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Weight Training After 50: Non-negotiable!

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

It is common knowledge that we lose lean body mass (muscle) as we age. In your 20’s, 30’s, and maybe even 40’s, you can hold on to some muscle mass. After that, if you are not pushing back on the loss of lean tissue, it will leave you. This loss of muscle impacts our metabolism, balance, strength, and overall well-being. There is a solution to this change in body composition that, over age 50, is non-negotiable – LIFT WEIGHTS. Call it weight lifting, weight training, strength training, resistance training; it all means the same thing: using your muscle to lift a weight. The weight can be a dumbbell, barbell, plates on a machine, your body weight, or a resistance band.

Weight training is especially important for women, who start out with less lean body mass than men. Women are often worried they will get too muscular. This is a myth that continues, however, it is simply not true. Women who weight train will build muscle and tone, but will not build significant bulk.

Getting started on a strength-training routine can be confusing, scary, and so overwhelming, so you may want to just put it off. However, a good first step is choosing to join a gym. There are plenty of low-cost options available in most communities. If you are a member of a gym, ask if they can help you set up a weight-lifting routine. If you have the means, enlist the help of a trainer just for a few workouts to get a routine down. You can also get some simple equipment and do your routine at home.  Check out information online for beginning weight training Check out information online regarding the best beginning weight training exercises based on the equipment you have at home or at the gym.

Here are some tips:

  1. Aim to do 3 sets for each body part: chest, back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, legs.
  2. Do not train a body part on two consecutive days.
  3. Use strict form to make sure you are getting the most from each set.
  4. Train with intensity. You will not build or maintain muscle if you are not stressing the muscle. One of the biggest mistakes made by people over 50 who are starting a weight training program is they don’t use enough weight or work out with enough intensity to see results.

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Easy Cucumber Recipes

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cucumbers are one of my favorite vegetables. They are most always available, come in a variety of types, easy to add to salads and sandwiches, and are high in water. At 96% water, cucumbers are a great way to help with hydration and add crunch to dishes. English cucumbers (the long skinny ones usually wrapped in plastic) have small seeds making them a go to for cucumber chips and sandwiches. They are also available year round. Here are a few of my favorite uses for the humble cucumber:

  1. Put cucumber chips and citrus in your water for a spa-like subtle flavor. See the recipe here.
  2. Use cucumber slices for dips such as salsa or hummus.
  3. Add chopped cucumbers to yogurt for a savory yogurt dish. Check out the recipe here.
  4. Slice pickling cucumbers (the small bumpy ones) into ½ water ½ cider vinegar. Place ice cubes on top when serving.
  5. Use cucumber slices in sandwiches instead of or in addition to lettuce.
  6. Made a Yogurt Cucumber Sauce for topping grain bowls or used as a dip.
  7. Use cucumbers in salads such as Kachumber Salad, Cucumber Avocado Salad, Kim Chi-Inspired Cucumber Salad.
  8. A family favorite – don’t miss this one Apple Cucumber Slaw

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Ask the Dietitian: Bottled Salad Dressing

by Christine Lavelle

Ingredients: Canola Oil, Distilled Vinegar, Water, Parmesan Cheese (Pasteurized Part-Skim Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Contains Less than 2% of Sugar, Garlic, *Red Bell Pepper, *Onion, *Spice, Basil, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavor, Annato And Tumeric (color). *Dried. https://www.kensfoods.com/products/simply-vinaigrette-italian

I prefer to buy bottled salad dressing rather than make my own at home due to convenience, taste, and mouthfeel. The brand I currently purchase is Ken’s Simply Vinaigrette Italian. Since I work with Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) Kelly Nordby, I thought it would be interesting to get her thoughts on this commercially processed product.

Questions:

1. What are your thoughts on the ingredient list and the nutition facts label in this product?

Of the bottled salad dressings that I have seen, this ranks at the top of the list. There are no additives, added sugar or added starches. Additionally, this is made with canola oil, containing heart healthy fat, with only 1 gram of saturated fat out of the 13g of total fat. All of the ingredients are natural.

2. Canola oil is listed as the first ingredient and extra virgin olive oil is listed as the 6th ingredient. From a nutritional standpoint, is canola oil acceptable? Why do you think they primarily use canola oil instead of extra virgin olive oil?

