Bamboo is a Vegetable

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When is the last time you had fresh bamboo for dinner? I learned on my recent trip to Japan bamboo is not just for pandas.

Bamboo is a very low-calorie vegetable with only about 30 calories in 3-4 oz. Bamboo is a good source of fiber, B-complex vitamins, manganese, copper, iron and potassium.

Young, tender shoots are a seasonal delicacy in East Asian regions. The shoots called takenoko are one of the spring specials in Japan. Finely sliced shoots may be served plain or with a sauce added to salads, stir-fries, or rice.

Each spring new shoots, which are cone shaped, arise from under the root system and are dug up with a spade. On its exterior, the shoot features several layers of a sturdy casing of leaves, firmly wrapped around its central cream-white heart, which is the meat of the shoot. The meat is crunchy in texture and has a mild flavor.

If you are buying fresh shoots, look for those which are most recently harvested, firm and heavy sprouts with a wide base. Avoid soft, dry roots or those turning green. Greenish discoloration indicates exposure to sunlight for a long time, overripe and can be bitter in taste. It should be eaten soon after purchase, wrapped in a paper towel and placed in refrigerator where it can stay fresh for 1-2 days.

Bamboo shoots contain taxiphyllin, a cyanogenic glycoside which is to be removed by placing them in boiling water for 20-25 minutes to detoxify them.

Super Cao Nguyen, the large Asian market in OKC, carries fresh bamboo shoots for $1.99/lb. Also, Goro Ramen in the Plaza District adds bamboo (called “menma”) to their Ramen dishes.

If you consider yourself an “adventure eater,” then bamboo should be added to your list of foods to try.

Beets, Beet Juice, and Exercise Performance

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Looking to beet your current opponent or simply your latest personal exercise record? Beets, or beetroots, are a unique vegetable with a strong taste and intense red color. They are rich in dietary nitrate, folate, and vitamin C. They are notable for their ability to enhance exercise performance. The compound nitrate (NO3–) gets converted to nitric oxide when consumed. Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels and thereby reduces blood pressure. Nitrate also plays a role in allowing your muscles to become more efficient at using oxygen while exercising. By doing so, your muscles tire more slowly, allowing you to exercise at a higher level for a longer period of time. Oxygen is primarily used during long-lasting, aerobic exercise (aka endurance exercise). This includes various types of exercise such as cycling, running, and swimming.

Some ways to add beets to your diet include shredding it onto your salad or adding pickled beets as a side item. You could also slice them and add lemon juice and chili powder. Check out your local farmer’s market for fresh beets, which are easily stored in the refrigerator. Many people may not like the taste or texture of beets but still want its potential benefits. Beetroot juice is a viable alternative commonly found online and in-store. A research-based brand known as “Beet It” provides dietary nitrate through beet juice in an optimal concentration (400 mg) to receive exercise benefits. While you may need greater quantities if consuming beets in another form (i.e. cooked, sliced, chips) to achieve enhanced exercise performance, you can still experience many other favorable effects from its other antioxidants and polyphenols. Beetroot powders are popular and have high antioxidant capacities; however, their nitrate potential is low. Below are quantities for consuming adequate amounts of nitrate from various sources to improve exercise.

Beet It 70 mL bottle
Cooked beets 2.5 cups
Raw beets 2 cups

 

Get your beets on!

-WW

Fresh Roasted Beets Recipe

Wash and peel fresh beets. Cut into chunks and place on cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 375°F until tender with fork. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese immediately before serving. Enjoy!

Summer Quinoa Salad

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A friend shared this recipe and it sounded like a perfect, easy summer meal!

 

Southwest Quinoa Salad

 

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa cooked (can substitute brown rice)

1 can black beans (rinsed, drained)

½ large red bell pepper (diced)

4 green onions (diced)

¼ cup cilantro (chopped)

juice from 2 limes

½ cup olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

 

Directions:

Cook 1 cup quinoa according to package directions. (I like to cook my quinoa in either vegetable stock or chicken stock to add a little flavor. I also like to rinse it before I cook it. To do this, just place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under water for a few minutes … or use my shortcut packet above from Aldi.) When the quinoa is done cooking, fluff it with a fork, transfer it to a large bowl, and allow it to cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Dressing: In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, EVOO, ground cumin, black pepper and salt. When the quinoa has cooled, add in black beans, red bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Stir in dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Leftovers the next day are even better!

Enjoy! -HM

 

What to Grab in a Hurry

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It is lunchtime, we didn’t pack a lunch, and we want to grab food without compromising our health goals.  There are many options in our city that we can enjoy and not feel guilty about it. Luckily, many of our favorite places have nutritional facts we can access from our phone to make better decisions on the fly.  Another good resource is the app called MyFitnessPal, which has a vast amount of food and restaurant selections all in one place.

