Water: An Essential Daily Liquid!

Many people fall short when it comes to their daily water intake. Often times when I ask, "how much plain water do you drink?”, the response is rolling of the eyes and the statement, "not as much as I am supposed to". My response to that is always, "how much do you think you are supposed to drink"? The interesting thing is many people do not know this answer. In fact there are different recommendations for overall fluid intake and for just plain water intake. Usually water needs to makeup at least half of your overall daily fluid intake. This shocks people.  Many do not understand the importance of plain water consumption. They do not realize where water plays a role in overall health and in weight loss.  I hope that after this blog you will see where water plays a role in your overall health and weight loss goals. The following link is an easy way to get a general estimation of how much fluid you should consume per day. Remember that at least half of your daily fluid intake should be water. Please keep in mind that the following fluid recommendations are for healthy people who do not have any kidney issues. When in doubt, talk to your healthcare provider to get your individualized daily fluid goal.

http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/fitness/tools/hydration

The good news is that at least 60% of your body weight is water. Daily we are losing water from our kidneys, our skin (perspiration), our respiratory tract, and even some from the digestive tract. How much we lose each day is based on the climate, temperature, and humidity level of our current location. There are also medications that increase your fluid loss daily. As a result, it becomes more important for us to be aware of our daily water intake so that we can ensure that we drink enough to meet our body's daily needs.

Did you know that water helps to build the cells in your body? Our bodies are constantly building new cells and therefore constantly need water, especially during years of growth.  Knowing this, you now understand how important water consumption is to growing children, yet they are the population that drinks the least amount of plain water.

Did you know that water also helps to control your body temperature? As a result, water is essential when a fever is present or when you are outside in hot or cold weather. Many people think to increase their water consumption in the heat, but do not think to do so when it is cold outside. Water is important in both instances.

Did you know that water cleanses/removes waste? This is why when you get a massage or when you are sick it is so important to consume regular amounts of plain water. It helps flush the body of toxins. Many people feel that all fluid is equal. The way I think of it is you cannot bathe yourself in tea or diet/regular soda or milk or flavored water, so how do you expect your body to cleanse itself with these fluids? It cannot. The kidneys are always filtering something out of fluids that are not plain water. Only plain water with cleanse the body. For those of you who cannot stand plain water, you can put lemon or lime or cucumbers in your water and it would still be defined as plain water.

Did you know that water is also needed for the fluid that lubricates your joints and keeps you moving? It is also needed for saliva production in your mouth that protects you from tooth decay and mouth cancer. As well as for the production of gastric and intestinal fluids that aid in digestion. Also for the production of mucus in the respiratory system that protects you from harmful airborne contaminates. Water is also needed for skin hydration. With proper skin hydration, you can limit/avoid the fine wrinkles and keep your skin looking younger!

All of these functions are essential for daily living activities. Yet, many of us still do not consume enough water. We have 3 main sources of water intake: what we drink, what we eat, and what our own body makes. A body relies most on the amount of water we consume because it is the easiest to process.

So, here are some tips to incorporate more water into your diet:
1. Drink water all throughout the day. Always include water at meals, unless otherwise told differently by a medical professional because of a medical condition, like the gastric bypass surgery or kidney disease. This will help you to feel full faster, especially if you eat a high fiber diet. Water is always a better liquid to consume at meals because some drinks can interfere with nutrient and mineral absorption from the meal.

2. Check your urine color. By noon, your urine should be clear to light yellow if you are drinking enough water. If it is not, then that is a strong sign that you have not had enough.

3. Treat water like it is a prescribed medication. It is recommended that a healthy person aim to consume at least 40 ounces of water per day. As a result, drink an 8 ounce glass of water at each meal, as well as a snack in between meals, and before bed. This will equal to you drinking 8 ounces of water, 6 times per day, to total 40 ounces overall. Rule of thumb:  Usually 1 regular gulp of water equals around 1 oz of fluid for the average adult.

4.When exercising aim to drink 8-20 ounces of water at least 1 hour before you start exercising to ensure proper pre-workout hydration. Then aim to drink 16-24 ounces of fluid every hour during the exercise. If you are in training or exercising at an intense level, it is a smart idea to track your weight loss from fluid by weighing yourself before and after the exercise. It is recommended to limit fluid loss during exercise to less than 2% of overall body weight.  You should drink 16-24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost through sweat. This is especially important to ensure your physical performance is not impacted. When exercising less that 1 hour, you should most likely use plain water to rehydrate. If you are exercising more than 1 hour or at an intense level, it is a good idea to rehydrate using low calorie sports drinks to help replace fluid and electrolytes. It is very important to replace sodium and other electrolytes when perspiring large amounts to ensure that you do not throw off your heart because of electrolyte imbalance.

