Let's Ask Stacey

Many of her friends, family, co-workers, and clients have asked Stacey Gretka, BSHN, BA, to create a Q&A forum to help them quickly access the answers to their (and their friends') burning health and wellness questions. Here it is...

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Is Air-Frying Healthy?

Meghan: Hey Stacey! Just wanted to hear your opinion and/or what you know about an Air Fryer?? I have a friend who loves fried food and would like to know if this is a smart/healthy alternative.

Stacey: So the way they work is by you coating the food with oil and then it blasts hot air over the surface of the food. Versus traditional frying which dunks the food in super hot oil. Either way, we know that food can only absorb up to 42g of fat, depending on how much water can be displaced (the more water content a food has, the more oil it can absorb), and the higher the temperature, the more water can be displaced. So, if she's pouring oil on the food before blasting it with hot air, and she can keep less than 14g (less than 2 Tbsp of oil) across the entire amount of food she's cooking, and then of course, consider proper portions (to where her portion only contains 2 tsp of oil, or 1/3 of the cooked food, she only needs to add 1 Fat exchange for "air frying"), we would initially expect no difference between this method and baking/roasting with olive oil drizzled over top. However, if she uses more than that, it can be assumed that the caloric results would be the same as or similar to deep frying. To take this a step further, we also know that by slow-cooking food at lower temperatures, less water is displaced, and therefore less oil is actually absorbed. By baking or roasting the food at a temperature lower than the air fryer, even if she used the same amount of oil (2 Tbsp) the food would not absorb it all, she could pat the excess oil off, and achieve a crisp without the extra fat.

Some other things to keep in mind:

1. Oils deteriorate at different temperatures. Using a "healthy" oil like olive oil under such high heat would be dangerous to her health in other ways, as the oil would reach its smoking point and release carcinogens into the food, even if there is little to no visible smoke coming out of the fryer. This is one of the reasons drizzling olive oil over food before putting it in the oven or on the grill drives me nuts. It's safest to use an oil that can handle higher heat, such as peanut oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.

2. The results from an air fryer are (according to the reviews I read) not much different than using the broiler setting on your oven - it's not the same as fried food, but you do get a pretty good crisp. Only with an oven you don't need to use oil, and what you do use may not get absorbed. I'm not sure what would happen if you didn't use oil in the air fryer...

3. For many people, the fried food is more about the batter - which consists of flour, egg, spices, and either more flour, or breadcrumbs. This is going to add a substantial number of calories. Leaving the skin on meats is also popular with frying and can also add to the caloric value of the food.

Might be beneficial to brainstorm some alternative recipes together with her to help target the true attraction to fried food, and combat the issue at its root, rather than trying to replicate the food entirely.

But, just to help you get started, here's an excerpt from cookingscienceguy.com:

"The recipe for easier French fries developed by Cook’s Illustrated calls for adding the raw potatoes to cold oil, and heating the oil over high heat for 25 minutes until the temperature of the oil reaches a little less than 280° F. The French fries cooked this way are just as golden brown on the outside, and creamy soft on the inside as the French fries cooked by the classical two-stage method. Laboratory analysis of the fat content of fries cooked by the two methods showed the fries cooked at the lower temperature, but 2.5 times longer, contained 30% less oil."

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Holy Tomatoes, Batman!

Seeing Red: Dear Stacey, what's an organic way to keep those pesky homeless snails (aka slugs) from destroying my tomato crop? Sincerely, Seeing Red.

Stacey: I suppose it depends on your definition of “organic” but the two methods that seem to work best for me are 1) burying a can or solo cup of beer (could be organic beer) that attracts the slugs, and they drown in pure happiness and 2) using Epsom salts (also known as magnesium sulfate) as a barrier around the base of the plants. This method also helps your tomato plants grow fuller, faster, and stronger. You will likely have to replace the beer and/or the salt every two weeks as both will lose their potency. 

Additional methods I use, but am not sure if I can proclaim them to be the be-all-end-all answer: I plant garlic bulbs between and around nearly everything. It does keep most garden pests away. I also let the toads live on: they are natural predators of those nasty sluggers. 

Here are some other suggestions that I’ve not tested myself, but hear have great results:

1. Add copper wire, pennies, or copper plant guards - they shock the slugs to death (yowch!)

2. Lay out a few planks for them to hide under, then dispose of them in the morning. The downside with this one is they usually hide after they’ve feasted.

3. Feed them! Sounds backwards, but if you leave out your scraps of their favorite foods (think highly acidic, like citrus), you can capture and dispose of them in the morning.

4. Use a vinegar or coffee-based spray - apparently this is a slug deterrent. 

and lastly number:

5. Human hair again. Only this time it works because the slime-balls get caught and strangle themselves in it. Bonus: as hair breaks down, it sort of “feeds” your plants, plus now you can clean out your hair brushes with purpose!

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Possible Versus Practical

Melissa: I keep seeing people in my newsfeed who say these pills they take once a day for 30 days have helped them lose 70+ lbs within a month. Is that possible?

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Budget Health Secrets

Angel: How does a household either on a budget or who live check to check manage to eat well or healthy enough so not to buy junk that is affordable?

Stacey:  This answer is a bit longer than my usual ones, but it’s worth it to read all the way through. My family of five (two adults, two children under 5, and 1 dog) eat on an average of $500 per month. This includes paper goods, dog food, and cleaning supplies as well as our food. We have an eating out budget of $100 per month, and rarely reach, let alone exceed, that amount. Saving money is important to us because we love to entertain. We want to be able to provide unforgettable hospitality to our friends and family without worrying about how we’re going to pay for it, and yet, obviously, good health is equally as important to me. It makes no sense to be able to feed my friends and family if we cannot enjoy their company with energy and enthusiasm. I offer you my tips, but depending on your situation, you may need a more intense “fix” – please feel free to reach out if you need me to expound upon any of these or if you need a customized plan to help you reach your health and financial goals. The real keys to healthy eating on a tighter or stricter budget are:

1) Planning – this allows you to eat only what you purchased (no extra, unplanned outings means no extra, or unexpected spending), and purchase only what you’re going to eat (rather than extras that will either go bad, or encourage unnecessary snacking). Try making a chart for the whole family, that indicates when and what they’ll be eating for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. If they’re over 7, they should participate in the planning process. The most important part of the planning process is execution. Stick to your plan at all costs. The consistency of doing so is what will save you big bucks in the long-run.

2) Prepping – making healthy foods easy to use means they’ll be less likely to go to waste, which means a) you won’t waste your money on spoiled produce, or buying new produce and b) you’ll be filling up on less expensive foods rather than pricey, pre-made snacks. Try washing and cutting peppers, carrots, celery and jicama in sticks and store in plastic containers in the fridge for up to one week. If you intend on having salad for lunch or dinner, wash, cut, and thoroughly dry salad greens (like spinach, mesclun, romaine, etc.) and store in a plastic container lined with paper towel for up to 5 days. Wipe out the excess moisture or condensation and remove any rotting or wilting leaves as soon as you see these signs.

3) Portions – pay attention to your (and your family member’s) portions. Some people eat 8 ounces of meat/poultry for dinner, when in reality each night they should only be having four (possibly five or six depending on the person). By recognizing proper portions, you can literally double, sometimes triple your money. Equally as impactful, by consuming the right amount of starches/grains, fruits, and dairy (not to mention snack foods), you’ll save a ton! To determine your specific needs, contact your local Health Educator. This always seems to be the big surprise for my clients: how much money they save simply by eating the amount their bodies actually need of the foods their bodies actually need.

4) Process your own – pre-processed foods are actually more expensive than their homemade counterparts, if a) you have the time to do it yourself and b) you have the proper tools and spices already on hand. When people buy all of the ingredients they need for one fancy meal or one go at homemade protein bars, they’ll definitely end up overspending and they’ll definitely believe the myth that healthy eating is more expensive. However, I can make a complete, homemade meal for under $2.00 per serving – you can’t even beat that with fast food. This comes from paying attention to sales, investing in great deals, and dividing/repackaging/freezing when appropriate. It also means setting aside a couple of hours each week for, you guessed it, planning, prepping, and portioning.  

I also strongly recommend the following:

1) Set a deadline and goal – Have a specific goal in mind: to save x amount of dollars by y date so that we can do z. A common example: save $1000 dollars by March so we can go on a beach vacation. (This one works well because in addition to having the money for a new swimsuit, you’ll have the body to rock it!). Another great goal: “save $500 by December so we can pay off our credit card.” Either way, the first step here is to look back at your bank statements (most online banking will have a summary by category) and determine how many dollars you need to cut back each month to reach your goal. For example, if you typically spend $1000 per month on groceries, and you want to save $1000. In ten month’s you’ll need to cut off $100 from your monthly grocery bill. Then set a realistic deadline for yourself.

2) Set reasonable expectations – Note that in the example above, I did not try and cut $500 from each month over two months. If you’re used to eating and living a certain way, it’s not reasonable to cut that budget in half. You must also consider: the number of eaters in your household, the ages of those eaters, the cost of living for your area, and your current schedule (if you have three vacations scheduled this month, you’ll need to consider that the eating out budget will likely be a bit higher). It is pretty reasonable to expect a 10% cut as do-able. 

3) Don’t forget to take advantage of subscription services – Many people get their toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, napkins, etc. from the grocery store, yet with a little math, you can determine your family’s needs for these items and commit to a subscription service which can save you up to 15% on these items. Amazon Subscribe and Save is a great option and you currently do not need a Prime Membership to utilize this service. We get our diapers, wipes, napkins, toilet paper, paper towels, and even Goldfish crackers from Amazon! 

4) Don’t be brand loyal for no reason – I get the commitment to brands you respect or believe in, but if it’s just for taste, or worse - for habit, this is sucking your wallet dry. For example, we believe that brand name paper towels are more effective than store brand (we actually use the store brand faster, and therefore end up spending less with the brand name), but for the most part, for example, Uncle Ben doesn’t have anything special in his rice that Food Lion doesn’t. For nearly a dollar difference per box, this sort of swap adds up very quickly. 

5) Be veggie savvy – certain veggies simply don’t last all week and if you can’t make a second dedicated trip (without stocking up on unnecessary extras), you’ll need to come up with another option: frozen or canned veggies (check for no added sodium). I love throwing frozen peas into pasta, canned carrots into smoothies, and frozen green beans (with a little lemon pepper seasoning) make a fantastic stand-alone side! 

For a more personalized consultation to help you and your family get a grip on spending and hold on your health, contact [email protected].

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Does “It Works” Work?

Helen:  This wrap thing that people are going crazy about. Like you wear it at night while you sleep and you loose belly fat by the morning (for the life of me, I can't think of the name of it). Is it really healthy/effective?

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Idle Hands...

Judy: Since I quit smoking I tend to eat everything that's not nailed down. What are some good snack choices?

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How many gardeners does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Andrea: How many apple seeds does it take to start an apple tree? Just one?

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Healthy, Dairy-Free Weight Gain

Stacey S:  What's a good way to gain weight without eating crap? And avoiding dairy because I feel like milk and Ice cream bother me sometimes. Ill have to try yogurt again.

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Look out: Triceps Kick-Back!

Jane: What is the best way to get those upper arms in shape as you age?

Stacey: The basic strategy is the same: combine proper nutrition with appropriate arm exercises. For most women, the actual area of concern is the tricep: i.e. the wings. Avoiding those flappy arms is certainly possible, but it does take a triple threat approach. Before making any changes to your diet, ensure that these suggestions are appropriate based on your current medical regiment - GO TALK TO YOUR DOC FIRST.

1) Stay properly hydrated: skin begins to sag when it loses elasticity. Most of us lose that ability to bounce back with age, but we definitely lose it faster if a) you've been a lifetime yo-yo dieter or b) you don't stay hydrated. Hydration does go beyond drinking water. You need to make sure that the water can actually get into your skin cells by encouraging your electrolytes to stay in balance with one another (reduce diuretics (unless otherwise directed by your physician), consume a balanced intake of sodium and potassium (2x the potassium as sodium), and drink enough water that your urine is only slightly colored.

2) Consume enough calories: so many people, women especially, restrict their caloric intake for the purpose of weight loss and forget that calories are simply a measure of energy! And that energy is needed to help your body build muscle, repair cells, and generate new healthy ones! Contact your Health Educator (I'm partial to the ones at Total Nutrition Technology) to find out how many calories you should be consuming.

3) Honker down on the right moves - Commit a certain amount of time a specific number of a days per week to arm exercises. Try 15 minutes every other day and give these a look-see: tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, dips, side plank, push-ups, tricep swings, lateral arm raises, and more. The real trick is picking a set of exercises or workout routine (like the guns, buns, and abs one on http://tntfitbits.blogspot.com) and sticking to it!

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Fad Diet Review

Laura: What are the pros and cons of specialty diets, like low carb, paleo, whole 30?

This information, and the rest of the article, originally appeared on http://tntfitbits.blogspot.com. 

I’m going to provide a quick review for you of several health and fitness products/programs so you can make an educated decision for your personal lifestyle. There’s one catch though: I’m reviewing these to help you find the one that will ensure you will never need to "diet”. Ever again. 

First, let me start by saying almost any diet will work for weight loss if you can stick to it. Almost any muscle building regimen will add the bulk you’re seeking if you can push through it. Almost any statin can lower your cholesterol if you want to keep taking it. But very few of the above options create a healthier body in the process of achievement, and even fewer allow you to maintain your newer body for life. So don’t mistake me, if you wish to find a quick fix that you’re planning on dumping money into time and again, most options will work for you, and this article isn’t really going to help you. If however, you are looking for a permanent solution to your health goals, read on, my friend.

