Princeton HFCS Study

My husband emailed me a press release about a Princeton study that found that rats who ate High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) gained more weight than rats fed sucrose.

Although I do not favor HFCS, this is not one study to rave about.

It is very important not to base my clinical judgement on what I hear in the media. Even if the press release says there is a significant finding. Although it is impossible for me to comb through every new study that comes out, there are other places I can rely on to at least get an idea about the study design. In this case, I looked to Dr. Marion Nestle of Food Politics: HFCS makes rats fat?

To Be... Continued

Now that I have some hands free time (that unfortunately can't be devoted to sleep), I would like to follow up on my earlier post about being vs. doing.

Because even though the idea of writing "to be" goals was very profound, actually figuring out how to do it is another story.

But to start, I wrote down all the things that compose who I am. For example, I am a child of God, a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a blogger, a dietitian, etc.

Then I wrote down some adjectives that I would like to describe myself, such as "gentle, loving, accessible, etc."

I also made a list of descriptions that I feel are good things, but compete with other more important things. "Efficient" is one of them.

I didn't want to focus on what I don't want to be, but it still kept coming up. So to ease my mind, I made a list that included things like "short tempered". But it does help, because I can identify the things that influence them, as well as find the antonym to them.

I don't know where this will all take me, but it is good to make that reflection. Now I am praying for wisdom to discern what matters most. So, this list isn't going to come together quickly. It may take all year and even a lifetime to refine.

So be it.

To be or not to be...

A few weeks ago, I heard a sermon from Chip Ingram that shed some insight on setting goals and objectives for our lives. He mentioned that many years ago, he wrote down some goals about the kind of person he wanted to be. He always puts these goals before him when he is scheduling things in his calendar. That way, he always pencils in activities that will work towards those goals. So if one of his goals is to be a great husband, then he pencils in breakfast with his wife on such and such a day, etc.

The beauty of this is that it goes beyond prioritizing daily activities from your to-do lists. It helps us understand the motivation behind why we do certain things and weeds out that which really is not important.

This is probably why I gave up years ago on my resolution to learn how to play the guitar. It would be so wonderful to pick up the guitar and break out in song, but it hasn't happened because it really didn't fit within my life goals.

And how many of us end the day or the year lamenting we aren't accomplishing much? First, have we ever stopped to think what defines our accomplishments? Or have our definitions come from others or what we think others define as accomplishments?

Along those lines, I once heard an interview with Scott A. Sandage, author of Born Losers, in which he explores the history of failure in America. His explanation of the premise of the book was what caught my attention. If I recall correctly, he was listening to his grandmother describe all the failures of her late husband's business ventures. After such a dismal account, she paused, then stated, "He was a good man." What caught Mr. Sandage's attention was that although he was an utter failure in many people's eyes, he was fondly remembered by his wife as a good man.

Hmmm... something to think about. Wait. Scott A. Sandage already did that for us so maybe we should just read his book :-)

So as the new year is always one time of reflection in our lives, step back and take stock of the kind of person you desire to be, especially in the eyes of our loving God. Write them down. These will be lifelong goals, not a to-do this year list. Over time, you can reflect upon whether you are growing in these areas or not.

Thank you for reading and have a happy and prosperous New Year!

By the way, if you are interested in listening to Chip Ingram's sermon, Develop Great Habits, you can purchase the MP3 from his website.

Bill Cosby and smart choices

I haven't been as fluent in blogging these days, but the recent attention on the cereal companies' "smart" choices reminded me of this Bill Cosby clip.
Maybe there is a great calorie discrepancy, but the rationale is the same (except the obvious that Cosby was not being serious). Besides, I have wanted to post this video for a LONG time. Enjoy!

Words are not enough...

...to express the gratitude and honor I have had teaching six 6th-8th graders at my homeschool co-op. It has been a joy to be with them.

Here is a poem that one of my students, Hannah, wrote. They presented it to me with all their names signed on it. Thanks guys, I had a blast!

We learned a lot in cooking class
But now we must move on - alas!
It was fun but now it's done
Thanks a lot for teaching us

The five second rule does not exist
And "Wash your hands!" is on the list
All these health rules are helpful tools
Thanks a lot for teaching us

We made brownies and oatmeal
Granola bars and wraps. We feel
They all were best, you passed the test
Thanks a lot for teaching us

You told us just what healthy means
It's not about how you are seen
But about your lifestyle and a happy smile
Thanks a lot for teaching us

We appreciate all your time
And that is why we wrote this rhyme
It was fun, but now it's done
Thanks a lot for teaching us

Is it easy or hard for you to say “I love my body” and mean it?

That is what Marsha at A Weight Lifted asks.

And I ask: Is it wrong or even unspiritual to love our bodies?

If we look at loving our bodies as Marsha puts it, by "being moved to nurture our bodies", then I think there is no conflict there. I think most agree that taking good care of our homes, cars, children, intellect, finances, spirit and soul, community, etc, are godly things. Some call it good stewardship. Should it be any different with our bodies?

Make sure you read the rest of her post. And let me know what you think.

Week in Review 5/29

Here are some noteworthy blog posts and websites:

Sugar Stacks is a great website that illustrates how much sugar is in certain foods (thanks to Ashley at Epicurean Ideal for telling us about it)

Fresh Produce Recipes, Storage, Canning and Freezing Tips from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sweet Semantics

OK, well I am still on hiatus, but this comment from my 4 1/2 year old "veggie lover" just had to be shared (and doesn't take long to write up either).

Setting: Grandma is taking care of the kids one evening while mommy and daddy are out. Daddy instructs grandma that they can have a treat (a.k.a. watermelon) after dinner. We often use the term treat instead of dessert. Grandma uses the term dessert and brings out the watermelon...

A: Watermelon for dessert?
G: Yes, watermelon. That's the dessert daddy said you could get.
A: Cookies, chocolate cake... now that's what I call dessert!

And of course he eats the watermelon.

On the other hand, he considers watermelon a treat. But obviously treats and desserts are not the same thing. :-)

25 Ingredients, 15 meals

Judy at Food and Health Communications has done it again! She has come up with a list of 25 ingredients and listed 15 meals that can be made with them.

One thing on her list I really need to try is lentils. I remember eating them as a kid and they are really packed with nutrients -- AND they're cheap. I recall the flavor being strong and not being a huge fan of it, but I think I'd like it now.

When your child doesn't like a certain food...

... maybe you need to consider the way that food is prepared.

For example, one of my kids does not like cheese much, especially if it is melted (with the exception of pizza. lol!). He will have cheddar cheese cubes every now and then, but overall, he's not a cheese lover (I don't know what happened...)

At one point, my kids would eat frozen mixed veggies, but not cooked (thanks to the Meal Makeover Moms for that tip).

When we met, my husband said he didn't like green beans. But every time we served it, he would eat it, and like it. It was probably the way it had been prepared that made a difference. (Although, sadly, I can't convince him otherwise about beets)

I recall hating milk as a child. Now that I'm older, I realize that I didn't like it warm (unless it was flavored). Although I am not an avid milk drinker now, I don't have trouble drinking cold milk (actually there is a study that specified how cold milk should be to be more palatable). And I have always preferred cheese and yogurt, so I didn't really need to be drinking milk anyway.

So if you have young children who aren't fond of a food, make sure you give them a variety of other foods and even change the way they are prepared or bought (fresh vs. frozen vs canned). Don't assume that they know how to ask you to prepare things differently if they haven't been exposed to different preparations. And don't get caught up micromanaging their food intake. That may work well for nutrition research, but it is quite unnecessary for normal living.

HFCS: What is the bottom line?

Recently, I gave my professional statement about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Now I'd like to elaborate on that some more.

Although I could cite the concerns of HFCS on health, the bottom line is that the majority of the products containing HFCS are also foods that contribute very little to one's health. Even if these products contain sucrose (table sugar) or even an artificial sweetener, I still would not promote their use. In other words, if a soft drink now is HFCS-free, that isn't a license to consume more of it. Consuming a food in moderation means that on the occasion you do consume it, you don't have to think twice about it.

For example, I can enjoy a soft drink every now and then without hesitation because I haven't had some in a while. I don't have to stop myself and say, "no, I better drink water." But for foods that my family consumes more frequently (like jelly or barbecue sauce) I do think twice about purchasing products containing HFCS.

"Moderation" is such an arbritrary term, which makes it so popular among food marketers. The term can easily imply that we can continue to consume as much as we already do (if not more), when it most likely means we are having too much and we need to cut back.

The same applies to greasy foods, sugary foods, high sodium foods, actually, ANY food lacking in nutritional content.

When we focus more on eating foods that do us some good, major issues like HFCS become minor issues. And that's what it should be.

Hiding fruits and vegetables in our kids' foods

It's April Fools Day (well, actually the night before) and I thought I'd finally address the Deceptively Delicious/Sneaky Chef discussion.
But first, what do YOU think about the idea of hiding fruits and veggies in your kids' foods?

Not me!

