May 19, 2009 by admin.

A huge study was done at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to determine whether multi-vitamins are worth the price.  Visit for details.  http://tiny.cc/0QXP1

I always knew when I’ve been taking a multi-vitamin that I was doing it as “insurance” for those days when my intake wasn’t optimal.  But it seems that taking multi-vitamins doesn’t give you a health advantage so you can avoid any type of cancer, heart disease, or any risk of dying.   The only risk, it seems, with taking multi-vitamins is making the supplement industry rich and our wallets lighter.

The conclusion from this study was that the best way to get your nutrients is through what you eat.  So go for whole foods, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat choices of dishes.  Enjoy the bounty that nature has to offer and you’ll be the healthier for it.

 With that said, there may be specific nutrients you should supplement because it is somewhat challenging to get enough in the diet.  Vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acid are the three that come to mind.  It’s especially hard for people in northern latitudes to make enough vitamin D through sun exposure since there just isn’t that much sun shining in the winter up north.  I know that’s true living in the Northwest.  This was an especially cold and gray winter. 

Calcium in the amounts science is suggesting we need is also not that easy to get just through food even though dairy isn’t the only source of calcium.  And to kill two birds with one stone, eat canned salmon with bones and you get omega-3 fatty acids and calcium.

If the average American was graded on his or her nutrient intake per day or even per week, I fear he or she might be sent to study hall to help raise his or her grades.  Come on, America, do your part to make us a healthier nation!

Posted in Foods and Nutrition | Print | 1 Comment »

April 14, 2009 by admin.

Did you read the latest Costco Connection where they highlighted albacore tuna?  While Costco has a very good price on albacore tuna, I just want to share some healthful tips related to albacore tuna before you buy too much of it.  I’m just sorry they weren’t up front with the health information regarding albacore.

Albacore tuna, also known as “white tuna” has higher levels of mercury than “light tuna” which comes from the yellowfin tuna.  This can be of great concern to women who are pregnant, might become pregnant, who are breastfeeing, and also for young children.  Visit http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/oehas/fish/ for more information.

With tuna being a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, don’t eliminate tuna from your diet.  “Light tuna”, while having a slightly stronger flavor than albacore, works just as well in any tuna fish recipe calling for canned tuna.  Occasionally think about having canned salmon instead.

 From a government site:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued advice to pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children regarding methylmercury in fish and shellfish. FDA and EPA want to emphasize the benefits of eating fish as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fish and shellfish are good sources of protein, omega 3 fatty acids and other important nutrients. A diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and proper growth and development in children. However, pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children are advised to modify the amount and type of fish they consume to reduce exposure to high levels of mercury.

Answer: Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children should not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel or tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

Answer: Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children may eat up to 12 ounces per week, per person, or approximately 2 average meals per week, of a variety of fish. Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury include:

REMEMBER: Fish is an important part of a healthy diet. It is important for pregnant women, women who may become pregnant, nursing mothers and young children to continue to eat fish. Simply avoid those fish that are higher in mercury. For additional information, visit these websites: www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01038.html  

Posted in Healthy Eating, Latest News, Health Tips, Foods and Nutrition | Print | 1 Comment »

April 1, 2009 by admin.

I know it’s funny to even think of a caveman or cavewoman worrying about his or her figure.  Back then it was survival - eat what you can find.  Contrast that with today where most of us don’t have to struggle to find food.  It’s as near as your 7-11 or gas station.  And that’s the rub.  Accessibility has taken us far from our roots.  Of course, social standards of size hasn’t helped us either.

Back then cavemen didn’t have to practice the skill of resistance.  We do.  Studies are showing that practicing a little resistance can end up with big rewards.  In one study the authors found that in situations when self-control is repeatedly tested, a defense strategy that works for a first temptation can be used to tackle the next.  Let’s say that when you go to McDonald’s you’re tempted to have fries with your hamburger.  You decide that you will resist the temptation and just have the hamburger.  You finish your lunch and head back to work.  You’re proud of yourself for having resisted the fries.  According to the study results, the next time you head to McDonald’s you’ll more easily be able to resist the fries because you were successful the last time.

This philosophy holds true, as well, for trying to decrease your intake of fat.  Every time you eat something with a little less fat, it becomes that much easier to eat something else that has less fat.  In fact, in time your taste buds and tongue won’t even enjoy greasy foods.  You will have lost some of the “need” for fat.  The same holds true for sugar.  Put a little less sugar in your coffee each day and you’ll see that one day you may even be drinking your coffee without sugar.

