Are you aware of the calories in your wine glass?

Many people forget to include alcohol when they are keeping tabs on what they eat and drink. However, alcohol can be a significant source of hidden calories if you are not careful. Just one restaurant size glass of wine (about 8 ounces) can set you back almost 200 calories.

So if you are watching your waistline, you may want to watch your wine glass. Tips include drinking slower, alternating with a glass of water, and avoiding the sweeter dessert wines, which are often higher in sugar and calories. Instead, choose a dry white or red wine and stick to 1 glass if you are a woman, 2 if you are a man.

For more advice on eating and physical activity, contact your GPNS Health Coach at myGPNS.com.

To Supplement or Not?

Calcium supplements are coming under scrutiny due to concerns that they might increase the risk of heart attacks. Recently, the results of a meta-analysis suggested that patients over 40 who take 500 mg/day or more of calcium have an increased risk of heart attack. Although this theory is plausible, let’s not toss our Caltrate into the trash just yet. It’s true that too much calcium might lead to vascular calcification and atherosclerosis. However, this study only looked at people taking calcium supplements alone. It did not address the role of dietary calcium or taking vitamin D and other absorptive cofactors like vitamin K and magnesium along with calcium. When calcium occurs naturally in food, these other vitamins are normally in the food too. Mother Nature is pretty smart that way!

There are other factors to consider as well, like dietary sources of calcium. When evaluating calcium intake, consider your TOTAL calcium intake from supplements plus foods. For example, the RDA for most adults falls between 1,000 and 1,200 mg per day. So, if you get 300 mg in your morning Cheerios with milk, 300 from your calcium fortified OJ, and 200 mg from your multivitamin, then you only need to take an additional 200-400 mg per day.

Supplements are a great way to help us fill in the gaps where our diets fall short, but they must be taken wisely. As with most vitamin supplements, calcium supplements are a smart idea for those who do not meet their requirements through diet alone.

Eat Steak live longer?

 OR

Low-carbohydrate weight loss diets have an edge over low-fat diets for improving HDL cholesterol levels long term, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health.  The study, whose lead author is Frank M. Sacks, appears in the August 3, 2010 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dieters who followed low-carb or low-fat plans for two years along with a lifestyle modification program lost the same amount of weight -- on average about 7% of their body weight or 15 pounds.  But throughout the two-year study, low-carbohydrate dieters had significantly increased HDL, or "good," cholesterol levels compared to low-fat dieters, 20% in just six months.  Even though HDL profiles were better in the low-carb group, Foster says dieters who successfully lost weight on both diets showed improvements in heart disease risk.

So, should we all go out and stock up on steak and cheese? Maybe, maybe not. For those who struggle to budge their HDL, even with daily exercise, monounsaturated fat intake, and a daily glass of red wine, a low-carb approach may help. On the other hand, although extremely low-carbohydrate diets may be safe, people tend to get sick of them after a few months. In this study, 42% of the low-carbohydrate dieters dropped out over time. They also reported more side effects such as constipation and bad breath – not fun. A key finding from the study is that using behavioral strategies, like food journaling helped participants stick to their healthy eating habits, regardless of which plan they were on. This study supports the GPNS philosophy that for lasting results, small yet meaningful nutritional and lifestyle changes, supported by behavior modification techniques, is the way to go.

Sour Cream Lovers: Read this Healthy Tip from Your Health Coach

Love sour cream but hate what it does to your waistline?
Next time you need a taco salad topper or a creamy party dip, substitute nonfat plain Greek style yogurt for the sour cream. It tastes so creamy and rich, no one will know the difference.

For more tips, contact Katrina, your GPNS Wellness Coach.