Eating For Health

Who doesn’t love sweets? 🍪🍫 From candy and cookies to cake, donuts, and chocolate — sugary treats are everywhere. But America’s sweet tooth may be doing more harm than good. According to the American Heart Association in How Much Sugar is Too Much? , adults in the U.S. consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day — more than 2–3 times the recommended intake 😲 . 📊 Major Sources of Added Sugar in the American Diet Understanding where added sugar hides in your diet is the first step toward cutting back. Here's a breakdown: 🥤 Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (24%) Soft Drinks: 16% Fruit Drinks: 5% Sports/Energy Drinks: 2% 🍰 Desserts and Sweet Snacks (19%) Cookies and Brownies: 6% Ice Cream and Frozen Dairy Desserts: 5% Cakes and Pies: 4% Doughnuts, Sweet Rolls, and Pastries: 3% Other: 1% 🍬 Other Sources Coffee/Tea Additions: 11% Candy: 9% Sandwiches: 7% Breakfast Cereals and Bars: 7% Miscellaneous: 19% 📏 Recommended Daily ...

Who doesn’t love cinnamon?   I love sprinkling some on my morning oatmeal.   My kids loved sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on buttered toast.   Did you know cinnamon has some amazing health benefits? Where does cinnamon come from? Did you know we get cinnamon from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree? Cinnamon producing regions include Sri Lanka which produces Ceylon cinnamon, Indonesia, Vietnam and India.   Another type of cinnamon is Cassia cinnamon that has a stronger, spicier flavor and is the variety you find on grocery store shelves.      🌿 What are Some Health Benefits of Cinnamon That are Backed by Research? 🧬 1. Rich in Antioxidants ·          Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress and protect cells from damage. 💪 2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties ·          Studies show cinnamon may reduce inflammation markers like C-reac...

Almost everyone thinks sodas are not good for your health.   Sweetened sodas are loaded with added sugar and low-calorie sodas use artificial sweeteners which many people try to avoid.   But there are new sodas on the market being advertised as good for your gut.   What are these sodas and why are people drinking them for a healthier gut? What are the new sodas promoting gut health? Two types of sodas are being marketed.   Prebiotic Sodas:   Prebiotics are mainly fiber that feed our healthy gut bacteria.   Two brands of prebiotic sodas are Poppi and Olipop .   On the Olipop can it states, “Supports Digestive Health”.   The prebiotic fibers in Olipop include cassava root, chicory root, Jerusalem artichoke, guar fiber, and Nopal cactus.   Olipop also contains Calendula Flower for its lutein, beta-carotene and flavonoids.      Probiotic Sodas:   Probiotics are healthy bacteria usually found in foods like yogurt but n...

My husband showed me an article on coffee and how drinking coffee can adversely affect the medications you may be taking.   Many Americans are on medications and probably give little thought as to how their morning cup of coffee might affect their medications.   And there are ways to still enjoy your coffee and avoid those coffee-drug interactions?   In what ways might coffee interfere with prescription medications? Absorption: Coffee can interfere with the absorption of a medication. Metabolism Changes: Coffee needs some liver enzymes for metabolism and these liver enzymes may also be needed to metabolize a medication.   This can lead to the levels of medication potentially increasing or decreasing in the bloodstream.   Blood Sugar:   Coffee, especially if mixed with sugar and/or milk, can affect blood sugar levels which can make it harder to manage diabetes.   Drug interactions:   Coffee can form complexes with some medications making them...

A friend was saying how tired she had been lately.   So tired she fell asleep at church and then fell asleep working at her desk in the middle of the afternoon.   This was very unusual, so she went to her doctor and was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.   What is iron deficiency anemia?   Why does it make you tired?   What is the treatment if you have this condition?   What is iron deficiency anemia?   Anemia means your body is lacking in red blood cells.   Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to the cells in your body.   When your cells don’t receive enough oxygen, you can feel weak or fatigued.   There are different types of anemia, one is iron deficiency anemia.   You lack enough iron to make hemoglobin – the protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body.      What are the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia? As my friend noted, one symptom is being tired.   Some ...