Part of the frustration around nutrition is that we read the ideas and theories of so many different influencers, bloggers, physicians, and nutritionists on every corner of the web. In addition, we see catchy and misleading advertisements trying to get our attention and money. And to top it all off, the news headlines tend to share just a snippet of the latest research studies in a way that can have us questioning what we once knew to be true. This all makes it seem like nutrition science is useless and nobody is right!
Before you throw your hands in the air and give up, listen to what Dr. Chaney has to say. Dr. Chaney is a retired professor of human metabolism who knows a thing or two about the scientific method. He is passionate about helping consumers think more like scientists so we can make sense of the latest news in nutrition and spot the hype.
In his book, Slaying the Food Myths, he writes in detail about how to do this, but I’d like to share some highlights with you here.
How to think like a scientist
First, look at the totality of available research.
You can find a study or two that proves just about anything. This makes it easy for people to cherry-pick one or two research studies that support their theory and disregard the other studies that may disprove it. A good scientist will look at all the research and consider what the majority of high-quality studies show. Never base your opinion on a single study, rather look at the “weight of available evidence.”
Secondly, know that all studies have flaws.
No study is perfect. Some are better than others, but they all will have limitations. Sometimes the study is too short. Sometimes it has confounding variables (unexpected things that influence the outcome.) Sometimes the sample size is too small or not a good representative of the entire population. Because of this, there is no none perfect clinical study that proves or disproves a hypothesis. That’s why it is essential to look at several studies and understand what types of studies are available.
Understand the different types and phases of scientific research.
Third – The art of scientific discovery has different phases; first, we test a theory in the lab. If it shows promising results, then we try the theory on animals. Lastly, we see if it relates to humans. Many new and exciting research that makes the news headlines are done on animals. That is a factor we need to consider when hearing new research snippets. Unfortunately, only 1/10 of animal studies work out to also be accurate/helpful for humans.
Much of what we know about diets and health is from association studies. While these have provided many valuable insights, they have significant weaknesses. Association studies can’t prove a cause-and-effect relationship. They also can’t indeed account for all the possible unintended associations that may have influenced the outcome. For example, if you look at diet soda intake and weight, you may find that those who drink diet sodas are overweight. Is there a positive association because diet sodas cause weight gain, or is it because those who are overweight tend to drink more diet sodas to lose weight or control calorie intake?
The gold standard for research is a double-blind intervention study, where participants are randomized into a control and intervention group without the researchers or the participants knowing which group they are in. But unfortunately, this type of research is nearly impossible to conduct when the intervention is diet. So we must understand the limitations of what we know from association studies around diets.
Take into consideration individual variability.
Lastly, although we can gain a lot of good information from research studies, we must remember that we are all different, and dietary results may vary vastly. Research studies report the average response to a particular diet or food. However, if you look at each individual in studies, you’ll see that a specific food or diet works well for some study participants and doesn’t work at all for others. Consider this your reminder to pay attention to how your body responds to foods and dietary patterns and trust what it tells you.
Save some time
If you rather save time and find a trusted resource: check out Dr. Chaney’s books and his blog. You can also check out the conversations between the Health Geeks and Dr. Chaney on the podcast. Lastly, your friendly dietitians can help you make sense of the hype and point you in the right direction to meet your health and wellness goals. Book a free clarity call today.
Do you know your metabolism well? Maybe you wish you could speed up your metabolism. There are plenty of gimmicks and so-called solutions out there promising to boost your metabolism and get you FAST results. But what does that really mean? Are we able to “BOOST” our metabolism? Do we need a fast metabolism? Dr. Jade Teta, the author of Next Level Metabolism, says no. we don’t. Instead, we need a flexible metabolism. Here’s what you need to know in order to better understand the metabolism and keep it flexible.
What is metabolism?
Metabolism is the process of turning food into energy. It is a sum of complex chemical reactions that take place within our cells. The energy generated from these reactions is needed for bodily functions that keep us alive. Even if we are lying still, not moving a muscle, we need a good amount of energy for our lungs to breathe, our liver to function, our brain to think, and so on.
