Do you ever find that you know exactly how many calories are in a food you eat but you can't name one other thing about that food? I cannot tell you how many people I have come across that are like the calorieking database. Nutrition Facts panels have a lot more information than just how many calories are in the product. Here are some other things you may want to key in on:
1. Serving Size
Just because a product has fewer calories listed than another product does not mean that it really is a lower calorie product or even that it is equivalent to another product. For example, a granola cereal may state that it contains 200 calories and another puffed rice may say the same. However, when you look at the serving size, the granola cereal may have 200 calories in only a 1/2 cup portion while you could have 1 cup of the other! Of course it would be easier if foods from the same group had standard portions, but since they don't, be aware of the differences.
2. Fats
A healthy diet consists of 20-25% of your calories from fat so choosing nonfat foods all the time would not be a healthy choice. Low fat foods are ideal -- you get a little bit of fat to help you absorb vitamins and minerals but you are also cutting back on the saturated fat from your diet. There of 4 types of fats -- monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and trans. The first two are the fats that you wan to get the 20-25% of your daily calories from. The saturated and trans fats should be kept to less than 10% and less than 1% respectively. Why are they so bad for you? Saturated fat can increase your LDL (bad cholesterol) and trans fat goes even farther to lower your HDL (good cholesterol) and raise your LDL. When it comes to trans fat, food labels can be very sneaky. If a product has less than 0.5g trans fat in a serving, a label can claim that it is trans fat free! That may be okay if you only eat a serving of this food every once in a while but when your diet only allows for approximately 2g a day, there really is no room for this. You can figure out which foods contain trans fat but don't list it in the nutrition facts by reading the ingredients list and looking for the words "partially hydrogenated oil". That is a red flag that there are trans fats in the product and it may be a good idea to put the product back on the shelf and find an alternative.
3. Fiber
Listed under total carbohydrates, you can find two types of fiber -- soluble and insoluble. Some packages just list total fiber but others break it down into these two categories. Fiber is found in foods that contain fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. It is a fibrous substance that adds bulk to your food and will help you to stay full longer as it slows the digestive process. It is a great thing to have in a snack to hold you over until the next meal but not such a great option if you eat it pre-workout. Since it does delay digestion, it can cause stomach discomfort as your body will be trying to digest and work out at the same time. So, in summary: choose fiber whenever you can except when going to work out within the next hour or two.
4. Ingredient List
This is right below the box of nutrition facts. Here you will find the list of ingredients in the product in order of their amount (in weight) from greatest to least. This is a great place to check out what you are really eating. If you are looking for a wheat bread, you want to make sure that the first ingredient is 100% whole wheat. If you are looking for a cereal and want to know how healthy it is, see how close sugar is to the beginning of the list. If it is the 2nd or 3rd ingredient then you know that most of the calories are coming from sugar and not whole grains.
While there is much more that a nutrition panel can tell you, these are a few highlights that you would want to focus on. Yes, it does take a little more time in the grocery store to look at the food labels, but once you know what is a good choice, you won't have to read it the next trip.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
How Much Protein do I really need?
I'll just start with the facts: protein can be confusing. The Atkins diet greatly contributed to the idea of a high protein, low carb diet and you often hear athletes talking about protein and protein shakes all the time. The answer about how much you really need is basically that it depends. It depends on you -- one answer does not fit everyone. The dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat 0.8g/kg of body weight. Ok... now in pounds that is about 0.4g/lb. When I computed this for myself, I found it to be fairly close with the estimate -- about a 4g difference between estimating with pounds versus kilograms. This may surprise you that the amount of protein you need is probably not even close to 100g a day. Most Americans get almost 200% of the amount of protein they need. However, there are some exceptions to when you need more protein in your diet. If you are seriously looking to put on muscle in the gym, body builders often aim for 1g/pound but it may be more reasonable to stay closer to 0.5-0.8g/pound.
