The Vitamins: Vitamin B6

Slowly, Im going to work through all of the vitamins and minerals, donating a blog post to each.

Each blog will address:

What does it do?
How much do we need?
Where can you get it?
What if we dont get enough?
What if we get too much?
The Reccomended Daily Allowance or RDA for that vitamin or mineral

Welcome to Vitamin B6!

What does it do?
Vitamin B-6 or "Pyridoxine" is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays a significant role in helping make amino acids that build body cells, including muscles. Vitamin B6 also helps produce red blood cells, infection-fighting antibodies and insulin (a hormone that uses glucose, synthesizes protein and stores fat).

How much do we need?
The following table lists the recommended intake for healthy people based on current scientific information.

Where can we get it?
Rich food sources of vitamin B-6 include chicken, fish, whole grains, beans, fortified cereals and nuts. Some soy-based meat substitutes are fortified with vitamin B-6.

What if we don't get enough?
Vitamin B-6 deficiency, while rare, can occur in people consuming poor-quality diets. Symptoms typically don’t occur until the later stages of deficiency. Signs of deficiency can include skin rashes, depression, nausea, convulsions and confusion.

What if we get too much?
No adverse effects have been associated with high intakes of vitamin B6 from foods. Very large doses of supplemental vitamin B-6 (in the form of pyridoxine) have been associated with painful nerve damage in the extremities (such as fingers and toes).


How you can get some B6 this week:
Hazelnut Crusted Halibut with Marsala Mango Sauce

Hazelnuts contain 0.2 mg of Vitamin B6 per 1oz of nuts!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Marsala Mango Sauce
3/4 cup Marsala wine, sweet
1/4 cup Chutney, mango or regular
1 tablespoon Butter or margarine
1 teaspoon Soy sauce, lite
1/4 teaspoon Ginger, ground

Hazelnut Crusted Halibut
3/4 cup Hazelnuts, toasted, skin
removed, finely diced
1 tablespoon Parsley, diced
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Black pepper, ground
1 Egg, beaten
4 (4oz each) Halibut fillets
2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Bring Marsala wine to boil in small saucepan; reduced heat and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, stirring constantly. Add chutney, bring back to simmer and reduce to 1/2 cup, stirring
constantly. Stir in butter or margarine, soy sauce and ginger until butter is melted. Process in
blender until smooth; set aside.
Mix hazelnuts, parsley, salt and pepper in medium bowl; set aside. Place beaten egg in separate
medium bowl; set aside.
Rinse fish and pat dry. Dip fish in beaten egg; turning to coat. Place coated fish in hazelnut
mixture, pressing nuts onto fish to coat both sides.
Heat oil in large ovenproof frying pan over medium high heat. Add fish and fry for 1 to 2
minutes until bottom is browned. Turn fish and place skillet in oven. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes
per 1-inch thickness of fish until flakey. Spoon 2 tablespoons heated sauce over each fillet.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving:

Calories 460 (51% Calories from Fat), 29g Protein,
17g Carbohydrate, 3g Fiber, 27g Fat, 4.5g Sat. Fat, 0g Trans Fat, 100mg Cholesterol,
1030mg Sodium

Sources: EatingWell.com, ADA, Hazelnut Council

Blessings,

Ashley

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Alcohol Part Three: The Freshman Fifteen

Alcohol Part Three: The Freshman Fifteen

Disclaimer: I am in no way condoning underage drinking. It is against the law to consume alcohol under the age of 21 in the US and I support that fully. Its no secret that kids across our nation are drinking underage and most of that increase coming during the college years. This phenomenon called the "Freshman Fifteen" is a topic of health concern that I feel comfortable addressing; but in no way do I encourage or support someone under the age of 21 consuming alcohol. Got it?

"The Freshman 15" is a term that is used to describe the "supposed" 15 lbs that a freshman student gains in their first year of college. Now is this scientifically proven? No. It could be more like the Freshman 5 or the Freshman Minus-10...it all depends on the person going to school. My weight fluctuated down my freshman year and then up my sophomore year - again, it just depends on the person. BUT, what we cant deny is that it is obvious with many students that come back from school their first year, that they have gained weight. Maybe not 15 lbs, but something noticeable. So, what is the deal with this weight gain?


