Holiday Weight Gain: More of a Threat than Ebola

‘Tis that time of year yet again. The pumpkin spice latte has been shoved to the side as peppermint and eggnog mochas return to the spotlight. The mall has not quite turned into a zoo quite yet, however you can already find Christmas commercials on tv and radio stations playing Christmas music.

Oh the holidays, full of friends, families, parties, and of course food…copious amounts of food. When I go home for the holidays, there is a day where our house is transformed into a sweatshop where we spend an entire day cookies, chocolates, and fudge. Inevitably, there is always some squabble about what color the cookies should be frosted and if there are enough sprinkles on said cookie.

Between the stress of attempting to decorate your cookies like the ones on the box…

The stress of spending an extended amount or time with family…

And wanting to keep your physique yet being inundated with cookies...

the threat of holiday weight gain is imminent.

Now, if you haven’t figured it out by now, the media likes to exaggerate a little about the amount of weight people gain between the holidays. The media claims range anywhere from seven to ten pounds, but in reality most people only gain one pound. One pound may not seem like a lot but if you keep that pound on, it starts to add up year after year.

To help guide you through this tumultuous time, I have prepared for you Beth’s Ultimate Healthy Holiday Eating Guide!

Beth's Ultimate Healthy Holiday Eating Guide:

1. Exercise- I briefly touched on how stressful the holidays can be; we have all been there. Whether it’s the frustration of fixing the Christmas lights, the long lines at stores, figuring out what to get everybody, or just being cooped up with your family, the stress can be overwhelming. It is a saying in my family that it is not truly Christmas until someone cries.

All of this holiday stress can be channeled in one of three ways. The first is via emotional eating. The second way is best exemplified by this scene from National Lampoon’s Christmas… 

The third and probably the healthiest way is by exercising. Have you had it with the lights or your mom nagging you about every little thing? Try going for a jog or do some pushups instead of eating, drinking, or screaming away your frustrations.

2. Wear tight clothes- You may laugh at me on this one, but take my word on it. Leave the sweatpants, elastic waisted pants, flowey dresses, etc at home and opt for something more figure forming that won’t give or you can always just slap on a belt. I think we have been there after that Thanksgiving meal where we ate too much and are so uncomfortable that we have to unbutton our pants. By wearing tighter clothes, it helps serve as a reminder and may help keep you from going overboard.

3. Eat a snack before the party- Instead of arriving at the party starving and end up gorging on all kinds of not as healthy food, try eating a small, healthy snack or meal before you go to the party. This way you won’t go crazy and turn into the cookie monster.

4. Bring a healthy dish- There are no guarantees that any holiday party will have healthy options. Instead of being “forced” to eat not as healthy food, bring your own healthy dish so that there will be at least one thing there that you won’t give you a Santa-esque figure. 

5. Use a small plate and utensils- Instead of grabbing the huge buffet plate, try using a smaller plate, perhaps a salad plate, and smaller utensils. This will way it will take more effort to overeat. If you really wanted to take this advice to heart while adding some culture to the traditional holiday meal, try using chopsticks. If your chopstick skills are like mine, you will get frustrated and just give up rather quickly.

6. Sit next to either the health nut, most judgmental person, or person you dislike the most- One sure fire way to avoid overeating is to sit next to the food police or the most judgmental person at the party. Going up for seconds or loading up on cookies? Be prepared for a snide comment or to be judged heavily. While it may be agonizing, it will make you a little more conscious of what and how much you are eating in addition to want to finish eating quickly to escape. This concept also applies to sitting next to the person that you dislike the most as well.

7. Say no to Grandma (food pushers)- For some reason grandmas and moms around the world have come together to decide that nothing shows your love more than shoving cookies, cake, or more lasagna down your grandkid’s/kid’s throat. Nobody wants to hurt grandma’s or mom’s feeling so if saying no won’t work, just tell them you will take it to go. That way you can eat it later as part of a meal or, depending on how good the food was, throw it away. (Grandma if you are reading this, I have obviously never done this)

8. Fill up on fruits and vegetables- Fruits and vegetables are lower in calories and contain fiber that helps you feel full.

