Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Our Washington University columnist shares tips for cutting down on sodium intake by watching six foods with high salt content.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends keeping sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams or less each day, yet most Americans are consuming a little more than 3,400 milligrams each day. Reducing sodium intake requires cutting back on salt used in cooking and added to your food but the AHA says six foods might be the real source of sodium in your diet. The AHA points to six foods as the top sources of sodium in diets. These foods are: In the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for American's breads and rolls, cold cuts, pizza and chicken and chicken dishes were all listed as top contributors but the other two top items were pasta and pasta dishes, along with condiments. If a part of your New Year’s resolution is to eat healthier, paying more …
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Make your family's comfort foods a bit healthier this holiday season.
Over the course of this week and next many traditional or “comfort” foods will likely grace your table and since these foods might only appear once a year the inclination is to enjoy them as much as you want. While this is fine, you can find a midpoint that allows for enjoyment and some degree of healthy eating. Enjoying the special foods of the season is part of what makes the season special but if recipes still retain the more traditional high fat, high sugar, high calorie bent it might be time to make some modifications. Recipe changes that are easy to make include the following: In addition to recipe changes, you can maintain the comfort of traditional foods by choosing smaller portions, by eating more slowly to savor the flavor and by…
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Our dietician says to enjoy the tastes of the season - just do it in moderation.
Holiday eating is often a time of lots of cookies and candy and eating on the run, two behaviors that can pose a challenge to a goal of healthy eating. Have no fear you can enjoy your holiday treats and still keep a healthy eating plan. If you’re spending the next two weeks baking for holiday parties you know that cookies, cakes, bars and candy are plentiful not only in your house but also at work – after all that’s where we take those “too many to keep” items. Manage your sweet eating by trying these tips. When it comes to grabbing meals on the run, studies show that we make poorer food choices and we eat more when we aren’t focused on what we are eating. If your day is packed with work, decorating, baking and shopping make sure you keep…
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Ways to make your Thanksgiving meal a little bit healthier.
While Thanksgiving might be a week away you are hopefully thinking about your menu and preparing your grocery list. As you put together the meal, take some time to think about how healthier food choices fit within your plan. The traditional Thanksgiving meal revolves around the lower fat turkey but some of the accompaniments can boost calories, salt and sugar. Making recipe medications is one way to manage the calories and shifting some preparation techniques can lower salt and sugar. As you put together your menu plan consider the following tips. In addition to these recipe changes, consider smaller portion sizes for pies and desserts so that people can enjoy them without having to eat large portions – they can always go back for seconds…
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Children who ate a good meal in the morning have different levels of brain activity than those that did not eat.
Last week I was privileged to attend the Learning Connection Summit, a follow-up summit to a report that former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher released in 2004. This summit, which was chaired by Dr Satcher and Alexis Glick, CEO of GENYOUth Foundation, provided an update on the science of food, learning, activity and weight. Researchers discussed how students who go to school without breakfast fail to learn as well as those who have breakfast. One study presented, showed how brain activity varied in kids who had breakfast before school versus those who did not. Brain scans showed a clear difference in brain activity in those who had breakfast before going into the classroom. Another session looked at the benefit of physical activity…
St. Louis Salt Room
12:31 pm on Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Low sodium diets can be VERY bad for one's health. Yes, some salt - if it's cheap table salt - should be avoided due to dangerous additives and over-processing, but natural salts should be used moderately. For example, if your body needs salt and you don't provide enough, it will rob salt from your bones, making them weaker. MDs unfortunately have no meaningful training in nutrition and don't … more ›