This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

TV is a great way for you to learn about new things that might improve your health. Unfortunately, most TV segments only last a few minutes. Whenever I’m a guest on the Dr. Oz Show, for example, I rarely have enough time to provide all the important details about a subject. As a viewer, you’re most likely just getting a few of the highlights.
You may be so excited by what you see or hear on TV that you can’t wait to try it for yourself. But when you rush to the store, confusion may take over. There may be several similar-sounding brands on the shelf. Some may even be blended with other ingredients. Which one should you choose? What is the right dosage?

Stop right there! Many people are so eager that they run out and do the wrong things. Then they wind up being more unfit than they were before!

If you’re armed with only the information you’ve heard on TV, you may not yet have the expertise to know if you should even be taking a specific supplement. Here’s a better way to choose dietary supplements using my three rules.

RULE #1: Always Do Your Homework!

Never buy a supplement on impulse. Here are some questions to help you make the right decision:

• Do I need it? Have you been diagnosed by a medical doctor with a condition that may be helped by this dietary supplement? Check with your physician or healthcare provider to get a recommendation before taking any supplement.
• Is it going to hurt me? What are the potential side effects? Medication interactions? Again, check with your doctor or pharmacist.
• Is it safe enough to give it to my children? I tell my clients that if it’s not safe for kids, it may not be all that safe for adults either.
• Is it high quality? Higher quality supplement brands will have a consistent amount of the active ingredient. Lower quality brands may have fillers and impurities that may not even be listed on the label.

Here’s an example of how to put my rule number one into action. Make sure you are eating as healthfully as possible. Then try to balance your diet so that 80% of what you eat is healthy. That leaves you with a 20% margin of error for living and eating in the real world.
If you are eating like this, and exercising regularly (you have to move or no weight loss tactic will work!), that’s when a recommended dietary supplement may be helpful. But first you need to work with your healthcare professional to know what’s going on within your own body. A healthcare provider can help you choose the supplement that will help you with your specific issue. This leads me to rule number two.

RULE #2: Understand How a Supplement Works and What It May Do for You

If it works, you’re going to want to keep using it, so make sure it’s safe. Be sure you know what the benefit of the supplement is—and how it works in your body. Learn which ingredients are supported by the strongest evidence-based clinical research from reputable places. This is another reason why the ingredients should be high quality and from a reputable source.
Also, avoid products that are too harsh such as extreme cleanses for weight loss or ones that sound too good to be true. Quick fixes aren’t sustainable. They can set us up for failure. Take the time to do it right, and you’ll just about always be successful. Consistency and frequency generally get results.

RULE #3: Learn What to Look For on Supplement Labels

The highest quality brands might mention GMP, which stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. That tells you that there are production and testing practices in place to ensure such things as an ingredient’s consistency and purity. Spend some time on the Internet to research the supplement companies and the ingredients they use. Choose those that the experts believe are the most effective.

Low price may be a red flag. If you’re going to spend $4.99 on a supplement, you’ll get what you pay for. Bargain brands may not even have enough of the active ingredient, or the right form of the active ingredient, to do what you need them to do.

If you’re facing a shelf with dozens of similar-looking products, start by reading the label on the most expensive one. In addition to higher quality, you may actually need to take less of a pricier supplement. So it could wind up being the best value. And if you’re not sure or have questions, check with your physician or pharmacist so you can make the most informed decision about what’s right for you.
Being smart about choosing the right dietary supplements is also good for your budget because you won’t be wasting money on products that don’t work. That’s a benefit we can all appreciate!

The post The Better Way to Choose Dietary Supplements appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

Click to View PDF

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

Inflammation in the body is a normal and healthy response to injury or attack by germs. We can see it, feel it and measure it as local heat, redness, swelling and pain. This is the body’s way of getting more nourishment and more immune activity into an area that needs to fend off infection or heal. But inflammation isn’t always helpful. It also has great destructive potential, which we see when the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own tissues in (autoimmune) diseases like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Whole-body inflammation refers to chronic, imperceptible, low-level inflammation. Mounting evidence suggests that over time this kind of inflammation may set the foundation for many serious, age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer and neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Recent evidence indicates that whole-body inflammation may also contribute to psychological disorders, especially depression. For more on this, see my book, Spontaneous Happiness.

