Stay Healthy at Labor Day Parties

Happy Labor Day! Today marks the unofficial end to summer and often the last chance to throw a barbecue or outdoor party in many parts of the country. The dailySpark's bloggers are enjoying a day with friends and family, but we wanted to leave you with a short post with some party survival tips! As you read this, I'm on a bike ride to celebrate one of my best friend's 30th birthday.

Slim Down Your Dips

11 Healthy Party Appetizers

'Fake' Fiber in Your Food? How to Spot It

Studies over the last two decades have revealed ways to chemically alter naturally digestible starches. The chemical modifications introduce bonds that make them non-digestible by human enzymes in the digestive tract. Benefits of the newly manufactured starch fiber additives are largely unknown.

We have talked about the new manufactured fibers known as stealth fiber. We have mentioned there is a new fiber category in the midst of the FDA rulemaking process apparently with the full backing of industry. New products are finding a place at the manufacturing table. New fiber enhancement products are being added so baked goods, snack foods, breakfast cereals, and nutrition bars can meet "good source of fiber" or "excellent source of fiber" labeling claims. Now we need to talk about how you can use this information.

You will not find "stealth fiber" listed on the food label. You may see or hear "modified natural fibers" used in marketing campaigns. Strange derivative terms for natural portions of wheat, potato, or corn are more likely to appear on labels. It will be important for consumers to have an understanding of such terms as an indicator of modification. Here are some specifics to help you decipher food labels as you interpret product fiber sources.

Poll: Do You Eat Lunch Away from Your Desk?

Take a walk around my office at lunchtime, and you’ll see it’s definitely not the norm. In most offices, you’ll find lots of people eating at their desks while doing work or surfing the Web. In my office, lunchtime is very quiet. Many people go out at lunch (either to exercise or enjoy the sunshine), or some work out in our office gym. Rarely do you see people sitting at their desks working at lunch. Its part of our office culture, reinforcing the idea that fitness is an important part of your day.

Separating Hype from Reality on Menus

When you're on the run or out with friends, it's not always possible to plan ahead and do your research before heading to a restaurant. (If you can plan ahead, Tanya's Food on the Run series is a fantastic resource.) Once there, your senses are often assaulted by glossy photos on menus and table tents, tantalizing smells, and fast-paced sales pitches from servers. Even your fellow diners get in on the act, urging you to try the newest, most popular menu item. "Crispy breaded macaroni and cheese bites wrapped in bacon and served with our five-queso, dragon fire dipping sauce." Sounds good when everyone else is ordering it, right?

While the trend at some hip restaurants is simplicity (Mac-n-cheese: penne + pancetta + artisan Gouda), most restaurants add long descriptions to entice diners. "Fluffy omelets," "real cheese," and "fresh lettuce" become selling points.

But think about it: Omelets are fluffy by nature. Shouldn't all cheese be real? And would someone really serve not-fresh lettuce? (Perhaps, but most customers would send it back.) If you're telling me about a specific type of food--Hass avocados, which have a richer flavor than other varieties; Vidalia onions, known for their sweetness; or Niman Ranch pork, a high quality brand--then please add the descriptors. But if restaurants are stating the obvious, overselling their dishes, or trying to gloss over unhealthy ingredients, we as consumers should be able to read beyond that and make educated decisions.

My number one piece of advice for translating menus: If you would never be willing to eat the opposite of a menu description (e.g. stale bread, soggy lettuce, tough chicken), then the modifier is just hype!

When you're learning to maneuver the thick menus of restaurants and seek out healthier items, it's not always easy. I've scoured menus for descriptions that are full of hollow marketing terms. Let's separate hype from reality. Below, I'll translate these menu descriptions. Do any of these adjectives and descriptions actually mean food is better for us? Or--health aspects aside--does it really make a difference in the final taste? Does it justify an added cost? No restaurants will be named in the list below.

Using Farmers Markets to Tackle Childhood Obesity

I’ve blogged in the past about my love for farmers’ markets. They have such a wide array of fruits and vegetables that I’ve been able to try things I might never have noticed otherwise. Now a unique program in Massachusetts is using farmers’ markets to expose low-income children to these foods and help combat childhood obesity.

One Step Closer: Don't Be a Dry Sponge

Marketing can be a wonderful thing. It can also cause people to venture away from the truth in favor of false promises. The goal in marketing is to present products, goods, or services in such a way as to be desirable. The marketing process is most effective when a well-defined user or buyer's attention has been adequately captured to the point that new concepts or propositions are enticing. This process is most valuable when doubt about the alternatives have been created as well.

The diet industry has harnessed the power of marketing as well as any Fortune 500 company. People with a great desire to lose weight are willing to throw out long held scientific truths for industry marketing spin. Add to that the hope that desired results can be achieved quickly and easily and you have the fuel necessary to make the spin appealing. When results are not achieved with the first diet-focused product or service, apathy and disappointment pique curiosity in the next proposed option and the dieting cycle is born.

So what does this have to do with being like a sponge? Perhaps not what you think.

Poll: What's the First Thing You Look for on a Nutrition Label?

When you're trying to eat healthier or lose weight, reading nutrition labels is a must. With all the numbers, percentages and details, what's really the most important?

A recent report shared the top five nutrients consumers look for when they study nutrition labels: total calories, total fat, calories from fat, sugars and sodium. The report also lists which five nutrients consumers are trying to avoid (such as trans fats) and the ones they're interested in eating more of (such as whole grains).

This led me to wonder: What nutrients do you look at first when studying a nutrition facts label?

Which is Better: Exercising Before or After Breakfast?

