Now that October is coming to a close, the holiday season is upon us. While the year is certainly not over yet, we know that the winter holidays will be here before you can say “pass the gravy.” For many of us, the holidays are a time of increased travel and time away from our routines that keep us anchored to our health and fitness goals. Here are some easy strategies to keep your eating on track as you navigate this often busy, but hopefully joyful time of year.

Envision Your Goal and Create a Plan

It might seem like there couldn’t be a worse time than the start of the holiday season to commit to a healthy lifestyle goal, but in fact there’s no better time than now. Considering that holiday eating often results in excess weight gain that only leads to New Year’s resolutions and unsuccessful dieting attempts, starting now can help reframe old thinking patterns and stop procrastination. Whether your healthy holiday plan is individualistic or involves the whole family, taking steps in this moment for a healthier lifestyle will give you the key advantage of having the guardrails of a plan in place when you may very likely need it most.

Travel with Smart Snacks

If you plan to travel to enjoy the holidays with loved ones, you will likely be spending time away from home in cars or on airplanes. The eating on-the-go that comes along with travel makes it hard to maintain control of food choices. Plus, we know that exhausting travel days pose other challenges to healthy eating by throwing off meal times and limiting good food options. Bring along snacks that are both satisfying and convenient like protein-packed beef jerky, single pouches of tuna and string cheese and high-fiber plant-based foods like fresh fruit, banana chips, nuts, seeds, and roasted chickpea snacks.

Drop the Excuses

There are always endless reasons to not make changes. Whether it’s the difficulty of limiting holiday indulgences or not wanting to disappoint your host by saying no to second portions, excuses abound and cause deviation from the best of plans. There’s no doubt that change is not easy, but the sooner you decide to drop the ambiguity, the sooner you’ll start to realize your goal of better nutrition for health. Turning excuses into opportunities for change will ultimately help you create the healthy lifestyle you desire. This might mean bringing a vegetable-forward dish to a work potluck, signing up for the gym now – not in January or setting limits on seasonal alcohol consumption.

Enlist Your Success Squad

Involve friends and family to join you in your healthy eating and fitness plan. We tend to eat like the people who eat with us. By creating a support team that encourages each other to stay consistent and committed, we are more likely to persevere and develop new habits that can withstand time. This also means setting limits with those who are not the best influences or may unintentionally sabotage you. Plan activities and celebrations that center around non-food activities that incorporate movement and stress relief, for example.

As the holiday season approaches, take the necessary steps for a healthy lifestyle to withstand the challenges of the months ahead. Visualize your goal, create a plan of action that you can commit to, and encourage your favorite people to join you. Not only will you be a great role model for those around you, but your proactive strategy will improve your health without the need for post-holiday diets.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached at RD@halfacup.com.

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month, a campaign to spread awareness about diabetes risk factors and how to make healthy lifestyle changes to prevent and manage diabetes. Diabetes affects 30 million Americans, which is about one in ten people. Many more people are at risk of developing diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition that affects the body’s ability to properly turn food into energy, which results in the sugar or glucose in the blood becoming elevated. The consequences of poorly controlled blood sugar levels include risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision problems, and nerve problems.

Regardless of the type of diabetes, it is a condition that is treatable, but unfortunately does not have a cure. Therefore, once diagnosed, medical management and self-care through healthy eating and physical activity are key to a long, healthy life with diabetes. Whether you have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes due to a family history, good nutrition plays an important role in improving overall blood sugar levels.

Here are some important nutritional considerations to help take control of diabetes and stabilize blood sugar levels.

Fill Up on Fiber

It is a common misconception that those with diabetes should avoid foods that are carbohydrates such as bread, rice and pasta. While carbs do, in fact, raise blood sugar, fiber-containing carbohydrates are beneficial because they are filling, energizing and help sustain blood sugar levels. Important fiber-rich foods for diabetes include whole grains like quinoa and oats, carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy green vegetables, beans, and berries. While lower in carbohydrate, avocados, nuts and seeds are also good sources of fiber. Eating patterns rich in fiber can help prevent health problems like diabetes, heart disease and weight concerns.

Balance with Protein

A balanced meal plate for diabetes should include lean proteins like meat, chicken, fish, and eggs alongside healthy carbohydrates and vegetables. While people with diabetes can certainly benefit from a vegetarian meal plan, many vegetarian protein sources such as beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh are also carbohydrates. Vegetarians with diabetes can maintain a healthy eating plan with good blood sugar control by ensuring an ideal balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats.

Satiate with Good Fats

Adding plant foods like avocado, olive oil, olives, and nuts, which contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, to meals can help increase satiety without increasing blood sugar levels. Researchers at Loma Linda University found that adding one-half of an avocado to lunch did not result in an increase in blood sugar levels compared to blood sugar levels after consuming a standard lunch. So try the addition of avocado to a sandwich or walnut pesto to a pasta salad, for example, to not only improve flavor, but reap the health benefits of good fats.

Control Portion Sizes

Everybody needs a different amount of food daily, which means that most people with diabetes and those at an increased risk of developing diabetes need to monitor how much they eat. Keeping an eye on portion sizes is particularly important when indulging in treats or when eating out. The Nutrition Facts food label and restaurant menu boards serve as useful tools to gauge serving size and nutritional content of foods. Smartphone food tracking applications that use a vast nutritional database for logging foods and their nutritional values can be very helpful in increasing accountability for foods consumed and improving overall awareness of how one’s overall eating pattern is stacking up.

A proactive and healthy eating plan for diabetes includes a focus on fiber, protein and healthy fats while keeping portion sizes on track for good blood sugar control.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. This article is in partnership with Fresh Avocados® – Love One Today. She can be reached at RD@halfacup.com. 

The Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE), the annual meeting for registered dietitians and other food and nutrition professionals, was held last month in Washington D.C. A wide-range of evidence-based topics from nutrition for fertility and aging to mindfulness and the microbiome were covered in depth.

One would think that the convening of top nutrition experts from across the country would foster discussion on diets and weight, and while this is true many session topics proved to uncover a shifting perspective on weight and public health. In fact, one session at FNCE was a debate entitled “A Conversation on Weight Management and Health at Every Size” that laid out the complexity of the contrasting approaches to health and weight.

The Health at Every Size (HAES) movement is based on principles to advance social justice, create an inclusive and respectful community, and support people of all sizes.

While the traditional medical approach to weight management includes calorie control and encourages weight loss for health promotion and disease prevention, HAES principles stem from scientific data on weight stigma, eating disorders, access to health care, and yo-yo dieting. For example, some of the evidence supporting this shifting paradigm is based on studies that reveal fitness, not weight, as a better indicator of health and mortality.

It’s probably fair to say that diets don’t work and more and more people are starting to recognize this fact. However, fewer people are aware of the problems associated with dieting such as gaining weight over time, disordered eating, emotional eating, food obsession, muscle loss, and depression. Adolescents who have been encouraged by their parents to diet are at a greater risk of being overweight or obese, binge eating and have lower satisfaction with their bodies fifteen years later.

