March 25, 2009
 Guys…what’s your gut feeling? No, I don’t mean that gut around your waist but rather your ‘inner voice’ gut. Is it telling you to pay more attention to what you eat? Is it time to turn that gut feeling into gut reduction?
Speaking of successful gut reduction, I’m excited to have Steve Holbrook, WDBO’s Program Director, back again on this week’s podcast so be sure and listen. If you recall, Steve was our guest on the January 28th podcast when we talked about protein for weight loss. Steve had heard me discuss the new research on protein and weight loss during my radio segment and he took it on as his weight challenge.
Steve has not only lost over 10 pounds in the last two months or so but he has dramatically changed his eating habits. He now includes a lean protein source at every meal and eats more total grams of protein per day than he did prior to starting the weight challenge. A long distance biker, Steve needs the protein to replenish, maintain and build new muscle.
You’ll want to hear how Steve successfully navigates his many business lunches and dinners and still stays in control of his eating. He talks about how most golfers think about their shot before they take it and how he has made this strategy work for him when he eats out and selects food.
Steve feels good about his weight and body and the way that his clothes fit. Speaking of body image, this past week the media was all over the comments made by conservative pundit Laura Ingraham about Meghan McCain’s (daughter of John McCain) weight. Women can be very cruel to one another as many of you have shared with me. You can read Meghan’s blog that addresses these comments at her blog for The Daily Beast.
As I commented on her blog, women are held up to unrealistic weight and body images (including the inability to age gracefully) yet most women in this country are a size 12 or 14. There is also a double standard with men. It is doubtful you would ever hear a man trash another man for his gut being too large or having a double or triple chin. Certainly not in a business situation. Everyone but especially young girls and women should be empowered to eat a healthy diet, be proud of their body image and feel good about themselves regardless of their size and weight.
March 18, 2009
 How’s your week going? Do you have a cold? Even worse, the flu? Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) up to 20% of Americans will likely get a rotten case of the flu this year? I’ve got some good news for you. What you eat can help bolster your immune system and help with your cold symptoms. Fruits, vegetables and even some spices offer up a medicine cabinet full of healthy benefits for your body.
You’ve probably heard the term ‘super fruit’ which means a fruit that offers health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Number one on your list of cold fighting foods are super fruits.
- Tangerines, oranges, grapefruit along with cherries, pineapple and strawberries (to name a few). These fruits contain immune building vitamin C. I much prefer the whole food over a vitamin C supplement since you get the benefit of the water content as well as other vitamins and minerals in the fruit. Research has not proven that vitamin C prevents colds but it does play a role in a healthy immune system which in turn helps you fight off a cold.
- Spicy foods such as hot sauce, wasabi, chili or spicy sauces help to temporarily open sinuses and help with congestion. A bowl of chili or spicy tortilla soup with a dash of hot sauce may cause your nose to run and eyes to tear but right now, that could be a good thing. This relief helps you to breathe easier for a little while. So if you’re up for it, try a little spicy food.
- Yogurt. This is probably a food you never would have thought about to fight a cold but here’s the deal. Yogurt with active cultures such as acidophilus can enhance immune function by putting healthy bacteria in the body, especially your gastrointestinal tract where a lot of your immune function happens. Yogurt is especially important if you are taking antibiotics which strip out the bad bacteria and take the good along with it. Yogurt helps replenish those healthy bacteria.
- Hot liquids, especially tea: Besides feeling really good on your throat and warming your body when you have the chills, hot liquids temporarily thin out the mucus in the nose and throat. Tea or coffee with a little caffeine gives you a slight energy boost when you feel exhausted. Drink a lot of water to keep your body well hydrated and to continue to thin out mucus buildup.
- Chicken Soup. Load it up with garlic, onions and lots of broth. These are the items that benefit your cold so chicken is fine or not, depending on your preference. The garlic and onion-loaded broth will help ease congestion and thin out mucous. If Mom isn’t around to make that chicken soup for you, there are some really good canned versions on the market. Be sure and shop for a lower sodium version as canned soups can be over the top when it comes to added salt and sodium.
Now that you’ve given your body food to fight that cold, it’s time for some much needed sleep. Feel better!
March 11, 2009
 Several of you emailed me and said that you want to eat more fish but don’t know how to select it at your grocery or market. One of my friends said that she mainly eats fish when she and her husband go out to dinner since she just stands at the fish counter and has no clue what to purchase. Maybe you buy canned tuna and canned salmon instead of fresh fish because you’re not certain what to look for either. Is the fish fresh? What is the source? Is it sustainable and how is the environment affected?
Did you know that the fresh fish you buy at the market or grocery has often been frozen? It’s not an issue except that you don’t want to freeze it again for the quality and taste can be affected. Fishing vessels may spend a week or two out at sea so the fish is kept on ice or even flash frozen. One designation of quality you can look for are the letters FAS meaning Frozen-at-Sea. This flash freeze process takes place on board a fishing vessel and the fish is frozen at a very low temperature. Even if you buy fish that is caught locally, it may still take a few days to make the trip from sea to shore to store.
In addition to fish caught by line or a net, aquaculture refers to farm raised fish. Farmed fish can be practical in that it reduces the problem of overfishing certain species. Fish are raised in ponds, pens or tanks.
According to the Blue Ocean Institute, a few of the fish that are currently sustainable and safe include tilapia (farmed), salmon (wild Alaskan), and yellow fin tuna. Check their site for information on fish choices, contaminants and mercury information.
Be sure and purchase from a reputable fish market or grocery that sells a lot of fish. Fish should be well iced. If you are selecting a steak or fillet from a white-flesh fish, be sure that the flesh is translucent with a pinkish tint. All fillets should not look dry but appear solid or dense. If the fish is prepackaged in plastic, make sure there is only fish, no liquid.
If you buy fresh fish have it bagged and put into another bag of ice to keep it cold, particularly in the summer months. Eat the fish within one or two days and keep it in a cold part of your refrigerator until you cook it. Frozen fish should be frozen hard and appear a little shiny.
Fish is easy to cook. One of my favorite simple ways is to cook a salmon fillet at 375 degrees for about 17 minutes. Before you put it in the oven, sprinkle the fillet with a mixture of herbs or spices or use a fish rub and rub it on the filet as the name implies. Make a salad and microwave a sweet potato or a veggie while the fish is in the oven and that’s it….an easy and healthy dinner on the table in no time.
March 4, 2009
 I just read in the April 1st issue of Family Circle magazine that if you give up one regular 20-ounce soda a day, you’ll save about 91,000 calories a year. Do the math at 3500 calories per pound and that’s equivalent to about 25 pounds you could lose. That’s huge! Sweetened beverages including juices can pack on the pounds but here are some usable tips to help prevent that gain.
Go for a 50-50 mix. Since juice can be a concentrated source of calories, dilute it with water, sparkling water or club soda. As you adjust to this mixture, try a little less juice and a little more water. Remember that sweetened beverages do not provide you with a feeling of satiety or fullness so you can consume a lot of calories and still be ravenous.
Heads up, many sports drinks and sodas actually contain more than once serving if you check the Nutrition Facts label. When you consume the entire bottle, you need to double or triple the calories depending on the servings in the container. Be a label sleuth.
Are you hungry after you workout? I am. If I’m not careful, I can easily consume more calories rehydrating than I just burned off. Be sure and check the calories of your favorite flavored waters and sports drinks. Some contain upwards of 300 calories.
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