Celeb Nutritionist Keri Glassman Answers Your Diet Questions
Nationally acclaimed RD Keri Glassman, is a great resource for all things nutrition and is offering a new destination for those burning health and diet questions! She is now sharing her expertise on Access Hollywood Live every other week and will be answering questions on Access Hollywood Live’s Facebook page! Each week, Keri will answer one great question in Thursday’s Access Hollywood’s Healthy Hollywood blog and may even answer yours on one of her TV segments. Tune in and ask away for your chance to nab a celebrity physique and spot on Access! xx Melissa
Happy National Nutrition Month! Half of the battle when it comes to healthy eating and nutrition is simply knowing which questions to ask in finding solutions that fit your personal needs and lifestyle. Have you ever found yourself standing in an aisle at the grocery store, facing countless choices and wondering where to start? Where’s a handy FAQ Section when you need one? With so much information (and misinformation) out there, doing your health homework means sifting through all of it to find the most informed and reliable sources of advice.
How do I really know how many calories to eat?
Is there a danger in consuming too many Omega 3s?
What’s the best thing to eat after my hard workout?
Does drinking out of a straw really make me bloated?
Everyone will have an answer to these questions– your personal trainer, the nutrition-related infomercial you saw on TV, your fitness-magazine-reading best friend. Remember that nutrition is a health science, which requires years of study and experience to achieve true expertise. And despite the information you receive from its many sources (chefs, writers, food bloggers, doctors, nutritionists) sometimes what you really need is to go straight to a nutrition expert, a Registered Dietitian. Registered Dietitians (RD) are nutritionists, but not all professionals operating under the title nutritionist are RDs, who meet the gold-standard in professional nutrition.
Submit your question for me at the Access Hollywood Live facebook page and check out their blog updates every Thursday!
 Nationally recognized nutrition expert and published author Keri Glassman is the founder and president of Keri Glassman, Nutritious Life, a nutrition practice based in New York City. For years, Keri has been a leader in advancing a “whole person” approach to health and wellness.She has dedicated her career to creating services and promoting education through her Nutritious Life brand. She has authored two books; the most recent is The O2 Diet. The Cutting Edge, Antioxidant-Based Program That Will Make You Healthy, Thin and Beautiful. (Rodale, December 2009.) This book translates complex scientific research on antioxidants and the ORAC scale into useful and usable tools that everyone can benefit from. It empowers people to live a more Nutritious Life by combining a nutrient dense, high antioxidant diet with the other components of a Nutritious Life. The O2 Diet follows the Snack Factor Diet, (Crown, 2007.)Keri is a contributing editor and advisory board member for Women’s Health Magazine, and was the first registered dietitian to create a real food based snack bar, KeriBar.Additionally, Keri is the Nutrition and Health contributor for NBC’s New York Live, and is regularly featured on national television programs including NBC’s The Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, Access Hollywood Live, The View, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, The Wendy Williams Show, MSNBC and The Fox News Channel. Keri resides in New York City with her children, Rex and Maizy. |
Curtailing the Crave Cave: Tips from Nutritionist Lana Levy
It’s 2:00 in the afternoon, or for some it can be 2:00 in the morning when all of a sudden you are consumed by a craving for ice cream, potato chips and other cheat foods you’re trying to ween yourself from.
When a craving hits, it can hit hard and it can hit fast, and it’s in this moment that we’ve given ourselves two options: give in or resist. If you give in to the temptation, you wind up feeling guilty and won’t even enjoy the object of your craving. If you resist all together, you end up feeling deprived and frustrated as visions of cookies dance in your head. Then, when you do eventually give in to your craving, you overindulge and wind up having way more than just one cookie– realistically it’s more like four or five.
To take control of your cravings there is actually a third and much less disclosed option available. By saying to yourself, “I can have it later” you remove the “should I or shouldn’t I” dialogue that is waging a war in your head, or driving your coworkers and friends crazy. You end the need to justify satisfying your craving or not and let yourself be for the moment. If and when you are able to postpone the craving, you will delay eating it and in the end wind up desiring it less.
The trick in convincing yourself to let the the craving pass is to create a vague time frame in the future to satisfy it. Think not, “I’ll have a cookie at 4:00,” but rather, “I’ll have that cookie later if I want it.” Postponing gives your mind the chance to cool-off, takes you out of conflict mode and combats torn feelings of guilt and deprivation. Don’t forget that postponing your craving may also give you the time to substitute a healthy food instead of the sugary snack you initially wanted.
Put your mind to the test and take control of your cravings! Remember- a mind is a terrible thing to waste!
