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Fads, Hacks, and Hoaxes…OH MY!

Kelsey Hirsch, Human Nutrition Dietetic Intern

We all have encountered it before- “lose 10 pounds in 1 week!”, “try this new detox to lose inches”, “do this workout just 5 minutes a day to lose 20 pounds in a week!”, etc. It’s on our media feed, in the checkout line, and on the TV. It’s great to prioritize our health and we need to feed our bodies the nutrients it requires, however, there are many fads, hoax, hacks, quick fixes, and cure-alls out there. As you sift through nutrition and diet information, it is important to be aware of a few things.

  • What works for one person might not work for everyone else. Our bodies have different nutrient needs based on several factors (age, gender, activity, height, etc.) that may cause an increase or decrease in how many calories we should consume.
  • Many of the ads that promise a “quick-fix” or a “cure-all” will typically cut a whole food group or create food rules around when, how much, and what to eat. This could potentially lead to disordered eating or an unhealthy relationship with food.
  • Most of these diet promises are not long term. If the habit is temporary, then the result will likely be temporary as well.
  • Also, the science and evidence behind these are not credible or not well supported.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when reading new information:

  • Who and/or what is the source? Is it reliable? Is someone being payed to advertise/promote a product?
  • Does it seem too good to be true?
  • Is it long-term?
  • Does it restrict foods or categorize them into being “good” or “bad”?

So what should you do to improve health and ensure you receive adequate nutrients from what you eat without going on a diet?

  • Consume foods from a variety of food groups– fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy.
  • Along with that, try to consume a variety of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) in a meal or snack to keep you fuller longer.
  • Eat about 3 meals and 1-2 snacks throughout the day to ensure you are properly fueling your body.

Want personalized advice? Set up a nutrition appointment in the Student Wellness Center!


Additional Resources

Nutrition Misinformation: How to identify fraud and misleading claims

 

Creating Healthy Goals for 2020

Written by Janele Bayless, LPC, RDN

As you set your sights on a New Year and decade of life, you might be considering – or have already started to engage in – resolutions you’ve created for yourself to enhance your life. For many, those resolutions often entail taking care of one’s health, usually in the form of weight management strategies.

If you’re considering following a particular diet, check out the U.S. News and World Report’s 2020 ranking of best (and worst) diets. Their hallmark for a “best” diet includes balance, maintainability, palatability (tastes good), family-friendliness (social engagement), sustainability, and healthfulness.

To start your health goals on a positive trajectory, consider the following guidelines:

  • Are your goals healthy enough for others to follow?
  • Do your goals take into account your personal strengths or values?
  • Are they goals YOU want to achieve versus parents, friends, etc.?
  • Do your goals positively or negatively impact your health (mentally, emotionally, physically, socially, spiritually, financially, academically)?

Not sure how to get started with your health goals? Consider the following resources:

Check out additional resources below, and cheers to health and a happy New Year!

Articles

Top 10 recipes from 2019

  1. Black bean, quinoa and veggie bake
  2. Pumpkin zucchini bread
  3. Carrot cake baked oatmeal
  4. Slow-cooker green and white chicken chili
  5. Zucchini tacos
  6. Chocolate nut butter cups
  7. Mediterranean chickpea quinoa power bowl
  8. Kung pao pasta
  9. Blueberry baked oatmeal cups
  10. Greek lentil power bowl

How to Address Diet Talk Around the Holidays

Written by Janele Bayless, LPC, RDN

Holidays can be fun and relaxing, as well as stressful and overwhelming. As people gather around the table to celebrate holidays and feast on food, a variety of topics may come up, including comments about food and dieting. While it’s common to bond over food, discussions around dieting can be triggering for those struggling with body image and eating concerns, or trying to practice intuitive eating. Below is a variety of scenarios with responses that could help as you navigate the holidays.

If people make comments about your body or food choices, try phrases like:

  • My body and my food intake are not up for discussion.
  • This isn’t something I want to talk about right now.
  • Those comments make me uncomfortable. Let’s talk about something else.
  • Remember when I told you how I’m working on listening to my body around food and feeling better in my body? Those comments make it hard for me, let’s talk about something else.