9. Drink water- Keeping hydrated is important because thirst is often confused for hunger. Instead of heading straight for the fruit cake at the first pains of hunger, make sure that you are actually hungry and not just thirsty. Also, not only does water help you feel full, but it will help you avoid other liquid calories in the form of egg nog or other adult beverages.

10. Eat slowly- It takes about 20 minutes for the signal from the stomach to reach the brain to tell it that the stomach is full. This is actually the key to success that competitive eaters use; the quicker you down the food the more you can shove in before your brain recognizes that your stomach is about to burst. So go ahead and slow down and talk to that weird cousin of yours.

11. Keep sweets in opaque containers- If you or your parents keep tons of holiday cookies or candies around try to put them in opaque containers (containers you can’t see through) to keep them out of sight. Research has shown that the “out of sight, out of mind” adage actually works. 

12. Don’t eat out of the container- While lounging on the couch watching all the Christmas movies or specials with the whole container of cookies may sound nice and relaxing, it can be a train wreck for your figure when you look down to see that you downed five cookies without even noticing. Instead, put whatever it is that you are eating on a plate and put said food away. This will help you from mindless eating more than you wanted to. 

13. Only make a couple kinds of desserts- Instead of making every recipe you pinned on your Pintrest board, only make two or three. Think of it this way, if there are 15 types of cookies that you can choose from, you will find it appropriate to eat more since there is more variety. Lets say in this situation you eat five cookies. Now, if there were only three types of cookies available, you would find it more appropriate to try maybe one or two.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to perfect the grace that I will be giving this year…

Until next time!

Keep it Fresh,
Keep it Green,

Beth

OMG GMOS!

Well I have avoided this topic for sometime now due to the complexities of it. After Jimmy Kimmel recently did a short segment on it, I figured it was time. What is this topic you ask? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Chances are you have at least heard of them or perhaps seen a label on a product touting it was GMO free. Before I delve into the world of GMOs, here is the segment that Jimmy Kimmel did where he asked people their thoughts on GMOs and if they even knew what GMO stands for…

What is a GMO?

GMOs, or “genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals.

Why are there GMOs?

Plants or animals are genetically engineered to exhibit desired traits. However, these desired traits do not occur naturally in nature and cannot be achieved through crossbreeding. To help me illustrate what a GMO is, I am going to refer to my dog. The breed of dog that I have is a maltipoo, a crossbreed of a maltese and poodle. She is not a GMO. Without going into too much detail, her mom is a poodle and her dad is a maltese. Now you are probably wondering how could I make my dog GMO? As cute and snuggly as she can be at times, I will admit that she can be a tad barky at times.  Let’s say that before I got her, I had a scientist take her DNA and insert the gene of a duck quack in place of the barking gene (this is fictional by the way). Instead of barking my dog would quack. I would like to think that quacking is slightly less irritating than barking. Anyways, this would make her GMO since her DNA was altered in an unnatural way with that of another species. 

In terms of foods, some of the desired traits that current GMO plants exhibit includes: drought resistant crops, herbicide and/or insecticide resistant crops, and enhanced nutrition. One example of a nutritionally enhanced crop is golden rice. Due to the high rates of vitamin A deficiency in Asian children, rice was genetically modified to contain a form of vitamin A.

What are the most common sources of GMOs?

Most processed foods contain some amount of GMOs due to the crops that are mostly likely genetically modified. These crops include: alfalafa, canola, corn, cotton, papaya, soy, sugar beets, and zucchini, yellow summer squash, and papaya from Hawaii. Dorky fact of the day: The papaya crop in Hawaii was nearly wiped out by a plant virus back in the day, but scientist developed a GMO papaya that is resistant to said virus which is now what is mostly grown in Hawaii.  You're welcome!

