The Skinny on Fat Substitutes: Can They Help You Lose Weight?

Trying to lose weight? What’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Did you say lower your fat intake? That’s what most people say, and it’s true, but we all have a really tough time doing this. The “just cut back” approach only works if you can do it consistently, and it doesn’t work for millions who are struggling. So, what about fat substitutes? Love them or hate them, fat substitutes are here to stay. Whether it’s adding water or air to dilute the fat calories, changing fat's chemical form to prevent digestion, or providing the “mouth-feel” of real fat, there are so many products to choose from, and a lot of calories to be saved. For some people, this can be a good way to trim some dietary fat, without sacrificing flavor. Check out some of these fat replacers, and let me know what you think. How do you cut back on fat?

Make no mistake, fat is quite the flavorful macronutrient – and provides a lot of “value added” to not only taste, but texture and moisture of food. Fat is everywhere in foods, from clearly visible to cleverly hidden, and we must train our “fat radar” to not only pick up those signals, but be honest with ourselves to figure out the best places to cut fat (where it doesn’t matter to us, as individuals) and when to enjoy the full-fat taste experience.

This is a work in progress for all of us, and includes monitoring everything from portion size, to frequency of consumption, to just plain enjoyment of food. When it comes to the use of fat substitutes, everyone is very different. One person’s perfect substitute is another’s totally gross product.

A crop of products are now available to help cut down the fat (and calories) without sacrificing flavor. The main idea is to reduce total fat intake. So while substituting an artery-clogging animal fat (think butter) with a heart healthy plant fat (think olive oil) the calories remain the same – a whopping 100-120 calories per tablespoon.

Now, none of these products are necessary, but can be options for those who need some ideas. Have you tried any of these? Let me know which ones you like, and others products you have found. When it comes to fat intake, we need all the help we can get!

Z-Trim: Available on websites and in stores within the next few months, Z-trim is make from dietary fiber. It’s a fiber-gel compound. Made from the husks of corn, it can replace fats in a large variety of products. Over the past few months, several school districts have been using Z-trim gel in baked goods, salad dressings, and mayonnaise – all sources of tasty, but hidden fat. Both the students and teachers loved the products. It has no taste and no calories, so expect to find it in a variety of products, ranging from condiments, sauces, baked goods, deli meats snack foods, and frozen treats.

Olestra (Olean): Olestra is a non-digestible fat. Because it has a similar structure to real fat, it has the mouth-feel of natural fat, but it’s chemical alternation renders it non-digestible by the body, and it passes through the system intact, and is eliminated. Limit the portions to both save calories, and minimize digestive troubles. It’s found mostly in a variety of chips.

Flavor Sprays: Found everywhere in butter flavor, these sprays go anywhere from toast to veggies to crackers. This has turned many of my patients into vegetable eaters – a common complaint being that plain veggies just tasted too bland. It’s a help for those who want a buttery mouth-feel without the calories. Other products like David Burke flavor sprays have expanded to flavors from "Birthday Cake" to "Cajun."

No-Stick Cooking Sprays: Save yourself some calories by coating a frying pan with products like Pam™ or Mazola™. There similar are store brands, all available in unflavored, butter, oil, and a special formulation from grilling. Combined with a non-stick pan, you’ll save hundreds of calories by cutting way back on the added fat.

Starch Thickeners: These have been around for many years, and are basically a variant of good-old cornstarch. These long-chain carbohydrates add the thickening properties of fat, but not the flavor. Often found in dairy products, they pop up in some of the fruit purees used in baking. (More on that below.)

Carrageenan: A seaweed extract (No smell or taste – Really!), that adds thickness to foods, it’s often found in “super” skim milk (tastes like whole milk, but it’s skim) and some ice creams and soy products. Billed as having the mouth-feel of fat, it is found in a number of popular fat-free foods.

Fruit Purees (Baking): Many of us know the old trick of replacing some (or all) of the fat in baked goods with applesauce. While this did lower calories, the flavor suffered significantly. There are several apple and prune-based fruit purees, with added starch thickeners made specifically for use in baking.

