KTK-Nutrition

Are you eating some nuts every day?   When teaching nutrition, I often told my students little habits like eating a handful of nuts a day, can be good for your health.   Some people think healthy eating is giving up things like sweets, chips.   But I emphasize adding healthy foods to your day.   It is easy to add a handful of nuts to your day.   In one nutrition class I was teaching, I was talking about eating some nuts every day.   I looked over and a student had a can full of nuts and was munching away on them.   This student could afford the calories in more than a handful of nuts and he always brought to class some nutritious snack.   This week both my sister and my daughter sent me some good articles on nuts and I thought it would be good to discuss how healthy nuts are.    What are some health benefits of eating nuts? Nutrition :   nuts are loaded with vitamins, minerals, are low in carbs and the fat in nuts is a heart hea...

February is the American Heart Month, so this week we will look at heart health and what you can eat for a healthier heart.   There are many small changes you can make in your diet and lifestyle that can lead to healthier changes for your heart.   Why be concerned about heart health?   CDC states, “heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States”.   Another great source of information is The American Heart Association, the go to place for questions about heart health and how to adopt a heart healthy lifestyle.   What are some of heart healthy recommendations in terms of healthier eating and exercise?    Eating for a healthy heart:   Small steps to take Eat at home at least 3 times a week .    By skipping the fast food and restaurant meals you can prepare meals that are lower in fat, especially meals lower in saturated fat, and lower in sodium. Use more herbs and spices when cooking – keep the flavor while cutting b...

Many people are concerned about cholesterol levels and heart disease and stroke.   A lot of us have changed our diets thinking we are eating foods that lower cholesterol and giving up some foods that we had enjoyed for years.   This week my husband and I were treated to dinner at my daughter’s and son-in-law’s home.   We enjoyed some wonderful homemade crab cakes, fresh bread and potatoes.   An old-fashioned butter dish was on the table with a stick of real butter.   My daughter said they had switched from margarine to real butter as margarine had too many chemicals in it.   Interesting because my husband and I have switched back to real butter.   Since it is hard to spread, we get the butter mixed with canola oil.   I don’t think a little real butter will do much damage to our cholesterol levels.    What foods can you eat that have been found to lower blood cholesterol levels?   My sister sent me some articles on foods that lower y...

We all know that eating healthier foods will have a positive effect on our physical health.   How does what we eat affect our mental health?   Are there really “brain foods”?   A review of 41 studies on diet and depression was recently published in Molecular Psychology .   In their review, the researchers looked at different diets such as the DASH diet , the Mediterranean Diet and the Healthy Eating Index .    Most people realize that if you fill up on junk food, you won’t feel your best physically or mentally.   My neighbor calls it “brain fog”.   Research has shown that people who eat lots of fruits and vegetables and fish seem to have better mental health.   But is there an overall diet that is good for better mental health?   Yes.   The Mediterranean Diet came out on top in a review of many diets.   I wrote about the Mediterranean Diet in January as this diet is ranked number one as “Best Diets” for overall health by U.S...

Ever eat a meal and in no time at all you are hungry again?   My students often ask why sometimes they eat a meal and shortly after they are hungry?   But sometimes they eat a meal and they are hungry hours later.   Why do some meals fill you up and keep you feeling full for hours, yet other meals or food seem to leave you with an empty stomach not long after you eat? One reason is that some foods are digested rapidly and some foods take much longer to digest.   Some foods seem to fill you up and leave you feeling satiated.   What is satiated?   The book I use to teach nutrition, defines “satiety” as “the feeling of fullness and satisfaction that occurs after a meal and during eating.   Satiation determines how much food is consumed during a meal.” The Satiety Index My daughter sent me an article on the Satiety Index that rates different foods as to how full they make you feel after a meal.      Susanna Holt, PhD from Australia, ...