Eating For Health

Introduction:   In the nutrition class I teach, students were asked to respond to and prepare a convincing argument to counter the statement, Carbohydrates are bad for you .   One of those students, Olivia Lange, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.   Her paper on Good Carbs-Bad Carbs is below.   It’s a common misconception among the public that carbohydrates are bad for you, or will make you gain excess weight. According to WebMD.com, the enemy that many people are referring to are the refined and processed carbohydrates, which can also strip away fiber. Fiber is important to digestive health through feeding the bacteria in the gut, as well as helping one feel fuller by slowing down glucose digestion (Mayo Clinic Staff, 1). This is one element that is often paired with heart-healthy whole grains and other good-for-you carbohydrates. Further expanding on the “bad carbs”, one should avoid or cut back on refined foods like white bread or food...

Which carbs are good for your health? Introduction:   In the nutrition class I teach, students were asked to respond to and prepare a convincing argument to counter the myth, Carbohydrates are bad for you .  One of those students, Jackie Kunstmann, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.  Her paper on The Case for Carbs is below. Carbohydrates, or “carbs,” have been given a lot of bad press lately.  Many people I know are very quick to jump onto the Atkins or South Beach Diets with their low carbohydrate ways when wanting to lose weight. I even had leanings this way until this Nutrition class.  The DRI Committee has determined that all persons need to have a diet composed of 46 to 65% of carbohydrates (with only 10 to 35% for protein and 20 to 35% for fat) to adequately meet their energy needs and reduce the risk of chronic disease.(1)  The USDA’s current dietary recommendation, My Plate , features the plate being filled with over ...

Over the past couple of weeks, I wrote about how you can eat to fight off the afternoon doldrums, how you can energize your day with breakfast.    How can you be more energetic all day?   Are there foods you can eat that promote energy?   Yes, there are and there are many simple ways to eat to energize your day. 1.    Focus on Good Carbs + Protein.    Yes, a donut will give you some quick energy but then you have the slump once the sugar high wears off.    But combining a whole grain carb and low –fat protein can give you energy that lasts.   Whole grain carbs are digested more slowly and then the protein kicks in for even more lasting energy.   Some suggestions: a.        Peanut butter on whole grain bread or whole grain crackers   b.       Low fat cheese on whole grain crackers   c.        Hummus on whole grain crackers ...

Last week I wrote about how you can eat to fight off the afternoon doldrums.   But how can you start your day strong and full of energy?   What can you eat at breakfast that has “staying power” to get you through until lunch without hunger pains taking over at 10 AM?   Although the morning slump and being tired may have many reasons, one reason could be nutrition and what you are fueling yourself with at breakfast. Eat Breakfast – eat something .   Your body has been on “starvation” mode all night and now is running on empty.   You need to refuel to fill that empty tank.   Eating breakfast will help you be more alert, improve your concentration and even help you keep the pounds off as you won’t be heading for the snack machine at 10 AM.     Carbs – carbs provide the instant, short-term energy.   But not the “bad” carbs, the highly processed white flour and sugar carbs.   Eat the fruit for instant energy, the whole grains for a sl...