Eat Food That's Fast — But Not Fattening!

Can fast food be healthy? The big fast-food chains are trying to answer yes by introducing new menu items. Look for some of the following foods the next time you're visiting your favorite chain. Keep an eye on your portion sizes and ask about nutrition if you aren't sure what's best.

Try one of these smart choices when you need to eat on the go:

• Skinless grilled chicken sandwiches
• Whole-grain bread and buns
• Fresh fruit
• Breakfast sandwiches made with scrambled egg whites
• Yogurt-based snacks
• Low-fat ice cream
• Skim and low-fat milk
• Entrée-size salads (without dressing or croutons)
• Grilled chicken or steak wraps
• Deli-style sandwiches
• Baked potatoes (without toppings)
• Chili
• Tacos and burritos (without cheese or sour cream)

Metabolic Syndrome

In recent years, health experts have become increasingly interested in a collection of risk factors known as metabolic syndrome. They have found that people with metabolic syndrome are at an elevated risk for developing cholesterol deposits in the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis), which causes most heart attacks and strokes. Metabolic syndrome also raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Because these illnesses are among the leading causes of death in the United States, preventing or treating the individual conditions that make up metabolic syndrome could save many lives. People may be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if they have three or more of the following conditions:

• Increased abdominal fat: a waist circumference greater than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women
• Elevated blood pressure on several measurements: 130 mm Hg or greater systolic (top number) or 85 mm Hg or greater diastolic (bottom number)
• Elevated level of triglycerides (blood fats): 150 mg/dl or higher after a 12-hour fast
• Low level of HDL (the "good") cholesterol: lower than 50 mg/dl for men or 45 mg/dl for women
• Elevated blood sugar levels: 110 mg/dl or greater after a 12-hour fast

While researchers are still investigating why these factors often occur together, they suspect a gradual resistance to insulin in the body may be to blame. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body's cells use the glucose supplied by food. If the body doesn't use insulin efficiently, cells can't take up as much glucose, so it accumulates in the blood. In response, the body makes more insulin, overloading the blood. As a result of the excess insulin, triglycerides and other fats build up in the blood, increasing the risk of abnormal cholesterol. At the same time, kidneys become strained by the additional load, leading to high blood pressure.

In some cases, the cause of insulin resistance may be genetic or environmental. But most of the time, overweight and inactivity seem to be the culprit. Metabolic syndrome occurs in only 5 percent of adults of normal weight but in 22 percent of those who are overweight and 60 percent of those who are obese. Lifestyle changes such as losing excess weight, exercising, and quitting smoking can help to prevent or treat metabolic syndrome. If you suspect you're at risk, ask your doctor to evaluate you for this serious condition.

Take Time for You!

It's easy to forget about taking care of our own needs. Prioritizing your own needs up there with everything you do for your family, friends, your job, and your other responsibilities is tough, especially if you have a family, but it's a must! You owe it to yourself to take a little personal time, even if it means shifting some duties and putting others second.

Start by talking to your family. Tell your spouse and/or children about your decision to make more time for yourself in order to meet your goals. If your children are older, perhaps they can take on a few more chores. Ask your spouse to lend a helping hand around the house or take over some of your other family responsibilities.

With their support, that "me" time will be more doable — and that renewed, refreshed feeling can be yours! As a bonus, you'll be more peaceful and energized, helping you tackle your family responsibilities with a fresh face forward. Everyone truly benefits! Get your family on board with your plan today!

Your Scale and You

Unlike other plans that recommend weighing in weekly or less often, we advise you to weigh yourself daily.

"Daily?" you ask. Yes! Studies show that people who weigh themselves daily are more successful at long-term weight loss than those who weigh themselves weekly. Experts speculate that frequent weigh-ins remind you of your goals and help keep you motivated. At the Duke Diet & Fitness Center (DFC), we feel that an essential part of this daily weighing strategy is tracking your weight on a graph. A graph helps you to see the big picture: Rather than focusing on one day's number, you're looking at trends over several days, weeks, or months. There's nothing more motivating than seeing that line move downward over time!

We also like graphs because they can help you to become accustomed to the fact that the number on the scale does fluctuate each day. The line won't always move downward, and that's okay. Weight normally varies from day to day, based on factors like how much water your body is retaining, among others. We find that seeing these normal fluctuations on a graph keeps our clients at the DFC from getting discouraged by them — they look past the little ups and downs and focus on the larger trends.

