Marquette Nutrition & Fitness

Heart Health Month and PCOS

2011-02-16T14:03:00.000-06:00

Happy Heart Health Month! I know it's been a while since I've blogged, but I'm working on being more consistent. ;-) Please be aware that I am planning to move my blog to another site, so once I have the new URL I'll be sure to post it.

Now, on to heart health month! You have probably heard by now that heart disease is the number one killer of both men AND women. For women with PCOS, heart health is of particular concern since this syndrome increases the risk of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular diseases. My intention today is to give you a brief summary of what you can do with nutrition and fitness to lower your risk of heart disease.

Top of the list: increase your fruits and vegetables! Whole fruits and vegetables provide a lot of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that act as antioxidants. The fiber can help lower cholesterol, minerals like potassium can potentially help lower blood pressure, and certain vitamins and other nutrients that act as antioxidants can help lower inflammation.

I just listened to an interesting webinar on concord grape juice and it's benefits for heart health. What I found of interest was that one of the studies mentioned showed that after drinking 16 ounces of concord grape juice daily for 8 weeks, there was a slight decrease in night time blood pressure (1.4 percentage points), and fasting glucose either remained the same or decreased up to 2 mg/dl in all of the study participants. (The study was done on 64 adults who were pre-hypertensive or who had stage 1 hypertension and were not taking any medication.) This is potentially good news for people who really enjoy grape juice, but have been afraid to drink it for fear that it would raise their blood glucose levels.

It's important to remember that grape juice is a lot more concentrated than whole grapes (and therefore has a lot more calories), but it is likely that it can be safely consumed in moderation and can help contribute to your daily fruit quota, while potentially helping lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Next tip: avoid trans fat. This is the absolute worst kind of fat because it can lower your good cholesterol (HDL) while at the same time increasing your "bad" cholesterol (LDL).

Finally, get moving! The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), recommends everyone get a total of at least 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 times per week for heart health.

For more nutrition tips specifically for PCOS, please check out my new ebook series. Through the end of the month, the first book is free!

IronMan Race Day Nutrition. . . for Sherpas!

2010-12-01T18:53:00.000-06:00

Typically you read about sports nutrition for athletes or sport or fitness; today I want to talk about nutrition for the spectators, the coaches, the support crew. . . in other words, for the Sherpas! That may not seem like a big deal, but if you are playing the role of Sherpa as I did recently, and you plan to be out on an Ironman course for upwards of 12 hours, you need to make sure that you are properly fueling yourself or you will not be of much support to your athlete.

One of my fellow Sherpas mentioned a friend of hers actually had to be hospitalized from dehydration she experienced while spectating! In addition, if you are prone to low blood sugar reactions, you also have to be mindful that you are eating frequently enough, and that your snacks/meals contain a combination of protein/carbohydrate/healthy fat.

I recently attended IronMan (IM) in Tempe, AZ. It was my husband Dan's first full Ironman Competition. For those of you not familiar with IM, it is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile marathon. Yes, all in one day. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time working on Dan's nutrition (daily, training, and for competition).

Bike Transition, minus the bikes!

Ready to Spectate!

I, however, did not have an optimum sports nutrition plan laid out for my day out on the course. I took snacks and water in a backpack, as well as money to buy food as needed. I also had written out approximate times that Dan would be at certain parts on the course. With these time estimates, I thought I would have time to take the train back to the condo we were staying in to eat a "real lunch" and "real dinner." Unfortunately, I did not take into account the timing of the other athletes I was there to watch.

There were probably an additional 20+ athletes that I knew (or that my husband knew) who were competing. There was also an equal number of Sherpas from Austin who were supporting these same athletes. We made sure we all had each other’s contact information, and had tentative "breakfast" plans. Because of the large number of athletes and Sherpas in attendance, my thinking that I would have time to take the train back to the condo for meals did not happen.

Most of us arrived at the site around 5 a.m. We all watched the swim start/finish and the start of the bike. We then managed to have a very late breakfast/early lunch around 11 a.m. After that, we headed back to the bike course. From that point on, it became difficult to stay in contact with each other as we all had specific people we wanted to see start the run. I did meet up with one friend and went to dinner at a little Mediterranean Restaurant just a few blocks from the race site around 6 p.m.

Tea and coffee; not the best for rehydrating!

While I did manage to snack a little during the day, I did not drink nearly enough water, which made for a very dry mouth, slight headache, and chapped lips by the end of the day. Not that big of a deal, but if I had not carried my own water bottle with me it could have potentially been much worse.

So what are the lessons learned? Keep track of how much fluid you are taking in; make sure you drink at least as much as you would on a normal day, preferably more depending on the weather conditions. Take snacks that include both protein and carbohydrate (dried fruit, nuts, and seeds work great). Set an alarm for at least 3 different times during the day when you will take a break and eat a meal and stick to it!

Happy Halloween, Healthy Halloween???

2010-10-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

I am feeling super inspired today. I love being a healthy, vegetarian runner in a cool running town! This morning I coached my running group through a great 9.5 mile run, with a few spicy hills tossed in for good measure. The weather was just about perfect; a crisp 45 degrees to start, then the sun came out with just a mild breeze. After finishing our run, I led us through some cool down stretches, then I went off to my local farmer's market.

Dressed up for Halloween!

At the Sustainable Food Center's Farmer's Market at Sunset Valley, there are a few things I always buy: milk from "Way Back When" dairy, whatever fruit is in season from several different farmers, and at least 2 -3 different types of vegetables from several different farmers. The items I get every other week or so are goat cheese from Swede Farm, several different types of cow's cheese from Brazos Valley Cheese, and eggs (I rotate between Richardson Farm, Flintrock Hill Farm, and Hairston Creek Farm). Remember, my husband and I are lacto-ovo vegetarian, not vegan. We may make the switch eventually, but as long as I know the animals are being treated right and raised properly, I'm still o.k. with eating dairy and eggs.

Now, you are probably wondering "Is that why she is feeling so inspired?" Actually, no. Just a little while ago I was going through email when I saw this video that one of my colleagues posted:

What did you think? WOW, was what I thought! Where are these kids and where is this teacher? Can I get them to come here and teach our kids to give up there Halloween candy for FRUITS and VEGETABLES??? I thought this video was awesome! Not only are they eating healthy foods in place of candy, they are getting exercise and learning how to cook in the process! This is pure genius.

I hope you enjoyed the video, and are feeling just as inspired as I did! Have a Happy, HEALTHY, Halloween! Oh, and please go to my website and take my survey! ;-)

Agave: Health Food, Health Fad or Health Fraud? Part Two

2010-10-09T15:24:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is part two of the blog on Agave. I think this will answer a few more questions for you!

Two last points..

A recent study in the journal Environmental Health (5), found mercury in nearly 50 percent of the tested samples of commercial high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). A separate study by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) detected mercury in nearly one-third of 55 popular brandname food and beverage products where HFCS is the first or second highest labeled ingredient. As the authors concluded, "With respect to total mercury exposure, it may be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children and sensitive populations." This concern would only relate to HFCS and not Agave.

A recent study (6) measured the antioxidant acuity level of several sweeteners and found that refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar contained minimal antioxidant activity, raw cane sugar was slightly higher, and dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest antioxidant activity. Maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey showed intermediate antioxidant capacity.

So, lets put all of this in perspective...

Are higher levels of fructose in a concentrated caloric sweetener good or bad?

Well, if you think HFCS is bad because of the amount of fructose in it, then Agave must be much worse then HFCS.

If you think Agave syrup is good because it has a very low GI/GL, as a result of the fructose in it, than HFCS must not be that bad and at least better than table sugar because it has a higher level of fructose in it, and so would have a lower GI/GL than table sugar.

So again, are higher levels of fructose in a concentrated caloric sweetener good or bad?

We just can't argue it both ways.

Now, as we see from these recent studies (1,2), fructose, in excess can create problems as it goes directly to the liver. However, these problems only existed when excess was consumed as there were no negative effects when less than 50 grams was consumed, even when it was pure fructose. So again, the real issue is quantity.

If it takes a minimum of 50 grams of fructose to see any negative effect and at least 100 grams of fructose to see a significant negative effect, lets see how these numbers related to potential intakes.

To ingest 50 grams fructose, this would be the equivalent of consuming either 100 grams of sucrose, as sucrose is 50/50 glucose/fructose and about 91 grams of HFCS, as HFCS is 55/45 fructose/glucose.

To ingest 100 grams of fructose, this would be the equivalent of either 200 grams of sucrose, as sucrose is 50/50 glucose/fructose and about 182 grams of HFCS, as HFCS is 55/45 fructose/glucose.

91 grams of HFCS is 370 calories

100 grams of sucrose is 400 calories

182 grams of HFCS is 740 calories

200 grams of Sucrose is 800 calories

I think anyone would agree that 370 to 400 calories, or 740 to 800 calories of either one as part of daily diet would be considered excess. On a 2000 calorie diet, this would be 19% (at 370 calories) to 40% (at 800 calories) of someone's caloric intake.

So, the real issue again, is not which one, but the total amount. The bottom line, no matter which one you choose to use, quantity is the real issue.

The recommendation I give in my Label Reading talk is to limit their consumption of all concentrated caloric sweeteners to no more than 5% of calories which for someone consuming 2000 calories is 100 calories per day which is 25 grams or about 2 tablespoons. The only exception I give is that if someone has elevated TGs, or at risk for CVD, then they may want to avoid those higher in fructose.

Therefore, limit your consumption of all refined and/or concentrated sweeteners and if heart disease, elevated triglycerides, insulin resistance, diabetes and/or weight are concerns of yours, avoid the ones higher in fructose especially Agave.

1) Br J Nutr. 2008 Nov;100(5):947- 52. Consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages for 10 weeks increases postprandial triacylglycerol and apolipoprotein- B concentrations in overweight and obese women.

Fructose consumption in the USA has increased over the past three decades. During this time, obesity, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome have also increased in prevalence. While diets high in fructose have been shown to promote insulin resistance and increase TAG concentrations in animals, there are insufficient data available regarding the long-term metabolic effects of fructose consumption in humans. The objective of the present study was to investigate the metabolic effects of 10-week consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages in human subjects under energy-balanced conditions in a controlled research setting. Following a 4-week weight-maintaining complex carbohydrate diet, seven overweight or obese (BMI 26.8-33.3 kg/m2) postmenopausal women were fed an isoenergetic intervention diet, which included a fructose-sweetened beverage with each meal, for 10 weeks. The intervention diet provided 15% of energy from protein, 30% from fat and 55% from carbohydrate (30% complex carbohydrate, 25% fructose). Fasting and postprandial glucose, insulin, TAG and apoB concentrations were measured. Fructose consumption increased fasting glucose concentrations and decreased meal-associated glucose and insulin responses (P = 0.0002, P = 0.007 and P = 0.013, respectively). Moreover, after 10 weeks of fructose consumption, 14 h postprandial TAG profiles were significantly increased, with the area under the curve at 10 weeks being 141% higher than at baseline (P = 0.04). Fructose also increased fasting apoB concentrations by 19% (P = 0.043 v. baseline). In summary, consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages increased postprandial TAG and fasting apoB concentrations, and the present results suggest that long-term consumption of diets high in fructose could lead to an increased risk of CVD. PMID: 18384705

2) Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Nov;88(5):1419- 37. Fructose consumption and consequences for glycation, plasma triacylglycerol, and body weight: meta-analyses and meta-regression models of intervention studies.

BACKGROUND: The glycemic response to dietary fructose is low, which may improve concentrations of glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c), a marker of dysglycemia). Meanwhile, adverse effects on plasma triacylglycerol (a marker of dyslipidemia) and body weight have been questioned. Such effects are reported inconsistently. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the effect of fructose on these health markers, particularly examining treatment dose and duration, and level of glycemic control. DESIGN: A literature search was conducted for relevant randomized and controlled intervention studies of crystalline or pure fructose (excluding high-fructose corn syrup), data extraction, meta-analyses, and modeling using meta-regression. RESULTS: Fructose intake < 90 g/d significantly improved HbA(1c) concentrations dependent on the dose, the duration of study, and the continuous severity of dysglycemia throughout the range of dysglycemia. There was no significant change in body weight at intakes <100 g fructose/d. Fructose intakes of <50 g/d had no postprandially significant effect on triacylglycerol and those of or=100 g fructose/d, the effect on fasting triacylglycerol depended on whether sucrose or starch was being exchanged with fructose, and the effect was dose-dependent but was less with increasing duration of treatment. Different health types and sources of bias were examined; they showed no significant departure from a general trend. CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis shows that fructose intakes from 0 to >or=90 g/d have a beneficial effect on HbA(1c). Significant effects on postprandial triacylglycerols are not evident unless >50 g fructose/d is consumed, and no significant effects are seen for fasting triacylglycerol or body weight with intakes of

3) J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jul 31. [Epub ahead of print] Formation of Hydroxymethylfurfural in Domestic High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Its Toxicity to the Honey Bee ( Apis mellifera ).

In the United States, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has become a sucrose replacement for honey bees and has widespread use as a sweetener in many processed foods and beverages for human consumption. It is utilized by commercial beekeepers as a food for honey bees for several reasons: to promote brood production, after bees have been moved for commercial pollination, and when field-gathered nectar sources are scarce. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a heat-formed contaminant and is the most noted toxin to honey bees. Currently, there are no rapid field tests that would alert beekeepers of dangerous levels of HMF in HFCS or honey. In this study, the initial levels and the rates of formation of HMF at four temperatures were evaluated in U.S.-available HFCS samples. Different HFCS brands were analyzed and compared for acidity and metal ions by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Levels of HMF in eight HFCS products were evaluated over 35 days, and the data were fit to polynomial and exponential equations, with excellent correlations. The data can be used by beekeepers to predict HMF formation on storage. Caged bee studies were conducted to evaluate the HMF dose-response effect on bee mortality. Finally, commercial bases such as lime, potash, and caustic soda were added to neutralize hydronium ion in HMF samples, and the rates of HMF formation were compared at 45 degrees C. PMID: 19645504

4) Advanced Glycation End Products and Nutrition Physiol. Res. 51: 313-316, 2002

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) may play an important adverse role in process of atherosclerosis, diabetes, aging and chronic renal failure. Levels of N(epsilon)-carboxymethyllysine and fluorescent AGE values were estimated in two nutritional population groups--alternative group (vegetarians--plant food, milk products, eggs) and traditional group (omnivorous subjects). Vegetarians have a significantly higher carboxymethyllysine content in plasma and fluorescent AGE values. Intake of proteins, lysine and monosaccharides as well as culinary treatment, consumption of food AGEs (mainly from technologically processed products) and the routes of Maillard reaction in organism are the substantial sources of plasma AGEs. Vegetarians consume less proteins and saccharides. Lysine intake is significantly reduced (low content in plant proteins). Subjects on alternative nutrition do not use high temperature for culinary treatment and consume low amount of technologically processed food. Fructation induced AGE fluorescence is greater as compared with that induced by glucose. It is due to higher participation of a more reactive acyclic form of fructose. Intake of vegetables and fruit with predominance of fructose is significantly higher in vegetarians. Comparison of nutrition and plasma AGEs in vegetarian and omnivorous groups shows that the higher intake of fructose in alternative nutrition of healthy subjects may cause an increase of AGE levels. PMID: 12234125

5) Environ Health. 2009 Jan 26;8:2. Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar.

Mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to produce thousands of other products including food ingredients such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, and high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is used in food products to enhance shelf life. A pilot study was conducted to determine if high fructose corn syrup contains mercury, a toxic metal historically used as an anti-microbial. High fructose corn syrup samples were collected from three different manufacturers and analyzed for total mercury. The samples were found to contain levels of mercury ranging from below a detection limit of 0.005 to 0.570 micrograms mercury per gram of high fructose corn syrup. Average daily consumption of high fructose corn syrup is about 50 grams per person in the United States. With respect to total mercury exposure, it may be necessary to account for this source of mercury in the diet of children and sensitive populations. PMID: 19171026

6) Total Antioxidant Content of Alternatives to Refined Sugar, JADA. Volume 109, Issue 1, Pages 64-71 (January 2009

Abstract

Background: Oxidative damage is implicated in the etiology of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other degenerative disorders. Recent nutritional research has focused on the antioxidant potential of foods, while current dietary recommendations are to increase the intake of antioxidant-rich foods rather than supplement specific nutrients. Many alternatives to refined sugar are available, including raw cane sugar, plant saps/syrups (eg, maple syrup, agave nectar), molasses, honey, and fruit sugars (eg, date sugar). Unrefined sweeteners were hypothesized to contain higher levels of antioxidants, similar to the contrast between whole and refined grain products.

Objective: To compare the total antioxidant content of natural sweeteners as alternatives to refined sugar.

Design: The ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay was used to estimate total antioxidant capacity. Major brands of 12 types of sweeteners as well as refined white sugar and corn syrup were sampled from retail outlets in the United States.

Results: Substantial differences in total antioxidant content of different sweeteners were found. Refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar contained minimal antioxidant activity (<0.01 mmol FRAP/100 g); raw cane sugar had a higher FRAP (0.1 mmol/100 g). Dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest FRAP (4.6 to 4.9 mmol/100 g), while maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey showed intermediate antioxidant capacity (0.2 to 0.7 mmol FRAP/100 g). Based on an average intake of 130 g/day refined sugars and the antioxidant activity measured in typical diets, substituting alternative sweeteners could increase antioxidant intake an average of 2.6 mmol/day, similar to the amount found in a serving of berries or nuts.

Conclusion: Many readily available alternatives to refined sugar offer the potential benefit of antioxidant activity.

Agave: Health Food, Health Fad or Health Fraud? Part One

2010-10-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

Agave is still getting a lot of press, and many people think it is a healthy alternative to white sugar. But is it really? A fellow RD, Jeff Novick, has written extensively on the topic. With his permission, I am posting his findings as a "guest" blog, split into two parts. Below is part one:

Agave has become the sweetener of choice for many health enthusiasts. It is appearing on store shelves everywhere, in many new products and being promoted in magazines and cooking shows. One of the main benefits we hear is that it is lower in the glycemic index. Is Agave really a health food and something you should be including in your diet?

No, but to understand why, let us take a closer look at the issues surrounding Agave.

To begin with, to understand Agave, we have to understand some points about fructose which is the main form of sugar in Agave and High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Fructose is metabolized differently than other sugars. Instead of going into the blood stream (where it could raise blood sugar), most of it goes directly to the liver. This is why Fructose has a lower Glycemic index (GI) as the GI is based on a foods influence on blood sugar.

While many promote this as a positive, as the consumption of fructose tends not to raise blood sugar, fructose, or any concentrated caloric sweeteners high in fructose, can cause elevated levels of triglycerides and increase someone’s risk for heart disease. It may also somewhat increase the risk of metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance. And these effects are most likely in those who are insulin resistant, and/or overweight and/or obese. It also may not affect the satiety mechanism as well as pure sucrose. (1,2)

For the record, these are all many of the reasons we are being told to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) as it has a higher level of fructose than regular table sugar or regular corn syrup.

Here is the real irony in all of this.

Because of this concern about the elevated levels of fructose in High Fructose Corn Syrup, some health food stores, will not carry any product that has HFCS in it. Yet on the other hand, they carry a full line of Agave Syrup products on their shelf and carry many products sweetened with Agave syrup. But realize that Agave syrup has a fructose content of about 70-90%, which is way higher (worse) than HFCS.

On the one hand, consumers, especially the health conscious, are avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup like the plague because the level of fructose in it is higher (55%) than in regular table sugar/sucrose (50%). They consider the higher level of fructose a problem. The fact that is has a lower GI than table sugar is ignored.

On the other hand, Agave syrup has become a popular sweetener because it is said to have a lower GI. They consider this to be a health benefit. The fact that it has the highest level of fructose than any other sweetener is ignored.

So, are higher levels of fructose in a concentrated caloric sweetener good or bad?

From my perspective, the Glycemic index (and the glycemic load) are very poor indicators of how healthy a food is and I recommend avoiding choosing foods by it.

However, as Agave is being promoted because of its low Glycemic index, lets look at the Glycemic index issue.

GI (GL) Of Sugars/Sweeteners
Fructose 13 (2)
Sucrose 65 (7)
Glucose 100 (10)
Honey 61 (12) (depending on variety as ratio can be 35-74 for GI and 6-18 for the GL)
Agave Syrup 13 (2) (depending on variety)

High Fructose Corn Syrup would be similar to a honey that has a similar fructose/glucose ratio as the composition and ratio would be the same. So, let's say a GI of 45 (and a GL of 9) as a honey with the same ratio of fructose/glucose tested at 45 (and 9). HFCS has a lower GI (GL) than table sugar because of the higher level of fructose. So, the higher the percentage of fructose the lower the GI with pure fructose being the lowest.

There are other concerns with HFCS and fructose and so potentially Agave.

A recent study showed that when HFCS was exposed to warm temperatures, it forms hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a potentially dangerous toxic substance, and killed honeybees (3). Some researchers believe that this chemical, HMF, may be a factor in Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious disease that has killed at least one-third of the honeybee population in the United States.

In the study, the scientists measured levels of HMF in HFCS products from different manufacturers over a period of 35 days at different temperatures. As temperatures rose, levels of HMF increased steadily. Levels jumped dramatically at about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. They also mentioned other studies that have linked HMF to DNA damage in humans. In addition, HMF breaks down in the body to other substances potentially more harmful than HMF.

The researchers said, "Because HFCS is incorporated as a sweetener in many processed foods, the data from this study are important for human health as well," the report states.

In this study, it was the effect of heat on fructose that formed the toxic chemical, so heating anything high in fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should be a concern.

However, remember, HFCS is about 55% Fructose and Agave syrup is about 70-90% fructose. Therefore, heating Agave would potentially create more of this toxic chemical. Another strike against HFCS, but a bigger strike against Agave.

There is more to the concern about heating fructose. It turns out that when fructose is heated in can also create Advanced Glycogen End Products (AGEs), which may be harmful as they may play a role in development of atherosclerosis, diabetes, aging and chronic renal failure.

One study compared the amount of AGEs formed between the subject following a traditional omnivorous diet and one following a more traditional vegetarian diet (4). (NOTE: This was not the same type of vegetarian diet recommended here!)

What the authors found was that the AGEs levels were higher in the vegetarians. Upon closer examination, they discovered that it was higher levels of fructose in the vegetarian diet that was the main contributor to the increased level of AGEs and stated, "Comparison of nutrition and plasma AGEs in vegetarian and omnivorous groups shows that the higher intake of fructose in alternative nutrition of healthy subjects may cause an increase of AGE levels."

In the above study, most of the AGEs were formed from the fructose which came from honey. As the authors stated, "Furthermore, the intake of honey is three times higher in vegetarians."

Honey has one of the higher concentrations of fructose out of many of the typical sweeteners available and is around 55% fructose depending on the variety. Agave is 70-90% fructose. Therefore, substituting Agave for any other sweetener would make the above results (of a potential increase in AGEs) more likely to occur. This is one more good reason to avoid Agave.

Come back next week to read part two!

