Many of us have the privilege of a daily lunch “hour” to eat, run errands, check email, etc. If you are in an environment in which your lunch break is truly your own, how do you spend it?

If you do not do so already, have you thought about working out during your lunch hour? If there is a gym nearby, you could easily work out for 1/2 hour and shower before heading back to work. You could schedule your day so that you have a mid-morning snack about an hour before your work out, and then try to eat a lunch after you return from the gym. In a worst-case scenario, if you have a busy afternoon with no time for lunch after that workout, eat a meal replacement bar on your way back from the gym, but don’t make it a regular occurrence.

If you have a job like mine and do not have the ability to leave the work area (or not a lot of time for lunch), you could try to take a walk within your work day. Walk around the inside or the outside of your building. Walking briskly will burn calories but you may not get sweaty enough that you’d need a shower before heading back to work.

My coworker and I recently started taking a walk around our hospital campus–it takes us about 20-25 minutes, and it’s a 1.5 mile route on the sidewalks. We heat up our lunch after our walk and eat at our desks while we do some paperwork. Our boss doesn’t seem to mind, as our other coworkers are sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch and chatting about their lives.

If you are able to walk within (or outside) your work place, I recommend a partner–someone who will page or call you daily to say “hey, what time is good for you today to walk?”. It will help keep you accountable and help you stay motivated to get some exercise. Plus, you’ll get to know your coworker better and maybe build a new friendship as well!

Ok, so as a registered dietitian, you’re probably wondering why I’m writing a post about an oven. Well, it all ties in together doesn’t it (food -> nutrition -> cooking -> ovens!–they’re all related!).

I came across this Turbochef 30 inch Doublewall Speedcook oven in a magazine recently and was interested enough to write a post about it: it’s a two-part oven:

• The top part of the oven is what cooks the food “fast”. It can cook food 15 times faster than “normal cooking”. You can even air crisp and dehydrate foods in this part of the oven! There is a control button in which you tell it what the item is you’re cooking (for example, cookie dough that has been frozen), and it will tell you how long to cook it for.
• The bottom part is your conventional convection oven and is even Kosher approved for Sabbath (when you are not allowed to cook anything). You can also purchase a “single wall” option that does not have the bottom, convection oven.

One of the benefits of the Speedcook oven (besides the time saver!) is that it tells you when a product is 80% done so that you can make adjustments to the cooking time. However, it does not turn off after the product is done.

So how fast CAN you cook food in this speedcook oven?

You can cook a 12 pound turkey in the top part in 42 minutes and an apple pie in 16 minutes (info from the website) while cooking your stuffing in the bottom part. Imagine how easy Thanksgiving meals would be to cook!!!

How much does it cost?

Although you cannot get information on the website as to where to buy this oven or how much it costs, I did find info online that this oven can cost from $6000 to $8000! Too expensive for my kitchen, but it may be perfect for yours! If you’re a multi-millionaire.

This week, all across America, Nintendo Wii is launching the Wii Fit, a video game that is geared to help you do just that–get fit! The game comes with a Balance Board, which is used for all exercises. You can do Yoga, aerobic exercises, balance exercises, and games. Because the board is like a scale, you can find out your body mass index based on your height, and you can track weight changes and goals within the program. Sounds like a great idea!

As I have not yet had the fortune of trying out this program, you can read this article by Chris Kohler, who HAS tried the Wii Fit. His blog points out several items with the Wii Fit that I too am concerned about, namely that:

1. You get weighed every time you step on the balance board (before you use it each time)–if you use it every day, you will be weighed every day. As you know, it’s best NOT to weigh yourself daily because weight fluctuates with the amount of liquids you consume, whether you’ve had a bowel movement, etc.
2. From what I’m told, if you are already in shape, it is not a good replacement for other forms of exercise. Many people say they have not “worked up a sweat” using the program. Based on your initial fitness level, you may not find this program worth the money.

Who would benefit from the Wii Fit?

1. The overweight or inactive child (or adult) who already has a Wii and is looking to become more active.
2. The individual who is afraid or unable to work out outside the home (bad neighborhood that you wouldn’t want your kids outside?).
3. Someone who wants to have fun playing a game while working out.

Still, this game shouldn’t substitute for regular physical activity and exercise. I am sure that many of us would rather pick up a basketball and shoot hoops with friends, go for a bike ride/hike/run, or play a game of tag with friends than be inside playing a video game (even if it is a variant of an exercise program). But for those rainy days when you just want something different, the Wii Fit may be the game for you.

Of note, you should always talk with your health care provider before beginning any exercise regimen.

Recently, I discussed what Anorexia Nervosa is and what you can do if you suspect that someone you know is anorexic.

When you have kids, many people advise you to check out what websites they seek out and are frequently on. You might have blocks up so that they can’t go to certain websites. But do you check their Facebook and MySpace accounts? There ARE pro-anorexia groups on these sites that promote being thin (someone recently wrote that “thin is beautiful but even thinner is perfection” and “you can’t ever be too thin or too rich”). Check to see if your child belongs to these groups.

