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Answers to Your Questions About Nutrition
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Einstein Healthcare Network
2:25
Hi Art,   Generally speaking all foods can fit when eating for diabetes.  The most important thing is portion size of your carbohydrate foods because carbohydrate foods turn to sugar in your body and are what effect your blood sugar.   Keeping your portion sizes of carbohydrates to no bigger than the size your fist at meals for someone with Type 2 Diabetes currently with good blood sugar control, is a general rule of thumb that can be used.  If you are currently not experiencing good control of your blood sugars, this information may not apply to you.  For more info and a more individualized plan for your specific situation consider making an appointment with a Registered Dietitian (RD) or Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) Dietitian.  If you don't know how to find either of those, feel free to give me a call: 215-456-6649.
Sharon Barnes
2:26
How do you battle food craving?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:26
Dealing with food cravings is a very in-depth conversation and can be very different for different people, so I would encourage you to make an appointment and meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) near you, or give me a call: 215-456-6649. To help with some ideas in the meantime, check out my video here for more info:
https://www.einstein.edu/nutrition/videos
Meg
2:27
What foods do you recommend that can reduce inflammation in the body. I would like to find natural ways to treat my OA.
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:28
Hi Meg, While there is no scientifically supported anti-inflammatory diet out there, what some people have found is that they can identify some foods that can trigger a flare up for Osteoarthritis or Rheumatoid Arthritis.  To do this successfully and make sure you are identifying the correct foods, I would recommend working with a Registered Dietitian (RD) to help you investigate this for your own personal experience. To make an appointment with me, call 215-456-6649. If you’re outside the Philadelphia area, use this site to find an RD near you: http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert. Put in -your zip code and it will pull up a list of RDs in your area.
Nina
2:28
After sleeve bariatric surgery why do people lose their appetite?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:28
Nina, in my experience, patients that have a major surgery, much like bariatric surgery, sometimes lose their appetite or sense of taste. It can last for a few days up to weeks.  Undergoing any type of large stress on the body can cause it to do things that we don’t always understand and I find there can be many factors as to what can help or make it worse.  Because of this I would recommend seeing a Registered Dietitian (RD) to help you further investigate it, and if you have had bariatric surgery I would see a bariatric dietitian since this is specific to that speciality.
Rose
2:28
Is pea protein a good choice to add a boost to smoothies? Especially for pre or post workout. Otherwise, the smoothies contain water and banana with various frozen fruit - no sugar added. And a scoop of oatmeal or chia seeds. Is this really a healthy choice?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:28
Hi Rose. Pea Protein is a great choice to add some protein to better balance your smoothies!  Prior to workouts you mostly want to eat carbs with a little bit of protein if any.  So I would use the pea protein in your smoothie for post-workout. A good rule of thumb is trying to re-fuel post-workout within about 1 hour.
Making balanced smoothies is the key, just like meals you want to try to get carbs, protein, fat and fiber.  If your smoothies are mostly fruit, oatmeal/chia seeds, with the addition of pea protein, I would say you are doing a great job! My favorite smoothie combo is: banana, strawberries, plain Greek yogurt, avocado, a little milk, a shake of cinnamon and a handful of baby spinach or kale from my garden!
Mike T.
2:29
What advice do you have for people trying to eat well while dealing with celiac disease?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:29
Mike, I would recommend meeting with a Registered Dietitian (RD) that works frequently with patients with celiac.  This way they will most likely be able to provide you with great resources, meal ideas and cookbook recommendations.  Thanks to another RD I know that has celiac herself, I have some great resources I can recommend to you:
Don’t be afraid to embrace technology, there are some great apps out there to make it easier, here are a few:
Fooducate – allows you to scan barcodes to see if that food contains gluten.
Find me GF – helps you to find restaurants near you that have gluten-free options.
Information and Support:
1. BeyonD Celiac: https://www.beyondceliac.org/
2. Celiac Support Association:  https://www.csaceliacs.org/index.jsp
3. Celiac Disease Foundation: https://celiac.org/
Amanda
2:30
What are the best diets to combat and prevent high blood pressure and cholesterol?
Lucy
2:30
Which foods are best for a person with high cholesterol. And What are the foods to avoid?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:31
Hi Amanda & Lucy - Great questions!
