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Alcohol. It has been requested that I discuss it. This should be fun. It’s something that my college professors never really hit on that much. Therefore, I did not expect nearly as many questions as I get on the subject. I wasn’t warned, but in retrospect…. PROBABLY should have seen it coming. I would say that on a daily basis, the question about alcohol arises at least a couple of times. It usually goes a little something like this: “I know that I shouldn’t drink, BUT if I’m gonna drink what’s the best choice?” (that one is my personal favorite) or sometimes I get: “How many drinks can I have in a day?” or “How much is too much?”

Before we go THERE, let’s discuss the numbers. For those of you following my blog… and actually reading this stuff, you already know that carbs and protein contain 4 calories per gram and that fat contains 9 per gram. Well, alcohol isnt far behind fat… weighing in at 7 CALORIES PER GRAM. Uh, Oh…. bad start. Now that’s just the calories that you are getting from the alcohol itself. But what if you’re enjoying a pina colada or margarita? Sugar city. Those MONDO margartias that you can get at the Mexican joint? Some come in at not too much under 1,000 calories. “But Alec, I dont drink the hard stuff, I only drink beer.” Well, the news ain’t much better for you. Yes, I said “ain’t”. The typical lite beer (did you catch that one?) is about 100 kcals. A non-light beer is roughly 150 kcals. If you like Sierra Nevada’s Pale Ale, I think it’s something like 210 kcals a bottle. Then there is MGD 64 and the Lance Armstrong-promoted Michelob Ultra. The latter two are lower in calories because they have a lower alcohol content. The light beers at the 100 calorie mark are already really low carb, so don’t be fooled.

In general, figure this:
– a 4-5 oz glass of red or white wine is about 100 calories
– a light beer is 100 calories
– a non-light beer is 150 calories
– a 1.5 oz shot glass of 80 proof liquor is 100 calories

I’d like to take a moment here and tell you that I could ramble on and on about the negative effects of alcohol on the system including it’s outstanding ability to wreck your metabolism, liver, and other organs like your heart. But the truth is, you already knew that, didnt you? And since I like to keep this fun, I won’t harsh your mellow.

BACK TO THE NUMBERS. Now that we’ve discussed the calorie content of alcohol, let’s move right along to some other interesting numbers. For example, have you ever wondered why Q’DOBA is open until 4 a.m.? Yeah, I’m gonna go there. For those of you who don’t know, alcohol SEVERELY lowers food inhibitions.

Scene 1: Man goes to buddy’s house on Saturday evening, 6 pack in tote. Man high-fives buddy and proceeds to twist off cap. Man drinks 1 beer. Man not satisfied. Man drinks another beer. Man feel better. Man drinks 3rd beer. Man call cab.

Scene 2: Man and buddy at a bar. Buddy orders a round because buddy just got paid. Buddy orders another because… well, he just got paid. Man now thoroughly satisfied. Man now have courage to talk to pretty girl at other end of bar. AND….. scene.

Scene 3: 2 a.m. Man and buddy in line at Q’doba. Man orders 1 queso burrito…. all the toppings. Man also get chips and quac because…. well, he can. Man orders large soda.

Scene 4: blurry

Scene 5: 10:15 a.m. Man wonder why he in bathtub.

BACK TO THE NUMBERS. Let’s run down what we’ve just witnessed:
– 3 beers (assuming light) –> 300 calories
– 1 premium beer (let’s say Sierra Nevada) –> 210 calories
– 1 shot tequila –> 100 calories
– 1 queso burrito… all the toppings–> 1,250 calories
– 1 order chips and guacamole –> 450 calories
– 1 large soda –> 310 calories

Grand total: 2,620 calories (75% of the way to having consumed enough to add 1 lb of fat)

So…. TAKE HOME MESSAGE time! Studies have shown that alcohol, in moderation, can actually have health benefits. Moderation is defined as up to 1 drink a day for women or up to 2 drinks a day for men. That’s really all there is to it. There aren’t shortcuts here. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation and be sure to have plenty of water along with it. To avoid additional calories, watch out for the sugar-laden drinks discussed earlier. And if you choose to make them at home, use fresh fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes to flavor a margarita instead of the pre-bottled stuff.

