Step Right Up… Onto the Scale!

Submitted By: Amy Sercel

Edited By: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight?  Or maybe you want to maintain the weight you’re at.  Either way, getting on the scale will help you reach your goal!  Many studies have shown that people who weigh themselves daily or every other day lose more weight than those who weigh themselves less often.  Frequent weighers are also more likely to stick to their dietary and fitness goals, and less likely to re-gain any weight they’ve lost.

If the advice to weigh yourself more often goes against what you’ve been told in the past, you aren’t alone!  It was previously thought that getting onto the scale more than once per week could lead to body image dissatisfaction and other negative feelings, especially if the number on the scale wasn’t what you expected.  Recent research has found that this is not the case.  People with higher BMIs did tend to weigh themselves more often and also have lower body image satisfaction than people in lower weight groups; however, when peoples’ body weights were not accounted for, frequency of weighing alone was not found to have any impact on body image.

It’s important to note that people of all weights will probably get onto the scale less often as time goes on. This might be because the numbers stopped going down as quickly, so people were less excited about weighing themselves every day.  One way to encourage yourself to get back onto the scale could be to keep a written record of your weight.  A visual comparison of your weights for the past week and your goal weight might be more motivating than one number on the scale!  If you don’t want to keep track of your weight by hand, you could purchase a digital scale that emails you a record of your weights.

You also want to weigh yourself at around the same time each day.  The clothes you’re wearing, the food you’ve eaten, and your hydration status will all impact weight and could cause a 1-2 pound change that does not reflect your body mass.  A consistent time, such as early in the morning or right before bed, will give you a more accurate picture of your weight status, and help you reach or maintain your weight-loss goals!

The Truth About Caffeine

Submitted By: Amy Sercel

Edited By: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CD

Did you have your fix?  If you’re like the majority of people in the world, you’ve probably eaten or drank something containing caffeine today. It’s true that there has been a lot of controversy about the health impact of caffeine, especially since a high intake can make you feel irritable or jittery and caffeine withdrawal can leave you with an unpleasant headache.  Recently, however, studies have shown that consuming caffeine may actually have some important health benefits.

Even though caffeine is found in sodas, teas, sports drinks, and certain medications, when people think of caffeine they usually think first about coffee.  Researchers have found that people who drink coffee are 27% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than people who do not. Furthermore, the research suggested that people in the study who drank the most coffee were the least likely to get Alzheimer’s disease.  Coffee has also been shown to help lower blood sugar levels, decreasing your risk of Type 2 Diabetes. However, caffeine alone has been found to increase blood sugars, so this benefit is likely the result of a different compound in coffee. 

For athletes, caffeine intake has been found to increase endurance and therefore enhance performance due to its effect as a central nervous system stimulant.  Female swimmers who were given between 170 and 280 milligrams of caffeine half an hour before a race improved their time by an average of 0.31 seconds; males improved by about 0.18 seconds. While the benefits to both health and athletic performance are significant, it is important to remember that caffeine can decrease iron absorption when consumed with food, and can also increase calcium loss in the urine. In general, limiting your caffeine intake to less than 400 milligrams, or about four cups of coffee, per day and enjoying your caffeine between meals will help ensure that you get the maximum benefit possible!

To Juice, or Not to Juice?

To Juice, or Not to Juice?

Submitted by: Kathleen Van De Weert

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CD

On the shelves of grocery and health food stores you will find bottles of juice that tout high amounts of vitamins and minerals. In fact, some specialty shops or “juice bars” are seen has a healthy stop for consumers. Although the process of extracting the liquid portion from fruits and vegetables does deliver a substantial amount of nutrients, how does it compare to eating whole foods?

Along with providing a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, juicing is also a way to include a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. The taste of certain foods can be masked within the juice mixture, so many individuals will drink foods they don’t normally eat. In addition, juices are flavorful and refreshing. Made in a wide array of flavors, juices can quench your thirst.

