Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
2/17/12 Shari quoted on Channel 7-Children and Iron
Iron deficiency in the United States isn’t the scourge it was half a century ago. But even with improved nutrition and better monitoring, it remains the single most common nutritional deficiency. Without enough iron, red blood cells can’t efficiently deliver oxygen to the body, according to Lauren Graf, a pediatric nutritionist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.
Kids are at greatest risk during infancy and adolescence, when their diet may not meet the increased iron demands of their rapidly growing bodies. Overweight children are also at higher risk, studies show, possibly because they tend to snack more frequently and eat greater amounts of junk food.
Untreated, iron deficiency can eventually lead to anemia, which can seriously delay a child’s growth and neurological development.
Luckily, iron deficiency is easy to detect and treat. “A blood test at the doctor’s office can tell. And in many cases, getting iron levels up can be as simple as changing what your child is eating,” says Graf.
Here, some basic ways to help your child avoid iron deficiency from the start:
Photo: @iStockphoto.com/lisegagne
has contributed to numerous magazines and websites,
Kids are at greatest risk during infancy and adolescence, when their diet may not meet the increased iron demands of their rapidly growing bodies. Overweight children are also at higher risk, studies show, possibly because they tend to snack more frequently and eat greater amounts of junk food.
Untreated, iron deficiency can eventually lead to anemia, which can seriously delay a child’s growth and neurological development.
Luckily, iron deficiency is easy to detect and treat. “A blood test at the doctor’s office can tell. And in many cases, getting iron levels up can be as simple as changing what your child is eating,” says Graf.
Here, some basic ways to help your child avoid iron deficiency from the start:
- Know the signs: Kids with iron deficiency may be sluggish, look tired and pale, or get sick often.
- Breastfeed your baby, if possible: Breastfed infants are at lower risk because the type of iron contained in human milk is extremely easy for their bodies to absorb, according to Shari Portnoy, a dietitian at the Day Care Council of New York.
- Don’t skip breakfast. “Breakfast is an easy time to get some iron into the diet, since breakfast cereals as well as bread are generally fortified with iron,” says Graf. Plus, juices and fruits that are rich in vitamin C help the body absorb iron.
- Go easy on the milk. Milk offers many nutritional benefits, but it also limits the body’s ability to absorb iron efficiently. Kids who fill up on milk may also be sacrificing space for iron-rich foods in their diets. The National Institutes of Health recommend that children older than 12 months drink no more than 16 to 24 ounces of milk per day (or up to about three small glasses).
- Eat whole foods and a well-rounded diet. Lean meats, poultry and shellfish are among the best sources of heme iron, or iron from animal tissue, which is most easily absorbed by the body. Other sources of iron include greens, legumes, whole eggs, soybeans, whole grains and dried fruits.
Photo: @iStockphoto.com/lisegagne
has contributed to numerous magazines and websites,
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Shari in the Wall Street Journal 1/3/12
As a registered dietitian and public-health advocate and reader of peer-reviewed literature, I disagree with your Dec. 22 editorial "Nasty, Rotty Stuff."
Research has shown that when given healthy food versus fast food over time, people enjoy the healthy food. Maybe the school system mentioned in your editorial made poor choices in deciding how to alter the food. Cooking is a skill, not just reading a recipe, so trained chefs can make just about anything taste good, but more importantly, they don't need to.
If people start out with good habits, they continue them. Colorful fruits and vegetable are delicious, ripe melon is sweeter than taffy, and kids love colors and sweets. So, if you start them out right, they will continue. If you start them out with drive-thru fast-food restaurants and television commercials where junk-food marketing prevails, they will go that way.
Don't blame it on desserts, because fresh fruit is a dessert devoured by all. Blame it on commercials produced by big business, which cares about profit, not health.
Shari Portnoy
New York
Research has shown that when given healthy food versus fast food over time, people enjoy the healthy food. Maybe the school system mentioned in your editorial made poor choices in deciding how to alter the food. Cooking is a skill, not just reading a recipe, so trained chefs can make just about anything taste good, but more importantly, they don't need to.
If people start out with good habits, they continue them. Colorful fruits and vegetable are delicious, ripe melon is sweeter than taffy, and kids love colors and sweets. So, if you start them out right, they will continue. If you start them out with drive-thru fast-food restaurants and television commercials where junk-food marketing prevails, they will go that way.
Don't blame it on desserts, because fresh fruit is a dessert devoured by all. Blame it on commercials produced by big business, which cares about profit, not health.
