The Nutritiongal's Blog

Hello Everyone! Welcome of Volume 12 of Nutritiongal’s Newsletter! I think it’s safe to say that we are familiar with the terms “low carb” and “high carb”. We see them on food packaging, television commercials and magazine ads, to name a few. But what exactly do the terms “low carb” and “high carb entail? Are we meant to forgo pizza, pasta and pancakes so we can fit in our skinny jeans for eternity? We are supposedly told that bananas have tons of carbs but I don’t remember hearing anyone getting diabetes from eating nature’s candy. (I eat one every day!) When it comes to eating smart why does everything have to be complicated?

Forget the carbs and lets get down to the science of it. The concepts behind your food that determine how satisfied and nourished you can be after a meal are both the glycemic load and glycemic index. Glycemic index measures the breakdown of food into sugar. The higher the glycemic index, the more sugar the food contains and, thus, the more sugar is broken down into your bloodstream. Foods with a high glycemic index are theoretically broken down faster than foods with a lower glycemic index. The glycemic index, however, can be misleading. When you compare the glycemic index of a sweet potato to a refined hamburger bun on the chart from the link below they are very similar. However the sweet potato contains more fiber and vitamins and thus its glycemic load is much lower. Sweet potatoes are broken down much slower in the body, having a negligible effect on your blood sugar unlike a hamburger bun that can induce a sugar slump. This concept is called the glycemic load, which is the measure of how the food is broken down in the body. Glycemic load trumps Glycemic index. Let’s have a look at the chart of different foods with their glycemic loads and glycemic indexes below. If you are going to pay attention to anything on this chart, the glycemic load is the most important.

http://www.naturalchoicesforyou.com/site/680805/page/222881

From breakfast to dinner your meals can be both varied and belly friendly. You can pair high glycemic index foods with low glycemic index foods to lessen the glycemic load of the meal. Let’s take a look at some standard high glycemic load (high blood sugar-inducing meals) and then zap their load!.

1.) White Pasta Marinara

Makeover – Whole Wheat Pasta Marinara with Mixed Vegetables

2.) Cheese Pizza

Makeover – Whole Wheat Pizza with Mixed Vegetables and Fresh Mozzarella

3.) Pancakes with Syrup & Butter

Makeover – Buckwheat or Whole Wheat Pancakes with Mixed Berries and a tbsp of Honey & Butter

4.) Toast with Jam & Butter

Makeover – Whole Grain Toast with Peanut or Almond Butter & Sliced Banana

See? You can have your carbs and eat them too Enjoy!

– Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal

Find your bliss. Find your balance

“I am currently enrolled at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and will graduate as a certified health counselor in 2010. Fire the diet police and take back your health!” Visit www.nutritiongal.com and fill out a health questionnaire for a free consultation today! Missed a Nutritiongal newsletter?

Hello Everyone and welcome to Volume 11 of Nutritiongal’s Newsletter!

Ok I know what you were thinking when you read this title. I said I wouldn’t but I couldn’t NOT say something when the word DETOX is everywhere. There’s the lemon detox, the horrible cayenne pepper starvation one that Angelina Jolie passed out trying to do, some kind of juice fast and then there’s colon cleansing (you could just eat Taco Bell).  I’m kidding!

All kidding aside I haven’t even scratched the surface of all the detox “diets” out there.  What does one do for some good old fashioned cleansing without the starvation and discomfort?  After careful consideration I decided that I would present a detox for the everyday, busy person who doesn’t have time to sit at home for 2 weeks while their body detoxes.  Let’s get real here, we need to be able to function in every day life, unless we have taken a sabbatical at an ashram in India.  I would like to do that some day by the way.  Anyone care to join?  I have a dear friend coming with me in two years

Anyway the last time I skipped a meal was in 1999 when I needed surgery so instead of starving how about some nutritionally sound whole food packed with vitamins and minerals and a plan to stay hydrated.  Thus I present “THE CHEATER’S DETOX DIET”.

Duration : 3 days
Foods to Eliminate : Meat, Milk, Cheese, Wheat, Coffee, Alcohol, Sugar, Soda (Pop for you Midwesterners)
Foods to Incorporate : Fish, Eggs, Legumes (beans), Nuts, Nut Butters, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Spelt, Millet, Almond Milk, Rice Milk, All Veggies and Fruits, Honey (all sweeteners that aren’t sugar, high fructose corn syrup or sugar substitutes) and Yogurt

This is pretty much a 3 day elimination diet to tune your digestive system.  You’re adding whole foods and tons of fiber in order to reset everything – like the internet modem when it gets all jammed. Sometimes you need to unplug for 5 minutes and hit the reset button and everything runs great.  Shazam!

