KTK-Nutrition

Who hasn’t heard the recommendation that we all should drink 8 glasses of water a day?   Yes, drinking water is good for our health.   Water is actually a nutrient we need every day.   How much water?   The Institute of Medicine recommends women consume about 91 ounces of water a day (about 11.3 cups) from food and beverages and men consume 125 ounces a day (about 15.6 cups) from food and beverages.   Thus, not just water counts but all liquids like coffee, milk, tea, juice and the many foods that contribute water.    Many people don’t think of foods as hydrating, but foods like watermelon are up to 90% water so do contribute water to our daily needs.   In fact, the Institute of Medicine notes , “About 80 percent of people’s total water comes from drinking water and beverages – including caffeinated beverages- and the other 20 percent is derived from food.”   Thus, the Institute doesn’t recommend hydration in terms of the number of glasses of water per day as we can meet our body’s w

Most people say they want to “eat healthier” but then are puzzled by all the advertisements and bogus health claims.   Some of us substitute one food for another and think we are making healthier choices.   What are some food swaps that can fool us into thinking we are eating healthier?       1. . Granola vs. a sugary cereal – Granola can be a healthy choice if you make it yourself or choose wisely by reading the calories per serving and ingredients.   However, many granola mixes are very high in added sugars.   And watch the serving sizes.   Many times, the serving sizes for granola is a mere ¼ to ½ a cup.   Much less than the 1 cup cereal serving size.   By eating more than the ¼ to ½ cup serving of granola, you can easily eat an extra 300 calories.   Fine for an athlete in training but not so fine for a person wanting to lose or maintain their weight.   If you enjoy granola – it can be a healthy choice as most brands do provide some whole grains.   The first ingredient is ofte

Sports – so fun to have your kids play a sport.   Last week we noted that sports not only require skill but also fuel.   We noted how important it is to stay hydrated and how important carbs are to an athlete as carbs fuel the body.   What about maintaining weight?   Many teenagers lose weight when participating in sports as they not only need calories because they are growing, they need calories to fuel their sports activity.   A local basketball coach was alarmed when one of his players kept losing weight and lost 11 pounds over the basketball season.   And this was 11 pounds the teenager didn’t want to lose.   What are some ways an athlete can maintain their weight and muscle mass while playing sports?   What are some nutrition goals student athletes should focus on to “ eat better, play better ”? 1.        Maintaining Weight – Not surprising, maintaining weight involves calories.   Athletes, especially growing teenagers, need the calories for growth plus the calories to fuel t

Are you or your kids playing some sports this coming school year?  Will they be playing football , playing basketball or soccer?   Sports require not only skill but fuel – healthy nutrition to have energy for the game.   There is a lot of information on nutrition but what is reliable and what isn’t?   How important is just drinking enough water to performance?   What about salt and other electrolytes?   What should student athletes eat before games?   How can a student athlete prevent losing weight during the sports season?   I’ve known student athletes that struggle to maintain their weight during the sports season.   This week I was advising a coach on nutrition for students playing football but most of the same advice applies to students playing basketball or soccer.   In the next few weeks we will focus on sports nutrition.    What are some nutrition goals student athletes should focus on?  1.        Stay hydrated – so much fluid is lost in workouts and during games- espe