A single _______ provides 97.5% of the daily selenium requirement. a) Brazil nut
b) cashew
c) pecan
d) almond
Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Wednesday for the answer.
Numbers Game: One A Day
A single _______ provides 97.5% of the daily selenium requirement. a) Brazil nut
b) cashew
c) pecan
d) almond
Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Wednesday for the answer.
You Ask, I Answer: Nutrition & Fingernails
When I was in school, I always remember hearing that small white spots on your fingernails appeared because you weren't getting enough calcium and zinc. Is there any truth to that or it is an old wive's tale?
-- Jessica Climdow
(City withheld), MN
It's an absolute myth.
White spots on fingernails form as a response to injury (i.e.: accidentally slamming your fingernail on a counter top).
It's similar to skin developing a bruise when, for instance, you bump your elbow against something.
Whereas bruises to the skin can show up within a day or two, white spots on fingernails take much longer.
Since nail growth happens so slowly, it can take as much as two or three months for a spot to form -- and vanish!
In rare occasions, these white spots can also appear if you are allergic to a certain type of nail polish.
Sometimes, too, they are caused by bacterial infections underneath the nail. This is easy to spot, though, since usually this sort of infection results in part of the nail developing a greenish tint.
FYI: the classic symptoms of calcium deficiency are muscle cramping and twitching.
If you are deficient in zinc, you would experience significant hair loss, general fatigue, bruising on your skin, and often times, a decrease in appetite.
You Ask, I Answer: Weightlifting Supplements
I keep hearing from fellow women weight-lifters about supplements like creatine, branch chain amino acids, ZMA [zinc monomethionine aspartate] and the role they play in muscle gains and repair. I have my concerns about their long-term health effects, especially on women.
Do you think a casual weight-lifter like me (I lift 2 to 3 times a week to stay in shape) should stay away from them?
-- Mandy [last name withheld]
Halifax, Canada
It depends on which particular supplement you are talking about.
Creatine phosphate is one of the most well-known lifting supplements.
Creatine monohydrate and creatine citrate are also available; for all intents and purposes, they are the same thing (think of one as white sugar, another as brown sugar, and the other as cane juice crystals.)
It seems that any college student moderately interested in gaining muscle mass has a container of it in their dorm kitchen.
Although it may sound foreign, creatine is an amino acid produced by our bodies. It is also naturally found in significant quantities in all animal proteins -- particularly red meat, poultry, and fish.
Creatine serves as a backup reserve for short bursts of energy (no more than 8 to 10 seconds).
When you're banging out that last rep, it's creatine that comes to the rescue to give you a final jolt of strength.
Some people erroneously think that simply taking creatine is enough for adding muscle mass. Not so.
All creatine does is allow your muscles to work a little harder for a little longer. In other words, you still have to put in consistent time at the gym.
Keep in mind that although creatine is the best researched of the three supplements you ask about, none of them are regulated.
This is quite a problem, as it means that manufacturer A's creatine can differ greatly (i.e.: contain fillers and other useless ingredients) from manufacturer B's.
Although creatine can be helpful for bulking up, some of the accomplished results have more to do with muscular water retention than actual extra mass.
Branch chain amino acids can help delay muscle fatigue, but its effect has only been considered significant in very long endurance situations, like marathons.
For someone who works out two to three times a week to stay in shape, I find BCAA's to be a complete waste of money.
As for ZMA, there is very little literature on it. The only study I know of that has found it to be helpful was, not surprisingly, funded by its manufacturers.
I also find it rather comical ZMA is advertised as some "amazing breakthrough" when it's simply a combination of three minerals -- magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B6.
As far as long-term health effects of these supplements, there isn't enough information to truly know.
What we do know is that creatine appears to exacerbate dehydration. A few studies have also mentioned an increased risk for kidney problems, but that appears to only affect individuals who already have compromised kidneys.
I'm of the belief that the best thing you can do for your health -- and your training -- is eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, heart-healthy fats, whole grains, and lean protein.
No supplement is going to override a poor diet.
In The News: Milk Madness
The Chicago Tribune is profiling the battle over milk that has ignited in several of the Windy City's school districts.On the one hand, you have administrators and parents supporting the inclusion of milk in school cafeterias, "amid concerns that dairy consumption is waning among older children who have more beverage choices, from flavored water to energy drinks. Nine of every 10 preteen girls fall short of the federally recommended three calcium servings a day... for boys, the estimate is 7 of 10."
