So, you think you know everything about which foods are good and bad?

Do you think you know what's healthy and what isn't?  We get mixed messages every day, so do you really think you know what you should and shouldn't eat?  I mean, last year Doctor Oz was all about coconut oil, and already this year he seems to be obsessed with red palm oil instead.  Another example; when I was growing up margarine was the better alternative to butter, but now if I do a demo with margarine at work people give me the evil eye (no joke).

Source: iStock Photo

Should food cause anxiety? No, but for many of us it does.  Wouldn't it be nice if we could just eat food because we enjoy it, and not have to have a million messages coming at us from every angle about why we should or shouldn't be eating it?  My goal has always been to keep nutrition simple.  I don't like to give foods titles like "good" and "bad", instead I like to say certain foods are just better.

I digress....The point of this post is to share with you some information about food that you may have thought you knew, but really didn't.  The point isn't to confuse you more but instead to teach you that if you hear one thing is "true", it doesn't always mean it is!  You are allowed to make your own decisions as to why you do or do not eat certain foods, but you need to make sure those reasons are valid, and you didn't just make up your mind based on one article or one rumor or what one doctor told you on TV.  I've been guilty of being fooled by "one small rumor" myself, but when it comes to the dynamic field of nutrition you can never take one person's word for it, you have to look at the whole picture and make sure you remind yourself that just like we shouldn't judge people based on one thing we've heard about them, we shouldn't judge food either.  Similarly, just because a person has one "flaw" doesn't mean they are a bad person, they might also have some great qualities.  It's the same case with food! One "bad" nutrition quality doesn't always make the food a bad choice (ahem...tilapia!).

Want some examples?  Read this article, titled "What you Think You Know, But Don't, About Wise Eating".  A few points from the article;

• Cured Meats:  Avoiding nitrates and nitrates in your processed meats?  Good, you should. But did you know the labels aren't always the best way to find out if your meats are free of these possible carcinogens?  Yeah, even your "Organic and uncured" processed meats may still contain them, and in high amounts!  Read the article to see how.  The bottom line is, not matter what, processed meats are best consumed in moderation (and I know, I know, "moderation" is an ambiguous word, but in this case I would say once a week, at most) because of their high sodium content.

• Trans Fat: Did you know that there are some forms of trans fat that actually aren't harmful?  Yeah, I didn't either.  Some of these forms can be added to things like dairy products and fruit juices, without causing the harm that "partially or hydrogenated oils" can cause.  Who knew?!  In fact, Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), which may possibly help with weight control and cancer prevention (according to some studies) is a trans fat.  So if you see trans fat on your food label, be sure to make sure it isn't coming from hydrogenated oils.
 

Source: iStock Photo

 
• Farmed Salmon:  Worried about how your farm-raised salmon got so pink?  I've heard customers at work tell me they refuse to buy farm-raised salmon because "they are fed dye that turns them pink".  Well it's true they are fed something that helps give them their color, but it's not dye, it's typically a commercially made antioxidant called astaxanthin, which is found in algae.  This same antioxidant is what gives wild salmon its color too!

• Nuts:  They are SO high in FAT!  So they must make us fat, right?! Wrong, actually. According to the article, there is research to support that people who eat nuts and nut butter (in normal amounts, not tons and tons!) each day typically weigh less than those who don't eat them.   Not only are nuts full of heart-healthy fats, but they also contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  And if you like almonds, you may be pleased to find out that they were recently found to contain less calories than originally thought.  Wahoo!

Another great way to get confused really fast is to only "skim" an article.  I saw this article the other day, titled "The Best and the Worst Seafood Choices"  I made sure to read every word, rather than just skim their list of "6 fish to put on the table and 6 to pass up".  One of the six fish to pass up was a farm-raised salmon, but I noticed that the words "most" and "often" were used throughout, meaning they were making generalizations.  I buy my seafood from reputable suppliers, who follow strict rules when it comes to who and where they buy their fish.  They only purchase from suppliers who use sustainable practices, and I know this because I've done the research.  You can too.  This way you will feel better about what you are buying.

QUESTION: Have you ever read something about a certain food only to find out later that the information wasn't true or the truth was stretched?  Has food ever caused you anxiety??



On a personal note, I'm turning 30 tomorrow.  Yep, you read that right, the big 3-0.  Nick is making me dinner and I can't wait to see (and taste) what he makes!  Then Friday night we are having a party at our favorite local Irish Pub, followed by a weekend trip on Saturday 2 hours north for a stay in the same Bed and Breakfast where Prince Charles and Camilla stayed one time.  It should be fun.  Turning 30 is no biggie, I'm excited.  Bring it on thirties!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Don't Let Our Food Environment Sabotage YOUR Wellness Efforts! (Sabotage Saturday, on Friday!)

