Cheat Days, friend or foe?

I'm quoting my new favouritest Nutritionist, Meghan Telpner here: I think diets with ‘cheat days’ are just lame. The chocolate chip won’t leave your shoulder until you stop dusting it off and putting it back there come Friday and then bemoan its effects the remainder of the week.

So well put. So many diets propose the idea of a cheat day as relief from the pain and drudgery of the deprivation and restriction that the diet imposes... they suggest by having a cheat day, you get to indulge in those treats that you have to avoid the rest of the week... a little reward for your efforts, and a way of staying sane. I have a problem with the cheat day concept on several counts.

First, "cheating" means you've broken the rules and can run wild and fancy free... whether for a day, or a meal, you're inclined to just go crazy and cram in as much of the yummy stuff as you can before you have to go back to your boring, restrictive diet. So we can easily overdo it, and end up wiping out the progress you made the rest of the week. Heartbreaking, and what a waste of energy and effort.

The cheat day also implies that the rest of the week, your "diet" food isn't so tasty, but rather something you HAVE TO eat to lose weight. People, that is the exact problem with diets. You can't stick to a dietary program that isn't feeding you wholly - body and spirit. If you're eating stuff because you HAVE TO and not eating other stuff because you're NOT ALLOWED, well, I will tell you from painful first hand experience, it's not going to be something you can maintain for life, or even for long... unless you're willing to live a pretty bland life full of deprivation? Eating healthfully can be very rich, very flavourful, and sooooo nourishing to both body and soul... and when it is, every meal can be another opportunity for a treat so that we don't feel this overwhelming need to eat as much as we possibly can before time runs out. There's another meal coming just a few hours away! Woohoo!

The other problem with cheat days, as Meghan so aptly put, is that we actually make it harder on ourselves to really enjoy healthy foods. The foods we "cheat" with tend to be high-sugar, high-fat, and high-salt selections... junk food, fast food, and highly chemicalized in a way that makes the flavours very intense. They "hit" your brain and biochemistry in a way that lead you to never be able to get enough. Each time you indulge in foods high in sugar, fat, and salt, you are reinforcing a bio and neurochemical response that triggers you to want more. So let's say you get through 6 days of healthy clean eating ... most of which tasted like cardboard because it's low-fat, low-carb, and because compared to our Day 7 (aka: cheat day) food, it's really bland (our taste buds have been trained to expect intense sugar and fat and salt and we can't even really distinguish the layers of flavours in more natural foods anymore). So on Day 7 we have our cheat day, and we just reinforce to our brains, bodies, and taste buds to respond to those types of foods, making the rest of the week a painful experience. The next 2-3 days after our cheat day, we have to go through a whole new period of withdrawal where high sugar, fat, and salty foods are calling our names. That's HARD to resist. So in the long run, it's pretty rare that the cheat day doesn't turn into cheat dayS (plural) and eventually we return to our old ways. We regain any weight we lost, and feel hopeless and a failure and that it's impossible to stick to any diet long enough to get real lasting results.

What's more, studies have shown that the brain's response to these foods (which in fact is the same response it has to cocaine, heroine, and morphine!) is MORE INTENSE when reexposed to it after a period of abstinence! So by not having these foods for most of the week, and then eating them again, we make the reaction of the brain stronger, making it that much harder for us to resist them when something triggers us to want them (seeing the food, smelling it, being in places, or with people, or doing activities, or feeling emotions that have previously been associated with those foods).

I'm not a fan of cheat days. What I do like, as we're moving toward a more whole foods, natural, healthful diet, is using a good amount of healthy fats in most meals which helps keep me satisifed and is excellent for my brain, my heart, and every cell in my body, and which helps me not continuously crave for more. I like also having a "treat" (not a "cheat") every few days... something made with whole food ingredients, but maybe a little sweet or indulgent in some respect - in portion controlled amounts. This keeps balance for body and soul, and helps me let go of that "diet mentality" that just adds stress and makes my body hold onto fat even more.

