What Are The Health Benefits of Daily Almonds?

How healthy are almonds? Are they as good as people make them out to be? Learn how they can protect your cardiovascular system, help with diabetes, weight maintenance and gastrointestinal health at the following link.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/324608-what-are-the-health-benefits-of-daily-almonds/

Overview of a Nutritionist Career

Ever wonder why there are so many people who call themselves "nutritionists" ? Is one type of nutritionist better than another? You should be careful just who you speak to if this individual calls him/herself a nutritionist.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/318555-overview-of-a-nutritionist-career/

Great Sources of Fiber

Most Americans do not consume the recommended amounts of fiber in their diet. If you find it difficult to do so, being aware of foods that are great sources of fiber can help!
http://www.livestrong.com/article/343958-great-sources-of-fiber/

Breakfast

Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? How can you have a quick and healthy breakfast? Smoothies are excellent way to get your day started.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/340460-what-are-healthy-things-i-can-drink-for-breakfast/

I am now an examiner!

Detoxing

So many people are now following detox diets. Is it healthy or necessary to do so?
Read my article to find out at  http://www.livestrong.com/article/311402-detox-healthy-diet/

The Vegetarian Diet--For Better or Worse?

Throughout the world there are many people who are vegetarians. Currently, most vegetarians choose to be on this type of diet for health or ethical reasons. Of the adult population in the United States, 2.5% or 4.8 million people constantly follow a vegetarian diet. Two percent of children 6-17 years old are also vegetarians.

To accommodate the increased popularity of vegetarian diets, the food industry has pushed for new food products and cookbooks to be put on the market. Also, cafeterias and restaurants have been putting more vegetarian options on their menus. Not all of these options are ideal and vegetarians must be careful of their possible choices.

The majority of the population are non-vegetarians and often have the viewpoint depicted by the cartoonist above. There are many people that are ignorant of all the possibilities of protein sources that can be consumed in the vegetarian diet. Vegans and vegetarians need to be very knowledgeable about how to complement vegetable protein with grain protein to obtain adequate protein (that is complete with all the essential amino acids) for the day. This can be easily achieved with planning if they follow the guidelines and substitute legumes, nuts, soy protein, etc. for meat protein. Non-vegetarians often consume much more protein than needed which can result in weight gain.

The more restricted a vegetarian diet is, the more their diet may be low or absent in vitamin B12, vitamin D, riboflavin, calcium, iron and zinc. Deficiencies in these nutrients can be very serious and even life threatening.

• Vitamin B12 unfortunately is only contained in animal products, including egg & dairy (and in small amounts in fermented vegetable products) therefore vegans should consider taking a supplement to avoid deficiencies such as pernicious anemia and nerve degeneration (and long-term neurological problems for infants with pregnant or breastfeeding vegetarian mothers).
• Vitamin D can be obtained from fatty fish, fortified milk and cereals as well as from sunlight. It is rare for vegetarians to be deficient in vitamin D if they have adequate sun exposure.
• Forty-eight percent of vegans have diets that are low in riboflavin, however, very few vegans were found to have signs of deficiencies (eye and nervous system disorders, confusion, headaches, inflammation of the tongue, mouth and throat, as well as, cracking tissue around the mouth and other skin disorders).
• Although both calcium and iron were low in vegetarian diets when studied, very little effect (low cases of decreased bone mass and anemia) was seen. This may be due to high intakes of vitamin C from fruit and vegetables that increases absorption of both calcium and iron. (Note: generally when calcium and iron are consumed together, they bind, making them both unavailable for absorption).
• Zinc is found in many animal products, however, it is also found in nuts, beans and whole grains that can be consumed by vegetarians to prevent deficiencies.

Vegetarians consuming very little low quality protein and having several food restrictions, puts them at risk for nutritional deficiencies such as riboflavin, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc and iron. This is not inevitable; through education and taking the time to carefully plan a diet. Vegetarians can have a very successful diet through education and planning, and even reap the benefits of having a diet lower in fat and calories which aids in the prevention of obesity. Even if you are not a vegetarian, having one or more vegetarian meals in your diet can provide the same health benefits.