Yes, canola oil is acceptable and is generally considered a “healthy” oil because it is very low in saturated fat and similar to olive oil, it is high in monounsaturated fat (63%). Canola oil also contains a significant level of polyunsaturated omega-3s, a heart healthy fat that has been shown to lower triglyceride levels. Canola oil or soybean oil is primarily used in bottled salad dressings vs. olive oil because these are less expensive and more readily available.

Source: https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/2015/04/13/ask-the-expert-concerns-about-canola-oil/

3. Do you have any other thoughts you would like to share?

I am a huge proponent of making homemade salad dressing vs. buying bottled dressing because it is generally healthier, very inexpensive and easy to make. It is just an oil + acid (e.g., vinegar, lemon juice etc.) + spices. You can better control the ingredients, specifically, the amount of sodium and avoid the added sugar, both of which are higher in bottled dressings. For example, the sodium in this dressing is 280 mg/serving, which could be greatly reduced in homemade dressing. For great homemade salad dressing recipes, visit medinsteadofmeds.com and search ‘vinaigrette’.

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I Got Back on Track by Tracking: 10 Takeaways

by Kelly Nordby, RD, LDN

I recently turned 50 and hit the realization that many of our participants realize… my metabolism is not what it used to be. For much of my adult life, I have been able to eat mainly healthy foods without paying close attention to my portions. I could eat some chocolate every day without having to worry about weight gain. And if my weight did go up, a few days of paying close attention would help things normalize. I have come to realize that I can no longer eat the portion sizes that I used to eat and need to eat more mindfully by making my meals last ~20 minutes. Additionally, I need to pay closer attention to how hungry and how full I am, trying to only eat at a 2-3 on the hunger and satiety scale and stopping at a 5-6. Where have I heard these strategies before? 🙂

Alas, I heeded my own advice that I give to my participants when asked what they should do when their weight is plateauing or they begin gaining and they don’t know why…I started tracking! Honestly, I have not consistently tracked my food intake in close to 10 years, perhaps longer. And ironically, to find the best tracking app, I went back and reviewed my own blog written in 2021 titled, Tracking Still Works, where I reviewed several different tracking apps. I chose MyNetDiary, the one with the green apple and tape measure around it. Formerly, I used MyFitnessPal with great success; however, participants shared that many of the previously free features were now only available in the premium version.

Here are my 10 Tracking Take-aways:

  1. The set-up was amazingly easy. I simply entered my sex, current weight, activity level and weight goals. This provided me with my calorie goal for the day, which I could select if this was adjusted when I exercised and burned calories or not. I like having the calories ‘deposited’ back into my account, so I selected this option.
  2. The food database is expansive and the units are very reasonable. I am able to easily find the foods that I typically eat in the database and if not, there is something similar. In the past, I found it difficult to be able to log in units that made sense for the food consumed. For example, if I eat a peach, I can just choose the size of the peach consumed, I do not have to guess the number of ounces. If I cut up my peach, I can choose how much I consumed in cups (or fractions thereof). If I wanted to use a food scale, I could enter grams or ounces.
  3. The scanning feature is free. For packaged foods, I can scan the barcode and the nutrition information is instantly accessible. I then just enter the quantity consumed. This feature has become a premium (paid) feature on MyFitnessPal.
  4. My usual foods and exercises are saved. Since I often eat leftovers for lunch and/or dinner, I typically eat the same foods for several days in a row. The app makes it very easy to just copy these same foods for subsequent days. Similarly, I tend to be active in the same way on most days and the app makes it very easy to pull up these same exercises, while still changing the duration or rate of intensity.
  5. Reminders can be set up. I find that it helps me to set text notifications to be reminded to log my meals and snacks at the times when I typically eat them. These can be turned off at any time.
  6. Daily analysis is available. Daily feedback about how I am working toward my weight loss or weight management goal, calories burned through exercise, fiber intake (including the food sources that day), healthy and unhealthy fat intake (including the foods that I ate containing these) and sodium intake (including the foods that I ate with
    high amounts) is provided. This is helpful to see what areas I need to work on or which substitutions I could be making.
  7. I am motivated to move more if I want an extra treat. I was very surprised at how motivated I am to stay within my calorie goal for the day. If I want an extra treat or my chocolate and there are not enough calories left for the day, I try to add some extra minutes to my exercise to account for this.
  8. Tracking has made me more mindful of my portion sizes. I now have a visual cue of how many calories I have remaining for the day, and therefore, I am more mindful of measuring my portions so that I can more accurately account for what I am eating.
  9. Tracking has encouraged me to slow down and enjoy my food. As a natural consequence of tracking, my portion sizes have decreased to keep within my calorie budget. Because I want to enjoy my smaller amounts of food a little longer, I have tried to slow down and really taste what I am eating.
  10. Tracking is much easier than I thought. I have to say that tracking is way easier than I thought it would be and I owe this greatly to the ease of the MyNetDiary app. The developers have done their homework to make the task of tracking as painless as possible, and even somewhat enjoyable.

