The Fit Post

The first month working at our office is like a throwback to Freshman year of college…complete with the extra 15 or so pounds, too many late night drinks and long hours in front of a computer.  With all of the extra snacks and leftover pizza in our communal kitchen, it’s impossible to not look like the corporate blimp by third quarter.  Thankfully, we recently added containers of almonds to our cabinets (maybe this was HR’s doing to avoid the potential hike in health insurance?).  I finally broke into this practically untouched stash as a cookie alternative for mid morning or late afternoon pick-me-ups (yes, I would eat cookies in the morning).

Full of vitamin E, magnesium and manganese, almonds are an excellent source of fiber, copper phosphorous and fiboflavin.  Compared to all other nuts ounce for ounce, almonds have the most protein, fiber and calcium, among other nutrients and vitamins…basically, it’s the alpha nut.  Whole Natural Blue Diamond Almonds have 160 calories in 1 oz (plus 14 grams of fat, 0 mg of sodium, 210 mg of potassium, 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar and 6 grams of protein). 

Almonds and sunflower seeds are the top two whole food sources of naturally occurring vitamin E (an antioxidant that breaks down the destructive chains free radicals start).  The vitamin E contained in almonds is two times as potent as the synthetic kind found in supplements, further helping your body to defend itself against unstable molecules that can cause disease and contribute to aging (i.e. free radicals). 

I know at first glance almonds (and most nuts) scream fat but several researchers believe that they are an effective aid in controlling weight (this doesn’t mean go eat 5 cans of them).  With 125 of its 160 calories from fat, almonds supposedly help to satiate hunger and discourage the intake of other high-fat food binges.

Fellow health foodie/new mom/fashion model extraordinaire recently asked me if she should avoid products containing the ingredient maltitol.  Not being completely certain as to the answer, I…I mean, The Fit Post…did some serious due diligence and found the following:

• Maltitol is a sugar alcohol, most commonly used in low carb or “sugar free” products
• Similar to regular sugar in look and taste, this ingredient is considered a carbohydrate with 2 to 3 calories per gram (vs. 4 calories per gram for regular sugar)
• Products that use maltitol can still be called “sugar free” – WARNING: maltitol syrup has a glycemic index of 52 (vs. table sugar which has a GI of 60) - not a drastic difference when you then compare the level of sweetness each provides (you’ll likely have to add more of the maltitol which translates into extra calories/carbs)
• In addition to maltitol (sometimes printed as Maltisorb® or Maltisweet®), other kinds of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, isomalt and xylitol
• WARNING: manufacturers can still write “sugar free” or “no sugar added” on packages even if any of the above ingredients, including maltitol, are included - the sugar alcohol count will be shown separately if either of these two labels are printed on the package
• If no sugar free claim is made on the product, the sugar alcohol will be included in the amount of carbohydrates on the label either in the total carbs or as a separate line item so read carefully!
• Don’t get too excited Betty Crocker because you won’t be able to use maltitol as a sugar substitute in home baking – it won’t react the same way as regular table sugar
• Many people claim that sugar alcohols are ok for diabetics due to the fact that they are not completely absorbed by the body – HOWEVER, the American Diabetes Association confirms that it is the total carbs consumed that make the largest difference to blood sugar levels and NOT the type consumed
• The biggest consumer complaint includes issues with intestinal gas, cramping and diarrhea (wow, can’t wait to try this stuff)
• Benefits include the fact that it does not promote tooth decay

In summary, from my limited knowledge of the ingredient, the driving benefit of maltitol is the fact that you can help prevent cavities…personally, I feel like if you invest in a toothbrush this isn’t too big of an issue so although you don’t need to necessarily avoid sugar alcohols, it’s probably not worth going out of your way to spend the premium it will likely cost you in finding these substitutes.

I admit, I’m what you would call a ‘label whore.’  Slap the words Prada into the back of any coat or handbag and I’m all there.  I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be (actually, H&M occupies the majority of my closet) but it’s in my DNA to love beautifully made…correction, ITALIAN made…things.  In real life, the labels that I can afford, are chucked full of nutrients and high percent Daily Values (%DV) – but how are we supposed to decipher and read food labels and Nutrition Facts?

1. The first things to look for are the serving size and number of servings per package – consider how many servings you’re consuming in one sitting (i.e. portion control).
2. Most people say to check the calories next but I think the second best place to scan is the ingredients list.  Everything in the food will appear in decreasing order so its important to make sure that things that you’re trying to reduce or avoid are not one of the first three ingredients.*
3. Next look at the number of calories per serving (calories represent how much energy you’re getting from this specific food) – the FDA considers 40 calories to be low, 100 calories to be moderate and 400 calories or more to be high (based on a 2,000 calorie diet).  Also make sure to look at the number of calories from fat.
4. Do a quick scan of the percent Daily Values – a %DV of 5% or less is considered to be low and 20%+ is considered to be high.  This part of the label interprets the number of milligrams and grams all into the same scale for the day.
5. Make sure to also limit nutrients in the top half of the table (fats, cholesterol and sodium).  Look at the number of saturated and trans fats, nutrients health experts recommend keeping as low as possible.

*If you’re trying to avoid or reduce your sugar intake, make sure to watch out for what I consider sneaky sugar aliases in the ingredients list: high fructose corn syrup, palm oil, coconut oil, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey, and maple syrup

I have to visit Dunkin’ Donuts every couple of months to pay homage to my New England roots (if you’re from Massachusetts you’ll appreciate this).  Normally, I try to keep it as damage free as possibly by ordering the Old Fashioned donut with a black ice coffee.  Last week when I was waiting in line (usually nonexistent in any New York DD) I took the time to read the nutrition facts on each donut bin – talk about wake up call…

The Old Fashioned’s plain brown exterior actually disguises 280 calories and 18 grams of fat – you could have a Strawberry Frosted for 230 calories and only 10 grams of fat (I say “only” because I’m thinking relative to DD land).  A Regular Glazed is 220 calories and 9 grams of fat vs. Jelly Filled which is 260 calories and 11 grams of fat.  A Sugar Raised is 190 calories and 9 grams of fat (with ironically, the least amount of sugar of all of the other donuts). 

This entire time I have been wasting Dunkin’ trips on the boring Old Fashioneds when I could have been just as worse off…or in some cases better off…having one of their amazing pillow-y soft frosted specialities.

Moral of the story: GO BIG OR GO HOME

I try to tell myself that the reason I don’t go to the movies anymore is because of the absurdly overpriced tickets or that I can’t stand the 20 minutes of TV commercials PRE-previews (what happened to just playing cartoons by the way?!) …but in reality, I know my boycott of the big screen is because I can’t resist the amazingly buttery popcorn.  Although I knew an apple would clearly be a better pick than even a “small” tub of kernels, I never realized exactly how big the difference was until just recently. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (think the Jenny Craig of non-profits) released a report that claims a medium popcorn and soda combo at the average movie theatre has 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat – to put it into perspective, this equals a stick of butter which is basically three days worth of saturated fat.  For all of this, you could eat three McDonald’s quarter pounders.  Even worse is that these statistics are BEFORE you even add the butter.  According to this study, Regal Cinema is the worst when it comes to loading in the popcorn calories with AMC sliding in at a close second. 

Instead of butter (and don’t think this is just my Asian pride taking over) I like to drizzle on soy sauce to get a salty/sweet popcorn combo.  Some smaller boutique theatres also pop in non-hydrogenated canola oil or other healthier alternatives (for when you can’t sneak in a bottle of Kikkoman Soy Sauce).

I just hope they don’t release any info on Reese’s Pieces because then honestly, what is the point of going to the movies?!