How can I keep from gaining weight over the holiday season?

tanya — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:20:23 -0800

The holidays? Already? Most of us will say that they can't believe how fast the holidays are coming. This is the first year where our neighbors put Christmas lights up on Halloween night! I saw Halloween candy and Christmas inventory together at the stores.

For many of us, this time can be happy and also a time for worry about
weight gain. Many of us can ruin our whole year of training and improved wellness by gaining weight over the Holiday season.

So, to answer your question let's focus on what is achievable and won't make you feel like you're struggling. Instead of stressing about gaining weight this holiday season, focus on maintaining your current weight.

Here are 5 tips to help you maintain your weight over the holidays:

Workout in the morning or during the day - before you see the relatives for a Holiday dinner. If that's not possible, add an extra workout during the week.
Don't mindless munch - bring healthy snacks for everyone, so you can eat them during the day so you won't overeat too much during dinner. A veggie plate with low fat ranch dressing or my favorite, Trade Joe's Mediterranean hummus, is always a crowd pleaser. Other alternatives are baked chips and salsa or pretzels. Stay away from the Aunt who brings a cookie tray unless you can limit it to one.
When it's holiday dinner time, eat everything you want but eat slow, be one of the talkers during dinner so your brain triggers as you are getting full.
Dessert time - instead of eating both types of pie such as Grandma's apple pie or your traditional pumpkin, as my husband always wants to do, ask for a 1/2 slice of each to make one whole piece.
When eating leftovers: stick with white meat; use low fat salad dressing; if you must have gravy, limit it to just the mashed potatoes instead of adding it to the meat and dressing.

Lastly, enjoy the holidays, just be mindful of your food choices. One meal will not ruin you. Often the problem is the constant munching on sugary or buttery sweets. When you decide to eat a treat, take a moment to register what you are eating and limit it to one a day. Everything in moderation is key over this festive season.

Have a safe and wonderful Holiday Season and see you next year.

Osteoporosis and Food

tanya — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:37:58 -0700

Q: What food sources can deter osteoporosis and how can I get checked if I am at risk?

A: First of all, it is very important to work out all your life. Many people put off working out until they get into their 40s or 50s thinking that will keep them from getting osteoporosis. They don't realize that by the time you are in your 30's you have developed the bone mass you will have for the rest of your life.

The bones are being broken down and rebuilt in a 2-3 month cycle. This continues into your 30's where the bones absorb calcium and become strong and dense. As we get older, the body starts to reabsorb calcium from the bones, leading to bone loss from 3-5% causing the bone mass to shrink. About 8 million women and 2 million men suffer from osteoporosis.

Symptoms are back pain, loss of height, and bone fractures.

Bone strength depends on both their size and density as well as how much calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals they contain. Bone density loss can happen because of aging, endocrine imbalances, and not getting enough vitamin D and calcium in the diet.

Sources of vitamin D are milk, salmon, tuna fish, pudding made with milk, fortified cereals, egg yolks, cheese, supplements, and sun exposure.

Calcium sources are milk, cheese, cottage cheese, salmon, tofu, broccoli, eggs, kale, and fortified cereals and juices.

A Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the standard tool for diagnosis of osteoporosis. DEXA reveals a T-score, which is the number that shows the amount of bone you have compared with a young adult of the same gender with peak bone mass. A score above -1 is normal. A score between -1 and -2.5 is considered osteopenia, the first stage of osteoporosis. A score below -2.5 is considered osteoporosis.

Again, by the time you are in your 30's, you will have developed the amount of bone mass you will have for the rest of your life. So it is important to workout in your 20's to develop the strongest bone mass you can. Throughout and past your 30's, it is important to continue working out to keep the bone mass you currently have and slow bone loss.

Q: What is Celiac disease and what foods are OK to eat?

tanya — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:50:36 -0700

Celiac disease is one of the most common inherited disorders. The ratio is 1:133 people in the US have CD. This translates to 3 million Americans, although 97% remain undiagnosed.

It's defined as an autoimmune disorder in which the villi of the small intestine are damaged by specific peptides from wheat, barley, and rye. The symptoms may occur at any age and include bloating, gas, diarrhea, weight loss, irritability, lactose intolerance, nausea or anemia.

Testing- There are specific tests that can screen for CD, but the only definitive test is a small intestinal biopsy.

Treatment- The only treatment for CD is a gluten-free diet for life. It is important to see a dietitian with expertise for CD.

