The Cholesterol Vitamin (Vitamin B3 - Niacin)

Ciao Nutrinutters!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday!

Counting down the days to the new year yet??? I know I am pretty excited about 2014...with all of its mystery...never know what will come our way...but it is also time for a fresh start! Everything you wish you had done in the previous year, you get to try again - set new goals - improve yourself, the famous "New Year's Resolution". Have you come up with yours yet?

I confess I have not come up with mine...I do have a few things I want, does that count? Like a hammock...I imagine myself in my patio swinging while reading a Jill Shalvis romance...don't judge, it's my thing :)

How about we set one now?

I vow to learn about all vitamins and minerals together with the Nutrinutters - every Monday a new post, until we finish this journey. What do you say?

With at least one New Year's Resolution set, how about we move on to the good stuff!

It is time to introduce B3 or if you want to sound like a nutrition wiz, Niacin! This vitamin was found in the early 1900s because of a disease called pellagra. Pellagra is characterized by cracked, scaly, discolored skin, digestive problems and body weakness. What was interesting about it is that the disease prevalence was associated with diets based on corn and that the addition of protein to the diet seemed to help.

You might be thinking that corn has zero vitamin B3, but in truth it does have significant amounts, it just needed to be prepared/cooked in a way that the vitamin could be absorbed. As for why the addition of protein helped, it's because some of the B3 we get comes from the conversion of an amino acid called tryptophan into this vitamin.

Are you wondering how come these vitamins have the craziest names? Niacin kind of reminds you of nicotine doesn't it? When we say Niacin we are actually including a group of different forms of the vitamin and how this name came about is because B3 was first "discovered" during a tobacco study while investigating nicotine from tobacco leaves, isn't that neat?

Now that we understand how this name came about..

What  does vitamin B3 do for us in our bodies?

Some important functions of Niacin include energy production, breaking down and absorption of fats and finally supporting genetic processes.

Let's understand these better shall we?

Do you sense a pattern here? So far the B vitamins have participated in energy production. B3 is no different in the sense that it helps convert protein, carbohydrate and fat into usable energy for your cells. What is different about this one is that it will help store energy in your muscles and liver for whenever you need it.

You might  have noticed that I called this post the cholesterol vitamin.  Did you know niacin plays an important role in how your body processes fat? Niacin supplementation has been linked to the increase of HDL or "good" cholesterol and lowering of LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which is why there have been many studies done using Niacin supplementation to improve cholesterol status in the body.

Another important function of this vitamin is its involvement in DNA production. Niacin is essential to help support genetic processes and a B3 deficiency has been linked to genetic damage. This is extremely important especially when it comes to cancer prevention.

How much do we need and what are good sources?

The recommendation for adult females is 14 milligrams per day (pregnant: 18 mg/day, lactating: 17mg/day) and for males is 15 milligrams per day.

 

Some good food sources include:

• protein (meat, poultry, fish, beans, peas)
• whole grain and enriched breads/cereals
• eggs and milk are good sources of tryptophan (converts to B3)

 

What are some signs that show deficiency?

Niacin deficiency alone is rare, being usually accompanied by the deficiency of other B vitamins. Some signs include pellagra, inflammation of skin, digestive problems, loss of appetite and even mental confusion.

INTERESTING STUFF: Did you know that people who consume higher amounts of Niacin regularly seem to have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease?

How much more of this vitamin can I take?

The good news is that in the levels found in foods, no toxic symptoms were reported in the literature since this is another water-soluble vitamin. However, a tolerable upper limit of 35mg per day of Niacin was determined since some toxicity symptoms that can occur from high supplementation of this vitamin (1,000 mg/day) can occur, such as:

• liver damage
• flushing (reddened skin)
• upset stomach

The Nutrient Chain

We once again see that the nutrients are all linked in some way. When it comes to Niacin, since some of our supply does come from the amino acid tryptophan, a person that does not have enough protein in their diet has an increased risk of being B3 deficient. This conversion also needs the help of other vitamins including B1and B6. Deficiency in these can also inhibit the conversion into vitamin B3.

This concludes another chapter in the "B-files"!! How are we doing so far?? Feel free to message me with comments/ observations/ questions, I would love to hear from you! :)

I wanted to say a quick hi to the Nutrinutters in Brazil, Malaysia, Germany, United Kingdom, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, India, Netherlands and of course the United States! Thank you so much for your support!!!!

And finally, I wish each and every one of you a WONDERFUL 2014!!!!!

XOXO

 

    From your NUTRINUT

Sources: Nutrition411, whfoods.org, mayoclinic.com, Nutrition for Dummies

 



 

Opening the B-Files (Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin)

Ciao Nutrinutters!

Welcome back! So Christmas is here once again for those of us who celebrate it...I confess I've been stressing over what to give my older sister, I'm sorry Mi!!! Well, I guess this will be the test if she reads the post or not :)

But going back to "the A through Z Journey" it is time to open the second B- file! Ladies and gents I introduce to you vitamin B2... known by close friends/nutrition nerds like me as Riboflavin or "Ribs" (my own nickname for it).

You might be wondering how it got this name...It's actually because it contains in its chemical structure a sugar called "ribitol" attached to a flavonoid, which is a substance from plants that contain a pigment called flavone...In B2's case, it has a yellow pigment. So the happy marriage between both resulted in beautiful Riboflavin...a perfect name don't you think?

Benefits of B2

In some ways, this vitamin has similar functions to others we've previously discussed. Like B1, this vitamin is important for the breakdown and absorption of proteins and carbohydrates, meaning that it helps in having energy available for the cells in our body. "Ribs" is similar to vitamin A because it protects the health of mucous membranes (the moist tissues we talked about before) that line up the eyes, mouth, nose, throat.

 Here's another very good reason to want vitamin B2 in your body...it works indirectly as an antioxidant!

What is an antioxidant anyways? That word keeps popping up! I think that it is safe to assume that those are good for me and found in berries, or so I've heard...But what in fact do they do?

A natural process that happens in our bodies is our cells being affected / damaged by activated oxygen...Does this make you want to hold your breath? Oxygen sounds quite evil with aging my skin and all...but no worries, this is actually quite natural and part of the living process..so continue taking those breaths :). Antioxidants protect the cells from this kind of damage by making the activated oxygen stable , keeping the reaction from taking place in your cells. And how does B2 help? Well, antioxidants need to be recycled constantly and this week's vitamin makes it possible for a specific antioxidant called Glutathione...We can call B2 our co-pilot for this antioxidant!

What happens if I'm lacking B2 in my diet?

Quite a few different skin irritations can happen when there's not enough B2 in your body, including inflammation of the skin, soreness and burning of the lips, mouth (with also cracking of the skin around the corners of the mouth) and tongue. "Ribs" deficiency can also result in symptoms that affect your eyes such as light sensitivity and burning and itching of the eyes.

How to avoid these symptoms and how much is enough??

Good ways to obtain riboflavin come from animal sources such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk. However, whole or enriched grain products have considerate amounts as well as dark green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.

Riboflavin's recommendation for adults is as follows:

Females: 1.1 mg / day                      
-Pregnant: 1.4 mg
-Lactating: 1.6 mg

Males: 1.3 mg / day

Just so you have an idea of how much riboflavin is available in foods, your Nutrinut has some numbers for you!

1 egg has about 0.3 mg of Riboflavin
1 cup (8 ounces/230 ml) of milk has about o.4 mg of Riboflavin
1 cup of plain yogurt has about 0.5 mg of Riboflavin.  (Almost half of what you need per day!)

 

Can "Ribs" be toxic???

The good news is that B2 is also a water-soluble vitamin...meaning that it is very difficult to overdose on these kinds of vitamins unless you take enormous amounts of supplements. In this vitamin's case, there have never actually been any toxic side-effects documented. However be advised that just because they were never documented, does not mean that it is safe to have incredibly large supplement doses.

Here's an interesting fact...did you know that your  urine can become bright yellow after taking high amounts of riboflavin??? True story! Not mine...but still true! This is because of its yellow pigment that we talked about above.

The Nutrient Chain

The beauty of these nutrients is that they all link to each other in some way or other. For this week's vitamin, we'll see that it depends on B1 status...adequate amounts of B1 will help B2 levels.
Did you know that a few other vitamins and minerals will not fully be available in the body without adequate amounts of Riboflavin?? Iron, Folate, B12 and next week's star..B3, just to name a few.

This concludes another B vitamin for you!

Getting the names mixed up?? Don't worry...I've got you!

B1: Thiamine
B2: Riboflavin (or "ribs" if you'd like to adopt my nickname for it)

Come back next Monday for more! B3 is ecstatic to introduce itself to you! :)

XOXO,

-The Nutrinut-

The energy nutrient (Vitamin B1 or Thiamine)

Welcome back to the "A through Z Journey" Nutrinutters!

I don't know about you, but I do like the sound of that, adds a little mystery to the posts don't you think?

Before I move on to the next vitamin, I would like to thank all of you for accompanying me through this process...I appreciate your support and it has served as great motivation for me.

Now let's move on to the good stuff shall we? If last week's vitamin was the moisturizing nutrient, than we can call this one the energy nutrient. Why's that you ask? Before I explain some of the functions of vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, here's how it was discovered...

B1 fun facts...

