If you have experienced menopause and weight frustrations, you're probably thinking . . .what mystery . . . I know weight is harder to manage once menopause hits!
Before I turned 40 this topic was not nearly as important for me as it was for my clients. Well now I am 42 and even though I have tried to deny it . . . I am experiencing peri-menopause symptoms. I'll spare you those details but I definitely have experienced more difficulty keeping my weight down. I have gained 5-10 lbs over past year, which seems to all have settled in my belly.
It's not just about trying to keep up healthy eating and exercise anymore. I have to work even harder at it now.
So . . . I have decided to look at this as a positive and get even more serious about eating healthier to prevent diabetes. And I will make a point of learning all I can about menopause as it relates to nutrition, weight, and diabetes. Then I will pass it on to all of you women looking for the same answers I am!
An article published last week by the North American Menopause Society discussed exercise, weight gain and menopause. After reviewing this article I came away with 3 conclusions:
1. Estrogen does regulate body weight in women and low estrogen appears to increase food intake, decrease spontaneous physical activity, and lower metabolic rate.
2. We go through menopause during a time when we are experiencing body changes due to age as well. One of these changes is that we lose muscle mass. That means our resting metabolic rate, the rate of burning calories just sitting goes down!
3. As we age we also have a decline in VO2 max, which means for the same exercise we used to do, we are going to burn less calories.
What can we do to prevent weight gain during this time of life? My logic tells me I have to . . .
1. Make sure I am not eating more without realizing it and maybe even eat a little less now.
2. Add strength training to my exercise routine to help minimize the loss of muscle mass
3. Exercise for a longer time . . . maybe instead of 30 minutes I better increase to 40 minutes on the treadmill.
There are also nutrients we need to make sure we are getting at this stage of life. Stay tuned to future posts for more info!
If you have thoughts or would like to share your experience with weight management and menopause please comment or email me!!
Strawberries are one of the top 20 antioxidant fruits and veggies - great for keeping our brain healthy and preventing cancer. Better yet, they taste great and are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C. If you're counting calories, one cup is only 50 calories!
One of my favorite meals during strawberry season is grilled chicken breast cut up into a green salad with sliced almonds and a little drizzle of salad dressing.
For a fun patriotic dessert make July 4th Flag Fruit Pizza! (I use pre-made sugar cookie dough when I'm in a hurry.)
Or try this low calorie Strawberry Smoothie Recipe: 1 cup ripe strawberries, 1 banana, 1-2 tbsp honey, 1/2 cup yogurt vanilla or plain, 1/2 cup ice and 1/2 cup water. You can also add a tablespoon of ground flax seed for omega-3 if you like. I like to save my too-ripe bananas in freezer and use in place of ice for smoothies. Just remember the key to weight control with smoothies is keeping the portion to an 8 oz glass, unless this is your meal.
If you're looking for more information on buying, storing, or freezing strawberries check out this Strawberry Hints & Tips Guide . You'll also find some great recipes such as Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate!
Do you know how many calories your favorite summer drink has?
If you grab a 20 oz soda, juice, or bottled tea you get about 250 calories. Smoothies and shakes will range 300-700 calories or more! Alcoholic beverages vary depending on the type but all will have calories.
We often forget about our drinks having calories or possibly being the source of weight gain but don't forget to count them in if you're monitoring calories. And if you can choose a low cal or zero calorie beverage, you have more room to enjoy your favorite summer foods.
Looking for some low cal summer drinks that are actually healthy for you?
Try brewed iced tea or green tea. There are berry, honey or citrus flavored tea bags if you don't like just plain black or green tea. . . Or try adding your own lemon slices, fresh or frozen berries, or natural sweetener. We hear so many bad things about sugar but if you think about it . . . You can add a teaspoon of white sugar, brown sugar, or honey to a zero calorie, antioxidant-containing tea for only 15 calories! That's much healthier than any artificially sweetened beverage or pre-bottled drink containing 150 or more calories!
Club Soda also has 0 calories. You could also put berries, lemon or lime and a little sugar in Club Soda if you don't like tea!
Here's a few iced tea recipes to get you started . . .
Several studies have shown that eating a Mediterranean type of diet can help us prevent diabetes. I wanted to share some great sites with you that explain some of the questions about the Mediterranean Diet and give you some easy recipes to get you started.
What are Mediterranean Diet foods and why should I eat them?
Get your answers to these questions at this website about Mediterranean foods and way of eating.
May is Mediterranean Month - download this calendar for ideas on how to eat more of these healthy Mediterranean Diet foods! I love most of the foods mentioned in their ideas and this calendar makes it fun trying to eat healthier. Get your family involved by letting them choose the ideas that they would like to try!
If you like pizza try this tasty Mediterranean Pizza. It's super easy to make and a favorite of mine.