Allowed foods- Foods that are naturally gluten free are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, milk, yogurt, cheese, fruits, veggies, and gluten-free flours, cereals and starches can be substituted instead of wheat, barley, and rye. Beers derived from barley should be avoided. Foods that are also OK to eat are buckwheat, corn, flax, potato flour, potato starch, rice, sorghum, soy, and tapioca. Also look for enriched gluten-free products with iron and B vitamins. Also consume adequate amounts of fiber and avoid cross contamination of gluten-free foods.

Stay away from foods with sources of gluten- Breads, baked products, cereals, pastas, soups, salad dressings, deli meats, hot dogs, seasonings, soy sauce, and chocolate. If you want to eat these foods, look on the label for gluten free products that are becoming more and more readily available.

Is Raw Food A Raw Deal?

tanya — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:41:21 -0800

A: The definition of raw food is anything organic from the earth that’s uncooked. For food to be considered raw it can be chopped, blended, pureed, juiced, dehydrated, or combined. All raw recipes are completely vegan, meaning no meat, eggs, or dairy. For instance, soymilk is not considered to be a raw food because it has been heat processed.

The foods which a raw diet is comprised of are fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, roots, and seeds. Starches such as breads or pasta are not considered to be acceptable on a raw food diet. Raw foodies grow their bread substitute from sprouts and use zucchini for pasta. Also, nothing can be cooked over 118 degrees.

The advantages of a raw food diet are that it’s full of vitamins, minerals, and cancer fighting elements. There is little or no fat and no added sugars. It has low sodium levels and high fiber content.

The disadvantages to a raw food diet is that cooking increases the availability of certain nutrients that can only be brought out by cooking; which strengthens the immune system and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. For instance, tomatoes contain lycopene, a phytochemical, which becomes more concentrated and bio-available after being cooked by as much as four times the amount. The diet also falls short in calcium, fish oils, iron, and certain vitamins that are only found in animal foods. Also, people that are 100% raw often are underweight, might have trouble concentrating, and may be zinc deficient.

To sum it up, there are a wide variety of interesting ways to prepare fruits and vegetables from raw food cookbooks. I would recommend using the raw food diet to create fun and different ways to get your 5-a-day. But the key is to eat raw and cooked foods. Remember, the only way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need are to eat all types of foods, which includes animal proteins and cooked foods.

Cholesterol: LDL's vs. HDL's and what are good numbers to have?

tanya — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:18:16 -0800

LDLs carry the most cholesterol and are the most closely correlated with CHD. HDLs reduce the risk from CHD by transporting cholesterol from the tissues to the liver, where it is metabolized and excreted. LDL is an even more specific indicator of CHD risk than total cholesterol. High HDLs reduce the chance of CHD even if total cholesterol is on the higher side.

You can reduce LDL and increase HDLs by making a few dietary changes:

Reduce saturated fat in your diet
Exercise regularly
Maintain optimal weight

Ways to reduce saturated fat:

Trim the fat off meat
Broil, grill, bake, or stew meats
Limit fried foods
Use butter substitutes with plant sterols such as Smart Balance
Limit eggs to 4 or less per week or use egg beaters or egg whites as replacements

Your doctor will normally refer you to a dietitian to go over a healthy diet for you. When diet is not enough, medications are prescribed by the doctor. As with anything, there are side effects so focus on staying true to your diet modifications.

Lastly, genetics also play a role in cholesterol. You may be on the higher side even when you eat relatively well. Remember, high cholesterol is not a disease in and of itself, it's just a contributor to a major disease. My grandma has high cholesterol but eats right and exercises. Her blood pressure is low and she is at the optimal weight and will be turning 90 this year. Don't get discouraged if you eat well and your cholesterol is still on the higher side. As long as you are healthy otherwise, chances are you will lead a long life.

The below chart will give you a great idea of how to interpret your own cholesterol scores. As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me.

2001 Classifications for LDL, Total, and HDL Cholesterol
LDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)
Less than 100	Optimal
100-129	Near/Above Optimal
130-159	Borderline High Risk
160-189	High Risk
190 or more	Very High Risk
Total Cholesterol (TC) (mg/dL)
Less than 200	Optimal
200-239	Borderline High Risk
240 or more	High Risk
HDL Cholesterol (mg/dL)
Less than 40	High Risk
60 or more	Optimal