Sugar, Not So Sweet Afterall!

Sugar is everywhere we look! We, by nature, like comfort foods, sweets and sugar! In fact, sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth, so it's no surprise that we tend to gulp sweetened foods and beverages! 

But why!

Humans have this preference for sugar largely because carbohydrates stimulate the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin which affects brain cells related to mood, sexual function, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation, and appetite. Thus carbs and sweets affect us more than we know it! 

Some examples of when sugar can lurk around in foods and drinks are coffee, cocktails, milkshakes, regular soft drinks, iced tea, fruit juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, salad dressings, cake mixes, ice cream, chocolate bars, jelly, cookie, pastries, sweets, knefe, croissants, cornflakes, chocolate spreads! And even though sweetened beverages are just liquids, these drinks provide you with empty calories more than beneficial nutrients and can pass by unnoticed especially in hot, humid weather, gulping one drink after another!

But sugar can be tricky, so how to detect it?

Spotting added sugar on the food label requires a bit of detective work. Food and beverage manufacturers must list the product's total amount of sugar per serving on the nutrition facts label. This is why you will need to scan the ingredients list of a food or beverage to find that added sugar! Note that all ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, yup! Therefore the relative position of sugar in the ingredient list is crucial and can give you an idea of whether the food contains a lot of sugar or just a little as compared to the other ingredients.

Added sugars go by many different names, yet they are all a source of extra calories! So here's a small list of what sugar can go by:

Moreover, if the label says "no added sugars", it should not contain any of the above mentioned sugars, although the food could contain naturally occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk for example). However, note that although these foods don't contain high sugar ingredients and no sugar was added during processing/packaging, foods without added sugar may still be high in carbs!
So in order to know how much exactly is a gram of sugar: One teaspoon of granulated sugar equals 4 grams of sugar. To put it another way, 16 grams of sugar in a product is equal to about 4 teaspoons of granulated sugar, so do the math!

Remember, your body doesn't care what the label says, it's all just "sugar"! Read the ingredients and watch out for drinks and foods that are high in sugar. Having a lot of sugar whether from food or sweetened beverages can lead to gaining extra weight, even in active people!

References:

Sugar photo 

Nlm.nih.gov

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

WebMD.com

Zuwwedet Aline - A Healthy Vegetarian Night in Lebanon

Aline is making us some healthy vegetarian food on the 5th of September from 8.00 pm till 11.00 pm at Tarek Booze in Gemmayze! So give yourself a break from all those trans and saturated fats, refined carbs and unhealthy meals and enjoy some delicious vegetarian food under the theme of green beans and corn!

Vegetarian diets are known to be low in saturated fats & high in fibers! The consumption of a generous supply of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables provides protection against chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A plant based diet is rich in its content of health promoting factors such as the many phyto-chemicals and antioxidants. Keep in mind that, when planned well, a vegetarian diet can provide you with all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals your body needs.

So fit such nights into your schedule, you'll be doing your health a favor!
For more info, you can call Tarek Booze at 03.148890

Zuwwedet Aline poster

"Breastfeeding Basics" Seminar

Even though breastfeeding is nature's way of providing nutritional needs for infants, the "art" of breastfeeding and the techniques may not come as naturally!

Therefore, Moms and to Be is organizing a public seminar targeting working mothers, mothers with newborns and moms to be planning to breastfeeding to provide them with credible, trust worthy information about breastfeeding basics, essentials and practical tips from a certified breastfeeding specialist!

So when and where is it?

It will be held in Sin El Fil cultural center, Lebanon on the 6th of October from 4.30 pm till 7.30 pm.

What's cooking in this seminar? 

• Basic principles of breastfeeding
• How to increase milk flow
• Breastfeeding positions that are helpful for comfortable and successful lactation
• Early hunger cues of babies
• Babies needs of water and vitamins
• Dad's role in the breastfeeding process
• Feeding babies at night time
• When to introduce bottle feeding
• What to do if moms are sick
• How to know if babies are getting enough milk for proper growth and development
• The process of pumping and storing milk
• The recommended duration for breastfeeding

The session will be fun and educational! Starting 4.00 pm, there will be a welcome coffee break and snacks will be ready for early arrivals and better yet, a special animation is foreseen for your kids all through the session! Free parking is also available at the center so for more information, contact 01.566 999!

