Category Archives: Nutrition

Plant-Based Diet Pros and Cons Women Should Know

Nutrition, Well Woman

A plant-based diet is made of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, and healthy oils. 

There are several versions of a plant-based diet, including vegetarian, vegan, DASH, Mediterranean, or the combination of the two, the MIND diet. It can also include small amounts of meat, depending on which one you follow. 

Plant-based diets come with many pros and a few cons. They provide antioxidants for fighting against inflammation, fiber, phytochemicals, and other vital nutrients. Proper planning ensures followers enjoy a nutritionally satisfying and filling meal pattern. 

The cons of following a plant-based diet can vary depending on actual food consumption.

To ensure optimal health and prevent nutrient deficiencies, you must include foods with omega 3 (DHA and EPA), B12, calcium, iodine, and iron. For some of these nutrients, supplementation is necessary. 

Awareness of food selections is key in helping you consume all essential nutrients in your eating style.

Plant-based diet pros and cons

Plant-based diet pros

  • Filling, lower-calorie fiber-rich foods to encourage improved gut health
  • Delicious flavors of colorful plant foods, herbs, and spices
  • Loaded with antioxidants and polyphenols to lower inflammation and fight disease
  • Fosters brain health, reduces blood pressure, and improves circulation, promoting heart health
  • Budget-friendly for grocery shoppers

Plant-based diet cons

  • Restaurant ordering can be tricky.
  • Social situations require creative planning.
  • Calcium, iodine, and iron minerals may require special attention in meal planning. 
  • Rich sources of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids are found in marine life. A supplement containing algal oils can meet this need if you do not eat fish or seafood.
  • Some plant-based diets are more restrictive than others, and it can be hard to make adjustments.
Plant based diet pros

What you can eat on a plant-based diet 

  • DASH – The DASH diet arose from a study aiming to help lower hypertension (high blood pressure). The findings revealed that blood pressure decreased with increased plant food consumption, especially fruits and veggies that are rich in potassium.
  • Mediterranean – The Mediterranean diet is a style of eating along the Mediterranean coast in Europe. Consumers enjoy fruits, veggies, wine, olives, seeds, other plant foods, and fish/seafood. We have learned this eating style is associated with good health.
  • MIND – The MIND diet was engineered as a combination of the DASH and Mediterranean diets, taking the best from both popular eating styles to promote health for total body wellness. 
  • Vegan –  Veganism is a lifestyle in which a person respects all living beings. Vegans do not utilize animal products in clothing, cleaning supplies, or food for consumption, including gelatin and honey. You may eat a vegan diet but not follow a vegan lifestyle.  
  • Vegetarian diets are similar to vegan eating but may contain other foods.
  • Lactovegetarian diets include dairy products.
  • Ovo Vegetarian diets include eggs.
  • Lacto-ovo vegetarian eating patterns include both dairy and eggs.
  • Pescatarian eating includes fish and may also include dairy and eggs.
  • Flexitarian – Similar to pescatarian but may also include small portions of meats and poultry.

Can you get all of your nutrients by eating a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet is not just about avoiding meat. Care should be taken to plan healthy meals and snacks that provide all the fiber and nutrients needed for good living.

If you avoid meat but rely on heavily processed foods, health consequences will result. Any diet, if not planned carefully, can be nutrient deficient.

Refined foods have been processed to have a lighter, fluffy texture, making them easy to consume, such as chips and snack cakes that don’t provide nutrition. Other refined grains that do contain nutritional value, like white rice, white bread, and pasta, lack the fiber found in their whole-grain counterparts.

Is plant-based food good for you?

Plant-based diets are loaded with healthy carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, veggies, and beans. Olives, avocadoes, nuts, seeds, and oils from these products offer healthy fats. Plant foods are abundant in vitamins and minerals too!  

These are some foods containing nutrients that can be hard to consume. 

  • Calcium can be found in leafy greens, plant-based milk, dried figs, tofu, tempeh, calcium-fortified orange juice, calcium-fortified cereals, and almonds.
  • Iodine is in iodized salt and coastal-grown veggies.
  • Iron is rich in raisins and dark leafy greens. Iron is a concern for women of childbearing age, but it’s usually not for older women.

How can you get enough protein by eating a plant-based diet?

Proteins are available in whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, and soy foods such as tempeh, tofu, and soy milk. A plant-based diet can supply all the protein you need for good health.

Conclusion

Plant-based eating does not need to be complicated. Everyone can enjoy this eating style. No matter which way you choose to eat, plant or meat-based, shopping and purchasing are still required, and planning and reading food labels is recommended.

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exercise bike with weights and foam roller

Caring for the Heart: [Ultimate Guide]

Nutrition, Well Woman

Imagine someone close to you is having a heart attack. Do you picture a man or a woman? When it comes to heart disease, it is commonly assumed to be a condition suffered by men. Despite the belief that heart disease only impacts men, it is the number one killer of women. 

Heart disease is a women’s disease too. In this article, we share lifestyle tips that you can easily apply to help keep you from being the next heart attack victim.