“Non-Food” Fat Substitutes: This one has nothing to do with food. Switch to non-stick cookware to help reduce the amount of added cooking fat. Don’t like the oil sprays? Make your own using a special oil misting can.

Any other ideas? Let me know!

Diet Soda as Health Food?

So now we have diet sodas as a healthful part of a diet? I have always been an advocate of low-calorie sodas and other low-calorie drinks to help people reduce liquid calories.

While water is a gold-standard, many people get bored, don't drink it, or substitute high-calorie "clear" liquids. For diabetics, diet sodas have been a huge help to compliance, providing a sweet taste, without sugar that the body cannot metabolize.

While there is abundant debate about the low-calorie sweeteners and their use in all kinds of products, diet soda is here to stay, which can be a good thing for many people. But what role does it play in a healthy daily intake?

Here's where I am concerned:

Soda manufacturers are now going the "good for you" route. Products like Diet Coke Plus or PepsiCo's Tava, containing vitamins and minerals, send a mixed message to me. The last place to look for nutrients is in a soda. Now, I understand the argument that if people are going to drink diet soda, why not provide some "value added?" I counter that with the idea that we need to work on getting nutrients from foods that contain them naturally, and not distract ourselves from seeking yet one more source of non-food nutrition.

I think we are heading down the wrong path when these "worlds collide." Diet soda is not healthy nutrition. It saves calories, which is always a good thing. Trying to attract consumers by adding isolated nutrients to diet soda, and suggest it as a healthy option, does not ring quite true with me.

What do you think about this new trend? I would love to hear your views.
Hey, you non-soda drinkers! Will these new products drive you to start drinking diet soda? What about the diet-soda devotees? Will you drink more?

The "Power" of Colorful Fruits

My TODAY segment is all about what I call “power fruits."

While most fruits are terrific sources of carbohydrates, containing abundant water, fiber, and vitamins, those with vibrant colors contain some “value added” compounds called phytochemicals. Different colors provide different phytochemicals - all important in combination to supporting good health. A pet peeve of mine is when people start looking at fruits, and say, "Ooh! Here's some cantaloupe! I'll get my beta-carotene," rather than considering the overall health benefit of the complete fruit.

Bottom line: We eat foods, not individuals nutrients! Have you thought about choosing fruits by color to promote variety and a balance of all the phytochemicals? Do you prefer the basics of apples and oranges? Like the tropical fruit route? Feel like experimenting? I'd love to know how you choose, and put together your own edible fruit bouquet.

Phytochemicals in fruits aren't nutrients or vitamins, but are important for good health. While they can’t cure disease, nor replace prescription medications, scientific studies (of the test tube variety) provide abundant evidence that biological activity of many of our body systems at the level of single cells is affected by these compounds in different ways.

Studies from cancer-fighting to blood pressure regulation are currently underway–and have been for the past few years–to help determine the extent to which these basic scientific findings apply to our the whole body. In the meantime, we need to look at fruits at the nutritional powerhouse that they are – chocked full of vitamins and the whole family of antioxidant compounds–ranging from flavanols, to polyphenols, to carotenoids–all necessary to support and protect good health.

There are more than 1,000 phytochemicals identified in fruits and vegetables, and while we don’t know the specific contribution of most of these in human health, what we do know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and low in fat helps to reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Despite this, few Americans get the minimum recommended intake of fruits and vegetables–five servings a day. Recent recommendations have been increased to almost nine a day.

The two most common complaints I hear is that “Fruit is so boring” and “I just don’t like it." I’d like to encourage you all to be adventurous eaters! Aim for at least five fruits and vegetables a day–a variety of color is key here. Plus, the same colors contain the same important phytochemicals, whether they are in fruits or vegetables.

Here are some of my favorites, grouped by color. I’ve collapsed the colors into three groups, although I’ve seen as many as six or seven groups separating every variation in color. I’ve enjoyed using some of the more exotic fruits as a garnish, or to dress up a fruit salad...or even a green salad!

