Tag Archives: Jody

How much sugar is enough?

Healthy Eating, , , , ,

Hey Jody, I just found out that WHO recommends our diet should only include 5% or less of sugar. This includes white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup and other sugars. For a 2,000/calorie/day diet that’s just 100 calories. Most Americans are taking in three times that amount. One teaspoon (4.2g) is 16 calories. So by these standards we should have less than 6.25 teaspoons (26.25g) of sugar a day. A 12-oz. can of Pepsi has 41g sugar. Coke has 39g sugar. 3/4 cup of Frosted Flakes has 11g sugar. Frosted Mini-Wheats has the same 11 grams for 21 biscuits.

Consuming too much sugar increases risk for heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and dental problems to name a few. It is also linked to high triglycerides, and low HDL (good cholesterol.)

~ Steve Victor

Eating “healthy” restaurant options not always better

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Jody Victor‘s crew found that Time published information from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior of research conducted by Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania of more than 2600 menu items at full-service restaurant chains. These included Olive Garden, Red Lobster and T.G.I Friday’s. They found that most exceeded the recommended calories, sodium, and saturated fat for a single meal.

Over half the menus analyzed were classified as “healthy” options but what this was based on differed from restaurant to restaurant. They found that most meals that included an adult entree, side dish and shared appetizer were about 1495 calories, 28g saturated fat, 3312mg sodium. If you added a drink or dessert then your are over the recommended 2000 calories per day for adults.

~ Steve Victor

New Cholesterol Guidelines

Health Issues, Healthy Eating, , , , , ,

This past week, new guidelines for risk assessment of heart disease came out. The bottom line is, just the numbers of your cholesterol aren’t figured in anymore for your risk of heart disease. Now it looks at your blood pressure, whether you have diabetes, smoke, and your race, age, and gender as well.

Guess what, Jody, you can download an assessment tool from the American Heart Association to find out your risk. The new guidelines are determining whether you will benefit from statin drugs. More people may find themselves taking statins even if their cholesterol numbers seem normal. Diet and exercise alone may not decrease the risk of needing the drugs.

~ Steve Victor

Say Goodbye to Trans Fats

Healthy Eating, , , , , ,

Hey Jody, as recently as today, the FDA has ruled that trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) are no longer “generally recognized as safe.) Once this is finalized, then these will become food additives that cannot be used in food without their approval.

So what foods contain this unsafe ingredient? Things like frozen pizza, donuts, frozen desserts, margarine, coffee creamer, microwave popcorn, cake mixes, Bisquick, soups, fast food fries and chicken, cookies, chips, crackers, cereals, cookies, candy, dips, dressings, whipped toppings.

The downside – if you are eating these things, you will have to find alternatives. The upside – you will be healthier for it.

~ Steve Victor

Even if you are older you can benefit from exercise.

Fitness, , , , ,

Jody Victor found an article that recommends that even older adults should exercise. The article stated that with exercise, research shows that if you are older, you are less likely to fall. Not only that, but if you do fall, you have less likelihood of getting seriously hurt.

The article also stated that between 30 and 40 percent of those 65 or older fall on average once per year and 5-10 percent of them have a serious injury.

It pays to start exercising while you are young and continue on in your golden years.

~ Steve Victor