Archive for nutrition
First of all, if you are someone who reads my Santa Clara chiropractic blogs, then you know that as your Santa Clara Chiropractor I am a passionate advocate of living a healthy lifestyle that, as I’ve written so many times, includes a healthy diet, good hydration, plenty of exercise and, of course, regular chiropractic care! In addition, I’m sure that if you are someone who is already concerned about your health, you don’t get your diet and nutrition guidelines from watching television. We all know that most TV advertisements that are about food, especially “convenience” food, are meant to sell, sell, sell, whether or not the product is actually good for you. That said, it always nice to take a moment to reflect on just how “unhealthy” TV ads can be. So, I read with great interest an article today in the New York Times Fitness and Nutrition section on the subject. The article detailed a study that concluded that if Americans ate only foods advertised on TV, they would consume 25 times the recommended amount of sugar and 20 times the amount of fat they need, but less than half the dairy, fiber, and fruits and vegetables.Yikes! Those statistics even shocked me!
Taping 28 days of prime-time TV (as well as Saturday-morning programming) on the four major broadcast networks, researchers identified 800 foods promoted in 3,000 ads. Then, using a nutritional software program, they analyzed the content of the items, comparing the foods’ nutritional values with the government’s food guide pyramid and recommended daily intake values for various nutrients (based on a 2,000 calories per day diet).
Are you ready for this? Not only would a 2,000-calorie diet made up solely of foods from commercials provide too much cholesterol, saturated fat and salt, and not nearly enough nutrients like iron, calcium or vitamins A, D and E, just one advertised food item by itself would provide, on average, three times a person’s daily recommended servings of sugar and two and half times the daily recommended servings of fat.
The study will be published this month in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Getting Slim By Eating Fats? That All Depends…
Posted by: | CommentsAs a chiropractor, I always advise weight loss for my overweight patients, not only as a way to keep organs such as the heart healthy, but every system of the body, including the musculoskeletal system (my specialty). Excess weight puts a burden on every part of the human body, including the vertebrae of the spine and joints such as those in the knees and hips. My patients tend to take my advice, so many of them ask my opinion on how they can lose weight in a healthy way. I’m always looking for information to share with them that will help to turn their “temporary” diet plan into a permanent lifestyle. The good news is that not everything that tastes good is bad for you, including fats. Recently I read an article that discusses “good” versus “bad” fats that I think you’ll find helpful when choosing a healthy diet.
-
Monounsaturated Fat and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids are the so-called “good” or healthy fats. They are referred to as healthy fats because they do not adversely affect your health and may actually contribute to good heart health. These types of fat come mainly from plant sources (e.g., vegetable oil), nuts, and fish (certain varieties).
Whenever possible, you should try and get your “good” fats from food sources rather than supplements. Eating more fish, walnuts and flax seeds will help. You can also take a supplement, but be sure to talk to your doctor first.
Add some sources for healthy fats to your next grocery list. These include: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, ground flax seeds, walnuts (and most other nuts).
-
Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated fats provide omega-6 fatty acids and should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a healthy diet. Sources of polyunsaturated fat include corn oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil.
-
Saturated Fat
Saturated fat should be limited as often as possible. Diets high in saturated fat raise cholesterol levels and can lead to cardiovascular disease. Saturated fat is found mainly in foods from animal sources. Foods that contain saturated fat include: whole milk, butter, cheese, red meat and coconut oil.
-
Trans Fat
Trans fat should be avoided as often as possible. Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that actually elevates blood cholesterol levels more than saturated fat.
Trans fat is typically found in “junk” food, such as prepackaged baked goods and snacks. To locate trans fat on food packages, look for the words “partially hyrogenated oil” or check the nutrition label. Foods that commonly contain trans fat include most margarine, fried foods and commercially-baked goods.
Trans fat has been widely used in fast food for frying, but is now being limited or eliminated by many fast food restaurants. Ask about trans fat at your favorite restaurant and request nutrition data for their menu items.
You can view the nutrition data, including fat content, for many popular foods, fast food eateries, and restaurants online at About.com’s Calorie Count.