Well, there are many many factors that set up a young college student for an unhealthy lifestyle:

• lack of sleep / crazy sleep patterns
• lack of funds for healthy food / fast food intake
• skipping meals due to classes or studying
• eating out on dates (seriously this one is sneaky but its true!)
• and last but not least, increased alcohol intake

If you think about it, these factors in college all add up to a huge lifestyle change and point of transition, and most of them are not healthy ones for the physical body! Lets talk about each of these points more in detail...


1) Sleep.
Most people don't know this, but sleep is a HUGE factor in our body's state of health. This is one of the hidden reasons behind why adults cant seem to lose weight even though they are exercising and eating right. The fact is, that hormones are regulated during our sleep patterns and there are 2 specific hormones that deal with weight: Leptin and Ghrelin. Leptin (greek: leptos = thin) is the hormone that signals our brain to tell us that we are full. This feeling of fullness is called "satiety". Not "Im so full I feel like I want to explode" - that is an unhealthy form of fullness. Ghrelin does just the opposite - ghrelin tell us that we are hungry.


In a study done out of Stanford University (This one is for you Tyler) they were able to demonstrate a relationship between sleep and metabolic hormones stating, "...where chronic sleep restriction is common and food is widely available, changes in appetite regulatory hormones with sleep curtailment may contribute to obesity." Did you know that people who sleep 2-4 hours per night are 73% more likely to be obese than normal sleepers? Interesting how this ties in with college life. In fact, the study showed a 14.9% increase in ghrelin (hunger) and a 15.5% decrease in leptin (fullness) in people who consistently slept for five hours compared with those who slept for eight!


This means that....

2. Funds - Fast Food is cheap.
This topic ticks me off more than any other topic out there. It is absolutely maddening to me that when you drive through fast food places, the burger or tacos is a dollar and to add apples instead of fries is an extra charge. Are you kidding me??


This is one of the biggest excuses I hear as to why someone isnt able to "eat healthy". Because its just too expensive. Now, in some cases, yes the organic produce can be expensive (a post on organics and if its worth it is coming soon), but there are plenty of things you can buy for cheap that will last you a long time and are healthier choices than the drive thru. Here are just a few examples:

• Grains. Dried beans or grains in the bags at the bottom of the aisles are sometimes under a dollar, and usually wont be much more than a dollar. There are plenty of servings for one in that bag of brown rice or black beans, it just takes time to cook them (unless you have a pressure cooker or rice cooker of course).
• Fruit and Veggies. Fresh or frozen, there is always produce that is on sale for __cents per pound. Make sure you actually eat it and it doesnt rot on your counter and its worth the money. If the fresh is too expensive frozen produce is just as good if not better! Produce is frozen soon after being picked so the vitamins and minerals remain in the fruit/veggie. Sometimes fresh produce (if not bought locally) can be on a truck for weeks before ending up in the store, meaning those nutrients have been fading that whole time.
• Cans. Canned beans, olives, mandarin oranges, etc is a great way to round out a meal cheaply. Just rinse the contents with water before eating to take care of the excess sodium issue and with mandarin oranges try to find brands that are canned in their own juice or water - not heavy or light syrups.
• Eggs. A dozen eggs are just a couple bucks - you can do scrambles, egg sandwiches, eggs salads, breakfast for dinner, etc. Great source of protein.

3. Meal Times.
College is CRAZY for timing. You cant help what classes you get or when you need to leave to make it to class on time. Sometimes you'll have back to back classes for 5 hours and other times you'll have class right in the middle of normal meal hours and even at night. So you know what this means? Planning and organization.


You should never go more than 4 hours without eating max. The metabolism feels more comfortable when it gets a little nourishment throughout the day rather than having 2-3 big meals with lots of time in between. If you go long enough without eating the body can slip into a panic mode and think its "starving" in which case it begins to store nutrients (and protein, fat, carbs) in case you need it. The human body works for survival remember, and it is going to do everything it can to prevent the worst.


