Strategies for Preventing Mindless Eating

Back in 2010 (haha, weird!) I wrote a post about how our environment is completely against us in terms of helping us stay at a healthy weight. Think about how easy it is to get food these days. You can go to Lowe's or Target and get a meal, which in my opinion is absurd. We no longer have to work for our food, and the food we do have to work for tends to be more expensive. Our environment is simply not on our side. But, can we do something about our environment? Yes, we can!

The December issue of Today's Dietitian had a great article about avoiding the trap of mindless eating. Much of the information in the article was from a book by Brian Wansink's Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. There are many definitions of "Mindless Eating" but to me it relates to the times when we eat something without even thinking about it. Most of the time we are eating these foods or drinks even when we aren't at all hungry, and possibly even when we're full. This mindless eating can possibly account for hundreds of calories in our diet, which is why I typically add between 100-500 calories to any 24-hour recall given to me by my clients.

**The following information and tips are brought to you by Today's Dietitian Magazine**

• Today the average person makes nearly 250 food decisions each day. Holy cow! Most of these decisions happen without, well, without thinking! I mean, you think, but you just don't notice that you are thinking, do you know what I mean?

• Research shows that people eat an average of 2.2 more candies each day when they are visible, compared to when they are not. Solution? Don't leave candy out on your desk, dining room table, or anywhere near them!
  

If you want to leave something out on a table, make it healthy. Even the chocolate almonds in the picture above would be better than the chocolate kisses. If you don't think 2.2 extra pieces of candy is a lot, you should do the math (2.2 x ~50 calories = ~100 extra calories per day, times 365 days = 36,500 extra calories a year, which is 10 pounds.......)

• Be careful when you purchase 100-calorie packs. While the idea may be a good one (portion control) they tend to backfire for about 30% of the population, according to research. The idea of portioning out your food is a great way to make a healthier environment, but you're still going to be better off eating 100 calories of a fruit, vegetable, or low fat dairy product than you will eating a 100-calorie pack of cookies. Also, it's cheaper just to do the portioning yourself!

• Have you ever noticed that the foods with the most marketing tend to be the ones that the worst for us? If you have the ability to do so, fast forward through your commercials, or just leave the room when they are on.

• Believe it or not, food is cheaper these days, and according to the article it only takes up about 6% of our income (well, this is an average). I think a lot of us get caught in the traps at stores where we see a "good deal" and then we must buy it, even if we hadn't planned on doing so. This should be called "mindless shopping"! Remind yourself that unhealthy food is typically cheap food, so stay away, unless you really must have it....

These Reece's Trees were dirt cheap after the holidays. I almost bought a huge bag of them but then I reminded myself we did not need them around the house! Not to mention the fact that we still had leftover cookies and chocolate from Christmas, so why would I buy them?!

• A great way to change your environment is to buy smaller plates, utensils, and glasses. One study found that people served themselves 31% more ice cream when they were provided with a larger ice cream bowl, and 14.5% more when they were provided with a larger scoop! I think if you want to start anywhere, start with this environmental change!
  

Question: What are some of the environmental changes you have made to prevent "mindless eating"?

Keep in mind these tips aren't just for weight loss. Everyone mindlessly eats and even those who are at a healthy weight should learn some ways to prevent mindless eating. It's not just about weight management, it's also about health and wellness.

Have You Seen These Label Claims?

Today's Dietitian has really been making me happy lately. They recently posted a fabulous article, which talked about label claims. Here are some terms you may have wondered about at one time or another;



1) "Made with expeller-pressed oil"; this means the oil was extracted from its source (typically a nut or seed) by a crushing mechanism, as apposed to a chemical method, which typically uses hexane to chemically extract the oil. Hexane is a petrochemical that is apparently used also for paint diluent. Yuck!


2) "Stoneground wheat flour" or "100% stoneground wheat"; Similar to the term "natural" there really isn't a legal definition for this term. Stoneground wheat is supposedly created by grinding flour solely in stone mills, as apposed to the more commercial method of using a roller mill. Since there is no legal definition for this term companies can claim their product contains "stoneground wheat flour" even if it has only gone through the stone mill once, then was completed using a roller mill. Tricky.

Stoneground wheat is meant to sound less processed, similar to "steel cut oats", which are oats that have been cut rather than rolled. Are they any better for you? In my opinion not really. They may contain a bit more protein and soluble fiber, but I've found that this really depends on the brand.


