Importance of Family Meals with Adolescents
- Make it enjoyable. Leave the serious discussions for another time. Family meals are for nourishment, comfort, and support.
- Use the crock pot. Put everything together before leaving for work in the morning. You’ll come home to the delicious smell of a cooked meal.
- Avoid portion distortion. Keep serving sizes under control, whether you’re at home or eating out.
- Get the family involved. Let kids help prepare meals and set the table.
- Keep it simple. Family meals don’t have to be elaborate. Work salads and vegetables into meals. Focus on familiar favorites!
Sources: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23567247
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/family-dinners-are-important
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is a frequent and routine pattern of behavior which involves binging on a large amount of food in a short time period followed by purging via vomiting or laxatives. Individuals will generally binge on what ever food is available, it does not need to be something particularly good or enticing. They may make a special trip to the store to purchase binge foods which can makes this disorder very costly.
Discussions of binge episodes in my office include 8-12 bagels with cream cheese, bags of cooked frozen vegetables, 6-8 donuts, large bags of chips with salsa, entire box of girl scout cookies (this is obviously seasonal) several slices of bread and butter or excessive amounts of grahm crackers or saltines. This food is consumed with no connection to hunger or fullness — it is all about the emotions and feelings of the moment.
Signs of binging and purging:
- disappearance of large amounts of food in short time periods, evidence of food/candy wrappers or empty containers of food..
- Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals,
- odor of vomitting or frequently brushing teeth to disguise the odor of vomitting ,use of breath mints,
- purging may take place in trash bags kept in their car,stop by public restrooms or purge in the bushes outside a home.
- You may also notice swelling of the teeth or jaw area due to frequent vomiting.
- Purging may be in the form of laxative abuse, or excessive exercise which are also methods to rid the body of calories.
Bulimia nervosa can be extremely harmful to your entire body. Your digestive tract will be negatively impacted from excessive food intake and recurrent purging in short time periods. Muscle spasms, esophogeal tears, abdominal bloating, cardiac arrhymthmia, kidney damage, frequent dental problems, increased cavities, loss of tooth enamel will be common.
The new DSM-V diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa indicates the binge eating and compensatory purging behaviors both occur on average, at least once per week for 3 months
If your binge purge behavior continues for months and months you may eventually discover your food comes up naturally and it is difficult to keep anything down. I have seen this in my practice and it is an extremely dangerous situation. Following months and years of binging/purging anything the patient tries to consume be it water, gatorade, cereal bars, chicken, fruit, vegetable all come back up within a few minutes of eating. This is very scary and frightening for the eating disorder patient to realize what they have done to their body functioning.
The first time you decide to experiment with purging following food intake — call and get help immediately. Do not let this behavior grow into a torrential monster which can consume and devour your life! cb
Summer Snow Cone!
Posted by: SSG
Long-Term Effects of Protein Shakes
Protein drinks are being advertised as a way to boost fitness, and that marketing targets everyone from body builders to teenagers. According to a new study, over-consuming some of those products could be dangerous, and may cause health problems over time. The investigation found some contain things like arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Experts say too much protein can lead to:
- Dehydration
- Digestive problems
- Increase your risk for osteoporosis
- For some people, cause kidney problems.
Immune-Boosting Nutrition!
Anti-Inflammatory Foods
The DASH Diet
- Add a serving of vegetables at lunch and at dinner.
- Add a serving of fruit to your meals or as a snack. Canned and dried fruits are easy to use.
- Use only half your typical serving of butter, margarine, or salad dressing, and use low-fat or fat-free condiments.
- Drink low-fat or skim dairy products any time you would normally use full fat or cream.
- Limit meat to 6 ounces a day. Try eating some vegetarian meals.
- Add more vegetables and dry beans to your diet.
- Instead of typical snacks (chips, etc.), eat unsalted pretzels or nuts, raisins, low-fat and fat-free yogurt, frozen yogurt, unsalted plain popcorn with no butter, and raw vegetables.
- Read food labels carefully to choose products that are lower in sodium.
- Eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods
- Cutting back on foods that are high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats
- Eating more whole grain products, fish, poultry, and nuts
- Eating less red meat (especially processed meats) and sweets
- Eating foods that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium
- Grains: 7-8 daily servings
- Vegetables: 4-5 daily servings
- Fruits: 4-5 daily servings
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy products: 2-3 daily servings
- Meat, poultry, and fish: 2 or less daily servings
- Nuts, seeds, and dry beans: 4-5 servings per week
- Fats and oils: 2-3 daily servings
- Sweets: try to limit to less than 5 servings per week
Appreciate Your Mom This Mothers Day!
- Dark chocolate: Which contains antioxidants, dark chocolate can mop up the damaging free radicals known to play a role in heart disease and other illnesses. Just make sure you choose types with less sugar and fewer calories. This is a great way to satisfy her sweet tooth and benefit her heart!
- Make a light meal from your favorite healthy cookbook and leave the book behind for her to try out later. She may also appreciate some skinny-kitchen gadgets, like a steam basket, grill pan, or oil mister.
- A visit with a Dietitian and follow it with a healthy meal. Mother’s Day is a great reason to get your mom to see a Dietitian. A Dietitian can really tailor their advice to whatever issues your mom may be having with her diet.
- Adequate sleep is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as other health conditions. Buy your mom satin sheets, a new mattress, a mattress cover, or a luxurious pillow to encourage better sleep.