Time to Deep Clean the Freezer

Sorry about the lapse of time between this week’s blog and the previous one. I wanted to make sure I gave you enough time to clean your pantry out and your fridge. Without any further delay it is time to deep clean the freezer! The following are helpful hints to improve the food choices in your freezer to help you to achieve your weight loss and health goals.

Meats

Red meat and fish are two important meats to have available in your freezer. Are you shocked? Don’t be. Both have a lot of nutrients and health benefits when consumed in the right amount and the right type. Many people think they are being healthy by avoiding red meat because red meat has been labeled as “bad for you”. Is fried chicken good for you? No! Neither is a fatty red meat. Red meat actually has a lot of healthy vitamins and nutrients, like iron and B vitamins. The following are considered “red meat”: ground beef, steak, bison, pork, ham, long horn and venison. The key to buying red meat is you want to buy meat that has less than 10% total fat, which means there is not much saturated fat. On the label, you want it to read 90% lean/10% fat or 93% lean/7% fat or 97% lean/3% fat. Don’t worry, if you buy red meat that has more that the above recommended fat, you can boil it to get the fat out of it. Try to limit red meat consumption to 2-3x/week unless you are anemic (low in iron) then you should aim to eat it more like 4-5 times per week. Fish is another important meat to have in the freezer. Fish can be high in fat but it is usually healthy fat and is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are thought to lower triglycerides, which are a form of bad cholesterol, and decrease inflammation in the body. It is recommended to eat fish 3-4x/week. Aim to get a variety of fish. Remember that the most important thing to consider with any animal meat is the portion size. Aim to eat no more than 2-4 oz of any animal meat per meal or 4-8 oz per day. Yes, that is even true for men! To help with weight loss, it is a smart idea if you can freeze the meat in the right portion size. There are great frozen meat alternatives to consider having in one’s freezer. Spicy Black Bean/Veggie Burgers add a lot of fiber to ones diet and decrease the intake of saturated fat. Next time you are at the store look in the freezer isle for these options.

Vegetables

Aim to buy a freezer full of the free, non-starchy vegetables. Can’t remember which vegetables are free? Let me remind you. The following vegetables can be eaten 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, brussel sprouts, leeks, summer squash, radishes, cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, bok choy, bamboo sprouts, chayote, jicama, daikon, and rutabaga. It is a great idea to keep frozen vegetables. They do not spoil easily and are easy to add to any meals. Look for the steam-able bags to make cooking them easier.  

Fruit

Many people say the reason why there fruit is not routinely in their diet is because fresh fruit goes bad too fast. That is why frozen fruit is a great alternative. Frozen fruit can be used in smoothies, desserts or added to any meal to increase the nutrients. Remember, it is recommended to consume 3-4 servings of fruit per day. As a result, it is a good idea to keep a variety of fruit in one’s freezer.

Pre-Made Meals

Try to limit pre-made meals. They are usually filled with empty calories and refined carbohydrates. When in a bind, the best pre-made meals are healthy TV dinners, like Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, Kashi, Eating Right, etc. or frozen soups. Aim to purchase pre-made meals where the total dietary fiber is 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. If you do eat a TV dinner try to add a salad to it or a side of non-starchy vegetables. Non-Starchy vegetables are a good source of potassium, which will limit the absorption of the sodium from the TV dinner.

Desserts

Everyone has a sweet tooth.  Some have it more often than others. Try to keep healthy dessert options available when you need something sweet. When buying ice cream, aim to get fat free not sugar free. If you consider buying sugar free ice cream to reduce sugar intake and calories, make sure that there are 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.

It is official! We have accomplished one of the hardest tasks to weight loss and overall better health, which is getting rid of food sabotages.  Making your own kitchen weight loss friendly and full of healthy choices is the first step to reaching your goals. It will limit temptations and guarantee success. Until next time…

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

A Regular Soda a Day Will Bring Health Problems Your Way!