The extent of this chronic inflammation is influenced by genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, too much stress, and exposure to environmental toxins such as secondhand tobacco smoke. Diet has a huge impact, so much so that I believe that most people in our part of the world go through life in a pro-inflammatory state as a result of what they eat.

You can try my anti-inflammatory diet, as illustrated by my anti-inflammatory diet and food pyramid. This isn’t a weight-loss diet (though you can lose weight if you follow it). Instead, it is designed to help you reduce chronic inflammation by eating fresh, healthy and delicious foods. One of the most important things the diet does is provide balanced amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Most people consume an excess of omega-6 fatty acids, which the body uses to synthesize compounds that promote inflammation. You can end up getting a lot of omega-6 fatty acids from snack foods and fast foods. Omega-3 fatty acids—from oily fish such as salmon and tuna, walnuts, flax, hemp and to a lesser degree canola oil and sea vegetables like kelp and nori—can have an anti-inflammatory effect.

If you look at my food pyramid, you’ll see that it emphasizes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, fish and seafood, whole soy foods, and tells you how much of these foods to eat daily or weekly. You can eat a wide variety of fresh foods on this diet, plus some red wine daily, if you so desire, and healthy sweet treats such as dark chocolate (look for a minimum content of 70% cocoa). Along with influencing inflammation, this diet will provide steady energy and ample vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, dietary fiber and phytonutrients. What’s more, I think you’ll enjoy it.

The post Take Action Against Harmful, Whole-Body Inflammation appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

January: Opening those holiday credit card bills can be stressful, which isn’t good for your health. It’s a good time to consider easy ways to manage your budget.

This month’s change: Start buying more seasonal fruits and vegetables. Buying in-season means you’re not paying the shipping costs for produce grown in other parts of the world.

February: It’s Heart Health Month. Make sure you know your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, and talk with your doctor about options if they are out of normal range. High cholesterol is a major controllable risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

This month’s change: Make the easy switch to milk, orange juice and other products made with CoroWise® plant sterols. Plant sterols have been clinically shown to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and products that contain these natural cholesterol reducers are backed by a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) authorized health claim.*

March: Most Americans eat out several times a week. Whether you’re dining at a four-star restaurant or the company cafeteria, you can usually find smart menu choices.

This month’s change: Plan ahead. Look for restaurants with a wide variety of menu options. And study the menu ahead of time so that you already know the healthiest choices.

April: Tax season can be intensely stressful. From yoga to exercise, we have a host of stress-reduction tips from which to choose. Here’s one we think is very practical.

This month’s change: Take a few minutes in the evening to prepare for the next morning. Lay out your clothes, make lunches, set out the cereal. Do whatever it is that usually makes you feel rushed when first get up.

May: Insomnia becomes more common with age, but we still need the same amount of sleep. Getting enough rest is essential for your body to repair itself and to recharge your energy levels.

This month’s change: Chill out. Cooler temperatures may help improve your sleep quality. Sleep experts typically recommend keeping bedroom temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees.

June: The USDA recommends that we fill half of our plates with fruits and vegetables. Sometimes we need a little motivation to do that!

This month’s change: Plant a garden, even if you just have room for a single tomato plant on your balcony. Gardening is great for stress reduction, and you’ll be more inclined to eat what you grow.

July: For many people the stress of preparing for a vacation, or the travel itself, plays havoc with their immune system.

This month’s change: If you always seem to get the sniffles before or during vacations, consider spending your time off doing low-stress activities such as taking day trips to local destinations, taking in a matinee or playing a round of golf.

August: Summertime can be hectic, especially if you are trying to find new ways to occupy bored children or covering for vacationing co-workers.

This month’s change: Exercise your sense of humor. Life is filled with absurdities if you just watch for them. Laughter reduces stress and helps you relax. It also helps to stimulate both productivity and creativity.

September: If you subscribe to the belief that 50 is the new 30, then you are probably on the lookout for tips on healthy aging.

This month’s change: Do something you love as often as possible. Spending time doing what you enjoy helps to re-fuel your spirit and keeps you refreshed.

October: The busy holiday season is kicking in. You may start to feel more burned out and mentally fatigued than usual.

