The readers of Athleisure Mag know that we talk about nutrition throughout our issues and with a New Year, we do like to focus on getting everyone (regardless of where you are on your dietary plan) back to basics on things that you want to incorporate for the first time or to reintroduce into your plans. We took some time prior to the holiday to talk with Amanda Baker Lemein MS, RD about how we should approach our meals, accountability, the importance of portions, the Two Treat Rule as well as misconceptions of detox versus reset and food controversies. She shares these tips with our readers as she works with a number of clients who are focused on weight loss and weight management. It’s worth noting that during this interview you will see the terms satiation and satiety being referred to. The Athleisure Mag team defines satiation as a process that occurs during a meal. It’s that point at which you feel that you have had enough to eat and don’t desire any more. Satiety, on the other hand, describes your experience after a meal – how long before you start to feel hungry again. Both satiation and satiety are influenced by a number of factors. ATHLEISURE MAG: We believe that it is important to have a healthy mindset when it comes to looking at your food and what you’re eating regardless of the time of year; however, with it being the New Year, it’s always worth looking at nutrition and how it works with your eating lifestyle. How do you approach this subject with your clients? AMANDA BAKER LEMEIN: In terms of the New Year, one of the things that I always recommend to clients is not to focus on what you are removing from your diet, but to focus on what you can add to your diet. I am very much a non diet, diet dietician. What I mean by that is that I really believe in a varied robust diet that is heavy on nutrient rich foods which allows for a little wiggle room for mindful indulgences and little treats here and there. Obviously, mindful is the operative word there.
That’s really the approach that I recommend to my clients overall. It’s not about looking so much on what you can’t eat as I think that there is a time and place for all food, but really focusing on what are the really nutrient rich foods that we should be eating more of. As you know, I have been working with Green Giant Fresh and what I really like about their new product – their vegetable meal bowls – it really takes the prep work out of having to chop fresh veggies and then having to make them tasty. That is the perfect example of a volume food where I tell my clients that non-starchy veggies are 100% unlimited. Something like these bowls are a perfect example. It’s a huge bowl that is a really big portion and you feel like you are eating a ton, but calorically, it’s really low in calories and very high in fiber and micronutrients. It’s a really great starter for a meal. In terms of a New Year and starting off on a good foot, I love these because the work has been done for you – it’s in the bowls, it’s been chopped, it’s cleaned and it’s ready for you to cook and all you have to do it microwave them for a minute or two. You can top it with whatever protein you want and some of them have beans in it so it is already a complete meal. They all have a sauce packet on the side so that you can tailor it to your taste. This is a great example of addition versus omission and how I want everyone to really focus on eating a lot of those nutrient rich foods. Beyond vegetables, some of the things that I really like to recommend eating is whole grains over refined grains. I think that this is one that we have all heard so many times. The truth is that Americans are so deficient in fiber and the majority of the grains that we do consume are refined grains which means that they have been stripped of many of their nutrients most notably, fiber. Making sure that you are consuming mostly whole grains and of course, like I said earlier, leaving a little wiggle room for some of those refined grained treats is just fine as it’s
