Research shows that people underestimate their caloric intake by around 30%. So this week I want to warn you about foods that seem guilt-free, but who's calories add up fast if you don't watch the serving size. I see lots of folks gain weight on these seemingly harmless foods:
1. Fat-free whipped cream or Cool Whip: sure it's only 15 calories per serving, but a serving is only 1-2 TBsp! Almost everything is low-calorie at that portion size! See how much you really use and do the math.
2. Fat Free Parmesan Cheese: a serving is 15 calories, but that is for only 2 tsp.
3. I Can't Believe it's Not Butter: Even though it says 0 calories per serving, it actually is caloric and the manufacturer is rounding down. The second ingredient is oil, so it is possible to overdo it if you go nuts with spraying or--I know people do this--take of the top and pour. There are about 900 servings in the container, so if you finish a container a week, you know you're using enough oil to add up!
4. Low-calorie salad dressing: Same as above--it's only low calorie in small portions. If you like lots of dressing on your salad, consider using gourmet vinegar or salsa.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Every Meal Counts!
I have a true tale that shows just how fast your health can change after a few good or bad meals!
Today I met a client who was worried about his cholesterol because it had skyrocketed up to 320, despite his normally healthy diet. His doctor wanted to start him on medication that he would need to take for life.
We went over his diet and couldn't find any problems for cholesterol. Upon further digging, we figured out that for a week preceding his last cholesterol test he had been on vacation eating fried foods, alcohol and very few fruits and veggies. He and his doctor had assumed that one week of abnormal eating couldn't greatly influence a cholesterol test.
...but it can!
He went home and took another test and found his cholesterol was down to 190, a much better number.
This demonstrates how even just a few meals can drastically change your health! Cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides can all change radically after just a few bad meals. Newer research is suggesting that just a few healthy meals can immediately improve your resistance to cancer and I wouldn't be surprised if your immune system, mood and all kinds of other health indices change fast too. Every meal counts!
Today I met a client who was worried about his cholesterol because it had skyrocketed up to 320, despite his normally healthy diet. His doctor wanted to start him on medication that he would need to take for life.
We went over his diet and couldn't find any problems for cholesterol. Upon further digging, we figured out that for a week preceding his last cholesterol test he had been on vacation eating fried foods, alcohol and very few fruits and veggies. He and his doctor had assumed that one week of abnormal eating couldn't greatly influence a cholesterol test.
...but it can!
He went home and took another test and found his cholesterol was down to 190, a much better number.
This demonstrates how even just a few meals can drastically change your health! Cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides can all change radically after just a few bad meals. Newer research is suggesting that just a few healthy meals can immediately improve your resistance to cancer and I wouldn't be surprised if your immune system, mood and all kinds of other health indices change fast too. Every meal counts!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
"Gatorade" for the Corporate Athlete
Yesterday I discussed nutrition for the "Corporate Athlete" and touted frequent low-glycemic snacks as the key to great performance. Whereas solid food snacks are the best option, many Corporate Athletes are too busy to stop and eat every few hours during long meetings, while traveling or while interacting with clients. Here's the solution:
A mug full of Imagine brand soup.
Imagine soups are available at Trader Joe's or health food stores and come in a variety of flavors, such as tomato, creamy broccoli, portobello mushroom and butternut squash. They are creamy from soymilk, not cream, so they have a bit of protein without the saturated fat.
Why are they "Gatorade" for the Corporate Athlete?
You can slowly sip on them throughout the day and they will keep your blood sugar at a nice level. They are low in calories, low-glycemic and nobody knows you are drinking soup instead of coffee. You can prepare the soup in seconds by either microwaving it in a mug or just mixing it with hot water.
Try it and see how much better you feel. Not only will your mood and memory be better throughout the day, but come nighttime you won't be as ravenously hungry. They are a great performance food that should always be available in your desk drawer.
p.s. If you can't fine Imagine Soups, try soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, nonfat milk or other non-cream-based soups. Those also work.
A mug full of Imagine brand soup.
Imagine soups are available at Trader Joe's or health food stores and come in a variety of flavors, such as tomato, creamy broccoli, portobello mushroom and butternut squash. They are creamy from soymilk, not cream, so they have a bit of protein without the saturated fat.
Why are they "Gatorade" for the Corporate Athlete?
You can slowly sip on them throughout the day and they will keep your blood sugar at a nice level. They are low in calories, low-glycemic and nobody knows you are drinking soup instead of coffee. You can prepare the soup in seconds by either microwaving it in a mug or just mixing it with hot water.
Try it and see how much better you feel. Not only will your mood and memory be better throughout the day, but come nighttime you won't be as ravenously hungry. They are a great performance food that should always be available in your desk drawer.
p.s. If you can't fine Imagine Soups, try soymilk, almond milk, rice milk, nonfat milk or other non-cream-based soups. Those also work.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The Corporate Athlete
Just like serious athletes use sports nutrition to stay strong and fast, the "corporate athletes" --those people who demand high achievement at work all week--need to use nutrition as a performance tool.
Nutrition can make all the difference to corporate performance because it affects mood, memory, mental stamina and cognitive endurance--all the things an executive or office worker uses to be their best.
The highest priority for the corporate athlete is to have optimal blood sugar throughout the day. The brain runs on blood sugar and can't access energy from fat the way muscles can. This means that low blood sugar will make mood, memory and thinking slow down and suffer.
The solution is frequent low-glycemic snacks. Think fruit, string cheese, nuts, seeds, low-sugar yogurt, cottage cheese, sandwiches, salads, soups, and most foods that are unprocessed. By eating these snacks every few hours, the corporate athlete will notice that they think better all day, are less exhausted at night and are more relaxed for their family.
High performance of any kind--mental, cognitive or physical--needs great nutrition.
Nutrition can make all the difference to corporate performance because it affects mood, memory, mental stamina and cognitive endurance--all the things an executive or office worker uses to be their best.
The highest priority for the corporate athlete is to have optimal blood sugar throughout the day. The brain runs on blood sugar and can't access energy from fat the way muscles can. This means that low blood sugar will make mood, memory and thinking slow down and suffer.
The solution is frequent low-glycemic snacks. Think fruit, string cheese, nuts, seeds, low-sugar yogurt, cottage cheese, sandwiches, salads, soups, and most foods that are unprocessed. By eating these snacks every few hours, the corporate athlete will notice that they think better all day, are less exhausted at night and are more relaxed for their family.
High performance of any kind--mental, cognitive or physical--needs great nutrition.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Taming the Dog Brain
I believe that folks shouldn't feel so guilty for eating poorly or overeating on occasion. It's in our nature to do so and my dog, Jasper, reminds me of that every day. He will eat almost anything he sees--garbage, dirty socks, tissues--and will beg for more dogfood whenever he isn't busy doing something else.
Jasper reminds us that animal are biologically designed to eat whenever possible, regardless of hunger. Evolutionarily this makes sense, since food scarcity was the biggest danger until the last few hundred years--too recent for our bodies to adjust to the new problem of overabundance.
Humans have big powerful brains that give us will-power, good judgement and self-control and we don't give ourselves enough credit for using these skills to overcome the dog brain underneath. Unfortunatly our big brains also give us guilt when the primitive dog brain underneath succeeds in making us overeat.
Jasper reminds us that animal are biologically designed to eat whenever possible, regardless of hunger. Evolutionarily this makes sense, since food scarcity was the biggest danger until the last few hundred years--too recent for our bodies to adjust to the new problem of overabundance.
Humans have big powerful brains that give us will-power, good judgement and self-control and we don't give ourselves enough credit for using these skills to overcome the dog brain underneath. Unfortunatly our big brains also give us guilt when the primitive dog brain underneath succeeds in making us overeat.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Food Pushers
We all know "food pushers", those well-intentioned (or not) family or friends who are intent on getting us to "just have a bite." They make us eat to avoid feeling rude or embarrassed, but unfortunately food eaten for them still ends up in our fat cells!
Defend yourself by preparing some phrases or strategies you can use next time. Practice them so you'll be ready. Here are some examples:
- "I'm just too full right now, but I'd love to take some for later."
- "I can't eat another bite, but it was delicious! Can I have the recipe?"
- "I just brushed my teeth, so I'll wait a few hours."
- "I know my husband would love this. Let me package this up and take some to him."
A few planned phrases go a long way in this "food means love" culture of ours, so take a minute right now to think of some you can use.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Variety is Overrated
It turns out that being in a food rut can actually help you lose weight! Who knew!?
Even though dietary variety is good for nutrition, it makes you eat more. Studies show that when people eat the same foods often, they eat less without even knowing it! Use this to your advantage by doing some of the following:
Even though dietary variety is good for nutrition, it makes you eat more. Studies show that when people eat the same foods often, they eat less without even knowing it! Use this to your advantage by doing some of the following:
- cook a big pot of something healthy once a week and eat it for several meals.
- plan to have the same super-healthy meal every Monday night to get your week off to a good start.
- put a few healthy foods on your "permanent grocery list" so that you always have them around (e.g., apples, fat-free cottage cheese, frozen stir-fry veggies and Ready-Pac salad greens.)
These things also make cooking a lot simpler, so now you can use your extra time and creativity to spice up your workouts!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Burn Fat Faster
Hello!
