PORTIONSTom WallaceStar Tribune Published April 24, 2003© Copyright 2003 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

Change in Obesity Graphic

SUGAR

• Energy surge (insulin surge) = drops blood sugar level—so two hours later, you feel famished and tired

• Replace simple carbohydrates with complex ones so the absorption is more controlled

• "Sugar is supposed to be eaten, of course," says Dr. Oz, "but it should come together with fat or some element like fiber—as you would find in fruit—so you can absorb it a bit more slowly."

Eating 5 to 7 teaspoons of sugar a day -- whether it's called honey

or sucrose, whether it's in soft drinks or doughnuts -- ups your

risk of pancreatic cancer by 70%.

CARBOHYDRATE SPIKES…

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Current 30 min. 60 min. 90 min.

Simple

Complex

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

• Food products that contain high fructose corn syrup should be avoided.

• "It blocks the ability of a chemical called leptin, which is the way your fat tells your brain it's there," says Dr. Oz. "It's not so much the 150 calories in the soda pop—it's the fact at that same meal you will normally consume an extra hundred calories of food than you would have."

MAKES YOU NOT FEEL FULL – keeps you feeling hungry!

ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR(White Flour)

• Enriched flour is actually poor in nutrition because most of the grain's nutrients are destroyed in the refining process

• "The reason they enrich it is because they already stripped out anything that was worth a darn in it, then they add a little bit back so it doesn't look so bad.”

Instead, he says to look for whole grains and whole grain flours. "It has its kernels, it has its B vitamins—all the things you want to be in there.”

Carbs…• Try to avoid

carbohydrates with zero fiber. Carbohydrates that are nothing but fiber will also not provide optimal nourishment- a combination of both is good. I typically look for at least 1/6 of the total carbohydrate count as fiber - so something with 20 grams of carbohydrate would have around 3 - 4 grams of fiber.

• Breads should have the words "whole" or "stone ground" first on the ingredients list. Often, you might see "unbleached or bleached enriched flour" which is not the bread you are looking for - this is processed bread with some whole grains added for color. The first ingredient should be whole grains…

SATURATED FAT

• Found mainly in animal products• Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, like lard.• "You can actually use this kind of material for furniture

polish—lots of fun things—but don't put it in you.”

Dr. Oz

HYDROGENATED OILS

• To increase their shelf life = certain oils are hydrogenated

• This process turns the oil into a solid at room temperature, but it also makes the oil unhealthy.

• "This stuff is great because it doesn't go bad, but it's very bad for you.”

• Avoid food products that contain hydrogenated oil, often labeled as "trans fats."

HEALTHY OILS

• There are many healthy oils: – olive oil – sesame seed oil– flaxseed oil– grape seed oil – canola oil

• The healthiest oil to cook with is extra-virgin olive oil. This is because it does not change it’s molecular make-up when heated.

The following provides the definitions for special statements: (FAT)

No Fat or Fat Free: Contains less than a ½ gram of fat per serving.

Lower or Reduced Fat: Contains less fat or calories of the original version or a similar product.

Low Fat: Contains less than 3 grams of fat per serving.

Lite: Contains 1/3 of the calories or ½ the fat per serving of the original version or a similar product

Low Calories: Contains 1/3 the calories of the original version or a similar product.

GARLIC

• Garlic is great for our bodies. "It actually helps the bacteria in your intestines and it also relaxes the arteries and it has a benefit with cancer," says Dr. Oz.

• Salad dressing made with fresh garlic, lemon and olive oil is great!

TOMATOES• Dr. Oz recommends eating

10 tablespoons of tomato sauce per week. "Inside the tomato is a chemical called lycopene, an antioxidant."

• Dr. Oz says there are added benefits from eating tomato sauce or paste as opposed to plain tomatoes. "A raw tomato is fine, too, but if you get a little fat with it—either with some nuts or a little olive oil and dressing—then it's perfect," says Dr. Oz. "It helps you absorb it better into your intestinal system."

SPINACH

• "This is the best thing for your eyes," he says. "It's better than carrots, and a lot of macular degeneration—which is a tragic ailment that affects vision—can actually be avoided by eating these kinds of foods that are rich in carotenoids and also have folic acids and a lot of other benefits."

