Food diary can help you eat less, better

A couple of years ago, 75 percent of Americans told pollsters they ate healthfully, even though 90 percent fail to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s little wonder that 70 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and don’t know how they got there!

If that’s you, keep a food diary. Writing down everything you put in your mouth will help you eat less and better.

That’s the conclusion of a study published in Obesity. The researchers acknowledge that most folks feel like keeping a food diary is onerous, but they show it isn’t and it works! Over six months, study participants who lost 10 percent of their body weight spent only 14.6 minutes a day recording the calories/fat, as well as the portion sizes and preparation methods. But don’t get too obsessed. It was the frequency of making notes that correlated with the greatest weight loss.

‘Phacts’ about phthalates Hormone-disrupting phthalates are a chemical in vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics and plastic clothes and equipment. But they’re also found in personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hairsprays and nail polishes), as well as plastic packaging film and sheets (hence, in food), inflatable toys, blood-storage containers, medical tubing and some children’s toys.

A recent study tracked the chemicals’ effect on

209 kids. First, researchers measured phthalate levels (and their metabolites) in the urine of women during late pregnancy. Then they sampled levels in their children at ages 3, 5 and 7. Finally, when the kids reached 11, they were given a standard test to assess their motor skills, such as manual dexterity and running speed and agility. The research showed the motor-skill-damaging effects of prenatal exposure to phthalates persists, especially in girls, and exposure to phthalates after birth was related to lower motor skills in boys. Motor skill deficiencies are associated with cognitive problems and emotional/social difficulties.

Smart steps: Read labels and ditch phthalate-containing products. Phthalates may be listed as BBP, DBP, DEHP, DEP, DIDP, DINP, DNHP and DNOP. Avoid plastics with the recycling number 3 and products with added fragrances. Buy fragrances and aromatherapy products made with only 100 percent essential oils.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@ sharecare.com.