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...

Once you determine your BMI is in the healthy weight range, how do you stay there? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has some good suggestions. See: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/prevention/index.html . Changing body composition: as we grow older our bodies change whether we want them to or not. We will gain body fat and lose muscle. This shift to more body fat and less muscle slows our metabolism making it even harder it is to maintain a healthy weight. Adding to this, many of us are less physically active as we get older, burning less calories each day which can lead to weight gain. So how can you maintain and not gain? Eat healthy: CDC notes the Dietary Guidelines approach to eating healthy is: Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars Stays within your daily calorie needs 2....

One of the dietary recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, is to achieve and keep a healthy weight. First, how does one even know what a healthy weight is? There used to be height/weight tables everywhere so you could easily look up your height and determine a good weight for your height and gender. Now it is a little more complicated as instead of height/weight tables, they have what is called, BMI tables. What is BMI? It stands for Body Mass Index, a newer creation of how much you should weigh for your height. For most people, it is a good indicator of your body fatness. Yes, one can calculate mathematically, BMI=weight (kg)/height (meters 2 ). But the easier way to calculate your BMI is to go online to one of the BMI calculators. Go to CDC.gov and type in BMI and you will get calculators for adults and children. Or go directly to: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/ . You will see on the left the:         ...

Every five years the federal government updates its recommendations on eating right for anyone over the age of 2. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issues a report based on the latest scientific research. It took the federal government more than seven months to issue the 2010 Dietary Guidelines which actually came out this year, 2011. These guidelines are issued jointly by USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. Ironically, the head of USDA, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has admitted that prior to heading USDA; he had never read the guidelines. Now not only has he read them, he is taking them to hear and applying them to his own diet. What is in these new guidelines? Foods we should eat less of and foods we need to eat more of. Maintain calorie balance over time to achieve and sustain a healthy weight. Many Americans need to reduce calorie intake and increase physical activity in order to maintain a healthy weight. Control total calorie intake to manage bo...

A relative wrote to us indicating as they are getting older, it is harder to keep the weight off. He thus started to track his calories every day using an online calorie counter. The next day I was listening to a podcast and the announcer said he had lost 40 pounds by just tracking his calories and the amount of exercise he did each day with an iTunes App called, "Lose It." So I downloaded the "Lose It" App and have it on my IPod touch. For about a week now I have been entering my foods for each meal and also the exercise I have done. It is really easy to use. You can search new foods to enter or it keeps track of the foods you often eat so they are stored and easy to reenter each day such as a glass of orange juice for breakfast. It tells you the number of calories you should eat each day and a recommended amount to eat to lose weight say a pound a week. Each day you have a Daily Calorie Budget and once you enter the food you eat, it keeps track of how many calor...