Bloomington Hospital dietitian Stacey Matavuli shows a well-portioned plate with nutritious food. Shaylan Owen | myINstride

Who: Stacey Matavuli, Bloomington Hospital dietician

What: She provided expert advice and tips on health and fitness.

When: Online chat, Feb. 16

Can you explain the different between a good carb and a bad carb? I bought some whole wheat spaghetti, and noticed on the label that the carbs are almost the same as a regular box. Can we assume that because the pasta is made with whole wheat it is okay? Thanks.

Fern, Bloomington

STACEY: Hi, Fern. I'm a firm believer in no 'good food/bad food' connotations. However, there are carbs that contain more nutrients than others. The whole wheat pasta that you are referring to contains the same amount of carbohydrates as "regular" processed pastas. The real difference is in the other nutrients such as phytochemicals and fiber that are found in whole grains and often times not in the processed carbohydrates. I would highly recommend the whole wheat pasta for better nutrition than regular.

How much caffeine is too much? And is there any "good" caffeine? Say, coffee over cola?

B.R., Bloomington

STACEY: While there are no "hard and fast" guidelines for caffeine intake, general recommendations suggest no more than 300 mg caffeine/day. Personally, I think this is a lot as well. I generally recommend as little as possible since most foods containing caffeine are usually not nutrient dense foods. However, with regards to your questions about better caffeine sources, one would get plant compounds called phytonutrients in plant based caffeine products, such as coffee or chocolate and would not get such benefits if consuming caffeinated beverages such as soda. One also must be aware of empty calories if consuming beverages for caffeine since sugared beverages or drinks such as coffee with sugar and cream provide calories and little else. Hope that answers your question!

I know a person who lost a significant amount of weight by eating small portions. She said "Now my stomach has shrunk so I'm less hungry." Does the stomach actually shrink or was she exaggerating?

Max, Bloomington

STACEY: Hi, Max~

While the stomach shrinking concept has been around for a long time, it is somewhat of a myth. However, your friend isn't totally wrong. When eating smaller portions, the stomach does get a little bit smaller, but the belief that it can shrink to half it's size or more is not true. Eating smaller portions can help a person get in touch with true hunger and satiety signals and it's more likely that your friend has accomplished this and simply realizes that her fuel needs are less than when mindfulness wasn't such a part of her lifestyle.

I'm a little unclear as to how to document foods that have both a protein and a carbohydrate component. For example (and just throwing numbers around), if I have an English Muffin that has 15 grams of carbohydrates (22 g. before subtracting 7 g. of fiber) and also 7 grams of protein, does it could with the grains group AND the protein group? Or should only count for one or the other category? Also, my insurance company does not cover a dietitian consult but I am interested in checking in with someone every so often for questions like these -- do you know who I can call for private consultation and occasional questions?

Michelle, Bloomington

STACEY: Hi, Michelle~

Documentation, especially at the level you are doing it can be challenging. Using your example, the English Muffin would actually count for a grain serving. The reason being that in every grain serving, one can account for at least 3 grams of protein (although it's not a complete protein). That would leave 4 grams of protein left, so if you wanted to be very precise, you could potentially count that as 1/2 protein. It does make a difference as well if you are looking at this for weight loss, diabetes or some other health reason. Obviously, those varying factors may make a difference in how precise you need to be.

As far as the question about private consultation and occasional questions, the dietitians at Bloomington Hospital Community Health Education are available to answer phone questions. However, if they get too detailed and it is felt that a one on one session is necessary, they will let you know. The hospital is good about meeting a patients' financial needs as well as health information needs so something could certainly be worked out. If you choose to not go this route, the most important thing to consider is getting your information from a qualified nutrition professional. A Registered Dietitian is the most accurate resource for nutrition information. Thanks for your questions!

Can you recommend a good sample diet for a (over weight) person with diabetes? Or some place to find one?

Ron, Bloomington

STACEY: Hi, Ron~

Unfortunately, there are too many "unknowns" for me to make a sample diet recommendation. A person's height, current weight and activity levels are all taken into account when developing a meal plan for someone. However, I might suggest using something called the Plate Method of portion control. While this simplifies things (and maybe too much), it will give you a place to start.

First, select an appropriately sized plate; we recommend a 9 - 10" luncheon sized plate. Divide this into four equal quadrants. In one quadrant, you will want to select a form of lean protein about the size of a deck of cards. In a second quadrant, some sort of whole grain food such as brown rice would work. In quadrants 3 and 4, make sure there are vegetables and/or vegetables and fruit. To insure the widest variety of nutrient intake you can get, make sure there are at least 3 food groups on your plate at any one time and the more colorful the foods on your plate are, the more nutrients you will be consuming.

If that still isn't what you are looking for, I'd recommend a session with a dietitian. The Bloomington Hospital Diabetes Care Center has Registered Dietitians who can help manage both the diabetes and weight loss. Their phone number is 353-9258. I hope that helps!

How does one break a carb addiction? Its a terrible thing!

Sue, Bloomington

STACEY: Hi, Sue~

I'm not a firm believer that there are true food addictions. That being said, there are many reasons why people crave carbohydrates. Those reasons need to be ruled out before one can move on.

When eating carbohydrates, the neurochemicals in the brain are changed. Carbohydrates help increase serotonin levels in the brain, helping us relax and feel calm. If anxiety, depression or other chemical imbalance occurs in the brain, this can be temporarily 'corrected' by what we eat. The problem with this is that there is not a long-term solution.

A second reason could be insulin resistance. When this issue is present, one can eat but the energy cannot be absorbed by the cells and so the person continues to feel hungry in spite of having had adequate intake. The message the body gets is that you haven't eaten enough so far so we keep eating until we are uncomfortable.

A third possibility is that of habit and conditioned response. Lastly, a possibility of "all or nothing" deprivation/binge cycle can occur. Oftentimes, if someone deems something like carbohydrates "bad", they will attempt to limit them or eliminate them from their diet. however, Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred fuel source. If you aren't getting adequate energy intake overall and have limited/eliminated carbs throughout the day, the body will naturally respond by craving carbs and wanting more.

Of course, only you know what your history is but I'd suggest taking a look at the physiology first to rule out any imbalances in the body and then moving on to the psychology of the issue. Good Luck!

I keep reading reports about how good red wine is as a part of a regular diet. Why isn't beer and hard liqour also good for us. How much is the right amount?

Harry, Nashville

STACEY: The benefits of the red wine are found in the antioxidant properties of the red grape. One can get these same benefits from eating red grapes or drinking grape juice. There are nutrient benefits to beer as well because the mash is made from whole grains such as barley and hops. However, I think these beverages haven't been studied as extensively.

As far as the "right amount", the recommended intake of alcoholic beverages is limited to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men. One drink is equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, 1.5 ounces hard liquor and 5 ounces of wine.