The rate at which we use energy is called the metabolic rate.
The total energy we use at rest is called the basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Beyond using energy at rest, we require energy for all movement (walking, activities, exercise) and digestion (the thermic effect of food.)
Any easy way to think about metabolism
Jade starts his book, Next Level Metabolism, with a great analogy. He says we can think about metabolism as a barometer and thermostat. It’s always changing in response to the conditions to which it’s exposed. Much like your thermostat in your house when it is set to 70 degrees, it is constantly striving to maintain that temperature and, to do so, makes adjustments based on what it is sensing in the environment. Your metabolism does the same to maintain balance. It is constantly sensing the environment.
What is your metabolism sensing?
The simplest answer is STRESS. Anything that threatens the status quo of your metabolism can be seen as metabolic stress. Doing the following for a prolonged period of time can result in a stressed-out metabolism.
Intense cardio workouts
Psychological stress (lots of cortisol)
Calorie Restriction/Dieting
Dieting = Stress On Your Metabolism
It’s no wonder, then, that when you are on a diet, your metabolism fights back with all its might to fix the problem. It senses that something is wrong and focuses on helping you survive this stress. Typically by signaling you to move less or eat more. Dr. Jade Teta uses a rubberband to explain this. When we go on a diet that has us exercising more and eating less, it’s like pulling on a rubberband so far that it snaps back, often overcorrecting itself. He goes on to explain that we can look for certain signals that indicate the metabolism is under stress.
How do you know when your metabolism is under stress?
When the following is out of check, the metabolism is likely under stress:
Sleep
Hunger
Mood
Energy
Cravings
Exercise performance and recovery
Digestion
Libido
Menses
How Do You Support a Healthy Metabolism?
Reducing stress (both mentally and physically) can support a healthy, flexible metabolism. Stress-reducing activities like walking at a comfortable pace, deep breathing, yoga (with a focus on breath work), meditation, tapping, getting a good night’s sleep, and so forth may be far more beneficial than hitting the gym for that 1-hour cardio session.
Monitor your hunger, cravings, mood, energy level, and so forth for any major disruptions. These will provide feedback that you’ve pulled the rubberband too far. Instead of intense workouts coupled with way too few calories, try…
A) eating enough to fuel your workouts
or
B) swapping out the intense workouts for more relaxing movements/walking while eating a reasonable amount.
Want to explore this topic further?
Tune into the Health Geeks Book Club Podcast, where Eleanor Russell and I (Kristen Norton) share many more tidbits we learned from reading Next Level Metabolism.
The nervous system is at the heart of our daily experience and works in the background outside of our conscience awareness. It can shape the way we experience the world, including how we think and feel about food and our bodies. It also can affect our digestion, heart rate, and immune system.
You’ve likely heard of the gut-brain connection. Part of that connection includes thevagus nerve, which carries an extensive range of signals from the digestive system and organs to the brain and vice versa.
Image Source: https://www.nicabm.com/
Did you know there are 3 modes that your nervous system supports and will switch between throughout the day? According to the polyvagal theory, they are:
Safe and Social mode – feeling comfortable, connected, and safe in our environment
Fear or Flight mode – feeling anxious, threatened, fearful, or wary of surroundings
Shut Down mode – feeling dissociated, numb, disconnected, tired, shameful
All modes are helpful in some way for our survival, but as you can probably guess we feel and function our best in that safe and social mode.
A high level of stress/anxiety or unresolved trauma can make it hard to stay or get in the safe and social mode. This can make eating mindfully and being in tune with your body quite challenging.
That is one reason why your Well Balanced dietitians encourage you to build up your self-care toolbox. These activities often build resilience and support a calmer nervous system. It’s part of the mind-body connection that can improve your well-being, support a healthy digestive system, and make it easier to build healthier eating habits.
4 ways you can support your nervous system.
Listen to your favorite music while paying close attention to the lyrics and instrumentals.
Breathe in slowly to the count of four and release to the count of seven. Do this for 5 minutes.
