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Sally Squires
Washington Post Health and Nutrition Writer
Tuesday, June 03, 2003; 2:00 p.m ET Welcome to The Lean Plate Club, hosted by Washington Post health and nutrition writer Sally Squires. On Tuesdays at 1 p.m. ET, Sally leads a discussion for people who want to eat healthier, move around more and otherwise get better but not bigger. We're not about fad diets or crash weight-loss plans; we're about eating wisely and living healthy for the long haul. We want to hear from you -- your tips, strategies, meal plans, successes, warnings, setbacks and more. Of course Sally will be happy to answer questions, and turn others over to the Club. None of this, of course, is a substitute for medical advice. Sally Squires has covered health and nutrition for The Post since 1984. She holds masters' degrees in nutrition and journalism (both from Columbia University), is co-author of "The Stoplight Diet for Children" and covers heart disease, cancer, psychology and many other health topics in addition to nutrition. She usually eats a salad for lunch, sits unluckily close to the Health section's legendary cookie depository and (for this phase of her ongoing battle of the bulge) swears by "The Firm" series of exercise tapes. Health section editor Craig Stoltz will join Sally sometimes. Stoltz has none of Sally's impressive credentials but labors under a decade-long medical directive to control his weight and eat wisely, takes a statin to lower his blood cholesterol and keeps track of everything he eats on a Palm handheld computer, a fact most of his acquaintances no longer find interesting. Sign up for the free Lean Plate Club e-mail newsletter. A transcript follows. Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
| Sally Squires: Welcome everyone to the Lean Plate Club:
The column this week featured our second fitness makeover. (A big thanks to both LPC members Kelly McCormick and Cindy Cadman as well to Deborah Young, PhD. from the University of Maryland who has so generously donated her time for the consultations.)
In honor of the makeovers, our giveaways this week are well, fitness oriented:
Eight Minutes in the Morning for Real Shapes, Real Sizes by Jorge Cruise (Rodale; $24.95).
Walking Fast: Techniques and Workouts for High-Level Fitness and Performance by Therese Iknoian (Human Kinetics; $15.95)
Body for Life Success Journal by Bill Phillips (HarperCollins; $25.95)
Walking by Ruth Rudner (Human Kinetics, $13.95)
Active Living Every Day by Steve N. Blair, Andrea L. Dunn, Bess H. Marcus, Ruth Ann Carpenter, Peter Jaret, (Human Kinetics; $22.95)
As always our offering is meant to be informational only. It does not endorse any exercise or weight loss program. To be eligible for one of these books, tell us about how you're instilling daily activity into your life. Give us a great tasting recipe. Share a new food find. We're all ears. Winners are announced at the end of the chat.
Please also let me know if you are not receiving the Lean Plate Club electronic newsletter. Email me at leanplateclub@washpost.com and please put "not receiving newsletter" in the subject line. To subscribe to the LPC newsletter, which remains free, please sign up at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/email/front.htm. Newsletters are generally sent out Tuesdays about mid-day.
Now on to the chat:
________________________________________________ Bethesda, Md.: Hi Sally, Great column today - you made a great point about how easy it is to put off exercise for something else. I have learned that I have to schedule it or I will let other things get in the way. It is so worth it to give yourself one hour a day of exercise - it also can be a great stress release at the end of a busy day. Lately, what I've been doing wrong is on some days, I work out super hard at a high intensity for about an hour and a half & then the next day, I'm so sore I can barely do any exercise well. So if I do start working out, I'll be so sore, I have to really trudge through it. Should I just skip the days between the heavy workouts or just moderate? Thanks! washingtonpost.com: Lean Plate Club: A Fit Investment (Post, June 3) Sally Squires: Hey Bethesda: Sounds like you're over-doing it a bit. As exercise physiologist William Kraemer, Phd, at the University of Connecticut has told me, there's sore and then there's sore. Plus, not feeling good on those in between days, probably doesn't help motivate you for more activity.
