KTK-Nutrition

Feeling down, anxious, under stress?   Many people turn to food to boost their mood but then choose junk food, foods high in sugar and fat.   Junk foods won’t really help improve your mood.   What are some foods that not only are mood boosters but also good for your health? Good fats and your mood: The Harvard Health Blog notes the healthy omega-3 fats actually travel to our brains and interact “with mood-related molecules in the brain.   These healthy fats are also anti-inflammatory which helps “relieve depression”.   And omega-3 fats may help stabilize any mood swings.   (See:   What are omega 3 fats and why are they good for you? )   Some ways to add omega-3 fats to your day: Fish:   A good source of omega-3 fats are fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines.   Oils:   flaxseed oil and canola oil. Seeds:   Flaxseeds, chia seeds Nuts:   walnuts are high in omega-3 fats Green, leafy vegetables lik...

Have you ever heard of brain food?   Foods you can eat for a healthier brain?   I always told my students that before an exam they should drink some water.   Why?   Because even being slightly dehydrated (1%-5%) can adversely affect brain function .   A 2% decrease in brain hydration can result in short term memory loss and have trouble with math computations. Besides staying hydrated, what foods can you eat for a healthier brain? My sister sent me an interesting article, “ People who eat magnesium-rich foods like spinach and almonds may have bigger, healthier brains” .    Why magnesium?   According to NIH , about half of Americans have diets deficient in magnesium.   It is known as a “silent deficiency” as most people are totally unaware that they are lacking in magnesium.   What are the health benefits of magnesium?   Magnesium is a mineral that has many roles to play in your body.         Heart – ...

Who knew that what you eat affects your sleep.   Yes, overeating can lead to upset stomachs and affect your sleep.   Once my husband and I went out to a French restaurant.   We ordered some food with heavy sauces.   Our mistake.   We felt so full afterwards that we both could not sleep.   Others avoid coffee in the evening as the caffeine keeps them awake.   But are there foods that help promote better sleep? Americans need their sleep as the CDC says about one-third of us are failing to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep every night.   The Cleveland Clinic notes, A good night’s sleep is critical to our health, giving our bodies time to rest, repair and rebuild. There are no magic foods that will immediately help you sleep.   But there are foods and beverages that can help.   In general, eating foods higher in fiber and lower in saturated fat can lead “to deeper, more restorative sleep”.   What pre-bedtime be...

So many of us will be hitting the road as the weather warms up.   A relative is relocating from one state to another and is on a 29-hour road trip.   Other relatives are headed to the beach on a seven-hour road trip.   Too often those on a road trip push their health to the side and stop at Fast Food places for a quick bite to eat.   Even if one had good intentions to eat healthier a road trip can sabotage your efforts.   My husband showed me a good article on “How to Eat Healthy on the Road” in the AAA World magazine.   Many others have written on this topic.   On your next long road trip, how can you eat healthier?   As Wander Wisdom notes, Once I started bringing my own foods and snacks on trips, I felt noticeably better.   My energy levels were high, I was less hungry and I didn’t have to resort to eating the kind of unhealthy meals I’d never eat at home. Men’s Journal recommends avoiding the “feel bad” foods.   Skip the juice dr...

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...

Do you ever even think about the health of your joints or strength of your bones?   Younger people may not but   recent articles in Runner’s World and Bicycling.com brings these important topics to younger and older readers.   Why would younger people be interested in these topics?   My daughter recently was pleased to tell us she and her husband will be running a 10K this year.   This is quite the goal for her as she broke her ankle a few years ago.   I advised her to beef up her bone strength and sent her an article on boosting bone strength.   Older people are concerned about bone strength and joint health because of fear of broken bones and aching joints.    What are some foods and nutrients that promote bone strength and healthy joints? Calcium – Almost all the students I have taught know that calcium is needed for good bones.   But when they analyzed their diets, they were often low and sometimes really low in calcium. ...