Weight Gain Guidelines for Pregnancy

I've already covered the new concept (though we nutritionists have been counseling this for years) of "not eating for two" when it comes to pregnancy. The simplest reason is that you really do not want to face all those extra unnecessary pounds to lose after the birth (though so many celebs share how they lose it in "weeks"). The more important reasons include the health risk the extra weight poses to you, and its impact on the baby's health, both short term and longterm). So what's the new guide for weight gain?

A normal weight woman (BMI 18.5-24.5) should gain between 25 and 35 pounds.

An overweight woman (BMI 25 - 29.9) shoud keep weight gain below 25 pounds (15-20 pounds is a good goal)

Someone signifcantly overweight (BMI 30+) should gain 11 - 20 pounds. Frankly some doctors and researchers say, no weight gain is necessary and any weight gain increases certain health risks already present.

An under-weight woman (BMI less than 18.5) can gain 28-40 pounds.

One important message? If you are seriously overweight, losing weight is not a safe option if you are already pregnant. Just work with a dietician/nutritionist to maximize the number and quality of the calories you are eating, and get a doctor's OK to start a walking program. Another caveat? If a person is already overweight it may be a strong challenge to keep them from gaining those extra unwarranted pregnancy pounds, but appealing to their desire to have a healthy baby could help alot in the motivation area.

A Calorie is a Calorie BUT.....

There are still some issues to consider when figuring out an eating plan. Yes, recent research says a calorie is a calorie BUT:

(1) Some people do not burn carbohydrates quite efficiently or easily but they do burn fat efficiently, while for others the reverse is true. So the components of those calories you eat may be very important if you are trying to drop weight.

(2) Obviously the quality of the calories can have a great impact on your health - so you can't compare a diet of 1600 calories of highly processed food to a 1600 calorie diet of high fiber, healthy fat choices, healthy protein choices. They aren't "equals" in terms of health.

(3) I still suspect - and I'm sure science would support another reality - if the diet, however cautious in calories, is highly processed, you will have blood sugar swings that won't feel good and you may be more at risk for relentless hunger with those huge blood sugar downswings. Which means....eating more than you're supposed to eat.

So the bottom line?

If you are trying to lose weight you absolutely do need to count calories. At the same time, considering choices like high fiber/whole grains when it comes to carbs, fruits and veggies, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, lean and also non-meat proteins and fat free dairy products can go a long way in satisfying taste, being economical, promoting health and even being "green."

Flu, Bathroom habits, Kids and Exercise

According to the CDC to date, there have been 7,927 cases of H1N1 flu in the US, with 11 deaths. There is still no easy predictability of how virulent this flu strain will be, nor its potential to mutate or become dormant. What is being postulated is that one of the impacts of this new strain may be that more people will take the yearly flu shot once it becomes available in the fall.

Apparently we spend alot of time in the bathroom - close to a cumulative amount of 8 days a year. What are we doing in there?? Well, no suprise, sitting and reading on the toilet (not me...I'm a swifty evacuator myself), beautification, bathing/showering and contemplation. For me, that means looking in the mirror for long periods of time and bemoaning my new wrinkles and lines (Clairol is taking care of the gray hairs!!) I also spend alot of time cleaning the mirrors which get "clouded" by the air freshener that my husband judiciously sprays before, during and after.....

Finally, new research suggests that kids typically abandon any significant exercise they may have been engaged in, around 7th grade. In my book, Fat Families Thin Families, I point out that girls around that age no longer find sweating "cool," and boys start to engage in long hours of video gaming, computer time and TV time. Maybe if girl tennis figures like the William sisters, Sharapova, and others were to show how their sweating achieves fabulous physiques and some basketball stars like LeBron and Kobe inspired teen boys to "move and be cool," we'd shift this unfortunate inertia phenomenon.

Lot of Health News Today

According to a report in my local Daily News, the latest "Biggest Loser" who is an almost boomer gives new hope to older people - you can, in fact, lose weight, even if you are older (who thinks these story lines up....kids??). She only had to work out 2 hrs in the am, 2 hrs at noon, and 2 hrs in the pm to keep the weight coming off after leaving the ranch. And of course, continue to eat a low calorie diet.

My thoughts?? I am older than she is and I do not consider myself "older folk" yet. I have helped women and men much older than this contestant lose weight and keep it off - without 6 hour a day workouts. Many of my 50+ women clients look much younger than she does, in part, because they did not lose their volume so rapidly. It is insane to think that other than a bit of inspiration and a great deal of entertainment value - this Loser approach to weight loss is intelligent, viable, and has a better long term track record than....sensible dieting and sensible exercise. Six hours a day???Seriously....nothing further need be said.

Since hypertension in kids is a growing problem, due to obesity and high salt diets, a new approach to diagnosing high blood pressure in kids may help prevent certain young patients from a missed or incorrect diagnosis. A researcher/pediatrician from Case Western Reserve University has re-vamped the current chart and schedules that dictates safe and unsafe blood pressure parmeters in children/teens. Doctors will now be able to dagnose pediatric and teen hypertension more easily and be able to offer lifestyle change recommendations or medications when needed.

Finally, the concept of "eating for 2" needs to be reserved for very few in our pregnant population. Women who are carrying extra weight or are seriously overweight might even need to avoid gaining weight during pregnancy. And healthy women may need only a bit more food daily to safely support their growing baby. Too many women are eating too many calories and gaining way to much weight in the name of "having a healthy baby." And this weight and higher calorie pregnancy diets, may actually be harmful to the growing fetus, putting a baby at risk later in life for health issues. So talk to a dietician if you are pregnant and make sure you also get in daily exercise. Walk for you and your baby!!

Flip Flops and Baseball Hats and More

Apparently we wearers of flip flops and baseball hats need to be more vigilant about putting on sunblock. Doctors are seeing increased melanoma statistics, because we are wearing these 2 articles of clothing and NOT slathering sunblock on the tops of our exposed feet or our exposed ear tips. Big no-no AND we need to remember our kids wear flip flops and baseball hats too.

Stop buying those expensive sports drinks to re-fuel after workouts. First of all, we should all be budgeting, and these drinks are costly. Secondly, new research shows that whole grain cereal with fat free milk is a great post-workout refueling snack. Remember, portion control is the key - a cup of cereal with 6-8 ounces of skim milk should do the trick AND help you to save big bucks.

Finally a new diet book, Skinny Chicks Don't Eat Salad is out, and I'm sure it has some great recommendations BUT I will keep hoping the day will come when we all embrace the idea of a "family wellness plan" instead of another adult dieting plan. Just wishful thinking on my part.

News About Pregnant Mommies, Soda and M....ore

The latest news suggests that women who are significantly overweight and then get pregnant, should not, I repeat should not target additional weight gain in order to have a healthy baby. New research shows what I have always suspected - that there is enough "excess fat" to support the baby, and any additional weight gain will put added stress on the mother's heart and other organs, lead to a higher risk of insulin resistance and possible gestational diabetes, and pose risk for maternal hypertension.

If you are overweight you should work with a dietician or nutritionist AND consider starting a walking program with a fitness trainer monitoring and guiding you. Your OB and these professionals need to be your support team.

Drinking as much soda (diet or regular) as we Americans do (more than 600 cans/year), can put us at risk of a potassium imbalance, which can in turn put us at risk of serious health consequences. The culprits seem to be the sweeteners in regular soda and/or the caffeine (in both diet and regular soda). To bottom line it- A cup or two of soda a day won't create this issue, but more than that, and you are not only asking for weight gain (with diet or regualr soda consumption, though the mechanisms are different)- you are also incurring health risks. Drink zero calorie flavored waters, unsweetened iced tea and one serving of juice/daily.

Get to Relenza/Tamiflu Fast

The first NY death from H1N1 flu was a 52 year old man whose past history included gout. He died of flu complications including serious pneumonia and kidney failure and had been on a respirator for several days. His family claims he did not have any serious "past history of significant illnesses" which has been typically found in other patients who died from this new flu. I suspect that he could have had an undiagnosed underlying condition but that is my personal supposition.

