Why is it that people in other countries maintain an ideal weight from their early adulthood years until their death? Americans consistently gain weight from their younger years on creating an obese nation.  This weight gain is now happening at even younger ages. In some other countries where overweight and obesity is not a problem, people experience true hunger.

Is your hunger true or toxic?

True hunger is a sensation that is felt after eating a healthy plant-based diet and not constantly consuming rich and low-nutrient foods. Americans have learned to love high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and have continued to feed themselves even though they are not hungry.

Do you eat when you’re not truly hungry?

Americans have lost touch with what it feels like to be truly hungry and instead have depended on sudden urges, recreational eating, and visually appealing foods to make that decision for them. Some of these eating opportunities can include:

• Free samples at a grocery store
• Display cases full of sugar-filled pastries at your favorite coffee shop
• Attending a special occasion party or celebration where everyone is eating
• Being asked to try out a new recipe a friend made

Hunger can also be mistaken by the nauseated, achy feeling they get only a few hours after eating. But these symptoms are actually related to toxic hunger.

What is toxic hunger?

Dr. Fuhrman explains toxic hunger symptoms as:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Weakness
• Mental Confusion
• Abdominal and esophageal spasm
• Fluttering and cramping

Toxic hunger is not really hunger at all. It is the detoxification of our bodies’ tissues to eliminate all the toxins we have put in it. Shortly after eating a meal full of rich, nutrient-lacking foods, people experiencing toxic hunger will feel weak and shaky and will solve this problem the only way they know how: eating more rich foods. Think of toxic hunger as a withdrawal symptom from low-nutrient foods. One’s body becomes addicted and will not feel better until more unhealthy foods are consumed.

What is true hunger?

Unfortunately, most people do not regularly experience true hunger. If Americans started to eat more nutrient rich foods (beans, greens, fruits, nuts, and seeds), they would begin to feel true hunger, along with all the things that come with it such as no discomfort hours after eating, pleasure consuming healthier foods, and most importantly, maintaining a healthy weight.

Simple Nutritious Dinner

• Mashed, baked acorn squash with chopped apples, diced dried apricots, cinnamon and nutmeg;
• Steamed edamame
• Steamed collard greens with Thai peanut sauce (blended peanuts, apple juice concentrate, water, garlic, ginger, basil, white balsamic vinegar, hot pepper flakes)

Sometimes all you need to do is  get something cooked (steam, bake, stir-fry) then top it with a sauce. Simple is also very delicious!

Here is an example of the nutrient analysis for what I ate yesterday.

Breakfast:

Chocolate oatmeal pudding with eggwhite, dates, banana, persimmon,  pomegranate, apple

Eggplant pate in sprouted wheat tortilla

Coffee with soymilk

Piece of dark chocolate

Lunch:

Mixed green salad topped with tabbouleh, guacamole, mexican bean stew, herbed lentil stew, steamed broccoli, piece of roasted acorn squash,  fresh pineapple (all in different sections on top of the greens. I didn’t make all this.  I was at a salad/hot bar);

Samples at grocery store: piece of rye bread and cinnamon raisin bread; 2 sample pieces of baklava (walnut and pistachio)

Snack:

Romaine leaf dippers with lima beans, eggplant pate, green onion, fennel, carrots and celery

Dinner:

Curried split pea soup with raisins, kale, mushrooms, and carrots;

Dessert: fruit salad (asian pear, papaya, kiwi)

This is the nutritional analysis for this day compared to the “women aged 31-50 years”  lifestage group:

mar4 RDA_AI Report

As you can see, nutrient needs  are met and fat, cholesterol, and saturated fat are kept low when the majority of the foods are whole plant foods. And eating this way is delicious and satisfying!

So I recently had the privilege of visiting Italy and France. Most of my time was spent in Italy in Rome and the Amalfi Coast. I wanted to prepare myself for the change in lifestyle I would experience while I was there. So I stepped up my exercise routine, got a better handle on my eating habits (journaling, more water, and eating less not different). I managed to lose some inches going into the trip. Also, my fitness level helped my adjustment to the new time zone.

