Eating Healthy During the Holidays

     Celebrating with family and friends makes the holiday season a fun time of the year. It is also the time of year that involves over-eating and weight gain for many. Holiday eating results in an average gain of one to two pounds each year and, overtime, this can add up. By focusing on balancing food, activity, and fun, the holiday season doesn’t have to mean weight gain.

Tips for Eating Healthy During the Holidays:

1. Don’t arrive to a holiday party on an empty stomach – eat a snack beforehand to avoid overeating.

2. Bring your own healthy dish – you’ll have at least one healthy option to eat.

3. Don’t drink your calories – be careful when drinking high-calorie non-alcoholic or alcoholic beverages.

4. Eat small portions – you don’t have to skip your favorite holiday foods, but don’t overindulge.

5. Eat slowly – savor and enjoy your favorite holiday foods, rather than overindulging.

6. Plan time for exercise – take a walk or play a game outside with family.

7. Don’t focus on the food – focus on socializing with family and friends and meeting new acquaintances.

Foods to Choose More Often: ·         Turkey breast ·         Chicken breast ·         Mineral water ·         Tossed salad ·         Steamed vegetables ·         Fresh fruit ·         Plain rice ·         Plain potatoes

Foods to Choose Less Often: ·         Beef ·         Pie & Cakes ·         Stuffing ·         Sugar-sweetened beverages/alcohol ·         Gravy ·         Bread pudding ·         Candy ·         Eggnog

Written by: Corey Grundy, MS, SFA Dietetic Intern 2014-2015

References:

http://www.dining.ucla.edu/housing_site/dining/SNAC_pdf/GiftOfGoodHealth.pdf

http://www.cpmc.org/about/e-health/11-05%20healthy-holidays.html

http://www.slcfac.com/2013/12/04/healthy-holiday-happenings/

http://danazilber.com/2012/11/five-ways-to-survive-the-holiday-weight-gain/

 

Diabetes Prevention

Complications in how the blood sugar regulatory hormone, insulin, is produced, works, or both can result in the group of diseases known as diabetes. People with diabetes may develop serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and premature death.

The risk factors for developing diabetes are:

  Family history of diabetes

  Overweight

  Unhealthy diet

  Physical inactivity

  Increasing age

  High blood pressure

  Ethnicity

  Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT)*

  History of gestational diabetes

  Poor nutrition during pregnancy

Did you know that diabetes is preventable?

From these risks, we can modify obesity, impaired glucose metabolism, and physical inactivity.  

By emphasizing health in your diet and instituting fun exercise habits now, you can reduce risk by removing the modifiable risk factors associated with developing diabetes.

 Written by: Nick Murphrey SFA Dietetic Intern 2014/15

Sourced information:

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/stroke_ES/index.aspx

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.aspx

http://www.ndep.nih.gov/index.aspx

Risk reduction:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1370926/

Picture:

http://us.123rf.com/450wm/tupungato/tupungato1402/tupungato140200254/26004806-diabetes-illness-concepts-word-cloud-illustration-word-collage-concept.jpg

http://www.2ndwindexercise.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Diet-Plus-Exercise.jpg

Statistics:

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf

Info graphic:

http://www.idf.org/about-diabetes/risk-factors

   

Healthy Vegan Baking Swaps!

Two of my very best friends are vegetarian and after moving in with them, I found myself transitioning to a vegetarian diet.  Not long after, our fourth roommate moved in and he was a vegan!  This was uncharted territory to me; veganism has always been extreme to me.  I mean, how could one LIVE without eggs, butter, or CHEESE?!  A choice I couldn't quite make for myself but I respected his dedication to that lifestyle.  It wasn't long after he moved in that one of my vegetarian roommates developed gluten sensitivity and transitioned herself to a gluten-free diet.  Having all of these dietary restrictions under one roof was going to make meal time interesting!

More about me, I LOVE to bake.  Love, love, love it! Probably because I secretly love eating the batter and having that first, fresh and warm cookie or muffin.  And now that my treats needed to appeal to both a vegan and gluten-free diet, it was time to get creative.

I quickly discovered the various vegan baking hacks and they are really quite simple.

