Welcome ladies! It's Week Five of the Challenge Club for New Ladies and we're back to focusing on diet and nutrition.
So, hopefully we've all found out how important to make sure that friends and family are on board, and in support, of our health transformations, because we all know that support of those around us can be the maker or breaker of our success. We've been learning tools on how to eat healthy foods, but also on how to transform some of our favorite foods into healthier versions.
The Challenge this week is to try to find someone in your life who is willing to help you move ahead this week. This can be a spouse, co-worker, daughter, anybody! Your task is this: you need to pick a topic to learn more about (i.e. Vitamins, Protein, types of Fat, etc.) and do some research to find out some interesting facts you didn't know. Many people don't realize that some fat is actually GOOD for your body! Or exactly what Riboflavin and Niacin do for you! Do you?? Now is the time to find out for yourself, and prepare a meal that exemplifies the nutrition facts you learned. For instance, should you choose to research about mono-vs. poly- vs. saturated- vs. unsaturated- vs. trans fats, you would find one person willing to let you share this information with them, and then have a meal that can demonstrate your knowledge by containing some "healthy fats" but not "unhealthy fats."
Next Thursday, we want to hear what you studied up on, what you learned, and the meal you found that is healthy in the area you focused on. Remember to post your results by 11:59 pm EST on Thursday. Best of luck to all and keep up the incredible work!
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Quote of the Week:
Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever acheieve greatly.
-Robert F. Kennedy
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Tip of the Week:Lower that Sodium!
Remember Season 4 when Jillian got on B about eating so much sodium? Well, she knew what she was talking about. Most Americans eat WAY too much sodium in their diet, something that is unhealthy for your weight, but also for things like your heart.
Healthy American adults should eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day. This is about 1 teaspoon of sodium chloride (salt). To illustrate, the following are sources of sodium in the diet.
1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium
1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium
3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium
1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium
1 teaspoon baking soda = 1000 mg sodium
What are the common sources of sodium?
When you must reduce the amount of sodium (salt) you eat, be aware of both natural and added sodium content. Table salt is sodium chloride. It's 40 percent sodium by weight. When you buy prepared and packaged foods, read the labels. Watch for the words "soda" (referring to sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda) and "sodium" and the symbol "Na." These products contain sodium compounds.
Some drugs contain high amounts of sodium. Carefully read the labels on all over-the-counter drugs. Look at the ingredient list and warning statement to see if the product has sodium. A statement of sodium content must be on labels of antacids that have 5 mg or more per dosage unit (tablet, teaspoon, etc.). Some companies are now producing low-sodium over-the-counter products. If in doubt, ask your doctor or pharmacist if the drug is OK for you.
Most spices naturally contain very small amounts of sodium.
How can I reduce the sodium in my diet?
* Choose fresh, frozen or canned food items without added salts.
* Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas and lentils.
* Limit the amount of salty snacks you eat, like chips and pretzels.
* Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
* Select unsalted, fat-free broths, bouillons or soups.
* Select fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses, as well as low-fat yogurt.
* Specify what you want and how you want it prepared when dining out. Ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
* Use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food.
Source: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4708
