Eating For Health

So much carb confusion.   I am always amazed at how someone will take the top bun off a hamburger to cut calories but then eat a large order of fries and a large Coke.   They think the bun is bread so it is fattening while they load up on the added sugars in the Coke and the added fat in the fries.   The Dietary Guidelines don’t tell us to cut the carbs or to cut back on bread.   We actually need grains in our day, every day, every meal.   What are some healthy carbs we should have in our diet and what do the Dietary Guidelines say about carbs? Dietary Guidelines and carbs – what are the recommendations? The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines have nothing to say about cutting back on bread, even though so many people say they are cutting back on carbs and mean they are cutting back on bread.   The Dietary Guidelines really only advise on added sugars as those are the carbs we should cut back on. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend:  ...

Many of us can’t go to the gym or participate in our usual fitness classes right now, but we can still go for a walk.   And walking is good for your health.   A new study by the National Cancer Institute, CDC and the National Institute on Aging finds the more you walk, the longer your lifespan.   The article in JAMA notes:   “Greater number of steps per day were associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality”.  What was the study? Researchers looked at 4840 adults at least 40 years of age who wore a step counter for up to five days over the study period of 2003-2006.   Not just any step counter but an accelerometer that not only measured steps taken but also the intensity of the walking.    How many steps did study participants take? The average number of steps taken a day by this group was 9124.   Those taking 8000 steps a day had significantly lower mortality than those taking 4000 steps a day. Going up to 12,000 st...

Who doesn’t want to stay hydrated and satisfy our thirst?   There are so many healthy ways to do so.   There are also many not-so-healthy drink choices.   Eat This, Not That! Has a great article on the “50 Unhealthiest Drinks on the Planet”.   Catchy title.   We won’t review all 50 of those unhealthy drinks, but we will review a few and tell you why they are so bad for your health.   But first, let’s review what are healthy drink choices. What are some drinks one should choose to satisfy thirst and to stay hydrated?   As noted in a previous blog, Is water the best for hydration? , some of the best choices for hydration are plain water, cow’s milk and 100% orange juice. After exercising, one can skip the sports drink and have a glass of water and eat a banana.       What should you try to avoid when choosing a healthy drink?   Basically, avoid drinks with a lot of added sugar.   The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines...