Weight Debate

Most people in the United States eat more protein than they need without any harmful effects.

However…

• Protein contributes to calorie intake, so if you eat more protein than you need, your overall calorie intake could be greater than your calorie needs and contribute to weight gain.
• Animal sources of protein can be sources of saturated fat which has been linked to elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, called “bad” cholesterol, a risk factor for heart disease.
• For people with certain kidney diseases, a lower-protein diet may be recommended to help prevent an impairment in kidney function.

Protein Sources
Protein is in many foods that we eat on a regular basis. Protein is found in:

• Meats, poultry, and fish.
• Legumes – dry beans and peas.
• Tofu.
• Eggs.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Milk and milk products.
• Grains, some vegetables, & some fruits provide only small amounts of protein relative to other sources.

Recommended Dietary Allowance for Protein everyday:
1 to 3 years – 13 grams
4 to 8 years – 19 grams
9 to 13 years – 34 grams
Boys 14 to 18 years – 52 grams
Girls & Women 14 to 70+ years – 46 grams
Men 19 to 70+ years – 56 grams

Here are some examples of the amounts of protein in food. Add these four sources together and they meet the protein needs of an adult male – 56 grams. This doesn’t count all the other foods that add smaller amounts of protein to a persons diet.

• 1 cup of milk has 8 grams of protein.
• 3 ounce piece of meat has about 21 grams of protein.
• 1 cup of dry beans has about 16 grams of protein.
• 8 ounce container of yogurt has about 11 grams of protein.

If you are healthy, you probably get all the protein you need from your diet, so save your money, you don’t need to buy protein supplements.

A vegetarian diet focuses on plants for food, which includes vegetables, fruits, grains, dried beans and peas, seeds and nuts.

Vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into these groups:

• Lacto vegetarian diet - people who only eats plant-based foods, and dairy products.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet - people who only eat plant-based foods, dairy products, eggs.
• Vegan diet - people who only eat plant-based foods, no meat and animal products, no dairy products, no eggs. It is best to consult a nutritionist before allowing a child to become a vegan.
• Semi-vegetarian diet - people who eat chicken, fish, and plant foods, dairy products, and eggs, but don’t eat red meat.

People who are vegetarians can get the right amount and variety of foods needed to meet their nutritional needs by following the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” food group recommendations for their age, sex, and activity level. Vegetarians need to also make sure they get the right amounts of protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 they need everyday.

Protein
Protein has many important functions in the body and is essential for growth and maintenance. Combining different protein sources in the same meal is not necessary. Build meals around protein sources that are naturally low in fat, such as beans, lentils, and rice. Don’t overload meals with high-fat cheeses to replace the meat. Sources of protein for vegetarians include:

• Beans.
• Peas.
• Nuts.
• Nut butters.
• Soy products – tempeh, veggie burgers, tofu.
• Milk products and eggs – good protein sources for lacto-ovo vegetarians.

Calcium
Calcium is used for building teeth and bones, and in maintaining bone strength. Sources of calcium for vegetarians include:

• Fortified breakfast cereals.
• Soy products – soy-based beverages, tofu.
• Calcium-fortified orange juice.
• Some dark green leafy vegetables such as bok choy, collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens.
• Milk products are excellent sources of calcium for lacto vegetarians. Calcium-fortified soy-based beverages can provide calcium in amounts similar to milk. They are usually low in fat and do not contain cholesterol. Salty foods, and drinks that contain caffeine, increase the loss of calcium.

Iron
Iron functions primarily as a carrier of oxygen in the blood. Eating foods rich in vitamin C like fresh fruits increase the absorption of iron. Iron sources for vegetarians include:

• Iron-fortified breakfast cereals
• Spinach.
• Kidney beans.
• Black-eyed peas.
• Lentils.
• Turnip greens.
• Molasses.
• Whole wheat breads.
• Peas.
• Some dried fruits – dried apricots, prunes, raisins.