5. When hungry in between meals, drink 2- 8 ounce glasses of water before consuming food. Many times we mistake dehydration as hunger. Remember that hunger pangs will be felt in the stomach. Anytime you are thinking you are hungry because of your mouth or fatigue, try drinking water first.

6. Just like many things in life, too much of a good thing, can become a bad thing. As a result, do not go crazy with water consumption. It is possible to drink too much water for your body. This is why it is always a good idea to have an idea of how much water you have consumed. Remember water has no calories and therefore when consumed on a regular basis can help you eat less ad lose weight.

Staying hydrated can help delay daily fatigue, maintain mental alertness and decision making all throughout the day, and optimize the ability to regulate body heat, improve ability to recover quickly from exercise/training and increase the feeling of fullness/satiety to help achieve weight loss. I recommend that you buy a drinking container so that you can start measuring your daily water intake.  Water is too important to the body to drink too little daily. Not only does water aid in essential daily living activities, it also helps us to lose weight and look younger! What a miracle liquid!

Until next week,
XOXO The Dietnista


-----

The following are signs/symptoms of mild and severe dehydration just for your information. Both are serious conditions that need to be treated.

Mild dehydration is characterized as 1-2% of body weight loss. Mild dehydration can impair functions such as, alertness, concentration, short term memory, as well as physical performance.
Signs and Symptoms of Mild Dehydration
- dry, sticky mouth
- sleepiness or tiredness
- decreased urine output, especially in there has been increased fluid consumption
- few or no tears when crying
- muscle weakness
- headache
- dizziness or light-headedness

Severe dehydration requires medical treatment and is usually a medical emergency.
Signs and Symptoms of Severe Dehydration
- extreme thirst
- extreme fussiness/sleepiness/irritability/confusion
- very dry mouth, skin, mucous membranes
- lack of sweating
- little or no urination
- sunken eyes
- dry skin
- low blood pressure
- rapid heartbeat
- fever

Juicing.....is it the right thing for you?

How did the week go? Did you answer the questions that I asked? Were you surprised by your answers? I am a big believer that if you can predict your obstacles and plan ahead for how you will deal with them, you will achieve your goals. Preparation is the key to success, especially when it comes to weight loss.

                Did you know that weight loss/ improving health is always in the top 5 New Year's Resolution every year for most people? While this is a wonderful thing that people want to improve their health, there is also a downside. Companies and people see this as an opportunity to financially profit. As a result, more gimmicks and FAD diets hit the market with the promise of miracle weight loss with very little effort. My goal is to help you separate fact from FAD so that you hopefully won't fall into their trap. I am not saying that all nutrition FADs are 100% bad. They all have to be used in the right way and are not for everyone. I want you to be informed about the advantages and disadvantages of the FADs so that you can make the right decision as to whether or not it is a trend for you to follow.

                One nutrition trend that has taken off in the past year is "juicing". In general, "juicing" is when you leach the juice out of vegetables and fruit and throw away the rest. The theory behind this trend and the main advantage to it is that "juicing" will increase the average Americans intake of vegetables and fruit. This is especially true if you are someone who avoids vegetables and fruit like the plague. Increasing the intake of vegetables and fruit  is definitely an advantage. There are multiple research studies/clinical evidence that show that increasing the intake of vegetables and fruit can help prevent/treat many health problems because of the added vitamins, minerals, fiber, and anti-oxidants.

                However, there is very little research/clinical evidence of the same health benefits coming from only consuming the juice or concentrated powders of vegetables and fruit. In fact, there is research that shows that consuming fruit juice will increase blood sugar substantially and can lead to weight gain, high cholesterol and type II diabetes. As a result, it is better to only juice vegetables and not fruit. If you are going to juice fruit to help improve the overall taste of the juice, try to keep it at a ratio of 5 vegetables to 1 fruit. The best vegetables to use are the following:

Artichokes	Carrots	Okra
Artichoke Hearts	Celery	Onions
Asparagus	Cauliflower	Pea Pods
Green beans	Cucumber	Peppers (all)
Bean Sprouts	Eggplant	Salad greens
Beets	Green Onions/Scallions	Sauerkraut
Broccoli	Kohlrabi	Spinach
Brussels Sprouts	Leeks	Summer Squash
Cabbage	Mushrooms	Tomatoes (all)
Bamboo Sprouts	Chayote	Jicama
Rutabaga	Watercress	Greens (all)
Tomato/Veggie Juice	Zucchini	Radishes
Turnips	Kale	Bok Choy
Water Chestnuts		Daikon

                Another fact to consider before you start "juicing", is the potential interactions that it can have with your medications. Heart and blood clotting medications like Coumadin interact with nutrients like Vitamin K, which comes from green leafy vegetables. As a result, it is best to talk to your physician and research your drug and food interactions before you start "juicing".

                "Juicing" can also leave you deficient in fat soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin D, Vitamin E, as well as other vitamins like Vitamin B. All of these vitamins are very important to overall health and well-being. Being deficient in any of the above vitamins can actually lead to other health issues.  "Juicing" also removes a majority of one of the biggest health benefits you get from vegetables and fruit, the fiber. This is especially true if you remove all of the pulp from the juice. This is why it is always better to eat the fruit than to drink its juice.  As a result, "juicing" could actually lead to weight gain if no other modifications are made to the calorie intake of the diet or calorie burn from the exercise regimen.

                The "juicing" only diets or "juicing" fasts are the most dangerous of all because they lack protein, fiber and essential vitamins. While they might cause short term weight loss because of the low calories, they could lead to depletion of muscle mass and severe fatigue. If you are going to follow a juice only diet or fast, limit the amount of time you follow it to less than 24 hrs and add low fat or preferably fat free milk or yogurt to increase the protein intake. I also highly recommend talking to your health care provider before you start,

                

Last but not least, fresh fruit juice can grow harmful bacteria at a faster rate than commercialized juice. As a result, ONLY make enough for you to drink right after you make it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends "only pasteurized juice for infants and children to protect against pathogens such as E. Coli, Salmonella, and Cryptosporidium organisms". It would probably be best that you are over the age of 18 before you add "juicing" into your diet.

                To sum it up, there are things to consider before you buy a juicer and add "juicing' vegetables and fruit into your diet.  There are more disadvantages to "juicing" if not done properly or in excess. Always talk to your healthcare providers before starting a juice only diet or fast.  Remember to talk to them about your medications and the food interactions that could occur.  If you have any questions please feel free to email me at dietnista@gmail.com or post them on Facebook or Twitter.

Until next week,

XOXO The Dietnista

New Year, New You

Hello all! I hope you had a very happy holiday and a happy new year!

It is hard to believe that 2012 has come and gone. The thought of the New Year brings up thoughts of New Year’s resolutions. What will your New Year’s resolution be this year? Did you know that losing weight is the most popular New Year’s resolution in the United States?  Knowing this, it is hard to believe that over 60% of Americans are still considered overweight or obese. What does this tell me? That year after year Americans are not reaching their weight loss goals. Why you might ask? The reason is because we set unrealistic or unreachable goals. We need more patience. Remember the saying that “Rome wasn't built in a day”. I want you to take a minute and do some math.  How long did it take you to gain your unwanted weight? Not how long have you been this weight but how long did it take you to go from your goal weight to current weight? Realistically, take that amount of time and double it. That might be how long it takes you to lose the weight. I know this news is frustrating to hear. This is the reality. The reason this is true is because once you have added fat cells to your body it is hard to take them off. Your body actually has to increase the size of your organs and grow more blood vessels to fuel, or feed a larger you. It is stated that if you were to stretch out the blood vessels of an average adult, there are about 100,000 miles of blood vessel. As a result, when you gain weight you also gain more blood vessels. When you are trying to lose weight your body has to break down the added blood vessels and adjust to your new weight. Also, research shows that fat cells produce hormones that help regulate appetite. Your body gets acclimated to having a certain level of these hormones in the blood, especially if you have been at your current weight for more than a year. When you lose weight, especially fat, the amount of the appetite regulatory hormones decreases in the blood.  As a result, your body panics and increases your appetite so that you will gain more  fat cells and send the hormone levels back to the level the body has gotten acclimated to. Some people refer to this as the body’s set point.

Here are some tips to help you set a New Year’s resolution that you can meet:

1.       Be Realistic with your weight loss goal. Then break the weight loss goal down into small reachable goals with time frames.

Remember that is takes burning 3500 extra calories to lose 1 pound of weight. As a result, my advice is, do not set a goal to lose more than 8 pounds per month. In fact, I recommend starting with a goal to lose 4 pounds per month. I know that this seems like a slow weight loss, but in the long run it will help you to achieve you overall weight loss goal. The hardest part to weight loss is maintenance. If you lose more than 8 pounds per month, it usually means that you are doing something drastic to lose the weight that realistically you will not be able to maintain over the long haul. Examples of this are severely decreasing you calorie intake or exercising more than 90 minutes per day. This can lead to yo-yo dieting and regaining the weight. Research shows that yo-yo dieting is more detrimental to your overall health than being overweight.

