yydjjk

Are you making some nutrition mistakes?   Even those who are health conscious and pride themselves on eating well can make some of the mistakes noted below.   Or, you may be interested in eating healthier and want to avoid some nutrition mistakes.    An interesting article in the Washington Post, 10 Nutrition Mistakes Even Really Healthy People Make covered a number of “mistakes” you may not be aware of.   What are some of these nutrition mistakes?          1.       Flax seeds – Flax seeds are the latest trend and healthy so you add some whole flax seeds to your cereal, your smoothie.   Flax seeds are super healthy, loaded with heart healthy omega-3 fats plus fiber and some antioxidants.   But to get the benefit of flax seeds, don’t eat them whole as they may go through you pretty much undigested.   Instead, buy ground flax seeds and sprinkle some on your morning oatmeal, add to your smooth...

There are so many articles on the internet about updating your kitchen to make it more modern and add more conveniences.   But how can you give your kitchen a makeover for healthier eating?   Since March is National Nutrition Month, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has many articles on ways we can all eat healthier this month.   So what are the Academy’s recommendations for a kitchen makeover ? (Changes are adapted from the article.) Make a list when going grocery shopping       First – look at what you have on hand.   Then put on your list the fruits, vegetables and other healthy items you and your family need for the week. Change it Up – Forgo the white bread for some whole wheat bread.   Or buy some whole grain bagel thins such as Thomas’ 100% Whole Wheat Bagel Thins – great for packed lunches.   These bagel thins are 100% whole wheat, have no high fructose corn syrup and provide 5 grams of fiber.   Instead of wh...

The health headlines this week read:   To Live Longer, Cut Out the Bacon and Soda; Eat More Nuts.     Researchers studied what foods are linked to a longer life and what foods are linked to diseases such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes.   They found a diet high in processed foods like bacon and high sugar foods like soda shorten your life and a diet high in healthy food choices like nuts leads to a longer life.   The study published in JAMA reviewed diets of 7000,000 Americans who died from heart disease, strokes or diabetes.   They analyzed what they ate or did not eat.   A great research article to focus on during March, National Nutrition Month. What foods/nutrients to eat to live longer by lessening your chances of a heart attack, stroke or diabetes? “ Good” Foods – Eat more of these for a longer life: Nuts – As noted in a number of my blogs, a handful of nuts a day is a Dr. Oz recommendation and a good habit to adapt.   Nuts do have...

February was heart health month and March is National Nutrition Month, a campaign led by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.   Their theme this year is, “Put Your Best Fork Forward” meaning that each bite of food counts and even small changes in your diet can have big health benefits.   The overall theme of this nutrition/health blog has been small changes for a healthier you.   Recently, students in the nutrition class I teach wrote down everything they ate for 24 hours.   One student ate Frosted Flakes for breakfast.   I noted if they made just one change, switching to a General Mills cereal such as Cheerios or choosing oatmeal for breakfast, would be a huge change in their diet. Why?   By just switching to a healthier cereal, they would add a serving of whole grains, more fiber, and more nutrients to their day.   The student went to the grocery store, bought a new cereal, took a picture of the box and showed me the picture at the next class. The...

How many times do you hear people say, “I am watching my carbs.”   Have you ever heard someone say, “I am watching the fat in my diet”?   Probably not.   So much focus on carbs but so little focus on fat in one’s diet.   Since February is heart health month, let’s look at what fats you should be “watching” in your diet.   We need fat in our diets but we also should cut back on saturated fats in our diets.   The Dietary Guidelines offer specific recommendations about saturated fat: Limit calories from saturated fat by consuming an eating pattern low in saturated fats.   Specifically, by consuming less than 10 percent of calories per day from saturated fats.   Why the focus on lowering our saturated fat intake? The Dietary Guidelines and the American Heart Association recommend lowering our saturated fat intake because: The recommendation to limit intake of calories from saturated fats to less than 10 percent per day is a target based on evidence ...

In honor of American Heart Month, this week we will look at heart health and what you can eat for a healthier heart.   The Centers for Disease Control notes even small changes in your diet and lifestyle can lead to healthier changes for your heart.   Why be concerned about heart health?   CDC states, “heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women”.   Another great source of information is The American Heart Association, the go to place for questions about heart health and how to adopt a heart healthy lifestyle.   What are some of their recommendations in terms of healthier eating and exercise?   Eating for a healthy heart:   Small steps to take Eat at home at least 3 times a week.    By skipping the fast food and restaurant meals you can prepare meals that are lower in fat, especially meals lower in saturated fat, and lower in sodium. Use more herbs and spices when cooking – keep the flavor while cutting back on the amount of ...

Last week I shared 4 of the Healthy Eating Habits the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition recommends.   The Council has Eight Healthy Eating Goals , and this week we will look at the remaining 4 healthy eating habits you can adopt in 2017.   So many people think healthy eating means giving up food.   But for many people, healthy eating means adding food to your day – adding more fruits and vegetables, adding whole grains.   Yesterday, I was in a grocery store and the mother of a toddler was buying a carton of Juice Drink boxes.   She probably thought this was a healthy choice but she was really buying mostly sugar water for her young child.   Had she bought real juice she would have been offering her toddler something with nutritional value rather than a drink of empty calories.   Making some small changes in the foods we choose to eat and buy each day can have a major impact on our health.   Simply buying real juice instead of ju...