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Quick Primer on Vegetarian DietsDate Posted : February 20, 2012

Vegetarian diets are growing more and more common. Research continues to show that following a vegetarian diet can help reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases.  While the reasons to follow a vegetarian diet vary from religious, animal rights or economics, if you are or are considering becoming a vegetarian, there are several things to keep in mind to maintain a healthful diet. 

Generally there are four different types of vegetarians:

• Strict vegetarian or vegan: A vegetarian diet that excludes all animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products
• Lactovegetarian: A vegetarian diet that excludes meat, poultry, fish and eggs but includes dairy products
• Lacto-ovovegetarian: A vegetarian diet that excludes meat, poultry and fish but includes eggs and dairy products. Most vegetarians in the United States fall into this category.
• Flexitarian: A semi-vegetarian diet with a focus on vegetarian food with occasional meat consumption.

 Food Sources of Important Nutrients

No matter which category of vegetarian you fall into, it is important to choose a variety of foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds in order to achieve a balanced diet.

Calcium

Vegetarians should consume a variety of calcium sources in order to meet daily requirements. Studies have shown vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than do non-vegetarians.

Dairy products are a rich source of calcium. If dairy products are not included in your diet, adequate amounts of calcium can be obtained from plant foods. Lactovegetarians can get plenty of calcium from fortified soymilk, nonfat yogurt and low fat cheeses. Here are some other vegetarian-friendly sources of calcium:

• Cow’s milk
• Fortified soymilk, almond milk or rice milk
• Leafy green vegetables
• Broccoli
• Beans
• Calcium-fortified juice
• Calcium-set tofu
• Almonds and almond butter
• Sesame seeds and sesame butter (tahini)
• Soy nuts
• Blackstrap molasses
• Figs

Iron

Vegetarians should consume a variety of iron sources to meet daily requirements. Consuming a good source of vitamin C (citrus fruits, orange juice, tomatoes) at each meal increases iron absorption. Good sources include dried beans, dark green vegetables like spinach and beet greens, dried fruits, prune juice, blackstrap molasses and fortified breads and cereals. Other good vegetarian-friendly sources of iron include:

• Instant oatmeal
• Nuts and nut butters
• Potatoes (eaten with skin)
• Enriched pasta

Protein

Protein is found in most plant foods as well as animal foods. Your body will make its own complete protein if a variety of foods and enough calories are eaten during the day. Good sources of protein include:

• Beans
• Whole grains
• Soy products
• Nuts and nut butters
• Dairy products
• Eggs

Vitamin B12

B12 is found in all foods of animal origin, including eggs and dairy products. An adequate intake of vitamin B12 is generally not a concern for vegetarians who eat some dairy products or eggs. Strict vegetarians or vegans, however, may need to supplement their diet by choosing a fortified breakfast cereal or by taking a vitamin B12 (cobalamin) supplement of no more than 100 percent of the Daily Value. Good sources of B12 include:

• Vitamin B12-fortified foods (nutritional yeast, soymilk, meat analogs or ready-to-eat cereals. Be sure to check the label.)
• Dairy products
• Eggs

Vitamin D

Few foods are naturally high in vitamin D, but dairy products are fortified with vitamin D in the United States. People who choose not to eat dairy products and who do not receive exposure to sunlight on a regular basis may wish to consider taking a vitamin D supplement of no more than 100 percent of the Daily Value. Good sources of vitamin D include:

• Eggs
• Vitamin D-fortified foods (soymilk, cow’s milk, orange juice, ready-to-eat cereals)
• Vitamin D is also made in the skin from sunlight.

 Source:  www.eatright.org

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New Year’s ReflectionsDate Posted : January 1, 2012

Well it’s hard to believe it’s the start of another year.  As I written in the past, I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions.  Why?  Because I believe that every day is an opportunity to begin again and do better.  I don’t think we should only focus on self-improvement once a year.  It should be a daily habit.

