Nutrition and Health – What’s on Your Mind?
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You can always tell when it’s the start of a New Year. Everywhere you turn – newspapers, magazines, radio, television or the internet – there’s another article about how to shape up.
I’ve already had visits from several patients who are ready to ‘turn over a new leaf’ for the New Year, but what I often find is this – with this flood of diet and fitness information coming at them, many of my patients have more questions than solutions. Should they go vegetarian? Stay away from fruit? Not eat after 5 pm? Throw away the salt shaker? The list goes on and on. So today, I’m turning to you – what nutrition questions are on your mind? Let me know what you’re wondering about …and check back here in the upcoming weeks to find the answers.
Some of the most challenging clients I have are the ones who have a lot of weight to lose, who need a complete diet and lifestyle overhaul…and who take me to task on every suggestion I make. Pack a lunch instead of going to the drive through once a week? “Can’t – no time in the morning”. Get up a half hour earlier to take a walk? “Nope – too tired”. Get rid of the ice cream in the freezer? “No can do – I keep it there for the kids”. Mind you, I’m not asking them to make all these changes all at once, but some people really resist even the smallest change. Sometimes they’re afraid to fail, or they feel the sacrifice is too much. Sometimes, the rewards aren’t readily apparent. So when someone has a lot of bad habits that need to be broken, the best thing I can do is to try to help them prioritize – and work on the easiest things first. 
When I was a child, I loved to spend summer days swimming in the pool. And I used to get really annoyed at my mom, who always insisted that I wait an hour after lunch before diving back in – so I wouldn’t “get a belly ache”. At the time, I thought she was being unreasonable, but it turns out her advice was scientifically sound. When you’re doing strenuous exercise, paying attention to what you eat – and when – can have a big impact on your performance.
Last week, I was interviewed by one of our local news channels about a ‘new’ strategy for weight loss. The idea goes a little bit beyond “thinking your way thin” – which focuses on behavior change when it comes to food choice – to something more like, “believing your way thin”. It’s basically an attitude adjustment. If you tell yourself – and believe – that you’re already a healthy, active person who eats well, then you’re much more likely to behave like one. And those healthy behaviors should, in turn, lead you closer to your goal. 
Last week, I had a conversation that I’ve probably had hundreds of times in my career. A new client came in for weight loss counseling and, as I was taking his diet history, I asked my usual first question – “when do you first start eating, and what do you typically eat and drink in a day?” Like most people, he assumed that I was asking about a weekday, so he had little trouble providing a quick rundown of his usual meals and snacks on a typical Monday through Friday. But when I asked, “do you eat differently on the weekends?” he responded with a groan. 
Going gluten-free has gotten a lot easier lately. Gluten-free products – everything from bagels to beer– are showing up on store shelves like never before. And consumers can’t get enough. Last year alone, Americans spent $2.6 billion on gluten-free foods, and they’re hungry for more. For those who have a true intolerance or sensitivity to gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye and barley – these foods are blessing. But many of these products are being snapped up by those who tolerate gluten just fine – in the belief that going gluten-free is a great strategy for weight loss. And to them, I say, “buyer beware” – because gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean low calorie. 
You would think that people who eat healthy and stay slim would be the ones who spend a lot of time thinking about what they eat. After all, how else could they maintain a healthy weight unless they’re focusing on every bite? There are some clear differences in the way normal weight and overweight people approach food and eating – but what we’ve learned is that naturally trim people actually tend to think about food less than those who are watching their weight. 
Picky eaters can drive parents crazy – kids who demand the same foods day after day, or turn up their noses at foods they’ve never even tried. But most grow out of it. Every once in a while, though, I’ll run across a grown adult who is as picky as a toddler. Unlike the rest of us – who have a pretty short list of foods we’d rather not eat – these extremely picky adults have a very different short list, one made up of just a few foods they’re actually willing to eat. While it’s tempting to just dismiss this – on the assumption that these folks are just choosing to be stubborn and rigid – research is suggesting that there may be other forces at work. 
A few weeks ago, the US Coast Guard announced a major downsizing. Not in their staff, but in the number of passengers that will be allowed to travel on commercial boats. The reason? The average passenger weight is being bumped up by 25 pounds – which will determine, and now lessen, the number of people a boat can safely hold. It’s yet another nod to the staggering statistic that two-thirds of adults in this country are overweight or obese. 
Another Monday is coming around, and you’re gearing up for another round of dieting. Checklist in hand, you’re feeling in charge. Tempting foods out of the house? Check. Bowl of fresh fruit on the counter? Check. Cut veggies placed front and center in the ‘frig? Check. But as you stride into work with your healthy homemade lunch, you’re faced with cinnamon rolls in the breakroom, a vending machine full of junk food, and a co-worker with a jar of chocolate candies on her desk. Check, check and check. 