With holiday season upon us, wonderful foods will tempt us to overindulge at every turn. Most take for granted that putting on a few extra pounds is an inevitable part of the fun. Not so. By following a few simple rules you can enjoy your holiday goodies while staying healthy too.

Here are 5 MORE Tips for holiday eating:

1. Enjoy yourself! Holidays are meant for fun and celebration.
2. No guilt! I guarantee you that feeling guilty will not leave you eating less or being healthier. It will simply keep you from enjoying what you do eat.
3. Use smaller plates. Smaller plates translate to smaller servings and still give pretty much the same satisfaction when you’ve cleaned off your plate. Just give yourself this simple rule. It is always OK to go back for seconds, as long as you wait 20 to 30 minutes from the time you began eating. Why is this a rule? Because it takes 20-30 minutes for your stomach to send the chemical signal to your brain that it is full. 20 minutes after eating, you likely won’t want more, or if you do it’ll be just a small amount. But knowing that you can have more makes it easy to wait.
4. Pig out on proteins. Go big on the turkey and other proteins, which are less likely to pack on the pounds. Ease back on the carbs, like stuffing, potatoes and cranberry sauce (but savor the few bites of each you put on your plate).
5. Go light on the sweets and desserts – which is what really crashes people during the holidays. If you see ones that look so yummy, that you really want to have, put a bite or two of each in a serving plate and walk away from the serving dish. Then savor it with no guilt.

Can’t have any sugar? Pack some sugar free chocolate with you.

The problem is that when people do feel guilty about eating a dessert, they inhale quickly without even tasting it. Not having tasted it, they go back for more and keep repeating the cycle. Instead, realize that your sweet tooth taste buds are saturated after one or two bites, and the other one or two bites are not what pack on the pounds, so enjoy and savor them – guilt free.

A Few Added Thoughts

When it comes time for New Year’s resolution to recover from the holidays, I invite you to stop dwelling on the negative thinking of “I should do this or I should do that.” The use of “should” talk is your subtle way of saying that you don’t really want to do something and you’re not going to stick with it anyway. In the end all you accomplish is to beat yourself up with guilt. Instead, find one or two resolutions that feel good to make and that you’re willing to stick to, regardless of how minor they may seem. For instance, if you want to resolve to exercise more, rather than buying a gym membership, you might simply commit to doing more walking through little tricks like parking your car at the far end of the mall parking lot when you go shopping.

Remember though, life is supposed to be fun – and it’s OK to enjoy it!

The most common issue that I hear people struggling with is the “weight issue.”

Consider the numbers: Over 100 million Americans are overweight or obese; that’s over 59% of men, and 51% of women! Over 35% of people state that they are trying to lose weight at any given time.. and for good reason:

• Weighing too much is closely associated with serious, chronic conditions that can lead to death or disability. These include high blood pressure, blood cholesterol abnormalities, adult onset diabetes (type 2 diabetes), heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, arthritis of the knees and hips, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and certain types of cancer.
• Conditions related to being seriously overweight contribute to 300,000 deaths every year, and are second only to smoking as a cause of preventable deaths.
• Nearly 70 percent of the diagnosed cases of cardiovascular diseases are related to excess weight.
• Being seriously overweight more than doubles a person’s chances of developing high blood pressure, and seriously overweight individuals are 50 percent more likely to have abnormal blood cholesterol levels.
• Seriously overweight men are most likely to die from cancer of the colon, rectum, or prostate while seriously overweight women are more likely to die from cancer of the gallbladder, breast, uterus, cervix, or ovaries.
• Overweight and seriously overweight women are less likely to be screened for cervical and breast cancers, even though they have higher morality rates for these diseases.
• In women, being severely overweight has a significant negative impact on pregnancy, menstrual problems, stress, urinary incontinence, and depression.
• Overweight people are twice as likely to develop adult onset diabetes mellitus (type 2 diabetes) as people who are not overweight.
• Besides these very serious health related complications that being overweight can cause, the daily toll of being overweight can be even more taxing.
• Overweight patients who I visit with tend to suffer from tiredness, depression, fatigue, stress, and low self-esteem.

The good news is that I have seen literally hundreds of people transform themselves from a state of being overweight to a state of vibrant health and energy – with a body that’s at their ideal weight.

Heart disease is a major threat to senior health — in fact, 84 percent of people age 65 years and older die from heart disease. Though heart disease risks increase with age, it doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of getting older. The right lifestyle habits and a heart-healthy diet can help protect you.

What exactly is heart disease? It’s the term given to a group of different health conditions that affect the heart. In the United States, the most common form of heart disease is called coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is often responsible for serious cardiovascular events like a heart attack, heart failure, chest pain, and irregular heartbeat, also called arrhythmia.

