The Importance of Portion Control

Those of you who know me, know that I have a problem with skipping meals. I have to be very diligent and stay on top of things to make sure I eat enough calories throughout the day. But, the real problem I have is this: after I’ve realized I skipped a meal, I’m so hungry that I end up eating way more than I should at one sitting. I’ve learned that this isn’t healthy either. It can lead to elevated blood sugar, which can eventually lead to diabetes. So, it is important to eat every meal and to eat healthy portions. As it turns out, it’s not so much the feelings of hunger that determine how much you eat in one sitting, but the size of your plate.

A few studies have been done on this matter. In one study, researchers gave moviegoers free, but very stale, popcorn. Not only was the popcorn two weeks old, but all the participants had just eaten a full meal, so they weren’t hungry. Still, those who were given a large-sized tub ate about 50 percent more than those who were eating out of a medium-sized tub.

In another study, graduate students and renowned nutritional science professors were given different sized bowls and scoops to serve themselves ice cream. There were small-sized bowls and scoops, and there were large-sized bowls and scoops. Those who had the combination of a large bowl and a large scoop ate 53 percent more ice cream than those who had the small bowl and scoop combo.

These aren’t the only two studies done on the matter – not by a long shot. There are too many to mention here, but I’ll give you just one more that I found interesting. This one showed that restaurant-goers were likely to eat much more soup when they were unknowingly eating out of auto-refilling bowls. Yes, this was more of a high-tech study. There were devices hid under the table to refill the soup slowly into the bowl, so the person eating wouldn’t notice.

All of these studies point to the same fact: We need to be cognizant of what we eat with. If you’re plates are larger than the standard plate, you’re very likely to be overeating at each meal. These studies also ruled out gender, age and financial status, as they found that you’re likely to eat more regardless of any of these factors. Whether you’re a vet tech or a brain surgeon, you’ll probably overeat if you’re given an oversized plate. 

Are Vitamins Good for Your Health?

If you follow the news about health reports, you're probably a little bit confused about whether you should be taking a multivitamin. And I certainly wouldn't blame you. I was confused, myself, so I looked into further to draw a conclusion of my own. I'll get to that, but before I do, I just wanted to mention that it's always best to do the work yourself and draw your own conclusions. But I know many of us are too busy, so I thought it would be helpful if I summed things up for you. From here, you can do your own research or not – it's up to you.
Research Against Vitamins

Recent research has shown that men who supplement with vitamin E and selenium are at a greater risk of developing prostate cancer. This study actually began to prove whether vitamin E supplementation could reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men. It was stopped when researchers found no conclusive benefit, but in a later follow up, they found that those on the vitamin E and selenium had a 17 percent greater chance of getting prostate cancer.

Another study of women in Iowa showed that women who took multivitamins and other supplements consistently for a 19-year period had an increased rate of mortality.

Examining the Research

Whenever you hear or read the results of any study, it's important that you get all the facts. I've provided links to more info each study, so you can learn more, if you'd like. It would be too long for me to summarize all of the details here, so I'm just going to point out what I think is important.

In the study of men taking vitamin E and selenium, the men were given a very high dose of each. The RDA of vitamin E is about 22.4 IU and the participants were given 400 IU. To be fair, may vitamin E supplements do contain as much as 200 IU, but that's still half the amount of what they used in the study. I don't know that 200 IU would increase the risk of prostate cancer and neither do they. More research needs to be done.

To conclude that multivitamins and other supplements increase mortality in women, researchers looked at the data from over three thousand women with an average age of 61.6. The increased rate of mortality for those taking multivitamins was 2.4 percent. The risk increased for those taking other vitamins including B6, folic acid and magnesium.

My Opinion on Vitamin Supplementation

From this research, and other research I've read, I wouldn't conclude that taking a multivitamin is risky. An increased mortality rate of 2.4 percent really isn't that high, and we don't know what the actual cases of death were. I would; however, conclude that taking high doses of any vitamin supplement is risky. I also believe that it's more of a risk to take individual vitamin supplements (including vitamin B6, E and selenium) than it is to take a multivitamin. This is probably because the vitamins are in higher dose when they aren't combined with other vitamins. We also don't know enough about the relationship between vitamins to take them independently. For all we know, giving the body calcium without vitamin D could be just as effective as giving a tattoo artist a needle without ink.

