Good nutrition is essential to maintaining health, especially as you get older. The food pyramid is a guide, created by the USDA, to help Americans choose the right combination of foods each day for optimum nutrition. It divides foods into groups?bread, cereal, rice, and pasta; fruit; vegetables; milk, yogurt, and cheese; meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts; fats, oils, and sweets?and describes how much of each food group people should eat. In recent years, MyPlate, also from the USDA, has replaced the food pyramid. MyPlate features a divided plate graphic representing the major food groups?fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy.
Certain food groups can help you lose weight. Eating high protein foods such as lean chicken breast, beans, fish, and tofu curb hunger, so you eat less. Protein is an important component of any diet, but it shouldn?t entirely replace other food groups, including whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
A low carb diet such as Atkins or South Beach is another approach to weight loss that focuses on protein and fats, and limits carbs from grains, starchy vegetables, fruit, and other sources. Yet this diet may not be a good long-term approach. While low carb diets do encourage weight loss in the short term, after a year or two they offer little advantage over traditional low-fat diets. And very restrictive low carb diets could potentially lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Watching your calorie intake is another way to control your weight. An online calorie counter can help you determine how many calories are in the foods you eat, and how many calories you consume each day. Pair up a calorie counter with a weight loss calculator, in which you input your weight, height, age, activity level, and the amount of weight you?d like to lose. The weight loss calculator will help you determine how many calories you should eat each day to reach your goal.
When you embark on food and lifestyle changes with health in mind, what defines “success?” For many people, weight loss is the primary marker of change they focus on when they are trying to eat better and exercise consistently. But weight change is only one possible outcome of improvements to … Read More
Natural diuretic foods and drinks stimulate your kidneys to produce more urine, unloading excessive fluid and salt. Although they vary greatly in effectiveness, these foods and drinks allow you to take in healthy nutrients rather than prescription medications (“water pills”). You may be retaining too much fluid if there is … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Ever feel the frustration of starting the day out on the wrong foot? This feeling is so familiar for many of us...but have you noticed how your day seems to go when you start it out on the RIGHT foot? For me, having a balanced and tasty breakfast (that requires … Read More
The Folklore. Serving up black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is said to bring good luck all year long. Tradition calls for the slow-cooked comfort of a pot of Hoppin’ John, the Southern soul food dish of black-eyed peas, collard or mustard greens, and rice. But there are many more … Read More
Sleep. It’s necessary for good health, for life itself—just as much as the air we breathe and the food we eat. In fact, sleep has been referred to as the “foundational pillar of health.” While drifting off for a good night’s slumber comes easily to some of us, for others … Read More
The Folklore. Sweet potato or yam? Most likely, it’s a sweet potato. The most common varieties of sweet potato in the U.S. have smooth orange or red skin, orange flesh, and a sweet flavor. Yams, which are rare in American grocery stores, have rough brown skin, starchy white flesh, and … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Beet, or beetroot, supplements are gaining quite a following for a number of apparent health benefits, including increased energy, improved physical performance, and reductions in blood pressure. Because they’re made from beets, the colorful root vegetables rich in nutrients and powerful health-promoting plant compounds, beet supplements may be a desirable … Read More
I was quite sick with COVID-19 earlier this year, despite having been vaccinated. I have read that it is possible to be reinfected with Omicron more than once, but that a new antiviral medication can help. Can you tell me more about it? Research suggests that the antiviral medication you … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Greens powders have long been a fixture on supplement shelves. With a little help from social media, their popularity has exploded. The market for greens powders is estimated to reach nearly $400 million in the US—that’s double its value since 2018! A lot of us are giving them a try, … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Counting macros is a common phrase in the gym and among athletes. It’s more fine-tuned than simply counting calories among those who want to lose weight or gain muscle, but counting macros still means counting calories. The difference is a focus on the quality of foods eaten, rather than just … Read More
