Carbohydrate | Bonnie Modugno, MS, RD

GREEK YOGURT OFFERS 2-3 TIMES MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR

February 26, 2012 by Bonnie

February 26, 2012

“Greek yogurt sales stirring up the food industry” says Tiffany Hsu of the LA Times. The popularity and rise in sales of Greek yogurt are truly remarkable. Too bad the reporter only side-swiped the issue by reporting Greek yogurt is “perceived to be filling.” It is more filling and it’s the protein.

Protein has a profound capacity to enhance satiety–the feeling of being satisfied after eating. Conventional breakfasts of cereal, bagels, muffins or pastries (mostly carbohydrate and fat) leaves too many eaters wanting–and feeling hungrier all day long.

It is no coincidence that the incidence of obesity and diabetes swelled during the reign of high carbohydrate low fat diets. People ended up eating more when they didn’t feel satisfied.

GREEK YOGURTS OFFER MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR

Enter Greek Yogurt with 16-20 grams of protein and more per serving, often with a fraction of added sweetening. The better balance of protein and carbohydrate –with or without the fat–means feeling satisfied longer. I have one client who recently told me that learning about Greek yogurt was worth the time and money spent on nutrition counseling all by itself!

A cup of plain yogurt contains 8-12 grams of lactose, the natural sugar found in milk. Plain yogurts only contain the lactose. Flavored Greek yogurts boast a mere 15-20 gram of total sugar. That means a mere 1-2 teaspoons of added sugar compared to the 1-2 tablespoons of added sugar found in conventional flavored yogurt. And most conventional yogurts contribute only 6-7 grams of protein.

Greek Yogurt is popular because of the protein. Despite the added cost, Greek yogurt is a quick and convenient breakfast, snack and source of protein at any other meal.

The LA Times article mentions Ben and Jerry’s foray into Greek yogurt frozen desserts. This should be interesting. Will the added protein offset the added sugars? I’m not so sure. If you try it will you let me know?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Ben and Jerry's, breakfast, carbohydrate, dessert, diabetes, fat, greek yogurt, obesity, protein, satiety, snack, sugar, yogurt

2010 USDA Guidelines: Maybe we need to change focus

October 18, 2011 by

The 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines were released this week. In an attempt to establish nutrition guidelines for the masses of overweight, unhealthy Americans these guidelines attempt to curb our appetites and nudge Americans towards more healthful diets. In ninety five pages of committee speak, the messaging begins to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. Wah, Wah, Wah.

Declaration after declaration drones on about how we should be eating. Decrease sugar, eat more fiber, decrease saturated fat, consume less sodium, use only reduced fat dairy, eat more fruit and vegetables, stop drinking sodas. I don’t like the tone or most of the message.

If I am tuning out, how do most Americans react to the authoritarian messaging of these guidelines?

For all the documentation, the biggest void in the document is not enough said about individual needs. There is no one right way to eat. There is no one universal diet that is right for all Americans. The attempt to coddle together a list of nutrition recommendations for the public is a lofty goal, but ultimately misses the mark for many individuals.

I wonder why the focus in only on individuals. There is much wrong with how our food is grown and processed. There are many problems with how food is served. I propose a few dietary guidelines for people preparing food.

DIETARY GUIDELINES FOR FOOD PRODUCERS

1. Serve a balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat at every meal.

Some people need more protein, others benefit from more carbohydrate. Let one version serve very small amounts of protein, others more. Up charge for the difference. Fill half of the plate with produce. Vary the amount of starch–more with less protein, less with more protein.

2. Serve portions that meet our needs for a meal. Aim for 600-800 calories a plate.

Average Americans are recommended between 2000 and 2700 calories a day for food. Most people snack through the day. There are not many of us that need 1500-2000 calories in a meal. People who need more calories can add an appetizer or dessert.

