Reasons This Dietitian Refuses to Cut Out Sugar

On the heels of the anti-carb movement is the notion that sugar is bad and to feel good, look good, lose weight, and be healthy, you just need to cut out sugar! Advocates of a sugar-free diet proclaim that people need to remove table sugar, sweeteners such as honey and maple syrup, condiments, dressing, refined flour, soft drinks, sweets, dairy products, and often fruits such as bananas and apples.

I don’t agree! Here’s some reasons why…

#1. I love food. All food.  And…”cutting out” a particular food “for the sake of health” would actually compromise health.

Health is more than just a physical state of being or defined by the mass of your body tissue. For any individual – especially a health provider – who believes otherwise, consider spending some time working with individuals struggling with all types of eating disorders. I have worked with plenty of people who have a healthy weight and BMI, and are far from “healthy” or able to enjoy life.

Mental and psychological well-being matters for overall health too and enjoying a variety of nutritious and enjoyable food supports this important aspect of health.

Yes, it’s true. Food is fuel and what we eat matters! As such, I’m a huge proponent of cooking at home (most of the time), and enjoying a variety of wholesome and nutrient-dense foods.

…But, there’s more to food and eating, such as food memories; heirloom recipes; favorite foods; celebrations; holidays; social events – many of which happen to include sugar. I prefer not to minimize the fact that there’s something special about food and how it brings us together. Whether it’s religious, ethnic, holiday or family traditions, food has a meaningful role.

Christmas hors d’oeuvres…my mom and daughter (making her famous fried pickles!)

For those who play the “I just enjoy these foods occasionally-card,” but you still believe the forbidden food is “bad”, or that your health will suffer because of eating these foods, that’s just a recipe for shame, guilt, stress, and anxiety. Research, Research, and more research demonstrate that people who worry about food are more likely to get caught in a cycle of restrict, eat, overeat, guilt, repent, and repeat; and, consequently gain more weight in the long run.

Most important is that some of my everyday “favorite foods,” that I’d rather not give up, contain natural or added sugar (yogurt, milk, fruit, bread, crackers), and happen to provide important nutrients (calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins, fiber, etc). Consumed in moderation, these foods make it easy to combine nutrition with convenience, affordability – and pleasure.

#2. I love to cook and bake – and sugar happens to be important ingredient for a quality food product.

One of my favorite recipes for Pecan Lassies…clearly it’s been used a bit!

I learned the hard way when fat was the “evil dietary villain”, that removing fat from cooking (i.e. replacing oil in muffins with applesauce; cream cheese in cheesecake with strained yogurt, or half-and-half with nonfat evaporated skim milk) resulted in poor food quality. At the time,  somehow I “believed” that the food was “good”. But, when I was really honest with myself, the truth was that the food and these cooking methods sucked!

The sugar-free diet explosion and food substitutions are no different. When boredom sets in after removing all the offending foods, efforts to replace sugar in recipes with Stevia or artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols; or, the example of making a pancake with nothing more than an egg, some banana and a little cinnamon is, well, just history repeating itself.

Yes, sugar is valued (or demonized) for it’s sweet taste, but it also performs many other essential functions in cookies, cakes, and other baked goods. In addition to adding flavor, sugar affects the texture of food by creating tenderness and keeping baking goods soft and moist, while adding color and crunch in a recipe.

I’ve worked with folks who’ve tried to bake a so-called “healthy” dessert, i.e. leaving out sugar, and what resulted was a poor quality product that triggered a binge. No, this doesn’t happen to everyone, but the point is that when your experience with a particular food (taste, mouthfeel, aroma) is less than your expectations (or what your brain remembers), there can be an impulsion to keep eating hoping that eating more will provide the satisfaction you desired.

#3. I’ve been doing this “nutrition thing” for more than a couple decades and have helped many people over this time achieve their weight and health goals without needing to follow this particular “rule” and become worried or obsessed about sugar in food. I’m sensitive to the fact that we all have a unique relationship with food, so perhaps “cutting out sugar” seems like the right thing for some folks. It just seems a bit extreme and with a disrespect for the potential long term consequences of restricting or forbidding sugar – or any particular food.

I do not subscribe to the “eat like me, look like me” style of nutrition counseling, so I suppose my habits and relationship with food shouldn’t matter. Perhaps my clients, family, and myself are just “an anomaly.” I’ve actually heard that before. On the other hand, there’s a chance that all these folks, including myself, share many of the the same busy and stressful life and food challenges that everyone else does, and are evidence that it is possible to trust your body, trust your instincts with food, use non-food ways to manage stress and emotions and ultimately find balance with all foods so that you can enjoy pleasurable foods, and still “be healthy.”

#4. It’s called “Balance, Variety and Moderation.”
I know. Not a popular (nor sexy) headline. The idea that the sugar industry is out to kill us (per the reputable Dr. Oz) and headlines claiming that “Sugar is as addictive as cocaine and heroine” gets more views, followers and sells more.

For those readers who believe any of that, you may want to read “No, Sugar isn’t the new heroin” by Traci Mann, researcher from the University of Minnesota.

With respect and without judgement, the truth is that some people struggle with over-consumption – for many different reasons. Some unknowingly, while others recognize an intense and persistent draw to highly palatable foods for reward, comfort, etc. The reality is that some folks really do struggle with over-consuming sugar/food; alcohol (and I’m not referring to those with a known alcohol addiction); they may also overspend; over-commit; over-exercise – hopefully you get the idea.

In the case of over-eating – or when sugar feels like an “addiction,” making healthy and sustainable behavior change is possible. When a particular food (i.e. highly palatable foods such as sugar-laden goodies) take up residency as the go-to for nutrition, then we need to work on changing the “mental channel.”

This may mean “taking a break” from a trigger food or foods to create a safe and healthy eating environment that focuses on nutrient-dense foods. But, this is NOT
…a 10, 20, or 30- day detox.
…the idea that XYZ food (that contains sugar) is fatal and should be forbidden
…believing fear based messages about XYZ food.
…giving into the idea that “you are a flawed person” and someone else can “eat whatever they want.”

Finally…

#5. Plain and simple, it’s disordered eating to have forbidden foods.
Disordered eating has become normalized in our culture – but that doesn’t make it right or healthy. It is well established that restrictive eating, eliminating foods/food groups, and dieting is an environmental trigger for pathological eating problems and all types of eating disorders.