While I started with a strong resolve to keep control of my eating habits (I continued food journaling which I thought would be fun to do as a memoir to the trip), I found a new perspective on food. Actually not an altogether new one, but one that I haven’t allowed myself in some time. After being inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Eat, Pray, Love I realized I had the opportunity to enjoy the best food Italy has to offer. One of life’s great pleasures is to sample the creations of chefs in far off lands and I decided I was deserving.

Permission to enjoy

I now realize that this permission to enjoy gelato, pizza, lemon cream puffs, olive oil, pasta, almond croissants, wine, and crusty European bread (which I prefer over any other starch) was therapeutic for me. As someone who has struggled with eating disorder tendencies, I was amazed at my calm enjoyment of foods I don’t (and won’t) otherwise consume. I had gelato for breakfast (with fruit and crepes) and felt such gratitude and appreciation that I surprised myself. Where was the anxiety? Where was the fear and anger? There was no fretting about my arteries, my waistline, my cancer risk, my lack of self control or my ability to be loved. And I wasn’t even exercising (besides walking across the street for cream puffs and cappuccino post-meal or huffing up the hill to the best pizzeria in Naples or maybe the entire world).

Making peace with my body

I had made peace with my body every time I gazed at a menu or a selection of 20 different gelato flavors. And when my traveling partner tried to take my last piece of the most amazing pizza of my life, I was at peace with adamantly telling him “no way” (he had already had his fair share, so I was doing him a favor). I was on vacation and half-way around the world from home. My body and health would recover. I knew. This wouldn’t become my lifestyle. These ten days wouldn’t cut my life short. And if my life were to end and my plane were to go down half way over the Atlantic. What regret would I have, in those precious minutes before death, for not having loosened my grip on my eating habits for the short time I was in Italy?

On a side note, there were plenty of health-improving foods to be had in Italy too. I had some of the most delicious salads, mushrooms, berries, tomatoes, artichokes, and bean stews. In Paris, there were crisp haricot verts (french green beans) and a creamy non-dairy parsnip soup. There were whole grain breads, luscious figs, peppery arugula and rich coffee I hope to experience again.

Back to my routine

So now I am back to my routine and eating lifestyle that has served me well. My body bears the marks of someone who ate herself through Italy. New inches on my waist, uncomfortable bowel habits, acne all over my face (huh? I didn’t see that one coming), and I can foresee hormonal mood swings coming in a few weeks. For now, I will wear these like badges for someone who had a good time on vacation. I will recuperate. I will resume exercising and eating well and taking care of myself in a different way. I will detox from my sugar coma and I will be happy to give detailed descriptions of every delicious morsel I came into contact with to anyone who is happy to listen.

So what is the lesson from this story? I don’t think I have a clear answer. I believe there needs to be a distinction between celebration and overall lifestyle when it comes to food. If these celebrations happen too frequently, we may pay a price in the form of diminished health. But should food celebrations not come at all, life may lose its luster or we may lose an aspect of our humanity.

I am still learning what the precise balance is for enjoying foods that are not healthful but still increasing health-improving foods is. My advice so far is, at your next opportunity for a food celebration (Thanksgiving, Christmas) ask yourself, will eating this make me happy? Then, be grateful, be calm, and be hungry. The next day, continue your resolve to give your body the nutrients and exercise it needs.

PS. Next vacation I will make more of an effort to exercise.

You have probably heard – especially recently –that you should eat fish. This is said to increase your intake of omega-3 fatty acids to improve heart health. Take a moment to reconsider eating fish. If you already are a fish-eater, I encourage you to make educated choices on what and how much fish to consume.

Contaminants in the water

There are some major health risks that are associated with eating fish. One major risk results from the level of contaminants found in fish and is the focus of this article. Because fish live in waters that absorb many environmental pollutants, fish and shellfish are one of the most polluted food sources. The larger and carnivorous fish contain the highest amount of pollutants since they have consumed other polluted fish, concentrating the toxins in their tissues. What are the toxins that are found in many fish? Researchers have found these toxins to include PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), mercury and other toxic metals, dioxin, and pesticides.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), studies have found the following risks from PCBs and dioxin to humans:

• decreased birth size,
• earlier births,
• impaired visual recognition,
• poor short-term memory,
• reduced cognitive function,
• disrupted endocrine function,
• increased behavioral problems,
• growth delay,
• increased middle ear disease in children,
• decreased penile length in boys ages 11-14,
• reduced psychomotor function in infants,
• increased risk for cancer,
• hypertension,
• adverse affects on the hepatic, cardiovascular, immune, musculoskeletal, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and dermal systems. [1]

Clearly, a healthy PCB and dioxin intake should be zero. Most of these studies traced the levels of PCBs and dioxin in people to their fish intake.

