Eating For Health

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...

Do you know anyone playing sports this fall or coming winter?   In order to play at one’s best, one has to eat healthy.   As I noted before, many people have a poor understanding of what “eating healthy” means.   This month I will focus on eating well for sports, starting with protein.   Although focused on sports, the information provided is helpful to anyone interested in nutrition and eating healthier.   Ask some friends or family members, “Which food provides the highest quality protein?”   You will be surprised that few people know the correct answer. Many young people playing sports want to boost their muscle mass but often have little understanding about protein.   What foods are the best sources of high-quality proteins?   What does “high quality” protein actually mean?   How do you know what protein foods are high quality? A nutritionist in the United Kingdom and host of Movement and Nutrition on Facebook, wrote an interesti...