Not everyone has an eating disorder and eating disorders are a complex mental illness, but restriction and worrying about food is certainly an important risk factor that shouldn’t be disregarded or minimized when making or receiving nutrition recommendations.

The statistics speak for themselves. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) reports that 35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting and that 20-25% of those individuals develop eating disorders. Furthermore, hospitalizations involving eating disorders have increased for all age groups, but hospitalizations for patients aged 45-65 have increased the most, by 88 percent, from 1999 to 2009.

When one considers the common emotional and behavioral symptoms of an eating disorder, it’s worth questioning the “normalization” of dieting or food restricting – “for the sake of health”.

Common Emotional and Behavioral Symptoms of an Eating Disorder:

– In general, behaviors and attitudes that indicate that weight loss, dieting, and control of food are becoming primary concerns
– Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, carbohydrates, fat grams, and dieting
– Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g., no carbohydrates, etc.)
– Appears uncomfortable eating around others
– Food rituals (e.g. eats only a particular food or food group [e.g. condiments], excessive chewing, doesn’t allow foods to touch)
– Skipping meals or taking small portions of food at regular meals
– Any new practices with food or fad diets, including cutting out entire food groups (no sugar, no carbs, no dairy, vegetarianism/veganism)
– Withdrawal from usual friends and activities
– Frequent dieting
– Extreme concern with body size and shape
– Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws in appearance
– Extreme mood swings

Source: National Eating Disorders Association

Finally, an individual’s relationship with food, eating and weight is a very personal and even intimate topic.

Nutrition is a science that interprets the interaction of nutrients in food in relation to growth, development, health and disease in an organism. But, overall health is more than just how nutrients function in our body.

Enjoying a variety of pleasurable foods and understanding how the “joy of eating” feeds our soul and makes life interesting, adventuresome and fun is something I would encourage anyone to not miss out on!

Let’s Get Real: #NEDAwareness

Let’s get real – eating disorders can affect anyone, anywhere. This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and we’re working on changing the conversation around food, body image, and eating disorders! This year’s theme is “Let’s Get Real.” The goal is to promote more conversation about the reality of eating disorders and the impact this illness has on more than 30 million people in the U.S. alone.

As a dietitian who has worked in this field for over a decade, it continues to amaze me that in our “wellness-focused” culture, we remain fixated on certain measures (weight, BMI, clothing size), one’s appearance (“lean”, “fit”, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, etc.) or whether you eat the “right” foods (as defined by a celebrity, Dr. Oz, or what’s trending on social media) to define health and wellness. Sadly, for many people, what’s going on “under the hood” is far beyond well. What’s even more frightening to me is the number of young people and children that are falling victim to disordered eating and eating disorders. Perhaps growing up in a small town in Nebraska sheltered me a bit, but I don’t recall such a fixation on food, eating and weight as what we are experiencing today.

Take a moment to consider the following facts:

• At least 30 million individuals of all ages and genders in the United States are diagnosed with an eating disorder at some point in their lives
• The majority of these individuals do not seek treatment because they feel embarrassed, are in denial, do not have the financial means or social support, or simply do not know where to start 
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder
• Approx. 30% of individuals who engage in binge and purge behaviors also engage in self-harm behaviors such as cutting
• Approx. every 60 seconds, an individual dies as a direct result of an eating disorder
• 13% of women over the age of 50 engage in some sort of eating disorder behavior
• Approx. 10% of female college students suffer from a clinical eating disorder
• Only one in 10 individuals with an eating disorder will receive treatment
• 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner
• 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat
• Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the United States 
• Approx. 50% of the risk for binge eating disorder is genetic 

What about women over age 50?  At a time in a woman’s life when we deserve to be happiest and most fulfilled, age doesn’t seem to make us immune to the reality of disordered eating, eating disorders and negative body image.

 

In a survey of 1,849 women, ages 50 and over, 71% of women responded that they were currently trying to lose weight! More than 3/4 of the women responded that weight or shape plays a “moderate” to “the most important” role in their self-perception (so more important than being a great mom or honest and hard-working woman?) AND more than half (62%) responded that weight or shape negatively affected their lives.

 

Eating disorders do not discriminate. Men of all ages are also affected!

What Can We Do?

Examine AND CHALLENGE mixed messages about what is “healthy” vs achieving a “certain size or look.” For example, does it really make sense to cut out fruit, legumes, and whole grains (as dictated by some popular diet trends)? You can read my thoughts about some of this “science” and diet trends HERE.

Respect EveryBODY. We all have a unique size and shape that doesn’t fit perfectly in the middle of the “BMI curve”. Yes, it’s important to encourage “health-promoting” behaviors, such as regular activity, eating a balanced diet, good sleep habits, not smoking, etc, but remember – you really can’t tell if someone is healthy by looking at them. Think of it this way. Should every dog strive to look like a poodle? Take a look at this “Poodle Science” video.

Prevent these behaviors or offer support. If you are a Parent, Teacher, Coach, Trainer, Health Provider, Educator, or Friend, get educated about disordered eating and eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association has some fabulous resources and tool kits to help prevent this illness or offer appropriate support.

Seek out appropriate help. If you or someone you know is struggling, work with a licensed professional who specializes in eating disorders. It’s painful to me when I learn about someone who is suffering from any type of eating disorder who is being treated by a health coach, personal trainer or “nutritionist”. Please forgive me for being so blunt – but would you take your child to a health coach or chiropractor if he or she had cancer? Many of these folks do a fabulous job at what they are trained to do. However, it’s unlikely they have been trained to work specifically with a diagnosed, or even un-diagnosed condition of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, AFRID, or orthorexia. In the Atlanta area, providers who specialize in eating disorder treatment is available HERE.

Image source: http://www.beautyredefined.net

3 Steps to Keep you Committed (and successful) with your Health Goals

Resolutions seem synonymous with a new year and a new beginning with your health goals! Setting a resolution stirs up hope that this year really can be different! It feels mentally refreshing after a season of obstacles and disappointments.

But, how do we stay committed to our goals when 80% of new year’s resolutions fail and don’t see the daylight of February? 

A resolution or goal is often what you hope or wish for. A common example: “I’m going to lose 20 pounds by my spring break trip in March.” According to goal-setting criteria, this goal seems to meet the SMART criteria:
S – specific
M – measurable
A – achievable
R – realistic
T – timely
So….we are good to go – right?  

