By Lee Murphy, MS-MPH, RD, LDN, Nutritionist, Knox County Health Department
Wanna eat healthy during the holidays? You’re not alone!
From information on vitamins, to low-fat eating, and weight loss, there is so much nutrition advertising and misinformation out there, that it’s no wonder we’re all so confused! The bottom line is: you want to know what you really need to eat in order to be healthy—but just how do you get there?
Verifying Vitamin (& Mineral) Confusion
Foods contain millions and millions of compounds, all of which can work together to help or hurt your overall health. When nutrition researchers try to isolate certain compounds in order to promote that substance as “cancer-preventive” or “obesity-causing”, it makes things much more complicated. For instance, we know that colorful fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk for certain cancers; but there has been controversy over which specific compounds in produce actually exert the protective benefits. Another confusing example is the synergistic relationship between calcium and vitamin D. We know that low-fat, fortified milk is good for our bone health—but the calcium alone does not do the trick. It seems to be the combination of calcium, vitamin D, and other factors that help improve bone health…Information overload already, right?! Therefore, we must be cautious when buying supplements to be sure we are consuming substances that will in fact help improve our health. Always try to get the majority of your nutrients from whole foods, and be sure to purchase any supplements from reputable and knowledgeable outlets.
Facing Fat Confusion
For years, all we heard was “cut the fat!” for disease prevention and health maintenance. However, new research shows that extremely low-fat diets may not be optimal for health. Remember that a certain amount of fat in our diet is crucial to our overall well-being. Therefore, omitting all the fat isn’t necessary—just choose your fats carefully and in moderation (15-30% of your total calories). The current recommendation is to limit consumption of fatty foods, particularly those of animal origin (including saturated and trans-fats), and choose modest amounts of appropriate plant-based oils. Vegetable oils should be mostly monounsaturated with minimum hydrogenation (such as olive and canola oils). Nuts, fish, and seeds are other good sources of healthy fats. Strong evidence supports that a shift toward a plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and away from a diet of high-fat animal and processed foods will help you achieve a longer and healthier life.
Wading Through Weight Loss Confusion
With all the different advertised methods to lose weight, it’s stressful to decide which one will work for you. More than a decade ago, the National Weight Control Registry was created by researchers in order to track the habits of more than 6,000 people who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year. (The average participant lost about 70 pounds and had kept it off for six years.)
The researchers learned that the successful losers tend to share several habits—primarily based on the fact that they follow a moderately low-fat, calorie-controlled diet. Whether it’s Monday, Sunday, or a special holiday, successful dieters follow a consistent pattern of eating from day to day. This establishes a routine, and even though there is room for splurges, this set eating plan is the cornerstone of their success.
Successful weight-loss maintainers eat frequently, every 3 to 4 hours, or 4 to 5 times a day, and they also start their day with breakfast. This is an essential step to get your metabolism revved up and also to help you perform better (mentally and physically) throughout the day. Successful losers also get on the scale regularly in order to keep tabs on their weight maintenance, whether it’s daily, every other day, or weekly.
Weight-loss maintainers exercise for 60 minutes each day, walking an average of 11,000-12,000 steps, or the equivalent of 5½-6 miles per day. They also limit television watching to about 10 hours per week—about one-third of the typical American habit. This gives them more time to exercise, and no doubt reduces mindless munching in front of the TV or computer screen.
Other helpful tips for consistent long-term weight loss include:
Losing at a “slow” rate of 1–2 pounds per week may increase your chances of keeping it off, as this weight can more likely be permanent fat loss.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and may help increase your feeling of fullness.
Don’t be discouraged by small setbacks – plateaus and disruptions naturally happen in efforts to lose weight, but don’t let that be your demise. Restart those healthy habits now!
Wanna eat healthy during the holidays? You’re not alone!
From information on vitamins, to low-fat eating, and weight loss, there is so much nutrition advertising and misinformation out there, that it’s no wonder we’re all so confused! The bottom line is: you want to know what you really need to eat in order to be healthy—but just how do you get there?
Verifying Vitamin (& Mineral) Confusion
Foods contain millions and millions of compounds, all of which can work together to help or hurt your overall health. When nutrition researchers try to isolate certain compounds in order to promote that substance as “cancer-preventive” or “obesity-causing”, it makes things much more complicated. For instance, we know that colorful fruits and vegetables can reduce your risk for certain cancers; but there has been controversy over which specific compounds in produce actually exert the protective benefits. Another confusing example is the synergistic relationship between calcium and vitamin D. We know that low-fat, fortified milk is good for our bone health—but the calcium alone does not do the trick. It seems to be the combination of calcium, vitamin D, and other factors that help improve bone health…Information overload already, right?! Therefore, we must be cautious when buying supplements to be sure we are consuming substances that will in fact help improve our health. Always try to get the majority of your nutrients from whole foods, and be sure to purchase any supplements from reputable and knowledgeable outlets.
Facing Fat Confusion
For years, all we heard was “cut the fat!” for disease prevention and health maintenance. However, new research shows that extremely low-fat diets may not be optimal for health. Remember that a certain amount of fat in our diet is crucial to our overall well-being. Therefore, omitting all the fat isn’t necessary—just choose your fats carefully and in moderation (15-30% of your total calories). The current recommendation is to limit consumption of fatty foods, particularly those of animal origin (including saturated and trans-fats), and choose modest amounts of appropriate plant-based oils. Vegetable oils should be mostly monounsaturated with minimum hydrogenation (such as olive and canola oils). Nuts, fish, and seeds are other good sources of healthy fats. Strong evidence supports that a shift toward a plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and away from a diet of high-fat animal and processed foods will help you achieve a longer and healthier life.
Wading Through Weight Loss Confusion
With all the different advertised methods to lose weight, it’s stressful to decide which one will work for you. More than a decade ago, the National Weight Control Registry was created by researchers in order to track the habits of more than 6,000 people who had lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for more than a year. (The average participant lost about 70 pounds and had kept it off for six years.)
The researchers learned that the successful losers tend to share several habits—primarily based on the fact that they follow a moderately low-fat, calorie-controlled diet. Whether it’s Monday, Sunday, or a special holiday, successful dieters follow a consistent pattern of eating from day to day. This establishes a routine, and even though there is room for splurges, this set eating plan is the cornerstone of their success.
Successful weight-loss maintainers eat frequently, every 3 to 4 hours, or 4 to 5 times a day, and they also start their day with breakfast. This is an essential step to get your metabolism revved up and also to help you perform better (mentally and physically) throughout the day. Successful losers also get on the scale regularly in order to keep tabs on their weight maintenance, whether it’s daily, every other day, or weekly.
Weight-loss maintainers exercise for 60 minutes each day, walking an average of 11,000-12,000 steps, or the equivalent of 5½-6 miles per day. They also limit television watching to about 10 hours per week—about one-third of the typical American habit. This gives them more time to exercise, and no doubt reduces mindless munching in front of the TV or computer screen.
Other helpful tips for consistent long-term weight loss include:
Losing at a “slow” rate of 1–2 pounds per week may increase your chances of keeping it off, as this weight can more likely be permanent fat loss.
Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will keep you hydrated and may help increase your feeling of fullness.
Don’t be discouraged by small setbacks – plateaus and disruptions naturally happen in efforts to lose weight, but don’t let that be your demise. Restart those healthy habits now!
YOUTH SPORTS NUTRITION
