Resolution to Real Solution

Nothing like one season of gorging ourselves on cookies and ham followed by washing it down with egg nog or champagne to get us in the mood for making a lifestyle change. If you are a Sconnie you probably didn't start you resolution until Monday (blame it on a big football weekend). Right now, your jeans are feeling a little tighter, your liver has been put through the ringer, and that treadmill you loathed in October is calling your name. A few days in on your New Years' Resolution and already you can envision how ripped you will be in June. You've been eating your veggies and going to the gym every day this week... all two days of it. Great start! You may be going strong now, but what happens in February? You may notice the crowds have thinned out at the gym or you may not see this because you're taking a break. How do you make this New Years' Resolution work for you and not end up another New Years Casualty?



New Years' Resolutions don't work for numerous reasons. Let's face it, New Years is a pretty arbitrary day. Do you really think in one day you have prepared yourself to really commit yourself changing your lifestyle? Sure, it seemed pretty plausible while you cursed life lying on the couch, but what about Friday night? Having a whole week back at work, going to the gym, eating right. You totally earned Friday's Happy Hour. But that might be the beginning of the end of your great week of work. By Monday, you may be back at the gym or may need a little recovery time. The next week you're down to going to the gym 3 days and by the end of the month you've lost your gym card. You begin to think I can't go if I don't have a card... Horse apples, you know the gym is more than capable of replacing your card. (Note: gym cards are cheaper than heart surgery.)

Don't get caught in the New Years Trap! Your habits (and waistlines) were not built in one day. First, accept the fact that it is going to take some time to achieve your goals. Going gung-ho with no specific plan can leave you feeling like a failure if you miss just one thing on your list of things to accomplish. Start small and make just one change. Be it eating a fun size candy rather than the regular size, having one less cigarette a day, or going for a walk twice a week. Write down your goal and say it out loud three times. Saying your goal out loud reinforces it more than merely thinking it. When you are about to do something that goes against what your plan is, say it out loud again. You can post your goal in places such as the refrigerator, television, or in your cigarette box. Try to keep it in areas where you are likely to be tempted to do something else. You can always take these small goals and make them bigger or add new goals. Think of your resolution as though you are playing with building blocks. It takes more than one block to build a house, plan on it take a lot of blocks to achieve your goal.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask a family member, significant other, best bud, or work friend to help you out. It's easier when you have someone else to lean on and help motivate you when you're not feeling it. Just make sure this isn't the friend who is likely to suggest a bloody mary bar rather than the juice bar. Explain to them why you need to make this change and why their support is essential.

Most importantly, do not abandon ship! If you screw up it's okay, you're only human. (Except for that guy in the gym training for the Iron Man, he may actually be part robot.) Your New Years Resolution does not have to be an all or nothing attitude. Accept the fact you slipped up, come up with a plan to avoid repeating the mistake, and move on. Do not admit defeat, you can do this!

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy 2011!!!

Preparing For Battle

This may be my last post as a dietetic student. In fact, this is my last post as a dietetic student. That is because... ::insert drum roll sound:: ... I am graduating!




After five semesters of keeping food logs, analyzing said food logs, learning the structures of vitamins, experimenting with recipes, and only starting one fire in a chemistry lab they are prepared to allow me out in to "real" world armed with the knowledge they gave me.

Now on to the real reason for the update, the reason I can procrastinate a little more before I resume studying for finals, I have NEWS YOU CAN USE!

A study recently published by the Journal of American Medical Association suggests that being physically active as a young adult can help prevent weight gain in later years. Now this physical activity isn't the occasional, get it when I can, do it because my significant other is getting on my case about it. This is regular 150 minutes a week, which breaks down to 30 minutes 5 days a week, of moderate to vigorous exercise. This is already the amount of physical activity suggested by the Department of Health and Human Services.


Now you know why that guy is climbing the food guide pyramid.