You could define a goal, “I’m going to make a million dollars by the end of 2018” but how will you make this happen, and is it realistic? 

The SMART criteria may be an important place to start and definitely better than “I’m going to lose weight.” However, how are you going to achieve your goal? Is it realistic? When it comes to weight loss, there are many reasons it may not be, including the misunderstood calorie equation that “eat less and exercise more = weight loss.” (This topic coming soon – so stay tuned!)  

So what else do you need to do to stay committed and successful with your resolutions this year? 

After carefully setting your new goal, consider the following 3 steps to help you stay committed and successful.

1. What is motivating you…and what will potentially get in the way of success?
We all want to be healthier, but why? Even the most tenacious individual will cave in to old behaviors or temptations if they’re trying to change for someone else – diet because your friend is; get thinner for a spouse or because society says so; exercise because you’re supposed to.

To get motivated in a healthy way, it’s helpful to dig in and ask yourself a series of questions to understand what your true hopes, desires and intentions are.  These questions may seem challenging and time consuming at first, but allow yourself some space to reflect or even meditate about your thoughts.

What are your long term goal(s) for your relationship with food, exercise and overall health?

If you have listed more than one goal, pick the one that you would most like to tackle first.

List the three things in your life that are most important to you.

 

How would making this change improve your ability to nurture these three things?

Take either yesterday or today as an example.  How would your day have gone differently if you would have already made the change that you are currently contemplating?

What are you most afraid of as you embark on this new journey?

What could you do to prevent these fears from becoming a reality?

Which of these changes do you think you will find the easiest to achieve, and which will rank as the hardest?

List five ways that you could keep yourself motivated on especially hard days.

2. Start small. Define 2 to 4 specific behaviors you can change or do to help you achieve your goal. For example, if my well-defined “SMART” goal was to “increase revenue by 30% by the end of 2018”, I would need to change some behaviors or do some specific actions to make this happen. 

There are many ways to get started with your health goals. Making behavior change with food and eating to achieve your goals takes practice, patience…and time. But, as the saying goes, “If you change nothing, nothing will change”, so even the smallest change will move you toward your goal.

Simple examples of where you might start include the following:
• Increase my daily water intake
• Decrease my intake of “energy dense” fluids, i.e. soda, sweetened coffee beverages, energy drinks, alcoholic beverages
• Eat 3 meals daily
• Work with a dietitian to establish a meal plan to eat more balanced meals and snacks
• Reduce in-between meal snacks when I’m not hungry
• Increase awareness of pace when eating and eat more slowly
• Journal food intake and/or food and feelings or food and symptoms, i.e. low energy Etc…

If you tend to skip breakfast, skimp on lunch and overeat the rest of the day, then the behavior of “Eat 3 meals daily” might be most helpful. To follow-through on this specific behavior, a few steps to consider to ensure success include:
1. Review a list of nutrient dense foods and highlight or make a list of enjoyable foods or foods you can tolerate or will eat. (this is something I provide my clients)
2. Make a list of 2 breakfast ideas, 3 lunch ideas and 4 evening meals that you commonly eat or typically enjoy.
3. Use the meal ideas and/or eating plan (provided by a dietitian) to balance out each of these meals, i.e. if Spaghetti and meat balls is a family favorite; add a tossed salad or favorite vegetable and glass of milk or water.
4. Now do some meal planning for the week. Based on your schedule, when will each of these meals fit into your week?
5. After you’ve made a plan, assemble a grocery list by checking to see what you have on hand and what you need to get from the supermarket. Then, go shopping!
6. Work with a dietitian to learn what an appropriate portion or serving of each of these meals would be and begin to notice your hunger and fullness cues at each eating event. 

3. Get support. Who will you call for support when you are having a tough time sticking to your plan? Do you need any resources to make this time easier for you? 

Examples might include: a daily check-in’s and emotional support from provider, motivational book, gym membership or even something like vegetable steamer, electronic health monitor (FitBit, Jawbone, etc.).

Finally, remember you can do this! If 20% of individuals who set goals and resolutions are successful, then you can too. The keys to success depend on your motivation to change; setting realistic and achievable steps/objectives that get you to your goal; and, getting support that makes sense for your lifestyle and goals. 

Whatever your goal or how you decide to begin, there are many resources and tools to support you and keep you on track as you work on your goals. Don’t forget, your dietitian is here to guide you in making decisions about what will work best for you and help you be successful, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

To success and wellness in 2018!
Val Schonberg
val@enlightenUnutrition.com
 

 

 

 

Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Bread

It’s that time of year for pulling out those beloved family recipes. This is a family favorite, not only because of the seasonal deliciousness of pumpkin and spices, but because it’s quick and easy to prepare! All you need is a bowl, spoon and pans for baking – and having some kids around who can just pour and stir is a bonus. With holiday gatherings approaching, this recipe is a plus as it makes TWO loaves – so you can enjoy one and freeze the other.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

• Time: 1hr 15mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• (1) 16 oz. can pumpkin
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease and flour (2) 5x9x3-inch loaf pans
3. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder.
4. Add pumpkin, oil, eggs and nuts to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened and mixture is smooth.
5. Pour into prepared pans.
6. Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes clean.
7. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Wrap in plastic, then aluminum foil and store in refrigerator or may also be frozen for later use.

 

 

 

Hunger & Fullness: Honoring Our First Biological Instinct

“What are you hungry for?” 

This seems like it should be a simple, uncomplicated question. So, why do so many people struggle with a simple answer? You probably know how this goes! Whether you’re asking your kids, husband, guests, or yourself, we often get the response: “I don’t know!”

We are all hungry for something and there are different types of hunger. There is, of course, physical hunger for food, but too often people aren’t really hungry for food – or don’t know how to recognize their physical cues.

Some people – including kids – are hungry for comfort; others are hungry to fit in or belong; while some are hungry for feeling safe, secure, successful, or happy. Others crave to be the best, to win, or to be perfect. In fact, our tendency to overeat or constantly choose highly palatable treats over a simple piece of fruit (as the above image suggests) limits the opportunity to really figure what you’re hungry for.

Before we dive into this topic, it’s important to understand that there is nothing wrong with enjoying some of our favorite treats or goodies (unfortunately referred to by many as “junk food”). I don’t find this language helpful, nor descriptive of some of these favorite dishes that are often heirloom recipes reflective of time-honored traditions.

I do believe, from personal and professional experience, that it can be easy to get off track from recognizing and honoring our internal cues of hunger and fullness – which are really one of our first biological instincts that we are born with. So my hope is that with a little lesson in terminology, along with some simple nutrition interventions, your awareness of physical cues can be differentiated from other times when food is perhaps being used for another purpose.

What is the difference between hunger and appetite?

Hunger is a physiological need for food.  Appetite is a psychological desire or craving for food or drink, in other words, what sounds good?  Both hunger and appetite determine what, when and why we eat.  At times we are not hungry but have an appetite, such as seeing a dessert after eating a meal. Or, we may be hungry but not have an appetite, such as when we are sick.

Hunger:  “An uneasy sensation occasioned normally by the lack of food and resulting directly from stimulation of the sensory nerves of the stomach by the contraction and churning movement of the empty stomach.” ~ Webster’s Dictionary

What is the difference between fullness and satiety?

Fullness is usually associated with a satisfied feeling in the stomach or, if you overeat, an uncomfortable feeling. Therefore, fullness is a function of the amount of food you eat.  Satiety; however, is feeling satisfied, or not being hungry, that lasts after the initial feeling of fullness subsides.  Macronutrients in the food you eat can influence feelings of fullness and satiety.  For example, while fiber in food may promote a feeling of fullness in the short term; protein and fat have a lasting affect on satiety.

Satiety: “The quality or state of being fed or gratified.” ~ Webster’s Dictionary

How do you know if you are hungry or full?

The ability to use your internal cues to notice hunger and fullness may be difficult for some people and are only noticed until they are strong or intense.  For example, you may not notice the physical signals of hunger because of consumption of coffee or diet sodas. Eventually, you may become “famished”; and consequently overeat, not realizing how physically hungry your body really was.  On the flip side, you may not recognize the feeling of fullness until you feel uncomfortably stuffed.  The following scale is designed to help you become aware of your internal cues so you can manage your intake.

Why do I feel “full” but not “satisfied”?

Feeling full is a function of the amount of food you eat; for example, the amount of food on your plate also takes up room in your stomach.  However, sometimes it’s not just the amount of foods eaten, but the characteristics of that food that lead to fullness.  For example, the water and fiber content of the foods we eat can all influence fullness.

Satiety is a measure of many factors, most important being the macronutrients (such as protein and fat) in the meal that signal the brain you have had what the body needs.  For example, I could eat a whole plate of lettuce or drink a 20 ounce diet soda.  It will certainly take up a lot of room in my stomach, but shortly you will get urges to eat more because the proper nutrients weren’t supplied.

The impact of individual macronutrients on satiety is typically measured in experimental studies.  From this research, we know that sugar and fruit provide a quick source of energy, but are quickly digested and absorbed, so don’t stay in the stomach as long, compared to complex carbohydrates, fat and protein that take longer to digest.  A food that is reported to have high satiety tends to produce a longer “intermeal” period (a period of time between eating episodes during which an individual does not experience hunger).  Foods containing protein and fat tend to promote longer satiety between meals. There are many other factors, including food temperature, pleasure of food, individual issues such as blood sugar and hormonal response to food, or trying to use food to solve a problem (which it can’t do) that may continue to trigger the urge to eat or not feeling satisfied.

What can I do to better honor my internal cues of hunger and fullness?

Awareness of your internal cues of hunger and fullness is a great first step.  You can do this by using the sample hunger and fullness scale and noticing how you feel before and after meals and snacks.

Following are some additional strategies for helping you increase your awareness of your internal cues:

• Keep a journal. Record when and what you eat along with rating how hungry you are before and after a meal or snack.
• Awareness of emotional eating. Check in with how you are feeling (bored, happy, sad, angry, frustrated, etc.) before you eat.  Are you eating because you are hungry or to “fix” a feeling?
• Include a balance of macronutrients in meals and snacks. Include protein and fat in meals and snacks to promote satiety and decrease overeating between meal.
• Identify and challenge negative beliefs about fullness. A history of dieting often promotes the idea that “fullness” equals “fatness.”  Remind yourself that it is normal to feel “comfortably full.”
• If it seems you are out of touch with your internal cues (i.e. always hungry, never feel full, or never hungry), planning your meals ahead so they are well balanced, and include moderate portions, is vital to help you reconnect and relearn your hunger and fullness cues.

Dr. Susan Albers (www.eatq.com) has a number of resources and books to help individuals improve their relationship with food and eating. Following is an infographic that illustrates a decision tree for discerning the difference between physical and emotional hunger. Beginning to increase your awareness of these difference can be a great first step to reclaiming and honoring our first biological instinct!

Healthy Eating – Interrupted

We talk a lot about “healthy eating patterns” in nutrition these days. In fact, the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes healthy dietary patterns for overall health and wellness, rather than getting overly focused on a single nutrient. The recommendations include the following:

A healthy eating pattern includes:

• A variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups—dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy, and other
• Fruits, especially whole fruits
• Grains, at least half of which are whole grains
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages
• A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products
• Oils

A healthy eating pattern limits:

• Saturated fats and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium

The Mediterranean diet is another example of a healthy eating pattern that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains; a moderate consumption of reduced fat natural dairy products; and, emphasizes increased consumption of oily fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and extra virgin olive oil. fish, lowfat dairy and olive oil. Numerous studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect on overall wellness and a recent study showing that even a modified intervention proved to be helpful in managing depression.

I’m a strong proponent of these recommendations. I’ve lived out these recommendations and taught my family the importance of eating patterns that include these principles.

But then there are…

Interruptions. They seem to happen a lot, right?? We may even take them for granted as just a part of daily life – and we just keep moving along.

But then there are those interruptions in life – whether good or bad – that throw us for a loop. Those major life changes that might be anything from a marriage, a baby, college, a new job, or job loss, divorce, or an unexpected move. Those are the ones that seem to knock us off our feet – if even for a brief time.

We all endure these life changes and interruptions. Sometimes they feel tolerable while others are downright catastrophic and seemingly impossible to navigate. I think of myself as a rather resilient person, so when major life change(s) happen, I stop and notice! For me, I’ve noticed it’s a crazy a roller-coaster of emotions along with overwhelming chaos that disrupts my well-established “routine” (and I like routine!).

