New School Nutrition Standards Proposed

One month ago, the current administration signed the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010", which is designed to improve the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.  As part of this new law, the USDA was given the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools during the day.  However, at the time it was not known when the new nutritional standards would be set.  Yesterday was the first big step in that direction.  Yesterday, the USDA published a proposed rule to update the nutritional standards of the meals served in these school programs.  While you can download and read the full proposal (Docket ID: FNS-2007-0038 at regulations.gov), I have outlined some of the major recommendations below:

Breakfast Calorie Recommendations:

• Grades K - 5 = 350 - 500 calories
• Grades 6 - 8 = 400 - 550 calories
• Grades 9 - 12 = 450 - 600 calories

Lunch Calorie Recommendations: 

• Grades K - 5 = 550 - 650 calories
• Grades 6 - 8 = 600 - 700 calories
• Grades 9 - 12 = 750 - 850 calories

Breakfast Foods:

• Fruit - 1 cup per day (up from 1/2 cup)
• Grains & Meat/Meat Alternatives - 1.4 - 2 grains per day plus 1 - 2 meat/meat alternatives per day  (up from 1 each per day)
• Whole Grains - At least half of grains consumed should be whole grains
• Milk - 1 cup with fat content to be less than 1% (previously had no fat content recommendation)

Lunch Foods:

• Fruit - 3/4 to 1 cup of vegetables plus 1/2 to 1 cup of fruit per day (up from 1/2 to 1 cup of fruits and vegetables combined)
• Vegetables - recommend a weekly requirement for dark green and orange vegetables and legumes, while limiting starchy vegetables (no recommendation previously)
• Meat/Meat Alternatives - 1.6 to 2.4 ounces daily average over 5 days (down from 1.5 to 3 ounces)
• Grains - 1.8 to 2.6 ounces per day on average
• Whole grains - at least to half to be whole grains
• Milk - 1 cup with fat content to be less than 1%

Other Changes:

• Decrease saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories
• Decrease sodium to below 1,500 mg per day over a 10 year period.
• Foods used in school nutrition programs must have zero trans fat
• Offer versus Serve Program - At breakfast, students would be allowed to decline one food item, but MUST choose 1 fruit or vegetable item.  At lunch, students would be allowed to decline 2 food items, but MUST choose 1 fruit or vegetable item.  This program would be required at the high school level, but optional for schools at the elementary and middle school levels.

These proposed recommendations appear to make an overall improvement in the nutritional profile of the foods offered at all school levels.  These changes are clearly designed to increase our kids' consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while reducing their saturated fat and sodium intake.  As part of this, schools will no longer be allowed to offer whole milk or reduced-fat (2%) milk. These changes place the school breakfast and lunch programs more in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and consistent with the daily recommended intakes suggested by the Institute of Medicine.  At the moment this is still only a PROPOSED rule.  As such, it is open to public comment for the next 90 days.  So if you have any comments or suggestions on these new recommendations, now is the time to voice your opinion.


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Dance Your Way To A Healthier You!

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is essential for maintaining or losing weight.  However, most of us have a difficult time adopting a regular exercise program.  Even those of us that start a regular exercise program with the best of intentions have difficulty in sticking with it over the long-term.  A new research study (free to download) explored the use of a combination of Latin dancing and educational information on healthy eating as a way to enhance physical activity and improve dietary habits.

In this study, adult overweight women who reported low levels of leisure time physical activity and low consumption of fruits and vegetables were subjected to two interventions: (1) 4 weeks of Latin dance lessons twice weekly and (2) internet-based education.  Group 1 women were asked to dance during the first 4 weeks and were provided education materials during the second 4 weeks of the study.  Women in Group 2 received educational materials first, followed by 4 weeks of dance lessons.  Dance lessons consisted of 8 one-hour lessons during which study participants learned the Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cha Cha from a professional dance instructor.  Physical activity and heart rate were monitored during the dance lessons.  Educational material on improving dietary habits by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption was provided via an interactive website that was updated with new material on a weekly basis.  The results of this small pilot study showed that:

• Based on heart rate, women obtained about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity during their one-hour dance lessons.
• All study participants reported an increase in leisure time physical activity from about 10 minutes per week at the start of the study to about 30 minutes per week at the end of the study on average.
• Fruit and vegetable consumption remained stable throughout the study in women receiving educational material first and dancing second, while women who danced first and received educational material second showed a reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Group 2 women (education first) showed decreased consumption of dietary fats compared to Group 1 women (dance first)
• Body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly in either group

This is an interesting study that should be followed up with a larger, longer study.  In this study, the volunteers participated in over half of the dance lessons, suggesting that Latin dance might be a form of exercise that many individuals might find enjoyable enough to stick to on a long-term basis.  Additionally, this study suggests that learning about healthy eating habits before taking dance lessons might provide the best long-term results in regards to developing and maintaining healthier eating habits.  While no changes in BMI were observed in this study, it is important to remember that this was not a weight loss study and did not include any form of weight loss program.  Without the inclusion of a weight loss program, it would likely be difficult to lose much weight with moderate-intensity physical activity just twice per week for 4 weeks.  Nonetheless, no weight gain was observed suggesting that this intervention of education and dance might help maintain body weight or reduce weight gain.  It would be interesting to see if studies that include a weight loss program with the dance intervention, are of longer duration, and perhaps provide both education and dance over the same time frames would provide additional benefits like weight loss.

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Maintain A Healthy Body Weight With A Mediterranean Diet

A Mediterranean type diet pattern, which is typically rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, olive oil, nuts, beans, and seeds, with only low to moderate consumption of red meat and wine, has been reported to have a number of possible health benefits.  Some studies have suggested that the possible benefits of the Mediterranean diet might be due to the levels of olive oil consumption in a Mediterranean diet.  In fact, recent research reports that the possible benefits of olive oil might be through a reduction in chronic inflammation.

While research suggests that following a Mediterranean diet plan might support normal human health, the benefits of this dietary lifestyle on obesity risk are apparently less clear.  To examine the impact of the Mediterranean diet on weight gain and obesity risk, nutrition researchers conducted a study in over 103,000 men and over 270,000 women from 10 European countries.  Study investigators collected body characteristics at the beginning of the study and after an average of 5 years and determined the volunteers' adherence to the Mediterranean Diet pattern by measuring their consumption of 9 different dietary components typical of the Mediterranean diet.  The results of this research showed that individuals who stuck to the Mediterranean diet pattern closely maintained their body weight over the 5-year study period.  Compared to individuals who did not comply well with the Mediterranean diet pattern, individuals who complied well were 10% less likely to become overweight or obese.  The nutrition researchers further reported that the low level of meat consumption, typical of the Mediterranean diet pattern, appeared to be the reason for the ability of individuals to maintain their body weight while on this dietary pattern.

Being overweight or obese has been linked to a number of chronic health conditions, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight throughout life.  A typical Mediterranean diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and fish, but low in red meat and wine.  This is in contrast to a typical Western diet, which is generally high in red meat, high-fat foods, refined grains and sweet desserts.  This new research study shows that following a healthier diet pattern might help us each with our weight management goals and reduce the risk for obesity.

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Dietary Intervention Messages: Restrict Fat vs. Promote Fruits & Vegetables

There are many approaches that nutritionists, registered dietitians, or other healthcare professionals use to get healthy eating messages across to the public or those in their care.  In some instances, these messages can be non-restrictive where healthy foods are promoted.  In other cases, the messages are restrictive where unhealthy foods are discouraged.  Differences in the effectiveness of these various strategies are understudied.