So that's my two cents. Anyone think otherwise? Has the "cheat day" worked for anyone out there? I'd love to hear other opinions on the matter.

And I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that if you are interested to learn more about the body and brain's response to sugar, fat, and salt, and about the impacts of stress on our body's metabolic activity, AND get practical PROVEN strategies for how to override those responses so that you can make lasting changes, you'll LOVE the workshop I have coming up on Thurs Sept 24 at the Toronto Healing Arts Centre at 7pm. Take a look at http://springrenual.ca/services.aspx for more details or contact me directly!

Is Dairy Bad?

This question was posed to me by a friend recently, and it's one that comes up fairly frequently. There is a lot of confusion about dairy. On the one hand, we've been taught since we were knee high that we must drink our milk to grow up big and strong. Mothers feel worried and even guilty if they consider not giving their children dairy. Dairy products have become synonymous with "calcium" in our minds. Women in particular, trying to keep our bones strong and avoiding osteoporosis in our later years, have learned that milk and dairy products are critical. Not to mention that in the last 10 years (ish) articles continue to be published that quote studies indicating that dairy helps us to keep our weight down. The dairy industry has certainly done an effective job of marketing and convincing us that without dairy, we'll become frail and weak. Images of elderly grandmother types with hunched backs shattering a wrist from picking up a frying pan come to mind.

Today I want to expose the myths about dairy and give you some information about both dairy and calcium alternatives. So:

Is dairy bad?

The short answer: Mostly, yes. Milk doesn't do many bodies much good. Traditional, pasteurized cow's dairy that is. Here are some of the issues with dairy:

Protein content
Cow's milk has 3 times more protein than human milk, and a bit less fat (in the case of the traditionally recommended non-fat milk, it has NO fat). Human milk also has double the carb content. The ratio of these nutrients indicates that cow's milk is not designed for the human body. This high protein content (along with lactose intolerance, to be explained in a moment) makes dairy the number one allergen by far. When we consume foods that are not properly digested, and especially those with anabolic (build-up) properties like protein and calcium, the excess is not efficiently eliminated, and leads to problems of excretion like asthma, allergies, strep throat, tonsilitis, ear infections, pimples/acne, overweight, and excessive mucous and phlegm.

Allergies
By the time we reach late childhood or adolescence, 70% of people have lost the enzyme required to break down lactose (milk sugar). In fact, lactose intolerance is so common, those who retain the ability to digest it really should be called "lactose persistent" rather than labeling those who lose it as intolerant. This should be a hint that we aren't really meant to consume it. In fact, what other species can you name that drinks the milk of another species? It's rather odd actually. Less commonly known is that many people are allergic to the proteins in dairy (casein, whey).

Calcium Deficiency
The consumption of milk/dairy in fact CONTRIBUTES largely to a deficiency in calcium in the body! Vegetarians have been shown to have higher bone density than meat eaters of the same age, and countries that have the highest dairy intake also have the most osteoporosis (Allergies, Disease in Disguise, Carolee Bateson-Koch, ND). This is so opposite of everything we've been taught to believe, I know it's hard to accept. There are a few ways this is so:

1. Cow's milk has a lower ratio of Calcium to Phosphorous (1.27:1 versus 2.35:1 in human milk). Phosphorous binds to Calcium in the digestive tract, making it less absorbable.
2. If you are unable to digest it (as most are), the lactose ferments in your digestive tract. This produces lactic acid, which binds with the Calcium and Magnesium, making them less available for the body.
3. Pasteurization reduces 50% of available calcium through the process of pasteurization.
4. Low fat and skim milk lack the fat necessary for transport of calcium through cell walls.

Additives
On top of everything, dairy cows (as with all livestock) are pumped with antibiotics to prevent disease that would be rampant due to living conditions. They are also fed with processed grains that are not really meant for their consumption. In the US they also have to worry about BGH (Bovine Growth Hormone) which luckily is banned in Canada.

