That dinner menu sounds really tasty, doesn’t it? It sounds like a lineup straight out of a fancy New York City restaurant but it’s actually what’s for dinner for the 33 hungry Chilean miners who have been sitting under 2,300 feet of rock since August 5th. But have you ever wondered whether these miners are getting enough nutrition? We couldn’t imagine being trapped down under thousands of feet of rock but we do hope they’re being fed well while waiting to be rescued out.

Recently, AskMen.com asked American Dietetic Association Spokesperson and Eating Free Creator Manuel Villacorta about the Chilean miners’ diet and how it might address their extraordinary plight.

Here’s an excerpt of the interview with Manuel at AskMen.com.

Read the entire story from AskMen.com by following this link.

This is one of the most commonly used phrases in the fitness world and it is incorrect. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle both weigh one pound. One pound of feathers and one pound of rocks both weigh one pound.  That being said, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. One pound of muscle also burns more calories than one pound of fat. Estimates indicate that one pound of muscle burns roughly fifty calories per day, while one pound of fat burns approximately two calories per day.

Thus, while fat and muscle weigh the same, adding extra muscle through exercise can be a powerful tool when it comes weight loss and maintenance.

Sumo wrestling is an ancient Japanese sport; where the heavier you are the better! They stare each other in the eyes and slap their feet and enormous thighs, trying to break their opponent’s courage. One of the heaviest sumo wrestlers, or rikishi in Japanese, was Hawaiian born Konisiki. He weighed 630 at his peak. So, how do sumo wrestlers get so big?

Sumo Wrestlers’ Tricks for Getting Big

• Don’t eat breakfast. Sumo wrestlers never eat breakfast. This is a great way to slow your metabolism way down and will definitely ensure over eating later in the day.
• Exercise on an empty stomach. When you exercise without proper fueling, your metabolism will conserve every ounce of energy you have left to get you through the activity. So you end up burning far less calories then you would have had you eaten prior to exercising.
• Eat only 1 to 2 meals each day. Sumo wrestlers get up early, work out and then don’t eat until late in the day. This way they will be starving and will eat anything they can grab and in enormous amounts. This ensures a great calorie surplus and maximum weight gain. When you eat a large amount of calories in one sitting, the body will use up what it can and then fill your extra energy reserves for later. When your storage gets full, everything left over is stored directly as fat.
• Drink alcohol. Sumo wrestlers drink large amounts of alcohol with their meals (their favorite is beer). For a sumo wrestler, the bigger the belly the better!
• Eat out. Many studies have found that people eating in a restaurant will eat 40% more food and 30% more fat then they would if they were at home. Sumo wrestlers like to distract each other while eating to make sure they don’t notice those “getting full” signals. They also always have someone else cook for them so they don’t pay attention to fat or ingredients.
• Sleep after eating. When they finish their large meals, the wrestlers will get up and take a long nap. Going to sleep on a full stomach forces the body to store most of the calories as fat because it doesn’t have the ability to metabolize large amounts of food while sleeping.

Yikes, I bet a lot of these behaviors sound really familiar! I know they do to me. Getting up early, skipping breakfast, running to the gym, eating a late (large) lunch and an even later (larger) dinner and then heading to bed. This is the busy American life that many people live. When working as many hours as most do, it is easy to eat like a sumo wrestler!

What if you don’t want to look like a sumo wrestler?

