Choose My Plate's SuperTracker

Now that I have talked about all the food groups from Choose My Plate, I want to talk to about the SuperTracker on the website! Choose My Plate which was created by the United States Department of Agriculture provides a tool that can help you keep track of the food you eat, your weight, and your exercise. It is a great tool that I had to personally use last spring for my nutrition class.

To get started you have to set up an account with a username and a password. Then it asks you about your weight, height, gender, age, and your level of physical activities. Once you have entered in the information if gives you exactly how many calories you need and how much of each food group you need daily.

Each day you will have enter in everything you ate for the day. You find the foods from the food-tracker and enter in the amount you ate and it will update your daily intake on what you ate. I had to use the food-tracker for three days and write two very important papers on what I ate. It really helped be aware of what I was eating and it helped my lose weight. Last semester I lost seventeen pounds from using this program, eating right, and working out. It was great! However, I have gained seven of those pounds back because I stopped using the program. My doctor was so proud that I had kept ten pounds off though and I am still proud of myself for that. I am going to start using this program again once break begins. I hope this has encouraged you to try it out for yourself!  Here is a slideshow that shows you how to set up an account:
 

Get Started today by clicking either "Choose My Plate" or "SuperTracker" at the top of this blog!

Oils?

Although oils are not a part of the food group, they are important part of your diet. Choose My Plate has a section on them under the food group section because they provide essential nutrients. Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature. They come from many different plants and from fish. Foods that are mainly oil include mayonnaise, certain salad dressings, and soft margarine with no trans fats. Most oils are high in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats like canola oil, olive oil, and corn oil. Vegetable and nut oils do not contain any cholesterol and are the healthiest oils to use when cooking! However, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, are high in saturated fats and for nutritional purposes should be considered to be solid fats. Solid fats are fats that are solid at room temperature, like butter and shortening. Solid fats come from many animal foods and can be made from vegetable oils through hydrogenation. Try to avoid these kinds of oils!

Americans can consume enough oil in the foods they eat, such as nuts, fish, cooking oil, and salad dressings. For women ages 19-30 the general recommendation is six teaspoons. For men in the same age range the recommendation is seven teaspoons. These are just the general allowances because a person’s allowance for oils depends on age, gender, and level of physical activity. So even though oils aren't apart of the food group system, they are essential to your diets because of the nutrients they provide.

Dairy Food Group

All fluid milk products and foods made mostly from milk products are made up of this food group. Most Dairy Group choices should be fat-free or low-fat. Foods made from milk that retain their calcium content are part of the group. However, foods made from milk that have little to no calcium, such as cream cheese, cream, and butter, are not a part of this group. Here is what is included in this food group:

·         Milk-skim milk, low fat (1%), reduced fat (2%), whole milk, and flavored milks

·         Milk based desserts-puddings, frozen yogurt, ice cream

·         Cheese-hard natural cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, and Parmesan. Soft cheeses like ricotta and cottage cheese.

·         Yogurt- all yogurt: fat-free, low fat, reduced fat, whole milk yogurt

Any one ages nine and up is supposed to at least get three cups of dairy daily.  That isn’t too hard to figure out because 1 cup is considered eight ounces and that if you drink milk one eight ounce cup at every meal you are set! One regular size container of yogurt also counts as a cup.

For me personally, I have a hard time with this food group. I have never liked milk. I can’t even eat it with my cereal.  I love cheese though! This is the way I get most of my calcium from. My mother also encouraged me to eat ice cream to also get more calcium. I also have a hard time swallowing yogurt. I love yogurt, but it takes me a long time to eat it. So I definitely had to check out tips from Choose My Plate on how to consume dairy products and here are some of the ones I will use:

·         Make fruit-yogurt smoothies in the blender

·         Have fat-free or low-fat yogurt as a snack

·         Eat fat free cheese sticks

·         Add fat-free or low-fat milk instead of water to oatmeal and hot cereals

There are so many health benefits for the dairy food group. Eating dairy products is linked to improved bone health and reduces the risk of osteoporosis and rickets.The intake of dairy products is especially important to bone health during childhood and adolescence, when bone mass is being built. It is also associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and with lower blood pressure in adults. This food group also provides great nutrients such as Calcium, which is used for building bones and teeth. Dairy products, especially yogurt, fluid milk, and soymilk, provide potassium. Milk and soymilk that are fortified with vitamin D are good sources of this nutrient. Other sources include vitamin D-fortified yogurt and vitamin D-fortified ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.

