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Diet, Exercise and Food News

Diet, Exercise and Food News

Interesting articles on food, nutrition, and exercise for better health

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FYI For Better Health

FYI For Better Health

Articles and information related to health and wellness.

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Supplements You Should Know About

Supplements You Should Know About

Information on natural alternatives for wellness.

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Right Weight- Feel Great

Right Weight- Feel Great

Achieve your best weight with these weight loss tips and lifestyle modification strategies.

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Diabetes Update: The Importance of Checking Blood Sugar

FYI for Better Health

For those dealing with diabetes or even pre-diabetes, the importance of regularly checking your blood sugar can not be overstated. It can seem like drudgery to have to pull out the glucometer, load the lancet, and position the test strip, not even taking into account, the inevitable finger prick and ensuing discomfort.  But to avoid this critical step in daily diabetes care and maintenance, is to invite trouble down the road.  A diabetic who has no idea what  their blood sugar is doing at different times of day, or after various types of foods or meals, is like a person trying to navigate their way through a dark forest at night with no flashlight.  The result- groping along not knowing where you are or how to get to where you want to be. While it might seem easier to ignore blood sugar fluctuations and hope for the best, damage is occurring where blood sugar levels remain consistently high.  For example, damage to capillaries in your eyes, kidneys and nerves may be silently occurring, to name a few. To regularly check blood sugar allows one to see what times of day are problematic, or which foods or carbohydrate loads produce a more profound spike and then take steps to ameliorate the situation.

Now, you can be sure that a cupcake, candy bar or bag of chips will send blood sugar north, but there are foods that may even be on what we refer to as the “free foods list,” (not necessarily free, but generally have a very low impact on blood sugar) that may have an effect on one individual, as opposed to another.  One person may tolerate carrots or tomatoes with no significant spike in blood sugar, while a jump in blood sugar occurs for the next person after ingesting these ..read more

Food Safety During Pregnancy: What You Should Know

Nutrition During Pregnancy

Food Safety During Pregnancy

While food safety is important all the time, during pregnancy there are certain precautions which need to be taken to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy.  Some foods you may be used to eating may not be the best choice while pregnant.  These foods pose a risk to mother and baby.

 

Eating raw or undercooked foods:

All meat products must be cooked well done (no pink or red centers). Egg yolks must be thoroughly cooked throughout. No soft yolks. Undercooked meats and eggs may contain the bacteria E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, or Toxoplasma gondii, all of which can cause serious food borne illness.

Avoid foods containing raw eggs:

Foods such as cookie doughs, cake batters, homemade ice cream, and frozen custards and eggnog contain raw eggs. These food items may contain Salmonella.

 

Avoid luncheon and deli meats, undercooked hotdogs, unpasteurized milk, juices and cheeses:  

These processed meat products and unpasteurized dairy products may contain harmful bacteria known as Listeria monocytogenes. Ingestion of this food borne bacteria can cause Listeriosis. Symptoms include fever, chills, diarrhea, headache and other flu-like symptoms. Once exposed, symptoms may not appear for up to two weeks. Listeria can grow even at cold temperatures. Pregnant woman are 20 times more likely to get listeriosis.  Listeriosis can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, or life-long health problems for your baby. Soft cheese such as Brie, feta, camembert, Roquefort, queso blanco and queso fresco may contain listeria and E. coli. It has also been found in meat spreads and pate.  Avoid premade chicken, ham or seafood salads. Avoid hotdogs and luncheon meats unless heated until steaming hot.

 Avoid fish high in methylmercury:

Methylmercury, which can accumulate in certain fish, is a neurotoxin capable of damaging your baby’s nervous system development. Avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish, and limit consumption of white albacore tuna.

Avoid eating sushi while pregnant:

Sushi and raw shellfish ..read more

Caffeine during Pregnancy: How Much is Safe

Nutrition During Pregnancy,

Caffeine during Pregnancy: How Much is Safe

Here are the facts:  Caffeine is a stimulant that increases heart rate and blood pressure, not only in you, but also in your baby.

Caffeine is a diuretic which can cause losses in body fluids and lead to dehydration.

Caffeine crosses the placenta where it is difficult for an unborn baby to metabolize.  This can lead to abnormal sleep patterns and movement.

 

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancy-health/caffeine-during-pregnancy/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4507998/

 

Check out the caffeine content:

Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee with Turbo Shot (20 oz) 436 mg Starbucks Coffee Venti (20 oz) 415mg Starbucks House Blend Coffee (16 oz) 259mg Dunkin’ Donuts Regular Coffee (14 oz) 178 mg 7 Eleven Big Gulp Coca-Cola (32 oz) 92 mg Red Bull (8.4 oz) 80 mg Ben & Jerry’s Coffee Buzz Ice Cream(8 oz) 72 mg Black tea (8 oz) 30-80 mg] Green tea (8 oz) 35-60 mg Mountain Dew (12 oz) 54 mg Pepper (12 oz) 37 mg Coca Cola (12 oz) 35 mg Baker’s chocolate (1 oz) 26 mg Excedrin (per capsule) 65mg

http://www.cspinet.org/new/cafchart.htm

Bottom line:  Better to play it safe during pregnancy and limit caffeine consumption to no more than 150 mg or less per day.