Why Should I Eat Meat?

It is so interesting to see how vastly different the world is from one country to another. In most countries where starvation is a major problem, the situation could be drastically improved just by adding a few ounces of meat to their diet each day. Of course this would not solve every problem, but it would give them the adequate protein they need in order for their body to grow healthily. In contrast, in the United States and other developed countries, the majority of people eat far more meat than they need nutritionally. This is not necessarily a problem, except it can lead to excess calorie and fat consumption as well.

Nutritionally, meat is a wonderful thing. It is the easiest way for our bodies to get the right kind of protein in the right amount (for more on protein, refer back to my post on protein by following this link). What does that mean? Well, put simply, the same molecules (called amino acids) that make up the steak you ate for dinner will be making up your muscles, enzymes, and other tissues within a few hours. The type of protein found in meat is the kind our body needs. Can we get it from other sources? Yes, but then it becomes more complicated because plant sources are not an exact match of what we need. Therefore, you'll have to mix and match different grains and beans in order to get all of the amino acids your body needs to build its own proteins.

For those of us who eat meat everyday, this may not seem that important.  But if you take a look around the world at populations that live mostly on one type of grain, you can see what affect this can have. They are not getting all of the amino acids they need, and therefore their body cannot grow. Children in these countries are stunted (short for their age) and extremely skinny (for pictures click here). We are very blessed to have access to the meat our body needs around the corner at the local grocery store.

What else is good about meat? Well, it is rich in iron that can easily be absorbed. Iron is important especially in our blood. It helps our blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to our tissues so they can live. Pretty important! Also, it contains vitamin B12 (ONLY found in meat and dairy products) which is essential for proper nerve function. Without it, you could lose your ability to feel, become paralyzed, and even die. It also helps keep your blood cells healthy, so without it you can get pernicious anemia, a very dangerous condition of the blood.

So, it's pretty obvious that meat is a good thing (at least for our bodies). However, you may have heard on the news lately that frequent consumption of red meat can be a bad thing. For more details on that, check out WebMD's article here: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-red-meat. My advice is simple: Eat red meat sparingly, maybe once or twice a week, and get the rest of your meat from lean sources including chicken, pork, turkey, and ESPECIALLY fish. If you're not a meat fan, eggs are a great source of protein too. And don't forget to drink your milk!

-Kamie

Should I Be Taking Nutritional Supplements?

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the supplement industry, at least from a nutritional standpoint. Do supplements really help? And are they safe to take, considering they don't have to approved by the FDA?

Here's how I view supplements: Go ahead and take them if you want, but don't let them replace fruits, vegetables, whole grains, light dairy, and lean meats in your diet. All of these foods contain essential nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber, calcium, iron, protein) that you are far better off getting from food than from supplements.

Why is it better to get nutrients from food? The truth is, science hasn't quite figured that out yet. Tory Parker, a professor at Brigham Young University, has been doing research on this subject, and has found that for unknown reasons, eating a whole orange has healthier benefits than just taking vitamin C, the main vitamin in the orange. The conclusion reached at this point is that there must be other beneficial biomolecules in the whole foods we eat that science has not yet identified. We do not know what they are or how they specifically help, we just know that they do. From plant sources, we call these biomolecules phytochemicals, and it is agreed they work best when consumed from a whole food source.

So, if you are totally set on taking supplements just in case, there's no problem with that. Just be careful that you are taking safe amounts. You can double check this by reading the labels on the supplement. For vitamins, minerals, and some other essential nutrients, the % Daily Value, which is the percent of the total amount recommended each day, should be posted on the nutrition label. Check to see that none of these are over 200%, and most are equal to or under 100%. This precaution should be taken to insure you do not consume a toxic level of these nutrients.

Are there times when you definitely should take a supplement? If you are deficient in a certain nutrient, your doctor may prescribe supplements to help restore your health. If you are pregnant or could get pregnant, take prenatal vitamins, and make sure you are getting enough folic acid. For younger women, it could be beneficial to take iron and calcium supplements: iron to prevent anemia during menstruation, and calcium to build bone mass and thereby prevent osteoporosis in later life. However, a healthy diet and exercise are always most important and are irreplaceable in the health benefits that they give.

-Kamie

Kamie's Tip of the Week:

My mom said something interesting the other day that I thought I would share with you.  We were talking about oatmeal. I told her that, though oatmeal is very healthy for you, once you add all the brown sugar to make it taste good, it's just as sugary as those high sugar cereals you're trying to avoid. She told me that I had a problem: I was looking at food as something to enjoy, rather than as something to fuel my body.

There is wisdom in this. Food actually IS something to fuel your body. That's why we have to eat, to give our body the energy and nutrients it needs to run properly. But food is SO YUMMY! Right? Most of us can afford to add a little sugar to our oatmeal to make it a bit more tasty. But for those of you who have health problems because of your weight/diet, or are in serious danger if they don't change something, or are just getting a bit up there in age, this is a tip for you: FUEL YOUR BODY! Feed it what it needs, NOT what you most enjoy. Trust me, there's a lot more to enjoy in life than food, and living longer is always worth a little discomfort in your diet.

-Kamie

How Can I Resist the Temptation to Eat too Many Goodies This Season?