Pre New Year's Resolution: Eat More Real Foods

If you're anything like me, you're pretty fed up with New Year's resolutions. In fact, this year, I'm going to resolve not to resolve anything for New Year's ever again. But, that doesn't mean I don't want to improve myself; it just means that there isn't enough pressure surrounding the New Year's resolution. Everybody fails, right? So, why should I even bother trying? Some people even go as far as setting a goal they have no intention of fulfilling just to be part of the crowd.

At our New Year's party last year, my cousin announced that she was going to enroll in classes at Florida Tech online, but I knew she wouldn't. I think she even knew she wouldn't. So, why bother with it at all - especially if you're going to make such a specific and verifiable resolution. Let's just sidestep the whole New Year's resolution thing altogether. This year, let's make a December 14th resolution and stick to it. Let's resolve to eat as much real food as possible for the next year.

When I say real food, that's exactly what I mean. Real food isn't concocted in a lab and it doesn't last if you leave it on a shelf for 20 years. Real food is perishable, but it's also nutritious -- and delicious. In order to stick to this resolution, you'll need to clear your house from the worst temptations. That means, anything that's in a box or a can probably has to go. There are some exceptions, but if you're confused, just check the label. If there are ingredients you aren't familiar with or can't pronounce, throw it in the trash. Also, if you'd like, you can keep a few canned goods around as long as they are whole foods. Canned tomatoes, pumpkin and beans are the three exceptions I'm allowing for myself.

You'll notice I said "as much as possible." I'm giving myself this leeway so I don't have to stress when I'm at a friends house (nothing is more tacky than telling someone you can't eat because they aren't serving real food) ro at a restaurant. I've also included a few canned items to be realistic. Sometimes there are days when you need a quick meal and don't have time to cut open a pumpkin or soak beans overnight. I think it's really important to set realistic goals for yourself, so you'll stick to them. There's no sense in making grandiose resolutions that are only going to make you suffer. That's just not sustainable. That's probably why most resolutions fail. People feel pressure to make an impressive sacrifice. But, if you can't stick to it, who are you impressing?

Getting to Know Green Leafies

Last week, I talked about the importance of easing into a love of vegetables by using gateway veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes. Moms do that sort of thing with kids all the time, but it’s never too late. You can learn to love veggies at any age, if you are committed enough to your health. After you fall in love with those gateway vegetables, it’s time to start having some more salads in your life. Salads are great because they get raw, leafy greens into your body – which is invaluable to your health. I know what you’re thinking: boring! But, I’m going to ask you to bear with me again. Salads don’t have to be boring! They’re only boring if you don’t use your imagination.

Why You Should Eat More Salads

Leafy green vegetables, like romaine lettuce, are rich in vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting antioxidants, but they are also very rich in fiber, which keeps your colon happy and healthy. Fiber has also been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar while helping to minimize blood sugar swings. If you’re trying to lose weight, this may be your favorite benefit of increased dietary fiber: It helps you feel full, so you end up eating less.

When you’re shopping for lettuce, always avoid iceberg. It’s not that it’s bad for you, but it isn’t the best you can get. The one benefit is that iceberg has a lot of water, so it can help hydrate you, but it doesn’t have many nutrients. Go for the greener varieties, like romaine lettuce. Red leaf lettuce is also very healthy. Once you get used to having salads, you can even throw in some baby spinach or kale to boost the nutritional value even further.

How to Spice Up Your Salads
Stop thinking of salads as boring. They don’t have to be! You can add virtually anything to your salad to make it more interesting. Here are some ideas to get the ideas flowing: berries; apples; walnuts; pecans; dried cranberries; sprouts; pomegranate seeds; flaxseeds; and nutritional yeast. I wouldn’t suggest adding all of those things at once (that would be a lot of work), but add a combination of things you like. Also, it helps to find a tasty dressing recipe. My favorites include a tahini ginger dressing and a ginger miso dressing. Yep, I’m a big fan of the ginger! You might not be, so find a recipe that works for you. Of course, you can always go out and buy your dressings, but you lose control of the quality that way. Usually store-bought dressings have a lot of sugar, fake sugar or sodium – and not to mention, preservatives.