When someone tries to talk with you about their diet:

  • Say something like “It sounds like you’ve found something that works for you” and then change the subject.
  • If the conversation is really triggering and bothering you, excuse yourself from the conversation and go elsewhere to give yourself a break from the diet talk.
  • If you feel comfortable, you can share more about why you’re no longer dieting, what you’re doing instead, and how you have been feeling so far.

When you order a salad and someone says “Oh! We’re being good today, aren’t we?”

  • You can say,“Eating a salad doesn’t make me a better person – it’s just what I’m in the mood for.”

When you want dessert after dinner and someone says “I can’t eat dessert or I’ll gain X pounds if I eat that.”

  • You can say,“That’s not how bodies work. Our bodies can use all types of foods and this is what sounds good to me right now.” Or, “I used to think that too, but ever since I’ve been listening to my body about what it really wants and needs, I’ve been able to enjoy my dessert – and all foods! – so much more.”

When someone asks if you want to join them in a cleanse after the weekend:

  • You can say,“No thanks! Those never make me feel good – I always feel tired and irritable, and restricted. I’d rather eat foods that nourish and satisfy me. But if you want to grab lunch afterwards, I’d love that.”

When an account you follow on social media posts a calorie-based meal plan, transformation photos, or a list of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods:

  • You can unfollow them and fill your social media feed with diverse, body positive and non-diet accounts.

If someone says, “If I ate like that, I’d be X pounds more/less.”

  • You can say,“We all have different food preferences and needs – this is working for me today.”

If someone starts talking about their new diet/weight loss plan:

  • You can change the subject and say,“Speaking of new things, have you watched that new show ______ on Netflix? It’s so good!”

If someone says, “I’m going to be bad and go up for more food – that dish is just so good!”

  • You can say,“Don’t be silly, there’s nothing ‘bad’ about eating! If you still want more, you should have more, the food is amazing!”

If someone says, “My problem is I can never stop eating once I start.”

  • You can say,“I’ve been working on tuning into my internal cues around hunger and fullness – it’s been such an eye-opening experience to really feel like I can give my body what it needs and wants, and feels more satisfying.”

While these situations may not always be comfortable or convenient, having different responses ready can help you feel prepared and experience more freedom and peace with food as you navigate the holiday season.

What are your favorite go-to statements in response to diet talk/culture? Email nutrition@osu.edu to share. Happy holidays!

Study Tips for Finals Week

Written by Kera Cashman, Medical Dietetics Intern

Finals week is here and we know that means students are studying for long hours and getting less sleep. To help fuel your body for long study sessions and keep your energy levels up throughout the day, consider these tips:

  • Fuel your body by eating within 1-2 hours of waking up and every 3-4 hours after that. For those who forget to eat, it may be helpful to set alarms on your phone to remind yourself.
  • If you’re studying at the library, pack meals that give you a mix of macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat), along with a fruit or veggie. Examples include:
    • Sandwich or wrap with protein (i.e. chicken, turkey, tofu), cheese, veggies, hummus or avocado
    • Peanut butter and banana sandwich, protein shake
    • Protein bar or shake, fruit with nuts or nut butter
    • Tuna salad with crackers, yogurt, fruit or baby carrots
    • Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts
  • When hungry between meals and to sustain your energy levels throughout the day, have a snack that includes a protein or dairy source with a grain, fruit or veggie. Examples include:
    • Hummus with veggies
    • Greek yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit
    • Hard-boiled egg and fruit
    • Fruit with nuts or nut butter
    • Protein bar or shake with fruit
  • Take a 5-minute study break every 1-2 hours by doing something active, such as going for a walk, taking the stairs, folding laundry or washing dishes. This will get your energy levels back up!
  • Avoid drinking too much caffeine to prevent crashing later or affecting the quality of your sleep. The recommended amount is 2-3 cups of 8 oz of coffee per day. Check out our caffeine handout for more information.
  • Instead of eating when not hungry while studying, consider alternative activities, such as drinking a beverage (i.e. water, tea, flavored water), chewing gum, listening to soft music without lyrics, using a fidget cube or silly putty, etc.

Good luck with finals!

A Piece of Advice for Thanksgiving Day

Written by Janele Bayless, LPC, RDN

Thanksgiving, among other holidays, is coming up and while most people enjoy celebrating with food, it can also be a time of uncertainty or even stress for how to navigate the food festivities.  If I could offer one piece of advice for Thanksgiving day, among other holidays, it would be this: normalize the day.