Mother and baby photo

Breastfeeding Week in Lebanon

Al-Safir Website [Link]

I love it when issues as important as increasing awareness about breastfeeding are emphasized on in Lebanon. In fact I got this online article via http://daasetsobbat.blog.com/ aka @Yara_Assi who actually participated in making this event a successful one!

Spread the word about breastfeeding and provide every mom and mom-to-be with this user friendly, very beneficial Hotline: 03.824100 that provides useful information and tips about breastfeeding!

The Art of Breastfeeding

Just like learning a new skill, knowledge, practice and support from family, friends and coworkers are the key to perfecting the "art" or techniques of breastfeeding.

It is important to discuss your decision with your doctor before delivery and inform your hospital staff in order to provide you with a breastfeeding friendly environment as soon as you arrive to the hospital!

Warming up & getting started 

To help ensure an adequate milk supply and build confidence, start nursing as soon after delivery as possible >> within 20-30 minutes after your baby is born, perhaps in the delivery room. This is why it is important to remind the hospital’s staff of “rooming in” with your infant.

The first feeding will be most probably short, for about 10 minutes. Find a comfy chair with a good arm and back support or lie down with pillows positioned to help support your baby. This way, you won’t feel any tension in your neck, back or shoulders and it’ll be easier to hold your baby while breastfeeding him/her. Keep in mind to plan to nurse your infant on demand, that is, whenever your baby decides it is time to eat.

Signs that your baby is hungry: If your baby is mouthing, rooting toward your breast, playing with his mouth and tongue and has an increased alertness. Usually, crying is a let sign of hunger so learning the earlier signs of hunger could be helpful to better understand your baby’s hunger schedule.

During the first months, be prepared to nurse very frequently: about 8 - 12 months every 24 hours. A newborn’s stomach is small and his nutritional needs are exceptional during this period of rapid growth and development. Frequent nursing helps establish your milk supply and keeps your breasts from becoming hard and swollen. 

Latching on 

Some newborns instinctively suckle when they are first put to their mother’s breast while others take time to get used to the process, but either way is normal. Latching on correctly helps your baby get enough milk and protects you from sore nipples.

>> Help your baby by stroking your baby’s cheek or lower lip nearest to your breast.

>> As your baby turns toward your nipple, guide your baby’s mouth. Newborns have a “rooting reflex” at the breast thus they open their mouths naturally.

>> Try to offer both breasts at each feeding. Let your baby nurse as long as he or she wants – about 10 to 20 minutes on each breast. The longer they stay the more of the “hind milk they take. This milk is higher in fat and helps the baby feel full and satisfied.

Make sure to wash your hands before nursing. 

Breastfeeding – About Your Baby 

Burp your baby when you change breasts and at the end of the feeding. This relieves any discomfort from air swallowed while nursing. Hold him or her upright on your shoulder or lay your baby tummy side down across your lap. Then gently rub or pat your baby’s back. It is normal for a baby to spit up a bit of milk.

Trust your baby to let you know when he had enough to eat.

Signs of fullness: Your baby may close his or her lips, turn away or even fall asleep. Sometimes babies rest during a feeding as well, so this makes it hard to know when one feeding stops and the next begins.

Breastfeeding – About You 

Because babies nurse more energetically when they start breastfeeding, alternate the breast you offer first.This will help ensure that both breasts are empties regularly and helps you prevent breasts stiffness. If your breasts feel tight and full, soften the by expressing a small amount of milk by hand or breast pump. Fullness and discomfort are signs of engorgement and may happen when your milk supply first comes in or if you have gone too long between feedings. Feed you baby often and if your baby is not hungry yet, you can store the milk in a clean container and refrigerate it, then offer it in a cup later on. 

Don't forget to hydrate yourself well during the day!


Book reference: Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, ADA
by Roberta Larson Duyff, 3rd ed.
Photo references:
World Breastfeeding Week Logo 
Mother and infant 
Breastfeeding Rocks

