National Seafood Month

It’s National Seafood Month! October is all about sustainable seafood around here. Everyone knows that seafood is an excellent component of a healthy diet, but overfishing, bycatch, and seafood fraud can make it challenging to decide which fish to eat. We asked our partners over at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program to share some advice for buying seafood that has been fished or farmed responsibly. Your seafood choices are critical to a healthy ocean, so grab a Seafood Watch guide or the app, and let’s go shopping!

CHECK OUR RECOMMENDATIONS

To find the right seafood recommendation, you’ll need to know three things: the species (what kind of fish is it), where the seafood is from and how it was caught or farmed. For example, if salmon is on the menu, find out if it's Atlantic, Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, or Sockeye salmon. Next, ask where it’s from and how it was caught or farmed. Sometimes it can be hard to find out how seafood is caught or farmed. Often just knowing the country of origin will tell you whether to buy a product. Also, check to see if we have recommended an eco-certified option. If in doubt, choose a different Best Choice seafood.

CHOOSE A BUSINESS (OR FISHERMEN) YOU TRUST

Many businesses have already made commitments to sustainable seafood. Shopping at a restaurant or grocery store with commitment means that you can do your research before visiting and be confident that what is offered meets your sustainability expectations. If you have access to a local fisherman, that’s another great way to learn more about the seafood you’re buying and the people that harvested it.

ASK QUESTIONS

The easiest thing you can do is ask the question: "Do you sell sustainable seafood?" By doing so, you help drive change in the marketplace. The more businesses hear support for sustainable seafood, the more interest they have in providing it as an option. We encourage you to thank the businesses that sell sustainable seafood and ask those that don’t to visit SeafoodWatch.org.

CONSIDER BUYING WHOLE FISH

Whole fish may seem outside the comfort zone of home chefs, but it is more affordable, versatile, and is less likely to have fraudulent labeling. If you have our Seafood Watch recommendations handy, whole fish can be a great way to guarantee you’re getting the sustainable product you paid for. Finally, if whole fish is available, ask the store to clean, gut, and portion it for you.

BE ADVENTUROUS

In North America we mainly eat five seafood products: canned tuna, shrimp, tilapia, salmon and pollock. Considering Seafood Watch has recommendations for over 300 species, that is a very limited menu! Next time you buy seafood consider trying something new: from arctic char to clams to seaweed, there are hundreds of Best Choices for you to explore!

 Reference:

1. Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Program. https://www.seafoodwatch.org/.

Written by Julia Jordan

OCTOBER 2020

weeatlivedowell.com

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FOOD AND MOOD

We have all probably experienced a time when our mood influenced our food choices. Whether you crave comfort foods when sad, or lose your appetite when stressed, we know mood can influence how we eat. But what if what we eat can also influence our mood? Research suggests that this might be the case.

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION?
What we eat can impact many of the systems in our bodies that influence mood, depression, anxiety and other aspects of our mental health. These connections are still being investigated, but according to a recent research review, three areas seem likely to play a role. Eating patterns that lead to frequent changes in blood sugar trigger hormone responses that may alter mood. Brain health has been tied to inflammation and certain foods have been associated with either increased or decreased inflammation. And finally, our gut health, which is closely tied to the way we eat may also influence our mental health.

WHICH FOODS ARE INVOLVED?
Rapid and frequent changes in blood sugar are usually connected with refined carbohydrates often found in sweet snacks, sugary drinks and grains that are not whole . Limiting high sugar, low fiber foods or pairing them with other nutrient rich foods can help avoid spikes in blood sugar. Foods that provide omega-3 fatty acids such as fish, nuts and seeds are thought to help reduce inflammation. For gut health, probiotics (yogurt with active cultures, fermented foods) and prebiotics (high fiber foods like oats, asparagus, apples) can help support.

BOTTOM LINE
Our mental and physical health are complex and can be influenced by many factors. Even if one food is found to show benefits, our overall diet as well as physical activity, sleep and stress levels will also play a role. The good news is that healthy eating has almost no side effects and many potential benefits. Healthy eating patterns, like the Mediterranean Diet, promote physical health and may also help to support our mental health.