So, maybe you are thinking you are eating too much protein or maybe not enough. To evaluate your protein intake, you need to take a look at what you are eating. Protein is not just found in meat although it is one of the best sources. Generally, 1 oz. of meat is equivalent to 7g of protein. Meat is classified in the mypyramid recommendations as "meat and beans". Also in this group is seeds, nuts, eggs (whole and egg whites), and of course as the name suggests, beans. Based on the 2,000 calorie diet that most people need, it is recommended to consume 6 oz. equivalents of this group. The ounce equivalents of the meat and beans group differs for the non-meat foods but mypyramid.gov/pyramid/meat does a great job of outlining how much equals an ounce. It may surprise you that there are other sources of protein in your diet that contribute quite a bit of protein to your daily total. Milk has 8g in each cup and pasta has 7g in one cup. If you notice that you are eating too much protein, look at the rest of your diet. Does your lunch consist of a deli sandwich with an inch of meat on it? If so, it is possible that your diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables. Cut back on some of the meat, load up on veggies, and also only eat half the sandwich. Instead of that other half, try eating some fruit on the side. Is your diet lacking in protein even though you eat meat? You can increase your protein intake by choosing higher protein items of the same foods you already eat. For example, select Greek yogurt over the regular style. Many brands pack 15g of protein into one serving. You can also try pastas like Barilla plus that boasts of the extra protein in each serving.
If you are still questioning what a day's worth of protein looks like, here is an example:
For a 140 pound woman who is moderately active, she would need 56g of protein.
Breakfast:
1 cup light yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup granola cereal
Snack
1 cup grapes
1 mini bagel with jelly
Lunch
2 slices wheat bread
2 oz. turkey
tomatoes, onion, lettuce, green peppers, and avocado
1 cup strawberries
1 oz. wheat pretzel twists
Snack
3/4 cup baby carrots
2 tbsp. hummus
Dinner
2 cups romaine lettuce with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion
2 Tbsp.light dressing
1 cup wheat pasta
1 cup sauteed zucchini and summer squash with diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
Snack
1/2 cup frozen yogurt
For more information on good sources of protein or if you are meeting your needs, feel free to
e-mail me with questions.
So, maybe you are thinking you are eating too much protein or maybe not enough. To evaluate your protein intake, you need to take a look at what you are eating. Protein is not just found in meat although it is one of the best sources. Generally, 1 oz. of meat is equivalent to 7g of protein. Meat is classified in the mypyramid recommendations as "meat and beans". Also in this group is seeds, nuts, eggs (whole and egg whites), and of course as the name suggests, beans. Based on the 2,000 calorie diet that most people need, it is recommended to consume 6 oz. equivalents of this group. The ounce equivalents of the meat and beans group differs for the non-meat foods but mypyramid.gov/pyramid/meat does a great job of outlining how much equals an ounce. It may surprise you that there are other sources of protein in your diet that contribute quite a bit of protein to your daily total. Milk has 8g in each cup and pasta has 7g in one cup. If you notice that you are eating too much protein, look at the rest of your diet. Does your lunch consist of a deli sandwich with an inch of meat on it? If so, it is possible that your diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables. Cut back on some of the meat, load up on veggies, and also only eat half the sandwich. Instead of that other half, try eating some fruit on the side. Is your diet lacking in protein even though you eat meat? You can increase your protein intake by choosing higher protein items of the same foods you already eat. For example, select Greek yogurt over the regular style. Many brands pack 15g of protein into one serving. You can also try pastas like Barilla plus that boasts of the extra protein in each serving.
If you are still questioning what a day's worth of protein looks like, here is an example:
For a 140 pound woman who is moderately active, she would need 56g of protein.
Breakfast:
1 cup light yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup granola cereal
Snack
1 cup grapes
1 mini bagel with jelly
Lunch
2 slices wheat bread
2 oz. turkey
tomatoes, onion, lettuce, green peppers, and avocado
1 cup strawberries
1 oz. wheat pretzel twists
Snack
3/4 cup baby carrots
2 tbsp. hummus
Dinner
2 cups romaine lettuce with tomatoes, cucumber, and onion
2 Tbsp.light dressing
1 cup wheat pasta
1 cup sauteed zucchini and summer squash with diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
Snack
1/2 cup frozen yogurt
For more information on good sources of protein or if you are meeting your needs, feel free to
e-mail me with questions.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Want A Free Gym Membership?
