Even when you try your best to eat well, it’s difficult to
know everything about nutrition. I often talk with clients who believe
they are making good choices and don’t realize that little oversights
stand in their way of optimal health.
Here’s a list of 10 common but easy-to-repair nutrition mistakes.
You add whole flaxseeds to your breakfast
Flaxseeds
are filled with omega-3 fats, fiber and lignans (antioxidants), which
all benefit heart health. But whole flaxseeds may pass through the
intestines undigested, which means you’ll miss out on the health
benefits inside the seed. Buy ground flax seeds instead, or put them in a
coffee or spice grinder.
You blend a nutritious smoothie, but it’s a calorie bomb
It’s
easy to toss a combination of superfoods into a blender. Blueberries,
cashew butter, chia, kale, bananas and coconut milk sound like a dreamy
breakfast elixir, but these concoctions can quickly become calorie
bombs. Keep smoothies in the 300-calorie range by serving smaller
portions (about 8-12 ounces), using more vegetables than fruit, and by
going easy on the high-calorie nuts and seeds.
You take your supplements with coffee
Caffeine
from coffee can hinder your body’s ability to absorb some of the
vitamins and minerals in your supplements, including calcium, iron,
B-vitamins and vitamin D. And it’s not just coffee — beverages such as
tea and cola contain caffeine, too. Enjoy your coffee about an hour
before taking your supplements, and swallow pills with water instead.
You use regular canned beans for your meatless meals
Beans
are an amazing source of fiber and protein, but canned varieties may
have close to 1,000 mg of sodium per cup — that’s two-thirds of what you
need in an entire day. Look for cans that say “no salt added” or “low
sodium.” If you can’t find them, drain and rinse your canned beans,
which will eliminate about 40 percent of the sodium.
To cut back on sugar, you cut out fruit
The
top source of sugar in the American diet is sweetened beverages, not
fruit. Sugary soft drinks have no beneficial nutrients, while fruit has
fiber, vitamins and protective antioxidants. Plus, we don’t tend to
overeat fruit, but do tend to drink too much soda. Consider how much
easier it is to down a 20-ounce soda, as opposed to eating six bananas
at one time. Both pack 16 teaspoons of sugar. Choose fruit and skip the
soda.
You skip the dressing on salad
Vegetables
contain fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K, and a host of antioxidants
that require fat to be absorbed. If you skip the oil and vinegar, you
miss out on key nutrients from the salad. Serve your greens with
oil-based dressing, nuts, seeds or avocado to dramatically boost your
body’s ability to soak up the veggies’ beneficial nutrients.
You trust claims like ‘low-fat’ and ‘sugar-free’
For
many years, we’ve relied on label claims that tell us what our food
doesn’t contain — fat, sugar, gluten. It’s more important to look at
what the food does contain. Ultra-processed foods may be fat-free or
sugar-free, but also loaded with preservatives or refined ingredients.
Read ingredient lists and choose foods that are as close to nature as
possible.
You drink almond milk for calcium but don’t shake the carton first
Milk
alternatives made from soy, almonds, cashews, rice, etc. are often
fortified with calcium and vitamin D. But the added nutrients don’t stay
in the liquid very well and tend to sink to the bottom of the
container. If you drink without shaking first, you can’t reap the
benefits of the added vitamins and minerals. Shake well before serving.
You miss out on probiotics by buying the wrong type of yogurt
Yogurt
is fermented milk, and fermented foods contain probiotics. So logic
would dictate that all yogurts are probiotic-rich, but unfortunately
that’s not the case. If yogurt has been heated or pasteurized,
probiotics are destroyed and may not be added back. Look for the words
“live active cultures,” or check ingredient lists for names of specific
probiotics (lactobacillus acidophilus, L bulgaricus, etc.) to ensure
you’re getting these beneficial bacteria, which aid digestion and
support the immune system.
You refuel with sports drinks
Sports
drinks are meant to replace fluid and electrolytes that are lost when
you sweat excessively, and are suitable after endurance sports like a
soccer game or marathon. But the extra sugar and salt in sports drinks
are not needed for casual exercise with minimal perspiration. After a
stroll, hydrating with water is the best choice.
READ MORE.....
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article139852758.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article139852758.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/living/health-and-medicine/article139852758.html#storylink=cpy
No comments:
Post a Comment