B 12

I just read an interesting article on Medscape News that said that Metformin, a medication used to manage Type 2 Diabetes, can reduce the absorption of B12.  Higher doses of the medication were more likely to lower B12 levels and people who took a multivitamin were less likely to have low B12.  In one of the studies B12 deficiency was reported for 22% of the Metformin users.

B12 is a vitamin that is found in all animal source foods.  The body produces a protein called "intrinsic factor" that is necessary for the absorption of B12.  Vegans (people who don't eat any animal foods) are at risk for B12 deficiency as are the elderly (who tend to make less intrinsic factor).  There are a number of medications and stomach/intestinal problems that can also contribute to B12 deficiency.

Many people are aware that iron is related to anemia, but there are also forms of anemia that are related to B vitamin deficiency.  Deficiency of  B12 or Folic Acid can both cause anemia as well.  Since the symptoms are similar for both B-vitamin caused anemias, a blood test is required to choose the correct treatment.  The Merck Manual has more information about B12 and Folate.

Nutrition Challenge #1

Becky shared with me that her biggest challenge to healthy lifestyle and living is "balancing my new eating habits and needs with those necessary for teens and those for a exercising high cal eating husband."

"I think planning weekly menus would assist but find when I do that hubs and kids sometimes make the food I had planned to have for dinner for their lunch! "  

That is a challenge!  Here are a few ideas that might help fill up your bottomless pits (in a healthy way) without de-railing your nutrition goals.

• Plan meals and snacks when you write your menu.  Have high nutrient snacks for the high calorie gang and low cal options for those with lower calorie needs.  Focus family meals on foods that are high in fiber and vegetables that are beneficial for everyone. 
• Establish "fair game" & "off limits" sections of the fridge.  Put any leftovers that are up for grabs as well as snacks for the high calorie eaters in the family. An upper shelf is good for this so it becomes the first thing that is seen when you open the door. (In contrast, put your low calorie snacks in an opaque container, which serves as a cloaking device to teens.)
• Set aside a shelf in the cupboard or pantry for high nutrient snacks.  Stock it with individual portions of nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, instant breakfast drinks, and instant oatmeal.  Snack size baggies are good for this to discourage the entire container from disappearing.  
• Make high nutrient snacks like energy bars, and bean dips  that are ready to eat.  (The teens I know always chose the path of least resistance.)   
• Dried milk can be added  as a protein supplement to foods that are warm and moist like mashed potatoes, oatmeal, or casseroles. 

I'll work on some meal ideas and post them in a few days. 

Deli Cheat

I would like to say that every meal at my house is cooked from scratch and reflects perfectly balanced nutrition.  Mind you, that does happen several times a week.  But sometimes I want a healthy meal that takes only 10 minutes to put together.  

A roasted deli chicken provided 2 great meals for the 4 of us.  The night that I brought it home, we had "wraps".  A hearty serving of lettuce from the garden, combined with shredded carrots, tomato & avocado provided the veggies.  Some shredded cheese for a little calcium, and the chicken for protein.

We LOVE ranch dressing at our house and I make mine with a store brand ranch powder packet, buttermilk and a combo of fat-free sour cream & mayo.  The buttermilk and sour cream help reduce the fat and the mayo keeps it from tasting whimpy.

While I'm putting away the leftovers, I make deli salads in 6 cup reusable containers for lunches (or suppers) the next day.

To make things come out evenly, I usually portion out the meat and let everyone else select the amount of the other items they want on their wrap or salad.

This works with any combo of meat and veg.  Tonight I served pre-cooked frozen shrimp with left-over roasted corn, some toasted almonds & pumpkin seeds. While the pan for the nuts was warm, I sliced up a cheese called "Idaho Golden Greek" from Ballard Family Dairy. They call it a "Halloumi style grillin' cheese".  Just toss it into a pan on medium heat and it gets an amazing golden crust on it, while maintaining it's shape.  Next time I'll remember to take a picture of it before I eat it all.  

Next time you're crunched for time, pick up some salad veggies and a deli chicken and make several healthy meals at once.

Strawberries!!!!

Mmmmm.   Strawberries.  Trust me, these were even yummier than they look.  I found them in the section behind the weeds that is my much neglected back yard strawberry patch.  I have a few under the roses in the front yard too...but someone always gets to those before I do.  I have a long range goal of getting all the Potentilla groundcover out of the front perennial garden and replacing it with strawberries.

