Nutrition Tips Expanded

The office: it’s where you spend 40 hours of every week and are faced with endless food temptations. From the vending machine, to a seemingly unending stream of birthday cakes to the notorious candy lady, there are food landmines around every corner of the workplace. This environment can pose a threat to your health and wellness goals. So, the question is, how are you going to avoid all of these landmines without quitting your job? Learning how to maneuver around these landmines is the key to surviving the workday while still achieving your nutritional goals.

To help you conquer the workplace obstacles to your health, listed below are the top five office landmines and suggestions to help you face them head on.

It seems like food allergies are becoming more and more common these days.  In fact, studies show that food allergies have increased about 18% from 1997 to 2007. Currently, about 4% of the population has a true food allergy.  Whether you have a food allergy, know someone with one, or are just interested in learning more, there are some basics you should know. 

The most common food allergies are often called the “Big 8”:

• milk
• eggs
• fish
• shellfish
• tree nuts
• peanuts
• wheat
• soybeans

If you think you might have a food allergy, ask your doctor for a skin prick test.  The test will tell you if you have an immune system response (antibodies) to a specific protein in a particular food.  To protect against this protein “intruder” the body creates antibodies which trigger a mild to severe allergic reaction.  Even a tiny bit of the protein can cause a bad reaction, so be sure to read the label!

Food intolerances are more common in the population.  The most common intolerance (lactose intolerance) affects 10% of the population. A food intolerance is characterized by a digestive system response rather than an immune system reaction to a food. The digestive system can’t properly break down a substance in the food, which causes irritation and unpleasant symptoms.

Take a look at this table to understand more about the difference between allergies and food intolerance.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be released this coming Monday. One thing that I have already heard a lot of talk about is that the new recommendation for daily sodium intake will be 1500mg vs. the previously recommended 2000mg. The current average daily intake for adults is 8.6 GRAMS a day! So we may not be able to reduce down to 1500mg in one fell swoop, but we can work on ways to cut back gradually. Here are my Top 10 ways to slash sodium intake:

• Rinse and drain canned veggies. This can reduce the sodium by 40%

• Taste your food before adding salt. It is a pet peeve of mine when I see people adding salt to their food before they even taste it!

• Use fresh herbs and spices to season food in place of salt whenever possible.

• Limit eating out. Restaurant foods are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to high levels of sodium.

• Choose low- or reduced-sodium versions of packaged foods and soups whenever possible.

• Always check your nutrition facts label for sodium content. Even foods that don’t taste salty, like some cereals, for instance, can be high in sodium. I like to keep sodium levels to less than 15% daily value of sodium per serving. If you already have high blood pressure or other heart concerns, you may want to keep it even lower.

• Make your own salad dressings and sauces. These items can be very high in sodium when they are store-bought, but you can make them very low in sodium when you make them yourself. For an easy homemade salad dressing recipe, click here:  http://www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com/content/dress-success

It may be cold and snowy outside right now, but Spring is just around the corner. By making a few small changes now, you can feel great and be swimsuit ready by then! On this TV clip and in this blog, I share some shockingly simple ways to look and feel great by the Spring: http://www.newschannel5.com/category/125220/video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5462829&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably already know that there are two types of fats: saturate and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are more heart healthy than saturated fats because research shows that too many saturated fats raise blood cholesterol.

The worst type of saturated fat is called trans fat.  The reason I say that trans fats are the worst is because they have been shown to both raise “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower “good” cholesterol (HDL), increasing the risk of heart disease. Small amounts of trans fat occur naturally in full-fat dairy products and some meats, but food manufacturers also make a man-made version of trans fat by blasting mostly unsaturated fats (such as vegetable oils) with hydrogen atoms; thereby turning into a saturated fat. This process, known as hydrogenation, is used to lengthen the shelf life of foods and is very cheap. Unfortunately, though, eating foods with hydrogenated oils won’t increase our shelf life, and in fact, can have the opposite effect.

In 2005, the FDA passed a law that trans fats be listed on the Nutrition Facts label on all packaged foods. This has lead to many food manufacturers to reformulate their products to use less trans fat, but since the Nutrition Facts label is only required to list trans fats if they exceed half a gram or more per serving, trans fat may still be hiding in some of your favorite packaged foods.

