Holiday Mood and Energy Balance

Take advantage of the long weekend to recharge and relax by picking the right foods to keep you balanced the whole weekend and ready to go to work Tuesday morning!

• Start your day with a glass of green tea (decaf preferably), iced or hot. The high acid and caffeine content of coffee takes your blood sugars, mood, and energy on a roller coaster. Green tea, on the other hand, contains the amino acid l-theanine, which has a calming effect.
• Choose a high protein food, such as low fat Greek yogurt, as part of a balanced breakfast. The protein helps with the production of mood balancing dopamine, providing you with long-lasting energy for trips to the beach, barbecues, and yard work during the holiday weekend. An extra perk - the protein also helps keep you full so you don't spend your evening standing by the appetizer table at the Memorial Day BBQ.
• Take a break mid-afternoon for a pick-me-up snack. Our natural circadian rhythms cause a lull in energy during this time, but a little help from complex carbohydrates will boost the production of serotonin and get you ready for the evening activities. Try a small naval orange, which is in season and packed with immune building, stress fighting vitamin C. Pair the orange with a handful of raw walnuts or almonds for some omega-3 fatty acids, just what your brain needs to balance the highs and lows of your mood.
• Grill some chicken and add it to a bunch of leafy greens. Sub out a high-calorie, fat-loaded BBQ meal for kale and spinach marinated in lemon juice and sesame oil. The magnesium in the greens will help balance electrolytes during a hot weekend, and the B vitamins help convert your food into energy. Use the same marinade for the chicken to prevent the cancer causing heterocyclic amines from developing as you grill.
• Lounge after dinner with some sparkling water and fresh mint. Alcohol can interfere with your adenosine receptors, making it difficult for your body to truly relax. Adult beverages also disrupt sleep patterns, throwing your hormone cycle off and making Tuesday morning a real struggle.

If you find your mood is hard to balance through diet and lifestyle choices, consider using some amino acid supplements. Amino acids are precursors for serotonin, dopamine, and other mood-stabilizing neurotransmitters. Melissa and Elizabeth can help you find the right combination of supplements to keep you balanced and happy!

Glycemic Index and Label Reading

By Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT

A while back, I received this question from a blog follower:

"Is there a way to determine glycemic index by looking at the label?"

The answer is yes and no. The glycemic index (GI) of an item has been determined in a laboratory setting by comparing the rate of glucose, or in some cases white bread, entering the blood to sugar. Much of this research has been conducted and published through the University of Sydney in Australia. Their database is online and can be a good reference, although some of their foods will differ in ingredients and processing from American food. Assigned GIs are determined by feeding an amount of food equaling 50 grams of carbohydrates to fasting *healthy* participants and measuring the blood sugar changes over time. Unfortunately, not much research has been done showing the glycemic response within the diabetic clientel. In Australia, they even put the glycemic index rating right on the front of a product!

Many factors influence the glycemic index of a food including the fiber, protein, and fat content, manufacturing and processing practices, and other ingredients. For example, even though they are both oats, steel cut oats will have a much lower glycemic index than its highly processed cousin instant oats. Keep in mind that glycemic response differs from person to person due to genetics, hormones, activity, etc. Also, if the food is eaten in combination with other foods, the overall glycemic affect changes. Take a plain piece of bread which contains mostly carbohydrates and it will register high on the glycemic index scale (slightly lower if whole grain and less processed). Add some jelly to the toast and the glycemic affect increases; add peanut butter or turkey and the glycemic index is lower. Keep in mind that a low glycemic food does not necessarily translate to a healthy food. Despite its high sugar content, ice cream has an extremely low glycemic index because the high saturated fat content slows the absorption of sugar.

In short, the least amount of processing and more whole grains and fiber, the lower glycemic index. The more protein or fat contained within the food, the lower the glycemic index. Take home message: pay more attention to overall quality and quantity of the food than just the GI. Even a low GI food eaten in larger portions has a greater affect on blood sugars than a small portion of a high GI rated food. This principle is described as glycemic load and takes into account portion size (GL = GI x amount of carbohydrates)/100. Consider carrots - they have a relatively high glycemic index but the amount of carrots it takes to equal 50 grams of carbohydrates is about 87 baby carrots, not the traditional amount eaten!

Learn more about balancing your glycemic intake with your diet by getting a personalized Nutrition Plan from an EB Nutrition Registered Dietitian!

Food Allergies: Disease in Disguise

In Office Seminar - Register NOW!

