HealthyLife Articles

Tag: legumes

  • Meet Your Protein Needs

    HEALTHY EATING

    Hands holding tempeh buddha bowl. Marinated tempeh in marinade with rice, steamed broccoli, avocado.

    Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for growth and for the body to function properly. Every single cell in your body contains protein.

    Eating enough protein ensures your body has all the building blocks it needs to keep you strong and healthy. But, how much is enough? Too little protein puts you at risk for a deficiency, and too much protein may create an imbalance in your diet.

    Calculate your needs

    The amount of protein you need depends on your height, weight, sex, age, and activity level. In addition, there are certain times of life when protein needs are higher. Children, teens, pregnant women, and anyone healing from an injury require extra protein for growth and repair.

    The average, healthy adult can use this formula to determine their baseline protein needs.

    *  Divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2 (this converts it to kilograms).

    *  Multiply that number by 0.8 -1.

    *  This number range gives you a rough estimate of your daily protein needs.

    Eat a variety

    Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks your body uses to create the specific proteins each cell requires. Different foods contain different amino acids, so eating a variety of protein-containing foods will ensure you get all the amino acids your body needs.

    In particular, if you eat a vegetarian or vegan diet, aim to consume as many different protein sources as possible.

    High protein foods

    It’s easy to meet your protein needs if you choose a serving of protein-containing food at each meal and some snacks each day.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Fiber Up

    Nutrition

    Fiber is an indigestible carbohydrate. It helps people stay healthy by preventing constipation, and in certain forms seems to lower cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, fiber is processed out of many grain foods like bread and cereal. Choose foods with whole grains over ones with refined grains.

    A general recommendation is to get 20 to 35 grams of dietary fiber a day. Fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains all contain dietary fiber. Dietary fiber consists of two kinds of fiber: soluble fiber (meaning it dissolves in water) and insoluble fiber (meaning it doesn’t dissolve in water).

    The following foods are especially good sources of soluble fiber, which may be helpful in lowering cholesterol.

    *  Barley bran.

    *  Dried beans, cooked.

    *  Legumes.

    *  Oat bran.

    The following foods are especially good sources of insoluble fiber, which help prevent constipation.

    *  Corn bran.

    *  Nuts.

    *  Vegetables.

    *  Wheat bran.

    Most fruits, vegetables, and grain products contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, though, so eating a wide variety of foods can help you get your fair share of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

    Note: Many people rely on breakfast cereals as their main source of fiber. While eating a high-fiber cereal is a good start, it’s not the whole answer. Many high-fiber cereals supply 10 to 13 grams of fiber per 1/4 to 1/3 cup serving. That’s a respectable amount. But to get your fiber quota from high-fiber breakfast cereal alone, you’d need to eat two or three times the manufacturer’s suggested serving. It’s better to include some fruit, vegetables, and beans in your menu later in the day to balance out your fiber intake.

    Page from A Year of Health Hints book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine