Category Archives: Food Facts

Food Combinations for Anemics

Anemia and Iron.  Only 25% of “dietary iron” is absorbed by your body.  It’s been shown that increased iron intake my not be enough to avoid becoming anemic! Instead, one should consider how IRON is combined with other foods in order to overcome problems with anemia.  When trying to improve iron levels consider adding Vitamin C, which is the key ingredient that binds iron to hemoglobin and makes red blood cells come to life.

 
Suggested tricks for raising iron within your body.
Having a glass of freshly squeezed lemon in water or orange juice with your meal
End each meal by eating fruits, especially those high in vitamin C.
With a spinach salad and add 1 cup of tomatoes, bright colored peppers.
 
Higher amounts of dietary iron is found in all livers, red meats, eggs, dark green vegetables.
Bright colored fruits and vegetables have a larger quantity of Vitamin C.
 
Consuming fruits, vegetables and water is strongly encouraged if taking an iron supplement to avoid  the side effects of nausea and constipation.

Grocery Shopping List for Weightloss in 5 Tips

2-3 pounds a week weightloss in 5 tips just by sharpening your grocery shopping skills!  Purchase more: lemons, teas, fiber, fish and buy packaged items with high potassium content.

Reading Food Labels

  1. Sodium values should always be less than Potassium values. (Sodium values under 200 mg and Potassium levels, above 300 mg.) Juice from half of lemon squeezed into glass of water will help body rid of excess sodium. 
  2. Choose foods with Mono/Poly unsaturated fats (plant based oils): Olive Oil, Canola and Vegetable Oil, Nuts Tofu, Soy etc.  
  3. Consume fish four times a week, which is higher in Omega 3 and lower  in saturated fats. Contrastly, consume Beef, Pork, Poultry, Chicken three times a week.  
  4. Drink Tea.  Oolong, Green, Black teas have all been linked to weightloss due to their high tocopherol content, which contribute utlimately to how a body can more effectively utlilize calories.
  5. Check label for fiber on ALL prepared foods. Fiber is needed for carrying out unused fats, food products and waste. Some packaged foods  have fiber content ranging from 1g-6g. The more fiber the better!  (Fiber: Grains, Nuts, Fruits, Vegetables.)

Fluids are equally important to a successful diet. Consider adding 1-2 glasses of water with 1/2 to 1 whole lemon each day.  (1/2 lemon for under 150 lb’s. 1 whole lemon if over 150 lb’s)

It’s important to include a variety of foods in your daily diet in order to achieve good health and reasonable weightloss.

Carbohydrates from fruits. Vegetables and whole grains. Fats should be healthy oils. Protein must be lean avg. of 4-6 oz., card deck in size.

Plan for Weightloss

  1. You must eat 5-6 small meals to lose weight.
  2. Plan for a 1400-1600 calorie diet
  3. Consume a eight 8 oz glasses of fluids a day.
  4. Exercise: Aerobic 30 minutes a day (walking, jogging, running, swimming, roller bladding, bikeriding, spinning, stairs.)

Listed below are diet plans that will help you to achieve weightloss and a healthier body.

Meal Plan, Which Calories do you Reduce?

Down Shift to 1350 Calories

Mediterranean Diet Low Sodium Meal Plan

TLC diet, You Choose the Food!

Weightloss! Easy Diet, Keep it Off!

Starting your 2009 Healthy Beginings

Begin
Breakfast
Tea, coffee or 4 oz glass of 100% juice.
Milk…. (choices: 8 oz. skim or 1% milk, 4-6 oz low or nonfat yogurt)
Fruit of choice
Bread….Bran Cereal or Oatmeal (low Sodium high Potassium)

Snack am
Fruit with water or tea

Lunch  * may avoid bread and substitute filet of fish (3 oz)
Vegetable….Pepper, Carrot or Celery sticks (1/2 cup)
Bread…. (Aunt Millies multi- grain 2 slices = 1 serving)*
Protein…2 slices turkey
Fruit…….3 slices tomato
Vegetable…..lettuce leaves for sandwhich or salad
condiment….mustard or low sodium vinagrette
Milk….1 oz cheese (optional. May trade for serving of skim milk)
Fresh Fruit Choice (Not canned!)
Lemon with water or tea

Snack pm
Protein and Fat…1 oz nuts (28 pieces= Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts, Soy)
Vegetable of choice

Dinner
Bread… 1/2 cup cooked whole grain pasta, multi grain dinner roll
3 Vegetables  (baked or steamed) condiments for cooked vegetables= Mrs Dash salt substitute, pepper, herbs
Fat…for salad = low sodium vinagrette or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Protein…3 oz lean meat, chicken breast or fish filet baked, broiled or grilled
Fruit of choice
Fluid…water or skim-1% milk 8 oz glass

wine or beer 5 oz only 3 days in the week otherwise they contain 90+ calories each. Opt for water. 0 calories!

Dessets no more than 3 in the week.

By Kimberly Crocker

5 Tips to Ensure Holiday Weight Maintenance.

Holiday’s are for enjoying food, family and fun! January 2 is the moment of truth when one decisively chooses to go on a “diet”. While new diets that apply calorie shifting are given multiple glances and serioulsy put into consideration, it’s important to remember that the word “diet” is about lifestyle and how one eats on a daily basis.