At the same time, we live within a culture that is so accustomed to diets and weight loss, and values thin bodies while shaming heavier bodies, that the idea that someone at a higher weight might not want to lose weight can be perplexing. Weight discrimination and weight stigma can impact people in all areas of their lives including at work, at the gym and in health care providers’ offices. Studies show that prejudice, stigma and discrimination based on weight, is associated with reduced physical and mental health and an overall increase in mortality.

Weight stigma is pervasive with about 40 percent of people reporting that they have experienced weight stigma. Discrimination based on weight is one of the most common forms of discrimination among adults, especially women.

An important step towards weight inclusivity and reducing weight stigma can start with ourselves by considering our own biases and beliefs. Consider educating yourself on weight stigma and HAES by listening to a relevant podcast such as Food Psych by Christy Harrison, MPH, RDN, CD and Body Kindness by Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, ED-C.

Lastly, consider ditching your scale. Focusing on weight and other measures of weight like body mass index can be unhelpful and even stressful for those trying to break the cycle of dieting and poor body image. To measure progress without weight, set goals pertaining to more empowering measures such as strength, flexibility, energy level, and the variety and quality of the food you enjoy.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached at RD@halfacup.com.

The holiday season can be particularly challenging for people with food allergies, particularly those who are newly diagnosed. Nearly 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies and over one-third of them are children. While this time of year is hectic and even stressful for many people, families affected by food allergies need to take extra care to stay well this time of year.

While all foods can cause food allergies, eight types of foods are responsible for 90 percent of all reactions and these include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, and soy. Food allergy reactions can range from digestive upset or skin rash to difficulty breathing and anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Complete avoidance of these foods is the only way to avoid allergic reaction.

Holiday parties are joyful occasions for friends and family to gather and enjoy good company and food. However, these events can be difficult for people with food allergies. Whether it’s a work potluck, a school holiday party or a family dinner, these festive gatherings create opportunities to unknowingly consume foods potentially containing unexpected allergens. For some people, cross contamination of foods with allergens can be enough to cause sickness.

New research presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology annual meeting looked at tools used by members of the Food Allergy Network to prevent allergic reaction when eating out. This research may help shed light on strategies to incorporate this time of year. The research does show that using more preventative strategies is associated with fewer severe food allergy reactions.

Of those surveyed, the No. 1 strategy to prevent allergic reaction is speaking to a waiter upon arrival. If dining as a guest in a home, this would mean speaking to the main person in charge of the meal preparation. At potluck-style meals, it is imperative to discuss the ingredients of any questionable items with the individual who brought it.

Other common strategies include selecting meals with simple ingredients and double checking food before eating. Although less common of a strategy, some folks choose to avoid eating out to eliminate the risk of consuming an allergen.

Here are some additional steps that can be taken by those with food allergies and others who want to help out in keeping those affected safe:

1. When hosting an event, ask guests if they have any food allergies and plan the menu accordingly. If a menu item contains a food that a guest is allergic to be sure to communicate this clearly to the guest.

2. At potlucks, ask that all food items be labeled with main ingredients including any of the top eight allergens.

3. Some people must avoid the slightest trace of certain foods to stay healthy. Avoid cross contamination in food preparation and serving by using separate surfaces and utensils for each dish.

4. Keep in mind that food allergies are relatively common among children and opt to serve allergen-free foods at parties. Choose to steer clear of peanuts and tree nuts, which typically pose a threat of the most serious reactions.

5. Save package labels of pre-made and packaged foods so folks can refer to them to check for allergen content as needed.

6. Teach children with food allergies to have a parent or other adult double check their food before they take a bite. Children can learn to advocate for themselves and ask questions about ingredients, but younger children will need more assistance.

7. Create a safe space for people with food allergies by keeping communication about these concerns conscientious, but light-hearted. Most people with food allergies want to feel that others take their allergies seriously while not feeling inconvenienced by it.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. She can be reached at RD@halfacup.com.

There’s nothing like the start of a new year that stirs up motivation and goal-making.

Even if you’re not one to make New Year’s resolutions, you might find that the colder weather and darker days lead to introspection and self-reflection this time of year. Whatever it is that you hope to accomplish in 2019 depends on your good health and having enough energy. Start the year off right with some healthy habits to boost your energy levels.

Mealtimes

Skipping meals or waiting too long between meals can cause energy levels to dip. Remember that food fuels your brain and your body, so erratic eating patterns can take a toll.

Plan to eat three balanced meals per day and include a healthy snack in between if you will be going more than four to five hours from one meal to the next. Keep in mind that diets that require excessive food restriction can decrease your energy levels.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a well-known stimulant that can make you feel more alert and focused, but it doesn’t actually give you energy in the same way that food energizes. After drinking coffee, caffeine enters the blood stream and the brain, giving the perception of increased energy. However, the body can become dependent on caffeine, especially when consumed regularly in larger doses, leading to withdrawal symptoms like fatigue and headaches that can last a few days.

Drinking tea, which is lower in caffeine than coffee, can help with cutting back on the caffeine without the unpleasant side effects.

If you are struggling with low energy levels, limit or avoid alcohol. While some people notice that they may fall asleep easier after having a cocktail or two, consuming alcohol actually worsens the quality of sleep and prevents the body from entering REM sleep, which is crucial for physical renewal and hormone production.

Carbs

With the popularity of the Keto diet and other low-carb diets for weight loss, carbohydrates have unfairly gotten a bad rap.

Including nutrient-dense carbohydrates such as beans, fruit, whole grains, and vegetables like carrots and squash can help keep you energized and satisfied. Not only are these foods rich in fiber, but they contain essential nutrients to keep you on the go. Plan meals that contain carbs and protein for long-term, sustainable energy.

Water

If you often feel tired or sleepy it could be that you’re not keeping your body hydrated. It’s not sports beverages or energy drinks that you are lacking, but water. Water is a basic metabolic requirement and is used to make energy on a cellular level in our bodies.

If you don’t drink enough water or lack natural thirst signals, you may benefit from using a fluid reminder application on your phone. Keep a large water bottle in plain sight as a reminder to sip throughout the day.

Stress relief and relaxation

Mental and emotional stress could be zapping your energy. Life can get hectic and even our closest relationships can take a toll on our well-being. If the pressure is getting to you, stress relief should be a part of your energy boosting plan. From relaxation techniques like meditation and tai chi to mental health counseling and yoga, working to achieve better balance while reducing stress hormones can have a positive impact.

If you are looking to embrace the new year full of determination, focus on maximizing your energy levels. By taking a holistic approach that addresses your nutrition, hydration, sleep and stress reduction you will be better able to take on what 2019 has to offer.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

From the beginning, babies and young children have the innate ability to eat intuitively. Naturally, they eat when they are hungry and stop when they have had enough. Positive experiences with food and eating as a child results in a healthier relationship with food as an adult. Parents, close family members and other caregivers help shape this food relationship. Keeping the conversation about food emotionally neutral can be challenging for adults who have their own complex histories with food and their bodies, but doing so can help children grow up to be confidant and healthy eaters. Here are some important considerations for raising children to have a healthy relationship with food.

