diet....

A change or improvement in diet can help lift depression.

Various research projects have been carried out to try & find how diet affects mood & states of depression.  Some evidence suggests the amount & balance of carbohydrate & protein consumed in a meal can affect the way the brain utilizes serotonin. 

Other studies have shown that the ratio of fat to carbohydrate in a meal can significantly affect mental performance, alertness & mood.

All research on the effect of diet on mood & depression can be pinned down to one vital point - food preferences are based on how food makes us feel.

Individual lifestyles also have an influence on how diet affects depression.  People vulnerable to unhealthy eating patterns will not necessarily become depressed purely because of their diet.  If a person is already depressed, however, healthy eating can help overcome some of the symptoms.

Foods, drinks & substances that overstimulate the body, or affect the brain should be removed from the diet where possible.

Some examples are:

• Alcohol

• Caffeine

Many important vitamins & minerals that the body gains thru food are destroyed by alcohol, caffeine, nicotine & refined sugars.  Overall health & mental wellbeing will improve as these items are removed & the body returns to a more balanced state.

Healthy, wholesome foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, raw nuts & seeds should be included in the diet.  When the body is provided with all the things that it needs in balanced quantities, physical & mental health is a lot easier to maintain.

Vitamins & minerals play an important part in emotional & physical well being.  Food is relied upon to provide vitamins & minerals, but many factors affect how well the body uses them.

Stress, medication, surgery & disease can deplete or change the amount of vitamins & nutrients required. B complex vitamins & vitamin C can't be stored by the body & are rapidly depleted by things such as nicotine & caffeine.  Deficiencies of vitamins & minerals can cause symptoms of depression in certain cases.
 
A healthy balanced diet should provide the body with enough vitamin B complex, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron, manganese & potassium.

If you're unable to get the required amount from your diet, your doctor or a nutritionist will be able to advise what supplements may be beneficial.

"Since the transition from adolescence to adulthood appears to be a particularly high-risk period for weight gain, we wanted to investigate what role skipping breakfast and fast food consumption had on weight during this important time," says lead author Heather Niemeier, PhD, a psychologist at The Miriam Hospital.

Researchers analyzed data drawn from Add Health, a school-based study of over 20,000 adolescents in grades 7 through 12 in the United States. The current study used information from two "Waves" of data that consisted of a total of 9,919 adolescents. Wave 2 data was collected from the adolescents (ages 11 to 21) during the period of April to August 1996. Wave 3 data was collected from the same group of adolescents from August 2001 to April 2002, when they were between the ages of 18 and 27. Fast food and breakfast consumption was measured throughout both waves, in addition to Body Mass Index (BMI).

"We found that both fast food consumption and breakfast skipping significantly increased between Waves 2 and 3. More importantly, both behaviors were associated with increased weight gain during this time," says Niemeier.

During the five-year interval between Waves 2 and 3, signifying the transition from adolescence to adulthood, the number of participants considered overweight increased from 29 percent to 47 percent. Fast food consumption increased from 2 days a week as adolescents to about 2.5 days per week as young adults, and although participants reported that they consumed breakfast 4 to 5 days per week during adolescence - this decreased to 3 days per week by young adulthood.

The increase in fast food and breakfast skipping could be due to the increased independence and responsibility for food preparation that adolescents face during this developmental transition the authors note.

"Fast food is a quick, easy, and tasty option for aging adolescents who may be used to relying on Mom or Dad to prepare their meals," says Niemeier. "As adolescents enter the workforce or college, breakfast may be looked at as an unnecessary hassle and easily skipped. However, skipping breakfast can lead to greater levels of hunger later in the day, causing overeating, or the choosing of heavy foods that fill you up faster, but may not be very nutritious."

The authors write that since adolescent obesity is a significant predictor of overweight status in adulthood and poses a risk for adult morbidity and mortality, it is important to identify dietary behaviors early on that are associated with unhealthy weight gain in order to create effective interventions.

"This study highlights the importance of encouraging adolescents who are entering adulthood to eat breakfast regularly and to make healthy food choices, limiting their fast food consumption," says Niemeier.

The prevalence of obesity in adolescents and adults in the United States has increased dramatically over the past decade with the Surgeon General referring to it as a public health epidemic. Unhealthy weight increases during adolescence have been associated with fasting insulin, increased levels of HDL-cholesterol and risk factors for heart disease, and systolic blood pressure in young adulthood.

Future research should look at obtaining more detailed dietary information to better understand the mechanisms by which they influence weight gain.

"Including measures about specific types of fast food or breakfast alternatives consumed, and how they relate to the adolescent's overall energy intake and the percent of energy from fat -- may be able to help create targeted interventions aimed at prevention of weight gain in this age group, "says Niemeier.

Additional authors include Hollie Raynor, PhD, RD; Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson, PhD; Michelle Rogers, PhD; and Rena Wing, PhD; of the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital and Brown Medical School.

The Add Health research project was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with cooperative funding from 17 other agencies.

The Miriam Hospital, established in 1926 in Providence, RI, is a not-for-profit hospital affiliated with Brown Medical School. Nationally recognized as a top hospital in cardiovascular care, The Miriam Hospital (http://www.miriamhospital.org) offers particular expertise in cardiac catheterization, angioplasty and women's cardiac care. One of 20 designated Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) sites, The Miriam is a leader in the treatment, research and prevention of HIV/AIDS, attracting $17 million of the world's HIV/AIDS research dollars. The Miriam Hospital has been awarded Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Services three times and is committed to excellence in patient care, research and medical education. The Miriam is a founding member of the Lifespan health system.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Lifespan.

