HealthSmart
Wellness Advocate
er
Smart
October
2010
Healthcare Solutions
Finding A Balance
What does weight management mean to
you? Some people have a specific goal to
lose weight but don’t know how to get there.
Others just want to find ways to maintain their
current weight. Whatever your goals are, the
principles of weight management are the
same: if you eat more than you’re expending
in energy, you will probably gain weight.
Consuming too many calories is one of the top
nutritional problems in the United States and
around the world. Overweight and obesity
significantly increase risk of heart disease,
diabetes and other chronic conditions. Even if
you’re not overweight, consuming too many
calories increases the risk of diet-related
diseases, including certain cancers.
Eating well is one part of a healthy lifestyle;
the other is being physically active. Balancing
the calories you take in with the amount you
burn off is important for your overall health.
Calories are units of energy, and you can’t live
without them — take away the energy, and
your body will stop functioning. But your body
can’t create calories by itself. Calories come
from three types of nutrients — protein, fats
and carbohydrates. Of the three, fat has the
most energy density, with 9 calories per gram;
carbohydrates and protein each provide 4
calories per gram.
One way to understand why calories are so
important is to compare your body to a car.
If you put higher grade gasoline into your car,
you can expect your car to perform better.
The same goes for your body. If you put in
healthier nutrients, you’ll feel better and more
energized. Now when you pump gasoline into
your car, there's only a certain amount that
your gas tank can hold before it overflows.
Putting too much gas in the car is a waste
because the tank can’t hold it. Extra calories
in your body are also a waste. But unlike your
car, your body does have the ability to hold
onto those extra calories — it stores them as
excess fat.
The ideal state for your body is energy balance.
If you burn more calories than you take in,
you’ll lose weight. If you eat more calories
than you burn, then you’ll gain weight. This
is the bottom line for weight control. The
ongoing challenge is to keep calories under
control while staying active enough to burn
more calories than you take in. If you can
enjoy satisfying but limited portions of healthy
foods, you’ll have a much better chance of
controlling your weight. To do this your diet
should be:
• Low in fat
• Adequate in lean sources of protein
• Low in empty calories
• Rich in high-fiber complex carbohydrates
QuickTakes
Eat More Beans!
1. Keep a can of chick peas in
the refrigerator for a cool
addition to summer salads.
Rinse, drain and toss with a
little olive oil and chopped
parsley before combining
with a mix of dark or bitter
salad greens. Four tasty ways
to eat this low-fat favorite!
2. Spice up a bland chicken
soup by stirring in black
beans, minced jalapeños,
sliced cherry tomatoes and
a squeeze of lime juice.
3. Microwave no-fat-added
refried beans in a covered
dish for 2 minutes on high.
Smear 2 tablespoons of
the beans on a warmed
tortilla, top with grated lowfat cheese, pepper slices,
chopped scallions and your
favorite salsa. Roll up and
dig in.
4. For a quick-and-dirty
Hoppin’ John, stir canned or
frozen black eyed peas into
a pan of simmering rice pilaf
about 5 minutes before the
rice is done.
W W W. H E A LT H S M A R T. C O M
Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls
When eating at many restaurants, it’s hard to miss that portion sizes
have gotten larger in the last few years. The trend has also spilled
over into the grocery store and vending machines, where a bagel
has become a BAGEL and an “individual” bag of chips can easily
feed more than one. Research shows that people unintentionally
consume more calories when faced with larger portions. Here are
some tips to help you avoid common portion-size pitfalls.
Portion control when eating out. Many
restaurants serve more food than one person
needs at one meal. Take control by splitting an
entrée with a friend. Or, ask the wait person for a
“to-go” box and wrap up half your meal as soon as
it’s brought to the table.
Portion control when eating in.
To minimize the temptation
of second and third helpings
when eating at home, serve
the food on individual plates, instead
of
putting the serving dishes on the table. Keeping
the excess food out of reach may discourage
overeating.
Portion control in front of the TV. When eating or snacking in
front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or
container instead of eating straight from the package. It’s easy to
overeat when your attention is focused on something else.
Go ahead, spoil your dinner. We learned as children not to snack
before a meal for fear of “spoiling our dinner.” Well, it’s time to
forget that old rule. If you feel hungry between meals, eat a healthy
snack, like a piece of fruit or small salad, to avoid overeating during
your next meal.
Be aware of large packages. For some reason, the larger the
package, the more people consume from it without realizing it. To
minimize this effect:
• Divide up the contents of one large package into several smaller
containers to help avoid overconsumption.
• Don’t eat straight from the package. Instead, serve the food in a
small bowl or container.
Out of sight, out of mind. People tend to consume more when
they have easy access to food. Make your home a “portion friendly
zone.”
• Replace the candy dish
with a fruit bowl.
• Move the healthier food to
the front of your refrigerator.
Source: Adapted from the CDC, Weight Management to Research to Practice Series.
Apple-Celery Stuffing
Makes: 8-10 servings
You don’t need a stick of melted butter to moisten stuffing. A flavorful
broth adds richness and not a gram of fat.
Preparation:
Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Non-stick cooking spray
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, strings removed, ribs diced
2 large red apples, preferably Cortland, chopped
7 cups whole-wheat bread cubes
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped, fresh sage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2. Lightly spray a large sauté pan with cooking spray and set pan over
medium-low heat. Add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 10
minutes. Add apples and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in parsley,
thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Transfer the apple mixture to a large
bowl. Add bread cubes, broth and egg whites, tossing gently to mix.
Nutritional Information (per serving): 105 Calories, 1g Fat,
0.2g Saturated Fat, 22g Carbs, 4g Protein, 3.1g Fiber, 416mg Sodium
Make Ahead Tip: The stuffing may be assembled 1 day in advance;
3. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Lightly spray a piece of
aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover mixture.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until the top
browns, about 20 minutes longer.
cover and store in the refrigerator.
Wellness Advocate Newsletter is compliments of HealthSmart Care Management Solutions and is not intended to offer medical advice.
Information provided by Winning Habits / Matria Health Care.