Create an emergency pack to keep in your dorm, backpack/purse, pantry, office, etc. Have non-perishable items in there that include protein, produce, carbohydrate and fat. Examples: foil tuna packs, crackers, mandarin orange cups, whole oranges or apples, beef or turkey jerky, raw nuts/seeds, dried fruit, etc. This way youll always have a healthy alternative when you start to come up on 4 hours without eating. This will prevent a run to a drive thru or unhealthy food choice.


4. Dating.
You meet lots of really cool people when in college and around the college age, so naturally youll be eating out with someone you like. Restaurants cook for flavor, not for health. This means that no matter what you order its going to have more fat or calories in it than you think. Thats okay, just make some smart choices. Always ask for dressing on the side, extra veggies and a to-go box. Arrange your plate to look like the plate model (refer to previous blogpost: http://crave-health.blogspot.com/2009/02/portion-sizes-vs-serving-sizes.html). And make sure you watch how much of that bread or chips you take before the food even comes! Dont be afraid to modify and substitute your order, so many people do this now that restaurants are used to it and dont mind at all. Plus, it might show that person you like across the table that you are confident and can take initiative :)


5. Alcohol.
Like we said before, alcohol has calories. About 100-150 per drink. Most people dont have just one either. So you need to weigh your options, whats really worth it?


The biggest thing Ive seen students do is "save up" their calories for the drinks in the evening. HUGE mistake. Do not do this. You are basically starving your body all day, creating a storage of nutrients, and then adding a toxin into the body afterwards, creating more storage of nutrients. You will get sick if you do this and will also increase your risk for alcohol poisoning. So DO NOT DO THAT!


The craziest thing that tends to happen after a night out drinking is the urge to hit the drive-thru on the way home. Most everyone who has been drinking that night will probably beg the designated driver to hit whatever local fast food place is open on the way home. This happens with guys, girls, after a few drinks or a lot, and theres a physiological reason for this crazy craving at 2am.


The liver is the organ that is responsible for metabolizing toxins in the body. Alcohol is considered a toxic substance to our body - crazy that we still consume it huh? The liver is also responsible for regulating our blood sugar levels, along with the pancreas. The pancreas produces insulin - a hormone that brings blood sugar levels down - and the liver breaks down food into glucose and pulls glucose from storage (making blood sugar levels go up) in order to keep that blood sugar balance with the insulin. Okay cool, so the pancreas produces insulin to make blood sugar levels go down and the liver sends glucose to make the levels go up - they work together to balance. The only problem is that the liver can only do one thing at a time....and what do you think the livers' priority is when a toxin enters the body? Yeah, it works to get the toxin out of there first. That means that it stops sending glucose...but the pancreas is still sending insulin....uh oh. This creates a drop in our blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar signals the brain that we need glucose, and our body is smart enough to know that we can get glucose fastest from carbohydrates! Which is why some people experience strong sugar cravings without alcohol, but also explains why we get "hungry" when we drink. Its a false hunger. And when you drink without eating those levels drop even faster.

A simple fix is to eat when you drink. Paring alcohol with adequate protein and carbs will help keep your blood sugar levels stable. And if you didn't eat and are experiencing that hunger, rather than that double cheeseburger at 2am, go home and drink 6oz of orange juice and wait 10 mins. Your blood sugar will slowly come up, making you feel much better. You don't need more than 6oz, and you'll probably also need a lot of water! If you can avoid this drive-thru thing every time you drink, I bet you wont gain weight. If you follow all these guidelines and be sure to get your exercise in for heart health, you'll be in great shape all the way through that freshman year.


Blessings,
Ashley

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Alcohol Part Two: Antioxidants

First, lets review what an "antioxidant" actually is.

"Anti” means “against, or opposed to” and “oxidant” refers to the process of oxidation (when a molecular process in the body causes an increase in oxygen). So an antioxidant is a molecule that slows or stops an increase in oxygen. Now normally we think of oxygen as a great thing - we need it to live! But increasing oxygen in certain chemical reactions can cause free-radicals (molecules with unpaired electrons) due to the transfer of electrons that happens. A free-radical can be highly reactive due to that unpaired electron, which can cause damage to our cells and leave them susceptible to disease.