How to care for your heart

Knowing the risk factors for heart disease and a heart attack can help you survive.

  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Elevated lipids (high cholesterol or triglycerides)
  • Smoking
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Depression
  • Diabetes

Having diabetes increases your risk for heart disease. Uncontrolled diabetes stresses the arteries leading to a risk of heart disease. Cases for men have declined but have remained the same for women. 

Those living with diabetes are also more likely to suffer a silent heart attack because diabetes changes how pain is felt. Women experience more silent heart attacks than men. 

Insulin resistance doesn’t always show itself and commonly progresses to diabetes.

Pay attention to your medical conditions. If you have a genetic predisposition to heart disease, it’s all the more reason to incorporate healthy practices in your daily routine.

Suppose you have any of these risk factors. In that case, efforts toward preventing disease complications and management can reduce your risk for heart disease.

Heart attack survival

Women are more likely than men not to survive a heart attack. The symptoms are not always the same in women as in men. A female may or may not encounter chest pain that could go away and return. 

A heart attack may come on slowly in women as opposed to the common belief that you would suddenly have chest pain.

Women’s complaints could be:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Undue tiredness
  • Nausea with or without vomiting
  • Jaw, neck, or back pain
  • Indigestion
  • Heartburn

Women may also complain of typical symptoms

  • One or both arms hurting
  • Abdominal pain 
  • Breaking out in cold sweat
  • Lightheadedness 
  • Chest pain/discomfort/pressure/squeezing

Women’s knowledge that heart disease is the number one cause of death in women declined between 2009-2019, especially in the Black and Hispanic populations.

Menopause and caring for the heart

Heart disease increases with menopause. Women experience a drop in estrogen levels, causing the blood vessels to lose the ability to expand and contract as they lose their suppleness. 

The suppleness protects against the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits along the vessels’ walls that lead to plaque formation. Over time, atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries results.

Lifestyle measures for cardiac care

Heart disease is a preventable illness. An unhealthy lifestyle is a significant contributor to heart disease. Taking protective measures such as these can dramatically lower your risk.

Eating patterns that help you care for the heart

The Mediterranean diet includes fish and more plant than animal foods allowing for healthier fat intake. The abundance of fiber comes from fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and legumes. 

Red wine from the Mediterranean eating pattern provides cardioprotective resveratrol, a phytochemical. Olive oil contributes the monounsaturated fat oleic acid for a healthier heart. 

Including foods from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet allows for heart protection. Reducing sodium intake can lower your risk for heart disease by lowering your blood pressure. 

Another reason to shrink your sodium intake is if you have trouble with bloating. Too much can lead to bloating in some women.

Lessening your intake of ultra-processed foods and sodium-contributing seasonings gives further cardiovascular protection.

Take care of your heart by decreasing saturated fat

Typically solid at room temperature, saturated fats are found in land animal foods. Red meats like beef, pork, deer, and poultry sources like chicken, turkey, ducks, and other birds contain saturated fats. Rendered fat such as lard is mainly saturated fat. 

Choosing lean red meats and removing the skin from poultry products can reduce saturated fat intake.

Saturated fats are also found in dairy foods, including butter, cream, full-fat cheese, yogurt, and milk. Choosing low-fat and fat-free options for some of these foods can help you reduce your intake of blood vessel, occluding fats. 

Keep in mind that ultra-processed foods may contain an abundance of saturated fat.

infographic on saturated fats

Understanding saturated fats that impact your heart health

The following are commonly consumed foods high in saturated fats. You can lower your intake by keeping a close watch on these foods.

  • Fatty meat
  • Snack cakes
  • Palm or coconut oil
  • Shortening or lard
  • Whole or full-fat milk, yogurt, or cheese
  • Butter or margarine
  • Fried pies
  • Skin on poultry
  • Ultra processed foods

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise people over two years to keep saturated fats less than 10% of total calories. If you consume 1800 calories a day, you would want to consume no more than 20 grams of saturated fatty acids daily. 

Reading a food label for serving size compared to saturated fat can help you keep up with how much artery-clogging fat you eat. 

If some of your favorite foods are rich in these solid fats, such as full-fat cheese, you can still include them by budgeting. In doing so, consider limiting other saturated fats during the rest of the day.

Hydration

When you wake, throughout your day, and especially before and during exercise, hydrate well to help you be your best! Recommendations vary on how much water a person needs. Water needs change depending on your activities, what you eat, and the weather. 

While it’s good to sip on water regularly, your thirst will guide you when it’s time to swallow more liquids. You can also notice the color of your urine; if it is a light yellow color, you are hydrated. If it’s darker than this, drink more beverages without calories. 

Caring for the heart with exercise

Include cardio, strength, agility, balance, flexibility, and meditation in your routine for the best cardiac outcome.

Aerobic training

Cardio activities include cycling, walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, spinning, racquetball, tennis, soccer, and pickleball. Include a few of these heart-pumping activities to help you optimize your cardiorespiratory fitness.

Strength training

Strength training in older adults can help prevent heart disease. All women lose muscle as we age. By putting resistance on our muscles, this process slows.

