CSQ ADVISOR
Paulette Lambert, R.D. CDE
Director of Nutrition, California Health & Longevity Institute
Paulette Lambert, L.D. CDE leads the nutrition programs at California Health & Longevity Institute where she teaches students how to eat healthier and make changes in the way they prepare food in their own homes.
A clinical nutritionist, Ms. Lambert brings more than 30 years of experience to this role, with the last 27 spent in a private practice. Additionally, she has been a certified diabetic educator for 10 years and has lectured extensively for the American Diabetes Association.
Awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition from California State University at Northridge she completed her internship at Presbyterian Hospital, Dallas Texas. Areas of practice include diabetes, cardiac care, weight control, gastrointestinal disorders, food allergies, and eating disorders.
818/575.1114
www.CHLI.com
Smart Power Dining
For many executives, dining out is a key part of business life. Entertaining clients and business associates can have a significant impact on relationship building , however, it could end up taking a toll on one’s health. Recently, media reports have shed light on calorie-laden entrees found in many restaurants, where one meal can contain from 1,000 to 2,000 calories and enough fat for the entire week. These types of meals do not exactly improve performance! However, with a few simple strategies and a little personal effort, it is possible to enjoy dining out while avoiding weight gain. By dining smart, you can even increase your energy and focus.
To entice repeat business and increase profits, restaurants need to make sure their food tastes truly apetizing. So what do they do? They add fat more than necessary, and much more than what is considered to be healthy. Most of us know to avoid deep fried foods and rich cream sauces. But there are the gray areas.
Olive oil seems like a healthier choice than butter, right? While olive oil is good for us, we need to think about the extra calories this can add to a meal. One tablespoon of olive oil has 130 calories, equal to three pats of butter. If you have four tablespoons of olive oil with two pieces of bread, that’s about 700 calories before your meal!
An entree salad seems like a healthier choice, but the dressing and embellishments can be the downfall. A standard restaurant ladle of dressing is equivalent to eight tablespoons, adding 500 to 600 calories to your salad. Save a few hundred calories and a lot of sodium by asking for the dressing on the side. Using only two tablespoons can save a few hundred calories. This makes a big difference over time. (Remember: an extra 100 calories per day equals about 10 extra pounds in one year.) Also, think about reducing the extra toppings like nuts, cheese, tortilla strips, and bacon bits. Limit your options to just one or two favorites for more calorie savings.
A lot of business entertaining takes place in a steakhouse, but do you have to order a steak? It’s well known that red meat is higher in fat than grilled fish or poultry. However, many of us do not know that red meat averages 75 calories per ounce, grilled chicken and turkey about 50, and most fish 30 to 50 calories per ounce. A 12 oz. New York steak is 900 calories while eight large grilled shrimp are only 240 calories. New studies show seafood is heart healthy and does not contribute to high cholesterol.
Portion control is everything. Evidence shows that the more food that is on your plate, the more you eat. A common mistake for “waist watchers” is to make a healthier choice while consuming too much. The best way to eat less is to order less. Try ordering more heart healthy seafood since portions are generally smaller or select the appetizer size pasta or entree. If you are on a business trip, plan how you will eat for the entire day in restaurants. Breakfast menus usually make it easy to make healthy choices with options such as oatmeal or yogurt with fresh fruit. At lunch, make sure you order a smaller portion or a half-sandwich and soup; try an entrée salad with dressing on the side.
Liquids count! Alcohol is high in calories. Two glasses of wine or two scotches can add an extra 400 to 600 calories to your intake. This would be a difference of 30 to 50 pounds in a year if consumed daily! Limit drinking to only one drink per day for heart health and for your waistline.
Following are several more tips to make smarter dining choices, helping you save a few hundred calories at each meal:
- If you eat one to two pieces of bread before your meal, request double veggies in place of rice or potatoes to control both calories and carbohydrates
- Order fruit, salad, or vegetables instead of fries
- Ask for light cheese in salads or pizza to save calories and to decrease saturated fat
- When ordering an omelet, choose a vegetable filling to decrease calories and saturate fat
- Remember that one bite of most desserts is 50 calories; share one dessert with the table
- Pop a breath mint in your mouth as soon as you think you should be done eating. This clears your palate and diminishes the craving for more food
Stay in the game by making healthy food choices that will increase performance. It does require the same assertiveness on your part to be successful with your health as it does to close a business deal. The payoff is feeling great, less fatigue, more energy, and the satisfaction of taking good care of yourself.