Dear Readers,

It has been brought to my attention that the Corn Refiners Association has launched an advertising campaign promoting high-fructose corn syrup. On their home page, there is a statement that reads, in part:

High fructose corn syrup provides many important characteristics, such as texture, flavor and freshness, to your favorite foods and beverages. It is nutritionally the same as table sugar and has the same number of calories, too. As many dietitians agree, sweeteners should be enjoyed in moderation.

In response to the advertising campaign and this statement, I would like to clarify:

1. I am a registered dietitian.
2. I do promote foods in moderation.
3. I do not promote the use of high fructose corn syrup.
4. I am not one of the dietitians this campaign or this web page is attempting to connect their product with.
5. Just as I am exercising my freedom of expression by posting this statement to this blog, I respect the right of the Corn Refiners Association to promote their product. I simply wish to clarify that I have no professional association with their statement or their association.
6. If anyone reading this blog chooses to consume high-fructose corn syrup, it is their personal choice and freedom of expression. It is not a choice based on any perceived endorsement related to the fact that I am a registered dietitian that may have been insinuated based on the wording of these advertisements and the Corn Refiners Association web page.

Respectfully,

Renata Mangrum, MPH, RD.

Thanks to Monika Woolsey for writing this statement and allowing me to use it in its entirety.

Also see: HCFS: What's the Bottom Line?

Healthy entrees under $3 per serving

EatingWell.com has a collection of healthy budget-friendly recipes. All of the recipes are below $3 per serving, much less than eating out.

What I ate today...

[updated to include recipes]

Monika (a.k.a hormonewoman) at the InCyst On The Best blog started a feature today about what she eats. InCyst is one of my favorite nutrition blogs, even though its focus is on PCOS, there is much for all to benefit from. Back to the feature, Monika writes:

"I'd like to bridge the gap between dietitians and people who are not, by using this feature to show what realistic eating consists of. [...]

I want you to see that my life isn't perfect, and therefore my eating is not either. I do my best, always try to do better, and hopefully, 80% of the time, I make good choices, which include foods I enjoy eating."

Incidentally, last night I came across another blog called Eat Like Me by another dietitian, Cristin Dillon-Jones. Cristin blogs about what she eats, so that people can see a real-life account of what a real person eats, and when you blog about something like that every day, you're not going to be able to put up a front and pretend life is perfect. (Well, I guess you could, but that's not what Cristin does).
Then I reflected upon what I ate today and realized how I fell short of my "ideal". And I have more of these days than I'd like to admit. My first thought was to wait for a "better" day, but then I thought you should know that even I am a work in progress.
First, I think it would help you to know what some of my lifestyle health ideals are:

• To cook primarily from scratch
• To avoid highly processed and refined foods
• To eat more whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables
• To purchase locally grown food, within reason. There's no way I'm gonna find bananas grown in NE Ohio ;-)
• To eat more meatless meals
• To enjoy physical activity as a lifestyle, not a task (I have the farthest to go on that one)
• To get a full night's sleep -- if you haven't already noticed from my profile picture :-)

So this was how my day went:

I made myself get up at 7:15 am. My alarm went off at 6. I've been trying to get back into the habit of waking up earlier, especially now that my kids are sleeping through the night. It doesn't help when I go to sleep after 1 am.

Breakfast
Grits with cheese
Snack
A mix of goldfish pretzels and cheese crackers
Lunch
Baked Beans (from a can) and rice
Snack
Chocolate animal crackers and some pretzels
Dinner
Black bean and sweet potato quesadillas. The beans, sweet potatoes, and flour tortillas were cooked from scratch. The tortillas contained unbleached all-purpose flour and oil (not whole grain). I also made the salsa from canned diced tomatoes.

• I drank either spring water or seltzer water throughout the day and with meals. I'd drink filtered water, but we can't get one installed and filling up pitchers is not as practical. We used to mix 100% juice with seltzer, but I opted to start buying fruit with our juice money.
• I really have a hankering for some cookies, but I don't have any around (other than the animal crackers. They don't quite hit the spot for me). Christina's chocolate chip cookies would really hit the spot!
• I think I took a multivitamin with half of the recommended amount (as opposed to 100% DV). I really can't remember if I took it. I tried taking Ginko for my memory once, but then I couldn't remember if I had taken it (lol!)
• I didn't count calories or measure portions. I know when I overeat something :-)
  
• What I ate was also served to my husband and children.

I wish I had...

• Eaten some sliced fruit
• Snacked on vegetables in addition to (or instead of) the refined-grain, highly processed snack foods
• Added a salad at lunch or dinner
• Baked some cookies :-)
• Drank a glass of milk, or eaten some yogurt with berries
• Gone to bed earlier
• Been more physically active
  

...but I did cook dinner from scratch and all meals were meatless. I didn't fill up on juice, but drank water. So in the end I realized that I made some good choices. It just seems easier to focus on the things I didn't do.

