Kids� Lunches, What to Pack

School is starting soon and has started in some cities.  What should you pack for your kids� lunch?  What are some of the more healthier options?  In Japan, they have these cool lunch packaging containers with compartments for essentially each food group.  When packing a kids� lunch keep MyPlate in mind.   

• 2 fruits/veggies � yes, 2 servings � one of each is good or 2 fruits, 2 veggies � carrot and celery sticks, a juice box and an apple 
•  Grains � whole grains are best but it is often not easy to get a child to like whole grains.  They do have whole grain white bread or whole grain crackers.  They even have whole grain Goldfish.
•  Dairy � if it can be kept cold, yogurt is a great option as long as it is not the child�s versions loaded with added sugar and artificial flavorings.  Or have your child buy milk at school.
• Protein � lean meats, peanut butter, 2% cheeses.

MSN, Healthy Foods That are Perfect for School Lunch, had some great suggestions for healthier kid lunch options.  They noted too many kids are filling up on �empty� calories rather than calories packed with nutrients.  Here are some of their suggestions:

1. Happy Squeeze Apple, Kale, and Mango � so many parents stuff some applesauce in a child�s lunch.  While applesauce can be healthy, too many options are loaded with sugar.  These squeeze packs are 100% whole fruit and some kale.  Kids get fruit and a vegetable in one pouch. 
2. Organic Beef Hot Dog � hot dogs have a bad wrap because of the nitrates and nitrates they often contain.  These hot dogs have no antibiotics, no fillers,  and are not high in sodium. 
3. Peanut Butter is a healthy choice and for kids without a peanut allergy a good choice.  MSN recommends SunButter Organic Sunflower Spread.  This spread is made with sunflower seeds and isn�t loaded with sugar.  It is also allergy-friendly as it doesn�t contain nuts.
4. Water � some parents think water is the healthiest choice for a beverage.  But a child needs dairy.  If yogurt is packed in a lunch, then the beverage can be a juice box or water.  Hint Pineapple Water is a fun choice to pack, a hint of flavor without the added sugar and artificial flavors. 
5.  Nature�s Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread � getting a child to eat any food that is whole grain is a challenge.   This is one bread they may be willing to try.  It is also a healthier choice in that it is free of high fructose corn syrup, has no artificial colors or flavors and no artificial preservatives.
6. Cheese sticks � a fun way to get in some dairy and a good source of protein.  Reduced fat Sargento cheese sticks are a great choice.  Each cheese stick offers calcium and protein.  The Sargento Cheese Stick brand has no additives. 

So when packing your child�s lunch this school year, include some healthier options.

 

Sources:  Healthy Foods That are Perfect for School Lunch, MyPlate,  Image source:  Cheese

Can diet help you live longer?

How would you like to have dinner with a longevity expert?  What questions would you ask about how to live a longer life?   Well, a New York Times reporter did have dinner with the longevity expert, Dan Buettner.  So what advice does a longevity expert offer?   

      1.  Coffee � according to Buettner, coffee is �one of the biggest sources of antioxidants in the American diet�,  He notes Greeks living on the Greek island, Icaria, drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day.  These are people who often live to 100.    

      2.  Focus on veggies and herbs � to prepare an evening meal, Buettner purchase fennel, broccoli, celery, carrots, chickpeas   

      3.  Add Honey � local honey, and Tofu, coconut milk, frozen berries 

      4.  Walk � exercise is important to a long life and walking is one of Buettner�s approved ways to exercise as those living in the �Blue Zones� walk a lot.  

       5.  Is butter back?  Although some are saying butter is fine, Buettner notes a dollop or two a week may be fine but he is not yet on the butter is good for you bandwagon.   

       6.  Meat and fish � not a true vegetarian but those in the Blue Zones eat meat and fish sparingly.  This would be hard for me as I love cheese and like most Americans, I enjoy some meat in my diet.  

      7.�Icarian stew� made by Buettner consisted of black-eyed peas, fennel, onions, garlic, carrots, canned tomatoes, other veggies and some olive oil.  Sounds healthy but I would need to add some ham or other meat for a real stew.   