My Review of The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook

2010-09-25T14:47:00.000-05:00

With Fall baking season approaching, I thought this would be a good time to include another one of my book reviews! Below is my review of Cybele Pascal's The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook as it appeared in summer edition of The Vegetarian Nutrition Update. Enjoy!

The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
by Cybele Pascal. Celestial Arts, 2009; 189 pages; $25.00; ISBN 978-1-58761-348-7

Cybele Pascal is a food writer and has also authored The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook and The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. She, her husband, and two sons all have various food allergies and missed many of their favorite treats; her answer was to develop The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook. The book contains 100 vegan recipes for baked goods made without gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, or sesame.

The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook starts with a chapter on stocking your pantry which describes types of flours, oils, chocolates, and other ingredients, and provides suggestions for brand names and stores. Pascal also includes information on recommended kitchen tools and provides details on how to replace potential allergens. The remaining chapters include recipes for muffins, cookies, cakes, pies, yeasted baked goods, and savories. A resource section provides information on food and equipment sources and organizations providing support for people with food allergies. With the rise in diagnosed food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances, more consumers are in need of a resource like The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook for occasions when they want to indulge in a treat.

The two recipes I tried (Snickerdoodles and Basic Scones) turned out good, not great; I could definitely tell they were gluten-free. I’ll have to try them again with the superfine brown rice flour that she recommends (I wasn't able to locate the specific brand for my test batches) and see if they turn out better. The only thing missing from this book is nutritional information for the recipes. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be able to bake a variety of foods and who must avoid gluten and other common allergens.

Reviewed by Christine E. Marquette, RD, LD, CLT, ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist

© 2010, Vegetarian Nutrition Update Newsletter; Vegetarian DPG, a dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association. Used with permission.

Coyote Creek Farm’s World’s Best Eggs!

2010-09-15T17:44:00.000-05:00

I’m afraid I’m a little late getting this blog up! But as promised, here’s the scoop on this farm I toured back in May just up the road from Austin, Texas in a small town called Elgin.

This farm tour was actually organized by Slow Food Austin as a fundraiser for the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association. We were there specifically to tour Coyote Creek’s Organic Feed Mill and Egg Farm. Prior to actually viewing the mill, Jeremiah Cunningham, the proprietor of Coyote Creek Farm, gave us some background information on how he came to be an organic farmer and feed mill operator.

Like most people, Jeremiah had a “corporate” business job for many years. He started to have significant health problems related to his high stress levels, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits, so he decided he had to make a change. He gave up corporate America, bought some land in Elgin and decided to start an organic farm to improve his health.

He was able to tour Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm in Virginia to start the learning process of how to farm sustainably. (You may remember Joel Salatin as one of the farmer’s in the movie Food, Inc.). Jeremiah also read many books and talked with many other people who practice “permaculture.” (Permaculture is defined as an ecological system that is sustainable in all aspects.) After doing all his research and starting to raise chickens and cattle, Jeremiah realized that he could not find a quality organic feed that was sourced in Texas, so he decided to start his own mill.

Eventually, other local farmers began to ask him if he would be willing to provide them with organic feed for their poultry as well. That’s how his mill was born! He also began to get demand for his eggs and beef. This eventually caused Jeremiah to expand his farm and start producing for customers. Luckily there were more acres of farmland right next to the land Jeremiah owned, so expansion was fairly easy.

See the mill in the background.

One of their 3 farm dogs at work!

At this point, Jeremiah’s farm is so big he sells his eggs through 22 Whole Foods Markets in Texas (he has around 2,000 chickens!). Once his chickens “retire” from egg-laying (which is when they are a little over two years of age), they are given to an animal rescue group who then re-homes the chickens.

It was really hot, so most of the chickens stayed in the shade!

It’s great to see that a farmer can be big enough to sell through a store like Whole Foods and still be able to treat their animals humanely, be organic, and be sustainable. In addition, Jeremiah Cunningham was able to improve his health so much that he is now a cancer survivor! Jeremiah is truly an inspiration, and I am happy to have made his acquaintance. Please support farmers like him, and check out his video below!

Afraid to Eat Eggs?

2010-08-31T12:25:00.000-05:00

First, my sincere apologies for not having blogged in two months! I cannot believe how quickly the summer went by. On the plus side, my business is really picking up so I've been doing a lot of work with individual clients. On the down side, I have discovered my time management skills need some work! Having said that, starting in September I am making a concerted effort to get back on track with writing regular blogs.

Now then, even though it has been several weeks since the news first broke about tainted eggs, it continues to be talked about in the media. Just yesterday evening I was watching ABC World News with Diane Sawyer and again they were talking about filthy conditions discovered by inspectors at one of the Wright plants. I have blogged before about knowing where your food comes from, and I think now is a good time to remind everyone why this is so important.

The story on the news last night really turned my stomach, for a number of reasons. First of all, the fact that numerous rodents were freely running around in the hen house should have been red flag number one that conditions were not sanitary and just “washing” the eggs is not going to adequately ensure they are safe for human consumption. Rampant flies in the area should have been red flag number two. What comes to your mind when you think of a lot of flies congregating in a relatively small area? Not a pleasant picture, at least not in my mind!

I think you all know by now that I am an animal lover, so seeing the conditions that those poor chickens are working in is what really turned my stomach (as if the items I’ve mentioned above were not enough!). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We reap what we sow. We cannot expect to pay pennies on the dollar for high quality food. Something has to give, and in our current conventional factory farm system, the first to suffer are the animals. However, suffering is not just limited to the animals; ask anyone who got salmonella poisoning how they feel. This is a direct consequence of "doing things on the cheap."

This is a prime example of why I am more than willing to pay more for good quality food, particularly from local farmers that I can meet, talk to, and even visit their farms! There is no better way to protect yourself from this type of outbreak than to know the source of your food.

You can always go to your local farmer's market and find sources of good quality eggs there. However, I know that getting to the farmer's market can sometimes be a challenge. If you want a good source of eggs and you live in Texas, Coyote Creek Farm in Elgin sells eggs under the name “World’s Best Eggs” through Whole Foods Market. I have personally toured their farm and met the proprietor, Jeremiah Cunningham and can vouch for the safety and sanitation of their operation! In fact, I will dedicate my next blog to my tour of their property this past summer, so stay tuned!

Cycling and Leg Cramps (It’s not just about Hydration!)

2010-06-24T14:27:00.000-05:00

You may recall, I did some traveling in May for vacation. I don’t know about you, but whenever I go on vacation it always seems like I have to work extra hard both before (to get ready for it), and after (to catch up from being away). For that reason, I did not get on my bike as much as I usually do. I think I may have had one 20ish mile ride a couple of weeks before and a couple of weeks after vacation, which put me into early June with only a couple of bike rides. Don’t worry, did not completely fall off the exercise wagon! I was still getting in runs, swims, and some core workouts. For me I can get a good workout in only one hour in those 3 areas, but with cycling it needs to be at least a couple of hours, which is not going to happen unless I have time to ride at least 30+ miles.

Well, a couple of weekends ago a group of “recreational cyclists” that I occasionally tag along with posted a 40ish mile route that I had not done before. It sounded like fun, so I decided to go for it, even though I had only been on my bike twice in the previous month, and only for short rides. The first half was great! We started at about 7:45 a.m. and the wind was at our back for 20 miles. We stopped at a small general store in a little town called Andice. There we had potty breaks and refueled.

The way back was not pretty! All those long rolling hills that we sped down we now had to ride UP, into a very strong headwind! Our group quickly split in two, but I managed to hang on to the back of wheel of the first group until we hit about mile 30. That’s when I found myself in no man’s land. My left leg had been spasming for some time already, but I had managed to keep it from completely cramping by pulling harder with my right leg. That turned out to not be such a good strategy because once I got on the biggest hill, my right leg started cramping up severely. I can honestly say I have never in my life had leg cramps that bad! It got so bad I could not pedal and had to jump off my bike for a few minutes and just stand on the side of the road. Eventually I was able to move my legs a little, so I walked a bit before hoping back on my bike and slowly making my way back to a couple of members of the group that had waited for me at the top of the next hill.

Let me tell you, I was definitely not dehydrated, and I was not low on electrolytes. I know, we are in the middle of summer in Texas, but I had already consumed at least 20 ounces of fluid that contained over 600 mg of potassium and sodium (plus other minerals), and another 400 mg in a nutrition bar at the rest stop, plus at least 20 ounces of additional water. I was able to confirm my hydration status once I got home and weighed (no change), and checked my urine (pale yellow, so had not overhydrated with water). So what caused my leg cramps?

I am guessing a couple of things. One, lack of fitness on the bike. I probably could have ridden an easy 40 miles with no problem even though I had only a couple of short rides the previous month, but since this ride had a lot of hills and a strong headwind (and later I realized my brake was rubbing) my legs just were not ready. The second thing was probably bad technique. Once my left leg started giving me grief, I did not maintain equal pressure all the way around my stroke with both legs. By pulling unevenly, I stressed my right leg so much that it started cramping as well.

So if you are suffering from leg cramps, it is probably just not one thing. Evaluate your hydration status, your electrolyte intake, AND your technique!

Happy cycling!

My Review of Brazier's Thrive Fitness

2010-06-10T19:03:00.000-05:00

You probably don't know this, but I am the current book reviewer for Vegetarian Nutrition Update, which is a newsletter published by the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group - a part of the American Dietetic Association. I mention it because this week I would like to post my recently published review of Brendan Brazier's most recent book Thrive Fitness. He is touring the US, and this Sunday through Tuesday (June 12th through June 15th) he is going to be in Austin, TX making appearances at several natural foods type stores. So without further adieu, below is my review.

Thrive Fitness
by Brendan Brazier. Da Capo Press, 2009; 245 pages; $15.95; ISBN 978-0-7382-1362-0

Brendan Brazier is a professional ironman triathlete and vegan. Thrive Fitness is a follow up to his first book, Thrive. Thrive was primarily a diet-focused book, while Thrive Fitness takes a more holistic approach in instructing the reader how to gain strength, prevent disease and become more fit and healthier. Thrive Fitness is divided into four main sections, with a total of eight chapters. In the first section “What Happened to Our Health?” Brazier describes the current obesity epidemic and factors that contribute to this epidemic. He supports his statements with information from reputable sources including the Centers for Disease Control, the American Heart Association, and medical journals. In the second section, “What is Thrive Fitness?” he explains concepts such as “high-return exercise,” “high net-gain nutrition,” the importance of quality sleep, and stress reduction. I found this to be a very useful section in explaining how to best select what type of physical activity to choose in order to get the most out of it and prevent over-training syndrome. I also liked the way Brazier explained high net-gain nutrition and how this can lower physical stress on our bodies by avoiding foods that would provide little nutrition yet require our bodies to work harder to process them. “Training, Living, and Improving” is the third section and gives tips on the mental aspects of training as well as disease prevention. My only concern in this section is when he talks about “bad” LDL cholesterol and states, “only animal products contain this type of cholesterol.” This may lead the reader to think that plant foods contain the “good” type of cholesterol, whereas plants do not contain any type of cholesterol. The last section “Achieving and Maintaining Thrive Fitness” details starting his 6-week training plan and includes nutrients to focus on, recipes, shopping lists, a sample menu, training logs, and a Q & A section. As an ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist, my main concern with this section was a description of how to do bench dips that may actually cause shoulder injury; having your upper body so far away from the bench (as described and shown in the photo) has been shown to put a significant amount of strain on the shoulder. One limitation of the book is that recipes do not include any nutritional information. Despite a few concerns, I highly recommend this book to those who want to improve their health and fitness level while at the same time following a vegan diet.

Reviewed by Christine E. Marquette, RD, LD, ACSM Certified Health Fitness Specialist

The Omnivore’s Dilemma - a Review

2010-06-02T15:15:00.000-05:00

As you may recall in my previous blog, I recently read The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. The book is broken into 3 sections: Industrial/Corn, Pastoral/Grass, and Personal/Forest. Each section is further broken down into several chapters. It includes some tough chapters on animal slaughter and factory farms, but that is only part of the book.

Section one starts out giving a history lesson on corn and the many products in this country that have corn as some sort of ingredient. It also details how this tremendous crop has become the bane of many farmers’ existence. I actually learned a few things that I didn’t already know regarding the vicious cycle of corn farming in America.

In section two, Pollan spends a week working on Polyface farm in Virginia. For those of you who saw Food, Inc., this is Joel Salatin’s farm where all the animals are allowed to practice their natural behaviors, spend most of their time “free on the range,” and are fed their natural diet. I have a lot of respect for Pollan actually experiencing the hard work that farmers like Joel Salatin go through.

Pollan wraps up the book with section three, in which he debates the ethics of eating animals, experiences hunting wild pig and foraging for wild mushrooms, and prepares an entire meal from scratch using items he obtained in his section three “adventures.”

I really appreciated the effort he put into “tracking” a particular food item from its start to where it may ultimately end up, whether it was corn from a large industrial farm, a steer in a factory farm, or a pig on a family farm. He does a good job of including virtually all aspects of our food supply system. As the title implies, he also contrasts four meals: a fast food meal in section one, an “organic industrial meal” purchased from Whole Foods in section two, a home cooked meal made from non-factory farmed “grass-fed” foods - which were fresh ingredients from Polyface Farm - also in section two, and another home cooked meal made from a combination of foods he foraged for, hunted, or grew in his own garden in section three.

At the end of the book, he includes all the sources he used in writing this piece and includes his website address. His website has many useful links, such as resources for sustainable eating, resources for gardeners/farmers/ranchers, and many more.

If you care about your health and the health of your family, I highly encourage you to read this book and learn more about where your food comes from.

The Vegetarian’s Dilemma

2010-05-27T10:53:00.000-05:00

I just got back from a week of vacation with my husband down on the Texas coast; Port Aransas to be specific. It was great! The water was surprisingly clean, temperatures not too hot, and sunny all but one day.

Anytime we travel, I usually try to research food options ahead of time, particularly since we are vegetarian. I did for this trip as well, but had limited success because many of the restaurants in Port Aransas do not have websites. Of the few restaurants who had websites, not many had vegetarian options, hence the name of this blog! Even so, it really was not a big deal since we stayed in a condo and prepared most of our own meals.

However, there were a few restaurant options we tried. Shell’s Pasta and Seafood had 4 different vegetarian pasta dishes available on their dinner menu, as well as a couple of different appetizers and desserts. We ate dinner there one evening in which we split an appetizer, had our own (different) entrées, and split dessert. It was very good; all together, including a couple of glasses of wine, was only $40. Our waitress said they had a different lunch menu, but we did not have a chance to go back and check it out. I would definitely go back to this restaurant.

The Venetian Hot Plate only had one vegetarian entrée (pasta), a couple of appetizers and a couple of salads. We ate dinner there one night; it was o.k., but because of the very limited variety and high cost, I would not go back.

Port A Pizzeria had lots of options (sandwiches, pizza, a salad bar and buffet) but we did not actually eat there. We did eat a vegetarian pizza at the Port A Brewery, which if I recall correctly was the only vegetarian “meal” option available there at lunch/dinner. However, they did also have vegetarian desserts. It was good, average in cost, and we did go back on our last day to get some cinnamon rolls to go!

Overall, if you plan to stay in Port A for a whole week and are vegetarian or vegan, I recommend staying some place where you can prepare some of your own meals so you do not get bored eating the same things daily!

Besides researching places to eat, whenever I take a “beach” vacation, I always pack a few books to read. This trip’s selection included one book purely for enjoyment, one for learning more about our food supply, and one about fitness. Usually I can finish 3 books in a week, but this time I lacked about 50 pages to finish my last one (the book about fitness). Oh well, guess I spent more time than usual napping and playing in the water! I started with the “pure enjoyment” book, which was about dogs, and finished it in the first two days of the trip.

My second book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan, was a bit heavier and took me three days to finish. I was so impressed by this book that my next blog is going to be entirely about that book, so stay tuned!

Can Factory Farming Cause Food Allergies, Asthma, Headaches and More?

2010-05-07T16:35:00.001-05:00

I recently read a book called Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I already knew what goes on in factory farming from reports I have seen on the evening news, videos put out by various "animals' rights" organizations, and the movie Food, Inc., however, this book went into a lot more depth than anything I had previously been exposed to. It was a very difficult book to read, but as a "nutrition professional," something I felt I needed to do.

I know a lot of people may not be that concerned about animals' rights, but everyone ought to be concerned about "human rights" and what eating factory farmed meat can do to your health. I really appreciated the extensive list of references in the "Notes" section of this book because it allows the reader to go and verify the information he writes about.

For example, according to an article published by the National Ag Safety Database: "Farmers have an increased prevalence of many acute and chronic health conditions including cardiovascular and respiratory disease, arthritis, skin cancer, hearing loss, and amputations." This article goes on to say that research is lacking in a lot of areas regarding agriculture and human health, particularly in its present state. However, there is quite a bit of research regarding respiratory diseases from exposures to organic dusts such as grain processing and Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs, also known as "factory farms"). For both swine and poultry CAFOs, there is mounting evidence that endotoxins found in organic dust cause many respiratory diseases in farm workers.

There are many potential pollutants associated with conventional agricultural production, such as fine particulates from diesel engines, pesticides, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, nitrogen oxides from fertilized fields and internal combustion engines, methane from dairy cows, and other volatile organic compounds from animal manure. People living in the surrounding areas can have their health affected by these pollutants.

The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (IFAP) has put together a report called Putting Meat on The Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America that details how the current system evolved and its impact on public health, environmental risks, animal welfare, rural America, and gives recommendations for a more sustainable system with fewer negative consequences. One of the first negative examples given is regarding animal waste; it is usually left untreated (or minimally treated) or sprayed on fields as fertilizer. Animal wastes contain many pathogens and chemicals, which can potentially contaminate the surrounding air, water, and soil. In 2006, the CDC determined that an E. Coli outbreak in which 200 people were sickened and three people died was likely caused by animal runoff from an IFAP.

The Pew report goes on to summarize public health concerns related to IFAP as: higher risks of pathogens passing from animals to humans, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbes (due primarily to the widespread use of antibiotics and anti-microbials in animals), food-borne illness, worker health concerns, and "dispersed impacts on the adjacent community at large." These "dispersed impacts" fall into two main categories: 1) respiratory symptoms, disease, and impaired function (such as asthma), and 2) neurobehavioral symptoms and impaired function (such as depression, anger, confusion, fatigue, and impaired balance, memory, and intellectual function). I encourage you to go to their website and read either the Executive summary or download the report in its entirety.

Mistreating animals meant for human consumption through the use of factory farms (by confining them to tight quarters, preventing them from practicing their "normal" behaviors, feeding them an un-natural diet, etc.) is ultimately causing preventable health problems in the people who are working with them, eating them, and living near them.

I know, that is a lot of bad news! So what can we do? Plenty! First of all, as consumers we can "vote with our dollars," meaning we can purchase foods produced by farmers/ranchers who use sustainable methods. Check out this "Eat well guide" to find restaurants, farms, bakeries, etc. that use sustainably produced products in your area.

We can also advocate for better environmental and animal welfare regulations of farms. Most importantly, educate yourself. Sustainable Table is a great website with a lot of information on food production. Learn where your food comes from and what goes into producing it. Any business person will tell you consumer demand is what drives the markets; let's demand sustainably produced food!

Increase Physical Fitness and Follow a Plant-based Diet to Lower Your Cancer Risk

2010-04-20T07:33:00.000-05:00

You may recall from my previous blog that I recently attended the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health Fitness Summit here in Austin, TX about a week ago. I was able to attend many useful sessions on nutrition and fitness, including one on how to lower cancer risk through physical activity and diet. Because April is Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to highlight some of the recommendations from that session.

This workshop gave us 10 recommendations for lowering your overall Cancer risk. These recommendations come from the second World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)/American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) Expert report Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective. You can access the complete report here.

Eight of the recommendations are for everyone and the last two are for special populations (women who are breast feeding and cancer survivors). Listed below are the recommendations:

“Be as lean as possible within the normal range of body weight.” “Normal range” refers to ranges defined by national governments or the World Health Organization. For example, using BMI the lowest “normal” BMI is 19, which is calculated by dividing your weight in kg by your height in meters squared.
“Be physically active as part of everyday life.” This is defined as at least 30 minutes daily of moderate activity, which is equated to brisk walking. For people who are already fit, 60 minutes daily of moderate activity or 30 minutes daily of vigorous activity is recommended.
“Limit consumption of energy-dense foods. Avoid sugary drinks.” Energy-dense foods are defined as foods that have 225-275 calories per 100 grams. This recommendation also refers specifically to “processed foods,” not naturally energy-dense foods such as nuts/seeds.
“Eat mostly foods of plant origin.” This is specifically referring to getting a majority of your calories from fruits and non-starchy vegetables, although starchy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are also recommended.
“Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat.” Red meat is defined as beef, pork, lamb, and goat from domesticated animals including that contained in processed foods. No more than 18 ounces per week is what is recommended. “Processed meat” is defined as meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives, and the recommendation is ideally to avoid completely.
“Limit alcoholic drinks.” This means two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women (which takes into account the possible cardio protective benefits of alcohol).
“Limit consumption of salt. Avoid moldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes).” Aim for less than 2.4 grams of sodium daily.
“Aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone.” For most people, supplements are not recommended specifically for cancer prevention.
First special population recommendation: “Mothers to breastfeed.” Children should be breast fed for six months.
Second special population recommendation: “Cancer Survivors: Follow the recommendations for cancer prevention.”

If you visit the website and download “Chapter 12” (which gives details on the recommendations), you will see a chart that shows different types of cancer and diet and lifestyle factors and their effect on lowering or increasing the risk of developing those specific types of cancer. Of all the items listed, alcohol and body fatness had the biggest impacts on increasing cancer risks. Alcohol can increase the risk of developing 5 different types of cancer, and excess body fat can increase the risk of developing 6 different types of cancer.

Physical activity and consuming fruits and non-starchy vegetables had the most impact on decreasing risk of developing cancer (3, 4, and 3 different types of cancers, respectively).

So make sure you follow these recommendations!

Farm Fresh Eggs, from “City” Chickens!

2010-04-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

This past week was super busy for me; the last half of the week I attended my first “American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Summit” (which means VERY long days), including the first part of Saturday, followed by a farm tour of Springdale Farm (located in the actual CITY of Austin), followed by 6 hours of Krav Maga Self Defense training.

I have so many things to share, it was hard for me to decide what to blog about this week, so I may end up posting two! We’ll start today with my tour of the Springdale Farm. This is another local farm that is actually located in the City of Austin, practically downtown! Paula and Glenn Foore are the wife and husband duo that run this farm, along with volunteers and employees from their landscaping business.

The Farm is 5 acres, and is primarily a vegetable farm, but they also have chickens (and therefore fresh eggs). They have just acquired “runner ducks” and will soon have duck eggs as well.

They use sustainable, organic farming methods, and are in the middle of applying for “official” USDA Organic status. One of the things they do is plant flowers in the vegetable garden areas to help increase pollination, as well as spare the food crops from some bugs (some flowers are known to “repel” certain types of insects).