So what counts as moderate and high physical activity? Moderate and high physical activity can be running, weight lifting, walking fast, and even housework. You read that right, recreating Risky Business while washing windows and vacuuming adds up. For my winter weather warriors, go ahead and count shoveling too.

Moderate and high exercise did not prevent all weight gain however; many participants in this 20 year study did gain weight. What was different was how much weight was gained and how much their midsection expanded. After making adjustments for how much participants ate and age, men who exercised regularly gained 5.7 pounds less than their little to non-exercising peers. As for the ladies, regular exercisers gained 13.4 pounds less than women who exercised less consistently. When it came to waistlines, exercising men gained 1.2 inches less per year and exercising women gained 1.5 inches less per year.

It should be noted that women had a much greater benefit from regular moderate to high exercise. This may be attributed to factors such as having children, menopause, or possibly cultural differences.

Starting up a regular moderate exercise routine now can set you up for prevailing in the battle of the bulge later. But just because you aren't in a regular exercise routine already, it doesn't mean all hope is lost. It is never too late to start being physically active on a regular basis. It does mean you may have to work a little harder at it. It is suggested that in order to maintain weight after weight loss, one needs to participate in moderate to high physical activity for 90 minutes most days of the week. Now let's take that number and multiply that by 5 (for how many days a week you would ideally be working out), which comes out to be 450 minutes per week.

Here are your options: 150 minutes a week now or 450 minutes a week later. And you thought exercise took too much time now.

Would You Like Additional Sodium with that Salad?

Image taken from USA Today

The greenest thing on the menu isn't necessarily the best option. Many waist band watchers go for the salad thinking they're being healthy. It has vegetables and sometimes even a lean protein. Salads tend to be low in calories and fat (minus the dressing), so what's the big deal? Sodium is. The Daily Mail published an article today about the how the salt content of salads can be higher than a Big Mac. A Big Mac contains 1,040 mg of sodium, but what does that mean to the average consumer?



Image taken from Business Week

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended that Americans get less than 2,500 mg of sodium per day (even lower if you are in a high risk population group). This is the equal to 1 teaspoon. If you haven't seen a teaspoon lately, I suggest you take a look at it. It's not much and most people surpass this easily due consumption of processed foods and salt added when cooking. Higher levels of salt intake often correlate to high blood pressure, which can lead to hypertension. Reducing salt intake and keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range decreases one's risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and kidney disease.

Sodium isn't the devil by any means. Our bodies still need it to work properly. For instance, sodium is needed to regulate nerve and muscle function. It also helps regulate fluid in our bodies. Other than what you intake, your kidneys are what internally regulates sodium in your body. When your kidneys can't do the job any more, sodium builds up in the body and can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems.

Back to the Big Mac, it contributes less than 1/2 the daily requirement. How much more are these salads? Let's say your at McDonald's staring at that menu board. Your dead set on a salad. Thinking that you're being healthy (even though you'll reek of grease when you leave) you order the Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken forgoing the Caesar dressing for the Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. That salad may be low in fat and calories, but it contains over 1,600 mg of sodium. That is way over half what is recommended; the low-fat dressing contributes more than the grilled chicken does!

There are two primary ingredients that are used to give food flavor. One being fat, the other being salt. When the fat is cut out of the salad dressing, a multitude of other ingredients are needed to make up for what the fat component was responsible for. Since fat is being lowered in low fat dressing, additional salt is needed to make up for taste.

To create the healthiest option for a salad at McDonald's, order any salad (but the Bacon Ranch) minus the chicken and with the Creamy Southwest Dressing.

Please note: Your salad will not even remotely look like the image above. Same goes for the Big Mac.

When a Few Becomes More

At least at one point in your life you may have heard your mother, aunt, grandma, etc. utter the phrase, "A moment on the lips means forever on the hips." This phrase usually came out just as you lifted a bite of decadent cake coated in luscious frosting to your mouth. In that instance you either a.) disregarded said comment, looked them dead in the eye, and defiantly ate that cake (and proceeded to nap) or b.) let that phrase ring in your ears and thought to yourself that a post-cake consumption walk may be in order.



