Eat Treats and Be Merry

Janelle and her Valentine's Day haul

Valentine’s Day morning Janelle, my third-grader and resident sugaraholic, skipped onto the bus holding a bag full of valentines for her classmates and a decorated shoebox ready to receive the day’s bounty. Aside from Christmas and Halloween this is her favorite holiday. Who can blame her? Who doesn’t like chocolate? I can walk by bowls overflowing with Jolly Ranchers, Nerds, Fruit Rollups, even candy bars, these don’t entice me. But a box of chocolate confections, well, those will make me pause and most likely, indulge.

Seems I’m not the only one tempted. This week Americans will purchase 58 million pounds of chocolate candy worth $345 million. And that’s just the chocolate. We’ll spend another $103 million on other candy, for a whopping $448 million in total.

Since I author a health blog, I’m sure you’re bracing yourself for the onslaught of discourse about how bad candy is for you, how many empty calories it contains, blah blah blah. I hate to disappoint you, but no, that’s not what’s on my mind this week.

Actually, Valentine’s Day reminds me that there's a place in life for all kinds of food.

The reason that most diets fail is that they’re too restrictive. No one can maintain a lifestyle that forbids an entire food category, especially if it’s one they love.

I can imagine what would happen if I forbade Janelle from ever having chocolate again. She’d cry, tell me how unfair it is, sulk around the house for days and then, probably start sneaking it. She’d eat it at friend’s houses or eat it behind the closed door of the pantry. I’d turn her into a closet eater by labeling chocolate as “bad.” And worst of all, chocolate would be elevated to forbidden status, which only makes it more desirable.

Instead, I believe in the philosophy that all foods are available to me, some, like candy, are simply to be enjoyed occasionally and in moderation.

This is the same position championed by the American Dietetic Association which states,

“… all foods can fit into a healthful eating style. The ADA strives to communicate healthful eating messages to the public that emphasize the total diet, or overall pattern of food eaten, rather than any one food or meal. If consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with regular physical activity, all foods can fit into a healthful diet…The value of a food should be determined within the context of the total diet because classifying foods as "good" or "bad" may foster unhealthy eating behaviors.”

The trick is moderation and making sure it’s only an occasional thing, not a habit. It goes back to my 80/20 rule—80 percent of the time do the right thing (eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats), 20 percent of the time splurge a little. 

Enjoy your treats this week, then get back on track. It’s all part of a healthy lifestyle.

Come on, Get App-y

My computer has this annoying habit of freezing on me a couple of times a week. I’ve upgraded the hard drive, changed the fan setting to prevent overheating and done a thousand other things and yet, always at the most inopportune time, the whole thing just seizes up. My only recourse is to reboot. It makes me want to hurl the thing out the window or better yet, go all Office Space on it. (If you haven’t seen the movie Office Space I recommend it. It’s a quirky comedy about the ridiculousness of corporate America. Think Dilbert in movie form. The scene I’m referring to involves a temperamental printer and a baseball bat.)

The first screen of my iPhone.
My favorite app (a/k/a obsession) is
Words with Friends. The icon with the "W."
I think I need a 12-step program.

Yes, technology can be immensely frustrating, but it can also be amazing. Thanks to my iPhone I have a computer the size of a piece of toast in my purse. I can Google until my heart’s content, check email, schedule appointments, or dictate an article idea all while sitting at a traffic light in my car.

We all need help reaching our goals so why not use technology to assist us? It’s definitely made our lives easier, I say, how about making our lives healthier too.

But with over 500,000 apps for the iPhone and 375,000 for Android, which ones do you choose?

Hopefully, the following list will help you out. Below are some of the most popular health and wellness apps.