I shop locally and seasonally–all the fruits are not in season all the time. Plus, the more seasonal, the lower the price! As with all produce, either wash thoroughly (scrub the skins with a vegetable brush under running water), or peel to minimize any food-borne illness on the outside of the fruit.

RED/PURPLE/BLUE

What's New:
Pomegranates, Acai, and Gogi berries.
Rich in antioxidants, and with a sweet-tart taste, these are some of the newer deep red/purple fruits.

Old Favorites:
Blueberries, Raspberries, Backberries, Red Apples, Red Grapes

ORANGE/YELLOW

What's new:
Mangoes, Star Fruit, Guava, Papayas, Persimmons, Yellow Figs
Old Favorites: Oranges, Cantaloupe

GREEN

What's New:
Kiwi, Avocado
Old Favorites: Green Grapes, Green Apples

One more thing: When you buy your fruits, keep some in a bowl on in the kitchen. It's really true that "out of sight is out of mind." You'll be more likely to pick up a fruit if it's right in front of you. That small change has helped me double my fruit intake. A nice boost for health. Happy eating!

Don't Let Bad Weather Stop Your Exercise

I'm an outdoor person, and prefer to get my activity doing something (anything!) outside. Exercise is great for heart health, mental health, and calorie burning, among other things. With the rainy and cold weather bombarding much of the country right now, thoughts of "spring-training" have been postponed for many people (like me) who are now awakening from winter hibernation and want to take activity up a few notches.


One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to get some exercise when the weather is bad. Joining a gym is an obvious option for some, but cost, convenience, and interest can be major negatives for this. Here are some of my favorite and inexpensive ways to be active when I'm "cooped up."
What are some of yours?

Grab a pedometer and do a mall-walk - The pedometer is key, to track your distance. For every 2500 steps you log, it's about 1 mile - and 100 calories burned. It's not about the shopping, so pick the biggest mall you can get to easily. A good cardio effort.

Buy a mini-trampoline - These are no more than 3 feet in diameter and just a few inches off the ground. Both lightweight and portable, it can be put in a spare corner of most rooms and moved for use. You can plunk them down in front of the TV and bounce away for 20 minutes, more or less. This is great for cardio and balance.

Be (selectively) inefficient at home and at work --- We are all the ultimate multitaskers, so this can be tough. Walk down the hall to deliver a message to a co-worker (no phones or e-mail). At home, make multiple trips up and down the stairs instead of trying to make everything fit into one trip.

Walk and Talk --- Whenever you're on the phone, walk around. Those minutes add up, and so do your steps. 1200 steps is about 50 calories.

Sit on an exercise ball -- This is great for core (shoulders to hip) strength. The ball forces you to sit up straight, and maintain balance - both key to keeping your core strong.

Put on some music and dance ---- No partner necessary! No special skills or equipment, dancing is the perfect cardio activity and totally fun, even if you don't know any "formal" steps.

While April showers bring May flowers, I'm hopeful that the weather will soon clear. So, I've learned to stay active when the weather is bad, and not use it an excuse to be a coach potato. What about you?

Choosing a Diet Plan

As the Today Show's Diet and Nutrition Editor, I do a LOT of talking about diet plans. My segment on Thursday was about picking a plan that works for the long haul. In my clinical practice, patients ask me all the time about the "best" diet book. Honestly, when it comes to losing weight, "one size does not fit all". The search for the best diet begins with what YOU want in a weight loss plan. You've got to match up your needs with the strategies of any particular author. There are hundreds of diet books in print, and sometimes the choices can be overwhelming. While on-line book shopping is convenient, I think a trip to the local bookstore is the best way to choose a diet book. Losing weight is certainly hard, and while lifestyle change is not difficult to start, it's hard to stick with. That's the secret to finding a volume that speaks to you, directly, so you have a comfort level that empowers you for long term success.

