What's In Season?

Summer brings a bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables.  But what about the rest of the growing season?  Here's a link with printable PDF file to keep on your fridge to eat local and cut your grocery bill down.

Chew On This: FDA Approves First Weight Loss Drug In 13 Years

Arena Pharmaceuticals was given the A-OK to start manufacturing the weight loss drug, Belviq or generically known as Lorcaserin that is taken two times per day.  The drug works by influencing serotonin levels (for additional information on serotonin and appetite, please see the Science Daily article here).  Serotonin has been a hot research topic when it comes to combating obesity. 


According to a recent article in NPR, Janet Woodcock, FDA's drug center director was quoted: "Obesity threatens the overall well-being of patients and is a major public health concern...the approval of this drug, used responsibly in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle, provides a treatment option for Americans who are obese or are overweight and have at least one weight-related comorbid condition."


This drug will be available for Americans who meet the following criteria: BMI of 27 with a weight related comorbid condition (Diabetes, Hypertension, etc.) or a BMI of 30.


Studies have shown a decrease in body weight over the past year of 5%.  To further illustrate this, a 160 lb. woman who is 5 feet tall would be considered obese.  With a 5% weight reduction she would lose around 8 lbs and weigh 152 lbs.  


The drug was previously rejected in 2010 as Lorcaserin has a similar affect as Phen-Phen did in the 90's.


It's not on the shelves of your local pharmacy just yet.  Arena still has 6 more studies to evaluate the drug's safety.  


As dietitians and consumers we have to evaluate the effectiveness of the drug, complications, and those just looking for a quick fix.  Obesity is caused by many factors, what do you think about this new drug and other weight loss drugs in the past?  
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Gina Lesako RD, LDN, registered dietitian, writer/blogger.  Follow Gina on Twitter @glesako;
blog: Dietitians Eat Chocolate Too, or on the web: ginalesako.com.

Parents' Stress Impacts Healthy Eating

Fewer jobs in this tight economy have caused many families to work harder and sacrifice more to stay employed and make ends meet.  A recent study by Temple University looks at the family unit—dads included. 

Katherine Bauer was the lead author in the study and she is currently an assistant professor of public health and researcher at Temple's Center for Obesity Research and Education.  This study is one of the first to assess work/family conflict for both parents.  It primarily focuses on families of adolescents.

Mothers who are employed full-time had fewer family meals, increases in fast food, and encouraged healthy eating less.  Mothers were also spending more time on meal preparation than fathers.  This also contributes to the family unit having fewer meals together when both parents are facing stress from work. 

Science Daily reported “Bauer noted that over time these differences can add up to have a big impact on parents' and children's health. She's careful to note, however, that the burden of this problem not fall solely on mothers, and instead be approached holistically by the whole family, the community and society.”

The study encouraged spouses/partners and teenagers to help with grocery shopping, meal preparation, and planning healthy meals.

"We need to teach kids how to cook," said Bauer. "We know if kids have cooking skills and good eating habits, not only will they be healthier, but as adults they'll put those skills to use to feed their own children more healthfully."


Please read the full-article here. 




Temple University (2012, June 22). Parents' work-life stress hinders healthy eating.ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 27, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2012/06/120622162818.htm

Gina Lesako RD, LDN, registered dietitian, writer/blogger.  Follow Gina on Twitter @glesako; 

blog: Dietitians Eat Chocolate Too, or on the web: ginalesako.com.

Chew On This: Help For Binge-Eating Disorders

There are upwards of 15 million Americans who suffer from binge eating disorders that researches have claimed mimics substance dependence.

Boston University School of Medicine researchers have found experimental models that block a cellular protein, the Sigma-1 receptor, reduced binge eating and encouraged those with binge eating disorders to eat more slowly.


Please read the full article here.

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Gina R. Lesako RD, LDN
SCAN Volunteer blogger
Gina can also be found on the web at http://dietitianseatchocolatetoo.blogspot.com/

Ya Gotta Tabata (And Other Workouts)

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT or known as High Intensity Training--HIT) is a popular component of several workout regimens.  It can been seen in programs such as Shaun T's Insanity, Fartlek or "speed play" in runners, The Tabata Method, and CrossFit.  As a disclaimer, these are programs and systems for clients that have already built a substantial fitness base and not necessarily the weekend warrior this article is to improve your knowledge of these programs out there and are not meant as a recommendation for clients.  


The benefits of HIIT training are improvements in physique, athletic ability, and aerobic conditioning (increased fat burning and utilization).  For persons with Diabetes and those without the condition, there are improvements in glucose metabolism.  

For active persons with Diabetes, they may want to monitor their carbohydrate consumption and blood glucose levels to avoid a hypoglycemic episode.


Crossfit is a combination of sprints, weight lifting, gymnastics, and calisthenics.   Please note that they do have a segment on nutrition and advocate a Paleolithic Diet (40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and fat) that you may want to be aware of if you are counseling clients in CrossFit. 



The Tabata Method has roots in HIIT.  The program came from Izumi Tabata and uses short bursts of all out intensity of 20 seconds (roughly 170% of VO₂max) then 10 seconds of rest.  This is repeated for a total of 4 minutes or 8 cycles.  This shorter/higher intensity program done four times per week gave a group of athletes the same benefit as another group that trained five times per week at a steady state of 70% VO₂max).  The Tabata group also had gained anaerobic capacity benefits.


Fartleks are not something that can send a classroom of 10 year-olds giggling but is a training method that continuously blends continuous training with intervals and intensity.  The exercise places stress on the aerobic and anaerobic systems.  Most sessions are typically 45 minutes and can work with cycling and other sports.  

Weight Loss Surgery: Neurology And Noshing

Ever wonder why you can't stop at just one chip, M&M, or 10 cent hot wing?


We know as dietitians or well, just regular people that obesity is caused by too much (food) and not enough (activity).  This post will focus on the appetite center and hormones.  For the sake of sanity and brevity this will provide brief insight about the function of appetite and how weight loss surgery relates to these functions This post is meant to educate and not discourage or encourage someone from undergoing weight loss surgery which is a personal and medical decision.  


What really causes us to eat?  Appetite control comes from the hypothalamus, arcuate neurons located here control hormone and lipid levels, along with metabolites which affect metabolism and hunger.


"The hypothalamus controls appetite and coordinates this with energy utilization. It is, therefore, responsible for maintenance of body weight, carefully adjusting food intake to physical activity. Loss of sensitivity to hormones and metabolites in the arcuate nucleus can lead to unbalanced energy intake and use, resulting in overweight and obesity." (1)


The arcuate nucleus has two different neurons: primary neurons that stimulate appetite with neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide; the arcuate also has neurons called proopiomelanocortin that depress appetite.  So therefore the body has a sense of checks and balances to a point.




Some additional factors that contribute to appetite are hormones.  They are insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and a crazy gut hormone called PYY 3-36.


We know about insulin with the diabetes epidemic, this hormone from the pancreas shuttles glucose (blood sugar, i.e. energy) into the cells so they can do their thing (reproduce, work, whatever).


Grehlin and PYY both come from the stomach and digestive track.  Ghrelin stimulates neuropeptide Y and agouti-related peptide (mentioned above). PYY comes from endocrine cells located in the intestines.  It basically shuts off Grehlin and it's pro-eating peptide buddies.  The only drawback is that it takes 20 minutes to work and some of us know how much we can shovel in during that period.


Additional hormones that come from the digestive track that regulate appetite/weight functions are also: Cholecystokinin (CCK), Glucose-dependent Insulinotrophic Peptide and Glugagon-Like Peptide (GLP-1).


CCK comes from the intestine and is triggered by protein and fat.  It decreases gastric emptying (you feel full longer) and slows hunger.  It acts when food enters the duodenum of the intestine.


Glucose-dependent Insulinotrophic Peptide  also comes from the intestine besides being a long word.  It is released when glucose (carbohydrates) and free fatty acids come through.  It helps the body move energy-rich foods or Twinkees into storage, i.e. fat.  This is a good example of our caveman (and cave-woman) ancestors tracking down a mastodon and converting Calories into energy and for storage.  Since you might not know when the next woolly mammoth will come down your street.


Glugagon-Like Peptide (GLP-1) also causes a 'full' sensation by preventing calorie loss in the stool and comes from the illeum (again another function from our caveman ancestors).  It also stimulates insulin and it believed to act as a key player in diabetics who have gastric bypass done.  This is when health professionals may say that it "cures" Type II Diabetes.  On the other hand, it can also cause hypogylcemia in these individuals where their blood sugar drops out of the normal range.  

"Obesity and metabolic surgeries initially were thought to restore balance to the system primarily by minimizing intake of excess calories through restriction or malabsorption. However, while these operations can limit the quantity of food consumed, they each bring on a different change in GI hormone profiles following surgery. As more enterohormonal mechanisms are discovered and understood, operations or drug therapies may be tailored to maximize the treatment of obesity and diabetes, achieving optimal results with minimal metabolic complications." (2)




1.  "Appetite and Metabolism and Obesity."  <http://www.medbio.info/Horn/Time 5/Appetite and weight control Nov06 v2.htm>.
2.  Daniel J. Rosen, MD; and Alfons Pomp, MD, FACS, . "Gastrointestinal Hormones and their Relationship to Bariatric Surgery." . Bariatric Times, 04/2009. Web. 20 May 2012. <http://bariatrictimes.com/2009/04/17/gastrointestinal-hormones-and-their-relationship-to-bariatric-surgery/>.


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Gina Lesako RD, LD.  Gina is an Ohio based dietitian and SCAN contributing blogger.  You can follow her blog: Dietitians Eat Chocolate Too.

Yoga for Weight Loss

Yoga has been around for ages. Its popularity ebbs and flows; however, everyone practices for various reasons- stress relief, improved flexibility, balance, digestive health…the list goes on. The best part about yoga is that anyone can practice. It doesn’t matter if you’re overweight, male, female, elderly, or nonathletic. Recently, I have read more about yoga for weight loss. It’s not that yoga necessarily burns more calories than cardiovascular exercise or strength training. Indeed, yoga taps into a different area of physical activity- ‘body awareness’. If you have ever practiced yoga, be it once, only a handful of times or daily, you quickly realize how your practice focuses on becoming ‘in tune’ with your body, positive thoughts and mental clarity. Depending on how concentrated you are during your practice, it can also enhance your feelings of self-control and foster a sense of personal empowerment. Points of interest from several studies have shown the impact of yoga for weight loss:

•Over a course of 4 years, a study of about 15,000 middle aged(55 years old) adults studied weight gain fluctuation. Those adults who incorporated yoga in their physical activity experienced less weight gain, especially overweight participants.

 •Yoga incorporated into a treatment program for obese women with binge eating disorder had significant effects. The 12-week program included personal journals from each participant and ‘qualitative analysis’ of these journals indicated a positive shift in their eating habits and perspectives. According to the journals, these participants developed self-empowerment, a healthy reconnection with food and cultivated an awareness of self. All of these factors translate to better health and positive strides in an eating disorder treatment.

 •Another eating disorder treatment program that incorporated yoga for weight management found that participants who practiced for 16 weeks had significantly decreased body weight, body fat percentage, BMI, waist circumference, and visceral fat.Wow! If reading this little blurb isn’t incentive enough…

 I would be remiss to stop here without mentioning that yoga isn’t just one style. There are certain types of yoga, which range from low-impact to higher activity. Patients with injuries or less mobility might find a slower paced practice rewarding, while an athletic person looking for a cardio workout might enjoy Vinyasa or Bikram. Vinyasa is a faster paced series of poses and Bikram focuses on generating an internal heat by performing poses in an extra hot room. Depending on the activity level of the practice, more or less calories will be burned. However, all the benefits mentioned above related to mental health are reflective of all yoga practices, in general. So, if yoga doesn’t burn more calories than other strenuous exercise, how can you lose weight? The studies emphasized they did not know the specific mechanism involved with weight loss. But it seems quite simple- the combination of physical activity, body awareness and healthy eating are probably responsible for the results. When you are more aware of your hunger and body cues, you’re less likely to overeat. Developing this awareness helps to control mindless eating, which is a culprit for weight gain. Therefore among weight control, yoga promotes many healthy behaviors. If you regularly practice, you know the sense of rejuvenation. If you’re new to yoga- give it a chance to positively change your body. Any of these benefits will have you feeling better!

 Reference: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/030612p18.shtml Drop Those Pounds With Yoga — Studies Show Yoga Stimulates Weight Loss
By Jennifer Van Pelt, MA
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 14 No. 3

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Sara Shipley, Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Management, University of Central Oklahoma BS Student- Projected graduation May 2013

I am a nutrition and dietetics student at the University of Central Oklahoma. I am a career changer after studying and graduating with a BS in fashion merchandising and working in corporate retail buying in New York City for several years. I am now studying to become a registered dietitian because I enjoy the science of nutrition and want to share my passion for balanced eating and healthy living with others. I love helping people make educated decisions about nutrition. Eating flavorful, delicious food does not have to be compromised by choosing to eat healthy. I love to cook and eat all types of food. I am an avid runner and I enjoy writing, reading and learning about anything related to nutrition, sports, food and wellness. I practice yoga and enjoy being outdoors doing anything active,- hiking, running, walking or biking.