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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