Researchers from Laval University in Quebec, Canada compared the effectiveness of two such strategies.  For their study, the investigators assigned 68 overweight or obese postmenopausal women to one of two dietary interventions: (1) a restrictive approach using messages to limit high-fat foods [LOFAT group] or (2) a promotional approach where messages encouraged addition of fruits and vegetables to the diet [HIFV group].  Both groups received 3 group sessions and 10 individual counseling sessions with a registered dietitian.  Changes in dietary intake, eating behaviors, and body size were determined at the beginning of the study, after 6 months when the intervention was completed, and after 12 and 18 months. The study investigators reported:

In the LOFAT group:

• Dietary intake of fat and overall energy was reduced at the end of the study period compared to the initial values.
• Energy and fat consumption remained lower than baseline as far out as 12 months after the study ended.
• Dietary restraint increased by the end of the study intervention period and remained high after 12 months of follow-up.
• Body weight was reduced by about 8 lbs after the first 6 months.

In the HIFV group:

• Consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by the end of the 6-month study intervention period.
• During the 12-month follow-up period, fruit and vegetable consumption returned to levels observed at the beginning of the study.
• No substantial changes in dietary restraint were observed in the HIFV group.
• Body weight decreased by about 4 lbs after the 6-month study period.

This is an interesting study comparing two approaches to healthy eating and weight loss.  Based on the results outlined above, it appears that the negative message strategy (messages to limit high fat foods) was more effective than the positive message strategy (encouraging fruits and vegetables).  The results suggest that while messages to increase consumption of fruits and vegetables are effective as long as they are delivered, people find it difficult to maintain high fruit and vegetable intake when the encouragement is withdrawn.  While both approaches resulted in similar weight loss success, the messages to restrict high fat food intake was apparently easier to follow.  Based on the study summary, it seems uncertain to me whether the inability of study volunteers to stick with their fruit and vegetable consumption was due to a failure of the positive message approach or the foods that were being encouraged.  Although the results of this study suggest that telling people what foods to avoid was more effective than telling people what foods to include, it is probably still important to educate consumers about healthy foods that can replace the less healthy high fat foods.

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Make Healthy Eating a Lifetime Habit!

Many of us have gone through the weight cycling process... go on a diet to lose the unwanted weight, gain the unwanted pounds back, then go on another diet.  Unfortunately, over time this seems to lead to additional weight gain since we often seem to regain more than we originally lost.  Additionally, it has been suggested that weight cycling might have negative health effects.  A better approach, of course, is to follow a healthy diet plan to reach a healthy body weight and then maintain that new healthy weight for life.  But how successful are we at doing this?

A research review paper examined the scientific literature on long-term weight loss studies to determine the answer to just that question.  This new study examined long-term changes in the daily intake of fat, fruit, vegetables, and fiber in multiple clinical trials that included over 62,000 study volunteers. According to the study investigators:

• Study volunteers overall were able to maintain a reduction in dietary fat consumption and an increase in fiber and fruit and vegetable consumption for 1 year.
• Each following year showed a reduction in the ability to maintain a healthy diet as dietary choices slowly reverted back to the unhealthy choices made at the beginning of each study.
• Only one study reported successful maintenance of healthy eating habits beyond one year.

It is clear from this study that the majority of us find if difficult to develop and maintain healthy eating habits permanently.  While healthy eating habits need to be a life-long choice, it is a choice many of us find very difficult.  There are many reasons for this including the cost of healthy food choices, the bombardment of advertisements for unhealthy, energy-dense foods, and the comparatively poorer availability of healthy options.  Our inability to develop life-long healthy eating patterns is due to a combination of the choices we ourselves make and the food environment to which we are exposed.  Changes to both of these will be needed if we ever hope to develop better eating habits as a population and reduce the incidence of obesity.

Foods high in protein with a low glycemic index can be healthier options than many energy-dense foods that typically provide little nutritional value.  My protein bars and shakes are a delicious, low glycemic part of my easy diet plan, making them a great way to lose weight without punishing yourself with hunger.

Emotional Eating Impacts Food Choices

When we think about emotional eating many of us picture ourselves splurging on chocolate, ice cream, or other foods and snacks that have little nutritional value.  A recent study published in the current issue of Appetite examines the relationship of emotional eating and depressive symptoms with consumption of energy-dense foods and fruits/vegetables.

For this new nutrition study, 1,679 men and 2,035 women were asked to complete questionnaires to assess eating habits and depressive symptoms.  Relationships between depressive symptoms, emotional eating, and consumption of sweet and non-sweet energy-dense foods and fruits and vegetables were determined.  Depressive symptoms were closely linked to emotional eating and both depressive symptoms and emotional eating were linked to higher body mass index.  The study investigators also reported that:

• In both men and women emotional eating was linked to consumption of sweet, energy-dense foods.
• In men, emotional eating was also linked to higher consumption of non-sweet, energy-dense foods.
• Consumption of fruits and vegetables was substantially lower in individuals with symptoms of depression.

These results are not completely surprising as the concept of emotional eating has been around for quite some time now.  Nonetheless, these findings confirm that our emotional state can cause us to make unhealthy food choices, such as over-consumption of energy-dense foods with little nutritional value and inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables.  This can lead to increased body weight and likely impacts the high incidence of obesity. Programs designed to reduce emotional eating or to recognize emotional eating can lead to healthier food choices and subsequently healthier lifestyles.  Getting rid of unhealthy foods from the pantry and replacing them with healthier options can be one way to start.  This way, when we find ourselves eating as an emotional outlet, at least our food choices on hand will be healthier.

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Eat A Good Breakfast To Reduce Body Size

We've all probably heard that eating breakfast is an important part of a healthy weight management plan.  Research has suggested that eating a healthy breakfast reduces the risk for obesity, reduces overall daily calorie intake, and prevents overeating later in the day.  Despite the importance of a good breakfast, many of us choose to either eat a small, quick breakfast on the way out the door each morning or to skip breakfast entirely.

New research out of Australia, continues to show the benefit of eating a good breakfast on body weight and obesity risk.  For this research, the study investigators examined data from nearly 900 men and over 600 women that took part in three independent diet/nutrition surveys.  Analysis of the survey data showed that:

• Coffee consumption was associated with smaller breakfasts or skipping breakfast entirely.
• Consumption of breakfast was associated with eating cereals, bread, and fruit among other items.
• Breakfast size was inversely related to body mass index such that a larger breakfast predicted a lower body mass index.
• The impact of breakfast size on body mass index was only seen in men, not women.

This new research continues to show the importance of eating an adequate and healthy breakfast.   It is unclear why the benefit of breakfast size on body mass index was only seen in men and not women.  Nonetheless, previous research has shown that a healthy breakfast is important for everyone.

Aiming for nutrient-rich foods is the best approach to take when designing a healthy start to your day.  Nutrient-rich foods provide high levels of nutrients needed for overall health while keeping calorie levels lower.  Therefore, you can eat more at a lower calorie cost.  In contrast, energy-dense foods often provide little nutritional value, come with high calorie levels, and often don't keep your hunger at bay.  So choose nutrient-rich options like whole grain foods, fruits, and protein.  Even if you are in a hurry to get out the door, a breakfast smoothie rich in protein and fruit takes only a few minutes to blend and pour into a travel mug.  So make sure to take the time to whip together a healthy and nutritious breakfast and get your day off to a good start.

My protein shakes and bars make a great breakfast choice, whether you are looking to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy body weight.  They are high in protein (milk or soy), come in a variety of delicious flavors, and make great smoothies.  Choose your own recipe or try one of my favorites!

Fiber Is Lacking In American Diets

Fiber is an important part of our daily diet.  The Institute of Medicine recommends that women consume between 21-26 grams and that men consume between 30-38 grams of fiber daily.  Despite these recommendations, new marketing research from Mintel, a leading market research company, suggests that Americans are not consuming enough fiber in their diets.  According to a press release, this market analysis of dietary fiber intake revealed:

• Only 20% of consumers look for and purchase products with added health claims, suggesting that only a small number of consumers are looking for fiber-enriched products.
• 25% of survey respondents think fiber is only needed for individuals with digestive difficulties.
• 22% of consumers are unaware of the health benefits of dietary fiber intake.
• The market research suggests that the prevalence of inadequate fiber intake might be due to the number of people (27%) who are under the impression that fiber-rich foods taste poorly.

