Diet and Nutrition

Is Bacon a Healthier Choice than Tilapia?

This headline drew much attention after Wake Forest University conducted a study and concluded, “the inflammatory potential of hamburger or pork bacon is lower than the average serving of farmed tilapia.” Well first off, this does not make me want to jump up and start consuming bacon in place of fish because bacon is incredibly high in sodium, fat, and calories. bacon However, the information in this study did bring up a good point… that not all fish is created equal in terms of being the most nutritious choice.

Basically what this study did was look at different types of fish and examine the amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids present. Omega-3, which is present in most fish, has been proven to have very beneficial effects on heart health (showing anti-inflammatory effects), and where as omega-6 is needed in certain proportion to omega-3, too much omega-6 has been linked to being a pro-inflammatory (inflammation/pro-inflammatory is not good for your heart!).

Fish such as salmon, bronzini, and farmed trout are very high in omega-3 whereas tuna, grouper, and snapper do not provide a significant source. Certain fish, including farmed catfish, tilapia, and salmon are rich in omega-6; more importantly are high in arachidonic acid (pro-inflammatory omega-6). Tuna, farmed tilapia, and farmed catfish, three of the most commonly eaten fish, actually contain more omega-6 than omega-3 fatty acids.

While conducting this study, the researchers found that some of the tilapia sampled contained more arachidonic acid and less omega-3 than bacon or hamburger. The biggest thing to pull from these findings is being skeptic about buying farm raised fish; it is very likely that their feed could be responsible for the increased omega-6 occurrence. From all my readings and research, I highly recommend buying “wild” fish and avoiding all “farm-raised” fish.

tilapia Although bacon may be lower in arachidonic acid, it is definitely higher in sodium, fat, and calories versus fish/tilapia. I have said before and it has been clearly proven time and time again, that a high calorie and fat intake directly correlate to heart problems and disease (with an increase in inflammation).

So, I recommend sticking with fish, because it is a great source of high quality protein and fewer calories then bacon, but try to buy “wild” fish. If you want to eat bacon, please limit the amount you eat and try to only eat it on occasion.

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Kinsey

How to Eat Like an Olympian

Well let’s face it… we will never need to eat exactly like an Olympian unless we’re training like one, because their calorie needs are probably higher than what we need. However, an Olympian’s diet, for the most part, is ideal believe it or not, but it boils down to making good nutritional decisions. For an Olympian, healthy eating is a lifestyle. They view food as a fuel, rather than an obsession.

Key components to an Olympian’s diet:

olympic rings

Don’t skip meals. This includes breakfast! It’s important to eat healthy and regularly. In doing so, you are providing your body with the energy and nutrients that are needed for optimal health and weight maintenance.
Variety, variety, variety! Don’t allow yourself to get into a rut, which may end up causing you to snack on your junk food of choice. If you have a craving for chips, cookies, or chocolate, allow yourself to indulge. If you constantly pass on temptation, then the day you do take a bit of the cookie you may end up eating the entire bag because you had restricted yourself for so long. Eating cookies on occasion isn’t the worst thing in the world.
Pick nutrient dense foods. Try to avoid empty calories. You want to provide yourself with nutrient packed foods. This will provide you with vitamins, minerals, and you’ll find them more filling and satisfying.
Limit fat, but do not avoid it. The right kind of fat is important for optimal health. Try to minimize the amount of trans and saturated fats you eat and eat more mono-unsaturated fats.
Choose whole-wheat, whole-grain. Whole grains provide you with fiber, which is great for your health!
Go lean with your protein! Try to minimize the amount of red and high fat (i.e. pork) meats you eat and switch to more lean sources, such as fish, chicken, and turkey.
Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol in moderation (one drink a day) has been shown to provide you with some health benefits. However, excessive alcohol consumption has been proven to take a toll on your body and health.
Fill up on fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are the original fast food! They are easy to carry with you and are the true definition of a nutrient-dense food.
Include dairy. Pick low-fat or fat-free dairy choices.

Eating like an Olympian boils down to eating healthy and making it your way of life, not just a fad to drop a few pounds.

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Kinsey

Eat Shrink & Be Merry Easy and Healthy Breakfast Recipe

This month, the Featured Guest Blogger, and in this case Bloggers, are the dynamic sisters Janet and Greta Podleski. These witty ladies are the funny-bones behind the new tasty and health-conscious cookbook, Eat, Shrink & Be Merry. They’ll join us right here, every Tuesday in August, to impart nutritional wisdom and a good chuckle. Learn more about Janet and Greta at Eat, Shrink & Be Merry.

