No Food Police!

Well, thank God there is no food police out there to dictate what you should and shouldn't eat for Thanksgiving! For the first time, our extended family was unavailable to celebrate with us on the actual day, so my husband, Jeff, and I decided to do something unique. We had a Mexican feast! I come from a long line of traditions being of Italian decendant, and we even honored the word "tradition" especially when it came to eating and food. Every Thanksgiving of my life entails eating a traditional turkey-like meal with all the fixings. So this was quite fun to deviate from tradition and eat something completely different. Jeff and I had a really good time cooking together. We balanced the calories by choosing low-fat cheeses, low-fat sour cream for our enchilada sauce and skinless chicken breast. The chips we ate with our Mexican meal were baked and the beans were naturally fat-free. Overall, it was a pretty balanced meal and was even enjoyed by our 2 young children.

This "food police" thought process reminds me of when I meet with many of my clients that skip breakfast daily. They do so simply because they don't like traditional breakfast food. In the U.S., we have regulations on food safety and labeling guidelines on food labels, but we don't have a regulatory agency that tells us that you must eat what the majority of people consider as breakfast food when it's breakfast, and you must eat traditional lunch and dinner food. This sounds silly when we actually think about it, but what crazy food rules do you find yourself obeying without realizing it? Think about it because it may be keeping you from meeting a healthy lifestyle goal. If one of your goals is to eat breakfast on a daily basis and you don't like the traditional breakfast fare, grab something you will eat. It may be a tuna sandwich and a salad or maybe even some of last night's dinner. Great! The bigger goal is to aim for choosing a variety of nutrient-rich foods as much as possible, and keeping your calories spaced throughout the day. This provides much flexibility. Hey, this gives me an idea for tonight's dinner....spinach and tomato omelette, anyone??

Not Worth It In My Calorie Budget

Yesterday I went to see the movie New Moon. Great movie! But I found myself wishing there were some food options other than movie theatre popcorn, nachos and hot dogs. I went to see the 10:10 a.m. showing and I was getting hungry. My Kashi granola bar snack on the way didn't seem to be carrying me until lunch time. The truth is that I really don't like the taste of the foods offered, so they weren't worth my calorie budget. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) did nutrition analyses on movie popcorn and found that, depending on size, it costed people anywhere from 1/4 to a full day's worth of a person's calorie budget! Now, I like to stay away from food scare tactics in general, but when it comes to calorie balance you need to think about it. Since I do not like the extra greasy taste of movie theatre popcorn anyway, this was an easy decision for me. Fortunately for me, I was able to get some lunch afterwards so I wasn't hungry for long. Is movie theatre popcorn worth it to you? Then plan accordingly. The problem is that people don't often think this way throughout the day and at end of the week, they've considerably overspent their calories. When it comes to movie popcorn, it's a tradition for them. They go to the movie, and they get their popcorn and favorite drink and even maybe some movie candy. It's what they've done for years and it is part of the fabric of their movie experience. It's not even that the movie food they get is that tasty to them!Be careful making these "traditional" decisions over and over in your life. They may just be contributing to your caloric excess.

I like to think about eating plans not unlike a financial plans. In your financial plan, you have line items that are necessary for you to live on and there are also items - if allowable in the calorie budget- that you purchase that are considered "splurges." If you live an active life with regular physical activity and movement within your activities of daily living, your budget may be larger with more allowance for those splurges. But all in all, your financial plan should be balanced so that you don't send yourself into financial ruin. Every personal eating plan allows each person a specific amount of calories that the body needs to live off of, and if you choose to spend more calories than your body needs then you get into debt that manifests in weight gain. Maybe this is an interesting concept that will help you along your healthy lifestyle adventure. Think about it and make changes where necessary. Here's to balanced eating budgets!

Mad Debating over Flavored Milk!

Wow, the debate is fierce! I mentioned in my first blog post that I recently did an interview with the San Antonio Express-News on the topic of flavored milks. Should kids drink it or avoid it? Well, the story ran in Sunday's edition and can be viewed at mysanantonio.com. You'll find it very interesting to see a specific comment after the article on a quote that was specifically from me. What I told the reporter is that we agree with the ADA Total Diet Approach Position Paper where there are no "good" or "bad" foods. We look at eating patterns rather than one single food. The USDA's Food Guide Pyramid allows for a small amount of discretionary calories (an avg of 12-16% of total calories) in a person's diet. This allows for flexibility in an individual's eating patterns to allow for some added sugars and at the same time, the ability to achieve all vitamins and minerals through a well rounded diet. I stressed that we encourage nutrient-rich eating overall and by that I mean getting the most 'bang' for your calorie buck. If a child drinks milk with added sugars, the parent needs to figure that into their daily eating pattern. In my practice, I am very concerned about calcium and Vitamin D intakes among children and adolescents, so we need to allow for some flexibility in order to achieve their needs. Balance and moderation is the key.