7 Things You Gotta Know About Coffee

• Coffee has its different national days in some counties that are actually public holidays. In Japan, for instance, October 1st is 'Coffee Day'. In Ireland, it is September the 19th, and in Costa Rica it is 12th September.There's no such thing in Lebanon, at least not yet!
• A cup of black coffee does not contain any calories if served without sugar, yet is still contains the caffeine. And even if you decide to go decaf, you'll still get some of that caffeine. In fact, if you drink 5-10 cups of decaffeinated coffee, you could get as much caffeine as from 1-2 cups of caffeinated one.
• More than 1.4 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide and it takes around 40 roasted coffee beans to make just one single espresso shot!
• Caffeine is not the main bitter compound in coffee; it's just responsible for 15 % of the bitterness you taste. The rest is due to antioxidants that form during the roasting the coffee beans.
• The traditional espresso machine was actually invented in France, not in Italy, bummer! However, the Italians took this idea, perfected it & made it their own and nowadays, the best espresso coffee machines are still made in Italy. Note that espresso in Italy is rather too important to be consumed with a meal. It is treated as a separate event and is given its own time after the meal.
• The most expensive coffee in the world comes from Civet poop. Civets are cat sized mammals that only ingest fine ripe berries and excrete them partially digested. Yup the partially digested berries are those fine coffee beans! Believe it or not 1 pound (around 1/2 kg) sells between 120 and 600 $.
• Last but not least, here's a quick mini poster that would help you to decipher all those coffee options next time you're ordering/making one: Make sure to go decaf, get yourself some skimmed milk & lay low on those added sugar, cream, syrups, toppings and chocolate chips! You can read more about what to choose when ordering/preparing your coffee here.

Illustration by Lokesh Dhakar

References:

Live Science

Escoffier

4 cups of coffee photo 

Different coffee types poster 

Breastfeeding – The Baby Friendly Way for August

The 1st week of August is the “Breastfeeding Week” when all countries around the world announce their pledge to the importance of breast feeding and its promotion around their nation.

Every country should put specific health objectives to increase the incidence of breastfeeding and this is increasing around Lebanon. This is a must to overcome any barriers that cause a decrease in breastfeeding norms such as:

•Lack of knowledge about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding

•Absence of work facilities or policies that support lactating women ( for example: extended maternity leave, part time employment, facilities for pumping breast milk, child care on site set, etc.)

•Advertising bottle feeding

•Lack of breastfeeding support 

Therefore, to promote breastfeeding, every maternity facility, hospitals, health professionals and dietitians should follow ten steps recommended by the World Health Organization:

•Hospitals should develop written breastfeeding policies that are communicated to all health care staff.

•Allow rooming in once the baby is born; that is, mothers and babies should be together in the same room 24 hours a day.

•Facilities should train its staff to implement such policies.

•Pregnant women should be educated and informed about the importance of breastfeeding and how to manage it in a successful way.

•Breastfeeding should be initiated half an hour after delivery and staff in hospitals should highly recommend that.

•Demonstrate to mothers how to breastfeed and to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their children for medical reasons.

•Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

•Health care professionals should refrain from giving newborns any food or drink other than breast milk unless it is medically indicated.

•No artificial nipples or pacifiers should be given to breastfed newborns.

•Hospital staff should refer mothers to breastfeeding support groups or dietitians after being discharged.

Today, more than 20,000 maternity facilities worldwide report ever having achieved Baby-friendly status. So whether the hospital you deliver your baby in is baby-friendly or not, you know what the “Ten Baby-friendly Tips” are and yes, it is possible that you implement them yourself. Ask your doctor and the nurses helping for your own “baby-friendly” way. Go for breastfeeding for both you and your baby.

References:

Mom & infant photo

Test the Age of the Egg You're About to Have!

There are 2 ways in which you can know if the egg you're about to eat is fresh or old!

ONE 

Place the egg in an empty bowl and fill it up with cold/room temperature water such that it covers twice the egg's level.

>> A fresh egg will immediately sink to the bottom of the bowl
>> While an older egg would tend to float
Why? In a fresh egg, the air cells in it are very small, making the egg quite heavy compared to the water holding it. As for old eggs, more air enters the egg's shell as it ages. Therefore you could see that its curved end point touches the bottom of the bowl whereas its body points upwards. If this is the case, then the egg is fine to consume. However, if the egg you're experimenting on floats completely - no tip is touching the bottom of your bowl, well then, it's time to toss it out!

TWO

Bring that egg of yours and crack it on a plate!

>> A fresh egg with have thick cloudy colored whites, compacted firmly and close to a well leveled yolk
>> An older egg will have a less thicker & more transparent color for the whites with flat leveled yolks that could easily break

Why? Carbon dioxide (CO2) which makes egg whites cloudy and firm is present when the egg is freshly laid. As the egg loses its freshness with time, the CO2 escapes the shell thus egg whites become less thick, more transparent in color and tend to break easily from the yolk than fresh eggs would. 

So now you can experiment!

For many more cartoons, please visit Randy's site @ www.glasbergen.com.

What's It Like Gym-ing in Curves?

