Lifestyle Nutrition Archives

Weight Loss Myths – Busted.

March 31, 2020 No Comments

weight loss myth, myth busted, lose weight, losing weight, weight loss, lose pounds

Hey Friends!, since most of us find ourselves locked indoors during this COVID quarantine, I find myself wandering into the kitchen for a snack out of sheer boredom. That’s right. Boredom. Seemed like a good time to share some of my favorite weight loss myths that I’m often asked as a registered dietitian. So, keep on reading for Weight Loss Myths – Busted.

“You shouldn’t eat too late in the evening because your metabolism slows down while you sleep”

No, No it doesn’t. In fact, your metabolism has a minimum “burn rate” All. Day. Long. This is called a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which basically references the energy (calories) that your body must expend to keep your lungs breathing, your heart beating, and your brain processing. You get the idea. The time of day you eat has nothing to do with your metabolic rate decreasing, however, I will add that many people self-impose the rule to “not eat after 7pm”, for example, to prevent late night snacking, which ultimately adds extra calories.

“I’m big-boned; my whole family is big-boned”

No, no you’re not. Scientifically speaking, all our bones are nearly the same size, with some room for differences between large men and teeny women. Do me a favor and check out this graphic for a perfect image to conceptualize this.

“If I eat fewer calories I will lose weight faster.”

The answer to this statement is that it is generally untrue. If you eat fewer calories than you need to sustain your weight, you will lose weight. That being said, if you eat too few calories, you can slow your metabolism. It’s the old “If you don’t use it, you lose it” phenomenon. People generally shouldn’t reduce their daily calorie consumption to less than 1,200 calories per day. Most of us need more than this to meet our BMR.

You can target weight loss from certain areas of your body.

This one’s another “No, No you can’t”. (i.e. “I want to lose my tummy”) Honestly, if I had the magic answer to this question, I’d be a millionaire….. actually a billionaire. Where excess weight is stored is actually genetic. You can’t change any part about that; however, exercising and targeting specific muscle groups can help to tone those fat-storage areas.

“Carbs will make you fat.”

I wish I could put a hex on the person that started this rumor. Carbs are NOT bad! That being said, let’s address what a carbohydrate actually is really quick. A carbohydrate is a molecule of stored energy. Your brain actually prefers carbs as a fuel source! (The reason people on a strict Keto diet get the so-called “Keto Flu”) The thing is that there are plenty of carbs that are great additions to a healthy diet, and they get a bad rep because of all the high fructose, sugary beverage, sweet-laden food production that exists in our increasingly obese American society. *steps off soapbox* There are plenty of whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables that can be very appropriate additions to a balanced diet that are “carb heavy” foods.

“Fat will make you fat.”

Again with the hexing…. Also untrue. One thing I like to point out about fats is that regardless of the type of fat, all fat provides more than double the energy of a carbohydrate or a protein. Which means you get a lot of bang for your buck! We all need a minimum amount of fatty acids in our diet regularly to promote healthy hormonal function, process some vitamins, and sustain our appetite between meals. Fat has a lot of positive functions in the body – just don’t overdo it. 🙂

“Fruit has too much sugar.”

(But you’re willing to drink that regular soda because artificial sweeteners are bad??) Please see the previous “Carbs are bad” statement above. Yes, fruit does contain sugar, and yes, because it contains sugar it is “carb heavy”, but this sugar (fructose) is in a much lower quantity than the fructose in your regular soda! The liver processes significant amounts of fructose differently than other sugars, leading to altered spikes in insulin and storage of said sugar. Ultimately, the fruit sugar is not the enemy! To be frank, It’s nearly impossible to eat as much fruit in a day that you would need to modify the way the fructose in sugar is metabolized.

“Artificial sweeteners cause you to gain weight.”

I know, I know. Many of you readers will immediately be either A) in shock by this statement, or B) enraged by this statement. But hear me out – there is little credible evidence…. emphasis on the word credible, that this is actually true. For my patients/clients, I usually focus on what their personal nutrition goals are in relation to how sweeteners may or may not be a desirable choice for them. For example, if your goal is to have better blood sugar control, well yeah, let’s cut out all the actual sugar we can! If your goal is weight loss, let’s cut out all the actual calories we can! Now, if your goal is to eat completely “clean”, then sweeteners are probably not your thing, but I’d caution everyone against having such a harsh opinion of the artificial sweeteners!

What other weight loss myths have you heard?? Comment below – I’m always up for a new professional challenge! *wink, wink* Be sure to check out my recent post on the health benefits of exercise too!

Food, Lifestyle Nutrition, Recipes

Dry Beans

August 8, 2019 No Comments

I’ve been cooking a lot this week and thought I’d share with you guys both how & why I cook my dry beans from scratch every time, and how dinner doesn’t take any longer than opening a can!

Professionally, I’m all over the reasons that we should eat less processed food, cook at home more, increase fiber, and reduce our sodium intake. This probably isn’t news to you 😉 . I keep a supply of cooked beans, stocked, and ready to go at any given time. Here’s the why & how:

Let’s start with the WHY:

It’s SO easy, with a little advanced planning. 🙂
They’re lower in cost than the canned choices, even the low sodium options!
They easily freeze flat, and then are stackable in the freezer – hello!, space saving!

Have I convinced you yet? If not, here are a few nutrition-based reasons that you should consider adding more beans / legumes into your diet.

Everyone could use more fiber. Fiber has plenty of health benefits, but a couple of the most important are that it helps to keep you feeling full, and in turn prevents overeating; as well as helping you to reduce the “bad” (LDL) cholesterol that floats in your blood.
They’re a good source of plant-based protein!
Dry beans are significantly lower in sodium than canned choices – They virtually have none! Which is great for anyone looking to decrease the sodium in their diet, on a restriction, or just looking to lose a little extra bloat.

chickpeas, crockpot, salt free bean recipe, cooking 101 — After 4 hours of cooking, the beans are ready to freeze! (Read below).

Here’s the HOW – what you’ve been waiting for, right?

Rinse 1 pound of dry beans (your choice!), and be sure that there are no small stones, or foreign objects in the mix. Note: I’ve never had an issue with a 1 pound package from a grocery store, but if you buy in bulk it’s more important to check!
Place dry beans in the crockpot (here’s one like mine!) with 6 cups of water. The water should cover the top of the beans. Dont worry about exact amounts because you will pour this off in the end anyway.
Cook the beans in the crockpot on high heat for 4 hours. And Voila! You’re done! Well, cooking anyway.
Drain the cooked beans, and rinse. You could drain in a collander, or If I’m doing it the lazy way, I rinse them in the crock pot, and then simply drain using the lid tilted away from the edge of the pot.
Divide the beans evenly between 3 quart-sized freezer bags, and allow them to cool. (This amounts to slightly more than one 15 oz can, but makes little difference in a recipe – more fiber! Remember?)
Place them, laying flat, into the freezer. Once frozen, you can stand upright to take advantage of some space saving!

chickpeas, how to cook beans from scratch and freeze, diy cooking tips, garbanzo — Evenly portioned quart-sized bags of ready-to-eat chickpeas!

Cooking / Reheating:

Depending on how you’re using these beans in a recipe or as a topping, I simply pop the needed amount into the microwave for 1-2 minutes until thawed & warmed. I use the microwave method for my Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers) If you’re using this within a recipe (like my Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls), I add it the same way I would add a can of prepared beans to a recipe. Just note that it may take a little longer for it to cook due to the fact that they started frozen.

If you’re planning ahead, I have occasionally thawed the quart sized bags overnight in the refrigerator and cooked using the beans the next day – which works out great, too!

My dinner using the chickpeas I made from the recipe! PS Buddha Bowls are my jam! Check out the anatomy of a Buddha Bowl here!

