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 MAKEOVER -- ONE-MONTH MARK
Our three makeover
candidates have logged four weeks on the six-month road to their
weight loss and health goals. It addition to a physical journey, it
has become an intellectual and emotional one as well. Each of them
are building on their strengths and working on their
weaknesses.
Frank has stepped up his already heroic workout
routine -- but pizza is this superman's kryptonite. Amber is an
accountability Amazon when it comes to keeping her food log -- but
is in the process of overcoming weekend temptations. Janet is
getting by with a little help from her friends -- but needs to find
more time for the gym.
They're all making progress and have
learned a few lessons that might teach you something as
well.
FRANK JACOBS
Height: 5'7"
Starting Weight: 236 lbs
Current Weight: 227
lbs
Weight loss goal: 45 lbs
POUNDS LOST:
9
"For me I've found that burning the calories is the
easy part -- it's avoiding them that's the hard part. I've always
been a workout fanatic, but I've stepped up my exercise even more.
Every day I do an hour of cardio: Half an hour on the step-mill
followed by half an hour on the elliptical trainer, swimming or
stationary bike. Then I also weight train most days. Finally, after
my evening meal, I like to take a half-hour walk to get some fresh
air and keep the metabolism going.
"Weekends remain my
biggest challenge, which is no surprise -- it's how I gained the
extra weight in the first place. During the week I do great -- my
diet is primarily fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. But on the
weekends I'll be at a party and have a couple of beers, or at home
my roommate will order a pizza and the best of intentions can go
right out the window! Also during the week I'm really focused at
work so that keeps my mind off food -- but when I'm kicking back on
the weekends watching football, I'm susceptible to mindless
munching. It's a lifestyle change and that's something I'm still
working on.
"All in all, I've made good progress and I'm
encouraged. My immediate goal is to always have some fruit or a
salad before my evening meal. I'm ravenous when I get home and
fruits and vegetables can be my speed bumps so that I don't hit the
dinner table at maximum velocity hunger."
AMBER
SPAHR
Height: 5'1"
Starting Weight: 134 lbs
Current Weight: 131
lbs
Weight loss goal: 19 lbs
POUNDS LOST:
3
"I'm trying to change my food choices and my habits, so
that if I'm hungry I go for the bowl of pineapple instead of the box
of crackers. I do better during the week. One thing I've started
doing is buying an extra Daily Dole lunch special to take home for
dinner. It minimizes the chances of being thrown off track by
temptation and laziness.
"Like Frank, weekends are a
challenge -- but I still keep my food journal no matter what so I
can't lie to myself. Also it keeps things in perspective by
reminding me that, yes, most days I am meeting my targets on calorie
reduction. My husband and I have a "date night" on the weekends and,
instead of defaulting to dinner at a restaurant, I want to start
trying different activities, like roller-blading, rock-climbing or
walking on the beach.
"I'm working out with a personal
trainer three times a week -- but I need to do more cardio and get
to yoga. So far the scale hasn't really changed, and I know I need
to do better with my eating on weekends and step up the exercise in
order to see a real difference. But my husband says he sees
improvement, and I'm seeing better definition and muscle tone, so
I'm pleased with that."
JANET PICARELLI
 Height: 5'5"
Starting Weight: 255 lbs
Current
Weight: 244 lbs
Weight loss goal: 50 lbs
POUNDS
LOST: 11
"I'm headed in the right direction. I feel more
comfortable in my own clothes, I feel confident about the road and
truly grateful for all the support. This journey is all about
SUPPORT. I have gotten dozens and dozens of e-mails, many from
people I didn't even know. Thank you -- they help, so keep them
coming! The weekly support meetings with the Dole Nutrition
Institute staff and my fellow D.E.W. candidates have also helped --
I've never thought of myself as needing a 'buddy,' but there's
something about the group support that provides not only
accountability but also encouragement.
My husband has also
been tremendously supportive. In the past, we never discussed my
eating habits and health was just not a concern. Now that I'm
focused on the health consequences, I've asked him to be supportive
by reminding me of my goals when I get tempted. My husband does all
the cooking, so I lean on him for all my healthy meals at home. I
know this sounds crazy but I actually told him to say NO to me --
only when I ask for _______ (insert any of several artery-clogging
favorite greasy food choices!). I couldn't make it without
him!
