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Beat the heat drinking water!

6/22/2016

Extreme heat often decreases the appetite. If you're concerned about maintaining your nutrition and keeping yourself and your family well fed during these blazing hot days, do what I do. Chilled soups such as Gazpacho and Vichyssoise are among my savory favorites. Smoothies are always welcome and well accepted by children and adults and can be packed with nutrients by choosing the right ingredients. Check some of these out in Flavorful Fortified Food - Recipes to Enrich Life. With 30 nutritious beverages to choose from you can make one for each day of the month.

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Protein - What’s a guy to do?

6/9/2016

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Father’s Day arriving soon and it’s a good time to think men's health. What about their nutritional needs as they age? Focusing on nutrient dense foods, lots of fruits and vegetables works for men, as well as women. But, men’s physical make-up is different than women’s ~ more muscle, less fat. As we age, we lose this lean body mass, so “what’s a guy to do” to combat this natural aging process? How much protein do men need? The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound (1). This amounts to (2, 3): 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man.

There is new evidence that focusing on good dietary protein sources increases longevity, helps build and retain muscle mass, and contributes to overall health, wellness and quality of life. By “good”, we simply mean lean cuts of meats, fish, legumes, grains, eggs, nuts and dairy products. Lean meat means selecting meat cuts with a lower % fat content and removing visible fat. Dried legumes have the benefit of being budget friendly selections, and when prepared at home you can control salt used in preparation too. The increasing market availability of “world grains”, including popular quinoa, makes it easier to try new recipes and flavors. These high protein per serving grains have found their way to salad bars, restaurant menus, store shelves and grocery ready made meal sections. Switching to fresh, locally sourced products instead of processed foods is a must for long-term health.

Greek yogurt provides twice the protein per serving of other yogurts, and makes a great substitute for sour cream or mayonnaise in recipes. Have you tried goat, almond or soy milk lately? These fluid cow's milk alternates for both cooking and consumption show their popularity as their store shelf space increases. If you choose one of these products, be sure to read the label, since almond milk only has 1 gram of protein instead of the 6 to 8 grams that cow’s, goat or soy milks have. Why not make a new smoothie recipe using your favorite milk or milk substitute?

You can find 30 different protein drinks in Flavorful Fortified Food - Recipes to Enrich Life. Simple and quick recipes to add good dietary protein into your daily life. What’s a guy to do? Well, does a Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake sound good today, or a Rich Coco-Nutty Shake? With 30 smoothie and beverage recipes, all high in protein, you have a whole month’s selection ~ what could be easier?

Contributed by Suellen M. Scarff, M.S., R.D., Board Certified Specialist in Gerontological Nutrition Suellen shares her practical nutrition suggestions on this blog and with her clients in her private practice.

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June 01st, 2016

6/1/2016

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There are many reasons for practitioners to consider changing from using commercially manufactured nutritional supplements to nutrient dense real food. Although commercial nutritional supplements are convenient to use and provide high calories and high protein, people like to eat food and drink fluids that taste good, provide a variety of flavors and like their favorite and familiar foods. For example, where can you purchase a peanut butter flavored commercial supplement? It does not exist! Commercially manufactured products enhance nutrients and are easy to use. However, many of these products are expensive and lack the palatability of a house prepared product. By using fortified food at meals and snack time in lieu of commercially prepared supplements you will be able to satisfy the most demanding palate, improve acceptance and consumption, and save money. What better way to meet individual’s nutrient needs than being able to offer them delicious, well prepared food that they will look forward to eating?
Traditionally the use of foods with more nutrition may have been called by a number of names - Every Bite Counts, Nutrition Intervention Program, Enhanced Food Program, Super Foods or Food Fortification Program. Today, thanks to the Pioneer Network initiative started in 2010, and updated Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Food First! is the term of choice for these approaches.
There are many factors affecting the amount and type of food that some individuals are able to eat. There are also times that regardless of the amount of food a person eats they just cannot gain any weight. Seeking medical attention is always the right course of action and should be done first to rule out the possibility of physiological or health factor. Individuals who are chronically underweight and who have difficulty ingesting sufficient amounts of food to maintain their weight will benefit from eating calorie dense foods. Calorie dense foods are foods that provide high calories and protein either naturally or because they are enhanced or fortified during food preparation with additional nutrient dense ingredients.ere to edit.

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Beat the heat drinking water!

Protein - What’s a guy to do?

June 01st, 2016

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