Category: portion sizes

Nine Famous Nutrition Findings That May Be Myths

Nine Famous Nutrition Findings That May Be Myths

I really like science and research.  Without it, my industry would not be where it is today.  However, the science field is not perfect and has it’s flaws.

It was recently reported that a famed Cornell researcher Brian Wansink and his Food and Brand Lab published hundreds of studies that have not been able to stand up to scientific scrutiny.  In other words, the data was flawed.  Based on this discovery, two decades worth of study findings on the psychology and marketing of food and eating may be invalid.

Because his work was so famous, I felt it was important to share this information with you. There’s a very good chance one or many of his findings have ben passed on to you by a trustworthy source.

Here are nine of the  famous – and now suspect- findings:

  • Keeping junk foods out of sight causes us to eat less of them.
  • Using smaller plates leads people to eat less.
  • People will eat almost all of the food that they serve themselves.
  • The nutritional gatekeeper at home influences nearly 75% of the food eaten by the rest of the family.
  • Half of the snack foods bought in bulk are eaten within a week of purchase.
  • Men eat more in the company of women.
  • Trayless cafeterias lead diners to choose less salad and more dessert.
  • Hungry grocery shoppers buy more calories, not more food.
  • Nutrition report cards may improve school lunch selection.

While some of the findings above may prove to be true for some or even many people, the scientific data that was used is now considered unreliable.  For the most up-to-date list of questioned studies you can check out the Retraction Database at retractiondatabase.org.

I believe it’s a good idea to pay attention to current research when it comes to health and fitness. I also believe it’s important to discover what works for you personally.  In the end it’s all about being healthy and whole.  Just because something is “science” based doesn’t mean it’s right for you or you need to jump on board.

I encourage you to be open to new research. I also recommend that you seek wise counsel, listen to good doctors, listen to your body, and pay close attention to your gut instincts.  🙂

Here’s to a happy and healthy week!

Shared with love,

Jennifer

 

Five Reasons To Eat Slowly And Enjoy Your Food

Five Reasons To Eat Slowly And Enjoy Your Food

I’ll be the first to admit that I can eat way too fast at times and I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy my meal.  When you are busy and eating to fuel your body, meal time can turn into a chore or a forgotten moment in time.  In today’s fast paced lifestyle where sit down meals are becoming more rare, inhaling our food can be easy.  However, current research suggests that eating at a slower pace can give the body a better chance to feel satisfied and enjoy the food which leads to less mindless overeating.

Slow eating can also help control blood sugar and have a positive impact on one’s overall health. If you are like me , and have to remind yourself to eat a little slower from time to time,  here are five reasons to give you some incentive.

1. Your body needs time to tell you that you’re full.

It takes approximately 20 minutes for your body to signal that you’re full, so people who eat at a faster pace can overeat before they even know it’s happening.  When you eat slower you give your body a chance to let you know that you’ve eaten the right amount of food.   This works as a great motivator for most people because none of us like feeling “stuffed”.  It’s uncomfortable!

2. Eating fast can cause indigestion.

When we start to eat, our body goes through a multi-step digestive process.  If you eat too quickly, your body isn’t ready for the incoming food which can lead to indigestion.  Ugh!

3. Slow eaters are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

People who eat fast are more likely to have the conditions, known as metabolic syndrome, that can lead to future cardiovascular disease. Those conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol.  While eating slower alone doesn’t make you bullet proof, it can certainly help contribute to better health.

4. Eating slower can positively affect your weight.

By slowing down when we eat, we become more aware of when we’re full, and are more likely to stop eating when our bodies have had enough.  This helps limit overeating and consuming more energy than your body may need.

5. take a break to enjoy your food.

Eating should be an opportunity for all of us to take a moment and enjoy the food in front of us and the company around us.  I always eat great food, but sometimes I eat it so fast that I don’t really appreciate all of the great flavors and textures.  If we treated most of our meal times like fine dining experiences, I believe we would be more likely to savor every bite even when you’re eating something as simple as a bowl of soup or a sandwich.

Slowing down to eat a meal helps us to become more present and to take a break from the busyness of the day which can lower stress and improve your overall sense of well being.  There is a reason why sitting down for a long meal is one of the top ways that we relax and connect with one another.

Please remember that everyone eats too fast and even overeats from time to time.  Don’t ever beat yourself up or feel guilty about anything food related, ever.   Guilt can stress you out which is NEVER  helpful.  Taking care of your health is a long term effort and it’s all about balance.  None of us are perfect.  🙂

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and mindful week!

Shared with love,

Jennifer

 

 

Ten Great Reasons To Cook At Home

Ten great reasons to cook at home by Jennifer Ledford

Up until my thirties my cooking skills were pretty limited and my meal planning consisted of heading to the grocery store to scan the aisles for what I considered to be “healthy” food at the time.  Our meals were not very exciting (let’s just say I wore out the cord on our rice steamer) and we ate out a lot.

Fast forward to 2017 and we cook almost every meal at home now.  My husband goes out a bit more than I do for business reasons but, as a couple, we eat out about once a week on average.

