If you are like most Americans, you eat one third of your calories away from home. This includes meals at restaurants, snacks from vending machines, drinks at coffee shops, and foods from convenience stores. With weight loss being the most popular New Year’s resolution in this country, the Food and Drug Administration’s new calorie labeling rules may come in handy.
The first rule requires restaurants to provide calorie and other nutrition information for standard menu items, including self-serve food. This rule also applies to food trucks, movie theaters, pizza places and amusement parks, as long as the company has at least 20 locations. The second rule requires calorie information for food sold from vending machines, helping consumers to see the often high calorie level in relatively small portions. Alcoholic beverages will get visibility as well. You might not realize your pre-dinner cocktail has more calories than your meal; now you will at least have the facts to make informed decisions. Allowing consumers to make informed decisions is the whole purpose of these new rules. If you want to balance your calories throughout the day to maintain a healthy weight, prevent or manage a chronic condition (think diabetes or heart disease) or ensure you are getting the right fuel for an active lifestyle, the new labels will be both informative and motivating. Let’s take an example. An average meal at a sit-down restaurant contains over 800 calories, while a typical drink contains 200 calories. To put the numbers into context, consider:
If you are an active adult male, that restaurant meal and drink adds up to half of your daily calories. If you are an inactive adult female, the meal provides almost 70% of your daily calorie needs. These are the kind of numbers you need to know in order to avoid taking in extra calories day after day. Obviously there is a great deal of variability depending on your age, gender, size, and activity level, and many computer sites and phone apps exist to help you calculate your specific needs. But as a general rule of thumb, menus and menu boards will state that 2,000 calories a day is the average recommendation. Based on this, use the new labels to guide you in distributing your calories into 500-600 calories per meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and 100-200 calories per snack (mid-morning and mid-afternoon). Using these numbers on a practical level, you may decide to omit your morning coffee drink, or keep the coffee drink and forgo the soda with lunch; eat just one pastry out of a package of two; eat a smaller portion of pasta; take ½ of your restaurant meal home for leftovers; skip the vending machine cookies; or order a small burger instead of a value meal. While some chain restaurants already post their calorie counts, the law makes it mandatory for the rest to post by December 2015. In the meantime, use your best judgment to decrease your portion sizes along with your health risk and waistline. *** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan ***
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With students heading back to school, fall sports are in full swing. In addition to training, eating right, and getting enough sleep, a significant key to health and performance is staying hydrated. However, the recent tragic death of a teenage athlete is an important reminder that you can get too much of a good thing.
Hydration means having adequate fluids in the body to be able to sweat, circulate blood, lubricate joints and transport oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Overhydration, or water intoxication, means the body has taken in too much water. Also called hyponatremia (low sodium in the bloodstream), overhydration occurs when someone drinks too much water in a short period of time, so that other nutrients, especially sodium, become too diluted to function properly. It may lead to muscle spasms, stomach and leg cramps, nausea, vomiting, weakness, confusion, and even death. Dehydration is more common than overhydration. Dehydration means the body is losing more fluids than it is taking in, and often leads to muscle fatigue, loss of coordination, excessive body temperature, cramps, and decreased performance. Athletes are more likely to become dehydrated if they drink coffee, soda or energy drinks throughout the day. The trick for both teens and adults is to take in the right amount of fluids to avoid dehydration but without going overboard. Limit fluid intake to 1 quart per hour (or 1 liter per hour) and follow these tips for optimal hydration for both teen and adult athletes. Drink throughout the day. Start exercise already adequately hydrated by drinking, on average, 8 cups of water every day. Thirst is not a good indicator of how hydrated you are; instead, drink before you are thirsty. It helps to have a goal of drinking one water bottle (for example, 24 ounces) by lunchtime and another by the final school bell. A good way to make sure the body is hydrated is by paying attention to urine, which should be a pale yellow color. Before exercise, drink 8-12 ounces 15 minutes before your activity. This may be water or a sports drink. If this is a new habit and causes an upset stomach, start with just 2 ounces 15 minutes before exercise and gradually add 1 ounce to this intake every 2-3 days until you reach 8 ounces. During exercise, sports and exercise experts recommend 3-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes. If you are exercising less than 60 minutes, this should just be water. If you are exercising more than 60 minutes, this should be a sports drink. In truth, many athletes either do not want to drink every 15-20 minutes, do not want to carry fluids with them, or are not given the opportunity. If this is the case, it is even more important to start your exercise session already hydrated. After exercise, athletes need to drink 20-24 ounces of water or sports drink for every pound lost. If you do not want to weigh, a good rule of thumb is to drink that 20-24 ounces then continue to hydrate for the next 24 hours by maintaining pale urine. Everyone has different sweat rates and sweat electrolyte contents, so experiment to figure out what works best for you. With common sense and a hydration plan, athletes can achieve their optimal performance and stay healthy at the same time. *** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan *** Admit it; as much as you want to eat a healthful, wholesome diet, there are times when you really need to satisfy your sweet tooth. To many of us, summer means ice cream, popsicles and cold drinks.
