KTK-Nutrition

In the nutrition class I teach, students ask what they can do to have healthier skin.   Are there any foods that would promote healthier skin?   Yes.   Below is a list of things you can do and eat for healthier skin. In the next two weeks, we will review foods and nutrients that will help you look younger and healthier.    Water – keeping hydrated is one of the best things you can do for your skin.   By keeping hydrated you can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.   No, it won’t remove wrinkles but will give your skin a softer, smoother appearance.   Drinking fluids also helps your blood flow so improves circulation and gives you a glow.   Selenium – a trace mineral you might not have heard of.   This mineral helps protect your skin cells from damage.   Where can you find it?                         ...

Go to the dairy aisle in grocery stores and more and more space is being allotted to Greek yogurt.   Certainly a popular food item, but is it really healthier?    One healthy habit I discuss in the nutrition course I teach is to eat yogurt.   Daily is good but at least a few times a week.   Yogurt is definitely a healthy food and one that promotes good health in many ways. What is Greek yogurt?   It really isn’t imported yogurt from Greece.   It is called “Greek yogurt” because it is a thicker yogurt that is preferred in the Mediterranean.   It starts out the same as all yogurts but then they strain it to remove as much liquid (whey and lactose) as possible, which makes it a thicker yogurt. So what are the pros and cons of Greek yogurt?   Pros More Protein – yes, Greek yogurt has more protein per serving than other yogurt.   6 ounces of Greek yogurt usually supplies 17 grams of protein compared to 6-8 grams in regular yogurt. ...

Over the past couple of weeks, I wrote about how you can eat to fight off the afternoon doldrums, how you can energize your day with breakfast.    How can you be more energetic all day?   Are there foods you can eat that promote energy?   Yes, there are and there are many simple ways to eat to energize your day. 1.    Focus on Good Carbs + Protein.    Yes, a donut will give you some quick energy but then you have the slump once the sugar high wears off.    But combining a whole grain carb and low –fat protein can give you energy that lasts.   Whole grain carbs are digested more slowly and then the protein kicks in for even more lasting energy.   Some suggestions: a.        Peanut butter on whole grain bread or whole grain crackers   b.       Low fat cheese on whole grain crackers   c.        Hummus on whole grain crackers ...

Last week I wrote about how you can eat to fight off the afternoon doldrums.   But how can you start your day strong and full of energy?   What can you eat at breakfast that has “staying power” to get you through until lunch without hunger pains taking over at 10 AM?   Although the morning slump and being tired may have many reasons, one reason could be nutrition and what you are fueling yourself with at breakfast. Eat Breakfast – eat something .   Your body has been on “starvation” mode all night and now is running on empty.   You need to refuel to fill that empty tank.   Eating breakfast will help you be more alert, improve your concentration and even help you keep the pounds off as you won’t be heading for the snack machine at 10 AM.     Carbs – carbs provide the instant, short-term energy.   But not the “bad” carbs, the highly processed white flour and sugar carbs.   Eat the fruit for instant energy, the whole grains for a slower...

In the middle of the afternoon, do you feel tired and need an energy boost?    Are you full of energy in the morning and then by late afternoon, a nap sounds good?   Are there foods you can eat to help you maintain your energy throughout the day?    Or is there a food that will give you an afternoon pick up of energy when you need it? Men’s Health had a great article on Foods That Fight Off an Afternoon Slump .   Their suggestions: Green Tea – yes, skip the energy drink and have a cup of tea?   How can that energize you?   Tea offers not only caffeine but also theanine.   These will improve your reaction time; help your creativity and even your ability to multitask.   Rather than the caffeine jitters, cups of coffee might give you, green tea has a more calming effect.   (See more about the health effects of green tea in my blog post, Boost Your Health with Green Tea, 2-2-14). Almonds – I’ve written about the health benefits o...

Too many Americans are couch potatoes.   Not just sitting or lying on the couch but sitting and being sedentary for a good portion of the day.   In my recent nutrition class, we talked about overweight children.   A number of studies have shown overweight children don’t necessarily eat more than their peers but they do sit more than their peers and get much less exercise.   Not only is exercise beneficial to our health in many ways, it may actually reduce our risk of cancer and reduce inflammation.   An article in Environmental Nutrition notes, “Regular physical activity seems to reduce chronic low-grade inflammation that can lead to DNA damage and promotes unhealthy cell growth that can lead to cancer.”   (Cancer-fighting plant foods ) More physical exercise lowers our risk of a number of cancers. But one can’t just exercise for 30 minutes and then sit the rest of the day.   Studies have also shown sitting too much seems to negate some of the...

The World Health Organization created quite a stir recently when they announced we should cut our added sugar intake to only 5% of our daily calories ( WHO | Draft Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children ).     Sounds easy?   Not really as manufacturers sneak added sugar into almost every food we eat.   The WHO focused on all sugars, but in this blog I will focus on ADDED sugar, what manufacturers add in processing.   Added sugars are n ot sugars naturally present in foods like fructose in an apple or lactose in milk.    So what did the WHO propose and why?   Currently, WHO recommends added sugars should make up less than 10% of our daily calories. WHO Draft guidelines:   Sugar should be less than 10% of our total calories with even more health benefits if we reduce sugars to less than 5% of our daily calories. What is 5%?    This means reducing our sugars to about 25 grams a day or 6 teaspoons for adults. ...