Eating For Health

We all know that exercise is good for us. But how much exercise do we need? If you are a Minimalist : if you hate exercising and want to do the least possible to get by, how much exercise do you need for at least some health benefit? Well, you are in luck Some research just out of Taiwan indicates as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can provide some health benefits. We are not talking about being fit and trim at 15 minutes a day but some exercise is clearly better than no exercise. In the Taiwan study, they wanted to know if exercising less than the recommended 30 minutes a day, had some health benefit. They studied 416,000 Taiwanese adults, asked them how much they exercised the previous month and followed them for 8 years. Those who did little exercise, only 15 minutes a day, did cut their risk of death by 14%. They also extended their life by 3 years over those who did no exercise. What does this research say for all of us: Some exercise is better than no exercise. Get ...

     I actually like a commercial on TV. It is the General Mills commercial advertising that all General Mills cereals are whole grain. In my nutrition class, I teach that an easy way to get some whole grains into their diet and the diet of children is to eat a cereal for breakfast that is whole grain. If they have children, an easy way to choose a breakfast cereal is to look for the "G" because ALL General Mills cereals are whole grain.      Many people in American aren't eating any whole grains and many others eat far less than the 3 recommended servings of whole grains. Kristin Harris, Ph.D., the senior nutritionist at General Mills, noted "60% of Americans feel like they are getting enough whole grains, but 95% are not." (Environmental Nutrition Newsletter, May 2011). A General Mills study found that only 5% of Americans are getting the recommended 3 daily servings of whole grains. Maybe because only 55% of Americans know how to identify who...

Which foods put on the pounds and which foods help you keep those pounds off? Everyone it seems has their own ideas of which foods are "fattening" and which foods promote weight loss. But a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 23, 2011) puts some scientific research behind the claims of which foods promote weight gain and which foods are associated with a leaner body. Read on to learn more. What they did: the researchers from a variety of institutions in Boston studied 120,877 men and women in the US over a period of many years. They then looked at which foods were most associated with weight gain and which foods were associated with no gain in weight. Knowing which foods fall into which categories can help those who want to lose weight, gain weight, maintain weight and those who are physical trainers or just interested in a good, healthy lifestyle. Are there foods that seem to promote weight gain? This article says YES there are a number ...

One of the nutrients of concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans is vitamin D because today so many Americans are not getting enough of this nutrient. Vitamin D has become a hot topic as so many researchers are finding out how very important this nutrient is to our health. Not too long ago vitamin D deficiency was rare. Children drank milk with their meals and played outside. Now many parents don't give their children milk with meals anymore and many keep their children inside all day. Not surprisingly, these are the type of children that could be at risk of Vitamin D deficiency. Adults who limit their intake of milk and who are mostly indoors may also be at risk. How much vitamin D do you need? Because so many Americans are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and so many important roles have been found for vitamin D , the Institute of Medicine r ecently increased the recommended intake for vitamin D. Age Recommended Vitamin D Intake 1 year – 70 years 600 IU ...

RIP Food Pyramid and good riddance. USDA has basically announced the death of their 20 year old, often maligned food pyramid and replaced it with a picture of a plate and a glass of milk. The new Choose My Plate nutritional guideline is very easy to understand and immediately tells the consumer what a balanced meal is and what types of foods to include in each meal. Take a look: This new guideline for eating clearly shows that half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, about a fourth grains and about a fourth protein. It also clearly notes that dairy should be part of your meal. How much simpler can a dietary guideline to good eating get? Reactions to this new USDA healthy eating pictorial have been favorable. Jennifer Wilkins, PhD, RD from Cornell University notes: MyPyramid was poorly understood by the public and ineffective as the symbol of a healthful diet. Of course the title of her article says it even more clearly, "Good Riddance to My Pyramid"...

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...