Dan wonders how you can tell whether peanut butter was made with the peanut skins–that papery reddish stuff that surrounds each nut. As Dan points out, these skins are quite rich in phenolic compounds (fancy antioxidants) and peanut butter made with the skins is a lot more nutritious. Continue reading “Why you should look for peanut butter made with unblanched peanuts”
Category: Ask Monica
Your nutrition questions answered
Is Shakeology all it’s cracked up to be?
“I would love to hear your thoughts on the popular drinks Shakeology and Vega One. I really like drinking a smoothie on my way to work. I usually put in things like hemp seed, flax seed, Greek yogurt, almond milk, and frozen fruit. But recently, a friend of mine was touting the benefits of Shakeology and telling me that I couldn’t possibly be getting the same nutrition in my morning smoothie as she gets from hers. What’s your take? Is Shakeology all it’s cracked up to be?”
I get three or four questions a week about Shakeology, which promises “a world of superfood nutrition in every glass.” You’ll pay about $5 a serving for this shake mix, which is a protein powder fortified with additional nutrients, herbs, and other goodies. “There’s nothing out there that can supply you with all the nutrients, vitamins, proteins, and minerals in these amounts,” they claim.
Your morning smoothie recipe sounds a lot like mine, Michelle. We’re getting plenty of protein, fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, and a variety of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But are we getting as many nutrients from our whole food smoothies as your friend is getting from her processed shake powder? Probably not.
The real question, however, is whether your friend is getting any additional benefit from those additional nutrients.
I’m sure she thinks she is—why else would she be spending $5 bucks a pop? And the website is over-flowing with testimonials from enthusiastic users. But there’s not a lot of solid evidence to back this up.
For one thing, there’s not a linear relationship between how much of a nutrient you take in and the benefit you get from it. Taking twice as much of a nutrient doesn’t necessarily do you twice as much good.
Secondly, nutritional supplements almost never provide the same benefits as getting your nutrition from whole foods.
See also: Can I Get My Vegetables in a Pill?
I’m not convinced that any proven benefits come close to justifying the hefty price tag. Personally, I think I’d rather spend that money on food!
This post originally appeared at Quickanddirtytips.com
Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake
Q. I enjoy using cast-iron cookware and I have heard that it can increase the iron content of some foods during cooking. Is this a safe source of iron and are there any foods that I shouldn’t be cooking in cast-iron?
A. It’s true! Acidic foods like tomatoes can react with the metal in a cast-iron skillet and actually absorb some of the iron molecules. This is a safe and effective way to increase your iron intake.
So, how much of a difference does this make in the iron content of foods? Potentially, a lot. Continue reading “Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake”
Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?
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Q. I work with girls with eating disorders and the topic of sugar keeps coming up. There is a lot of info in the media targeting sugar, and diets that encourage you to “quit” sugar completely. I’d really like to be able to give the girls I work with an evidence-based explanation for why cutting out sugar completely isn’t a good idea. So far I mostly take the line that food is not simply about nutrition. If you avoid sugar at all costs then you are going to miss out on life (you can’t share a cupcake at a friends birthday, you’re too worried about ingredients to enjoy your food etc.). But I’d love your perspective on whether low to moderate amounts of sugar is OK. Continue reading “Is Sugar Nutritionally Necessary?”
What Causes Elevated B12 levels?
Q. What causes elevated B-12 levels? My levels are high but none of my doctors seem to think it’s a problem. Should I be concerned?
A. Elevated B-12 levels can be a sign of a serious disease, such as certain types of leukemia or liver disease. If your doctors are unconcerned about your high B-12 levels , it suggests that they have ruled out these other possibilities based other test results (such as white blood cell count or liver enzymes). You could ask them to be sure! Certain drugs used for insomnia (specifically, chloral hydrate) can also cause elevated B-12 levels.
References
Ermens AA, Vlasveld LT, Lindemans J. Significance of elevated cobalamin (vitamin B12) levels in blood. Clin Biochem. 2003 Nov;36(8):585-90. Link
Can I get my veggies in a pill?
Q. “I’ve heard about capsules that contain powdered vegetable juice. It sounds too good to be true. Wouldn’t the nutritional value of the vegetables get lost in the processing?”
A. Some of the nutritional value of the vegetables would surely be lost by processing them into a powdered supplement – but certainly not all of it. However, I don’t think that popping a few capsules of powdered vegetables is the best way to get your recommended 5 servings a day. Part of the benefit of eating a lot of vegetables is the nutrients they contain. However, there’s another equally important benefit.
Vegetables are very nutrient dense but not very energy dense. When you fill your plate (and your stomach) with vegetables, it leaves a lot less room for other less nutritious foods – like potato chips or brownies. People who eat more vegetables not only get more nutrients, they also tend to eat fewer empty calories.
Related listening
If you fulfill your vegetable quota by popping a couple of capsules of powdered vegetable juice, you’ll get some good vegetable nutrition. But those capsules aren’t going to take up any room on your plate or in your stomach…which may tempt you to eat more junk. And if you are eating lots of fresh vegetables, taking powdered vegetable supplements seems like an unnecessary expense.
This post originally appeared on quickanddirtytips.com
Is shellfish as nutritious as fish?
Q. “I hear a lot about the health benefits of eating fish, but are other types of seafood (such as shrimp, mussels, oysters, calamari, etc.) just as good for us? I enjoy eating them but would love to know more about how they fit into a healthy diet.”
A. Absolutely! Seafood can be broken down into several different categories: finfish (which include fish like salmon and trout), mollusks (which include clams, calamari, oysters, scallops, and mussels), and crustaceans (which include shrimp, crab, and lobster). And let’s not forget about those sea vegetables!
As is the case with land animals (and vegetables), each type of seafood has its own unique nutritional profile, but we can also make some generalizations:
- All seafood (with the exception of sea vegetables) are good sources of protein.
- Seafood is one of the better dietary sources of vitamin D.
- Mollusks tend to be rich in selenium and zinc.
- Crustaceans are often high in cholesterol
- Because most seafood lives in salt water, they also are relatively high in sodium, compared with other animal proteins.
Of course, one of the main health benefits of fish is the omega-3 fatty acids. But the amount of omega-3 varies considerably from type to type. Tilapia, orange roughy, and cod, for example, are all relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids.
Among the best sources of omega-3s are salmon, sardines, sablefish, anchovies, and herring. Among the shellfish, oysters are the only ones with comparable omega-3 levels.
This article was originally published on QuickandDirtyTips.com
How Many Calories Do You Need During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is not an excuse to stop paying attention to calories – but it’s also not the time to go on a diet. In this episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast, I discuss the dangers of gaining too much (or too little) weight during your pregnancy.
Guide to calorie needs during pregnancy
The following chart shows how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy and about how many calories you should be eating to stay on course.
First, you’ll need to calculate your pre-pregnancy BMI to see how much weight you should gain over the course of your entire pregnancy. Then, use this calculator to estimate your baseline (non-pregnancy) calorie needs, if you don’t already know them. Finally, see how many calories you should add to your baseline during each trimester of pregnancy.
NOTE: These numbers are only general guidelines; please discuss these recommendations with your obstetrician and/or nutrition professional and adjust your intake as needed to stay within recommended weight gain ranges. Please do not attempt to lose weight during your pregnancy. The lower number in the recommended range is just as important as the upper one!