Explore Food Together

There are so many accessible and fun opportunities outside of the home for children to discover new foods. Visit your neighborhood farmer’s market to check out what produce is in season and sample something new. Better yet, take a short drive to some local farms that provide opportunities to pick your own fruit and veggies. Next time you are at the grocery store, take your little one to the salad bar to help choose the ingredients and then taste the salad together. Use these hands on experiences to broaden the scope of foods in your child’s wheelhouse.

Keep Diet Talk Under Wraps

While it’s not unusual for adults to moderate or restrict what they eat for health or weight loss purposes, it is not ideal for children to be exposed to diet talk, which can be confusing and set the wrong tone. Children can be taught at a young age that food gives them energy to run fast or the vitamins to see better, but it can be harmful to normalize dieting or put kids on diets. Similarly, it’s best to avoid terms like “good foods” and “bad foods”, which evoke shame or guilt and instead talk more about “everyday foods” and “sometimes foods”.

Don’t Use Food Rewards and Food Punishments

It can be tempting to offer edible treats as a way to motivate good behavior. Furthermore, it is not unusual for parents and caregivers to tell kids they will get dessert if they finish their meal. One of the problems with food rewards is that they are not emotionally neutral and place certain foods as superior to others when they must be earned or can be taken away as a punishment. Plus, encouraging young children to finish their meal in order to enjoy dessert can lead to ignoring internal signals of fullness in order to gain the external reward. Instead, non-food incentives like a special outing with a parent, extra books at bedtime and fun activities based on the child’s age, for example, can serve as better rewards.

Sit Down for Family Meals

One habit that has exponential benefits for kids is the family meal. Sitting down at the table for dinner as a family helps improves the quality of what kids eat, leads to better academic success and fewer weight concerns while lowering rates of depression, substance abuse and eating disorders. Busy families with hectic schedules can struggle to find time to eat meals together, but just increasing the frequency of family meals and cooking more often at home can make a difference.

Help Kids Feel a Sense of Control

Picky eating can start in early toddler years and continue for years to come. This behavior can stem from little ones wanting to demonstrate independence and exercise control in an environment where very little is up to them. Providing an upbeat, positive eating experience and offering a variety of foods can help set the tone for a wider acceptance to new foods. Keep in mind that it can take multiple exposures for a child to accept a new food. Avoid identifying a list of disliked foods or labeling a child “picky.” Instead continue to offer many healthy foods in various formats such as cooked, raw, seasoned, plain, pureed, and whole to increase familiarity. Avoid creating a power struggle by staying calm, consistent and patient.

While all of these strategies take time, energy and even some self-awareness, the benefits will be worth the efforts as they will result in a child with better eating habits and a positive relationship with food.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

It is a growing trend for employees to be provided with food in the workplace. Offering meals and snacks benefits organizations by helping to increase loyalty and productivity of workers. The healthfulness and quality of foods provided at work as well as the overall eating culture in the office can have an important impact on the eating habits, and therefore the health, of employees.

From bagels on Fridays and free snacks to pizza parties and catered lunches, many workplaces regularly provide their employees with food that is significantly contributing to their overall nutritional intake. This food may be obtained at at meetings, worksite social events and common areas like kitchens or breakrooms at no cost. At the same time, some office settings have foods-for-purchase available in vending machines or cafeterias.

While many workers may bring their food from home, results from a recent nationally representative study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that a quarter of employed adults obtain food and drink at work at least once a week. Much of the food consumed in the workplace is high in calories, added sugars, refined grains, and sodium. Low dietary quality and obesity are risk factors for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Plus, many employees may be unaware of how many calories are taken in during work hours.

How we eat is typically a personal decision, but when organizations provide employees with food there are important food choices being made that impact many people. In addition, the office culture, which includes how employees socialize together, the leadership structure, morale, and work hours has an impact on how workers eat as a whole. An office setting that prioritizes nutrition and healthy eating and boosted morale can have a positive and lasting impact on their employees’ health.

Workplace wellness programs have been shown to be effective at improving health behaviors of employees and reducing healthcare costs. Here are some easy strategies that can be implemented at work to create a healthier eating environment and overall more mindful food culture:

1.       Swap out the candy bowls with fruit bowls.

2.       Provide a list of healthy meal and snack ideas.

3.       Review catering menu options and consider adding health-conscious options. When ordering lunch for meetings, choose from caterers and restaurants that offer vegetable-forward meals.

4.       Make water and other no-calorie drinks accessible.

5.       Provide bicycles and helmets for use during work hours so employees can bike to pick up lunch instead of taking their car.

6.       Subscribe to a fresh fruit and vegetable delivery service like Imperfect Produce or FruitGuys to increase in-office produce consumption.

7.       Restock vending machines with better options that include fiber-rich, lower-fat snacks.

8.       Start a salad club that delegates a different employee each week to make fresh salad for the team. This way everyone benefits from having more salad, but each person only needs to put in the time and effort when it is their turn.

9.       At office potlucks be sure to have all dishes labeled to help those with special dietary concerns or food allergies be aware of certain ingredients.

10.   Set an expectation that meetings and other important responsibilities should not take place during lunchbreak time, unless it is a lunch meeting with food provided, in order to encourage employees to not miss meals.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

It can seem like there is a never-ending debate on which type of diet is best for overall health and longevity. Food trends and fad diets can influence how people choose to eat. There has been a broad shift away from carbohydrate foods towards consuming more fats and protein. However, we should not confuse diets used for weight loss with healthy eating patterns. In fact, studies are emerging with new evidence supporting good old fashioned balance in food choices instead of extreme diets more than ever before.

Over the past decade Americans have become increasingly comfortable including more dietary fat in their daily meals from foods like nuts, oils, full-fat dairy, and avocado, for example. It’s not a surprise that the ketogenic diet or keto, which is a diet that is high in fat, adequate in protein and low in carbs, is super popular right now. However, some people who are considering keto may be concerned about its potential impact on their long-term health particularly.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that eating fried food such as fried chicken and French fries is linked to an increased risk of death. This study looked at over 100,000 women ages 50-79 and found that after controlling for other factors like lifestyle and education, women who consumed one or more daily serving of fried food had an 8 percent higher risk of heart-related death compared to those who didn’t eat fried food. Eating a serving of fried chicken daily was associated with a 13 percent greater risk of death from any cause.

Although this was an observational study, which was not controlled or randomized and only observed women, the results should at least raise some concern over weight loss diets like keto that rely heavily on boosting fat consumption through high-fat cooking methods like frying. We cannot assume that a diet for weight loss is also an overall health-promoting pattern of eating.

Interestingly, a different study published this month in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases looked at vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns and found that they may improve insulin sensitivity in adults compared to those who consume meat. This might seem surprising to some because a vegan diet that relies heavily on grains, beans, fruits, and vegetables, is comprised of a wide variety of carbohydrate foods.

Some people with insulin resistance, a condition in which the body does not respond normally to insulin, resulting in high blood sugar levels, chose to eat more protein and less carbs to try to combat high blood sugar levels. It appears that it may be the phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory effects of the plant-based diet that leads to better insulin sensitivity in vegans and vegetarians. Therefore, restriction of nutrient-dense plant foods that happen to be carbohydrates may not be the best approach to improving insulin sensitivity.

We cannot assume that we must simply lower carbs at any cost to conquer high blood sugar levels nor should we adopt popular weight loss diets like the ketogenic diet without considering what’s potentially at stake when we tilt the scales of balance. Remembering that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer for Americans can help us choose a sustainable eating pattern that takes into account weight concerns, food preferences and our own family health histories. While the science of nutrition continues to unfold, we do know for thing for certain and it’s that there is not a single best diet plan for everyone.

Spring is right around the corner and along with the change in season comes a new selection of fresh fruit and vegetables to enjoy. There is a wide array of health and economic benefits to eating what’s in season. Let’s dive into how eating seasonal produce can help you stay healthy throughout the year.

The well-known nutrition recommendation to “eat the rainbow” has roots in very sound, evidence-based nutrition advice. The more varied, and colorful a person’s diet, the more likely they are to consume adequate micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support optimal health. At the same time, many common food staples like white rice, fries, processed deli meat, refined pasta, and white bread have a monochrome appearance lacking in color and essential nutrients altogether.

According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, three in four people do not eat the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables, while more than one half exceed their daily needs for grains and protein, plus many consume too much added sugars, saturated fat and sodium. This imbalance in eating habits contributed to high incidences of lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

The majority of Americans consume only about 15 grams of fiber per day compared to the recommended 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men daily. By incorporating a variety of fruit and vegetables, daily fiber intake increase. Meeting daily fiber goals has digestive benefits and increases the sense of fullness and satiety after eating.

There’s also the taste factor and, simply put, produce that is in season and picked at the peak of freshness tastes great. Plus, produce is more affordable when it is in season and grown locally instead of having to be shipped from another country when unavailable locally. We are very fortunate to live in California where our climate allows us to grow produce for much of the nation throughout the year.

The farmer’s market is a great place to stay up-to-date with what foods are now in season. No time to make it to the farmer’s market? Not a problem, the organic sections at most grocery stores are typically stocked with locally sourced produce, and they are often labeled “Locally Grown.” You may even consider trying a fresh produce delivery program such as Farm Fresh to You or Imperfect Produce that makes eating veggies and fruit even easier by shipping a seasonal box right to your home or office on a subscription basis.

Check out the list below to see what’s in store for spring in southern California. The grapefruits, mandarins, tomatoes, tomatillos, and strawberries are all great sources of vitamin C. Try making a fresh tomatillo salsa to pair with your breakfast quesadilla or grilled chicken. The cruciferous vegetables broccoli, cauliflower, and radishes are good sources of Vitamin A. Garlic and herb roasted cauliflower and radishes make a great vegetable side dish to an early spring dinner. Asparagus can easily be enjoyed steamed with a squeeze of fresh lemon and sodium-free seasoning, and is a good source of vitamin K.

Artichoke

Asparagus

Carrots

Chard

Broccoli and cauliflower

Fava beans

Green garlic

Grape and Cherry tomatoes

Grapefruit

Mandarins

Radishes

Strawberries

Sugar snap peas / snow peas

Tomatillo

Matching the food on our plates to the changing seasons will help ensure that you are eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods to support good health. If you’re not accustomed to eating seasonally it could potentially be overwhelming to introduce an entirely new list of foods at once. Instead, start with trying one or two new fruit and vegetables each season. When taking this approach, before you know it you’ll be effortlessly eating with the seasons in no time.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

If you’ve visited a fast food restaurant recently you may have noticed that in addition to burgers and fried food there’s been some nutritious items like salads, smoothies and fruit added to the menu. In order to meet the food preferences of more health-conscious consumers, the food offerings at these restaurants have evolved over the years. While healthier menu items have become more readily available, classic menu items have also changed over time. Considering the seemingly improved, more modernized food options available at chain eateries, is dining at fast food better for our health than it used to be?

Although fast food restaurants are trying to innovate and keep up with food trends by offering more fresh produce and new healthful spins on classic favorites, don’t be surprised if your fast food meal is still high in fat, salt and calories.

A study published last month in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that analyzed the menu items of the top 10 U.S. fast food chains over the past 30 years found that although variety has increased drastically so has the calorie and sodium content of entrees, sides and desserts. Plus, portion sizes have increased as well.

There has also been a focus on the healthfulness of children’s fast food meals. According to the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut, the four largest fast food chains committed to offering healthier sides and drinks with children’s meals about a decade ago. However, there has been wide variation on how they have carried out this task, with many restaurants continuing to offer soda as a default kid’s meal drink and not offering the healthier side items unless they are specifically requested.

With 37 percent of adults eating at fast food establishments on a typical day and about one in four eating fast food for three or more meals per week, the quality and healthfulness of the food matters. While everyone has the right to order whatever they choose to eat, there is a concern whether folks perceive fast food becoming more nutritious and balanced while, in fact, overall it has not.

Most would agree that people choose fast food for convenience and low cost above all other reasons. Fast food meals can even cost less than preparing a meal at home from scratch. On the other hand, fast casual restaurants, an intermediary concept between fast food and casual dining including places like Panera or Chipotle, tend to have more extensive and healthier menu options, but at a higher price point than fast food restaurants. While they can help make convenient eating a bit healthier, the cost tends to be greater.

While men are more likely to eat fast food for lunch, women tend to grab it for a snack. Here are some tips on how to make mindful choices when eating at fast food restaurants:

1.      Read the menu nutrition facts to compare menu items to make more informed food choices when eating at fast food.

2.      Drink water. While fast food eateries make high-calorie beverages highly accessible, avoid the trap and stick to water.

3.      Opt for smaller portions such as a regular instead of a large or a single instead of a double to keep calories in check.

4.      Be creative about getting in your veggies by requesting them on a sandwich or pizza and requesting salad or cooked vegetables as an alternative to greasy fries.

5.      Watch out for the condiments. Items like mayo, sour cream, salad dressing, and other high-fat creamy sauces are often portioned out with a heavy hand in many restaurants while about a tablespoon is considered one serving.

6.      Don’t assume that it’s healthy just because it sounds healthy. While fish and salad seem healthy, a fried fish sandwich and a salad loaded with cheese, croutons, and dressing are both less than ideal. Look for how the food is prepared (fried versus grilled) and the type of ingredients used to make a judgment call, especially when the nutrition facts are unavailable.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

In recent months, it seems as if the news is full of stories about foodborne illness outbreaks. When these large-scale occurrences happen, the public is told to completely avoid the contaminated products. These far-reaching cases of tainted food harming the public can be both frightening and confusing, leaving many people unsure of how to protect themselves and their families.

From poultry to produce, many of the affected foods are otherwise healthy foods that are a typical part of a balanced diet. While some cases of food poisoning are connected to a large-scale outbreak resulting from a problem in the food supply, other cases are from isolated incidents or stem from unknown sources. Many food recalls specify brand names or farms including geographic location to help narrow down the supply of affected food.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 48 million Americans are sickened by food poisoning each year while 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die because of the illness. Common symptoms of food poisoning include upset stomach, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration. Symptoms can develop from 30 minutes to several days after eating infected food.

