Cheers To A Delicious Life, America! Pass The Butter and the Novo Nordisk, Please.

Perhaps this batter was for a cake...where everyone was having just one slice...right?

Only a week later, this blog has already been overwritten. But it is such a huge issue in the media and nutrition world, I wanted to touch on it as well. Most of us who follow news know by now, famed cookbook author and television personality Paula Deen came out last week. Known for her Southern drawl and enthusiasm for high-fat and fried foods, Deen has been a closet type 2 diabetic for three years. Having seduced us with unhealthful, butter filled recipes on the one hand while she secretly checked her blood sugar with the other, Deen is now under some major scrutiny in the media.

The media craze surrounding the news of her illness is exactly the sort of publicity camraderie the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk must have been dreaming of when it hired Deen to be the spokesperson for its latest marketing campaign. Deen, along with her two sons, have been hired to to help the rest of us, see “Diabetes in a New Light,” according to one of many links to the Novo Nordisk website. Paula Deen also wants you to “live a life that is delicious.” Hopefully that’s also portion controlled and low sugar based.

Surely Deen fans with the disease will start asking their doctors if the $500-a-month Novo Nordisk drug she takes could be right for them, not because they need a new medication but because it will bring them closer to being like Deen. Which is what celebrity endorsements are all about, right? Like when Jillian Michaels was endorsing diet supplements. Like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant endorsing VitaminWater. I mean…if we take whatever supplement/medication/sports drink a celebrity claims to take, it brings us that much closer to being like them…right? I am not saying that is a good thing, I am just saying…this is what happens.

There is much debate in the blog world, also the nutrition world, over what Deen knew, when she knew it, and the amount of sugar, fat (butter!!) and calories she dished out in the meantime. But truthfully, the worst thing she might be guilty of is being a savvy entrepreneur. The woman has a famous face and people who like her will listen to what she has to say, be it about biscuits or diabetes medication.

I can recall a few years back when I was still in school, my younger brother, who probably doesn’t cook much more than chicken in a stir fry pan, was talking to me about a television cooking show he was addicted to, and he started mimicking her drawl and saying how she cooked everything with butter. Paula Deen is a character. She is loud and boisterous and puts on a good show. My brother thought the gluttony of her recipes was funny. He was smart enough to know that obviously he should not eat that sort of food on a regular basis. But she was entertaining, and thus he paid attention to her.

I do recall the original USA Today article with Deen saying that T.V food is not for every day. She says she suspects she will “…stick to my roots but will say a little louder, 'Eat this in moderation. You don't want to make a steady diet of just lettuce. You don't want to make a steady diet of fried chicken." That, my friends, is reality. Paula Deen never told anyone to eat fried eggs, fried chicken, cheesy grits, and butter cake on a daily basis. Most people I know with Type 2 Diabetes, including my father, do still eat a slice of chocolate cake, or a burger and fries every now and then. But not every day. 

Unfortunately, you probably won’t see Paula Deen discussing the complications of this disease. The National Institute of Health lists the life-threatening complications: Heart disease, stroke, hypertension, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, amputations, dental problems, pregnancy complications. Other devastating complications  include coma, greater risk of death from pneumonia, trouble with physical activity for those over 60 and (surprise!) depression. 

Like I said earlier, my father has Type 2 Diabetes, so I have seen some of the damages this disease can do over time. I can say with some jurisdiction that while a diabetic’s life is manageable, it is certainly not always delicious and if they don’t watch themselves, there are dire consequences. A diabetic better not skip a meal, or wait too long between meals, or eat too much or too little at a meal, or eat too much fruit, or consume too much alcohol…the list seems to go on and on of the can’s and can not’s. Doesn’t sound like a delicious life now, does it?

I am not sure that even Paula Deen can make this disease seem better, even with her cheery grin and hospitable persona. But she can try and put a band-aid over the issue…because this is America--and we love a familiar television face and an opportunity for a quick fix.

Dried Seaweed Is The New Potato Chip

Last week, one of my closest girlfriends left Los Angeles to move back to her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. While she and I are both hoping this move is temporary, it was a quick decision, and she basically had to pack up her entire life in about 7 pieces of luggage. There were a few odds and ends she could not take, so of course, she left them with her trusted buddy-me. One item was a foam roller that helps eliminate and/or prevent muscle knots and soreness. Definitely something I can use.

