Sugar in regular soda or artificial sweetener in diet soda…Which sweetener is healthier? The soda debate! Whether you call it soda, pop, soft drink, etc., it is no doubt that these drinks are highly consumed in the U.S. But the big question for these avid soda drinkers is…diet soda or regular soda, which is better for health?  Believe it or not, this is a very polarizing issue, and for good reason.  The goal of this article is to lay out all the facts, and hopefully by the end, you’ll know if you are consuming the right drink for you.

Before we compare regular and diet soft drinks, let’s think about our diet and sugar. There are two kinds of sugar – naturally-occurring and added. Both kinds of sugars are included in “sugars” listed on food labels.

Added sugars are sugars and syrups put in foods and drinks in preparation or processing. They contribute zero nutrients, but have added calories that may lead to weight gain, which reduces heart health. You want to obtain most of your calories from “essentials” to meet nutrient needs instead of added sugars that our bodies don’t need to function properly.

Naturally occurring sugars are found in foods such as fruit, low-fat milk and yogurt, that provide important nutrients for good health as opposed to eating nutrient-poor, highly sweetened foods with added sugars.

To determine if a product contains added sugar, check ingredient lists for words such as: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, syrup, and table sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that…

• Women should limit sugars to 80 calories per day (approximately 5 teaspoons or 20 grams),
• Men should limit sugar intake to a max of 144 calories per day (approximately 9 teaspoons or 36 grams)
• Children (ages 4-8) should limit sugar consumption to 48 calories (approximately 3 teaspoons or 12 grams) a day.

On to the debate!

Let’s take a look at what separates regular soda from diet soda – the ingredients:

Regular soda ingredients include phosphoric acid, caramel coloring, carbonated water, natural flavors, caffeine, and high fructose corn syrup.

Diet soda ingredients include everything in regular soda (except high fructose corn syrup) plus aspartame, potassium benzoate, and citric acid.

Aside from sugar and artificial sweetener (aspartame), there are other potentially dangerous ingredients in soda. Both drinks contain phosphoric acid, which is linked to osteoporosis since it prevents the absorption of calcium in the body. The caramel coloring, also found in both regular and diet soda, is linked to vascular problems and may further increase insulin resistance and inflammation in the body. Carbonation in these drinks also robs the body of nutrients and minerals, especially calcium.

Sugar vs. Artificial Sweeteners: Which is the lesser of two evils?

CONS: ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Regular soda drinkers may argue that recent studies suggest that diet soda may not be the healthier alternative since artificial sweeteners in diet drinks may increase sugar cravings and encourage poor food choices. This is because artificial sweeteners increase the desire for (and consumption of) sugar-sweetened, energy-dense beverages and foods, or disrupt the consumer’s ability to accurately estimate energy intake and remaining energy needs (refer back to recommended intake of added sugars). This often results in overconsumption, increased body weight, and consequent metabolic dysfunction.

Added artificial sweetener acts similarly to MSG in the body, known to increase feelings of hunger. Non-sugar sweeteners confuse the brain, because taste receptors in the mouth feel something sweet and trigger a cascade that includes preparing for insulin secretion to use the perceived glucose. Without glucose present, insulin resistance may develop as the body is unable to properly use produced insulin. In addition, aspartame has been linked in some studies to various cancers and neurological problems. Until further research reveals the potential dangerous long-term effects of aspartame, it is best to avoid altogether.

CONS: ADDED SUGAR

From Choose Healthy LA

Consumers may prefer diet soda over regular soda to limit added sugars in the diet. Sugar is the main ingredient in regular soda that separates this product from diet soda. A 12 oz can of regular soda contains about 40 grams of sugar – that’s about 10 teaspoons of added sugar (i.e 10 sugar packets). A 20 oz glass of regular soda could have a whopping 22 packets of sugar! This is more than the previously mentioned recommendations set by the American Heart Association. The minimum amount of daily added sugars in the diet is exceeded in just one drink.  For this reason, health practitioners may suggest diet soda over regular soda, which is especially important for diabetics who need to control their blood glucose, or sugar in the blood. Since there are 0 grams of carbohydrate per serving, diet soda will not raise blood glucose. Not only will regular soda raise blood glucose, it also provides about 150 calories in just one serving (12 oz can).

The amount of sugar regular soda poses is a much more immediate health threat than the potential dangers of long-term use of aspartame, especially for diabetics.

Adverse health effects of drinking regular soda vs. diet soda

Regular soda is typically associated with poor health, but recent studies show that people who drank diet soda every day increased their risk for strokes, heart attacks, and vascular events by 61%. Those with increased risk factors for vascular disease should reduce their consumption of diet soda. These risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking, a family history of cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome.

In another study, consumption of diet soda was associated with a 36% greater relative risk of incident type 2 diabetes compared with non-consumption. To summarize the study, daily diet soda consumption was associated with significantly greater risks of two metabolic syndrome components (incident high waist circumference and fasting glucose) and type 2 diabetes.

Since diet soda is being advertised as being “healthier”, people tend to consume more of it. However, diet soda is still associated with some of the same health problems associated with regular soda. This is largely due to the artificial sweeteners in diet soda increasing feelings of hunger and cravings for real sugar, resulting in an overall higher calorie intake and making poor food choices. Diet soda should be viewed like regular soda and only be consumed occasionally, if at all.

However, regular soda is not off the hook! To those that enjoy more than an occasional soda, proceed with caution. Just 1 can (12oz) of coke a day can cause more than 15 lbs of weight gain a year. How many pounds would you gain from drinking 1 big gulp a day of soda? What about a liter (about 3 12-oz cokes)? That would be about 45 lbs a year from soda alone! This is because the sugar overload from soda results in higher overall calorie intake, which leads to weight gain. As weight increases, so does the risk of type 2 diabetes, along with other health problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tooth decay, inflammation, and increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

In a recent study, one 12oz daily increment in sugar sweetened and artificially sweetened soft drink consumption was associated with a 22% increased risk of type 2 diabetes. After adjusting for energy intake and BMI, there was still an association between sugar-sweetened soft drinks and type 2 diabetes.

How do I choose which one is best for me?

Whether you are deciding between regular soda and diet soda, there’s no denying that both are not the healthiest drinks to consume. There is contradictory evidence that both advocates for and criticizes diet soda, which can be very confusing. The bottom line is this: Before you reach for a diet or regular soda can, consider your overall health and general eating patterns. Do you already exceed your recommended daily limit for added sugars? The best way to stay within recommended limits is to avoid soda altogether. Instead of trying to decide which is the lesser of two evils, aim for beverages free of added sugars, artificial sweeteners, calories, and chemicals and hydrate yourselves with a refreshing glass of water.

Take the Pledge!

You’ve read the facts about regular and diet soda, now it’s time to take the pledge.  Pledge to yourself your renewed commitment to your health! Please check the box below and let us know what you’ve pledged to do.

GET HELP!

GET HELP

Please note, if you are an avid soda drinker, kicking the habit may be easier said than done.  If you would like help safely stepping away from the soda and towards some healthier alternatives, please contact us.  We’d be more than happy to provide you with a free plan to kick the coke habit.  Simply click the GET HELP button to let us know how to reach you, and a Nutritionist will contact you as soon as possible.

Sources:

• American Heart Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-and-Carbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp
• American Cancer Society. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/aspartame
• Malik, V., Popkin, B., Bray, G., Despres, J., & Hu, F. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/121/11/1356.full
• Nettleton, J. A. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/4/688.full
• Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2010-mchi/5914.html
• Ophardt, C. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/549acesulfame.html
• Nettleton, J. A., Lutsey, P. L., Wang, Y., Lima, J. A., Michos, E. D., & Jacobs, D. J. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2660468/
• American Heart Assosiacion. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Sugars-101_UCM_306024_Article.jsp
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/behindtheheadlines/news/2013-04-25-sugary-soft-drinks-linked-to-raised-risk-of-diabetes/
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/what-can-i-drink.html
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442452041
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/brands/diet-coke.html
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/116/5/480.abstract?ijkey=1fb10584dadab5dff14b1ea5aa02ebf81d12d1a7&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/803117
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://amhp.us/what-you-may-not-know-about-diet-soda/
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/10/diet-soda-may-do-more-harm-than-good/
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/531926-does-a-diet-soda-affect-insulin/
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://jn.nutrition.org/content/137/9/2121.abstract
• (n.d.). Retrieved from http://livehealthy.chron.com/sugar-brain-function-3559.html

The month of December, right on cue, is flying by!  The parties have begun and will continue all month long, and of course,  into the New Year!  You may have the same old thought recirculating through your mind this holiday season, how are you going to enjoy the season without upsetting your bathroom scale?

There have been studies to show that weight gain during the holiday season may be as little as one pound for those who are of ideal body weight.  But, for those of us that may be above our desired weight (click to see a BMI chart), the risk for weight gain is increased during the festive season, adding up to 3-7 extra pounds. (1)

Your mission this holiday season is weight maintenance.  But how?  Of course, by watching what you eat.  But you can’t stop there; you must get your heart rate up to burn some extra calories.  Even though we usually have the best intentions to eat well and exercise, there is one more key factor that can interfere with your plans for a healthy holiday season. It is an unfortunate thing called stress, which is obviously increased at this busy and financially straining time of year.  The trifecta for weight maintenance must include all three important preparations – nutritional, physical, and psychological preparation!

Here are 12 recipes, 12 exercises, and 12 tips to help you enjoy your holiday season, starting and ending at the same weight!

12 Healthy Holiday Recipes

1.) Sleigh Driver – Eating Well – Skinny Gene modification: substitute Splenda for sugar

This scrumptious nonalcoholic punch adds pear, cranberries and vanilla to the traditional hot cider.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

2.) Asparagus Guacamole – Taste of Home 

Indulge in some guilt-free dipping with this low-fat version of guacamole.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

3.) Sausage Mushroom Caps – Sunset 

These sausage-stuffed mushrooms are the perfect 1-bite party food. (Tip: Lower the fat by using a reduced fat chicken or pork sausage)

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

4.) Brussels Sprouts Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette – Cooking Light 

Brussels sprouts are low in calories, while offering protein, vitamins and minerals to support a healthy body. Unfortunately, they are usually the least favorite vegetable at the table. Hopefully this recipe will convince your loved ones to give Brussel sprouts another try.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

5.) Green & Yellow Beans with Wild Mushrooms – Eating Well 

Simply prepared green and yellow beans with wild mushrooms are easy holiday fare.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

6.) Butternut –Squash Couscous – Delish from Food & Wine 

Butternut squash and chickpeas provide this aromatic dish substantial bite.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

7.) Bulgur with Dried Cranberries – My Recipes from Cooking Light 

Serve this lemony bulgur—an American interpretation of Middle Eastern tabbouleh—instead of the more familiar and expected stuffing.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

8.) Pot Roast with Fall Vegetables – Delish from Good Housekeeping 

Looking for a hearty main dish? This high-fiber, filling  recipe should do the trick.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

9.) Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad – My Recipes from Cooking Light 

Copas de frutas (fruit cups) are popular street food. They typically consist of fresh fruit sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder and are the inspiration for this jewel-colored fruit salad. It’s bright colors makes it perfect to serve for the holidays.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

10.) Black and White Striped Cookies – My Recipes from Cooking Light 

Show off your baking talents with these vanilla and chocolate striped cookies.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

11.) Coconut Macaroons– Self 

Dress up this chewy classic for the holidays with a festive, to-die-for drizzle of chocolate. Oats replace part of the coconut to make this a low-fat yet still satisfying goody.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

12.) Minty Mini-Doughnut cookies – Self

If your looking for a real holiday treat, try these minty mini doughnut cookies. Despite their “sweet” appearance, each only contains 28 calories.

{Please click on the picture to see the recipe}

12 Minute Merry Workout

1 minute jumping jacks

1 minute lunges

1 minute jumping side- to-side

1 minute push ups

1 minute jog in place

1 minute squats

1 minute stair steps

1 minute wall sit

1 minute high knees

1 minute pushups or pike

1 minute sit-up/crunches

1 minute cool down stretch of arms and legs

12 Psychological Stress Relief

1.) Make exercise a top priority – goal of 30 minutes or more everyday throughout the holiday season.  Exercise is a great calorie burning stress reliever!

2.) Plan your party contribution wisely.  By bringing a healthy dish, you are guaranteed a healthy choice on the buffet line of risky choices.

3.) Position yourself away from snacks.  Use the mingling time to catch-up with relatives and friends.  Eat later when you are conscious of what and how much you are eating.

4.) Try rallying the troops for a morning or post meal walk around the neighborhood.  Depending on the time of day, it may be a great time to take in the beautiful holiday lights.

5.) Make of list of things that need to be done, prioritizing them to help keep the stress load low.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  Kids can be great present wrappers or help with preparing food!

6.) Get your day started with a healthy breakfast.  You want to be sure to get your metabolism going for the day and prevent overeating later in the day.

7.) Take caution when it comes to alcohol, which often may cause us to lose self control and eat more than planned.

8.) Get 8 hours of sleep every night!

9.) Fill your plate with healthy foods including vegetables, fruit and whole grain dishes.  Dish up small portions of other favorite high fat foods.  Be sure to savor each bite!

10.) Take 15 minutes to yourself – read a book, meditate, stretch, or whatever your heart desires, just try to unwind!

11.) Limit the leftovers!  The holiday meal is most often high in fat, calories, and sodium.  Enjoy these splurges on the day, but do not let the meal be repeated for too many extra servings.

12.) Enjoy the reason for the season and time with the family!  The meal should just be a small part of the festivities.

Perusing Pinterest is a great way to entertain yourself when you have a few minutes to spare, brainstorm about an upcoming project, or simply need to unwind. There is one important detail to keep mind, the captions tagged to each pin are self written and may be false or misleading.

For example, recipes will be oftentimes self-declared as healthy, before pinning, check it out to see if in fact it is true or if the recipe is modifiable. Once you do go in for the pin, be sure to modify that tag line to say what you think is true, or how you will modify the recipe.

The virtual bulletin board of Pinterest is a great way to gather some amazing spring cleaning ideas for the house. Below are some of our favorites to save time, money, and calories!  

 Don’t forget to check out our other Skinny Gene pins on Pinterest!

PINNED TO SPRING CLEANING

Quick cleaning for the home:

Microwave

Toilet

Garbage disposal

Organize your kitchen cabinets:

Cutting boards

Baking sheets

Organize the closets:

Gift wrapping

Save money with homemade solutions:

Cooking spray

Chip clips

Save Calories:

Asparagus Guacamole

Spaghetti Squash

Kale Chips

Calorie Substitutions

Happy pinning!

March Madness brings out the best of the best teams to compete in head-to-head matchups on the basketball court!  In honor of the march mayhem, Skinny Gene presents the Produce Playoffs!  Just like the big dance, anything can happen on any given day as these super foods go head-to-head!  Whatever the outcome, all of these foods are winners!

SEE RULES AND GIVEAWAYS!

DAY 4 MATCHUP: Outrageous Oranges vs Banging Brussels Sprouts

(voting from April 3rd – April 8th @ Midnight PST)

The next produce playoff is the Outrageous Oranges versus the Banging Brussels Sprouts.  Both of these teams are peaking at the right time for the playoffs.  This is sure to be a match up of the most potent antioxidant players.  Here is the game day breakdown for the two teams:

ORANGES

Season: Phenomenal season, December through April.

Star players:  Vitamin C, Fiber, Phytonutrients 

On the bench: thiamin, folate, Vitamin A, potassium, calcium

Offense:  The offense attack of the oranges relies on the fast break, wash, peel, and eat!  Oranges also can play a sweet role in a spinach or fruit salad.   

Defense:  The oranges ‘go to’ star player is Vitamin C, providing immune defense and cancer reduction.   Fiber plays an important role regulating blood sugars and the bowels.  You will want to keep an eye out for the phytonutrients which can protect the heart function, lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation.

VERSUS

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Season: Long season from December to June. 

Star players: Vitamins K and C, fiber

On the bench: Vitamin A and E

Offense: Brussels Sprouts are best steamed for about 5 minutes, over cooking decreases their nutritional value.  Try roasting Brussels Sprouts to enhance the flavor.

Defense: The defense antioxidant trio of Vitamins C, A, and E decrease inflammation and reduce risks of cancer.  Fiber provides 4 grams per cup, sure to help defend against cholesterol and constipation.

THE WINNER

This was an awesome matchup. Both teams played hard, but there could only be 1 winner. And  it was…. CLICK TO SEE THE ANSWER! 

SWEET POTATO

Here’s how the Sweet Potatoes swept the Zucchinis..

The Sweet Potatoes – the Vitamin A powerhouse was just too much for the out of season zucchini.  Vitamin A had an outstanding game providing 438% of the daily value.  Lights out for Houdini!

Once again, the fan support swayed the game.  By the looks of  it, 75% of the fans in attendance were cheering for the Sweet Potatoes, while only 25%  were rooting for the Zucchinis.

Our FanCam spotted these Standout Supporters!

“How can you go wrong with sweet potatoes! Their current popularity alone gives them the fan base needed to defeat zucchini.”

“Sweat potato baby!!!! Yummy and so ver versatile l!!! The best!”

“While I think Sweet Potato will get the W, I’d like to root (no pun intended) for the Zucchini as it’s a personal favorite. Gooooooo Zucchini!”

“This was the battle royale…in the end…sweet potatoes…gotta love a vegetable that can be dinner or dessert!!!”

“Easy peasy (I hope)…sweet potatoes rock!!”

These fans, and all the other participants who voted for their favorite team in the Zucchini vs Sweet Potato head-to-head matchup, were entered into our favorite fan drawing for a Visa gift card.

VOTING IS CLOSED!

March Madness brings out the best of the best teams to compete in head-to-head matchups on the basketball court!  In honor of the march mayhem, Skinny Gene presents the Produce Playoffs!  Just like the big dance, anything can happen on any given day as these super foods go head-to-head!  Whatever the outcome, all of these foods are winners!

SEE RULES AND GIVEAWAYS!

DAY 2 MATCHUP: Eggplant versus Beets

(voting from March 25th – March 27th @ Midnight PST)

The next matchup is the battle of the purple veggies, eggplant versus the mighty beets.  Not the most popular veggies, but these two snuck into the produce playoffs to show off their stuff.  Here is a breakdown of the two teams:

Eggplant

Season: Started the season out strong, but they may have hit their peak long before this tourney, August to October.

Star players:  fiber and manganese

On the bench: molybdenum, potassium, antioxidants

Offense:  The eggplant’s offense attack is based on their versatility.  The eggplant can be baked, roasted, or steamed and added to sandwiches, pizza, and lasagna for a low calorie filling.

Defense:  The eggplant’s defense is led by star player fiber, reducing the risk of heart disease, as well as the low calories fighting off the risk of obesity.  

VERSUS

Beets

Season: The beets peaked even earlier than the eggplant, June through October.  This is sure to be a good match up!

Star players: phytonutrients, folate, and fiber 

On the bench: dynamic duo of antioxidants, vitamin C and manganese

Offense: The beets are quick to cook, just steam for 15 minutes until soft.  Beets are a great addition to a salad bowl of greens or an easy side dish.  

Defense: The phytonutrients are the star defense players, providing some valuable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components that are unique only to a few veggies.  The beets also match up well with the eggplants fiber defense.

THE WINNER

This was an awesome matchup. Both teams played hard, but there could only be 1 winner. And  it was…. CLICK TO SEE THE ANSWER!

ASPARAGUS

Great match up, but the antioxidant level and vitamin play of the Asparagus team dominated the Pears.  Fiber played great defense for both teams limiting spikes in blood sugars and keeping the hearts healthy!

Gotta say, the Asparagus fans really showed up for this one!  By the looks of  it, 76% of the fans in attendance were cheering for Asparagus, while only 24%  were rooting for the Pears.

Oh well, Pears; better luck next year!

Our FanCam spotted these Standout Supporters!

“Pears will edge them out because their wide bodies and multi-use skills trump the bland, one-trick pony asparagus.” -Carroll

“Pear, you know I love you (especially Bartletts)….but I had to choose Asparagus even though it makes my pee stink. Go Big Green!“- Katie

“Asparagus for sure! All that green! And, anything that cleans me out enough to make my pee smell funny must be good for me, right!?!“- Christina

These fans, and all the other participants who voted for their favorite team in the Pears vs Asparagus head-to-head matchup, were entered into our favorite fan drawing for a Visa gift card.

VOTING IS CLOSED!

March Madness brings out the best of the best teams to compete in head-to-head matchups on the basketball court!  In honor of the march mayhem, Skinny Gene presents the Produce Playoffs!  Just like the big dance, anything can happen on any given day as these super foods go head-to-head!  Whatever the outcome, all of these foods are winners!

SEE RULES AND GIVEAWAYS!

DAY 1 MATCHUP: Pears versus Asparagus

(voting from March 21st – March 22 @ Midnight PST)

This is sure to be a great matchup to kickoff the Produce Playoffs!  The Aspargus team brings a lot to the table besides their obvious height advantage.  Here are the scouting reports for the two teams:

Pears

Season: Peak from summer to early January, they may have peaked too soon for to make a run in this tourney!

Star players:  Fiber and vitamin C

On the bench: Antioxidants

Offense:  The pears offense is based on their speed.  The quick chopping and dicing allow the pears to be added to so many things!  Our favorite plays are adding diced pears to cereals and oatmeal, and adding slices to fresh spinach salads.

Defense:  The defense attack is led by the Pear’s bench play of the antioxidants.  The threesome of beta-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin are super protective against any free radicals reducing risk of colon and other cancers.  The star player, fiber, also provides a defensive edge lowering cholesterol and keeping the bowels moving nicely.

VERSUS

Asparagus 

Season: Lucky for the Asparagus team, they are peaking at just the right time for this match up, February through June!

Star players: Fiber, antioxidants, folic acid and B-vitamins

On the bench: Vitamin foursome – A, C, E, K

Offense: Aspargus is extremely versatile.  On the fast break they can be sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and pepper…a sure slam dunk!

Defense: A great matchup for the pears with fiber, keeping blood sugars stable, lowering cholesterol, and keeping the bowels moving.  Additional defense from the antioxidants and vitamins reducing risk of cancer and reduces inflammation!

THE WINNER

This was an awesome matchup. Both teams played hard, but there could only be 1 winner. And  it was…. CLICK TO SEE THE ANSWER!

By Emily Barr, MS,RD,CNSC – V.P of Nutritional Services and Co-creator of Ignite Your Skinny Gene Program

Love your mate

Our instinctive nature tells us to shower our loved one with sweet treats or rich decadent meals, all of which are loaded with an unimaginable number of calories, heart stopping saturated fats, and sweetened with sugar that could turn our blood into syrup!  Our goal is to show them our undying love, not poison them with unhealthy, non-nutritive foods!

Ideally we show our love through food every day, not just that special day in February.  In order to love our mates the right way, we need to take a look at the big picture.

Take a look at our special someone’s family history, generations before can provide us with a lot of information of their possible health risks.  Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes all travel down family blood lines.  Identifying the risk is the first step; next we need to modify their diet to help reduce their risk of carrying on the family disease.

• Heart disease – limit saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol
• Cancer – limit saturated fat, alcohol, tobacco, and sun exposure
• Diabetes – limit intake of concentrated sweets and extra calories and fat

Love our mate’s body.  Over the years, extra weight may have snuck its way onto our bodies, extra pounds that may not have been present early on in our relationship.  Weight gain is an indicator that the current diet situation may not quite be on target.  Of course, that doesn’t change the love we have, but we do want to live long healthy lives together, so a change in lifestyle may be necessary!

If you are showing your love in a healthy way every day, then the special occasion splurge is a-okay!