Zinc
Zinc is necessary for many biochemical reactions, and helps the immune system function properly. Sources of zinc for vegetarians include:

• Many types of beans – white beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas.
• Zinc-fortified breakfast cereals.
• Wheat germ.
• Pumpkin seeds.
• Milk products are a zinc source for lacto vegetarians.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found in animal products and some fortified foods. Only dairy products, liver, meat and eggs can provide vegetarians with vitamin B12. Vegetarians must take vitamin B12 supplements or eat vitamin B12 fortified foods if they do not eat dairy products, liver, meat and eggs. Sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians include:

• Milk products.
• Eggs.
• Foods fortified with vitamin B12 – breakfast cereals, soya bean milk and soy-based beverages, veggie burgers, and nutritional yeast.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and teeth. Sources of Vitamin D include:

• Fortified soy beverages
• Milk fortified with vitamin D
• Fish
• Egg yolks
• Liver
• Cereal fortified with vitamin D
• Your body can make enough vitamin D if you are in sunlight for about 10 to 15 minutes twice a week.

Vitamin E
For vegetarians to help meet vitamin E recommendations, they need to choose specific nut and seed choices more often, such as almonds, sunflower seeds, and hazelnuts (filberts). These nuts and seeds are among the best sources of vitamin E in the meat and beans food group.

Choose Fats Wisely
“Essential fatty acids” are necessary for good health. Excellent sources are nuts like walnuts, and seeds like flax seeds. Make a Waldorf salad with apples, celery, and walnuts.

Myth: A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, such as the Atkins diet, is a healthy way to lose weight.

The fact is:
A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is based on the idea that carbohydrates are “bad” for you, and that people who eat them gain weight. The truth is, people are gaining weight because they eat more total calories, and they get less physical activity.

Because your food choices are strictly limited, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet is often low in calories. This is why the diet may cause short-term weight loss. But keep in mind that getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods such as eggs, meat, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan.

High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets tend to be low in B vitamins, calcium, fiber, and healthy phytochemicals – plant chemicals. When you eliminate food groups, you simply decrease variety and nutrition in your diet, not weight.

As a matter of fact, a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will allow you to lose weight. By following a balanced eating plan, you don’t have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, which allows you to get all the key nutrients these foods contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods.

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches that provide glucose to your body. Glucose is a major source of energy for your brain, heart, red blood cells, and central nervous system.

Potential long-term side effects of extreme high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets may:

• Make you eat too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise your risk of heart disease.
• Make you eat less fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which can lead to constipation due to the lack of dietary fiber in your diet.
• Make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak.
• Cause bone loss.
• Damage your kidneys.

Important:
Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrates a day can lead to the buildup of ketones in your blood. Ketones are partially broken-down fats. A buildup of these in your blood (called ketosis) can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints) and kidney stones. Ketosis may be especially risky for people with diabetes, people with kidney disease, and pregnant women.

Be sure to discuss any changes in your diet with your doctor, especially if you have health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or kidney disease.

Weight loss can be achieved either by eating fewer calories or by burning more calories with physical activity, preferably both.

If you are trying to lose weight, keep in mind the key behaviors of people who have lost weight and kept it off. These people are called “Successful Losers” by the weight control experts who have studied them.

The key behaviors of successful losers are:

• Getting regular physical activity everyday.
• Reducing your calorie and fat intake.
• Eating regular nutritionally-balanced meals – eating low calorie foods with a wide range of healthy foods, including breakfast everyday.
• Weighing themselves regularly.
• Not letting small “slips” turn into large weight regain.
• Setting realistic goals – a reasonable rate of weight loss is 1/2 to 2 pounds per week.
• Keeping the weight off after you lose it.

Remember, you want to develop lifestyle habits that will help you maintain your weight in a healthy range. A short-term “diet” that you “go on” and then “go off” is not the answer to long-term weight control.

Always discuss with your doctor before you start any weight loss program.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning of the potential risk of overdosing infants with liquid vitamin D.

Some liquid vitamin D supplement products on the market come with droppers that could allow parents and caregivers to accidentally give harmful amounts of the vitamin to an infant. These droppers can hold a greater amount of liquid vitamin D than an infant should receive.

“It is important that infants not get more than the recommended daily amount of vitamin D,” says Linda M. Katz, M.D., M.P.H., interim chief medical officer in FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. “Parents and caregivers should only use the dropper that comes with the vitamin D supplement purchased.”

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut and plays a key role in the development of strong bones. Vitamin D supplements are recommended for some infants – especially those that are breastfed – because deficiency of this vitamin can lead to bone problems such as thinning, soft, and misshaped bones, as is seen with the condition known as rickets.