Reference: Firth Joseph, GangwischJames E, BorisiniAlessandra, Wootton Robyn E, Mayer EmeranA. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ 2020; 369 :m2382

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
AUGUST 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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PICNIC SAFELY

Getting outdoors to enjoy the beautiful weather is one of the perks of this time of year. If picnics are part of your plans, you might be wondering what extra steps you need to take to do so safely in this era of COVID-19. Here are some tips:

SPREAD OUT
If your typical picnic set up includes one big table for all of the food, consider breaking it up. You can put sides on one table, desserts on another and so on. Spacing out the food will help to naturally space out your guests too.

REDUCE HIGH TOUCH AREAS
While the risk of spreading COVID-19 through surfaces is thought to be low, it is one that is relatively easy to address. Instead of putting a serving spoon in each dish, encourage people to serve themselves with their own, clean, disposable utensil. Use toothpicks for smaller items. Focus on individual items instead of bulk dishes like casseroles. Many popular casseroles can be made single serve by preparing them in muffin tins. Pre-plating items can also help reduce the frequency of everyone touching the same surface. Make utensil roll-ups for each person with fork, knife and spoon wrapped in a napkin.

FOLLOW YOUR LOCAL RULES
Each area of the country is at a different point with the spread of COVID-19 and local rules around staying at home or social gatherings generally reflect this.

IF YOU ARE SICK, STAY HOME
No one wants to miss out on fun activities but if you are sick you really need to sit this one out and encourage your guests to do the same.

BEYOND COVID-19
While our current focus is on preventing COVID-19, foodborne illness at picnics is still a very real risk. To make sure that illness doesn’t spoil your outdoor eating, make sure to wash your hands often, maintain food temperatures and handle leftovers carefully. More food safety tips can be found at
homefoodsafety.org.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
JULY 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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TIGHTENING YOUR FOOD BUDGET

If you find that your income has been reduced by the current COVID-19 pandemic, or simply
want to lower your food budget to free up money to be more charitable or support local
businesses, we have put together some tips to help.

PLAN AHEAD & BE FLEXIBLE
This may sound like conflicting advice, but both can be helpful strategies. Plan ahead by listing out
the meals and snacks you and your family will have. Start with doing inventory of what you have
on hand. Plan to use ingredients before they go bad by building them into your meals and snacks.
Group common ingredients so that you can plan for leftovers. If you are going to roast a chicken
for dinner one night, consider having chicken tacos a day or two later so that you can utilize the
leftover chicken. Within your overall plan, allow for some flexibility. You may find that some items
are sold out or that others are on sale. Look for swaps that keep your overall plan in mind but let
you take advantage of items that are on sale or seasonal.

STOP FOOD WASTE
Nothing can derail your food budget like throwing away food. Keep your refrigerator organized. It
can be easy to forget that you have strawberries waiting to be eaten if you can’t see them behind
the milk. If possible, store leftovers in clear containers so they are easily visible. Date your food so
you don’t have to rely on your memory of when something was opened or prepared. Use your
freezer! If you have fresh items or leftovers that you won’t use before they go bad, freeze them.
Make clean-out-the-fridge recipes. Soups, stir-fry meals, frittatas and smoothies are perfect for
using up a variety of ingredients before they go bad.

CONSIDER COST VS CONVENIENCE
Individual packs of snacks and drinks can be handy if you are packing lunches, but that
convenience comes at a cost. Bulk items are usually less expensive. To make them more packable
and control portion size, use reusable containers to repack them yourself. This will cut costs and
send less packaging to landfills.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
JUNE 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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Continue To Fuel

Whether you are an athlete, or you work out on your own or following group fitness classes online. It is vital to continue to fuel your body each day.

Due to the current situation with the stay at home guidelines, you are not able to participate as a team or with a group for workouts. If you are continuing to work out and exercise on your own, it is essential to continue to fuel your body properly. When I say fuel properly, this means to continue to eat meals and snacks throughout the day, and it also means not skipping meals, restricting, or limiting food choices because you feel like you might be working out less often. If you are working out less often than you were before staying at home, then you do not need to eliminate meals or snacks. You should work on choosing foods that provide a feeling of fullness as well as satisfaction- meaning choose foods with taste and that you feel good about eating. Feeling good about your food choice(s) does not mean that you made the “right” choice or the food you “should” choose. It means that you picked the foods that have flavor and adequately provide a feeling of fullness. When we choose foods, we enjoy and eat them until we are satisfied/comfortably full, then we are more likely to give ourselves adequate energy needed throughout the day.

