Ask Our Experts: Archive

At this time we do not carry African Mango. However we have spoken with the corporate produce manager and he is researching the possibility of carrying these. We practice the COOL labeling system (Country of Origin) so that you can easily see where your produce is coming from. Also, please feel free to ask any produce manager at your local store.

Having a sweet tooth can be difficult to overcome but with a few creative tools, you can reduce your sugar intake and make improvements in your health. Here is my Top 10 List of Ways to Reduce Your Sugar Cravings.

1. Stay balanced. Make sure that you are eating well balanced meals and snacks at appropriate times of the day. If we get too hungry or skip meals your body begins to send signals that we need quick sugars to restore blood sugar levels. If we habitually reach for something sweet our, we've conditioned ourselves that being hungry means grabbing something quick and sweet. Break this habit by aiming to eat smaller meals every 3-4 hours.

2. Avoid eating sugary foods before lunch. While there isn't a lot of science to support this theory, I find personally that if I start of my day with something a little too sweet it's feels like I turned on the sugar switch and crave sweets more often. There is also the mentality that "oh well, I already ate sweets today, I should just eat more sweets and start over tomorrow." Break this habit by starting the day with eggs, cottage cheese, peanut butter toast, etc. Save the sweet cereal, pastries or syrupy coffees for special occasions.

3. Make sure you are including appropriate amounts of protein and fiber. Protein and fiber will keep you full longer. Many breakfasts are cereal and milk (mostly carbohydrates) and lunches are just salads with no meat (mostly carbohydrates and fat). These good intentions can backfire because you'll continue to be hungry an hour later. Break this habit by including small amounts of lean protein in your meals (Greek Yogurt for breakfast, beans on your salad, etc).

4. Stay well hydrated. Many times, people will mistake thirst for hunger. Drink water regularly so that you don't consume extra calories. Break this habit by keeping a large cup of water on your desk at work or in the car. Make a commitment to drink 2 cups of water before you decide to reach for the sweet.

5. Replace sweet foods with fruits. Gradually, begin to replace afternoon candy bars or evening ice cream with fruit. I know you are probably thinking "yeah right, I don't want fruit over ____". But I promise if you can begin to gradually eat fruit when the cravings strike, you will begin to help reset your palate to enjoy natural sweetness instead of overly processed sugary foods. Break this habit by putting a bowl of fruit on your counter, an apple and banana on your desk or keep frozen berries in your freezer.

6. Be conscious of artificial sweeteners. Too many artificial sweeteners can confuse your palate. Most sweeteners are over 100x sweeter than sugar. If we too many artificial sweeteners our body can become used to super sweet tastes. When we eat something with real sugar or even fruit, it just doesn't taste as sweet and sometimes we think we need more to satisfy that super sweet taste we are used to. Break this habit by drinking water or unsweet tea over diet sodas or artificially sweetened fruit drinks.

7. Find your "satisfier". Only recently did I realize that I am satisfied when I have something sweet and crunchy. I make it a point to include a little sweet and a little crunchy in each of my meals. I find that if I don't have those elements I am still "searching" after a meal. I may be full but I didn't get that crunch or sweet satisfier so I forage and usually end up over eating. Break the habit by finding what satisfies you. If you like chewy and sweet or salt and smooth, find a way to include small amounts of that in your meal.

8. Avoid "bored" eating. Many people will eat when they are bored. Some have such a hard time watching TV without snacking on something sweet. Mid-afternoon is another danger time. One client told me she picked up knitting. Each night she would just knit so that she couldn't use her hands to eat snacks. Break this habit by finding a way to keep your hands busy or find a "go-to" solution when you are bored.

9. Keep a food diary. Try keeping a food diary for a few days to see when your sugary cravings strike. If it's every day at 5 pm then you can make a plan to have fruit available at that time. There are many online tools that can track your food and you can tally how much sugar you are eating. Use it as a map to begin to make gradual changes.

10. Avoid "all or nothing". If possible, avoid saying "I'm going to avoid sugar all week." This absolute statement can set you up for failure. It can also cause sugar to become the "forbidden fruit" and you may think about it even more. Also, when most people break their resolve they will overcompensate and eat more sugar, vowing that they'll start over again tomorrow. Break this habit by simply making your mantra, "Today, I will eat more fruit" or "I will eat less sugar today than I did yesterday."

Thanks so much for your great question.

Thanks for reaching out to us. First, I'm sure you are feeling overwhelmed. Anytime anyone is prescribed a new way of living and eating, they are sure to have a learning curve. It's like learning a new food language. Just as it takes more than a week or even month to become fluent in a new language, learning to eat completely different also takes some time.

Second, the Cleveland Clinic recommends that someone who has a soy allergy should use the following guidelines:

Avoid foods that contain these ingredients:
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Miso
Shoyu sauce
Soy (albumin, flour, grits, nuts, milk, sprouts)
Soybean (granules, curd)
Soy protein (concentrate, isolate)
Soy sauce
Tamari
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Tofu

The following ingredients MAY contain soy protein. The source of these ingredients should be verified before consuming the product:
Hydrolyzed plant protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Natural flavoring
Vegetable broth
Vegetable gum
Vegetable starch

Allowed ingredients*:
Soy lecithin
Soy oil
Soybean oil
*Studies show that most people with soy allergies can safely eat foods containing these ingredients. Check with your doctor and registered dietitian first.

Another great resource is the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) www.foodallergy.org

Lastly, I can't encourage you enough to schedule an appointment with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in food allergies. They can provide meal plans and provide specific guidance as it relates to you (calories for your age, height, weight, etc). If you would like to search for your specific area, you can search the national database of Registered Dietitians: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/

Thank you for your question! Don't get discouraged. Each day is one day closer to you being a soy allergy expert!

You are correct in that protein is an important nutrient for building new tissue and for healing of wounds.

Highest quality protein comes from animal foods such as fish, shellfish, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, pork, eggs, cheese, milk and dairy products such as yogurt. Keep in mind that some foods within these categories are quite high in fat, which does not support wound healing but provides calories. You need enough calories to spare protein so that it can be used for healing, but not too much fat to result in excessive body weight. Soy is the only plant food that contains the same quality of protein as animal foods, so soy foods would also be a good option.

Beans and peas are good sources of protein as well and can be used as an economical meat substitute or side dish. Nut butters also provide protein. However, the quality of protein in beans, peas, and nuts is not as high as that of animal and soy products.

I recommend a good protein source for each of 3 meals per day and you may want to consider 1-2 snacks that contain protein. Thank you for contacting us for nutrition information. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) makes the following statement about astragalus "The evidence for using astragalus for any health condition is limited. High-quality clinical trials (studies in people) are generally lacking. There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that astragalus, either alone or in combination with other herbs, may have potential benefits for the immune system, heart, and liver, and as an adjunctive therapy for cancer."

I've also attached a PDF of Astragalus from NCCAM for some additional information.

I don't actively recommend herbs for guests mostly because I usually don't have a good health history or accurate snapshot of a guest's medicine/supplement usage. However many people have great success using complementary medicine.

We do carry astragalus in all 10 of our Market Street store locations as well as 3 United stores.

1. United on SW 45th in Amarillo
2. United on South 14th in Abilene
3. United on Frankford in Lubbock

The meat market serves a 9-10 oz raw pork chop as a serving. Here is the information as purchased in raw weight:

• Calories: 440
• Total Fat: 11 grams
• Saturated Fat: 3.5 grams
• Trans Fat: 0 grams
• Cholesterol: 210 mg
• Sodium: 3060 mg
• Dietary Fiber: 0 grams
• Sugars: 9 grams
• Protein: 67 grams

A standard serving size is a 4 oz portion. So if you split the pork chop into 2 servings you could also cut the nutrition information in half and make it part of a balanced meal!

Fortunately, my answer is going to focus on what you can have rather than what to omit. Most individuals with diabetes are on diet plan to count carbohydrates. Depending on caloric needs for maintaining or losing weight and for physical activity (exercise), a person is given a specific amount of carb for the entire day and for each meal/snack. In general, we recommend a minimum of 130 grams carbohydrates per day to support brain function with range of 45 to 60 grams per meal and 15 to 20 grams per snack.

You can choose which foods to count as part or all of your allowance for each meal. For example, if you want to choose pasta for the entire amount rather than bread or starchy vegetable, that is up to you. I recommend that you choose whole grain varieties of pasta rather than refined products made of white flour. You can find almost every variety of pasta in a whole grain form. This will increase nutritional value and may help in control of blood glucose as well. Keep in mind that all starch, flour products, sugar, dairy products, veggies and fruits contain carbohydrate. It is best to include a variety of carb choices in meals and snacks.

For people with diabetes, there is a carb counting rule in relation to fiber content of carbohydrate-containing foods. If a food contains more than 5 grams of fiber per serving (from Nutrition Facts panel), subtract half the grams of fiber from total carbohydrate.

Example:

• total carbs = 35g
• dietary fiber = 6g
• (35 minus 3 = 32 grams carb). The food would count as 32 grams fiber in diet rather than 35.

There are several dietary contributors to inflammation in the body:

• sugar and refined carbohydrates
• saturated and trans fat
• caffeine
• alcohol in excess
• insufficient intake of micronutrients and antioxidants
• a low fiber diet
• overweight

To minimize inflammation in the body:

• limit sugar and refined carbohydrates; choose at least 3 servings whole grains per day
• eliminate trans fats and minimize intake of saturated fats (saturated fats come primarily from animal food sources and tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil)
• eliminate or reduce caffeine
• alcohol in moderation or not at all
• boost consumption of while plant foods to maximize intake of fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients (veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans)
• meet recommended intake of omega-3-fatty acids (include at least 2 fish meals per week of oily fish such as tuna or salmon; also flax seeds, walnuts)

Trying to focus on a plant-based diet is beneficial. Your mealtime plate should be 50% vegetables, 25% whole grains, 25% protein. Along with this, include a serving of lowfat dairy and a serving of fruit.

Specifically, dark green leafy vegetables daily, deep blue and purple food such as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and pomegranates are beneficial.

Lifestyle factors also play a role in inflammation: do not smoke, get regular aerobic exercise, practice good oral hygiene, aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, and find productive ways to cope with stress in your life.

Black "forbidden rice" earned its name because originally, in China, it was considered the Emperor's rice and it was forbidden for anyone else to eat it. Thanks goodness it's no longer forbidden, because we carry it at Market Street. The brand that we seem to have on hand at this time is the Lundberg Black Rice, found in our Living Well Grains section.

BOCA Ground Crumbles are soy-based crumbles made of soy protein concentrate. BOCA is a company with a line of products that are either vegan, vegetarian or free of animal derived ingredients.

Here is a link to the BOCA Ground Crumbles for more information: http://www.bocaburger.com/products/crumbles.aspx?productBox=0

Below is the nutrition information for the Green Chile Chicken Stew corporate recipe. A standard serving size is 1 cup ~ 8 oz.

Thanks for submitting your question. Here is the nutrition information for our blueberry muffins (4 pack in the bakery). Please note that the nutrition is for ½ of the muffin.

Kudos for looking for nutrition information! We have several varieties of Tumbler Chicken and I have provided the nutrition information for each of the corporate recipes below. Just as a note, these are for 6 oz pieces of raw chicken breast. As a frame of reference a plain, raw chicken breast of 6 oz is 185 calories. Any additional calories listed below are from the marinades and flavorings.

Thanks for submitting your question. I love the smell of that coffee! For 1 cup of brewed coffee you would consume 2 calories and 95 mg of caffeine.

Food safety becomes a concern when food reaches and remains in the "danger zone" (40-140 F). Your sausage never reached the danger zone so you can feel comfortable knowing that your meat was safe to eat. Basically, you just defrosted the meat. Hope it was good!!

