NEW COOKBOOK GIVES PASSOVER RECIPES A HEALTHY TWIST
 
Those who have special dietary needs or are just interested in enjoying Passover in a more healthy way can find innovative and delicious recipes in a new book, “Passover the Healthy Way,” by Bonnie R. Giller, a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) certified by the New York State Education Department as a Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN).
 
Giller says she wrote the book after hearing common concerns from clients regarding popular Passover foods, including lack of variety, complicated recipes, unhealthy ingredients and resulting weight gain.
 
“With proper planning and recipe modification, your Passover recipes can be low in fat and healthy,” said Giller. She has compiled more than a hundred taste-tested Kosher recipes that may limit or substitute ingredients to make them healthier. Each recipe has the “exchanges per serving” listed. The figures used to calculate the exchanges are based on the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association Exchange Lists for Meal Planning. Nutritional information was calculated using professional nutritional software programming.
 
“I am committed to improving the health of individuals through positive lifestyle changes and healthier eating habits,” Giller said. “Enjoying Passover in a healthy way doesn’t mean you have to compromise the foods and traditions you love.”
 
Passover is a holiday brimming with tradition that celebrates the Jewish people’s emancipation from slavery during the Pharaoh’s rule in Egypt. It serves as a remembrance of the hardships endured while in captivity.
 
Despite being a commemoration of freedom from slavery and backbreaking work, many individuals celebrating the holiday find they become servants to the foods prepared for the traditional Passover seder – spending hours in the kitchen cooking recipes that can be high in fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium.
 
“From a nutrition standpoint, Passover is an extremely difficult holiday,” said Dr. Tamar Schwalb, M.D. “Many people I speak with diet the weeks before the holiday in anticipation of the inevitable 5 to 7 pound weight gain they will incur over the eight-day Passover holiday. ‘Passover weight gain’ is usually due to the consumption of an inordinate amount of eggs, potatoes, and some form of matzoh, which serve as the basis for the traditional Passover recipes.”
 
“Bonnie’s cookbook provides those of us who are health and weight conscious with delicious healthy alternatives to the standard Passover fare. As both a mom and a physician, I am always conscious of preparing nutritious meals that my kids will love,” continued Dr. Schwalb.
 
“Passover the Healthy Way” is available at www.passoverthehealthyway.com and from online retailers nationwide. Visit www.brghealth.com to learn more about Bonnie R. Giller and the services available at BRG Dietetics & Nutrition, P.C.
 
 
Bonnie Giller is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and is certified by the New York State Education Department as a Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN).  Bonnie operates a successful private practice in beautiful Long Island, New York.  Since 1987, Bonnie has helped thousands of individuals achieve their nutrition and fitness goals.  Bonnie is committed to improving the health of individuals through positive lifestyle changes and healthier eating habits.
 
As a registered and certified dietitian, Bonnie provides Medical Nutrition Therapy to individuals seeking aid in the management of many medical conditions. In addition, Bonnie is a Certified Diabetes Educator (C.D.E.), helping individuals with diabetes understand their complex medical condition, stabilize their blood glucose levels and learn proper meal planning techniques. Bonnie is also Certified in Family & Consumer Sciences, with her focus being nutrition education for the entire family.
 
Bonnie is the author of “Recipes to Remember: Heart Healthy Can Be Delicious,” a cookbook with 200 recipes that your heart will love.
 
Bonnie is married and lives in Long Island, N.Y. with her husband and four children.

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Sample recipe from Bonnie:

Matzoh Stuffed Chicken Cutlets

 Serves: 10

 10 (5 oz.) boneless chicken breasts

 Stuffing:

 1⁄2 teaspoon olive oil

1⁄2 cup chopped onion

5 whole wheat matzoh boards, finely broken

1⁄2 cup medium dry Concord wine

1⁄2 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 egg white

1⁄2 tablespoon paprika

1⁄4 teaspoon pepper

 Sauce:

 1⁄3 cup low fat mayonnaise

2 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon honey

 1. Sauté onion in olive oil until tender, but not browned.

 2. Add broken matzohs and toast lightly.

 3. Combine wine, egg white, seasonings, and chicken broth to matzoh mixture.

 4. Mix well until matzoh is soft and mixture is heated through.

 5. Take ¼ cup of stuffing, place in the middle of the chicken cutlets and roll. Secure with a toothpick, if needed.

 6. Combine mayonnaise, ketchup, and honey in a bowl. Mix well. Spread on top of chicken cutlet rolls.

 7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

 Serving Size: 1 (4 oz.) stuffed chicken cutlet

 Exchanges per Serving: 4 Meat, 1 Starch, ½ Fat

Calories: 266 Cholesterol: 83 mg Total Fat: 4.5 gm

Protein: 36 gm Saturated Fat: 1 gm Carbohydrate: 17 gm

Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm Dietary Fiber: 2 gm

Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5 gm Sodium: 198 mg

Clients have asked for information on intuitive eating, or mindful eating. I enjoy referring people to Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD.  View her work and let me know what you think.