Do you suffer from unexplained fatigue, migraines, digestive problems, arthritis, depression or weight gain? Have you tried conventional approaches to treatment with limited success? Did you ever stop to think that your symptom may be the result of an allergy?! Well, it's true! In fact, an allergy can show up as almost any symptom, and if left untreated, it may lead to serious degenerative disease.

Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, as she helps to uncover the root cause of your health concerns by exploring what an allergy is and how it affects the body. She will explore why allergies are so common and how they relate to weight gain, depression, insomnia, digestion, addiction and body chemistry. You will walk away with valuable tools for effectively treating undiagnosed allergies to achieve optimal health! You don't want to miss this valuable seminar!

We look forward to seeing you all for the May 20th lecture on " Allergies: Disease in Disguise!"

Allergies: Disease in Disguise

Learn how to uncover the root cause of your unexplained health concerns. Determine if your well-being is being affected by an allergy in disguise! This seminar will cover:

1. The History of Allergy
2. New Definitions of Allergy
3. How to Recognize an Allergy and its Causes
4. The Secret Life of an Allergen
5. The Symptoms of Allergy
5. Addiction and Allergy
6. Digestion - The Vital Link
7. Fats, Oils and Allergy
8. Additives and Allergy
9. Testing for Hidden Allergies
10. Effective Treatment Approaches for Allergies

Where and When:
EB Nutrition, LLC
6319 Executive Blvd.
Rockville, MD 20850
May 20, 2010
6:45 p.m.

Could hormones be the cause of your struggle with weight?

If you have tried an exhausted list of diets without weight loss success, it may be time to look at your hormone levels. Many hormones can interfere with the weight loss process and even cause weight gain. A natural or drug induced imbalance in any of the following hormones may be the answer to your weight conundrum.

Estrogen – Causes an increase in appetite and water retention, thus causing the number on the scale to increase. Many women naturally are estrogen dominant and can balance this hormone through diet therapy. If you are on birth control, make sure the pill contains the right balance of estrogen and progesterone for you or this might be the culprit of the weight plateau.

Testosterone – Helps build muscle and support bone structure. If testosterone levels are too low, metabolism slows down due to decreased muscle mass. Both males and females produce testosterone, although males should have higher levels. As males age, they may experience dipping testosterone levels and pack on some pounds as a result.

Progesterone – Low progesterone, or high estrogen, is a double edged sword. As stated earlier, estrogen can increase weight, and excess weight actually increases estrogen. Fat cells secrete estrogen, making one more estrogen dominant. Therefore, if you are already overweight, it becomes more difficult to keep estrogen and progesterone levels balanced.

Cortisol – Too little or too much cortisol production can lead to weight gain. Cortisol is a stress hormone, so after prolonged periods of stress, cortisol destroys muscles (which are the main calorie burning center of the body), increases appetite and sugar cravings, and cause weight gain in the belly which also leads to insulin resistance and further weight gain. Too little cortisol will not allow the metabolism to be stimulated and leave you feeling sluggish and rundown.

Thyroid – Too little thyroid hormone causes a slow metabolism which effects not only weight, but growth and repair of the body and regulation of key functions. Hair may become unhealthy and fall out, it may be difficult to control body temperature, and sleep may be irregular. A malfunctioning thyroid will put more pressure on the adrenals and other glands, thus leading to irregularities in other metabolic functions.

If you are looking for more answers, consider testing these hormones with your doctor or through our Adrenal Stress Index, which looks at cortisol, progesterone, and insulin, Female or Male Hormone Panel, testing progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen levels.

FREE Webinar

Eat, Run, and Fight Stress!
Monday, April 26, 2010
3:30 - 4:30 pm EDT

Register Now!

On a scale of 1 to 10, how stressed are you? Have you ever had a bad race or workout because of stress? Do you commonly experience sugar or salt cravings? Do you feel like it takes a long time to recover after exercising or running? Or do you find yourself getting sick often, especially after long races?

Join Registered Dietitian Melissa Majumdar as she explores how stress affects running and overall health. Learn how proper fueling can actually decrease your level of stress and increase your performance level. Explore how nutrition and the "lost nutrients" water and sleep may be your missing link and the answer to your best season yet.

In Office Seminar - Nutrition, Stress & Metabolism

How many calories does stress have? We agree that this is a ridiculous question, but ask almost anyone if stress makes you gain weight and you will receive a resounding "yes." But, if stress has no calories, then how does it affect your weight? The truth is that the calorie model is not the whole story on fat loss. Stress and other lifestyle factors work through hormonal and metabolic mechanisms that alter not only the amount of calories we eat, but where on the body we store them, and most importantly what we burn: sugar, fat, or muscle.

Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, as she delves into the biochemistry of stress, nutrition, and metabolism. She will set the foundation with a scientific explanation of the function of your adrenal glands, cortisol, and insulin. You will learn the unique ways in which the metabolism and immune system respond differently to the type of stress - acute or chronic. Be prepared to walk away with precise tools to use through diet and nutrition to reduce stress levels, stimulate metabolism, improve mood and optimize health! You do not want to miss this valuable seminar!

We look forward to seeing you all for the April 22nd lecture on "Nutrition, Stress & Metabolism" at 6:45 pm! Healthy snacks and beverages will be provided, courtesy of Whole Foods Market in Rockville. Advanced registration is required, so please visit our website to register for your seat at this and upcoming seminars.

Running & Nutrition Truths FREE Webinar

Nutrition is often the missing link in an athlete's training plan. If you are looking to improve your performance or take things to the next level (or even lose a little weight), take the next step. Join Melissa Bosslet Majumdar, Registered Dietitian and member of the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition Group of the American Dietetics Association as she discusses running and nutrition with resident running expert, Sarah Stanley of Sarah Stanley Inspired. "Running and Nutrition Truths" will be broadcasted for FREE on Thursday, April 8 at 12:00 pm EST. The information is valuable to for the novice and elite athlete - it is not exclusively for runners either, so tell your cyclist/swimmer/rugby friends to register!

Sign up for the FREE webinar here!

Inspire the Family

Pencil in 9pm on this Friday night's calendar for some family time to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. It shouldn't be too hard to convince the kids to gather round the tube - if nothing else, schedule a rain check to view the DVR or online version.

Jamie, British celebrity chef aka "the naked chef," marches into Huntington, WV, to makeover Smalltown, USA, the unhealthiest city in America according to the Center for Disease Control. Jamie's zeal for health does little to motivate and more to anger the town of Huntington. He plans to start with the kids, bond with the families, and revolutionize the way this town, and America, thinks about food. He has his work cut out for him!

Although Jamie has some wonderful principals - eat fresh (not processed) foods, nourishing the body and soul through the cooking process, and educating the youth about the origins of food - Jamie's food revolution is missing an important piece, a dietitian with the biochemical knowledge of food and the body.

Jamie comments on the USDA's (United States Department of Agriculture) school lunch regulations - he does not agree that a child needs two servings of grains per meal. He is spot on! A child's lunch will include plenty of carbohydrates from other sources besides grains - fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) will provide plenty of energy and a well-balanced meal. But Jamie's opinions fall short of his actions when he teaches a Huntington family to cook pasta (too heavy on the oil) and shares carb-heavy recipe secrets with a teenage boy. His recipes often include a little too much sugar and butter for my liking, but his overall approach is extremely motivating a eye-opening. One more word to the wise - if you were thinking of ordering a pizza or serving chicken nuggets this evening, make sure to watch episode 2 first!

Your homework for the evening is to pour over your child's school lunch menu and decide if sending him or her with lunch money is the best idea for their longterm health. Most likely, they will fare better if you pack a piece of fruit, a serving of veggies, one grain, a 2-3 ounce serving of protein, and 1 serving of a healthy fat. Need help with school lunch ideas? Contact Melissa or Elizabeth for a Nutrition Plan and Meal Ideas for the whole family.

Dietitians serve up sound food advice

by Lori Rypka

As obesity rates continue to increase, it seems there are gurus at every corner doling out what they claim is the latest and greatest nutrition information and selling a product or supplements to offer a miracle cure.

March is National Nutrition Month, and the American Dietetic Association, along with its affiliates, including the Maryland Dietetic Association, urge people looking for nutrition advice to go to the qualified experts -- registered dietitians.

Registered dietitians hold at least a bachelor's degree, have completed a supervised practice program and passed a registration exam. They must maintain continuing education for certification. Some dietitians also use the generic term nutritionist, but Jennifer Schmiel, executive director of the Maryland Dietetic Association, warns that not all nutritionists are RDs.

Schmiel said one of the main focuses of the MDA is to promote the registered dietitian as the nutrition professional. "A lot of people say they are a nutritionist, but don't have the credentials," she said.