Ice cream is made from milk so it must be good for you, right? Not always, especially if you are a fan of premium brands and popular toppings. Try these tips to balance out the treat.
Popsicles come in a variety of fun shapes and colors, but most are simply water and sugar.
Beverages are a great way to cool off and avoid dehydration, but limit sugar-sweetened soda, sweet tea, coffee drinks, cocktails and other empty-calorie drinks.
*** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan *** Food just seems to taste better when you cook and eat it outside! If you love grilling, you are not alone. This popular activity is at its peak in the summer, and it’s important to do it safely – with food safety, that is.
Your food-safe journey starts at the grocery store. Put your cold food in your cart last, including meat, fish and poultry. Be sure to keep these separate from your other food by putting them in an extra plastic bag and placing them on the bottom shelf of your shopping cart. This prevents cross-contamination, which occurs when raw meat juice touches other food. Head straight home from the store. If you’re shopping on an especially hot day or you think you might make a stop on the way, take a cooler and ice with you to store the meat, fish and poultry. Once home, put meats in your refrigerator right away; separate them from other foods. If you won’t be cooking them within 2 days, freeze them. When you are ready to grill, food safety experts recommend the following, adapted from www.foodsafety.gov and www.fightbac.org.
*** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan *** Does the government sequester make you nervous enough to turn to Ramen noodles and hot dogs for survival? Many people report their first budget cuts are to healthful foods, which seem like splurges in these unpredictable times. Fortunately, you can still buy nutritious, delicious foods without dipping into your savings account! Here are some ideas:
If you are willing to do a little planning and preparation, you can stock your kitchen with nutrient-packed foods that won’t break the bank! *** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan *** There’s nothing like waking up with a cold to motivate me to be more proactive about my health. Giving your immune system a boost can prevent cold viruses from claiming you as a victim, but many products are marketed as benefiting your immune system – ever wonder which ones may really work? I sorted through the hype to find the best tips for fighting colds and flu with a healthy diet.
Vitamin D seems to be at the top of every list, and with good reason. Vitamin D plays an important role in the immune system and studies have found that people with low vitamin D levels are at increased risk for colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. To make matters worse, our exposure to the sun —which makes your body produce vitamin D-- is limited in the winter, making more of us susceptible to a deficiency. Increase your intake of vitamin D by consuming more of these food sources:
Vitamin C is a popular fix, but it’s been documented that vitamin C does not prevent colds except in some people who are physically stressed, such as marathon runners. However, there is evidence that extra vitamin C during the first stage of a cold can help shorten its duration and intensity. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, which enhances immune defense and lowers risk of infection. Get plenty of these:
Probiotics are good bacteria that strengthen immunity and keep bad bacteria in check. Some research shows probiotics may reduce respiratory infections. Your best sources:
Protein is essential since it provides the building blocks of immune molecules. In addition to the dairy and fish already listed, include these protein sources on a regular basis:
Liquids are key to keeping your body hydrated, which helps your immune system keep viruses at bay. If you drink juice, limit it to 4-6 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice per day so that you don’t get excessive calories and sugar. Also include plenty of these:
Overall good nutrition also is important, so be sure to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. There is scientific evidence that what you eat and drink can affect your immune system. I hope you use these tips to stay healthy; I know I will! *** As seen in the Fort Collins Coloradoan *** |
Melissa Wdowik, PhD, RDN, LDN, FANDis a nutrition educator with over 20 years experience as a college professor, nutrition coach, presenter and writer, as well as a nutrition consultant and founding director of the Kendall Reagan Nutrition Center. Blog Categories
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