Top Nutrition Apps

No matter what the food dilemma is, from needing help to track calories, to generating good grocery food lists, rest assured there is an app for that. Life can be crazy and busy, so organize yourself with apps that can put you on the fast track to healthy eating and weight loss success. The other benefit aside from organization is that all these apps are free.

MyFitnessPal. The largest food database of any calorie counter, with over one million foods. It’s by far the number one app I recommend as it’s an all-in-one deal, and available for all kinds of phones. It can track food and calories eaten, exercise time and calories expended, and has added bonuses like bar code scanners for food, and the ability to diet with family and friends, while keeping track of each other’s progress.

eaTipster. This is just what the name implies. Dietitians serve up a practical and trusted new tip daily. You can add tips to your favourites to digest later, or dish up tips to your friends, and share on social media. What’s neat about this app is you can set daily reminders to receive new tips to suit your routine. It’s available for iPhones and has a French version too.

 

 

 

 

Fooducate. This app works to tell you what is really in your food, and is available for both iPhone and android phones. How it works: each product is letter graded, so it’s just like being back in school, only this is a scientific algorithm based on its nutrition facts and ingredient lists. It’s great because it recommends foods we all need to consume more of, i.e. minimally processed, real foods that are naturally rich in nutrients and antioxidants.

 

 

  

Shopwell. For iPhones and designed by engineers, statisticians and dietitians, this app deciphers nutrition labels by giving you a single score for food products that are based on your individual needs. A bar code scanner will also assist to ‘nutrify’ your grocery list by suggesting comparable foods with higher scores.

 

 

 

All Recipes –your kitchen inspiration. All recipes, one of the largest food websites, has several apps. This one’s notable though as it helps to solve the everyday dilemma of what to have for supper. Search options allow you to access thousands of tested recipes with your search criteria like, ingredients to include or exclude, dietary restrictions like gluten free, low carbs, and search recipes by meal, cooking method, or prep time. It’s available for iPhones only.

 

 

OurGroceries. This one is really neat. It a simple way to keep your grocery lists instantly synchronized on all the smartphones in your household. How awesome would it be to have your spouse know to pick up milk, and eggs on the way home, instead of sending them an email, or giving them a paper list? Other features include multiple shopping lists, a web interface, and recipes. It’s super handy, a time saver and available for all types of phones.

There are a few honorable mentions as well. Eat This! Not That! Game. A spin off from the popular book, this android app, tests knowledge on calories and fat for comparable foods. Cravings Manager Lite is another honorable mention app that is available for Blackberries. It helps to create a list of personalized reasons to lose weight along with a trigger list so you can learn from mistakes. Motivational, educational and humorous quotes, along with some other features, inspire one to stay on track. And last but certainly not least, The Eatery. Available for iPhones only, app users snap pics of their food and app others will comment. Think of it like a Facebook for your food. Although not scientific, as all comments are user generated, and it’s thought to provide a big-picture breakdown of your unique habits, food positives and negatives, and areas to make change.

 

As seen in The Telegram January 28, 2013

Wholesome Whole Grains

As we learned last week, the notion that eating wheat contributes to weight gain is certainly a myth. While wheat itself won’t contribute to weight gain, that’s not to say it’s wise to consume the majority of our grain intake as whole wheat. Why? Because in Canada, there is a difference between whole grain wheat and whole wheat.

Grains are simply the products, or fruits, of a grass that produce an edible seed called a kernel, grain or berry. They composed of three parts: a bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grains are essentially what their name suggests. The whole thing. I.e. they include the bran, germ and endosperm. Whole grains contain a wide range of nutrients. Protein and carbohydrates, B vitamins and vitamin E, minerals including selenium, magnesium, iron and zinc, antioxidants, and fiber. And that’s just to name a few.

So there is a difference between whole grain and whole wheat. That’s a little confusing, I know. When wheat is milled to make flour, the parts of the grain are often separated and then recombined to make flour. Some refined grains that have lost some of their minerals and vitamins have them added back. The result is flours that are enriched and containing a significant source of several vitamins and iron, but they still lacks some of the nutrients and the fibre found in whole grain flour. To be brutally honest, whole wheat is not much better than regular white flour. This is where going for a whole grain choice becomes rather important. For whole wheat, about 70 per cent of the germ, the nutrient powerhouse, can be removed. In addition to that, sometimes whole wheat breads are darker than white, because of added molasses, and not its extra nutrient goodness as we suspect.

Commonly consumed grains here in Canada include, wheat, barley, oats, rice, corn, millet, rye and sorghum. These grains can be consumed as whole grains, but some can also be found in an enriched form too. Many foods containing whole grains will have the words "whole grain" followed by the grain as one of the first ingredients on an ingredient list. Keep your eyes peeled for the words “whole grain whole wheat flour,” “whole grain,” “whole rye,” “whole oats,” “whole barley,” or “oatmeal” to ensure that the item mainly consists of whole grains. Other whole grains include popcorn, quinoa, barley, oats, buckwheat and brown rice. Homemade white bread might be oldie but goodie, however, whole grains can be easy additions to any diet. Try brown rice in a stir-fry, oatmeal as a thickener to meatloaf, and quinoa in stuffed peppers, and soups.

So refer to the ingredient list, and not just the front of a package. Products labelled with the words "multigrain," and "organic" will not necessarily be whole grain. Read ingredient lists locate a whole grain in the first few ingredients. Also, check the nutrition facts to make sure your food has at least a few grams of fibre per serving. Remember if a food is high in fat, salt, or even sugar, then there is a good chance there might be a healthier option nearby. An easy way to combat this it to choose unprocessed foods.

You want to include whole grains in your diet because they can potentially help to reduce the risk of developing diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and reduce risk for obesity. To get more whole grains, try and have at least half of your daily intake each day as whole grain. Unfortunately only 15% of Canadians are currently doing this. For more information on whole grains, visit www.healthygrains.ca

As seen in The Telegram January 21, 2013

Weight and Wheat

 

With a New Year come new diets and different attempts to lose holiday weight. This year, the food people are talking about and turning to is wheat, and more specifically the dietary reduction or elimination of it. As we learned from CBC’s Radio Noon’s show last Wednesday, a lot of people in our province are trying this approach. The majority of the attention around wheat has come from the popular New York Times bestseller, Wheat Belly, by cardiologist Dr. William Davis. He suggests today’s consumption of wheat has caused chronic ailments like obesity, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and more. Some of the information presented in his book is factual and sound science, however there are times when this information is based on only his personal experience with crucial key information regrettably missing. Before we get any further, and to set the record straight, the consumption on wheat won’t cause any of the ailments listed above. The consumption of wheat may have an association with weight however, and the answer to how wheat might affect our weight is actually quite simple.

The simple truth is that wheat doesn’t make us fat. Let it be known that no food or (Canada Food Guide) food group has ever been shown to cause an increase in weight alone. The consumption of highly refined processed foods and lack of physical activity is what got us there. It is true that when you do follow a low carbohydrate diet (Paleo, Atkins, wheat or gluten-free) weight loss is often more significant in the first six months than with other types of diets. With any diet though, the weight loss does usually taper, and all in all they all seem provide similar results in total weight loss down the road. Low card diets can also hard to follow, especially long term. In fact, if you look at the research including body mass and varying dietary approaches, those who have the lowest central obesity (smaller waistlines) are individuals who don’t eliminate any foods or food groups from their diet.

When people eliminate wheat from their diets often a weight loss does result. We can’t necessarily contribute this loss of weight to a dietary loss of wheat though and here’s why. Consider the types of foods that often contain wheat. Aside from breads, cereals, and crackers, there are muffins, cookies, cakes – all higher calorie foods. When you replace these foods with foods not containing wheat, such as other whole grains of rice, corn, quinoa, millet, oatmeal, etc, fruits and veggies and low fat dairy, a reduction in calories only makes sense. Often when people begin a new lifestyle change, e.g. a diet, other positive lifestyle factors follow. Additional factors like increasing one’s activity can be responsible for weight loss as well.

