KTK-Nutrition

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day but many of us are rushing out the door with little time for a sit down breakfast.   How can you pack a healthier, “breakfast to go”?    There are many ideas and healthy options to choose from. Lighter Fare – want something nutritious that will help energize you for the day but not loaded with calories?   Cooking Light always has some helpful suggestions such as: 12 Smart Ideas for Breakfast On the Go . Single serving cereals – a good choice to bring with you to eat at your desk.   Choose whole grain cereals like Cheerios, oatmeal. Whole grain crackers with a cheese stick or 2 – Triscuits, Wheat Thins plus a cheese stick, choose a   brand that is made from 2% milk Hard boiled eggs – boil some eggs ahead of time and have them ready to grab in the morning.   Eggs are low calories, loaded with nutrition and a great source of high quality protein.   Low Fat yogurt plus a whole grain sandwich thin Smoothie – blend yogurt with any fresh

Why focus on protein?   Americans eat a lot of protein but usually at dinner.    New research is showing how important eating protein is at breakfast and lunch and not just at dinner time.   Focus on Protein to Boost Your Muscle Mass   Eating protein at breakfast and lunch can help boost muscle mass.   This is increasingly important as people get older and they start to loose muscle mass.   A study of healthy older adults found that those who added protein to breakfast and lunch added muscle mass.   Your peak muscle mass is in your 30’s.   Then is it a downward trend unless one focuses on protein and resistance training. Why spread protein out between breakfast, lunch and dinner? A study at the University of Texas found your body had 25% more muscle synthesis when protein was spread throughout 3 meals a day and not just emphasizing protein at dinner.   They note that the study participants didn’t increase how much protein they ate, but changed when they ate it with protein mor

What does eating “clean” mean?   Is it healthier eating, a fad?    Some people have confused clean eating with very faddish and sometimes bizarre recommendations.   Basically the term, “eating clean” means you are eating whole foods, foods from the farm with less added fat, added sugar and eating less junk food.    There actually is a book , Eating Clean for Dummies   that describe the principles of “eating clean”.    They even have an Eating Clean Cheat Sheet to provide the basic principles of “eating clean”.   So how can you “eat clean”?     Focus on whole foods , the ones that come straight from the farm.    Choose less processed foods.   Choose whole fruits, whole vegetables, and whole grains.   Fresh fruits and vegetables are good, but frozen is also a good choice, canned beans are a good way to add beans to your diet or buy Hummus.   Whole apple vs apple juice   Fresh fruit cup vs fruit cocktail from the can Baked potato vs French fries Whole grain cereal for breakfas

So many Americans are being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes or pre-diabetes.    Already 23 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes and an estimated 7 million Americans aren’t even aware they have Type 2 Diabetes .    Even more alarming is the 86 million Americans that have pre-diabetes, one step away from developing Type 2 diabetes.   Diabetes is a serious disease and complications from having diabetes can lead to major health problems including: vision problems, heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, and even nerve damage.   What is Type 2 Diabetes? The American Diabetes Association describe Type 2 diabetes as your body not using insulin properly.   Sugar or glucose builds up in your blood and you have high blood sugar or hyperglycemia.   At first your body produces more insulin to try to get this extra sugar (glucose) into your cells and out of your blood.   But then the pancreas can’t keep up and can’t make enough insulin so your blood sugar levels (glucose) rise above normal.