FDA to Consider Salt Content of Food

Here's the latest news on the effort to persuade the FDA to regulate the salt content of food.

- Lauren

continue reading...

Brainwashed Dieters Leap to Action

This is a wonderful thing! The very action of clipping on the pedometer motivates us to get up and go. I love it!

It’s like all the great stories of brainwashed sleeper spys waiting for their coded alert to spring into action. Or the story last week of the signs posted that said take the stairs and people did. Is it a subliminal message? A physical reminder? It’s simply good. Let’s all buy one to use and another to give to someone we love.

A recent article I read reported “Researchers found that participants who wore a pedometer increased their activity by 27 percent, or by more than 2,000 steps daily, the equivalent of one mile.” Their risks for stroke and heart related deaths dropped significantly too.

Will you let me know how you do? I’m going to get one or two on my way home from work.

See you on the stairs!

- Nancy

continue reading...

I Hate Going to the Gym!

Let’s be honest, I don’t like going to the gym! I would much rather stay at home or hang out with my friends, but I know I’ve got to exercise! It’s no secret that physical activity is essential for overall health, but exercise becomes even more critical once you start getting over what I like to call the “humps”.

The first hump happens around 25 when your body stops growing. At this stage weight loss is still relatively easy and starting an exercise program is almost effortless. If you eat sensibly and workout on a regular basis, you begin to see results fairly quick. The second hump happens around 40. By this time your body has a mind of its own and some parts may be heading south! You have to work so much harder to lose even 5 pounds or to see changes from a new exercise program.

What to do? I say…whatever you like, but just do something! Instead of calling my friends to go for a drink or coffee, it’s “Hey, let’s go for a walk, I’ll pick you up!” or “Let’s go to the Art Fair! Even if we don’t buy anything, we’ll just walk around”. And if I end up at home watching TV, instead of just sitting on the couch I stand in front of it and walk in place, do a little dance, move my arms or shake my “booty” (I really hope no one is watching). Just move something!

This may sound or look silly, but we have to do more than we usually do if we want to see results. Find something you like that you can do on a regular basis, NOT just for two weeks! Then find 30 minutes almost every day to be active (break it up if you need to); if Oprah can find the time in her busy schedule, I’m sure you can too! So let’s do it once and for all, have some fun and stick with it! Roller blade, belly dance, stretch, swim, walk or do yoga - choose whatever works for you.

To prove that I believe in the power of movement, I’m making you a promise. As of December 1, 2007 I will be exercising or “moving my body” for a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. This way I can do more if I want, but in case I don’t, I will still keep my promise to you.

What about you?

- Josee

continue reading...

20 GREAT Cookbooks

Well, besides being CIO and chief hat wearer at Sensei, sometime in my distant (and sometimes not so distant past) I was a professionally trained chef. As I am prone to do late in the evenings I was catching up on the web and came across this gem in the Charlotte Observer.

Next week I am participating in an intimate roundtable hosted by Mirador Capital and Vertex Pharmaceuticals focused on brining luminaries together in the James Bear Foundation boardroom to discuss "Healthcare 2.0, Who and What are going to make it happen". I am especially excited about the topic! As Sensei forges new ground helping consumers change behaviors through the cell phone, it will be an inspiring experience to listen and contribute to other organizations who are trying to improve the lifestyle and healthcare of folks around the globe.

All this comes full circle back to this article :-)

It was released by the James Beard Foundation in celebration of their twentieth year. The foundation is in honor of James Beard, a prolific culinary mastermind who penned many great cookbooks, had his own cooking school, and worked hard to change the ides of epicurean delight in the United States. The foundation is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and nurturing America's culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of American culinary excellence and promotes many programs, scholarships, and classes to that end.

I found the list intriguing, I own seven of the twenty, but "sadly" it looks like a trip to Barnes and Nobles is in store for me to round out my collection.

-Tim

continue reading...

Sensei in the News

Very happy to announce Sensei was featured in the news recently on a CBS affiliate...



