Nutrition – What To Drink?

In this series of articles we’re looking at nutrition. So far we’ve talked mainly about desserts, meat and veggies….which are the three components of most meals.

As we wrap up our focus on ‘what to eat’, we’re going to examine what we should be drinking. If it’s true that “we are what we eat, from our heads to our feet” then we can also accurately claim that we are what we drink.

Make no mistake about it, it is entirely possible to get fat by simply consuming too many fattening drinks. Even if we closely watch what we eat, we can still do some severe damage to our scale if we don’t watch what we drink.

Check out the facts on the following drinks:
* Root Beer 12 oz. can = 180 calories
* Starbucks Caramel Mocha Whip 16 oz. = 470 calories
* Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Creme Whip 16 oz. = 500 calories
* Coca-Cola 32 oz. (fast food size cup) = 310 calories
* Orange Juice 10 oz. = 140 calories
* PowerAde 21 oz. = 140 calories
* Skim Milk 8 oz. = 80 calories
* Water any size serving = 0 calories

The issue many of us have is that we regularly consume massive quantities of regular soda. The fast food chains and convenience stores haven’t exactly helped us in this area, either: the ’small’ and ‘regular’ sizes have been removed from many menus only to be replaced with ‘SuperSize’ and ‘Big Gulp’ sizes. (Whatever happened to the regular ‘gulp’ size, anyway?) We’ve even seen some gas stations selling a super-tanker 44 oz. size soda, which packs at least 400 calories!

The important thing to note is that, from the above list, only skim milk gives us the protein and calcium we need without attaching too many calories. Yes, the Starbucks Caramel Mocha Whip has 13 grams of protein, but at a cost of 470 calories (this is about 25% of the TOTAL calories a typical woman should have in one day!).

Now in comparison let’s look at a double-serving of milk (16 oz.) so that it will be the same as the Starbucks serving size: that same amount of skim milk as 16 grams of protein (vs. 13 for the coffee) and only 160 calories.

Calcium is one of the nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet. The calcium found in milk helps build and maintain strong bones and teeth. This mineral also plays an important role in nerve function, muscle contraction and blood clotting. Each 8-ounce glass of milk provides 300 mg or 30% of the Daily Value (or recommended intake).

The vitamin D found in milk helps promote the absorption of calcium and enhances bone mineralization. Milk is one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D. Each 8-ounce serving of milk provides about 25% of the Daily Value.

Lowfat and fat free milk have the same nutrients as whole milk with little or no fat. The American Heart Association endorses fat free and lowfat milk to reduce fat in your diet, but still get nutrients you need every day.

About three-fourths of Americans (or about 75%) do not get enough calcium in their diets. Nine out of 10 women and 7 out of 10 men fall short of current calcium recommendations.

Many studies suggest that fat free or lowfat milk, as part of a lowfat diet, may help reduce the risk of hypertension. Hypertension or high blood pressure afflicts one in four Americans and is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends fat free and lowfat milk.

Chocolate milk is just as healthy of a drink as white milk. Lowfat and fat free chocolate milk packs in the same amount of calcium and nutrients as white milk, making it a great tasting way to grow strong, healthy bones.

Drinking milk now helps prevent osteoporosis when you get older. Osteoporosis affects 28 million Americans and one in five of those affected is male. Milk helps build strong bones because it’s rich in calcium and vitamin D, which can double the amount of calcium absorbed by your body. You should drink more milk to help prevent osteoporosis

Milk is a great nutrient package of 9 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, protein, potassium, riboflavin, niacin (includes niacin equivalent) and phosphorus. Milk provides good nutrition for your body.

The choice is clear: choose skim milk and water as your beverages of choice and watch the pounds drop off. At only about 13 cents per serving ($2 per gallon), milk makes an economical choice as well.

We’ll see you at the dairy case!

Sound Advice On How To Choose A Diet Plan

Considering that about 65% of our population is either overweight or obese, it should come as no surprise that most Americans are actively seeking sound advice on how to choose a diet plan that’s right for them. Unfortunately, the sheer number of weight loss tips and diet tips available have made finding the right weight loss program confusing at best.

