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How to Make the IIFYM Diet Work

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

dietIn a recent episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I talked about a new diet trend called IIFYM, or If It Fits Your Macros.  With the IIFYM diet, you aim to get a certain amount of carbohydrate, protein and fat every day but there are no other rules. You can get your carbohydrates from quinoa or Cap’n Crunch. You can get your protein from tofu or from hot dogs and your fat from olive oil or bacon grease. It’s totally up to you…as long as it fits your macros.

In my podcast, I gave the diet a rather lukewarm review. I mean, how could any reasonable nutritionist get on board with this idea? In practice, however, this diet may ultimately lead some people toward healthier choices, and not away from them as you might expect. Continue reading “How to Make the IIFYM Diet Work” >

Best Bedtime Snacks

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

20110311-bj-late-night-snack-ice-cream-containerLisa writes: “I work fairly late, getting home at 9 pm most evenings. I usually squeeze in a salad in between clients around 5:30-6 pm. By the time I get home I’m usually hungry again. I’m always searching for healthy things to eat at that time, so I don’t grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s from the freezer.  Can you offer any suggestions?”

I am a bit of an expert in late night snacking–even though I know that runs contrary to conventional nutritional wisdom. There is some research suggesting that eating more of your calories earlier in the day can help with weight loss. But it’s not the same for everyone. I’ve found that as long as my total intake over the course of the day isn’t excessive, having a late night snack doesn’t seem to sabotage my efforts. Your mileage may vary.

See also: Does it Matter What Time you Eat?

At the same time, you don’t want to go to bed with a stomach full of heavy food or all jazzed up on sugar. Here are four of my favorite bedtime snacks. Continue reading “Best Bedtime Snacks” >

Homemade Granola

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Granola

I think this granola tastes so much better than store-bought brands. It’s also a lot lower in sugar. If you want to add raisins or other dried fruit, add after the cereal has cooled completely.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups rolled oats (not-quick cooking)
  • 3/4 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup whole flaxseeds
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 3 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees
  2. Spread rolled oats evenly on a jelly roll pan and toast in oven for ten minutes, stirring once.
  3. Remove oats from oven transfer to a large mixing bowl with nuts and seeds.
  4. Combine honey and oil and heat over low heat (or place in microwave for a few seconds). Stir in vanilla and salt.
  5. Pour heated honey mixture over toasted oats and toss to coat.
  6. Spread mixture on jelly roll pan and return to oven for ten to fifteen minutes.
  7. Cool completely and store in an air-tight container.

Makes about 6 cups.

Cutting calories can mess with your sleep

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Woman SleepingAs if losing weight weren’t already challenging enough, you might also find that you’re not sleeping as well. And we all know (both from research data as well as personal experience) that being under-rested can increase your appetite and reduce your will-power.  Perfect, meet storm.

A pair of randomized controlled studies suggests a possible solution: Continue reading “Cutting calories can mess with your sleep” >

Is eating at your desk really so bad?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

carrots hummusBarb writes:

“I have been trying to not eat at my desk or in my car. But I really miss being able to do so. I don’t think it leads me to eat any more than I otherwise would.  I am not talking about an entire meal, but maybe having my carrots/hummus while perusing spreadsheets or on a long drive. Is this really such a bad habit?”

I think the primary reason that many nutritionists (including me) suggest that you avoid eating at your desk or in the car (or in front of the TV) is that eating when we are distracted can lead us to eat more than we would if we were paying more attention.

And if it’s M&Ms or chips that we’re mindlessly munching on, the damage–in terms of empty calories–can be considerable.  Even if it’s a healthy but calorie-dense food like salted nuts, you can easily over do it when your mind is elsewhere.

But what if it’s a healthy snack? And what if it’s not leading you to overeat? What if it’s actually helping you get more vegetables into your day? What if having some vegetables on that long drive home means that you’re not so famished when you walk in the front door that you head straight for the cookie jar?

Knowing the rationale behind such “rules” can help you decide when it’s OK for you to break them. From what you’ve said, it doesn’t sound as if your desk-side snacking is sabotaging your diet.  Crunch away.

Cadmium in cocoa powder

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

cocoaIn last week’s episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I had some suggestions for ways to use cocoa powder as a savory spice, rather than a sweet ingredient. The idea was to increase your intake of those healthy cocoa flavanols without increasing your sugar and fat intake.

But some of you wrote with concerns about cadmium in cocoa powder. Cadmium is a heavy metal that, like lead and arsenic, occurs naturally in soil. Heavy metals in soil can also be the result of industrial pollution. These metals can be absorbed from the soil into plants–and some plants are better at sucking up heavy metals than others. Continue reading “Cadmium in cocoa powder” >

Are you dehydrated? A reliable self-test

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Image by © Royalty-Free/CorbisWhenever I offer my 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program, a few people are always surprised that drinking more water isn’t one of the 10 essential habits that we focus on. After all, it’s been drilled into our heads that we’re all chronically dehydrated and that we must (MUST!) drink AT LEAST 8 glasses of water a day.

There are smart phone apps that do nothing but keep track of your water intake and prompt you to drink more.

I’ve been working to debunk the “dehydration myth” for years now. It’s harmless enough, I guess. But I think it sometimes distracts us from things that actually matter a lot more. So I was delighted to see (and repost!) this CDC report, which confirms that Americans are, on average, taking in more than enough water.

Averages, Schmaverages

But, as Liz recently reminded me in an email, averages don’t always tell the entire story. (See Todd Rose’s new book The End of Average.) Despite the fact that Americans in aggregate are well-hydrated, maybe you’re still nervous that you’re teetering on the brink. You’re in luck.

Researchers have determined that if you’re reasonably healthy (and you own a bathroom scale), you can accurately determine your hydration status by answering 3 simple questions, first thing every morning:

  1. uacn_a_1067872_f0003_bHave I lost more than 1% of my body weight since yesterday morning?
  2. Is my urine dark?
  3. Am I thirsty?

The researchers stress that none of these things by itself is a reliable indicator of dehydration. However, if you answer yes to any TWO of these questions, you are likely to be dehydrated. If you answer yes to all three, you are very likely to be dehydrated.