CAREFUL WITH THOSE FALL DRINKS

Now that we are into Fall the holidays will soon be approaching. Many of the Fall and holiday drinks are already out at our favorite beverage shops. If you are a diabetic or you are trying to watch your weight beware of all those tasty toasty coffee shop beverages. A 100 calories drink can quickly balloon to 400 or 500 calories! When you add syrups, whipped cream, caramel, etc the calories keep piling on. So what is a person to do? We don't want to give up those wonderful beverages but we can keep the calories count down.

Laura Jeffers, nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic says the more flavors and names you add to your beverage, the more calories you are piling on. After all, adding 200 calories to your diet a day can add up to a weight gain of 40 pounds a year. Yuck!

Ms. Jeffers suggests replacing whole milk or cream with skim milk and asking your barista to substitute sugar-free syrups in your drinks. Yes, they do have them and you will hardly, if at all, notice the difference. So enjoy your favorite Fall and holiday beverages but make a few changes when you place your order or make them at home.

HEALTHY DIET TIP

Everyone wants to be healthier and most claim they want to eat a healthy diet. Sadly,that is easier said than done. But it doesn't have to be that hard. For instance, one of the most important ways to a healthier diet is not what you eat but what you drink! Leave off the sugary drinks. That is not just sodas! That means sweet tea, lemonade, fruit juices, those sugar-laden coffee drinks, etc. Sugary drinks are one of the biggest diet mistakes we make according to Barbara Borik, RD, LDN, CDE, of the Diabetes & Nutrition Center at the Northwest Hospital of Randallstown, Maryland. She states that sugary drinks are empty calories! Do you really want to consume empty calories? You really can learn to enjoy drinks without sugar. When I was pregnant with my last child, over 40 years ago, the doctor recommended I cut back on sugar. I started drinking my tea unsweetened. It quickly became my favorite beverage and now I simply cannot stand sweetened tea. It is a matter of training oneself. So try unsweetened tea, coffee, etc. Add a slice of citrus fruit or a few berries to a glass or pitcher of water to add some flavor and learn to leave those sweetened beverages behind.

PROTEIN FOR MUSCLES

Once we humans reach around 50 years of age we start to have weakened muscles.  This is a normal part of the aging process but it is important we do what we can to maintain our muscles. Weakened muscles can cause falls which can be very damaging to older people. Maintaining our muscles helps us to function better overall. Protein is an important muscle builder so we must be sure we get enough in our diets. The average 150 pound adult needs approximately 55 grams of protein per day. Older folks should probably have more. Learn to read nutritional labels on your foods and monitor your protein intake for a week. See if you are getting at least the recommended amounts, especially if you are an older person like me. Discuss with your doctor if you find yourself falling short of the recommended amount.

This file photo shows some samples of protein foods to consider. (I am preaching to myself here as I do not like any of the foods pictured below. Shame on me!)

BROCCOLI IS A NUTRIENT POWERHOUSE

Eat your broccoli! Broccoli is full of nutrients and only has 40 calories per cup (raw). Broccoli is chock full of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B, calcium and iron. That's a lot of benefits for only 40 calories.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF BLACK RASPBERRIES

If black raspberries aren't currently part of your diet, consider adding them. Black raspberries contain a great amount of anthocyanins which are immunity-boosting antioxidants. They also contain ellagic acid which is both antiviral and antibacterial. Ellagic acid also works to detoxify the body. These berries are thought to be cancer fighters. Eat these tasty berries several times a week to reap the benefits.