Gateway to Health Challenge
Newsletters
Week 2
Be Weary of Fad Diets:
How to Spot Diet
Fraud and Quakery
By Linda S. Rellergert, University of Missouri Extension;
Adapted by Molly Vetter-Smith, University of Missouri Extension
Beware of diets that:
- claim large rapid weight loss, and/or “easy, guaranteed
and lasting.” To prevent rapid weight re-gain, weight
loss should not exceed one or two pounds per week.
- encourage you to eat/drink their product a couple times
per day in place of your normal meals. This diet
technique often lacks variety and will quickly leave you
craving other foods which may cause you to binge.
Additionally, these diets can sometimes end up costing
you a lot of money.
- rely heavily on undocumented case histories, before and
after photos, and testimonials by “satisfied customers.”
Models are often used in photos; testimony written by
the promoter.
- leave out one or more food groups. This is unhealthy and
can lead to nutritional deficiencies over time.
Additionally, this can cause intense cravings causing
you to possibly overeat.
- claim to get rid of “cellulite.” Cellulite does not
exist; such claims are a red-flag-warning of
misinformation.
- use product with “warnings” of dangers. Talk to a health
professional before taking any over-the-counter weight
loss products.
Rather than fall prey to such shameful products in the elusive hope that this will be The One that finally works, stick with the core principles of healthful eating and active living. The 33million dollar diet industry subsists on the consumer failing on one fad diet and buying into another fad diet.
SOME SURPRISING DON’TS:
Don’t starve yourself. If you’re hungry, eat healthier
foods you find satisfying (check the food pyramid in
your Health Challenge notebook for nutritional
guidance). If you force yourself to eat food you do not
feel like eating, you will most likely end up eating the
foods you are craving later.
Don’t attempt to be perfect in your food choices; choose
healthier food most of the time; attempting for
perfection will set you up for frustration and failure.
Don’t let occasional setbacks weaken your commitment to
lose weight - expect them because life throws us
curveballs.
Don’t be on a timeline; changing lifelong behaviors
doesn’t happen overnight; try to make small changes
overtime.
Challenge for the Week
Okay, now that you are into the second week of the
Health Challenge, let’s set our sights on doing a little
extra in the activity area. Don’t set your goal too high
for this week! It is common to be overzealous when
starting out changing behavior, however you don’t want
to set yourself up for failure. Make a reasonable goal
that you can reach with a little extra effort. Whatever
your activity, i.e., walking, swimming, running, working
in the yard these nice days, biking, etc., add either an
extra 10 minutes or an extra 50 - 100 steps. Keep track
of your extra activity this week. Next week, reset your
goals and add more steps or minutes to your activity.
Hint: To give you energy before you go for a walk, run, workout at the gym, eat something with carbohydrates such a piece of fruit or granola bar. This is especially important if you workout at the gym early in the morning before you eat breakfast. It will help you get through your workout and not feel starving afterwards.
Nutrition Tip of the Week
(provided by University of Missouri Extension, Greta Hopke)
Eating Out
Drive around any city in the U.S. and you are sure to
see numerous restaurants, fast food operations, and
diners and you can tell that eating out is a common and
popular choice. Here are a few tips to keep in mind
while eating out:
Buy once, eat twice
- The portion sizes in restaurants can be as large as 4 times as large as the recommended serving size. Don't be afraid to take home leftovers!
- Ask for the to-go box, before you begin eating. It is easy to overeat when it is sitting right in front of you!!
- Share an entrée with a friend or family member
Look for key words
- Words that mean Less Fat: Baked, braised, broiled,
grilled, poached, roasted, steamed, stir-fried, and
lightly sautéed.
- Words that mean More Fat: Au gratin or in cheese
sauce, béarnaise, breaded, buttered, creamed, crispy,
fried, escalloped, hollandaise, pastry, prime, rich, and
sautéed
Limit creamy sauces, special sauces, and mayonnaise
- Theses sauces are typically high in fat. You can ask
if they have reduced fat versions, ask for smaller
amounts, or just leave it off!
"On the side"
- Ask for gravy, dressings, sauces, butter or margarine,
and mayonnaise on the side so you can control how much
you use.
- Instead of pouring the dressing on, dip your fork in
the dressing before each bite. You will use a lot less
dressing and still get the great taste of the dressing.
Special Requests
- Most restaurants strive for excellent customer
service. If you have a question how a dish is prepared
or would like to have it prepared slightly different, go
ahead and ask, they are there to serve you!
Don't starve yourself
- Going out to eat when you are starved can lead to poor
food choices and overeating. Before going out to eat,
try eating a small piece of fruit or serving of
vegetables to help curb your hunger.
Exercise Tip of the Week
(provided by University of
Missouri Extension, Greta Hopke)
Exercise Shouldn't Hurt
The old saying, "no pain, no gain," is not necessarily
true. Exercise does not have to be painful to be
beneficial. When doing a new activity or increasing
intensity, a little muscle soreness may be expected;
however, soreness and pain are not the same. If you feel
pain while exercising, stop doing it. Allow yourself to
work up to 30 minutes or more of daily exercise; you do
not have to push yourself to the extreme to benefit from
exercise!
(Source: Martin, Peggy. (Revised August 2004). Quick,
Fit, and Healthy. Nutrition Calendar 2005. Iowa State
University Extension.)
Recipe of the
Week:
Mouth-Watering Oven-Fried Fish
2 pounds fish fillets
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fat-free milk or low-fat buttermilk
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon pepper (us white pepper if you prefer)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup cornflakes, crumbled or bread crumbs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for greasing baking dish)
1 fresh lemon, cut in wedges
Preheat oven to 475°F. Use 1 tablespoon oil to lightly
oil shallow baking pan such as jelly roll pan large
enough to hold fish in one layer.
Combine milk, hot pepper sauce and garlic. Wipe fillets
with lemon juice and pat dry. Let fillets sit in milk
briefly.
Meanwhile, combine pepper, salt and onion powder with
cornflake crumbs in a shallow dish or plate. Remove
fillets from milk mixture one at a time and coat both
sides with seasoned crumbs. Let stand briefly so coating
sticks to each side of fish. Arrange in single layer in
prepared baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until fish
flakes easily. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
Makes 6 servings. Nutrition information per serving: 183
calories, 30g protein, 2g fat, 10g carbohydrate, 1g
fiber, 325mg cholesterol.
Recipe adapted by Linda Rellergert, University of
Missouri Extension, from “A Healthier You,” U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,
www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines.
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