Diet and Nutrition

We welcome Hillary from ChewOnThat Blog to our guest blog series today. Hillary Marshak is one of the primary writers for Chew on That blog, a blog about recipes, restaurant reviews, disasters in the kitchen and more! She is also the editor for Recipe4Living and loves to share new recipes and learn about different cuisines around the world!

Boy have I got a recipe for you! It’s so easy, simple, beautiful and delicious and it comes all the way from a little town I visited recently called Buenos Aires (ok maybe it’s not so little!). I ordered it for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised when a heaping plate of freshly cut tomatoes, avocados and hearts of palm was just waiting for me to dig in. I thought to myself ‘how simple’ and decided I’d track down a recipe for the dressing so I can make this work of art at home.

Well, I did just that and realized I couldn’t keep the recipe to myself! I had to share it with my own readers on Chew on That blog, and now I’m here to share it with you! Feel free to use low fat mayonnaise in the dressing or tweak it any way you like. Just make sure to use fresh tomatoes and avocados and you’re on the road to deliciousness.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Here is the recipe:

Tomato, Avocado and Hearts of Palm Salad
I had this fresh and delicious salad for the first time in Buenos Aires. I thought it would be too simple but these ingredients turned out to be a wonderful combination!

Ingredients
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 fresh avocados, sliced
8 pieces fresh hearts of palm, chopped diagonally (or 1-2 cans since fresh might be hard to find)
1 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. ketchup
1 Tbs. white sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 pinch ground black pepper
olive oil
sun-dried tomatoes for garnish (optional)

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, ketchup, white sugar, lemon juice, paprika and pepper together.

Slice tomatoes and avocados to desired thickness and arrange around your serving plate. Sprinkle avocado with lemon juice to keep fresh. Chop hearts of palm diagonally and arrange on plate with tomatoes and avocados. Pour dressing into a small serving bowl (for dipping sauce) and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with sun dried tomaroes if desired, and serve!

Hint: You may make the dressing ahead of time, but I wouldn’t slice the vegetables until just before serving, to keep them fresh.

Today is our final guest post with Dr. Wayne Andersen, author of the soon-to-release Habits of Health and medical director for Medifast. He continues to write about obtaining optimal health at his blog. Look for the DietsInReview.com interview with Dr. Andersen in August, where he’ll share more about his new book.

I would prefer to call the journal a journal of your daily choices, rather than just an eating journal.  It is more of an overall journal.  Habits of Health is about all of your daily choices that affect your health. The day you decide to make a change in your health is the day you can track the differences, and we are going to help you understand your current health.  Your current health is a reflection of all of the daily choices you have made in the past.  The point in keeping a journal is to understand your current reality.

For example, if you have a cheeseburger or a salad for lunch today, it isn’t going to help or hurt you immediately (as in the same day).  But in the long run it will likely hinder your progression toward optimal health.

I believe that there are three key choices we make in our daily lives.  They are:

1)  Your daily choices in what you are eating, or your energy intake
2)  Your daily choices in movement or activity
3)  Your daily choices about sleep

These three things are very key components to reaching optimal health.

When we start recognizing our daily choices and how they affect our health, then we will see what is supporting us and that will allow you to determine which choices you need to make to be healthy. Once you make the choice to do better, the daily choices come easier and you are on your way to reaching optimal health.

What do you think of using a journal of daily choices?  How could it help you?

You can see all of Dr. Andersen’s featured guest posts here at DietsInReview.com:
3 Tips for Reaching a Healthy Weight
The Pros of Portion Controlled Meal Replacements
Optimal Health Defined

Staying hydrated is so important, especially during the summer. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink before you’re thirsty; if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Water is the best source and hopefully should be your primary source to stay hydrated, but other liquids can contribute to your fluid needs. Water is also found in almost all foods. Most fruits and vegetables contain up to 90% water, and many meats and cheeses contain at least 50%. Water plays vital roles in the body, including: protecting and providing cushioning for organs, regulating your body’s temperature, and aiding the digestive system. Below is a list of some common signs and symptoms of dehydration.

Early or mild symptoms of dehydration include:

• Dry mouth, dry tongue
• Dry, warm skin
• Cramping in arms and legs
• Sleepiness
• Irritable
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Inability to concentrate
• Constipation
• Reduced amount of urine, urine color is dark yellow

Moderate to severe dehydration symptoms include:

• Low blood pressure, heart failure
• Convulsions
• Fainting
• Severe muscle contractions
• Skins loses its firmness, elasticity
• Bloated stomach
• Fast, weak pulse

Because water/fluid needs vary depending on diet, activity, environmental temperature, and humidity, establishing a general water recommendation is difficult. General rule to go by is drink 8-12 glasses per day. A good way to help you achieve this goal is to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go. Also, consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables daily and try to drink before your meals, while you’re still hungry instead of after you’re full. Good luck, stay hydrated, and drink (water) to your health!

Learn more about nutrition and healthy lifestyle from our dietitian, Kinsey. 

Much research has been conducted to look at the type of diet an individual follows and their associated weight loss. Many people declare that following a low-carb Atkins type diet is the way to lose weight, while others swear it’s by following a low-fat diet. You can get lost sifting your way through these diets to determine which is better and which will result in more weight loss. However, the research suggests that it’s more about the total amount of calories you take in rather than following a low-fat or a low-carb diet that shows weight reductions. Research shows that groups that follow a low-fat diet versus dieters on a low-carb diet ultimately end up losing the same amount of weight. One study showed a group following a low-carb diet had greater weight loss initially, but as the researchers followed-up, the total pounds lost was not maintained (weight regain had occurred). The same results were seen in studies examining a low-fat diet and weight loss. However, dieters who take a more healthy lifestyle approach (overhauling their diet and making healthier food choices) tend to lose weight at a healthy pace and have a much higher success rate of keeping off the weight.

I want to provide you with a simple solution, try incorporating the positives of the low-fat and low-carb diet. I personally believe in nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle rather then following a diet to lose weight. Once you view your diet as a key component to being healthy your thinking shifts from total weight lost towards your health (reducing cholesterol, reducing your risk of cancer and disease, etc.) and consequently eating healthy results in shedding some unwanted pounds.

Instead of following a low-carb diet, focus on consuming more complex, whole-grain, whole-wheat carbohydrates. These complex, whole-wheat sources provide you with fiber and bran, both of which help promote satiety (being and feeling comfortably full) versus simple carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, etc.). Whole-grains, whole-wheat products have been shown to do great things for your health from lower your risk of colon cancer to helping better control your blood sugar.

Following a low-fat diet not only provides tremendous benefits for your heart and overall health, but also helps slim down your waist line. No matter the source of fat, fat provides you with 9 calories per gram versus only 4 calories per gram for protein and carbohydrates. Simply put, if you eat less fat you’ll consume fewer calories without having to eat less food. Fewer Calories = Weight Loss.

Another important thing to remember is calories in and calories out: reduce the total amount of calories you take in and increase the amount of calories you burn during your exercise routine.

Although my approach may not be as fancy as following an exact diet or a rigidly structured meal plan, following a low-fat, whole-wheat diet, while incorporating exercise is essential to having a healthy lifestyle and help you drop a few pounds along the way.