This is a food group that is important for growth and it is important to maintain eating this food group as you age. I believe that I will become better at eating dairy because I know it will help me live a long life.

 

My Salad Creation

 I just wanted to share with you a special salad I created last year. It has some strange combinations and it won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it. It has a very surprising dressing! I hope you enjoy my slideshow.






You can always substitute the nuts and dried fruit for whatever kind of nuts and fruit you enjoy. You can also use any kind of honey you like. I hope this inspired you to make your own salad that is special to you!

The Protein Group

There are so many sources of protein available in our country. All the subgroups of meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds are considered part of the Protein Foods Group. Beans and peas are also part of the Vegetable Group. Great sources of meat are beef, ham, pork, and lamb. Examples of poultry are chicken, turkey, duck, or goose. Soy products have good sources like tofu and veggie burgers. Any kind of nut or seed, like walnuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, or almonds counts as a good example of protein. Then there are different types of seafood that are great sources of protein, like crap, lobster, tuna, and salmon. Men ages 19-30 need to eat six and a half ounces a day of some source of protein. Women in the same age category need to only eat five and a half ounces a day. This is really easy for most Americans to eat more protein than they need daily. Usually Americans eat way too much protein and not enough fruit and veggies. According to the chart provided by Choose My Plate, it tells you to weight your protein to figure out how much is an ounce. I know that is not an option for most of us. However, it does provide with some examples as to what things are equal to an ounce. One sandwich slice of turkey (4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1/8”), or one egg, or a ¼ cup of cooked beans or peas are all equivalent to an ounce.

Additionally, the website provides the health and nutritional benefits of eating protein. All the different subgroups of protein supply many nutrients like, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, and B6), vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. Proteins function as building blocks for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. They are also building blocks for enzymes, hormones, and vitamins. Proteins as I mentioned earlier in my older posts, are one of three nutrients that provide calories. B vitamins found in this food group serve a variety of functions in the body. They help the body release energy, play a vital role in the function of the nervous system, aid in the formation of red blood cells, and help build tissues. Cholesterol is only found in foods from animal sources. Some foods from this group are high in cholesterol. These include egg yolks and organ meats such as liver and giblets. To help keep blood cholesterol levels healthy, limit the amount of these foods you eat. Instead of eating eggs yolks all the time, try eating egg whites, which are cholesterol free! Here are some tips to eat the right kinds of proteins:

·         Always choose the lean option! Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.” You may be able to find ground beef that is 93% or 95% lean.

·         Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.

·         Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.

·         Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking.

·         Broil, grill, roast, poach, or boil meat, poultry, or fish instead of frying.

·         Vary your protein choices!

 

·         Choose seafood at least twice a week as the main protein food. Look for seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring.

There are also tips for vegetarians available on the website if you are interested in looking at these.

The Grains food group

It is time to discuss the grain food group. My information about this group comes again from Choose My Plate. Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley or another cereal grain is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, breakfast cereals, tortillas, and grits are examples of grain products. The grain food group has two subgroups called the whole grains and the refined grains. Whole grains consist of whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and oatmeal because they contain the entire grain kernel. Refined grains do not contain the whole kernel and are made to last longer. White rice, white bread, and white flour are examples of refined grains. According to the website is BETTER to WHOLE GRAINS instead of refined grains. This is a chart to help people find their daily recommendation of grain intakes. For women ages 19-30 it recommends six ounces daily and for men ages 19-30 it is eight ounces. I know it might be hard to think about how many ounces you’re eating, but here’s what counts as an ounce. One slice of bread counts as one ounce, one small flour tortilla (6" diameter) is one ounce, and one large bagel is equal to four ounces. If you are unsure about what counts as an ounce, please look at the chart. It will provide some helpful answers.

Eating whole grains provides many nutritional health benefits. Here are a few of them:

·         Consuming whole grains as part of a healthy diet helps reduce the risk of heart disease.

·         Eating whole grains may help with weight management. (This totally surprised me!)

·         Eating grain products fortified with folate before and during pregnancy helps prevent neural tube defects during fetal development.

