Recipe Makeovers – The Importance of Carbohydrates and Fats

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | May 31, 2022 | Cooking Tips, Nutrition and Health

The Story on Carbs and Weight Loss

You may have heard that weight loss works better when you lower carb intake. This may be true to some extent but know that your body needs carbohydrates. Children burn off a lot of energy doing things like growing, running around, mastering new skills, and developing their brains. Then they reach childbearing age and still need an energy source, to raise kids and then to run after them for a while. Read on to learn more about the importance of carbohydrates and fats when considering recipe makeovers.

(In case you missed the last post in the series, click here to read it).

Dietary carbs are essential at this time.

During our later years of life, we need less carbohydrates, but we still do need them in moderation because carbohydrates help us to digest our food. As you age, your tummy doesn't work as efficiently as it once did, so fiber is necessary…never mind what some misinformed members of the low carb crowd may be telling you!

Fun fact: protein on its own does not pass through the digestive system without help from carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are made of plant matter which contains fiber. Think potatoes, rice, corn, oats, and any veggie such as broccoli, celery, carrots. Plant fiber is “undigestible” and that's why it works to clear our digestive system. This might sound gross, but it's the reason fiber helps you digest more efficiently and weigh less.

The fiber from plants you eat attracts water, bloats up and fills our intestinal tract. This activates peristalsis or pooping and it's how we pass waste from our bodies.

A body that's clear of waste is a healthy, happy body.

Forms of carbohydrates that have not been processed to death include all fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. Many so-called experts advocate a low-carb diet. You can still do low carb the healthy way as long as you're heavy-handed with the dark, leafy, and cruciferous veggies. But if going to that extreme just isn't your cup of tea, or you'd prefer to stick with a balanced plate at every meal… you can simply modify the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat.

Take some time to rethink carbs.

• Instead of processed flour, go for whole grains
• Instead of filling half your plate with a starchy side, go with 1/4 greens and 1/4 whole grain such as brown rice or whole wheat pasta on your plate.

With time and practice, you'll eventually gain a new perspective on what's a healthy amount of carbs –which is much less than you have been conditioned to eat daily.

Know Your Lipids for Weight Loss and Good Health

If you think your body doesn't need fat, you're wrong. Fat is also an essential component of a well-balanced diet.

If you've ever been fed intravenously in the hospital, you may have noticed that a bag of lipids is included free with your overnight stay. Fat is that important to our body function. But as far as healthy eating goes, you don't want just any fat. You want the good kind that helps your hormones function and clears out the toxins in your blood.

Good fats come in many forms. And this includes fat from fruits like

• Olives
• Avocado
• Coconut

as well as the pressed oil of

• Tree nuts
• Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• And many others

You'll also find an abundance of healthy fat in fish such as

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Sardines

Saturated fat, which is the more-harmful-less-healthy kind, shows up in

• meat
• dairy products

Full-fat dairy has the most saturated fat

• sour cream
• butter
• cheese
• whipping cream

While saturated fat is an essential nutrient that your body needs, too much is harmful and can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. So it's important to balance it with other vital nutrients such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

A Great Example is the Mediterranean diet

Now that we know the building blocks of your healthy diet, let's explore how some simple changes help you enjoy your favorite foods but healthy them up. What you prepare in the way of daily meals can make all the difference in your health and in your size, shape and how much you weigh.

For decades, people who were looking to lose weight simply reduced fat in their diets.

That was the trend. The concept seemed easy enough, but it overlooked the fact that certain fats really are good for you and essential to a healthy and well-functioning body. Just think of how your skin and hair look when you include olive oil and avocado in your diet. That's just two examples…healthy fat is especially GOOD for aging people.

Nowadays, when it comes to fat, we know better. If you get enough good fat in your diet, you can minimize the health risks that come from eating bad fat aka saturated fat from animal products.

So doing something like indulging in a couple of bacon slices can be counterbalanced with a side of healthy fat, like avocado, along with a healthy dark green veggie, like spinach or kale. Add in a protein source – boiled egg- to round out the meal.

This is an example of a well-balanced lunch that is good for your health, and you get to enjoy a small portion of saturated fat!

In my next post, we will discuss the basics of a healthy recipe makeover.

