Q&A & Vitalicious Winner!

Marla of Family Fresh Cooking: How in the world do you figure out calorie counts in recipes?  (I know that is a huge part of being an RD!)

Prevention RD: I either add up the totals for the ingredients in the recipe by looking at the label for calories, sodium, fiber, etc. or what I more commonly do is enter the entire recipe into www.dailyplate.com and divide by the number of servings. The Calorie Count website is also great, though they don’t have verified nutrition facts like Daily Plate. Both work well and is super easy to use! Great question! Calculating recipes can be a bit tedious, but I figure I only need to do it once for something I love and want to make in the future!

Paul of Mostly Grocery: Should replacement shakes be used if you’re trying to diet?

Prevention RD: I think there’s a time and a place for meal replacement shakes. Are they a ticket for weight-loss? Absolutely not. Meal replacements tend to be moderate in calories and protein, low in fiber, and contain various vitamins and minerals. Most people find that drinking a “meal” will not keep them satisfied for long. Typically, people purchasing meal replacement supplements are looking for a healthy to-go option and I think that with a little planning, it’s very possible to throw together something more nutritionally sound and filling, and certainly a bit cheaper. Great question! Supplements are a hot topic…always!

John of Challenges2010: What’s the price comparison between Kefir and Yogurt…$/serving?

Prevention RD: This is a hard question to compare, apples-to-apples. Are we comparing organic Kefir to standard yogurt? Organic yogurt? Organic Greek yogurt? Greek yogurt is currently the most expensive yogurt on the market. Organic yogurt is the next most expensive, and standard  yogurts are cheapest (generic brands coming in at the bottom of the range). Kefir is approximately $0.75-$0.99 per serving (8 ounces) which is comparable to Greek yogurt. Sale prices and location will alter this information, but this is estimated off my local prices here in Tulsa. Good question!!

Christina of Faith, Fitness, and Fun: What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

Prevention RD: My poor memory will probably fail me here, but ONE crazy thing my hockey team did was make a “Sexy” University of Illinois Women’s Ice Hockey calendar. You know, like the firemen do 😉 We put on our hockey equipment…thongs…bras…and other lingerie on top. We took “seductive” pictures on the Zamboni and all around the rink. It was a blast and a bit on the crazy side…right? 😉 I’m lame, I know! I know!

Christina of Faith, Fitness, and Fun: Do you have any regrets about things in your life? Or something you thought you would regret, but ended up being a great decision?

Prevention RD: I can honestly say I don’t have any real regrets in life. Yet, anyways! I did, however, think that I may regret living in Italy for a summer with my husband (fiancé at the time). The time I spent in Italy was the summer before going into grad school, and while my peers were earning money and gaining experience in the field, I was frolicking around Italy playing stay-at-home fiancé! I had to ship about 40 pounds of text books overseas and spend a substantial amount of time each day getting ready for grad school (you should’ve SEEN the pre-work we were assigned…holy moly!).

The other thing that comes to mind is accepting my current position. I was looking for my first job out of grad school during the recent economic turmoil. I finally received an offer…in the boonies and for much less money than I wanted to be making. But, I accepted. Four days after starting work, the RD’s got a 40% salary increase!! Talk about a blessing from above! Plus, it happened on my birthday! But, nope…no regrets thus far!

Christina of Faith, Fitness, and Fun: Is your blog different now than what you expected it to be when first starting out?

Prevention RD: When I started my blog, I had no expectations. I hadn’t ever read a single blog post until after I had started my own blog! What has become of my blog, I am very pleased with! I hope to continue writing, learning, teaching, and growing through blogging! I have always wanted to be a writer and I feel that blogging may lead me to writing opportunities at some point. Until then, I will be patient and keep doing what I love!

Rebecca from France: Is there anything good to be had in mushrooms?  I really like them and like to cook with them (real mushrooms, of course, not the canned leather variety) but my boyfriend 1) doesn’t like their texture and 2) thinks there are no substantial nutrients in them.  Who is right?

Prevention RD: Mushrooms have a lot of positive health benefits! They are high in dietary fiber (including a fiber associated with cholesterol-lowering effects – chitin) and heart health properties found in beta-glutans. Another interesting fact about mushrooms is that their protein content and carbohydrate content are just about the same, meaning mushrooms are approximately 50% carbohydrate and 50% protein. That’s very rare in a vegetable! Or, should I say fungi? 🙂 The texture of mushrooms is a result of the carbohydrate-protein-fiber content and unless the texture is manually altered (chopped, pureed, etc), there is not much you can do about the texture. But, alas, you are correct…mushrooms offer excellent nutritional benefits! Awesome question!

