Water Intake & Your Body

Our bodies are made up of 60% water or about 11 gallons-most of which is found in our cells.  Adequate water intake helps to cool our body with sweat, circulate oxygen & provide fuel to our organs, and excreting waste products through the blood.  At HNT we encourage 2 quarts of water and another quart of any non-caloric beverage. Here are some benefits of drinking adequate water:

• MOUTH: prevents dry mouth which can cause bad breath, unpleasant taste or even promote cavities
• BRAIN: ensures adequate oxygen is delivered to the brain which helps with memory, mood and motivation
• HEART: keeps blood volume up so that your heart doesn't have to work as hard to get enough oxygen to your cells
• SKIN: promotes elasticity
• KIDNEYS: filters waste from the blood and excretes it through urine to prevent toxins from building up
• BLOODSTREAM: helps to expand blood vessels close to the skins surface to dissipate heat  into the air to keep your body cool
• LIMBS: perform muscle contractions better because limbs are getting adequate nutrition and waste is being removed readily

 

Snacking=25% of Calories Consumed in Americans

Dr. Richard Mattes of Purdue University has long been researching food and nutrition.  His research on snacking has found that Americans have implemented a "4th Meal" making up over 500 calories extra each day.  Half of those snacking calories are coming from sugary beverages such as soda, juice, or energy drinks.  To make sure you are snacking on the right stuff, Nancy Auestad, Ph.D., of the Dairy Research Institute recommends Americans eating "good tasting snacks that provide dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium can help consumers meet recommended intakes."

For all the details and the full article CLICK HERE.

        

Success Story: John

John began his journey with HNT 28 weeks ago after being referred to the program by his personal physician.  He has lost a total of 80 pounds so far and says his biggest reward is feeling better, having more energy, and that he has been removed from a diabetic watch list! 

HNT was not Johns first attempt at weight loss.  In fact, he has been trying to lose weight for years and no other program has seemed to work for him.  His success and continued weight loss is what keeps him motivated with HNT's program.  John looks at food in a whole new way.  He watches what he eats and how often he eats while carefully counting calories-all strategies he credits to HNT.  His favorite part about HNT is the health educators.  He considers them all close personal friends and can rely on them when he has a question or concern. 

After completing the 20 week Foundation course He is continuing on in the program in order to reach his weight loss goal.  He is down 80 pounds and has about 40 left to go and says that he is having to buy new clothes to fit! His advice to anyone who would like to work on their health and weight: "Try it, you will like it.  Through the staff at HNT you will get a whole new outlook on life as a whole.  In other diet plans, you are limited to leadership once a week.  HNT staff are always there to talk to you and are the brightest and friendliest group of dietitians I have ever met."

John down 80 pounds after 28 weeks:

Great work John! We look forward to helping you achieve your goals-You're almost there!

           

Use the Grill: Shed Pounds

This article shows 4 ways to cut nearly 5,000 calories from your diet and help to maintain or lose weight by doing simple swaps.  The push is for people to forgo the restaurants and begin cooking at home to save calories.  The reason: restaurants grill, but they grill by adding fats (and thus calories) when cooking meats and other foods.  The difference? Our grills at home have grates and some of the fat is melted away in the cooking process, while restaurants use a 'flat grill' which doesn't allow for fat to melt away AND they ADD MORE FAT during the cooking process.  

One of the examples provided is switching On the Border Dos XX Tacos for Grilled Fish Tacos at home.  In this switch you will save money, but most importantly save calories going from the 2,150 in the restaurant tacos to 380 in the home grilled version! Visit this link to get the recipe and for other swaps to help you save calories!  

All About Greek Yogurt

Lately, Greek yogurt has been getting a lot of attention so we wanted to break down the information and share why it has been in the lime light of health, nutrition, and dieting.  First of all, there are many brands out there providing options in the Greek yogurt realm of the grocery store including: Chobani, Fage, Oikos, Athenos which all have predominately Greek products (all brands are not listed) and other brands like Yoplait and Dannon (all brands that have Greek lines are not listed) that have introduced a Greek yogurt line in their overall line of yogurts. 

Traditional and Greek style yogurts both have a straining component to the process of production, but when making Greek yogurt additional straining occurs.  The straining process removes water or whey from the yogurt and this is what gives the yogurt a thick, creamy and dense consistency. 

The process of production gives way to the nutritional components and benefits to Greek style yogurt.  It depends on what your goals are for your diet as to whether Greek yogurt is 'better' for you or not.    Because more water is removed in the Greek style yogurts; they are more calorically dense, have a lower amount of calcium (some is lost in the additional straining of the whey), the protein content is higher, and they are lower in carbohydrates per ounce of yogurt when compared to traditional yogurts.  Some brands boast up to 23 grams of protein per 8 ounce container!

Greek style yogurts are gluten free, and are also free of corn, nuts, and soy which are common allergies.  They are vegetarian and a good substitute for many food items.

Using Greek style yogurts as a substitute for mayonnaise, sour cream, cream cheese, or salad dressings can boost nutritional value while trimming unnecessary calories in dips, dressings, and spreads. 

The Food Network did a taste test on Greek yogurts-you can read HERE for more information on the scores and how the different brands lined up.  Recipes and additional resources can be found on any of the Greek style yogurt products web pages. Do you enjoy Greek yogurt? If so, what kind and how do you eat it?