The big breakfast no-no is soda pop.

but heads up girlz!!!  angels & princess attention please! 

your blood sugar will drop quickly & you'll be tired by mid-morning.

26% of teens live in households with these 4 characteristics:

• frequent family dinners (5 to 7 times in a typical week)
• low levels of tension & stress between family members (not very much or none at all)
• parents who are very or fairly proud of their teen 
• a parent in whom the teen can confide

• Whole-grain cereal with fruit & reduced-fat milk

• Whole wheat toast, eggs & juice or reduced fat milk

• Fried egg & reduced fat cheese on whole wheat toast

• Oatmeal with raisins & reduced fat milk

• Waffles, turkey bacon & juice

• Low fat yogurt with fruit & granola

• Bagel with low fat cream cheese or peanut butter

• Fruit smoothie: fruit & milk or yogurt mixed together in a blender

• Bagel, string cheese & an apple

• Whole wheat toast, hard-boiled egg & piece of fruit

• Turkey sandwich & reduced-fat milk

• Leftover pizza & juice

• Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, cheese & veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla

• Peanut butter & jelly sandwich & reduced-fat milk

• Grilled cheese sandwich & juice

Yogurt is a good breakfast option because it provides calcium & protein, which gives staying power for the morning.

Whole-wheat toast, slathered with peanut butter & topped with slices of banana.

A carton or Thermos of milk with a bag of dry cereal is a decent breakfast when time's an issue.

Even an Egg McMuffin isn't a bad choice for a teen, but skip that sausage & biscuit.

lunch is also very important...

Working all morning at school burns up a lot of energy & you need a healthy lunch to refuel so that you make the most of your afternoon. Eat a healthy lunch every day, either one provided by the school, or one brought from home.

When packing a lunch or choosing lunch items from the cafeteria, be sure to include a variety of foods from each of the 5 major food groups.

Since most teens consume 1/3 of their daily calories at their midday meal, a nutritious lunch might typically include:

• 1 serving of fruit
• 1 serving of a vegetable
• 2 servings of grains (bread, cereals, rice, pasta)
• 1 serving from the meat group
• 1 serving from the dairy group

Healthy Lunches, Healthy Students

Who knew the simple school lunch served in thousands of American schools would turn out to be a hotbed of controversy?

By John Casey
WebMD Feature

Debates among school districts, government agencies & parents rage over everything from the presence of vending machines in schools to the ways allergic children should be protected from peanuts. And parents have emerged as the major force pushing for healthier food in U.S. school cafeterias.

"Parents play a very important role in the way school districts approach food service, says Galin McDonald, manager of food services for the school district of Bellingham, Wash. "They have been & continue to be, a major motivator of change."

Better Quality Lunches

"The first thing parents should know is that the old-style lunches of fried foods & no choice of foods is a thing of the past," says McDonald.

Beginning in the 1980's, federal guidelines were made for portion sizes. No longer were grade school & high school students served the same size meals. The changes continued. By the early 1990's, lunches couldn't contain more than 30% of a child's daily requirement of fat or 10% of saturated fat. The lunches now provide at least 1/3 of the child's daily requirements of protein & vitamins.

To meet these requirements, lunches changed dramatically.

"We offer a far wider range of choices & vastly improved quality," says McDonald. "We have salad bars that let students select fruits & vegetables they like. We have peanut-free tables so that any student with an allergy, even those who bring lunch, can be sure not to get exposed to the allergen. It just isn't the old lunch people grew up with anymore."

Balanced & Nutritious

"One of the great things about school food is that a parent can be sure a child has an opportunity to eat a balanced, nutritious meal," says Jan Stanton, a registered dietitian & director of public awareness for the American School Food Service Association.

"The food served in schools has to meet very specific federal guidelines, which are established by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture."

These federal rules say that a school lunch can't provide more than 30% of a child's daily requirement of fat or 10% of saturated fat. Further, the lunch must provide at least 1/3 of the child's daily requirements of protein & vitamins.

And all this nutrition comes at a bargain price. Depending on what part of the country you live in, lunches run anywhere from $1 a day in most elementary school to $2 a day in most high schools.

OK, so this healthy meal is placed before your child in the cafeteria at school. Whether your child will actually eat this balanced, nutritious meal without parental supervision is another matter & one that many school food-service managers are deeply concerned about.

Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

"What kids see modeled at home, they pick up themselves," says McDonald. "If parents make time for balanced, healthy meals, the children naturally follow suit."

That's one reason parental involvement - both at home & at school - is so important.

"Not every parent can come to school for a lunch, but that's one great way a parent can get involved," McDonald says. "As a food service manager, I'm always happy to make arrangements for a parent to visit at lunch. They see what the students are eating. They get to see what has changed. The student sees that eating healthy food is important to the parent. That's a powerful lesson."

Parental pressure is even forcing some changes in the widely criticized practice of having vending machines in schools, most of which sell sodas & junk food. Many schools use vending-machine proceeds to supplement after-school programs.

"More than 90% of high schools have vending machines & that's a real problem," says Stanton. "These high-fat, salty, or sugary snacks are everything we don't want students to substitute for real food. But they make money for the schools."

