Just had to come on and share: Homemade pizza with sauce and herb- infused crust from scratch. This family tradition is here to stay.
May everyone be safe tonight and may 2016 be filled with peace, love, and joy. Cheers to 2016!
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As a follow up from my previous post, I wanted to touch on the role of supplements, such as Ensure, Boost, and Pediasure. Often, these supplements become staples for individuals who desire to gain weight. In other cases, these fortified nutritional drinks(I cringe calling them nutritional drinks) are used as meal replacements. In a clinical setting, this family of supplements would be considered medical food. Many people like these drinks because they are convenient, as they require no preparation, minimal clean up, and most are shelf stable. However, while they are advertised as healthy options, I recommend against these types of chemical cocktails. If you look at the list of ingredients, you will note that the first few ingredients are added sugars (a red flag). If you make it to the bottom of the list, you will see a combination of colors, artificial flavors, and other questionable ingredients. Along the same lines, I do not recommend weight gain pills. Our bodies respond best to real food. Foods occurring in nature contain nutrients that were created to work with our bodies. Science, although it may come close, cannot replicate these nutrients. For this reason, if possible, stick to simple whole foods. With a bit more prep work, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds can be just as easy to grab throughout the week as the bottled potions. The gains that you see, literally and figuratively, will be worth the extra prep time. Weight gain takes time, just like weight loss. Rather than consume a barage of unhealthy, high fat, nutrient-poor food (e.g. fast food, cakes, cookies, shakes, etc), it is still best to consume whole foods that are minimally processed. Think avocado spread on toast; nut butters mixed into your morning oats; Enjoy the journey as you take this time to try some new foods and take advantage of second helpings of your healthy foods. Stay happy and healthy! With so many trendy diets and exercise plans to lose weight, it is easy to forget that there are people who want or need to gain weight. While 68% of our current nation is overweight or obese, there a few handfuls of people (less than 2%) that make up the population of underweight individuals in the United States. Even if you are not drastically underweight, there are some individuals who just prefer a fuller look while maintaining a healthy weight. Whatever your story, read on to learn how to make changes in your current eating habits to promote healthy weight gain. The short answer is, yes. Read on for a more thorough explanation...or skip ahead to the jump (read more) to get straight to the sources (and a downloadable sample meal plan).
In the United States, we are typically taught from a young age that "milk does a body good." The current dietary guidelines for Americans suggest that children and adults consume 3 servings of dairy per day in order to meet the 700-1200 milligram calcium requirement that has been determined to meet the needs of 97-98 percent of the population. The range takes into account different requirements for different ages and life stages. Calcium is not only important for strong bones and teeth, the mineral is also involved in regulating heart rhythms,nerve transmission, muscle movement, and blood clotting. However, despite the long-standing rhetoric that touts dairy as the best source of calcium, research has shown that the mineral is present in an abundance of nondairy foods. This is great news for those who follow or are considering a plant-based diet, such as vegetarianism or veganism. Alternate sources of calcium also play an important role in the diets of individuals who prefer not to consume milk or dairy, considering the controversy surrounding these foods. From allergies and acne to weight gain and even weakened bones, several health issues have been purportedly associated with dairy, though not all have a scientific basis. There is mixed research on whether or not the proposed adverse effects outweigh the nutrition benefits that dairy has to offer. However, research does confirm that in countries, such as South Africa and Japan, where dairy consumption is relatively low, the population does not appear to be at an increased risk of bone fractures. On the contrary, many European countries, such as Norway and Sweden, where milk intake (and also overall animal protein intake) is much higher, there is higher incidence of fractures. Additionally, 65 percent of the world population has some degree of lactose intolerance. This is because lactase, the enzyme necessary to break down the milk sugar, lactose, declines significantly between 3 and 5 years of age. This decline in lactase means that many people experience undesirable side effects upon consumption of milk. These symptoms may include gas, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating, with varying levels of severity. For this reason, many people opt to stay away from milk and milk products. Some dairy products, including yogurt and aged cheese, may be tolerated better than milk due to lower lactose content. So, how do we obtain the calcium necessary for optimal health? Yes, I said "cope." It really is that serious for some cooks in homes around the world dealing with a child, spouse, friend, parent, etc. who is unwilling to cooperate at the dinner table. These tips, which err on the side of working with children, can be modified to work for any picky eater. 1. Engage, rather than enrage. Instead of fighting with your child to get him or her to eat what you are offering, allow the child to be a part of the meal's creation. That way, meal time becomes a fun experience as the child expresses creativity through his or her masterpieces. What you end up with is a meal or snack of which the child can be proud and in which he or she will be more than happy to partake.
Action steps: Get your child involved in the kitchen by allowing him or her to select one new fresh fruit or vegetable to try from the market. Once home, show your child how to wash, prep, and/or store the produce. Use your discretion to allow child to help with easy tasks, such as stirring. Bonus: Now you have some extra hands in the kitchen to help out! Train up a child... 2. Repetition. Early exposure to a variety of foods is so important and plays a large role in the development of a person's palate for certain foods. I recommend introducing deep colored vegetables like sweet potatoes, greens, and broccoli--ones that are lacking in the standard American diet. For those that weren't so fortunate to have early exposure, it is never too late. Rest assured that all of the healthy foods that you missed out on as a child are waiting at the grocery store for you to show them some love. Aside from a GMO or 2, not much has changed. Action Steps: Research has shown that it can take 12 or more exposures to a food before acceptance is achieved...so don't give up! Offer "problem" foods in their most basic forms first. For subsequent exposures, check out my next tip... |
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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