Nutritionist’s Tips

My dear mother in law Carole asked if I could share some of the tips from the Nutritionist at Well at Dell and I would love to:
1. DRUGS: When I asked her about what to eat when taking my medication, especially at night, she said that a food containing fat would help with the digestion and to avoid the nausea. That’s probably why the Peanut Butter Cups work for me but honestly, that’s not the healthiest choice! The ideal food would actually be yogurt and for some reason I have never been able to make myself like yogurt my whole life. If you like yogurt, that’s the solution! So she suggested a teaspoon of peanut butter with a cracker with a glass of milk (the milk being the fat). Eating something with the pills is important but finding the right amount of food (not too little / not too much) can affect someone from getting nauseous or not.
2. BREAKFAST: that’s the only time that I’m not hungry and as we all know, it is the most important meal of the day because it gets our metabolism going and gives you energy for the rest of the day. Especially now that I take pills in the morning, I have been eating breakfast on a regular basis and I find myself not starving around 10am. I have 3 good breakfast options that I eat regularly; oatmeal cooked in milk with a mashed banana and vanilla essence, hard boiled egg with salt and pepper on toast with orange juice, and a peanut butter toast with a sliced banana and a glass of milk. Of course yogurt is always a great option for the ones who like it and berries are also great as they are full of antioxidant and keep you regular (which is important as one side effect of medication is constipation).
3. SNACKS: Carole and I talked about this one; if it’s not in the house you can’t eat it, but these days I have weird sweet and salty cravings right about 2 hours after taking a pill and if it’s not in the house, well I can drive now, so I go get it at Walgreens! Sometimes it seems like chocolate, ice-cream, or chips are the only things that will keep the nausea away. What I use to do before the surgery, and that I forgot about, is to prepare 100-200 calories snack bags with nuts, dry fruits, and dark chocolate chips. It’s easier if it’s prepared ahead of time and you can eat the whole bag because you know exactly what’s in it. Also fresh fruits and veggies are a great snack.
4. CHEESE: I heard somewhere that these days, we treat cheese like a condiment and we add it on everything just like we do with ketchup! Well cheese is good in moderation and too much of it is a lot of extra fat and calories. The best example is cheese on a salad; there’s no better way to ruin a healthy meal (other than fat dressing of course). As much as possible, it is preferable to choose fat free cheese although it doesn’t melt and really doesn’t taste the same, so 2% cheese is still acceptable.
5. LUNCH: I like to keep it light and have a more substantial meal at dinner when my husband comes home from work. So hummus with 5 pita chips and veggies is great. I like to make a variety of hummus and it’s easy because I make the regular recipe, split it in 3 and then add different ingredients. I have a trio favorite; “White, Green, and Red:” The first is artichaux and garlic (strong), the second is avocado and jalapenos (hot), and the third is red roasted pepper and dried tomatoes (sweet). The artist in me likes to make food pretty and appetizing! Salads full of veggies with turkey or imitation crab, a few croutons, and a light olive oil and vinegar dressing is also a great lunch.
6. AVOCADO: is it good or bad for us? I’ve heard both; that it’s healthy but also that it’s fatty. Well it is a fat fruit but the healthy kind of fat. The nutritionist said that one portion is 1/2 an avocado so you can make guacamole for 2 with 1 avocado! She said that I could have it as much at 2 or 3 times a week and it’s a great addition to a salad. I’m very excited about this one because it makes me feel like I’m treating myself!
7. WEIGHT WATCHERS: this is the best way to make life changes in the way you feed yourself, to learn good habits, and to have a healthy weight loss. If a miracle diet sounds too good to be true, well get over yourself… it is! I have done Weight Watchers years ago and I got good results. It actually taught me healthy eating and proportions. Every now and then, life just throws you a curve ball and you get sidetrack. Some get back on track on their own and others need a little more help, that’s what Weight Watchers can provide. Their updated program actually appeals to everyone now because you can join the weekly meetings if you gain from the support group and if that’s not your thing, you can follow the program online! It’s a good way to be accountable for and to set a goal and reach it.
I hope that these tips are helpful and please let me know if you have other suggestions!