Although it is unappetizing to think about it, bacteria, viruses and parasites are the sources of most food poisoning. In fact, the CDC has identified eight known pathogens that lead to the majority of foodborne illness cases. Contamination of food can happen at various points from the farming and harvesting to the storing and preparation of foods, but incorrect food handling of food is one of the most common sources of contamination.

Of course, small amounts of bacteria in food is not harmful to most healthy adults. Serious issues arise when certain pathogens multiply and spread. This is particularly concerning for small children, elderly adults and people with lower immune systems including pregnant women. People can get foodborne illness at home and outside the home.

Keep in mind that contaminated foods often do not appear, taste or smell different than foods that are safe, so a sniff test will not keep you unaffected by food poisoning. Prevention of the spread of pathogens in food involves the safe handling of food including keeping foods at proper temperature.

Sources of potential contamination include raw and undercooked meat, seafood and eggs and items contaminated with these raw ingredients. Maintaining clean utensils and cutting boards as well as hand washing can help reduce the spread of bacteria. Spyce aprons, which are anti-bacterial and designed with food safety in mind, can be worn to kill bacteria and reduce cross-contamination in food service establishments and at home.

Here are some other home food safety tips:

• Wash fresh produce even if you are not eating the skins.
• Keep countertops and other work surfaces clean.
• Cook beef and pork to 145⁰ F and poultry to 165⁰ F.
• Don’t let leftovers sit out. Place leftover food in shallow containers in the refrigerator to cool down as soon as possible. Consuming food left out longer than two hours (and more than one hour in extreme heat) is a risk for getting sick.
• Keep your refrigerator at 40⁰ F.
• Check “use by” dates on foods to avoid consuming spoiled products.
• Put groceries away as soon as you return home from the supermarket.
• Unclean dish towels can spread germs. Be sure to wash them in hot water regularly.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health are helpful local resources for information on food recalls and foodborne illness.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

It’s no secret that a healthy diet is linked to disease prevention. The problem is that nutrition shortfalls are a major concern in the United States and globally. Shockingly, one in five deaths worldwide could be prevented by improving eating habits.

The Global Burden of Disease Study was published this month in the medical journal The Lancet and looked at the nutrition of people in 195 countries over the past 27 years. For example, in 2017, cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes led to 10 million deaths due to poor diet. This is not a discussion of poverty and malnutrition, but of imbalanced nutritional intake that is independent of age, country and socioeconomic status, which takes into account income, education and occupation.

Researchers looked at the intake of 15 types of foods or nutrients and found that a lack of healthy foods appeared to be more of an important concern than was an excess consumption of unhealthy foods. Many health care providers steer away from using the terms “healthy” and “unhealthy” to categorize foods due to their judgmental nature and the overarching idea that most foods can fit into a balanced lifestyle. However, these terms were used by the researchers to study and describe beneficial and potentially harmful eating patterns in large populations.

While nutrition policy debates have focused on nutrients to limit like sodium, fat and sugar, this study specifically looked at the consumption of foods like whole grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Interestingly, they found that dietary patterns high in sodium and low in whole grains and fruit were responsible for over half of nutrition-related deaths annually.

Although it appears that no one country has ideal eating habits, Israel, France, Spain, and Japan had the lowest diet-related deaths per year. The U.S. was ranked 43rd out of the 195 countries studies, which means we have a lot of work to do to improve American eating habits.

Experts believe the focus should not fall squarely on individual food choices, but also on the production and distribution of food. The current agricultural food system produces too much highly processed foods and too little fruit, vegetables and whole grains to even meet the demands if everyone was to adapt a balanced diet. We should consider the foods offered at schools, restaurants and in workplaces, not just at home, when aspiring to improve the eating patterns of children and adults.

Here are some simple strategies to help balance out your nutrition plan to improve nutrition shortfalls:

• In the office, swap out the candy bowls for a fruit bowl. Fruit delivery services like The Fruit Guys will keep your workplace stocked weekly with fresh fruit.
• Check the ingredient list on food labels of grain products like bread, cereal and pasta for the presence of a whole grain as the first ingredients. When in doubt, check the fiber amount on the Nutrition Facts label and choose grains with at least 3 grams of fiber.
• Keep in mind that food items like snack foods and salad dressings with more than 300 mg of sodium are high in salt.
• Make homemade pizza using whole grain pizza dough and top it with veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers and spinach.
• Shop at your local farmers’ market to make produce the focus of your shopping list.
• Limit highly processed commercial baked goods, which are not only a common source of refined grains, but also can contain trans fats.
• Include omega-3 fatty acid-rich foods like nuts, seeds, avocado and fatty fish in your daily meal plan.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

Whether you are a vegetarian or an omnivore, you have probably at some point eaten soy or foods containing soy. From soy milk and edamame to tofu and miso, there are many foods made primarily from soy and countless others that contain soy ingredients like commercial baked goods and teriyaki sauce. Despite a wide body of scientific research pointing to the health benefits of soy, it’s consumption remains controversial. There are some considerations to be made when deciding whether this plant food should be a part of your menu.

Studies have found many health benefits of soy including the prevention of breast and prostate cancer, reduced risk of heart disease, improved bone health, and alleviation of hot flashes in menopause. Soy health benefits appear to be derived from its isoflavones or phytoestrogens such as genistein and daidzein. Soy isoflavones have weak estrogenic effect in the body and can both mimic and block estrogen at receptor sites, leading to a complex interaction between these compounds and our health.

It appears that soy’s potential health benefits via isoflavones may depend in part on how we individually digest isoflavones. The bacteria in the gut, also known as our microbiota, influence the metabolism and biological impact of isoflavones ingested in our food. Therefore, our unique gut bacteria are somewhat responsible for the conversion of isolfavones like daidzein into compounds with lesser or greater estrogenic activity.

Phytoestrogens are also found in other commonly consumed foods including oats, beans, rice, apples and coffee.

While the phytoestrogen effects of soy are complex, the other nutritional benefits are quite straightforward. Soy is rich in protein, vitamin C and folate and is a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, and other nutrients. Overall, soy is an economical and nutrient-dense protein source.

At the same time, some studies have found negatives effects of soy, which has led to ongoing hesitancy and debate over the role of soy in our diets. However, many of these studies have had limitations including not being performed on humans or specific study design flaws. While there is widespread concern found on the internet about the alleged ill effects of soy including the potential for soy to reduce testosterone levels and muscle growth in men, studies do not consistently back up these claims. Also, there has been conflicting findings pertaining to the possibility for soy to interfere with the production of thyroid hormone in those with thyroid disorders.

Another common concern with soy is that 94 percent of soy farms in the United States are growing genetically modified soybeans. While the general controversy of genetically modified organisms (GMO) is a separate debate on its own, there are concerns about whether the beneficial soy isoflavones are lower in genetically modified soybeans among other issues. To steer away from genetically modified soy, consumers can purchase certified organic soy products, which are non-GMO by definition.

