KTK-Nutrition

Eating healthy isn’t hard, one just had to reduce the amount of processed food and focus more on fruits, vegetables and whole grains.   But what is processed food?   The Berkeley Wellness Letter (January 2016) outlined the various levels of “processed”.   Usually, the less processed the food, the better for your health.   Foods can range from highly processed to minimally processed.   Some processing is actually healthy for you.   For example, pasteurized milk is processed to kill the harmful bacteria so this is a good form of “processed” food.   Highly Processed Foods – For many of us, highly processed foods comprise up to 63% of our calories.   That is too much processed foods.   These are foods so full of processed ingredients they are no longer recognizable as being from a plant or animal source.   Some examples:                 Hot dogs, margarine, most baked goods, ice cream, candies.                    Also, snacks like Cheetos, Cheez-Its, Goldfish are highly processed.

What are “gut bugs” you might ask?   Last week we talked about E. Coli and how these “bugs” can make you sick.   But you also have good “bugs” or bacteria in your gut.   And guess what?   You need to feed this good bacteria.   They are now finding that having good bacteria in your gut has huge health benefits.   As Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen said in a recent article, the next time “you open the fridge, remember that you’re not eating just for one.   You’re also feeding the 100 trillion bacteria that call your digestive system home.”    (    By feeding these good gut bacteria you can: Help control your weight Promote heart health Stabilize blood sugar levels Improve your immune system Improve your mood So what can you do to feed your gut bugs and reap these health benefits? Probiotics – eating a yogurt a day is a good start.   Yogurt has probiotics which helps put the good bugs in your gut. Fiber rich plant foods – go for the whole grain breads, cereals and foods like Quinoa.

Chipotle has certainly been in the news about E. Coli outbreaks at its restaurants.   What is E. Coli and what can you do to avoid getting an infection?   WebMD, CNN, CDC and others have focused on E. Coli and provide some excellent tips for consumers. What is E. Coli? It is a bacteria and the official name is Escherichia coli.   Food infections can come from animals or humans.   It is found in both animal and human intestines.    A simple way to describe it is “Poop Germs”.   Many of us can have E. Coli in our intestines and it is harmless.   However, some strains can make you sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illnesses and if severe enough even kidney failure. What foods can be contaminated with E. Coli? Most commonly, E. Coli outbreaks are linked to undercooked hamburgers.   Produce can be contaminated and is the leading reason for outbreaks.   Raw milk as it hasn’t been pasteurized, and unpasteurized apple cider.   How does E. Coli get into our fo

If you haven’t added some yogurt to your daily diet, it would be a good time to start.   Many people that eat yogurt think only Greek yogurt is healthy but it doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt.   Find a yogurt you like, in a flavor you are willing to eat.   Here are some health benefits of yogurt and what to look for when choosing yogurt.  (Adapted from Yogurt and health).        1.          Does yogurt help your smile?   Yes.   Yogurt not only doesn’t cause cavities, it helps protect your teeth (calcium) and even helps prevent periodontal disease.         2.        Does yogurt help your brain?   Yes.   Surprisingly, researchers have found that your gut bacteria affect brain function.   So researchers studied the probiotics in yogurt and found yogurt improved brain cognition.        3.        How do the probiotics in yogurt help your health?   Probiotics are the “healthy bacteria” in yogurt.   These bacteria help your intestinal flora and may improve your immune system.