A pendulum moves deliberately.  Thoughtfully.  Mindfully. 

A yo-yo?  Not so much.  It’s either all the way up or all the way down.  (Unless you are a master at manipulating a yo-yo.)

Take this example and apply it to the food you eat.  Try to view eating more like a smooth pendulum.  Pendulum eaters, or mindful eaters, are in charge–not just in control–and they are fully aware of the eating event.

Another component of eating mindfully: withhold judgment.  No need to grade something as “good” or “bad.”  Eat what you want when you want it.  Focus on true physical hunger, and honor that hunger with real food.  You’ll eat less and feel better.

Learn more at The Center for Mindful Eating and at eMindful.

Unclear about dairy?

Fact or Fiction: If you’re sensitive to lactose you should avoid milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products.

Indeed, this is fiction. Most people can tolerate dairy–even people with lactose intolerance can enjoy up to a full cup of milk.  If regular milk is troublesome, you can always buy Lactaid milk, which has the milk sugar (lactose) pre-digested.  Try 1/4 of a cup and then work your way up. Also consume dairy with other foods.

When it’s cold outside and not much going on, some of my clients tell me how bored they feel–or lonely, anxious, depressed–and the one thing that comforts, the one constant, is food.  Especially sweets.  I usually explain that turning to food must serve some purpose, and I ask about the perceived purpose and the resulting impact.  How do you feel during the eating episode?  Then what about after?  Always the sequence of responses:  great/dizzy/occupied then guilty/stressed/anxious. 

The cure? Eat, and repeat. 

But we know this doesn’t work because it leads to binge eating (either a subjective or an objective binge), and when the episode is over the client feels worse–not better.  The very thing/feeling that made her or him eat in the first place is still there.  The boredom or the anxiety or the loneliness or the depression never went anywhere.  It was masked for a moment.  I encourage clients to explore this with me and/or with a psychotherapist, if appropriate.

Geneen Roth wrote recently (Good Houkeeping magazine, July 2009): “After having devoted a lot of my life to being anxious about things that never came to pass, I’ve finally realized that worrying is like sitting in a rocking chair all day and thinking you’re actually going somewhere.”  Geneen’s solution, which I adore: “[Notice], on a daily basis, everything that you don’t have to worry about. Everything that is already fine, vibrant, thriving.”

To close, as I tell my clients, when thinking of reaching for food, first identify if it’s from physiological hunger or from emotional hunger.  Then proceed accordingly. 

Flat Belly Diet! for Men is going to be on the New York Times bestseller list next week and has made Amazon’s top 100 for “nutrition”, “weight loss”, & “weight maintenance.”

Just wanted to let you know about a professional development opportunity. 

eMindful will be hosting a 10-month Certificate Program entitled Mindful Eating for Health Care Professionals. The program will feature two teachers from Duke Integrative Medicine: Dr. Ruth Wolever and Jennifer Davis, M.S., L.P.C. Jennifer provides health psychology services for multiple programs at the Duke Center for Living, including Duke Executive Health Program, Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs, and the Getting on Track Weight Management Program.  Ruth Wolever, Ph.D., is a clinical health psychologist and Director of Research for Duke Integrative Medicine, and has been a principal investigator in NIH-funded Mindful Eating research for the past 10 years.

The course meets monthly for 10 months inside eMindful’s live, interactive, online classroom where both teachers and students can see, hear, and interact with each other.  21 (possibly 24) continuing education credit hours are available and a Certification of Completion will be provided at the conclusion of the program.  Course outline is available.

Based on the outline and my interaction with another RD who has participated in the training previously, I think it will be good.  Also, they are offering a discount when I refer people.  You just use code “CTRD“.  The full program is regularly priced at $550, but if you use the discount code, you may attend at the reduced price of $299.  If you don’t wish to make the 10-month commitment, you may take any of the individual classes at a discounted rate of $39… just use the discount code “CTRD” to receive a reduction from the regular $89 per class price.
 
Lastly, this program grants me $25 for every person who signs up using the CTRD code.  I will donate all of that money to the American Dietetic Association Foundation scholarship fund.  (I shared this message with some of my Connecticut colleagues on 1/7/10 and informed them that all donations will go to CDA’s scholarship fund.)
 
Looking forward to your thoughts.
 
Sincerely,
Milton
 
PS Share with anyone you wish: physicians, nurses, and other dietitians/DTRs in your network.  

The Indian Vegan Kitchen Recipe

Bean Burgers

Madhu's Bean Burger Recipe

(Dal-Vada Burger)

Prep Time:       10        Minutes           Cook Time:     15        Minutes

Makes 4; serving is 1.