If you think about it from the body’s perspective, it knows no difference between a week day versus a weekend, a holiday versus a regular day, etc. Rather than focus on one meal of the day, consider ways to normalize your experience similar to other days. Examples include:

  • Eat within 1-2 hours after waking up and every 3-4 hours after that. By spreading your food intake throughout the day, you maintain your energy levels and avoid overeating at one meal.
  • Do something active such as going for a walk or participating in your local Turkey Trot.
  • Create balanced meals that include three or more food groups (grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, protein) with at least one protein or dairy source and one fruit or vegetable.
  • Identify what foods you really want to indulge in and allow yourself to have it. Consider a couple of portion control strategies you can try that allow you to have the foods you enjoy without overeating or feeling stuffed. Even if you do overeat, it’s one meal a year that’s meant to be enjoyed.
  • Find alternative activities you can do when not hungry or after your Thanksgiving meal.

Additional Resources

A Dietitian’s Advice for Stress-Free Holiday Eating

Intuitive Eater’s Holiday Bill of Rights

How Sleep Deprivation Affects Food Intake

Written by Kera Cashman, Medical Dietetics Intern

Are you getting 7 or more hours of sleep a night? The CDC recommends that adults over the age of 18 should be getting 7 or more hours of sleep a night.1 However, now that we are over halfway through the semester and finals week is approaching, students may not be meeting this.

Research shows that not getting enough sleep at night could lead students to eat unhealthy food and gain weight.2 How does this work? Leptin and ghrelin are two hormones that control our appetite. Leptin suppresses our appetite, contributes to weight loss, and is released after we consume a meal. Ghrelin increases our appetite, contributes to weight gain, and is released when the body doesn’t have the fuel it needs. When students aren’t getting enough sleep at night, ghrelin levels tend to increase while leptin levels decrease. This causes people to be hungrier throughout the day and possibly gain weight as a result.

Getting more sleep at night can also help us make healthier food choices throughout the day. One study showed that students who were sleep-deprived had a difficult time avoiding high-carbohydrate and high-calories snacks, such as chips and candy.2 Ensuring you are getting enough sleep at night can help you stay on track with your health goals.

On the other hand, what we eat can affect how well we sleep. One study showed that people who ate low fiber, high saturated fat diets had a decrease in quality of sleep.Following a diet low in saturated fat and increasing your fiber intake by eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and beans and legumes can help you have a better night of sleep.

Tips on how to get quality sleep:4

  • Set a sleep schedule that will allow you to get 7 or more hours of sleep a night
  • Avoid caffeine close to bedtime
  • Exercise regularly
  • Get sunlight during the day
  • Avoid taking naps later in the day
  • Avoid overeating or eating too little prior to going to bed

References

How Much Sleep Do College Students Need?​

2 There’s a scientific reason you crave junk food when you don’t get enough sleep

What You Eat Can Influence How You Sleep

Get better ZZZs: Expert tips for promoting good sleep hygiene

Benefits of Breakfast

Written by Kera Cashman, Medical Dietetics Intern

Do you ever skip breakfast in hopes of losing weight or simply because you don’t have time to eat in the morning? Research shows that skipping breakfast can actually lead you to overeat later in the day as you may snack more and eat more at night. Studies also show that those who skip breakfast tend to gain more weight, have higher BMIs (Body Mass Index), and have an increased risk for obesity. There’s even a link between skipping breakfast and a decrease in cognitive performance and problem solving.

Providing our body with fuel in the morning can make it easier for us to eat well later in the day with research showing people who eat breakfast getting more vitamins and minerals. Eating breakfast has also proven to boost metabolism, improve mood, concentration, and energy, and help keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. Additionally, research shows that students who eat breakfast have higher academic achievement!

A healthy breakfast consists of a mix of macros (protein, carbohydrate, fat) with three or more food groups, including one protein or dairy source and one fruit or vegetable. This mix of foods can help meet our nutrient needs and keep us full longer.