Another thing about salads is that they are great to use in bag lunches. All you need is a container, dressing, a fork and a refrigerator. They don’t need to be cooked, so you can grab lunch and be eating in no time. My aunt, who is a paralegal at a busy law office, swears by salad for lunch. She says she gets interrupted too many times during her lunch break to have to worry about her food being hot. Salads just work, and they’re nutritious. What could be better than that?

Learning to Love Vegetables

If you’re anything like me, you grew up on TV dinners and frozen pizzas. There weren’t too many vegetables around in my house. It’s not that my mom didn’t care about our health, but she was a single parent struggling to make ends meet and those were quick meals that we would eat and she could afford. She went straight from her second job as an administrative assistant to her night classes at the community college, so she didn’t really have the time force us to sit there until we ate our peas. But, as a result, I really didn’t have much of a taste for vegetables. Most veggies are like a fine wine or a stout beer: you need to develop a taste for them. Generally, people aren't just born loving spinach, but over time, it grows on them.

That’s one reason why it’s important to include vegetables with every meal. The other reason is because it’s essential for good health. Vegetables are extremely rich in all of the essential vitamins and minerals (except B12 and D), so if you aren’t getting enough veggies, you might be causing a deficiency in your body. When the body is starving for a nutrient, the starvation doesn’t always present itself as hunger. You could experience thinning or dull hair, nails that chip or poor circulation: symptoms that could also come as a result of a myriad of problems. So, many people suffer from vitamin deficiencies and don’t know it. They end up on one prescription drug or another that may or may not alleviate their worst symptoms. Trust me, getting to know and like vegetables is a lot easier than stressing out because you don’t know why you’re losing so much hair or getting acne.

Some vegetables, like spinach, Brussels sprouts and kale, are extra-specially good for you – but they can be a little bitter, especially for those who aren’t used to them. What I suggest in these cases is for you to work your way up to those vegetables. Start with a sweet potato. A sweet potato is so yummy that you won’t even realize you’re eating a vegetable. The next day, commit to eating a carrot. After that, try snacking on some edamame or celery. Once you get the hang of some sweet vegetables, add a salad to your daily food repertoire and load it up with carrots, celery and broccoli. After you top that salad with your favorite dressing, eating veggies won’t feel like such a chore. Have no fear; eventually, you’ll make your way to the spinach, Brussels sprouts and kale.

Always Choose Whole Grains Over Refined Flours

There has been a bit of a push in recent years towards whole wheat and whole grain products over products made with refined flours, such as white bread. So, you may already be making the right choice at the grocery store, but I think it’s important that you understand why you should choose the whole grain over the refined stuff, and what may happen to your health if you don’t. It’s all too easy to grab a burger from a fast food place or a muffin at the deli for breakfast, but if you understand why those things may be detrimental to your health, you may want to go out of your way to find a healthier choice.

What are Refined Grains?
Refining is the process that turns whole grains into white flour. So, the refined flour actually does start out as a whole grain. Refined grains are sometimes also referred to as milled grains. In the process of refining, two parts of the grain kernel are removed: the bran, which is the protective outer layer and a source for fiber and protein, and the germ, which is the part that sprouts, and it is also rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. The only part of the kernel that is left is the starchy white core, which has very little nutritional value at all. You see, the entire process of refining removes everything that is great about the grain to begin with. It would be like employing a police officer, but stripping him of his weapons and all of his power. He wouldn’t be a cop any more than that refined grain is a food.

What About Enriched Flours?
These days, you can buy “enriched” flours that have some of the nutrients added back, but do you really think we know everything about every nutrient there is? We have a long way to go in that department, so it’s probably best if we don’t leave our nutritional needs in the hands of food manufacturers. With whole grains, you aren’t just getting the natural fiber, vitamins and minerals; you’re also getting a host of phytochemcials that work synergistically with the other nutrients to help us maintain optimal health.