We've also been mentioned in some more blogs...Woo Hoo! Check out the articles at Chip Chick, DollyMix, Shiny Shiny, and DotGizmo.

Thanks to everyone for talking about us. It's all VERY EXCITING!

- The Sensei Team

continue reading...

It’s Not Such a Small World After All…

I read a blurb recently from the UCSF Student Newspaper, Synapse, where Alison Silvis posts:

“Look to Disneyland for the latest symptom of the obesity epidemic. The park’s “It’s a Small World” ride is simply too small to accommodate the extra 24 pounds the average American has packed on since 1960. Stalls and stops are so common that extra platforms have been built at problem hotspots along the ride. Now, the ride will be closing for ten months beginning in January for refurbishment with larger flume cars and deeper waterways.”

I’m torn and having a strong reaction to this! Part of me feels that we need to make accommodations to be ‘fair’ and let everyone enjoy what the park has to offer. But there is another part of me that doesn’t want to cater to a growingly obese population. Are we enabling unhealthy behaviors by just making rides bigger, seatbelts larger, car cup holders big enough to hold ginormous amounts of sugared soda? The smoking industry has made big strides by restricting places where you can smoke and increasing prices of cigarettes. Making unhealthy behaviors more difficult or more pricey is an effective strategy!

But with food, it’s a different story. Everyone has to eat…everyday. So you can’t just make availability harder. But maybe showing what the consequences are (e.g., not being able to fit in a seat for a ride) is a powerful way to get the message across.

Alison Silvis ends her post with this:

“We cannot afford to ignore the painful reality of the obesity epidemic. In Disneyland, when heavy patrons are disgruntled at being asked to step off the ride, they are offered a food voucher. In the world of evidence-based medicine, we need to challenge patients to confront the reality of their daily lifestyle choices, and then work with them to modify those that are unhealthy.”

I couldn’t agree with her more! What do you think?

- Dr. Z

continue reading...

FAT HURTS

I always knew it…“breasts bounce, belly fat shakes and thighs rub”. Sounds like every Nora Roberts love scene…“breasts compressed against the chest and heaved outward during movement”.

Researchers are now studying the problems heavier exercisers face and there’s nothing funny about it! I recently read an article by Tara Parker-Pope titled Exercise Advice Often Ignores Jiggle Factor. In the article she quotes doctors from the study stating “Women experience both pain and embarrassment due to breast movement while walking or jogging” and “when the foot of an overweight person strikes the ground, the knees and hips endure far greater forces…raising the risk for arthritis and injury”.

In addition to the known health risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, new research finds “overweight and obese patients were about 1.8 times as likely to die of prostate cancer as men of normal weight”. A third article out recently found that “being obese or overweight increased a person’s risk for any of a number of diseases and several forms of cancer”. Fat HURTS!

The fact is that excess weight does really make it more difficult to move about and impacts quality of life. When people become overweight or obese, we always tell them to exercise more, but this article begins to point out the social and physical problems overweight people face when they workout. From specialty workout clothing manufacturers to water based exercise programs, overweight exercisers need to prevent injury and discomfort to be able to workout safely!

- Nancy

continue reading...

Sensei in FitSugar blog

Hey FitSugar! Thanks for writing about us...YOU ROCK!

Be sure to check out their blog!

- The Sensei Team

continue reading...

Antioxidant Power

One of my favorite words – ANTIOXIDANTS! This simple word makes me smile. These powerful chemicals are known to reduce the risk of a wide array of ailments and the more research they do, the more benefits they find! We’ve even seen the sales of blueberries, cranberries, tropical fruits and other related products increase dramatically in the past few years due to their antioxidant properties.

Up until now, the antioxidant power of a food or supplement was mostly measured in ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity). But a recent study took it to the next level by measuring the antioxidants bioactivity inside the cell; otherwise know as cellular antioxidant activity (CAA).

This is really interesting because the concept goes back to the basics; we may eat the best food and take good supplements, but we don’t know how well it's absorbed inside the cell. In the study, they analyzed red and green grapes, wild blueberries, cranberries and apples. Again, blueberries came out on top! We will have to keep an eye on this new analysis technique, but meanwhile keep on eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables!