Antioxidants go in and fill in that missing electron, making the free-radical whole again. So you can imagine with pollution in the air, chemicals and pesticides in the water we drink and food we eat, sun damage to our skin, there is a lot of cell damage that happens to our bodies that leave plenty of free-radicals running around. So, in a nutshell, antioxidants are very important to our daily lives, which is why you're hearing the word so often.

There are many different types of antioxidants. They are split into 2 groups - those that are soluble in water and those that are soluble in lipids (fats). This matters in the body because we have both liquids (blood, etc) and lipids (cell membranes, etc) which are in need of antioxidant activity.

The Antioxidant in Red Wine

The antioxidant that is found in Red Wine, the alcohol most commonly associated with antioxidants is called "Resveratrol" which is considered a polyphenol antioxidant (the term refers to the chemical structure) and Phytonutrient (chemical compounds that naturally occur in plants). Studies of resveratrol in mice/rats have shown anti-inflammatory effects, blood sugar lowering effects, and may combat obesity, cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, most of these studies have not been repeated in humans yet.

Resveratrol is found in the skin of grapes used to make wine. The reason red wine is said to be higher in resveratrol than white wine is because red wine is fermented with the skins longer than white wine. But guess what? You can just eat grapes and skip the whole fermenting thing and still get the resveratrol - hellloooooo.....

Peanuts, blueberries and cranberries also have resveratrol. Below are a few charts for comparison.

Content in wines and grape juice
Beverage Total resveratrol (mg/150mL)

Red Wines 0.30 - 1.07

Red grape juice 0.17 - 1.30
Rose Wines 0.06 - 0.53
Pinot Noir 0.06 - 0.30
White Wines 0.01 - 0.27

Content in selected foods
Food Serving Total resveratrol (mg)

Peanuts (raw) 1 c 0.01 - 0.26
Peanuts (boiled) 1 c 0.32 - 1.28
Peanut butter 1 c 0.04 - 0.13
Red grapes 1 c 0.24 - 1.25

Besides the antioxidants in wine, the alcohol itself does have effects on the body that can "help" certain things but mostly just temporarily. Alcohol thins the blood and also causes blood sugar levels to drop (more on that in Part Three). Which could look really good to someone who has thickening arterial walls due to plaque buildup or someone with pre-diabetes who runs high blood sugar levels. But those effects happen just while alcohol is in the body, and the negative effects outweigh the positive ones.

The moral of the story is this: if you currently drink alcohol, please do so in moderation or less. "Moderation" is defined as 1 drink per day for females and 2 drinks per day for males. A "drink" is 5oz of wine, 12oz of beer or 1.5oz (shot) of liquor. Now I honestly think that's pushing it towards too much...but those are the defined guidelines. Remember from the last blog post on alcohol that one drink per night can result in 10 lbs of weight gain per year...so "moderation" may not be what you need! In fact, when trying to lose weight, you should not drink alcohol AT ALL. And for those of you that don't drink but were considering picking it up due to the antioxidant value, don't. You can get antioxidants from plenty of other foods, without the toxins from the alcohol.

Next: Alcohol Part Three: "The Freshman Fifteen"

Blessings,

Ashley

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Alli and Liver Damage New Reports

The FDA issued a news release this morning regarding safety investigations into Alli (Orlistat) the "only FDA approved weight loss pill" due to reports of liver damage.

The FDA's News Release is copied below.

Just goes to show that we need to be using our common sense when it comes to weight loss - I know nutrition and exercise isn't what consumers want to hear, but when you try to take the easy route with a quick-fix diet or pill, you are taking some major risks.

See my previous blogpost on weight loss pills/aids for more information on this topic.
http://crave-health.blogspot.com/2009/05/lose-weight-burn-fat-and-build-muscle.html

FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Aug. 24, 2009

Media Inquiries: Siobhan DeLancey, 301-796-4668, siobhan.delancey@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Issues Early Communication about Ongoing Safety Review of Weight Loss Drug Orlistat
Review includes both prescription drug Xenical and OTC drug Alli
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it is reviewing adverse event reports of liver injury in patients taking the weight loss drug orlistat, marketed as the prescription drug Xenical and the over-the-counter medication Alli.

