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Showing posts from April, 2016

Hyponatremia

Reinagel, M. (2016, March/April). Who is affected by hyponatremia? Food & Nutrition. Page 14. Hyponatremia is a life threatening condition that occurs when blood sodium levels drop below 135 mmol/L.   Excessive amounts of sodium are lost through urination, perspiration, vomiting or diarrhea, resulting in hyponatremia.   Overhydration, medications or certain health conditions, such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone can also cause dilutional hyponatremia.   Athletes, specifically female athletes who participate in long-duration sports most often experience hyponatremia.   Certain medications such as diuretics may deplete the body of electrolytes and therefore sodium, leading to low levels in the blood. Children and the elderly who receive intravenous administration of hypotonic fluids in excessive quantities or speeds can cause dilutional hyponatremia.   It’s also important to closely monitor pat

Should You be Counting Macronutrients Instead of Calories to Lose Weight?

Barnes, Z. (2015).  Should you be counting macronutrients instead of calories to lose weight? Womens Health.  Retrieved from http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/tracking-macronutrients . Should You be Counting Macronutrients Instead of Calories to Lose Weight? “If it Fits Your Macros” (IIFYM) diet is a diet that claims that you can have your cake and lose weight. Meeting your macronutrient requirements (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) is the most important in losing weight according to this diet.  As long as the food fits in your daily allowance of macronutrients, you are allowed to eat it. Before starting the diet the basal metabolic rate (BMR) must be determined.  The BMR is the amount of energy your body uses at rest.  A registered dietitian will be able to give you a more accurate estimate.  An activity factor is considered that ranges from 1.2(sedentary) to 1.8 (very active) and the BMR is multiplied by this factor.   This gives you your estimated daily calori

Fasting Diets are Gaining Acceptance

O’Connor, A. (2016).   Fasting diets are gaining acceptance. New York Times . Retrieved from http://www.dietdoctor.com/fasting-diets-are-gaining-acceptance . Fasting Diets Are Gaining Acceptance There are so new many new diets that come on the market.   One new diet that has been gaining acceptance is the “fasting diet”.   One type of fasting involves skipping breakfast and lunch and eating the required calories within a 6 hour period of time.   Another type of fasting diet is the 5:2.   The 5:2 diet encourages eating without restrictions for five days and then consuming just 500 calories on each of the other two days of the week.   Another one is called alternate-day fasting, which involves eating no more than 500 calories every other day. The proposed health benefits to fasting might result from the fact that fasting lowers insulin.   Another hormone called insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1 is also lowered, which is linked to cancer and diabetes. The reduction in cel

Stomach-Pumping Machine Makes Calories Disappear

Neporent, L. (2013). Stomach-pumping machine makes calories disappear.  ABC News .   Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/stomach-pumping-machine-makes-calories-disappear/story?id=18164739 . Stomach-Pumping Machine Makes Calories Disappear Gastric restriction and gastric bypass are currently the two surgical methods used to help morbidly obese patients lose weight.   Gastric restriction reduces the size of the stomach either by surgery or by banding.   Gastric bypass refers to a surgical procedure in which the stomach is resectioned and the small intestine is rearranged.   As both are surgical procedures, recovery time is needed. A new weight loss method is being proposed to help morbidly obese patients lose weight without the invasive surgical procedures of gastric restriction or gastric bypass.   AspireAssist system is a self-operated device being proposed.   Patients undergo a 20-minute procedure where a small tube is placed into the stomach

Soy foods and heart disease

Messina, V. (2016, April). Soyfoods and heart disease. Today’s Dietitian , 18(4), 18. Retrieved from http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0416p18.shtml              It’s no secret that diets based on plant foods are linked to a reduced risk for heart disease due to their low saturated fat content and high fiber content. Phytochemicals and antioxidants also found in plant based foods are associated to lower risk for heart disease. Soyfoods especially have been linked to lower incidence because of their beneficial fatty acids, protein and isoflavone content.   All beans, specifically soybeans are rich in protein yielding 15 grams of protein for ½ cup cooked soybeans.   Three epidemiologic studies in Asia evaluated the link between soy intake and coronary heart disease (CHD). One study found an 86% lower risk of nonfatal myocardial infection for postmenopausal women who were in the fifth percentile for soy protein consumption compared to those in the lowest

Protein for Fitness: Age Demands Greater Protein Needs

            Protein for Fitness: Age Demands Greater Protein Needs As the aging population continues to grow, making up a substantial part of our population focus is geared towards meeting the needs of these individuals in order to keep them healthy and optimize their overall quality of life. Increased protein demands, once a controversial topic, has been recognized to be imperative as an individual ages in order to combat sarcopenia, progressive muscle loss coupled with resistance to synthesize new muscle, which increases after the age of 50 resulting in 0.5-2% annual total muscle loss. Currently, the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) do not reflect increased protein needs for older adults, recommending only 0.8 gram of protein/kg of body weight per a day for the adult population, whereas current research suggests older adults over the age of 65 should be consuming approximately 1-1.2 grams of protein/kg of body weight per a day to maintain and continue to gain muscle mas