You may recall in my previous blog post I wrote about Stryk Dairy how excited I was to have a local dairy source. Well, I am now equally excited to have a local chicken egg source! There are several different types of chickens at Springdale Farm; I asked Farmer Paula and she rattled off the names (there were too many for me to remember, and I didn’t have a pen & paper handy, sorry!) and described how the eggs look different from each.

I found it quite funny that Paula and Glenn both mentioned that on the farm, the animals have multiple jobs. The chickens not only provide eggs, but also manure for fertilizer, as well as entertainment! Farmer Glenn specifically said the chickens are very good stress relievers; they are always happy to see him and never talk back! The hope for the runner ducks is that they will eat bugs in the garden (since they are not fond of vegetables; the chickens will eat the vegetables if left to roam in the garden areas!), as well as supply eggs. It was good to hear how much Paula and Glenn care about their animals.

They are a small CSA, and also have a small “farm stand” on site Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a time when anyone can stop buy and purchase fresh eggs and vegetables. Right now they are growing broccoli, leaf lettuce, head lettuce, cauliflower, cabbage, Swiss chard, beets, spinach, collard greens, arugula, turnips, carrots, cilantro, basil, chives, chamomile, fennel, parsley, marjoram, thyme, dill, scallions, garlic, shallots, onions, Brussel sprouts, rutabaga, mustard green, Chinese cabbage, Napa cabbage, lavender, oregano, turnips, parsnips, and more. I was able to take home half a dozen fresh eggs, spinach, scallions, leeks, some herbs and a little lavender plant as part of my “tour.” I must say, everything tasted wonderful! Yesterday I made spinach omelets with jalapeño cheddar cheese and scallions and they turned out super yummy (everything but the salt and pepper was from local farms!).

If I haven’t convinced you already, I HIGHLY encourage you to become a member of a local CSA or shop at your local farmer’s market. You can’t beat the quality!

Touring a Local Dairy Farm

2010-03-30T08:01:00.001-05:00

Many of you know that I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian, meaning I eat dairy products and eggs, but do not eat any meat. I was never a big dairy fan as a kid, but would use milk for cereal. I acquired a taste for cheese as a teenager, for yogurt as a young adult, and still use milk primarily for cereal or in cooking. Even though I now like a lot of dairy products, I have toyed with the idea of becoming vegan primarily for ethical reasons. Ever since I saw the movie Food, Inc., I have been on a mission to learn as much as I can about where my food comes from, and buy only from sources that I trust.

This past Saturday I had the privilege of touring Stryk Jersey Farm, which is a family-run dairy farm just outside of Schulenberg, TX (about 82 miles southeast of Austin). Once again Slow Food Austin organized this tour. The Stryk Jersey Farm currently has between 50 and 100 Jersey dairy cows. They sell raw milk, butter, cottage cheese, and cheddar cheese.

We started our tour just outside the “cheese house,” where Farmer Bob gave us a little of the history of the farm. This farm was his parents’, and he was born and raised here. His parents were commercial dairy farmers back when families ran all commercial dairy farms.

Bob went off to college with the intention of eventually taking over the family farm. When he graduated and was ready to take over the farm, things had changed. Farmers were being told, “Get big or get out.” So, Bob tried to get big, but found the industry was not what he bargained for. Now severely in debt, he and his wife sold most of their cows and decided to “get jobs in town.” They still hung onto their land and a few animals while deciding what to do. After some time, they found out from a friend and fellow farmer that it is legal in Texas to sell raw milk, and there was a demand for it, but it could not be sold in stores (therefore no commercial farmers would get into it). After some research, inspections, and applying for the necessary permits and licenses, they became dairy farmers once again, now selling raw milk and cheese products.

After a little more information on the milking and cheese making process, we were free to “make ourselves at home” and wander around the farm, which is exactly what I did. I was able to meet some “baby cows” as well as the herd.

In order to be able to produce milk, the cows are artificially inseminated to have 1 cow a year. The babies are bottle fed with their mother’s milk rather than allowed to feed off of their mothers in order to prevent any types of infection or contamination of the milk supply. Once the babies have gotten all of their vaccinations and can safely be around the other cows, they are allowed into the pasture with the herd.

The cows spend most of their time outside grazing. About half of them are on the “wet pasture” (meaning they are currently producing milk) and half are on the “dry pasture” (meaning they are recovering, which is for a minimum of 2 months, but usually closer to 4 months). The milk-producing cows are milked twice a day in “the milking room,” and each session takes about 10 minutes. This room holds about 12 cows at a time (I regret I didn’t take a picture of it!). The cows are not milked by hand; after farmer Bob washes them up, they are hooked up to a machine that does the milking. The cows actually enjoy being milked because they are able to eat a tasty treat during the process! It is some sort of alfalfa pellet that they really enjoy. I guess they like having something other than clover and grass to eat on occasion!

Even though both of my parents spent time on farms (my Dad grew up on a farm and was a member of Future Farmers of America – FFA), I did not spend a lot of time out on my Grandparents’ farm, and never had “fresh” milk or cheese. All of the dairy I used came from the store and was pasteurized! During this tour, we were going to have the opportunity to sample raw milk and cheese. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about sampling these products. In our culture, everything is so “sanitized” that many of us think “raw” products could potentially be dangerous.

Properly handled raw milk from healthy cows does not pose any risk to consumers drinking it. In fact, some people believe it is actually much healthier for you as it contains beneficial bacteria (similar to yogurt). In addition, because the cows are allowed to be outside and graze on their “natural” diet, they rarely get sick, which means they do not need to be “fed” antibiotics the way traditional dairy cows are. If a cow does get sick and has to have antibiotics, that cow’s milk is kept out of the dairy supply. Plus, in order to sell raw milk, they are inspected almost daily by the Texas Health Department to ensure all the cows are healthy and free from harmful bacteria (which is much more frequent than commercial dairies).

I am so glad I tasted not only the cheese, but the milk as well. That was the best tasting milk I have ever had in my life! I could easily drink that milk as a beverage and not just have it on cereal or use to cook with. If you are anywhere near the area, I highly encourage you to look them up and tour their farm. Unless I am able to find another dairy farm that is even closer and treats its herd just as well, I believe Stryk Jersey Farm will be the primary supplier of dairy products in the Marquette household for as long as we continue to eat dairy.

Health Care Reform Starts With You

2010-03-22T21:13:00.001-05:00

I recently attended the Texas Dietetic Association’s (TDA) Food and Nutrition Conference & Exhibition (FNCE). This year it was held in Dallas. There were several excellent workshops and presentations, as well as culinary demonstrations and vendor expos. One of the most engaging presentations was our opening session. Some of you may be familiar with the speaker we had, Dr. Michael Roizen. He is a good friend of Mehmet Oz (also known as Oprah’s doctor, who now has his own TV show). Dr. Roizen is also the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s wellness program.

The title of Dr. Roizen’s presentation was “YOU and Your Genes: How Lifestyle and Foods Change Everything.” During Dr. Roizen’s talk, he showed a clip of one of Dr. Oz’s shows where they put a meat-eating Cowboy named Rocco on a vegan diet for 28 days due to his extremely blocked arteries (over 95%), and diabetes. His results were amazing. In those 28 days, he lost 6 inches from his waist, dropped his fasting blood sugar from 179 to 99, and raised his healthy HDL cholesterol from 33 to 45. Those are extremely dramatic results in just 4 weeks.

Now as a dietitian, I am well aware of the fact that food can have the effects seen in Rocco. What I didn’t realize was how dramatically food can effect all of our genes. Dr. Roizen also had lots of data regarding how diet can effectively turn “on” and “off” certain types of genes. One very telling slide he showed was regarding prostate cancer. He showed a slide of men who ate a typical American diet, and how many of their “cancer” genes were turned on, while the genes that kill these cancer causers were turned off. When these men changed their diet to avoid what Dr. Roizen refers to as the top 5 worst foods (saturated fat, trans fat, simple sugars, syrup, and refined grains), they were able to turn off the cancer causing genes and turn on the cancer-killing genes. Absolutely amazing data! This means that we do not have to be a victim of our “genes,” we absolutely have control over preventing the vast majority of chronic diseases (including type 2 diabetes).

One disheartening piece of data he showed was that if you “indulge” in one of these top 5 “bad” foods, it can take between 7 and 21 days to recover. That speaks volumes of how important it is to eat a healthy diet consistently, and avoiding those “cheat” days. I know for me personally, I rarely eat “junk” food, and when on occasion I do, pay dearly for it! My stomach will ache, sometimes eczema on my hands will flair up, I may get a headache. . . in short, I just plain feel lousy! Then I ask myself, “Was it really worth it?” For me, there is not any food worth feeling bad for!

Some other interesting data Dr. Roizen showed was comparisons of Americans and Europeans. I was not going to mention this, but with all the recent Health-care Reform hoopla, I saw a person holding a sign that said: “We don’t want to be Europeans.” Well, Europeans have lower rates of virtually every type of chronic disease than Americans (by half or more). Hmm. . . maybe those Europeans know a thing or two more than we do! They are definitely much healthier than we are as a country. Could it be that they exercise more? Could it be that they eat less? Could it be that they eat healthier? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, we as a society need to start making healthier choices ourselves or we are headed for a lower quality of life, as well as a lower lifespan due to physical pain (e.g. joint pain) from being obese, diabetes, heart disease, various types of cancer, etc.

Dr. Roizen has authored several books, including the newly revised “YOU On a Diet,” and works with several registered dietitians in his clinic. He, along with Dr. Oz and several of their colleagues, will be holding a health symposium called “Food for your Whole Life” this June in New York, NY. One day is geared toward the general public, while another day is geared toward healthcare professionals. For more information, visit the symposium website.

Touring a Local Organic Farm

2010-03-12T08:17:00.000-06:00

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a tour of Johnson's Backyard Garden (JBG), the largest local CSA (community supported agriculture) farm in the area. The tour was organized by Slow Food Austin, a local member organization of Slow Food USA. "Slow Food Austin supports activities and education to preserve biodiversity in the food supply, spread the education of taste and connect producers of excellent foods with the co-producers (consumers) through events and initiatives."

You may recall that I have blogged about CSAs before. Getting to see a local CSA up close and personal was great! Farmer Brenton Johnson is fabulous! Before the tour he told us about his background and how he came to be an organic vegetable farmer. When he was about to graduate from college, he told us he began to think people had a tendency to constantly strive for increasing their standard of living WAY beyond what was necessary and sustainable (he was studying mechanical engineering at Purdue at the time. For those of you who don't know, I was a mechanical engineer before I became a dietitian, so my ears really perked up when I heard that!). I cannot do justice to exactly how he worded it, but the gist of what he said is that he thought if animals had to work for their food and shelter, we should too, rather than relying so much on devices that make our lives overly convenient. I've never heard anyone speak about truly being a good steward of our natural resources in such a way. He said that when he spoke to his professors about it and they thought he was crazy! Then they suggested he go talk to the Agricultural Engineering group, which he did and ultimately got his degree from that college.

Fast forward several years to where he is at today: vegetable farmer. JBG is an organic, sustainable vegetable farm. I never realized how complicated farming is; he is definitely putting his degree to good use. Brenton and his staff look at all aspects of their operation in order to keep it as sustainable as possible. They analyze each chain of events to determine what will be the best overall course of action to minimize their inputs. For example, he described for us how traditional farmers will use plastics and drip irrigation. A lot of people think that is a great idea because it limits evaporative water loss that you would get from using elevated sprinklers. However, the plastic has to be replaced after virtually every crop is harvested, which means a lot of plastic going into landfills. He and his staff believe overall it is a better use of our natural resources to avoid using the plastic liners by using sprinklers. True, the sprinklers do cause some evaporative water loss, but his are still 80% efficient and they avoid filling up landfills with plastics.

I could go on and on about the details of what it takes to run their farm, but I would need to write a book! I think if more people realized exactly how much work goes into producing sustainable, organic foods, and the care that these farmers put into producing their crops, they may be more willing to pay a little extra. At the end of the tour, we were treated to 6 different heirloom tomato plants and two other plants (I choose heirloom eggplant!). I was also one of the lucky people to get a sample of carrots to take home fresh from the ground!

If you live in the ATX, I highly encourage you to attend the next tour of another local CSA that happens to be right in the City at Springdale Farm on April 10. There will also be a tour of a dairy in nearby Schulenberg, TX on March 27. If you do not live in Texas, please check out Slow Food USA for a local chapter for more information and farm tours in your area.

March is National Nutrition Month®

2010-03-05T10:36:00.000-06:00

It's almost officially springtime, so of course there are lots of things going on. If you were reading my blog around this time last year, you already know that March is National Nutrition Month®! According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) "National Nutrition Month® [NNM] is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association." The main purpose of this campaign is to bring attention to the importance of making healthy, informed food choices and developing good eating habits. NNM is also used to bring awareness of and promote the ADA and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information.

You may remember (again from my blog last year!) that March also highlights "Registered Dietitian Day." This year, Wednesday March 10th has been designated Registered Dietitian Day. Per the ADA: "Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world." To read more about credentialing and what RDs do, you can refer to my blog last spring.

As a registered dietitian and current member of the ADA, of course I want to help spread the word! This year's theme is "Nutrition From the Ground Up," meaning focus on the basics. Eat healthy by emphasizing fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of proteins, and healthy fats. I know, that sounds like an old message, but it still holds true.

Try to get a variety of colors from your fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting not only different vitamins and minerals, but also a lot of phytonutrients that have additional health benefits. Try to get locally grown produce; it will taste better and retain more of its nutrients since it has not been sitting on a shelf for an extended period of time. I am a HUGE fan of CSAs (community supported agriculture) and farmer's markets. Not only is the produce more fresh, it tastes better too!

Whole grains are really high in fiber, and are a good source of complex carbohydrates, which are an excellent fuel source. Why do we always push fiber? It helps keep you full longer (so helps with weight management), keeps you "regular" which can help lower colon cancer risk, helps stabilize blood sugar, and helps lower cholesterol. Pretty good reasons!

We all need protein to help build muscle, make hormones, etc., but "lean" sources are emphasized to minimize fat, particularly saturated fat. This is important again for weight management, but also to lower the risk of increasing "bad" LDL cholesterol.

And of course we still need "healthy fats" that have a variety of uses in the body, including lowering our risk of heart disease, providing some insulation and cushioning of our joints, keeping us full, etc.

For more information, visit eatright.org.

February is National Grapefruit Month!

2010-02-26T06:37:00.000-06:00

I can't let February slip by without calling attention to it being National Grapefruit Month, especially since Ruby Reds, also known as "Texas Reds," are in season right now in my home state!

Grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit. The grapefruit as we know it was developed sometime in the 1700s by cross breeding oranges with pomelos (which are also called "Chinese Grapefruit"). The varieties include white, pink, and red. Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, limonin, and fiber (particularly soluble fiber in the form of pectin). Both lycopene and limonin are antioxidants that may help prevent certain types of cancer.

Lots of people have tried "The Grapefruit Diet" in an effort to lose weight. Historically people lost weight following this diet for the simple reason that they were eating very few calories. However, there have been a couple of studies that show that grapefruit may help with weight loss, but the exact reason is unclear, and it is not rapid weight loss. One study was conducted in 2006 at the Nutrition and Metabolic Center at Scripps Clinic in California. They found that eating half a grapefruit or drinking a serving of grapefruit juice before each meal caused people to lose at least 3 pounds over a 12-week period. Researchers at Louisiana State University conducted another study in 2009; they found that people eating half a grapefruit 3 times a day were able to lose 4 pounds (on average) in 12 weeks even though they had not altered the rest of their diet.

So eating grapefruit can be healthy for you in more ways than one. However, if you are taking certain medications, it is best to avoid grapefruit because it can significantly elevate the absorption rate of these medications in your body, which can cause negative side effects. Examples of medications that may interact with grapefruit include those that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as thyroid medications and some antihistamines.

For more information and recipes visit Texas Sweet.

Cherries: Tasty and Good for You!

2010-02-19T10:47:00.001-06:00

You probably all have heard that February is American Heart Month. There are several other monthly observances in February, including National Grapefruit Month, National Cherry Month, etc. Since I’ve been neglecting my “food specific” blogs, I thought this would be a good time to get back into food by writing about cherries!

Cherries not only taste good, but they have many health benefits as well. For example, researchers have found that cherries are very high in a flavonoid called “quercetin” that has been shown to help prevent heart disease. What are flavonoids? They are plant pigments, also called phytochemicals, that have health benefits, including their “antioxidant” properties. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow down damage caused by “free radicals” that are produced as a by-product when our bodies use oxygen.

According to the California Cherry Advisory Board, cherries are also beneficial for cancer prevention, pain relief, and bone health. A phenolic acid called “amygdalin” that is found in cherries (and other fruits) “has been shown to reduce tumor size and further spread of cancer, as well as to alleviate the pains of the cancerous process.”

Anthocyanins are another flavonoid found in high amounts in cherries. Anthocyanins block inflammatory enzymes, which reduces pain associated with arthritis, gout, as well as soreness and joint pain related to exercise. In fact, the “Red Recovery Routine” was created by dietitian Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, CSSD to help athletes recover from exercise induced pain.

Cherries are grown in several regions in the US, but seventy percent come from four states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah). The 2 main types of cherries are sweet and sour (or “tart”). “Montgomery” is the best-known tart cherry. It is grown primarily in the Midwest and Eastern states and is mainly canned or frozen for use as pie filling or sauce.

There are several varieties of sweet cherries on the market. “Bing” is the most well known. It is large, round, extra sweet, has a deep red skin that is almost black when completely ripe and the flesh is purple-red. Lamberts are also sweet cherries; they are smaller than Bing cherries and are more heart-shaped. Rainer is the variety of sweet cherry that is milder, has a yellow or pinkish skin, and is grown in much smaller quantities, and Royal Ann has a blush yellow skin and is often canned or made into Maraschino cherries.

Cherries are generally in season from May to August, but can be found dried, frozen, or canned year round. When buying fresh cherries, choose those with the stem on. They should be bright, shiny, and free from blemishes. Sweet cherries should be firm and tart cherries should be medium-firm. Avoid cherries with cuts, bruises, stale/dry stems, or that are soft.

Store unwashed cherries in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or in a single layer in a pan covered with plastic wrap. Good cherries should last for up to a week. Wash cherries just before eating, and allow to come to room temperature for better flavor.

You can also freeze cherries by rinsing and draining thoroughly. To avoid having the cherries take on an “almond” flavor, remove the pits prior to freezing. You can either place them in a plastic bag or spread on a cookie sheet and freeze “individually” prior to placing them in a plastic bag for storage.

Recovering After the Marathon

2010-02-11T20:00:00.000-06:00

First, I want to wish good luck to all my peeps running the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon this coming Sunday! What a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day! You all will definitely deserve a celebration dinner afterward! Now, let’s talk about how to recover after running 26.2 miles.

Recovering properly means you need to take into account both nutrition and activity. I remember when I ran my very first marathon; I ran way too many miles each week (and way too many “other” races!) and didn’t do enough cross training. I also had some issues with my form (partially due to lack of core strength). As a result, I ended up with ITB Syndrome and had to walk a lot of the second half of the marathon because I was in so much pain and my right leg just would not bend. I was so tired when I finished that I didn’t feel like eating initially and instead took a nap for about 6 hours! I knew that not eating enough within a couple of hours (max) was not good, but I had no idea how just laying around would make things so much worse. I got up for a light snack, then went back to bed and didn’t get back up until the next day. I had a lot of trouble walking the first couple of days; both of my legs were sore for at least a week! Back then, I was not aware of the benefits of an ice water bath or a short walk later in the day.

Now I know better! The more marathons I have run, the less sore I am afterward. At this point, within a few days I am back to running short mileage, and within 2 weeks, back up to 10+ miles for my weekend “long runs.” Maintaining a high level of fitness year round and knowing all the little “tricks” to recovery have helped tremendously. I have found that the single most important thing for my own personal recovery is how well I trained prior to the event. Hopefully you have followed a training plan that included a good amount of base mileage as well as other exercises to keep your muscles in balance; that is the foundation for your recovery. If you have not trained properly for your marathon, you will definitely feel more pain both during and after the event.

Some other “must do’s” to speed your recovery: 1. Eat the snacks provided at the finish line. At the bare minimum drink some sports drink AND water, but ideally eat some solid carbs as well, such as fruit or bars. Make sure you have a balanced meal that includes protein and some healthy fat a few hours later; 2. Do an ice water bath for 20 minutes within a few hours of finishing. You will be amazed at how well an ice bath will reduce inflammation and muscle soreness; and 3. Go for an easy 10 – 20 minute walk later that evening to loosen up the leg muscles.

It is normal to start feeling muscle soreness after the event, which can last for a few days (and in some people up to 1 week) afterward. The next day, it is not uncommon to feel a little “down,” especially if it is your first marathon and the soreness and fatigue start to settle in. That’s o.k.; just try to take it easy. If you want to go for a run, make sure you run on a nice flat surface, preferably something soft such as a track. Make sure to take it easy and listen to your body! Limit your self to just 10 – 15 minutes. Try some light stretching. Go to bed early as your body is still rebuilding and repairing tissue that was damaged the day before. Also be sure to get a massage a couple of days after the race to help flush out any knots.

Even though it may seem like a lot of people run marathons, those of you who complete a marathon are still part of a relatively small percentage of the overall population. After accomplishing such a big feat, most people experience an incredible high. Sometimes it is hard to know what to do after meeting such a big goal. The first week after, try not to make any specific plans. Continue to eat well-balanced meals and do some light physical activity, but definitely do not push yourself.

If this is your first marathon, it may take you a full month to recover completely and feel like you are back to your pre-race level of fitness. Don’t let this high level of fitness slip away! If you don’t feel like you want to run a lot at first, try something else. Consider cycling, swimming, or hiking. Maybe try your hand at triathlon. But please, do not stop exercising. Your body is at a high level of fitness; keep building on it.

Best wishes for a great race and a speedy recovery, and I will see you all at the race!

Countdown to the Austin Marathon

2010-02-05T19:20:00.000-06:00

Well, it’s that time of year again! The Austin Marathon is less than 2 weeks away! At this point, you should be in taper mode, as there is nothing more you can do to get physically ready for this race. You may remember last year I also wrote a blog post about what to do the week before the race. If this is your first marathon, you may want to review that post for specifics on nutrition, hydration, preparing your race gear, etc. In this post, I’d like to spend some time on the “mental preparation” that needs to happen for you to have a successful race.

The marathon is not for wimps! 26.2 miles is a long way, and anything can happen.   Whether this is your first marathon or whether you have done several, no two race experiences are exactly the same. If you tend to get nervous before events, or if you have had bad experiences in races in the past, it is important to be prepared mentally for whatever happens.