Try going a little slower. Work up to the higher intensity and yes, if you can, do something more moderate on those in-between days. Let us know how you do. ________________________________________________ Gaithersburg, Md.: I have finally found an exercise routine that works for me: I walk on the treadmill (set up on the basement) for 30 - 35 minutes weekday mornings and then do a few weight training exercises (Jorge Cruise's "8 minute workout" book has been perfect for me).
My question is any advise you have on appropriate weekly exercise goals for children and strategies to work it all into a day! Sally Squires: Hey Gaithersburg: Good for you! Sounds like you've got a great pattern going. As for kids--the goal is for 60 minutes daily of physical activity, which works out to about 7 hours per week. If you have a child who is a couch potato, you probably want to gradually work up to that level of activity.
If you can find things to do with your kids, it's a win-win situation. Bike riding, throwing a ball, playing some pick up basketball. We used to play "balloon" ball with then young son in our front hallway--perfect for these gloomy days by the way. All it takes is a balloon that you hit back and forth. You can make up additional rules as you go along. We spent a surprising amount of time with this. (And you can't really hurt anything indoors with the balloon, unlike a ball.)
I'll bet others out there have found additional activities with their kids. Who's got one? ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: Hi Sally, I always enjoy your columns, but was a little confused by today's. You stated twice that the subject "got checked out on" the office weight equipment. This is so vague as to be useless for readers. What do you mean by this? Did she have a personal training session? Did she just have someone watch her to see if she was doing it correctly? I generally like the helpful hints I usually get in LPC columns, but they need to be specific enough to adapt to our own lives. Sally Squires: Hey DC: Point well taken. We had some discussion about that in the office and thought it had been well described, but apparently not. The deal was that McCormick went to her gym and went through the weight machine rotations once with an attendant so that she made she was doing the exercises correctly. It's a great idea for anybody to get checked out from time to time. Hope that helps. And thanks for the reminder to be more specific. ________________________________________________ McLean, Va.: Food idea: I keep many cans of ready to eat low fat soap at my desk for those days that I can not get out, or feel that going out will derail my diet. In addition, on Mondays I get off the Metro in the morning one stop early and pick up lots of fresh fruit, that is in a bowl on my desk for the week. Sally Squires: Hey McLean: You're like me...sometimes my fingers fly too fast and I make some typos. I'm guessing that you meant soup--although soap wouldn't be a bad idea for a shower after workouts either. Thanks for the other suggestions. They sound gret--oops--great! ________________________________________________ McLean, Va: How about a fitness make over for a middle aged, overweight, bald father (just in time for father's day)! I need help! I can not seem to fit it into my schedule. Sally Squires: You're on McLean! Please contact me after the chat at squiress@washpost.com. We're going to be doing these makeovers periodically. I have a number of you to contact. Thanks to all for being willing to participate! ________________________________________________ Tucson, Ariz.: I find Lean Plate fun and helpful but it always seems to be geared towards sophisticated city or suburban folk. What about us country bumpkins in Arizona. Exercise ideas for an area with 40-50 days of triple digit temps?. I work out in a gym and swim but hiking really wears me out. I live in the desert. Also, what about water, take it in sips or tank up? The old 8 glasses a day is supposed to be a myth. Think outside the Washington Box and help us out. Trudy in Tucson Sally Squires: Hey Tucson: Welcome! Sorry is we seem too much like metropolitan Easterners. In fact, I'm always delighted at the number of LPCers who contact me from coast to coast (including one who signs herself "sticks"). We also have had a regular chatter from Sedona, kind of in you neck of the woods. And we get them from abroad too. So LPC is about a lot more than city folk.
It gets pretty hot here in the summer--although right now a lot of us would simply welcome the sun, elusive for yet another day. Exercise tapes are one way to cope with really hot or really cold outdoor temperatures. All you need is a t.v., vcr and about 4 square feet of space. They also provide a lot of variety.
