How to Fight Hunger Pains With Protein

By Holly Corbett of Prevention Magazine
Published October 21, 2011

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/20/how-to-fight-hunger-pains-with-protein/?test=faces#ixzz1bzi4Y5kw

Whether you’re packing on the pounds or simply want to maintain your current weight, adding more protein to your dish could be your slim-down secret weapon.

Past research has found that protein keeps you feeling full longer than either carbs or fat, so you can eat less and still be satiated.

A new study supports this idea: Researchers from the University of Sydney found that people who ate a diet of 10 percent protein reported feeling hungrier and ate 12 percent more calories throughout the day—mostly from mindless snacking—than those eating a 15 percent protein diet.

Researchers estimated that the extra calories eaten by participants on the lowest protein diet could add up to an extra 2.2 pounds of weight gain a month.

6 Grab and Go Proteins That Fill You Up

Protein is the building block of muscle, and more calories are required to maintain muscle than to preserve fat, which means muscle helps boosts your metabolism.

Bonus: Foods rich in protein are also filled with zinc and B vitamins, both of which strengthen your immune system to help ward off colds and flu. If you’re eating about 1800 calories a day and want to get 15 percent of your calories from protein, you should aim for about 68 grams of protein.

Here are three easy protein switches that up your protein intake for the same number of calories or less. Remember, you want to eat more protein—not calories!—to keep your waistline slim.

Diet Mistakes That Make You Fat

Instead of…1/2 cup granola with 1 cup berries (7 grams protein, 250 calories)Try…1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup berries (15 grams protein, 131 calories)

Instead of…1 ¼ cup mashed potatoes (5 grams protein, 296 calories)
Try…1 ¼ cup vegetarian baked beans (15 grams protein, 295 calories)

Instead of…6-inch pancake sans butter or syrup (5 grams protein, 175 calories)
Try…1 cup low-fat plain yogurt with ½ cup apricots (13 grams protein, 186 calories)

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/10/20/how-to-fight-hunger-pains-with-protein/?test=faces#ixzz1bziD9rfD

Support Group: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection

Support Group
Monday 10/10 at 6 pm
Nursing Education Center

Topic: Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
Presenter: Gayle Homberg, RN, MS

The presentation will address both male and female-type cancers and colorectal cancer. It will also include key lifestyle modifications for cancer prevention and detection. Gayle is a wonderful speaker and passionate about sharing life-saving information!

Pastabilities from Nutrition Action

How to Find a Super Sauce: available at http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/pastabilities.html
by Jayne Hurley and Bonnie Liebman, September 2011PrintShare .

Quick. Cheap. Convenient. It’s no surprise that pasta is one of the most popular meals in homes (and at restaurants). That jar or tub of tomato, Alfredo, or pesto sauce is partly what makes pasta so easy. Yet picking a sauce can be anything but. Which has less salt? Less sugar? Little or no saturated fat? More flavor? Which claims on the label matter and which are just marketing blather? Here’s what you need to know.

Information compiled by Zahra Hassanali and Melissa Pryputniewicz.

1. Check the serving size.
Prego Heart Smart Ricotta Parmessan. Built-in cheese. Just missed an Honorable Mention.
The serving on Nutrition Facts labels is typically a half cup if it’s a red (tomato) sauce and a quarter cup if it’s an Alfredo or pesto. But watch out.

Companies like Le Grand, Sauces 'n Love, and Scarpetta use two level tablespoons (an eighth of a cup) for their pestos, and Whole Foods uses two tablespoons for its Mama’s Pesto and just one tablespoon for its 365 Basil Pesto. Seriously? One tablespoon?

Even a quarter or a half cup ain't much. Why are labels allowed to give calories, sodium, etc., for so little sauce? Because it only has to cover one cup of cooked pasta, which is the official serving. That’s the size of a baseball. It's more like a side dish than an entrée. Solution: add enough veggies to bump the volume up to main-dish territory.

2. Look for less salt.
Sodium is the Achilles’ heel of pasta sauces. Unless you find a no-salt-added brand that you like (we didn’t), that half-cup serving can get a rise out of your blood pressure. Sauces vary widely, as you can see from these typical sodium levels in some popular brands:

Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy Garlic & Onion. Thick and herby.
200-300 mg: Amy’s Organic Light in Sodium, Cucina Antica, Dell’Amore
300-400 mg: Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy, Muir Glen Organic, Prego Heart Smart, Prego Veggie Smart, Rao’s Homemade
400-500 mg: Classico, Colavita, Emeril’s, Prego, Ragú
500-600 mg: Amy's Organic, Barilla, Bertolli, Buitoni, Francesco Rinaldi, Hunt's, Newman's Own, Ragú Robusto
See the photos on this and the next page for the best-tasting Best Bites (no more than 300 mg of sodium in every half cup), Honorable Mentions (no more than 350 mg), and near misses. Better yet, make your own pasta sauce (see p. 15 for recipes).

3. Ignore vegetable claims.
"2 servings of veggies in every ½ cup of sauce!" boast Ragú’s Chunky tomato sauce labels. "More than 2 full servings of veggies," say Prego's Veggie Smart labels. "50% of your daily vegetable recommendation."

Dell'Amore Original Recipe. Complex. Seductive. Not your average tomato sauce.
Since each quarter cup of tomato purée or sauce is a serving of vegetables, according to the Food and Drug Administration, a half cup of just about any (mostly tomato) sauce would qualify as two servings. (Veggie Smart adds some sweet potato and carrot juice concentrates, which ups the vitamin A and boosts the vegetables above two servings.)

But you'd be better off not relying on a half cup of pasta sauce to supply two of the six daily servings of veggies (plus five servings of fruit) that the healthiest diets have. Not when you could feast on a broccoli-mushroom stir-fry or a spinach-artichoke-heart salad or a grilled vegetable kabob instead.

And don't bank on the lycopene in tomato sauce to lower prostate cancer risk. Recent studies have found no lower risk of prostate cancer-especially the aggressive type-in men who have higher blood levels of lycopene.

Classico Spicy Red Pepper. Not too spicy, with a pleasant sweet/tart balance.

4. Ignore "no sugar added" claims.
“No sugar added” is showing up on a growing list of sauce labels, from Bobby D’s, Cucina Antica, and Mario Batali to Patsy’s, Prego Veggie Smart, and Ragú Light. The less added sugar, the better. But a serving of most red sauces has only about 4 grams (one teaspoon) of added sugar, plus another 3 or 4 grams of sugar that occurs naturally in the tomatoes. If you have to choose between “no sugar added” and a lower-salt pasta sauce, go with less salt.

5. Don’t be swayed by “healthy” or “heart” claims."Fortified with DHA Omega 3," says the front of the Francesco Rinaldi ToBe Healthy label. Does that matter?

Rao's Homemade Arrabbiata. Fabulously spicy. Perfectly Balanced.
DHA is one of the two oils that give fish its healthy reputation (the other is EPA). If you don’t eat seafood and don’t want to take a DHA supplement, it's worth considering. But don't kid yourself. It would take just 1½ teaspoons of salmon to give you the 64 milligrams of DHA that are in a half cup of ToBe Healthy.

Prego Heart Smart also sounds special. It's low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and it has "more than a full serving of vegetables." But so do most other tomato-based pasta sauces.

Heart Smart’s best feature is its sodium (360 mg). You can find lower levels in fabulous premium sauces like Dell'Amore and Cucina Antica. But they’ll cost you two to three times as much.

6. Watch the saturated fat.
It doesn't matter if a pasta sauce has cheese or sausage or if it's bolognese (meat-based). As long as it’s red-and isn't a (creamy) vodka or rosa sauce-you shouldn’t have to worry about saturated fat.

