Holiday Weight Gain

According to Joy Bauer, RD (the wonderful RD on the Today Show each morning):

American’s eat an extra ~600 cals per day between Thanksgiving and New Years!

Lets do the math…

600 cals x 35 days = 21,000 extra cals

21,000 extra cals ÷ 3500 cals = Weight Gain of 6 lbs

Its important to prepare for maintenance over the holiday months. Forget weight loss, and definitely forget weight gain. Your goal is to make as many healthy decisions as you make unhealthy ones to prevent that little bit of weight gain that creeps up on you slowly.

Check out this study from 2000:

Holiday weight gain: fact or fiction?
Roberts SB, Mayer J.
Nutr Rev. 2000 Dec; 58 (12): 378-9.

Source: Energy Metabolism Lab, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

The prevalence of obesity continues to rise and controversy remains regarding the underlying specific causes of this trend. Recently, the magnitude of holiday weight gain and its contribution to annual weight gain were examined in a convenience sample of 195 adults. On average, weight gain during the 6-week winter period from Thanksgiving through New Year averaged only 0.37 kg (0.81 lbs). However, weight gain was greater among individuals who were overweight or obese, and 14% gained >2.3 kg (5 lb). In addition, among the entire population, weight gain during the 6-week holiday season explained 51% of annual weight gain. These results suggest that holiday weight gain may be an important contributor to the rising prevalence of obesity, even though absolute values for weight gain in this study were less than anticipated. Further studies using representative populations are needed to confirm these findings.
PMID: 11206847 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Here is how you do it.

1) Always balance out your carbs.

Try to actually make the portions of your carbs, match your protein. This is just a helpful trick, not hard science. But you'll find that the amount of carbs on your plate will mean you'd have to eat a 15 oz steak! So what naturally happens is you back down your carb portions and increase your protein portions. Fills you up and gives you proper nutrition.

2) Choose your beverage calories wisely.

Alcohol and "fluffy" holiday drinks pack a huge calorie punch. So make sure that if you do drink, its something you really enjoy that's worth it to you. Don't just have it because its there. Always flush it through with some extra water for hydration.

3) Self-Accountability.

Weigh yourself right now and write it down somewhere private. Or if you don't have a scale at home like me (seriously), then have your dietitian, trainer or BFF weigh you at their place and then write it down. Weight in again on December 1st, Jan 1st and Feb 1st. You should remain within the same ~3 lb range each time. If you are gaining, think about what may be causing that and make the adjustment. Ignorance is NOT bliss.

BEST OF LUCK! Follow these 3 steps and you'll be the same weight in January that you are now :)

Ashley

Read More

Elementary Nutrition

I spent the day on Wednesday at Woodin Elementary School on the Woodinville/Bothell border with my best friend and Woodin PE teacher, Jaclyn Rice. A part of the elementary PE curriculum now is nutrition focused, which is wonderful! They do a segment and test called "Mrs. Trimbles Muffins" where they learn about Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, Saturated Fat, Trans Fat, Fiber, Vitamin A and C, Iron, etc, etc.

During "Wildcat Wednesday" at Woodin I was able to spend about 25 minutes with each class (6 classes in one day contain the entire school!) 1st grade-6th grade. Here are some clips and photos from the day:

Kids understand science. I had drawings of molecules of saturated and trans fats up on the board and they totally got it. They were able to understand the word macronutrient vs. micronutrient and they walked away with a better understanding of why food is so important for their health.

Nutrition should be taught in school on a science level starting in kindergarten and repeated each year.

Kudos to Northshore School District, Woodin Elementary and most of all their PE teacher, Miss Jaclyn Rice for taking the time to utilize an RD to teach nutrition to her classes!

Read More

Thanksgiving Dinner

DO NOT PANIC!

Thanksgiving is just like any other day, we eat, drink, spend time with friends & family and enjoy and be thankful for the life we have. There just happens to be some specific food items that are associated with this particular holiday - foods that tend to make people nervous! The key is to relax and go in with a plan.

Just accept that the meal will be larger than normal, but this happens once a year so get over it, but don't throw it out the window either.

1) Take more turkey than you are used to taking.

Aim for about 5-6 oz of turkey (about 2 decks of playing cards). Turkey is a great source of protein that will help keep you full and promote stable blood sugar levels throughout the day.

2) Make sure there is a Non-Starchy Veggie on the table and on YOUR plate.

Most Thanksgiving tables have no garden veggies to be found! (Unless its a green bean casserole full of cream-of-mushroom soup and fried onions). Bring a brussels sprouts dish or even a green salad this year, and fill about 1/2 your plate with it. Yep, half.

3) Choose your Carbohydrates Carefully.

The issue with Thanksgiving dinner is the amount of carbohydrates present. You have the stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams, cranberry sauce, alcohol, pies, crackers, rolls, etc, etc, etc.

**Plan for 300-400 calories of your meal to come from your carbohydrate choices.**

Think about what you really want to spend those calories on, and avoid the things you can have anytime (like the rolls or regular corn).

1/2 cup of Traditional Stuffing: 120 calories

1/2 cup Mashed Potatoes: 150 calories

1/2 cup Sweet Potato (plain): 100 calories

1 Dinner Roll (tennis ball size): 130 calories

1/4 cup Cranberry Sauce: 110 calories

1 slice Pumpkin Pie (small slice): 230 calories

1 slice Pecan Pie (small slice): 450 calories

5 oz Red or White Wine: 100-130 calories

1 cup Egg Nog: 350 calories

1 cup Hot Buttered Rum: 300 calories

So choose wisely, enjoy your meal and time with friends and family and be thankful for the ups and downs that you are given in life. Its all for a purpose.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Read More

Holy Potatoes...

Potatoes are a carbohydrate.

Potatoes are a complex carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are various forms of sugars.

The brain runs on carbohydrates.

Excess carbohydrates are stored as fat.

Potatoes contain vitamins and minerals.

All this being said, do I think this is a good idea? No.

www.20potatoesaday.com

The Executive Director of the Washington State Potato Commission is going to eat only potatoes for 60 days straight. This escapade began on Friday October 4th. Potatoes aren't unhealthy, as I've demonstrated with the facts above, but eating a diet strictly made of carbohydrates without a balance of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals sure is.

Lets watch and see what happens...

Read More

The Missing Piece

Okay I know I said there is no "secret" to weight loss or health, and there isn't. But this is the closest thing to a secret mostly because dietitians know about it and most other people don't - its the missing piece that 90% of people don't understand.

• Its why Ive seen people cut their calories dangerously low and workout like crazy and still not lose weight.
• If you don't do it, your risk of Type 2 Diabetes increases.
• Its the reason some people are starving throughout the day even though they eat and eat and eat.
• Its the cause of mood swings, irritability and even nausea.

Ready?

Being healthy encompasses 2 parts.

1) Calories in, Calories out.
Everybody knows this one. Eat less, move more. Makes sense.

2) Balance and Pattern.
Nobody knows this one. What to eat and when to eat it. This is "the secret".

Throw out all the information in your brain that you've read about random food-pairing, not eating after a certain time, snacking is bad, etc, etc. Because all that's going to do is confuse you.

In the simplest way I can think of to say it: "Don't Eat Carbohydrates Alone."
That can be taken 2 ways, either don't eat just carbohydrates (which applies since you need variety in your diet) and also the way in which I meant it "never eat a carbohydrate food by itself, it needs a pal - Protein or Fat - to go with it."

Why?
Because carbohydrates are the one food group responsible for spiking your blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates are also the preferred source of fuel for your brain and your organs - meaning they are IMPORTANT and you NEED them! Don't cut out carbs, you'll just end up grumpy and dumb. First of all carbs are just anything that contains sugar (basically) whether its natural sugar, refined sugar, starchy sugar. Its a carb. (hint: anything that ends in "-ose" is a sugar. Lactose, Fructose, Maltose, Dextrose, Glucose...) Which makes carbs a confusing food group. Because that puts cupcakes and apples in the same group.

So when you eat a carb, your blood sugar levels (glucose) goes up. Your organs (Liver and Pancreas) are responsible for keeping your glucose levels within a nice little stable window. But high intakes of carbohydrates all at once (huge portion sizes or a very concentrated source of simple carbohydrate like desserts/candies, fruits, honey) can spike your glucose levels very fast and very high, making your organs work double-time to try and stabilize them. Too much of this and your organs will grow tired and burn out - causing a little disease we like to call Type 2 Diabetes - thats right, its not just about overweight anymore. Now its not the carbs that cause the disease, its because you're eating too many and eating them all alone.

Riddle me this... "What goes up, must come _________?"

When your glucose level spikes that high, that fast its going to come crashing down. The rate at which it falls and how low it falls causes your body to panic. So the body signals you to do what? Bring it back up again. And what brings your blood sugar up again? Carbs. Welcome to the vicious cycle of sugar and carb cravings, all day hunger and eventual Pre or Type 2 Diabetes.

Adding the protein or fat with the carb causes the blood sugar to come down nice and slow so that you dont get the fast crash or the low dip.

How?
Easy fix! Always eat a carbohydrate with a protein or a healthy fat.

Good Ideas:

• Fruit (C) + Nuts (F)
• Fruit (C) + Cheese (P)
• Rice (C) + Salmon or Chicken (P)
• Pasta (C) + Meat Sauce (P)

Bad Ideas:

• Cereal (C) + Milk (C)
• A piece of fruit alone for a snack
• Pasta (C) + Marinara (C)
• Toast (C) + Jam (C)
• Yogurt (C) + Fruit (C) + Granola (C)

For more specifics see my post on "The Plate Model" which outlines this concept in more depth with a visual...http://crave-health.blogspot.com/2009/02/portion-sizes-vs-serving-sizes.html

Eating with this balance and making sure you don't go more than 4 hours without eating will dramatically change your life and will also improve the way your body digests and metabolizes. Pretty soon you'll be a fine tuned machine :)

Some hidden gems to try: (and no I don't get paid for promoting brands these are just ones I happen to like that I'm sharing with you as a friend!)

Great balanced snack all in one: Flavored Greek Yogurt

Good fast breakfast protein: MorningStar Veggie Sausage Patties

I swear they don't taste like soy/beans/vegetarian products.

Awesome with some peanut butter on them: Lundberg Brown Rice Cakes

Now get out there and conquer your day!

Blessings, Ashley

Read More