It’s hard not to love the fall season and all the delicious produce that comes with it: squash, pumpkin, apples, plums, figs and so many more! But what to do when many of our most loved fruits and vegetables go out of season during late fall? Time to find a new seasonal favorite—the pomegranate!

 These plump, red fruits are in season from October to January. Select a ripe fruit based on the weight—just like a melon, the heavier the pomegranate the juicier it will be. While you may see pomegranate juice on the shelves of the grocery store, you can purchase the fruit whole and enjoy the juicy, tart taste of the seeds. These seeds, known as arils, are packed with heart-healthy antioxidants, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. The arils can even be frozen- so this tasty fruit can be enjoyed long after pomegranate season is over.

Getting to the seeds inside doesn’t have to be a difficult process! Follow the directions in this video (click here to watch: http://fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/video/VideoCenter.php?Video=313) to prevent a juicy mess.

The arils are a great snack just eaten plain. Some other ways to enjoy the pomegranate’s nutrition include:
• Adding arils to yogurt, oatmeal, or salads
• Tossing arils into muffins, quick breads, or cookies
• Making a winter salsa with roasted red peppers, red onion, and parsley
• Marinating shrimp, chicken, or pork in seeds and juice
• Adding flavor and color to drinks or ice cubes
• Garnishing desserts

Celebrate November being National Pomegranate Month by picking up a fresh pomegranate (or two or three) today!

This week's blog was written by Vanderbilt Dietetic Interns, Bekah Regenfuss and Tracie Rohal.

Last year around Halloween, I blogged about Do's and Don't's for having a healthy holiday. Check out that blog here: http://www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com/content/dos-and-donts-healthy-halloween

This year, I want to tell you how having a healthy dinner before you go out trick-or-treating or to a Halloween Party can set you up for success!

Have a festive and healthy meal with these orange foods and drinks! Butternut squash, (for a great recipe click here: http://www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com/content/roasted-butternut-squash-goat-cheese-and-balsamic-reduction) sweet potatoes, (for sweet potato fry recipe click here: http://www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com/content/southern-foods-can-be-healthy-try-my-sweet-potato-fries ), oranges and carrots are great sources of beta-carotene, which promotes good vision and lowers risk for certain cancers. These fruits and veggies also have fiber, which helps us feel fuller longer and be less likely to overeat on Halloween treats. As their nutrition ambassador, I love vitaminwater essential for a great orange drink that per 8 fluid oz serving has 120% of your daily value of Vit C and 10% daily value each of Vit A, Vit E, and Calcium!

Tennessee Child Health Week ( http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/gov/child-health/)is this coming week (Oct 4-8) so I'm encouraging parents to start now in teaching their kids healthy habits for life, but this can be challenging if your child is a picky eater!

So check out my top tips for parents of picky eaters on my TV segment from Today's "Talk of the Town" show on News Ch. 5. Click here to watch the segment: http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/category.asp?C=125220&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5157012&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

One of my favorite memories from growing up is that my Mom packed my lunches everyday for school from the time I was in first grade unitl I graduated high school. It was a great way for me to learn what a healthy meal looked like, and the notes she sometimes included in my lunch box made me feel extra special! That's why I enjoyed doing my segment today on "Talk of the Town" on channel 5 about healthy lunch box makeovers. To get ideas on how to make lunches as delicious as they are nutritious, click here to watch the segment:

http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/category.asp?C=125220&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=5003606&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Today I appeared on the TV show "Talk of the Town" to discuss what foods can help to rev up the metabolism. Watch my segment to find out what they are by clicking here:  http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/category.asp?C=125220&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4834283&flvUri=&partnerclipid=

Then read below for more tips on natural ways to speed up your metabolism! 

1. Drink Green Tea: Studies have shown people who drink green tea or beverages containing green tea extracts, burn up to an extra 70-100 calories per day due to the catechins (ecgc and polyphenols) in the tea. Drink 20-24oz. per day to get these benefits. A beverage to try: Vitamin Water Zero Revitalize. This naturally sweetened beverage contains 0 calories, 10mg ecgc, 10mg green tea polyphenols, and 8mg caffiene per serving.

2. Eat More Frequently: Never eat less than 1200 calories per day. Every time that you eat, your body experiences the thermic effect of food, which causes an increased metabolism. Eating something small every 3-4 hours can keep your metabolism raised.