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Scott Webb (Host): As more and more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, we are all starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But until we get there, the pandemic wears on. And this requires that we all stay vigilant about face coverings, distancing and washing our hands. We also need to eat healthy and look for strategies to cut down our trips to the grocery store. And joining me for a second time today, is Sarah Housman. She's a Registered Dietician at SVMH and just like last time, she's got some great suggestions for staying mentally and physically well until every one of us can get the vaccine. This is Ask the Experts, a podcast from Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. I'm Scott Webb.

Sarah, we chatted back in March just as the pandemic was getting underway and you were going into lockdown mode. So, back then, you provided us with some great ideas for eating healthy and provided great advice on how to effectively and strategically shop for groceries during the pandemic. And, you know, sadly, we are still experiencing the pandemic and there are some people who claim that they've gained a few pounds, others call it the COVID 10 or COVID 15, maybe COVID more than that. So, Sarah, what's a good strategy for starting the new year on the right health path, if you will, especially during the pandemic.

Sara Housman, MPH, RD (Guest): Well, I think the first thing we need to acknowledge is that this has not been a normal year. And so here in this area, we've had three fires. We've still had the pandemic. People have lost loved ones. They've lost their home. They've lost their jobs. I think that we need to start off the year with some kindness for ourselves. And I think the number one goal for last year for a lot of people and still for this year is to just survive. So, if you're hearing this and you've done that, I think you need to start off by giving yourself a pat on the back and you know, give yourself a good job. I think, just in general, for being on the right health path in this time, I think treating yourself with a lot of kindness and starting with some small goals and allow yourself to feel some successes. I think one of the number one things that I keep hearing is just this overall sense of hopelessness and that this is just dragging on.

And so, I think giving ourselves some small little successes. So, adding maybe just five minutes of exercise a day, which doesn't sound like very much, but it's really hard to argue with like, oh, I can't do five minutes of strength training. Maybe it's something like, I just want to try to eat fruit at breakfast time. Or I just want to listen to my hunger. What we know is that, you know, this chronic stress, which I think we can say that a year of all of those things at this point, this is kind of chronic stress; interferes with our ability to listen to our bodies and our hormones start to tell us that we need to store food and we're looking for those comfort foods. So, I think treating yourself with some kindness and looking for ways that are self-care that can relate to good nutrition and exercise.

Host: So, let's talk about healthy food versus non-healthy food, organic, vegan, plant-based diets. What recommendations do you have?

Sara: As much as you're able, eating healthy foods. I think, you know, the problem is that we're in this stress mode. We want our comfort foods. We want those snack foods. And so I think the better we eat and the more exercise we get, mentally, the better we're going to feel. I don't want to add an additional burden to anyone that if you're already struggling with the kids are home doing Zoom classes, and you're also doing work at home; picking some small, manageable, healthy things that you can do.

I don't think we need to worry about necessarily eating organic. And I think as much as we can eating plant-based foods is important. I think people's budgets are feeling stressed out enough as it is. And so I think picking some manageable goals and ways to get those healthy foods in is ideal.

Host: When it comes to shopping lists and whether we should shop for, you know, short periods of time or longer, since there's this overwhelming increase in infections, people are maybe afraid to go to the grocery store and they don't want to go out as often. So, let's talk about that. Let's talk about putting together those shopping lists and whether we should try to shop for two weeks or even longer.

Sara: Yeah, I think, you know, trying to limit your outside exposure and your outside contact, as much as you're able is still something we're recommending as much for you as for the grocery workers, right. They're seeing tons and tons of people. And so, really trying to limit their exposure as well to keep them safe. I think, big fan of shopping lists. You know, that could be a big part of your self care is really sitting down and planning out your meals and taking some of that time to plan. I think a lot of our stress comes from the unknown and perhaps planning out meals can give you a little bit of that known.

I think if we're looking at shopping, there's all kinds. I think definitely since we talked last time, I mean, think about all the things that have changed. We always had Instacart, but now there's these pickups and special shopping hours. Target will run things out and put it in your trunk. And I think really taking advantage of that as much as you can. If we're thinking about it about shopping for longer periods of time, thinking about what are some good shelf stable things. So, you can get, you know, ultra flash pasteurized, nonfat milk or the plant-based milk. So, you can have some of those in your cabinets. Beans, lentils, and peas are great things that you especially if you're buying the dried ones or even canned, if it's low sodium, you know, those things can sit on your shelf for a really long period of time. And just planning ahead. So, I think, you know, looking at what you have and making adjustments around that.

Host: Yeah, you know, I was thinking about back when we spoke the first time, you know, there was a run on everything. People were stocking up, if you will. Hoarding maybe is the more appropriate word. And I remember talking back then, we were talking about how difficult it was to even just find pasta on the shelves of grocery stores. So, that's definitely changed and there are a lot of great options, as you say, too, to order your food and have it delivered or drive up and have someone bring it out to your car. So, a lot of great suggestions there, and I want to touch a little bit more on what are some of the foods that we can stretch if you will, you know, for a week or two, or maybe even longer.

Sara: Well, I'm a big fan of beans. And especially this time of year, I'm a big fan of soup because you can make a whole lot of variety of things from soups. And soups you can make from, you know, frozen vegetables, the beans in your cupboard. You can add some whole grains in there and then you can freeze those for later. So, if you make a big enough batch of soup, you can eat some for now, freeze some for later. Beans I think are great because you can make them into more of a soupy bean.

So, I'm a big fan of the Crock-Pot. You can let it hang out all day. They're pretty cheap, good sources of protein, good sources of fiber. You know, if you make a if you add extra water in while you're making your beans, you get more of like a soupy bean. You can throw some vegetables in there, like greens, and then you can use those depending on the kind of beans that you've had. And you could use them for things like maybe tacos, you could add them to salads, or you could also use them as a soup. So, making these kinds of more versatile items, so you don't have to cook as much. I think the other thing is, you know, maybe frozen, like the hamburger patties. I know that there's some great, black bean and quinoa alternatives that are out on the market, but even things like, you know, fish or lean chicken that you can store in the freezer, you know, use as you need or defrost as you need.

And then thinking about things like root vegetables, those are going to be able to be stored for a longer period of time. Things like beets and carrots. Oranges, apples also can hang around for a longer period of time than, you know, when we were talking last March and we were looking at you know, berries and some of the quicker to go bad fruits. And then winter squash. So, your kabocha squash and your acorn squash, these can all sit on your counter for a longer period of time. So, perhaps when you're going to the grocery store, you stock up on some of those zucchinis and other fruits and vegetables that might not last as long. And then you also stock up on some of those, you know, longer term vegetables and fruits that you can keep around for a longer period of time. So, stretching out those shopping days.

Host: Yeah. That's I think important to try to stretch it out as long as we can. And I've never heard that expression before, soupy beans, but when I use it, when I use it in the future, I'm going to give all props to use Sarah. I love that soupy beans, that just brought a big, big smile to my face. I hope the answer to this is no, Sarah, but should we deny ourselves treats? Is it okay to give in once in a while? Can comfort food be healthy?

Sara: The thing is, is that things are really terrible right now you know, I don't know how else to say that, but our options for fun things are so limited. We can't go to the grocery store, or we can't go out to the movies. We can't go see our friends. Can't go to parties. So, I think a lot of people are turning to food as treats. I think, what we know about diet mentality is that the more that you restrict foods what I refer to as your inner toddler appears, and it becomes the one thing that you think about. So, if I say you can't ever eat a cookie, you're going to spend the rest of your day thinking about that cookie, particularly if you're cooped up in the house with those cookies. So, I don't think you need to deny yourself some treats. I think, you know, really checking in with yourself, making sure that you're not mindlessly eating the container of cookies while you're recording podcasts or doing whatever it is that you're doing.

And so, I think making sure that you're really actually hungry and that you're really enjoying the treat that you're having. So, if we're looking for little areas to infuse joy into our life, perhaps sitting down and you know, sitting out in your yard or sitting with your family and really enjoying a treat, I think it's a good thing to allow yourself to have. You know, some of my favorite comfort foods range from, you know, a fresh pot of lentils to fresh homemade rosemary bread and homemade soup and cinnamon rolls from the bakery downtown. I think comfort foods can be healthy, especially if you think about those things that like maybe mom made for you or grandma made for you when you weren't feeling very well and maybe listing out some of those comfort foods that are healthier for you, so that when you are having a bad day or week or month or I dunno, whole year, you have some of these things that you can turn to that you know are good for you, but will also bring you comfort.