Americans spend half of their food dollars eating away from home. Eating out is no longer a rare treat. Eating out is a way of life. Our bodies are bearing the weight of food served like it’s Thanksgiving multiple times a week.

3. Use salt judiciously to enhance flavor, not to make food taste salty.

Salt is an amazing seasoning agent. It allows flavors to come alive when it is used properly. Most cooks have lost or never developed the appreciation for adding just enough to make the flavors of the food “pop”.

Don’t let anyone season the food that doesn’t have a more sophisticated palate. Our taste buds will adjust. Ultimately we will reap the benefits of a lower sodium intake without the draconian measures suggested by some public health groups.

4. Use whole foods and prepare them well.

It doesn’t serve Americans to consume highly processed and adulterated food. It is difficult to eat well when more than 75% of our food supply in the supermarket is not considered a good food choice.

I wonder what would happen if the reverse was true? It would be a different shopping experience if only 25% of the food in the marketplace was considered less than a good food choice.

5. Take time to purchase food that is grown sustainably and locally.

Buy from farmers, ranchers and suppliers that offer ingredients supporting stewardship of our oceans, soils and air. Sure the products will cost more, but health care is even more expensive.

Don’t let the canard of an inadequate food supply throw you off track. America currently produces 4000 calories per capita. We don’t need as much as we produce. Excess calories either become waste or contribute to our waists.

6. Don’t get seduced into thinking more is better.

Adding more sugar, more sodium, and more fat doesn’t necessarily make food more delectable. Making food more entertainment than nutrition has led us down a slippery slope.

7. A special note to food scientists: Please be a little more skeptical when inventing new ingredients.

So far, the production of hydrogenated fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and the like have been less than beneficial in most arenas except the manufacturers pocketbook. It is time that the food technology industry bears more responsibility in showing that a product first does no harm.

8. Fully integrate the cost of cheap food into the actual price of these products.

When food production negatively impacts the soil, the air, or the waterways, these products should carry the cost of repairing the damage, or change farming and manufacturing practices.

For starters, we need to wean farmers off artificial fertilization. It is not OK that ocean regions the size of Texas become hypoxic after spring rains. The Gulf of Mexico cannot support marine life for months after artificial fertilizers are carried off the farm. The toxic brew of nitrogen, potassium and phosphate travels down the Mississippi to wreak havoc with the gulf’s ecosystem.

Next, USDA needs to stop subsidies for the very crops that are used to produce adulterated ingredients that are part of the problem. USDA subsidizes the corn that makes high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) used to sweeten sodas, and a mind boggling array of products. HFCS is used in everything from cake frosting to ketchup.

USDA subsidizes the soybeans that produces soybean oil, especially the partially hydrogenated kind. USDA subsidizes grains that produce the highly sugared cereals, snack foods and pseudo-bakery confections that contribute to our increasing girth and poor health.

FOOD’S RIGHTFUL PLACE

It is time to allow food it’s rightful place. Food is an amazing and rich medium. Food is tasty and immediately gratifying. Food can be social or solitary. Food is cultural and it can be novel. Food is both nurturing and nourishing. We don’t lose any of that experience when we eat well. In fact, eating closer to the earth can elevate the experience so that food is truly satisfying.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: carbohydrate, fat, fiber, food technology, HFCS, protein, salt, sodium, subsidies, sugar, USDA

FOOD FIGHT: Dr. Oz Takes On Gary Taubes

October 18, 2011 by

I spent the last hour surveying the aftermath of Gary Taube’s guest appearance on The Dr. Oz Show on March 7, 2011. Gary’s fans and detractors duke it out on his blog and I am left to wonder.

Why did Dr. Oz set up Gary Taubes to be the next coming of Atkins?
Why do people think this is a question of who is right, Oz or Taubes?
Why has the argument been reduced to, “Which diet is right: A high carbohydrate, low fat approach or a high protein/fat, low carbohydrate approach?