Did you know that vitamin B1 was actually the first vitamin to be recognized? 

It all started in the late 19th and early 20th century back when long sailing voyages were common (don't worry, I won't go tooooo much into history). Mainly in southeast Asia, where rice was the sailors' main food source during these voyages, a disease known as beriberi grew popular among sailors. Beriberi means in Sinhalese "weakness" and it got this name because it was characterized by its victims feeling muscle weakness, energy deprivation and becoming inactive. While searching for the cause of this, it was found that the addition of whole grains to the sailors' diets helped in preventing beriberi. Finally, in mid 1920s it was discovered that the one responsible for this preventive effect was vitamin B1.

Vitamin B1's special participation in the body

One of its main functions is being an energy producer. It is known that energy needed for our bodies comes from carbohydrate; however, it needs to be converted into usable energy for our cells before. This process cannot happen without the presence of vitamin B1 since it plays a crucial role in the process of extracting energy from carbohydrates.

Other than being an energy producer, B1 also acts in the nervous system. It helps a fat-like covering that's present around most nerves to healthy develop. When there is a B1 deficiency, these coverings can degenerate or become damaged.

What happens when I don't have enough Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)?

Since it plays such a crucial role in the body's energy production, one of the first symptoms of deficiency is loss of appetite. Also, like mentioned above, it is strongly related to the nervous system and a deficiency can cause nerve-related symptoms including "pins and needles" sensations or numbness.

Where in foods can I find Vitamin B1?

Some of the common sources are

• unrefined cereals and grains,
• pork,
• beans,
• nuts and seeds.

Unlike Vitamin A, we don't have to worry about whether this vitamin is found actively or not because it is present in foods in the same form - thiamine.
However, there are some substances in a few foods that are called the "anti-thiamine" compounds. Some common ones are found in raw fish, some teas and the frequent consumption of alcohol is a big contributor to B1 deficiency!

Below is a figure showing some foods that are good sources and how many milligrams of vitamin B1 each has. RDA stands for recommended dietary allowances, meaning that the RDA for men and women is the amount of milligrams each one should have of the nutrient.

How much is enough?

Since B1 is so closely related to energy, its recommendation depends on how many calories you have per day. The requirement for adults is 0.5 milligrams per 1000 calories, in average, 1-1.1 milligrams per day for females and for males 1.2-1.5 milligrams. Pregnant and lactating women do have higher needs of 1.4 and 1.5 milligrams respectively.

Vitamin B1, being a water-soluble vitamin, is easily eliminated after your body takes what it needs. Unlike vitamin A, having higher amounts of B1 should not result in presenting toxicity symptoms. However, you do have to be careful since it has potential to be toxic when you take 1000 times more than what is recommended.



This concludes vitamin B1 for you! :)

So far we've covered vitamin A and B1...before you know it, you will be the nutrition experts!

Stay tuned as our journey continues and next week B2 will show you what it's made of!
See you then...

-The Nutrinut-

 

Resources: whfoods.org, Medline plus, mayoclinic.com

The moisturizing nutrient (Vitamin A)

Ciao Nutrinutters!

As we start the holiday season I hope everyone has a Wonderful December!!!...the last month of 2013! Crazy how that went by so fast huh? And for all of the students reading this, good luck on your finals! :)
I thought about starting a little A through Z review....cover all the vitamins and minerals...are you up to take this journey with me???? This will benefit me greatly too since I get a lovely review out of it! ;)


Being there are so many of them, I figure we can start in alphabetical order and go from there...
Ladies and gents I introduce to you "the Amazing A"....vitamin A!

Vitamin A's special participation in the body

This vitamin is the moisturizing nutrient since it keeps your skin and mucous membrane (which is the tissue that lines the eyes, nose, mouth, throat and more) smooth...ladies, we don't need to go crazy and start popping vitamin A pills ok? :) .

There's more! This vitamin is also important because it makes a pigment that is responsible for the proper functioning of the retina, essential to maintain good vision, specially when the lights are low (such as when this nutrinut goes crazy with candles, don't judge ;) )... therefore being also known as the vision vitamin.

And since the fun never stops, this vitamin is also important for the growth of healthy bones and teeth, it is essential in reproduction during pregnancy and lactation for the production of hormones and is a definite participant in helping your immune system kick some infections' behinds!

What happens when I don't have enough Vitamin A?

A process called keratinization may take place in the skin, cornea, lining of nose, mouth throat and other tissues. Basically what this means is that the cells lose their humidity and is restored by a fibrous material that is mainly made of keratin. Keratin might do wonders to our hair, but we certainly don't want this process happening where its not meant to. This may lead to frequent infections in the respiratory and digestive systems. Also, since this is the vision vitamin, a serious deficiency may also lead to night blindness.

