KTK-Nutrition

Many people are coffee lovers including me.   But I also enjoy a cup or two of tea every day.   Add some tea to your day and you add many health benefits.   Tea is rich in antioxidants, some vitamins, and minerals, and has been linked to improved heart health, better digestion, and enhanced mental clarity.   Some studies have shown tea may decrease one’s risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.   Whether you prefer green, black, oolong, white or herbal teas, each type of tea offers its unique array of health-promoting properties.   In this blog post I explore the many health benefits of enjoying some tea.    Black Tea What is it made from?   Made from leaves of a plant.   Oxidation , “leaves exposed to moist oxygen-rich air”, is what turns the leaves from green to a black color.   Examples:   English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling Black Tea, Ceylon Black Tea   Health Benefits:   Heart: Drink black tea often an...

According to CDC , about 34-36 million Americans have type 2 diabetes.   Although type 2 diabetes develops more often in people over 45, more and more children, teens and young adults are developing type 2 diabetes.   In addition to type 2 diabetes, as of 2021 an estimated 97.6 million Americans aged 18 and older had prediabetes or about 1 in 3 adults.   Unlike type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed with some lifestyle changes.   Are there foods you can eat that would lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes? Yes.   Foods high in a substance called flavonoids can help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.   What are flavonoids? Flavonoids are compounds found in certain foods and beverages including some fruits, vegetables, teas and some other plant-based foods.   These flavonoids help give “fruits and vegetables their deep, rich colors”.     Studies have found that consuming a diet rich in flavono...

Yogurt was in the news this week.   Why?   Because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will let yogurt companies put a new health claim on yogurt.   One company, Danone North America requested the FDA let them put a health claim on yogurt that eating yogurt reduces one’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.     What evidence did the Danone North America company submit to FDA related to yogurt and type 2 diabetes? Amanda Blechman, a registered dietitian with the company, stated that Danone filed a petition with the FDA reviewing 32 research studies on yogurt and type 2 diabetes.   These studies show that eating some yogurt may help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.   A Harvard study “found that a daily serving of yogurt was linked to an 18% lower risk of type 2 diabetes”.       What did FDA decide? FDA noted “there is some credible evidence supporting a relationship between yogurt intake and reduced risk of...

Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffei...

Ask people if they eat a healthy diet and many will say, “yes”.   But when you start getting specific, you find their diet may lack many nutrients.   The students in my class are often surprised to learn their diets are low in calcium and low in vitamin D.   But there is another nutrient often lacking in their diets and probably is lacking in your diet.   A dietitian noted there is a “‘power nutrient’ she eats for a longer, healthier life.” A “power nutrient” that about 95% of all Americans are lacking in their diet.   Many people hear the word ‘nutrient” and they think vitamins, minerals, or proteins, fat and carbs.   But they rarely think, “fiber”.   Fiber – the “power nutrient” you may be lacking in your diet. The American Society for Nutrition found that a large majority, 95% of us, have diets low in fiber.   More specifically, they reported “only 5% of men and 9% of women are getting the recommended daily amount of dietary fiber”. ...

Carbs, carbs, carbs.   Last week we discussed two big carb myths .   One, the myth that grains are bad for you when they are not.   Two, that carbs are fattening when carbs such as whole grain carbs are good for your health, help you feel fuller and help one lose weight, not gain weight.      This week we will review any more myths about carbs .   Are you falling for some of these carb myths?   For every fact out there about carbs, you probably can find some fake information about carbs.   Before believing some of these fake posts, check out the information on WebMD, Mayo Clinic, a .gov website to see if the information is true. Myth #3:   Natural Sugars:   good or bad? Sugars – Americans eat a lot of sugar.   Some of the “sugar” is natural and already present in food.   But much of the sugar in our diets is added to foods.   Look at the ingredients on food in your pantry and you may be surprised at how many ...

So much bad information about carbs.   People are always “cutting their carbs”.   There are some carbs you should cut, but other carbs are quite healthy and ones you need in your diet.   Environmental Nutrition has a great article on “ Are Carbs the Enemy?   Six Myths about Carbs ”.   Ever go out to eat with someone and they take off the bun from the hamburger because they think “bread is fattening” but then they go on to eat the French fries and a large dessert?   My daughter observed some women going past the bread aisle because “bread is fattening” but then loaded their shopping cart with pastries.   One has to wonder why bread is fattening but somehow pastries aren’t? Myth #1:   Grains are bad for you Actually, you want grains and carbs in your diet.   About half the calories you take in each day, should be carb calories.   Grains are a great way to get carbs, especially whole grains as whole grains add so many important nu...