·         Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and selenium.

·         Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods, may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber-containing whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. (SWEET!)

If you have trouble with getting whole grains into your diet here are some tips to help. Remeber whole grains are better than refined grains. You should always try to eat whole grains!

1. Substitute a whole grain product for a refined product by eating whole wheat bread instead of white bread or brown rice instead of white rice.

2. Try substituting whole wheat or oat flour for up to half of the flour in pancake, waffle, muffin or other flour-based recipes.

3. Most importantly choose foods that name one of the following whole-grain ingredients first on the label’s ingredient list: brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oatmeal, quinoa, whole-grain barley, whole-grain corn, whole oats, whole rye, whole wheat, and wild rice.

The Vegetable group

Any veggie or 100% vegetable juice counts as a member of the Vegetable Group. Vegetables may be eaten in several ways like raw or cooked, fresh, frozen, canned, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or mashed. Vegetables are organized into five subgroups, based on their nutrient content. These groups include dark green veggies, starchy veggies, red and orange veggies, beans and peas, and other veggies. Examples of dark veggies are broccoli, spinach, and kale. Some examples of starchy veggies are corn, water chestnuts, and potatoes. Carrots and sweet potatoes are examples of the red and orange veggies. Navy beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, and kidney beans obviously belong to the beans and peas group. The other group includes lots of other vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and onions. However, I don’t fully agree with the vegetables that are all listed on the website. Some of the vegetables listed have seeds in them and that clearly makes them a fruit according to my biology teacher.  Again there is a chart to help you find out how many cups of veggies you need a day.  According to this chart, women ages 19-30 need two and a half cups a day and men the same age range need three cups daily. Twelve baby carrots are equal to one cup, one large ear of corn (8” to 9” long) counts as a cup, and one baked potato (2½" to 3" diameter) also counts as one cup of veggies.

I think that this is the hardest food group for me because I usually don’t buy veggies. I get my veggies when I eat salad, but the cafeteria doesn’t provide many options for this food group other than salads. Choose My Plate also gives easy tips to incorporate veggies into your diet. Here are just a few. Try adding more veggies to salads by adding baby carrots, shredded red cabbage, or spinach leaves. I love salad with these veggies in them and you can buy pre-made salads with these in most grocery stores. Buy fresh vegetables in season because they cost less and are likely to be at their peak flavor. My family usually buys corn in the summer because it is in season and very cheap. Stock up on frozen vegetables that you can just pop in the microwave for a few minutes. Order a veggie pizza with onions, mushrooms, and fruit like tomatoes, peppers, and olives. That is a great way to get both fruits and veggies. Grill vegetable kabobs as part of a barbecue meal. Try broccoli, mushrooms, corn, and onions.

All of this information was provided by Choose My Plate.

The Fruit Group

As I said in the beginning of my blog, I would talk about each of the food groups. So I wanted to start with my favorite, which is the fruit group. I really love fruit! All my information that I have gathered for each food group was from the government website: Choose My Plate.

Any fruit or 100% fruit juice counts as part of the Fruit Group. Fruits may be fresh, canned, frozen, or dried, and may be whole, cut-up, or pureed. We know what fruits are, but did you know that most of the veggies we eat are considered fruits? Yes, anything that was a seed in it is considered a fruit! Pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, and etc., are all fruit. This website provides a chart to show you how much you need fruit you need daily. According to the chart, women age 19-30 need two cups each day. Men also need two cups a day from men age 19-30. There is also a chart that tells what is considered a cup of fruit. For some fruit it is really easy to tell how much a cup is because you can cut it up and measure it with measuring cups. For some fruit that isn’t as easy. For example a large (8" to 9" long) banana is considered a cup. One large small wedge (1" thick) of watermelon is one cup of fruit.

There are many health benefits and nutrients that come from fruit. Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. Fruits are sources of many essential nutrients that are underconsumed, including potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, and folate. Fruit sources of potassium include bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, and orange juice help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Dietary fiber from fruits help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. It helps reduce constipation. Fiber-containing foods such as fruits help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole or cut-up fruits are sources of dietary fiber, but fruit juices contain little or no fiber.  Fruit are so important to health and nutrition!