Colavita Garden Style. Bright, fresh flavor with plenty of veggies..
Vodka, rosa, and Alfredo sauces, on the other hand, can have enough cream, cheese, and/or butter to do some damage. A half cup of vodka sauce, for example, ranges from a harmless 1½ grams of sat fat to 11 grams (half a day’s worth). Most fall between two and six grams. (Those at the lower end don't contain much cream.) Unfortunately, Colavita Vodka, the only one to earn an Honorable Mention, didn’t win any taste awards.

The saturated fat numbers on Alfredo labels look similar to the numbers on vodka labels: three to six grams per serving. But a serving of Alfredo sauce is a quarter cup, while a serving of vodka sauce is a half cup. So if you eat a half cup of Buitoni’s Alfredo, for example, you'll end up with 14 grams of sat fat and 280 calories. Pour it on a cup of pasta (200 calories), and it’s like eating a Quarter Pounder with Cheese. A half cup of Whole Foods refrigerated Alfredo sauce dumps 26 grams of sat fat-more than a day's worth-into your lap.

7. Go easy on the pesto.
A traditional pesto-made with basil, extra-virgin olive oil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic-packs 200 to 400 calories, 400 to 800 milligrams of sodium, and three to six grams of saturated fat in every quarter cup. While pesto's fat largely comes from heart healthy oils and nuts (exception: cream supplies most of the three grams of sat fat in Sauces 'n Love Pink Pesto), there’s little you-or your hips or blood pressure-can do about the calories and sodium. Tip: stretch your pesto by thinning it with a couple of tablespoons of the pasta cooking water. You'll use less...and it will coat the pasta better.

8. Don’t fall for extra-virgin olive oil claims.

Dell'Amore Artichoke & Capers. A subtle, satisfying, delicious sauce.
"Made with extra virgin olive oil," say the labels on many Newman’s Own pasta sauces. First of all, there's very little oil in jarred tomato sauce, so the kind of oil probably doesn’t matter. Second, some of the Newman’s Owns that make the claim-the Five Cheese, Marinara, Mushroom Marinara, and Roasted Garlic & Peppers, for example-have more soybean oil than olive oil. (In fact, they have more salt than olive oil.)

In contrast, Bertolli and Eden Organic use only olive oil. So do Amy's Organic, DeLallo, Dell'Amore, Gia Russa, Lucini, Mario Batali, Muir Glen Organic, Sauces 'n Love, Scarpetta, and Victoria. And none of their labels brag about it.

9. Pour your sauce over whole-grain pasta.

Mario Batali Tomato Basil. Quality tomatoes and fresh basil make for a winner.
A cup of white pasta is a decent source of protein (7 grams) and fiber (2½ grams). But whole wheat pasta beats white hands down. While it has no more protein, it delivers more fiber (6 grams per cup), magnesium, vitamin E, and zinc...and has a more interesting taste. And brands like Bionaturae Organic and Whole Foods 365 have found a way to make 100 percent whole wheat pasta that isn't gritty or gummy.

If you can't find those brands, look for Barilla Whole Grain, which is 51 percent whole wheat, or (grittier-tasting) Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Grain, which is 54 percent whole wheat. (Kudos to Barilla for putting the percentage right on the front of the box. We had to call Ronzoni to find out.) Barilla wouldn't tell us what percentage of the grain in its Barilla Plus is whole. But it contains more semolina (refined wheat) than anything else.

If you're on a gluten-free diet, try one of Lundberg's Brown Rice Pastas.

10. Follow your taste buds, but don’t forget your pocketbook.
The two knockout pasta sauces—Rao's and Dell'Amore-are expensive ($7 to $10 a bottle) for a reason. They use the highest-quality ingredients, and they're simmered for far longer than most other sauces. But don't ignore the other brands pictured on pages 12 and 13. They're all worth a taste. You may find one you love...and save a bundle.
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This article is reprinted from the December issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter. To view the full content click below.

CDC report finds people live longer if they practice one or more healthy lifestyle behaviors

Healthy behaviors include not smoking, eating well, getting regular exercise and limiting alcohol consumption

People can live longer if they practice one or more healthy lifestyle behaviors – not smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and limiting alcohol – according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the study period, people who engaged in all four healthy behaviors were 63 percent less likely to die early, compared to people who did not practice any of the behaviors. Not smoking provided the most protection from dying from all of the causes examined.

“If you want to lead a longer life and feel better, you should adopt healthy behaviors– not smoking, getting regular physical activity, eating healthy, and avoiding excessive alcohol use,” said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.”

People who engaged in all four healthy behaviors were 66 percent less likely to die early from cancer, 65 percent less likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, and 57 percent less likely to die early from other causes compared to people who did not engage in any of the healthy behaviors.

The study, “Low Risk Lifestyle Behaviors and All-Cause Mortality: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study,” is published online today by the American Journal of Public Health at http://ajph.aphapublications.org/first_look.dtl.

Researchers analyzed data from CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III Mortality Study, a mortality follow-up of NHANES III survey participants aged 17 years and older who were recruited from 1988 to 1994 and followed through 2006.

The researchers defined low-risk health behaviors as never smoking, eating a healthy diet, moderate intensity or vigorous intensity physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, men should drink no more than two drinks per day; women, one drink per day.

Among people in the CDC study, 47.5 percent had never smoked, 51 percent were moderate drinkers, 39.3 percent had a healthy diet, and 40.2 percent were adequately physically active. The percentage of people who reported low-risk behaviors did not differ significantly by gender. Mexican-Americans had more healthy behaviors compared to whites and African-Americans.

The authors noted the challenges in encouraging a large percentage of the U. S. population to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Although studies have shown only a small percentage of people have adopted all of these healthy lifestyle behaviors, significant progress has been made in decreasing the rate of people who smoke. This study adds to the mounting evidence of the substantial gain in life associated with healthy behaviors, and underscores the need for the clinical and public health communities to work together to promote greater adoption of these behaviors.

For more information about CDC’s efforts to promote healthy lifestyles visit www.cdc.gov/tobacco, www.cdc.gov/alcohol, and www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao.

Support Group Monday at 6 pm: The "Marathon" Journey of Weight Loss

Support Group is Monday at 6 pm. We will be reviewing and discussing "The Marathon Journey of Weight Loss Surgery" by Warren Huberman, PhD. The article can be found here

http://www.wlslifestyles.com/all-blogs/warren-l-huberman-phd/20090607556/the-marathon-journey-of-weight-loss-surgery.php

I look forward to seeing everybody there and having a great and beneficial discussion.

Stand Up For Your Health -- Physiologists And Microbiologists Find Link Between Sitting And Poor Health

June 1, 2008 ScienceDaily -- Physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes.


To view the rest of the article and video click here or cut and paste the link into your browser.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0610-stand_up_for_your_health.htm

Body Image: How much do we let it impact our lives

This weekend I happened to put on The Kardashians. In the particular episodes I watched, the family was going on vacation to celebrate the 20th wedding anniversary of Bruce and Kris Jenner. Instead of embracing this noteworthy occasion, Kris Jenner obsessed on how she hated her body, comparing herself to their twenty-something yaer old daughters. Granted the exaggerated reaction may have been coaxed by show producers, but there was some truth to her experience and distain with her physical appearance. The show aired a beautiful woman, who was maybe a size 4 or 6 and obviously does not struggle with obesity, publically barrage herself for the way she looked; letting let it overshadow a monumental life event. This made me think, “How many of us permit a distorted perception of ourselves to negatively impact life?”

A quote by Dr. Joyce Nash in Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher has always stood out to me, “When you find yourself at the pearly gates, God forbid that you should say to St. Peter when he asks you what you did with your life, ‘I watched my weight.’” The question I pose to you is what do you want your life to be filled with? Enjoying and savoring the moments that define life or permitting your perceived faults overshadow or diminish the experience.