Visualize your perfect race: how do you feel at the start? Visualize yourself running the first few miles at an easy pace, getting your body warmed up. You hit your water stops with ease, tolerate your nutrition with no stomach queasiness, and the miles just seem to click by. Before you know it, you are at the halfway point and feeling great. You feel so good that you start to pick up your pace a little bit. Now you are at the 30K mark, having a great race. You are remembering to drink your water, take your supplements, eat your snacks, and wave to the crowd. Now you are entering the home stretch. You only have 0.2 miles to go. You wipe your face off, straighten up your shirt and bib, and smile for the cameras. Now you have less than 0.1 miles to go; you pick up speed, starting to pass other runners as you cross the finish line, arms lifted in triumph! The crowd goes wild!!! You slow down, get your medal, and head into the finishers area to collect your goodies.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? But we all know that unexpected things can happen that can cause your race to be less than perfect. Maybe it’s super windy that morning, or raining, or hot! What will you do? Having a mantra that you truly believe in, or some type of mental picture of someone (yourself or someone else) overcoming adversity is a powerful tool that you can use to get yourself through tough patches. If you have run in my training group, you have already experienced all sorts of weather extremes, so you know you can handle it. Draw on those positive past experiences and know that you can handle the weather.

What if you start to cramp? If it is a side stitch, push into the area where you are experiencing the tightness and breath slowly and deeply in and out. You may need to slow your pace down a little. If you have had side stitches before, you know that they will pass. Use your mantra or visual image.

What if you start to experience pain in your knee/back/ankle, etc? First, assess the pain level. Is it so severe that you are starting to run with a limp? Are you recovering from an injury? If not, is this a “phantom” pain? Often times if we have not had any injuries in training, as we start to feel fatigued during an event, our mind and body can start to play tricks on us. Focus on keeping your form, remember to breathe, and continue to run for at least 2-3 more minutes (time yourself), then re-assess. Again, use your mantra or your visual image. Use the crowd for support!

What if your stomach starts acting up? If you tolerate some type of antacid (such as Tums, Rolaids, etc.), plan to carry some with you “just in case.” Don’t be afraid to stop and use the port-o-potties because you’ll “lose too much time.” If you try to avoid stopping and run too long on an upset stomach, you will likely feel worse, slow down your pace significantly, and eventually end up having to stop at a port-o-potty anyway. Once you start running after your “pit stop,” again re-assess how you feel and determine whether you can safely continue. If you can safely continue, lean on your mantra.

If you are recovering from injury, know your limitations and lower your expectations. If you are already planning to finish “no matter what,” be prepared to have to walk. Take in the crowd, the bands, the volunteers and plan on just enjoying the fact that you are still physically able to walk in a marathon!

Good luck to everyone!

Food 101

2010-01-31T08:09:00.000-06:00

Did any of you watch Oprah this past week when her show was titled “Food 101 with Michael Pollan”? Michael Pollan is not a nutritionist; he is a journalist and book author who has been researching food and health for over 20 years. Due to his vast years of research on the food industry in our nation, and diets around the world, I think he can legitimately be considered an expert on how food is manufactured and how it affects our health. He currently has a new book out called Food Rules. His previous 3 books include The Omnivore’s Dilemma, The Young Reader’s Edition of the Omnivore’s Dilemma, and In Defense of Food. I have to admit I have not read any of his books (yet!), but I am familiar with his research and I did watch the documentary Food Inc. in which he appears. I was really glad to see Oprah take on the subject of where our food comes from, factory farms versus local farmers, and the fact that how we treat animals and what we feed them has a direct impact on our own health.

At the beginning of the show, Oprah gave everyone a little “food” quiz. One of the most interesting (and disheartening) questions asked was regarding antibiotic use in the livestock industry: “Americans take 3 million pounds of antibiotics a year. How many pounds are given to livestock?” The answer: 28 MILLION pounds!!! And we wonder why so many antibiotic resistant diseases (such as MRSA) are popping up.

Pollan noted that there are all sorts of different types of diets around the world (e.g the Inuit in Greenland have 75% of their diet come from fat – primarily in the form of seal blubber, one particular tribe in Africa eats a lot of beef and drinks cow blood, other countries eat high carbohydrate diets, etc.). The thing these diets have in common is that they are made up of whole, fresh foods and not heavily processed foods. What else do these people have in common? They have virtually no incidence of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, etc. The point Pollan was trying to drive home is that we can eat a variety of different types of diets, but the key to being healthy is using minimally processed foods. This is something I have really tried to emphasize to my clients as well.

Part of the problem I have run into in trying to get people to eat more fresh food is the cost. A lot of people I work with complain that it is too expensive to eat healthy. According to Pollan, thirty plus years ago, Americans spent 18% of their income on food and nationally Americans spent about 5% on health care. Today Americans spend only 9% of their income on food, less than any other population on the planet, yet nationally Americans spend 17% on health care. Between health care and food, in total we are spending about 3% more now than we did in the past. What does that tell you? Would you rather spend a little more on eating healthy and in turn feel better, have more energy, and get sick less often; or would you rather have the convenience of buying and eating cheap, heavily processed food but then need to visit the doctor more often to get medications for allergies, insomnia, blood pressure, diabetes, etc.? We all have to make a decision about who we would rather pay; the farmer or the doctor.

Oprah also had Alicia Silverstone, actress and co-author of the book The Kind Diet, appear via satellite. Alicia has been a practicing vegan for the past 10 plus years, and her new book is basically a “guide” of how to eat a more plant based diet including a number of recipes and other tips. She gave her own personal testimonial about how improving her eating habits improved her health. She also took viewers on a virtual grocery shopping trip and demonstrated preparing a recipe out of her new book. Her role was showing that eating healthy does not have to be difficult or take a lot of time.

Another guest was Steve Ells, founder and CEO of Chipotle restaurants. Steve is a chef who had a desire to open up his own restaurant when he first finished culinary school. He now has Chipotle’s all over the country. Even though Chipotle is considered a “fast food” restaurant, they do not provide your typical highly processed food. Ells stated that all of their produce is fresh with the exception of corn (frozen), and each restaurant purchases from local farmers when seasons permit. In addition, 45% of their beans are organic, 60% of their beef is “naturally raised” (meaning the cattle are not given antibiotics or growth hormones and are allowed to graze on grass rather than fed grain in feed lots), and 100% of their pork and chicken is naturally raised.

Ells opened his first Chipotle in 1993; last year his restaurants served over 700,000 people and had over $1 Billion in sales! He has shown that you can be successful at using fresh, organic, and naturally raised meats while still providing consumers with a reasonably priced meal.

You can read more about the show, as well as take the quiz, by visiting Oprah's website.

Running a Marathon after the Flu

2010-01-23T15:31:00.000-06:00

This past Sunday, January 17, 2010, my husband and I went to Houston, TX to run the Chevron Houston Marathon. It was our first race in Houston and we had both been looking forward to it as we had heard that the race was very well supported and a “fast, flat course.” Living in Austin, we are used to running up some massive hills, so our marathon is not exactly a “fast” course!

Unfortunately, he came down with the flu the day after Christmas, and I got it one week later. So, he had just recovered about 2 weeks before the race, and I just had one week of recovery under my belt. Needless to say, neither of us expected to have a very fast time, but we were still expecting to have fun. After all, it should be much easier than what we are used to running, we told ourselves!

As you may remember from my blog a couple of weeks ago, when you are coming back from a sickness involving a fever, you should really take at least 10 days to ramp back up to your previous workout level. Unfortunately, I did not have that long. Running the marathon meant that I was going to go beyond my “pre-sickness” workout level after just 7 days, as my previous long run was just a 30K. Knowing that my body was still in “ramp up mode,” I decided the safest course of action was to run the race at a slow, even pace (which for me means I started out running about 30 – 45 seconds slower than my normal marathon race pace). I also planned to have more protein, in addition to carbohydrates, immediately before as well as during the race to hopefully keep myself well fueled and able to handle the demands of a race my body really probably should not have been doing so soon after being sick.

As far as pre-race nutrition, we did our normal things for the most part. Since this was a “destination race,” the night before we made sure we would be able to get food either at the hotel restaurant, or at the hotel’s “grab and go” area. I had also packed us plenty of snacks in case we would not be able to get what we needed. Luckily, the restaurant opened at 5 a.m., while the grab and go area was open at 4 a.m. Plenty of time, and lots of options!

I had a bowl of cold cereal with milk about 2 hours before the race was scheduled to start, while my husband had a cup of orange juice, a cup of black coffee, a small bowl of oatmeal, and some fruit (he’s much taller/bigger than I am!). About one hour before, we both had a boiled egg, along with some water (I had brought the boiled eggs from home and had them stashed with a freezer pack in our room). About 30 – 45 minutes prior to the race, my husband and I also both drank a full 20 ounces of Accelerade (sports drink with both carbohydrates and protein, in addition to electrolytes). In addition, he ate a full Lara bar and I ate about half of one (this is something we have not traditionally done in the past, but I felt like we could use the protein).

Normally, I would pop a sports gel of some sort (or sports beans) about 15 minutes before the race, but because I had just had half a Lara bar, I really didn’t feel like I needed one, so I skipped it. I did pack 4 for during the race “just in case.” I also packed some “real food” (by that I mean I had a snack size baggie of dried apricots and the other half of my Lara bar!).

During the race, besides running slower, I also planned to stop and walk at each water stop, which is something I usually do anyway because I’ve never been very good at running and drinking at the same time! For about the first half, most of my walk breaks were around 15 – 30 seconds, but as the miles ticked on, these breaks got up to 1 minute. I ate 1-2 apricots at most of the stops until I ran out (around mile 16), then I took a few more miles to finish the rest of my bar. While I was eating the apricots and the bar, I just drank water at the stops because Gatorade was the sports drink on the course and I do not normally drink Gatorade and was afraid of what it would do to me. Eventually, I went to my gel (Cliff shots); actually I only used one, which was around mile 22 or 23. I did have a couple of sips of Gatorade at the last 2 or 3 water stops, but I also had some water afterward to get the taste out of my mouth!

In general, I felt pretty good during most of the race. I did have a much harder time breathing than I normally would, and I did have a slightly upset stomach, but nothing unbearable. I also slowed way down the last 3 miles, but this was due to some knee pain I developed going down a stretch of the course that had severe banking.

I am happy to report that we both really enjoyed the race, and were pleasantly surprised by our finishing times, which were close to “normal” times for both of us; mine was actually a PR by a few minutes! The race was extremely well supported; there were lots of people throughout most of the course cheering on all the runners; most of the water stops were well staffed and stocked; there were LOTS of port-o-potties shortly after the water stops (so many that I actually decided to stop around mile 11 because there was no line! I lost about 3 minutes, but it made for a much more comfortable rest of the run!); and at the end there was a very nice sitting area where you could enjoy a hot meal, along with hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, or cold drinks.

So, running a marathon after getting sick late in training can be done, but you have to be very diligent about listening to your body, running at an easy pace, and fueling properly before, during, and after the race. Aim to just have fun rather than expecting to get a PR!

Can Genetic Testing Help You Lose Weight?

2010-01-15T17:07:00.000-06:00

Have you tried several different diets in an effort to lose weight, but can’t seem to find one that works for you? Were you successful at the low carb diet, but not the low fat diet, or vice-versa? Have you found that no matter how much exercise you do, you can’t seem to lose weight? Well, now there may be an answer to these questions! For those of you who are fans of my Facebook page, you may remember that back in December I posted a question asking people if there was a genetic test available to help them lose weight, would they take it. Several people did comment that “yes” they would. I am happy to report that genetic test is now here!

Ever since the Human Genome project was completed in 2003, scientists around the world have been using that information to develop drugs, tests, etc. for various health conditions. Interleukin Genetics, Inc. is one such company. It is a personalized health company that focuses on genetics research and how to utilize knowledge about our genes to improve our health. They have developed 5 different genetic tests for various conditions (including bone health, heart health, dental health, etc.) and in 2009 launched their health and wellness brand “Inherent Health™” to market these tests. One of these tests is specifically for weight management.

Starting in 2006, a team of scientists at Interleukin Genetics teamed up with researchers at several universities around the world (including Harvard and Stanford), as well as other industry researchers, specifically to analyze data for all genetic variations associated with body weight, body fat, or body mass index. After three years of research and testing, they were able to develop the “Weight Management Genetic Test Panel.” This test is able to determine what percentage of carbohydrate, protein, and fat works best for your genotype. In general, this means it will tell you whether you should follow a balanced diet, a low fat diet, or a reduced carbohydrate diet. The other really useful piece of information that this test will tell you is whether you need to work out at a low, moderate, or high intensity to lose weight. For more information, check out the Inherent Health website.

This is definitely not for everyone. It is by no means a “magic bullet”, you still have to be willing to continue to work on improving your diet and tweaking your exercise according to your genetic make up to lose weight. You also still need to work with your dietitian to determine what calorie level to eat for weight loss and for weight maintenance. The test does not tell you that, it merely tells you what percentages of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats you should be eating.

I have had the opportunity to listen to 2 dietitians who were part of the research and development team (Ruth DeBusk, PhD, RD; and Colleen Fogarty Draper, MS, RD), the Chief Scientific Officer (Ken Korman, PhD) and CEO of Interleukin Genetics (Lewis H. Bender) and ask them questions about the test, as well as how the dietitians use it with their clients. I have to say, I do think this test can be very useful for the person who has “tried everything” to lose weight, but has still struggled to lose or keep it off. For that reason, I have decided to make this kit available in my practice to those of you who would be good candidates for this type of weight management program.

As with everything “new,” Inherent Health was kind enough to provide several test kits at a reduced cost to me, so that I could pass the savings on to you! Normally the test costs $149, as you can see on their website. Right now, I have a limited supply that I was able to purchase for $120. If you are interested, contact me ASAP. Once these are gone, they are gone! I will still have access to the kits and be able to provide them in my office, but not for such a low price.

Coming back from the flu. . .

2010-01-07T13:42:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately I managed to start the New Year off with a mild case of the flu! Yes, I did try to take my own advice and drink plenty of fluids, eats lots of whole grains as well as fruits/veggies/garlic, etc., but two of the most critical pieces of advice I could not follow: avoid sick people and get plenty of sleep. Why? Because unfortunately the sick person I was exposed to was my husband! I suppose I could have quarantined him/made him sleep on the couch, but I really didn’t want to do that. As a result, his nights awake coughing & sneezing became my nights awake, which put a lot of physical stress on my body and eventually led to me “catching” his flu.

I think he came down with it first because he had been under a lot of stress at work, so when he happened to get coughed & sneezed all over by the little kid at the Christmas lights display, his body’s immune system was not prepared to fight it off. But that’s all water under the bridge . . . However, I do think this brings up a good time to talk about exercise, nutrition, and recovering from the flu or a really bad cold.

If you are running a fever, you really should not exercise as this can cause a worsening of symptoms and may even lead to heart complications (even death!). I admit, I have done races and long runs with a fever in the past and obviously did not die of a heart attack, but it is definitely NOT advisable, and will just make your recovery take longer. So, if you have a fever, DO NOT exercise!

If you just have the “early signs” of a cold, such as a mild sore throat, sniffles, and watery eyes, you can still exercise, but try to do your workouts “solo” and avoid exposing other people to your germs. In other words, do not go to the gym or meet your workout buddies, but try to run or cycle around your neighborhood or do an “at home” yoga/trainer/treadmill/or strength training workout. Make sure that you are drinking more fluids than normal because your body will be using some of that liquid in the production of excess mucous, which can end up dehydrating you. Even if your workouts are lasting less than an hour, this is a good time to use a sports drink with electrolytes in it, as this will provided added nutrition to fight the illness.

If your cold has progressed to the point that you are constantly coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, etc., it’s time to skip all your tough workouts and just do moderate activity (walking, a slow jog, stretching, etc.). You may also want to avoid exercising outside as the cold air can irritate your nose and throat even more.

Once your fever has broken, and your other symptoms have started to diminish to the point that you have more energy, do not just jump right back into your old workout routine. Take a good 10 days to slowly ramp back up; otherwise you could relapse. If you are a runner, keep in mind that a hard run that lasts longer than 90 minutes can decrease your immunity for up to 24 hours because your body’s stress hormones remain elevated for this long after a tough workout, so make sure that you are particularly careful during this time frame. This is a critical time to eat properly and avoid sick people! Make sure if you are working out this long that you are using a sport drink with CALORIES in it (not something sugar-free or low calorie) or ingesting some other form of calories (gu, gel, sports beans, etc) in addition to electrolytes, as the carbohydrate and/or protein calories will help maintain a normal level of blood glucose, which can help drive down your stress hormones.

It’s also important to realize that running more than 60 miles per week can actually DECREASE your immunity (below 60 miles has been shown to increase immunity), so if you normally run high mileage, during cold and flu season you may want to cut back to below 60 and increase your cross training.

Have a Happy, and Healthy New Year!

2009 – Year in Review

2009-12-30T09:21:00.001-06:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. The end of each year always brings various “top 10, 20, 100,” etc. lists that are meant to cause us to reflect on various events that happened or products that were introduced, and how they effected our lives. It is also a time to think about the future and what we may hope to accomplish in the upcoming year.

As I look back on this previous year, I am amazed at how quickly it went by. I can’t believe my first year as a private practice dietitian is almost over! There are some days when I feel like I’ve been on my own longer than a year, and other days I can’t believe it’s already been a year.

In 2009, I tried really hard to stay focused on my “core” areas regarding my private practice, which are food allergies/sensitivities and their related conditions, celiac, polycystic ovarian syndrome, sports nutrition and fitness, vegetarian nutrition, and overall health and wellness. This may sound like a lot of different areas, but when I was working as an outpatient dietitian in a clinic setting, I had to know EVERYTHING about anything that even remotely had a nutrition component to treatment. Dealing with diabetes and heart disease was a daily event, so staying on top of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) for those conditions was easy. However, I rarely saw patients with end stage renal disease, liver cirrhosis, cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus, scleroderma, etc., so making sure my MNT knowledge was current in those areas was much more challenging. Not to mention that a person’s age also has a huge impact on how you implement MNT.

By narrowing my focus to a few key areas that I had a huge interest in, I felt I would be better able to stay on top of new research and developments that I could implement in my practice. This would enable me to provide my patients/clients the kind of “expert” care they deserved.

Just in my core areas a lot has happened over the past year. For example, regarding food allergies, there have been breakthroughs in possible treatments for children with peanut allergies, allowing them to be able to consume peanuts.

People with celiac disease now have a much wider array of processed gluten free items to choose from. In addition, there are also several applications available for the various smart phones that list gluten free foods and are a tremendous aid when shopping.

In vegetarian nutrition, there had been a vegan omega 3 supplement developed that contained both EPA and DHA (VPure), but it was only available through a company in Europe . Ordering this product meant having to deal with different currency and lengthy shipping times. Now there is also a version available out of North Carolina here in the USA. Both of these products are made from sea algae. This is a huge breakthrough because previously, vegan omega 3 supplements only contained DHA and/or ALA. Now, there is no need to use an animal-based product to get all of the types of omega 3 are bodies need.

One of the most interesting advancements in nutrition technology to me is a new DNA-based test that can help with weight loss. This particular test determines the ideal percentages of carbohydrate, protein, and fat that a person should consume to manage their weight. It also determines what level of intensity that person should exercise at. It is still up to the nutrition professional to determine overall caloric needs and length of time to exercise, but this definitely can speed up a person’s weight loss efforts because now there is no “trial and error” involved in determining if they would benefit from more protein versus more carbohydrate and vice versa. You can read more about this breakthrough technology here.

I’m sure 2010 will bring about even more advances in nutrition technology. I look forward to learning about them and bringing them to you in my practice! I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Holiday Baking

2009-12-22T14:15:00.000-06:00

I can’t believe Christmas is just days away! I am WAY behind in my baking!! I come from a pretty big family (3 brothers and 4 sisters, who at this point almost all have kids of their own), so buying gifts for everyone is virtually impossible since none of us are independently wealthy! For that reason, shopping for presents really is not that big of a deal for my family and me; we usually either just buy presents for the “little kids” or draw names, or if we are really strapped financially, we just do not buy any presents. The bigger deal is preparing food. We always meet for Christmas dinner at my oldest brother’s house, and most of us bring some type of food.

I usually bring a few things, such as my “holiday festive loaf” (which is a bread with sautéed red bell pepper, green onions, bacon (although I used soy bacon), and Parmesan mixed in), a blueberry banana cream pie, and cookies. I am actually most known for the cookies.

Ever since I was a little kid, I have been the designated “cookie baker.” I was always very into “art” (drawing, painting, making clay models, crocheting, knitting. . . you name it), so when I made cookies, I couldn’t just frost them one solid color and pour a few sprinkles on. I had to make them look like the imprint on the cookie cutter, complete with individually decorated outfits! Even the Christmas trees had different colored “ornaments” and garland. It was something I really enjoyed doing, so I guess that’s why eventually I was the one everyone expected to make them!

I used to just make several batches of Christmas cookies and have them on a giant platter to set out on the buffet. Then I started adding my famous oatmeal cookies to the mix. Eventually, I started hearing some complaints that “all the cookies are gone, and I only got to have one” so in addition to the “community platter,” I started making each person in my family their own individual cookie bag with at least 4 Christmas cookies and a half dozen oatmeal cookies. This seems to have quelled the complaints!

My Christmas cookies are no ordinary sugar cookies; I decorate each one in excruciating detail (Santa has either blue, green, or black eyes, same with the mittens; the angels also have various eye and hair colors, sometimes different colored robes, etc.), so it takes me a really long time to make these cookies. Take a look:

My oatmeal cookies are different as well; I usually make them with applesauce instead of fat, and add dark chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and walnuts. Sometimes I’ll even toss in a little ground flaxseed (shhh!! Nobody knows these are “healthy” cookies!).

Over the years, I have experimented with different ways to try and make the cookies somewhat “healthier,” and taste good. Especially with sugar cookies; you have to have a certain amount of fat in the dough or it will not roll out properly, or will stick to the cookie cutters. There is only so much you can do to reduce the fat and sugar content, but at least I know that the fat that I do put into my cookies is a “healthy” fat, and the other ingredients are organic and therefore free of pesticides!

My most recent experiment (just this past week in fact) has been gluten-free, vegan sugar cookies. Since this was an experiment, I opted to just make plain Christmas trees (no fancy decorating). I used Ener-G to replace the eggs, and it seems to have worked pretty well; the cookies took longer to bake than normal, but they still have a similar “golden brown” look to them, and are slightly crispy. Overall not bad; they do taste a little different than just regular “wheat” sugar cookies, but still got a thumbs up from my husband! If you are interested, I basically used this recipe (but replaced the egg with Ener-G and used Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose GF flour mix).

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog so far. . . I’ll probably only write one more before the end of the year. Until then, Merry Christmas!

Winter Cycling

2009-12-15T09:28:00.000-06:00

I admit it, I’m a wimp when it comes to riding my bike in the cold. I’d much rather go run, or if I have to bike, either use my indoor trainer or take a spin class! But I know there are just sometimes when you have to get on your bike out in the cold, so here we go.

I am going to focus on clothing and nutrition regarding training, not “commuter” type cycling. For some good “commuter” winter cycling tips, see bicycling life and commute by bike .

I am also not going to cover the technical aspects regarding “winterizing” your bicycle (if that is needed). There is a really good website regarding these technical details that is put together by All Weather Sports in Alaska.

Similar to tips for running in the cold, when cycling in the cold you need to protect your head and extremities, as well as stay hydrated and fuel properly. You also need to plan for how long you'll be cycling and if weather conditions may change while you are out riding. See my previous blog post for these particular tips.