Richmond Balance is offering all members a FREE Gym Membership For One Year !!!!!!
Membership Referral Program:
Sign up 5 new members at Richmond Balance between August 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 and receive a FREE gym membership valued at $588.00.
Rules and Regulations:
1) Offer only valid for referrals that sign a one or two year membership contract at Richmond Balance.
2) Members that sign up on a Partner/Family Membership or Add-on Members will be counted as separate members.
3) Offer not valid on Open Membership, Classes Only, or Personal Training Membership Contracts.
4) Offer not valid with any Corporate Membership Program.
5) Unless the new membership is paid in full, the enrollment charges and at least 2 monthly payments must be processed before the existing member is eligible to receive/ start free year.
6) Limit one free year per member.
7) Free year will start once the existing member has met their initial membership obligation terms.
Membership Referral Program:
Sign up 5 new members at Richmond Balance between August 1, 2009 and November 1, 2009 and receive a FREE gym membership valued at $588.00.
Rules and Regulations:
1) Offer only valid for referrals that sign a one or two year membership contract at Richmond Balance.
2) Members that sign up on a Partner/Family Membership or Add-on Members will be counted as separate members.
3) Offer not valid on Open Membership, Classes Only, or Personal Training Membership Contracts.
4) Offer not valid with any Corporate Membership Program.
5) Unless the new membership is paid in full, the enrollment charges and at least 2 monthly payments must be processed before the existing member is eligible to receive/ start free year.
6) Limit one free year per member.
7) Free year will start once the existing member has met their initial membership obligation terms.
Taking Advantage of Your Local Park
Remember those days when you were younger and you played on the playground and got in exercise? Don't know how to take advantage of your local park areas as the place to get your exercising in? Here are some tips to take advantage of those outdoor resources that are available to us everyday.
1. Take a look around your local park and pay special attention to any hills, stairs, or flat terrain areas. Paying special attention to this will allow you to access what natural resources are available to you to make your exercises a little more challenging. (i.e- doing lunges up stairs)
2. If there are trails available consider bringing your bike with you to get a good cardio workout.
3. Some parks have exercise stations at certain points to do muscles toning exercises. If you come accross these take advantage of them. They don't require any additional equipment and you can get an excellent workout without getting bored. If the park does not have exercises stations utilize the benches and bars at the playground to do pushups, tricep dips, pullups, and etc.
4. For cardio, utilize the trees, benches, and other items and natural resources as markers for sprinting and jogging. For example, sprint from one tree to another then jog back to the first tree. Continue to do this enough times to reach your target heart rate.
Don't forget to stretch after each workout and take in the natural resources around you as the atmosphere can be an excellent stress reducer.
1. Take a look around your local park and pay special attention to any hills, stairs, or flat terrain areas. Paying special attention to this will allow you to access what natural resources are available to you to make your exercises a little more challenging. (i.e- doing lunges up stairs)
2. If there are trails available consider bringing your bike with you to get a good cardio workout.
3. Some parks have exercise stations at certain points to do muscles toning exercises. If you come accross these take advantage of them. They don't require any additional equipment and you can get an excellent workout without getting bored. If the park does not have exercises stations utilize the benches and bars at the playground to do pushups, tricep dips, pullups, and etc.
4. For cardio, utilize the trees, benches, and other items and natural resources as markers for sprinting and jogging. For example, sprint from one tree to another then jog back to the first tree. Continue to do this enough times to reach your target heart rate.
Don't forget to stretch after each workout and take in the natural resources around you as the atmosphere can be an excellent stress reducer.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Catching up on Calcium for your Health
If you watch tv much, you may have seen the "Got Milk" commercials or the commercials that boast that drinking calcium can help you lose or maintain your weight. While there is some current research coming out that is suggesting that incorporating dairy into your diet can be beneficial to maintaining a healthy weight, it is definitely not a magic weight loss drink.