There are many ways to define our lives other than weight or looks, but sadly the later has become the cultural and personal norm. When friends get together, particularly females, they discuss weight, wrinkles, and body image. The obsession with the “ideal” body image can be found on TV, magazines that circle cellulite of perfectly normal celebrities, and advertisements for hair replacement, Botox or other age delaying products.

Over the years, I have worked with many individuals who have lost weight and are unable to embrace themselves at a new body weight, continually obsessing and engaging in negative self talk. Sadly, negative self talk becomes “normal,” and is a very difficult habit to shed.

Why wait to be the perfect size to enjoy life and accept yourself? Catch yourself engaging in negative self talk to raise awareness of how often you do it. When you notice it creeping into your thoughts or words, replace your thoughts with more positive affirmations. Wage war against negativity and poor body image. Surround yourself with positive people and individuals who are likeminded.

To be honest, I should be ashamed of myself for not turning off a show that conveys the message that self hated, in regards to body image, is acceptable and normal. Take a moment to reflect on your thoughts on personal image, if how you perceive yourself affects life, and if the culture helps define “ideal” or “normal” for you. Then consider “catching” yourself when negative self talk creeps in and redirect your thoughts to a more positive and accepting statement.

Mindless Eating: Losing Weight Without Thinking

August 5, 2011
Smaller plates, slimmer glasses, linked to weight loss success
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/losing-weight.aspx

WASHINGTON—Dieters may not need as much willpower as they think, if they make simple changes in their surroundings that can result in eating healthier without a second thought, said a consumer psychologist at the American Psychological Association’s 119th Annual Convention.

“Our homes are filled with hidden eating traps,” said Brian Wansink, PhD, who presented his findings and strategies for a healthier lifestyle in a plenary address entitled “Modifying the Food Environment: From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better.”

“Most of us have too much chaos going on in our lives to consciously focus on every bite we eat, and then ask ourselves if we’re full. The secret is to change your environment so it works for you rather than against you,” Wansink said

Wansink identified several myths about eating behaviors as a way to explain why Americans, on average, have been getting fatter. “People don’t think that something as simple as the size of a bowl would influence how much an informed person eats,” he said.

However, several studies show exactly that, including Wansink’s study of 168 moviegoers, who ate either fresh or stale popcorn from different size containers. People ate 45 percent more fresh popcorn from extra-large containers than large ones and the people who were eating stale popcorn ate 34 percent more from the extra-large buckets than people eating fresh popcorn, according to the study.

They just don’t realize they’re doing it,” said Wansink. This strategy also applies to what we drink. His research found that people pour about 37 percent more liquid in short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny ones of the same volume.

Even a kid’s cereal bowl can be a trap, according to Wansink. One study showed children of different weights who were given a 16 ounce bowl were more likely to serve themselves twice as much cereal than children given an 8 ounce bowl.

Another myth, according to Wansink, is that people know when they are full and stop before they overeat. His Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University tested this by designing a “bottomless bowl.” They brought in 60 people for a free lunch and gave 22 ounce bowls of soup to half, while the other half unknowingly got 22 ounce bowls that were pressure-fed under the table and slowly refilled. The results: people with bottomless bowls ate 73 percent more than those with normal bowls, yet when asked, they didn’t realize they had eaten more. “The lesson is, don’t rely on your stomach to tell you when you’re full. It can lie,” Wansink said.

Simply being aware of such findings can help people make healthier choices, especially those who are already trying to eat healthier foods, according to Wansink. One of his studies showed that people lost up to two pounds a month after making several simple changes in their environment, including:

eating off salad plates instead of large dinner plates.
keeping unhealthy foods out of immediate line of sight and moving healthier foods to eye-level in the cupboard and refrigerator.
eating in the kitchen or dining room, not in front of the television.
“These simple strategies are far more likely to succeed than willpower alone. It’s easier to change your environment than to change your mind,” Wansink concluded.

Blog Series: The Pro's and Con's of Dietary Fat

4 of 6: Saturated Fat

The easiest way to identify saturated fat is that it is SOLID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. To help you remember think “Saturated = Solid.” If it is solid on your countertop then it is solid and rigid in the body, negatively affecting all areas of your body, especially the cardiovascular system. Saturated fat has been shown to

• Increase total cholesterol
• Increase LDL (the bad) cholesterol which his associate with arterial plaque and buildup
• Increase heart disease risk
• Increase risk of all chronic diseases including cancer

The goal is to consume less than 20 grams of saturated fat per day. Animal-based foods, dairy, desserts, cooking fats, fast/restaurant foods, and tropical plant oils are high in saturated fat. For example, the white fat on bacon is solid at room temperature = saturated fat. When the fryers are turned off at your favorite burger joint, the oil becomes solid as it cools. Below is a table of some foods high in saturated fat:
1 slice Giordano's Stuffed Cheese Pizza = 12 g. sat fat

• 1 Bubba Burger (frozen brand) = 10 g. sat fat
• 1 Slice Giordano's Stuffed Cheese Pizza - 12 g. sat fat
• 1 White Castle Cheeseburger = 3 g. sat fat
• 2 tbs. Sour Cream = 3 g. sat fat
• ¼ c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese = 5 g. sat fat
• 1 Bratwurst, Johnsonville = 10 g. sat fat
• Chicken Alfredo Olive Garden = 48 g. (2 days worth!) sat fat
• 1 tbs. Butter = 7.3 g. sat fat
• 1 Hot Dog = 7 g. sat fat
• Chili’s Boneless Buffalo Wings = 16 g. sat fat
• 1 serving Starbucks Whipped Cream = 7 g. sat fat
• 1 scoop Oberwise Butter Pecan Ice Cream = 16 g. sat fat

It is very easy to over eat saturated fat, especially if you eat out often. To decrease saturated fat in your diet tries these simple tips:

1. Choose low fat dairy products. This includes cheese, shredded cheese, milk, cheese and cottage cheese
2. As temptins as it is, skip the cheese in sandwiches, meat, and sides. Not only will you avoid the unnecessary saturated fat, you will also cut calories by at least 100 per slice of cheese.
3. Limit or completely avoid butter, margarine, Crisco, Lard and other oils or spreads. Choose light versions instead. Consider using County Crock Whipped, Smart Balance Light, Spray Butter, Promise Light or PAM Spray.
4. Ditch the toppings. Limit toppings such as Whipped Cream, salad dressing, Ice Cream, and Cream Cheese. Try fresh fruit or sugar free jelly instead.
5. Limit red meat (including pork) to 2 meals (6 oz.) or less per week. Instead choose poultry, fish and legumes (beans & lentils). If choose red meat, trim all visible fat, and choose lean cuts such as Top round, Flank steak, Bottom round or Pork Tenderloin. Individuals who consume mostly red meat are 30% more likely to die from cancer or heart disease than those who reported eating less. Red meat (including pork) is also associated with a greater risk of heart disease, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and diabetes.

Personality Plays Role in Body Weight, According to Study

July 18, 2011- American Psychological Association

Impulsivity strongest predictor of obesity

WASHINGTON—People with personality traits of high neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through cycles of gaining and losing weight throughout their lives, according to an examination of 50 years of data in a study published by the American Psychological Association.

Impulsivity was the strongest predictor of who would be overweight, the researchers found. Study participants who scored in the top 10 percent on impulsivity weighed an average of 22 lbs. more than those in the bottom 10 percent, according to the study.

“Individuals with this constellation of traits tend to give in to temptation and lack the discipline to stay on track amid difficulties or frustration,” the researchers wrote. “To maintain a healthy weight, it is typically necessary to have a healthy diet and a sustained program of physical activity, both of which require commitment and restraint. Such control may be difficult for highly impulsive individuals.”

The researchers, from the National Institute on Aging, looked at data from a longitudinal study of 1,988 people to determine how personality traits are associated with weight and body mass index. Their conclusions were published online in the APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology®.