Some hand weights would be a good idea. You can buy inexpensive sets. Or even use your canned goods. As for water, definitely tank up and keep drinking while you hike. You want to be well hydrated when you get out there and keep hydrated while you're walking. And you can get some good hydration from water filled food too, such as soups, (how about gazpacho for you?), fruit, salads, etc.
________________________________________________ Gaithersburg, Md.: Hi, Sally, There's a new product that I'd read about but hadn't run across until recently, that I just love. It's called "Better'n Peanut Butter. It's available at both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. It has half the calories of regular peanut butter, tastes about the same, and has only a slightly different consistency. Two tablespoons has only 100 calories! There's also a new light mayo by French's called GourMayo. It's moderately calorie-reduced, not as much as the Hellmann's "2Good" mayo, but, this is flavored! I had some on a buffalo burger this weekend -- Chipotle Chili flavor. I believe there are a couple other flavors available, as well.
Sally Squires: Hey Gaithersburg: All sound great. Can you give us more info on the Better 'n Peanut Butter? What are they taking out? Or putting in? And that mayo: what type of oil does it have? Bet you didn't expect so many questions, huh? ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: Hi Sally, If walking is my exercise of choice, and my target is 30 minutes a day, how fast should I be walking? I am sure it probably has to do with getting my heartrate up, etc...but I can't remember those rules.
Thanks for your help! Sally Squires: Hey DC: Let's not talk shoulds. Let's start by meeting that target first. If you want to boost intensity that's fine. The National Academy of Sciences suggested walking about 4 miles per hour--that's brisk. Some experts say if you can still talk, you're doing fine. You can also boost intensity by walking up hills or looking for stairs, as the trainer in today's LPC newsletter mentions. By the way, he was also featured in this Sunday's Source. By the way, target heart rates in general are 220 minus your age. ________________________________________________ Washington, D.C.: I've seen reduced fat peanut butter in the grocery stores - has anyone tried it? Is it any good?
Sally Squires: Let's find out what the consensus is. And speaking of food, I promised that I'd post the 10-minute pizza dough recipe, which I remembered to bring today. It's adapted from Cooking Light magazine:
2 cups flour (unbleached) or use 1.5 cups flour with 1/3 cup whole wheat.
1 package (or 2-1/4 teaspoons) quick rising yeast
1 teaspoon salt ( or less if you are watching salt intake)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil (or slightly more if you want more flavor.)
In food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Pulse. Proof yeast in water with a little bit of sugar. Add to the flour mixture. Add olive oil (which can also be heated slightly in the microwave first.) Process in the food processor until a ball of dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rest for about 10 minutes. Then make into a crust for your pizza. Bake with toppings at 400 degrees until done.
________________________________________________ Lowfat Spinach Artichoke Dip - yummy: One box frozen spinach - defrosted/ squeezed dry
One package fat free cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
garlic, salt, pepper to taste
chopped chives (as many as you like)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
one can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped Combine all ingredients in pot and melt together, serve w/ baked tortilla chips or veggies
Sally Squires: Sounds great! Thanks. ________________________________________________ Laurel, Maryland: I am a 50 year old woman, breast cancer survivor and in the past 3 years I have gained about 20 lbs. I am now training for the Marine Corp Marathon, because, step aerobics, tae bo, and treadmill, have not moved a pound. No thyroid problems either. I am so disappointed in myself and want to do something about it. Will the running get the weight off? Help Sally Squires: Hi Laurel: First of all, it's wonderful that you want to take on this new challenge. Sounds like you have been through a lot these past couple of years--surviving breast cancer, or any serious illness is a major accomplishment.
As for those added pounds. Are you taking any medication that might contribute? Have you discussed this weight gain with your physician? Have you carefully tracked your food to be sure that you're not eating more than you think?
