Nut Butters & Food Allergies

Typical questions from patients with food allergies are What can I eat? and What are healthy substitutes of my food allergen? Peanut allergy is a common allergy, and luckily, the options are broadening. Health markets and sections of grocery stores are dedicated to foods for those with intolerances and allergies. Nutrition411.com has a very comprehensive, yet easy to understand chart on their website of nutrition facts of peanut butter and other nut butters, which I have copied below for your convenience. Calories and protein in each of the nut butters are comparable and are all a good source of protein.

2 Tbsp Serving Size	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Protein (g)	Carbohydrate (g)	Sodium (mg)
Peanut Butter Regular Creamy Peanut Butter	190	16	2.5	7	8	140
Almond Butter Natural Raw Almond Butter	195	16	1	7	6	0
Walnut Butter Organic Raw Walnut Butter	205	19	2	5	4	0
Cashew Butter Cashew Butter	160	14	3	5	8	0
Hazelnut Spread Nutella®	200	11	3.5	3	22	15
Sunflower Seed Butter SunButter® Natural No-Stir Creamy	200	16	2	7	7	120
PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter	45	1.5	0	5	5	94
Better’n Peanut Butter—  Regular Creamy	100	2	0	4	13	190

http://www.nutrition411.com/education-materials/shopping-lists/item/28931-nut-butter-comparison

Whole Grain Products

Eating at least 3 servings of whole grains per day is recommended by nutrition experts. Everywhere you look at the grocery store, you see products labeled whole wheat and whole grain. You may be surprised to find out many of them are not true whole grain products. And no, the manufacturers of the products are not considered in the wrong. If a product does not state 100% whole grain or 100% whole wheat, they are not providing a false claim.

Whole grains are beneficial because they contain all the nutrients of the grain, including fiber. Whole grains are less processed than their enriched grain counterparts. 

How can you tell if a product is truly whole grain? Look for "whole" as the first ingredient listed on the label, or "100 percent whole grain" in the title of the product. 

Some examples of whole grain products are: Cheerios, Kellogg's Mini-Wheats, General Mills Wheat Chex, Oatmeal, triscuits, popcorn and breads, rice, and pastas labeled 100% whole grain.

Being a smart shopper is necessary when labels can be deceiving. 

National Weight Control Registry

As we continue to move closer to the end of the challenge, I want to introduce you to a website dedicated to long-term weight loss and maintenance. You may or may not be familiar with it. The National Weight Control Registry is found at http://www.nwcr.ws/ The site is a compilation of weight loss stories and research findings on those individuals who are a part of the registry.

There is a lot of important information to take away from the site, like what helped others be most successful in their weight loss attempts. Some interesting statistics on those who lost weight and have kept it off:

78% eat breakfast every day.
75% weigh themselves at least once a week.
62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

Little changes to your lifestyle habits have proven to go a long way. Eating breakfast everyday may not seem like a difficult task but you have to plan. You may have to wake up early each day. You may have to go grocery shopping to buy healthy breakfast foods you will enjoy. Planning ahead is one of the most important things you can fit into your schedule. Those little changes all add up!

Energy Boosting Foods

I often get questions about energy boosting foods and what can help battle against fatigue and chronic low energy. A balanced diet can do wonders in these situations but also focusing on certain foods can be beneficial.

Eating nutrient dense foods is one simple way to increase energy throughout your day. Regularly getting servings of vegetables, fruits, and nuts can go a long way. These foods act as more effective fuel sources than desserts, sodas, or fried foods. Using these foods as your main snacks will help provide you with energy rather than feeding your fatigue.

Antioxidants are in another great source of energy boosting foods. Antioxidants are in a variety of foods, such as berries, dark chocolate, nuts, and beans. Increasing water intake, getting regularly physical activity and eating every 4-5 hours are other examples of energy boosting tips. 

Chronic fatigue is often easily treatable. Take a look at your eating habits and activity level. We can always make improvements so make a positive change today, whether it be eat another serving of fruit a day or spend 15 minutes each morning exercising. Everything counts.

Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron is a popular cookware because it distributes heat very well and is non-toxic. Cast iron has many uses from on the stove top to in the oven and is a great tool for healthy cooking.

A properly seasoned cast iron pan is non-stick and is a way to cut added fat when cooking. Cooking foods in cast iron cookware can increase the amount of non-heme iron in foods, which is unknown by many. Cast iron skillets can provide a source of iron in your diet, a nutrient required to carry oxygen in your blood.

Uses for cast-iron cookware are numerous from sauteing vegetables to baking cornbread and roasting meat. Next time you are looking for cookware, take a look at cast-iron. It has quite a few benefits.