It’s fair to say that not all soy foods are equal. When considering and potential health impact of soy, the nutritional quality of soy foods, including their isoflavone content, varies greatly. While fermented and minimally processed soy foods like miso, tempeh and soybeans are high in total isoflavone levels, more highly processed soy foods like soy cheese and soy milk are much lower in isoflavones. Nutrition experts tend to agree that we get the best nutrition when basing our diets on minimally processed foods and this is true for soy products as well.

While there are many ongoing studies on the role of soy in the prevention and treatment of disease, there is already solid evidence on the health benefits of this ancient bean. Those who consume meat regularly can benefit from swapping out one meat meal for a plant-based soy meal once a week. Plant-based eaters who consume soy foods regularly should be mindful to consume a variety of plant proteins from non-soy sources including other beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds. The best way to choose which foods to include or omit in your daily meal plan is to make an informed decision armed with unbiased science that is free from wavering trends and fear-mongering.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

Do you ever find yourself reaching for comfort foods after a stressful day at work or falling into bad eating habits when life is taking a turn for the worse? It’s certainly not unusual for stress to take a toll on nutrition. The latest science has shed some light on how stress can cause weight gain via its effects on the brain. With the right knowledge, we can take the lead to stay healthy when times are tough.

While some people may lose their appetite when stressed, others respond in the opposite and eat emotionally as a form of coping with stress.

Researchers at the Eating Disorders Laboratory at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia found in a mice model that a high-calorie diet combined with prolonged stress results in more weight gain than the same high-calorie diet without stress. It appears that a molecule that the brain produces in response to stress called NPY is at the heart of stress-driven weight gain.

In a state of prolonged stress coupled with increased consumption of high-fat and high-sugar foods, blood levels of the hormone insulin were increasingly elevated, resulting in nerve cells becoming desensitized to insulin. These nerve cells in turn ramped up NPY production, which increased eating behavior and reduced calorie burning in the mice. These results were published last month in the medical journal Cell Metabolism.

Although this study was done on rodents, the researchers believe that these results tell us that the brain works differently under stress, which causes a vicious cycle of hunger that leads to excessive weight gain, especially when high-calorie, comfort foods are consumed. Eating these calorically-dense foods during times of stress is exponentially problematic for those trying to avoid unwanted weight gain. Studies have found that women are more likely than men to overeat when under stress.

When forming a plan to help combat the ill effects of stress and thwart unwanted weight gain, there are a few important considerations to be made.

Identify Sources and Patterns of Stress

While some stress comes as a surprise and may knock us off our feet, other types of stress are more expected or periodic like school- or work-related stress. By identifying common stressors and typical stressful times in your life, you can be proactive about managing your stress. By understanding how stress may affect your appetite and food choices you can plan ahead to have better snack options on hand during final exam time, stock the freezer with ready-made meals when a new baby is on the way or meal prep for the week during your busy season at the office.

Build a Stress-Reduction Plan

There are many ways to positively cope with stress. From meditation and exercise to settling down with a good book or taking a relaxing bath, it can help to have a go-to list of non-food activities that help release tension and reduce stress. Engage friends, family and coworkers in helping to create both home and work environments that are peaceful and calm while facilitating an outlet to talk about life pressures.

Create a Balanced Eating Environment

We know that calorie-dense foods that are high in sugar and fat are craved in times of ongoing stress. Take action by planning balanced and satisfying meals using lean proteins, energizing carbohydrates and leafy green vegetables. Better yet, give a simple makeover to common comfort foods by adding steamed broccoli to creamy mac and cheese, loading up your pizza with sliced veggies and opting for frozen yogurt with berries as an alternative to an ice cream habit.

Seek the Support You Need

Know that you are not alone in times of stress or crisis. If you feel overwhelmed or are having trouble functioning, talk to your doctor or seek help from a mental health provider that can offer you necessary support and resources. A registered dietitian can help you put a together a meal plan that helps tackle stressed eating habits.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

When it comes to food, we’ve all heard the phrase “everything in moderation.” But does everything really fit into a healthy diet? According to two recent large European studies, there are some foods that are different than others and may have serious negative health impacts.

These studies were published by The BMJ and found an association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Ultra-processed foods include packaged commercially produced breads and desserts, French fries, chicken nuggets and other processed meats with additives, instant noodles, sugar-sweetened beverages, and other foods made mostly of sugar and oils, including hydrogenated oil. Ultra-processed foods have higher amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and other additives with less nutritional value and fiber

The three categories of food that fall outside of the realm of ultra-processed foods include unprocessed and minimally processed foods like fresh, frozen, dried, ground, pasteurized and fermented staple foods like fruit, vegetables, beans, pasta, meat, fish and milk; culinary ingredients like salt, butter and food extracts; and processed foods like cheese, canned vegetables with added salt and sugar-sweetened dried fruit. While many of these foods have been altered in form or contain added culinary ingredients, they have undergone a lesser extent of industrialized processes and maintain greater nutritional integrity.

These studies found an increased risk of coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and death with greater intake of these ultra-processed foods. Specifically, more than four servings per day was linked to a 62% increase in the risk of mortality from all causes compared to consuming less than two servings per day. Plus, each additional daily serving resulted in an increase in mortality risk by 18%.

This is not the first time science has shown the ill health effects of eating ultra-processed foods. It is important to consider that these observational methods of studying the eating habits of subjects do have some limitations and a cause and effect relationship cannot be assumed. However, at the same time, the consumption of ultra-processed foods is astoundingly high with about 60% of energy intake coming from ultra-processed foods.

Since we know that ultra-processed foods are nutritionally inferior to unprocessed and minimally processed foods and may even have some significant health consequences, we can take the following steps to improve the overall nutritional quality of our diets:

Limit or avoid processed meats with added nitrates and nitrites. Opt for fresh meat, poultry and seafood and deli meats without added nitrates and nitrites like Diestel or Applegate.

Prepare homemade baked goods from scratch. Commercially prepared baked goods are often loaded with sugar, refined oils and additives. You can still enjoy your favorite treats by making them from wholesome nutrient-dense ingredients at home or purchasing them from well-trusted small local bakeries.

Look for simple, whole foods ingredients on the food label. Check the food label for ingredients you can read and recognize. Keep in mind that if sugar is one of the first three ingredients it is likely a high-sugar food.

Choose foods that are whole grain products. Foods that are 100% whole grain like brown rice, quinoa, rolled oats, farro, and whole wheat pasta have a greater nutritional value than foods made from processed and refined flours.

Make fast food and comfort food yourself with good quality ingredients. It’s okay to crave a burger and fries or chicken nuggets once in a while, but try making them at home with whole food ingredients like whole pieces of chicken, oven-fried hand sliced potatoes and veggies piled onto a homemade burger.

These strategies can help you base your eating plan on unprocessed and minimally processed foods that best support your health and longevity goals.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

It’s summertime, which means that it’s the season for grilling and eating outside. When it’s too hot to cook and everyone wants to get out of the kitchen, al fresco meals often include refreshing cold dishes and simply prepared items eaten with one’s hands. Whether you’re chowing down on sandwiches, burgers or salad, flavor is very important. Traditional condiments are summer BBQ staples, but many are loaded with sugar and salt or contain questionable ingredients.

You might be surprised by the Nutrition Facts and ingredients on your favorite BBQ sauce or ranch dressing. BBQ sauce contains a lot of sodium as well as sweeteners like corn syrup and molasses and ranch is high is both sodium and fat. Other popular bottled condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise and hot sauce often don’t stack up much better.

Knowing what to look for on the label and comparing the nutritional value of similar products can help you select the healthier options. Bottled sauces with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients is likely not a great choice. A good rule of thumb when controlling sodium is to choose condiments with no more than 300 mg of sodium per serving to avoid high sodium products. Condiments containing less than 140 mg of sodium per serving are low in sodium. To choose more natural condiments, steer away from sauces sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and enhanced with food coloring and other additives.

Portion control is particularly important when enjoying condiments that are higher in fat. Mayo, ranch dressing, sour cream, guacamole, and pesto, for example, are foods that are primarily fat so a small amount can have a lot of calories.

Here are some delicious condiments and seasonings that will give your al fresco dinner some healthy flair while boosting flavor. Keep in mind that homemade sauces that control for added salt and sugar and use good quality ingredients are often the healthiest.

Tzatziki

This creamy sauce is made from yogurt, cucumber, garlic, lemon, dill and other herbs and originates from Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be used as a dip for vegetables or crackers or served as a sauce along chicken or fish. Tzatziki can be found in the grocery store or prepared easily at home using low-fat or non-fat Greek yogurt.

Sumac

This a powdered spice that is a red-purple color with a tangy flavor suggestive of lemon or vinegar. Sumac is commonly found in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern recipes. It is used in spice blends for meat or fish and can be sprinkled onto a fresh salad before serving for a pop of color.

Tahini

This paste is made from toasted ground sesame seeds. Tahini is popular in many different cuisines from the Mediterranean to North African and can be eaten alone or incorporated into other recipes like hummus, salad dressing and eggplant dip. It pairs well with beans and veggies and is a fantastic source of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Sauerkraut

You may know sauerkraut as a condiment enjoyed atop hot dogs, which is often sourced from a can. Homemade and small-batch store bought sauerkraut is sour, crunchy and adds a flavor kick to grilled meats. It is fermented shredded cabbage which has been made for as many as 2,000 years. Sauerkraut fermentation promotes the growth of beneficial bacteria, which may be good for digestion. Homemade sauerkraut is relatively simple to make with a good recipe and is a good entry point into do-it-yourself at home fermenting.

Other smart condiments and sauces for summertime meals include harissa, guacamole, hummus, pesto, salsa, and mustard.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

Despite the fact that there are many options for eating meals outside the home, many of us prefer a good home-cooked meal. Food prepared at home has the potential to be more healthful and economical than food purchased from restaurants, fast-food eateries and home-delivered meal kits. Though it appears that home-cooking is on the rise, a lack of fresh ideas in the kitchen and basic cooking skills are common barriers to eating well at home.

During the last couple of decades, the rates of cooking have actually increased, particularly among men. It’s not just older folks who are doing the cooking. One study that found that 72 percent of people cook at least four nights a week reported that Millennials are leading the charge in this cooking revolution.

The rising popularity of cooking shows, celebrity chefs and food blogs is likely tied to this trend of cooking for leisure and entertainment. Still, many people cook at home for practical purposes like feeding young children and maintaining control of food ingredients, especially for health reasons or food allergies. While many people enjoy the convenience and social aspect of dining out, it is common knowledge that homemade food is often better for us.

Cost savings is another motivating factor in home-cooking. Data from Priceonomics using recipe and ingredients data from wellio found that home cooking can be as much as five times more affordable than restaurant delivery and three times more affordable than home-delivery meal kit services.

The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), which has schools in both New York City and Los Angeles, has started a Health Supportive Culinary Arts diploma program at its Pasadena campus to train chefs in plant-forward cooking that balances taste with health and nutrition. This program offers rolling enrollment with classes starting every six weeks for those interested in gaining skills and knowledge to stand out in a culinary world that is increasingly catering to consumers seeking out healthy choices.

Elliott Prag, the lead chef in the Health Supported Culinary Arts program, offers suggestions for inspired and healthful home cooking that will wow the crowd:

For the most flavor, start with whole, fresh ingredients and steer away from packaged and processed foods.

Support your digestion, immunity and metabolism by preparing high-fiber foods that are also prebiotics, which feed the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. These foods include Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, leafy greens, chicory, and asparagus.

Try making fermented, probiotic foods at home including lacto-fermented pickled vegetables including sauerkraut, cultured pickles, and kimchi and fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir.

Invest in a good non-stick pan, which will allow you to cook with ease while using less added fat.

Prepare and eat fresh fruit and vegetables in a wide variety of colors. These varying pigments represent different health-promoting phytochemicals and antioxidants.

Eat from the root to the leaf. Try preparing the peeled stalks of broccoli, the sautéed green tops of carrots and beets and even the skins of squashes and sweet potatoes. Not only do they surprisingly taste good when prepared with care, but they are packed with important nutrients.

Use “super” grains like buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, and teff in place of processed white grains and flour for their superior protein, B-vitamin, mineral, and fiber content.

Cook with high-quality, minimally processed cold-pressed oils like extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, virgin coconut oil, and ghee.

Check out the “Clean Fifteen” and the “Dirty Dozen” of the Environmental Working Group to help prioritize which foods to buy organic to avoid pesticide contaminants.

If you would like to improve your cooking skills, learn some celebrity chef skills and take a hands-on recreational cooking class at ICE or your neighborhood cooking school.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Do you have a nutrition question that you’d like her to address in a future column? Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.  

Despite incredible advances in modern medicine including research breakthroughs and life-saving medications and devices, Americans are not actually living longer, healthier lives. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, life expectancy has actually been falling over recent years. In fact, this is the first time since the 1918 flu pandemic that Americans have experienced a loss in years of life. Experts say that this decrease cannot be attributed to one single problem, but numerous factors including increased rates of suicide and the opioid epidemic.

If you have a common health concern like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, mental illness, arthritis or asthma and visit your doctor, you are likely offered medication as a primary part of your treatment plan. It is no secret that the causes of many common health problems stem from lifestyle factors such as diet, inactivity and stress, however our health care system doesn’t strive to identify and ameliorate these root causes of chronic illness. If you are seeking out a lifestyle approach to better health that focuses on prevention, functional medicine may be right for you.

Functional medicine takes the science of medical training and a systems-focused medical approach to identify and better understand the underlying causes of disease. Functional medicine practitioners see themselves as patient-centered, treating the individual, not the disease. In functional medicine, the healthcare plan is personalized and unique and practitioners spend more time educating and counseling patients.