Before making a choice, it's important to eliminate any books promising a "quick fix" (as tempting as they can be!). You know the ones I mean - follow the plan, and the pounds will melt away. Remember that those unwanted pounds came on slowly and crept up on you, and have to be taken off the same way if you want them to stay off! It's easy to drop weight quickly with a starvation and deprivation routine, but it can't be sustained - the weight comes back in a matter of days or weeks, oftentimes with a few additional pounds. To avoid the negatives of the "yo-yo" dieting syndrome - lose, gain it back plus a few more, lose again, regain plus a few more - you need to choose wisely and think about the fundamental information in the volume and whether it is compatible with slow. steady weight loss, and contains advice that appeals to you.

The three books I discussed on the segment each addressed different areas important to weight loss in different ways: (1) behavior change; (2) eating; and (3) exercise. These three books are all scientific evidence-based books, and while not having "catchy" names, are likely some of the best diet books you're never heard of! They're not the only balanced ones, of course, but only serve as a guideline of what to look for in a book.

The Beck Diet, by Judith Beck, PhD, looks at the behavioral side of weight loss. Designed to work with any diet plan (it's light on nutrition basics), the focus is on behavioral issues that prevent you from losing weight that have nothing to do with biological hunger and fullness. There are many practical and helpful strategies for managing stress and emotional issues relating to overeating. A big plus is the emphasis on emotional support in the form of a diet buddy or coach. Whatever you want to call it, we all need support to stick with any plan. Studies by Dr. Rena Wing at Brown University demonstrate that weight loss can double with the presence of a diet buddy. So, find support - in a friend, family member, co-worker, or community group.

The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Barbara Rolls, PhD, is the book for everyone who doesn't really want to cut down the volume of food eaten, but merely the calories. Dr. Rolls has spent more than 25 years researching the concept of energy density of foods - that is, eating more weight of food, with fewer calories. What does this mean? Foods with more water and fiber can weigh the same as high calorie foods (particularly those with lots of fat and hidden fat) - and people seem to want a larger AMOUNT of food, regardless of the calories. In other words, we are eating not to sense calorie needs for the body, but for the amount of food, independent of calories. A great example of how this plan works is one of comparing grapes and raisins. A handful of grapes (full of water and a low energy density - few calories per ounce) weighs in at about 50 calories. A handful of raisins (same food, but all the water taken out, and a higher energy density - more calories per ounce) provides about 150 calories.

The Step DIet, by James Hill, PhD and colleagues has the novel approach to tie "exercise" to the steps we take every day. So many of my patients find it hard, at first, to believe that walking can actually help burn calories and promote weight loss. While not primarily an eating guide, this book does a great job in connecting the steps we take each day, and how many calories it takes to "burn off" calories from different foods. It also comes with a pedometer, so you can count your own daily steps, and set some goals to increase your activity in a slow and steady way.

Losing weight is dfficult, and while lifestyle change can be made easier, it's never going to be easy. On the positive side, we're all in this together, so sharing both weight loss successes and challenges can keep us all engaged in the continuing journey. What diet strategies have worked for you? it might not even be a book - some of the most successful plans I've seen are those described by people as "my own plan" - a mix of different diet strategies. What could be better?

Spring-Clean Your Fridge

After I finished a few Today Show segments on food safety, I took a look in my fridge to do some "spring cleaning". I went out and bought a refrigerator thermometer, to check the real temperature. I had been rotating between "cold" and "colder" whenever I had a lot of food to be stored. No guesswork anymore - I'm set at 38 degrees, well within the safety zone of "under 40 degrees".

Next up - checking the expiration dates of foods, starting with the condiments - salad dressings were the biggest culprit. Could I really have "light" blue cheese dressing from a "use by" date of 12/06? That was gone, as well as a variety of mustards and some ancient jelly. I'd already been storing my eggs in the original carton, to avoid the mystery question of when I had purchased them. Okay there - expiration at the end of April. Also tossed were grated cheese, and some single-serving low fat puddings that were about a week out of date (another use by). I checked on other wrapped foods, from turkey hot dogs to milk to yogurt, and I was okay there. Any packaged deli meat that was opened, even with an expiration date stamped weeks in the future, was discarded if I couldn't remember the last time I took something from the package in the past 3 days. Those dates are meaningless once the package is unwrapped!

