CBS Better Mornings DietTips

Now you can literally watch what you eat! Each week I share a video segment full of diet tips on a different nutrition topics for Atlanta CBS-46's Better Mornings with corresponent Tracye Hutchins.

Think about Your Drink reveals how it may be the liquid portion of portion control that's tipping the scales in the wrong direction for some folks. In fact, a recent survey found that up to 22% of daily calories are coming from beverages, not what's on your plate.

http://www.cbs46.com/video/16488794/index.html

Or maybe you'd like Beat the Bloat! Beverages play a role here too, but in a good way. Did you know that drinking MORE water and "watery" foods can help you prevent water retention??

http://www.cbs46.com/video/16570318/index.html

Stay tuned for more topics.........

Summer Food Shockers

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ......bumm..bumm..bumm..bumm....bumm.... bumm....

Look out for seemingly "light" summer menu choices that can take an ugly bite out of your bikini sized summer diet calorie budget!! From fresh fruit smoothies serving more fat than fiber and grilled corn on the cob slathered with melted butter... there are many ways that excess calories can sneak into your diet even when you're trying to eat "lighter".

Jamba Juice Chunky Strawberry Smoothie PER SERVING (12 oz.): 450 calories, 14g fat.

Krispy Kreme Oranges & Kreme ChillerPER SERVING (12 oz.): 630 calories, 28g fat.


Corn on the Cob: Every tablespoon of butter slathered on adds 100 calories. Instead crunch into freshly picked sweet summer corn that's been steamed; you won't miss the butter.


Salads aren't safe from stealth calories, either. Some are so heavily doused in dressings, cheese, croutons and other high fat/calorie ingredients...you might as well have ordered the hamburger! and the fries!!

And avoid drowning in these calorie laden summer drinks:

Daiquiri: With four ounces of mix and one ounce of liquor, a daiquiri weighs in at 305 calories -- almost all sugar. And these "umbrella drinks" are often served in very large quantities (12 to 16 ounces) so can be as high as 800 calories.

Long Island Iced Tea: Using TGIFriday's mixer and a 12-ounce serving adds 520 calories to your daily intake.

Pina Colada: A five-ounce glass nets 245 calories. Supersize it to 10 ounces and it's 490 calories.


Instead...quench your pool side thirst with these lighter liquid choices:


Mimosa (one part champagne and one part orange juice): At 130 calories, this traditional morning libation won't wreak havoc on your waistline. And you'll get 100 percent of your vitamin C requirement from the orange juice.

Wine Spritzer: With three ounces of wine and three ounces of club soda, wine spritzers top out at about 60 calories.

Sangria: The combination of wine, fruit juice, club soda and fresh fruit makes for a low-cal, refreshing drink, about 80 calories.

Sex and the City of Diet Books!

From the martinis to the Manolo's...the girls are back and I was thrilled


to attend a preview screening of the new Sex and The City movie this


week. Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte fans showed up at the


invite only screening to walk the pink carpet as photogs flashed and


TV cameras followed their stilletto steps into the theater. If you


haven't seen the flick, I don't want to spoil it...but I can tell you that you


will not be disappointed by the walk-in closet Big has built for Carrie!


All this Sex talk reminds me that many of The Dish reviews


compared our appeal and approach to the writing style of a certain

writer in that hit HBO series.


Here's what one native New York gal thought of The Dish on Eating Healthy and

Being Fabulous! (Atria Books):


If Carrie Bradshaw wrote a book on how to eat well and still fit into her fabulous outfits, this would be it. It's whimsical, but underlying it all is the serious topic of getting us to eat healthy without becoming obnoxious food cops. I love living in this city, and running into Carolyn (and her co-author Densie Webb and all her other friends) is one of the reasons why.

