Blog | Optimal Nutrition For Life

Bake – An Alternative to Fried Food

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Fried food is a major cause of cancer. The reason being that frying in any manner, no matter what oil you use, spoils the nutrients in the food, because very high temperatures have to be reached.

Very hot temperatures destroy certain vitamins and may alter the major proteins. Most fried foods can be baked just as easily as fried.

Most people agree that the addition of fat improves the flavor of food. Usually though, a small fraction of the fat that you normally use would be quite adequate. Adding more fat than you need only leaves the food greasy and adds more calories. It also makes it harder for the body to handle your food.

Some tips: Try spraying the pans you fry or bake in. Saute your onions, etc. in a combination of 1/2 oil and 1/2 water, (2 T. each or less). Try cooking hash browns in the waffle iron, or in a sprayed Teflon pan with onions and seasonings.

If it is good enough for the Atlanta Falcons….

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In the August 3rd, 2009 edition of the Atlanta Journal, there is an article about feeding the Atlanta Falcons. Pre-season workouts have started (two a days!) and these guys are hungry.

A quote from the article:

In the new-thinking NFL and with the new Falcons staff, there is a measured approach to food. Gone are the belly-busting days when Haynes was expected to provide tons of comfort food such as fried chicken and barbecued ribs.

“It’s not like it was 10 years ago,” Haynes said. “The NFL has taken on a different focus as far as nutrition equals strength and conditioning equals players not being injured as much. I’m on my third strength and conditioning staff in this transition and they really are amazing. … We want the players to be at their peak performance. That’s their goal. That’s my goal.”

While you might not be a professional football player, you need optimal nutrition to be at your peak performance as well.

Drive-Thru Nutrition

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Food That’s Fast and Healthy

Having spent a week on a road trip, I learned one thing along the way: Fast food is unavoidable, given time and budget constraints. You can’t beat a drive-thru for convenience and speed of service, although a bellyache later can quickly remind you of the excess calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium you just put into your body.

While a super-sized value meal can give you a day’s worth of calories in one meal, you can exit the drive-thru with a healthier meal. Because sometimes there is nothing better than a hot French fries or a juicy burger, it’s important to learn how to make good choices.

Drinks

It might cost a few dimes more to guzzle down a large soda instead of a small one, but your waistline will be paying the real price. Soda, diet or regular, isn’t a healthy choice since it provides no nutrition at all. Soda is often filled with calories, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that fill you up without giving your body any benefits. One way to make a fast food meal healthier is to opt for a drink other than soda. Of course water is a great choice, hydrating your body and aiding in digestion. Unsweetened tea is virtually calorie-free if you want something other than water. Juice (100% fruit juice, not “fruit drinks”) and low-fat milk are two alternatives that cut add nutrition to the calories you drink, making them healthier choices than soda and other sweet beverages.

Fruits and Vegetables

Like you would at any other meal, try to include at least one serving of fruits or vegetables with your order. And no, French fries do NOT count as a healthy vegetable! Load your burger with extra tomatoes, or enjoy a side of fresh fruit instead of fries or chips. If you are having a sandwich, load up on lettuce, peppers, even cucumbers. If they offer it, opt for a baked potato (nix the high-calorie fixin’s like cheese and sour cream) instead of fries. Most fast food chains now offer delicious side and entrée salads. Including these with your meal is a great way to add lots of vitamins for few calories. Just make sure not to smother your greens with cheese, eggs, bacon, fat-filled dressing, or fried toppings, such as chicken and croutons.

Portion Control

One of the biggest problems people face when eating fast food is out-of-control portions. You don’t have to get the value meal with the big burger, bigger fries and even bigger drink. Instead, try a child-sized meal. You still get the burger, fries, and drink, but consume about half of the fat of the full-sized version. Ordering small is automatic portion control—you won’t be tempted to overeat. If a kiddie-sized meal with a toy on the side isn’t for you, split an order of fries with a friend. You’ll still enjoy that salty crunch without consuming all of the calories of a full order.

