Citrition Nutrition

If you are — you’re not alone. Many Americans eat a breakfast that has very little or even no protein (ex.bagel, cereal). Protein helps fill you up — think chicken or steak dinner…
If you find that your breakfast isn’t holding you until lunch, try an egg white with breakfast or a small handful of nuts in your cereal. The protein can really help hold you until your next meal.

It’s that time of year - the last few weeks of summer - when you are probably going to attend a few bbqs. When choosing food at a bbq, keep these tips in mind:

• A hot dog usually has less calories than a hamburger (although a hamburger is usually more nutritious)
• Try either without the bun to save some calories
• Corn is a starchy vegetable. That means it counts like a piece of bread, not like a vegetable
• The calories in mayo in cole slaw and potato salad really add up. Go easy on those foods
• Watermelon is high in antioxidants and water making it a very healthy snack or dessert

So, enjoy those bbqs and going easy on the alcohol!

A client recently told me that her trainer said that eating watermelon was just as bad as eating a piece of cake. I must clarify this because it is far from the truth. Fruit sugar and added sugar (such as that found in cake) are both looked at as sugar by your body. However, fruit, such as watermelon, provides a wide array of vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and water. Cake on the other hand provides little nutritional value. Aside from that fact, the watermelon has about 46 calories for one cup while a small slice of cake can have anywhere from 250 calories and up. So, while they both provide sugar, the watermelon provides a ton of other benefits. So, don’t swear off all sugar. Eating fruit sugar should definitely be part of a healthy diet.

Kosher Salt, Iodized Salt, Rock Salt, Flavored Salt???  So many to choose from.  Although there are different reasons one might choose one salt over another, all salts are high in sodium. That means they all can increase blood pressure. So, make sure to use all salt in moderation.

With a heat wave such as the one passing through much of the country, the importance of hydration cannot be stressed enough. A general rule of thumb is that you need about 1/2 oz of water for every pound of body weight. Most people need about 8 - 12 glasses of water each day. But, on days that are especially hot and humid, your needs increase. And although those iced coffees and other iced beverages may be refreshing, beverages with caffeine only dehydrate you more. So, make sure to keep a bottle of water on your desk and with you at all times so that you are guaranteed to get the amount you need.