blog #111 Swap this for that and save some calories

While interning for Keri Gans this past week she asked me to help her find some good food swaps to save calories. My favorite swap is something that she often tweets (and I recently tried and love!)

When you eat an occasional bagel (whole wheat of course) ask for hummus opposed to cream cheese. To save on your carb count ask for a scooped bagel and/or only eat half.

 hummus for cream cheese on bagel (one table spoon)

hummus-27 calories, 12 calories in fat

cream cheese-51 calories total and 46 in fat

When eating sushi keep your protein choices lean; therefore no spicy sauce or twice dipped rolled. Stick with salmon, tuna and yellow tail. Dragon rolls (made with eel) have more calories and a higher fat content. (salmon is the good fat omega 3s)

eel for salmon-(3 oz comparison)

ell has high fat where salmon has omega 3 fats

eel-156 calories, 89 calories in fat

salmon 99 calores, 26 from fat

Hungry after lunch and before dinner? Skip a muffin and eat some nuts

banana nut muffin vs. almonds (one oz vs one muffin)

almonds- 163 calories, 126 in fat (good fat source) 6 grams of carbs

banana nut muffin-220 calories, 40 from fat, but 38 grams of carbs

  

Eat fish a few times a week to keep your calorie count in check:

beef top serloin vs. white fish (one piece)

cod fish-189 calories, 14 from fat

beef-497 calories, 149 from fat

blog #109: Holiday Parties and LOW CALORIE OPTIONS

When going to a holiday party why not bring a vegetable dish? 

While interning with Keri Gans this past month she reminded clients: 

"Christmas Eve is one day" 

and 

"Christmas is only one day"

Eat and enjoy, but stay on track by remembering to balance your meals and drink lots of water. It is so easy to get carried away with food and beverages, but try to focus on the company (not the calories).

I brought this dish to a holiday party and it was a hit! The party was thrilled to see something both green and low calorie to offset the table filled with cheese, chocolate and wine. 

blog #108: Small Changes Diet by Keri Gans, MS, RD, CDN

Keri Gans is a Registered Dietitian in private practice in Manhattan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ohio University. She   is a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and ADA Delegate for the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA.)

While attending an American Dietetic Association sponsored forum at which she spoke, I sought out the guidance of Keri Gans, an NYU graduate, who has become my mentor. I was immediately impressed by both her physical and digital presence. Unlike many traditional dietitians, Keri has found a way to relate with the younger generation through her use of digital media. As her intern, I help manage her Twitter profile, aggregating her past tweets into categories so they may be repackaged and referenced. I also participate in her client sessions by providing nutritional research, fitness knowledge, and administrative support. I have found observing her therapeutic approach profoundly inspiring; she identifies with a diverse clientele and helps them to fine-tune their objectives in a way I have never seen before. 

Keri's book will be available March 15th, 2011. Get involved and join her fan page! Until the release check out her daily tweets. Keri is both knowledge and inspirational, so stay tuned!

blog #102 The significance of a food journal

Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle mass, keeping a diet log is an imperative step toward reaching your goal(s).

"Did you know that the average person recalls only half of what he or she eats? Though you may remember what you had for breakfast, what about the extra nibbles you had while watching TV, snacking on the phone, cooking, or picking off your kids' plates?" 

Read about dietlogs: 

Keep a diet log:

• Update the diet log daily, ideally right after meals (the more frequently you update, the better)
• What type of tracking works for you? While a phone app may work for me (I prefer digital tracking), perhaps a small notebook works for you. Track your diet in a method that is conducive to your lifestyle. 

Check out some phone app info from NPR: 

At first, I don’t ask clients to change their diets. I only ask that they take notice. When we document our dietary patterns, we see habits forming and can draw conclusions. Once you keep accurate track of your consumption, then you can make adjustments accordingly.

Read the cell phone application post, in which I reviewed a couple of apps you could try.

According to Weight Watchers, here are nine solid reasons that food journaling helps. You can: 

1.       Control binge eating. You are less likely to go for that second helping if you know you have to write it down.

2.       Track progress. A food diary can serve as evidence of how far you have come in your journey. It also feels great to look back and see you are eating better today than you did weeks or months ago.

3.       Encourage conscious eating. Unconscious eating occurs when we eat without paying attention. You are more likely to avoid eating for unconscious reasons if you are writing it down.

4.       Connect eating to emotions. Many people include a column for "observations" or "emotions" in their diaries. In this way, journals can be used to examine certain feelings that may trigger overeating. Only once you identify the causes can you start to do something about them.

5.       Point out nutrition imbalances. As you jot down your meals and snacks, you may notice you lack fruits and vegetables on most days, or that you never eat a protein source until dinner. A food diary can give you clues, in black and white, as to what foods you have been neglecting and need to include in your diet.

6.       Monitor eating patterns. Until you keep a food journal, you may not realize that you have a seven-hour gap between your 11:30 lunch and your 6:30 dinner. Perhaps this is why you're at the vending machine every afternoon at 3 p.m., downing a bag or two of chips or cookies. Solution? Plan to bring or store a healthy snack for the mid-afternoon to ward off poor eating choices.

7.       Monitor calories. Journaling usually requires you to track your calorie intake - which can be eye-opening. Perhaps you were not aware your afternoon soda had 150 calories, or your "innocent" morning latte had 250. By forcing yourself to track portions and calories, you can begin to make adjustments.

8.       Create a tool for your nutritionist or doctor. A food diary is a clear source of information as to what, where and how much you eat. This ready-made tool can be viewed by a health professional, who can provide insight into what you can do to tweak and/or improve your habits.

9.       Show commitment. The effort and time it takes to keep a food journal is proof that you are committed to your health, and have a desire to take a proactive role in your weight loss.

What patterns do you start to see emerging as you keep a food journal?

blog #101 I recommend grocery-shoping by color to add variety to your diet

Consider: When grocery shopping in the produce section, stop fretting over which vegetables and fruits to purchase, just buy by color.

Think: green, blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, white. 

For example:

green: romaine, zucchinis, cucumbers, broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers

blue: blueberries

purple: eggplant, purple grapes, purple cabbage, purple onions

red: tomatoes, watermelons, beets, strawberries, apples, red grapes

orange: cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, carrots

yellow: yellow bell peppers, golden apples

white: bananas, mushrooms, cauliflower, scallions, onions

So, instead of trying to remember every vitamin, mineral, and “nutritional opportunity” of every piece of produce, opt for the color variety. Most likely, every nutritional goal will be met through this method. 

Do you tend to stick to one color? Why? What color is that?

For a detailed list of produce by color, plus what nutrients you’ll be getting by “eating a rainbow,” check this out

pick different colors in your salad:

blog #100: Nutritionist vs. Registered Dietitian: the title MATTERS

“Though the public at large often uses the words dietitian and nutritionist interchangeably, they are two distinct fields.” check this out

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) website explains: 

“A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential ‘R.D.’ The majority of R.D.s work in the treatment and prevention of disease (administering medical nutrition therapy, often part of medical teams), in hospitals, HMOs, private practice or other health-care facilities. In addition, a large number of R.D.s work in community and public health settings and academia and research. A growing number of R.D.s work in the food and nutrition industry, in business, journalism, sports nutrition, and corporate wellness programs.”

Anyone can call him- or herself an expert in food science or nutrition. These are “nutritionists.” You don’t even need a bachelors degree to call yourself a nutritionist.

The American Dietetic Association posts these requirements: 

-Complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited or approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

-Complete a CADE-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. Typically, a practice program will run six to 12 months in length.

-Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For more information regarding the examination, refer to CDR’s website at www.cdrnet.org. 

-Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

This doesn’t mean that advice from people who don’t have a registered dietitian license (R.D.) isn’t valid. What this means is that you should consider any advice carefully, and do your own research.

For example:

A person who likes working out, or is good at working out, isn’t a personal trainer. Maybe he or she is an expert in exercise, or think that s/he is, but without passing a certified test from an accredited institution like NASM or ACE, s/he isn’t licensed to be a personal trainer.

To be a personal trainer one must pass a test, be currently CPR-certified, and maintain the certification yearly by taking continuing education credits. If the trainer is an independent contractor (like I am), then that trainer needs liability insurance in addition to the other upkeep for their business.

Check your facts. Who are you dealing with?

I continually try and stress that labels on food matter just like credentials on your name matter. I will graduate from Hunter College this fall with my Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science. I’m not a Registered Dietitian, or R.D. until I am accepted into a competitive hospital internship, and then I take and pass a state test. This process is long and difficult, but remember: a dietitian is different then a nutritionist.

Check out this video 

blog #99 Oatmeal: benefits and where you can get a cheap bowl before 10am

One serving of oats is 150 calories, with 25 calories coming from fat.

Oatmeal is a whole-grain cereal. 

Instant oatmeal and old-fashioned oatmeal are both whole grains (but the old fashioned version is a better option due to less processing.) 

