The Dash Diet Weight Loss Solution: 2 Weeks to Drop Pounds, Boost Metabolism, and Get Healthy (A DASH Diet Book) (15 page)

which people are most at risk for having deficiencies.

Specific information must be given on the Nutrition Facts panel label, as shown
here.

In the following sections I will go through the panel, step-by-step, to explain the

components.

Serving Size

First, you want to know how much is in a serving of the food. In this example (plain

yogurt), the serving size is 1 cup, which is the amount in the entire container. If there are multiple servings in a container, the Nutrition Facts panel will help you see this. For example, a bag of microwave popcorn might contain two or three servings. You need to

check to be sure what serving size the calories and nutrients are based on.

In general, for multiserving packages, there are standardized serving sizes. However, it gets a little confusing to compare single-serving containers of different sizes. For

example, the standard serving of potato chips is 1 ounce. However, if you have a ½-

ounce bag of chips, that is a serving for that package. For a 1½-ounce bag, the serving size for that package is the entire 1½ ounces, since it is assumed that you will consume the entire bag.

Cereals are one of the most challenging foods to judge a serving size for. The standard serving size is 1 ounce by weight; however the volume can range from ¼ cup to 1¼

cups. And with some very dense cereals, such as Grape-Nuts, the label serving size is ½

cup, which is 2 ounces, or 2 DASH diet servings. It is very important to check the

serving size and see how that compares with the serving size you want for the DASH

Diet Weight Loss Solution.

Total Calories and Calories from Fat

Total calories are related to serving size. The calories from fat give you an idea of the nutrient density. Foods that are high in calories and without significant vitamins,

minerals, or protein are considered to have a low nutrient density. They bring calories, but not much nutritional value. If someone eats a high-starch or high-fat diet, it is possible that he or she could be getting adequate calories, but still be malnourished.

Because in the DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution we are really cutting back on refined

starchy foods, you are less likely to have to worry about this problem. Real food tends to have more nutritional bang for the buck!

Nutrient Composition

The next section of the food label shows the grams of various nutrients in a serving, and the percent daily values. The daily values percentage can often be very confusing. Many people look at the percentage and think it represents the percent of the nutrient in the food. Using the yogurt example, the 4 grams of fat represent 6% of the requirement for a day, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. It doesn’t mean that 6% of the calories in the yogurt come from fat. In fact, since 35 of the 150 calories come from fat (from the top section), 23% of the calories are from fat. (Okay, where is your calculator?) It is important for controlling cholesterol to choose foods that are low in saturated and trans fats. And our food recommendations in the DASH diet support that, without your having to spend too

much time deciphering the labels, or needing that calculator.

Sodium and occasionally potassium are listed in this section. You, obviously, want to limit sodium and choose foods that are rich in potassium. However, again, many of the potassium-rich foods will not have food labels. Fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables are all great sources. Dairy foods will have a label, and they are also rich in potassium. Yes, they also contain naturally occurring sodium, but the net benefit is on the side of health with milk and yogurt. Most cheese is also high in added sodium, but you can find lower-sodium varieties, which are better choices. Salt is often added to speed ripening of the cheeses. Lower-sodium versions may have better taste, because they have ripened more

slowly. Swiss cheese is naturally low-sodium, and if you choose the 2% milk version, it is reduced in saturated fat, as well.

In the carbohydrate section you will find total carbohydrates, fiber, and sugars. The carbohydrate that isn’t sugar or fiber is mostly starch, which you can compute by

subtracting fiber and sugar from the total carbohydrate value. Fiber content may also be broken down further to show grams of soluble fiber. And in the DASH Diet Weight

Loss Solution, we definitely prefer whole grains and don’t include much of the empty-

calorie, refined starchy foods. So maybe we can avoid needing a calculator for this, too!

Additional vitamins and minerals with special health concerns are shown in the bottom section of the Nutrition Facts panel. Vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and iron content must be included on the label. Manufacturers may also list additional vitamins and

minerals, if they choose. The calcium content (and vitamin D, if listed) is especially important if you are choosing nondairy substitutes. These products should have similar calcium, vitamin D, and protein as the dairy foods they are replacing.

Ingredients

Another requirement for food labels is that they must include an ingredient list. If you are concerned about cholesterol, you may want to go easy on foods that contain

hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. And now much of these ingredients have

been replaced by coconut oil, palm oil, or palm kernel oil. We want to avoid these oils because they are very high in saturated fats. Since they tend to occur in processed,

starchy foods, we should not see too much of them in your diet.

The ingredient list is another way to check how much sugar has been added to a food.

Some of the many terms that indicate sugar include high fructose corn syrup, grape juice (and other fruit juices), agave, corn syrup, honey, molasses, dextrose, fructose, and lactose.

Since ingredients must be listed in order by weight (from the highest to the lowest), having many sources of sugar can help the manufacturer disguise the importance of

sugar in the overall product formula. The Nutrition Facts panel will provide better

information on the amount of sugar in a specific food. Many healthy DASH diet foods

naturally contain sugars (such as fruits, yogurt, and milk) and should not be avoided, unless they contain added sugars. Again, read the ingredient list to see if sugars have been added, and compare calories for comparable foods. Choosing our new DASH diet

foods, which are less processed, will naturally help you avoid the added sugars, without having to think about it too much.

Making Your List, to Make It Easy to Follow the Plan

In each section that introduced the phases of the DASH Diet Weight Loss Solution

program, we had lists of foods to stock up on. It definitely makes it much easier to get on track and stay on track when you have all the right foods. It sets the stage for success.

You will see yourself as being someone who can set goals and keep them, when you

make it easier for yourself.

