The Dietitian Is In: Do you stick to your "diet" 24/7?

When we meet someone for the first time and share what we do, it often seems to open the gateway to a game of 20 questions. “What do you think about the Paleo diet?” “It’s a good thing to give up gluten, right?” “Is a banana bad for me?” “So, do you always eat healthy?” When we’re asked these kinds of questions, we’re happy to answer them. We feel grateful that people feel comfortable enough to ask. Here's a recent question we were asked...and here's the answer!

Question: Is it necessary to stick to my diet 24/7 in order to gain health benefits?

Answer: There’s a fine line between eating foods that are good for your health, and eating only foods good for your health. The importance of getting quality nutrition is receiving increasing attention in mainstream media today. While it’s a good thing to foster healthy eating habits, and therefore reduce the risk for obesity and other chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, an extreme approach to diet may not be such a good thing. In fact, health experts are concerned that it can lead to a new category of eating disorders classified as “orthorexia nervosa” or “healthorexia.” Orthorexia can start out as an innocent attempt to eat more healthfully, but can quickly lead to an unhealthy obsession over food quality or a fixation on “righteous eating,” according to the National Eating Disorder Association. People with orthorexia, for example, may become preoccupied with only eating low-glycemic, unprocessed, or organic foods. Like other disordered eating behaviors, orthorexia can lead to malnutrition as individuals become increasingly restrictive with their dietary choices. It’s important to remember that health status is the result of long term eating habits. One simply does not get diabetes from having a candy bar, or heart disease from having one meal of fried chicken. Ultimately, it’s best for your health to develop eating habits that are sustainable for the long term. This includes allowing yourself to enjoy the occasional treat from time to time.

This Q & A was written by McKenzie for the October 2013 issue of Environmental Nutrition.

A recently published article in the Los Angeles Times provides additional insight into orthorexia. You can read the full article by Mary MacVean, “For those with orthorexia, diet can never be 'pure' enough” here.

Eating Well Isn't About Perfection

There are always so many things I want to say in honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Lisa and I have shared our thoughts about “dieting,” body image, and our society’s preoccupation with a certain ideal before.

This is why we feel so good about our non-diet philosophy.

In a TED Talk I recently watched featuring Sandra Aamodt, titled “Why dieting usually doesn’t work,” she points out that the typical outcome of dieting is that you’re more likely to gain weight than lose it.

Why?

Diets tend to categorize certain foods as ‘bad,’ ‘wrong,’ or ‘off-limits,’ which often sets the foundation for a cycle of failure and/or guilt. When we feel deprived, this often leads to subsequent overeating.  How many times have you broken your "diet" and thought “I blew it anyways, so I might as well have more…”?  

When we allow all foods into our life, we can relieve ourselves from this cycle of deprivation followed by guilt, and learn to truly enjoy food and listen to our bodies for hunger and fullness cues.



Sandra Aamodt concludes her TED Talk perfectly: "Our daughters have learned to measure their worth by the wrong scale," she said.

So this week (and every week!) we want you to keep this in mind.

And this...

And this...

And this...

And this...

A very special thanks to the wonderful crew at Nature Box for making our body loving tips so beautiful!

Holiday Survival Guide

We all seem to approach the holidays with equal measures of excitement and dread.  I get to decorate the house! Throw a party! Get dressed up! versus So much food! So many desserts! Not another party…

It can be overwhelming, especially if you’re wrestling with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or other health conditions that mean you really must be conscious of what you eat over the holidays.  Whether you need to keep your blood sugars in check or just want to still be able to fit into your skinny jeans on January 1, here’s a holiday survival guide.  Follow these guidelines, and you’ll meet the new year with cheer!

1.      Don’t starve yourself.

One of the best ways to prevent overeating is to eat often, beginning with breakfast.  How many times have you ‘saved up’ for a party by not eating all day…and ended up eating everything in sight? Nourishing your body every three to five hours—beginning with breakfast—keeps your hunger cues in check, your energy level up, your blood sugars stable, and keeps you in holiday cheer.  You know our advice: eat mostly vegetables, some fruits, protein, fiber-filled carbohydrates and good, healthy fats.  Your body will thank you.

2.      Practice Portion Control

We all have our favorite holiday foods, whether it’s sweet chocolate pecan brittle or savory cheese and sausage biscuits.  This time of year, people gather together and make memories with the people they love, primarily around well-loved food.  Enjoy a (small) serving of your holiday favorites, completely guilt free. Eat them slowly, savor the flavors, and then wait 20 minutes after you finish eating before considering a second helping.  The first few bites are always the best.  Savor them!

3.      Eat what you really want.

When you arrive at a holiday dinner or party, eat what you really want first.  If you try to ‘be good’ and avoid your favorite food, you usually end up eating all the way around it…and then going back and eating it anyway (on top of everything else).  So, eat what you really want.  Take a small portion and really enjoy it.  Take the time to relish every delicious bite.  It might be another year before you taste it again.  

4.      Limit your options.

If you’re in charge of the buffet table, make only the food that your family really loves and enjoys.  Studies show that the more choices we have, the more we eat.  So skip all of the extras and only put out the real favorites.  You’ll end up eating less overall, but getting more pleasure out of the foods you love, because you won't try that green bean casserole that you don't even really like.  And if you’re visiting someone else’s buffet, be strategic.  Stay clear of those foods you don’t love.  You don’t have to be polite and put everything on your plate.  Just fake a food allergy: I'm sorry, but I'm allergic to fruit cake....  

5.      Drink Responsibly

I’m not talking about avoiding drinking and driving (although that’s very important, too).  But holiday cocktails (even non-alcoholic ones) can be packed with excess sugar.  Think eggnog, hot apple cider, rum punch… If you really love eggnog, enjoy a small cup.  Most of the time, choose red or white wine or champagne.  They are lower in sugar and calories than a mixed drink. Even better, studies show moderate wine consumption (one glass a day for women, two for men) reduces the risk of heart disease.  Moderation is key, so be sure to alternative those drinks with some water or sparkling water!

6.      Eat the real thing.

Don’t try to make fake ‘lo-cal’ or 'low fat' substitutes of your favorite foods.  When making your holiday dishes and desserts, use real sugar—sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey—and not artificial sweeteners.  Use real bacon, not turkey bacon (which is higher in sodium and has the same number of calories).  Use real butter, not fake butter (which could contain trans fats—really bad for your heart).  You get the picture.  Get real, eat small portions, and enjoy yourself. 

7.      Experiment with New Recipes

Holiday recipes seem to always guild the lily—adding extra sugar and butter even when it’s not needed. Do a little experimenting with your traditional holiday recipes.  You know the sweet potato casserole that has a cup of sugar…and heavy whipping cream…and butter?  And that doesn’t include the streusel topping!  Try reducing the sugar in half or quarters, swapping the heavy whipping cream for half and half or whole milk, and reducing the butter by half.  Chances are, it will actually taste better—and you’ll certainly feel better after eating it! 

8.      Take Advantage of Seasonal Ingredients

Fall and winter provide us with an incredible bounty of vegetables and fruits for our holiday table.  Take advantage and experiment—with brussels sprouts, delicata squash, kale, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, fresh cranberries...  A variety of vegetables and fruits provides incredible nutrition (think antioxidants!) and makes you feel good (thanks primarily to fiber!).    

9.      Get Moving.

When the days get shorter and darker, our desire to be active wanes.  But being active is one of the best ways to keep your metabolism humming along, reduce your appetite, and burn off that second piece of pie.  For your own well-being, start a new holiday tradition, like a brisk walk around the neighborhood to look at the holiday lights, skating a few laps around the ice rink, hitting the slopes or going sledding.  It doesn’t have to be a full day commitment. Even a few minutes here and there makes a difference!

10.  Be Nice to Yourself

If you don't pay attention to any of these guidelines and you completely overdo it...be nice to yourself!  If you overeat one day, just make healthy, balanced choices the next day.  It's that simple.   

Happy Holidays!

And to get you started on your holiday cooking, here's a recipe for one of our childhood favorites, recreated with less sugar, butter and cream, but still delicious!

Sweet Potato Pecan Streusel Casserole

Serves 10 - 12

3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 large)

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup of half and half

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or bourbon

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

Topping

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 cup pecans, chopped if desired

½ dark brown sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place whole sweet potatoes on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Pierce with a knife.  Place in the oven and bake for about an hour, or until very tender.  Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Scoop the flesh of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl.  Add maple syrup, half and half, melted butter, vanilla, eggs and salt.  Blend with a mixer on medium-high until smooth.