What a great question! Here are a couple of pieces of information that may help resolve the question.

• The NuVal system is designed to help our Guests within categories and not between.
  
• Not all categories reach 100. In fact, the highest score in the meat department is "74" and the highest score in the seafood department is an "89".
  
• We certainly don't want you choosing between iceberg lettuce and ground sirloin or between strawberries and milk. NuVal was intended to help you "Trade Up". For example, iceberg lettuce scores 82. But you may see another type of lettuce with a score in the upper 90's or even 100. If the NuVal scores inspire our Guests to "Trade Up" then it's been a successful day.
  
• Gram for gram iceberg lettuce contains more favorable nutrients and less unfavorable nutrients than ground sirloin but both should be enjoyed.

Thank you for your interest in NuVal. If you have more questions, please let us know. We love this program and want to do what we can to make sure you do too!

Yes! As of today we carry 27 of the Walden Farms diet products. These are the categories/departments where you can find these products:

• Breakfast spreads (7)
• Ice cream toppings (5)
• Peanut butter and honey (1)
• Salad dressings (9)
• Sauces and condiments (3)
• Syrups (2)

We have some sample menus posted on our website that might give you some ideas to get you started.  Also we develop family meals for under $15 (serve 4 adult servings) that have specific calorie, saturated fat, sodium criteria that would be suitable for healthier meal options.  New menu ideas/recipes are posted every 2 months for seasonal ideas.  We also archive recipes for your referral under "more recipes".  Meal preparation techniques used would be appropriate for calorie control as well.

• http://www.marketstreetunited.com/westtexas/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/

In planning your meals, keep in mind that portion control is of utmost importance.  For meals, approximately 50% of the plate should be filled with fruits/veggies, 25% with whole grains, 25% with meat or protein source.  Breakfast should include 3 food groups, lunch/dinner should include 5 food groups, and snacks should include 2 food groups.  This pattern will assist you in getting variety in your meal planning.

For specific recommendations based on your calorie needs, please consult a registered dietitian (RD)/certified diabetes educator (CDE) on an individual basis.  To find a dietitian in your area, go to: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=4294967309. Look under tab - "find a dietitian".  Many insurance companies will cover an appointment with a dietitian to cover diabetes education.

Low carb diets can be a tricky thing. I would encourage you to ask your doctor how low in carbs he/she wants you to go. It is important to remember that the brain functions on carbohydrates primarily. The body needs at least 130 grams of carbs a day to perform daily functioning.

Carbohydrates foods: all fruits and vegetables, breads, grains, cereals, dairy, and beans. So you can see, that encompasses most foods except meat. Although I don't recommend going on a super low carbohydrate diet, eating less carbohydrates than the average American is a good idea.

The primary reason low-carb diets work is that people consume less calories overall. But people gravitate towards the diet because they lose a lot of weight quickly. The reason? Carbohydrates attract water. The few carbs, the less water your body holds onto. Therefore, at the end of the first week, most people have lost a significant amount of weight but it's water weight.

I recommend that you begin but cutting out "unnecessary carbohydrates" such as, candies, sodas, syrups, jams, sugar in beverages, etc. Depending on how much you may be consuming, cutting these out can make a huge difference. Although vegetables do contain carbohydrates, it is very little and I strongly recommend that you do not eliminate fruits and vegetables from your diet. Fruits and vegetables contain the fiber, vitamins and minerals your body needs to function and achieve/maintain a healthy weight.

To help you track your carbohydrate intake (and protein and fat, if you like) you might try sparkpeople.com. It is a free website that allows you to track and analyze your food intake. It will give you a running tally of the carbohydrates you've eaten each day and show you what percent of your diet is coming from carbs, protein and fat.

It may come as a surprise that the recommendations for heart health (including high cholesterol) and diabetes are very similar. Both conditions are improved by reducing saturated and trans fat, added sugars and sodium while increasing good fats and fiber. In fact fiber is one key nutrient that will help lower cholesterol and improve glucose levels. Continue to include your husband's favorite seafood and particularly salmon (for it's omega 3 content).

I must first recommend that if you haven't already done so, please meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). They can provide further guidance on individual meal planning and how to get the right amount of calories and carbohydrates your husband needs. Here is a link to finding a CDE in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm.

In the mean time, here is a great website for some recipes that are specifically geared towards Diabetes Care and Management: http://www.dce.org/recipes/archives.asp. Or you can use the Mayo Clinic's list of recipes: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-recipes/RE00091

You can generally substitute up to 1/2 the flour called for in a recipe with whole wheat flour.  You might want to begin with substituting 1/4 whole wheat and see if you can work your way up to 1/2, depending on results.  By substituting up to 1/2 of the flour with whole wheat, it should not affect cooking time or any other properties of the recipe.  I make this substitution whenever possible to increase nutritional value of the recipe and increase fiber content.  

As you and your doctor have probably already discussed A1c (also called glycated hemoglobin) measures your average blood glucose levels for the last 120 days. Doctors and dietitians love this number because it shows how well a patient has been adhering to their meal plan and exercise for the last 3 months. As we know, a lower number is better. We want to aim for an A1c lower than 7 percent, which means an average glucose of 170 mg/dl.

First, I must recommend that you meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) specializing in diabetes management. They are called CDEs (Certified Diabetes Educators). You can locate one near you by visiting this website: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htmA dietitian can create a personalized plan for you based on the calories you need to a healthy weight.

1. Plan to count your carbohydrates and eat foods that are low in saturated fat and high in fiber. With regards to food, there is a dance. Although some foods will help lower your blood glucose and others will raise it, a nice balance will ensure you can enjoy the foods you love while managing your blood glucose levels.
   
   It is important to keep track of your carbohydrate intake throughout the day. A consistent intake over the day will result in even blood glucose numbers. For example, your registered dietitian may have you consume 45 grams of carbs at breakfast, lunch and dinner and two snacks of 15 grams of carbs each.
   
   One key to preventing blood sugar spikes is ensuring that your meals are balanced with protein and fiber. Protein and fiber slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. So for example, instead of just eating crackers, try a few less crackers but eat them with cheese or turkey or hummus. Avoid eating carbohydrates alone. Always include a protein and/or fiber. Fiber will also be key to lowering blood sugar. Aim for 25-30 grams of fiber/day from real, naturally high fiber foods.
   
   
2. Engage in 30 minutes of physical activity a day, five days a week. Exercise will make a significant contribution to lowering your blood glucose and inevitably your A1c.
   
   
3. Take your medications on time and at the proper dose (if you have been prescribed medications).

Kudos to you for taking active steps towards a healthier you.

At Market Street and specialty United Supermarkets, we carry many products that contain acai.  These include frozen puree, sorbet, juice, tea, bars, and supplements.

Since we do not know medical history of your mom or the stage of treatment she is in, it is difficult to make specific recommendations. However, the American Heart Association has guidelines for improving heart health in general.  Their website may also provide helpful information and recipes: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200009. Specifically, look under link on left side of page that has to do with "healthy lifestyles".

What should I eat?

• Enjoy foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, including:
• Fruits and vegetables
• High-fiber foods
• Fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products
• Omega-3 containing fish like salmon, trout and haddock
• Lean red meats and poultry without skin  
• Beans and peas
• Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
• Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts

What should I limit?

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• Foods with trans fats like fried foods, baked goods, stick margarines and shortenings  
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods

What are some cooking tips for me?

• Use a rack to drain off fat when you broil, roast or bake.
• Don't baste with drippings; use wine, fruit juice or marinade.
• Broil instead of pan-frying.
• Cut all the fat you can see off of any meat you cook, and take all the skin off chicken and turkey.
• Use a vegetable oil spray to brown or sauté foods.
• Serve smaller portions of dishes that have some fat, and serve bigger portions of no-fat dishes like pasta, rice, beans and vegetables.
• Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, not yolks.
• Instead of regular cheese, use low-fat cottage cheese, part fat-free milk mozzarella, and other low-fat and nonfat cheeses.
• Use low-fat cookbooks and recipes.

One of the most beneficial practices is getting regular aerobic exercise daily if possible, anywhere from 30-60 minutes per day.  One recent study suggested that adults with lowest risk of chronic diseases get at least 3.5 hours of exercise per week.  Even 10-15 minutes of exercise at a time can prove to be beneficial to promote health and wellness.  It doesn't have to be done in long stretches of time necessarily.  But, your mom should not begin an exercise program until she has approval to do so from her physician.  She may need to avoid exercise at this time or limit it based on her specific condition.

One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. Our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have 3 grams of fat or less, 1 gram of saturated fat or less, 0 grams of trans fat,  480 mg of sodium or less, 20 mg of cholesterol or less and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

We are proud of you for seeking out healthy choices.

My first question would be draws your son to frozen items over fresh. There are a lot of great frozen options but most of the time fresh tastes better than frozen. If convenience is the main issue, then my best suggestion would be to do some batch cooking of fresh food and freeze it so your son can enjoy the convenience but get the taste and nutrition of fresh food. Some great cook and freeze items are turkey meatballs, casseroles, and soups. There are also some great slow cooker recipes that can be made over the weekend, frozen and reheated throughout the week.

There are some good quality frozen foods but it is important to watch out for the fat and sodium that can be used to preserve the food. I would recommend some of Amy's Organic and Natural Foods, and Kashi frozen meals and pizzas, and Morningstar Farms (they have some amazing frozen sausage patties and links!!). These are great products that have great nutrition.

Perhaps a win-win situation would be to combine frozen with fresh. For example, if your son likes the frozen dinners (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc), he should also try to add 1-2 cups of vegetables to increase the size of his meal but also get in some more servings of vegetables and fill him up. Your son may even need to eat 2 frozen meals to get the calories he needs.

Another convenient meal option is sandwiches. Sometimes a sandwich can be made in the same time it would take to heat up a frozen meal.

Cutting out wheat and dairy products is often what dietitians will call a Gluten Free/Dairy Free Diet. Let me just say that this can be a very challenging diet.

First off, make sure you know why your doctor is requesting you go without wheat and dairy. A gluten/wheat free diet is absolutely necessary for those who have been diagnosed with celiac disease. A dairy free diet can be for those who have a dairy allergy (which is not the same as lactose intolerance). It requires lots of research and reading food labels. For those who have to eat Gluten Free/Dairy, they have to be cautious of medicines and sometimes skincare products.

Many doctors are now recommending a Gluten Free/Dairy Free Diet for autism, ADHD and other behavior disorders.

However, some doctors are recommending a wheat free/dairy free diet as a means to lose weight. The reason that it works is that there people find it hard to find things to eat and therefore end up eating less. The success of the diet is found in the decrease in calories.

If you find that you do need to eat a Gluten Free Dairy Free Diet, Market Street demonstrates our interest in the health of our store guests is with our in-store Nutritional Tag Program. One of our tags is a Gluten Free Tag (GF). You can find this on the price tag on the shelf.  Here is some more information on our GF tag program: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_gf.asp

This can be a very complicated diet and I must strongly urge you meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) who specializes in guiding clients in a Gluten Free Dairy Free diet. Meeting with a registered dietitian can guide you in how to choose the right foods, get enough calories, carbs, protein, calcium, etc. You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes gluten free health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Rather than reinventing the wheel, I am referring you to WebMD site for detailed information on foods related to gout.  However, this condition is primarily treated with medications. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/gout-topic-overview

In reference to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), there are dietary factors as well as lifestyle factors that play roles in producing symptoms.