Curves is an international gym for women in which you can exercise for 30 minutes a day on both strength training & cardio machines. More people are talking about it around me so I decided to decipher this worldwide known gym!

Pro

Circuit demo of 13 strength training
& recovery stations for 30 mins

• The program starts with a pre-assessment test asking participants about their eating habits, in/active lifestyle, medical history, readiness and motives for seeking a healthier lifestyle
• Staff members take anthropometric measurements such as weight, height, body fat percentage, waist to hip ratio, etc. Then they calculate your BMI and compare the anthropometric measurements to "ideal" or healthy standards >> personalized coaching is definitely a plus! This way, the trainer will keep track of any body changes; you'll be followed up all the way!
• Exercising is by stations. As seen in the photo above, a circuit demo with 13 strength training machines with recovery stations in between. You spend 30 seconds on each station with 30 seconds recovery for 30 minutes total.
  >> The strength machines increase your heart rate such that you can burn 500 calories per a 30-minute session. You focus on both upper & lower muscles like your biceps, triceps, abs, hips, chest, hamstrings, etc.
  >> The recovery stations are placed in between exercising machines on which you can run, walk or jog in place to maintain your heart rate.
  Thus both stations provide you with interval training of muscle toning and cardio.
• Trainers work on motivating you in your 1st interview by asking you to repeat statements like "I am my own boss, I'm doing this for my own self, I am willing to exercise at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week." They also motivate you throughout your 30-minute workout.
• The music is new, lively and timed - asking you to change station every 30 seconds.
• The facility provides you with showers and lockers
• They offer you a 1st visit discount and discounts for students. This way you'll pay 32 $ per month instead of 50$.
• They have 7 different Locations in Lebanon and 10,000 locations in 85 countries so if you want to travel , there's actually a travel card you can take to enable you to keep on exercising worldwide.

Con

• To start with, the Zouk Mosbeh's location has a valet parking! Well that's fine, I mean if you don't want valet, you can park it yourself. But nope! That's not the case, there's no parking so you are bound to give it to the valet. So now, gyms have valets in Lebanon.
• The 30 minute rule is seriously strict. You can't exercise more. Now the recommendation is 60 minutes per day, so let's say you are that motivated and want to spend 30+ mins exercising, you can't actually do that! You might be short on time today but can exercise 2 hours tomorrow, like my case - Nopes!
  The 30 minutes could be considered an advantage especially if you're reluctant about exercising - it's a good strategy to at least start exercising and finish the whole 30 minutes - if you're not active at all. I mean one could say 30 minutes are achievable and reasonable to do per day and that's what could classify the "30 minutes" as pro as well
• In Curves' Zouk Mosbeh location, there were no dietitians and no trainers - Only students working as part time trainers. Now they are in fact trained to assess & motivate you, but I really think graduate trainers & dietitians are ought to do this! I have heard that other Curves facilities have trainers and dietitians, so they could be short on staff in this location.
• You can't enroll for one month only and renew if you like the gym/whenever you can. Memberships are by 4, 6 or 12 months only.
• They don't open on Sundays and open from 8 till 8!

So if you're thinking of joining a gym:

>> If you are self motivated, ready to commit and you want to exercise more than half an hour per session, almost all gyms have licensed and certified coaches while some even have dietitians. Get in contact with them before enrolling in your nearest gym and ask them if an exercise could be tailored specifically for you, with constant follow up!

>> If you need the push and the motivation but lack the commitment, Curves staff will make sure you finish the whole 30 minutes you're exercising with funky music & muscle strengthening along the side! 

References:

Curves banner photo

Demo circuit photo 

Big Forks Make You Eat Less?

You might be able to trick yourself into EATING LESS by using a BIGGER FORK, a new

Photo credit: Sustainable-path.com

study conducted by the Business school researchers at the University of Utah suggests (published in Journal of Consumer Research). 

The study aimed to find, in field study, whether there is a difference in intake between people provided 2 different sized forks:

• A larger fork that held 20 % more food than the fork usually used restaurants
• A smaller fork that held 20 % less than the usual utensil

Turns Out >> When eating out, people who used a large fork for bigger bites ate less than those who used a smaller utensil. The reason, the study authors suggested, is that people who eat out have a well-defined goal of satisfying their hunger. This makes them more willing to invest energy as well as resources to meet that goal, such as making menu selections, eating and paying the check.