      8.  Bread � he doesn�t shun carbs, gluten or bread.  Good news for me as I love bread and it isn�t a meal if it doesn�t have bread. 

So how does Buettnner fair health wise?  To get an accurate assessment he went to the renowned Mayo Clinic to get an executive physical.  His arteries were clear.  What does Buettner have to say about the popular Paleo Diet?  �He joked the paleo diet is fine if all you want is the life expectancy of a cave man.�  And cave men didn�t lead long lives.  

Buettner authored a book about longevity, The Blue Zones.  It focuses on 5 communities with lessons from those who have lived the longest.  You can go to his website, https://www.bluezones.com/live-longer/and take your Vitality Compass, to calculate how long you might live and also get information from the Vitality Coach.  

Sources:  My Dinner With Longevity Expert Dan Buettner, Live Longer,  Image source:  coffee

Anti-Inflammatory foods

Are there foods that can help control inflammation?  In our bodies we can have low-grade inflammation that can simmer along for years before raising its ugly head as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or even heart disease.  There are foods that can help fight this low grade inflammation as described in Tame the Flame of Inflammation.   

      1. Broccoli � not just broccoli but other vegetables in the cruciferous family � kale, Brussel sprouts, help lower inflammation.  The antioxidants in these foods seem to provide the benefits.  If you don�t like broccoli plain, add a cheese sauce, or put some in soups, on salads, in stir-fry dishes.  

      2.  Wheat berries and whole wheat � many people are shunning wheat and thus the benefits whole wheat can provide.  Wheat berries and whole wheat provide a polyphenol antioxidant that can lower inflammation.  Add some wheat berries to your cereal or salad.   

      3.  EVVO � not sure what EVVO is?  Extra Virgin Olive Oil which contains oleocanthal which has similar anti- inflammatory properties to ibuprofen but a much more natural way to get the anti-inflammatory benefit.  And add olives to your diet.     

      4.  Salmon� already known as a heart-healthy food and a brain food, salmon also offers eicosapentaenoic acid, which is an omega-3 fat with healthy benefits one being it is anti-inflammatory.   

      5.  Nuts � a handful of nuts a day is a healthy habit.  Brazil nuts provide offer a heart healthy fat, a good source of many vitamins and minerals and lowers inflammation.  Walnuts and flaxseed provide omega-3 fats which are also anti-inflammatory.   

      6. Yogurt � provides calcium, vitamin D and probiotics � all good for your health.  The bacteria in yogurt seems to help inhibit inflammation.  

      7.  Grapefruit � not the grapefruit diet but having some grapefruit in your diet offers flavonoid antioxidants which are anti-inflammatory.   

      8.  Spices: Turmeric, paprika� herbs and spices contribute essentially no calories but offer numerous health benefits.  It is the curcumin in turmeric, that offers anti-inflammatory benefits.  Paprika has capsaicin, a natural anti-inflammatory.  You can also get capsaicin from red peppers, cayenne pepper, garlic and ginger.    

      9.  Lentils � green black or brown lentils.  Or add peas and beans to your diet.  Try adding four servings a week to your diet to lower inflammation.   

     10. Mushrooms � add to salads, pizza. White button mushrooms, especially eaten raw, helped lower inflammation.

One may not be able to add all these foods to their diet, but try to add some each week.  
 

Sources:  Tame the Flame of Inflammation, 11 Food Dos and Don'ts to Tame Inflammation   Image source:  yogurt

Foods for a longer, healthier life?

Are there foods that will lead to a healthier, longer life?   Students in my classes love to ask questions and one student noted:  �I want to live a long time.  What foods do I need to eat?�   Great question and there are foods that will decrease your risk of disease and increase your changes of living longer.  Actually, there are two food groups that will lead to a longer life: fruits and vegetables.  So boring yet so important to our health. 

• What is the minimum servings of fruits and veggies we need?  5 A Day, a minimum of 5 A Day.
• Who is lacking in fruits and veggies?  Most of us are. 

