School’s Out!

As a native of Cape Cod (born and raised in Hyannis), I have always loved summer and the things that come with it – time to play outside on a hot day when school ended, the beach and the sound of the ocean. As an adult, I still love the summer season, however, now with children of my own, and the anticipation of “mom, I’m bored, what are we doing today?” – taking a break from our everyday routine can be daunting. Especially when with the summer season in New England comes tempting foods such as creamy clam chowder, soft serve ice cream and fried seafood.

This time of year is meant to be enjoyed and doesn’t have to be stressful if you’re trying to lose or maintain your weight. The key is planning ahead! Taking a road trip this July? Make sure you have packed your cooler and looked into restaurant choices along your route. Heading to the beach or the baseball fields? Keep your cooler handy for cold water, cut up veggies and a nice big salad for lunch or dinner. Planning ahead and trying not to be too stressed out about what will be served at a party will help you stay on track. And, don’t forget to pack your protein bars and powdered shakes in your trusty cooler. Protein and fiber will help you to stay full and ward off those sugar cravings – leave the ice cream man for the kids!

5 Things Nutritionists Want You to Know

With all that we hear from news media and recent findings it’s a challenge to know what we should be eating these days.  Good news, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) has come out with their recent report and the message is clear – the importance of a healthy overall dietary pattern.  Here’s what the experts want you to know:

1.     Dietary patterns are more important than specific foods – Essentially, we want to focus on the whole picture rather than a specific food.  A healthy dietary pattern should consist mostly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy, and seafood, and should be lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, as well as refined carbohydrates.  In addition, total fat is no longer a concern, but the type of fat is, so limit foods high in saturated fat like meat and whole fat dairy.  Instead, try choosing polyunsaturated fats like vegetable oils.

2.    Cholesterol found in foods is not a contributing factor to unhealthy blood cholesterol – It’s important to know that the cholesterol found in foods like eggs and shrimp differs from the LDL cholesterol in your blood that does affect heart disease.  Instead, it’s been found that saturated fat can contribute to heart disease.  With that in mind, replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats such as liquid vegetable oils.

3.    Drinking coffee may be good for you – Evidently, drinking upwards of 3 to 5 cups daily (about 400 milligrams of caffeine) was correlated with very little health risk. Studies also found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  If you’re a coffee drinker keep drinking, just eliminate the sugar and cream. 

4.    Reduce added sugars – First off there is no benefit from a high level of intake.  Also, there has been mounting evidence pointing to the adverse effects of added sugars in our diets.  It has been suggested to limit added sugars to no more than 10% of daily calories.

5.    Consuming more plants is not only better for us, but also our planet – This is the first time the committee addressed sustainability.  It looks like a diet that is high in plants is environmentally friendly too. There have even been recommendations to start thinking about what is sustainable.

You can read the full report online at www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015-scientific-report.

Reference:  5 Things the Nation’s Nutrition Experts Want You to Know Now, Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, (pp.1&3.).

Self-Directed Change

You’ve heard that practice and good coaching are necessary to make changes.  Did you also know that self-monitoring, self-evaluation, and self-reinforcement are other tools that you can use to help you successfully make behavioral changes? Let’s talk more about what these are:

Self-Monitoring – this is an activity where you notice any behavior that you would like to change.  For example, it can be one that you currently do in excess and want to decrease such as eating junk food when watching TV. It can also be one that you would like to incorporate into your lifestyle like exercising.  In order to self-monitor you’ll need a way to keep track of its frequency and duration.

Self-Evaluation – This involves comparing the results that you recorded when you were self-monitoring to the goals which you had in place.

 

Self-Reinforcement and Action Planning – This focuses on your reaction to your results of self-evaluation.  If you reached your goal (example – exercising 4 times per week) then you receive a reward (example – watching your favorite t.v. show) and the behavior is continued.  However, if you do not reach your goal then it’s time to think about what prevented you from achieving it.

We use these tools at Ideal Weight Loss Center to help you not only achieve your weight loss goal, but also to help you continue to maintain your weight.  To learn more contact us for an appointment.

Handling Alcohol in Social Situations

Hi there, Heidi here with some tips about how to handle alcohol.  I hear from many of our clients that alcohol can be a challenge.  As we know many adults like to have beer, wine, and cocktails when they’re relaxing and socializing.  So, clients often wonder how to handle these situations.  Here are a couple of tips that not only work for our clients, but I have also tried them and have found success.  See what you think!

Good Swaps:
·  Try flavoring water on your own by adding fresh slices of lemon, lime or cucumber to a glass pitcher of water.  The flavor will keep it interesting so you don’t get bored.
·  Instead of relaxing with a glass of wine etc. why not try some herbal teas.
·  Swap out alcohol with flavored seltzers and put it in a fun glass.

Smart Tricks:
· If someone hands you some alcohol take it and then put it down somewhere else.  This way you can avoid an uncomfortable conversation, as well as avoid bringing any unnecessary attention to yourself.
· Bring a hot or iced coffee or tea with you to your gathering in a large size.  This amount will take a while for you to drink and will keep you away from other things.
· Opt for flavored seltzer water, or club soda with a lime, and pour it into a fun glass.  This way no one will question what why you’re not drinking because it will look like you have one.
· Station yourself away from where the drinks are and get involved with an activity or conversation.

Try one of these ideas yourself the next time you reach for a glass of something or get together with friends and family, you may just be surprised at how easy the transition can be!

More Bad News for Sugary Drinks

Diabetes is on the rise.  It has been said that 1 in 3 adults, and nearly 1 in 2 men already have prediabetes.  What has been contributing to this is that two thirds of adults and one third of children are overweight or obese.  Plus, we've become a nation that is very sedentary.  

The problem is that with diabetes come many complications.  To name a few are increases in the risk of memory loss, heart attack, kidney disease, amputations, and many more.  The good news is that we have been getting better at preventing these complications.  However, it's important to know that even when one is diagnosed with prediabetes that some of these complications can already begin to wreak havoc.  For example, those with prediabetes have a 20% increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with normal blood sugar.  Unfortunately, doctors do not seem to raise an eyebrow when their patient has prediabetes.

Something that contributes to this problem are sugary drinks.  The Harvard School of Public Health states, "The data are pretty compelling that we should basically cut out sugar-sweetened beverages."  Sugary drinks include the following: soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, and sweetened teas.  Because these types of drinks contain so much sugar it is leading people to gain weight from fat.  Not to mention that those who drink just one sugary soft drink per day had a 30% higher risk of diabetes than those who drank one less than once a month.  Plus, it does not matter what sugary drink is consumed - soda or fruit juice, a high consumption of either may lead to weight gain and put a major stress on the pancreas. Studies are pointing to the high level of fructose (table sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, and agave) in these drinks, but more research needs to be conducted.

In the meantime, try to decrease or ideally omit sugary drinks to help with weight, as well as prevent diabetes.

Reference:  Nutrition Action, July/August 2014, Tip Of The Iceberg, Most People With Prediabetes Don't Know It, p. 4.

Magnesium, the Forgotten Mineral

Magnesium, an important nutrient found in foods like whole grains, nuts, fish, and vegetables has been shown to decrease your risk of diabetes.  New findings from Tufts revealed that healthy people who consumed the highest amount of magnesium were 37% less likely to end up with high blood sugar levels or excess circulating insulin.  And, people already diagnosed with metabolic impairments who included magnesium in their diets were 32% less likely to develop diabetes compared with those who consumed the least amount of magnesium.

Interestingly enough, only 50% of Americans actually consume the recommended amount of magnesium in their diets of 400-420 mg per day for men and 310-320 mg for women.

To make sure you are eating enough magnesium be sure to include these sources:

• ·         Seeds and seed kernels, like roasted pumpkin and sesame seeds.
• ·         Ready-to-eat bran or shredded-wheat breakfast cereals.
• ·         Nuts and nut butters, such as cashews, almonds and pine nuts.
• ·         Fish, such as Atlantic Pollock, Chinook salmon and mackerel.
• ·         Cooked green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and Swiss chard.
• ·         Whole grain, such as oats, quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice.
• ·         Beans, like white beans and black beans.

Reference:  Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, May 2014, VOL. 32, NO. 3, Diets Rich in Magnesium Associated with Slower Progression to Diabetes, p. 3.

Are you looking for more energy?

With the busy schedules that we all lead many of us wonder, "Is there anything I can do to be more energetic?"  Thankfully, there are some healthy behaviors that we can adopt without the aids of so-called energy drinks, or the use of magical pills.  Here are a few options:

Eat healthy foods throughout the day - Pacing your calories during the day will give your body a constant source of fuel.  For example, try starting your day with a healthy breakfast that is high in fiber from whole grains.  A study in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that those who ate a high-fiber breakfast had the highest level of "alertness" throughout the morning.

Eat low-glycemic carbohydrates and protein together - Low-glycemic carbohydrates help to sustain energy longer.  Opt for things like whole grain bread with a little peanut butter, or hummus with vegetables.  Other low-glycemic foods are most fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, and minimally processed grains.

Maintain hydration - Even mild dehydration can be detrimental and have negative effects on your body such as decreased energy levels, mood, and clarity of thought.  Allow thirst to be your guide since you are already dehydrated when you sense you're thirsty.  Try keeping a container of water with you throughout the day and put it in a visible spot so you remember to drink it.

Ensure you are consuming enough magnesium - Your body requires magnesium to keep it running properly, as it is responsible for over 300 different biochemical reactions such as the functioning of muscles and nerves, energy metabolism, regulating blood sugar, as well as your immune system.  The recommended amount of magnesium for men over age 30 is 420 mg daily, and 320 mg for women.  To increase your magnesium intake be sure to include foods like whole grains, leafy vegetables, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

Be active - Being active will actually make you feel more energetic.  One study conducted at California State University found that walking briskly for only 10 minutes increased feelings of energy and mood for up to 2 hours.

Get your zzz's - It's important to ensure that you are getting proper rest at night since foods cannot correct sleep deprivation.  To aid in a good sleep schedule try the following:  Keep bedtime consistent - even on the weekends; create a relaxing routine like reading; ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, comfortable, and cool; use your bedroom for sleep, and avoid work, computers or TV in your bedroom; complete exercise within 2 hours before bed; avoid nicotine; and finish eating at least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
Reference:  Health & Nutrition Letter, Tuft's University, April 2014, Vol. 32, NO. 2, What Can You Really Do to Feel More Energetic?, p. 4-5.