NUTS

• To maximize the benefits of the healthy oils found in nuts such as:– Almonds– Hazelnuts– Walnuts

• They should be eaten raw and stored in the refrigerator

• Stay away from “roasted” varieties.

POMEGRANATE

• "We've done studies on them showing how they actually can change the way your arteries age — it's a very potent antioxidant"

• "It also probably affects cancer rates, especially prostate cancer, but those studies haven't been finished yet."

Between 1977 and 1996, portion sizes for key food groups grew markedly in the United States, not only at fast-food restaurants but also in homes and at conventional restaurants.

Portion sizes increased for salty snacks, desserts, soft drinks, fruit drinks, French fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and Mexican food.

This trend has only continued over the past 10 years…

Cheesecake Factory classic burger: Half-pound hamburger, French fries, grilled onion, tomato slice and lettuce, 1/4 cup mayonnaise sauce, 3/4 cup ketchup.

1,635 calories, 88 grams fat.

What you're served

What you should eat

• A half of a burger, by any other name, is a full meal. Hold the mayo and more than half of the French fries, limit ketchup to 2 tablespoons, skip half or more of the grilled onion, but pile on all the lettuce and tomato you can eat.

• 630 calories, 29 grams fat.

What you're served

• Appetizer platter from TGI Friday's: Nine chicken wings and 1/4-cup blue-cheese sauce, four mozzarella sticks with 1/4-cup marinara sauce, two bruschetta (grilled bread with chopped tomatoes).

• 2,760 calories, 172 grams fat.

What you should eat

• Appetizer platter from TGI Friday's: One chicken wing with 1 teaspoon blue-cheese sauce, one slice bruschetta with all the chopped tomato, half of one mozzarella stick with 1 tablespoon marinara sauce.

• 215 calories, 13 grams fat.

What you're served

• Chocolate Oreo Mudslide cheesecake, Cheesecake Factory: 9 ounces

• 820 calories, 57 grams fat.

What you should eat

• Chocolate Oreo Mudslide cheesecake, Cheesecake Factory: 4.4 ounces

• 400 calories, 28 grams fat.

What you're served

• 12-inch Subway Italian BMT sandwich: Sandwich consists of salami, pepperoni, ham, pickles, cheese, banana peppers, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, olives, onion, white bread, lettuce and mayonnaise.

• 935 calories, 42 grams fat.

What you should eat

• No salami, pepperoni, mayonnaise or cheese; 1 slice ham (1.9 ounces), and all the remaining ingredients, with about half the original amount of olives and bread.

• 270 calories, 6 grams fat.

What you're served

• The salad that comes with Olive Garden's chicken giardino meal contains 6 cups of tossed salad, 4 tablespoons of dressing and .7 ounces of croutons.

• Full meal with pasta and

salad has 2,045 calories, 73 fat grams.

What you should eat

• Recommended~ salad portion: 1 ½ cups tossed salad with 1 tablespoon dressing and .2 ounces croutons, 6 oz of pasta and one, 4-ounce breadstick.

• What you should eat has 1,040 calories, 24 fat grams.

Large pepperoni pizza, Pizza Hut

• A slice of reality: Think again before helping yourself to another slice of pizza. Two (3”) wedge slices of pepperoni pizza are 600 calories & 14g of fat.

• Five pieces pushes it up to 1,505 calories & 35 g of fat.

Starbucks

An 8-ounce cup of regular coffee is 5 fat-free calories.

• 20-ounce Caffé Mocha 560 calories & 35 g fat.

Medium Hot Apple Blast 16 oz.Calories 470Total Fat (g) 11Total Carbohydrates (g) 91

Sugars (g) 83

Chocolate Chunk CookieCalories 479Total Fat (g) 20

Cinnamon Roll Popover Calories 580Fat (g) 30

Caribou CoffeeMedium Cappuccino 16oz.

Calories  180 Total Fat (g)  7 Total Carbohydrates (g) 18

Sugars (g)  17

Medium Caramel Cooler 20 ozCalories 570Fat (g) 16Total Carbohydrates (g) 103

Sugars (g) 91

Blueberry Muffin

Calories 410 Fat (g) 18

Soda

• Liquid liability: Drink 8 ounces of soda (nondiet) and you'll consume 120 calories.

• "Upgrading" to 40-ounces of soda increases the calorie count to 500 –

• And the 64-ounce Big Gulp at 7-Eleven? 800 big ones. Gulp.