 

    "The fork size provided the diners with a means to observe their goal progress. The physiological feedback of feeling full, or the satiation signal, comes with a time lag. In its absence, diners focus on the visual cue of whether they are making any dent on the food on their plate to assess goal progress." 

Note that these findings apply to restaurant customers only, not people eating at home who may not have the same goals of satiating their hunger as restaurant customers. Therefore, to avoid overeating, the researchers suggested that people are ought to learn to better recognize, understand & respond to their hunger and satiety cues rather than relying on perceived food portions or utensils sizes!

References:
Healthland.time.com

Study PDF

Fork photo 

It's About Time to Rethink the Food Label!

Nutrition facts label, the rectangular box of information outlining the calories, serving size, and percent daily values you see on the back of packaged food products, can be time consuming and does actually require you to be a pro - or at least to be a health fanatic - to bother yourself in reading them.

In fact, the food label has had the same format for 20 years now! Unfortunately, some foods in Lebanon still don't carry that health label grid you yearn to find when you turn the food package around looking for it! And when, at some point, you read it once or twice attempting to check whether what you are about to munch is healthy or not, you end up lost in what all those names and mathematical numbers and percentages really mean!

So because "confusion affects the way we eat", could a new label format help people in choosing healthier and more nutritious types of foods and thus alleviating the rising prevalence of obesity & associated chronic diseases like diabetes type 2, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases??

"We need clear, consistent, front-of-the-package labels that give people the information they've been asking for , in a format that they understand." , says Michelle Obama.

Sooo it's time to rethink the food label and thus the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of revising the nutritional facts label.

Click here to check ALL the new redesigns created by nutritionists and customers - by the people & for the people - who are aiming to change the old format to a better, more user-friendly one!

Even if you are not a health care professional or a dietitian, you're going to be reading this label on a food which you will be consuming! So go through them because there are more than 60 new designs & VOTE for what you think we need to better understand what that whole label is talking about!
* Results should be in by the 25th of July!

Rethink the Food Label Facebook Page

Rethink the Food Label Twitter Page

Vote for Your Favorite - most user friendly- Format
Peach label photo 

Skinny Drinks this Summer!

This summer time is full of concerts and partays! Fun summer times I bet, yet with hidden calories especially from drinks and beverages you may be having on daily basis.

Choosing the right drinks can help you reduce your total caloric intake, so WebMD divided drinks into 2 categories: Spoilers and Helpers and thus helping us decide what to drink and what not to when we’re watching our diets!

Soda VS Water

A can of soda can contain up to useless/non-nutritious 150 calories of sugar! You can definitely switch to diet versions of these fizzy drinks, yet research is still lost on whether this switch can actually help weight loss! While replacing soda with water can cut those calories, boost your metabolism and make you feel fuller for longer because of the distention it causes to your stomach!

Fruit VS Vegetable Juices – Well juice can have “healthy” written all over them. However, juice can have as many calories as soda (with more nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants to offer of course). So look for 100 % fruit juices (with extra fibery pulp) and mix them with water! However, with half the calories you get from fruit juices, vegetable juices like tomato for example offers you nutritious vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. At WebMD, they even compared that 1 cup of tomato juice has 41 cals while 1 orange juice cup contains 122 cals! Talk about cutting down your calories by more than half!

 

Smoothies VS Low fat milk– With their fruits: bananas, watermelon and strawberries can “seem” the healthy choice for your cocktail! Yea, well, not really. When you blend your own smoothie at home, whether you add alcohol or not, you can actually control the ingredients; whereas, in pubs and restaurants, smoothies can have enormously huge amount of calories especially that they could be done with honey, ice cream and lots of sugar. Go for skimmed milk when you ask for a smoothie or a cocktail containing milk. You can definitely control the content of your drink while enjoying it too!

Energy drinks VS Black Coffee - Energy drinks are “calorie bombs” like soda. Never mix your energy drinks with liquor like vodka for example, they have seriously opposite effects on your body leading to heart arrhythmia, chest pain and sweating! So when you need a shot of caffeine, coffee is a better choice than soda/energy drinks. Black coffee is calorie free and rich in antioxidants, so yea it is a much better choice than energy – useless- drinks.

Cocktails VS Beer - A shot of hard liquor has fewer calories than wine or wine coolers, but once you mix it with soda or cream, watch out for sky rock calories! A glass of white Russian made with light cream has 715 calories so a less fattening option is to mix rum or vodka with diet soda. As for light beer, well OK, so beer is not really going to help you lose weight per se but it’s always my first choice after diet soda! If you are in the mood for alcohol and you’re out with friends, a beer contains 150 cals while a light beer contains 100 cals so go for beer! 


