Finding Optimism » Food and Drink

Review of SparkPeople

james — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:20:51 +0000

It’s obvious that one of the best ways to maintain good mental health is to eat healthy food. Which is great. If it were just that easy.

I’ve written before about keeping a food diary, and how it makes you more accountable to yourself and mindful about what you’re eating. In fact research has shown that keeping a food diary can double your weight loss efforts.

This can be harder for people on meds, who in many cases are fighting an uphill battle against weight related side effects. Anyone who has taken Zyprexa, for instance, will tell you that you put on weight just looking at the box.

If going it alone or a diet club isn’t for you, then SparkPeople is a helpful site. It is the most popular of all 10,000 weight loss sites on the web, including Weight Watchers, with over 11 million members who have collectively lost over 17 million pounds. 94% of its users say that it works well for them.

Why is SparkPeople so popular?

First of all it’s 100% free – a big drawcard. Lots of sites charge for information and advice that is readily available here.
It offers personalised diet and fitness plans, based on your weight, personal circumstances and lifestyle, the food pyramid and the notion that if you take in less calories than you need, you’ll lose weight.
Support is a key to the site’s success. Users aren’t doing it alone; they have the support of lots of other members.
There’s a host of weight loss aids, like thousands of user-submitted and reviewed recipes, diagnostic tools such as a BMI checker, and email reminders to help you keep on-track.
Information and advice is central. There isn’t the “magic bullet” approach of the many fad diets. And it’s not focussed on depriving yourself. There are many recipes that are healthy and also full of flavour.
Signing up is easy and once you have your diet plan, it’s straight-forward to keep track of what you’re eating and count the calories.
There is a community section for “Dealing with Depression” (amongst many) that apparently has over 800,000 members. At a glance it looks helpful but not exactly focused on weight loss.

Not everything about the site is ideal. The home page is loud. It contains too much information – about SparkPeople, their partner sites, their sub sites, various products and offers. Your eye darts about not really knowing where to look or click. The member pages aren’t a lot better in that respect, with too many colors and competing links. Personally I prefer the SparkPeople iPhone app, which isn’t much prettier but a lot easier to use.

SparkPeople wouldn’t be for you if you prefer a very specific eating plan. There are many controlled diets available, complete with home delivery, at sites like ediets. SparkPeople is more orientated to making wise choices and educating yourself for the long-term.

A personal experience worth mentioning came from my losing weight quickly in 2007/8. I shed about 29 pounds (13kg), but my moods became volatile, I became very irritable and I was difficult to live with. It took about 6 months to realize that the weight loss had thrown my meds out. This isn’t such an obvious thing to consider. If you have a large increase or decrease in weight then a check-up is wise – even more so if you take something like Lithium that is toxic at high levels.

The Food Diary Slideshow

james — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:21:21 +0000

Food Pyramid

A few years ago some research by Kaiser Permanente found that people who kept a daily food diary lost more than twice as much weight compared with those who didn’t.

Where’s the magic in a food diary? I think it’s simple. It makes you accountable to yourself. You’re less likely to eat something that you shouldn’t if you have to write it down.

The highest grossing health app in the Mac App Store is Perfect Diet Tracker. It’s for keeping score of calories, nutrient intake and exercise. There are 80,000 products in its food database.

The next highest grossing food diary is Calories 2. It’s a similar app, with fewer products, a higher price, and lower user ratings. But it’s prettier.

Then there is Nutrition Menu, HealthNut, Dietician and Foodurama. Out of 43 health apps 6 are food diaries. And we haven’t left the Mac App Store yet, so there’s bound to be others.

In the Kaiser research some participants said it was too burdensome to record what they ate. I can relate to that. I’ve used a diet tracking app for many years, in lots of short bursts of about 5 days. A food diary is much more effort than a mood diary. :)

Here’s a weight loss idea.

I’ve been overweight for about 6 years now. I get to blame medicines for some of it, but if I’m honest, I’m pretty lazy too. And I don’t mind a bit of chocolate. Losing weight has been a constant struggle.

Rather than keep a written diary, I should keep a picture diary. It would be much easier to maintain than a diary app – I just need to take a photo of everything I eat. I already have a fairly good idea of what is healthy or not without rummaging through an 80,000 item database.

Here’s the twist. I then upload the pictures to a slideshow in this blog once a week. I don’t know that anyone else would be interested – and it’s sounds self-indulgent – but the shear embarrassment might force me to eat more healthily. Or would I just end up lying?

10 Good Reasons to Eat Slowly

james — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 05:53:13 +0000

How fast do you eat your food? My guess is a lot faster than 10 years ago.