We can all use nutrition facts differently. Look for the amount of sodium if you have high blood pressure, saturated fat if your cholesterol is high, or carbohydrates for better blood sugar control. For the general population that eats out 2-3 times per week, I recommend just referring to the total calories and limit to 400-750 calories for a meal.

Some of my favorites quick stops around Oklahoma City who publish their nutritional facts include Pei Wei, Zoë’s, Panera, Fuzzy’s Tacos, Chipotle, Jason’s deli, and McAllister’s.  Restaurants like Starbucks, Chic Fil A, McDonald’s, and Panera even publish calories on the menu too. Other local restaurants that do not have nutrition information still have options to make your meal healthier. The Garage offers lettuce wraps and whole wheat bun on any of their burgers, or you can select a leaner bison or veggie burger.

 

Here are some of my favorites around town and calorie levels:

 

Pei Wei

  • Supergreen Coconut Curry with chicken, tofu, or steak (<500 calories and <500mg sodium)
  • Several small rice bowls (brown rice, preferably) <600 calories include:
    • Korean spicy with steak, Thai Basil with shrimp, and Teriyaki chicken

Zoë’s

  • Entire Simply 500 menu- which is less than 500 calories
  • Protein Power Plate, Quinoa Salad, Chicken kabobs w/ fruit and slaw, Gruben sandwich

Panera

  • Several Breakfast Sandwiches < 500 calories include
    • Avocado, egg white, and spinach power sandwich
    • Ham and Cheese power sandwich
  • Several ½ and ½ options <600 calories
    • Fuji apple and chicken salad with Mediterranean veggie sandwich
    • Steak and arugula on sourdough with creamy chicken and wild rice soup

Fuzzy Tacos

  • Try 2 soft tacos without chips- 1 shredded beef and 1 shredded chicken

 

-MVC

What Am I Missing??? Do I really need to avoid grains?

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Trending: People avoiding grains, especially wheat products for a variety of reasons, including trying to minimize carbohydrates. This is a big subject. Let’s tackle it grain by grain.

Who needs to avoid grains, lumped together commonly as “gluten”? Those with Celiac disease are the prime candidates. CD is a chronic, autoimmune disease, with mainly gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, malabsorption, limited food choices, and other serious symptoms such as iron deficiency and osteoporosis. It affects approximately 1 – 2 % of the population. As many as 6 – 10 % can be gluten sensitive, with symptoms resembling irritable bowel syndrome. There are still others who can have a wheat allergy, which can also cause GI symptoms.

But let’s back up just a minute. What is gluten? By definition, it is the tough, viscous substance forming the structure of grains such as wheat, barley, rye and oats. It is simply the “starch” in those grains.
If we don’t fit in the above categories, there is not a medical reason to stay away from grains. If we take whole grains out of our daily food intake, we are missing some very important nutrients needlessly. What are those nutrients? We will break down the components below:

• Bran: the outer layer that contains the fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and folate; and minerals such as iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium.
• Endosperm: the middle layer, containing the “starch”, protein and small amounts of B vitamins and minerals.
• Germ: the inner part of the grain, containing healthy fats, more B vitamins, some phytochemicals and antioxidants such as vitamin E.

Whole grains have many of the disease fighting chemicals that fruits and vegetables have, sometimes more. Eating at least three servings of whole grains per day can help prevent such diseases as heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, cancer of the digestive tract, and obesity, besides being a source of energy. Please enjoy these healthy foods, “regularly!” -KM

Food vs. Edible

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Michael Pollan, author of Omnivor’s Dilemma and Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, coined the term “edible non-food.”  It is a way of grouping foods by whether or not they generally support health or are human-created foods that don’t provide a benefit to the body.  Some examples of edible non-food might be soda and diet soda, cheese puffs, Pringles, etc  You have probably heard a recommendation to shop for groceries on the outside of the grocery store to find the least processed most “whole” foods.  This is where you will find fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, meat, etc.  It is these minimally processed foods that Pollan is considering “food.”  In order to be healthy this concept doesn’t need to be taken to the extreme but the general idea of it can’t be ignored.

When discussing this concept with my pediatric patients I ask them “between Elmer’s glue and Cheetos which one is a food?”  Of course they always say Cheetos.  I point out that they both can be eaten without causing an immediate health problem.  One is marketed as food and one as school supplies.  I would argue they are just about as equally “good for you.”  This is a silly example but I’m trying to make the point that just being edible isn’t a good enough definition to determine that something is food.

