At Jumpstart, we are constantly on a mission to provide quality care and encourage our patients to lose weight in a safe environment but more than just numbers, we strive to promote lifestyle change and increase your quality of life. That said, Heart Health Month is near and dear to us as  heart disease claims approximately 1 million lives each year and is an equal opportunity killer of both men and women. Many forms of heart disease can be avoided by a healthy, low-saturated-fat diet enriched with fresh fish, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Maintaining low blood pressure and cholesterol levels are another way to reduce your risk.. something that comes with eating healthier and sustaining the Jumpstart lifestyle your educator encourages. Do another full body composition in our office today and see where your numbers stand… Here’s an article that addresses the threat heart disease has on our nation… it’s a scary fact but true that it’s estimated over 400,000 Americans will die of heart disease in 2010.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6103EN20100201

ABC News Report

“Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me?” Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.”

The result of Dr. Kessler’s quest is a fascinating new book, “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American

In “The End of Overeating,” Dr. Kessler notes, individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent in stinulating our brains, by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full.

Food scientists work hard to reach the precise point at which we derive the greatest pleasure from fat, sugar and salt.

And Dr. Kessler reports that the Snickers bar, for instance, is “extraordinarily well engineered.” As we chew it, the sugar dissolves, the fat melts and the caramel traps the peanuts so the entire combination of flavors is blissfully experienced in the mouth at the same time.

Foods rich in sugar and fat are relatively recent arrivals on the food landscape, Dr. Kessler noted. But today, foods are more than just a combination of ingredients. They are highly complex creations, loaded up with layer upon layer of stimulating tastes that result in a multisensory experience for the brain. Food companies “design food for irresistibility,” Dr. Kessler noted. “It’s been part of their business plans.”

“I wouldn’t have been as interested in the question of why we can’t resist food if I didn’t have it myself,” he said. “I gained and lost my body weight several times over. I have suits in every size.”

This is not a diet book, but Dr. Kessler devotes a sizable section to “food rehab,” offering practical advice for using the science of overeating to our advantage, so that we begin to think differently about food and take back control of our eating habits.

One of his main messages is that overeating is not due to an absence of willpower, but a biological challenge made more difficult by the overstimulating food environment that surrounds us. “Conditioned hypereating” is a chronic problem that is made worse by dieting and needs to be managed rather than cured, he said. And while lapses are inevitable, Dr. Kessler outlines several strategies that address the behavioral, cognitive and nutritional factors that fuel overeating.

Planned and structured eating and understanding your personal food triggers are essential. In addition, educating yourself about food can help alter your perceptions about what types of food are desirable. Just as many of us now find cigarettes repulsive, Dr. Kessler argues that we can also undergo similar “perceptual shifts” about large portion sizes and processed foods. The advice is certainly not a quick fix or a guarantee, but Dr. Kessler said that educating himself in the course of writing the book had helped him gain control over his eating.

“For the first time in my life, I can keep my weight relatively stable,” he said. “Now, if you stress me and fatigue me and put me in an airport and the plane is seven hours late — I’m still going to grab those chocolate-covered pretzels. The old circuitry will still show its head.”

Less Than 500 Calories at Dunkin’ Donuts
Ham, Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich with English Breakfast Tea
350 calories
15 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,045 mg sodium

English muffins have a fraction of the carbohydrates of a bagel, and none of the trans fats of the donuts and croissants. The antioxidant-rich tea is also a great way to begin your day.

Less Than 500 Calories at Hardee’s
BBQ Chicken Sandwich with a small side of Cole Slaw
490 calories
16 g fat (3g saturated fat)
1,340 mg sodium

Barbecue sauce and a reasonably-sized side dish keep this meal in the safe zone. Just opt for a water, rather than a Hardee’s shake or malt, and you’re good to go. And if you want to steer clear of the liquid disasters that can blow up your waistline without your knowing it, be sure to check out some of these other worst beverages in America.

Less Than 500 Calories at KFC
3 Crispy Strips with Green Beans and 3″ Corn on the Cob, and a Medium Diet Pepsi
475 calories
22.5 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,200 mg sodium

Order a side of green beans for a good source of vitamins K, A, and C—key players in maintaining strong bones and reducing cancer-causing free radicals. The corn on the cob will also help fill you up with minimal added calories. Just beware the dipping sauces—choosing BBQ over Ranch can save you over 100 calories.

Less Than 500 Calories at McDonald’s
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich with a Side Salad with Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, and a Medium Iced Tea
480 calories
13 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
1,945 mg sodium

Counting calories doesn’t mean your meal is healthy. For example: The Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich matches the Quarter Pounder without cheese when it comes to caloric content—but the chicken has no trans fats, while the burger does. Choose the sandwich and side salad for a good combination of protein and veggies.