To order your very own DISH...visit amazon.com

Anti Aging On The Menu

Restaurant designers know that choosing corals and pinks for dining room décor and subtle indirect lighting is flattering to guests who not only want their food to look good, they want to look fabulous, too. No one likes squinting into the glare of bright lights that scream “Where were you on the night of……?” emphasizing every wrinkle from crow’s feet to laugh lines. Choosing where to eat based on how young and attractive we feel is a vote for better atmosphere, an important part of enjoying the dining out experience. What the chef’s cooking up in the kitchen can keep you looking younger, too. So while you’re feeling sleek in the sexy interiors of Maxim Prime Steakhouse at the Glenn Hotel, you can nibble on Chef Daniel Zoby’s salad of organic greens accessorized with dried cherries and cashews followed by grilled wild salmon and asparagus to add some youth enhancing nutrients to the night.
Stop the Clock Cooking
Contemporary nutrition research not only identifies foods that can keep us slim and healthy, scientists have pinpointed nutrients associated with anti-aging benefits. These vitamins, minerals and other antioxidants fight Father Time by warding off the production of cell damaging free radicals that not only age the skin they contribute to memory loss and increased risk of heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
The star players in the anti-aging game are fruits and vegetables because they’re excellent sources of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and hundreds of other antioxidant compounds. Dairy products (preferably non fat) from a glass of milk or a container of yogurt are youth-enhancing too because they support long term bone health. Healthy fats play a role as well in keeping cells healthy. Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, flaxseed and walnuts and the mono-unsaturated oils found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nut butters are heart healthy and help keep skin moisturized from the inside out. Both mono-unsaturated fats and vitamin C work together to build and repair elastin and collagen in the skin. Registered dietitian, Cheryl Forberg, author of Positively Ageless (Rodale 2008) says, “We’re finding that some foods that seem quite ordinary have extraordinary health benefits.” She suggests adding a cup of tea-black or green- hot or iced to your dining out habits for even more antioxidant bang, “Tea, dark chocolate, red wine and dried fruits especially prunes are concentrated sources of potent antioxidants called flavonoids believed to fight against age-related mental decline and the inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.”
So, the Fountain of Youth really can be found if you know where to look on the menu.

Skin Friendly Food Tips
· Avoid excess alcohol and caffeine which can dry and dehydrate your skin, robbing the cells of needed water, and causing fine lines to be more visible.
· Beauty on the half shell. Oysters are a great source of the mineral zinc which is involved in wound healing and the formation of new collagen. Rather have sushi? The mineral selenium found in tuna and crab may help delay aging by reducing sun damage and protecting skin’s elasticity.
· Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, which is a spongy network of fibers that keeps skin plump and wrinkle-free. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, red peppers, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, strawberries and kiwi fruit.
· If you’re a fan of dining al fresco at outdoor cafes and sunny terraces don’t forget your sunscreen. Dermatologists remind us you don’t have to be at the beach to suffer sun damage.

Midnight Snack Attacks

Hmmmm. What looks good? Now, you may have been warned against indulging your end of the day hunger pangs and rightfully so, if those after-hours calories put you over the top of your daily caloric budget. But, when those midnight munchies strike, you often can't help yourself. So here are some suggestions for midnight snacks which can actually be good for you.

Maybe You’re Just Thirsty
Before you raid the fridge make sure that hunger is really what's fueling your mania to munch. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger. So, try drinking at least two cups of water before diving into a mid-night snack. Afterwards, you may be able to return to bed completely satisfied without eating a thing.

Late Night Sweet Tooth
If the light of the moon sends you searching for all-things-sweet, beware of ice cream and chocolate brownie cake temptations. In fact, just say “No” to chocolate because it contains caffeine which can disrupt sleep when you finally do get to bed. And the high fat content in desserts such as premium ice creams can cause indigestion when you go horizontal. So, opt for non fat yogurts if you want something cool and creamy. Or tame your bedtime sugar craving with dried fruit such as a few naturally sweet prunes which contain fiber, potassium and magnesium- a combination of nutrients that will gently aid your digestive health overnight.

Nutty Nights
Sometimes all you need is a small snack to get your through the night. And a handful of crunchy roasted nuts such as almonds offer some big nutrition rewards. This nutty snack is full of magnesium and B vitamins, both which help promote serotonin production in the brain to relax the body and mind. Not only will you cut stress, but you won't stress over the calories. Twenty-two whole almonds only equals about 100 calories.

Milk It
Whether you want to quench your thirst or need something to wash down a midnight cookie snack (choose oatmeal not chocolate chip) a simple glass of non-fat milk is not only nostalgic at bedtime it’s nutritious.
A glass of milk can help you sleep better because of the calcium content -- which relaxes muscles -- and increases the amount of tryptophan in the blood, which helps promote sleepiness. Avoid chocolate milk which contains some caffeine.

Midnight Mistakes
Certain foods are really bad choices late at night. And it’s not just the excess calories. Anything high in sugar and caffeine can keep you awake when you finally do want to sleep. And while that after-hours Chinese place sounds like fun; this is not the time for deep fried or stir fried entrees or any other high fat splurges like big burgers or double cheese pizzas. They may meet your need for midnight munchies but can cause some serious late night indigestion. Super spicy foods can cause the problem, too. If you really are hungry, have a turkey (contains tryptophan) sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of non-fat milk. You’ll satisfy your stomach rumblings, get a good night’s sleep and improve your chances at being gung-ho about taking that good for you walk in the morning.

Shrimp and a Sea of Misunderstanding

Sea the Light

If you've been avoiding shrimp because you heard that these crustaceans are high in cholesterol, you're wrong and right. Shrimp do contain relatively high levels of dietary cholesterol - 166 milligrams of cholesterol per three ounces of steamed shrimp. But, they are very low in saturated fat, the kind of fat that raises blood cholesterol. It turns out that the cholesterol we eat has less of an affect on our blood cholesterol than saturated fats. So the net-net, as you cast your net to find heart healthy seafood, is that shrimp's nutritional profile places it on the list of the dietary good guys. Researchers at The Rockefeller University found that when volunteers ate shrimp along with foods that were low in saturated fat, their blood lipid ratios remained balanced. The same goes for shrimp's crustacean cousins lobster and crab.

Pass the Lemons Please

The healthiest way to enjoy shrimp is simply steamed. Add a spritz of fresh lemon or lime juice or a splash of hot sauce and you'll keep the calories low-84 calories per three ounce serving of shrimp.

Of course, if you drench them in melted butter or drown them in cheese sauce you're changing the nutritional picture by increasing the calories and the artery-clogging saturated fat content of the dish. Fried shrimp are higher in fat and calories too. In fact, you can add 100 calories per ounce when you plunge your shrimp into the deep fryer. If the fat in the fryer contains trans-fats ( the Darth Vadar of the nutritional world) you're adding an even higher risk of elevated blood cholesterol levels. If you must fry, seek out trans-fat free oils.

Other nutritional notes: Shrimp are almost fat free, high in protein, an excellent source the mineral selenium and vitamin B12 and a good source of iron. Nutritional Scorecard (3 ounces steamed shrimp): 84 calories, 0.9 g total fat, 0 g carbohydrate, 166 mg cholesterol, 17.8 g protein.

Penny and Pound Wise

What's a diet and health conscious penny pincher to do? With the a gallon of gas hovering around $4.oo; is there room in the budget for a pricey pomegranate smoothie or an organically grown heirloom tomato salad? If the downturn in the economy is taking a bite out of your food dollar- here are some tips from dietitian Alice Henneman, Extension Educator University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County - to help keep restaurant dining from becoming endangered.

Divide & Conquer
Whenever possible, make it a practice to divide a large portion at a restaurant in half BEFORE you start eating. You'll halve BOTH the calories and the cost of your meal!
Think "planned-overs" rather than "left-overs." Some people even make it a practice to ask for a "doggie bag" at the beginning rather than end of the meal. They remove half their food immediately so it's out-of-sight and remains out of their mouth!
NOTE: To handle take-home food safely, TWO hours from the time of serving is the maximum time perishable foods should be at room temperature, ONE hour if it's 90 degrees F or above. For best quality and safety, eat take-home foods in a day or two or freeze them for longer storage.
Penny-Wise AND Pound-Wise
When it comes to restaurant portion sizes, you can be penny-wise AND pound-wise. If you have a choice, order smaller servings sizes of foods such as burgers, fries, drinks, salads, soups and so on. They’re lower in calories and cost.
“Dine” during the Day
Some restaurants offer some of the same foods at noon as during the evening, only in smaller portion sizes and for less money. Want to eat at that fancy restaurant? Check their noontime menu!

If you love the illustrations on this blog you must know that they are the talented work

of Laura Coyle. website: http://www.coyleart.com blog: http://coyleart.typepad.com/coyleart/
stock art collection: http://www.theispot.com/artist/stock/coyle