                87% of Americans are not eating enough fruit (at least a 1.5 to 2 cups a day)

                75% of Americans are not eating their veggies (2-3 cups a day)

CNBC quotes Marion Nestle, a professor nutrition at New York University as saying, �Everyone would be healthier eating more vegetables.�   (You're Still Not Eating Enough Vegetables)

CDC and the National Cancer Institute found that less than 18% of adults in every state consumed the recommended amount of fruit each day and less than 14% consumer the recommended amount of vegetables.  (And if you are counting French Fries � no go.  Too high in fat and calories.)

Goal � eat 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day to lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many other health conditions. 

Even better, eat 7 or more servings a day and  lower your risk of dying from any cause over they next 8 years by 42% compared to your fellow Americans who eat only 1 serving of fruit or veggies a day. 

You can help not only yourself by eating more fruits and veggies but others.  Yesterday, my daughter was sponsoring a pizza party for youth volunteers.  She added fresh strawberries, a veggie plate to round out the lunch. The youth ate the veggie plate and devoured every strawberry.  Having a luncheon at work?  Make sure fruit and veggies are offered.  

Make your day 5 A DAY, every day.

Sources:  You're Still Not Eating Enough Vegetables,  Image Source: Fruits and Vegetables

General Mills taking out artificial colors and flavors

One more manufacturer is getting on the bandwagon of taking out artificial flavors and colors from its products.  General Mills has announced it will be removing artificial colors and flavors from its cereals.  General Mills is already way ahead of its competitors when it comes to nutrition.  General Mills has taken out all high fructose corn syrup.  All General Mills cereals are whole grain.  In contrast, the first ingredient in Froot Loops made by Kellogg�s is sugar.  This means Froot Loops are mostly sugar. 

Trix � a popular cereal among kids and even adults.  Trix will still have those vibrant colors but not from artificial ingredients.  General Mills will be using fruits and vegetable juice and spices to provide the colors so many kids like.  But probably good bye to blue and green as they haven�t yet figured out how to make those colors with natural ingredients.

Reese�s Puffswill also be undergoing a color changes. 

Lucky Charms is on the list for reformulation but it will take longer to figure out how to color the marshmallows. 

General Mills goal is to have all artificial colors and flavors removed by the end of 2016. 

Don�t want to wait until 2016?

General Mills already makes many cereals without artificial colors and flavors:

• Cheerios � no artificial colors and flavors, just a very nutritious, whole grain cereal.  Choose Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch, Multi-Grain Cheerios, Cheerios + Ancient Grains, Cheerios Protein Cinnamon Almond, Cheerios Protein Oats and Honey, Banana Nut Cheerios.
• Total � Total Whole Grain, Total Raisin Bran
• All Chex Cereals
• All Kix Cereals
• Wheaties

General Mills has made other healthier changes in their cereals.  (See General Mills cereals)

1997 Heart Healthy	2005 Whole Grain	2011 Sugar Reduction	2015-2016 Removing artificial colors and flavors
Soluble fiber such as that in Cheerios, helps reduce risk of heart disease.	All General Mills cereals became Whole Grain cereals.  Whole grain is the first ingredient in all General Mills cereals.	All cereals have 10 grams or less per serving.	General Mills removing artificial colors and flavors from cereals over the next 2-3 years.

General Mills is already a leader in making cereals healthier.  Good for General Mills to take the lead in removing artificial ingredients from its cereals.  Let�s see if Kellogg�s, Post, and other cereal manufacturers follow General Mills lead.   

Sources:  General Mills to remove articial flavors and colors, General Mills to drop artificial ingredients, Image source: General Mills

Diet Mistakes You Might be Making

We all know people who are on a diet.  Usually some fad diet that they can�t stay on for a life time.  How often do we hear, �I am off my diet.�   �I am back on my diet.�   What are some diet mistakes that can sabotage your weight loss goals?  WebMD has a great article, 10 Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.