Okay, once you're finished with that checklist, take a look at your body composition. Has that changed? Tracy Sbrocco, PhD, who studies weight loss at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, advises her patients not to get too hung up on the scale. Look as well at your measurements--your waist, hips, thighs, upper arms. Have they changed? Are you lifting weights? That can provide a big boost in body sculpting. And if you have the time and the money, consider treating yourself to a session with either a physical trainer or a registered dietitian.
The running will help you burn more calories. But you may have to do a combination of other exercises, including weight training and lifestyle activities to boost metabolism, to see some significant changes. Plus what you eat does count. Let us know how you do! Good luck! ________________________________________________ Arlington, Va.: Hi Sally. Thank you, as always, for the columns and chats. My hat goes off to the two women from today's column for being so honest! I can relate to "life" getting in the way of our fitness goals. I know that you're a fan of the FIRM and I have also been for the past 10 years. Wanted to let you and the rest of the Lean Plate Clubbers that the new FIRM Body Sculpting System 2 with the sculpting stick is fabulous! The new videos/dvds seem to have more "real" instructors who are not stick-thin. This may be a great way for the Tuscon poster to get exercise in. And I always like to promote doing exercises using one's body weight. Pushups, crunches, stretches, squats, etc. can be done anytime and anywhere. Finally, I know that taking walks early in the morning or in the evening during the hot summers of Washington seem to be the best way to enjoy the outdoors and limit exposure to the heat. Just drink LOTS of water. We get dehydrated much easier than we think. Sorry for the long post. Sally Squires: Hi Arlington: Great point on using your body to help do exercises. Pushup, crunches, etc. are really great ideas. And you're right, you can do them anywhere. I've even found an empty office and done a few push-ups here at the office. Don't tell anyone! ________________________________________________ Maryland: Hi Sally,
I love your articles and the chats. I'm thinking about going back on some medications that, as a side effect, make me gain weight. This is something I am struggling with, and seriously debating whether to even go back on the meds--anti-depressant/mood stabilizers. Any suggestions/advice? Thanks Sally Squires: Hey Maryland: Thanks! There's a book by Robert Hedaya, MD about Surviving Antidepressants that you may want to take a look at. He addresses this problem. Boosting exercise will help some. And there's also increasing evidence that eating more omega 3's in your diet may help a bit with depression, but this is still very preliminary. Some people also find help from more light--and let's face it, we certainly haven't seen the sun much these days. You might also check out the sites at www.nimh.nih.gov or at www.nami.org.
Also research suggests that using antidepressants with psychotherapy is a very good approach for depression rather than antidepressants alone. Good luck. We want to know how it all works out. ________________________________________________ Lowfat hummus: I adapted this from a newspaper recipe which was adapted from Walt Willett's Eat Drink & Be Healthy book. 1 can chickpeas-- drain & reserve liquid
3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1/2 c chopped scallions
1 clove minced garlic (or more to taste)
juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin Combine in food processor all ingredients except 1/4 c scallions. Process, adding reserved chickpea liquid to achieve desired texture. Add salt to taste. Stir in reserved scallions. I made this and didn't miss the tahini at all. Let it sit for a few hours-- it was more flavorful after a rest. Sally Squires: Yum. Hummus is a great food and this chat is making me very hungry! Thanks! ________________________________________________ Vermont: Walking is the main exercise for my kids. They walk to school in the morning (in all weather). They also run around in the back yard. I like to walk or ride bikes with them in the evening or on weekends when we can. One thing that was very motivating for them was a program called "Many Milers" connected with the Vermont Marathon. Kids signed up and tracked the number of miles they walked or ran over 5 months with the goal of doing 26 miles. They got little prizes (plastic charms) for every 10 miles and at the end of the program, they got certificates and medals. My two daughters walked more than 80 miles! Next year they want to plan carefully so that they can do 100 miles. You could set something up like this yourself, tracking the miles on a chart (also teaches graphing skills) and offering little marks of recognition as you go. Maybe get the kids to get a goal for the summer. Sally Squires: Hey Vermont: I don't know about this program, but it sounds great. And you remind me that the Make the Move Challenge we ran earlier this year has been cited as a model by the Rails To Trails Conservancy. Is there a place where members can find out more about the Many Milers? ________________________________________________ Milwaukee: You said: "By the way, target heart rates in