We have been debating this question for at least the last 100 years. About every 10-20 years the pendulum swings from one position to the other. I used to thing it was a marketing ploy, just like fashion. About every generation we all get to spend more money on a new style, whether we are talking about what we wear or what we eat. Except the body doesn’t quiet work like that. I suspect something more bizarre is at play.

Last night I enjoyed Sea Bass with a salad and a few tablespoons of black beans. I ended the meal with a latte and a bit or two of my husband’s dessert. This morning I am trying to write this article and feel light headed, needing to eat.

Blueberries and nonfat greek yogurt with another latte don’t do it. I add a tablespoon of peanut butter and feel better. That will likely be chased with peanut butter on toast later this morning. It’s not quite Atkins, but it is not high carbohydrate, low fat either.

Dr Oz would like us to believe that Gary Taubes is advocating an Atkin’s like ketogenic diet with minimal carbohydrates. watched the youtube version of Dr. Oz’ show.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: carbohydrate, diet, Dr. Oz, protein, Taubes

A Critique of Gary Taubes on Dr. Oz

October 18, 2011 by

Dr. Oz, of You on a Diet fame, faced off with Gary Taubes, author of Why We Get Fat on his show March 7, 2011. Dr. Oz attempted a dramatic upstaging with signs proclaiming that Gary Taubes promotes eliminating all carbohydrates. Trailers introduced Gary as “The Man Who Thinks Everything Dr. Oz Says Is Wrong”. Great television, lousy science.

I spent a few hours surveying the aftermath of Gary Taubes’ guest appearance. Mr. Taubes’ fans and detractors duke it out on his blog in a condensed version of a controversy that has festered over the last fifty years.

A SHORT HISTORY OF CARBOHYDRATE vs. PROTEIN

In the 1960’s the very low carbohydrate Atkins and Stillman diets were popular weight loss plans. In the 70’s Weight Watchers took center stage, in line with the high carbohydrate, low fat recommendations of the 1977 Dietary Goals for the United States.

By the 1980’s both Dr. Ornish and Pritikin promoted a 10% fat diet, making Weight Watchers look moderate. High carbohydrate diets became the norm. Corporate America flooded the marketplace with low fat everything.

Very low calorie, low fat prepared meals and meal replacements soon took center stage. Women were offered high carbohydrate semi starvation at 900 calories a day, while men wasted away on 1500 calories a day.

At the same time medically supervised fasts gained traction. Oprah Winfrey’s infamous moment pulling a wagon of fat on television underscored the opportunity for significant weight loss.

By the 1990’s Barry Sears published The Zone. Soon, Atkins resurfaced and extremely low carbohydrate diets were the rage once more. Weight Watchers and other high carbohydrate programs have endured, but many high carbohydrate plans now allow more protein.

Today we have Dr. Oz championing carbohydrate while Gary Taubes explains the perils of elevated insulin, a condition linked with eating excessive carbohydrate.

GARY TAUBES ON “WHY WE GET FAT”

In Good Calories, Bad Calories (c2006), and more recently in Why We Get Fat (c2010) Gary Taubes explores how the body regulates the calories we eat. Mr. Taubes directs attention to regulators of energy metabolism, specifically the role of insulin. Research tells us that carbohydrate intake drives insulin secretion. Elevated insulin levels drive fat storage. At the same time elevated insulin blocks fat utilization.

Some people are very sensitive to insulin. They secrete little insulin in relationship to their carbohydrate intake, and remain lean. Others are more insulin resistant. They secrete more insulin with a given intake of carbohydrate. The increased insulin makes it easier to store fat, and very difficult to lose what is already stored.

DR OZ CHAMPIONS CARBOHYDRATES

Dr. Oz champions the low fat, low cholesterol mantra of most cardiologists. He celebrates healthy carbs, promotes lean protein, and endorses healthy fats. He is careful to encourage fruits, vegetables and whole grains with plenty of fish, nuts and seeds while demonizing refined sugars and starches, saturated fats and trans fats.