 Lana Levy is a nutritionist specializing in taking a holistic approach towards healthy eating, not only to help her clients achieve their goals, but also help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. Lana has also incorporated her passion for yoga into her services for her clients, as a way to stay fit, and create a balance between the body and the mind.Lana received her degree from Columbia University, where she completed her Masters in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology. In 2010, Ms. Levy became a Registered Yoga Teacher through an intensive training with YogaWorks here in New York City. In 2011 she completed a Prenatal Yoga Certification.With a background in nutrition and yoga, Lana works with her clients to create customized nutrition plans and yoga sequences that are specifically tailored to their needs. Whether the goal is weight loss, healthy weight gain, energy improvement, pre and post natal health, relief from various gastrointestinal ailments, Just For Today can provide you with tools to make a change for life! |
The Food Network’s SWEET: Wine & Food Festival
The Food Network’s Sandra Lee (pictured above with Godiva Senior Chef Chocolatier David Funaro) hosted SWEET, Godiva Chocolatier’s Wine & Food Festival last week where some of our fave foodie stars popped up including Bobby Flay and Anne Burrell. Sandra’s boyfriend, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made a surprise appearance too. Chefs and Bakers from some of NYC’s top restaurants showcased their most decadent desserts at the event, which was held at 82 Mercer in Soho. Some of our faves include Abe & Arthur’s, Donatella, Locanda Verde, Jean Gorges and autumn.
Eating Well When On Vacation
It’s very challenging for most people to stay on the healthy eating track when vacationing. As the author of Clean Plates Manhattan 2011, a healthy and sustainable eating restaurant guide, I often encounter the question, “What should I do if I am not at a ‘Clean Plates-approved’ restaurant?”
Clean Plates guidelines are a great set of tools to aid in choosing a restaurant, but as we all know, it’s not always possible to dine in an ideal setting. Your best tool is to be prepared: prior to leaving for your destination become familiar with restaurants in the area that serve high quality and delicious food. Travel guides and the internet are great resources for finding such establishments.
However, life isn’t perfect, and the best-laid plans occasionally fail. No matter how prepared and mindful you are, you may sometimes end up at a restaurant that doesn’t offer the best food options in terms of health and sustainability. So what do you do when the situation arises?
Try to avoid meat if you can. If you eat animal products, choose grass-fed, pasture-raised animals over ones conventionally raised with antibiotics and growth hormones. If you are unsure about how the restaurant’s meats were raised, ask your server — restaurants that serve organic meat products are often happy to tell you about their sources (if your server is unsure or vague, it’s a safe bet that the meats are conventionally raised and should be avoided). If you do decide to order the conventional steak or chicken, balance it with lots of veggies, especially delicious green leafy ones like kale and spinach that are packed with antioxidants to help counteract some of the potential harmful effects of farm-raised meat. Your body – and the planet – will thank you.
Be Creative. Many restaurants will gladly accommodate special requests and guests with dietary restrictions – no need to be shy or feel uncomfortable. Look for dishes that feature beans (your protein), a whole grain (think brown rice or quinoa) and/or veggies. You can even ask if they would add any of these components to another existing dish to create an appropriate entrée. Many delicious appetizers, salads, or side dishes can also be made into entrée-sized portions or even combined to make up a meal with tasty variety.
A cozy pasta dish (preferably cooked al dente to limit the spike in blood sugar levels) with a salad and side of veggies often makes for a great and satisfying meal. Since most restaurants use a lot of refined salt and sugar in their sauces (not to mention poor quality oils), it is always wise to ask the chef to go light on the sauce – you could even ask for it on the side so you control how much of it you use.
Most importantly, don’t stress. Follow the 80/20 rule. Simply put, if you eat well a significant majority of the time (think high quality whole foods), your body will be better equipped to process less healthy foods once in a while. And most importantly, whatever you do decide to eat, enjoy it and then forget about it. Stress and guilt about what you eat is a lot more detrimental to your health than an occasional piece of pie.
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Jared Koch, Founder of Clean Plates, graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition with certification by Columbia University, Teachers College in 2005 and graduated from the Global Institute for Alternative Medicine in 2004. He is a health coach, nutritional consultant, and certified yoga instructor with expertise in meditation, and he speaks frequently on the topic of nutrition and has spoken at such organizations as Google, Sony, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, MTV, and Time Warner.