Now on a bike, you are going to be generating your own wind, whether it is windy outside or not, so you have to keep this in mind in regards to keeping your body warm. While some people may generate a lot of heat riding a bike, I personally warm up much more running than I do cycling (that’s one of the reasons I prefer cycling to running in the summer, and vice versa in the winter). Most people will start to need “more clothing” on a bike as the temperature begins to dip below 50 degrees.

The first thing to protect is your head and extremities. Consider wearing a skullcap or some type of helmet liner, and wear gloves. There are gloves made specifically for cyclists that are full-fingered. When the temperature starts to get really cold, you may want to try the “crab-claw” type gloves that are similar to mittens, but still give you enough finger movement to be able to shift gears and brake easily. Depending on what type of shoes you ride in, you may not be able to wear much thicker socks. Consider purchasing “shoe covers,” or try the much less expensive option, which is to wrap a plastic bag over your shoe. If you are someone who’s feet do not sweat much, you may even want to wrap your foot in a plastic bag, then tuck your foot into your shoe (I’m told bread bags or plastic newspaper “sleeves” work great for this, it’s not something I personally have tried).

The next clothing items to consider are arm and leg (or knee) warmers. These are good for rides that start cold but then warm up because you can either completely take off the warmers and tuck them into a back pocket once you warm up, or just push them down to your wrists and ankles.

For much colder temperatures, you will likely be wearing full leggings, a long-sleeved shirt, an insulated vest, a balaclava (head wrap that extends to protect your neck and chin), and possibly a wind breaker (in addition to gloves and feet protectors) and sun glasses. Polarized lenses that are vented can work great for protecting your eyes from the wind, as well as reducing glare (but if they are not vented, they may have a tendency to fog up).

Finally, make sure that you not only have front and rear lights on your bike, but that you also wear reflective clothing and/or have some type of blinking light on your body as well. Daylight hours are so short this time of year, plus the skies often tend to be overcast and gray, that it can be difficult for drivers to see cyclists even during the daytime.

Training in Cold Weather

2009-12-09T12:56:00.000-06:00

Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may already be experiencing winter like conditions (even though winter does not officially start until December 21). Here in Austin, TX, we had our first hard freeze last weekend. Friday night/Saturday morning it was about 24 degrees at my house, and 27 degrees down by the river (Lady Bird Lake) where I was going to have to lead my training group at 7 a.m. That is pretty darn cold for us central Texans!

For that reason, I thought now would be a good time to review a few tips for working out in the cold. I’ll start with running since that’s what we did last Saturday! Right now, I’m the lead pacer for a group of runners training for the Austin Marathon on Valentine’s Day. We have a variety of runners from “first-time” marathoners to experienced marathoners. Some of these runners have never run more than a 10K, so having to plan clothing for changing weather conditions during a run is something many have not experienced.

The first rule of thumb is to dress like you would if it was 20 degrees warmer; I like this tip because it is a very individual thing. Second, protect your head because this is where you will lose the most heat. Third, protect your extremities (hands and feet) because they have less muscle and therefore less blood flow than your larger body parts.

To give you an example, I will wear a single layer (shorts and a short-sleeve shirt) down to 50 degrees. Between 45 and 50, I’ll still wear a single layer, but my shirt will be long-sleeved and I’ll add gloves and ear warmers (particularly if it is cloudy and there is wind). From 35 to 44, I’ll wear leggings, and 2 top layers (short sleeve under a long sleeve shirt). When you start wearing “layers,” it is super important that your base layer fits snug, and that you choose a “wicking” fabric, such as dry fit or cool max. You do not want to wear a cotton shirt or something too loose because once you start sweating, the liquid will not evaporate and you will get cold. As the temperature drops further (and if there is a significant wind chill), I’ll start adding things like an insulated vest or wind breaker, shorts under my leggings, 2 pairs of socks, a hat or shirt with a build in hoodie, etc.

You also want to keep in mind how long you are going to be running and if it is going to warm up significantly during that time. If you are doing a long run that is 2 hours or more, it is possible it could be 10 to 20 degrees warmer than at the start. Keep this in mind when you are dressing. You may want to choose a top layer that you don’t mind just tossing when you start to warm up. Or choose something you can tie around your waist.

Last but not least, don’t forget about your nutrition. It is just as easy to get dehydrated in the winter as it is in the summer. The problem is because you do not get as hot, you may not get as thirsty. Your body looses a significant amount of fluids through your breath as well as sweat, not to mention that the air is usually much drier in the winter. Most people also experience the drying effects of heaters during this time of year, so our fluid requirements are just as high as they are in the summer. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids before and during your workouts.

You also burn significantly more calories trying to keep your body warm. This means you need to be re-fueling on workouts that are taking longer than an hour. You can do this either by using a sports drink that has calories (NOT a drink that is strictly for electrolyte replacement), gels, gu's, sports beans, etc. Every body is different in their exact nutrition requirements and what their body will tolerate, so make sure and experiment with different types of drinks/foods.

Next week I’ll talk about cycling in the cold! Until then, happy trails!

Staying Healthy During the Holidays

2009-12-01T07:51:00.000-06:00

We’ve made it through Halloween and Thanksgiving, now we still have the December holidays (Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah) and the New Year to get through! Because these holidays often involve traveling and spending money, a lot of people find this time of year stressful. Stress can cause a variety of physical problems, from raising blood pressure and blood sugar to lowering our immune systems’ defenses (making us more susceptible to contracting contagious diseases such as the cold and flu). Add to that changing temperatures, cold rain and/or “wintery precipitation” and it can be quite the battle to stay healthy!

In order to stay healthy, we need to focus on the things we can control, which include our diet, physical activity, and personal hygiene. Moderate exercise has been shown to both relieve stress and boost our immune systems. For those reasons, it is very important that you do not let your exercise slide during this time of year. You may think that you do not have time to exercise, but what you really do not have time for is to get sick! If you get sick, you may have to miss work and you may not have the energy to run all your errands. Exercise is non-negotiable, you need to take time for at least 30 minutes TOTAL of moderate exercise 5 times each week if you want to stay healthy. Keep in mind that you can break this up into 3 bouts of 10 minutes each, or 2 bouts of 15 minutes each. By breaking your exercise up, it can often be easier to get in.

What can you do for 10-30 minutes? You can go for a walk, stretch, do some body weight exercises (such as push ups, chair dips, crunches, etc.), etc. Ideally, over the week you will get in 3 different types of exercise: “cardio” or “aerobic” type exercise (such as walking), strength training, and stretching. A great resource for short exercise routines is Runner's World magazine. You can search for exercises targeting your hips, knees, feet, and core. Many of these routines can be done in 10-15 minutes. Another good source is the Whole Living website. They have 4 different categories of exercise routines: build strength, walking + other cardio, yoga + pilates, and “easy routines.”

Of course you also want to make sure you are eating foods that will help boost your immune system. These include yogurt with live & active cultures, a variety of fruits and vegetables, some whole grains, tea (green, black, or herbals such as ginger), and prepare foods with garlic, ginger, and onions. All of these foods have potential to help fight disease, either through antioxidants or their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

In addition, make sure you wash your hands often! The CDC states that “hand washing is the single most important method for preventing infectious disease.” We need to wash our hand before we eat and every time we get our hands dirty. Also, avoid touching your “T” zone (eyes, nose, and mouth). Whenever we touch surfaces such as doorknobs, tabletops, shopping carts, etc., we are likely exposing ourselves to germs that could make us sick, so it is super important we do not transmit those germs into our bodies by rubbing our eyes, biting our nails, etc. And if you have to cough or sneeze, do not cover your mouth and nose with your hands, use a tissue or if tissues are not available, cough or sneeze into you arm, that way you do not go on to contaminate other surfaces with your hands.

And last but not least, if you do get sick, stay home! Be mindful of how you may inadvertently spread your illness. Do not go to work or to the gym or meet your running/cycling/swimming group where you can get others sick.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T13:51:00.000-06:00

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year and the many things I am thankful for. First of all, I am thankful for all of you who read my blog! Coming up with new content to write it (almost) every week for the past several months has sometimes been a challenge, particularly because I want it to be more than just my rants and raves, but something useful to other people. I am thankful for those of you who have given me positive feedback (whether in person or through email or posted comments).

I am also thankful for all my clients helping me to survive my first year in private practice! As they say, starting up a new business is very hard work and can be a bit scary, but it is also a lot of fun and really helps you learn more about yourself and what you are capable of. I am happy to be keeping my head above water and look forward to the next year being even better.

It’s also commonly understood that all businesses have “seasons” when things are slow and when things are really busy. I expected things to really slow down over the holidays because who really wants nutrition and fitness advice at this time of year? Initially, that was the case, but just this past week I’ve gotten a lot of new clients. I am really grateful for those brave souls who are not waiting until the start of the New Year to take action to improve their health.

I am thankful for my friends and family (especially my husband Dan), who have been very supportive all my life, but particularly during the launch of my new business. Without Dan, I would probably not be doing this blog, and I would have had to pay a lot more to get my website up and running!

Of course I am thankful for my health, for my home, and for my abilities. I am a little bummed that I was not able to do many races this year (only a couple of foot races and one cycling event – no triathlons), but realize that I do not have the time to do EVERYTHING. Spending more time in a “coaching” and “cheer-leading” role this past year has given me a whole new appreciation for people who spend their lifetimes being our coaches and cheerleaders!

I have so much to be thankful for, it is hard to express it all in a short blog! I am truly grateful to God for all the blessings he has given me. I hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-18T13:38:00.000-06:00

Only 1 week and 1 day until Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is one of my personal favorite holidays; what could be better than getting together with friends & family, enjoying good food, and of course, watching football! The freedom to be able to enjoy all those things is something I am extremely thankful for.

However, for a lot of people, Thanksgiving (and the other fall and winter holidays) can pose a big challenge. These holidays represent high amounts of stress due to food temptations and not being able to stick to their normal routines. For example, people who have diabetes often struggle to maintain control of their blood sugars because of all the “sweet treats” available, not to mention all the starchy foods! And of course people who are working on losing weight often suffer set backs during this time. Then there are those with food allergies who have to be careful, while trying to enjoy food made by other people who may not be as mindful of their allergies. What should these folks do?

There are tools to manage “food stressors” during the holiday season, that are often suggested for people with diabetes, yet can easily be used by people who are working on weight loss as well. One tool is to practice what is referred to as the “plate method.” Ideally you would be using a plate no larger than 9 inches in diameter. You fill half of your plate with non-starchy vegetables (preferably not loaded with extra fat!), a quarter of your plate with carbohydrate (such as a potato, rice, pasta, etc.), and the other quarter with protein. This leaves you with 2 additional “carbohydrate choices” to choose from. This could be in the form of a side roll, a small dessert or fruit salad. If there is a “buffet” that includes several types of “starch” or carbohydrate items that you would like to choose, try to limit your portion sizes to ¼ cup each (1 carbohydrate choice for most “scoop-able” items is half a cup). That way you can still limit your TOTAL carbohydrate choices to 3 per meal.

If you suffer from food allergies, tell the hostess what foods you need to avoid. Make sure you also bring something with you that is safe for you to eat. That way if the host is unable to prepare foods that are suitable for you, you will still have something to enjoy during the festivities.

My family has what most Americans think of as “typical” food for the holiday: turkey and dressing, rolls, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. We usually have some other items too, but these vary year to year. Some of these additions include pecan pie, banana/blueberry pie (my personal contribution, which is a recipe I got from a college roommate years ago that I have made slight modifications to), fruit salad, carrot soufflé, broccoli casserole, garlic biscuits, etc. Because I am a registered dietitian/coach/HFS, I am the designated “healthy cook” in the family. I always try to make sure whatever items I am contributing are reduced fat (if not low fat), and reduced sugar. This enables our friends and family to have some “healthy options” to choose from, in addition to all the other “treats” that are sure to grace the table.

Another important tip is to not forget what the "spirit" of Thanksgiving is. A lot of us lose sight of what we are truly celebrating and end up focusing solely on food and sales! Let’s all try to remember the reason for the holiday and to be thankful for where we are at in life. No matter how “bad” things may get, there is always something we can be thankful for. If you are interested in learning more about the history of the holiday, here is a good short story on the subject.

You may also want to consider volunteering with friends or family members at a local shelter that serves Thanksgiving meals to the underserved. This is another good way to remind ourselves of how much we have to be thankful for.

If you can, participate in some kind of fun run or walk. A lot of cities hold “turkey trots” on Thanksgiving Day that allow you to get in some exercise before eating. If that is just not possible, try to enjoy some type of physical activity a couple of hours after the big meal; go for a walk, start up a game of basketball or touch football, or even pull out the Wii! There are lots of things to enjoy during the holiday besides food.

For daily tips leading up to T-day, follow me on twitter @ChrisMarquette.

Eating Vegetarian at NASCAR, Take 2

2009-11-12T07:45:00.000-06:00

For those of you who have been following my blog, you may remember that back in April this year I wrote about my experience eating vegetarian at NASCAR for the first time. Well, this past weekend was the second race weekend we attended at Texas Motor Speedway this year.

I have to say, I learned so much back in April that this time it was a breeze! I made some of the same things (homemade hummus for sandwiches, black bean burger patties), but I also pre-made some other things that we would be able to just heat up via microwave or crock-pot. For example, for Friday night I made “Lima Bake,” which is a super tasty recipe I found on the back of HEB’s dried lima bean bag. Once you have cooked the limas, you just sauté some onions and garlic, then add canned diced tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and the beans. Top it off with a little cheddar cheese and your done. It is super yummy!

I also pre-made my “famous chili.” This is actually a newer “made up” recipe for me. I used to make tofu chili, but apparently I have over-eaten soy and can no longer tolerate it (I know, tough for a vegetarian!), so I’ve had to be creative in using other vegetarian high-protein foods. Recently I’ve really gotten into “Quorn” products (a “mycoprotein” very similar to mushrooms). I try not to use them too often, but for those occasions when you really need something other than beans or nuts, it is great! I now make my chili using Quorn’s “beef” crumbles, pinto beans, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, TONS of chili powder, cumin, onions, jalapeños or serranos, and garlic.

For all our vegetable “side dishes,” I pre-washed EVERYTHING (that way I also would not have to worry about any cross-contamination issues). So we had various colored peppers, potatoes, and “salad” vegetables (mixed greens, red onions, tomatoes, etc.) that were all basically ready to go when we got there and would go with just about anything we decided to eat.

I think I’m starting a new trend too; I actually saw a guy at the truck race (the first race of the weekend on Friday night) wearing a Vegetarian hoodie! Granted, I think it was the one that says “Vegetarian. Ancient tribal slang for the village idiot who can’t hunt, fish, or ride.” It was a little hard to read because he was carrying stuff that obscured part of it, but I think that was the one he was wearing. Not exactly sure how I feel about that, but it’s a start!

Another “start” was at our campsite. We formed a giant “U-shape” with 3 other RV’s, and each night we all had dinner together. Saturday night I shared my famous vegetarian chili and it got rave reviews. Sunday night it was my black bean burgers. It was pretty funny, one guy that I had not met at the spring race but was there for the fall race was very excited to have the opportunity to try some vegetarian food! He had never had meatless chili or “bean” burgers before! He also informed me that he is always looking for ways to increase his vegetable intake, so he was quite happy to find some ways of actually having vegetable based entrees.

I guess my next big vegetarian “project” will be the football crowd, although there I have a head start, as I can always point to Tony Gonzalez as an actual “player” example!

November is Good Nutrition Month

2009-11-03T07:41:00.000-06:00

When most of us think of November, we think of festive fall colors, cooler weather, and of course Thanksgiving. There are a few other observances this month that involve food and nutrition: Diabetes Month, Peanut Butter Lover’s Month, and Good Nutrition Month.

What does “Good Nutrition” mean? In general, it means eating an adequate amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and fats each day (and spread throughout the day) to keep your body healthy. The exact amounts of each of these groups will vary depending on your current health status, age, weight, and activity level.

For example, someone who has diabetes has to be very knowledgeable about how many servings of carbohydrates they eat at each meal/snack, as well as making sure each meal/snack is “balanced” so that it includes either protein, or healthy fat, or a lot of fiber with the carbohydrate portion in order to keep blood sugar levels stable. The timing of meals and snacks for someone with diabetes is also critical; it is much easier to keep blood sugar levels stable if meals and snacks are eaten about the same time each day, and if no more than 5 hours pass between meals.

For someone with kidney disease, they may have restrictions on how much potassium, phosphorus, and protein they can take in. A person with celiac has to follow a gluten free diet. A person who chooses to be vegan has to pay special attention to sources of vitamin D, zinc, vitamin B12, and calcium as these can be low in a poorly planned vegan diet. An athlete will need to consume many more calories (primarily from carbohydrate) than your average person (for example Tour de France cyclists consume upwards of 6000 calories daily). These are just a few examples of “specific” areas of nutrition that need to be taken into account for different people in order to make sure they are following “good nutrition” principles.

For proper brain function and adequate energy levels, we need carbohydrates. The exact amount is going to vary tremendously for the reasons previously given. For most people, however, some general rules do apply for our nutrient intake.

Most people benefit from limiting their saturated fat intake to no more than 10% of total calories, keeping trans fat intake as close to zero as possible (or no more than about 3 grams per day), and eating about 20% of total calories from mono- and polyunsaturated fat. All of us need to also make sure that some of our polyunsaturated fats include omega 3 and omega 6 fats (these are called essential fats because our bodies cannot make these two fats). In general, it is recommended that the average person consume at least 1% of their calories from omega 3, and up to 10% of their calories from omega 6. The best sources of these omega 3 and omega 6 fats are nuts, seeds, avocado, seaweed, seafood, and vegetable oils.

Most people should also consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps keep your cholesterol at normal levels, stabilize blood sugar, give us a sense of fullness (so we do not over eat), and keeps us regular! We can meet this fiber goal by consuming the following foods daily: at least 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, 3 servings of whole grains, 1 serving of nuts/seeds. Consuming legumes (beans) at least 3 times per week can also contribute to our fiber intake.

As far as protein, most people consume way more protein that they need. Most people only need about 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Athletes do need about twice as much, but even most athletes easily meet their protein needs. People who have kidney problems will likely be put on a low protein diet.

We also need to make sure we are drinking an adequate amount of water daily in order to help our body excrete waste products efficiently. A good indicator that you are drinking enough water is the color of your urine; it should be very pale yellow. (Be aware that if you are taking a multivitamin with high levels of B vitamins (or a strict B complex supplement), this will likely cause your urine to be bright yellow. )

In summary, just make sure you eat a variety of foods from each food group daily (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and protein) and limit your intake of “junk foods” (desserts, chips, candy, soft drinks, etc.) as much as possible.

My LiveStrong Challenge Ride

2009-10-27T07:12:00.000-05:00

Since October is also Breast Cancer awareness month, and the month is rapidly coming to an end, I thought this week I’d fill you in on an event I participated in for the first time. This past weekend here in Austin, TX the last of 4 “LiveStrong Challenge” events took place. If you are not familiar with the LiveStrong Challenge, it is the signature fundraising series of events that takes place in four cities in the United States to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). LAF was founded in 1997 by Lance Armstrong (cancer survivor and 7-time Tour de France champion). LAF is committed to providing funds for research, cancer prevention, access to screening and care, and improving the quality of life for cancer survivors.

Like most people, I personally know a lot of people who are either cancer survivors, current fighters, or whose lives were taken by cancer. Over the years, I’ve done races like the Komen Race for the Cure, and I’ve donated money to other people who have participated in various running or walking events to raise money for cancer and other diseases, but I had never done a cycling event myself. Being primarily a marathon runner, I thought it would be good to challenge myself with some long distance cycling, so I signed up for the 45-mile course.

The Austin LiveStrong Challenge had a 5K race on Saturday, and various cycling distances on Sunday (10, 25, 45, 65, and 90 miles). There was also an Expo both Friday and Saturday where not only could you pick up your race packet, you could also visit the LAF mission booth, get information on cancer prevention, register to win prizes, get samples from various vendors, and purchase merchandise (clothing, shoes, cycling gear, etc.).

Since I am in the middle of training a group of runners for a marathon (and I actually do all the runs with my group), I really did not have time to train for a “long” cycling event, so I figured 45 miles was a good start. I knew the course was going to be fairly challenging as it was set in what is known locally as “the hill country,” so doing anything longer than 45 miles was not an option for me this season. That area is also prone to being quite windy, so the hills were not going to be the only challenge. We also had to ride over A LOT of cattle guards, and some of the roads were also quite bumpy, which can really wreak havoc on your upper body if you are not careful.

To get prepared, I had been taking a couple of spin classes each week, and tried to get in a “long” bike ride once on the weekends, but the last couple of months, that was just not possible due to my schedule. Luckily for me, all the run and core workouts we’ve been doing have kept me in pretty decent shape. By the end of the ride yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised that my legs were not sore at all, and even more importantly, I did not get “saddle sore.”

It was such a fun experience; very different from any other race I have ever done. All the volunteers were great, and it just felt so good to be a part of an event that is making a difference in so many people’s lives. If you have the opportunity to participate in this event in 2010, I highly recommend it. Visit here for more information.

October is Vegetarian Awareness Month

2009-10-19T07:21:00.000-05:00

October 1 was World Vegetarian Day, and serves as the annual kick-off for Vegetarian Awareness Month. The purpose is to bring attention to the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, not only for our own health, but also for the health of our planet earth (and of course the animals!).

According to the position statement of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) published in July 2009, appropriately planned vegetarian and vegan diets are nutritionally adequate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, adolescence, and even for athletes. Note that the ADA defines a vegetarian diet as one that “does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods.”

What are the health benefits of a vegetarian diet? Based on the ADA’s review of evidence-based studies, a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. People who follow a vegetarian diet also appear to have lower blood pressure, lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (LDL, or commonly referred to as the “bad” cholesterol), and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than non-vegetarians. Vegetarians also tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. The reasons why a vegetarian diet may reduce risk of chronic disease are that these diets contain lower amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, and fiber.

I think lowering our risk of contracting heart disease, diabetes, and cancer ought to be reason enough to go vegetarian, but if that is not enough to motivate you, what about climate change? A lot of studies have found that eating meat produces more carbon emissions that driving our cars. For the average consumer, their diet has a bigger impact on global warming than the amount of time they drive their cars. The International Vegetarian Union has many good references on their website if you are interested in this particular topic.

And if that doesn’t motivate you, what about the inhumane treatment of so many farm animals, as well as farm workers? If you have not seen Food, Inc., I highly encourage you to. It is still playing in select theaters around the country. You can also purchase the book.

Some other interesting tidbits regarding vegetarianism, and notable people from history who were vegetarians can be found at TreeHugger.com . At the top of the list is Gandhi; his birthday was October 2, so I find it quite fitting that October was chosen as the month for Vegetarian Awareness! He once said "I do feel that spiritual progress does demand at some stage that we should cease to kill our fellow creatures for the satisfaction of our bodily wants." Nice quote. Some other notable vegetarians from the past include Plato, Da Vinci, Tolstoy, and Albert Einstein! It is said that Albert Einstein did not become a vegetarian until late in life. I find it quite interesting that Einstein, who is believed my many to be one of the greatest minds to have ever lived, is quoted as saying "nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as the evolution to a vegetarian diet."

