How to Avoid Unhealthy Weight Gain This Holiday Season

It is important to set a limit on how calories if you are trying to lose weight. That means cutting back or cutting out foods that are high in fats and sugar.

You don’t have to count calories, although it is a good idea to do so. This will allow you to learn where most of the calories in your diet are coming from. Having this knowledge will allow you to make better choices at home and when dining out.

If you don’t know how many calories are in the foods you eat, you are likely to overeat and become frustrated when you don’t lose weight. On the other hand, if you know that you have consumed excess calories, you can avoid gaining too much weight by taking immediate steps to burn the excess calories. That means getting up and getting exercising more. Better yet, just don't overeat.

As you know, the holidays can be rather stressful and stress itself can lead to weight gain. Two common causes of weight gain during stress are increased production of cortisol, the stress hormone, and depression, which could lead to overeating.

With the holidays upon us, you need to have a plan to counteract the challenges that the holidays bring. Stress, depression, office parties, and an abundance of food, drink and sweets at this time can really make it difficult to control your weight. But if you have a plan, you can beat the odds.

 A good place to start is by creating a plan. You can find lots of useful articles on this blog as well as at www.dailydietguide.com, and at www.eatright.org. The U.S. Department of Agriculture website and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also provide practical information for diet planning and weight loss. In addition, a registered dietitian can help you devise a diet and weight loss or weight management program that is just right for you. 

Don't wait until you've started packing on the pounds this holiday season. Get started on a healthy weight management program now.

The Health Benefits of Fiber

Overview

Millions of Americans are not getting the fiber they need sustain their health. In fact, you may be suffering, needlessly, from health problems that could easily be prevented by just eating more foods that are high in fiber and less sugar and other highly processed foods.

What is Fiber

Fiber is the insoluble part of carbohydrates that cannot be digested and absorbed. Although fiber is not absorbed from the digestive tract, it can affect your health in a number of ways, including binding with digestive waste and removing toxins from your body.

Types of Fiber

There are two main types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber is fiber that can be dissolved in water and is found mostly in fruits. Insoluble fiber is more straw-like and is not soluble in water. Both soluble and insoluble fibers are important to your health.

Health Benefits of Fiber

Fiber is best known for its role in promoting regular bowel movements and preventing constipation.

In the process of moving waste from your gut, mops and traps bile, cholesterol, and other potentially toxic waste and moves through your colon and out of your body.

Another important benefit of fiber is controlling your blood sugar. It does so by slowing the breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut, so that sugar is absorbed more slowly. This helps to prevent potentially harmful spikes in your blood sugar.

Additionally, fiber also acts as a probiotic, which means it allows healthy bacteria to grow and reduces the amount harmful bacteria in the gut.

Numerous studies show that a diet rich in fiber may help to promote weight loss, reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer.

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

The National Research Counsel recommends that adult women consume 25 grams of fiber daily and that men get at least 35 grams. Children need smaller amounts.

Food Sources of Fiber

Fiber comes from plant foods. You can get the fiber you need by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dried beans and peas, legumes, tree nuts and seeds.

Summary

Eat foods that are rich in fiber to keep your digestive tract healthy, prevent rapid spikes in your blood sugar, control your cholesterol and enjoy all of the other health benefits that you get from fiber. These benefits include weight loss and reducing the risk of colon cancer.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

Overview
Iron deficiency anemia (anemia) is fairly common in children, women of childbearing age and pregnant women. It can result from poor food intake or from the loss of large amounts of blood. Pregnant women often become anemic due to the rapidly increasing blood volume of both mother and baby.

What Causes Anemia
Diet. You could develop anemia simply because you are not getting enough iron in your diet. Anything that interferes with the absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) could also lead to anemia. Children who are growing rapidly may become anemic if they drink a lot of milk but eat little meat or other iron-rich foods.

Pregnancy. Pregnancy can also lead to iron deficiency anemia. During pregnancy, both the mother and baby are increasing their blood volume. This requires iron to make the hemoglobin. If there is not enough iron to meet this need, anemia can result.

Blood loss. Losing a lot of blood is another way that you can develop anemia, including injury to a blood vessel, heavy menstrual periods, malabsorption, or any condition that results in bleeding from the gut.

Symptoms of Anemia
If you are anemic, you might experience the following symptoms:

• Tiredness/fatigue
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Lowered immunity/frequent infections
• Pale skin
• Irregular heartbeat
• Pica: Eating ice, dirt or chalk
• Tingling of the hands and feet

Preventing Iron Deficiency Anemia
The most important thing that you can do to prevent iron deficiency anemia is to eat a diet that is rich in iron. Liver and red meat are good sources. You can also get iron from other animal products as well as plant sources. Eat more whole foods and less processed foods for optimum results.

Additionally, eat foods that are high in vitamin C will help to increase the amount of iron you absorb. On the other hand, drinking milk at the same meal with iron-rich foods will reduce the amount of iron absorbed, so try to drink milk or consume other calcium-rich foods at a different time.

Treatment
If you are diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia, you will need to take steps to correct the problem as quickly as possible. There are two primary approaches to treating iron deficiency anemia - diet and iron supplementation. The treatment will depend on the cause of the anemia and the severity.

Diet. If you are not getting enough iron from your diet, you will need to will need to eat more iron-rich foods. A registered dietitian can help you to identify ways to increase your intake.

Supplement. In some cases, a basic multivitamin with mineral supplement might help to improve your hemoglobin level. Your doctor may prescribe a higher dose iron supplement where diet and a basic MVI with iron is not enough. Conditions such as pregnancy, malabsorption and conditions that result in chronic blood loss typically require a high dose supplement.

Food Sources of Iron
Animal products such as liver, red meat, poultry, fish, clams and egg yolk are high in iron. But you can also get the iron you need from a diet that is rich in plant foods. Spinach and other green leafy greens, legumes, dried fruit, dried beans and peas, pumpkin seeds and molasses are all good sources. In  addition, breads and cereals that have been enriched with iron can also help to boost your iron intake.

Recommended Intake
The recommended intake of iron for women ages 19-50 is 18 milligrams. In comparison, the RDA for men of the same age is a mere 8 milligrams. The difference is due to the large loss of iron that women experience during their monthly period. Requirements at different stages in life vary.

What Next?
Eat foods that are high in iron daily to boost iron levels, increase hemoglobin level and reduce your risk of anemia.

How Much Should You Eat to Lose Weight?

Overview
Just about everyone knows that you need to eat less calories and burn more energy in order to lose weight. But just how much should you eat? The answer is, it depends on your state of health and a number of other factors, including stress, sleep and exercise.

MyPyramid makes it easy to plan meals and snacks to meet the minimum nutritional needs of most Americans. Individual needs vary, so, it would be a good idea to consult a registered dietitian for additional guidance on how to use MyPyramid to meet your personal diet and weight loss needs.

Using MyPyramid
Here is a summary of the recommendations for how much food from the basic food groups American adults should eat daily, based on MyPyramid. You will have to make adjustments based on your personal health status, weight loss goals, and the amount of exercise you get. Keep in mind that exercise is the biggest factor when it comes to burning calories to lose weight.

Basic Food Groups and recommended intake

Grains - 5 to 8 ounce equivalents servings
These should be mostly whole grains. One serving is the equivalent of 1/2 cup cooked cereal or 1 slice of bread.

Fruits - 1-1/2 to 2 cups
One serving is the equivalent of 1cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice or /1/2 cup of dried fruit.

Vegetables - 2-1/2 to 3 cups
One serving is the equivalent of 1cup of raw or cooked vegetable or 2 cups raw leafy greens.

Dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) - 3 cups or equivalent
One serving is the equivalent of 1 cup of milk, 6-ounce cup of yogurt or 1-1/2 ounces of natural cheese.

Meat or Other Protein - 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 ounce equivalents
One serving is the equivalent of 1 ounce of meat, fish or poultry; 1 egg; 1/4 cup cooked beans or peas; or 1 ounce of nuts.


Fats or Oils - 5 to 7 teaspoons
Avoid  Avoid saturated fats and trans fats.


Avoid eating foods with added sugars while you are trying to lose weight.

Sample Low-Calorie 
Here is a sample low-calorie menu for one day. Note: (The actual calories in this sample menu would vary depending on the actual ingredients used as well as actual amounts eaten. In general, the day's intake should range from 1600 to 1800  calories. You should be able to lose weight on a diet between 1200 and 1800 calories. If you exercise regularly, you will have more flexibility in how much you can eat and still lose weight.)


Breakfast: 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 cup low-fat milk and 1/2 cup raisins, water

Morning snack: 1/2 ounce nuts, water

Lunch: 2 slices whole wheat bread, small chicken breast, 3/4 ounce swiss cheese, 1-1/2 cup broccoli, water

Afternoon snack: 1 apple, water

Dinner: 1 small baked potato, 1/4 cup of baked beans, 2 ounces baked salmon, 2 cups tossed salad, 1 tangerine, water

Night-time snack: 6 ounces yogurt, water

Note: Avoid food and drink containing added fat, sugars and limit the amount of sodium you consume.

Summary
Cutting calories is important when you want to lose weight. But you need to eat enough to maintain your health. Use MyPyramid as a starting point for planning low-calorie meals and snacks, and talk to a registered dietitian for personal guidance to meet your unique needs. Get more details from the USDA.