• Eat breakfast like a King (or Queen!). Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Breakfast gives your metabolism a daily kick-start plus it helps control your appetite throughout the rest of the day. We recommend a high fiber breakfast that has at least 15g of fiber. This can be attained by eating a high fiber cereal (at east 5g of fiber per serving), topped with 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal and blueberries. Fiber helps keep you satiated and also regulates blood glucose – so no energy crashes!
• Fuel prior to exercising and post exercising. For a pre-workout snack eat 1/2 a banana, a few whole-wheat crackers and 1/2 c of fruit juice (focus on carbohydrates). This will ensure you have a stronger workout and you will actually burn more calories! Then make sure to have a protein and carbohydrate based snack post-workout to refill your energy stores and maintain muscle mass.
• Eat throughout the day. Take time to eat a healthy lunch and don’t forget those late morning and afternoon snacks! We recommend eating every 3 hours (plus or minus 30 minutes). This will keep the hunger-inducing hormone, Ghrelin, at bay, ensuring you will not over eat and will make good choices.
• Limit alcohol. For weight loss, we recommend drinking no more than about 4 servings of alcohol per week. (Reminder: 1 serving of wine is 4 oz or 1/2 c, 1 serving of beer is 12 oz or a pint, and hard alcohol is 1.5 oz.) Alcohol is metabolized like a fat in the body, so think of each drink as eating 2 Fats (plus a Grain and Starch for beers!)
• Limit eating in restaurants. When eating at a restaurant it is much easier to make bad choices and eat too much, plus you cannot control the ingredients. Restaurants use a shocking amount of fatty products to ensure a yummy tasting meal. Don’t trust anything labeled “low fat” or “healthy choice” without doing a little investigating!
• Don’t eat a huge dinner and then head to bed. About 70% of your calories should be consumed during the day and only 30% should be eaten in the evening. For example, if you are following 1700 calories per day, then before your dinner you should consume about 1190 calories evenly spread out throughout the day, and then have about 510 calories for dinner and dessert.

It is easy to fall into bad sumo habits that stay with us for years. If you have difficulty with the above listed tips, then chose 1 or 2 and work on them. When you feel confident, then chose another 1 to 2, and work on those. You don’t have to be perfect all at once, or perfect every moment. It takes time to break habits, but you can definitely do it! Be nice to yourself and take baby steps. Many bad habits that people have were acquired over many years and they will not disappear over night. Just make small attainable adjustments and before you know it, those bad habits (and the weight) will be in the past!

Resources:
http://www.ada.com
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11138566

What is the new trend in nutrition?  Is it organic, local, low-carb, high carb, or low-fat?  Is it wine and chocolate or some other fabulous quick fix for health?

When it comes to food, we are all too familiar and confused by the various trends that have popped up over the years.  Do we choose to eat local or pick that organic and exotic fruit picked from a thousand miles away?  And what is the real story on carbohydrates?  How does wine, chocolate, and fat really affect us?  It seems that past trends often leave us without much choice at all!  In addition, the last few decades have seen a movement towards “quick fixes” in weight, health, and food.  Research shows that eating out of convenience (rather than nourishment) has led to higher intakes of fast or processed foods, furthermore leading to increases in chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer along with heart disease and inflammation.

Based on this data, nutrition has now taken a turn for the better through clean eating. Clean eating is the idea of consuming local foods in their most natural, fresh, and whole food state.  Ingredients are unadulterated and minimal.  Clean eating also avoids preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners and colors, and trans-fatty or hydrogenated fats.  But the spectrum of “clean food” only starts with the fruit or vegetable picked directly from the garden.  Whole grains, fresh meats, canned or frozen vegetables, breads, and cereals, minimally processed and with little to no added salt or sugar, can also be considered a clean food.  Highly processed foods are those farthest away from their natural state; poked, prodded, and mixed with various other non-foods.

Nutritious and tasty whole foods are good for our bodies, our wallets, and the environment.  Clean eaters will find themselves eating fresher and thus more nutritious foods along with eating less processed, salty, sweet, and fatty foods.  Cooking at home increases and whole foods, such as uncut vegetables or whole chickens, are preferred over prepackaged foods, lowering food costs.  Eating fresh whole foods also calls for less of an environmental impact as there is less to process, less waste in packaging, and less miles traveled.

Trends have come and gone but the traditions of yesterday have held strong.  Clean and simple whole foods, processed minimally and prepared with love in our own kitchens, return to the forefront of nutrition and bring us back to the basics.

Before we talk about nutrition, we need to talk about sleep. Just cutting down your sleep by one hour will have a huge negative effect on your energy for the rest of day. Nutrition For You doesn’t recommend a particular number of sleeping hours per night.  We all have our own individual sleep needs but it is very important to realize that if we don’t meet them for a few days, no matter how good we eat, we will feel exhausted because of not getting adequate amount of rest.

Aside from lack of sleep, there are chronic health conditions that can leave you constantly fatigued such as fibromyalgia and diabetes. Low-level depression and anxiety can also cause fatigue. These health issues may negatively affect your energy and focus throughout the day and it is important to discuss these issues with your doctor as soon as possible.