·         First off, eggs:

o   Bananas!  ½ cup of mashed banana = 1 egg

o   Applesauce!  ¼ cup applesauce = 1 egg.  Applesauce works great in cakey treats, like muffins or cupcakes.

o   I personally use flax meal!  This stuff goes so far and is relatively inexpensive.  It takes only 1 tbsp to equal one egg!  Put 1 tbsp of flax meal into a bowl and add 3 tbsp of warm water, mix and let sit for a few minutes before adding to your recipe.  The combination mimics the texture perfectly and acts as a binder to hold your ingredients together.

o   1 tbsp chia seeds and 1/3 cup of water can also be mixed together for the same effect!

·         Milk!  This one is probably the easiest because there are no proportion differences.  If you want to use almond milk, soy milk or rice milk, simply replace it!

·         Now, for butter:

o   I like to use coconut oil.  This stuff can get a little expensive but if you have access to a Costco or a Sam’s Club, they generally sell coconut oil in big tubs for only slightly more than a little jar from the grocery store.  In my personal experience, coconut oil goes a little further than butter.  Say a recipe calls for ½ cup butter and you want to use coconut oil, start off with 1/3 cup coconut oil and add more to reach a desired consistency!

o   ½ cup mashed banana also works great for quick cakes, coffee cakes and pancakes

o   Or Canola oil will work just fine, it just doesn't have as many health benefits as coconut oil or bananas.

Here are some links to sites with more in depth info and more swap suggestions!

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/bake/ingredient-substitutions/?socsrc=bhgpin100114emergencyingredients&crlt.pid=camp.Vk1J1hHV8WSE

http://www.veganrunnereats.com/1209/vegan-kitchen-simplified-series-how-to-replace-butter-and-eggs-in-baked-goods-and-not-end-up-with-cardboard/

And a link to a delicious vegan recipe for chocolate chip banana squares!  When I made them they came out sort of like brownies with a cakier fluffier consistency.

http://brunchatsaks.blogspot.fr/2012/05/chocolate-chip-banana-squares-gluten.html

Thanks for reading and happy baking!

Emily Curci

Healthy Eating on a Budget

    

It’s easy to just order a pizza or grab a snack from the vending machine when you’re hungry, but doing this could lead to the notorious “freshman 15” and can get expensive if done regularly. Whether you live in a dorm or an apartment, there are many ways to eat healthy on a budget. 

If you live in a dorm:

You may have a refrigerator and access to a microwave. Some budget-friendly staples you can keep on hand include:

·         Fresh or dried fruit ·         Baby carrots ·         Whole grain cereal ·         Instant oatmeal packets ·         Popcorn ·         Whole grain bread

·         Peanut butter ·         Canned tuna ·         Whole grain crackers ·         Cheese sticks ·         Low-fat or Greek yogurt ·         Low-fat Milk ·         Nuts

Keeping these foods on hand for a quick snack will keep you feeling full throughout the day. Try mixing the whole grain cereal, dried fruit, and nuts to make trail mix that you can take for a healthy snack between classes or munch on it during a late night study session to keep your brain alert! 

If you live in an apartment:

There are lots of ways to make healthy meals on a budget. Cooking meals at home is much better for your budget and your health than eating out. Before you go to the grocery store, make a list and eat a snack, so you’re not tempted to buy unhealthy foods because you’re hungry. Here are some tips to get the most out of your budget:

1. Buy in bulk – freeze what you won’t eat this week for later.

2. Buy “plain” foods - You can cook, flavor and season them a million different ways to add variety to your diet.

3. Buy Seasonal Produce - It’s cheaper when it’s in season and doesn’t have to be shipped from other countries.

4. Buy canned and frozen - Canned and frozen fruits/veggies have similar nutrition to fresh produce (be sure to drain and rinse canned foods to lower the sodium content!)

5. Avoid junk food and prepackaged foods – these tend to be higher in calories and you can make a lot of these foods at home.

7. Use Everything – making a stir-fry is an easy go-to because you can throw in any and everything.

6. Use coupons & savings cards. 

For healthy, budget-friendly recipe ideas, go to:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/budget/recipes.html 

Written by: Corey Grundy, MS, SFA Dietetic Intern 2014-2015

References:

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-foods-college-student-budget-8197.html

http://stayhealthy-stayhappy.com/2011/06/28/25-ways-to-eat-healthy-on-a-college-budget/

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthy-foods-stay-fresh-college-dorm-2982.html
http://cheftinajo.com/blog/2012/09/dorm-life-and-raw-food.html
http://www.positivelyplantbased.com/eating-healthy-on-a-budget.html