Month of October, 2009

One thing that I tell all my clients is that a key to success when it comes to losing weight or eating healthy is planning. It does take a little time to do, but just by investing 30 minutes once a week on planning, you can set yourself up for success for the next 7 days.

Planning Your Meals and Snacks:

• Take a close look at your schedule for the next week. Decide what days you may have more time to cook, and what days you may need to just have leftovers or something else quick on hand, and plan accordingly.
• If you are usually out and about in the afternoon when you get hungry for a snack, plan to take some easy snacks with you that don't have to be refrigerated, such as 1/4 cup nuts or dried fruit, bananas or apples, or peanut butter and crackers. This may prevent you from hitting the drive through.
• Plan to have enough fruits and veggies on hand that half of your plate at each meal can be filled with them.
• Plan to have a few back-ups on hand for quick fixes when you are running late, such as sandwich or salad fixings or whole grain cereal, fruit, and low-fat milk.
• If you are going out to eat, still plan ahead! Look up nutrition information on the restaurant's website or on another site such as www.calorieking.com. You may be surprised that what you think might be the healthiest choice isn't always your best bet.

Planning Your Grocery Store Trip:

This weeks blog is written by two dietetic interns at Vanderbilt University Medical Center—Katie Hamm and Ashley Jones. Katie graduated with a B.S. in Dietetics from Kansas State University and would like to work in the food industry. Ashley graduated from Samford University with a B.S. in Nutrition and Dietetics and is interested in working with women and children.

We are constantly bombarded with food and nutrition advice, it’s sometimes hard to know who to trust! According to the Nutrition and You Survey: Trends 2000, the American Dietetic Association found that consumers are getting the majority of their food information from the media…i.e. television, newspaper, magazines (1). There is no doubt that there is a surplus of nutrition information out there, the question is how much of it is legit? 

Take the new talk-show sensation— The Dr. Oz Show. Dr. Oz is a well-renowned doctor and surgeon with lots of medical experience under his belt. However he is quick to share nutrition information even though some of his info is not evidence-based. For example in “Dr. Oz’s 99 Second Healthy Eating Plan” he says to throw away any foods that have 4 or more grams of sugar per serving. This means that we would need to throw out our milk (even skim), yogurt, granola bars, most cereals, and all fruits. This advice seems a little off base since dairy products, fruits, and grains can be an important part of a healthy diet. Dr. Oz then goes on to recommend that people watching their weight should eat the exact same thing everyday. This goes against the USDA recommendations to eat a wide variety of foods especially fruits and vegetables (2). If you ate the same thing every day, you would be missing out on lots of important vitamins and minerals.

This week I was in Denver, Colorado attending the American Dietetic Association Conference and Food and Nutrition Expo. While there, I got to attend sessions that filled me in on the latest nutrition research. I also got a first hand look (and taste) of some of the latest products, services, and resources available in the food and nutrition world while at the Expo. Here is my list of the top 7.

1. Healthy Fast Food: Imagine a world in which you can order baked firies, steamed vegetables, and whole-grain brown rice all from a fast food joint! Well, that world may be closer than you think! UFood Grill is a cutting edge fast food concept where nutritious meets delicious! What I like about it: They have 7 delicious-sounding grilled entrees like Kickin' Thai Chicken and Fire Grilled Sirloin Tips for less than 400 calories, they use whole grain breads and rice, they don't fry anything (even the fries are baked!), and they have some healthy options for sides, such as the steamed vegetables, sweet potato mash, and seasoned black beans! Unfortunately, they don't have a location here in Tennessee yet, but hopefully they will soon. Right now they are located in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Minnesota. Check it out at www.ufoodgrill.com 

Halloween often seems to be the start of a season in which people "give up" on their healthy habits. Follow these Do's and Don't's for a healthy, happy Halloween that will keep you on track!

• DO consider giving out non-traditional Halloween treats if you are tempted to eat all the candy as you hand it out. Small toys, play dough, 100 calorie packs, stickers, and pencils are all fun items to try.

• DON'T deny yourself completely. Decide as a family how many pieces of Halloween candy per person should be eaten each day. Eat 2-3 pieces of your favorite kind of candy and really enjoy it!

• DO enjoy the opportunity to get some exercise as a family by walking from house to house together in a well lit neighborhood with sidewalks instead of driving.

• DON'T forget to go through your children's candy before they eat it. Discard any candy that they may be allergic to or that looks like it has been opened, tampered with, or that otherwise looks suspicious.

• DO enjoy healthy and festive orange foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes (see the recipe section for sweet potato fries), and oranges. Make a "candy corn parfait" by filling a glass with pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, and vanilla yogurt on top.

• DON'T "give up" if you over do it on the candy and treats on Halloween night. Remember one day (or night) won't make or break you. So get back on the band wagon of your healthy habits the very next day!