Often, those noncredentialed persons may want to teach an agenda, she said, adding that often they will attempt to sell the consumer a host of herbs and supplements promising results.

Having this certification protects the consumer by defining the scope of practice of the dietitian or nutritionist: only licensed dietitians or nutritionists may practice Medical Nutrition Therapy, the treatment of a disease or condition with diet. Consumers who seek nutritional advice should make sure the person they consult with is both a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist, Schmiel said.

Part of a medical team

Most of the dietitians work as part of a medical team to help people in the treatment and prevention of disease. But, dietitians may also work in the community for programs like WIC or Meals on Wheels, in hospitals, HMOs and other health care facilities, academia and research, as well as managers of food service operations within schools, correctional institutions and health care facilities.

Melissa Bosslet [Majumdar], an dietitian with the practice EB Nutrition in Rockville, said most of her clients come in with weight or health issues, such as gastrointestinal disorders. Her practice gets the majority of its clients from physician referrals as well as patient-to-patient referrals.

RDs often work with a physician to create an overall program for the client to achieve his or her goals, Bosslet said. These dietitians attempt to find the root cause of a problem and use the most natural methods to address it.

Dietitians do not subscribe to a specific diet as a one-plan-fits-all. Plans are based on a client's lifestyle, budget and preferences, within healthy guidelines. These nutrition professions are also not the "food police," Schmiel said. "We aren't going to say that you can never eat a certain food again," she said. They take into account what a person likes and what changes the client is willing to make.

When it comes to compliance, there is a greater likelihood that a client will follow the plan if there are scheduled follow-up appointments, Bosslet said. In addition to increased compliance, the client and dietitian can work together to address any minor issues that come up along the way, she added. "Then it's not a diet, they make it a lifestyle."

The majority of patients who come to Bosslet have tried many of the fad diets that promise great weight loss, but fail to teach lifelong lessons on how to maintain a healthy weight. There are some truths in diet books, Bosslet said, but no program takes a person's entire system into consideration. RDs understand biochemistry and how the body works, and combine that with how the body works with proper nutrition.

Healthy people benefit

Due to the way health care insurers view the services provided by dietitians, those appointments are not covered, unless in the event of diabetes or kidney disease. Bosslet cites this as one of the reasons dietitians are often underused. Also, people don't consider discussing nutrition while they are seemingly healthy. A healthy person could benefit from a plan that may actually help to keep potential future diseases at bay, she said.

Just as it is important to find a connection between a person and a therapist, the same type of connection is needed with a dietitian. "You need to be connected to your dietitian. Food is, as much as it is what you are eating, so tied to your emotional and cultural side," Bosslet said.

Dealing with food issues is much like therapy, and it's important to have someone to confide in, she added.

"Everyone comes to us at a different stage of change and readiness," Bosslet said.

Making a change, even in a person ready for change, is not always easy. "If it were easy, then everyone wouldn't have a problem losing weight," she said.

Often, people think that just by coming in they are doing the work, but the hard work is what they have to do on their own, she said. So even if someone is only ready to make a couple of changes, rather than a whole overhaul of their nutrition, it's worth it to see an dietitian and start there, she said.

March 23, 2010 - Frederick News-Post.com

Meat-Free Fridays

Whether you regularly follow a vegetarian diet or you have vowed to avoid meat on Fridays during the Lenten season, or you just want a tasty dinner idea, try this Polenta and Vegetable Casserole! I borrowed the recipe right from our website and had a complete meal in less than 30 minutes. The polenta is creamy and satisfying and the variety of textures is pleasing to the palate. Try a variety of different beans to add a little variety - I used garbanzo and black beans and really enjoyed the bite the garbanzos offered. Also try topping the casserole off with a few slices of avocado in place of some of the cheese - this reduces the saturated fat content and boosts the creaminess factor.

As with any meal, vegetarian or not, it is important to focus around lean, high quality protein. The beans in this dish add a ton of B vitamins and fiber as well as some protein. By combining beans and polenta (a corn product) in this recipe, we include all the essential amino acids. Certain amino acids are termed essential because the body cannot make them, so we must consume them from food. Beans lack Methionine and corn lacks Lysine - in combination we have a complete protein. The whole grain quinoa is another great source of vegetarian protein and actually contains all the essential amino acids. Look for great side dishes made with quinoa on our website as well.

Having a hard time finding balanced vegetarian meal options? Do you find yourself eating the same 5 to 10 foods each day? You need the EB Dietitians as your menu planning resource!