I talk about the importance of changing our food environment a lot on this blog (just a warning in case you are a new reader).  I wrote this post last year about how we should be able to control our own health and wellness efforts, but our food environment often makes it difficult.  It's true.  Not that there is any excuse for eating an unhealthy diet or living an unhealthy lifestyle.  There really shouldn't be an excuse for you to take the elevator instead of the stairs, or eat the donut instead of the apple, or order the extra large soda instead of the small.  If you make an excuse, you're just being naive and failing to admit that you lack self-control, or that you just don't care about your health that much (is that mean? Hey, I'm the Candid RD!  I give honest opinions, what can I say?!).  

People say things like this to me all the time, when I "catch" then eating something not-so-healthy; 

"Gina, I don't eat like this all the time, I promise, it's just for this one breakfast that I'm eating 2 donuts, honest".  

People feel like they have to apologize to me for their lack-luster diets (or their "one poor food choice").  I hate that.  Why do they apologize to me?  They should be apologizing to themselves.

Source: iStock Photo
So cheap. So addicting! And, such an easy thing to grab on a quick work break. I get it.

But is it true that so many people really don't care about their health and wellness?  Is it true that so many people really lack self-control?  Yes, it's true, but I'll be the first to stand up for those people because I don't think it's all their fault.   I think most people really do care about their health and wellness, obviously, but our environment is setting them up for failure.

This article from CNN.com discussed how many of our behaviors aren't driven by thinking about the consequences of our actions, but instead they are "automatic, and shaped by our environments and performed without awareness".  In my counseling sessions at work I try really hard to instill in people that idea of eating mindfully, and thinking about every action you make (specfically, your helath and wellness actions).  I've been doing this myself, with my own actions, my entire life, and at one point I did it obsessively.  Now, thankfully, my mindfulness is healthy and positive.  So what can we do to make healthier choices more of an automatic response??  Change our environment, of course. I know we don't have control over it, but I think different laws are being passed, each year, that are slowly working towards the goal of changing our environment and helping to make our "automatic responses" less likely to be poor choices.  Even if some people think these laws are crazy, I am a believer that most of them (while they may seem trivial and silly) will really make a big difference in the long run.  

EXAMPLES 

• Nutrition facts on menus: Having the nutrition facts listed right next to the foods on menus sort of forces you to be more mindful about the choices you make.  Without even thinking about it you will likely notice the calories and even if you don't really care, you'll likely make a different choice based on the number you see.  Many people think the entire idea is lame, but what I love about it is that places with a "health halo", such as Panera, are forced to show people that a "Soup and Salad" combo may not always be as healthy as you would think.                
  

• Smoking bans:  Need I say more?  This was the smartest law that was passed in (certain) American cities and states. It's so refreshing walking into a restaurant and not having to worry about getting seated in an area with smoke.  To be honest, I never really thought about it a whole lot until I was in a city that didn't have the same ban on smoking that we have here in Columbus.  I walked into a restaurant and was blown away by how smokey it was.  Wow, had I really lived my entire life with this before?? I had no control over it before, so it didn't really bother me, but now that it's gone, and it's amazing.

Less Americans can make the automatic decision to light up, wherever they want.  In turn, less Americans are smoking.

• Banning of extra large pops:  I'll be honest, at first I thought the ban on large sodas in NewYork was sort of lame.  I mean, you can't buy a large soda, so you'll just buy a couple smalls or mediums, right?!  But the truth is, most people won't do that.  When people buy large sodas it's because it's such a good deal, but now that they aren't offered, that "automatic response" isn't even an option, so people will have to be content with the options they do have.

I was at a wellness event the other day and the only thing available was regular soda.  What?!  Not even any water on hand!  It was an automatic decision for many of the attendees to grab a regular soda, because they had no choice. Their environment sort of forced them to do this (although I just went thirsty, and used the drinking fountain)

• Taking away the salt shaker! It sounds like a strange thing to do, but when Boston Market took the salt shakers away from their restaurant tables, less patrons were able to automatically pick up the salt shaker and load their already salt-loaded food with more salt.  That automatic action was reduced.  Who knows by how much, but who cares? Even if 20% of Boston Market customers added less salt, that's a plus.  Maybe those customers would then realize that their food was already plenty salty, and perhaps they would then not use the salt shaker on other food they consume.  A small change in the environment. It makes a difference.