Fueling will likely help you continue on with your day being productive in school, work, and exercise. In order to provide yourself with consistent energy, you should think about the food balance. It is essential to incorporate foods from various food groups- protein (plant or animal), whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fats. When you make balanced choices, then you are more likely to feel satisfied with your meals and snacks. Consider eating meals (with at least 3-4 food groups) and snacks (with at least 2-3 food groups) throughout the day from the groups listed in this table.

Protein	Grains/Carbohydrates	Fruit	Vegetables
Yogurt	Whole grain bread	Apple	Carrots
Milk	Pita bread or a wrap	orange	avocado
Nuts	Rice	banana	cucumbers
Peanut butter or another nut butter	pasta	peaches	broccoli
Chicken, turkey, ham, cheese, tuna, hummus	crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, whole grain cereal	Berries (strawberries, blueberries or raspberries	Salad (lettuce, carrots, tomatoes)

Sample snacks

• Apple with cheese or peanut butter
• Cucumber, carrots and/or pretzels and hummus
• Cereal with milk
• Graham crackers and peanut butter or almond butter

Sample meal

• Peanut butter, banana on 2 pieces of bread with a cup of milk
• Turkey, cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato on a wrap with an apple 

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Time To Garden

Whether you have a green thumb or not, this could be the perfect time to start a garden.

Research suggests that gardening may offer benefits to both our physical and mental well-being. With the current recommendations for both kids and adults to avoid going out to help slow the spread of COVID-19, we all need more home based activities. Gardening is something for all ages and skill levels that doesn’t rely on screen time.

If you are new to gardening, here are some tips to get you started:

• Evaluate your space. Gardening can be small, large and anywhere in between. If you live in an apartment, check out which windows offer the most sun throughout the day. If you are in a house, check for both indoor and outdoor spaces with good sun and room for plants.
• Figure out which zone you live in. You can enter your zip code into this interactive map from the USDA to determine your zone. Knowing your zone will help you know which plants will do best in your area.
• Grow things you like! If your garden does well, you won’t want the bounty to go to waste.
• Check out kidsgardening.org. Don’t let the name fool you. They have great resources for kids, but the site is helpful for adults who are new to gardening too.
• If you do have kids, involve them. The team at KidsGardeninghas put together a list of easy parent and kid gardening activities. They also have lesson plans that help you bring science, math and nutrition concepts to life through gardening.
• It’s okay to cheat a little. Waiting for seeds to germinate can be a long process. While a lesson in patience is probably good for all of us, starting with seedlings is a great way to jump start your garden with something green that you can see right away.
• Have reasonable expectations. If you are new to gardening, you might want to start small with a few plants in containers. As your knowledge and skills increase you can expand to a raised bed garden or something larger.

Reference:

1. Soga, Masashi et al. “Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis.” Preventive medicine reports vol. 5 92-99. 14 Nov. 2016, doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.11.007

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN

MAY 2020

weeatlivedowell.com

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Social Media Diet

Food pictures are all over social media. Look around when you are out to eat and you’ll likely notice people taking more pictures of their food than their friends. Do all of these food pictures influence how we eat? A new study says it might.

WHAT DID THEY STUDY?
To get an idea of what people think of how their social media friends eat, researchers asked themto report on their perceptions of how much and how often their friends ate certain foods as well as whether they think their friends like certain foods. They also asked how often they thought their friends should eat certain foods. They then compared this to how the people in the study actually eat.

WHAT DID THEY FIND?
How much and how often people believed their social media friends ate fruits and vegetables predicted how often they ate fruits and vegetables themselves. People with friends who ate a lot of fruits and vegetables ate more, while people with friends who are not big posters of fruits and vegetable pics tended to eat fewer. For less healthy items like high calorie snacks or sugar sweetened drinks, people were influenced by how much they thought their friends should have, not how much they actually had. The more they thought their friends should have, the more they had themselves.

BOTTOM LINE
While this study is just the beginning of looking at how social media can influence our eating styles, it does offer some ideas on how we can test some new strategies for eating better. If you have some food related goals you are trying to achieve, enlist some friends to help and make it social. Post pictures of your favorite healthy foods, drinks and meals and encourage your friends to do the same. Even if it doesn’t influence your behavior, it could give you some ideas for new foods to try.