"The hardest part has been finding the time to get to
the gym. Although I no longer have to drag myself to the gym, I am
still having trouble finding the time to get there. My boss (Bob
Brunner) suggested that I schedule the time as an appointment -- as
I would with a meeting. See, it's little suggestions like this that
help so much. I am not doing this alone -- it's all about support
and guidance."
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 MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH
How to
celebrate? The American Dietetic Association has two words for you:
Eat breakfast! The ADA is using this year's National Nutrition Month
to remind people that breakfast is the most important meal of the
day.
Unfortunately, more than one-quarter of adults skip
breakfast -- as do one-third of adolescents. Skippers aren't "aye,
aye," at all -- in fact, those who miss breakfast often feel tired,
restless and irritable in the morning. They may be fooling
themselves into thinking they're controlling calories but, in fact,
eating breakfast is a mainstay of any successful diet plan. It
jump-starts your metabolism: Research shows breakfast-eaters burn an
extra 200 to 300 calories a day. That gives them an advantage over
non-breakfast eaters when it comes to obesity. A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology
found that those who skip breakfast are 4.5 times more likely to be
obese than those who ricochet past the first repast.
Higher
metabolism isn't the only benefit of a morning meal. Research shows
that eating breakfast boosts brain power for better
memory.
Another reason we're big on petit dejeuner
is that keeping a regular date with the morning plate may help
prevent tooth decay among young children,
according to the American Dental Association.
Grownups need
that first meal of the day as well to make sure their tissues are
able to absorb the glucose in the blood stream that enables them to
function. A study at Northwestern University also showed that
adults who ate breakfast were 37% to 55% less likely to develop
insulin resistance syndrome (often the precursor to diabetes) and
less likely to become obese.
Breakfast is a great way to set
a healthy, calorie-conscious tone for the rest of the day. Here are
two of our favorite breakfast recipes: Pineapple Berry Smoothie and Egg White Omelet.
Feed your mind as well as
your body by taking the ADA's National Nutrition Month Quiz. Are you
a nutrition numbskull or a wellness wizard? Find out by clicking here.
THE ASTOUNDING ARTICHOKE
Journey to the center
of this leaf-plated, labor-intensive, but oh-so-luscious (and low
cal!) vegetable on March 16, Artichoke Hearts Day. Eating an
artichoke is like opening a gift to yourself. It provides a good
dose of potassium, vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium and phosphorus
-- all for just 60 calories. But the biggest health bonus artichokes
have to offer is fiber -- all six, insoluble grams of it, which may
help lower serum cholesterol levels and prevent
disease.
Amazingly, California produces nearly all of the artichokes
in the U.S. -- and consumes almost half of them! Store them in the
vegetable bin in plastic bags to prevent dehydration. Stand
artichokes upright in three inches of water, cover and boil gently
for 40 minutes or until a center petal can be pulled out easily. Or
for something different, try this Baked Artichoke recipe (click here). Either way, enjoy with a favorite dip
-- click here for ours.
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 HOW TO BE A RED-BLOODED AMERICAN
by Jennifer
Grossman
March may be National Nutrition Month -- but, hey,
here at the DNI, we celebrate nutrition every month, and every day
of the year! It also happens to be American Red Cross Month -- and
an opportunity to do the right thing by scheduling an appointment to
donate blood.
Every two seconds someone
needs blood. In the early part of 2004, blood banks dwindled to
dangerous levels as this year's flu sidelined many potential donors.
Harsh winter conditions in many parts of the country have further
hampered collection efforts -- so let's make the early spring a time
to restock the nation's supplies!
At the DNI we believe in
donating regularly: My colleague, Cheryl Walsten, and I make a point
of scheduling advance appointments on the calendar every 56 days,
the requisite waiting period between donations. So as nutrition
professionals we asked ourselves: How might frequent donations
affect the body's health -- and how can diet help ensure healthy
blood?
Since nearly two-thirds of your body's iron is found
in hemoglobin, loss of blood -- whether from blood donations,
menstruation or injury -- depletes iron stores, and if this
depletion isn't adequately compensated by your daily dietary iron
intake, then iron deficiency can occur.
Iron deficiency is
the most common nutrient deficiency in America -- affecting an
estimated 10% of the population. Globally, the problem is even more
serious: The World Health Organization estimates that more than 30% of the world's population is iron deficient.
Pre-menopausal women, pregnant women and toddlers are at highest
risk of a deficiency because of their higher iron needs.
