Avoid the Sugar Daddy's; They Will Literally Break Your Heart: "Added Sugars" Explained

You may have heard that food labels are changing for the first time in 20 years. We are currently in the midst of their 90-day comment period where the FDA is open to receiving feedback about the proposed changes. Along with changing the size of traditional “serving size” to a more realistic measure, the FDA is proposing adding the line “added sugars” underneath where “sugars” already exists. Added sugars are be any sugars that do not occur naturally in the product such as added cane syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, etc. 


Refined sugars, whether it comes from a piece of candy or sugar in your coffee are what experts are finding to be the cause of most major diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and more. Quick spikes in blood sugar damage cells, cause inflammation, and lead to damage. Added sugars are always the type that break down quickly in the body and are no good for you. The same is true for refined grains (i.e: any food product that begins with "enriched wheat flour"). Avoid them whenever possible.

I am in favor of adding a line for “added sugars” to the food label. Many of my clients who track on food tracker apps such as My Fitness Pal are often frustrated that their intake of sugar is high, and start cutting out fruit and other healthy foods to keep their sugars low. I then have to explain that I am never worried about total sugar intake, but rather where this sugar is coming from. Fruits, vegetables, and dairy all have sugar in them. Whole grains eventually break down to glucose in the body, but at a much slower rate than a soft pretzel or piece of candy. So, I have my clients look at the food label to determine if there are any “added sugars” to their food products. Added sugars are often found in places you would expect, such as ice cream, but even in whole grain breads and sauces you might not expect, such as vinaigrette-based salad dressings.

My only fear with this new labeling is that people will now begin to only look at the “added sugars” line, instead of looking at the total sugars and evaluating the nutritional quality of their food. For instance, 100% Fruit Juice will have 0 g added sugar. So, people may begin to think this is a healthy choice. While fruit juice is healthier than soda, it is always preferable to eat an orange instead of drinking orange juice. The same goes for dried fruit; choose grapes over raisins is the best bet to get the most satiety, antioxidants, and nutrients out of the fruit. So, just because something has 0 g “added sugar”, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. For example, a tablespoon of butter will have 0 g added sugar, does that make it healthy?

            

When it comes to added sugars, yes, you can have some, since food should be enjoyable,. You can add a dash of honey to your oat bran if it makes it that more desirable for you. You can eat one small square of dark chocolate after lunch if that’s what you crave. I just want people to be aware of how much sugar they are actually consuming, and the new food label proposal will heighten that awareness. The next step will be to add a line for artificial sugars, since I foresee the use of those by manufacturers increasing as a result of trying to keep their “added sugar” amount low.

          

In conclusion, I agree with the proposal for a line on the food label to include “added sugars.” However, I believe people need to just use common sense and look at the ingredient list to determine if a food or beverage is a healthy choice. Perhaps future food labels should give a nutritional rating to the food product, such as NuVal or the ANDI rating systems do so that the average American can discern which is the better choice between two food products. Until then, more nutrition information is always better, and the more educated people are, the healthier they will tend to be.

How to Get Things "Moving"

This blog post is not in regards to exercise... it is about constipation. This is one topic many people feel uncomfortable talking about, but it is incredibly important to discuss in terms of health, weight, and how good you feel physically.  As a dietitian, I discuss bowel movements (BMs) almost on a daily basis, so it is something that you should feel comfortable discussing with me.

I work with plenty of people who suffer from constipation. Usually, there is a good reason for it, and it can easily be resolved. There are a select few people who have serious gastrointestinal problems and no doctor can figure out why they suffer from it.

Constipation is typically defined as having less than three BMs per week. Ideally, if you are eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, you should most likely be going once per day, or at minimum, once every two days. It is okay to go twice per day, but any more than that could be a sign of a GI problem or a diet too high in fiber, which can cause malabsorption.

Having regular BMs keeps things moving through you to help prevent things like diverticulitis, but also limits the feeling of bloating that many with constipation suffer from.

Things that are important to include to keep you regular are as follows:

1. Eating enough! If you aren't eating a lot of food...there won't be a lot to pass through you.

2. A high fiber diet (at least 30 g/day). Fiber should be naturally occurring in foods, not fiber supplements. Always choose food before you choose a supplement. High fiber foods include whole grains (whole wheat flour, quinoa, oats, barley, wild rice, etc.), fruits, vegetables, and beans and nuts/seeds.

3. Drinking enough! If you don't drink enough water, a high-fiber diet can cause food to get stuck inside you. You need plenty of fluids, at least 64 fl oz of water every day.

4. Regular exercise- this gets the blood flowing which is important for peristalsis, or the contraction & relaxation of the intestines.

5. Probiotics. Probiotics are the bacteria in your intestines that help break down fiber and non-digestible food components. These come from cultured dairy (yogurt, kefir, buttermilk), fermented foods (kimchi, tempeh, sauerkraut), and the dirt and germs from licking your hand or eating non-sanitized foods ;-)

If you are doing all of the five points mentioned above on a regular basis, you should be feeling good and pretty regular. However, if none of these works you can always try the "Kelly Cure to Constipation":

STEP #1: Eat at least 1 fresh-roasted beet
STEP #2: Drink 1-2 cups black coffee
STEP #3: Go for at least a 20 minute run

Make sure you complete steps 1-3 within an hour time period and you should experience the go afterwards (or maybe get the urge to go midway into your run...). I also always recommend consuming oat bran for breakfast for it's limitless health benefits, and the feedback in terms of BM's is quite positive for regular oat bran consumers. I can tell you that most runners do not have a problem with constipation, so if you suffer, you should probably pick this up as a new hobby.

