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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – An estimated 79 percent of baby boomers are overweight, which some experts believe is a major cause of disability among this generation. Those extra pounds may also be shaving years from your lifespan.
Boomers are tuning into what it means to eat ‘preventively’ by choosing foods that enable them to have a healthier life. You don’t have to give up on all of your favorite foods, or even make gigantic changes to what you eat. Often it’s just a matter of choosing one product over another.
Start by reading the nutrition facts panel as well as the ingredients list. You can’t always depend on the front label which might say “fat-free” or “low-sodium”.
Whenever food manufacturers remove key ingredients such as fats, salt or sugar, they usually replace them with something else to preserve the product’s taste, shelf life or consistency. For example, the amount of fat may go down but sugar content goes up.
Generally, try to keep your daily intake to:
Fats: 30% of your calories; saturated fats should be no more than 10% of your total calories or about 7% if you have high cholesterol
Proteins: 10-15% of your calories
Carbohydrates: 50-55% of your calories
Instead of eating that, consider eating this
Instead of:
Lattes made with low-fat milk and whipped cream. When you add whipped cream, your relatively healthy beverage becomes very high calorie.
Consider this:
Lattes made with nonfat milk and no whipped cream. If you are watching your blood pressure, consider ordering decaf because caffeine may temporarily increase your blood pressure levels.
Instead of:
High calorie energy bars. You may think these are filled with good nutrition but sometimes they contain as much as 500 calories with a lot of added sugars and fats.
Consider this:
Look for bars that contain 200 calories or less, at least five grams of fiber and some protein.
Instead of:
High-fat potato chips, tortilla chips or pretzels. Many of these are also high in salt, giving them a double whammy if you are concerned about your blood pressure as well as your weight.
Consider this:
Corazonas tortilla chips, potato chips, and Oatmeal Squares which are infused with heart-healthy CoroWise plant sterols. CoroWise has been shown to decrease “bad” (LDL) cholesterol in numerous clinical studies.
Instead of:
Fancy nutrient-enhanced waters. If sugar is among the top three ingredients on the nutrient list, it’s not all that healthy.
Consider this:
Spiking club soda with fresh juice.
Instead of:
Multi-grain or 7-grain breads. Many of these are decoys. It may be that they contain 100% white flour with some grains added to it.
Consider this:
100% whole grain breads. If the label says 100% whole grain or whole wheat, then you know you are truly getting a whole grain product.
Instead of:
Store-bought smoothies. The smoothie stores are convenient but be cautious because often some of that flavor is from fruit-flavored syrups.
Consider this:
Home-made smoothies. Combine vanilla yogurt, fruit and bananas for a wonderful-tasting treat. Add natural granola for a breakfast sundae.
Instead of:
Microwave popcorn. Some ‘diet’ or ‘low-fat’ popcorns may still have a relatively high fat content.
Consider this:
Fat-free microwave popcorn. Or make it yourself with regular popcorn on the stove top. Just add a little oil and 1/2 cup of popcorn to a pan. That way you can control the amount of fat you’re using.
Eating preventively means always considering your alternatives. What else can you do? What should you buy when you are in a hurry? Could you do better if you made it yourself?
Dr. Reeves is past president of the American Dietetic Association. For the past 30 years, Dr. Reeves has conducted clinical trials in nutrition and behavioral medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. In 2001 the American Dietetic Association awarded Dr. Reeves with the Medallion Award, one of the highest awards bestowed on a member.
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