Eating For Health

How many times have we heard something about nutrition that we wonder, “Is that really true?”.   In class I showed a video about nutrition and the nutritionist stated potato skins are healthy.   Is this really true?    You may have heard nuts are fattening.   Is that true or a myth?   So here are some myths vs truths you may have heard and the real truth. Nuts are fattening – it is is true that nuts are higher in calories than some foods.   But they have recently discovered that almonds and perhaps all nuts have less calories than previously thought.   USDA researchers have found that almonds provide 130 calories per ounce, not the 170 calories they thought and you may still find on nutrition labels.   Why?   USDA was measuring all the calories in almonds and not the calories we digest.   Turns out we don’t absorb all the calories in almonds.   So enjoy almonds and other nuts.   A handful of nuts a day is actually a healthy habit.   Nuts are very nutritious and the fat in nuts

I enjoy having a “power” bar or nutrition bar as a snack.    If dinner is going to be late, I often snack on a nutrition bar to tide me over until I can eat a full meal.   What should you look for in a nutrition bar to make a healthier choice? What to look for:   Fruit – many bars have fruit as an ingredient – raisins, other dried fruit are healthy ingredients. Nuts – nuts are very healthy so any nutrition bar having nuts as an ingredient is good. Protein – many people eat nutrition bars for protein.   Many offer quite a few grams of protein per serving.   Protein also gives the bar “staying power” as protein is digested after carbs so you will fill fuller longer.   If you are choosing a bar for protein, look for at least 5 grams of protein. Whole grains – man Americans are sorely lacking in whole grains so choosing a snack/nutrition bar with some whole grains is a good choice.   Look for Oats, Whole Grain Wheat, Wheat Bran, Brown Rice. Fiber – look at the fiber conten

There are some new food products you may be seeing on store shelves soon.   1.  Camelina oil – most of you know olive oil is a heart healthy oil to use.   Soon you will be seeing Camelina oil on store shelves.   It is made from a seed from the mustard family and has a nutty, light flavor.   Some may refer to it as wild flax or false flax.   It was a common oil grown in Eastern Europe and Russia in the 1940’s before it was replaced by other crops.   It is becoming popular in the US and farmers in Montana now grow it.   A blogger ( Julie )   noted a farmer in Minnesota produces and sells Camelina oil. “ A few months ago, Deanne and Francine blogged about a new oil they'd discovered in their quest for Minnesota produced or grown products. Camelina Oil is produced from the Camelina plant by a farmer in Lamberton. I'd just mentioned to Tim we should see if we can visit the farm and purchase some oil. As I was saying goodbye to Deanne, I noticed the Camelina Oil for sale on their

My sister said she heard on the news that a bite from tick can cause you to become allergic to red meat.   Then I picked up our local paper and there was a big article about it.   So what is the real story on this? Apparently this started a few years ago as doctors saw patients becoming allergic to red meat after being bitten by a tick.   It is now becoming more widespread as the tick is spreading from the Southwest and Eastern US to other parts of the country.   An allergist in Long Island, New York has seen 200 cases in his practice.   He notes, “Why would someone think they’re allergic to meat when they’ve been eating it all their lives?”   ( Tick bite and red meat )   So what kind of tick is this?   The Lone Star tick.   Although it is named for Texas, the tick has spread throughout the South and East of the US. Lone star tick bites are likely the cause of thousands of cases of severe red meat allergies that are plaguing patients in Southeastern United States including Te

Who hasn’t heard the myth, “Carbs are bad for you.”   You should avoid carbs”.   Really, is that myth true?   Briefly, NO – you shouldn’t avoid carbs.    There are “bad carbs” such as white sugar and white flour but there are many good carbs such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables.   Avoiding carbs can mean avoiding the many nutrients carbs provide that our bodies need and that athletes need. Should athletes focus on carbs?   Absolutely.   For good athletic performance, an athlete needs carbs.   During exercise, carbs provide the greatest source of energy in the form of glucose.   Our bodies convert the carbs we eat to glucose.   Glucose is the sugar in our blood that feeds our cells and glycogen is how we store carb energy in our muscles and liver.   Eating carbs before a workout, before soccer, baseball or other sports game provides one with the energy needed for that event. Weight lifters – should those who are strength training eat carbs or protein before they wor