general are 220 minus your age. " Isn't that your maximum heart rate, and
your target rate is between 50 and 70
percent of that? Sally Squires: Yes, you're the second sharp eyed member to note that I dropped that out. See why they give us copy editors here in the newsroom? Thanks very much. ________________________________________________ Bristol, Vt.: Sally - I get so stressed about eating right and working out. I tend to beat myself up if I skip the gym, or eat something lousy for me. Sometimes maintaining a healthy lifestyle ends up being a huge source of frustration. Do you ever feel this way? How do you deal? Thanks for everything; the column is great. Sally Squires: Dear Bristol: You've certainly got lots of company in this chat from folks who are searching for ways to eat better and move more. We're all works in progress and believe me I'm right at the top of the list. Today's fast paced society has engineered lots of food in and engineered out physical activity. Plus we have an aging society that generally burns fewer calories. And yes, there's plenty of stress to go around--but I've found that it doesn't help to beat yourself up about missing a day at the gym or overdoing a food. (There are lots of other things to get worked out about.) In fact, it seems that people who do best at finding their way in all of this are those who chalk up a bad day to just that: a bad day. And they move on. Every day a new start. Plus even those successful losers in the National Weight Control Registry tried and failed numerous times before they finally succeeded. So hang in there. Hope that helps. ________________________________________________ Message from Cindy Cadman: Hi - this is one of the honest ladies from today's column. I felt so guilty telling Sally that I hadn't done any exercise since my makeover that I finally pulled myself off, dusted off my yoga tapes and worked out this weekend. I felt so much better that I'm actually thinking of doing it again! One of the tips for me during my makeover was to work out with a friend. As you all know I haven't done that. Maybe a second idea is to talk over your work out plans with a friend, and if you want to, plan to tell each other when you do and don't meet your goal. Having to admit what I did to Sally was a big motivator to me. Good luck with your health and fitness goals. Sally Squires: Hey Cindy: Guilt seems to be permeating today's chat. Let's stop it. Right here and now. Contemplation is a very important step in all habit change. Just read psychologist James Prochaska's book on it. You're doing great. Thanks for doing the makeover. We're all rooting for each other in this. ________________________________________________ Muskegon: Sally, Your column is a big help to all of us who would be tinier. In your answer to D.C. you said target heart rates are 220 minus your age. Isn't that the 100% rate for the individual, and do you advocate exercising at that rate for weight loss? West Michigan Follower Sally Squires: Yes! And you're the third member who has accurately spotted my error. Thanks! We need careful readers. By the way, my family once lived in your very town. Both my siblings were born there. ________________________________________________ Reduced Fat PB: Reduced fat Jif is good, but all of the name-brand pb have so much bad fat. Organic pb is better for you and much tastier. Try Harris Teeter's Organic crunchy pb. It take a minute to get used to and then you'll be hooked. Promise. Sally Squires: Sounds good. I also like Trader Joe's peanut butter, which is just ground up peanuts. But it's not low-fat. Remember, however, that you get some healthy fats in the PB. ________________________________________________ Washington, DC: Hi, Sally! I liked reading about LPC member Kelley McCormick. I, too, have many opportunities to walk because I don't own a car, but I rarely walk unencumbered. I have my heavy briefcase or groceries schlepping along with me wherever I go! Any advice out there as to how to make this work? Sally Squires: Hey DC: This is a chronic problem. A back pack may help with part of it. We're short on time, but if anyone has used one of those back packs on carts, I'd love to hear your impression of them for next week. Or e-mail me. And when I lived in Manhattan, I used to have a cart for groceries. It might help. If there's another solution out there, we'd love to hear it LPCers! ________________________________________________ Re Many Milers: You can learn about the program at www.vcm.org. However, I did not mean that LPers should enroll their children in this particular program, which is over for the year anyway. I just meant that my kids enjoyed keeping track of their accomplishment and being recognized for it and that anyone can adopt and adapt the same principles for his or her own family. Sally Squires: Thanks very much. It sounds like a great idea. And it's interesting that the states are getting involved. Colorado has its On the Move program. www.coloradoonthemove.org which is for people of all ages. Thanks! ________________________________________________ Gaithersburg, Md.: Dear Vermont:
Great idea! My kids participated in the Rockville Halloween Fun Run and we were considering using that "training" booklet to build up so they could actually run 1K this coming fall.