Some questions to ask when you are deciding if something is food vs edible non-food are:

  1. Did nature make this or a factory?
  2. Do I recognized all of the ingredients listed in the ingredient list?
  3. Is the purpose of this food entertainment or nutrition?
  4. Does the packaging make health claims or seem to be convincing you of something?
If your diet is 80% real food and 20% edible non-food you are doing pretty well!  If you are looking for a resource to improve the quality of your diet I recommend Pollan’s book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual.  It is short and sweet with simple recommendations.  Good luck!  -MK

Moms, Do you know how your daughter sees herself?

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This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness week and the National Eating Disorders Association’s (NEDA) 2017 theme is “It’s Time to Talk About It.” We are thankful to have a mom who is willing to share her story and talk about her daughter’s battle with eating disorders. With Kristen’s permission, we’d love to share her story and insight as a mother:

 

Dear Girl Moms,

Isn’t it fun when you are scrolling through Instagram and come across a picture with your daughter posted by one of her friends? Your eye is immediately drawn to her and I imagine like me, her smile makes you beam. You couldn’t love her any more. To you, she is perfect.

Only that’s not at all how she sees it.

Even if she “likes” the picture, on the inside she can’t believe her friend chose that one to post!  She scrutinizes every detail. Everyone else looks perfect, but not her. By comparison she is convinced she is fat, not as pretty or whatever else. And the longer she stares at the picture, the more down on herself she becomes.  In her mind, everyone perceives her in the same way she sees herself.

I’m telling you this because this is how it was for my daughter.

I had no idea she felt the way she did about her changing middle school body. It never entered my mind to even ask because at the time nothing about her demeanor let on to the deep dissatisfaction she felt. She was beautiful; still is.

A year or so later when she began trying to lose a little weight, I didn’t initially see anything wrong with her desire to eat healthier and to be more active, especially since her swim team season had ended. But as weight loss became noticeable and others began complimenting her on how good – how skinny – she looked it strengthened her resolve to keep going and her new found discipline became obsessive. (This is why I’ve learned to stop giving the “You look so skinny!” compliment to anyone.)

What started out as a little dieting quickly turned to sever food restrictions and major calorie-counting. I feared anorexia setting in. But she couldn’t see it, at least not yet.

Months later an extremely low resting heart-rate scared her back into eating, but as is the case with many who battle eating disorders it can quickly swing from one extreme to another.  Nearly a year later bulimia had become a controlling secret.

Finally, she admitted needing help and from there it was a two-year healing process. At times it felt like a never-ending road, but the care and counsel she received from Banister Nutrition was instrumental in her ultimate recovery. No longer is she held captive by the negative body image, comparison and eating disorder that characterized her high school years and for that we are eternally grateful for Carol at Banister.

Early in her treatment I struggled with my own worth – as a mom.  I felt like I had failed for not knowing the intense struggle going on inside her head and behind closed doors. It was especially hard to reconcile because we had a close relationship (even more so today) and talked freely about seemingly everything. But I now better understand the shame and guilt coinciding with an eating disorder which makes admitting the problem extremely hard. It is the reason far too many people suffer silently and even the ones being treated often hide behind a mask.

This is why my daughter and I both talk about eating disorders openly on social media and elsewhere. We want to be resources and encouragement to anyone living enslaved by an eating disorder or a false sense of worth from body comparisons and shaming. In fact, this part of my daughter’s story is also what has led to my upcoming book. Though not specifically about eating disorders, it is the reason why I felt it necessary to write a book for teen/college girls on identity and worth.

I hope to spare you moms the pain of walking this road with your daughter. I want to help your daughter know her worth secure in Christ.  Please don’t assume you know what she thinks when she sees herself in a picture. Start the conversation. Ask heart-penetrating questions and always, always point her back to who Christ is for her. Her identity is only secure in Him.

And if you do find yourself in my shoes, you are not a bad mom. Christ was perfect for you too. So, don’t hide in shame or fear of what others will think. Reach out and let someone bear your burdens with you. And if I can be that friend, I will.

Growing in Grace Together,

Kristen Hatton

 

To read more of Kristen’s blogs, learn about her book, or see her speaking events calendar go to http://www.kristenhatton.com/. More eating disorders resources, screening tools, and ways to get involved, visit www.nedawareness.com. Keep talking about it and be screened. -HM

Do You Have a Healthy Relationship with Food?

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Do you have a friend or family member who’s eating habits concerned you? Maybe you’ve noticed some of your own habits may need evaluating? The Renfrew Center has provided a questionnaire which you may find helpful. Keep in mind, this survey is not a diagnostic tool.