Shari Portnoy
New York
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Shari on Fox News 1/13/12
Marta Montenegro: What to Eat and What to Bring at the Finish Line
Published January 13, 2012
Fox News Latino
- FILE PHOTO 2008 ING New York City Marathon. (Getty)
When you run, nothing stops you. We runners know this for sure!
I was sitting in a meeting planning a 5K when someone asked: But what if it rains? The organizer, who certainly has logged many miles, looked at me confused. Rain never has been an issue with us as die-hard runners.
So whether you’re getting ready to run a 10K in freezing temperatures or to run through the beautiful Miami weather this January (as the city gets ready to host one of the biggest race in Florida where people come from all over the place for the ING Miami Marathon), when you cross the finish line we share the same feelings: accomplishment, toughness, pain, aches, happiness and… food.
You may not be thinking about what type of food when you cross the finish line. In the end, you made it and people are usually more concerned about what to eat before the race, what to drink during the race and what to eat after the workout on those training days leading up to the race. Oftentimes, either because you achieved your goal, or you’re so excited or so in pain, you have forgotten about feeding your body the best way post-race.
Let’s look at the typical post-race options. Are they the best ones to replenish the energy lost and to nourish your body after such a great effort?
What will you find?
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, sports nutritionist and author of the new book Food Guide for Marathoners for Everyday Champions, says, “You don’t have to rapidly recover. Your body will recover over the next few days. However, fueling right after a marathon will certainly make you feel better.”
Between the camera flashes and showing off your medal, you’ll often come across these items when you cross the finish line:
a) Oranges: 90 percent water and has potassium to help refuel muscles with some sugar. Shari Portnoy, MPH, RD, CPT, adds, “While oranges have essential minerals like calcium and potassium, one orange may not be enough after a long race.”
b) Bananas: These are one of the race food staples with a reason. They provide carbohydrates, vitamin C and potassium. In a study where cycles ate either banana chunks or a sports drink performed similarly. Nevertheless, as Clark mentions “the banana offered a beneficial anti-inflammatory response.”
c) Bars and bagels: Clark says that both are good source of carbs to refuel and protein to repair the muscles. Also, bagels have sodium.
d) Beer: You won’t find it necessarily near the finish line, but the local pub is nearby. Clark explains, “There are some studies that back up the anti-inflammatory properties of beer. Beer is plant-based, so has these antioxidants that have anti-inflammatories. But when you drink beer on an empty stomach especially after the race, it can hit you like a ton of bricks. I would advise against it. Non-alcoholic beer that would still be effective. If you’re going to drink beer, first have water, then food, then beer in moderation.”
What can your family and friends bring you in?
The options that you’ll find to feed your muscles after the race are good but certainly there’s room to improve. When you ask your family and friends to bring the camera, it may be a good idea to ask them to bring some food too. In the end, you don’t want to waste the one-hour window or so that the body has to maximize the recovery process.
Portnoy says, “Replacing sweat loss should be your number one priority after a marathon. You also need to replace glycogen (stored glucose) stores. The best post marathon foods and drinks will contain mostly carbohydrates, some vitamins and small amount of protein.”
Liquid is more easily digested than solids and carbohydrates are more easily digested than protein. Portnoy points out “keep it simple. Tell your family to bring cans of tomato juice, or a mix 0f all types of juices. A bagel and tuna is as quick as a yogurt topped with granola. Remember to eat slow. Sports drinks like Gatorade do play a part. The body can absorb more carbohydrates when it comes from a variety of sources and a sports drink has a variety of sources. You need some fat too to replenish what is lost during endurance exercise.”
In this regard, Clark advocates chocolate milk, fruit/yogurt, cereal and milk and even soup, saying, “salty and sugar: potato chips, caffeine (soft drinks), soups, bagels—you don’t get the antioxidants but it does refuel your muscles and the caffeine is a stimulant that makes things feel a little better.”
Are these “new options” worth it?
There has been a lot of buzz lately on the anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoid quercitin, which is found in fruits, vegetables and some grains. Apples, specifically, have been associated with providing relief after endurance events due to its quercitin content. Nevertheless, Clark explains that you’ll need to eat quite a few apples to have a significant impact on race day. But don’t disregard one of the healthiest fruit yet. Clark says, “This is what you should have been eaten before the race, building up in your diet before.”
Some juices like pomegranate, cherry and grape juice, along with tea, have become to be very popular in races promoting their anti-inflammatory properties. Clark advises that they can provide vitamins and antioxidants but it’ll be more important to have them as a part of daily diet upon entering the event.