Last week we learned eating a less than ideal breakfast is better than skipping breakfast all together. Planning ahead helps make breakfast selections healthful and limits the need to face that choice. Working out first thing in the morning can make breakfast schedules difficult and planning that much more important. One member shared her morning routine includes getting up at 3:30 AM to be at the gym by 4:00 AM for a workout. I myself head out for my workouts at 5:30 AM most mornings. Although everyone is different, some people like me have no problem exercising on an empty stomach while other people experience negative effects. Professionals and experts alike do not recommend exercising on an empty stomach. Other points of view suggest not eating breakfast especially before a work out is more beneficial. This caused me to ask the question, "which is better, exercising before or after breakfast?"

Could Your Weight Affect How You React to Food Cues?

Most people assume that individuals are overweight because they eat too much at every meal, or they are always making unhealthy choices. But as you probably know, that’s not always the case. New research is looking at how people react to food in different ways, and how that can have an affect on eating patterns and ultimately, weight.

One Step Closer: Meal Planning Basics

We started our new series by focusing on the long-term commitment of healthy living. A big part of healthy living is learning to make healthy choices. Since we eat every day, learning to make healthy choices with food is an important beginning step. For some people, meal planning is an easy and enjoyable process. Many have also mastered the process of creating a healthy grocery list. For others, meal planning is a big obstacle that keeps them consuming fast and processed foods.

Meal planning can make any dietitian's head spin when they are trying to balance many nutrients at one time. Some of the most difficult meal plans I ever developed at the hospital were those that required controlled levels of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus. It was even worse for the family of the patient once released from the hospital. Lucky for most of us, our meal planning doesn't have to be that involved. Even if you need to limit sodium or simple carbohydrates, meal planning can be a simple puzzle. Here are some basic steps to help you learn to build a healthy meal, one piece at a time.

Poll: Do You Eat Dinner as a Family?

Growing up, evenings were busy in my family. My sister and I were involved in various activities, my mom worked part time (which sometimes included evenings) and my dad played soccer at least one night a week. But even though our schedules were full, I remember we usually took time to eat dinner together. T.V. was never part of our meal time routine, so it became the perfect opportunity to catch up on the events of the day. As we got older, those 30 minutes were often the only chance we had to spend time together during the week.

Can You Trust the Calories Listed by Restaurants?

Balancing energy intake with energy expenditure is a key to successful weight management. Nutrition tools like databases, trackers, and fact labels can help. However, the help they provide is limited by the accuracy of the information each tool includes.

The same is true with calorie information on restaurant menus. The nutrition calculations are derived from a variety of sources. Restaurants frequently use laboratory testing, published resource information, and food supplier information to help them calculate estimated nutrition information. If the source information is not accurate, the inaccuracy will be handed down and perhaps multiplied. Tufts University researchers tested meals from several familiar chain restaurants. The tested meals were eighteen percent higher in calories on average than the listed menu information. The scariest part of their findings to me was the wide range of variation between actual calorie content and reported content. Some meals were 36 percent lower than the restaurant calculation. For most of us, that is an error in our favor that doesn't bother us too much. Others were 200 percent higher than the reported calorie information. That variation can make a large impact that is more unsettling.

Some people have ordered their lifestyle so that eating away from home isn't something they do often. Others of us eat away from home from time to time for a variety of reasons. When we do, we rely on helpful recommendations to plan before we go in order to successfully navigate the menu for the healthiest choices. We also try to apply many of the healthy eating habits we have learned as well. Unfortunately, we also trust in the nutrition information provided for the restaurant we are visiting. Here are some things to consider when reviewing and relying on menu nutrition information while dining away from home.

No-Cook, No-Fat Summer Flavor Boosters

I don't teach at the Midwest Culinary Institute in summertime, but that doesn't mean my schedule is any less busy. I'm still creating recipes for SparkPeople, driving the boys to and from their activities, and working on the family farm--and of course, running and swimming at the pool!

I let the seasons guide my menus, and when the temperature rises, my palate craves what's fresh and simple. Grilled vegetables and meats, fresh fish, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Two of the easiest ways to dress up fresh and simple meals without adding fat, sodium, and calories are to make salsas and relishes. They're a key to 5-minute meals!

"Salsa" means "sauce" in Spanish, which means you're only limited by your imagination and the ingredients on hand when creating a new salsa.

And though we think of sweet pickles on hot dogs when we think of relish, you can create one using plenty of fruits and vegetables. You just need to "pickle" them using an acid (such as vinegar) and cook them. (You could even do this on a grill if you're trying to keep the kitchen cool.)

I created two new recipes that are perfect for hot summer nights. I made a big batch of each and use them several nights a week.

5 More Tips to Stay Healthy on the Go

Hey, dailySpark readers, it’s Anne again from the food and fitness blog fANNEtastic food! In my first guest post I shared my tips for packing a healthy lunch in five minutes flat, and today, in honor of summer, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite tips for staying healthy while traveling!

Tip #1: HYDRATE!


• Bring a reusable water bottle so you always have water handy (for free!). Mine comes with me everywhere! If flying, bring it through security empty and fill it up on the other side.
  
  

  Posted 8/4/2010  6:08:00 PM By: dailySpark Guest Blogger : 51 comments

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Decoding the Mystery of Food Labels

I consider myself to be a conscientious label-reader at the grocery store. As a general rule of thumb, I don't buy products that contain a long list of ingredients with words I can't pronounce. If I have no clue what is in the product, I assume it's probably not the best thing to be putting into my body or serving to my family. But sometimes it's overwhelming and confusing. Companies do their best to convince us their products are good for us, even if they aren't. Do words like "all-natural" and "organic" mean "healthy"? Not necessarily.