Sources include:

1. Fontana, L., Shew, J. L., Holloszy, J. O., & Villareal, D. T. (2005). Low bone mass in subjects on a long-term raw vegetarian diet. Archives of Internal Medicine, 165, 684-689.
2. Leung, S., Lee, R., Sung, R., Luo, H., Lam, C., Yuen, M., et al. (2001). Growth and nutrition of Chinese vegetarian children in Hong Kong. Journal of Paediatrics Child Health, 37, 247-253.
3. Mangels, A.R., Messina, V., & Melina, V. (2003). Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian Diet. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 103 (6), 748-765.
4. Mangels R. Kavanagh-Prochaska, K. (n.d.). The Vegetarian Resource Group. Nutrition: Vegan nutrition in pregnancy and childhood. Retrieved March 4, 2009 from http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/prenancy.htm
5. Waldmann, A., Koschizke J. W., Leitzmann, C., & Hahn, A. (2003). Dietary intakes and lifestyle factors of a vegan population in Germany: results from the German vegan study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57, 947-955.
6. Wardlaw, G. M., & Hampl, J. S. (2007). Perspectives in Nutrition (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
7. United States Department of Agriculture (2008, October 8). Inside the Pyramid: Vegetarian choices in the meat & bean group. Retrieved March 4, 2009 from http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetarian.html
8. Yen, C. E., Yen, C. H. Huang, M. C., Cheng, C. H., & Huang, Y. C. (2008). Dietary intake and nutritional status of vegetarian and omnivorous preschool children and their parents in Taiwan. Nutrition Research, 28, 430-436.

Nutrition Facts of Recipes

If you would like to see the nutritional content of your recipes or find out ways to make the recipes healthier post your recipes here or email me at nicole.cousins@yahoo.com and I will evaluate it as soon as I can.

Suggestions to Cut Fat in Recipes

Recipe calls for                                             Substitution

Bacon                                                             Turkey bacon

Beef, ground                                                   Ground turkey
                                                                      Extra lean ground beef
                                                                      Vegetable meat

Butter for baking & cooking                           Low- or non- fat
                                                                             margarine
                                                                      Use 2/3 amount of
                                                                      ingredient to                            
                                                                      replace the fat:                                                                 
                                                                      Applesauce
                                                                      Pureed fruit 
                                                                      Pureed vegetable

Butter for browning                                          No-stick spray
                                                                      Chicken or Beef
                                                                              broth
                                                                      Wine
                                                                      Water-oil spray
                                                                      Applesauce
                                                                      Pureed fruit
                                                                      Pureed vegetable

Cheese                                                           Low-fat cheese
                                                                      (only use non-fat
                                                                      cheese if it is to
                                                                      be served without
                                                                      cooking or melting)

Chicken                                                         Chicken or Turkey
                                                                      breast, skinned

Cottage Cheese                                             Low- or Non-fat
                                                                       cottage cheese

Cream, heavy, for cooking                              2 Tablespoons flour
                                                                     whisked into 2 cups
                                                                     non fat milk

Cream, whipping                                           Evaporated skim milk,
                                                                               chilled

Cream Cheese                                              Low- or non-fat
                                                                      cream cheese
                                                                    Low- or non-fat
                                                                           yogurt

Crème Fraiche                                              Low- or non-fat yogurt

Eggs                                                              1 ½ large egg whites
                                                                     Egg substitute

Mayonnaise                                                   Low- or non-fat
                                                                        mayonnaise

Milk                                                              Low- or non-fat milk
                                                                     Low- or non-fat
                                                                         buttermilk

Pork                                                             Turkey ham

Sour cream                                                   Low- or non-fat
                                                                        sour cream
                                                                    Low- or non-fat
                                                                          yogurt
                                                                  1 cup of low fat
                                                                  cottage cheese with                     
                                                                  skim milk and lemon
                                                                        juice to taste

Vegetable Oil                                             Olive, safflower,
                                                                 sesame or
                                                                 flaxseed oil
                                                                Wine
                                                                Use 2/3 amount of
                                                                ingredient to
                                                                replace the fat:
                                                                Applesauce
                                                               Pureed fruit
                                                               Pureed vegetable
                                                               Eliminate oil and add
                                                               more seasonings

Each recipe should be individually tested for some substitutions work better than others depending on the recipe

You Are What You Eat!

