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Worst Diet Advice: 'Only Eat When Hungry'
Tweet Share on Facebook July 25, 2012 CommentCould the world's oldest and most common dieting advice, "wait until you're hungry to eat," also be the world's worst?
The fact is: Hunger always wins. You may be the most motivated, intelligent, and committed person on the planet, but if hunger's hanging around, you can forget about rational thought. When you're physiologically hungry, your body's desires will undoubtedly trump your brain's best intentions, and your hunger-influenced choices will often be larger in both quantity and calories than ones made while content.
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The New Health Foods: What to Eat Now
Tweet Share on Facebook July 24, 2012 CommentPlenty of health fads go like this: Flashy food gets a publicist, becomes famous overnight, and disappears forever. Then there are the legit healthy heroes—the less-hyped-yet-hard-working kind that go about quietly for years before finally getting their moment. And let's not forget the salad-bar staples that are forced into the spotlight when new research surfaces, highlighting yet another health benefit. Even the fittest bodies can have a hard time keeping up. Here are the ones you should get to know:
Matcha (pronounced MAH-cha), is whole-leaf green tea that's been ground into fine powder and boasts absurdly impressive health benefits. Traditionally whisked with hot water, it's Japan's veritable "cup of Joe," and serves up a host of health benefits.
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5 Ways to Sneak More Veggies Into Your Diet
Tweet Share on Facebook July 24, 2012 CommentSometimes when asked what I do for a living, my response is: "I tell people to eat more vegetables." Of course there is much more to what I do as a nutritionist… and much more to healthy eating than that… but consuming more vegetables is one of the most important steps in improving the quality of your diet. For all the excesses in the current American food culture—too much sodium, saturated fat, and calories, for example—few people are over consuming veggies. In fact, surveys show that 68 percent of Americans do not meet the minimal guidelines for vegetable consumption (three servings daily). Only 26 percent of the nation's adults eat vegetables three or more times a day and just 23 percent of meals include a vegetable.
This is despite clear evidence that vegetables can improve our chances of better health. Studies show that a diet rich in vegetables may reduce risk for heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancers. Vegetables high in potassium may lower blood pressure.
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What is Gluten, Anyway?
Tweet Share on Facebook July 24, 2012 CommentFoods with a "gluten-free" claim are a big—and growing—business these days. And everywhere you turn, it seems another celebrity is touting the benefits of his or her new gluten-free diet. All of a sudden, gluten appears to be public enemy No. 1. But if you've watched this whirlwind of gluten-free activity unfold without fully understanding what, in fact, gluten actually is, fear not. You're probably not alone.
Gluten is shorthand for a family of storage proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. The gluten proteins are found in the mature seed of these cereal grasses, which is what we refer to as the grain. Close relatives of wheat, such as spelt, triticale, kamut, farro, and einkorn, also contain gluten and must be avoided on a gluten-free diet. While you may hear the term "gluten" used to refer to rice (e.g., glutinous rice), rice protein is not actually a gluten and need not be avoided on a gluten-free diet. Conversely, while oats don't technically contain gluten, they're almost always cross-contaminated with wheat gluten due to processing methods in this country. As a result, unless an oat-containing product is specifically labeled "gluten-free," one should assume it contains gluten.
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Cruise Control: Lose Weight on a Cruise Without Trying
Tweet Share on Facebook July 23, 2012 CommentTwo of my clients recently reported shock at losing weight on their cruise vacations. Lorraine, a 53-year-old public health specialist in Washington, D.C., came home from a cruise and was surprised to find she had lost two pounds. Rick, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences in D.C., lost six pounds during his 10-day cruise.
Both remarked that they had indulged in ice cream, desserts, pasta, bread, and other foods that they didn't usually eat. Yet, they dropped weight on vacation, despite struggling to lose pounds at home. As soon as they returned, the pounds began piling on, and they came to me desperate to return to the seemingly magical weight-loss mode they had fallen into during vacation.
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From Waste to Wow: How and Why to Compost
Tweet Share on Facebook July 23, 2012 CommentYou know those vegetable skins, apple cores, and banana peels you've been throwing in the garbage, or the "yard waste" you've been leaving by your curb for your city to pick up and take away? You are about to have a 180-degree shift in how you think about your trash. All that "garbage" is really gold to a home garden. In fact, it turns into black gold (compost) when given the opportunity and the right conditions. And the best part about it is that it's free. I'm a huge fan of compost (in fact, I've created my own custom compost from the food scraps from Whole Foods locations throughout the southeastern United States), because it provides home gardens with essential nutrients, organic matter, and lots of other healthy, natural goodness.
Here are three easy ways to put your waste to work for you:
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How to Fall in Love With Veggies
Tweet Share on Facebook July 23, 2012 CommentIf you know anything about health and wellness, you know that you are supposed to be eating vegetables. But knowledge does not always lead to smart choices. Today, 70 percent of Americans don't meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's daily fruit and vegetable recommendations. Are you one of them? Chances are, the reason you don't like to eat vegetables is simple, and the solution to overcoming your veggie phobia is even simpler.
Know the Vegetable Target
In case you aren't sure exactly how many vegetables you should be getting, all you need is a plate as your guide. About half of that plate should be veggies (or a combo of veggies and fruit) at most of your meals. Most people make the mistake of thinking "fruit or vegetables," and they overdo the fruit, but skimp on the veggies. Try to be mindful and reach for those veggies. Varying vegetables and fruits helps ensure you get an ideal balance of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
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Feed Your Inner Olympian
Tweet Share on Facebook July 20, 2012 CommentIt's almost here—can you feel it? The opening ceremony, the lifelong dreams fulfilled (or dashed), the awe that's inspired by incredible athletes pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. The Olympics are with us again, and for me, they're also a tug at my inner athlete. They make me want to get up and be active, push myself just a little harder, and see what my body is capable of.
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Hungry or Just Bored?
Tweet Share on Facebook July 19, 2012 CommentCan you recognize the difference between a physical craving and an emotional longing for food? Sometimes it's hard to tell them apart. A stressful day may bring on the urge for a gooey bedtime snack, but if that desire had struck two hours after a filling dinner, it's more likely that eating would be an attempt to satisfy your mind, not your stomach.
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How to Become a Healthy Snacker
Tweet Share on Facebook July 19, 2012 CommentThe first step to becoming a healthy snacker is understanding why snacking is important in the first place. It helps hold you over till your next meal, so you don't feel like you're starving. And the less hungry you are at lunch or dinner time, the easier it is to control what and how much you eat. If you had lunch at 1 p.m. and are planning on dinner at 8, aim for a snack at 4. It's smart to grab one every three to five hours.
Snacks are also an opportunity to squeeze in nutrients from foods that your body might otherwise be missing out on. Maybe your standard three meals were too full to add a piece of fruit, or you just forgot to do so. Include some with your snack: It'll increase your vitamin C and antioxidant intake. And if you missed your veggies at lunch? No problem; munch on some before dinner.