What happens when you drink soda?

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.

• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get it’s hands on into fat.

• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.

• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.

• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.

• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

Einstein Bros. Bagels• Large, sesame bagel,

A large bagel from Einstein's weighs 4 ounces and is 320 calories and 3 1/2 grams of fat.

• Many bakeries sell them up to 6 1/2 ounces in size (475 calories and 6 fat grams).

• Smaller bagels such as those from Lund's are 1 1/2 ounces (120 calories and 1 1/2 fat grams).

• Hold the cream cheese (99 calories and 10 grams fat for 2 tablespoons).

Large, unbuttered popcorn from a movie theater

• A 3-cup serving of plain movie-theater popcorn is 165 calories and 9 grams of fat.

• But if you've been known to scarf down an entire bag (there are 30 cups in the bag shown here), the tally changes to 1,650 calories and 93 grams of fat.

• And that doesn't count the free refills. Or 6 tablespoons butter, which would add 610 calories and 69 grams fat to the total.

Fat Matters, But Calories Count

1 Fig Cookie– Fat free 51 calories– Regular 56 calories

• 1/2 cup Vanilla Frozen Yogurt– Nonfat 100 calories– Regular 104 calories

• 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter– Reduced Fat 187 calories– Regular 191 calories

Read the nutrition labels and compare the calories in products. Fat isn’t the only thing that = calories…sugar is a major contributor.

Nutrient data taken from Nutrient Data System for Research, Version v4.02/30, Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota

More tips…

• Sugar Free: Contains less than 1/2 gram of sugar per serving.

• No Preservatives: Contains no preservatives (chemical or natural).

• No Preservatives Added: Contains no added chemicals to preserve the product. Some of these products may contain natural preservatives.

• Low Sodium: Contains less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.

• No Salt Or Salt Free: Contains less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.

• Baked Not Fried: Used mostly for potato chips, crackers or corn chips, this label means the product is usually sprayed with a light oil then baked in an oven instead of fried in the oil.

Spotlight on Calcium: • Remember, a food with 20%DV or

more contributes a lot of calcium to your daily total, while one with 5%DV or less contributes a little.

• Experts advise adult consumers to consume adequate amounts of calcium, that is, 1,000mg or 100%DV in a daily 2,000 calorie diet.

• For certain populations, they advise that adolescents, especially girls, consume 1,300mg (130%DV).

Calcium is required all of our lives for healthy bones, teeth, muscle, nerve function, and for blood clotting.

Muscle pains, cramps, twitches convulsions, and even cancer may suggest calcium deficiency.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body.

99% of the calcium in the body is found in the bones and teeth.

Calcium Deficiency??• Those at risk of calcium deficiency include the

elderly, people who don't eat dairy products, those on high protein diets and those who drink a lot of alcohol and/or soda. People on weight reducing diets are also at risk for calcium deficiency, as calcium-containing foods are often high in calories. Athletes whose menstrual periods have stopped may also be at increased risk of calcium deficiency which can lead to stress fractures, shin splints, weak bones, poor bone healing and eventually osteoporosis.

• People who do not get enough natural sunlight or are otherwise lacking in Vitamin D, will show signs of calcium deficiency. This is the reason Vitamin D is often included in calcium supplements.

• Calcium from milk and milk products is absorbed more easily than that from vegetables. Absorption is enhanced by vitamin D, proteins, lactose, phosphorus, stomach acid and magnesium.

• Calcium competes with zinc, manganese, magnesium, copper and iron for absorption in the intestine and a high intake of one can reduce absorption of the others.

(why moderation is so important!)• There are many research studies, which elude to the fact

that high phosphorus and/or phosphoric acid (found in meat and soft drinks) leaches calcium out of the bones. This has a negative effect on bone density, leaving bones porous and spongy. When calcium is pulled from the bones, it is released through the kidneys resulting in stone formation (kidney stones) before it is excreted.

Between 10 and 40% of dietary calcium intake is absorbed.

What blocks absorption??

• A high protein diet, especially derived from animal foods, causes calcium loss in the body. The higher sulphur-to-calcium ratio of meat increases calcium excretion, and a diet rich in meat can cause bone demineralization.

• High amounts of sodium, fat, and/or sugar.

Again, a diet focused on moderation and variety is the

best diet you can eat.