Source: iStock Photo

I was really happy when the manager of the supermarket where I Work asked me for some ideas for healthy snacks to put by the cash registers. How many times have you made the decision to grab a candy bar or bag of chips as you go through the check-out lanes at a store?  If the only option is something healthy, instead of something that is unhealthy, you will have to choose the healthy option.  Right?!  And you'll enjoy it too :)

Source: iStock Photo

QUESTION:  Do you think some of these laws are stupid, or do you think they will help us in the long run by slowly making healthier choices a more automatic decision?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts (And Dodging Health Halos)

Over the holidays I wanted to make candied nuts.  I believe that some people think of candied nuts as healthy, because they are nuts.  I'm not saying you think that, but trust me, I've heard people tell me they eat candied nuts as their "healthy mid-afternoon snack".  Just so you know, most candied nuts aren't so healthy. I mean....they are candied!  And if you pick up a typical jar or package of most common candied nuts, you'll notice they aren't just slightly candied, they are very candied (ie: they contain way too much sugar to constitute a healthy snack).  This doesn't mean they are a "Bad food", it just means they are a food you should probably limit, unless you count them as a dessert everyday (or as part of your "Extra Calories", per the USDA guidelines).

This is what I like to call a "health halo" (and this is a common term, you've probably heard it before in magazines and on health shows on TV, I also use it a lot on this blog.....).  Candied nuts could be considered a "health halo" because they have an imaginary angelic halo on top of them simply because they are nuts.  This holiday season I set out to make some sugar-free candied nuts, and I was quite successful, I must say.

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts

Ingredients

2.5 cups mixed nuts (I used no-salt-added walnuts and almonds)

1 egg white, whipped

~1/4th cup of your favorite non-caloric sweetener (such as stevia)

3 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. sea salt

NOTE:  If you want to use regular sugar, that's fine, just use about 2 Tbsp, which would still be less than you would find in most store-bought candied nuts.

NOTE:  If you want these to be low FODMAPs, look for a non-caloric sweetener that doesn't contain sugar alcohols (you can look at the ingredient list for no ingredients that end in "ol", such as erythritol.  Plus, when you eat these you'll need to stick to a small (~1 ounce) serving in one sitting.

Directions

Add the whipped egg white to the nuts, and blend well.  Add the cinnamon, sweetener, and salt, and evenly distribute throughout the nuts.  Pour the nuts onto a baking sheet, spread out evenly, and bake for ~25 minutes at 300 degrees (stir the nuts about 3 times throughout the cooking process, as cinnamon burns easily).

Indeed these are typically a holiday treat, but I would argue that these could be enjoyed throughout the year, at any time.  They were a huge hit as a simple snack, added to yogurt, and even topped on a salad.

Instagram!

This weekend, and this year, watch out for other examples of "health halos"

• Some breakfast restaurants....I won't name names....serve specialty pancakes with "healthy" toppings.  These pancakes meals could easily contain as much sugar as a cupcake or a donut (if not much more!). Don't be fooled (or, just eat the donut).

• Smoothies can be as sugar-packed as ice cream sundaes.  Yes, they might contain more nutrients and fiber than ice cream sundaes, but just remind yourself more isn't always better.  A small smoothie should be sufficient;

• "Fruit Flavored Dressings", such as raspberry and pomegranate aren't any better for you than dressings without fruit flavors.  Sure, they may contain a bit more vitamin C, but don't choose these dressings because you think they are healthier, they probably aren't.  If you like the flavor, that's another story.

• One of my favorite RD bloggers, Erin of The Healthy Apron, wrote two great blog posts about some other popular "health halos" that you might find while out and about.  Read about those here and here.  Don't be fooled!

QUESTION:  What kinds of health halos do you see on a regular basis???  There are many!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

In The News; Biathlon, Garden and Other Stuff

The biggest news of the week is that tomorrow I will be doing something I've never done before...a biathlon! Yeah, you read that right. If you've been reading my blog for a while than you are fully aware that a) I do not run on a regular basis and b) the only time I bike is to work, which is about one half a mile away. Needless to say, I'm terrified! The race is 30k on the bike and then a 5k run. The full race is a triathlon, but my friend and I opted out of the swimming part because honestly the bike and run will be hard enough. I'll try to take some pictures of this monumental event, and post them sometime next week. I've been "training" the last couple weeks, but not quite like most of you train....... The one thing I have on my side is that I know how to fuel my body and eat/drink right the days before and the day of the event. Last night I did some "carb loading"......

I mean, come on, beer is full of electrolytes, carbohydrates, fluid, and B-vitamins. It was the perfect choice! Obviously tonight, the night before the race, I will stick to water and sports drinks :)

For my dinner last night I had grilled shrimp and loads of fresh vegetables. We went to dinner with some of our good friends, Cathy and Rob. We always have a blast when we go out with them, and we always eat tasty food. This was no exception.

Tomorrow before the race I'm going to have a small breakfast. I know how my bowels work when I'm nervous so I'm going to be careful not to eat too much and especially not to drink too much coffee. I plan on having some of my granola, a small banana, and a cup of coffee. I am going to pack a sports bar for the ride, as well as a sports drink of some kind (to replenish the electrolytes I lose via sweat).