When it comes to high blood pressure the top three recommendations I give patients are:
1) Keep an eye on your sodium intake. Lose the salt shaker and try to do more cooking at home with whole foods where you can control the sodium content. Be careful with eating out, because most restaurants use more salt than expected.  Try looking online for menus with nutrition info ahead of time so that you can make the best informed decision for yourself.
2) Exercise, exercise, exercise!  Exercise can help you lower your blood pressure and give your heart muscle the workout it needs to remain strong and healthy.  The exercise recommendation for adults is: 30 minutes, 5 days per week of moderate exercise. Moderate exercise means get sweaty and get that heart pumping! (Be sure to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program)
3) Manage stress as much as possible. Stress can shoot your blood pressure through the roof! Keeping stress at bay by meditating, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly can all help to lower blood pressure.

Here are my top 4 recommendations for people struggling with high cholesterol:
1) Be conscious of the saturated fat you eat. Saturated fat can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol. (Remember LDL is the one you want to be Lower because it is the Loser cholesterol!)  Saturated fat is mostly found in: red meats, high fat dairy products and tropical oils like coconut oil, palm kernel oil, etc. Try making some simple swaps a few times each week to lower the amount of saturated fat you eat, like: choosing leaner cuts of red meat, chicken, fish and turkey more often, switching to low-fat (1%) or fat-free milk and yogurt, using mostly olive and canola oil when cooking.
2:32
2) Increasing the amount of fiber you eat can help to lower your cholesterol.  Foods with fiber are vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Trying to incorporate a fiber food at each meal can help to lower your cholesterol.  Oats are a great breakfast choice that can help to fight that LDL cholesterol!
3) Steer clear of trans fats.  They work to increase the LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower the HDL (good) cholesterol.  Trans fats can be read on nutrition labels and are found in hydrogenated oils.
4) Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!  Exercise can help to raise the HDL (good) cholesterol.  (Remember HDL is the one you want to be High because it is the Healthy cholesterol!)
Jermaine
2:32
Is juicing healthy & can i do it for 2 weeks straight?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:32
Hi, Jermaine. Juicing mostly provides carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals.  To sustain human life, we require: carbohydrates, fat, protein and vitamins and minerals.  When consuming only juice, you are missing protein and fat, which are a crucial part to keeping your body running optimally. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, skin, and blood.  Fat is important to hormone balance and regulation, as well as your brain, nerves and skin.  Not consuming anything but juice for two weeks straight is not something I would recommend to anyone.  If you do, you may notice that you become irritable, frequently uncomfortable, very hungry, tired and lack energy.  With that said, juice can be included in a healthy balanced eating pattern.  Always aim to get 100% fruit/vegetable juice and remember variety and moderation are key!
Fanita Mitchell
2:33
What is considered a Health Breakfast? What time of fhe day do I eat lunch and dinner
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:33
Hi Fanita. A healthy breakfast involves balancing your meal with the nutrients your body needs to fuel up to start your day!  As much as possible you want to try to get carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber at breakfast.  An example of this might be: 1 or 2 whole eggs with veggies scrambled in, topped with avocado and a piece of whole grain toast on the side.  Eggs are your protein, veggies are your fiber, avocado is your health fat, and the whole grain toast is your carbohydrate!
Figure out what time you eat breakfast in the morning and dinner at night, then try to put your lunch in the middle of those two times.  That way your meals are evenly spaced and should provide you with more consistent energy throughout your day.  But always remember, that is just guidance, if you get hungry for lunch earlier than planned, feel free to eat it earlier in the day.
Angela
2:34
What are your thoughts on yogurt for breakfast?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:34
Angela!  Yogurt for breakfast is a GREAT choice!!!! Thanks for bringing that up!  I like to recommend Greek yogurt because it tends to have about three times the amount of protein as regular or low-fat yogurt, which will help to keep you feeling fuller longer!  Here's my favorite way to turn a Greek yogurt into an easy and balanced breakfast on the go: grab a Greek Yogurt, top it with some fresh berries, and some mixed nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds and walnuts are my favorite right now!).  This gives you all the nutrients you need to make a balanced breakfast: carbs from fruit and yogurt, protein from yogurt and nuts/seeds, healthy fat from nuts/seeds and fiber from nuts/seeds and fruit!
