, and Sweets. The diet is heavy on Vegetables and Fruits, with moderate Grains and low on sweets and added fats. Once you have determined your number of servings, the book explains what a DASH serving is for each group in your calorie level.

A large portion of the book is about explaining how to incorporate this basic concept into you eating plan. The writing is very easy to understand and less confusing than most diet books especially when it comes to implementing the concepts into your lifestyle. Each section has space to write down your calorie goal and number of servings for each food group. This makes it much easier to remember what your DASH serving are instead of having to flip back to earlier in the book.

There is also a chapter on food tracking and exercise. The food tracking section is a basic food log that you can copy out of the book for your continued use. The physical activity chapter is quite helpful and detailed. Most of the suggestions are very doable and easy for a beginner to implement. The authors seem to understand that most people are not athletes and have no desire to become one.

The book also includes chapters on creating realistic goals, using visualization techniques, grocery shopping, restaurant eating and other tools for supporting your new eating habits. These are very short chapters that explain the basics but there is enough information for you to make positive change. There is one large section of frequently asked questions that is quite helpful and worth reading as it will answer many of the questions you probably will have after reading the book. Both section are very supportive when you are trying to incorporate the concepts into your life.

The end of the book has extensive 7 day meal plans for both meat eaters and vegetarians at each calorie level described in the book. They are helpful in trying to figure out what to eat in a typical week. It was quite interesting and helpful that the book includes information on a vegetarian DASH 7 day meal plan. Many people on the DASH diet are vegetarians and the original diet emphasizes a plant based eating pattern over eating meat.. Meat is really more like a side dish than a main meal and vegetarians can easy fit the diet into their lifestyle.

The last section consists of DASH recipes. The recipes are made with mostly whole foods and are quite healthy, but there are not that many of them. It would have been a good idea to add more recipes in place of all the meal plans as that would make it easier to incorporate the diet into someone's lifestyle. Since most people don't know how to cook, a simple recipe would help the reader put a meal together.

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How to Indentify a Fad Diet

2013-05-31T12:44:00.000-05:00

For years certain diets have been advertising that their plan will make you lose weight miraculously with little effort. Look at infomercials and website ads that claim that on their plan you will lose 10 pounds in a week by following only one easy rule. These are not only unhealthy but can be potentially harmful. And these plans are not sustainable over the long term. Most people who try these programs will gain the weight back-- plus more. The best way to avoid these diets is to not start one in the first place. To easily detect a fad diet, evaluate each plan with these six questions.

Does this plan eliminate entire food groups such as no fat or no sugar? If a diet plan cuts out entire food groups, stir clear of it. .Many plans will claim that the key to losing weight is by eliminated carbohydrates. However, eliminating entire food groups, like carbohydrates, also eliminates the important nutrients that these foods provide. Carbohydrates are important for brain function and energy. Cutting them out can lead to lack of energy and concentration problems. Many of these plans can then lead to malnutrition.

Does this plan contain a list of “good” and “bad” food? If there is a “good” and “bad” list, avoid this plan. There are no “bad” foods as many diet plans claim. There are foods to eat less of, such as desserts, but not completely ban. There are also foods that we need to eat more of, like fruits and vegetables, but calling them “good” can lead to guilt when we eat the “bad” ones. All foods have a place in a healthy eating plan.

Does this plan call for you to take a special pill/herb or drink a shake in place of a meal? Any diet plan that says weight loss will not happen unless you take this special pill/herb or shake is just trying to sell its product. Many weight loss pills can cause heart attacks and other health problems. Always eat real food when you are trying to lose weight.

Does this diet plan call for a major cut back on eating, effectively starving yourself? If you find that the diet calls for an extreme lack of calories then it definitely is not worth your time. Starvation can lead to weight gain because the body is trying to conserve its resources from what little food energy you are taking in. Then, when you start eating again you will overeat and gain more weight. Eat enough nutrient dense foods so you do not feel constantly hungry.

