Surviving the Holidays

Today at work was holiday season meal #1. Because let’s be honest, the temptations of the holiday season are all but limited to Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. 

Our work place hosted a pot luck Thanksgiving meal and let’s just say there was an abundance of temptations. While I showed up with my salad with Honey Goat Cheese dressing, others showed up with the classics: candied sweet potatoes, homemade mac’n cheese, cranberries, green beans, corn casserole, mashed potatoes, homemade hot rolls, turkey, dressing, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, and coconut pie. Morning meetings could not get over quickly enough. Once the line formed for the buffet, it took all the will-power in me to keep from cutting to the front of the line or physically scooting along the slow-poke in front of me. Yummm! Doesn’t food always taste better when you’re not the one cooking and cleaning up after it?

In true RD fashion, I tried a little bit of the most eye-catching dishes, and only one dessert: pumpkin pie cheesecake. I forgot to mention that one…but yes, there was pumpkin pie cheesecake and yes, it was as decadent as it sounds. I dug deep and limited to one plate of small portions. After all, negative behaviors cannot be reinforced by the dietitian’s lacking self control!! Just wouldn’t do good things for my street cred, you know?

A lot of my patients dread the holidays because of the implication is has on their waste line. Rest assured, self and all others, the holidays are not a time for expansion! Or guilt!

Here are some tips from your resident dietitian blog friend to get you through this season without any added poundage.

Don’t go hungry.

Hello, this is no different than grocery shopping, folks. Hungry bellies lead to bad decisions in excess. Holiday parties and meals are NO exception.

Bring something to share.

Nine times out of ten, you’re not alone in your healthy-eating indeavors. A lot of your friends, family, and co-workers are also watching something…whether it be their blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, or weight. Healthy options are always appreciated. Plus, a plug for healthy, tasteful cooking is always a plus!

Limit the damage: calorie-free beverages to the rescue!

Be careful of wasting calories. Beverages are easy ways to send your intake over the top. Opt out of alcohol, or drink in moderation. And drink plenty of water, please! Bring your favorite calorie-free soda or flavored water so that you are able to enjoy a beverage of your choice.

Distance yourself from temptation.

If your family is anything like mine, desserts hang out on the table to taunt us all…nearly demanding second and third helpings. Same goes for appetizers. Put desserts and appetizers away from the crowd to avoid noshing and nibbling. BLT’s add up! Bites, licks, and tastes, that is! If appetizers and desserts are sitting out, position yourself away from the platters and plates. I once heard that you’re out of the “red zone” once you’re 15 feet from food. Make it happen!

Always survey the options.

Have you ever taken too large of portions and ran out of room on your plate before you got half-way through the buffet line? Did you just say to yourself, “Oops! I’ll be back for that next year?” No. You pile your food into a monument of mistake, or come back around for all that you missed. 

Before you start filling your plate at meals and parties, see what’s on the menu so that you can prioritize what you want the most. The majority of people enjoy most foods on a Thanksgiving spread, but can pass by quite a bit without feeling at all shafted. Get what you REALLY want and move on.

Wait it out.

If you find yourself wishing for seconds, take a 10-15 minute breather before heading back for more. Have a glass of water and re-assess in a few.

Go with a plate method.

If you’re serious about increasing the nutrition of your meal without the calories, opt for ½ your plate to be filled with vegetables and salad, ¼ to be filled with meat, and ¼ to be filled with potatoes, bread, casserole, etc. This insures you’re getting good balance and lowering the caloric damage of the meal.

Set goals.

Have a plan, write it down, and execute!

Start the day off right…exercise.

While many gyms are closed on holidays, sign up to run a local race or commit to going on a walk or run the morning of a holiday. Starting off the day with exercise can not only help balance caloric intake, but also get the tone set for the day: balance and health.

Don’t lose sight of what the holidays are about.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanza, or Chrismakah (for any OC fans out there!)…food and feasts are inescapable. Yet, they are NOT the focal point of holidays…or shouldn’t be, anyways. Focus, rather, on family, friends, faith, and fun…food is far secondary to all aforementioned.