Host: Yeah, my problem is, you know, I give in and I have some comfort foods, but it's can I stop it at three cookies? Or is it five cookies? How many is too many cookies for Scott? And just on that train of thought, what if a person is a diabetic or has special needs when it comes to food, what do they do during this time?

Sara: You know, one of the things that we really want people, especially for diabetics or people that are on dialysis, you know, it is really important to try to adhere to those diets because we don't want you to end up in the hospital because your blood sugars got too high or your potassium is too high, in the case of a dialysis patient. We really want you to do in the best that you can to take care of yourself at home. And I think, you know, we are lucky that as you mentioned, we're not having those shortages in the grocery store like we were before. So, I think if you do have a dietician that you're working with in a diabetes center or a dialysis center, you know, really letting them know what you're struggling with so they can help you work through these things.

And I think, you know, it still goes back to that really trying to do the best that you can. And like you mentioned about stopping at three cookies or five cookies, you know, it's that really being present in mindful with what you're eating and being aware of what you're doing.

Host: Yeah, it definitely is true. And for me, when we talk about comfort, I was talking to someone else earlier today and I was saying, you know, if there wasn't coffee, if for some reason they had banned coffee or there was no more coffee available, you know, like maybe the toilet paper I'll figure something out, but I need that coffee. That is my comfort food. I'm never in a bad mood if I have a cup of coffee nearby. So for me, that's definitely at the top of my list. And I don't know whether it's a heart healthy or not, probably too much coffee is definitely not a good thing. But, let's switch gears here a little bit and talk about heart healthy meals. What do you recommend? What are the best options out there? Is it fish, chicken, beef? Lay it out for us.

Sara: So, I think, you know, one of the number one things that we're looking for heart healthy diets and for patients with high cholesterol levels are that have had some event with their heart, is that we want to make sure that they're getting more fiber into their diet. So, really focusing on those high fiber foods and I think the best thing to do, and it's especially great, if you're planning out those menus or shopping list for longterm, start by shopping your own cupboards and looking at how much fiber is in the foods that you're regularly eating. So, look at your pastas and your cereals, your breads. Look to see if maybe you can upgrade those to have something with a little more fiber in them.

Fiber is going to help keep you feeling full. It's going to help control your blood sugars. So, those are things like your whole grain. So, you think about adding barley into your soups or oatmeal in the morning or brown rice or wild rice in place of white rice. Getting in those beans and lentils and peas and making sure that you're getting enough fruits and vegetables in are going to help you get that high fiber food.

And I think there's a lot of good evidence for, you know, eating as much plant-based foods as you can. And I think fish also has some good evidence behind it. Usually the recommendation is about two servings of fish during the week and limiting the processed food, the salty food. So, watching out for those Cheez-Its and the crackers and the lunch meat and anything that's too high sodium. So, we want to make sure that people aren't getting too much salt in their diet to help control blood pressure and to be healthy overall.

Host: Yeah. These are such great tips anytime, really, but especially during the pandemic and as we get close to wrapping up here, where can we find some heart healthy recipes? I know that Salinas Valley, you know, at svmh.com, there's some great suggestions there.

Sara: Yeah. And our chef, Jason Giles has put in a lot of effort over the years to develop some great heart healthy recipes. A lot of them are plant-based and so they're a great option. I think other places that I like I think the American Heart Association and the SVMH website are great resources to start at and perhaps checking out the Blue Zone cookbook as well.

Host: Yeah, those are all great suggestions. And I know that URL is a svmh.com/heart month. And I know you can find delicious options there such as a grilled swordfish, Ratatouille vegetables, grilled chicken tacos with cauliflower tortillas, roasted beet, and fresh goat, cheese salad, even dessert. Such as, homemade chia pudding and it occurs to me I should have eaten before I did this podcast because now I'm especially hungry. But Sarah, so great to have you back on again. And you're just so upbeat and positive and always full of great suggestions. And one of these days we'll talk about this type of thing, but not in the context of COVID, but for right now, that's where we're at. And thank you so much for your time, your suggestions today, and you stay well.

Sara: You too. Take care.

Host: For more information, visit svmh.com. And we hope you found this podcast to be helpful and informative. This is Ask the Experts from Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. I'm Scott Webb. Stay well, and we'll talk again next time.