The other day, while my sister Greta and I were having lunch, we were actually discussing breakfast–one of our favorite breakfasts, that is. It’s quick, easy, healthy, and best of all, deee-licious. Plus, it’ll rev your engine right from the get-go with its balanced blend of protein, fiber, good fats and good carbs. What more could you ask for? We thought we’d share this “top secret recipe” with you here today. (Okay, okay, so it’s not rocket science. But we bet you’ll love it, and if you have kids, we guarantee they’ll love it, too.)

Last week, Janet and Greta gave their recommendations for Mini Diets.

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Natalie K

Food Fight: Vitamin Waters

food fight

During the past couple of years, vitamin and nutrition waters have broken on to the health food scene as the must-have beverage. Why wouldn’t you want to quench your thirst, hydrate your body and get a dose of vitamins at the same time? Unfortunately, each of those bottles comes packed with calories. If you’re like most people, you’ll drink the entire bottle in one sitting- meaning you’ve nearly tripled the calories, sugar and sodium you’re ingesting.

In today’s Food Fight, we take a look at three popular brands- Aquafina Alive by Pepsi, Dasani Plus by Coke and SoBe Life Water by South Beach Beverage Co.

Fighter Notes
Each of these 20 oz. bottles advertises its vitamin content right on the front, as well as calories. We’re not too sure about bottled water that requires a calorie count. They each also note that they have natural flavors.

ROUND ONE: Nutrition Facts

dasani plus vitamin water Each of these vitamin waters’ nutrition label shows an 8 fl. oz. serving size, with 2.5 servings per container. How many of you drink 8 oz. out of a water bottle and then save the rest for later? So the nutrition facts I’m about to share, you can probably go ahead and multiply by 2.5 to find out what you’re really consuming. One side note- regular bottles of water do not have serving sizes or calories or grams of sugar.

Life Water / Dasani Plus / Aquafina Alive
Calories: 40 / 0 / 0
Fat: 0 / 0 / 0
Sodium: 35mg / 25mg / 65mg
Total Carbs: 10g / 1g / 0g
Sugar: 10g / — / 0
Fiber: — / 1g / —
WW Points: .8 / -.2 / 0

As these are vitamin waters, here is the breakdown in vitamin content per serving with percent of daily value:
Vitamin C: 100% / — / 10%
Vitamin E: 20% / 10% / 10%
Niacin: 10% / 10% / —
Vitamin B6: 10% / 10% / —
Vitamin B12: 10% / 10% / —

Round 1 is going to Dasani Plus as it has zero calories, the lowest sodium of these waters and a gram of fiber.

(– indicates no values on label)

ROUND TWO: Taste and Ingredients

I was able to find Dasani Plus and Aquafina Alive in similar flavors: Dasani’s Pomegranate Blackberry and Aquafina’s Berry Pomegranate. From SoBe’s Life Water I chose Strawberry Kiwi.

Dasani Plus smelled like a popsicle when I opened it, like a popular kids’ sugary punch. The flavor seemed kind of flat. I didn’t really pick up anything too pomegranate or blackberry. The carbonation was about the only thing exciting in the taste. The first three ingredients include filtered water, maltodextrin (a common food additive used as a sweetener made from wheat) and natural flavors. It also contains a very long list of hard to pronounce ingredients and artificial colorings.

Aquafina Alive was very subtle in smell and taste. The flavor is OK, and I can definitely taste the berries in this one. This water is not carbonated. The first three ingredients for Aquafina Alive include filtered water, natural flavors and phosphoric acid (a mineral acid used in food to give it a tangy taste; naturally this can be achieved by using ginger or natural citric acids). Splenda is used as a sweetener and it has a few other hard to pronounce ingredients. It’s concerning that on the Aquafina Alive Web site the ingredients list includes caffeine as the eighth ingredient- but that is missing from the printed label on the bottle.

SoBe Life Water had a very light flavor that I enjoyed, and just a little sweet. It does not have any strong scent and it is not carbonated. The first three ingredients are filtered water, sugar and natural flavors. SoBe includes vegetable juice concentrate for color. There are also the herbal ingredients lemon balm extract and chamomile extract- giving this bottled water an herbal edge over its vitamin competitors.

I give round two to SoBe for having the most palatable flavor and the least offensive ingredients. Someone had to win, but I wasn’t terribly impressed with any of them. It just left me wanting a glass of regular old water.

ROUND THREE: Cost and Accessibility

Aquafina Alive, Dasani Plus and SoBe Life Water are each national brands. You are likely to find this in just about any grocery or convenient store you walk into. None of these waters were found to be available online.

At my grocer, a national chain, Dasani Plus was $1.39, Aquafina Alive was $1.39 and SoBe Life Water was $1.59.

Dasani Plus and Aquafina tie round three.

