Nutrition, Uncomplicated

1. Nutrition, Uncomplicated By Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN

2. Objectives At the end of the presentation, attendees will: • Understand why nutrition is key to quality of life and long term vitality • Discover how food manufacturers and restaurants manipulate the consumer • Learn a few simple nutrition guidelines applicable to daily life • Identify several ways to blend convenience and good nutrition • Find easy, healthy strategies to enjoy restaurant food without guilt

3. Nutrition: Who Knew it Would Sell? • Before the 1990s, nutrition and healthy food about as popular as a floppy disk is today • Common perception: Taste Convenience Value Practicality Nutrition Good Health

4. Nutrition: Who Knew it Would Sell? • The new model One Big Happy Family

5. Nutrition: Who Knew It Would Sell? • Consumers recognize its importance • Helps prevent/treat obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, CVD, ED, digestive problems, several kinds of cancer, osteoporosis, acid reflux, eye health concerns, kidney disease • May even help with chronic pain, skin disorders, women’s health concerns, auto-immune conditions (such as MS and RA), brain health • If implemented well, minimizes need for additional medical care, prescriptions, time lost from work, and associated costs, and maximizes long term functionality, strength, and endurance

6. Nutrition: It Sells Very Well, Indeed • Food manufacturers realize nutrition sells • Adding fiber to candy bars

7. Nutrition: It Sells Very Well, Indeed • Add whole grains and fiber to high-sugar cereals containing petro-chemicals marketed to children Ingredients: Sugar, corn flour blend (whole grain yellow corn flour, degerminated yellow corn flour), wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, oat fiber, soluble corn fiber, contains 2% or less of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed), salt, red 40, natural flavor, blue 2, turmeric color, yellow 6, annatto color, blue 1, BHT for freshness.

8. Nutrition: 2014 • Time to clear the confusion • Time to refocus on the right details • Time to restore the flavor-health marriage • Time to simplify guidelines of good nutrition • Despite popular books, guidelines are not • Shop the perimeter --- a lot of unhealthy food here • Avoid cans/bags/boxes --- many good options here • Only eat what your grandmother would recognize --- my grandmother never ate black beans or tofu • Only eat foods with max. 5 ingredients with names you can pronounce --- what are kamut and quinoa anyway?

9. Good Nutrition Guidelines • Six Guidelines to Nutrition, Uncomplicated • Calories vs what’s on your plate • 1500 calories vs 1500 calories • Don’t drink your calories! • Eat mostly unprocessed and home-cooked • Minimize fried, red meat and processed foods • Add your own stuff (salt, sugar, oil, etc) • As long as it’s not swimming in it! • Eat >5 servings/d fruits & veggies, maximize colors (not Red 40 and Blue 2) • Eat beans (black, pinto, navy, etc) >2-3x/wk

10. Balance Your Plate

11. Flavor and Healthare Getting Married! • No law against good flavor • Fats and oils • Salt and sugar • Spices and herbs • Instead of another night of pre-cooked, over-salted, frozen chicken strips over another boring salad • Mango Curry with Lime Juice, Bell Peppers and Broccoli • Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas • Butternut Squash Soup with Apples and Coconut Milk • Spicy Red Lentil Soup w/Serrano Chiles, Ginger and Cumin • Grilled Plantain and Pears with Chocolate Drizzle • What about Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers?

12. Guess what? Convenience and Time are Hookin’ Up! • Good nutrition is an investment which has a good chance to pay huge returns • Some investments in time form, but not huge • Even though home-cooking is key, for most people cooking every day is unnecessary • Schedule time to cook at least weekly • Make more than you/your family can possibly eat • Divide into individual servings and freeze (w/label) • Healthy eater’s best friend: stand-alone freezer • Can do same with fruit with short seasons (berries) • Buy more than you can use, and freeze in ziplocks

13. Good Nutrition When Someone Else is Cookin’ • Almost no restaurant serves a balanced plate • Starch (cheap) and protein overloaded (demanded) • You have to balance plate yourself • Replace burger + fries with burger + HUGE salad • Yes, dressing is OK, as long as it’s not swimming! • Ask “what veggies come with that?” • Iceberg lettuce and applesauce don’t count • Shrink the carbs/protein, expand the veggies • If plate remains unbalanced, eat half or share • Can always bring something from home to supplement food purchased out

14. What about ….. Subway? • Notice no advertising of Jared with foot-longs • Only 8 / 23 sandwiches meet their guidelines • Their guidelines only reference fat and calories • They’re forgetting the …..sodium! • What’s wrong with this picture?

15. What about…..Supplements? • Vitamins and minerals originate in food • Food is the best and primary source • Thinking about a vit supplement because you don’t eat healthy? Then … eat better! • Most people will get everything they need from a well-balanced plate cooked at home • If specific deficiency, then food remains the best answer, unless it’s unavailable, indigestible or unusable, or deficiency is severe

16. Wrap It Up! • When it comes to food, technology/carryout not the best answer • Whole and unprocessed as much as possible • You buy it, you cook it, you add your sauce, condiments, salt and sugar, you freeze it for later use • You’re the CEO of your health---take charge! • Check out my webinars! • Thank you! • Questions?