blog #41 analyze your food choice

In my nutrition education class last Tuesday some classmates were talking about snack choices. A couple students said:

 "its better to eat a banana and nuts opposed to a bannana nut muffin (as a snack.)" 

Of course I agree. But how do you know what's best to eat? Where do you get you info? When you grab a snack what do you eat and why?

I use FREE online tools to analyze food choices but both tools have their pros and cons.


I found this new feautre from the food guide pyramid that allows you to COMPARE FOODS so you can make the BEST SELECTION based on calorie content.

I pasted the analysis of muffin, banana and nuts.
Pros:
quick and free
side by side analysis
shows food group (in case you use the site to login and track progress)

cons:
The side by side analysis ONLY shows calories which is extreemly lacking
fat free berry -or banna muffin

Mypyramid Food Groups and Calories
Grain Group	2 1/2 oz.
Fruit Group	1/4 cup
Total Calories	313 calories
Extras*	125 calories
*(solid fats, added sugars, and alcohol)

nuts

Mypyramid Food Groups and Calories
Meat & Beans Group	2 oz.
Oils	3 tsp
Total Calories	185 calories

banana

Mypyramid Food Groups and Calories
Fruit Group	3/4 cup
Total Calories	105 calories

BUT THIS WASNT ENOUGH......i didnt like this tool to much because all it gave me were calories. I want more so i went to another free site calorie counter and I found a more accurate analysis:

Calorie Counter pros:
breaks down nutritents beyond caloric intake
grades the food
shows "good" and "bad" points about the foods so the consumer can make better choices based on more information

calorie counter cons:
doesnt show a side by side analysis like the food guide "food-a-pedia"

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size BANANA

 1 cup, mashed (225.0 g) 1 cup, sliced (150.0 g) 1 extra small (less than 6" long) (81.0 g) 1 small (6" to 6-7/8" long) (101.0 g) 1 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) (118.0 g) 1 large (8" to 8-7/8" long) (136.0 g) 1 extra large (9" or longer) (152.0 g) 1 NLEA serving (126.0 g) 

Amount Per Serving

Calories 

105

Calories from Fat 

4

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat 

0.4g

1%

Saturated Fat 

0.1g

1%

Polyunsaturated Fat 

0.1g

Monounsaturated Fat 

0.0g

Cholesterol 

0mg

0%

Sodium 

1mg

0%

Total Carbohydrates 

27.0g

9%

Dietary Fiber 

3.1g

12%

Sugars 

14.4g

Protein 

1.3g

Vitamin A 2%	•	Vitamin C 17%
Calcium 1%	•	Iron 2%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Good points

• Very low in saturated fat
• No cholesterol
• Very low in sodium
• High in dietary fiber
• High in potassium
• Very high in vitamin B6
• High in vitamin C

Bad points

• Very high in sugar

so check it out guys....tell me what works for you! This tool isn't limited to just snacks you can analyze anything but start small and work your way up.......

blog #40 what to eat before Thanksgiving meal-

Breakfast of course which is the most important meal of the day! Fill up on whole grains to keep you from binging on to much stuffing and such as the day progresses. Oatmeal is a perfect choice. Add a bit of fruit for flavor.

"feast time" isnt until say 4pm or so (hypothetically) so that means breakfast then eat thanksgiving dinner right?
WRONG

snacks are allowed too! Don't skip meals/snacks on thanksgiving because you will just be more hungry come dinner time which will lead to overeating and unhappiness. PACE YOURSELF

on thanksgiving day
#1. EAT SMALL PORTIONS!
#2 enjoy the company of friends
#3 try new dishes
#4 focus on the friends, family, company, colors and experience of togetherness (then food becomes secondary)

DON'T
#1 race to finish your plate (whats the rush really?)
#2 push small children out of the way to "be first" to get the stuffing/turkey
#3 fill your plate with mostly starchy foods
#4 eat while standing
#5 eat and talk
#6 eat to fast

blog #39 resturant review : Souen "macrobiotic style"

This past Sunday my good friend Becca and I went out to a resturant that she recommended called Souen.

This popular restaurant is labeled "macrobiotic" The word "macrobiotic" comes from the Greek and essentially means "long life" or "great life."

what does this macrobiotic lifestyle include?

locally grown

natural foods

prepared and eaten in the traditional manner (baking, boiling, and steaming)

Lots of grains, vegetables, beans, fermented soy, and soups

small amounts of fish, nuts, seeds, and fruits -- are the basis of the macrobiotic diet menu.

From the restaurants site:

"It is thought that by eating balanced foods such as grains and vegetables that are more local and in season, we can maintain good physical and spiritual health and live in harmony with nature. A typical Macrobiotic plate for our area will consist of a large portion of grains, beans, seaweed, vegetables and vegetable protein, such as tofu, seitan, beans and tempeh. Following the traditional Japanese food model of a simple and natural diet, macrobiotics dictates eating food in a natural way – unrefined and unprocessed"

Check out their menu

Concept listed on website:

"Our concept is to let people all over the world experience real traditional Japanese food, delicious Macrobiotic food. We’d like people to bring it into their lives to allow them to heal themselves, improve their immune systems, and have a more enjoyable, harmonious life. Our aim is to contribute to a peaceful world."

instead of salt at our table they offered sesame seeds (as a condiment) at the table. Sesame seeds are a good source of manganese, Copper, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, and dietary fiber.

Check out the unique food glossary on their site for more info about sesame seeds

Souen is located in Soho and Union square.

blog #38 "firm, lift and smooth in just 2 minutes a day?" I THINK NOT!!!!!!!!!!!

double chin is a subcutaneous fat around the neck that sags down and creates a wrinkle, making the owner appear to have a second chin. It is most common on people who are elderly or obese.

if you want to lose a double chin you must:

#1 eat right #2 EXERCISE #consistently eat well and exercise

This product neckline slimmer claims that women over 36 with a saggy chin can use this "neckline slimmer" to eliminate thier double chin. what do i think?

TERRIBLE IDEA but perfect example of a QUICK FIX

what do you think?

this is how the devise works:

Description: Small exercise device used to tighten up the jowl area. It tightens the face and neck muscles for a reduced-slimmer neckline.

jowl area:

jowl / joul/• n. (often jowls) the lower part of a person's or animal's cheek, esp. when it is fleshy or drooping:

Pitch:

• No more loose, hanging skin
• No Double-Chin or Neck Folds
• No Pain
• No Expensive Surgery
• Dramatic Results Guaranteed - in just 2 minutes a day

DONT FALL FOR THESE TRAPS!

blog #37 Quick fixes just dont exist-meet goals using objectives

I have mentioned the significance of meeting goals through objectives in previous posts. Today I will break this down once again because its SO important. YOU NEED TO FIRST CRAWL before you can learn how to walk. Baby steps right?

goal: describes a purpose, expectation or desired ends. (Broad)

objectives: provides a map of how to proceed (narrow)

so for example:

goal

weight loss

objective:

you can correctly identify portion sizes and nutrient density

You NEED to meet your objectives to reach your goal. This is by no means an overnight thing. Goals like weight loss take time and THERE ARE NO quick fixes! So diet pills, fad diets, stupid devices and many supplements are crap because they are a quick fix. If you have a goal like weight loss, or greater health you must meet your objectives to reach your goal.