Pet Peeves. Just in Time for Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

We will all rest more easily if we air
these 'pet' peeves.

Radio show host, Brooklyn Kitchen store owner and foodie Harry Rosenblum wants to know my food related pet peeves. He'll be interviewing me on March 16th on Feast Yr Ears about eating disorders and recovery with a particular interest in Cate and my book, Food to Eat: guided, hopeful & trusted recipes for eating disorder recovery. Pet peeves. Funny he should have asked; 'Thursday's patient' was just suggesting this for a blog post.

We all have them. Pet peeves are those things that drive us crazy that people and companies say and do that make us want to scream. But most of you don't scream, or even express your outrage. You might be annoyed, infuriated even, but you just keep it quiet and say nothing. Maybe you ruminate about it, or binge eat or don't eat at all. "I'll show them" may be your thinking. So readers, here's your prompt to share those things that piss you off. Ok, ok, not so fast. Let's narrow the focus to food and eating disorder related topics, okay?

I'll start us off with a few.

• People who ought to know better, that assume weight loss is a good thing. Think doctors and nurses. Just 2 days ago a pre surgical nurse interviewing a family member asked if there was weight loss of more than 10 pounds in the past month. Yes, was the reply. "That's great!" she  moronically responded, naive to any underlying vomiting, pain, growing cancer, or depression that might have contributed. Brilliant. Or the pediatrician who praised the boy's weight drop from his high BMI, failing to ask the critical questions that would have diagnosed his eating disorder.

• Food companies that sneakily shrink their packaging, thinking we just won't notice. 1/2 gallon of ice cream? Nope. Now it's just 1.5 quarts (vs 2 quarts). Kashi cereal boxes--same height, just a fraction of the content, with skinnier boxes. Call a spade a spade. Increase the darn price but keep the package size the same. Don't insult my intelligence, please! I'm waiting for them to fill my dozen eggs with just 10. Just you wait. 

Stop insulting my bread.
And please call it bread, not carbs!

• Nutrition misinformation that people can't let go of--belief that gluten, or carbs make you fat. Not so my friends! There's no evidence to support this. It's like global warming for a particular US political party. They hold on to these beliefs in spite of all the science to the contrary. Ughh!

• Food labels that shout out "high protein" or "low fat" or "gluten free" as if we should care. (If you  need to watch your gluten since you have celiac you'd better look for more that the shout out gluten text; you'll need a legitimate stamp identifying foods that have a measured low gluten level through careful factory testing).

• People that think their food choices or diet type raises them to a higher moral ground. Choose to be vegan if you are concerned about the planet or animals or both. But don't wear it like a designer label because quite simply, I'm not impressed.

This is steak. It contains protein.
And fat. And other nutrients.

• Calling food by its nutrient. As in "I'll have some protein with that" referring to meats or fish, for instance. Can't we appreciate and select foods for their other characteristics, too? For their flavor, or texture, their smoothness or crunch? The simple pleasure they give us?

What are your pet peeves? Let's put them out there and circulate them. And maybe we will raise awareness and create change.

Struggling to Manage Your Weight? Products, packaging and marketing leads to second guessing your eating.

This is a self-serving post. Really, I need to vent; because these things drive me crazy. They’re not directly harmful—except for the laxatives to be addressed in the next post—but they cause you to stumble. They mislead you. They impact your thoughts about what’s healthy and what’s allowed, and they add to your list of should and should nots.

They impact all of us, regardless of our weight. I’m just starting my list, in no special order, but I hope to inspire you to add to it—your comments, your own pet peeves. Because the more you're aware, the less you'll be mislead by the subtle, unreasonable nutrition messages. And the better you'll get at trusting your self and your body.

Almond milk: Forgive me if you are among the food allergic who can’t consume cow’s milk or soy milk. For you, almond milk is a reasonable option as a milk alternative to help meet your calcium need. But with the exception of its higher vitamin E content, it has little merit; it truly falls short as a milk alternative for those who do tolerate milk and soy. Here’s my issue: it short-changes you, because it looks like a glass of milk. But the calories don't compare, nor does the protein.