Healthy Drinks

Choosing a healthy drink can be very beneficial. A beverage can help provide necessary nutrients but it can also provide empty calories. For this reason, knowing your healthier drink options becomes increasingly important in terms of weight management and general health.

Green Tea: 0 calories

The Benefit: Helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and cavities. Green tea is rich in flavonoids and polyphenols, natural antioxidants that may protect cells from cancer-causing substances and inhibit tumor growth by neutralizing free radicals in the body.

Reduced-Fat Milk: 120 calories for 8 oz

The Benefit: Helps protect against osteoporosis and curbs appetite. It helps you stay full longer because of its protein content. It also stabilizes blood sugar, so you're less susceptible to cravings. Milk is an excellent source of calcium because it also contains vitamin D, which is needed for maximum calcium absorption.

Soy Milk: 80 calories for 8 oz

The Benefit: Lowers the risk of heart disease. Soy milk contains soluble fiber and soy protein, which lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and triglycerides, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Low-Sodium Tomato Juice: 30 calories for 6 oz

The Benefit: May protect against numerous cancers. Processed tomato products are the richest source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been associated with a reduced risk of several cancers and cardiovascular disease.

This is just a brief, shortened list of healthy drinks. There are many more, and remember water is always a great beverage choice. Do your research and always read nutrition labels carefully.

Food & Activity Record Example

Tracking food intake is one of the most beneficial tools in losing and maintaining weight, along with regular visits to a registered dietitian for accountability. These seem easy but can go a long way. Below I have provided you with a useful food and activity record that you can print and use for your own purposes. 

Food and Activity Record

Food:

Day	Time	Location	Food/Drink	Amount	Alone or With Someone	Activity & Mood

Water:  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜

Fruits & Vegetables:  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜  ▜

Activity:

Activity	Duration

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna

Vegetarian Lasagna 

Ingredients 
1 large egg
1 15- to 16-ounce container part-skim ricotta
1 5-oz pkg baby spinach,chopped
1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 12 oz), uncooked
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Preparation
1. Combine egg, ricotta, spinach, squash and zucchini in a large bowl.
2. Combine crushed and diced tomatoes, their juice, and garlic in a medium bowl.
3. Generously coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with cooking spray. 

4. Spread 1.5 cups of the tomato mixture in the slow cooker. Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly and breaking into pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible. Spread half of the ricotta-vegetable mixture over the noodles and firmly pat down, then spoon on 1.5 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layering one more time, starting with noodles. Top with a third layer of noodles. Evenly spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodles. Set aside the remaining 1 cup mozzarella in the refrigerator.

5. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High for 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours. Turn off the slow cooker, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella on the lasagna, cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

8 Servings.

Per serving: 410 calories; 14 g fat; 48 g carbohydrates; 28 g protein; 7 g fiber; 641 mg sodium

adapted from Eating Well Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe

Benefits of Weight Checks

An important tool in weight loss and maintenance are weight checks. Regularly weighing-in gives you some accountability to stay on track with dieting and exercising. It may seem like a simple task but many studies have shown it goes a long way. How often should you check your weight?

While there are experts in favor of daily and monthly weigh-ins, obtaining a weight weekly has been found most beneficial. If you check your weight daily, it can be discouraging, especially since the numbers often fluctuate day-to-day from eating a large meal to how well you are hydrated. On the other hand, weighing once a month gives too much leeway. A lot can change in 4 weeks time and if you are up several pounds, it can be discouraging to continue towards your goals. 

When you check your weight once a week, you are less likely to focus on the numbers, and there is not too much time between weight checks to make note of small changes. If you have gained weight, you can re-evaluate your current plan and make appropriate changes to get you back on track. If you have lost weight, a lower number will serve as continual motivation as you are working towards your goals.

Food Choices and Mental Health

“Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food” -Hippocrates

Food and nutrition have an effect on emotional and mental health. Have you ever felt moody after skipping a meal or sad because you haven't had your morning coffee? What we eat and how often we eat can have an impact on our mood, our energy level, and our mental health.

We have a few explanations for this relationship. Fluctuations in your blood sugar are affected by what and when we eat. Changes in blood sugars can cause changes in our mood and energy. Brain chemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, influence the way we feel. These chemicals are affected by what we've eaten. Also, low levels of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids can affect mental health due to the symptoms of specific nutritional deficiencies, like of B-vitamins, zinc, and omega-3s.

The foods that are known to have influence on mood are alcohol, sugar, caffeine, chocolate, wheat and dairy. Besides limiting these foods and beverages, there are several other changes you can make to your diet that can improve your emotional and mental health.

• Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day and stay well hydrated.
• Eat a well balanced diet with 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Don't skip breakfast or any other meals throughout your day.
• Eat meals at regular times each day.

Make an appointment with your local registered dietitian if you have any nutrition concerns or need help eating a well-balanced diet.