Recently the USDA approved a GMO potato that is engineered to reduce the amount of a potentially harmful chemical that occurs when the potato is fried (French fries and potato chips). In addition, the potato has been engineered to resist bruising, which can occur during harvesting, shipping, and storage. Like I said, this has just been approved so it will take some time before it hits the stomachs of consumers.

Are GMOs safe?

Well, there are obviously two sides of the story on this one so I am going to layout the facts of each side for you.

Pro-GMO Groups Claim:

There are no inherent differences between foods produced from genetically modified (GM) plants and those from non-GM crops. The GM plant is just modified to express a desired trait that the non-GM plant does not. Companies that wish to release a GM seed or the product of a GM crop are required to test the safety of that product and has to be approved by the USDA. No one has substantiated a single human death, or even illness, as a result of consuming GM foods.

Anti-GMO Groups Claim:

There are too few independent (non-industry) studies of the health effects of GM foods to have confidence in their safety. In animal studies, there have been some negative health effects when they are fed a diet of GMOs. Additionally, this could lead to the introduction of allergens into otherwise non-allergic foods. More research is needed. 

How do GMOs impact the environment?

Pro-GMO Groups Claim:

GMOs are better for the environment by decreasing need of insecticides and herbicides, increased crop yield, decrease water usage, and decrease use of chemical fertilizers.

Anti-GMO Groups Claim:

GMO crops will do wide-reaching damage to the environment. Insect-resistant crops may harm species that are not their target, such as monarch butterflies. On the other hand, the insects that the GM crops are designed to kill could develop resistance into a "super bug," ultimately requiring farmers to use more aggressive control measures. Also GM crops may transfer their genes to other crops, which could lead to the development of "super weeds."

Can GMOs help alleviate world hunger?

Pro-GMO Groups Claim:

Through GM seeds even the small farmers can produce bigger, more reliable crops. GM seeds will help poor farmers grow more food for themselves and more profitable crops to sell. Nutrition-enhanced GM crops now in development can directly address the effects of malnutrition, both for the farmers who grow those crops for themselves and for poor consumers in developing-world cities. In the long term, GM crops may be the only way to ensure that worldwide food production keeps pace with the growing population—which may double to 12 billion by the year 2050.

Anti-GMO Groups Claim:

The real causes of hunger are poverty, inequality, and lack of access to food and land. GMOs will do nothing to alleviate these problems. Most GM crops available so far do not address the needs of food production in developing countries. They offer conveniences to the farmer—the ability to apply more or less pesticide spray—but do not produce higher yields. Adoption of GM crops by farmers in the developing world will actually increase hunger by making poor farmers reliant on the few multinational corporations that control the market for those seeds. A better way to improve the lives of farmers is to teach them ecological farming methods by which they can grow better crops without the expense associated with GM seeds.

What are other countries doing?

64 other countries around the globe require GMO products to be labeled as such, however the US is not one of these. Some countries flat out ban the import of GMO products and the use of GMO crops.

How can I avoid GMOs?

Since labeling is not mandatory in the US at this time, there are two options. You can look for this label on processed foods to help you select items that do not contain GMOs...

You can also purchase foods that are 100% organic or certified organic/USDA organic by looking for this logo...

Note: Organic products are usually GMO free but there is a small chance that a GMO may be present due to loopholes. Also, the term natural on a package is just more nutrition mumbo jumbo and means nothing so don't fall for that one. 

Breaking it Down

In the US we do a slight have a hunger issue, but not to the extent that countries such as Africa and India do. People who are food insecure in the US have access to plenty of cheaply priced processed foods that typically contain GMOs. What they do not have much access to is affordable fruits and vegetables, which in the US are not typically genetically modified. Also of note, most Americans do not suffer a vitamin or mineral deficiency so nutritionally enhanced plants are necessarily a priority. Not to say that there may not be a use for GMOs in developing countries if they are deemed safe.

What is my "expert" opinion on this you ask? I am not going to shove my "expert" thoughts down your throat. I think that the research is still up in the air on GMOs. Are they natural? Are the Panthers having a good season? No!

Sorry not sorry Cam...

