Nutrition Trend: Juices Pretending To Be Water

Nutrition Trend:  Juices Pretending To Be Water

Written by Kelli Baker | Reviewed by Nikita Kapur, MS, RDN, CDN, CLT

A recent trend on grocery store shelves has been the emergence of alternative water sources such as coconut water, watermelon water and maple water all spouting superior nutritional benefits to the consumer.  These products are hyped up to have additional ingredients to regular H20 including vitamins and minerals that are naturally occurring and capable of enhancing a person’s health akin to a superfood. Essentially what the marketing industry has done is combined our image of water as being essential, hydrating and replenishing with healthy words like coconut, watermelon and maple all in an effort to sell a sugary drink. 

Coconut water, one of the first to capitalize on this marketing scheme, has been touted as “mother nature’s sports drink” because of its high potassium content and ability to replenish electrolytes after a tough workout similar to a sports drink.   Watermelon and maple water have similar health claims of electrolyte replenishment and product descriptions often include advantageous components like antioxidants and phytochemicals. 

While it is true these water sources have various natural vitamins and minerals within them that are beneficial to our health, they also contain added sugar and calories that can add up quickly. These waters have more in common with juices than actual water and are easy to over consume. Moreover, since these drinks have added sugars, they can easily spike your blood sugar levels especially when drinking without exercise, which may also lead to energy crashes. Coconut water for instance contains 6g of sugar and 46 calories per 8oz serving while watermelon water has the same amount of calories with 10g of sugar and maple water contains 25 calories with 5g of sugar per 8oz serving.  This may not seem like a significant amount, but for someone who wants to lose weight these unnecessary drinkable calories and grams of added sugar can add up throughout the day.  With that being said, if you still feel the urge to enjoy natural flavored water like coconut, watermelon or maple, the best time is an hour after a workout when a quick source of these nutrients is optimal to consume.  Enjoy these juice waters as a post workout treat while sticking to regular water throughout the day. 

So, if you are looking to lose some weight and save some money, seeing as one bottle will cost you between $3 to $5, you are better off eating your calories instead of drinking them. The truth of the matter is you could drink some plain H20, eat some coconut or watermelon, or any other fruit or maybe even add some maple syrup to your breakfast pancakes and receive the same nutritional benefits that you would from drinking one of these higher priced waters with the added benefit of feeling fuller. 

TRUE OR FALSE: I NEED TO WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY TIME I GO OUTSIDE!

Written by Emily Braatan | Reviewed by Adiana Castro, MS, RDN, CDN, CLT

FALSE

The National Institutes of Health suggest that 10-15 minutes of sun exposure three times a week will provide the necessary amount of vitamin D production (but synthesis can be hindered by sunscreen, shade, and darker complexion).

Technology has explored the use of solar power in recent decades but, in a way, humans have always been walking solar panels.  Vitamin D needs can be met through a combination of diet, supplementation and direct sunlight, making vitamin D a unique micronutrient.  During exposure to sunlight, UV radiation causes a structural change in the skin’s 7-dehydrocholestrol, resulting in pre-vitamin D.  Pre-vitamin D undergoes one hydroxylation reaction in the liver and a second in the kidneys before it is biologically active.  

Vitamin D is essential to human development largely because of its relationship with calcium and phosphorous, which have an enormous effect on bone health.  Vitamin D increases the uptake of both micronutrients by promoting their intestinal absorption and their reabsorption in the kidneys.  Calcium and phosphorous contribute to bone mineralization, which is why vitamin D deficiency often presents as rickets in children or as osteoporosis in adults.

Some studies suggest the function of vitamin D may extend to inflammation and neurological health.  A 2014 study by Zhang et al. looked at the role of gestational vitamin D deficiency on the health of rat offspring.  The researchers compared rat pups from mothers who were fed a vitamin D-free diet during pregnancy with pups from mothers who had adequate vitamin D intake.  The vitamin D-deficient pups exhibited significantly lower glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity, and increased prevalence of inflammatory biomarkers.  The findings suggest that maternal vitamin D deficiency may form the basis for diabetes and inflammation in children.

A literature review published in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy drew on forty years of research in investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on the prevention and treatment of multiple sclerosis.  The major finding was that vitamin D supplementation was associated with a 40% risk reduction of developing MS among animal models.  The findings suggest supplementation may be therapeutic but human studies have been sparse and often involve various other supplements, which may confound the results.

Vitamin D deficiency is believed to be widespread in the U.S. due to limited dietary sources of the micronutrient as well as lack of sun exposure from outdoor physical activity.  If interested in vitamin D supplementation, opt for the D3 form (cholecalciferol) over the D2 form (ergocalciferol) because it’s more efficient absorption and increased potency.