Believe it or not, even though the saying goes “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, it isn’t so.  You can change as long as you want to change.

Posted in Uncategorized | Print | 1 Comment »

February 3, 2009 by admin.

Have you ever heard of the term “nutrigenomics”? It’s the science that studies the effect of what you eat on how your genes get expressed. If you visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nutrigenomics, you’ll see a brief discussion about it. Also visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_expression for a brief discussion of gene expression.

First you need to understand that all the proteins in your body, such as enzymes, hormones, cell walls and immune factors, are made based on your DNA. Your DNA, which contains your genes, serves as the blueprint to make these proteins. So much of how our body functions is based on gene expression. For example, when you eat carbohydrates, your pancreas produces insulin to help those carbohydrates (which are now broken down into glucose) enter your liver and other cells in your body. The presence of the glucose in the bloodstream turns a sensor on in the pancreas that says make insulin.

Your pancreas contains DNA. That DNA is the blueprint or instruction guide on how to assemble proteins in a particular order to make the insulin. So every time you eat carbs, whether they be simple (e.g., sugar) or complex carbs (whole grains), the pancreas is signaled to start the DNA factory production of insulin.

That is just one example of how what we eat dictates what genes need to be expressed. Here’s another one which is really not healthy for you. When you’re overweight, your fat cells get bigger and bigger (you also make more fat cells). There comes a point where the fat cell gets so big that it bursts. Now you’ve got broken cell walls and loose fatty acids floating around, which are irritating to the body and cause inflammation. Your body knows to clean up the mess. So now the genes for “clean-up” are activated, making macrophages to act like Pac-Man and gobble up the mess. So all of the excess calories you’ve been eating that have been turned to fat and stored as fat, are now causing your genes to have to make macrophages, exacerbating the inflammation. What you don’t want going on in your body is inflammation.

Just losing some weight will decrease your odds that your fat cells will burst. Eating less refined carbs (most anything that is white - white flour, white sugar, white bread) will keep your pancreas from having to work so hard and so fast.

I’ll talk more about nutrigenomics in upcoming blogs because it is so important to know about. For now, try to eat your carbs in the form of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain foods. Limit your fat intake and when you do eat fat, focus on eating unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and canola oil that should replace such oils as corn oil and safflower oil (found widely in margarines).

Posted in Foods and Nutrition | Print | 1 Comment »

May 5, 2008 by admin.

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the “Sensing” preference knows how to stay in the here-and-now.  In contrast, the “iNtuitive” preference is interested in “what might be” and so has a harder time staying in the present moment.  Yet, behaviors that help you lose weight must take place in the “now”.  Every time you postpone doing something now, let’s say exercising, the likelihood of it taking place later is slim.  Be honest with yourself.  How many times have you promised yourself I’ll get to it later and it never happens.

 If you have Sensing in your personality type, you have a better chance of doing something now than later.  Making eating decisions is a “now” experience.  How many times have you heard someone say “I’ll start my diet on Monday morning.”  You were probably talking with someone who has iNtuition in their type name.  It’s putting off until tomorrow what you know you should do today.

Maybe the best thing you can do for yourself is find out what your type is, what its strengths are and how it can challenge you.  Visit my website at www.advantagediets.com and check out what personality typing is all about.  You’ll find it fascinating and you’ll probably find, after determining your own type, how you start trying to guess what the type is of your friends and family.  Personality type is great for understanding people better.

Posted in Personality Typing based on MBTI | Print | 1 Comment »

February 13, 2008 by admin.

To healthcare professionals:

We ask our clients and patients to eat more healthfully, reducing their fat and sugar intake, and increasing their intake of fiber by eating grains, fruits and vegetables.  Is that really the whole message of healthy eating?  If so, why are we getting the backlash of such books as “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan and “The Gospel of Food” by Barry Glassner?

Are we too “nutrient-focused,” telling people to eat more tomatoes because of the lycopene in it or eat more spinach because of the iron?  And with this focus, have we taken the joy and pleasure out of eating as Glassner proposes in his book?  Do you think if our message was to have pleasure in the eating process that we would have even more obesity in our country?  Obesity has increased under our watch.  What is the healthcare industry doing wrong?

Are we actually being too negative when we tell people what not to eat?  Being told the negative of something gets one to focus that much more on it.  Maybe we’re fostering food obsessions by pointing out what shouldn’t be done. 