Why is that? And are there benefits to slowing down?

Well yes there are. Eating fast, like eating fast food all the time, contributes to stress, weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle. Eating slowly has the reverse effect.

Let’s see if I can find 10 reasons to slow down.

Eating slowly prevents you from over-eating (or at least over-eating by as much). It takes the brain 15 or 20 minutes to recognize that the stomach is full. If you’re in a fast food restaurant, and the burger slips down your throat rather too easily, then your brain will kick in too late.

Numerous studies have found that people who eat fast are three times more likely to be obese than people who eat slowly.

The more you eat, the less flavor you enjoy. Taking your time to taste food on the way down makes sense, if you prefer the experience over the task.

Eating slowly is good for digestion. This starts with chewing food more. Enzymes in saliva help break down the food, so it gets digested more easily and fully. The more chewing work you do, the less strain on your gut.

Take a stand against the fast pace of life. We already rush from one task to the next – I have no idea how I’ll get through my to-do list today – and eating slowly is high on the casualty list. Let your eating habits reflect the newfound control you have over your life.

It’s a way to reduce the stress in your life. Use your meal time to exercise mindfulness. Meditate on your food.

Sharing a meal is a great way to socialise. In fact it can be a defining part of our lifestyles. Eat too fast and it’s gone.

You save money on your food bill. You can spend it on something that lasts longer.

If you enjoy your meal more, the person who prepared it will feel better about having to prepare it for you. It’s a stretch, I know.

I’ve forgotten what number 10 is. Can someone please add it in the comments?

I found this dog bowl. My labradors are very fast eaters. Is this a good solution?

The Healthiest Drink in my World

james — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:44:59 +0000

In a previous post I wrote about the mental and physiological benefits of drinking adequate amounts of water each day. Our bodies are made up of 75% water and our brains 85%, so it’s a no-brainer (sorry) that we must continuously replenish our stores. Fluid intake, adequate or otherwise, has a big impact on mood. Unfortunately 75% of Americans are suffering from chronic dehydration, and many are suffering the consequences daily.

I have always struggled to drink the quota of 6, 8 or 10 glasses a day (which depends on your source). I have my own target, clear urine by midday, which is equally difficult to achieve. As far as I know this target is not scientifically based, but my own empirical evidence has shown that it’s a good measure of progress part way through the day.

I made a significant personal discovery a couple of weeks ago. I started adding a small amount of Apple juice to each glass of water, about 1 part juice to 4 parts water. My initial motivation was weight loss but I quickly began enjoying the taste and sweetness, and I found it very refreshing and hydrating. No surprises there. It is now the only thing I drink apart from coffee, and for the first time ever I’m meeting my midday target.

Mood and Food for Thought

james — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:47:32 +0000

My son is allergic to green peas and his reactions are life threatening. He is intolerant to a lot of other foods as well, and as we’ve found out, so am I.

We changed our family diet some years ago now, for the sake of us all. I used to cheat, but I also kept track of my diet, and after a while my wife noticed that when I ate certain foods I would become very depressed 2 days later. (Almost to the hour.) Unfortunately chocolate was the worst! She mentioned this bizarre discovery to our allergy specialist who said “Yes, food does cause mood swings!”

Food allergies and intolerances are very different things. Food allergies trigger the immune system, and the sufferer’s body reacts, for example with swelling or hives. Food intolerance is about thresholds. You can eat the foods that you’re intolerant to, but you’ll have a reaction if you go over your threshold. Food intolerance is very common; much more than people seem to realize.

The reactions can be amazing. In me the intolerance causes depression. My wife feels bloated and lethargic. The kids get aggressive and irritable. Other people report anxiety, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, obsessive compulsive behaviour and even social phobias. Migraines and stomach aches are also common.

So, avoid the colours, flavours and preservatives! Yes. But normal fresh foods also contain natural chemicals like salicylates, amines and glutamates. Many people eat these in abundance, and even on their own they can cause plenty of problems. The chocolate I eat may be free of colors, flavors and preservatives, but it is very high in natural amines which causes me plenty of grief.

If you eat problem foods every day, and take the symptoms of intolerance for granted, then you may be missing something that is key to your mental health. If this could be you, then it is really worth following it through.

Our family kept to a strict chemical-free diet for some years to remove the problem foods. A common way for an allergy specialist or dietician to test for the culprits is to prescribe a strict chemical free diet for a few weeks until symptoms disappear. They will then give a series of oral “challenge tests” to see which food chemicals and artificial additives are causing problems.

I once took aspirin as a challenge, and it won. Apparently aspirin is pure salicylate, and it sent me out of my tree.