From October 31 to January 1 is the season of yummy treats and goodies! It is also the season of losing complete control over your diet. But don't lose hope, you can stay healthy even in the time of the year. Here are a couple of tips:

1. Practice Your Self-Control: Let yourself have a little bit everyday (within the means of your discretionary calories). You will drive yourself crazy if your try to avoid eating any sweets, especially since they are likely to be all around you. Instead, tell yourself how much you can eat without overdoing it, and don't allow yourself to deviate from that amount.
2. Enjoy Each Bite: If there are a bunch of yummy treats in front of you and you want to try them all, don't have a serving of each. Instead, savor a bite or two of each, all while staying within your discretionary calorie limit (about 200 calories for most people).
3. Spread it Out: Have a bite in the morning, a bite in the afternoon, and a bite at night. This will keep you satisfied all day without eating too much.
4. Try Some Healthy Treats: Pumpkin Bread, Berry Cobblers, Fruit Cakes, etc. all have nutritional value in addition to their great taste. These are the goodies you can be proud of yourself for preferring.

Here's a recipe for a deliciously healthy treat that is perfect in the Fall!!!

Peach Cobbler:

Filling: 5 cups Fresh or Canned Sliced Peaches (save about half of the juice if canned)
          1/2 cup peach juice or water
          1/3 - 2/3 cup sugar
          1 Tbsp (add more if necessary) cornstarch
Topping: 1/4 cup butter melted
               2 cups granola (or oats)
               4 Tbsp flour

Directions: Heat filling on the stove until thickened and bubbly. Pour into cake pan. Mix topping ingredients and crumble on top of the filling. Bake 10-15 min at 375. Delish!!!!!

             -Kamie

Is Sodium Really the Bad Guy?

I know you are all wondering why everyone keeps telling you that sodium is bad for you. How can something so savory be the root of all evil? And if it is really bad, then why is it found in almost anything you buy from the store? Let me explain :)

Sodium is a mineral and a nutrient that we actually NEED in our bodies. Therefore, it is not correct to say that sodium is bad for you. It actually plays in essential role in preventing your cells from exploding or shriveling up and dying. Now that I've got your attention, the correct way to view sodium is as an electrolyte that helps to keep your body fluids inside your cells, tissues, and blood vessels in balance. It would be really bad if all of the water in your body randomly decided to flow into your blood vessels, because your blood vessels would likely burst and you would die. Now can you see how essential sodium is in our bodies?

With that said, it is important for us to understand that we can get all the sodium we need in a day from only 1/4 teaspoon of salt!!!!!! Most Americans dump at least that much on top of each meal. So, lets look at what happens when we have TOO MUCH sodium in our bodies.

The American Heart Association has stated that one major negative side effect of excess sodium in the diet is an increase in blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Sodium is also connected with cardiovascular (heart) disease in general (http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/35/4/858.full). Wow!!!! So, if I stop pouring salt over everything I eat, I can reduce my risk for heart disease? The answer to that is yes! But is it really that easy????? For most of us, no, its a lot more complicated. 

Now, I know we all love the taste of salt. It's in every processed food that we eat (because it is a natural preservative), seasons all of our home cooking, and is found naturally in many of the fresh foods that we eat. How can we sufficiently cut back on sodium in our diets when it is everywhere??? Here are a few tips:

• Cut out the processed foods in your diet as much as possible. That means anything canned, boxed, or frozen. Okay, not everything, but you get the idea. The less of these you eat, the better. 
• Eat more whole foods. Whole fruit, veggies, grains, rice, etc. are better options. Mix them together and make a delicious meal low in sodium.
• Instead of adding salt to your home cooking for flavor, add herbs and spices. You can get a lot of flavor from other sources without adding salt. 
• Cut down on sauces. I know this one is hard, but have you ever looked at the nutrition label for BBQ sauce? There is a lot of sodium in the condiments Americans love that could easily be eliminated from our diets.

Try out these tips and see if you can feel your heart getting healthier!

-Kamie

How Sweet it is to Work in the Food Industry :)

I work for BYU Catering, and have had the opportunity to taste many delicious foods.  The great thing about managing your own diet is being able to cheat once in awhile (which I justify by being REALLY good for a few days at least).  I mean, one of the greatest blessings we have is being able to taste and enjoy foods, so let's enjoy!  Check out this site: http://dining.byu.edu/mix/ for lots of delicious recipes and fun things to try on your cheat days :)

*Remember, you don't have to torture yourself in order to live a healthy lifestyle. You need variety, moderation, and of course, discipline :)

Kamie's Tip of the Week:

Can I really have a healthy lunch with my busy schedule? And what about eating something that I don't get sick of eating (I mean we all get tired of PB&Js after awhile)? The answer is yes, you can have a healthy lunch that you enjoy, even if you're pressed for time. I know the temptation to eat that processed, frozen meal that takes 3 minutes to microwave is strong, but I promise you can overcome that temptation. Especially when you think about all the sodium and fat in processed food that you can easily cut out of your diet. The key is to make a batch of something yummy the night before, something that you can throw in some tupperware and savor at lunch time. Here's the recipe I've been enjoying this week: Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 large lean chicken breasts
• 1 and 1/2 cup sliced red grapes
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 Tbsp light ranch dressing
• 2/3 cup light mayo or miracle whip
• Whole grain bread

Directions:

1. Boil chicken until fully cooked: Drain
2. Shred chicken into small strips
3. Add grapes, celery, and green onion and mix
4. Add mayo and dressing (you may prefer more or less than I suggest in this recipe) and stir
5. Add about 2/3 cup of the chicken salad to the whole grain bread to make a sandwich

Makes about 20 sandwiches.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can't even tell that you've used light dressing! It is low in fat and sodium, and high in protein (meaning you will stay fuller longer). It tastes so good that you won't get sick of it! And it is really easy to make :)

If you make a couple of different recipes each week and alternate what you eat every day, you can have much healthier lunches that you actually ENJOY, don't get sick of, AND can stop eating all of that processed junk. It's working great for me so far. I hope it works for you too :)

-Kamie