And in other news, check out our garden!


The cantaloupe, spinach, and kale have not survived, most likely because of the overgrowth of our butternut squash (yes, we planted a few too many). We're still learning the keys to a successful garden. We have about 15-20 butternut squash, so far. Once they are ready to be harvested we plan on roasting them and then freezing them so we can enjoy delicious butternut squash throughout the fall and maybe even into the winter.

We also have several tomatoes, which will probably be gone within a few days after harvest, because we both love fresh tomatoes. Who doesn't?!

Ok, now it's time for the REAL news of the week!

Restaurants Cut Back on Salt, But They're Keeping it Quiet
(This is brilliant. We all know that most people will automatically assume that anything containing "less salt" will likely taste bland, so why not keep it quiet?! )



McDonald's To Make Happy Meals More Healthful
(The plan is to add a serving of fruit to each Happy Meal. They are also decreasing the portion of fries.)



Fortification Drives Consumer Definition of "Healthy"
(Looks like fortification of food products are creating more and more health halos in the aisles.)


Senators Urge FDA Action On Gluten-Free Labeling
(It's about time! Now, let's follow through with this....)



Designing a Better Food Label
(We all know that our current food label is incredibly outdated, and still very confusing. Now there is a new website that is asking for your ideas on how to make it better!)



QUESTION: What are your weekend plans? Have you ever done a biathlon or triathlon??

Are Health Halos Making You Eat More?

Have you noticed the ever-expanding variety of functional foods that exist in supermarkets? A functional food is one that claims to have health-promoting properties, beyond the basic functions of the calories and other nutrients the food provides. One of the earliest examples was iodized salt, which was created to help prevent goiters, and then we added folic acid to wheat to help prevent neural tube defects.

Source: iStock Photo

I've always believed, as the new dietary guidelines point out, "there are no bad foods, only bad food patterns". So when someone asks me if a certain food is "bad" or "good", I make it clear that any food can fit into a healthy diet and lifestyle. Some functional foods are certainly better for you than others, but how do you know if a "health food" is really providing the benefits you are banking on?

Joy Bauer, the Today Show dietitian, once said, "Make sure the food was healthy before the "functional part" was added"

I love this!

For example, would you think these chips (below) were healthy if they didn't include flaxseeds? Probably not. But might you eat more of them simply because they include the "health promoting flaxseeds?" Probably! This is an example of a health halo. I'm not saying these chips (or other functional foods) are bad, I'm simply saying that just because a food has a healthy component, doesn't mean you should eat twice as much. Ask yourself, "was the food healthy before the functional part was added?" If the answer is no, still enjoy the food, but don't let the health halo lead you to eating more than enough.



By the way, in order for the beneficial fats and other nutrients to be absorbed from the flaxeeds in these chips and any product that uses whole flaxseeds, they need to be ground. So.....you better chew these chips well!

Restaurant Health Halos

In a recent article from Nutrition Action Magazine a study was reported, which showed that customers underestimated the calories they consumed at restaurants that sounded more healthy. Health halo restaurants are ones that are typically known by customers to be more healthy, such as.....well, you know what they are. People underestimated how many calories they were consuming at certain health halo restaurants by about 27 percent, but only underestimated their calorie consumption at a place like McDonalds by only 19 percent.


Here are some startling nutrition facts from one common health halo restaurant:

- All Natural soups and chilis have up to 1600 mg sodium in a serving. All natural= All loaded with sodium


- Some breakfast options have up to 1500 mg sodium.


- Turkey sandwiches have up to 1900 mg sodium and 1000 calories. That's before any sides are added.


- Whole salads up to 850 calories (before the dressing!) and 1650 mg sodium (before the dressing!)


- Small frozen drinks; 82 grams sugar (includes milk sugar, but still!).

But the great thing about these health halo restaurants is that you will always find healthier options on the menu (which is why they are known as healthier places to eat), but that's not the point. People go into these places and assume everything is healthier than let's say...McDonalds! But this just isn't the case.

Other Health Halo Examples

Organic and natural foods are also a common health halo food. People were asked to estimate the calories in foods labeled as "organic" and they estimated the calories as being 15 to 20 percent lower in the organic foods, compared to their non-organic counterparts.



Low fat foods have a health halo, as was shown by one study where people ate 21 to 47 percent more calories from foods they were told were "low fat". This was the case even if they reported the taste as being inferior to the full-fat counterpart!



QUESTION: Do you think you fall in health halo traps? I know I have before....

I found this article super interesting. It discussed why "diet food" is so dissatisfying. It has a lot to do with our perception of food, which has a lot to do with what I discussed in this post.