Lets Discuss About Health Issues
August 4, 2004
By:Barb Troy
Barb Troy, a clinical assistant professor in dietetics at Marquette University and a nutrition consultant in the school's Student Health Services, answered your questions about eating, dieting and nutrition in her monthly JS Online chat.
Q: Tim of Milwaukee - With hypertension, I've been trying to keep my sodium amounts down, however, I eat so much each day since I'm only in my early 20's and am able to keep a standard weight no matter how much I eat. Is it ok to go over the "2400 mg" if I'm still in "development" stages, as I'd say?
A: Barb Troy - Hi Tim, I guess I would ask how much and how often your total exceeds 2,400 mg of sodium. Given our processed/convenience food intake, it is very challenging for any active 20 year to stay below 2,400mg. Also, how high is your BP? Are you borderline hypertensive or on meds to help control your BP? The DASH (Dietary Interventions to Control Hypertension) emphasizes about 10 servings of fresh fruits & veggies/day, plus at least 3 cups of nonfat dairy products/day, in addition to low sodium. You can find some wonderful info on americanheart.org concerning BP control and diet. Well folks, enjoy our last true month of summer. I am signing off now. Next time we meet, it will be back to school time. To all of your health, Barb
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Q: Cathy of Milwaukee - I take a multi, a vitimin E, and black cohosh and wash it down with grapefruit juice!! yikes. What am I doing?
A: Barb Troy - I don't think I would do that anymore, Cathy, just to be extra, extra careful. Wash it down with water, & have that yummy grapefruit juice a little later.
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Q: Jill of New Berlin - Can you let me know if there is a best time of day to take a multi-vitamin? With food? Without? With a beverage? without? with Juice? I have heard so many things, but I don't know what is correct. thanks
A: Barb Troy - I agree that this IS a very confusing topic, Jill. It also tends to make a difference if we are talking a multi product, or some particular single nutrient supplement. In general, it's best to take a multi with food in the am. Also, the main juice to avoid when taking most meds (& this might apply to nutrient supplements as well) is grapefruit juice.
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Q: Rick of Fond du Lac - With the whole Atkins/low carb diet craze spreading through the country, I was wondering what happened to the old school teachings of eating a well balanced meal consisting of the 4 major food groups. I grew up eating 3 meals a day and still practice that today. It seems to me that the old common sence method of weight control and healthy eating is still the way to go. Your thoughts?
A: Barb Troy - So Rick....have you ever taken one of my nutrition classes?????? Seriously, I totally agree with your approach. Somewhere along the way, one has to take responsibility for self care and self love, which means sensible lifestyle habits: food/drink/exercise
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Q: Jane of Franklin - Barb - What do you think of the new low-carb soft drinks (Pepsi Edge & C2)?
A: Barb Troy - Quite frankly, I just heard about these beverages within the past week. My first feeling is that it's marketing...jumping on what has been the popular low carb bandwagon which seems to sell right now. I have not read a label on these beverages yet, but I believe they are about half the carbs of the original soft drinks. So...does that mean you just drink 2x as much?????? FYI: Right now, FDA is working on legislating the term "low carb" to help decrease consumer confusion.
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Q: jim of milwaukee - when working out, is it best to consume protien before or after the work out?
A: Barb Troy - Kinda both, but timing is an issue. First, unless your intake is solely liquid, your pre workout "meal" should be around 3-4 before, and consist of no more than 1,000 kcals. This pre meal should primarily be complex carbs for energy, but also contain about 15-20% of the Cals from protein. After a workout, your glycogen (glucose) stores are likely to be depleted. So it's really important to get some fluid and carbs in, if possible, within 30 minutes after a workout. In addition, adding some protein within 60-90 minutes after your workout may enhance recovery. FYI: Good sports nutrition authors: Ellen Coleman Nancy Clark
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Q: Tom of Milwaukee - Barb - My employer offered its employees a cholesterol test, adminstered by a local hospital. We were instructed to fast for three hours prior to the test. Many of my co-workers received results much higher than expected. Is it possible to obtain accurate resuts following only a three hour fast? (In the past, I was typically instructed to fast for twelve hours.) Did my employer do me a disservice by conducting this test in this manner?
A: Barb Troy - Hmmmm, a true fasting state is 8-12 hours, so I tend to agree that your results could be skewed. Also, did your results give you a breakdown on the categories of cholesterol (total, LDL, HDL)? This information is so important for doing a good job assessing risk.
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Q: Jimmy of Milwaukee - What snacks do you recommend when I feel low-blood sugar levels during the afternoon? It's too convenient to grab a candy bar from the vending machine. Thank you.
A: Barb Troy - Well, Jimmy, I see you are from Milwaukee, so right now the mid afternoon low blood sugar slump could be solved with fresh fruit just as easily as with candy. At least right now in WI we have some variety. One more idea: You may get some sustaining benefit if you also include something with a little protein (like milk, cheese, or yogurt) & some fiber (such as putting the cheese on whole grain bread). Finally...how about plain (no fat added) lightly salted popcorn?
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Q: Wendy of Hartland - With the low carb craze and so many foods going sugar free, I was wondering if there have been any long term studies regarding the effect of sugar substitutes on the body?