Mercury affects your heart, brain and immunity

Methylmercury is equally detrimental. Some of the documented health effects include negative effects to the cardiovascular and immune systems and to the nervous system. Ironically, fish is consumed for heart health but mercury has been linked with an

• increase rate of death from cardiovascular disease,
• increase in blood pressure, and
• irregular and increased heart rate.
• Another study found that those who have had a heart attack were found to also have high mercury levels.

This food is good for your heart? In whose reality? Maybe in the world where is no mercury pollution in the fish!

Some of the nervous system effects include

1. abnormalities in language, memory and attention span in children exposed to methylmercury during their mother’s pregnancy.
2. Brain damage and learning disabilities may occur in prolonged and repeated exposure to low doses of mercury. Although fetuses, infants, and children are most at risk, the effects of mercury are also evident in adults.
3. For example, methylmercury has been implicated in altering immune function, inducing cancers, reducing fertility, and increasing spontaneous abortion.[2]
4. Dementia and other aging-related neurological decline may also be traced to methylmercury consumption. [3]

Attention all pregnant women, kids and women who may want to have kids someday

Many health professionals believe the health risks from eating fish should be taken seriously, especially among those who are most susceptible to toxins in fish: woman in childbearing years, pregnant and nursing women, and children. However, all people, regardless of age, could be impacted by these chemicals. Mercury, dioxin, and PCB’s are found in many areas of our environment like rain water and soil. However, studies show that the majority of humans’ intake of these toxins is through  two food sources: [4]

1. Animal products and
2. processed foods are the largest source in our food supply.

Relying more on plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids and protein rather than fish and other animal foods will lessen our intake of these risky toxins. Organic plant food sources are the best choice as they are most likely to have less toxins.

I would strongly urge parents of small children and women who are pregnant or may become pregnant at any time in the future, to forgo fish consumption altogether. There is no reason to include this risky food in the diet. For those adults who can’t imagine eliminating fish and seafood from their diets and are willing to take the risk, checkout this website for more information on fish that are less contaminated: www.oceansalive.org In general, choosing smaller fish that are not carnivorous is a better bet. But remember that you are still choosing a higher contaminated food source than the plant food which supplies the same nutrients as fish in a cleaner package.

Good plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids include

• flax seed,
• hemp seed,
• walnuts,
• soybeans,
• canola oil, and
• leafy greens.

Recommendations are that people get 1.3% of calories from omega-3 fatty acids. For a person needing a 2000 calorie diet, this would amount to about 4 g of omega-3 fatty acids. A person could meet their needs consuming one tablespoon of ground flaxseed which provides 2.6 g and 1 ounce of walnuts which provides 2.7 g.

Fish oil supplements

So what about fish oil supplements? Some omega-3 supplements do not always contain what they claim to contain on the label. Additionally, many fish oil supplements can become rancid. Rancid omega-3 fatty acids are not healthy and beneficial nutrients. Also concentrated fish oil in a capsule can still contain high levels of environmental contaminants since many of the contaminants are found in the fat or oil of the fish. A fish oil capsule could contain even more contaminants than the original fish. A good way to determine the level of mercury for some contaminants is to check with consumerlab.com. This independent testing company also checks to see if the ingredients listed on the bottle are actually in the capsule. However, not all contaminants are tested so there is still a risk with fish oil supplements.

There are clean sources of longer chain omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA available in supplement form for those who require a higher intake. DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, originated in microalgae which fish ate to obtain the DHA in their tissues. Unlike all fish oil supplements, DHA supplements are prepared in a laboratory in a very clean and unpolluted environment.

Food borne illness

There are other health risks in consuming fish not yet mentioned and that is the foodborne illness that can result from eating bad fish. Fish is a large contributor to the foodborne illnesses that sicken thousands (or more) of people each year. There are many delicious meals that provide lots of protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients found in fish without having to take any of the health risks associated with fish. I would encourage you to explore these other options.