The FDA advised manufacturers of liquid Vitamin D supplements that droppers accompanying these products should be clearly and accurately marked for 400 international units (IU). For products intended for infants, FDA recommends that the dropper hold no more than 400 IU.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended a dose of 400 IU of Vitamin D supplement per day to breastfed and partially breastfed infants. The easiest way to ensure that an infant will not get more than the recommended dose is to use a product supplied with a dropper that will give no more than 400 IU per dose.

Be aware that excessive vitamin D can cause nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, frequent urination, constipation, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, muscle and joint aches, confusion, and fatigue, as well as more serious consequences like kidney damage.

FDA’s Recommendations

• Ensure that your infant does not receive more than 400 international units (IUs) of vitamin D a day, which is the daily dose of vitamin D supplement that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for breastfed and partially breastfed infants.
• Keep the vitamin D supplement product with its original package so that you and other caregivers can follow the instructions. Follow these instructions carefully so that you use the dropper correctly and give the right dose.
• Use only the dropper that comes with the product – it is manufactured specifically for that product. Do not use a dropper from another product.
• Ensure the dropper is marked so that the units of measure are clear and easy to understand. Also make sure that the units of measure correspond to those mentioned in the instructions.
• If you cannot clearly determine the dose of vitamin D delivered by the dropper, talk to a health care professional before giving the supplement to the infant.
• If your infant is being fully or partially fed with infant formula, check with your pediatrician or other health care professional before giving the child vitamin D supplements.

Remember: Any type of medication or dietary supplement can have adverse effects and must be taken according to the manufacturer’s directions.

This article appears on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Consumer Updates, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
June 15, 2010

Find consumer updates at www.fda.gov

The best exercise for your bones is weight-bearing exercises.

Your bones play many roles in your body. Your bones provide:

• Structure
• Protect organs
• Anchor muscles
• Store calcium

Adequate calcium consumption and weight bearing physical activity early in life builds strong bones, optimizes bone mass, and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

Weight-bearing exercises are any activity that a person performs that works bones and muscles against gravity.

Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include:

• Basketball
• Carrying a child
• Climbing stairs
• Dancing
• Field Hockey
• Gymnastics
• Hiking
• Jogging
• Jumping rope
• Racquetball
• Running
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Walking
• Weight training, weight lifting

Examples of exercises that are not weight-bearing include swimming and bicycling. Although swimming and bicycling help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, they are not the best way to exercise your bones.

Adults should engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

Children should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.

If you have health problems – such as heart trouble, high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity – or if you are age 40 or older, check with your doctor before you begin any regular exercise program.

Vigorous physical activity is recommended for improved cardiorespiratory fitness, but moderate physical activity also can have significant health benefits, including a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).

For people who are inactive, even small increases in physical activity are associated with measurable health benefits.

Moderate physical activity is more readily adopted and maintained than vigorous physical activity.

As research continues to illustrate the links between physical activity and selected health outcomes, people will be able to choose physical activity patterns optimally suited to individual preferences, health risks, and physiologic benefits.

It is recommended to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, and you can break up the 30 minutes of activity by doing 10 minutes of activity three different times of the day.

Some Moderate Activities
You can talk while you do these, but you can’t sing:

• Ballroom and line dancing
• Biking on level ground or with few hills
• Canoeing
• General gardening (raking, trimming shrubs)
• Sports where you catch and throw (baseball, softball, volleyball)
• Tennis (doubles)
• Using your manual wheelchair
• Using hand cyclers – also called ergometers
• Walking briskly
• Water aerobics
• Hiking
• Golf – walking and carrying clubs
• Weight training – general light workout

Bulimia, or bulimia nervosa, is a type of eating disorder. People with bulimia eat a lot of food in a short amount of time, called binging, and then try to prevent weight gain by getting rid of the food, called purging.

People with bulimia often perform these behaviors in secrecy, feeling disgusted and ashamed when they binge, yet relieved once they purge.

Purging might be done by:

• Vomiting – visiting the bathroom all the time after eating to make oneself throw up.
• Using diet pills, or taking a lot of diuretics (water pills to pass urine) to prevent weight gain.
• Taking laxatives to keep from gaining weight. Laxatives are pills or liquids that speed up the movement of food through your body, then makes you have a bowel movement.

People with bulimia may be thin, overweight, or have a normal weight, but like people with anorexia, bulimics:

• Fear gaining weight.
• Want desperately to lose weight.
• Are very unhappy with their body size and shape.

Persons with bulimia usually fast too, or do strenuous exercise after they binge eat.