The Myth of the Weight Loss Connection
We've all heard time and again that "research proves that dairy helps you burn more fat and lose weight." However in reality, there have only been 3 very small studies that found that people lost weight when they ate dairy foods AND CUT CALORIES. And all 3 of those studies were funded by one researcher who had a patent on the claim that dairy helps with weight loss. Since then, 2 new studies have in fact shown that dairy foods don't have any affect on weight one way or another. (Nutrition Action Healthletter Sept 2005) The results are inconclusive at best. There is some evidence (still inconclusive) that dairy may help weight loss in individuals who are overweight, eating too little calcium, with a diet that isn't too high in protein or too low in calories. That's a lot of "ifs." And dairy in particular is not necessarily required for the effect; maybe calcium from other sources would have the same result. The bottom line though is that the claims being made by marketers for the dairy industry have greatly stretched what the research has indicated.

So if I don't eat dairy, where am I getting my Calcium?
It's interesting how concerned we are with Calcium. Not that it's not important, but it's really just one of many essential minerals the body needs to be healthy. A potassium deficiency, for example, can cause heart failure. But you never hear anyone worrying about potassium. Maybe that's because there's no fearmongering "Banana council" to "educate" us. [/rant]

So ok, I've convinced you that dairy is effectively junk food. But you want to make sure you get your calcium. In fact it is surprisingly not that hard to do.

First, let's look at ways you can stop your body from losing the calcium you get:

• reduce your caffeine intake (coffee, tea, pop, chocolate) - it causes increased calcium loss in urine
• reduce intake of refined sugar - it also increases calcium loss through urine; as well, it reduces the body's ability to absorb calcium
• reduce phosphorous (POP is the biggest source in most people's diets; also cow's dairy, red meat) - it binds to calcium and makes it less absorbable
• reduce salt - increases calcium loss through urine
• Make sure you get your Vit D (eggs, liver, mushrooms, 20 min of sun exposure several times a week, or supplement) - calcium can't be used without Vit D
• don't overeat protein - it is acid forming; the body will protect the pH level of blood by pulling minerals (especially calcium) from the bones to buffer the acidity
• smoking, alcohol, and corticocosteroid medications also contribute to calcium loss

Alternate Sources of Calcium
1 cup of cow's milk provides 288mg of calcium. Other sources and the amount you can get from a typical serving are:

Nuts and Seeds

Almonds 1/4 cup 150mg
Hazelnuts 1/4 cup 106mg
Sesame Seeds 2 tbsp 264mg
Walnuts 1/4 cup 54mg
Sunflower Seeds 1/4 cup 65mg

Butters and Milks made from nuts and seeds are also be great sources of Calcium. And since these products are not heated or cooked, the calcium is highly absorbable.

Vegetables Most vegetables (especially GREEN ones like leafy greens and broccoli) provide between 20 and 75mg per half cup. Lamb's quarters provide 232mg in a half cup! Sea vegetables (agar, kelp) provide about 60mg and Wakame provides 150mg

Beans (1 cup servings)
Chickpeas 80mg
Navy beans 128mg
Soybeans 460mg
Tofu 258mg
Tempeh 172mg
Pinto beans 82mg

Canned Fish (5 oz serving)
Salmon 338mg
Sardines 625mg

Molasses (1 tbsp)
Blackstrap 137mg
Barbados 49mg

Meeting Daily Requirements
You can see by the above values, it's really not that hard to get your Calcium with non-dairy sources. The average daily intake recommended in Canada is 1000mg (male and female adults). If you had a serving of almonds (150), 2 cups of leafy greens (150-200), a serving of salmon (338mg), a serving of broccoli (100) a serving of tempeh (172), and some almond butter (225mg) and you would exceed the DRI values. As well, for those who are vegetarians, less intake is required because it is more absorbable without animal foods in the diet.


