Is Weight Gain Inevitable With Age?

Clients often as me, and I guess they’re entitled, if I’ve ever been heavy. This question makes me uncomfortable and I’ll often mention the fact that I’m a runner or that like many women I had to loose weight after my pregnancies. The truth is that, as an adult, my weight has been fairly stable. While many sane habits contribute to this, there’s also an element of fear. You see, for almost 15 years I’ve been counseling perimenopausal and menopausal women. I’ve witnessed their frustration when it comes to weight loss and so in anticipation of what may be many years away for me, I’m doing what I can now.

I was reminded of this when I had lunch on Friday with my beautiful literary agent (the book concept is strong but the feedback is I need to be funnier and include more anecdotes, ok ok). Over our avocado salads, she joked about “the forty thing” being true. I noted I haven’t hit “the forty thing” but that even your 30’s are different than your 20’s in terms of metabolism. As we commiserated, we both acknowledged that our “good” mode now needed more stringency. I said “it used to be I could just remove the extras and my weight would drop those couple of pounds before a vacation or event.” To which she added, “now it has to be a total cleanse.”

Most people operate with a weight range. The have their ideal weight, then a range above this where they are “fine” and an upper limit. As years go by, the “upper limit” number can become the good number. This is the weight creep that’s insidious but real.  Our muscle cells drive our metabolism. Age and a decrease in estrogen, testosterone and other hormones contribute to the loss of muscle cells. Muscle cells are where calories are burned. So if you eat the same amount over the years and less is burned or it’s burned less efficiently…you see where this is headed. Another proposed mechanism is that our bodies are more likely to be in an inflammatory state as we age even in the absence of a threat (virus, bacteria). This inflammation can damage cells in joints and muscles or wherever the inflammation occurred. And sorry guys, this applies to you as well.

Before you throw your hands in the air and prepare for the inevitable pudge, know that you are not powerless. One tool is exercise as a way to preserve and deposit muscle.  The good news is that exercise can help prevent age-related weight gain. The bad news? You have to do more with each decade. A study of male runners gave the suggestion that “runners who average 10 miles per week at age 30 should increase their weekly running distance to 24 miles by age 40 if they plan to still fit into the tuxedo they bought a decade earlier." Yes, I realize that 24 is more than double 10, it’s a good thing I’m marathon training.  I also advise my younger clients that they don’t want to exercise excessively in their 20’s as they will need to increase it as they age.

Another tool is anti-inflammatory foods. Chia seed, wild fish, hemp protein, ginger and turmeric are some of my favorites. Incorporate these in your daily diet. As for that diet, if you feel as though you’re doing what you used to do and not getting results, there’s a reason. You need to “do” things differently. The weight loss plan that worked in college will not work at 35. If this concept is a little scary, welcome to my world.
Have you noticed it's harder to lose or maintain your weight with age? Do you do things differently? 
Do you find this depressing?

So you think you can hard-boil eggs?

When I first started practicing nutrition, I would eagerly meet with my new clients. We would talk about their week and I would write out a food plan. For example, I might suggest “2 hardboiled eggs with blueberries” for a breakfast choice or  “salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts” for dinner.  When clients would come back and I’d ask them about the boiled eggs or roasted vegetables their answers were a little evasive. It took a while but I eventually realized something important. You cannot assume cooking skills, no matter how basic.  I now assume the opposite. Today, I was on the phone session with a client in Chicago and I asked her if she made the eggs I saw on her food journal. She said “no, I take them out from Whole Foods, they make them better than I do, mine turn greyish.” Here was someone who had boiled eggs but didn’t get great results. Hard-boiled eggs, and eggs in general, are one of my all time favorite foods. Though you’d think, as I used to think, boiling eggs was fairly straightforward, it is botch-able.

The Pot

The pot you use should be large enough to hold the eggs in a single layer. No egg stacking.

The Eggs

Eggs should be neither too young nor too old and organic. Farm-fresh eggs will be difficult to peel. Instead, wait 3-5 days to cook new eggs. Place your eggs gently! in the pot and if you like boiled eggs as much as my younger son and I do, make half a dozen at a time.

The Water

Add enough cold water to just cover the eggs. I use filtered water. Some may say that’s unnecessary. Some may say filtering water is unnecessary. They haven’t seen the inside of a pre-war apartment’s pipes. We renovated, I saw, I filter our water. Do not add salt to the water as this makes your eggs tough. And if your eggs float to the top when you add water, they’re too old or rotten.

