As I sit here on a Friday afternoon of finals week I find myself feeling  the way many of my students do – ready to be finished.  The stacks of finals, papers and projects asking me to grade them are being passed over for other menial tasks (such as blogging ) and other activities of procrastination.  One such activity is eating.  Sweets.  Lots of them.  Last night it was a few treat sized candies (see evidence below) and today it is a variety  box of mini cookies given to me as a thank you gift from a student (thanks Catherine!).  This got me to thinking…what is it about procrastination that makes me want to eat?  My dear colleague Amy Moore says it has to do with gluconeogenesis (translation = making food for your brain) and the amount of energy it takes to think.  I like this thinking so I am going with it.  Okay, back to the grade book….and the cookie box!

Exhibit A: the nutrition professor’s finals week indulgence:

Only two weeks left in the semester – wow…how did spring go by so quickly?  One of the greatest parts of the end of the semester is the culminating projects in my Food Science class (DIET 360).  Students have been learning all semester about the science of food (who knew there was so much chemistry involved in baking a cake?!)  and now it’s time to put it into action in the kitchen.  Student groups pick their project ideas which generally involve taking a food product and making it healthier by relying on food science principles.  I am always excited and inspired to see what transpires over the three-week product creating and testing timeline.  This was week two for product preparation – and as you can see below, there were some successful projects.  This is cooperative learning at it’s finest!

Fiber.  Does that word make you cringe?   Or picture a rabbit munching on lettuce?  You are not alone.  Many people think fiber is boring and the opposite of tasty.  But, if there is one thing you can do to eat healthier – it is to eat more fiber.  Most Americans only get one third of the fiber they need every day.  Fiber is great for all kinds of things – check out my interview on Great Day St. Louis for the specifics:

http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis/Fabulous-Fiber-142541685.html

Happy Valentine’s Day!  What is the first food that comes to your mind when you hear those words?  Chocolate, of course!  I’d be willing to bet that quite a bit of the 11.7 pounds of chocolate us “average” Americans eat each year are consumed today.  Well I’m here to clear your conscience of this indulgence.  Guess what, it turns out that there are some health benefits to chocolate.  Check out my appearance on Fox 2 News

http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/timezell/ktvi-chocolate-maybe-a-health-food-20120213,0,2637312.story

Here’s the rundown:

1. Choose dark. Chocolate must contain at least 60% cocao to contain the flavanols that keep the heart healthy.  These flavanols help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and keep blood pressure down.

2. Keep it small. This isn’t the green light to eat all the chocolate in the candy aisle.  We are talking about a 200 calorie portion.  And, make sure that’s replacing other “treat” calories.  Otherwise, you’ll pack on some pounds, which is not healthy.

3. Enjoy it every day. You think I’m crazy – telling you to eat chocolate…every…day?!  Is that the best nutritional news you’ve heard in a long time?  Well it may be true.  The latest research points to the idea that the amount may not be as important as the frequency.  So, go ahead and have a small piece every day.

I am obsessed with breakfast.  Moms always say it’s the most important meal of the day, so why not eat it for all three meals?  Thanks to a breakfast loving toddler and the special breakfast-themed lunch provided by the seniors in our culinary program, that’s exactly what I’ve done in the past 24 hours. 

What’s so great about breakfast?  A few things…

1. It’s healthy.  Some (emphasis on the some…not all) breakfast foods pack a powerful nutrient punch.  Think eggs, fruit and whole grains.  So often the egg is the MVP on the breakfast team.  That’s good for the nutrient score because they pack great protein (7 grams each) and lots of great vitamins and minerals.  Other good choices are oatmeal, whole grain cereals and breads, fruits, low fat yogurt…the list goes on.  If you keep the fried potatoes, bacon and sausage on the bench, it’s pretty much gauranteed you’ll have a nutrient win.

2. It’s cheap.  Breakfast foods tend to be easy on the wallet which is a great thing for us budget people.

3. It’s easy.  How long does it take to poach an egg, toast an english muffin and slice some fruit?  I would guess about 15 minutes max and then you’ve got a meal.  Who can complain about that?

4. It’s tasty.  A poached egg over sauteed spinach, a portabello mushroom and a sun-dried polenta cake? Yes, please.  Thanks Culinary seniors!

The Superbowl is…this Sunday!  I am embarrassed to admit that I am not even aware of who’s playing and I probably won’t watch it…but I will most likely find my way to a Superbowl party.  And at the Superbowl party I can bet there will be a spread of food like no other.  According to the Calorie Control Council there will be 30 million pounds of snacks consumed this Sunday.  Wow.  30…million…pounds…of…snacks.  Enter the dietitian’s game plan.  See strategy below:

1. If you can’t beat’em, join’em.  You know you’re not going to avoid eating so just be smart about it.  Look high and low for ways to cut back on calories and fat.  Swap fried chips for baked ones.  Use reduced fat cheese.  Serve hummus instead of guacamole.  These little changes will add up over the day and save you from a major calorie fumble.