While the machines are staying, parents are pushing to make changes in what the machines offer. Instead of only offering soda, some machines will have fruit juice, too. Similarly, alongside the Ding Dongs & Kit Kats, some schools are including healthier choices such as whole-grain granola bars.

"It's a start," says McDonald. "And it's parents that have the clout to keep the trend moving toward healthier foods, even if it comes one step at a time."

Packing Safe School Lunches

So what if you're making lunch at home? Here are simple food rules, according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, for sending a safe lunch to school:

• Keep everything clean when packing the lunch. That not only goes for the food, but also food preparation surfaces, hands & utensils. Use hot, soapy water. Keep family pets away from kitchen counters. Wash your hands before you prepare or eat food.

• Keep cold foods cold in an insulated lunch box. When packing lunches, include either freezer gel packs, cold food items such as fruit, or small frozen juice packs. Place meat or egg sandwiches between cold items. Sandwiches can also be made ahead of time & kept refrigerated or frozen before placing in the lunch box.

• Keep hot foods hot by using an insulated bottle stored in an insulated lunch box. Fill the bottle with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty & then put in the hot food. Keep the insulated bottle closed until lunch time to keep the heat in.

For more information on packing safe lunches for school & work, call the USDA Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.

Originally published Aug. 12, 2002.  Medically updated Nov. 1, 2004.

Don't Forget To Snack

Because you're still growing & also have a very high level of activity, you may need to eat something every few hours. In addition to breakfast, lunch & dinner, many teens feel their best when they eat snacks in mid-morning & after school.

Here are some healthful snacks to choose:

• Fresh fruits, dried fruits, fruit-filled cookies

·    Vegetables with low-fat dip

·    Cheese cubes, cheese sticks, yogurt, milk

• Whole-grain bread, bagels, whole-grain crackers, unsalted whole-wheat pretzels, rice cakes, dry cereals (low or no sugar) with or without milk

• Peanut butter, hummus, bean dip

food ........

it's everyone's favorite subject.....

It shouldn't surprise you that there are huge physical, emotional, social & intellectual changes happening during your teen (adolescent) years.

These changes all impact how you feel about what you eat & your nutritional needs.  i.e., you already may have noticed how quickly you've been growing at certain times (so-called growth spurts), with an increased appetite & your clothes no longer fitting after wearing them only a few months.

Like most teen-agers, you probably are quite active, with a demanding schedule including homework, sports & other extracurricular activities.

10% of adolescent females are considered obese

Over 40% of U.S. teens, especially females, are attempting to lose weight, often employing inappropriate & unhealthy strategies

the reason for problems with diet is that when you're young, you learn that food's all about taste....

not many parents start from the beginning of their child's life teaching them that food is really about fuel for the body...

& there aren't many parents who teach young children that the fuel needed by the body comes in many different forms (nutrients)....

so most of you out there are thinking that food is about taste, feeling full, feeling comfortable & that the better food tastes, the worse it is for your figure!

time to re-learn about diet & nutrition....

It's just the opposite of what you might think. If you're trying to lose weight or watch your weight, you probably think you should "not eat" or skip meals to "cut calories." Don't skip meals.

• Eat at least 3 times a day 
• Try small meals or pre-planned snacks throughout the day

Skipping meals can:

• Have a negative effect on your mood & energy

You already probably know that eating very large meals can make you feel sleepy or less energetic. Small meals keep your blood sugar steady, your brain fueled & your energy supply more constant.

It's often harder for people under stress to digest a large meal. Skipping meals can add to your stress. There's an added bonus to small meals. If you overeat when stressed, you can control hunger better by eating smaller meals.

"The effects of stress are never good & they come in various forms & at ever younger life stages. By age 5, kids are showing signs of succumbing to stress-related eating disorders & disturbances of all kinds. The average age of eating disorder onset used to be 13 - 17. Today it is 9 - 12.

As youngsters reach puberty earlier & earlier, they are simply not equipped to understand what's happening to their changing body; at the same time, they're not immune to the unrelenting messages of the media, of peers & of parents that they need to grow smaller even as they grow older. We're a weight-conscious, thin-is-in world." (excerpt from: Early Childhood Eating Disorders)

Eating regularly & not skipping breakfast were also highlighted as ways to boost mental health.

Eat slowly.

• Eating quickly is often associated with digestive upset & this coupled with stress can make your food seem more difficult to digest.
• It's hard to do, but try taking smaller bites & chew well.

Eat breakfast. A good breakfast sets you up for the rest of the day. If you're running on empty, your stress may seem more difficult to manage.

Drink lots of fluids, especially water. Being dehydrated can make you feel worse.

Make time for lunch. Take a few minutes in the middle of your day to eat. 

Spend a few minutes relaxing while you eat. Your afternoon will be easier & it can be your personal time-out to regroup & get ready for the rest of the day.

Don't diet. Changing your eating habits is stressful at the best of times.

The best meal / snack combination is some complex carbohydrates:

• Breads
• Grains
• Pasta

in combination with protein:

• Meat
• Fish
• Chicken
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Beans
• Tofu

Carbohydrates are easy to digest & give you fuel within the least amount of time. Eating carbohydrates raises levels of serotonin, a chemical in the brain which helps you feel calmer. The protein in food tends to make you feel a bit more alert.

