Olympic Nutrition and Nutrition for Us Mortals

The summer Olympics are my favorite, have you been watching? I love it because I get to live vicariously through the athletes and imagine myself running as a Team USA marathoner or as one of the tri-athletes. Ah, one can dream right? So you know when it comes to excelling at athletics 3 things must align: genetics, nutrition and training. There’s nothing you can do to change your genetics, so when it comes to making team USA it is all about training and nutrition.

Team USA has a whole crew of registered dietitians (RD) who are also certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD) who track the intake of and plan the meals of all of the athletes. It is based on science because there is no room for guessing when it comes to the food and hydration necessary to fuel these athletes. Even a miniscule drop in performance can be the difference between winning the gold and finishing third or fourth in an Olympic event.

Specialized Support

There is no one-size fits all approach to nutrition. Each athlete has unique needs influenced by the demands placed on their body of their respective sport. The dietitians must ensure that the athletes eat and drink the right type of fluid and fuel at the right time and in the right amount. They also assess the needs of the athletes to see if any supplements are warranted and appropriate. Supplementation is an area that is under great scrutiny especially at this level, and only supplements that are tested to be free of banned substances are used. There are very few select supplements that are supported through research and legal in the Games, two of which are creatine and caffeine in controlled amounts. There is a published list of prohibited substances that can be found on the World-Anti Doping Website http://list.wada-ama.org/prohibited-all-times/prohibited-substances/ and it includes substances such as anabolic agents, diuretics, and blood doping agents to name a few. They also break it down by sport. The IOC takes a hard stance on supplementation and doesn’t accept inadvertent doping (using a supplement that was contaminated) as an excuse. But from what I have learned from my esteemed colleagues who work with Olympic athletes, the emphasis is ALWAYS on food first and supplements second and only when necessary and where warranted. 

Hydration

Hydration is another key area for athletes. Even if an athlete is in the pool or running in cooler temps in the rain, just a mere 2% loss of body weight via sweat can mean a significant decrease in performance. At the Olympic level athletes will most likely have individualized hydration plans developed for them based on their calculated sweat rate.

Tips for Mere Mortals (myself included)

If you are outside this summer getting those workouts in despite the intense heat and humidity you will want to be certain that you following the lead of the champions and make sure you are hydrating adequately. Exercising in the heat decreases your efficiency and as you become more dehydrated you rely more heavily on your stored fuel, aka stored glycogen. This means you will tire faster due to the buildup of lactic acid (that nasty burning sensation you feel in your muscles).

If your workout is longer than 60 minutes then you will want something that includes electrolytes like a sports drink. Check the label - you want to have at least 100 mg of sodium, 30 mg of potassium, and 14 g of carbohydrate per 8 ounce serving. If you prefer electrolyte chews, they generally have more carbohydrates and less sodium but are still a good choice. Wash them down with at least 8-12 ounces of water. Electrolytes are important for fluid balance and for allowing nerve impulses to travel throughout the body. When we take a look at food sources of these minerals we find that sodium is most commonly found combined with chloride, in what we call table salt. Generally speaking, our bodies are very good at regulating our electrolyte balance. If you are not out exercising in the heat and eat a lot of processed foods then you might get too much sodium and too little potassium. But if you are out there sweating it out, then you may need a bit more salt and just about everyone could use more potassium.

The Daily Value for sodium for adults is 2400 mg, about the amount in one teaspoon of table salt. Take a look at your food labels to gauge your intake. You can also check to see if you are a heavy sweater by looking at your workout clothes for some white lines which are actually the salt from your sweat If you aren’t getting enough your body will trigger a salt craving. The Daily Value for potassium is 4000 mg and one banana has 400 mg, which means you need to be diligent about getting your fruits and vegetables every day. Good sources of potassium include fresh fruits and vegetables like spinach, kale, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, dried beans, honeydew, bananas, and cantaloupe.

Make sure you are getting at least the minimum amount of sodium in your diet and to increase your potassium aim for at least 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Now back to the Games!