Reference:
1.Lily K. Hawkins, Claire Farrow, Jason M. Thomas. Do perceived norms of social media users eating habits and preferences predict our own food consumption and BMI?, Appetite, Volume 149, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104611.

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
APRIL 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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SUPPORTING A HEALTHY IMMUNE SYSTEM

With the current COVID-19 outbreak making headlines globally, nationally and locally we are all looking for ways to keep ourselves and our families healthy. Most information tells us that people with weakened immune systems are at greatest risk, which naturally leads to the question of how do we strengthen our immune system?

Does what we eat impact our immune system?
Absolutely, but maybe not in the way you would expect. The clearest connection is that being deficient in certain nutrients, or being malnourished in general can decrease your immune system’s ability to function normally. Fortunately, this is not an issue for the majority of Americans. With your immune system, more is not necessarily better. You certainly want your immune system to work the way it is supposed to, but you can’t boost your immune system beyond its normal capacity by eating or drinking certain products. Beyond nutrition, getting enough sleep, managing stress and being active are important too.

Which foods are involved?
Research on the nutrition – immune connection is still very new and not conclusive, but certain
ingredients show promise. Sometimes referred to as functional ingredients, examples include Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Probiotics and Green Tea. Each of these play a role in supporting a healthy immune system. Being deficient in these ingredients could negatively impact immune function. On the flip side, taking in too much of certain of these ingredients can also hurt immune function. For this reason, it is usually a good idea to stick to food sources instead of supplements. If you think you might need a supplement, discuss this with your healthcare provider first.

Try out some of our favorite recipes featuring foods and drinks with these functional ingredients at weeatlivedowell.com:

• Foods: Whole grains, seafood, yogurt (with live cultures), beans, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, eggs
• Drinks: Green tea, kefir, kombucha, yogurt based smoothies

Remember that even with a healthy immune system, you still could be at risk for COVID-19 or other
illnesses. There are no foods, drinks or supplements that can prevent, cure or treat COVID-19. Washing your hands often, keeping your hands away from your face and avoiding close contact with people who are sick is still your best defense.

Reference:

1. Wu, Dayong et al. “Nutritional Modulation of Immune Function: Analysis of Evidence, Mechanisms, and Clinical Relevance.” Frontiers in immunology vol. 9 3160. 15 Jan. 2019, doi:10.3389/fimmu.2018.03160

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
SPECIAL EDITION 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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Quick Snack Ideas

It’s important to incorporate snacks during the day while you are taking classes and/or working from home. In-between meal snacks are important. Snacks most often will help you feel better, increase your chances of staying focused and boost your immune system!

Take a break for your snack. Limit a working snack (i.e., eating while you are working on the computer) as this may lead to distracted eating and result in eating more than planned. It’s also nice to build in a break and have a snack to help you recharge.

Maybe you can schedule a snack break with a friend, and you can FaceTime while you snack and take a break!

The following are quick snack ideas. The portions sizes are here as a guide. If you are hungry have a larger portion! Pay attention to hunger and fullness cues. Another guide is to eat something about every three hours (or sooner – if you are hungry) throughout the day.

• ¼ Trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds (1/4 cup)
• ¼ cup of nuts 
• ¼ cup of pumpkin or sunflower seeds
• Whole wheat pretzels (20 mini) along with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or hummus (2 TBSP) to dip in.
• Fresh fruit and veggies plain or with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or hummus (2 TBSP) to dip in.
• A ½ large or 1 whole small bagel or crackers (5) with peanut butter (2 TBSP) or another nut butter 
• Dry cereal (1 cup) or add ½ - 1 cup milk
• Granola or cereal bars
• String cheese, low-fat yogurt (8 oz.) with ¼ cup of low-fat granola
• Low-fat cottage cheese with some fruit
• Tortilla chips with salsa and or guacamole
• Hydrating beverages such as water or 100% fruit juice

Quick portion guide
2 TBSP (or 1 oz.) = size of a golf ball
1 TBSP = size of a poker chip or your thumb
1 cup = size of a baseball or your fist

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HOW TO STOCK YOUR KITCHEN

When emergencies like weather events or the recent COVID-19 outbreak hit, shelves at local stores are cleared as people stock up. If you are wondering what you should keep on hand, check out this list that our Chefs and RDs put together that incorporates basic staple items. In instances where multiple types of items are listed, feel free to choose your favorites.

