The Food Stamp Challenge

As detailed by the California Department of Social Services, food stamp usage has increased dramatically in recent years (see graph below from January of 2003 to April 2003 in California). About 7 years ago, I distinctly remember my Public Health Nutrition professor predicting this trend "Food stamps are a barometer of the economy; 'unemployment' statistics only indicate the people who are receiving unemployment benefits. Food stamps usage indicate the number of people who are struggling with food insecurity."

To give students some sense of what it may feel like to deal with food insecurity, the GW Office of Community Service issued the "Food Stamp Challenge." The details of the challenge read as follows:

"The average person living on food stamps receives $28.75 per week. Could you live on that? The Office of Community Service challenges YOU, the GW community, to experience what it is like to live on food stamps throughout Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 16-21.

You must limit you meal to what can be purchased with $4.11 a day or 28.75 per week and/or what you can secure for free."

Students who participated in the challenge echoed a lot of the same complaints "fruits and vegetables are possible to include on this budget; I had to live off of pasta and Ramen."

In light of these challenges, I attempted to make my own plan, while staying true to the challenge guidelines. I spent within the $28.75 allotted for the week and obtained prices from a food delivery service, operated by a local grocery store in Washington, DC. The associated meal plans provide about 1780 kcal, 100g protein, 295g carbohydrate, 35g fiber, 40g fat (4% of total kcal from saturated fats), and contain about 5 servings of fruits and vegetables on average (including beans). There are only 3 days presented here, but each day could be repeated (total of 6 days covered) with extra food to cover the final day. If benefits are dispersed monthly, more dietary variety can be integrated day to day because a greater variety of foods could be purchased at one time.

See the grocery list and meal plans here.

Living on food stamps is no small feat. In order to create healthy and adequate meals, more time must be taken to prepare foods and plan meals. Further, cooking and nutrition knowledge is a barrier to creating cheap, healthy meals. Though my plans met national dietary guidelines for macronutrient distribution (AMDR; the amount of proteins, carbohydrates and fats that should be in one's diet) and daily fiber intake, Vitamin E was critically deficient (only 40% of the RDA for the first day of the meal plan).

Exercise Activity Log

I was perusing around the internet for an activity log to show one of my nutrition classes today. I was a little disappointed by the options. Some logs are great for people who are just starting to exercise, but it's difficult to find a log for the advanced exerciser who may be using ACSM or NSCA general guidelines (rather than accumulating "x" number of minute/steps per day). On this log, I left out stretching, since static stretching is a bit controversial. I also didn't include warm-up or cool down components, but it is important to do both. I had a bit of trouble making a log that isn't overly complicated, but also has room for specific exercise/reps/sets. Please comment if you have any suggestions for modifications to this log or know of another good exercise log for the advanced exerciser!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ACTIVITY LOG IN PDF FORM!

Fill Up on Fiber—Fight Fat?

Taking in loads of dietary fibers, which are found in natural foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grain cereals reduces the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.¹ As an added bonus, epidemiologic studies provide evidence that high dietary fiber intake prevents obesity and is inversely related to body weight. For instance, one study of 2909 participants (CARDIA) looked at the relationship between dietary fiber intake and weight gain over ten years.¹ Participants with fiber intakes in the highest 1/5 of the study group had body weights that were significantly lower than those in the lowest 1/5 of fiber intake. Liu et al.² used data from The Nurses Health Study, a study of 74,091 nurses over time, to show that women who increased dietary fiber the most gained about 3.3lb fewer pounds than women with the smallest fiber increase over 12 years. Increasing dietary fiber intake may allow an individual to maintain his or her weight over time.

In 2009, Tucker and Thomas reported the effect of women’s dietary fiber intake on weight gain and fat gain over 20 months, while controlling for factors like age, body weight, fat intake, energy intake and physical activity³. The women were asked to keep a 7–day weighed food record at the beginning of the study and after 20 weeks. The investigators determined that for every 1g decrease of dietary fiber intake (per 1000 kcal) per day, the women gained about 0.5lb (P=0.0061) and increased their body fat by about 0.25% (P=0.0052). On the other hand for every 1g (per 1000 kcal) of increased fiber consumption, the women lost about 0.5lb. When the weight changes were analyzed while controlling for overall energy intake, the association between a decrease in fiber intake and weight gain weakened, but was still significant. The change in body fat % was not ssignificant after controlling for overall energy intake.