Grab-and-Go Ideas

  • Protein shake or bar, fruit with nuts or nut butter
  • Nut-based bar (i.e. KIND), hard-boiled egg, fruit
  • Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, fruit, nuts

Easy Breakfast Ideas

  • English muffin with egg and cheese, fruit
  • Smoothie with fruit, milk, protein powder, nut butter
  • ½ bagel with nut butter and banana slices, greek yogurt or cottage cheese
  • Omelet with cheese and veggies (i.e. bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, spinach/kale), whole grain toast
  • Whole grain toast with avocado and egg
  • Oatmeal (or overnight oats) made with milk, protein powder, nuts or nut butter, fruit
  • Egg muffins with cheese and veggies (i.e. spinach, onion, bell pepper), fruit or whole grain toast

Additional Resources

Healthy Eating While Traveling

Written by Jessica Jung, Medical Dietetics Intern

We’re almost halfway through fall semester, which means fall break is right around the corner, and many students will be traveling to visit family and friends. It can be a struggle to maintain your health goals when it seems like your only options on the road or at the airport are candy bars and potato chips. Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you have to eat foods that will leave you feeling tired or bloated. With a little bit of planning, you can make better food choices that will help keep you energized!

Check out these tips before you head out for fall break:

Pack healthy snacks

  • Fresh or dried fruit
  • Nutrition bars
  • Beef or turkey jerky
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Trail mix

Choose healthier options

  • Stopping at a gas station? Look for nutrition bars, trail mix, or fresh fruit.
  • Stopping at a fast food restaurant? Look for grilled options, salads, fruit cups or subs.

Stay hydrated

  • Keep a water bottle with you to stay hydrated.
  • You can also try sparkling water, almond milk, or crystal light.

Check out our Travel handout for more snack ideas and travel tips!

Healthy Game Day Meals and Snacks

Written by Emily Crouch and Jessica Jung, Medical Dietetics Interns

Being a student at THE Ohio State University is exciting… especially during football season. Go Bucks!

Ohio State game day festivities may include a tailgate or watch party where fans excitedly gather for the game and eat delicious food. Some classic tailgating eats include chips and dip, hot dogs, wings, and pizza, foods often higher in calories, fat, and sodium.

For example, a small order of boneless wings from Buffalo Wild Wings is 1000 calories with 51 of fat and 2,320mg of sodium. For most adults, that about half of our total calorie needs and the total daily recommended amount of sodium. Two slices of cheese pizza from Donatos comes to about 570 calories, 26g of fat and 1490mg sodium. This may be fewer calories than a small order of wings, but still gives us more than half of the amount of salt we need in a day.A day of eating lots of greasy, salty foods might leave you feeling sluggish and tired. Maintaining health goals can be tricky with college experiences but putting a healthy twist on tailgate favorites can boost your energy without sacrificing taste or flavor. Make simple swaps like using whole wheat buns, choosing leaner cuts of meat, replacing sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, or doubling the veggies in pasta and casserole dishes.

Here are some tasty and nutritious ideas to try at your next tailgate or watch party:

Appetizer Ideas

  • Homemade guacamole with veggies
  • Greek yogurt dip and chopped veggies
  • Whole grain pasta salad
  • Black bean quinoa salad
  • Garlic parmesan roasted cauliflower

Meal Ideas

  • Build-your-own baked potato (sweet or white) bar
  • Veggie chili
  • Shredded chicken chili
  • Whole wheat English muffin pizzas
  • Baked chicken wings

RECIPES

Greek Yogurt Dip

Ingredients

  • 16 oz (2 cups) non-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 packet ranch dip mix

Directions

  1. Put 16 oz (2 cups) of non-fat plain Greek yogurt in a bowl.
  2. Mix in 1 packet of ranch dip mix.
  3. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. Serve with your favorite veggies!

Whole Wheat English Muffin Pizzas

Ingredients

  • Whole wheat English muffins
  • Pizza sauce
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Pepperoni or turkey pepperoni
  • Favorite vegetables (i.e. onions, mushroom, bell peppers, etc.)

Directions

  1. Slice English muffins in half and toast.
  2. Spread 2 tbsp pizza sauce on each English muffin.
  3. Sprinkle with cheese and top with pepperoni and vegetables.
  4. Microwave for 30 seconds or until cheese has melted.
  5. Alternate cooking method: Instead of toasting and microwaving, bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400⁰F.

References

Hello World!

Welcome to Fuel for Life! A nutrition and lifestyle blog hosted by the Student Life Student Wellness Center. This space will be used for posting articles, recipes, upcoming events and opportunities to get involved in all things related to nutrition, fitness and body image. Join along and pass the fun to your fellow Buckeyes!