Til next time…

It’s 11:00 p.m., do you know where your energy is? About 150 miles and 3 towns ago is probably about right if you’re like the many thousands of other Americans hitting the road this summer for vaca. Believe it or not, it’s not all about how much sleep you had the night before or even this past week. Nutrition plays a crucial role in how we feel as well (are you starting to see the “Feel” Good connection yet?). You see, we get energy from 2 places… sleep and eat. Most people do not properly execute these despite them being 100% critical to our survival. Really, how crazy is that? Take me for example. I just turned 27 years old… yikes, I just turned 27, the age where depending on who you are talking to, you are either “old” or “just a kid”… no in between here. But at 27 years old, I still manage to occasionally spill my drink on myself… despite having roughly 26 full years of experience… #sadbuttrue #epicfail. Ok, but seriously we are a nation in the midst of an overweight and obesity epidemic. And we spend A LOT of time in our vehicles. Whether it be for our daily commute or for a vacation. I’m gonna gear this towards the summer vacation because it’s that time of year, but these suggestions can be used year-round. So, here goes:

1. Have a PLAN and PREPARE ahead of time. This is the single most important thing to remember. This also goes for the weekly trip to the grocery store, coming up with meals for the week, and is PARTICULARLY true for eating out at restaurants.

2. As I have advised my traveling clients in the past, invest in a good COOLER. No more excuses about not having access to a refrigerator.

3. Take a look at the new MYPLATE. Designed as an eaiser way to understand good nutrition, you can mimic it by filling your cooler with…

• Fresh FRUITS and VEGETABLES (I really like mangoes or pomegrante seeds with FAGE Greek yogurt and sugar snap peas or carrot slices with hummus). Apples, bananas, bell peppers, celery… they’re all good! Go for a variety of colors…. the darker/richer, the better.
• String CHEESE anyone?
• Whole grain CRACKERS are great too. Kashi and Triscuit are my favorites.
• Revert back to your childhood and pack a good old PB&J —> 100% whole wheat bread is best, but those cool new sandwich thins are great too. DO NOT use reduced fat PB. The calories are identical and the good-for-you fat has been replaced with sugar.

4. You will no doubt be stopping along the way as well. Here are some tips to keep you from bulging out of that bikini:

• As I said earlier, plan ahead. Get online and find out what the healthier/lower cal options are at restaurants along the way. Don’t know where you’ll be stopping? No problem… SOMEONE has an iPhone…. guaranteed. So dont give me that excuse either.
• Have a glass of water before your meal and order a small side salad with dressing on the side to add bulk to your stomach to prevent overeating on the calorie-laden foods your friends are having.
• In all the hustle and bustle you left the cooler at home! No worries. Gotcha covered. Yes, you can even choose good-for-you foods at the gas station…. it’s true. At almost any convenience store these days you will find the following: string cheese, nuts, peanut butter, whole wheat bread, whole wheat crackers, nutrition bars (watch for excessive fat and sugar though, many granola bars have as much sugar as your typical candy bar), spam……hey, just making sure you’re still awake 🙂

If you have any other ideas you’d like to add in here, I’d appreciate any comments. I’m looking at you, RD’s!

It has recently been brought to my attention that there is a “diet” (yep, another one) out there floating around the internet and between gym rats (I mean that in the best way possible as I could probably be placed into that category as well) that involves drinking a Gallon Of Milk A Day, or GOMAD. How it came about, I’ll never know, but the idea behind it is that it will make you JACKED.  Now I’d like to start by saying that many Americans arent getting the recommended 3 servings of dairy a day and that I am a huge proponent of dairy farmers and their products as they are a large part of an overall well-balanced diet. That being said, however… A GALLON A DAY!!!!

It’s really difficult as a dietitian to know where to start here. So let’s just jump right into the numbers… and for those of you who know me, jumping right into the numbers is HIGHLY unusual.

1 gallon of SKIM milk contains approx:

-128 fluid ounces
–1,280 calories
–0 grams fat
–0 grams saturated fat
-560 mg cholesterol
-2,080 mg sodium
-192 grams carbohydrate
-176 grams of sugar
-128 grams of protein

For the fun of it, let’s compare to WHOLE milk:

–2,400 calories
–128 grams fat
–80 grams saturated fat
-560 mg cholesterol
-2,080 mg sodium
-192 grams carbohydrate
-176 grams of sugar
-128 grams of protein

These are interesting numbers, obviously. And they should be cause for concern… here’s why:

My first thought after running these numbers was “So where else do they plan on getting their nutrition from?”Ok, I lied that was my second thought. My FIRST thought was actually “How in the world could someone stomach that over a period of time, let alone a singe day!”

But let’s go to what the research says. The USDA’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend the following on a daily basis:

– < 2,300 mg sodium (and < 1,500 for those 51 and over, African Americans, and those with hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease)
– < 10% of TOTAL calories coming from saturated fat
– < 300 mg of cholesterol This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but I thought I’d pick these out. So now that we have this information, let’s compare the two what do you say? For the reason that people’s calorie needs can vary so widely, I am leaving that part out. So for SKIM milk here’s what were looking at (sorry mom, I know I just ended the sentence in a preposition). -187 % of your recommended cholesterol for the day
-90 % of your recommended sodium for the day for about half the population
-139 % of your recommended sodium for the day for the other half

NOTE: Again, I’m not hating on milk, its AWESOME! But this is just too much and although the sodium seems high in all of this, in normal amounts, it is very minimal. This is especially true because of milk’s abundance of sodium-neutralizing POTASSIUM.

For WHOLE milk:

-Well, I’ll just say this… Too much fat, WAY too much saturated fat, and just flat out too many calories I dont care who you are.

There are many other things wrong with this “diet”. These include busting through your upper limits on certain other nutrients and micronutrients (eg. calcium). But I could be here forever writing a book on all of this and I have work to do. Or maybe I should write a sweet, super cool book that everyone will love, get me on Oprah’s new network, land me my own show and… Yeah, you’re right I should just get back to work.

Chicken and Avocado Sandwich, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Oriental Chicken Salad, Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes, Grilled Chicken Medallions. What do all of these actual menu items at some of America’s most popular resaurants have in common? Well they all sound, at the very least, like healthier and lower calorie options, no? I mean, co’mon… chicken, spinach, artichokes, sweet corn. How could one ever go wrong? The all-too-much sad, but true answer is that each of these menu items is AT LEAST 1500 calories!!!

Fried Calamari, Giant Belgian Waffle with Strawberries, Pecans and Cream, Trios Steak Quesadilla Towers, Steak and Fried Shrimp Combo. Nope, I didnt make up any of those names. Again, these are actual menu items. I wont insult your intelligence this time and lead you on another question-laden cruise to my point. All of these items are actually 800 calories or LESS! As a matter of fact, the Trios Steak Quesadilla Towers (sounds like a gut buster right?) come in at a mere 560 calories.

Time for the TAKE HOME MESSAGE: dont trust the name. Get online ahead of time, be prepared and know what you are going to order in advance. Or as my dad would say “Listen to the numbers, not the story.”

The title of today’s post is something I hear all too often. A response that was usually preceded by something I said like “eggs are a great food, yes even the yolk” or “a handful of mixed nuts makes for a great snack.” The truth is, 5 or 10 years from now I may be saying the opposite. Why? RESEARCH. Something that I want nothing to do with, but am glad that there are people out there who do it. By research I’m talking about studies, methods, analysis, etc. Like I said, I have zero desire to delve in it, mostly I suppose because I’m not patient enough… or it could be that I just don’t like math. Either way, there are those out there who do it for a living and I thank them.

How about the “egg controversy” anyways… first, eggs were ok to eat. Then, only the whites were ok to eat because the yolks contain cholesterol. Well, RESEARCH now shows that the bigger contributor to our cholesterol levels comes from saturated fats (those found in animal meats, coconuts, cheeses, etc.). As a matter of fact, of the dietary cholesterol that we consume, our bodies only actually abosrb about half of it. This isnt to say that we shouldnt restrict our cholesterol intake, because although saturated fat seems to be a bigger culprit, it still has an affect (or is it effect… I can never remember that one). To be exact, aim to consume 300 mg or less of the stuff each day and you’ll be kosher. One recent study suggested that the whole egg controversy may have originated from the fact that eggs are often eaten with other foods that are high in saturated fat such as sausage, bacon, and butter.  FUN FACT… cholesterol only comes from foods with an animal origin. Another reason to eat more fruits and veggies!

As for the “mixed nuts make a great snack” thing, it’s a bit simpler. Nuts are a great source of monounsaturated fats (the ones that are good for the ticker), protein, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. Problem is that because they are such a great source of healthy fats, they contain a bunch of calories. Gram for gram, in terms of calories, saturated fat and monounsaturated fat are equal… both tipping the scale at a hefty 9 calories per gram. That’s opposed to carbohydrates and proteins who ring in at a mere 4 calories per gram. Take home message? Enjoy them… in small amounts (think a small handful). FUN FACT… walnuts contain more omega 3 fatty acids as well as more antioxidants than any other nut. Ah what the heck, one more FUN FACT and then I’ll let you get back to acting like you’re being productive at work…. Need to get you daily dose of selenium for the day?… eat 1 Brazil nut and your there.

Til next time….

