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In this Issue
Focus on Food
Sugar Blues
Surviving Mt. St. Pasta
If You Only Do One Thing This Month….
Bleeding Edge Science
Ask the Doc
Exciting Developments from Dr. Peeke
Focus on Food
As you know, I believe in an integrated Mind/Mouth/Muscle approach to fitness so this month I’m focusing on Mouth, specifically what and how much you’re putting in between those lips of yours. I’m going to talk a bit more about what we’re discovering about sugar and share a number of tricks to ensure you don’t eat too much of even the good things.
Sugar Blues
In May, I referred to bleeding edge research about sugar’s priming effect on the body, meaning that the more we have the more we want to eat. And that’s a big issue with many of us—the average American eats 30 teaspoons of added sugars and sweeteners every day. That’s 142 pounds in a year.
When I say sugar, you probably think about the white stuff made from sugar cane or beets. But there are all kinds of other sweeteners that operate essentially the same—by turning into glucose in your bloodstream. You’ll see the following words on the labels of processed foods:
1.
High fructose corn syrup
2.
Corn syrup
3.
Corn syrup solids
4.
Sucrose
5.
Dextrose
6.
Fructose
7.
Brown sugar
8.
Fruit juice concentrates or any variation: apple juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, etc.
9.
Honey
10.
Molasses
11.
Maltose
12.
Maple syrup
All these sugars not only cause weight gain (even the artificial ones, folks, because they’ve been shown they make it harder to suppress your appetite), but can actually make you sick. How come? Too many sweets can suppress white blood cell production, making you more susceptible to colds, flus and the like. It can even give you wrinkles by sending the aging process into overdrive. Bottom line? Swap refined sugars and artificial sweeteners for the natural sugars found in fruit. Agave, a natural sweetener made from the agave plant is becoming popular as it contains iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. But like anything the key is moderation. It’s actually sweeter than sugar so you should use less.
Surviving Mt. Saint Pasta
Here are seven tricks for portion control:
1. Out of sight is really out of mouth. Assistants who were supplied with free chocolates ate the most if the dish was sitting on their desks, less if the dish was in a drawer and even less if they had to walk even six steps. Never keep candy at work? Great—now keep the serving dishes in the kitchen and eat at the dining table when eating. Those extra steps keep you from reaching for seconds.
2. Think eating slowly is the answer? It turns out the longer you sit at the table, the more you will eat. I’m all for savoring, but don’t linger with temptation in front of you. Remember rule #1.
3. Beware low fat, low calorie, and other low labels. People tend to see those words and end up eating more. Buy the 100 calorie packages and have one of those. Or break the larger bags into 100-calorie servings, take one and put the rest away.
4. Too many choices are dangerous. When human beings see a wide variety of food spread out on a table, we want them all! Believe it or not, this doesn’t happen as much with a plate of all the same food.
If you’re stuck in a restaurant or business meeting with a big spread, sit where you can’t see it to minimize the chances your seat will spread!
5. Don’t keep unhealthy treats in the house. That way, you’ll have to make an effort to get to them. Studies have shown that we eat less when we have to work more to get food. Animals that had to press a lever 10 times to get fed ate more than those who had to press it 100 times.
6. Bulk is bad. Yes, those big box clubs may have you money but they add an average of 150 calories to your portions.
Read the labels as to what a serving size is and stick to it.
7. Eating with others can be hazardous to your waistline. We typically eat 35% more when we’re with someone else and every person at the table adds an additional 10%! Why? We stop paying attention, we get carried away with all the choices (see rule number 4), and friends urge us to try things we’d otherwise steer clear of.
Try deciding what you are going to have before you get there and stick to it. Live a bit on your plate so no one will press more food on you.
If You Do Only One Thing This Month…
Mind and Muscle at the Same Time
You know how many times I suggest you take a walk, right? Well, if you can get out into nature and walk for 50 minutes (as opposed to walking in traffic, for instance), you’ll actually be increasing your ability to concentrate and perform better back at the office. The researchers who did the experiment guess that nature restores concentration because we don’t have to pay attention in such a focused way as when we’re walking on city streets so our minds actually get to take break. So head to the park for a double whammy—give your brain a rest and your body a work out.
Mouth
Pick one of the Mouth suggestions I made in this newsletter and commit to doing it for this month. Notice the effect it has on your waist line.
Bleeding Edge Science
Being held accountable really does keep you on track. In a study of long-term weight maintenance, women who had someone to check in with every two weeks by phone or in person gained back significantly less weight than those who didn’t. So if you’d like more support, consider my personalized lifestyle management.
For more info, click here [need link to lifestyle management section on the website] or call 301-407-0467 x 111.
Ask the Doc
Dear Dr. Peeke,
I just don’t seem to have any energy, which makes it harder to even contemplate working out. No matter how much sleep I get, I am tired. Help!
--MR, San Francisco
Dear MR,
I am assuming you’ve had a physical in the past year and had blood work to rule out a thyroid, low iron, or other medical problem. If not, please do. If there isn’t anything medically wrong, consider the following: First, are you eating enough protein, particularly in the morning? That will prevent a blood sugar roller coaster crash. Make sure you’re having protein every four hours or so, more with meals, less with snacks. Eggs, whole wheat toast with peanut butter, low or non fat yogurt, low fat mozzarella stick. Second, are you dehydrated? Studies show that when people are too thirsty, they feel fatigued. Sip water frequently. Third, make sure your lunches are lean. Too much fat can cause what’s known as post-prandial somnolence, meaning you want to take a nap. Pay attention to when your energy is the highest and plan your workout then, if possible. And remember, exercise increases energy. So try it even if you don’t feel like it and notice if you have more lift to your step after.
--Dr. P
Exciting Developments from Dr. P
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I’ve just been named one of America’s top women doctors by LifeScript.com, the #1 website dedicated to women’s health. To read my article on stress management, click here [link to site]
Start your healthy, mindful living today. If not now, when?
Pam Peeke MD, MPH, FACP
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