Oats help aid weight control.

“Oatmeal has a high satiety value, which means it helps fill you up and keeps you full. Research shows that oatmeal is more filling than some other breakfast foods such as bread, eggs and yogurt.”

Whole Foods offers an amazing bowl of oatmeal before 10am for just $2.17.

The oatmeal bar is set up in a buffet style so you can select your topping (like a salad bar, but for oats). For just $2.17 you can pick unlimited toppings.

Tips:

-Choose real fruit, not dried

-Limit the granola or other cereal toppings, unless you pour less oatmeal into your bowl (because your carb count will increase rapidly)

-Limit the nuts topping option (some are good, too much adds excessive calories and fat)

-Just like when buying packaged foods, compare the labels. At Whole Foods, they offer plain oats or oats made with fruit, but there’s a catch! In the ingredients posted above the hot cereal, you’ll see half and half listed in the oats made with fruit. If you are trying to maintain/lose weight, chose the oats with fewer ingredients (and no fatty dairy!), and add fresh fruit for more flavor. 

blog #98 Healthier pesto recipes

I stumbled across an article that mentioned something that stuck with me:

“Adjust the ingredients to your taste”

I’m a huge fan of this philosophy and I make soups with no recipe at all — I like to throw in a little bit of this and a little bit of whatever from my refrigerator.

Pesto is a sauce made from basil. Basil extract has been reported to have antioxidant activity. 

Generally, pesto includes:

Basil

Salt

Olive oil

Pine nuts

Cheese (parmesean)

Garlic

Check out this typical recipe:

I liked this article that suggests altering pesto to your needs:

This recipe calls for:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

My recipe doesn’t include garlic or cheese, and instead of pine nuts I used almonds. Why not? It tastes just as good and I saved money on the nuts (pine nuts are pricy) and calories on the cheese.

It’s really hard to estimate how many calories are in pesto you get at a restaurant because it depends what it’s made with and mostly how much oil is used. Since the oil content is unknown when dining out, perhaps opting out of pesto as a topping is a good option.

Less oil, elimination of cheese, and less nuts can yield a lower calorie sauce.

Remember a little pesto goes a long way. Enjoy.

What I like pesto on/in:

Eggs/omelet

Soups

Salads (instead of dressing)

Rice or whole grain noodles

Quinoa

Steamed veggies like broccoli or tomatoes

Because pesto is made from simple chopping or pureeing ingredients together, it is considered a “raw food.”

blog #97 Skinny girl Margarita

Who doesn’t love a margarita?

I know that I do. But I don’t prefer the calories that usually come with the decadent cocktail. Unless it’s a special occasion, I try to keep my cocktails and beverage consumption low-cal. Read my other cocktail post

I was at a food-writing workshop offered at CUNY’s school of journalism this week, and the professor talked about the beverage craze, and how being a connoisseur of wine or cocktails is a new trend. Mixology is on the rise.  After all look how popular drinks such as cosmos and martinis have become?

I saw an interview this week with the very popular Bethenny Frankel from the Real Housewives of NYC. She has a health and fitness section on her site as well as a book out. Here is a tip about choosing lower calorie wines:

Bethenny recommends: 

How To Switch Wines

"Like most women, I used to be a chardonnay person.  A great way to lighten things up is to switch to a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc.  These are lighter, less sweet wines that lend themselves to drinking more slowly; they’re less sugary and seem to lead to less of a hangover."

Although Bethenny offers a slew of low-calorie cocktail recipes (such as Lychee Martinis, Skinnygirl Big Apple, Skinnygirl American “Virgin,” Belmont Skinnygirl, Skinnygirl Gin Julep ), the Skinnygirl Margarita is really popular, and it has only 100 calories. 

Skinnygirl Margarita recipe:

2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)

Tiny splash of Orange Liquor

Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges

To serve on the rocks, combine all ingredients over a glass of ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

blog #96 The breakdown of choosing a healthy, discount salad

Cafe Metro is offering salads with unlimited toppings for $6 this month when you order online. 

Because not all salads are healthy, I took a look at the options to give you my recommendations for a lunch that packs the most nutrition. In the metro cafe online selection process here are the choices:

"favorite greens"

Baby Spinach 

Crispy Romaine 

Organic Field Greens 

All options are good picks, but spinach provides a great deal of nutrients and vitamins such as vitamin A, C and iron. Spinach is very nutrient dense
(check out my nutrient density post.)