The other was a food item. Go figure, as we are both in the nutrition field. The food was not something I would normally buy myself, but this particular friend is a big Costco shopper, so packaged bulk items that were left in her apartment were either going to go to me or to the trash. I had been hearing a lot about the health benefits of this particular item, but had never really been one to snack on this sort of food.  What is this food, you may be wondering?  I am talking about dried seaweed. And it is actually quite tasty.

According to a few different online food articles I have read, eating dried seaweed has become a popular food trend on the West Coast and is now starting to spread nationwide. Apparently, parents are buying this snack for their kids as a potato chip alternative, because it is salty and crispy, minus the extra oils and calories. Below is a picture of one piece of seaweed in a snack pack. These packs have around 7-8 of these pieces in them.

So what is it that makes seaweed so healthy? It is not just the health claims of improved weight loss, cancer prevention and lowered cholesterol. Those claims have all been a little exaggerated. Here is the real deal...

Seaweed grows in the ocean (hence the name SEAweed). While it is growing and living its life under water, it picks up a range of minerals and other nutrients. Seaweed is also a simple food, making it easy for the body to break down and release the healthful substances inside, providing a variety of vitamins and minerals. 1/3^rd cup of dried seaweed contains approximately 17 calories. Seaweed also has no fat or other unhealthy components, and it is usually prepared without any oils or other unnecessary additives.

Seaweed does contain high amounts of sodium and iodine. Dried seaweed contains as much as 312 mg of sodium per serving. For a healthy person who can eat up to 2,300 mg of sodium a day, this accounts for 13.5 percent of the sodium you may consume in a day. However, if you have hypertension or heart disease -- or you are at risk of developing heart disease – you should consider limiting your sodium intake further to 1,500 mg. Eating dried seaweed may be not be the best thing for you if you qualify for the lower limit of sodium intake. 

Also, eating a serving of dried seaweed, and you consume 6,720 percent of the daily-recommended intake of iodine. While your body requires iodine for the healthy function of your thyroid, too much is a bad thing. Consuming a serving of seaweed occasionally will not harm your health, but taking in this food regularly may lead to the development of thyroid conditions, including cancer. Another reason we nutrition people teach that thing we call MODERATION.

In my opinion, the optimal diet focuses on a variety of fruits and vegetables. Since seaweed grows in the ocean, it contains certain vitamins and minerals that aren't as available in land-grown vegetables. This extra variety makes seaweed a good food to mix into your diet.

So how can you eat this dried seaweed? As I mentioned in the beginning of this blog, it is sold in bulk in snack packs at Costco. Whole Foods sells it in snack packs as well. I haven’t looked at all the different grocery stores, but I would assume some of your local health food grocers carry this option. If not, there are also online options such as Amazon.com or Asian, organic or specialty food markets in your local area. You can see below what a typical snack pack looks like. Cute, huh?

Once purchased, you can eat dried seaweed plain, or you can sprinkle it in salads, soups and on noodle or rice dishes. ENJOY!

Everybody Is Talking About Quinoa!

More and more often I find that clients, friends, and even random acquaintances at social networking events ask me about quinoa (pronounced KEEN-WAH). Maybe you have read about it in a health magazine, or heard on television that Celebrity X eats it to stay trim. Not to mention you can now buy it in pasta form and even in cookies and chips! What is quinoa? What is so great about it? Does it taste good? How do I eat it? I thought I would take a moment to discuss the values of this teeny tiny super grain and how you can incorporate it into your daily eating routine.

Quinoa pasta...interesting, right?

A little bit of history about quinoa-it has been a staple food for thousands of years (about 6000,to be exact) in the Andes region of South America. It was one of just a few crops the Incans cultivated at such a high altitude. They considered quinoa to be a sacred food and often referred to it as the mother grain. According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, it's a great source of B vitamins containing thiamin and B6. It contains high levels of potassium and riboflavin. It's also good source of zinc, copper, manganese, magnesium, folic acid and vitamin E. This little grain is also gluten free, kosher, usually organic, easy to digest and easy to prepare. Sounds like the perfect food, right? It is pretty close.

If you wanted to slow cook rice or oats, usually you are looking at 45 minutes to one hour preparation time. The great thing about quinoa is that it takes less time to cook than other whole grains, just 10 to 15 minutes. It is best to cook one cup of quinoa in two cups of water or vegetable or chicken broth, whichever you prefer. According to caloriecount.com, 1/4^th cup of cooked quinoa contains roughly 160 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. So, in my opinion, 6 grams of protein is not enough protein for a complete meal. You would either need to eat more than one serving of quinoa, or, my suggestion, combine your serving of quinoa with a protein of high biological value, such as chicken or fish.

