UNDERSTANDING FAT INFORMATION ON NUTRITION LABELS

Understanding fat in the diet is important. Yes, your body does need fat. There are healthy fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats and unhealthy fats such as trans fats and saturated fats. When you read the nutrition label on a food product it will list total fat. This number includes both the healthy and unhealthy fats. What is more important to you is what is listed under that number. There will be a breakdown of the unhealthy fats. Total the unhealthy fats number to decided where this product will fit into your diet. The lower the unhealthy fats number, the better the product is for you.

As you can see in this example almost half of the fat grams are unhealthy fats. Not a good choice. By the way, if you look on down you will see this item has only 1 gram of sugar per serving. I have no idea what this product label is for but it is a perfect example of a food product where they remove sugar and add fats for flavor. Always be aware of the fat grams on sugar-free or low-sugar products.

OPAL APPLES

Have you heard of the opal apple? It is described as lemony yellow and celery crisp and is said to be a sweet, tangy apple. This fairly new variety is a cross between the Golden Delicious and Topaz apples. These apples are perfect for cut apples as they naturally are non-browning. Great for lunch boxes, fruit plates, etc.

PROTEIN

 A recent article I came across from Diet and Nutrition (in part):

With dieting’s emphasis on low-fat, low-carb, and low-calorie, one essential ingredient for weight loss is often left out of the mix: protein. Numerous studies, including one published a few years ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association have shown that skipping high-protein foods may lead to overeating and is often one of the biggest causes of excess weight gain. And as any devoted exerciser knows, protein is essential for the growth and repair of muscle and organs, especially after a hard workout.

When planning your healthy meals, keep in mind that 10 to 35 percent of your daily food intake should be lean protein. For women, that’s 46 grams a day; for men, 56 grams. If you make the right choices throughout the day, you can easily hit your protein targets.

SLEEP TO HELP PREVENT DIABETES

Researchers at the University of Warwick in England conducted a multi-study analysis and found that persons sleeping less than 5 to 6 hours a night were 28% more likely to develop diabetes than persons who slept 6 to 8 hours a night. And yes, in this case, you can catch up on sleep on the weekend. Another study found that persons who added more sleep hours on the weekend found their insulin sensitivity was improved.  Get your zzzzzzs!

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ARE YOU EATING TOO MUCH SUGAR?

Are you eating too much sugar? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men, but most Americans consume more like 22 teaspoons daily! You can get an idea how much you’re eating by taking the number of grams of sugar per serving in your food (back to reading those food labels) and dividing it by four — that’s how many teaspoons of added sugar are in each serving.

% DAILY VALUE ON NUTRITION LABEL

People often overlook the % Daily Value when reading nutrition labels because they simply don't know how that computes to their entire day of eating. Here is a simple way to understand those numbers a little better:

5% daily value or less means that food is low in said nutrient while 20% or more daily value means that food is high in said nutrient.

SERVING SIZE

What you choose to eat is important but just as important is knowing how much you eat. You regular readers know I am always saying to read the nutrition labels of everything you eat and serving size is one of the reasons why. It doesn't matter how many calories, fat, etc it says per serving if you don't look to see how many servings are in the bag, can, package, bottle, etc. If you pick up a bag of candy, for example, and you read the nutrition facts thinking, "Oh that's not too bad", you could be wrong. That information is listed per serving so if that bag contains 2 or 3 servings and you eat the whole bag, well you just ate 2 to 3 times what you think you did in calories, etc. With nuts, chips, etc, the serving size is often counted per nut, chip, etc. Pay attention to your serving sizes and eat accordingly.

CUT BACK ON FAST FOOD TO HELP WITH ASTHMA?

A study published in Thorax analyzed 50,000 children from around the world over a 10-year period and found that eating three or more burgers a week could boost a child's risk of having asthma. The risk was prevented or greatly lowered when the children were fed a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and fish. Those foods are low in saturated fats and are packed with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties.

If you or your child have asthma and you eat fast food several times a week, I suggest trying to get more of the fish, fruits, and veggies into your diet. You just might breathe easier!

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BENEFITS OF CHIA SEEDS

 

WHY WE NEED FIBER IN OUR DIETS

Here's a list of some reasons it is important to have fiber in our diets. If you have any of these problems perhaps you should increase your fiber intake. Nutrition labels on food products list the fiber quantity.

1. Helps control blood sugar levels.
2. Lowers blood cholesterol levels.
3. Reduces blood pressure.
4. Helps with weight loss.
5. Helps prevent constipation and diarrhea.

INFORMATION ON BANANAS FOR DIABETICS

There is always confusion about whether or not diabetics can eat bananas. Personally, I eat them often and cook/bake with them all the time and I never have a blood sugar problem from them (yes, I am diabetic). I do, however, eat them just barely ripe and I only eat a small to medium one. I make banana bread but add cinnamon and nuts, both blood sugar stabilizers. I also make banana pudding using Splenda and I use the just barely ripe bananas in it.  Here are some facts from Amy Reeder, registered dietitian, about bananas.