Combinations could include:

• Crackers & cheese
• Fruit & yogurt
• A small sandwich
• Hummus with vegetables
• A hearty soup with crackers
• An energy bar 

Limit your intake of alcohol & caffeine. Caffeine & alcohol are both stimulants & can definitely affect your mood both during consumption & after. Small amounts of caffeine, e.g., can give you energy or make you feel alert but too much can make you anxious & affect sleep. Alcohol can affect sleep patterns & heighten feelings of depression.

Eat your fruits & vegetables. Some research suggests that components in these foods may help boost immunity which often suffers when under stress.

Listen to your body & avoid foods which cause you distress. Many people find that when they're under stress, rich, spicy or fatty foods are more difficult to digest. Other people find gas-producing foods like cabbage, onions & other vegetables may be more difficult to digest when stressed.

Don't neglect exercise. It's a wonderful way to feel better & is known to alleviate stress. 

Be careful of supplements guaranteed to prevent stress. There's no pill that makes your stress go away or makes it easier to cope. But, if you feel you aren't eating well thru a difficult period, a multivitamin may fill in the missing pieces.

Nutrient Needs

Teen girls  need extra nutrients to support the adolescent growth spurt, which begins in girls at ages 10 or 11, reaches its peak at age 12 & is completed at about 15.

This intensive growth period brings dramatic increases in height as well as hormonal changes affecting every body organ, including the brain. Iron is especially important w/the onset of menstruation in girls. The recommended daily allowance for iron is 12 - 15 milligrams (mg) a day.

Teen girls  need more iron than boys because they lose iron during their menstrual periods. Girls with a heavy flow need more iron than girls with a light flow.

Teen girls , 14 to 18 years of age, should aim to have 15 mg of iron each day.

Watch Your Calcium Intake

Calcium is a mineral that is needed to:

• Build strong bones & healthy teeth

Without enough calcium, your bones may end up being thin & weak later in life (osteoporosis), which means a higher risk of bone fractures. Increasing calcium intake is critical to this period of dramatic bone growth.

Poor diet habits during the teen years also can put women at risk for osteoporosis & cardiovascular disease later in life. We maximize building bone in the teen years & there's no way to undo the damage done by calcium shortage. I stress to girls the importance of getting calcium during their teens. If they don't like milk products, I recommend taking Tums as a calcium supplement. Some dark leafy vegetables, especially broccoli, also are good sources of calcium.(excerpt from:  Teen-age girls need to eat well, worry less about figures)

Scientists have estimated that nearly 45% of the adult skeleton is formed during adolescence. Humans have a limited period of time in their lives to make significant increases in bone mass, slowing dramatically by the mid to late 20's.

Bone mass in the body is sometimes compared to a savings account at the bank that a person can build-up when he or she is young & begins to draw upon later in life.

Therefore, w/a larger "savings account" of bone stored early, there may be reduced risk of bone-related problems like osteoporosis later. This is why osteoporosis is often called a "pediatric disease" today.

While osteoporosis may not occur until much later in life, it's ultimately due to the weakening & loss of the bones we built as children.

Major sources of calcium & vitamin D (another important nutrient that helps the body absorb calcium), w/2 or 3 servings recommended each day. Calcium intake during the teen years is often low because many teen-agers drink soda, sports drinks & juice instead of milk.

In addition, teen females, who may need even more calcium than teen males, often avoid dairy products because they're counting calories & think that all dairy products are high fat foods. There are reduced fat & even no fat forms that have as much (& sometimes more) calcium as the higher-fat forms. Calcium also is found naturally in many non-dairy foods, or added to other foods, such as some brands of juice, cereal & bread.

Foods that are good sources of calcium include:

• yogurt
• milk
• fortified soymilk
• fortified orange juice
• cheese
• tofu
• sardines
• collard greens 
• spinach
• fortified cereals & breads

Teens with eating problems may wear oversized clothing to hide weight loss or gain, visit the restroom frequently after meals, exercise compulsively or excessively, develop food rituals like cutting food into tiny pieces, avoid social occasions that involve food, or appear moody or depressed.

teen girls consume less than a cup of milk a day 

one of the more important reasons that teenscene includes a diet / nutrition page on a mental health site is - diet can affect your mental health.

even lack of water can affect mental health.... when you're dehydrated you're at greater risk of increased symptoms from anxiety & depression.

changing your eating habits so that you're eating for health affects you not only physically but mentally.

your goal is to make health smart choices so you don't suffer negative consequences. learning how to eat correctly as a teen will not only affect your health in a positive manner now, but just think of what you can teach your children in the future so that you can spare them the turmoil of re-learning how to eat later in life.

anddddd.......girlz...... guyz absolutely adore girlz who take really good care of themselves by being food informed... they like to know that you care about yourself enough to consider the value of what you're putting into that awesome body of yours.... read this column in the right column written by yours truly (in purple) to see why you need to take care of your "priceless self!"

one way you must take care of yourself is to monitor what you put into your "priceless" body....

if a teen girl doesn't have at least 17% body fat, she won't have normal periods

Fiber

One medium potato (5.3 ounces) with skin contains 3 grams, or 12% of the recommended daily intake for fiber. Preliminary studies show that fiber is beneficial for a healthy digestive system & may help reduce the risk of some cancers & possibly heart disease. According to researchers at Pennsylvania State University, consuming adequate fiber & water helps increase satiety between meals.