Lean and Obese People

The modulation of weight by fiber intake may be dependent upon the initial size of participants. In the 12 year evaluation of the Nurses Health Study, as conducted by Liu et al.², a 14g daily increase of daily fiber intake was associated with a reduction in weight gain of about 7.7lb over 12 years, on average. If the women were overweight at baseline, the reduction of weight gain was greater than in participants who were lean to begin with. In essence, high fiber intake may protect overweight participants from becoming obese. In fact, the risk of developing obesity was decreased by 50% for the women who increased their fiber intake to the highest 1/5 of the group.

In an analysis of 12 intervention studies Howarth et al.⁴ reported that an increase in dietary fiber intake of 14g/day is associated with a 4.2lb weight loss over 3.8 months. Furthermore, participants that were initially obese benefited from weight loss that was three times that of lean participants. These studies suggest that increasing dietary fiber, in addition to emphasis on Calorie intake and macronutrient composition may be very important an overweight or obese person tried to lose weight. Also, feeding kids a diet with sufficient dietary fiber may help to prevent excessive weight gain.^5,6

Functional (Supplemental) Vs. Dietary Fibers

Though fiber supplements are marketed as a healthful addition to weight-loss diets, does the evidence support that fiber supplements will yield the same benefits observed for long-term dietary fiber intake? Unfortunately, the research has not been thorough enough to examine whether fiber supplements are as good as mixed dietary sources of fiber. And as research of fiber intake and LDL lipids ("bad" cholesterol) has suggested, different sources of dietary fiber have differential effects in the human body.⁶ Therefore, the association between each type of supplemental fiber and weight loss would have to be examined before definitive conclusions may be made about fiber supplement and weight loss. On the other hand, some reviews suggestthat fiber supplement in the amount of 6-7g/day may aid weight loss efforts in combination with a hypocaloric diet.^7,8

How Does Fiber Work?

Many mechanisms have been suggested for how dietary fiber aids in weight management, including promoting satiation, decreasing absorption of calories, and altering secretion of gastrointestinal hormones, including ghrelin and CCK. Some researcher think that fiber helps with weight loss mostly through energy displacement (fiber bulk replaces foods with more calories in the diet), since the impacts of fiber intake on weight loss are much less when energy intake is controlled for statistically.

Conclusion

There is convincing evidence to suggest that increasing dietary fiber will reduce overall energy intake and promote weight loss or weight maintenance in overweight and obese individuals. Some studies show greater weight loss for people who receive a fiber supplement in combination with a low calorie diet^7,8—the bulk of added fiber may make it easier for someone to follow a lower Calorie diet plan. The best approach is probably to eat a diet high in natural fibers from primarily fruits, vegetable, legumes and whole grains and maybe add a daily fiber supplement in the amount of 7-14g/day. Experimentally, oat bran, inulin, psyllium and guar gum may be good supplemental fiber choices.

References

1. Ludwig DS, Pereira MA, Kroenke CH, Hilner JE, Van Horn L, Slattery ML, Jacobs DR Jr. Dietary fiber, weight gain and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults. JAMA. 1999;282:1539-1546.
2. Liu S, Willet WC, Manson JE, Hu FB, Rosner B, Colditz G. Relation between changes in intakes of dietary fiber and grain products and changes in weight and development of obesity among middle aged women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78:920-927.
3. Tucker & Thomas. Increasing Total Fiber Intake Reduces Risk of Weight and Fat Gains in Women. J Nutrition, 2009; 139:1-6.
4. Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev 2001;59:129-139.
5. Kimm SY. The role of dietary fiber in the development and treatment of childhood obesity. Pediatrics, 1995;96:1010-1014.
6. Erkkilä AT & Lichtenstein AH. Fiber and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: How Strong Is the Evidence? The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 2006;21:3-8.
7. Editorial. Dietary Fiber and Control of Body Weight. Nutrition Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 2007;17:1-5.
8. Slavin JL. Dietary fiber and body weight. Nutrition, 2005;21:411-418.

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Healthy 5 Cheese and Sausage Pizza

This pizza is rich and delicious! If you don’t use the word “healthy” when serving this dish, your guest (or family) will never know. To limit the sodium content, prepare your own pizza crust and sauce—this could reduce the sodium per slice by 200-500mg per serving, depending on the dough and sauce recipes. Enjoy!