The problem with my quote is that it was not expanded upon like I did above, and they may not have given enough information for the angered reader. People, we have got to have a moderate approach to food if we are going to be successful in our individual lives and the lives of our families! Truth be told, I do not typically serve flavored milk at my home. My children drink white milk happily, and it's the drink of choice at most of our meals. However, my kindergarten daughter reports that she chooses strawberry milk when she purchases her meals at school about 2-3 times per week (other days she brings her lunch with white milk to drink). This helps in naturally balancing out her discretionary calories. I am happy to report that she also tells me that she often eats the vegetables that are served to her as well! Again, it goes back to modeling good eating behaviors and serving a variety of foods in the home. When your child is free to choose on their own, most likely it will be much like the foods that they are used to eating at their home. So, chill out...with some white, chocolate or strawberry milk. Just keep it balanced.

Livin' It Like YOU!

I get variations of this type of question all the time: "What is like to be a dietitian? Do you just eat vegetables all day long?" I enjoy hearing the stereotypes. There are stereotypes of all professions and mine is no different. The truth is that I am doing life just like you. Healthy lifestyles in action are not perfection by any means. At its core they have good intentions and are always willing to balance. I have an active consulting practice, my husband works long hours out of the home and we have 2 small children that need constant TLC. Flexibility must occur or else this ship will not run!

I do read a lot on food, exercise and disease prevention in addition to seeing clients on a regular basis with the effects of good or not-so-good lifestyle patterns. So I am reminded of this healthy lifestyle thing all the time, which helps me stay on track with my own efforts. But I am not legalistic. When I first became interested in nutrition before I went to school for this profession, I was that way. Back then it was the fat-free craze. Remember that back in the '90's? I thought that if I ate anything with fat, it would surely go to my thighs. It's no different to the no-carb craze that has been lingering in recent years. Our society loves to scare us with very bad advice that really messes up our psyche' when attempting good, consistent behaviors. Once I was educated, I became very angry at the media because they told the wrong story of what healthy eating patterns really look like. It still happens to this day. They still tout "good" and "bad" foods and they take turns picking out foods that will surely kill you and everyone you know. This frustration with the media has fueled my involvement in being a media spokesperson in my profession. I spend a lot of time in interviews explaining the concept of moderation and monitoring food patterns vs. individual foods. It's a concept that many people have trouble understanding. But if you can 'digest' this concept fully and trust it in action, you are closer to getting the key to a healthy lifestyle. When it comes to food, exercise and anything else that promotes healthy behaviors that directly effect your health this is a tried and true concept.

I love French fries!!!! Here's a good example. I can pass up cake and ice cream any day of the week, but I love French fries; also along the same lines, I love a good buttery baked potato, hash browns or any other type of potato similar to these foods. Even when I was a young girl, my mother still laughs at how we'd go out to dinner, I would order some type of potato - usually a baked potato with lots of butter and salt. It's in my blood!! And today, these things are something that I enjoy about once a week without any guilt whatsoever. And with the French fries, I usually eat it with a nice, juicy hamburger! So, if you see me out there eating this don't be surprised. But if you were to watch me eat over a week's time, you'll also see that I do adore all types of produce, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat dairy. My healthy favorite foods include guacamole, grape tomatoes, hummus, almonds, almond butter with fruit and spinach salad. My patterns sway back and forth from what you would consider a model pattern to some days that are not as balanced. But I am always cognicent of it since its what I do for others. I enjoy minimally processed foods, but I also don't freak out when I eat something from a box. I do not drink my calories - other than an occasional alcoholic beverage - and I rarely eat sweets (remember? I am salt!). This is what works for me. What works for you? Your patterns by no means need to be like mine, but think BALANCE. Stop feeling guilty about the foods you love and have always loved, but instead find a way to enjoy them along with other great, nutrient-rich foods.

I linked a great resource website called Nutrition.gov on my blog because it is a storehouse of awesome advice provided by our government. That site links to many other reputable sites. Check it out!

First Blog!

How exciting! I've entered the world of blogging. My goals with this blog include showing my clients and blog followers the ebb and flow of a dietitian's own healthy lifestyle ventures, hopefully some funny stories along the way and maybe even some practical education and tips. I have a private nutrition consulting business and am also a mother of 2 young children and wife to an amazing husband. But all this juggling takes work! I know that many of you have a crazy busy life as well. Hopefully we can stay encouraged together in this process.

So, my day started off pretty good. I managed to get my 5 year old off to Kindergarten and my 2 year old dropped off at daycare. The weather here in Dallas is just gorgeous, so I enjoyed a short run and then came back to a media inquiry email on chocolate milk for children. I contacted the reporter in San Antonio and we discussed this seemingly controversial topic. Wonder what my stance is? I'll include a link to the story when it runs this weekend.

Now, off to do a lunch and learn on "Walking Your Way to Better Health." Do you have your pedometers on??