“When combined with diet and exercise.”

Posted in: Fitness, Healthy Eating // 2 Comments

By Jon Vredenburg, MBA, RD, CSSD, LD/N

It seems like everyone has their piece of nutrition advice they want to share. From daytime television to supermarket tabloids we are overwhelmed with nuggets of what appear to be nutritional wisdom, but are in fact just witless.

The Dr. Oz television program seems to be a harbinger of several half-truths. Perhaps you have been recently captivated by the promise of raspberry ketones as the key to your weight loss program. A bottle of this supplement averages $20 to $30 but tastes nothing like raspberries. The claim is that the supplement will “cause the fat in your cells to get broken up more effectively and help your body burn fat faster”. Although the show’s pseudo-expert stated there “are no side effects” it can actually increase your heart rate and blood pressure because of its biological action. The truth? There is no convincing human research to support the supplement’s claims. You will find the convenient escape clause “When combined with diet and exercise” which pretty much translates as “Take this, we cannot prove it works – but diet and exercise is always good advice.”

This story repeats itself frequently in today’s marketplace. The nutrition supplement industry is not regulated in the same manner as prescription and over the counter drugs. The effectiveness of a nutrition supplement does not have to be proven before it is sold. Manufacturers can put generic claims like “Supports metabolism” or “Encourages fat burning” on the bottles, without providing any scientific evidence to support the statement. These are referred to as structure and function claims. They are sufficiently vague but strongly enticing. Despite its overall deception, it is perfectly legal. Frustrating, right?

Historically, I recommend very few nutrition supplements. If I do recommend a supplement it is usually an omega three fatty acid, vitamin D, iron or calcium. However, this is only after a thorough review of a person’s typical dietary intake to see what they are missing. I may also recommend a low dose multivitamin with minerals if they are making significant food restrictions. I also talk about ways to include the real food sources of the missing nutrients back into their diets with the hope that the supplement requirement is just short lived.

It is helpful and cost effective to be cynical in your evaluation of nutrition supplements. The best supplements are those that correct a deficiency and are supported by scientific evidence. Check with a Registered Dietitian to see if a supplement is right for you but steer clear of the dietitian that sells supplements. There is a definite conflict of interest in that regard.

Energy Drinks

Posted in: Healthy Eating // 1 Comment

Energy drinks are still making headlines. They are being blamed for the recent death of a 14 year old Maryland girl who had reportedly downed two 24 ounce energy drinks in one day, and went into cardiac arrest the next day. Her official cause of death, according to the death certificate, was cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.

About five years ago I was interviewed by a local television station to share my perspective on energy drinks. I talked about their various ingredients, answered questions about their sugar content and also reviewed their estimated caffeine levels. At the time of the interview I remember stating that the peak of the energy drink’s popularity had arrived and that subsequent demand for these liquid alarm clocks may be dropping.

Oops.

Although energy drink sales are down from their 2007 peak (according to industry data), there has been a 16% boost in sales from last year and now some familiar faces are joining the scene. Starbucks, for example, just unveiled their energy drink line called Refreshers which comes in familiar fruit-paired flavorings such as strawberry-lemonade, raspberry- pomegranate, and fig-tomato (OK – just kidding on that last one – it is really called orange-melon). Therefore, it seems like a good time to once again review health guidelines regarding energy drinks.

Energy is defined as the capacity to do work. In food and beverages energy is measured by the calorie. The more calories an item has, the more potential energy there is available (and vice versa).When energy drinks first arrived to the market they were vilified because of their sugar content, so the sugar-free energy drink was introduced. However, if a beverage has no calories – can it really provide energy? The answer is no.

So what happens? The feeling of enhanced alertness is typically derived from caffeine and guarana. These compounds block the brain’s receptors for adenosine, which is a chemical that makes you feel sleepy. The end result is that you temporarily feel more energized, but could still end up walking around like a zombie if your body is still lacking in sleep (HINT: Many of us are).

Energy drinks are no substitute for regular rest and they can put a significant strain upon the heart if they are not used in moderation. If you want real energy, reach for a small snack like fruit or nuts and go outside and take a brisk walk. Just watch out for zombies.

Eat To Live..Not Vice Versa

Posted in: Healthy Eating // 1 Comment

By Joan Dandeneau

I remember in high school my girlfriends and I would eat entire bags of Snackwells cookies and think we were making such a smart choice because they were after all FAT FREE, so they couldn’t possibly make us fat!

College days were filled with chips and salsa for dinner and bagels for every other meal because they were easy and available and again, no fat!

A few years later ”carb” became a 4 letter word. I wouldn’t dare eat rice or pasta because it would just convert to FAT and we all want to be skinny, right?

Wrong! We should all strive to be Healthy! And therefore cutting out food groups is not a good idea. Clean Eating is not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. It is feeding our bodies with nutritious and natural whole foods. It is how we would eat if preservatives and yellow #6 never existed.

Eat 5-6 times per day with small meals of about 300-500 calories per meal. Meals are made up of lean protein, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. This keeps your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day long. Drink plenty of water. Avoid processed and refined foods, saturated fats and trans fats…anything fried or high in sugar. Learn proper portion sizes. Always plan ahead and prepare all your foods ahead of time. Pack a cooler if you will be out. The food does not have to be flavorless to be clean. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Find flavor in fresh herbs and spices, citrus juice, natural salsa, vinegar and mustard.

Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store for the majority of your foods: lean proteins, low fat dairy, and fresh produce. Inside aisles contain your whole grains (quinoa, oats, beans, brown rice, etc) and your canned tuna, bottled water and maybe your peanut butter (unless you get it freshly ground).

Use your resources. Check my website for clean recipes. Come to the Healthy Recipe Exchange. Buy a copy of Clean Eating Magazine or Oxygen magazine. Borrow or buy Eat Clean Book by Tosca Reno (there is a whole series of these books now) for families, children, men, etc. There is also an Eat Clean Cookbook now as well as a Best of Clean Eating book based on the recipes in the magazine. I also offer personalized nutrition plans if you need more of a solid framework to get you started.

80% of the weight loss / body change equation depends on nutrition, while only 20% depends on exercise and genetics. Even if you were to exercise hours on end, you would see very little changes to your overall physique unless you are also being mindful of what goes into your mouth!

The following are a few Musts for your weekly grocery list: * boneless skinless chicken breasts * eggs * whole rolled oats or steel cut oats * spinach * natural peanut butter or almond butter * pears / apples / berries * broccolli / asparagus / salad greens * fresh fish * flaxseed meal or oil * sweet potatoes * cottage cheese / greek yogurt / skim milk or soy milk * multi vitamin and DHA / EPA / Fish oil (omega 3-6-9)

Enjoy your journey into the world of clean eating and be sure to take your family along with you! You will all benefit from the healthy lifestyle changes! Bon Appetit!