Author Archives: dianne rishikof

Belly Fat or just Bloated?

2 Replies

ID-100224331

A lot of us carry a little extra bulge in the middle. But how do you know if it is fat or bloat?

Bloating is caused by gas. Bloating and gas are caused by a number of things. (this list is not comprehensive)

  • Swallowing air when you eat, chewing gum, carbonation
  • Trouble digesting, slow digestion
  • Constipation
  • Dysbiosis (imbalance of bad bacteria) or SIBO
  • Cancer

Many of us have extra fat in the belly. It is the place of choice for fat storage originating from:

  • unhealthy fats such as trans fats or processed vegetable oils
  • sugar overload
  • genetics

So which do you have?

Answer: bloating ebbs and flows. If you wake up in the morning with a flat stomach and then look pregnant after dinner, it’s bloating. A bloated belly is usually (but not always) changing size and shape. If you don’t know, start using a measuring tape at several intervals throughout a day and week. If the number varies a lot, it is bloating. If you have belly fat, the number won’t change by more than an inch.

If you are still unsure, get checked out by a doctor. They can listen and feel around your abdomen find out more clues as to what’s going on.

So often we ignore bloating, but it can be a symptom or indication of a serious condition. And I am not just talking about cancer. If you have gut dysbiosis, it won’t just go away. Rather it leads to many avoidable problems. Call me, I can assess whether past diet, lifestyle, and antibiotic use may be causing your bloating.

For more information on bloating and how to fix it for good: read my eBook!

Image courtesy of jesadaphorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kids breakfast ideas

Leave a reply

DSC_0003

Let’s face it, planning meals for your kids is hard. The ideas don’t come and we’re all tired.

I have compiled a list and some tips. I hope it inspires you!

  • Yogurt, fruit, and granola
  • Breakfast pizza on English muffin
  • Cottage cheese sundae with fruit and nuts and even whipped cream
  • Oatmeal with cranberries and cinnamon
  • Breakfast burrito: Whole wheat tortilla, scrambled eggs, cheese, salsa, green peppers and onions, ham, bacon, chicken sausage
  • Pancakes (made from healthy recipe not Bisquick)
    • Pancake pizza (with rasp for sauce and all kinds of toppings)

Smoothie:

  • Fruit: strawberries, banana, peach, mango, pineapple
  • Liquid: orange juice, pineapple juice, milk or milk alternative
  •  Additionals:
    • Yogurt
    • Chia or flax seeds
    • Protein powder

Toast (low calorie bread, whole grain bread, English muffin, flat rolls) with:

  • Yogurt and fruit
  • Avocado
  • Avocado and hard boiled egg
  • Peanut butter and banana
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Almond butter, granola and fruit
  • Fried egg
  • Laughing cow cheese and fruit
  • Cottage cheese, edamame and tomato
  • Laughing cow cheese and cucumber
  • Melted cheese and salsa
  • Melted cheese
  • Pureed beans and melted cheese
  • Mozzarella cheese and tomatoes and basil
  • Hummus
  • Tomato, hard boiled egg and cheese
  • Bacon and scrambled egg

Or serve non-breakfast food. Serve their favorite lunch or leftovers from dinner.

3 Tips to Transform your Health in 2015

Leave a reply

ID-100281157

There are many ways to improve your diet. But I think I have narrowed it down to the most important.

1. Decrease your sugar (to as low as possible)

Sugar isn’t just empty calories (tons of calories without any healthful nutrients), it’s down right dangerous.

  • Sugar is half fructose, half glucose. Fructose goes to your liver and glucose goes to your blood stream.
  • Too much fructose, and your liver gets overloaded and packs it into fat and sends it straight to your belly.
  • Heavy loads of glucose causes an insulin spike to be released and if there is more glucose than your body can use at that time, it also goes into your fat cells, and then you’re hungry again. Too much of that and you can not only gain weight, but become insulin resistant.
  • Sugar also doesn’t lead to satiety. So you can get a lot of calories and not feel full (leading to more eating and more calories)
  • And it is addictive. Ever heard of sugar cravings?
  • Sugar feeds the unhealthful bacteria and yeast in your gut
  • (Any one of these topics is big enough for it’s own post, forgive my brevity)

Decreasing your sugar, any amount you can, will improve your health and weight. Period.

