Posts tagged Nutrition
Up your veggie intake with these great ideas!
Three recent studies show even more evidence for the benefits of green tea!
The first study found that average visceral fat (the fat that surrounds internal organs) area, body weight, and body fat were reduced significantly by catechin-enriched green tea treatment. Here it is!
The second study shows that catechins (the antioxidants found in green tea) significantly decrease the amount of LDL cholesterol over 2 months in post-menopausal women…find the article here.
The third showed that the combination of green tea and Tai Chi exercise increased bone formation biomarkers and improved bone turnover rate, therefore having a benefit on bone health. Check it out.
SO DRINK UP!
“Pay attention to how you feel. Notice how your body reacts when you eat certain foods. Observe how you feel when you exercise, after your exercise, and all the times in between. When we pay attention, instead of rushing into impulse decisions, we eat better, exercise more, and make choices that sustain a healthy and happy life.” — Stiles
Here’s a great article to read for motivation to achieve your goals this year
How Much to Drink During a Marathon
Two newly released studies show that a worrying large percentage of distance runners may not know how to drink.
Some runners may be drinking too much water or other fluids. Others may be taking in too little. And a disconcerting majority don’t seem to be concerned about whether they are drinking a safe amount at all, according to the new reports.
Attitudes and expert guidelines about how much fluid people should drink during prolonged endurance events have changed drastically in the past 15 years. A 1996 Position Stand from the American College of Sports Medicine concluded that “athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in an attempt to consume fluids at a rate sufficient to replace all the water lost through sweating (i.e., body weight loss), or consume the maximal amount that can be tolerated.” Many of us who ran a marathon in the 1990s were cautioned to “stay ahead” of our thirst, with the warning that by the time we felt thirsty, we would be clinically dehydrated. (Formal definitions of dehydration vary, but most experts agree that losing more than 3 percent of your body weight can be considered dehydration.)
But in the past few years, several marathoners died as a result of drinking too much, a dangerous condition called hyponatremia, or water intoxication. Before then, hyponatremia, marked by low blood sodium levels, had been unheard of in marathon fields. Twenty years ago, a typical marathon racer strode fast and drank little. But as the event gained popularity, finishing times rose. Slower runners generally sweat less, and many have been told to drink copiously. If you ingest more fluid than you lose through sweating or urination, however, you dilute your blood’s sodium levels. Osmosis then draws water from the blood into body cells to equalize sodium levels, and those cells swell. If the cellular bloating occurs in the brain, it can be fatal.
Most experts have now begun advising marathon runners to drink less. They’ve focused on marathoners because hyponatremia is uncommon in events that last less than four hours or so (at least for middle-of-the-pack and slower competitors). Recent guidelines from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association explicitly say to drink only when you’re thirsty. Read More
Dr. Jay’s Note: Looks as if, just like carbs, loading up on fluids for a few days prior to an endurance event does not carry with it all of the benefits that we once thought. Listen to your body & stick to drinking pure water when thirsty. Sports drinks, artificially flavored & sweetened beverages, energy drinks & enhanced/smarter waters should always be avoided.
Also, if your urine is not consistently clear, you need to drink more purified water.
Get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week to sleep better!
A new study being published in December has found that people sleep better and feel significantly more alert during the day if they exercise for at least 150 minutes a week. Check out more info on this study at Science Daily.
Even more evidence to make sure you eat your greens!
Green vegetables are the source of a chemical signal that is important to a fully functioning immune system. Check out the article here
Green tea may slow down weight gain and serve as another tool in the fight against obesity, according to Penn State food scientists.
Obese mice that were fed a compound found in green tea along with a high-fat diet gained weight significantly more slowly than a control group of mice that did not receive the green tea supplement, said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences.
“In this experiment, we see the rate of body weight gain slows down,” said Lambert. Read More
Dr. Jay’s Note: More research showing the health benefits of drinking green tea. If you have not added a least one cup of green tea to your daily routine, What are you waiting for??
Not all calories are the same...