I keep black beans, navy beans, and chickpeas regularly stocked at my house! Which one will you try first? So, let me know how this works out for you and whether it made your cooking routine any easier! 🙂

Food, Lifestyle Nutrition

Farm Raised vs Wild Caught Fish

May 31, 2019 No Comments

Guys, we hate to admit it, but even some dietitians aren’t always so attune to EVERY single nutrition issue that comes up with our food. After all, if you’re in a hurry, trying to get through the store to feed your family, it’s easy to overlook a thing or two! One of those for me, was the difference in farm raised vs wild caught fish.

So, a few years ago, there I was standing in the meat section looking at some pre-sliced, pre-portioned salmon, and I happened to notice that there was a price difference in the salmon from the choice on the left and the choice on the right- clearly significant enough that I noticed!- And like any frugal shopper, I explored further.

I then noticed, that the salmon on the left was lighter in color than that on the right – still weird, right? I hadn’t figured it out yet…. until I continued comparing labels and the salmon on the left was farm raised. OK, not so bad, until I saw that the label said “ARTIFICIAL COLOR ADDED”. GROSS.
That was the last day I ever even considered purchasing farmed fish, and now it’s fresh caught only. I was incredibly offended that they have to add artificial color to my food! I mean, it’s salmon? Not anything you think might have something like Red #40 on the label!

Truth be told, the color of the fish may vary between Atlantic and Sockeye Salmon…. which doesn’t have anything to do with the nutrient content; however, I was not ok with fresh fish that had artificial color added.

So, then I did a little research. Before I tell you what I learned, let me give some background about what most dietitians are attune to. And as an aside, my background is working with sick patients in a hospital-style setting. I handle patients needing assistance with serious medical conditions; less so, optimizing nutrient intake for generally healthy people.

After doing a little research, calorie for calorie, fat gram for fat gram, farm-raised and fresh-caught are not the same, as I originally thought. That being said, the real difference here is on a micronutrient level that does make a difference, but possibly only minimally. As a reminder, micronutrients are the nutrients you require as part of a healthy diet (like magnesium, potassium, fatty acids, etc), on a much smaller level than carbohydrate, fat & protein, which we identify as macronutrients, or calorie-providing nutrients.

So lets go over some immediate concerns that I had when the decision came to farm-raised vs wild caught:

Diet of Farmed Fish – Guess what they eat? FEED. High fat, high protein feed, to produce larger fish with more meat, for more gross product, which equals more dinero. This is great for business/increasing the availability of said fish to many Americans (did you know up to 90% of fish consumed in the US is farmed fish?), but what is it doing to the quality of the fish that we will then consume?

If this is something you’re interested in, I highly recommend the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma“. The author addresses a lot more controversial issues, similar to this. Definitely thought provoking!

Nutrient Content – They are calorically similar – ish, but the micronutrient content does differ. Farmed salmon is higher in fat generally, and over 3 times higher in saturated fat. But wait? I thought salmon was really high in Omega-3s? And aren’t those supposed to be good for you? Well, yes, they are, but when farm raised salmon is fed a diet that it is not supposed to consume, in nature, that nutrient profile changes. Farm-raised is also significantly higher in Omega-6 fatty acids, which are known to be pro-inflammatory vs the anti inflammatory properties of the Omega-3s. Regardless, the amount of Omega-6 is not so high as to be concerned when eating farmed salmon.

Contamination – This actually has pros and cons with either type of fish. Farmed fish live in pools, and swim around in their own waste; additionally, fish can ingest harmful contaminants from the water they swim in, which may even include wild caught fish from the ocean. A 2004 study showed that levels of one common carcinogenic chemical (PCBs) was higher in farm-raised fish.

THE VERDICT: So what’s the best choice? Well, that’s a bit of a loaded question. For my family, I stick with wild caught. That being said, if the choice is farm-raised salmon vs. a fast food cheeseburger, or a large pizza, farm-raised salmon is still the better choice. If it fits in your budget, however, I’d choose wild caught over farm raised any day.