“Focus on giving your body what it needs, but don’t overdo it. Research shows that the body can handle the stress of a marathon. An optimal recovery relies on optimal eating all of the time, not just post marathon. Real food and beverages are the answer. Don’t stress out on finding the perfect supplement or bar, your body wants real food and drinks,” concludes Portnoy.
Marta Montenegro is an exercise physiologist, certified strength and conditioning, coach and master trainer who is an adjunct professor at Florida International University. Marta has developed her own system of exercises used by professional athletes. Her personal website martamontenegro.com, combines fitness, nutrition and health tips, exercise routines, recipes and the latest news to help you change your life but not your lifestyle. She was the founder of nationally awarded SOBeFiT magazine
I was sitting in a meeting planning a 5K when someone asked: But what if it rains? The organizer, who certainly has logged many miles, looked at me confused. Rain never has been an issue with us as die-hard runners.
So whether you’re getting ready to run a 10K in freezing temperatures or to run through the beautiful Miami weather this January (as the city gets ready to host one of the biggest race in Florida where people come from all over the place for the ING Miami Marathon), when you cross the finish line we share the same feelings: accomplishment, toughness, pain, aches, happiness and… food.
You may not be thinking about what type of food when you cross the finish line. In the end, you made it and people are usually more concerned about what to eat before the race, what to drink during the race and what to eat after the workout on those training days leading up to the race. Oftentimes, either because you achieved your goal, or you’re so excited or so in pain, you have forgotten about feeding your body the best way post-race.
Let’s look at the typical post-race options. Are they the best ones to replenish the energy lost and to nourish your body after such a great effort?
What will you find?
Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, sports nutritionist and author of the new book Food Guide for Marathoners for Everyday Champions, says, “You don’t have to rapidly recover. Your body will recover over the next few days. However, fueling right after a marathon will certainly make you feel better.”
Between the camera flashes and showing off your medal, you’ll often come across these items when you cross the finish line:
a) Oranges: 90 percent water and has potassium to help refuel muscles with some sugar. Shari Portnoy, MPH, RD, CPT, adds, “While oranges have essential minerals like calcium and potassium, one orange may not be enough after a long race.”
b) Bananas: These are one of the race food staples with a reason. They provide carbohydrates, vitamin C and potassium. In a study where cycles ate either banana chunks or a sports drink performed similarly. Nevertheless, as Clark mentions “the banana offered a beneficial anti-inflammatory response.”
c) Bars and bagels: Clark says that both are good source of carbs to refuel and protein to repair the muscles. Also, bagels have sodium.
d) Beer: You won’t find it necessarily near the finish line, but the local pub is nearby. Clark explains, “There are some studies that back up the anti-inflammatory properties of beer. Beer is plant-based, so has these antioxidants that have anti-inflammatories. But when you drink beer on an empty stomach especially after the race, it can hit you like a ton of bricks. I would advise against it. Non-alcoholic beer that would still be effective. If you’re going to drink beer, first have water, then food, then beer in moderation.”
What can your family and friends bring you in?
The options that you’ll find to feed your muscles after the race are good but certainly there’s room to improve. When you ask your family and friends to bring the camera, it may be a good idea to ask them to bring some food too. In the end, you don’t want to waste the one-hour window or so that the body has to maximize the recovery process.
Portnoy says, “Replacing sweat loss should be your number one priority after a marathon. You also need to replace glycogen (stored glucose) stores. The best post marathon foods and drinks will contain mostly carbohydrates, some vitamins and small amount of protein.”
Liquid is more easily digested than solids and carbohydrates are more easily digested than protein. Portnoy points out “keep it simple. Tell your family to bring cans of tomato juice, or a mix 0f all types of juices. A bagel and tuna is as quick as a yogurt topped with granola. Remember to eat slow. Sports drinks like Gatorade do play a part. The body can absorb more carbohydrates when it comes from a variety of sources and a sports drink has a variety of sources. You need some fat too to replenish what is lost during endurance exercise.”
In this regard, Clark advocates chocolate milk, fruit/yogurt, cereal and milk and even soup, saying, “salty and sugar: potato chips, caffeine (soft drinks), soups, bagels—you don’t get the antioxidants but it does refuel your muscles and the caffeine is a stimulant that makes things feel a little better.”
Are these “new options” worth it?
There has been a lot of buzz lately on the anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoid quercitin, which is found in fruits, vegetables and some grains. Apples, specifically, have been associated with providing relief after endurance events due to its quercitin content. Nevertheless, Clark explains that you’ll need to eat quite a few apples to have a significant impact on race day. But don’t disregard one of the healthiest fruit yet. Clark says, “This is what you should have been eaten before the race, building up in your diet before.”