2.       Be Realistic with your exercise goal.

Start out slow. A little bit goes a long way. If you don’t currently exercise, then make it your goal to exercise 15 minutes a day. In fact, it does not even have to be all at once. You could do 8 minutes in the morning and 7 minutes at night. If you currently exercise 30 minutes per day, then make it your goal to exercise 45 minutes per day. In other words, take what exercise you currently do and make it your goal to add 15 more minutes on per day. Remember, In order to consider it “exercise” you need to increase your heart rate enough where you can talk to the person next to you but you cannot sing to them. You should be slightly out of breath.

3.        Find a buddy to help keep you on track.

Research shows that people, who start a weight loss program with a buddy that has the goal to lose the same amount of weight, are more likely to reach their overall goal. You need some who can boost your spirit when you are getting frustrated. You need someone who will keep you accountable, when it comes to what you eat and your exercise plan. I recommended that this person be the same gender and not be a significant other/husband/wife.

4.       At the beginning of each week, make time in your daily schedule to accomplish your exercise goals. This would also be a good time to outline the meal plan for the week. If you drink alcohol, figure out where and how it will fit into your weight loss plan.

The biggest complaint that I hear about why people have trouble losing weight is because of lack of time. By taking time at the beginning of the week to plan the meals for the week you are more likely to stay on track. The easier it is to make meal decisions the more likely you are going to make the right ones. When it comes to exercise you have to figure out where it can fit into your schedule, realistically. A majority of people are not thrilled to exercise. Look at it as part of your daily work schedule that you have to accomplish before you can go home. Once it becomes part of your routine, it will make it easier to stay on track.

5.       Decide ahead of time how you are going to reward yourself after you achieve your goal. Do not use food or alcohol as a reward.

Think of all the money you are saving with each pound you lose. You are spending less money on food, medications, clothes, and stress relievers. I recommend that you come up with an amount of money that you are going to put aside for each pound that you lose. Once you reach your goal, take the money and go spend it on yourself. Whether it is on clothes, shoes, jewelry, a vacation or something you have always wanted. You deserve it for all of your hard work!

6.       Let your family, friends and co-workers in on your weight loss intentions.

Weight loss is not an easy task. There are tons a sabotages all around you. Whether it is commercials, holidays, special events, family, friends or yourself, obstacles will stand in your way and mess with your mind when you are trying to lose weight. If you can explain to family, friends and co-workers why it is important to you to lose weight, they can help you through the weight loss obstacles instead of being part of them. The larger your support network the more successful you will be. This is a good thing to keep in mind for your-self. You never want to be sabotage for family, friends and co-workers in the goals they are trying to reach.

Keep these things in mind when you are deciding on your New Year’s resolutions to help you to be successful in accomplishing your weight loss and overall health goals in the New Year. May 2013 bring you nothing but good health and success in achieving your goals!

XOXO!   The Dietnista

How to Detox Your Pantry

As I said in my last posting, many people do not realize that the key to a healthy lifestyle is found at home, and that the most common diet and health sabotages are found in their very own kitchen.  Last time we looked at how to detox the refrigerator to improve overall health and meet one’s health goals. This week we are going to get the problematic foods out of the pantry. Here are some guidelines to get started:

Grains (Bread/Crackers/Pasta/Rice/Tortilla)

It is recommended that a majority of the grains you consume should be whole. You can tell a grain is whole by looking at the ingredients list. The first word in the ingredients list should say “WHOLE”. If you see the words enriched, bleached, unbleached or wheat flour, it is most likely a white floured product that has been dyed brown to look whole wheat. Be careful of the food label claims such as, Whole Wheat, Multi-grain, Seven grain, 9-grain, 12- grain, honey wheat, split top wheat and whole grain white bread.  The food label can be very deceptive. In most of the above cases, the product has been labeled to lead you into thinking it is healthy when in fact it is not. Another tall -tail sign of a whole grain product is how much dietary fiber it has.  If a product is truly whole wheat, there should be at least 3 grams of dietary fiber.  When adding pasta and rice into your diet, make sure you watch the portion size. 1 serving of whole wheat pasta or brown rice is usually 1/3^rd cup cooked. As a result, it is very easy to over consume both products.