1. Crash diets � Many of us want to lose weight but not slow and steady, we want to lose it now.  So crash diets sound appealing.  When you lose weight that fast you not only lose water and fat but also muscle tissue.   Eating under 1200 calories a day can slow your metabolism and slow your chances of losing weight.  Go off this crash diet and the weight comes back as you haven�t changed your lifestyle and eating habits. 
2.  Skipping Breakfast � seems like an easy way to cut back on calories.  I was doing a diet recall on a friend who said they never ate breakfast.  Yet, when they got to work they went to the snack machine and got a donut, a candy bar or other high calorie �snack�.  Skipping the most important meal of the day lead to hunger mid-morning and snacking on unhealthy, high calorie foods.  Or, the person overeats at lunch because they are starving and then they pack even more calories.  Choose a breakfast high in protein and high in fiber to fill you up and stave off the hunger pains.
3. Snacks � who doesn�t love snacks?  Many people eat normally at meals but then nibble all day on snacks.  If you are counting calories, the snacks count too.  Use Apps on your Smartphone like LoseIt! to track your meals and snacks.  Or choose healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables.   Or, find those 100 calorie snack packs.
4. Avoiding snacks � snacking can be a good thing as those who eat 3 smaller meals a day plus snacks have a better chance of controlling their hunger.  Focusing on protein-rich snacks can rev up your metabolism.  A handful of nuts are a good protein snack.
5. Low fat � cutting back on high fat foods is a good choice.  Limiting fried foods like cutting back on French fries, fried chips, fried chicken will cut back on calories.  But carefully choose low fat products as many are loaded with sugar.  I tried a low fat mayonnaise in and egg salad only to have the egg salad taste sweet like I had added sugar.  Looking at the label, they had taken out fat but added sugar and added calories.  Better to have a smaller portion of a regular fat food than all that added sugar.
6. Calories in your Beverages � cutting back on beverages high in added sugar is always a good idea.  In the South sugared iced tea is popular but loaded with calories.  Most restaurants offer unsweetened tea.  If you are trying to cut back, fill up the glass with mostly unsweetened and top off with some sweetened or just add one pack of sugar to your unsweetened tea.  Sugared soft drinks, many sports drinks are loaded with sugar and a good way to cut some calories.  Drink water instead.
7. Water � fill up on water.  Drink some water when you get up, before meals, any time you feel thirsty.  Dehydration slows you metabolism so keep hydrated.
8. Avoiding Dairy is Not a Good Idea � many fad diets cut back on dairy and thus cut back on the important nutrients dairy provides like calcium and vitamin D.  Not to mention the protein in dairy is a very high quality protein.  WebMD notes:  Some research suggests the body burns more fat when it gets enough calcium and produces more fat when it�s calcium-deprived.  So choose low-fat dairy, low fat yogurt, 1% or fat free milk, low fat cheeses.
9. Avoid the Drive-Through � Fast foods are loaded with calories.  Sure you could order the salad or other healthier choices but going to a fast food place just offers a lot of temptation for the milk shake, fries or other unhealthy options.  WebMD notes:  People who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds than those who had it less than once a week.    
10. Unrealistic Goals � Many people want to lose a lot of weight and lose it fast.  But the most successful are those who chose realistic goals like 1-2 pounds a week, focus on an eating pattern they can maintain for life and adding in exercise so they don�t have to cut back on food so much. 

Sources:  10 Diet Mistakes and How to Avoid Them,  Image Source: Stop Dieting

Metabolic Effects of a Traditional Asian High-carbohydrate Diet

A recent study supports the notion that an 'ancestral diet' focused around high-starch agricultural foods can cultivate leanness and metabolic health.

John McDougall gave Christopher Gardner a hard time at the McDougall Advanced Study Weekend. Dr. Gardner conducts high-profile randomized controlled trials (RCTs) at Stanford to compare the effectiveness of a variety of diets for weight loss, cardiovascular and metabolic health. The "A to Z Study", in which Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN diets were pitted against one another for one year, is one of his best-known trials (1).