Help Your Kids Eat Right With Color

In my earlier post I focused on ways to put this year’s National Nutrition Month® theme “Eat Right with Color” into practice and in this post I want to share some tips that parents can use to make sure their children are eating healthy meals.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reported that kids (and adults) are deficient in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium. I also just read a report that most Americans aren’t even clear on which foods contain fiber. It showed that many people think that foods like meat and milk which have no fiber are good sources and 10% even thought water provided fiber (http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Many-Americans-mistaken-about-fiber-sources-finds-Kellogg-s). This really surprised me and reminded me that most people just don’t know what makes a healthy diet. So if we want healthy kids then there is a lot of work that needs to be done to educate parents on good nutrition so that they can make sure that their children are getting the nutrients that they need.

To this end I wanted to share a great new resource that The American Dietetic Association and its foundation just launched. It is a website called Kids Eat Right www.kidseatright.org that has a wealth of information for parents written by registered dietitians. The website includes articles, videos, practical tips, and recipes all designed to help families learn how to shop effectively and prepare healthy and wholesome meals. One video that stood out to me was cauliflower popcorn http://www.eatright.org/kids/video.aspx?id=6442462714

What a fun idea for kids! Check out the resources and see what you think. If you try a recipe or idea let me know how it worked.

March is National Nutrition Month!

March is National Nutrition Month® and today is actually Registered Dietitian Day! Wahoo! I say that because I am a Registered Dietitian, and while I didn’t get the day off from work or anything I am still going to celebrate my profession in this post. National Nutrition Week started in 1973 in response to a growing interest in nutrition by the general public and by 1980 it turned into a month-long observance. Registered Dietitian Day was started just 4 years ago as a way to highlight the important work that nutrition professionals do.

So what is the theme this year? “Eat Right with Color”! For all of you visual learners out there this slogan should bring to mind bowls of red cherries, salads brimming with various shades of green from lettuces, broccoli, arugula, avocado, bell peppers; red from tomatoes, white from button mushrooms, orange from carrots, and maybe even some tans and darker colors contributed by sunflower seeds, black beans, and olives. While many of you are in locations where you have been seeing nothing but the white of snow and the brown of barren trees, your plate is one place that you can make festive by including a rainbow of foods that includes a palette of nutrients. I often tell my students to “eat from the rainbow” because it is a way to ensure that you get a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, all of which are important for health and longevity.

Using the colors of MyPyramid is one way to incorporate recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and create a healthful eating plan. The bars each represent a different food group: orange is for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, blue for dairy, yellow for oils, and purple for meats and beans.

Here are some suggestions to brighten up your plate by using this color guide:
Green: Fruits: Kiwi, honeydew, lime, grapes
Vegetables: Broccoli, asparagus, peas, artichoke, leafy greens, edamame

Orange and deep yellow: Fruits: Cantaloupe, citrus, mango, pineapple, papaya
Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, carrots, yellow corn

Red: Fruits: Cherries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, pomegranate, watermelon
Vegetables: Beets, red onions, red potatoes, rhubarb

Blue and purple: Fruits: Blueberries, blackberries, plums, raisins
Vegetables: Purple potatoes, eggplant, red cabbage

Tan, brown and white: Fruits: Banana, brown pear, white peaches, dates
Vegetables: Cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, white corn, white potatoes

Focusing on simple and practical ways to make positive changes to your diets is as easy as “Eating Right with Color”. By including a colorful variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy every day you will be getting a variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals that can protect against heart disease and certain types of cancer. So let the artist in you shine and use your palette to create a colorful plate!

February is Heart Health Month!

As an athlete you may think that you are immune to heart disease since you incorporate physical activity on a regular basis. However, do you really know what an optimal heart-healthy diet should include? There is so much misinformation available that I thought a review of some dietary habits and facts pertinent to heart health were in order.

Let’s start with a quiz!

1. Is it more important to reduce total dietary saturated fat or avoid trans fats?
2. The fiber is which of these foods will lead to a reduction in blood cholesterol – bran cereal or oats?
3. Which of these foods is not high in potassium – green seedless grapes, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, or bananas?
4. What is considered normal blood pressure?
5. What are desirable levels for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides?
6. Why would a high intake of refined carbohydrates and simple sugars increase your risk for heart disease?