Post-Match Commentary
Dasani Plus manages to barely win this DietsInReview.com Food Fight. Water is so important to the health and vitality of your body- it seems you’d gain more by just drinking water. I don’t ever remember a time I had to look at a nutrition label before drinking a glass of water. If it’s vitamins you’re after- try having a piece of fruit or some vegetables. You’ll likely get more out of a serving of that. Vitamin and nutrition waters is a cash-cow of a trend that the beverage companies are riding all the way to the bank.

Other popular brands in this category that still don’t quite stack up are Propel Fitness water with 10 calories and 2g sugar and Glaceau Vitamin Water with 50 calories and 13g sugar. Make sure you’re reading those nutrition labels!

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Natalie K

Obesity Surgeries for Teens on Oprah

The Oprah episode that aired today, featuring Dr. Mehmet Oz, discussed teens undergoing obesity surgery. Seeking either gastric band (like the Lap Band) surgery or gastric bypass surgery, these teens had the support of their parents to use this method to lose weight.

cassie on oprah Cassie was 200 pounds at age 13 Four years later she maintains a weight of 141 pounds. She noted borderline diabetes and taunting from school friends as motivators, in addition to wanting to avoid life-long weight related health issues. The FDA does not approve gastric banding for youth (a small belt clipped around the stomach to reduce the amount of food you can ingest), so Cassie’s mother took her to a notable surgeon in Tijuana, Mexico. Today, Cassie is happy, thriving and healthy.

mac on oprah Mac underwent Gastric Lap Band surgery at the University of Illinois as part of a clinical study. Six months before he was allowed to even join the study he underwent physical therapy, visits with a nutritionist and psychological consults. At the time of his surgery he was 360 pounds. He cites depression and having always been an active kid, but since learning to step it up. He’s lost 150 pounds in one year; and recently his football coach encouraged him to put on a few pounds to his 175 pound frame in order to play.

kylie on oprah Kylie was 17 when she had gastric bypass surgery, a non-reversible surgery that cuts away most of the stomach and bypasses digestion more quickly through the small intestine. She was going blind and having migraines- symptoms obese adult women experience. Since surgery she’s lost 120 pounds.

They also featured Nathanial, a high school student who had gastric bypass only one week ago and has since lost 14 pounds. At the time of surgery he weighed 340 pounds and was a borderline Type II Diabetic, had acid reflux, sleep apnea, knee and back problems.

The Lap Band is not currently approved for youth, and the bypass surgery is still questioned by many surgeons. The long-term effects post-surgery are still unknown in those under age 18.

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Natalie K

The Year 2048: Every American is Fat!

What’s the highest percentage of Americans you can imagine being overweight at any given time? With numbers trending up for the last several decades, will it peak? Well, according to a government-funded study it’s projected to be 100 percent of the population.

Obesity Of course this is ludicrous if taken literally. You’d have to think that there would cease to be athletes, professional and amateur, and that everyone else who is dedicated to healthy living would go the way of the dinosaurs.

But take the warning seriously for what it portends – we still haven’t peaked! That isn’t just bad for every individual. One must wonder where the breaking point will be with regards to health care costs. You think your health care is expensive now, just wait until 85 percent of the population is overweight. We’re already to the to the two-thirds mark.

Researchers say if the current trend continues, we’ll be there by 2030. And the estimated health care cost for just the obesity-related issues is $957 billion in 2030.

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Jason

These Foods Pack a Mighty Punch of Antioxidants

Antioxidants work wonders in your body! In our body, we have unstable, harmful molecules known as free radicals that, if left in this unstable stage, can cause severe damage to cells and can eventually lead to serious health complications like cancer, heart disease, etc. Antioxidants help stabilize these free radicals, thus preventing damage in the body. Most well know antioxidants include: vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene, lycopene, and selenium. The best way to guarantee you are receiving these powerhouse antioxidants is by eating plenty of fruits and veggies. A good thing to remember is to eat the colors of the rainbow… eat fruits and veggies in every color of the rainbow. This will ensure you are receiving all the antioxidants your body can handle.

Examples of antioxidant food sources

antioxidants

Vitamin A and Beta-carotene
Food sources: fortified cereals, broccoli, carrots, tomato juice, beef liver, sweet potatoes, mango

Vitamin C
Food sources: bell peppers, oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, green leafy veggies, kiwi, broccoli

Vitamin E
Food sources: fortified cereals, nuts, seeds, oils, green leafy veggies

Lycopene
Foods sources: tomatoes, tomato processed foods, watermelon, grapefruit

Selenium
Foods sources: Brazil nuts, meats, tuna, eggs, fish

Make it a point to eat plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole-wheat. This will help guarantee you are getting plenty of nutrients and the antioxidants your body needs!