PANTRY
Grains

• Pasta –whole grain or legume based when possible
• Brown Rice
• Quinoa, Barley, Farro, Bulgur, Cornmeal/ Polenta
• Rolled oats
• Dry Cereal
• Crackers

Protein

• Beans (canned or dried) – garbanzo, black, kidney,
• Dry Lentils
• Cans or pouches of tuna, chicken or salmon
• Nuts/seeds – almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds
• Nut butter – peanut butter or almond butter

Fruits & Vegetables

• Marinara Sauce
• Canned tomato products – whole, diced, crushed, paste
• Canned fruit – pineapple, mandarin oranges ( in water or juice)
• Applesauce , unsweetened
• Dried fruit - raisins, apricots, dates
• Salsa (jar)
• Canned or jarred olives – black or green
• Root vegetables - onions, white potatoes, sweet potatoes
• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil

Oils, Vinegars, Condiments, Other

• Olive oil/canola oil
• Vinegar – balsamic, apple cider, red wine
• Ketchup
• Mustard – brown, Dijon
• Mayonnaise
• Soy sauce or Hoisin sauce
• Hot sauce
• Broth/Stock – chicken & vegetable
• Pesto
• Honey
• Maple syrup
• Chocolate chips

Spices/Seasonings

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Basil
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Cumin
• Cinnamon
• Sugar – white, brown
• Flour

Beverages

• Coffee
• Tea
• Shelf stable milk (dairy or plant-based)
• Sparkling water
• Water

REFRIGERATOR

• Eggs
• Root Vegetables: carrots, turnips, parsnips
• Celery
• Lactose-free milk or other ultra pasteurized milk (soy, almond, oat)
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Cheeses (Parmesan, feta, cheddar, plus 1 other)
• Apples, Oranges
• Hummus

FREEZER

• Whole wheat sliced bread
• Corn tortillas
• Animal protein – chicken, fish, pork, ground turkey/beef
• Frozen fruit - berries, peaches, mango
• Frozen veggies - peas, corn, green beans, spinach, broccoli, edamame

Written by Aliza Mason, RDN SPECIAL EDITION 2020

weeatlivedowell.com

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Immunity Boost

With the current events that are unfolding in the world at the moment, it is critical to take this time to focus on keeping ourselves and our immune system healthy as possible. In addition to the below tips, it is important to make sure you are getting adequate sleep, taking steps to avoid infections (i.e., washing hands), avoid smoking and/or vaping, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Even though our daily lives may have slowed down a bit, there are many things you can do to keep your immune system strong.

Focus on Foods you Choose: More and more research is starting to support the idea that food can act as medicine. Add foods high in protein (chicken, meats, beans, nuts, nut butter, eggs and dairy) that can help with healing and recovery.  Vitamins C (oranges, tomatoes, sweet potato, peppers...) and vitamin E (avocado, sunflower seeds, nuts, peanut butter...) work as antioxidants and supports the immune system by stimulating the formation of antibodies. Vitamin A (carrots, dark green leafy vegetables, pumpkin...) also helps protect against infections by keeping skin and tissues healthy, and zinc (meat, beans, nuts, dairy, eggs...) helps the immune system work properly. Other nutrients to think about include vitamins B6, B12, selenium, and iron.

Minimize Stress:  As too much stress can lead to anxiety and depression, which can cause high levels of inflammation. Too much inflammation in the body can lead to an overworked, overtired immune system. Ways to reduce stress would be through staying active and/or practicing meditation. Another way to reduce stress is through laughter- watch a funny movie when you have a chance!

Get active: Regular, moderate exercise/movement has shown to reduce the risk of infection. Exercise may help slow the release of stress-related hormones. Lower stress hormones may help protect against illnesses.  Although we know the many benefits of exercise to overall health, prolonged bouts of exercise and periods of intense training are associated with an increased risk of infection. Therefore, it's essential to find your balance with staying active, choose something you enjoy- go for a walk, run, bootcamp classes, yoga, Pilates...

Thoughts on Herbs and Supplements: Common herbs and supplements that people often use for immune health include Elderberry, Echinacea, Astragalus, Olive Leaf Extract. Although these may help, it is essential to remember that there is still not much research to support herbs and supplements function in improving immune health. Always make sure to check with your healthcare provider before taking any herbs and supplements as they may interact with certain foods and medications.

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Post written by Hanna Stringer, a graduate student of Christine Clark in the MS in Applied Nutrition program through the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

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Celebrating 10 Years of a Unique Partnership

COMPASS GROUP AND FLORIDA’S FARMWORKERS

I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of pride in 2009 when we signed our groundbreaking agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). Compass Group was the nation’s first foodservice company to agree to pay an additional premium per pound for all the tomatoes purchased from Florida annually, with a portion of the money being passed from the supplier directly to the workers. The agreement helps ensure humane labor standards and a fair wage for the harvesters. In addition, there is also a code of conduct put in place where workers can voice concerns about safety and working conditions without fear of retaliation.

During the past decade, we’ve been able to use our scale as the largest global foodservice company to favorably influence the food industry to do the right thing. Other large food companies have since signed on and are part of the Fair Food program. We are overjoyed when our industry can come together and make a positive impact on society.

In 2019, Compass doubled the Fair Food purchases within our partnership with the CIW to 8.7 million pounds – an impressive 70 percent increase compared to the previous year.

DOING MORE TO RAISE AWARENESS

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose sight of how much labor goes into putting fresh, nutritious food on our plates. Most consumers are surprised to learn 85% of the fruits and vegetables we eat are picked by hand.

As part of Farmworker Awareness Week, which is March 22-28, we will share our fair food commitment on every touchpoint possible. We want our clients, customers, and associates to know that simply by being part of Compass Group; you are supporting the fair treatment of farmworkers.

To celebrate the people behind the food, this campaign will feature the men and women we met working in the fields in Immokalee. What a powerful way to share their story! We want to help make farm work less dangerous, more respected, and the term “farm-to-table” to mean safety and dignity for all who work to feed us.

Follow the conversation and progress on social media with #iCareAboutFair.

Written by Julia Jordan, Director of Sustainability at Compass Group North America
MARCH 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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Love Your Heart

 
February is National Heart Health month, so why not celebrate talking about foods your heart will love. Heart disease is one of America’s leading causes of death and is often the result of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, poor diet, stress, physical inactivity, and overweight and obesity(1). The foods we choose to eat can have a significant impact on our heart health. So love your heart and try to choose foods that will keep it healthy.
 
Fruits and vegetables offer lots of nutrients that help fight against heart disease (1). The American Heart Association recommends making half of your plate fruits and vegetables (1). Try eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors to make sure you are getting all the necessary nutrients.
 
Beans and Legumes are a great source of protein without the saturated fat. They contain fiber and many vitamins and minerals that help with lowering blood cholesterol levels (1). Substituting plant protein with animal protein can help reduce your overall fat and cholesterol intake. Try adding beans to soups, salads, and pasta dishes or make a dip and spread it on sandwiches!
 
Healthy Fats: It is best to replace bad fats (saturated and trans fats) with healthier (mono and polyunsaturated fats) for optimal heart health. Olive, peanut, safflower, soybean, and avocado oil are great alternatives for cooking instead of butter. Do not forget about the essential omega 3-fatty acids, which have shown to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels (1). Try consuming fish two times a week or add flaxseeds to your smoothies!
 
Whole grains such as whole wheat, oatmeal, brown rice, popcorn, and barley are great because they contain so many nutrients such as the B vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, and FIBER (1). Fiber helps improve blood cholesterol levels and lowers risk for stroke and obesity (1).
 
Don’t forget about exercise! Staying active is one of the most important things to do to prevent heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week (2). An activity can be in the form of walking, running, cycling, swimming, or even shoveling snow. It is also recommended that adults do muscle strength training about two times a week (2). Physical activity has been shown to decrease the incidence of heart disease and mortality, reduce blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension, weight loss, reduced rate of type 2 diabetes, and decrease in blood lipid levels (3).

1.    Heart Check Foods. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/heart-check-foods. Accessed February 17, 2020 2.
2.    Fitness Basics. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics. Accessed Febrary 17, 2020
3.    Piercy KL., Troiano RP, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2018;11:3005263.

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Post written by Hanna Stringer, a graduate student of Christine Clark in the MS in Applied Nutrition program through the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University.

