click on the blog talk radio logo to hear my interview with Marie Spano
The ONE topic most people have questions about is nutrition. Yes, it is VERY confusing. How do you know what’s good for you, what’s not good for you, how much is too much, or not enough? There’s always some new diet craze going on and which one should you choose? Low Carb diets, low fat, no fat, etc. There are foods that are advertised as being healthy but really aren’t.
I interviewed Marie Spano and asked her to answer the most commonly asked nutrition questions. Marie Spano, is an M.S., RD, FISSN, who holds a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and an M.S. in Foods and Nutrition from the University of Georgia. She is also the current VP of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Protein/Meal Replacement Bars
The one topic that garners the most questions is nutrition. It can be such a minefield of conflicting information and makes it hard for someone to separate fact from fiction. Take for instance, protein bars/meal replacement bars. They are everywhere. I don’t advise my clients not to make a habit of eating them. On the rare occasion I have one, I feel bloated and horrible for hours on end after eating one. Marie had recently made a comment in one of her articles about IBD in which she referred to The South Beach Living Bar. “One South Beach Living bar full of sugar alcohols and I'd qualify for IBS if I could even make it out of the house to see the physician.” Here’s a great example of something that is marketed as being good and healthy for you and really isn’t. A lot of those bars are full of sugar alcohols which can be worse than sugar. I asked Marie to give me the low down on sugar alcholos.
Sugar Alcohols are in a lot of “Low Carb” foods. They are a type of carbohydrate that is not fully digested in the gastro intestinal track. According to Marie, the healthy bacteria that lives in the stomach feeds off sugar alcohol and this is where the gas, bloating and stomach distention comes in. When buying bars, check the ingredients for sugar alcohols or make sure there’s only a few grams in them. You want to find a bar that is high in protein and contains no more than 5 grams or no sugar alcohols. Marie recommends VPX Bars.
VPX Zero Impact Bars, Box Of 12, Chocolate Peanut Butter
Products that are labeled low carb will be higher in other ingredients to help make it more palatable such as sodium, hidden fats or sugar alcohols. It’s always best to read the labels but your best rule of thumb is to stick to whole real grains such as 100% whole wheat tortilla wraps, breads, pasta, etc. rather than purchasing the low carb version.
Caloric Intake
A common mistake people make is that they tend to not eat the RIGHT calories let alone ENOUGH calories. People are afraid to eat, i.e, we were programmed that if you want to lose weight, keep your mouth shut, or people get so busy that they forget to eat. What happens is that your body stores fat instead of burning fat and you wind up reaching for the wrong foods. How does a person know how many calories they should be eating to make sure they are consuming enough calories throughout the day? Marie recommends the Harris Benedict Equation. My simple recommendation is to take your body weight x 12 divided by 6 for progressive fat loss. This formula will tell you approximately how many calories per day you should be consuming and how many calories per meal (6 meals per day). There are also several nutritional sites which can help you track your meals and caloric intake. Marie has The Daily Plate as a recommended site http://www.thedailyplate.com/.
Children and Nutrition
With regard to children, a lot of them are diagnosed with ADD and other “behavioral” type problems. The American diet is pitiful and children are exposed to way too much sugar in their diet with soft drinks, fruit juices, sugary snacks, sugary breakfasts such as Pop Tarts and Fruit Loops Cereal and the list goes on and on. Knowing what these foods do to the insulin levels of adults, imagine what they do to children. I asked Marie if what a lot of what children are being fed is causing behavioral problems and what food alternatives do you suggest a parent can shop for that their children will like and is quick, easy and convenient? There are studies showing that some foods can increase behavioral problems in some children. Some great grab and go snacks that parents can buy for kids are string cheese, whole grain crackers (provided they are sugar free and contain no trans fats), baby carrots, fruit (seedless grapes are great!) bottled water, and now, products such as Silk Soy Milk and other milk products come in small shelf stable packaging which is a great alternative so the sugary juice boxes.
Nutrition over 40
As we age, our metabolism slows down, our digestive systems become more sensitive, our bones become more brittle and we lose bone density. Another part of the aging process is that we lose muscle mass and there tends to be a decrease in fitness activities. For those over the age of 40, what adjustments, if any, should be made to diet? Are there more foods we should be eating and less of other types of food? Marie and I both recommend that you should be engaging in an exercise program that does include strength training/weight bearing exercises to protect your lean muscle and bone density. You diet should contain lean protein sources such as egg whites, fatty fish high in Omega 3 or Fish Oil Supplements, chicken, whey or soy protein and foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin D.
Snacks before bed
It’s OK to have a snack before bed, however, you don’t want to eat a full meal and then go to bed an hour later. Recommended night time snacks would be a whey or soy protein shake, low fat/low sugar yogurt, low fat cottage cheese or cereal that contains no or low sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.
If you would like more information on this topic, Marie and I recommend the following books:
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