Also, I try to remember all the studies that say you can do 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there. That makes it easier to work in. Or maybe pedemeters(sp) to track overall walking...
LPC is such a great resource for inspiration. Thank you, Sally! Sally Squires: Thanks Gaithersburg! Those short bouts of activity are great. Also Susan Yanovski, a weight researcher at NIH, has her kids wear the pedometers and she also encourages them to be on a treadmill or exercise bike when they watch t.v. I keep hoping someone will power a television with one of these devices. ________________________________________________ Somewhere, USA - Sticks: One of the things my kid likes is bugs and nature. So sometimes we walk around yard or neighborhood looking for kewl things like cocoons, bird nests, ant hills, eggs on foliage etc. He enjoys it and it's educational and gets us out and about. I also try to go around weeding the garden for 1/2 hour or so a day (in between raindrops). hedheeheeh, actually I'm called "sticks" because of my legs (I actually live near frederick maryland). Sally Squires: All great lifestyle exercises that will also teach your son some wonderful habits. And thanks for the clarification on the nickname! ________________________________________________ Glover Park, DC: Redirecting Cooking Energy: I love to cook. I love to bake. I love the creativity that comes out when I'm playing in the kitchen. But, with a household of two-plus-dog, there aren't a lot of mouths around to eat the creations, and I don't want to eat 'em all myself (there's only so many 1000 calorie cream puffs an LPCer can put away, after all...). So, I'm redirecting my cooking energy, with making soap, of all things. I get to use my scale, I get to use a double boiler, I get to use herbs and yummy smelling things! And the end result doesn't go into my mouth. Sally Squires: Now there's an interesting way to channel your kitchen creativity. Plus you'll have great holiday gifts ready! Thanks! ________________________________________________ Arlington, Va.: re: Low Fat Peanut Butter----It's good but I recommend that you stay away from it because it has a lot more sugar than regular peanut butter. Furthermore, it, like regular peanut butter, has trans fat. Your best best is to use all-natural peanut butter. I love Smucker's All-Natural peanut butter. It's simply peanuts and nuts. It has zero trans-fats and believe it or not is quite good. Sally Squires: Thanks Arlington for the information. I've seen this product too and it looks great. ________________________________________________ Reduced Fat PB: I've tried it...and the problem with it is like a lot of other low fat food...they increase the sugars to compensate for the fat... As a weight loss surgery patient...I can tell the difference in foods with increased sugars.. Sally Squires: Another interesting point on the low fat Peanut Butter. Thanks very much (and continued good luck after your weight loss surgery.) That's a big step. We're rooting for you. ________________________________________________ My South Beach Diet update - a little long: I wrote in last week to say I was on Day One of the South Beach Diet. It’s now a week later, and I’m five and a half pounds lighter. My husband is down six pounds, and he cheated on the weekend with beer, and he had hash browns on the morning we went out for breakfast. This is without exercise. I’m not saying that I don’t intend to exercise, I’m just being honest – I have found it harder to adjust my schedule to fit in exercise than I have to changing my diet, but this week I’m really going to focus on getting in 30 minutes of some exercise a day, which is what Agatston recommends.
