Nutrition News by Charlyn Fargo

You can now blame your weight gain on your light bulbs, dinner plates and pantry, according to a new study in the Annual Reviews of Nutrition. It may sound crazy, but research finds that brighter lights increase stress, which can stimulate your appetite. But before you dim the lights too much, you should know that low lighting lessens inhibitions. The solution, according to Prevention Magazine, is to flip the lights on when cooking, but lower them to eat dinner.

When it comes to plate size, smaller is better. Studies have found that the bigger the plate, the more we eat. Since the 1970s, dinner plates have grown 25 percent — to 12 inches or more in diameters. Eat off a plate 2 inches smaller, and you'll serve yourself 22 percent fewer calories per meal. Consider using a salad plate to hold higher-calorie meats or pasta and then load your dinner plate with veggies.

As to the pantry, if it's packed, it may lead you to prepare more. Think about it this way: If you have four different types of cookies in the pantry, you're likely to try all four. The solution is to break big packages down into smaller or single-serve containers. And be careful what you put out on the counter. Seeing trigger foods can release the hormones that stimulate our appetite. It's best to put cookies in an opaque container or in a place that we have to reach to get them.

Put good-for-you snack foods — yogurt, cheese sticks, fruit cups — in a container at the front of the refrigerator. Prevention Magazine says if you chose a fruit cup instead of potato chips every day, you could drop 4 pounds in six months.

My mother always had a saying — "Out of sight, out of mind." It goes for sugary snacks as well. Make preparing and eating healthy food easier, and you're more likely to do it. Keep the cookies farther away, and you're less likely to reach for them instead of an orange.

And by all means, keep the dinner lights low.

Q and A

Q: How much weight does an overweight person have to lose in order to achieve any health benefit?

A: Even modest loss, without necessarily getting down to a weight targeted in healthy weight charts, can bring health benefits if you maintain that loss. Research consistently shows that a 5 percent to 7 percent weight loss — 10 to 14 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds — is enough to lower blood pressure, reduce risk of diabetes and substantially improve blood sugar and insulin levels in those who already have diabetes.

In the Diabetes Prevention Program study, small weight loss decreased risk of diabetes.

HDL ("good") cholesterol levels have been shown to increase, thus reducing heart disease risk, with losses of 15 to 30 pounds. In addition, overweight people generally report that even modest weight loss makes a difference in their breathing, joint pain and ability to get around.

So don't hold yourself back with overly ambitious goals: Target a few changes you need to reach a modest loss and then focus on maintaining that new weight. Then you can decide if you want to make further changes to go another step lower in weight, again focusing on maintaining whatever loss you achieve. — American Institute for Cancer Research

RECIPE

Cooking Light's Annual Recipes 2010 is full of recipes to help eat healthier. It's also filled with many tips — how to buy the best organics; how to get the most flavor from garlic; tips for portion control. Here is a recipe for a turkey meatloaf that includes added veggies for moisture and nutrition:

Spicy Turkey Meatloaf with Ketchup Topping

1 tablespoon butter

2 cups chopped onion

1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms

3 garlic cloves, chopped

3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/4 cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Cooking spray

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic to pan; cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cook 5 minutes. Combine mushroom mixture, panko and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well to combine. Shape turkey mixture in a 9-inch by 5-inch rectangle on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray.

Combine ketchup and remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Spread ketchup mixture evenly over top of meat loaf; bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 360 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 slices).

Per serving: 184 calories, 23.2 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 3.7 g fat, 69 mg cholesterol, 1.2 g fiber, 405 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian from Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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