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Mindful and Intuitive Eating

Being a mindful eater is slowing down and enjoying your food. Being mindful also means paying attention to color, taste, and texture. It also means putting down the phone and moving away from the computer to avoid distracted eating. Distracted eating often results in eating more than intended or not even tasting the food, therefore not enjoying it as you should!

Being an intuitive eater means paying attention to feelings of hunger and fullness. Although this sounds a little simplistic, it is a fact that many people lose the sense of hunger while dieting, restricting, or from medications they are taking. If this is the case, then work on paying attention versus ignoring those sensations. Some people will say they “don’t feel hungry.” Some people may override the feeling of hunger when the stomach is rumbling, if you do this, you may still have a headache and feel grumpy or tired. Because you have gone too long without eating. You want to keep in mind that you should have something to eat (meal or snack). About every 3-4 hours is a helpful rule of thumb.  Your body will enjoy the idea of eating when you are hungry, as it can help you function well in class or during a workout. The feeling of fullness can also be ignored. It’s a good idea to check in with yourself during a meal. Slow down as it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to register with your brain that you are full. If you eat in a rush, then in about 30 minutes, you may feel over full, which can result in feeling a bit sick, tired, and sluggish.

Intuitive eating is not a diet or a new concept. “Intuitive eating is an evidenced-based, mind-body health approach, comprised of 10 principles and created by two dietitians, Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in 1995. It is a weight-neutral model with a validated assessment scale and over 90 studies to date (Tribole 2017).” Please see below for the 10 principles of intuitive eating. As mentioned above, this is a non-diet approach that allows you to develop and maintain a healthy relationship with food. It will enable you to get back to basics and become in tune with your body’s internal cues and honoring them instead of ignoring them!

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating.

1. Reject the Diet Mentality Throw out the diet books and magazine articles that offer you false hope of losing weight quickly, easily, and permanently. Get angry at the lies that have led you to feel as if you were a failure every time a new diet stopped working and you gained back all of the weight. If you allow even one small hope to linger that a new and better diet might be lurking around the corner, it will prevent you from being free to rediscover Intuitive Eating. 
2. Honor Your Hunger Keep your body biologically fed with adequate energy and carbohydrates. Otherwise you can trigger a primal drive to overeat. Once you reach the moment of excessive hunger, all intentions of moderate, conscious eating are fleeting and irrelevant. Learning to honor this first biological signal sets the stage for re-building trust with yourself and food. 
3. Make Peace with Food Call a truce, stop the food fight! Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. If you tell yourself that you can’t or shouldn’t have a particular food, it can lead to intense feelings of deprivation that build into uncontrollable cravings and, often, bingeing When you finally “give-in” to your forbidden food, eating will be experienced with such intensity, it usually results in Last Supper overeating, and overwhelming guilt. 
4. Challenge the Food Police .Scream a loud “NO” to thoughts in your head that declare you’re “good” for eating minimal calories or “bad” because you ate a piece of chocolate cake. The Food Police monitor the unreasonable rules that dieting has created. The police station is housed deep in your psyche, and its loud speaker shouts negative barbs, hopeless phrases, and guilt-provoking indictments. Chasing the Food Police away is a critical step in returning to Intuitive Eating. 
5. Respect Your Fullness Listen for the body signals that tell you that you are no longer hungry. Observe the signs that show that you’re comfortably full. Pause in the middle of a meal or food and ask yourself how the food tastes, and what is your current fullness level? 
6. Discover the Satisfaction Factor The Japanese have the wisdom to promote pleasure as one of their goals of healthy living. In our fury to be thin and healthy, we often overlook one of the most basic gifts of existence–the pleasure and satisfaction that can be found in the eating experience. When you eat what you really want, in an environment that is inviting and conducive, the pleasure you derive will be a powerful force in helping you feel satisfied and content. By providing this experience for yourself, you will find that it takes much less food to decide you’ve had “enough”. 
7. Honor Your Feelings Without Using Food Find ways to comfort, nurture, distract, and resolve your issues without using food. Anxiety, loneliness, boredom, & anger are emotions we all experience throughout life. Each has its own trigger, and each has its own appeasement. Food won’t fix any of these feelings. It may comfort for the short term, distract from the pain, or even numb you into a food hangover. But food won’t solve the problem. If anything, eating for an emotional hunger will only make you feel worse in the long run. You’ll ultimately have to deal with the source of the emotion, as well as the discomfort of overeating. 
8. Respect Your Body Accept your genetic blueprint. Just as a person with a shoe size of eight would not expect to realistically squeeze into a size six, it is equally as futile (and uncomfortable) to have the same expectation with body size. But mostly, respect your body, so you can feel better about who you are. It’s hard to reject the diet mentality if you are unrealistic and overly critical about your body shape. 
9. Exercise–Feel the Difference Forget militant exercise. Just get active and feel the difference. Shift your focus to how it feels to move your body, rather than the calorie burning effect of exercise. If you focus on how you feel from working out, such as energized, it can make the difference between rolling out of bed for a brisk morning walk or hitting the snooze alarm. If when you wake up, your only goal is to lose weight, it’s usually not a motivating factor in that moment of time. 
10. Honor Your Health–Gentle Nutrition Make food choices that honor your health and tastebuds while making you feel well. Remember that you don’t have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or gain weight from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters, progress not perfection is what counts.