CALORIE COUNTING APPS

There are hundreds of apps that will help you track your calories. It’s really a matter of finding one that suits you. The perennial favorites are:

•   Lose It! (Free, for iPhone, Android, Nook Color, Nook Tablet)
•  Calorie Counter - MyFitnessPal (Free, for iPhone, Android)
•  Calorie Tracker Livestrong.com ($2.99, for iPhone, Android)
• Weight Watchers Mobile (Free, for iPhone, iPad, Android)

NUTRITION APPS

Restaurant Nutrition (Free, for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android)

Keep yourself on track by looking up calories and other nutrition information while dining out.

Fooducate (Free, for iPhone, Android)

Ever wish you could have a dietician grocery shop with you? Fooducate is the answer. Loaded with a bar code scanner, the app can identify over 200,000 products. Foods are graded from a D (the worst) to an A (the best) and healthier alternatives are listed for you. Now that’s a great app! No wonder Apple chose it as Best Health & Fitness App in 2011.

MEDICAL APPS

Epocrates Rx. Drug interactions are a huge concern. Download the free version of this and you can check the interactions between up to 30 drugs. (Free, for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Palm, Windows Mobile)

Glucose Buddy. This app lets you enter your glucose numbers, food consumption and activity levels and links to an online account at glucosebuddy.com. Plus you can print out all the information for your doctor. (Free, for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad)

RUNNING APPS

Runners must love data because there are hundreds of apps dedicated to running. You can log your miles, map your route, check your average speed, even compete against yourself from a previous run. Just one more reason why I’m not a runner! For those that love it, the most popular apps are:

•        RunKeeper (Free, for iPhone and Android)
•        Nike+ GPS ($1.99, for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)
•        Runmeter GPS ($4.99, for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)

And for beginning joggers, nothing’s better than Get Running (Couch to 5k) ($2.99, for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) The preset training plan is designed to get beginners from zero to running a 5k (~ 3 miles) in nine weeks. It starts off really slow and builds over the nine weeks. For Android users it’s called C25K (Free).

PEACE OF MIND APPS

White Noise ($1.99, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Blackberry, Android)

Does it sound like an episode of Law & Order is happening outside your window? Try this to drown out the chaos of modern life. Choose from 40 different sounds like rain, crickets and ocean waves to help you relax or fall asleep. 

Sleep Cycle Alarm ($0.99, for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)

Set the alarm to your normal time and place your iPhone next to your pillow. The app monitors your movements during sleep and wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase, any time within 30 minutes of your set alarm time. You wake up when your body is naturally ready to.

Support ‘Hos

While support hose are a fabulous invention and worthy of a blog themselves, that’s not what I’m talking about.

The ‘hos I’m referring to are your girlfriends. The women that at a moment’s notice babysit your kid while you run your other kid to the doctor. The ones that listen to you complain about your hair, husband or mother-in-law with sympathy and compassion. The wonderful women that celebrate your successes with enthusiasm and offer a shoulder to cry on during life's inevitable downturns.

These women are a key component to our happiness and research suggests, they’re also a powerful tool in achieving our health goals. Numerous studies have been conducted demonstrating that support from others increases our chances of losing weight and maintaining that weight loss.

A recent study from Stanford University School of Medicine concluded that “Women who ‘never’ experienced family support were least likely to lose weight (45.7% lost weight) whereas women who experienced both frequent friend and family support were more likely to lose weight (71.6% lost weight).” 

Now that February has begun, the shine of our New Year’s Resolutions is probably wearing off. In fact, research suggests that by January 31^st  we will have given up.

If you’re struggling with your healthy resolutions, how about enlisting a friend for support? Join a gym together, agree to walk a couple of times a week, or if you’re really motivated, sign up for the Monument Avenue 10k. You don’t have to run, you can just walk it. I’m doing it this year with my oldest daughter Amanda (14 years old) and my son Grant (11 years old).

Me (in orange) and Lizzie (giving the thumbs up)
as we approach the finish line.

My friend Lizzie got me to actually run it a couple of years ago.

