just one thing Blog
Nutrition and Lifestyle Tips ... Quick reading and lots of resources
to make doing "Just One Thing" a realistic goal!
to make doing "Just One Thing" a realistic goal!
What is high in protein, protective of your heart, and beneficial for your brain - including mood, memory, cognitive skills, and healthy aging? Seafood! Seafood, which includes fish and shellfish, can also be high in calcium, vitamin D, selenium, and of course, fish oils, or omega-3 fatty acids.
Which seafood is best for your health? Fatty fish contain the most omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D; these include salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and anchovies, among others. Swordfish is also high in omega-3s but controversial - High in mercury? Read more here. Sustainable? Find the right kinds of swordfish here. Other healthful options: salmon and sardines have the highest calcium content when you eat the bones; tuna and halibut have the most selenium; cod and shrimp are highest in iodine. There are many options, and eating a variety is going to help you get a diversity of nutrients. Note that eating fish is better than taking fish oils; that will have to be a future blog. Health organizations and experts recommend eating seafood at least twice a week, with a 3 ½ ounce serving size. If you think fish is not affordable, consider your portion size, as you may be able to split your portion into two dinners. Which seafood is best for the environment? There are good and bad options with both wild and farm raised fish. It’s clear that some waterways and marine life are overfished, and some fish farms are using antibiotics and pesticides. You really need to be informed! My go-to resource for sustainable seafood information is the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program. With a robust website and easy to use app, this program helps you choose the best seafood for the environment; provides recipes so you can enjoy a variety of flavors (arctic char, rockfish, crab, clams and squid anyone?); and directs you to restaurants that offer sustainable options. If you still aren’t convinced that your seafood choices matter, check out the science-backed, research-based recommendations here. Just One Thing to do: Eat fish at least twice a week for your health, and choose sustainable seafood for the health of our oceans.
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Do you know where your food comes from?
It is estimated that food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your plate. That means you can get a variety of foods any place, any time, but sometimes at a cost to the environment: transportation requires fossil fuel and emits greenhouse gasses. A common term in the study of sustainable nutrition is “food miles” - meaning how far your food travels before you buy it - and is one reason to eat locally produced foods, with fewer food miles equating to a shorter route from farm to table. You can even calculate them yourself here. Buy locally when possible. First, ask questions at the grocery store – which vegetables are grown in state? Which chicken or pork is raised locally? Information is also readily available online about farmers’ markets, farm stands, and local egg, meat or poultry shares. There are probably also gardening opportunities in your area, even if you don’t have room in your own yard. If you do not find the information you need online, call a local extension agent for advice on how to grow or find your favorite foods. While I advocate for and support eating locally, I also know that some foods are shipped from afar when they are not available locally, and that makes sense when it would take more resources to grow locally (e.g. water, soil amendments) than it currently takes to ship that produce in. If you really want to make an impact, you may choose to avoid any foods that cannot be grown or raised locally; how much do you love those avocados and pineapples? The choice is yours. Just One Thing to do: Look for locally grown and raised food in your grocery store, farmers’ market and farm stands. Just One More Thing to do: Consider buying a share of a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)! Find great information and resources here. Now that you have decreased your intake of beef and dairy (April 8 blog), you may be wondering what other proteins you can add to your daily intake to complement the fruits and vegetables you are no longer wasting (April 1 blog). My recommendation: PULSES!
Pulses are a subgroup of the legume family, and specifically include dried beans, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, and lentils, among others listed here. These remarkable crops are associated with sustainable agriculture by improving soil fertility, increasing nutrient availability, helping the ecosystem suppress diseases, reducing dependency on fertilizers, and using fewer resources than many other crops. AND they can adapt to climate change thanks to their genetic diversity. If that isn’t enough to convince you to eat more pulses, they are also nutrient dense: high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals while low in fat, with no cholesterol or gluten. They are inexpensive and easy to cook, too, with a variety of flavors that lend themselves well to a wide array of spices and cuisines. Just One Thing to do: Substitute pulses for meat 3 to 4 times per week. If that seems overwhelming for dinner options, commit to making all your lunches meat-free and dairy-free, based on these plant foods instead. P.S. Need help with preparation and cooking? Try this great resource: Pulses According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, livestock has a significant impact on the environment, evidenced by extensive research and data collection. First, just raising cattle requires vast natural resources, including land and water, which are becoming increasingly degraded and scarce around the world. Second, cattle contribute to pollution through animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides, and sediments from eroded pastures. Third, their burps and gas contain methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In fact, cattle, along with other grazing animals such as lamb and dairy cows, contribute 40% of the environment’s methane.
Producing one serving of beef releases more CO2 and methane, and uses more land and water, than poultry, eggs, beans, and nuts, other high-quality protein sources. A recent EPA inventory reported that beef cattle account for 71% of methane emissions while dairy cattle account for another 24%. Just One Thing to do: Reduce your beef intake to one (3 ounce) serving a week. Replace with plant-based proteins such as beans, peas, lentils and nuts, as well as lower impact animal products like chicken, turkey and eggs. Sustainability is a bit of a buzz word right now, but it isn’t always clear what it means. I support eating a more sustainable diet – that is, a pattern of eating that has a low environmental impact. It’s no secret that our planet is suffering from air and water pollution, along with depleted nutrient levels in soil and overfished oceans. But what will it take to convince you that it matters to you?
Let’s start with air pollution. Increased allergies, upper respiratory tract infections, eye irritation and headaches. Heart disease and lung cancer (top causes of death in the U.S.). Extreme weather patterns that effect you if you like to play, hunt, fish, camp, or exercise outside. A first step in confronting air pollution is something we can each easily address: less food waste. Here in the U.S., we waste 30-40% of our food. Some of that waste occurs along the production chain and in food service, but it’s estimated that household food waste is a striking 30%! When food is disposed in landfills, it rots and becomes a huge source of methane, a greenhouse gas with over 20 times the damaging effects of CO2. Food waste is a higher polluter than road transportation. Yikes. Find good tips on reducing food waste here. Just One Thing to do: Only buy food you know you will eat. Buy less at the market and use up everything. P.S. April is Earth Month, so follow along all month as I present more ways you can eat a more sustainable diet! Weekly updates will appear on this blog and on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JustOneThingNutritionMelissaWdowik/ Spring is a great time to throw open our windows and clean out our homes, so why not also take this opportunity to Spring Clean our diets? Many of us could survive a month or two with the amount of food stored in our refrigerators, freezers, and pantries – but are we really going to use up all those jars, cans, boxes, and plastic containers? I’m guessing not. So, take a good look at the food and drinks in your house. Making an effort to clean out unhealthful products lets you make a fresh start next time you are at the market.
1. Toss old condiments (sour cream, creamy salad dressing, and anything past its expiration dates). Why? You can make your own flavored toppings with nonfat yogurt, vinegar and olive oil, and spices without the added sugar, sodium and chemicals in many ready-made products. 2. Toss processed cheese (e.g. American cheese slices) and processed meat (e.g. sausage, salami, bologna). Why? Unhealthy fats, lots of sodium, and added chemicals. 3. Toss packaged pastries (e.g. biscuits), boxes of flavored noodles and packages of premade rice mixes. Why? Same as the two above. 4. This is also a good time to get rid of all sugary drinks, including soda, energy drinks, and instant flavored coffee and tea mixes. So much better to drink water, flavored water, or fresh coffee/tea with your own flavors. Just One Thing to do: Choose one of the above categories to Spring Clean your diet, then pick another one next week! Look for related fun tips on my Facebook page! It might sound like heresy coming from a nutrition professor, but you need to stop counting calories.
Body weight considerations (including weight loss, gain and maintenance) are complicated. A healthy weight for you should take into consideration not just your gender and height, but also body composition and metabolic fitness – a fancy way of saying the most important factors are that you are physically active, have more muscle than fat, and have optimal health measurements such as blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose. If you are overweight, losing just 5-7% of your body weight can improve these measures! To lose that weight: 1. Listen to your body’s signals for when it is full. Stop eating before you are full (at about 80% - you’ll get familiar with this feeling the more you try it). 2. Eat smaller portions and make sure what you are eating is real food - not bars, diet foods or processed foods like chips, cookies or candy. Fill up on vegetables, lean proteins, legumes, and fruit. Just One Thing to do: Instead of counting calories, eat smaller meals, fewer snacks, and only real food (see above). Get specific tips here. Just One More Thing to do: Read a personal perspective about calories here. I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news: colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer in the U.S. and the 3rd leading cause of cancer death. The good news: colorectal cancer is preventable!
