Is Food Meant to be That Color?

I bet when health experts say to eat a rainbow they aren't referring to skittles®.  While this blog is about making small changes, this change may be a bigger challenge than we expect:

Cut Out the Artificial Colors!!

Growing up my brothers and I would have to beg our mom to buy Fruit Loops® or Fruity Pebbles®.  Thank goodness my mother had common sense and rarely gave in, her argument being, in addition to the unnecessary sugar content, "all that fake color can't be good for you."  Even though she probably didn't know all the reasons these falsely colored cereals weren't good for us, none the less, she was right.  

There are people on both sides of the artificial color debate.  Some say that there isn't enough evidence that the current FDA approved artificial colors are harmful.  Others believe that the current body of evidence, pointing to various side effects such as contributing to ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and/or cancer, is enough to have the colors banned.  Many European countries have already banned most or all of the artificial colors we use here in the United States.  

I'm not here to debate the level of harm artificial colors can cause.  Although, I do believe that basic common sense, as it did my mother, should tell us not to eat them.  My advice being, to cut out foods with artificial colors.  My philosophy on healthy eating involves getting as close to the way nature intended.  I was appalled when I read that the reduced-sugar jelly I almost bought had red #5.  To me the obvious fake color made it look less appetizing.         

While many foods are obviously artificially colored, ie: most powdered drink mixes, juice drinks, and fruit flavored candy.  There are many more that require a closer look.  The only way to be sure if a food does or doesn't contain an artificial color is to read the ingredient label.  

The most widely used artificial colors in the United States includes:

• Blue #1 and Blue #2
• Green #3
• Red #3 and Red #40
• Yellow # 5 and Yellow #6 

To open your eyes to where artificial colors can be hidden, here is a list of common items that may likely contain artificial color.      

• Yogurt
• Ice Cream
• Pickles
• Jelly/Jam
• Baked goods
• Crackers
• Ketchup
• Sauce/dressing 
• Dips/spreads
• Juice Drinks
• Cereals (even ones that aren't obvious and rainbow colored)

Next time you're out shopping make sure you read the ingredient list, even on your least suspecting foods.  If you're eating at a restaurant your guess is as good as mine. 

Another Meaning to Going Green

Mom always said to "eat your greens"

For generations we have heard that we need to eat our green vegetables.  Most people who told you to eat your green vegetables growing up probably didn't even know why they are so important to eat.  We are continually learning more and more benefits of eating fruits and vegetables and that includes the many benefits of green vegetables.  Most people know that vegetables contain vitamins and minerals but what a lot of people don't know is that vegetables, including green vegetables, are chalked full of phytonutrients (plant nutrients).  Phytonutrients help plants fight off disease; mold, bacteria, fungus, bugs, etc.  

Vitamins and minerals are essential to keeping you alive.  Phytonutrients, however, are not essential to keeping you alive but what they do is very extraordinary.  They help your body function at its best and can help prevent many diseases including cancer.  Thousands of phytonutrients have been discovered but only hundreds have been studied in depth.  Research supports that phytonutrients work best when combined with other phytonutrients.  Some fruits and vegetables have a hundred or more phytonutrients.  What this means is that it is best to eat phytonutrients and not seek them from a pill, powder, liquid or other type of supplement.  Since most supplements don't contain hundreds of types of phytonutrients they aren't going to be as effective as eating the whole plant.  Plus, the processing that plants undergo as they are put into supplement form may make their phytonutrients less effective.  

If that hasn't convinced you to eat your greens, how about the fact that they are low in calories and high in fiber.  Making them a great way to fill up and not out.  In other words, they are a great food to help you lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight.  

Here are some suggestions on ways to get in some dark green vegetables everyday:

1. Pack a vegetable in your lunch every day.  Even if you are having a carry-in or a catered lunch at work add your vegetable to whatever is being provided.  
2. Dark leafy greens piled high on a sandwich or in a wrap are a great way to get at least 1/2 a cup in.  Because leafy greens are so light and fluffy 1 cup of greens actually only counts as 1/2 cup toward your vegetable intake.  
3. Buy a bag of broccoli that is already cut up.  It doesn't get much easier than opening a bag and munching away.  You can also add the pre-cut broccoli to a stir-fry, steam it, or add it to your spaghetti sauce.
4. Use dark leafy greens, such as spinach, arugula, romaine, or field greens, instead of iceberg lettuce when you make a salad.
5. Dice up some green peppers and load them on your pizza or stuff your omelet with them.  You can also cut them into strips and crunch away!
6. If you don't like cutting vegetable try asparagus.  After washing it, hold a stalk with both hands about a quarter to a third of the way up from the bottom and bend it in half.  It will snap in 2, discard the fibrous bottom portion and steam the rest.  Kids love to help with this too. 

         
So I challenge you to eat 1 cup of green vegetables everyday.  While 1 cup of vegetables per day is well below the recommended amount for most people this should leave plenty of room for all the other colors of vegetables in your daily diet. 

Go The Distance

Although I am a Dietitian this blog is about more than just healthy eating, it's about helping create a healthy lifestyle.  Making a daily caloric balance is not only about calories in but calories out.  In other words, limiting what we eat isn't always enough, we also need to kick up the calories we burn.  So I am going to have you:

Go The Distance

Let me explain what I mean by this.  Find ways in your daily routine to walk a few extra steps.  You may even find it helpful to clip on a pedometer so see trends in your daily distance walked.  If you want a concrete goal, aim for 10,000 steps per day on your pedometer. Here are a few ideas to help you STEP IT UP, and go the distance:

1)  There is something that feels great about getting that front row parking space.  "I did it!  or "My lucky day"  might cross your mind.  But parking at the back of the parking lot so you have to walk farther to get to the door of your destination should provide you with a better sense of accomplishment.  You may find that you actually save time as well, because you won't waste it driving around looking for the "best" spot.  The best part though, you will rack up extra steps.

2)  Take 10 minutes out of your lunch break to take a walk outside.  Doing it before you eat may be your best bet.  After eating you may not feeling like doing too much moving as your circulation goes to your stomach for digestion.  If you have an hour lunch break spend 30 minutes walking and 30 minutes eating.

3) When the mid-afternoon lull hits you, instead of reaching for a caffeinated beverage, try a quick 5-10 minute walk outside.  Even though it may be difficult to get a away, even for 5 minutes, you may find that you are more productive when you get back and in the long run you won't miss those walking minutes one bit.

4)  On the weekends find outdoor activities that require you to walk around.  Visit fairs, expos, the zoo or even a cruise around the mall.

5)  Instead of sitting while you're on the phone pace back and forth or walk around the house, remember every step counts.


Though it doesn't seem like much, increasing your steps can really make a big impact.  Remember if you burn  an extra 50 calories per day that will equal 5 pounds in a year, 100 calories per day and we're talking 10 pounds.  You can easily see how adding these small steps can equal HUGE results.