3) "X grams of whole grains per serving". Ok...so what? This means nothing to those who don't know how many grams of whole grains they need each day. There are 16 grams of whole grains per serving of whole grain, and we need three servings per day. So that means we need a minimum of about 48 grams of whole grains each day. If a product claims to have "8 grams of whole grains per serving", that's half of a full serving of whole grains (eight grams is half of sixteen), and about one-sixth of your daily needs (eight is one-sixth of forty-eight).

These chips provide a little over a serving of whole grain, in one serving of the chips.



4) "High in antioxidants". This is the one that gets to me the most. Have you ever picked up a snack bar or a sugary cereal and seen this claim loud and clear on the box? Vitamins A, C, and E are all antioxidants, which just so happen to be added to most processed foods. Because of this, many processed foods make the claim that they "contain antioxidants" or are "high in antioxidants". It's not a lie, but are these products the best way to get antioxidants? Not at all! Antioxidants work synergistically with other compounds in the food (many times phytonutrients, or plant nutrients), which is what gives them their disease-fighting potential. In these highly processed cereals, snack bars, and even juices, those phytonutrients are typically non-existent, therefore there is no synergism potential.

The best way to get antioxidants is from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, not a snack bar that has had them added, and especially not from a supplement that supplies you a mega dose of antioxidants.


Wild rice contains vitamin E, which is a very powerful antioxidant. Scientists haven't even figured out half of the phytonutrients in whole grains, which may be working with vitamin E to help it provide its vast array of benefits to our bodies.


The same is true when it comes to fruits, vegetables, and fish. We know about many of the healthy components, but not all. There is a symbiotic relationships going on here that you simply can't mimic with fortified foods and supplements.


Including fortified foods, vitamin water, and multivitamins with >>100% of the daily value (DV) of several antioxidants is not in anyone's best interest. Consuming all these antioxidants from unnatural sources can in fact create a pro-oxidant situation in your body. To read more about this I highly suggest reading the book Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, MD and Kathy Matthews (see the link on my Amazon Widget to the right).

Want to read more about label claims? Check out some of my past posts;

Probiotic label claims

Food and Supplement Label Claims

Demystifying Label Claims


Thanks for reading!


BTW, don't forget to enter my giveaway, which ends on Saturday!

Do You Have IBS? FODMAPs May Be the Culprit

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know I'm on a diet. It's not a weight loss diet, and it's not some stupid cleanse diet or whatever, it's a diet for my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and it's been a lifesaver. I posted my IBS story here (this was before I had learned about the low FODMAPs diet for IBS), and I posted a bit about the low FODMAPs IBS diet here. As it turns out this diet is becoming more and more popular throughout the world, and recently my favorite magazine; Today's Dietitian, wrote an article all about it.

Ever since I've been on this diet I have felt about 1000 times better, and my quality of life has increased tremendously, so I'm not surprised that other people are slowly starting to find this out as well. Imagine going your entire life with constant bloating and gas. It's not fun (not for me or anyone around me.....). Now I can finally say my gas is under control, and all I did was change my diet! Food really is the best medicine, but I guess it can also be your worst nightmare. Here are some important points from the article in Today's Dietitian;

What are FODMAPs?

They are short-chain carbohydrates that tend to be malabsorbed in those with IBS. The acronym stands for:

Fermentable

Oligosaccharides

Disaccharides

Monosaccharides

And

Polyols

Why are these foods considered "trouble foods" for those with IBS?

The short-chain carbohydrates tend to be malabsorbed in those with IBS (and even those without it, but the side-effects aren't as bad for most people). The malabsorbed carbohydrates typically end up undigested in the colon, where gut bacteria happily ferment it and thus produce gas and bloating. Not fun.

What are some foods that contain FODMAPs and which those with IBS should avoid?

You will likely find hundreds of different food lists of "foods to avoid" on the internet, which could quite possibly lead to confusion (some people have told me this). The article in Today's Dietitian, as well as the booklet you can order (see the right side of my blog) seem to be very consistent. I have stuck with these lists.

FODMAPs exist in some very commonly consumed foods, which is why many people with IBS have trouble figuring out the exact cause of their discomfort (I've heard this before, "everything I eat causes a problem!!") . Here are some examples of problem foods;

Fruits: Apples, pears, peaches, mangoes, dried fruits

Vegetables: artichoke, asparagus, brussels sprouts, broccoli, onion, beetroot, chicory root (Inulin), beans and soy products (don't want to give up your beans and soy? BEANO can help with these!)

Grains: Wheat, rye

Sweeteners: Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, malitol, HFCS, agave, honey

Spices: Garlic (garlic is found in many, many foods, and unfortunately it tends to cause the most severe issues in those with IBS).

** Visit this link for a more complete list (scroll down all the way once you get to the site), or order one of the helpful booklets on the right side of my blog (Or check out my latest blog post for more helpful resources) **




What are some foods that those with IBS can enjoy instead of some of their favorite fruits, veggies, grains, and dairy products?

Fruits: Berries, cantaloupe, honeydew, oranges, ripe bananas

Vegetables (**Most of these can only be eaten in limited quantities): Squash, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant (although eggplant does give me, personally, some problems...)

Grains/Starch: Quinoa, rice, oats, popcorn 

Sweeteners:  Stevia, sugar, brown sugar, molasses


Spices: Cinnamon, pepper, salt, cumin

Please feel free to ask me any questions about my own journey adapting to the low FODMAPs approach to IBS management, or any other questions you might have! I'll tell you upfront that it was very difficult at first, and still is (especially when I'm out to dinner or at a dinner party) but the difference it has made in my life makes it all worthwhile. The most difficult part about this diet (for me) has not been giving up wheat, but giving up onion and garlic. I just love onion and garlic! I now have to read all ingredient labels very carefully, as garlic and onion seem to appear in many sauces, specifically ALL spaghetti sauces!

Question: Have you had to make a major change in your life, which was difficult but well worth the effort?!

**** FOR AN UPDATED LIST OF RESOURCES CHECK OUT MY MOST RECENT low FODMAPS POST!

AGEs in Our Meat

Is everyone having a nice weekend? Today Nick and I are working on the front of our house. We picked weeds last weekend and today we are laying down the mulch. I can't wait. It's going to look so much better, even just by adding the mulch. As you all know tomorrow is Father's Day. Any plans? Nick's father passed away a few years ago so he is coming with me to my family reunion (we do a family reunion every Father's Day) then we are hitting the outlet malls on the way home! I have to get some new clothes for my new job.....right?!

AGEs

If you are a registered dietitian, I hope you are also a member of the American Dietetic Association. Although it's quite pricey to join, in my opinion it's worth the price (and I'm cheap!). I especially love the direct access to their journal; The Journal of the American Dietetic Association. In this month's issue there was an interesting study about AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products). These AGEs are a "diverse group of highly oxidant compounds". You know antioxidants? They are supposed to protect us form things like AGEs. AGEs, and other oxidative compounds, are known to cause inflammation in the body and thus contribute to higher risks for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. They are found mainly in animal protein foods, but more will form when these animal proteins are cooked (especially high fat animal proteins).

How can you prevent the formation of these AGEs?

Use shorter cooking times

Cook with moist heat

Cook at lower temperatures

Marinate your meat and poultry in acidic ingredients prior to cooking (I really like to add balsamic vinegar to my ground beef prior to cooking it)

If I don't use balsamic vinegar as my acidic ingredient, I use lime juice. The chicken below was used for Nick's poker dinner (I pack him a dinner to take to poker every Tuesday so he doesn't get stuck eating wings and pizza with his friends. I swear he likes it!). Prior to cooking it on the stove, I marinated the raw chicken (1 pound total) for about 30 minutes in; 1/2 cup lime juice, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, and 2 tsp. seasoning mix. After cooking this chicken I put most of it away in the freezer, and I put the remainder on a bed of brown rice for Nick's dinner.


I then topped it with some spinach, broccoli, and more BBQ sauce (he loves BBQ sauce, I can't be too much of a food Nazi).


The next time you cook your meat or poultry, try to follow some of the above tips! You'll be glad you did (or at least your body will). Did you know that inflammation also causes premature aging? Yep, so go get some acidic ingredients for your next marinade!

Coming Up

Ironically, on Monday night Nick and I are taking my dad to The Thurman Cafe for Father's Day (one day late). Their signature burger was featured on the show Man Vs. Food. Let's just say it's HUGE and I'm going to prove to my dad that I can eat the entire thing. Yes, I know what you're probably thinking "Gina, you just posted about the danger of heating and eating high fat proteins without following the above tips". True, but as I always say, everything in moderation ;)

Monday's post will be a video blog about YOGURT. I will talk about three different types of yogurt; soy, regular, and Greek. They each have positive and negative qualities, but they are all a fantastic addition to a healthy diet!

Thanks so much for reading everyone, and have a great day!