Nutrition News

Happy Fall from NutritionWorks

November 2006

• Hello from Sandi and Kathleen

• The next Solutions groups are starting

• Positive body image linked to intuitive eating

• Tuft’s examines link to Mediterranean diet and heart health

• Should we eat more fruits or vegetables for cancer prevention?

• Fall to Winter Cooking Ideas – hearty doesn’t have to mean heavy!

• Recipe to try:  Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils

• Favorite product: Kashi’s frozen entrées

• Favorite produce choices this time of year

Hello from Sandi and Kathleen
Happy Fall to everyone!

We have some exciting news. Minh-Hai Tran, a very skilled dietitian, has joined us to see clients at NutritionWorks. She shares our nutritional counseling philosophy and we are so happy to have her working with us. Please read her bio in the About Us section to learn more about her.

As we move into the holiday season, please feel free to contact us if you need additional support with your lifestyle balance as you move through this sometimes stressful period.

We wish each of you a joyful and peaceful holiday season.

Sandi and Kathleen

Solutions Groups Continue! 
Sandi and Kathleen are both certified Solutions providers and would be very happy to have you join their groups and/or do individual coaching with them.

We are so excited about the life changing progress we are seeing with participants in our groups. Participants are using the skills they are learning to meet their nutritional and healthy lifestyle goals. It is a gift to us to be able to be doing this work.

Click here for dates of upcoming Solutions groups.

Positive body image linked to intuitive eating
A study of 199 college women out of Ohio State University concluded that women who accept their bodies the way they are, flaws included,  and that eat intuitively have a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those that do not.  Listening to your body’s needs seems to be an important factor.  These women worried less about how their bodies looked to others (isn’t that a refreshing thought?) and were more concerned about how their bodies functioned and felt. 
In another study of 737 women out of Tylka and Ohio State University the women who showed levels of higher body satisfaction also showed not only lower BMI’s, but, higher levels of self-esteem, coping skills and the ability to deal with stressful situations (and not eat the pint of Ben and Jerry’s!).

These findings go against the idea that women should feel some level of dissatisfaction with their bodies in order to adopt or maintain healthy eating habits.  Just the opposite may be true! 

Source:  Ohio State University

Tuft’s examines link between the Mediterranean diet and heart health
Metabolic Syndrome is a cluster of risk factors (high cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood sugar levels) that put a person at risk of developing cardiovascular disease.  Nearly 50 million Americans have this syndrome and are at risk.  A two year study out of Italy showed that everyone following a low calorie diet as well as exercising lost weight, but, those that ate a Mediterranean style diet showed a greater decrease in Metabolic Syndrome factors and an increase in heart health.

At NutritionWorks, we are always happy to see solid research supporting the benefits of whole, unprocessed foods like those included in the Mediterranean diet e.g. olive oil, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. 

This research is also a good example of the benefit of using high quality foods that support health as we work on weight loss. This is a much better idea than using a low calorie, restricted diet which often is not sustainable in the long terms and leads to overeating.

Source:  Meydani M. Nutrition Reviews. 2005;63 (9):312-314. “A Mediterranean-style diet and metabolic syndrome.”

Should we eat more fruits or vegetables for cancer prevention?
Acoording to a group of Harvard researchers who analyzed Nurses Health Study data, they concluded that a diet including 5 or more servings of fruit per day lowered (by approximately 40%) a persons risk of developing polyps, but, a diet high in vegetables did not. 

What do they believe are some of the reasons for this?

A diet high in fruits is also high in folate which has been linked to a decreased risk of polyps and other cancers to include prostate and pancreatic.  Fruit is most often eaten raw which allows for high amounts of fiber, also a link to decreased polyps.  Or it could be that a person whose diet is high in fruit has an overall healthier lifestyle.  In the reviewed study the researchers determined that the participants eating high fruit diets had healthier body weights and exercised more.

There have been many studies touting the anti-cancer benefits of a diet high in folate so eat that fruit, especially the citrus kinds.  A great way to get more in the diet is to have a little basket of fruit at on your table or desk at work.  Fill with with persimmons, satsumas, mandarins, apples and grapes and it will not only look beautiful but be a sweet healthy treat!

Source:  Harvard Health Letter, Sept 26, 2006

Fall to Winter Cooking Ideas – Hearty doesn’t mean heavy
Winter weather is just around the corner and for those of us here in Seattle that means cold and, dare I say, rainy days.  For me, this weather brings about thoughts of lounging on the couch with a good book and a hearty bowl of soup or stew.  I believe these thoughts stem from memories of my mother’s cooking.  She’d make wonderful ham and bean soups, stews, biscuits, corn bread, lasagna,  and I could go on and on.  Mom cooked a lot of foods this time of year that were heavy on fat, calories and  flavor!  Here are some ideas for taking away the extra fat and calories of some heartier foods but keeping the flavor:

1. Try making your favorite lasagna recipe omiting the meat and using 4 cups chopped mushrooms instead or a soy based meat product such as Boca burger.  As well, try to cut the amount of cheese by ½ and add 3-4 tbsp grated parmesan or romano to give the lasagna added flavor.  Added vegetables (cooked carrots, chopped spinach, fresh parsley, etc) as well as the use of whole wheat noodles would be added nutritional boost.

2. Ham and bean soups,  omit the ham, bacon, lard or whatever flavoring that adds fat that you normally use and opt for chicken or vegetable stock instead.  Add extra garlic, herbs and sauté any vegetables to be added to the soup in olive oil instead of butter.   Bean soups taste especially good with pureed leafy greens such as spinach, collard greens and chard.  Feel free to add as many vegetables as you like to your soups…the more the better!

3. Butternut squash soup is easy to make and healthy as well.  Try making your own recipe, find an easy one online, or take a boxed squash soup and add some frozen cubed squash, puree some greens and/or white beans to add and then season with your favorite herbs. 

4. Stews and chili taste great without the meat.  For a stew or chili you can substitute a hearty mushroom such as the portabella (chop and sautee before adding).  Try a small amount of red wine (1/2 cup or so)  in the broth for even more flavor.

5. Biscuits are baked with lots of fat that is the nature of biscuits.  Try eating your soup instead with a whole wheat or multi grain dinner roll or some corn bread baked with olive oil and low fat milk or buttermilk instead of the normal butter and whole milk in corn bread recipes.  You can also cut corn tortillas into triangles and toast them in the oven (I do it under the broiler) until crisp and serve with your soup.  

Recipe to Try – Moroccan Pumpkin and Lentils:
Serves 8 (Vegan)

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced ( apx 1 ½ cups)
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and sliced
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
1 Tablespoon paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, or 4 tomatoes, chopped
1 – 2 lb pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
½ cup tomato puree
¼ cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)

1. Heat olive oil in large saucepan over med-high heat.  Add onion and jalapeno and sauté 10 minutes or until onion is translucent and golden.  Add tomatoes, lentils and spices and cook 2 to 3 minutes more.  Stir in pumpkin cubes, tomato puree and 2 ½ cups water.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 40 minutes, or until pumpkin and lentils are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.

Per serving:  161 calories, 9 g pro, 4 fat (0.5 g sat), 25 g carbs, 0 mg cholesterol, 287 mg sodium, 9 g fiber, 7 g sugars

Recipe from:  Vegetarian Times – October 2006 

Favorite Product – Kashis’ Frozen Entrée
Need a quick meal that is high in protein, fiber and flavor and low in fat and calories?  Try a Kashi frozen entree.  These dishes are minimally processed, have a lot of the whole foods your body needs (whole grains and vegetables) and are without additives and preservatives.  Most of the meals include Kashi’s signature pilaf which is a 7-grain and sesame pilaf that not only tastes great, is great for you.  

The Kashi company has worked hard to provide it’s customers with a great tasting, well balanced meal full of high quality ingredients.  Each of the meals contain 240-380 calories, 5-7 grams of fiber and 8-22 grams of protein.  

Some of the entrees include pesto pasta primavera, lemongrass chicken, black bean mango and lime cilantro shrimp so try one today and let us know what you think! 

Favorite produce choices this time of year (in-season):

Apple (crisp and sweet all by themselves!)
Bok Choy / Collard greens / Kale (stir fry lightly with a little olive oil or add to almost any soup)
Brussel sprouts (steam until slightly soft then serve with a dash of Italian herbs and parmesan cheese)
Cauliflower (wash then chop and eat with a lite dressing as a dip)
Pear (eat raw or make a dessert by slicing pear in half, remove core and bake in 350 degree oven until soft then top with a little maple syrup and a tablespoon of gorgonzola cheese)
Turnip / Kohlrabi / Rutabaga (add to soups or slice and eat raw)
Pomegranate (enjoy the juice or eat the juicy seeds)
Pumpkin (for spicy muffins, stews, or pie of course!)
Winter squash (bake in 350 degree oven until soft and top with salt and olive oil)
Sweet potato (make “fries” by slicing into 1/3” thick pieces, spread on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake at 400 degrees apx 12 mins)
Zucchini (steam slightly or make a zucchini, mushroom frittata)

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