These are some countries that have more vitamin A deficiency according to the World Health Organization in 2009 (VAD stands for vitamin A deficiency)

Let's stalk up in vitamin A, right???

Arrêt! (a little french  for you - STOP). Let's analyze this one a little closer shall we? Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin which means that since they dissolve in fat they are stored in your fatty tissues. So what's the problem? Simply that your body doesn't eliminate the excess that easily as vitamins that are water-soluble. 

Too much vitamin A is also a problem. Toxicity symptoms may vary from dry skin and skin turning yellow to nausea and more serious ones such as liver damage.

What are some good sources?

Vitamin A has the active form, that is better absorbed in the body such as retinol, and forms that need to be converted into vitamin A in your body, such as beta-carotene. This one might sound familiar to you...beta-carotenoids are responsible for giving fruits and vegetables yellow and orange colors and also acting as antioxidants (I will cover antioxidants better later, promise).

Retinol will always come from animal sources such as eggs, cheese, fortified milk and butter.
Carotenoids on the other hand will be found in plant sources such as: apricots, carrots, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sweet potato and many others.

How much is enough but not tooooo much?

For men over 14 years, it is recommended 900 micrograms (mcg) and for women over 14 years, 700 mcg of vitamin A per day. Pregnant and lactating women do need a little more, 770 and 1300 mcg respectively. You should be very careful to not take more than 3000 mcg daily because of the toxicity symptoms we discussed above.

Well, that summarizes a little for you vitamin A. Thanks for staying tuned! Let's continue this journey next week shall we??? Have an amazing week!!!

-The Nutrinut-

Reference: Nutrition 411 and Nutrition for Dummies

Tune to a different channel ;)

Ciaaaooo my sweetest and dearest Nutrinutters!

I have a question for you: Do you know how many times you had a meal together as a family last week?
I read an article about it the other day and it made me realize that I am guilty of not sitting with mine for a while. Anyone else out there in the same boat as me??

I remember as a kid my sisters and I, (I have 2 adorable older sisters...I am the baby or bebushe as my Albanian friend calls me, hope I didn't butcher the writing) we used to be called in to have 3 meals together: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Those were really good times...specially when it was us 3 gals still in elementary, nothing to worry about but how were we to get the cute boy's attention....so topics were very light, even if at the time, it seemed like the biggest problem I'd ever face in my existence (I was always a drama queen).

Somewhere along the way we just became too busy to have meals together. School, work and life got in the way...it is practically a miracle to get all of us one day to have dinner together....how crazy right??

So what do my little stories have to do with Nutrition? Everything! ;)

I do aaaall of the no no's: I eat watching suuuuper classy/educational shows "say yes to the dress" or working on something...sensual eating out the window!! (remember that post?? check it out if you haven't done so). Because of this, I don't relax, don't enjoy food as I should and might over eat depending on my stress.

Here are some numbers for you on how this can greatly affect kids too!

It was found that sharing at least 3 family meals per week has great nutritional health benefits in children and adolescents including:

• 12% reduction in risk of being overweight
• 20% decline in consuming unhealthy foods
• 35% decrease in disordered eating such as bingeing, purging, using diet pills, fasting, skipping meals
• 24% increase in consuming healthy foods

Interesting right?
Why do you think that not eating with the family interferes so much?

Family meals are great not only for creating amazing, precious and priceless memories but also are a great way to guide kids to eat healthier and help develop good eating habits. Remembering always that parents are the ones to set the good examples. Make healthy choices and your kids will follow.

Also, something that we must not forget is that eating is one of the pleasures in life. When eating in family, we must remember that it should be a happy and good experience. Meal time is NOT the time for parents to pick on their kids for getting detention or asking them why homework is not done. This applies for couples or even if you live with roommates too. Meal time is not the moment to discuss unpleasant or stressful topics....who wants to ruin that delicious moment with that kind of talk?

Instead, keep it light! Be playful with your company...discuss the positive things that happened in your day....whether it was a joke someone told you in school or something funny a co-worker did...and if you can't think of anything, you can always talk about the "sauza sparkling tequila" lifeguard commercial....and no, I am not advertising to drink alcohol...I am advertising HIM to the ladies :)  he loves us ladies! ;)

 - wipes drool-

Going back to having meals in family...oh yes...TURN OFF THAT TV!!!!
Here are some good reasons to do so:

• You love your family....enjoy that precious moment...you only live it once...live it well!

• Back to sensual eating, if you don't pay attention to the hunger/fullness cues your body sends you will eat more than your body needs

• Lastly, have you ever seen commercials on fruits, salads or healthy eating?? Yeah, me neither...its always the burgers, chocolate cakes, fries, pizza. Hey, I'm only human, where can I get one of those! Boom! there goes all my efforts in trying to eat healthy ;)

So I leave this for you to reflect upon:

Do you remember when's the last time you had a meal with your family? 

Was it fun, playful and relaxing? 

XOXO

-The Nutrinut-

The grand finale is always so tasty... (part 4 of "411 on proteins")

Ciao Nutrinutters!

Hope everyone has been great!!
For those of you who know me, have followed this journey to completion of my masters in Nutrition...well, not just yet, but at least I've presented my project last week and now I finally feel I can take a few breaths!

 - Celebratory dance -

But continuing where I left off a few weeks ago, I did promise that I'd discuss some ideas on pre and post workout snacks, so let's cut to the chase, shall we?


What is THE best snack to have before your gym session? The answer is.......(drum roll)
it depends what works for you!

But here's an idea of what you should be looking for:

 1- Something that does not digest too quickly
(choose high fiber foods) You need energy for entire workout after all...
 2- High Carbohydrate
 3- Low fat

Here are some ideas:
- A banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- Low-fat yogurt with a fruit
- Oatmeal made with skim milk and fruit
- Trail mix with nuts and fruit
- Granola with low fat milk and fruit
- Smoothie made with low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit and wheat germ
- Carrots/Celery with humus

Notice that all options have a fruit/vegetable (great because of carbohydrate, fiber and vitamins and minerals) and a protein source. 

What kinds of foods can interfere with your performance?

High-fat protein sources such as fried meats and cheeses. This is because fat takes longer to digest and this might give you a sluggish feeling during your workout or even nausea.

As for after a workout, replenishing what was lost during is very important! If done properly, this will play a very important role in how you will feel after.

Keeping your body hydrated will help prevent the fatigue feeling that many experience after. Some good choices to accomplish this are:


- Water
- Juices (preferably fresh to obtain the most nutrients)
- Fruits that are high in water:
   > Watermelon
   > Grapes
   > Melon
   > Oranges
- Coconut water

To replenish muscle glycogen lost during workout eat foods that are rich in carbohydrate 15 minutes after your workout has ended. (follow examples of meals in pre-workout).

Keep in mind that there is no standard miracle meal plan that will work for everyone. Experiment with these options...create some of your own too....and apply to your routine what works best for you ;)

...and hydrate!! Don't forget!

- The Nutrinut -

The chemistry between the nutrinut and protein (part 3 of "411 on proteins")

Hey there Nutrinutters!

Hope ya'll are doing great! :)

Ready to continue about proteins?? If you are just joining me and feel a little lost, the last 2 posts were on the importance of protein and a very easy and quick way to calculate how much protein your body needs.
Now that we all know how much protein you need (and how much I weigh too! SHOCKED/EMBARRASSED SMILEY, lol) we can see what harm may come from wanting way too  much of all the awesome benefits that protein has to offer by overdoing it.

When over 30% of your average calorie intake comes from protein (for a 2000 calorie diet, that would be 150 grams of protein) is about the time where your body starts having a hard time to process it. Now don't get mad at me, but I'm going to need a little help from chemistry to explain this one.

This is what a protein chain looks like:

Do you guys see the little N in blue? That means there's nitrogen in its chain. Yes, we do need this, however in the right amount. When you take too much protein, it becomes challenging for your body to get rid of what you don't need and this is when it becomes toxic for you. What this means is that your body will have to work extra hard to maintain the balance it needs to properly function. Think in your situation..what happens when you have to work extra hard at work or school?? You become exhausted, right? This is what happens with important organs that work in eliminating the excess nitrogen, such as your kidneys. Now, I'm not saying that everyone that overdoes it will get kidney stones (and that sounds awfully painful) or other more serious problems...but you must be aware that it can happen.

Plus we should always be aiming to be healthy right? The best medicine is PREVENTION! Which is what nutrition is aaaall about ;)

Another problem with having too much protein is that you are likely not having enough carbohydrates. Although the poor carbs have a bad rep, they are VERY IMPORTANT! They give us energy fast and fiber is a carbohydrate, remember the fiber post and how it is good for us??

Should we become paranoid and start counting exactly how much protein is in each food item we eat?

Not quite either....if you are eating balanced meals (like I explained in the my plate post)...you most likely are doing it right! This however should be carefully considered when deciding to take protein supplements and/or trying crazy protein diets...did I mention that they are crazy? lol!

Refresher - How your plate should look like: 

Just so it doesn't seem like I'm "scolding" protein shakes, here are just a few questions to reflect upon:

• Has anyone wondered what's in those protein shakes??
• Did you know that many many of them are not FDA approved? Meaning they can add whatever they wish in those products. 
• Have you also noticed that sometimes they are mysteriously discontinued?? Now I love a good mystery, but that just sounds too sketchy for comfort. Isn't it easier to just drink milk, eat meat, yogurt?? Those without a doubt must taste better and have a lot of other nutrients! :)

Next post: What snacks should I have before and after a workout?