Not ready to make the switch?
Ok, it's not all just about the calcium, you LIKE milk, yogurt, cheese, and of course ice cream? You don't want to give it up. Fine. Here are a few recommendations:

• If you're able to digest it, no one says it's completely unhealthy to have SOME dairy in your diet; consider it a treat, and have it in moderation
• If you have trouble digesting it, consider trying raw/unpasteurized dairy. It still has live enzymes that will help you digest it. Milk can be hard to find, you'll have to purchase directly from farmers, and being unpasteurized, you'll need to consume it fairly quickly to avoid spoiling. Cheese (due to some kind of loopholes in regulatory laws) is easier to find made from raw milk.
• Try goat's milk, yogurt and cheese. It's closer in nutrient content to human milk than cow's, so again, easier to digest.
• There are a myriad of types of alternative milks on the market. Rice milk, Hemp milk, Soy milk (which I wouldn't really recommend as it's a processed food often made from non-organic and GMO'd sources), and my favourite, Almond Milk (the unsweetened is the closest in taste to skim milk that I could find when I was getting off milk). Try them for your cereals and smoothies, or even just drink a glass. You might be surprised!
• There are also some great alternatives to ice cream. There are soy versions (again, not high on my list for the same reasons), rice versions, and more recently I'm finding COCONUT versions which are truly delicious. Have some chocolate coconut "ice cream" with fresh raspberries on top, now THAT is a TREAT!
  

My story
I used to be a HUGE dairy fanatic. When I was eating healthfully (I used to swing back and forth from eating REEEEALLY bad to eating REEEALLY healthfully), I would eat 4 servings of dairy a day (milk in my cereal, yogurt and cottage cheese for snacks, more milk at dinner). I always found when I was eating healthfully I seemed to get all backed up (hey, I'm a nutritionist, we talk about poo. Deal with it.). I was so confused because I was eating so much fibre, much more than when I was on a "junk food diet." I thought maybe the fat content of the junk food diet was keeping me "going." Then I learned about dairy and I decided to try going off it for a couple weeks. Well it didn't even take that long. That was the cause of my problems.

And, my beautiful little niece, she had the same problem - she was constipated practically from birth, and had to be hospitalized at one point. After trying laxative treatment for 6 months, and it not getting any better, we took her off dairy and within a few days, ta daaaah, all better.

Eliminating dairy was hard at first, I craved it for quite a while. But now I just can't imagine drinking a big glass of milk. And while at first I was strict - I carefully examined every label and avoided everything baked or made with milk or milk protein (casein and whey) or milk sugar (lactose) in it, after 6 months or a year I loosened up. Now I find I can tolerate a little milk here and there without adverse affects (some cream in my coffee, an ice cream on a hot day at the beach). But, generally it's not part of my regular diet anymore.

You may not be entirely aware of how dairy affects you, but I think with all the options out there now, there's no real need for dairy. You can easily get enough calcium through non dairy sources, that in my opinion, "why bother?" It doesn't help your health, even if you're not sure it's actually"hurting" you.

References:
Allergies, Disease in Disguise, Carolee Bateson-Koch
Food and Healing, AnneMarie Colbin
Nutrition in Action Healthletter, Sept 2005

10 Keys to Weight Loss... Naturally

1. Keep your blood sugar steady: Avoid the “crash and burn” effect of refined carbs and simple sugars such as white bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar and caffeine. Sugars (especially in combination with fat and salt) are addictive. By selecting whole grains and fruit and veggies as your sources of carbohydrates, and eating every 3-4 hours, you will eliminate cravings that sabotage the best of us.
   
2. Maintain good hydration: Drink hydrating beverages throughout the day, and aim for half your body weight in ounces (eg: 150 pound person should drink 75 oz or approximately 9 to 10 cups of water per day). When you become dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, toxins begin to accumulate and create a sluggish liver, and you end up with low energy, among other impacts. Your best choices are pure water, or herbal teas that contain no caffeine or sugar. If you find it hard to drink plain water, flavour it with slices of lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange. Try adding some fresh mint leaves, or even some slices of fresh ginger. This makes a refreshing summer drink, adds antioxidants and helps soothe the digestive tract.
3. Eat lots of fibre (at least 35g/day): Fibre keeps you feeling full, slows the digestion which allows the body to better absorb the vitamins and minerals from your food, lowers cholesterol helps eliminate toxins, and helps keep blood sugar steady. Best sources of fibre are veggies, fruit, whole grains, and beans/legumes.
   