Whole grain wheat is an easy source B vitamins, fiber, antioxidants and many minerals. Before dismissing this food completely ask yourself how will are substitute other grains or foods to get these nutrients. The vast majority of people eat twelve to fifteen grams of the recommended 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day. On average, those following a gluten (wheat) free diet, on average, get six grams. The Canadian Diabetes Association recommends 25 to 50 grams of fiber daily to help control blood sugar, manage blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, regulate bowels, and increase our feelings of fullness and control weight. In NL, we have the highest prevalence of unhealthy diet of any jurisdiction in Canada, the second highest prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity of any jurisdiction in Canada, and the diabetes rate is set to almost double in the next twenty years. So before you fixate on wheat to help with weight loss, consider your lifestyle carefully. Are there other processed foods you can reduce, or can you increase physical activity first?

As seen in The Telegram January 14, 2013

Weight Loss Supplements: Worth the Money?

Each year Canadians spend billions of dollars on weight loss products and supplements. Weight loss products may provide benefit if used properly and safely, and of course together with a weight management program. The use of unauthorized products however, can pose serious risks to your health. If a weight loss supplement is part of your New Year resolution, read on to learn about some of their more common ingredients and how they may or may not work.

PolyGlycoplex (commonly known as PGX) is a soluble fibre found in many supplements. It is meant to slow carbohydrate absorption and decrease desire for food. This kind of fibre expands in your stomach, promoting fullness. While it is true that soluble fiber does do this, less expensive and more nutritious options (or food sources) include broccoli, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, berries, and beans.

Raspberry ketones. These are essentially the aroma of red raspberries and are in part responsible for regulating and controlling metabolism. Research on these are limited, and safety in people is unknown. What we do know is that Dr. Oz made this popular supplement famous in 2012, and that it is chemically similar to other weight loss supplements ingredients, synephrine and capsaicin. Both of which have been implicated in cases of cardiovascular toxicity. Raspberry ketones can be  found naturally in peaches, apples and rhubarb, but very little in raspberries themselves.

  

Hoodia. This is thought to aid weight loss by affecting a center of our brain where appetite is controlled. It may be safe, but like many of the other weight loss supplement ingredients mentioned here, there is little evidence to back its claims. Hoodia comes from a protected African plant. If you order it online internationally, there is a chance you may not get it as often a special permit for endangered species may be needed for it to cross the border.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). While studies suggest that CLA can diminish appetite, body fat and preserve muscle, the long term proof here is lacking as research is conflicting. In the meantime you can get natural dietary sources of CLA through consuming dairy, eggs and beef.

Apple cider vinegar. This is marketed as a natural appetite suppressant, fullness promoter, and fat burner. There's no problem to use vinegar in cooking, but taking it with meals to help with weight loss is likely going to be unsuccessful as again there is no real proof to back up the claims.

 

 

  

 

 

Green tea extract. Is thought to burn calories and curb hunger. Be aware that many herbal preparations containing this extract also come with added caffeine, which has other side effects of its own. It’s likely safe, but it’s helpfulness in terms of weight loss may be minimal. Most of the research says is green tea extract is helpful for weight loss, it is usually when taken before a meal.

 

 

Caffeine. This may have some potential to slightly increase weight loss and prevent gain, but like the other supplements it’s not cut and dry. It is supposed to work by suppressing appetite and increasing the rate at which we burn calories. Caffeine is safe, up to 400 mg for a healthy adult according to Health Canada guidelines. Found naturally in coffee, tea, and also in the herb yerba mate and the guarana plant.

 

Ephedra. Aka Ma Huang, is a plant source of the ingredient ephedrine. Products with this will often carry ‘natural’ claims, but Health Canada recommends its disuse, despite it being readily available online. Dangerous side effects have been associated with this stimulant. Bottom line is to avoid ephedra as it’s not considered safe for use.

Earlier this year hundreds of weight loss products were reviewed by Oregon State University to prove their usefulness. A handful, which included green tea, fibre and low-fat dairy supplements, provided a slight weight loss in conjunction with a reduction in calories and increase in exercise.  There are hundreds of weight loss supplements available, but really no magic bullet will help you lose weight on its own. Combine a safe weight loss supplement with healthy eating and physical activity though, and you’ll dramatically increase your chances for permanent and significant weight loss and success.  


As seen in The Telegram December 31, 2012