Then there are those concerned with flavored non-skim milks contributing to childhood obesity. Huh??
"A half-pint of low-fat chocolate milk has 3 teaspoons of added sugar... [and] those extra 75 calories raise a concern, given that surveys compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that 17 percent of school-age children are obese."
Whoever is concerned about those additional 75 calories seriously needs to reevaluate their priorities.
Childhood obesity is not caused by opting for low-fat chocolate milk over non-flavored skim milk at lunchtime.
All you need to do is look at the numbers. As childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed, milk consumption has decreased.
What has increased? Soda consumption -- overwhelmingly so!
It is those beverages, plus chips, breakfast toaster pastries, and supersize fast food portions -- staples of so many American teenagers' diets -- that should truly be "of concern."
It's also rather laughable to think that some schools are concerned with milk but apparently don't take issue with their almost daily offerings of meatloaf, chicken nuggets, and fruit canned in heavy syrup.
A glass of low-fat chocolate milk with a healthy lunch is harmless. This apparent phobia of 1% (reduced-fat) milk is beyond my comprehension.
We are talking about 2.5 grams of total fat, of which 1.5 gram are saturated, per cup. Perfectly reasonable numbers, as far as I'm concerned.
Numbers Game: Answer
The average taco salad shell contains approximately 300 - 450 calories. Yet another example of how salads can sometimes pack a caloric wallop.
Eating the shell on a taco salad can make the difference between a 600 calorie lunch and 1,050 calorie meal!
You're better off resisting temptation by asking for your taco salad to be served in a bowl.
If you are in need of some crunch, ask the server to top off your salad with a few tortilla chips (think a half dozen, thereby adding no more than 100 calories.)
You Ask, I Answer: Liquid Calories
I've read that we don't really seem to feel full after drinking caloric drinks like soda, [which is why] we can easily guzzle down 600 calories of Pepsi and still feel hungry. My question is, does this apply just as much to milk, or soymilk?
It seems like while I could guzzle down a full glass of soymilk and not feel that much more satiated, it definitely fills me up more than drinking a glass of Diet Coke.
-- Christine (Last name unknown)
Via the blog
Those studies are absolutely legitimate, but they mainly apply to empty calories like the ones found in soda and fruit drinks (in my mind, KoolAid and its imitations are basically flat soda).
Since these beverages contain nothing but sweeteners, they don't do much in the way of providing satiety. Correction -- they do absolutely NOTHING.
Keep in mind, too, that in your particular case, you are talking about diet soda, which provides zero calories.
Milk and soy milk are more nutritious beverages. They contain protein and some fat (unless you are drinking skim milk), two nutrients that play a significant role in helping us feel full.
This same concept can be applied to food. Take almonds and pretzels.
Pretzels are basically nothing but refined flour -- practically 100 percent fiberless carbohydrate.
Nuts, meanwhile, contains protein, fat, and fiber.
That is why 150 calories of almonds leave you feeling fuller than that same amount of pretzels.
Although liquid calories promote less fullness than solid food, milk and soy milk are certainly more filling than sugar water.
Survey Results: What Happens In The Bedroom...
According to the latest Small Bites survey, eighty-three percent of respondents believe a lack of sleep affects their eating habits.They are certainly not imagining things!
A fair number of research studies have found that sleep deprivation (usually defined as less than five hours of sleep a night) can affect hunger levels and, in some instances, even food choices.
The majority of studies focus on two hormones -- leptin and ghrelin.
Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, decreases hunger levels.
Ghrelin performs the opposite function. The higher your ghrelin levels, the hungrier you feel.
When sleep deprivation occurs -- particularly when it happens on a consistent basis -- leptin production decreases and ghrelin product increases.
End result? You are hungrier than normal.
One mystery that has baffled researchers is why sleep deprivation is often linked to a stronger desire for starchy, sweet, high-carbohydrate foods.
The answer appears to be found with orexins, neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus that have been linked to increased cravings.
It is theorized that increased ghrelin production also raises levels of orexins.
It should also be pointed out that sleep deprivation not only gets in the way of performing physical activity, but also makes routine tasks -- like cooking a 15 minute meal -- seem daunting.
Lower physical activity and increase your intake of takeout or fast foods over a consistent amount of time and you can see how sleep and eating habits are closely linked.