Know the Symptoms of Heart Disease

The warning signs of heart disease often don’t appear until you’re having a heart attack. Symptoms of an emergency or impending heart attack may include:

• Feeling faint
• Weakness or a sensation of light-headedness
• Having a hard time catching your breath
• Feeling nauseous or vomiting
• Feeling very full or having indigestion
• Pain in the chest or an uncomfortable pressure in the chest
• Unusual pains in the back, shoulders, or neck
• Sweating
• An irregular heartbeat

How to Reduce Your Heart Disease Risks

Many health conditions can contribute to heart disease and increase your risk of having a heart attack. Heart disease treatment and heart attack prevention requires that you treat all other contributing health problems and keep them under control. To treat heart disease you should:

• Lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels
• Keep diabetes under control
• Take medication to treat angina (chest pain)

There are medications that can help treat the various aspects of heart disease. To manage chest pain, nitrates, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers may be recommended. Your doctor may also suggest taking a daily aspirin to help reduce the risk of a heart attack.

7 Steps to Heart Disease Prevention

You can keep your heart healthy no matter how old you are, but it does take effort — possibly even changes in your everyday habits, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and increasing your activity level. Here’s how to get started:

• Get enough exercise. This means at least 30 minutes of exercise almost every day of the week.
• Quit smoking. If you do smoke, it’s time to quit.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. Load up on fresh fruits and vegetables while limiting saturated fats, salt, and foods containing cholesterol, like fatty meats.
• Watch your numbers. Get regular check-ups to monitor health conditions that affect the heart, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, and make sure they’re under control with medication.
• Reduce your alcohol intake. Excess alcohol consumption can worsen health conditions that contribute to heart disease, like blood pressure, arrhythmias, and high cholesterol levels.
• Minimize stress in your life. Stress can compound many heart disease risks that seniors already face, steering you toward an unhealthy lifestyle. Find healthy outlets to relieve stress and lower your heart disease risk.
• Watch your weight. Too many pounds can add up to increased heart disease risk. To help prevent heart disease, maintain a healthy body weight for your size.

Working with your doctor can help keep health problems under control. It’s never too late to start living a healthy lifestyle and getting your heart disease risks in check.

If you’re new to leafy greens, start with a mild variety like kale or collards. Mustard greens (which can be quite peppery) and beet greens and Swiss chard (with their earthy taste) have their charms but they’re an acquired taste that can come later.

It’s easiest to buy your greens washed, chopped, and bagged. If you don’t, you’ll need to remove and discard any tough stems
and center ribs, wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any sand or oil, and chop. (You should also wash the bagged greens.)

The simplest way to cook leafy greens: sauté some garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add the greens (still wet from washing) and cook until soft – anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes – stirring occasionally. (If you cover the pan, they’ll steam a little and cook more quickly.) Then squeeze on some lemon juice or add a splash of wine vinegar. Absolutely delish.

For variety, try sautéing them with garlic, diced tomato, chickpeas, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

You can also steam your greens (10-15 minutes for most kinds; about half that for Swiss chard). Once they’re steamed you can:

• Stir into a pan with an onion that you’ve sautéed in olive oil until well browned (about 10 minutes), or
• Stir into a pan with sliced shiitake mushroom caps that you’ve sautéed in toasted sesame oil until browned (3-5 minutes), then season with a splash of reduced-sodium soy sauce and rice or cider vinegar and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.

For a more traditional taste, simmer raw greens in a low-sodium chicken stock with chunks of smoked turkey sausage until the greens are soft. You can also toss raw greens into the pot as you lentil or bean soup simmers. Or throw away the rule book and make Crispy Kale: Toss raw kale with a little olive oil to lightly coat the leaves, spread on baking sheets, and pop in a 350 oven until crisp, about 15 minutes.

—Kate Sherwood

Dr. Trudy says:

Start with collard greens just to get used to steaming greens with the onions, etc. (When I sauté them, I do not use oil all the time – just a little bit of water.)

You can then try kale, and Swiss chard, etc.-

The mustard greens? I can take a few bites, but they are a little too tart for me no matter how I “dress them” with spices, etc.

1.     Honor the Seasons. Learn to enjoy fresh produce when it’s in season to save money and enjoy it at its nutritious and delicious best.

2.     Smart Organic Shopping. Can’t afford to buy everything organic? Reserve your organic food dollars for produce with the highest pesticide levels. The Environmental Working Group has identified the top 12 fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide (in order): peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, kale, lettuce, grapes (imported), carrots and pears.

3.     Eat Less Animal Protein. Americans tend to plan their menus around the most expensive (and highest in saturated fat) item-meat. Health experts suggest that your plate should be filled with 2/3 plant foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts) and less than 1/3 animal protein.

