With an epidemic of obesity in the U.S. leading to higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other illnesses, “Put Your Best Fork Forward” is the theme of National Nutrition Month, said dietitian Dana West, who practices at the Abundant Health Wellness Center in Eureka Springs.
“The idea of the theme is that we can start making better food choices one fork full at a time,” she said. “Whether eating at home or dining out, we can keep our health goals in mind.”
That starts with eating breakfast daily.
“Eating breakfast will help kick start your day,” West said. “It increases metabolism throughout the day. We want to keep the metabolism high. If you skip breakfast, the body goes into fast mode. It is more interested in storage than burning calories. That only defeats any weight loss effort. People who eat breakfast make better food choices and consume fewer calories throughout the day. They are less likely to snack on high energy foods.”
At home, eating a variety of foods within all food groups can reduce the risk of preventable, chronic lifestyle diseases. West recommends increasing your intake of whole grains, legumes (beans, peas and lentils), vegetables and fruit.
One of the biggest contributors to being overweight is sugar consumption. The average American consumes 156 pounds of sugar per year. It is important to avoid sugar, particularly concentrated forms of sugar in soda.
“Some people think diet drinks are a better option, but they are not,” West said. “Diet drinks interfere with metabolism. So both regular and diet sodas are increasing our rate of obesity, which is increasing our rate of chronic disease across the spectrum.”
When eating out, look for healthful options at restaurants, which is much easier today. You can ask for steamed or roasted instead of fried foods, and for high calorie dressings, sauces and cheese on the side so you are in control of how much is added to the meal. “Most restaurant meals are over 1,300 calories,” she said. For some women, that is as much as you need in a day.”
Watch the fat consumption, too. West said we do need fats, but whole fats are preferable.
“Olives, coconuts and avocadoes are all great foods,” West said. “But any part of a food is not going to be nearly as effective as the total sum. Breaking food into individual parts is not as healthy. Olives have everything for proper digestion. When it is just the oil, that is only part. That doesn’t mean you can’t eat the oils. Just focus more on eating the whole foods.”
Don’t fall into the marketing trap of thinking you need high calorie dairy products every day in order to get your calcium and Vitamin D. West said kale, broccoli and spinach are high in calcium, as are legumes and tofu.
Most people who are successful at losing weight and keeping it off weigh themselves daily. West said it is good to know quickly whether diet changes have worked out or not. If you wait a week, it may not be readily apparent what was to blame for gaining weight.
“If you eat excess calories, it shows up on the scale pretty quickly,” West said. “By weighing yourself, you just have a daily reminder that you need to make changes. If you are not losing weight, eat more high fiber foods – fruits, vegetables, cooked whole grains, and legumes with a lot of water that increase feeling of being full longer.”
While it is important to get balanced nutrition, a healthy lifestyle is much more than just choosing the food. Studies indicate that 60 minutes of exercise daily is ideal for combating a sedentary lifestyle. West said that can be broken up into six ten-minute segments, or three 20-minute segments. Start slow and work up to longer periods of being active.
After 40, the body’s metabolism starts dropping. If people are not exercising, they are not maintaining their muscular structure and will lose one to two percent of muscle mass after the age of 40.
“The more muscle we lose, the lower the metabolism rate,” West said. “That is why we see weight gain coming on after people turn 40.”
“Most kids love to be involved in the cooking process,” West said. “Kids are more likely to eat something they have helped prepare. Give them age-appropriate tasks. Teach them how to choose food and how to cook healthily. Eating the colors of the rainbow has been a popular concept, making our plates colorful.”
The majority of West’s clients have diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular drama. All these diseases can be reversed with proper diet and lifestyle modifications.
“Chronic disease doesn’t have to control our lives,” West said. “We can take charge of our health and we can reverse chronic lifestyle diseases. What we are finding is that people need a continued support system through a dietician, family and friends. Research indicates that people need to have consultations at least 16 times over a year’s time in order to reach their goals.”
West offers individual consultations, as well as classes and support group meetings. For more information, see the website www.danawestrd.com or call (479) 325-9749.