AND tip of the day: Beat the Flu Bug

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 31, 2013

Beat the Flu Bug

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January and February are the peak months of flu activity. The best defense against the flu is a year-round offense including eating right, staying active, getting enough rest and minimizing stress.
Several nutrients may play a role in enhancing your immunity. Beta carotene in deep-yellow fruits and veggies and dark-green leafy greens; vitamin B6 in whole grains, legumes, chicken and pork; vitamin C in citrus fruit, berries and melon; vitamin E in wheat germ and nuts; protein in dairy foods, meat, poultry, fish and legumes; selenium in meat and seafood; zinc in beef and seafood. Friendly bacteria in yogurt with live cultures may also help build immunity.
For more information about boosting your immune system through nutrition, consult a registered dietitian in your area and learn more about vitamins and nutrients.

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Making Mr. Right

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 30, 2013

Making Mr. Right

A nutrient-rich diet and a healthy lifestyle is a man’s strongest line of defense against preventable illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and stroke. Develop a healthful eating plan now to help prevent the development of illness and disease later in life.
A healthy diet for men includes:

• Filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables.
• Including tomatoes or a tomato-based food like pasta sauce in your diet because research indicates that the antioxidant lycopene found in tomato products may help prevent prostate cancer.
• Making at least half of your grains, whole grains. Replace refined grains with whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
• At least two to three 8-ounce servings of fish per week
• Choosing lean meats.
• At least 38 grams of fiber a day for younger men; 30 grams of fiber a day for men older than 50.
• Choosing unsaturated fats like oils, nuts and salad dressings instead of saturated fats like full-fat dairy foods, butter and high-fat sweets.
• 4,700 milligrams a day of potassium from fruits, vegetables and milk products.
• Less sodium than you think. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, which is about 1 teaspoon of salt.

For more information on a healthier lifestyle for men, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit http://www.EatRight.org/MensHealth.

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Control Your Restaurant Portions

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 29, 2013

Control Your Restaurant Portions

If restaurant portions are too big for you, remember that you have choices when dining out. You can control your portions and calories by what you order and having a plan for what happens when your food is served.

• Before you order, ask yourself, “How hungry am I?”
• Order before everyone else does so you won’t be influenced by their orders.
• Many restaurants now offer different sizes of entrée meals called appetizer portions or lunch portions.
• Split an entrée with someone.
• Order an appetizer and a salad (with light or non-fat dressing) instead of a full entrée.
• Plan on tonight’s dinner being tomorrow’s lunch. As soon as your meal comes, ask your server to pack up half to go.
• Pass on all-you-can-eat specials, buffets and unlimited salad and food bars if you tend to eat too much.

For more information on how to lead a healthier lifestyle when dining out, consult a registered dietitian and visit the Academy's Eating Out section.
SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Cheers for Beers

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 28, 2013

Cheers for Beers

While red wine is often publicized as the heart-healthy libation, evidence is showing beer has a great deal of nutrition and health-promoting qualities as well.
Like wine, in moderation beer can even be good for you:

• Researchers found that beer lowered the risk of kidney stones in men compared to other alcoholic beverages. Compounds in hops may also slow the release of calcium from bone that is implicated in kidney stones.
• Made from barley, beer contains a type of soluble fiber credited with improving heart health by lowering cholesterol levels. A 12-ounce bottle of lager contains 0.75 grams of fiber and the same amount of dark beer boasts 1.3 grams
• Beer provides B vitamins like folate, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12. One 12-ounce beer supplies 3 percent of the B12 and 12.5 percent of the vitamin B6 you need in a day
• It can aid in strengthening your skeleton. While heavy drinking can weaken bones, a couple of beers a day can make them stronger. Beer is rich in silicon, an element found in few foods and drinks, which has been linked to stronger bones.
• It's perfectly packaged for portion control. Because beer comes neatly premeasured in its own bottle or can, you'll know when to say when. For the biggest health benefits drink no more than one to two beers a day.

For more information on leading a healthier lifestyle, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit the Academy's Eat Right Nutrition Tips.

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Eating Right on a Budget

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 24, 2013

Eating Right on a Budget

Credit card statements from the holidays are hitting the mailboxes and it’s time to tighten our purse strings again.
The key to keeping food costs low when grocery shopping is to have a plan before you hit the store. Take an inventory of what you have on hand and what you’ll need and make a shopping list to avoid impulse purchases or costly mistakes.
Other ways to reduce cost and control portions and quality are:

• Don't shop when you're hungry. If you do, you’re more likely to make impulse purchases on less nutritious items that cost more.
• Check for supermarket specials in the newspaper and online and plan your meals around what’s on sale.
• Buy cheaper meat cuts such as the beef round.
• Buy whole chickens to cut up into batches to cook, dividing them into servings and saving the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer for future meals.
• Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally grown.
• Buying frozen or canned foods can sometimes save even more than buying fresh produce since there isn’t the chance of having to throw out rotted fresh produce.
• Buy store brands, sometimes called private label, instead of their name brand counterparts, to save you money. Store brands are nutritionally equivalent to the name brand items.