You could also consider taking antioxidant supplements, but the problem with that is the lack of antioxidant variety. If you take a supplement that only contains one or several isolated antioxidants, you’re missing out on thousands of others. Every year researchers isolate new antioxidants from different food sources.

For example, people take lycopene and lutein capsules for prostate or vision health, but they're missing out on all the other antioxidants that are available in a variety of fruits and vegetables. You could get hundreds of different antioxidants plus lycopene and lutein (not to mention all the vitamins, minerals and fiber) by eating corn, tomatoes, kiwi, broccoli, watermelon, grapefruit, tomato, peach and so on.

Bottom line - eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables will provide you with a larger protection blanket, and while you fill up on those you’re not eating “the other unhealthy stuff”!

- Josee

continue reading...

Greasing Up Your Arteries

A friend recently sent me this video.

On one hand, I’m quite impressed with the artist’s talent and ingenuity.

Then I started to think of where that grease really goes when you eat those same fries. Yuck! It doesn’t matter what fast food place you go to, all their fries are at least 40% calories from fat. That’s only good if you’re trying to make a grease drawing!

I could go on and on about how bad all that fat is for you…. but in this case, a picture really is worth 1000 words!

- Renee

continue reading...

Tomorrow We Shall Diet...

I was out running this morning (something I try to do as regularly as possible) when I began to notice a lot more "traffic" on the sidewalks of my neighborhood. I recognized some of the same pavement pounders I've seen for a few years now, but others were seemingly new on the scene.

I began to wonder...are these people out trying to walk off the extra calories they ate over the holiday weekend? How often do they really exercise? Will they keep it up?

This reminded me of a quote I read the other day "Eat, Drink and be Merry for Tomorrow We Shall Diet". I thought about how many people were using this same mentality to justify their dietary indiscretions from the weekend. How many told themselves “I will start that diet, or exercise program, or take more time for myself…tomorrow”. But how many will actually start? And if they do, how many will keep it up?

Then a big smile came over my face as I realized that running and eating well has become part of my lifestyle, not just something I do because I want to lose a few pounds or look a little better in my bathing suit. "I'm a runner" I said to myself...and it felt really good!

With the holiday season in full swing I challenge you to make the commitment to yourself. To start that diet or exercise program you’ve been meaning to start and to never stop starting, regardless of what challenges you face (and believe me there will be challenges), until it becomes part of your life!

TODAY we shall diet!

- Lauren

continue reading...

Sensei in that'sfit blog

Thanks Bev for the awesome article about Sensei! Be sure to check out the post and the rest of the that'sfit blog.

- The Sensei Team

continue reading...

BENefits of Healthy Eating - Ben Knows the Secret

I saw photos of Ben Affleck in People magazine on Nov. 05, 2007 (BODY Watch p.142). In 2005 he was scruffy. In 2007 he looked great! What was his secret? What inspired him? Was it new romance or old gone bad? Why does a break-up inspire so many of us to get in shape? Why don’t we diet to look good for ourselves? Why do we diet for a special occasion and not for everyday?

Whenever I’m lucky enough to lose a few pounds the first thing friends ask is “How did you do it?” It always makes me laugh because everyone knows the answer. There’s nothing new about losing weight or eating healthy. I ate less, I ate healthier, and I thought about it more.

Ben sums up all anyone can say or hope to know about weight loss and healthy eating. “I’m working out, trying to diet. It’s mostly not eating as much, especially late at night. The bread is the thing. Just lay off the bread.” Now these are words to live by!

And live well, evidently, because there he is again! "I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been.” Ben has the secret. Is he a SENSEI?

- Nancy

continue reading...

Do Fast Food Restaurants Contribute to Obesity?

Do you ever think about how many calories are in your fast food meals? I bet you’d be surprised at how far off your guess can be...and most people grossly UNDERESTIMATE.

I watched a 60 Minutes report recently on this very topic. A nutrition professor from Cornell University asked consumers in a food court to estimate how many calories they thought were in a Subway meal he showed them. Guesses were as low as 300…it was actually almost 1400 calories!

