June is here! We are approaching the mid year point. Yikes! Those New Year’s goals seem like a long time ago. In January, I discussed including several foods and breakfast in your diet to make a positive impact on your health and to help you feel fabulous.
So how are you doing with that list of foods? Fill in the blank with the number of times you have eaten these in the past week.
- Blueberries or other berries, raisins, plums, oranges, red grapes, cherries, kiwi and pink grapefruit _________
- Kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, beets, red pepper, onion, corn and eggplant_____
- Fish (not fried) ________
- Milk _________
- Whole wheat bread, oats, barley, brown rice, whole-wheat pasta and bulgur ____
- Sweet potatoes and butternut squash
- Tofu, Soy nuts, black beans and other dried beans, peas and lentils ______
- Ground Flaxseed _______
- Nuts _________
- Olive or canola oil _____
- Breakfast ________
How do your answers compare to the following recommendations?
The current mantra for fruits and vegetables is, More Matters. Everyone benefits from eating more fruits and veggies. The current recommendation is a minimum 4 cups each day. The ones listed above are especially noteworthy for their disease fighting capacity. Did you have a serving of one of those mentioned in the first two questions at least once a day?
Did you have at least 6 ounces of fish? Salmon, trout, halibut, herring and tuna are especially good sources of omega-3 fatty acids that may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and may also be involved in preventing cancer, macular degeneration and rheumatoid arthritis.
More studies are reporting the benefits of vitamin D. Milk is one of the few food sources of vitamin D. At age 50+, we need 400 IU a day. Eight ounces of milk provides 100 IU.
My March column discussed the benefits of whole grains. I hope you are looking for the whole grain stamp on labels and aiming to get 48 gm of whole grains each day.
Sweet potatoes and winter squash are especially great sources of beta carotene (your body converts it to vitamin A), potassium and fiber. Did you have them twice this week? You can also count them toward your fruit and vegetable total.
Soy and dried beans, peas and lentils are a great low fat substitute for meat. Besides protein, these foods have complex carbohydrates and fiber. Some types of beans, especially soybeans, have plant omega-3 fatty acids. Did you have them a few times this week? They also count toward your vegetable intake.
Ground flaxseed is another source of omega-3 fatty acids plus fiber and phytochemicals. Hope you’ve found a way to add a tablespoon each day to your cereal, yogurt or another food.
Unless you’re allergic to nuts, I suspect you’ve had no trouble including a handful of nuts each day! Put a third cup into a snack zip lock baggie and have it on the drive home from work or when the afternoon munchies hit.
Have you made the switch to olive or canola oil when you need oil for cooking or on your salad? Since they are a fat and contain more calories, use them in small amounts.
Lastly, we come to the first meal of the day! I hope you have found a way to make breakfast a part of your daily routine.
Found some areas that need targeting? June is the start of summer and a good time to focus on your goals for a healthful eating plan.