For more information on getting the most for your dollar at the grocery store, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit the Academy's Savvy Food Shopping section.

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Sitting at Work and Diabetes in Women

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 21, 2013

Sitting at Work and Diabetes in Women

Women who spend four to seven hours a day sitting at work are more likely to show early signs of Type 2 diabetes, according to a 2012 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
If you have a desk job, fight the urge to be a desk potato:

• Take frequent breaks throughout the day — go for a walk or go to the gym during lunch.
• Instead of calling or emailing a coworker, walk to his or her office to talk.
• Stand while you’re on the phone.
• Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. And walking to and from the water cooler will give you a chance to stretch your legs.
• Keep the candy bowl off your desk to avoid the urge to snack.

It’s also important to know your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, older age, family history of diabetes, history of gestational diabetes or race/ethnicity.
For more information on the prevention of Type 2 diabetes in women, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit www.EatRight.org/WomensHealth.

SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Shopping for One

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 14, 2013

Shopping for One

Buying in bulk seems to be all the rage, but what if your household is only one or two people?

• Buy frozen fruits and vegetables in bags, not boxes. Pour out just what you need and reseal and put back in the freezer.
• Eat a greater variety of food by buying single-serve packages. Juice, yogurt, frozen meals, soup and low-fat cheeses among others are all available in single-serve portions. This may also help you with portion control!
• If you’d like to take advantage of the cost savings of economy-size packages at warehouse stores, share your bulk buys with a friend.
• Decide if the bigger package with the lower unit price is really a saving. You’re not saving if you can’t eat it all.
• Shop from bulk bins so you are able to purchase only the amount you need.
• At home repackage meat, poultry, and fish into single portions in freezer wrap or plastic freezer bags and freeze for use when needed.
• Produce like broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, apples, grapefruit, melons, oranges, pears and tangerines keep longer in the refrigerator. Purchase more of these foods to cut down on waste.

For more information on getting the most from your dollar at the grocery store, consult a registered dietitian in your area and learn more about savvy food shopping.


SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Start the Year with a Sidekick

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 11, 2013

Start the Year with a Sidekick

This time of year, it’s easy to skip the gym in favor of snuggling up with loved ones for a movie on the couch. It can be easy to slip into a lazy routine, especially in these cold months. However, loved ones and friends can also be your biggest advocates to achieve a healthy weight.
Take time to evaluate your eating and physical activity plans and consider ways to work together towards a healthier lifestyle in the New Year:

• Plan your meals and shop for groceries together. Develop an eating plan that includes plenty of fruit and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains as part of most meals. Then cook them together.
• Exercise together. A workout plan including two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate physical activity or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous activity is essential to maintaining a healthy weight. Exercising together is a great way to support each other and spend more time together.
• Be a pillar of support. If loved ones start to waver on the plan you established together, be there as a source of encouragement and support.

For more information on leading a healthier lifestyle, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit the Academy's Healthy Weight Section.



SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Winter Workouts

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 4, 2013

Winter Workouts

Don't let the cold weather prevent you from getting your daily physical activity. Try these simple, calorie-burning activities that can be done inside your warm home:

• Vacuuming
• Brisk walking
• Ironing clothes
• Jogging in place
• Sweeping or dusting
• Dancing

For more information on how to lead a healthier lifestyle, consult a registered dietitian in your area and check out Eat Right Nutrition Tips.


SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Flavored with What?

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 3, 2013

Flavored with What?

The popularity of bottled water has soared in recent years. After soft drinks, people in the United States drink more bottled water than any other beverage. Bottled water is available in flavors from blackberry to raspberry and the taste of these flavored waters may encourage people to drink more water which is great, but what really are flavored waters?
Flavored waters may have just a hint of flavor, derived from a natural fruit essence. Some may also contain sugar or low-calorie sweeteners and artificial flavors. Remember that being clear like water doesn’t mean that a drink is simply water, so always read the label to find out what’s in your flavored water.
For more information on leading a healthier lifestyle, consult a registered dietitian in your area and visit the Academy's Nutrition Facts Panel section.


SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

AND tip of the day: Web of Confusion

 

 

TIP OF THE DAY

 

January 2, 2013

Web of Confusion

People are resolving to start 2013 anew by losing weight. Many of us will be searching for tips on blogs and other social media sites for healthful eating advice and nutrition information. While there is plenty of reliable, consumer-friendly nutrition information available online, there is also much nutrition hype, fad diets, misleading reports and nutrition quackery.
Determine if a website, blog, or other social media platform providing the information is reliable by asking if the resource:

• Clearly identifies its purpose
• Identifies who runs the site
• Names the writers or maybe the editorial reviews or board, with their credentials and perhaps an affiliation
• Provides facts and cited sources, not just opinions
• Links to credible online sites
• Tells how any information you provide will be used
• Has an educational purpose, or only a hidden guise of sound nutrition advice
• Is free of advertising, including pop-up ads
• Has regular updates and postings.

To get the most accurate, credible and timely food and nutrition information, consult a registered dietitian.


SOURCE: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics