“A Good Idea for a New Year’s Resolution”
Just coming away from the ‘holiday eating’ is a time when you may decide it’s a good time to look at some ’ healthy eating’. No one would deliberately do this during holiday festivities, family and church gatherings and other celebrations at the end of the year.
Reading food labels is a good step in the right direction to help keep you healthy. There are the new guidelines for portions of different types of food so the next step would be to read labels, keeping in mind ‘per serving ‘amount.
Sugar—the average intake is 20-30 teaspoons a day. That amount has 350-475 calories. These are calories that do not give us any other nutrients. The recommended daily intake of added sugar is 6 teaspoons for women and 9 teaspoons for men. (table sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose). If you are diabetic this is one thing you are already watching as far as amount of intake.
Saturated vs unsaturated fat—Saturated fats stimulate the liver’s production of cholesterol. Yes, our bodies produce cholesterol and we take in a lot of cholesterol in what we eat. These fats are found in whole dairy products such as whole milk, butter, cheese and many fried foods. These contribute to clogged arteries.
Unsaturated fats don’t stimulate cholesterol production in the liver as much as the saturated fats, therefore, are better for you. They are found in vegetable oils, olive oil, canola oil, fish, nuts and plant based foods.
Trans fats on the other hand are less expensive oils that are heated and subjected to a chemical process which helps preserve them, thus they have a better shelf life. They are the worst type of fats as far as artery clogging. Many commercial foods—cookies, crackers, muffins and other baked goods contain these trans fats. Avoid these or keep them to a minimum.
Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, beans of all kinds, whole grain products and other high fiber foods. Fruits—apples, pears, berries daily, fish twice a week, and a meatless meal once a week. These will also give you a better balance of protein and vitamins.
Still reading labels? Here is a good test from the National Dairy Council several years ago.
Raise a finger if a food has: 10% or more of Vitamin A
10% or more of Vitamin C
10% or more of Calcium
10% or more of Iron
10% or more of Protein
10% or more of Fiber
Lower a finger if the food has either: 10% or more of Total Fat or
200 calories or more
If any fingers remain up, the food is nutritious
Sally Richenbacher R.N. M.Ed
Parish Nurse