Late Night Snacking: Friend or Foe

Guest post by Brittany Jones of Healthy Choice

As women we dread it, but most of us succumb to it.  Late night snacking is the fear of women everywhere.  Okay, I’m exaggerating, but the guilt that accompanies that 10 pm scoop of ice cream can carry on into the next afternoon.  However, late night eating does not necessarily need to be demonized. Contrary to popular belief, eating later in the evening technically isn’t bad for you.  It isn’t when you eat that causes weight gain, it’s what you eat and how much.  But before you devour two bowls of cereal and a coke zero, take some of these tips into consideration.

Why French Women Don't Get Fat

Excerpt from article by Sonja Rose on TucsonCitizen.com

Have you ever wondered why French women seem to eat well, enjoy food and wine, and yet the country has about one-third the obesity rates of countries like the US and Australia? Well, Mireille Guiliano wrote a book called 'French Women Don't Get Fat' a while ago. Based on this book, Sonja Rose documented a clear summary of the top 10 tips discussed in the book. I thought these would be very helpful.

2013 Diet Trends

Everyone's rushing to the gym at this time of the year. Yes, we already know that. But things are not only hyped up on the exercise front. Diet-wise, people are running to all sorts of trends they've heard about or tried and failed in the past. 2013 is no different.

However, dietitians are also predicting that there will be some trends particular to this year. Low-carb had its year, fat-free had its year, gluten-free had its year, and even veganism had its year. So what's it looking like it would be this year?

Well, it does look like people are getting more knowledgeable about their bodies, and so 2013 is looking like the companies that gave us the "portion" diets will reign. You've already started seeing more commercials with more celebrities as the spokespeople for Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and so on. They are doing really well and will continue to do better as people become more conscious of the fact that portion control works, and as people realize that the other fads are not working.

Speaking of being more knowledgeable, people are also becoming more tech savvy, right? And so the prediction is that we will continue to see diet and technology merge. There will be much more information about diets online, and much more people will be able to track their nutrition information and see what it means to their lives.

Quality also seems to be becoming more important as people focus on muscle tone, not just fat loss. So quality carbs, quality proteins, and the necessity of fruits and vegetables in our diets will become the highlight of many diets and fitness programs.

All in all, these look like good things. We are headed in the right direction when it comes to diet. We just need to make sure we are aware of our bodies. Awareness is the key to good health. As you consider what your diet will look like in 2013, make sure you remember this: "Always make sure it is reasonable. Do not make unsustainable changes. Fitness is, after all, a lifestyle." And that's my tip #3 for this week :)

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: bistromd.com

Myths: Is Nutella Healthy?

If you love the hazelnut and chocolate goodness, you have probably heard of the recent debates in the news about how Nutella is marketed. A mother won a class action suit against Ferrero USA (the company that makes Nutella) for promoting their product as a healthy choice for kids. Basically, from their commercials, she had been led to think it was a healthy breakfast option, she fed it to her kids, and then found out it was not as healthy as they marketed it to be.

We do live in a society where “implied advertising” rules. Note that they don’t necessarily call it false advertising. I mean, if all the mobile networks claim they have the best network, somebody must be lying, right? But then again, it depends on what they imply “best network” to mean. It’s all a game.

 So let’s address the issue at hand; is Nutella really that unhealthy? Nutella is a mystery spread to most people. It’s like it tastes good so who cares? Well, let me give you a little insight into the deliciousness that is Nutella. It is made from hazelnuts, almonds, cocoa, and milk. Or at least, that is the way it is advertised. If you look at the ingredients on a jar though, what is the first thing you see? Sugar.

Most people don’t know this, but companies usually list their ingredients in the order of quantity, at least in the US. So this means the sugar content in Nutella is more than the hazelnut, cocoa, milk, and almond content. That is something to think about. In fact, if you dig deeper into production, you’d find out that Nutella is really about 70% sugar and vegetable oil. That’s definitely something to think about.

So what is the nutrition content of Nutella? The picture below gives clear details. It is clear that the 200 calories come mostly from sugar.

So what am I saying really? Don’t fall prey to implied advertising. Make sure you make informed decisions when you select food options. There is nothing wrong with a bit of Nutella here and there just like you would do with any other spread or any other dessert, but it is important to keep your portions controlled, be conscious of your calorie consumption, and not pig out simply because you think it is healthy. Don’t forget the tagline: Everything in moderation.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: motivatednutrition.blogspot.com, nutellachocoloate.com

What's Really the Perfect Portion?

You've heard me say it a lot - Portion control is the biggest key to eating right. However, it is really difficult to be disciplined about your portions unless you walk around with a measuring cup (Hey, do what you have to. I'm just saying). And people constantly go "Eat all your meals at home", but the reality is that in the business and dating world we live in, a lot of our dinners are spent in restaurants. This is why it is important to be able to gauge a portion size with something you can easily  carry around. Like say your hand? Even the plate will do.

I always think that a balanced meal on a plate should look like the photo above: half of the plate should be veggies or fruits, a quarter should be lean protein, a quarter should be carbs, and you can have about a glass of dairy. Yes, that does mean that your pounded yam serving should not take over the whole plate. And neither should be meat in the stew.