Foods such as chocolate, mint, peppermint/spearmint, sodas (cabonation is problematic), citrus fruits/juices, tomato-based products, garlic, onion, caffeinated products, and high-fat foods seem to make the problem worse.  Fried foods, high-fat meats, cream sauces, gravies, margarine/butter, cream, oil, and salad dressing could exacerbate the problem.  Alcohol, smoking, and extreme temperatures of food may make the problem worse.  One should avoid vigorous activity or reclining soon after eating; also avoid bedtime snacks.  Weight reduction, if needed, plays a role in helping to alleviate symptoms. Anything that increases abdominal pressure such as coughing, straining, bending, tight clothing around waist, or lifting heavy objects can make symptoms worse.

Foods that tend to help alleviate symptoms include lean meats and lowfat dairy products.  Carbohydrate-containing foods are also acceptable as long as they are lower in fat content.  Medications are commonly used for treatment of this condition.

These conditions should be managed by a medical doctor and you would likely benefit from a consultation with a Registered Dietitian in your area to assist with meal plans according to your preferences, lifestyle and food budget.  

In order to determine exactly what is going on during the day with your blood sugar levels, you should have a thorough evaluation from your medical doctor and possibly a glucose tolerance test over several hours. It is possible that your blood glucose rises sharply after eating, then your pancreas over-reacts by secreting excessive insulin, then you may get a bottom-out effect - thus causing your feelings of sleepiness and sluggishness in the afternoon. This is referred to as reactive hypoglycemia and can be a forerunner of type 2 diabetes if not controlled and managed. This condition is primarily managed with a diet that is lower in refined sugars and carbohydrates, higher in lean or lowfat protein foods and healthy forms of fat/oils. In addition, eating 6 small meals/snacks is preferable to stabilize blood glucose levels. Excessive body weight tends to make this condition harder to control, so weight loss may be appropriate as part of overall management. A Registered Dietitian would be able to assist in planning a diet with appropriate levels of carbs, protein, fat and calories at each meal or snack to manage this condition.

Snacks should generally include 2 food groups, so you could include a protein source + another food such as fruit or veggie. Examples could include lowfat yogurt and whole grain cereal, egg salad sandwich, string cheese and whole grain crackers, almonds and fruit, etc. Caution should be applied when looking at nutrition bars, as some may contain 400 or more calories and be high in saturated fat. Bars should generally not be used more than 1 time per day and an appropriate guideline for any snack is 100-200 calories unless weight gain is a desired goal. I recommend combining carbohydrate-containing foods with foods that also contain protein and/or fat. Carbohydrates are digested more rapidly, whereas protein and fat are digested more slowly and assist in stabilizing the blood glucose levels over longer periods of time. This will also help you to stay full for a longer period of time.

You are certainly justified in feeling frustrated. Weight loss is such a battle. There are so many other pieces of the puzzle, however my first instinct is that you may not be consuming enough calories. WHAT?? (That's what most people say when I tell them this).

Regarding the number of calories you need, this amount is based on age, height, weight, muscle mass, etc. The best way to determine your individual caloric needs is to have a metabolic test completed. However, you can use the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to determine your estimated needs. This link provides you with an online calculator: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

You may have heard of "starvation mode". This is not necessarily a scientific term but we do find that some people will not lose weight if their calorie deficit is too great. When you ate more calories and exercised less on your San Antonio vacation, your body was able to use those calories to support basic metabolic functioning. You were also probably a little bit more relaxed and your body was less stressed. My recommendation is to keep exercise the same and add a snack during the day (200-300 calories) or keep your diet the same and keep exercise to only 60 minute sessions.

I know this probably sounds crazy to you but weight loss requires a respect for the body first and foremost. Right now your body may not be getting enough fuel to even support weight loss.

If you find that problems persist, I must encourage you to meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) who can provide you with personal one-on-one counseling. Meeting with a registered dietitian can guide you in determining how many calories you need to support basic metabolic functioning, exercise and weight loss. They will also guide you in making permanent changes that you can live with.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

What a great mom you are! You get a virtual pat on the back for caring about your son's health.

Teenage boys are usually hungry all the time and need a good amount of calories just to exist. If your son is planning to go off to college, now is a great "last chance" opportunity to instill some good nutrition lessons. Here are a few things to build a foundation of good health on.

One thing to note is BMI (body mass index) does not take into consideration body composition. Muscle weighs more than fat and can sometimes put a very lean, muscular person into the "overweight" BMI range. Now if you feel that your son is a little bit more soft than you or he would like, then we do need to take into consideration nutrition and exercise.

First off the most important thing is to find a great outlet for your son to get in activity. Not only do we want to expend some extra calories but we want him to have a strong heart, strong bones and good health. Sports may not be his thing but there are so many creative ways to get in exercise. Depending on your budget your son may like Wii Fit (tons of activities that get teens moving), Dance Dance Revolution (if he is in to that), a new skateboard or mountain bike, etc. Ask your son what he likes to do. Everybody has an activity they like that makes exercise seem "not-so-bad". Try doing active things as a family: bowling, batting cages, hiking, indoor kayaking classes (they have these!!). Getting your son to focus on activity instead of calories will be more fun and less likely to create an obsession with calorie tracking.

Make sure your son isn't skipping meals, especially breakfast. Those who skip breakfast often overeat later in the day.

Ensure that your sons meals are balanced. I know its popular for teens to have chips and soda for lunch in high school but this is just several hundred calories of sugar and fat. Even though your son is eating less meat, make sure that there is adequate protein sources at each meal. Not only will protein be more satisfying but meals that contain a protein source keep us full longer.

Teen boys eat A LOT!! This is a great way to get in more fruits and vegetables. Vegetables have a lot of fiber and water and therefore fill us up without lots of extra calories. Literally we could eat 10 medium apples for the same calories of a traditional ham and cheese sub sandwich and soda. Have your son help you think of creative ways to eat vegetables. For example, ever had mashed cauliflower? It tastes just like mashed potatoes but with half the calories. He'll get the texture and flavor he wants with half the calories.

Another area to watch out for is liquid calories. A couple of sodas or sweetened beverages/day can easily add up. Knocking out the sodas and sweet drinks is an easy way to improve a teens diet and eliminate several hundred calories per day.

Moms have great intentions but know it is only your job to provide the tools for him to make good choices. He has to make the decision to make his health a priority. I hope this helps and gets you and your son on the right track.

I assume that the focus of your question has to do with whole grains and getting enough fiber in your diet, even though whole grains are also important sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and natural/beneficial plant chemicals called phytonutrients. Adults need approximately 25-35 grams of fiber per day. Fruits and veggies can be good sources, so kudos for including ample amounts of these in your diet. Beans are also an excellent source of fiber and it is recommended to include these in your meals at least 2 times per week.

In order to include some whole grains, you might want to try mixing part regular and part whole grain products. For example, 1/4 whole grain pasta + 3/4 regular pasta; try to work up to 1/2 of each, or even more whole grain than regular over time. You may simply need time to develop a taste for whole grain products. The same rule could apply to cereals. If you make bread, muffins, waffles or pancakes, and cookies (any flour-based food), you might try substituting 1/4 to 1/2 whole wheat or rye flour for all-purpose flour called for in the recipe. Substituting brown or wild rice for white rice is a great idea, as well as using whole grain products such as quinoa. Quinoa may be a great side or can be used as a base for stir-fry toppings. Quinoa is quick-cooking and you can also find quick-cooking brown rice or barley. Barley is a whole grain that can be used in soups and stews (combining the veggies you love with some whole grains). Did you know that popcorn and oats are also whole grains?

Whole grains have been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, some types of cancers, and even play a role in reducing risk for and managing diabetes. They help to fill you up and are important for weight management. In addition, whole grains help keep your digestive tract running smoothly.

Thank you for contacting Market Street dietitians in your pursuit of health and wellness. Perhaps these ideas will give you a start to including more beneficial grains in your meals and snacks!

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I'd love to share with you a simple list the American Heart Association put together regarding what food to eat, what foods to limit and some quick cooking tips for improving blood lipids, including triglycerides (TG). Factors that affect other blood lipids, such as cholesterol, also affect TG. In addition, simple carbohydrate foods such as sweets, desserts, and sweet mixed drinks, also tend to elevate TG. This is because fat is stored in the body in the form of triglycerides. If you have extra weight in the form of stored fat in the body, this may also be a factor in elevation of TG. Weight reduction or management may be in order. Even 10-15% loss of total body weight can have a tremendous benefit on blood lipids, blood pressure, and other parameters of assessing health and wellness.

If you need specific help based on your lifestyle and personal preferences, you might want to consider seeing a Registered Dietitian in your area for specific recommendations in meal planning.

What should I eat?

• Enjoy foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, including:
• Fruits and vegetables
• High-fiber foods
• Fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products
• Omega-3 containing fish like salmon, trout and haddock
• Lean red meats and poultry without skin
• Beans and peas
• Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
• Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts

What should I limit?

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• Foods with trans fats like fried foods, baked goods, stick margarines and shortenings
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods

What are some cooking tips for me?

• Use a rack to drain off fat when you broil, roast or bake.
• Don't baste with drippings; use wine, fruit juice or marinade.
• Broil instead of pan-frying.
• Cut all the fat you can see off of any meat you cook, and take all the skin off chicken and turkey.
• Use a vegetable oil spray to brown or sauté foods.
• Serve smaller portions of dishes that have some fat, and serve bigger portions of no-fat dishes like pasta, rice, beans and vegetables.
• Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, not yolks.
• Instead of regular cheese, use low-fat cottage cheese, part fat-free milk mozzarella, and other low-fat and nonfat cheeses.
• Use low-fat cookbooks and recipes.

One of the most beneficial practices is getting regular aerobic exercise daily if possible, anywhere from 30-60 minutes per day. One recent study suggested that adults with lowest risk of chronic diseases get at least 3.5 hours of exercise per week. Even 10-15 minutes of exercise at a time can prove to be beneficial to promote health and wellness. It doesn't have to be done in long stretches of time necessarily.

One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. Our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have 3 grams of fat or less, 1 gram of saturated fat or less, 0 grams of trans fat, 480 mg of sodium or less, 20 mg of cholesterol or less and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Potassium is an illusive ingredient, in that you cannot taste it like you can taste salt or sodium. It is found primarily in a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as dairy products and beans. Below are two Web sites that might be helpful to identify foods that are high/low in potassium as well as lower potassium recipes.

• http://www.mrsdash.com/recipes/recipe-search-results.aspx
• http://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/potassium.cfm

There are many reasons that blood potassium could be elevated, including variances in kidney function. I recommend that you get an evaluation, based on your medical history, with your medical doctor. Depending on your results, you may need a consultation with a Registered Dietitian in your area who can assist you with a personal plan based on your specific needs.

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

One of the best places to find lower sodium options for meal planning is the Mrs. Dash Web site. The American Heart Association also provides guidelines. The Heart Association also has a cookbook which you might find helpful.

We sell several Mrs. Dash products in our stores that are great salt-free alternatives. They flavor foods with herbs and spices rather than salt. We have dried products in the spice section of store and also liquid marinades that are excellent for meat/fish/poultry.

I have a salt-free seasoning recipe that you can make as well. Salt is an acquired taste and with time, you can acculturate your taste buds to enjoy foods with less salt. Keep in mind that 80% or more of sodium in our diet comes from processed food rather than our directly adding it to food. We have a HHDM nutritional tag program in place that helps you to identify foods that are lower in sodium. You can pick up educational material in our stores or obtain information online (including a downloadable list of all foods we carry that have this tag). The tag is found as part of the price tag on store shelves.

In addition, check out our food service area for Living Well Favorites that are limited in sodium as an option for dining out. Nutritional information is included for these food items. Thank you for seeking information from Market Street dietitians as a means for making better food decisions towards health and wellness!