Sure, almonds, (as they proudly display on their website for Almond Breeze, one brand of almond milk) are high in protein and fiber and low in sugar. But this so-called almond milk? At 1 gram or less of protein, it is 6 or 7 grams less per cup compared to soy or cow’s milk, respectively. And a total of 1 gram of fiber. So please don’t assume that because it’s made from wholesome almonds that almond milk is anywhere near as nutritious.

Gatorade light: Why-oh-why would you choose light Gatorade? If you are consuming this sports drink for the reason it was developed—‘specifically formulated to help you perform your best’ during sports and training, then why have a reduced carbohydrate and low calorie beverage? Did I mention that calories=energy? The calories, from carbohydrate, are a convenient, easy to absorb fuel while exercising. But the light version is hardly worth it, providing minimal fuel to support physical activity.

And for the record, the electrolytes you get from Gatorade—the 160 mgs. sodium and 45 mgs. potassium from the recently increased serving size of 12 (vs. 8) ounces—is no greater than you’d get from a 12 ounce glass of milk (160 mgs. sodium and 560 mgs. potassium). 

Ok, I know you’re not about to drink milk on your run or bike ride. But unless you’re doing long duration exercise, generally more than 90 minutes, there’s little need for a sports drink anyway. You could easily replace your electrolytes when you get home, perhaps with a serving of pretzels and an orange or banana—a more generous replacement for both sodium and potassium losses. Just add any beverage to replace your fluid losses.

Sandwich thins: Made by Arnold and other companies, these seem innocuous, and are perhaps even viewed as a healthy alternative to sliced bread. And, they’re well liked, it seems. (I can't say personally—I've never tried them).

My problem? Eating one is like having just half a sandwich. And unless you are quite short in stature and quite sedentary, you likely need more than a half sandwich for a meal. Yet they look like they should be enough—there are 2 halves—but also half the calories. And, they provide little surface area to add your peanut butter or Vegemite (shout out to my Australian readers) or tuna or whatever. But if you love them and want to include them, have 2 for lunch! Or else when you get hungry later you’ll be beating yourself up thinking you’re not deserving of eating again!

Skinny Cow: I really love these ice cream sandwiches. But do you want to know a little secret? They’re no lighter than most traditional ice cream sandwiches you can buy (at perhaps a lower cost per bar!) But doesn’t Skinny Cow sound so light? All brands I looked at which are a similar size were within 20 calories (higher or lower)—and not promoted as a ‘skinny’ product. I do love their tag line, though: ‘who gives a lick about calories?’

The orange juice aisle: Maybe it’s just in US suburbs, but supermarket shopping is simply an overwhelming experience—even for me. A recent trip to the market revealed more choices than I could ever care to contemplate. Beyond the pulp options, there are orange juices fortified with calcium, and ones with fish oils (can you imagine?). It begs asking ‘Must one food item, this orange juice, meet all of my needs?’ Can’t we have orange juice for its naturally occurring vitamin C, folic acid and potassium? Must I get everything from this single item?

Similarly, must my pasta be protein fortified—or can’t I have chicken with it? Does it need to have added fiber, or won’t my eggplant, artichoke, peppers, etc. add that? Get the point?

Whey protein powder: Some of you who restrict your food intake and those vegans who plan poorly may truly benefit from boosting your protein intake. Why not use whey protein, the refuse, the left over liquid that remains when making cheese, conveniently packaged and sold at top dollar prices at health food stores, supplement sites and health clubs?

Whey protein boosts your calories—so this might be a positive for those of you trying to add some. But a whey protein shake mixed with water, in spite of it’s high protein content falls short as a meal replacement. And let me remind you about food halos. There’s nothing magical about protein. While your body requires protein to fuel your muscles and maximize recovery, from the looks of the label you might be thinking that you need whey more (sorry, couldn't resist) than you do. Even bodybuilders need little more than 1 gram of protein per kg body weight (or .45 gram per pound body weight). 