Now that I have you thinking, let me fill you in on what you need to know to keep your heart healthy. While it is important to keep your saturated fat in check (full fat dairy, fatty cuts of meat, fast food, etc), trans fat is more harmful to the heart. Read the ingredient list of foods you purchase and avoid those containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

We need both insoluble and soluble fiber in our diets in order to remain healthy. The insoluble fiber that is found in foods like whole-grain bread, vegetables, and bran cereal contribute to colon health. The soluble fiber in foods like oats and beans can decrease cholesterol by binding with it so that it is excreted.

Potassium is a very important mineral for athletes since it is one of the main ones lost in sweat (in addition to sodium). But it is also extremely important in terms of blood pressure regulation and most Americans don’t get enough. The recommended intake is 4700 mg for adults, which is actually harder to get than you might think. One banana has around 400 mg. Wow – that’s a lot of bananas! Seedless grapes are low in potassium but the others in the question are good sources.

Normal blood pressure is <120/<80 mm HG. Do you know yours? Go to your local pharmacy and use the self-check blood pressure machine. What about cholesterol numbers? Total cholesterol should be <200 mg/dl, LDL (lousy or bad cholesterol) < 100 mg/dl, HDL (good cholesterol) >40 mg/dl (the higher the better : 60 is considered high), and triglycerides <150 mg/dl.

The last question is a tricky one when it comes to athletes. Yes you should be fueling during exercise with those simple carbs like gels and gus and sports drinks, since they delay fatigue and provide a ready source of fuel. Simple sugars such as those found in low-fat chocolate milk are also ok for athletes when used as a recovery drink. However I think athletes sometimes overdo the gels, gus and other engineered foods and research has shown that a high intake of refined starches and sugars can depress HDL, raise triglycerides, and raise inflammatory factors. My suggestion is to go easy on these products when your training volume is lower and during the off season. Opt for “real foods” instead like an apple or banana since you will also get some fiber and complex carbohydrates with those foods.

A few other ways to eat for heart health include eating 2 servings of fatty fish a week, or if you are a vegan or don’t like fish, including flax oil or hemp oil. Make sure to load up on lots of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables, use olive oil when you can, and snack on heart healthy nuts a few times a week. Finally, let’s not forget those phytochemicals and heart protective flavonoids such as the ones found in green tea and dark chocolate. Just watch the portions of the chocolate and aim for a one ounce portion per day and a brand that contains 200 mg of cocoa flavanols per serving.

While not an exhaustive list, the suggestions here should put you in the right direction for heart health.

The 12 Days of Christmas Redone

Thanksgiving is over and depending on your level of indulgence you may already be worrying about holiday weight gain. You may also be feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list and looking for some smart ways to stay on track this season. Before the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, take stock of your current nutrition and exercise habits and get a plan. I have this quote on one of my computers that says “A goal without a plan is just a wish” (Antoine de Saint Exupery). So this post is going to be about getting a plan and a realistic one too. Although as side note I really wanted to do a version of the 12 days of Christmas but I wasn’t getting any brainstorms on that – maybe for next year.

So let’s talk strategies – simple things that can be done in terms of nutrition, physical activity, and behavior modification. Easy stuff you can start today. And in fact it would be great if you could incorporate one or two of these each week during the month of December so that by January you will have incorporated several new habits into your current lifestyle. It takes about 30 days to form a new habit which means you could end the year singing Auld Lange Syne celebrating your successes instead of saying things like: I plan to lose weight this year, join a gym, eat more vegetables, give up fast food, etc., etc. Why not resolve to make it to January 1 without any regrets and perhaps even a bit healthier than you are right now?

Here are my 12 strategies:
1. Use your Nog-gin
Beverages add a lot of calories this time of year. Did you know that a serving of egg nog is just ½ cup and about 170 calories? And who drinks just a half cup? A more typical serving is 8-10 ounces which will set you back about 4-5 miles of walking at a 3-4 mph pace. So save calories and drink more water!

2. Sit when you eat
Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Sit when you eat. But I mean every time you eat so no noshing at the sink, while cooking, while going through the drive through, or while shopping. Sit at the table, light a candle, put the phone down, and simply eat.

3. Add an extra 30 minutes of physical activity to your day
If you aren’t active now then adding 30 minutes of activity a day is a great goal. If you are already active make an effort to add an extra walk to the beginning or the end of your day. If you walk at a 3-4 mph pace you could burn up to 1400 calories a week. Remember there are 3500 calories in a pound.