Sources

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine reevaluated vitamin D needs and set the Recommended Dietary Allowance at 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day (800 IU for individuals over the age of 70).  Rich sources of Vitamin D include Cod Liver Oil, Fatty Fish, Mushrooms, Whole Egg and Liver.

HEALTHY EATING AT BARBECUES & PICNICS

HEALTHY EATING AT BARBECUES & PICNICS 

Written by Kanika Kohli| Reviewed by Adiana Castro, MS, RDN, CDN, CLT

Summer is finally here and it’s time to be outdoors to get some sun. Weather you are planning on hitting the beach or going out for picnics and barbeques you need to keep in mind that summer does not give us an excuse to eat poorly.  It is very easy to make poor food choices when outdoors, especially with fast foods and sugar-laden foods being ubiquitous.

So to make sure we eat well when outdoors, we need to plan ahead and carry foods and snacks that not only taste good but also are nutritious.

Here are some tips to help you eat healthy through the summer season.

Tips to eat healthy at a BBQ

Contribute something that's good for you: if you bring a healthy dish/snack, you know you will be able to eat something nutritious, no matter how decadent the other dishes are.

·      Make or Bring your own salad: BBQ’s are notorious for having salads of every type, most of which are salads by name only such as pasta salad, taco salad, macaroni salad, and potato salad. So, bringing a green-based salad with an olive oil/lemon juice/vinaigrette dressing will ensure you have a healthy option for salad.

·      Make or bring a healthy appetizer: Chips and dips are enjoyable to eat but can load up on calories, so make sure to bring at least one healthy appetizer like vegetables and hummus to munch on while the grill is firing up.

2.     Fill up on vegetables and healthy items first: Try to load up on the green salads or grilled vegetables first before you fill your plate with high calorie foods (ribs etc.), doing so will not only give you a dose of antioxidants and fiber, you will also be less likely to overeat the higher calorie foods.

3.     Choose lean protein and healthy fats: Lean protein and health fats help you to feel fuller than carbohydrates, so enjoy a lean beef burger, a piece of chicken or fish and some tofu.

4.     Be mindful and eat slowly: eating slowly will prevent you from overeating

5.     Watch portion size: Here are 3 easy points of reference

·      A tennis ball or clenched fist = one cup. This measure is useful for sides such as pasta salad, potato salad or Cole slaw. Aim for 1cup total of these starchy (often calorie laden) side dishes.

·      A deck of cards = 3 ounces of meat or 1 serving. This measure is useful for food like steak.

·      Your thumb = about 1 tablespoon. This is good for estimating salad dressing or spread.

6.     Watch those liquid or alcohol calories: Sweet and sugary drinks can load up on calories (have a few hundred calories), so make sure you don't overdo it.

7.     Go easy on dessert: If there is something like fresh fruit being served take that first and then go for the dessert.

TipTips to pack healthy snacks for the beach or a picnic

Summer picnics and beach outings occur at the peak of the fresh fruit and vegetable season. This is the time to add color to your meals and to fill your picnic basket or beach cooler with fresh produce like peaches, mangoes, berries, cherries, watermelon, tomatoes, avocados, corn, zucchini, peas and fresh herbs – they are not only packed with antioxidants but also taste delicious.

Carry Light and crunchy appetizers

·      Pack crisp raw veggies like cucumber, carrots, celery, asparagus tips, cherry tomatoes and radishes and enjoy them with nutritious dips like hummus, salsa, eggplant dip, bean dip, avocado dip or Greek yogurt with herbs and spices.

·      Carry wholegrain crackers such as oat crisps instead of high fat chips and enjoy them with nutritious dips.

2.     Carry wraps/sandwiches as a main dish: Wraps are easy to transport and eat, and can be super nutritious when made with whole grain tortilla/bread, lean protein, veggies and homemade Ranch dressing or salsa.

3.     Carry nutritious snacks like

·      Greek Yogurt

·      Granola

·      Fresh fruits/frozen fruits

·      Ruby rocket’s frozen veggie and fruit pops

·      Wholegrain crackers with nut butter or cheese

·      Trail mix

       4. Carry lots of frozen/cold water bottles

Stay hydrated

It is very easy to get dehydrated without even knowing it when you are outdoors

(BBQ, beach or picnic) in the sun, that's why it is very important to make sure you consume plenty of fluids throughout the day to avoid getting dehydrated.

A strategy to avoid dehydration is to carry a water bottle to sip on water regularly.