4.     Avoid Food Waste. While it’s not a healthy habit to clean your plate when you’re not hungry, people waste far too much food. An estimated 40-50 percent of food that is harvested in the U.S. never gets eaten. Cut down on portion size and save your left-overs for lunch the next day.

5.     Pack Lunch. Instead of spending your food dollars on fast food runs or vending machine snacks, pack a healthy lunch using dinner leftovers or wholesome sandwiches, fruits and vegetables.

6.     Fall in Love with Legumes. From beans to lentils, legumes are a nutritious, economical food staple that many cultures base their entire diets on. High protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber, legumes deserve to be the star of your menu at least once a week.

7.     Cut Out Low-Nutrient Foods. If your food dollars are on a diet, then so should your pantry be. Who needs low-nutrient junk foods that ad little more than calories, sodium, fat, and chemicals to your diet? Instead, shop for nutrient-rich whole foods like yogurt, fruit, grains, nuts and veggies.

8.     Grow Your Own Food. Even if all you have room for is a pot on your doorstep, fill it with a tomato plant, herbs, or lettuce and enjoy fresh vegetables for pennies.

-          Thegymsouthbay.com

TRUDY’S CORNER -

I know some of this may be tips you have known already.

But, send it to others, who may not know how to help those budget and eat healthy at the same time!

“Quinoa: An emerging ‘New’ Crop with Potential for CELSS,” read the title of the 1993 NASA Technical Paper. The U.S. space agency was considering quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) for the “Controlled Ecological Life Support System” – that is, for “meeting the needs of humans on long-term space missions.”

What makes quinoa unique?

“Lysine, an essential amino acid that is deficient in many grain crops, is found in quinoa approaching Food and Agriculture Organizations of the United Nations (FAO) standards set for humans,” explained the NASA scientists. It’s similar to what you’d get if you combined soy beans and wheat (NASA’s alternative for CELSS).

Quinoa’s amino acids may help explain why it was a staple of the Inca empire for many centuries. That and its ability to grow at the Andes’ high altitude, where wheat and corn can’t compete. But here’s why you should put quinoa on your shopping list even if you have no plans to move to Peru. Each 220-calorie cup of the cooked whole grain is packed with 5 grams of fiber, 8 grams of protein, and 15 percent of a day’s iron.

Quinoa’s nutty flavor shows up just 10-15 minutes after it hits the stove. What to do then? Mix with some roasted vegetables and pine nuts, or sautéed snow peas and mushrooms with a splash of soy sauce. Or toss with chopped arugula, fresh basil, scallions, sundried tomatoes, and vinaigrette dressing.

-          Nutrition Action Health Letter – April 2011

Trudy’s corner –

Quinoa is a favorite of mine. Whole Foods has different recipes of it in the Deli Section – try them out! It is delicious and has no gluten!

We are so thankful for your interest in getting & staying healthy with Achieving Health Thru Nutrition!

I thought you may like to hear why the resolution to be at a healthy weight is so important!

WHAT IS A HEALTHY WEIGHT?

Maintaining a healthy weight may reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. It may also help you move better and stay mentally sharp. If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, you are at risk for certain health problems. Ask me what a healthy weight is for you. If you start to gain or lose weight and do not know why, we can tell you if this change is healthy for you.

HEALTH RISKS OF BEING UNDERWEIGHT

poor memory
decreased immunity
osteoporosis (bone loss)
decreased muscle strength
hypothermia (lower body temperature)
constipation

If you are underweight, you may not be getting enough nutrients, Ask me about the best way to gain weight and meet your nutritional needs.

HEALTH RISKS OF BEING OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE

Type 2 diabetes
high blood pressure
high blood cholesterol
coronary heart disease
stroke
some types of cancer
gallbladder disease

If you already have one or more of these conditions, ask me if a modest weight loss (5 to 10 percent of your body eright) could help you feel better or need less medicine.

If you need to lose weight, make sure that you reduce your total calories, but do not reduce your nutrient intake. Do not try to lose weight unless you know that it is a positive thing for you to do.

THE BEST WEALTH IS HEALTH!

Trudy Ekstrom, CN, PhD
Achieving Health Thru Nutrition, LLC
www.NutritionDrE.com

4 Servings
Contains Nuts
Contains Dairy
Vegetarian

Nutritional Info (Per serving):

Calories: 280, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 17mg, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Total Fat: 4g, Carbs: 48g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Protein: 2g

Carb Choices: 3

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 1 h 10 mins

Total Time: 1 h 25 mins

Ingredients

• 4 medium pear, bosc, ripe, firm
• 1 1/2 cup(s) pomegranate juice
• 1 cup(s) wine, dessert, such as Muscatel or Riesling
• 2 tablespoon nuts, almonds, sliced
• 1/2 cup(s) seeds, pomegranate, (from 1/2 large fruit)
• 4 tablespoon sour cream, reduced-fat, or low-fat plain yogurt
• 4 whole bay leaves, fresh or dried, for garnish

Preparation

1. Peel pears, leaving them whole and stems intact. Slice off the bases so the pears will stand upright. Use an apple corer to remove cores, if desired, working from the base up.

2. Place the pears on their sides in a large 3- or 4-quart saucepan or small Dutch oven. Pour pomegranate juice and wine over the pears. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the pears are tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn very gently once or twice as they cook so they color evenly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a shallow bowl and set aside.

3. Boil the poaching liquid over high heat until the sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, toast almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until light golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

5. To serve, spoon 1 tablespoon sauce onto each of 4 dessert plates. Place a pear upright on each plate. Drizzle remaining sauce over each pear. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds around the pears and top with the almonds. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream (or yogurt) and a bay leaf.

If you think brown-bag lunches are just a memory from school days, along with your backpack and Mom’s cookies, think again — a new twist on the old brown bag lunch could be your ticket to diet success during the work day.

Brown Bag Lunch: Calorie-Counting Control

“Making a brown bag lunch is helpful because you can control what you put in it,” says Donna L. Weihofen, RD, MS, a nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison.

Not only do you control the calories in your brown bag, but you also are able to control the portion sizes. Portion distortion — a general inability to judge correct portions of food that you don’t prepare yourself — is a significant contributor to diet failure and weight gain.

Researchers in Minnesota created an interesting study to test this idea. They recruited 19 women who agreed to eat a prepackaged boxed lunch each day at work for two months. The women were given either a small lunch of 767 calories or a large lunch of 1,528 calories (double the size) and were told to eat as much or as little as they wanted. Data analysis at the end of the study showed that the women who had the larger lunch ate 278 calories more each day. The results indicate that ongoing exposure to larger portion sizes causes people to unknowingly eat more, an effect that has been demonstrated in other studies as well. As expected, the women who ate the large lunches also gained weight, about two pounds over the course of those two months.

Brown Bag Lunch: What to Pack

If you are used to eating out, you may face a learning curve as you experiment with brown bag options. As a general rule, you want to follow your calorie-counting guidelines and create a meal that will be filling. This requires the right mix of fiber, protein, fruits, and vegetables. For example, pack a chicken sandwich on multigrain bread with a small salad (with light or no dressing) and a piece of fruit or low-calorie yogurt.

Here are some ideas for healthy and filling brown bag lunches that will also save you money:

• Wrap up your leftovers. Try a slight modification to make last night’s dinner a fresh experience. For example, stuff leftover chili in a pita with some veggies and avocado slices for a new taste.
• Microwave a frozen meal. There’s a frozen lunch entrée to meet every diet and every budget. “A lot of these new microwave dinners are really, really nice and they are very controlled in calories. I think the industry has done a lot of good things in producing those products,” says Weihofen, adding that you can find some very tasty bargains in the frozen food section.
• Pack a soup. Soup is filling and generally low in calories. In fact, if you eat soup before digging into your main lunch course, studies show you’re likely to eat 20 percent fewer calories.
• Focus on cost-saving foods. In general, packing a brown-bag lunch will save you money compared to eating out every day. If you are stretching your pennies, Weihofen recommends using beans, eggs, potatoes, and leftovers from whole chicken meals (rotisserie or baked at home) for truly low-calorie and budget-friendly meals.
• Brown-bag snacks as well. Create your own 100-calorie snacks to get you through the day. Making these yourself might require a food scale for careful measuring, but you’ll save a small fortune over prepackaged 100-calorie snacks and be more eco-friendly.

There are times when brown-bagging it won’t be possible because of your schedule or your worksite. In those instances, Weihofen recommends doing a little advance research to find healthy eating options nearby. By making smart choices when eating out, and with some creativity at home, you can enjoy tasty low-calorie lunch creations that suit your waist and your wallet.

Inadequate levels of Vitamin D are associated with an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease and death, according to a study reported at the American Heart Association 2009 Scientific Sessions in November. For just over a year, researchers followed more than 27,000 people age 50 or older with no history of cardiovascular disease. They found that those with very low levels of vitamin D – below 15 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/mL) – were 77 percent more likely to die, 45 more likely to develop coronary artery disease, and 78 percent more likely to have a stroke than those with normal levels (above 30 ng/mL). Those deficient in vitamin D were also twice as likely to develop heart failure as those with normal levels.

Trudy’s comment:

Do you know your vitamin D level? It is very easy to find out. Come in and get tested! Vitamin D is important as cancer prevention, too.