Choose A Free Main Ingredient:

Crispy, Thai and Buffalo chicken are loaded with extra calories because of the sauce (and crispy is a more gentle way of saying "FRIED.") If you choose tuna, make sure that there is no mayo. Choose the leanest meat with the least amount of sauce.

Choose Up To Two Additional Main Ingredients:

Unless you are opting out of meat, cheese is not the best option. Also, nuts contain healthy-for-you monounsaturated fats, but they also are loaded with calories. In this section, why not choose egg whites and mushrooms? Or artichoke hearts?

Here’s where the deal comes in...

Pick As Many Toppings As You Like:

I want to preface this section by stating that toppings high in water content like cucumbers and tomatoes will be lower in calories and higher in nutrient density. Choose real fruit and not dried fruit (for less sugar), beans instead of sesame noodles, and fresh veggies instead of something canned (if possible).

Last but not least, the potentially deadly salad dressing options.

Choose a Homemade Salad Dressing:

I will cover this more extensively in another post coming soon, but my favorite general tip is to order dressing on the side (for portion control). Metro does have this as an option. 

Choose wisely and enjoy!

Any readers have tips to share? What are your salad topping picks?

blog #94 trend on the rise: baby food diet for adults?!

check out this video

While doing some of my usual food/health and nutrition research, I came across this video and felt compelled to post about it. 

The baby food diet is said to be created by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson. The diet involves eating 14
servings of baby food a day followed by a healthy adult dinner. "I developed a cleanse where you can still eat and it's a lot of puree foods. I was very careful about the foods I chose to put in it," Tracy told.

A 6 oz jar labeled 'Third-Stage Foods' contains:



Calories 110, 

Fat 0g, 

Total Carb 25g
, Fiber 2g, 
Sugars 15g

, Protein 1g

I have heard of ...

"The Baby Food Diet is likely to inspire some good chuckles and grimaces as its popularity grows. From a nutritional perspective, the diet is clearly packed with veggies and fruits and thereby full of vitamins and minerals; and it does have the portion control element going for it too. As for its long-term ability to keep off any lost pounds? That still remains to be seen."

Want more info?  check this out

So How do you reach your goals the right way?

Follow a healthy lifestyle and document what you eat. I know it’s a pain to keep track of, but it really makes you aware of what foods might be sabotaging your weight loss. I heard a dietitian say on the Tyra Banks show a few months back say: 

"If you bite it; write it."

I like that. Catchy. I recommend keeping a digital log. Why not try a smartphone application? Check out my blog post about smartphone apps that help you manage your calorie consumption.

blog # 92 Peanut butter: a super sports food!

Peanut butter is perhaps my favorite food in the whole world; it is amazing alone and as a spread. Peanuts contain monounsaturated (heart-healthy) fats, but of course you have to measure how much you consume because a little of this delicious spread goes a long, long way.

FUN peanut butter facts:

• Contains monounsaturated fats and resveratrol (which may protect against a high risk of cardiovascular disease)

• Is a vegetarian source of protein (so if you are NOT a vegetarian, remember to consider how much other protein you are consuming in your diet if and when you eat pb)

• Contains fiber (as much as a half cup of broccoli per one serving of pb)

• Studies show that small amounts (measure!) can help people lose weight because of satiety factor

(Satiety factor=feeling full longer from eating certain foods like pb)

Like hummus and dates, there are many different types of peanut butter. Natural, salted, unsalted, flavored, crunchy, and creamy are just a few types that we may be familiar with seeing at stores and health food shops. I recommend the natural, unsalted type because it usually has minimal preservatives. You can always add your own salt or honey to the mix at the end, but it’s always best to purchase the product with the least amount of processing. I understand that selecting the correct type can be mind boggling, so check out this article for some guidance.

Or why not make your own?

A very famous sports dietitan Nancy Clark, MS, RD has written many books about sports training and nutrition.

Clark calls peanut butter “a super sports food.”

Clark says, “In this day and age of energy bars, protein powders, and weight gain shakes, many athletes forget about "real" foods, such as peanut butter. Peanut butter, in my opinion, is one of the best sports foods around. It's tasty, inexpensive, satisfying, nourishing--and even good for our health.”

So how do my readers enjoy their peanut butter?

Classic pb&j?

Apple slices?

Bananas?

Rice cakes?

Yogurt? (it’s good--try it!)

Homemade protein bars?

Smoothies?

Those of you who know me personally can say that I am obsessed with peanut butter in my oatmeal. Peanut butter mixed right inside of my warm old fashioned oats makes for a satiating meal. PB is a great way to add flavor but remember….a teaspoon goes a long way, so measure up!

blog # 90 Hummus anyone?

yum!