There’s an argument afoot…one camp says that fast food chains should display calorie information in a clear and easy to see format in their restaurants. The other camp (mostly in the restaurant industry) say that having the nutrition information available on their website should be good enough.

The problem with this? How many of you know which fast food restaurant you’re going to stop at when you leave your house for the day? Doesn’t it sort of defeat the purpose of ‘fast & convenient’ if you have to go home and check the website so you know what to order?

I think the critics in the food industry are banking on subliminal seduction. Entice consumers with big, glossy, beautiful pictures of food…appeal to their sense of hunger…don’t think about the calories…think about how good this is going to taste…and don’t even get me started on the commercials that show all those thin, happy people enjoying meals with twice the calories they really eat in a day. A little sneaky as far as I’m concerned.

Not all that’s fast is bad though. Almost every fast food restaurant has something on the menu that is lower in calories and fat. Sometimes it’s as simple as changing the sauce or removing the cheese. But sometimes it’s almost as if they don’t want you to know.

So what do you think? Would you order differently if you knew the fat and calories BEFORE you ordered?

- Renee

continue reading...

It's about time...

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a patient tell me “I don’t eat salt! I don’t add any salt at the table or when I’m cooking”. And I patiently reply “Great! Good job!” (And it really is GREAT!) “But that’s only half the battle”. Unfortunately, most people aren’t even aware of all the hidden sodium in common processed foods like canned soups and vegetables, frozen meals and deli meats. Not to mention the salt in restaurant and fast food items!

Yesterday CNN reported FDA to consider salt content of processed foods . It’s believed that the amount of salt in the average American diet is a big health threat to the public. The article states “The AMA (American Medical Association) says cutting in half the sodium in processed and restaurant foods within 10 years could wind up saving 150,00 lives annually”. Wow, that’s huge!

Well, I think this is an excellent effort that is long overdue. With our hectic, fast paced lives people are turning more and more to processed, convenience type foods. Asking food manufactures to step up and cut down on the salt content of their products will definitely help make a difference.

Here are some tips for cutting down on the hidden sodium in your diet:

• READ LABELS: As a general rule of thumb, if something has more than 300 mg of sodium per serving, it’s probably not the best choice.
• Buy FRESH (as often as possible). Fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, poultry and unprocessed grains.
• Season with your favorite herbs and spices instead of salt.
• Go easy on the condiments, dressings and sauces. Many of these items are loaded with salt!
• Prepare your own frozen meals to grab on days you’re running low on time.
• Look for 'low sodium' or 'reduced sodium' versions of your favorite foods.

Wishing everyone a healthy, happy Thanksgiving Day!

- Lauren

continue reading...

Exercise Is Medicine

Doctor’s orders…

When we go see the doctor, we expect advice on how to stay healthy, right? Well, now doctors’ orders might include one more thing: regular exercise! Recently, the American Medical Association teamed with the American College of Sports Medicine to launch “Exercise Is Medicine”, an initiative aimed at encouraging doctors to “assess and review every patient’s physical activity program at every visit”.

I think this is a great step for promoting healthy behaviors. Even though doctors have a lot of ground to cover in a very short exam visit, having them stress the importance of establishing healthy habits can be a very effective reminder to get moving. Research shows that regular and consistent exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. Here are a few reminders of why regular exercise is so important. Getting sweaty will:

• Improve your mood.
• Help manage your weight.
• Reduce risk of heart disease (a leading cause of death in the US).
• Reduce risk for many chronic diseases (like diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, etc)
• Reduce pain.
• Reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
• And reduce hospitalizations and future doctor visits!

So, it seems like the recommendation for exercise might be the updated version of “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Like I said, I am glad to see that advice on physical activity is getting top billing for doctor visits and hopefully the message will get through.

What do you think? Will having your doctor talk to you about physical activity and giving you a 30 minute sweat prescription make you more likely to be active?

- Dr. Z

continue reading...