What IS clear to me is that there has always been a significant death rate from complications of seasonal flu. Since we seem to have little defenses against this new strain and since there currently is no vaccine - then anyone with clear signs of early flu should probably hasten to request Relenza (you cannot take this if you have asthma or other reactive airway diseases since it is inhaled) or Tamiflu. I also think this quick transmission of flu is happening BECAUSE there is no barrier to transmission i.e. vaccinated people, as there typically are in seasonal flu. Though not everyone gets vaccinated, enough of us do to slow the rate of transmission. Again, my theory.

I think the take-away message is:

Keep vigilant with handwashing/hand sanitizer

Avoid close contact with symptomatic individuals

Use proper pulmonary hygiene (sneeze/cough into sleeve)

Be quick to request the anti-viral medications if you suspect possible H1N1 flu.

www.healthgal.com

www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com

www.cafemom.com/journals/archive.php?type=mine - "Runaway Mom"

Is a Calorie Really a Calorie

For years I have been telling people that from a weight loss perspective a calorie is a calorie. If you need 1500 calories to maintain your weight - then even if you overeat an addtional 200 calories of "really healthy food" daily- you will ultimately gain weight - the "healthy part" is great from other perspectives - but over eating is overeating.

That being said the quality of calories is still very, very important. If you eat 1500 calories of high salt, high sugar, high fat foods - then you will be putting yourself at risk for diseases like high blood pressure, possibly diabetes, certainly heart disease, maybe even some cancers. The quality of your foods is vital to your most important goal which is long term health; certainly keeping your calories in check is vital to your weight, which also ties into your health. but I have seen too many women eating diets that meet the "right number of calories" but whose ingredient are troubling from a quality of health perspective. It is so easy to eat a donut and coffee for breakfast, 2 diet cokes during the morning, a small taco for lunch, a processed food bar in the afternoon, and a small fast food meal for dinner OR save the bulk of their unhealthy calories for the second half of the day. It can be easy to maintain your weight - but healthgoals??Not happening on that food plan.

And diets that simply offer sugar substitutes and processed ingredients to create lower calorie food, again, may help you to meet your daily calorie tally BUT NOT health goals. They also lure you into overeating - because they are lower calorie and often full of empty calories that don't sustain you. I can also share that many of my clients do those kind of diets-repeatedly - and then find the diets annoying (your taste buds do taste the difference between artificial and real ingredients). So the moral of the story?? It does take calorie counting to be true to a weight loss goal. It also takes some relatively easy and tasty food choices to guarantee thatthose calories confer long term health. Think of it as a daily math check list-

Check off 3-4 servings of fruit daily ( a serving is a small to medium piece or 1/2 cup)

Check off 1-2 servings of fat free/1% fat milk or dairy products (or soy)

Check off 5 servings of veggies daily (steamed, fresh or canned -rinse salt - of frozen)

Check of 6 to 8 ounces of protein (go for white meat, fish, soy, beans and legumes, nuts and nut butters)

Check off CAREFULLY between 2 and 6 servings of high fiber/whole grain carbohydrate ( a serving is 80 calories)-bread/rice/potatoes/cereal

Check off 2-3 servings (45 calories each) of healthy fats - olive oil, avocado, nut oils, monounsaturated fats)

You choose the number of portions of dairy, carbs and how much protein based on age needs, gender, activity and weight loss goals.

So though the trendy diets and recipe makeovers lure you....the real deal is a calorie is a calorie BUT quality counts too.

Check out www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com for more about weight loss/healthy eating

Read my "Running Away From Home" blogs at: http://www.cafemom.com/journals/archive.php?type=mine

Twitter with me -HealthGal1103

Swine Flu parties a Terrible Idea

The concept has been around for decades. During a particular season, when children are being felled by viruses, hold a “party” to expose healthy children to the strain of virus so they all get sick at the same time. Additionally, they all develop immunity, lifelong in many cases. It’s been done with the chickenpox (before the vaccine was developed), and now, the idea of a swine flu party is being floated.

Bad idea, says Dr. Richard Besser, and other experts who have been the media and behind the scenes experts involved in this new H1N1 flu pandemic. Though the virus appears no more virulent than the current flu strains we are familiar with, it still means the potential to kill more than 36,000 people here in the United States, if it were to become significantly disseminated. Experts also caution that this flu virus could mutate and become more virulent and dangerous, and it currently is causing complications like sinusitis and pneumonia. Even though there is the potential now to produce a vaccine, a world wide serious pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of potential victims could outpace the number of vaccines that could be produced. And young, healthy people are dying from this particular flu strain, so it is certainly not innocuous.