4. Go “halvies”
You could do nothing else on this list but simply cut all of your usual portions in half and you could lose weight. Of course you want those portions to be of healthy foods and not cheeseburgers and fries, but trust me this will work. You could also use this strategy for including your favorite holiday treats: just eat half your usual portion and since you will be walking an extra 30 minutes a day you can avoid the guilt.

5. Eat breakfast and pack your lunch
It’s true, it’s true. Eating a balanced breakfast has been proven over and over again in research to be one of the most effective strategies to maintaining your weight. Make it balanced with a portion of protein, a serving of fruit, and a serving of whole grain. And while you wait for your breakfast to cook, go ahead and pack your lunch and include one of the following: 1 serving of protein (1 string cheese; hard-boiled egg; 1 oz turkey; ½ cup beans, etc), 1 serving of fruit, 1 serving of vegetable, and 1 serving of whole grain. All of this should add up to about 400-500 calories.

6. Rethink TV time
While I won’t be so bold as to suggest you give up TV entirely, I will suggest that you use it to try out that new exercise DVD you got Black Friday. There are thousands of fitness DVD’s available on just about every exercise imaginable. Why not trade in three 30 minute shows a week for three 30 minute sessions of a workout DVD?

7. Say cheese!
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reported that cheese is our top source of saturated fat in the diet. Consider reducing your intake, switching to low fat varieties, a soy or rice based cheese (no cholesterol or sat fat), or eliminating it all together.

8. “My dog ate my running shoes” and other excuses to ditch
Dump the barriers to active living and focus on solutions instead. You’ve heard it before and I will say it again: make yourself and your fitness a priority. Schedule your workout in your day planner and stick to your commitment as if it were an appointment and canceling would incur a service charge.

9. Bake savvy
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reported that grain based desserts are the single largest contributor to total calories in the American diet. If you have read any of my other posts then you know I love to bake – particularly muffins. But I make healthy ones so when you bake this season opt for whole wheat flour, applesauce or pureed plums or mashed banana instead of oil, egg whites instead of eggs, yogurt instead of sour cream, and less sugar. You can reduce the sugar in most recipes by up to 1/3 without any negative effects.

10. Buyer beware
Please don’t fall prey to the latest fad diet, weight loss supplement, or goofy exercise machine you saw on an infomercial. There are no tricks to a healthy lifestyle: moderation, balance, variety. Before you spend $20 on a bottle of diet pills send me an email.

11. Don’t take comfort in too much comfort food
Do you need to eat more when it is cold? While a tempting rationalization I am afraid that the answer is “no” if your daily routine doesn’t change. It is true that you burn extra calories to stay warm but only if you are shivering to do so. Now don’t go turning off the heat so you can burn a few extra calories, instead warm up with some homemade chili, herbal tea, or homemade soup.

12. Eat from the rainbow
Make it a goal to eat 5 different colors of fruits and vegetables a day. If you do that you can be certain that you will be getting an array of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals all of which are beneficial to long term health.

There are many more tips I could share but I think these should cover the bases and if implemented shouldn’t be too overwhelming and provide some great rewards. Let me know how it goes too!

Pumpkin Muffins – Yum!

I have certainly been getting adequate vitamin A/ beta carotene this November since I have gotten back into baking. My mom sent me an easy pumpkin recipe a couple of weeks ago and I have already made 3 versions, each one turning out to be very tasty! Making muffins is one of my favorite things to do when it comes to cooking. But I can’t seem to make a recipe without modifying it to put my personal spin on it and then testing out several versions. So that is what I have been doing with this pumpkin recipe. All of the ingredients I have been using except for the baking soda, powder, and Splenda® are organic. I found organic canned pumpkin at Trader Joe’s for the reasonable price of just $1.99 for a 15 oz can which is just a few cents more than the cost of conventional canned pumpkin. The organic flour and fruit can also be found at any health food store. The version I am posting is made with the addition of a chopped Braeburn apple. The other versions I have made so far include substituting fresh organic cranberries for the apple and one where I added some organic tahini. I really think the sky is the limit in terms of making modifications as long as you keep the wet to dry ratio fairly similar. In general this recipe makes a lot of batter so I have gone back and forth between making mini muffins and making regular size muffins. I also always add a scoop of organic soy protein powder because I like eating the mini muffins as a post-run or post-gym snack but you can leave that out or use non-fat skim milk powder to boost the protein content.
Have fun with this recipe and enjoy eating them as they are super nutritious and super low calorie and of course super tasty!

Ingredients
2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup Splenda®
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
15 oz canned organic pumpkin
1 medium chopped organic Braeburn apple
28 gm vanilla soy protein powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, ½ cup of water and stir until just mixed. Spoon batter into oil-sprayed muffins cups filling to just below tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops bounce back lightly when pressed or when knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes to cool. Store in tightly sealed container or freeze.

This particular version made 11 good size muffins.
Calories: 90 (about 80 without the protein powder), carbs: 18 gm, fiber: 3 gm, protein: 5 gm

Pumpkins: A nutrition powerhouse

Pumpkins are here! I am most likely in the minority as I have never cared for pumpkin pie, but I do love a nice warm pumpkin muffin on a cool fall morning or a creamy pumpkin smoothie. Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse and are high in carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals. This fruit, yes it is technically a fruit, is also a very good source of beta carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. One cup of mashed pumpkin has just 50 calories, zero fat, 12g of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. Wow!

Eating pumpkin pie is probably not the best way to include more pumpkin in your diet since it is traditionally made by combing pumpkin with heavy cream and whole eggs. When cooked in a “standard” pie crust, a slice gets ~50% of calories from fat. Healthier ways to add pumpkin into your diet are easy to do by utilizing canned pumpkin and it is actually one of the only canned foods that has no added salt or sugar. If you have the time to cook a whole pumpkin simply peel off the outer skin, cut it into pieces and boil. The seeds can be scooped out and roasted in the oven with a bit of oil for 30 minutes or even eaten raw.

Some easy ways to eat more pumpkin include: adding canned pumpkin to ready-to-eat butternut squash soup, stirring canned pumpkin into oatmeal, spreading pumpkin butter on bread and muffins, and snacking on pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are high in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds are also high in phytosterols which are thought to strengthen the immune system. The seeds can be added to salads, hot or cold cereals, cookies, even homemade veggie burgers.

Pumpkin also makes a great, creamy smoothie and nutritious breakfast or post-workout recovery shake. There are endless variations on this smoothie recipe so have fun experimenting with other ingredients like yogurt, frozen bananas, etc. Pair this shake with some whole grain toast with peanut butter and you have a perfectly balanced breakfast/recovery meal chock full of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein.

Pumpkin Recovery Smoothie
6 ice cubes
1 cup light vanilla Silk soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, cow)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or substitute nutmeg and cinnamon)
½-1 Tbsp honey (or substitute stevia or splenda)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla soy protein (or whey, rice)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
Nutrition analysis:
236 calories, 3 g fat, 24 g CHO, 3 g fiber, 30 g protein

The versatility of this fruit makes it a great addition to your diet, adding powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber without a lot of calories.

Sorting out cereals

With the morning temperatures getting lower, you may be thinking about switching your cold breakfast foods for something warm. While it isn’t easy to figure out which cold cereals are 100% whole grain, with hot cereals whole grains are the norm not the exception. Even Cream of Wheat has a whole-grain version.

Do some whole grains beat others? It doesn’t appear so as studies have found a lower risk of diabetes and heart disease in people who eat any whole-grain cereal and especially those rich in insoluble fiber.

So what are some good choices? To avoid breakfast boredom you may want to stock your pantry with a variety of different grains. Most whole-grain hot cereals (with the exception of rice cereals) have 4-5 grams of fiber per serving (40 grams dry, which equals about 1 cup cooked). The instant hot cereals also count as whole grains but they may get some of their fiber from added isolated fibers like inulin instead of the natural bran. Inulin may supply extra fiber but research hasn’t found it to be beneficial for the heart or the colon as of yet.

Hold the sugar when choosing your cereal and choose unsweetened over the presweetened packets. It doesn’t matter if the sugar is cane, date, or brown sugar; to your body it’s all the same. You would be better off adding your own sugar as you will undoubtedly end up with less. Most non-instant hot cereals don’t have added sodium while most instant hot cereals do. So if you use instant look for levels close to 100 mg per serving.

