There are many reasons why it is important to educate our children about proper nutrition. If you are reading this article, you probably agree. It is important for everyone to have good nutrition for good health. Kids in particular are growing and developing so rapidly that good nutrition plays a major role in keeping them healthy and happy.
So how do we teach kids about nutrition? The first step is having an educator who knows about nutrition. Parents can have a basic knowledge of good eating habits just by learning about the Food Pyramid, food groups, and how to read food labels. School teachers can do the same. Another option is to have a Registered Dietitian available. Dietitians are food experts!
[click to continue…]
Banana calories are low to medium. Most of the calories in a banana come from carbohydrates, both naturally forming simple sugars and starch forms its carbohydrate content. Its interesting to note that the composition of carbohydrate calories change on age/ripening. As it ripens the sugar levels rise and the starch levels fall on or off the tree. Meaning that as bananas gain more color and ripen, the easier it is for your body to digest.
The protein calories in a banana only make up about one percent of its total calorie content however, this is much higher than the fat calories in the fruit which is less than one half percent. The calories are digested slowly and help supply the body with a steady source of energy hence the reason that bananas are considered great for an energy boost if eaten about an hour before or after any physical activity or combined as part of a protein shake or smoothie.
[click to continue…]
One of the biggest issues when it comes to achieving a healthy lifestyle for many is the lack of knowledge on the very basics of nutrition. Nutrition in itself forms the very basis of what we should be eating and drinking and why. We all know that eating too much of anything is bad, but do we really know what constitutes too much, why we shouldn’t have too much of it, and what happens if we do. I do believe that a lot of the bad food decisions we make, are because we were never properly educated in the basics of nutrition and health at a very young age. Over the last few days, i ran a series of five articles, covering the very basics of nutrition. It covers some of the fundamental concepts and hopefully, will provide you with a better understanding of what goes into your body. [click to continue…]
Will a supplement give you more energy?
Vitamins and minerals are essential compounds needed in small amounts by the body. Contrary to popular belief, taking vitamin/mineral supplements will NOT give you energy. Only calories (from carbohydrate, protein, and fat) give you energy. Vitamins and minerals have no calories, so they can’t give you energy. Vitamins and minerals do, however, play vital roles in the metabolic processes that convert carbohydrate, protein, and fat to energy. So, if you have a deficiency of a certain vitamin or mineral, taking a supplement may help make you feel better. [click to continue…]
Will eating fat make you fat?
No! Many students confuse dietary fat (the fat that we eat) with adipose tissue (the fat on our bodies). Dietary fat does not automatically stick to your waist, legs, butt, and thighs. Only excess calories from dietary fat makes you gain body fat. Excess calories from any source makes you gain body fat.
If you include fat in a meal plan that contains an appropriate number of calories, the fat in your food will be burned as energy. If you eat too many calories (regardless of the source–carbohydrates, protein, fat, or alcohol), the excess calories will be converted to and will be stored as body fat.
There are more fat-free products today than ever before, but ironically, we are fatter today than ever before. Why? Fat free doesn’t mean calorie free! One fat-free Snackwell’s devil’s food cookie has the same number of calories as one full-fat Oreo cookie. And we tend to eat more of the fat-free ones because they are marketed as being more “healthy.” [click to continue…]
There are many reasons why it is important to educate our children about proper nutrition. If you are reading this article, you probably agree. It is important for everyone to have good nutrition for good health. Kids in particular are growing and developing so rapidly that good nutrition plays a major role in keeping them healthy and happy.