You probably already know that unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado, fatty fish) are a lot healthier for your heart than saturated fats (butter, cream, beef), but get this: New research suggests that our bodies burn UNsaturated fat more easily than other fats. That means it is easier to lose weight if the fat came from those healthier sources. So here are some ways to replace saturated fats with unsaturated ones:
--use olive or canola oils instead of butter
--eat more fish and less beef
--replace ice cream treats with soy or nonfat yogurt treats
--use nonfat dairy products
--replace cheese with nuts, nut butter, or seeds
--avoid salad dressing unless it is nonfat or you know it was made with olive or canola oil
This is not a free pass to eat good fats! They are just as caloric as the bad ones and can still make you gain weight, so don't increase your overall fat intake, just replace the bad fats with the good.
You probably already know that unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado, fatty fish) are a lot healthier for your heart than saturated fats (butter, cream, beef), but get this: New research suggests that our bodies burn UNsaturated fat more easily than other fats. That means it is easier to lose weight if the fat came from those healthier sources. So here are some ways to replace saturated fats with unsaturated ones:
--use olive or canola oils instead of butter
--eat more fish and less beef
--replace ice cream treats with soy or nonfat yogurt treats
--use nonfat dairy products
--replace cheese with nuts, nut butter, or seeds
--avoid salad dressing unless it is nonfat or you know it was made with olive or canola oil
This is not a free pass to eat good fats! They are just as caloric as the bad ones and can still make you gain weight, so don't increase your overall fat intake, just replace the bad fats with the good.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Remember Your Meals
As the holiday junkfood gets more plentiful and your will-power wanes, here's a simple strategy for preventing overeating: Think about your last meal.
A recent study revealed that people ate less at a meal when they were first prompted to remember what they had eaten at their last one. So as you set the table or make your way to a restaurant, make a mental note of the foods you ate at your last sitting. Simple, eh?
A recent study revealed that people ate less at a meal when they were first prompted to remember what they had eaten at their last one. So as you set the table or make your way to a restaurant, make a mental note of the foods you ate at your last sitting. Simple, eh?
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Holiday Health
Today I want you to get your creative juices flowing to think about how you can make your next birthday, anniversary, holiday or other special occasion not revolve around food!
Hopefully you are going to have lots of special occasions in your lifetime, so you can't afford to indulge at every one. So here are some ideas for things you could do instead of just going out for a big meal:
Birthday Ideas
--have a mini-golf tournament
--get a group together for a yoga class to prove you're not old
--do something silly, like go country line dancing
Anniversary Ideas
--go out dancing or take a dance lesson
--go for a walk on the beach
--hike to a beautiful place
--go for a scenic drive
Holidays with kids
--go hiking with your family on Easter to celebrate Springtime
--play a game in the park with your family
--go bowling
--do arts & crafts
--play a board game
--have a picnic
--create a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt
Other Celebrations
--have a spa day
--get massages
--go to a theme park (and bring your own healthy snacks)
--go to a climbing wall, batting cage, etc.
--ride horses
--play video games at an arcade
These things might take some extra effort, but they're more fun than just pigging out and you won't have the day-after guilt trip!
Hopefully you are going to have lots of special occasions in your lifetime, so you can't afford to indulge at every one. So here are some ideas for things you could do instead of just going out for a big meal:
Birthday Ideas
--have a mini-golf tournament
--get a group together for a yoga class to prove you're not old
--do something silly, like go country line dancing
Anniversary Ideas
--go out dancing or take a dance lesson
--go for a walk on the beach
--hike to a beautiful place
--go for a scenic drive
Holidays with kids
--go hiking with your family on Easter to celebrate Springtime
--play a game in the park with your family
--go bowling
--do arts & crafts
--play a board game
--have a picnic
--create a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt
Other Celebrations
--have a spa day
--get massages
--go to a theme park (and bring your own healthy snacks)
--go to a climbing wall, batting cage, etc.
--ride horses
--play video games at an arcade
These things might take some extra effort, but they're more fun than just pigging out and you won't have the day-after guilt trip!
Breathe Deep
Take a moment right now to take a slow deep breath. Feel the air go all the way down to your abdomen. Many people go for hours shallow breathing (where only your chest fills with air, not your entire abdomen.) This can lead to muscle tension, headaches, poor posture and a lack of oxygen. Taking a deep breath more often can help relieve stress, give you more energy, improve concentration and increase your metabolism. Easy, eh?
Monday, April 2, 2007
Nice Legs
Not always motivated to eat fruits and veggies for your health? Then how about for nice legs?!
Eating more fruits and veggies can prevent varicose veins. Studies show that the flavenoids found in fruits and veggies such as cherries, blueberries, broccoli and carrots may improve chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can lead to varicose veins. Apparently, flavenoids can improve the elasticity and tone of veins to keep them--and your legs--looking and feeling young.
Eating more fruits and veggies can prevent varicose veins. Studies show that the flavenoids found in fruits and veggies such as cherries, blueberries, broccoli and carrots may improve chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that can lead to varicose veins. Apparently, flavenoids can improve the elasticity and tone of veins to keep them--and your legs--looking and feeling young.
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