For best results, incorporate strength training into your routine 2-3 times per week. Women can use a variety of tools and exercises targeting all muscle groups. 

  • Resistance bands
  • Dumbbells
  • Kettlebells
  • Barbells
  • Weight or air machines 
  • Your own body weight

Start with lighter weights and resistance levels and increase as you become more fit. You can use charts, follow exercise classes live or on-demand, or create your workouts. 

Agility, balance, flexibility, and meditation

Flexibility practices can help prevent injury. 

When you wake in the morning, before beginning a workout, and after completing your exercise session, stretching for five to ten minutes can help you prevent injury and release some tight muscles.

In a Harvard Medical School article, Stanwood Chang, a tai chi instructor, stated this exercise is best for balance in the senior population. Working with clients, he notices how they improve aerobically with better footing. 

Tai chi not only helps prevent falls but also helps ward off heart disease through slow, purposeful positioning.

In another form of postural exercise, asanas (poses) are performed during a yoga session. 

Yoga is a philosophy of life, living, being, and harmonizing with our surroundings. Moving through different yoga poses in a session allows you to focus, relax, and become strong, peaceful, and balanced.

Helpful tools (not always needed for a yoga session)

  • Supportive mat
  • Towels
  • Yoga blocks
  • Blanket
  • Bolster pillow
  • Yoga strap
  • Foam roller

While structured exercise is promoted for good health, all forms of movement can serve to keep our cardiovascular system healthy. 

A study with 5861 women averaging 78.5 years performing light physical activity measured by a wearable movement tracking device, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit, was followed and monitored. 

Those with higher levels of movement throughout the day (up and moving around versus mostly sitting) had significantly lower heart and vascular disease events like heart attacks. The authors concluded all action counts for health promotion.

Variety in your physical activity can prevent boredom and allow for optimal health.

Time management

Prioritize your essential items. When needed, say “no” to protect you from undue stress and help you get to bed on time.

Calling for help

When someone is experiencing heart attack symptoms, bystanding adults are becoming more familiar with the signs. They know to call 911 for emergency services. 

Conclusion 

Being aware of risk factors for heart attack and knowing that signs and symptoms vary for men compared to women can help you enjoy a long and healthy life. 

Healthy lifestyle measures, including what you eat and how you move, contribute to your overall health status and surviving a heart attack.

Getting regular medical and dental checkups can support your wellness efforts.

spilled salt from shaker

Bloating During Menopause: A Solution for You!

Nutrition, Well Woman

Do you suffer from bloating during menopause? 

Does it show up when you didn’t expect it?

We get it! It can be such a nuisance.

Is there a way to deal with it and prevent it?

This article covers the usual culprits and one that you may not have considered. We also give you simple solutions!

Let’s get started!

Possible causes of bloating with menopause

Experiencing bloating during menopause may be caused by high fiber and gas-forming foods. Chewing gum, carbonated beverages, and eating too fast can also contribute to the problem.

Including plenty of fiber-rich foods is critical for disease prevention, so continue to incorporate them into your eating pattern. If you find some gas-producing, don’t eat as many of those and replace them with other foods with similar nutritional attributes. 

For example, if cruciferous veggies bother your gut, you might consider decreasing your portion sizes or replacing them with tomatoes, fennel, celery, or other plant foods you can tolerate. 

Breathing through your mouth and using a straw may also aggravate the gut. Eating slowly and chewing your foods thoroughly can help you.

Other causes of bloating

If you are forced to contend with bouts of diarrhea and/or constipation, you may have a condition called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This may also occur with pain or distention in the digestive tract, which can cause you to feel bloated. 

Another ailment that could increase gas production in your gut is called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), resulting in bloating. Both of these disorders can be diagnosed by your doctor.

For these digestive issues, you may benefit from a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), in consultation with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) specializing in this area.

Belly fat in menopause

Menopause belly results when excessive body fat settles around the waistline area. Many women experience contributing factors such as becoming more sedentary, varying hormone levels, and changing food habits. 

Weight gain around the midsection may be associated with insulin resistance. Lifestyle changes can steer you away from an expanded waistline.

Exercising on most days of the week helps to burn this belly fat in menopause. Decreasing your portion sizes can help with weight loss and lessen your body’s need to produce extra insulin.

The other culprit for menopause tummy

Sodium is the other culprit for menopause tummy. Not only can sodium cause bloating, but too much of it also leads to increased blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases in some women. 

Excessive salt intake has been suggested to change the gut microorganism environment, resulting in more gas production than usual.

In a recent randomized clinical trial on the DASH Diet, subjects who reduced sodium intake experienced lower levels of bloating than those who did not. 

They also found a high fiber intake increased bloating, but this was lessened when the participants lowered their sodium intake. 

Yes, sodium is a nutrient; we need a certain amount for optimal health, but it’s very easy to consume too much. In fact, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise less than 2300 mg per day.

Bloating in menopause

Sodium can cause water retention throughout the body and can be more noticeable in the abdomen. This unwanted appearance causes many of us to look for a solution. 

Multiple reasons cause bloating. Sodium is one you have a lot of control over. 