I often hear people say that they have problems with eating carbohydrates. They believe that they have unnatural and unhealthy cravings or leanings toward carbohydrate-rich foods. The low-carb diets that resurface in popularity from time to time, further confirm in many people’s minds that carbohydrates must somehow be “bad” and that wanting to eat them is a sign of weakness. I would like to clarify some information about carbohydrates with a basic lesson in biochemistry.

Simple and complex carbohydrates

Carbohydrates come in many different forms that can be divided into 2 categories: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates include the simple sugars glucose, galactose, and fructose while complex carbohydrates are starches and fibers that include many simple sugars linked together.

While it might seem that simple carbohydrates or sugars are bad for you and complex carbohydrates are better, this would not be accurate. There are very healthy foods whose carbohydrate source is all simple sugars such as fruits and vegetables. Also, foods that can contribute to obesity, chronic diseases and malnutrition are composed of complex carbohydrates like processed white flour products and other foods like potato chips. Whether a food is rich in simple or complex carbohydrates is irrelevant to a healthy diet. What does matter is the array of nutrients found in foods and how those nutrients, in combination with each other, contribute to health or detract from it.

Carbohydrates: The body’s fuel source

Carbohydrates, specifically glucose, are the preferred fuel for most body functions and the almost sole source of energy for our brains. People on low-carb diets often complain of feeling like their brains are in a “fog” in addition to their overall fatigue. Since carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel, it’s no wonder many people claim to “love carbs.” It seems that is what nature intended for us to do.

For athletes, carbohydrate-rich foods are especially important. When enough carbohydrates are stored in trained muscles before an activity, the muscle works more efficiently fueled by its preferred source, carbohydrate. Therefore, increasing the carbohydrate-rich foods in the diet can improve the performance of the athlete.

Carbohydrates and body weight

For people trying to lose weight, the myth persists that carbohydrates cause further weight gain or prevent weight loss. But since carbohydrates have only 4 calories per gram while fat has 9 calories and alcohol 7 calories, it would be more helpful to cut calories by reducing fat and alcohol than by reducing carbohydrate. Also increasing fiber reduces calories further. Foods highest in fiber, namely fruits, vegetables, and legumes, also have a high percentage of their calories from carbohydrates. In fact, people successful at keeping weight off after they have lost it consume more low fat carbohydrates in the form of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

The problematic carbohydrate-rich foods for body weight and disease prevention are those that have very little other nutrients such as processed flour where the fiber and many of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants have been removed. The ubiquitous processed carbohydrates are also typically combined with high amounts of fat and or sugar; fried foods like French fries and tortilla chips, layers of high fat cheeses and meats on a white flour crust, hydrogenated oils mixed with sugar in many cakes, doughnuts, cookies, and muffins. In fact, carbohydrate cravings may actually be cravings for sugar, fat, and salt in combination with the carbohydrate-rich food and not the food alone.

Satisfying cravings in a healthy way

So the next time you want to blame carbohydrates for causing your weight gain or preventing you from losing weight, it would be best to point the finger at the real culprits rather than all carbohydrate-rich foods. However, sugar cravings persist when someone is in a chronically malnourished state but can be helped by consuming more fruit, nature’s candy. Even dried fruit with its concentrated calories and sweetness is a much better choice than the many sugary and fatty treats available. So don’t feel guilty satisfying carbohydrate cravings from fruits, vegetables, and legumes. The loads of nutrients in these foods prevent the vicious craving cycles.

Weight Loss and Weight Regain

According to the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, about 68.5 million adults (34%) in America are overweight or obese. This is not a new health trend as the prevalence of overweight and obesity in this country has been steadily increasing for decades. This is true for all ages, genders, races/ethnic groups, and educational levels.(1)

Why is maintaining a healthy weight important? Aside from the appearance, peer- acceptance, and self-acceptance issues, physical health problems are abundant among those who are overweight. Overweight and obese people have a 50-60% higher risk of cancers than those of normal weight. Overweight and obese people have increased risks for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, joint degeneration, and sleep apnea. Obesity may also lead to increased mortality, increased surgical complications, depression, incontinence, excess body hair, menstrual problems, and complications in pregnancy. (2) Clearly, a decreased quality of life can be found in those who are overweight or obese.

