In today's article, which came from the January/February 2011 edition of Women's Health, Joel Weber and Mike Zimmerman do their best to answer some of our daily tricky nutrition questions, many of which deal with different options you will find at fast food chains. Here are some of the answers to the questions they were asked:
Q: Which is the best choice: cheeseburger, hotdog, or slice of pizza?
A: While this is a worthy debate, the authors tell us that the more veggies that are high in fiber that we can include, the better. Therefore, your best option is going to most likely be the slice of pizza. Just have it piled with veggies like bell peppers, broccoli, and salad greens. While it wont be the healthiest food in the world, the toppings definitely make it the best choice.
Q: Cup of coffee or energy drink for staying awake?
A: Coffee. Weber and Zimmerman tell us that the caffeine in the cup of coffee will guarantee about five hours of alertness and it is also packed with antioxidants. Coffee has also been shown to improve short term memory and help protect against dementia and cancer. Energy drinks, on the other hand, provide their jolt of energy mainly from the sugars they contain, which will set you up for an energy crash later.
Q: Chicken or Beef?
A: This is tricky because it really depends on how the animal was raised. While chickens that are raised organically and given pasture and organic feed are extremely healthy, most chicken meat we eat today comes from chickens raised in a way that promotes fat growth. Since 1971, the fat content of chicken has increased 266% and its protein content has dropped by about a third. Cows are raised in similar ways today (unless raised organically)and have also encountered decreased nutritional value for us. So really, the type of meat does not really matter. Really it all depends on how they were raised.
Q: Turkey Bacon better for you?
A: According to Weber and Zimmerman, there is really no difference between regular bacon and turkey bacon. Turkey actually is a leaner meat than pork, but turkey bacon is not made 100% from the turkey meat. The bacon actually has a lot of additives and extra ingredients that don't add much nutritionally to the product. So, while both turkey bacon and pork bacon will give you more sodium than necessary, at least you are eating a 100% real meat when you eat pork bacon.
Q: Brown Rice better than White Rice?
A: Yes it is! This goes for all bread products: if it has grains in it or real wheat, it will have much more fiber and will fill up more room in your tummy - making you feel fuller off of less food. Refined carbohydrates found in white breads and rice does not have the fiber in it and will actually cause you to not only eat more, but to also increase insulin secretion, which signals your body to store fats.
Q: Are all sources of protein equal?
A: No. While you can get lots of protein from plant and nut products, the best source of protein is found in animal products: dairy and meats. Unlike plant proteins, animal proteins are complete, which means that they contain all of the essential amino acids that we need (since we cannot make them ourselves). While you can create complete proteins by combining legumes, nuts, and grains, you would have to consume 20-25%% more plant based protein to reap the same benefits that animal proteins provide.
Q: Glass of Fruit Juice nutritionally equivalent to a piece of fruit?
A: Definitely not. While most prepared fruit juices contain natural sugars, they also have a lot of added sugars in them as well. Sometimes, even 100% pure juices are not made from the exclusively advertised juice: they may also contain the cheaper juices like pear, apple, and grape - which are sweeter as well. To help cut down the amount of sugar you consume from juices, try getting juices made from only one fruit, pour half of a glass, and fill the rest with water or seltzer (sparkle water). Better yet, stick to the real fruit. It is good to note that while a medium orange has about 62 calories, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of fiber; orange juice has 110 calories, 24 grams of sugar, and 0 fiber in one 8oz glass.
Q: White Cheeses better than Yellow?
A: In terms of weight loss, yes. Yellow cheeses tend to have more calories in them because of their higher fat concentrations. Cheddar Cheese can have up to 113 calories and 9 grams of fat for an ounce whereas Brie has 94 calories and 8 grams of fat. But regardless of what cheese you eat, all cheeses are really calorie rich foods so the best thing to do is to use portion control when eating it.
Exercise: Get ready, because today is the first MILE swim of the year! I did my usual Tuesday swim workout, but I extended it today to make it one mile long. Here's what to do:
100 Freestyle Warm Up
50 Freestyle Swim
50 Freestyle Pull
50 Freestyle Kick
50 Freestyle Swim
(Repeat the set of four fifties SEVEN times)
100 Freestyle Cool Down
TOTAL: 1600 Meters
Eat: Sometimes it is very difficult for me to get my dinners in when I work and workout so late in the night. So today I tried out something new, I prepared for my after-workout hunger by getting a yogurt parfait (full of protein, fruits, and fiber) and storing it in the fridge until after my workout. Then, once my workout was finished, I knew I had something to eat for the night to regain some of my strength and to have some kind of meal for dinner.
Relax: Today I was so exhausted that I had to set my stuff to do aside in the morning in order to take a nap. So that was my relaxing activity for the day. I ended up napping for about an hour and I felt so much better when I awoke. If you are ever feeling like your concentration or motivation are off because of being sleepy, I suggest taking a nap to help regain some of that alertness and to feel rejuvenated!
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