I did this for three days and I can say I feel pretty refreshed.  I have included some sample menus for you to try.  Feel free to e-mail if you have questions.  It’s just for three days.  I did this Sun-Tue because I had drinks on Wednesday night with my friends.  I found the no sugar to be a challenge but when I was eating a lot of fruit and adding honey to my tea I found I wasn’t craving sweets.  On a side note please eat until you are satisfied.  If you still feel hungry then feel free to add more food.  When you are hungry eat and when you are not then don’t etc… I just thought I would mention it.  Portion sizes are for your individual needs, metabolism, lifestyles and activity levels.

Day #1

Breakfast

Oats with Rice Milk, Almonds and Banana

Lunch

Spelt bread with Organic Peanut Butter (cashew, almond or macadamia butter for those of you who are allergic to peanuts)  If you can’t  have any nuts then try this with hummus instead.
Salad with Vinaigrette
Yogurt

Dinner

Baked Salmon in olive oil and balsamic
Baked Sweet Potato
Steamed Vegetables sprinkled with sea salt
Mixed Greens with Vinaigrette

Day # 2

Breakfast

Greek Yogurt with Fresh Fruit and Granola

Lunch

Quinoa with cannelloni beans and taziki (Greek yogurt mixed with Cucumber and lemon juice)
Mixed greens with vinaigrette

Dinner

Vegetarian Fried Rice – Brown rice cooked with eggs, veggies, onions, garlic and soy sauce

Day #3

Breakfast

Leftover brown rice mixed with raisins, honey and oats (add 1 tablespoon of oats to 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.  Add one cup of leftover brown rice, a dash of raisins and 1 tbsp of  honey for a surprisingly delicious brown rice makeover)

Lunch

Rice, spelt or gluten free pasta with marinara sauce, steamed veggies and salad with vinaigrette

Dinner

Lentil Veggie Burger with French Mustard
Spelt Bun
Steamed Veggies with Sea Salt
Mixed greens with Vinaigrette

Snacks and misc drinks

Water with lemon, all teas, dark chocolate, rice crackers, yogurt, trail mix, almonds, dried apples (these are really great when you want to eat candy), all fruit and veggies

Try it for yourself instead of doing something more drastic. You will get the wonderful cleansing effects of this semi-elimination diet without the starvation and a vitamin-packed punch.

For those of you who know me one strange effect of this “detox” is that I can no longer tolerate coffee.  Perhaps that will change in the long term but I been drinking coffee excessively for 14 years and haven’t had a cup in days.  Strange, isn’t it?

If you’re looking for more ideas as to what to cook on this detox feel free to contact me.
–
Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal
Find your bliss. Find your balance

“I am currently enrolled at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and will graduate as a certified health counselor in 2010. Fire the diet police and take back your health!”

Visit www.nutritiongal.com and fill out a health questionnaire for a free consultation today!

Missed a Nutritiongal newsletter?  Find them all on My Nutritiongal blog.

http://blog.nutritiongal.com/

Happy Holidays Everyone and welcome to Nutritiongal’s Holiday Survival Newsletter, Volume 9.   The cycle of cocktail parties, treats and holiday shopping has been ongoing for quite some time and I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted! What are you doing to keep yourself from falling down the rabbit hole of holiday stress, illness and that extra 5 pounds that creeps up by Jan 1st?  Do you really want your New Years resolution to revolve around guilt-ridden workouts and a tasteless, fat-free life?  If not then read on to Nutritiongal’s 6 steps to weathering the holiday cycle in tact.

1.) Evening Cocktail Party?  No problem!  Eat a protein, veggie and whole grain packed meal, such as a turkey and swiss on whole wheat sandwich with greens or some hummus, pita and veggies before going.  That way you won’t be tempted to make fried clams and pigs in a blanket your main meal.

2.) Drink invitation every night of the week?  Worried about having a hangover even before New Years?  No problem!  Sip water in between drinks to slow down the effects of alcohol.  Drinking water or club soda in between drinks also lessens your chance of getting a hangover the next day. Did you know that the symptoms of getting a hangover are the same as when you are dying of dehydration?  Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! – Hey if you don’t want to drink you can always order a virgin bloody mary or club soda and cranberry. They are absolutely delicious and bartenders tend to do a good job of making them.

3.) Sick and tired of being sick and tired?  Take a holiday disco nap.  Getting just 20 min of shut-eye can rejuvenate you better than longer naps, which tend to disrupt the natural sleep cycle when it’s time to go to bed.

4.) Ready to punch that annoying holiday shopper that just grabbed the last Nintendo Playstation?  Take 10 deep breaths.  Going to jail for assaulting a fellow shopper is much more expensive than an IOU gift or an envelope full of money so your kiddie/friend/boyfriend can buy their own.

5.) Got no time to work-out/exercise?  No problem!  Just go shopping!  Walking at a moderately brisk pace burns approximately 230-300 calories per hour.  You can get your shopping done and stay fit at the same time!!  Got all your Christmas shopping done?  No problem!  How about cleaning to get ready for that holiday party?  You will burn from 140-200 calories per hour!

http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/ManageMyHealth/Calories+Burned+Calculator

6.) Want to eat every Christmas/Hanukah/Kwanza cookie in sight?  Rather than turn dessert into the enemy, treat yourself with one or two cookies whenever you want them.  Studies show that people who treat themselves every now and again are less apt to binge later and more likely to maintain their weight.  Life is too short to forgo sweets. Got lots of leftover cookies/desserts?  Take them to work to share with your fellow coworkers if you are tired of looking at them.

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/195833_tips-to-maintain-weight-during-the-holidays

That’s all for now folks!

Eat drink and be merry!

–

Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal

Find your bliss. Find your balance

Visit www.nutritiongal.com and fill out a health questionnaire for a free consultation today!

Hello Everyone!

By the way you fresh-smelling Smarties, The Nutritiongal is moving to Australia this coming week.  Stay tuned for more nutrition/lifestyle newsletters from a perspective on the other side of the world!

Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal
Find your bliss. Find your balance

Hello Everyone! Welcome to Volume 7 of Nutritiongal’s bimonthly newsletter.  Today we are going to talk carbs!

Ladies and gentlemen carbohydrates are your friends! Learn to love them. Learn to make them work for you so you can appreciate all the wonderful nutritious benefits carbs have to offer.  Kick the carb counting to the curb and stop the insanity!  I’m not saying we should turn into Pillsbury Dough boys/girls and down entire loaves of bread.  Nor am I saying to eat twigs and berries.  Maybe our nomadic ancestors did but there are so many more options available to us. I’m just sayin’…

What are carbohydrates anyway and what is all the the fuss about?  Carbohydrates are macro nutrients composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.  Carbohydrates supply the body with glucose that fuels every cell in the body.

Carbohydrates are basically everything that is neither meat, dairy nor fat.  They are not just grains and fruit. Vegetables are also considered carbohydrates even though their carbohydrate content is generally lower than most other carb-laden foods.

http://www.smartnow.com/page/8296

When you don’t eat enough carbohydrates the body releases the stress hormone, cortisol, which can lead to other complications if this situation remains for a prolonged period of time.  The initial weight loss from eating too few carbs, which is mostly water, comes back the minute you eat a piece of bread.  At the same time consuming too many refined carbs, such as white bread and sugary substances causes the body to release too much insulin, creating high blood sugar, insulin resistance and type II diabetes in advanced cases – if this eating style is maintained for some time.

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/79/5/774

So how many cabs should we consume?  There is no right answer because it really depends on the individual (sex, metabolism, activity level and genes).  Rather than counting carbs what about eating carbs with a lower glycemic load.  The glycemic load measures how much your blood sugar raises when you consume a particular carbohydrate.  The glycemic index measures the amount of sugar in a particular food.  While glycemic index can be somewhat helpful it is the glycemic load which is more relevant. For example a carrot and orange juice have similar glycemic indexes but the glycemic load of a carrot is significantly lower than that of juice.  The fiber and natural sugars in the carrot slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream, allowing the blood sugar to remain steady and not drop as drastically as if you visited Dillon’s candy shop.  I mean let’s get real here.  Who ever got diabetes from eating carrots?  I don’t see many rabbits on insulin!

Check out the glycemic loads of some popular foods below.

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm

I could go on and on but perhaps this is all I will say about carbs for now.  Enjoy your whole grains, fruits and veggies and tell me what you think!

Ciao for now!

Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal

Find your bliss. Find your balance

–

“I am currently enrolled at the Integrative Institute of Nutrition and will graduate as a certified health counselor in 2010. Fire the diet police and take back your health!”

Visit www.nutritiongal.com and fill out a health questionnaire for a free consultation today!

Are you looking for the optimum way to start off your day?  Then pull out a straw and drink up some healthy breakfast makeovers in volume 6 of Nutritiongal’s newsletter!

