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Health Coach Q & A
What links should I know about?
Lark is here to help!
Lark Customer Support!
https://support.lark.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
Facebook page for DPP
https://www.facebook.com/groups/larkdpp
Lark blog
Lark recipes
https://www.lark.com/resource-type/recipe
Email a Lark coach with questions or to make an appointment
Myplate meal planner
Access the Colorful Eating worksheet
https://www.lark.com/resources/colorful-diet-worksheet---eat-the-rainbow-with-lark
I'm 75 and want to learn about my potential need for probiotics.
That’s a great question. Gut health is critical! Probiotics are healthy bacteria that live in the gut and support our gut microbiomes, or community of bacteria that live in the digestive tract.
As we age, the gut microbiome becomes less diverse. That can cause poor digestion or trouble with immune function. Probiotics can potentially help by increasing the diversity of the gut microbiome.
Still, not everyone benefits from probiotic supplements. It’s best to talk to your doctor about potential benefits and whether you should consider them. If you should, work with your doctor to decide which supplement you should take.
As an alternative, consider natural sources of probiotics like yogurt with live cultures, kefir, kimchi, and miso.
Does peeling apples affect their nutritional value?
Peeling apples affects nutritional value. The peel contains more than half of the antioxidants in an apple. Still, if it’s a choice between a peeled apple and no apple, eat a peeled apple! You’ll still benefit!
Does eggplant still provide benefits peeled?
A peeled eggplant still has benefits. The flesh has fiber (though less concentrated than in the peel) as well as nutrients like potassium and certain B vitamins. The peel has antioxidants like nasunin, so peeling an eggplant removes some of that. However, eating a peeled eggplant is healthier than not eating eggplant at all!
My A1c is high, will the sugars in berries and other fruits increase my blood sugar?
Sugars from any source can increase your blood sugar, and that’s true for fruit, but there’s a lot you can do to prevent A1C from increasing.
- Manage weight. Weight gain usually increases A1C, and weight loss usually decreases it
- Watch portions. Keep fruit portions to ½-1 cup at a time
- Consider carbohydrates. Fruit counts as a carbohydrate, so limit other sources of carbohydrates like grains and starchy vegetables when you’re having fruit at a meal
- Have protein and healthy fat with fruit. For example, have berries with cottage cheese or yogurt, or sprinkle nuts or peanuts on them
How much of each color do you need per day?
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide these recommendations for someone on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Red and orange vegetables: 5 ½ cup-equivalents per week
- Dark green vegetables: 1 ½ cup-equivalents per week
- Beans, peas, and lentils: 1 ½ cup-equivalents per week
- Starchy vegetables: 5 cup-equivalents per week
- Other vegetables: 4 cup-equivalents per week
- Fruit: 2 cup-equivalents per day
What nutrients are in dark chocolate?
Great question! Dark chocolate is definitely a source of antioxidants and essential nutrients. Here are some highlights for 1 ounce of 80% dark chocolate.
- Calories: 170
- Fat: 14 grams
- Carbohydrates: 13 grams
- Sugars: 6 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Iron: 3.5 mg (20% of the daily value)
- Magnesium: 65 mg (15% of the daily value)
- Copper 0.5 mg (50% of the daily value)
- Manganese 0.5 mg (25% of the daily value)
A lower percent of chocolate has more sugar and less nutritional value.
Dark chocolate also has antioxidants, especially flavanols. They can support heart health.
Keep in mind that foods with chocolate in them, like brownies, chocolate ice cream, candy bars, and chocolate muffins, have ingredients like sugar, flour, and butter or oil. They’re calorie dense and lower in nutrients compared to dark chocolate.
I eat saltine crackers with avocado every day. I seem to be gaining weight instead of losing it. What other bread/cracker should I eat my avocado with?
That’s a great question! It is certainly frustrating to gain weight when you expect to lose weight.
The key points here may be:
- Check overall calories (not just from avocado and crackers). It’s likely that your other foods are also contributing to weight gain.
- Watch portion sizes and calories from avocado and crackers. These are calorie-dense foods, and it’s easy to eat a lot of calories from them.
- Consider a whole-grain option like whole-grain saltines, whole-grain bread or toast, or whole-grain English muffin instead of refined saltines. It’s more filling.
First, let’s look at why you’re gaining weight. It’s likely because you’re taking in more calories than you’re burning. Many of those calories are probably coming from foods besides your avocado. Whatever you’re eating the rest of the day counts, too!
