When it comes to different foods, each has its own makeup of nutrients. Historically, vitamin deficiencies were a lot more common in the United States than today, and many of the ways we prevent deficiencies today are so ordinary that we don’t even know we should ask why things are done a certain way. So let’s ask why!

Why is it important to cook rice until all of the water is absorbed?

The rice grain has different parts to it, including the bran, germ and endosperm. B vitamins are found in the bran and germ, which are removed during processing to create white rice. This means the B vitamins are lost; as a result, we add them back through a process called enrichment. Scientists considered two main points when creating the best way to enrich the rice: (1) B vitamins are water-soluble, and (2) rice is cooked with water.

These important factors led to putting the rice into a large, vapor-filled tub. The vapor contains B vitamins, which sticks to the outside of the grain.This is why it is important to allow all of the water to absorb into the rice grain when cooking…because the B vitamins get absorbed into the grain along with the water. If there is any extra water that is poured off at the end of the cooking process, some of the enriched B vitamins are washed away.

Why is milk not usually sold in clear containers?

Milk naturally contains a B vitamin called riboflavin, which is important for many various cellular reactions in the body. Riboflavin is sensitive to light, being easily broken down when exposed to UV light, sunlight and fluorescent lights. Thus, when milk is packaged, we find it in opaque plastic jugs at the grocery store and in small, paper cartons at schools.

Sometimes we just accept things as they are, but it’s fun to ask why things are the way they are, too.

If you were asked to describe the term “malnourished”, what would you say? How would this person look? Are you yourself malnourished? More than likely, images of starved children in poor economic countries come to mind. But the question is, “what exactly defines the term malnourished?”

There used to be 2 terms that referred to malnourished: kwashiorkor and marasmus. Kwashiorkor refers to not eating enough protein while marasmus is traditional starvation. However, now malnourishment has a set of criteria composed of 6 characteristics of a person:

• Weight loss
• Reduced functional strength
• Not eating enough calories to support the body
• Swelling
• Loss of fat under the skin
• Loss of muscle mass

Notice that nowhere in these 6 factors is overall body weight or BMI mentioned. This means that even someone who is overweight or obese can be malnourished. It does not say that a person has to be less than 100 pounds or have bones prominently showing.

“Nourish” is defined as “to sustain with food or nutriment; to supply what is necessary for life, health, and growth.” Even when not referring to food, someone could say, “This lotion left my hands feeling nourished and smooth.”

Why do dietitians push for vegetables over candy? The nutrients. They both provide energy, but they don’t provide the same profile of nutrients. Calories are essential, but nutrients nourish. For example, if someone was overweight, we regularly don’t describe them as malnourished…but let’s say they were only consuming Cheetos, donuts, and Coke for their meals. This type of diet can lead to malnutrition because while calories might be sufficient, nutrients to help the body repair itself and keep things functioning properly are lacking.

Any size of person can be malnourished. Malnourishment often becomes apparent in the context of a medical diagnosis. This is not to say that everyone who is overweight/obese is malnourished, but the premise is that malnourished isn’t always what we have seen historically when food wasn’t as abundant as it is now. The bottom line: eating a diet focused on nutrient-rich foods helps prevent malnourishment. Choose nutrients over calories.

-WW

Working in a place of foodservice gives me some great insight into some of the food mannerisms of the average American. People in the United States emphasize the value of the dollar. This is everyday life, and we likely fail to realize how much we place value on how big our meals are with respect to how much we pay for it. It is easily reflected when you examine restaurant promotionals like “2 for $20” or “large pizza for the price of a medium!”

A common order I receive is “light ice” or “no water.” While these requests may enhance the flavor of a drink and seemingly provide you with more product for your money, are you really winning the game? One pound of fat equals roughly 3,500 calories. This means that if you consume an extra 100 calories each day of the year (100 kcal x 365 days) that your body doesn’t need, you will gain ~10 lbs each year (36,500 kcal ÷ 3,500 kcal/lb). One hundred calories don’t seem like much, but it can have a negative impact on your health if this is kept up over the years. An extra 100 kcal would roughly be the size of one piece of bread or less than half of one regular bag of M&M’s. With this in perspective, this scenario of a little bit extra could play out as easily as someone at work bringing in a sweet snack for the office to munch on.

These small mouthfuls can lead to serious, unwanted health changes. In the end, if we order something slightly altered so that we get more food/drink for the amount we are paying, are we really winning when this results in excessive weight gain and subsequent higher medical bills? Maybe that menu deal is really no deal at all.

-WW

Everyone hears that a proper diet and exercise regimen can help prevent chronic disease such as cancer. How does that work exactly? A complex topic that can be understood a little bit easier by looking back at basic cell biology. Cells replicate and divide in order to be renewed and function at their best. The body has natural protective mechanisms that ensure this replication process starts and stops appropriately. Cancer develops when cells replicate uncontrollably, and the “stop” button is missed.

Fruits/vegetables play key roles in keeping cells healthy and dividing in a controlled fashion. How? Compare candy and broccoli for a second. They both provide energy (calories) for your cells to use; candy only provides energy, while broccoli provides energy plus vitamins/minerals/phytochemicals to help keep cells repaired and healthy, minimizing the chances that cell renewal will go rogue. This doesn’t mean chocolate causes cancer; it means it simply doesn’t provide nutrients that emphasize cell repair and health. Broccoli also has fiber, which promotes more frequent stools. This bowel movement helps get foodstuff out of the intestines faster to reduce contact time that intestinal cells have with cancer-causing agents. Diets high in fruits/vegetables (esp. non-starchy) are associated with lower risks of colon cancer.

Another diet component to consider is alcohol consumption. While regular foods/drinks have specific places in the GI tract to be absorbed, alcohol is unique in that it can be absorbed at any point in the GI tract once consumed. When alcohol is absorbed, it also denatures parts of the cells and speeds up cell division. This increases the chances of cell division controls being disrupted, which can lead to the uncontrolled cell replication that causes cancer. Thus, this is one reason moderate alcohol consumption is encouraged, among other things.

Proper nutrition does not necessarily prevent cancer, but it can certainly help protect against it. BN dietitians are able to help with nutrition for cancer and can help you set up a diet that will help protect against a cancer diagnosis in the first place.

-WW

Nuts have been a “nut”ritional trend for a while now.  It’s widely known that they have many health benefits, including being anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, which are both important for heart and blood vessel health as well as muscle and tissue repair.  Satiation, or feeling satisfied or “full”, is one of the other important benefits of nuts.  So when looking at nuts, which ones are healthiest or the best choices?  It really matters when looking at the details of nuts and what we are trying to accomplish.

As a protein source, almonds, pistachios and cashews rank in that order, with almonds coming in at 6 grams per oz, which is almost as high as an animal source protein, having 7 – 8 grams of protein per oz.

For fiber, almonds top the list again at 3.5 grams per oz, followed by pistachios, then pecans and hazelnuts tying for third.

In looking at calories, almonds are lowest at 163 calories per oz, and macadamia nuts the highest at 204 calories per oz.

Healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fats, have macadamia nuts as highest at 16.7 grams per oz., followed by hazelnuts and pecans.  Walnuts are highest in polyunsaturated fats.  Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that may protect against Alzheimer’s, is highest in almonds, followed by hazelnuts.  To decrease saturated fats, we could limit Brazil nuts followed by macadamias, and almonds being the lowest.

Many people are attempting to increase their magnesium intake, so Brazil nuts are highest in this nutrient.  For calcium, almonds are highest at 75 mg per oz.

So we see that as in most issues, it depends on what our health goals are and the fact that there are “no perfect foods,” but nuts in general are such a good choice to add fiber, mostly healthy fats and many other nutrients.  They are very easy to add to salads, have as a snack or as a “butter.”  For many of us, the challenge seems to be limiting our portion to that one oz.  For a more complete breakdown, look on the USDA’s National Nutrient Database.

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list