Now when you are dealing with a mixture that can't quite look like the picture above, the best thing might be to judge is with your hand. Whenever you read "1 serving of..." anywhere, it usually means the following (and this is just a rough estimate to get you started):

• For carbs, a fistful - rice, pasta, yams, potatoes, etc.
• For protein, the size of your palm without the fingers - chicken, beans, fish, etc.
• For veggies and fruits, the size of your fist - spinach, broccoli, apples, etc.

Note that for single items like bread, it is usually 1 slice. And although cereal can differ, I would use one fistful for cereal as well.

Liquids are a little different, but for large glasses, it may be best to assume two servings per glass, and for small glasses, assume one serving.

We will talk about portions in more detail soon. Stay posted. Till then, have a great week!

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: ChooseMyPlate.gov

Portion Control: How Much is Too Much?

It is easy to assume we are eating the right sizes because we are satisfied at the end of the meal. But sometimes, trying to use our stomachs to gauge what our bodies actually need does not work out too well in the weight loss department. So how can you really know how much food to eat? Everyone eats varied amounts of food based on their weight goals. Your goal may require that you eat 1500 calories a day, while another individual’s goal may require that he/she eat 2500 calories a day.

Because we are not machines, there are a lot of websites and diet plans that help us meet the suggested number of calories. But then again, most diet plans give you information based on “servings”. e.g. two servings of oats is about 300 calories. But since we can’t go about our lives with a measuring cup, there are a few tricks to understanding what one serving means. We’ll focus on some of the major foods.

Rice/Beans: One serving of rice or beans (1 cup cooked) is about the size of two regular light bulbs. It might be easier to divide it into two, and think of each portion as the size of one light bulb.

 

Bread: The length of a slice of bread should be about the width of a cassette tape. I know, I know, they make gigantic loaves of bread nowadays. And sometimes, you might be underestimating the calories you are consuming when the slice of bread is so large.

Swallow: This list would not be complete without eba, pounded yam, amala, fufu, and the like, usually referred to as "swallow". One serving of any of these foods is about the size of a light bulb. One serving of the soup (or stew) used to eat these foods should be about the size of a baseball.

Cereal: This is a huge disappointment for those that love to eat humongous bowls of cereal, but one cup of flaked cereal (one serving) is only about the size of a baseball. So when you look at the pack and it says 1 cup is 300 calories, that 1 cup is about the size of a baseball. Think about how much cereal you can consume in one sitting.

Pasta: Another 1-cup disappointment is pasta. 1 cup of cooked pasta is about the size of a baseball. On the plus side, pasta is squishy so a lot can probably fit into that 1 cup.

Pancakes/waffles: The size of one pancake should be the size of a compact disc. Most of the information on calorie content of pancakes on the web would refer to one serving of pancakes/waffles as a CD-sized pancake/waffle.

Nuts: ¼ cup of nuts is about one serving. What does ¼ cup of nuts look like? A golf ball.

Meat: A serving of cooked chicken, beef or any other kind of mammal or bird is about the size of a deck of cards. With fish though, the serving is about the size of a checkbook. It may be easier to think about this in terms of length rather than trying to figure out how a chicken thigh translates to a deck of cards.

Tofu: So I had to do this for my soy lovers, right? One serving of tofu is about the size of a cassette tape. That’s actually a lot after it’s been all diced up.

Veggies: 1 cup of broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, peas, and any combination of these is about the size of a baseball. Is that hard to picture? Think about it in terms of length or chopped up in a cup.

Potatoes: A potato should be able the size of a computer mouse. Yea, I know you’ve seen over-fertilized potatoes as large as your head, but that counts for multiple servings.

Corn: An ear of corn should be as long as that yellow pencil you used in school. You know, the one with the pink eraser on the bottom?

Fruits: Fruits come in all sizes and shapes. But the general rule of thumb is that one serving of round fruits like apples and oranges is the size of a baseball, one serving of long fruits like bananas is the length of a pencil, and one serving of small fruits like berries and grapes is the number of these fruits that can fit into a light bulb.

Spreads: One serving of spreads like butter or mayonnaise is about the size of a poker chip.

Miscellaneous: This is actually most of the junk food we eat. A serving of a burger should be as big as a deck of cards (I wonder where the Triple Whopper falls). A cup of soup, a meat pie, a serving of French fries, a serving of lasagna, and a cup of mac and cheese should all be about the size of a baseball. A burrito and a sub should be as long as a check book. And a slice of pizza should be about the size of 2 dollar bills.

Dessert: And now for the ultimate disappointment. How big should a slice of cake really be? About the size of a deck of cards. What about a cookie? It should be the size of two poker chips. One serving of ice-cream should be the size of a light bulb, and one cup of pudding or yogurt should be the size of a baseball.

So now you know. It’s a lot to take in, but once you’ve mastered grouping food into the baseball, light bulb, and deck of cards groups, it would become way easier. Also, now you have this article that you can save on your phone and reference anytime :)

I also found this fabulous guide that you can print out and put up on your fridge: Portion Control Guide. Please let me know if it helps you at all.

Cheers Eights & Weights!

Photo credit: DamnILikeThat.com