Debra Wein Pic
April 30, 2010
This Week's Topics
Recipe: Tomato & Olive Stuffed Portobello Caps
Too Much of a Bad Thing: High Fructose Corn Syrup
Understanding Bariatric Surgery
Is Your Metabolism Keeping You From Reaching Your Weight Goal?
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SN Healthy Recipe
 
Tomato & Olive Stuffed Portobello Caps
 
Portobello caps make excellent mini casseroles. Here, they hold a tomato, cheese and olive stuffing that grills up to a smoky perfection. Serve them with whole-wheat couscous and a mixed green salad for an easy meal.
 
Ingredients
2/3 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 portobello mushroom caps, 5 inches wide
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

Preparation
Combine tomatoes, cheese, olives, garlic, 1 teaspoon oil, rosemary and pepper in a small bowl.
Preheat grill to medium.
Discard mushroom stems.
Remove brown gills from the undersides of the caps using a spoon; discard gills.
Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, lemon juice and soy sauce in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over both sides of the caps.
Oil a grill rack (see Tip). Place the caps on the rack, stem sides down, cover and grill until soft, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and fill with the tomato mixture. Return to the grill, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes more.
 
Nutrition
Makes 4 servings
Per serving : 122 Calories; 8 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 9 mg Cholesterol; 8 g
Carbohydrates; 7 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 338 mg Sodium.
To oil a grill rack: Oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.
 
Source: www.eatingwell.com
medalHello  !
 
With new products like this, I think we should stick with what we've got...
 
From the KFC website...
"The new KFC Double Down sandwich is real! This one-of-a-kind sandwich features two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken filets (Original Recipe� or Grilled), two pieces of bacon, two melted slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce. This product is so meaty, there's no room for a bun!"
 
Thank goodness! That would just add another 300 calories to the mix! Note that the grilled version DOES NOT have that many fewer calories or fat and has more sodium!

medal
 
The Double Down comes in two versions - Original Recipe� or Grilled and the nutrition information is below.
 
Original Recipe                                    
Calories: 590                                         
Calories from fat: 280                           
Total fat: 31g                                         
Saturated fat: 10g                                 
Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 190mg
Sodium: 1380mgs
 
Grilled Recipe
Calories: 460                                         
Calories from fat: 210                           
Total fat: 23g                                         
Saturated fat: 9g                                 
Trans fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 185mg
Sodium: 1430mgs
 
Have a healthy week!
 
-Debra
Too Much of a Bad Thing: High Fructose Corn Syrup
corn syrupHigh fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn in a laboratory. It is added to thousands of food products from soda to baby food. HFCS is similar to table sugar in that it's sweet and provides many calories without a lot of nutrition, but it is significantly cheaper than table sugar so its use is far more widespread.
 
HFCS is speculated to be a significant contributing factor in the rise in obesity in the US and worldwide over the past 40 years. Manufacturers use this cheap sweetener and consumers can buy a lot of empty calories at a bargain price. For years there has been speculation that HFCS may be contributing to the obesity epidemic not just because it is so ubiquitous and cheap, but because there is actually something in its chemical structure that makes it more "fat-forming" than table sugar. New research from Princeton has found evidence that this may not merely be speculation. In two studies conducted in lab rats, researchers found that when two groups of rats were fed the exact same number of calories, but with one group having access to HFCS and the other having access to table sugar, the group with HFCS access gained significantly more weight.
 
This phenomenon was investigated further when researchers found that long-term consumption of HFCS also led to abnormal increases in abdominal fat deposits (belly fat). In humans, increased abdominal fat places an individual at higher risk of developing a host of diseases including heart disease. Researchers are still not sure how HFCS affects appetite, metabolism and gene expression and indicate that more research needs to be done to determine the physiological response to HFCS.
 
Bottom Line: Any refined sweeteners, whether derived from sugar beets to make table sugar, or derived from corn to make HFCS should be limited in your diet as they are "empty calories". Limit your intake of foods with added sugars and try to choose naturally sweet foods such as fruits and dried fruits with no added sugars.
 
Source: Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.02.012
Understanding Bariatric Surgery
medalAmericans' waistlines are growing, and obesity has become a major health concern around the globe. More than one-third of the US population is considered obese and approximately 5% of Americans have a BMI over 40 (considered morbidly obese). For some people, diet and exercise do not work and they need to turn to surgery, more specifically bariatric surgery.
 
Bariatric surgeryis a type of procedure performed on people who are dangerously obese, for the purpose of losing weight. This weight loss is usually achieved by reducing the size of the stomach with gastric banding or by resecting and re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch (gastric bypass).
 
In 2008 it is estimated that 220,000 procedures were performed. Several factors have contributed to the increase in bariatric surgery, including the publication of numerous outcome-based studies that provide reliable information for both the short-term and long-term results, development of minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques, increased public awareness of obesity and failure of non-surgical treatments to provide effective sustained weight loss.
 
Bariatric surgery is appropriate for adults with a BMI greater than 40, or with a BMI between 35-40 accompanied by obesity related issues such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, sleep apnea, asthma, osteoarthritis, or high cholesterol. Two types of procedures performed laparoscopically are adjustable gastric banding (AGB) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). AGB is considered to be more flexible, less invasive, and safer, but the results are both less reliable and less effective. RYGB is considered more durable, reliable, and effective, however it remains more technically challenging with more potential complications. 
 
One of the biggest challenges is maintaining long-term patient follow-up. Patients are at risk for potential nutrition complications such as dehydration, protein malnutrition and certain vitamin deficiencies. Another long-term challenge is significant weight gain, which occurs in up to 20% of the patients.
 
Bottom Line: Bariatric surgery is most effective when used to combat severe obesity. It is imperative that when a person undergoes bariatric surgery , he or she adhere to a post-surgery plan to make sure they are not deficient in protein or vitamins and are able to maintain their weight loss.
 
Source: Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2010; 110(4):520-523
About Sensible Nutrition

Metabolism Measurements
 
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Let a Sensible Nutrition RD measure YOUR metabolism and tell you the truth! Call 781-741-5483 or send an email to [email protected] to schedule your appointment.

 
About Sensible Nutrition

Sensible Nutrition (SN-www.sensiblenutrition.com) is a consulting firm established in 1994 that provides nutrition and fitness services to individuals, universities, corporate wellness programs and nonprofit groups. SN's client list includes The United States Coast Guard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, EMC, Putnam Investments, Corcoran Jennison, Harvard Business School, Boston Ballet and Children's Hospital. For more information about our corporate wellness services, please check us out at www.wellnessworkdays.com 

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Debra Wein, MS, RD, LDN, SN President and Co-Founder writes a regular nutrition column for the National Strength and Conditioning Association's  Performance Journal, has been quoted in Family Circle, Shape, Self, Men's Health, Allure and Prevention and has appeared on Fox 25, Channel 56 and Channel 5 news.

Contact us at www.sensiblenutrition.com  or 781-741-5483

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