How to prevent menopause bloating

Overconsuming sodium-containing foods and beverages can cause a menopause belly bloat. To help eliminate unwanted swelling, bloating, and puffiness, the foods in a DASH eating plan can help you. 

It includes many high potassium foods that help offset foods high in sodium and contribute to lower blood pressure and fluid build-up. 

Going further and lowering sodium intake provides more significant benefits! 

Foods encouraged include unflavored whole grains, beans, nuts, milk, and many fruits and vegetables. A few notable ones are apricots, dates, oranges, bananas, potatoes, okra, parsnips, spinach, tomato products, avocadoes, and beets. 

preventing bloating during menopause infographic

Other food tips on preventing menopause stomach bloat 

Be wary of fancy salts, seasonings, and foods containing sodium. Gourmet salts are often touted to be healthier than ordinary table salt, but they aren’t. 

If you choose pink Himalayan salt, sea salt, kosher salt, or salt flakes for flavor and texture attributes in cooking, know that they still contain sodium and can lead to water retention and bloating. 

These products are also void of iodine, which is necessary for optimal thyroid health. It is better to use iodized salt to ensure you are getting enough of this vital element. 

Watch out for frequently used seasonings, such as garlic salt, onion salt, lemon pepper, steak seasoning, umami, and other seasoning blends containing sodium. 

Check your condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, barbeque sauce, steak sauce, and soy sauce.

Love a pickle spear with your sandwich? Depending on its size, you could be looking at 326 mg of sodium. A whole large pickle can exceed 1200 mg. Check all pickled products because they all contain sodium.

Do you eat crackers or chips? What about canned soups or veggies? How about food in a box or a pouch? Or do you enjoy frozen tv dinners? Most of these ultra-processed foods are loaded with sodium. 

Canned foods may be a contributor. Inspect any food sold in a can or jar for sodium content. Checking the label is the best way to know for sure. Also, jalapenos, okra, and baby corn on the cob add up.

How to reduce sodium

Remember, sodium is a nutrient, so don’t aim to avoid it entirely. Some plant and animal foods naturally contain sodium. These foods are not of concern. Examples are milk, meat, eggs, and some veggies such as celery.

Instead of pickles, high sodium canned foods, and seasonings, go for fresh jalapenos and cucumbers. Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, and no salt added tomato sauce jazz up dishes without excessive sodium. 

Using no salt added foods can help you reduce your intake of sodium.

Quick tip – frozen, seasoned veggies have lots of salt added to them. To lower sodium, purchase plain frozen veggies and dress them up with salt-free seasonings!

Eat more veggies, fruits, unsalted nuts, and dry or no salt added beans or lentils. Purchase unseasoned meats and create your own flavor with the herbs and spices you have at home.

If eating out, you will want to watch out for soups, creams, sauces, and gravies, which can be high in sodium. Avoiding fried foods, blackened meats/fish, and brined chicken can help keep sodium intake from going overboard. 

Most foods at a restaurant tend to be high in sodium, even if they are grilled, steamed, or sauteed.

Reading the Nutrition Facts label

Checking a label for sodium is very simple. First, go to the Nutrition Facts Panel on the back or side of the product. Check the serving size. 

Now scroll down to the sodium line for the number of milligrams (mg). You will find a number such as 120 mg. If you are trying to limit yourself to 2300mg daily, ask how that will fit into your plan. 

Will it go over that 2300, or can you work it in? We can tell you from experience that the numbers add up fast depending on your food choices! 

Should you not find the Nutrition Facts label, look for the ingredients list. The product is probably high in sodium if salt or sodium is listed among the first five ingredients.

Sodium is often thought to be synonymous with salt, but it isn’t. Sodium can be in foods as part of other ingredients such as baking soda or monosodium glutamate.  

On the other hand, a salted product is not necessarily high in sodium. The only way to know for sure is to check the food label. 

If the front of the package has words such as “less salt,” “reduced sodium,” or “lower in sodium,” it is not free of sodium. 

The product can still have a significant amount of sodium, so we advise always checking the label. It’s quick, easy, and removes any doubts you have.

More tips on menopause and water retention

Breaking a sweat when exercising can remove excess sodium and fluid, especially if you are a salty sweater!  

If you are unable to resolve your menopause bloating, reaching out to your doctor could prove helpful. You may benefit from diuretics or need a recommendation to a dietitian for guidance on a fodmap or other diet for the microbiome.

Final thoughts

Sodium could be your culprit if you bloat frequently and know you don’t suffer from a digestive condition.

If your issues are from too much sodium, there are options to make your life easier when eating. You should be able to delight in your food and feel good afterward. 

Be easy on yourself when you are trying to reduce your sodium intake. Foods will taste differently but in time you will adjust.

Food labels can assist you in learning the salt and sodium content in your products. Challenge yourself to identify the sodium content in one of your frequently eaten foods.

foods to reverse insulin resistance

Reversing Insulin Resistance: Simple Steps Women Can Take

Nutrition, Well Woman

Reversing insulin resistance is possible! But what is it? Have you ever been told you have insulin resistance? You might have heard about insulin, but you aren’t sure what it is, how our bodies use it, and what happens when we become resistant to it. We share these answers in this article.

Do you struggle with an expanding waistline? While this is frustrating, it could be related to insulin resistance. We all have a constant amount of sugar in our blood to supply our brain and organs throughout our body with a ready source of energy. To understand the importance of insulin, we need to know a little about our blood sugar.

Blood sugar must be controlled or regulated because problems result when it becomes too low or too high. The hormone insulin lowers blood sugar to a safe level, and another hormone, glucagon, raises it when it gets too low.

Insulin lowers blood sugar by helping sugar leave the blood and enter cells throughout the body, mainly in the fat, muscle, and liver. 

What is insulin resistance?

Insulin resistance is believed to begin by storing excess fat in your muscle tissue. The muscle is a primary location for glucose (blood sugar) to be used or stored. When too much fat is present in the muscle, there isn’t room for glucose. Then, the excess sugar travels throughout your bloodstream, making its way to your liver. Once there, it deposits as fat, and insulin resistance intensifies.

With insulin resistance, your muscle cells cannot use the sugar, so it is stored as fat, and your fat cells break down, leading to a rise in circulating free fatty acids. 

This is in contrast to a healthy state where your muscle and fat cells would use blood sugar and store the extra as needed for later use.

With insulin resistance, a high-calorie intake that is more than needed results in a rise in your blood sugar. Glucose begins to rise and cannot be picked up by fat and muscle cells efficiently. Therefore, extra fat accumulates throughout your body, especially in the abdomen.

Fat cells should allow sugar to enter them in the presence of insulin easily. Still, when they become resistant to insulin, the sugar in the blood remains higher than ideal because the movement of sugar from the blood to inside fat cells becomes sluggish at best. Your body responds to this resistance by making more insulin to lower blood sugar to a healthy level. 

Unfortunately, over time, as the pancreas makes more and more insulin, it grows weak, and insulin production decreases despite high blood sugar levels. Left untreated, it leads to diabetes.

Causes of insulin resistance

Insulin resistance sneaks up on you because it’s a gradual process. There are many causes of insulin resistance. Two common acquired reasons include a lifestyle filled with inactivity and excessive food intake resulting in dysfunctional fat cells. 

Other causes include advanced age,  high sodium eating patterns, and lack of a balanced intake. Prednisone and other glucocorticoids can also contribute to insulin resistance.  

A few genetic causes of insulin resistance include polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and lipodystrophy (unhealthy fat distribution throughout the body).

Signs and symptoms of insulin resistance

Some signs of insulin resistance can include a spreading waistline with too much fat around the midsection and possibly acanthosis nigricans (darkened patches of skin on the neck, underarms, and groin areas). 

How do you confirm that you have insulin resistance?

While there isn’t an official test to see if you have insulin resistance, a commonly used assessment is your insulin level. If your insulin level is above a normal range (hyperinsulinemia), your body is insulin resistant.

A high insulin level with a blood sugar within the normal range at fasting indicates an early stage of insulin resistance. If both are high, this may mean that you are approaching prediabetes.  

Why should we be concerned about insulin resistance?

High blood sugar results when your body stops using the insulin it is making as it should. The inability of insulin to work properly leads to increased volume in your circulatory system, which in turn may cause a blood pressure increase. Performing regular blood pressure checks can keep you on top of changes as they occur. If left unresolved, diabetes develops.

Smoking damages your cells. The form of the product doesn’t matter. A few types are e-cigs, hookah, pipe, cigars, etc. Smoking causes insulin resistance, but if you quit, your cells will respond by taking up excess sugar in your bloodstream. In turn, your blood sugar will decrease to a more desired level. 

infographic reverse insulin resistance

Reversing insulin resistance

Make changes in your day-to-day routine that include beginning to exercise or increasing exercise and decreasing calorie intake and refined carbohydrates.

Enjoy a healthy meal pattern

Fruits, whole grains, and legumes are a part of a healthy meal pattern promoting wellness. Low-carb veggies provide potent disease-fighting nutrients with their phytonutrients, fiber, and vitamin and mineral abundance. You can get all that for a very low-calorie price, which helps your waistline. 

Refined carbohydrates are proinflammatory foods. Carbohydrates that have had the fiber and valuable nutrients removed break down quickly when eaten, and in someone with insulin resistance, cause a rise in your blood sugar if your body cannot make enough insulin to keep it in a safe range for you. With the excess fat in your muscle tissue, the blood sugar (glucose) level remains above a healthy level.

Removing proinflammatory foods (ultra-processed foods) will benefit you in reversing insulin resistance. These foods are generally high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Some notable ultra-processed foods include sugary beverages, chips, snack cakes, bacon/sausage, and frozen meals.

Avoid persistent stress & sleep well

Stress lives in everyone’s life, but the constant pressure, physical or emotional, takes its toll by increasing the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol acknowledges your tension by producing a fight or flight response to the distress. Without a release mechanism for the stress, havoc results throughout your body. 