This week I want to take some time to address one of the largest sabotages when it comes to weight loss, liquid calories. When losing weight many people spend time focusing on their food calories and they forget to account for liquid calories.  It has been said that when one is trying to lose weight, they need to increase their liquid consumption. In today’s society, people will try to increase their fluid intake by increasing their intake of juice, soda, sweet drinks, coffee, tea and yes, even with alcohol. The only liquid calories needed by the body are water and milk. The fact of the matter is that average person needs around 90 oz of fluid per day and half of the daily fluid needs to come from water. The reason you need more than 40 oz of water per day is to flush/clean your kidneys and supply the needed fluid to the organs to help them properly function. Dehydration can lead to changes in blood pressure, pulse rate and mental status. Dehydration can also lead to increased hunger, which in turn can cause weight gain. Milk is the only liquid calories needed because it provides the recommended amount of calcium per day. (To refresh yourself on the importance of calcium, refer to blog #7.) Milk also provides some of the daily need of Vitamin D, B vitamins and phosphorus.

 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 added sugar, whether it is sugar cane, honey or agave nectar. As a result, research shows there is a link between drinking sugary drinks and an increase risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, Cancer and Obesity.  Why you might ask? Great Question! 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. Research shows that the insulin resistance that is usually associated with Type II Diabetes is thought to increase the risk of certain types of cancer. Weight gain, which can be caused by the extra liquid calories, is also a factor that can increase the risk of cancer. The more weight one has from fat vs. muscle, the higher the risk of cancer. 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 that is found in the blood.  People who have triglycerides above 200 are thought to have an increase risk for heart disease.

The big picture is that there are no added health benefits to consuming calories from liquid, unless consuming milk. Sugary drinks decrease the amount of calories and carbohydrates that you eat throughout the rest of the day and therefore decrease the nutrients and fiber that you could have consumed. Many sugar drinks claim to prevent/limit dehydration because of the sodium and potassium content. I would rather you drink water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables. There is a reason that most fruits and vegetables are in season during the summer, which is usually a time we need our electrolytes replenished. Alcohol is actually digested more as a fat than it is as a carbohydrate.  There are 7 calories per gram in alcohol. As a result, when trying to lose weight you need to count any alcoholic drink as a fat source to limit yourself from overeating. 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.

 If you are going to consuming liquid calories, you have to account for them in your overall daily calorie, carbohydrate and fat total to increase your success in weight loss and overall improvement in health. There is nothing sweeter than the feeling of successful weight loss and good health.

XOXO!!

The Dietnista

Start Snacking Light and Start Snacking Right

Hello Friends! From the start of my blog, I have tried to simplify what a healthy diet should look like. We have talked about what to eat at what should be your 2 largest meals, breakfast and lunch. Now I want to take some time to address a very important topic, snacking. There are many different opinions on snacking. Some believe that snacking is only going to lead to too many calories and therefore weight gain. Others believe that 3 meals and 2 snacks a day is the key to weight loss/maintenance.  I personally believe that it is all dependent on your daily schedule, and that you need to eat every 4 to 6 hrs to increase your metabolism, maintain your blood sugar/energy level and achieve optimal weight. 

The Keys to Snacking light and Snacking Right are the following:

1.       It is all about the timing.

As I said earlier, you should eat every 4 to 6 hrs while awake. This means that the decision on whether or not to snack is all dependent on your daily schedule.  If breakfast is at 7 am, then lunch should be between 11am to 1pm, a snack should be between 3pm to 5pm and then dinner between 7pm to 9 pm.  If you are someone that stays up into the early morning hours then you could potentially be eating a snack again between 1am to 3am. This is why research shows that there is a correlation between being overweight and sleeping less than 6 hrs a night. It is because people have a tendency to eat more the longer that they stay awake. Also, if you are feeling tired all day you have a tendency to crave more Carbohydrates, which provide blood sugar for energy and release our happy/feel good hormones into our brain.

2.       Choose the snack food wisely.

Make the snack count towards improving your health. Make your snack at least 4 grams of fiber per serving or more. A high fiber snack will help fill you up while lowering your cholesterol, lowering your weight and balancing your blood sugar. Snacks that are high in fiber also have a tendency to not be as calorie dense and are usually lower in fat and sugar. Also, use your snack to fill in any nutrient gaps that you have in your diet. For example, if you do not get enough calcium in your diet you could add a low fat dairy snack like yogurt or a glass of milk to your day.