Assuming that you are sleeping enough and that you are addressing any health issues that can cause fatigue, proper nutrition can help you maintain a consistently high level of energy throughout the day.  Here are some key points.

A clear mind can boost your energy

Recent research shows that improving your cognition boosts your energy.  In other words, a clearer mind can make you feel more energetic.  Consuming foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can improve cognition.  In addition, the anti-oxidants in these foods can help your brain function and boost your memory.  Flax seeds, walnuts, and soybeans are particularly good sources of Omega-3 fatty acids.  Nutrition for You suggests consuming six to eight ounces of salmon per week.  However, if you cannot get salmon regularly, you can supplement your diet with fish oil.  Nutrition for You also recommends eating extra servings of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.  All of these will help keep your mind clear and engaged and boost your energy.

Eat before and after working out

Skipping meals before and after exercising can deplete your sugar significantly and make you feel tired for the rest of the day.  This underscores the importance of having both pre- and post-exercise meals.  The difference between the two may be crucial for a bodybuilder doing resistance training or a marathoner doing endurance workouts but for the average person, a general pre- and post-workout meal plan is relatively simple to put together.  Nutrition for You recommends consuming 20 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and 15 to 20 grams of protein an hour before working out.   For example, you can have a banana with yogurt or a slice of whole wheat bread with low-fat cheese before exercising.

It is equally important to eat after completing a physical activity.  Nutrition for You recommends consuming 30 grams of carbohydrates and 25 to 35 grams of protein within 15 to 30 minutes after working out.  For example, plan to bring a turkey sandwich or a banana and cheese to the gym with you. If you are really pressed for time, a shake or smoothie can be good as long as it contains both carbohydrates and protein.  It is important to stress that the post-exercise meal should be consumed within 15 to 30 minutes after working out.

Eat enough of the right stuff

To keep your energy up throughout the day, you need enough of the right calories from a combination of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats, ideally in every meal.  Avoiding carbohydrates and fats or skipping meals entirely can adversely affect your energy level.

Nutrition for You strongly recommends that you have breakfast within an hour of waking up.  You fast all night while you sleep and so it is important to break that fast as soon as you can after waking up and to do so with a balance of carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. For example, if you have yogurt, add a fruit; if you have bread, add egg whites or cheese.

As for the rest of the day, always remember to eat and avoid fasting for too long. Eating sensibly every three hours levels out blood sugar spikes.  In general, an average person should consume roughly 600 to 700 calories for lunch and 500 to 700 calories for dinner.  It is important to note that eating too much in a single meal may slow you down.   Dumping too many calories all at once takes a toll on your body and may make you feel tired.

Finally, eating refined carbohydrates such as white bread, noodles and white rice may give you a sudden spike in energy because they raise your blood glucose.  However, a surge of insulin will knock down the sugar and will linger after the sugar is absorbed. This will give you low blood sugar and, consequently will make you feel fatigued and prematurely hungry again.

Drink the right fluids

Sometimes fatigue is actually caused by dehydration even if you don’t feel thirsty.  If you consume enough fruits and vegetables as well as healthy soups then drinking five to six cups of water per day will keep you well hydrated.

In addition, you should try to avoid alcohol. Since alcohol is a depressant, consuming alcohol can contribute to your low energy.  Excessive drinking can definitely wear you down and excessive alcohol greatly dehydrates your body.

Adequate amount of sleep and rest combined with proper nutrition is the key to maintaining your energy up throughout the day.  Nutrition For You can help you develop a customized meal plan to help you achieve your specific nutrition and weight management goals.

by Kate Haisch

Breastfeeding is one of the best things a mother can do for her newborn. It offers extraordinary benefits for both mother and child. However, breastfeeding can be very demanding, which is why it is vital for a nursing mother to eat a healthy and balanced diet to ensure that both she and her baby are getting all the nutrients they need to support their activities.

Click here to read more about pregnancy and motherhood.

This is a great question!  I would like to clarify the difference between food as comfort food and food as reward.  Enjoying pleasurable or comfort food is natural and healthy.  But when you make food a goal, a punishment, a reward, or emotional fix, then you get into unhealthy habit territory.  Food should not be used to fix a bad day or to celebrate a good day.  If you want a cookie, it should be because you want to sit down to enjoy it, not because you feel you “deserve one” for any reason.