The key DASH diet foods are fruits, vegetables, low-fat and nonfat dairy, nuts and

beans, lean meats, fish, and poultry. Keeping these foods on hand will make it easy to follow the program. If, on the other hand, you keep lots of candy, chips, cookies, and ice cream in your home, you will be inclined to fill up on the wrong foods. The foods in

your kitchen and at work will determine what you eat. You want to make it easy to grab foods or make a last-minute meal that will keep you on track with the DASH diet.

Let’s look at this from a family focus. Often, moms and dads keep lots of junk food

around for the “kids.” But then it is really the moms and dads who are eating most of the junk food, not the kids. Often I will suggest that people keep a tray of cut-up fresh fruits and veggies in the refrigerator to facilitate easy, healthy snacking. And then the parents say that it disappears before they get home from work. Yes, the kids will eat the healthy snacks if they are ready to eat. I’ll give you another example. My sister-in-law would always fume when I brought fresh fruits and veggies to her Super Bowl parties. She is the type to load up on fatty, fried foods for the “special occasion.” Her husband, on the other hand, continued to be amazed at how the kids ate up 100% of the fruits and

vegetables, while trays of potato skins and Buffalo wings were still sitting on the table. If you serve healthy foods, they will eat. This is one of the collateral benefits of following this plan. It does make your whole family healthier.

Let’s take it step-by-step.

Stock Up

You will want to stock your cupboards and refrigerator with staples that allow you to make a variety of meals without having to run to the store every day (unless, of course, you like to grocery shop daily). The lists below will provide a foundation for making it easy to follow this plan every day. If you don’t have the right foods on hand, you will get off track very easily. But if you do have the key foods, this plan is easy to follow.

Making Great DASH Choices

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are important sources of vitamin C, folate, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. The phytochemicals (
phyto-
means “plant”) that produce color, scent, and flavor give special health benefits, improving certain health conditions and reducing the risk for many types of cancer. Fruits and vegetables have high water content, which makes them filling, while being low in calories. A small piece of fruit will typically have about 60 calories, primarily from fruit sugar. One-half cup of cooked

nonstarchy vegetables will have about 25 calories. The starchy ones (primarily potatoes and winter squash) will have higher calories, about 60 per half-cup. Corn, which is

starchy, is technically a grain, even though we eat it as if it were a vegetable. And it contains about 80 calories per half-cup.

Fruits and vegetables contain both soluble and nonsoluble fiber. As you may

remember, soluble fiber is the type that soaks up fats and cholesterol in our digestive tract. Berries, plums, peaches, pears, and apples are some good sources. The nonsoluble fiber is “roughage,” which is the type that makes us more “regular.” Most fruits and

vegetables are good sources. Both types of fiber are good for the digestive system. Fiber also slows down absorption of sugars during digestion, which can help to reduce the

likelihood of blood sugar spikes, and helps us to feel satisfied longer after meals.

We have all heard that carrots are good for our eyes. But did you know that there are many types of health-promoting plant chemicals in fruits and vegetables? We don’t want to bore you by getting too bogged down in the details, since our focus is on the whole foods rather than their parts. That said, many of the color-producing chemicals in food are antioxidants. Good examples include the carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, which make the orange color in carrots, and lycopene, which makes the red color in tomatoes.

Anthocyananins are also strong antioxidants, and they make the red-purple-blue colors in foods. In general, the more colors on your plate, the healthier the meal. There really are only good choices here. Having a variety of vegetables and fruits at a meal helps to

ensure that you are getting more types of nutrients and many health benefits.

Whole Grains

We all know that whole grains are healthier than the refined ones. During the refining process, many of the important vitamins and minerals are stripped away. Refined grains are enriched with some B vitamins and iron, but not with the same minerals or vitamins that were processed out of the grain. Most grains are wonderful sources of insoluble

fiber, while oats and barley also have high amounts of soluble (functional) fiber.

One side note: If you bake with whole grain flour, store it somewhere cool or

refrigerated. Whole grains are subject to rancidity, and therefore must be kept cold if not used quickly.

Nuts, Beans, and Seeds

Way back in the 1990s, when fat was “bad,” we threw the baby out with the bathwater.

Not all fats are problematic, and nuts and seeds are certainly wonderful sources of all kinds of nutrients, including heart-healthy fats. Add in the protein in nuts, and you also have a powerful tool to quench hunger. Nuts and seeds are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

Beans, of course, are rich in fiber, especially soluble fiber. They contain a little more starch than a serving of grain foods, about the amount of protein found in 1 ounce of cooked meat, little or no fat, and some important vitamins and minerals such as iron and zinc.

Low-Fat and Nonfat Dairy

Dairy is one of the key DASH diet foods. When the first study was done, one of the

three test groups had a diet with extra amounts of fruits and vegetables, without adding in extra dairy. They did not see the blood pressure–lowering effect of the full DASH plan.

The main problem with dairy has been the butterfat, which is very rich in saturated fats.

Saturated fat is associated with increased risk for diabetes and inflammation, and forms the raw material for making cholesterol. Choosing reduced-fat, low-fat, and nonfat dairy will help to avoid the problems. Your best choices are nonfat milk and yogurt, and

cheeses that are made from 2% milk or are low-fat. I have met a few people who actually like fat-free cheese, but if you are not one of them, choose the 2% cheeses.

When buying cheese, choose reduced-fat or nonfat varieties. When you are dining

out, you generally don’t have a low-fat cheese option available, so have it at home

whenever you can. And cheeses are very low in lactose.

Nonfat yogurt is especially good. If you are watching calories, choose yogurts with

little or no added sugar. The labels on yogurt can be confusing as to sugar content

because of the milk sugar. (And you should note that most of the milk sugar has been