Just read an interesting article on iron in The Seattle Times. In the nutrition world we hear quite a bit about iron deficiency (we especially hit this one up a lot at WIC with all the young kids and pregnant mamas). However, you don't usually hear a lot about the other end of things, iron toxicity or even just getting above the recommended levels.
While this isn't a problem for young kids or moms (the pregnant, lactating or menstruating ones) - which is usually my focus for this blog - it may be an issue for others and one that isn't really thought of.
Here is a snippet that I found the most interesting:
"These health consequences (organ damage from excess iron deposits) can develop even in people without hemochromatosis, the genetic disorder, who accumulate very high levels of stored iron. For example, among 32,000 women followed for 10 years in the Nurses' Health Study, those with the highest levels of stored iron were nearly three times as likely to have diabetes as those with the lowest levels. Likewise, among 38,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, those who consumed the most heme iron had a 63 percent greater risk of developing diabetes."
Heme iron is the iron found in animal meats which is most easily absorbed by the body.
Now I don't think everyone should avoid iron and be worried about iron overload (especially not for young moms and kids) but it is something to be aware of, especially if you have a family history of diabetes and you've ever had higher iron levels.
Anyways, just another reason to diversify your palate, reduce meat intake and increase plant food sources of iron. See NIH fact sheet for sources of iron, heme and non-heme.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Quick Study tidbits
There are a few studies that have caught my eye with interesting things:
The February issue of the American Journal of Public Health had a study that showed that putting calorie information as an exercise equivalent may reduce the likelihood of purchasing a sweet beverage by as much as half. I think this is brilliant, I think they should do this with jelly-beans and chocolates. I know if I saw that it would take me thirty minutes of straight jogging to burn off a 1/2 cup jellybeans I would be a lot more careful with quantity. Calories can sometimes be an abstract thing to think about, telling me how much physical activity it would take to burn those calories makes them a lot more real.
The August issue of Journal of Consumer Research had a study that showed using larger plates resulted in serving 9-31 percent more food. However, using plates that had a high color contrast with the food reduced how much participants served by 21 percent. So if you are really interested in portion control take a look at your plate size and the color of plates vs the color of your food. I am always fascinated by these subconscious factors that can really play a big role in the foods and amounts of food we consume.
And another reason to develop a good relationship with your kids was found in the January journal Pediatrics. A study in this journal showed that children who lack secure relationships with their mothers face more than double the risk of obesity at age 15 vs those who had warmer ties. Not saying that those with obesity don't have good relationships with their moms but it is interesting to me how many non-food factors there are in the obesity epidemic.
Note: summaries of these studies were found in the Spring 2012 edition of the Food & Nutrition magazine, a publication by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The February issue of the American Journal of Public Health had a study that showed that putting calorie information as an exercise equivalent may reduce the likelihood of purchasing a sweet beverage by as much as half. I think this is brilliant, I think they should do this with jelly-beans and chocolates. I know if I saw that it would take me thirty minutes of straight jogging to burn off a 1/2 cup jellybeans I would be a lot more careful with quantity. Calories can sometimes be an abstract thing to think about, telling me how much physical activity it would take to burn those calories makes them a lot more real.
The August issue of Journal of Consumer Research had a study that showed using larger plates resulted in serving 9-31 percent more food. However, using plates that had a high color contrast with the food reduced how much participants served by 21 percent. So if you are really interested in portion control take a look at your plate size and the color of plates vs the color of your food. I am always fascinated by these subconscious factors that can really play a big role in the foods and amounts of food we consume.
And another reason to develop a good relationship with your kids was found in the January journal Pediatrics. A study in this journal showed that children who lack secure relationships with their mothers face more than double the risk of obesity at age 15 vs those who had warmer ties. Not saying that those with obesity don't have good relationships with their moms but it is interesting to me how many non-food factors there are in the obesity epidemic.
Note: summaries of these studies were found in the Spring 2012 edition of the Food & Nutrition magazine, a publication by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A hub
So I've decided that instead of posting time-intensive posts all the time (because obviously I'm really good at that) that I'd like this blog to be a sort of hub connecting you to good websites and resources as well. As my mom would say "why reinvent the wheel?" There are a number of websites/blogs out there that dedicate much more time to the nutrition info/tips than I am able to. I currently have a toddler who is only taking one nap long enough to cover a daily shower and is very clingy the rest of the day. I think we have some more teeth coming in...
I've come across a number of good articles recently. Here a couple of my favorites:
1. This website is run by a couple of registered dietitians (yay for dietitians). I need to explore more but I really liked this article. Especially as I was wanting to post something on here regarding the division of responsibility of parent and child at meal-time. I also love their idea of a non-food based after dinner privilege as an incentive for trying foods. One thing I have learned over and over is that dessert should not be used as a reward or a punishment. Read more here: http://www.modernmomnutrition.com/2011/food-for-tot/you-can-lead-a-child-to-food
2. If you are trying to lose weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight it can be tricky to feel full and satisfied when you are trying to cut back on calories. I'm a believer in healthy snacks being an important part of a balanced diet and achieving weight loss goals. When you skip meals or snacks and approach a dinner meal in a hunger-crazed state you will really have a hard time keeping your head and remembering your eating goals. This is why I love this list of healthy snack ideas (100 snack ideas! ONE hundred!). I'm always in need of healthy snack ideas to give to my little guy to try to branch out his repertoire so this is a great resource for me.
Okay, that is it for today. I really will try to post more often now that we are post holidays. REALLY!
I've come across a number of good articles recently. Here a couple of my favorites:
1. This website is run by a couple of registered dietitians (yay for dietitians). I need to explore more but I really liked this article. Especially as I was wanting to post something on here regarding the division of responsibility of parent and child at meal-time. I also love their idea of a non-food based after dinner privilege as an incentive for trying foods. One thing I have learned over and over is that dessert should not be used as a reward or a punishment. Read more here: http://www.modernmomnutrition.com/2011/food-for-tot/you-can-lead-a-child-to-food
2. If you are trying to lose weight or trying to maintain a healthy weight it can be tricky to feel full and satisfied when you are trying to cut back on calories. I'm a believer in healthy snacks being an important part of a balanced diet and achieving weight loss goals. When you skip meals or snacks and approach a dinner meal in a hunger-crazed state you will really have a hard time keeping your head and remembering your eating goals. This is why I love this list of healthy snack ideas (100 snack ideas! ONE hundred!). I'm always in need of healthy snack ideas to give to my little guy to try to branch out his repertoire so this is a great resource for me.
Okay, that is it for today. I really will try to post more often now that we are post holidays. REALLY!
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