More information:
RPAH Allergy Unit
Food and Mood Guide

B6 and My Anecdotal Evidence

james — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 09:57:15 +0000

I’ve just recovered from a short bout of what I call “depression lite”. It’s real depression, but I’m aware while going through it that it’s not severe; I know that I’ll be well again. I can get out of bed and function fairly normally, even though my body has slowed right down and people know to steer clear of me.

It may be counter-intuitive but I’ve come to believe that depressive episodes are predictable if you know the things that trigger them and you can pick the early signs. That knowledge has helped me stay well for long periods of time. But this recent episode came as a big surprise.

The brain is arguably the most nutritionally sensitive organ in the body, so food plays a big role in maintaining its health. As I’ve mentioned before I have some food intolerances. But I don’t break out in hives, I break out in irrational behavior. In a similar way, many people react with mental meltdown to excessive coffee, alcohol, too much or too little fat, additives like artificial colors, flavors and preservatives and many other things. Red cordial and kids don’t mix, for example.

I’ve been taking the same multi-vitamin for about 3 years, due to nutritional advice specific to my diet (or lack thereof). It has a different formula to most multi-vitamins. In particular it contains a high dose of the B group vitamins.

So I ran out of these harmless, benign, unimportant pills about 10 days ago, and discovered that the manufacturer had gone out of business and the line had been stopped.

That first evening, after not taking the multi-vitamin in the morning for the first time, my mood tanked. I was puzzled by it, but I didn’t make a connection with the vitamin. Over a week later I started on a new, similar product, and shazam! I’m back to normal.

Here is the nutrient breakdown:

Recommended Daily Intake Vitamin B6 (Australia and New Zealand)

RDI 1.3 mg
Upper Limit 50 mg

Multi-vitamins

Macro M 5 mg
(original one)

Men’s Ultivite 30mg
(new one)

I don’t know what my normal daily intake is, but on the day my mood dropped I had reduced my B6 intake by 4 times the recommended daily amount, and the day I went up I had increased it by over 20 times. Now that’s interesting.

As an aside, the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand has an excellent calculator that will give you all of your RDI values by sex and age at the click of a button.

It is well-established by research that B6 is a commonly, perhaps the most commonly, found vitamin deficiency in people with depression. It has a crucial role in putting the final touches on serotonin production, serotonin being one of our favorite mood-enhancing neurotransmitters. There’s no coincidence there.

But the jury is still out on whether increasing B6 will relieve symptoms or by how much. I have my own anecdotal evidence based on a one-person trial in my home, but that won’t convince the medical community.

And the bad news? Only one person in five consumes an adequate amount of vitamin B6.

The major sources of vitamin B6 include: cereal grains, potatoes, bananas, vegetables (carrots, spinach, peas), potatoes, milk, cheese, eggs, fish, pork, beef.

Sources and Further Reading

Factsheet of Vitamin B6
Medline Plus (US National Library and National Institutes of Health)

Develop a Personal Pyramid Plan
United States Department of Agriculture

Healthy Eating and Depression
Mental Health Foundation

Mind Guide to Food and Mood
Mind (National Association for Mental Health UK)

Nutritional Supplements
McMan’s Depression and Bipolar Web

Foods to Fight It
Dr Melvyn Werbach

5 Powerful Reasons to Eat Slower

james — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:03:51 +0000

This guest post was written by Leo Babauta from zen habits. Check out his many great articles at http://zenhabits.net/.

One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything – and when we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble it down.

That leads to stressful, unhealthy living.

And with the simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you chew each bite slower and longer, and you enjoy your meal longer.

It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects.

You may have already heard of the Slow Food Movement, started in Italy almost two decades ago to counter the fast food movement. Everything that fast food is, Slow Food isn’t.

If you read the Slow Food Manifesto, you’ll see that it’s not just about health – it’s about a lifestyle. And whether you want to adopt that lifestyle or not, there are some reasons you should consider the simple act of eating slower:

1. Lose weight.
A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories – in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to register that we’re full. If we eat fast, we can continue eating past the point where we’re full. If we eat slowly, we have time to realize we’re full, and stop on time. Now, I would still recommend that you eat healthier foods, but if you’re looking to lose weight, eating slowly should be a part of your new lifestyle.

2. Enjoy your food.
This reason is just as powerful, in my opinion. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. In fact, I think it’s fine to eat sinful foods, if you eat a small amount slowly. Think about it: you want to eat sinful foods (desserts, fried foods, pizza, etc.) because they taste good. But if you eat them fast, what’s the point? If you eat them slowly, you can get the same amount of great taste, but with less going into your stomach. That’s math that works for me. And that argument aside, I think you are just happier by tasting great food and enjoying it fully, by eating slowly. Make your meals a gastronomic pleasure, not a thing you do rushed, between stressful events.

3. Better digestion.
If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach. This can help lead to fewer digestive problems.

4. Less stress.
Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next. When you eat, you should eat. This kind of mindfulness, I believe, will lead to a less stressful life, and long-term happiness. Give it a try.

5. Rebel against fast food and fast life.
Our hectic, fast-paced, stressful, chaotic lives – the Fast Life – leads to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. This is a lifestyle that is dehumanizing us, making us unhealthy, stressed out, and unhappy. We rush through our day, doing one mindless task after another, without taking the time to live life, to enjoy life, to relate to each other, to be human. That’s not a good thing in my book. Instead, rebel against that entire lifestyle and philosophy – with the small act of eating slower. Don’t eat Fast Food. Eat at a good restaurant, or better yet, cook your own food and enjoy it fully. Taste life itself.

Does Flax Seed Oil Cut the Mustard?

james — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:47:17 +0000

“I want to take an omega-3 supplement, but I don’t like the idea of fish oil. I know that flax oil contains omega-3s. Can I take that instead?”

This is a common question. Some people are vegetarian and won’t eat fish products. Others suffer from allergies. Others still have discovered this less expensive option.

What is flax seed oil?

Flax seed oil, also known as linseed oil, is a nutritional supplement. It is rich in the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).

How do flax seed oil and fish oil supplements differ?

Fish oil contains the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA (see previous post), while vegetable oils like canola, flaxseed and olive oil only contain ALA.

There is plenty of evidence from research studies showing that consuming recommended amounts of DHA and EPA lowers triglycerides, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke (for those with cardiovascular disease), slows the hardening of the arteries and lowers blood pressure. These are the Omega 3 benefits we’ve come to know and love.

There is only mixed evidence at best, of similar benefits from ALA. Simply put, flax doesn’t have the right omega 3 fatty acids necessary to produce these results.

Technically the body converts a fraction of the ALA from flax seed into DHA and EPA fatty acids, but this is extremely inefficient. It is unlikely that enough is converted to make much difference at all.

To put it another way, a person would need to drink gallons of flaxseed oil to achieve the same benefit as a nice cut of Atlantic salmon (and a glass of wine).

Can it help ease depression?

It doesn’t seem likely for the reason above. Remember also, that while the link between a deficiency of Omega 3s and depression is strong, there is less evidence that increasing Omega 3s will provide relief.

Depression, Omega 3 and Clever Fries

james — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:50:41 +0000

McCain Foods has just added some new faces to its staple of French fries products in Australia. They are the SuperCrunchy Omega 3 Steak Chips, SuperCrunchy Omega 3 Classic Chips and SuperCrunchy Omega 3 Chunky Chips.

This is in response to a major deficiency in the Australian diet.

Innovation Director at McCain Foods, David Boyle, said “I think the food industry as a whole has got to get more serious about putting nutrients in our foods”. And it is getting serious. These “functional” foods, with nutrients added, are hitting supermarket shelves everywhere. Manufacturers like McCain are clearly concerned about our diets.

A quick refresher on Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fatty acids found mainly in fish, some plants, nuts and seeds. Those found in marine life consist mainly of EPA and DHA, the two principal Omega-3 fatty acids. They are highly biologically active fatty acids. Those found in plants (flaxseed, walnuts and canola oil) are usually in the form of alpha-linolenic acid. The body can convert this into EPA and DHA, but only inefficiently at the level of 10%-15%.

Why are DHA and EPA important?

How many reasons do you want?

Dietary DHA can reduce the level of blood triglycerides, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. Low levels of DHA causes a reduction of serotonin, which may in turn be associated with depression and other diseases. An increasing body of evidence suggests that supplementing the diet with DHA can provide therapeutic benefits for people with depression.

EPA is needed by the body to produce prostaglandins, which control blood clotting and other arterial functions. EPA also provides a natural lowering of blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

There is a comprehensive list of the effectiveness of Omega 3s on a range of health conditions at the US National Institute of Health’s MedlinePlus.

Depression and bipolar disorder still rate a “C” – “unclear scientific evidence for this use”. There is strong evidence linking depression with a reduced intake of Omega-3 fatty acids, but less evidence for the benefits of increasing Omega-3 to relieve depression more generally. In fact earlier in the year the British Medical Journal’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) dropped a bomb-shell, stating that there is no convincing basis for using Omega-3 as a means of alleviating the condition.

UK firm Dairy Crest pulled a new ad campaign for its Omega-3 ‘clever milk’ shortly thereafter.

So I happened upon a packet of McCain’s SuperCrunchy Omega 3 Classic Chips in my local supermarket today. The vital statistics on my nutritional panel were:

Per 100g
Omega 3 – 348 mg
DHA – 26 mg
EPA – 7 mg

So the combined amount of DHA and EPA is less than 10% of total Omega 3. And guess what? Cooked in canola oil.

I would love to know how much Omega 3 there was before the new marketing campaign. Not much less than there is now, is my guess.

McCain Foods innovation director, David Boyle, said the launch was a big step forward in McCain’s quest to provide consumers with a healthier French fry without sacrificing taste or quality. Mmmm. That’s right. No fish oil here.

Here are the Omega 3 levels in some other everyday foods (per 100g), taken from the Australian government’s Food Standards database. Sorry to those who haven’t caught up to metric yet!

Cake, Carrot, Iced, Commercial 56 mg
Cream, Thickened, 35% Fat 90 mg
Lamb, Leg Roast, Roasted, Lean 114 mg
Pancake, Home Prepared 120 mg
Sauce, Hollandaise 122 mg
Tip Top Omega 3 Bread 163mg
Beef, Mince, Hamburger, Dry Fried 277 mg
Beef, Chuck Steak, Casseroled, Lean 357 mg

…then the fish…

Bream, Baked In Foil, Oil Or Fat Not Added In Cooking 1089 mg
Fresh Gemfish, Flesh, Steamed 1753 mg
Salmon, Atlantic, Grilled Without Fat Or Oil 1822 mg
Salmon, Red, Canned In Water, No Added Salt, Drained 2225 mg
Sardine, Canned In Oil 2502 mg

Sardines on toast is looking good.

In the U.S. macronutrients, as fats, are not assigned recommended daily allowances. Instead they have Acceptable Intake, which is 1.6 grams/day for men and 1.1 grams/day for women.

There aren’t many academics or clinicians around who will advise a “therapeutic” dosage of Omega 3 for depression. If such a thing exists it will be vastly different between people, probably a lot higher than the normal Acceptable Intake, and only beneficial for some. A Finnish review of Omega 3 studies shows how variable the results have been so far, and this list is far from complete.

Further reading:
Omega 3 Overview
Omega-3 for Depression and Bipolar Disorder (a bit out of date but still good)

94 Great Resources on Treating Depression

james — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:28:43 +0000

Depression is really a catch-all phrase for a broad spectrum of mood disorders. No two people suffering from depression will experience exactly the same symptoms and they won’t respond in exactly the same way to treatments. It is also a catch-all phrase used to describe different levels of severity in illness, and biological as well as non-biological disorders. This complicates its treatment enormously.

It is important to remember, when working through a resource list like this, that some things may work for you and others may not – a treatment for depression should start with professional help. Irrespective of this, it’s important to be involved in learning about your illness, including the treatments available. It seems that those who actively participate in their treatments have the most success in maintaining good health. Good luck!

THE BIG PICTURE

Large Website Resources
National Institute of Mental Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Medline Plus
MayoClinic.com
Blackdog Institute

Comprehensive PDF publications
National Institute of Mental Health
Mental Health Foundation – Dealing with Depression
HereToHelp – Depression Toolkit
Understanding Major Depression and Recovery

PDF Fact Sheets
Mind (National Association for Mental Health)
National Institute of Mental Health
SANE Australia
Black Dog Institute
Beyond Blue

Staying Well Plans
National Mental Health Information Center – Self-Help Guide
SANE Australia – Mental Illness and Keeping Well
Black Dog Institute – Ways of Staying Well
Sarah Russell – “Staying well with bipolar disorder”
(5th article from the top. Very applicable to depression.)

EVERYDAY LIFE

Exercise
MayoClinic.com – Depression and Exercise
Better Health – Depression and Exercise
MIND – The Mind Guide to Physical Activity
Mental Health Foundation UK – Up and Running!

Food
Mental Health Foundation – Healthy Eating and Depression
MIND – The Mind Guide to Food and Mood
MyPyramid.gov – Healthy Diet Plan

Stress Management and Relaxation
MIND – The Mind Guide to Managing Stress
MIND – The Mind Guide to Relaxation
Families for Depression Awareness – Coping With Stress

Sleep
HelpGuide – Tips for a Good Night Sleep
National Sleep Foundation – All About Sleep

TRUSTED BOOKS (links to Amazon)

Dealing with Depression: A Commonsense Guide to Mood Disorders