Check here for more drinks and their caloric content!

References: WebMD

Summery cocktails by the beach photo

Bloody mary drink photo

Orangy cocktail photo 

Delightful Feast for Change

“It is certainly heating up in the city right now” is the first sentence in my new RPN – Restaurants, pubs and nightclubs - Guide to fabulous and great variety of restos in Lebanon, which I got last week in “Feast for Change” dinner on the 13^th of July which was hosted by the Lebanese Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night Clubs and Pastries in Lebanon.

Fresh veggies for
a delicious tabboule!

And yes, it is quite true that Lebanon is on the roll! Whether with concerts, parties, diners, pubs, night clubs and pastries.. these have become countless. And one can’t deny that restaurants standards are becoming better and better by the day! More customer care, more online presence and interaction, more food safety concerns, more investment in restaurants interior designing with solid identities and good music and better yet, more delicious variety of cuisines! This hospitality business has been taken to a higher level alright!

So, back to the “Feast of Change”, I must say, it was delicious! To start with, I had the chance to meet fabulous tweeps in addition to enjoying some seriously good food around an exquisite taste of music! 

Smokin' delicious grill station!

The “Feast for Change” was well organized, with different sections for foods with different cuisines and live cooking, desserts and drinks thus making filling up your plate quite easy – not so good for a dietitian I must admit! I started my journey with a delicious taboule from Leila’s and I accompanied it with some smokin’ delicious shrimps and mini burgers from the grilling station! This station was what I loved the most – healthy & delicious with prompt service! I also had myself a refreshing fresh watermelon drink – a drink I really needed especially with the hot, humid temperature in Sursok Palace, which could have used some mist fans by the way!

Sam's plate of sinful desserts

The richest section was the desserts! From Mich’s knefe, mafrouke, Micho’s cotton candy, to Sam’s delicious plate filled with Gou's macarons, marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate from the famous chocolate fountain to a wide icy range of ice creams, the desserts section was sinful!

Last but not least, what matters most after the joy and fun, is the whole point behind this event! It was a "Feast for" - I'm hoping some - "Change" aiming to protecting natural sites and old buildings in Lebanon (APSAD), so I am personally waiting to see how this event can, in fact, help to protect Lebanese old buildings and natural sites!!


Thanks Mohammad & the Syndicate for this pleasant invitation!

Get Yourself Enough Vitamin D

Lack of vitamin D has become quite the issue among the Lebanese community nowadays and I'm hearing lots of concerns of what foods provide you with your daily needs of this vitamin especially that this vitamin is associated with good, strong bone health!

Vitamin D insufficiency can result in thin and brittle bones and thus increasing the risk of rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Together with calcium, vitamin D helps protect from osteoporosis, modulates neuro-muscular function and reduces inflammation.

So where can you provide yourself with enough vitamin D?

Sunlight helps your body to make vitamin D. But because of the skin cancer risk, there are no official "sunlight" recommendations up till now. Therefore, exposing yourself to small amounts of sunlight - 15-20 minutes - could be helpful. Keep in mind that the sun is less likely to provide your daily needs at higher latitudes, in winter, if you're older or dark skinned. So with this scorching sun during summer in Lebanon, it is important to use sunscreen when you're spending the day at the beach! Saying "I'm getting my daily dose of vitamin D" is not actually a wise decision to take!

Fatty fish such as  salmon, trouts, mackarel, tuna, eel and canned tuna & sardines can provide with you with good amounts of vitamin D as well as heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids. 

Fortified milk/yogurt can be fortified with vitamin D >> the key is to read your nutrition facts label. And a good note to keep in mind is that ice creams, labne and cheeses are never fortified with vitamin D! On the other hand, some soy/rice milks can be fortified so yea, keep reading those food labels!

Egg yolks- the yellow part of an egg- is what contains the vitamin D you want. Therefore having boiled eggs can be a part of healthy diet when eaten in moderation, but make sure to adjust your cholesterol intake during your day because the American Heart Association recommends that you consume no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day, and just one egg contains 200 mg!

Vitamin D can also be found in fortified cereals, fortified orange juices and in beef liver. Though I personally don't recommend that you have your vitamin D from beef liver because it's super high in cholesterol - and no you don't need that much of cholesterol in your diet!

