Should YOU Buy Organic?

The Environmental Working Group ranked the amount of pesticide residues found in each fruit to show which you might want to consider buying the organic version when available at an affordable price.  Here is how the fruits rank from most pesticide to least amount of pesticide in them:

• Peaches (has the most pesticides)
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Domestic Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Cherries
• Imported Grapes
• Imported Blueberries
• Pears
• Imported Plums
• Red Raspberries
• Oranges
• Domestic Grapes
• Imported Cantaloupe
• Bananas
• Cranberries
• Domestic Plums
• Honeydew Melon
• Grapefruit
• Watermelon
• Domestic Cantaloupe
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Pineapple (has the least amount of pesticides)

From this list you can see where your favorite fruits rank and which you might begin considering the organic version!

How to on Managing Weight Loss

We all know by now that physical activity is the #1 indicator for long term weight maintenance and that there are numerous health benefits to being physically active.  Are you already walking or doing some form of physical activity?  Are you struggling and need some motivation?  Where ever you are at in your physical activity journey, consider taking advantage of the “Walk with Walgreens” program.  I am!  It’s free to sign-up and from logging your walks you’ll earn coupons on some great products!    For more information click on the following link:  Walk With Walgreens   

Additionally, here is a blog from SparkPeople that may inspire you to move!  Take advantage of our longer days and plan ways to get moving! 

           

Strenuous Exercise = Brain Protection

In USA TODAY, new research shows that older individuals who were regularly exercising at moderate to intense levels may have a 40% lower risk of developing brain damage which could lead to ischemic strokes, dementia and mobility problems. In a recent publication in the medical journal, Neurology, subjects had MRIs done and they determined that these individuals who were more active were less likely to have brain infarcts, which can lead to strokes. When most people think of exercise we think of other health benefits such as lowering blood pressure, bad cholesterol, insulin levels and increasing good cholesterol. Often we don’t think that working out at a higher intensity may help save our brains in the future.

Back in 1993 at Columbia University, these participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their exercise habits and how intensely they worked out. Six years later they were contacted again and had a MRI scan when they were approximately 70 years old. Out of these 1,238 participants 43% reported no regular exercise, 36% engaged in light activity, 21% in moderate to intense activity. There was no significant difference found on the MRIs between those who did not exercise and those that did light activity. Further research needs to be done to determine exactly why these moderate-intense work out sessions lowered the risk for brain damage. It may be due to the fact that the physical activity will improve the participants overall health and this could decrease their risk of a stroke.

This study should not discourage anyone from doing light physical activity. On the other hand it should encourage everyone that increasing the amount of exercise can offer a wealth of physical benefits, including decreasing risk of brain damage due to a stroke. Making time to engage in some form of physical activity will help improve your quality of life. The American Heart Association recommends that for ideal cardiovascular health people should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise a week. Try to set a goal for yourself this week and work to be active and get yourself moving!

To read the full article click HERE!

           

FDA Restaurant Labeling Regulations

   June 6, 2011 was the last day for public comments on Section 4205 of H.R. 3590 which mandated that restaurants and food vendors with 20 or more locations must disclose calorie information and make other nutrient composition data available to consumers.  This will become a great tool for restaurant go-ers to be able to calculate calorie intake before ordering from the menus at restaurants in hopes of steering them away from a typical 1500 calorie meal and towards a meal that is less than 500 calories.  According to the current FDA Commissioner, nearly 1/3 of Americans daily calories are consumed away from home. This is why this tool will be so useful for Americans.

The end of 2011 will bring the final rules to this regulation.  Look for many restaurants to begin disclosing calorie information so they can be ahead of the game.  Do you think this information will be helpful to you on your journey with health and weight management?

Click here to view the entire proposed rule!

        

Indiana's Fresh Produce

   Fruits and vegetables that are fresh always have better taste.  Want to know what's in season in Indiana?  Check out this website that gives a run down on the produce that is fresh now! Broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, radishes, and strawberries are just a few that are in season in June.

        

Tips to Eat More Fruits

Fruits can be useful when trying to lose weight successfully because they can be low in calories, provide much needed fiber to prevent hunger, and most importantly they taste great! Many Americans need more fruit in their meal plans, but this can be hard to do considering all the high fat, high sugar options that are readily available. 

Tips on getting more fruit in each day include:

• Keeping fruit readily available: a bowl on the counter, in the refrigerator or table
• Visiting the local farmer's market for the freshest options
• Having 3 options: fresh, frozen, or canned (in water or it's own juice) so that if you run out of fresh you have a back up plan already in place. 

For the best nutritional value be sure to include a variety of fruits each day.  Each fruit has a different nutrient composition. Also, avoid as much as possible the juice form. For example, enjoy a whole apple versus apple juice. The juice form often contains more sugar and less fiber which will not help with satisfying your hunger.  Increase the nutritional value and lower the calories of baked goods by substituting the fat with applesauce.

At lunch, packing an apple, orange, or other whole fruit is easy to increase your fruit intake because of the portability aspect.  Adding pineapple or peach slices to kabobs at dinner will add flavor and nutrition and for dessert include a fruit parfait, fruit salad, or baked pears/apples. 

Snacks that include fruit can be easy to plan and pack for the day.  Examples include dried fruit, fruit cups, an apple with peanut butter to-go packages, or 100% frozen juice bars.  Using a low calorie fruit dip can make fruit more appealing.  For example, whip a low-fat cream cheese spread with Splenda and dip strawberries, pineapple and melon.  Low-fat yogurt and low-fat pudding would work great too!

Using some or all of these tips and tools will help you to increase your fruit consumption with out causing too much stress.  After all, being stressed out doesn't help with weight loss!

       

HNTweightloss YouTube Channel

We launched our YouTube Channel today! We will be featuring Health One Meal Replacement recipes in different skill levels: beginner, intermediate, and expert as well as "produce picks" where we discuss "how-to" pick produce at the store, prepare, and incorporate into your meal plan.  We have a few videos up for viewing currently, but will be adding more periodically in the future.  We are excited about what the channel will be and what it will provide to our patients and the public audience.  If you have any feedback, please leave a comment.  To view the videos...see the YouTube link in the sidebar of this blog.

HNT YouTube Channel

Reducing Cholesterol for Improved Heart Health

What do you know about heart health?  Did you know your blood lipid profile numbers, like your cholesterol, have something to say about you heart health? Did you know that what you eat plays an important role in improving your heart health?   These are things you should know about to be able to assess your overall heart health.

Heart disease is in the top 5 causes for death for men and women and it is largely preventable! This gives Americans hope that we can make a difference and avoid this high risk disease. Know your risk by learning your blood levels of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglycerides. 

Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver and supplied to the diet through animal food sources like meat, poultry, eggs, etc.  Your body needs some cholesterol to function normally, but too much can cause a build up in your arteries which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. 

Here are a few tips to help you lower your cholesterol-raising fats that are currently in your diet:

• Use low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, cheese, and sour cream rather than full fat varieties
• Limit foods that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils or tropical oils such as palm kernel and coconut oils
• Select lean beef and pork, poultry with the skin removed, or fish instead of fatty meats or sausages
• Eat tofu, nuts and legumes for meatless meals
• Choose foods that are baked, broiled or steamed instead of fried
• Substitute liquid oils for shortening, butter, stick margarine, lard or other solid fats
• Top salads with low-fat or fat free salad dressing options
• Choose vegetable or broth based soups more often than cream based soups
• Read and compare saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol on food label while at the grocery store

     

Tips to Eat More Vegetables

Eating vegetables provides essential nutrition for overall health, but they can also be low in calories which is good for weight loss.  This is why getting at least 3 cups of vegetables should be on your to-do list everyday!

When buying vegetables, buy fresh and in season if you can. These are usually cheaper and have the most flavor.  Easy steamers from the frozen section make meals simpler while still providing vegetables.  Buying pre-washed salad greens or pre-cut veggies adds to the convenience factor, but may cost more in the long run-so if you can buy in the most raw form (ie. lettuce head instead of chopped lettuce). 

Making vegetables more appealing will help you to get more in each day. For example, try using a low-fat salad dressing with raw veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red or green peppers, etc.  Also you can add color to salads by shredding red cabbage, carrots, or using spinach leaves. 

At meals you can make vegetables the center of attention by making a vegetable soup or stir-fry and then complementing the main part of the meal with other foods.  Grilled vegetable kabobs are great for summer cook outs-try whole mushrooms, sliced peppers, and onions! When everyone else is ordering pizza, order a veggie pizza including olives, peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, banana peppers, etc to boost your veggie intake.  Salads help to incorporate more green leafy vegetables into your day-go light on the dressing, cheese, and meats to ensure that calories are still maintained at a lower level.

For the best nutritional values, buy "no salt added" canned vegetables and steer clear of veggies in sauces or high calorie seasonings that add fat or sodium.

           

Weight Loss in Center Valley, PA

Are you looking for weight loss and you live in or near Center Valley, PA? If so, HNT could be the weight loss program for you! We are a medically supervised program that specializes in behavioral change to help you get safe, effective, and rapid weight loss results that are sustainable.  Our average weight loss is 50 pounds in 20 weeks or ~16% weight loss.  The Center Valley location is offering discounted prices for those who enter into the upcoming kick-off class that is open NOW!! For more information, contact the program director in Center Valley, Tina, at 484.707.1012 or email info@myhealthone.com

     

USDA's New Look for Nutrition Recommendations: MyPlate

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new campaign last Thursday, which replaces the food guide pyramid. Back in 2005, when the dietary guidelines were released the MyPyramid.gov campaign was launched. It was an updated, more colorful version of the food guide pyramid that incorporated physical activity in the logo. Well this logo has been changed yet again with this new website Choose My Plate, which features a dinner plate with the five food groups. This new logo is still colorful and shows a visual of the recommended proportions for each food group at each meal. The physical activity component is no longer included.

The catch phrases are “Balancing Calories,” “Foods to Increase” and “Foods to Reduce.” This new logo is aimed at encouraging people to enjoy the food they are eating, but trying to eat less at each meal. This can be achieved through avoiding over sized portions. One of the goals is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables. The slogan, make half your grains whole was kept and switch to fat-free or low-fat milk products is also emphasized. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines also recommend lowering the amount of sodium people eat. Under the “Foods to Reduce” category people are encouraged to compare the amount of sodium in foods and choose the options with the lower sodium amounts. Choosing healthier beverages is a priority such as drinking water in place of sugary drinks. This is a rather simple new logo and hopefully with this simplicity comes increased awareness and assists people in making healthier options. Check out this updated website and share with us your feedback regarding this new campaign!

 

Snacks for Weight Loss Success

Are you trying to lose weight, but you need snack ideas that won't counter act your snacks?  Most people don't only eat 3 times per day. It's more like a 2-3 meals and snacks in between to satisfy the appetite all day long. So, because this is 2-3 or more times per day it becomes important to choose healthy options to keep calories low while also holding you over to the next meal or snack. 

Here are some tips:

First, Always keep 3 kinds of snacks: fruit basket, cupboard, and refrigerator for convenience. 

The fruit basket should have any fruit you can imagine such as apples, oranges, grapes, pears, berries, etc.  Keep almonds, 100% whole grain English muffins, walnuts, dried fruit, popcorn, 100% whole wheat crackers and sunflower seeds in the cupboard. And, have on hand low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, salsa, low-fat yogurt, carrots, celery, hummus, low-fat deli meats, hard boiled egg white, low-fat milk. 

Second, choose from at least 2 of the 3 groups from above. This will ensure a variety of foods are eaten and that nutritional needs are being met. 

Finally, aim to keep snacks between 200-250 calories so that you can  have them frequently, if you choose, while still staying below your daily calorie allowance!

If you are always on-the-go, be sure to have your snacks divided up into 200-250 calorie amounts in baggies ready to grab as you run out the door.  If you don't have healthy options with you, the chances of eating something nutritious is slim to none.  Pack a cooler for snacks that need to be kept cool.  The extra 5 minutes spent planning and packing will help you shave off many

Some snack ideas for weight loss include:

-string cheese and an apple

-100% whole wheat crackers and hummus

-carrots with low-fat or light ranch dip and a hard boiled egg

-an ounce of almonds and 4 ounces of non-fat milk

-fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt

Be creative and come up with your own combinations that fit your taste buds. This way you will be satisfied with what you are craving!

      

Hear about Success Stories from HNT's Program for Weight Loss