       

10 Signs of the Overweight Times

The average American has 23 pounds to lose to be 'considered at his or her ideal body weight'. Here are some signs that Americans are getting bigger!

     

1. Revolving doors, for example, have widened from 10 feet to 12 feet in recent years.

2. Scales, which seldom went over 300 pounds, now go up to 400 or 500 pounds.

3. Fast-food servings are two to five times what they were in the 1950s. When it debuted 40 years ago, the Big Mac was but a wee patty of 3-ounce meat. Today, you can find a 12-ounce burger at some establishments and beverages can come in cups, err, containers that hold more than 40 ounces.

4. “Vanity sizing,” in which manufacturers adjust apparel size downward so it’s more palatable for women, is spreading. A size 4 today was, 20 years ago, a size 8. Some 62 percent of American women wear a size 14 or larger.

5. To accommodate heftier drivers, some car manufacturers include seat belts that are 18 to 20 inches longer, or offer seat belt extenders.

6. Movie theater seats have gone from 20 to 26 inches wide. And so are wheelchairs.

7. Surgical instruments are extra long to reach into deeper body cavities.

8. Blood pressure cuffs have more girth to fit around our bigger arms.

9. Manufacturer Big John is marketing a toilet that is 19 inches wide and 2 inches taller than the average 14-inch-wide seat. They have a weight capacity of 1,200 pounds.

10. Some manufacturers are shipping 54-inch-wide coffins, broader than the standard 24 inch, which can hold 700 pounds.

The information in this post was originally found HERE

     

Summer Barbecuing Fun & Tips

• Onions: trying burying an onion with a beef bouillon cube in the center, wrapped in aluminum foil in the coals for 1 hour. Yum...delicious way to savor an onion!
• Try placing herbs like rosemary or dried basil on the coals at your next barbecue to flavor the food you are grilling.
• Window cleaner sprayed on a warm grill will make for easier clean up.
• Always use tongs to flip steaks...you don't want to puncture the steak and let all the flavorful juices run out.
• Be good to your health: be aware that if fat from meat drips on a real barbecue charcoal briquette that a chemical reaction takes place that sends pyrobenzine onto the surface of the meat from the smoke.  This will produce a black or dark colored coating on the meat that should be scrapped off before eating to prevent cancer risk.  Otherwise...consuming a 12 oz. steak (which is not recommended!) will give you the same amount of cancer causing carcinogens as smoking 15 non-filtered cigarettes! If you're worried switch to gas or artificial charcoal.
• Grills are great for veggies! Steam aluminum foil packs of your favorite veggies on the grill for a delicious side to your grilled meat.  Simply spray a piece of foil with a non-stick spray and add your seasoned vegetables, place on the grill and enjoy.

 

Freezing Foods

Freezing leftovers or garden extras are a great way to save money and save time for future meals.  This can be a great thing, however, there are many foods that are not so great after freezing and thawing.  Foods that have a high liquid content are not palatable frozen.  Here are some examples:

• whole milk, yogurt, milk sauces, mayonnaise, sour cream, and custard fillings = will all separate after freezing
• apples, celery, cheese, egg whites (cooked), grapes, Irish potatoes = become soggy or soft and mushy
• salad greens = will be limp and lose their crispiness
• gelatin and icings = will weep

For food products that will not have the above characteristics (ie. strawberries, melon, etc) thawing is best done at 41 degrees Fahrenheit in the refrigerator. You could also thaw under warm water as long as it takes less than 2 hours or in the microwave as long as the food is cooked right away.  To practice proper food safety tips, you should never thaw anything out on the counter top because room temperature encourages microbial growth. 

Be sure to use a strong, leak proof container or bag that is easy to seal up and has a space for the date to be written in.  The container or bag should be moisture proof and not become brittle and crack at freezing temperatures.  Poorly wrapped food or slow freezing allows moisture to evaporate and cause freezer burn.  Areas of freezer burn will lose flavor and quality, but the food is technically still OK for consumption.

What foods do you typically freeze?

           

ACSM Exercise Guidelines Updated

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released new exercise guidelines at the end of June 2011 for the first time since 1998.  The full article for the position statement can be found HERE.  The overall recommendation is still 150 minutes or more of moderate-intense physical activity per week. This guideline is consistent with the 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans .  Here are a few more key points to the recommendations:

• Resistance Exercise: Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
• Flexibility Exercise: Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion
• Neurometer (AKA balance & agility) Exercise: Neuromotor exercise, also referred to as “functional fitness training,” is recommended two or three days per week.

Being physically active is one thing, but ensuring our time spent being sedentary is limited is another thing to keep in mind for overall health. Are you doing the physical activity you should be doing to optimize your health?

      

Restaurants Lowering Calories

Back on June 24th we posted about the FDA Restaurant Labeling Regulations and now restaurants are overhauling menus to provide better choices. A coincidence?! Probably not, this article says that "Panera Bread Company has reduced the amount of sauce on its sandwiches, reformulated its soups to reduce fat and sodium and developed a 300-calorie salad" all in response to the FDA Regulations. IHOP and Starbucks have also tried making their menus more 'health friendly'. Interesting how this is all coming about and HNT is excited to see what impact it will have on consumer choices. 

Read the full article from the Los Angeles Times HERE.