Why do we need to eat breakfast?  Is it really the most important meal of the day?  We have heard numerous things about breakfast from starting your day off with as little as watered down cranberry juice and lemon to eating most of your caloric intake at that time.  Some say we should eat a low carbohydrate breakfasts with high protein content to stave off hunger for the rest of the day.  A classic example of this type of breakfast would be bacon and eggs.  At the other end of the spectrum they say we should consume more carbohydrates in the first meal since we have the rest of the day to burn them, such as cereal with toast and fruit. Others say we should be eating a big bowl of fruit salad to cleanse the body of toxins and ease digestion.  There are breakfast bars, protein shakes, poptarts, muffins, bagels, and cereals that promise you more nutrition than a multi vitamin.

With all this conflicting information its no wonder most people start their day off with 1,200 calorie sausage, egg and cheese biscuit or forgo the meal all together.  With all these options where do we start?

Breakfast literally means “break fast”.  It is the first meal of the day following at least 10-12 hours of fasting which usually starts after dinner and continues throughout the night while you sleep. During this time the body can take a break from digesting and focus on tissue growth, repair and maintenance of bodily functions.  Skipping breakfast results in prolonged fasting, which decreases your metabolism and helps you store fat easier.  Eating breakfast is excellent for weight control because you are less apt to be ravenous at lunch and overeat or snack too much throughout the day.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Now that we have established that breakfast is important let’s take a look at some breakfast makeovers to help start your day off with a Shazam!  What you put into your body can set the tone for the rest of the day so without further ado.

Breakfast 1:  Bagel and Cream Cheese – I hate to hear it too but a bagel is the equivalent of 6 slices of bread.  I love my bagels every now and then but it’s good to know! Cream cheese contains saturated fat and sodium with 2 grams of protein.

Makeover : Whole Grain English Muffin with Peanut or Almond Butter, Honey and a Sliced Banana – An english muffin is the equivalent of two slices of bread.  Peanut butter gives you 7 grams of protein and unsaturated fat.  A banana has a potassium packed punch and fiber!

http://www.peanut-institute.org/Saturated_UnsaturatedFFT.html#highlow

Breakfast 2: Cornflakes with White Toast and Milk – Cornflakes are highly processed and contain high fructose corn syrup. They are quickly digested by the body resulting in low blood sugar and cravings in some individuals.

http://www.minimus.biz/detail.aspx?ID=642

Makeover : Oatmeal with organic milk or your nondairy beverage of choice along with fresh fruit such as berries or apple slices, honey and walnuts and/or a hard boiled egg.

Breakfast 3: Bacon, eggs, sausage and biscuits with gravy – boy this one makes me hungry!  Aside from the saturated fat content and lack of vitamins I am ready for brunch!  LOL!

Makeover : 1-2 organic free range eggs, sprouted whole grain bread (ezekiel is an excellent brand), organic butter, fruit salad and dulce.  Dulce is a seaweed that is rich in iodine and has a smokey flavor much like that of bacon.

http://www.seaveg.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=5

http://www.foodforlife.com/

Breakfast 4:  Sugar free and fat free yogurt – In addition to the toxic dose of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, this breakfast probably won’t fill you up.

Makeover : Greek yogurt with granola and fresh fruit.  Greek yogurt packs approximately 12-17 grams of protein and is filled with healthy bacteria to help aid in digestion.  Granola is an unprocessed, vitamin packed whole grain cereal with some fat to keep you satiated.

http://www.fageusa.com/Default.aspx?utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=greek%20yogurt&utm_content=SOzgFgScF|3125833880&utm_campaign=General

If you’re stuck in line at Starbucks or Duncan Doughnuts and absolutely have no idea what to get then breakfast makeover 5 may help.

Breakfast 5: Blueberry Muffin – Commercial muffins contain approximately 300-500 calories and saturated fat.  The low fat versions are filled with extra sugar to compensate for the lower fat content and have only slightly less calories.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0846/is_3_22/ai_92587669/

Makeover :  Croissant – It’s packed with butter but only contains 1/2 of the calories as a muffin and little or no sugar. You can make this lower calorie option slightly healthier by adding a fruit salad and a hard boiled egg.

I hope this newsletter has inspired you to go out there and eat some breakfast!

Like what you’re reading?  Have any suggestions or know anyone who would like to receive this newsletter e-mail stephanie@nutritiongal.com

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Welcome to Volume 4 of Nutritiongal’s newsletter!

One of the most disputed subjects in the food industry is protein – how much you need, what kind, vegetarian or animal protein, organic, free range or conventionally raised?  There are so many questions and too many answers. Self proclaimed gurus tell you it’s their way or the highway.  Who is right and who is wrong?