2. Decrease your consumption of processed food.

A lot like number 1, processed food gives you a lot of bad and not a lot of good.

  • Processed food has a lot of sugar (see above). They add it in so you will like and buy the product.
  • Processed food has a lot of unhealthful fats.
  • Processed food has unhealthy levels of salt.
  • The trifecta of salt, fat and sugar is very intentional, to get you to love and overeat and re-buy the product.
  • Processed food is missing important nutrients.

3. Eat tons of fruits and vegetables.

Besides being whole real food, loaded with vitamins and minerals, they are the only thing that the research shows unequivocally is GOOD for you.

Here’s to a healthy 2015! Thanks for reading.

Want more posts? Add your email to the box at the right and hit ‘subscribe’.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Weight Loss Tips

4 Replies

ID-10097302

Losing weight isn’t easy. But over the years of coaching people towards their weight loss goals, the biggest barrier to weight loss is not the fat or sugar…

…it is the motivation!

It is hard to stay motivated. There’s a great article in HuffingtonPost this week on weight loss tips. Here are my favorite tips from it-the ones that deal with motivation!

Weight Loss Motivation

1. Set a small, specific goal. Stick it on the fridge or your bathroom mirror.

2. Use your scale as a gauge to track your progress and not as a body-shaming device

3. Take before and after pictures. You won’t believe how much real proof motivates.

4. Buy a new outfit that you want to rock. Hang it where you can see it daily for a visual reminder to stick to your goals. Or reward your small wins with new workout gear!

5. Focus only on losing the next two pounds. Whether you want to lose 10 pounds or 100 pounds, focusing on micro-goals can keep you from feeling overwhelmed. Think two pounds at a time.

These are tips I deem particularly valuable as we all approach our New Year’s resolutions. What do you find helpful? Leave a comment.

Sharing is caring-use these nifty buttons to share this info with your social media groups.

Image courtesy of hyena reality at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Chanukah Fun with Food Pt 2

Leave a reply

In honor of the first night of Chanukah tonight, here are some more ideas for fun with food that kids will love (adult love ’em too). Be sure to check out Part 1, if you missed it!

IMG_7188

 

A menorah made from bananas, pomegranate seeds and clementines. My kids were so excited they couldn’t decide what to eat first.

IMG_7194

Dreidels made out of pretzel sticks, marshmallows and Hershey’s kisses. Glued together with frosting, and Hebrew letters written in frosting as well.

Fig newtons cut to the shape of a dreidel with a pretzel stick and frosting for the letters.

Check out more on my Jewish Food Pinterest board.

Use those nifty buttons below to share on social media-I bet you have some Jewish friends who would love this.

Avoid Raw Milk

Leave a reply

FullSizeRender

Raw milk, milk that hasn’t gone through the bacteria killing process of pasteurization, has gained popularity recently. People believe that it is healthier. But as a dietitian, I have always been scared of raw milk. Yes, scared. The bacteria it contains can cause an array of problems. Problems such as diarrhea, serious infection leading to hospitalization, miscarriages and even death. Just as with any bacteria or food-bourne pathogen, people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk. This includes children, older folks, and people with weak immune systems (as in those of us with auto-immune and/or gut problems).

Every day I get nutrition related news from around the world. Today I saw two articles about children that have died due to drinking raw milk.