Or try this Mediterranean Baby Spinach Salad. Happy Mediterranean eating!
Here's a short message to remind you of the power of fruits and vegetables in fighting disease - especially diabetes. (and be sure to check out the video link below)
How will more fruits and veggies help diabetes?
Eating more replaces high calorie starches and sweets that are unhealthy.
There is one catch. You have to make the effort to change your eating and food buying habits. This takes time and effort but is well worth the payoff of preventing diabetes, lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and losing weight. This is probably the most powerful diet change you can make.
Start small by choosing one meal to add vegetables and one snack to add a fruit. Take advantage of fruits and veggies in season when they taste better and cost less. Check out the farmers markets or try growing something of your own!
To get you motivated check out this great 2 minute video and start to Color Yourself Healthy!
"Fruit is bad for diabetes because it's too high in sugar right?"
WRONG.
This is one of the most common misconceptions I hear from those new to diabetes. Yes - fruit has natural sugar but when trying to manage carbohydrate intake for blood sugar or weight control - it's all about the portions. Fruit in general is low calorie and a great source of disease fighting nutrients and fiber. We still have to portion control but most of are actually not eating enough fruit.
Weight loss tip: Replace a starch or dessert with fresh fruit and save calories. For example, instead of having a 300 calorie (regular size) candy bar, eat a cup of berries for under 100 calories!
My local grocer's ad this week has blackberries on sale so I think I'll give them a try. Good fresh fruit is often hard to come by in Minnesota until summer! Like most berries, blackberries are loaded with nutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and an antioxidant called ellagic acid. This disease fighting nutrient actually increases during jam making.
Need some eating ideas for fresh berries?
For a quick treat try some fresh berries with vanilla yogurt as a topping or dip. Or try this Berry Patch Pie that I just found in my new Taste of Home Healthy Cooking issue. If you want to preserve your berries for winter enjoyment make your own homemade jam.
Questions about fruit and diabetes? Leave me your comments or questions.
Since the 1970's we were told not to eat eggs because they were too high in cholesterol. Recent review of over 200 studies has shown that eggs do not have much effect on our cholesterol but many are not aware of that or are still being told by health professionals to avoid eggs.
Consider these 6 reasons why eggs are part of a healthy diet.
1. Cholesterol in food does not have much effect on our blood cholesterol. Eating too much saturated fat is actually what contributes to high cholesterol levels. Focus on controlling the amount of saturated fat you eat instead.
2. Eggs are actually low in saturated fat. One egg has less than 2 grams saturated fat and for heart health we should try to eat no more than 15-20 grams saturated fat daily. So 2 eggs for a meal would be no more than 25% of that daily limit. In comparison, a small 95% lean burger has 3 grams saturated fat. Eggs also contain 44% monounsaturated fat, which is the type of fat that can help lower cholesterol. Don't forget to keep the butter, bacon and sausage to a minimum though or you will get a lot of saturated fat.
3. Eggs are a very high quality source of protein, contain 13 essential vitamins and minerals, and are a good source of choline and lutein, important for healthy brain and eyes.
4. Eggs can help control hunger and make weight loss easier. In one study comparing an egg breakfast to a bagel breakfast, those who had eggs for breakfast reported feeling less hungry throughout the day and lost 65% more weight.
5. Eggs are a low calorie food. One egg has about 75 calories. So if you eat an breakfast of 2 eggs, 2 whole grain toast with a little preserves, and fruit - you will have a tasty well balanced meal for under 500 calories!
6. Eggs make a nutritious, low cost meal. Just this weekend I bought eggs at the grocery store for $1.29 a dozen. That's only about 10 cents per egg. We could all use a little savings right now on the grocery bill right?
So there you have it - 6 reasons to stop worrying about eggs clogging up your arteries. Try some new egg recipes and don't forget about egg salad sandwiches, deviled eggs, or a hard-boiled egg in your salad.
Here's a recipe for Mushroom, Tomato, Basil Frittata . A frittata is basically an Italian version of the omelet. This recipe is easy, healthy and low calorie! Enjoy!
You may have heard in the news over the past year about studies linking diet soda intake to the risk for diabetes. The studies looked at the link between drinking one or more diet sodas per day and an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of health problems that lead to diabetes.
So are you at risk of developing diabetes if you drink diet soda? We can't say for sure but thinking about these 5 questions will give you some guidelines to help you make choices for your own personal diabetes prevention.
1. How many diet sodas are you drinking now per day?
We don't know for sure if diet soda is bad for us but we do know there is nothing in diet soda of nutritional value that will benefit our health. We know regular soda has 10 teaspoons sugar in a 12 ounce can but I get severe stomach ache when I drink any drink that sweet. I do like the sweet taste of a diet soda occasionally so I try to live by a rule that I do not buy 12-packs but I grab a single can or bottle at the store 2-3 days/week.
