Nutritionist Nicolette Pace stopped by the CBS 2 studios to talk about ways to jump start your child’s day the healthy way. Check out her latest “In The Kitchen” spot that discusses superfoods your kids will love, as well as an easy, delicious and healthy granola recipe that’s a yummy substitution for sugary cereal. Kid approved!

Be healthy! Be Happy!

Having trouble getting your kids to eat healthy?  When you package these superfood hits into a childs menu you can be sure its a surefire way of giving them the nutrients they need and show them great nutrition is just around the corner!

BASIL: This superfood packs in vitamins A, C and K, iron, potassium and calcium– kids can grow their own basil at home. toss it on pasta sauces or pizza! Its rich in plant chemicals, chlorophyll and other happy mood plant compounds.

COCOA: Add cocoa powder and honey to kefir for a healthy quick breakfast for kids who won’t sit still to eat a meal. Or a cup of hot cocoa (at least 70 percent pure cocoa) promotes oral health and helps to protect delicate skin from sun damage over time. You can also sprinkle cocoa powder on fruit, snacks and desserts for a healthy punch of flavor. Plant chemicals and antioxidants increase concentration and decrease inflammation!

BLACK BEANS: Adults aren’t the only ones who suffer from high cholesterol, they just get checked more often than kids. Black beans help kids keep cholesterol levels down and provide plenty of calcium and protein to boot. Make a tasty black bean dip with some fresh veggies for a fun snack.

CINNAMON: This superfood is great sprinkled on breakfast foods. it regulates blood sugar, which will keep energy from crashing after breakfast in the middle of a school day, tastes great and is so easy to use. Its natural sweetness is a plus and goes with so many foods and beverages! 

AVOCADO: Avocados are full of good fat. Kids need a daily diet of 30% monosaturated fat and a little avocado a day provides more than enough. Use it like ordinary mayo for a  great mix-in to creamy dips and sauces or sliced fresh for an afternoon snack.  Guacamole is a no brainer for kids!

TOMATO: Here’s a switch, a tomato a day can keep cancer away. That’s right, the plant verision of vitamin A can best fight off all kinds of stressors and the potassium they contain helps to boost energy and stabilize hydration. In season tomatoes are amazing with basil and olive oil or lightly sautee for a very tasty sauce for pasta, fish or veggies!

FRUIT: A sweet spot you don’t want to ignore, kids have a natural liking for fruit and its energy boosting plus. Encouraging eating fruit curbs drinking sugary beverages and snacks.  Go for seasonal fun and plan a harvesting trip to a local orchards or bring your kiddies to the local green grocers to pick out what they want. A variety of colors provides kids with essential vitamins and minerals they need to grow and fiber to keep their bodies healthy. Introduce your kids to a daily fruit plate at a young age and they will probably continue the habit into adulthood.

SWEET POTATOES: These orange tubers are high in Vitamin A which helps kids develop healthy vision and eyes. And they’re delicious roasted, mashed or baked. For an amazing  marshmallow flavor,  use vanilla extract and honey for a not to be missed sweet treat.

FLAXSEED: Flaxseed is bursting with Omega-3 fatty acids that little guys need to grow their brains to their full potential. Buy it ground and sprinkle it over their cereal or add 1/4 cup to their favorite baked-good recipe. They’ll get better nutrition without even knowing it.

OATMEAL: Kids who start their day with oatmeal concentrate better in school all day. oatmeal breaks down slowly to give continual bursts of energy over a long period of time. Add honey, nuts or chocolate chips to make it more kid-friendly, for a great way to use oatmeal be sure to check out the recipe section for a granola receipe the whole family will love.

Are you in a bad mood?  You’re not alone! Listen in as Fox News Radio personality Alan Colmes gets advice from Nicolette Pace on how food can alter your mood.

This hot topic is in the news!  If you feel like it’s time to get some weight off or are frustrated that watching what you eat isn’t cutting it, then plunging into a program that promises to deliver may seem like the solution.   But what you may not realize is how these four popular fad diets work and what you should be aware of before you take a step you may regret.

