Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
Most of you long time readers are well aware of my dislike for artificial sweeteners. Whether they have been found to drastically alter gut flora (sucralose, in rats), are on the EPA’s new but unfinished list of potentially dangerous chemicals, increase risk of pre-term births and caused cancer in rats (aspartame) I am not a fan.
This is especially true since there other options that are not synthetically made in a lab and have been consumed by humans for possibly thousands of years. In this case, we are talking about stevia.
Stevia rebaudiana is a plant from South America that is native to Paraguay and has long been used by the indigenous people there to sweeten beverages and make tea. While most of us, myself included, use the word stevia to refer to the sweetener, this is in fact referring to the plant, of which only some components are actually sweet, called steviol glycosides.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
After enjoying a delicious cup of clam chowder today while eating lunch with some friends and watching the Patriots lose, I realized I knew little to nothing about the nutrition facts and nutrient density if clams!
So I decided to do a little research, and much to my surprise clams are a virtual superfood!
Now to be honest I don’t much believe in the notion of “superfoods,” however clams do pack a ton of nutrition into a small package.
How much nutrition you ask? Let’s find out.
In 3oz of cooked clams you are provided with:
- 125 calories
- 2g of fat
- 337mg of omega-3 fatty acids
- 4g of carbohydrates
- 22g of protein
- 10% DV of vitamin A
- 31% DV of vitamin C
- 21% DV of riboflavin
- 14% DV of niacin
- 1401% DV of vitamin B12
- 132% DV of iron
- 29% DV of phosphorus
- 15% DV of potassium
- 15% DV of zinc
- 29% DV of copper
- 43% DV of manganese
- 78% DV of selenium
That is a nutrition powerhouse right there! Clams are the best source of vitamin B12 and iron in the entire world! Yes, you read that right. Entire. World.
They are also a deliciously lean source of protein, and are clearly rich in a ton of other vitamins and minerals. They are pretty much the multivitamin of the ocean, so feel free to enjoy a delicious cup of clam chowder before the summer is over!
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
Today I wanted to write a note to aspiring nutrition students based on my experience in undergrad and some skills that I wished I had taken out of it. Below are but a few examples.
In undergrad I was intently focused on learning everything I could on sports nutrition. If it didn’t pertain to protein needs, nutrient timing or supplements, I wasn’t all that interested. I had such intense blinders on that I failed to recognize the importance of so many other skills that were taught in my classes that would help me in my counseling of future clients.
I was missing the forest for the trees, the big picture for the specific details that I only cared about.
When we had a class on cooking techniques and strategies I bemoaned how “unhealthy” many of the recipes were that we made, not seeing beyond that flaw and recognizing the basic cooking skills I could be developing and then being able to show or describe to future clients. While I am slowly learning many of these things on my own, I should have taken much greater advantage of the opportunity granted to me.
I am became a certified food manager and learned all about food safety and proper storage in school, and fortunately I do remember much of those details (and some are just common sense), but at the time I certainly did not recognize its importance to my future work. Who cares about the temperature danger zone when there is a new study on post-workout nutrition! In retrospect I see now how being well-versed in that information can have such a massive impact on community health initiatives, because many people have had little to no education on the topic.
While I worked hard to make up for this one, I also did not have much interest in nutrition needs throughout the life cycle. I wasn’t all that interested in how nutrition needs are different when you are 85 (or 6 for that matter). I failed to recognize how this would apply to my future clientele, not realizing that it applies to everyone at some point or another!
The point is to not miss the forest for the trees. While it is awesome to have a niche or an area of intense passion and focus, it is imperative not to exclude the many other elements that can impact your ability as an educator, counselor, facilitator. There is a far bigger picture in the real world that so many, or at least I, was not aware of in college. Develop a wide array of skills, you never know what opportunity lay around the corner to put them to work.
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
Today we wrap up my epic series on dairy, providing all of my thoughts on whether you should consume, and if you do, what your best choices would be. Check it out!
—> Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story – Part 3 <—
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
The saga continues, as we explore deeper into the dairy. Is the fat dangerous? Will it give us diabetes? What is vitamin K2 anyway? Check it out:
—> Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story Part 2 <—
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
With my recent Day in the Life blog post outlining the fact that I consume 2 cups of yogurt per day on most days, I think the final answer to this question is known, but this 3 part series I wrote for ericcressey.com will shed light on the details and my entire thought process on dairy in general. Check it out:
—> Is Dairy Healthy? The Whole Story – Part 1 <—
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
Today I wanted to touch on a topic that I have been discussing with a lot of people lately. In my mind our current high school curriculum is missing some important life skills that I think would help so many people to function better in the real world.
For example, how many of us learned how to budget money, grocery shop and prepare meals, or were taught a thing about taxes in school?
These are vital skills that are required to lead a successful life, regardless of career, education level, or socioeconomic status. Yet these skills are left for us to learn outside of school.
My parents definitely taught me many of these things, but I still believe I would have benefited from a more structured class setting, as I think most people would.
Now I am not suggesting a curriculum overhaul, simply a one semester class. Many high school seniors take two study halls in their final semester, so I simply suggest replacing one of those with this class, or something along those lines.
If each semester is approximately 15 weeks long, then it can be broken down into three 5-week units.
Unit 1
Unit 1 would be learning about food.
We would start with Nutrition 101 – what foods are sources of proteins, carbs and fats – it is amazing how many people do not know this. Emphasizing real, whole, minimally processed foods.
It would also teach basic kitchen skills – proper food storage, knife usage, hygiene/sanitation, and food washing.
Third would be basic cooking skills. Different cooking methods (baking, broiling, steaming, stir-frying, etc), using a thermometer, following a recipe, etc.
Finally I think it would be great if kids were taught how grow their own and shop for food. Kids could learn to create a simple garden. Research shows when kids are involved in the growing and cooking of their food, they are much more likely to eat it, especially vegetables. They could also learn a little about composting. Wrapping up the class would be a piece on grocery shopping – teaching them to make a list, shop the perimeter and only pop into the aisles when necessary – its not aimless wandering looking for sales or food that looks good.
You would learn how to grow food, shop for food, cook food, store food and a little about nutrition. Not too shabby if you ask me.
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
While I have done many Day in the Life blogs, but today I wanted to do one that was a little more in depth than prior efforts. I will break down macros and calories for each meal, as well as provide a more thorough review of what other steps I take to improve my health and that of my family.
Ok, so let’s get down to it. Here is an example of a training day for me right now.
Wake @ 5:00
Breakfast @ 5:15
- ½ tbsp grass-fed butter from a local farm
- 5 whole pastured eggs from a local farm
- 2 Ezekiel sesame sprouted grain toast
- 2 tsp Betsy’s of Maine Organic Apple Butter (organic – apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)
- 1 banana
- 2oz POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
- 16oz water
- 12oz black coffee
- 1 multivitamin
- 2,000IU vitamin D
- 1 tsp Carlson’s fish oil
- 1 probiotic
Calories – 710 Protein – 40 Carbohydrates – 70 Fiber – 10 Fat – 30
Read the rest of this entry »
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
I spend the majority of my time here providing information that people can use to improve their health and the health of their families (and clients). However, there is much more to improving the health of this nation than direct education.
There are many factors that impact how each individual chooses to not only eat, they also influence how much and how intensely we exercise, whether or not we smoke, how we drive, whether or not we wear our seat belt and so much more.
This is called the Socio-Ecological (or Social-Ecological) Model. It takes into account all of these other elements beyond just the individual that impact the individual, and it is imperative that we keep these elements in mind and strive to improve them.
These elements are things like Public Policy (federal, state and local laws and regulations), Community (social and cultural norms), Environment (home, work, school, etc), Interpersonal (family, friends) and then the Individual (demographics, attitude, knowledge). Clearly there are many factors that impact how each person makes choices about their health beyond just the individual themselves.