This month’s change: Get the bad stuff out of the way first. Jump right in and do the most difficult or stressful tasks early in the day while you’re still feeling fresh.

November: Is your social life starting to take over more of your calendar? Don’t let the fun and extra calories come at the expense of your physical fitness.

This month’s change: Permanently banish the “all or nothing” approach to fitness. You don’t need to do all 30 minutes of exercise at one time. Take a short break every few hours to climb stairs or take a walk. Set a timer to remind yourself. It all adds up.

December: Your healthy eating habits don’t have to go down the drain just because it’s the holidays.

This month’s change: Learn to love side dishes. If you’re a guest, always offer to bring a side dish so that you know you’ll have at least one healthy item to help fill your plate. If you’re the hostess, serve a lot of side dishes and look for ways to add extra vegetables to your recipes.

* Foods containing at least 0.4 grams per serving of plant sterols, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 0.8 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. On December 8, 2010, the FDA published a Proposed Rule that would update the plant sterol health claim, including the minimum amount required to be eligible for the claim and the target total daily intake to reduce heart disease risk.

The post One change each month will add up to a happier, healthier year! appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

Registry Tracks the Strategies of Thousands Who Have Maintained a Substantial Weight Loss

They have learned to eat smaller portions.

Have You Heard of the National Weight Control Registry?

Founded by renowned clinical researchers Rena Wing, PhD and James Hill, PhD, the National Weight Control Registry was developed to identify and investigate the characteristics of people who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. It is the largest investigative prospective of its kind.

To be eligible to join, you must be at least 18 years old, must have lost at least 30 pounds, and must have kept it off for at least one year. The Registry is currently tracking more than 10,000 people using questionnaires and surveys about their eating behavior, lifestyles and physical activity. While self-reporting is not an exact methodology, when you get such a large sample size, there’s great assurance that the trends identified are essentially accurate.

Registry participants’ demographics indicate that 77% are female, 82% are college educated, 64% are married, and 95% are Caucasian. The researchers are actively looking to expand the Registry to reach a more diverse population.

They aren’t afraid to ask for help.

Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance: Real-Life Tactics that Work

Most of the participants report using a combination of strategies. They realize they need to adjust their diets and their physical activity levels if they want to keep the pounds from creeping back on. Some of the dietary and behavioral trends tabulated by the researchers are shown on the next page. The beauty of this research is that you can start incorporating these same strategies today.

After a Year or Two …

The researchers re-surveyed participants to see how they were doing after a year on the Registry. The majority (59%) were maintaining their weight loss or had lost a little more at the time of the follow up. But 35% of participants had gained five pounds or more. When they took a closer look at those who had gained weight, they found that time is an important factor. Those who maintain a weight loss for less than two years are at a higher risk of re-gaining the pounds. After two years, it appears good habits are formed and re-gaining the weight is less likely.

They count calories.

The Psychological Component

Those who reported higher levels of depression were more likely to have re-gained weight. Stressful situations affect your psyche and may lead to what’s called “disinhibited” or uncontrolled eating. It’s those times when we’re feeling badly, and we say to ourselves “Forget it. I’ve already eaten one cookie. I’ll eat 10 more.”

It’s been my experience that when people have maintained weight loss for an extended period of time, even if they gain weight because of a major life crisis, they tend to lose it fairly easily again once that crisis is resolved. That’s incentive to keep working at developing these good habits!

They self-monitor.

What This Means for You

This is the only Registry that has truly gone out to look at a sizeable sampling of the American population. It shows that everyday people can keep the weight off. Maybe not all of it … but if you can keep even 7%–10% off, that’s beneficial to your health. If you need to lose weight, or want to maintain a weight loss, try incorporating as many of these strategies as possible. How well we control our eating by choosing smaller helpings, avoiding certain foods, counting calories, eating breakfast, etc. does matter. Monitor yourself three or four days a week. That way if your weight creeps up, it’s easier to get it back down again. The National Weight Control Registry is still accepting new participants. You can join by going to www.nwcr.ws.

The post Confessions of Successful Dieters appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

Squeeze in plenty of family fitness time

When out-of-town relatives visit, you may feel inclined to sit around, eat and chat. Instead, get everyone up and moving! Some of the best holiday memories are made when you enjoy activities together as a family. Schedule time for play, and bring along a camera to capture the smiles. Time spent skiing, ice skating or building a snowman also burns off stress and calories.

