KTK-Nutrition

The Food and Drug Administration announced new calories rules for restaurants.   This is part of the Affordable Care Act.   So what will be changing?           1.          Chain restaurants (those with 20 or more locations), pizza parlors, movie theaters will be required to post calories on their menus.          2.        Beverages on Menus – calorie content of beverages, including alcohol will be posted but not for mixed drinks at a bar.          3.        Grocery stores – buying a sandwich or a salad for yourself, then the calories will be noted.     Buying a rotisserie chicken or other item designed to a number of people and the calories need not be noted.           4.      ...

So much good information is coming out about coffee that some health professionals are wondering if they should recommend coffee for good health.   So what are some of these great health benefits and how much do you need to drink to get these benefits?   Health Benefits of Coffee      Reduced risk of many diseases including cardiovascular (heart) disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes – all these benefits for just drinking coffee. Reduced risk of skin cancer - about 3 cups of coffee a day reduced risk of skin cancer Reduced risk of depression , at least in women – 2-3 cups a day, helped lift one’s mood according to a Harvard University Research study Why is drinking coffee healthy?   Phytochemicals – coffee contains more of the phenolic phytochemical than tea or red wine, other phytochemicals in coffee are flavanols Antioxidants – these prevent damage to the cells in your body.   Coffee provides these benefic...

In the health class I teach, it is a challenge to get parents to serve fruit and veggies to kids.   Then when they do, they say the kids won’t eat the fruits and veggies.   Some of my students work in day care centers and the center tries to serve healthy fresh fruit and vegetables only to have the kids turn up their noses.   So how can parents, day care centers and others who work with kids, get the kids to eat more fruits and veggies?   For good health kids should eat a minimum of 5 A DAY – five fruits and veggies a day.   Many eat none.   So here are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control: 10 Ways to Help Kids Eat More Fruits and Veggies 1.     Keep a bowl of fresh fruits on the counter.   Keep cut up fruits and veggies in the fridge in small bags to easy snacks.                           ...

It is amazing how many people have no idea what a whole grain is and what foods are whole grain and which are just refined grains.   To have a healthy diet, one needs whole grains in their diet, yet so many people have no idea what that means.    I was presenting at a high school class while the students ate their lunches.   All the students said they ate whole grains.   When I asked them what on their lunch tray was whole grain they pointed to the white roll, the breading on their fried chicken, the mashed potatoes.   Of course, none of these foods are whole grain.  Fortunately, I was there to help them learn what whole grains were.     I’ve asked many adults what whole grain bread is and they respond, if the bread is dark in color, any brown at all, it is whole grain.   Not true. What is whole grain?   To be whole grain, the food needs to contain 100% of all parts of the grain seed including the bran, endosperm and germ. ...

Many people ask me how they can have energy throughout the day. They say they feel tired and wonder if there is anything they can eat that will give them more energy. Food is how your body fuels its engines, the right food will give you more lasting energy. An interesting article appeared in the Weill Cornell Medical College newsletter called “Avoid the Energy Roller Coaster”. What hints do they offer to keep you energized throughout the day?               ADD TO YOUR DIET         1.  Complex Carbs – so many people are “avoiding carbs”. And yes, there are carbs you should avoid such as foods with refined carbs, the added sugar and white flour carbs. But many complex carbs will not only provide energy but more longer lasting energy. Whole grains – these complex carbs will re-fuel your engines, have fiber to fill you up and will provide more lasting energy than refined ca...