Nutritious choices made simple®
As a mother of two teenagers, I’m well aware of the many things that parents need to keep in mind when it comes to their children’s health. Adding more to parents’ already full plates is not my intent. Instead, my goal is teaching teens to begin a reasonable amount of self-care that includes paying attention to nutrition. After all, I’m not in control of everything they put in their mouths anymore! Teaching my children to take care of their own health as they get older is part of my job.
The spankin’ new lunchbox has been purchased and there it sits on the counter. It’s just waiting for all those insanely creative and scrumptious morsels you’ll tuck in there for your child’s midday repast, day in and day out this school year. But this post isn’t about WHAT to put in there. Rather, it’s about HOW to keep what you put in there safe for your little one’s consumption.
An ice-cold drink on a hot summer day is one of life’s little pleasures. But who wants to be limited to plain old water cubes when there are so many fun, interesting and tasty ways to make ice cubes? Here are a few of my favorites, plus a word about that suggestion to drink your water ice-cold in order to burn more calories…
For some people, the thought of drinking water is so, well…boring. For them, plain ol’ water clearly cannot compare with the vast selection of flavored, carbonated and enhanced beverage selections available pretty much everywhere. I know. I used to prefer most any drink over water. A dietitian who doesn’t like to drink water? I know. Hence, I learned to like it. I trained myself to like it because I knew my body needed it for proper functioning and overall health. Here are a three ways to help yourself learn to like drinking water (or at least dislike it less).
Recently, the FDA and the EPA revised their recommendations about how much seafood pregnant and breastfeeding women (and young children) should be consuming. (The suggestions are still in draft form and can be commented on.) They also had some specific info on which types to avoid due to high mercury levels. Why the new suggestions? It turns out that pregnant and breastfeeding women don’t consume fish in the amount suggested by the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Americans typically eat just half the recommended amount—about 3.5 ounces per week. So in reality, most all of us could use more seafood in our diets.
I’m all for innovation in the area of food, and when that food is good for me, well that’s all the better (as long as it tastes good). Some of the new foods that food companies’ R&D folks come up in the name of “health” are wonderful, but others are just wacky. For sure, many new products introduced to the supermarket shelves every year try to take advantage of the “health halo” effect—clever marketing strategies intended to persuade consumers that a product is healthy based on common perceptions we have about certain words (such as “natural” or “low fat”) or qualities (such as organic or locally-grown). Whether these foods actually are healthful is another thing entirely.
Dietary intervention can make a difference in many common health concerns for men, such as weight control/weight loss, diabetes and heart health. Developing healthy eating habits is something that can be done at home—no co-pay or waiting room required. (If one did want help though, consulting a Registered Dietitian is a smart way to go.) Get started by tackling these eating issues that many men share…
As a dietitian, I completely get why some people want to decrease their meat intake for health reasons. And as a person, I can understand the ethical reasons for eschewing meat as well. I even comprehend the environmental reasons for moving meat off the center of the plate. However, there are some good things about meat, nutritionally, that I think some people forget about. How you choose to fashion your own plate—whether with some meat or without—is your choice, of course. I’m just here to mention the nutritional merits of meat for your consideration…