Does eating red meat really shorten your life? Are pesticides truly to blame for the pesticide epidemic? Are organics worth the cost? I tackle these and other nutrition topics in this interview with Harris Faulkner.
Tag: nutrition
Is Farm-Raised Fish Safe?
Q. I have seen a lot of conflicting information about the safety of farmed-raised fish. I stopped buying farm-raised salmon years ago because of the concern. How does farm-raised trout stack up to other fish in terms of nutrition and safety? Where does most of the supply come from in USA?
A. Unfortunately, this issue is a moving target. Exponential growth in aquaculture and the pressure to control costs means that procedures are constantly evolving. If watchdog groups make enough noise about a safety or nutrition concern, the industry often changes practices in response. So, something that was a concern a few years ago may no longer be a problem. (See, for example: Farmed salmon gets an anti-inflammatory makeover.) However, newer concerns may have cropped up in the meantime.
The best resource I’ve found to keep up with these issues is Seafood Watch. These guys are working hard to stay on top of all of these issues and to provide up-to-date resources for consumers trying to make safe and responsible choices. They have a number of tools for consumers, including a mobile app for your smart phone or a low-tech wallet card, as well as in-depth reports on individual fish. According to the fact-sheet on farmed trout, most of the farm-raised trout in the U.S. is produced in Idaho, with a minimum of negative environmental impacts. They consider it an excellent choice.
Nutrition Tips for Shift Workers
Night shift workers are more likely to suffer from insomnia, fatigue, accidents, ulcers, and even certain types of cancer than those who work during the day. People also frequently gain weight when they work the night shift. Although it’s clearly not ideal, many people have no choice but to work nights. In this week’s podcast, I have some tips on how to keep shift work from sabotaging your nutrition or your health. Read or listen to it here.
My Take on the Potato Wars
One of the proposed changes to the National School Lunch Program is to limit the amount of “starchy” vegetables like corn and potatoes to no more than two servings a week. Turns out that potatoes (mostly in the form of French fries) constitute 75% of the vegetables eaten in our school cafeterias. The idea is that cutting back on potatoes might compel kids to consume other vegetables. French fried carrots, presumably. Continue reading “My Take on the Potato Wars”
How much is an International Unit?
Q. Most nutrients seem to be measured in mg but some are shown as mcg or I.U. How do I convert these measurements into mg?
A. To convert micrograms (mcg) to milligrams (mg), divide by 1,000–or move the decimal point 3 positions to the left. 1000 mcg = 1.000 mg. But generally, you won’t need to convert between these two. We use micrograms for nutrients that occur in very small amounts (folate, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin K, for example). Instead of writing that a food contains 0.125 mg of vitamin K, it’s less confusing to write that it contains 125 mcg. You generally wouldn’t find milligram amounts of vitamin K in foods or supplements.
Converting International Units (I.U.) isn’t so simple–because it’s a different conversion for each nutrient. The I.U. is an arbitrary amount based on the amount of a given nutrient needed to produce a biological effect. Here are the conversions for the most common nutrients.
| Nutrient | Amount in 1 I.U. |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 0.3 mcg |
| Beta-carotene | 3.6 mcg |
| Vitamin D | 0.025 mcg |
| Vitamin E | 0.67 mg |
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Nutrition Tips for Healthy Aging
A healthy diet can help you remain healthy and vital well into your golden years. But as you get into your 50s, your nutritional needs begin to change. I have tips on how to adjust your diet to meet your changing nutritional needs in this week’s podcast. Read or listen to it here.
Will More Chewing Help you Lose Weight?
Many magazine and internet articles recommend chewing each bite of food 30, 40, even up to 80 times as a weight loss strategy. And it’s true: Chewing your food more thoroughly can improve digestion, promote weight loss, and affect the nutritional value of foods—but there is a surprising twist to this story. Find out more in this week’s episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast.
Do Herbal Supplements Really Work? | Podcast
A listener recently wrote with a question about herbal supplements such as St. John’s wort, which is sometimes recommended as a natural treatment for depression. “I know you aren’t a big fan of vitamin supplements,” she writes, “but what about herbal supplements for specific disorders?”
Generally speaking, herbal supplements aren’t used as a source of nutrition but as a concentrated source of bioactive compounds or chemicals that affect the body’s function. I think you need to use herbal supplements with as much care and caution as you would use a drug. In this week’s episode, I have three questions you should ask before taking any herbal supplement. Read or listen to it here.