Between 1999 and 2008, the FDA received 32 reports of serious liver injury in patients taking orlistat. Of those cases, 27 reported hospitalization and six resulted in liver failure. Thirty of the adverse events occurred outside the United States. The most commonly reported adverse events included yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice), weakness, and stomach pain.

The FDA is reviewing additional data submitted by orlistat manufacturers on suspected cases of liver injury, and the issue has been discussed at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Drug Safety Oversight Board.

“The issues here are complex, but FDA has benefited from the input of the Board, including comments from representatives from three FDA Centers and several other Agencies in the Department of Health and Human Services,” said Steven Osborne, M.D., executive director of the Board.

The FDA’s analysis of these data is ongoing, and no definite association between liver injury and orlistat has been established at this time. Consumers taking Xenical should continue to take it as prescribed, and those using over-the-counter Alli should continue to use the product as directed.

Full text of the Early Communication about an Ongoing Safety Review can be found here. The Early Communication is a risk communication tool used by the FDA to inform the public about its ongoing safety reviews of drugs. The FDA will release its findings on orlistat as soon as the review is completed.

Consumers who have used orlistat should consult a health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with development of liver injury, particularly weakness or fatigue, fever, jaundice, or brown urine. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, itching, or loss of appetite.

The FDA urges both health care professionals and consumers to report suspected side effects from the use of orlistat to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, or by regular mail, fax, or phone.
-- Online
--Regular Mail: use postage-paid FDA form 3500 and mail to MedWatch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787
--Fax: 800-FDA-0178
--Phone: 800-FDA-1088
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm180057.htm

Be Careful and PAY ATTENTION!!!

Blessings,

Ashley

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"America Dies on Dunkin'"

An MD in Florida was forced to resign after promoting the slogan "America Dies on Dunkin'" along with several other catchy and scandalous one-liners.

Personally, I commend this doc for not being afraid to "go there" with the public! Its interesting that the people against his slogan were those that owned doughnut shops...

Blessings,

Ashley

See the article here or below:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32405418/ns/health-more_health_news



Doctor ousted over anti-doughnut rant
Lawsuit threatened after he posted ‘America Dies on Dunkin’ ’ sign

The Associated Press
updated 11:42 a.m. PT, Thurs., Aug 13, 2009

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Dr. Jason Newsom railed against burgers, french fries, fried chicken and sweet tea in his campaign to promote better eating in a part of the country known as the Redneck Riviera. He might still be leading the charge if he had only left the doughnuts alone.

A 38-year-old former Army doctor who served in Iraq, Newsom returned home to Panama City a few years ago to run the Bay County Health Department and launched a one-man war on obesity by posting sardonic warnings on an electronic sign outside:

"Sweet Tea Liquid Sugar."

"Hamburger Spare Tire."

"French Fries Thunder Thighs."

He also called out KFC by name to make people think twice about fried chicken.

Then he parodied "America Runs on Dunkin'," the doughnut chain's slogan, with: "America Dies on Dunkin'."

Some power players in the Gulf Coast tourist town decided they had had their fill.

A county commissioner who owns a doughnut shop and two lawyers who own a new Dunkin' Donuts on Panama City Beach turned against him, along with some of his own employees, Newsom says. After the lawyers threatened to sue, his bosses at the Florida Health Department made him remove the anti-fried dough rants and eventually forced him to resign, he says.

"I picked on doughnuts because those things are ubiquitous in this county. Everywhere I went, there were two dozen doughnuts on the back table. At church, there were always doughnuts on the back table at Sunday school. It is social expectation thing," says Newsom, a lean 6-foot, 167-pounder in a county where 39 percent of all adults were overweight in 2007 and one in four was considered obese.

Doughnuts barred from meetings
Newsom was hired by the state Health Department to direct the county agency. His $140,000-a-year salary is paid jointly by the state and the county. His job primarily involves educating the public about health issues — swine flu, AIDS and the like — but he also decided to address the dangers of glazed, sprinkled and jelly-filled treats.

He angered staff members by barring doughnuts from department meetings and announcing he would throw the fat-laden sweets away if he saw them in the break room. He also banned candy bars in the vending machines, putting in peanuts instead.

