Your Nutrition IQ is High

Good for you! You definitely know your way around the grocery store (or the farmer’s market or the menu or the … you get the idea). Hopefully you’re putting this amazing knowledge into practice every day, while making sure you’re giving yourself a delicious treat now again. Everyone needs to splurge!

Click here for the answers to the Nutrition IQ quiz!
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What’s Your Nutrition IQ? (Take It and Compare to Mine)

We all know the old saying you are only as old as you feel. Well there is more to that than we thought. Our bodies have a calendar age, now vs. when you were born, and they also have a real age based on many many factors such as diet, health, environment and so on. Well I felt it was worth sharing with you because I found out why I always felt 50 when I am only 34 because frankly, I AM 50 (almost).

My Stats:

You can check out my profile on RealAge website and maybe get your own evaluation so you know where you stand and what steps you can take to make it better. You might be surprised to know that we are not as healthy as we think we are just because we eat right, exercise and so on. The smallest things can have such devastating results.

Don’t let yourself end up like me, a 34 year old with a real age of
 

Get yourself checked out and maybe you can extend the clock a bit and keep father time at bay a little longer.

We have all been guilty of taking, using or even abusing dietary supplements. Nothing wrong with that since a proper use of the stuff can actually be good for you. Most of us can’t get enough of our needs from food and with the busy hectic life, we might not even get enough food or proper food itself.

The FDA has put together a few do’s and don’ts for everyone to review and I recommend everyone to look into it for your own sake and anyone around you who uses them. Always use in moderation, be informed and follow dosing instructions and directions carefully.

Some links to pages, feeds and downloadable documents you might find useful:

• FDA 101: Dietary Supplements
• Printer-Friendly PDF Download (238 kb)
• RSS Feed for Consumer Updates
• Sign-up for Consumer Updates by Email

I hope that you find the information useful and that it helps out in a world of supplements and false advertising and lack of truthful disclosures.

Good luck!

I got this from a friend and I am not sure who wrote it but it was so
interesting that I felt compelled to share it with everyone. I am sure
this email has circled out there and I wish I knew who to give credit
to on this but just the same, here is the information and I hope you
find it useful or at least interesting.

After Reading this, you will NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas Contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel better.

PMS:
Forget the pills — eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex England ) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system..

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a ‘cooling’ fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:
According to research in ‘The New England Journal of Medicine,’ eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death from strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘A banana a day keeps the doctor away!’

Footnote:
If your roses are covered with Aphids, drape banana skins over the branches, It’s amazing, but in a day or less, they are GONE!
I’ve tried it, and I couldn’t believe it, no more aphids, as long as I save my banana skins for the rose bushes!

Impressed? Well then, PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS!

Dr. Ian’s Diet Tips

Below are some suggestions and tips for making modifications to your current diet. Many of us may not know it, but the following eating habits can easily sabotage your weight loss efforts:

Using too much salt

Salt adds taste to food and is not a bad thing when used in moderation, but most people eat much more salt than they need. Try to limit your salt intake to less than 1 teaspoon per day, and reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure.

Fried foods

Fried foods seem to taste so much better, but they are loaded with all kinds of bad fats and calories. Limit your fried meals to a maximum of 3 times per week, and eventually try to reduce that to 2 times. Instead, bake, roast, grill, steam, or sauté your food.

Overcooking vegetables

Vegetables are full of critical vitamins and minerals, but when they are cooked too long, all of these powerful nutrients are destroyed and leach out into the cooking water. Try to cook your vegetables for less than 15 minutes or eat them raw, steamed, grilled, or sautéed.

Butter/Lard/Bacon/Fatback

The reason why we like to add these things to our pots of lima beans or collards is because the fat adds so much taste. But fat also adds so many extra calories and reduces the healthiness of foods. Try to use these fats very sparingly. It might take some time, but you can grow to enjoy the more natural taste of the food.

Fatty meats

Instead of buying the fattier cuts of meat, try the leaner cuts. Your arteries and heart will thank you!

Sugary drinks

Almost a unanimous weakness. Sweet iced teas, fruit punches, Kool-Aid, quarter waters, soda—we drink liquid sugar by the gallon. Having some might not be such a bad thing, but most of us tend to go way over the limit. If you must have your sweet drink, try to limit your consumption to no more than 1 cup a day. Try water, unsweetened iced tea, or freshly squeezed juice in modest portions. These are so much better for your health.

Too much skin

Have you ever asked yourself why chicken and turkey taste so much better with the skin? The answer is one word: FAT. Along with the taste, skin adds so many calories to your meal. Remove it and enjoy the meat. If you want some more flavor, just add some spices. You can also enhance the taste of your meats by using things such as citrus marinades, dry spice rubs, and sweet peppers.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #1

If you’re ever feeling hungry between meals and you’ve already had a snack, brush your teeth with toothpaste that has a strong peppermint flavor. You can even floss your teeth for good measure. This will dampen your urge to eat.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #2

Soups can be your friend. Eating soups that contain chicken, beans, and/or vegetables can provide a tasty meal, and load you up on vitamins and other healthy nutrients. Avoid adding things like bacon bits, cheese, crackers, and cream cheese, as they will pile on unnecessary calories. Soups can be great low-calorie meals.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #3

The milk switch. Get rid of the calorie-laden whole milk, and instead switch to 1%. Let’s say you drink 1 cup of milk (8 oz) each day. If you don’t change anything else you normally do, you could lose approximately 5 pounds in one year just by switching to 1% milk.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #4

Variety is the spice of your exercise life. Don’t limit your exercises. Instead, try to mix up your workout so that you don’t get bored with the same routine. Also, when your body grows accustomed to a routine, it’s more likely to hold on to the fat and make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

Dr. Ian’s Tip #5

Liquid calories no more. Calories hidden in alcoholic beverages can be sneaky and fattening at the same time. Take a look at the numbers: for 1 gram of fat, there are 9 calories. For 1 gram of carbohydrate, there are 4 calories. For 1 gram of alcohol, there are 7 calories. Did you ever think that a glass of alcohol could be almost as fattening as french fries?