Recently, I recognized that one of the “side-effects” of a life interruption was a change in my eating. Yes! You read that correct, even a dietitian and nutrition nerd can seemingly get thrown off track with eating. I’m by far NOT a perfect eater, but I do practice what I teach and typically follow my good-ole “healthy dietary pattern.” But all that seemed to fall by the wayside when life through me a major curve ball.

I’ll save you the specifics about what happened to my eating, but let’s just say I wasn’t craving fruit and veggies – unless it was red wine or some fried pickles (pickles are actually considered a vegetable – LOL!). Also distressing for me were moments when my motivation to cook was dismal – while having no one to cook for – and a lack of appetite due to my constant state of stress I was experiencing.

Eating Interrupted! I stopped and noticed that not only was my life interrupted – but how do I navigate my interrupted eating pattern? Following are some of my tips – that got me through a tough time. I’m just hopeful that if you are going through something that is interrupting your “healthy eating pattern” these tips may help you too!

5 Tips for Navigating Life – and Eating – Interrupted

1. Stick to your food and eating schedule. Stress can really mess up your appetite! For some, it may trigger more hunger/appetite and for others it may completely shut down your hunger signal. Try to eat something at regular intervals throughout the day – and don’t overthink it or fall for the idea that your food needs to be “Instagram worthy!” For me, I had some “go-to” meals that I knew were nutritious and also “sounded good” so even if I didn’t feel hungry, I knew if I needed to slow down enough to eat something at my regular meal times. A few examples include: oatmeal with peanut butter and honey, a glass of milk and a banana; a simple egg and cheese sandwich with berries; or a frozen entree and some carrots/sugar snap peas with hummus. Easy snacks are string cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, banana and berries (quick to wash and eat) – and also my favorite Ghirardelli dark chocolate with cinnamon tea is always a yummy treat.

2. Get to the grocery store or ask someone to do it for you. Simply put – if you want to eat good food, you need to keep good food in your house. For me, that meant I had to keep some of the snack-type foods (chips, cookies, and nuts) that I usually can eat in moderation out of the house for a time being. Why? Because those foods “sounded” a lot better than a meal, and I could easily rely on those foods – which is NOT helpful for managing stress.  I chose to keep foods around that I enjoy – but also would satisfy my physical hunger.

3. Cut yourself some slack with food, eating and exercise! I said this before, but I can’t say it enough – your food and meals do not have to be “Instagram worthy” and it won’t kill you to have a burger and fries or your favorite take-out meal. My desire to cook went out the window with the stress and workload of dealing with our life interruption. But, it comes back! Remember, this is just an event or season in life – it’s not a way of life.

4. Get some professional help for the stress.  If the emotional stress seems a bit over the top, try to meet with a therapist, psychologist, or counselor for talk therapy and some skills work to manage the stress. If possible, schedule a massage or some relaxing, personal time to re-group and manage the roller-coaster of emotions and physical stress on your body.

5. Be realistic with your goals with food, eating and weight. Dieting is never a good idea, but definitely not helpful during a major life change. Too often, restrictive diets and efforts at weight loss seem like a good idea as a way to “get control” when life feels out of control. Unfortunately, this is really a bad idea! Diets, restrictive eating, and intense exercise are just an added STRESS to the body. For me, I didn’t hesitate to take some time off from the gym and my workouts. I was already extremely active with the events we had going on and found my workouts made me more tired and fatigued – the exact opposite of what they were suppose to do. So, consider what’s most helpful for you. If your workout feels energizing and helpful for managing your stress and life change, then by all means, stick to your workout. But, if you can’t get in to the gym, or feel overwhelmed and fatigued, then give yourself permission to take a break!

Life Happens. But, it doesn’t need to be a life sentence for ill health. Be patient. Ask for help. And, your “normal” will return one day soon!

Feeling Uncertain about Your Nutrition Goals? Tips to Keep You on Track in 2017.

You’ve committed to health goals for the new year. Or perhaps you are just thinking about committing to some goals for the upcoming year?

Either way, whether you are hoping to lose weight, improve health, have more energy, feel better, run faster, optimize body composition, etc., the new year provides motivation that paves the way for new possibilities!

Then reality sets in: Now what? What’s your plan? How will you make these goals happen? What works? What doesn’t work? Perhaps you’ve tried before and weren’t successful. Or, the diet that you lost 30 pounds on before isn’t working now – and you feel uncertain about what is the “right” way to accomplish your health and wellness goals.

I get it! I truly understand your frustration. When a decision needs to be made; or, I’m investing in something with money or time, I want to know “What’s the RIGHT decision?”

One things for certain about uncertainty – it’s everywhere! And it seems to be increasingly more apparent in health and nutrition.

• What’s the best diet?
• What and how much should I eat to lose or gain weight?
• How do I fix my “broken” metabolism?
• How much exercise do I really need to do?
• Which exercise helps with metabolism: Cross Fit, yoga, spin class or kettle bells?
• What’s the best supplement? Do I need to take supplements?
• What foods decrease inflammation? Which foods increase inflammation?
• What do I need to eat to survive a 5K, 10K, marathon, or a triathlon?

These are the type of questions I hear from my clients, along with the confusing and misleading responses to these questions in the media. Some of these are easier to answer than others for a variety of reasons. But, we all want to know: what’s “right” for ME?

Uncertainty, according to Wikipedia, is a situation which involves imperfect and/or unknown information. We need to remember that nutrition is a science which means that the information and knowledge we have is incomplete and it is always changing. Believing that science is “for certain” can be misleading because the progress of science is based on a continuously changing picture of reality. Read More about The Science of Nutrition.

Another piece to this puzzle that makes it difficult to find a one-size-fits-all answer to the questions highlighted above is each individual is genetically and environmentally unique with their own personal and intimate relationship with food, eating and weight. I see this first hand with individuals trying to lose or gain weight. An individual struggling with Anorexia Nervosa struggles to gain weight eating over 3000 calories a day with no activity, while another individual can’t seem to lose weight eating 1200 calories and exercising 60 minutes every day. Clearly the “energy balance” equation we like to rely on seems a bit out of whack. We have many theories about why this happens (hyper-metabolism, metabolic adaptation, hormonal effects, etc), but we have yet to see one, perfect solution to either of these situations.

And to the uncertainty of the remaining questions:

What’s the best diet? Probably the one you can stick with.