Breakfast Items (Cereal/Cereal bars/Granola Bars/Muffins/Oatmeal)

When buying breakfast foods, there are two things to consider: 

1.      How many grams of dietary fiber are in the product?

I recommended that breakfast items need to have at least 4 grams of dietary fiber per serving.  Fiber is one of nature‘s miracle phytonutrients, which is component found in food that has added health benefits. Fiber is the part of complex carbohydrates that your body cannot breakdown/digest and therefore is not absorbed into the bloodstream. Since your body cannot absorb fiber, it is not able to absorb the calories or some of the carbohydrates from fiber. The most common complaint about fiber is the side effects of bloating and gas. Gas increases because our bodies do not have enough of enzymes needed to break down fiber. Have no fear, there are nonprescription items like Beano or gas-X to help relieve these side effects until your body gets acclimated. Increasing your intake of fluid, especially non-carbonated fluids like water and tea, will also help alleviate the unwanted side effects. Studies show that fiber can help lower cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and certain cancer risks .Fiber is found in the plant sources in our diet, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts and seeds. There are 2 types of fiber: soluble and insoluble. On a food label it will list how much “Dietary Fiber” there is in a product and then below breakdown how much of the dietary fiber is from soluble vs insoluble foods sources. Both types of fiber have their benefits and play an important role in overall health.  To review the differences between insoluble and soluble fiber check out blog #6 (Fiber Every Day Helps Shed the Pounds Away).

2.      How many grams of carbohydrate are in 1 serving?

For most weight loss diets, it is recommended to consume 60 grams of carbohydrate at breakfast.  Carbohydrates at breakfast help to boost your metabolism and wake up your brain cells, especially when eaten within 30 minutes to 1 hour after waking up.

Fruits (Dried/Canned/Packaged)

                It is a good idea to keep a variety of fruit in one’s pantry. When buying canned or packaged fruit, aim to buy fruit that it is prepared in its own juice, not in syrup. Some canned fruits are packaged and labeled as “sugar free” or “no sugar added”. If you consider buying this type of canned fruit to reduce sugar intake and calories, make sure that there is no sugar alcohols added to the products. Sugar Alcohol is a man made product, which when over consumed,  can cause side effects such as intestinal cramping, gas, bloating and diarrhea.  Nothing fun! Sugar Alcohol will usually be listed on the food label under the total sugar grams. If not, you can always check the ingredients list. Any words that end in “tol” are considered a sugar alcohol.

Vegetables (Canned) and dried beans

Aim to buy a pantry full of the free, non-starchy vegetables. Can’t remember which vegetables are free? Let me remind you. The following vegetables can be eaten in all day and will still aid in losing weight: artichokes, carrots, okra, tomato/veggie juice, artichoke hearts, celery, onions, turnips, asparagus, cauliflower, pea pods, water chestnuts, green beans, cucumbers, all peppers, watercress, bean sprouts, eggplant, salad greens, zucchini, beets, greens onions or scallion, sauerkraut, kale, broccoli, kohlrabi, spinach, all types of greens, brussels sprouts, leeks, summer squash, radishes, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, bok choy, bamboo sprouts, chayote, jicama, daikon, and rutabaga. Another great vegetable group to have in the pantry is beans. Beans help to add fiber and plant protein to every meal, along with other vitamins and nutrients.  When adding beans, corn and peas to ones diet, watch the portion size. A ½ cup of beans, peas and corn is one serving. On most diet plans it is recommended to only have 2 servings of starchy vegetables or bread at lunch and dinner. Canned new potatoes are another quick, healthy side item for a meal. New potatoes make it really easy to watch portion sizes because 1 new potato is a serving of potato.

Soups and other canned food items

                Soups are always an easy meal to throw together. When buying soup, try to buy soups that are broth based and not cream. Cream based soups have a lot of unneeded calories and fat. If you do purchase a soup with more than 5 grams of fat in it, take the can and place it in the refrigerator 24-48 hrs prior to eating it. Most of the saturated fat with come to the top of the soup and harden so that you are able to scoop it out. Another great diet tip is to keep cans of chicken, beef and vegetable broth on hand to use to add moisture to low fat meats. Aim to purchase soups that are loaded with non-starchy vegetables, which are the free vegetables listed above.  If you can, try to buy the lower sodium options of soup. Soup can add unnecessary sodium to ones diet. Remember that if you eat a diet this is high in fruits and vegetables and exercise on a regular basis, sodium is not as much of a concern.