Are you a non-body builder? Then .8 grams per kg (or .36 g/lb will meet your need. (For most, a daily total of 50 or so grams is adequate.) No doubt you'll see how over the top these whey protein supplements actually are, and not without their risks. 

Shrinking packages: Why has the portion of yogurt dropped from 8 oz (one cup) to 6 oz, to in some cases 5 plus ounces? And, for the same price? And why did my half-gallon of ice cream slim down in such a deceitful way, denying me the full number of portions it used to have? (It’s now 2 cups short of the old packaging, so if you feared you were plowing through it more rapidly, fear not!) Food manufacturers should not determine what an appropriate portion is, so be sure that you allow yourself to have as much as you truly need. And that's likely to be more than a 100-calorie pack, too!

Packaged nutrients, not foods: Must we be categorizing everything we eat based on nutrient content? Can't we just eat things because we enjoy them? Because they give us pleasure? 'Protein and Fiber'? Really? Looks like sweetened, cluster cereal to me.

I'm just scratching the surface. Gentle laxatives, gelato, bottled waters and other favorites of mine will be addressed in an upcoming post! Please send me your pet peeves, too!

Obsessive Workouts and Protein Powders: How Concerned Should We Be?

Reactions to the NY Times article and the Pediatrics study on teens and muscle-enhancing behaviors.

I'm bothered by something I read. "Compared with a sedentary lifestyle of video games and TV, an obsession with working out may not quite qualify as a health hazard", as stated in last week's NY Times article. While the article brought to light the silent struggle many boys deal with—or rather, don't deal with—their obsession with weight training, dietary modification and steroid use to achieve the 'perfect' body—it failed big time in educating readers about when to be concerned, and what we can do to prevent this unhealthy trend. But this is not just about boys—the Pediatrics article identified that girls, too, are taking steroids and more frequently protein shakes to increase muscle mass while pushing activity.

Yes, teens, both boys and girls, have become more focused on increasing their muscle mass. "Strong is the new skinny" is a current sentiment; neither being healthy nor slim is good enough. The bar has been raised necessitating increased muscle mass to change one's appearance. And the price they pay is far greater than suggested in the Times' quote above.

Lean and muscular, yes, but nor much of a sex drive!

But how big a deal is it if a teen—or an adult—takes a supplement or pushes their training to change their appearance? The actual study, in my humble opinion, did little to differentiate unhealthy disordered behaviors from more innocuous ones. What's the issue with weight training to increase muscle mass, any way? What's the harm in your taking a protein shake to bulk up your muscle a bit? (Steroid use is another story, and that is well addressed in the Times article.)

If you're like twenty-three year old Nathan, it's quite a big deal. He relied on the gym-endorsed protein powders, "to promote muscle growth". All things high in protein were considered safe—if they were also very low fat. Despite my urging to reduce his exceedingly high protein intake, and to liberalize his intake of fats and carbohydrate, his kidneys began to fail, struggling to filter the extraordinarily large load of protein waste products. His thoughts were all consumed with when he'd be able to get to the gym and when and what he'd be eating next.

But this is not solely a male thing, as the Pediatrics study shows. Girls, though, are more likely to modify their diet, while boys will increase their gym training to 'meet their needs'.

And what if it were high in carbs?

Like Karen, you may be spending more and more time at the gym while restricting your intake, ultimately finding it too stressful to live life with school and work demands, along with your rigid workout regimen.

Certainly, drinking protein supplements is not itself a cause for alarm. But relying on shakes in lieu of real food is. It impacts our ability to socialize, to be flexible in eating situations and to get all that we need nutritionally. A diet devoid of fats and carbohydrate will be deficient in much-needed nutrients, and typically in calories. A sense of deprivation often results, accompanied by obsessive thinking about food and eating and weight.

