Category: Healthy Eating Tips

Practical tips for improving your nutrition

What it’s like to weigh less

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Sure, I can tell you what the Weighless Program is all about. But perhaps you’d rather hear from those who are actually in the program? Here are just a few of the emails and posts that have come in from our members over the last few weeks:

“This past week, I saw people I haven’t seen in a while and a few noticed that I’ve lost weight.  On the numerous times when I’ve done Weight Watchers, I would lose the first 10 pounds in the first two or three weeks, and no one would EVER notice. I guess there’s a big difference between losing 10 pounds of fat in a healthy way and losing 10 pounds of god-knows-what in an unhealthy way. I haven’t spent the last three months weighing and measuring and depriving and monitoring like crazy. I’ve just spent the last three months living my normal life, with a few tweaks here and there.”

“Instead of making food choices in order to lose weight (Snackwells, anyone?), I’m now making decisions that improve my health. It’s a pro-health and pro-me approach to food and life. And my resulting weight loss feels like a welcome side effect. It doesn’t feel like deprivation, so it doesn’t feel so exhausting and scary. This non-diet Weighless approach has been free from the backlash, setbacks, binge eating and guilt that has plagued me with diets.“

“One of my favorite things about this program is that I do not dread special events.  I’m not waiting until all the planets align and there are no special events on the horizon to start a diet. I have navigated weddings, vacations and holidays without obsessing over food choices. I’ve made good choices and poor choices, but overall I feel much more in control of my outcomes.  No one indulgence is going to derail me.”

“I’m so very thankful for the Weighless program! I decided to try on a dress that I’ve always considered my “goal” dress and lo and behold it fit!!! My sweet husband said, “Wow, it’s so great to see you lose weight and get fit without dieting!” Life has been been chaotic the last few months, but I discovered the Weighless principles work no matter what is happening, especially as they become a way of life. I‘ve learned so much from Monica, Brock and all of the wonderful members of this group!”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for creating this amazing program. There are so many words to describe it – transformative, liberating, amazing, brilliant….I could go on. You have truly changed my life for the better. You have also helped me to model a more positive message for my two young daughters and for that – I am eternally grateful.”

Our next group is launching in just a few weeks–and then it will be another year before we start again. You can learn more here.

Fiber Density

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

This week’s Nutrition Diva podcast episode talks about the concept of fiber density and why it matters. Many high-fiber foods are also high in calories. If you’re looking to increase fiber but keep calories under control, you want foods with a high fiber density.

We can calculate the fiber density of a food by dividing the fiber by the calories and multiplying by 100. For example, the fiber density of raspberries is 12.5, means that 100 calories of raspberries contains 12.5 grams of fiber.  (Although the calories and fiber will change with the serving size, the fiber density will always remain the same.)

Here’s a table showing how various foods rank in terms of their fiber density. You can sort the table by any value by clicking on the column header.

For example, sort by Fiber to see which foods provide the most fiber per serving. Sort by Fiber Density to see which foods provide the most fiber for the least calories.

FoodAmountFiber (g)CaloriesFiber density
Wheat bran1/4 cup6.63220.63
Endive, raw1 cup1.6820
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup52917.24
Chicory greens, raw1 cup1.2717.14
Hero.co plain bagel1 bagel2113016.1
Cauliflower, cooked1 cup4.93115.81
Mustard greens, cooked1 cup4.22815
Kale, raw1 cup0.9712.86
Raspberries, raw1 cup86412.5
Romaine lettuce1 cup1812.5
Collards, cooked 1 cup7.66312.06
Chinese broccoli, cooked1 cup2.21911.58
Broccoli, cooked1 cup4.74111.46
Celery1 cup1.61411.43
Artichokes, cooked1 choke6.86111.15
Passionfruit1 cup24.522910.7
Swiss chard, cooked1 cup3.73510.57
Green beans, cooked1 cup43810.53
Spinach, cooked1 cup4.34110.49
Radishes1 cup1.91910
Spinach, raw1 cup0.7710
Zucchini, cooked1 cup2.9319.35
Asparagus, cooked 1 cup3.6409
Green peppers, raw1 cup2.5308.33
Cabbage, cooked1 cup2.8348.24
Winter squash, cooked1 cup6.6828.05
Black beans1 cup16.62187.61
Alfalfa sprouts1 cup0.687.5
White beans1 cup18.62547.32
Chia seeds1 Tbsp5707.14
Lentils, cooked1 cup15.62306.78
Strawberries, raw1 cup3496.12
Bulgur, cooked1 cup8.21515.43
Bran flakes1 cup7.21335.41
Oranges1 cup4.4855.18
Flaxseed1 Tbsp2.8555.09
Chickpeas1 cup10.62115.02
Kiwi1 cup5.41104.91
Avocado1 cup12.92764.67
Mushrooms1 cup0.7154.67
Blueberries1 cup3.6844.29
Pumpkin seeds1 cup3714.23
Sweet potatoes, baked1 cup6.61803.67
Grapefruit1 cup2.5743.38
Banana1 cup5.82002.9
Pasta, whole grain, cooked1 cup5.31842.88
Hummus1/4 cup3.61442.5
Quinoa, cooked1 cup5.22222.34
Almonds1/4 cup4.52072.17
Sunflower seeds1/4 cup31751.71
Brown rice, cooked1 cup3.52181.61
Tofu1/2 cup2.91811.6
Walnuts1/4 cup21901.05

Eating gluten free will cost you

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

More and more consumers are convinced that avoiding gluten will improve their health. And if avoiding gluten meant cutting out breads, pasta, crackers, baked goods and other traditionally wheat-based foods, there might be health and nutritional benefits.

Replacing sandwiches with salads, pasta with zoodles, pizza crust with cauliflower crusts, baked goods with fruit–all solid upgrades in terms of nutrients (not to mention calories).

But as the selection of gluten-free breads, pastas, crackers, and baked goods grows, giving up gluten may not necessarily improve your nutrition. In fact, a recent survey found that gluten-free foods tend to be significantly LESS nutritious than the foods they are designed to replace.

According to researchers who evaluated over 1000 commercially available foods, GF breads tended to be higher in both fat and sugar.  GF items were also higher in salt, and lower in both fiber and protein than their wheat-based counterparts. They also cost, on average, two and half times as much.

There is a healthier (and cheaper) way to go gluten-free. Instead of loading up your cart with highly-processed gluten-free products made with various alternative starches, seek out whole foods and minimally processed foods that are naturally gluten-free.  Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, are a better way to fill the gaps where wheat used to be.

Is Halo Top Ice Cream Healthy?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Piper writes:

“Ordinarily, I try to eat natural, whole foods. But I have a soft spot – literally and figuratively — for ice cream. There are some new brands of ice cream, such as Halo Top, that are supposedly higher in protein and lower in fat, sugar, and calories.  The main ingredients are milk protein concentrate, erythritol, corn fiber, and other things one would not find in premium ice cream. Being able to eat an entire pint of ice cream for just a few hundred calories is tempting. But are these products too processed to be good for us?”

Premium ice creams made from milk, cream, and sugar can claim to be less highly processed and perhaps more “natural.” They are also deliciously rich–meaning, high in sugar, fat, and calories. If you’re the type that can savor the recommended (but ridiculously small) half-cup serving size, you can enjoy a decadent treat without doing too much damage.

The problem is that most of us can easily plow through an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s (did I mention the part about delicious?), at which point we’ve consumed a half day’s worth of calories and four day’s worth of added sugar.

One of the big attractions of Halo Top ice cream is that you can eat the entire pint for about the same number of calories as a tiny scoop of Ben and Jerry’s.  You also get 20 grams of high-quality protein, 12 grams of fiber, and 24 grams (one day’s worth) of added sugars.  For many people, Halo Top wouldn’t just be a healthier dessert option; it would make a more nutritious breakfast!

What is in this stuff?

Although taste is highly subjective, I actually think they taste pretty darned good. Which is surprising when you look at the ingredient list, which contains things like erythritol, prebiotic fiber, milk protein concentrate, vegetable glycerin, organic guar gum and organic stevia leaf extract (in addition to things like milk, eggs, cream, and cane sugar).

This is not a minimally-processed food, by any stretch of the imagination. But perhaps this is processing put to a good cause. Continue reading “Is Halo Top Ice Cream Healthy?” >

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.

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” >