• http://www.mrsdash.com/
• http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=537
• http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling.asp

The recommended amount of protein per day for an adult is around 46 grams per day for females and 56 grams per day for males.  Foods that contain the highest quality protein are fish, meat, poultry, eggs, soy, cheese, and dairy products (eggs are highest quality of all these foods).  One ounce of meat or cheese as well as 1 egg contains approximately 7 grams of protein.  One cup of milk or yogurt contains approximately 8 grams of protein.  
Foods from plant sources such as beans and nuts also contain protein, but the quality is not as high as from animal sources (with exception of soy protein).

Snacks should generally include 2 food groups, so you could include a protein source + another food such as fruit or veggie.  Examples could include lowfat yogurt and whole grain cereal, egg salad sandwich, string cheese and whole grain crackers, almonds and fruit, etc.  Caution should be applied when looking at nutrition bars, as some may contain 400 or more calories and be high in saturated fat.  Bars should generally not be used more than 1 time per day and an appropriate guideline for any snack is 100-200 calories unless weight gain is a desired goal.  If you need assistance in planning  personal, individualized options based on your specific needs, I recommend consulting a Registered Dietitian in your area.  

My Pyramid website is a great resource to determine options for protein within several food groups; you can also determine what counts as a serving.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/index.html

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Congratulations on your weight loss! That is very commendable and I'm sure you feel better too.

Regarding the number of calories you need, this amount is based on age, height, weight, muscle mass, etc. The best way to determine your individual caloric needs is to have a metabolic test completed. However, you can use the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to determine your estimated needs. This link provides you with an online calculator: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html This calculation provides the following results:

• you need 2367 Calories/day to maintain your weight
• you need 1867 Calories/day to lose 1 lb per week
• you need 1367 Calories/day to lose 2 lb per week
• you need 2867 Calories/day to gain 1 lb per week
• you need 3367 Calories/day to gain 2 lb per week

I must encourage you to meet with a Registered Dietitian who can provide you with personal one-on-one counseling. Meeting with a registered dietitian can guide you in how to allot your calories, how to provide your body with the carbohydrates you need (for example Did you know that your brain requires 130 grams of carbs a day for basic functioning? That doesn't even include what the rest of your body needs), and the amount of protein and healthy fat you need to preserve your muscle mass.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Good job on incorporating healthy snacks throughout the day. Also, kudos for questioning your food. So many people just assume foods "can't be too bad for me".

Sesame sticks contain the following nutrition information. This is a general representation and specific brands may vary.

Serving Size 28g (~1 oz.)

• Calories 160
• Calories From Fat 100
• Total Fat 11g
• Saturated Fat 1.5g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 410mg
• Total Carbohydrate 13g
• Dietary Fiber 0g
• Sugars 0g
• Protein 3g
  

You can purchase the sesame sticks in the bulk foods section of Market Street.

Sesame sticks are made with the following ingredients: Unbleached wheat flour (contains malted barley flour as a natural enzyme additive), soybean oil, sesame seeds, bulgur wheat, salt, beet powder, turmeric

They would not be considered a whole grain. We would want the ingredients to say "100% whole wheat flour".

The sesame sticks are cooked in oil but the majority of the fat in these snacks are coming from unsaturated fats and therefore provide some redeeming nutrition.

My best suggestion would be to enjoy these sesame sticks mixed with other foods. Make sure to include some protein and fiber in your snacks so they keep you full longer (ex. string cheese, apple and a few sesame sticks).

Losing weight can be rewarding and challenging. People lose weight in a variety of different ways. Some people like accountability to another person, others like group settings and others need more one-on-one time with a Registered Dietitian or even Behavioral Therapist to determine why they have gained weight and how to make life-long changes.

Regarding the number of calories you need, this amount is based on age, height, weight, muscle mass, etc. The best way to determine your individual caloric needs is to have a metabolic test completed. However, you can use the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to determine your estimated needs. This link provides you with an online calculator: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

I must encourage you to meet with a Registered Dietitian who can provide you with personal one-on-one counseling. Meeting with a registered dietitian can guide you in determining how much of your calories should come from carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. They will also guide you in making permanent changes that you can live with.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

A Registered Dietitian can also guide you with an appropriate "cleanse". Many times this can be getting the right foods in and leaving the wrong ones out. I encourage you to be careful of particular cleanses that require you to avoid real food for several days. You may lose weight but most of it will be water and your hard-earned muscles. If can even be dangerous if you are taking any medications.

One easy thing that you can start today is activity. With this amazing fall weather, I encourage you to get out an take a walk - even a 10 minute walk! Or, if you are at home this evening, try doing knee lifts or bicep curls during commercial breaks of your favorite show. It's the little things that add up!

As you probably already know, there are specific foods that a person can and can't eat for the 6 weeks following the surgery. Not knowing how far you are out from your surgery, you may have gone through a liquid phase, pureed foods, soft foods, and then solid foods. The post lap band surgery diet is pretty trick and can vary from person to person.

I would encourage you to ask the medical facility to continue with their post surgery support. Most programs are required to have a Registered Dietitian in the program to counsel you on food choices before and after the surgery. It is important for you to contact them and let them know you are having some digestion issues. Not only do they need to know so they can help you feel better but they also need to know so they can continue to see how Lap Band Surgery affects people differently.

The University of California at San Diego recommends you avoid the following foods and provides 10 Rule for the best Post Lap Band Outcome.

Foods To Avoid

After you have transitioned to solid foods, you should try to avoid certain foods. Such foods include, but are not limited to:

• Dried fruits
• Asparagus
• Pineapple
• Rhubarb
• Corn (especially popcorn)
• Grapes
• Nuts and seeds (walnuts, whole peanuts, almonds)
• Carbonated beverages
• High calorie foods/drinks

10 Important Rules

Once you are eating solid foods, follow these 10 rules for eating, drinking and exercise to achieve the best results:

• Eat only three small meals a day
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
• Stop eating as soon as you feel full
• Do not drink while you are eating
• Do not eat between meals
• Eat only good quality foods -- no junk!
• Avoid fibrous foods
• Drink enough fluids during the day
• Drink only low-calorie liquids
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day

Good job on trying to lose weight. What a challenge that must be to avoid "green", high vitamin K foods.

I must confess I am not an expert on Factor V Leiden Mutation Disorder. For your safety it would be best to meet with a Registered Dietitian who can provide you with thorough one-on-one counseling and access to your medical records. I assume you are on anti-coagulants and perhaps other medications. Your one-on-one dietitian will want to know which medications you are on to make sure there aren't any other food-drug interactions. You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

For people on anticoagulants, there is some misinformation that they have to avoid all foods with vitamin K. They need a consistent amount of vitamin K each day that meets their RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) which is 90 micrograms per day for a woman ages 19 to 70+ years and 120 micrograms per day for men ages 19 to 70+ years. It is the wide fluctuations of high and low days that can be a problem.

Here is a link to a list of foods high and low in Vitamin K: http://www.dietitian.com/vitamink.html#table

What a great question! My single friends and I discuss the difficulty of cooking for one all the time.

Preparing healthy food for one can be a challenge but it can be a blessing. My grandma always tells me I should enjoy cooking for one. I can pick what I want to eat and I don't have to wash a lot of dishes. Sometimes it can seem like preparing healthy food for one can also be more expensive. One of my professors in graduate school changed my mind on that topic. She said taking the time and money to eat healthy was an investment in the future of my health. I could pay for healthy food now or pay for medical bills and prescriptions later.

Now, on to the suggestions. Here is a list of my top 3 Favorite Single Gal Appliances:

1. My $15 Rice Cooker. This thing is amazing. You can cook rice, pasta, grains on the bottom while steaming vegetable and meat/seafood on the top. I can easily prepare a balanced meal in 15-20 minutes and all the pieces are microwave safe.
2. My Slow Cooker. Slow Cookers have come a long way in their technology and can make some pretty delicious meals. I am notorious for making a vegetable soup or stew on Sunday afternoon and then adding new ingredients each night for a little variety. Try adding diced chicken and rice or black beans and ham.
3. Toaster oven. How about individual veggie pizzas that are hot and crispy in 10 minutes? Use pita bread or Flat Outs and top with pizza sauce, tons of fresh veggies, lean ham and some low-fat mozzarella. Toast it up in the oven for a fast and healthy pizza.

Some other great ideas are to include batch cooking on the weekend or a slow weeknight. I love to make Market Street Healthy Turkey Meatballs (http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/recipes/HealthyTurkeyMeatballs.pdf) and use them throughout the week. I'll add some marinara and eat them on whole wheat hoagies or slice them up with vegetables and rice or drop them in a can of low-sodium vegetable soup. The possibilities are endless.

If you are looking for some cook books, here are some great options:

• EatingWell Serves Two: 150 Healthy in a Hurry Suppers
• The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook: 150 Delicious Recipes for Simple, Everyday Suppers in 45 Minutes or Less
• Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast: Over 280 Incredibly Flavorful 5-Ingredient 15-Minute Recipes
• Cooking Light: 5 Ingredient 15 Minute Cookbook

Thank you for your question. There are certainly many factors that play a role here: blood pressure, high cholesterol, restaurant selection, restaurant choices at the restaurant, etc. The simplest answer is to focus on portion control. Now, I know this is not rocket science and I'm sure you've heard it before but focusing on portion sizes allows you to eat the food you enjoy no matter the restaurant.

The best teaching tool is the Portion Plate (http://www.theportionplate.com/abouttheplate.html). Basically, one-half of your plate should be non-starchy vegetables, one-fourth should be carbohydrate/starch/grain and one-fourth is lean protein. This is a great teaching tool that can be used no matter the cuisine, the location, the time or day. In fact it has been used as a weight loss method for many people.

I like to encourage our guests to use salad plates at lunch and dinner. By using smaller plates and only eating 1 serving, people can easily cut out 100 calories if not more from each meal. Restaurant portions can be huge. Even a "healthy" meal served on massive plates can make a huge dent our daily calorie allowance. Food at restaurants can also vary in their calories based on how and who prepared the food that day. The one thing we can control is portions.

With regards to improving blood pressure and cholesterol it is important to reduce your intake of saturated and trans fats and increasing your fiber intake. One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. Our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have 3 grams of fat or less, 1 gram of saturated fat or less, 0 grams of trans fat,  480 mg of sodium or less, 20 mg of cholesterol or less and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

One way Market Street demonstrates our interest in the health of our store guests is with our in-store Nutritional Tag Program. One of our tags is a Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) tag based on the American Diabetes Association recommendations. You can find this on the price tag on the shelf.

Managing carbohydrates are the foundation of managing diabetes. One common misconception is that once someone has diabetes they can no longer have sugar. The body does have to work a little harder to handle those carbohydrates. But the truth is managing diabetes about what kind of carbohydrates, what you eat them with and how many you eat. Too little carbohydrates and the body responds by releasing glucose and raising blood sugar. Too much carbohydrates and the body has to work overtime to correct it.

I must first recommend that if you haven't already done so, please meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). They can provide further guidance on individual meal planning and how to get the right amount of carbohydrates that you need. Here is a link to finding a CDE in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm. Many insurance companies will cover an appointment with a dietitian to cover diabetes education.

In the mean time, here are a few resources from Market Street to get you started.

• Overview of our HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Sample HHDM Meal Plan (this is a generic plan that should be discussed with your Registered Dietitian (RD) to determine if it is the appropriate calorie level for you): http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Listing of our HHDM products in our Market Street stores: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf
• Family Meals for 4 for $15 (These recipes have been analyzed and include the nutrition analysis. Many are low in carbohydrates): http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/recipes.asp

My favorite part of your question is that you asked about foods first and supplements second. As I dietitian, that is one of my mottos. Let's see what food can do first.