As for the workouts, where do we draw the line about what is healthy and safe, and what is excessive? If you're in a community of triathaloners, marathon runners or iron men/women, a few hours at the gym will seem inconsequential. 

But is it driven by a preoccupation and distortion that anything short of a few hours will leave you fat or unfit? Many of my patients believe falsely that working out is always a good thing. Nothing can be further from the truth. When intake is inadequate, working out not only won't build muscle mass, it will help break down muscle to convert it to fuel! And when net intake is substantially less than need (either because of very high activity or low intake) metabolic rate slows down, so you burn fewer calories 24/7. Certainly not what you intended!

Surprisingly, there was no mention of the low testosterone levels that result in males, similar to the drop in hormones seen in females with anorexia. Tell this to those boys and it might motivate for change. Sex drive drops, facial hair diminishes and risks to bone density increase as well. For boys in their growing years—which might last until 18 or 19 years—the consequence may be stunted growth. And the opportunity for catch up is lost once the bone growth plates have closed. Most boys and girls do care about their height, but do they realize this may result?

And what messages are we conveying to our kids with their school BMI screenings? Are we faulting them for their high BMI (which will remain high as muscle mass increases and height fails to increase)? Or are we fairly looking at an increasing BMI percentile for that individual as a possible marker for unhealthy behaviors—be it steroid use resulting in rapidly increasing muscle mass or binge eating? Are we presenting being obese as so horrific that even if their behaviors are healthy, we tell them they need to lose weight? Is a drop in BMI in an overweight child healthy if they starved themselves or compulsively exercised to get there? 

Shouldn't we be screening with questions about thoughts and behaviors, not just BMI?

Are we reinforcing their interest in fitness because we perceive it as healthy—no matter what? Do we share the same distorted views about all things protein-rich being "good" while villainizing carbohydrate-rich grains and fat-rich foods, too? Are we contributing to the misinformation they hold fast to? Why don't we recognize that there is sometimes pathological thinking and behaviors that drive extended workouts and dietary changes?

I don't have the answers.  But I do know that we are influenced by cultural standards of beauty, and that these images have become more and more unattainable. Yes, without steroids, you can't possibly bulk up like many of your weight-lifting role models, nor can you be both healthy and low weight as the air-brushed magazine pics would lead you to believe.

Something has to change. And it can start with you. Add your comment. Share this piece. Counter misinformation and acknowledge unhealthy behaviors—even when society fails to.

Consider these older posts for more information on topics covered in this post:

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2010/07/daily-exercise-is-must-or-so-you-think.html

http://dropitandeat.blogspot.com/2012/03/protein-new-black.html

Protein: The New Black

There’s a halo hanging around all things high protein, these days. In fact, even foods not high in protein are labeled as if they are—simply to convince you to buy them! Case in point: which is lowest in protein— Starbuck’s Protein Bistro Box, Chicken and Hummus Bistro Box or their Turkey and Swiss on wheat bread? 

The winner is? Their Protein Bistro Box! Yes, in spite of containing egg, cheddar cheese and peanut butter—a rather disgusting combination, I might add—it comes out the lowest at 13 grams, compared to its competitors at 16 grams and 34 grams of protein, respectively. 

If you are selecting the Protein Bistro because you think all that protein (which doesn’t exist anyway) is going to help with weight management, let me break the news—it’s among their higher calorie meals! And for the record, it's the calories that make the difference. Personally, I’d rather have the lower cal sandwich and add on a mini whoopee pie or cupcake. Maybe that’s just me.

I could have kept this secret to myself. I mean, if you are underweight and struggling to eat more, and protein feels safe, what’s it to me? But here’s the thing. I believe you need to be well informed, that if you are striving to eat better you should have the facts. That goes for those of you who are trying to increase your intake and gain some weight, and it applies to everyone else too. If you are overweight and struggling to lose weight, it’s only fair that you, too, be well-informed. Being well-informed, well-equipped to handle misinformation, allows you to be in control.