The Problem Is Too Many Choices:

There is a staggering number of diet products on the market today, from the Atkins Diet to the Zone Diet. Compounding the confusion is the vast array of weight loss pills, patches and creams available.

With so many diet and nutrition weight loss products on the market, consumers looking for health advice find themselves overwhelmed by too much information.

Sometimes, Expert Advice Poses An Even Bigger Problem:

In February 2006 a news story muddied the waters even more. The Women’s Health Initiative reported that low fat diets may not offer the health benefits we had previously thought. They researched the connection between a low-fat diet and a woman’s risk of heart disease and cancer.

Limited in the space and time they have to report on health tips and news, the media failed to report the full story. Unfortunately, the result was that most major media outlets reported the ‘Death Of The Low Fat Diet’. The average person, perhaps thinking they were getting a tip on losing weight or maintaining a healthy diet, was misled.

Reading the full study, however, revealed that the researchers did not intend to steer the public away from low fat foods or low fat recipes. Indeed, entire volumes have been written about the benefits of a low fat diet, and one narrowly focused study will not change that fact. “Despite the virtues of this study — particularly its size and its design — it is a single study, and leaves some unanswered questions. Therefore, it does not constitute the final word on the subject of nutrition in older women” (Source: Harvard Health Publications; Harvard Medical School).

Sometimes even the free medical advice from our government only serves to confuse the public. For example, consider the recent news about trans fat and saturated fat regarding food labeling requirements. For the first time in our nation’s history, food labels will now have to disclose how much trans fat is contained in the product. Added to the aforementioned research on low fat diets, these two facts bewilder and baffle the average consumer who may not understand the different types of fat in foods.

Another fine example of expert advice perplexing the public can be seen by the fact that our government has periodically changed the ideal weight chart and the recommended body fat percentage for both men and women.

So How Do Choose The Best Diet Product For You?

The first step in selecting the best diet plan for you is to find free diet information and free advice about weight control. Many reputable and reliable resources are available, one of the best being health clubs. Gyms that are focused on truly helping people achieve weight loss success will feature informative and free articles on their website. The federal government also sponsors and hosts some excellent sites that are packed with free diet information.

When seeking the best diet product for you, keep in mind that every person is unique, with separate and distinct tastes and preferences. In other words, the weight loss plan that works for you may not work for me. Some people claim that the Maker’s Diet is the best weight loss diet on the market today. Others favor the diet foods offered by the South Beach Diet. Even the best weight loss program in the world is worthless if it’s not a good match for you personally. For easy weight loss to be realized, then, it’s critical to examine many different diet products to find one that fits your individual personality.

Personalize Your Diet Plan For Optimum Results:

If you absolutely love bread, then the Atkins diet recipes will not work for you. In the same way, Weight Watcher recipes won’t help you much if you’re not an active participant in the Weight Watcher Point program. Attempting to force yourself into diet program that doesn’t fit your personality or tastes will inevitably lead to failure.

A much better approach is to find a diet system that parallels your individual preferences. Whichever diet program you select, it is important that it be a diet you can stick with for life. Forcing yourself into a diet plan that’s not right for you will only make you disappointed and discouraged.

To Lose Weight Fast, Don’t Forget Weight Loss Exercise!

As we’ve seen, the experts argue about which diet is best. It seems that every weight control system has doctors and research to back up their claims. However, it cannot be disputed that the path to healthy weight loss will always include a combination of diet and exercise. It is only when you exercise to lose weight, combined with a healthy diet and sound nutritional practices, that you can achieve true fat loss and solve your weight issue once and for all. It’s not an exaggeration to say that attempting weight management without exercise is like trying to build a house without a hammer – when you’re trying to lose fat, why leave out the most effective tool?

That being said, our sound advice on how to choose a quick weight loss diet is to remember these diet tips from Pick Up The Pace:
1) If a diet has gained national exposure, it has probably worked for someone.
2) Just because a diet has worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you.
3) Any given diet program can probably help somebody, but no diet program will help everybody.
4) Any fast weight loss diet must include regular exercise to be effective.