Ok, as promised I’m finally writing about nutrition today, namely supplements. Because I NEVER get any questions about them. Let’s start off with their name, supplements. They are just that. Meant to supplement a hopefully already balanced diet. They DO NOT and CANNOT replace a solid nutritional foundation. Now as many of you reading this know (wait, IS anybody reading this?) I began my career as a dietitian at Lifetime Fitness. And boy do they like their supplements, er money, no wait, supplements, yeah… supplements. Oh, fun fact! Can you guess the NUMBER 1 selling supplement at Lifetime Fitness? I’ll give you a second. It’s a product called LeanSource. A “weight loss” pill. Go-flipping-figure.
Anyways, part of my job was to educate the personal training staff and members of the gym on the supplements we had on hand. They ranged from your typical protein powders and creatines to green tea and acai berry extracts designed to “enhance your metabolism”. FYI, if you want to enhance your metabolism, go for a walk. Now I know it sounds as if my stance towards supplements is a negative one. But the truth is, I take several each day. Supplements CAN be beneficial and MAY help to improve one’s health and/or decrease the onset of certain diseases/conditions. But remember, these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. In fact, the FDA doesnt regulate supplements at ALL. Yep, you heard right. That means that what goes into the stuff is totally up to the manufacturer. The FDA only steps in when things start to “hit the fan”. Ever hear of ephedra? Take home message on this one: TAKE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Geez, I’m sounding pretty negative today… and on my birthday of all days. Ok, let’s put a positive spin on this subject. As I said earlier, I take several supplements a day. What are they? 1. Multivitamin 2. Fish oil 3. Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate. The multi is my “insurance policy”. The fish oil is a fantastic source of essential fatty acids (essential because the body doesnt produce them and must come from the diet). I dont like fatty fish, in case you were wondering why I dont get it from a food source. And finally, the glucosamine is for my left knee that was ever-so conveniently run over by a 4-wheeler as a kid. And when my running/biking miles begin to add up, the knee acts up. Of course there are countless other supplements on the market. From herbs and oils to topical creams and various root and bark extracts. The industry is booming… no seriously. According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the supplement industry is a $26.9 BILLION dollar industry… and growing. And that’s just here in the United States! Evidently I got into the wrong side of this business.
Since my blogs seem ramble and then conclude with a general take home message, I’ll just go ahead an do it again:

There are countless supplements on the market today. Some of them good, some of them not so good (ie. save your money). But who’s to know which is which? Registered Dietitians. Consult one today… which reminds me. My telephone number is 317-721-3161 or you can e-mail me at alec.smith52@gmail.com. Like my little plug there at the end? Hey, how else am I gonna afford my supplements?

I thought of the title of this post while running my miles earlier on a Monday morning. I suppose that for some of you reading this you might expect it to be about links of pig parts being thrown on the flame. This being a nutrition-related blog I suppose I can’t blame you. However, it is more of an observation of how we work. By “we” I am speaking of those who hit the pavement and pool in hopes of doing just a little bit better than they did the last time they threw on their spandex-like race suits. And let me tell you there is nothing left to the imagination with those things either… for better or worse. But that’s off topic. I’d like to discuss the so-called “weekend warrior”. You know them. They go to bed early on a Friday night to wake and exercise for an extended period of time. They are the ones who are careening past your house right around the time you are working on cup o’ joe number 2. You see, you missed the first pass by your house because you were sleeping. That’s right, they’re done. Just completed a 60 miler (on a bike of course, unless you live next to Dean Karnazes). Now I’m an avid exerciser… havent always been one, but I’m clearly hooked now and have been for many years. I understand where these folks are coming from. Work all week in a job that may or may not be satisfying, the tension building since their last endeavor. But herein lies the issue. You see as I was on my morning run on this Monday, I noticed something. Now I’ll admit I wasnt treking for 15, but a mere 5. The weather wasnt ideal (light mist, overcast, and about 45 F). Still, however, I noticed that I did not pass one other soul during my run. Had I been running on a Saturday (regardless of the weather) I’d have passed too many to count. Ok, I know what you’re thinking. “But Alec, it was a Monday morning, people were at work.” I’m not denying that entreprenuership has it’s benefits… but I’ll bet all those weekend warriors arent writing a blog for their clients and potential clients at 8:17 on a Monday night either. No give without the take, man. My arguement, have you stayed with my soapbox ramble this long anyways, is that you dont need the weekend to be fit. I am an admitingly (did I even spell that right?) weekend weenie. This is not to say that I dont work out on the weekends, but I tend to scale it back… sometimes taking Saturdays and/or Sundays as rest days. I personally like to spend that time with my friends and family… the truly important things in life. Are long runs/rides/swims/weight training sessions/ etc important? I’m certainly not saying that they arent. But what is most important is doing something that you enjoy on a regular basis. I could go all into the health benefits/risks of this, but thats for another time. Moral of the story: Do what you enjoy on a moderate basis and remember what’s important. Oh, and don’t forget about your nutrition either 🙂

Ok, so I’m told that social networking is a great way to bulid a client base, connect with other like-minded people, and spread the word about proper nutrition. These are all great things, but what I’m most excited about is that it’s FREE! For the first time in this whole starting my own business thing, I’ve found something that doesnt cost me anything (minus the internet usage). I enjoy writing, so this should be fun. I’ll do my best to keep this updated as frequently as possible. For those of you who will follow this, I hope you enjoy it and learn a little something along the way. More to come soon…