By Paula Hendricks - Nutritionist on April 1, 2009
Go to our home page and scroll down on the right hand side of the site to find the Food Choice Tables that accompany the Did You Know – Spring 2009 quarterly handout: Vegetable Choice table and Other Carbohydrates Choice table.
By Paula Hendricks - Nutritionist on April 1, 2009
PRODUCTS & SPECIALS
· Special Protein of the Month: Pink lemonade for spring is on sale. Sale price $9.90 for a box of 7.
· Special Supplement of the Month: Extended Sale due to popularity. Buy a bottle of Super Omega-3 EPA/DHA with Sesame Lignans and Olive Fruit Extract on sale for $27, 15% off original price of $32. (EPA 350 mg/DHA 250 mg per capsule, 120 capsules per bottle). Read below about the benefits of omega-3s. .
· New Protein Product: Peanut Butter Bar. Ask for a sample while in the office. Tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup but only 150 calories and always 15 grams of protein. It is delicious! $12 for a box of 7.
· Coming Soon! If you are a fan of the Shake N Go products, Proticcino and Lemon Razzy, you will love this new flavor – Grapefruit. Tasting notes from staff: very refreshing, thirst quenching, and light. In store for sale soon.
FROM THE DOCTOR
Protein is an important part of daily nutrition for every meal and snack. One can fulfill nutrient needs on a once-a-day basis for fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals since the body has mechanisms for storage of each of these nutrients; however, the body has no similar ability to store a daily protein supply. To maintain healthy muscles and bones for adults, it is critical to consume at least 30 grams of protein at both the morning and evening meals, and smaller doses of protein snacks throughout the day.
30 grams at the breakfast meal is critically important in order to stop the protein breakdown occurring after an overnight fast and to renew protein building. Between meal protein snacks of 15 grams are typically sufficient to continue protein renewal in the intervals between the two larger meals. 30 grams at the evening meal assures continuation of protein building after workouts and daily activities.
30 grams of protein at breakfast is also critical to suppress appetite and help decrease daily food intake. In other words, if you eat 30 grams of protein for breakfast, you will be less hungry all day and will likely eat fewer total calories.
Protein intake should be of high quality, rich in leucine, iso-leucine, and valine, the branched chain amino acids. High quality protein can be found in meat, egg, and milk products. Vegetable protein has much lower amounts of the branched chain amino acids, is not of high quality, and is inferior for starting protein building and in starting the metabolism of sugars and other carbohydrates. Our Advice – Always get your daily protein quota and always start with 30 grams for breakfast within an hour after you awaken.
FROM THE NUTRITIONIST
· Pick up a copy of the following today in our office or go to our website and download:
* Recipe of the Month – Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms. Great portion-controlled meal for a gathering or for multiple dinners – you can cook it in the oven or on the grill outside.
* Quarterly Newsletter – Spring 2009 “Did you know following a low-carbohydrate lifestyle can liberate you from diabetes, arthritis and obesity and from health problems associated with elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar?” Download this informative newsletter to learn more about which carbohydrates to eat, which ones to avoid, and how to find the “Net Carbs” in foods.
· Save Money – Invest in your Health Today. Weight loss saves dieters money and much more. Losing weight and getting healthy will help cut your costs for medical appointments, missed time from work, and prescription medications to name a few. By reducing your weight, you will spend less on food especially if you eat breakfast at home, pack a lunch, and plan your dinners wisely. What if you were laid off work today? Wouldn’t you be more optimistic about your chances of finding a new job easier if you were closer to an ideal weight instead of overweight and unhealthy? A potential employer may think so. Invest in your health and save money today.
· Supplement with Omega-3s. Consuming a healthy diet with a lower intake of saturated fats (butter, fatty beef, etc.), a higher intake of certain monounsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, etc.), and supplementing with marine-based omega-3 fatty acids provides huge cardio-protective benefits, in addition to reduced symptoms associated with inflammatory diseases (arthritis, allergies, asthma, etc.), attention deficit disorder, depression, and compromised immune systems. Our Advice – Consume at least 2 servings of omega-3 rich fish (salmon, etc.) each week in addition to supplementing with marine lipids to provide your body with at least 1400 mg EPA/1000 mg DHA daily ( i.e. 4 capsules daily but you can skip the supplements on the days you consume omega-3 rich fish).
By Paula Hendricks - Nutritionist on April 1, 2009
Following a low-carbohydrate lifestyle can liberate you from diabetes, arthritis and obesity and from health problems associated with elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. You will feel better, look better,
and live a healthier life.
If this is so, then why do so many people fall off a low-carb diet? To sum it up, one word – bread. Who can resist a warm crusty piece of bread with butter? Tough, but you can. Does following a low-carb eating style mean you can never eat bread again? No, but you will want to stay away from bread and other high carb foods while on a low-carb, optimum protein weight loss program. After you have learned to maintain a healthy weight and feel confident in your ability to control your carbohydrate intake, you can eat these foods again but only occasionally – at a restaurant – not at home where you will be tempted over and over. In the meantime, try some new foods, new flavors and enjoy the healthy feeling and new look you will soon have.
Carbohydrates – what you should eat and what you should avoid –
Carbohydrates are from plants and appear in the Western Diet in the form of vegetables, fruits, legumes and grains (processed pasta, cereals, breads and sugar.) Because carbohydrates vary greatly in their nutritional value and fiber content, one must be savvy about choosing the best carbohydrates for successful weight loss, long-term health and weight management. How? By eliminating the worst offenders, those high-carb, low-fiber, processed foods that contain empty calories and by choosing low carb, high fiber, nutritionally-rich foods. Sound boring? Doesn’t need to be – there are many delicious low-carb foods and cookbooks on how to prepare these delicious good-for-you carbohydrates.
The very best carbohydrate choices are found in nature, are unprocessed, and contain dietary fiber. Fiber-rich carbohydrates are lower in calories, contain vitamins and minerals, help reduce cholesterol levels, reduce fluctuations in blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity, and help keep the intestinal tract moving. Fiber-rich carbohydrates produce satiety, help control hunger, and should always be a large part of your daily diet.
Ever notice when you eat a piece of bread, you are never full and can eat two or three more pieces even when your meal is finished? Most breads have minimal fiber and without the fiber to bulk your stomach up, you never feel full, you keep eating, and typically overeat. This is what happens when you consume processed foods full of empty calories.
If you want to bulk up your stomach, feel full and satisfied without the high carbohydrate burden, choose vegetable carbohydrates. Most vegetables are naturally low in calories, high in fiber and water content, rich in vitamins and minerals, and are the best carbohydrate choice for weight loss and long-term maintenance. Most legume carbohydrates have fiber and contain some protein, and some whole grains contain fiber and some protein but typically come with a higher calorie burden. Most whole grain foods are not good sources of fiber compared to the total carbohydrate grams. Few fruits have high fiber content but can be rich in vitamins and minerals. Choosing low-carb, or low sugar foods, will provide you with the best nutritional value overall. Attached are two tables: Vegetable Serving Choices and Other Carbohydrates Choices. These tables give the serving size, grams of carbohydrates and fiber per serving, and the net effective carbs for each food item. These tables will help you in choosing the right low-carb, high fiber foods.
How to count carbs on a low-carb diet and find the
“Net Effective Carbohydrate” intake on a food label –
Dietary fiber is not absorbed in the GI tract and therefore, has no caloric impact on the body. When counting carbohydrates for a low-carb eating style, you should subtract dietary fiber grams from total carbohydrate grams. What remains is the “Net Effective Carbs,” the total carbohydrates grams after dietary fiber grams have been subtracted. To find the Net Effective Carbohydrates on a nutritional label, look at the example below. The following nutritional label is for one “Mission brand Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Size” tortilla.
|
Serving Size – 1 tortilla (28 grams) |
Grams per Serving |
|
Calories per Serving |
80 |
|
Fat Grams |
2 |
|
Total Carbohydrate Grams |
12 |
|
- Dietary Fiber - Sugars |
8 0 |
|
Protein Grams |
3 |
- each carbohydrate gram equals 4 calories.
Total carbohydrates above = 12 grams. Subtract dietary fiber, 8 grams, from total carbohydrate grams, which leaves 4 grams of net carbohydrates. This Mission brand Carb Balance tortilla contains “4 net effective carbs,” 8 grams of fiber, and a net caloric serving of 48 calories. For a processed grain product, this is an excellent high-fiber, low-carb, low calorie choice.
Never assume a food label is correct without doing the math yourself. In addition to dietary fiber, many food manufacturers deduct other sugars, such as sugar alcohols, to determine the “net carbs.” Only deduct fiber grams when counting carbs – all other carbohydrates count.
“Vegetable Choice” and “Other Carbohydrate Choices” tables for low-carb counting -
For the VLCD (Very Low Carbohydrate Diet), stick to the Vegetable Serving Choices table to obtain the best low-carb, high fiber foods. For the LCD (Low-Carb Diet) and MD (Maintenance Diet), use both tables when counting total carbs for the day. Consume more amounts of low carbohydrate, high fiber foods as listed on Vegetable Serving table every day for optimum nutrition, fiber intake, and weight management. Be careful not to consume foods with high grams of carbohydrates when looking for fiber intake. Some of the foods listed on the Other Carbohydrate Choices are not the best choices but are there for you to make comparisons. Always stick to the prescribed carbohydrate grams outlined in your Key Diet book.
Daily fiber intake – how much should you be consuming? -
For long-term maintenance, we recommend a minimum intake of 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. However, when on a carbohydrate restricted diet such as the VLCD or LCD, it will be difficult to consume this amount without going over your prescribed net carbohydrate intake. But, you can get close by consuming the highest fiber vegetables possible while staying within your limit. Remember, the weight loss diet is temporary. If you need more fiber while dieting, supplement with an over-the-counter fiber product or use the Bios-Life supplement we carry in the office. Consuming higher amounts of water and engaging in daily exercise will also help prevent constipation.
Our Advice – When counting carbs, deduct only dietary fiber from total carbohydrate grams to get the Net Effective Carbs. Always choose more high-fiber, low carb foods for long term weight management.
Paula Hendricks, BS, Nutritionist
By Paula Hendricks - Nutritionist on April 1, 2009
Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms – Serves Four
This dish has an elegant presentation, tastes delicious, and is portion controlled. What more could you want in a healthy meal? Enjoy with a side salad on the LCD and MD Key Diets.
Ingredients you will need:
Instructions to prepare:
Nutritional analysis per serving:
Approximately 330 calories, 34 grams of protein, 15 grams of carbohydrates and 15 grams of fat.
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