In fact here is a great quote by former Surgeon General David Satcher, from The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, 2001:
“Many people believe that overweight and obesity is a personal responsibility. To some degree they are right, but it is also a community responsibility. When there are no safe, accessible places for children to play or adults to walk, jog, or ride a bike, that is a community responsibility. When school lunchrooms and office cafeterias do not provide healthy and appealing food choices, that is a community responsibility. When new or expectant mothers are not educated about the benefits of breastfeeding, that is a community responsibility. When we do not require daily physical education in our schools, that is also a community responsibility. There is much that we can and should do together.”
The point is that it is imperative that we begin to create an environment, in the broadest sense, that supports people making daily decisions that support their health. We need workplace environments that encourage employees to take walks at lunch, and if they provide food, they provide healthy food options.
We need to create school environments that bring back and emphasize the importance of play – recess, gym, etc. When I was a kid we got to outside twice per day for recess, one quick one in the morning and one longer one after lunch. We also had weekly gym class. Today with the overemphasis on standardized tests (whose scores would be improved if children were more physically active and fit) this has been lost from the curriculum.
We need to create communities where active lifestyles and healthy eating are encouraged and promoted. We can do this by creating biking, walking and running paths, etc and supporting local agriculture, farmer’s markets and CSA’s.
We need to disentangle our federal food policies from the interests of giant corporations (hello Monsanto). While they might never be separate, and that is ok, a greater emphasis of policies should be to improve the health of the citizens of this country, not to fatten the wallets of giant food corporations.
We also need to change social norms and expectations. If you don’t drink excessive alcohol or eat excessive junk/dessert at work parties, family gatherings, etc then you shouldn’t be looked at as a “health nut” you should be looked at as an example. We need to embrace physical activity, learn to unplug and decrease the stress in our lives and enjoy the outdoors more.
The point is that those of us who are passionate about improving the health of our families, our clients, our country and ourselves need to go beyond just personal education and choice. We need to work to impact the other elements of influence, and create an environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle.
To learn more about this check out this teaser trailer for a documentary called Designing Healthy Communities, a 4-part series that will be on public television come January, 2012.
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
One of the biggest barriers preventing people from purchasing and consuming fresh local produce is often a matter of convenience. It is convenient to go to the supermarket and just buy what is there, there is no extra effort involved. You don’t have to find a farmer’s market or shop only at their limited time frames.
It is a one-stop shop and we use it as an excuse to not try harder to find better quality produce. I think it goes without saying that when you eat fresh produce the taste is beyond comparison to most store-bought items. Instead of being picked early and allowed to ripen on the trip to the store, local produce is picked when ripe and sold immediately.
This will provide a vast improvement in taste and a nutrition and is a much more sustainable practice than cross-country shipping of food. However, purchasing this food is easier said than done. People often feel like they don’t even know where to start or where to begin looking for access to local food.
So here is a solution for you – buy into Community Supported Agriculture. If you live in Maine as I do, here is a link to all of the CSA’s in the state. In addition, here is a link to all of the Farmer’s Markets in the state. These resources are now right at your fingertips (and I am sure there are websites like this for most states), so it is time to take action. No more excuses!
In addition people, including myself, often struggle to come up with ways to be more active during our free time. One of the best ideas is hiking, especially as we begin to enter fall. The temperatures are perfect, the views and beautiful and before you know it the leaves will be turning color and really taking it up another notch.
Now again, people often feel like they don’t know where to hike! Fortunately for you (well, for those of you in Maine) here is a link to all of the hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and biking trails in the state. I am sure that most other states have sites like this as well.
I think it is important that we put information like this to use. Enjoying the outdoors has been shown to decrease stress levels beyond just the benefits from the exercise itself. Stress management is one of the key pillars to long-term health and quality of life.
Eat fresh, eat local and enjoy the outdoors. Simple advice that can make a world of difference in your life.
Posted on September 30th, 2011 by Brian St. Pierre
5 Comments »