Does this plan have a promise of a quick weight loss, such as 10 pounds in one week? Stay as far away from this type of plan as possible. Losing 10 pounds in a week is extremely unhealthy and you could do real damage to your body. Plus, most people would not be able to sustain the starvation long enough. You will become discouraged with your progress and overeat when you decide you can’t be on the diet anymore. A healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week maximum.

Does this plan use an overall claim that sounds too good to be true? If it sounds so good that you wonder how true it is, go with our gut feelings…the plan is a fad. Real weight loss takes work and commitment, and can be a slow process. This process will pay off with permanent weight loss. Stick with a sensible plan that focuses on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and low fat dairy products broken down into three meals and two snacks a day. Exercise regularly and eat less high fat foods. No fad diet required.

The Basics Of The Gluten Free Diet

2013-05-29T11:55:00.000-05:00

A gluten free diet is the recommended treatment for a person with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks itself in response to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in several grains. It makes bread soft, and can make cakes and muffins tough. In response to gluten, the villi, a hair like structure lining the small intestine, flattens. This inhibits the proper absorption of nutrients from food. When this occurs the intestine becomes inflamed.

Symptoms of celiac disease are abdominal pain and bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and unintended weight loss. This disease can also cause a rash on the skin. It is usually diagnosed through a positive blood test and an intestinal biopsy. Adults are more likely to have no digestive symptoms, sometimes making the disease difficult to detect. Since the small intestine is unable to absorb nutrients from food, the individual can develop malnutrition and anemia. In children, Celiac disease can cause delayed growth and many other health problems.

Celiac disease can be effectively managed through a gluten free diet. This diet requires the complete elimination of gluten. Avoid these main foods: wheat (kamut, spelt, bulgur), barley, rye and oats. Although oats do not contain gluten, they are often processed in the same factories as wheat. The oats can become contaminated with small amounts of gluten from leftover wheat powder and this most likely causes symptoms. Oats may not cause a reaction if they are processed by themselves. When choosing food for meals, it is important to read labels carefully.

Additional recommendations are as follows:

Most fresh fruits and vegetables are safe and highly recommended on a gluten free diet. Be vigilant for vegetables with any type of breading since they are usually made with wheat flour.

Any meat is generally safe as long as it is not breaded. Avoid any meat with a cream base. These cream sauces are usually thickened with wheat flour. Also, check that raw meat does not have any type of gluten fillers or stabilizers in them. Simply sautéed, roasted or grilled meat and poultry (with no fillers) is acceptable.

Choose from the many grains without gluten such as buckwheat (labeled gluten free), cornmeal, rice flour, potato flour, millet, tapioca flour, popcorn, hominy, and rice. Choose these most often when looking for a grain/carbohydrate source. Avoid bran, pasta made with wheat flour, wheat germ, and matzo. Since many packaged foods have gluten based additives and stabilizers in them, learn the various names of these substances. Completely avoiding these is vitally important to staying symptom free.

Avoid alcoholic beverages such as beer, ale, and certain whiskey’s such as Canadian rye.

Be aware when using butter, jelly, jam and condiments of cross contamination from other individuals using these products. It is quite common for bread crumbs to land in your butter or jelly. For a person with celiac disease, one bread crumb can cause a bad flare up of symptoms. Be sure to use separate butter and condiments to avoid any adverse reaction.

To be truly gluten free takes a fair amount of study to learn what products are acceptable. Cooking at home with fresh ingredients and avoiding highly processed packaged foods can make this process easier.

Book Review: The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet

2012-12-31T09:41:00.000-06:00

The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet: Smart, Simple, Science-Based Strategies for Losing Weight and Keeping It Off by Barbara Rolls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D is a comprehensive book about how to transition to the Volumetrics Diet. The books is broken down into a 12 week plan to gradually switch from your old style of eating to the Volumetrics Diet. This book is an excellent resource if you are looking to lose weight without feeling starved.