The remainder of the article can be found at http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/07/personality-weight.aspx

Blog Series: Pro's and Con's of Dietary Fat

3 of 6: Trans Fat - The Ugly Fat

Trans fat has been in the news quite often in the past few years. It seems as though it can’t be eliminated from the food supply fast enough. A small amount of Trans fat is found in the food supply naturally. However, in the 1960’s manufacturers began regularly using Trans fst to prolong product shelf life, improve texture (smooth or crunchy), and produce cheaper foods. A food that highlighted the benefits to manufacturers was the Twinkie! It is cheap, tasty and can sit on a shelf forever.

High amounts of synthetic Trans fat can embed themselves into our cell membranes producing negative health effects. Up to 20,000 cardiovascular related deaths occurred in 2004 as a result of Trans fat. To our body, Trans fat is like throwing a wrench in a smoothly running machine. It increases the risk of chronic disease by disrupting normal body function.

It does not take a lot of Trans fact to negatively impact our health. It only takes about 2 grams (about 2 small paperclips) of Trans fat to jam up your metabolic machinery

Tips to help you decrease Trans fat intake

- Read the label. Trans fat is always listed. The goal is less than 2 grams per day.

- Avoid the ingredient “partially hydrogenated” which is followed by a type of oil. There is a loophole to the labeling rule. If a product has less than 0.5 g of Trans fat per serving, it can be listed at 0 on the label. However, keep in mind that if you eat more than one serving or eat several products with low levels, it is very easy to over consume the amount of Trans fat recommended per day.

Despite efforts to eliminate trans fat, Trans fat is still ubiquitous in the food supply. It may even be lurking in places you never considered such as hard taco shells, fast/restaurant fried foods, margarine, crackers, non-dairy creamer powder, and bakery items.

Fun Fact: In 2005, McDonald's lost an $8.5 million lawsuit for failing to decrease trans fats in their products. $7 million was donated to the American Heart Association and $1.5 million was used to educate the public on the danger of trans fats.

Choosing whole, fresh, minimally processed foods is an easy way to avoid Trans fats all together.

Eating Healthy on a Budget: Support Group Monday 8/8 at 6 pm

One of the most common comments that a dietitian hears is "Eating healthy is too expensive." Join us Monday as we debunk this idea. We will be discussing healthy foods that are cost effective for bariatric surgery patients and their families. We look forward to having you attend at 6 pm!

Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes, not personal choice, researchers say

Obesity counseling should focus on neurobehavioral processes, not personal choice, researchers say

A few strategies recommended by the researchers include:

•In order to combat food reward, patients can remove high fat foods they crave from personal environments such as the home and workplace to prevent the activation of the reward circuitry.
•Limit the impact of reward on food choice by shopping with a grocery list or using online grocers.
•Practice stress management techniques since stress promotes overeating and obesity by enhancing food reward processing.
•Avoid situations such as buffets and restaurants that challenge inhibitory control.
•Focus on achieving short-term behavioral goals, such as cooking a healthy dinner on three nights of the week rather than focusing on long-term weight loss goals.

Click on the link above to review the entire article.

Blog Series: The Pro's and Con's of Dietary Fat

2 of 6: Portion Size

One of the biggest mistakes when trying to lose or maintain weight is eating healthy foods but in large portions. Even healthy foods have calories. Through the years, one of the pitfalls I have observed is overconsumption of nuts, trail mixes, and seeds as meals or snacks. Reasons for choosing larger portions of these items are to increase protein intake and "they are healthy." But this is a misunderstanding.

¼ cup of trail mix = 170-230 calories. And who can eat just ¼ cup?
½ cup of shelled sunflower seeds = 375 calories

The only food category that can be consumed in unlimited quantities is non-starchy vegetables. The more vegetables, the better for you.

When consuming fat, it is important to choose the appropriate portion size to avoid excess calories that can lead to weight gain or a weight loss plateau. The following are each one serving of fat:

1 teaspoon: any oil, mayonnaise, butter, margarine

1 tablespoon: low fat margarine, low fat mayonnaise, regular sour cream, nut butters, regular salad dressing, cream cheese

2 tablespoons: Avocado, half & half/cream, reduced fat sour cream, reduced fat salad dressing, reduced fat cream cheese

6-10 nuts: Almond, cashew, walnut halves, peanuts, pecans
Tip: A serving of nuts will fit into a small mint tin. Try packing a portion of nuts to eat at work. Do not eat these items near an open bag where you can keep going back for more.

8 large olives

Be aware of foods that have hidden fats. Even if the fat is not visible, calories can add up quickly. These include pizza, ice cream, sweets, crackers, cake, cookies, chips, and microwave popcorn.

Tune in Monday 8/1 to learn about harmful saturated fats!

Decoding Meat & Dairy Product Labels

There is a lot of misconception in the marketplace regarding labels on meat and dairy products. What to do terms like "cage free," "natural," or "organic" mean? Below is a link from the Environmental Working Group demystifying label terms on dairy and meat products.

Decoding Meat + Dairy Product Labels - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health Environmental Working Group

Blog Series: The Pro’s and Con’s of Dietary Fat

Blog Series 1 of 6

It is wrongly assumed that the more fat in your diet the more fat on your body. Increased weight can only be achieved by overconsumption of calories. Each pound of body fat is about 3,500 calories. This equates to 12.3 Mc Donald’s 6-piece chicken nuggets! On the other hand, to burn one pound it would take a 200 pound individual, walking at 3.5 mph, 9.7 hours to burn 3500 calories.

Dietary fat contributes to weight gain or lack of weight loss due to it’s caloric density. Calories only come from fat, protein, carbohydrates and alcohol. Each has a different caloric density (calories/gram). Fat is the most dense, therefore overconsumption of high fat products significantly contributes to excess caloric intake and weight gain or a weight loss plateau.

Protein 4 cals/g
Carbohydrate 4 cals/g
Fat 9 cals/g
Alcohol 7 cals/g

It is extremely easy to over consume calories when fat is present in foods. A great example is the difference between peanut butter, apples and carrots. Each of the following is equal to 160 calories: 1.5 tbs peanut butter, 2 pieces of fruit or 3 cups of carrots. When fat is not present, you get a greater volume of food with fewer calories to help fill you up, contribute to satiety, and help with weight loss/maintenance.

The key takeaway is to consume high fat foods in moderation in the appropriate portion. The following foods are high in fat:

Nuts * seeds * trail mix * granola * oils * butters * Nut butters
Fried foods * desserts * restaurant dishes * ice cream * Avocado
Dark meat and poultry wtih skin * red meat * Dairy products
Sweets such as chocolate

Fat intake has far ranging effects on human health and disease. Not all dietary fat is created equal. Tune in every Monday for a new article in this 6 part blog series on dietary fat.

Eat Smart - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide to Climate Change and Health

The Environmental Working Group is leading they way to protect public health and the environment through the power of public information. They recently released a list of food groups and their impact on the environment and health. Look in each box to learn more about the healthiest food choices within the food group and look across to understand the environmental impact of the food group.

Eat Smart - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health Environmental Working Group

Your Food Choices May Be Costing You More Than a Grain of Salt

The average American gets about 3,400 mg of sodium a day, which is well above the recommended amount of 1,500 mg per day. Consuming this much sodium a day may be easier than you think if you consider that just one teaspoon of table salt has 2,325 milligrams (mg) of sodium, almost 1.5 days worth.

In fact, the vast majority of sodium in the typical American diet comes from foods that are processed and prepared. Examples include bread, packaged pasta/rice dishes, lunch meats, bacon, cheese, soups, snacks and fast foods. Sodium is naturally present in all vegetables, dairy products, meat and shellfish. For example, 1 cup of low-fat milk contains about 107 mg of sodium, contributing to your overall sodium intake.

Beyond the harm caused by high blood pressure, research has shown that excess sodium can be toxic to humans. For example, some studies conclude that a high salt diet might contribute to the following: stiffer arteries which are often the early sign of heart disease, increased calcium losses which could eventually lead to osteoporosis and the excretion of high levels of protein in the urine, worsening kidney damage initially caused by high blood pressure.

Whether you are sensitive to salt or not, most Americans can benefit from reducing sodium in their diet. Reconsider your typical food choices and try some of the following ways to cut back on sodium:

• Eat more fresh foods especially fruits and vegetables, which can balance some of the negative effects of sodium.
• If you purchase processed foods, opt for the low or reduced sodium options.
• Check food labels and limit products that contain MSG, baking soda or powder, disodium phosphate and sodium nitrate.
• Use fresh herbs and salt free seasonings to flavor your food.
• Decrease your use of sodium-laden condiments such as soy sauce, salad dressings, ketchup and sauces

Article published by: Ellen Muhammad, Dietetic Intern

Super Size Your Weight Loss Results with Physical Activity

Have you heard of the following statement: “fewer calories in plus more calories out equals weight loss?” Well, not only is this an often repeated statement, it is a scientific fact! You can actually super size your weight loss results with increased physical activity or exercise. Exercise or daily physical activity, in general, helps you lose weight by using calories that would otherwise be stored as fat as fuel. Exercise can also help prevent most, if not all, chronic diseases including: heart disease and stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and osteoporosis.

With all of these remarkable health benefits why not get started today? Unsure of how-try these simple ideas for starters:

• Dance to your favorite songs and burn approx. 202 calories per hour.
• Go for a walk and burn approx. 86 calories per hour.
• Mow the lawn and burn approx. 259 calories per hour.
• Play actively with your children and burn approx. 104 calories per hour.
• Clean your house and burn approx. 144 calories per hour.
• Go for a walk or tread water in the pool and burn approx. 173 calories per hour.

By simply increasing your activities of daily living such as those noted above, you can super size your weight loss results by increasing the amount of calories you burn throughout the day with little or no conscious effort!

*Caloric expenditure estimates obtained from www.fitday.com.

Article published by: Ellen Muhammad, Dietetic Intern

Filling up on Fiber

The average American consumes 14 grams of dietary fiber a day, which is considerably less than the recommended level of 25-38 grams per day. The human gastrointestinal tract is 26 feet long. Fiber acts as a scrub brush to effectively rid toxic substances from the body, which otherwise may accumulate and cause health problems. Fiber normalizes bowel movements, lowers the risk of chronic disease, promotes a feeling of fullness, and helps regulates blood sugar. It is perhaps more important for a bariatric patients to consume adequate fiber because it can help alleviate constipation, which is a common nutritional complication.

Dietary fiber is found only in plant foods: fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains. Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables contain just as much fiber as raw ones. However, other types of processing may reduce fiber content. Drying and crushing, for example, destroy the water-holding qualities of fiber.

Top 10 Fiber-licious foods:

1. Split Peas
2. Lentils
3. Black Beans
4. Lima Beans
5. Turnip Greens
6. Artichokes
7. Brussel Sprouts
8. Broccoli
9. Raspberries
10. Apples

The key is to find ways to incorporate natural sources of fiber into your diet. This can be achieved by following the golden rule of “Protein and Produce” at each meal and choosing non-meat sources of protein such as legumes.

By: Jill Joseph, Dietetic Intern

Sugar- where is it and how can I avoid it?

Sugar is a popular additive that food manufactures can sneak into foods, oftentimes without our even knowing it. As well as those that are naturally occurring in fruit and dairy, sugar is commonly added to processed foods to prevent spoilage and improve flavor. The negative effects of sugar far outweigh the benefits. It is quickly metabolized by the body and does not contribute to a feeling of fullness, meaning we are hungry soon after eating. Sugar is a source of empty calories, providing no nutritional value, and promotes obesity and chronic disease.

Manufacturers are sneaky. You may be surprised to learn sugar may be lurking in ketchup, canned meats and fish, luncheon meats, and food seasoning. There are many different types of sugar, therefore it may be difficult to identify.

Here is a list of just a few popular names that “sugar” can assume:

• Ingredients ending in “-ose”
• Sucrose, Glucose, Fructose, Galactose, Dextrose, Lactose
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• All types of syrup: Rice syrup, Corn syrup, Carob syrup, Maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Dextran
• Fruit juice
• Honey
• Invert Sugar
• Malt
• Molasses
• Turbinado sugar

To decrease your sugar intake, check nutrition labels for the above words, and try and limit these from your diet. Choose items that have fewer than 5 ingredients listed on the label. This means they are more natural, and less processed than others. Limiting sugar can aid in weight loss, but more importantly, choosing minimally processed foods promotes overall health and long-term satiety and fullness.


By: Jill Joseph, Dietetic Intern

EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides | Environmental Working Group | EWG.org

The Environmental Working Group just released its 2011 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce -- an update to the handy guide that helps you avoid the Dirty Dozen, conventional fruits and vegetables that are highest in pesticide residues -- and choose items from the Clean 15 list instead. Eat healthier and save money at the same time!

What's new? The popular apple is now at the top of the Dirty Dozen as the fruit or veggie highest in pesticides. And for the first time, cilantro is also on the list. Testing by federal scientists found 33 unapproved pesticides on 44 percent of the cilantro samples tested -- the highest percentage of unapproved pesticides recorded on any item since EWG started tracking the data in 1995. Mushrooms also make their first appearance on the Shopper's Guide as part of the Clean 15.


EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides Environmental Working Group EWG.org

Pan Seared Salmon with Citrus Salsa

Healthy Cook
Click on the link for the Pan Seared Salmon with Citrus Salsa recipe and two other fish entrees.

Nutrition Action is one of the best sources of nutrition/health information that I have found. Subscriptions are affordable. You can also scan the archives for articles that may interest you.

Burn extra calories without even trying!

Posted 4/25/2011 on http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/23/earlyshow/saturday/main20056739.shtml

(CBS News) With summer right around the corner, you may be looking to shed some pounds, but you may not always have enough time to exercise or hit the gym. But on "The Early Show on Saturday Morning," Cynthia Sass, registered dietitian and author of "Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches," explained how to burn calories throughout your day: at the office, at home - even while you're asleep!

AT THE OFFICE: By cutting 100 calories per day, a person can lose 10 pounds in a year. That's the equivalent of 10 tubs of Crisco.

There's a new study out that explores the danger of prolonged sitting. Scientists now believe that "excessive sitting may be so taxing on our physical health that even a vigorous workout once a day can't really counteract the deleterious effects," says the Wall Street Journal.

But you can burn calories sitting at your desk by fidgeting, like tapping toes, moving around, or fussing with hands. That can burn off up to 800 extra calories per day, the equivalent of an hour-long spin class.

RELAXING: With a full night's sleep, you can burn around 200 calories.

Spend an hour typing on your computer: Keep those fingers flying for an hour and you just might burn 100 calories, or what you would burn by jumping rope for 10 minutes.

AT HOME: Cooking burns about 150 calories per hour! You can burn half of what you eat for dinner merely by cooking it yourself!

After dinner, loading the dishwasher for 30 minutes burns 105 calories, and washing them by hand eats up 160 calories.

You can also burn 72 calories while doing laundry. And ironing for 30 minutes burns about 70 calories and tones the muscles of the upper body. Stand up straight at the ironing board and press down firmly. Switch hands periodically so you don't overdevelop one arm.

An hour-long massage can burn more calories than you might think -- 230 calories -- the same as an hour of light weight training.

Make room on the grill for fruits and veggies

by Chris Bachman, R.D. Accessed on 4/25/11 from http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110425/LIFESTYLE/104250308

Grilled vegetables are irresistibly tasty, healthy, easy to cook and offer countless options from which to choose. Once you grill vegetables, their ease and magnificent flavor will have you doing it again and again.

Grilled vegetables cook quickly so they retain their vitamin content. Direct flame and intense heat from grilling has been shown to create cancer-causing substances in meat. Marinating meat before grilling, as well as removing excess fat and turning frequently, can help reduce this risk. Grilled fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, do not form these undesirable substances.

The easiest way to grill vegetables is to simply brush them with olive oil to prevent them from sticking, turning until tender. For best results, your grill should be warm, but not hot as it would be for meat. You should be able to hold your hand over the grill for 5 seconds.

Marinades add flavor, nutrition and fragrance to any item you grill. Don't be afraid to forgo pre-made sauces and seasonings and make your own. Self-made sauces and seasonings are inexpensive, simple to make and add depth and uniqueness to a recipe without excess fat, sugar, sodium or calories.

A classic no-fail marinade uses olive oil and balsamic vinegar in equal parts or to taste. Be creative and add minced garlic, basil, oregano, marjoram, coriander, rosemary, thyme and black pepper or other herbs. Marinade vegetables for 5 to 30 minutes. Drain the vegetables well and grill, turning often for 10 minutes or until done. Lightly coat the cooking surface with oil to prevent sticking.

Read the entire article at http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110425/LIFESTYLE/104250308

Quick and Easy Salmon Marinade

I often get asked how to cook fish. Cooking fish can be intimidating and many worry it will smell fishy in the house. I have not found these assumptions to be true. I am not a fish cooking expert, but learned how to work with fish. It was easier than I imagined. I started with the marinade below and advanced into other varieties of fish. This marinade has been a mainstay of my kitchen.

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Directions
1. Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt.

2. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Preheat grill for medium heat.

4. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. If the fish has skin, remove the skin before eating.

5. Be Creative. I have also used this marinade on chicken and beef/chicken/tuna kabobs. It flavors vegetables as well.

From allrecipes.com

Success Story: An interview with S.T.

I had the pleasure of interviewing S.T. about her success after bariatric surgery. She had her surgery in September of 2009 and has lost 103 pounds. She continues to lose weight weekly. S.T. will be speaking at support group on 5/9/11 at 6 pm.

T: Why did you decide to have Lap Band surgery?
S: I had tried everything and I needed to do something that was well researched and had minimal invasiveness.

T: What were your goals and expectations before the procedure?
S: They were high, but the preoperative classes helped me understand that I had to work hard to do my part.

T: How has your life changed after bariatric surgery?
S: I have increased energy and decreased fatigue. I am not as irritable. My breathing has improved and I do not need my asthma medication as much. It was the best decision I have ever made and if I could do it all over again I would.

T: What are the keys to your success?
S: I follow the rules, but not eating and drinking at the same time has been most helpful. At first I lost only 30 pounds and the weight kept going up and down. I was losing it much slower than I wanted. Then I spoke with Dr. Shayani who suggested I drink before I eat (not when I eat) or when I was hungry. Six months ago I took his advice and my appetite when down and I started losing weight.

It was important for me to focus on only 10 pounds at a time instead of my overall goal. When I looked at the big picture and the amount of weight I had to lose I would get depressed. Breaking it into 10 pound increments helped me feel like I was doing something and I became more focused.

The other key that has been important for me was to start exercising. I work out at least three days a week at the gym or with a video. Total body exercises have helped me to tone. In the summer I walk 3.5 miles outside.

T: I know you are busy, how do you fit in your workouts?
S: I work forty hours a week so it was tough. I get up early at 4:30 am because I learned that if I wait until after work it would not get done. It started with motivation, and now that I can walk I want to keep it going. I consider exercise personal time to focus on myself. I enjoy listening to my music and it is nice not to think about kids, college or bills. It is great.

T: Do you have any advice for someone who is stuck or frustrated with their progress after surgery?
S: Yes. Go back to the beginning and look at everything we learned. This includes no eating and drinking at the same time and cutting out junk from your diet.

T: What are some of the changes that you have made to be successful?
S: I have two kids in college and a senior in high school who still lives at home. They are all athletic and have helped me to eat healthier. Kool Aide, sweets and junk food are no longer in our home. I save desserts for special occasions only. Every week I like to try at least one new recipe. My favorite thus far has been parmesan tilapia. I increased the amount of fish chicken and turkey that I make and no longer fry foods.

T: Do you eat out?
S: I used to eat out every day. Now we only eat out one time per week. Champs is my favorite place to go. I typically order s sample platter. It is not the healthiest food, but now I can treat myself because I worry less about weight gain. There is a lot less guilt now compared to when I dieted.

Trying to stop food cravings? Not eating the foods you crave may help, a study finds

by: By Jeannine Stein, Los Angeles Times

The prospect of going on a diet makes many people nervous. Once cravings for verboten foods set in, dieters may fall off the wagon. But a study finds that over time, restricting some foods may tamp down those cravings.

The study centered on 270 men and women who were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate diet or a low-fat diet for two years. Those on the low-carb diet were told to limit carbohydrates and eat foods high in fat and protein. Those on the low-fat diet cut back on calories and fat and limited protein to about 15% of calories from protein, 30% from fat and 55% from carbohydrate.

Foods such as jelly that are high in sugar were discouraged on the low-carb diet, and high-carb foods such as bagels were banned on the low-carb diet.

Researchers surveyed participants about how often they craved sweets, high-fat foods, carbohydrates and starches and fast-food fats. Participants also were asked about their preferences for certain foods -- this was used to measure how much they liked the foods that were restricted from their diets.

Conclusion: The findings "demonstrate that promoting the restriction of specific types of foods while dieting causes decreased cravings and preferences for the foods that are targeted for restriction," the authors wrote. That's counterintuitive to what most people think they'll experience when they diet and, the authors noted, could put those dieters' concerns to rest.

The entire article can be found at http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-diet-cravings-20110419,0,3457431.story

The Learning Curve of Cooking

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear “I don’t cook.” If one does not cook, then one must eat out or piece together a meal of highly processed items that are typically microwavable. As I have mentioned before, to move forward one must abandon old ways of thinking and behaving. One of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting to get a different result. This same thought applies for weight loss and health. If one does not lose weight or become healthy by eating out every day before bariatric surgery, then one should not expect to lose or maintain a significant amount of weight after bariatric surgery.

I have to admit that I am no different than my clients. Cooking, preparing and planning are no easier for a dietitian than anybody else. It is falsely believed that a degree in dietetics absolves RDs from following the same guidelines. As many of you know, knowing does not imply doing. To do, one must take action by applying what is known.

After completing a masters degree, I had to recommit to eating out less by preparing healthy and delicious meals. Last Saturday afternoon, I dragged out a new cookbook, by a famous Food Network chef, and choose three new recipes to try. I assumed that the Food Network chef had fail-proof recipes, but I was wrong.

Anytime we try something new there is room for error, but we cannot let it drag us down. After spending money, time and effort on my new menu items, I was highly disappointed. Only 1 out of the 3 recipes I tried was actually good. The other two were HORRIBLE! I was disappointed, disheartened and upset. At least when you get food from your favorite restaurant you know it will taste good no matter how bad it is for you!

However, this cannot be an excuse to return to old habits. Even the best will fail. I am putting the cookbook back on half.com hoping to earn my money back to buy a new cookbook.

Cooking can be learned at any age. All you have to do is try. Over time it will get easier and tastier! Check the blog next Monday, 5/2, to learn tips on cooking, planning and grocery shopping.