A: Barb Troy - Great question, Wendy!!!! The answer is kind of yes and no. Most of our sugar and fat substitutes on the market today are categorized as food additives. These means that each of them when through clinical trials for many years testing safety before being allowed to be sold. Olestra ('O'Lean), for example, was tested for close to 20 years before being released. But....I do not think this is necessarily long term. Perhaps the sugar substitute we have the most info on is saccharin, since it was developed and used before the 1900s. But, over time it was considered a carcinogen (=cancer causing agent) when consumed in extremely high doses (based on rodent studies), & now is recent years has been cleared of any association of being a cancer causing agent! In my opinion, I still am very cautious about the use of these sugar and fat substitutes at times in the lifecycle when cell turnover is very high=pregnancy, infancy, preschool, and teens.
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Q: Ned Towle of Neshkoro - Good Morning Barb. I have never seriously considered dieting. I have always been fairly active, in that I have run, walked, etc. I am 47 years old, am 5'9'' & weigh about 200 lbs. I am too heavy, but as I've gotten older, it is much more difficult to take off weight and keep it off. I see quite a few diets (Atkins, etc.) and natural energy supplements (pills, etc.) advertised. Is there a web site or book you highly recommend to get me headed in the right direction? Any other suggestions? Thank you. Ned Towle towlen@westfield.k12.wi.us
A: Barb Troy - Hi Ned, Isn't it interesting how things change as we get older? I certainly know what you mean about it being harder to lose weight as we age & our metabolism naturally slows down a bit. I am really glad to hear that you have always been, and hopefully will remain, a regularly active person. This is so important is someone's wellness profile. Staying on this wellness theme, I think it becomes more & more important that we also monitor other lifestyle factors (=no smoking, only moderate drinking if any, stess management). As far as lab work for your age,are you aware what your total blood cholesterol level, LDL (bad) & HDL(good) blood cholesterol levels are? Do you know your fasting blood sugar? Is your blood pressure normal? The reason I am mentioning all of these factors is that there is increasing research that looks at metabolic fitness (not just height/weight scale #s) as being very important in predicting quality and quantity of life. I am going to point you in the same direction for peer reviewed online weight mangagement sites (as I did in a previous response). Please go to http://navigator.tufts.edu/weight. Best wishes, Ned, & keep movin'!
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Q: Ryan of Milwaukee - Is it true that whole grain breads and pastas are better for you than white or bleached because they dont spike insulin levels?
A: Barb Troy - Hi Ryan, I would say
that your answer to why whole grains are considered
better is partially correct. When looking at single
foods to monitor blood glucose(sugar) increases after
consumption, in general whole grains blunt the blood
sugar elevation compared to white grains. However, there
are additional reasons to select whole grains over white
enriched grains. First, whole grains contain the entire
nutritional profile of the grain (=the endosperm, germ
and bran are all used in making whole grains). White
flours use only the endosperm, and then by law are enriched
with 4 B vitamins, iron and a little calcium. Enrichment
is wonderful, in that it helps replace some key nutrients
lost in white flour, but...it still doesn't provide
the full range of vitamins and minerals found in whole
grains. Also, whole grains have more fiber, which has
been associated with all sorts of health benefits, such
as decreased risk of heart disease and some cancers,
better GI regularity, etc. Also, if one is trying to
lose
weight, fiber can provide a sense of fullness but
without the Calorie load, since fiber is pretty much
nondigestible. But, increasing fiber also means increasing
fluid intake so that fiber can swell up like a soft
sponge consistency in order to easily pass through the
GI tract.
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Q: Patrick of Saukville - Alot of us older folks (I'm 52) never received health education in our school days and I want to learn why certain vitamins, minerals, etc. are important for me and how they work in my body. Can you suggest a book or other source that describes how these things interact with the body and its health?
A: Barb Troy - Hi Patrick, Well, speaking as just about someone that is your age, I know exactly what you mean. Other than in h.s. biology or home ec classes, nutrition was not a taught science in our time. I am thrilled that you want to continue to learn more about this exciting science! Since you are obviously a web user, a good place to start in looking for peer reviewed nutrition info is: http://navigator.tufts.edu This site will help you access excellent info on many nutrition related topics. A couple of other good sites are the American Dietetic Association (www.eatright.org) and the American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org). As far as books go, one of the best authors for consumers to seek out is Jane Brody, such as her Good Food book. She does such as great job of explaining what could be considered as complex topics. Happy Learning!
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Q: Mike K of Cudahy - I had an appendectomy 2 months ago and my food desires have changed since that time. I formerly enjoyed a cold diet soda frequently and now I can't stand the thought of something carbonated in my stomach. In looking for other liquids to quench my thirst, I've had the gatorade type stuff, ice tea, and lemonade. I am not a coffee fan. Water is O.K but not very quenching. Are there other beverages to consider for a nutritional choice, and of those mentioned, what is more nutrionally sound. Thank you!
A: Barb Troy - Hi Mike, and welcome everyone to our August chat! Sorry to hear about your appendectomy, but actually...I like (from a nutritional standpoint) you new liquid choices better. I'd actually rather you stay with the list of beverages you provided rather than add non carbonated fruit drinks (=sugar water!). Do any juices besides lemonade sound good? If you are really looking for increased nutritional profile in a beverage, you can always you a meal substitute like Slim Fast or Boost.
Source: www.jsonline.com
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