So let me set the record straight—there’s nothing magical about protein, about any one nutrient, in fact, that’s going to resolve your weight struggle. And we don’t eat protein. Rather, we eat foods, not nutrients. In those foods there may be protein, but there will also be other macro (large) nutrients, such as fats or carbohydrate. If you assume that protein is good, or safe, it implies that carbs and fats are bad. And you know what I think about these descriptions of good and bad! We need all three macronutrients for health. And no one nutrient will cause weight gain—or weight loss. If only it were that simple.

Adequate protein intake without adequate total calories will still result in loss of muscle mass. Not a good thing! Loss of muscle mass decreases metabolic rate, necessitating fewer calories to maintain your weight.

Excess calories over and above your need for maintenance, regardless of their source—protein, fat, or carbohydrate—will help contribute to an increase in weight.

Yes, it really is about energy balance.

Take it from Harriet

Harriet, an overweight woman, came to see me last week for guidance on weight loss. She’d been working with a trainer recently, at her gym. And given his extensive training in nutritional science (you know, men’s work out magazines and the like) he guided her to do the following: eat virtually no carbs, but push protein—you know, to build muscle and increase metabolism. She was eating as he instructed, whole avocados without the crackers, and limiting her fruit to only grapefruits (3 times per day). Reminds me of the Scarsdale Diet I followed in my teens for no good reason and with no good outcome!

Her energy level plummeted, making her workouts quite the challenge. She reported feeling deprived following her current regimen, and she spent a great deal of time thinking about food, preoccupied with when and what she’d get to eat next. And so she wisely sought out more sensible guidance.

When she presented at her initial session with me, she left with a grin from ear to ear. “Now I can have starches? And other fruits?” She was so excited. At her one week follow up visit, she reported feeling great—greater energy, and so much happier, being able to enjoy foods she badly missed. And, her weight was down. In fact, I had to recommend she further increase her intake to slow the rate of weight loss. It certainly proved the point that carbs weren’t harmful, and large amounts of protein are hardly helpful!

Regardless of your eating struggles, trust that all nutrients are necessary, and safe to eat. Be flexible, to avoid deprivation, allowing you to sustain healthy dietary changes. And please don’t be misled by poorly trained trainers, or misleading food packaging! 

Healthy Food = A Healthy Diet? Not Necessarily.

My lunch on a hike in Switzerland

Organic, whole grain, natural, unprocessed. These words carry visions of ideal diets, of pure and clean eating, of good health.  US News and World Report’s recent article  summarized the healthiest diets, from The DASH diet at the top of the list to The Paleo near the bottom. A panel of experts reviewed each plan for safety and nutritional value—then ranked the best down to the worst plans for health and weight control.

Here’s a brief summary of a few of their findings—with my interpretation added. You didn’t think I’d let this pass without putting in my two cents, did you?

DASH diet

Never heard of it? Not surprising, unless you, like me, have high blood pressure. DASH, an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is shown to be as effective against hypertension as medication, when compared side by side in studies. Its key elements are large quantities of fruits and vegetables, and inclusion of three low fat dairy products daily. It also includes lots of grains, and adequate amounts of lean protein sources. It recommends limiting sodium intake and being physically active as well.

What does this expert think? While it hasn’t normalized my blood pressure, the studies on DASH are quite impressive in demonstrating an improvement in blood pressure. And that’s what it was designed for. And it’s one step you can take to be healthier, if you have high blood pressure. I like its positive focus—on eating more fruits and more vegetables than most individuals consume, and on inclusion of three low fat dairy servings daily. Watching sodium generally necessitates eating less processed foods, which may lead to greater fullness—think apple versus juice.