In May, lawyers Bo Rivard and Michael Duncan, co-owners of a new Dunkin' Donuts, asked Newsom to take down the "America Dies on Dunkin'" message. Newsom already had run other anti-doughnut warnings, including "Doughnuts Diabetes," and "Dunkin' Donuts Death."

The businessmen had the backing of County Commissioner Mike Thomas, who owns a diner and a doughnut shop. Thomas called for Newsom's ouster, saying the doctor shouldn't have named businesses on the message board.

"I think he was somewhat of a zealot," Thomas says. "I don't have a problem with him pushing an agenda, it's the way he did it. People borrowed money to go into business and they are being attacked by the government."

Doctor wants job back
A short time after Newsom's meeting with Rivard and Duncan, Newsom says, his bosses at the state Health Department told him that his leadership wasn't wanted and that he could be fired or resign. He chose to resign May 8 but has reapplied for the job.

"I have never been known for my subtlety. I don't have a knack for it. I speak the truth to people and just assume that that my data and purpose are so real and true that everyone will see the value of what I'm doing," says Newsom, who now works at a prison, doing exams of inmates.

Rivard and Duncan did not return numerous calls to their offices.

"Dunkin' Donuts is pleased that the signs have been removed," Andrew Mastrangelo, a spokesman for Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Donuts said in an e-mail.

The Florida Health Department has refused to talk about Newsom since he is considered a job applicant. "We will be happy to talk to you after the position has been filled," department spokeswoman Susan Smith said in an e-mail.

Newsom is hoping to get his job back so that he can resume his campaign against overeating.

"My method was a little provocative and controversial," he says, "but there wasn't a person in Bay County who wasn't talking about health and healthy eating."


Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32405418/ns/health-more_health_news/

MSN Privacy . Legal
© 2009 MSNBC.com

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Alcohol: Part One - Nutrition Basics

Alcohol: Part One - Nutritional Basics
This will be a 3-part blog series to be sure to look for part 2 and 3 as well!

Alcohol is potentially one of the greatest barriers to weight loss and overall health. It is a topic that no one likes to talk about because most of the time we don't want to face the music. Alcohol is involved in a lot of social settings and can give people a sense of "courage" they don't normally have to be funny or outgoing. Sometimes we associate alcohol with stress relief, thinking that a drink takes all of our problems away when in reality its just distracting you from them momentarily.

We are going to focus on the nutrition in alcohol and its effects on our metabolism and overall health. After working in an addiction treatment center I know that alcoholism as a disease is a very serious and worthwhile topic, but we'll leave that more specific topic to the CDP's (chemical dependency counselors) in their blogs.

Shocker #1: ALCOHOL HAS CALORIES.

Yes, yes it does. Its surprising to me how many people really don't know this. At a University that Ill withhold the name of, I held a booth in the cafeteria with fake drinks sitting next to their caloric equivalent in food. You would not believe how many students came up and were absolutely shocked - mostly to learn that hard alcohol has calories. For some reason we think that since Vodka looks like water it has the same nutrition...haha, umm no.

In fact, you might have heard that alcohol is "empty calories". A lot of magazine articles on health and nutrition use this terminology. What they mean by empty calories is that the food or drink item has calories (energy) in it, without any other nutritional benefit such as protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. which means you're not getting any additional benefit for your body, hence, "empty".

Lets look at your typical drinks. Each of these has about 100-150 calories:

The most shocking one is usually the hard alcohol - it has a lot calories by itself in a shot glass (which goes down in about 5 seconds). If you throw a shot into a drink like most people do....gin & tonic, rum & coke...then you need to include the calories from the mixer! And what if you have a drink-drink like a Cosmopolitan, Tequila Sunrise, Mai Tai...well those have multiple mixers and multiple alcohols which just adds more calories to the mix.

Lets take a look at some comparisons...