For ideas on how to celebrate Vegetarian Awareness Month, visit http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/.

What is a Health Fitness Specialist?

2009-10-12T07:39:00.000-05:00

My apologies for not blogging for a couple of weeks. . . I was cramming for a certification exam! Reminded me of my old college days and final exams; glad I don’t have to do that too often!

What is the certification I was testing for? The Health Fitness Specialist (HFS) certification through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). So what is an HFS? It is an advanced personal trainer certification for people who have (at a minimum) an associate’s degree is some type of health related field (such as kinesiology, physiology, physical therapy, nutrition, etc.) and are also CPR/AED certified. The requirements will change to a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in one of these fields in 2011. I chose ACSM specifically because they have been certifying fitness professionals longer than anyone else, and they set the standard for exercise guidelines that other organizations use for their certifications.

People who have the ACSM’s HFS certification are qualified to:

Conduct risk stratification.
Conduct physical fitness assessments and interpret results.
Construct appropriate exercise prescriptions for healthy adults and individuals with controlled conditions released for independent physical activity.
Motivate apparently healthy individuals with medically controlled diseases to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyle behaviors.
Motivate individuals to begin and continue with their healthy behaviors.

A lot of you know I am already an assistant coach for a marathon training group (and have been for a few years), and that I have a lot of personal experience with doing a variety of training (weight lifting, swimming, cycling, etc.), so why would I want to pursue this certification? The main reason is to improve my skill set.

As a registered and licensed dietitian, I am required to get a certain amount of continuing education annually to ensure that I stay on top of new research and methods that may help me help my clients. I am one of those people who usually get WAY more continuing education units than are required because I want to be the best at what I do.

For that same reason, as I have begun to work with more and more athletes, and as I have personally attempted more (and different!) types of athletic events, I want to learn and experience as much as I can in order to improve my ability to help my clients achieve their nutrition and fitness goals.

For more information on the ACSM and HFS, visit their website.

September is Organic Harvest Month™

2009-09-25T13:50:00.000-05:00

As I said before, there are a lot of things going on in September! This week I want to highlight “Organic Harvest Month™.” It is sponsored by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) with the goal of bringing attention to the benefits of North American organic agriculture and to encourage consumers to choose organic products.

So what does organic mean? According to the USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) definition, April 1995:

“Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.
“‘Organic’ is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole.
“Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water.
“Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people.”

In a nutshell, organic farmers make use of cover crops, green manures, animal manures and crop rotations to fertilize and maintain long-term soil health; rotational grazing and mixed forage pastures for livestock and alternative health care for the animals to avoid the use of hormones and antibiotics; renewable resources, soil and water conservation; and eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. For more information on going organic, visit the USDA’s website.

Some ways to celebrate Organic Harvest Month™ include buying organic foods and other merchandise (of course!) such as clothing, bath oils, wines, etc. Several manufacturers of organic products are also running promotions. For example, you can go to Stony Field Farm’s website and download a “Going Greener Guidebook” that includes information on buying groceries, food safety, recycling, the “earth-friendly diet,” etc. You can also register to win a SunRidge Farms gift basket from Woman’s Day that includes items such as organic dark chocolate almonds and organic yogurt pretzels (yum!). For other events visit the Organic Trade Association’s webpage.

September is also Whole Grains Month

2009-09-16T11:43:00.000-05:00

Last week I wrote about National Cholesterol Education Month; this week I want to mention Whole Grains Month, which also complements last week’s blog quite nicely! I’m sure many of you are aware that whole grains can help lower cholesterol, but did you know that whole grains also have many other health benefits? The majority of studies have been done on heart disease, diabetes, and weight management. These studies have shown that consuming 1 to 3 servings of whole grains daily reduces your risk of heart disease by 25-28%, type 2 diabetes by 21-30%, stroke by 30 -36%, and supports better weight management. Some more recent studies have also shown less gum disease and tooth loss, healthier blood pressure levels, healthier carotid arteries, reduced risk of colorectal cancer, reduced risk of asthma, and reduced risk of inflammatory diseases. That should make you want to go eat some whole grains!

So you may be wondering, “what exactly is a whole grain?” According to the Whole Grains Council, “Whole grains or foods made from them contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed. If the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver approximately the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed.” Some of the most common types of grains that can be found in their “whole” form include amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, rye, sorghum, teff, triticale, wheat (including varieties such as spelt, Kamut, emmer, durum, wheat berries, etc.), and wild rice.

With such a variety of health benefits, it makes sense that we should all try to incorporate whole grains into our daily diet. If you are not used to eating whole grains, start with just 1 serving daily. The high fiber content in whole grains could cause digestive upset if you increase your servings too rapidly. Make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids daily when consuming whole grains (i.e. at least 8 cups of water). Eventually, try to eat at least 3 servings daily. The following examples represent one serving: 1 slice of 100% whole grain bread, 1/3 to ½ cup of whole grain pasta, 1/3 - ½ cup cooked whole grain (e.g. amaranth, barley, oats, rice, etc. Note that these can be made as a “cereal” or as a side dish – think rice).

To celebrate, the Whole Grains Council is having an “I love my whole grains” contest. What you do is upload a picture of your favorite whole grain food and you could win a week’s worth of meals prepared by one of their chefs! They will actually prepare enough meals for up to 4 people. Sounds like a good deal to me! They are also giving away 47 other “smaller” prizes.

In addition, the Whole Grains Council is posting daily videos on different whole grains, including how to cook them. For more information (or to enter the contest) click here.

National Cholesterol Education Month, and Apple Month !

2009-09-09T08:26:00.000-05:00

September has a lot of holidays/observances, such as National Cholesterol Education Month, National Mushroom Month, Apple Month, Fruits and Veggies – More Matters Month, and many more. Of course there was Labor Day, and for those of us in Austin, Texas, the Austin Triathlon was being held on Labor Day. Congrats to all of you triathletes who did that event! I wish I could have been out there with you, but alas, I have not had time to train properly for the swim portion so I was on the sidelines cheering and taking photos. Maybe next season.

Anyway, since there are so many great observances this month, I’d like to try and talk a little bit each week about some of them. This week I want to draw attention to it being Apple Month as well as National Cholesterol Education Month. Many of you have likely had a “lipid panel” done, which is where your doctor has a laboratory check your blood levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. Some labs even check VLDL cholesterol and the particle sizes of each specific type of cholesterol (but that is a bit more advanced, and not in the typical lipid panel drawn for the average person).

To make sure everyone is clear on what these lipids are, let me give you a brief explanation. HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein, and is the type commonly referred to as the “good” cholesterol (or you can think “H for healthy”). It helps remove excess cholesterol and fat from your blood stream. It is usually recommended that this number be higher than 40 for men and 50 for women. LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein, and is commonly referred to as the “bad” cholesterol (or you can think “L for lousy”). This is the type that is commonly associated with contributing to the formation of plaques that can clog your blood vessels. For the average person it is recommended that this number be below 100. Total cholesterol is just the sum of the various cholesterol particles, and it is recommended that this number be below 200.

Triglycerides are a type of fat used for energy that also can flow through the blood and may contribute to clogged vessels as well. It is generally recommended that triglycerides be below 150. While not actually a type of cholesterol, it is usually checked at the same time as cholesterol levels.

A high intake of saturated and trans fat has been associated with high levels of LDL and triglycerides; excess alcohol and smoking are also contributors. In addition, a high consumption of simple sugars or refined carbohydrates is known to increase triglycerides.

So what lowers the bad stuff? Eating fiber and exercising (as well as avoiding/limiting the things that increase them such as smoking, alcohol, trans fat, and saturated fat). Of course, genetics also play a role; some people may not be able to maintain healthy levels of these various types of lipids through diet and exercise alone.

So where do apples fall into the picture? Apples actually have quite a bit of fiber as well as other nutrients that act as antioxidants and can help lower our risk of heart disease. In fact, there is some research that indicates that eating apples and drinking apple juice may help reduce the damage LDL causes to blood vessels by slowing down the rate of oxidation that is involved in the build up of plaque. In a study done by researchers and the University of California-Davis, this benefit was seen by study participants adding either 2 apples or 12 ounces of apple juice to their daily diet. (Source: Journal of Medicinal Food, 2000, 3: 159-165).

In addition, according to a review of 10 other studies conducted in the United States and Europe between 1977 and 1993 that analyzed the amount of fiber in the diets of 91,058 men and 245,186 women over a 6 to 10 year period, researchers concluded that for every 10 grams of fiber consumed daily, the risk of developing heart disease decreased by 14%, and the risk of dying from heart disease decreased by 27%. They also found that fiber from fruit may actually be even more protective than fiber from grains, lowering the risk of developing heart disease by 16% (versus 10% for grains) and lowering the risk of dying from coronary disease by 30% (versus 25% for grains). (Source: Arch Int Med, vol. 164, no. 4, Feb. 23, 2004; pp 370-376).

So, since apples are currently in season, and they are great for you heart, now is the time to go out and load up on apples!

Healthy Weight Loss for Women

2009-08-24T07:11:00.000-05:00

A lot of people tune in to “The Biggest Loser” and think “why can’t I do that?” or “I want to be on that show!” Other people may be somewhat turned off by the extreme measures that are taken on that show. One thing is for sure, there are many people that are looking for help with weight loss.

There are lots of “weight loss camps” across the country that are targeted to various demographic groups: adults, teenagers, children, women only, etc. Many people find they are able to lose a significant amount of weight when they are in a controlled environment. The problem some people find is that when they are back home, it is difficult to follow the same guidelines as they did when they were at camp.

Green Mountain at Fox Run is a women’s only program that uses a non-diet approach to weight loss and fitness. It has a “retreat” atmosphere, and is located on 26 acres in the Green Mountains of Vermont, overlooking Okemo Mountain. Their weight loss program is spread out over four weeks, with each week building on the previous week’s instruction. Topics include nutrition, behavior change, and fitness. The meals provided in the dining hall cater to many different needs, such as food allergies, heart health, and blood sugar control. When participants leave the retreat, they have learned how to make healthy food choices, as well as have a fitness plan that will fit into their lives. Participants also receive ongoing support via a private discussion board.

One of the great things about Green Mountain is that in addition to weight loss programs in general, they also offer programs specifically for women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and Type 2 Diabetes.

The PCOS program is either 1 or 2 weeks, with the next one coming up in November. Women with PCOS who are overweight often have a much harder time losing weight than the average person because of the hormonal imbalances they are suffering from. This retreat is a great opportunity to get support from other women who are going through the same issues. It also gives women with PCOS the opportunity to fully understand their diagnosis and attend workshops on topics specifically related to PCOS issues.

The Type 2 Diabetes program is one week (the next one is in September). One of the benefits of this program is getting to meet with a board certified endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes. People who attend this program also get more guidance and support to help them put what they learn about controlling diabetes into action.

For more information, check out their website: Green Mountain at Fox Run

Organic vs Conventional: Which is better?

2009-08-14T12:29:00.000-05:00

The debate over whether organic food is more “nutritious” than conventional food rages on. Some of you may have seen some media reports on a recent study out of the UK that appears in the September 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. This report is a review of 55 studies published between January 1958 and February 2008. These studies looked at levels of 13 nutrients such as vitamin C, phenolic compounds, magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper, and total soluble solids. These nutrients are vitamins, minerals, and some antioxidants (for example, vitamin C and phenolic compounds are antioxidants).

Why is it important to look at the content of these nutrients in our foods? Because vitamins and minerals support our health in a variety of ways; they are needed for healthy eyes and skin, strong bones, muscle and nerve function, etc. Some vitamins and other substances also act as antioxidants. Antioxidants can prevent or slow down oxidative damage that occurs to our bodies, hence lowering our risk for developing many health problems such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.

The researchers conducting this review did not find significant differences between conventional produce and organic produce regarding most of these nutrients. They did find that conventional produce had higher levels of nitrogen (likely due to the use of synthetic fertilizers), and organic produce had higher levels of phosphorus and acidity. This in itself is significant because foods high in nitrogen have the potential to turn into cancer causing nitrosamines in the digestive tract, which indicates organic foods are safer in this regard. Higher levels of phosphorus and acidity are protective (phosphorus being a key mineral in bone health, metabolism, as well as nerve and muscle function; acidity aiding in the absorption of various nutrients), also indicating organic foods are a better choice. However, you will notice that you will not see that conclusion reported.

Another thing they fail to emphasize is that this report admits that they did not analyze chemical residue or contaminants. These researchers actually state that herbicides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers may also affect the chemical content of foods and that in this regard, organic foods likely have an advantage over conventional foods because they do not use these synthetic substances. In addition, because this study looks at conventional farming from over 50 years ago, the results are likely skewed as well because conventional farms in the 1950s were a lot closer to organic farms than they are in this day and age.

This particular review also failed to look at total antioxidant capacity among the nutrients studied. The Organic Center (TOC) conducted a review of these same studies. They found similar results as the UK review for most of those particular nutrients, but they did had very different results regarding phenolic compounds. In addition, the TOC also looked at antioxidant capacity.

In looking at phenolic compounds, the TOC used more rigorous selection criteria and focused on studies that had scientifically valid “matched pairs,” meaning organic and conventional farms that were grown in the same regions, on the same types of soil, using the same types of irrigation systems, harvested at the same time, and grown from the same plant variety were compared (which is why they had different results). Using these criteria, they were able to find 25 matched pairs for comparing phenolic compounds. Of these 25, 18 of the organic crops had higher phenolic compounds while only 6 of the conventional crops had higher phenolic compounds.

Regarding antioxidant capacity, there were 8 matched pairs; seven of the organic crops were higher than the conventional crops. There were also 15 matched pairs for specific antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. Once again a majority the organic crops were higher than the conventional crops.

On average, across all the valid matched pairs, the nutrient levels in organic foods were 25% higher than conventional foods. In addition, the most significant differences were for key antioxidants that average Americans do not consume enough of. This is like saying by eating these organic foods, you are getting the benefit of eating an additional serving of fruits and vegetables daily.

Based on the UK report’s overall conclusion, most of the media outlets are inaccurately reporting that organic food is not any more nutritious than conventional food. This is a clear example of how often media reports will take parts of research and sensationalize it, giving consumers faulty information.

Even if organic foods were not higher in many nutrients than conventional foods, they are definitely lower in pesticide reside, which in itself is a health benefit. Organic farming methods are also more sustainable and therefore better for the environment. Having said that, there are a number of other studies that have come out in the past year (post February 2008, which was the end of the studies reviewed in the UK report) that do show organic foods are higher in many nutrients than conventional foods.

So if you are trying to decide if organic foods are really worth it, I say yes! They are “safer” when it comes to chemical contaminants, better for the environment, and higher in some key nutrients that are extremely beneficial for your health.

August is Water Quality Month

2009-08-07T14:33:00.001-05:00

August is full of unusual “holidays,” including National Catfish Month, National Picnic Month, Peach Month, Water Quality Month, Family Fun Month, and Admit Your Happy Month! Because many of us are suffering from an unusually hot summer, this week I want to focus on Water Quality Month.

While there are many beverages that can quench our thirst, and there are times when we benefit from beverages such as juices, sports drinks, milk, etc. (such as after a hard workout), as well as times when we just want something with flavor to drink, our bodies still need some plain water to help flush out waste products that are formed throughout the day.

I often get asked “How much water should I drink?” The answer is “it depends.” On days that you exercise, you will need to drink more water depending on how much you sweat (see my earlier blog on “Do You Know Your Sweat Rate?”). A good rule of thumb, in general, is to drink until your urine is almost clear (like the color of lemonade as opposed to the color of apple juice).

The next question I usually get asked is “Should I drink bottled water or is tap o.k.?” Now this depends on where your water comes from. The safety and flavor of water will vary from source to source due to different levels of contaminants and naturally occurring minerals (such as calcium, iron, etc, in “hard” water) and whether your water comes from a private well or a public water supplier. If you get your water from a public water company, you can access its water-quality or consumer-confidence report from the local water utility. You can also get more information by calling the EPA's toll-free Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791, or visit their website. The website Campaign for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water also has fact sheets to help you understand these reports.

If your water comes from a private well, you can have it tested. Call your local health department for recommendations or visit the EPA’s website for a listing of certification officers.

Even if your water is safe, many people just don’t like the taste of tap water. You can always filter it to eliminate those “unsavory” flavors, as well as eliminate some potential contaminants. You can either purchase a pitcher that has a filter on it, attach a filter to your faucet, have one mounted under your sink, or even have one that filters water as it comes to your home. If you choose to purchase a filter, make sure it is approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL), or the Water Quality Association.

If you turn to bottled water for safety, keep in mind that bottled water is often just filtered tap water, so it may not be any “safer,” particularly because in the process of bottling water, there is now another source of potential contamination if good manufacturing processes are not followed. Purchasing bottled water also has a huge toll on the environment. According to the Earth Policy Institute, it takes about 17 million barrels of oil to produce the amount of bottles needed to meet the United State’s demand for bottled water. That’s enough fuel to run over a million cars for a year. There is also the question of how safe those plastic bottles holding water really are. If you absolutely have to buy bottled water, look for the brands that have the NSF certification.

What about carrying water around? Try to store your water in metal canteens or glass. If you have to use plastic, avoid bottles made with BPA, and make sure you don’t leave water sitting in plastic bottles at high temperatures, such as in your car in 105-degree heat! High temperatures may cause “leaching” of chemicals in the plastic into your water.

Replacing Glycogen After Exercise

2009-07-31T12:29:00.000-05:00

Many athletes have questions about recovery nutrition, and whether or not there is truly a “window” of opportunity to replace glycogen after a workout. The short answer is “yes” there is a definite window when you are best able to replace your body’s depleted glycogen stores. However, there are actually several phases when you can replace your glycogen. Before we get into these phases, some of you may be wondering “what is glycogen?”

Glycogen is the storage form of glucose (and glucose comes primarily from the breakdown of carbohydrates). The liver can store some glycogen, but the majority of our glycogen stores are in our muscles. Every type of workout will use some amount of muscle glycogen, therefore carbohydrate is the nutrient you need to focus on for recovery.

There is a 30 – 60 minute window immediately after hard exercise (lasting an hour or longer) when your muscle glycogen stores are very low and will readily absorb carbohydrate and resynthesize glycogen most rapidly. However, the rate at which your body will resynthesize glycogen remains fairly high for 2 hours after exercise, and is still slightly elevated up to 6 hours after exercise. After 6 hours, glycogen resynthesis slows down dramatically.

How important it is for you to take advantage of the “rapid window” depends on your training schedule. If you are training only once every 24 hours, it is not quite as important for you to eat in this window; you can basically replace your glycogen stores more slowly over the rest of the day. However, if you are going to be training again in 12, 8 or even 4 hours, it is extremely important that you refuel in this rapid window. In this situation, after a hard training session ideally you would consume 0.5 to 0.7 grams of carbohydrate per pound of your body weight in that 30 – 60 minute window. You would consume this same amount of carbohydrate again 2 hours later. The rest of the day you would consume snacks and meals with some carbohydrate depending on your training schedule and total carbohydrate needs.

So what are the best types of carbohydrates to consume to replenish your glycogen stores? Studies have shown that both liquid and solid carbohydrate will adequately refuel the body after exercise. It is possible that higher glycemic index (GI) foods (such as sports nutrition supplements, breads, and cereals) may enhance glycogen synthesis. If you are taking advantage of the rapid window (30 – 60 minutes), you may choose to use high GI foods at that time, and for the rest of the day use a mix of moderate and low GI foods.

Many people have experienced the symptoms of glycogen depletion in a single training session or competition if they have not eaten enough carbohydrate and have “burned” up all of their stores due to the duration of the event (often known as “bonking” or “hitting the wall”). It is possible that many more people have experienced the symptoms of glycogen depletion over a longer period of time without even realizing it. If you consistently under eat carbohydrate and you are doing endurance training, over about one week’s time, you will likely start to feel sluggish, have a “heavy” feeling in your legs, have difficulty increasing your effort (particularly during interval training), and may even have difficulty maintaining your normal intensity and duration of exercise. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is very likely that your glycogen stores are not being replenished adequately due to chronic under consumption of carbohydrate. So, eat more carbs!

Healthy Fish, Healthy Body, Healthy Ocean

2009-07-15T07:06:00.000-05:00

We’ve all heard how important it is to include fish in our diet to improve our overall health. However, most of us have also heard we need to be cautious about eating fish because of possible contamination with mercury, PCBs, and other toxins. Throw in ecological “devastation” and it can make choosing to eat fish a daunting task! So what are we to do?

To minimize your risk of consuming fish that have been contaminated with mercury or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), avoid large fish. Large fish are “longer lived” which is one reason they have higher levels of mercury and PCBs. This would include shark, tilefish, king mackerel, swordfish, and bluefin tuna. Some smaller fish, such as grouper, may also have high levels of toxins.

As far as the health benefits of fish, a major reason why fish is so good for us is because in general it is low in saturated fat (the “bad” fat), and is usually a good source of omega 3 fatty acids (one of the “good” fats). Omega 3 has gotten a lot of press for its anti-inflammatory properties, its ability to lower triglycerides, its anti-clotting factors, as well as a host of other potential benefits. The types of omega 3 fatty acids from “marine” sources tend to be the most readily used by the human body. The type of omega 3 from land plant sources is not as readily used (our bodies have to convert it to the other types before it is efficiently used). Therefore, seafood omega 3 is the most highly recommended.

If you enjoy seafood and want to get the most health benefit out of it, while minimizing your impact on the ocean, develop a relationship with the person selling you fish! This person should be able to answer any questions you have about the fish (where it comes from, if it is farm raised what it is fed, if it is “overfished,” etc.).

Wild fish are usually a safe option. The Marine Stewardship council puts its blue and white logo on fish coming from fisheries that minimize the impact on the environment, keep populations within sustainable levels, and meet all laws of sustainability (local, national, and international). Shopping from fisheries that are certified will minimize your chances of consuming wild fish that have high levels of PCBs. Some examples of “safe” wild seafood include Alaskan salmon, US North Pacific sablefish, and Oregon pink shrimp.

Farmed fish may also be a good option if coming from well-regulated farms. Some examples of good choices include domestic barramundi, rainbow trout, oysters and mussels.

Some domestic shrimp farms are classified as livestock farms and therefore have been able to obtain USDA organic certification. However, the USDA does not offer organic certification for other types of seafood that are classified as aquaculture farms. Keep in mind that you may see an “organic” label on fish that comes from international producers.

To summarize, the following fish are good for you and for the ocean: anchovies, Atlantic mackerel, farmed rainbow trout, farmed oysters, Alaskan or Canadian sablefish, wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, and US farmed shrimp.

Do You Know Your Sweat Rate?

2009-07-07T12:13:00.000-05:00

Now that we are smack dab in the middle of summer, there is no escaping the heat. For those of you who are exercising outdoors, it is extremely important that you stay well hydrated. Why does this matter? Because becoming dehydrated can have significant negative impacts on your performance. It can also lead to painful cramps, fainting, and heat exhaustion.

A general rule of thumb is to make sure that your urine is very pale yellow (almost clear) through out the day. However, note that if you are taking a high dose of B vitamins, the first few times you urinate after taking these vitamins your urine will likely be a very bright yellow. This does not mean you are dehydrated, it merely indicates that you are excreting “excess vitamins” that your body cannot use.

Many athletes will become dehydrated in competition because they often forget to drink enough fluids during their event. The longer the event, the higher the risk of becoming dehydrated. This can happen in training as well, particularly if the athlete has to carry their own fluids.

How do you avoid becoming dehydrated while training, as well as in competition? First of all, make sure you are well hydrated before you start exercising. This means just before you begin training or competition, your urine should be very pale yellow.

The next step is to hydrate according to your sweat rate. How do you know what your sweat rate is? There is a fairly easy way to calculate this. Pick a day when you can train for at least an hour in conditions similar to what you would normally be training in. Weigh yourself in the nude and record your weight. Proceed to run/cycle/swim, etc. for an hour or longer. Keep track of how much fluid you drank while you were working out. Try to avoid urinating immediately after your workout. After completing your workout, dry yourself off as much as possible then re-weigh yourself, again in the nude. Now subtract your post-workout weight from your pre-workout weight and add the weight of the fluids you drank. Divide this number by the amount of time you trained and you have your sweat rate. Remember that 16 ounces equals one pound.

Here is an example: Jack weighs 165 pounds prior to his workout. He then goes and runs for 1.5 hours, during which time he drank 16 ounces of water (or 1 pound). He gets home and weighs himself again. He is down to 163 pounds. His sweat rate is (165 – 163 ) + 1 divided by 1.5 hours or 2 pounds per hour.

This means Jack needs to drink 32 ounces of fluid per hour when he is working out. If he does not, he is going to have to make sure he replaces this much fluid as soon as possible afterward.

If you regularly compete in completely different conditions than you train in, it is helpful to try to mimic those conditions at least once for the purposes of calculating your sweat rate to guide your hydration needs for competition.

Do You Know Where Your Food Comes From ?

2009-07-01T12:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can’t believe it is already July! Where did the month of June go? This weekend we will be celebrating our nation’s Independence. For a lot of people, that means days off from work, cook outs, going to the lake or beach, and generally spending time with family and friends. I hope we can all take some time out of our festivities to remember those who have paid the price (and are still paying the price) for the freedoms we enjoy.

As Americans, we enjoy many advantages that a lot of people around the world do not. One of these “advantages” is an abundant food supply. However, as with all things, sometimes too much of a “good thing” can be bad.

Our nation has really gotten away from the traditional small farm model; most of our food is now supplied by giant industrial food companies such as Monsanto. Because of this, a lot of us no longer know anything about our food: how it is grown, how it is harvested, and if you are a meat eater, what the animals you are eating are fed, how they are housed, how they are slaughtered, etc. This lack of knowledge can create huge problems, particularly when outbreaks of food borne illness (or food poisoning) occur. The larger the supply chain, the harder it is to figure out who caused the contamination.

When you buy locally, you know who your farmer is. By knowing your farmer, you can very often “tour” the farm and see for yourself how the food is produced, harvested, and brought to market. This knowledge can really put your mind at ease because you know firsthand who is handling your food. An added benefit of buying locally is that your food stays fresh longer, without unnecessary preservatives. When you buy locally, often produce will last for 2 weeks or longer; when you buy it in the grocery store, it has already been “traveling” for many days (or weeks) as it is being processed, which is why it will often go bad in your refrigerator within a few days.

If you are on the fence about buying food locally, I would encourage you to do some research on your own. There is a great movie that has just been release nationwide called “Food Inc.” This movie is all about our nation’s food supply, including the effects on farmers, consumers, and the environment. For more information on this movie, and to see if it is showing near you, check out http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

June is National Dairy Month

2009-06-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Belated Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there! I hope you all had a good weekend, and that this week finds you in good health.

I mentioned in my first June blog that there are a lot of things going on this month (Fruits and Vegetables Month, Men’s Health Month, etc.); well, it is also National Dairy Month.

Over the years there has been a lot of controversy over dairy products and whether they are truly healthy for you or not. My answer is “it depends.” Since I have deepened my knowledge of immunology, I now know that each person has his or her own unique immune response to food. For that reason, I cannot say across the board that Dairy is good or bad for you. For the person who’s immune system does not react negatively to dairy (i.e. does not produce/cause excess mucous, hives, joint pain, diarrhea, etc.), then dairy can be healthy.

Milk, whether from cows or goats, is a naturally good source of carbohydrate (from the milk sugar lactose); protein; the minerals calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc; the B Vitamins riboflavin and B12, and varying amounts of fat (depending on if you choose skim, 1%, 2%, etc.) Milk also naturally contains smaller amounts of iron, vitamin E and other B vitamins. Most milk is fortified with the additional vitamins A & D, and some now contain omega 3 fatty acids.

Carbohydrate provides energy; protein provides the amino acids used as building blocks for muscle as well as hormones, enzymes, etc.; minerals help provide acid/base and fluid balance (which affects blood pressure, muscle function, etc.) as well as affect bone health; and the vitamins positively affect numerous systems in our body (metabolism, red blood cell integrity, eye health, skin health, etc.). Some studies have shown that dairy products may help with weight loss, but the exact reason is not known.

Yogurt has many of the same properties as milk, but has the added benefit of providing large amounts of probiotics, which have been shown to improve the health of the digestive tract, particularly in people suffering from diarrhea caused by bacteria, antibiotics, and viruses. There is currently a lot of research in the field of probiotics looking for other possible benefits. Preliminary findings indicate probiotics may enhance immunity, decrease risk of colon cancer, prevent some allergies, reduce symptoms of inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colits, and reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Cheese is different from yogurt and milk in that most (if not all) of the lactose is removed in the making of cheese. Therefore, often people who are lactose intolerant and avoid milk can tolerate cheese. Because most of the lactose has been removed, cheese is not a good source of carbohydrate (lactose is carbohydrate). However, cheese does contain all the other nutrients milk has, and in fact, at much higher levels. The reason why cheese is so concentrated in these other nutrients is because it takes about 10 pounds of milk to make 1 pound of cheese! This makes cheese a very good source of protein. The amount of fat will vary depending on the type of cheese. Another interesting fact is that eating a small amount of cheese immediately after a meal or in between meals as a snack has been shown to reduce tooth decay. The exact reason why is not known, but the high levels of calcium and phosphorus in cheese may play a role.

So to eat dairy or not is a highly individual decision. Pay attention to how you feel after consuming dairy products, and if you don’t feel an ill affects, then consider it a healthy choice for your body.

The other big question with dairy is organic versus conventional. According to the National Dairy Council, the only difference between organic and conventional is that organic farmers do not use rbST (a hormone) and use only organic fertilizers and pesticides. The National Dairy Council insists that as far as safety, quality, and nutrition, there is no difference. They state that according to the FDA, less than one tanker in 1000 tests positive for any animal drug residues, including antibiotics. In those instances when drug residue is detected, the product is destroyed and kept out of the food supply. Source: NationalDairyCouncil.org

Organic foods, in general, are produced with more “sustainable” methods than conventional farming, which means that it is better for the planet. As far as taste, that is subjective. Health wise, both should be providing equitable amounts of the various nutrients. When making the decision whether to go organic or conventional, you need to weigh what is important to you and what you can afford.

June is Men’s Health Month

2009-06-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

The week leading up to (and including) Father’s Day is also National Men’s Health Week. Congressman Bill Richardson has been quoted on the house floor as saying "Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men's health is truly a family issue." Unfortunately, men are notorious for not wanting to go to the doctor or get health assessments. The purpose of Men's Health Week is to increase awareness of preventable health problems among men and boys and encourage early detection and treatment of disease. This is very important because research shows that over half of premature deaths in men are preventable.

So, what are some steps to take to prevent these “premature deaths?” The first is to establish a relationship with a primary care doctor if you don’t already have one. The best time to find a doctor is when you don’t need one! Don’t wait until you are already sick before you try to find a good doctor. Ask family, friends, and co-workers for recommendations. You can also call the American Board of Medical Specialties at 1-866-275-2267 or visit their website, www.abms.org to get information on various doctors.

By visiting your doctor when you are not sick, your doctor can get a good baseline which will allow him or her to know what is “normal” for you and more readily treat you if you should become sick. Remember, this is a “relationship,” meaning you are responsible for providing the doctor all the information you have about yourself that will help him or her to provide you with the best care they can. That means when you go to your appointments, be honest about any symptoms you are having, bring in a list of any medications or supplements you are taking, know what your family medical history is and provide it, and ask any questions you may have. There is a great self assessment form you can download free and use to write down information that is useful for doctors’ appointments at www.healthselfassessment.com . Most doctors appreciate patients who are active participants in their own health care. If you feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you, find another one.

Some other general steps you can take to stay healthy are:
1. Eat a healthy diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein sources that are low in saturated fats, drink plenty of water, and limit alcohol to 2 drinks daily.
2. Include 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 times per week.
3. Use sunscreen when you are outdoors.
4. Know your family history.
5. See your doctor regularly.
6. Don’t smoke.
7. If you are over 40, get a baseline PSA (prostate specific antigen) test and monitor periodically.
8. Manage your stress.

For additional tips on men’s health, there is a great booklet that can be downloaded for free at http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/blueprint.

What is a CSA and why should I join?

2009-06-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

There are lots of things going on in the month of June, so you’ll want to be sure to check out each of our weekly blogs this month to get the scoop! Since one of the things June is known for is “Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Month,” I want to highlight the benefits of joining a CSA.

What is a CSA? It stands for “community supported agriculture.” This is a way for consumers to purchase local, seasonal produce directly from a farmer. In general, the way it works is a farmer sells a certain number of “shares” to the public for a certain price. The share is usually a “box” that contains primarily produce, but may contain other food items as well (such as farm fresh eggs, cheese, etc.). Consumers who purchase a “share” receive this box of food each week (or however often they signed up to receive one) during the farming season. Depending on what part of the country you live in, it could be year round (with a couple of weeks of “break” once or twice a year), or it could be primarily in the spring and summer months. Here in central Texas, we are lucky to have CSAs that produce virtually year round.

Some CSAs are set up to where consumers can come and volunteer on the farm and then pick up their box. Others allow consumers to pick up their box at a specific location, such as a Farmer’s Market. Another concept slightly different from a traditional CSA is the “Farm to Work” program. This is a program where companies partner with local farmers and offer “shares” to their employees. The employees pay for their share and pick up their box at a designated time and location at their job site. This is an extremely convenient way to participate in a CSA. This benefits the company by giving their employees convenient access to healthy food, thereby increasing employees’ overall health and well being, which leads to a happier, more productive work force.

There are many advantages to participating in a CSA for both the consumer and the farmer. Benefits to the farmer include getting paid early for their crop, without having to lose profits to a “middle man,” and getting to know their customers. Benefits to consumers include much fresher and tastier produce, exposure to new vegetables and ways of cooking, knowing exactly where their food comes from, learning how their food is grown (often by getting to visit the farm), and getting produce that is grown by sustainable and organic methods (even if the farmer cannot afford to get the actual USDA “Organic” certification).

Some people may wonder why it is important to know how your food is produced and where it comes from. One big reason is safety; think of all the reports we’ve had over the past year of different food items being “recalled” due to contamination (tomatoes, peanuts, pistachios, etc.). If you know where (and how) your food was produced, it is much easier to track contamination if it happens.

To find a CSA in your area, go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

Interested in starting a Farm to Work program at your place of employment? Check out https://sustainablefoodcenter.org/farmtowork/

So You Want to Start a Fitness Program?

2009-05-27T13:05:00.000-05:00

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, and the “unofficial start to summer” has begun, I can’t let May pass without bringing some attention to it being National Fitness and Sports Medicine Month. If you are not already being physically active, now is a great time to start.

There have been many population based observational studies, as well as laboratory-based studies, involving tens of thousands of people showing that regular physical activity and/or exercise has a variety of benefits. Some of these include improving cardiovascular and respiratory function, reducing coronary artery disease, decreasing the development of diabetes, decreasing anxiety and depression, enhancing feelings of well being, etc. Since it is also National High Blood Pressure Month, why not celebrate it by starting a fitness program to help keep your blood pressure at a normal level?

If you have not been performing regular physical activity or exercise, you may be wondering if it is safe to do so. In general, if you are a person with normal cardiovascular health, exercise should not increase your risk of heart attack. However, keep in mind that your risk does increase with age.

It is a good idea to follow the recommendation of the most recent Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996), which says “Experts advise previously sedentary people embarking on a physical activity program to start with short durations of moderate-intensity activity and gradually increase the duration or intensity until the goal is reached.” In addition, it also says “Experts advise consulting with a physician before beginning a new physical activity program for people with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus, or for those who are at high risk for these diseases. Experts also advise men over age 40 and women over age 50 to consult a physician before they begin a vigorous activity program.”

So what kind of physical activity or exercise should you be doing, and how much? For overall health, most people should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity “aerobic” type physical activity or exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or bicycling on most days of the week. Aerobic exercises (also known as “cardio”) strengthen your cardiovascular system and improve your respiratory health. These types of exercise lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure and improve your lung capacity.

Ideally, one would also include some type of strength training at least twice a week as well. This includes exercises such as push-ups, dips, pull-ups, squats, lunges, weight lifting, using bands, etc. These types of exercise improve your bone health, as well as your muscular strength. Strength training can often help improve balance, which in turn lowers the risks for falls. This is particularly important for those at risk of osteoporosis, and for the elderly.

So what are you waiting for? Go for swim, ride your bike, play on a jungle gym, or try inline skating. Get out there and walk or run with your friends, your family, and your pets! There are a myriad of ways to get (and stay) active, just use your imagination.

Summer Outdoor Cooking Tips

2009-05-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day is quickly approaching, and with it, the summer season of outdoor grilling and picnics. It can be tempting to let your healthy eating habits fall by the way side at parties, but if they are going to be a frequent occurrence, you want to make sure that you still have healthy options available. Another thing to keep in mind about summer eating is that historically, food poisoning peaks in the summer time. To avoid food poisoning and keep your outdoor picnics healthy, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Clean: Make sure that you and your guests wash your hands before preparing or handling food, and that all surfaces that will come in contact with food are clean as well. The rule of thumb for safe hand washing is to use soap and warm water and rub your hand for 20 seconds prior to rinsing. Always wash your hands before and after handling food. Any surface that comes into contact with raw or cooked food should also be cleaned with warm soap and water.

Separate: Always separate raw meats and poultry from fruits, vegetables and cooked foods. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meats, vegetables, and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.

Cook at the right temperature: Use a food thermometer. Color alone is not a reliable indicator of when a food is done; often the outer surface of meat will brown quickly while the inside still has not reached a safe temperature to kill bacteria. Steaks, roasts and chops should be cooked to 145 °F, hamburgers to 160 °F, all poultry to 165 °F, fish to 145 °F, and fully cooked meats like hot dogs to 165 °F or until steaming hot.

When you take cooked meats off the grill, remember to place them on a clean plate or platter, NOT on the unwashed dish that held them when they were raw because the juices left on the plate from the raw meats can cross-contaminate cooked foods.

If you use a smoker, the temperature in the smoker should be maintained between 225 °F and 300 °F. Use your food thermometer to be sure the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature.

Be sure to “keep hot food hot.” This means using warming trays, chafing dishes, or slow cookers to keep hot food at a temperature of 140 °F.

Chill: Bacteria can start to grow on perishable food that has been sitting out too long; avoid having food sit out for more than 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 °F, perishable foods shouldn't sit out more than one hour. Make sure to “keep cold food cold.” This means cold food should be kept at 40 °F or below; you can use ice packs or ice sources underneath. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly and discard any food that has sat out too long.

Water: Pack water. Avoid buying a lot of soft drinks and other beverages with “empty calories.” Use juice boxes as an occasional treat for kids, but remember even the most healthful juices contribute excess calories. Freeze reusable water bottles (for a full-day outing) or partially freeze them (for a shorter outing chill just 1 hour or so in your freezer); place the bottles in a cooler or bag to help keep foods chilled.

Fruit: Pack fruit whole if you can to ease clean up later, or slice it up and put it in plastic containers that can double as serving dishes.

The menu: Consider foods that don't spoil quickly. Humus or peanut butter on bagels, veggie wraps, vinegar-based pasta salads, and breakfast items such as waffles or pancakes travel well and have a slightly longer “shelf life” than with a slightly longer life than deli meats, casseroles, and cheeses.

High-fiber snacks: Instead of “convenience” bags of crackers, chips, or snack foods, choose high-fiber foods in large bags/containers to portion into baggies or small containers. Look for 3 grams (g) fiber or more/serving for snack food items; the more fiber, the more filling (and in general, the healthier) the snack. Some foods that fall into this category are dried fruits, nuts, seeds, popcorn, and some types of pretzels.

Sweets and treats: Decide ahead of time your “policy” on sweets and treats. For example limit treats to one serving per day.

Questions? The USDA has a great resource available 24/7 to help you plan your summer cookout. It is called “Ask Karen,” which is a virtual representative. You can find “Ask Karen” at AskKaren.gov. You can also talk to food safety coaches by phone at the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854). Food safety experts staff the hotline Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. In addition, recorded messages are available 24 hours a day.

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month

2009-05-12T09:24:00.000-05:00

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation and the American Celiac Disease Alliance, May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month. It is estimated that approximately 1 out of 133 people in the United States have celiac, though many go undiagnosed.

What is Celiac? It is a genetic, chronic, autoimmune intestinal disorder. However, symptoms can vary and are not only gastrointestinal. In people who are genetically susceptible, specific proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley known as gluten damage the absorptive surface of the small intestine. The surface of the small intestine is covered with tiny finger-like projections called villi that are responsible for absorbing all nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins). In people with celiac, gluten can cause the villi to become inflamed and flattened, leading to malabsorption of these nutrients, which can in turn cause conditions such as anemia, osteoporosis, certain types of cancer, and can also increase the risk of developing other autoimmune disorders.

Celiac develops due to a combination of genetic, environmental, and immunological factors. It can occur at any age, including the elderly, and may be triggered by severe stress, a gastrointestinal or viral infection, surgery, or pregnancy.

Symptoms may include abdominal pain and bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, chronic fatigue and weakness, lactose intolerance, weight loss, bone/joint pain, easy bruising of the skin, migraine headaches, depression, mouth ulcers, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, infertility (in both men and women), recurrent miscarriages, and elevated liver enzymes. Celiac can also occur more frequently in people with other autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, Turner Syndrome, and Down Syndrome.

If you think you may have celiac, it is very important that you do not “self diagnose” and avoid gluten. If you avoid gluten and then have testing done to determine whether you have celiac, the test will give a negative result. It is imperative that persons suspected of having celiac consume gluten regularly prior to testing to ensure and accurate result. Blood tests used to detect celiac include endomysial antibody, tissue transglutaminase antibody, anti-gliadin antibody, and total serum IgA. Unfortunately, these tests are not 100% accurate. The only definitive test for celiac is a small intestinal biopsy. A genetic test is also available to identify markers that place a person at high or low risk of developing celiac. This test does not diagnose celiac, but it can rule it out.

Currently the only treatment for celiac is following a gluten free diet for life. Thankfully, that is getting easier to do as there are more and more products available to help ease the transition.

To raise awareness of celiac, there are many events being held nationwide, including a golf tournament in Connecticut and walks/runs in Texas, New York, Ohio, Minnesota, Florida, and Michigan. Uno Chicago Grill (found nationally) is also holding a “Dough Rai$er for Celiac Awareness” May 25 – 31. For those of you who may not know, Uno launched a gluten free menu this year and has gotten rave reviews.

For more information on events nationwide, visit http://americanceliac.org/

May is National Bike Month

2009-05-04T14:05:00.000-05:00

May is National Bike Month (along with National Fitness and Sports Medicine Month, Digestive Disease Awareness Month, and National High Blood pressure month).

Now that we are in late spring and quickly approaching summer, it is the ideal time to begin cycling, if you are not already. This is the time of year that people often begin to complain of the heat, specifically that it is “too hot to run.” I happen to like the heat, and I am also primarily a runner, although I do other sports as well, so I run year round. However, I can understand that some people do not acclimatize as well to heat and therefore are better off focusing on other types of sports or exercise to stay active during the warmer months. Cycling in the spring and summer is great because even when the temperature rises, you can stay fairly cool because you make your own wind!

You can go for long rides, short rides, and everything in between. And with everyone trying to cut corners and save money any way possible, riding a bike to work and/or to run errands is a great way to save money while at the same time getting some exercise.

If you plan to do long rides (2 hours or more), you can carry multiple bottles of water and “snacks” with you (on the bike) and on almost any route you will be able to coast at least at some point to take a break if you need to.

Most cities have bike shops that offer beginner classes on taking care of your bike, how to cycle safely, and often offer free group rides. There are also tons of bike races to take part in.

Here in Austin, Texas starting today (May 4, 2009), you can join the commuter bike challenge at http://www.austincommuterchallenge.com/ . This allows you to log your miles, plan routes, get cycling tips and routes from other users, etc. The city of Austin will also use data from this challenge to improve they city’s cycling infrastructure.

You may want to also note Friday, May 15 on your calendar; this is “Bike to Work Day.” In Austin from 7 to 9 a.m., the following locations will be providing free breakfast: Whole Foods Downtown, One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs RD), City Hall Plaza, Bike Texas (1902 E. 6th street), Mellow Johnny’s (4th and Nueces Streets), Wheatsville Coop (3101 Guadalupe St), Bicycle Sports Shop (517 S. Lamar Blvd), Freewheeling Bicycles (24th and San Gabriel streets), Orange Bike Project and Longhorn Po-boys (Speedway between Dean Keaton and 21st street), The Peddler and Texas Culinary Academy (119 E. North Loop Blvd), Shoal Creek Blvd at Far West right of way, Music City Cycles (6301 W. Parmer Lane, #504), and El Chilito (2219 Manor Rd).

Happy cycling!

My personal experience with MRT, part 2

2009-04-27T14:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I took you through my first 2 weeks of the LEAP Immunocalm Dietary Management Program (completion of phase 1, start of phase 2). Now I’m going to share with you my experience with the rest of the program.

Phases 2-5 are essentially the same; you are just adding 1 new food each day. The thing to remember is that even though the MRT is very accurate (remember it has a sensitivity of almost 96%, specificity of almost 92%, and split sample reproducibility of more than 90%), there is still a 4-10% chance that one of the foods you are adding back in during phases 2-5 could cause a reaction. Because food sensitivity reactions can be delayed up to 3 days, that means if you do have a reaction, you have to back track 3 days and eliminate all 3 of those new foods until you feel better.

Luckily for me, nothing I added back caused me any problems. One thing I did find now that I had greater variety, it took more work to be diligent about reading food labels to make sure they still did not contain any of my yellow or red reactive ingredients. Even though there were now a few processed “snacks” I could use, the majority of the time I still had to make all my own meals and snacks. Usually this isn’t a problem, but I have to admit, I really did miss being able to just grab a Cliff bar before my 4:30 a.m. workouts! I couldn’t do that anymore, as just about ALL brands of energy/protein bars had some type of reactive ingredient for me (usually soy or almonds). Eventually I did find a few brands I could use: “Think” bars, Dr. Weil’s bars, and Bumble Bee Bars. Note that with all 3 of these brands, I still have to label read because there are only 1 or 2 selections from each that I can have; the rest of the products in these lines still contain something I react to.

