This new link to chronically high added sugar intake and brain function is yet another reason to take a look at our typical diets. Now first it’s important to realize that these studies are based on the ADDED sugars in our diets. Naturally occurring sugars such as lactose found in dairy and fructose found in fruits are a part of a healthy diet and are not associated with decreased brain function. In fact, your brain actually runs on glucose also known as blood sugar, which is derived from carbohydrate intake from things like grains and fruit.

Below are some tips for limiting the added sugars for you & your little ones:

• Keep sugar-filled beverages such as soda, lemonade, juice with added sugars and sweetened beverages to special occasions
• Start a family dessert night for once a week and offer fruits for an everyday sweet
• Look for no added sugar products such as no sugar added juices or jams when possible
• Change to unsweetened cereals such as plain Cheerios, Kix or Wheat Chex , with 5 grams of sugar or less per serving
• Read for sugars on the nutrition facts labels for common foods such as yogurt and granola bars. Keep to 12 grams of sugar per 6 ounces of yogurt and 5 grams of sugar per granola bar to limit the added sugars that may be sneaking into your or your little one’s day.
• Check the ingredient lists for sources of added sugars. If words like sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, maltose or dextrose are listed, sugar has been added. If any of these ingredients appear in first three ingredients listed this means that it’s one of the biggest ingredients in the product and should be limited.

Start making some of these small changes in your family’s food choices and limit those added sugars for our bodies and our minds!

Many people are on gluten-free (GF) diets for various reasons – some due to a diagnosis of celiac disease but others are going gluten-free due to issues with gluten sensitivity or perhaps because they believe it may be a healthier option.  In addition, many parents are considering GF diets for their kids to help with behavior and quality of life issues, particularly parents of children with ADHD or autism. Is there any truth behind claims that a GF diet can improve behavior in children and potentially lessen the symptoms of autism? We’ve pulled together some information to help you decide if a gluten-free diet might be right for your child.

CELIAC DISEASE – An autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system reacts to gluten as an enemy and causes inflammation and gut injury. Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, skin rash, anemia, bloating, weight loss and in children, poor growth. Celiac disease is diagnosed by blood test and confirmed with an intestinal biopsy. People with celiac disease should remain on a gluten-free diet indefinitely, once their diagnosis has been confirmed. If you think your child may have celiac disease DO NOT start a gluten-free diet. Tests to confirm the diagnosis will only work properly if gluten remains in the diet. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, your child will need to be on a GF diet for the rest of their life. Bottom line: gluten-free diet is recommended.

GLUTEN SENSITIVITY – A relatively new diagnosis given to those who have the symptoms of celiac disease however the blood test and biopsy don’t confirm the diagnosis.  Assuming other possible causes of GI tract ailments have been ruled out, your pediatrician or gastroenterologist may recommend that your child is started on a GF diet. If symptoms improve on the GF diet then it is likely that your child is gluten sensitive and will feel better following a GF diet. Bottom line: gluten-free diet is recommended.

AUTISM – The link between gluten and also casein (a protein found in dairy) and symptom improvement for children with autism is still being examined. The gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet has not been studied extensively in children with autism however it is one of the most common alternative treatments for the disorder. Many parents of children on the autism spectrum believe that the GFCF diet has led to an improvement in behaviors like tantrums, speech and language problems, and poor eye contact. Others in the field are slightly more cynical only because a large-scale controlled study on the diet has not been completed. One small study, recently completed at Penn State, did find that behavioral management did improve on the GFCF diet, and interestingly, was more profound in children with existing food allergies or bowel issues like chronic constipation or diarrhea. It’s important to know that the GFCF diet seems to work for some autistic children and not others. The tricky part is that a GFCF diet is limiting and difficult to follow. For children with autism who may already have food aversions or textural issues, putting further restrictions on their diets might be ill-advised. Bottom line: It’s not black and white. Your child may benefit from following a GFCF diet to see if behaviors improve but speak with your child’s health care team first to decide the best plan.