Most experts have gone so far as to use the term “insanity,” when asked about the idea of a swine flu party. Doctors say you cannot compare the swine flu to the chicken pox, which though considered a familiar and less dangerous virus, still has the potential to cause serious complications in children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet posted a position or recommendations on this new approach to the current pandemic.

Check out: http://www.healthgal.com/, http://www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com/

Manny Ramirez a Hormonal Disgrace

Viral messages are spanning the globe as the word leaks out that Manyn Ramirez has been suspended for fifty games and fined 8 million dollars, following positive tests for a banned substance. For all who thought this baseball player was incredible and amazing, the feeling is now that his record is forever ainted. With baseball being a statistic driven sport, player like A-Rod and Manny now add to the roster of players who distort the reality of baseball accomplishments.

Allegations of drug use have followed Manny briefly and intermittently throughout his career, but it was players like A-Rod and Bonds who clearly had such hypertrophic muscle growth, that were the obvious targets of suspicion. Manny also tended to wear slightly baggy jerseys, so his defined muscularity was not always obvious. The dangers of anabolic steroid use and human growth hormone are known. Mood swings, acne, excessive sweating, decreased sperm and down the road, the possible development of cancer are strong possibilities. Unfortunately since these athletic stars are the models and mentors that young athletes look up to, it is evident that the temptation to take drugs to be just like them is huge, even while knowing the physical dangers. In Manny's case, 8 million dollars and no play for fifty games should give him some pause.

A recently released book suggests that A-Rod has been using drugs to enhance his muscles and athletic prowess since high school, though his personal admission only confirms use for a short period of time during his adult career. The question now remains what was Manny using and for how long? Cyclical use of steroids can also include use of female fertility drugs, and in the case of Manny, that is what seemed to show up. Can baseball and professional sports continue to allow these kinds of revelations, or do we need to have established and regular screening and testing so that the temptation to try and get away with drug use finally begins to disappear? What will it take for athletes to begin to smarten up??

Check out: http://www.healthgal.com/, http://www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com/

Stroke Symptoms in a Woman Tough to Diagnose

Every year brings too many stroke victims. Current statistics predict that this year 800,000 Americans will experience a stroke. Typically, symptoms include sudden onset of numbness or weakness on one side of the body, loss of vision, difficulty articulating words and often, coordination problems. Actually, those are typical symptoms for men, but women may present with entirely different complaints or problems. Doctors and experts say that a woman having a stroke may have confusion, disorientation or loss of consciousness. Since delay in treatment can mean permanent impairment, or even death, identifying these symptoms and connecting them to a diagnosis of stroke can be life-saving.

There is an ongoing effort to change public awareness regarding these atypical stroke symptoms in women, by changing public health campaigns. Researchers are still unclear as to why women symptoms differ dramatically from men. When a stroke is caused by an actual clot, tPA or tissue plasminogen activator should be administered within 3 hours of the onset of the stroke for maximal clot busting results. A delay in recognizing a stroke can result in significant permanent loss of function and permanent disability. Women also seem to spend more time in hospitals recovering from stroke, when compared to their male counterparts. They have a much lower incidence of undergoing head imaging diagnostics and a 30% lower chance of receiving tPA therapy. If you experience: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, leg; sudden confusion; sudden trouble speaking; sudden difficulty understanding something being said to you; sudden trouble seeing out of one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance; sudden severe headache for unknown reason, then call 9-1-1 and seek medical help immediately.

Reduce your risk of stroke by quitting smoking, improving your cholesterol profile, losing excess weight, taking blood pressure medication if you have hypertension, reducing alcohol intake, being active, and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, plant based protein, healthy fats, fat free dairy products and whole grains.

Check out: http://www.healthgal.com/ , http://www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com/

The Dangers of Hydroxycut

Government officials are announcing a recall of one of the most popular diet aids and weight loss pills, Hydroxycut, after reports of adverse reactions including liver damage. The FDA, food and drug administration, normally cannot involve itself in policing products that fall under the diet and supplement act, which include vitamins, supplements and other products under the banner of natural products. Hydroxycut claims it is made from natural ingredients and accounts for about 90% of the weight loss supplement market, with sales of about 1 million bottles yearly.

