Cashew Addiction Explained

Assume there are 100 cashews here. Assume that's a portion.

 You can binge on anything. Once when I  told a client “you will not overeat on chicken” she swiftly corrected me, “I eat a whole chicken Lauren…well except for the insides and bones.” Interesting. And one night my younger son complained of a stomachache and said,  “I probably ate too many bananas after soccer.”  I asked my son how many assuming he had two or so, he said five. While these instances are rarities, cashew binging is extremely common. You are more likely to overeat (translation the whole package, regardless of its size) cashews that any other nut. You may not find that in a scientific journal but it’s the truth.

I saw 10 clients yesterday. Two reported cashew issues. Foodtrainers will turn 15 in November, I can’t believe it has taken me this long to conduct cashew research but I did and have a theory. Cashews are carby. I know that sounds as dumb as when people claim carrots are sugary. Cashews have four times the net carbs (carb grams minus fiber grams) of walnuts or pecans and more than double the carbs in almonds. Grace, our resident researcher, and I both poked around and she concluded; “only chestnuts have them beat”.  When I offered this explanation to one of my cashew challenged clients she said, “I think it’s the texture, think of how creamy cashew milk is.” She has a point. Cashews are the most widely used dairy alternative. So there are the carbs, the texture and there’s also a natural sweetness of cashews…shit.

Here’s where science tells a different story. On PubMed I read of a study finding that cashew extract improves insulin function and the “damaging effects of high blood sugar”.  So cashew extract has anti-diabetic properties whereas cashews (and cashew addiction) give you diabetes. Another interesting tidbit, you don’t see cashews in shells in stores because the shell of the cashew is poisonous. For this reason, cashews are heat treated before being shelled so; raw cashews are never really raw. And I’ll add that “raw” cashews are binged on too.

When we convened our office cashew conference, we formulated our addiction advice. We joked that we should all eat the shells as a deterrent but are not in the business of poisoning people. Carolyn voted to remove cashews from the Foodtrainers’ nutcase.

Betcha can't have 15...unless you have a nutcase

 Instead, we agreed to advocate cashews via nutcase only. That way, you avoid over-nutting (thanks Well and Good for the shout out). 

Are you a cashew addict? Or, what do you feel are the most bingeable foods?

You must read Slim By Design & Giveaway

Whenever I am asked food or nutrition books I recommend, Mindless Eating tops my list. So when I learned that Brian Wansink has a second book out, called Slim by Design I couldn’t wait to read it. That’s actually an understatement, I felt like a groupie who had to get their hands on that brand new album. The premise of this book and much of Wansink’s research is that our environment (think kitchens, offices etc.) influences the way we eat. From the opening lines of the book “becoming slim by design works better than trying to become slim by willpower. It’s easier to change your eating environment that to change your mind.” And the book is a page-turner (what, you don’t think that’s possible with a book about eating?) there’s humor and anecdotes, my family was making fun of me because I couldn’t put it down.

Some of my favorite lessons were:

• In buffet situations slim dinners scan all the options first, seat themselves as far away from the food as possible and do not face toward the food. Think about this the next time you’re in a cafeteria, food court or holiday (ahem) situation

• It’s probably not ideal to change too many things about your eating at once.  People most successful losing weight focused on a couple of changes but followed through on these at least 25 days a month. 

• Clear counter clutter, all food, except for fruit, should live behind closed doors. The most dangerous counter food? Cold cereal (which is also an LBT break up food).  If you haven’t broken up, you should know that women who have cold cereal visible in their kitchens weight 21 pounds more than those who do not.

• As far as the dinner table the only serving bowl that should strategically stay on the table is the salad bowl. The others should stay on the stove or counter top so access isn’t as easy.

 

• Wansink explains that the size of your dinner plates influence what you eat. The ideal size is 9 to 10 inches (or less). My son and I took a ruler to our plate, 11 inches. That night, we used salad plates for dinner. We had Indian food (my son who measured the plates joked that with a small plate he had much more of a mess) but I noticed there was more food left over.

• When you’re at the supermarket try the “half-cart” rule. Put your purse or jacket at the midline of the cart. One half of the cart should be produce and the other can be dry goods. And another trick, chewing gum short circuits cravings because we can’t imagine the “sensory details of crunchy chips or creamy ice cream.” I’m not a gum fan, wondering if a mint will work as well or if it’s the chewing action?

There are sections on cafeteria eating that I felt applied more to organizations than individuals but I could list a couple dozen other tips I jotted down while reading.

And the best news? Slim by Design has a signed copy of the book for one lucky reader.

To be eligible for the giveaway, by Sunday 11/16

Comment below

Tweet @Foodtrainers has a @slimbydesign #giveaway http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com/2014/11/you-must-read-slim-by-design-and.html

What are your favorite nutrition books? Are you familiar with Mindless eating? Anything except for fruit on your countertop?

Bite Size

Tuesday night, I went to an event at Organic Avenue. My friend Ashley Koff was hosting a seminar for her new book Mom Energy. Organic Avenue is on Suffolk Street on the lower East side of Manhattan. From where I live and work it’s the equivalent of getting to San Diego from Portland, Maine. Market Melissa and I decided the subway was best and that we’d meet on the 14^th street platform. The talk started at 6pm and so, at rush hour, the train was fairly crowded when I got on. I made a seat for myself between two people each greedily occupying 1.5 seats on either side. It strikes me as extremely selfish that people sprawl out while others don’t have seats but, undeterred,  I directed my tush at the yellow-orange colored half seat giving them the choice to move over or have me sit on them.

Seated and kindle-less, I looked around. Directly across from me sat two ladies talking. One of them had the most beautiful purse; it was woven with all different shades of brown, really unusual. As I contemplated the purse, the woman reached into it and took out a package of rice crackers. I couldn’t completely see but my guess would be Edward and Sons (gluten free!) black sesame rice crackers. The crackers are divided into compartments with maybe 15 rounds in each one. Purse lady, with rather large hands took the majority of one compartment in her hand. She offered the package to her friend who reached in with tweezer-like fingers extracting two black crackers.

There was something about this interaction that I couldn’t stop watching. First, I find a lot of public eating sort of revolting. I suppress my need to fully inhale when riding the subway and here these women were snacking away. I can’t help but thinking there are only certain places we should eat and the sidewalk, subway or drivers seat of a car don’t make my list. Purse lady disagreed. She popped her crackers whole into her mouth. Like the dolphins  with fish at SeaWorld they seemed to disappear without visible chewing.  Tweezer-fingers held her two crackers between her thumb and pointer finger. She was telling a story and every so often she would bring the cracker to her mouth biting off ¼ of the cracker max at a time. There was about one bite per stop on the train.  Purse-y started on the second compartment and once again passed the package to her friend who shook her head declining. I was staring to such an inappropriate extent I may have caused purse-y to unzip her gorgeous bag and put the crackers away. At Times Square they got off; my impromptu focus group about snack habits adjourned. A pack of mall chicks, with cheap purses, took the newly-vacant orange seats.

I could’ve mentioned earlier that Pursey was slightly rotund and Tweez, like her frail fingers, was petite but I don’t think that matters. I loved the slow, dainty way Tweez ate; however, there are many times I eat more like Pursey. Soon enough I was at my stop, I got off and found Melissa. At Organic Avenue (which I will tell you more about) we were greeted by Ashley and an array of juices.  I selected a shot glass sized cucumber juice and took little, slow sips just as I imagined Tweez would’ve.

What do you think about street or subway eating? Do you watch what and how people eat? And do you eat more like Pursey or Tweez?