Carbohydrates: 45 to 65% of your total daily calories should be carbs...  

Foods that contain complex carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. Although some advocates of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets recommend cutting back on or eliminating carbohydrate-containing foods such as potatoes, carrots & dried fruit, many nutrition experts believe that high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are potentially unhealthy & are not beneficial for maintaining long-term weight loss. Because these diets tend to be high in saturated fats & low in fruits, vegetables & grains, they may increase the risk for heart disease & some cancers.

Protein: 10 to 35% of your daily total calories should be from protein 

Protein is essential to human life, every cell in your body contains it. Your skin, bones, muscle & organ tissue all contain protein.  It's found in your blood, hormones & enzymes as well.

Protein is also a nutrient found in many foods.

• Legumes (dried beans)
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Meat
• Dairy products
• Nuts & Seeds

are your richest sources of protein. Grains & vegetables supply small amounts. Remember to choose your sources of protein wisely.

Many high protein foods are also high in fat & cholesterol.

The amount of protein your body needs varies depending on your weight.

i.e., a 140 pound woman needs about 51 grams of protein a day, & a 175-pound man needs about 64 grams a day, based on the estimated requirement of 0.364 grams per pound (0.8 grams per kilogram) of body weight.

Most Americans typically eat far more protein than they need. Your body stores the extra calories from protein as "fat."

Fat: 20 to 35% of total calories

Unlike protein & carbohydrates, fat is an extremely concentrated form of energy that contains little water. Among its many important tasks are aiding in the absorption of many essential vitamins, helping maintain the structure & function of cell membranes & assisting your body's immune system. But too much fat can have a negative effect on your health, such as increasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes & obesity.

The food you eat has several different kinds of fat, including:

• Saturated fat This type of fat can be found in butter, cheese, whole milk, cream, eggs, meat, poultry, chocolate, coconut, palm oil, lard & solid shortenings.

• Polyunsaturated fat Vegetable oils, such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy & cottonseed oils, are high in polyunsaturated fat.

• Trans fat Most margarines & shortenings are high in trans fat. Commercial baked goods & fried foods, such as doughnuts or french fries, also have significant amounts of trans fat.

Monounsaturated fat. Foods high in monounsaturated fat include avocados, nuts & olive, peanut & canola oils.

so what should you do?

No single food can supply all the nutrients in the amounts you need. To make sure you get all the nutrients & other substances you need for health, build a healthy base by using the Food Guide Pyramid as a starting point.

why care about food groups ?

There's no one "miracle food" or supplement that can supply all of your nutritional needs. Certain foods supply mainly proteins, other foods contain vitamins & minerals & so on. The key to balancing your diet is to combine different foods so that nutrient deficiencies in some foods are made up by nutrient surpluses in others.

Eating a variety of foods is the secret.

Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta Group All whole-grain & enriched breads & cereals, such as cooked or ready to eat cereals, bread, macaroni, grits, spaghetti, crackers, noodles, & rice

Contributes complex carbohydrates (starch & fiber) & significant amounts of protein, B vitamins & iron.

6 to 11 servings daily

1 serving is

• 1 slice of bread
• 1/2 hamburger bun or English muffin
• 1 small roll, biscuit, or muffin
• 3 to 4 small or 2 large crackers
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
• 1 ounce ready-to-eat breakfast cereal

what do you know about grains?

Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, corn, or another cereal is a grain product. Bread, pasta, oatmeal, cornflakes, & grits are all grain products.

Whole & refined grains - What are they?

There are two main types of grain products: whole & refined.

Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel:

• the bran
• the germ
• & the endosperm

Examples include:

• whole-wheat flour
• bulgur
• oatmeal
• rye bread
• whole cornmeal

Refined grains have been milled, which means the bran & germ are removed. This process also removes much of the B vitamins, iron, & dietary fiber. Some examples of refined grains are:

• wheat flour
• enriched bread
• white rice

Some refined grains are enriched. This means certain B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid) & iron are added back after processing. Fiber is not added back to most enriched grains.

Whats so great about grains?

Many people around the world use grains as a staple. In the United States, grains form the base of the Food Guide Pyramid & help form the foundation of a nutritious diet. Grains are great because:

• They provide vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates ( starch & dietary fiber ) & other substances important for health.
• Whole grains, as part of a healthful eating pattern, may help protect you against many chronic diseases.
• Fiber-containing foods, such as whole grains (& many fruits & vegetables) promote proper bowel function.
• Fiber-containing foods also help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.

Grains differ in their nutrient content, so it's important to choose a variety daily. While whole grains are good sources of fiber, refined grains aren't. Fiber is best obtained from foods rather than from fiber supplements. This is because foods provide many different types of fiber & other protective substances. Use the Nutrition Facts label on food packages to help you choose grains that are good sources of fiber.

How many servings of grains do you need each day?

The Food Guide Pyramid recommends a range of servings ( 6-11 ) for the Grains group. The amount that is right for you depends on your calorie needs. Almost everyone should have at least 6 servings daily, several should be whole grains. People with high calorie needs, such as teen boys & active men, need 11 servings daily.

How do you know if a grain product is a whole grain?