Many studies today pull out particular nutrients of interest to study and then draw conclusions from the results.  We then stray away from the concept of whole foods and emphasize the concept of individual nutrients.  In so doing, we encourage people to take supplements of individual nutrients instead of just seeing the value of eating a variety of foods.  Do consumers lack confidence that our food supply can provide us with all we need?

I wonder if we’re presenting the consumer with too much information.  Do consumers have to know what happens to individual nutrients in the body (e.g., saturated fat can lead to the production of plaque)?  Or would we get more followers if we just talked about good food choices and not give the reason why they’re good for you?   In some ways, we’ve opened pandora’s box by giving some information but not all of it.  Most consumers couldn’t absorb all the information we in the heatlhcare industry know about physiology, metabolism, etc.   I think we’ve created a population becoming obsessed with individual nutrients and forgetting the big picture.  While the food guide pyramid provides a list of good foods, it also tells us what to avoid.  And even with the government’s efforts, it seems that there is still a large portion of the population that is in the dark about what healthy eating is all about.

So, if you were to create the “big picture” of healthy eating, what would it look like and how would you market it to the general population?

Posted in Healthy Eating | Print | 1 Comment »

February 11, 2008 by admin.

I’ll bet that your first response would be “food that is low in fat, low in calories, low in sugar, and high in fiber.”  But I’ll also bet that you never thought about whether the food you’re referring to is tasty.  Many Americans equate the concept of healthy foods with foods that they think they SHOULD eat rather than with foods that they WANT to eat.  Often eating those “should” foods is followed by eating “want” foods so, in the end, more food has been consumed than necessary.

Are your “want” foods really unhealthy?  To answer that you need to decide in your own mind whether low-fat, low-calorie, low-sugar, low-fiber, etc. foods are as unhealthy as you’ve been led to believe?  If eating them causes you to to “overcompensate” by eating foods with just the opposite profile - high in fat, sugar, and calories - now that’s unhealthy.

Maybe we need to move away from the concept of “legal” foods and think more in terms of what our bodies need for us to run at optimal efficiency.  If eating sugar-laden foods makes you feel that you need to take an afternoon nap, I’d say those aren’t healthy foods.   If eating very salty foods makes you feel bloated, you need to ask yourself why you would treat yourself in such a way that makes you feel you’re not living at the best level of health.  If you’re overweight and find climbing stairs makes you feel winded, whatever you’ve been eating that contributed to your weight gain is obviously not good for you.

 On the other hand, let’s take the individuals who aren’t overweight, seem to have plenty of energy no matter what they need to accomplish during the day,  and don’t find themselves fixating on food, what do you think they would say about their diet?  I bet they’d say that they don’t live to eat but eat to live.  I’ll also bet that they eat “closer to the land”, meaning the foods they eat are less processed and more as nature intended them to be.  For example, natural peanut butter is simply ground peanuts with nothing added.  It’s high in fat but so what.  You’re not sitting down to eat the whole jar (I hope!).  Dried fruits can be very sweet.  They’re high in natural sugar but so what.  There’s just so much you can eat of them before the palate will tire of the flavor and at least you’re getting nutrients along with the sugar.

Maybe the answer to what is healthy eating is eating that which will do you no harm and, at best, that which will improve your health.  Think about what you’re eating in terms of what good it can do for you.  Drink milk or eat cheese because they’re good sources of calcium.  Eat fish because it’s a good source of those healthy omega-3 oils.  Eat whole fiber foods because of the beneficial fiber they contain.  Eat fruits and vegetables since they’re like eating your multi-vitamins instead of relying on pills.  I could go on, but you get the idea.  The best advice I can give is eat in terms of what you want to eat and not in terms of what you shouldn’t eat.  Focusing on the negative (”you can’t eat that”) makes you lose focus on what is good for you.  You and I both know that when I say something like that doesn’t give you the go-ahead to eat anything and everything without thought.  But don’t obsess either.  A large part of healthy eating is enjoying what you eat and who you eat it with.

If you’re interested in learning more, consider reading Barry Glassner’s “Gospel of Food.”  It will make you sit up and question the choices you’re making.  Everything you do is a decision.  And if you feel you need help with making those decisions, consider reading “Is Your Personality Type Making You Fat?”.  Visit www.advantagediets.com for more information.

I’d love to hear from you as to what you think healthy eating is.

Posted in Healthy Eating | Print | 2 Comments »

February 4, 2008 by admin.

There was an interesting article in theFeburary 2008 issue of Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter called “What does the latest research on weight mean to you?”  The article reviewed a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Cancer Institute that concluded ”overweight people are actually less likely to die from a wide range of causes.”  Note the word “overweight”.  To classify people as either normal weight, overweight, or obese, the BMI or Body Mass Index is most often used, a number that comes from inserting your height and weight into an equation.  (If you want to know your BMI, go to: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/multimedia.jhtml?multimediaId=/templatedata/fitness/multimedia/data/1129756657157.xml&ordersrc=msn2bodymassindex_cgy&cobrandId=ww5&s_kwcid=TC-935-1066821554-e-24318059.  In the left-hand column at the top is a BMI calculator.  The BMI for “Normal weight” is 18.5 to 2.5, “Overweight” is a BMI of 25 to 30 and “Obese” is a BMI greater than 30.

It seems that obesity is associated with an increased risk of cancers (colon, kidney, breast, esophagus and pancreas), yet a decreased risk for lung cancer.  But being overweight made one at a slightly reduced risk from most cancers.  The results are not an invitation to get fat.  One still needs to eat right, be active and not smoke.

The conclusions being drawn are that maybe the definitions of “ideal weight” need to be reconsidered.  And that maybe having some reserves on board (meaning a little extra weight) would be beneficial to withstand an adverse situation.  It also has been bandied about that BMI may not be the best measurement of risk.  Since the BMI doesn’t consider fat stores or fitness, two very important parameters in cardiovascular health, public health recommendations may have to focus more on waist-to-hip measurement, as well as fitness.  For a waist-to-hip measurement, divide the size of your waist by the size of your hips.  Anything over 0.85 for women and 0.9 for men is considered “apple-shaped” and a higher risk for heart disease.  Anything less means you’re shaped more like a “pear”.

The researchers of the study warn that the results aren’t meant to encourage people to eat whatever they want.  But most people know intuitively that what they’re eating is either good for them or not.  No one questions that fried food can’t be passed off as health food.  Be careful, though - just because manufacturers put words on the package that imply healthy doesn’t mean the food is healthy.  If you visit my website at www.advantagediets.com you can learn more about what makes for a healthy way of eating.

Posted in Fitness | Print | 1 Comment »

January 29, 2008 by admin.

There was an article in a recent issue of “Nutrition Action Health-letter” called “Surprise! Ten Myths That Can Trip You Up.”  As I share what I read with you in the next several blogs, think about whether you’re carrying around these myths, some of which are just downright unhealthy to believe.

1.  It’s okay for older people to be overweight.  While it’s a lovely thought that as we get older we can become heavier, which takes some of the onus off of us for maintaining our healthy high school weight, it isn’t a good idea.  There are just too many diseases that occur in overweight people - heart disease, diabetes, some cancers.  Not only that, as we get older we lose muscle mass.  So, even if you’re at your high school weight, I’ll bet that you had more muscle back then.  So, as we get older, it’s more about how much muscle we’re losing.  That’s why a body composition analysis is such a valuable measurement as compared to just weighing yourself.  When you see how much less muscle you have, you’ll begin to understand that as we get older, maintaining that mass is what we should be measuring.

2.  High-fructose corn syrup is worse for you than ordinary sugar.  This isn’t so.  That’s because high-fructose corn syrup is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, the same mix you find in ordinary sugar.  Your body’s reaction to it is no different.  The impact on blood sugar, insulin, ghrelin (a hormone that stimulates appetite), and leptin (a hormone that curbs appetite) are the same.  So what’s the bottom line?  Limit your intake of both products made with high-fructose corn syrup as well as ordinary sugar.  Just remember that both supply empty calories.  Fingers are being pointed at high-fructose corn syrup because it is one of the major sweeteners in soda and because people drink far too many, they’re getting for too many empty calories.  Studies have shown that people don’t compensate later in the day for all the calories they drank in sodas.

3.  If your “bad” cholesterol is low, your risk of heart disease is low.  You may be proud of the fact that your LDL-cholesterol (the lethal variety) is low, but that doesn’t mean that you’re free from any risks of heart disease.  As we age, LDL, triglycerides and blood pressure can go up.  Often, the high triglyceride or low HDL or a combination of both may be setting you up for heart disease.  It’s interesting that it isn’t the triglyceride itself that’s the problem.  It’s the protein carrier for triglycerides (also called VLDL or very-low-density lipoproteins) that clog arteries.  A triglyceride level of 150 or more means you’re at risk for the metabolic syndrome that increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease.  Having an HDL-cholesterol (the healthy variety) of less than 40 in men or 50 in women sets you up for metabolic syndrome.  Take your numbers seriously.  Always ask your doctor for a copy of your blood test records so you can be in charge of keeping track of how you’re doing.