The website also provides tips to help people eat fruit. Making smoothies with real fruit and fruit juices are a great way to get fruit. At breakfast, top your cereal and pancakes with fruit. Drink hundred percent fruit juices. Mix fresh fruit with plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt and dried fruits can make a great snack. They are easy to carry and store well. I really encourage you to check it out if you have problems getting your daily fruit.

More healthy tips for Thanksgiving

I have come up with tips to help keep you healthier during Thanksgiving and prevent gaining weight. Some of these tips I found from 10 Tips for a Thinner Thanksgiving article. These suggestions and tips came from an interview with Connie Diekman, MEd, RD, and former president of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). However, some of these ideas I came up with myself.

1)      My first tip is to use real fruits and vegetables instead of the canned stuff. Real fruits and veggies are healthier than the canned items.

2)      Try to use small amounts of butter. In the article from the website it also recommends to use less oil and butter, to use fat-free sour cream and chicken broth, and sugar substitutes.

3)      Eat a small breakfast. According to the article, “While you might think it makes sense to save up calories for the big meal, experts say eating a small meal in the morning can give you more control over your appetite”.

4)      Get some exercise. My family and I have a tradition to go on a family walk together a couple hours after our meal. I think it is a great way to get some exercise for the day and still be with family. The article also includes this in its tips. 'Eat less and exercise more' is the winning formula to prevent weight gain during the holidays," suggests Connie Diekman.

5)      Portion control. It is important to think about how big of servings you are putting on your plate. Some suggestions for the article include surveying the buffet and thinking about reasonable sizes of portions. Another idea from the article is "Don't waste your calories on foods that you can have all year long," suggests Diekman. "Fill your plate with small portions of holiday favorites that only come around once a year so you can enjoy desirable, traditional foods."

6)      Resist going back for more. Try to avoid the temptation of going back for seconds. My family usually has a lot of leftovers that I can enjoy for days after the holiday. If you rather not have the options of have leftovers, you could take your leftovers to a homeless shelter and bless someone with the delicious food you made.

7)      Choose some of the healthiest choices. "White turkey meat, plain vegetables, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, defatted gravy, and pumpkin pie tend to be the best bets because they are lower in fat and calories," says Diekman.

If you have any other tips for making Thanksgiving healthier, please let me know because I love to hear what other people do. I hope this was some helpful tips for this upcoming holiday!

 

Thanksgiving-Preparation is key

Now that Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is coming up. This holiday is just another holiday that revolves around eating. However, this might not be a bad problem if you prepare for it. There are always several healthy foods that serve at Thanksgiving. If you need healthy recipes, you can always Google it. I did and found tons of results for healthy choices to have for this important meal with your family.

The website Eatingwell Recipes I came across has all the traditional Thanksgiving recipes in a healthy way. If you start finding healthy recipes now, you can be ready in time to serve a healthy delicious meal.  Here are some of the healthier options to the traditional dinner:

Pear, Prosciutto & Hazelnut Stuffing: Crisping the prosciutto and toasting the nuts adds a powerful punch of flavor to the stuffing without going overboard on fat.

Cranberry, Cherry & Walnut Marmalade: Fresh cranberries get crunch from walnuts and an infusion of sweetness from dried cherries in this take on a classic marmalade.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Turkey & White-Wine Gravy: The zesty lemon-garlic rub for this turkey gives it amazing flavor. Instead of using a conventional supermarket turkey that's been “enhanced” with added sodium solution, here we brine a natural or organic turkey to keep the meat extra juicy without a lot of extra sodium.

Cider-Glazed Roots with Cinnamon Walnuts: Here we roast a variety of roots with a brown sugar-cider glaze. Make them instead of candied sweet potatoes at your Thanksgiving celebration. If you include red beets, the whole dish will take on a gorgeous ruby hue.

Green Bean Casserole: This healthy revision of green bean casserole skips the canned soup and all the fat and sodium that come with it. Our white sauce with sliced fresh mushrooms, sweet onions and low-fat milk makes a creamy, rich casserole.

There are many different resources for healthy recipes for this holiday. Choosing to make it a healthier meal ahead of time, gives you time to prepare yourself for this meal. I like a lot of these recipes because they include a lot of vegetables, fruit, and nuts. I am most excited to try the green bean casserole because I love it and I want to see how it taste compared to the unhealthy verision. I hope you will consider making healthier dishes this Thanksgiving!

