Olestra shock

I have been wanting to blog about Olestra for awhile now. Olestra, also known for the brand name "Olean" is a fat substitute that has no calories, no fat and no cholesterol. It was used to replace the fat in traditionally high fat food like potato chips. The popular Frito lay product "WOW" chips contain Olestra.



Developed by Procter and Gamble, olestra actually showed to lower cholesterol in a study that was approved by the FDA. However, do you see how this can quickly backfire? If people know the product contains no fat, they are more likely to eat "top of the pyramid" foods, aka junk, which contain little to no nutrients so in turn actually not being a healthy choice at all. PLUS we need some fat like MUFA's and PUFA's in order to absord fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. If there is no fat in a product, then you can fortify it all you want with those vitamins...they won't be absorbed well. Olestra pretty much only addressed the fat issue and Americans would eat more of the olestra product because of the fat calories they would save overall, but that just defeats the purpose!

Another thing that's messed up about Olestra is that many people experience diarrhea after consumption because its practically a laxative. I don't know about you, but I don't want to worry about sitting on the toilet for an hour after eating chips that probably don't taste that great anyway. Overall, Olestra is not the smartest way to improve your overall health.

On a side note, if you order Gingerale at restaurants, they don't actually have real gingerale; it's actually sprite with a splash of coke, so don't be fooled by the restaurant industry's tricky ways to save some Washingstons..

Another Mary Recipe

Black Bean, Barley and Greens Soup

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

* 8 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
* 1 cup of chopped red onions
* 2 cups of chopped turnip, collared greens or escarole (if frozen, defrosted)
* 2 cups of cooked black beans (drained and rinsed)
* 2 cups of cooked barley
* 6 to 8 cups of vegetable broth

Directions:

Heat the olive oil on medium and add the chopped onion. Cook 3 to 5 minutes. Add the turnip and greens, stir to coat with oil and cook about 5 minutes. Add the black beans and stir into the vegetables. Add the barley and broth.

Serve with one slice of whole grain bread.

Per serving:

* 465 calories; 545 calories (with bread)
* 1 vegetable
* 2 starches

This recipe is a "Mary's Meal," based on the work of Mary Flynn, PhD, registered dietitian at The Miriam Hospital and co-author of Low Fat Lies
Learn more about Mary's Meals.

Red potatoes vs. White potatoes

So I have been telling my clients that it is healthier to use red potatoes versus your generic white potato because I know in some ways it's healthier, but I decided to research their nutrient content to actually compare the difference health wise. I also want to challenge those obsessed with the Atkins diet and prove that the potato is an amazingly healthy vegetable and not some evil carb in french fries and potato chips.



What I found to be interesting is that the nutrient content of the red and white potato are generally similar, but the red potato is less starchy and more "waxy." This means that the red potato is better for using in potato salad and for boiling because it holds together much better.



I also found that potatoes are not only are a carb, but they can contain up to 7 grams of protein, which is awesome. However, it is said that the darker the veggie, the better because the skin is where most of the nutrients are, so when you peel the skin off a red potato, you are losing most of the nutrients. The skin is loaded with fiber and has a lower Glycemic index (lower ability to increase blood sugar rapidly) than the skin of a white potato. This helps the Diabetics and weight loss fanatics out there. As you can see from the graph above, the potato has a significant amount of nutrients that may surprise you. When people think Vit C, I'm sure their first guess wouldn't be a potato, it would probably be an orange. I also found a study that really surprised me and I wanted to share an excerpt from it.

"Potatoes' reputation as a high-carb, white starch has removed them from the meals of many a weight-conscious eater, but this stereotype is due for a significant overhaul. A new analytical method developed by Agricultural Research Service plant geneticist Roy Navarre has identified 60 different kinds of phytochemicals and vitamins in the skins and flesh of 100 wild and commercially grown potatoes. Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds' phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers. Navarre's team also identified potatoes with high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, quercetin and kukoamines. These last compounds, which have blood pressure lowering potential, have only been found in one other plant, Lycium chinense (a.k.a., wolfberry/gogi berry). How much kukoamine is needed for a blood pressure lowering effect in humans must be assessed before it can be determined whether an average portion of potatoes delivers enough to impact cardiovascular health. Still, potatoes' phytochemical profiles show it's time to shed their starch-only image; spuds-baked, steamed or healthy sautéed but not fried-deserve a place in your healthy way of eating."

Phytochemical Profilers Investigate Potato Benefits,"Agricultural Research, September 2007http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep07/potato0907.htm

So this basically says that red potatoes have phytochemicals that act as antioxidants and have nutrients that are associated with lowering blood pressure!!

To conclude, based on your cooking purposes and needs I fully recommend either white, red, golden or sweet potato either baked, boiled, mashed or sauteed (not fried) in moderation for a healthy addition to your diet.

Jamie Oliver update

I am writing about Jamie Oliver just to give an update on his show and how amazing it is.

So Jamie Oliver has entered one Huntington, WV elementary school and started cooking foods from scratch. These kids were very used to eating pizza for breakfast and only drinking strawberry or chocolate flavored milk, so this was a HUGE change. The kids obviously reacted negatively at first because its a change and they are just kids, so it takes time for a positive change to settle in. I don't think the adults in the school system realize that. They think that if the kids don't like it right away, then they never will. That's bs, and I think we all know that. One cook in the kitchen, named Alice, really hates Jamie and doesn't want him coming into her kitchen changing things that "don't need change." Rhonda, the USDA rep also is skeptical about Jamie's purpose. I guess the USDA has some bs regulations about having 2 carb sources at every meal and 1 cup of veggies, but french fries count as a veggie AND a carb. This is what America has turned into...

Jamie went into a Huntington, WV high school where he gathered 10 students that believed in his cause and wanted to help him in his kitchen that he opened up in the town. One girl said she has been struggling with her weight her entire life and was told that she has spots on her liver, giving her only 7 more years of life. It was really devastating to watch because every time she talked about it, she would just start crying and couldn't stop. Those kids all had interesting stories of why they chose to help Jamie and it gave the show a lot of substance.

Jamie also had an initial negative persona coming into town because of Rod Willis. The Dogg radio talk show host Rod Willis absolutely hated Jamie at first, but then Jamie kinda put it all in perspective for him by showing the harsh reality of obesity and what it does financially, emotionally and physically. Rod then bet Jamie that if he got 1,000 people to come into his kitchen and cook within 5 days, he would buy Jamie a beer. I don't know how Jamie did it, but he managed to get 1,000 people by day 5 and gained Rob's respect and friendship through it all. I was very impressed, but at the same time, it aaaalmost looked staged. Almost. Nevertheless, Jamie definitely impressed a lot of people.

One last thing I wanted to mention about the last episode was that Jamie convinced the high school to serve his wholesome made-from-scratch food along with having a separate line for french fries and processed crap. In choosing Jamie's line, this meant he would be able to convince Rhonda to let him continue the food revolution in other schools as well. The high schoolers were way more open minded since they hopped right into Jamie's line and no one wanted the stupid fries anymore. They actually had to replace that crap with Jamie's food, so he got to open up all 4 lines and everyone loved it. Rhonda was impressed, so he got the go-ahead to move onto other schools! Jamie's journey continues and the Food Revolution is spreading!

Does anyone want to go to West Virginia with me and help Jamie Oliver? I really want to go and meet him and tell him how he has truly made me excited about nutrition. People are starting to realize just how important it is now that food science has entered the dark side. Sooo, let's go!

Colorado Springs

For those of you who read my blog...I adore you because this is the biggest news I have so far; probably because I have been waiting for this moment for 5 years now. I got accepted to the Penrose-St. Francis Health Services Dietetic Internship in Colorado Springs, CO, which I believe starts end of August/early September, so YES! I get to play RIPUL! I am very excited to start my new journey in life. This move is exciting, but its also very intimidating and hard for me because I get very attached to the people in my life, so I will miss all my beloved friends and co-workers so very much. I do want everyone to either take a road trip to come see me or fly out to stay with me...either one, but I DO except visits! I will not pay for your plane ticket, but since I plan on applying for Food Stamps, I will feed you! I also think its awesome that I get to see Michelle, Kevin and Fred a lot more often! I also will be living at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and be amongst the UCCS students in the community, so I will meet plenty of new people and snowboard my face off every weekend! I believe I am 1 of 4-6 interns in the program, so I consider myself extremely lucky. Anyway, I will really miss all of you and I am going to savor my last summer in RI for awhile. Eeyalata!

Jamie Oliver is my hero!

I think one of the greatest and most exciting shows for me as a health professional is coming to ABC this Friday at 8 pm. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. This show is "brilliant" because it makes us aware of Huntington, W. Va's statistical reputation for the highest death rates in the U.S., and the world, related to chronic diseases that stem from obesity. I have been waiting for this specific show for a very long time. Sure there's the Biggest Loser and shows that clearly depict America's poor food choices, but Jamie Oliver hit it right on point. Jamie is compassionate, determined, selfless, knowledgeable and most importantly...motivating.

Just to give a background of Jamie...he is a British chef who transformed the British school lunch program by proving that he can serve healthy cost effective foods that children would actually enjoy eating. This man is so compassionate, he put up his house as collateral which funded the "Fifteen Foundation" which gave 15 disadvantaged young adults (each year) with criminal records and drug abuse, the opportunity to train in restaurants as hospitality reps. His "Feed me Better" campaign in the UK was so riveting that he was rewarded "Most inspiring Political Figure of 2005." The list really does go on, but I will spare you because it's long! The point is that Jamie is an amazing person who really does care about making a positive and healthy behavior change to better the lives of others.

Jamie's new show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is important to watch no matter how healthy or unhealthy you think you are. It shows how this community of Huntington, WV is very stuck in their ways and won't make a change for just anyone. Hell, from watching the pilot, it seems like the president himself couldn't make these people budge. The point is, they have lack of information and honestly, lack of WANTING to learn the information. That is the biggest problem of them all. Sure you can go into a school and change their menu all you want, but if the people don't want that change, then forget it. Jamie is going to show these people that what they are serving their children will decrease their life span and years of quality of life. They will not die from natural causes and they will live with self image issues for the rest of their lives. It truly makes me sad to see that people choose to look ignorant in front of all of America and refuse any advice that might change their lifestyle for the better in the least bit. This is why people like Jamie exist to properly inform those that need a little push in the right direction. Like I always say to the pregnant women I counsel..."We aren't here to force you to breast feed, we are here to provide you with the right information and support for whatever decision you choose to make.." Now doesn't that sound better than..."Breast feed or else your child will be fat, ugly and bowlegged...?" Yah...that's what I thought.

I think the world of Nutrition is becoming more and more exciting because I get to help more people make a positive change, but at the same time, it upsets me that the numbers keep growing. I guess that's the paradox of the nutrition world. I'm just glad there are people like Jamie who see the potential in us all!

http://abc.go.com/watch/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/250784/254757/episode-101

Clarification

So, it was brought to my attention yesterday that people may not be familiar with saturated fat versus UNsaturated fat. I think most of you know that we want to limit the amount of saturated fat we intake in our diet, but then whats this unsaturated fat I speak of? How is that healthy?

Well saturated fat is hard at room temperature and is not essential for the body and is also loaded with cholesterol.

Unsaturated fat is actually "healthy" fat because it contains Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are broadly classified as Polyunsaturated fat. These are actually known as essential fats, meaning our body can't produce them so we need them from our diet! We really do need them....I swear. So get those double bonds in your diet and screw you saturated fat.

Yes, more Oil!

Ou! Ou! Ou! I have been trying to find this picture for awhile now and I finally got it! You can actually see what kind of fat you are eating in each type of cooking oil.



As you can see from the graph, Canola oil is superior because not only does it have the least amount of saturated fat, but a damn good balance of poly and monunsaturated fat. As you can also see, olive oil is awesome because it has a lot of monounsaturated fat, which we as Americans, lack in our diet.

What's the difference in Olive Oils?

I always look at the ADA website eatright.org for nutrition information I wouldn't know otherwise. Since reading Mary's article on a healthy diet, I kinda wanted to know more about extra virgin olive oil and this is what I found...

Research suggests cooking with olive oil can be beneficial to your health. Its monounsaturated fat content can help lower LDL, or "bad" blood cholesterol.

The question then becomes: which type of olive oil to use?

Olive oil comes in a number of varieties, including virgin, light and extra virgin. All are the same in terms of fat content, either types of fat or total amounts of fat.

The difference in olive oils lies mostly in the flavor. Extra virgin olive oil is low in acid, resulting in a fruity flavor and aroma, so you don't need to use as much to enjoy the flavor.

Virgin olive oil is more acidic, meaning you need to use more to get the distinct olive oil flavor. Light olive oil is lighter in color and flavor.

Whichever type of olive oil you prefer, remember they all have something else in common: They are all high in total fat and calories, so go easy on portions.

-eatright.org

I'm actually really glad I know all of this now...

A Mary recipe!

I will be posting some of Mary's recipes on this blog for people to try. Let me know if you try it and how it tastes!

Spinach, beans and whole wheat pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 1/3 cup cannellini bean (drained and rinsed well)
• 1/2 cup frozen, chopped spinach (defrosted and drained)
• 1 cup of "petite diced" or crushed tomatoes
• 2 ounces of whole wheat pasta (dry weight)

Optional: Fresh herbs, (rosemary, basil and thyme) salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat a large pot of salted water to cook the pasta. When the water boils, cook the pasta. Heat the olive oil on low. Add the pressed garlic and stir to combine. Heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the defrosted, drained spinach and heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the drained, rinsed cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper and any herbs. Stir in the canned tomatoes. Heat until the pasta is cooked. You can add some pasta water if it dries out. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Per serving:

• 540 calories
• 3 vegetables (2 tomatoes, 1 spinach)
• 3 starches ( 2 whole wheat pasta, 1 legumes)

This recipe is a "Mary's Meal," based on the work of Mary Flynn, PhD, registered dietitian at The Miriam Hospital and co-author of Low Fat Lies

What is considered a healthy diet?