Let’s take a look a few points on protein.

Protein is an essential macro nutrient consisting of a complete chain of amino acids which assist your body in growth and repair.  Without it your cells cannot adequately receive the nutrition they need to maintain your bodily functions, such as, metabolic processes, cellular regeneration and the immune response, to name few. Protein also aids cellular functions in the break down of fat through thermogenesis.  It is obvious that protein plays an important role in our health.

The latest trend in the diet industry is to increase the consumption of protein but how much is too much?  Is eating high amounts of protein really good for the body?   Famous advocates of higher protein consumption, such as the late Dr. Robert Atkins, have been both revered and criticized and even perhaps misunderstood.  Dr. Atkin’s first phase for weight loss, Induction, in which the individual removes all sources of carbohydrates except for leafy greens was intended for overweight people with blood sugar issues in most cases.  Induction was meant to last for up to two weeks under the supervision of medical practitioner or a nutritionist.  Many people have taken this to the next level and maintained a no carb or extremely low carb diet for a prolonged period of time for quick weight loss, and experienced health problems, as a result, such as kidney disease etc…  In today’s society where we are constantly bombarded with more food than we can possibly consume, and the rising obesity epidemic it is no wonder that people may misconstrue one dietary theory and use it as a form a quick weight loss rather than a gradual shifting of eating patterns to produce more balanced way of eating that is easier to maintain. I digress….

http://www.atkins.com/Science.aspx

http://women.webmd.com/guide/high-protein-low-carbohydrate-diets

The amount of protein you needs depends on many factors, such as : gender, activity level, height, weight and age.  Generally speaking the amount of protein most nutritionists recommend for consumption is the size of the palm of your hand, which is one portion per meal.  If you are active you may require more protein to assist your body in building and repairing muscle.  If you are young you may require higher amounts of protein to assist in growth.  Generally speaking, males require higher amounts of protein than females due to their higher muscle content, and, thus, higher metabolisms.

How do you know for sure how much protein you need?  Aside from checking with your medical practitioner you can also experiment with different amounts and kinds of protein and see what works best for you . Try tuning into the signals your body is sending you.  If you feel tight, a bit dehydrated, lethargic, heavy and are having trouble with constipation you may be consuming too much protein. If you feel jittery or fatigued and are dreaming of eating chicken or snapping candy like it’s your job (sugar cravings) you may need to consider adding more protein to your diet.

You don’t have to be a vegetarian to consume adequate protein.  Some body builders with massive amounts of muscle are vegetarians.  Although non animal protein sources do not contain the complete chain of amino acids, you can obtain more than adequate protein in your diet by combining the different sources to make a complete protein meal, such as eating beans with rice or adding miso soup to a meal of vegetarian sushi.

Animal sources of protein :

1.) Eggs – free range contain more omega 3 fatty acids and promote the humane treatment of chicken

2.) Meat – chicken, beef, pork – Antibiotic, free range is more nutritious. Buffalo is a delicious, lean alternative to beef and high in omega 3 fatty acids.

http://www.cowboyfreerangemeat.com/

3.) Fish – ocean fish with low mercury content is more nutritious than farm raised and higher in omega 3s

4.) Dairy -for those that do not have dairy sensitivities dairy can be a good source of protein.  Look for organic to avoid consuming antibiotics and bovine growth hormone

http://www.stonyfield.com//ourproducts/OrganicYogurt.cfm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=organic%2Bdairy&utm_campaign=organic

Vegetarian sources of protein

1.) Tofu, tempeh, edamame – all made from soy – fermented sources of soy, such as tempeh are much easier to digest and have less hormonal isoflavins (a controversial subject that I will cover at a later time)

2.) Beans – mixed with brown or white rice make a complete protein. They are a great money saving source of protein.

3.) Nuts and nut butters – if going with peanut butter organic is best since conventionally grown peanuts contain the highest amounts of pesticides.

4.) Whey Protein Isolate – made form wheat gluten, many non meat sources, such as vegetarian chicken patties are made with this and are soy free.

5.) Seitan – also made from wheat gluten is a soy free complete protein source for those who do not have gluten intolerance

http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm

6.) Grains – rice, millet, quinoa, oats, buckwheat – quinoa is especially high in protein.

Check out this article on the best and worst sources of vegetarian and non vegetarian protein and decide for yourself!

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/top-ten-protein-sources/

Sincerely,

The Nutritiongal

Like what you’re reading?  Have any suggestions or know anyone who would like to receive this newsletter e-mail stephanie@nutritiongal.com

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