Studies show you can lower your risk for colorectal cancer by improving your lifestyle habits, and they aren’t that difficult. Eat more vegetables and fruits, eat whole grains instead of white, and decrease your intake of red meat and processed meat. An example of a day following this advice: - Breakfast: Oatmeal with sliced banana - Lunch: Spinach and kale chopped up with other raw vegetables and balsamic vinaigrette, with a whole grain roll on the side - Dinner: Skinless chicken thigh with ½ cup of brown rice and a double helping of sautéed brussels sprouts Follow this link for helpful information from the American Cancer Society. Just One Thing to do: If you are over age 45, make an appointment to get screened today! Variety is a recommendation we hear all the time from nutrition professionals, as a cornerstone of a healthful diet. But what if variety can actually make you gain unwanted weight?
Research shows the variety of dietary choices in the U. S. has increased exponentially just in one generation. When I was a kid, there was less than ½ an aisle each, on just one side, for breakfast cereal, crackers, cookies, and salty snack foods. Now, a typical grocery store has a full aisle of each, and it’s not uncommon to see shoppers selecting several types of each food, for a nice “variety”. The problem is, once home, we eat more when we have more choices! Why have a chocolate chip cookie when we can have it as well as a pecan shortbread, oatmeal, and sandwich cookie? Just One Thing to do: Choose a variety of fruits, vegetables and protein sources, but limit cereal, crackers, and snack foods to one type at a time. Bonus: See what the experts have to say about dietary diversity.
Like thousands of other Registered Dietitian Nutritionists across the U.S., I'm here to help "focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits" per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Check back weekly for nutrition and exercise information, and check out practical tips at JUST ONE THING NUTRITION!
Research shows that making positive lifestyle changes can lower your risk of developing heart disease, and even help you get healthy if you already have it. So, don’t smoke, control your stress, watch your weight, and get active!
Being physically active includes daily movement as well as planned exercise, and you need both. First, be sure to get up every hour and move around – whether that means walking around the block, taking a few flights of stairs, or jogging to the next building to use the restroom, this adds up by the end of the day. In addition, it is important to have planned exercise of longer duration most days of the week. Schedule it in like a doctor appointment: 30 minutes at the gym, the track, the trail, using an online fitness program, or playing ball will all get your heart pumping and your energy up. If you want to lower your bad cholesterol, raise your good cholesterol, and reduce your blood pressure, exercise makes a difference! Just One Thing to do: Use an app on your phone to remind you to move every hour. It seems everyone has heard there is a connection between red wine and heart health, but is there enough evidence to recommend a daily glass?
Red wine contains polyphenols, plant-based nutrients that act as antioxidants to protect our cells from damage. They play a role in preventing heart disease, diabetes, digestive issues, weight problems, and other chronic disorders. Polyphenols are amazing work horses, it’s true, but they can be found in foods beyond just the red and purple grapes used to make wine; they are present in a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, spices, and teas. Just One Thing to do: If you drink wine, continue to enjoy a glass a day. Limit yourself to this amount, since excess can cause weight gain and health issues. If you don’t drink, there is not enough research that says you should start! Get your polyphenols from other plant-based foods: a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, spices, and teas as mentioned above! For week 2 of American Heart Month, let’s tackle High Blood Pressure.
Blood pressure is the natural push of blood against your blood vessels as your heart is pumping. If this pressure rises and stays high, it is called Hypertension, or High Blood Pressure, and it can damage your blood vessel walls and your heart. It may be caused by certain medications or medical conditions, but is often caused by lifestyle factors, such as inactivity, eating too much sodium, or being overweight. Just One Thing to do: Be your own best blood pressure advocate by adding some PHYSICAL ACTIVITY every day. This will strengthen your heart and blood vessels, and has been shown to control high blood pressure. Please check with your doctor first but then get moving – even walking 20 minutes/day will help! Just One More Thing to do: Eat less SODIUM! While not everyone is “sodium sensitive” – or seeing an increase in blood pressure with sodium intake – most people do consume too much. Highest sources of sodium are packaged foods such as canned soup, boxed dinners, frozen vegetables with cheese and sauce added, and pizza. Substitute low sodium versions of soup, cook whole grains from scratch, and enjoy plain frozen vegetables. Check out more quick tips at my Facebook Page Just One Thing Nutrition! Did you know Heart Disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S.? Coronary Heart Disease, its technical name, is a condition where plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries, causing atherosclerosis. This reduces the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart. It can lead to chest pain (angina), arrhythmia, a heart attack, or heart failure.
