Five Smart Strategies to "Healthify" Your Recipes and Meals
Your daily eating habits hugely contribute to your health. (That's why every meal you
eat really does matter!) These strategies from registered dietitian nutritionist and author
Jill Weisenberger help you boost your nutrition and make food choices that can
reverse prediabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes and other chronic health problems.
Arlington, VA (June 2018)—Prediabetes, the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes, afflicts approximately 84 million American adults. Although it sounds scary to have a metabolic disorder, there is so much you can do to prevent it from getting worse. In fact, many people who improve their lifestyle habits are able to prevent type 2 diabetes and some are even able to reverse prediabetes. Registered dietitian nutritionist Jill Weisenberger says that one of the most important steps you can take to improve your health is watching what you eat and building a wholesome, disease-fighting diet.
"Every time you eat or drink, you have an opportunity to take control of your health," says Weisenberger, who partnered with the American Diabetes Association to write the book Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses (American Diabetes Association, May 2018, ISBN: 978-1-580-40674-1, $16.95). "What you eat in the short-term affects your energy level, feelings of comfort or discomfort, and perhaps your mood and ability to do work. But what you eat over time affects your long-term well-being, including your risks of developing type 2 diabetes, dementia, and other chronic health problems."
Unfortunately, the typical American diet is full of unhealthful foods and nutrients, including excess calories, saturated fats, added sugars, fatty meats, baked goods, and highly processed grains. Whether or not your diet resembles this typical American dietary pattern, chances are good that your diet leaves at least a little room for improvement. And if you become consistent with positive dietary changes, you will experience better health.
Weisenberger advises committing to a diet rich in whole foods and relatively low in refined and highly processed foods. It's okay to make gradual changes to your meals and recipes. And there are a lot of tasty tweaks to make meals more nourishing.
If you're unsure how to get started or don't think you have the time to "healthify" your meals, here are five easy strategies to make your meals more healthful.
Up the veggies. Nonstarchy vegetables provide fewer calories than an equivalent amount of other foods—about 25 calories per 1/2 cup cooked vegetables or 1 cup raw vegetables. Because they are low-calorie and filling, they can help you eat a larger portion of more nutrient-dense food for fewer calories. You can trim your starch and meat servings by putting twice as much broccoli and green beans on your plate. You can try cauliflower "couscous." Plus, you can add more vegetables to existing recipes. Load up pasta and potato salads with tomatoes, broccoli, chopped red onion, and carrots. Layer thinly sliced zucchini in place of some of the noodles in your lasagna, or stuff more veggies than meat and cheese into your sandwich.
Eat more legumes. You probably already know that beans are good for the heart, but they're also good for diabetes and diabetes prevention. Studies show that diets rich in legumes have beneficial effects on both short- and long-term fasting blood glucose levels. Not only are they full of plant protein, they contain potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, and dietary fiber, including a special type called "resistant starch." Resistant starches resist digestion in the small intestine. Instead, they travel to the colon, where they feed our gut bacteria. In the process, the beneficial bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids that seem to protect the colon cells, make the gut environment more suitable for the friendly bacteria and less suitable for their harmful cousins, and even improve the way our bodies respond to insulin.
"If you don't eat a lot of beans now, aim for one small serving a couple times per week," says Weisenberger. "Some common legumes are soybeans, black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and lentils. Start by adding them to salads and soups and tossing them with rice and other grains. Move on to making them the center of a recipe and eating them instead of meats. I've found that lentils beautifully replace ground beef in a variety of dishes, like chili for example."
Make simple substitutions. Experimenting in the kitchen will help you find more healthful and lower-calorie substitutions for common foods and ingredients. If you love chili, try trading out the meat with beans. Or if your family enjoys tacos, look for recipes that use fish instead of beef or chicken. NOTE: Please see the attached tipsheet for other easy substitution ideas.
Use lower-fat dairy and meats. A simple way to cut calories and saturated fat is to remove poultry skin, select the leanest cuts of red meats, and swap full-fat dairy products for nonfat and lower-fat versions.
"The leanest cuts of beef or pork have loin or round in the name, such as tenderloin and eye of the round," says Weisenberger. "When it comes to red meats and poultry, lean is king because the saturated fats in fatty meats are linked to both insulin resistance and heart disease. However, fish is another story. Fatty fish are known to be a heart-healthy choice because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. If you have a favorite whole-milk dairy food such as cheddar cheese or yogurt, eat it in small quantities and choose larger portions of other dairy foods in their lower-fat versions."
Cook meats with acids and moist heat. Eating huge portions of meat is not smart eating, says Weisenberger. Filling your plate with animal foods leaves less room for vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains—the very foods we know help prevent chronic disease. Also, meats are a main source of harmful compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These compounds are present in a host of foods, but fleshy animal products are a major contributor.
In small amounts, AGEs do not harm us because the body's defense mechanisms take care of them. In large amounts, however, they cause increased inflammation and insulin resistance. Not only do meats naturally contain AGEs, but AGEs are produced when meats (and cheeses) are cooked, especially with high heat and in dry conditions. You can inhibit the production of these undesirable compounds when you cook with moist heat (stewing, poaching, steaming) and when you marinate meats in acids or otherwise cook with acids like citrus juice, vinegar, tomato juice, and wine.
"If you've been diagnosed with prediabetes or have been told that you're at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes, you have an opportunity to grab control of your health right now and be in greater charge of your future," concludes Weisenberger. "The best time to start making changes you can live with is right now!"
# # #
Simple Food Swaps to "Healthify" Your Meals
Excerpted from Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop
Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses (American Diabetes Association, May 2018,
ISBN: 978-1-580-40674-1, $16.95) by Jill Weisenberger
Eighty-four million American adults have prediabetes, the leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Of that number, only 12 percent realize they have it. So for many of us, it's vital to make a conscious effort to eat more healthfully. Registered dietitian nutritionist Jill Weisenberger says there are two big takeaways from these frightening statistics. One, if you have any reason to think you might have prediabetes, you need to find out. And two—even if you're pretty sure you're not part of the 84 million—you should probably make a conscious effort to eat more healthfully. Improving your lifestyle habits—including your dietary choices—can prevent type 2 diabetes and maybe even reverse prediabetes. And the great news is, it's not about following a rigid, tasteless plan.
"Many of the less healthful foods you eat can be swapped with tasty substitutions," says Weisenberger, who partnered with the American Diabetes Association to write Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses (American Diabetes Association, May 2018, ISBN: 978-1-580-40674-1, $16.95). "You'll get plenty of flavor and satisfaction along with the confidence that you're taking control of your health."
Try these ADA-approved simple swaps to replace less-healthful food choices with delicious and healthier options.
Instead of this... Regular ground beef
Trade up with this... Ground meat at least 90% lean
Note: Read labels for ground turkey. Some are high in calories and fat because they are ground with the skin. (You can also extend your ground beef with lentils, beans, diced mushrooms, shredded zucchini, or other vegetables.)
Instead of this... Bottled salad dressing
Trade up with this... Homemade vinaigrette
Note: With homemade vinaigrette, you control the ratio of oil to vinegar or lemon juice.
Instead of this... Cheese dip
Trade up with this... Guacamole
Note: Guacamole has less saturated fats and calories. It also offers more healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.
Instead of this... Butter on toast
Trade up with this... Any nut butter, peanut butter, or sunflower butter
Note: These have less saturated fats. Also more healthy fats, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.
Instead of this... Cheese on sandwiches
Trade up with this... Reduced-fat cheese OR avocado
Note: Reduced-fat cheese has less saturated fats and calories. In addition to less saturated fat, avocado has healthy fats, fiber, and phytonutrients and a different array of vitamins and minerals.
Instead of this... Cream sauce (like Alfredo) on pasta
Trade up with this... Tomato-based sauce OR olive oil and garlic
Note: Tomato-based sauce has less saturated fats and calories and more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Olive oil and garlic have less saturated fat and more healthy fats and phytonutrients. Olive oil is calorie-dense, so watch the total amount.
Instead of this... White rice
Trade up with this... Brown rice, wild rice, barley, quinoa, farro, freekeh
Note: These options have no refined grains and more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Cook these in half-water and half-broth to add flavor with minimum sodium. Another good option to try is cauliflower "couscous."
Instead of this... Sugar in baking
Trade up with this... Reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 or cut sugar in half and use a combination of sugar and sugar substitute
Note: Sweetness can be intensified with the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla extract or by sprinkling a small amount on top just before or after baking.
Instead of this... Sour cream
Trade up with this... Reduced-fat or fat-free sour cream OR reduced-fat or fat-free strained (Greek or Icelandic) yogurt
Note: These options have less calories and saturated fats. Strained (Greek or Icelandic) yogurt also has more protein. Avoid fat-free sour cream in savory recipes because it may sweeten your dish.
Instead of this... Snack crackers
Trade up with this... Whole-grain crackers OR almonds, pistachios, peanuts, walnuts, or other nuts or roasted chickpeas
Note: No refined grains and more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. The nuts also have more healthy fats. Eat them in pre-portioned packages to keep calories in check.
Instead of this... Butter in cooking
Trade up with this... Olive, canola, or other cooking oils (not coconut oil)
Note: These substitutions have less saturated fats and more healthy fats.
"These delicious food swaps will instantly improve your diet and can play a role in your energy level and feelings of well-being. Over time they will lower your risks of developing serious diseases and other chronic health problems," concludes Weisenberger. "Empower yourself by getting started right away even if your first change is small."
# # #
About the Author:
Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses. She is an internationally recognized nutrition and diabetes expert and certified health and wellness coach. She is the author of four books, including the best-selling Diabetes Weight Loss–Week by Week. Jill has worked as both a nutrition counselor and a diabetes educator in the hospital and research settings and now in private practice in Newport News, VA. For more information, please visit www.jillweisenberger.com or www.diabetes.org.
About the Book:
Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses (American Diabetes Association, May 2018, ISBN: 978-1-580-40674-1, $16.95) is available at bookstores nationwide and from major online booksellers.
==========================
BBB is releasing a study on Sweepstakes, Lottery, and Prize scams. New information on the fraud includes who is most frequently targeted, updated methods, and how social media is involved. A local victim is willing to speak with the media.
BBB’s scam tracker reports 2820 sweepstakes/lottery scams in 2017 for all of the U.S. One local victim is willing to speak to the media about their experience.
On average, fraud victims lose $500. According to the FTC and IC3 U.S. Victims lost over $114 million, and Canadian victims lost $2.8 million in 2017. In the past three years, U.S. and Canadian victims have lost over $344 million.
Although the frauds can and do rip off all kinds of people, they clearly concentrate on those who are older. Over half the victims are over 60, many older than 70, and they also lose the lion’s share of the money.
Why is the BBB doing this report? What sparked it?
BBB always does what it can to help prevent fraud. We put out alerts and warnings, and handle complaints. But we decided that in order to really help we needed to take an in-depth look at this fraud and how it works. Better Business Bureaus in St. Louis, Chicago, Omaha, Dallas, and San Francisco joined forces to undertake this study.
What is the difference between a lottery and a sweepstakes?
To enter a lottery, one has to pay money to purchase a ticket. Sweepstakes, on the other hand, do not require any payment to obtain a prize. Which is why most sweepstakes specifically state “no purchase required.”
Do you receive complaints? How many?
Yes, in 2017 there were 147,907 complaints in US/Canada. The US had 2820 in the BBB scam tracker.
How much money is lost?
On average, $500 is lost per scam.
Tips and Recommendations
True lotteries or sweepstakes don’t ask for money
Call the lottery or sweepstakes company directly to see if you won
Check to see if you won a lottery by calling the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries
Do an internet search of the company, name, or phone number of the person who contacted you
Law enforcement does not call and award prizes
Talk to a trusted family member or your bank
What new information about lottery/sweepstakes fraud does this study provide?
I think one of the key things we learned about this type of fraud is not only how incredibly widespread it is but that it really concentrates on older people. Additionally, scammers have updated their methods, and many current lottery scams take place over social media.
============================
Is Your Business Telling the Right Story?
The businesses that stand out don't just state "we are the best" or focus on the ROI of their products. Rather, they tell a story that sparks an emotional connection with prospects. Justin Champion, author of Inbound Content, offers seven tips to help you get started telling yours.
Hoboken, NJ (June 2018)—You know you have a great product or service. And you may have lots of facts and figures and benefits to back up why you're the best. But just throwing data at potential customers (even if it's truly impressive data) won't move them to buy. Justin Champion says that's because people don't respond to logic. They respond to emotion. That's why you'd better get good at storytelling—fast.
"Stories create emotion, and emotion is what people remember," says Champion, author of Inbound Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Doing Content Marketing the Inbound Way (Wiley, 2018, ISBN: 978-1-119-48895-8, $25.00) and HubSpot Academy's content marketing professor. "They help you engage and, more importantly, teach your audience. If you don't tell a good story, your message will be lost in the media jungle."
Google processes over 3.8 million searches per minute.* That's a lot of people looking for answers. This is happening because the way people buy has changed. People no longer respond to outbound tactics like spamming and cold calling. Instead they research products and services and find what they're looking for on their own.
The message for companies is clear: You must provide lots and lots of content that's engaging and persuasive enough to pull in readers and win their business. This is called inbound marketing, and it's the way businesses today "get found"—by helping, educating, and entertaining prospects with valuable, relevant, and consistent content.
Champion's book explains that content pulls customers through the four stages of HubSpot's Inbound Marketing Methodology: Attract, Convert, Close, and Delight. In other words, you create and share content—through blog posts, emails, videos, case studies, guides, etc.—that attracts the right people to your site, converts them into leads, helps close them into customers, and delights them so they'll become promoters of your brand.
"Your goal is to make a human connection, and storytelling is how you do this," says Champion. "It's about resonating with people who need your help and guidance. A well-crafted story helps you create contrast between choices. It helps prospects make sense of the decision they're about to make, whether it's deciding on a product or service or making a purchase."
Read on for Champion's tips for discovering the story you want to share with the world.
First, know what your story is not. It's not data and assertions about ROI. It's not just your business's history. It's also not cliché, and it's not what everyone else is saying. Sure, you may think you provide the best customer service in your industry, but that's not your story. Storytelling is about standing out, not blending in.
Focus on your why. Champion cites a concept ex-advertising executive and author Simon Sinek is known for: his Golden Circle concept. The Golden Circle is all about starting with why. Sinek says most people communicate by starting with what they do and eventually work their way back to talk about how and why they do what they do. But unique and successful companies like Apple or Google communicate with an "inside-out" type of thinking. They start with the why and only then do they talk about the how and what portions of what they do.
"To really connect with your prospects and customers, you must express the why of your story," says Champion. "Tap into the emotional side and begin to educate or build awareness from there. Ask yourself: Why do I do what I do? How will this help my audience? And what am I actually offering?"
Know your characters. All stories have characters. With content marketing, the people—or characters—are your readers. Good storytelling can't happen without valuing and understanding your audience and responding to their wants and needs. When potential customers can get the answers to their questions and see themselves as characters in your story, they'll be more likely to use your product or service and experience the happy ending you offer.
"Start with your buyer persona, the semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer," advises Champion. "This can help guide you through understanding the goals and challenges your character will face. No matter who your buyer persona is, the art of storytelling is making sure you empathize with and relate to your audience."
Choose your point of view. While keeping your buyer persona in mind, you should also determine the point of view your story will have. Will it be first person, second person, or third person? There's no right or wrong option, Champion says. It will depend on your buyer persona, the story you're trying to tell, and the format of the story.
In the first-person point of view, the character is yourself. When you say, "I saw this," or, "I learned that," you're speaking in the first person. This type of language is more confessional. It can help you establish a personal connection with the reader or build authority. Try using first person when there's a known person, an author, behind the content. This could work for a blog post, video, or even an ebook if the author is noted.
In the second-person point of view, the character is your audience. It's when you say things like, "You'll see," or, "You'll learn." When using "you" language, it's important to understand your buyer personas and know their pain points and goals. Tell the story in a way that shows empathy.
The third person is the "he said/she said" type of language. Case studies about your customers are a good example of using the third-person point of view. These stories can be fictional or nonfictional.
Present, and resolve, your conflict. Once you know who the character is for your story, it's important to understand the conflict they face. If your story lacks conflict, you're probably not telling a story. Instead, you're telling a pitch, a tagline, a unique selling point, or a plain statement. This approach won't resonate with your audience, and from a content marketing perspective, it won't get you views, shares, conversions, or customers.
"You need to understand the buyer's journey and the conflicts they might face at each stage," says Champion. "What problems are your buyer personas facing in the awareness stage? Those are the conflicts that should be in your story.
"Wistia is a brand that provides professional video hosting," he adds. "Its purpose is to empower everybody to get more out of video, and all of its content and storytelling—which is done through funny, engaging educational videos along with blog posts, guides, help articles, and webinars—circles back to this purpose. One blog post is titled 'Improve Your Audio: How to Reduce Echo in Your Video.' In this case, the reader's battle with 'echo' is the conflict, and it's stated right there in the headline. The rest of the blog post explains how to resolve the conflict."
Finally, get to the resolution. Where there's conflict, your audience will naturally want some sort of resolution. It should wrap up the story but should also clearly call your audience to action. It should fulfill the story's purpose. For content marketing, a resolution could be next steps or even a call to action for more content. Either way, don't leave the audience hanging.
"In the case of Wistia, the aforementioned blog post provides the resolution to the 'echo' conflict—step-by-step instructions for soundproofing a video," says Champion.
Find a way to connect to your audience on an emotional level. TOMS is a slip-on shoe company that focuses on spreading social good. Here is its powerful story: Everyone needs shoes, but not everyone has the money to pay for them. So, with each product you purchase, TOMS will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. This strikes an emotional chord with their audience and compels them to buy.
"This is an example of how a shoe retailer created a much bigger story that makes their customers feel like they're changing the world by simply purchasing a pair of shoes," notes Champion. "And they've sold more than 75 million pairs of shoes, which means they've also given over 75 million pairs of shoes to children in need."
"Find a way to infuse your story into every piece of content you create," concludes Champion. "Storytelling is the perfect way to help readers begin the journey from stranger to customer, and it can deepen your relationship with your existing clients. Remember, people want and need to feel connected. If you tell the right story, you can capture their attention, connect with them emotionally, and win their loyalty."
# # #
* https://searchengineland.com/google-now-handles-2-999-trillion-searches-per-year-250247
# # #
About the Author:
Justin Champion is the author of Inbound Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Doing Content Marketing the Inbound Way. He has been a digital marketer for nine years, working with clients like Majestic Athletic, Wrangler Jeans, and Pendleton Whisky. He has always enjoyed building brands that consumers can relate to by creating compelling content. He now works as HubSpot Academy's content marketing professor, which has brought this passion full circle, because he is now able to teach anyone how to grow a successful business through content marketing best practices. Justin is the creator of HubSpot Academy's Content Marketing Certification, which is a globally recognized course.
Justin is a digital nomad—a full-time remote worker who lives and works from the road in his Airstream and DIYed truck camper. This book was written during Justin's 2017 U.S. inbound content workshop roadshow. Follow him and his journeys at instagram.com/wildwewander.
About the Book:
Inbound Content: A Step-by-Step Guide to Doing Content Marketing the Inbound Way (Wiley, 2018, ISBN: 978-1-119-48895-8, $25.00) is available at bookstores nationwide, from major online booksellers, and direct from the publisher by calling 800-225-5945. In Canada, call 800-567-4797. For more information, please visit the book's page on www.wiley.com.