Bodybuilders and people who are typically challenged with weight issues often turn to natural supplements as diet aids. Hydroxycut has to date, received 23 reports of liver damage associated with its use, and one death of a 19 year old boy. Hydroxycut is produced in Canada and then distributed by a company headquartered near Buffalo, NY.Typically ,problems in this industry become apparent after a number of adverse reactions are reported. If those reports are serious enough, the FDA steps in to mediate a recall and to put out a bulletin. The FDA cannot review natural products before they are released to market. Therefore, problems with dietary supplements are often found months or years after the product has been marketed to consumers. In this case, the liver failure connection, which is a rare complication, was only noted after twenty plus reports were logged. These reports are voluntary reports.

Currently it is not clear which of the ingredients, or combinations of ingredients are responsible for the liver complications. One ingredient being scrutinized is hydroxycitric acid, which is obtained from tropical fruit. For more articles and information on nutrition and fitness check out my website.

Childhood Obesity versus Swine Flu

It’s is clear that there are justified mounting concerns regarding the H1N1 flu (which is what health experts are now calling this new flu strain). It is estimated that the spread will also herald more deaths, though typically deaths may be associated with patients who have other complicating issues or who develop secondary complications, like pneumonia, and do not seek treatment with haste. Currently experts believe that the ground zero patient was a five year old in a small town, la gloria, outside of mexico city. The initial flu may have started back in march, and though an entire 4th grad came down with symptoms, was initially missed as a new strain of flu.

There has been a flurry of purchasing masks, that for the most part may not be helpful since they can become flu vectors, anti-virals, which should not be used without first talking to your doctor and having confirmed flu and herbal preparations like elderberry, often used for traditional flu therapy. It’s interesting that childhood obesity, currently considered an epidemic, does not seem to be approached with nearly the same action, urgency and concern. Parents are advising their kids on how to approach flu hygiene with hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette and other tips, but don’t seem to be willing to engage in the prevention or serious treatment of obesity. So while kids are repeatedly washing their hands, they are then drinking excessive amounts of soda, eating fast food and sitting around video gaming and watching TV.

Experts surmise that we cannot see the down the road serious health implications of childhood obesity with the clarity that we see swine flu implications. We don’t mind government advising us on flu precautions, but we very much as parents do not want to be told if our kids are obese, nor do we want to be told what foods are acceptable for school celebrations. We certainly do not want health risk notes sent home by schools who take note of overweight children. Most health professionals wish that we would approach childhood obesity with a semblance of the day to day urgency that we have for H1N1 flu. So sure, buy those masks and portable hand sanitizers, and wash your hands and then, why not wash some vegetables, while you are at it, for your kid’s snacks today.

Enough with the Dieting:Eat for Health

What’s your latest diet? Are you colon cleansing or converting all your recipes to fat free, lower calorie versions? Maybe you’re eating no carb or low carb or maybe you’re forsaking meat in the name of weight loss and better health. There will always be a new diet trend to grab your attention and your bucks, but there’s a new philosophy in the world of health. It’s choosing certain foods, intentionally, in measured portions, to confer health benefits. So rather than just focusing on all the things you shouldn’t eat, this particular approach emphasizes the foods that should invade your meal plans with serving size still in mind, to improve your health or specifically to reduce your risk of certain diseases.

Fish is one of the foods that you are supposed to include several times a week in order to benefit from its omega 3 fatty acids. Of course, you’re supposed to choose the oily fishes that are low in mercury, like salmon. Nuts are another food that is now getting a lot of attention. They are high in healthy protein and fiber and a small portion can satisfy hunger.

According to a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 100th Annual Meeting, a serving (about 2 ounces daily) of walnuts may be the newest recognized weapon to reduce risk of breast cancer. Since the average consumer wants a snack that is crunchy, takes time to eat, provides satiation and good taste – why not ditch chips, and pretzels and cookies and other traditional snacks in favor of this easily portable and satisfying treat? You’ll have a pleasurable food moment and lower your risk for breast cancer.

www.healthgal.com

www.fatfamiliesthinfamilies.com