The book begins with a section on evaluating where you are right now with you eating habits. The chapter discusses your current weight and BMI values, and what they mean. This comprehensive chapter includes a food record form so you can record your daily food intake. This section also teaches you how to rate how hungry or full you are, how to set realistic goals, and how to overcome challenges. This is an excellent section and the base for the rest of the chapters. The book is worth buying just for this chapter.

The rest of the chapters continue through the 12 week plan and explain various concepts each week including:

Calorie density
Portion sizes
Creating satisfying meals
How to plan your meals around fruits and vegetables
Protein and fiber
Fat and sugar
Snacking
What is the best things to drink
Restaurant eating
How your environment influences you eating
How to maintain the new lifestyle you have learned

Each chapter ends with a review of the key points you just learned and a to do list for the week. While some of the To Do lists can be a bit overwhelming when first starting out, they are sensible and even one of them will move you forward towards a healthy lifestyle. The diet is also quite filling since most of the recommended foods are filled with water but not calories. This is an excellent diet since is it very nutritionally adequate and exactly what most experts recommend.

The second part of the book is filled with Volumetrics recipes. The recipes are accompanied by a before and after photo showing the ordinary portion size and then the Volumetrics portion size. There is a considerable difference in portion size. Most of the increased comes from an increased amount of vegetables or fruit in the recipes. The recipes have easy to find ingredients and do not contain items that most of us would not eat. She also has a section on how to stock your kitchen with healthy Volumetrics ingredients and a small section on how to modify your own recipes.

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Book Review: The Flexitarian Diet

2012-12-28T09:22:00.000-06:00

The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life by Dawn Jackson Blatner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Flexitarian Diet by Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, LDN is an easy to understand book about how to get the health benefits of a vegetarian diet while still eating the foods you love. The key to all of this is moderation, and not feeling guilty about the occasional indulgences in meat and sweets. This message resonates throughout the book and really helps to make a vegetarian diet more accessible for most people.

This book is very simple and straightforward, perfect if you are just beginning to think about changing to a vegetarian diet. The book offers a 5 flex food group plan to get you started. Each section describes the important food groups that make up the bulk of a healthy vegetarian diet, such as beans, fruits and vegetables, dairy, grains, and sweets. Each chapter gives a run down of the foods included in each category, how to cook them, and how to get more of them into your diet. There are also menu plans to help guide you toward healthy eating plus lists of foods to keep in your pantry. The information is very basic so is great for beginners. If you are someone with more knowledge of vegetarian eating or already a vegetarian, this book will give you very little new information.

The second half of the book is filled with recipes. There are recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are very easy to understand and quick to make. Some are so easy that they could not be considered actual recipes, but more like ideas of foods you could through together that are nutritionally adequate. The recipes only make one serving so if you want to make a meal for four or more people you would need to quadruple the ingredients. When quadrupled some of the recipes become cumbersome and do not work out well. Most of the recipes are a good base for creating healthy vegetarian meals and you can add your own twist to them.

The last chapter is an explanation of getting more physical activity in your life. It is a decent chapter with good information on how to get started with exercise, how to stay motivated, and various tools you need to accomplish your goals. There is also a very good section on beating exercise barriers. This section addresses the most common barriers and give tips on how to overcome them. The tips are sensible and are things anyone can try.

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Book Review: The Insulin Resistance Diet

2012-12-05T11:57:00.001-06:00

The Insulin-Resistance Diet by Cheryle R. Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Insulin Resistance Diet by Cheryle R. Hart, MD and Mary Kay Grossman, RD is an easy to understand guide for eating healthy when you have insulin resistance. This book outlines the method the authors have taught to many of their patients to help them control their insulin levels and lose weight. This book is for anyone who has tried numerous diets with little to no success. It is also for anyone who wants to eat more healthfully to prevent diabetes.

The book first outlines how insulin works in a healthy person and then describes how insulin resistance occurs. The explanations are kept very simple and straightforward. Next, the authors go through the signs of insulin resistance and how it is typically diagnosed. Some of these signs are waist circumference, fasting glucose level and body mass index level. At the end of this explanation, there is a self test that can determine how many of these symptoms you have. The self-test is a good resource for talking to your doctor about your health.

