KTK-Nutrition

So much carb confusion.   I am always amazed at how someone will take the top bun off a hamburger to cut calories but then eat a large order of fries and a large Coke.   They think the bun is bread so it is fattening while they load up on the added sugars in the Coke and the added fat in the fries.   The Dietary Guidelines don’t tell us to cut the carbs or to cut back on bread.   We actually need grains in our day, every day, every meal.   What are some healthy carbs we should have in our diet and what do the Dietary Guidelines say about carbs? Dietary Guidelines and carbs – what are the recommendations? The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines have nothing to say about cutting back on bread, even though so many people say they are cutting back on carbs and mean they are cutting back on bread.   The Dietary Guidelines really only advise on added sugars as those are the carbs we should cut back on. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend:   Li...

Who doesn’t want to stay hydrated and satisfy our thirst?   There are so many healthy ways to do so.   There are also many not-so-healthy drink choices.   Eat This, Not That! Has a great article on the “50 Unhealthiest Drinks on the Planet”.   Catchy title.   We won’t review all 50 of those unhealthy drinks, but we will review a few and tell you why they are so bad for your health.   But first, let’s review what are healthy drink choices. What are some drinks one should choose to satisfy thirst and to stay hydrated?   As noted in a previous blog, Is water the best for hydration? , some of the best choices for hydration are plain water, cow’s milk and 100% orange juice. After exercising, one can skip the sports drink and have a glass of water and eat a banana.       What should you try to avoid when choosing a healthy drink?   Basically, avoid drinks with a lot of added sugar.   The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines p...

How many calories are in those beverages you are drinking every day?   Many people drink high energy drinks, Starbuck’s coffee, soft drinks and drinks like Gatorade without even considering those calories.    And calories from beverages easily add up.    The Alliance for a Healthier Generation has some good advice for high school students that can be applied to all of us. Drop Liquid Calories is one of the Alliance for Health’s recommendations.   Many of us aren’t eating our calories but drinking our calories by consuming sugary beverages – soft drinks, energy drinks, sweetened ice tea, coffee with flavored syrups.   High school students and adults “are drinking more sugary beverages than ever before.”   As the website notes, the biggest source of added sugar in the diets of many of our youth are sugary beverages.   Surprisingly, many of these sugary beverages are provided by parents and they can easily change what beverages are in the ho...