Supplements can provide you with your vitamin needs but it shouldn't be your first option, like most doctors in Lebanon advise you to go for! Supplements are surely needed if you have low levels of vitamin D and best thing about them is that you don't have to split your supplement doses. Just don't go buying supplements, consult your doctors ahead of time because vitamin D can be toxic in large amounts.

References: Health.com

Enjoying a day at the beach photo

Delicious salmon dish photo

Fortified cereals with fortified milk photo

New mommies: Puréed foods has been made super easy!

Weaning is all about getting your baby used to moving food around their mouth that is not liquid.  It will take time for your baby to perfect this new mouth action, so don’t worry if more food ends up on the floor, hands and clothes than in their mouth at the beginning! It’ll be messy but this is definitely your baby’s time to explore! When weaning, the best first foods to choose for your baby are puréed fruits and vegetables as well as non wheat cereals such as baby rice, which is hypoallergenic and thus has a low risk to promote food allergies. These are actually easy to prepare at home – fruits and vegetables are smooth when puréed and thus are of an "easy to swallow" consistency.  At first, offer few teaspoons (using a soft tipped spoon) once a day before a milk feed, and gradually increase the amount and frequency

Homemade purées
It’s easy to make purees and other foods for your baby and this way you know exactly what they are eating. You can make a variety of fruit and vegetable purees – try apple, pear, banana, mango, sweet potato, carrot, zucchini and more!  Some require the food to be cooked first (e.g. apple, carrot) but others require no cooking like bananas and mangos!


Method

• Wash, peel and chop the fruit or vegetable of choice.  If it needs to be cooked first, steam or boil it until it is soft but not overcooked. I honestly prefer all organic fruit and veggies for the family, especially the kids to minimize unhealthy pesticides and genetically modified components (which are not labeled yet, alas!) 

• Blend it in a liquidiser or mash if using soft fruits like banana

• Allow the food to cool if cooked and check its temperature before giving it to your baby.

To save time – make purees in batches and freeze them in covered ice cube trays.  Allow the puree to cool before freezing and then pop the frozen cubes into freezer bags.  This way, you have a smart, quick and ready supply of different purees to feed your baby 
When you reheat the puree, allow to defrost first and make sure that it is piping hot and allow it to cool before giving to your baby.  Do not reheat foods for your baby more than once and discard any uneaten food. For purees that do not need to be heated (e.g. fruit purees), make sure it is fully defrosted before feeding to your baby. Heating baby food in the microwave is not recommended due to uneven distribution of heat. Therefore, warm baby’s meal in a bain-marie and when choosing to use the microwave, stir well in order to equally spread the heat!

So for all new mommies out there, puréed foods has been made super easy!

Reference: British Nutrition Foundation, messy baby photo, pureed peas photo,

Can Diet Soft Drinks Increase Weight?

Not only is regular soda crappy but we have more bad news for diet soda drinkers: Other than the fact that aspartame or artificial sweeteners are always bombarded due to their unhealthy detrimental side effects, data presented recently at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) that diet drinks may actually contribute to weight gain and that the artificial sweeteners in them could potentially contribute Type 2 diabetes!

The study conducted in San Antonio aimed to track any association between diet soda drinking and body fat by following participants up for 10 consecutive years.

So what actually happened?

Diet soda drinkers’ waist lines expanded 70 % more than non drinkers over those 10 years. More interestingly, among frequent diet soda drinkers, those who tended to consume 2  or more diet sodas/day >> waistline growth was 500% greater!

Note that excess weight, especially that around your belly, is a risk factor for many diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
 

Why?

The brain is actually wired to expect a big load of calories when foods taste sweet or fatty. But when you decide to consume diet foods, this confuses the brain because your body hasn't received any of the energy it expected! Therefore, using artificial sweeteners, may lead to even more eating and weight gain, perhaps in part because it triggers the body to start storing more calories as fat! Your brain and body are both deceived by the taste your tongue senses, and when they realized they've been hoaxed and no energy was in fact consumed, they turn on their fat storage mode! Not good news for us!

Another reason is psychological. When people have their diet soft drink, it becomes a free pass to indulge in fatty/greasy/sugary/salty foods

So maybe, just maybeee, your diet soft drink is not serving you well?
Reference: Healthland.time.com

Healthy Weight during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the time to gain weight; however, women should not use this time as an excuse to eat more than is necessary. The amount of food a woman needs during pregnancy depends on many factors such as your body mass index before pregnancy, the rate at which you gain weight, age and appetite. All pregnant women should eat a variety of nutrient rich foods every day and may also need to take a vitamin and mineral supplement if recommended by your doctor.