If you have trouble getting seven hours of quality sleep each night, bypassing caffeine after two in the afternoon may assist your sleeping efforts. In addition, keeping electronic screens away from your bedside will make for a peaceful slumber as you avoid the blue light overnight.

Be active

Being active with regular exercise is one way to help channel stressful feelings and can also contribute to a better night’s sleep.

Another reason to love exercise is that it promotes insulin sensitivity in the fat and muscle cells. Therefore it is sometimes referred to as invisible insulin! Exercise all by itself can reverse insulin resistance.

Conclusion

Reversing insulin resistance takes persistence. If you want to improve your insulin sensitivity, start with one of these areas to begin your journey towards optimizing your health!

canned fruit

Packaged Fruit and Veggies are Healthy for You

Nutrition

Packaged fruit and veggies are healthy for you. Many think that only the fresh versions provide nutrition, but that is not the case. In some situations, the packaged fruit or veggie may be a better choice.

How can that be? Let’s start from the time the fruit or veggie is picked. Once produce is picked it is no longer being fed by the parent tree or vine and the nutrients begin to decline.

Why consider packaged fruit and veggies?

Packaged fruit and veggies are a nutritious choice. Consider where the produce was grown and how long did it take to reach you? Once you had it on hand, how long was it before you ate it? If grown in your backyard and picked with you eating it now or in a day or two, you have a nutrient-filled food.

If that same produce was grown a thousand miles away, it may be a week before it reaches the grocer and put on a shelf. Then you purchase it, take it home and either eat it immediately or store it. In the meantime, the stored fruit that sits in your refrigerator or on your counter is losing some of its nutrient content. Is it still nutritious? Yes, but the canned or frozen item will keep longer and due to the canning process, the nutrients are mostly preserved.

You may buy fresh broccoli thinking you will cook it to have with dinner tonight, but if your plans don’t work out  the next thing you know, you have a food that is ruining in your frig. This is where frozen can help. Another time that packaged fruit or veggies can help is when you don’t have time to go to the store several times a week.

Main differences in types of packaged produce

The main difference in the types of packaged produce is the texture. They all provide valuable nutrition. Many grocerers now offer cut-up produce for your convenience. These are fresh so be sure to use them in a timely manner. Packaged produce with long shelf lives such as canned, frozen and dried, can help with cost and help to decrease food waste.

What to look for in canned produce

Remember that the texture of canned fruit or veggies will be different from fresh produce. In fruits, look for it in its own juice or water. Any syrup will only add sugar and not any nutritional value.

In veggies, look for no salt added and check the label for sodium. Comparing a no salt added product to the regular version can help you see the differences.

What to look for in frozen produce packages

Checking the ingredient list on a package, is a quick way to find out what is inside. Using strawberries as an example, the ingredient listed will read: strawberries. Nothing else. If sugar has been added, it will read: strawberries, sugar. Ingredients in food products are listed in order of quantity from the most to the least.

For veggies, look for the veggie inside the package to be the only ingredient. Salt or butter sauce may have been added, which would contribute unwanted sodium.

What to look for in fresh produce

Produce that is in season could have a better flavor, texture, and price. To help avoid food waste, buy only what you know you will eat. If you only want to eat fresh produce, check out your local Farmer’s Market or check into Community Supported Agriculture (CSA.) The foods from both options will have not traveled as far to reach you.

Produce is filled with fiber and high antioxidant nutrients to help keep us healthy. If you don’t care for one fruit or veggie, try another because they all have their own distinct flavor and texture. Also, different cultures eat different produce, so be curious and venture out. All fruits and veggies, whether canned, frozen, fresh, dried or in a plastic container are nutrient-packed and can help you keep your immune system strong. Choosing products without added sugar and salt are the better choices for optimal health.

woman holding picture of a smile

Help Beat Tooth Issues with Diet!

Nutrition

You can help beat tooth decay and prevent other dental issues with the foods you include and exclude from your diet. The foods we eat impact our health, including our our dental health.

Common dental issues

Gum disease, also known as gingivitis and periodontal disease is an infection of our gums, having several causes. Two causes of gum disease are smoking and high blood sugar levels. Aim to have blood sugar levels in the 70-180 mg/dL range 70% of the time, as noted on a continuous glucose monitoring system. If using fingersticks, then aim for 70-180mg/dL most of the time.

Dental erosion is the wearing away of the outside surface of your teeth (the enamel) caused by acid from foods and beverages. Dental decay is cavities or dental caries, that can come from bacteria in plaque buildup on your teeth. Both conditions eat away at the enamel.

Seeing a dentist for regular checkups can help prevent these issues and treat them to help prevent further issues.

Foods to eat to help beat tooth issues

Eating healthy foods helps you beat tooth issues and fight off other diseases. Nutrients from the foods we eat enter our bloodstreams and are carried to all parts of our bodies, including the gums which supply the teeth with nutrition.

Of particular importance for the mouth, are vitamin C and calcium. Some foods rich in vitamin C are fruits and veggies. Examples are melons, broccoli, potatoes, citrus fruit, and peppers. Foods rich in calcium are dark green veggies, cheese, dairy milk, almonds, and calcium-fortified foods. 

