Trying to diet? See how your plan ranks!

Last week, U.S. News & World Report released their evaluation of the Best Diets for healthy eating. Diets were given a "healthiness" score from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) for safety and nutrition. According to the panel's analysis, which included health experts and dietitians, the Dash Diet received the top ranking and the Atkins Diet came in at number 20 (out of 20). Surprising? Not really. The Atkins, Raw Food and Paleo diets (new trend...the paleolithic diet) received low scores because they were too restrictive to provide adequate amounts of healthy nutrients. Top-ranking diets, including also the Mediterranean diet and the Mayo Clinic diet, were similar in that they relied more heavily on vegetables, fruits and whole grains with a modest amount of lean protein, non-fat dairy and healthy fats.

Overall, this is a nice overview of popular diets with sound evaluations. We hear so much information relating to food and nutrition that it can be difficult to decide between myth and fact! It's good to have a reminder of what a healthy diet really is. Bottom line: if you're eliminating entire food groups or focusing on a single nutrient, your diet is not likely to help you achieve health and lasting weight loss. Click here to read the report. 

The perfect time to STOP Diabetes is NOW.

That's right.  Even if the thought of diabetes has never crossed your mind. NOW is the time to start paying attention: before you develop diabetes or even pre-diabetes.

I'm bringing it up now because November is National Diabetes Awareness month, dedicated to all people who have any type of diabetes, including type 1 and type 2. And today (11-1-11) marks the first annual Type 1 Day (T1Day), a new campaign led by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. November 1st is a day especially dedicated to commemorating the lives, accomplishments and triumphs of people living with type 1 diabetes.

I think National Diabetes Month is also a time to recognize how big a problem diabetes is becoming in America. And also to realize that there is so much we can do to prevent and control it! Type 2 diabetes is very much a preventable disease, or at least a disease we can put off, even if the risk is in our genes. Not to mention, if you have diabetes, the risk of complications can be minimized by controlling blood sugars.

Did you know that...

• Nearly 26 million children and adults have diabetes
• 79 million people have pre-diabetes or are at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes
• Diabetes kills more people each year than breast cancer and AIDS combined
• The CDC projects that 1 in 3 American adults will have diabetes by the year 2050 unless we take steps to stop diabetes.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, amputations and kidney disease.

We have to face it and take action now! There are simple steps you can take to improve your health and risk of diabetes. (I'll be sharing them throughout the month).

For starters, take this quick quiz to find out if you're at risk for type 2 diabetes. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask. I've spent thouands of hours helping people manage diabetes. If you're not local, there are diabetes educations programs around the country. Wherever you go, diabetes educators are here to help you learn, manage your health and provide support.

What do you think about the diabetes epidemic?

Make your own instant oatmeal!

Fall is in the air and I don't know about you, but that means I start craving warm and comforting foods to fill my belly! Others must feel the same way since one day in October is dedicated to a certain comforting superfood. Today, October 29th, is Oatmeal Day!

An insignificant annual celebration? No way! We really can thank oatmeal for a host of nutritional benefits--from weight control to diabetes management to heart health--all in its natural form, with minimal processing. Thanks to the fact that it's a whole grain, uniquely high in soluble fiber.

I ran across this awesome idea for creating your own instant oatmeal packets--instead of buying the pre-packaged ones available at the store, that is. Get the benefits of instant oatmeal  in the same convenient form by packaging your own. And I'm not talking boring, plain oats.  The mix-ins are included! It's good food that really tastes good too, no matter what your flavor preference. Your packets will be lower in sodium, added sugars and preservatives than their store-bought counterparts too.

Each packet you make will cost as little as 10 to 15 cents, saving you 15 to 25 cents per packet! It may not sound like much, but we all know those cents can turn into dollars real quick (and it sure beats the cost of picking up fast food on the way to work). Your savings could be more than $1.00 per store-bought package, debunking the common myth that healthy food is more expensive.

So improve your health and save some dough by clicking here!

Handout provided by Iowa State University.

A dietitian's pledge for Food Day

When I read this Food Day pledge (October 24) written by a fellow Registered Dietitian, Robyn Flipse, I had the overwhelming urge to share it. Her words are wise and urge us to get to the root of the obesity problem instead of vying for quick-fixes to make us healthy and lean. I couldn't agree more...and if I may, I would like to opt in on this pledge too.

Thanks for keeping it real, Robyn!

Slashing calories at your game day celebration

Here in St. Louis we're gearing up for Game One of the World Series tonight! And since football season is already in full swing, not only do St. Louisans have their minds on the game, but so do other sports fans around the nation. Watching your favorite team just wouldn't be the same without the tailgating fun that surrounds it--but these celebrations typically include high-calorie, diet-blowing snacks. Never fear! You can enjoy the fun and fill your gaming crowds' bellies with some healthier game day options without blowing your diet plan. Build your menu from some of the following selections to include delicious, healthy ingredients while slashing calories (and don't worry--nobody will know!):

• White chicken chili with jalapeno cornbread
• Turkey sliders (mini burgers made with ground turkey breast)
• BBQ pork tenderloin sliders (cook the pork in a crockpot, then shred with a fork)
• Mini roast beef sandwiches served with spicy mustard and horseradish sauce
• Boneless wings (oven-baked chicken tenderloins: dip in low-fat buttermilk and roll in bread crumbs, then bake) served with choice of sauces and celery sticks
• Layered bean dip with baked tortilla chip "scoops"
• Veggie platter with low-fat salad dressing and hummus
• Tomato, basil, and marinated mozzarella bites on a toothpick
• Caramel apple bites (slice apples and drizzle with lemon juice to prevent browning, serve with caramel dip)
• Chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks and chocolate-covered raisins (easy to make by melting chocolate in the microwave on low)

Do you have other healthy game-day crowd-pleasers that you like to serve? Please share by posting a comment.

And oh yeah...GO CARDS!!