Five Ways to Eat Better

[Nikoluski]

Five Ways to Eat Better

http://www.acsm.org/health%2Bfitness/activeaging.htm

1 - Eat a Good Breakfast Every Day

use fruits, milk, yogurt, hot or cold cereal, low-fat cheeses, and
instant breakfast mixes
try low-fat milk and a bran flake type cereal. You get calcium, B-
complex vitamins and fiber (5.5 grams in 2 cups)

2 - Get Enough Protein

rotate skinless chicken, fish, and lean meats as main courses
have daily doses of whole grains, nuts, seeds, peas, and dry beans
use low- or non-fat dairy products regularly
eat eggs occasionally

3 - Drink Plenty of Water

it makes up more than half your body composition, and must be
replaced daily
you need it to regulate body temperature, digest foods, and prevent
constipation
drinking coffee, tea, and alcohol increase water loss (try cocoa
instead)
popsicles and fruit juices are good alternatives to plain water
*exercise increases the need for water

4 - Fiber is Important

aids digestion, prevents constipation, decreases cholesterol and
blood sugar
eat whole grain cereals
eat vegetable (and fruits) raw when possible with skin
add dry beans to soups, stews, and salads

5 - Minimize High Sugar and Processed Foods

sweets and desserts tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients
soda pops and other sugared drinks are poor beverage choices (try
water or pure fruit juice instead)
minimize use of table sugar and syrups
–See the other ACSM’s Active Aging Tips including “Five Ways to
Increase Eating Pleasure.”
–*Get the NIA Guide on Exercise free: call 1-800-222-2225 or
http://www.nih.gov/nia.

[t-bone]

“3-…popsicles and fruit juices are good alternatives to plain water…
5 - Minimize High Sugar and Processed Foods”

Huh?! Is this a contradiction?

Unless it’s freshly squeezed, is it really that good of an alternative?

[jumpman]

@t-bone

“3-…popsicles and fruit juices are good alternatives to plain water…
5 - Minimize High Sugar and Processed Foods”

Huh?! Is this a contradiction?

Unless it’s freshly squeezed, is it really that good of an alternative?

Good point. By squeezing the juice and throwing away the fiber etc. it is no better than sugar really. Why not just drink sugar water and take a multivitamin with it? There’s no replacement for plain old water.

“4 - Fiber is Important…
eat whole grain cereals”
Why are cereals always the number one recommendation for fiber even though vegetables are a much richer source per calorie (with much more vitamins and minerals too)?

[SK12879]

@jumpman

Good point. By squeezing the juice and throwing away the fiber etc. it is no better than sugar really. Why not just drink sugar water and take a multivitamin with it? There’s no replacement for plain old water.

“4 - Fiber is Important…
eat whole grain cereals”
Why are cereals always the number one recommendation for fiber even though vegetables are a much richer source per calorie (with much more vitamins and minerals too)?

Because the cereal manufacturers have drilled that “truth” into our head to the point that few people fail to think of the real truth. Marketing, marketing, marketing.

[TNT]

I cannot understand this obsession with “low-fat, no-fat, lean cuts” . Fat (both dietary and stored) is used for low intensity activity. Since most people operate in the low intensity range most of their 24 hrs., wouldn’t it make sense to emphasize dietary fat intake and minimize carb intake for only your high intensity activities?

Let’s face it, most people sit on their butt for the majority of the day. Keyboarding, driving, and cell phoning are NOT high intensity activities.

TNT

[t-bone]

@SK12879

Because the cereal manufacturers have drilled that “truth” into our head to the point that few people fail to think of the real truth. Marketing, marketing, marketing.

Excellent point. If only they’d market natural foods the same energy they do for stuff like sodas and candy!

[SK12879]

Because unfortunately, more is spent to market a single cereal (pick one) than the entire marketing budget of the “5-a-day fruit/veggie” campaign…by a factor of 50 or more. Fruits and vegetables are non-value add products…why does it cost more to buy a watermelon that has been cut for you than to buy the same quantity of whole watermelon? Value-add. Cook it, cut it, dry it, flavor it…all value-add. Corn costs less than corn chips or Kellogg’s Corn Flakes for the same reason. Because the manufacturers (farmers) make so much less money than the corporations, they simply CAN’T market their healthy products to that extreme.