From the CDC:

“A study published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal shows that the average annual number of outbreaks due to drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk more than quadrupled since the last similar study – from an average of three outbreaks per year during 1993-2006 to 13 per year during 2007-2012. Overall, there were 81 outbreaks in 26 states from 2007 to 2012. The outbreaks, which accounted for about 5 percent of all foodborne outbreaks with a known food source, sickened nearly 1,000 people and sent 73 to the hospital. More than 80 percent of the outbreaks occurred in states where selling raw milk was legal.”

For a more comprehensive review of the pros and cons of raw milk, check out the CDC’s page.

Christmas Fun with Food

Leave a reply

Another in the fun with food series in honor of the next upcoming holiday! Make these for your kids and watch the fruit and vegetables disappear.

DSC_0010

Broccoli, tomatoes and carrots. Serve with Ranch dressing as dip!

DSC_0011

Bananas, clementines, grapes, pomegranate, and pineapple for the star!

Check out more ideas on my Christmas pinterest board.

Subscribe to my blog (by putting your email in the box and clicking on subscribe) to get regular posts.

DSC_0032

Want your kids to eat veggies? Transform the veggies into FUN! Chanukah is next week, and here’s what I have made for my kids for the past two years. They eat is up like it candy.

Above: Asparagus for the candles, halved orange (or yellow or red) grape tomatoes for the flames, and a carrot base.

IMG_9188

Celery and peanut butter with a wheat pretzel base.

Tons of other ideas, not so healthy ones too, on my Jewish Food and Fun Pinterest Board

Sharing is caring-please use these handy buttons to share on your social media sites. Thanks!

IMG_3409

This salmon dish is my creation, but I hardly can take too much credit as it is so simple. This is such an easy recipe that only takes a few minutes to prepare as slicing the scallions is the only laborious task. I love this recipe at the end of a long day. Without a lot of work and time, I have a tasty and gourmet dinner. My husband is thrilled and eats it down, every last drop (yes he even drinks the sauce!). And I get my belly friendly dinner.

How is it belly friendly?

  • Omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon is high in them and they are anti-inflammatory and therefore ease the inflamed intestines
  • Ginger is also anti-inflammatory as strengthens the muscle movements of the GI tract
  • By only using the green parts of the scallions, this recipe can remain low in FODMAPs and therefore suitable for those with IBS or SIBO.
  • Gluten free soy sauce, so this is gluten free and good for those with gluten intolerance and Celiac

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 pound salmon (halved)

2-3 scallions (green parts only, chopped)

2 heaping tablespoons ginger (grated)

⅕ cup soy sauce (opt for a low-sodium and gluten-free version)

1 tablespoon sesame oilIMG_3391

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Place salmon in a small, oven safe pan or baking dish.
  3. Spread grated ginger over the salmon evenly.
  4. Sprinkle chopped scallions over salmon.
  5. Splash soy sauce over the salmon, enough to fully cover the sides and top (it will roll off, but that is why I use a close-fitting dish – so it doesn’t have far to roll).
  6. Drizzle with sesame oil.
  7. Bake for 15-20 minutes to desired doneness.

IMG_3400

Nutrition Information

Per Serving:  Calories: 409; Total Fat: 21g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 7g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g; Cholesterol: 125mg; Sodium: 964mg; Potassium: 1278mg; Carbohydrate: 4g; Fiber: 1g; Sugar: 1g; Protein: 47g

Nutrition Bonus:   Iron: 20%

This recipe is mine, but was written and posted on Further Food. For more recipes from them, check out their website.

Photo credits to Further Food.

Sharing is caring. Use one of the buttons below to share this with your friends and followers!

Gluten Free Eating while Traveling

Leave a reply

There was a recent article in Today’s Dietitian about the challenges of eating gluten free while traveling. I thought I would pass on their resources:

Allergy eats: www.allergyeats.com

Celiac Travel: www.celiactravel.com

Find Me Gluten Free: www.findmeglutenfree.com This is also an app-GREAT for finding a restaurant wherever you are.

Triumph dining: www.triumphdining.com

Hope this was helpful! Follow me on Twitter @diannerishikof for more