Spices

                Try to pack your pantry full with different types of spices. One of the hardest things about weight loss is reducing the fat intake in ones diet. Fat is usually what provides the flavor to food. When trying to lose weight, you have to get more creative with the use of spices to get flavor back into food. There are research studies that are currently looking at the impact of hot spices on the metabolism. It is thought that spicy foods could increase ones metabolism and help to burn more calories at that meal. Consider adding more spice to your kitchen and life!

Peanut Butter or any nut butters

                Peanut butter and other nut butters are definitely a food that can sabotage ones weight loss desires. Why you might ask?  A little goes a long way. Many people know that peanut butter and nut butters are considered a healthy fat. What many people do not know is that 1 serving of all nut butters is 1 ½ tsps! Many weight loss plans recommend that you only add 1-2 servings of fat to each meal, depending on the desire calorie range. As a result, all nut butters are easy to over eat and the portion needs to be watched when consuming.

Pre-Made Meals

                Try to limit pre-made meals. They are usually filled with empty calories and refined carbohydrates. Slow cookers or pressure cookers are a healthier way to make a quick meal when time is limited.  If you do purchase any pre-made meals, look at the total dietary fiber and aim for more than 4 grams per serving. Try to also keep that total amount of fat and saturated fat to a minimum. Remember the 1 serving of fat is 5 grams.

Take time today to go through your pantry and get rid of the foods that are sabotaging you and keeping you from reaching your health goals. Taking control of the food options in your pantry and refrigerator ensure that you are on the path to success.  Next time, we will go through the freezer.

Till Then,

XOXO! The Dietnista

How to Detox Your Fridge

Many people do not realize that the key to a healthy lifestyle is found at home. The most common diet and health sabotages for most people are found in their very own kitchen.  When making changes to improve overall health and diet, the first step should be to detox one’s refrigerator and pantry. Here are some guidelines to get started:

Dairy (Milk/Yogurt) and Cheese:

When purchasing dairy and cheese products, the goal is to buy low fat or fat free, especially when trying to lose weight, lower cholesterol and improve overall health. Many people do not realize that the fat found in dairy and cheese is primarily saturated fat. Saturated fat can increase LDL cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol in the blood that many people take medication to lower. As a result, it has been recommended that once older than the age of 2, everyone should consume low fat or fat free dairy products.  Regardless of fat content in dairy and cheese, the healthy nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, riboflavin and protein are still present. The sugar content is also a concern for some when buying milk and yogurt.  Many people will look to other types of milk such as almond, rice or soy milk, thinking that these are healthier choices because they contain less sugar. Many will either avoid yogurt or will purchase watered down versions of yogurt because they appear to contain less sugar. It is actually more important to look at the total carbohydrate, total fat and saturated fat content of the milk and yogurt one chooses, not the sugar content.  1 serving of milk or yogurt contains no more than 15 grams of carbohydrate.

Sandwich items (Condiments/lunch meat):

When making a sandwich, it is better to buy lunch meat from the deli than pre-package meat. Most deli sliced meats will contain less unwanted items like salt, nitrates, unknown fillers and fat. The best condiment to add to a sandwich is mustard. Unlike mayonnaise, mustard contains very little overall calories and no fat calories. If one is going to purchase mayonnaise, it is better to purchase the light mayonnaise or one that is made with olive oil and limit the serving to 1 tsp.  Another helpful hint is to always add vegetables to sandwiches to help limit the impact that any unwanted items in the deli meat can have on the body. 

Vegetables

The following list is all non-starchy vegetables. As a result, consumption of these vegetables will help lower weight, cholesterol, blood sugars and risk of certain types of cancer. It is a good idea to stock the refrigerator full with these vegetables. These vegetables are practically calorie free when consumed by themselves. As a result, try to limit or avoid added fat to these vegetables.  They can be cooked any way but fried and can be eaten at anytime.

Artichokes	Carrots	Okra
Artichoke Hearts	Celery	Onions
Asparagus	Cauliflower	Pea Pods
Green beans	Cucumber	Peppers (all)
Bean Sprouts	Eggplant	Salad greens
Beets	Green Onions/Scallions	Sauerkraut
Broccoli	Kohlrabi	Spinach
Brussels Sprouts	Leeks	Summer Squash
Cabbage	Mushrooms	Tomatoes (all)
Bamboo Sprouts	Chayote	Jicama
Rutabaga	Watercress	Greens (all)
Tomato/Veggie Juice	Zucchini	Radishes
Turnips	Kale	Bok Choy
Water Chestnuts		Daikon