• Fasting, for someone who is bulimic, is not eating for at least 24 hours.
• Strenuous exercise, for someone who is bulimic, means exercising for more than an hour just to keep from gaining weight after binge eating, even in bad weather or when hurt or tired .

Remember:
There are many consequences of bulimia that can cause a person to have medical problems for the rest of their life. Purging, fasting, and overexercising are dangerous ways to try to control your weight!!

You Can Get Help
Eating disorders can cause serious problems. Getting help early is important!! Treatment involves monitoring, mental health therapy, nutritional counseling and sometimes medicines. Make an appointment to talk with your doctor.

Here are a few examples of big calorie differences in certain foods you eat and drink. Try choosing the right foods to help you maintain a healthy weight.

Fish
Fried fish, 3 oz – 195 calories.
Baked fish, 3 oz – 129 calories.

Apples
Apple pie, 1/8 of 9 inch pie – 296 calories.
Baked apple, 1 cup slices, & 1 tbsp butter – 193 calories.
Apple, 1 medium – 72 calories.

Bagel
1/2 plain bagel (3 and 1/2 inch) with 1 tablespoon of butter and jelly – 249 calories.
1/2 plain bagel (3 and 1/2 inch) with 1 tablespoon of jelly – 147 calories.
1/2 whole wheat bagel (3 and 1/2 inch) – 91 calories.

Chicken
Fried chicken, 2 drumsticks – 386 calories.
Roasted chicken breast with skin, 1/2 breast – 193 calories.
Roasted chicken breast without skin, 1/2 breast – 142 calories.

Milk
Whole milk, 1 cup (8 ounces) – 150 calories.
Fat-free milk, 1 cup (8 ounces) – 90 calories.

Café Latte
Medium café latte, 16 ounces, made with whole milk – 265 calories.
Small café latte, 12 ounces, made with fat-free milk – 125 calories.

Soda
20 oz. bottle of nondiet soda with your lunch – 227 calories.
Bottle of water or diet soda with your lunch – 0 calories.

Fruit Punch
Fruit punch, 12 ounces – 192 calories.
Fitness water, 12 ounces – 18 calories.

Cheese
Regular cheddar cheese, 1 oz – 114 calories.
Low-fat cheddar cheese, 1 oz – 49 calories.

Ground Beef
Regular ground beef (25% fat), 3 oz (cooked) – 236 calories.
Extra lean ground beef (5% fat), 3 oz (cooked) – 148 calories.

Frozen Desserts
Regular ice cream, 1/2 cup – 145 calories.
Frozen yogurt, low-fat, 1/2 cup – 110 calories.

Table Spreads
Butter, 1 teaspoon – 34 calories.
Soft margarine with zero trans fats, 1 teaspoon – 25 calories.

Soup
Cream based soup, 1 cup mushroom bisque – 400 calories.
Broth based soup, 1 cup minestrone – 112 calories.

Also, how you prepare foods, or how you order foods when dining out can quickly turn less healthy foods into healthier options. Baked, broiled, grilled, steamed, and microwaved foods are better choices. This saves you from eating extra fat and calories.

Salmonella, the name of a group of bacteria, is the most common cause of food poisoning in the United States.

Salmonella is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacilli that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of people or animals to other people or other animals.

Salmonellosis is an infection caused by bacteria called Salmonella.

Symptoms of Salmonellosis
Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and headache 12 to 72 hours after infection.

In some people, the diarrhea may be so severe that they need to be hospitalized. The Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the blood stream, and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Duration of Illness
The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.

You can get a Salmonella infection from:

• Food: Contaminated eggs, poultry, unpasteurized milk or juice, cheese, contaminated raw fruits and vegetables (alfalfa sprouts, melons).
• Animals and their environment: After handling pets. particularly reptiles like snakes, turtles, lizards, amphibians (frogs), and birds (baby chicks). If you don’t wash your hands carefully after touching an animal or its environment, you could get a Salmonella infection.

Salmonella can also cause foodborne illness (salmonellosis) through cross-contamination, for example, when juices from raw meat or poultry come in contact with ready-to-eat foods, such as salads.

Prevention
Salmonellosis is prevented by:

• Cooking poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating them.
• Not eating or drinking foods containing raw eggs or raw unpasteurized milk.
• Washing fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating.
• Always wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
• Don’t cross contaminate foods.
• Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly and properly.