Q. FitFoodPro—what’s all the fuss about leafy greens? Aren’t all greens leafy? And does it matter if they are raw or cooked, plain or dressed? Stumped in Spokane
A. You’re almost right, Stumped in Spokane, most salad and other greens are leafy, but some are better for you. Leafy greens (a.k.a. green leafy vegetables or GLVs) are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients–minute plant nutrients that arm your body against disease. Pretty much the deeper the GLVs the higher the nutrients.
GLVs include arugula, beet greens, Belgian endive, broccoli, bok choy, cabbage, collard greens, curly endive, dandelion greens, escarole, green and red leaf lettuce, kale, mache (lamb’s lettuce), mustard greens, radicchio, rapini, romaine (cos) lettuce, savory, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens and watercress.
Cooking may destroy some nutrients like vitamins C and E or folic acid. Use enamel, glass or stainless steel pots or pans. Aluminum or copper may react with GLVs and give off unpleasant odors and flavors. A little bit of fat, like olive oil or salad dressing, tones down their bitter flavors.
My goal in my blog, FitFoodWays, is to show you how to maximize nutrient-rich foods, like GLVs and minimize overly-processed, nutrient-poor foods. So be fussy and think green most of the time. -TheFitFoodPro
Q. FitFoodPro—Heard some news about new 2010 US Dietary Guidelines. But it’s 2011, and where are they? More importantly, what do these mean for me?Mystified in Montana
A. You heard right, Mystified in Montana. The new 2010 US Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released on January 31, 2011! You can find them here. The big consumer push will happen sometime in spring—so stay tuned.
Let me sum them up for you. These guidelines provide a nutritional roadmap to promote health, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases and the incidence of overweight and obesity through better nutrition, balanced by physical activity. They promote lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat dairy products, and seafood, and discourage too much sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and refined grains.
How does this translate to your plate? Cut back. Enjoy what you eat, but eat less of it. Think downsized, not supersized. Cut in half. Imagine your plate half filled with vegetables and fruits; the other half with lean protein and whole grains. Cut down. Eat less sodium, found in salty snack foods, many processed foods, and fast foods; and drink fewer sweetened drinks—no one needs all their added sugars (unless you’re an endurance athlete!). There’re lots of lower-calorie flavored waters to whet your whistle.
Just like these guidelines, my goal in my blog, FitFoodWays, is to show you how most of your favorite foods and drinks can fit into a healthy diet—as long as you pay attention to their size and contents. -TheFitFoodPro
Q. FitFoodPro—Seems like everyone’s talking about their vitamin D deficiency at the water cooler. Is this for real? I thought most every dairy product nowadays is fortified with it. What’s the real scoop about vitamin D, and how do I know if I need more? Dumbfounded in Delaware
A. Vitamin D’s IS the word, Dumbfounded in Delaware. But the person to set the record straight is your health care practitioner, not your co-worker. Vitamin D can be measured through a simple blood test. Bone pain and muscle weakness are often first signs of a deficiency. You should first make sure that they’re not signs of underlying diseases.
Vitamin D, the “sunshine” vitamin, is made when your skin is exposed to sunlight. Cover up, and…you get the picture. You need vitamin D for strong bones and to prevent rickets—a bone softening disease that can lead to skeletal deformities. Low vitamin D has also been associated with a host of other conditions, including confusion and cardiovascular disease.
If you’re dark skinned, skip fortified dairy or grain products, egg yolks, or fatty fish; have digestive or kidney problems, or are overweight or obese, you may not be 1) getting enough vitamin D; 2) converting vitamin D to its active form, or 3) absorbing it properly.
Should you have a true vitamin D deficiency, you’ll need more vitamin D from sun, diet, and/or supplements. Diet wise, there’s some form of vitamin D for everyone. Four ounces of salmon contains 411 IU of vitamin D; 8-ounces of fortified soy milk – 331 IU; 8-ounces of fortified skim milk – 241 IU, and one egg yolk contains 41 IU—up 64% from 2002 levels!
My goal in my blog, FitFoodWays, is to show you how most foods and beverages fit your diet much of the time. When they don’t, FitFoodWays offers alternatives to meet your nutritional needs—most always food first. -TheFitFoodPro
Q. Hey, FitFoodPro, what’s this business about “all foods fit”? Are there some foods and drinks that simply have no benefits and are just plain awful? What do you mean when you say that you can find a place for them in my diet? Puzzled in Pittsburgh
A. Let me speak in plain words instead of “nutrition-speak,” Puzzled in Pittsburgh. A soft drink with any type of real sugar contains calories. Calories produce energy, which gives us the ability to live, work, and think. To call soft drinks “empty calories” ignores their energy-producing properties. It’s the same with candy—hard candy contains carbohydrates for energy. Chocolate candy also contains fat—and maybe a little protein, plus some vitamins and minerals. In a pinch, candy supplies calories and hampers hunger until you can find a real meal.
If I was provided nothing but soft drinks and candy, you bet I’d partake in their energizing calories. The trouble is that we have such easy access to soft drinks and candy in quantity that we don’t always make wise choices. Both soft drinks and candy can fit into a healthy diet that meets a compliment of nutritional needs. But not inexcess—that’s the deal breaker.
My goal in my blog, FitFoodWays, is to name names and show you how your favorite foods and drinks can be worked into a healthy diet—one that properly feeds your body and tastes good too! -TheFitFoodPro
Q. FitFoodPro—isn’t it true that some foods and drinks (particularly those high in sugar and fat) and drinks rob your body of nutrients? Don’t you need the nutrients in your body to handle all this sugar and fat? Concerned in Cleveland
A. Right you are, Concerned in Cleveland! Sugars are carbohydrates (aka or carbs), and carbs need certain vitamins and minerals to be processed by your body to create energy. Fats need other vitamins and minerals to help their breakdown and use. But when you eat other carbs, such as fortified breads and cereals, and fats (like butter or margarine), you replace what’s used—and often much more!
Now, if you’re only living on sugary and fatty foods, thatfoods then that could matter. But if you eat and drink a reasonable amount of other foods and beverages, you probably get more nutrients than you think.
My goal in my blog, FitFoodWays, is to help you see how most all food fits—even the ones you think are nutrient robbers. -TheFitFoodPro