Extras

The “extras” can add on the calories and fat. A tablespoon of mayo will add on an extra 57 calories. Make that another 106 calories for a single slice of cheese! Instead of smothering your burger with sauces, opt for mustard (about 10 calories). Forgo the sour cream and three kinds of cheese on your taco, and add flavor with low-calorie salsa. Go easy on the ranch dressing and salt shaker. These little substitutions can really add up! Your taste buds will be happy (and so will your waistline). Don’t be fooled by healthier sounding meats, either. While breaded chicken or fish may seem healthier than a beefy burger, these sandwiches often have just as many, if not more, calories than your average burger since they’re fried. Try grilled versions of your favorite sandwiches instead, or opt for the low-cal veggie burger, which is becoming more widely available these days.

Fast Food Breakfast

A healthy breakfast is the best way to start your day. But while hitting the drive-thru on the way to work may be convenient, it might put you at a calorie overload early in the day. Making healthy, nutritional choices comes into play again. Instead of a breakfast sandwich (English muffin with eggs, bacon, and cheese), order a bowl of fresh fruit, a fruit and yogurt parfait, oatmeal, or plain eggs. That way, you’ll be starting off the day with energy—not too many calories.

Comparisons of Fast Food

See how many calories and fat grams you can save just by trying different menu options at some of your favorite fast food restaurants. (All nutritional information was found on each restaurant’s website.)

Restaurant	Think Again	Better Choice	You Save
Arby’s	Beef ‘n Cheddar 440 calories 21 grams fat	Junior Roast Beef 270 calories 9 grams fat	170 calories 12 grams fat
Burger King	Original Whopper 700 calories 39 grams fat	Hamburger 310 calories 12 grams fat	390 calories 27 grams fat
Hardee’s	Double Thickburger 1240 calories 90 grams fat	Thickburger 850 calories 57 grams fat	390 calories 33 grams fat
McDonald’s	Big Mac 560 calories 30 grams fat	Hamburger 260 calories 9 grams fat	300 calories 21 grams fat
Sonic	SuperSonic Cheeseburger 839 calories 55 grams fat	Jr. Burger 353 calories 21 grams fat	486 calories 34 grams fat
Wendy’s	Big Bacon Classic 580 calories 29 grams fat	Jr. Hamburger 280 calories 9 grams fat	300 calories 20 grams fat

The Athlete’s Kitchen

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Eating for Endurance: What, When and Why

Some athletes consider food their reward at the end of the day; they save up their appetite for a huge feast at dinnertime. Wiser athletes treat food as fuel; they knowledgeably fuel before, during and after exercise. They get more out of their workouts and prevent needless fatigue. If that is your goal, keep reading!

What to eat before you exercise

Contrary to popular belief, pre-exercise food does NOT simply sit in the stomach and hinder athletic performance. Rather, it enhances stamina and endurance.

The following study confirms this point:

On two occasions, athletes exercised moderately hard until they were exhausted. In one trial, they ate a 400-calorie breakfast three hours before exercising. In the second trial, they simply had a dinner the night before. When they exercised “on empty,” they biked for only 109 minutes, as compared to 136 minutes with the breakfast.

That’s almost half an hour longer! Exercising without fuel left them lagging. (Med Sci Sports Exerc 31(3):464, 1999)

Even if you eat five minutes before exercise, you’ll digest the snack and burn it during exercise, assuming you will be exercising at a pace you can maintain for more than 30 minutes. This means, you can enjoy a granola bar and banana on the way to the gym to fuel your workout. Research suggests this pre-exercise snack can help you perform 10% harder in the last 10 minutes of a one-hour workout. Go for it!

Your goal is to target 0.5 grams carbohydrate per pound of body weight within the hour before you exercise. This means, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should target about 300 calories. This is far more than most athletes consume. Obviously, the amount will depend on your stomach’s tolerance to pre-exercise fuel. If you have a finicky stomach, liquids or semi-solids (Boost, yogurt, applesauce, pudding) might empty from the stomach quicker than oatmeal, bagel, banana, animal crackers or graham crackers.

The trick is to teach your intestinal track to tolerate the pre-exercise food so you can enjoy higher energy but avoid undesired pit stops. Eating During Exercise If you are exercising longer than an hour, plan to consume carbs and fluids during exercise to maintain energy and prevent dehydration, needless fatigue. Depending on your body size, intensity of exercise and intestinal tolerance, you’ll want to target about 100 to 250 calories of carbohydrates per hour after the first hour of a 2 or 3 hour event. If necessary, set your watch to beep every 15 to 20 minutes as a reminder to consume 8 ounces of a sports drink, a Tootsie Roll or part of an energy bar + water.