Regarding your appetite, there are a few things that can make a huge difference.

First, make sure you are eating a good breakfast with high fiber, whole grains and protein. Many times people will have a little bowl of cereal or a banana and wonder why they are so hungry an hour later. Choosing foods with natural fiber and protein requires more time for the body to digest thereby keeping you full longer. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In fact did you know:

• Eating breakfast can prevent overeating later in the day. Skipping breakfast makes you feel ravenous later, and you may unintentionally overeat. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.
• Eating breakfast starts a healthy day. People who eat breakfast regularly tend to overall eat a healthier diet that is higher in fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
• Eating breakfast gives you energy. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and replenishes the energy stores depleted while you sleep. Skipping breakfast is associated with decreased activity and sluggishness, both physically and mentally.
• Our new Living Well Breakfast is a great way to start the day. We have a fantastic variety of foods with protein, vegetables, and fiber. View the selection and nutrition analysis here: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/livingwellbreakfast/

Second, make sure that your meals are not too heavy in carbohydrates. They break down easily in the body and leave us hungry soon after. Again, like breakfast, try to include natural fiber (fruits/vegetables/whole grains), lean protein (turkey, beans, chicken, tofu), and some healthy fats (olives, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, etc). You should eat enough that you are satisfied and not feel hungry for 3-5 hours. Ideally, you'd want to eat 5-6 small meals per day about every 3-5 hours.

Third, make sure you are drinking enough fluids. Many times, our bodies are merely thirsty but we interpret the cue as hunger. Drink so that your urine is pale yellow to clear all day long.

Lastly, make sure you are eating the right amount of calories. At the appropriate calorie level, you should feel good and not excessively hungry. I would encourage you to work one-on-one with a dietitian to determine the calories you need for your age, height, weight and health goals. You can find one based on your zip code and with the specialty you are interested in here: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

It is a wise move on your part to be concerned with optimal nutrition status when undergoing chemo.  This form of treatment can have systemic effects that can reduce your appetite and cause changes in normal taste sensations or even ability to eat certain types of food.  Maintaining adequate dietary intake for your calorie needs to maintain optimal weight is critical.  In addition, it is important that these foods be nutrient dense, not just empty calories (provide only calories, but no nutrients such as vitamins and minerals).  The better nourished you are, the better you will tolerate therapy, resulting in a better outcome in general.

There is a new cookbook that I recently learned about specifically for cancer patients in treatment.  The author is a breast cancer survivor.  I do not have a copy of it, but it caught my attention and appeared to be very helpful because it not only includes recipes, but eating strategies to help deal with unpleasant side effect of treatment.

The book is "What to Eat During Cancer Treatment" and is recommended through the American Cancer Society.  I recommend you check into getting a copy.

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.  In addition, a dietitian could do an assessment of your individual needs for calories and other nutrients.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Several recommendations have been made to improve symptoms of arthritis, including following a Mediterranean-style diet that includes high intake of fruits, vegetables, fish, and olive oil.  The plan is relatively low in red meat.  Omega-3-Fatty Acids found in fatty fish and spices such as ginger and turmeric have also been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects. Anthocyanins, antioxidants found in red fruits and veggies such as cherries or red cabbage, have been reported to reduce arthritis risk.  Overall, a plant-based diet seems to offer the most benefits.  Weight management to prevent excess pressure on joints and getting regular exercise to strengthen muscles and bones, increase flexibility, and relieve stiffness/pain is helpful.

The following Web site from the American Arthritis Foundation may help with more specifics of meal planning and lifestyle modifications.  In addition, the second link provides more information about the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid.

• http://www.arthritistoday.org/nutrition-and-weight-loss/index.php  
• http://www.oldwayspt.org/med_pyramid.html

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.  

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Kudos for quitting smoking!  Hypoglycemia will be managed more successfully with weight reduction and this will also put less pressure on your feet.  Diet is the primary method of managing hypoglycemia and generally requires 6 smaller meals/snacks per day that are lower in refined carbohydrates and higher in healthy proteins and fats.  Because this is a medical condition, it would be advisable for you to meet with a Registered Dietitian to have a plan developed to meet your food preferences, lifestyle, and food budget.  Even one visit with an expert to provide you with an individualized plan would be a great investment in helping you to lose weight and manage your condition.  Thank you for thinking of Market Street to assist  you towards better health and wellness.

We also have a nutritional tag program that should assist you in making wise choices.  Our HHDM, L, and S tags are part of the price tag on store shelves.  Literature is available free of charge in our stores or you can visit our Web site for more information and to download a list of products that we sell under each category. http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling.asp.

We do appreciate your question and for using your Market Street dietitians as a resource to promote health and wellness. At this time we are doing personal consultations via email with general answers that can be used by all of our guests. Because you are a valued guest, we feel you would most benefit from a personal one-on-one consultation with a Registered Dietitian who could provide thorough assistance and answers to your questions and specific condition.

You can visit the Nutrition Network to find a Registered Dietitian in your area who specializes in your particular health concerns. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

As long as the FDA does not remove HFCS from approved list of ingredients to use in food products, we will continue to carry products that contain this ingredient.  However, we sell more items that do not contain this ingredient than those that do.  In addition, we carry many specialty products that do not contain HFCS as an alternative for those who choose to avoid this ingredient.

Keep in mind that most Americans consume excessive amounts of sugar in general, which has potential negative effects on overall health and may be a risk factor for certain chronic diseases. Reducing sugar in general is recommended, regardless of the source of sugar.

Thank you for contacting Market Street dietitians with your questions relating to health and wellness.

There are some medical conditions that may require enzyme supplements or medications as a component of treatment, such as pancreatitis, cancer of pancreas, or cystic fibrosis.  These medical conditions reduce availability of the gastrointestinal tract to produce or secrete enzymes to aid in proper digestion and absorption of nutrients.  In such cases, enzyme therapy is advised to be included with each meal or snack and this therapy is to be continued as long as condition exists or in accordance with medical practitioner's advice.  

Thank you for contacting Market Street dietitians for your health and wellness questions.

Kudos for asking about how to raise a vegan child. Many people are fearful that a dietitian will discourage their decision. A vegan lifestyle does require a little bit of work but can be done and done successfully.

The main nutrients a dietitian will be concerned about for their vegan clients are: protein, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12. Here is a chart for your 19 month old that was adapted from The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets, 2nd ed. by Messina V, Mangels, R, Messina M. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2004.

Toddlers and Preschoolers (Age 1-3)  

Regarding soy products, you will hear a lot of information and most of the time you have to decipher the information based on who is providing it. I won't lie, it's a slippery slope. There is no clear consensus on soy products within scientific research. You can find research articles for and against soy products. My philosophy is when using soy, choose soy products that haven't been excessively processed. Try to use soy products that haven't been too far removed from the original soybean.

Lastly, I'd encourage you, if you haven't already,to meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) to discuss HOW to feed your son (especially the vegetable part).  Here is a link to finding an RD in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm.

At Market Street, we are very interested in the health of our store guests and have developed an in-store Nutritional Tag Program. One of our tags is a Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) tag based on the American Diabetes Association recommendations. You can find this on the price tag on the shelf.

Managing carbohydrates are the foundation of managing diabetes. Too little carbohydrates and the body responds by releasing glucose and raising blood sugar. Too much carbohydrates and the body has to work overtime to correct it.  I must first recommend that if you haven't already done so, please meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD)  that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). They can provide further guidance on individual meal planning and how to get the right amount of carbohyrates that you need. Here is a link to finding a CDE in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm.

In the mean time, here are a few resources from Market Street to get you started.

• Overview of our HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Sample HHDM Meal Plan (this is a generic plan that should be discussed with your Registered Dietitian (RD) to determine if it is the appropriate calorie level for you): http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Listing of our HHDM products in our Market Street stores: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf
• Family Meals for 4 for $15 (These recipes have been analyzed and include the nutrition analysis. Many are low in carbohydrates): http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/recipes.asp

For all sports pre, during and post-exercise nutrition are important.  Pre-exercise the goal is to eat a meal about 2-4 hours before the workout/game that is high in complex carbohydrate (bagel, pasta, brown rice, sweet potato, oatmeal, etc), moderate in lean protein, and lower in fat and fiber.  Fat and fiber both slow down digestion significantly so we don't want a lot of them right before a workout because they could cause stomach stress.  An example of pre-game meal might be multi-grain pasta with marinara sauce and grilled chicken, green beans and rolls.  Also make sure they get in 16-20 oz of fluid at the meal.  If the meal is closer to the workout I typically recommend a easier digesting meal like a turkey & cheese sandwich, Sun Chips and a banana or yogurt or something like that.  Of course serving sizes are specific to the size of the athlete.  If they eat 3-4 hours before the workout, you might want to provide a small snack right before the workout like a granola bar, energy bar, banana, dry whole grain cereal, etc and another 8 oz fluid.

During workouts make sure they stay hydrated drinking 5-10 oz every 20 minutes...this can be water or sports drink.  Workouts last significantly longer than an hour need carbohydrate like sports drinks, fruit, crackers, granola bars, etc.

Post-workout the goal is get nutrition in as fast as possible.  Ideally we recommend a carbohydrate-protein as soon as possible, but for sure within 45 minutes after the workout.  Examples include low-fat chocolate milk, cereal with low-fat milk, yogurt with granola, energy bars like Clif Bar or Power Bar, etc.  Then follow that snack with a meal in the next 1-2 hours of complex carbohydrate, lean protein and some healthy fat...similar to the pre-workout meal.  Also make sure to replenish fluids.  All athletes need at least 24 oz fluid post workout, but really the recommendation is 24 oz for every pound of weight lost during a workout so your heavier sweaters need more fluid...that can be water, sports drinks, milk, smoothies, etc.

Yes, the night before the competition feed a meal similar to a pre-exercise/game meal.  It should be high in complex carbohydrate, moderate in lean protein like a lean meat and lower in saturated fat.  Also make sure to provide adequate fluid the day before.  The best way to monitor hydration status is to look at the color of the urine.  If it is clear or looks like pale lemonade then the athlete is hydrated; if it looks more like apple juice, have him/her drink more fluids to dilute the color.

You are correct! Vitamin D is important. It is currently being studied for it's role in bone and dental health, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases. The recommendations for Vitamin D are changing and can be difficult to make a blanket statement for an entire population.

As you may already know, vitamin D can come from the sun, food or supplement. Each person acquires it differently and at different levels.

Last year the American Academy of Pediatrics raised their vitamin D recommendations for kids (birth through 13) from 200 IU to 400 IU/day.

For adults, under the age of 50, the current recommendation is also 400 IU but many scientists and researchers are encouraging the National Institute of Health to raise this level. Adults age 51-70 are currently advised to take 400 IU/day and those over 70 years are advised to take 600 IU/day.

Your best recommendation will be to visit with your doctor and ask for your vitamin D levels to be checked and together determine the best kind of vitamin D to be taking (there are several kinds).

I'll give a personal example. I LOVE to be outdoors and get quite a bit of sun, especially in our Texas summers. As a dietitian I drink milk, eggs and salmon pretty regularly. In addition to the vitamin D I was getting from the sun and the food, I was also taking nearly 2000 IU of vitamin D/day (consult with your doctor before doing so). When I had my physical everything came back within normal limits except I had very low vitamin D levels. I had to be put on therapeutic doses of vitamin D for 6 weeks. So the moral of the story is, get your individual levels checked.

Thank you for thinking of Market Street! We are so excited to be a healthy resource for you.