1 uncooked whole wheat pizza crust (like Trader Joes; about )

½ cup crumbled/broken soft goat cheese

1 cup pizza sauce (homemade or canned)

¼ cup chopped tarragon leaves (or basil or oregano)

2 links reduced fat chicken sausage (like Trader Joes Tomato-Basil), cut in to slices

1 cup (about 4oz) shredded 2% mozzarella or 4-cheese Italian blend

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 450^o F (232^o C)

1. Allow pizza dough to stand to 30 minutes

2. Knead dough into an elastic ball (flour surface with whole wheat flour, if needed)--allow to rest for 3-5 minutes

3. Toss or roll out dough, so that it fits roughly on a 15 X 12” cookie sheet; allow to rest for 2 minutes

4. After waiting, sprinkle goat cheese evenly on top of the dough and press the cheese into the dough and spread the dough to the edges of the cookie sheet

5. Pour sauce evenly over the dough and smooth with the back end of a spoon.

6. Sprinkle the tarragon evenly over the sauce

7. Place the sausage slices evenly over the pizza

8. Sprinkle shredded 2% mozzarella evenly on top

9. Add to oven; cook for 12-15 minutes, until the edge of the crust is crisp and brown(er)—use oven light for viewing

10. If the cheese is not browned when the crust is crisp and brown, turn the broiler on high and broil for 1-2 until cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly (do not walk away from the pizza while it is broiling)

11. Allow pizza to rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 6 even slices with sharp pizza cutter

Serves 6

Nutrition (for 1/6 of recipe): 330 Calories, 11g fat, 850mg sodium, 41g carbohydrates, 5.5g fiber, 16.5g protein, 345mg calcium, 430mg potassium

Dr. Jean Gutierrez currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at The George Washington University. You may contact her directly at escjlj@gwumc.edu

Protein with a Purpose: Powerful Nutrition for All Exercisers

The protein needs of athletes is a common point of disagreement among nutrition professionals. In response, many established researchers have investigated this question in controlled clinical trials. A summary of the evidence presented by the the National Diary Council (NDC) in a whey protein booklet highlights the importance of high-quality protein for exercisers, older people and individuals on a reduced-energy diet. The article references a recent position of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and the Dietitians of Canada (DC) where exercise nutrition authorities agree that regular exercisers may benefit a protein intake that is up to two times greater than the American RDA (0.8g/kg or 0.36g/lb).

Skeletal muscle is degraded by both endurance and strength exercises. Intuitively, it seems that athletes of both kinds, for example runners and powerlifters, may need extra protein to compensate for the demands of exercise-- a lot of research supports this notion. After endurance or resistance training, the exerciser may require a protein intake that is up to two times the RDA value to maximize skeletal muscle mass and achieve peak performance. The following are the protein recommendations (in grams of protein per each lb or kg of body weight) that may be appropriate for different types of exercisers:

A recreational exerciser: 0.5-0.7 g/lb (1.1-1.54g/kg)

An endurance athlete: 0.5-0.8 g/lb (1.1-1.76g/kg)

A strength training athlete: 0.5-0.8 g/lb (1.1-1.76g/kg)

An athlete restricting calories: 0.8-0.9 g/lb (1.76g/kg-1.98g/kg)

For example, the RDA for a 180 pound strength-trained athletes is about 65g/day. A dietary protein intake of 65g/day may be acheived by eating about 8 oz of boneless/skinless chicken breast, for example. On the other hand, both endurance and strength athletes weighting about 180 lb (~82 kg) may require between 90g/day and 144g/day of daily protein. The 90g/day to 144g/day protein recommendation may be met by eating between 11 oz and 18 oz of chicken breast or about four to seven 1-oz scoops of whey protein. In order to maintain skeletal muscle, up to 0.9g of protein per pound of body weight may be beneficial for an athletic individual consuming a reduced-calorie diet. Given that gymnasts, rowers, wrestlers, bodybuilders, powerlifters often utilize lower-calorie meal plans, a higher protein diet may be valuable for these individuals.

Though protein is recognized for its role in maintaining and repairing skeletal muscle tissue,some amino acids may also influence metabolic processes. For example, research performed by DK Layman and his colleagues demonstrates that the essential branched chain amino acid leucine, plentiful in whey protein, signals structural protein synthesis. Leucine appears to “turn on” the muscle-building machinery in the body, in addition fueling muscle during exercise and serving as a structural component of muscle.

The overall amount of protein is important, but the quality of dietary protein is also of consequence. High-quality or “complete” dietarty proteins are usually extracted from animal sources. Most vegetable proteins, like those coming from beans, grains and nuts, do not contain all of the needed parts and must be carefully “complemented” to be complete. Furthermore, plant proteins are generally low in signaling proteins, like leucine. If you are a vegetarian, soy is a good source of plant-based protein. Also, this chart is a helpful guide for meal-planning with the use of complementary proteins.

In conclusion, both competitive and recreational exercisers may benefit from dietary protein intake that is up to two times greater than the RDA. High quality dietary proteins include lean meat, low-fat dairy, poultry, eggs and whey powder.

Dr. Jean Gutierrez currently serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at The George Washington University. You may contact her directly at escjlj@gwumc.edu