Considering the importance of dietary fiber for human health and well-being, the results of this survey are unsettling.  While no final numbers were provided in the press release, this survey suggests that a pretty large percentage of the American population are not getting enough fiber in their diet.  Research suggests that getting enough fiber in the diet appears to reduce the risk of developing various health conditions including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, constipation, and diverticulitis.  In fact, the U.S. FDA has issued a health claim for dietary fiber and heart disease that states "diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain some types of dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, might reduce the risk of heart disease, a disease associated with many factors".

Based on the importance of dietary fiber, it is imperative that we all make sure to consume enough each day.  Small changes in dietary habits can make a big difference in regards to dietary fiber consumption.  Simple ways to increase our dietary fiber intake include:

• Snacking on raw vegetables instead of less healthy options
• Getting our fruit serving each day through whole fruits instead fruit juices.
• Replacing refined grains (white bread, white rice, etc) with whole grain products (whole wheat bread, brown rice, etc.)
• Looking for fiber-enriched products when grocery shopping

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Are You Getting Enough Fruits & Vegetables?

Numerous studies have reported that consuming adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables helps to lower the risk for chronic health conditions and can be an important aspect of weight management.

Fruits and vegetables are nutrient-dense foods, which means that they contain a high level of various nutrients (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc) while being low in calories.  In contrast, energy-dense foods are high in calories and low in nutrients.  Because of this, following a diet rich in energy-dense foods often leads to either consuming too many calories, consuming inadequate levels of needed nutrients, or both.  Therefore, it is important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables in order to get all the nutrients we need without consuming too many calories.

But how much do we need?  According to Fruits & Veggies Matter, a website from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the amount of fruits and vegetables that we each need depends on our age, sex, and level of physical activity. Adult women over 19 years of age that are moderately active (30 – 60 minutes of physical activity per day beyond everyday life activities) should include 1.5 – 2 cups of fruits and 2.5 cups of vegetables.  In contrast, moderately active adult men need to consume slightly more, 2 cups of fruits and 3 – 3.5 cups of vegetables.  The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating more vegetables than fruits as part of a healthy eating plan, partly because vegetables typically contain fewer calories than fruits.

While this might seem like a lot of fruits and vegetables, there are plenty of ways to get in your daily requirements.

• Redesign your plate… instead of focusing on meat and pasta; make half your plate a combination of fruits and vegetables.
• Make fruits and vegetables that require little to no preparation your main snacking option.  Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, and baby carrots make delicious and nutritious mid-morning, mid-afternoon, or evening snacks.
• If you are having yogurt for breakfast, add sliced fruit or berries to make a refreshing way to start your day.
• Add fresh or frozen vegetables to any casserole or pasta dish.  Not only does this help you reach your daily requirement for fruits and vegetables, but it also reduces the calorie-content of the meal on a cup-for-cup basis.

While it can be easy to get enough fruits and vegetables in our daily diet, it probably will not happen without a conscious effort.  So the next time you go shopping for food, make a point of adding a variety of fruits and vegetables to your grocery list in place of less healthy, energy-dense options.

Eating enough fruits and vegetables is an important part of my easy diet plan.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more. 

Weight Loss Tip: Don't Serve Food From The Table

There are lots of weight loss tips floating around and many of them work if we actually follow them on a regular basis.  A new research study examined the effectiveness of one weight loss tip on caloric intake.

In this new healthy eating research study, researchers investigated whether the place from which food was served had an impact on how much food was consumed.  For the study, food was served to 78 study volunteers either (1) from the kitchen counter/stove or (2) from serving dishes placed on the dinner table.  The number of calories consumed under each serving condition was measured.  The results showed that:

• Serving food from the kitchen instead of the dinner table resulted in a 23-35% decrease in food consumption.
• The decrease in food consumption that resulted from keeping the serving dishes of the dinner table was greater in men than women.