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A Guaranteed Method for No Stick Fish

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Eating more fish (not fried of course) is a great step toward healthy eating. Cooking fish, however, can be daunting. Even an experienced cook has torn, shredded, or mangled fish when trying to flip it. Cooking salmon is relatively easy thanks to its high fat content. Check out this blog to see how to cook salmon. However, lean fish is another story.


During a recent trip to cooking school, I learned a trick that will change how you cook fish. Use parchment paper. Yes, parchment paper! During the session when the teaching chef told us to do this, I was skeptical. Would the paper burn? Would the fish get brown without contact with the pan? The answers were a resounding no, it did not burn, and yes, it got brown to perfection.

Here are the steps to perfectly seared fish filets:

  1. Heat a stainless pan to medium high heat.
  2. Add a bit of oil, avocado, grapeseed, or canola.
  3. Place the parchment paper in the pan (cut to roughly fit the size of the fillet).
  4. Place the filet on the parchment paper and cook until the desired brownness. Flip and cook until
    just done.

That’s it! Impress your friends and family with perfect fish.

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What Kitchen Equipment Do I Really Need?

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Everyone needs the basics to make a meal – knives, cutting board, pots and pans, spatulas, spoons, mixing bowls, measuring cups, you get the idea. Beyond that, what gadgets or pieces of equipment do you REALLY need? A good knife and some practice can take the place of many gadgets sold today. Here is what I think are the most important pieces of equipment.

Citrus Squeezer – a lemon squeezer can double as a lime squeezer. Sure you can do without this squeezer and juice by hand but you will not get all the juice you paid for. Citrus juice has so many uses as a condiment, ingredient in salad dressing, or to deglaze a pan. Cost: $1.25-$15.00

Microplane – even a well-trained cook cannot get garlic or ginger as fine as a microplane. You can also use for chocolate and hard cheese. Cost: $10-$15

Salad Spinner – yes, you could use paper towels or kitchen towels. However, you will never get lettuce as dry as you will with a salad spinner. Since dressing slides off of wet lettuce, the salad spinner will take your salads to the next level. Cost: $15-$30

Blender – the gold standard is the Vitamix. However, even if you only spring for a budget blender, get one. Smoothies, soups, dressings, and dips all are possible thanks to this kitchen staple. Cost: $30 to $400 and up.

Rice Cooker – I was a rice cooker hold out for far too many years. Now I am not sure how I lived without it. You can get a really expensive one or an inexpensive one, just get one. Your brown rice and other whole grains will never be the same. See my blog about when I got my first rice cooker. Cost: $20-$400 and up.

Honorable mention:

Food Processor – Since I worked for Cuisinart doing demonstrations during college, thought I should mention how useful a food processor is. If you are not really into cooking, this is not essential. However, if you make things such as hummus, pesto, recipes that call for large quantities of chopped nuts, chopped herbs, or shredded cheese, and you have the cabinet space, a food processor may be a good purchase. Food processors can also uniformly slice fruits and vegetables. Cost: $40-$200 and up.

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Heat Wave! How to Stay Cool and Comfortable

by Erin McCallum

In most parts of the U.S. right now, temps are HOT! If you’re anything like me, you love summer weather, but it doesn’t quite love you back. Though I am going on my fifth North Carolina summer after moving from Michigan, I’m still sometimes shocked by the wall of heat and humidity that hits me when I step outside from June- August. We often say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets ya”…. but truth be told, the heat alone can be as brutal as thick humidity.

Heat can often make us feel exhausted, sluggish, and agitated. While we may feel bad about not having as much energy as usual, or about not “making the most of summer” by enjoying the weather, it is extremely important to use discretion and practice “heat self care” when temps are really hot. It is crucial to do so when your area is under a heat advisory. You can’t fight mother nature, but you can adapt your routines and habits to make sure she doesn’t get the best of you, both mentally and physically. The tips below have helped me immensely in the North Carolina summer heat.

1. Hydrate!!

Drink lots of water. If you eat a generally low-sodium diet, you may want to consider adding electrolytes to your water to increase hydration, often found in the form of dissolvable powders. You can also consider incorporating foods with more water into your diet, such as watermelon, celery, cucumber, pickles, peaches, and tomatoes.

Additionally, it is wise to avoid or limit alcohol in extreme heat. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it increases urine production, leading to fluid loss and dehydration. Alcohol also causes vasodilation (the widening of blood vessels), which the body naturally does in hot temperatures to help cool the body down. However, too much vasodilation can cause blood pressure to drop, resulting in dizziness. Alcohol can also impair the body’s ability to regulate temperature. If you are going to drink, be sure to do so in moderation and in a cool setting, while also drinking water.

2. Stay Indoors

It seems like common sense, but sometimes we need a reminder. When temps are raging, it is not the time to push yourself with an outdoor workout. The risk of heat exhaustion, or worse, is not worth the reward. If you need to work out outside, do it in the early morning or late evening. Otherwise, adapt your workout to be indoors or even in a pool. It may be a good opportunity to switch up your routine and try something new.

3. Utilize Ice & Cold Water

If you end up getting too hot, hold ice cubes or a bag of frozen veggies or fruit on the back of your neck or forehead. Facial ice rollers, while often used for beauty purposes, are also a great tool to help cool the body down. Taking a cold shower, even if just for 30 seconds or one minute, can also be a quick way to cool down. If you don’t have these available, say if you’re out in public, splash cold water on your face and on the back of your neck in a public restroom or find a cold bottle of water to hold to the back of your neck.

4. Adjust Your Sleep Routine

While nights are cooler than the daytime, they can still be too hot to sleep comfortably. Before you go to bed, lower the AC a couple degrees. Consider turning on the ceiling fan or a floor fan facing your bed, ideally oscillating to keep cold air flowing throughout the whole room. Sleep in lightweight, cotton clothing. Ditch the big comforter for a lightweight cotton quilt or throw blanket.

5. Find the Shade

If you have to be outside, find a shady spot BEFORE you feel you need it. Plan ahead so that you are in spots that have guaranteed shady spots accessible. You may consider wearing a wide-brimmed hat, or carrying an umbrella outside to shade yourself. You may also want to carry a handheld fan for when there is no breeze. Of course, wear sunscreen whenever going outside, and don’t forget spots like the back of the neck, tips of the ears, scalp, and even your feet!

You don’t have to suffer in the summer heat. Plan, adapt, and use discretion to stay safe and cool. Check on the people (and pets) around you to make sure everyone has what they need to keep their environment cool and comfortable. Together, we’ll beat the heat!

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What a Fantastic Experience

by Erin McCallum

“What a fantastic experience this has been for me over the past year. Kelly was an absolutely amazing teacher, listener, counselor, and friend to all of us at Carolina Preserve, and she is the reason I achieved my goal and will continue to do so going forward.

 I am eighty-one years old and have tried losing weight for most of my married life but never was able to “get it”.  She taught “mindful eating” lessons as long-term goals over and over again each class.  She made us realize that simple strategies we change each day can make a permanent difference in our lives for the future.  I can have unhealthy or not-so nutritious foods and still maintain my weight, but I have finally learned how to do that in moderation and infrequently instead of daily.

Kelly has been such an inspiration to me, and she will always be in my thoughts reminding me that “I” can control food rather than” food” controlling me.”

–Sue, an Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes Participant

Are My Coffee Habits Healthy?

by Erin McCallum

Coffee, in many places, is more than just a beverage- it can often symbolize connection, culture, history, productivity, and daily routine. Worldwide, approximately 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day, and in the U.S., nearly 3 in 4 Americans consume coffee each day. But should our consumption be this high? Coffee is ambiguous in that way- most of us aren’t sure if its healthy, unhealthy, both, or neither. As a daily coffee drinker myself, I, coffee in hand, set out to explore some coffee and health FAQs.

Q: Can I drink coffee on an empty stomach?

A: For some, drinking coffee on an empty stomach can cause heartburn, upset stomach, or loose stools, as it is an acidic beverage and creates more acid in the stomach. If consumed with or after food, the increased stomach acid has food to break down in the stomach, easing its negative effects.

However, some people may not experience gastrointestinal upset, but may experience adverse hormonal response from the caffeine in coffee. Caffeine stimulates the release of cortisol, a stress hormone that serves many purposes: helping to control metabolism, aiding in regulating the sleep cycle, reducing inflammation, and regulating blood pressure and blood sugar. For most people, cortisol levels are naturally at their highest in the hour after waking up in the morning. Without food in the stomach, caffeine is absorbed more quickly, raising cortisol even higher during this time frame and potentially causing jitters, anxiety, headache, and racing heart.

Everyone’s sensitivity to acidic foods and caffeine is different and some may feel fine drinking coffee on an empty stomach, but in general, its recommended to consume coffee with or after food in order to avoid gastrointestinal issues and a cortisol spike and subsequent crash.

Q: Does time of day matter?

A: It’s recommended to drink coffee in the morning as opposed to afternoon, evening, or all day, so that sleep is not disrupted by caffeine late in the day. Studies have also shown that morning coffee drinkers, as opposed to those who drink coffee all day, have lower all-cause mortality rates and lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

Q: How much is too much?

A: It’s recommended to keep caffeine consumption under 400mg a day, which is about the equivalent of 4 cups of coffee.

Q: What about all the fun coffee drinks?

A: There are new flavored lattes and other coffee drinks every season at both chain and local coffee shops. The options can be overwhelming. Most of these ultra-flavored coffee drinks have a shocking amount of sugar and calories. Drinking coffee black is clearly the “healthiest” option, as it it has nearly 0 calories and no added sugar. But for people who don’t like black coffee, there are still healthy options, such as adding a little dairy or non-dairy milk, or a teaspoon of a coffee creamer with minimal ingredients. They key is to moderate and reduce the added sugar.

Q: Does drinking coffee dehydrate me?

A: Contrary to popular belief, research shows that coffee, while a mild diuretic, does not dehydrate you unless consumed in excessive amounts.

To summarize, to make your coffee habits work for, not against, your health, drink under 400mg of coffee before noon after eating food, and limit added sugars.

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What I Learned at Cooking School- Part 4

by Carolyn Dunn, PhD, RD, LDN

Cooking is my passion. I am fortunate that this passion often overlaps my career in nutrition as we work to build healthy recipes, test cooking techniques, and write curricula that helps everyday cooks make healthy food for their family. As with any passion, you should sharpen your knives from time to time.

The way I do this is to attend cooking classes. I have had the opportunity to train at Le Cordon Bleu, Culinary Institute of America, and most recently, at the Institute for Culinary Education. My latest class was four days of intensive training in cooking skills. The class included traditional French techniques that are centuries old and are still used as building blocks for many cuisines of the world. This four-blog series will include one technique from each day that I believe may help you as a home cook. Cook along with me as we explore fine cooking techniques.

Day 4

The fourth class in this four-class series included handling shellfish, fish stocks, shucking oysters, fish food safety, sauces for seafood, and making fruit sauces. The technique I would like to share is actually one that was taught and demonstrated throughout the four days at the Institute of Culinary Education, and that is using a board scraper.

This simple, inexpensive tool will serve you well as you prep vegetables for recipes, make salad, and a hundred other kitchen tasks. Every class, a board scraper was part of our station so I used it frequently. This is something I had not used as part of my usual cooking routine. I found it very helpful in moving cut product from my cutting board to my bowl or into a pot or pan. You can move so much more vegetable or fruit at one time than you can with your knife. It helps you keep your cutting board uncluttered so you can work more efficiently. You can find a board scraper at any department store or kitchen store. You can even get a really inexpensive plastic one that works great too.  

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