People often think they have to engage in physical activity for an hour for it to be effective. So if they can’t afford to spend 60 minutes doing something, they decide not to do anything at all. This month, approach fitness differently. Can you spare 20 minutes for a walk? Can you go for a five-minute walk every hour (during an eight-hour work day you can accumulate 40 minutes of physical activity!)? Something is better than nothing.

Download a phone app

Healthy phone apps are a technological reality check. They can tell you how many calories are really in that piece of pumpkin pie (i.e., more than you think), you can use them to track how many steps you’re actually taking as you fight your way across the mall parking lot and through the crowds for last-minute gifts (i.e., fewer than you think).

Eat more high fiber foods

Holiday menus are often filled with tempting, high-fat dishes. Before you hit the buffet table, ease your hunger pangs by eating a salad, a large apple or a handful of carrot sticks. Dietary fiber—especially soluble fiber found in oats, barley, vegetables, fruits, beans and lentils—can help you feel full.

The FDA has authorized a health claim for soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of heart disease. Large epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a reduced risk for heart attacks and death from heart disease in both men and women who consume higher amounts of dietary fiber as part of a heart healthy diet. Shoot for 25 to 40 grams of total dietary fiber per day.

Be smart about your ingredient choices. No one wants to deprive themselves during the holidays. You can still enjoy many of your favorite dishes while being kinder to your heart. There is a growing variety of products now available with CoroWise® plant sterols to help lower cholesterol levels without sacrificing flavor or convenience. Everything from liquid eggs that can be used for cooking and baking, juices and muffins for a tasty breakfast, and even brownies for your sweet tooth.

Speaking of your sweet tooth

Lighten up the holiday goodies by exchanging sugar for natural, zero-calorie stevia. Check out these delicious recipes for everything from candied sweet potatoes and pumpkin pancakes to sugar cookies, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and an exotic hot chocolate – all made with Truvia® natural sweetener. These are the perfect cookies to bring to holiday parties, and ideal beverages to sip while wrapping gifts.

And finally, take out your tea pot

Enjoying a cup of hot tea on a chilly day can be soothing and relaxing. Just what you need to help you unwind from the holiday hoopla!

The post Holiday magic: Last-minute tips for less stressful, more healthful celebrations appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

When we think about how well we’re aging, we care about the wrinkles on our faces and the fat around our bellies. Those are the things we can see in the mirror. But we don’t get that sort of feedback on how well our brains are aging until it’s late in the aging process. In truth, the fountain of youth is between your ears. Your brain makes the decisions that keep you healthy, happy and on track to live a long time. When your brain works right, you work right.

We can look at a brain scan and connect it to behavior. I have one of the largest databases of sophisticated brain imaging studies called SPECTs (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) that show three things: the areas of the brain that work well, areas of the brain that are low in activity and the areas of the brain that are high in activity.

These scans are like mirrors. I’ve seen scans of 60-year-old patients whose brains looked like they were 75! When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, you probably think, “I need to wash my face and comb my hair.” Because your brain doesn’t have a mirror, we don’t care about it until we can’t remember things. Or we feel cognitively tired and start making bad decisions. A lot of people 40 years and older think that memory problems are normal. Not all of them are normal. It may be a sign of trouble.

With a little forethought and a
brain-smart plan, you may be able to slow the aging process in the brain.

It’s Time to Decelerate Your Brain’s Aging Process

Every choice you make today will either help or hurt your brain. Here are three important concepts to consider:

1. Develop brain envy. You’ve got to care. You must start honoring, loving and respecting your brain.
2. There are many things we do to accelerate brain aging. A lousy diet, chronic stress, poor sleeping habits, being overweight and having hormonal imbalances are some of the most common. Hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and any other kind of vascular disease that decreases blood flow to the brain will also be detrimental.
3. There are many things you can start doing today to slow, or even reverse, the brain’s aging process. These include getting enough sleep and keeping your blood sugar in balance. You also need plenty of physical and mental exercise. Have a sense of passion, meaning and purpose. And maintain normal cholesterol levels to keep a healthy blood flow to your brain.

Think of your brain as a computer. If the hardware isn’t right, it will be more difficult to learn. You won’t score as well on brain games. It’s critical to respect both your hardware and your software.

