Be Positive About Your Body

As Eating Disorder Awareness Week draws to a close, I've been inspired to write a post about body image.

As most people do, I sometimes have negative thoughts about my appearance. Maybe I'm frustrated with the thinness of my hair or the way I have limited footwear options because of foot abnormalities I have developed. Or maybe I just don't like the way a shirt hangs on my curvier-than-usual postpartum body. Whatever it is, when I think this way about my body, it's negative self-talk and it's not healthy.

These negative thoughts do nothing but harm to myself and those around me, so my goal is to minimize them. One of the ways I do this is by repeating mantras or phrases in my head. For example:

When I was pregnant and nearing delivery time, I would say to myself, "my body is perfectly designed to grow and DELIVER this baby.".

When I look down at my wrinkly, scarred-up belly where my youthful, attractive (to my husband at least) tummy once was, I tell myself "you are more beautiful and he loves you more now because you're a mother. You are not just a body."

And as my body continues to shed the extra padding I acquired during pregnancy, I tell myself "it's part of the journey and I will be beautiful in whatever shape or form my body takes, as long as I am good to myself."

And when my knee or foot hurts when I run or play sports, or I don't quite "measure up" in my mind, I try to remember to be thankful for what I have and what I AM capable of. After all, it wasn't long ago that it hurt to walk, never mind run!

The point is that the best defense against negative self-talk is positive self-talk. Just as we know it's more valuable to reinforce positive behaviors in our children (and dogs for that matter!), the same is true within our own minds.

You can be healthy at every size (HAES), so long as you are kind and respectful to yourself and the body you've been blessed with.

Food is a Gift

This is true in more ways than one.

Certainly it is a gift from the earth and from those who work hard to bring it to your market, store, table, etc.
However, it also possesses other "gift-like" qualities. Bare with me for a moment and it should all make sense.

Think about gifts at Christmas time - especially during those exchanges where you're given numbers and everyone selects gifts to open and you're able to swap/steal as part of the game. Now this is where food and gifts become similar.

 The Appearance of the Package
 
When you're choosing a gift to open, often the most appealing gifts are the ones that are wrapped well. The one in pretty paper or the one adorned with a fancy bow. Same goes for food. You're more likely to pick up food that looks appealing. When we're talking about processed foods, this is where the marketing experts get you with their eye-catching packaging (think Golden Grahams versus Corn Flakes). When we're talking about fresh foods, this is where we see brightly coloured, blemish-free fruits and veggies being chosen over duller, less vibrant choices (think fresh red strawberries over a waxed rutabaga).

When it comes to fruit and veggies, fresher, undamaged pieces are certainly preferable. However, much of the time it is valuable to heed the traditional advice: "Don't judge a book by its cover."



Size Matters

Do you choose the biggest gift in the pile? Or the smallest? This is where we're often split on our preferences in terms of selecting gifts. However, when it comes to food, more often than not, people are going to choose the bigger food option. We're always trying to get more bang for our buck because it makes us feel like we're being wise (but are we?).  I think it depends on the type of food we're purchasing. Sure - maybe it's a good choice to purchase a big bag of carrots over a small one if your family enjoys them and you eat them up before they spoil. But do we really need the family-size bag of chips or cookies? There have been many studies to show that when there's an abundance of something, we tend to eat more than we normally would. Same goes for when there is less of something. I'm sure you can think of an example in your own life. The one that comes to my mind is cookies. When I first make a batch, I gobble them up - not even counting how many I've eaten. We rely upon visual cues and if the pile of cookies is big, my mind sees no reason to slow up on the cookie-eating until the pile looks noticeably smaller. Sound familiar? Alternatively, if you receive a small tin of cookies from a friend (say with 6 cookies in it), I'm going to bet you'll make them last a little. Six of 48 cookies disappears a lot quicker than 6 of 6 cookies. Know what I'm saying?


The Tricky Package

There's often one of these in the pile at the gift exchange, and this is the point of this entire post.  The large gift that is just a fooler because the gift inside the large box is either tiny, or it's a dud. Another way to think of this is to think of a gift from your significant other. I'm sure many of us would agree that we might prefer a small box with a high quality, thoughtful, and potentially expensive gift in it (hello diamonds!) to a large, bulky gift containing the opposite (I'm thinking a tin of stale popcorn or a mega package of tube socks).

So what would you prefer? A small box filled to the brim with quality? Or a large box with lots (or a small amount) of low quality stuff?

You can think about food in a similar way. Try to make choices that are full of quality. For example, when you're hungry for a snack before dinner, try having a small handful of almonds and a piece of fruit rather than a couple of handfuls of nachos with salsa. Why? Well, there's a good chance the fruit and nuts will satisfy your hunger better, but beyond that, it's higher quality food. You can get more nutrition - vitamins and minerals - from the fruit and nuts, with less calories compared to the nachos and salsa. See? Vitamins and minerals = quality, calories = gift box size.

Here's an even better example: 2 fried eggs vs. 1 hot dog

The 2 eggs will give you approximately 11 grams of protein in 178 calories, while the hot dog will give you only 10 grams of protein but for 242 calories.


Next time you're forced to make a food decision (and believe me - you make many in just a day's time), think about one or all of these points. How are you being influenced by the appearance of the package? Are you being wise about the size? And how does the quantity compare to quality (in terms of serving size, but also just the nature of the food and the amount of calories it delivers versus the nutrition you get from it)?

And if you want a real kick in the butt on this topic, have a look at the Hungry for Change film. If this post doesn't get you thinking about all the extra calories we're eating to get a small amount of nutrition (nutrients like vitamins and minerals), that film will!

A Snack Fit for a Toddler

.... Or anyone else who likes to play with their food!

This is one of Bean's favorite snacks: fruity kabobs.

Inspired by the cover of this cookbook, these kabobs are a hit around our house and they're even kinda fun to make.

Plus, if you want to get all educational here, I suppose you can teach patterns with these kabobs.

All you need is a stick - Popsicle sticks work. I used these weird wooden stir sticks that we've had since our Jack & Jill five years ago. They're skinnier than a Popsicle stick, but the ends are blunt, which makes them seem safer than a bamboo kabob skewer. Plus they can be easily snipped with scissors so that I can shorten them to pack them in Bean's lunch (I don't have containers that fit the full-size version well).

The food is the fun part! Melon works really well, as do grapes and strawberries. The cover photo features kiwi slices and pineapple chunks, too. Actually the cookbook calls for a drizzle of melted chocolate to dress up the fruit. However, we haven't taken that step for a couple reasons: 1. It makes the whole task of making them a little more cumbersome. 2. I'm pretty sure Bean would lick the chocolate off and then demand more.

In place of the chocolate drizzle, we've been using mini marshmallows between some of the fruit pieces. They get a little gooey from the fruit, but Bean seems to enjoy peeling them off, and they're a nice change as she eats her way through the kabob.

What will you be skewering on your next fruit kabob?

"Lunch-able" at Home

Around our place, we call "snacky" lunches "lunchables." They're quick to prepare, Bean loves them, and so do we! (I call that a win-win-win!)

Lunch-ables don't have to be pricey boxes of highly-processed food - they can be anything you want them to be!

Red, yellow & orange bell peppers, English cucumber, celery, Cortland apple, canteloupe, Stonemill cranberry pumpkin seed multigrain baguette, cheesey bread sticks, marble low fat mild cheddar cheese, unsalted raw peanuts, raw California almonds.

Our lunchables at home are inspired by the 4 food groups. Here's some basic instructions to get you on the right track:

1) Start with veggies and fruit, and place them on a large plate (or in a large container if you need it to-go).

2) Shoot for the rainbow! Try to incorporate as many colours as possible. More colours = more nutrients and more visual appeal.

3) Dietary restrictions aside, try to hit all 4 food groups ( veg & fruit, grains, milk & alternatives, meat & alternatives).

4) Avoid high-fat and overly sweet or salty snack foods. Try to keep it fresh (mostly) and be generous. That way, you probably won't crave any sweet desserts after (and if you do, you can make it small since your hunger is mostly satisfied).

5) When it comes time to eat your lunchable, try to eat some of each food rather than focusing on one food group, then moving to the next. This will make sure you EAT the variety of food that you prepared. For example, we prepare Bean's plate in front of her, giving her one of each food to give her a little sampler. If she wants more afterward, she can have more of her choosing (in Bean's case, it's always more veg). For us, we start with two of each thing and go from there.

Happy Lunching!

What is the difference between healthy eating and eating healthy?

There's a simple, but subtle difference.

Eating healthy = eating foods that are nutritious and give you good, positive energy.

Healthy eating = a "healthy" relationship with food. It means eating healthy (or healthfully), but also not swearing off foods because some magazine article said it will cause your fat cells to bloat and take over your body. It means eating well-spaced meals/snacks throughout the day, and not overeating (to the point of discomfort). It's about eating food primarily for physiological reasons (i.e.out of hunger), but being able to eat a little extra or some less healthy options occasionally without it being a big deal.

If you ask me, healthy eating is the golden ticket to health and weight management. It is the most common reason people come to me, and it's one of my favorite topics on which to counsel people. It's simple and complex, easy and challenging. One thing it most certainly is is rewarding.

If you want a hand with working on healthy eating, or if you have questions or even requests for future posts, please email me at jacqfruitblog at gmail.com

When you think of healthy eating, what comes to mind?

What about unhealthy eating?

When you think about healthy eating, what do you see? Apples? Salads? Grilled chicken breast? Tofu? Broccoli?

Do you think of bland, flavourless food? Or delicious, fresh food?

And what about unhealthy eating? Do you picture poutine and potato chips? Chocolate and cookies? Lasagna and KD? Chocolate bars and Twinkies?

Do you think of sweet and/or salty foods? High fat foods? Packaged foods?

These are all important questions to ask yourself. In fact, there's even more to these questions. For example, the question wasn't "which foods or types of food are healthy?" The title question is asking about healthy eating. There's much more to it than simply the foods being eaten (as I'm sure you've come to consider since reading the previous posts in this series). We also have to think about the why, when, where, and how much ( not just the what).

But what I really want you to think about is your attitude towards healthy eating and so-called "unhealthy" eating. When you think of healthy eating, do you think of deprivation and boredom? Or do you feel energetic and inspired? And more importantly, how does your body feel when you're eating healthfully versus those times when you aren't? And do you associate uplifting, happy thoughts with healthy eating? (I ask this because many people associate "down" thoughts and feelings with "unhealthy" eating more often than they associate these feelings with healthy eating.)

How does the distribution of your food intake compare?

... To your energy output?

This one is simple, but it's where most North Americans trip up, and I mean REALLY trip up.

Here's a simple, but popular example:

Often when I see a client for weight management support, they'll come in stating that they've tried every diet in the book. And I believe them. It makes sense that you would try to problem-solve on your own using books, online tools, etc. before physically entering an office and discussing your nutrition habits with a professional. Heck - I'd do the same thing! After all, nutrition is personal stuff!

So after I've heard about all the losses and gains over the years, I ask: "What was it about those diets that was so different from the way you normally eat?".

And the two most popular responses ?

1. I paid close attention to what I was eating (of course! You were eating differently than usual. That requires attention!)

2. I ate throughout the day, and didn't eat late at night.

It's the second response I want to focus on here. I think deep down, we all know that we eat to fuel ourselves. We eat so that we have energy to walk around, to think, to be physical. When do we do these things the most? During our waking hours (unless you sleep walk A LOT!). So doesn't it make sense that most of our calories/energy/food (however you want to describe it) should be eaten earlier on and throughout our period of wakefulness (daytime for many of us)? As opposed to an hour before bed, on the couch, watching overpriced cable or satellite TV?

I realize there's something comforting about sitting down with chips or ice cream and sharing some "quality" screen time with your spouse (or alone) late in the evening, but what good is it doing you?

Isn't it funny that we'll stay up a little too late at night doing this (and gaining really no benefit. Let's face it - we think it's down time, but it's not really), but come morning we barely have time to choke down a piece of toast and suck back some caffeine before "taking on the world"? Seems a little backwards when you stop and think about it.

So here's my advice: Take a look at when you're eating most of your calories/energy/food in the day. When are the "heavy" times (no pun intended), and where are the gaps? Does the food distribution make sense? Especially when you compare it to your periods of activity?

(Please note: This is not to suggest you should refrain from eating before bed altogether. If you're hungry, you're hungry. Just make your snack/meal match your hunger/energy needs appropriately.)

What Are Your Comfort Foods?

This question seems like a simple ice-breaking question, but there's so much more to it than that. But before we get into that, which foods ARE your comfort foods, and more importantly, when do you eat them?

The popular media often portrays decadent ice cream as a comfort food that is eaten after a bad break up. Though not really a food, alcohol is frequently turned to when people are feeling down after the loss of a job, loved one, or simply after a difficult day. Obviously, many people are drawn to their comfort foods when they are feeling emotional. They're not feeling physically hungry, but EMOTIONALLY hungry.

Others, like my husband (poor guy - here I go picking on him), turn to their comfort foods when they truly are physically hungry, but just don't know what else to eat. (For those who are wondering, his is breakfast cereal.)

So what are your comfort foods? Are they so-called empty calories (foods you wouldn't consider healthy choices)? Are they reasonably healthy foods?

And most importantly, WHEN and WHY do you eat them? Out of emotion? Habit? ACTUAL hunger?

And finally, how do you feel about your responses to these questions? Are you content with them? Or have they uncovered something that you'd like to work on?

How would you describe your relationship with food?

A strange, but very telling question. The typical answer? "What do you mean?" Haha.

This is what I mean:

When you think about food, how do you feel? Happy? Guilty? Conflicted?

Do you eat because you're hungry? Because of an emotion? Out of boredom?

Truthfully, most of us eat for different reasons at different times and in different situations. However, if you want to improve your eating habits, often a good place to start is to think about why you're eating each time you eat.

In doing so, you'll likely accomplish one or both of the following:
1. Learn, or at least increase your awareness of why you eat.
2. Eat less because by stopping to think about why you're eating, you'll also increase your awareness of what you're eating, allowing yourself time to decide IF you want to eat at that time.

Once you've completed this exercise, go back and try to answer that first question again.

In one word, how would you describe your relationship with food?

And if you're so bold, ask yourself if you're proud of that relationship, or whether it's one that could use some work.

Make time for ALL the important things

How many times have you heard "breakfast is the most important meal of the day," "you are what you eat," and other food-/nutrition-related cliches?

Well, try this advice:

MAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND FOSTER IT.

Just like any important relationship, to make it a good relationship, you're best bet is to put some effort into it. At first it may seem strange and even chore-like, but as you become accustomed to dedicating some time to it, it becomes easier, and the benefits more notable.

So what do I mean? Well, there is more than one approach, so do what feels right, and "follow your gut" (punny, eh?). This should get you started though:

When you have a few minutes to yourself, consider these questions:

1. In one word, how would you describe your relationship with food?

2. Which foods would you call your "comfort" foods? Why? And when and why do you eat them?

3. What is your food routine?

4. How does the distribution of your food intake compare to that of your energy output (ie. physical and daily activities)?

5. When you think of healthy eating. What comes to mind? What about unhealthy eating?

6. What is the difference between healthy eating and eating healthy?


Over the next while, I'll post a bit about each of these questions. Stay tuned and please feel free to comment.

