With Thanksgiving behind us, how did you do with your holiday eating behaviors?  Did you need your stretchy pants?  Did you make room for any fruits or vegetables?  Was your whole plate covered in gravy?  If you didn’t do as well as you wanted, here are 10 tips you can try out at upcoming holiday gatherings.

1. Use a smaller plate.  This will trick your brain into thinking you are eating more than you actually are.
2. Drink water. This will help you stay hydrated and feel full longer.
3. Make sure are not extremely hungry before getting to the “big meal.”  Being overly hungry before the meal could lead to overeating.
4. Load half your plate with healthy fruits and vegetables.  This will allow you to get some healthy calories and nutrients.
5. Think ahead about what foods will be available during the meal and plan what you are going to eat.  This will help cut down on impulse eating as you follow through with your plan.
6. To reduce the temptation to snack, stay out of the kitchen or away from areas where food is being prepared.
7. After your first plate of food, wait 20-30 minutes before going back for more. This will allow your mind to understand how full you are.
8. Exercise and be active throughout your day.  This will help burn more calories.
9. Give yourself permission to not finish and\or throw away extra food on your plate (or your child’s plate).  This will help limit extra calories that you are tempted to consume.
10. Moderation is key!  If there are a lot of foods you want to try, focus on putting a smaller portion of each item on your plate.

Hopefully these tips will allow you to cut down on extra calories, improve the quality of time spent with friends and family, and feel successful in a challenging environment!

Happy Holidays!

Post by Mike Lockard

Summer is here and most of us will probably attend a cook out or barbecue or host our own. While cookouts are great to spend time with family and friends, they might not be great for your health.

According to The Daily Meal, a single day of barbecue eating could total 2,652 calories!  Check out the information below on the calories and fat in your favorite cookout foods.

Hot dog with ketchup:                    315 calories/18.5 grams of fat

Potato salad (1 cup):                       358 calories/20.5 grams of fat

Hamburger patty:                            250 calories/9 grams of fat

Pasta salad (4.9 oz):                        370 calories/26 grams of fat

Lemonade (8 oz):                             98 calories/25.7 grams of sugar
*According to calorieking.com

To make it easier to say no to these unhealthy cookout foods, eat before you go so you are less likely to grab a plate full of food at the cookout.

If you can’t resist, be aware of your portions and drink lots of water. Water will help you feel full and can help stop the temptation of grabbing seconds!

Need help with healthy eating? Make a free appointment to see our Registered Dietitian today! Find a HealthNet Health Center near you by clicking here.

http://www.eatrightpro.org/resources/media/multimedia-news-center/national-nutrition-month-media-materials

There is no better time to get rid of your unhealthy eating habits than March, which is National Nutrition Month! This year’s theme, “Bite Into A Healthy Lifestyle” starts at the time when many New Year’s resolutions start to fail.  National Nutrition Month is a great reminder to try and eat a wholesome diet and maintain your exercise plan. Below are tips for eating better, as well as how to keep a healthy diet.

The internet has many different diet plans, but in reality there is no miracle to healthy eating and lifestyle changes. “There is no one pill, food, drink, or machine that is the key to achieving optimal nutrition and health,” says Morgan Richardson of the Scotland County Health Department (1). When shopping choose items such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy products. You should also plan time during your day to exercise and always be aware of your portion sizes. Don’t be fooled by low-calorie foods! Sometimes they can add up more than you think if your portion size is bigger than it should be. A lot of a good thing is not always a good thing!

A healthy diet can reduce your risk of diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. It can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and even prevent certain types of cancer.

Eating a balanced diet doesn’t mean you have to stop eating certain foods. When you don’t eat certain foods, it is common to want those foods again. If you give in and eat those foods, you might feel guilty and go back to your unhealthy eating habits (1).

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition recommends eight healthy eating goals which are (2):

• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Make half the grains you eat whole grains.
• Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
• Choose a variety of lean protein foods.
• Compare sodium in foods.
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks.
• Eat some seafood.
• Cut back on solid fats.

The bottom line: 

Try to be more mindful of your food choices and exercise every day.  One way to do this is to keep daily food and activity logs.  There are several apps or web sites you can use that are free (myfitnesspal.com or app, fatsecret.com or app)!