Make the streusel topping.  In another medium bowl, blend together the whole wheat flour, pecans, brown sugar, butter and salt, until the mixture is coated with butter.

Pour sweet potato mixture into a buttered casserole dish.   Top with streusel topping.  Place in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, or until casserole is puffed and streusel is browned on top.  If it starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Enjoy, preferably with someone you love...at the holiday table!

Top 5 Nutrition Myths

The following diet myth-busters are based on LUNA’s Debunking the Diet video series.  It you haven’t seen it, you should check it out here.    

Full disclaimer:  We work with LUNA.  But, we loved them even before they hired us to be a part of their nutrition team.

Myth #1:         Eating fat makes you fat.

The Truth:      Your body needs fat!  Fats are necessary to help our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), and are building-blocks for every cell in our body, even helping us have glowing skin and healthy hair.  Fat is also satiating!  When we eat fat, it sends a signal to our brain that says, “I’m full.  I’m satisfied.”  Eating a little fat with our meals can actually help us eat less, overall.  And even better, fat tastes good!  Some fats are better than others, like avocados, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts and seeds.  But, it’s all about balance.  So, don’t be afraid of buttering your toast.  When you’re eating foods higher in fat, just choose smaller portion sizes. 

Myth #2:         Eating carbs makes you fat.

The Truth:      Your body needs carbs!  In the body, carbohydrates are converted directly to glucose, which is the best form of fuel for your body and the only fuel used by your brain.  Your brain alone needs about 500 - 600 calories of glucose daily to function.  Anytime we give up a whole food group, we’re likely to crave it and overeat in the long run.  Balance is key.  Most of the time, choose whole, intact carbohydrates, like whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables.  These are high in fiber, filled with phytonutrients, and satisfying!

Myth #3:         Snacking makes you fat.

The Truth:      Smart snacking is good for us!  Eating regularly throughout the day ensures you don’t get too hungry, tired, or cranky before your next meal.  Snacking actually helps prevent us from overeating later in the day.  Just think of them as many meals, with the same combination of protein, fat, carbohydrates and fiber.  Also, take the time to enjoy your snacks!  Give yourself a few minutes to sit and savor what you’re eating.  Your body—and your soul—will think you!

Myth #4:         Fasting is the best way to lose weight.

The Truth:      Dieting—especially fasting, or skipping meals—is stressful and tends to raise cortisol levels contributing to higher rate of weight regain, depression, and upper body obesity.  Instead of fasting, eat small portions of healthy foods regularly throughout the day.  The best eating plan is to eat frequent small meals and snacks with a little protein, fat, carbohydrate and fiber, to give you energy and keep you satisfied from morning ‘til night!   

Myth #4:         Eating after 8 p.m. makes you gain weight.

The Truth:      Your body doesn’t care what time it is.  If you’re really listening to your body, and learning to understand when you’re really hungry—or when you’re just bored, tired, angry, happy, or some other emotions—then when to eat will take care of itself.  What’s important is the total number of calories that we take in over the course of the day.  Our bodies don’t care if we eat at 6 pm or 10 pm, as long as the total calories we take in doesn’t exceed our needs.  So, calories count, the clock doesn’t.  So, really what we should be focusing on is practicing moderation, not deprivation.  If you have a late dinner, that’s totally fine.  And if you need a snack before bed, that’s fine, too.  Stop watching the clock, and eat when you’re hungry.

A Guide to Mindful Eating

McKenzie and I are on a mission to debunk diet myths and make eating simple.

As a society, we’ve made food and nutrition so complicated, with confusing mixed messages about what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat.  On top of that, food and eating are intricately entwined with emotions and mood, hormones and body chemistry, and celebrations and traditions.  Many of us obsess about food, thinking about it all the time.  Others avoid food altogether. 

How do we learn to make peace with food and our bodies, to learn how to nourish ourselves? We can start by practicing mindful eating, learning to listen to our bodies, honor our cravings and develop healthy habits for our body and soul. 

Here are a few strategies for letting go of the madness and giving ourself permission to nourish ourselves.   

 

Pause, Breath and Learn to Listen to Your Body

Before eating, pause and take a deep breath to connect yourself to your body and the present moment. Notice how you are feeling.  Listen to your body signals.  How hungry are you?  How do you feel?  Are you eating because you’re hungry, or because you’re tired, bored, angry, happy or celebratory?  As you eat, pause between bites to notice how you feel.  Are you still hungry? Have you had enough food? Are you satisfied? Those questions might have different answers.  Pause to consider.  After you’re eaten, notice how your body feels.  Still empty?  Just right? Uncomfortably full?  Again, pause and take a deep breath.  Connecting to your body, your body sensations and your feelings takes practice. A lot of practice.  But if you pause, breath and listen each time you eat, you will learn to listen to and understand your body, and your own hunger and fullness.    

 

Forget the Clean Plate Club

Growing up, many of us learned to finish everything on our plate, regardless of whether we wanted more food or not.  While none of us wants to waste food, we do ourselves and our body an injustice by eating more that we want or need.  If you’re at home, learn to serve yourself smaller portions to start, knowing you can always go back and get more.  When eating out, ask for a box to take the leftovers home. 

 

Food does not Equal Morality

“I was bad this weekend.”  “This is my guilty pleasure.”  “This is sinfully delicious.”  “I was good, and only ate a banana all day today.”  How often do you hear these phrases—or ones like them—coming from your lips?  Food and eating do not equal morality.  Banish these words from your food dictionary—guilty (and its opposite—guilt-free), decadent, sinful—and any other words that equate morality with eating.  Eating dessert—or not eating dessert—does not make you a good person or a bad person.  Food nourishes us.  We have to learn how to ignore unreasonable rules about good and bad foods, to learn how to accept our hunger and cravings for what they are, and to learn how to honor them.

 

Food Should be Pleasurable

Discover—or rediscover—the pleasure of eating good food, food that tastes good and makes us smile.  Finding pleasure in food is one of the keys to learning to eat just the right amount.  When you savor each bite, relishing in how the food tastes and makes you feel, it takes a lot less to satisfy your body and your taste buds.  Food is supposed to be enjoyed and savored—not feared.  If you have a food craving, allow yourself a single serving of something you really enjoy.  And do so with abundant thankfulness for the utter sensory pleasure and sense of well-being we receive from food. 

 

 

DIET is a Four-Letter Word!

Every year, around 45 million Americans go on a diet, spending a total of $33 billion dollars on weight loss products.  And yet, two-thirds of our country struggles with overweight or obesity and weight-related illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.  Diets don’t work.  While many people do, in fact, lose weight on fad diets, research shows they usually gain it back within a short period of time.  Why don’t diets work?  Diets tend to categorize certain foods as bad, wrong, or off-limits, and they don’t help you to develop a positive, loving relationship with food. This sets you up for failure or guilt. When you’re able to allow all foods into your eating world, you are finally able to relieve yourself of unconscious feelings of deprivation which can often lead to subsequent overeating.  How many times have you broken your diet and thought “I blew it anyways, so I might as well have more…”? If you allow yourself to enjoy favorite foods mindfully, you’ll be less likely to over-indulge in the long run.  Allow all foods in your life, in moderation.

 

 

Manage Stress in Healthy Ways (other than eating)

Listen to music.  Laugh.  Take a bubble bath after the kids have gone to bed.  Play with your pet.  Go on a walk.  Pick fresh flowers.  Write in a journal.  Punch a pillow.  Scream at the top of your lungs.  Call a friend.  Read a book.  Rent a movie.  Clean out your closet.  Paint.  Have a dance party in your room.  Work on a jigsaw puzzle.  Take a nap.  Breath.

 

 

Forget About the Numbers

Instead of getting hung up on a food’s nutrition content—things like grams of sugar, fat and fiber—focus just on eating real foods.  There’s no need to add more work to your already-busy day by asking you to bring a calculator to the dinner table.  Research shows we're bad at counting anyway, underestimating how much we eat by 20 - 40 percent.  When you focus on eating real foods—in reasonable portions—the nutrition takes care of itself.  In addition, don’t get stuck on a number on the scale, or the size of your pants.  Instead, focus on being the healthiest, most vibrant and active version of you.