Seven Rules for Brain Healthy Eating for the Long Run

You literally are what you eat. Throughout your lifetime, your body is continually making and renewing its cells, even brain cells. In addition, you likely have already noticed how foods affect your mood and energy level. When we don’t practice brain envy, we become more vulnerable to memory loss and depression. So if you want to feel and look happier, healthier and younger in the future, be a warrior for the right nutrition!

Over the years, I have been able to distill my message about brain nutrition into seven simple steps. If you follow them, food might become your longevity medicine.

1. Eat high-quality calories and not too many of them.
2. Drink plenty of water and avoid liquid
3. calories.
4. Eat high-quality lean protein.
5. Eat “smart” (low-glycemic, high-fiber) carbohydrates.
6. Limit fat consumption to healthy fats, especially those containing omega-3s.
7. Eat natural foods of many different colors to boost antioxidants.
8. Cook with herbs and spices. These include turmeric, saffron, sage, cinnamon, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, ginger and rosemary.

The post Are Your Diet and Lifestyle Causing Your Brain to Age Faster Than Your Body? appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

It’s that time of year again here in New England, as the leaves turn red and gold and the bright orange pumpkin adorns everyone’s doorstep.

Pumpkins are one of my favorite vegetables for a variety of reasons that are directly related to my dermatology training. Pumpkins are rich in carotenoids, plant pigments that have powerful antioxidant effects.

But what exactly are carotenoids? Carotenoids are fat-soluble pigments that give red-orange-yellow color to fruits, vegetables, egg yolks, wild salmon, steelhead trout, shellfish (e.g., shrimp and lobsters), and the feathers of birds, notably brilliant pink flamingos. Fish and fowl alike get their red-yellow-orange hues from eating large quantities of carotenoid-rich aquatic plants, such as algae and plankton.

The deep, vibrant colors, such as those found in fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes, as well as nuts, extra virgin olive oil and seafood such as wild salmon help to signify the presence of antioxidants in foods. The carotenoid family of antioxidants can play a significant role in cellular growth and repair. Scientists have long known that protein is key to cellular repair. It is also encouraging to understand the tremendous role of fruits and vegetables in helping us to maintain a healthy body.

Pumpkins Might Squash the Wrinkles

As a dermatologist, I am particularly delighted that carotenoids can help to neutralize free radicals in the skin, preventing the resultant inflammation that can damage the cells and accelerate the internal aging process—including the wrinkling and sagging of our skin. Two important carotenoids found in pumpkins are lutein and zeaxanthin, which scavenge free radicals in the lens of the eye. This means that they may help in preventing the formation of cataracts, while also lessening the risk of macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss as we age.

Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater

Pumpkin and winter squash are low in calories, about 25 calories per ½ cup cooked serving. Besides carotenoids, these foods are also sources of fiber, vitamin C and potassium.

Easy to prepare, steam or bake pumpkin just as you would any winter squash in the oven. Once cooked, you can serve pumpkin or squash either sweet or savory. Also try stuffing cooked pumpkin with a mixture of other veggies, rice and grains. Or try roasting peeled pumpkin or squash chunks at high temperature with a very light coating of olive oil.

And save the seeds by drying and roasting. A one-ounce serving of pumpkin seeds (called pepitas in Spanish) contains protein, fiber, magnesium and zinc, as well as healthy fats including essential fatty acids. Pumpkin seeds have a long history as folk remedies in many cultures around the globe.

The post Pumpkin Power appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

Small changes may make a big difference

It’s not difficult to cut much of the fat and calories from your traditional Thanksgiving meal without feeling deprived. Here are some ideas for putting a healthier twist on your turkey dinner.

• Turkey: Choose white meat, which contains less fat and calories than dark meat. Save even more calories by rubbing this year’s bird with miso instead of butter. Or consider trying one of the other delicious turkey recipes compiled by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

• Gravy: If you can’t possibly pass on gravy, using a powdered gravy mix instead of turkey fat can cut calories.

• Stuffing: Bake the stuffing outside of the bird so that it absorbs fewer calories and less fat.

• Soup: Soup is filling, and is a great way to practice portion control. Seasonal Butternut Squash Soup is perfect for your Thanksgiving table.