We have a donut problem.

I'll admit to a guilty pleasure: donuts. Though, donuts are [typically] an indulgence on a very rare occassion. ....Until about 3 weeks ago.

Three weeks ago, husband came home from Saturday morning errands with about 3 donuts. Between the 2 of us, they were consumed as breakfast. Eaten, enjoyed, and done with. Until the following Saturday when he did the same thing! We stopped for gas and as I was pumping gas, he went in to the gas station and emerged laden with 4 donuts. Ugh. Those lasted Saturday AND Sunday morning. TWO days of poor breakfast choices! Two WEEKENDS of poor breakfast choices. Shame!

Then today I was out running morning errands and I went into the gas station as my gas was pumping and bought 3 donuts. I walk in the door and husband had stopped by the donut shop and picked up 5 donuts, one of which he'd already consumed. And in the midst of blogging, another one hits the dust (him, not me). I'm yet to indulge and I'm thinking I'll hold off in hopes that husband goes to town on the darn things! (Husband is one of those people who can eat what they want, all that they want, and as often as they want without any adverse effects such as.......WEIGHT GAIN. Terd.).

Bad, bad, BAD!!!!!

Husband and I just pow-wowed and decided this habit has GOT to go. While donuts are not the worst of all evils they are a COMPLETE waste of calories and fat...and contain NO nutritional value whatsoever. At all! They fall far into the "20%" of my 80-20 guidelines! I vow to you, blog world, to cut the donut habit we have formed. Back to the good'ole days of the very occasional guilty pleasure.

ANYWAYS... ::eye roll at self::

A patient brought me some fresh home-grown turnips yesterday and I haven't a CLUE what to do with them. For the record, I am not a fan of anything "pickled" (okra, beets, etc.).

Any ideas on how to deliciously indulge in my new vegetable?

I tried Kay's Naturals gluten-free Apple Cinnamon cereal this morning and it was very good! It held it's crunch really well in milk, to my pleasant surprise. However, I was hungry 2 hours after I had breakfast. I was surprised at this because of the high protein content. I'll give it another shot for breakfast and see it it wasn't a fluke. Hopefully, because it was really good!!!

And on a completely unrelated topic...a debate, if you will.
Question: If someone is a "vegetarian" and they consume meat occasionally, are they still a vegetarian or are they a Flexitarian?

I guess I don't "get" labels. I think that there's a lot of benefits of both meat-containing and meat-free diets. Personally, I aim to consume at least 1 if not 2 meat-free meals a day. I eat red meat on a very rare occasion, not only because I don't prefer it, but also because of the high saturated fat content and the assocation between red meat intake and cancer, such as colon and breast cancers. Seafood, however, I could never give up.

I also do think it's somewhat hypocritical to be a vegetarian for reasons such as animal rights and then to consume eggs and milk that are not organic or from free-range animals. It's very true that conditions for chickens, hens, and cows are cruel and inhumane.

Thoughts on this?
I ask because of this post.

AWESOME, AWESOME Giveaways!!!

Michelle of Lucky Taste Buds is giving away a Soda Stream Machine!! She's also giving away 2 jars of Krema peanut butter!

Live, Love, Eat, and Play is giving away Zevia!

Heather of Health, Happiness, and Hope is giving away POM, coupons, and Odwalla bars!

And just for fun...Lily in a tutu

Here she is a few months ago...she's grown so much!!!
She only snores more and eats more now!

We're off to the dog park...have a wonderful Saturday!

Anti-Obesity Drug

I feel like I MAY be the ONLY dietitian NOT at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo this week. Sad! The timing just didn't work out for this year, but I'm feeling very left out of the loop! Instead, I'm home answering the door for every Boy Scout within a ten mile radius...buying chocolate caramel corn - ahhhh! I sold way too many Girl Scout Cookies back in the day to turn down any kiddo going door-to-door selling some delicious goodies!

Anywho, in nutrition news....

Three small California companies (Arena Pharmeceuticals, Orexigen Therapeutics, and Vivus) are planning to submit their anti-obesity drug for FDA approval in the coming months, becoming available on the market as soon as late 2010 or 2011 [1].

Jack Lief, chief executive of Arena Pharmeceuticals, believe anti-obesity drugs to become "bigger" than statins (such as Lipitor) which generated $12.4 billion in global sales last year [1].

The new drug being formulated is aiming to avoid unpleasant side effects which have deterred users from using other FDA-approved weight-loss drugs, such as Alli. The new weight loss drug will include a combination of two drugs, which many experts deem more effective than a single medicine [1].

In clinical trials of the three new weight-loss drugs, patients have lost an average of 3-10% of their starting body weight after just one year. Vivus's drug (Qnexa) produced the greatest weight loss in clinical trials, and the company's stock is up 90% this year [1]!

Some experts are stating these latest weight loss drugs as no better than current weight loss drugs, and that overall, weight loss is modest. The new drugs work through the central nervous system to influence appetite. The leading concern from the FDA is the psychological side effects of such drugs [1].

Interesting, none-the-less. Any thoughts for or against weight-loss drugs? Concerns?  

While I can consider weight-loss drugs an "aid" in weight-loss efforts, similar to gastric bypass and gastric banding, the behavior and lifestyle changes are still necessary for long-term weight maintenance. I see SO MANY gastric bypass patients who go through the "honeymoon phase" of weight-loss in the months following their operation, watching the weight just melt away. In the years following, however, poor and excessive food choices and a sedentary lifestyle lead back to rapid weight gain. Whether a weight loss aid of drugs or surgery, the need for diet and lifestyle changes are still of utmost importance in my mind.

Yesterday's diet looked like this...

Breakfast:

1 cup prepared steel cut oats (2 carbs)

1 Tbsp pumpkin butter (1 carb)

1 tsp Splenda brown sugar (0 carbs)

     Total: 3 carbs

Lunch:

1 serving Chicken Tamale Casserole (2 1/2 carbs)

1 small apple

     Total: 3 carbs

Dinner:

1 medium toss salad with 2 Tbsp ranch dressing, 1 ounce cheddar cheese, green peppers, egg whites, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, and banana peppers (1 carbs)

1 small slice deep dish pizza (2 carbs)

     Total: 3 carbs

Snack:

2 graham crackers with low-fat cream cheese (1 carb)

     Total: 1 carb

Exercise: 90-minute hockey game

[1]. Pollack, Andrea. Medicine's Elusive Goal: A Sage Weight-Loss Drug. The New York Times. October 16, 2009.

20 years of nutrition headliners

Well, I would first like to announce my initiation into the Foodie Blog Roll - yay! I hope to draw in more randos to my blog and continue the flow of comments, feedback, opposition, and support of my thoughts, ideas, and interests. And for all you lurkers, help me out and click "follow blog" up there at the top. I need to appear more popular in the cyber world!! Half kidding...but really, I've received many emails and comments from people I'm not sure I know IRL (in real life) and/or know that they follow my blog. Anyways..

Found an interesting article highlighting nutrition headliners making their way in nutrition over the past 20 years. I found them really interesting, so maybe you will (:cough:should:cough:), too! A lot really has changed about what we know and what we've adopted into our diets. Here's a snapshot [1].

New pyramid. We've changed the way we measure portions and we've added exercise. Also, the "use in moderation" section is done-zo. There's also a customizable "My Pyramid" available online. When you plug in your sex, age, height, and weight...the details of a suggested diet are laid before you. For free. Ahhh technology!

Food labels. The CNN article states, "In 1994 when the Food and Drug Administration required products to carry nutrition facts labels that listed the amount of calories, calories from fat, total and saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, cholesterol, sodium, vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron per serving." Today, 50% of adults peek at those labels. Continue doing your part, America! The information is accurate in invaluable in your weight management and health endeavors.

Fish and omega-3's. Need I say more? Eat'em love'em...and quite possibly...supplement'em.