What I do know is that GMOs are mainly found in processed foods, which aren't that healthy for you to begin with. Want to avoid GMOs? Eat your fruits and vegetables (with the exception of French fries, potato chips, and papaya from Hawaii) and you will avoid most GMOs. Oh and just a tip so that you don't end up on one of Jimmy Kimmel's segments looking like a tool, do a little research for yourself on something before you make an opinion on something. Until next time!

Keep it Fresh,

Keep if Green,

Beth

For more information visit:

• Just Label It 
• The Non-GMO Project
• American Public Media 

How to Avoid the Crud

Ahh, ‘Tis that time of year again! It is time for the return of cold and flu season full of coughs, sniffles, and used tissues strewn everywhere!  With all the big swings in temperature that we have had recently, yours truly had the pleasure of being struck by what I affectionately call the crud. Although, after watching morning television from my couch, I was soon questioning if I had perhaps caught Ebola.

Just to be on the safe side, I emailed by boss and told him that I suspected that I had Ebola and would be out sick for the day in self-quarantine.

With all of this lovely crud going around, I figure what better time than the present to talk about nutrition and your immune system; thus I give you today’s blog: How to Avoid the Crud.

What is your immune system?

Just in case there are some of you out there that are in fact living under a rock, yet have heard by word of mouth how good this blog is, your immune system helps your body fight off illness such as the common cold and the not so common, yet heavily exaggerated Ebola.  

What foods are good for my immune system?

Sometimes when I am writing these blogs, I feel like I am kicking a dead horse.  Alas, I will go on. The vitamins and minerals that help support your immune system are largely found in fruits and vegetables. No big surprise there right?  The vitamins and minerals most closely associated with immunity include: vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium. Vitamin C is the most well known one from the above list, which may not be as well deserved as we would like to think, so let’s take a closer look.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning that they it is easily absorbed in water. Vitamin C is not stored in the body, so you need a constant supply of it in your diet. Some of the best food sources of vitamin C include: citrus, strawberries, cauliflower, Brussels’ sprouts, pineapple, mango, bell peppers, kiwi, broccoli, and every hipsters favorite, kale.

What about all of those vitamin C supplements?

Since vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and is not stored in the body, excess leaves your body via urine. So unless you pride yourself on having expensive urine, you are not doing yourself any good.

Does vitamin C help with colds?

Research shows that taking vitamin C supplements after getting a cold does not really help; at that point it is too late. Crawling out of bed when the crud has you all the way to the fridge to get the OJ to help you feel better is not going to help.

However, research has shown that people who take a vitamin C supplement regularly might have slightly shorter colds or milder symptoms. Emphasis on might.

What about chicken noodle soup?

So chicken noodle soup isn’t a vitamin or mineral, but whose mother or grandmother hasn’t force-fed you chicken noodle when you were sick as a child? Mom or grandma was actually on to something with this one. Eating chicken noodle soup to help fight off illness actually has some research to support it beyond just being a placebo effect. Researchers don’t really know what component of chicken noodle soup to credit, but eating some of it helps with cold symptoms. So next time the crud has a hold of you and you just cannot bear to crawl out of bed to make some, try sweet-talking your roommate into making you some. Be sure to play up how miserable you feel and maybe even channel your inner drama queen and cry a little bit.

What about other foods?

Some studies have suggested that drinking green tea helps prevent and treat cold symptoms. Regardless if it is true or not, the hot water helps break up the crud stuck in your throat. Yogurt is another food of interest due to the probiotics it naturally contains. Probiotics help to keep your digestive system healthy and therefore, the rest of your body.

Breaking it down

Eating a diet rich in vitamin C (read: fruits and vegetables) year round is good for not only for your immune system, but your overall. Your best bet to avoid the crud this season is to wash your hands regularly, avoid those friends and family members who are hacking up their lungs, and grab some chicken noodle soup if you start to feel a cold coming on. Oh and of course, load up on fruits and vegetables. Until next time!

Keep it Fresh,

Keep it Green,

Beth