At a recent event entitled Food as Medicine at The Farmhouse at Ojai Valley Inn, Chef Jeffrey Zurofsky and Dr. Robin Berzin of Parsley Health discussed the popular diets – Paleo, Keto and Vegan for better health and vitality. While they didn’t recommend one specific diet above others, they did suggest that we are all different and need a nutrition plan that meets our own unique needs. Overall, they recommend a plan that includes a variety of plants and minimizes highly processed foods. They highlighted the important role of nutrition in health promotion and healing.

At Parsely Health, a healthcare company with offices across the county, doctors offer primary care services that combine modern medicine and technology with a functional, whole body approach. These doctors focus on nutrition, exercise, genetics, and mental health as major factors impacting well-being. Functional medicine doctors will refer their patients to specialists, such as cardiologists or dermatologists, as needed.

Unlike unqualified health coaches or those who earn quick online certificates, functional medicine practitioners are doctors or other medical professionals practicing evidence-based health care using modern diagnostic testing. If you are interested in incorporating functional medicine into your health care, it is important to seek services from a qualified provider. Check the credentials of providers and go with a qualified professional including a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathic medicine, nurse practitioner, doctor of chiropractic or a doctor of naturopathic medicine. If you have a medical condition, seek a provider who specializes in your condition.

As health care costs are rising while Americans are not achieving better health outcomes, functional medicine couldn’t be gaining attention at a better time. Preventative health care services that address causes of illness and educate and empower patients to live healthier lives are the future. If we can shift from a society that puts its resources into treating the symptoms of disease to a society that considers the social, economic and environmental origins of health problems, we can make additional strides to live longer and better lives as a whole.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

Back-to-school season means juggling homework and earlier bedtimes. So long, relaxed summer evenings that linger with friends and ice cream cones. Now that you have to face reality, it is the ideal time to develop a habit of eating dinner together. The scientific literature strongly points to the academic, social, psychological, and physical health benefits for children and teens from eating meals family meals. Even if you don’t have young kids in the house, family meals provide a consistent space for connecting and bonding in a time where everyone is seemingly glued to their devices. Family meals are a time to unplug and catch up with the ones we love.

When it comes to parenting kids of all ages, there’s probably nothing more magical and more impactful than family meals. Because sitting down at the same time encourages dialogue, kids are able to talk about their day and their feelings. This allows closer relationships and fewer emotional and behavioral problems. In fact, kids that engage in regular family meals have better academic performance, higher self-esteem and resilience and lower risk of substance abuse and teen pregnancy. These are just some of the benefits of family meals.

It’s not surprising that families that eat together help foster better eating habits. Studies show that children ages nine to 14 who have regular family meals have overall healthier eating patterns. This includes eating more fruit and vegetables, consuming less saturated fat and trans fat, choosing fewer fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages while getting more vitamins and minerals. Kids who enjoy regular family meals have fewer weight concerns and a lower rate of eating disorders.

It’s clear that family meals have huge paybacks, but they are not always practical. First, aligning everyone’s schedule to eat together can be a challenge. After-school activity schedules, school work, late meetings and traffic all compete for precious evening time. Plus, there’s the question of what to eat considering everyone’s different food preferences and health needs. Although these are the real-life hurdles to implementing family mealtime, you can start small and grow from there.

Here are some ideas that can help you achieve family mealtime success.

Plan Meals Ahead

Find a time to sit down and meal plan for the week ahead. You can even use a calendar or dry erase board to jot down the weekly menu for a visual cue. This may be a good time to involve other household members to gain buy-in and match up schedules. For busy families with excess evening activities and late work shift, planning for and carrying out one or two family meals per week can be a big success.

Set Expectations

It can take time and effort to create new habits, especially when there are multiple people involved. Communicate your expectation for family meal participation. Create a positive environment by encouraging upbeat, light and constructive conversation while eating. Family meals can serve a tranquil space for everyone to unwind together after a long day.

Unplug and Connect

Screens of any sort during mealtime are a distraction from enjoying both the food and the company. Plus, this distracted eating can lead to overeating and unwanted weight gain. Since the main goal of family meals is to enjoy being with a loved one, you can set the right tone by shutting off the television and putting away your cell phone.

Encourage Participation

Meals don’t need to be fancy; the goal is to engage everyone. Try by having each family member select a recipe or meal idea. This way everyone is empowered and has a meal of their choosing. Children can help with age-appropriate tasks like participating in grocery shopping, washing produce, setting the table and mixing ingredients. Kids often gain confidence when they are building skills and feel needed.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting. Check out her new blog, Familymealsinheels.com, for delicious recipes for busy families. Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.

Summer may be winding down, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get outside and enjoy beautiful Southern California.

In fact, now that school’s back in session and many tourists have headed home, this is the perfect time to plan at least one more adventure of the season. If nutrition and physical fitness are an important part of your plan for wellness, these two local spots will support your goals to be healthy.

You won’t have to venture far to enjoy a day or a night away at these hidden gems.

Terranea, Rancho Palos Verdes

Nestled on the Palos Verdes Peninsula with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Terranea Resort offers guests exciting activities in a serene environment. Here you can engage in both water and land sports such as ocean kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, golf, photography, walking scenic nature trails, and fitness classes including yoga and pilates.

Terranea’s spa restaurant, Solviva, offers a nutritionist-designed food and beverage menu that can accommodate different dietary needs. The menu features locally and sustainably grown ingredients including produce, honey and eggs from nearby Catalina View Garden.

Overnight guests can take advantage of Terranea’s full resort offerings, but everyone is welcome to explore the coastal nature trails at Terranea, which are open to the public, or enjoy the spa services and restaurants on property. Immersive Wellness at Terranea Resort is one of many programs and workshops offered onsite, which allows guests to enjoy a Saturday Daycation with a specially curated agenda focusing on health and wellness.

This 102-acre coastal resort has something for everyone looking to escape the busy city life for a tranquil getaway.

Descanso Gardens, La Cañada Flintridge

Descanso Gardens is a 150-acre botanical gardens located in proximity to the Angeles National Forest. It is a non-profit organization in a public-private partnership with Los Angeles County, which helps keep the entrance fees reasonable.

Descanso Gardens boasts various gardens and forests to explore by foot including North America’s Largest camellia collection. Outdoor and history enthusiasts alike enjoy the stunning landscape and rich history of the property, which come to light when visiting the Boddy House and Sturt Haaga Gallery.

Health-conscious folks visiting Descanso Gardens can enjoy weekend brunch at Maple Restaurant. Maple restaurant has a chef-driven menu that changes with the season and offers a wide range of delicious options for everyone including plant-based eaters.

Though you don’t need entrance tickets to the garden to dine at the restaurant and enjoy its idyllic surroundings, you can easily start your day at Descanso with a meal at Maple. Visitors can take their own food onto the property to enjoy in designated eating areas.

We are fortunate to live in a place with endless options to get outside, be active and appreciate the health benefits of fresh, local and seasonal cuisine. From the mountains to the ocean, the beauty of the region shines bright from the Palos Verdes Peninsula to the foothills of the Angeles National Forest.

LeeAnn Weintraub, a registered dietitian, provides nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and businesses. Send LeeAnn an email at RD@halfacup.com.