See you then!!

-The Nutrinut-

How much protein do I need (part 2 of "411 on Proteins')

Ciao Nutrinutters!

On the last post we were just getting our feet wet when it comes to protein. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, do visit the "411 on proteins", where we learned why protein is so important. Moving on to how much our bodies actually need...with protein being such an important nutrient, maybe I should quit carbohydrates and fats and just stick to proteins right? Hey, at least my hair will look nice!
The thing is carbs and fats are actually quite important to our bodies and it turns out that protein out of the 3 is the one we need in less amount.

So let's do some math together to figure out how much each one of you need of protein per day...I'll use me as an example...calculators in hand, or if you are one of those math wizzes, no need ;)

First step: Convert your weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing it by 2.2

                My weight in pounds is 160 =>  160 / 2.2 = 72.73 (this is how much I weigh in kilograms)

Second step: Multiply your weight in kilograms by the following:

0.8 - if you are not very physically active (basically if you're a student or work at a desk, walk less than 2 miles per day)
1.0 - if you have a light physical activity level (jog, walk, bike not every day)
1.2 - if you are physically active every day (run, bike, swim, every day)
1.5 - if you are physically active and are trying to build muscle

Usually when you calculate your needs of a nutrient per day, you estimate a range since we don't eat the same thing every day. I fall somewhere in between the first and second, so what I'll do the following:

72.73 x 0.8 = around 58g  AND
72.73 x 1.0 = 73g

So the range of how much protein my body needs is about 58-73 g

IMPORTANT: Keep in mind we are talking about grams of protein and not calories ok?

Now that we have all calculated and know how much protein our bodies need, here are
some good food sources and how many grams each have:

- 3 ounces (this is about the palm of your hand) of lean meat, fish or
poultry => 21 grams

Vegetarian options:
- 1 cup of yogurt => 10 grams
- 1 cup (8 ounces) of milk => 9 grams
- 1 egg => 6-8 grams
- 1 slice of packaged fat-free cheese => 5 grams

Vegan options:
- 6 ounces of tofu => 13 grams
- 1 cup of soymilk => 7 grams
- 6 ounces of soy milk yogurt => 6 grams
- 1 cup of oatmeal => 6 grams
- 1 cup of cooked brown rice (equivalent of a fist) => 5 grams
- 1 tablespoon of peanut butter => 4 grams

Next post we'll learn what is wrong with overdoing proteins and taking protein shakes!
Until then! ;)

-The Nutrinut-

The 411 on Proteins! (Part 1)

Did you miss me Nutrinutters? I hope so  ;)

I apologize for going missing for a couple of weeks, but I am back! and here to talk about protein.

This usually is a topic that interests more people looking to build muscle, but bare with me on this...we all could benefit.

First, here's a little 411 on protein:

It comes from the Greek word protos meaning "first". I confess that part was new to me...see, we learn something new everyday ;)
You may have heard that protein is important if you want to build muscle but the truth is it has other quite amazing functions as well! You see, your body needs protein to build new cells, maintain tissues and make new protein for your body to use. Does this give you flashbacks of biology class and migraines with it too? Don't be afraid, I'll further explain..

The reason why we need protein is because our bodies are full of it!
Wanna see some of the neat places where protein makes an appearance?

• hair, nail and outer layer of skin are made of a protein called keratin that cannot be digested by our bodies, which is why it can be harmful to bite our nails
• Muscle contains quite a number of different proteins.
• The inner structure of bones
• Ever heard of hemoglobin? It's in our red blood cells. This is a protein that carries oxygen throughout our bodies
• Don't get scared of this next one: enzymes. These are very special proteins that do specific jobs such as digesting or breaking down food (not to be confused with the movie "Breaking Dawn" ;) ). These are so important that about 1/2 of the protein that you eat each day goes into making these.
• DNA
• and the list goes on!

As we can see, protein is quite important in our body not only to develop Johnny Bravo muscles...

In case you are not from his time, meet Johnny:

So where can I get me some?? Should I order one of those protein shakes? 

NOPE! say NO to these shakes little nutrinutters. I won't get into those today because I wanted to simply introduce protein in this post. But what better way to get your protein needs than through eating delicious foods? Never had those shakes, but I've heard their taste is not that great.

To create the suspense for the week, I'll continue this on next week's post...so DON'T MISS OUT! ;)

Coming soon: How much protein do I need? What are good sources? What's wrong with protein supplements? What should I have before and after a workout?