4. Eat protein at every meal: Eating protein helps with the repair of muscle tissues (especially important if you’re exercising regularly, which of course you are, right?!!), and has a high thermogenic effect. In other words, it takes more energy (calories) to digest protein than any other macronutrient, so eating protein helps raise your metabolic rate. Choose lean, organic animal proteins (chicken, fish, turkey, eggs, and limited amounts of red meat), beans, tofu, nuts and seeds.
   
5. Eat adequate amounts of healthy fats (20- 30% of your daily caloric intake): Fat is not the demon it’s been made out to be! Essential fatty acids (especially Omega-3) are called “essential” for a reason – your body cannot make them itself and they are required for the structure and function of every cell in your body, especially your brain and nervous system, and your endocrine system which manages your hormones. Excellent sources of healthy fats include coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil and ground flax seeds, avocado, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, and yes, even SMALL amounts of dark chocolate.
   
6. Eat a diet of WHOLE LIVE foods: Avoid processed and refined foods, and eliminate all artificial sweeteners, MSG, and trans-fats. When you eat these refined foods, you set yourself up to crave food all the time, as your body tries to find the balance that it is programmed to expect from whole foods. Aim for a rainbow of colours on your plate from the world of fresh fruits and veggies, and select plant sources of protein more often.
   
7. Get moving daily: Incorporate activity into your day every day... park your car further from the store, take the stairs more often, scrub the floors and clean the windows.... go out for a walk, bike ride, play tennis, or take a class at the gym! You’ll burn calories during your workout, for up to 48 hours after, and in the long run, increase your metabolic rate permanently by building lean muscle mass. And the benefits of exercise for weight loss go beyond caloric burn – it also helps your body “shake off” the effects of stress, improve mood and self-esteem, create a firm and toned appearance, helps eliminate toxins through sweat which allows the liver to keep up with its many functions including directing the metabolism... the benefits are countless!
   
8. Sleep! Studies show that when we don't get enough or good quality sleep, we eat more! Establish a “bedtime routine” including some relaxation time (a warm bath, meditation or relaxation exercises, deep breathing, light reading) away from sources of electricity (like the TV or computer), and have regular bed and wake times.
   
9. Deal with emotions emotionally: Food is fuel for your body. If you find yourself thinking about food when you’re not hungry, use this as a signal that you may have some underlying emotions that are trying to talk to you. If this happens often, the old adage “It’s not what you’re eating, it’s what’s eating you” is an important key for you. Emotions need to be handled emotionally.... in other words, acknowledge them, express them, and let them go... don't swallow them along with a tub of ice cream!
   
10. Set SMART Goals: Giving yourself goals to work toward gives you something tangible to accomplish, and creates a “finish line” for you to cross. Making your goals SMART helps you know when you’ve achieved your goals so you can celebrate, and create some new goals. SMART goals are: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
    

AND ONE BONUS KEY:
Be kind, be patient, and be gentle with yourself. Healthy living is not an “all or nothing” thing. It is a continuum, and as you start making changes, build on them... before you know it you will be making more healthy choices than not. Aim for the 85/15 rule – 85% of your choices should be healthy whole foods, allowing for 15% “fun” foods where you may choose less than the ideal. These foods have a place in your diet too, if you make your choices consciously... remember, it’s about Body, Mind, and Spirit. When you choose those “Spirit” foods, don’t berate yourself for it, enjoy it fully! And then make your next choice a healthy one. Acknowledge the hard work you’re doing every day, and remind yourself each night as you go to sleep that “Today I am healthier/fitter/stronger than I was yesterday.”

Inspire Yourself!