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Kinsey

5 Easy Diet Tips to Help you Survive the Weekend!

There are many summer events that will easily sabotage your healthy eating and diet efforts. Remember these tips to help you through the weekend:

1. If you must snack- grab fresh fruit, a handful of almonds, cup of yogurt or other good for you treat.

2. Stay away from the basket of bread and fried appetizers in the buffet line. Stick to grilled or roasted meats, poultry and fish and load your plate with vegetables and fruit.

3. Follow these tips for drinking on a diet. (more…)

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Natalie K

Eat Like an Olympian with this Baja Chicken Salad Recipe

When most of us are trying to consume less calories each day, Olympic athletes are on a concerted mission to consume double or triple the amount of calories an average male or female eats on a given day.

Sounds like a dream right?

olympic athletes For these conditioned athletes, what they eat or don’t eat can make or break their performance. The onus of what the 2024 U.S. Olympic team noshes on goes to U.S. Olympic Committee Executive Chef Jacque Hamilton. Her responsibility of feeding this hungry and elite group of 600 delegates includes abiding by certain nutrition guidelines. Every dish and snack she prepares must be void of butter, trans fats, low in sodium, and of course yummy.

Here is Chef Hamilton’s signature dish, Baja Chicken Salad, which is a favorite of U.S. Olympic judo fighter, Myles Porter.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

• 1 Tbs. curry powder

• 1 tsp. ground ginger

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 3/4 tsp. cumin

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

• 1/4 tsp allspice

• 2 eggs (combined with 4 Tbs water)

• 6 4-oz chicken breasts

• 6 Tbs. flour

• Canola cooking spray

• 6 oz. fat-free ranch dressing

• 3 oz. mango chutney

• 3 Tbs. water

• 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Granny Smith apples

• 1 Tsp. lemon juice

• 6 cups romaine (cut into bite-size pieces)

• 6 cups watercress

• 2 Tbs. golden raisins

• 2 Tbs. walnuts

• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Combine panko, ¼ the amount of curry powder and ½ the amount of ginger with all of the salt, cumin, red pepper and allspice. Coat chicken with flour.

2. Dip chicken in egg mixture and dredge in the panko. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.

3. Combine the rest of the curry powder, ginger, ranch dressing, chutney, water and oil in food processor; process until smooth.

4. Spray baking pan, and lightly coat chicken with cooking spray on both sides.

5. Bake chicken for 8-10 minutes or until crisp and temperature reaches 165 degrees. Slice into ½-inch slices and set aside.

6. Cut each apple into 15 wedges and toss with lemon juice. Combine romaine and watercress and place 2 cups on each salad plate.

7. Top with 5 apple slices, 4 oz. of chicken, 1 tsp. of raisins, 1 tsp walnuts. Sprinkle with black pepper and drizzle 3 Tbs. dressing over each serving.

Serves 6.

Dive in and enjoy as you dine like an Olympic athlete!

Posted on August 8, 2024 by heather

Shocker: Study Finds Fast Food Unhealthy for Kids

There’s an informative article at WebMD that examines a study of 13 fast food restaurant chains and how healthy – or unhealthy – their kids meals are. It should come as no surprise that they got a failing grade.

Ninety-three percent of the choices had too many calories. While that’s high, I found it a little surprising to see that less than half (45 percent) had too much saturated fat. I just figured that would be much higher.

fast food The article categorizes the worst and best choices you can make for your kids at some of the establishments they studied. Those you should avoid include Chili’s, KFC, Sonic and Burger King. Those with healthier selections include Subway, Denny’s and Arby’s.

The fast food industry disputes the claims of the study, but it seems they aren’t hearing what is being said. The claim is that most choices are unhealthy. But they dispute by saying that they have healthy choices. Right, but most aren’t.

Some blame has to go to consumers who make poor choices. But let’s be honest. If you’re in Burger King, and you smell the grilled beef and fries, it’s mighty tempting to skip the dainty salad that’s buried beneath all the other fatty sodium-filled choices.

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Jason

School Year Resolutions

Bernie Salazar’s School Year Resolutions from Diets in Review on Vimeo.

It’s my first video blog! You can expect to start hearing, and seeing, from me in video during my regular Thursday posts.

school lunch

This week I want to talk to you about your children’s nutrition. The health of our children is very important to me, and I hope it is for you as well. Back to School is just days away for some kids. As each of you start preparing, I ask you to keep in mind these simple school year resolutions that will make a serious impact for your child’s health.

1. Pack School Lunches. They should include vegetables, fruit and no soda!

2. Stay active. Do this as a family and it will feel less like exercise and more like playing!

Have a healthy school year.

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Bernie

Diet and Nutrition

Advertising Disclosure