Lean Cuts of Beef

So you feel like have a steak or roast, but you're also trying to be conscious of your food choices. The Canadian Beef website has posted an article to let you know which Canadian beef cuts are the leanest.

According to the site, eight beef cuts qualify for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ program:

• Eye of round
• Inside round
• Sirloin tip
• Top sirloin
• Flank
• Strip loin
• Cross rib
• Outside round

Meat and alternatives are an important source of nutrients in Canada's Food Guide. Remember to include variety in your choices and you can also make your beef choices lower fat by:

• Choosing one of the 8 cuts recommended above
• Trimming away any visible fat
• Using low-fat cooking methods such as broiling, roasting, stir frying or grilling
• Limiting added fats like oils, dressings, mayonnaise, gravy and cream sauces
• Choosing serving sizes recommended in Canada's Food Guide. (One serving of meat is 75 grams - about the size of a deck of cards)
• Choosing lean or extra lean Canadian ground beef or rinse regular ground beef with water after cooking

The USDA recognizes 29 cuts of beef as meeting their regulations and qualifying as lean or extra lean. The Mayo Clinic article on lean cuts recommends asking your butcher, grocer, or waiter if you aren't sure of the lower fat option (especially since it might appear with a different name). The extra lean cuts are:

• Eye of round roast or steak
• Sirloin tip side steak
• Top round roast and steak
• Bottom round roast and steak
• Top sirloin steak

**Try to remember ROUND and SIRLOIN (see diagram).



Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Frappuccino Anyone?

It's hot out there today - I saw so many Starbucks Frappuccinos walking around downtown that it inspired me to share some nutritional information with you (I also included iced tea for the non-coffee drinkers). You can get the Nutrition by the Cup brochure at a Starbucks near you if you're interested in checking out more nutritional information.

I used the brochure to compile the chart below. The values represent grande, non-fat, no-whip beverages (although I included the information for the whipped cream). There are many ways to customize your drinks so keep that in mind.

Beverage	Calories	Fat (g)	Sat. Fat (g)	Carb (g)	Sugar (g)	Protein (g)	Caffeine (mg)
Shaken Iced Tea	80	0	0	16	15	0	Varies
Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade	130	0	0	33	25	0	Varies
Coffee Frappuccino	220	0	0	51	50	4	95
Mocha Frappuccino	260	1	0.5	61	58	4	110
Caramel Frappuccino	250	0	0	60	59	4	100
Java Chip Frappuccino	310	4	3	67	62	5	110
Vanilla Bean Frappuccino	240	0	0	56	55	5	0
Whipped Cream	110	11	7	3	2	1	0

You can choose to change your milk (this will affect calories and fat), ask for a "light" frappuccino to get 1/3 fewer calories, ask for no whip, and adjust the syrups. It is a lengthy ordering process, but you can make sure you're getting what you want.

If healthy eating (and drinking) is on your mind you can also choose a tall (small) for portion control, limit the amount of times you purchase a specialty drink, or even share with someone.

Also remember that water is a great calorie free way to quench your thirst!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Ask Questions

There are many things that affect eating behaviour; and we are also all very individual with very different eating behaviours. You can start to understand your own reasons for eating by asking yourself the 5Ws:
What: What are you doing? (if your attention is not on eating, then you may overeat and not realize it)
Where: Where are you eating? (you should have one place in your home where you eat, and only eat there)
Why: Why are you eating? (are you actually hungry, or just bored/sad/lonely/socializing...)
When: When are you eating? (if you eat about every 3 hours you are less likely to overeat, because you don't let yourself get so hungry that you will reach for anything)
How: How do you feel? (emotions play a large role in why we eat what we eat)

Start thinking, start asking questions.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Snacking

I did my first solo presentation as a Dietetic Intern yesterday. My advisor is half way around the world, so it was just me and my small audience. I've been working with a university volleyball team which is a personal interest of mine (having played volleyball for 15 years of my life). The presentation covered a few different topics, one being snacking. Especially for athletes snacking can be an important part of a healthy eating plan. We can think of our bodies like vehicles and so we need to keep the tank full in order to have energy. I will sometimes snack mid-morning and/or mid-afternoon. I try to go on my hunger cues.

Some points I used can be summarized by focusing on the letters W, P, and R:

W: Think about your eating behaviours. Where are you eating, when are you eating, what are you eating (and what are you doing), why are you eating, and how are you feeling?
These things are important to consider because we eat for many different reasons; having distractions can lead to overeating. Challenge yourself to only eat in one place, like the kitchen!

P: Get organized for healthy snacking. Plan by writing a grocery list to help guide you and keep healthy options stocked in your house. Prepare by getting things ready for the week (such as cutting up some vegetables Sunday night), because if they are available and ready to eat, you will be more willing to choose healthy snacks. Portion out your snacks; with meals we typically put a certain amount on a plate, but with snacks we often eat out of a box, bag, etc. Pack something in your bag, purse, car, etc so that if you do feel hungry it is available and you won't reach for a vending machine chocolate bar.

R: This is more for athletes and post-workout because it pertains to recovery. You need to refuel your body with carbohydrates and protein to replace the energy you used (muscle glycogen) and the muscles you used. Recovery also includes rehydrating your body because of your sweat losses and because water is important in many different body systems. Lastly, take time to rest so you are ready for the next practice, game, workout...

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Health For All

I just completed my first week of my Dietetic Internship. I will get away from the vitamin/mineral blogs as I write more about what is on my mind and what I'm learning.

I was just reading about health recommendations for both hypertension and lypidemia (risk factors for chronic heart disease). It was simple things like decrease body weight if needed, increase physical activity, stop smoking, only consume moderate alcohol, increase fibre, increase fruits and vegetables, increase dairy, learn stress management techniques, and decrease saturated fat intake. These may not seem simple to you, but they did to me. I mean they aren't drastic changes. Imagine how the population's health would change if we just started exercising and eating more fruits and vegetables. I think people are finally starting to realize that their diet can have a significant impact on their health now and in the long run. So many chronic diseases that people have now can be prevented or managed by taking some simple steps. I think we should all try to eat and live healthfully. Don't just wait until you end up in the hospital and are forced to make changes!

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com