Confessions of a Doubtful Dietitian

First off, let it be known that I respect Canada's Food Guide and its creators. I know if by heart and agree with its messaging. In fact, when I reach for a snack, I do a mental tally of all of my food group servings that I've had so far in order to decide which food groups will make up my snack. Yes, I am, admittedly, a total nutrition nerd. But, you already knew that.

What I am here to confess, however, is that while I respect the food guide and use it myself, I don't think it is a great tool for the general public (gasp!). Sure, I use it as a point of conversation with clients, and I have a stack available to offer, but it is not, by any means, my flagship communication tool.

I would love to tell you why (and I will), but first I must explain what provoked this post.

Usually I like to keep opinions like this to myself. Not because I'm not comfortable with my opinion, but because I have a fear of offending other dietitians (or of making them think I'm some crackpot dietitian that doesn't have a clue). However, this morning I read a blog post by Dr. Arya Sharma about the new US food guide. Yes, he, too, blogged about the new MyPlate that I talked about just last week. However, the title of his post was: "Plate or Pyramid - Why Nobody Really Cares About Nutrition Guides." I have to admit that when I saw the subject line in my inbox, I thought "Whoa! That's a bold statement!" And it is! But then I read the post and watched the accompanying video, and all I could think was "Finally! Someone else agrees with me!"

It's not that food guides are a bad idea. They just aren't the solution to the core problem of why people don't eat healthfully. It's not that people think the foods listed in the guides are bad, it's just that the food guides don't make it any easier to eat well. Food guides are sort of akin to flossing. We all know we should floss daily, but how many people do? (Yes, some of us do, but not that many of us!) Yep, we all know we should have so many servings of this, this, and that, but how many of us ACTUALLY do?

I think one of the biggest issues with the food guides is (as Dr. Sharma notes in the video) that dietitians often don't see the design flaws of the food guides. Why? Because we're nutrition nerds! It seems logical to us to tally our servings, because that's what we're trained to do! THAT IS NOT NORMAL!!!! Lovely if it were, but it just isn't!

The solution? I wish I had it. Perhaps what we really need is to have a non-"nutrition nerd" create a "food guide," and to have some liberal dietitians proofread it. Maybe we need a food psychologist to help. I don't know, but I do know that current food guides just aren't fresh and sexy enough to get people to pay attention.

So, assuming you don't have a food guide hanging on your fridge, here's my best advice to you:
Eat fresh foods. The fresher the better; the closer to the farm, the better.

The Collapse of the Food Pyramid

Yesterday the USDA unveiled their new food guide. Previously, the recommended food pattern for Americans was represented by a pyramid. However, as you'll read in the all the news articles, many found the pyramid confusing. Take a look below:



The new "food guide" is based on a plate model - something that I have used extensively in teaching healthy eating principles to clients. The idea behind the plate model is that it is less abstract, so it's easier to translate healthy eating recommendations into practice. Take a look below for the new guide, also known as "MyPlate."



A pretty simple principle, really. Load up half your plate with fruits and vegetables, then finish off with a protein source and some whole grains on the other half. Top it all off with a glass of milk or alternative, and you've got a balanced meal. Does this sound like something you do at home? I hope so, but the reality is that it's not what most people do. However, it's never too late to start.

Here are my best tips:

1) Prepare more than one type of veg if you want to make your plate half veggies. For example, cook a vegetable, such as asparagus, and then have some raw veggie sticks or salad as well.

2) Add fruit to your salads or your main meal. For example, throw some apple slices or mandarin orange segments on your salad. Raisins are fantastic when added to couscous, quinoa, or rice.

3) Put the veggies on your plate first. If you put the protein and grains on your plate first, you're unlikely to leave enough space for your veggies. Fill up half your plate with the veggies first, then go from there.

4) You've heard it from me before, but here we go again! If you're not going to have a milk or alternative as your mealtime beverage, just have water. No pop, coffee, tea, or juice at meals.


In case all this talk of the US food guide has got you wondering what Canada's Food Guide looks like these days, here's a preview (for the full guide, go to the Health Canada website):

Going Dairy-Free - How I have gained greater respect for those with food sensitivities and allergies

Hello, again. It has certainly been a while!

Here's my short-list of excuses:

1) I actually wrote a new blog post last week, but Blogger was down when I went to publish it, so my post was LOST (AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!). So frustrating.

2) We've had carpenter ants invading part of our house, so that has resulted in JC & I fleeing the house to seek refuge at my parents' place in the country (where internet is S-L-O-W and sometimes non-existent).

3) Ultimate season is upon us, which means practices, games, tourneys, and LOTS of recap chats with my hubby. We actually finished 4/20 at Soggy Bottom a couple of weeks ago, and the team did great at TUF this past weekend (though Day 2 was rained out).

4) Soccer season is also upon us. Convening a league makes for busy times, but a good time. Sistas in Soccer starts up May 29th.

5) The weather has been BEAUTIFUL! Well, until this past weekend at least. When it's so gorgeous out, I just want to play outside. No time for sitting at my computer typing out blog posts. I'm sure you understand.

____________________________________________

Now on to the real blog post. The one that has been written and is now being re-written, because that's how things go sometimes.

This post is a tribute to all of you out there who have food allergies, intolerances and/or sensitivities. Or just follow a very specific eating pattern.