Well, it's past my bedtime. Here's for a good night's sleep.

The economy and portion sizes

I've seen a whole lot of different approaches to addressing the large portion sizes on the American plate. But I'm starting to think we missed something that could really work:

"The economy, stupid!"

With our current economic downturn, manufacturers are trying to maintain their profits while the cost of manufacturing increases. They know that if they simply hike up the costs, people will stop buying. So I have noticed more and more manufacturers resort to reducing the quantity of their product while trying to make it look like it's the same amount it's always been. (for some great examples, check out mouseprint.org). Restaurants are also doing the same. Today, my husband and I went to a pancake place and were quite surprised that the pancakes had shrunk at least an inch. Given we hadn't been in a few years, the difference was very noticeable. Nonetheless, most products I see this happening to are products we don't consume or need on a regular basis. Or, at least, they aren't products that contribute much to my health anyway. So less is more when less costs more.

I wonder how this, as well as the trend to eat more home-cooked meals, will impact food consumption in the overall population. And if this persists, I wonder if people will start getting used to eating less of these foods, and maybe (just maybe) they will take other steps toward healthier living.

It's that time of year again...

...when people make resolutions.

I'm not very good at that kind of stuff. I don't know if I've ever written down a resolution that I was able to fulfill. Maybe it is because I was really writing a wishlist, not a course of action. Not that there is anything wrong with writing a wishlist. (Maybe one day I will take those guitar lessons... I still want to.) Anyway, I wonder if that is why most people don't follow through on their resolutions, and in the end get discouraged.

As a dietitian, I cannot ignore the overemphasis on weight that new year's resolutions have. Even the retail industry has jumped on the bandwagon. From electronic stores to supermarkets, they all have something to help you "get healthy" this time of year.

So I figure I would shamelessly offer my own suggestions:

• Don't make your weight your goal. Instead, take a look at one lifestyle change that you think you can make. It's your lifestyle, not your weight, that makes you healthy.
• Break the change down into steps. Lets say your resolution is to cook from scratch more often. Instead of resolving to do it every day, try one or two more days a week than you currently do. Once you get comfortable with that, add another day, and so on.
• If necessary, put off the resolution until February or March. By then, you may not be as fogged by the self-imposed guilt that comes from eating holiday fare. Then your decisions may be better thought out and easier to implement.
• Don't wait until next January. Reflecting on improving a healthful lifestyle should take place more than once a year. Evaluate what is working and what is not. Don't just stop, find something that works for you and stick with it. If something is not working, then do something else. However, be realistic with this. Some changes take a while to get the desired result. I'm talking more about whether you are able to keep up with a change that you'd like, not whether that change is giving you the results you expected in two months.
• Be honest with yourself. Check your motivations for why you are doing what you want to do. Do you want to lose weight so you will feel better about yourself? Do you want others to feel better about you? Should your motivation really be tied to these things? And where does your health really fit into all of this? Will you be satisfied if you don't reach your personal goal, but you feel better and are actually healthier than when you started?
• Don't go on a diet.
• Remember, we are always learning something new. About ourselves, others, our environment, etc. Don't try and have it all together by year's end.
  
• Evaluate what is really hindering you from reaching your goal. Stress eating has become a new challenge to me. It is easier for me to remove the food as opposed the stress. Otherwise it can become quite the vicious cycle. My answer is to avoid having certain foods around the house (and oddly enough, I recently discovered that I can get the "kick" with celery! lol!) This way, I am forced to focus on the source of stress rather than compound it...
  

...which reminds me of the cycle of blah that I meant to post about quite a while ago:
Thankfully, my problem is not with ice cream.

By the way, I'd love to hear of your resolutions. Current or past, successes or failures. What did you learn from them?

Here's to a healthier year!

They get it!

I just had to share a quick conversation I had with some trick-or-treaters last night. I would guess they were about 10 years old. One kid said, "look how much candy I got!" His stash was probably the size of a soccer ball. I answered, wow! Are you going to eat all of that? He said, "Yeah, I'll probably be eating it over the next 6 months."

One of the other boys said he was donating half his candy to kids with mental illness who couldn't go out to trick or treat. He also mentioned something about HIV. Nonetheless, it appears his mom has taught him well to think of others.

I'm glad I just happened to ask. I was so discouraged last year to see how much candy these kids got. It is so excessive. But thankfully I got to see that they're not that interested in eating it all. At least not all at once.

Please help me figure this out...

I know that healthy means a lot of different things to different people, but I am always humored when I see announcements like this health screening/fall fest with trick or treating (i.e. lots of candy), pizza, and soda for all.

I've had concerned friends call me and ask if it is OK with me if they serve fried chicken (and other "evil" foods) when I come over to their house (I know one of my friends who did this reads this blog. Don't worry, you're not the only one, so I'm not singling you out). I appreciate their concern, given I am a nutritionist. There are probably some that would be offended. I'm not. I hardly ever eat fried chicken, so it doesn't bother me when I do. So just let me make it known that I do not customarily make nutritional analysis in my head of what my friends are eating. And if you know me, I L-O-V-E pizza.

But back to the health fair... I guess I just scratch my head sometimes when there are foods offered at health fairs that are high in added sugars and saturated fats, which is associated with poor health outcomes. Sure, that one pizza slice and soda won't kill you (And it sounds much more attractive than say, a roasted chicken dinner). It's the lifestyle and behavior patterns an individual has that promotes or hinders health. But I still am trying to work this all out in my mind.

Granted, I wouldn't be one to protest this generous offering (pizza ain't cheap nowadays), but am I being oversensitive? Maybe I have food discrimination. What do you think? Should these be mutually exclusive (i.e. never offered together), or not?

Closing the Food Gap

Earlier this year, I read "Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the table in the Land of Plenty" by Mark Winne. If you have been following my blog this year, you may recall me reposting an interview Mark had with Parke Wilde of the US Food Policy Blog. I finished reading the book in May but it stirred so much in me that it's taken this long to write about it.

It is easy to tell people what we (or science) think they should be eating, but what is often overlooked is the reality people live in that hinder them from actually applying these recommendations to their lives. In particular, limited income areas are often at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing healthy food. In many cases, the supermarkets in their communities --if existent-- have a lower quality selection and higher prices. Also, many of us take for granted that we have vehicles to get us to grocery stores, farmer's markets and warehouse clubs. And the foods offered through food banks and pantries are most commonly of poor nutritional quality. The food system is so complex that even if people have the ability to get healthy food, they may lack the resources to prepare and consume it. Furthermore, lower-income communities are the ones most struck by lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. There is more to this disparity than calories in/calories out, or eating the "wrong foods".

Yet, what do I know? I didn't know hardship growing up. Although my parents came from humble backgrounds, they were able to provide opportunities for me and my siblings that kept us from ever really knowing want. Even during hard financial times (because we have gone through those), we were at a greater advantage than others because we still had a car, a nice home to live in, and staying at home afforded me to prepare foods from scratch. This year, I even had a small garden! I am an outsider. I hadn't even lived here a year, although my husband and I decided a long time ago we'd come here because we care about the city. Yet what do I know? Then I read the following:

"I do not feel that these facts negate my involvement or those of other privileged people in the long-running campaign to end hunger and poverty. Yes, I am privileged. Yet I have chosen to regard that privilege as a gift that I will share as best I can until it loses value or is no longer needed. And as as I use the talents God gave me--carefully honed as they were by education, opportunity, and an upper-middle-class upbringing--to make the lives of others at least a little better, I will pave the way for, make way for, and get out of the way of those whose voices more genuinely call out for change than mine ever could."(p.191)

Although I learned a lot from his experiences and insights, this phrase resonated so much to me. It reminded me why I pursued a degree in public health and why we moved here in the first place. I am so grateful for this book and its timing and today I had the opportunity to thank Mark Winne -- in person.

Last week, I found out that he was coming to speak to the Cleveland-Cuyahoga Food Policy Coalition. Although I had learned of the coalition this past April, I have waited on other life events to take part in it, not knowing what kind of commitment I can provide at this time. So when I heard of this event, I decided now was as good a time as any.

In addition to thanking Mark Winne in person, I was able to learn what is happening in Cleveland. There were people from all sorts of organizations, from grassroots to government. It dawned on me when I got there that I knew n-o-b-o-d-y and I didn't come representing any organization. I was totally on my own. So I signed in, got my bagel, and sat next to someone. By the end of the program, I didn't feel like an outsider anymore. There were people I wanted to talk to to follow up on what they mentioned during the session. In one of my conversations, I even found out about Ohio City Bicycle Co-op, where I will certainly take my bike to get it back in working order.

One of my assignments in graduate school was to prepare a grant proposal. My group proposed forming a coalition for the health district we were partnering with. Although our presentations all took place in the classroom, several public health figures were there as the panel for us to present with. Our idea of forming a coalition was not favorably seen upon and we were grilled for our suggestion. Certainly not all coalitions work out, but when they do work out, much more can be accomplished than all the initiatives working on their own. It also gives "little people" like me an opportunity to contribute. And it appears that the coalition I saw today is quite alive and well.