• Veggies: Serve plenty of steamed veggie side dishes. Bright, colorful broccoli, asparagus and carrots will dress up your table and help you fill up on healthier choices. Try Broccolini with cheese sauce made with CoroWise® plant sterols. Or, drizzle your veggies with Parmesan cheese, a little olive oil and perhaps even some garlic to dress up the flavor.

• Bread: Skip the store-bought rolls and try this Light Cheesy Cornbread this year.

Skip the nap

Thanksgiving is a day for connecting with the people most important to you. So instead of napping, take a family walk after your turkey dinner. A brisk walk burns 295 calories (or more) an hour!

Do you prefer to watch the games after your meal? Get your exercise done earlier in the day. Many communities have 5K run/walks on Thanksgiving morning, often benefiting charitable organizations. Those are a fun way to give back, and remind yourself of all you have to be thankful for.

The post Make this a skinnier Thanksgiving appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

If you have school-age children, you take great pains to prepare them for a successful school year. You provide them with school supplies and replace clothes they have outgrown over the summer. Don’t forget to also prepare them for their future by educating them about nutrition. Teaching them to have good eating habits may help them avoid health issues during the school year, and help them steer clear of long-term chronic health problems into adulthood.

Children’s eating patterns will often carry throughout their lives. Their food choices are influenced by your food shopping and meal preparation. School meal programs often provide additional food choices that they may not encounter at home. It’s important that children understand how and why they should select foods based on more than just good taste.

Two Alarming Children’s Health Trends
We have a culture of over-eating combined with under-exercising. Children today are eating very high calorie/high fat foods and snacks. And they frequently spend too much of their time engaged in sedentary activities such as watching TV or using electronic devices such as games and computers. As a result, we’re seeing serious health complications tied to the dramatic rise in childhood obesity.

Two big reports were released earlier this year that grabbed my attention. Findings from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth observational study, presented at an American Diabetes Association 2012 Scientific Session, were disturbing. Over the past decade, the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children has increased 23%; the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen 21%.

What’s most startling is that type 2 diabetes used to be almost unheard of in children. In fact, it was commonly called Adult Onset Diabetes. Now we have a significant number of school-age children being diagnosed with this disease. The SEARCH researchers noted that in previous studies of children with diabetes, they’ve seen such complications as atherosclerosis (heart disease) as well. These children are also vulnerable to damage to their kidneys and vascular systems. We are also seeing a dramatic increase in hypertension among children. In a study published June 18, 2012 in the journal Hypertension, researchers noted that childhood hospitalizations for hypertension have increased by 50% since 1997. Researchers suggest this trend may also be tied to childhood obesity.

What to Do? Focus on Feeling Great – Not the Weight!
Telling a child that he or she needs to lose weight isn’t helpful. Youngsters who become too focused on body image, and what the number says on the scale, risk developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. Children can have a positive attitude toward food when they understand how their choices will lead to their feeling better and becoming more of an active participant in their own childhood.

Here are some ideas for helping children make the right choices:

1. Teach them that children who have a healthy diet tend to have more energy and do better in school. That diet should include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and lean proteins such as chicken breast, turkey breast and fish.
2. Make eating right easier. Keep cut-up fruits and veggies in the fridge or set a bowl on the counter or table as you prepare dinner so that a hungry child can just reach in and grab them for an afternoon snack. Baby carrots are another great snack item.
3. Have a picky eater? Find at least one food in each food group that your child enjoys, and serve that as often as necessary. Gradually introduce new foods as your child’s tastes mature.
4. Include them in your weekly food shopping. Have kids pick out a new food and help you prepare it at home. Show them how to read a nutrition label, and how to identify foods that contain large amounts of salt, fat or sugar. Teach them to choose the “better” option.
5. Enjoy more family meals. Eat together around the dinner table instead of grabbing fast food on the run. Eliminate distractions and focus on positive conversations. This will help your child associate good, nutritious food with pleasant experiences.
6. Don’t use food as a reward. Find non-caloric ways to acknowledge good behavior such as spending extra time with your children playing their favorite outdoor games.
7. Let your children help prepare meals. Often adults who fill up on high-fat, high-salt fast foods may do so because they never learned to cook nutritious meals. So you’ll be teaching your children an important life skill.
8. Teach by example. Instead of dieting, focus on helping your entire family choose healthier, more nutritious foods and a more active lifestyle. (Remember, children take their cues from you!)