Most of you may consider diets to be unhealthy. When most of us think of the word "diet" we automatically think caloric or food group restriction. However, the word diet should simply mean your way of eating. Have you ever sat down and thought about how your diet is affecting your health? It really does make a difference and that's why there are dietitians to provide nutrition therapy to those suffering from cancer, ulcerative colitis, pancreatitis, AIDS, diabetes or alcoholism. The list goes on.

Anyway, back on topic...

Mary Flynn is an RD who works at Miriam and co-authored the book Low Fat Lies. I think she has some great insight on what a healthy diet is.

Portion control
Although Mary says portion control is important, especially for those restaurant goers, I think that eating smaller more frequent meals is better because it keeps metabolism active instead of slowing down. Also, those that drink a lot of water also exhibit better appetite control.

Dietary Fat in the form of extra virgin olive oil
Mary states that a meal containing fat will keep you from becoming hungry sooner after the meal and this is called satiety. Mary says that extra virgin olive oil is a fat that has been shown to decrease blood pressure, fasting insulin and glucose, oxidation and inflammation, which are all risk factors for heart disease and some cancers. 2 tablespoons a day is where the health benefits start.

Although I agree with Mary on this one, I prefer canola oil because although it contains more saturated fat than olive oil, it has more equal parts of both polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) and monounsaturated fat (MUFA). So I think that is actually better and it is way more versatile for cooking because who wants to fry their chicken in olive oil? Yuck!

Also, dietary fat helps absorb carotenoids, because it is the fat soluble Vit A and it can be found in dark vegetables. Carotenoids have been shown to help decrease the risk of some cancers. Mary is saying that steaming veggies with a little olive oil is going to have double the benefits, and add a taste factor. This I agree with. Steam your vegetables with a little olive oil and cook your meats with canola oil and you are already on your way to a healthier diet.

At least 2 servings of a healthy vegetable
Notice she said "healthy" vegetable...so no...white potatoes are NOT considered a healthy vegetable. "Vegetables, like all plant products, contain phytonutrients. Phyotnutrients protect the plant from its surroundings. In humans, phytonutrients have been shown to have properties that could explain why diets high in plant products have been related to better health. Phytonutrients have been shown to decrease oxidation and inflammation, and help to stop cancers from starting or spreading and many other health promoting properties."- Mary Flynn.

Mary is HUGE on vegetables. She again goes into carotenoids and how the darker the veggie, the more of it there is. So couple those dark greens with olive oil and you will be all set. A serving of veggies is a 1/2 cup, but she wants us to eat 4 servngs a day! I don't know about you, but I don't think I have room for 4 servings a day. I will stick to 2.

Only 2-3 servings of starch
This is good advice because Americans naturally overeat on carbs, so for those of you who believe in the Atkins diet, I'm sorry, but it is actually proven to be unhealthy! Carbs are good in moderation! Just like anything else! Can you tell I'm very against the Atkins diet? My own Nutrition professors say there is research to back up its uneffectiveness.

Whole grains
I believe this is something I myself keep a close eye on in my diet and am doing very well with. Mary states that whole grains are not refined, so they don't contain unnecessary sugars. These include brown rice and foods made with whole wheat flour. Whole grains are associated with lower body weight with less weight gain over time. "Whole grains can slow absorption of carbohydrate, so blood glucose levels rise slower." So that is good for the prevention and control of diabetes. However, have you ever had cookies made with whole wheat flour or whole wheat pasta? Siigh, it's just not the same! So that is going to need a serious marketing change to convince America that health outweighs taste. Good luck!!

Legumes (beans)
"Legumes include black, cannelloni, garbanzo (ceci) and kidney beans and lentils. Legumes are a very healthy vegetable protein and are high in fiber. Legumes contain fiber and phytonutrients that help to decrease heart disease and certain cancers." Great for vegetarians and meat lovers a like. We all need protein and beans are definitely healthy, but the catch is...don't buy them canned!! That defeats the purpose!

Well I hope that was helpful for those of you that care. I think Mary left out fruits, but those should definitely be eaten daily and I think most people would agree, but not follow, which is ok. Baby steps...

Everyone else can do it, why can't I?

I have decided to start a blog because I find more and more nutrition topics and issues I want to share. I find a lot of useful information and I think if people really care, they will benefit from the it. I also kinda want to talk about random stuff every once in awhile too because nutrition is NOT the be all end all of life and becoming a Dietitian is not either. Sorry for those of you who put them so high up on a pedestal. I want to become one, but if that never happens, think of the millions of other options I have to do with my life! Anyway, I plan on moving in July to some far off land wherever my life may take me. I have decided that even if I don't get into an internship, I have saved up way too much money to stay in RI. If anyone wants to move with me, I would be honored. If not, have fun in little old RI. I will miss you all.