On the way home from the office the other day my kids and I stopped at the local ACME supermarket. While in the cereal aisle a product caught my eye. Nature Valley Protein Chewy Bars. The box only caught my attention because the word “Protein” is written in large lettering and the word “new” is on the front of the box. Otherwise shopping with two kids is not a great time to be discovering new products! I passed by assuming that the bars were probably just junk, but something told me to go back and give the package a look. The bars looked like they might be tasty so I bought a box.
Each bar contains 190 calories (similar to other protein bars), 12 gm Fat (which is rather high, however most is from unsaturated fat), 3.5 gm Saturated Fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 14 gm Carbohydrates, 6 gm Sugar, 10 gm Protein. The protein source is from nuts (peanuts and almonds), soy protein isolate, and whey protein concentrate. Sugar is low, however some gastric bypass patients may experience dumping at 6 gm of sugar, so proceed with caution! The types of sugar are as follows: sugar (5th ingredient), High Maltose Corn Syrup (11th ingredient), fructose (12th ingredient), and dextrose (21st ingredient).
As far as taste, I thought the chewy bar was rather good. There was a good balance of salty and sweet. The chocolate bottom is definitely a welcomed addition to the nuts and seeds. I would definitely purchase the Protein Chewy Bar again and recommend to others.
Wow- today is a “hot one.” Summer time is that time of year that we all rush outside to go for a run, do yard work or play a game of soccer or Frisbee. On days like today, we need to be extra careful to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
This post was inspired by today’s forecast for a high of 99 degrees and a friend of mine who was exercising outside a couple weeks ago. She suffered from a bit of heat exhaustion- felt dizzy, nauseous and weak after her morning workout. Luckily, my friend is a certified fitness trainer so knew the symptoms and what to do. She guzzled lots of water, some with salt, and recovered pretty quickly.
When it’s HOT, it’s important to make sure we take precautions to stay safe. If our bodies become overheated, we can become dehydrated and fast! You can even suffer from heat stroke. And it’s especially important to think about the your kids who may get so caught up in the fun of a game at camp or in your backyard that they’ll forget to stop and drink water. Also, elderly and overweight individuals should take extra precautions on hot days.
Humidity and high temperatures can both increase your core body temperatures. Obviously high temperatures will make you hot, but when it’s humid perspiration (body’s natural cooling element) doesn’t evaporate as quickly from your skin making your heart work extra hard to keep your body cool.
Here are a few things we can all do to take extra precautions when exercising on HOT days:
1) Exercise early or late in the day OR indoors. While we all like to be outside in the summertime, on hot humid days you may want to plan your workouts for early morning before the sun is fully out or late in the evening as the sun starts to set. Better yet, take advantage of your local fitness club where the AC is kicking.
2) Dress Right- wear white or light colored clothes and clothes designed to deflect the sweat. If you are doing an outdoor activity like biking- you may want to shorten your workout. Helmets and other athletic gear can raise your body temperatures. Use sunscreen of 15 SPF or higher and make sure you re-apply it. Wear sunglasses.
3) Hydrate Your Body- Drink lots of water and eat lots of fruits and vegetables i.e. watermelon, oranges, cantaloupe, crisp lettuce and cucumbers. Fruits and veggies naturally have a high water content and can help hydrate your body. They will also replace much needed potassium levels. Drink water before and after your workout and bring lots of water with you.
4) Listen to Your Body- It’s not “no pain, no gain” in the hot weather. Pain can actually mean trouble when it’s hot and humid. Listen to your body and know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
5) Replenish Your Body-You can actually lose a few pounds of water weight just through sweating. Be sure to continue to drink lots of water throughout the day before & after your workout. If you are training for a sport and are hard core, you may want to consider weighing yourself before and after a workout to make sure to replace each pound of weight loss with up to 3 cups of water. Sports drinks and salt water can also help your body refuel.
Dehydration is a serious medical condition. Exercise in hot, humid weather can rapidly raise your body’s core temperature, putting you at risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures, and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Skin may be cool and moist. Your pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
With heat stroke victims, look for the following symptoms:
Hot, dry skin (no sweating)
Strong, rapid pulse
Throbbing headache
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Dizziness
Nausea
A body temperature of above 103°F
If you see someone with any warning signs of heat stroke, call 911 immediately, then cool the victim however you can (for example, immerse the victim in cold water, spray the victim with a hose and move him to a shady spot).“
Today is National Ice Cream Day! Who doesn’t love ice cream? My favorite, pictured above, is Keeney Beany from the Penn State Creamery. Ice cream traditionally is high in fat and sugar. Small amounts are packed with lots of calories. An average 1/2 cup of chocolate ice cream contains: 143 calories, 7.5 gm Fat, 4.5 gm Saturated Fat, 18 gm Carbohydrates, 16 gm Sugar, and 3 gm Protein. As you can see most of the fat comes from saturated fat, which is the type of fat that can clog arteries. I love ice cream as much as anyone, so I am not trying to be the food police here. Ice cream can be enjoyed, but should be done so in moderation. Portion control is the key. The video below by Cynthia Sass RD will help you as well to choose lower fat choices without sacrificing taste.
Ensure recently introduced a clear nutritional drink. It is a great alternative to milk based nutritional drinks. There are two flavors, Peach and Blueberry Pomegranante. These products are served best cold. Both varieties taste great although some may find them a bit too sweet. Each shake contains 180 calories, O gm Fat, 35 gm Carbohydrates, 18 gm Sugar, and 9 gm Protein. As compared to Slim fast or Special K Protein shakes the calories and protein content are similar. The carbohydrate content of Ensure Clear is a bit higher than Slim Fast or Special K, however there is no fat. Ensure Clear does contain artificial colors, which I am not too crazy about, so I do not drink them on a regular basis.
For pre-operative bariatric surgery patients Ensure Clear can be added in conjunction with usual Sim Fast or Optifast products. These drinks are great for patients with gluten sensitivities or lactose intolerance. Some patients on the pre-operative liver shrinking diet often complain about stomach discomfort from the milk based proteins, I think Ensure Clear with help improve these symptoms.
Patients often ask me what the best protein supplement is or rather which product tastes the best. My answer is always that everyone will have a different taste preference. Patients need to try out different protein shakes/powders for themselves. Personally though I do not like thick creamy shakes. I prefer juice type protein supplements. Clear protein drinks do not leave a full feeling in the stomach as thicker creamy types shakes do in my opinion. One of my favorite whey protein powders is Nectar Lemon Tea by Syntrax: http://www.si03.com/.
The Lemon Tea is easy to mix, especially with a shaker bottle. The consistency is very light and easy to drink. I often add the powder to crystal light lemonade or diet iced tea to enhance the flavor. Per scoop Nectar contains 23 gm of protein. Nectar is both lactose free and gluten free. The product is sweetened with sucrolose. Nectar contains no sugar or fat. Nectar is available through many online shops as well as locally at the Vitamin Shoppe.
With tears in my eyes, I just got the mail and read a letter about my Dentist- Allan Goldstein. The letter was from his son Howard who joined his practice as a Dentist himself when I was in college. The letter was informing us that his father passed away. He was diagnosed with anaplasic thyroid cancer, which is a very rare and very aggressive cancer. I sadly wonder if it was from all of those years giving his patients X-rays, radiation exposure.
I write this with only 1 or 2 cavities in my mouth, which were just found this year. I had gone to Dr. Allan since I was 5. My Grandparents went to him, my parents and my sister. And yes, when my first two kids needed to go to the Dentist- I took them to Dr. Allan, even though his office was 45 minutes away now with all the traffic. That is three generations- all to Dr. Allan.
I have memories of “Cherry, Grape or Orange?” He would ask me that question as a kid meaning which flavor Fluoride I would like applied to my teeth. My sister and I would sit on this little shelf in his office- think it covered up the radiator or something. Our feet would bang on it. We would all sit together and take turns while finding hidden pictures in the highlights magazines. He would clean and examine your teeth- not a hygienist. My Mom, sister and I would go every six months and take a trip to the Willow Grove Mall after-wards to go shopping. My Mom would make us wait 1 hour to eat so the fluoride would work.
When I was in college, I would come home at Thanksgiving and get my teeth cleaned. When I moved to Boston for Grad School, I arranged Dental visits around trips home to see my family. I remember when he got computerized X-rays and would show me my teeth on his laptop. He thought it was so cool! It was obvious this guy loved his job.
After I got married, my husband started going to Dr. Allan too. My husband always hated the Dentist growing up. I promised and coaxed him to go to my Dentist- promising he would like going to the Dentist. He came home from Dr. Allan happy and told me, “You were right. It wasn’t that bad.”
When I was pregnant we skipped the X-rays. After my babies were born, he told me to bring them in with me. And when I published my book, he asked for a signed copy for his waiting room. I think it’s still there. When I complained about the sugary sticky candies the kids get at school, he suggested to trade them out for chocolates. I still do this today. Chocolate doesn’t stick, except tootsie rolls- they are terrible. Here is an article about foods for healthier teeth- check it out.
Dr. Goldstein always had a smile on his face. He also always had a tan because he took frequent vacations to sunny places. He was the kind of man that took genuine interest in everyone he met and remembered bits about your life most people would forget. He was a good listener. And although you couldn’t talk much because you had those white cotton thingies and U-shaped saliva sucker in your mouth- he would ask you about your life, encourage you and listen. He remembered everything you told him.
His son writes, “My father loved practicing dentistry and enjoyed spending time speaking with everyone about sports or politics, or whatever else was of interest. He cared and thought of you as his family.”
My sympathy goes out to his family during what I am sure is a very tough time.
Here is what I learned from my all time favorite dentist:
1) Smile
2) Listen
3) Floss
4) Sunshine is good for you
5) Encourage others
6) Eat Chocolate
7) Fluoride vitamins and treatments work.
8) Love your patients like friends or family.
9) Go on vacation.
10) Love what you do.