This school year, get your children excited about the benefits of healthier food choices. They may wind up educating their peers and even a few teachers. That’s what I call an ideal grass roots way of addressing America’s obesity epidemic.

The post Back-to-School Nutrition: Prepare Your Child for a Healthier Life appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.

This article is from the Fall/Winter 2012/2013  issue of The Wellness Advisor® magazine.
Subscribe to get the print edition here.

Over the years, many parents have brought their children to my office—including teenagers—complaining that their kids are picky eaters. What I have found interesting, as the dialogue in the session unfolds, is that often times mom and dad are picky eaters, too! Children learn more from actions than from words. Practice what you preach. Your actions will make you healthier, too.

It’s important that your children develop a varied diet. This is the best way to ensure they are getting the nutrients needed to support growth and development. It is quite common for young children to be neophobic and have a fear of new foods. The good news is that most children eventually grow out of this picky eater phase. Until then, there are many positive things you can do to encourage your child to try new foods.

Build a bridge of familiarity by serving new foods along with similar favorite foods. Offer food opportunities; don’t use obvious persuasion. Active encouragement, bribery and treats may lead children to learn to dislike certain foods. Don’t use other rewards (such as dessert, money or other objects) for trying new foods. Familiarity is extremely important and research has shown that toddlers need many encounters (as many as 10–15) with a new food before they may be willing to eat it. This can be true with older children as well. Be patient and stick with it!

You can try new foods regularly, but not at every meal. Leave three to 14 days between offerings. Tasting the foods is important during these exposures; however, if your child doesn’t want to try the food, be content with letting it sit on the plate. Never force a child to eat something. You can tell your child the food is new and tasty, and encourage her to take one small bite. You should do the same. Keep portion sizes small: adult-sized portions may overwhelm kids.

I never ate tomatoes until I was a teenager, on a hike, and the only food we had left were tomatoes. I was quite ravenous and needless to say, after I took a bite of the tomato, I ate the whole thing and now I love tomatoes. Lesson learned: make sure your child is hungry at mealtime. Serve snacks 1½–2 hours before the next meal, and caloric beverages between meals. Make mealtime pleasant by focusing on your child(ren), not on the food they may or may not be eating.

Get creative in your presentation: fill plates with colorful foods. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches, baked polenta, biscuits, or even some cuts of meat, poultry or fish into fun shapes. Use a vegetable peeler to cut carrots or cucumbers into ribbons or use a julienne slicer to help make veggies into
fun shapes.

Encourage your child to be a kitchen helper—kids can’t resist tasting their own creations—plus it helps to get the job done faster! Even small children can wash lettuce leaves in the sink or learn how to use a peeler. Make a fruit salad together. Your child can remove grapes from the stems, slice bananas with a plastic knife, pour an open can of pineapple into the bowl, or section oranges.

As parents, it is our job to respect our children’s likes and dislikes and to work with their eating patterns to help them learn to enjoy a wide variety of foods. We must allow for individual styles and preferences, while offering a variety of healthful foods.

Try to make shared mealtimes enjoyable, guilt and stress-free. If you find a once-popular food is being rejected, take it off the menu for two to three weeks. Chances are good that it will be accepted again when you offer it next. Start to offer your family fat-free or low-fat snacks at an early age such as fruit, vegetables, dry cereal, pretzels, baked tortilla chips, salsa, hummus, baked potato chips, and low-fat/fat-free yogurt.

It is important to repeatedly present new foods to children to develop their flavor preferences. As children get older, their acceptance of a wider range of flavors will expand from simply sweet or salty to bitter, sour, spicy, etc. Keep in mind that battles at the table are not always about food, but control.

Experts always say not to be a short-order cook! Try to serve at least one food that everyone will eat and add one new thing at a time. Include your children in creating menus, grocery shopping, gardening, setting the table and food preparation. We can teach children important life skills around food such as budgeting money and time management skills. There are many adults that I work with who have no idea how to cook, so learning alongside your children or passing on your knowledge will help them to be great parents!

The post Picky Eaters Learn From Parents appeared first on The Wellness Advisor.