TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 8 37 ICONHOSPITALONLINE.COM 713-962-6115 19211 McKay Drive, Humble, Texas 77338 Specialized Acute Care For Medically Complex Patients • Wound Care • Cardiac Care • Pulmonary Care • Infectious Diseases • Medically Complex Proudly Serving the Texas Medical Center & Greater Houston Relax in Luxury. Whether you are looking for a weekend getaway or a place to call home, choose Quality RV Resorts, and experience the best in RV resort living! With 11 locations throughout Houston, San Antonio, Baytown, and Brazoria, Texas – you're sure to find a resort and amenities that will fit your needs. Don't own an RV? No problem. We have onsite rentals available. *Pads only. Not valid for existing customers. Offer expires June 30, 2018. Code Word: TEXAS To redeem, use code word at the time of reservation. www.QualityRVResorts.com 50% OFF First Month's Rent * "This is a dietitian saying this: You would be better off eating a potato chip than a veggie chip because it is a real potato, where some of these manufactured veggie chips are really designed to make you think they are a better option, and they aren't," Anding said. In addition to swapping out veggie chips for a bag of baby carrots or raw broccoli for a little crunch, Kristi King, a reg- istered dietitian with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, suggests another alternative. "If you go to the health section of most grocery stores, you can buy actual dried vegetable chips," King said. "They are very different from vegetable-blended potato chips that they market as 'veggie chips.'" Fruit juice and store-bought smoothies can also be con- fusing to consumers trying to eat healthy. "Most folks grab a packaged juice with a picture of a pine- apple and a peach on the front and it looks like it has fruit in it," Anding said. "But it really only has 10 percent fruit juice so that means the rest of it is no different than a soda." Pre-made and store-bought smoothies can be just as bad. "Smoothies and protein shakes can start with good inten- tions, but can quickly go wrong," King said. "It all depends on what they are made with. If you make your smoothie at home, you tend to be able to control the calories and the nutritional content better than if you were at a free-standing place, where smoothies are often made with high-fat yogurt or milk. Making it at home is a much better option than buying it out." Anding also reminds consumers to have a more discern- ing eye when it comes to cooking oils. "The top of the list for me—of foods that people think are healthy that aren't—is coconut oil," she said. "People cook with coconut oil and it really is one of the most saturated fats in the American food supply." Misled by the fact that coconut oil is plant-based food and might seem to be a better option than beef-fat, con- sumers need to know that it can still raise your cholesterol. Anding says the real answer to healthy living and eating is actually very simple. "Real food is the solution," she said. "Whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein. We keep trying to refine and find what the secret ingredient is, and there isn't one."

• Cover