Associates in Nutrition & Sports Specialty

One of the most common nutrition myths is that sugar causes diabetes. If you have diabetes, you do need to watch your sugar and carbohydrate intake, with the help of a nutritionist or dietician, to properly manage your blood sugar level. However, if you do not have diabetes, sugar intake will not cause you to develop the disease. The main risk factors for type 2 diabetes are a diet high in calories, being overweight, and an inactive lifestyle. For more nutrition information, visit www.associatesinnutrition.com

It’s National Seafood Month! A new nutrition myth out there is the idea that eating seafood will cause high blood cholesterol. The truth is that cholesterol found in seafood, as well as other meats, has little effect on blood cholesterol. A person’s intake of saturated fat and trans fatty acids are the two most important diet factors that raise blood cholesterol. Saturated fats are found in many packaged foods and in a variety of meat products. Trans fatty acids are also found in packaged snack foods, deep-fried foods, and margarines which contain hydrogenated oil.

Multi-grain bread is more nutritious than white or wheat bread

It’s all about labels, and the bread you want should be “whole wheat bread.” Virtually all bread is wheat bread, says registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “But just because it says wheat on the label doesn’t mean it is 100 percent whole wheat,” she says. “It’s true that whole wheat bread has a lot more fiber than white bread, but read the label carefully. The first ingredient should be whole wheat, and there shouldn’t be a lot of artificial colorings in the bread to give it the look of wheat bread.” A bread labeled multi-grain isn’t necessarily any better for you than a loaf labeled wheat bread.

Every month, I’ll be posting nutrition myths and giving you the skinny on the facts. This month, it’s the long-held nutrition myth that all fats are bad. But the fact is that we all need fat. Fats aid nutrient absorption and nerve transmission, and they help to maintain cell membrane integrity – to name just a few of their useful purposes. However, when consumed in excessive amounts, fats contribute to weight gain, heart disease and certain types of cancers.  Not all fats are created equal. Some fats can actually help promote good health, while others increase the risk for heart disease. The key is to replace bad fats (saturated fats and trans fats) with good fats (monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats).    Click here for more information: http://www.healthcastle.com/goodfats-badfats.shtml. Be sure to visit  http://www.associatesinnutrition.com/ for more information on nutrition and healthy living.