Elimination Diets: Paleo/Whole-30/Wheat Belly

The Good: Eating as few processed foods as possible is always a good thing. Limiting the amount of pesticides, herbicides, added sweeteners, and the like are a big positive of the current trend of elimination diets.

The Bad: False advertising makes this type of eating a big no-no for those looking to lose weight, specifically. The Paleo and Whole-30 lifestyles are just that: Lifestyles. They were not created as a way for people to lose weight (although as that trend started the “creators” did not shy away from the added press). Read: Real vegetarians don’t just not eat meat, they also don’t carry leather hand bags. Anyway, a big downside here is that whenever you eliminate an entire food group from your consumption two things will happen: you will lose weight because of less calories (assuming you don’t replace those calories with something else) AND you will lose very important nutrients that can only be found in those groups. Elimination diets are healthy under the supervision of a doctor or nutritionist in attempts to determine an allergy or intolerance. Unfortunately, buying a Whole-30 book or joining a group of Paleo-ites does not qualify as supervision of a doctor.

The Ugly: Often, people try Elimination diets under the pretense of eliminating a food that “isn’t made for human consumption.” Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it) our bodies were designed to be incredibly adaptive. Many of us stop producing the enzymes needed to break down certain food molecules (and therefore use them as energy in our bodies) when we stop consuming certain foods. It’s the main reason that much of Earth’s population is lactose-intolerant. Breast milk, after all, is mainly lactose, so lactose-intolerance is nearly unheard of at birth. However, once we wean, many populations cannot afford dairy milk or lack the education regarding its benefits. That means that if you eliminate a food group, like grains for example, thinking that you might have a particular food intolerance, by the time you decide that you can’t keep up and/or you simply want to enjoy a holiday treat, your body actually cannot tolerate it! That means that following elimination diets without the proper support and timing can actually CAUSE intolerances. To worsen this problem, many people misinterpret their gassy indigestion at the reintroduction of that food as finally “discovering their problem” and “support systems” simply feed into this misconception by sharing their “success stories.”

Fad Diets: Fast Diet/Sacred Heart Diet/HCG Shots

The Good: Fad diets always work initially, and most work relatively quickly. And many of them have halfway decent research to back them up.

The Bad: They can be nearly impossible to stay with long enough to lose substantial amounts of weight, if that is your goal. People cite side-effects to include the likes of irritability, shakiness, fatigue, painful hunger, lack of satiety, binge eating, and more. To be straight-forward, those are the opposite of how you should feel when you’re finally achieving true healthfulness! A real healthy lifestyle gives you MORE energy and a feeling of satisfaction that many people cite as being emotional and mental as well as physical. At least that’s what my clients tell me on one of our programs!

The Ugly: Not only are most people unable to stick with a fad diet long enough to reach their goals, and often lose major nutrient stores in the process, almost all fad dieters become yo-yo dieters, i.e. you gain it back and then some. Some of these diets also mess with your hormones, making it, AT BEST, even harder for you to lose weight the next time around… again, they tend to foster dependence rather than true success. And let’s get real: are you honestly going to eat soup for the rest of your life? Now get out of the sheep mentality and try something that’s made to support you.

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Say YES to Sugar!

Courtney: Is it REALLY POSSIBLE to stop eating sugar?

Amy: I put my money on no as there is natural sugar is so many foods - I.E. fruit! But I believe you can eliminate sugar additives... go into detail about Stevia Stace! I would love to see this response too. grin emoticon

Stacey: Amy's right! Sugar is a funny word as its definition chemically is quite different from that socially. Are you meaning in general?

Courtney: I mean, is it really possible to stop eating processed sugar and still be happy? wink emoticon

Stacey: Ah yes, well, yes it is! But not right away... When your brain is wired to run with a certain amount of seratonin and dopamines (and other "happy" hormones), removing some will certainly cause an initial state of disarray. But the good news is that the "happy" hormones derived from refined sugars are quickly consumed, by replacing them with alternative happy precursors, you'll actually find a deeper sense of joy and happiness! Great alternatives are certainly natural sources of more complex carbohydrates: fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy, but other great alternatives involve proper sleep, exercise/activity, and creating positive memories with those you love and care for.

To make matters even more confusing, you knew it couldn't be that simple, food is so intricately tied into our memories that many foods cause us happiness, not simply from the chemical reaction, but from the emotional connection. If processed sugar has deep emotional roots for you, breaking free from it's "happy" chains will be much more involved and likely result in some tough times.

I suggest a slow, guided approach rather than a cold-turkey type. Reducing processed sugars in combination with increased healthy sources of energy will help the chemical side, while creating new positive memories and traditions that aren't heavily steeped in food will help you move forward from the emotional side.

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Nutrition and Hormone Balance

Ashlee: Can health influence your hormones and chemical balance causing things like depression? If so, how what can we do to help bring our bodies back in to balance?

Stacey: Absolutely! "Health" is a pretty broad word, and actually includes things like your hormone and chemical balance. If you mean does your nutrition and physical fitness play a factor, then the answer is still yes. There are a lot of ways to bring your body back into balance and how far from "center" you are will determine your best course of action. I can offer some basic options here, but for a fully customized plan that takes into consideration more intimate details of your lifestyle, existing conditions, and family history, let's schedule a one-on-one (email: [email protected]).

1) Talk to your doctor - this sounds cliche, but your naturopathic or medical doctor can help determine if there is a serious, underlying condition causing your hormonal imbalance. In some cases, medication is necessary to help keep you functioning, while you work on making healthy, lifestyle changes.

2) Eat every 3-4 hours. Because your heart, brain, lungs, and endocrine system all exist on a steady stream of energy, you must provide it. By skipping meals, you're causing your hormones to default to back-up systems to keep you alive. You stay alive (YAY!), but your back-up systems aren't efficient or ideal, and when a body is constantly using them, normal/standard systems become "creaky" from underuse and back-up systems become "tired" from overuse - eventually neither system works as it should, causing hormone imbalances, blockages, and misfires.

3) Unless you have specific allergies, incorporate a well-balanced intake of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. There are some traditions that point to the following foods to help support hormonal balance and mood regulation: asparagus, lentils, peas, salad greens, fatty fish, shellfish, bananas, potatoes, and poultry.

4) Keep in mind that some natural life processes cause hormone irregularities as your body attempts to return to normal: namely pregnancy. Your body was so used to making enough hormones to run your little baby's body. Once the baby's body is no longer supported by your own, your body now has to reconfigure and this takes time. Consider a tub filled with super hot water and you need to bring the temperature down. Even if you add nothing other than ice-cold water, you will have areas of intense heat for quite some time. These inconsistencies in "temperature" often express themselves as mood swings.

Hope this helps! Please feel free to submit a follow-up question or reach out for a one-on-one consultation!

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Michelle: Stacey, is this okay?

Stacey:  Having that much in there is not safe bc the fridge and freezer cannot maintain their necessary temperatures to avoid bacterial growth.

Michelle:  Really? Lol

Stacey:  Yep, the more that's in the fridge the more cold that's absorbed and the harder the fridge has to work. You'll notice there are temperature settings in your fridge, you’re supposed to turn it cooler (higher number, usually) the more stuff you put in, but it does have limits, and does require air circulation (there is obviously none here). The eggo waffles aren't even in the freezer...

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Fall Gardens & Human Hair?

Amy: Stacey, what can be grown in the fall/winter months? And tips/tricks?

Stacey: I have a couple links, but best and easiest thing right now is garlic!

Amy: Everything I found is garlic! LOL And you know we go through that like no other... haha. When do you start planting for Spring? The main things I want to grow is spinach, romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, errr... onions would be good. Let's see... what else do I throw in salads... STRAWBERRIES! and blackberries.

Stacey: Spinach and romaine can go in now for a late harvest, but they have to plants not seed. Onions also do great right now, you'd harvest in the spring. Cukes, blackberries and tomatoes can't go in until spring, after last frost. If you're starting from seed, you can plant the seeds indoors in little toilet paper rolls or seed starter pods in January. Strawberries do well in pots, so you can plant them now, and simply bring the pot indoors once we get night time frost.

Amy: How do you think these would all do in the garage? It gets cold in there, obviously, but it's closed.

Stacey: I wouldn't start the seeds in the garage bc they need warmth and direct sunlight. A window sill would be best. Maybe in the kitchen where the dogs don't get up on the counters? Your existing strawberries will live in the garage but probably not much production. Ferns do well in the garage over winter...

Amy: For some reason, Kaluha is a digger and has trained Pheonix to do that same. frown emoticon.

Stacey: have your tried sprinkling red pepper flakes?

Amy: It's the whole yard. I think we may have a mole.

Stacey: Find the hole, stuff human hair (like clean out one of your hair brushes) in the hole. Mole gone. Designate an area for garden by using brick or small garden fencing to create a border and then sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes all over the area but especially along the border. smile emoticon