Paleo diet

The theory, according to US News, is as follows:

Our highly processed, carb-obsessed eating pattern is the culprit behind many of our biggest health ills, so why not go back—way back—to the Paleolithic period of more than 10,000 years ago, when our diet wasn’t full of junk food and pasta? Paleo advocates say we should eat the way we ate when we were hunting and gathering: animal protein and plants.

The diet includes meat, fish, and other protein sources, as well as fruits and veggies, but omits dairy, grains and starchy vegetables, and several oils. Yes, even protein-rich, high fiber, satisfying legumes (think beans and lentils) are out of the question. As are root vegetables, such as sweet potato. (Imagine Thanksgiving at the Paleo family’s home!) Apparently these are omitted because they needed to be cooked. And say goodbye not only to milk, but also to those gut-beneficial probiotics we consume from yogurts with active culture. Never mind the lack of evidence that supports eliminating these foods.

If I have to give something up, there darn well better be a good reason for it. Unless there were some life altering evidence in favor of a Paleo, I say let’s be thankful we’ve evolved since then. And how fortunate we are to be able to consume legumes and grains—those carbohydrate rich foods, full of minerals and energy, as well as rich in fiber—given that we can cook them. Most of you, I suspect have a stovetop?

If you are not living in a year-round warm climate—rich in sunshine used to produce vitamin D, or you choose to prevent skin cancer by using sunscreen—you’ll be missing out on the foods necessary to obtain all the Vitamin D that you need following the Paleo diet. By the way, why use a Paleolithic period diet as some ideal, anyway? Their lifestyle was a bit different, I believe (I haven’t had to chase my dinner), and our lifespan has only increased over the years.

As for Atkins?

The lack of carbohydrate through many stages of this diet, and the saturated fat-rich intake flies in the face of all that we know about disease prevention. Review the 2010 Dietary Guidelines For Americans for an evidence-based review of these recommendations. Is anyone really taking this diet seriously anymore?

And Ornish?

Generally pretty extreme in it’s limitation of fats, which research confirms is not the cause of us getting fat; weight loss at the 12-month mark was no greater with a low fat diet, compared with many other popular diets. And any differences in weight loss between various diets (containing the same calorie level) was obliterated at the later follow up date. No, fats don’t make you fat. And a super low fat diet does not appear to be necessary to improve your lipid profile; very low fat diets may increase triglyceride level, an independent risk factor for heart disease. In the Ornish diet, meat, poultry and fish are not recommended, as well as all oils, nuts, seeds, and refined carbohydrate. It has its merits for reversing heart disease, but his studies showing this reversal focused not solely on dietary changes, but included a comprehensive stress reduction and exercise component.

Mediterranean Diet

My only beef with it is not its lack of meat, but its limited dairy. There’s no support for restricting dairy, particularly low fat varieties, for good health and weight management. I do like their inclusion of moderate amounts of wine, with meals, for those who are able to limit their alcohol. This diet is much higher in fats and carbohydrate than most, but includes, for the most part, less processed varieties. That said, they do not urge extremes, such as no bread or white potatoes.

The U Diet: The best diet you've never heard of

What was unfortunately left off the list of healthy diets was the U diet. Missing is consideration for the individual, because what’s healthy for one person is not necessarily healthy for another. Eating healthy, for many of you, should mean not trying to beat the system and eat less (like the Volumetrics Diet, for instance). Even those 2010 Guidelines for Americans act as if we are all obese and unhealthy and needing to eat less. It’s a challenge, for sure, when the rest of the universe is struggling to drop a few pounds or kilos and you are working, somewhat reluctantly, to gain them, or even to maintain them!

The U diet is truly the answer. It means, first and foremost, including an appropriate intake of calories. Ideally, if you are healthy enough to do so, this is done through better self-regulating (read the 100 or so posts in which I’ve addressed this already. Then re-read them!). It involves more mindful eating, and distinguishing hunger from other eating triggers. You know what I mean. 


But it also means releasing yourself from the rules which prevent you from eating when you are hungry, regardless of whether its only been two hours, or if it’s after 8 PM.