Trying to lose weight and needing a goal Lizzie had signed up for the 10k and asked me if I’d join her. Of course, my immediate response was, “Um, no.” Not because I don’t love her, but because I hate running. Really, really hate running.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” she urged me. “It's easy. We don't have to run fast. Please,” she begged. “I need someone to do it with me.”

“Okay, fine,” I said, not at all enthused, but it was for Lizzie and hanging out with her a couple of times a week to jog and chat actually did sound like fun.

Dutifully we trained and to my surprise it actually got easier. We didn’t set any land speed records, but we plodded along and consistently increased the distance we ran every week.

Race day arrived and we were off. Within five minutes of starting, Lizzie pulled a muscle in her hip. Limping and clearly in pain she slowed to a walk/jog.

“Go ahead without me,” she told me. “I’m going to finish, but it’s just going to take me a long time.”

Woo hoo! We did it!

Channeling my best Tom Cruise impersonation from Top Gun I looked at her and said, “I will not leave my wing man.”

After all, this is why I signed up. To help her achieve her goal. I wasn’t about to ditch her in the final hour.

We trotted along, waved to the crowd, enjoyed the live music from the bands lining the street and eventually finished the race, only slightly faster than the 10,000 people walking the course! But we did it. She reached her goal and I helped her. We made a great team.

Everyone needs support ‘hos. I count on Lizzie to get me to my Friday yoga class and I depend on the trainers in the In8 program to maintain my workout routine. I can’t do it alone. You don’t have to either. Find support where you can either with a commercial program or rope in a like-minded family member or friend. You’ll not only have more fun, but statistically, you’ll also more likely to be successful.

Now that’s a win-win!

10 Tips to Chase the Winter Blues Away

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day.

I’ve been chanting this nursery rhyme for days. The dreary, grey drizzle is driving me mad. Cloaked in blankets, slippers and sweaters and consuming gallons of hot tea, I can’t seem to get warm or motivated to go outside, even to run errands. I think bears have the right idea—we should just hibernate.

Finally, yesterday, the sun broke through the clouds. Hallelujah! Raising my face toward the sky I relished the warmth on my skin.

A little sunshine and I immediately had a boost of energy. Suddenly, I found time to grocery shop, take my dog Snickers for a walk, fold and put away the mountain of clean clothes on the bed and check-off a dozen things on my to-do list.

I’m not alone in having the shortened days and lack of sunshine sap my motivation. It’s well documented that the winter months typically bring on increased sleepiness and lethargy and as a result, weight gain. It’s in our DNA. When our eyes detect darkness, our brain releases melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. With the sun setting at 4:00 pm no wonder I’m tired by 6:30 pm!

Feeling like I have a case of the “winter blahs,” I researched ways to boost my mood. Here are the tips I’ve collected from the experts on how to chase the blues away.

1. Get out there – Force yourself to go out even though you want to stay in. And if you really want a mood booster, spend some money on a great experience, e.g., a great dinner place, a concert, theatre tickets etc. Research shows that spending money on experiences boost your mood more than buying a new pair of shoes. (Side note to the experts: I don’t think you understand the emotional impact of shoes. My new Toms bring me loads of joy every time I put them on. So there. But I’ll do the experience stuff too.)
2. Do a good deed. Focusing on those less fortunate creates empathy and forces us to appreciate what we have.
3.  Pull out old photos. Grab a cup of tea and start flipping through your kids’ baby albums or that awesome vacation you took to Italy. Who wouldn’t feel better after memories of pasta and wine flood their brain!
4. Try bright-light therapy. Sit in front of a special lamp (a bright fluorescent light that mimics the intensity of the sun) for about 30 minutes every day.
5. Start an appreciation journal. At night, jot down the good stuff that happened during the day. Recording even the most mundane activities that went well will help you focus on the positive.
6. Exercise. Regular exercise relieves stress and anxiety. Plus, working out makes you feel better about yourself which will boost your mood.
7. Try meditation or a restorative yoga class. New research shows that spiritual practices, such as regular mindfulness exercises, can actually change brain structure in a way that promotes a sense of wellbeing.
8. Cut back on alcohol. While sitting by the fire with a glass of wine or scotch seems like a good idea, alcohol is actually a depressant, which can exacerbate a depressed mood.
9. Treat yourself to a massage. During a massage the levels of the stress hormone cortisol fall and the levels of the feel good hormone serotonin rise. Bad stuff goes down, good stuff goes up. Sign me up.
10. Consider Omega-3 and Vitamin D supplements which both have been shown to have a positive effect on depression. Talk to your doctor about the correct dosage, especially with Vitamin D as too much is toxic.

