Ask The Expert

A: Great question , and you are right, outside of a hospital facility it is not as common for a dietitian to help someone gain weight, but it is a health concern for some people and I’m glad you brought it up. My suggestions vary from person to person but overall the goal is to make the meals and snacks you do eat more calorie dense without adding bulk. This is best done using fat. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates and is a tasty and healthy way to increase the calorie content of food. I would start by throwing away all the low fat stuff you use. Use real mayo, real sour cream, real salad dressing, etc. Start adding butter to your meals. I really like to use an unsalted grass fed butter. Switch to whole milk and real cream, it works well to add these whole fat dairy options to oatmeal or to use them in coffee. Try making a smoothie with some coconut oil , hemp or flax seeds, and some fruit. Add in some whole milk yogurt or kefir for added calories and a dose of probiotics. Drizzle olive oil on your salads, even eat some olives for a snack. If you like cheese add this to your eggs in the morning, no need to settle for the partial skim milk cheese sticks anymore, go for that sharp cheddar you like next time you have crackers and cheese. If it’s a whole food, real fat, then it’s ok to add it. Avoid adding trans fats or using candy and sweets to gain weight. This may help pack on the pounds but it won’t help your health. 

A: Great question as November is National

Diabetes Month. There are two types of risk categories for diabetes. One category we can’t modify and one we can. The risk factors we

can’t change include: family history, weight at birth, age, race, history of gestational diabetes and genetic pre-disposition. Even though we can’t do anything about this area it is important to know these and have that awareness. The risk factors that we can change can have a big impact on our health in more areas than just diabetes prevention. The modifiable risk factors for diabetes are: weight, lack of activity, blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels, some health conditions like PCOS and gestational diabetes, food intake, and other unhealthy lifestyle choices. Whether you are at risk or not, or whether you are unsure of your risk level , the most important thing to remember is that diabetes can be prevented. For more information visit diabetes.org , or come in for a customizable plan that works for you. Whatever you decide to do, get started doing something.

A: Great question. To start, stop adding sugar to your food. For coffee use heavy cream and cinnamon to flavor rather than sweetened syrups and sugar packets. Have peanut butter on your toast and forgo the jelly. Choose cheese sticks and raw nuts or seeds for snacks instead of sugar heavy granola bars. Try having plain yogurt but add fruit for sweetness.
 

A: Yes and Yes. It is true that produce can get expensive when it is out of season which can make it seem impossible to eat healthy. It might surprise you to know that aside from picking produce straight from your garden and eating it instantly, the healthiest way to eat produce is frozen! The minute fresh produce is picked, it begins to deteriorate which means a loss in nutritive value and phytochemicals (all big words to mean the “good stuff”). When produce is going to be frozen it is picked right at the peak of its ripeness, meaning its nutritional value is the highest it will ever be. It is then instantly frozen, which stops the natural deterioration process, so all that goodness is maintained in the food until it is ready to be eaten. Canned foods are a little different. There are some downfalls such as excess sodium and possible chemicals from the lining of the can, buying organic, BPA-free, low-sodium canned produce will help to reduce those risks. Otherwise my next suggestion would be to rinse the food well before cooking. Most of the sodium and some of the chemicals can be rinsed off therefore making the food a little healthier. The good thing is that you are eating your vegetables, so do what you can each season, follow the ads, save a buck here and there if you can. But keep eating those veggies, in whatever capacity you can afford.