Anyway, the New Year is the traditional time to refocus on our health and nutrition as the holidays has led many of us astray.  You may have woken up on New Year’s Day, feeling uncomfortable from overindulging, determined to start anew, vowing that you will burn all pants with elastic waistbands and dance around the fire (hey, that burns calories right?). 

Though today you may feel like something the tide washed up, here’s a quote to ponder:

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled.  For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” 
- M. Scott Peck

Take solace in the fact that true growth and change only occurs when we are a little uncomfortable, but the good news is that once you start making positive changes, it becomes easier.  Small steps get you started on your journey and propel you in the direction you want to go. 

Life is about choices.  Choose to finally make your health and nutrition a priority this year.  Instead of falling back on old behaviors, choose foods and activities that ultimately make you look good, feel good, and help you perform at your best.  You have the power to choose.    Don’t waste another year wishing for things to change.  Make it happen!  And as always, I’m here to help.

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6 Tips to Get Back on TrackDate Posted : November 28, 2011

So did your best intentions do eat mindfully on Thanksgiving disappear as quickly as the pumpkin pie?  Did the stress of the family gathering cause you to eat your body weight in stuffing in hopes of being sent into a blissful carb coma?  Did a one day holiday celebration turn into a weekend of eating indulgence? 

Okay, the first major holiday of the eating season is done.  So now it’s time to get back on track and refocus as we navigate the rest of the eating season. Here are some tips on how to detox from the Thanksgiving eating frenzy.

• Get back in the routine.  Skipping meals may sound like a good way to account for a weekend of overeating but this only sets you up for overeating at the next meal.  Eating meals and snacks at regular intervals helps to stabilize your blood sugar, keep your energy up, and prevent you from reaching for a sugary treat in the afternoon.
• Power Up with Protein.  We tend to eat more carbs at holidays (such as stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls, pies, etc…) since they tend to be a central focus.  Too many carbs makes us feel sleepy and causes a roller coaster reaction of blood sugar highs then low. Focus on having protein at meals and snacks such as lean meats, beans, tofu, and low fat dairy products.  Protein is digested more slowly than carbs and it also causes you to burn a few more calories as you digest it.
• Hide the Scale and Hydrate. All those extra carbs, alcohol, and salty foods have left you dehydrated and bloated.  Starchy foods and salt tend to make us retain water while alcohol tends to dehydrate us, causing the kidneys to hold onto the water the body has.  This can make us seem like we gained weight but it’s really water weight.  Water is essential to digestion as it helps the body make bile and stomach acids.  If you are dehydrated, the body needs to pull water from other parts of the body to get the digestive work done, which can cause bloating and cramping.  Make sure to drink water throughout the day so you can rehydrate and help your body process the food you eat.
• Focus on fruits and veggies.  The fiber in fruits and veggies is Mother Nature’s helper. The fiber not only helps keep you regular but also helps to fill you up for fewer calories.  Reach for 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  Saute some spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms to add to your morning eggs; snack on fruit between meals; skip the pasta and stir fry zucchini, yellow squash and mushrooms in tomato sauce.
• “Waste” it or “Waist” it. If the leftover pie is still taunting you, remove the temptation and pitch it.  Stop worrying about “wasting” food because if you eat it, it goes to your “waist.” Eating food when you’re not hungry will not help one starving child.  Doesn’t that food look better in the trash can than on your waist?
• Shake What Your Momma Gave You.  The holidays are supposed to be happy, but oftentimes it stirs up negative emotions instead. Exercise helps to boost you mood and burn some extra calories.

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Thanksgiving and 3 Steps to Mindful EatingDate Posted : November 22, 2011

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching signally the start of what I like to call the “eating season,” we see and read many stories about how to avoid holiday weight gain.  The talk on avoiding “calorie bombs” at holiday meals seems to run rampant.  Enjoying the foods of the season sometimes gets lost in all focus on calories, carbs, and fat.  Instead of focusing on a mentality of restriction, let’s focus on an approach of mindfulness in terms of our eating.

