Surviving the State Fair: Tips for sticking to your diet

Fried, fried, fried – tenderloins, onions, elephant ears and even Oreos. With all these tempting fair treats, how can one enjoy the food while watching his waistline?

“Most fair food options are high in fat and carbohydrates, so plan to eat a good breakfast at home that is high in protein so you don't start off your day at the fair starving,” advises Leann Matlik, registered dietitian at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center. “Good choices would be eggs, yogurt or fresh fruits. If you're going to the fair later in the day, concentrate on eating your fruits and veggies before you go.”

Moderation is the key to staying on track with one’s diet. Experts recommend identifying a few foods you want and eating them.

“If it's elephant ears that you can't live without, then decide before you go that you'll be saying ‘no’ to cotton candy, salt water taffy, fried cheese, or milkshakes,” Matlik says.

Other tips for enjoying state fair cuisine:

• Share calorie-laden foods with a friend.
• Choose grilled foods instead of fried foods.
• Bring your own food to the fair.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and avoid hunger pangs.

“If at all possible, avoid drinking your calories,” Matlik says. “Water is what your body needs to stay hydrated while you're outside in the heat, and you're much more likely to feel full after eating a treat than if you're drinking one.”

If you can resist the greasy delights, try seeking out the healthy food choices. The fair provides several diet-friendly options.

Healthier fair food options include:

• Reduced-fat milk
• Soy nuts
• Smoothies
• Lemon shake-ups
• Fresh fruit
• Corn without butter
• Tossed salads
• Vegetable kabob/chicken kabob
• Reduced-calorie/reduced-sugar foods.

Eat for Life begins Aug. 27

We all know the importance of eating right and exercising for good health. But sometimes we stumble on the roadblocks in our path to success, and we just need a little support to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

That’s what makes the St. Francis Eat for Life Wellness Program unique. The eight-week, comprehensive weight management program teaches skills needed to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

The latest program gets under way 6 p.m. Aug. 27 with each session held Thursdays at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center, 5230-A E. Stop 11 Road, across Stop 11 Road from the St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis campus.

Each session offers participants the opportunity to track their weight, sample a healthy food, and participate in discussions on a variety of topics.

Topics include:

• creating a plan for balanced eating
• determining portion sizes
• understanding food labels
• choosing healthy snacks
• dining out
• menu planning
• recipe modification
• exercise.

To register, call 317-782-7525 or visit StFrancisHospitals.org/weightloss for additional information.

Easy and Healthy Meals

Here are some quick, easy and healthy meals to make:

Breakfast:

• A bowl of oatmeal with lowfat milk and fruit
• Blender smoothie made with lowfat milk, fruit, yogurt, honey, dry milk powder, and ice cubes
• Yogurt topped with high fiber cereal and fresh fruit

Lunch:

• A bowl of veggie soup with whole wheat crackers or bread
• Low-fat cheese sandwich made on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato and a piece of fruit
• Peanut butter and sliced banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with carrot sticks

Dinner

• Vegetable burger or chicken breast on a bun with low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion with a piece of fruit
• Bowl of beans with added peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spiced with a whole wheat pita
• Cold rice salad with left-over cooked rice, peas, diced peppers, chopped peanuts, corn kernels, diced turkey or chicken and low fat dressing

Snacks:

• High fiber cereal with milk and fruit
• Raw veggies with a low fat dip
• Whole grain low-fat crackers with low-fat cheese
• Cottage cheese or yogurt and fruit
• A bowl of low-fat popcorn

Is This a Postoperative Emergency?

Awareness of emergency situations is included in the education provided at the Weight Loss Center; however, after surgery, it may seem more difficult to determine if your experience is really emergent. If you have a temperature of 101 degrees or higher, you have a sudden onset of chest or shoulder pain, you develop shortness of breath, or you develop pain in your legs or your abdomen, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Significant pain cannot be diagnosed over the phone.

If you have a serious medically related question that cannot wait until regular office hours, your surgeon is available through his answering service. We will provide this number to you at the time of your case management visit.

Please review the information in your binder concerning routine postoperative situations, complications, activity, and medications. During regular office hours, our staff is available for any questions or concerns you may have. We are always happy to assist you along your path to improved health. Remember, you are our patient for life!

Eating Out

Eating out can be an enjoyable experience when you're following a healthy lifestyle plan. However, careful selection of foods is important, especially if you eat out often. Consider these suggestions:

• Choose small portions or split with a friend or family member
• Ask lots of questions, such as:
• How is it prepared?
• Do you have a low calorie salad dressing?
• May I have my topping on the side?
• Can you leave off the sauce or gravy?

Make sure to plan ahead, make a special effort to eat sensibly the rest of the day. Decide ahead what you would like to have and what restaurant would accommodate your needs!

Emotional eating support group starts Feb. 23

The Emotional Eating Support Group at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center is for anyone trying to lose weight and struggling with emotional overeating, also known as compulsive overeating or binge eating. This group offers support to patients struggling with emotional eating, or using food for reasons other than physical hunger and feeling unable to stop the behavior.

The groups will be led by Holly Pittman, a therapist at the Center, who has extensive experience providing individual, couples, and group therapy to patients with eating, mental health and addiction issues.

The latest session gets under way 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 23, with each session held Mondays at the St. Francis Weight Loss Center, 5230-A E. Stop 11 Road, across Stop 11 Road from the St. Francis Hospital-Indianapolis campus.

There is a fee for those registering for the program. Call 317-782-7525 or visit StFrancisHospitals.org/weightloss for additional information.

Making Recipes Healthier

Looking for ways to make your favorite recipes healthier, or just looking for new, healthy recipes? Take a few minutes to poke around at http://www.eatbetteramerica.com Check out the "Healthified" section for fresh ideas and a great visual comparison of the nutrition facts of original recipes compared to the healthified ones to see how small changes can total big benefits. If you're not the best in the kitchen, there are online videos to help you along, lots of great tips, and many recipes to search through. Best of all, each recipe includes nutrition information, diabetic exchanges, and carbohydrate counts, so no matter how you're watching your diet, you have the tools you need to branch out your menu options and still be in control of what you're eating. Bon appetit!