Sandwiches are an easy way to enjoy a meal without a plate. Although not traditional Indian food, sandwiches are enjoyed by everyone today. If you like veggie burgers made with beans, you’ll love these. This is my version of a bean burger that is easy to make and fun to eat.

1 can (16-ounces) Chickpeas

1/4 cup scallions with greens, finely chopped

1/2 cup carrots, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons ginger, grated

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons green chilies, finely chopped, to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

4 tomato slices, garnish

4 onion slices, garnish

   Cilantro chutney (optional)

   Tomato ketchup (optional)

1. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas. In a food processor grind the beans until smooth.
2. In a medium mixing bowl add ground beans, scallions, carrots, ginger, salt, green chilies, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, cilantro, and bread crumbs. Mix well.
3. Oil your palms and make 4 patties. Set aside.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium high heat in a large skillet. Add patties and grill for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until golden brown. (If needed, add a little more oil to help brown the patties.)
5. In the meantime lightly oil the buns and grill in a fry pan or a griddle until light brown. 
6. Place a patty on the bottom half of bun, top with tomatoes, onions, cilantro chutney, and tomato ketchup, as desired.

Note: You can make the patties up to one day ahead and grill them when ready to eat. For a grilling party, fully prepare the patties and reheat on grill on aluminum foil.

Nutrition Information per serving: Calories: 311; Total Fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g); Carbohydrate: 45 g; Protein 11 g, Fiber: 10 g, Sodium: 679 g

While I am still “on-the-fence” about menu labeling–and tend to favor not labeling–I asked a colleague to share her thoughts about why we should label menus for nutrition content.  Her thoughts (and references) are below. 

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A Case for Menu Labeling

By Sally Kuzemchak, M.S., R.D.
Real Mom Nutrition
http://www.realmomnutrition.com/

When I think about the debate over restaurant menu labeling, I think about a stick of butter—specifically, the stick of butter that is melted into the marinara sauce at a certain Italian bistro (that will remain nameless) here in Columbus, Ohio.

I wouldn’t know about this dirty little secret unless one of the servers was a friend of mine. Who knew that penne with marinara could be just as lethal as fettuccine alfredo? But that’s the problem with restaurants: You can order your salad dressing on the side, choose baked instead of fried, and pick red sauce over cream. But when it comes right down to it, you have no clue what really goes into your food—and how it all adds up.

And neither do the pros. When put to the test, even dietitians consistently underestimate the calorie and fat content of restaurant meals—in one study, by 687 calories and 57 grams of fat for a hamburger with a side of onion rings. Perhaps that’s because it’s hard to wrap the brain around one meal containing 1,550-calories, the amount some women should have for the whole day.

Everyone knows that restaurant portions are out of hand and that eating out is no longer reserved for indulgent celebrations (unless you’re regularly celebrating, say, the fact that it’s Tuesday). Calorie counts on menus and menu boards would cut out the guesswork and let you have a shot at making well-informed choices. In a new study from Yale University, diners who saw the calorie content of menu items (plus a 2,000-calorie-per-day reference) ate 250 calories less at dinner and afterwards than those who got less info, or none at all. And that can really make a difference: If you eat out twice a week, it’s a seven-pound weight loss every year.

Yet the bottom line is that even with menu labeling, you still have to eat defensively when eating out. In a recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers analyzed meals at popular restaurant chains to check the accuracy of the advertised calorie counts. The results: While some were right on—or pretty close—others were way, way off. An order of P.F. Chang’s asparagus was listed as 260 calories but clocked in at 558, and a Taco Bell Express Taco Salad’s published value was 326 but actually packed 607.

So trust your gut and know your portion basics (a deck of cards equals a serving of meat, a half of a baseball equals a serving of grains or ice cream, and the size of your fist equals a serving of baked potato). If the restaurant’s portion size looks off the charts, eat half. But as much as possible, cook your own food at home. And save the butter for baking.

References:

Backstrand J, Wootan M, Young L, Hurley J. Fat Chance: A survey of dietitians’ knowledge of the calories and fat in restaurant meals. Center for Science in the Public Interest: Washington, DC. 1997 January.

Roberto C, Larsen P, Agnew H, Baik J, and Brownell K. Evaluating the Impact of Menu Labeling on Food Choices and Intake. American  Journal of Public Health. Dec 17 2009. [Epub ahead of print]

Urban L, Dallal G, Robinson L, Ausman L, Saltzman E, Roberts S. The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. January 2010 (vol. 110, issue 1, pp. 116-123).

Sharing an article from Science Daily, which I tend to do frequently. Curious about your thoughts? Do you want to restrict calories?

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ScienceDaily (2009-12-29) — Scientists searching for the secrets of how calorie-restricted diets increase longevity are reporting discovery of proteins in the fat cells of human volunteers that change as pounds drop off. The proteins could become markers for monitoring or boosting the effectiveness of calorie-restricted diets — the only scientifically proven way of extending life span in animals.