Nutritional Tips by Jane Thurnell-Read

Here are some easily digested nutritional tips. (Please excuse the pun!) Try applying one or two of them today -improve your diet and feel healthier.

Refined Carbohydrate
In nature unrefined carbohydrate always has B vitamins and magnesium necessary for its metabolism. Refined carbohydrates are striped of these nutrients. Trust nature - go for unrefined carbohydrates.

Iron
Most post-menopausal women do not need iron supplements. Excessive iron intake has been linked to heart disease.

Vitamin B12
The US National Academy of Sciences now urges all senior citizens to take B12 supplements, as people over 50 are less able to absorb this important anti-anaemia vitamin.

Iron
Vitamin C helps you to absorb iron, so make sure there's enough vitamin C in your diet. If you're taking an iron supplement, have some fruit or fruit juice at the same time.

Watch Your Protein Intake
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2006;84:1456-1462) found that high protein intakes are associated with an increased cancer risk.

Prone To Bruising?
Eat more foods rich in vitamin C if you're prone to bruising. If you are taking medication, consult your doctor if you suddenly start bruising.

Buying Ready-Meals?
Choose low fat options or supermarket healthy eating ranges, but check labels before buying. Go for meals that have less than 3g fat per 100g or less than 10g fat per serving. (British Dietetics Association)

Eating A Pizza
Bought a pizza to cook at home? Add extra veggies (e.g. tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers, corn) to make it healthier.

Goji Berries
Dried goji berries are becoming more available. They're rich in beta-carotene and also contain vitamin B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E.

Coriander
The herb coriander relaxes bowel muscles and reduces wind and bloating. Add fresh coriander leaves to a salad; or use in place of parsley.

Chilli
Chillis are thought to increase blood flow and have anti-bacterial properties. Add chillis to your food when you have an infection.

Lutein
Lutein is an antioxidant found in green leafy vegetables, and has been shown to be particularly beneficial for our eyes.

Vitamin C And Weight
A study in 2005 from Arizona State University suggested that when vitamin C levels are low your body burns fat more slowly. Take a supplement or eat vitamin C rich food if you want to lose weight.

Healthy Snacks
Keep healthy snacks at the front of the fridge or cupboard.

Depressed?
If you're feeling depressed, it could be because you're deficient in folic acid. This particularly affects seniors. Take a supplement and/or increase your intake of green leafy vegetables, beans and fortified foods.

Protect Yourself Against Strokes
Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to reduce your chance of having a stroke.

Safeguard Your Bones
Help to safeguard your bones by eating foods rich in vitamin K (green leafy vegetables). This vitamin helps to form the bone-hardening protein osteocalcin.

Fish Oil Supplements
Fish oils supplements can contain heavy metals and dioxins, so buy flax seed oil supplements instead.

Broccoli And Green Tea
Every week my trawl for medical news turns up another research report extolling a new health-enhancing power of one of these substances. (John Naish, news writer for the UK newspaper The Times).

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Nuts
Snacking on pistachio nuts may help to lower levels of so-called “bad” LDL cholesterol, suggest results of a study by researchers at Penn State University, USA.

Pesticides
The British Medical Association say that some pesticides can be stored in our body's fatty tissues for years. We just do not know the long term effects of this, so buy certified organic products.

Lower Your Cholesterol
Eating oats every day can lower your cholesterol.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are good for you. They protect against cancer and are anti-aging. Eat lots of coloured fruit and vegetables to get these valuable nutrients.

Controlling Blood Sugar
Eating sunflower seeds before you go to bed may help to control your blood sugar. If it does, you'll wake feeling less tired and irritable.

Indigestion?
Chew food well and improve your digestion. Digestion starts in the mouth where food is physically broken down, and enzymes start to break down starch and carbohydrates.

Keep Your Arteries Supple
Monounsaturated fats and oils (e.g. olive oil, groundnut oil and canola/rapeseed oil) help to keep your arteries supple.

Protection Against Cancer
Salvestrols from fruit and vegetables have been found to be protective against cancer. Salvestrol supplements may help people with cancer.

Gum Disease
Eating grapefruit can help fight gum disease. In a study 58 people with gum disease ate 2 grapefruit a day for a fortnight and showed significantly less bleeding.

Mouth Ulcers?
Mouth ulcers? Try increasing your intake of zinc-rich foods such as pumpkin seeds or take a zinc supplement.

Red Ears?
Do you or your child ever have one or both ears red and burning for no apparent reason? It could be that you are allergic to something you ate, drank or touched two hours before.

Cooking Food
Cooking destroys some nutrients, particularly vitamins B and C, so eat at least some of your food in its raw state.

Healthy, Fun Drinks For Children
Make ice cubes from fruit juice and add different coloured ones to water for a healthy, fun drink for children.

Pretend You Are A Plant!
Think about how lank and miserable plants look when they don't get enough water. Pretend you're a plant and perk yourself up with more water.

Snacking
Snack from a plate, not the packet -- it is easy to feel you should finish the packet. Put what you need on a plate, and put the rest of the pack out of sight.

Sugar Isn't That Great!
Sugar isn't the best food for energy. Sugar perks you up, but then it drops you down because of its roller coaster effect on blood sugar.

Copyright 2008 Jane Thurnell-Read