March 2016 - Simply Samantha

Hey there! Ever heard of a nutritarian? Even though spellcheck doesn’t agree, it’s a word and a diet! A nutritarian’s goal is to eat the foods that are the most nutrient dense, or nutritious.

Nutrient density looks at the nutritional profile of a food item and the calories it contains. The higher the nutrient density, the healthier the food is. For example, 40 calories from a cup of kale and 40 calories from a cookie are not the same (sorry folks, a calorie is not just a calorie!). Kale will provide you with tons of vitamins, minerals and fiber in those 40 calories that the cookie lacks. Make sense?

Some of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet are green leafy vegetables. Can you guess why? They are super high in fiber and nutrients like vitamin C, K, A. And they also contain minerals like magnesium, iron and calcium and virtually no calories.

Kale and Thin Mints, an Unlikely Pair

Besides the green packaging, kale and thin mints don’t really have much in common.

1 cup of cooked kale has 36 calories and over 800% of the daily recommended value (RDV) of vitamin K, plus almost 100% of the RDV for vitamin C and A. 36 calories of kale also contains 5-10% of the RDV for calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, fiber, vit E and B6, B3 and B1. Not bad! 36 calories and a ton of nutrients!

In comparison, one thin mint girl scout cookie has 40 calories and 1.5% of the RDV for iron.

You can see from this example that the nutrient density of kale is way higher than that of a thin mint. But that’s a kinda obvious comparison. Even certain vegetables are more nutrient dense than others. Here’s a cool graph from the CDC rating 41 different vegetables in nutrient density (scroll to the bottom of the link to see the chart.). I also like Dr. Furman’s chart which you can see below. A rating of 1000 means you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Here you can see that leafy greens have the highest score and the most nutrients per calorie.

What’s the bottom line?

The point is, a calorie is not just a calorie, and the healthiest way to eat is to make sure that the calories you are taking in are from nutrient dense foods. Eating nutrient dense foods aids the process of losing weight and maintaining weight loss, lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. Fiber found in nutrient dense foods also helps keep the digestive system healthy, reducing your risk for certain kinds of cancer. And the truth is, all whole foods (meaning foods found in their original unprocessed form) are nutrient dense. So shop the periphery of the market where the nutrient dense whole foods live, and pick up some leafy greens while you’re at it!

Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutrient Density Index

Sample Nutrient/Calorie Density Scores
Kale	1000	Sunflower Seeds	64
Collard Greens	1000	Kidney Beans	64
Mustard Greens	1000	Green Peas	63
Watercress	1000	Cherries	55
Swiss Chard	895	Pineapple	54
Bok Choy	865	Apple	53
Spinach	707	Mango	53
Arugula	604	Peanut Butter	51
Romaine	510	Corn	45
Brussels Sprouts	490	Pistachio Nuts	37
Carrots	458	Oatmeal	36
Broccoli Rabe	455	Shrimp	36
Cabbage	434	Salmon	34
Broccoli	340	Eggs	31
Cauliflower	315	Milk, 1%	31
Bell Peppers	265	Walnuts	30
Asparagus	205	Bananas	30
Mushrooms	238	Whole Wheat Bread	30
Tomato	186	Almonds	28
Strawberries	182	Avocado	28
Sweet Potato	181	Brown Rice	28
Zucchini	164	White Potato	28
Artichoke	145	Low Fat Plain Yogurt	28
Blueberries	132	Cashews	27
Iceburg Lettuce	127	Chicken Breast	24
Grapes	119	Ground Beef, 85% lean	21
Pomegranates	119	Feta Cheese	20
Cantaloupe	118	White Bread	17
Onions	109	White Pasta	16
Flax Seeds	103	French Fries	12
Orange	98	Cheddar Cheese	11
Edamame	98	Apple Juice	11
Cucumber	87	Olive Oil	10
Tofu	82	Vanilla Ice Cream	9
Sesame Seeds	74	Corn Chips	7
Lentils	72	Cola	1
Peaches	65

Nutrient Scoring Method*
To determine the ANDI scores, an equal-calorie serving of each food was evaluated. The following nutrients were included in the evaluation: fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, vitamin A, beta carotene, alpha carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, choline, vitamin K, phytosterols, glucosinolates, angiogenesis inhibitors, organosulfides, aromatase inhibitors, resistant starch, resveratrol plus ORAC score. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a measure of the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of a food. For consistency, nutrient quantities were converted from their typical measurement conventions (mg, mcg, IU) to a percentage of their Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).

We all know sleep is important, but it wasn’t until this weekend that I got into the nitty gritty of why. I know that when I don’t sleep enough, I’m irritable, it’s difficult to focus, and it’s much easier to fall into a negative outlook. I think I’m not alone there. But, there’s tons of stuff that goes on in our bodies when we don’t get enough sleep that make it harder for us to stay healthy and feel good.

Our Hormones Go Out of Wack

There are these two great hormones, grehlin and leptin, that regulate our appetite. Grehlin tells us that we are hungry, while leptin signals that we’re full and controls satiety. When we don’t sleep enough, our grehlin levels elevate and leptin levels are reduced, making it harder for us to feel full and satisfied. One doctor I heard speak recently said that one night of sleep deprivation is the equivalent of ingesting an extra 540 calories. Talk about setting yourself up to fail!

We Go Into Fight or Flight

When we don’t get enough sleep, the part of our brains responsible for our rational and thoughtful behavior decreases it’s activity. This part our brain, the prefrontal cortex, also plays a major role in decision making and self-control.

And, to top it off, the amydala becomes more active when we don’t get enough sleep. I like to think of the amydala as a very primal part of the brain. The amydala detects threats (real or imaginary) and signals the fight or flight responses we are all so familiar with. We tense up, our heart rate increases… we’re stressed out. When we’re in this mindset we don’t make good decisions, and our bodies (especially digestion) don’t perform well.

So what’s the big deal? Being mindful about what and how we eat plays a huge part in our health, from food sensitivities to weight loss. When we don’t get enough sleep, the part of our mind that helps us regulate our behaviors gets short changed while the part of us that is more primal and reactive gets activated. You are literally setting your mind up to fail at whatever health goals you’ve set when you don’t get enough sleep.

You’re Tired

Maybe least scientific of them all, but still super important, is the fact that when you don’t sleep enough, you’re tired! Being tired makes everything more challenging, including getting to the grocery store, exercising (even if it’s just a walk around the block) and cooking. Who wants to cook when they haven’t had enough sleep? Sounds like nap time to me!

What do you think? Will you aim for some extra zzz’s tonight?