Personally, I am not a fan of plain cooked quinoa, so I thought I would also share with you a few of my personal favorite recipes, complete with pictures.

HEARTY QUINOA PILAF

This dish uses all Trader Joe's grocery store ingredients. One cup of organic quinoa, boiled with two cups of water or vegetable stock. Then in a stir fry pan, sauté Trader Joe's mirepoix mix, which is chopped onions, carrots and celery and 2 chopped garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil. Add dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Then combine with the cooked quinoa and add 1/4th cup slivered almonds for extra crunch. If it is not salty enough, I recommend buying Braggs liquid amino acids, which is often used as a soy sauce substitute, found at Whole Foods or Sprouts grocery stores. You can add a teaspoon or two to make the dish a little more flavorful. This dish takes about 15 minutes and is delicious! Combine it with your favorite chicken or fish for added protein. Can serve 3-4 people or one person 3-4 times.

GARLIC CHICKEN QUINOA STIR FRY

This dish also uses all Trader Joe's grocery store ingredients. This dish has been cut in half because I just made it for myself, but you can make it for more people, just double or triple the recipe. Cook the quinoa as directed on the box, which is usually one cup of quinoa cooked in two cups of water, chicken or vegetable stock for 10-15 minutes. In a stir fry pan, I used two chopped organic kosher chicken breasts. Saute the chopped chicken breasts in 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes, then add two chopped red bell peppers, 1/2 a chopped onion and 4 chopped garlic cloves. If the chicken soaked up all the olive oil, add another teaspoon at this point and let the entire dish sauté for 2-3 more minutes. Add 10 leaves of shredded fresh basil to the quinoa and add the quinoa mix to the stir fry. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Again, if the dish is lacking flavor, feel free to add Braggs liquid amino acid, or more seasonings. Try not to add too much salt or too many seasonings, because then you are taking away from the natural flavors of the dish!

What Steps2Nutrition Means To Me

Standing at the bottom of the Culver City Stairs is intimidating, especially if you have never climbed them before. The ancient looking staircase is reminiscent of an Incan Ruin. I can imagine many people would stand at the bottom of these steps and look up, freak out and turn around and walk away. Some would stand there and debate it. Some might even stand there and complain for a few minutes. Especially when the sun is out and shining so bright you can’t even really see where the stairs end. Or it’s hot. Or it’s about to rain. Or their knees aren’t good. Or their hips aren’t quite right. There will always be an excuse. What is your excuse?

The proper name is Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. It’s 280 steps from the top to the bottom, with a few breaks for merging hiking trails in between. The stairs are made of dirt, mud, stone and some concrete here and there. Some of them are broken, especially at the beginning. Some are higher than others, some are covered in mud and some are lopsided. In fact, the first half of the stairs is pretty much a mess, but you have to get through the first half to get to the second half. The reward is getting to the top. Once you catch your breath, you can see all of Los Angeles. Smog aside…on a clear day it is simply magnificent.

I have been climbing these stairs for over three years now. I have seen rain turn them into an almost virtual mudslide. I have seen the spring turn that mud into grass and flowers. From the top of these stairs I have laughed. I have cried. I have thought about some major decisions. I have screamed at the top of my lungs. I have brought people I loved there to share the beautiful view from the top. I even took someone special to watch the sun set once.

There are so many different people who attempt (and succeed) climbing these stairs. I see athletes decked out in their weight vests and heart monitors trying to make their next big fitness gain. I pass young moms and dads with their babies strapped in baby backpacks. There is no shortage of overzealous little boys and girls trying desperately to beat one another on a race to the top. I pass a few older adults, in their sunglasses and sun hats. Of course, there are many overweight people. For many of them, just getting up the stairs one time would be amazing. Maybe getting to the top once will be all the motivation they need to come back and do two sets next time. I look at all these people and remember why I want a career in nutrition. Maybe I can help motivate them. Who knows, maybe one of them will even motivate me.

What is it that drives you? There are many things that drive me. This blog is only about one of them. Wanting to reach the top and climbing over whatever is in my way to get there. It is an uphill battle and you might have to stop and catch your breath at some points. I want to reach the top no matter how lopsided or muddy or far apart each stair is from the next. The ultimate goal is to experience the view from the top of the stairs and the feeling when you look out over the horizon and see how far you have come.