Lean Plate Club

Talk About Nutrition and Health

Confused about nutrition? Wondering how to fit in more physical activity? Welcome to the Lean Plate Club. Ask Sally Squires, nationally syndicated Lean Plate Club columnist for the Washington Post, about eating smart and moving more every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. Sally draws upon her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University to preside over the lively Lean Plate Club web chat. Whether you're trying to reach a healthier weight or simply maintain it, you'll find plenty of tips and strategies.

Share your own food finds, creative workouts and secrets for healthy, great tasting meals. We'll cheer your successes and help with your setbacks. (None of this, of course, is a substitute for medical advice.) E-mail Sally, author of the newly published Secrets of the Lean Plate Club (St. Martin's Press) at leanplateclub@washpost.com.

Or just sign up for the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter. The Lean Plate Club column appears Tuesdays in the Washington Post Health section and is nationally syndicated by the Washington Post Writers Group. Find other Lean Plate Club members at www.frappr.com/leanplateclub.

The Archives:

Sally Squires's Recent Columns

Discussion Transcripts

A transcript follows.

Sally Squires: Welcome to the Lean Plate Club. We've got tea to sip as a topic for today's Web chat.

The LPC e-mail newsletter should be in your electronic inbox now. In it, find a link to caffeine comparisons of various teas, information about a proposed fast food tax in England, a way to test drive a new Web site loaded with vegetable recipes, the latest food recalls and of course, plenty of staying active.

If you'd like to subscribe to this free, weekly service, just log onto leanplateclub@washpost.com. Look for the link to the e-mail newsletter. Click that and you'll just be one click away from signing up.

Now on to the chat!

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Dieting in Delaware: First time poster and submitting early! (I have a meeting during your chat of course!) I really appreciate the hints and suggestions of everyone on this list to help bit-by-bit. I'm a 29-year-old female and struggling to lose 10 pounds. I exercise for about 45 minutes 4 times a week. I am trying to be better, but I'm going to the beach all next week. My favorite thing to eat on the beach are sour cream and onion potato chips. I'm looking for lower-fat/calorie snacks to much on during the day. All I've come up with so far is some sort of bean dip and carrot sticks and some grapes. I would love some more suggestions for snacks and light meals. ...

Thank you so much!

Sally Squires: If you've got access to a blender, you might make some icy smoothies with nonfat yogurt, fruit and plenty of ice. The more you blend them, the more air they have and the fuller they can help make you feel.

Cold soups would be another option. (Again if you will have access to a cooler.) Gazpacho is delicious and really easy to make. I also am a fan of salads and wraps (that are homemade, where you control ingredients. The others are often loaded with calories.) I just snagged a pack of high-fiber, whole-wheat wraps at Costco. They have 110 calories and are really filling for sandwiches at lunch or a kind of wrap/burrito at dinner.

Other suggestions out there? Send 'em our way. Have fun at the beach!

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Cork, Ireland: I drink seven or eight cups of green tea each night -- is this harmful?

Sally Squires: Not unless the caffeine interferes with your sleep. Or you find that you have to get up a lot to go to the loo at night. Those are the only downsides that I can think of...

Hope that helps. Thanks!

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Cumberland, Md.: Our household favorite morning tea is Red Rose. Earl Grey tops the charts for afternoon or evening.

Sally Squires: There are so many wonderful teas...and so little time! Darjeeling and Jasmine Green tea top my list. Also, Lipton Cold Brew for iced tea especially during the summer.

Other favorites out there? Send 'em our way! Thanks.

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Winona, Minn.: I love tea, hot or cold, herbal, white, red, black, green. I have an entire cupboard devoted to boxes and boxes of tea.

I find that the right cup of tea can soothe a cold, help with illness, settle an upset tummy, help with a headache, or ward off hunger pains or food cravings (helping me to lose weight). The best tea I ever tasted is from www.mypinktea.com (I have no connection). Try their very yummy Blood Orange Tea.

Description from web page: The same familiar and irresistible flavor just like the orange soda but without the calories, indulge in this treat happily and guilt-free with our Blood Orange herbal tea.

Drink tea everyday! Peace!

Sally Squires: That sounds like a wonderful brew...And thanks for supplying the Web site. I'm with you...a good cup of tea really is one of life's wonderful pleasures. And just brewing it makes you slow down a little, don't you think? It's a peaceful activity. Thanks!