Pregnancy Nutrition

I did a podcast this week on pregnancy nutrition. My focus was on the diet for women who are pregnant. For my podcast, I interviewed my sister who had her first child three months ago.

Here is my podcast:

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Halloween-the start of the holidays

Well the holidays are quickly approaching! I’m really excited because my favorite meal of all time is Thanksgiving! I love it so much that I had that for my high school graduation party. It was so good. But, before Thanksgiving is Halloween. I’ve thought of nutritional ideas for Halloween.  These are just some suggestions that I have been thinking about for the past week.

I think the best way to start off Halloween right is to eat a great dinner. The reason I say this is to keep people full for most of the night, so that people don’t pig out on candy. The best way would be making a healthy dinner that includes several of the food groups.

Another thing I think you should consider is what kind of treats you want to hand out to the kids. I know the typical thing is to hand out candy. But I think there are several nutritious options that you could pass out instead. Some options that would be good are like apples, yogurt covered or plain pretzels, granola bars, sugar-free candy and etc. Let me know if you have any other ideas. If you do decide that candy is the way to go, I suggest not buying a lot of it. That way you aren’t temped to eat the leftovers!

Also a good thing to do is go for a walk if you aren’t already walking with your little ones. Try to get some exercise for yourself and or kids.

My last nutritional tip is portion control. Kids usually want to eat their candy right away. This would be a great time to teach them portion control. Allow them to have a few pieces a day. Maybe pack a few pieces in their lunch. Try not to let them overload on candy.

Deficiencies

Okay so last week I wanted to talk about smoothies because it is a very healthy treat. This week I’m going backwards to talk about vitamin deficiencies. I found this perfect website that provides information on each deficiency on some of  the vitamins that I talked about, treatments for those deficiencies, more food sources of that provide each vitamin, and pictures of what the deficiency look like. This post is not to scare you but to inform you about vitamin deficiencies. Fair warning though the pictures for this deficiencies are gross!

So what is a vitamin deficiency? According to Dictionary reference, vitamin deficiency is “a lack or shortage of something essential to health; an insufficiency.” Basically it’s a shortage of a certain vitamin in the body. Remember from my previous post that vitamins are essential and only needed through tiny amounts in the diet. So if you eat the foods that provide these vitamins then you should have no problems with being vitamin deficient. Nonetheless, I want to talk about some of the deficiencies that can occur if intake is insufficient. All my information can be found at Deficiency Diseases.

Vitamin A-These are several stages involved with vitamin A, but they all have to do with eyesight.  The first stage is called night blindness and it causes you to have trouble seeing at night. So if you ever have a hard time seeing in the dark, I would try and see your doctor to make sure you aren’t vitamin A deficient. I only want to focus on the first stage of vitamin A, but you look at them yourself if you are interested in reading more. The website provides pictures of eyes that and how the lack of vitamin A deficiency affected them.

Vitamin D-There are two deficiency associated with this vitamin-rickets and osteomalacia. These deficiencies have to do with bones. Rickets occurs in children and it when the bones are not fully developed and they have a hard time with crawling, walking, or posture. It looks like they have saggy bones according to the pictures. Osteomalacia occurs in adults.

Vitamin E-Vitamin E deficiency has no name and is rare in humans.

Vitamin K-The deficiency causes uncontrolled bleeding and again has no name.

Vitamin C-Vitamin C deficiency is the funniest to me because it is called scurvy. I totally think of pirates and sailing on ships. This disease causes a lot of pain and swollenness in the joints and muscles of the body. It also causes bleeding gums and loose teeth.

Thiamin or B₁- is a deficiency known as beriberi. This deficiency has a lot of symptoms like, pain, swollenness, exhaustion, and others that eventually leads to heart failure.

Riboflavin or B₂- deficiency disease name is ariboflavinosis and causes problems with the mouth.

Niacin or B₃- Pellagra is the deficiency for niacin and is also known as the 3D’s. That’s because people who have pellagra have symptoms that go in the order of diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia. Once you get to the point of dementia there is no treatment, so please don’t let it get that far!

Smoothies!

Today I want to talk about one of my favorite places to go for nutritional smoothies-Juice Stop! I really love this place because of the varitey of great tasting smoothies and how they are so involved in nutrition.  

On their website they have their menu for all the different kinds of smoothies that make and what ingredients are used. If you click on menu and go to nutrients, they also show a list of blends that they can add to your smoothie to help with different kinds of things. For example they have a blend to help speed up your metabolism, a blend to helps stimulate brain activity, and even a blend to help improvement your immune system when you’re sick!

They also have a nutritional breakdown of each kind of smoothie that make. My favorite smoothie is called the Knockout. It is a smoothie with strawberries, apples, and bananas in it. According to the nutritional breakdown from Juice Stop’s Website, there is 266 calories in a large knockout! The nutritional breakdown also provides fat, carbs, and protein values as well.

The smoothies at Juice Stop are very healthy. Plus they can make them even healthier if you ask for additional blends that provide extra vitamins. Smoothies are just another way to get in your fruits in for the day. I hope you will go check them out and try a great smoothie! In some Juice Stops, they have a big book with the nutritional values of each of their smoothies.

Here is the nearest  Juice Stop to Washburn in Topeka:

View Larger Map

 

Here is a funny video I found on the home page of the Juice Stop website! You don't have to watch, but I thought it was funny.

 

H20-You Know, Water

There are so many kinds of beverages that people can drink these days. Coffee, soda, alcohol, energy drinks, and juices just to name a few. With all these kinds of beverages out there, it is important to remember to drink water. Water seems like a very common thing that we use and see in our everyday lives. However, water is the most abundant substance in the human body and is essential for life. It is the most indispensable nutrient of all! Water makes up about sixty percent of a person’s body weight.  So let’s say you weight about a hundred and fifty pounds. That means that ninety pounds of you is water!

Because of the amount of water in your body, a change in body’s water content can bring a temporary in body weight. So just because you lose a pound, DOES NOT mean you have lost weight from fat. The body loses water through digestion, breathing, sweating, and urination. Drinks that contain caffeine are not effective substitutes for water!

According to Human Water Requirement Calculator, eight glasses of water is recommended each day. However, this website will calculate how much water you, personal should drink. My roommates and I share a Brita filter container to filter the water from the tap. I fill up my water bottles with this water to drink daily. I feel like this is an eco-friendly way to drink water than wasting a bunch of water bottles all the time.

Vitamins

Vitamins are essential nutrients to the body. That means the body can not make the vitamins and that they have to be obtained through the diet. There are two kinds of vitamins: fat-soluble vitamins and water-soluble vitamins.

Fat-Soluble vitamins

Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the fat of your body. You can go a few days without these vitamin intakes. The fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K. Let’s start with vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential to vision, bone growth, reproduction and more. Vitamin A is present in foods of animal origin. So meats, eggs, milk are rich in Vitamin A. Also vitamin A can be found in its precursor beta-carotene. Rich food source of beta-carotene include, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, mangos, cantaloupe, apricots, as well as dark green veggies. Basically if a fruit or veggie is orange or dark green there is vitamin A present.

Vitamin D raises calcium levels in the blood and is important to bone formation and maintenance. Vitamin D is a really cool vitamin that body can synthesize through sun shine! You can get Vitamin D by sitting out in the sun. Other sources of vitamin D can come from fish and fortified milk. Most labels in the grocery store say that the milk is fortified with vitamin D.

Vitamin E is important antioxidant in cell membranes. Much of vitamin E comes from vegetable oils and products made with them.

Vitamin K is necessary for blood to clot. Good sources of vitamin K come from green leafy veggies.

Water-Soluble vitamins         

Water-soluble vitamins are easily absorbed and excreted from the body. They must be comsumed frequently in the diet. Sometimes the vitamins can be lost or destroyed during food preparation and processing. The water-soluble vitamins include vitamins Bs and C.

Vitamin C helps protect against infections, acts as an antioxidant, and it helps with the absorption of iron. Vitamin C can be found in fruits and veggies. It can also be found in animals, especially the liver of animals. YUCK!

Vitamin B’s are plural because there are several of them. They are usually numbered B₁, B₂, etc.. However, some of the B’s are so important that they have named. These vitamins work everywhere in the body to help metabolize carbs, lipids, and protein. Important vitamin B’s are:

·         Thiamin(B₁) –Found in pork and whole grains

·         Riboflavin(B₂) -Found in milk products and enriched grains

·         Niacin(B₃) –Many sources like animal products, fruits and veggies, and legumes

·         Folate(B₉)-Sources include legumes and enriched grains

·         Vitamin B₁₂-Only found in animal origin

·         Vitamin B₆- Found in meat

Vitamins-the pill kind

Although there are vitamins out there for us to take, I strongly feel that most people should get all their vitamins through their diet. All if these foods that vitamins are present in are very healthy for our bodies. I also think it is a waste of money, when you just spend money on foods full of these vitamins. However, I understand sometimes people do need the extra help of a vitamin pill.

Proteins-Which meat to eat

Protein is a nutrient needed for the growth of the body. Four calories are found in each gram of protein. Proteins are made up of 20 basic building blocks called amino acids that provide the material for all proteins. Most Americans eat more protein and grains than vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. There are different kinds of protein that you should be aware of.

There are two kinds of protein:

1.       Complete protein- which means all the amino acids are present to build new body tissue. Sources of complete protein are found in animal’s sources of protein which include meat, eggs, or dairy products. Basically if it comes from an animal it is a complete source of protein. 

2.     Incomplete protein- this lacks one or more amino acids that body cannot make from scratch. These are found in vegetables, grains, and nuts.

The more complete protein that you can eat daily, the better!

Problems with proteins

One concern with protein is that you can get too much protein. Yes, that’s right I said YOU CAN GET TOO MUCH PROTEIN!!! Eating excessive amounts of protein requires lots of calcium which is needed to neutralize the amino acids. This could cause calcium to be pulled from your bones! The body only needs about .35 grams of protein daily for every pound of body weight.

The lack of protein altogether could be harmful as well. Vegetarians need a source of complete protein for their bodies. Vegetarians that don’t eat meat, poultry, or fish need a source of complete protein that they could get from eggs, milk, and other dairy products.

Best kinds of protein

The best kinds of protein to eat are fish and poultry. If you like meat, I suggest when buying meat to choose lean choices! Most packages say if it is lean or not. Also consider eating dried or cooked beans and nuts.

Lipids are Fat!

Lipids are the family name for fats. I really wanted to talk about fats because there are different kinds of fats. Some are good and some are bad. I want to distinguish what are considered bad fats from good fats. We do need fats for our body, but they need to be the right kind of fats. One important thing you should know is that fats provide nine calories per gram.

Good fats-Unsaturated Fats

Unsaturated fats have been considered the more heart friendly fat because they are easier for the body to break down and utilize, thus minimizing cholesterol deposit in the arteries of the heart.  These are soft or liquid at room temperature. Unsaturated fats vegetable products like safflower, sunflower, canola, corn and olive oils. There are two other kinds of unsaturated fats:

• Omega-3 fatty acid- is an unsaturated fat found in fish like trout, tuna, salmon, and herring.
• Omega-6 fatty acid-unsaturated fat found in vegetable oils

Bad Fats-BEWARE!

 Saturated fats are found mainly in foods of animal origin, such as meat, eggs, animal milk, lard, butter, cheese, as well as palm coconut oils. Too much saturated fats are associated with heart disease and some cancers. I have a history of heart disease in my family, so I read the label on most packages to see how much saturated fats are in foods I buy.

Trans fats are worse than saturated fats in my opinion. I learned that trans fats will not only raise bad cholesterol, but it will also lower your good cholesterol!!! That is so bad!!! READ THE FOOD LABELS!!!! The Dietary Guidelines advise that less than 1% of total calories come from trans fats a day!  BEWARE: My Food products with less than .5 grams of trans fat are labeled as “trans fat free”.

Anything hydrogenated

Here is a video I found on youtube that explains hydrogenation better than I can.

Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, including margarine, vegetable shortening and peanut butter have flooded the market. Stay away from these, because hydrogenated fats that are even worse for the heart and arteries than saturated fats. I was really disappointed when my dietician told me about how must peanut butter is hydrogenated.

Well I hope I got my point across about good fats and bad fats!

