Almonds are healthy and good for your waistline

Almonds are a superfood. They are packed with nutrients and eating them regularly can help to lower cholesterol. But what about all those calories? Well, a new study shows you don't need to worry. Women who ate 2 ounces of almonds each day (344 extra calories) didn't gain any weight over 10 weeks. Why? Since almonds are satisfying and filling, the women compensated for most of the calories by reducing their intake of other foods. Also, some of the fat in the almonds was blocked from being absorbed by the fiber content - so their bodies weren't really recognizing all the calories. Bottom line: eat a handful or two of almonds as a great afternoon snack or chop some on top of your morning oatmeal. They're really nutritious and keep you satisfied, making it easier to stick to the rest of your healthy diet.

Most Women Feel Fat

I have friends and lead weight loss groups of women that are not happy with their bodies. Most are moms that just never lost the baby fat or they lost the fat but are not back to their pre-baby shape. And now, with their hectic lives directed by their children, are finding it hard to fit in a healthier diet, not to mention exercise. Well, they are not alone, in a new survey of 2000 women sponsored by SlimFast, 78% of women said they are larger than they want to be, with more than half wanting to be a size 8 or smaller -- today the average size is 12. Ok moms -- we need to slow down and figure out a way to take care of ourselves. Our negative body image can be passed onto our children. For their sake, let's eat healthier and feel good about ourselves!!! Read my post on August 14th for some quick tips. Click here to read more about the survey.

Back to School Snacks

Well, it is time to say goodbye to the lazy days of summer and get back into a regular routine. My daughter started her preschool today and as I was packing her snacks she was trying to talk me into providing all treats to help her through her first day. Although, the treats would make her happy, they would not help her get through the day. So, we compromised. I let her pick one treat. Here are the snacks she took to school,
-- A chocolate Z bar by Clif (this was her treat)-- has a great ingredient deck and nutrition and she loves it!
-- Tasty little crackers (TLC) by Kashi with almond butter (peanut butter is not allowed at her school).
-- Baby carrots -- I hope she eats them.
-- Strawberries with powdered sugar -- just a little, otherwise, she will not eat them.
Quick tip for moms -- try and eat the way you want your kids to eat. By doing this, you will not only eat better but will also be a healthy-eating role model.
I also ran across an article that has some interesting recipes and good information for back to school lunches, click here for the article.

Pregnancy diet impacts baby's heart health, too

On the heels of the study showing that eating too much junk during pregnancy may make a difference in the baby becoming a junk-food junkie too, is a study looking at how diet during pregnancy impacts the baby's heart health into adulthood. The research is just getting underway, but the lead author suspects that it will show that not only does the mom's diet affect the baby's long term heart health, but the heart health of her grandchildren as well. Wow, that's a lot of responsibility! Bottom line: eat your fruits and veggies during pregnancy, future generations are counting on you.

Eating Junk Food During Pregnancy - Bad Idea

A study just published shows a link between what you eat during pregnancy and breastfeeding and your child's future eating habits. "Our study has shown that eating large quantities of junk food when pregnant and breastfeeding could impair the normal control of appetite and promote an exacerbated taste for junk food in offspring," says lead author Dr Stéphanie Bayol. "This could send offspring on the road to obesity and make the task of teaching healthy eating habits in children even more challenging." Now, this study is interesting but it used rats so the results would need to be verified in humans. Click here for the report.

Fatness is Sweeping the Nation, Save Yourself

OK, I cannot help but write these tips after seeing the CDC slides again (from my last post). These are some easy to incorporate behaviors to help you lose weight or not gain weight, try these for two weeks -
--eat at least 5 fruits and veggies a day - count at the end of the day, make up for the amount missing at dinner, e.g. I only ate 3 fruits today, so at dinner I need to have two servings of vegetables
--include a 1/2 cup serving of beans or lentils in your meals once a day -- make sure they are not cooked with bacon or with oil, just water (and maybe some garlic)
--snack on one big handful of your favorite nut or seed (1.5 oz or about 15-30 depending on size) once a day
--drink plenty of water, try to drink at least 5 8-ounce glasses of water throughout the day
By adding these foods, you will naturally replace other less "healthy" foods. You will also add important nutrients that can help you feel great and stay in shape. Lastly, add exercise to your day, even if it is only for 15 minutes... get that heart-rate up (Try this -- jump rope outside for 15 minutes while the kids play. Jump for 3 minutes and take a 1 minute rest, do this 5 times for a total jumping time of 15 minutes).
We want to hear from you in two weeks -- tell us your success stories!!! Or share some tips of your own.

Fatness is Sweeping the Nation

I just came across the frightening CDC (Center for Disease Control) illustrations of how the growing American Girth has spread throughout the US over the past 20 years. As a dietitian, the CDC has shared these images with us several times over the past years. These images are now gaining attention and are visible to the public. All states are estimated to have at least 15% of their population as obese. It is scary to see how obesity really is a growing epidemic. I must warn you now, the following may give you a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. Click here to see the increase of obese Americans throughout the US since 1985.

Two Angry Moms...making a difference

Check out Two Angry Moms...these women are on a mission to make school meals healthier. They are asking parents to join their children for lunch at their schools the week of Oct 15-19th and ask questions about the food and ingredients. You can also ask for a copy of their wellness policy.

Saving money while cutting calories

I've been told countless times that "it's so much more expensive to eat healthfully." This article caught my attention because it has some creative tips on saving money while cutting calories.

Do "diet" foods pack on pounds?

Feeling guilty for choosing the regular ice cream rather than the sugar-free frozen yogurt? Don't. A new study suggests that consuming diet foods and diet drinks may not help keep pounds off and may even lead to weight gain. In the article, one researcher speculates that the body can't be easily fooled and makes up for the missing calories and more. He says people may even crave more sweets when diet foods are eaten. However, researchers are conflicting in their opinions on the topic and it's certainly not conclusive. As a dietitian, I think that reduced calorie foods can be part of a weight loss diet by helping cut down on calorie intake if and only if they are still viewed as a dessert or indulgence and limited in the same way the high-calorie food would be. Remember the "Snackwells syndrome?" If you feel more satisfied with a small portion of the luscious, full-fat Haagen Dazs than the sugar-free frozen yogurt, than by all means savor every (small) bite of the real thing.

Coffee good for women's memory

If you love coffee as much as I do and have "mommy brain," (as I do) you're going to love this news. Research was just published on over 7,000 women showing that drinking coffee may protect women's memory and even halt the development of dementia. Many of the women we talk to in our nutrition practices ask about whether coffee is okay and some even tell us they've switched to energy drinks thinking they're better. NO WAY! Coffee not only has zero calories, it's looking better and better in terms of numerous health benefits. Plus, taking a coffee break and sipping slowly provides its own mental recharge for the harried mom. Since having kids I can't seem to remember a thing - perhaps I just haven't been drinking enough coffee!

Easy and Fun Summer Snack

My daughter and I just created a fun and healthy snack this morning that I wanted to share with you. The best part of this snack, besides the nutrition, is that your child get to have fun while eating it. You can eat this with your child but make sure you let her make your snack...she will love that she is making your food for once.
Ingredients:
Sliced bananas
Peanut Butter on a big spoon
Granola in a bowl
Preparation:
Let your little one take a slice of banana, wipe it against the peanut butter on the spoon (you may need to help depending on the age) and then dip the banana slice and peanut butter in a bowl of granola (the granola will stick to the peanut butter) and eat. We had fun this morning and my picky eater actually ate her snack. Also, I not only got to play with her but I ate healthy too.