With regards to the avocado and crackers, it can be high in calories. If you’re having a half of a medium avocado and 10 saltines, that can be 270 calories. That’s a reasonable amount of calories, but it may not be very filling. That’s because you’d only be getting about 4 ounces of food.
If you’re having a whole avocado and 20 crackers, that can be 540 calories.
In contrast, you might consider having a smaller serving of avocado or another healthy fat and whole-grain crackers or another whole grain, and adding some low-calorie foods to fill up. For example, here are four meals that each have 350 calories and may keep you full for a longer time because they are higher in volume, protein, and vegetables or fruit.
- Option 1: ½ avocado, ½ whole-grain English muffin, ½ cup of cooked winter squash, 1 low-fat string cheese stick
- Option 2: 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, ⅔ cup of oatmeal (or 1 packet of plain oatmeal), ¾ cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt, and ¾ cup of blueberries
- Option 3: ½ avocado, 10 whole-grain saltine crackers, 1 cup of baby carrots, 1 hard-boiled egg
- Option 4: 1 scrambled egg with ½ cup of beans and 1 cup of spinach and tomato, ½ avocado
In a balanced meal, is there a chart or guide for something like that? For example, use X amount of grams of meat, grams in green, and grams in yellow, and etc.
That’s a great question!
We like to use the Plate Method because it’s simple and easy.
- Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables like salad, or cooked or raw vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, roasted broccoli, steamed green beans, grilled peppers, etc.
- Fill ¼ of your plate with lean protein like egg whites, fish, beans, skinless chicken, tofu, or reduced-fat dairy like low-fat cottage cheese or cheese or non-fat yogurt
- Fill ¼ of your plate with a high-fiber carbohydrate like fruit, a starchy vegetable like corn, peas, sweet potato, or winter squash
- Sometimes add a small amount of healthy fat like 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette or 2 teaspoons of olive oil used in cooking
Here's more information about the Plate Method.
If you prefer a chart, here’s one you can use. You’ll need to adjust portions to meet your own needs and goals.
Any tips on what foods to eat during menopause that can help relieve symptoms?
Great question! What you eat can certainly influence symptoms. Here are some nutritious foods to consider.
- Phytoestrogens like soy or tofu, flaxseed, and legumes, or beans, peas, and lentils
- Foods with calcium and vitamin D, like leafy greens, low-fat dairy products like low-fat cheese and plain non-fat yogurt, and fatty fish like salmon, especially when canned with bones
- Sources of healthy fat like fatty fish, walnuts and other nuts, peanuts, and chia seeds
- High-fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains like oatmeal and whole-wheat pasta
Staying well hydrated can also help reduce bloating. Water is a great option.
It’s also good to consider your other habits, including reducing foods that can trigger symptoms and leading a healthy lifestyle.
- Limiting foods high in added sugars like sweets, candies, desserts, and processed sweetened foods, and limiting fried foods, fatty red meats, and processed meats
- Being physically active regularly
- Getting plenty of sleep and practicing good sleep hygiene like having a consistent bedtime and bedtime routine, and sleeping in a comfortable, dark, quiet environment
- Managing stress with practices like socializing, doing things you enjoy, and practicing techniques like meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or visualization
- Managing weight
Remember that it’s best to talk to your doctor before making major dietary changes and about any symptoms you’re experiencing.
Also as part of eating plant-based my A1C increased. My doctor attributed it to bananas, pineapple and baked potatoes. I was eating baked potatoes to feel full. Do you have a recommendation that is filling that will not impact blood sugar? Note I am not a tofu fan.
Sorry your A1C increased, but there are some ways you can address this with more filling foods that won’t have this effect.
Foods like bananas, bananas, and baked potatoes are largely carbohydrates and they have a high glycemic index. They can easily spike blood sugar, especially if you have them without a source of protein. Over the long term, they can raise A1C, especially if you are eating them in larger quantities.
Consider some of these tips.
- Try lower-glycemic fruits like apples, pears, and oranges instead of pineapple
- Try lower-glycemic, more filling vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin instead of potatoes
- Watch portion sizes of foods with carbohydrates
- Include a source of protein and/or healthy fat when you have a high-carbohydrate food. For example, have half a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter, or some peach slices and cottage cheese, or sweet potato with black beans or plain yogurt
- Consider options like oatmeal with pumpkin puree and cinnamon, yogurt with berries, or fat-free refried beans or black beans with low-fat cheese instead