Sharon Barnes
2:35
On the question about what kind of milk to drink, do you think almond,cashew,or soy milk is better than regular milk, i drink lactate free milk myself, what would you recommend?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:35
I tell people that the type of milk you drink is a personal choice.  All different types of milk are healthy choices, pick the one you like the most and go for it!  The only guidance I give people is that most milks other than cow’s milk (including lactose-free cow’s milk) and soy milk are relatively low in protein.  However, now they are making some of the plant based milks by adding protein back (many companies are using pea protein to do so).  This is a good thing!  Dairy milk has about 8 g of protein per 1 cup.  I recommend trying to get a plant based milk with close to 8g of protein per 1 cup, otherwise you are drinking a relatively low protein food and may not feel as satisfied after drinking it.
Angela
2:41
I went on a Daniel Fast last year and did not eat any meat, sugar, pasta/rice for 30 days.  I started eating more grains, brown rice, etc and threw my  Triglycerides off and they were high.  I want to eat better and balanced
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:41
Hi Angela,  So it sounds like to sum it up you went on a 'diet' and as you have heard from me diet's just don't work in the long run (see my video here for more info: https://www.einstein.edu/nutrition/videos ).  What you are looking for is lifestyle changes that start out small and add up over time.  See the first post for suggestions on how to make balanced meals and I would recommend is: consider seeing a Registered Dietitian to help you better navigate this topic, we can help you figure out all the details that are specific to just you!
Gail
2:45
Will this feedback be available to reference back to? It is very helpful! Thank you for your response!
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:46
Hi Gail, Thanks for your continued interest! Yes, this will all be available to reference later within this blog post: http://einsteinperspectives.com/answers-to-your-questions-about-health...
Maureen
2:49
Hi, I've read about carb cycling; is it just a fad?
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:49
Hi Maureen,  Until you just mentioned carb cycling I had never heard of it and what that tells me is that it is probably not something I would recommend to anyone.  After looking into it, I would tell you that is sounds like just another 'fad diet' to me. And that no 'fad' diet will be successful in the long term.  If you are out there and you notice that all of these different 'diets' and 'fad-type diets' keep appealing to you, I would say quick run the other way, grab you cell phone and set up an appointment with a Registered Dietitian or with me!  I can help you learn how to have the confidence in your food choices so that you never have to diet again!
Andy
2:57
I am looking for ways to incorporate more veggies in my families meals.  I would consider my wife a picky eater
Einstein Healthcare Network
2:57
Hi Andy,  Picky eaters can be a challenge to cook for, especially when they are adults because many times taste preferences and eating habits have been nearly set in stone by adulthood!  But do not fret, taste buds can change!  Try implementing the 2 bite rule in your house, where those who think they don't like that food have to try at least 2 bites of it and then if they still don't like it they don't have to eat it.  This can help to expose that person to new foods because it can take 10+ times of trying something before liking it.  Also be sure you are trying new recipes for veggies, if you cook one veggie a specific way every time and expect that person to learn to love it, you may be disappointed.  Instead try cooking that same veggie in many different ways to see if they like a specific cooking method better.  One I like to recommend is roasting veggies in the oven, it's quick easy and makes them very tasty!  Also see my vi
Wendy
3:00
I use olive oil to cook, because it is healthy, it does not last long enough, and food sticks. Is there another healthy alternative that will last long, so food does not stick.
Einstein Healthcare Network
3:00
Hi wendy,  My questions would be how much are you using?  Using a few tablespoons when you saute something is ok to do, are you using enough?  Also how high is your heat setting, are you trying to cook things too hot because this can cause it to disappear faster.
3:01
We are going to end here. Thanks to everybody for your interest and for the great questions. This was fun.

To learn more about Einstein Healthcare Network’s nutrition services – and to make an appointment, go to https://www.einstein.edu/nutrition or call 215-456-6649.

Whether you have a medical condition or you simply want to learn how to eat healthy, we can offer counseling to help you achieve your goals.

The information contained in this chat is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Einstein has a talented team of primary physicians and specialists who you can contact or make an appointment to see to discuss your specific medical problems; but most importantly, you must always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in this chat should be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.
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