Eating For Health

Sugar‑sweetened beverages (SSBs) — including soda, sweet tea, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee beverages — remain the #1 source of added sugars in the American diet. According to the CDC , sugary drinks contribute 35% of all added sugars consumed in the U.S. diet. Many kids and adults drink one or more sugared beverages daily. Did you know that one 12-ounce can of soda has more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar or 42 grams of added sugar?   In the South, sweet tea is especially common — and a large bottle can easily add 200 calories of added sugar in a single sitting. These calories provide no vitamins, minerals, or fiber , and they displace nutrient‑rich options like milk, water, or 100% juice. 🚨 Why Cut Back on Sugary Drinks? 1. Added sugars exceed recommended limits The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars to <10% of total calories starting at age 2 , and zero added sugars for children under age 2 . Suga...

How can you make eating healthier a habit?   Are there easy things to do that can help you and your kids eat healthier?    A recent article Place Your Order In Advance has some great tips.   Suggestions have been modified to include those I teach in my nutrition classes.   1.          Put healthy foods in front of you:   studies have found that if it is easy to get to, you may eat that food first.   So make the healthier foods ones that are easy to get to.   Keep healthy foods on the counter – a bowl of fruit, a pitcher of water   Cut up veggies like green pepper, carrots, celery and have them in the fridge for a quick snack 2.        Supermarkets:   shop the perimeter:   focus on healthier options by shopping the perimeter of the store.   Did you ever notice the perimeter has the fruit and vegetables, the dairy, the meat group?   3.  ...

Hot weather is upon us.   How can one stay cooler in these hot temperatures?   How do you get in your outdoor exercise and stay hydrated?   A few weeks ago we went on a morning bike ride in Sonoma County, California.   Morning temps are cooler but by noon the temperature was in the 90’s.    The bicycle shop gave us a frozen water bottle and a thermal pouch to put it in.    Why was this ice water such a great idea for the hot temperatures?   What are other ways to try to stay cool when the outside temp is sizzling? The Berkeley Wellness Letter has a great article on Exercising Safely in the Heat .    A summary of their tips are noted below. Cooling your body from the inside:   Ice water:   This morning when I bicycled, I filled up my water bottle with ice and water.   Cold or icy beverages have been proven to cool you down internally.   Cold beverages are helpful, but what works best is an icy drink ...