Eating For Health

Potassium: The 2010 Dietary Guidelines also noted the nutrients of concern for Americans meaning many Americans are not getting enough of these nutrients. One of the nutrients that many Americans are not getting enough of is potassium. This is really a surprise to me since potassium is in so many foods. But it shows how little fruits and vegetables Americans are eating. What foods are high in potassium? The richest sources of potassium are found in fresh, unprocessed foods. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is one of the easiest ways to ensure enough potassium in your diet. Eating whole grains, dairy products, meats and fish also provide potassium in our diets. Fruit and Juice Amount of Potassium Banana 422 mg Raisins 544 mg per ½ cup Orange 237 mg Watermelon 320 mg / wedge Cantaloupe 427 per cup Orange Juice 500 mg per cup Nuts   Almonds 400mg / 2 oz Brazil Nuts 340 mg/2 oz Peanuts 374 mg/ 2 0z Veget...

Another recommendation in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, is to achieve a healthy weight. Easier said than done. Many people have made a fortune on weight loss books and fad diets. Too many people fall for the quick fix, only to fail once again. Maybe the goal should be to eat healthier and exercise more. At least then even if one didn't lose weight or reach their target goal they would still be healthier. Some students in my classes start the class overweight and admit to little or no exercise. Then we start talking about healthy eating and how important exercise is to one's overall health. One of the first things I emphasize is to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, then adding whole grains and exercise – any kind of exercise. One of my students came to the third class announcing he had started eating more fruits and vegetables and was losing some weight; probably because these healthier foods were displacing some of his more caloric choices. Then he added break...

Many people are successful at losing weight but then aren't so successful in maintaining their weight. When I was a clinical dietitian I started a weekly weight loss program for diabetic patients. One man asked if he could be in the class even though he wasn't a diabetic. Prior to the class we did a weekly weigh in. Well this "guest" in the class began losing weight and kept losing. Within a few months he was nearly at his target weight. Since so many were successful in this class, I decided to graduate this group of diabetic patients, and I started a different class for a different patient mix. A few months later I saw the man who had been such a successful loser, only now he was back where he had started. He said without the weekly weigh-ins and the support of the class he couldn't keep the weight off. So once one is successful at losing and are at or near their target weight, what should one do to maintain the loss? Well, if one knew for sure they would be wr...