How Self Control Works

Brain How Self-Control Works It's a skill, we are learning, that profoundly shapes lives. How does it work? Where does it come from?
Scientific American 4/15/2011 by Dan Ariely

The scientific community is increasingly coming to realize how central self-control is to many important life outcomes. We have always known about the impact of socioeconomic status and IQ, but these are factors that are highly resistant to interventions. In contrast, self-control may be something that we can tap into to make sweeping improvements life outcomes.

If you think about the environment we live in, you will notice how it is essentially designed to challenge every grain of our self-control. Businesses have the means and motivation to get us to do things NOW, not later. Krispy Kreme wants us to buy a dozen doughnuts while they are hot; Best Buy wants us to buy a television before we leave the store today; even our physicians want us to hurry up and schedule our annual checkup.

There is not much place for waiting in today’s marketplace. In fact you can think about the whole capitalist system as being designed to get us to take actions and spend money now – and those businesses that are more successful in that do better and prosper (at least in the short term). And this of course continuously tests our ability to resist temptation and exercise self-control.

The remainder of the article can be viewed at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-self-control-works

How Your Schedule Can Help (or Hurt) Your Health

Disruptions to our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour clock that drives sleeping and wakefulness, affect our bodies in more ways than previously believed.

New research shows that each of our organs contains cells with their own circadian-clock genes that help bodily processes, such as digestion, operate with maximum efficiency at certain times of day.

When a person's circadian clock is thrown off—by jet lag or shift work or eating at the wrong time—it can, over time, contribute to weight gain and depression. It may even increase the likelihood of heart and liver problems.

"If you disturb that 24-hour organization, you're going to have a disruption of function within the tissue," says Fred Turek, a biology sciences professor and director of Northwestern University's Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology, in Evanston, Ill.

To read the rest of the article follow this link:
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052748704471904576228532850374342-lMyQjAxMTAxMDIwOTEyNDkyWj.html

Green Light!

Did you know, most chain restaurants have nutrition information readily available on-line or in the store. For example, when you visit McDonald's, turn over the placemat on your tray or look at the wrapper to view the nutrition information. Look up your favorite places before you eat out to have a plan for ordering. There are a few quick and easy ways to cut calories. These include: leave off the cheese to save 60-100 calories per sandwich or salad, pack up half BEFORE you start eating, ask that the food be prepared without additional oil (pasta, fajitas, stir fry, vegetables), or swap high fat sides such as fries, chips or mashed potatoes with vegetables or fruit.


Weight Watchers Cajun Lime Tilapia 350 calories, 5 grams of fat
Teriyaki Chicken Pasta 450 calories, 8 grams of fat
Applebee's has a great Weight Watchers menu! Most entrees contain around 500 calories or less.

Chili's
Bowl of Chili 360 calories
House salad with low fat ranch dressing 225 calories
Margarita Grilled Chicken 600 calories, 13 grams of fat

Olive Garden
Venetian Apricot Chicken 380 calories, 4 grams of fat
Herb Grilled Salmon 510 calories, 26 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat
Steak Tuscano 590 calories, 20 grams of fat
Choose pasta with a marinara or tomato-based sauce, rather than a creamy sauce. Creamy sauces add additional fat and calories. For example, cheese ravioli with marinara sauce only has approximately 660 calories.

Happy Dining!
-Mallory Piontkowski, dietetic intern

Applebee’s

Red Light!

For many eating out has become a regular aspect of life. Busy schedules, fatigue, shuttling kids to and from make eating out even more appealing. However, despite your best efforts to choose healthy items, restraunts are not on your side. Food prepared outside of the home is laden with salt and hidden calories in the form of large poition sizes, added fat and added sugars. To lose weight and improve health the answer is simple, eat out less. And remember, if it is not healthy for you it is not healthy for children either. Just because they are younger and may not struggle with weight, does not mean that these foods do not not have an impact on their present and future health. Check out the caloric content of these "red light" foods.

Chili's
Quesadilla Explosion Salad 1400 calories, 88 grams of fat Classic Turkey Sandwich w/French Fries 1340 calories, 63 grams of fat. Even without the fries, the sandwich has about 1,000 calories!

Olive Garden
Tour of Italy 1450 calories, 74 grams of fat Fettuccine Alfredo 1220 calories, 75 grams of fat Pork Milanese 1510 calories, 87 grams of fat

Applebee’s
Oriental Chicken Salad 1130 calories, 95 grams of fat Three Cheese Chicken Penne 1470 calories, 79 grams of fat Quesadilla Burger WITHOUT fries 1240 calories, 103 grams of fat. Fries add an additional 400 calories

1 Slice of Small (8"-9") Pizza
Lou Malnati's Sausage Thin Crust 240 calories, 15 grams of fat Lou Malnati's Pepperoni Deep Dish 540 calories, 32 grams of fat Papa John's Original Crust Cheese 210 calories, 8 grams of fat Pizza Hut Supreme Stuffed Crust 420 calories, 21 grams of fat

Now you must be wondering "what can I eat?" Check out the blog Thursday for some "green" light options that won't set you back in your weight loss journey! -Mallory Piontkowski, dietetic intern

Fajitas/Tacos with a Twist!

Fajitas or Tacos with a Twist

Ingredients:

Pam Spray

1 pound of lean meat (if using whole muscle meat, cut into small cubes)

3 peppers cleaned and sliced (you can also use a bag of frozen peppers)

1 onion cleaned and sliced

1 can black beans (rinse and drain)

1 can diced tomatoes (drain)

1 packet of taco or fajita seasoning

1/2 c. taco sauce (optional)

Directions: Coat a large skillet in Pam Spray. Add chopped or ground meat, peppers and onion. When the meat looks close to done and the vegetables are tender, add the remaining ingredients. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with favorite low calorie toppings.

Hint: One of my favorite ways to make this with a unique flavor is to grill the chicken breast and shred it prior to entering into the skillet with the vegetables. You can also use a variety of lean meat such as lean steak, lean ground turkey, lean ground beef or soy crumbles.

Nutrition Information (yields 20 servings): 91 calories, 1.8 g. fat, 0.5 g. sat fat, 410 mg Sodium, 8.8 g. Carbs, 1.8 g. fiber, 9 g. Pro

Parenting an Overweight Child Can be Difficult

Discussing obesity at any age is difficult, but how do you approach the issue if you are concerned about your child's weight and health? Below is a link to an article from the Washington Post that offers easy to follow do's and don'ts to help parents change the environment at home in a positive way for children.

Parenting an Overweight Child Can Be Difficult
Washington Post 3/22/2011


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/21/AR2011032103815.html



If the link does not work cut and paste it into the web browser

How to stop all or nothing thinking

Stopping negative all or nothing thinking is tricky and will take some time. One technique is to use a phrase, saying, devotion or prayer to redirect your thoughts and move forward in a positive way. Below is a devotional from Fit for the King by T. Hundley that was brought to my attention and may be helpful.

"Father as I take my first steps on the road to physical and spiritual fitness, I pray that You will order my steps. I thank You for bringing me to this point in my life. I accept the fact that my way has failed and I sincerely need Your help. I pray that You will continue to guide and direct my path today and always."

The Trilogy: Skills, Motivation and a Paradigm Shift from "diet" to "lifestyle."

Weight loss is a journey. There will be ups, downs and plateau's. Last week during the "Chew and Chat" sessions I defined weight loss as "a set of skills that can be applied over and over again to become a new lifestyle." Although willpower, hope and motivation are important, they will carry you about two weeks. Consider adopting a weight loss philosophy that contains a trilogy: (1) skills, (2) motivation and (3) paradigm shift from "diet" to "lifestyle."