Dr. McDougall asked a simple question: why haven't these trials evaluated the diet that has sustained the large majority of the world's population for the last several thousand years? This is an agriculturalist or horticulturalist diet based around starchy foods such as grains, tubers, legumes, and plantains, and containing little fat or animal foods. Researchers have studied a number of cultures eating this way, and have usually found them to be lean, with good cardiovascular and metabolic health. Why not devote resources to studying this time-tested ancestral diet? I think it's a fair question.

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Thoughts on the McDougall Advanced Study Weekend

For those of you who aren't familiar with him, Dr. John McDougall is a doctor and diet/health advocate who recommends a very low fat, high starch, whole food vegan diet to control weight and avoid chronic disease. He's been at it for a long time, and he's a major figure in the "plant-based diet" community (i.e., a diet including little or no animal foods).

Dr. McDougall invited me to participate in his 3-day Advanced Study Weekend retreat in Santa Rosa, CA. My job was to give my talk on insulin and obesity, and participate in a panel discussion/debate with Dr. McDougall in which we sorted through issues related to low-carb, Paleo, and the health implications of eating animal foods. I was glad to receive the invitation, because I don't see myself as a diet partisan, and I believe that my evidence-based information is applicable to a variety of diet styles. I saw the Weekend as an opportunity to extend my thoughts to a new community, challenge myself, and maybe even learn a thing or two. It was particularly interesting to compare and contrast the Advanced Study Weekend with the Ancestral Health Symposium, which is more Paleo- and low-carb-friendly.

General Observations

The attendees were a lot older than AHS attendees. I estimate that most of them were in their 60s, although there were some young people in attendance.

I don't place too much emphasis on peoples' personal appearance at conferences like this. You don't know what a person's background, genetics, or personal struggles may be, you don't know how closely they adhere to the program, and you don't know to what degree a group of people might be self-selected for particular traits*. But I will note that Dr. McDougall, his family, and many of the other starch-based/plant-based diet advocates tended to be extremely lean with low fat and muscle mass. They also tended to have a healthy and energetic appearance and demeanor. As I would expect, decades of exceptionally high starch intake hasn't made them obese or obviously ill.

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Book Review: Your Personal Paleo Code

Chris Kresser has been a major figure in the ancestral health community for some time now. It's funny to recall that I was actually one of his first readers, back in the early days of his blog when it was called The Healthy Skeptic and the audience was small. Chris's readership rapidly eclipsed mine, and now he's in high demand for his ability to convey ideas clearly and offer practical solutions to important health concerns.

He recently published a book titled Your Personal Paleo Code, which also happens to be a New York Times bestseller. The primary goal of the book is to help you develop a diet and lifestyle that support health and well-being by starting from a generally healthy template and personalizing it to your needs. Let's have a look.

Introduction

Kresser opens with the poignant story of his own health problems, which began with an infectious illness in Indonesia and several courses of antibiotic therapy. After years of struggling with the resulting symptoms, trying a variety of diets, and finally accepting his condition, he was unexpectedly able to recover his health by adopting a personalized Paleo-like diet that included bone broth and fermented foods.

Why Paleo?

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New Review Paper on Dietary Fat and Heart Disease Risk

A new review paper on dietary fatty acids and heart disease risk was just published by Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury and colleagues in the Annals of Internal Medicine-- one of the top medical journals (1). The goal of the paper is to comprehensively review the studies evaluating the effect of dietary fatty acids on heart (coronary) disease. The review covers observational and intervention studies pertaining to saturated, monounsaturated, trans, omega-6 polyunsaturated, and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats. The paper is notable for its comprehensiveness (inclusion criteria were very lax).

Here is a summary of the results:

• In observational studies that measured diet, only trans fat was related to cardiovascular risk. Saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats were unrelated to risk.
• In observational studies that measured circulating concentrations of fatty acids, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (DHA, DPA, EPA, AA) were associated with lower risk. The dairy-fat-derived margaric acid (17:0) was also associated with lower risk. No other fatty acids were related to risk, including trans fatty acids.
• In controlled trials, supplementation with omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids did not alter risk.