Post by Karen Gough

Sources:

1. http://www.ibtimes.com/national-nutrition-month-2015-ideas-healthy-eating-habits-recipes-tips-balanced-diet-1830886

2. http://www.fitness.gov/eat-healthy/how-to-eat-healthy/

Our society is becoming so fast paced that we want things to be taken care of quickly and look for instant gratification.  That’s why we all, yes, even I’m guilty of it, go through the drive thru to grab dinner on the go instead of cooking at home.  Have you seen the statics now on obesity in America?  Did you know that more than 2/3 of adult Americans are obese or overweight? Or that about a quarter of 2-5 yr. olds and one-third of school-age children (including adolescents) are overweight or obese in the U.S.?  (Ogden et al., 2014)

When I was reading these facts it was quite a shock to me.  Did you know that obesity is considered a medical illness and that it has its own set of issues that follow with it?  Why is it that we don’t take a few minutes out of our day to cook healthy meals at home?  Why is it that we are okay with eating chips or drinking 48 oz. sodas from the gas station and think that it is sufficient for us and our bodies to function properly?  It seems that we as a society have gotten away from eating our fruits and vegetables that have all the natural nutrients our bodies need on a daily basis.

I attended a conference last year that mentioned, if we just ate healthier and ate our recommended fruits and vegetables, our body would get the necessary dopamine and serotonin naturally that we are looking for in medicines now.  I’ve read numerous articles talking about the unhealthy effects of processed foods on us and our immune system.

So I ask you, is it really worth it to you and your family’s wellness and well-being to go through the drive-thru consistently?  Is it worth adding to or creating medical issues?  What we put into our body affects our moods and irritability.  What we do or do not put into our body also affects our overall well-being and how we function.  If we don’t get the essential vitamins, nutrients and proteins we need, it kurplunks, like a car when it doesn’t get its regular oil changes, tune ups, and gas.

So remember, this year as our New Year’s resolution, let’s all try to eat healthier meals!

For more information on a healthy diet, call your HealthNet health center and ask to make a FREE appointment with our dietician, Karen Gough.

Post by Bhumi Bhavsar

Source:  http://frac.org/initiatives/hunger-and-obesity/obesity-in-the-us/

Candy Corn (25%): Who can turn down the delicious, yet addictive candy we all love to hate? You’ll feel better knowing that there are only about 150 calories, per 22 candy corns.

Caramel Apples (31%): It’s an apple, it has to be healthy, right? Think again. Caramel apples, depending on thickness of caramel and if it has nuts can range from 250-250 calories.

Chocolate Candy (31%): M&M’s, Reese’s and Hershey’s oh my! If you think you’re saving calories by reaching the for snack size, you might be surprised. Snack sizes & fun sizes tend to be different amount and most still rack up calories. Reese’s snack sizes are 100 calories or 180 if you go for the pumpkins instead, while M&M’s only rack up 70 calories.

Gummies (6%): If gummy treats like Dots and Lifesaver gummies are more your style, you might save some calories compared to other Halloween treats. A snack size Dots container has 70 calories, while Lifesaver gummies have 52 calories.

If you are worried you won’t be able to control yourself from reaching into the candy bowl, check out these tips from HealthNet Clinical Dietitian, Karen Gough.

“Don’t get sucked into the ‘see food diet’ that just makes you want to eat the candy because you see it,” says Brian Wansink, PhD, a Cornell researcher and author of Mindless Eating:  Why We Eat More Than We Think. “We eat more of visible foods because it causes us to think about it more, and every time you see the candy bowl you have to decide whether you want a piece of candy or not.

Several ways to avoid eating extra calories is:

• Buy candy you don’t like
• Keep the candy out of sight – when you see it you want it period!
• Savor one or two pieces of your favorite candy once a day
• Chew sugar free gum

Make sure you are eating regularly and including healthy snacks.  Skipping meals and snacks will only cause cravings and you guessed it…. you go for the HALLOWEEN CANDY!

