Eats « Weekly Gravy

Chips, dips, wings and other fatty and salty things — Super Bowl parties can be a challenge for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, an expert warns. “For people with diabetes, the goal is to keep the carbohydrates down — and encourage more of the protein-rich foods — to enhance satiety,” said Jo Ann Carson, dietician-nutritionist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. If you have diabetes and are going to a Super Bowl party, find out if it’s going to be a high-carb affair. If so, take your own dishes or coordinate with others to make sure there are healthier food choices, Carson suggested in a medical center news release. People with diabetes should eat slowly in order to limit how much they consume, and should get up and walk around during each commercial break, she advised. People with high blood pressure, meanwhile, should focus on fruits and vegetables and avoid salty snacks, dips and sauces. If you’re hosting or attending a party, your healthiest bets are: Salad fixings, such as greens, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, radishes and tomatoes, with sugar-free and low-calorie dressings. Crunchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and cucumbers. Drinks such as water, unsweetened tea, coffee and calorie-free diet sodas. Proteins such as grilled fish, skinless chicken or turkey, and/or soy-based “veggie” burgers. And low/nonfat dairy products, including… read on >

When counting calories, don’t forget those in beverages. You might not realize how many you’re drinking. For instance, if you have a fancy coffee to start your day, a large soda with lunch and sweet tea with your afternoon snack, you could tally up hundreds of calories before you factor in your first bite of solid food. Here are seven ideas for cutting back on these calories to speed weight loss and give you more leeway for satisfying meals: Number 1: Make water, plain tea or black coffee your default drink. Even diet sodas aren’t good for your health, so avoid them. Instead, add a splash of fruit juice to a glass of sparkling water and top it off with a lemon, lime, cucumber or watermelon slice. Number 2: For every other beverage, consider its nutritional value before you take a sip. For instance, an 80-calorie glass of nonfat milk delivers protein, calcium and vitamin D, while soda with 80 calories has no nutrients at all. Number 3: Read every label carefully. It might list calories in an 8-ounce serving, but if the bottle contains 20 ounces and you drink it all, you’ve consumed two and a half servings. Number 4: Beware of any beverage that gets most of its calories from sweeteners, including (but not limited to) corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose,… read on >

Tight control of your blood pressure won’t necessarily spare you from full-blown dementia, a new trial concludes. But it might lower the risk of slight declines in thinking and memory, a condition known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), the researchers added. The clinical trial is the “first study in history to show that any intervention can reduce your risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, an early form of dementia,” said lead researcher Dr. Jeff Williamson. He is a professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, N.C. “What is good for your heart in terms of blood pressure-lowering is also good for your brain,” Williamson added. He noted that the trial ended early, which likely affected the dementia result. “We just didn’t have enough dementia cases develop over time” in the group with less-restricted blood pressure, he explained. High blood pressure affects more than three-fourths of people over the age of 65, and it has been identified as a potential risk factor for MCI and dementia in observational studies, the study authors said in background notes. The new clinical trial focused on nearly 9,400 people, average age 68, who had been randomly assigned to treatment that would keep their systolic blood pressure at or below a goal of either 120 or 140 mm Hg. Participants were all at high… read on >

Socializing with friends is great for physical and emotional well-being, but if all of your get-togethers are at restaurants or bars, it can be hard to stick to a healthy eating plan. Try these ideas for having fun without placing the emphasis on food. Both you and your friends will benefit. Turn your brunch group into an arts project. Whether you’re quilting, knitting or crafting, busy hands can’t reach for snacks. If you’d rather look at art than create it, try going to different museums rather than bar-hopping with your friends. Want to get even more physical? Grab a few friends or another couple and sign up for a 5K or 10K race, and hold your own training sessions once or twice a week until the big event. Or choose a charity and do volunteer work as a group on a weekend afternoon. If you’ve been sedentary, step up to exercise with a more relaxed activity by joining a bowling or softball league. These are also great bonding options to do with co-workers if you want to socialize outside the office. Take along healthy treats for refueling afterwards. When you do want to get together over food, it’s easier to control calories and portion sizes if you do the cooking. Grilled chicken and fish in warm weather, and hearty vegetarian chili and stews in cold… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Cooking with your child will help build confidence in tasting the unfamiliar, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. By exposing your child to different types of food, you will boost the child’s willingness to try new dishes. The academy mentions these additional potential benefits: You can help your child boost senses besides taste. Use cooking as a way to teach concepts such as counting, measurement and fractions. The family meal can celebrate your cultural heritage. Teach your child the importance of staying safe while cooking. Show the child how to use kitchen tools safely, how to use oven mitts to protect hands, andhow to turn appliances on and off safely. Ask the child for input in planning meals.

Slow and sneaky weight gain usually happens over time — on average one pound a year — so it’s not always obvious at first, especially if you don’t regularly weigh yourself. But if this weight creep goes unnoticed year after year, by middle age, your middle may lose the sleek look you had when you were younger. Several factors could be to blame. Maybe you’re exercising less because family and work obligations have gotten in the way of regular gym visits. Maybe you’re eating more, such as having a cookie with your daily afternoon cup of tea. Perhaps you simply don’t need as many calories as you used to because of the gradual shift in body composition that can happen with age. Having less muscle and more fat can slow your metabolism, making it easier to gain weight. But you can work to avoid or at least limit this type of weight gain. Start by doing a quick self-evaluation. Has your activity level gone down? Are you eating more than usual? If you answered yes to these questions, make the commitment to get back on track both with diet and exercise. To improve diet, studies that tracked people for 20 years found the key is to switch to a way of eating that emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains and nuts. You can replace low-nutrient… read on >

If you’d like to lighten up on carbs without compromising the taste of dishes you love, make cauliflower “rice” your go-to substitute ingredient. Cauliflower is among the healthiest of all vegetables, high in vitamin C, fiber and folate. “Ricing” it simply means pulsing it in a food processor until chunks become the size of rice grains. Then use them for dishes that call for rice, pasta and even potatoes. This recipe is a great substitute for traditional fried rice, and you can customize it with additional low-calorie vegetables of your choice. For a complete meal, toss in cooked shrimp or chicken cubes at the end. Cauliflower Fried Rice 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided 4 carrots, chopped 1 red or yellow onion, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons ginger, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup corn kernels 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon hot sauce Place the florets in a food processor and rough chop in about 15 pulses (do this in a few batches for the most consistent “grains.”). Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the cauliflower and cook four to five minutes, stirring well until the cauliflower starts to brown. Transfer to a large plate. Heat the remaining oil in the same… read on >

Weight loss wisdom suggests chewing every bite 15 or more times to give your brain time to process what you’re eating and send the signal that you’re full. Now a group of studies has found that counting the bites themselves could be an effective way to lose weight. Knowing that dieters often underreport how many calories they eat, researchers from Clemson University conducted a number of studies that showed bites could be a more accurate measure of food intake. They also found that wearable technology that can count the bites for you and tell you when you’ve reached your limit can help you eat less. To create a realistic bite goal for yourself, start by establishing your baseline number of bites. Without changing anything about your current consumption, track and write down every bite you take at every meal and snack for one week. Then you can work on reducing that number. A pilot study at Brigham Young University found that when participants cut their bites by 20 percent or 30 percent at every meal and snack, they lost an average of about one pound a week and lowered their body mass index (BMI), too. (BMI is a measure of body fat that takes into account a person’s weight and height.) One reason counting bites helps is that it keeps you from mindless eating. It’s… read on >

(HealthDay News) — If you have arthritis, there are foods that may help you feel better. A diet that’s rich in vitamins and minerals, and includes fruits, lean proteins, fish, vegetables, nuts and healthy oils may be most beneficial, the foundation says. But it cautions against changing too much, too soon. Gradually swap out ingredients at each meal, and you may feel a big difference in how you feel and how well you can manage your pain and discomfort, the foundation adds.

MONDAY, Jan. 21, 2019 There’s no doubt that an unhealthy diet and couch potato lifestyle put your health at risk, but when considering improvements, should you change one at a time or both at once? Northwestern University researchers found that it’s not only doable, but also more effective, to change unhealthy behaviors simultaneously. Different groups of study participants were given a pair of changes to make. One involved diet — either lowering saturated fat or increasing fruit and vegetables. The other involved activity — either increasing exercise or reducing screen time. All participants received remote coaching to help them with motivation, but those assigned to eat more produce and spend less time with their gadgets were most successful at making healthy changes stick. The researchers followed up with another study that looked at making all the changes simultaneously — increasing produce while reducing saturated fat, and exercising more while decreasing screen time. They added a smartphone component along with the coaching and found that participants who stuck with the program were able to reach all goals over the nine-month study. A separate study at Stanford University found that participants who boosted exercise and diet together improved in both areas. They also reached the goals of completing 150 minutes a week of physical activity, getting the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and limiting… read on >