Halloween Sweets Can Fit Into a Healthful Eating Plan

As you prepare for Halloween take some time to think about how to manage the candy, cookies and pastries that are so much a part of the holiday. Sweets can add enjoyment and variety to a healthful eating plan but if you aren't careful they will also add lots of fat, sugar and calories. The best way to enjoy Halloween is to have a plan that allows for small portions of treats.

Current dietary guidelines recommend keeping sugar intake to less than ten percent of your daily calories so if you are an "average" adult consuming 2000 calories that would mean less than 200 calories from added sweets. One chocolate candy bar can easily provide 200 calories so think about choosing mini or fun size bars to control your intake.

Some tips can make Halloween enjoyable but also healthy.

• Determine how much candy you can eat per day and portion it out into small bags
• Consume healthful foods outlined in Mypyramid.gov before eating sweets
• Slowly chew sweets so that you really savor the flavor
• Keep activity in your routine to help manage the extra calories

Happy Halloween!

Annual American Dietetic Meeting

The annual Food and Nutrition Conference of the American Dietetic Association wrapped up today. The meeting was attended by more than 7,000 food and nutrition professionals. During this four day meeting attendees had a chance to learn about vitamin C supplementation, the importance of choosing healthy fats like corn, soy, canola and oil instead of butter and animal fats, how sustainability can, and should, include a component on nutrition and more than 70 other sessions.

In addition to the sessions 350 exhibitors displayed their new products, whether they were food, equipment or educational materials. Items found included many gluten free options, even a bread that really tasted good, organic options, healthy products from Starbucks as well as many other companies.

International Congress of Nutrition

Today in Bangkok the 19th International Congress of Nutrition was kicked off by a welcoming address from Thailand's Royal Highness. The conference is off to a good start with several sessions on the issue of undernutrition. In addition a session on sodium reduction looked at sodium intake worldwide and steps that have been taken by Unilever to reduce sodium in their products. The challenge to the audience was to take an active role in educating consumers about sodium and its role in health and food production.

Another session looked at the role of diet in disease development with a special focus on how diet can impact inflammation in a positive and negative way.

Tomorrow brings session on fats, nutrition in pregnancy and more session on genetic modulation and disease. In the evening tomorrow I will coordinate with others to conduct a workshop and cooking demo on the importance of fats in a healthful eating plan and how to choose healthy fats.

Sat and Trans Fat: How do they Compare?

Over the last several years there has been a great deal of attention paid to trans fats with consumers avoiding them like the plaque and food companies searching for options but the question is do you know how trans fats compare to sat fats? Possibly even more important than that question is the question, do you know how much fat is needed to be healthy? Yes it is true some fat is needed for health but the important issue is choosing the right fat so to make it simple let’s start at the beginning.

Fat is important to overall health since it serves as the means of moving fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K throughout the body. Fat is also needed for brain and nervous system health. Two fatty acids cannot be made by the body so they must be supplied by the diet making a minimum intake of at least ten percent of your daily calories an important part of your diet. Linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid are both found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. In addition, omega 3 fatty acids found in fatty fish and fish oils can also help provide the fats we need.

After consuming at least the minimum amount of fat it is important to choose healthier fats. Saturated fats are predominately found in animal foods and they will increase blood cholesterol. Trans fats are found naturally in animal foods but are mainly consumed when choosing partially hydrogenated fats. Trans fats increase blood cholesterol and can lower the good cholesterol but the bottom-line is that saturated and Trans fats should both be kept to a minimum intake.

When it comes to fats focus on the following –
· Choose more oils, soft margarine, nuts, seeds and fatty fish
· Use fat free dairy foods to get your 3 A Day of Dairy
· Focus on lean meat and poultry
· Keep meat and poultry portions moderate

Nutritionist and Dietitian: What is the Difference?

If you are like most people you’ve noticed how sometimes nutrition advice comes from a nutritionist and sometimes it comes from a dietitian or a registered dietitian (RD). And if you are like most people you’ve wondered – What is the difference?

The difference is that the term dietitian, and more significantly the RD, has a clear definition that includes an education based on the science of food and how the body uses that food. The Commission on Accreditation of Dietetic Education clearly outlines the coursework required for someone to call themselves a dietitian. In addition, the Commission of Dietetic Registration outlines the experience needed to take the credentialing exam and the continuing education needed to maintain the RD credential.

On the flip side, the term nutritionist does not have a nationally defined definition so the background of a nutritionist in California could be very different from one in Florida. Some state licensure boards have regulated the use of the title but regulations vary from state to state. All Registered Dietitians are nutritionists but not all nutritionists are Registered Dietitians.

If you want to find a nutrition professional who will provide information based on the science of food and nutrition turn to the RD. When you contact the RD make sure you discuss your personal goals for healthier eating because just as physicians have areas of specialty so to do RD’s. You want to make sure you work with someone who can assess your needs and help you develop an eating plan that is enjoyable, maintainable and based on the science of food and nutrition. You can locate an RD in your area by visiting www.eatright.org and clicking on “Find a Nutrition Professional”

Organic versus Conventional - Any Nutritional Difference?

The issue of organic foods versus conventional has been a hot topic of discussion for several years but a new study indicates when it comes to nutrition there is no difference.

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, reported on a systematic, scientific review of the literature on the issue of nutrition and photochemically content of organic and conventional foods. A systematic, scientific review of the literature is a methodical review of the literature looking for quality studies in an area and then reporting on the overall conclusions.

This study found that the nutritional content of organic and conventional foods was comparable. The report indicated that for 10 of the 13 nutrients analyzed, there were no significant differences between the organic and conventional. The study goes on to say that the differences that were detected were so small that they were likely due to soil, time of year or other continuous variable. The important message from this study is that you can meet your nutritional needs whether you choose convention or organic foods.

While the study was not designed to assess environmental impacts or pesticide usage the authors did state - "Certified organic regimens specify the production of foodstuffs with the strictly controlled use of chemicals and medicines. The potential for any benefits to public and environmental health of these actions would certainly warrant further systematic review..."

“Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review." Dangour AD, Dodhia SK, Hayter A, Allen E, Lock K, Uauy R. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Jul 29.

Yo-Yo Dieting

Most people who have dieted throughout their life are familiar with the statement that yo-yo dieting causes you to gain more weight and to lose more slowly each time. A new study indicates it isn’t the yo-yo dieting, it is the weight gain.

According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine the risk of increased weight gain, associated with yo-yo dieting, is due to the weight gain itself not the yo-yoing. The study looked at weight cycling in more than 44,000 women and found that those who lost the most, and did this at least three times in their life, had the highest health complications and the greatest risk of death from the weight gain.

If you want to lose, and keep it off, approach the process with patience, perseverance and a plan. It takes time to change behaviors – some say 90 days – so give yourself the time to learn to eat better and workout more. The best way to plan for weight loss, and maintenance of the loss, is to work with a Registered Dietitian. If you can’t do, that Mypyramid.gov is a good place to start. Mypyramid.gov provides a food plan, sample menus, forms to record your intake and tips to make healthy eating and activity easier.

Remember the goal isn’t just to lose the weight – The goal is to achieve and maintain a Healthy Weight.