Friday Food Feature | Avocado
I think I was crazy for the first 19 years of my life because that’s how long it took me to like avocado. I just can’t believe it took me so long discover how tasty it is in salads or smashed up in guacamole, scraped on some grainy toasted bread or eaten out of its skin with a spoon. These days, my mouth waters at the thought of it!
So I’m taking a moment to appreciate this tropical fruit and put it up on the pedestal with all the others in my food hall of fame, otherwise known as Friday Food Feature. Following are a few of my favourite healthy attributes of Avocados.
- They contain 60% more potassium than bananas! This helps to lower blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke.
- Highest protein and oil content of any fruit. While they’re seen as high in fat, don’t be scared, they contain mostly monounsaturated fat. They are calorie dense, so do enjoy in moderation.
- Loads of nutrients including fibre, vitamin K, vitamin E, B-vitamins, vitamin C and folic acid. An overall nutritional boost that enables the body to absorb more fat soluble nutrients in foods that are eaten with Avocado.
- An avocado rich diet can lower blood cholesterol, decreasing the bad (LDL) and increasing the good (HDL).
- No sodium or cholesterol. Win!
My favourite way to enjoy avocado is on multigrain toast with sliced tomato, but the recipes are infinite. Add to any salad for a tasty nutritional boost or make your own guacamole. I make guac with avocado, a little sweet chilli sauce, fresh onion, fresh garlic, fresh chilli and a bit of pepper. Delish!
Sources: Livestrong, BBC Food
(Source: sweatnsass)
Your Nutritionista: Guest Post: A Reader's Transition to a Meat-Free Lifestyle
I got an email a few weeks ago from a reader who was a bit upset over this post. She said she was a long-time reader and didn’t mind my meaty lifestyle, but felt like I was mocking faux meat in an unfair way.
I responded that I hadn’t reposted BBQ Jew’s post because it mocked the BBQ Shreds…
(Source: yourhealthista)
Green tea may slow down weight gain and serve as another tool in the fight against obesity, according to Penn State food scientists.
Obese mice that were fed a compound found in green tea along with a high-fat diet gained weight significantly more slowly than a control group of mice that did not receive the green tea supplement, said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences.
“In this experiment, we see the rate of body weight gain slows down,” said Lambert. Read More
Dr. Jay’s Note: More research showing the health benefits of drinking green tea. If you have not added a least one cup of green tea to your daily routine, What are you waiting for??
An easy to understand article about antioxidants! What is the best source…?
Check it out here
The Power of Lemons
Proper nutrition is a critical component of living a healthy life. Many fruits and vegetables that used to be a staple of diets and home remedies have fallen to the wayside for fast food and medications. If we could start to make these foods more apart of our everyday lives again maybe we could avoid some of the health problems that are becoming very commonplace these days.
Lemons is one of these foods that have amazing health benefits. Start to make it more of a habit to cut up lemons and put them in your water at dinner or even squeeze over your lunch time salad. This article gives you many more uses and benefits of lemons.
Anonymous asked:
hi again, i am 19.
Alright, so according to your height, weight, age and activity level, your estimated energy requirement is approx 2000Cal to maintain your current weight. So your first goal would be to gradually increase your calories up to 2000. As you have only been consuming 600cal, it would be difficult and a shock to your body to start eating 2000cal straight away. So start at days 1-3 eating 900cal, then days 4-6 1200cal, days 7-9 1500cal, days 10-12 1800cal and from day 13 onward 2000cal.
Once you feel comfortable there, you can increase your intake to between 2500 and 3000cal per day to gain 1 to 2 pounds per week. Currently your BMI is 15, so to get in to the healthy range (18.5 to 24.9) you need to be between 112-149pounds.
Also, just to ensure you are adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, I would recommend taking a multivitamin. Carbs are an important part of a healthy diet and provide the body with the fuel it needs for proper organ function and physical activity. The recommended intakes for macronutrients is carbs 50%, fats 30% and protein 20%. Make sure your carbs consist mainly of wholegrains, fruit and veges. Is there any reason why you feel that carbs will make you gain weight or are there specific types of carbs that you feel cause more weight gain than others?