Less Than 500 Calories at Pizza Hut
Two Slices Thin ‘N Crispy Pizza (12″) with Quartered Ham & Pineapple, and Medium Diet Coke
360 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated fat)
1,110 mg sodium

Regardless of which pizza chain you favor, ham and pineapple is one of the most trusted combinations you can order. Ham adds extra protein to balance out the crust’s carbohydrate load, while pineapple adds low-cal sweetness and a dose of antioxidants.

Less Than 500 Calories at Taco Bell
Two Fresco Soft Beef Tacos with Mexican Rice, and a bottle of water
470 calories
17 g fat (6 g saturated fat)
1,760 mg sodium

Order almost any menu item “fresco” style and the Bell boys will replace cheese and sauces with a chunky tomato salsa, cutting calories and fat by at least 25 percent.  Beyond being nutritious, salsa is also cheap—check out our list of the other healthiest cheap foods you can eat. Finally, the Mexican rice adds a tasty little side (just 110 extra calories) that’ll help fill you up without filling you out.

Less Than 500 Calories at Wendy’s
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich with Mandarin Orange Cup and small Nestea Sweetened Iced Tea
500 calories
7 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat)
983 mg sodium

This is the healthiest sandwich on the menu. Don’t order your chicken spicy, though: That’s their cue to fry, rather than grill, your bird, tacking on an extra 9.5 fat grams. Adding a small citrus fruit cup side is also a great, low-calorie way to add sweetness—and cold-fighting vitamin C—to your meal.

Fiber is good for lowering the impact of sugars and starches on blood glucose. A high fiber diet is associated with lower risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and diverticular disease.

Soluble and insoluble fiber are the labels most commonly used to describe fiber.

Insoluble fiber is what we usually think of when we think “fiber” or “roughage”. Wheat bran and most vegetables are examples of sources of insoluble fiber. It is tough, and doesn’t easily break down. Insoluble fiber tends to increase the “speed of transit” through our digestive systems, and increases regularity of bowel movements.

Soluble Fiber

A lot of soluble fiber is viscous, allowing it to absorb and retain water, forming a gel. This type of soluble fiber actually slows digestion down. Because of this, it has a tendency to stabilize blood glucose, and permit better absorption of nutrients. It tends to reduce blood cholesterol. It also increases satiety, so people aren’t inclined to eat as much. Sources of soluble fiber include flax, beans, peas, oatmeal, berries, apples, and some nuts and seeds.

While fiber supplements can be helpful additions to a high-quality nutritious diet, they should never stand in for high-fiber foods, which are also rich in antioxidants and other nutrients essential to health. There is some evidence that simply taking pure fiber as a pill, or sprinkling high fiber additions over your food doesn’t carry all the same benefits as when it is in food.

Guidelines for Consuming Fiber

• If you are unused to eating a lot of fiber, increase amounts gradually to prevent intestinal distress.
• Make sure you drink lots of water when taking fiber supplements or eating high-fiber foods, as all fiber absorbs at least some water. Fiber can, in rare cases, cause intestinal blockage if eaten with insufficient fluid.
• Since large amounts of fiber can reduce absorption of some medications, it is best to take medication either an hour before or two hours after the fiber.

Try this experiment on yourself. One morning, eat sweet cereal, a muffin, or bagel for breakfast and journal how you’re feeling at 10 a.m. and right before lunch. Furthermore, note what and how much you subsequently eat for lunch (and dinner). The next day, eat a similar amount of calories for breakfast but do so while eating two eggs, an egg white omelette with low fat cheese, or low fat Greek style yogurt with fruit. For the gold star, supplement at mid-morning with a lean protein based snack (low fat mozzarella cheese stick, 7 almonds, low fat cottage cheese with smoked salmon, cucumber, and a little dill or a few berries, etc.). See how different you feel walking into lunch and see whether you’re less ravenous appetite leads to more moderate caloric consumption.

A last note about breakfast: another way to run the above experiment would be to skip breakfast entirely with the belief that if total caloric intake is all that matters, aren’t I better off skipping that meal to keep my total calories down? Absolutely not. Our mothers wouldn’t send us to school without breakfast. Why do we forget these important lessons and stop taking care of ourselves in the same way?

If one skips breakfast, the body reacts as if it’s starving, hunkers down and tries to hold on to the fuel its got instead of burning what it was given to start the day. In the process, the body will lower its rate of metabolism, resets its hormonal response to habitual meal patterns, and leave you craving foods and playing caloric catch up all day. A better choice for people interested in losing weight would be to fuel your metabolism early by consistently place small quanta of kindling on your burning metabolic fire. Keep that flame burning with low carbohydrate, portion controlled lean protein fuel every 3 – 4 hours. You’ll feel more satiated, more energetic, and frankly better, and ironically you’ll lose weight more effectively.