**Consult further with your doctor or dietitian regarding individual recommendations for your health.**

Food, Lifestyle Nutrition

Milk Alternatives

May 21, 2019 No Comments

Let’s talk milk alternatives – it seems like there is a new dairy alternative on the market weekly! Plant milk, Oat Milk, Soy, Almond Cashew – Coconut!… you name it!

From a personal perspective, I’m lucky that I don’t have an intolerance to dairy; however, I do use milk alternatives for most of my milk use anyway! Part of the reason is caloric and for me, I’m all about including more plant-based foods into my diet when I can!

Full Disclosure: In case you were unaware, RDs have a tendency to have strange thoughts/opinions/behaviors when it comes to their own personal eating habits!

I recently tried the Silk brand Oat milk (let’s face it, because I had a coupon via ibotta) and was relatively impressed with the flavor! Compared to other plant milks, it is thicker, similar to a low fat dairy milk, whereas almond milk is generally pretty watery.

Check out the specs below to choose the style that may work best for you:

Cow’s Milk: For general reference, cow’s ‘whole’ milk is approximately ~140 calories per 1 cup. This contains 8 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein. The percent variation of milk fat from skim to whole is as follows: 0% // 1% // 2% // Whole or Vitamin D (4%). This designation refers to the number of grams of fat in each serving and these calorically range 80-140 calories per cup, respectively.

Dairy milk also packs a huge punch in meeting your daily requirements of calcium and phosphorus. 1 cup of milk contains about 25% of your needed calcium requirements for the day!

Soy Milk – Obviously dairy free; It contains as much protein as a glass of regular dairy milk, and it is similar in carbs & fat to a glass of low fat milk. Soy, being plant based, does provide some health benefits such as lowering cholesterol. It also contains phytoestrogens that some men may worry decrease levels of testosterone; however research has not supported this claim. Other than corn, soy is one of the higher consumed GMO foods. Do your research before you eliminate soy milk for some of these reasons. The bottom line is that soy milk is safe for most people and may offer health benefits.

Nut Milks – Almond milk / Cashew milk / Macadamia Milk / Coconut Milk – Generally, these are much lower in calories, and a great choice for anyone who has a milk allergy or lactose intolerance. These are less than half the calories and significantly less fat than whole cow’s milk. Almond milk tends to come in the lowest in calories, and Macadamia the highest. They generally range 30-50 calories for 1 cup, and the fat content ranges from 2-5 grams per cup. The protein content, however, is very low in most of these milks.

The biggest negatives of the nut milks are that they are primarily made of water, and have only about 25% the amount of protein found in dairy milk. And some brands that have not been fortified with extra vitamins & minerals come in significantly lower in minerals like Calcium & Phosphorus than dairy milk. Vegetarian Friendly – may not always be Vegan. Dairy Free! May contain gluten depending on the brand- so check the label!

“Plant Milk” – generally made from Pea Protein – Are semi-new to the market, and of the brands I have tasted, seem to have a slightly gritty mouth feel. The protein, however, is very high compared to other alternatives, and the calorie content varies depending on the sweetness. The unsweetened varieties come in at about 100 calories or less per cup. Vegan friendly! Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free!

Oat Milk – is pretty new to the market. I recently tried this and was very impressed with the taste & flavor. Oat milk is made by soaking steel cut oats in water. Surprisingly, it is high in many micronutrients, and actually contains some fiber! Calorically, 1 cup is similar to cow’s milk; however, it contains about half the fat & protein. Definitely Vegan! Dairy Free & Nut Free!

Rice Milk – just what it sounds like – from rice! It’s the least allergenic of any milk alternative. Calorically it’s similar to whole cow’s milk/oat milk, but is low in fat, and very low in protein (1 gram per cup). Gluten Free! Vegan! Dairy Free!

For anyone who follows or chooses a restrictive diet, you have a TON of options! What do you drink at home? Any favorites? I can’t wait to see what the next milk alternative is made of!

Disclaimer: I’m aware there are other milks on the market: Hemp / Flax, etc. If you have questions or would like me to add to this post, just reach out!