Answer “yes” or “no” to the following questions:

  1. Can you eat when you are hungry and quit when you are satisfied?
  2. Do you stop eating because you think you should (as opposed to because your body is satisfied)?
  3. Do you make food choices based on foods you enjoy?
  4. Do you become physically uncomfortable (such as weak, tired, dizzy, a headache) when you under-eat or diet?
  5. Do you feel that your food selections are a combination of “healthy foods” and “pleasurable foods”?
  6. Do you have to eat in a certain pattern – always­ three meals a day or always at certain times of the day?
  7. Do you trust that if you eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied, you will not get fat?
  8. Do you feel guilty when you eat to the point that you are stuffed and uncomfortable?
  9. Can you balance the time you give to thoughts about food, weight, and dieting with other important aspects of your life, such as relationships, work and self-development?
  10. Do you watch what other people eat and use that to determine what and how much you will eat?
  11. Can you leave some cookies on the plate because you know you can have some tomorrow?
  12. Do you usually pick foods based on their calorie content?

Scoring:

Add up all the “no” responses to the odd-numbered questions and give 1 point per “no”.

Add up all the “yes” responses to the even-numbered questions and give 1 point per “yes”.

Total both numbers.

Scores from 0-3 indicate a generally healthy attitude towards food and eating.

Scores from 4-8 suggest pressure about appearance and ideas about how much and of what to eat may be negatively affecting self-acceptance and overall happiness. It may be helpful to explore these issues.

Scores from 9-12 suggest more serious food issues, ranging from food obsession to disordered eating. Consider seeking professional assistance to deal with these thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to food and body image.

 

For more information about food, weight, eating disorders, binge eating disorder, etc. contact Banister Nutrition, LLC at 405-755-7561, the Renfrew Center Foundation at 1-877-367-3383, or the Laureate Eating Disorder Program at 1-888-253-4827. -CB

 

Reference: The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders

From a Dietitian’s Kitchen – Fresh Pear and Pomegranate Salad

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Pears and pomegranates are currently in season and are a great addition to a green salad. Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants as well as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some refer to them as one of the “super foods.” One-half cup of arils/seeds of the pomegranate contains 75 calories, 15 gm carbohydrates, and 3 gm fiber. Pears are a great source of vitamin C, copper, and fiber. Pears are said to have more nutrients per calorie than calorie per nutrient!

 

Enjoy this fresh winter salad while getting a great supply of nutrients!

 

Salad:

1 head Romaine

Arils/seeds removed from 2 pomegranates

1 pear cut into thin slices

 

Dressing:

½ C sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

½ tsp salt

1/3 C apple cider vinegar

1 C oil

1 ½ Tbsp grated onion

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

 

Make dressing in advance and let chill in refrigerator.

Just before serving drizzle over salad.

Recipe makes enough dressing for salad for 2 meals.

 

-CB

 

Want to try using a fresh, whole pomegranate? Here’s a neat tutorial video we found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gyFM1Y8tqY

It’s All in Your Head!

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It’s January, here we go again…

You’re headed to the gym, your palate will never experience bread, potatoes, or pasta again. Delectable cookies, cake, or ice cream are poison to your body and soul. Salad greens only consumed without dressing, fresh fruit and veggies are always recommended. Ah-ha, that’s the answer- exist only on fruits and vegetables until your body reaches perfection!

The food you eat or don’t eat and frequency of physical activity does affect your health and fitness. Do you want to know the origin of your health and fitness challenges and where your work really needs to be focused?

It’s All in Your Head!

  1. Attitude – exercise your mind to have a strong opinion, mentally decided to be positive, encouraging, realistic, and fair to yourself. Sing your praises, slips ups are part of the learning process, not signs of failure.
  1. Demolish strongholds – those strong opinions you hold telling yourself: “I can’t do this,” “I don’t care, I want the cookie anyway,” I feel fat” when you’re actually very thin, “It’s not fair I have diabetes.” Delete these thoughts and statements.
  1. A lie believed as truth will affect your life as if it were true. Do you tell yourself: “It doesn’t matter if I check my blood sugar,” “I will never be able to lose weight. I’ve been overweight my whole life,” “I’ve never liked fruit or vegetables and I never will,” “I don’t have time to cook,” as one with anorexia “I’m not hungry, so I don’t need to eat?”
  1. You CAN rewire your brain. The prefrontal cortex controls cravings and it is possible to interrupt the craving (addiction) pathway with mindfulness, changed self-talk, and tools to decrease anxiety and meditation.
  1. Live a life of active gratitude. Your legs are strong and they work, do you enjoy long walks? You have the resources to afford the gym, do you utilize this privilege?

Get your head on track – your thoughts and behaviors will follow.

 

Happy New Year! -CB