Read the ingredient list on the food label. For many whole grain products, the words whole or whole grain will appear before the grain ingredient's name. The whole grain should be the first ingredient listed. Wheat flour, enriched flour & degerminated cornmeal are not whole grains. Another tip for finding whole grain products is to look for the whole grain health claim

"Diets rich in whole grain foods & other plant foods & low in total fat, saturated fat & cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease &  certain cancers"

on food product labels. Foods that bear the whole grain health claim must:

• Contain 51% or more whole grains by weight
• Be low in fat

To increase your intake of whole grains

Choose foods that name one of the following ingredients first on the label's ingredient list. These are all whole grains.

• brown rice
• oatmeal
• whole grain corn
• whole wheat
• bulgur
• pearl barley
• whole oats
• wild rice
• graham flour
• popcorn
• whole rye

Try these tips for ways to include a variety of whole grains. Try a snack mix made from ready-to-eat, whole grain cereals.

• Choose a whole grain (whole-wheat or oatmeal) muffin
• Use whole grain bread or cracker crumbs in a meatloaf
• Try brown rice stuffing (cooked brown rice, onion, celery & seasonings) in baked green peppers or tomatoes
• Choose cookies made with some whole grain flour or oatmeal
• Try a whole grain snack chip, such as baked tortilla chips.
• For a change, try brown rice or whole-wheat pasta

Use whole grains in mixed dishes, such as pearl barley in vegetable soup & bulgur in casseroles or salads.

Did you know?

• Most grain products, including whole grains, are low in fat, unless fat is added in processing, in preparation, or at the table.
• For example, English muffins & bagels are low in fat, while cookies, pastries, & croissants tend to be rich in fat.
• Color isn't an indication of whole grain.
• Bread can be brown because of molasses or other ingredients, not necessarily because it contains whole grains.
• Food products labeled with the words "multi - grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products.
• Some processed foods such as rye or whole wheat crackers & some ready to eat cereals (e.g.,whole wheat flakes) are whole grains.

You can tell how much fiber is in a food by checking the Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label.

After the game, practice session or workout, much of the glycogen in your muscle & liver tissue has been used up & synthesis, or creation, of new muscle protein slows. To promote glycogen recovery, consume nutritious foods & drinks that are high in carbohydrates. When you eat the right foods, your body can replace lost glycogen rapidly & normal synthesis of new proteins can resume.

Whole foods like cereals, breads & pastas with a glass of milk are better for total recovery than pure carbohydrate supplements.

A mix of whole foods contains proteins, minerals & vitamins in addition to carbohydrates. You need these other nutrients along with high levels of carbohydrates for a complete, rapid recovery.

To insure that you get enough carbohydrates, take in one gram of carbohydrates for each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. For example, a 110 pound athlete should consume about 50 grams of carbohydrates for maximum glycogen replacement after an event. A 156-pound athlete would need about 70 grams of carbohydrates. One ounce of breakfast cereal contains about 20 grams of carbohydrates, & one slice of bread has about 12 grams.

Remember, whole foods, such as breads & cereals, when eaten with beverages like milk promote more rapid recovery than pure carbohydrates alone.

To assist in total, rapid recovery, you should consume nutritious foods & drinks as soon as you can tolerate them after an event or workout. Ideally, you should eat food within 2 hours afterward. However, if you can't tolerate eating that soon, choose what's comfortable for you.

Did you know?

• Most grain products, including whole grains, are low in fat, unless fat is added in processing, in preparation, or at the table.
• For example, English muffins & bagels are low in fat, while cookies, pastries, & croissants tend to be rich in fat.
• Color isn't an indication of whole grain.
• Bread can be brown because of molasses or other ingredients, not necessarily because it contains whole grains.
• Food products labeled with the words "multi - grain," "stone-ground," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat," "seven-grain," or "bran" are usually not whole-grain products.
• Some processed foods such as rye or whole wheat crackers & some ready to eat cereals (e.g.,whole wheat flakes) are whole grains.

You can tell how much fiber is in a food by checking the Percent Daily Value on the Nutrition Facts label.

After the game, practice session or workout, much of the glycogen in your muscle & liver tissue has been used up & synthesis, or creation, of new muscle protein slows. To promote glycogen recovery, consume nutritious foods & drinks that are high in carbohydrates. When you eat the right foods, your body can replace lost glycogen rapidly & normal synthesis of new proteins can resume.

Whole foods like cereals, breads & pastas with a glass of milk are better for total recovery than pure carbohydrate supplements.

A mix of whole foods contains proteins, minerals & vitamins in addition to carbohydrates. You need these other nutrients along with high levels of carbohydrates for a complete, rapid recovery.

To insure that you get enough carbohydrates, take in one gram of carbohydrates for each kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight. For example, a 110 pound athlete should consume about 50 grams of carbohydrates for maximum glycogen replacement after an event. A 156-pound athlete would need about 70 grams of carbohydrates. One ounce of breakfast cereal contains about 20 grams of carbohydrates, & one slice of bread has about 12 grams.

Remember, whole foods, such as breads & cereals, when eaten with beverages like milk promote more rapid recovery than pure carbohydrates alone.

To assist in total, rapid recovery, you should consume nutritious foods & drinks as soon as you can tolerate them after an event or workout. Ideally, you should eat food within 2 hours afterward. However, if you can't tolerate eating that soon, choose what's comfortable for you.

Fruit Group All fruits & their juices

Fruits taste great & they're bright & colorful, easy to find, & easy to prepare & eat. There are so many to choose from.

