KTK-Nutrition

Adding some citrus to your day can have great health benefits.   Yahoo has a good slide show on the many ways eating more citrus is good for your health. What are citrus foods?  Although most people can rattle off a host of citrus foods, surprisingly many people I talk to are unsure of what foods are in the citrus family. Oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, limes, lemons,   mandarin oranges, clementines are all citrus fruits. ( Top 10 Citrus Fruits ) What are the health benefits of eating citrus fruits? Vitamin C – a water soluble vitamin that you should be part of your diet every day.   Vitamin C is known for building our immune system and fighting off infections.   Eat just one orange and you get all the vitamin C you need for the day . Fiber – An orange can add 2.3 grams of fiber to your day.   A tangerine about 1.6 grams of fiber.   The soluble fiber in citrus fruits can help lower your cholesterol. Flavonoids – never heard flav...

Are there foods that can help control inflammation?   In our bodies we can have low-grade inflammation that can simmer along for years before raising its ugly head as cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or even heart disease.   There are foods that can help fight this low grade inflammation as described in Tame the Flame of Inflammation .          1.   Broccoli – not just broccoli but other vegetables in the cruciferous family – kale, Brussel sprouts, help lower inflammation.   The antioxidants in these foods seem to provide the benefits.   If you don’t like broccoli plain, add a cheese sauce, or put some in soups, on salads, in stir-fry dishes.         2.   Wheat berries and whole wheat – many people are shunning wheat and thus the benefits whole wheat can provide.   Wheat berries and whole wheat provide a polyphenol antioxidant that can lower inflammation.   Add some ...

How many times have we heard something about nutrition that we wonder, “Is that really true?”.   In class I showed a video about nutrition and the nutritionist stated potato skins are healthy.   Is this really true?    You may have heard nuts are fattening.   Is that true or a myth?   So here are some myths vs truths you may have heard and the real truth. Nuts are fattening – it is is true that nuts are higher in calories than some foods.   But they have recently discovered that almonds and perhaps all nuts have less calories than previously thought.   USDA researchers have found that almonds provide 130 calories per ounce, not the 170 calories they thought and you may still find on nutrition labels.   Why?   USDA was measuring all the calories in almonds and not the calories we digest.   Turns out we don’t absorb all the calories in almonds.   So enjoy almonds and other nuts.   A handful of nuts a day is actually a he...