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Arlington, Va.: Favorite Hot Teas:

Bigelow Earl Grey

Bigelow English Breakfast

Bigelow Constant Comment

Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend

Sally Squires: Ah that Constant Comment takes me back to my childhood, when my mother used to brew that type of tea. It has a wonderful flavor doesn't it. Back then (and in the heart of the Midwest), it seemed downright exotic. How far we have come in our tea drinking, don't you think? Thanks!

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Reston, Va.: Your article says it's healthiest to drink the tea soon after it brews. Lately, I've just put a tea bag in a cup or pitcher of water rather than heating the water, especially now, in the summer. Is there real benefit in brewing the tea?

Sally Squires: Some experts think that the most benefit comes from consuming the tea as soon as possible after the leaves have infused the water. No one mentioned whether there are any benefits to brewing it hot or cold. And I spoke with one expert who thought that it doesn't make much difference when you consume the tea, although that was not the majority view.

And let me point out that apparently in Asia, they carry around containers of tea, much like we do water. So it likely doesn't make that much of a difference.

Enjoy.

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Herndon, Va.: Sally, have you read Gina Kolata's new book, "Rethinking Thin?" If so, what do you think of the research she presents that indicates that formal diets do not work and can actually contribute to overweight/obesity over time?

Sally Squires: I haven't read her book yet, but I did get a very thoughtful message from a long-time Lean Plate Club member and successful loser who was quite disturbed by it.

She felt that if she had read the book before her own significant weight loss that she would have been quite discouraged by the book.

There's pretty wide agreement that extreme diets can help people drop weight, but may set them up for yo-yo dieting (not a great thing).

But it sounds like I need to read that volume before commenting any further.

Anybody else out there who has read it? If so, what's your reaction? We'd love to hear what you think.

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My cube: With the weather getting so warm, I've found a new refreshing drink ... 7-11 makes a Crystal Light Slurpee ... and it is AMAZING. I believe it only has 30 calories for 8 oz. I'm thinking that's better than a milkshake or frappucino any day! Good way to stay cool.

Sally Squires: Sounds refreshing...And it's hard to beat those 30 calories. Wonder if that could be duplicated in a blender...Thanks for the food, er, drink find!

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Nashville, Tenn.: Hi Sally! And thanks for taking our questions!

I know that during these hot summer days, we need to constantly work at staying hydrated. But I've found it difficult to do during the day when I'm on the go, especially during weekends, when I spend a lot of time outdoors. It's fairly easy for me to stop at a gas station or machine and pick up a bottle of soda or buy some iced tea (sorry -- I can't stand the idea of buying bottled water). I've heard, though, that because teas and sodas often are caffeinated, they may actually dehydrate you. My question is this: If I had a choice between drinking a diet soda, iced tea or absolutely nothing, which is preferable? Is it better to not drink ANYTHING than something with caffeine?

Thanks in advance!

Sally Squires: Yes, the diet sodas and tea have some caffeine. But they're also mostly water. And most of us consume so much sodium, that the caffeine is likely to have little effect as a significant diuretic, unless that's all that you're drinking and you consume them in huge amounts.

So hedge your bets -- and satisfy your taste buds -- by switching from one to the other, particularly if the iced tea is sweetened with real sugar. You could also carry a thermos of ice water....Just a thought...Hope that helps. Thanks!

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Washington, D.C.: I really like Chamomile tea before bed. It helps with digestion (I think) and seems to make me sleepy. Are there any other health benefits?

Sally Squires: I just did a very quick search on IBIDS, the database run by the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Thirty-five different peer-reviewed listings popped up. Two were of particular interest: they suggested some possible interactions of chamomile with some medications. So if you take any medications before bedtime, you might factor that into the equation. Otherwise, enjoy.

I pasted the abstract below...


An overview of herbal supplement utilization with particular emphasis on possible interactions with dental drugs and oral manifestations.
Author: Abebe,-W
Citation: J-Dent-Hyg. 2003 Winter; 77(1): 37-46
Abstract: Herbal medication in the United States is a popular form of therapy. This paper provides an overview of the utilization of herbal supplements with particular emphasis on possible interactions with oral health drugs and oral manifestations. Herbal supplements are regulated by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), which limits their regulation by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A number of studies indicate that there is a progressive increase in the utilization of herbal supplements. The majority of consumers of these products are white, middle-aged women who have some college education. Many of the consumers use pharmaceutical drugs concurrently, but most do not inform their health-care providers about their use of herbal supplements. Various herbal supplements have been reported or are suspected to interact with certain oral health drugs, the most important one being 1) bromelain, cayenne, chamomile, feverfew, dong quai, eleuthro/Seberian ginseng, garlic, ginkgo, ginger, ginseng and licorice interacting with aspirin; 2) aloe latex, ephedra, ginseng, rhubarb, cascara sagrada, licorice, and senna interacting with corticosteriods; 3) kava, St. John's wort, chamomile, and valerian interacting with central nervous system (CNS) depressant drugs; and 4) herbs acting on the gastrointestinal system, altering the absorption of several orally administered drugs. Further, the use of some herbal supplements has been reported to be associated with oral manifestations, including aphthous ulcers, lip and tongue irritation, and swelling with feverfew; gingival bleeding with feverfew and ginkgo; tongue numbness with echinacea; xerostomia with St. John's wort; oral and lingual dyskinesia with kava; and salivation with yohimbe. These potential effects of herbal supplements in conjunction with factors related to regulation restrictions suggest that the use of these products may be associated with various adverse reactions that can affect oral health and treatment. Dental hygienists should inform themselves about herbal supplements in order to offer appropriate oral health care to individuals who take these substances.