Now, someone last week said that South Beach was “Atkins with fruit”. It’s not. In fact, where Agatston parts ways with Atkins is on saturated fats – and if you actually READ the first half of the book, he makes some good points as to why he believes those are bad for you, based on clinical results. His focus is on “good fats”, or what he terms the Mediterranean fats – olive, canola, fish, and nut oils. The first two weeks are the most restrictive – another similarity – but his diet restricts it to lean meats, low fat cheeses, healthy spreads like HeartSmart or Benacol, and lots of veggies. After two weeks, you slowly add in good carbs – so that’s when the fruit comes back – in moderation.
I feel great, a little tired at first without all the sugar I used to consume in Cokes and pasta – and I miss milk, but I get that back after two weeks. I don’t have that vague nauseous feeling that some people on Atkins have complained about, but then I’m not consuming large amounts of saturated fat, either.
The diet’s been around for about 10 years, in the cardiac care facility of the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Miami, where Dr. Agatston is director of the Cardiac Care Center. The original name (from the center’s web site) is “Mt. Sinai Modified Carbohydrate Diet”, which probably wouldn’t sell well – but if you read the South Beach diet book, you can tell his focus is more on cardiac health, diabetes, and obesity, than it is on mere weight loss. But, the weight loss is there.
Sally Squires: Thanks very much for this update. It's a great report. Please let us know how it continues to go. ________________________________________________ Brambleton, Va.: Hi Sally, Finally got a look at the South Beach Diet - in case any of today's readers are interested. A previous poster was right when he/she said it was NOT Atkins with carbs, although for the first two weeks, it looks like Atkins - adjusted for lean protein and lf/ff cheeses. After the first two weeks, slowly and carefully add whole carbs back into your diet - start with one fruit a day, and if you feel okay and don't gain weight from that one fruit, add a slice of whole grain bread to the fruit the next day. Continue on this path and monitor yourself. By phase three, you'll be somewhat back to a full range of foods, but you never go back to fried twinkies. Prevention.com has a full overview, but the book has a better listing of foods to eat and foods to avoid by phase. Sally Squires: Some more good reporting on this diet, which has promoted a lot of questions in previous chats. Thanks very much! ________________________________________________ Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.: Hi there - I have a question about the carb content of fruits and vegetables. I eat tons of them but then when I enter my food on Fitday I'm dismayed to see how high my carb content is. Is this ok?...are these considered "good" carbs? Should I be cutting back? Thanks! Sally Squires: Hey Capital Hill: Indeed, fruit and vegetables do have carbs, but they are generally complex carbs and because they come "packaged" with fiber and plenty of other healthy vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, they are indeed considered good--unless you are following the induction phase of the very low carb diets. And then, they need to be limited. But the National Cancer Institute tells us that most Americans fall very short of these healthy products. ________________________________________________ Glover Park, Washington, D.C.: My new LPC dinner solution: Individually-quick-frozen seafood. Whether it be shrimp or scallops, it defrosts so quickly, it cooks up with a minimal of fat in a wink, and then can be served on top of whatever is on hand. Tonight: scallops, linguini, and a little touch of artichoke/spinach dip from Whole Foods that a guest brought to our cookout this weekend. Since my husband works night, dinners are Just For One, and if its not quicker than ordering out, you can guess what I end up doing. (LPC update: down 23.5 lbs since Halloween, and can fit into cute little cocktail dress for summer weddings now!) Sally Squires: Way to go Glover Park! Congratulations. Keep up the good work! ________________________________________________ Fairfax, Va.: I've been trying to substitute healthier snacks for the chips/soda pop/candy kind of stuff that I usually reach for. I've recently become obsessed with Safeway's flavored sparkling waters. It seems like it's a far better alternative to the pop that I want because I choose the sugar-free version and it still seems to meet my need for carbonation. I still drink a lot of water. Looking at the label, everything's at zero for a serving size (8 oz), but the bottles are 33.8 oz. each and I assume there are some calories present. I like it so much that I'm often finishing a bottle where I might have had a 20 oz. Coke (at 250 calories each). Am I kidding myself or is this truly a good bargain, both in terms of health and money? Thanks! Sally Squires: Hey Fairfax: The label should be accurate. If it's not, the Food and Drug Administration would like to know. Sounds like you've found something that works well for you. And these flavorings generally don't have calories, so you should be good to go. ________________________________________________ Crystal City, Va.: Hi Sally,
In my attempts to instill a feeling of summer despite the gloomy weather, I've been drinking smoothies at Cosi lately (I know, I should make my own, but I always crave them in the middle of the day when I'm at work). They use some kind of juice and ice and blend it all together. I know it's not the same as having a smoothie made from fresh fruit, but are these things bad for me? Do you think they're loaded with calories? On a similar note, have you tried bubble tea (also known as pearl tea or boba tea)? It's basically flavored and sweetened cold tea, served with tapioca pearls that you drink through a large straw. I wonder if something like this is loaded with calories as well? I hope not, because it's delicious! I believe it's originally Taiwan, and it can be found in some Asian teahouses. It's much easier to find in the West Coast and NY than here in DC, though. Thanks! Sally Squires: Hey Crystal City: Cosi should be able to give you a good idea of the calorie content. You're right to wonder about it because unless you make them at home, smoothies can be loaded with a lot more than you think. I don't know about the tea, but will see what I can find out. Find out if it has coconut milk, which could boost calories and fat, especially saturated fat, significantly. ________________________________________________ Bethesda, Md.: Some wonderful low-fat, veggie ways to get protein and feel full for longer during the day:
- Fantastic Foods makes a great inexpensive instant black bean dip mix (and a refried bean mix) that works well with veggies for dipping at lunchtime or for a spread on sandwiches -Mix slices of regular and lite tofu on a baking sheet, spray with a spritz of canola oil spray, bake until golden, and eat with a sauce made from a bit of lite soy sauce and citrus juice and zest - or wonderful yuzu-flavored soy sauce (at Asian markets.)
- Eggbeaters (or grocery equivalent) are great with some fat free shredded cheese and/or low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese for a fluffy morning omelet - throw in some spinach for zest!
- Finally, Trader Joe's (who else?) makes a frozen veggie mix called "soycutash" with edamame, red peppers, and corn - mix with a dab of Brummel & Brown or your choice of butter substitute, add a dash of pepper - yum! Sally Squires: Great ideas, Bethesda! Thanks very much! ________________________________________________ Westwood, N.J.: Dear Sally,
I love your chat! Are there any general guidelines about when and by how much our metabolism slows down? I am in my early thirties and have noticed that food and exercise have different effects on my body than they used to. Do I have more changes ahead, or is this a one-time shift from my teens and twenties to 'middle-age'? Any studies on this? It would be nice to plan ahead! Sally Squires: Thanks Westwood! Metabolism does begin to slow slightly. But the change you're experiencing could have more to do with lack of activity during the day (what kind of job do you have?) and how much you're eating. (You might want to track that for about a week to tell for sure. Don't change anything, just record what you eat and see how many calories you are eating.) Let us know what you discover. ________________________________________________ Sally Squires: We are way over time folks. They're getting the hook and there are still tons more comments and questions that I'd love to post. So look for more in next week's newsletter. (See how to subscribe above.) Winners this week are:
Vermont for the Milers info; the spinach recipe submitter, Arizona (trying to exercise in the heat), the first South Beach submitter and Bristol, Vt.
Thanks to all for a great chat. Thanks to Kelly McCormick and Cindy Cadman for inspiring us to work out more!
Until next week, eat smart and move more with the Lean Plate Club. ________________________________________________ Sally Squires: P.S. If you're one of the winners, please email me your snail mail address to squiress@washpost.com. And please put winner in the subject line. ________________________________________________ washingtonpost.com: That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion. ________________________________________________ © Copyright 2003 The Washington Post Company | 