After losing weight, many of our clients wonder how to reintroduce more comfort foods back into their diet without going overboard.  Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures and you should definitely eat food that you enjoy.  We recommend eating no more than three comfort foods per week.  Make sure to balance out your allowances so that you may include these in your diet.  If you want to bake cookies, you should.  Eat a cookie and then put the rest away- freeze them, package them up or give them to a friend so you won’t be tempted to eat too many.  Eating comfort foods in moderation and with awareness is part of a healthy lifestyle.

Whether or not to buy organic or conventionally grown foods is a big topic that many of our members contemplate. Read on to learn more about which items you should consider buying organic and where conventional foods are sufficient.

The Clean and Dirty Details of Organic

Organic foods can be 50% more expensive than conventionally grown foods. However, the more organic foods you eat, the less pesticides you consume. It is especially important for children to consume organic foods. New studies suggest that pesticides are linked to ADHD, obesity, diabetes and learning disorders in kids who don’t yet have the immune system to be able to flush out these toxins.

Produce

Here are two lists: one for produce that we recommend you buy organic and one for produce where conventional is sufficient.

Meat and Poultry

It is very important to buy meat and poultry that has not been treated with antibiotics. Public health authorities recognize that antibiotic use in live-stock (used to fatten them up and prevent disease caused by over crowding and unsanitary living conditions) has led to people contracting antibiotic-resistant infections. The World Health Organization and the American Medical Association have urged farmers to stop using antibiotics. However, many farmers still continue to use antibiotics. So, when it comes to meat and poultry definitely buy meat that has not been treated.

What labels mean

BEST: Certified Organic. Meat that bears this label is raised without the use of antibiotics or related drugs and meets other rigorous standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). When organically raised animals become sick, they are treated with antibiotics but do not receive the organic label. A third party certifies these standards.

BEST: No Antibiotics Added/Raised without Antibiotics. This label indicates that the animals have not been fed antibiotics at any point in their lives. Meat from sick animals treated with antibiotics cannot be sold under this label claim. Although the USDA approved the use of this claim, compliance is not certified by a third party.

OK: Natural/All-Natural. The USDA defines a “natural” meat product as one that “contain[s] no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed.” Meat labeled “natural” may or may not have been treated with antibiotics.

DOESN’T MEAN MUCH: Free-Range/Free-Roaming. These labels have been approved by the USDA for poultry that have been allowed access to the outdoors, though they may never actually go outdoors.  However, the claim implies nothing about the practices of the producer regarding antibiotic use.

Milk

Many dairy farmers use the bovine growth hormone (bGH) to increase cattle weight as well as milk production. Though the FDA concluded that there are no risks to drinking milk from cows treated with this hormone, the issue is still being researched. bGH has been banned in Europe and Canada. Since there are so many dairies that don’t use this hormone, we suggest buying from them if you can. Buy milk and milk products labeled organic or “rbGH free.”

Whether you buy organic or not, here are some useful tips.

• Buy local produce whenever possible.
• Reduce pesticide residues and other contaminants by:
  • washing and scrubbing all produce under streaming water but never use soap,
  • peeling fruits and vegetables,
  • removing outer leaves of leafy vegetables.
• Discard produce that has been out of refrigerator for more than 4 hours.
• Trim visible fat and skin from meat and poultry (pesticides residues collect in fat).
• Eat a variety of foods from different sources.
• Prioritize: The majority of your organic food dollars should be spent on avoiding produce which carry the most pesticides.

Resources

Brannon, Carol Ann. “Organics: Separating Science Fiction from Fact.” Today’s Dietician 10.4 (2008): 8-14
Bareuther, Carol. “Mission Organic: 2010.” Today’s Dietician 10.4 (2008): 30-34
UCS: What’s in the Meat You Eat?

Key to the Cure is a women’s cancer initiative in partnership with the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund and Saks Fifth Avenue. Fertile Hope is pleased to return as the beneficiary of this charitable shopping initiative to help fight women’s cancers.

Nutrition for You will be participating in the Women’s Health & Wellness Fete in the  Saks Fifth Avenue on Friday October 17th and Saturday October 18th, 2008.

We will be joining the great folks working with Key to the Cure, and providing Nutrition information regarding an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce the your risk of cancer.  Join us downtown.  We’ll have information, free body fat testing, and great nutrition advice.