Although tasty, juices leave out an important nutrient that whole fruits and vegetables have – fiber. It is found in the skins and pulp of fruits and vegetables, both of which are left out in the juicing process.  Fiber plays a role in healthy digestion and makes you feel full for longer, therefore it may contribute to weight loss. A study comparing the effects of consuming grapes vs. grape juice and oranges vs. orange juice showed a smaller insulin response when the whole fruit was eaten compared with the juice.  This means that juice can spike blood sugar, which can increase risk for diabetes, heart disease, and increased weight.     

Because of the fiber content and bulk of whole foods, the body expends more energy during digestion. This contributes to calorie burn, which is not experienced when drinking juice. Moreover, there is a lot of waste involved with juicing. Because just the liquid part is consumed, none of the solids are utilized. Also, it can take several fruits or vegetables to produce a cup of juice. By consuming whole fruits and vegetables you get more bang for your buck by feeling more full on a smaller amount of food for less money.

Overall, eating whole fruits and vegetables is more beneficial for health than juice. If you’re looking to add vitamins and minerals to your diet, incorporate fruit in salads, yogurt, baked items, or grab as a quick snack.  Blending fruits and vegetables in a smoothie is a better alternative as the whole food is utilized, and vegetables can be added without compromising taste. If you do enjoy drinking juice be mindful of portion size – 4 oz is one serving. Overall, don’t get caught up in the buzz that juicing is “healthy” and reach for whole fruits and vegetables.

How Real is Your Cereal?

Submitted by: Emily Seferovich

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CD

The typical neighborhood supermarket carries anywhere from one to three hundred types of breakfast cereal – have you ever wondered what led you to purchase the ones in your pantry? Manufacturers can label their boxes with images or statements to convince people to buy their product over alternatives. Unfortunately, this often includes plastering cereal boxes with misleading health claims. This deceptive type of advertisement is everywhere, which can have a significant impact on what we buy, and ultimately, on our health.

How to tell if your cereal is 100% whole grain (or not): Whole grains are an important part of the diet. They provide an array of essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Many consumers want whole grain products and some cereal companies rely on this when generating health claims. Specifically, some products are misleadingly labeled with statements such as “made with whole grains”, “contains whole grains”, or “whole grains first ingredient”. Unfortunately, none of these labels mean that the product is 100% whole grain. In order to tell if your cereal is 100% whole grain or not, look for the statement, “100% whole grain” on the package¹. This is a safe indicator because the Food and Drug Administration requires that products touting this label own up to it.

How to tell if your product is made with authentic ingredients: In order to appeal to consumers, marketing wizards make fake ingredients appear real by influencing the way packages are labeled. For instance, cereal companies are always looking for the next buzz-word to attract consumers and stay under the radar of the FDA.  An example is the word “simply” – products are labeled with statements such as “Simply fruit and cereal”, or “Simply sweetened”, while in reality this doesn’t mean anything in terms of the ingredients, the quality of the product, or its nutritional value². Another trick used by some cereal companies are statements like “chocolatey” or “fruity”. While we’d like to think that these phrases mean the product actually contains chocolate or fruit, they’re likely adding a distant chemical relative to the cereal (think of Fruity Pebbles, for instance). If you want cereal made with authentic ingredients, become a label detective. The nutrition label on a cereal box is required by law to list exactly what’s in it, and ingredients are listed in order of quantity! If you want actual fruit (or chocolate) in your cereal, check for it on the ingredients label.

The serving size snaggle: Another trick up the sleeves of cereal companies is the serving size used on nutrition labels. If you ever see a cereal box labeled with “only 100 calories per serving”, remember to check how large a serving size is (for some cereals, this can be as little as ¼ cup)! While claims like this intrigue health-conscious customers, what matters is how many servings you pour yourself. Even if a cereal is 100 calories per serving, pouring yourself five servings means you’re still eating 500 calories!

Cereal Box Psychology: Have you ever bought a cereal with a character on the box? A white rabbit, adventurous sea captain, or favorite athlete perhaps? Research from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab showed that consumers are more likely to buy products that have faces that lock eyes with them³. Although it may not be a health claim, this sort of psychological manipulation is what leads consumers to make choices in the grocery store – sometimes without even realizing it.

Before you take your next trip to the grocery store, remember to have your wits about you when perusing the cereal isle. While some cereal companies win the love of consumers through using manipulative labeling tactics, reading nutrition labels and knowing what phrases to watch out for can help you become more informed about what you are buying.