1- Fork diet:

Pros:  Ever wondered how French people stay thin? Are you looking for a way to stop evening food binges and overeating? Maybe the Fork Diet is for you. By switching your heavier meal to earlier in the day this can give you a better opportunity to burn off calories. It is also easier on your digestion and metabolism, as eating just before bed can lead to weight gain. By only using a fork to eat your dinner, this can help you to slow down rapid eating.

 Cons: Unfortunately, just targeting dinner is not enough to really make this diet a success. Forking your dinner meal and eating only fish, vegetables, brown grains every night, can get played out fast. This can lead to a return to old habits and food choices. Even though the diet gives advice on lowering fat and sugar, the menu choices for the other two meals and snacks include frequent use of   goodies and other high calorie foods which may get in the way of weight loss.

Who are good candidates: This diet can be good for people who want to change their eating pattern of evening overeating. Lightening up the dinner meal makes sense! So does using utensils to eat instead of your fingers that is associated with food choices that are dense in calories like street foods or snacks. Behavior modification changes can help iron out eating swings where you may miss daytime meals and make up for it at night.

2- Paleo diet:

Pros: Ever wonder how a caveman ate?  This “back to your roots” diet offers suggestions on foods which may have been part of our diet over 1 million years ago. Returning to a whole-foods, seasonal, plant based diet is great as we try to turn the clock back for our high use of processed, convenience foods. You will naturally cut your use of salt, sugar, preservatives and other additives that are not good for your health.  Ramping up your nutrients and fiber is a natural way to sense fullness and control your appetite with less, so it’s a good thing for weight control.

Cons: The diet downside involves the use of absolute restrictions that contradict science and anthropologic evidence on the history of our diet. High selectivity and speculations on what should be eaten or excluded turn this diet into more of a ritualistic philosophy. This may promote disordered eating for some people who are prone and lead to an obsession. Some versions (Raw food, Macrobiotic, Warrior) may ignore entire food groups, present elaborate rules for meal timing and spacing which may compromise nutrients or ignore individual lifestyles.

Who can benefit: We can all benefit from borrowing elements of the Paleo diet and weave it into your daily food choices. Using more plant foods and less processed foods is especially helpful for people who have been eating a lot of convenience, prepared foods with little use of fruits and vegetables. This can help you to improve appetite control and control cravings.

3- Hollywood Liquid Detox Diet:

Pros: If you are wondering what high profile celebrities may do to get camera ready for a big event, then a liquid Hollywood diet offers some advice on what a juice cleanse may be about.  Taking it easy with food for a day or two is a good idea to help your system recover from overindulging and to get back on track (think holiday eating). This liquid diet leads you urinate more so you will feel less bloated.  It also can give your stomach a rest from stretching too much with large meals. This can help you recognize fullness with less.

Cons: Forget the hype and know that following this diet for more than one or two days can be dangerous. If you are looking to lose weight you will be disappointed as this diet causes water loss not fat. If you do it for a longer time you will disrupt your body composition by losing precious muscle. This leads to a lower metabolism and greater body fat.

Who can Benefit:  Some people can benefit from a brief period of taking in soups or juices to help recover from a digestive illness or to put the brakes on overindulgences after a party night. It’s a quick turnaround as you alleviate bloating and calm your taste buds down from eating too much fat, sugar and salt.

4- Magic Supplement Diet:

Pros: Are you anxious to get weight loss results in a short time?  Cutting calories by 50-70% of what you normally eat will get weight off fast. Many of diet supplements on the market slam you right into diet mode by as you hope to get immediate and motivating results.  Today’s popular preps promise to improve your metabolism so weight loss is almost effortless. Many of the supplements offer examples of what foods to eat and give you menu suggestions which can encourage better overall food choices to stabilize your appetite.

Cons:  Diet supplements can cause a variety of problems for many people.  Scientific evidence may be unraveling a potential mild benefit for some like the Raspberry Ketone, Green tea or Green coffee extract but the findings are not proven and the use of these products has not been standardized for use.   For others, using them is controversial and potentially harmful especially for people with underlying health concerns that accompany weight problems.  All in all, using weight loss supplements ignores a critical and necessary step which involves a clinical evaluation before going on a calorie restricted diet and the counseling that is needed to help you succeed.