1. Eat before you go. Think of it like a grocery store. If you go to the grocery store when you’re hungry, you are more likely to buy things you don’t really need. Eat before you go to the state fair so you aren’t hungry when you get there.
2. Carry a water bottle with you.  Drinking water helps make you feel full, which can help stop the temptation of that delicious corn dog.
3. Wear comfortable walking shoes. We know it is almost impossible to go to the fair and NOT indulge in at least one of your favorite fair food items, so why not start burning the calories right away! Wear comfortable walking shoes and walk around the fair while you eat. This helps burn calories and keep you moving!
4. Plan ahead. If you know there’s no way you can resist that elephant ear, plan it in your calories for that day. Plan your meals so that you aren’t going over your daily recommended amount of calories.
5. Know what’s in it! A Lemon shake up is made with lemons, so that means its healthy right? Wrong! The average lemon shake up contains over 250 calories per serving. The same goes for caramel apples which contain about 360 calories each.
6.  Share with someone else. It’s really easy to eat that entire giant turkey leg (containing about 1,136 calories) by yourself, but most fair foods are made for two. Grab a friend and split it. Not only will you save calories, but money too!

So just how many calories are in those favorite fair foods of yours? Find out below!

Fried Snickers (5 oz.):             444 calories and 29 grams (g) fat

Fried Twinkie (2 oz.):             420 calories/34 g fat

Funnel cake (1):                      760 calories/44 g fat

Cotton candy:                          171 calories/0 fat

Foot-long hot dog:                   470 calories/26 g fat

Giant turkey leg:                     1,136 calories/54 g fat
*According to calorieking.com

Post by Rick Reifenberg, MD

The generally accepted conversion is that one pound of stored fat is equal to about 3,500 calories. 

This could be thought of as an extra 500 calories per day for one week (7 x 500 calories is 3,500 calories) would be one pound of weight gain.  This is a formula that can be used to estimate either gain or loss of weight.

What this means is that a 500 calorie per day deficit could be created by cutting 250 calories from one’s diet along with an additional 250 calories “burned” while doing exercise.  If you could create this 500 calorie per day deficit then you could expect to lose one pound per week.  Let’s get some examples of each:

To cut 250 Calories from your diet each day you could ELIMINATE:

• One and a half regular 12oz sodas (Mountain Dew 170 calories per 12 oz, Pepsi 150 per 12 oz)
• One 20 oz regular soda is about 250 calories
• One medium order of McDonald’s French fries is 380 calories
• 26 Pringle’s potato chips are about 250 calories
• 4 slices of Wonder bread are 262 calories
• Doritos chips snack bag (46 gm 1 1/2oz) is 250 calories
• 3 Oreo cookies are about 240 calories
• 24 Tostitos nacho chips are about 250 calories  

To burn an additional 250 calories though exercise, a 200 lb person could:

• Walk for 35 minutes at a brisk (4 mph) pace
• Walk at a slow (2 mph) pace for about 60 minutes
• Do low impact aerobics (like an exercise video) for 30 minutes
• Swim laps for 30 minutes
• Do yard work (vigorous things like cutting grass with push mower) for 30-40 minutes
• Mop floors/clean and vacuum the house for 45 minutes

The general idea is that by making small changes to the amount of calories we take in and ALSO increasing our daily activity level, we can make gradual and long-lasting changes to our weight. 

Look for ways to eliminate unnecessary calories while at the same time find ways to get more active and burn calories.  Put together, this can be a simple yet effective recipe for success.  Give it a try!

At the beginning of May HealthNet and IU Health started a voucher program that provided $7.00/week to shop at the Garden on the Go locations.  This Rx program will run from May thru November 2012.  There will be 25 participants chosen to participate.  I currently have 21 participants enrolled.  There have been many positive comments on how this has helped increase the intake of fruits and vegetables.  Thank you to all my patients who are participating.

photo from National Nutrition Month

Getting back to the basics of healthy eating is to eat foods in their most natural form.  Many foods in our society are processed and ready to eat.  These types of foods have more fat, salt and sugar.  By using the plate to get in shape, you can make informed choices and get the right amount of fruits/vegetables in your daily intake.  Half your plate should be fruits/vegetables, a quarter protein and a quarter grains.

Diet Tip:

How many fruits and veggies should you eat?  Five or more per day.  Try to get a rainbow of colored fruits and veggies daily.
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Editor’s note: This month’s theme is “Our HealthNet”!  Our bloggers have taken on this topic and are talking about how it takes a community for us to provide quality health care and support services.  Click here to find out more about our topic this month.

1. Grow your own fruits and vegetables in your yard, patio containers, or a community garden space.
2. Use store brand instead of name brand foods.
3. Save on a gym membership and exercise at home. Stability balls, resistance bands, and fitness DVDs are affordable and provide structure for a fitness routine.
4. Walk with your dog, family members or friends.
5. Walk or ride a bike rather than driving to places close to you.
6. Enjoy a picnic in the park instead of eating out.
7. Relax and reduce stress with books, movies, and CDs borrowed from the public library.
8. Quit smoking and save money. If you smoke one pack a day, you can save approximately $2,000 a year if you stop smoking.
9. If you have a chronic disease like asthma or diabetes, see your doctor regularly to avoid costly complications.
10. If you don’t have a doctor and are looking for affordable options, find a HealthNet community health center in your area. If you live outside of Indy, check out the Indiana Primary Health Care Association for other low cost health centers throughout the state.

Here’s another bargain for you. Community health centers have a proven track record of improving the health and well-being of their communities. And, they save over $1,200 per patient annually, by reducing preventable hospitalizations and emergency room visits. Please join us in advocating the the need for community health center expansion! Sign our petition today!

You can shop healthy with a manageable amount of expense. Here’s a dozen ways to take care of your health at the grocery store without breaking the bank, thanks to HealthNet’s Health Promotions staff:

1. Clip, save and use coupons. Stick with only the items you use.
2. Check out the store flyer for sale items as you enter.
3. Stick to the edges of the store. For the most part, this is where the healthy choices are – less processed foods and more fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat.
4. Don’t shop hungry! You’ll buy more than you need.
5. Watch the shelves. Stores put items they most want to sell on the shelves between knee and shoulder height. The highest markup items are the ones about chest level.  These are easy to grab and toss into the cart.
6. The store brand is cheaper than national brands.
7. Fruits and vegetables: Pre-cut fruits and veggies can be expensive. Buy in season. It’s cheaper to buy produce in the bag and not by the piece like apples, oranges and potatoes. Check out the freezer aisle. Frozen vegetables can be an economical way to get your veggie servings, but stay away from added creams, sauces, butter or sugar.
8. Breads, cereals and pasta: Choose the least processed foods that are made with whole grains.  Aim for 4 grams of fiber and less sugar. To help your family get used to whole grains, you can start out with a blend of whole grains and slowly go to 100%. Buy your grains and cereals in bulk like brown rice, barley and rolled oats. Oatmeal in the canister is less than the instant flavored envelopes.
9. Meat, poultry and fish: Lean can be pricey. You can choose less expensive cuts of meat, but you have to practice portion control. Buy larger packs. Use what you can eat and freeze the rest.  Tilapia and sole may be more affordable. Choose frozen fish fillets or fish steaks, but stay away from breaded or marinated fish. Canned fish and chicken are great options for sandwiches, salads, and casseroles.
10. Other sources of protein: Beans are cheap and a great source of protein. Buy in bulk. Another low cost item that is healthy is the egg. Try going meatless once a week.
11. Dairy: Non-fat or low fat milk does not cost any more than whole or 2% milk. Buy a large container of plain yogurt and add your own sweetener like honey or fruit. Buy blocks of reduced-fat cheese and grate it yourself. Shredded or sliced cheese is more expensive.
12. Ignore the checkout displays!

Here’s another bargain for you. In partnership with Garden on the Go, HealthNet’s Health Promotions team helps low-income families access affordable, fresh produce in their neighborhoods — and learn the whys and hows of eating healthier. #GiveACareAbout reducing barriers for families in need. Along with coaching from a dietitian, a $5 donation provides a small financial incentive for a family to try fresh fruits and vegetables and begin making healthy lifestyle choices. With your help, we can do even more to help families in Indy.

Want more healthy shopping tips? Stop by our booth today through Sunday at the INShape Indiana Black & Minority Health Fair at Indiana Black Expo’s Summer Celebration in the Indiana Convention Center. Learn how to stay healthy on a budget — and sign up for a prize drawing to win a grocery store gift card!

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What healthy grocery shopping tips work for you?
What’s your favorite farmer’s market?
Comment below.
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