Donna Sorensen

Donna Sorensen is a poster girl for women’s health and nutrition. USC’s fit, trim First Lady chose health and nutrition as her topic for a recent community lecture at Finleaf.

Sorensen holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, a master of arts degree in teaching (chemistry), and a master of science degree in nutrition. She served as an outpatient dietician for cancer patients, a clinical dietician for HIV positive and AIDS patients, co–director of nutrition programs for children and adults, and a professor of nutrition at three universities

In her opening remarks, Sorensen discussed the importance of body mass index, or BMI. Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both men and women. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicates that someone is overweight. A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity. A BMI calculator can be found online at www.nhlbisupport.com/

bmi/bmicalc.htm.

Sorensen said another important factor is waist circumference, measured at navel level. The circumference of one’s waist is an indication of visceral body fat, or fat that surrounds the organs and creates increased risk for metabolic syndrome. The danger zone for men is a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, for women it is 35 inches.

Sorensen offered the following suggestions:

• Stop drinking soda. Sodas contain 140 to 150 calories each.

• Write it down. Keep a food diary. We often eat more than we think we do. Seeing it in writing can be very revealing.

• Weigh often. Keep track of your weight. You’ll be more aware of the pounds creeping up and can manage them better.

•Eat big food . Eat volumes of food that are low in calories so that you’ll feel more satisfied. For example, two cups of grapes have the same calories as one–fourth of a cup of raisins but seem more filling.

• Pay attention to portions. Our nation is increasingly super–sizing things. Be aware of how much you are actually eating, and maintain portion control.

• Replace a meal. A few times a week, replace a meal with a Slim Fast shake, low calorie frozen entrée, or Special K cereal. This will help you focus on a defined portion and defined number of calories.

• Monotony works. Variety excites the appetite. Keep your food choices mundane for a while.

• Watch the morning carbs. A little protein with your breakfast will help you feel more satisfied and will keep you from getting hungry early in the day.

• Exercise!

• Include low–fat dairy. Calcium from dairy products helps us lose and maintain weight more than calcium from supplements. Get three servings a day of skim milk, non-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and the like.

• Get enough sleep. It is recommended that we get seven to eight hours of sleep each night. When we don’t get enough sleep, leptin (which decreases appetite) is suppressed and ghralein (which stimulates appetite) is increased, meaning we are more likely to get hungry.

Sorensen recommended the following books: Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher; Strong Women Stay Slim by Miriam Nelson; and Volumetrics Weight– Control Plan by Barbara Rolls and Robert Barnett. Suggested websites are www.cdc.gov, www.shapeup.org, and www.navigator.tufts.edu.

Finleaf is a locally-owned tea shop, art gallery and gift boutique that specializes in high quality loose leaf teas imported from around the world. Finleaf is located at 2323 Devine Street. The shop is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturdays from 11 am to

3 pm.