Spinach Dip Swap

One of my weaknesses—food related that is, not emotional ones, which are too countless to list here—is spinach dip. That fatty, cheesy concoction masquerading as a health food. I love it. I especially adore Hannah Spinach Dip from Costco. Passing the refrigerator section it calls to me from the shelf. Staring wistfully at it, knowing I shouldn’t buy it, I quickly move away before temptation overtakes me. I can’t let it into the house. If I do, half the container will be gone in a single sitting and I'll rationalize my behavior with comments like, “Yeah, but it’s got spinach in it and that’s good for me.” Or, “I scooped it up with green peppers and celery so really it was helping me get my daily serving of vegetables.”

Uh huh. 

Psst…Dianna…it’s not really healthy.

Yeah, I know. Two tablespoons of Hannah Spinach Dip has 70 calories and 7 grams of fat. In fact, 80% of the calories are from fat.

(Heavy sigh.)

Convinced I would never find a good substitute for my beloved dip, I mentally pushed it into the category of "treat," which means I eat it only occasionally and under tight supervision. But, I’m happy to say, things might be changing. I made the following "healthy spinach dip" recipe for a casual dinner party and it was a big hit. So much so that my girlfriend asked for the recipe.

Taken from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, this recipe produced a creamy, garlic spinach dip that gives the full fat version a run for its money. And the best part, two tablespoons are 40 calories (40% less than the Hannah's) and less than one gram of fat, an 85% reduction.

Give it a whirl. You’d be surprised how good it is.

Spinach Dip

10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry and chopped coarse

1 1/2 cups lowfat cottage cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1 TBLS extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBLS fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

pinch cayenne

Throw everything into a food processor and pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour before serving.

To serve: spread some on a whole grain cracker and sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese.

A Broken Water Heater = Motivation

A new year. A fresh start. This time of year is supposed to be full of optimism and energy. So what’s wrong with me? I can’t seem to get motivated.

A new me? Eh, it can wait, I say. A new gym routine? Ugh, I can’t be bothered. I’d rather sit around in my jammies and watch TV.

Is it the cold weather forcing me into a recluse? Maybe it’s some sort of holiday hangover—a big let-down after months of festivities with friends and family?

I’m not sure but my recent attitude reminds me of Newton’s First Law of Physics: a body at rest tends to stay at rest. 

I needed something to get me back on track. A defibrillator to resuscitate my healthy lifestyle.

Ah...my inspiration. Who knew?

I found it in the most unlikely place: a broken water heater.

Last Friday our hot water heater broke. As of Tuesday morning, we were still washing dishes and brushing our teeth with ice cold water. Feeling guilty about bugging my friends to borrow their shower once again, it finally hit me—I can shower at the gym!

Not willing to enter American Family Fitness solely to use the shower, I attended the 8:15 a.m. cycle class. Afterwards I luxuriated in a ridiculously long hot shower. It was fantastic and it reminded me why I joined the gym in the first place.

Eight years ago and struggling to drop the last ten pounds of pregnancy weight after my youngest child was born, I decided to join a gym. I started slowly, attending pilates and yoga classes, nothing too strenuous. Amazingly, that first month I lost five pounds. I was thrilled that the weight was finally coming off, but what really shocked me was how much I enjoyed going to the gym. My weekly outings brought something into my life I hadn't realized was missing—a sense of freedom.