Move Your Way There

Submitted By: Tenley Burlingame

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CD

The world of fitness and exercise can be confusing and downright intimidating. When all else fails remember this: get up and move. There is a lot of information about the impact of exercise on metabolism and the power of muscle, so let’s break it down.

Throughout history, the benefits of physical activity and strength have been widely recognized. Research has shown that “physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a widening variety of other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cancer (colon and breast), obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases, and depression.” Simply put, increased physical activity levels reduce the risk of premature death. As an added benefit, physical activity improves mood and helps you to forget a previously negative mood. That’s a win-win! But how much is enough to reap the benefits?

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends two hours and thirty minutes of physical activity per week, which breaks down to about 20 minutes a day. Set short-term realistic goals, such as adding a 2-3 minute walk mid-morning. No amount of time is insignificant, as small increments will quickly add up. The image below provides ideas for when and how to get in your daily activity. Standing during your lunch break, playing with your kids, gardening, and walking the dog are all easy ways to increase your physical activity level.

Setting aside a few minutes a day to get up and move helps to increase your physical activity level and improve mood. Set a goal for yourself, and start moving more today!

Your Mind in Motion

 Boost Memory with Activity!

Submitted By: Amy Sercel

Edited by: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CD

You’ve probably heard that physical activity is good for your muscles, bones, and heart, but did you know it’s also good for your brain?  While there are different types of physical activity, one of the more beneficial for your memory is aerobic activity.  This type of activity increases your heart rate for an extended period of time, pushing blood flow throughout the entire body, which strengthens your heart and lungs.  You probably already do many aerobic activities throughout your day; walking, running, swimming, and dancing all fall into this category.  Even better, you don’t have to be a professional at any of these activities to reap the mental benefits.  Studies have shown that people of all fitness levels performed better on cognitive tests after engaging in aerobic activity.

So, what’s the connection between moving and memory?  Aerobic activity increases blood flow throughout your body, including to your brain.  This wakes up your brain, allowing you to sort information more quickly.  This process also causes your hippocampus, or the memory center of your brain, to grow.  As a whole, aerobic activity helps by increasing your brain’s memory-storage space and allowing you to access those memories more quickly.

You don’t have to be active for long periods of time to get these benefits – even short bouts of aerobic activity have been shown to improve brain function.  The Centers for Disease Control recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day, but you could break it up into three ten-minute blocks to fit it into your daily routine.  For example, when walking from one place to another, try taking the long way.  You can also walk to the mailbox after you’ve parked your car or go shopping in person instead of online.  This way, you’ll be up and moving around rather than sitting in your car or in front of your computer.  Whatever strategies you use, you’ll definitely see the memory-boosting powers of aerobic activity once it becomes a daily habit!

Stay Healthy through the Holidays!

Whether you’re preparing to host a party, packing for a trip, or planning a quiet night in, there is no question that the holidays are busy.  With all the adjustments to your typical routine, it can be challenging to remember your health goals.  Luckily, we have some tips that will guarantee you a healthy holiday season.

1.     Make time for exercise.  Have a set time each day when your family knows you’ll be working out. Maybe they’ll even want to join in!

2.     Keep the cookies in the cabinet.  Out of sight, out of mind! 

3.     Put veggies on the buffet table.  Fresh vegetables are a filling, healthy snack.

4.     Don’t skip meals.  It’s a lot easier to overeat at Thanksgiving dinner if you haven’t eaten lunch!

5.     Drink mostly water or sparkling water.  You’ll stay hydrated without getting too many calories from alcohol or sugary drinks.

6.     Use smaller dishes.  It’s harder to overeat if you can’t fit too much on your plate.

7.     Try some of everything!  Just remember to choose small portions, with vegetables making up about half your plate.

8.     Eat slowly, savoring each delicious bite.

9.     Don’t forget the after-dinner walk!  This can be a great way to get active with your family after a big dinner.

Keep in mind Thanksgiving is more than just the food.  It’s about being thankful.  Life is precious; celebrate every little aspect and have a JOYOUS, DELICIOUS Thanksgiving day.