The most important meal of the day

Breakfast always wins the trophy as the most important meal of the day but there is another time of day that is a contender for first place. I tell my clients that the afternoon snack is the most important time to eat because it prevents you from overeating at dinner. Most people eat at noon and dont eat again until 8pm for dinner time. If people do eat around 3pm or 4pm it is usually a cookie or another dose of coffe which isnt exactly a good source of fuel. Ideally, have some protein and carbs in the mid afternoon. You will notice straight away how much better you feel. Your energy will increase and you will not feel the need to overeat every night.

Some ideas for you:

• Cottage Cheese and fruit
• Plain yogurt and fruit
• Half a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread
• 5-8 almonds, 1 apple and some string cheese

Embrace your mid afternoon snack!

Happy New Year! Resolutions for 2009

I wanted to give some advice on how to make new years resolutions that were within reach. So often we set unrealistic goals that are not possible to attain and we are left feeling discouraged and unhappy. The ideal situation would be to set a realistic goal that you KNOW you can achieve and continue making healthy changes to create a long term healthy behaviors rather than a continue yo-yo dieting and struggling.

I was watching to Today show this morning as I had my cereal and coffee and there was great segment discussing this topic. Thought I would share....

http://madelynfernstrom.ivillage.com/health/2008/12/new_years_diet_resolutions.html?par=today,df

Wishing you a happy new year filled with good food, good health and happiness.
Make this your best year yet!!!

Sweet Potatoes--THE vegetable for the holidays

Did you know that a sweet potato is only distantly related to a white potato? Sweet potatoes are actually the most nutritious vegetable according to the Center for Science in Public Interest! In 1 serving, which is 1 cup cubed, sweet potatoes provide four times the recommended daily value of B-carotene. They are also a good source of fiber, vitamin B6, and potassium. Furthermore, sweet potatoes are a source of vitamin C and other essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

There are many delicious ways to eat sweet potatoes: bake them in the oven, puree them for soup, or cut them up and eat them raw with dip. Make sure you leave the skin on though, for extra nutrients.

When buying sweet potatoes pick ones with no blemishes and dry, smooth skin. Do not store them in the refrigerator as this can make them taste bad. Sweet potatoes will last the longest when stored in a dry, cool place.

On average, Americans consume 4.2 pounds of sweet potatoes per year, but they are so nutritious and delicious more would be better! Add sweet potatoes to your diet and discover the benefits of this great vegetable.

Written by Rachael Beckert, RD

Have a Healthy Halloween!

So many of our poor eating habits are not because we want to eat junk food--it is simply something we do that we are unaware of. Halloween is a perfect example of this. We overeat on junk food that we may never normally eat but it what you do...right? When did this habit start? It started when we were kids and we walked house to house in search of candy bars and gummy bears and just ate and ate and ate. Did we want all that candy? Or is that just what you do on Halloween? This year, try sending a new message to the children in your neighborhood. Playdoh has come up with a mini-size that is just perfect to put in everyone's Halloween bag. The kids will love it and you can feel like you are sending a positive message of creating a new healthy habit for Halloween. Trick or treat!

http://www.hasbro.com/playdoh/default.cfm?page=products&product_id=20702

What?? High Fructose Corn Syrup Commercials!!!

I don't know how many of you have seen this yet but there are commercials for High Fructose Corn Syrup(HFCS). Check it out on YouTube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE5aSUcU3YA