Five tips are easy to follow in order to shift caloric intake and to make sure that access weight gain is headed off at the pass.

Tip 1.      Begin the day with a breakfast.
Protein such as an egg,
Slice of wheat bread
Fruit
Glass of milk
This is an old trick that helps to fill up the stomach so that less food is consumed throughout the morning. You may even feel the need to have a lighter lunch as well.

Tip 2.      Consume calcium for your snacks. Your body needs to be supplied with calcium for both muscles and bones. Weightgain has been linked to low intake of calcium intake. Example: Three glasses of milk can replace any choice of fluid. Many do not realize how many other foods have calcium. Flaxseed actually contains the highest amount at 40% of dietary intake. Almonds and milk contain the same amount of calcium for dietary intake at 25%. 3 ounces of Almonds = 8 ounces of milk (1 glass). Broccoli and oranges also can be added to the daily dietary count of calcium.

Tip 3.      Eat! Dietetics is about how “All Foods Fit”. Don’t resist the temptation. Eyeball the cake size that you want and then cut in 1/2 the amount that you would have otherwise have chosen. (If really courageous cut portion by 3/4’s. This way you can have your cake and you get to eat it too.

Tip 4.      Wine is not a fruit! Just because it comes from a grape doesn’t mean that it gets to be counted on your daily intake of 4 fruits per day. There are 100 calories in a half of glass of wine, which is considered one serving! Women and Men are instructed to consume no more than one to two alcholic beverages per day. 1 serving for a women and 2 servings for men.

Tip 5.      Salty foods are commonly placed in serving bowls throughout gathering areas. Be careful to choose only half of what you really would like to consume. Fruits and vegetables, especially those high in potassium, will flush out the excess salt from your body that will otherwise contribute to weightgain. (banana’s, oranges, kiwi)

Follow all these tips or just a few and you should notice only your weight maintenance. Happy Holidays from Eat Know How!

Do School Lunches Make Kids Smarter?

Yes!  Possibly one of the best things a Nutrition department can do for a school is to inform the parents of how to help their kids perform better in school, by way of their lunch bag.  A few years ago we witnessed soda and candy vending machines being removed from the schools.  Slowly research on the effects of reducing sugary drinks and foods were measured against healthy breakfasts and lunches.  The evidence from the results on the exam performances were very enlightening.  The proof was in the pudding, the students were performing better with a stronger focus on their daily studies.  In fact,  “one high school in Appleton, Wisconsin replaced their regular poor-quality school lunches with healthy fresh foods at lunch with water as the main beverage. The changes resulted in improved behavior from the students and zero truancy’s.”

Like other schools, Appleton, Wisconsin found that eating healthy at lunch will help keep a child’s mind sharp and ready to learn all afternoon. Convincing schools to change their lunches might take a lot of effort, but there are other things you can do, such as teach your kids the importance of eating nutritious foods. Hopefully, with your help, they will choose healthier salads and vegetables, instead of French fries or fried foods, and water instead of soda.  Some other options for kid’s is to send lunch with your kids. Hearty soups, salads, fruits, and sandwiches with whole grains breads for sandwhiches can be packed in insulated containers to stay hot or cold. ”

By eating whole foods and reducing sugary products it was noticed that the students glucose levels were balanced and steady with very few peaks and valleys.  Evidence is showing that kids who have a diet where all foods are consumed from the various food groups are making a stronger impact then once thought before.

Try combining some of these foods for a healthier focused mind, all have been shown to have a profound effect on how the brain functions.: Milk, Bananas, Eggs, Wheat Toast, Berries, Walnuts, Sliced Chicken /Turkey.

If your child is getting hungry early on in the school day, introduce products into their breakfast with a small amount of fat from the dairy or meats listed. Additionally, fruits take longer to digest and therefore, provides another benefit to having one out the door.

Healthy Bodies Healthy Snacks

Here’s a few questions to think about the next time you pack your child’s lunch.
Did you know that we can influence your moods, thought processes, immune system and DNA just by what we eat?
How can we help our children optimize their ability to focus, learn and raise their test scores?

It is all in what food they begin their day with, and continue to eat and snack on throughout their day. Healthy snacks for kids are quick and easier to organize than you might think. The taste buds on kids’ tongues are still predominantly influenced by the “sweet” taste buds that are on the tip of their tongue.  As they get older they will start to desire saltier foods influenced by the taste buds on the side of their tongue. Vegetables are sweet in taste when they are uncooked.  If you are struggling with your kids to eat vegetables try serving them sliced and raw with their meals.

Combine your Healthy Snacks   

Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots, Pumpkin Seeds, Celery, Fennel, Broccoli  

Oranges, Bananas, Plums, Grapes, Baby Bell Cheese, Sliced Tofu, Yogurt.                 4-24-08-022

  • www.healthcastle.com suggests to “check in airport gift shops for dried fruit, baked chips, trail mixes, or granola bars. Protein bars like Odwalla bars, or Cliff bars  which can all be substituted for heavier calorie meals.”

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    Noted daily benefits Vitamin C for skin and eyes and Calcium for mood stabilizer and focus, healthy bones and muscles.  (Extra benefit of calcium could be weight loss.)