Every day while in Israel I ate hummus, as it was offered at every meal. I was even served a cup on the plane. A cup?? (That’s a lot of hummus!)

kcal info

I cup= 435 calories

190 calories from fat 

1 tablespoon= 27 calories 

12 calories from fat 

Hummus has to be one of my favorite things to eat. You can eat it with pretty much anything. Of course, Israel had the best hummus that I have ever tasted, so I did some research that I want to share.

You can purchase hummus at most stores, but why not make it at home? Here is an at-home recipe

Although recipes vary, hummus basically consists of chickpeas, olive oil, and tahini paste. Some of my readers may wonder, what is tahini?

Tahini is sesame-seed paste that can either be purchased fresh or hydrated.

There are two types of tahini: light and dark. The light version is said to have a better flavor. 

Although I’ve never tried, I’ve been told that if you are making hummus at home and you don’t have tahini, you can use peanut butter instead. Anyone tried that?

What do you eat with hummus?

I like:

Raw veggies

Pitas

Salads (as a suppliment of the dressing)

I like this brand because there is such a wide variety of flavors like roasted pepper, roasted garlic, plain, spicy, and roasted pine nuts. 

About six months ago I went to the Hummus Kitchen here in NYC which i really liked. Check it out!

Want to learn more? Read up on the hummus blog

blog #89 What do you know about the date fruit in Israel?

I recently returned from my amazing birthright trip to Israel.


Israel is described as having “one of the most dynamic, fascinating -- and delicious -- food scenes in the world.” 

Staple foods:

Hummus

Falafel

Olive oil

Olives

Various cheeses

Kabobs (chicken being a popular choice)

Fresh oranges

Tahini sauce

Israeli salad (cucumbers and tomatoes)

Dried fruits, such as dates

I want to talk about the dates in Israel. The date fruit is a product of a date palm, which is a tree native to northern Africa and the Middle East. A date fruit can be eaten dried or fresh. While fresh dates are offered only seasonality and at special markets, dried dates are available at most markets year-round.

Dates are loaded with fiber as well as oil, calcium, sulfur, iron, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium. There are many different types of dates. 

Hadiklaim founded in 1983, is Israel’s largest and most advanced date producer located in Tel Aviv. I had the opportunity to try its brand -- King Solomon’s dates -- and they were the best dates that I have ever tasted in my life.

Check out their company overview 

Hadiklaim has a reputation for delivering the highest quality dates because the geography and location is ideal for optimal date production.

Nutritional Info of Dates

All values are based per 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of dates

A typical date is said to be around 23 calories (read the label)

Carbohydrates - 73.5 g

Total dietary fiber - 7.5 g
Sugars - 66 g

Proteins - 2 g

Total fat - 0.45 g

Minerals:

Calcium - 32 mg

Magnesium - 35 mg

Phosphorus - 40 mg

Potassium - 652 mg

Although a typical date has only 23, calories, different types of dates vary in calories. Dates are a great choice, but in small portions.  

NOT ALL DATES ARE EQUAL!

blog #85: How to cure a hangover with nutrition

I want to start this post by saying that drinking alcohol can displace nutrients in the body, damage your liver, and cause unwanted weight gain, among a long list of other detrimental effects.

                Drink Alcohol in Moderation, if at all.

Moderation = 1 drink/day for women

2 drinks/day for men

You can cure a hangover with: 1. Sleep 2. Fruit or water 3. No coffee

1. Go back to bed

—  A body needs rest to recover from what you've put it through. Chances are, you stayed up late earning your hangover.

—  You'll cure your hangover faster if you get some rest. Sometimes time and sleep are the best hangover remedies.

—  Heavy alcohol abuse has adverse effects on nutrition both because it displaces other, more nutritious foods in the diet and because chronic use impairs absorption and metabolism of many nutrients including: protein, thiamin, B6, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc and calcium.

2. Rehydrate.

Alcohol is a diuretic.

—  This problem is made worse by the fact that when people are drinking alcohol, they seldom stop to have a glass of water.

—  This loss of fluids causes dehydration.

—      Symptoms of dehydration include headache, dry mouth, and thirst.

—  Drink water. Eat water-filled fruits.(like grapefruit or berries)

3. Skip coffee.

Coffee is a diuretic, so drinking it will be counterproductive to your body’s needs by inhibiting hydration. Stick with water and fruit. Toast helps, too.

check out this article for more detailed tips and tricks