Wellness Webinar

12 Tips to Surviving Holiday Eating

with Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT

Thursday, December 16, 2010

12:15 - 1:00pm ETD

Sign-up now - spaces are limited to the first 15 participants!

Give the gift of wellness to a friend or family member.

$10 for 45 minutes of nutrition and health tips = great holiday deal!

• Survive the holidays without gaining weight
• Attend potlucks and get-togethers without unbuttoning your pants
• Keep stress to a minimum this holiday season
• Learn the rules of holiday eating
• Gain perspective on holiday indulgences
• Step-by-step guide to being in the moment
• Leave with recipe ideas in hand!

BioMeridian Biofeedback Testing is Here!

EB Nutrition has started scheduling for the Biofeedback testing! The biofeedback test measures the level of function of the entire body system and is a very useful tool in determining the root cause of disease and supporting the metabolism. This test is actually less expensive than our food allergy test, and can check over 1,000 different systems in the body. The Biofeedback machine is an FDA approved device that was actually featured in the Mayo Clinic's 2011 Guide to Alternative Medicine. The test works similar to an EKG machine or the bio-electrical impedance body fat scale. While the EKG machine measures heart frequencies and the body fat scale measures water frequencies in the body, the Biofeedback machine measures the frequencies of all of the organs and glandular systems in the body and is able to determine if there is healthy function, inflammation or degeneration. Let us know when you are ready to schedule!

Remember to Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, celebrating with friends and family, and EATING! And there is usually a lot of eating at that. In the American culture, and many other cultures, food is part of every celebration. I urge you to keep it part of the celebration, but to readjust your focus away from food being the center of the celebration. When gathered on Thursday, think about what the holiday really means to you. Engage in conversations instead of engaging in the appetizers. Put your fork down, breathe, give thanks, and pick it back up. Catch up with your cousin before going back for seconds, and maybe, just maybe, the break will allow your stomach to catch up and realize you don't need the second helping. Help with the dishes instead of helping "clean-up" the sweets table. Finish your meal with a reflection on all that you have to give thanks about and you will feel satisfied - just give yourself the chance.

Low Fat Diets Could Increase Heart Disease Risk

Nutrition experts are suggesting what EB already knows...and practices! EB Nutrition food plans focus on the balance of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are integral for key functions within the body including hormone production, vitamin absorption, organ protection, satiety, and energy production.

The difference in benefits lies in the type of fat. Saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature, are given their name because they are "saturated" with hydrogen molecules. Unsaturated fats contain one (mono) or many (poly) double bonds, giving them more fluid properties. Because saturated fats are solid, they tend to congregate and collect on artery walls, therefore increasing risk for heart disease. One more fat to consider, trans fats, are even more detrimental to health than saturated fats. These man-made fats are chemically a shape that the body does not recognize and therefore has a hard time processing, leading to inflammation and heart disease.

On the other hand, by skimping on fat, as this article suggests, we end up over consuming carbohydrates and sugar. This can lead to weight gain, a huge risk factor for heart disease, as well as insulin resistance and possibly type II diabetes, an even greater risk for heart disease. Furthermore, excessive carbohydrate consumption contributes to elevated triglyceride levels, which is one blood marker used to assess heart disease risk.

In conclusion, don't low-anything in your diet. Moderation is key to health, and by balancing these vital macronutrients, you can achieve balance within your body - both physiologically and emotionally.

Holiday Eating

The holidays get busy and we forget to eat. Skipping meals, especially breakfast, is one of the worst things you can do for your metabolism. Whenever your body does not have enough energy, it slips into conservation mode. Going a long time without eating, more than three or four hours, is actually counterproductive towards weight loss. Your metabolism down-regulates in order to make up for the lack of energy (calories) being consumed. When you are planning a day of holiday shopping or cooking, start the day of with a balanced breakfast. Then, make sure to pack a non-perishable snack for a couple hours later. Try this smoothie recipe to keep yourself in the holiday spirit and energized for all the holiday activities. It will also help keep you away from all those holiday goodies!

Pumpkin Smoothie
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 very ripe medium-sized banana
3/4 cup 0 or 2% Greek yogurt (I recommend Fage brand)
1 tbsp agave nectar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup crushed ice

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, making sure the ice is completely crushed.

Per 8-10 ounce serving: Calories 167, Calories from Fat 5, Total Fat 0.7g, Cholesterol 2mg, Sodium 74mg, Carbohydrate 34g, Fiber 3.1g, Protein 6.6g

For more balanced breakfast ideas, visit ebnutrition.com.

Follow us on Twitter!

EB Nutrition wants to keep you up to date on nutrition and fitness information, so we've joined the social networking site, Twitter, to provide you with up to date health tidbits, keep you informed about EB Nutrition events, and to connect you with other health-conscious people. You can also check out our Facebook page and participate in discussions, become a fan, and tell us what you are interested in and how we can meet your health needs. Who knows, maybe someone else is also wondering if they ate a healthy snack or which vitamins they should take everyday!

Liquid Calories

Wednesday's Kojo Nnamdi show on WAMU 88.5 FM discusses "the war on soda and high fructose syrup."

"'Soda taxes' and other measures are popping up across the country. But other beverages, including sports drinks and "healthy" bottled teas, can pack nearly as much sugar as a root beer, and often don't deliver the health benefits their labels promise. We explore the "liquid calories" Americans are consuming, and how they're affecting our health."

Guests
Scott Kahan
Co-Director, George Washington University Medical Center Weight Management Program.

Lisa Katic
Registered dietitian, Principal, K Consulting, food industry advisor

Ben Moscovitch
Associate Editor, Inside Health Policy

What is your opinion of the soda tax? Learn more about the soda tax in Washington, DC, and Baltimore area. Post your thoughts. They have my vote - tax away!

Liquid calories. The Kojo Nnamdi Show. Published October 20, 2010. Accessed October 21, 2010.

Considering seeing a dietitian but not sure if it's the right fit for you?

Now is your chance to find out! Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian with EB Nutrition and Fitness, will be hosting a conference call to introduce the services that the EB Dietitians provide. Marlene McCallum, Life Coach of Most Powerful Life, will be joining Melissa on the call. Melissa and Marlene will walk you through the initial steps to take before embarking on your health and personal growth journey.

This conference call is right for you if you have attempted other weight loss programs with little or no success, or are having trouble getting motivated to start off the process.

Sign up today - space is limited! Questions about the call? Feel free to contact Melissa at melissa@ebnutrition.com.

Are your bad habits costing you?

"America isn't healthy: A whopping 2/3 of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Over a lifetime, obesity costs $4,879 and $2,646 a year for women and men, respectively. Tack on the value of lost life (8-10 years) and it's even more dramatic : $8,365 and $6,518."

Unfortunately, insurance companies are not up to speed on this financial statistic. For the most part, dietetic services are not paid for by insurance companies except in the case of diabetes and kidney disease. This leaves the rest of overweight Americans shelling out the money for professional help on their own. If the cost of seeking the help of a dietitian seems steep to you, remind yourself of the costs you may face without our help!

Overeating - Costs Over Lifetime: $258,000

Never been to a dietitian before? Want to find out if our services are a good match with your goals? Join Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT, for a Wellness Conference Call on Thursday, October 28, at 12:00 pm ETD. Melissa will be joined by Life Coach Marlene McCallum of Most Powerful Life Coaching, who will offer insight into getting motivated and facing plateaus along the weight loss journey. Sign up here for this jump-start call!

Gibbons V. Are your bad habits costing you a financial future? Wallet Pop. Published October 1, 2010. Accessed October 6, 2010.

You Bar

With the busy lifestyles many of us lead, snacks, if not meals, are often on the go. Thus, bars are handy, portable nutrition and can give us the energy we need to get us to the next meal. All bars are not created equal though. Many bars require a chemistry degree to decipher the ingredients. A quick tip on how to interpret the ingredient list - simply count the ingredients! If you can simply use your fingers and don't have to resort to the toes for the counting, then you're on the right track. Next, make sure there is enough fiber, protein, and not too much sugar. Feeling overwhelmed? Instead of perusing the "bar" aisle, build your own!

You Bar allows you to design your own bar. This is great if you are:

1. A picky eater
2. Allergic or have an intolerance to ingredients found in most bars (soy, dairy, nuts, or gluten)
3. Health conscious and prefer quality ingredients and a balanced snack instead of overly-processed bars and chemically engineered foods
4. Adventurous and want to explore new flavors (blueberries, ginger, hemp seeds, wa?)
5. Interested in the opinion of a dietitian - these are good bars!

I built a few bars for examples - try these flavors!

Heart Healthy Bar - With omega-3's, antioxidants, and fiber to help lower cholesterol

• Almond butter & dates, oat bran, goji berri, All-One vitamin blend, flaxseed, whey protein

Allergy-Free Bar - No soy, nuts, dairy or gluten, plus added ginger to aid with digestion

• Organic dates, sunflower seed butter, organic sesame seeds, organic rice protein, crunchy rice cereal, All-One vitamin infusion

Trail Mix Bar - An easy way to practice portion control and still enjoy trail mix

• Cashew Butter, organic dates, whey protein, sunflower seeds, organic raisins, chocolate chips, All-One vitamin infusion

You also can make your own shake, trail mix, cookie, or cereal. Besides the fun of hand-picking your own ingredients, you also get to name your bar. Each little label comes personalized. You can also pick from tried and true varieties that other customers have created. The other convenience You Bar offers is a nutrition calculator that is automatically updated as you add ingredients. Try it, you'll like it (even Mikey did)!