Proper and consistent fueling is important for high performance, as an athlete and as a student. Every meal is an opportunity to provide the energy and nutrients your body needs, plus it gives you an edge over athletes who don’t focus on nutrition.
Incorporate dairy, whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, veggies, and healthy fats into your daily diet to ensure proper fueling and recovery.
My daughter is in 3rd grade this year. As a mom and Registered Dietitian, you might be surprised to hear that I rarely pack a lunch for her from home. Why? Because I know that school meals are a healthy choice. How do I know? I’ve spent most of my 13 years as a dietitian working directly in a school nutrition department, and indirectly as a School Wellness Consultant.
Feeling the pinch at the grocery store lately? Are you reevaluating what you place in your cart? Food costs are on the rise and all of us could benefit from shopping a little smarter. Revising your list doesn’t mean ditching those good-for-you foods. There are plenty of ways to ensure that you are eating healthy on a budget. Follow our few simple tips to keep you and your bank account well nourished.
Improve what you eat and focus on being active: Two simple ideas from the latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the science-based advice that helps all of us make choices that add up to better nutrition and lifelong well-being. As a mom and a pediatrician, I know that good nutrition begins with a commitment to healthier choices.
Dairy is a key element of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Plan. Focused on preventing and reducing blood pressure, DASH delivers the potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein your body needs to fight heart disease through good-for-you foods. DASH also helps many people manage their weight – and it always tops the list of Best Diets Overall by U.S. News & World Reports.
Whether you’re dashing out the door for work or squeezing in that 30-minute workout, sometimes the last thing on your mind is food, let alone something tasty and nutritious.
Sweet summer time!
Summer is the perfect time to focus on nutrient-rich foods like low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Think about all that fresh produce right at your fingertips ... juicy berries, tart tomatoes, crisp cucumbers. Then you pair that with refreshing milk in a berry smoothie, cheese in a caprese salad or top a cucumber salad with yogurt and you notch up the nutrition just a kick. Even better, all of these are easy to make, easy on-the-go and easy on the taste buds!
Here's what I love to munch on in summer.
Breakfast
Do you remember this old TV commercial?
“Pizza in the morning, pizza in the evening, pizza at supper time! With pizza on a bagel, you can eat pizza anytime!”
Not a bad idea (I’m talking pizza any time, not necessarily on a bagel), right? Pizza can make a very healthy addition to any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’m here to tell you that pizza is your friend.
No need to wait for New Year’s Resolutions or the coming of spring; now is the perfect opportunity for athletes and exercisers young and old to shape up their plates. The MyPlate guidelines provide tools for fueling a healthy body at every meal of the day. See what it has to offer to make your plate complete:
Type 2 diabetes affects nearly 34 million American adults, accounting for nearly 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. As of 2018, more than 10.5% of the American population had diabetes. Total direct medical cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States was $237 billion.
But not all news is bad on the diabetes research front. Several recent studies indicate that eating and drinking more dairy may lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.