As much as I'm a dietitian who knows and understands special diets, I still find it difficult to work around food restrictions. For example, I have a few friends with food restrictions, and when they come to visit, I often draw a blank as to what to serve them. Why? Because I get caught up in the "can't haves" rather than focusing on the "can haves."

Let's take my one friend, DA. She is intolerant to dairy, chicken, almonds, bananas, gluten, and shrimp. I know what you're thinking: "What does the woman eat????!!" See that's the thing - it sounds so restrictive, but there are still TONS of foods she can eat. She can have soy, beef, pork, turkey, legumes, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, kiwis, apples, oranges, rice, quinoa, buckwheat, salmon, tuna, ..... and the list goes on.

Lately I have been attempting to go dairy-free. Not because I think milk is gross or because I watched Food Inc. It's because little JC is about THE gassiest baby I have ever known. The burps and toots don't bother me - it's the crying from gas pain that breaks my heart. There are plenty of theories about what can cause such issues in a baby, but one of the most common ones I have read about is dairy intake by the breastfeeding mother. I don't know the science behind it (nor can I guarantee that there is any), but I am doing my best to eliminate dairy from my diet for the time being to see if it makes a different for my poor little bean.

The first week was a bit of a novelty, as I bought up some unsweetened soy milk and took the cheese off the grocery list. The second week was a little tougher, as I tired of my cheese- and yogurt-free life. However, I'm sort of in a groove with it now with only the occasional hiccup.

My poor husband longs for pizza with cheese, macaroni and cheese, lasagna with cheese, and all things cheesy. But he's being very patient with me. I don't know if it's really helping JC, but at least it makes me feel like I'm doing something to help her.

I am being careful to eat foods that are rich in calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin D, because those are the reasons I drink milk to begin with. Unsweetened soy milk is a great substitute, and I continue to eat lots of whole grains, nuts and seeds, fresh fruits and veggies, and to take a vitamin D supplement (1000 IU/d) and a pre-/postnatal multivitamin.

So what should you take away from this blabber about food restrictions:


1) It's easy, but not easy to follow a special diet.

2) It's the people around you that can make or break it for you. If you're surrounded by supportive people, it's much easier to make a change (or stick with a diet). If you're surrounded by skeptics, it's going to be a tough go.

3) SUPPORT your friends and family as they adopt special diets for health reasons. It's not always easy to do it. Your support means a lot. It's a way of showing respect.

Can it!

A few weeks ago, we were driving along a busy city street, on our way to a family reunion. I was just watching the buildings and people as we passed them by when I had a little "light bulb moment."

We had just driven past a heavyset man walking with a young boy (likely about 7 years old). The man was drinking out of a can as he walked with the child. An ordinary enough sight, but it got me thinking ...

What could that man be drinking?

Beer??!! On a Sunday, in broad daylight, walking down a city street with a child?! No, probably not.

What else could it be?

Milk? Nope - that comes in cartons.
Water? Nope - then he'd have a bottle.
Juice? No, that usually comes in a tetra or a bottle.

Must have been pop or iced tea I figure. Huh. Still not a great example for the kid.

So, here's what I realized : if a beverage comes in a can, CAN IT! ('Cause it's probably not your best option.)

And if that's not enough to make you skip the canned drinks, consider the BPA that could very well be lurking in that can. Yeah, that's right - just when you thought you were safe, having cleared your gym bag of your old Nalgenes! Now it's the cans, or at least that's what this article is saying about Coke cans ...

Don't go too nutty now!

We're always reading in the news about how great nuts are for you. One week they're claiming almonds are the best, the next week it's walnuts. The truth is that nuts can be very good for you.

They're a good source of protein, healthy fats, and also vitamin E. Their protein content is what helps make you feel full when you eat them, so they're great as part of a snack. Another option is to have them as your protein source in a meal (ie. nut butter on toast as part of breakfast, or nuts on a large salad as part of a lunch or supper). They're also great for taking along with you, because they don't need to be refrigerated before you eat them. This makes them a favourite of mine for long hikes, camping trips, sports tournaments, and long days at work.

Storage Tip: Keep nuts in the fridge or even the freezer to prevent the fats in the nuts from going rancid (bad).

So go a head and enjoy a healthy snack of some nuts ... but don't go TOO nutty now!

Often at parties I see a bowl or a dish sitting out with nuts in it. There's often beer nuts, salted peanuts, sometimes wasabi peanuts, chocolate-covered almonds, and so forth. But, I caution you: BEWARE OF THE NUTS. If you sit down in front of them and start munching away, it won't be long before you've gone overboard.

A client once came to see me for weight management and weight loss support. She told me about her healthy diet and about the exercise she was doing. She explained that she would often have a snack of nuts in the evening because she knew that they wouldn't affect her blood sugar and because they are a healthy snack. She said she preferred peanuts and always chose the unsalted variety. I congratulated her on these positive steps and followed up with a question about her portion size. That's when she explained that she would have about a cup (250 mL) of peanuts each night. Ding ding DING!

THAT was the problem. The portion size! Can you believe that 1 cup of peanuts packs nearly 900 calories??!! And that's the raw ones (ie. not oil-roasted). WOW!

To put it in perspective, the average adult woman in her 20s or 30s consumes ~2000 calories per day. That means that a cup of peanuts would be nearly 1/2 her daily intake of calories. No wonder she wasn't losing weight!