The trilogy is powerful for many reasons. It implies that you have control over your weight loss journey, overall health and room for moderation. A healthy lifestyle eliminates thoughts like good, bad, right, wrong, success or failure. In my opinion and experience, all or nothing thinking is a significant contributor to relapse or complete cessation of the program. It takes 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound. One high calorie meal, day or even weekend is not going to undo all of the hard work you have completed thus far. When you find yourself stuck in all or nothing thinking consider this: IF YOU LOST 10 POUNDS, YOU HAVE BURNED 3,500 CALORIES. YOU WOULD HAVE TO EAT 68.6 BIG MAC'S TO UNDO ALL OF THAT HARD WORK! When you stumble, stop the negative thoughts, put them in past and move forward.

Benefits of bariatric surgery may outweigh risks for severely obese

The American Heart Association weighs in about the benefits of bariatric surgery

• Bariatric surgery is a viable option for patients who are severely obese and are safe surgical candidates who have failed medical therapy for losing weight.
• When indicated, bariatric surgery often leads to long-term weight loss and significantly improved health.
• While there are risks, bariatric surgery is considered a relatively safe procedure, especially in centers that perform many of the procedures.

Check out the American Heart Association:

Benefits of bariatric surgery may outweigh risks for severely obese

Snack Menu Ideas

Snacking can contribute a significant amount of calroies and stall weight loss if poor choices are made. Try these snacks that are 150 calories and under

• 1 serving low fat yogurt and 8 almonds
• ½ cup 1 % cottage cheese with 1 piece of fresh fruit
• 4 tbsp. fresh hummus with chopped vegetables
• 1 small apple with 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 3 tbsp. low fat granola and 1 serving low fat yogurt
• 3 cubes low fat cheese and 1 small apple
• ½ cup edamame (soybeans in the pod)
• 1 hard boiled egg and 1 piece of fresh fruit
• 3 oz. of deli meat wrapped around string cheese
• 1 serving vegetables and 2 tbsp. low fat salad dressing

Lunch and Dinner Menu Ideas

When making meals think of meat as a side dish and fruits/vegetables (produce) as the main entree. Last week in the chew and chat session we discussed using the 1/4, 1/4, 1/2 rule. One quarter of the plate should be meat, one quarter starch and try to fill half of the plate with produce. Try these lunch and dinner choices each 500 calories or under.

• 5 oz. canned chicken or tuna with 2 tbsp. low fat mayo, 6 triscuits, 1 piece of fruit, 1 string cheese
• Garden burger on a whole wheat bun with 1 slice low fat cheese, 1 cup garden salad with 2 tbsp low fat dressing
• ¾ cup refried beans or 1 black bean burger with shredded low fat cheese, salsa, and low fat sour cream. Serve on shredded cabbage or lettuce.
• 1 whole wheat pita with 4 oz. deli meat (turkey, ham, or chicken) with low fat cheese, mustard, lettuce, and tomato. Choose a piece of fresh fruit as a side.
• 1 can turkey or vegetarian chili with 2 tbsp low fat cheddar cheese.
• 3 oz. grilled or baked chicken with 1 cup steamed or roasted vegetables, ½ baked potato with 1 tsp. butter.
• 3 oz. baked or grilled fish with ½ baked sweet potato and 1 cup steamed vegetables.
• 3 oz. grilled salmon with 1 cup steamed vegetables with ½ cup brown rice.
• 2 tacos made with soft corn tortillas, 5 oz. ground turkey, 2 tbsp. shredded cheese, lettuce, and tomato.
• 4 oz. meatloaf with 1 cup steamed vegetables, ½ cup quinoa.
• 1 ½ cups fresh spinach with 3 oz. chicken breast, 1 tbsp. nuts, add your favorite veggies and 2 tbsp. low fat salad dressing.
• 1 to 1.5 cups Lentil soup, Black Bean Soup or Vegetarian Chili top with ¼ c. low fat cheese. Serve with favorite veggies on the side.
• Whole wheat pita pizza: ¼ c. pizza sauce, 2 tbsp. low fat cheese, and add plenty of fresh veggies. Kids love this one! Prepare it as a family.
• 3 turkey meatballs with ½ cup tomato sauce with 1 cup whole wheat pasta.

Breakfast Menu Ideas

Breakfast does not have to be boring. Each of these breakfasts is 350 calories and under. If you are no a breakfast eater no worries, you can use any food you like for breakfast. Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or any other healthy foods you like!

• 2 scrambled eggs and 1 piece of fruit and 1 slice whole wheat toast with 1 tsp. jelly
• 1 packet plain oatmeal with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1 small serving of almonds
• Fruit and Yogurt Parfait: 3 oz. low fat granola with 6 oz. low fat yogurt and ½ cup raspberries
• Fresh fruit smoothie with ½ cup fresh strawberries(or your favorite fruit), 1cup skim milk, and 1 scoop protein powder
• 1 cup Kashi cereal with ½ cup skim milk and 1 banana
• ½ cup part skim ricotta cheese and 1 cup berries
• 1 slice whole wheat toast with 2 tbsp peanut butter topped with 1 serving dried fruit
• 2 egg whites with 2 tbsp low fat cheddar cheese with 2 slices Canadian bacon
• 2 veggie breakfast patties and 2 egg whites, ½ whole wheat English Muffin, 1 piece fruit
• 2 slices turkey bacon and 2 egg whites, 1 whole wheat English muffin
• ½ cup 1% cottage cheese with ½ cup canned pears, 1 slice whole wheat toast and 1 tsp. peanut butter

Recipe of the week - Black Bean and Avocado Salsa

Black Bean Avocado Salsa
Can be eaten as a dip with vegetables or eaten as a meal.

1 can corn
2 cans black beans
1 can Italian Style Diced Tomatoes
2 -3 cloves garlic chopped
1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
5-6 green onions (chopped)
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
2 avocado (peeled and chopped)
1 small red onion (chopped, optional)


Directions:
1. Rinse and strain corn and black beans. Place in a large bowl with diced tomatoes.
2. Chop garlic, cilantro, onions, and avocado.
3. Add fresh lime juice and mix.
4. Serve with celery sticks or sliced cucumbers. Even eat it alone.

This recipe is a nutritional powerhouse. Not only does it have black beans, it also has avocado a source of healthy monounsaturated fat. Use it to replace typical taco dips that use high fat dairy products such as cheese, sour cream and cream cheese. It is low in calories, high in fiber and nutrition. If you are not used to eating a high amount of fiber, be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water or other non-caloric beverages per day. Once you try it you will be hooked!

Nutrition Information (entire recipe)
cals: 2047kcal | fat: 74.01g | carbs: 294.82g | prot: 83.96g

Franciscan St. James Health Biggest Loser

Are you struggling to keep your new year’s resolution to keep the weight off or lose those elusive few extra pounds? Do you find it difficult to set aside the time to read about healthy lifestyle choices or eating more nutritionally balanced meals? Do you wish you had someone who could be a positive influence in your weight loss goals? St. James Health has the answers and the solution!

Franciscan St. James Health  will sponsor a Biggest Loser contest for all of its employees including volunteers and Midwest University employees. Registration for the contest begins on February 28, 2011. You must register in person by Thursday March 3. The contest will run through the 3rd week of May. You must weigh in by May 19th. No exceptions. Winners will be announced on Monday May 23rd.

The winners will be determined based on percentage of total body weight loss. There will be a first and second place Biggest Loser for both men and women (combined campuses).  The first place Biggest Losers will win a 3-month membership to the Health and Wellness Institute AND a $150 gift card. Second place Biggest Losers will receive a $50 gift card. There will be 4 winners in all, 2 men and two women.

Follow the Scaling Down! blog for important information about the contest including weekly raffle winners, healthy lifestyle tips, and support during your journey.  You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Welcome to Scaling Down!

Scaling Down  is a new blog for the Franciscan St. James Health Center for Bariatric Surgery.   Scaling Down has been developed to be a resource for motivation, inspiration, helpful tips and current news/research to help you better manage your weight.  Scaling Down is the perfect online resource to assist your healthcare professional at St. James Health to enable you to scale down your weight and empower your life.