Carbohydrates-the good and the bad

There is a lot of talk about carbs when it comes to dieting. Some diets want you to stop eating carbs all together. I don’t like those diets because carbs are a source of energy for the body and are needed to keep the body fueled. I don’t think it is an effective way to be healthy or to lose weight. Last semester I learned from my nutrition class that carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram and the recommended intake for carbs is 45 to 65 percent of daily calorie intake. That is a good chunk of your daily calories. That is why I don’t believe it is healthy to cut out the carbs. I think it is better to reduce the amount you eat, but not too significantly. Starch and sugar are two types of carbs. Some examples of starch carbohydrates are vegetables, whole grains, bread, rice, and pasta. Sugar carbohydrates are desserts, all fruits, and can be found in dairy products. Looking closely at the two types the unhealthiest thing I see about carbs is found in sweets in the sugar carbs. Most of the items made with sugar contain empty calories, that have no nutritional value.  So here are some ways I have thought of to cut back on the empty calorie sugar:

·         Try sugar substitutes

·         Limit chocolate, cakes, cookies, and other sweets

·         Use low-sugar versions of your favorite desserts or sweets

·         Try having fruits, like grapes, instead of sugary snacks

These are just some suggestions on lowering sugar intake.

Now for the fun part, Jalapeno Poppers! I picked this recipe because it uses jalapenos and cheese which are a good source of carbs. I make these as appetizers for family events.  I included the link for the recipe which I found on Weight Watchers.  Here is a picture of it that I took after my batch today.

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray                                                          

1/2 cup of low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese    

 1/4 cup of low fat cream cheese    

 1 Tbsp fat-free mayonnaise     

 8 small jalapeño peppers   

 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute (use an egg if you don’t have this)

 7 Tbsp cornflake crumbs (or any kind of cracker crumbs, I use Ritz crackers and Better Cheddars)

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with the cooking spray.

2.       In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese and mayonnaise; mix well and set aside. Cut the jalapenos into halves lengthwise and remove seeds. Stuff the jalapenos with the cream cheese mixture.

3.       Place egg substitute in a dish. Place crumbs in a separate dish. Dip the jalapeno halves into the egg substitute and then roll in crumbs to coat the top.

4.       Bake until filling is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

 It’s that easy and very tasty! If you prefer to have a spicier kick to it I suggest not taking out all of the seeds. Hope everyone has a great Labor Day!

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/prt/RecipePage.aspx?Type=1&RecipeID=90601

Nutrients and Food Choices

Nutrition is the science of how food, nourishes the body. The body requires six kinds of nutrients to live. The most important nutrient among the six is water. The more the water you can drink a day the better. Three of the six are energy yielding which includes carbohydrates, fats, and protein. The last classes of nutrients are vitamins and minerals. Some of the nutrients are essential nutrients. That means that the body cannot make the nutrients for us. The best way to obtain a nutritious diet is to consume a variety of fruits, vegetables and dried beans, meats, fish and poultry, whole foods including grains, and milk and milk products each day. However, in this day and age it is very hard for people to incorporate nutrition in their lives. We have a lot to do and little time to think about what our body really needs. So why do we choose what we eat?

 There are many factors influencing food-related choices. Consumers today spend most their budget on food that requires little or no preparation because it is convenient. Other factors include the use of advertising, personal preference, habit, social pressure, availability, cost, health and nutrition benefits. So when you eat one of your meals today think about why you picked what you’re eating. Is it because it was convenient? Or because of cost? Why do you drink coffee every morning? I personal find that what I eat is because of habit or availability because I am a student. I don’t get much choice on what the cafeteria serves, but one thing I love to eat is cheese.

Food for thought: How can we sneak health foods into our diet? Because we are so busy with our lives, we should incorporate easy little things into our diet each day. An easy thing to do is to stock up on fruit. Fruit is so important to the body and most Americans don’t eat enough of it. Fruit is an easy snack to have around and will perish more slowly if kept in the fridge.

Next week, I will begin talking about the different nutrients and I plan to start with carbs. I will also include a recipe for jalapeño poppers for Labor day!

Introduction

My name is Kara and I love food. I love to shop, bake, create, and eat. Last semester I took a nutrition class that inspired me to incorporate some of the information I learned about in my life. Since food is fuel for our bodies, it is important to think about the nutritional value of what we put on our plates. 

This blog will explore food choices and human health throughout topics like food groups, nutrients, and deficiencies.  I will also provide healthy recipes and nutritious snack ideas that are tasty. I'm excited to let you know what's on my plate!