3.       Think of snacks as being mini meals.

The problem with snacking is the amount of extra calories that one can potentially add to their overall daily intake that they do not technically “count” as calories.  As a result, I want you to think of your snacks as mini meals. A snack should be no more than 15-30 grams of Carbohydrate, 5 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein.  A snack should be no more than 250 calories. Remember, in order to lose weight you will have to cut the calories back at another meal in order to have extra calories to snack.  Just 150 more calories a day can put on an extra pound a month so you have to be careful!

4.       Plan Your Snacks Ahead of Time.

You have to plan ahead if you are going to snack. This will stop you from getting caught some where eating an unhealthy, calorie dense snack that does nothing but add unnecessary calories to your diet.  The best thing to do is keep healthy, high fiber snacks at work, in your car, in your house and in your reach. Decide when you are going to snack during your day so that you know which meal you need to decrease the calories at to make room for the snack. Planning ahead also helps you to make better choices because you have already thought out what you want to eat instead of letting the moment’s wants guide you.

5.       Satisfy your craving.

Find a healthy snack option that will help satisfy whatever you are craving/wanting. I would rather you eat what you are in the mood for in moderation, than force yourself to eat something that you really do not want. I routinely tell my clients to take the sweets off of the peddle stool. Denying yourself what you really want only makes things worst.  You have a tendency to overeat calories of another product to try to squash your craving of the product you want.  Now days, there are many healthy snack options that satisfy your hunger for something sweet/salty while still being lower in calories and higher in fiber. Great examples are the Fiber One Brownies or Fiber One High Fiber granola bars.

What do you think? Can you snack light and start snacking right? Let me know what snack items you have found that you feel are healthy and satisfy your need for salty/sweet. Please feel free to email me or post any questions or comments you might have. I am here to help you accomplish your health goals.

XOXO! The Dietnista

Great Things to Munch When It Comes to Lunch

Can you believe another week has flown by? We have been working towards better health together for over 4 months now!  How has it been going? Have you been able to make the small changes to your diet that we have discussed?  I hope so! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments or if there are any topics you want me to discuss.

Over the past month we have discussed the importance of lunch and the nutrients that it should provide. I started off by giving you an outline of where your Lunch calories should come from. I gave you specifics on how much carbohydrate, fat and protein is recommended for most people at lunch. We also discussed the new government dietary guidelines “My Plate”. The guidelines reiterated the importance of a well balanced meal including grains, fruits, vegetables, protein and dairy.

Now I am going to give you specific examples of healthy lunch meals. The color coding helps you to see which items you can trade out.  I am going to give you some ideas for meals at home and on the go.

2-3 oz of Lean Protein (14-21 grams Protein)

2 Starch/Bread Servings (30 grams Carbohydrate)

1 Fruit serving (15 grams Carbohydrate)

1 Fat serving (5 grams of added fat)

Free Veggies (as many as you want as long as they are not fried or covered in fat)

Meal # 1

2-3 slices of lunch meat

2 slices of high fiber whole wheat bread

1 TBS of olive oil mayonnaise

All the free veggies you want

1 tennis ball sized apple

Meal  # 2

2-3 oz of lean chicken

½ cup of corn and ½ cup of beans to make a relish

1 TBS of regular salad dressing

Salad and all the free veggies that you want

1 Clementine

Meal # 3

2-3 oz of lean steak

½ cup of mashed potatoes and ½ corn on the cob

1 tsp of butter

All the free veggies you want

1 cup of strawberries

Meal # 4

2-3 oz of fish (not fried)

2/3^rd cup of whole wheat pasta

1 tsp of olive oil

All the free veggies that you want

1 tennis ball sized pear

Meal # 5

2-3 oz of grilled chicken

2 slices of high fiber whole wheat bread

1/8^th Avocado

All the free veggies you want

1 cup of strawberries

Meal # 6

2-3 oz of turkey

1 small baked potato

1 tsp of Italian dressing

All the free veggies you want

10 cherries

Meal # 7

Grilled chicken Sandwich

On bun

No added fat necessary

Side salad

Small fruit cup

Meal # 8

Kids sized Hamburger no cheese

On bun

No added fat necessary

Side salad

A pack of Apple slices

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