How do I fix my “broken” metabolism? First off, let’s start with the fact that your metabolism isn’t really “broken”.

How much exercise do I really need to do? We need to move our bodies every day. What does “exercise” mean to YOU?

Which XYZ exercise is best for XYZ problem? What exercise do you enjoy doing?

What’s the best supplement and do I need to take supplements? It depends on what the deficiency is and whether you have a deficiency in the first place.

…and so on.

The point is this: We all “know” what we need to do, but struggle (for a whole bunch of different reasons) with doing it!

Following are a few tips or suggestions that may help you stay on track with any of your health and wellness goals in 2017:

Commit to Consistency. Whether it’s meal planning; cooking more; eating more fruit and vegetables; regular exercise; drinking less alcohol or soda; drinking more water, etc, you don’t need a nutrition expert or well-designed science experiment to tell you that these behaviors are important. But, just like eating one salad won’t help you lose weight, neither will enjoying an occasional burger and fries cause you to gain weight. It’s about what we do consistently over time that either helps or hurts.

So, what will help you maintain consistency? Do you need an accountability partner? Perhaps some education to challenge rules or beliefs about food and eating that are interfering with your success? Whatever it will take – I suggest you commit to a “365 day challenge.”

Pursue Progress not Perfection. Making behavior change that is sustainable takes time. If your plan to accomplish your goal to lose weight and get healthier in 2017 looks something like this:

• Eat less
• Exercise more
• Stop eating fast food
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Cook more at home (and you don’t know how to cook)
• Drink more water
• Eat more ________ and eat less ________
• Stop smoking
• Sleep more – and better

…which are all great goals – but how will you implement all of this, at one time, into your already crazy, busy, overworked, stressed-out lifestyle that created the unhealthy habits to begin with?

Remember “If you chase 2 rabbits, both will escape” ~ author unknown

Try to focus on one do-able behavior at a time. Perhaps you already exercise 3 to 4 days a week, but don’t take time to shop and cook meals at home. Instead of adding more exercise at this time, take that time to plan, shop and cook more fresh and wholesome meals at home. Sadly, I’ve seen individuals give up because they are only losing 1/2 to 1 pound a week when they are making these small, but important changes. When they revert back to a more restrictive (often unsustainable) plan that seems to deliver more, faster weight loss, a year later they’ve gained all the weight and more back – and haven’t accomplished any of their goals.

Focus on Non-Scale Victories. Many individuals unfortunately give up on their goals when results don’t match expectations. I’ve heard it over and over from folks who are going to the gym consistently; have cut out all kinds of “unhealthy” foods; are following through with their “clean” eating; but state that they don’t “look like they do all that.” Consequently, they feel frustrated and either invest in more supplements, a more restrictive diet, or give-in to urges that actually lead to other health problems – when the real problem likely has something to do with negative body image (a separate issue that needs attention, but no diet or supplement will fix that).

Make a list of health goals that have nothing to do with the scale or “what you look like.” Perhaps it’s feeling stronger (because you’ve taken up a weight lifting program), are saving money (from not eating out as much); have more energy (because you’re eating more fresh produce and exercising more); or enjoy cooking more at home (because they’ve learned to cook). These are all important victories that can’t be measured by any device.

The National Control Weight Registry (NWCR) is a research study that includes people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year. The NWCR reports that it is tracking over 10,000 people who have successfully lost and kept the weight off. How did they do it? Overall, they’ve modified their food intake in some way and increased their physical activity. The majority maintain their weight loss by consistently eat breakfast, watching less TV, and exercising about 1 hour every day. None of the research demonstrates that one particular diet or exercise program was superior – it was just the fact that the individuals made positive, healthy lifestyle changes they were able to stick with.

There is a great deal of uncertainty in the year ahead. But, one thing you can count on is 2017 is an opportunity for a new beginning! Remember to commit to consistency, pursue progress not perfection, and focus on your non-scale victories – and Let’s Do This!

 

Surviving Holiday Meals…Tips for Those with Eating Disorders

Special occasions or holidays often involve family rituals and traditions with food. However, holidays pose unique challenges for people with disordered eating or eating disorders that often disrupt the joyful part of their celebration. For an individual who is preoccupied with food, eating and weight, nearly 100% of the time every other day of the year, these events can feel especially overwhelming when food (especially “forbidden” food) is an integral part of the gathering.

At the same time, with the hectic schedules many people have today, these holiday meals may be one of the few times that a family comes together to eat and enjoy each other’s company.

Learning to manage these social situations involving food may be a critical part to an individual’s path to recovery and finding peace with food, eating and weight.

Following are some tips to help you or a loved one prepare…

Planning for the Meal

Planning ahead may be the key to helping you challenge the anxiety or potential struggles with holiday meals, so you can relax and enjoy good times with friends and family.

Consider how and when the meal will be served. Will the food be served family style or at a buffet? How will that affect your ability to follow through with your meal plan? To prevent overeating or restriction, you may want to ask what is on the menu and decide ahead of time what food fits in your meal plan.

Will the meal be served at your usual eating time, or will you need to adjust your food plan? For example, if the meal will be served later than you typically eat lunch, eating a balanced breakfast and snack prior to the meal event can help decrease overeating.  It’s okay to ask for something you need; and, it’s important to not allow yourself to get too hungry. Eating less all day to “save up” for the party is not helpful. Skipping meals/snacks usually affects productivity, causes poor concentration, more difficulty with problem solving, and increased fatigue. It can also lead to overeating at the next meal or snack.

What will you need for support to be successful at the event? If there are topics or conversations that are especially triggering, it may be helpful to rehearse ahead of time how you will manage these situations. What could you say in response, or would it be more helpful to quietly leave the room and join another conversation?

For some folks or situations, it may be important to have a plan before going home about what you will do for support after the gathering. Bringing home leftovers may not be helpful. Also, know who and where your support people are, and/or have a plan for distractions or non-food ways to comfort or soothe yourself, if necessary.

At the party or gathering 

• Try to sit or stand away from the food table and near supportive people.
• Bring along a dish or food that you enjoy and complements your meal plan.
• Try to eat mindfully and give yourself permission to savor the tasty holiday foods!
• Continue to follow your meal plan for the entire day, and stay well-hydrated by drinking water.
• Eat at an appropriate pace.
• Bring along an item such as an affirmation card, a picture, or a journal for some comfort throughout the day.
• Talk with loved ones about things unrelated to food, weight or the eating disorder.
• Enjoy your relationships and try to reflect on feelings of gratitude for blessings received – remember it’s not just about the food.