Lori: I have high blood pressure and have had it since I was 15 (35 now). I found out that I have hyperaldosteronism and am on Spirnolactone. I am also allergic to wheat. I eat a clean diet but am having a lot of trouble losing weight. I do eat low fat dairy and some meat (mostly chicken). Is it possible that I have an iodine deficiency that is causing thyroid problems and therefore hindering weight loss? PS I have had a goiter before the size of a baseball from over-consumption of soy, I was trying to go vegan, and not eat wheat…

Prevention RD: Firstly, I wanted to say that I’m very sorry you’ve had to make such drastic dietary changes, on top of battling your weight (just know you’re not alone on that front!). That’s a lot to take on and many would just throw up their arms in defeat. Second, I have to put in my disclaimer in that I am not a diagnostician and I am only responding based on what I know about you (above) and what I know about iodine, hyperaldosteronism, and diet. But, I want to take a stab at your question 🙂

My first thought may seem basic, but are you sure your goiter was not an adrenal tumor? Many hyperaldosteronism cases are due to benign tumors growing on the adrenal gland and treatment is removal of the tumor. Assuming a tumor is NOT the cause of your hyperaldosteronism, rest assured that your high blood pressure IS likely due to your condition and not your diet. Spironolactone is a drug used to treat hyperaldosteronism and is assisting in blood pressure regulation. Potassium should be limited in the diet and therefore multivitamins containing potassium, potassium supplements, and salt substitutes should be avoided. Potassium in the diet should also be limited. For a list of potassium content in foods, visit here. The reason for limiting potassium intake is to protect the kidneys.

Iodine deficiency is VERY rare given the US food supply. Iodine is found in salt, dairy, seafood, and plants grown in rich soil. It does play a vital role in metabolic processes such as the conversion of food to usable energy in the body; iodine deficiency can cause a slight increase in body weight. I would contact a primary care provider and ask for your thyroid to be checked (specifically, the TSH which could indicate an iodine deficiency). I wish you all the best in figuring out what’s going on. I hope all checks out!

John of Challenges 2010: I was wondering what the difference is between Arborio rice and white rice? I love Arborio because I can just cook all of my meal in one pot. But am wondering if I should be avoiding this too and having brown rice instead?

Prevention RD: Arborio rice is the short grain used to make risotto, for those who are not familiar with this grain. And, while it is delicious, it is significantly higher in calories. Compared to ½ cup (dry) white rice (160 calories) and brown rice (150 calories), Arborio rice contains 320 calories for the same size serving. Brown rice contains 2 grams of fiber while white rice and Arborio contain no fiber. That’s the skinny on the nutrition, but I’m with you…I want some good risotto ever now and then! Great question, John!

Tiffany: I’ve been researching superfoods to help and am a little confused. Some say there are 5, some say 20, some say 15, some say there are groups of foods. Also I know oats are a superfood but are there any others in this category to help me branch out and do you have any good recipes? (e.g bulgar or quinoa?)

Prevention RD: I have a confession: I hate the term “Superfood”. We coin and label our foods as “good” and “bad”. Before “Superfoods” emerged, did we NOT know that broccoli, oranges, oats, and omega-3 rich fish were good for us? A lot of foods have anti-cancer, heart-health, and mood-related benefits. So does exercise! I don’t put any emphasis on “Superfoods” as I am a firm believer in variety and very much so resist any classification of “good food” and “bad food” — or even “good food” and “best food”. If we eat blueberries, spinach, and oranges because they’re “Superfoods” — does that make apples inferior? Not to me! But it is true that foods such as oats and whole grains have cholesterol-lowering effects due to their fiber content. It’s no surprise to me that there’s so much inconsistent information on “Superfoods” — many foods could easily be considered “super” based on their nutritional make-up. I’m off my soap box, sorry! I blame Dr. Oz for the hoop-la surrounding Superfoods! It is a hot topic right now!

Another confession: I hate quinoa. I’ve tried it…several times, and I am yet to find a palatable dish. I do however recommend barley, millet, wheat germ, spelt, and whole wheat! I have recently used barley in a Cheesy Zucchini, Red Pepper, and Barley Bake, almond flour in Banana Blueberry Muffins, lentils in a Lentil and Tomato Soup, old-fashioned oats in a Blueberry-Coconut Baked Oatmeal, brown rice in Broccoli Almond Chicken, oats and muesli in Museli Granola Bars, and whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour are wonderful substitutions for any all-purpose flour needs! Whole wheat pasta is also a great way to fiber-up any pasta delight!

Thank you, as always, for all of your WONDERFUL questions! I really appreciate your inquisitive minds! Feel free to send over any questions for the next Q&A!! 😀

And, I didn’t forget…THE WINNER of the Vitalicious Super Sampler is….

Andrea of Celery In The City!!

Send me your address and Vitalicious will be sending out your Super Sampler soon! Congrats!!!

Questions: Do you like mushrooms? What are some vegetables you’re not a fan of? I admitted my distaste for quinoa — what is one food others love and you just don’t enjoy at all?