We all have heard that cliche many times in the past but there may actually be some truth behind it.
Now what about those of you that constantly eat junk food or high fat foods? Does that mean you are junk or fat? Maybe, but not necessarily. Most people can still have their occasional sweets as long as they fit into their diet.
Your diet does not have to be overly restrictive. As a matter of fact, people who cut foods they enjoy from their diets generally do not stick to their diet and often end up binge eating (or weekend binge eating when on diets). Its much better to allow for little treats throughout the day and to develop good eating habits that will become a part of your lifestyle.
Overly restrictive diets may also lack many of the nutrients that are essential in the diet. "Can't I just have a multivitamin every morning?" you may ask. Many people do this as a safety to ensure that they have an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. Its important to be careful when you buy supplements, especially when they promise dramatic results with no disadvantages being discussed. It also is much better to obtain vitamins, minerals and other substances in whole foods. When consumed in the diet additional benefits may result from the combination of essential nutrients as well as the compounds that may be unknown to food scientists.
Essential nutrients can all be obtained in the diet. Based on a variety of conditions, various nutrient needs may increase, however, generally even when a person has specific needs they can be met through a balanced diet. It is hard to know what exactly a balanced healthy diet is when there is so much conflicting information out there.
With so many popular diets saying carbohydrates are bad, it may surprise you to know that we need them the most out of all nutrients. Many people consume them in excess which is the problem. Carbs are essential for energy, growth, development and body processes. Although it is true the body can use other fuels when necessary, the body does not work optimally when under this starvation mode.
The next highest requirement is for fats. There are a couple fatty acids (FA) that are essential that must be consumed in the diet. These are omega 3 and omega 6 FA. Omega 3 FA are mostly found in fish and omega 6 FA are found in grains. Just because other fats are not essential does not mean they have to be avoided. If an abundance of carbohydrates and proteins are consumed they will broken down to form adipose (fat) tissue. Fat is necessary for many of the body's functions as well as for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, & K).
Proteins of course are important to consume in the diet and contain many vital nutrients, however, only 10% of your calories for the day need to come from protein sources. There are many food sources that are plant based that contain protein. The problem with plant proteins (even soy!) is that they do not contain all the essential amino acids in the correct amounts to make it a complete protein. When combined (protein from another plant protein complements it) they can form complete proteins and be used in the body. The complemental protein does not have to be consumed in the same meal for the body to use the complete protein.
A healthy diet can be consumed when a variety of foods are consumed with balance and moderation. No one food contains every nutrient needed, therefore a variety is important in the diet.
Eating healthy is not necessarily a cure or a guarantee that you won't develop chronic diseases in which nutrition plays a role. Genetic factors play a major role in the development of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
For recommendations on how much you should  be consuming and for tools to help plan your meals please go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Importance of Nutrition

Eating a variety of foods can be a very enjoyable activity, whether you do so by preparing a meal at home with family or going out with friends. However, with so many people giving different nutrition advice, it is difficult to know who is giving sound information based on adequate research. Receiving the correct information can aid you to make informed food choices and develop healthy eating habits.

Obtaining adequate nutrition is vital for all stages of life. Whatever your focus in life is, it is possible to do so successfully. Developing and maintaining a optimal state of health is dependent on good nutrition. Neglect of good nutrition by consuming a poor diet can lead to many major health problems.

A healthful diet does not have to be miserably difficult or restrictive. In fact, an overly restrictive diet can lead to deficiencies in the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Of course, this does not mean you should consume an entire chocolate cake every day. There are certain foods that are better choices than others. It is important to consume all foods in moderation. A variety of foods should be consumed because there is not a perfect food out there that contains all the essential nutrients (despite the food industry trying to develop and market different products to you).

Every individual has different needs based on any existing health conditions, physical activities, environment, metabolism, age etc. It is important to balance your energy (calorie) intake based on these needs. If you consume more calories than needed, you gain weight. On the other hand if you consume less than you need, you will lose weight. As most Americans are overweight, people are generally more concerned with losing weight than gaining weight. Unfortunately there is no quick magical cure to lose weight, it takes work and commitment, however, that does not mean you can't have any fun doing so!

I look forward to being able to help you discover how to obtain a balanced, healthy diet that meets your nutritional needs and lifestyle!

Please post any comments, interesting articles or topics of interest and they will be addressed promptly...