I must first recommend that if you haven't already done so, please meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) and preferably a RD that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). I encourage this even more if you are taking any diabetes medication. Here is a link to finding a CDE in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm

Assuming you aren't taking insulin, having high morning blood sugars can be a result of not having an bedtime snack. Blood sugars can get low overnight and then rebound in the morning. Having a snack will prevent occurence. Consider having an appropriate bedtime snack of fiber-rich carbohydrates and some protein and see if your morning blood sugars improve (example, whole grain cracker or apple with a little bit of peanut butter, light popcorn with some parmesan cheese or a string cheese, lowfat cottage cheese and cantaloupe chunks).

At Market Street, we are very interested in the health of our store guests and have developed an in-store Nutritional Tag Program. One of our tags is a Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) tag. You can find this on the price tag on the shelf.

In the mean time, here are a few resources from Market Street to get you started.

• Overview of our HHDM tag:  http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Sample HHDM Meal Plan (this is a generic plan that should be discussed with your Registered Dietitian (RD) to determine if it is the appropriate calorie level for you): http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Listing of our HHDM products in our Market Street stores: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

A person with pre-diabetes can follow a diabetes meal plan with great success. Most recommendations for diabetes are applicable for pre-diabetes.

Basically, the best foods to eat (in portioned amounts) are:

• Fruits and vegetables of all colors
• High fiber/whole grain carbohydrates
• Lean/low-fat meat and dairy products
• Heart healthy fats (olive/canola oil/nuts/seeds/nut butters)

Basic suggestions:

• Always include fiber and protein with your carbohydrates. This slows down the absorption of carbohydrates and thereby prevents a spike in blood sugar. For example, instead of just light popcorn, add 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese to the popcorn (fiber, protein, carbs), an apple or whole grain cracker with peanut butter (fiber, protein, carbs), turkey meatballs with pasta, etc.
• Aim to get a minimum of 25 grams of fiber/day. Aim to get this from fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
• Increase physical activity.  In fact, just 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity, coupled with a 5-10% reduction in body weight, produced a 58% reduction in diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association completed a Diabetes Prevention Program and found that making healthy changes to ones diet and increasing physical activity could prevent pre-diabetes from developing into Type 2 Diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association also has a position statement on the Prevention and Delay of Type 2 Diabetes which provides more in-depth explanations and suggestions. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/suppl_1/s47.full.pdf+html

One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. Our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have 3 grams of fat or less, 1 gram of saturated fat or less, 0 grams of trans fat,  480 mg of sodium or less, 20 mg of cholesterol or less and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag:http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria:http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

Lastly, I'd encourage you, if you haven't already,to meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) and preferably a RD that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). Here is a link to finding a CDE in your area: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_21343_ENU_HTML.htm. An RD can provide you with individual attention on how to manage pre-diabetes and prevent Type 2 Diabetes.

I must commend you on one key word you used in your question "what is the safest way to take off weight..." You are already on the right track! As we know, the safest way is not always the most glamorous or the easiest.

There are numerous types of liver diseases and can be attributed to a variety of different factors. For the purpose of this response, I will provide information on Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) or non-alcoholic liver disease.  For a Fatty Liver, the best recommendation is to lose weight with a low saturated and zero trans fat diet combined with high fiber foods. Choosing foods lower in saturated and trans fat and higher in fiber will help to reverse the Fatty Liver.

One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. I realize that we are not addressing Heart Health or Diabetes but Diabetes often goes hand-in-hand with a Fatty Liver. Also, our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have less than 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

The safest way to take off weight is to eat a well balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grain/high fiber carbohydrates, lean meats and proteins, low-fat dairy and heart healthy fats (like olive/canola oil, nuts, seeds, nut butters) and include at least 30 minutes of daily exercise.

Regarding the number of calories you need, this is based on age, height, weight, muscle mass, etc. The best way to determine your individual caloric needs is to have a metabolic test. However, you can use the Mifflin St. Jeor equation to determine your estimated needs. This link provides you with an online calculator: http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

One free way to track your food intake and exercise activity is to use www.sparkpeople.com. It is a free website that will track your food intake, provide reports and suggestions on how to make improvements. It has a ton of free resources and information.

Kudos again on your efforts towards improving your health. At Market Street we applaud your initiative and eagerly wait to help you on each aisle!

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, I'd love to share with you a simple list the American Heart Association put together regarding what food to eat, what foods to limit and some quick cooking tips for improving cholesterol.

What should I eat?

Enjoy foods low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, including:

• Fruits and vegetables
• High-fiber foods
• Fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products
• Omega-3 containing fish like salmon, trout and haddock
• Lean red meats and poultry without skin
• Beans and peas
• Nuts and seeds in limited amounts
• Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, olive, safflower and sunflower oils in limited amounts

What should I limit?

• Whole milk, cream and ice cream
• Butter, egg yolks and cheese, and foods made with them
• Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
• Bakery goods made with egg yolks and saturated fats
• Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
• Foods with trans fats like fried foods, baked goods, stick margarines and shortenings
• High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
• Fatty red meats that aren't trimmed
• Duck and goose meat
• Solid fats like shortening, soft margarine and lard
• Fried foods

What are some cooking tips for me?

• Use a rack to drain off fat when you broil, roast or bake.
• Don't baste with drippings; use wine, fruit juice or marinade.
• Broil instead of pan-frying.
• Cut all the fat you can see off of any meat you cook, and take all the skin off chicken and turkey.
• Use a vegetable oil spray to brown or sauté foods.
• Serve smaller portions of dishes that have some fat, and serve bigger portions of no-fat dishes like pasta, rice, beans and vegetables.
• Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites, not yolks.
• Instead of regular cheese, use low-fat cottage cheese, part fat-free milk mozzarella, and other low-fat and nonfat cheeses.
• Use low-fat cookbooks and recipes.

One of the most beneficial practices is getting regular aerobic exercise daily if possible, anywhere from 30-60 minutes per day.  One recent study suggested that adults with lowest risk of chronic diseases get at least 3.5 hours of exercise per week.  Even 10-15 minutes of exercise at a time can prove to be beneficial to promote health and wellness.  It doesn't have to be done in long stretches of time necessarily.

One way that Market Street can assist you is with our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) Nutrition Tag. Our HHDM identifies products throughout our store that have 3 grams of fat or less, 1 gram of saturated fat or less, 0 grams of trans fat,  480 mg of sodium or less, 20 mg of cholesterol or less and at least 3 grams of fiber for one serving.

• Click here for more info on the HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Click here for a sample HHDM meal plan: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Click here for a list of products that meet our HHDM criteria:http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

Actually, reducing bad cholesterol or other lipids in the blood can have a positive effect on helping to increase HDL or good cholesterol.

Some literature suggests that keeping carbohydrates to around 50% of your total calories may be beneficial. Increasing intake of soy products may help as well (soy milk, soy nuts, tofu as a meat substitute for example). Avoiding smoking and keeping body weight at a desirable level also has positive effects on HDL.

One of the most beneficial practices is getting regular aerobic exercise daily if possible, anywhere from 30-60 minutes per day. One recent study suggested that adults with lowest risk of chronic diseases get at least 3.5 hours of exercise per week. Even 10-15 minutes of exercise at a time can prove to be beneficial to promote health and wellness. It doesn't have to be done in long stretches of time necessarily.

Make sure you are not taking medications that cause HDL to be lowered. Check on package inserts that come with medications, or check with your pharmacist. HDL cholesterol is slower to move, so it may take 6 to 12 months of diligently working at it before you see results. Thank you for contacting us at Market Street and we appreciate your business within our stores.

Yes! Wheat germ is a great food to include in your diet. In fact, the Mayo Clinic lists wheat germ as one of the Top 10 Great Health Foods For Eating Well. Wheat germ contains phytosterols. Phytosterols are plant nutrients that have been shown to lower cholesterol. Wheat germ contains vitamin E which is a great antioxidant and fights again free radical damage.

Wheat germ is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that can lower cholesterol and blood pressure and are essential for the brain and nervous system. Wheat germ also provides a good source of fiber. Fiber can help with regularity, hearth health, diabetes and in weight control.

Use wheat germ in:

• Casseroles
• Cold cereal, muesli or oatmeal
• Breads and muffins or pancake and waffle mixes
• Smoothies
• Yogurt Parfaits

Summary of nutrients:

Highly concentrated source of nutrients, including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and zinc. The germ also contains protein, fiber and healthy fats.

Hi! First off, thanks for shopping Market Street. We sure do appreciate you!

Regarding our vegetarian options, it is true that we have very few items available in our prepared hot foods section. This is something we are hoping to expand. However, we do have a fairly large selection in our frozen foods department. We carry Amy's, Ethnic Gourmet, Quorn (if you eat eggs), Boca and Putney Pasta among other brands.

Our Living Well Business Manager is Market Street's primary purchaser of vegetarian items as well as a vegetarian herself and a regular Market Street shopper. If you are interested she'd be happy to provide you with some of her favorite recommendations that we carry. You can respond to this email and I'd be happy to put you in contact with her.

We look forward to seeing you in our aisles!!

Thank you for thinking of Market Street! We are so excited to be a healthy resource for you.

At Market Street, we are very interested in the health of our store guests and have developed an in-store Nutritional Tag Program. One of our tags is a Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) tag. You can find this on the price tag on the shelf. As you may already know, there are different types of diabetes. I must first recommend that if you haven't already done so, please meet with a Registered Dietitian (RD) and preferably a RD that specializes in diabetes (Certified Diabetes Educator - CDE). Depending on your insurance, this can be covered.

In the mean time, here are a few resources from Market Street to get you started.

• Overview of our HHDM tag: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
• Sample HHDM Meal Plan (this is a generic plan that should be discussed with your Registered Dietitian (RD) to determine if it is the appropriate calorie level for you): http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_SampleMenu.pdf
• Listing of our HHDM products in our Market Street stores: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/HHDM_List.pdf

We have several types of tours available at our DFW Market Streets. Please feel free to contact me at 214.872.1550 to discuss the details. Thank you!

We do carry sweetened dried cranberries. The selection may vary between our DFW stores but this is a general inventory:

• SunMaid Cranberries and Raisins
• SunMaid Cape Cod Cranberries
• OceanSpray Craisins 100 Calorie Packs
• OceanSpray Cranberries, Fruits and Nuts
• OceanSpray Craisins Cherry Flavor
• OceanSpray Craisins Orange Flavor
• OceanSpray Craisins Original
• Newman's Own ORGANIC Cranberries

We also carry sweetened dried cranberries in our bulk foods section but it is not organic.

Some of the latest health research on cranberries includes the following:

Anti-cancer: Cranberries are being studied for their role in breast cancer. One study showed that human breast cancer cells showed significantly lower incidence of tumor development when the experimental group's diet was supplemented with cranberries.

Anti-aging: Cranberries may play a role in protecting brain cells from free radical damage and subsequent loss of cognitive function.

Dental: Cranberries may help reduce a specific type of bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities.

Heart: Cranberries contain flavonoids (potent antioxidants) that are being studied for their role in reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.

Ulcers: Cranberries are being studied for their role in possibly preventing peptic ulcers.

Congratulations for taking on a great health initiative! Surprisingly some of the best programs are now free and online (which makes them great to use anywhere and not just at home). Below you will find a breakdown of the free ones and the paid software ones.

Free:

1. Sparkpeople (www.sparkpeople.com) allows you to track your food intake, exercise minutes and calories burned, weight, and measurements. You can print off daily analysis, reports, track changes, etc. They have tons of resources like exercise videos, free meal plans and shopping lists, recipes, discussion boards, and articles with update info on everything from nutrition, exercise, motivation, etc. The database of foods is extensive and the majority match the USDA database of foods. It allows you to create your own food groups and enter in your personal recipes or nutrition analysis on something you've created. One of the best, if not the best, free websites around.
2. Fitday (www.fitday.com) also tracks calories and exercise, provides tons of reports, etc. FitDay also has software you can buy and you can sync the online version with your home version ($29.95).
3. The Daily Plate (www.thedailyplate.com) is another free online nutrition and exercise tracker. This website is associated with LiveStrong. There is a strong community network component where followers can contribute food items they've eaten.

Paid:

1. Nutribase and Food Processor are the two nutrition software programs the Registered Dietitians will use. Market Street uses Food Processor to analyze our prepared foods. These are both very science based and pull from the USDA database but can be cumbersome to use. Unfortunately, they don't provide the best exercise tracking support that you may be looking for. Cost is usually several hundred dollars.
2. FitDay PC (see above)

I hope that these get you going in the right direction.

We are so glad that you like our Gluten Free (GF) selection of foods. We hope that you find the GF Nutrition Tag Program helpful too. We are currently carrying nearly 400 GF products (made in dedicated GF facilities) as well as countless other GF items that are fantastic but haven't been made in dedicated facilities. You can download our entire list of GF foods (made in dedicated GF facilities) here: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/GF_List.pdf

Daily, we are adding new products to our Gluten Free department in hopes that our customers will continue to find and be pleasantly surprised at the variety they have come to appreciate at Market Street. Tell your GF friends to shop at Market Street too. The more people we can get to buy GF products the more support we will have to carry the product (instead of discontinue it) and expand the line. That is one of the biggest hurdles for carrying GF foods at any grocery store.

Regarding the on-site gluten free bakery, it is on our Health and Wellness Wish List for sure but we currently do not have one set up. Unfortunately, the biggest issue is space and cross-contamination. A Market Street dedicated GF satellite bakery would be ideal. You may already be familiar with the breads in the frozen section of our store but we are working to expand that section as well and include some of our store guest favorites.

Thank you for being a supporter of Market Street. We appreciate you and will continue to work hard to make Market Street your one stop shop for your Gluten Free needs.

It is OUR pleasure!! Thank you for being our guest!

First and foremost, thank you for choosing Market Street! Second, kudos on taking positive steps toward improving your health. I am so glad that you are looking for the nutrition information. We are working on that data as we speak. Right now we have complete nutrition information for the Living Well Breakfasts and our Living Well meals (lunch and dinner) that are/will be served at our Market Street locations. I am in the process of finishing our salad and soup bar. We are making great strides but do not have all of our food offerings analyzed yet. This information will be posted on our website as we finish it.
We are excited to get this information to you!

Unfortunately some of our stores do not have enough space to dedicate to a Gluten Free section. However, in our Market Street stores there is a GF aisle and special sections on each aisle that are dedicated to our GF products. Our intention is to integrate instead of segregate our GF products because it allows all of our guests to discover the GF products. Increased exposure also increases the number of purchases of that product and thus allows us to continue to carry that product instead of discontinue it. Also, logistically we couldn't put the frozen GF breads, GF beers and GF grains all together. But we know that you will enjoy discovering new products on each aisle and meeting our team members who would be happy to help you in our Gluten Free shopping.

Thank you for your inquiry.

You can find our Gluten Free (GF) list link at the bottom of this page: www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_gf.asp
It will take you to this PDF listing our GF foods: www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/GF_List.pdf

Let us know if there's anything else we can do to assist you in your shopping at United Supermarkets / Market Street.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Yes, we sell gluten-free products and these are located primarily in our specialty stores.  This includes Market Street and some United Supermarkets.  We have a nutritional tag program and these products are labeled on the shelf price tag with a blue-coded GF logo.  You may find some breads on shelf and some in freezer section of store.  You may check out all GF products we sell on our Web site, as well as read about specifics of our nutritional tag program.

Thank you for checking with us for supplying special products to meet your nutritional needs and don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further assistance.

Since taste is the number 1 factor when considering what people eat or drink, this is a very good question.  If you are not sensitive to cow milk, Carnation Instant Breakfast is one of the most popular and inexpensive supplemental products available at the supermarket.  It comes in a variety of flavors and they even have a no sugar added variety.  It provides 25-50% Daily Value of many vitamins and minerals and is a treat, not only for breakfast, but for between-meal snacks as well.  It can be mixed with milk and more ice in a blender to make a tasty smoothie.  To bump up the nutritional value, you can add lowfat yogurt or fruit to the mix according to your taste preferences.  This product also provides 4 grams dietary fiber per serving in the form of inulin.

Thank you for thinking of us to obtain information related to supplementation of your diet.

It can be a challenge preparing tasty, yet nutritious meals when you are not accumstomed to doing so for those with special needs, or if you just want to make sure you're on the right track.  I have listed some online resources that may help to get you started.  Within our nutritional tag program, we have an HHDM section that has a sample menu for a person who has heart disease and/or diabetes.  In addition, our tag program within stores may help you to identify more healthful food choices that are lower in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and higher in beneficial fiber.  The HHDM, L, and S tags should be most helpful to you.  You may read about each of these tags online or pick up individual brochures in any specialty store, such as Market Street, that has this program.

In addition, the Am. Diabetes Assoc. has some great menu/recipe ideas; the Am. Heart Assoc. also has similar materials on their Web site.  Mrs. Dash site and products are helpful in menu planning; they offer a variety of recipes that should provide some starters as you prepare meals for your friend.  I often find a variety of recipes from EatingWell magazine and they also provide nutritional analyses for each.  They give recipes and suggestions for planning an entire meal using the recipe.  You can also find tasty dessert recipes to complete your meals.  Many recipes/resources can be obtained online, but I also subscribe to their magazine for quick and easy recipes to keep handy in the kitchen.

When planning the meal, consider that approximately 50% of the plate should be covered with fruits and veggies, 25% from protein, and 25% from whole grains.  So plant-based meals are most healthy if prepared using lower fat methods.  Remember that monounsaturated fats including canola, olive, peanut, avocados are heart-healthy, as well as nuts and seeds that contain omega-3-fatty acids.  You just have to be careful to limit portions, as all fats are very high in calories.  This could be an issue if your friend needs to also lose weight.

Thank you for your inquiry and best wishes as you embark on preparing meals for your special friend!  Don't forget to utilize our family meal ideas posted on our Web site with archives of recipes from past brochures included.  We publish a new brochure with meal ideas every 2 months.  Please let us know if we can provide further assistance.

http://www.diabetes.org/food-nutrition-lifestyle/nutrition/meal-planning/quick-meal-ideas.jsp
http://www.marketstreetunited.com/westtexas/healthwellness/taglabeling_hhdm.asp
http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/
http://www.mrsdash.com/
http://www.eatingwell.com/

Coconut oil (like palm/palm fruit oil) is a tropical oil that contains predominately saturated fat. It is also made up primarily of longer-chained fatty acids that are known to increase risk for elevated LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), a factor in heart disease. It is true that coconut oil contains smaller amounts of medium-chained fatty acids that may have health properties, the majority of the fat falls in the more harmful arena. Although a small group of people reject this mainstream judgment and think that coconut oil is a health-promoting fat to consume, coconut oil is detrimental to one’s health and should only be used in moderation. Currently, the scientific literature does not validate using coconut oil to treat autism. More research is needed to determine possible links between diet and autism.

Thank you for seeking information from a Registered Dietitian and it seems you are correct in your knowledge of coconut oil as related to overall health and wellness.

According to the Institute of Medicine, individuals should consume half or more of total calories from carbs. As dietitians, we prefer to contrast smart carbs/quality carbs vs. refined/lower quality carbs. All foods can fit into your meal plans. But it's what you do on a day-to-day basis and your general overall eating habits that matter most.

Quality carbs or smart carbs look more like they come from nature - veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, minimally processed grains. In contrast, lower quality carbs are highly refined and processed. They generally contain sugar and little fiber or other nutrients (unless from the enrichment or fortification processes of adding nutrients by manufacturers). In choosing smart carbs for packaged foods, begin by reading the nutrition facts panel and ingredient list. For a good source of fiber, look for foods that contain at least 3 grams or more fiber per serving. Also look for the word "whole" as the first ingredient. Oats are naturally a whole grain, so you may see "oats" as first ingredient alone. This is acceptable. Since ingredients are listed in order of predominance in the product, we generally do not recommend sugar be listed in top 3 ingredients. This includes sugar in any form (honey, cane juice, corn sweetener, etc.). Keep in mind that some whole grains, granola as example, may be high in fat and sugar. You must look at all the nutrition facts, not just carbs.

For more information about choosing smart carbs, the following websites may be helpful. One is from our nutritional tag program that references added sugars and foods that are higher in sugar. You might also find our Heart Healthy Diabetes Management (HHDM) tag beneficial in locating smart carb foods. The other is from General Mills Bell Institute and references more information on whole grains.

http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling.asp
http://www.bellinstitute.com/index.aspx?cat_1=83

Thank you for writing to us and we hope to serve you and help you find healthier carbs as you shop our stores.

Thank you for your question. Congratulations on your efforts to eat healthier and exercise regularly.

We know that one pound is equal to about 3500 calories. So theoretically, to gain one pound a week, you would need to eat an additional 500 calories per day. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, many men have difficulty gaining weight and the reason why is still a mystery to many scientists. A couple of things to consider when trying to gain weight. First, what are your genetics? Are most of your family members very lean? Or do they seem to gain weight fairly easily? If your family is pretty lean it may be quite a challenge to gain weight. For example, a jockey can eat and workout like a linebacker but there's a small chance he'll look like one.

That being said, most people feel that to gain muscle they have to work out (that's the true part) and eat tons of protein (that's the myth part). Many people think that all that extra protein turns into bulging muscles. Sadly, it doesn't. Most people are often surprised to learn that they need extra calories, primarily in the form of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates fuel your muscles to lift the weights and perform strenuous exercise. In fact, a study in 2002 found that protein supplements/powders/pills are an unnecessary expense because the protein that is needed can be easily obtained from food.

The key to gaining weight is to eat more, but more of healthy foods. Many times athletes and avid exercisers swear they are eating more than their friends but a closer look reveals they may be eating larger meals but fewer meals per day. Gaining healthy weight is following a consistent and balanced plan.

I suggest setting up a schedule to include the 3 basic meals with snacks spread in between. Eat larger than normal portions at meal time. Eat higher calorie foods. If you are already doing that, the next step is to boost your calories during those meals.

Here are some ways to increase your calories at meals:

1. Add nut butters (peanut, almond, cashew, etc), raw nuts and seeds (sunflower, flax, sesame, etc) to meals. Nuts and seeds are calorie dense foods meaning they offer a lot of calories in a small space. You can add flaxseed, or even wheat germ, to the top of your yogurts or blend them into your smoothies for some extra calories.
2. Use additional healthy fats like olive or canola oil. Use canola or olive oil mayonnaises. Add to salads, cook with them, be creative.
3. Calorie rich cereals like granola, muesli, or Grape Nuts instead of puffed rice or bran flakes. Top cereals with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bananas, etc.
4. Include fatty fish like salmon and tuna. (Cook salmon in olive oil or make tuna salad with olive oil mayonnaise.)
5. Cook hot cereals with milk instead of water. You'll end up with the same volume but slightly more calories. Again, add nuts, seeds, dried fruit, bananas, etc.
6. Include juices. For those trying to gain weight, juice is a great way to hydrate and add extra calories. Apple, cranberry, grape and pineapple juices contain more calories than grapefruit, orange or tomato juices. If you are making juice from concentrate, use less water.
7. Choose higher calorie fruits. You'll get great nutrition and some extra calories in a smaller package: bananas, pineapple, mangos, raisins, dates, dried apricots, and other dried fruits.
8. When eating toast, add olive oil butter, peanut butter, or honey.
9. For breads, use hearty, dense whole grain breads. Choose, bigger and more thickly sliced whole grain breads, bagels and English muffins.
10. Choose beans when you can. Bean are high in calories but jam-packed with great protein and carbohydrates.

For a rough estimate, we can take your weight and multiply by 10. This tells us that you would need 1400 calories just to exist (basic metabolic functioning). Then we will add 50% of the calories to account for daily activities (getting up, brushing your teeth, going to work, walking around the office, etc). That now gives us 2100 calories. Based on how much you are working out (the key to muscle building) you will then need to add additional calories to cover the amount you have expended. For illustration purposes let's say you need 2600 calories per day to maintain your weight. Well, you are wanting to gain weight so we will add 20% to give us 3120 calories/day. You can track your calories at free websites like www.fitday.com or www.sparkpeople.com. (These calculations are a rough estimate. I encourage having your metabolism tested to get a more accurate portrait of your individual needs.)

Regarding protein powders, I am not against whey protein. In fact, will use it in several things I make, although I am not trying to gain weight. Whey protein itself will not build muscle but it can be added to foods to help you get in extra calories. I like to mix a scoop of whey protein with my oatmeal and peanut butter for a great long-lasting breakfast. Jay Robb makes some great quality protein powders. These can be found at Market Street.

Best of luck on your journey to Living Well. Please let us know if Market Street and/or United Supermarkets can be of any further help. Thank you for your inquiry.

We do have a list of Gluten Free Products. We are so glad that you thought of us as a resource. The GF list (PDF) is at the bottom of our Gluten Free Tag page. You can access the Gluten Free Tag page here: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling_gf.asp.

Or you can download the list directly with this link: http://www.marketstreetunited.com/PDFs/GF_List.pdf

At this time, United Supermarkets/Market Street does not have a Nutrition Tag for lactose-free foods. There are specific challenges to accurately identifying lactose-free products from manufacturers. It is our goal to offer a reliable and accurate Nutritional Tag Program. We look forward to a system/criteria that will allow us to offer this service to our guests. Thank you for suggesting ways to expand our Health and Wellness Initiatives.

Our system is based on guidelines from the American Dietetic Association and American Diabetes Association. Neither of these organizations has specific criteria for including or excluding foods from the diet based on carbohydrate content. It is generally recommended that people with diabetes include 40-60 grams carbohydrate per meal, with each following their recommended plan based on professional advice from their health practitioner. One criterion for the HHDM tag is that the food must contain at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, which encourages choosing carb foods that contain more whole grains. All digestible carbohydrates are eventually converted to sugar, so it is up to the individual as to whether the choice is to include less food that is higher in total carbs or more food that is lower in carbs to make up the total for a meal or snack. But even someone with diabetes should ideally have the majority of their allotted calories coming from carbs to supply energy and other important nutrients to the body. The total amount of calories is based on what is needed to support desirable body weight.

Hi! Thanks for sending us your question.
Eating a low-fat, vegan and diabetes-friendly meal can be quite a challenge, but we have a few resources for you.

At United Supermarkets/Market Street we, the dietitians, create a Family Meals brochure every other month. In these brochures we provide low-fat, heart-healthy menus that cost $15 or less for 4 servings. We aim to include one vegetarian meal per publication. You can view these archived recipes here: http://www.unitedtexas.com/familymeals/recipes.asp
Continue to check this site as we add new recipes every other month.

Another resource that I'm particularly fond of is Diabetes Care and Education, a practice group of the American Dietetic Association. They add new recipes monthly and include carbohydrate exchanges, a nutrition facts panel and a wide variety of vegetarian/non-meat meals. http://www.dce.org/recipes/archives.asp

We applaud you for your efforts to live and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Thank you for your inquiry.

According to this website on safe food handling practices, ground hamburger meat should be eaten within 1-2 days of purchase.  This applies to meat that is within sell date period and is stored at proper temperatures in the refrigerator.  We do not recommend eating ground meat that has been packaged in meat market if it is beyond the “sell by” date.  We recommend discarding the meat. 

The following website provides helpful information for storing foods safely.
http://www.fightbac.org/content/view/186/97

Thank you for your inquiry, Dr. Tyra

First of all, you may need to consider having more frequent small meals and snacks, eating every 2 or 3 hours. We get energy or fuel for our body from carbs, proteins and fats. Carbs last only about 1 hour or less, proteins about 2 or 3 hours, and fats longer than 3 hours. Thus, a mixture of energy-producing foods is encouraged to provide sustained fuel to keep the body going.

Whole foods such as fruits and veggies are great sources of carbs and fiber. Whole grain breads, crackers and cereals are also good to provide energy that will stay with you longer. Instant oatmeal packets provide a quick food that can be eaten any time of the day. Look for foods that provide 3 or more grams fiber per serving and have “whole grain” listed as first ingredient on label list. Also consider fat free or lowfat yogurt, string cheese, or milk as a good source of carbs and protein. Nuts such as walnuts, almonds and pistachios provide a quick pick-me-up that stays with you and will provide healthy fats. Note that a serving is 1 oz or ¼ cup since nuts are calorie-dense. I would recommend eating a serving of nuts once per day.

You can pack healthy foods in plastic bags according to portions needed. Hummus dip is a great source of protein/healthy fat that could be eaten with whole grain crackers or pre-cut veggies. Think about including whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats when you plan your meals and snacks. Ideally, snacks should include at least 2 food groups, whereas meals should include 5 foods groups. In reducing caffeine, you may have decreased your fluid intake leading to dehydration. This could also be a factor in feeling sluggish, so make sure you take in plenty of beverages that do not contain caffeine or sugar.

I certainly understand how frustrating it is to shop and try to follow such diet restrictions, as these substances are found in a wide variety of foods (often hidden).  I am not sure where you shop, but currently our specialty division stores (Market Street and some United Supermarkets stores) have a gluten free health tag program that would help you to identify foods that would be safe to eat as far as gluten is concerned.  Foods are identified on the shelf price tag with a blue GF tag.  You can learn more about this program by picking up educational brochures located in kiosks at these stores or looking on our website.  You can also access a list of GF foods that we have in our stores on the website and this is regularly updated with new items. The website also has newest tag information under GF section.   www.marketstreetunited.com/healthwellness/taglabeling.asp

Keep in mind that we only tag items that contain no gluten and are manufactured in a separate gluten-free facility to avoid issues of cross-contamination.  Some products may be labeled GF from manufacturers because it is made without gluten, yet not receive our tag.  This means the food does not meet both our criteria.  But all of this is explained on our website information.

Other websites that could provide you with additional information include:
www.celiac.nih.gov
www.gluten.net
www.celiac.org
www.celiac.com
www.csaceliacs.org
www.livingwithout.com
www.glutenfreediet.ca

I would highly recommend a book by Shelley Case who is a registered dietitian specializing in celiac disease and gluten intolerance.  I believe you can find it on the last website listed.  It is called "The Gluten-Free Diet".  It will help you identify safe vs unsafe foods.  On a positive note, fruits and veggies are generally GF unless other ingredients that contain gluten have been added.  Since most people need to increase their intake of these foods, this gives you a green light to do so.

Dear Market Street Friend,
Eating a low potassium diet can be quite a challenge. A great resource for low-potassium meals is Mrs. Dash. Their website provides 120 flavorful recipes for low-potassium foods. Click here for Mrs. Dash's Low Potassium Recipes.

You may have also heard of leaching potassium from vegetables. This is not a proven science but some find it helpful.

For Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Beets, and Rutabagas (from the National Kidney Foundation):
Peel and place the vegetable in cold water so they won’t darken.
Slice vegetable 1/8 inch thick.
Rinse in warm water for a few seconds.
Soak for a minimum of two hours in warm water. Use ten times the amount of water to the amount of vegetables. If soaking longer, change the water every four hours.
Discard the soaking water and rinse under warm water again for a few seconds.
Cook vegetable with five times the amount of water to the amount of vegetable.

For Squash, Mushrooms, Cauliflower, and Frozen Greens (from the National Kidney Foundation):
Allow frozen vegetable to thaw to room temperature and drain.
Rinse fresh or frozen vegetables in warm water for a few seconds.
Soak for a minimum of two hours in warm water. Use ten times the amount of water to the amount of vegetables. If soaking longer, change the water every four hours.
Discard the soaking water and rinse under warm water again for a few seconds.
Cook the usual way, but with five times the amount of water to the amount of vegetable.

The National Kidney Foundation provides a list of low and high potassium foods.

For individual nutrition counseling, seek out the help of a registered dietitian (RD) specializing in renal nutrition.

Thank you for your inquiry and please let us know if we can be of assistance in the future.

Dear Market Street Friend,
What a great question! First, congratulations and kudos for taking an active role in the management of your health. We are so excited that you are using Market Street as a healthy resource.

We are working very hard to gather all the information necessary to post the nutrition facts for our salad bar and prepared foods. We are currently waiting on the final selection of staple products (oils, flours, etc) our stores will be using in the new year. Once this is established, we will begin to roll out the nutrition facts for these foods. We will then provide this information both in store and online.

In the mean time, please enjoy our "Healthy Favorites" selections denoted by the green leaf in the prepared and hot foods section of your store. Our corporate chef has taken extra initiative to use heart healthy oils, whole grains and lean proteins for these selections.

This is a very good question and one that has come up in past by store guests. According to FDA regulations for the Nutrition Facts Panel, all carbs in products do not have to be listed separately. For fiber, it can be listed as one number, even though the product may contain soluble and insoluble fiber. I have on occasion seen these listed separately, even though it is not required. The other carbs are coming from starches such as amylose and amylopectin. Amylose is found in veggies, beans, breads, pasta and rice. Amylopectin is in other foods containing starch such as fruit. Amylopectin raises blood sugars more readily than amylase because it is broken down more quickly by enzymes in the digestive tract. Ideally, we should look for foods that have 3-5 grams fiber per serving, which indicates a good source of fiber.

Prediabetes is most often seen in adults in combination with excess body weight and lack of regular exercise.  It would be helpful for you to determine your body mass index to see if this could be a problem in your case.  This can be determined using your height and weight.  You can go to www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/index.htm to determine your BMI online.  The most important things you can do to decrease your risk for becoming diabetic are to assure that your body weight is desirable and to engage in regular exercise for 30 min. or more most days of the week.  This time can be cumulative and can be something as simple as brisk walking.  I would encourage you to do what you can to prevent getting diabetes.

You could go to www.mypyramid.gov and type in your personal information (in my pyramid plan) to get an idea of how many calories you should be eating each day.  You must decrease your intake by at least 500 calories per day to lose 1 lb per week (from dieting alone).  You can also use this website to determine food choices and see what counts as a serving.  Losing 1-2 pounds per week is considered to be safe and effective.  Even losing 10% of your body weight can result in significant health benefits.

Diverticulosis is usually dealt with by increasing fiber intake in your diet.  Recommended intakes for adults should be 25-35 grams per day and you can see fiber content of foods on the nutrition fact food label.   www.fiberseekers.com might give you some ideas as to ways to increase fiber in your diet.  If diverticulosis progresses to diverticulitis (inflammation/infection), fiber may have to be reduced for a period of time to allow the gut to heal.  But increasing fiber in diet is generally recommended to treat diverticulosis.  Foods containing 3-5 grams fiber per serving are good sources of fiber.

In general, high potassium-containing foods include whole unprocessed foods, white potatoes with skin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, oranges, other fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and legumes.

For specific amounts, go to www.nutritiondata.com. On the home page, look at Nutrition Management Tools; then select Foods by Nutrient.  From here you can choose potassium and various food categories for analysis of exactly how much potassium is found in each food.  I hope this helps and thank you for your inquiry.