 -The Nutrinut-

Sugar, aaahh, honey honey

Ciao Nutrinutters!!

So the other day I looked ahead of me and saw the parents of a 1-2 year old little girl feeding her juice boxes and I will not reveal brands, but she was also chewing on a "fruit snack". I guess that doesn't sound too bad right? If my kid doesn't like fruits its a lot easier to get them to chew on these. That way I am following the recommendations and my kid is getting aaall the nutrients they need without fighting me on this, right? Huuumm, well, you tell me....

Let's analyze this a little better shall we? Below is the food label of the "fruit snack"

Remembering the little guide I posted for you guys on food labels, it does not look quite that bad right? No fat at all, sodium levels are also not that high, and oh, look! vitamins! Looking a little lower in the list of ingredients.....WOOAH! waaaaaiit a second.....is this a fruit snack or substances in a little bag disguised by sugar?

As a general rule, when the list of ingredients occupies most of the bag and consists of names you can't even attempt to pronounce, that's usually not a good sign of a healthy good for you product, much less for your kid.

Another aspect to look at here is that the 2nd and 3rd ingredients are sugar! If you guys remember, the ingredients that appear first in the list are the ones present in highest amounts in the product. Interesting...we are feeding our kids these because they are healthy yet very little of it is an actual fruit snack. Here we have another product containing pure sugar and artificial flavors. What happened to giving our kids a banana??

Going back to that food label, the calories don't seem that high, so what is the problem with a little more sugar? First, you must remember that this is just a snack and that most of those calories are offering your body nothing more than sugar and not many nutrients. Also, don't forget that we are designed to adapt. If all you are used to is the sweet taste, you will very likely want everything very sweet. Am I trying to deprive you from the pleasures of sweet taste? Absolutely not. However we must be aware of the amounts of sugar that we are having in our diets and feeding our kids. There are serious consequences other than not being able to fit into our "skinny jeans". Obesity has been on the rise in adults and children with major health consequences following.

So what can I do to change this?

• Eat a fruit when you crave sweets (in season fruits are pocket friendly and sweeter)
• When eating oatmeal, make your own and add sweet fruits and cinnamon instead of sugar.
• Avoid adding extra sugar to beverages (tea, coffee, juice)
• Make your own fruit juice instead of drinking soda, energy drinks, fruit drinks .When the fruit is sweet, you'll see no sugar needs to be added! ;)
• Read food labels!! 
• If sugar, corn syrup, honey, fructose, dextrose are listed in the beginning of the ingredient list,  the product is high in sugar. 

Remember, your kids will follow your example. We are the adults and need to guide our kids to eat healthier. Let's make them proud!  ;)

-The Nutrinut-

Why gluten is so "out" right now

Hey there little Nutrinutters!

Anyone out there have a friend or family member that has told you to eliminate gluten because it is evil? But you, being a science man/woman (am I pushing my luck here? lol) questioned and never fully understood why?

A new trend started a few years ago in which gluten was labeled as being “bad for you” and to be avoided at all cost. But before reaching such conclusions, let’s try to better understand why gluten affects some. Most commonly known as celiac disease, happens when the part of your gut responsible for absorbing nutrients known as villi, is damaged by the frequent consumption of the grains wheat, rye and barley. This happens because these grains causes your immune system to react. Below is an image showing the difference between a healthy gut and one affected by celiac disease:

 Since the absorption of nutrients is affected, some deficiencies may develop in your body such as in the case of anemia, osteoporosis and even cause weight loss. A variety of symptoms may occur affecting people in different ways. The most common ones are: nausea, bloating, diarrhea or constipation (or both), lactose intolerance, anemia (may come with feeling extremely fatigue), weight loss, migraines, irritation of the skin (dermatitis herpetiformis).

Why is it so "in" to eliminate gluten?

It has become so trendy to eliminate gluten from our diets due to the prevalence of celiac disease being 1:133; meaning that about 3 million Americans have this condition although most are not aware of it. Does this mean it is time to panic and completely eliminate gluten from your diet? Not quite. One might have the same symptoms as mentioned above for other reasons therefore before making drastic changes in the diet, a specialist must be consulted!!!

Where is Gluten found?

Products that are made from wheat, rye or barley will contain gluten. Some common foods are breads and baked products, cereals, pastas, sauces, snack foods, prepared meats, flavored coffee and teas, among others. As we can see, it is present in an extended amount of foods found in our day-to-day diet. The best way to be sure you are not consuming gluten is by reading the food label of products. Since 2004 products in the United States are required by law to say if they contain gluten or are gluten-free.

What are some gluten-free flours?

When looking for a “substitute flour”, some good options are: corn, rice, quinoa, tapioca and nut flours.