Here are just a few good bets for breakfast that are 100% whole grain, contain no added sugar, and have no more than 100 mg of sodium per serving: Bob’s Red Mill – all varieties of hot cereal, McCann’s Irish Oat Bran, Mother’s Oat Bran, Quaker Old Fashioned or Quick Oats, Cream of Wheat Whole Grain, Steel Cut Oats and Erewhon brand. And if you are looking for something quick and wholesome try Trader Joe’s frozen Steelcut Oatmeal.

Finally, I want to share my news: I am finally officially “Doctor Koslo”!

Is going gluten-free a viable weight loss option?

The gluten-free market is experiencing huge growth not only in the US but on a global scale. It is estimated that just 1% of the population has celiac disease yet according to market reports 15 to 25% of consumers want gluten-free foods.

So is this demand for gluten-free products the latest weight loss fad or is giving up gluten a viable weight loss technique?

Gluten consists of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin, and is found in wheat, rye, triticale (cross between wheat and rye), couscous, spelt and barley. Gluten-free foods were originally developed for people with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder with potentially life-threatening consequences. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, antibodies in the small intestine attack the gluten damaging the intestinal lining and villi. Without treatment the body is unable to absorb nutrients from food, leaving patients vulnerable to a host of diseases. Individuals with celiac disease must therefore follow a strict gluten-free diet. Other individuals who benefit from eliminating gluten are those with gluten sensitivity and those with a wheat allergy. Athletes involved in weight class sports such as wrestling and bodybuilding or figure training also sometimes chose to eliminate gluten prior to competitions to minimize intestinal residue and fluid retention.

Are gluten-free diets beneficial to everyone?

Gluten-free diets are catching on at college campuses as well as in the celebrity community for weight loss. However, the idea that a gluten-free diet can help people lose weight is a myth and scientific evidence is lacking. Gluten-free does not equal nutritious and many gluten-free products are higher in fat which is added by manufacturers to replace the gluten. These products also tend to be higher in overall carbohydrates, sugar, and calories and lower in fiber, vitamins, and iron.

So why do people following a gluten-free diet state they feel better, perform better, or lose weight easier?

It could be that these people have eliminated many processed foods, packaged and fast foods and replaced them with fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed foods. But a poorly planned gluten-free diet that relies on many of these specialty foods can leave dieters short on B vitamins, iron, and fiber. Not to mention that a diet of gluten-free foods can up being fattening as well as expensive.

So before you eliminate gluten in hopes of a magic weight loss solution, ask yourself if you have a true negative reaction to wheat or gluten and if so consider consulting your doctor before you self-diagnose. Finally, remember that gluten-free brownies and beer are no healthier than their gluten-containing counterparts and should also be eaten in moderation.

Eggs: Good nutrition bang for your buck

Eggs are a naturally nutrient-dense food and contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans. A large egg has about 74 calories and more than 6 grams of high-quality protein that is easily digested and absorbed by the body. Eggs are also an excellent source of choline, a nutrient that helps prevent birth defects, and a good source of riboflavin. The egg white consists primarily of protein while the yolk contains protein, choline, folate, lutein, zeaxanthin, fat, and vitamin D.
Each egg is separately wrapped in its own shell requiring no weighing or measuring and can be prepared in thousands of ways. Eggs are also naturally low in sodium and the yolk has a favorable mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and just 1.5 grams of saturated fat. And while many Americans still avoid eggs for fear of dietary cholesterol, 30 years of research has never linked egg consumption to heart disease. Additionally, the American Heart Association no longer places a limit on the amount of eggs a person can consume per week.
In an effort to meet consumer demand a number of specialty eggs are currently on the market offering an array of nutritional choices. Omega-3 eggs are laid by hens fed a special diet containing omega-3 rich flaxseed or marine algae. Cage free, organic, free-range and certified humane eggs all have the same nutritional content but the conditions under which the chickens are kept meet specific USDA standards. Brown eggs are no different from white eggs and are just from a different breed of hen.
The high-quality protein in eggs can be part of a balanced sports diet by aiding in muscle tissue repair and growth. So next time you are wondering what to have with that bagel try an egg or two.
American Egg Board (2010) http://www.aeb.org/retailers/nutrition-facts
Egg Nutrition Center (2010) http://www.enc-online.org/