Here are some tips for nuts to keep you out of trouble:

• Keep your serving size to 1/4 cup (that's ~200 calories if it's peanuts you're choosing)
• Store nuts in the freezer or fridge to keep them tasting good
• Choose unsalted, raw varieties whenever possible (and chocolate-free of course!)
• If serving nuts at a party, provide a SMALL dish to help your guests to prevent overeating
• If you can manage it, eat them one at a time so you take the time to enjoy them (otherwise 1/4 cup may seem like nothing)
• If you're handful is over-flowing, you've got too much!
  

Breakfast Serial Part III - Spread the Word

What do you put on your toast? Your bagel? Your English muffin?

Whether your adding margarine, butter, jam, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, or something else, the point is that you are ADDing something.

So often we forget that the things we add to our foods also count. Maybe it's the calories that count in your books, or maybe it's the sugar. Perhaps you're counting fat or even additives. The important thing to remember is that the spread COUNTS - so make it count! Make a good choice!

I hope this helps:

Margarine - if you plan to use it, go for NON-HYDROGENATED margarine. The stuff we used to get served at our grandma's at Thanksgiving was hydrogenated. It was full of trans fats which are bad news (they clog your arteries and increase your risk of stroke and heart attack). Today's non-hydrogenated varieties are much better for you because they don't have trans fats in them. On the flip-side: you may not be able to pronounce some of the ingredients in your margarine, so you be the judge as to whether you want to use it or not. However, you'll be happy to know that most of those big words are the names of added vitamins. So if you don't fear multivitamins, you don't have much of a reason to fear non-hydrogenated margarine.

Butter - good ol' fashioned super-whipped dairy fat. If you've every beat whipping cream too long, you know what I mean. (Yeah, it turns into butter - not so great on pumpkin pie ...) If you buy the salted version, you can expect the ingredients to include: cream, salt, and possibly colour. If it's the unsalted one, scratch the salt (ie. cream and maybe some colour). You'll notice that butter reports a tiny bit of trans fat in the Nutrition Facts Table (approx. 0.2 g per serving). That's because a tiny bit of trans fats is naturally-occurring in dairy cream - no need to worry.

Margarine vs. Butter - I'm often asked what people should use: margarine? or butter? My answer: use whatever you want, but don't use very much of it! If you are using enough that I will notice a difference in your cholesterol levels, you're using too much! Most often it's not a case of WHAT people are using to "butter" their bread, but more a case of HOW MUCH. Do you really need "butter" on your veggies, potatoes, bread, and everything else? My guess is no. Try ditching the "butter" for everything but toast for awhile. You'll get used to it. "But it doesn't taste as creamy and delicious without it (pouting face)!" Yeah, well, whoever said your mashed potatoes were supposed to taste like dessert? They should taste like potatoes!

Peanut Butter (or any other nut butter) - pb and its pals (almond butter, sesame, and so forth) can be a great source of protein and vitamin E on your morning toast (or other bread item). However, remember to check out the Nutrition Facts Table and the ingredients. If you're buying the typical Smooth PB variety, note the ingredients: peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil, salt (if you're having the low-fat version, add in some corn syrup solids ... yup, you heard me!). WHOA! Didn't we just finish saying that hydrogenated oil is bad news? Well, it's in your pb! Compare to the "100% peanuts" variety of pb whose sole ingredient is .... PEANUTS!!! There's a no-brainer for ya. PS. You can get chunky or smooth natural pb and you can get it as usual, or organic. Just remember to store it in the fridge.

Jam - REMEMBER: Jam is a condiment - not a side dish. When you use jam, spread it thinly to enjoy it's flavour and sweetness. Any more than that and you might as well just grab a spoon and eat a 1/4 of the jar because that's what you're doing. But, for some reason when it's spread out on your toast over melted butter or margarine it doesn't feel like you've just eaten a good chunk of the jar. There's a good reason why the serving size listed on the Nutrition Facts Table is 1 tablespoon. That's about all you should be using! Oh, and pick the lower sugar varieties - they taste more like homemade and you haven't tasted heaven till you've had homemade jam.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread - don't want to point any fingers, but what I'm talking about rhymes with shut-shmella (anyone seen Knocked Up?). Yes, it's true that when I was pregnant with JC I didn't leave home overnight without some whole wheat bagels (didn't have any whole-grain at the time) and a jar of shut-shmella, but that doesn't mean I'm proud of it. If you want to know the truth, it's got the sugar of sugary jam, the fat of peanut butter, the additives of regular smooth peanut butter, and a measly 1 g of protein per tablespoon. Yeah, forget the shut-shmella - it's just another dessert item masquerading as a breakfast food.

Honey - Honey is liquid sugar. That is all.

Don't get me started on plastic cheese-wannabe spread or cinnamon goo that comes in a tub. You've read what I have to say about the above and it only gets worse for the fake cheese and the cinna-goo.

Bottom Line - read about what you're eating and only eat what you are comfortable with eating. If you feel guilty when you eat something, chances are it's not the best choice for your bod. If you happen to eat something that I've bashed in this blog post, make a change, but don't be ashamed. I've eaten every single thing that I have talked about here. I just don't make a regular practice of it.

What do I eat on my bagel these days? 100% peanut butter (organic when available) and a bit (seriously about a tablespoon) of organic no-sugar-added strawberry jam.

Breakfast Serial Part II - Bagels

There was a time, not long ago, when I recommended people stop eating bagels. Yep - quit 'em - cold turkey.

Why? Because, over the years, bagels have grown (just like our North American waistlines). Canada's Food Guide states a bagel weighs 90 g and that when eating said bagel, each half of it (45 g portion) constitutes a single grains serving. However, do you think you could find a bagel this size? Not easily - that's for sure!

For example, a Tim Horton's 12 grain bagel weighs in at 110 g and packs a punch of 580 g of sodium (that's more than 1/3 of what you should have in a whole day!). A multi-grain bagel from The Great Canadian Bagel weighs in similarly at 113 g with 581 g of sodium.

Thankfully, smaller bagels are hitting the grocery chains now. Dempster's offers whole grain bagels that weigh 90 g and pack only about 340 g of sodium. However, I was very pleased when I walked into our local Metro and discovered their Irresistibles Life Smart Whole Grain Bagels - they're only 60 g per bagel (just a little over 1 food guide serving per bagel) and have 240 g of sodium.* FINALLY!

The great thing about finding smaller bagels is that it makes it easier to have a balanced breakfast, because I'm not filling up on bagel.

Before, if I had a bagel for breakfast, by the time I got some peanut butter on it and had a glass of milk, I was so stuffed that I wasn't interested in anything else. (I realize I could just have half a bagel, but that's a tough compromise to make when your tummy is rumbling and you have to defrost the whole thing to split it.) Now, I can have my 60 g bagel, put some natural pb on it, a cup of milk (or soy milk) and 1/2 cup of berries or some other fruit of my choosing. BAM! 4 food groups! It keeps me full for most of the morning (even when I eat it at 8 am and then carry JC around for an hour or more, walking all over this end of the city!).

Smaller bagels are also great for those that are watching their carb intake, such as those with diabetes or who are just trying to minimize spikes in their blood sugar and insulin for well-being.

So, go ahead and have a bagel - just make it a small one and definitely whole grain. Here's a hint though - you're gonna have to get it from a grocery store rather than a fast food chain. In case you haven't noticed, the fast food industry doesn't much care for reasonable portion sizes. If you're concerned about time, remember it only takes me 5 minutes to prep my breakfast from start to finish. How long do you spend tapping on your steering wheel sitting in the drive-thru at Timmy's in the morning? Yeah .... that's what I thought.

*No disrespect to other grocery store chains and other bagels - I just happened to notice these bagels at Metro. Similar ones are likely available elsewhere.

Breakfast Serial: Part 1

What better way to start a series of breakfast posts than with breakfast cereal?

We've all been there - moseying down the cereal aisle at the grocery store, ready to pick up the usual goods. But suddenly you think "hey, that cereal's on sale and my regular isn't ... maybe I should check it out!" So, what do you do? Do you just drop it in the cart and keep walking? Or do you take a look at the Nutrition Facts table on the side panel first? Or, do you take it one step further and compare the new Nutrition Facts table to the one on your ol' faithful cereal?

I'm hoping you do one of the two latter options. And if you do, I hope you look at some of the following:

1) SODIUM - keep the salt low. Definitely shoot for less than 400 mg in a serving (the table will tell you what a "serving" is).

2) FIBRE - aim high! Try for at least 4 g of fibre per serving. Anything less, and you're missing a chance to pack some serious fibre into your day. Remember - adults need 25-38 grams per day, so get some in the A.M.

3) SUGARS - keep 'em low. Find a cereal with 8 g of sugar or less per serving if you can. Keep in mind that if there's any dried fruit (raisins or even shriveled little strawberry chunks) in the cereal, that will bump up the sugar content. If that's the case, you can allow a little more sugar - use your discretion.

4) INGREDIENTS - READ THEM!!! Too often we skip this step, thinking we've done our due diligence by pretending to read the Nutrition Facts table. The ingredients are important though! After all, don't you want to know what it is that you're eating??

Now that you're reading the ingredients, you want the first ingredient to be a whole grain. "Whole wheat" isn't good enough - they don't have to put the entire grain in there to score that title. Whole grain is where it's at (means you're getting the benefit of the germ, endosperm and bran - that's a good thing!).

If you can find something that meets all of these criteria, you've found a keeper. Even better if it packs a bit of protein to help keep you full.

But, to be honest, it can be difficult to meet all these standards, so if you're stuck, pick the ones that are most important to you and go with them. Or, give up altogether (as I have), and try something else for breakfast. I make a mean bowl of pb&j oatmeal in a hurry:

1/3 cup rolled oats (I use large flake rather than quick to get a little more fibre)
2/3 cup water
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp strawberry jam
1/2 cup strawberries
low-fat milk (skim, 1% or 2%) to taste

Dump the oats and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir frequently until oatmeal thickens to desired consistency.
Remove from heat and stir in pb and jam.
Top with strawberries and milk.
Eat and enjoy!

Did I mention it hits all 4 food groups? Especially if you have a glass of milk on the side. YEAH!

What you see is what you get

When you come to our place, there's a good chance you'll score some yummy food. However, don't expect much in the beverage department. As I mentioned in a previous post, we don't have juice in the house, nor do we stock pop or much of anything else. When you're thirsty at our place, you get tea, water or milk.