I cleaned the shelves, and put a fresh baking soda carton in to absorb some odors, feeling pretty good about my activity. It's now on my monthly "to do" list. While I thought I was fairly attentive to the contents of my fridge, I found some room for improvement. I really do want to minimize the likelihood of food-borne illness occurring in a family member or me! A clean fridge is a great step in that direction.

What tips do you have for cleaning out and organizing your fridge? How often do you do it? I'd like to accumulate some information from you, and then revisit this topic from time to time.

From Farm to Fork: Keeping Produce Safe to Eat

It seems that everywhere we turn, the news is full of toxic spinach, spoiled green onions, tainted carrot juice, and more. Are fruits and vegetables safe to eat? This morning, I talked about keeping produce safe on our continuing Today Show series "From Farm to Fork: What Can Consumer's Do to Prevent Food-Borne Illness?". Let me first reassure you that the food supply is very safe, and that while there are isolated incidents of illness from fruits and veggies, this is no reason to cut down consumption. Produce should remain a regular part of a healthy diet. Don't be afraid - be a careful, and informed consumer to keep your produce intake up, and stay healthy. A few easy tips, and you'll have greater confidence that your risk of food-related illness is minimized. I'd love to hear your own strategies for keeping food safe at home

Healthy people can readily fend off a lot of food-borne illnesses; that's biology and what all animals do. Some people are at greater risk, who can't bioloigcally defend themselves. This include the very young (infants/toddlers/young children), the elderly, and people with a chronic illness resulting in a poorly functioning immune system. Thnk about things we do naturally - when something smells bad, we throw it out; when it looks moldy or off color, we toss it. Good thinking. But the food supply is more complicated nowadays. We eat out constantly, purchase prepared foods, including a lot of convenient "pre-bagged: vegetables and fruits. Does this put us at greater risk for getting sick? There is a lot of debate on exactly this issue. While the FDA says that the problem is not exclusively related to the bagged products, we all have that bagged spinach in mind when we think about E-coli (bacterial) contamination. It's important to point out that even with that particular recall, almost all spinach on the supermarket shelves was safe to eat - both bagged and loose - but all products were voluntarily pulled off the shelves as a safety measure. This provided even more confusion to the consumer.

While we have little control at the farm and production level, there are a few easy things to do at home, to ensure produce safety. Here are some of my favorites. Do you have some to add? You can't have too many, as far as I am concerned.

- Wash your hands - not a quick splash with some water; but soap and water scrubbing for about 15-20 seconds really reduces bacteria on your hands.
- Wash your produce - under a stream of clean water to reduce bacteria.
- Get a refrigerator thermometer and make sure it's 40 degrees or lower. The "cold" or "colder" setting is useless.
- Check the expiration date on bagged produce - toss at the date; produce can "look" okay, but put you at risk.
- Separate raw and cooked foods - make sure raw meats are bagged, so they don't drip onto produce in your fridge. Keep them separate on the kitchen counter and cutting boards.
- Try a paper plate, or wax paper as a disposable cutting board - or run yours through the dishwasher.
- Use paper towels or cloth towels (into the washing machine afterwards) for the countertops.
- Wash sponges thoroughly with hot soapy water, or run them through the dishwasher. Replace at least weekly.
- Cooking kills bacteria - active boiling can help..
- Throw out severely bruised or discolored produce.
- Scrub edible skins with a stiff vegetable brush
- Switch to a clean knife when peeling a melon or other fruits or vegetables, before cutting into the flesh. It's easy to spread bacteria on the skin to the edible inside.

I think common sense is the most important tool we all can use here. Clean hands, cold fridge, and effective cleaning and handling of produce at home are the easiest ways to ensure safe consumption.