As
iron is integral to both oxygen transport and the body's metabolism,
its deficiency may express itself in a lack of energy, decreased
work and school performance, difficulty in maintaining body
temperature and impaired immune response. Among pregnant women, iron
deficiency may result in premature deliveries and low birth
weights.
So how can you make sure that your blood is
iron-rich -- not just when it comes time to donating blood and
replacing the lost hemoglobin, but also in terms of optimal immune
function and oxygenation of your body's organs and
tissues?
Although many different foods and supplements
contain iron, the fact that iron is not easily absorbed can vary the
body's ability to make use of it. Part of this absorption or
availability factor is determined by whether the iron is derived
from animal or primarily plant sources -- the latter being less
easily absorbed by the body than the former.
My fellow
frequent blood donor Cheryl and I provide a case in point. Cheryl
eats a balanced diet that includes animal proteins such as beef that
provide the highest and most easily-absorbed sources of iron. At the
Red Cross when they do the pre-donation screening for anemia on her
blood, the droplet sinks like a stone (meaning high iron). I eat a
balanced diet derived mostly from plant sources -- lower and less
easily-absorbed sources of iron. When I get my anemia screening test
done, the droplet hovers for a moment, sinking more
slowly.
In the end, I always pass and do not suffer from an
iron deficiency. But the point is that if you're a vegetarian --
especially a vegetarian pre-menopausal woman -- you need to be smart
about how you get your iron, and you need to be vigilant to ensure
you're getting enough.
Because of the low-absorption rate of
plant-derived iron, vegetarians have higher iron RDAs. Vegetarian
women need to shoot for 33 mg a day, and vegetarian men, 14 mg. The
iron needs of women like Cheryl are still significant: 18 mg a day,
whereas carnivorous men and post-menopausal women require only 8 mg
daily.
The best animal sources for dietary iron include: Beef
liver, beef round and flank cuts, chicken liver, pork loin chops and
dark meat turkey.
The best plant-derived sources for dietary
iron include: cooked spinach, blackstrap molasses, dried figs and
apricots, and beans (kidney, baked, garbanzo and soy).
As the
body can only absorb between 2% and 20% of iron contained in
vegetarian sources, eat a vitamin C rich fruit or vegetable (such as
kiwi, pineapple, oranges, red bell pepper or broccoli) with each
meal. Cooking in cast iron pots and pans will significantly increase
the iron content of food, especially when cooking acidic foods like
tomatoes. And finally, if you are concerned about your iron levels,
don't drink coffee or tea with meals, as their tannins bind to iron
and make it less absorbable. (Click here for more.)
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Tempeh Chili
(with permission, "The
Enlightened Kitchen," John Wiley & Sons, Inc.© Marie Oser,
2002)
Chili Con Carne means peppers with meat, and is
traditionally made with beef, slow cooked with chile peppers, and
other spices. Not in "The Enlightened Kitchen," where heart-healthy,
chewy tempeh replaces unhealthy ingredients typically used in this
popular dish.
8 Servings
2 (8 ounce packages) tempeh,
cubed and steamed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed
red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red onion,
chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 ounces portobello
mushrooms, diced
2 (14 1/2 ounce cans) Mexican Stewed Tomatoes,
diced
2 (15 ounce cans) chile beans with chipotle peppers
2
tablespoons chile powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon
dried Mexican oregano
Cube tempeh and steam over boiling
water for 20 minutes. Set aside. In a 5-quart saucepan, heat olive
oil and crushed pepper over medium high heat for 1 minute. Add
garlic, onion and bell pepper and saute 3 minutes, stirring
frequently. Crumble steamed tempeh into the pan and add the diced
mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stewed
tomatoes, chile beans, chile powder and Mexican oregano. Reduce heat
and simmer for 15 minutes.
Enlightened Tempeh
Chili
Nutrition Analysis per 1 1/2 cup serving
Protein:20
g
Carbohydrates: 33 g
Fiber: 8 g
Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0
mg
Calcium: 173 mg
Sodium: 722 mg
Calories: 227 (Calories
from Protein: 32%, Calories from Carbohydrates: 52%, Calories from
Fat: 17%)
Traditional Chili
Nutrition Analysis per
1 1/2 cup serving
Protein: 19 g
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Fiber:
8 g
Fat: 26 g
Cholesterol: 56 mg
Calcium: 108 mg
Sodium:
1,122 mg
Calories: 410 (Calories from Protein: 18%, Calories from
Carbohydrates:29%, Calories from Fat: 54%)
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