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Is Tofu a Good Source of Calcium?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Karen writes: “How would you rate tofu as a source of calcium? Is it bioavailable?”

Calcium sulfate is often used as a coagulant in the tofu making process. It’s added to the soymilk to get it to set into a solid form. The more coagulant you add, the firmer the tofu gets. As a result, firm tofu will contain more calcium per serving.

The exact amount of calcium per serving varies considerably by brand, so check those nutrition facts labels.

Calcium sulfate is also a bioavailable form of calcium which can rival milk as a source.

A cup (8 oz) of milk contain about 300 mg of elemental calcium, about a third of which is absorbed from the digestive tract, providing about 96 mg of calcium.  A three ounce serving of firm tofu can also provide 300 mg of calcium. Despite a slightly lower absorption rate, you’d still get about 93 mg of calcium out of it.

Note that the recommended intake of calcium (1000 to 1200mg per day) is based on the amount of calcium in the food and not the amount of calcium that you absorb. In other words, the recommendations take into consideration the fact that calcium absorption varies from food to food and are based on typical dietary patterns.

Here’s more on calcium absorbability from different foods.

Do phytates fight cancer?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Jennie writes:

“I read a book on plant-based diets that which cliams that the phytates in whole grains kill cancer cells. Do whole grains really fight cancer?”

Ironic, isn’t it? In some corners of the nutrition world, the phytates in grains and legumes are reviled as “anti-nutrients.” In other circles, they are heralded as cancer killers.

In fact, both are true. Phytic acid in nuts, whole grains and legumes can bind to minerals like calcium and magnesium and reduce absorption of these minerals.  This effect can be greatly diminished by soaking, sprouting, or cooking these foods. But if you’re not soaking or sprouting your grains, don’t worry.  It’s unlikely to lead to mineral deficiencies.

In fact, the health benefits of phytic acid from whole grains and legumes appear to be much more significant than any downside.  In addition to building strong bones, lowering cholesterol, and removing heavy metals from your body, phytates may help prevent cancer (colon cancer in particular).

It’s worth pointing out that there are a lot of things that kill cancer cells.  But killing cancer cells in a petri dish and impeding the progression of cancer in a living organism are two entirely different things. Phytates are not effective chemotherapy. But they have been found to reduce the effects of actual chemotherapy in cancer patients.

 

How to Motivate Healthy Habits: An Interview with Dan Ariely

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Our theme all this month is Healthy Habits and this week I spoke with behavioral economist and author Dan Ariely. He’s written several books including his 2008 bestseller Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions and his more recent title Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter. Dan Ariely teaches at Duke University and he’s the founder of the Center for Advanced Hindsight. (Get it?)

This article is also available as a podcast. Click below to listen.

Dan has spent his career trying to understand (and explain to the rest of us) why we make choices that are clearly not in our best interest. Things like buying lottery tickets and selling stocks when they lose value and, of course, eating things that we know are going to keep us from looking and feeling the way we want to.

And, in fact, his latest project is one that focuses on helping people lose weight and get healthier. It’s a bathroom scale called Shapa and the interesting thing about this scale is that it doesn’t tell you what you weigh. Instead, it simply tells you whether your weight is trending up, down, or staying the same. (This is very similar to the approach that we use in our sustainable weight loss program. )

When trying to develop healthy habits, we should focus on rewarding the behavior instead of the outcome.

In a pilot study, Dan’s group recruited volunteers who either weighed themselves every morning on a conventional scale or on the Shapa scale. While the group who used the regular scale gained a bit of weight over the course of the study, the group that used the Shapa scale lost about 1% of their body weight each month.

That may not seem like very much but, as you’ve heard me say before, you are far more likely to maintain your weight loss when you lose it slowly. (It also beats the heck out of slowly gaining weight!)

In our interview, Dan explains the behavioral economics at work and how the insights that led to the Shapa scale can help you form other healthy habits as well.

Here are just a few highlights from our interview.