However, the calcium in milk and other dairy products has tremendous health benefits. Men and women age 19-51 need 1000mg of calcium every day. Did you know that 90% of adult women and 73% of adult men do not meed these guidelines? Calcium is critical to the health of your bones and teeth, and it also plays a key role in muscle contraction.
So how do you make sure you eat 1000mg of calcium each day? Milk provides 30% of your daily value (DV) so 1000mg can look like a little over 3 cups of milk each day. Not a milk drinker? Not a problem. Other dairy products like low fat cheese and yogurt are also good sources of calcium. You may need to check the label of some yogurts to see how much calcium you are getting as different types contain different amounts. For example, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than a regular yogurt but it is lower in calcium than a regular yogurt. Also, be conscious of serving sizes. MyPyramid for dietary guidelines (www.mypyramid.gov) recommends 3 cups of dairy a day but one yogurt cup may not equal one cup of dairy. Many yogurts come in lunch box size cups that are only 4 or 6 oz. and while they boast few calories, they may not be providing your body with enough calcium. If you don't like dairy products, you can look for fortified cereals and orange juice. These have calcium added to them so you get the health benefits of dairy even if you can't tolerate or just don't like milk products.
Sometimes you may find that as hard as you try, your diet is just not meeting the recommended amount of calcium. You can look into calcium supplementation but you should talk with your doctor or a nutritionist first to make sure it is really necessary. These pills are usually best absorbed when taken periodically through out the day instead of only at one time. Your body can only take in so much calcium at a time so even with food, it is best to spread out your calcium through out the day.
On an additional note, the main health benefit of calcium is its effect on bone density. You can do even more for healthy bones by participating in weight bearing exercise a few times a week. Activities like running, walking, and lifting weights are a great way to strengthen your bones. Healthy habits today can have huge benefits in the future when you have strong bones from eating enough calcium and putting time into exercise. Check out the website www.nationaldairycouncil.org for more ways you can incorporate dairy into your day.
However, the calcium in milk and other dairy products has tremendous health benefits. Men and women age 19-51 need 1000mg of calcium every day. Did you know that 90% of adult women and 73% of adult men do not meed these guidelines? Calcium is critical to the health of your bones and teeth, and it also plays a key role in muscle contraction.
So how do you make sure you eat 1000mg of calcium each day? Milk provides 30% of your daily value (DV) so 1000mg can look like a little over 3 cups of milk each day. Not a milk drinker? Not a problem. Other dairy products like low fat cheese and yogurt are also good sources of calcium. You may need to check the label of some yogurts to see how much calcium you are getting as different types contain different amounts. For example, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than a regular yogurt but it is lower in calcium than a regular yogurt. Also, be conscious of serving sizes. MyPyramid for dietary guidelines (www.mypyramid.gov) recommends 3 cups of dairy a day but one yogurt cup may not equal one cup of dairy. Many yogurts come in lunch box size cups that are only 4 or 6 oz. and while they boast few calories, they may not be providing your body with enough calcium. If you don't like dairy products, you can look for fortified cereals and orange juice. These have calcium added to them so you get the health benefits of dairy even if you can't tolerate or just don't like milk products.
Sometimes you may find that as hard as you try, your diet is just not meeting the recommended amount of calcium. You can look into calcium supplementation but you should talk with your doctor or a nutritionist first to make sure it is really necessary. These pills are usually best absorbed when taken periodically through out the day instead of only at one time. Your body can only take in so much calcium at a time so even with food, it is best to spread out your calcium through out the day.
On an additional note, the main health benefit of calcium is its effect on bone density. You can do even more for healthy bones by participating in weight bearing exercise a few times a week. Activities like running, walking, and lifting weights are a great way to strengthen your bones. Healthy habits today can have huge benefits in the future when you have strong bones from eating enough calcium and putting time into exercise. Check out the website www.nationaldairycouncil.org for more ways you can incorporate dairy into your day.
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