By now, I hope you understand the need to buy whole grain foods. Try to avoid products that are labeled as “whole wheat” as there is usually some refining involved in their production. Whenever you have any doubt, stay as close to the natural source of your food as possible. That means that you should always find the least processed form of food or eat food in its natural state. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that what you’re eating is really food.

Control Your Health with Home Cooked Meals

You’re not alone. We all love to have someone else cook for us. That’s why there are so many restaurants thriving in your neighborhood. From fast food joints to ethnic eateries, you can’t get enough of the easy meal. As long as you didn’t have to chop that onion, it’s all good, right? Well, not so fast. It isn’t just the ease of having the food prepared that’s got you addicted to restaurant food. Restaurant food nearly always has more sodium and fat than food prepared at home. And some restaurants (gasp) make it a habit to use unhealthy ingredients like MSG. Good for taste; bad for your waist.

Occasionally, a little indulgence is okay..

Eating at restaurants isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You certainly can learn how to order healthier meals and make it a little less harmful to your health. Also, restaurants are usually locally owned and operated businesses, so you’re supporting the local economy. And you get to feel a little pampered, so it’s definitely not all bad. Eating out has its place. Just don’t make too much of a habit of it. Instead, learn how to prepare delicious and nutritious meals at home – it’ll save you money and pounds of fat. It’s a win-win situation.

How to get started...

Even if you are a complete stranger to the kitchen, there are quick and easy meals you can prepare. In fact, there are entire cookbooks dedicated to novice chefs who don’t intend on spending hours slaving over a stove to get a good meal. Visit your local library and browse the culinary section. Maybe you can try a Cooking for Dummies type book to get you acquainted with the kitchen. Or, maybe a 30 Minute Meals type book would spark your interest. Just commit to choosing a recipe – and trying it out. Don’t choose anything too difficult or you might become frustrated with cooking before you even start.

Begin easy by making pancakes, muffins, or oatmeal. All three are relatively easy and can be made to be healthy. Just watch the sugar content of each. Try to cook with real foods as often as possible. By real food I mean just about anything that comes from the outer aisles of your grocery store. That includes fresh produce, meat and fish. While you’re in those aisles, look for foods labeled as organic. By doing so, you’ll avoid toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and other nasty things you definitely don’t want to ingest. By the way, unless a restaurant touts that they use organic ingredients, all of these toxins are likely included in your restaurant meal.

Taking it to the next level...

After you ease yourself into cooking, you might even like it. At this point, you can start trying more complicated (yet healthy) recipes like a vegetable lasagna or herbed spaghetti squash. Once you get the knack for it, you might even want to learn how to become a chef – but, for now, let’s take things slow and make some toast. 

Kicking the Coffee Addiction with Kombucha

There are a lot of stresses that students face in college, sometimes for the first time. For many students, this is the first time they are on their own, without any parental supervision. It’s a time when you have to start making decisions for yourself while living up to the expectations of your family. There are papers to be written, tests to be studied for, college scholarships to maintain and deadlines to meet. That’s why so many students rely on super-caffeinated coffee to keep them awake and alert for all-night study sessions and early morning classes. But coffee is addictive. It’s a lot like tobacco use in that way. Once you get started, it’s hard to stop. You’ll notice that you wake up every morning with an urge to brew a fresh pot. You’ll also notice that it gets harder and harder to function properly without it.

Avoiding the caffeine addiction is one of the best things you can do for your health. It’s not because coffee is the devil. It’s actually not the worst beverage you could become addicted to, but like any addiction, it’s much better for you if you don’t get started. When you feel you need an extra boost of energy, consider a healthier alternative, like kombucha tea. Kombucha is a fermented green or black tea, so there is some caffeine, but not much. The real energy boost comes from its live enzymes and probiotics. 

