KTK-Nutrition

Who hasn’t experienced the afternoon energy slump?   You did fine all morning, ate lunch and then about 2 or 3 pm, you have no energy, you are in an afternoon slump.   Some people then head to the snack machine for a candy bar in hopes that it will boost your energy.   It will, but then after the sugar rush your blood sugar may plummet and you are back to being tired.     Well rather than hit the snack machine for some high sugar, high salt food or grab a left-over donut in the break room, what are some ways and foods that can give you an afternoon pick me up?    What are some quick ways to deal with an afternoon slump?         Move around – so many people sit at their desk all day and even send an email to the co-worker next door.   Get up and ask the co-worker what you wanted instead of sending the email.   Get up and go the stairwell and go up and down a couple of flights of stairs. Drink some water . ...

When I talk to people about a healthy diet, they usually think of foods they need to give up and stop eating.   But they should be thinking about healthy foods they can add to their day.   Dr. Oz frequently mentions adding a handful of nuts to your day.   Why?   Because nuts are good for our health.   In one class I was lecturing on how healthy nuts were.   I looked at my students and one student was snacking on a container of nuts.   He said he loved eating nuts as a snack.   And what a healthy choice for a snack.   So why are nuts so good for our health?   Is one kind of nut better than another?   Consumer Reports has a great article, The Best Nuts for Your Health in the February 2019 issue.   Healthline also has a good article on the top nuts t o eat for better health.    Why are nuts a great snack food? When I go somewhere and I know lunch might be delayed, I pack some nuts to take along.   Packing...

But too many of us aren’t getting the calcium we need.   About 80% of teenage girls and 60% of teenage boys aren’t getting enough calcium in their diets. Most adults are also low in getting enough calcium taking in about 500-700 mg when they need 1000 mg of calcium a day.   The Dietary Guidelines recommend adults have 3 cups of milk or dairy servings every day.  How much calcium do you need each day? Probably more than you are getting.   The chart below shows how much calcium different age groups are getting.   If you aren’t drinking milk or having a yogurt at every meal, you are probably low in your calcium intake. Age Recommended Calcium (mg/day) Children 4-8 1000 Children/teens 9-18 1300 Adults 1000 Women over 50 and men over 70 1200 What foods provide calcium? Although some people take calcium supplements, calcium is best absorbed from food.   Dairy foods – ...

What fun to go hiking in the fall.    We just got back from hiking in the Shenandoah National Park.   Cooler weather, wonderful views, trees starting to turn colors and a great and fun way to exercise.    If you are hiking or going on a picnic this fall, bring some homemade trail mix.   If you make it yourself, or “make” it from bins in your local grocery store you can pick the options and the quality of the mix.   Sports Nutritionists and other recommend trail mix as a healthy way to refuel.   The fruit in trail mix offers many health benefits such as being good for your heart.   A 2016 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found those who ate one-half cup of fruit a day lowered their risk of heart disease.   And for those who forgo nuts because nuts are high in fat, a lot of research shows a handful of nuts a day can help you maintain, not gain weight.   Other studies show that eating nuts can help you lose weight. ...