If you are doing an Ironman or ultra-distance event, you’ll need to consume even more (400 to 500 calories/hour). During a moderate to hard endurance workout, carbohydrates in muscle glycogen and blood glucose supply about half of the energy. As you deplete muscle glycogen, you increasingly rely on glucose (sugar) in your blood for energy. By consuming sports drinks, gels, bananas, hard candies, peppermint patties and other carb-based foods during exercise, you will fuel your muscles, maintain a normal blood sugar and prevent the dreaded bonk. Your brain relies on the glucose in your blood for energy; keeping your brain fed helps you think clearly, concentrate well, remain focused—and perform better. Do NOT “hold off” until after your workout to eat. Rather, fuel during workouts.

For example, cyclists should eat while on the bike. Coaches should give teams a snack break during long (2+ hours) practices. Your body doesn’t care if you ingest solid or liquid carbohydrates––both are equally effective forms of fuel. You just have to learn which sports snacks settle best for your body–-gels, gummy bears, dried figs, sugar wafers, tea with honey, sports drink, defizzed cola? If you get your energy from concentrated calories, as opposed to sports drinks, be sure to drink additional fluids. That is, athletes who eat energy bars (or gels) during exercise can too easily under-hydrate.

Despite popular belief, sugar (as in sports drinks, jelly beans, licorice) can be a positive snack during exercise and is unlikely to cause you to “crash” (experience hypoglycemia). That’s because sugar taken during exercise results in only small increases in both insulin and blood glucose. Yet, if you consume too much sugar (>250 calories/hour), the high dose might slow the rate at which fluids leave your stomach, causing sloshing, discomfort. (If you experience GI distress, slow down and work at an easier pace.)

Post-exercise Food

If you will not be exercising again for a day or two, you need not worry about rapid refueling. But if you workout hard twice a day, you should consume post-exercise carbohydrates as soon as tolerable–ideally 0.5 grams carbohydrate per pound body weight every hour, for 4 to 5 hours (300 calories per hour, if you weigh 150 pounds). Consuming some protein along with the carbs stimulates faster glycogen replacement and optimizes muscular repair and growth.

Some commercial recovery foods tout the benefits of whey protein. Current research indicates no advantage of whey over casein in terms of muscle growth. (Tipton, Med Sci Sports 36(12)2073, 2004) Yes, you can buy commercial recovery foods that contain protein, but you can just as effectively enjoy cereal with milk, bagel with peanut butter or pasta with meat sauce. These foods offer carbs with an accompaniment of protein (a ratio of 40 gm carb, 10 gm pro). If you prefer liquids for recovery foods, choose Instant Breakfast, chocolate milk, Boost, yogurt or fruit smoothies; they are tasty sources of carbs + fluids + a little protein. The trick is to plan ahead and have the right foods and fluids readily available…

Post-exercise Fluids

Preventing dehydration during exercise is preferable to treating dehydration post-exercise. But if you failed to drink adequately (as indicated by scanty, dark urine), you may need 24 to 48 hours to totally replace this loss. Fruit juices, smoothies and watery fruits are better than plain water because they offer carbs, protein, vitamins and other nutrients that optimize recovery and invest in good health. If beer is your preference, be sure to first quench your thirst with orange juice, soft drinks or sports drinks and eat some carbs (pretzels, thick-crust pizza) so you get carbo-loaded, not just “loaded”!

Or think again. Would you be wiser to simply enjoy the natural high of exercise?

Why the paranoia about Hydrogenated Oils?

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WASHINGTON, July 9, 2003

(AP / CBS)

“We’re trying to make the consumer a lot smarter when they go and purchase foods.”

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson

(CBS/AP) Trans fat is about to get the same attention from the government that saturated fat does, with government warnings and labels. Food labels will be required to reveal exact levels of the artery clogger. Doughnuts, french fries, crackers and fried chicken are just some of the tasty foods that include trans fat. But it’s at least as dangerous to the heart as saturated fat — and many doctors consider it worse.

Thirteen million Americans have heart disease and trans fat contributes to the problem.

“We know [trans fatty acids] contribute to an increase in LDL, which is the bad cholesterol, and, therefore, it causes heart disease,” Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said Wednesday on CBSNews’ Early Show.

Food and Drug Administration regulations to be unveiled Wednesday will require nutrition labels to include a new line listing the amount of trans fat in each food right under the amount of saturated fat, say consumer advocates and industry representatives familiar with the FDA’ sdecision. Add the two lines together to learn the total of heart-risky fats in every serving.

“We’re trying to make the consumer a lot smarter when they go and purchase foods to make sure that they look at the label and find foods that will not contribute to heart disease,” said Thompson Food companies have begun reducing the amount of trans fat in foods and “the lower amount is just that much better,” he added.

“We’re also hoping that companies are going start competing,” he told co-anchor Julie Chen. “We know that that usually happens in the marketplace. They will find ways in which they can reduce the transfatty acids or eliminate them and, therefore, make foods a lot healthier.””It’s a good first step,” said Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which petitioned the FDA 10 years ago to make the change. “People will be able to compare different products and deter-mine which ones are worse for their hearts.”

Wootan said the comparisons won’t be easy: The labels won’t tell consumers how much a candy bar or doughnut counts against their dailyallotment of total unhealthy fat. Nor will they bear a message the FDA debated this spring — that trans fat consumption should be as low as possible.

In recent weeks, FDA Commissioner Mark McClellan has promised the change, first proposed in 1999. Agency officials wouldn’t comment Tuesday. The FDA has estimated that merely revealing trans fat content on labelswould save between 2,000 and 5,600 lives a year, as people either chosehealthier foods or manufacturers changed their recipes to leave out thedamaging ingredient.

Food companies already are preparing. Frito-Lay has announced it is eliminatingg trans fat from its popular Doritos, Tostitos and Cheetos,and becamee the first major manufacturer to voluntarily begin addingtrans fatt content to the labels of other brands earlier this year.

Although the FDA will allow companies to phase in the switch, consumers will see many revealing trans fat content within just a few months,said Tim Willard of the National Food Processors Association.”Clearly this is going to be a major change to food labels, and it’s going to help consumers who are seeking information about trans fat content of foods to find it,” he said.

Saturated fat is found primarily in meat and other products containing animal fat. People are advised to eat no more than 20 grams a day, about10 percent of calories. Some surveys suggest trans fat comprises up to another 10 percent. Both types can increase the risk of heart disease, although some research suggests trans fat may be the worst culprit.

Trans fat is in numerous products, from meats and dairy products to pastries. The most common source is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, where liquid oil is turned into a solid to protect against spoiling and maintain long-term flavor. High-fat foods have long been a staple of the French diet, which has received attention lately because while the French are known for a diet rich in cheese, butter, cream and wines, the French live longer and have less heart disease than Americans.

Neurophysiologist Dr. Will Clower is the author of “The Fat Fallacy:Applying The French Diet to the American Lifestyle. Dr. Clower told CBSS News Correspondent Melissa McDermott the key is moderation and no between-meal snacks.”You don’t have to give up your fats,” Clower said. “You don’t have to give up your carbohydrates. What you have to do is change your relationship with your food.”

Typically, the harder a margarine or cooking fat, the more trans fat it includes. Soft, spreadable margarine in tubs, for instance, contains little if any trans fat, while stick margarine can contain a lot. In other foods,the only way consumers could tell which contained trans fat was to check the ingredient list for the word “hydrogenated.”The National Academy of Sciences, which sets nutrition levels, last year ruled that while eating some trans fat may be unavoidable, there is no safe level that it could set as an upper limit. So while product labels today list what percent of total calories a food offers in saturated fat, the new trans fat labels will won’t. The FDA had considered putting a footnote on labels recommending eating only a little trans fat, but consumer testing found that had the unintended consequence of scaring people back to foods high in saturated fat, said Stephanie Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America,which lobbied against the move. For now, the FDA plans to do more research on how to educate consumers about heart-damaging fats so that they make better food choices,Childs said.

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Press contributed to this report.