Many women start off pregnancy by being overweight or obese or many may gain weight in amounts more than is healthy during their pregnancy. Risks of problems during pregnancy and delivery are lowest when weight gain is kept within a healthy range and thus obesity during pregnancy is risky for both mother and child.

Weight Gain Guidelines

The latest weight gain guidelines by the Institute of Medicine are based on a women’s BMI before pregnancy. Your body mass index (BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height. It is an accurate way of telling whether your weight is within a healthy range. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height² (meaning height x height) in meters.

The amount of weight you should gain depends on what category your pre-pregnancy BMI lands in:

Pre-pregnancy BMI	BMI	Total weight gain	Rates of weight gain 2nd and 3rd trimester (average range/week)
Underweight	Less than 18.5	13 - 18 kg	0.5 - 0.6 kg
Normal weight	18.5 to 24.9	11 - 16 kg	0.4 - 0.5 kg
Overweight	25 to 29.9	7 - 11 kg	0.2 - 0.3 kg
Obese	30 or more	5 - 9 kg	0.2 - 0.3 kg

The overall weight gain will be divided among:

• At birth, a baby weighs about 3.3kg
• While the rest of the weight could account for the placenta, amniotic fluid and various body changes such as increasing the uterus muscle layer, increasing your blood volume, extra fluids and 3-4 kg of fat storage needed for energy during breastfeeding.

Now if you are pregnant with twins, eating right and gaining the recommended amount of weight is even more important especially that there is a higher risk of preterm labor and low birth weight in a multiples pregnancy. Weight gain is especially important between weeks 20 to 24 of pregnancy. If a mother of twins gains 11 kg by the 24th week of pregnancy she reduces her chance of preterm labor. Early weight gain is also vital for the development of the placenta which aids in the passing of nutrients to the babies.

Most women who are carrying twins are encouraged to gain 16 to 18 kg and women carrying triplets are advised to gain 22 to 27 kg. At this time there is not enough information on quadruplets and quintuplets to suggest any guidelines. Because opinions vary, it is important to discuss your specific weight gain with your healthcare provider who will be most familiar with you specific healthcare needs.

What if moms-to-be are overweight?

If you had a high BMI before you conceived you should try to limit the amount of weight you put on. Putting on a lot more weight is not good for you or your baby. It may increase your risk of complications during your pregnancy and labor. These complications could include:

• Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Gestational diabetes
• Back pain
• Extra strain on your heart
• Having a big baby(NCCWCH 2008b:34)
• Cesarean delivery
• Birth defects

However, don’t think that dieting during pregnancy is the key. It won't reduce your chances of developing high blood pressure. It's also unlikely to affect your risk of pre-eclampsia, which is related to blood pressure.  Instead, have yourself and your baby a healthy diet and gain just the right amount of “healthy” weight! Cut out snacks that are high in fat and sugar, such as chips, biscuits, cakes, sweets and ice cream, and replace them with more nutritious snacks such as fresh fruit, wholegrain cornflakes or grain, low fat dairy products (cheese, milk and yogurt) or a handful of dried fruit or unsalted non roasted nuts.

What if moms-to-be are underweight?

If you are underweight pre-pregnancy, you may be more likely to have a premature of low birth weight baby. Babies who are born early and small sometimes need extra care when they are born. (NCCWCH 2008)

Your baby is not a parasite, it will not feed off your own stores and thus your body will provide you with nutrients before your baby, who will only get what’s left. This is why it is crucial to have a balanced diet filled with plenty of nutrient rich food, in addition to a multivitamin/mineral prescribed by your health care provider. Keep in mind that the more variety there is in your diet, the less likely you are to go short on any necessary nutrient.

Calorie Intake

In general, pregnant women need between 2000 calories and 2900 calories a day, but of course the exact calorie amount should be assessed with the help of a dietitian. A gradual increase of calories as the baby grows is the best strategy to go around this. Here is an overview of how calorie needs change during each trimester:

• The first trimester does not require any extra calories.
• The second trimester requires an added 347 calories a day.
• The third trimester requires 452 calories more a day. 

So you see, you don’t really need huge amounts of calories if you are pregnant (not the eat for 2 theory) so avoid extra calories by cutting down on sugary and fatty foods. Replace regular soda, sweets and fried foods with healthy options like low fat milk, whole fruit and whole grains!