A Nutrition Potpourri: Weight Loss
New Products and Motivation

By Donna Marlor, MA, BSN, RD

"A lot of people start eating junk in March. They get depressed."
I was at an after-the-holidays Christmas party in January. One of my skiing buddies was trying to help me narrow down a nutrition topic to write about for this month's column. She was, however, coming up with too many ideas.

"You could write about healthy eating, just the importance of balanced nutrition; or maybe recovery from an intense ski season - you know, rebuilding muscle. Or talk about losing some winter fat."
In the end, I decided they were all good topics, so I have shamelessly borrowed a phrase from the infamous cross country coach, Marty Hall, and offer you a nutrition "potpourri."

Weighty Issues

Everyone knows that obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, and despite maintaining an active lifestyle, many athletes I see at races are struggling with an expanding waistline.
Are carbohydrates the evil root of our problems? I'm not convinced, and here's why.

The 'Huge Food' Syndrome

Since the 1970s the portion size in all food categories except bread has been increasing. Most of us didn't really note the significance of this trend - at least not until recently. But as early as 1957, a fellow named Siegel became concerned, and published a short article titled "The Completion Compulsion in Human Eating." His early research showed that young men have a tendency to eat in units. They ate what was served: one sandwich, one cookie, one portion. More recent research verifies his findings, for both men and women.

As I write this article, a bottle of FUZE sits next to my computer. It's a new product I wanted to test, and speaking of expanding portions, it comes in an 18-ounce bottle. The fine print on the nutrition label says it provides two servings, but I'll probably end up drinking the whole bottle. One unit.

And that's what happens almost unconsciously. Let's take the "sub study" as an example. On four different days, men and women were offered submarine sandwiches that varied in size (6, 8, 10 or 12 inches). When served the 12-inch sub, women consumed 31 percent more calories and men consumed 56 percent more calories as compared to the 6-inch sub. Despite the difference in calories, hunger and fullness rating after lunch did not differ significantly.

Hungry for a bagel? Would you eat four slices of toast for breakfast? One large bagel can easily weigh 4 to 5 ounces - that's equivalent to four to five slices of bread.
Units. What a concept.

I Ate It Because It Was There

A little more about weight management, as it seems to be so difficult these days. Here's another research study to think about.
In an office setting, the visibility and accessibility of chocolate candy was varied over a three-week period. This probably isn't earthshaking news, but the researchers showed the following: an average of nine candies per person were consumed when the chocolate was visible on the desk, six were consumed when the chocolate was in the drawer of the desk, and only three were consumed when they were out of sight, 6 feet away from the desk.

Controlling your daily exposure to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods is important. As the research shows, most of us will eat more, and more often when food is readily available.

Restaurant Solutions For Pre-Race Meals

Last year a good friend of mine ended up with the Montezuma's revenge at Grandma's Marathon. When I asked how her race went she gave me a detailed account.

The abridged version was: they were late, they were starving, lines were long and they ate at a Mexican restaurant. The rest is history.

What could she have done differently? Maybe scoping out the restaurant situation ahead of time and calling in reservations. But that's not always an option. Here are some last minute emergency meal suggestions before a race.

No. 1: KFC. Yep, Kentucky Fried Chicken, just take off the skin, skip the gravy and eat extra potatoes and buns. Chase down with milk or juice. Safe, convenient and easy. High carb, lean protein.

No. 2: Subway. Go easy on the peppers and onions if you are prone to Montezuma's revenge. Add a low-fat ice-cream cone or extra fruit juice to boost carbohydrate calories.

No. 3: Pizza. Get a thin-crust, veggie pizza - no pepperoni or sausage. Again, drink a tall glass of juice, or go for a low-fat chocolate milk to boost carbohydrate.

Recovery Starts Before A Race

Not many of us cross the finish line first when we race, but I've always found entering a race provides me with a goal. And goals increase motivation. Motivation to eat right and train smart.

Eating a balanced diet is like staying in the stock market. You do it for the long haul. Naturally, there are ups and downs, but be sure to put your "money" into diets supported by research. Research that looks at the effects of a diet on an individual's health five to 10 years later.

Foods that seem to weather the test of time when it comes to health benefits are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high omega-3 fats (fish, flax), and low-saturated fat sources of protein. Skimping on any of these categories can put you at risk for cancer or heart disease.

Medical studies show that focusing on restoring muscle damage after surgery with nutrition supplements may be a case of right nutrients, wrong time. Patients supplemented with whey protein, omega-3 fats and glutamine to speed their recovery time after surgery don't seem to get better faster than those who are not given a supplement. But when a whey protein, high omega-3 fat and glutamine drink is given seven days prior to surgery, supplemented patients have fewer days on antibiotics and fewer infections than the unsupplemented group.

For athletes involved in ultra-marathon events, or a race series, these results suggest that waiting until after the race to pour down drinks fortified with nutrients may not be optimally effective. My suggestion: maintain a healthy diet and use "recovery" drinks during the week prior to a race, to allow nutrients time to work.

New Products

Convenience, taste and nutrient value are the top three concerns for consumers. Innovations in packaging have created a new niche for old stand-bys. For a quick side dish try Uncle Ben's Ready Rice. Just pop it in the microwave and zap for 90 seconds. Turn it into a main dish by adding premium white chunk chicken made by Valley Fresh. This delicious ready-to-eat chicken comes in foil packaging, just open the package and eat.

For a healthy potato topper, try the new Omega Plus margarine from SmartBalance. Made with a flavorless fish oil blend, it's a great way to boost your omega-3 fat intake. SmartBalance contains no harmful trans-fats and is a great tasting product.

March? No need to get the blues. Set goals instead. Send in that race entry or sign up for a tour. Then start watching your portions, clear out the junk food and test out some new food products.

You'll be in great shape for April.

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