You might want to visit my website at www.advantagediets.com and check out ways to eat healthier.

Posted in Health Tips | Print | 2 Comments »

January 28, 2008 by admin.

It’s February 3rd, and you’re hosting a solid 20+ mob of friends, family and football-possessed fans … people looking for food & beverages and waiting for the big-screen HD kick-off of the year.  What should you prepare to keep your guests’ gullets full and focused on the game?  Here are some healthy cooking ideas for your quickly approaching “Giants vs Patriots soirée”.

Make your own samies
Rather than purchasing 6” long Italian subs packed with calories, saturated fat and sodium, give your guests the option to make their own sandwich.  Serve a platter of lean cold cuts, fresh veggies, sides of light/low-fat spreads (don’t say they’re light and the men will never know), wheat bread, buns and pitas.  The more toppings the better.  They’re easy to prepare and your guests will be impressed — chopped onions, sliced tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, carrots, sun dried tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sprouts, cucumber slices, radishes and artichoke hearts. 

Break out the Foreman Grill
A Foreman-like grill is a major plus to help cut out extra grease, oils and fats, or you can bake your meats.  Experiment with different types of proteins such as tuna, chicken or shrimp.  If you can’t break away from the hot dogs and hamburgers, no problem — use low-fat hot dogs and turkey burgers (even veggie burgers taste fantastic these days). -  Replacing your regular beef hot dog with a low fat beef hot dog will save 110 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.2 grams of saturated fat and 83 grams of sodium-  You gain about 3 grams of fiber by replacing white buns with whole wheat buns  Addicted to nachos? Join the club….Beware: An order of nachos rakes in 1570 calories!  That’s a waistline disaster, not to mention 78% of your caloric daily value (DV). the entire order has 115 grams of fat (177% DV), 58 grams of saturated fat (290% DV), and almost 3,000 grams of sodium (124% DV).   

Make your own nachos!  
Brown lean ground turkey in a skillet; then spread over a plate of baked tortilla chips.  Top your dish with chopped jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, onions, olives and a can of fat-free refried beans. Throw (or, bam!) some low-fat shredded cheddar cheese on top, then set out sides of low-fat sour cream and salsa.  You will save more than just a few calories!   

Hydration is key
Many game-day gatherings include alcohol — a diuretic which can lead to dehydration.  Make sure to have plenty of water on hand. Guests drinking alcohol should alternate with a nutrient-packed, hydrating beverage.  A great option is VitaminWater.  Intensify your spread with bottles of VitaminWater that coordinate with team colors (15 VitaminWater varieties to choose from), the nutrients will help with Monday’s trip back to the reality of work-land.  Don’t forget, many times people mistake hunger for thirst, so before digging in, first, hydrate.   

Let traditional buffalo wings fly the coop! 
Five pieces of traditionally prepared buffalo wings can contain over 500 calories, 28 grams of fat and over 2.000 mg of sodium.  Try making your own “wings” using skinless chicken or turkey breast, cut into strips, dip in hot sauce and coat with breadcrumbs.  Then bake, don’t fry.  You can make your own bread crumbs using crushed whole grain fiber rich cereal.  Then add some baked chips to the mixture for an added crunch.  For an oh-so-delicious creamy ranch dip…swap the regular dressing for low-fat and you’ll save 80 calories and 10 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons.  

Makeover Mom’s chili
Chili is easy to reduce in fat— use ground turkey, fiber packed beans, chopped onions, hot-spices and top with low-fat cheese.  

Potato skins anyone?
Simple: scoop ‘em out (as much as you can before they get floppy) then bake ‘em up. Top with salsa, low-fat cheddar cheese and pieces of grilled turkey bacon (or bacon bits).  

Chip and pretzel options
Swap out traditional fried options for baked chips and look for “no salt” pretzels.   These are easy switches that will save loads of calories.  Dessert anyone?
Whip up a batch of low-fat brownies.  Use store bought brownie mix and substitute the oil with apple sauce.  These will make delicious, moist brownies with a fraction of the fat.  Provide light Cool Whip and plenty of fresh fruit such as apples, pears, peaches and berries for a healthy, tasty brownie topping.  

Posted in Healthy Eating | Print | 1 Comment »