Do some gentle stretching, even if it’s for just a couple of minutes.
Watch something funny.
Hungry for more info about your nervous system?
Listen to this episode of the Health Geeks Book Club Podcast.
I’m usually pretty good at this, but recently, I fell apart.
It was crazy at my house for a few weeks in a row as we scrambled to get our house ready to be put on the market. The stress in my home was palpable, and the to-do lists were endless between work, home, and kids. Our comforting routine was all out of sorts, which left me floundering.
Luckily, all the hard work paid off, and the house was under contract before we knew it! That meant when we were away on vacation in Florida, we didn’t even need to worry about dealing with an open house or incoming offers. What a relief!
Bring on the relaxation.
Warm weather, family time, and a blank to-do list had me feeling like….awhhhhhhh. I think I relaxed a little too much because, toward the end of the vacation, I wasn’t feeling too stellar. My diet was a bit off track, my sleep was lacking (my kids always have a hard time sleeping in new places), and my physical activity level was embarrassing.
I knew I didn’t have to make it up, just make it back on track. On the way home from Florida, I reflected on the things I did well and the things that I could have done differently. This builds on the ideas Lucy shared in part one about being picky and sticking to what works well for you.
Fun foods are fun, but only if they don’t stop the fun for YOU.
I reminded myself of what we remind the tribe all the time. Your diet doesn’t need to be perfect. Annnnd there is a little more room (in my book) for fun foods while on vacation, because, well, it’s vacation! However, having so many fun foods that you feel terrible or wreck your goals doesn’t serve you. Tapping into your intuitive eating skills can come in handy here.
I’ll give you an example. I went out to eat one night in Florida and wanted to enjoy a cocktail. So I had one. Unfortunately, cocktails can include a lot of juice or flavored syrups that make me feel sick. The one I ordered was delicious and fruity – but definitely loaded with sugar. That night, when we returned to the house, I was offered another sugary adult beverage. It sounded fun at the time, but I declined. I knew it might be enjoyable for a bit, but the next day, I’d likely have a headache and an upset stomach. That’s no good when you are headed to the beach!
Your body will usually tell you when you are overdoing it.
Sometimes we don’t end up saying no to that second drink or the dessert. That’s okay. Nothing to beat yourself up about. It happens. If your body responds in uncomfortable ways like feeling bloated, having indigestion, or not being able to sleep well, for example, don’t ignore those symptoms. Take those into consideration next time. In the meantime, you can do this yoga routine to try to feel better.
I know a few people who push through those things and completely zone out from their bodies’ cues. Continously ignoring these signals can lead to health problems, weight gain, and a loss of well-being. Go ahead, tune in, take note, and know where to draw the line next time.
5 Creative Ways To Get Your Veggies In on Vacation
You know we love veggies at Well Balanced Nutrition, so it will likely come as no surprise when I encourage you to find a way to eat them while on vacation. Veggies provide fiber, water, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some things I did on this trip.
BYOV. We had some greens in the refrigerator that we took with us in a cooler so they wouldn’t go to waste while we were gone. When we stopped at Chick-fil-A, I carried in a small container of my arugula and ordered nuggets to go with it. Sorry, not sorry! It was the light and yummy meal I needed to get me through the car trip.
Once we were there, my husband picked up a veggie tray from the grocery store. It was a simple way to make sure we had veggies that were easy to incorporate. Raw veggies and dip can be a great snack or round-out lunch.
Make an egg casserole for breakfast. I love egg dishes because you can make them ahead and sneak veggies in at breakfast. We made this breakfast casserole and even my dad who doesn’t dig most veggies, enjoyed it.
Get an order of veggies on the side when you eat out. From my experience, even when the description on the menu lists an array of vegetables in a dish, the amount of vegetables present in the meal is very small. One night, I enjoyed a creamy pasta dish with broccoli at a table overlooking the water. I was right, it didn’t come with much broccoli at all. So I asked for a side of steamed broccoli that I tossed into my pasta to double up the portion.