It is important to understand what food eating habits you have that will prevent weight loss from occurring or cause regain in those who have lost weight. Simply eating less or dieting has been found to be problematic strategy for losing weight or keeping it off. You might be able to do it for a while, but eventually your body’s survival mode kicks in and you overeat. This is similar to holding your breath. Even if you get very good at holding your breath for a long time, eventually you have to take a breath.

Making a change in the types of foods you eat, rather than in limiting the amounts, is a much more effective strategy. Changes in lifestyle and food habits are the key to a healthy body weight. For many people, understanding that they often gravitate towards high calorie yet low nutrient foods on menus is an important realization. Once they start making different choices than this one, they have found a key toward realizing their healthy body weight.

Research shows us that changing lifestyle habits is an exercise just like training a muscle is. Eventually the muscle learns to do an activity better by continually practicing it. The more you exercise the new habit, the stronger that part of the brain becomes to enable you to make that new habit a lifelong habit. For example, the more you say no to ordering a soft drink with your meals and having water with lemon instead, the easier it becomes at future meals.

Nutrition for weight loss also must have disease prevention factored in. There are many ways that people lose weight. Not all of these ways results in a healthier person. The heroine user may lose lots of weight but has not gained health, vitality, and the ability to keep chronic diseases at bay such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Other diet fads have helped people lose weight but have also increased their risks for other disease. The low-carbohydrate diets are examples of these.

Fad diets also do not teach strategies for practical lifelong weight maintaining habits you can stick to. A 2007 study found that among a small group who lost at least 10% of their body weight regained much of the weight they lost within a year.(3) The authors found that sedentary lifestyles with very little physical activity and more time in front a screen (tv, computer, video) were associated with weight regain. Perhaps if those people who had regained their weight had also learned and practiced new lifestyle habits such as better nutrition and physical activity, their weight regain would not have happened.

These factors show that physical activity, is an important part of maintaining weight loss. But focusing only on physical activity instead of also combining nutrition changes to maintain weight loss or lose weight is a futile battle. Frequently people who train to run marathons find that they have not lost any weight as their appetite increased and their eating habits did not change. In studies comparing exercise, diet, and diet plus exercise, diet plus exercise and diet alone resulted in the most weight loss.(4) Exercise can not be the only strategy. Nutrition is the much bigger piece of the puzzle.

Sources

(1) Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, Dietz WH, Vinicor F, Bales VS, Marks JS. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003; 289(1):76–79.

(2) Statistics related to weight control and obesity. NIDDK. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm Accessed on June 20, 2007

(3) Weiss EC, et al. Weight regain in U.S. adults who experienced substantial weight loss, 1999-2002. Am J Prev Med 33(1), 2007

(4) Miller WC, et al. A meta-analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention International Journal of Obesity 21(10), 1997

Keeping track of daily food intake with a food diary or journal has been found to be effective for many people to help them maintain a healthy weight. Food journaling is also helpful for those with emotional food issues as it provides a place to document those feelings and help discern them from true hunger. Other health activities can be tracked in a food journal like exercise habits, blood pressure, meditation time, or any other health goals.

Journaling habit helps by:

1. Knowing that you will be recording what you are currently eating puts the brakes on how much you will eat as you are no longer engaged in “mindless eating.” The act of writing it down activates parts of your brain that can go idle and lead to over consumption.
2. Recalling what you have previously eaten in a day also leads one to exert greater control over the current meal. Thinking about those 2 large pancakes loaded with syrup from breakfast can help steer away from a higher calorie lunch option. Again, this helps to engage your thinking with your eating habits and prevent mindless eating.
3. Laziness can pay off. If you have written down all of the normal number of meals you normally eat and are tempted to eat more, not feeling up to more writing is another detraction from eating more.
4. An accurate and helpful food diary is one that contains measures of food. There is a big difference between 1 cup of chips versus 1 8-cup bag of chips so merely recording “chips” does not give enough information. After many days of measuring and recording, one gets better at estimating and eyeballing food portions so after while there is no longer a need for measuring cups, spoons, and scales.

I have had many food journals over the years but none in the recent past. So I needed a fresher experience to recall. I have been recording my food intake now for the past 2 weeks. It has been an interesting experiment for me. I have also added in some other goals to keep track of like water consumption, exercise time, and belly fat measurements.

Results