I'm on a roll this week! Just thought I'd share this picture I came across a couple of weeks ago: What do you think of these food marketing "health" claims?
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SO, I have decided to reduce the amount of dairy in my diet...I can't say that my decision was environmentally motivated or that my love for cows inspired my choice. No, without shame, I say that my decision is primarily due to vanity-related reasons! I have heard for quite some time in the beauty/nutrition/health world that dairy has been linked to acne, bloat, indigestion, and other undesirable outcomes. My Mother has also been so kind as of late to keep me updated on the latest stories associating dairy with acne. I didn't want to believe that something so delicious could also be so detrimental! But after an increase in facial skin inflammation and irritation, I knew something had to change. Further pushing me to at least give this challenge a try is a dairy diet challenge I found on facebook for the month of May. Hormones, antibiotics, and poor farm raising practices are some of the things that have been blamed for these poor outcomes. In addition, lactose intolerance, affecting up to 33% of the population worldwide, is to blame. Many adults lack the digestive enzyme lactase, which wanes after around age 2. This means that the undigested milk sugars ferment in the colon, resulting in gas, cramping, and bloat. How awesome is that?
Yogurt and ice cream and cheese, oh MY! I am not excited to give up a food group that plays a pretty significant role in my diet. I have cow's milk daily and often cheese, yogurt or ice cream throughout the week (in moderation and measured portions, of course!). However, I am excited to see if removing these things from my diet will improve the way that I look and feel. Dairy does offer some nutritional benefits that I will have to obtain elsewhere in my diet, among which are calcium and vitamin D, a mineral-vitamin team essential for strong bones. Many milk alternatives are fortified with these nutrients, though. In my search to find milk alternatives, I have come across a variety of different options. I have noticed that none really compares to milk in terms of protein content (soy comes in pretty close). However, the docked protein shouldn't matter too much, since I get sufficient protein from other sources in my diet. The other factor is taste--while milk doesn't really taste good to me, I enjoy a glass with my pb & j. So I'm hoping to find something that can stand alone in terms of flavor. The only issue now is that I do have some dairy in my fridge that I'm not really trying to let go to waste, since it's paid for and all. Fortunately, I only have a corner of milk left and am out of sliced cheese, so I guess I will be picking up some version of "milk" today at the grocery store. I will have to forgo the cheese for now, as I can't see myself giving soy cheese another try (*yuck*). I also stocked up on a couple chobani yogurts that were on sale and still have a few left. I will be finishing those! So, I will report back on the milk thing and document the experience overall! Anyone care to join? The methods that we use in food preparation and processing influence the aesthetics, flavors, and textures of food. The chemical and physical changes that occur during food processing contribute to the experience and enjoyment of eating. Additionally, these methods can impact the nutrient content of the food. While eating raw vegetables is great, not everyone enjoys eating vegetables this way.
Several research studies provide evidence that steaming retains the maximum nutrient content in vegetables. When steaming is compared to several other cooking methods, including boiling, stir-frying or sautéing, and micro-waving, steaming results in an end product with a nutritional profile similar to the raw form of the vegetable. This is because with steaming, since the vegetables are elevated above the water, there is little opportunity for the water soluble nutrients to leach out into the water or cooking liquid. One way to remedy losses due to the cooking liquid is to consume the liquid along with the vegetables, although admittedly, this does not sound the least bit appetizing. The leaching of nutrients may be less of an issue in cases of soups, stews, stir-fries, or other dishes where the liquid is an integral part of the meal and will be consumed. However, in preparing a simple side of vegetables to go with your meals, steaming (or using as little water as possible if you don't have a steamer basket) is the way to go to get the most out of many of the health-promoting compounds that these foods boast. In some cases, cooking does not destroy, but rather, enhances the health-related compounds in certain vegetables. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that most adults (who are able) get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. This recommendation comes out to 30 minutes, 5 days per week or however you can get it in to fit it in. For some people, the thought of exercise is intimidating or just plain unappealing and annoying. Part of this resentment stems from the fact that many people tend to associate exercise with activity so strenuous that it is overwhelming to even think about, let alone engage in it. We tend to have an all or nothing attitude. That is, if we exercise, some of us think that either we must go to the extreme in terms of intensity or duration or that we may as well not do anything at all. However, new research demonstrates that walking remains a simple, effective way to exercise. This is good news for those who do not enjoy running, but would like to reap the cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercise. In a recent study, two researchers compared data from thousands of walkers to thousands of runners to determine how the activities stack up in terms of calories burned and impact on determinants of health including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Their findings indicated that for an equivalent amount of energy expended, walkers and runners experienced comparable risk reductions in hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. In other words, their results suggest that walking a mile or running a mile would result in similar health benefits. However, realize that you will have to walk for a longer amount of time to achieve this mile than you would running. So if you are getting 30 minutes of exercise in by walking one day and running the next, you will burn more calories during your session of running because you are covering more ground and expending more energy in this given amount of time. Thus, running or more vigorous exercise may be a more efficient way to exercise if you are short on time. While this study was not a clinical trial, which provides stronger evidence that one thing directly results from another (in this case, that the health outcomes result directly from performing one exercise over the other), the associations that were gleaned from their study suggest what we probably figured all along--that any way you can get moving, just do it! Additional benefits of walking: +It is an appropriate form of activity for all fitness levels +It can be incorporated into a variety of activities, making it seem like less of a "chore" (walking to classes/work, walking groceries into the house, walking the dog on the beach, and the list goes on) +It does not require any equipment +It can decrease stress levels So, don't be intimidated by the idea that you have to jog or run to get anything out of your workout. The idea is to get moving and keep moving. Ideally, you will want to challenge yourself and get a bit winded, but as a wise uncle of mine says "a little bit of something each day is better than nothing." Every bout of activity counts. Consistency is key with anything that you set out to do. Sooo, what are you waiting for?? |
AuthorHello there, my name is Alena and I am a Registered Dietitian! This blog is a platform through which I can share my knowledge and perspectives on a variety of nutrition-related topics. Feel free to contribute by commenting. Archives
November 2021
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