July 25, 2012

How Much Carb, Protein or Fat? Does it Really Matter for Weight Loss or Keeping Pounds Off?

You hear nutrition experts, or those who tout their nutrition bonafides, set forth a wide range of rules on THE WAY to succeed at weight loss. You’ll hear: eat no more than 40% of calories as carbohydrate, eat plenty of protein or get at least 50% of your calories as carbohydrate and limit fat to under 25% of calories, etc., or should I say ad nauseam.

Research and reality show there’s no ONE RIGHT formula for EVERYONE. Plus, in reality, the debate about the ideal mix of macronutrients (that’s carbohydrate, protein and fat) to eat comes down to a debate about where should 5 to 10% of your calories come from – carbohydrate, protein or fat?

 
June 14, 2012

Parents: Time to Take a Seat AS Head of the Table

ADA 72nd Sci SesI’m just back from the American Diabetes Association’s 72nd Annual Scientific Sessions and I'm even more concerned about our diabetes epidemic. Prior to 10 year ago you never heard about type 2 diabetes in children or prediabetes. Not so today! Stats show 1 in 3 children born in 2000 or beyond will develop type 2 diabetes. Today nearly 80 million Americans (that’s over a quarter of our population!!) have prediabetes. The TODAY multicenter NIH trial, recently in the news and headliner at ADA, is downright scary! It showed that type 2 diabetes in youngsters progresses more quickly requiring more rapid progression through oral blood glucose lowering medications and on to insulin. A major concern with type 2 in youth is that with rapid disease progression and less than ideal control, these people may develop heart, kidney and eye disease just a couple of decades later. That's the prime of these childrens' lives.

A take away message from the 2012 ADA meeting is we’ve got to continue to beat the drum about preventing overweight BEFORE type 2 diabetes. The most cost effective approach is to encourage healthy eating from the start. I believe it’s absolutely critical for parents to take a seat AS the head of the table and serve up  tough love when it comes to healthy eating.

 
April 22, 2012

Whole Grains and Dietary Fibers: End Your Confusion

whole grainsWe’re being urged via health messages and big marketing campaigns to eat more dietary fiber and simultaneously to chow down on more whole grains. Beyond the messages to achieve these goals ringing in our ears, a plethora of new foods greet us in the supermarket aisles. They tout, for example “5 grams of whole grains per serving,” “47% of dietary fiber per serving” or proudly focus your attention on the Whole Grains Stamp.

 
August 30, 2011

The Tastes and Aromas of Morocco

Recently I vacationed in Morocco. Ah!!!

We’ve got friends living in a smallish town about an hour south of Casablanca. One of them is an engineer with a U.S. based company assisting the Moroccans to build another phosphate processing plant. Yes, phosphate used to make fertilizer and more, is a large natural resource in Morocco.

Gaining a bit of knowledge about how phosphate is mined, processed and shipped throughout the world as well as smelling, tasting and seeing the foods and dishes of this culture were just a few of the treats of travel in Morocco. 


What I love about travel is the opportunity to see, observe, learn…oh yes, and eat. And eat our way through Morocco we did. From Marrakesh to Essaroura to El Jidata and beyond.

Here’s a few snapshots of the sites, tastes and aromas of Morocco:

 
June 3, 2011

Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat: Is the Question Quantity or Quality?

green plateOn June 2, 2011 the food pyramid was put to rest and the simple, straightforward plate was introduced as the new icon for healthy eating. While I'm pleased with this new colorful, simplified food icon, I by no means think it will put a halt to nutrition debates, including these two questions:

  • What percent of calories from carbohydrate, protein and/or fat should we eat?
  • Is it healthier or better for managing blood glucose or fat levels to eat more or less: carbohydrate, protein or fat?

These questions, in my humble opinion, have and continue to receive too many research dollars and too much media (and thus, consumer) attention.

Please hear me out...

We seem fixated on the quantity questions regarding our, so-called macronutrients – our main sources of calories (that’s carbohydrate, protein and fat). Yet the research to date as well as the recommendations from respected bodies, such as Institute of Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee Report, proves out a few stark realities. I’ll delve into these here and detail why our focus should be squarely on the quality of carbohydrate, protein and fat we eat, not the quantity.

 
May 12, 2011

No Need to Delete Sugars and Sweets

appforhealthThis guest blog was written on request for appforhealth.com in response to Julie's blog A Week to Beat Your Cravings for Sweets. I want to thank Julie for being open to dialoging about key nutrition topics:

Can people be “sugar addicted”? Not likely! But are we slurping, sipping and chewing too much sugar? Absolutely!

American Heart Association research shows that as of 2009 Americans down, on average, 22 teaspoons of sugar per day (Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health. (Not surprising when one 20 ounce soft drink contains 15 teaspoons!)

 
November 18, 2010

Focus in on Fibers for the Health of Them

Do you eat enough fibers (yes fibers) each and every day? If you’re not eating those five (or more) servings of fruits and vegetables, making at least half your servings of grains whole (grain and wheat) and sneaking in servings of legumes, then it’s doubtful you’re getting your fill of fibers.

 
October 25, 2010

Nutrient Analysis and Weight Control Apps – Picks from the Litter

Want to know the carbohydrate count for vegetarian lasagna, the saturated fat grams for prime rib? Or trying to trim a few pounds and think recording your food intake and getting a daily nudges (reminders) will aid your efforts? Apps with these features and more have multiplied. And they're available for use online and for one and/or as apps for one or more smart phones (eg iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, etc.) Check out my picks from the litter. They’re listed alphabetically within two groups – Apps-For-Free and Apps-For-a-Fee. More free than for a fee!

 
August 11, 2010

“Real Natural” by Jessica Piscitelli

Recently I put on the radio as I readied my lunch. It was tuned, as usual, to WAMU, the local NPR station. I heard Jessica Piscitelli introduced as a commentary writer from Northern Virginia. My ears perked up when I heard the title, Real Natural. Oh yes, Jessica's commentary was on target and real true. It's reprinted here with permission. Thank you Jessica!

Buyer beware. Real is the new natural.

Americans love to be healthy. Or, more accurately, we love our health products.

 
April 28, 2010

Blog on Blogs: Top Ten in Nutrition Trends and Healthy Eating

Enjoy viewing my top ten picks for nutrition blogs - all of which are written by registered dietitians.

 

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