The authors conclude:

In conclusion, the pattern of findings from this analysis did not yield clearly supportive evidence for current cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of saturated fats. Nutritional guidelines on fatty acids and cardiovascular guidelines may require reappraisal to reflect the current evidence.

My view

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Free e-Book and Ideal Weight Program 2.0 Announcement

I'm happy to announce that we're releasing a free e-book titled Why do We Gain Fat, and How do We Lose it? An Introduction to the Science of Body Fat, by Dan Pardi and myself. This is a slimmed-down version of the longer, fully referenced e-book we offer as part of the Ideal Weight Program. In it, we provide a succinct overview of the science of body fat gain and loss, and the evidence base for our program.  It also contains a schematic that ties together the various concepts in visual form. You can download it from the Dan�s Plan site by following this link to our program overview page.

Ideal Weight Program 2.0 Upgrades

Over the last year, Dan and I have been working hard to improve the Ideal Weight Program, both in response to user feedback and our own ideas for development.  Here are some of the new features we offer in 2014:

1. Four-week meal plans and shopping lists for the FLASH diet and the Simple Food Diet, as requested by Ideal Weight Program users.  This is in addition to the recipes and cooking guides we already provide.  
2. The Protein Unit system.  Research suggests there's an optimal amount of protein for appetite control and fat loss, depending on your height, weight, gender, and physical activity level.  Our fat loss diets are high in protein, but how do you know you're getting the right amount?  We've created a calculator that does it for you automatically, and explains how to apply your personalized Protein Unit value easily and intuitively using real food. 
3. Diet plates.  These are visual guides to following our diets, based loosely on the intuitive USDA MyPlate design.  
4. Cheat sheets.  Put these on your fridge to remind yourself of your diet and lifestyle guidelines, and daily protein unit goal.
5. Updated guidance.  We've refined a few things in the diet guidance documents. 

At a time of year when many people want to shed excess holiday pounds and start down a leaner, healthier path, we offer the Ideal Weight Program 2.0.  The program comes with a 30-day no-questions-asked refund policy so you can try it without risk.  We think you'll love this program, but if it doesn't work for you, we're happy to refund your purchase price. 

Financial disclosure: I receive a portion of the revenue from the sale of the Ideal Weight Program.  I do not receive revenue from the sale of other products associated with Dan's Plan or the Ideal Weight Program (such as the Fitbit, cooking tools, and other programs).

Does the Vitamin and Mineral Content of Food Influence Our Food Intake and Body Fatness?

The Claim: We Overeat Because Our Diet is Low in Vitamins and Minerals

We know that animals, including humans, seek certain properties of food. Humans are naturally attracted to food that's high in fat, sugar, starch, and protein, and tend to be less enthusiastic about low-calorie foods that don't have these properties, like vegetables (1). Think cookies vs. plain carrots.

In certain cases, the human body is able to detect a nutritional need and take steps to correct it. For example, people who are placed on a calorie-restricted diet become hungry and are motivated to make up for the calorie shortfall (2, 3). People who are placed on a low-protein diet crave protein and eat more of it after the restriction is lifted (4). Humans and many other animals also crave and seek salt, which supplies the essential minerals sodium and chlorine, although today most of us eat much more of it than we need to. At certain times, we may crave something sweet or acidic, and pregnant women are well known to have specific food cravings and aversions, although explanations for this remain speculative. Research suggests that certain animals have the ability to correct mineral deficiencies by selecting foods rich in the missing mineral (5).

These observations have led to a long-standing idea that the human body is able to detect vitamin and mineral (micronutrient) status and take steps to correct a deficit. This has led to the secondary idea that nutrient-poor food leads to overeating, as the body attempts to make up for low nutrient density by eating more food. In other words, we overeat because our food doesn't supply the micronutrients our bodies need, and eating a micronutrient-rich diet corrects this and allows us to eat less and lose body fat. These ideas are very intuitive, but intuition doesn't always get you very far in biology. Let's see how they hold up to scrutiny.

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