Eating For Health

School has started in many areas or will be soon.   So many moms and dads will be packing a lunch for their kids.   On school lunch duty, I observed a lot of kid’s lunches.   One girl opened her lunch to a sandwich always cut into a shape, a heart one day, a diamond the next.   She always had 2 servings of fruits or vegetables in her lunch.   She bought milk and had quite a healthy lunch every day.   Another student had braces.   His mom packed him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day.   And every day he threw away the sandwich, not even one bite taken.   I asked him why and he said he didn’t want the peanut butter to get stuck in his braces.   But he never told his mom this.   So, every day she packed the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and every day he threw it away.   The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at eatright.org has some good suggestions for parents when packing that school lunch. Q:   What ...

     Many people ask me how they can have energy throughout the day. They say they feel tired and wonder if there is anything they can eat that will give them more energy. Food is how your body fuels its engines, the right food will give you more lasting energy. An interesting article appeared in the Weill Cornell Medical College newsletter called “Avoid the Energy Roller Coaster”. What hints do they offer to keep you energized throughout the day?                ADD TO YOUR DIET         1.  Complex Carbs – so many people are “avoiding carbs”. And yes, there are carbs you should avoid such as foods with refined carbs, the added sugar and white flour carbs. But many complex carbs will not only provide energy but more longer lasting energy. Whole grains – these complex carbs will re-fuel your engines, have fiber to fill you up and will provide more lasting energy...

Are you one of the 6 out of 10 Americans who skip breakfast every day?    I like to tell my students “ Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day” .     After a night of fasting, you need some food to “Break the Fast” which is what breakfast means.   Your fuel stores are nearly empty and it is time to refuel.   Interesting in the Sochi Olympics the Canadian women’s curling team believes in eating peanut butter toast for breakfast.   They are so insistent on this they often bring a toaster with them.   ( Team Canada Sochi 2014 Blog: Jennifer Jones ).   They add some fruit and they are ready for a curling match. The National Dairy Council has found that 18% of Americans skip breakfast, another 20% of Americans eat breakfast away from home.    Disturbing is the teenagers with 40% skipping the most important meal of the day.   Breakfast is a time to pack in many nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin C and pot...