These 4 delicious gems were only 16 calories, but had 1 gram of fiber and 44% of recommended daily intake of vitamin C!  If I get serious about this groundcover scheme, I could protect the whole neighborhood from Survy!  Well, if you talk me into sharing.

Choose My Plate

USDA has announced their new logo "Choose My Plate" this morning, which will be replacing MyPyramid. 

 

Their new logo and revised website to help us to understand the updates to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines.  The goal is to start by filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables.  At least half of the grains should be “whole grains” like whole wheat, brown rice, or oats.  Add variety to your protein choices by including fish and beans.  By choosing skim or 1% milk, you can get all the vitamins, minerals and protein without the extra fat and calories. 

 

The website still has some great free resources.  “Get a Personalized Plan” allows you to enter information to get a daily food plan that lists the recommended number of cups or ounces of each food group you should eat.  The “Analyze My Diet” option allows you to enter everything you eat for a day and get a detailed nutrient breakdown that includes calories, fats, fiber and 17 vitamins & minerals. 

Go check it out!  

Nutrition for Headache Relief

Each semester, I require my Nutrition students at Boise State University to pick a diet of their choice and follow it for 4 weeks.  They follow several parameters that might change as a result of what they are eating, for example blood pressure or weight.  They participate in an on-line discussion board to give each other help and advice the weeks they are on the diet, and then write a paper with the results of a computer based nutrient analysis.  At the end of the semester, we hold a panel discussion to ask questions and learn more about what everyone did.  This semester, I was amazed with the outcomes for students who chose to track headache frequency or severity as their outcome measure.  

One student used the Food Guide Pyramid.  She went to the website to get a personalized plan.  The printout provides the servings and portion sizes of each food group to eat daily.  She reported that her intake of most vitamins and minerals improved (though didn't get to the "recommended" amounts) and she had a dramatic decrease in the frequency of headaches. 

Another student used the Plate Method.  This approach to portion control aims for 1/2 plate vegetables, 1/4 plate starchy/grains, 1/4 plate meat/protein, plus a small serving of fruit and dairy.  This approach gained popularity as an approach to manage diabetes, but it is also useful for balanced nutrition and weight loss.  The student following this approach had lower intakes of sodium, lost 3 pounds, reported fewer headaches and felt like she was more alert and had more energy.  Focusing on more produce cost her about $20 per month more than usual, which she felt was a good trade for how she felt.  

Two students followed the Fruits and Veggies More Matters (formerly known as 5-a-day).  Instead of looking at all the food groups, these students concentrated on eating more fruits and vegetables.  One student lost 4 pounds, had fewer headaches and saved money since produce costs were less than the more processed foods she'd been buying.  The most dramatic change was a student who had frequent migraine headaches (3-4 per week) and claims that after 2 weeks of eating 4-7 servings of fruits or veggies daily hadn't had a headache in over a month.  Wow. She also notes that she feels less fatigued and saw improvements to her asthma symptoms too.   Although her food costs went up slightly, she's saving many times more than that on medication.  

Maybe mom was right after all....eat your veggies.

Asparagus, Broccoli

I grew up on Sesame Street.  So today's post is brought to you by the letters A and B.

Asparagus, because it is in season! Mine came from California, but I know that it is available from Idaho farmers.  Usually I'm picking broccoli out of my garden by now, but we've had a crazy - cold spring and my veg are a month behind.

I threw these onto a cookie sheet, drizzled some EVOO and minced garlic on them and roasted them at 400 degrees.  That's me new default temp.  My mom cooked everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) at 350, but Chef Brenda says she uses 400 for her default.  Uh...she's a Registered Dietitian and she studied at Le Cordon Bleu....sorry Mom...high hand wins.    I LOVE the nutty taste that broccoli gets when it's cooked this way.  I gave it a toss after about 10 minutes then checked on it every few minutes after that until the broccoli started to brown.

Besides tasting wonderful, 1 cup of these veggies is only around 30 calories with 4 grams of fiber!!!  Both are great sources of vitamin A, but did you know that a stalk of broccoli gives you 224% RDI of vitamin C?  That's more than double what you get from a small orange.

Mmmmm.  I need to go plant more broccoli.