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Manassas, Va.: I've just ordered a Starter Kit for "growing" Kombucha tea. There is a tremendous amount of info available online; it's supposed to be very healthy. It's made with black or green tea and sugar and the starter culture, and fermented for a few days till it gets naturally "carbonated".

Sally Squires: Kombucha tea is made from tea leaves and a mushroom. I just saw some of the claims on this product. And it reminds me what the Federal Trade Commission always tells consumers: if something sounds too good to be true, beware.

Anybody out there try kombucha?

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rva : WHAT's the problem with bottled water? The cost? Why not consider it the cost of health? The lack of taste? When I'm really hot and thirsty, cold water tastes great. I've started being more diligent about bringing my own water bottle with my own free tap water in it so I don't feel silly paying $2 for a cup of water.

Sally Squires: Sometimes, you can't even get it for $2 a bottle. You have to pay much more.

In New York City, officials are encouraging consumers to use tap in a re-useable bottle to help cut down on the amount of plastic bottles used. Interesting idea. What do you think?

I've just ordered a seltzer making kit. Will let you know how it works after I've tried it.

Anybody out there making their own seltzer now? Would love to hear how you like it.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi, Sally,

I'm the LPC member/successful loser who sent you the e-mail about Gina Kolata's book.

Here's my own personal observation on weight loss and successful maintenance. It's a perspective that continues to grow on me, as I move through time and continue to keep the weight off.

I believe that any extreme approach is bad. (Barring immediate loss of life if something isn't done, of course.) The unsuccessful losers in the Kolata book were, in my opinion, being subjected to too restrictive a regimen. Taking weight off quickly via a deprivational approach oftentimes seems like a good idea, but it usually backfires. We humans don't do well with deprivation.

These days, I tell people: don't do anything to lose the weight that you are not willing and able to do for a lifetime. Eat now the way you want to eat 5, 10, 15 years from now. If you're not enjoying your diet now, you're sure not going to enjoy it when you have to keep it up for a lifetime. Eat the foods you love, just not as often as before. Forbidding yourself certain foods "forever" or "until I lose the weight" will usually set you up to fail.

Moderation and flexibility are key concepts, where successful maintenance is concerned.

I believe that HOW you remove the weight is very, very important. Extreme approaches do not work; swing the pendulum too far in one direction and you'll get bonked on the head during its return trip.

Sally Squires: Thanks very much for weighing in!

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Arlington, Va.: Sally, I just wanted to let you and the chatters know what I am doing to keep motivated. For Christmas 2008, my husband, mother-in-law, aunt-in-law, and I are planning a trip to Disney World. So I decided that I would walk there! No, not actually walk there, but everyday I will walk a little bit and add it to the total. Calculating where I live and the time we're going, I will need to average about 2 miles everyday, which is completely do-able! Plus, the more I work, the more stamina I will build, so I'm hoping that I get to my goal early and can start "walking" somewhere else! (California maybe?)

Sally Squires: What a great idea! I hope you'll keep up apprised of your progress on this journey. Thanks much.

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London: Hi,

Don't know if you can answer this one, but I drink a lot of espresso, and I'm wondering if this is just as healthy as tea or coffee? Also, do you know how to keep tea/coffee/etc from staining your teeth?

Thanks!!

Sally Squires: Welcome London. You're the second Lean Plate Club member participating in today's chat from across the pond...

There seem to be a growing number of health benefits from coffee. But they don't appear to be the same as tea. And remember, for both coffee and tea, the health benefits are unfolding. Among coffee's potential benefits...and let's underscore that word POTENTIAL...possible prevention of diabetes, maybe some help as well against Alzheimer's or Parkinson's...But it's all still unfolding.