ADHD – Side effects of undiagnosed celiac disease include agitation and confusion or distraction, which can appear to the unsuspecting parent as ADHD. Researchers have found that often children with undiagnosed celiac disease see improvement in concentration and focus after being on a GF diet for at least 6 months. For kids with true ADHD, a GF diet may be beneficial but evidence to this point is mostly anecdotal. It may just be that kids who have ADHD and are placed on a GF diet are eating more healthfully and having more attention paid to their overall nutrition. Less exposure to processed foods, refined sugars and higher intake of fruits and vegetables may help kids with ADHD to feel better – but it might have little to do with actual gluten. Experts are still weighing in on this one. Bottom line: A GF diet may help kids with ADHD but it may not. Discuss with your child’s doctor to decide the best plan.

When considering a gluten-free diet for your child it is important to consider WHY you want to do it and what the potential benefits may be. For children without celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the case for a GF diet is not black and white and should be considered carefully. For children with a diagnosis of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, a GF diet is the appropriate way to go and should be followed closely. Work with a dietitian for guidance on the GF diet to ensure that your child is meeting his or her nutritional needs.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp hickory BBQ sauce
• 1 Tbsp molasses
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 Tbsp oat bran
• 2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp beets, finely chopped
• 1 tsp beet juice
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp pickled jalepeno pepper, chopped
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 4 slices of low-fat cheese (optional)

Directions:

Stir together BBQ sauce & molasses and set aside.

Mash beans in a large bowl. Stir in 3 Tbsp of BBQ/molasses mixture (keep remaining mixture for brushing on burgers) & add brown rice, oat bran, onion, beets, beet juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, jalepeno peppe and egg white.

Form into four 6-ounce patties and place in fridge until chilled.

Heat olive oil in cast-iron or non-stick grill pan over medium heat. Grill burgers for two minutes on one side. Turn and brush with remaining BBQ/molasses mixture.

Top each burger with low-fat cheese if desired and grill for another two minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with any of your favorite burger toppings on a whole-grain bun.

1. Sunbutter Creamy Sandwich Spread. Why we love it: Made from sunflower seeds, this looks just like peanut butter but tastes slightly sweeter. It pairs well with the usual peanut butter companions like banana and jelly.
2. Wowbutter Crunchy Spread. Why we love it: This nut-free spread is made from soy nuts. The crunchy texture is fabulous and like the Sunbutter, it pairs with the usual PB suspects.
3. Cream Cheese. Why we love it: Whether you use plain or flavored, there are lots of options to make this a favorite lunch-time choice.
4. Hummus. Why we love it: Packed with flavor and available in a number of different varieties, it provides kids with a savory lunch-time protein source.
5. Tzatziki. Why we love it: For the more adventurous young palate, this Greek spread made from yogurt, cucumber and garlic is a delicious alternative some of the more ‘main stream’ options.

While we know that a varied diet is essential for optimal health, this study showed a possible new benefit to including a range of healthy foods. Nutrients that were of particular importance were tap water, lycopene (found in red and orange colored fruits and veggies) and total carbohydrates which were lower in the diets of very short sleepers (defined as less than 5 hours per night). Short sleepers (defined as 5-6 hours of sleep per night) had diets that were lower in vitamin C, tap water, selenium (found in nuts, meat & shellfish) and had higher intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin (both found in green leafy vegetables). While the envious long sleepers, defined as catching at least 9 hours of solid sleep per night had diets lower in theobromine (found in chocolate and tea), dodecanoic acid (a saturated fat), choline (from eggs and fatty meats) and total carbohydrates. Perhaps not surprising, this group was found to have a higher intake of alcohol than the other groups.

Research has shown us for quite some time that a balanced and varied diet can offer a range of health benefits such as preventing certain cancers and chronic disease; this new study has brought to light the possible connection between specific nutrients in the diet with the sleep cycle. As the study states however, this is the first nationally-representative analysis of sleep duration and diet and the study notes that further studies are needed to assess if these nutrients have actual physiological effects on the sleep regulation.

Working on variety in the diet is important for everyone, no matter what your sleeping habits are. So until research can shed more light on what diet will yield the best slumber, here are a few simple swaps for adding some variety into your day:

1. For breakfast instead of having that healthy bowl of oatmeal plain, add a handful of almonds for some added calcium for bone health and monounsaturated fat for heart health.

2. Trade romaine lettuce in your lunch salad to spinach. You’ll still get the great vitamins A and C that the romaine lettuce can provide but you’ll also get antioxidants such as lutein, zea-xanthin and beta-carotene from spinach which can help with eye sight and prevention of chronic disease.

3. At dinner swap your typical broccoli or green bean side for a serving of kale which research shows contains at least 45 measureable antioxidant flavonoids- packing a big cancer-preventing punch.

4. Also for dinner, swap out your usual chicken for a protein packed serving of salmon to add heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

5. Change up your usual after dinner treat with a piece of dark chocolate to not only satisfy that sweet tooth, but to add flavonols into your diet, a nutrient with antioxidant properties that research has linked to vascular health.

1. Kashi® TLC® Pumpkin Spice Flax Crunchy Granola Bar (170 cal, 6 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein)
2. 1 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter + 1 medium apple (190 cal, 8g fat, 1 g sat fat, 6 g fiber, 4.5 g protein) 
3. 6 oz cup Chobani Plain Non-fat Greek Yogurt + 3/4 cup of blueberries + drizzle of honey (180 cal, 0.5g fat, 0 sat fat, 3 g fiber, 19 g protein)
4. 2 Tbsp hummus +  ½ whole wheat pita + salad veggies of choice (165 cal, 3.5 g fat, 0 sat fat, 4.5 g fiber, 5.5 g protein)
5. 1 whole wheat English muffin, toasted + 1 oz low-fat cheddar cheese like Cabot 50% reduced-fat cheddar or pepper jack (190 cal, 5.5 g fat, 3 sat fat, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein)

Great sources of dietary antioxidants include flax seed, beans, nuts, soy, whole grains, green tea, spices such as cinnamon, ground cloves and oregano and of course a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.

It’s one thing to know what foods to feed your child for long term health, but it can be another challenge to actually get them to eat those antioxidant-packed foods. Remember that it can take an average of 15 times for a child to accept a new food, so try, try and try again. It can be helpful to work with your child’s taste buds and preferred foods for getting them to try (and hopefully like!) these sometimes challenging foods. Here are some ideas for working a few more antioxidant-rich foods into your child’s day:

• Melt low fat cheese onto cooked vegetables
• Dip raw veggies into hummus, salad dressing or even ketchup
• Spread natural peanut butter on celery and top with raisins
• Dip fruit into natural peanut butter, honey, strawberry cream cheese, yogurt or a sprinkle of cinnamon
• Fill sandwiches with cucumbers, bell peppers, lettuce & tomato along with the regular fixings
• Glaze cooked baby carrots in honey while cooking for those with sweeter palates
• Freeze fruits such as grapes, bananas or strawberries for a cool sensation
• Add banana or apple slices into peanut butter sandwiches
• Top waffles, pancakes or cereal with fruits
• Layer berries, crushed vanilla wafers and yogurt for an after dinner sweet
• Try edamame for a crunchy afternoon snack
• Add veggies into stir fries, tomato sauces and soups
• Add shredded carrots or zucchini into favorite bread or muffin mixes
• Blend ground flax seed into baking mixes, hot cereal or yogurt
• Try meatless options of favorite dinners such as vegetarian chili, vegetable lasagna, sweet & sour tofu stir fry and bean burritos

Ingredients:

• 3 cup flour
• 1 ½ cups salt
• 6 tsp cream of tartar
• 3 cup water
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Food coloring

Directions:

1. Put water and oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add flour, salt and cream of tartar to water/oil mixture.
3. Boil mixture, stirring as it thickens.
4. Drop thickened mixture onto temperature proof surface (countertop, cutting board, etc…) and knead. Add food coloring as desired and continue kneading until somewhat cool.
5. Store in refrigerator in airtight container. 