12oz Beers
Budweiser - 145 kcals
Bud Light - 110 kcals
Bud Select - 100 kcals
Stella Artois - 155 kcals
Corona Light - 105 kcals

4oz Wines (1/2 a large wine glass)
Reds - 80 kcals
Whites - 75 kcals
Champagne - 85 kcals

1.5oz (1 shot) Pure Hard Liquors
80 Proof - 100 kcals
86 Proof - 105 kcals
100 Proof - 120 kcals

1.5oz "Fun" Shots
Alabama Slammer - 110 kcals
Jager Bomb - 205 kcals
Kamikaze - 75 kcals
Peppermint Patty - 200 kcals

Cocktails
Bacardi & Coke - 160 kcals
Bloody Mary - 125 kcals
Cosmopolitan - 215 kcals
Gin Martini - 140 kcals
Long Island Iced Tea - 270 kcals
Mai Tai - 290 kcals
Margarita - 160 kcals
Sex on the Beach - 235 kcals
Vodka Soda - 100 kcals
Vodka Tonic (Gin&Tonic) - 165 kcals

Other
Hard Cider (12oz) - 170 kcals
Mikes Hard Lemonade (12oz) - 240 kcals
Sparks (16oz) - 340 kcals
Bacardi Silver (12oz) - 240 kcals
Wine Coolers (12oz) - 200 kcals

100 extra calories per day (like a glass of wine per night) can lead to 10 lbs of weight gain per year. Ouch.

So, you can decide for yourself what you'd like to do with this information. If you are someone who drinks fluids fast, then consider switching your drink to something that has more volume for the calories it provides. Or you could just cut down your drinking! Order a water in between drinks or a soda water with lime in between - that helps you pace yourself as well as cut down the calories.

Shocker #2: Alcohol can and eventually will over time cause excess fatty acid build up in the liver and triglyceride storage.
This is more likely in those with overweight/obesity or metabolic syndrome. This is referred to as "Fatty Liver". Extra deposits of fat in the liver over time can cause enlargement of the liver and eventually lead to liver fibrosis (scar tissue) and cirrhosis (starting to lose liver function). The liver is the primary organ of fat metabolism, and also the organ that deals with toxins in the body. Unfortunately, the liver can only do one thing at a time - and toxins will always take priority. That priority is what causes the liver to stop metabolizing fats, therefore causing a buildup of excess fats over time.

Today we've learned that alcohol has calories and if abused can cause increased storage of fat in the liver.

Next:
Alcohol: Part Two - Antioxidants
Alcohol: Part Three - The Freshman Fifteen

Blessings,
Ashley

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Portion Sizes Interactive Tool

A dietitian friend of mine showed me this new interactive plate and food portions by WebMD that allows you to place foods on your plate and will show you what a serving size should look like right there on the plate!

Its very cool, and helpful if you have no idea how much of something you should be eating!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

For more info check back on my previous portion sizes blog :)

Blessings,
Ashley

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From Men's Health...

This is straight out of the minds of Men...those at Men's Health that is. The article by Justin Park states that a Nutritional Evaluation is "for anyone who simply wants to know how to beat disease."

http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/lifesaving_health_tests/Nutritional_Evaluation.php

“LIFESAVING HEALTH TESTS: 5 Tests that could Save your Life”

1) Cardiac CT Angiography
2) Bone Density Scan
3) VO2 Max Test
4) Virtual Colonoscopy
5) NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION

Gee, I wonder which one I’m excited about...(did I just say gee?) Seriously, lets think about how important nutrition is for a second.

• You eat everyday, multiple times per day.
• Little by little, what you put in your body has an effect (positive or negative).
• If you don’t make a small change now, or don’t know you need to change it, you are looking at some serious long term health consequences. Including but not limited to...

• Cardiovascular Disease


• High Cholesterol / High Blood Pressure


• Metabolic Syndrome


• Obesity/Overweight


• Various Cancers – yep.


• Osteoporosis


• Blindness


• Diabetes

Just as a side note, please get a nutritional evaluation by a professional, meaning a Registered Dietitian. We are easy to spot, we have “RD” listed after our name. There are lots of people that claim to be “Nutritionists” which in most states means absolutely nothing. Do your research. Come see me, as I am super cool and have an RD and a CD. Or find one in your area on http://www.eatright.org/

In my practice I offer "Wellness Assessments" that are designed for a healthy person. It puts your lifestyle and nutritional behaviors under a microscope teamed with blood work and lab values to determine changes that need to be made so that you can live longer and stronger. My services can be found at http://www.crave-health.com/

If “you are what you eat” then dietitians are the doctors of the future. Let that sink in a bit…

Blessings,
Ashley

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