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Cycling question: Sally, thanks for the links with cycling clubs. I became interested in cycling when I entered a sprint-length triathlon for charity. However, I found that bikes are a lot more complex than they were in the sixties. In my town, the employees at the bike shop treat me like I'm kind of dumb, which I am about bikes, but it discourages me from asking questions. I have a friend who cycles, but I always feel like I'm holding her back. My question: can anyone recommend a book or Web site with beginner's information about cycling and bikes? I don't even know how to change a tube on a tire...

Sally Squires: The League of American Bicyclists seems to have a lot of what you need. We'll post a link to their Web site in a minute as well as to a bunch of others that may be helpful. Happy trails to you!

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problem with bottled water: I'm not the original poster, but my problem with bottled water is that you're paying to ship something from far away that you can get for less money and with less pollution almost everywhere in the U.S.

Sally Squires: Well said. At the Culinary Institute of America, I was much amused to see that we drank bottled water imported from, drum roll please, Fiji!

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Manassas, Va.: Oh, and kombucha is not really a mushroom, it's a culture that people tend to describe as a mushroom.

Sally Squires: Hmm. That may be, but there's quite a Web site from the UK that talks about this tea that is also made with a mushroom. We'll post a link in a minute.

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Chantilly, Va.: Hi Sally!

I drink my tea really strong. Most teas say to brew for 2-3 minutes (or 3-5 minutes in a few cases), but I generally brew mine for at least 8 minutes--what can I say? I grew up in England, and a good strong cup of tea was what I learned to love! Do you know if this might be detrimental at all?

By the way, my favorites are: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Chai. I also enjoy some herbal and flavored teas (I love orange spice and peach spice teas!)

Sally Squires: The only detriment I think of is that it might get a little bitter. Otherwise, enjoy.

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Greensboro, N.C.: I second the email from Gaithersburg. Although I haven't read the book in question, I've been successful at keeping weight off by making lifestyle changes, not dieting. If you want to be healthy long-term, you need to be willing and able to keep up your changes long-term. I don't have forbidden foods, but there are foods that I don't eat as often, or in large quantities.

Also, a question for the post about re-using water bottles. I think its a great idea environmentally, but I though that I'd heard that re-using the bottles wasn't a good idea because the plastic released toxic chemicals after it had been used repeatedly. Any thoughts, Sally?

Sally Squires: Hmm. Sounds like there's more reporting to be done on that bottled water question...Stay tuned...And thanks for posting about your own successful weight loss. Both your comments are quite consistent with what has been found in the National Weight Control Registry--a group of several thousand successful losers. Congratulations by the way at what you have accomplished and thanks for being an inspiration to us all.

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washingtonpost.com: ACA Road Skills Clinics (PDF; americancycling.org) Cycling 101 (usacycling.org) MTB Basics (usacycling.org) Washington Area Bicyclists Association (waba.org) League of American Bicyclists

washingtonpost.com: ACA Road Skills Clinics (PDF; americancycling.org)
Cycling 101 (usacycling.org)
MTB Basics (usacycling.org)
Washington Area Bicyclists Association (waba.org)
League of American Bicyclists

Sally Squires: As promised. And thanks to our intrepid producer Paul Williams who is managing to work his usual magic despite an ailing computer!

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washingtonpost.com: kombuchatea.co.uk

washingtonpost.com: kombuchatea.co.uk

Sally Squires: Here's the info on the mushroom from England.

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Mount Kisco, N.Y.: I just joined the chat day for the first time...thank you, Sally, for wonderful information. Has anyone mentioned the Joseph's oat bran, flax whole wheat pitas yet? They are low carb, 60 calories and high fiber. I can only get them at Stop N Shop. Any other stores carry them?

Sally Squires: Welcome! And yes, you're the first to mention those pitas. They sound delicious. Thanks for the food find. Anybody else discovered these at a different location? If so, please e-mail me at leanplateclub@washpost.com. Thanks.

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Pregnancy Diet: Do you or the chatters have any recommendations for books about healthy eating during pregnancy? Any tips or suggestions?

Sally Squires: You bet! In fact, there's a book by that very title by W. Allan Walker, MD. co-written with Courtney Humphries, Offical title: "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating During Pregnancy." McGraw-Hill is the publisher and it's in paperback.

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Washington, DC: I'd like to know which tea has the most antioxidants?

Yellow

Black

White

Green

and does it matter whether it is a tea bag or brewed from loose tea. Also is there any benefit in eating the tea after you have drunk it as stated in the article today? Thanks

Sally Squires: Let's start with the last part first: no need to eat these leaves. You can get plenty of the antioxidants in all the teas.