Next, the book explains how to control insulin resistance with the link and balance method. This method was developed by the authors to use with their patients in the various workshops they teach. The method links protein with carbohydrates in an equal balance. The method is very simple and easy for anyone to master. There is no measuring or counting calories. You do need to be aware of how to read the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged foods for the total carbohydrate and protein amounts when you are linking and balancing. The book explains this clearly. You also need to know which foods have protein and which ones contain carbohydrates and the book also explains this adequately. The authors do not talk extensively about vegetarian sources of protein. This could be a turnoff to many vegetarians who want to stabilize insulin levels.

The explanation of link and balance also includes visual diagrams of how to balance your meals. This helps you see the concept, however, I found the diagrams confusing to understand and so I didn't really use them much. I found the written explanations clear enough. Visual learners might find the pictures helpful. There are also many lists of foods with protein and carbohydrates along with their standard portion sizes. At the end of the full explanation there is another self-test of the concepts you just learned. This helps you see if you are understanding what you are reading.

There is a considerable section of recipes from appetizers to desserts. These recipes are already linked and balanced for you. Many recipes use packaged and processed ingredients such as fat free cheese, liquid spray margarine and canned fruit. There are some simple recipes that use natural ingredients but there are only a few of them. If you are trying to stay away from processed foods, these recipes do not fit the bill. You can use the recipes for ideas on foods to eat and modify them to suit you eating style. There is also a section on fast food restaurant meals and frozen dinner choices that the authors have deemed to be linked and balanced though not as healthy has cooking for yourself

The book has a short chapter on fitness that reviews the basics of exercise such as defining aerobic and weight training exercises It is quite short and feels as though it was placed there as filler. There are much better books on fitness.

The end of the book has an intriguing chapter the difference between appetite and true hunger. It discusses what true hunger is and how to identify if what you are feeling. The sections helps you develop strategies for dealing with cravings and emotional eating. These chapters are very good and is an important concept of healthy eating.

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Avoid The Annual Holiday Weight Gain

2012-11-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

The winter holiday season is a month long food feast. From holiday parties with family and friends to break room treats at work, it seems there is a constant stream of food everywhere you look. But this does not have to ruin your dedication to eating more healthfully--or your waistline. All it takes is some planning and a few strategies to avoid the annual holiday weight gain. These tips are good for any party you attend, during any part of the year.

One of the most important things you can do throughout this time is to not skip meals. Skipping meals only helps to increase your weight because you will be starving by the time you get to your holiday function--and you will overeat. Also, your body will go into starvation mode and start to converse calories. Every calorie you consume will more easily become fat instead of being used as energy. If you feel hungry before the party, have a healthy snack.

Once at the party, turn your focus to catching up with friends instead of eating appetizers. Take a few tasty looking raw vegetables with about a tablespoon of dip on a plate and sit with friends at a table. This strategy will allow you to know how much you are actually eating. Avoid standing by the appetizer table and eating directly from the serving platter. This is a recipe for mindless overeating. When dinner is served, use the plate method -- fill half your plate filled with non-starchy vegetables, and fill the other half with meat and a complex carbohydrate (starch). When dessert is served, if it is something appealing to you or a favorite item, eat it and enjoy. It is OK for you to not eat dessert if you are not hungry or don’t like what is being served.

Food in the workplace is abundant during the holiday season. Remember, just because something is there does not mean you have to eat it, especially if the item is not appealing or you are not hungry. Keep candy dishes away from you by moving them across the room. Bring your own healthy snacks to your desk, such as fruit or whole grain crackers. If you have special activities with your co-worker, such as a cookie swap, collect the cookies, eating the one or two you really like and save the rest for the upcoming holiday party. Plus, you can always bring in a healthier item such as raw vegetables with low fat dip.

When the holiday finally arrives, enjoy yourself by eating all your favorite foods including cookies and other high fat treats. The most important thing is to balance healthy foods and proper portions with your favorite foods and treats.

Image courtesy of debspoons at www.freedigitalphotos.net