Juice or sugar filled drinks

According to Advisory Committee on Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2005, those who consume a lot of added sugars from drinks, such as fruit juice, coke, flavored drinks and sweet tea, tend to consume more calories and fewer vitamins and minerals. This is true of any type of drink that contains added sugar, whether it is sugar cane, honey or agave nectar. As a result, it is thought that there is a connection between drinking sugary drinks and an increase risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease,and Obesity. Sugary drinks increase the risk of diabetes because 15 grams of carbohydrate, which is around 4 oz of most sugary drinks, spikes the blood sugar 50 points in 15 minutes. This is a rapid spike in blood sugar. When the blood sugar spikes, the body forces the pancreas to produce enough insulin to compensate. Overtime the repeated rapid blood sugar spike will wear down the pancreas and cause it to not be able to produce enough insulin to compensate. As a result, the blood sugar starts to rise in the blood and the diagnosis of Type II Diabetes follows. Sugary drinks also increase the risk of heart disease because all refined sugar can be made into triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides are bad cholesterol found in the blood that many people take medication to lower.  The big picture is that there are no added health benefits to consuming calories from liquid, unless consuming milk. Sugary drinks use up daily calorie and carbohydrate allotment and therefore decrease room for more fiber filler and nutritious foods. Many sugar filled drinks claim to prevent/limit dehydration because of the sodium and potassium content. It would be a healthier idea to drink water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables to accomplish the same thing.

Fruits

The fresh fruits that have the most health benefits are the ones that the peel is consumed as well as the body of the fruit. The peel is where a lot of the wanted fiber and nutrients are found. It is very important to get a variety of fruit to ensure the consumption of a variety of nutrients. Try to keep the fruit serving to the size of a tennis ball, which is a ½ cup to 1 cup for most fruits. When buying fresh fruit, buy the smallest sized fruit to help limit the risk of calorie overconsumption.  If purchasing any prepackaged fruit, make sure that it is packed in its own juice not syrup.

Alcohol

Alcohol is actually digested more like a fat than it is as a carbohydrate.  There are 7 calories per gram in alcohol. As a result, when trying to lose weight one needs to count any alcoholic drink as a fat source to limit themselves from over consuming calories. It is recommended that a man consume no more than 2 alcoholic drinks per every 24 hrs and a woman is limited to 1 alcoholic drink per every 24 hrs. Serving Examples of alcohol are: 12 ounces of Beer or 5 ounces of Wine or 1.5 ounces of 80 proof liquors. Dark beer contains more antioxidants than light beer, however the portion has to be limited to avoid over consumption of calories. Try to mix liquors with calorie free mixes, such as diet soda, soda water, diet tonic or water.

Butter vs margarine

Neither one is considered “healthy”. Butter can increase LDL cholesterol and margarine can increase triglycerides. In other words, both options increase bad cholesterol. Try to purchase the lighter options of both. There are also options that are yogurt based which do not have as big of an impact of bad cholesterol.  Try to limit the portion of all the above options to less than 1 TBS.

Side Condiments and Salad Dressings

Most side condiments, like BBQ, ketchup and cocktail sauce, main ingredient is sugar. As a result it is a good idea to limit all added condiments. Other options to keep in the refrigerator to flavor food are lemon juice, lime juice, and different vinegars. Be very careful of salad dressings. A majority of salad dressing are high in fat and sugar. 

Tune in next time for tips on how to detox your pantry. 

XOXO!!

The Dietnista

My Plate

Above is the new dietary guideline designed by the United States Department of Agriculture.  How many of you are aware of the “My Plate” guidelines? Some of you might remember the previous dietary guidelines, “My Food Guide Pyramid”. In my opinion, the “My Plate” dietary guidelines , while they are sending the same overall message as previous guidelines, the picture of the plate helps  give people a better visualization and understanding  of how they should be eating at their lunch and dinner meals.

Many people are surprised to see that there should be a source of dairy at every meal. Most people think of milk or yogurt as being a part of just breakfast. Remember the average American needs at least 3-4 dairy servings per day, which is equal to 900-1200mg of calcium. It is recommended your dairy servings be fat free or low fat. This is to help limit the amount of trans fats and saturated fats found in dairy. Dairy products that are high in fat can increase your bad cholesterol and contain more calories per serving. If you need a reminder on the importance of calcium and what a serving of dairy is please refer to my previous blog titled “Milk: It Really Does Do a Body Good”!

When looking at the picture of the plate, it is made clear that fruits and vegetables should be at least half of our calorie intake at each meal. While this is true, I want to point out that it is still all about portion control of both categories. Notice that technically the green triangle that represents vegetables is larger than the red triangle that represents fruit. The reason is because vegetables have a tendency to be lower in calories and in overall carbohydrates but higher in fiber and nutrients versus fruit.