All these teas are rich in antioxidants. But green tea is the one that has epigallocatechin gallate, EGCG. That is one of the tea ingredients that seems most promising.

I didn't find anything or any experts to say that loose tea has any special benefits over tea bags.

Bottom line: drink what you like best. If you want to hedge your bets, variety is always a good thing in food and drink. Hope that helps.

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San Jose, Calif.: I am a green tea lover, but I read an article that a pregnant woman should not consume green tea. This is because the agent that helps fight cancer also prevents the absorption of folic acid, hence not good for the developing embryo/fetus. Is this correct?

Sally Squires: I found one study from Germany, published late last year, that found some interaction between EGCG in green tea and folic acid absorption. But this was done in a test tube. And the researchers said it needs to be investigated more.

In the meantime, moderation is always important. And you probably wouldn't want to take a prenatal vitamin or folic acid with your tea. But let's also point out that the incidence of spina bifida and other neural tube defects doesn't seem to be extra high in Japan or other countries that consume a lot of tea.

Hope that helps. Here's the citation from PUBMED at the National Library of Medicine...

1: Planta Med. 2007 Jan;73(1):27-32. Epub 2006 Nov 21. Links
Inhibition of folic acid uptake by catechins and tea extracts in Caco-2 cells.Alemdaroglu NC, Wolffram S, Boissel JP, Closs E, Spahn-Langguth H, Langguth P.
Institute of Pharmacy, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.

In this present study it was aimed to determine whether the catechins contained in green tea and the whole extracts of Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) inhibit the uptake of folic acid by Caco-2 cell monolayers. Our results indicate that (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin 3-gallate (ECG) inhibit cellular folic acid uptake with IC50 values of 34.8 micromol/L and 30.8 micromol/L, respectively. Furthermore, green and black tea extracts were also found to inhibit folic acid uptake with IC50 values of approximately 7.5 and 3.6 mg/mL, respectively. According to these results, simultaneous intake of tea and folic acid may inhibit intestinal folic acid absorption. The consequences with respect to the folate status of the body will need to be examined in vivo.

PMID: 17117344 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Staining Teeth: I have an adult friend who has those ceramic braces. Her orthodontist told her that to avoid staining them, she should drink coffee, tea, soda, etc., through a straw -- carefully, especially if it's hot. That way, the liquid isn't constantly touching the teeth. But remember -- be careful if it's hot liquid, or you could severely burn your mouth.

Sally Squires: Interesting. Thanks!

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dictionary: kombucha

Function: noun

: a gelatinous mass of symbiotic bacteria (as Acetobacter xylinum) and yeasts (as of the genera Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces) grown to produce a fermented beverage held to confer health benefits.

Sally Squires: Thank you.

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Tiffin, Ohio: Yes, I think fast food should be taxed. It's obvious we're in trouble when fries are the nation's favorite vegetable! Taxes might at least get folks to think twice before treating themselves to more obesity.

Sally Squires: In today's e-mail newsletter, I included a link to a proposal for a fast food tax in England. Thanks for weighing in.

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College Station, Tex.: I wish the food Nazis would leave us alone. People with common sense and a little discipline will not abuse food for the same reason we don't use tobacco products. We'd rather be healthy. Provide people with good information, and most will make good common sense decisions. The rest should be left to pay the cost of their own poor decision making or simple lack of discipline. Its called personal responsibility.

Sally Squires: Why do I think that we'll be talking about this issue for some time to come? Thanks for chiming in.

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Wesley Chapel, Fla.: For Dieting in Delaware

As a Floridian, I spend lots of time on the beach in really HOT weather. My favorite snack is just chunks of icy cataloupe and watermelon. I cut them into a container, keep them in the cooler and just munch away.

They are also so high in water content they help to keep me hydrated.

Have fun at the beach!

Sally Squires: That's a great suggestion! Yum. Thanks.

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Sally Squires: We're out of time folks...And I've got to run to go on WTWP radio. Hope that some of you will tune in there. (1500 AM, 107.7 FM and on the Web at www.washingtonpost.com/radio.)

Thanks to all for a great and wide-ranging discussion.

Winners today are:
Winona, Florida (for chiming in on the beach food suggestion), Arlington (for the walk to Disneyworld), Greensboro and Mt. Vernon. Please e-mail me your name address etc. and please put winner in the subject line.

Until next week, eat smart and move more -- and yes drink some tea! -- with the Lean Plate Club.

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