“Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods!”

Potpie Perils: When Fall arrives, many of us turn to hearty foods, like creamy chicken potpie. One pie from the grocery freezer case can have more than 1,000 calories. For a fraction of the calories, try a flavorful roast chicken breast and a warm, whole wheat roll.

 

Game-Day Grub: Favorites like chips, nachos, pizza, wings, and ribs can spoil your diet. If you're a sports fan, you may also be glued to the couch for hours every week, so you're not burning off the extra calories.

• Serve veggies and low-fat dip as part of your spread.
• Eat from a plate instead of grazing at the buffet. This helps you keep track of how much you're eating.

Oktoberfest Fare: You can expect beer, potato salads, and sausages. Bratwurst, one typical sausage, has about 95 calories per ounce, most from unhealthy animal fat. Instead:

• Eat smaller portions.
• Instead of beer, try lower-calorie, non-alcoholic drinks.
• Choose light beer over regular (110 calories vs. 150 calories in 12 ounces) – Or better yet, avoid alcohol altogether.

 

Chubby Chili: You could get 500 calories in a bowl, depending on the recipe. The same goes for other meaty stews, which are often loaded with fatty beef or sausage and topped with gobs of cheese. Yet, chili and stew can be good choices when made right. Use small portions of lean meat, plenty of beans, vegetables, and spices, and just a sprinkle of low-fat cheese. In restaurants, check the calorie count before ordering.

 

Cream Soups and Hearty Stews: Warm soups and stews that are loaded with cream, cheese, or meat are also loaded with calories. If you serve them in a bread bowl or on top of rice or noodles, you add even more calories. Choose broth-based and vegetable-based soups and stews to fill you up for fewer calories.

 

Seasonal Beverages: Fall drinks -- hot chocolate, pumpkin-spice lattes, eggnog, apple cider, and hot toddies -- are a quick and easy way to take in lots of extra calories. A cup of homemade hot cocoa (without whipped cream) has 190 calories. One 8-ounce cup of eggnog packs 340 calories. Try a hot cup of green or flavored tea, rich with antioxidants and calorie-free. Or choose light beer or wine spritzers, and limit yourself to one or two. Or better yet, avoid alcohol altogether.

 

Caramel Apples: An afternoon snack of apples with a thick layer of caramel and nuts can total more than 500 calories. Enjoy crisp apple slices with a small container of low-fat caramel dip for the same great taste -- with a fraction of the fat and calories.

Halloween Candy: October brings bags of candy home to await trick-or-treaters. It's easy to get bewitched by those bite-size candies. But few of us can have just one.

• Stash sweets out of sight.
• Satisfy your midday hunger pangs with something nutritious, like fruit.
• If you crave something sweet, chew a piece of sugarless gum.

Macaroni and Cheese: Mac and cheese is a favorite comfort food for both kids and adults. But one cup can pack 300 to 400 calories, depending on the brand. Add sausage or ham, and it's even more fattening.

• Use low-fat cheese and milk.
• Substitute veggies for meat to get more nutrition. It'll still taste great!

 

Mashed Potatoes and Gravy: All that butter, heavy cream, and whole milk help cram about 240 calories into one cup. Ladle on 1/4 cup of fatty gravy, and you're close to 300 calories in a side dish. For fewer calories, savor 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes, without gravy. Or experiment with newer, calorie-conscious recipes for better mashed potatoes.

 

Root Vegetables with Added Fat: Roots like yams and sweet potatoes are super-nutritious, but you quadruple the calories when you mix them with cheese, cream, butter, canned soups, or bacon. A sweet potato casserole can easily have 500 calories per serving: 400 more than a simple roasted sweet potato. Slash the calorie count by eating root veggies oven-roasted or grilled.

Stuffing: Most stuffing contains high-fat ingredients such as sausage and butter. With gravy, stuffing is a diet nightmare.

• Make a low-fat stuffing using fruits, vegetables, and stock.
• Keep the portion small, and try to resist smothering it in gravy.
• Chew slowly to enjoy each mouthful and allow your brain time to get the signal that you are full.

Apple, Pecan, Sweet Potato Pies: These fall favorites start with healthy ingredients such as nuts, fruits, or vegetables. But once you add buttery pie crusts, sweet fillings, and whipped cream or ice cream topping, you have decadent pies full of calories.

• Skip the crust.
• Add a little bit of light whipped topping.
• Serve yourself only a sliver to enjoy these desserts without lots of extra calories.

 

Pumpkin Desserts: Pumpkin layer cake, cheesecake, bread pudding. There are many ways to turn vitamin A-rich pumpkin into a rich dessert. Be careful: If you add tons of cream and sugar, you negate the health benefits of pumpkin. Instead, try crust-less, low-fat pumpkin custard, or low-fat pumpkin muffins.

All Things in Moderation: All it takes is an extra 100 calories per day to pack on 10 pounds a year. The best strategy for your health is to avoid weight creep altogether, by enjoying fall comfort foods in moderation.

• Check your portion sizes.
• Limit alcohol. (Better yet, avoid it altogether)
• Eat plenty of veggies prepared without added fat or sugar.
• Use low-fat cooking techniques and substitutions.
• Put candy bowls out of sight.

Reviewed by Christine Mikstas, RD, LD on February 14, 2018

REFERENCES:

Calorie Count Plus.

Calorieking.com.

Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Jayne Hurley, RD, senior nutritionist, Center for Science in the Public Interest; co-author, Restaurant Confidential, Workman Publishing, 2002.

Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, author, Diet Simple, Lifeline Press, 2011; past spokeswoman, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Liz Weiss, co-author, The Moms’ Guide to Meal Makeovers, Harmony, 2003.

Janice Newell Bissex, MS, RD, nutrition consultant; co-author, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers.

Suzanne Farrell, MS, RD, owner, Cherry Creek Nutrition, Denver; former spokeswoman, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Yanovski, J. The New England Journal of Medicine, March 23, 2000.

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2Live

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk. 

“How Your Height Affects Your Health?”

The Long and Short of It: The average height for men in the U.S. is about 5 feet 9 inches. For women, it’s about 5 feet 4 inches. If you’re taller or shorter than average, you might notice a few pros and cons to your size. That holds true as your height relates to your health, too. While height -- or lack of it – doesn’t cause any health conditions, studies show it may make you more or less likely to have certain problems.

Cancer: Some research shows that a below-average height may mean you have lower odds of getting some types of cancer. For example, a study of more than 100,000 women in Europe and North America showed that shorter women are less likely to get ovarian cancer. Another of more than 9,000 British men between ages 50 and 69 showed that shorter men had lower chances of getting prostate cancer.

Diabetes: The length of your legs may be linked to your chances of getting type 2 diabetes. Based on 5 years of data on more than 6,000 adults, scientists think tall people may be less likely to get it. It’s not clear why the two are related, but one idea is that short stature is a sign of poor nutrition or other metabolism problems before birth or during childhood.

Heart Disease: Scientists aren’t sure exactly why, but people who are shorter than 5 feet 3 inches are about 50% more likely to get coronary heart disease than those who are 5 feet 8 inches or taller. The reason may be poor nutrition or infections before birth or in childhood that affect growth. It could also be that your genes affect both height and your odds of heart problems later in life.

Stroke: This happens when blood flow to an area of your brain gets cut off. Taller people are less likely to have one, and this is especially true if they’re at a healthy weight. Nutrition and other health-related things in childhood that affect how tall you are may be one reason for the link.

Blood Clot: This can be a serious condition, especially if one forms in a major vein or travels to your lungs. Researchers can’t explain why, but studies show that the shorter you are, the less likely you are to have a blood clot in a vein. People who are 5 feet or shorter have the lowest chances of getting one.

Alzheimer’s Disease: Height may be an advantage when it comes to this type of dementia, especially for men. One study of more than 500 people showed that men who are about 5 feet 11 inches or taller are almost 60% less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than those who are about 5 feet 7 inches or shorter. Taller women may have lower odds of it as well, but the link to height doesn’t seem to be as strong for them.

Pregnancy: Tall women are more likely to have longer pregnancies than shorter women. In one study, women who were 5 feet or shorter were more likely to give birth before they reached full term than those who stood 5 feet 8 inches or taller. And for every centimeter of difference in height between two pregnant women, the shorter woman gave birth one-fifth of a day sooner. Scientists aren’t sure why this is, but it could be related to the size of certain body parts, like the pelvis or cervix.

Hair Loss: A study of more than 22,000 men from seven countries showed that shorter guys have a greater chance of going bald. The scientists looked for changes in specific genes that can raise a man’s odds of losing his hair early. They found four that were linked to both male-pattern baldness and shorter stature.

Longer Life: Several studies over the years have shown that shorter people tend to live a little longer than taller people and have fewer long-term diseases as they age. Scientists are still studying the reasons behind this, but some areas they’re looking into include the amount of damage to cells over time, the levels of some hormones, and the size of some organs, like the brain, liver, and kidneys.

Heat Exhaustion: Shorter people are less likely to get overheated or have the more serious condition called heatstroke. This is mainly because taller -- and heavier -- people make more body heat. If they make it faster than they can get rid of it, like during intense exercise, that can lead to heat stroke or heat exhaustion. On the flip side, taller people can stay warmer than shorter people in colder weather for the same reason.

 

Lower Back and Hips: Shorter people are less likely to have lower back pain or break a hip. One possible reason taller people have a bigger chance of a hip fracture is their high center of gravity. That not only makes them more likely to fall, but it also may make them hit the ground with more force if they do.

Reviewed by Melinda Ratini, DO, MS on November 03, 2017

CDC: “National Center for Health Statistics: Body Measurements.”
PLOS Medicine: “Ovarian Cancer and Body Size: Individual Participant Meta-Analysis Including 25,157 Women with Ovarian Cancer from 47 Epidemiological Studies.”
American Association for Cancer Research: “Height and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Large Nested Case-Control Study (ProtecT) and Meta-analysis.”
American Diabetes Association: “Is Femur Length the Key Height Component in Risk Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes Among Adults?”
European Heart Journal: “Short stature is associated with coronary heart disease: a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis.”
National Stroke Association: “What Is Stroke?”
Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases: “Adult Height and Body Mass Index in Relation to Risk of Total Stroke and its Subtypes: The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study.”
American Society of Hematology: “Blood Clots.”
American Heart Association: “Can height increase risk for blood clots in veins?”
Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease: “Height and Alzheimer's disease: findings from a case-control study.”

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit #IWantYou2Live

The Goal is to Always Make You Aware of What Concerns Your Body, Soul and Spirit, So You Can Have Open, Honest and Frequent Discussions With Your Physicians and Counselors. You Can’t Treat or Cure What You Don’t Know is Sick.

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

The contents of the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites ("Content") are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine Sites!

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. WebMD and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Sites. Reliance on any information provided by WebMD, WebMD employees, others appearing on the Site at the invitation of WebMD, and Self-Care With Dr. Shermaine or other visitors to the Sites is solely at your own risk.