Other foods important for overall health are legumes, veggies, fruits, whole grains, seafood, seeds, and nuts, and dairy for calcium. For those who avoid dairy, include foods rich in calcium.

What about sugar?

Cut down or stop using beverages with sugar, including energy and sports drinks. Eating excessive sugar causes more harmful bacteria that can lead to decay. Sugarcoating our teeth can couple with bacteria and begin to decay our teeth. In the current 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a decrease in sugary foods and beverages was recommended because of the result of eating excessive sugary foods on dental caries. The 2020 Guidelines are to surface by the end of this year and are being reviewed this August. The recommendation to decrease sugar will continue, and the amount is expected to be lower.

For persons with diabetes, excessive sugar can result in high blood sugar levels, making diabetes challenging to manage. The excess sugar from food is coating the tooth exterior and simultaneously leading to high blood sugar levels, which fuel the gums that are feeding our teeth.

Other tips to beat tooth issues including sensitivity

Drink water after a meal to clear your mouth of food and drinks

To help neutralize some acidic foods such as coffee, wine, and citrus fruits, eat cheese or drink milk.

Cheese may also help with remineralization of dental enamel.

Use a straw when drinking acidic drinks, including fruit juice. Aim the straw so that the liquid does not bathe your teeth.

Avoid sticky sugary foods

Our diets are important for our overall health, and making regular visits to your dentist can help you to keep a healthy mouth.

glass of melting ice with lemon slice garnish

Water and Wellness: Eight Glasses a Day Does Not Apply

Nutrition, Well Woman

Water and wellness go together, but how much water we need is a frequent question. If you have long heard that we should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, you are not alone. Even though many have listened to this, there is not any documentation that supports the statement. If this were correct, this would mean that the same amount is recommended for everyone, regardless of gender, age, or body weight.

Adults’ percentage of total water ranges from 45 to 59%. Body composition is a determining factor along with gender and age.

We lose water with diarrhea, or vomiting. We lose water through urine, feces, sweat and breathing, daily. Our needs increase with exercise.

Adequate Intake for water and wellness

The Adequate Intake level from the Institute of Medicine for water is 2.7 liters for women and 3.7 liters for men. Going from liters to ounces translates to roughly 91 ounces or 11 eight-ounce glasses for women and 125 ounces or 16 eight-ounce glasses for men.

Sources of water

We can get water into our diets from the foods we eat and all beverages, whether caffeinated or not. It does not have to be plain water. The water content in foods varies. Fruits and veggies range from 79-96% (dried fruit 31%), with protein sources ranging from 60-73% (beef jerky is lower at 23%).

Ways to include beverages with water  

Make flavored water with unsweetened liquid drops or unsweetened powdered drink mixes

Soda stream machines will carbonate your water for you

Ready to drink carbonated beverages (non-caloric recommended for weight management)

Water infused with fruit or veggies

Coffee or tea (plain, unsweetened recommended for weight management).

What does water do for us?

Other than being soothing as we drink it and quenching our thirst, water can:

Cushion our joints

Regulate our body temperature

Help with digestion

Keep our mouth, ears, nose, and throat moist.

Signs and symptoms of not drinking enough water

You may feel a dry, thirsty feel in the back of your throat, which is a symptom of about 2% dehydration. In one study, the lack of adequate water showed signs of cognitive impairment. Even as little as 2% dehydration can decrease the performance level of someone who is exercising.

Always have water on hand. Signs and symptoms of dehydration vary with the degree. Some symptoms can be thirst, tiredness, lightheadedness, muscle cramping, headaches, and an increase in heart rate.

As the degree of dehydration becomes more severe, there could be a small amount, or a lack of urine or urine could be extremely dark yellow.

Tips to help you drink more water

Always have drinking water on hand, especially in hot climates, whether indoors or out. Reusable containers can be helpful for you as you stay hydrated and help protect our environment.

Mediterranean fish meal

The Mediterranean Diet: Why Change and How

Nutrition

The Mediterranean Diet rates the as the best diet of 2020 in U.S. News & World Report magazine.

To make it to the top, it had to have many redeeming features.  It offers flavor and variety, can be easy to follow and provides many health benefits.

What is a Mediterranean diet?

An easy to follow way of eating that includes a wide variety of foods that are a part of life for countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

The core of the Mediterranean diet revolves around fruits, veggies, beans, legumes, seeds, whole grains, herbs and spices, and, of course, olive oil.  Seafood and fish are also included, along with eggs, poultry, cheese and yogurt. Wine is in moderation and red meats and sweets are limited. 

The variety of foods supply a multitude of nutrients that provide sustenance and satisfaction. And for the carbohydrate deprived keto followers, you can have whole grains without feeling guilty.  You can even have bread, fruit and legumes! Yum!

Following a diet always has foods to stay away from, which can leave the person who strayed, with feelings of guilt because it was too hard to stay away from the restricted foods.  Since the Mediterranean diet offers plenty to choose from, adherence is more likely.

Some of the benefits to be gained

Many health benefits surround those who follow this diet and lifestyle. 