This image was taken from chocolatecakerecipes.net

I almost cringe to say this, but they were right. A recent study from Swedish researchers is the first of its kind to have people intentionally binge eat and gain weight to see the effects of weight gain.

The study took the weight and measurements of 18 young volunteers. All of the volunteers were slim, active, healthy people. Researchers then told the group to eat at least two junk food meals a day and limited their activity to 5,000 steps a day, which is the definition of a sedentary lifestyle. The second group was told to continue living their life how they have been up to that point. Both groups were followed for one month.

So how did these groups fair? The junk food junkies gained on average 14 pounds in that one month. One month! But six months later, they had lost most of that weight. A year later though, their body weight was three pounds heavier. Not bad, but two and half years later their weight was almost seven pounds heavier and the other group was no heavier than when they started the study. It should be noted that the fat free mass of participants did not change during this time but rather the fat mass.

Many people shrug off seven pounds in a what's-the-big-deal fashion. Heck, some people feel they don't really have cause for concern unless they find they own more jeans with elastic waist bands. Seven is not that far from 10 pounds. Ten is the magic number here. Studies have shown that people who gain at least 10 pounds since the age of 18 (with a normal BMI) have a higher risk of having a chronic disease. Chronic diseases include Cardiovascular disease, High Blood Pressure, and Type II Diabetes.

This study may help explain the physiological changes that occur when people gain weight that make it hard to lose weight. It also suggests that short-term food binges (in addition to a sedentary lifestyle) may have long-term effects on health.

Next time someone utters that phrase to you, resist the urge to retort with "I see you learned the hard way." Instead, offer them half and go to the gym. Your hips will thank you later.

Editor's Note: I would like thank Mr. NN for tipping me off about this study. :)

Garden Goods

It's the time of year where even if you don't garden, you are still benefiting from one. Office lunchroom tables are filling with garden randoms like tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, (insert what you see in your office here), etc. Some of the garden goods can be kind of intimidating to use. Here is a quick, easy recipe to help clear your office lunchroom.

Tomato and Summer Squash Pasta

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes
2 medium (or one large) summer squash
8 oz of spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tsp of thyme
1/2 cup of shredded reduced fat mozzarella
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel, halve, and seed the the squash. Cut each half into slices (about a centimeter wide) and place in a bowl. Next halve and slice the tomatoes and place them into the same bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the vegetables on it. Sprinkle the vegetables with thyme, place in the oven for 8- 10 minutes or until the vegetables start turning golden brown.

While the vegetables are in the oven, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and coat the cooked pasta with the remaining olive oil.

When the vegetables are done, add them to the pasta along with the mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well, and serve immediately.

Brunch Better

Whoever thought of not only combining two meals into one, but also combining their names, should be given a medal. The blessed meal I'm talking about is brunch. On the other hand, whoever decided this could be applied to celebrity couples should be locked up.

I am especially fond of brunch since the time it rolls around just happens to be the time I prefer to get out of bed on the weekend. Here are some do-it yourself menu options for mornings when brunch does not need to be accompanied with a Bloody Mary.




Double Bird Deviled Eggs
These deviled eggs not are not only part chicken, but part turkey as well. Use smoked turkey to give them a little extra kick.

What You Need:

2 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 T of Mayo
1 1/2 tsp of Mustard
1 T of Onion, finely chopped
1 T of Deli-Sliced Smoked Turkey, chopped
Paprika

What To Do:

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half and remove the yolks. Place the egg whites on a plate, then keep one yolk and throw out the other one. Put the yolk in a bowl and add the mayo, mustard, onion, and turkey. Mix thoroughly. Fill the empty space of each egg white with the mixture and sprinkle with paprika.

