Food Borne Illness

Ingredients: Corn, Cellulose Gum, Mono- and Diglycerides, Lime, Chicken, Water, Green Bell Peppers, Onions, Zucchini, Carrots, Tomato Paste, Green Chilies, Citric Acid, Sour Cream Flavor, Maltodextrin, Red Bell Pepper [contain Citric Acid, Calcium Chloride, Water, Salt], Corn Starch, Chicken Base, Chicken Stock Flavor, Nusalt/Sodium Substitute, Salt, Seasoning, Cooked Rice, Water, Tomatillos, Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Skim Milk and Milk, Water, Modified Food Starch, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Flavor, Enzymes, Artificial Color, Sorbic Acid [Preservative]Lactic Acid, Vitamin A Palmitate)Corn, Black Beans, contains 2% or less of Each of the Following: Green Chilies (contain Citric Acid)Dehydrated Sour Cream (Sour Cream Solids, Nonfat Milk Solids)Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Nonfat Pasteurized Processed Cream Cheese (Pasteurized Nonfat Milk, Cheese Cultures, Pasteurized Milk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Less Than 2% of Rice Starch, Salt, Cream, Sodium Phosphate, Whey, Lactic Acid, Flavors, Maltodextrin, Cellulose, Xanthan, Guar, Tara, and Carob Bean Gums, Artificial Color, Sodium Propionate [Preservative]Vitamin A Palmitate)Modified Food Starch, Condensed Skim Milk, Chicken Broth Powder (Maltodextrin, Chicken Broth, Salt, Flavors)Soybean Oil, Nonfat Buttermilk Powder, Salt, Mexican Rice Flour (Tomato Powder, Salt, Paprika, Sodium Diacetate, Whey, Spice, Flavor [including Spice Extractives]Gelatin, Beef Flavor, Smoke Flavor, Soybean Oil and Silicon Dioxide)Flavoring, Granulated Garlic, Chicken Stock Flavor (Chicken Broth, Flavors, Salt, Yeast Extract)Spices, Chili Powder (Chili Pepper, Spices, Salt, Garlic Powder, Silicon Dioxide, Ethoxyquin)…….

Hello, Hello! Please feel free to skip down here….

This is not the vocab list for a organic chemistry final, that’s the ingredients found in a commonly consumed food item that is, in fact, in my very own freezer. Even more disturbing, this item has the word “healthy” listed right in it’s name. There are 3,000 ingredients on the FDA’s generally-recognized as safe (GRAS) list, that are approved for us in everything from our breakfast cereal, to our ice cream, to our beverages to our supplements. 3,000 safe ingredients! The research on this safety of these ingredients can be sparse, confusing and misleading (often depending on the source of funding for said research), and the conditions under which they arrived on the GRAS list are often hotly contested.

I think it’s safe to say we all know consuming food and beverages with an ingredients list that requires a PhD is probably less than ideal for our health. We know that consuming foods with labels that read something more along the lines of “Ingredients: Apple” would probably do us a world of good. Yet, the lure to buy and consume processed and packaged foods, including many restaurant and fast food, despite their scary looking ingredients list is powerful and all too common.

In his exceptional book The End of Overeating, Dr. David Kessler, former head of the FDA, offers a suggestion for a new approach to looking at food, with a parallel to the cultural wide shift that was made around cigarettes. Forty years ago, cigarettes – while perhaps beginning to be recognized as harmful – were still commonly used and certainly not taboo. Today, I would guess that if we sat down around a table and I offered many of you a cigarette, the great majority would dismiss it, noses scrunching, brains reeling with the thought of “That’s gross. I can’t put that in my body.”

What would you say if I offered you a chocolate chip cookie, sitting at the same table?

Different story right? Even if that cookie’s ingredients list included more chemicals than farm-fresh eggs and butter, most of us would barely bat an eye before we’d take a nibble. We might be thinking of the calories, we might be thinking of our guilt, but we probably wouldn’t be thinking “This food might make me sick.” Yet that is, in fact, the very real story of MUCH of our American food products. And they are just that – products. They are produced, in a factory, a combination of molecules and chemicals coming together to be sold as a commodity that we ingest. It is very likely that the food industry is not going to change before the public demand changes. Which means, if we want keep shifting ourselves towards healthier beings, the burden is going to lie on us to make the choice about what we permit to go in our bodies.

Dr. Kessler’s proposal includes looking at some of these food products and literally declaring (aloud, or in your head, perhaps depending on your company) “This will make me sick. This food will make me feel …. This food is not edible.” Sometimes I even try to take it one step farther – for instance, a friend of mine is known for keeping Starbursts on hands at all time. In a mindless moment, I can find myself sitting in a pile of pink, red and orange paper wrappers before I even realize what I’m doing. Soon after, my teeth hurt, I’m buzzing on sugar and I’m wondering if I really wanted to take in 120 calories from Starbursts, when I probably could have enjoyed some really delicious food instead. My strategy came borne from Dr. Kessler’s suggestion. Each time I knew those colored wrappers were going to be in my presence, I began mentally chanting to myself “That is not food. That is not food. That is not food.” Overtime, the message seemed to sink in. That is not food, and for the most part, those little wads of sugar have lost their alluring grip on me. (I said for the most part, I’m only human, friends!)

This is not easy. I understand this. The lure of foods and beverages is as strong for me as nearly everyone I coach, and because I’ve fought my own weight struggles, I understand that food is more than just a combination of ingredients we put in our body. Food can be comfort, can be entertainment, can be celebration. Food can be mindless, it can be soothing, and most of all it can be addictive. Simple changes in thoughts are just a toe-hold on the radical shift that has to happen to create personal, and then public, changes in our health.

I’ve had a very compelling experience over the last two weeks that have made me think about the impact that food has our health in a very different light. About six years ago, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in remission for over three years, and for these last years, have barely given any consideration to the disease itself beyond my medical and mental well-being routines that I use to stay healthy. Ten days ago, I began to experience a flare. For me, the most immediate symptom of a colitis flare is the effect that almost all food and drink has on my digestive health. In the first couple days of my flare, I began to systemically cut out some of the more common culprits – coffee, pop, foods with a lot fiber (there goes my salads, apples, grapes…), and most animal products.

Three days into my flare, I was sitting on the couch with my husband, watching TV and I was staring longingly at his can of Fresca. “I want that,” I whined. “So have it?” he asked. “I can’t. It’ll make me sick,” I pouted.

The same thing happened a few days later. I was meeting a client at Starbucks, and the craving for a skinny vanilla latte hit me the moment I walked in. “I want one,” I whined again, internally. Again, a heartbeat later… “I can’t. It’ll make me sick.”

The week has trickled on like this. This past weekend I spent in Montauk with my girlfriends from college, at the wedding of our one of best friends. There were simple things that were triggers – all the bridesmaids gathered together at a nail salon on a rainy Long Island morning with cups of coffee huddled in hand. “I want one,” that voice chirped again. A bridesmaid luncheon with a beautiful tray laid out with baguettes, brie cheese, fig spread and strawberries. The presentation alone was incredible (and I of course, photo documented it) but the lure to dive in, just based on appearance alone, was absurd. Boston Creme Pie, passed around the reception? The champagne toast? Omelets and tall steamy mugs of coffee on our way back out of town the day after? Check, check, check. The “I want that” bug was in overdrive. Each time I’d be tempted to taste, nibble or sample, I’d be reminded “no, that will make me sick.”

This experience was, for me, an epiphany moment in understanding how even though we know there are many foods out there (perhaps even including my favorite vice, diet coke) that may make us sick, the lure to eat them is more than the knowledge of what they are. Our eating choices are intricately wrapped up in experiences (my Saturday morning at the hair salon), in habits (walking in to Starbucks), in presentation and social cues, and even in just visual cues – seeing someone else eat something. These factors are well documented and studied by those of us who study eating and weight loss behaviors, and they help explain why we continue to reach for foods that may, on some level, be making us sick.

So what can we do about it? If you feel strongly, as I do, that the ingredients in our foods are partially responsible for the diminishing health that we’re experiencing as a country, change will have to start with you, personally. Choose one food in your pantry – maybe the one with the longest ingredients list, or the one food that leaves you feeling horrible (the way my Starbursts did) and begin to systemically change your perception of it. Every time you look at that food product, practice your new thought “That will make me sick.” Sit down with the food product and start googling the ingredients in it. Men’s Health has produced a great resource called “Eat This, Not That” which includes a glossary of many different additives and preservatives and their known and suspected health links. Research a healthier swap – one with fewer ingredients, fresher ingredients, or a version you make at home.

You don’t have to go on a pantry overhaul in one day, and it is important to recognize that many of the choices we make are bundled up with those other factors – habits, experience, emotion, social cues – that will make change a journey of three steps forward, one steps backward. This step can be very challenging, but remember, being in charge of YOUR health means, ultimately, being in charge of YOUR food. Know what you’re putting in your body, and take the steps to protect the health you’ve been blessed with or that you deserve.

Ingredients? Just one.

More Zzz’s, Less Lbs???

If you’ve ever felt guilty for hitting the snooze button and getting an extra 30 minutes of sleep instead of going to the gym, do I have some good news for you! Turns out your instincts for extra sleep may have not been a far cry off the radar for getting healthy. There’s been an increasing body of evidence that have pointed us more and more towards seeing there is a strong link between sufficient REM cycles and fitting into your skinny jeans. Good news for people who love pillow time.

The link is being explored in a number of different ways. The first is obvious: lifestyle choices. Think about the last time you stayed up way too late – maybe it was a late night for your final exams in law school, maybe it was to pick up a family member at the airport from a delayed flight, or maybe it was to catch the latest marathon of House Hunters. (Or yes, you work nights or have a small, helpless, hungry infant in your life who needs you at wee hours of the morning – slightly more legitimate than HGTV marathons.) Tell me, the next day, how raring and ready were you to get a great work out in? What types of foods did you crave? How positive was your mood?

It’s rare the person who thinks clearly, chooses wisely, and focuses well on 2-3 hours sleep less than what they need. Burn the oil til midnight with the alarm clock going off at 5 am, and you might find that pull towards an ooey gooey Cinnamon Crunch Panera bagel is a whole lot stronger than fixing yourself an egg white omelet with salsa and some whole wheat toast. It’s not that you need more carbs, but your sleep-deprived fuzzy brain is confusing it’s lack of energy and sending you on a manhunt for all things quick-boost-energy. Is the HOT NOW sign on, or am I just hallucinating?

We also experience a number of hormonal changes that drive the choices we make and can impede the weight loss we’re working towards. For starters, the hormone Ghrelin, which I like to affectionately refer to as the Gremlin in my tummy, revs up when we’re sleep deprived. A revved up Gremlin means a revved up appetite. Along with the increase of Ghrelin, sleep deprivation leads to an depression of leptin. Leptin’s job is to tell you when enough is enough. In other words, it signals then brain when to stop eating. Imagine, an increased appetite and a decreased signal of fullness. You get the picture!

The final piece of the hormonal puzzle is the increase in the hormone cortisol. I highlighted the role of cortisol here, and guess what folks? Not getting enough sleep provokes that same stressful response as the saber tooth tiger chase back in our caveman days. Yet, according to the National Sleep Foundation, 63% of people are sleep deprived. The normalcy of this behavior downplays the stressful impact it can take on our well-being. In fact, in many circles I’ve traveled in, being sleep deprived is a rite of passage, or even bragging rights! Forgive me for not understanding, but there’s few things that make me happier than not needing a drip line of Dunkin to get me running!

In all fairness, I’ll confess that I have a strong bias for this topic. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love sleep and I’ll go to some pretty great lengths to protect it. (Just ask my softball team where my loyalties lay when we were scheduled for a 10 pm play off game. I showed up only when my 6:15 am appointment the next day called and canceled.) I’ve learned this route the hard way, as a reformed “zombie.” Throughout most of my school years, I’d stay up as late as humanely possible, then wake up at the crack of day to get to the gym. I still look back with shame on the image of my sleeping head on a desk in many of my high school classes. (Most sincere apologies to Senor Balsch, Mr. P, and Mr. Boardman. I assure you it had nothing to do with your teaching style.) Like a reformed smoker, once I knew the errors of my way, I’ve been quick to get on the bullhorn and let the world know about the power and impact of sufficient sleep.

The research is there, and it’s even tapping into some of the hardest hit groups: new mommas. A 2008 study conducted by Kaiser Permanante found that 6 months after delivering, mothers who were sleeping less than 5 hours a day were more likely to be retaining at least 10 pounds of extra body weight than the lucky moms getting 5 or more. (Disclaimer: I don’t have babies, and I have no idea what it takes to get more than 5 hours of sleep as a mom. So don’t shoot the messenger, my blearly eyed mommas readers out there!)

In case you’re wondering, the NSF defines sleep deprivation as getting 8 hours of sleep or less. I tend to believe that we’re all hard-wired differently and most “well rested” people I know average between 6-8 hours a night. (Survey sample: close family and friends. Very scientific.) If you’re not getting that and you think it may be affecting your health, examine your night time habits to figure out how to get a few more REM cycles.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins recommend these other tried and true methods for increasing your Zzz’s:
- Limit caffeine use to before 3 pm and moderate alcohol after dinner. (You’ll fall asleep easier but as the buzz wears off, your sleep is less restful.)
- Avoid rigorous exercise in the late evening hours.
- Try to get up at the same time every morning, even if you go to sleep earlier.
(I don’t full abide by this rule, as most week days mornings I wake up at 4:50 am. On the weekends, I try to get up the first time my body wakes up naturally, whatever time that is.)
- Use your bedroom for bed-only related activities. And no, that does not include catching up on Jeopardy and having some cheese and crackers under the sheets.
- Lose weight. (Yes I know, that’s why we’re here!) Increased weight around the neck and chest can impair oxygen to the brain, a condition known as sleep apnea. As a survival mechanism, you actually wake up periodically throughout the night to jump start respiration. Frequent mini-wakes up can add up to big time sleep deprivation.

So the next time you find your arm snaking towards that snooze button, forget the guilt. Listen to the message from your body. If you truly need more sleep, take more sleep. (Just don’t forget to show up for work, or feed the dogs/children/spouse, meet your trainer, or go to your doctor’s appointment… or come to MY CLASS…whatever it is you’re doing that morning.) If you find that you’re constantly reaching for the snooze, re-evaluate your sleeping patterns on the other end.

An extra hour of sleep a night be the difference of ten pounds a year, according to research using the Nurses Health Study in 2006. Ten pounds? I’ll take it. And the extra sleep.

BMI: The Truth Behind the Chart