August 4, 2016August 4, 2016

Unintended consequences of the clean eating movement

Eating “clean” has been a buzzword for a couple of years now, even though the term is so vague that it’s hard to know whether you’re doing it or not.

There is no concrete definition for “clean” food but for most people it suggests eating foods that are closer to their natural state and less processed. Although it’s pretty easy to identify a green bean as “clean” and a jelly bean as not, foods like cheese or bread or orange juice occupy a gray area somewhere in between.

“Don’t eat anything you can’t pronounce” is another common refrain, and this has led food manufacturers to “clean up” their labels by removing preservatives and other additives. But our mistrust of multi-syllabic words is having an unintended consequence: Continue reading “Unintended consequences of the clean eating movement” >

May 24, 2016April 8, 2022

Cutting calories can mess with your sleep

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Woman Sleeping As 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” >

May 5, 2016

Are you dehydrated? A reliable self-test

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Whenever 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:

Have I lost more than 1% of my body weight since yesterday morning?
Is my urine dark?
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.

February 1, 2016May 20, 2022

How exercise DOES help with weight loss

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Researchers released results today of a study that helps explain why it’s so hard to lose weight by exercise alone. Turns out that when we increase our activity level, our bodies adjust our metabolism to compensate. Those “calories burned” estimates in our fitness trackers or on the treadmills at the gym? Wishful thinking, apparently.

How Exercise Sabotages Weight Loss

There are other ways that exercise doesn’t help with weight loss. Exercising can make you hungrier, leading you to eat extra calories. Even worse, exercising can lull you into a false sense of security: You figure you can get away with a second (or third) cookie, because of all the calories you’re burning at the gym. Continue reading “How exercise DOES help with weight loss” >

November 19, 2015November 27, 2015

Everything in Moderation is Bad Diet Advice?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Aaron writes:

“I just saw this article on the How Stuff Works Blog. I know you’ve talked about “eating in moderation” on the podcast, so I thought you might have an opinion.”

My initial take was that the blogger seemed to be confused about what the study was about. But when I looked at the study itself, it looks like the confusion comes from the researchers. Continue reading “Everything in Moderation is Bad Diet Advice?” >

October 28, 2015October 30, 2015

Putting scary stats into perspective

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Monday’s announcement from the World Health Organization, declaring red meat to be a “probable carcinogen” has dominated the nutrition news cycle this week. I’m already tired of talking about it so I won’t belabor it here. For those who are just catching up, my response to Monday’s announcement appears on the Huffington Post. You can also hear my interview on Maryland’s NPR station and join the discussion on the Nutrition Diva Facebook page.

Instead, let’s talk about risk and how our perception of it is influenced by the way it’s presented, both verbally and visually. Continue reading “Putting scary stats into perspective” >

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015

Why cancer patients should leave antioxidant supplements on the shelf

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Antioxidants are good, right? So more antioxidants must be better! This is the logic that has sold billions of dollars worth of dietary supplements and superfood extracts. And when it comes to exaggerated health claims for dietary supplements, perhaps no one is as vulnerable as cancer patients.

They’re vulnerable for two reasons.

First, they’ll do (and spend) anything that they think will increase their chances against this terrifying disease. So they are easy prey for unscrupulous or well-meaning but misinformed marketers, hawking high-dose and largely unregulated dietary supplements that are supposed to “boost the immune system.”

Secondly, their bodies are in the grips of a disease (and, usually, a treatment regimen) that can profoundly alter their biochemistry and metabolic responses–in ways that can be hard to predict. Continue reading “Why cancer patients should leave antioxidant supplements on the shelf” >

August 26, 2015September 3, 2015

Why salad is NOT overrated

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

In her latest column for the Washington Post, Tamar Haspel caused quite a ruckus by attacking salad as “overrated.” LOTS of you wrote asking what I thought of her assertion that salad is devoid of nutrition, bad for the planet, and bad for our health.

One of her main complaints is that salad vegetables are high in water, which she finds nutritionally irrelevant. But water is hardly a nutritional non-entity. The human body requires 2-3 liters a day and foods like salad vegetables are an excellent way to meet some of this need.

Now, if you’re looking for foods that pack a lot of calories into a small space (you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail, perhaps, or gaining weight for your next movie role), then lettuce and cucumbers are probably not your best best. But most of us are looking for the opposite: foods that help us feel full without overloading us with too many calories. In which case, vegetables high in water are your friend.

As for the charge that shipping lettuce around the world is just an expensive way to move refrigerated water from place to place, I think I’d probably wage that campaign against diet soda first. You can also try buying your produce locally.

But, she continues, all that water also means that salad vegetables don’t provide any meaningful amounts of vitamins and minerals. Continue reading “Why salad is NOT overrated” >