Who can benefit: Extreme calorie restrictions are reserved for significantly overweight persons who have already been evaluated by a certified health professional. Implementing a safe weight loss diet is more than avoiding certain foods and taking a pill.  If you are looking to improve your weight and generate longer lasting benefits then seek out those who specialize in evaluating your medical history, your weight, your diet and lifestyle for great start to a new you!

For another take and more information on these fad diets, check out my article in the Feb/March 2013 issue of Miabella Magazine. It’s important to remember that these popular diets entice you with promises and can offer some benefits but they may not be the best way to help you in the long run.

Eat Healthy! Be Happy!

Nicolette M. Pace

I recently appeared on NBC’s Daytime show to talk about some very popular fad diets. Watch the clip below to get the real scoop on how they really work and if they are right for you!

Eat Healthy!  Be Happy! Nicolette M. Pace

This morning I was up bright and early to appear on CBS’s Live from the Couch to discuss five vitamin supplements to think twice about. Watch as I discuss  how taking too many nutrients can disrupt the balance of your body. You’ll be surprised to learn that all of the key nutrients and vitamins you need are found in delicious foods that can easily be incorporated into your daily diet.

Eat Healthy!  Be Happy! Nicolette M. Pace

Check out my recent segment on CBS New York where I discuss how to avoid bad mood foods. You’ll be surprised what foods can cause irritability, anxiety and even aggression!

Eat Healthy!  Be Happy!

Nicolette M. Pace

If you’re in a bad mood can you blame the food?

Yes it’s true, growing research over the last two decades has linked food and nutrition to anger and aggression. While these findings are controversial they have also paved the way for new and promising ways to help us temper our tongues, reverse our rage, and calm the savage beast within all of us.

Make no mistake, this concept has rarely discussed openly until recently. This news should not highlight and build a “Twinkie defense” or foster lack of ownership in how we behave. Rather, it is another piece of a puzzle that explores anti-social behavior which is more commonly attributed to either genetics, the influence of disease, trauma or psychosocial factors.

Many have received traditional treatments that involve medications and therapy but have rarely been exposed to how food can help improve symptoms of anger.

Take a close look at your diet to keep these mood busting foods in check and curtail your consumption for a complete mood make-over and get one step closer to health and happiness!

SUGAR OVERLOAD: if you are eating more than 10% of your calories from sweets routinely, you may have become very sensitive to the effects of a high sugar diet.  That means if you need 2000 calories a day to maintain your weight than no more than 50g should be coming from sugar. Note, one soda contains almost 40 grams!   Sugar dependency is real and promotes cravings for more as well as from comforting starchy carbs which disrupt your metabolism and mood.

Consequence: Look forward to reactive low blood sugar with feelings of irritability, restlessness, frustration and low energy. Cravings for sugar and starchy foods will kick in. You may grab them to help you feel better but unfortunately the effects are short lasting, lead to weight gain, further sugar metabolism problems and more discomfort.

FAT SABOTAGE: Excessive fat intake is easy unless you put some thought into planning meal choices.  A fast food diet will deliver lots of unhealthy fat that can impact your mood in a big way. Watch out for how frequently you eat fried foods and burgers, watch choices at take out and other restaurant chains. These venues are known to have menu items that may contain trans fats or other fats which have been associated with aggression.  Common offenders include a variety of laden appetizers and snacks, loaded salads, dressings, desserts and cocktails.

Consequence:  Brain neurons need a balance between healthy fats and omega 3 for proper development and functioning. This is a critical step for growing brains where neuro-development continues through age 21.  After that and throughout adulthood, a diet that contains unhealthy fats will promote inflammation, attack nerve cells and disrupt communications between cells. Over time this can impact memory, performance, enjoyment and coping with stress.

NUTRIENT KNOCK-OUT:  Super calorie laden processed foods wipe out nutrients in two ways. One is by diminishing the value of the food by super saturating it in calories. This may mean you need to eat 2-4 times the serving size (also 2-4 x the calories) in order to hit the nutrient mark. The other way leaches nutrients from processing methods. Nutrient losses from fresh whole food sources can occur from mechanical mixing, heating and squeezing the food into preformed perfect shapes.This increases toxic by-products and impacts the way your brain functions.