• Bananas are a healthy way to get nutrients such as potassium, vitamin C, and fiber.
• Bananas do contain carbohydrates.
• Bananas are sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and fat-free.
• Counting the carbs in a banana is tricky because it depends on the size and the ripeness of each banana. This chart will help you figure the carb grams in bananas based on size:

6 inches or less: 18.5 grams

6-7 inches: 23 grams

7-8 inches: 27 grams

8-9 inches: 31 grams

9 inches or larger: 35 grams

• If a medium banana has 31 g carbs this would be the breakdown: 19 g would be sugar, 11 would be starch and that includes 3 g of fiber.
• Bananas are considered low glycemic index foods. A medium banana has a glycemic index of 51(anything under 55 is low glycemic). But as with carb grams, glycemic index numbers change with the banana depending on its ripeness. Check the chart that follows:

Medium fully ripe = 51 gi

Medium under ripe (still some green on peel) = 42 gi

Medium over-ripe (some brown spots starting to appear on peel) = 48 gi

• Plantains are members of the banana family. Plantains fall into the green banana category and are eaten cooked, usually fried.
• Note: Be cautious of dried banana chips as they usually have a higher sugar and fat content due to preparation. Read labels carefully and it you eat them, eat them with nuts.

MAKE SIMPLE HEALTHY CHANGES WITH SLOW COOKER COOKING

This is a message I received from an email a few years ago. I thought it was very interesting and simple to do. I am going to try it, why don't you try it, too?

This is called a 'Slow-Cooker Switcheroo'.

Halve the amount of starch (potatoes, pasta, rice, etc), double the veggies, use the amount of protein called for in the recipe to make healthier meals.

Brian Wansank, Ph.D. did a study some time ago trying to teach people to use slow-cookers to produce healthy meals. They asked participants to cook a recipe in a slow-cooker and report back as to how it tasted. The next week, they asked the same people to prepare the same recipe with the same amount of meat but to double the vegetables and to half the starch (see above). When the participants came back and were questioned the next week they reported they didn't notice any difference in taste.

Bottom line, you can halve the starch, double the vegetables and not notice a difference in taste but your meal with be healthier. So if you are tired of grilled chicken and steamed veggies, get out the slow-cooker and change your recipe around a little.

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AN IMPORTANT REASON TO EAT A HEALTHY BREAKFAST

Eating breakfast is important to get your body adjusted to its daytime regimen but it is important that your breakfast be a healthy one. Forget that Danish or doughnut and eat something healthy. It has been shown that eating a healthy breakfast can help keep short-term memory and attention at top performance levels all day long. (Remember this when sending the kids off to school!) Some of the superstar foods for the brain are high-fiber whole grains, lean protein, and whole fruit, all healthy breakfast foods. And have a cup of coffee or hot tea with that breakfast. The mild stimulant found in coffee and some teas improves mental acuity and boosts your ability to concentrate. Note: Many teas do not actually contain tea. Drink one that does in the morning, you can enjoy other teas later in the day.

BASIC HEALTHY EATING HABITS

If you follow this blog you know I have several auto-immune diseases including diabetes. Since my diabetes diagnosis at age 60 I have done extensive nutritional research and successfully learned to control my diabetes and improve my overall health. At age 73 I am proud of my health and that I am able to take care of my invalid husband, cook for the homeless and manage the church bookstore. I do not have to follow a yucky diet as many may believe and you don't have to, either. I eat small meals about every 4 hours and I watch what I eat and how it is prepared. I try not to eat anything after 7 pm except for a slice of cheese to help regulate my overnight blood sugar. If I need something I make sure it is a small quantity of a healthy food. I have gone from a blood sugar level of almost 500 at my diagnosis to an average of around 100 -125 daily. I take 1 pill a day for by blood sugar and do the rest with diet. It is amazing how this has improved my overall health. My cholesterol is about half what it used to be and I have gone from extremely high liver enzymes to normal. I have routine blood work every 6 months to follow up and it continues to be excellent. If you are interested in improving your health here are some simple guidelines to follow:

• Eat a variety of foods. Do not drop any particular category of foods without discussing it with your doctor first.
• Watch your portions. You can eat too much even of a good thing!
• Read food labels. Know what you are eating! Check calories, carbs, protein, fat (avoid trans fats), sodium, and sugar amounts on everything you buy.
• Eat on a regular basis, no skipping meals.
• Eat small meals several times a day instead of large meals once or twice a day.
• Always eat breakfast. The word breakfast means breaking the fast. This is how your body knows you are up and it needs to leave sleep mode.
• Match the amount you eat to your activity level. Don't eat for mountain climbing if you will be sitting at a desk all day!
• Go for whole foods over processed foods.

By practicing healthy eating habits you will quickly see how easy it is and how much your health (and weight loss is usually an added bonus) improves.

INFLAMMATION AND THE HEART

The foods that help dial down inflammation are also healthy for your heart. February is known as heart month so I will add the heart into the posts made recently about inflammation. You probably know heart disease develops when the arteries supplying the blood to the heart become blocked. Wouldn't you know it? That nasty inflammation is one of the main reasons for those blockages. The immune system thinks cholesterol is an invader. The body's reaction to an invader is to release white blood cells. Donna Arnett, Ph.D, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Public Health and a past president of the AHA says those white cells become lodged in the coronary arteries and eventually turn into plaque. "With continued inflammation, the plaque can build up and rupture and cause a heart attack," Ms. Arnett states. According to her, one of your best strategies for reducing cholesterol is a healthy diet of whole foods and that goes right back to the foods we have featured the past few days.

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SPICES HELP TO DIAL DOWN INFLAMMATION

Don't forget the spices when trying to lesson the inflammation in your body! Many of the spices so common in our kitchens have anti-inflammatory properties but turmeric has proven to be especially powerful However, basil, cinnamon, ginger, and oregano are also great for fighting inflammation. Turmeric stands out because of its main active ingredient which is curcumin. Curcurmin prevents certain molecules from entering cells thus activating genes related to inflammation. To get the best results from turmeric use it with black pepper to help with absorption and a healthy fat such as olive oil. Amy Gorin, M.S, R.D.N.  says, "The fat helps slow the rate at which the curcumin degrades, increasing the benefits."

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