If veggies are just really hard to find or get,focus on fiber-rich fruits like pears, kiwi, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Beans can be another good source of fiber.
What didn’t go so well:
After a whirlwind of two weeks, I was ready to rest. Taking it easy is great, but movement is also good for you. I went into sloth mode a little too hard. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find the right balance. In hindsight, I wish I had found a few more opportunities to walk.
If you have young kids, you know – going on vacation is not restful at night. Getting a good night’s sleep can feel impossible.
Make it back!
Vacations are awesome! If you come back from a vacation feeling worse than when you left, maybe it’s time to revisit some of your habits while away. Being an intuitive eater, splurging smartly, and fitting in those veggies may help you come back refreshed and balanced. Or maybe you did the best you can, and giving yourself grace is what you need. In the end, it’s a week or two – it is not an end-all-be-all kind of situation. Don’t beat yourself up. Live, learn, and make it back to habits that make you feel your best at the first opportunity you can.
If you are a regular reader or current client you know, fat is our friend. Although a little can go a long way, it absolutely deserves a spot on your plate. You also know that we want you to embrace more natural foods and limit processed foods. Keeping those things in mind, how do we include fats that will protect our heart health? Let’s dive in and find out.
What does the research say about fat and heart health?
Randomized clinical trials have shown that replacing 5% of your calories from saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat (omega-6 fatty acids) reduces total and LDL cholesterol. This swap is associated with a 9% lower risk of CHD events and a 13% lower risk of CHD deaths. That equates to just one simple swap a day!
Swap it, don’t eliminate it
It’s important to note that it’s not enough to just decrease saturated fat in our diets because when saturated fat is replaced by simple carbohydrates, like sugar or white rice, no benefit is seen. Switching from a regular cookie to a fat-free cookie is not heart healthy. Nor is swapping out steak for white pasta.
Okay, so what DOES this 5% swap look like IRL?
If you eat somewhere between 1600 to 2000 calories per day, you’ll want to replace 9 to 11 grams of saturated fat with 9 to 11 grams of omega-6 fatty acids to reduce your cholesterol levels and lower your risk. One simple swap a day can take care of this. Think about some processed foods or sources of saturated fat in your day-to-day diet that don’t provide a lot of nutrients and health benefits. Replace one of those items each day with an ounce of nuts or seeds as they are the best natural sources of omega-6 fatty acids in whole food form. Another idea is swap out buttered toast for avocado toast.
Swap Out (food – amt of sat fat)
Swap In (food – amt of omega 6)
1 Bojangles biscuit – 8g of saturated fat
2 TBS peanut butter – 4.4 g omega-6 fatty acids
1 doughnut from Dunkin Donut – 6-11g
1-ounce pecans – 6 g
1 cup of ice cream – 10g
1-ounce sunflower seeds – 10 g
1 Honeybun – 14g
1-ounce pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – 5.8 g
1 TBS butter – 7.2 g
1 cup sliced avocado – 2.4 g
Where NOT to get your omega-6 fatty acids from:
Omega-6 fatty acids are very prevalent in processed and junk foods like vegetable oils, margarine, chips, and cookies, but of course, I can’t confidently recommend those for heart health. (Occasionally enjoying your favorite things is perfectly acceptable in our book, but right now we are talking about the healthiest thing we can do for our heart every day.)
Note: Omega-3 fatty acids are still important, too.
You probably know that omega-3 fatty acids are heart-healthy. The beautiful thing about natural food is that it usually contains a package of nutrients. Plant-based foods include both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Both are important in lowering your risk of heart disease and contrary to what you might hear, research indicates that increasing both types is helpful.
Food for thought:
Often times meat, eggs, and dairy can get blasted in the media because of their saturated fat content. These foods deliver many nutritional benefits and aren’t necessarily the first things that should go into your diet if you want to be heart-healthy. Moderate portions (think of them like a side dish on your plate) are part of a Well Balanced eating plan. We encourage you to look first at the processed foods in your diet. If there is room for improvement, replace processed foods with a serving of natural plant-based fat.
Ready to take the next step on your wellness journey?
