Eating For Health

Do you take a daily vitamin pill?   What are the best vitamins to take and why?   Does your need for vitamins change as you age?   Should you take vitamins in the morning or later in the day?   Are there foods you need to be eating when you take your vitamins?   Can you be taking too much of a vitamin or mineral?   Do men and women need different vitamin/mineral pills?   Should you take a vitamin pill or a vitamin + mineral pill?   If you eat a healthy diet, do you need a multivitamin? My daughter sent me many articles on supplements and a recent nutrition letter I receive highlighted some good recommendations on vitamins and minerals. Do you need a multivitamin? Most nutritionists would agree that you should get your nutrients from food, not pills.   Have you seen the advertisement for pills that replace fruits and vegetables?   Fresh food like fruits and vegetables not only supply vitamins and minerals your body needs but also those hundreds of antioxidants that are so good f

Do you know how much protein you need each day?   I have heard many people say, “I am watching my carbs.”   Have you ever heard anyone say, “I am watching my protein?” Probably not.   The students in my classes are often confused as to what foods provide high quality protein and how much protein they need each day.   Do you need that protein shake, those protein bars?   Did you know most Americans get much more protein than they need each day?   This is true for those ages 19-59.   You may not know that people over 59 may need to focus on adding more protein to their day.   How much of your diet should be protein? The Mayo Clinic notes :   About 10-35% of the calories you eat should come from protein.   If you eat about 2000 calories a day, this equates to 200-700 calories from protein.   Or, if you count grams, this would be 50-175 grams of protein a day.   Most of the young adults in my nutrition class ate over 90 grams of protein a day which was over what they needed each day.