Once I had completed phase 5 it was time to make sure I was rotating my foods, which is phase 6. In this phase, you are supposed to follow a 3-day rotation diet. Once you are in this phase, depending on your symptoms you may start “trying” foods that may not have been included in the MRT. You may also start trying very low yellow reactive foods.

It has been a couple of months now for me since I started trying yellow reactive foods; and while there are still some that I cannot tolerate (I notice my skin starting to get dry again), there are many that I can have in small doses which makes me happy! I still have not attempted any reds yet (at least not on purpose!), and don’t plan to for several more months.

All in all it has been a good experience, and definitely “do-able.” For anyone who is considering having MRT done, but is afraid it’s “too much work” I can assure you it is well worth it.

My personal experience with MRT

2009-04-21T08:10:00.000-05:00

Last week I briefly explained what the mediator release test (MRT) is. This week I want to talk about my own personal experience with it.

As a healthcare professional, I have always thought it is extremely important that I practice what I preach. If I recommend something to someone I believe I should have gone through that process myself, if at all possible. Whether I was working in a nursing home, coaching runners, or providing individual or group instruction, if I ever told someone to do something I made sure I knew myself what it was like to eat/drink that food/supplement, do that workout, self-test my blood sugar, etc.

Therefore, when I started studying immunology and went through the process of becoming a Certified LEAP Therapist, I made sure that I also had MRT blood test done. Granted I do not suffer from fibromyalgia, food triggered migraines, or irritable bowel syndrome, I do have allergies to other things (some medications, pollen, chemicals, etc.) which means I am at high risk of developing food sensitivities. I also found out that the dry, cracked, bleeding knuckles on my hands that I attributed to the weather or chemicals in lotions was actually eczema. Knowing that eczema involves the immune system, I was hoping maybe the LEAP Immunocalm Dietary Management Program would help.

After getting tested, I did not have a lot of reds show up, but I was devastated by the ones that did! As far as chemicals, I had a very high red reaction to benzoic acid. Benzoic acid is in MANY things, including the gum which I chewed on a regular basis (several sticks a day). Another high red reactive for me: mint! There went my mint gum, mint toothpaste, mint mouthwash, mojitos made w/mint. . . ugh!! The only other spice that was red reactive for me was paprika. No biggie, I can live without it. But the worst news for me was that I was red reactive to pecans, almonds, walnuts and soy!! Keep in mind I am a vegetarian, so I was eating all 4 of these items on an almost daily basis. “No soy, what am I going to do?” was my first reaction. Besides the fact that I cooked with a lot of tofu, soy is in TONS of things. Many cereals are fortified with soy, vitamin E is often from soy (whether as an individual vitamin, included in a multivitamin, or added to other foods/cosmetics), not to mention that it has gotten very popular to add soy to shampoo, soap, and other toiletries. I knew right away avoiding soy was going to be a huge challenge.

Thankfully the only other red reactives I had were banana, pineapple, asparagus, and buckwheat. I did have several yellow reactives in the chemical group, a few in the spices, fruits, vegetables, and grains, and just one (each) in dairy, seafood, legumes, and miscellaneous.

The first phase of the program is the hardest because you are restricted to only about 25 of your safest foods, which gives you a few choices from each major food group, plus spices and nuts/seeds/oils. That may sound like a lot, but it really isn’t. Have you ever looked at the ingredient labels of something as seemingly simple as a condiment? They have TONS of ingredients! One of the worst things for me was having to get all new shampoo, face wash, and soap because all of my current products had soy in them. But I was determined to follow the program. Because of my “pantry” situation, rather than starting phase 1 immediately, I first just “avoided” my reactive foods for about a week so I could “use up” some foods before starting phase 1. Luckily I like to cook, and my husband and I rarely eat out, so avoiding processed foods was not that difficult. Once I started the program, it took about a week to complete phase 1. By the end of phase 1, I already had significant improvement in my hands.

I couldn’t wait to start phase 2 (which is where you add 1 new “safe” food each day). Eating from the same limited choices every day was starting to get old. I am happy to say just a few days into phase 2 and within 2 weeks of starting the program my hands had completely healed; no more painful, bleeding knuckles!! That really made a believer out of me. I hadn’t even completed phase 2 and had already seen complete remission of my eczema.

Come back next week for the rest of my personal account of the LEAP Immunocalm Dietary Management Program.

What is a Mediator Release Test (MRT)?

2009-04-15T13:20:00.000-05:00

Happy Tax Day!!!

Hopefully by now everyone either has their taxes done or has filed an extension. Besides dealing with taxes, there are many things going on this month of April: wear orange for ASPCA (Association for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to mark “prevent cruelty to animals awareness” month, Easter, Passover, etc. April is also “Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness” month. Because of that, I’d like to talk about the Mediator Release Test (MRT) I often use in my practice to treat people with IBS, as well as many other food sensitivity related conditions.

Before I get into what the MRT is, let me first explain a little about what food sensitivities are, and how the MRT is useful in treating them. Food sensitivities involve the immune system, but are different from true food allergies. There are 4 main pathways used by our immune system to “fight” antigens (the object causing a reaction). Allergies use the type 1 pathway, involve IgE antibodies, and symptoms manifest within minutes. For this reason, a person often does not even need a test to know that they are allergic to something, their body tells them immediately by causing an outbreak of hives, difficulty breathing, and itchy/watery eyes. Food sensitivities typically involve the type 3 and type 4 pathways, which do not use IgE antibodies, but may use other types of antibodies or cell mediated reactions or complement. Symptoms can take from as little as a few hours to as long as 3 days to manifest and include IBS, migraines, joint pain, skin eruptions, and many more. Because of this, food sensitivities have historically been very difficult to evaluate.

The MRT is a patented blood test developed by Dr. Mark Pasula of Signet Diagnostic, Inc. In actuality, it is 150 separate tests that analyze your blood’s response to 27 different chemicals and 123 different foods. It is currently the most accurate test available on the market, with a sensitivity of 94.5%, a specificity of 91.7%, and split sample reproducibility consistently greater than 90%.

Because MRT is an end-point test, it can determine sensitivities whether type 3 or type 4 pathways are used. When a food sensitivity reaction occurs, mediators such as histamine, cytokines, etc. are released from various immune cells. MRT works by measuring the changes in the ratio of liquid to solids after whole blood is exposed to an antigen and mediators are released. The principle behind MRT is that the total volume of the sample will remain the same (V1 + V2 = V3), but when exposed to an antigen, the volume of solids (V1) and the volume of liquids (V2) will change due to mediator release. (www.nowleap.com) MRT quantifies the level of reaction into 3 categories: green (least reactive), yellow (moderately reactive), and red (reactive), which allows an individualized diet plan to be developed. Based on these results, a 6-phased diet called the "Lifestyle Eating and Performance" (LEAP) immunocalm diet is implemented.

By following the immunocalm diet, the majority of people with food sensitivities can experience at least a 50% reduction in symptoms, while some people experience complete resolution of symptoms. Next week I’ll talk about my personal experience using MRT to resolve eczema in my hands.

Eating vegetarian at NASCAR

2009-04-09T14:14:00.000-05:00

Because I recently returned from a trip to Denton, TX for NASCAR weekend, I want to talk about the challenges of eating vegetarian in that type of environment. The last time I was at NASCAR was a few years ago, and at that time I was not a practicing vegetarian, so eating really did not pose any challenges. This weekend was a different story! I already knew what we would be facing, so to get prepared, I made about a dozen black bean patties for burgers and froze them for the trip. I also took a 6-pack of mixed bell peppers, a veggie tray, fruit, cheese, hummus for sandwiches, etc.

NASCAR is a completely different world. There are campgrounds all around Texas Motor Speedway where people can either set up tents or RVs and “camp” out for the whole week. Pre-race festivities usually start on Thursday, and events take place daily until the last race on Sunday. People will then start leaving Sunday or Monday. One of the nice things about going to the races is that you can take your own food and drinks into the track, so if you plan ahead, you can save a lot of money and eat healthy.

Near the campgrounds, there is a “tent” grocery store set up where you can get almost anything you could buy in a regular grocery store. They even sale some foods already cooked (primarily ribs, turkey legs, breakfast tacos, etc.). You will see people with grills and deep fryers set up, and you can smell meat being cooked almost 24/7.

We arrived Friday afternoon and set up our camper. We made a quick grocery run to get additional supplies and decided for our first “meal” we would grill a veggie pizza. Wal-Mart didn’t actually have any veggie pizzas, but they did have a plain cheese pizza, so we opted for that and put our own veggies on top. Quite yummy! Meal 1 down, no problem. Our neighbors had several deep fryers going and cooked up a ton of fish, hush puppies, and fries. I’ll admit we did have some of their food for meal 2.

Saturday, one of our friends decided to run to the "tent" grocery store to buy breakfast tacos. Alas, all of their tacos had meat in them, so we opted to cook our own. Eggs, potatoes, and mushrooms. Yum! I packed up some hummus sandwiches, quinoa cashew butter cookies, and peanuts for our lunch at the track. That evening when we got back, it was black bean burger time! We also had grilled mixed veggies (bell peppers, potatoes, onions). Our neighbors politely declined the black bean burgers and stuck with their brisket, but they did make a killer potato salad.

By now, we felt like we had the meal routine down, and had planned well. Sunday we basically followed our Saturday routine for all of our meals. Our neighbors even got in on the act, making a very nice green salad, a cheesy potato casserole, and deviled eggs (granted they still had their meat, but at least the had a variety of non-meat items as well).

So what did I learn over the weekend? Don’t plan to buy vegetarian breakfast tacos at the track! It’s probably also best to buy most of your groceries at home before you leave. And make sure that you have a plan for ALL your main meals, especially if you want something on the grill. While it takes a lot more planning, and may not be as easy as just slapping some meat on a grill, you can definitely successfully eat vegetarian on a “camping” trip at Texas Motor Speedway.

Healthy Eating on a Budget

2009-03-23T13:12:00.000-05:00

Because of the current recession, everyone is trying to make the most of every dollar they spend. Some people may think that it is impossible to eat healthy without spending a lot of money, but that is simply not true. The fact is, you can eat healthy on a budget, but it takes planning and being willing to prepare meals at home.

Below are some tips to help you get started:

1. Plan a menu for the week, then use that menu to go grocery shopping.

2. Look through various grocery ads and see which store will offer you the best OVERALL deal, rather than going to several different stores. By limiting most of your shopping to one store, you’ll save time and gas money.

3. If at all possible, go grocery shopping either on a Friday night or before 8 a.m. on the weekends; these are the times grocery stores tend to be less crowded. This will let you “browse” for good deals without getting flustered. Also try to avoid shopping with your children. If they must go with you, if they are old enough give them their own list of healthy snacks that they can pick out.

4. Avoid buying “ready to eat” meals as they tend to be more expensive than if you bought the individual ingredients and prepared it yourself.

5. Consider using store brands of various products; often they test just as good as major name brands. Milk is a good example; you can buy organic or non-organic store brands of milk that are equivalent to name brands. Dried beans, rice, flour, and other grains are another example where the store brand is just as good as name brand.

6. Purchase healthy snacks to take to work, such as fruit (fresh or canned without added sugar or in “extra light syrup,” nuts, sunflower seeds, cheese sticks, etc.

7. Plan on having several “plant-based” meals. A lot of people feel like produce is expensive, but in general, produce is cheaper per pound than most cuts of meat. A meal of beans and rice is much less expensive than ground beef and rice. Just add a side salad and you will have a complete meal with adequate protein, carbohydrate, fiber and vegetables. Other plant-based ideas include pasta with marinara sauce and mixed vegetables (you can buy large frozen bags of mixed vegetables at a very low price – and they are just as nutritious as fresh vegetables), vegetable soup, or egg frittata with lots of vegetables.

8. If you must use meat, use smaller portions and include larger portions of whole grains (e.g. brown rice, whole grain pasta, beans, etc.) and vegetables (frozen or fresh).

9. Consider purchasing fresh produce at local farmer’s markets. The price may not always be significantly cheaper than the grocery store, but the quality is usually much higher, and this produce will last much longer (therefore you will be less likely to “throw out” produce before you have used it).

10. Replace sodas, bottled teas, fruit punches, etc. with water. If you really must have juice, use the “frozen concentrate” versions and make in your own pitcher. Avoid drinking bottled water, use tap instead. If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, use a filter such as Brita.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

2009-03-17T12:59:00.000-05:00

When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, several things come to mind: the color green, Irish stew, green beer, etc. Healthy eating may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but when you really think about it, an Irish stew can actually be a very healthy meal, and very inexpensive too.

Historically, Irish stew was very basic: potatoes, meat (usually lamb), and few spices. Now, there are many variations; many people will add onions, carrots, turnips, leeks, etc. To keep Irish stew healthy, use a small portion of meat and choose only lean cuts of meat (if any meat at all). Add LOTS of vegetables and lots of spices. To save yourself some time, dice your meat (if using) and wash & chop your vegetables the day before and seal in a tightly closed container. You can then throw in all your ingredients into the crock pot before you go to work and when you get home it will be ready.

For a healthy dessert, try baking some apples. All you need to do is core your apples, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and very small amount of brown sugar, place in a pan with a little water in the bottom and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with low fat vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

To see an example of Irish Stew being prepared (and for more historical information on St. Patrick’s Day), visit the History Channel’s website: http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/

March 11 is Registered Dietitian Day!

2009-03-09T11:40:00.000-05:00

Happy second week of March! Last week I mentioned that March is National Nutrition Month®. This week, Wednesday March 11 is Registered Dietitian Day!

Registered Dietitian Day was created by the American Dietetic Association to increase the public and media’s awareness of registered dietitians as the food and nutrition experts; indispensable providers of food and nutrition services who can translate the science of nutrition into practical information, and to recognize RDs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.

What qualifies RDs to call themselves the food and nutrition experts? MANY HOURS of education and supervised practical experiences.

RDs have, at a minimum, a bachelor’s of science degree in nutrition, dietetics, public health or a related field from accredited universities. Many also have advanced degrees. In addition, they are required to complete an internship “in the field” of about 1000 hours and covers all related to nutrition services (hospital work, food service, private practice, community nutrition, etc.).

Once they complete their internship, they must then pass a national written exam to become certified as a registered dietitian. Believe me, a lot goes into successfully completing an intership and passing this exam! Here in Texas, to become licensed you must also pass a jurisprudence exam (this means you know the laws regulating providers of nutrition services).

After doing all that, RDs must also obtain 15 hours of continuing education each year from accredited providers in order to keep their credentials.

O.k., so what do RDs do? While you may find some RDs working in school kitchens, do not confuse them as only “lunch ladies!” There are many different areas where RDs work, and they use their expertise in a variety of ways: interpreting scientific data, product development, menu analysis, and helping individuals make healthy lifestyle changes.

You will find RDs working in hospitals, nursing homes, medical clinics, fitness centers, schools, universities, restaurants, in the food industry, as well as in research and private practices. Many RDs are also authors, speakers, and media spokespersons. Shaq’s Big Challenge is an example of one TV show that utilized the skills of an RD to help children lose weight.

So this Wednesday, make sure you wish your favorite RD “Happy Registered Dietitian Day!”

March is National Nutrition Month

2009-03-03T16:28:00.000-06:00

March is National Nutrition Month®, and this year’s theme is “Eat right.” What does eat right mean? It can mean different things to different people! First, and most important: know your own body. Once you know your own body, you can identify what you need, and then eat to meet those needs.

For example, if you are a woman with PCOS, you will likely need a higher percentage of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than someone without PCOS. You may also have higher requirements for vitamin D, magnesium, omega 3 fats and other nutrients.

If you are a person with celiac, you need to avoid all sources of gluten from wheat, rye, oats, and barley. At the same time, if you went undiagnosed for a number of years, you may be deficient in several nutrients, such as iron, calcium, etc. For that reason, you may need to take supplements until your body has recovered.

Athletes have very specific needs, which vary depending on where they are at in their training cycle. An athlete who is in “transition” will need fewer calories and carbohydrates than an athlete who is in competition. Athletes also tend to have higher requirements for electrolytes than non-athletes.

Vegetarians who are vegan will very likely need supplemental vitamin B12, and may also need supplemental omega 3 fats.

As you can see from these few examples, eating right is not exactly the same for everyone. One thing is for certain, all of us would benefit from eating more whole, natural foods and minimizing our intake of processed foods.

The best way to find out how to “eat right” is to evaluate yourself and then talk to a Registered Dietitian who can help you identify what foods and/or supplements are right for you.

February is National Heart Month

2009-02-23T14:10:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, February is National Heart Month. Since this is the last week, I thought I should leave you with a few things to consider as you take care of your heart.

There are several key dietary components to keeping your heart healthy: eating plenty of fiber, eating plenty of high potassium foods (unless you are on a potassium sparing diuretic, in which case you need to AVOID excess dietary potassium), limiting high sodium foods, limiting your consumption of saturated fats, avoiding trans fats, and including plenty of unsaturated fats.

Fiber can be found in a variety of foods, including all types of fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains such as brown or wild rice, oatmeal, whole wheat products, other grains such as quinoa, amaranth, kamut, spelt, etc., and all types of beans.

Many fruits and vegetables are also high in potassium, such as apricots, oranges, cantaloupe, bananas, tomato sauces, potatoes, avocado, etc.

Saturated fats are primarily in animal sources of food, such as full fat dairy and all types of meats. However, some plant sources also contain saturated fat, such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats raise both HDL (“good”) and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, so it does not need to be AVOIDED, but rather consumed in moderation. Between 7 and 10% of your daily calories may come from saturated fat.

Trans fat is the absolute worst type of fat; it not only lowers your HDL, but also raises your LDL! This is found primarily in processed foods. Look for “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oil in the list of ingredients. That indicates the product contains trans fat. Keep in mind that a product may state it has “0 Trans Fat” if the serving size has less than 0.5 grams. In this case, you may still see partially hydrogenated oils listed in the ingredients, but as long as you limit you portions so that you do not consume more than 2 grams total per day, you will limit your risk of lowering your HDL and increasing your LDL.

Unsaturated fats can be mono- or polyunsaturated fats. Ideally, your diet would consume 10% or more mono- and 10% polyunsaturated fats. All types of nuts and seeds, nut butters, olives, avocados, and oils such as canola are high in these types of fats. Seafood is also high in mono and polyunsaturated fats, which makes it different than other types of meats. Fish in particular is high in Omega 3 fats, which are called “essential” fats, and are one of the types of polyunsaturated fats that we need for heart health.

In addition to these dietary components, be sure that you also get plenty of physical exercise as well to keep your heart strong. Doing “aerobic” type exercise lowers blood pressure and your resting heart rate.

For other tips, visit the American Dietetic Association’s website at www.eatright.org/healthyheart

Post Marathon Recovery

2009-02-18T08:56:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to everyone who completed the Austin Half and Austin Full Marathon this past Sunday!

Now the recovery process begins. Hopefully you started your recovery right after the marathon by soaking your legs in Barton Springs Pool, or a coldwater bath at home. If you didn’t, keep that in mind for your next long run/race, it will decrease (or even eliminate) muscle soreness.

If you are planning to run this week, make sure you run SLOWER than usual, and limit your mileage to even less than your taper weeks.

As far as eating, your muscles are still quite broken down and your immune system is susceptible to sickness, so it is important that you eat healthy! Yes, you’ve burned a ton of calories so you can have a few “indulgences,” but you still need to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein. Make sure you continue to drink plenty of fluids to re-hydrate your body as well.

Lastly, if you have not gotten a massage, I highly encourage you to do so! That will speed your recovery process tremendously.

Happy trails!

The Austin Marathon, February 15, 2009

2009-02-09T08:53:00.000-06:00

I'm sure many of you are getting ready for the Austin marathon on Feb. 15. I am too!

This week, be sure that you hydrate well every day. In the first few days of the week, make sure you have a balanced diet including at least 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables , 6 ounces or more of lean protein, and 6 or more servings of starchy carbohydrates (at least 3 of which should be whole grains) daily. Don't forget to include a small amount of healthy fat as well, such as nuts, seeds, olives, avocado, etc.

Thursday, start increasing your portions of carbohydrates (as in, start carbo loading!). You don't necessarily need to increase your total calories, but decrease your portions of fats and low-carbohydrate/high fiber vegetables.

Friday, if at all possible get to the Expo and get all of your things packed for race day. I always try to have my race day clothes laid out w/the number pinned on ahead of time. I also like to have a comfy change of clothes and flip flops in my drop bag. In addition, I pack my race "snacks" in my race belt and shorts' pockets (sports beans, gold fish or pretzels, dried apricots, etc.). I also carry chap stick, tissues, band aids, tylenol, and a couple of individually packed sanitizing wipes. You may also want to have a garbage bag with neck and arm holes cut out ready to wear (makes a good wind breaker or rain coat, if the weather looks like it is going to be windy or rainy).

Saturday, keep it simple. Do not eat anything new! Eat foods you like and know you tolerate well. Make sure to drink something healthy at all your meals (not just water). If you normally have juice or sports drink, feel free to have some of that with your meals. Avoid gas-causing foods (such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, etc.) and very high fiber foods (such as bran cereals) if you have digestive problems. Also avoid sugar alcohols (such as sorbitol and mannitol (in gums, candies, etc.) as they may cause diarrhea. Also limit or avoid alcohol.

Race morning, try to eat something 1 to 3 hours before start time and aim for about 50 grams of carbohydrate for each hour before the start. If you do not tolerate solid foods well before races, liquid meals such as breakfast shakes, sports drinks, etc. are a good choice. Some athletes feel satisfied longer if their pre-race meal also contains some fat. I personally like to have a small bowl of cereal w/1% milk about 3 hours before the start, then a boiled egg or half a cliff bar about 90 minutes before the start, followed by a few sports beans or accelerade about 30 minutes before the start while I'm standing in the chute. I like to carry a small disposible water bottle that will have either plain water (if I plan to eat sports beans) or accelerade that I'll toss after the first couple of miles or so.

During the race, do not forget to use your supplements every 45 minutes to 1 hour (gels, gus, sports beans, etc.). You also need to drink 4 to 8 ounces of sports drink or water every 15 to 20 minutes.

Good luck, and see you at the finish line!

Our First Blog Posting

2009-02-02T11:02:00.000-06:00

Hello, and welcome to the Marquette Nutrition & Fitness Blog. Here we will be posting commentary, information, and updates relating to our business and your general nutritional health and fitness.

Since our mission is ". . . to improve the health and fitness of our clients by providing them the nutritional tools they need to achieve their goals." consider this blog to be just one of those tools.

We'll try to keep this updated fairly often with links to articles, videos, and other information that you can use to manage your nutritional health and fitness levels. Of course be sure to visit us online at Marquette Nutrition and Fitness as well as on our facebook page.

Things may be a might rocky at first, but bear with us and we'll do our best to provide valid and interesting nutritional content for you. Until then, have a happy healthy day!