The iPhone Phenomena

I find the iPhone fascinating, from a number of perspectives. First, of course, is its unique approach to interacting with a user. The paradigm shifts Apple has put into place will change the mobile ecosystem.

After wathcing the hype here in the States, seeing the same reaction in Europe, and now the latest region of the world to be conquered by Apple coming into view, one has to sit back and think about the overall social ramifications that a phone is having!

It’s awesome to see how a phone can change the world. Ten years ago, if you asked a technology pundit if they would wait in line to buy a phone, the laughs could be heard echoing up and down Silicon Valley. Today, however, the answer is very different, a phone CAN change things. It has become a part of every person’s life, it’s always there and always on.

One of our core beliefs here at Sensei is that expanding how a person uses their phone is part of the next frontier. A cell phone is a very personal asset; look at how much customization folks do to their phones. Weight loss is just as personal and we believe that a cell phone is the best way for an individual to lose weight and better manage their lifestyle and real time choices. Bring on the iPhone, cell phones are changing the world!

- Tim

continue reading...

Sensei featured in Wall Street Journal

Today Sensei was featured in the Wall Street Journal article "don't 4get ur pills:Text Messaging for Health". The article discusses Sensei as part of the "emerging wave of technology that allows consumers to get instant health information through their cellphones".

We are all very excited about being featured here. Woo-hoo! Thanks for having us Wall Street Journal!

continue reading...

Battling the Holiday Bulge

If your family is anything like mine, they’re loosening their belts and complaining about how ‘stuffed’ they feel BEFORE they leave the dinner table! Why is it that holiday’s make people feel they have license to eat 10,000 calories in one meal? Well, maybe not 10,000, but it’s probably close!

With just a little effort, it can be easy to make the holidays special AND healthy! There are lots of ways to make traditional favorites a little healthier. Is pumpkin pie a must on the menu? Try this recipe for a healthier option, compliments of Meals.com. At 138 calories, 1.6 g fat and 1.5 g saturated fat (1/8 of the pie) you’ll save over 120 calories, 7 g fat and 3 g saturated fat! Your arteries and your waist line will thank you!

Lite 'n Easy Crustless Pumpkin Pie

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
2 Tbsp Water
2 envelopes Unflavored gelatin (7 grams each)
2 ¼ cups NESTLE® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk, divided
1 can LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin (15 oz)
½ cup Packed dark brown sugar (or low calorie sweetener equivalent)
2 tsp Pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:

COAT 9-inch deep-dish pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE water in medium bowl; sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes or until softened. Mixture may be firm. Bring 1 cup evaporated milk just to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly stir hot evaporated milk into gelatin. Stir in remaining evaporated milk, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract.

POUR mixture into prepared pie plate. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Garnish with (fat free) whipped topping and fresh berries, if desired.

Want other tips to keep from hating yourself the “morning after” the big meal? Try these, and remember…even with healthy foods, portion control is a must!

• Strain fat from meat drippings before making gravy to cut down on calories big time!
• Make mashed potatoes with skim milk and minimal fat. Add butter flavoring instead of real butter (find it in the spice & seasoning isle).
• Always serve vegetables plain. Let each person decide whether to add butter or salt.
• Put a fresh veggie tray out for snacking and use fat free dressing for dipping.
• Take a group walk after the meal. The dishes can wait; enjoy some time with family and friends!

- Renee

continue reading...

Signs Persuade Shoppers to Take The Stairs

Eureka! Life just got simple. See stairs, take them, lose weight. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry? Signs persuade shoppers to take the stairs says a recent article .

Maybe it’s just that we're so overprogrammed that people only see the part of the sign that says take the stairs and they do. Like the Beverly Hillbilly’s doorbell when Grandma used to say "What a coincidence, every time I hear that sound there’s visitors at the door".

How many times have you heard the story of the visitor to New York who saw a sign that said 'Stand Here' and soon there's a line of people behind him. Then why doesn’t the warning on cigarettes work? Or the one that says employees must wash hands before…?

Well, lets not look a gift horse in the mouth. Let’s print up a batch of signs that says 'Take the stairs, it’s