 

Practice Self-Compassion

There are going to be some days when you eat too much and some days when you eat too little.  Or exercise too much, or too little.  That’s okay.  It’s part of being human.  It’s part of life.  Remind yourself that you are absolutely a perfectly imperfect version of you.  To help you practice self-compassion, develop a positive affirmation about nourishing and loving your body, and repeat it to yourself each day.  Put it on your refrigerator.  Write it one your mirror.  Make it your screen saver.  Add it to your prayer book.  Giver yourself the gift of a postive daily affirmation:  You are worth it.       

 

 

Ditch the Resolution. Be Kind to Yourself.

If your January 1^st resolution involved dieting or weight loss, you’re not alone.  It’s the number one resolution made by Americans at the start of every new year.  But, by February 1^st, four out of five people have ditched the effort and returned to old habits.

This year, ditch the diet resolution.  If you've already fallen off the wagon, don't sweat it.  Be kind to yourself. 

The problem with resolutions is the ‘all or nothing’ attitude that comes with them, setting you up for failure when you ‘mess up.'  Rigid rules like “I’m giving up dessert,” or “I’m never eating carbs,” or “I’m giving up gluten,” or “I’m not eating after seven in the evening” set unrealistic expectations for perfection; and the only thing being given up is the resolution.      

While restrictive diets can work in the short term, they’re not sustainable.  Depriving yourself of foods you truly enjoy, or foods essential for nourishing your body and brain, often results in overcompensation—overeating—when you get tired of the diet.  Diets can start in motion a vicious cycle of guilt and self-recrimination that usually result in despair.

This year, let’s shift our resolve from restrictive dieting to a focus on developing or reestablishing sustainable, balanced habits for healthy bodies and minds.  By practicing moderation, moving your body every day, and exhibiting self-compassion, you’ll be developing habits for a lifetime of health and happiness.

Here are a few guidelines for a new (non)diet philosophy for 2013:

1.      Eat real food.  You've heard us say this again and again.  It may sound simplistic, but simply eating real food—food you can imagine growing—as opposed to bagged, boxed, colored, bedazzled, processed food, is the first big step toward good health.  Fill at least half of your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables, and the other with good sources of non-refined carbohydrates and lean proteins. 

 

 

2.      Variety is the spice of life.  Eating well isn’t about what you can’t eat, it’s about what you can eat.  Just peruse the shelves and bins of your local grocery or Co-op to discover new fruits or vegetables, spices or ingredients you’ve never tried before.  Pick one new ingredient each week.  Not only does introducing new foods bring interest to your meals, different foods and spices contain diverse phytochemical profiles that contribute unique health benefits for our bodies and minds.     

3.      Eat often.  Nourish your body every three to four hours to keep your energy high and your metabolism humming along from morning until night.  Starving yourself by skipping meals results in a drop in blood sugar, likely sending you running straight for the vending machine.  Instead, eat smaller meals and appropriate snacks throughout the day.  Planning ahead is key.  Keep a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator (and car and desk) to prevent impulse eating.  

 

 

4.      Allow yourself to enjoy your favorite foods mindfully.  Diets tend to categorize certain foods as ‘bad,’ or ‘off-limits,’ setting you up for failure or guilt. When we allow all foods into our life, we can relieve ourselves of unconscious feelings of deprivation which often leads to subsequent overeating.  How many times have you broken your 'diet resolution' and thought “I blew it anyways, so I might as well have more…”?  Want ice cream?  Or french fries?  Or pizza?  Eat the real thing--not an imitation.  Then, enjoy your favorite foods mindfully, meaning you savor each bite, eating slowly and without distraction.  If you honor your cravings in small portions—you’ll be less likely to over-indulge in the long run.

5.      Move your body daily.  Daily physical activity has incredible health benefits-- everything from protecting your heart to controlling your blood sugar to elevating your mood.  Select activities that bring you joy—walking your dog, dancing, gardening, chasing your child around the yard—and engage in them often, and with relish.  Activity does not have to mean logging hours on a treadmill.  In fact, you’ll get more benefits from picking activities you love—partly because you’ll stick with them.   

 

 

For more in-depth information and training on a (non)diet philosophy for total health and wellness, sign up for my (Lisa's) January Healthy Connections Class No Diet Weight Loss on January 22nd.  

 

A version of this article appears in the January 2013 edition of the Bellingham Community Co-op Newsletter.