Some juices like pomegranate, cherry and grape juice, along with tea, have become to be very popular in races promoting their anti-inflammatory properties. Clark advises that they can provide vitamins and antioxidants but it’ll be more important to have them as a part of daily diet upon entering the event.
“Focus on giving your body what it needs, but don’t overdo it. Research shows that the body can handle the stress of a marathon. An optimal recovery relies on optimal eating all of the time, not just post marathon. Real food and beverages are the answer. Don’t stress out on finding the perfect supplement or bar, your body wants real food and drinks,” concludes Portnoy.
Marta Montenegro is an exercise physiologist, certified strength and conditioning, coach and master trainer who is an adjunct professor at Florida International University. Marta has developed her own system of exercises used by professional athletes. Her personal website martamontenegro.com, combines fitness, nutrition and health tips, exercise routines, recipes and the latest news to help you change your life but not your lifestyle. She was the founder of nationally awarded SOBeFiT magazine
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/01/13/marta-montenegro-what-to-eat-and-what-to-bring-at-finish-line/#ixzz1jaVXci7v
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Healthy food isn't more expensive,,,verified by NY times
Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?
By MARK BITTMAN
Published: September 24, 2011
Daniel Borris for The New York Times
Readers shared their thoughts on this article.
This is just plain wrong. In fact it isn’t cheaper to eat highly processed food: a typical order for a family of four — for example, two Big Macs, a cheeseburger, six chicken McNuggets, two medium and two small fries, and two medium and two small sodas — costs, at the McDonald’s a hundred steps from where I write, about $28. (Judicious ordering of “Happy Meals” can reduce that to about $23 — and you get a few apple slices in addition to the fries!)
In general, despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home. You can serve a roasted chicken with vegetables along with a simple salad and milk for about $14, and feed four or even six people. If that’s too much money, substitute a meal of rice and canned beans with bacon, green peppers and onions; it’s easily enough for four people and costs about $9. (Omitting the bacon, using dried beans, which are also lower in sodium, or substituting carrots for the peppers reduces the price further, of course.)
Another argument runs that junk food is cheaper when measured by the calorie, and that this makes fast food essential for the poor because they need cheap calories. But given that half of the people in this country (and a higher percentage of poor people) consume too many calories rather than too few, measuring food’s value by the calorie makes as much sense as measuring a drink’s value by its alcohol content. (Why not drink 95 percent neutral grain spirit, the cheapest way to get drunk?)
Besides, that argument, even if we all needed to gain weight, is not always true. A meal of real food cooked at home can easily contain more calories, most of them of the “healthy” variety. (Olive oil accounts for many of the calories in the roast chicken meal, for example.)In comparing prices of real food and junk food, I used supermarket ingredients, not the pricier organic or local food that many people would consider ideal. But food choices are not black and white; the alternative to fast food is not necessarily organic food, any more than the alternative to soda is Bordeaux.
The alternative to soda is water.
I said it all along, it is cheap to eat HEALTHY!
In general, despite extensive government subsidies, hyperprocessed food remains more expensive than food cooked at home. You can serve a roasted chicken with vegetables along with a simple salad and milk for about $14, and feed four or even six people. If that’s too much money, substitute a meal of rice and canned beans with bacon, green peppers and onions; it’s easily enough for four people and costs about $9. (Omitting the bacon, using dried beans, which are also lower in sodium, or substituting carrots for the peppers reduces the price further, of course.)
Another argument runs that junk food is cheaper when measured by the calorie, and that this makes fast food essential for the poor because they need cheap calories. But given that half of the people in this country (and a higher percentage of poor people) consume too many calories rather than too few, measuring food’s value by the calorie makes as much sense as measuring a drink’s value by its alcohol content. (Why not drink 95 percent neutral grain spirit, the cheapest way to get drunk?)
Besides, that argument, even if we all needed to gain weight, is not always true. A meal of real food cooked at home can easily contain more calories, most of them of the “healthy” variety. (Olive oil accounts for many of the calories in the roast chicken meal, for example.)In comparing prices of real food and junk food, I used supermarket ingredients, not the pricier organic or local food that many people would consider ideal. But food choices are not black and white; the alternative to fast food is not necessarily organic food, any more than the alternative to soda is Bordeaux.
The alternative to soda is water.
I said it all along, it is cheap to eat HEALTHY!
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