I took the liberty of assessing Dr. Oz’s diet, or at least the food he claims he would usually eat, as shown during the March 7 episode.1 A cursory analysis estimates that his preferred diet contributes a strong 22% of calories from protein, a meager 36% of calories from carbohydrate, and close to 42% of calories from fat. This is not a high carbohydrate diet.

Gary Taubes has been trying to debunk the health halo of a high carbohydrate diet ever since his 2002 article, “What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie.” Dr. Oz’s lower carbohydrate diet ironically supports this position.

A PLANT BASED DIET IS NOT NECESSARILY A HIGH CARBOHYDRATE DIET

Dr. Oz’s staged controversy with Gary Taubes is misguided theatrics at best. At worst, it is dishonest.
Dr. Oz appears to prefer a diet with carefully chosen and limited carbohydrates. Despite the abundant plant based foods, it is not a high carbohydrate diet. The distinction is important.

There are people who seem to eat plenty of carbohydrate without negative consequences. They don’t readily store excess fat or develop diabetes, cardiovascular disease or other problems. It doesn’t seem fair, but metabolism is not about fairness.

Most of us live with a metabolism that has evolved to survive scarcity. Many people are insulin resistant—for whatever reason—and will feel better, manage weight more effectively and decrease risk of disease if they eat fewer carbohydrates. Most people do not have to eliminate carbohydrate to accomplish these goals.

IS THERE A RIGHT WAY TO EAT?

There is no single “right way” to eat. A more meaningful discussion could help people figure out what balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat works best for them. In the meantime, it is important to note a few basic guidelines that allow each of us to eat well, no matter what that balance looks like.

1. Eat whole foods. Minimize intake of highly processed, adulterated foods.

2. Eat through your day, and avoid getting over hungry. Feeling over hungry often leads to over eating.

3. Eat foods together for maximum satisfaction.
• Include enough protein for satiety (feeling content)
• Add enough healthy fat. Fats help you feel satisfied longer.
• Preferably choose whole fruits and vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains when you include carbohydrates, Limit highly refined sugars and starches.

4. Stop eating before you are full. The goal is to quiet hunger, not store for hibernation.

5. Season for full flavor, not just sweet or salty.

6. Allow enough time to purchase, prepare, and eat your food.

7. As you can, take the opportunity to celebrate food in its rightful place.

Food quantity estimates were based on pictures of preferred meals shown on the March 7 video. While not actual measures, the quantities reflect proportions of food on each of the plates.

Sizing Up Dr. Oz’s “Preferred” Diet

This food is low carbohydrate even if the amounts are only estimated

Breakfast
1 c. low fat plain yogurt
1 c. blueberries

Snack
2 oz. walnuts
1 med sliced orange

Lunch
4 c. wild green salad with 4 oz. seitan
½ c. quinoa
2 T. salad dressing

Snack
1 oz. roasted almonds
1 oz. dark chocolate

Dinner
6 oz. salmon
1 c. spinach
1 c. brown Rice
3 c. field greens w/ ½ c. grape tomatoes
2 T. salad dressing

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Atkins, carbohydrate, diet, Dietary Guidelines, Dr. Oz, fat, Gary Taubes, Ornish, Pritikin, protein, The Zone, weight loss, Weight Watchers

Who’s Paying Attention to the Food Pyramid?

October 18, 2011 by

Not consumers.

Melissa Abbott, director of culinary insights for the Hartman Group, a market research company in Seattle, knows something about what consumers buy in stores and how they prepare and eat it at home. In a recent interview for Marketing Daily she explains the dilemma.

Very few consumers pay attention to the government directives. I know. I am one of them.

THE DIETARY GUIDELINES ARE NOT FOOD PRESCRIPTIONS

For starters, directives like the 2010 Dietary Guidelines were never meant to be prescriptive. They are not supposed to be static directions for everyone to eat the same way. I wonder how many people have that bit of knowledge? I wonder how many doctors, nurses, dietitians and public health officials realize that truth?