AND…Remember to Breathe! Taking slow, deep breaths may help produce a state of calmness and relaxation.

Gather Support!

• Talk to family and friends about what is helpful and what isn’t, i.e. no diet, “fat”, or weight talk.
• Consider choosing a loved one to be your “reality check” with food, to either remind you of food portions or check in with about your meal plan.
• Choose someone to reach out to or call if you are struggling with negative thoughts, eating disorder behaviors, or difficult emotions. Talking to a supportive person ahead of time and letting them know about your concerns and needs may help assure you they are open and willing to receiving your call, when needed.
• Stay active with any therapy appointments or groups you may be attending.
• Discuss your anxiety or anticipations of the holidays with a professional, such as a therapist or dietitian, so they can help you predict, prepare for, and get through any uncomfortable family interactions without self-destructive coping attempts.
• Talk with loved ones about important issues: decisions, victories, challenges, fears, concerns, dreams, special moments, spirituality, and relationships. Allow meaningful themes to be present and allow yourself to have fun (rather than rigidly focusing on food or body thoughts).

Enjoy (and Give Back) with These Non-Food Activities:

• Relax and watch your favorite holiday movie with a close friend or family member.
• Seek out a few holiday craft fairs.
• Go out and look at lights and holiday decorations.
• Attend holiday concerts and plays.
• Baby-sit for someone so they can shop.
• Participate in local charity events to celebrate giving back to the community.
• Find out what’s going on around town. Look in the local newspaper to get fun holiday ideas.
• Purchase or make a gift for someone who is less fortunate than you.
• Enjoy the winter season. Go ice skating, have snowball fights, or make a snow sculpture in your yard.
• Challenge yourself to find activities that don’t focus on food, but instead are about relaxing and enjoying the season.

General Ideas to Keep in Mind:

• Get enough sleep and rest.
• Don’t forget about other coping mechanisms (yoga, deep breathing, relaxation imagery, journal, etc.).
• Choose to move in mindful ways. This might be a good time for a peaceful leisure walk under the stars with a loved one instead of a busy or intense exercise class.
• Flexibility in your thoughts is what you’re striving for. Learn to be less critical in guidelines for yourself and in expectations for others.
• Overbooking and over-stressing yourself will only lead to unhelpful coping strategies. Cut down on unnecessary events and obligations and leave time for relaxation, contemplation, reflection, and enjoying the small but important things in life.
• The holidays come and go every year. You can and will survive!

Food Rules: What are the Costs?

Labeling food as good/bad or healthy/unhealthy is an example of a food rule. Food rules have seemingly become “normalized” in our culture as being helpful.  They are often suggested for dieters to use because they provide “limits” that often help the eater feel more in control.

Labeling Food:   Categorizing foods as unhealthy/healthy, bad/good, legal/illegal, fattening/nonfattening, safe/dangerous usually backfires.  The intent of labeling foods is to help people get control of their eating for the sake of losing weight, for example, and thus categorizing foods as either fattening or nonfattening provides a sense of control.  However, deprivation often increases desire.

Some possible benefits from food rules include:

• Focusing on the “rules” is a great distraction from focusing on more distressing issues
• Helps you feel safe or in control.
• Produces a “high” when you are successful at following the “rules” which in turn,  perpetuates the eating behaviors while feeling self-righteous or disapproving of your previous eating behaviors.

The downside is that these behaviors often promote rigidity and limits and individual’s choices with food, eating, health, exercise and weight. Simple, healthful guidelines become complex, demanding and powerful.

Another problem is that deprivation often increases desire. When the individual gives in to this desire and eats the “forbidden” food, feelings of guilt or shame are the result often leading to overeating or other compensatory behaviors, such as increased restriction or excessive exercise.

And the cycle continues… Eventually, a person begins to feel as if they cannot live without the strict rules and eating continues to become more rigid and disordered.

Therefore, following are some of the costs an individual suffers by relying on food rules:

• Food rules prevent the development of confidence in your own body, skills and judgment
• Rules exacerbate dieting behaviors and rigidity with food, exercise and weight
• Rules increase your sense of guilt if a rule is violated

Negative thoughts and perceptions about food, weight and eating patterns make it difficult to successfully change certain behaviors.  You may be overly critical of yourself, have a low self-esteem, or view foods as being either bad or good – which can all sabotage your efforts of achieving peace with food and your body.

Following are some examples of food rules: I can only eat one meal per day It’s not okay to eat after 7 pm Labeling foods as “Good” and “Bad” It’s never okay to eat between meals, i.e. snacks I can’t eat in restaurants because… No fried food I can’t eat red meat It’s not okay to feel full Never eat more than ______ calories If you eat a “bad” food, or break another rule, then …. I have to exercise at least 60 minutes every day, or …

Most would proclaim they want to stop this fight with food and their body, but having unconditional permission to eat feels very scary.  One of the most effective solutions for eating problems of all types is to begin to return all foods to a neutral status – to stop and give yourself permission to eat all foods, trusting you will find a healthy balance.

Legalizing food and eating requires action.  There are 3 things you will need to do:

1. Have a plan. Make a plan to bring forbidden foods into your home; (with support), you want to begin to expose yourself to foods you crave.

When you begin to expose yourself to foods you enjoy, it’s helpful to have a plan that includes: where to start, how to challenge negative thoughts, who can support you, etc.  Remember your goal is to stop the food fight and find a peaceful relationship with food and your body.  You cannot do that if you continue to evaluate food in terms of “good” vs “bad” or in terms of “fat” and “calories.”

2. Replenish supplies of favorite foods. When it feels safer, begin to have your favorite foods around, so you don’t feel deprived.

One suggestion is to make a list of food or foods you would like to reclaim.  Then, you may want to start with the least feared item on your list.  Then, I guide my clients through a “step-by-step” plan for experimenting with reclaiming this food. In this plan, we identify what are the irrational thoughts about the food, i.e. carbs will make me fat or sugar is toxic. Then, we identify what you will do to try the food. For example, if ice cream is forbidden and there’s a risk you will binge on a half gallon of ice cream if it is brought into the house, then plan to go out for a small dish of ice cream with a supportive friend. We discuss a plan for dealing with the irrational thoughts, i.e. education on how your body uses carbs for energy and finally evaluate how the plan went. Finally, we evaluate why your plan worked or didn’t work and what to do different next time.

3. Create a pleasant food atmosphere in your home.  This step is critical for setting you up for ongoing success.

Examples of changes you may need to make include: promising not to “yell” at yourself for eating foods you enjoy; eating slowly and mindfully at a table so you can truly savor your food; and/or use a realistic meal plan that helps you see the big picture of how these foods can fit while helping you achieve your goals with food, wellness and weight.  Journaling your food intake along with thoughts and feelings can be helpful at recognizing that you didn’t “blow it” when you enjoyed a small piece of dessert.

The point of all this is re-learning to trust yourself and your body with food and eating again. Food does not need to have all the power and deserves to be on the plate – not on a pedestal.

Which is Best for Weight Loss – Exercise or Nutrition?

We are bombarded by media messages that convince us the way to the “perfect” body is just a little more effort. Captions like “Remember the girl who gave up? No one else does either…”; or that Jillian Michaels has the formula to help you “lose up to 20 pounds in 20 days!” Perhaps you’ve seen the “It’s no longer about ‘skinny’ it’s about ‘healthy'” message tagged next to the half naked, ultra-thin model in the picture.

Sadly, I see way too many people give up on their best efforts at eating well and regular, enjoyable activity because they are disappointed in their results – whether they are not losing weight fast enough, they’re not “lean enough”, or they just don’t look like they should.

Let’s be honest. If your wellness goals are more about “skinny” vs “healthy”, you may either be disappointed (at the very least) or potentially trigger a cycle of disordered eating or worse, a pathological eating disorder. It’s disheartening to me when individuals become so overly focused with “how they look” that they miss out on the significant benefits of other “non-scale” victories, including improvements in energy and creativity, along with benefits related cognitive, heart, bone, and overall physical and psychological well-being.  Carmen Fiuza-Luces, et al. describes the tremendous drug-free, low cost benefits of exercise on preventing disease in their article, Exercise is the Real Polypill.

On the other hand, two studies provide examples of where more exercise isn’t necessarily better, especially related to weight loss.

A 2012 study by Rosenkilde, et al. in the American Journal of Physiology demonstrated similar amounts of fat loss in response to whether participants expended 300 kcal/day or 600 kcal/day. The high volume group ate more and were less active the rest of the day, while the moderate dose group ate the same and were energized to do more activity the rest of the day.

Another study, funded by the American Cancer Society, sought out to define how much exercise is necessary for postmenopausal women to lose body fat. Researchers recruited 400 inactive women who participated in either 300 minutes per week or 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity for one year. Participants were instructed to maintain their same caloric intake. Women ranged in age from 50 to 74 years old and lost an average of nearly 4 pounds (in the moderate volume group) to 5 1/2  pounds (in the high volume group). As hopeful as that may sound at first, this study is a great example of the disappointment many women may feel when they’ve exercised intensely for 300 minutes per week – only to lose five pounds in a year’s time. We don’t know much about their food intake. There’s a chance these postmenopausal women increased their intake in response to the additional activity.

So what is the “ideal” nutrition and exercise prescription for achieving your health goals? I’ve heard many times, it’s: “80% nutrition and 20% exercise”.  What do you think? Of course, we all have our own personal experiences that affect our response, but it’s likely that the proper amount of nutrition and exercise varies from person to person – what your health and wellness goals are; and, what your expectations are.

So, let’s take a look at some common goals or objectives people have.

The objective:  Weight loss

What’s best? Initially, nutrition makes the biggest impact on achieving your goal. Specifically, research indicates that individuals who need to lose weight and body fat are most successful by attempting to alter the energy balance equation by decreasing energy (food) intake. However, exercise is essential for keeping the weight off.  For this reason, an individual who is inactive when they begin a weight loss program needs to also include some form of activity. Starting off slowly enables them to work up to an intensity that will keep the weight off, prevent burnout and injury; and, help prevent muscle loss to keep their metabolism up.

The objective:  Prevent type 2 diabetes

What’s best?  Exercise can make the biggest impact in your defense against this disease.  Yes, diet is also important in prevention and managing diabetes, but active muscle tissue is like a “sponge” in being able to absorb sugar (glucose) from the blood stream using a mechanism totally separate from insulin.  When you are active, your cells also become more sensitive to insulin so it can work more efficiently.

The objective: Stabilize mood, relieve stress and boost energy

What’s best?  Exercise is the magic bullet!  The reason why is that exercise triggers the release of powerful brain chemicals, such as dopamine and norepinephrine, that are important in helping us feel good and have more energy. Exercise (any movement) can also lead to changes in the brain that help with resilience and managing stress. Nutrition is important in supplying the fuel needed to make these neurotransmitters, but just as you can improve your blood chemistry with a single meal, you can also boost energy, mental focus and mood with a single workout. As a result, exercise may be as effective as medication for treating depression in some people.

The objective:  Improve sports performance

What’s best?  Nutrition can have a significant impact for athletes who are looking to improve their performance and reduce injury rates.  However, it’s important to remember that the best athlete is well-trained, genetically gifted AND well-fueled. Fueling with the appropriate nutrients at the right time in their training regimen can make a big difference in helping an athlete achieve their goals with speed and performance; muscle growth and repair; and, recovery time.

The objective: Reduce risk of chronic disease, i.e. heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity

What’s best?  Both diet and exercise are important components of prevention and treatment strategies. Prevention of weight gain is critical because overweight and obesity are difficult to treat and are conditions that directly affect many other chronic diseases.  Additionally, diet (specifically the quality of food intake) and exercise also play non-weight-related roles in many chronic diseases.  For example, omega-3 fatty acids from fish are shown to have a direct affect on lowering your risk of heart disease. A diet that includes a high intake of plant-based foods along with consistent exercise remains the recommendation for decreasing your risk of cancer.

Clearly, your nutrition intake (quantity and quality) along with regular activity will have a significant impact on helping you achieve your health goals. The goal of a body builder is different than that of an endurance athlete, stressed out middle-aged man, or a woman trying to manage symptoms of menopause.  Diet plays a significant role in each of these examples, but hopefully you can see why it’s misleading to simplify movement and activity to “20%” of the equation.