And why is that?

It's not because I shun sugar and all things sweet. It's simply because I LOVE to eat. As a result, I like to get the bulk of my calories from food. When I am thirsty, I drink water (or tea if it's chilly and the thought of cold water makes me shiver). When I am hungry, I eat food. I realize milk doesn't fit into this scenario well, but I consider milk a food in liquid form. It's the purest way I can get it, after all. (And the soy milk is simply a milk alternative for the time being.)

Juice, on the other hand, is not in its simplest form. Fruit would be the simplest form, and that's exactly what we eat instead of drinking juice. When we eat the whole fruit, not only do we get the delicious flavour of the fruit, but also the fibre that comes as part of it. As well, the fruit itself comes with very little or no packaging that requires trashing or recycling. So not only is eating the fruit a nutritionally cleaner way of eating, but environmentally, too!

I'm not saying it's bad to drink juice. I just want you to think about why you're drinking it. (And perhaps how much - it's recommended that you only consume 1/2 cup or 125 mL or 4 oz of real fruit juice per day).

Bittersweet Confusion

A couple of weeks ago I asked for people to share their nutrition questions with me and I want to thank those of you who did so. As for the rest of you ... (cue scary music) ... still feel free to ask! :)

The first question I received was a about diet products, specifically diet beverages such as diet colas (eg. Diet Coke). This is a common question and sadly, there is no simple answer at this point. What I can do is give you a brief summary of what we know, and then I can lay out a discussion about these controversial beverages. Be forewarned - I will be discussing aspartame primarily here.

Cool?

Ok, let's get started:

What We Know (or at least think we know ...):
About weight gain and food addiction:
Large epidemiological studies (ones where they look at trends in a specific group of people without really interfering in their lives) have shown some evidence that people who drink diet drinks tend to gain more weight than those who don't drink them. However, the evidence is rather weak, and researchers aren't so sure that they can blame diet drinks, the sweeteners (eg. aspartame), or something else for the weight gain.

Some studies in rats (because it's easier to force a rat to eat and drink certain things than it is with people) have shown that sweetened beverages (such as diet drinks) increase appetite and food intake. This has caused some researchers to believe that sweet things make you crave more sweet things, which makes for a sort of food or sweets addiction.

About cancer:
I must confess that I didn't spend a lot of time reading up on this aspect of the sweetener debate, but here's what I have: if you consume obscene amounts of artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame), it may cause cancer. Some studies have focused on the liver and liver cancer in mice.

How much is safe?:
Health Canada states (about aspartame) that "there is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of foods containing this sweetener, according to the provisions of the Food and Drug Regulations and as part of a well-balanced diet, would pose a health hazard to consumers."

Health Canada has also given aspartame an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) of 40 mg per kg body weight per day. That means that a 150-pound person could have approximately 2700 mg of aspartame a day (one can of diet pop has about 200 mg of aspartame). This means that if your only source of aspartame was diet pop, you could have approximately 13 cans of diet pop a day without expecting any problems (related to the aspartame at least!). That's A LOT of diet pop.

Discussion:
As a dietitian, there are some questions that come to mind when I discuss sweeteners with clients.

1. Why diet?
Why are you choosing a diet drink? Is it because you want to lose weight? Because you have diabetes? Because you like the taste?

If you're trying to lose weight, it's true that diet beverages have fewer calories than the regular versions of those drinks, but there are other calorie-free beverages to choose from.

If you have diabetes, it's true that many sweeteners won't cause your blood sugar to go up, but again, there are also other options available to you.

If you choose diet drinks because you like the taste, well, I guess that makes good sense. Where else are you going to find that flavour?


2. What type of diet beverage are choosing?

Are you having Diet Coke (or Diet Pepsi or any other type of diet pop)? Is it calorie-free juice? Or calorie-reduced juice? Is it Crystal Light (or something similar)?

If you're having pop, why? Is it the carbonation you like? Is it the flavour of that type of pop?

If you're having calorie-free juice or Crystal Light, why? Are you just looking for something calorie-free with some flavour?


3. What do you eat when you have diet beverages?

Do you eat with your diet beverage? Or is your diet drink a snack of its own?

If you're eating with your diet drink, what types of food are you eating? I suspect you're not having an apple and almonds with it or a slice of whole-grain toast with natural peanut butter. Am I right? And why is that? (Hint: think about yesterday's post.)

Maybe you're having your diet pop as your drink with a meal. What other good drink options might you be snubbing in favour of the diet pop?

If the diet drink is a snack of its own, we may have a problem. Diet drinks don't offer much in the way of calories, which is why they are popular with those who want a sweet drink with few calories. Therefore, they don't make a good snack. They don't give you any nutrients that your body needs. After all, your stomach tells you its hungry because it wants to feed your body some good old fashioned nutrients, not because it wants a make-work project. Right? Better off to go for some real food.

Take Home Message:
In moderation (like anything else), diet drinks, aspartame (and the like) are probably fine. It's not likely that you'll sprout an extra head or develop cancer solely because you had a Diet Coke once a day. However, it's important to look at why you're turning to diet drinks and to decide if they're your best option. After all, our bodies are more than 50% water, not Diet Coke. Just sayin' ....