You’d be surprised how much of your body’s energy is tied up in digestion. Because of poor diets, many people have too few digestive enzymes, which means that the body has to work harder to digest any food you eat. By drinking this tea, you’re adding to your body’s store of digestive enzymes, and you’re also adding probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, which also help with digestion. In addition to freeing up energy, when your digestive system is working properly, you're more likely to absorb essential nutrients from food -- many of which help your body produce energy in the first place. 

Once some of the weight has been lifted off your digestive system, your body is free to use that energy for other things. You will actually notice a change in your energy levels. It doesn’t necessarily come as a boost, although it can, but it’s more of a balanced energy increase throughout the day. But you don’t have to take my word. Try it out yourself. For one week, drink kombucha tea in place of coffee and see how you feel.

If you do a search on the internet for kombucha, you might see some radical health claims about it curing disease and all that ails you. I don’t know about all those claims; sounds like hype to me. But I do know kombucha can support your digestive system – and that’s a pretty serious benefit.

You can make your own kombucha, but for your trial, I’d suggest buying the bottled kind. You can get it at your local health food store, or you can order it online. If you really can’t get kombucha, you can substitute with green tea and good probiotic and digestive enzyme supplement. 

Getting Water Wasted: The Importance of Hydration

While you’re running around from class to class, don’t forget to stop at the water fountain – frequently. The truth is, most people, college students included, do not get enough hydration throughout the day. While you’re learning, it's even more important to drink enough water in order to keep your body running at optimal performance. Otherwise, you leave yourself open to illness and grogginess – both conditions that do not lend themselves well to studying. You may not realize this, but if you’re like most students, you’re probably dehydrating yourself more than you are hydrating. You may already enjoy getting chocolate wasted (or the other kind of wasted) from time to time, but you should consider getting water wasted sometimes too. It's actually really good for your health!

Frayed Ends of Sanity – Coffee and Hydration
Coffee can be quite handy if you need to pull an all-nighter. Heck, it even has antioxidants that can help your body fight damaging free radicals. I’m not one to discourage anyone from drinking coffee, especially students who need to be alert for their studies. However, there is one thing you need to keep in mind while guzzling the java: It is dehydrating stuff. Coffee acts as a diuretic, which means it flushes water out of the body. This is the opposite of what you want to do to keep yourself healthy. Again, I’m not saying to give up the bean. I’m simply advising you to make up for the lost water throughout the day. Experts caution us to drink no less than eight 8-ounce glasses of hydrating fluid per day. If you drink one cup of coffee, you should add one cup of hydrating fluid to your total intake. This will make up for the dehydration that coffee causes. Hydrating fluids are any fluids that don’t dehydrate you. This includes fruit juices, sports drinks and all types of water. Water, of course, is the best choice; but some find it hard to consume that much water in a day. Just try to avoid soft drinks: The decaf versions may have some hydration value, but they have way too much sugar (or sugar substitutes) to be good for your body.


Livin’ it Up – Alcohol and Hydration
When you drink alcohol, you’re putting yourself in the same boat as when you drink coffee. Alcohol is also dehydrating. Although some studies indicate that one alcoholic beverage per day is actually good for your health, most research warns of the dangers of alcohol. Even moderate consumption has been implicated in an increased cancer risk, so give it some thought before you pick up that beer. Maybe you should get water wasted instead. I’m not so naïve so as to think that every college student will abstain from drinking, but I do hope you keep it responsible. Follow the same rules for coffee consumption: One additional cup of water per day for every alcoholic beverage you drink. If you know you’re going to have a few drinks later tonight, drink a few extra glasses of water during the day. Not only will it keep your body running smoothly, but it will also help you avoid a hangover the next day.

Nutrition and hydration are very complicated issues because they deal with the complex inner workings of the body; but you don’t need to learn how to become a nutritionist to keep yourself healthy. Simply follow the basic guidelines of eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily (and more if you drink caffeinated or alcoholic beverages), and you’ll be on your way to good health. If you’re on the fence about changing your ways, try to get a little creative with your water consumption. Add lime juice to the water and salt the rim of your glass to pretend you’re having a margarita. Or, pretend you’re at the spa with some refreshing cucumber water.