"Fat is not a four letter word". AMEN! I think this is my favorite one! Fat is essential in the diet. Labels are including information on saturated, trans, mono- and polyunsaturated fat. Embrace the new information and use it to your benefit. Anybody have any any guacamole...? It's true, even the Sonic will serve a whole wheat bun if you ask. Up the complex carbohydrates! The Whole Grains Council and their stamp has assisted consumers in choosing healthier grain options. Ever see a red heart on your whole grain bread? It's not for decoration, I assure you.

Food for what ails you. Food works for you in preventing chronic disease and assisting in weight management. Food can help lower your cholesterol, keep your bowels regular, and regulate your blood sugars to an extent...just to name a few perks. What we eat predicts our level of satiety and satisfaction, and cooking and meal time provides enjoyable times and memories for all. Food is power, truly...and food + knowledge is invincible.

Cheers! Drinking to good health is recommended! Maybe this is my favorite headline.,.I'm not sure. Probably...as I blog enjoying a glass of wine from a local winery! But not just wine -- water and milk and others. And consumers are becoming aware of the calories they consume in liquid form. Many consumers are now opting for water or other low-calorie and calorie-free options like Crystal Light.

Variety. Not only is NO food a forbidden food, but we're expanding our palates. More Americans are familiar with and consume ethnic foods and a larger variety of foods than in decades past. We've all heard "eat your colors" or "eat the colors of a rainbow daily" -- this is emphasizing variety. And now too we see that consuming our nutrients through the diet versus a supplements is more strongly encouraged. It's amazing how quickly headliners go to rule of thumb, isn't it?

Go fresh. Farmers markets and the availability of fresh (organic) produce, meats, and other foods are gaining speed in the world. Stores such as Trader Joe's (which isn't in Oklahoma...leave me to pout), leave consumers with a cost-effective, fun means of freshening up, and lightening up their diet. Or should I say "bulking up" since all that produce is packed with fiber!!? Anyways, freshness is taking on a huge role in consumer choices as of recently.

Awesome article! Thank you, CNN!

I'll leave you with a few pictures of our Lily. She's nearly 20 weeks old and is just a doll. She got a new, big girl bed this week. Can you tell we are proud, proud parents!?

[1]. Squires, Sally. The 10 Most Important Nutrition Stories of the Last Two Decades. CNN Health. September 8, 2009.

Sugar Substitute Saviors

Diet analysis performed on over 300 individuals shows sugar substitutes to be a useful strategy for those looking to lose weight and/or maintain weight loss. Those included in the study also used fat intake reduction, sugar-modified foods, reduced consumption of high-calorie beverages, and an increased use of artificial sweeteners. The results of this study, published in the International Journal of Obesity report that overall, consumption of sugar-free beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners increases dietary restraint – a key aspect of successful weight maintenance [1].

This study compliments the findings of a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which found that those consuming sugar substitutes had significantly greater weight loss compared to non-users. To be noted is the intended use of artificial sweeteners. When used as a weight-loss tool along with portion control and exercise, sugar substitutes aid in overall calorie reduction, resulting in weight-loss [1].

In the US, more than 194 million consume low and reduced-calorie foods and beverages according to the Calorie Control Council’s most recent consumer survey. This number is expected to rise as more consumers learn that a reduced calorie intake produces weight loss and weight maintenance [1].

While the survey does not specify WHICH artificial sweeteners consumers used, I pose to you: what artificial sweeteners / sugar substitutes do YOU use? Why is this product your top pick?

I am an avid Splenda-user, but feel I should branch out to using more agave, maple, and other commercially-prepared products such as Truvia and Stevia. Tell me about them! As a general rule of thumb I tell patients that you should never opt to drink your calories. I would personally recommend a diet soda over a regular sugar due to the calories and the need for most Americans to lose or maintain their current weight. Do you agree or disagree with this?

Do YOU drink diet soda? Crystal Light? Diet teas, Snapple, etc.? Why or why not?

[1]. Hubrich, Beth. Consumption of Sugar Substitutes Assists in Longterm Weight Control. Medical News Today. August 25, 2009.