Fitting snacks into your day can do great things for your health and for weight management. By eating every 3 ½ to 4 hours, you can avoid getting to the point of overly hungry. Avoiding this super hungry point is essential for first avoiding cravings that can set-in during an “I’m starving” moment and second for avoiding overeating. Also, I like to think of snacks as another chance to get in some nutrient dense options into my day for overall health because there are only so many fruits and veggies you can fit into a meal.

To be a smart snacker, aim to keep snacks in the 100 to 200 calorie range. This will give you just enough to keep satisfied and energized into the next meal without going over your calorie needs for the day. To optimize your fullness factor, try to include fiber into your snack through whole grains, fresh fruits or veggies and pair with something like a lean protein or healthy fat to quickly satisfy your hunger.

Here are a few great examples of snacks to fit in your day:
• 6 Triscuit Crackers with 1 ounce of Low Fat Cabot Cheddar Cheese (~200 calories)
• 1 Medium Apple with 1 Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter, I like Teddy’s Brand (~200 calories)
• 8 oz cup of Low-fat Yogurt (try Greek for extra protein) with ¼ cup of Berries (~150 calories)
• 1 oz Almonds with 1 cup Crunchy Dry Cereal such as Kashi Cinnamon Harvest (~200 calories)
• 1 cup of Chopped Veggies with 2 Tablespoons of Hummus (~150 calories)
• ½ Toasted Whole Wheat English Muffin with ½ cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese & 2 Slices of Tomato (~180 calories)
• 2 Whole Grain Fig Newtons with ½ cup of Skim Milk (~140 calories)

So snack happy and often for your health and your waistline!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 4 tsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Bring one inch of water to boil in sauce pan fitted with vegetable steamer basket. Add green beans. Cover and cook until tender-crisp (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat.
2. Whisk dill, shallot, oil, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add green beans and toss to coat. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving to blend flavors.

Family change is far more effective than getting your child started on a roller coaster of fad diets where you’re cutting out carbs one day and trying weight loss shakes the next. With the support of a family that is working towards healthy change together, your little one can have the support he or she needs to achieve healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime.

Here are a few of my favorite lifestyle changes for families- all of them can be helpful for your children (no matter what their weights are) to instill healthy behaviors.

Supportive Food Environment: Of course with healthy change should come healthy foods, so stock up with the whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy and lean protein. More than just the obvious changes, it’s important to identify foods in the house that your child may struggle with. If your child seeks out favorite snacks such as potato chips or cookies and struggles with portion size for these foods it can be helpful to buy those foods periodically, say once a month rather than weekly.

Calorie Free Beverages: For your supportive food environment one very effective change you can make is removing the calorie-filled beverages such as juice, soda and other sweetened beverages. These drinks provide empty, excess calories to your child’s day that can lead to weight gain. Offer water, seltzer or low fat milk for daily beverages and leave the sweetened drinks for special occasions.

Family Dinners: Studies show that children from families who share a meal together at least 3 times per week were more likely to be within a normal weight range and have better eating patterns consisting of healthier foods. Make an effort to gather around the dinner table with your family (without the TV please!) and reap the benefits of this shared meal.

Activity Time: Physical activities such as hiking, bike riding, swimming or even a walk after dinner can be a great way to spend time together and start exercise as a regular part of your family routine. Obviously this can be a challenge when the week gets busy, but even something as simple as an after dinner walk or a quick toss around of the Frisbee can make a difference. Try to work in longer periods of time on weekends for a bigger family activity such as going for a hike or long bike ride.

Family Dessert Night: Many parents struggle when they are faced with the nightly question of “can I have dessert?” It can be a tough negotiation to face after a long day and can often lead to giving into your little one’s sweet tooth a bit too often. A simple solution can be to define a family dessert night (or two depending on what works for your family). Designate a day where the entire family enjoys a dessert and on the remainder of the week offer fruit after dinner if still hungry.

We want to hear from you- what are some of the healthy changes you’ve made with your family?

My day job as an oncology dietitian puts me in touch with lots of women who either have breast cancer or have a strong family history of the disease. For many of these women, weight gain in their adult lives puts them at increased risk of breast cancer due to higher amounts of estrogen present in their bodies, produced by fat tissue. Women who are overweight or obese have higher levels of estrogen than thinner women because they have more fat tissue to produce the hormone. When you lose weight, you decrease your stores of fat tissue and therefore lower the amounts of estrogen in your body.