2. Play your own game.  Save the super rich treats for times when your team fumbles or the other team scores.  Hopefully your team wins so you only get a few bites of those indulgences. 

3.  Be on the offense with alcohol.  It’s the sky high calorie alcoholic drinks that can really get us in trouble.  Go for lite beer or a small glass of wine and you’ll avoid the blood sugar crash that sends us for the munchies.

There you go…and go ____________!  (Fill in the blank with the team of your choice….whomever that may be )

Sniffle…Sneeze…Cough cough…  Ahhh the sounds of winter.  Maybe it’s not you today but either it has been or it will be – the bearer of the winter cold or flu.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to feel better or even keep that cold from coming on in the first place.  In addition to washing your hands and getting plenty of sleep, there a few foods that are great to eat this time of year.  Check out my segment on Great Day St. Louis this morning. Grapefruit anyone?

http://www.kmov.com/great-day-st-louis/Winter-Wonder-Foods-137580388.html

It’s my first post of the year…I can’t resist a resolution post.  While it is as cliche as a First Day of School or a Healthy Holiday post, it is almost too cliche to buck tradition and forgo a post about resolutions.   So, here goes…

I do truly love and enjoy resolutions.  Crafting them in my quiet thoughts, envisioning the end results, picturing myself resoluted…  And I keep them…for a little while at least.  Last year’s resolution made it to February and the year before made it to May.  I usually pick one resolution, it’s easier to keep track of (and feels a little less like failure when it fizzles out).  I also encourage my family to suggest resolutions for me (“don’t hit anything with your car this year” courtesy of my husband).  But this year I was so inspired that I chose a handful of resolutions and even borrowed one from a colleague. 

Borrowing a resolution just might be the best type of resolution – if it sounds like a good idea and it turns out not to be, it wasn’t your idea in the firstplace.  If you don’t stick to it, there aren’t any black marks on your record because again, it’s not your resolution.  And best of all, if you do succeed, you get all the benefits of said resolution and a partner to celebrate with.  So, when my colleague mentioned that her resolution was to walk on the SLU track at least once a week I decided to make that my resolution too.  And, so far, so good – we’ve walked twice this week.  I guess that covers us for this week and next week too…or maybe it doesn’t work that way.  In any event, we’re doing what we set out to do and practicing what we preach – healthy eating and physical activity for better health.  And speaking of healthy eating, if you are looking for some resolution tips of that type, check out the resources from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it just might be a good way to kick off the new year http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442467463

I am giving a presentation tomorrow to a group of physical therapists and occupational therapists for a continuing education seminar.  The theme of the seminar is aging so my presentation will focus on what we can eat to stay healthy through old age.  I may be only 32 but preparation for this presentation has me really thinking about the impact of my diet on how I will feel in 60 or so years from now.   I know I should be eating more fatty fish (dinner Monday night was roasted salmon) and getting more exercise (still working on that…) but I decided to start my presentation off with one of my favorite quotes…stated by yours truly  : “When I’m 94, let me eat whatever I want.”  That’s right…if I make it to that ripe old age I am going to indulge in my favorite foods and not think twice about complex carbohydrates, antioxidants or saturated fats.  You see, being a dietitian means that there are high expectations for you to eat healthy yourself.  Knowing everything there is to know about healthy food is a double edged sword when you want to indulge in something with too many carbs, fats, sodium…etc.  But when I’m 94, I am going to throw caution to the wind and just enjoy myself.  Funny thing is, I will probably still eat lots of fruits and veggies and whole grains.  Just with lots of butter!

Speaking of enjoying food, here is the list (from my presentation) of the top 10 things older adults should know about nutrition:

1. Nutrition is important at every age

2, 3, and 4: You are probably not getting enough Vitamin D, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin B12

5 and 6: You might not be getting enough water or calories

7: Your medications may be affecting your nutrition

8. It’s never too late to lose weight

9: Food should be safe

10: Food should be fun!

No Thanksgiving week is complete without a dietitian in the news talking about how to be healthy in the midst of the eating frenzy.  This week is about everything American and America is about everything food.  So I wasn’t surprised when both a newspaper and a tv station called to talk about Thanksgiving.  First, the Post Dispatch wanted to know the benefits of a Thanksgiving Day race…

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/fitness/road-races-on-thanksgiving-as-popular-as-turkey/article_0176a2ce-e195-583c-98cc-17b0240c9cfc.html?oCampaign=email

And then Fox 2 news wanted to hear about keeping food safe…

http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/ktvi-holiday-food-safety-tips-20111117,0,905015.story

Oh Thanksgiving, I do love you and all the opportunities you bring us dietitians.  Enjoy those turkeys everyone!