Jared graduated from the University of Michigan where he completed a pre-medical program while majoring in economics. With an entrepreneurial spirit, he delayed enrollment in Albert Einstein Medical School to launch an entertainment company with his brother. The company grossed $10 million in annual sales within ten years. Despite corporate success, Jared still felt a strong need to attend to the wellness of others. Upon selling his stake in the entertainment business, he began ten years of wellness study with the likes of Dr. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, raw food guru David Wolfe, and Walter Willett, Chair of Harvard’s Department of Nutrition. |
Image Credit: myworkoutspay.com
Buy Tanya Zuckerbrot’s Health Valley F-Factor Cinnamon Apple Bar, $35
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Buy Tanya Zuckerbrot’s Health Valley F-Factor High Fiber Skinny Cereal, $30
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Buy Tanya Zuckerbrot’s Health Valley F-Factor High Fiber Skinny Cereal, $30
Shop the Full Story: Fiber Rich Foods: Summer’s Quicker Tummy Tucker |
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Shop the Full Story: Ask Melissa: Healthy Snacks |
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Eat Real Food for Your Health
If the low carb, no carb, high protein, low fat, and engineered nutrition crazes have successfully left you dizzy with confusion yet sluggish and still barely squeezing into your jeans, it is time to get back to basics with your nutrition. So where do you start?
Proper and efficient digestion is of primary importance to any health regimen. Probiotics are your magic little helper when it comes to repairing damage that artificial additives and chemical laden foods cause to your digestive system. The positive benefits of proper probiotic supplementation are so clear that pharmaceutical companies are jumping on the bandwagon with “prescription strength” options. However, no doctor is needed for great results. Visit your local health food store for a refrigerated powder version of this miracle supplement!
The next step is to replace manufactured food with real food. Seriously evaluate what you put in your mouth and make a vow that if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t understand how it was made, or it can last longer than your favorite pet will likely live, you will not eat it. Period. End of story. Somehow, engineered nutrition (sneakily disguised as “food”) has taken the spotlight and pushed real health foods like fruits and vegetables into its ominous shadow.
The question is how do you integrate real foods, most importantly fruits and veggies, back into your daily routine? Start your morning with a veggie omelet, or a simple pineapple and yogurt smoothie with a handful of kale or spinach. For a snack, try sliced red peppers and hummus or an apple with natural almond butter. Lunch can be a big colorful salad with beans and sunflower seeds for an added protein punch. Dinner should be a generous portion of vegetables and a little something else on the side.
For better health, boundless energy and an easier time getting into your jeans, gift yourself this perfect combo of good digestion, ditching fake food and upping your intake of fruits and vegetables. Your body will thank you.
For more information and to buy juice cleanse products, check out RitualCleanse.com
Fiber-Rich Foods: Summer’s Quicker Tummy Tucker
Warm weather is finally here, so it’s time to say goodbye to bulky layers- and the extra pounds that have been hiding behind them. Dreading the thought of baring your beach body this summer? For a flat stomach, healthy glowing skin, and improved energy the solution is simple: up your fiber intake! The ADA recommends 25-35g of fiber per day for women and 38g per day for men. However, the average person is only getting 9-11g a day! The absence of fiber in Americans’ diets is a major risk factor for weight gain.
The simplest, most effective yet overlooked strategy for quick summer slimming is to eat more foods that are naturally high in fiber. High-fiber foods have a low caloric density, which means you can eat a lot while consuming relatively few calories. Dietary fiber also quiets between-meal hunger and sugar cravings. That’s because fiber-dense foods slow the absorption of sugars into the bloodstream after eating. A recent study found that people who doubled their fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams per day cut their calorie absorption by 90 calories daily. That’s a 9.4lb weight loss in a year!
Fiber acts like a sponge in your digestive tract, absorbing other molecules like carbohydrates, fats, and sugars—along with all their calories—and preventing them from settling on your hips. In addition, fiber contributes bulk to foods, which gives you the satisfaction of chewing, plus the feeling of a full stomach, without adding any calories. Since fiber-rich foods take longer to digest you feel fuller longer, and as a result tend to eat less throughout the day, which makes weight loss easy to achieve. Ready to try summer’s quicker tummy tucker? Look your best this bathing suit season by adding these delicious high fiber choices to your daily diet:
Reach for berries (instead of a banana): A cup of raspberries contains a whopping 8g of fiber compared to a banana’s 1g of fiber and carbohydrate punch equal to a whole white potato.
High-fiber cereal: Whole-grain cereals vary widely in terms of dietary fiber so compare brands. F-Factor Cereals pack the most fiber with 15-18g per-1/2 cup serving –up to 72% of your daily fiber needs.
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High-fiber bars: Most so-called health bars are basically glorified candy packed with calories and fat. A high fiber bar will help keep you full, without wreaking havoc on your waistline. F-Factor Bars pack 12g fiber, 50% of your needs in one bar!
Buy Tanya Zuckerbrot’s Health Valley F-Factor Cinnamon Apple Bar, (Pack of 6 boxes), $35
Pistachios: Pistachios are the highest fiber nut (3g per ounce). Plus you get more nuts per ounce, one serving of pistachios is 49 nuts versus only 23 almonds and 18 cashews.
Whole wheat bread: Choose 100% whole-grain bread that has at least 5 grams of fiber. Whole-wheat bread contains twice the fiber and almost half the calories of its all-white counterpart!
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