Breaking Down Nutrition

PODCAST. Is that pint of ice cream one serving, two or maybe four? Is the serving size realistic? For the first time in over 20 years, the updated Nutrition Facts food label will go into effect between July 2018- July 2019 depending on the size of the manufacturer.

What are the five most important changes for you to know about? Listen now to the podcast and take a look at the FDA’s comparison labels:

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PODCAST. Are you wondering if you should take vitamin D, how much and whether to get it from food or a supplement? In the body, vitamin D is responsible for working with the minerals calcium and phosphorus to help them absorb correctly. And as you’ve probably heard, Vitamin D prevents and treats osteoporosis or weak and brittle bones.

How do you know if you need to take vitamin D? The best way to find out is to ask your health care provider to check your vitamin D level with a blood test. This is the deciding factor. For bone health, if the blood level of vitamin D is above 20 nanograms per milliliter or you’ll see it on the lab results as ng/ml, there is probably no need to take a supplement. Don’t miss this…it’s important to know that lab tests often show a range for a normal level. If your number is on the lower end of normal, it doesn’t mean you need more as long as it’s above 20.

But if you’re 65 and older, a blood level between 24-29 may be beneficial in the prevention of bone fractures. Blood levels below 14 and above 29 are actually tied to fractures according to studies, which suggest to us …too little vitamin D is not good but too much Vitamin D in the body is not either. This is a case of more is not necessarily better.

Listen now for your 5 things to remember about vitamin D and bone health.

Be sure and try the culinary companion recipe for Veggie Mac & Cheese

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PODCAST. Have you heard the chatter? Talk about giving peanuts to your infants now? You’re probably wondering…seriously, can I trust this information? When and how much of a peanut product can I give my infant?

To dig a little deeper and give you the accurate answers you want, I’m talking with metro-Atlanta based registered dietitian nutritionist Sherry Coleman Collins whose areas of expertise include food allergies and digestive disease. Follow Sherry on Twitter @PeanutRD and check out the website PeanutAllergyFacts. Listen now to hear the new guidelines for your infants.

Try the delicious culinary companion: Peanut Noodles with Crunchy Vegetables

Do you love peanut butter? Then be sure and sign up to win the giveaways from Betsy’s Best.

One winner will win a set containing each of Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters- 1 almond butter, 1 seed butter, 1 peanut butter, 1 cashew butter.  Four additional winners will receive one butter of their choice. Yum!

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In part 1 of the podcast Will a Low FODMAP Diet Help You, we talked about what FODMAPs are, how they trigger GI symptoms and what a low FODMAP diet is all about. I’m thrilled that Kate Scarlata is back for part two. From strawberries and walnuts to home fries and more, there is no need to feel restricted.

Kate is a registered dietitian nutritionist, digestive health expert and Best of Boston dietitian. She is known for her work in the area of the low FODMAP diet. In her practice, Kate specializes in health conditions including IBS, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Find out more about Kate.

Listen as Kate share’s what you would find on a low FODMAP plate, how long you should stay on the diet and more.

Don’t miss the FODMAPs culinary companion: Maple-Infused Chia Pudding

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PODCAST. Do you deal with irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive issues? Would a low FODMAP diet help you feel better?

My special podcast guest is registered dietitian nutritionist, digestive health expert and Best of Boston dietitian Kate Scarlata. I heard Kate speak at a conference and her information was so helpful I couldn’t wait for her to share it with you. She’s known for her work in the area of the low FODMAP diet, the novel diet therapy used to manage IBS symptoms that first originated in Australia.

In her private practice, Kate specializes in health conditions including: IBS, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Maybe you’ve heard it called SIBO. You can find out more about Kate at katescarlata.com

Listen now and find out what FODMAPs are all about. Hear how they trigger gastrointestinal symptoms and if you might benefit from a low FODMAP diet.

I asked Kate if she would share one of her favorite quick and easy recipes. Enjoy her Kale, Bacon, Tomato & Egg White Omelet in a Mug. Or try our Maple-Infused Chia Pudding.

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PODCAST. If you have dry eyes from too much screen time, how much fish or fish oil supplement do you need to help? Did you know there are three forms of omega-3s on the market? The omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA that we talked about in part 1) in fish naturally occur.

In most supplements, fish oil is not in this natural form but in a semi-synthetic form called ethyl esters. When fish oil is treated, it removes the contaminants and concentrates the EPA and DHA, which creates this ethyl ester form…sounds like someone’s name, doesn’t it? By the way, ethyl ester is the most common form of omega-3 supplements on the market.

Listen to the podcast for how much fish  to eat and supplements to consider. Be sure and try Regina’s culinary companion recipe for Mediterranean Salmon Cakes.

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PODCAST. Are your eyes dry after logging several hours of screen time? Will omega-3s help?

From tablets and smartphones to personal computers, video games and TVs, the average person spends almost half a day staring at a screen. Yes, you read that right…10 hours, 39 minutes a day and growing. One result of this screen time is dry eyes.

What about brain health as you age? I’m asked about this topic so often. If you listened to the podcast Will Vitamin B-12 Help Your Brain, you know that a low level of B-12 in the body could be tied to more rapid brain impairment and dementia including Alzheimer’s disease. What’s interesting is that levels of omega-3s also seem to be tied to the development of brain atrophy and dementia and may play a role in the effectiveness of those various B-vitamins…kinda like a team player.

Listen now to find out how the omega-3s EPA and DHA may help you.

Be sure and try Regina’s recipe for Mediterranean Salmon Cakes. You’ll love them and make the recipe again and again.

PODCAST. Why does B-12 deficiency increase with age? A couple of reasons…often as you get older, you tend to eat less, which decreases the amount of B-12 in your diet. Up to 1/3 of people who are 50+ don’t absorb B-12 from their food because they don’t produce enough stomach acid.

Here’s a smart tip: if you’re 50+ you may need to get the vitamin from supplements or foods fortified with B-12 because in these forms you don’t need stomach acid to absorb it in the body.

It is known that there are some supplements to help focus, and there are a few that are recommended. One of the current recommendations for those over 50 (I’m talking about if you don’t have a deficiency) is a little over 2 mcg of B-12 daily…not that much but get it from supplements or fortified foods so you absorb it. Have you looked at supplement labels lately? Supplements typically provide way more than 2 mcg daily…necessary perhaps if you are B-12 deficient.

How much do you need? Discuss this with your health care provider. Depending on your blood level, taking 100-500 mcg of vitamin B-12 and possibly 400 mcg of folic acid each day, long term, may help slow age-related declines in memory and promote improvement in brain function.

Be sure and try Regina’s culinary company…her recipe for the Perfect Poached Egg. A great way to add B-12 to your diet.

Listen now and find out if sublingual vitamin B-12 is the way to go.

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PODCAST. Whether it’s sprinkled on your latte or oatmeal, cinnamon is an aromatic spice popular the world over. But it’s used for more than it’s comforting flavor. It’s popular as a supplement for type 2 diabetes.

In fact, a Sydney Australia survey of complementary and alternative medicine use found that 25% of respondents use cinnamon to treat their diabetes. Ceylon and Cassia are the most common. Cassia is typically cheaper and is often found in supplements and spices. When looking at a supplement, the label may not say which species is used so assume its Cassia. Plus be aware there is no international standard for the contents or amounts of active ingredients in any cinnamon.

Does it matter to you which cinnamon species is in a supplement? Yes, it does. Ceylon cinnamon is safer in larger dosages such as 1000 mg a day or more. The blood thinner coumarin naturally occurs in higher amounts in Cassia cinnamon than in Ceylon. The possibility exists for excess bleeding if you take a blood thinner. Plus in high doses coumarin may have toxic effects on the liver and kidneys. The more expensive Ceylon cinnamon can be ordered online and is often carried in health food stores

Listen to the podcast let’s talk what we know about cinnamon and if it’s bad for your diabetes.

Don’t miss this recipe for Winter Spiced Chili. It’s an easy way to add more cinnamon to your diet.

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PODCAST. Are you pregnant and wondering about eating fish and the dangers of mercury? Which fish should you avoid?

If you avoid fish for fear of mercury exposure, I have good news to share. The Food and Drug Administration or FDA evaluated the potential concerns against the benefits of eating fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their analysis revealed that pregnant women who eat two seafood meals a week (or 8-12 ounces) provide an additional 3.3 IQ points by age 9 to their child.

Most fish consumed in the US at recommended levels of 1 to 3 meals per week do not cause significant mercury exposure or negative brain effects. You would have to eat about 120 light-tuna sandwiches weekly before reaching the minimum exposure for negative effects to the brain.

Listen to the podcast now for the best tips about mercury and eating fish and which to avoid.

Try this recipe for Salmon Tacos with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce and Red Cabbage Slaw

 

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