The good news is, you can prevent, or treat, heart disease! Just One Thing to do: Learn all you can about heart disease and its risk factors (click here to start). And follow this blog throughout the month of February for lifestyle changes you can make! Processed meat is highly popular in the U.S. and around the world, with some estimates showing that ¼ of meat products consumed are processed; those products include bacon, hot dogs, sausage, ham, salami, and canned meat, to name a few. I know these are emotionally charged foods, ripe with tradition and habits, not to mention taste.
But processed meats are high in sodium, saturated fat, and chemical preservatives. They contribute to weight gain and increase risk of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. More here and here. Yes, many countries and cultures enjoy red meat and even processed meat, but it tends to be fresher and eaten in smaller quantities than in the U.S. (Samin Nosrat demonstrates the beauty of real food in her books and documentary Salt Fat Acid Heat). Just One Thing to do: Choose fish, poultry and beans for your protein source this week instead of red and processed meat. Bonus: How? Cook extra chicken, turkey or fish on Sunday to eat for lunch throughout the week, then top leafy greens with grilled chicken, add roasted turkey breast to leftover grains, slice baked salmon onto a heap of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, or drain and rinse a can of beans to mix with your favorite vegetables. While focusing my January blogs on processed foods, I want to take a timeout to remind you - physical activity is a key component of your healthy lifestyle, and moving every day is critical. Benefits of exercising are physical (healthier heart, bones and lungs) as well as emotional (stress management)!
Do you like to exercise? If so, schedule in exercise appointments for the gym, a fitness class, a swim, or any other workout that makes you break a sweat for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Don’t like to exercise? Think physical activity instead – things that get you up and moving but don’t pressure or frustrate you. You’ve got to enjoy this for the long haul! Try making a morning walking date with a friend, taking a lunchtime dance class with a colleague, or finding an online yoga class that you appreciate as “me time” – also aiming for at least 30 minutes, 5 days a week. Just One Thing to do: Get moving! P.S. Sledding, throwing snowballs, ice skating, building snowmen, playing in the snow with your dog, even shoveling - all great ways to get exercise in the winter if you like getting outside! Americans eat a lot of processed foods, and the rest of the world is not far behind. Highly processed foods make up over half (50-60%!) of the calories we eat, and these tend to have more sodium, sugar, and unhealthful fats than less-processed foods. That means they increase our risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other chronic disorders (leading to lower quality of life, expensive meds, & shortened life expectancy). Top sources of highly processed foods include breakfast cereal, instant soup, frozen meals, and sodas.
Just One Thing to do: After revisiting my previous “Just One Thing to do”, make a shopping list to replace these processed culprits. Try oatmeal and Cheerios in place of sweetened cereal; low sodium chicken vegetable soup in place of instant chicken noodle; frozen chicken tenderloins and vegetables in place of frozen dinners; popcorn instead of chips, and sparkling water in place of sweet soda. The simplest way to define processed food is an edible item that is not in its natural form – for example, potato chips are processed while potatoes are not. Some minimally processed foods are nutritious and healthful, such as whole wheat bread, canned tomatoes, and frozen berries, which would be considered processed if you use the technical definition. For health purposes, however, I choose to focus on unhealthful highly processed foods: food that has been handled and manipulated in a way that (1) breaks it down into a less nutritious product (apples to apple juice), (2) adds ingredients that contribute calories but not nutrients (packaged noodles with cream sauce), and (3) foods that are not readily recognizable as an actual product of the earth (tater tots, Doritos).
I’ll be on my soapbox during the month of January to help you cut back on these imposters. For now… Just One Thing to do: Take a thorough look through your kitchen, tossing out any of these highly processed items in your pantry: boxed noodle or rice mixes, canned meals such as spaghettios, poptarts, and crackers with cheese filling, then in your freezer: pizza rolls, hot dogs, French fries and tater tots. While most of us are busy setting goals this time of year, many are tempted to give up by the end of January. Why? Because the goals aren’t action-oriented; in other words, they often focus on an end result such as “I’ll lose weight”, or they state something vague such as “I’ll drink more water”. What’s important to remember is the HOW – how to get to the results you want and how you can make changes realistically. This calls for a plan of action.