Another advantage to graphing with daily weigh-ins is that it helps you self-monitor more effectively. If you see your weight beginning to trend in the wrong direction, you can take steps to nip that trend in the bud.

Of course, weighing in daily isn't right for everyone. If you've ever had an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia or if you find it extremely upsetting to get on the scale, you should talk to your doctor or mental health–care provider. Otherwise, give it a try and see how it works for you!

If daily weighing is a good strategy for you, we encourage you to keep it up — even after you meet your weight goals. Research has shown that people who've lost weight and continue to weigh themselves regularly afterward are better able to keep the weight off. So plan to make your friendship with your scale a lifelong one. Doing so will greatly increase your chances of both short-term and lifelong success.

Disease Prevention 101

You know the expression "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"? One of the very best — and easiest — ways you can prevent disease and ensure you stay healthy is through routine health screenings!

You may be thinking, But I'm healthy! Why should I get tested for diabetes, cervical cancer, or any of the other conditions my doctor wants to test for? The answer is that screening is meant for healthy people to determine if they're at risk before a condition develops or becomes more serious.

You won't get a diagnosis from screening; it will only tell you if you're at risk for having a condition or illness. Your health care provider may perform a diagnostic test as a result of your screening results — or he/she may simply recommend you come back after another year or two or some other period of time to be screened again. Your health care provider may also use your screening results to suggest lifestyle changes you should incorporate in order to reduce your risk, such as changing your diet, increasing your activity level, or quitting smoking.

Keep in mind that screening is not perfect. If a screening test shows that you are not at risk for a specific disease or condition, there is still a small chance that you may develop it. So if you are having symptoms that suggest a specific condition, be sure to tell your health care provider about them, even if the screening test told you that you were not at risk.

Screening is important at all ages — no one is too old or too young. Are you up-to-date on all of your tests and immunizations? Have you discussed your family history of specific conditions with your doctor? This month, make a commitment to yourself to finally take care of any outstanding doctor visits or tests. Not sure if you are up-to-date? Members can log in to check out the recommended screening tests for adult men and women.

Getting Over a Bump in the Road

Question:

I've blown it! I've been enjoying the results I've seen since I started your program months ago. But I got really busy in the past couple of weeks and stopped eating right and exercising. I've almost regained everything I lost, and now I just want to give up! What should I do?

Answer:

Okay, so you had a lapse. It happens. There's no time like the present to pick yourself back up! Start right this second. Don't dwell on your minor slip, but do learn from it. There's no doubt you'll get busy again, so prepare for such times! If you have to skip your spinning class, do some other activity to make up for it — say, walking to work. If you had a high-calorie lunch, have salad for dinner. Making these little substitutions will help keep you on track until you're able to return to your regular Fitness and Meal Plans! Don't give up!

Orange-Scented Cornmeal Cake With Fresh Berries

Extra-virgin olive oil — it's not just for salads anymore! Remarkably, EVOO is an important ingredient in this delicious dessert, but trust me, your cake will not smell like an Italian entree. The olive oil keeps things wonderfully moist. When you're ready to serve the cake, you top it with a luscious berry sauce and a sprinkling of fresh berries (though the frozen kind will do if berries are not in season). Never made a cake from scratch before? Try this one — you'll be amazed at how simple it is (and how lovely it will look on your table)!
Orange-Scented Cornmeal Cake With Fresh Berries
Ingredients
For the cake:
3/4 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the berry sauce:
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
Preparation
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the four, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup of sugar and the oil. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, eggs, orange peel, and orange juice. Beat for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and beat until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
To make the berries: In a food processor or blender, puree 3/4 cup of the blackberries, the sugar, and the orange juice until smooth. Strain the puree through a sieve into a small bowl; discard the seeds. Cut the cake into wedges. Spoon the berry sauce over the wedges and sprinkle with the blueberries, raspberries, and remaining blackberries.
Note: When you use an electric mixer to beat citrus peel into a batter, a lot of the peel can cling to the beaters. Be sure to scrape any peel from the beaters back into the batter.
Makes 8 servings
Per serving: 189 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 7g total fat, 55mg cholesterol, 3g dietary fiber, 200mg sodium