Last week I spoke with Roger Clemens, PhD. He was a member of the task force charged with preparing recommendations for the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. He is very aware that there are huge holes in our understanding of nutrition and food and the human body. The scientists who draft the recommendations are working with less than perfect information.

THERE IS A LOT WE DON”T KNOW

The 2010 committee working on updating the Dietary Goals for Americans set forth 23 nutrient recommendations. At the same time they submitted over 70 recommendations to direct future scientific research. There is a lot we don’t know.

There is no one right way to eat for everyone. Instead of bickering about which diet is better, we should be much more interested in helping individuals figure out an approach to food that works for them.

It is important to remember that just because a certain diet works for one person, it will not work for everyone. It is important to remember that simplistic sound bites pretending to be the truth can cause more harm than good. It is critical to acknowledge that our food supply is more abundant and adulterated than ever. That alone does not make this easy.

FOOD IS COMPLEX, OUR LIVES ARE COMPLICATED

It is not surprising that people are tuning out messaging that pretends nutrition is a one size fits all arena. While the scientists who drafted the recommendations understand this, I’m not sure the folks writing and marketing the guidelines got the memo.

Food is more complex, our lives are more complicated, and information is more confusing than ever. Very little seems simple about good nutrition advice today, but it doesn’t have to be so noisy.

Eating well means paying attention to a few basics and then fine tuning the process until it works well enough. It may be helpful to note that this path doesn’t lead to perfection. We looking for “good enough”.

THE BASICS

1. Eat when you feel hungry. Stop when you are satisfied.

2. Eat a mix of foods so that there is enough carbohydrate for your muscles to work and your brain to focus, enough protein so you feel satisfied, and enough fat to feel satisfied until your next meal or snack.

3. Honor foods in their rightful place. Food is rich medium. Food is our fuel, but it is also social and cultural.

WHEN SIMPLE DOESN’T GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

If the simple approach doesn’t work, professional support may be helpful. Look for someone who understands that a sheet of paper or pamphlet is not what you are looking for. Work with someone who is willing to hear your story and help you cultivate an approach that works for you.

This means nutrition counseling will be more challenging, take more time and feel messier for everyone.

MORE HONEST NUTRITION SUPPORT

Doctors won’t get away with simply telling patients to lose some weight or cut out the sugar. Nurses will not get away with handing out a pamphlet. Dietitians will not get away with a standard riff on any one dietary approach. Chiropractors will not get away with a list of supplements that they can sell.

Nutrition counseling will need to be focused and client centered. Effective counseling will probably best handled by referring patients to a professional, possibly a registered dietitian who has learned and is allowed to truly counsel clients, not just tell them what to eat.

MORE EFFECTIVE NUTRITION COUNSELING

Insurance companies will need to examine why they think four 15 minute sessions a year are supposed to be enough to help diabetics effectively navigate the process. They’ll also need to figure out how to pay for everyone who needs nutrition support, not just the diabetics and folks with renal disease. (Although preventing a few amputations or heart surgeries will pay for a bundle of nutrition counseling.)

Health care policy will need to adjust so that people get support as they are developing problems, not just after the disease is diagnosed.

Nutrition information and support needs to be more honest. Only then can it be more effective.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 2010 Dietary Guidelines, balance, carbohydrate, chiropractors, cultural, diabetes, diet, dietitians, doctors, fat, food, food pyramid, government, hunger, insurance, Melissa Abbott, nurses, nutrition guidelines, protein, Roger Clemens, satiety, social

GREEK YOGURT OFFERS 2-3 TIMES MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR

2010 USDA Guidelines: Maybe we need to change focus

FOOD FIGHT: Dr. Oz Takes On Gary Taubes

A Critique of Gary Taubes on Dr. Oz

Who’s Paying Attention to the Food Pyramid?

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