Timi Gustafson, R.D. | How to Eat Right and Still Have Fun

Most Restaurant Food Has Too Many Calories, Studies Find

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:12:28 +0000

That too much fondness of fast food can cause weight problems is old news. But the idea that nearly all types of restaurants dish up meals that can expand your waistline has not been as widely discussed – until now. Two separate studies, one from the University of Toronto, Canada, the other from Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, found that most restaurant food is not all that superior to hamburgers and fries when it comes to calorie and fat content.

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Reintroducing Cooking in American Households an Unlikely Prospect, Study Finds

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:11:39 +0000

Americans don’t like to cook. They don’t want to spend the time it takes for food shopping, food preparation and clean up, especially when it’s so much easier to stop for a quick bite at a restaurant or drive-thru or bring home some take-out. Yet, experts are convinced that making home cooking fashionable again would be one of the most effective steps we could take to address the nation’s obesity crisis.

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Ten Years of “Food Politics”

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:11:08 +0000

I can hardly believe it’s been over ten years since the University of California Press first published my book “Food Politics.” My goal in writing this book was to point out that food choices are political as well as personal. Initial reactions to this idea ranged from “You have to be kidding” to “How dare anyone suggest that food choices could be anything other than matters of personal responsibility?” How times have changed.

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The Dangers of Borderline Diabetes

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:10:48 +0000

Many of my clients attending my diabetes class report that several years earlier they were told they had “borderline” diabetes. Unfortunately, they only made temporary efforts to eat more healthily or add some physical activity to their schedule, but they didn’t really take this diagnosis of “borderline” diabetes seriously. Within a few weeks the scare was forgotten and it was back to the old lifestyle.

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Weight Management for Active People

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:09:57 +0000

As a physically active person, you are unlikely to be obese, but you may have concerns about your weight or have relatives who struggle with their weight. To address the complexities of how to deal with undesired body fat, the Weight Management Group of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND) held a recent conference on the subject. Here are some highlights.

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Most Americans Don’t Exercise Enough – But Who Can Blame Them?

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:53:54 +0000

Despite plenty of encouragement from the government and health experts to move more, Americans still find it hard to adopt a less sedentary lifestyle. Merely 20 percent are in compliance with the government’s recommendations for physical activity, which advise getting at least two and a half hours per week of moderately intense aerobic exercise like brisk walking as well as some strength training such as lifting weights or doing pushups. The "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," as the recommendations are officially called, have been criticized as unrealistic and unattainable for many Americans, especially for low-income earners and those living in unwalkable and unsafe neighborhoods.

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Despite Health Concerns, Aging Baby Boomers Find It Hard to Make Lifestyle Changes

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:53:36 +0000

Baby Boomers – those born between 1946 through 1964 – will live longer than any other generation before them, but they will not necessarily be healthier. In fact, many are already burdened with more chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes than their parents and grandparents were. Most of these health problems are lifestyle-related and could be prevented through changes in diet, exercise and weight management, but for some reason these messages seem hard to get across.

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More Vegetables and Fruits – Healthy Eating Made Doable

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:53:21 +0000

Every so often, my clients and friends say that recommended targets for vegetable and fruit consumption seem unrealistically high, and that we have to accept as a fact that we just can’t get enough of them, especially when eating away from home. I just returned from a terrific vacation to beautiful northern California where I learned that this doesn’t have to be the case. The delicious foods I enjoyed there showed me the many ways – regardless of specific produce choices based on seasonal availability – we can include vegetables and fruits in our meals all day long.

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What the Labels on Egg Cartons Really Mean

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:53:10 +0000

Eggs contain the highest quality protein available, along with vitamins A and D, B12, thiamine, folate, choline, zinc, iron, phosphorus and selenium. In addition, eggs are a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are recommended for eye health. The American Heart Association (AHA) includes a medium-size egg in its list of recommended low-cost, nutrient-rich foods. Overall, the evidence shows that eating one egg per day is fine for most healthy people and does not result in significant changes in blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

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Going Gluten-Free

Timi Gustafson — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:52:54 +0000

Everyone can benefit from eating a wide range of gluten-free whole grains. Gluten-free cooking and baking goes beyond replacing the few most popular gluten grains like wheat, barley, triticale and rye in your favorite recipes. There are many more whole grains that do not contain gluten. This means more choices, more whole grains and whole grain flours to mix and match with local, seasonal produce for an endless variety of daily meals. It is a celebration of the earth’s bounty.

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