Fruits are available in many different forms - fresh, frozen, canned, dried, & as juice. All are good ways to get the recommended 2 to 4 servings of fruits a day. Here are some ways you can eat more fruits throughout the day.

• At breakfast, top your cereal with bananas or peaches
• Add blueberries to pancakes
• Drink 100% orange or grapefruit juice
• At lunch, pack a tangerine, banana, or grapes to eat
• Choose fruits from a salad bar
• Dont forget individual containers of fruits, they are easy & convenient.
• At dinner, add crushed pineapple to coleslaw
• Include mandarin oranges in a tossed salad
• Have a fruit salad for dessert

For snacks:

• Spread peanut butter on apple slices
• Have a frozen juice bar (100% juice)
• Top frozen yogurt with berries or slices of kiwi fruit
• Snack on some dried fruit

Good source of many vitamins & minerals. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits & their juices, melons, & strawberries. Apricots are good sources of vitamin A.

5 servings daily

1 serving is

• 1 whole fruit such as a medium apple, banana, or orange
• 1/2 grapefruit
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) of juice
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of berries
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of cooked or canned fruit
• 1/4 cup of dried fruit

think about trying a variety of fruits...

let your tastebuds explore something different!

·         Try berries, half a grapefruit,or dried apricots for dessert or snack

appeal to your senses

·         Enjoy raw fruits

Consider Convenience

• buy fruits individually or pre-cut

use dips on the side with fruit

·         Try low-fat yogurt or pudding as a dip for melons

keep fruits in sight

• put a bowl of fresh fruit on a table

Use your Blender

·         Make a fruit smoothie by blending low-fat milk or yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit. Try strawberries, bananas, peaches, & other fruits.

When you bake, use fruits as ingredients

·         Try applesauce as a fat-free substitute for some of the oil when baking cakes.

Vegetable Group All vegetables, including dark green, deep yellow, & starchy vegetables, & their juices

Provides vitamins & minerals that complement other food sources. Good sources of Vitamin C include tomatoes, broccoli, & brussel sprouts. Good sources of Vitamin A include carrots, broccoli, spinach, greens, pumpkin, & sweet potatoes.

5 servings daily

1 serving is

• 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables
• 1/2 cup of chopped raw vegetables
• 1 cup of leafy raw vegetables such as lettuce or spinach
• 3/4 cup (6 ozs.) of juice

Fats: The good & the bad

You're ready to sauté fresh vegetables for dinner, but you face a weighty decision. Do you cook your vegetables in butter or margarine? Or would canola oil or olive oil be better? Maybe you should avoid fat altogether & use a nonfat cooking spray instead.

First, know that not all fats are created equal. Many foods contain several different kinds of fat, including saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated & trans fat, & some types are better for your health than others. In addition, it's not necessary that you completely eliminate all fats from your meals.

 Rather, choose the best types of fat & enjoy them in moderation.

Role of fats in nutrition

Your body needs fat to function properly. Besides being an energy source, fat is a component used in the production of several hormone-like compounds called prostaglandins that help regulate blood pressure, heart rate, blood vessel constriction, blood clotting & the nervous system.

In addition, dietary fat carries fat-soluble vitamins, vitamins A, D, E & K, from your food into your body. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair & skin, protects vital organs, keeps your body insulated, & provides a sense of fullness after meals (satiety).

Too much fat can have a negative impact on your health. A high-fat diet can increase your risk of heart disease, high blood cholesterol, diabetes & some kinds of cancer. It may also lead to obesity, a risk factor for several diseases, including cancer, gallstones, diabetes, liver disease & osteoarthritis.

When your parents set a different example. If you're personally interested in eating more healthfully but your parents are "victims" of the typical fat-laden American diet, take an active role in planning the shopping list or even offer to make a meal each week.

Offer to do the shopping or tell your parents about some foods you'd like to incorporate in your diet. Suggest experimenting with different fruits & vegetables each week. Be in charge of making a salad for each dinner you eat together at home.

Causes of Over Eating - Emotional reasons

Food is the body's fuel - but it's also much more than that. Most people learn early in life that food serves other purposes besides nutrition.

Your mother may have given you ice cream, along with hugs, when you hurt yourself as a child.

You may have been rewarded with a special dinner at a restaurant when you earned straight A's in 8th grade.

Maybe as a college student, you got in the habit of munching on food as a way to get through exams.

Today, you may keep using food to fill emotional needs, contributing to your weight management difficulties.

Using food this way is very common. People eat to;

• reward themselves
• celebrate occasions
• entertain others
• allow food to become the center of social activity
• calm their nerves 
• comfort themselves
• numb themselves from emotional pain, hoping food can stifle anger, rejection, or sorrow

Almost all of us are ruled by habit. We eat when the clock tells us to-even when we're not hungry.

Over Eating - Hunger vs. Emotional Needs

Successful weight management usually involves developing new insights about emotions, social situations & food.

First, it's helpful to acknowledge that overeating may have served a useful purpose in helping you get through stressful events. But now it's possible to come up with other ways to meet your emotional needs.

Next, it helps to recognize the difference between hunger signals or internal cues of hunger & fullness & emotional need. This sounds straightforward, but many people confuse the physical discomfort of sadness, anger, & fear with the physical discomfort of needing food. You may "feel hungry" all the time because you've been conditioned to substitute food for more directly meeting many emotional needs.