Love your kids

Our instinctive nature with our children is to feed them kid foods, peppy little animal sugary shape snacks, juices in fun containers, chocolaty flavored cereals, and cartoon character endorsed cookies.  As much fun as these foods are, they are not the healthy choices that our little ones need.  Our kids have the same health risks as adults (like you and your spouse), and not to mention the additional risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes growing up in this generation of excesses.

Our goal as parents is to teach our children about healthy food choices and the importance of eating them at every meal and snack time.  This can be a challenging venture, but over time, it only gets easier and easier as it becomes routine.  We need to make healthy habits mandatory in our homes, leaving the junk foods out of the house and filling the refrigerator and your child’s plate with the healthy ones.  Don’t forget that we need to model healthy eating habits.  That means that everyone in the home is eating the same healthy foods, no exceptions.  Of course, it seems harsh, but we are only doing this out of love.

Love your dog

How can we forget to show our four legged companion some love?  Walking the dog is the best reward they need, which is great because it benefits us, as well!

Oh yes, and don’t forget to love ourselves.  Surrounding ourselves with our loved ones is the greatest gift of all.  Knowing we are teaching and providing our families with healthy, nourishing foods will definitely allow us to sleep well at night.   Which isn’t that what we all want anyway?

1. WEIGHT – Yes, your weight plays a major role in your heart health. If your BMI is over 25 kg/m2 (that is the

photo: eatingright.org

overweight/obesity range) and/or if you have extra love around your midsection, you are at a higher risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.  The good news is that you can improve your heart health by losing weight.   To achieve weight loss, try to focus on exercise, food selections, and portion sizes.

2. FAT – Of course fat plays another major role in heart health! Be alarmed if your diet is loaded with higher fat foods, specifically foods high in saturated fat from animals including beef, pork, poultry fat and whole or 2% dairy.

Guidelines: Saturated fat should be limited to 7% of your total calories, due to its contribution to increasing your blood cholesterol. Following the American Heart Association’s guidelines, a heart healthy 2,000 calorie diet should be limited to 65 grams of total fat and 15 grams of saturated fat.

3.  SODIUM– Our bodies need a little bit of sodium (a.k.a. salt), though too much sodium can raise your blood pressure – not in the heart throbbing, good loving type of way – and increase your risk of heart disease including, heart attack and stroke.

Guidelines: The average American takes in 3,800 mg of sodium per day, which is nearly 2 times the recommended intake of ~2,000 mg per day for a heart healthy diet.

Helpful Tips: To lower your sodium intake, be sure to read the labels of any food in a package, jar, or can.  These processed foods have a lot of sodium to help preserve them to sit on the shelf.  Look for foods with reduced sodium label claims, such as “Sodium-free”, “Very Low Sodium”, or “Low Sodium”.  Another route is to go for the foods without packaging, especially the lovely colorful fresh fruits and vegetables!

4. CHOLESTEROL – Increased circulating cholesterol in your bloodstream can slowly make its home on the walls of your blood vessels, narrowing those important passage ways from your heart to your brain, lungs and other important parts of your body.  Our bodies naturally make cholesterol; therefore, it is important to limit the cholesterol in our foods to keep our blood flown properly!

Helpful Tips: One of the most important foods to be aware of when limiting your cholesterol is eggs!  One egg has 213 mg Cholesterol which is enough for your entire day!  Try to substitute those eggs with a cholesterol free egg substitute, just as it claims 0 mg of cholesterol and no fat!  Double heart loving bonus!

 5. FIBER – Fabulous, functional fiber can also help keep that lovable fiber heart of yours healthy.  Specifically soluble fiber, which binds with cholesterol and then takes a lovely ride out of the body, in turn reducing your blood LDL cholesterol (that’s the “bad” one).

Helpful Tips: To maximize the benefits of soluble fiber, include fruits, such as apples, bananas, pears, plums, peaches and citrus fruits, vegetables, such as carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and chick peas, whole grains, such as barley, oats, psylium, and beans in your diet.

Renew your love for your heart and commit to making these heart healthy changes!

Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re here to help!

By Emily Barr, MS, RD, CNSC