I cannot express how absolutely ridiculous this is! HFCS should not be encouraged in our diet, not even in moderation. Here is the history behind it. In 1971 Japanese food scientists found a way to economically produce a cheaper sweetener called HFCS which was six times sweeter than sugar and made from corn. Food manufacturers were thrilled because they could significantly reduce their production costs of all processed foods. In addition, HFCS has additional chemical attributes: It protects frozen foods from freezer burn, increases shelf life of processed foods and keeps bakery products looking natural and fresh. In the 1970's their was a food crisis and the government needed to come up with a solution to lower food prices without making farmers bankrupt. They created subsidies for farmers to grow corn and created a guaranteed buyer with food manufacturers who now wanted HFCS in all their products. In the 1970's food companies changed all their recipes to replace sugar with HFCS to increase their profit margin and now HFCS is in salad dressings, cereals, breads and condiments. No one even knew it had happened. All the consumer noticed was their portions got larger and food was cheaper--more bang for their buck. It was a win win for the farmer, food companies and the consumer! The problem is that caused a huge dependency on corn crops, the increase and trend of farm subsidies to corn farmers and the increase in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In addition, the sugar content in foods significantly increased, portion sizes got larger and everyone now could afford the luxury of processed foods.

While there is no proof that HFCS has caused our obesity crisis, there is a direct positive correlation between in the increased amount of products that contain HFCS and the increasing rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. It may be that HFCS is actually safe, but because of its cheap price due to its chemical structure and farm subsidies, portion sizes have tripled in size since the seventies and there are billions of different types of processed foods on the market.

The goal is to eat WHOLE and BE AWARE. Before you put something in your mouth, take the time to read the ingredients and understand what you are putting in your body. Take the time to get informed and don't be a victim of smart politics and marketing. Make a list of 10 foods you everyday and read the label and see if you are satisfied with what you read. If not, take the time to discover a healthier alternative.

Proper portion sizes can make a huge impact on your wasitline

Portion sizes over the last 20 years have continuously gotten bigger. The average bagel today has 200 more calories than the average bagel 20 years ago! Reducing your portion size is an effective way to help you control weight without sacrificing fun or flavor when eating.

There are many tactics you can use to control your portion size. Try using a smaller plate or buying single serving packages of food. If a food item you like only comes in large bags, portion it out into smaller bags immediately so it is ready for you to eat. Make sure to read nutrition labels, as many packaged foods come disguised as 2 or more portions.

Restaurants provide a challenge when trying to keep to portion sizes small. Try ordering an appetizer for your main course and splitting a salad with a friend. If you do order a large entrée ask for a to-go container and put half of your meal in it right away.

Try to avoid situations that make it easy to over-eat such as buffets, standing by the snack table at parties, or eating in front of the television. Also, make sure you are well hydrated, because it is easy to mistake thirst for hunger. Lastly, wait 20 minutes after you eat to decide if you need seconds because our body needs time to process the food we’ve eaten before we feel full.

Hydrate hydrate hydrate!

Drinking water is so important. Most do not realize how dehydrated they are and to make the message sink in for you all I am going to tell you a little secret--drinking enough water will likely help you lose some weight!

First you have to figure out how much water you need. A quick and dirty way to figure it out is take your weight in pounds and divide it by two--that number in ounces should be how much water you need a day. For example a 150 pound person should drink 75 oz water daily. This is not exact or perfect for everyone but it gives you a ballpark figure to get you started.

Once you have your number start drinking an additional 8 oz glass of water every other day. So lets just say you have been drinking around 32oz water daily but you need to get up to 75. Start drinking 40 oz. for 2 days then 48oz for 2 days and so on until you get to your goal or "breakthrough" point. You will know when you are at your breakthrough point by the sudden reduction in signs of fluid retention, a sudden loss of body weight and a normal thirst.

Some tips to increase your water intake:
1. Fill a 64 oz water bottle with water and finish it by the end of the day. Do not refill the bottle until you have finished it so you can keep track of how much you are drinking

2. Leave a post it note to yourself on your desk, your computer, on the refridgerator, or in your car to remind you to drink more

3. Keep water bottles at your desk or in your car so you always have water availble. Use reusable bottles to stay green.

4. Tell your friends and family you are trying to drink more so they can remind you and hold you accountable

5. Add lemon, lime, orange or cucumber slices for a little flavor

Happy drinking!