Eating out is fun and I believe we should all take a break from our kitchens to socialize and enjoy good food while letting someone else do the clean up.  I also believe takeout has its place in our lives.  There are days and even seasons in your life when it makes a lot of sense mentally and physically to let someone else do the cooking.

However, is it possible that Americans may be eating out too much these days?  Statistics reveal that the average American eats out 4-5 times per week.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2014, the average American household spent $2,787 on restaurant meals and takeout, compared to $3,971 on groceries. But in 2015, the average amount spent on restaurants and takeout jumped $221 to $3,008. Grocery spending, by contrast, increased just $44 per household to $4,015.  This shows us that dining at restaurants and ordering takeout aren’t just luxuries anymore. They’re becoming the norm.  People simply are not cooking as much.

I have to admit, when I first started meal planning it had EVERYTHING to do with saving money. Since I’m in the fitness industry I already had an idea about how to choose healthy foods.   I just wanted to spend less in restaurants.  However, over time, the more I cooked and learned about food, the more my husband and I began to prefer my cooking to most restaurants.

Last week, my husband was out of town and since I was cooking for one I decided to take a break from the kitchen and pick up a burrito from one of the local taquerias.  The moment I took my first bite of the burrito I was reminded why I like to cook at home most of the time.   It turned out to be mediocre and I realized that the ingredients were probably not the same quality I would have purchased.  I ate the remaining half for lunch the next day and decided to cook for one for the rest of the week.  It turns out I prefer my own cooking unless the chef is WAY better at it than I am.

Taste and cost are two really big drivers that motivate me to meal plan and cook at home even on the days I don’t feel like it.  However there are other good reasons why I believe it pays off big to cook more at home.

EIGHT MORE REASONS TO COOK AT HOME MORE OFTEN

  • You know what goes into the food. When I make our food, I get to choose how much butter, oil, salt, and sugar I add.  Sometimes I add more than the recipe calls for and sometimes I cut it back.  I can also make substitutions that I think are healthier for us like swapping out more refined grains for whole grains, adding more veggies, and choosing oils that I believe are better than others.
  • You know where it came from.   While some restaurants are now offering organic and all natural foods on their menus, not every restaurant does.   It’s important to me to serve my family, guests, and even our pets food that I believe is as close to its natural state as possible. That doesn’t mean we buy all organic or avoid all processed food.  It means that when I shop and choose which foods we will eat I pay close attention to where the food was sourced from and what ingredients or additives went into it.
  • It can make a difference environmentally.  As an animal lover and conservationist, I prefer to buy humanely raised meat and dairy as well as wild-caught sustainable seafood.  Eating at home can limit the amount of packaging that needs to be recycled.  We live on the San Francisco bay and it’s heartbreaking to see plastic and packaging wash up on the beach so I like to do my part to limit how much of it gets tossed into the bins at our house.
  • You’ll have money to spend on other things. Eating out can be pricey.  It’s amazing how much you save – and how many more high quality ingredients you can afford – when you eat at home.
  • Quality time with your family.  Studies have shown that kids who eat with their families frequently are less likely to get depressed, consider suicide, and develop an eating disorder.   When a child is feeling down or depressed, family dinner can act as an intervention. This is especially true of eating disorders, says Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, PhD, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, who has studied the impact of family meal patterns on adolescents. “If a child eats with his or her parents on a regular basis, problems will be identified earlier on,” she says. Sitting down to a meal is just as important for adults.  It can help relieve stress and allow you to take a break from the busyness of life.  For couples, it’s a great opportunity  to catch up on each other’s day and build a stronger relationship.
  • You can learn new skills. The more I cook, the more confident I feel in the kitchen.  Some of the recipes I choose to experiment with now I would have totally avoided five years ago.  Meal planning and cooking has helped me with my organizational skills and ability to stick to tasks long term.
  • Eating leftovers saves you time.  One of the bonuses of cooking at home is being able to freeze the leftovers or have them for lunch the next day.  Freezing them allows you to have healthy meals ready to go on the days you’d rather not or don’t have time to cook and packing your lunch with healthy leftovers saves you the time of scouting out healthy food during your precious lunch break.  Packing your lunch may even allow you time to take a midday walk or do a mini-workout.
  • Weight Control.  It may surprise you that as a personal trainer I listed weight management last.  I did that on purpose.  I personally believe that unless your body has an underlying medical issue if you focus on eating foods that fuel your body well most of the time and consuming portion sizes that are suitable for your lifestyle then your body will eventually settle into its natural weight.  Food has been used way too often to manipulate bodies to be something they were not naturally designed to be so I encourage you to focus on eating a healthy variety of foods rather than just weight loss.

It’s true that cooking takes time which is precious to all of us.  However, preparing tasty and healthy meals doesn’t have to be a long or complicated process.  Start with simple recipes and give yourself permission to assemble pre-cooked food like a roasted chicken from your deli combined with a salad and some mashed sweet potatoes.  Invest in tools like rice steamers and slow cookers so you can cook while you are doing other things.  Experiment to discover what works for you and then roll with it.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, and full life!

Shared with love,
Jennifer