Since I don’t endorse these sites in the lease, I won’t give out their links as that would be giving them what they want (promotion). If you’re so inclined, and have an account at these sites, you can search them out yourself. Some to beware of include:

On Facebook:

• Get thin or die trying

On MySpace:

• Pro-Ana Nation
• Pro Extreme Dieting

What do you do if your child IS a member of these groups or has been going to pro-anorexia websites?

• Talk to him or her (yes, I said him because even boys and men are not immune to eating disorders).
• Talk to a health-care professional if you feel uncomfortable at first in order to know what to say.
• And try to get your child help–that is the most important thing! They may hate you at first, but it could save their life, and that is more important than how they feel about you today (just think about how many times we may have told our parents we hated them!).

Good luck!!

Contrary to what many people think, eating disorders are not just about food. Psychological, behavioral, and social issues may contribute to an eating disorder. Often times, when a person feels like they have no control over any other aspect of their life, they turn to something they CAN control: what they put into their bodies and how much they weigh.

One type of eating disorder is Anorexia Nervosa, which is a mental disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight. Individuals who have anorexia nervosa may avoid certain food groups and may exercise excessively to lose weight or keep from gaining weight. They usually have a distorted body image as well.

There are different types of Anorexia Nervosa: some people just restrict food and exercise excessively, some eat and throw up afterwards (purge), and some misuse laxatives and diuretics in order to lose weight. Whatever the type of anorexia, there are some serious health issues that may ensue if a person is anorexic for long enough.

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa include:

• Resistance to maintaining a body weight for height at or above normal for age (i.e., inability to maintain an appropriate BMI)
• Intense fear of gaining weight or thinking they are fat even when they are underweight
• A distorted body image (thinks he/she looks fat even when they are thin)
• If at menstruating age, does not have 3 or more menstrual cycles in a row.

Common signs to determine if someone you know has Anorexia Nervosa:

• Loss of a lot of weight
• Fear of fat, foods containing fat, and fat on their bodies
• Fear of food; food rituals (moving food around on their plate, excessive chewing, eating very slowly)
• Excessive exercise and the need to burn off calories “no matter what”
• Withdrawal from friends and usual activities
• Taking diet pills and/or laxatives
• Throwing up food after eating a meal (or at least going to the bathroom immediately after a meal)
• Calorie counting and excessive weight measurement

Health consequences of Anorexia Nervosa?

They include, but are not limited, to:

• Cardiovascular problems (slow heart rate, low blood pressure, and eventually heart failure and death)
• Neurological problems (thinking and memory problems, moodiness, irritability, fainting)
• Bone problems (osteopenia and osteoporosis, bone fractures, swollen joints)
• Kidney problems (kidney stones, kidney failure)
• Skin and hair problems (hair loss, dry skin, fine hair growth on all parts of the body, brittle nails, yellow skin (more so than normal), cold intolerance)
• Muscle problems (weak muscles, lack of muscle tone)
• Endocrine problems (lack of menstrual cycle, higher risk of post-partum depression, higher risk of miscarriage when trying to get pregnant, low-birth-weight infant)
• Gastrointestinal problems (constipation, dehydration)

Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, many people who develop an eating disorder do not realize the consequence of their actions, and as Anorexia Nervosa is a mental disorder, it take more than just getting them to gain weight to feel better about themselves.

A lot of the cause of an eating disorder is because of some traumatic event (for example, rape, violence, abuse), society’s distortion of a healthy body weight, family history of an eating disorder, need for perfection (unrealistic expectations may play a role), feelings of depression or inadequacy, and difficulty expressing emotions and feelings. It’s a complex disorder, and it takes more than one professional to help a person overcome this disorder.

What can you do if you suspect that you, or someone you know, has Anorexia Nervosa? The National Eating Disorders Association is a great resource to help guide you through a conversation if you suspect that someone you know has Anorexia Nervosa. Basically, it is important to talk with them about it in private, but you should not place blame or tell them to “just eat more”. As well, you should tell them that you care about them and want to help and you will not abandon them.

Getting Treatment

As Anorexia Nervosa is a complex disorder, treatment is somewhat complex. The person with Anorexia Nervosa should first see a psychologist, who will help them figure out the core reason they have developed an eating disorder. Their physician should also be involved, to make sure that their bodies are working properly and they have not developed any of the health problems mentioned above (and if they have, to help them find ways to treat those medical problems). As well, a registered dietitian should be involved to help the person feel good about food again and regain weight towards a healthy body weight (i.e., normal BMI).

Sometimes, a person may need to be hospitalized because of their medical problems (their heart may be too weak for example). As well, sometimes a person may need in-patient or out-patient psychotherapy with a group of individuals who are also seeking treatment. Most of the time, family is involved in these sessions. And remember, if you are a parent and your child has an eating disorder, and you are trying to seek help for them, they may hate you, but I’m sure it will only be temporary–what’s important is that you help your child, sibling, friend or other relative!

More Information

The National Women’s Health Information Center, part of the US Dept of Health and Human Services.

The National Eating Disorders Association Anorexia Nervosa page (see other links within their site for more information on treatment, etc).

National Institute of Mental Health, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Website (a division of the US Dept of Health and Human Services).