At that time, my children were aged six, three and one. Like every mom of preschoolers, there were no quiet moments to sip a cup of tea, read a magazine or watch TV. My days were filled with runs back and forth to preschool, nap time, potty training and sprinting through as many errands as possible—the grocery store, the dry cleaners, the bank---before afternoon activities, dinner and bedtime. A really good day was defined by a trip to Starbucks. Sipping a latte in the car was my treat, my little luxury.

And then I joined the gym. At first, I just dropped off my one year old Janelle into the daycare center, went to class, picked her up and went home. But then, noticing that Janelle was fine in daycare, I decided to bring some clean clothes and shower at the gym.

Oh.

My.

God!

For a harried mother of three there was no greater pleasure than showering, getting dressed and fixing my hair and makeup completely ALONE. No little ones crying, whining or tugging on my shirt for attention. It was paradise.

Not only was I losing weight but I had regained some much needed me-time.

Exiting the gym Tuesday, my hair clean and makeup on, I felt fantastic. Ready to take on the day. Just like old times.

Our hot water heater is now fixed (finally!) and yet I’m headed back to the gym today. Not for a hot shower, but because, as I was reminded of yesterday, exercise makes me feel good. It’s time that’s devoted to improving myself and, borrowing a slogan from L’Oreal, because I’m worth it.

Now, don’t make me come and break your water heater. Go find your motivation and get out there. You’re worth it!

Miss It's-All-About-Me

Last week as my 8:15am cycling class was ending, a woman began chatting with the instructor lamenting about the “newbies” that would invade her gym the first week of January.

“I hate this time of year,” she moaned. “Hordes of people join the gym, crowd up the place, get in my way and worst of all, they take my bike. It’d be great if I could reserve this specific bike. I mean, I’ve been her since July and I’ll still be here long after all the newbies give up.” She finished her little speech with a giggle.

No one else was laughing.

The instructor, ever so gently, reminded Miss It’s-All-About-Me that we should be supportive of the newbies. “They’re doing the right thing,” the instructor said. “Trying to change their health and their life. I think it’s great.”

Realizing that no one else in the room was a Cyborg and that we all actually have a heart  and compassion, Miss It’s-All-About-Me began to backtrack. “Yes, of course. And I’m happy for them. They are doing the right thing.”

What a narcissistic wench.

On the bright side, I just found my new favorite spot in cycling class. I plan on getting to class early each day and sit on Miss It’s-All-About-Me’s favorite bike. And then I’ll hum softly, “na-nana-nana-na.” To further annoy her, I’ll ask her for help getting set up and pepper my conversation with the phrase, “I’m new here.”

I am giddy with excitement. Thank you, Miss It’s-All-About-Me, you’ve made my day. Unfortunately for you, your days are going to get a lot worse.

If you’ve recently joined a gym don’t let these cranks bring you down or discourage you. Like a lot of folks, my first gym membership started in January too. It IS a step in the right direction, so good for you.

To complement your new exercise regime, you might be interested in the latest research from US News and World Report, they just released their rankings of the best overall diet programs. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet, which is the foundation of the In8 program, was ranked #2 overall by a panel of experts.

Well, I could’ve told them that. Although I take exception to the word "diet." That word has a lot of negative connotations—visions of hunger pangs and nibbling on celery and carrots for example. The TLC program isn't like that. It's really a retraining program. Educating you on the impact processed food has on your body and teaching you about better choices. Take bread for example, you can have it, just make it whole grain. Want something sweet? Try chocolate dipped strawberries.

The article (found here) details all the diets that were analyzed and what the experts liked and disliked about them.

With any diet program the key is to find something that works for you, something that you can maintain. That's what makes it successful.

Good luck on your health goals for 2012 and I'll see you at the gym! I'll be the one with the big smile on my face sitting in Miss It’s-All-About-Me's seat.