As I’ve mentioned previously, for many of my readers it requires the “just do it approach”—eating in spite of not thinking or feeling you need to eat.  It may defy all the healthy recommendations you’ve read above. Yes, you may be among those that need to decrease your vegetable intake, if they are displacing the calories and nutrients your body desperately needs to function.

Let's take Brian, whose diet was chock full of such wholesome ingredients, as recommended by DASH, Volumetrics, Mediterranean, and some dieticians' model diet.

Breakfast

Old Fashioned rolled oats with soy milk

Snacks

Fresh fruits and vegetables, both orange and green ones

Lunch

Brown rice and veggies

Dinner

Beans and a vegetable soup

Pretty good? Not at all. At 6'1" Brian struggles to function. His determination to select what he considers healthy foods has made him anything but healthy. His energy level is low, as is his testosterone level, impacting a range of quality of life activities. Let's just say, it impacts more than just the frequency of his shaving. His weight, while I will omit mention of numbers, is unhealthily low.

Or let me tell you about Sarah's recent diet. Her move away from "junk" food to a more wholesome diet landed her with a low heart rate and a plummeting weight, now below the 5th percentile. Never one to struggle with her weight in either direction, she now teeters on the need for a hospitalization. Her diet is low sodium, making it more challenging to keep her blood pressure in a healthy range given her unhealthy weight, contributing to her lightheadedness with posture change, from lying, to sitting, to standing.

And then there was Amy, who never intended to lose weight. Really. She gradually moved toward less processed foods, leaving her favorite items behind. Who needs Pop Tarts anyway? Her biggest concern, besides her hair loss, is that she is constantly freezing, even with the record warm temperatures we have had this fall in New England. This is what is motivating her to break from her "healthy" diet.

Diane was also concerned that her daughter wasn't eating healthy enough. Review of her intake revealed the following—she consumed a variety of foods, but would benefit from additional sources of dairy or an alternative. She included meals, but was somewhat picky about what she liked to eat -- pasta was high on her list, as well as several other choices. And for snacks, she responded to her hunger with what appeared to be reasonable quantities of items like Chips Ahoy cookies -- or fruit, or cereal.  She certainly could use to increase her intake of fruit or vegetables, for the variety of nutrients they provide, and for the fiber. But she eats enough to maintain a healthy weight with healthy body function. Her diet supports her need for energy, for fuel, to engage in the activities she enjoys.

Ahh, all butter pump cookies!

The Chips Ahoy? Those processed, refined carbohydrate and sugar containing cookies fit just fine, in the context of her diet. As long as she is getting all the nutrients she needs from a variety of foods, and she needed the calories from the amount of food she consumed, if Chips Ahoy was here snack of choice, why should I try to make it "healthier"?

Healthy eating, to me, is not just about healthy foods. It is about getting enough of what you need--enough calories--from protein, fat and carbohydrate to fuel your body and allow for repair and normal function. It includes a range of vitamins and minerals, as well as all the nutrients, such as phytochemicals, that we are learning contribute to disease prevention (think about selecting colors -- deep orange and yellows as well as deep green, and reds and blues in vegetables and fruits). It includes whole grains, and refined, low fiber foods as well (think French bread or my much photographed challah—white flour and delicious!)—because in our world we also need to balance our need for convenience with our busy lives. And, our interest in eating foods we enjoy.

Follow the U diet, and you, too will rest
peacefully!

Besides needing to meet our physical need, we cannot dismiss food's other benefits. There's the pleasure factor, the enjoyment of the taste and texture, the sensory experience of eating. I'm not saying we should simply eat for pleasure. Rather, that we need to consider these aspects of eating when we are hungry and seeking food. What do we feel like eating? What would we enjoy eating? Not simply what should we be choosing.

Consider the U diet. It may not be a best seller, but it’s a sensible, and healthy diet for your body and your mind.