For more information on Intuitive eating check out the website listed below.
 
Copyright 2007-2017. IntuitiveEating.org. All rights reserved.
Information from https://www.intuitiveeating.org/ Accessed January 10, 2020

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#OurHearts

Did you know that people who have close relationships at home, work, or in their community tend to be healthier and live longer? One reason, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is that we’re more successful meeting our health goals when we join forces with others. To underscore this point, NHLBI launched the #OurHearts movement, to inspire people to protect and strengthen their hearts with the support of others. Making the following heart healthy lifestyle changes will be easier and more successful if you work with other motivated people:

GET PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
Ask a colleague to walk with you on a regular basis, put the date on both your calendars, and text or call to make sure you both show up. Join an exercise class at your local community center and bring a neighbor along. Grab your kids, put on some music, and do jumping jacks, skip rope, or just dance. Make your social time active and encourage everyone—family and friends alike— to think of fun things that get you off the couch and moving.

EAT HEART HEALTHY FOODS
We tend to eat like our friends and family, so ask others close to you to join you in your effort to eat healthier. Need healthy eating ideas? Try NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. It’s free and scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels.

QUIT SMOKING
To help you quit, ask others for support or join a support group. Research has shown that people are much more likely to quit if their spouse, friend, or sibling does.

Visit #OurHearts for inspiration on what others around the country are doing together for their heart health. Then join the movement by tagging #OurHearts to share how you're being heart healthy with friends, family, or others.

Reference:
1. Join the #OurHearts Movement. National Heart, Lung and Blood Insitute. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/heart-truth/our-hearts

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
FEBRUARY 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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Trending Diets

January is a time that many of us examine how we are eating and look to make some changes. Testing out the latest fad diet can be tempting. Here are some tips if you are considering a new diet.

TRENDING
One of the most popular diets currently searched for on Google is the ketogenic diet, also called “keto.” This diet is actually not new. The ketogenic diet has been used since the early 1900s to treat medication resistant epilepsy. The basis of the diet is to eat high fat, very low carb and moderate protein to force the body to use ketones for energy instead of traditional glucose. Paleo and Whole30® are other trending diets that focus on eliminating certain foods and focusing on whole, less processed ingredients. While none of these diets have enough research to support recommending them across the board, it is possible to include strategies into each of them that are well researched. Focus on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and good fats like olive oil and avocado supported by lean proteins.

TRIED AND TRUE
There are a few eating styles that are actually well researched and shown to support overall health. One is the DASH eating plan. DASH has been shown to help reduce heart disease risk and is being investigated for additional benefits. The Mediterranean Diet is also supported by research as a way of eating that supports overall health and helps to lower disease risk. Both of these diets have similar foundations with a base of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

BOTTOM LINE
Regardless of the style of eating you adapt, consider your overall health, not just your weight. The foods you choose to eat, or not eat, can impact your health in ways you may not realize. Being fully transparent with your doctor and seeking.

Reference:

1. Google Trends. Available at https://www.google.com/trends
2. DASH Eating Plan. Available at https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/dash-eating-plan
3. Mediterranean Program. Available at https://oldwayspt.org/programs/mediterranean-program

Written by Jennifer M. Roberts, MS, RDN
JANUARY 2020
weeatlivedowell.com

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