Over Eating & Emotional Triggers

How can you untangle your emotional connections to food? One way is to use a food diary to identify emotional triggers. Keep an accurate record for at least one week of what you eat, when, & where. Include how you feel when you were eating.

Ask yourself: What happened today to make me feel this way? You may discover patterns that reveal the emotional cues that cause you to turn to food.

Once you've tracked down a pattern, try to find an alternative to eating that will soothe your emotions.

For instance, you might find out that your worst food binges happen on Sunday nights, just as you're anticipating a tough week at school.

Or maybe your eating seems most out of control around your parents, who find fault with your new love interest. Try to deal directly with your anger. Call a friend & vent your feelings. Take a career class. Talk to a counselor. If you're lonely, reach out to other people. Join a health club. Plan a vacation.

Stress-related Eating

Stress deserves particular attention. More than 2/3 of overweight adults report that they eat when they're stressed. When you're stressed out, you may eat too much or make unhealthy food choices, such as reaching for a bag of potato chips when you otherwise would eat fruit.

SOURCE: www.lifeclinic.com

The image of the impossibly thin supermodel is everywhere:

Myths & Facts on Size & Bodies

Myth: Barbie & Ken are hot!

Fact: If Barbie were a real woman -

• She'd have to grow to be 7' tall.

• She'd have a bust that was between 38-40", her waist 18-24", her hips around 33-35:

• Barbie's weight would be 110 pounds.

If she were a real woman-Barbie would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. If Ken were a real man-he would be 7', 8" tall. An average man would have to add 7" to his chest & about 8" to his neck to equal Ken's measurements.

Myth: Fat people are ugly.

Fact: Beauty is a learned concept & the cultural norm of beauty changes over time. At the turn of the century, the leading sex symbol, Lillian Russell, weighed over 200 pounds.

Marilyn Monroe would be considered "overweight" today. The media, advertisers & the diet industry tend to set the standard of beauty in today's society. We must remember that they're selling us dissatisfaction w/our bodies in order to make a profit.

Myth: Fat people are all at health risk.

Fact: There are both health risks & benefits associated w/being fat. Research seems to indicate that the healthiest weight is a stable weight, even if a person weighs more than average. The best way to maximize your health is to adopt a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity.

Myth: You have to exercise a lot for it to do any good.

Fact: There are big health benefits in accumulating 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days (10 minutes 3 times a day equals 30 minutes!). But any movement is better than no movement. You could start w/a 5 minute walk today & build up from there.

Myth: There's no such thing as too much exercise.

Fact: Compulsive exercising is a disorder & exercising too much can have serious physical & emotional effects. Exercise becomes a problem, or an addiction, when you prioritize it over most other parts of your life. You may feel anxious, guilty, unattractive or out of control when you're unable to exercise. You may continue to exercise even when it poses a risk to your health.

Myth: Fat people are fat because they're lazy.

Fact: Different people have different bodies. Sure, there might be some lazy fat people, but there are also plenty of lazy thin people. All of our bodies have a different natural baseline size.

While food intake & exercise may contribute to changing this some, there are also many other factors involved that can't be controlled, such as metabolism, bone structure & genetics.

Just because someone is fat doesn't mean they're anymore lazy than someone who is thinner.

Myth: I'll be able to tell if someone has an eating disorder.

Fact: There are many types of eating disorders & they all manifest themselves differently. Many people w/eating disorders are very good at hiding their eating & exercising habits.

A person can be fat, thin or anywhere in between & have an eating disorder. Even if they don't meet the medical criteria for size, weight or behavior of an eating disorder, it doesn't mean that they don't need help.

Eating disorders get worse as they go on & it's even possible for the person w/ the eating disorder to not know that there's a problem.

Myth: Eating disorders are a woman's problem.

Fact: Eating disorders affect many people regardless of sex, gender identity, race, ethnicity, age, class or sexual orientation. All types of eating disorders affect men as well as women, including anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating & over-exercise.

Due to the myth that eating disorders don't affect men, fewer men who have eating disorders have actually been labeled as such. Most figures say that about 10% of people w/eating disorders in the U.S. are men, though even this number may be low.

Myth: All fat people are compulsive overeaters.

Fact: The compulsive eater, whether fat or thin, is a person w/an eating disorder. Simply being fat doesn't indicate the presence of an eating disorder.

Studies which set out to prove that fat people eat more than thin people concluded that there's no measurable difference in the food consumption of fat & thin people.

Compulsive dieters, who ignore their body's hunger messages, tend to become obsessed w/food & usually overeat after a round of dieting.

Myth: I want to look like a magazine model in real life.

Fact: You may want to look like a model, but it's important to understand that even models don't look like their pictures in real life. There are many tricks to "doctoring" pictures.

Some techniques include:

• airbrushing

• computer alterations

• special lighting to cast shadows in just the right places

• even black & white photography, especially on "muscular" men so that the definition of muscles is greater

All types of media trick us into thinking that there are people who look far more "perfect" than any person really ever does.

Myth: If I hate my body, there's nothing I can do about it.

Fact: There may be little you can do to change the body you have, but there are many things you can do to change your way of thinking about your body.

To build your body-confidence, try new activities & find things that your body is good at doing. For every negative thought you have about your body come up w/a positive one to counter it.

Try not to break your body down into parts, but rather think of it as a whole, functional unit. For more ways to improve your body-confidence check out 15 Ways to Create a Body-Positive World.