Mindfulness is simply the moment-by-moment awareness of life.  Mindfulness is paying attention to what’s going on and being aware of the activities of the present moment.  So how can we apply this to what we eat? 

Mindful Eating is allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities of food consumption by respecting your own inner wisdom.  It means choosing to eat food that is both pleasing to you and nourishing to your body and using all your senses to explore, savor and taste it.  It means learning to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decision to begin eating and to stop eating. 

Mindful eating is a process.  In order for it to become a habit, it needs to be trained like muscle, which can only be strengthened through work and practice.  Here are 3 steps to help you practice mindful eating.

1.  Arriving or mindfully approaching the food.

Before eating we take a moment to become aware of the food we are about to consume.  Strategies include taking a few centering breaths before eating.  Sometimes it’s sounds or words, such as giving a word of thanks before the meal.  It can be body action such as folding your hands, smelling the food, or even visual cues such as looking at the food and appreciating its color. 

2.  Awakening or purposefully giving our attention to the food as we eat it.

Awakening is being aware of every bite we take.  Have you ever noticed that often you’re loading your fork up with the next bite of food while you’re still chewing the last bite?  A good strategy for giving attention to our food as we eat it to put your silverware down between bites; focusing on the taste, texture, and appearance of the food; and chewing thoroughly before taking the next bite. 

If you think of your mouth as being like a magnifying glass, zooming in, imagine that each bite is magnified 100 percent.  Pay close attention to all your senses by using your tongue to feel the texture and temperature. Think about how it really tastes and check in with yourself by asking if this is something that is satisfying my taste buds and what I really want to eat.  Awakening helps to prevent us from mindless habits and eating for reasons other than hunger.

3.  Tuning in to your body as you eat.

Tuning in refers to extending our attention beyond the food and focusing on how our bodies feel before we eat, while we eat, and after we eat.  Strategies include rating our hunger and fullness levels.  Pausing during a meal helps to slow down the pace of eating and allows our bodies to catch up with our mind to let us know if we’re still hungry or full.  Taking smaller bites is another good strategy.  Did you ever notice that a large bite and a small bite taste exactly the same?  Or how the 4^th or 5^th bite of a piece of pie never tastes as good as the first?  Smaller bites let us pay attention to make sure our mind is truly present rather than gobbling our food.  Paying attention to our body movements as we eat also helps us to focus in the moment.  Did you ever notice how fast you eat?  Or how amazing it is that our fork always manages to find its way into our mouth without us thinking about it? 

Awareness of the moment is when change can begin.  Cultivating this awareness when we eat can help us change our habits, creating a healthier life by respecting our bodies and the food we give it.

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Mindful Eating and Hara Hachi Bu: Natural Calorie ControlDate Posted : November 9, 2011

The Japanese have an expression, hara hachi bu, or “eat until you’re 80 percent full.”

Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa, who are among the longest living and healthiest people in the world, have traditionally practiced hara hachi bu. The practice is to be mindful of your eating and eat only until you are 80 percent full.

To try hara hachi bu, eat until you feel “mostly full,” then wait 20 minutes. Pay attention to what the experience is like for you. Notice what that 80 percent really feels like.

Stopping at 80 percent fullness is actually a healthy strategy because it takes the stomach time to communicate fullness to the rest of the body. Many who stop at 80 percent will feel satisfied and will ultimately eat less. If you are accustomed to eating until you are more than 80 percent full, you might find that this stopping point leaves you less sleepy and more energetic after meals.

Practicing hara hachi bu is an excellent way to play with your experience of hunger and fullness. View it as an experiment. What does it feel like to leave the table with extra room? How difficult is it to assess that 80 percent feeling? Are there emotions or reactions that come up for you when you experiment with eating in this way?

Practicing this helps to prevent mindless eating by getting you back in touch with what it really means to be hungry.

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