2. What other fluids are you drinking?
If you are drinking several cans of diet pop daily then you are likely missing the water and other beverages that do have nutrients you need. Milk, coffee, tea and juice all have healthy nutrients. When we drink diet pop we tend to have it with a snack food, pizza or a restaurant meal. When we drink milk we usually have it with a meal at home. Are we eating healthier when we drink milk and less healthy foods when we drink diet soda?
3. Does diet soda make you hungry? or satisfy your craving for something sweet?
One of the theories is that artificial sweeteners interfere with our normal hunger signals and may cause us to overeat. I haven't yet figured out how diet soda affects my eating but it is something to be aware of.
4. Do you have any sensitivity to artificial sweeteners?
I have had several people tell me they notice headaches or body aches from artificial sweeteners. Sugar alcohols can also cause some problems - most commonly diarrhea. Xylitol and sorbitol are common sugar alcohols found in sugar free candy and gum. People newly diagnosed with diabetes often think they need to go out and buy sugar free foods but really it is not necessary if you can use regular sugar in moderation and still control blood sugars.
5. How safe are the artificial sweeteners and additives in diet soda?
For example, I drank a diet soda today with the ingredient listing of: filtered carbonated water, caramel color, sodium benzoate, aspartame, natural and artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium, malic acid.
Do we know how any of those affect our health long term? Well, as I am writing this post I referred back to my favorite reference for food additives and 4 of those are on the caution or avoid lists. This list is published by Center for Science in the Public Interest and they havea nice newsletter called Nutrition Action. Check out the list. It's very helpful.
After reviewing this list again I will definitely think twice before I buy my next diet soda! I welcome your thoughts on the diet soda dilemma.
Have you seen all the cereal boxes that have had weight loss challenges on them? Well, it actually can be a good meal idea if you keep in mind a few tips:
1. Plan your portion. Tomorrow I am taking cereal for lunch . . . Quaker Oatmeal Squares to be exact. If I take one and a half cups cereal and one cup skim milk I will have a 400 calorie meal - a portion that works well for women trying to lose weight.
2. Choose a cereal with 5 or more grams fiber. Your daily goal should be at least 25 grams and with 5 or more grams you will get about 20% of your day's fiber intake. For diabetes control the higher fiber cereals also tend to give a little slower rise in blood sugar than the higher sugar content cereals.
3. If you find yourself getting hungry soon after eating cereal, try one with nuts or higher protein content. Fiber and protein both tend to help with appetite control.
There are many cereals to choose from but Kashi has several whole grain cereals that are tasty and I think they do a nice job balancing healthy ingredients with good taste! Their website has a lot of great product info, coupons to print, recipes and health tips. http://www.kashi.com/
Don't like milk? Try yogurt with a crunchy cereal mixed in. My favorite is yogurt with Grape Nuts!
As a dietitian I discuss with clients every day how restaurant portions are 2-3 times the amount we should be eating. But last week I was once again shocked.
While attending a conference in the Twin Cities, I went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant with friends and colleagues. The food was fantastic but when they came with my entree my eyes almost popped out of my head! Thinking I was being smart I had ordered a HALF portion of a very tasty basil chicken pasta dish. What I got was a bowl of pasta that contained almost as much as I would put in a serving bowl for my entire family of four! Just imagine what the FULL serving looked like!
My entree alone had to have at least 1200 calories and 10 carbohydrate servings. I had already sampled the appetizers, eaten my salad, and drank a glass of wine. So before even starting on the pasta I had probably enjoyed 700 calories. Needless to say I ate about a cup or so of the pasta before I was miserably stuffed and had to leave the rest.
What could possibly be a logical rationale for serving a HALF portion that large? I usually like getting the most for my money but in the case of food portions, if restaurants are not going to help us be realistic about portions we should have, then we are going to continue to struggle with the problems of obesity and diabetes. Studies have shown that the more food that is put in front of us the more we eat. I am no different than anyone else. If food that I like is staring me in the face it is very hard to not overeat.
I realize restaurants probably can't afford to lower prices but there has got to be a way to serve healthier sized portions and keep everyone happy. Had I been there before and known the portions were so large I think three of us would have split an entree. But then I always feel a little cheap. Since I was staying at a hotel I was not able to take my leftovers home for 2 more meals. What a waste of great food!
If you are trying to keep weight or diabetes under control and find yourself eating in restaurants regularly, have a plan. You will be shocked at the amount of calories in most foods and portions that you think are healthy. A great resource for managing restaurant meals is Dining Lean by Joanne V. Lichten, RD, PhD.
I would love to hear your stories, tips or thoughts about restaurant portions. Leave me your comments!