Overall cancer rates are lower. Colorectal and breast are two of several that are impacted by the Mediterranean diet.

Some of the other benefits are related to diabetes and cardiovascular disease such as a lowering of insulin resistance, improvement of blood sugar levels, a decrease in blood pressure and incidence of stroke.  The LDL (lousy) levels can decrease while the HDL (healthy) can increase.  Triglyceride levels can also decrease.

How to change to a Mediterranean diet

For someone already eating a plant-based diet, adding a few ingredients to the current food intake can be quite simple. In some cases, broadening one food group and decreasing another will move you towards the Mediterranean diet.

Ways to accomplish this:

Add veggies or beans to whole-grain pasta

Substitute olive oil in place of the oil in use

 Use herbs and spices, such as garlic or oregano and decrease salt

Add nuts to a meal or snack for a little crunch

Legumes, such as beans and lentils are an easy addition 

Potatoes can be an easy addition and a great way to add anthoxanthins

Try some Mediterranean cheese, such as ricotta salata or a goat’s milk cheese. Cheese is a lesser part of the Mediterranean diet that provides protein and some additional fat, but it is included. 

The variety of filling foods leaves little room for sugary foods and by branching out and using additional types of spices and herbs to flavor foods, you can relish in the flavor of ethnic cuisine at home.

Steps to take now

Small frequent changes can help you as you work towards changing to a Mediterranean diet.  Remember to s-l-o-w down, savor your food and reap the benefits.

The foods in the Mediterranean diet are everyday foods that can be seasoned to your preference. Fruits and veggies of some sort are always in style no matter the season of the year. Along with these, add your favorite bean variety, whole grain, and a small serving of poultry or fish and you will be on your way.

Eating For Diabetes Made Simple

Eating for Diabetes Made Simple

Nutrition

Living with diabetes can be a pain sometimes but eating for diabetes can be made simple by following a few steps. The quality and quantity of the foods being eaten are important and food intake that is colorful, and fiber filled, is high quality and can help with the management of blood sugars and overall health.   Focusing on eating these foods is better than dwelling on what not to eat. Including beans and healthy fats along with whole grains, fruits and veggies, in controlled amounts, allows for an optimal intake of powerful antioxidants which helps to keep a strong immune system. Here are a few tips to help:

Include legumes
Include beans, peas or lentils. These are high in fiber and provide protein, magnesium and potassium to name a few. Beans may also help improve gut health.

Add a healthy fat
For a healthier heart, add avocado slices, nuts, or olives.

Decrease saturated fats
If meat or poultry is covering half of the plate, consider making that a quarter of the plate and increase the veggies to help fill your tummy.

Include whole grains
Bulgur or farro are both whole grains which help when eating for diabetes.  Both are wheat products, and if you need gluten free, amaranth, quinoa, sorghum or brown rice can help you add whole grains to your food intake.

Know your portions
If you don’t know the amount that a portion of a food should be, consider a smaller plate for the meal.  Also, look at the size of the utensil you are eating with because these are larger than they used to be, which means each fork or spoonful will hold more food with each bite you take, resulting in a faster intake and possibly a larger intake.  Taking longer to eat a meal can help with digestion and smaller bites can help with weight control.

Make sure to add color
Add a fruit or veggie so that you have color on your plate. These foods can help provide a stronger immune system.

To be successful in making changes with eating for diabetes, work on one of these at a time, such as including beans in a meal 3-4 times a week, until a new habit is formed.  You will soon see how eating for diabetes can be simple.


Eat an Avocado for National Heart Month

Nutrition

You know avocados taste good, but did you know there are many ways to eat them other than guacamole?  This nutritious, always available fruit, does not contain sugar and provides healthy fat, almost 20 vitamins and minerals including potassium, folate and fiber, which all help to keep a strong immune system.  This is National Heart Month and, as always, a good time to eat a tasty, smooth and creamy avocado. 

Avocado University invited me to learn about Avocados from Mexico recently.  This was an all day event that I was not paid for. A registered dietitian is on staff to provide valued and trusted evidence based nutriton information. Because of this, I am excited to share the benefits of eating an avocado.

Ways to eat an avocado:

Spread a serving of ripe avocado on toasted whole grain bread and, if you like, add your choice of topping such as sunflower seeds. Scrumptious! A serving is 1/3 of a medium or 2.5 Tablespoons of an avocado.

Added to a side dish, such as with a grain or veggie.   There was a nice spread for lunch, but the dish that I remember the most was the farro with brussels sprouts and diced avocado.  Dreamy. That was a definite go back for seconds.

Eat a serving of yummy avocado in place of butter, mayo or margarine. A simple shift to help keep a healthy heart.

How about take your favorite guacamole recipe and add it to a veggie burger? 

Consider adding avocado to the filling for a deviled egg.  For more ideas and flavorful recipes go to https://avocadosfrommexico.com/

Heart disease is a number one killer of men and women and being kind to yourself nutritiously is an excellent step to take to fight back.  Avocados offer an abundance of flavor along with heart protecting benefits.  Treat yourself to good health, eat an avocado during National Heart Month and throughout the year.