NUTRITION- THE BEST PRESCRIPTION

Maximizing Mouthfuls!

How to add Flavor, Wellness, and Good Nutrition to Your Eating Style

February 2014

It’s a well substantiated fact that Americans have a big problem with over-eating and under- nourishment.  By this I mean that we are filling our plates and our stomach with too many empty calorie, low value foods.   Specifically some of us are eating a diet too high in fat, salt and sugar and too low in fiber and vitamins and minerals.  The sad truth is less than 30% of the American population gets the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, yet as a nation we are eating nearly triple the recommended amount of salt and sugar and double the amount of animal fats as we should.

This eating style is crowding –out other healthier more wholesome food options. As a nutritionist in a  busy private practice in a large multi-metropolitan area,  my days are full of  counseling sessions where I try to coax clients away from poor food choices and draw them towards healthier more nutritious options.  I call this eating strategy   ” maximizing mouthfuls.”  One of the exercises I make all my clients do  is to  pause mid-air before they place a food in their  mouth and ask themselves: ”Is this best food choice I can give my body?” I f not, put it down and find a better choice!  This is where an artful blend of herbs and spices  from California Gold BBQ Rubs HEROIC!  come into my action- plan for good nutrition.   www.CaliforniaGoldRub.com

What to do? Ditch the salt, fat and sugar; add the flavor!

If you are eating less than 21 different food items per week, I say you are at high risk for “diet burnout.” Can’t tell you how many times my clients come in to see me with a look of boredom and frustration. They are eating the same old food, with the same old flavors, day in and day out.  By introducing more herbs, spices and rubs as a way imparting flavor and va-voom  you can replace unwanted , salt, fat and sugar calories.

 I cannot over emphasize the importance of eating clean, namely avoiding prepared foods with salt, sugar or hydrogenated fat in the first, second, or third ingredient.  Pick foods that have had the shortest path from farm to table. Opt for foods that are minimally processed or preserved.

By the way: You can de-condition your taste buds to over- saltiness, and over- sweetness.   It takes about two weeks to wake- up your taste buds but gradually you will begin to experience the delight of enjoying other savory flavors.

Read on for some practical advice on how you too can cut the fat and sugar and boost the nutritional quality of your diet.

Why add more herbs and spices to your food style?   Everything old is new again!

Throughout history spices and herbs have been used as for their health- enhancing properties. The ancient Egyptians relied on coriander, fennel, juniper, cumin, garlic and thyme as health promoting spices. The Chinese used ginger plants in pots and carried on long sea voyages throughout Southeast Asia to provide fresh food and to prevent scurvy. Indian historical records mention spices and herbs such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, cumin, and mustard seed to fight inflammation and promote health. Fast forward a few thousand years and now medical research has proven that spices and herbs can improve diabetes, avert heart disease, improve arthritis, and even fight cancer!

Help yourself to a Healthy Body!  10 Healthful Tips for Boosting Nutrition in the Kitchen

Whether I am doing a cooking demonstration, or leading a grocery store tour I am never too far away from my trusty toolbox of herbs and spices. 

1. To avoid impulsive erroneous eating, plan your menu at least one day in advance. You’ll be more likely to eat clean if you have pre-planned your food in advance.   Be sure your pantry is stocked with the necessary flavor enhancers- like spices and herbs.
2. Be a label sleuth.  Pay careful attention to the portion size and calorie content of your food choices.
3. Feel free to do some creative substitutions.  I usually cut the salt content by ½ and add more spices to my recipes.  A ½ teaspoon of celery powder or sea salt sometime makes a good alternative to 1 teaspoon of table salt.
4. You can reduce the fat content of any recipe by 1/3 and still end up with a suitable product. 
5. Get into marinating. You can create your own lower -sodium marinade by combining an acid food like lemon, mustard, or tomato with a dry rub mixture and a splash of oil.
6.   Boost up the flavor of healthy fats in nuts! Try toasting nuts and a dry rub together to create a flavor -charged garnish on your vegetables and side dishes. A tablespoons or two goes a long way.
7. Freeze leftover broth in ice cube trays for future recipes.  Two cubes of broth can substitute for oil to add flavor and moisture.
8. Graters are a great!  I always use a handy hand grater to add fresh ginger, lemon zest, or nutmeg to my vegetables, without needing any extra salt.
9. Pick flavors that pop! A little bit of red pepper, or hot sauce, or wasabi will go a long way for adding flavor without extra fat or salt.
10.  Don’t overlook your timing.  Take time to enjoy your nutritious meal.  Plate out the meal with whole grains and vegetables in the center of the plate.  Then sit down and take time to relish and enjoy your flavor-filled meal.  Remember that it takes 20 minutes, at least, for your blood sugar to respond and your brain to get the message that you are full and saited. Resist the urge to pile up your plate with second helpings until you’ve eaten slowly and mindfully.

RECIPE IDEA : GRILLED  HEROIC ASPARAGUS RAFTS- a great low- sodium high- flavor recipe!

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh asparagus stalks

3  tablespoons HEROIC BBQ Rub

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1  tablespoons rice vinegar

Supplies:

Bamboo skewers

Grill

Instructions

1. Make the Asparagus Rafts: Peel the woody bases of the asparagus stalks.  Arrange 4 or 5 stalks side by side and skewer them crosswise with wooden skewers

2. Prepare  HEROIC  marinade.  In a small bowl whisk together sesame oil and  vinegar .  Stir in HEROIC .

3.   Prepare grill.  Brush grill grates with some oil .  Place  asparagus rafts on  grill. Brush liberally with HEROIC marinade. Grill until nicely golden on both sides- about 2- 4 minutes per side.

4. Remove from grill.   Drizzle any remaining  HEROIC marinade over the asparagus and serve.

©Nutrition The Best Prescription: 2014.

Choosing a Frozen Meal

March 2014

Over the course of my years as a nutritionist, I am always amazed at the growing shelf space in the supermarket  for frozen dinners .  Most markets these days  have a wall-to wall display of frozen entrees.  As your nutrition advisor, I say  the best way to screen a  frozen dinner is to  look carefully at the front AND the back of the package paying extra attention to the ingredient and  nutrition label information.  You might want to allow yourself a  bit of extra time for your food shopping market trip the first few times until you  get the hang of how to “break the code” on a nutrition facts label.

SHOPPING BY THE NUMBERS

By the numbers, here are my guidelines for choosing a healthy frozen meal:

Size and Weight -  Pick meals that weigh at least 10 oz.  Less than 8 ounces, and it’s likely to feel like a large snack rather than a meal.

 Calories-  Aim for  calories in the 300 range . Based on a calorie allotment of 1500 calories per day you should focus on about 400 calories per meal with an additional 300 thrown in for snacks.  With this in mind pick meals that are about 300 to  350 calories and add a piece of fruit and abundance  salad to round up the calories and boost the fiber.

Healthy Description- Look for the word  “healthy” on the packaging.  By definition the US Food and Drug Administration requires that  foods labeled ’healthy’ meet some basic criteria. They must:

*Provide at least 10 percent of one or more of vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, protein, and fiber

* Be low in fat and saturated fat .

* Be limited in amount of sodium and cholesterol.

Take a good look at the meal description and packaging illustrations.  As a general rule, look for entrees that feature the protein first and then the starch.  Food titles are listed in order of predominance. For example, meatballs and spaghetti will have more protein than spaghetti and meatballs.

Ingredients.   Review the ingredient list and look for a predominance of vegetablesand whole grains and a minimum of additives and preservatives.  Vegetables are generally lower in calories and higher in vitamins and minerals and  fiber (which helps fill you up).  Many frozen food entrees contain only  1 to 4 teaspoons of vegetables per portion- not enough to meet recommended requirements. Opt for brown rice or whole grains whenever possible, and choose lean meat, fish, or chicken. Be suspicious of ingredient lists with BHA and a long list of artificial  colors as these may be unsafe or very poorly tested for long term use. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/05_08/chem_cuisine.pdf

 Protein-A dinner meal should be at least  20- 27  grams of protein; a lunch meal- 14 to 20 grams .  These levels   may help dieters preserve muscle as they lose weight . 

Fats: For heart-smarts, choose meals with less than 4 grams of saturated fat.

 Limit sodium.   As a rule the US Dietary Guidelines say  you should be curtailing your daily sodium level to about 2300 mg a day. Limit your meal sodium allotment to one third of that so choose meals with less than 800 milligrams of sodium. Ideally , pick entrees that have no more than 200 milligrams of sodium for every 100 calories. 

 Boost Fiber.   Select meals with at least 3-5 grams of fiber. That’s about equivalent to a half cup of cooked vegetables or a large piece of fruit. Beware that inulin and maltodextrin fibers are not as efficient as whole grains and vegetables  for fiber boosting.

Sugar. Scrutinize the sugar content on the nutrition facts label. Generally,  15 grams of sugars is about equivalent to  a tablespoon of table sugar, or about the sugar content of a small piece of fruit . Unless the meal has a lot of fruit in it, steer clear of choices that exceed this 15 gm threshold, especially if you are a person with diabetes.

Finishing Touches.   Round out your meal with an abundant salad and some anti-oxidant rich vegetable oil, nuts or avocado.  Calorie-wise, a tablespoon of dressing or mashed avocado  or nuts adds an additional 50 calories to your meal , roughly.

 Last but not Least… Hydrate.  Set your frozen meal place setting with a generous  glass  of  calorie- free fluids.  Flavored waters, seltzers, iced tea,  and  fruit flavored waters , all ‘count” as good  choices. 

.