Choose You Blog

I was on the phone with Kathie Nelson, my nutritionist, and I was asserting all of these things I knew. I knew, for example, that a palm sized portion was about 1/2 a cup or 1 carb choice. Roughly. She agreed. And we talked some more. Then I said that belly fat was the most dangerous kind. Suddenly it hit me–I had absorbed this information without the crucial single most important bit of knowledge: why?

Belly fat, Kathie explained patiently, seemed to be more easily absorbed into the bloodstream and that’s when the true health hazards begin. Cholesterol. Triglycerides. Clogged arteries. Heart disease.

Like a bolt, I realized that I was making sort of thoughtless health choices. I was making good eating choices, good exercise choices, but without really understanding why beyond a general “be healthy, prevent cancer.” I see the outside. It’s easy to get focused on that. My pants are tight or fit well. My hair looks shiny and healthy (or frizzy). That sort of thing. I do not see fat in my blood stream, nor do I feel it.

So without getting too above myself in the science and medicine of it all, here’s the lowdown:

1. In your abdominal cavity/stomach area your organs are surrounded by visceral fat. <– Good
2. If you eat too much with too little activity, the visceral fat builds up. <– Bad
3. The more visceral fat you carry, the more likely you are to develop: <– Bad

• Heart disease
• Breast cancer
• Diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Gallbladder problems
• High blood pressure
• Colorectal cancer

How?

This fat doesn’t just sit there making your pants fit poorly. Visceral fat does things, bad things, such as produce hormones or disrupt hormones, which can lead to cancer or negatively affect your health in other ways. In short, there’s no good reason to have it and this time of year — with stress, disrupted sleep, travel, feasting, parties, etc. — is a prime time to increase your belly fat.

(For more information: Larger Waist Size Increases Health Risks)

So what do you do to fight it?

Choose You.

• Exercise — do some core strengthening exercises and keep up moderate to active exercise. There’s a lot to be said for a good walk before and after the big Thanksgiving meal.
• Eat right — watch what you eat, control portions, and make good choices.

Okay so Thanksgiving is a time of Massive Simple Carb Overdose. Simple carbs are those things such as white foods — white sugar, white bread — and cakes, pastries, sodas, etc. Things you know to think of as empty calories. These simple carbs are really simple sugars that break down fast and are more likely to convert to fat.

So here are the few simple rules I’ll follow this Thanksgiving to eat thoughtfully, mindfully, and healthily…without depriving:

1. Dark green salad first.
2. Water first.
3. Max of 3-4 carb choices in maximum palm sized portion per meal. (This equals about 45-60 grams of carbs, which is the recommended amount for most women, in about a 3 oz portion.)
4. Whole wheat or whole grains if there’s that option.
5. Small helping of turkey.
6. Fruit, then pie. Avoid eating all of the crust.

It’s not perfect but if I keep my activity up, my portions down and balance the mashed potatoes with nonstarchy vegetables and lean meat, I will probably make it out of the Thanksgiving meal without gaining any weight. But more importantly, I won’t build any belly fat.

And I’ll still get to have my turkey-pie-sweet potatoes-green beans-carrots-cranberries and eat it too.

NOTE: I mapped out my plate and choices in advance. Seriously! I drew a plate on a piece of paper and identified where foods would go in approximate portions. I find that forewarned is forearmed and I’m more likely to stick to my plan.

HOT TIP from Kathie (who will post more great ideas tomorrow! So come back by!) for some of my favorite dishes:

1. Green bean casserole: instead of making it with the cream of mushroom soup (which pretty much eats up all of your carb and fat for the day, or maybe week), instead cook the beans and add in pearl onions, slivered almonds, mushrooms and shallots that have all been sauteed together. You still get that savory treat in a healthier way.

2. Pumpkin pie: the worst part is the crust, Kathie told me. Make your pie as normally except: use evaporated skim milk instead of whole, and instead of pouring it into a crust, pour it into a casserole dish. Then bake. Crumble ginger snaps on top. It’s as delicious, in a healthier way.

What are your holiday tips and tricks? Workarounds? How do you have your yummy feats and eat right too?