6 Reasons you Need More Vegetables

Not All Fats Are Created Equal

Healthy Recipe Makeovers and Where to Start

by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | May 27, 2022 | Cooking Tips, Nutrition and Health

Wondering how to change up your recipes so you can lose weight and get your blood test results back to a safe range? Read on for fresh ideas on healthy recipe makeovers and where to start.

Eating healthily does not have to be as complicated as people make it out to be. Weight loss can happen while still enjoying your favorite recipes. This is accomplished in a variety of ways.

• You can modify how much you eat by following the portion guide on the back of the product.
• You can reduce how much and how often you indulge in those “often delicious yet less desirable” foods, while increasing your intake of healthy foods that are just as flavorful but not as common.
• And you can modify ingredients that you add to your favorite classic recipes to make them more nutritious and weight-loss friendly, yet still satisfying.
• With a little help from a health coach and some input from your dietitian or nutrition counselor, you can relearn cooking and eating so that you won't stay stuck on restrictive diets or constantly be running out for recipe ingredients just to stay on program.

Instead, say hello to a new way of eating that will result in weight loss, reduced body fat, improved health, more confidence, and tons more energy.

• When paired with a sensible and consistent exercise routine, your new way of eating can also result in a healthier, fitter, and stronger body.

The Mainstays of Good Nutrition

Healthy eating and dieting trends come and go. But the basic nutrition that your body needs won't change no matter what the fad diets are preaching. Yes, there are different ways to prepare food. You'll find endless possibilities as you explore a wide variety of cuisines and cooking methods from all over the world. But when you think about all the different great recipes to try and meals to be enjoyed, there is one consistent fact that remains.

A good meal is a balanced meal, and a balanced meal is a healthy meal.

No matter what the menu, the plan to target your nutritional needs will always be to create a balanced and colorful plate.
Here's a simple list of essential ingredient types to include with every healthy meal:

1. Protein
2. Carbohydrates
3. Fat

Let's get into the finer points of each of those.

Weight Loss and Protein

Wondering about protein as part of your healthy eating plan? Our muscles need protein to function properly and to generate new cells. That means not just the muscles that you use to move your body, but also your busy, always-on brain, and the heart muscle which pumps life into your limbs.

When our nervous system gets stressed, our body craves protein. In fact, after a stressful or challenging encounter, even if we think we need carbs or sweets, what our body really wants, and needs is protein. So, if food cravings are hitting hard, don't just sit there starving. Find a source of healthy protein and get to snacking. You don't need a lot of protein to curb hunger pangs.

But you do need good quality protein that delivers nutrition.

When we think of protein, we think of meat first. What do you picture when you see the word protein? Chicken? Beef? Protein goes far beyond the traditional American menu that you may be used to consuming. In fact, if you look at world cuisine you will see that there are endless possibilities for getting your daily protein intake.

Fun Fact: some people in Thailand eat bugs for dinner… but let's leave that one alone for now.

Common sources of protein that you may or may not be aware of include:

• Chicken, fish, pork, turkey, and game meats such as wild foul, rabbit, and venison.
• Vegetarians get protein by way of eggs and dairy products as well as legumes and beans.
• Vegans take their protein from nuts, beans and legumes, and some lesser-known veggies and grains that deliver protein, like oats and broccoli.
• Soy protein is a particularly versatile form of sustenance that is often hidden in prepared vegetarian foods such as veggie burgers. In fact, anything that's billed as a vegan or vegetarian meat substitute is based on soy protein.
• At its most basic you'll find soy protein in edamame or simple soybeans. Tofu is a form of protein made by sprouting edamame beans and then soaking them in a process that separates the bean curd which can then form into shapes to use in recipes.
• Edamame makes a healthy, crunchy snack.

You can make veggie burgers at home and play with different protein sources.

Blend up your favorite beans, nuts, brown rice, aromatics like onion, herbs, and seasonings. Dip in egg, coat in whole grain breadcrumbs or almond flour, and lightly fry in olive oil or spray with olive oil cooking spray and bake. Or try my hubby's delicious garden burger recipe by clicking here.

In our next post, we will discuss how carbohydrates can play a part in successful weight loss.

Why is it so Hard to Lose Weight?

Why Protein is Important

Recipe Makeovers – The Importance of Carbs and Fat