[JohnG109]

[QUOTE=jumpman]

“4 - Fiber is Important…
eat whole grain cereals”
Why are cereals always the number one recommendation for fiber even though vegetables are a much richer source per calorie [QUOTE]

Really? Have you seen the nutrition information on pack of All-Bran? You’d have to eat a hell of a lot of fruit to get as much fibre

[jumpman]

@JohnG109

Really? Have you seen the nutrition information on pack of All-Bran? You’d have to eat a hell of a lot of fruit to get as much fibre

No I haven’t, cause I ain’t eating that junk But I would guess about 10g of fiber per 100g of the product with about 350kcal of energy (correct if I’m wrong), which would equal about 0,035g/kcal. Now compare that for example to an apple’s 0,043g/kcal or carrot’s 0,089g/kcal.

The point is that when you eat “a hell of a lot of fruit” you get healthier, get more fiber, more nutrients, and first of all aren’t left hungry (compared to eating a bowl of all-bran)!

[mortac8]

Na, it’s 43g fiber per 100grams (250 calories) for the AllBran.

AllBran is the fiber winner.

[SK12879]

@mortac8

Na, it’s 43g fiber per 100grams (250 calories) for the AllBran.

AllBran is the fiber winner.

Still doesn’t contain any naturally occurring vitamins or minerals like an apple does. So in that respect, it’s the loser. If one wants additional fiber, order some psyllium husk and take that. Fiber without all the crap in cereals (even All-Bran).

[JohnG109]

@SK12879

Still doesn’t contain any naturally occurring vitamins or minerals like an apple does. So in that respect, it’s the loser. If one wants additional fiber, order some psyllium husk and take that. Fiber without all the crap in cereals (even All-Bran).

No crap in All-Bran, more like lots of All-Bran in crap…

[TNT]

so the equation looks like: All-Bran + multi-vitamin = 8 x apple.

I’d still go with the apple. In my opinion, All-Bran is a SUPPLEMENT, not a SUBSTITUTE.
And if you ate the damn apple in the first place you wouldn’t need the supplement.

TNT

[BioHazard]

Ever heard of acid/base-balance? With fruit and veggies you will contribute to better buffering of blood (and also improved health) whereas cereal grains have the opposite effect. How about antinutrients in cereal grains? E.g. phytates ensure you won’t absorb more than 30% of the vitamins in cereals and there aren’t much in the first place. Still going for all-bran?

[Mick_01Sprinter]

Ok the guy who eats allbran and the guy who hates it both list your track pbs now.

[anaerobic]

@SK12879

Because unfortunately, more is spent to market a single cereal (pick one) than the entire marketing budget of the “5-a-day fruit/veggie” campaign…by a factor of 50 or more. Fruits and vegetables are non-value add products…why does it cost more to buy a watermelon that has been cut for you than to buy the same quantity of whole watermelon? Value-add. Cook it, cut it, dry it, flavor it…all value-add. Corn costs less than corn chips or Kellogg’s Corn Flakes for the same reason. Because the manufacturers (farmers) make so much less money than the corporations, they simply CAN’T market their healthy products to that extreme.

Thats right mate
People should eat more veg and less nonsense food; its got naff all to do with sprint times and more to do with a healthier life.
The amount of misinformation touted as fact from the food corparations is overwhelming…i feel sorry for kids; they have been brain-washed into thinking that processed non-food, devoid of nutrition and chock full of additives is actually good for them.
Theres a saying…if you can’t pick it, grow it or catch it than don’t eat it!
Difficult i know…but something to bear in mind.

[Flash]

1. Do not skip breakfast.

2. Front load your calorie intake for the day (related to point 1). Many people skip or eat very little for breakfast (e.g. toast and coffee) and maybe an okay lunch and then gorge themselves at dinner, which is completely ass backwards.

3. Eat a variety of foods. Rather than getting hung up on which foods are ideal or detrimental, work as many foods through the rotation as you can. This is a lot harder than it sounds. I read an article about 10-12 years ago that stated most Americans only eat about a dozen different foods on a regular basis. I think this is even more of a problem for athletes and bodybuilders because they get so hung up on finding the “perfect diet” or perfect foods, they end up eating the same things all the time, which is not going to provide you with an ideal nutrient intake. A few key staples are good, but work in a lot of variety around those staples.

4. Concentrate on quality not quantity. Though it can be done to some extent, I don’t think nutrition lends itself to quantification very easily. Moreover, I think the marginal benefit of calculating exact calories and macronutrient ratios is far outweighed by the marginal effort required to make those calculations every day. If you concentrate on the quality of the foods you eat, the quantities will tend to fall in place on their own. Relating back to point 3, I also thinks it’s better to let the total calories and macronutrient ratios fluctutate somewhat from day to day.

5. Avoid refined carbohydrates and vegetable cooking oils. A little now and then won’t make much of a difference if you’re eating a variety of foods, but try to avoid them as much as possible.