  • When trying to develop healthy habits, we should focus on rewarding the behavior instead of the outcome.
  • Getting on the scale every morning can help remind you of your intention to eat healthy throughout the day.
  • Our weight can fluctuate by several pounds from day to day. But this has very little to do with actual fat loss or gain.
  • It can take up to two weeks for changes that you make to your diet and exercise to actually translate into fat loss.
  • To get a true picture of how changes to your diet and exercise are impacting your body, you need to look at the long-term trend.

You can learn more about the Dan’s work at his website http://danariely.com

 

This article was originally published at QuickandDirtyTips.com

Eating meat without feeling guilty

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

About ten years ago, I cut way back on the amount of meat I was eating, from 3-4 times a week to 3-4 times a month. I wasn’t worried about my health. And I enjoy a good steak or roasted chicken as much as anyone. I stopped eating meat mostly because I felt guilty about it.

I had concerns about the treatment of the animals I was eating, the environmental impact of large scale livestock operations, the sustainability of it all. I tried to research which farms and brands were raising their animals humanely and responsibly but it ended up being easier just to order (or cook) vegetarian meals instead. Continue reading “Eating meat without feeling guilty” >

How to weigh less in 2018: The DIY plan

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

All week, I’ve been hearing people talk about how much weight they’ve gained over the holidays and what diet or cleanse they’re planning to start January 1.

Meanwhile, here’s what we’re hearing from the current members of the Weighless program:

“Right before Thanksgiving, I reached the (previously fictional) weight on my driver’s license! And then, to my surprise, was able to maintain it through the holidays. Feeling good!”

“I have actually lost some weight over the holiday. Not…even…trying. LOVE this program.”

“I am amazed at how much the Weighless program has affected my thinking. I am not at all stressed about all the food around me.”

These are word-for-word quotes and there are dozens more where these came from. It literally brings tears to my eyes to read them.

I realize that not everyone can (or will) decide to do the Weighless Program but I want EVERYONE to have this experience! And that’s why we’ve decided to give it away.

On Tuesday evening (Jan 2nd) Brock Armstrong and I are offering a free 1 hour video class in which we’ll walk you through the exact method that our members are using to get these amazing results.

You can do this on your own if you choose. Or, if you decide to join the group that’s launching January 5th, Brock and I will be there with you every step of the way. Either way, we want EVERYONE to have this information.

 

New Year. Same Old Resolution? Let’s Fix That.

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

As the year draws to a close, millions are resolving to lose weight in the new year.  Just like they did last year. And the year before that. They’ll start diets and join gyms–and some will even lose a few pounds. Just like they did last year. And the year before that.

But we know how this story ends, don’t we? Next year at this time, it’ll be the same resolution. Maybe it’ll be a new diet or a new gym. But it’ll will almost certainly be the same outcome. They say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Let’s give this story a new ending.

The Weighless Program is not a diet or an exercise regimen. It’s a year-long experience that helps you build the mindset, habits, and lifestyle that lead to weighing less. This program has already helped hundreds break the endless cycle of failed and yo-yo dieting and finally achieve permanent weight loss.

For our members, this is the first time in ages that losing weight will NOT be their New Year’s resolution! Imagine how fun and freeing it would be to be able to think about other goals and ambitions!

If losing weight is one of your goals for 2018, let’s make this the last time you make this resolution. Let’s make this the year that you stop dieting and start weighing less. 

Our 2018 group will begin their Weighless Journey on Friday, January 5th. You can learn more about Weighless here.

Why I’m not reading self-help books in 2018

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Today, I found myself watching an interview with the author of a new book, one of those personal growth books that promises to change your life. As I listened to the interview, I was thinking: “This author seems really wise and I like her message. I could use this in my life. I should read it.”

And then I realized that I don’t need to read one more book on how to be a more authentic version of myself or make my life work better or achieve my goals.

It’s not that I know everything there is to know about these things.  Far from it. But there comes a point at which reading yet another book or article or blog post or subscribing to yet another podcast or newsletter becomes a substitute for doing the work.

Analysis without action doesn’t produce change

Taking consistent action,  however imperfectly, beats another month (year/decade) perfecting my philosophy and planning my approach. If I want to make more progress toward my goals, I need to quit researching and start putting some of what I already know into action.  And through trial and error, I’ll learn what works for me. 

This is something that we talk about a lot in the Weighless program.  So much of the work we do in this year-long program focuses on mindset and attitudes: how we think about food, eating, and our choices in that regard.  But, as our members quickly discover, insights are only as good as the actions they lead to.  That’s why we spend an equal amount of time on concrete strategies for changing habits.

You can change your mind without changing your behavior. You can also change your behavior without changing your mind. It’s only when you manage to change both that you’re on the road to lasting success.

If you weigh more than you’d like to, and you’re ready to stop analyzing and start solving the problem, we would love to have you with us in our next group. Learn more here.

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions about the Weighless Program

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. I don’t live in the U.S. Will I be able to participate fully in the program? 

A. Geography is no barrier to taking part in Weighless!  We already have people enrolled from Australia, Canada, the UK, and Europe, so you also will not be the only one! As long as you eat food, move your body, and have access to the internet, you have everything you need to participate. We will also be sure to schedule our live check-ins at a variety of times of day so that everyone will have a chance to take advantage of this.

Q. My husband and I are trying to conceive. Will I have to drop out if I get pregnant?

A. I got this question from so many people that I suspect we are going to have a Weighless baby boom! Although some adjustments will obviously need to be made if you get pregnant during the program, Weighless is an ideal approach for those wanting to maintain healthy habits and manage weight gain during pregnancy.

Q. I will be traveling for a period of time during the program. Will this be a problem?

A. The Weighless approach goes wherever you go! The whole idea is to cultivate a healthy approach that works in the context of real life, which sometimes includes travel. If you have no access to the internet for an extended period of time, you may have a little catching up to do when you get back online. But any materials you miss will be waiting for you when you return. (If you give us some advance notice, we can also try to send some advance work along with you.)

Q. I’m a vegetarian. Will this work for me?

A. The Weighless approach accommodates any and all dietary preferences, restrictions, and requirements. There are no required or forbidden foods and no one-size-fits-all dogma. We believe there are many ways to put together a healthy diet. Our goal is to help you discover what works best for your body, metabolism, lifestyle, and preferences.

Q. I’ve been diagnosed with pre-diabetes? Can I do Weighless?

A. Our program draws on an evidence-based curriculum designed specifically for those at increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. There is no better place for you to take steps to reduce your risk.

Q. I only have 10-15 pounds to lose. Is this a good fit for me? 

A. Absolutely! This program is not about losing a certain number of pounds. It’s about developing the mindset, habits, and lifestyle that allow you to maintain a healthy weight without dieting. Whether you have ten or a hundred pounds to lose, the process is the same. Those who have less to lose will simply be practicing their maintenance skills a bit sooner in the process. (Although even those with a substantial amount of weight to lose will have ample opportunity to practice the art of living at a lower weight.)

Q. I have a surgery scheduled during the program which will restrict my ability to exercise. Will that prevent me from participating? 

A. There is no prescribed exercise requirement or regimen. We do work on finding ways to make our lives more active, but based on what’s possible for you. Unfortunately, life occasionally serves up injuries, surgeries, and other inconveniences and we believe it’s important to have an approach that can accommodate all of that.

Q. How many people will be in the group? I don’t want to get lost in a crowd.

A. Although we don’t yet know for sure how many people will be in the program, we expect it to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 people–big enough to give us some esprit de corps but small enough that we will really be able to get to know one another. (Speaking of which, our private online group is already up and running and we look forward to welcoming you as soon as you enroll.)

Are you ready to stop dieting and start weighing less? Details for enrolling are here.