Nutritional Information (per egg):
Calories: 39 calories
Fat: 2.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 0.5 grams
Protein: 3 grams



Strawberries and Cream French Toast

Forget about just throwing stuff on top your French Toast, go ahead and stuff it! Instead of using fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries, use frozen sweetened strawberries. If you use fresh or unsweetened you may need to add a little sweetener to make it less tart.

What You Need:

2/3 cup of Frozen Sweetened Strawberries, thawed (sliced or halved)
1 Egg White
1 T of Non-fat Milk
1 tsp of Vanilla
1 dash of Cinnamon
2 slices of Whole Wheat Bread
1 T of Low-fat Cream Cheese

What To Do:

Coat a pan with non-stick cooking spray, heat pan on medium heat. In a shallow dish, mix together the egg white, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread the cream cheese on one side of one slice of bread, dip the other side in the egg mixture. Place the bread egg side down in the pan. On top of the cream cheese add a layer of strawberries. Dip one side of the second slice of bread in the rest of the egg mixture and place the bread egg side up on top of the strawberries. When the bottom slice is light brown, flip the slice to cook the other slice. Remove from pan when done cooking and top with the remaining strawberries.



Nutritional Information:
Calories: 384
Fat: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 72 grams
Protein: 16 grams

Facts on the Facts

Nutrition facts are not always the end-all-to-be-all value on the food we eat. Shocking right? Who knew that values on food labels, especially entrees from restaurants, could be incorrect? There have been numerous studies about this matter. One of the more recently published ones took a look at the calorie contents of food labeled as being "light". For instance, the "lighter fare" options at restaurants such as Denny's and Applebee's, and pre-packaged foods like Lean Cuisine.

The calorie content we see on the labels is what they refer to as "metabolizable energy." This energy is the estimated amount of calories that one might expect their body to actually be able to get from the given food. The actual content of the food is the "gross energy," which is calculated from the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and protein) listed by the company for a given product. Gross energy is what was actually measured in this study.

You may have noticed this before, but not all companies list their complete nutrition facts for macronutrients. In these cases the researchers visited calorieking.com to find more complete facts. The reasoning for choosing this website is that registered dietitians are employed there to perform independent calculations and include using the USDA database for information on ingredients. For this study they also adjusted the calories for the portion size they were given to the portion size it was suppose to be. Given all this, how far off were the labels the company gave for these foods compared to what the researchers found?

Restaurants, on average, had 18% more calories than stated in their foods. In a couple cases though, the food contained up to twice the calories stated! In addition to that, free side dishes that come with main entrees can add over 200% of the calories stated on the meal. The major offender of both of these are the Denny's grits and white toast (both with butter) that come with the center cut sirloin and eggs.

Frozen meals found at the grocery store tended to have only be 8% higher in calories. The interesting thing about this is that USDA has a 20% ceiling on pre-packaged food labeling (while no such limit exists for restaurant foods). This means that foods can off up to 20% from what they have on their labels. Now the question is: why do they have such a limit?



I talked to Scott at Oscar Mayer; he works in their Nutrition Labeling Department. As it turns out, not all the food they process is exactly the same. Take for example a pig (being Oscar Mayer they sell a lot of them). A pig that is slaughtered in winter is going to have a way different body composition than a pig in summer. Pigs obviously would have a higher body fat percentage in winter than in summer. Seasons not only affect animals, but plants as well. Since you can't just keep slaughter and harvesting to only certain times of the year, no two pigs are ever the same, and it'd be expensive to change labels each time a product is produced, there is a little leeway. What can be used though to keep it close are databases, made by private companies and the USDA, which catalog just about very food and ingredient. These programs can be used to compare your lab results and calculations to.

What you can take away from this is:

1) Be weary of nutrition labeling from restaurants. Not only are you leaving portion size up to them, but you are also leaving preparation technique to them too. They also may not be including the sides you're getting with the meal in the total given.

2) Even though labeling may be off on pre-packaged food, it won't be as far as in restaurants. But take this with a grain of salt, even a small positive energy balance each day can lead to weight gain. Keep an eye on what you eat, cook for yourself, and keep active!