Consequence: Less than optimum levels of key vitamins and minerals have been found in persons with anger, aggression, depression, violence and even suicide.  Additionally, acting impulsively and being overly sensitive to criticism have also been noted. These “sub-clinical” vitamin and mineral deficiencies were related to vitamin C, some B vitamins (thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid and B6) plus iron, magnesium and manganese.

DIRTY FOODS: Processed foods are warehouses for additives that may not be the best for you or your mood.  Take hard look at the food label to key into whether you are eating a dirty food.  Check out foods that come in a box or bottle, contain 5 or more ingredients or have words that are hard to pronounce, chances are that it may be a dirty food.

Consequence: Foods sensitivities are real and researchers have discovered that they may be capable of producing aggression. This is linked to various food additives that include artificial colors, preservatives and flavoring agents. These additives have been implicated independently with childhood hyperactivity, not only for those with food allergies or ADHD.

Eat Healthy!  Be Happy!

Nicolette M. Pace

Still feeling tired after getting a decent night’s sleep?  You might think that your stressful lifestyle is to blame but what may surprise you is that many foods we commonly reach for can make the problem worse. Check out my recent appearance on CBS New York where I gave the 411 on which foods actually help to reverse fatigue and give you a real energy boost!

Make these simple changes in your diet to deliver real energy and fight fatigue!

SWITCH to SUPER CARBS:   There’s no disputing how satisfying starchy carbs like bagels, rice and pasta can be when you are stressed and looking for some comfort food. Unfortunately though, these foods are hard to control when you are tired and hungry and lead to more problems with energy crashes and weight gain.

Instead, switch out starch with superfood-carbs! Try quinoa and buckwheat which are not only satisfying but are complete plant sources of protein, rich in antioxidants, bio-available minerals and fiber which give you a slow-carb energy stream with real staying power to fight fatigue and replete your body with nutrients.

The SECRET to CITRUS:  What’s better than sunshine to greet the day and boost our feel good hormones?  Look to choosing sunny citrus which is packed with natural fructose energy, vitamin C, flavinoids, and pectin fiber which helps you utilize the plant sugars slowly and healthfully over straight sweets like candy, soda and other sweets.

Citrus and pineapple also pack goodies for your metabolism that can temper appetite (synephrine), encourage fat burning (narigenin), calm down inflammation (limonene) and boost norepinephrine a brain chemical that will rev you up.

POWER-UP with PROTEIN:  Get the skinny on lean protein for energy and fatigue fighting. Protein delivers on mental alertness, controls appetite and helps to regulate metabolism.

Lean red meat, poultry and fish contains needed trace minerals like iron and zinc which are absolutes for making sure your cells can make the energy it needs, complete amino acids to make energy balancing hormones and to improve focus and mental clarity.

KICK DOWN CAFFEINE: Quick caffeine jolts may seem like an easy way to combat fatigue but it works against natural energy reserves and will wear you down in the long run. Overloading with caffeine will lead to more fatigue, irritability and dependency.  Try reducing your overall intake and swapping out mega caffeine doses and energy drinks for other healthy energy boosters.

Shoot for lower dose caffeine shots and alternates that also contain nutrients.  Try green tea with antioxidants and catechins, yerba mate with theophylline and theobromine a mild stimulant or panax ginseng that contains terpenes a whole body therapeutic stimulant.

WHOLE FOOD THERAPY: Finally, there’s no energy shortage in sight when you build your meals with a whole food diet.

Look to natural energy in sweet potatoes, berries, mushrooms, leeks, nuts and other veggies, and dark chocolate. These foods boost your energy with plant sugars, control the release due to fiber and also dose you with vitamins, minerals and plant chemicals to correct a low nutrient diet, boost your overall energy level and fight fatigue once and for all!

Watch me discuss this topic on CBS Philly, too.

Eat Healthy!  Be Happy!

Nicolette M. Pace

Forget multiple trips to the pharmacy this winter to fight colds! Reach into your pantry to create a delicious dish packed full of ingredients to help fight nasty colds and flus. Nutritionist Nicolette Pace was back on CBS 2′s In the Kitchen this morning to make a stirfry dish packed full of ingredients high in vitamin C and have cold/immune system enhancing properties! Get the recipe here or watch the video above to learn how to make this yummy and immune-healthy meal.