Example 1: If you are hoping to eat better, set a goal for that, not for weight loss. Try “I will eat fruit with my sandwich at lunch instead of chips” and “I will pack my fruit and sandwich the night before” to make it doable. Example 2: If you are planning to drink more water, set a goal for how and when. Try “I will take a bottle of water with me and drink it all by lunch, then another by dinner.” Just One Thing to do: Set one goal at a time with a detailed plan for how to achieve it. P.S. Get more good advice for goal setting! Click on these links: Realistic Resolutions and Continue Healthy Eating Goals Mindful Eating is an old concept that never goes out of style: eating with attention and intention. It improves both physical and emotional health because you not only eat less but enjoy it more! Put aside multitasking and distractions, sit in a pleasant space, give thanks, think about what you are doing, and consider the food – its look, smell, texture. Take a small mouthful, put your utensils down between bites and chew slowly. Ah, doesn’t that taste better?
Just One Thing to do: Slow down to savor each bite and sip you take! P.S. Jump over to my longer article HERE for more details and helpful nutrition hints. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or other December holidays, chances are you’re surrounded by extra treats and festivities this time of year. The typical American gains at least a pound between now and January 1, and unfortunately, it tends to accrue year after year, causing increased risk for chronic issues like diabetes and heart disease.
One way to avoid weight gain is to watch what you drink. Alcoholic beverages provide lots of empty calories and they often stimulate the appetite, so it makes sense to limit. Drink slowly, space out your drinks, and choose options like red wine, light beer, or liquor with sparkling water or diet soda instead of juice, soda or other mixers (for example, try rum and diet coke or vodka with club soda and lime). P.S. Red wine gets a shout-out for its antioxidants here. Just One Thing to do: Trade sweet mixers for sparkling water or sip smaller glasses of wine. I love eggnog for its sweet taste and warm memories of family holidays. But eggnog is anything but healthful. While it contributes a bit of calcium and protein, it is high is sugar and fat! Just ½ cup has between 120 and 180 calories (with optional alcohol adding another 100 at least), but a serving is often more than ½ cup. Since your brain does not register beverages like it does food, eggnog won’t fill you up or replace your dessert, so the empty calories just add up.
An occasional glass isn’t a problem, but what if you find yourself sipping it every day? I still choose to enjoy eggnog by making my own (use nonfat milk or a dairy alternative with this recipe) or mixing a light store-bought version with one of those milks to expand my ½ cup serving to a full cup. Just One Thing to do: If you enjoy eggnog, try brewing your own using skim milk or a light nondairy beverage, or buy a light version and keep your portion to ½ cup. December is National Root Vegetables Month and it’s no wonder – they are at their peak this time of year, having nestled snuggly underground for a late fall harvest. They include onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets and carrots, just to name a few. Full of fiber and complex carbohydrates, they are also good sources of antioxidants and phytochemicals, those powerful substances that fight cancer and aging. Use them to add flavor to stir fry, substance to soup, and variety to your favorite protein. Feeling extra adventurous? Rutabagas are sweet, inexpensive, and high in vitamin C; I like these recipes from Cooking Light.
Just One Thing to do: Include a variety of root vegetables in your diet, starting today! The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) promotes Diabetes Month with the theme “Promoting Health After Gestational Diabetes”. Moms who have had gestational diabetes (what it is) are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. See previous post on why this is important and my previous articles for additional information!
It’s crucial to take care of yourself both during and after pregnancy. How? One way is by choosing foods you know nourish you. You can’t really pretend cookies and chips are everyday foods when you know fruit, nuts and yogurt make better snacks. Just One Thing to do: If you have or had gestational diabetes, commit to preventing diabetes by choosing healthier snacks every day. November is American Diabetes Month and it’s still November, so heads up!
Over 30 million people in the U.S. have diabetes; that’s 9.4% of the population or almost 1 out of every 10 people. Millions more have prediabetes, but most of them do not know they have it. Untreated, prediabetes leads to type 2 diabetes within 5 years. Those are some big numbers! Why does it matter? According to the CDC, people with diabetes are at increased risk of serious health complications, including vision loss, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, and premature death (more here). Just One Thing to do: Make sure you and your loved ones have all been tested for diabetes and prediabetes! |
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