NOTE: If you do the Kelly cure, please be advised that your bowel movement may be pink or reddish in color. Do not fret, this is normal. Beets can turn urine and even bowel movements a reddish hue.

Hopefully this helps to "clear" things up and get you moving! Good luck!

Dairy... It Does the Body Good!

Over the past few years dairy has gotten an extremely bad reputation. I have people coming in my office almost on a daily basis who say they want to avoid dairy, and I often question their motive. Many fad diets attack dairy and say it is the cause of obesity, cancer, early puberty, among a million other things. However, the research backing these claims is lacking. Many populations have been eating dairy for centuries and are very healthy with low rates of chronic disease (the Mediterranean diet is touted for its health benefits, and that includes yogurt, milk, and even cheese). Furthermore, some studies show great benefit for individuals who consume three servings of real dairy per day in terms of weight loss, muscle growth, blood pressure, and bone health.

I agree that there are many dairy products that are not healthful and can definitely contribute to obesity and diseases, such as ice cream, lots of cheese, heavy cream, and other fatty and sugary types of dairy products- which is the form the majority of Americans are consuming. I am known to tell people to try to really limit their cheese intake. My rationale for limiting your cheese is that it is an easy way to tack on hundreds of calories, sodium, and saturated fat to any meal or snack (1 slice of cheese, on average, is about 100 calories). However, more healthful varieties of dairy, such as yogurt, kefir, and organic milk are definitely an important way to get in many important vitamins, minerals, and healthful probiotics.

I oftentimes do recommend people consume dairy alternatives such as soymilk or almond milks, but these are to get in different nutrients and flavors than regular dairy milk can provide. I recommend soymilk due to the soy isoflavones which have shown to be beneficial for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, and for reducing the risk of certain cancers. I recommend almond milk due to the fact that it can be very low in calories (if unsweetened) and it most varieties are an excellent source of Vitamin E. However, the reason almond milk is low in calories is because it’s lacking protein (each gram of protein contributes 4 calories- 1 cup almond milk= 1 g protein, skim milk= 8 g (=36 more calories)). Milk alternatives do tend to be much more processed than dairy milk, which is definitely one of the drawbacks. While they may be fortified with calcium and vitamin D, they are not natural sources, and are also lacking other important nutrients that regular dairy milk provides such as thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, folate, niacin, Vitamin C, magnesium, Vitamin B12 and potassium. Additionally, I rarely ever recommend dairy-free alternatives for cheeses or yogurts unless someone has a dairy allergy. This is because these products are highly processed and have a ton of junk added to them to give them the right texture and flavor (even though the flavor is usually lacking too…). They also typically do not have as much (or any) calcium and protein as real dairy, especially if they are made with rice.

I can almost guarantee the health problems of our society are not due to individuals consuming too much skim milk, kefir, or low fat plain yogurt. I always encourage people who have no trouble consuming real yogurt to do so instead of finding almond milk or soymilk alternatives.  Do not be afraid of dairy. For most people, there are many more aspects of their diet that are contributing to their inability to lose weight or for their health problems.

If you do want to test whether going dairy-free will make you feel better, you should first make sure your diet is full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes, fish, and other lean proteins before you begin. Likewise, before participating in any fad diet that eliminates food types/groups (e.g. Paleo), you should make sure you are eating the healthier foods within each food group. Chances are, once you start eating a more well-balanced diet overall you will see the benefits. You will most likely also find that incorporating a glass of skim milk in the morning, a yogurt as a snack, and cottage cheese with fruit for dessert will help you in whatever your goals are- losing weight, building lean muscle, preventing osteoporosis, etc. I always encourage people to buy organic milk because eating purer foods is always better… and I personally think organic milk does taste better.

People and companies like to place blame on one food or food category, when really, it is a multitude of factors that are contributing to chronic disease. Dairy has been blamed for many health problems, just like grains (or gluten) have. However, most people are not eating only eating healthy whole grains like oats, quinoa, and barley nor are they eating the healthy sources of dairy like low-fat yogurt and kefir. Of course you will feel better by cutting out pizza, pretzels, heavy cream, and ice cream- they are not good for you; plain and simple. It’s not the name of the food group that is to blame; the unhealthy food choices within those groups are the bane of modern society. Make healthy food choices and you will feel better, guaranteed; you do not need to eliminate an entire food group.

References:

Louie JC, Flood VM, Hector DJ, Rangan AM, Gill TP. Dairy consumption and overweight and obesity: a systematic review of prospective cohort studies. Obes Rev. 2011;12:e582–e592

http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/dietandnutrition/soybean

Jones KW, Eller LK, Parnell JA, Doyle-Baker PK, Edwards AL, Reimer RA. Effect of a dairy- and calcium-rich diet on weight loss and appetite during energy restriction in overweight and obese adults: a randomized trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013;67:371–376

Rideout TC, Marinangeli CP, Martin H, Browne RW, Rempel CB. Consumption of low-fat dairy foods for 6 months improves insulin resistance without adversely affecting lipids or bodyweight in healthy adults: a randomized free-living cross-over study. Nutr J. 2013;12:56

Ralston RA, Lee JH, Truby H, Palermo CE, Walker KZ. A systematic review and meta-analysis of elevated blood pressure and consumption of dairy foods. J Hum Hypertens. [Epub ahead of print]. 2011 Feb 10.

http://sites.usdairy.com/DairyResearchInstitute/Pages/InsiteAprilMainPage.aspx#Nutrition2

J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Dec;113(12):1669-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2013.05.019. Epub 2013 Aug 1.

Picture Source: http://www.eatright.org/public/slideshow.aspx?id=6442470873#6