Remember that there are two different categories within the “vegetable” umbrella. You have the non-starchy vegetables, which are very low in calories and carbohydrates and can be eaten in large amounts, and you have the starchy vegetables, which need to be eaten in moderation and portion controlled, especially if you have diabetes and/or insulin resistance.  Non-Starchy vegetables include the vegetables that I listed on the blog titled “Miracle Foods to Weight Loss”, which are the following:

Artichokes	Green Onions or Scallions	Tomato/Veggie Juice
Artichoke Hearts	Kohlrabi	Turnips
Asparagus	Leeks	Water Chestnuts
Green beans	Mushrooms	Watercress
Bean Sprouts	Chayote	Zucchini
Beets	Okra	Kale
Broccoli	Onions	Greens (all)
Brussels Sprouts	Pea Pods	Radishes
Cabbage	Peppers (all)	Bok Choy
Bamboo Sprouts	Salad greens	Daikon
Carrots	Sauerkraut
Celery	Spinach
Cauliflower	Summer Squash
Cucumber	Tomatoes (all)
Eggplant	Jicama

These foods are unlimited in my opinion. I believe that you can eat all you want of these all day long and still be able to lose weight as long as you do not fry them or add more than 1 serving of fat to them. Starchy Vegetables are more common in the American diet. Examples of starchy vegetables are: corn, any kind of bean, peas, potatoes, winter squash, hominy, parsnips, plantain, pumpkin, and lentils. For most starchy vegetables 1 serving equals ½ cup.

 For many of you following the popular weight loss program, you have been instructed in the program fruit is free and does not cost any points. However for people who are insulin resistant, have a genetic tendency towards Diabetes, who have a diagnosis of Diabetes already or who have PCOS, fruit is not free. As the plate diagram shows, there should a serving of fruit eaten at every meal. The key is understanding what a serving size of fruit looks like. The visual that I use for what a serving of fruit looks like is a tennis ball. For most fruits, a tennis ball shaped serving  is 60 calories and/or 15 grams carbohydrate.  Another important thing to remember when eating fruit is the more variety the better. Different colors and types of fruit bring different nutrients and health benefits to your diet. It is also important to eat fruits that you consume the outer skin because they usually have more fiber. Examples of 1 serving of Fruit or 15 grams Carbohydrate are: a small apple,½ cup of applesauce, a Clementine,15 grapes,10 cherries,2 TBS of most dried fruit,a half of a small banana ,a half of an orange or grapefruit, ¾ cup of berries,1 small kiwi, 1 ¼ cup of watermelon cubed, and a small peach or plum. Any fruit that is the size of a tennis ball or can fit into a tennis ball is probably 1 serving of fruit.

The other half of the plate is made up of grains and protein. Many people were surprised to see that the purple triangle that represents protein is smaller than the orange triangle that represents grains. In fact a majority of the calories on the recommended dietary guidelines come from carbohydrates. This is opposite from what many fad diets that are out on the market lead us to believe. Like I have discussed before, carbohydrates themselves are not what has made America overweight. It is our overconsumption of calories in general that have caused the weight gain and carbohydrates are just easier to over consume than fat and protein. It is all about calories in versus calories out. As I have stated before, it is all about portion control when it comes to grains. Examples of grains are: rice, pasta, any kind of bread, barley, bran, bulgur, cereal, couscous, grits, muesli, millet, polenta, quinoa, tabouli, and wheat germ. For most grains, 1 serving, which is 15 grams of carbohydrate/ 60 calories, is between a ¼ cup to ½ cup. It is recommended that more than half the grains you consume should be whole. I recommended that a majority of the grains that you consume should have more than 4 grams of fiber per serving. To refresh your memory on fiber look back at my blog on the benefits of fiber.

When it comes to protein at a meal, you want it to be lean. A serving a protein is usually 2 to 4 oz per meal depending on your body weight.  Despite what the fad diets might lead us to believe, we consume too much protein. It is recommended that protein make up only 20% of your total daily calories. It is also recommended that more than half of the protein we consume should come from plant based proteins not animal. Don’t get me wrong, protein is important when it comes to muscle building, iron storage and other vitamin storage, such as riboflavin, but a little goes a long way. You want to make sure that you choose good quality and low fat protein.

The “My Plate” dietary guidelines really are a good outline to overall healthy living. They show that there is a place for all of our macronutrients. Remember it is all about portion control. We need to start eating for overall nutrition and health, not for the sport of it.

Next time you serve your plate for lunch and dinner, remember “My Plate”.

XOXO! The Dietnista