Monthly Archives: June 2012

Supplements: Be Wary and Wise

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Nutrition, Research and tagged with ,

Be wary!

A lot of people have asked me about taking supplements – vitamins, minerals, herbs or other compounds – to support their diet and/or athletic performance. I personally take calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron supplements, having been advised by my physician that I’m at risk for low levels of each (and/or I’ve tested low via blood tests). I also take fish oil, as it’s been shown to help reduce inflammation and may be important in preventing off chronic disease. But, there are a LOT of supplements that do absolutely nothing!

There are literally millions of different supplements on the market — crying out to you from the drugstore or natural foods shelf, hypnotizing you with their pretty colors, cool names and fabulous claims. There are supplements that claim to offer immune health, make your bones stronger, balance your moods, improve your memory, increase your chances of getting pregnant, help you lose weight, boost your athletic performance, and all things in between. And, SOME of these claims are even (somewhat) true. However, most are NOT.

Let’s look at how supplements are regulated, as this is a really important issue in terms of what you see and hear in the market. The 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed to govern supplements and allows manufacturers to make claims regarding their products’ effects on the body without any guarantee on safety and effectiveness. These are called “structure/function claims, ” and include things like, “promotes hormone production to increase strength” or “promotes detoxification, cleansing and rebuilding.” However, (a) supplement manufacturers are NOT allowed to say that a specific product/supplement will prevent, reduce or cure a disease or specific health condition (yet many do!) and (b) there is NO guarantee of what you’re getting in the product either, as amounts of ingredients do not have to be listed on the label.

All supplements are regulated by the FDA, but they are not regulated as drugs – they are instead regulated as “foods.” This means that while pharmaceutical-grade drugs, medications and devices must undergo years of rigorous safety trials, massive pre- and post-market testing, and very careful marketing review, supplements do NOT have these same requirements. While a pharma drug must be proven safe before it can be sold, a supplement does not. Instead, a supplement has to be proven harmful before it can be removed from the market. And, some supplements may contain banned or even illegal substances. Especially those you can buy over the internet.

Thus, it pays to be very cautious when it comes to taking supplements. The bar for safety is very low, and regulation is quite limited. So, when you read that a supplement “controls blood sugar, reduces your risk of diabetes, increases stimulation and function of pancreas, increases HDL cholesterol, lowers LDL cholesterol, decreases triglycerides and helps control and balance sugar intake” (a real product, BTW, from Super Supplements’ website), you want to be EXTREMELY wary.  First of all, with all these claims, frankly, it’s just too good to be true. Second, this company is making illegal claims about its product (e.g. reduces risk of a disease: diabetes), so how can you trust that: (a) what they say is in it really is, and (b) that this product comes even 1/10 as close to delivering what it says it delivers?  Don’t waste your money. And don’t risk your health!

Finally, it is true that some supplements may indeed do what they claim to, but it also may depend on your gender, physical condition, genetics, etc. – you can expect a very individual response. One size just doesn’t fit all. So, if you decided to take certain products, please keep that in mind. And, please, please tell your doctor what you are taking: some supplements may interfere with medications or interact with meds with adverse results. Checking out clinical research on specific supplements is a great way to stay on top of this stuff, so consider reviewing the abstracts at PubMed, Up-to-Date or USP for details on which supplements were tested in clinical trials (and the results!).

And, for a bit of fun, check out this 3 minute You Tube video about a couple of guys who decide to open a supplement company. It’s funny, disturbing and not so far-fetched.

And, when all else fails, as Michael Pollan says, “Eat Real Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.” You may not need to waste your money on supplements!

Mindfulness at the dinner table. What is “Intuitive Eating”?

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Nutrition and tagged with

Zen at the table….

I often get asked, “So, as a future dietician, what do you eat”?  Well, I’d like to say that (a) I’m perfect (hah!) and (b) because I’m so athletic I don’t have to worry about paying attention to my diet, but the truth is, we all can stand to pay a bit more attention to not just what, but how we eat. One of my nutrition professors at the UW is a big fan of “intuitive eating,” and it’s something I’ve been trying out a bit more lately. It’s not necessarily a strategy for losing weight (though people often do lose weight when they follow these strategies) but it’s more of an “awareness tool” that can be used by anyone whose diet may be lacking structure, balance or control.

It’s also a way of getting people who may be TOO focused on food to have a healthier relationship with food. And, by “too” focused I mean both people who eat too much food in general, as well as those people who are constantly on a diet, “watching what they eat,” and/or otherwise obsessing about their food choices.

And, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fall into one or more of these latter categories more frequently than is perhaps necessary (and/or healthy). There are pros and cons of being a lifetime athlete (and nutrition student) – including being super in touch with my body and my athletic performance (yay), but also a bit too focused on every single item I eat (not so yay) and whether or not it will enhance my running, my body composition, etc.

Evelyn Tribole (MS, RD) has written a number of books on Intuitive Eating and has outlined 10 basic principles. I’ll summarize here, but you can also check out her books on Amazon.com or visit her website. She is a super smart chick. If you’d like to feel a bit more at peace with food – and eat healthy while enjoying all the amazing tastes good food has to offer – give it a try!

1. Reject the Diet Mentality. Diets are temporary, hard to sustain, and not always successful. You need to think about eating for a lifetime of health and fitness. Period.

2. Honor Your Hunger. Feed your body if it’s hungry. Your body is telling you it needs fuel. Trust yourself to eat when hungry and stop when full. Listen to and trust your body!

3. Make Peace with Food. Stop fighting it. Allow yourself permission to eat (when hungry). Don’t deprive yourself. This just leads to uncontrollable cravings, binge eating and/or feelings of guilt. These do not belong in your life.

4. Challenge the Food Police. Don’t listen to people (or the voices in your head) who tell you what you can and can’t eat, what things are “good” or “bad.”  Trust yourself. And, educate yourself on what is healthy food. That way you and you alone will know what is best for you.

5. Respect Your Fullness (the corollary to #2). While eating, observe your body and its signs. Ask yourself: How does the food taste? What is your fullness level? Try to stop when you are, say, 80% full. Give your body some time to sit with the food you’ve eaten before you add more.

6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor. When you eat what you REALLY want in an environment that is inviting and relaxed, you derive great pleasure from food that can lead to satisfaction and contentment. You may be surprised at how little food you want when you have permission and pleasure to enjoy food.

7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food. Many people use food as comfort or to drown negative feelings. This doesn’t work, and can make you feel terrible. Find ways to seek comfort in other ways – exercise, time with loved ones, a bath, a massage, whatever helps you cope.

8. Respect Your Body. Accept your genetic blueprint and who you are. Sure, you can *definitely* make some changes, get more fit, and improve your overall health, but you can’t become a waif-like supermodel just because you’d like to. Set realistic goals and be kind to yourself.

9. Exercise (Regularly). Enough said.

10. Honor Your Health. Make food choices that honor your health and your taste buds (and make you feel good!). Try not to choose one over the other. Consistency in your food choices is what counts – not a particular meal, snack or even weekend of eating. You are important, and worth it!

More summer recipes

Posted by happyhealthytasty in General

I’m spending my 2-week summer break (summer classes begin June 18) doing a “mini-internship” for the Hunger Intervention Program, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that partners with other community organizations in the region in their aim to end hunger. They provide nutritious meals, cooking classes and demonstrations, weekend food “backpacks” for kids with limited food resources, and much more. I’m writing up a bunch of nutrition content for them for use at one of the local food banks, to help folks who get food at the food bank learn more about key health and nutrition issues, learn new recipes, explore new foods, and maximize the usability of the food they get at the food bank.

In researching recipes for this project, I came across some good ones (and pulled up some of my old standbys/favorites too!), so I thought I’d share with you all. My focus has been on using all the great summer produce we’ll have available here in the great PacNW, via farmers’ markets, CSAs, food banks and traditional grocery stores.

  1. Peach-Mango Salsa (great on chicken, fish and just about anything else you can imagine).
  2. Grilled Veggie Sandwich (add some roasted turkey or chicken breast, or a slice of cheese if you’d like. And, feel free to vary the veggies. Just about anything is great grilled or roasted!).
  3. Black bean, corn and tomato salad (I usually opt for the canned black beans instead of dried, to save time. Use 2 16-ounce cans and save a couple hours if short on time).
  4. Gazpacho (yes, that’s right, another recipe. I swear, I cannot get enough of this in the summer, and it’s so easy and good for you!). Great for lunch with a sandwich or for dinner alongside grilled chicken or fish.
  5. Asparagus, tomato and fontina frittata (feel free to substitute 1% or 2% milk for the heavy cream! Shaved parmesan will also work in place of the fontina, but it will be a bit less creamy).
  6. Watermelon Yogurt-Ice (a great “treat” on a hot day)

By the way, some great sites/publications for healthy recipes that I really love are:

Happy summer eating. Even if it looks like January here in the Pacific Northwest….

Diana

Have no fear of the picky, pint-size eater. 10 tips for less stressful meal times.

Posted by happyhealthytasty in Nutrition and tagged with ,

Does this look like your kid at meal time?

Parents, this one’s for you.

As a parent, you’ve likely dealt with the emphatic, “Yuck, that’s gross!” that seems to emanate regularly from said child/children when presenting them with anything that doesn’t resemble a cupcake or a peanut butter sandwich. Don’t worry, countless other parents have despaired before you, and they’ve survived. As have their kids. And thrived even.

So, when you find yourself trying to figure out just what the hell you can feed your endlessly “selective” child, here’s a few ideas and thoughts for you.

  1. Select, purchase and prepare a wide variety of healthy foods from an array of food groups (meats, grains, dairy, veggies, fruit, non-meat proteins). Minimize processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices, and candy and desserts.
  2. Put it in front of your kids. And, keep putting it in front of them. But, DON’T pressure them to eat. Familiarity, in this case, doesn’t always breed contempt. Studies show that many toddlers and younger kids need to be exposed to a kid upwards of 7 or 8 times before they may even try it.
  3. Set regular meal times and do your best to stick with them. A hungry kid will eat. Really. Don’t get into stand-offs with your kids about this. Just be clear and consistent.
  4. Eat as a family. Studies have shown tremendous benefits can arise from family dinners, including learning table manners and healthy eating habits, and simply spending time together and sharing conversation over a nutritious meal. Other benefits may include doing better in school, less drug use, better parent-child communication, etc. Family schedules these days are insanely busy. I get that. But try to make a regular schedule (even if it’s only 2-3 times a week) to eat together. Toddlers, teens and adolescents (and parents!) can all benefit from this together time.
  5. Serve age-and appetite-appropriate portions.  Don’t serve your child huge plates full of food.  A spoonful or two of each food item is plenty for younger kids. Think about using a much smaller plate than you’d eat from. Large portions can be overwhelming, and starting small means the child may feel less daunted and/or encouraged to finish and ask for me.
  6. Don’t talk about “good foods” or “bad foods,” especially for kids under age 7 or 8. They just won’t understand the concepts and this misunderstanding could create eating issues or disorders later in life.  If you must, for older kids and teens, think about using terms like “sometimes” foods and “everyday” foods, to talk about things you want to want to limit or save for special occasions (i.e. foods with lots of added sugar, fat, etc.) and encourage (fruits, veggies, whole grains), respectively.
  7. Know your roles.  You can’t control what a child eats. Nor should you. Your role, as a parent, is to choose healthy foods to put on their plate. The child’s role is to eat something that is presented to them. Please, no judgment about what they eat or don’t eat. Judgment can effect self-esteem, set kids up for eating disorders, etc. This is a hard one, but so so important. If you want to ensure that they eat something, make sure to always put something on the table that is (a) healthy, and (b) you know they like. We always have brown rice or pasta and fruit/veggie slices available for our kids. Also, offer dips, sauces and other condiments. Many kids love dip. A wide variety can make almost anything palatable.
  8. Get creative as needed in shapes, sizes, colors – create a super appealing plate. Encourage play (in younger kids) – so they can touch, smell, and look at the food. This helps them get a sense of textures and enjoy a sensory experience. Food can and should be enjoyable!
  9. Encourage trial – e.g. the “take one bite rule.”  But don’t force anything beyond that. See rule #7.
  10. Don’t talk about fats, carbs, vitamins, etc. to kids under 7 or 8. They really won’t get it and may just be confused or concerned. Even kids older than that, go easy on the nutrition speak. Focus more on helping them choose healthy options, loading their plate with good stuff, and setting good examples with your own eating. Yes, they will be bombarded with commercials, vending machines, fast food restaurants, friends’ lunches and the like, but if you build a healthy foundation at home, your child will know how to navigate his or her own way.

And a bonus tip: Don’t be afraid of treats or splurges. There should be no “off limits” foods. Just focus on the healthy stuff 85-90% of the time and ensure your child gets lots of play time and physical exercise and he/she will be just fine.

Also, if your child has food allergies, medical issues or other health-related needs, please *do* consult your physician and/or a registered dietician for a personalized nutritional plan.

And now, breathe. Your child will eat again. Really.

Diana