Chocolate will be the topic of this week’s article. That’s right, your food, nutrition, and health educator is going to talk about the nutritional benefits of CHOCOLATE! Not all chocolates are created equal (nutritionally that is). Milk chocolate, white chocolate, sweet chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolates all have some nutritional benefits, but dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health.
Dark chocolate is made from the seeds of the cocoa tree. High quality dark chocolate is packed full of antioxidants and minerals. Iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and potassium are vital nutrients that make dark chocolate a healthy snacking option. Dark chocolate can improve blood flow in the arteries and cause a small but statistically significant decrease in blood pressure. Also, observational studies show a drastic reduction in heart disease risk for the people who consume the most chocolate. Cocoa may also significantly improve cognitive function in elderly people with mental impairment. It also improves verbal fluency and several risk factors for disease. When purchasing dark chocolate, there are a few things that you should look for to ensure you are purchasing a nutritious version of this sweet treat.
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With the holiday season in the rear view mirror, our sights are set forward on exercising and getting our dietary habits back on track. Even with a great plan in place, your healthy living plan can be de-railed by happy hour Friday, a party Saturday, brunch Sunday, movies, and dinners out. While one of these “off days” from your regularly scheduled diet can make you feel terrible, proper hydration and nutrition the following day can put you back in the driver seat.
Additional fats can leave you feeling bloated. Your body is not used to the additional fats, and may take a day or so for your digestive track to speed up and produce enough enzymes to process the added fats. Time is going to be your worst enemy as you will feel bloated for an extended period of time, but time is also what will help get your body back on track. Excess salt in the blood will leave you dehydrated. High levels of sodium in the blood will increase your chances of heart burn or acid reflux issues. Flushing out your body with extra water will excrete the extra sodium and dilute the increased levels of stomach acids. Alcohols also play a role in dehydrating the body. Dehydration is caused by an electrolyte imbalance. Eating high-fiber foods, like vegetables, will help absorb the water and get your digestive organs working at their full capacity. Sugars are quickly absorbed into your digestive tract. This may be why you feel tired after over-indulging on sweets. Increased sugar consumption increases your blood glucose levels, causing your pancreas to pump out insulin. Your body then produces too much insulin, and causes your body to go from “sugar rush” to “sugar crash”. Including a slower-reacting carbohydrate into your diet the following day, like whole-grain pasta or whole grain bread, will balance out your blood glucose levels. It is inevitable that we all will fall victim to a delicious and not nutritious weekend meal(s). We can however, take steps to make sure that we are not leaving our new exercise and nutrition plans in the rear-view mirror along with our old bad habits. Welcome to 2017
Welcome to week two of 2017. This is the week that your new year’s resolutions are put to the test. The first week is filled with excitement and the vision of a healthier future. Week two is filled with sore muscles and a fatigued mental state. A great way to ensure that you stick to your fitness plans is to have clearly defined goals. I like to use the acronym SMART when it comes to setting my nutrition and fitness goals. S- Specific- What exactly do you want to achieve? The more specific your description, the better the chance you'll get exactly that. M- Measureable- Measurable goals, means that you identify exactly what it is you will see, hear, and feel when you reach your goal. It means breaking your goal down into measurable elements. Counting your steps, calories consumed, hours active, flights of stairs walked, and time spent in target heart rate zone. A- Attainable- Is your goal attainable? That means investigating whether the goal really is attainable for you. You have to take into consideration all of the internal and external factors that can keep you from hitting your goals. Setting a goal to lose 50 pounds in a month is not attainable. Spreading out those 50 pounds over the course of a couple years is a more attainable goal. R- Research-based- In order to set appropriate goals, you need to do your homework. What is the best kind of nutrition or fitness plan for your body type or specific goals that you are trying to meet? You do not need to re-create the wheel when it comes to developing a nutrition or fitness goal. There are thousands of nutrition and fitness resources out there to help you set your goals. Research based or data driven resources will provide the best information for you. Check out food.unl.edu for our collection of research based and data driven nutrition and fitness information. T- Time-bound- When do you plan on reaching your goals? Setting time based goals, whether they are short-term or long-term, can help develop as sense of urgency and keep you on task. Design your SMART goals and get to work! Need help creating or keeping with your SMART goals? E-mail me with questions or comments at [email protected]. |
Brad AverillExtension Educator- Food, Nutrition, and Health Archives
February 2017
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