The Shrinking Sound Bite

Do you ever experience things that make you go "hmmm?" Well, that was my reaction when I heard the journalist describe the shrinking sound bite. Of course she was referring to short, quick news clips but as a registered dietitian (and a co-owner of Sound Bites Nutrition) my mind went in a completely different direction. As I listened to the news story I realized the journalist's and the dietitian's sound bites really weren't that different. In the 1960s journalists, politicians and publicists had 43 seconds to grab a listener's attention but by 2010 the sound bite shrank to 9 seconds – think sweep's teasers and twitter. In other words, the focus shifted from accuracy to sensationalism. A similar fate has happened to the dietitian's shrinking sound bite.Many of us are filling up on foods high in processing, calories & fat but lacking in healthy nutrients – in other words the dietitian's version of the shrinking sound bite. And as the sound bites shrink, there's an increased risk for weight gain and a higher incidence of chronic disease. To reduce these risks and protect your health it's important to choose sound bites most of the time. Here are a few tips that might help:

• Plan ahead. Look at your schedule, shop & batch cook when possible, clean fresh fruits & vegetables as soon as you buy them; store them on a visible refrigerator shelf
• Cook more meals at home. It often leads to using less processed, fresher products, limit convenient items to products that are still sound bites (bagged salads, chopped vegetables, etc)
• Eat breakfast; it will reduce cravings
• Eat meals and snacks at regular intervals, it will help control hunger
• Pack lunches and snacks that will ensure you always have sound bites on hand and reduce restaurant meals (usually higher in calories & sodium)
• Drink water and other sugar-free beverages; drinking beverages high in sugar have been linked to a greater incidence of overweight & obesity