Eating For Health

Are you missing some nutrients in your diet?     There is a lot of focus on health and healthy eating, yet many Americans have diets low in one or more nutrients.   What are the top 7 nutrients commonly missing in people’s diets?   WebMD has a great slide show on   The 7 Missing Nutrents in Your Diet .   This week we will focus on 4 of these nutrients and next week cover 3 more. Are you missing or Low in These Nutrients ? Potassium - almost everyone knows we should cut back on salt and sodium but few realize potassium helps negate the harmful effects of all that salt in our diets.   Well sodium is linked with increasing blood pressure, potassium helps lower your blood pressure.   Those into weight lifting and body building may want to focus on potassium rich foods as we need potassium for our muscles. Good sources of potassium – bananas, sweet potatoes, avocados, legumes, milk, potatoes 2.        Magnesium – not really a nutrient many of us think about.   But magnesiu

  Are there foods you can eat or not eat that can help you live longer and age well?    Environmental Nutrition has an interesting article in their November issue, 5 Tips for Eating to Age Well .    Their 5 key strategies?                1.          Eat foods rich in EPA and DHA omega-3’s .    Many commercials on TV advertise supplements to get your EPA and DHA but eating foods rich in these is preferred. EPA and DHA foods - .   Fish oils are rich in EPA and DHA so focus on fish – wild-caught salmon, sardines, and herring.     How Do EPA and DHA help you age well?   They support heart health, your brain function and memory.   Even muscle strength has been shown to improve.             2.       Healthy gut – yes, exercise is a way to improve your midsection but eating well can improve the intestinal flora in your gut.   As you get older, the bacteria in your intestines change and not for the better.   You have less diverse bacteria and more harmful species.     Feed your gut w

Do kids need snacks?   Yes, they do.   Kids have small stomachs and should be fed snacks between meals.   Younger kids such as preschoolers need mid-morning and an afternoon snack.   School age kids should have an after school snack.   But this doesn’t mean junk food, fast food, high sugared snacks.   What are some healthier options for snacks for kids?   What are some guidelines to help ensure snacks are healthy choices?       Guidelines   for Healthy Snacks – What are some guidelines for parents to follow when planning snacks for kids?           1.          Serve 2-3   food groups         2.   Choose a protein food– protein foods have “staying power” so the child won’t get as hungry right after the snack + a fiber rich food such as grain, fruit or vegetable a.        Whole grain crackers and cheese b.       Yogurt and fruit c.        Peanut butter and crackers, peanut butter, celery and raisins d.       A bowl of cereal (General Mills cereals are whole grain) and mil

Can you eat healthier at work?       Many of us spend hours each day away from home, at the office, at work and then choose what is easy and convenient to eat.   There are a lot of temptations at work: vending machines, eating out at lunch, grabbing a quick snack from the office kitchen.      All easy and convenient but not necessarily the best for our health.   But eating at the office and away from home can be healthy if you plan ahead.   Sparkpeople has some great suggestions for you, Eating Healthier at the Office        1.  Pack your lunch and some snacks:   bringing your lunch will not only save money but will be better for your health.   a.        Lunch –focus on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, yogurt, lean protein b.       Snacks – pack a yogurt for a mid-morning pick me up, some fruit for an afternoon snack c.        Try out some recipes they have for healthy lunches at:   lunch recipes        2.  Keep an emergency stash – you may have forgotten your lunch