Source: Shelley Case – Author of Gluten-Free Diet: A comprehensive Resource Guide

- The Nutrinut-

Diet soda: the solution or another problem??

Important stuff my little Nutrinutters,

Calories have been for a while labeled as the great villains. “How can I possibly lose weight and fit into a size zero if even lettuce has them???” might have crossed your mind and realistically speaking who has lettuce cravings? My comfort food is chocolate…any form of it….wouldn't it be great if there were no calories in chocolate? Then we discover that there is the miracle powder that turns foods sweet without adding extra calories like in the case of sugars, the sweeteners. Seems like the most perfect solution: I eat what I love and don’t have to pay for it later in the gym..Wooo! Now we are talking!

Does anyone else think that this sounds too good to be true though?

Accumulating evidence suggests that consumers using artificial sweetened beverages on a regular basis, just like regular sugar-sweetened beverage consumers are at increased risk of weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. But wait? How does that make any sense? If I am consuming something that has no calories, such as a diet soda, how can I still be at high risk for all of those?

Although scientists (and try not to cringe at the word ) have not been able to fully explain this, observations were made based on different results from a significant amount of studies conducted on the effects caused by the frequent intake of artificial sweeteners. You might be questioning this information with the following thought process “someone with a higher body weight might want to turn to sweeteners in an attempt to lose weight; therefore it would make sense for sweeteners to be associated with weight gain and all of the others”. Seems logical, however, these results were observed in people that were not initially overweight or obese as well. So how can this be explained? 

One possibility is that sweeteners are seen as “healthy”. This allows people to think that it's alright to splurge on other “unhealthy” foods since they are compensating the calories. The famous “I can have the large fries because I’m drinking diet soda instead of regular”. Sound familiar to anyone? :)

Another way to look at this is by remembering that sweet tastes are known to cause many body responses that help you maintain energy balance. This happens due to the ability that sweet tastes have in sending signals to your gut, letting it know that nutrients have arrived in order to help with absorption and utilization of the energy from foods. In the case of artificial sweeteners, the sweet taste is still present, but the calories do not arrive. This seems pretty harmless, as long as the calories are not in my body, it works for me! The problem with this is if you are a daily or even frequent consumer of artificial sweeteners, you are weakening this association your body makes with the sweet taste reducing how efficient it will be to utilize the energy or calories received from foods. It is also believed that this affects the ability your body has in letting you know when you are full. If one does not recognize when they are full, the chances of overeating are great.

Does this mean that we are better off sticking with regular soda? Not quite…

The importance of all this or the "take home message" is just to be aware that artificial sweeteners and diet beverages are not as good as they sound. Sugar AND artificial sweeteners consumption must be monitored and done so with caution. When looking to lose weight, the best substitute for sugar sweetened drinks is still water.

-The Nutrinut-

The "MUST KNOW" 's on food labels

Hey there Nutrinutters!

Here's a good tool on how to make better choices when you are purchasing a product: 

read and compare food labels

Below is a quick (and a tad colorful!) explanation on what you should be looking for: 

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 cup(228g)                                                 Servings Per Container 2
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250                                 Calories from Fat 110
	% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12 g	18%
Saturated Fat 3 g	15%
Trans Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg	10%
Sodium 470 mg	30%
Total Carbohydrate 31 g	10%
Dietary Fiber 0 g	0%
Sugars 5 g
Protein 5 g
Vitamin A	4%
Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	20%
Iron	4%

Start with serving size and number of servings in package

Eating 2 cups instead of 1, you'll get twice the nutrients in the label.

Pay attention to calories and fat

              100 calories per serving - moderate

            400 calories or more - high.

Look at % daily value. Keep in mind it's based on 2000 calorie diet.

               

-5% or less is low daily value: 
Aim low in total fat, saturated and trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.

                             Low fat – 3 g or less

                             Low saturated fat – 1 g or less

                             Low Trans Fat – 0 g

                             Low cholesterol- 20 mg or less

                             Low sodium – 140 mg or less

               
-20% or more is high daily value: 
Aim high in vitamins,minerals and fiber.

                                                                                                 High fiber – 5 g or more

Check the ingredients list: All ingredients in foods must be listed in order of descending weight. Ingredients found in largest amounts are listed first.

Limit added sugar. If it appears in the first 3 ingredients, the product is high in sugar.

The most common claims seen in food packages and their meaning:

• Low calorie- 40 calories or less per serving
• Reduced- At least 25% less of a specific nutrient or calories when compared to the original
• Good source of- Provides at least 10-19% of daily value of a nutrient per serving
• Calorie free- Less than 5 calories per serving
• Fat free/sugar free- less than 0.5g of fat or sugar per serving

-The Nutrinut-