The KEY to Better Boiled Eggs

The truth is that hard-boiled eggs is really not a truthful name, I’ll explain. You put a med-high flame under your pot of eggs and THE SECOND it starts to boil; you cover the pot, remove eggs from heat and turn off the heat. The eggs should not ever spend time in boiling water.  I guess one could say that if it’s at 212 degrees it is boiling even if not bubbling but let’s move on. You cover the pot and let the eggs sit. The three-minute concept is another myth unless you like soft-boiled eggs or Salmonella. The eggs sit in the water for a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 15 minutes. If you take a shower and dry your hair and come back to your eggs, they will be grey. My vote is for 12 minutes for medium eggs. Add 2 minutes for large or extra large.

Cold Shower and Shake

When you’re eggs are done cooking, drain the hot water but keep eggs in the pot.  Run them under cold water for 2 minutes to cool them down and then drain the cold water.  Put the lid back on the pot and shake back and forth for 30 seconds. The eggs will start to peel themselves. Finish peeling under cold running water.

You can store boiled eggs in a container for up to a week.

That explanation exhausted me so I’ll cover roasting vegetables another time.

When it comes to hard cooking eggs are you a) phobic, b) prone to making greyish eggs or c) a pro? Do you have any additions or corrections of my method? I’d love to hear.

Is All Fish Healthy?

Do these look like happy fish?

It bothers me that people are confused about what to eat. I take pride in distilling intricate nutrition information into something straight forward and easy to follow. For today's blog, my plan was to explain the differences between wild and farmed fish but something new happened. The more I researched, the more questions I had. While wild fish has its clear virtues, some farms are better than others. I don't consider myself an aquaculture expert and as I delved deeper into this topic I really felt- well much like a fish out of water (or in this case a fish out of the wild). I thought to scrap this post but realized something, if the ins and outs of fish farming are confusing to me, chances are I'm not alone. So here we go.

For starters, why is wild better than farmed fish?

• Wild fish, as the name implies, have room to swim. Farmed fish, on the other hand, are often confined to crowded spaces. One consequence of this is that farmed fish is fattier. Unfortunately this increase in fat isn’t the “good" fat. Wild salmon is 20% higher in protein and 20% lower in far than farm raised.
• Farmed fish is lower in omega 3’s than wild fish
• Fish farming is similar in many ways to factory farms for animals. Crowded conditions lead to contamination and the need for antibiotic use. Sulfa drugs with your salmon anyone?
• Farmed fish aren't searching for their next meal, they are “fed”. Their diet is very different from their wild counterparts. I had no idea farmed fish weren’t fed fish or other marine “stuff” until I read an article in the NYT last spring about tilapia farms. Corn, soy, wheat and even chicken (yes chicken) are used at fish farms.
• Due to the change from natural feed, farmed fish looks different than wild. Two red food dyes are used to color the flesh of farmed salmon. Otherwise it would appear greyish. This dying is known as “color finishing”. One of these colors is made from a strain of red yeast.
• Furthermore the proximity of many fish farms to wild fish adversely affects wild fish. A parasite known as sea lice has been on the rise due to this.

Antibiotics, corn and chicken in my fish? No thank you, I choose wild whenever possible but have certain lingering questions:

How do you know if fish is farmed or wild?

My general rule is that stores and companies using or selling wild fish want you to know and this fish is generally labeled. If it doesn’t say wild, it is almost always farmed. “Bred”, “raised” and “cultivated” are euphemisms for farmed. Atlantic salmon is farmed.

Are all farms flawed?

As I scoured Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch site, I learned that fish farming or aquaculture is part of our future. “The ecological impact of fish farming depends on the species chosen, where the farm is located, and how they are raised.” Not all fish farms are polluting the oceans and not all farms use chicken feathers as feed. The problem is that you can’t very well ask the waiter at the restaurant if your fish came from a good farm or a nasty one.  I would hope at some point there will be language much like “grass fed beef” to inform consumers.

Until the time when we can distinguish better farms from foul (or fowl) ones. Wild is the better bet. Canned wild salmon and wild sardines are more affordable options. And though farmed fish has its drawbacks and is inferior to wild nutritionally, I wouldn’t go ordering the steak.

Do you find fish facts confusing? Do you pay attention to where your fish comes from? Does coloring, antibiotics, soy or wheat used with farmed fish worry you?

Skinnygirl or Suspicious Girl?

In case you haven’t heard (or do not really care and I get that) Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl Margarita was yanked from the shelves of Whole Foods because it contains sodium benzoate. And in case you don’t know who Bethenny Frankel is she was on Bravo’s Real Housewives of NYC (though then not a housewife or wife) and the author of “Naturally Thin” though you can decide if natural is the first word that comes to mind with Bethenny. Skinny and natural don't always go hand and hand.

 I’ll try and stick to the food/drink part, sorry.

What is sodium benzoate and is it bad?
Sodium benzoate is a preservative, the salt of benzoic acid. CSPI, The Center for Science in the Public Interest, ranks additives and puts it in the “caution” category. The real danger occurs when sodium benzoate is combined with ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C). The two combine to form benzene which is linked to leukemia and other cancers. Many fruits, including the limes in Skinnygirl margaritas, contain ascorbic acid. But Skinnygirl says they use a “miniscule amount” of sodium benzoate. As CSPI points out,  not specifically on the subject of Skinny girl “though the amounts of benzene that form are small, leading to only a very small risk of cancer, there is no need for consumers to experience any risk.” You’ve heard me point out that companies justify sub par chemicals saying they are safe at a certain dose, safe is safe and unsafe is unsafe. Plus, neither Skinnygirl nor the FDA knows how many margaritas me or anyone else plans to drink. 

“It’s a very common preservative.”
Beam, the company who supplies the margarita noted that sodium benzoate was “a very common preservative.” Is “common’ supposed to reassure us?  This ingredient is commonly used in sodas. It was more common before the FDA encouraged companies not to use benzoate in products that contain ascorbic acid. The companies continued with the carcinogen. Then, a lawsuit filed forced Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and other soft-drink makers to make necessary changes.  Other commonly used and crappy  things such as food dyes, high fructose corn syrup and textured vegetable protein aren’t healthy or “high quality” as these margaritas claim to be.

Where are the ingredients?
Skinnygirl’s website states “Bethenny’s Skinnygirl Margarita combines clear tequila, the juice from three lime wedges and a tiny splash of triple sec.” I guess listing sodium benzoate wouldn't exactly increase the appeal. I checked the bottle for the full ingredient list, which I assumed would contain sodium benzoate, but there isn’t one. If Skinnygirl, as the first paragraph on the site states, “is the margarita you can trust” why not list the ingredients? Hmn, I smell something fishy. 

The reaction
 Bethenny’s reaction also left a little to be desired: “we were bound to piss someone off and everyone loves to try to tear down a success. This is a non-event. I haven’t lost even a wink of sleep.” Whole Foods wasn't, in my opinion,  trying to tear her down, they just didn’t approve of the sodium benzoate. While, I'm sure it would involve a huge expense "we're looking into this matter and hope to find a substitute" would've been well received. VnCCocktails, mentioned in our latest newsletter, doesn't use sodium benzoate.

The bottom line

The truth is this is a margarita mix and not a children’s snack or a bunch of kale. We can improve cocktails but no matter how much we love them we shouldn’t drink too many if we want to be healthy. The concept of an improved margarita or a lower sugar, lower calorie cocktail is a great one. Bethenny deserves full credit for refining the recipe. In fact, as The Stir points out the original skinnygirl recipe “tequila, fresh lime juice, and a splash of Triple Sec over ice” is a real improvement over the mixes and sweet drinks used by most establishments. Bethenny’s fans describe her as “brutally honest” and not holding anything back. In the case of the Skinnygirl margaritas, full disclosure would’ve been refreshing.

Have you ever tried or purchased the Skinnygirl margaritas? Would knowing it has sodium benzoate affect your decision to buy a product? Are you a Bethenny fan?

My Popcorn Secrets

I’ve been the bearer of bad news lately. First it was skim milk, then salad dressing and last week I was urging you to “just say no” to nonstick cookware. It’s generally more fun to add than subtract and I’m happy to be here today to tell you to eat more of something. That “something” is popcorn and it happens to be a family favorite of ours.

A couple of weeks ago I experienced a popcorn convergence of sorts. We were in San Francisco at the divine Ferry Building/Market. My boys and I made our way through the various vendors. We hit Happy Girl Kitchen Co. where my son selected cinnamon, plum jam and I snagged a small jar of Meyer lemon and ginger marmalade. My salty son settled on porcini salt and we purchased gifts for both Granny and nanny.  As I was picking up some fruit and nuts for the plane ride home,  I came across a bag with what looked like red rice in it. It wasn’t red rice though, it was Rancho Gordo’s “Premium Crimson Popping Corn” and I couldn’t wait to try it.  The only problem was that I was heading back to a hotel so the Rancho Gordo I purchased would have to wait.

The next day we headed home. I sat down at the American Airlines terminal with a green juice (gotta love the SF airport) and a stack of magazines. As I leafed through the September issue of O, I saw an article featuring Cat Cora of Iron Chef fame and creator of the best lamb chop recipe ever. Cat talked about her boys getting home from school famished and her love for popcorn. I ripped out her recipe for “Pizza Popcorn” and felt between the crimson corn and this article; the universe was trying to tell me something. The universe was saying, “eat more popcorn” and you have to listen when the universe talks.

Why eat popcorn?

Popcorn is a gluten free, whole grain. As much as I love quinoa (technically a seed) and brown rice if I can choose those grains or popcorn there’s really no contest. Popcorn is a fantastic fiber source.  Surprisingly, popcorn is also a good source of antioxidants particularly polyphenols. Polyphenols may sound familiar as they’re found in high levels in green tea and red wine.  And popcorn is a high volume food; you get to have a nice serving. Three cups of plain, air-popped popcorn have under 100 calories leaving a little room for toppings.

PYOP

When you’re buying popcorn, and I’m not naming names, you don’t want to go for the boxes with bags of microwave popcorn inside,. There are many problems with these products. First, some contain bad fats, second one of the chemicals used for buttery flavor has been linked to lung disease in popcorn factory workers (Google “popcorn lung” and then purge any boxes you own) and finally the same chemical in nonstick cookware or PFOA is also in the lining of the microwave bags. The bottom line? PYOP or pop your own popcorn.

How do you PYOP?

We use this handy glass popper we got as a gift from the NY Rangers. I find it infinitely more useful than a Stanley Cup though my offspring may disagree. It’s very similar to this from Crate and Barrel. The O article also mentioned placing ¼ cup popcorn and ½ tsp. oil in a brown lunch bag. Fold over the top and microwave for 2 minutes or until popping stops. My friend Julie Negrin changed my life when she posted about popping in a pot on the stovetop (same proportions as above) cover for 3-4 over med-high heat. And finally there’s the whirly pop that my friend D. swears by.

Popcorn toppings are endless. Nutritional yeast, truffle salt, fresh herbs such as rosemary and cayenne pepper are some of my favorite or try the Pizza Popcorn. It turns out there was a popcorn secret I didn’t know. That crimson corn? When you pop it, it turns white. It’s really the best popcorn I’ve ever had.

What are your popcorn secrets/how do you pop it? What are your favorite after school or after work snacks?

Does Taste Matter?

When a client comes in reporting that they veered from their nutrition plan, my first question is generally “was it worth it?” You see, to me there’s a difference between a treat and a cheat. Treats are worth it. The best pizza Chicago has to offer, your grandmother’s famous holiday dessert, the Bi-rite ice cream I had on my birthday are all treats. Treats are savored and special. I wish I could take credit for this concept but it’s not mine. While I have no recollection of my mother dieting when I was growing up (ironic maybe when you think of my profession) she certainly had a rule system. When she tasted something ordinary she would often remark “that’s not worth it” and she’d immediately put her fork down. This was a woman who loved wine and cheese and bread so none of this was restrictive.  I’ve always liked this mentality as it shifts the focus of food from calories and food groups back to taste.

Sadly, much of our eating is governed by factors other than taste and sometimes taste doesn’t even come into play. The LA Times reported on a recent study conducted on moviegoers. Participants were given either fresh or week-old stale popcorn. Results showed people consumed the same amount of popcorn they usually do at movies regardless of freshness (or taste). Those who weren’t regular popcorn eaters were somewhat less likely to consume the stale stuff.  In a meeting room, people did eat less of the stale popcorn than they did in the dark theatre.

While I’d like to think most of us don’t regularly eat stale food, habits can be very powerful. How many times have you gone to lunch at 12:30 simply because you always do? I’ve talked about dessert and it’s very common to have a sweet after dinner purely out of habit. Habits also come into play with portions. Oftentimes we finish what’s on our plate or what we cook without regard for when we’re sated or if it really tastes good.

I’m asking you to jettison those old tendencies and take a page out of Elli’s playbook (funny I feel no need to respect my mother’s privacy). Embrace your inner food snob and to pay attention to how your food tastes. Ask yourself if its worth it and if not stop. You can use #TIDEI (tweet it don’t eat it) @Foodtrainers and we’ll give you a virtual gold star. Another thing we should glean from the study is that only things that are “worth it” should be done in the dark. When it comes to eating, the brighter the lights the better.

When do you find yourself eating sub par food? When you commit a cooking flop do you eat it anyway? Any treats you want to report?

*If you’re now craving freshly popped popcorn, tune in Friday for some Pop Secrets.

App-etite: Top 5 Healthy Apps

I’m still a Blackberry girl which means my app-titude (I can’t help myself) is minimal. So I asked Carolyn to come up with her picks for the best healthy apps of the bunch.

We know, we know, as if you need another app. But there are so many foodie or health-centric apps out there we decided to put ‘em to the test. Our clients regularly mention the apps that they have tried for weight loss and counting calories. While this might seem like a dream come true for nutritionists, we’re not fans of these apps and often encourage clients to press the delete button.

  

What’s wrong with calorie counting apps?

It’s not a way to live your life. One of the (many) things I love about Foodtrainers is that we rarely talk numbers. Who wants to figure out how many calories were in that splash of half and half while trying to enjoy a cup of coffee? We’re all about being organized when it comes to your food but it’s no fun being (or being around) calorie obsessed people.

So now that we have what we don’t like out of the way, there’s plenty left that we do.

Fooducate: (Free)

Tired of standing in the grocery aisles, comparing labels to figure out which product is healthier? Let this app do it for you. Scan the barcode of Dannon’s Activia Light yogurt, and you get a Fooducate “Grade”  (B) with a list of pros and cons, and a list of “healthier alternatives”. While there is some work to be done (GG Brancrisps got a B+ while Wheat Thins have a B, and the several duplicates of food items), once it works out the kinks this app will be a grocery go-to (just like Market Melissa).

Monterrey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch (Free)

Fish farming, mercury content, endangered… Can you eat any fish without it weighing on your conscience? With this app, finally yes. Enter the name of the fish you’re about to order and find out the facts. Is it labeled green (go for it) yellow (okay alternative) or red (avoid)? It doesn’t get simpler than that. And there’s a new “Project Fish Map” where you can find and add on to the list of restaurants that use sustainable fishies in your area.

Harvest ($1.99)

This app is a savior for produce shopping. Did you know skin color of grapefruit doesn’t mean a damn thing when it comes to ripeness? Or that a watermelon should make a hollow sound when you knock on it?  Yeah, you’ll be the weirdo knocking on melons but your taste buds will thank you. Harvest gives info on when those kumquats are in season, tips for selecting the cream of the crop, and a scale of pesticide residue.

How To Cook Everything ($4.99)

With a price (and a name) like that, Mark Bittman’s app has a lot to live up to. It includes 2,000 recipes plus tons of variations, a grocery list, built in timer, and 400 how-to illustrations. If you’re anything like me and get totally overwhelmed by Facebook and twitterverse, exploring thousands of recipes plus their variations when you just want dinner sounds like hell. But this is surprisingly basic and user-friendly – it’s full of great lists like “11 ways to Jazz up Simply Cooked Vegetables” to get your stomach growling.  Bottom line: it’s the only recipe app you will ever need. Consider it an investment.

Couch to 5K ($2.99)

Now couch potatoes really have no excuses. I’ve had numerous friends and clients tell me about this cool app/program. “C25K” gets users off the couch to running a 5k over the course of two months. It has a really high success rate and great reviews because of its slow but structured style. Now just have to figure out how to casually and inoffensively recommend it to your loved ones...

For the kids:

Fruit Ninja $0.99

Ok this isn’t only for kids… Who knew destroying fruit could be so much fun? 
What are your favorite healthy apps? What are your favorite apps in general? What do you think a Foodtrainers' app should/would include?