Studies show that weight gain, particularly after menopause, is the most risky for increased risk of hormone-related breast cancer however, younger women need to understand the connection between weight and breast cancer so they can take steps to get to a healthy weight now. Researchers point out that even small weight loss can make a big impact on reductions in risk. You don’t have to lose 40 or 50 pounds to see a benefit. If you are overweight, reducing your body weight by just 10% will lower your risks.

Where to start? When I meet individually with patients, we start first by cleaning up their diets. From a cancer-prevention and weight loss perspective, my first priority is always to work on increasing plant-based foods and proceed from there. My baseline nutrition recommendations are listed below:

1. At least 5 servings of fruits/veggies daily but more is better. From a weight-loss point of view, it is important to watch portions of starchy vegetables like potato, winter squash, corn & peas because these are more calorie-dense but it’s really hard to overeat carrots, greens, tomatoes, peppers, asparagus, summer squash, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, etc. so have heaping servings of these whenever you can.
2. Choose whole grains as often as possible. Think brown rice, whole grain breads, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, etc. Cut back on refined flours as much as possible.
3. Cut back on packaged foods. Aim to eat more whole foods to reduce your intake of sodium and preservatives.
4. Limit sugary drinks. Choose beverages that are naturally calorie-free.
5. If you eat meat, choose lean poultry or beef. Organic options will further reduce your exposure to hormones which may be beneficial. Include fish often. Portion size should be 1/3 of your plate or less. Emphasis should be on the plant foods on your plate, not the animal protein. Aim to have at least one vegetarian meal each week and include things like beans and tofu.
6. Dairy options should also be low-fat or fat-free. Again, choosing organic will further reduce exposure to hormones.
7. Limit alcohol. For women, reducing intake to 1 drink per day or less is associated with the lowest risk of cancer and other diseases. 1 drink = 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor.

All information is in keeping with current recommendations from the American Cancer Society and American Institute for Cancer Research. To see more information from these groups, visit www.cancer.org or www.aicr.org

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of asparagus spears
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 cup zucchini, quartered and cut into 1 inch lengths
• 2 cups of shelled, fresh peas
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 ¾ cups Arborio rice
• 6 ½ cups simmering vegetable stock
• 4 scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 pats butter
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp fresh chives, snipped
• 2 Tbsp shredded fresh basil

Directions:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the asparagus, beans, zucchini and peas and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until they are bright green and just starting to soften. Set aside.
2. Warm vegetable stock in a sauce pan on the stove, allowing the broth to simmer while you proceed to next steps.
3. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy bottom pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes until onion starts to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds, stirring to prevent burning or sticking. Reduce the heat and add the rice, stirring to coat in olive oil. Continue to cook mixture, stirring constantly, for another 2-3 minutes or until the rice grains are translucent.
4. Gradually add the hot vegetable stock to the rice, one ladleful at a time. Stir constantly and add more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition. Increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles.
5. Cook for 20 minutes, or until all but 2 Tbsp of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy.
6. Add in the stir-fried vegetables, scallions and remaining stock to the rice. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, chives and basil. Remove the pan from the heat and serve the risotto immediately.

1. Breakfast- Change from a bagel to a whole grain English muffin: saves 230 calories and gives you a good source of fiber.

2. Lunch- Swap your usual bag of potato chips for 1 cup raw veggies & 2 tablespoons hummus: saves 90 calories and provides your body with fiber for fullness and vitamins & minerals for a healthy body.

3. Dinner- Trade 1 cup of rice pilaf for 1 cup of cooked quinoa to save roughly 50 calories and add 5 grams fiber and 8 grams protein per serving.

4. Snacks- Change your afternoon snack from a serving of Cheez-Its (27 crackers) to two cups of air-popped popcorn and save 90 calories, 2 grams of saturated fat and gain 3 grams of fiber.

5. Beverages-Switch from regular soda to flavored seltzer water: saves you 100 calories per 8 ounce serving and lowers your sodium intake.