This is a great example of Mindless Eating®.  If the food is placed on the table in a serving dish and we are allowed to eat what we want, we typically eat more than we realize.  This is because it is much easier to take a second or even third helping if the food remains on the table in front of us.  If we have to leave the table to get an additional helping of food from the kitchen, we are less apt to have a second helping.  The study researchers suggest that this same strategy can be used for foods of all types... simply keep healthy foods, fruits and vegetables in particular, in plain sight and easy reach and hide unhealthy foods from site.

Keep simple ideas like this in mind when trying to develop healthy eating habits.  Following a good diet plan is another way to start developing good eating habits.  My diet plan is an easy and delicious way to help with your weight management goals.

Protecting Muscles By Eating Blueberries

Any good weight loss program includes an exercise component because successful weight loss still revolves around 'calories in' vs. 'calories out'.  While reducing calorie intake is important, it is just as important that we include enough physical activity to burn more calories than we consume. For many of us starting an exercise program comes with the risk of muscle soreness or other forms of muscle damage.  Damage to muscle cells can be the result of oxidative stress, so reducing this oxidative stress has the potential to protect muscle cells.

A new study examined the ability of dietary antioxidants to reduce muscle cell damage in a cell culture system.  For this study, the investigators cultured muscle cells and treated them with chemicals like hydrogen peroxide to induce oxidative stress.  The investigators then added a variety of fruit extracts into the culture system to see if any of them could block the damaging effects of the oxidative stress.  Of the fruit extracts, the blueberry extract showed a dose-dependent benefit such that higher amounts of the blueberry extract had higher protective benefits.  Analysis of the blueberry extract suggested that the active components were malvidin glycosides (malvidin galactoside and/or malvidin glucoside).

This is interesting new research on the potential health benefits of blueberries.  However, it is important to remember that this study was done in a cell culture system and a lot more research will be needed before we will know if the same benefits can be achieved in people eating blueberries, blueberry extracts, or foods containing the malvidin glycosides.  Nonetheless, the blueberry is a delicious tasting, nutrient-dense food that has been reported to have a variety of benefits due to their antioxidant properties.  In addition to their natural antioxidants, blueberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese, and dietary fiber and a good source of vitamin E.  Blueberries are a healthy snack option that don't add a lot of calories (~81 calories/cup).

My Slim and Beautiful Diet plan recommends at least 30 - 45 minutes of exercise per day for 6 days a week.  Walking is one of the easiest and safest forms of exercise and is a great place to start if just starting an exercise program.  Of course, choosing a form of physical activity that you enjoy is a priority because it will help you stick to your program more closely.

Citrus Fruits Might Help Fight Against Insulin Resistance

Eating enough fruits and vegetables (at LEAST 5 servings per day) is an important part of a well-balanced, healthy diet.  Fruits and vegetables are good dietary sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals.  Additionally, many of the other phytochemicals (chemicals naturally found in plants) present in fruits and vegetables have been shown to have anti-oxidant activity and reported to help support overall good health.

A new research study examined the effect of two citrus fruit phytochemicals (the bioflavonoids hesperetin and naringenin) on the action of fat cells, which are known to produce inflammation-causing chemicals associated with some chronic health conditions.  The results of their study showed that both hesperetin and naringenin blocked the production of free fatty acids from mouse fat cells treated with the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), a cellular chemical that induces inflammation and fat breakdown.

This is interesting research because of the role of free fatty acids in the possible development of diabetes.  Fat tissue is known to produce excessive amounts of inflammation-causing chemicals like TNFalpha, which convert the stored fat in fat cells into free fatty acids.  Elevated blood levels of free fatty acids have been shown to promote insulin resistance (a state where insulin is produced but not used properly), one of the first steps on the path to diabetes.  Therefore, this study suggests that these two citrus bioflavonoids might help fight against the development of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Inclusion of citrus fruits in our diet is a good way to get these phytochemicals.  Fruits like lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruits are good citrus fruit choices to include in your diet if you are looking to increase your consumption of citrus bioflavonoids like hesperetin and naringenin.  You can read more about citrus bioflavonoids at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Making fruits and vegetables part of your daily eating habits is simple with my easy diet plan.  To learn more visit me at Dr. Tabor's Slim & Beautiful Diet.