2007 April - Fitness Mantra : A Health and Fitness Blog

Fitness Mantra del.icio.us page Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. You can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

This week, WebMD takes the prize for the most interesting article: Simple Fixes for a Healthier Diet begins by first describing the average American diet: highly deficient in key vitamins (A, C, E), minerals (potassium, magnesium) and fiber. Based on the periodic “What We Eat In America” Surveys conducted by the US Department of Agriculture, these results were derived after questioning nearly 9000 people on their daily eating habits.

Almost everyone surveyed (93%) was getting too little vitamin E from foods and beverages. Almost a third weren’t getting enough vitamin C, and about 44% were getting too little vitamin A. More than half of those surveyed weren’t getting enough magnesium, and better than 90% needed more potassium. Further, most weren’t meeting the daily fiber recommendations.

almonds But the article author, Elaine Magee, does not stop at finding fault with our eating habits: she provides us with a priceless list of five foods that will more than make up for the shortfall we are facing.

Adding all the foods in the list to our diet will provide us with 363% of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A, 388% Vitamin C, 90% Vitamin E, 81% magnesium, 65% RDA potassium, 20 grams of fiber (almost 80% RDA) and 0.5g of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

So what are these wonder foods? Well I am not one to give away the ending to a good article but I can only tell you that it involves one-third cup of nuts. For the rest of the story you really must read the entire article - go ahead, your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Now, while you figure out how you plan to include all those great foods into your diet, go through the week’s other top health and fitness stories:

Harvesting a Healty Diet for Children: Kids tend to eat more fruits and vegetables — and actually like it — if their produce is homegrown, a new study shows.
Tea ‘could cut skin cancer risk’: Drinking just two cups of tea per day could cut the risk of developing skin cancer, a study suggests.
Alcohol ‘makes fruit healthier’: Strawberries are good for you but having them in a cocktail may make them even healthier, a study suggests.
Cut Heart Risk by Eating Less Salt: Even modest reductions in salt intake can dramatically lower heart disease risk, new research shows.
Simple Fixes for a Healthier Diet: What do you need to eat to have a healthier diet? If you’re like the typical American, you’re lacking six key dietary components: vitamins A, E, and C; the minerals potassium and magnesium, and fiber.
8 Ways to Think Thin: If you want to succeed at weight loss, you need to “cut the mental fat, and that will lead to cutting the waistline fat,”
Whole-Grain Oats Cut Cholesterol: Eating a diet rich in whole-grain oats may help lower cholesterol in people at risk for heart disease.
That salad sounds healthful, but is it?: It turns out that what Californians “know” about the nutritional value of the food they order in chain restaurants may be the stuff of mythology.
I’m shaped liked SpongeBob!: What are the best exercises if you’re shaped like SpongeBob SquarePants?
Child Health Continues Troubling Slide: American children’s health continued to slide last year, part of a trend observers blame on worsening obesity rates.
Omega-3 Fatty Acid May Thwart Alzheimer’s Disease: A type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may help slow the growth of two kinds of brain lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study suggests.
Sally Squires - Eating and Exercise: How to Find the Right Mix: Figuring out what to eat and drink before, during and after exercise can give your brain a real workout.
Mauritania struggles with love of fat women - More Health News - MSNBC.com: Mey Mint struggles to carry her weight up the flight of stairs, her thighs shaking with each step. Her rippling flesh is not the result of careless overeating, though, but rather of a tradition.
Why broccoli, soy fight cancer: Eating foods like broccoli and soy has been linked to lower cancer rates, and California researchers said on Sunday that they may have discovered the biological mechanism behind the protective effect.
Can Too Much Weight Cause Ear Infections in Kids?: Scientists in South Korea have uncovered a possible connection between body fat in children and a certain kind of ear infection, but several specialists in the United States are expressing doubts about the research.
Sit to Be Fit — and Then Make Some Moves: Part of being fit is how you sit. A few simple adjustments can pay off.
Obese Children: More Ear Problems?: Obese children may be more likely to have fluid build-up in the middle part of their ears.
Study adds data that vegetables reduce cancer risk: A large study of 500,000 American retirees has found that just one extra serving of fruit or vegetables a day may reduce the risk of developing head and neck cancer.
Coca-Cola To Release Vitamin-Friendly Soda: Coca-Cola said it would soon be releasing a new drink — Diet Coke Plus. Company officials said the soda is very similar to regular Coca-Cola but with vitamins.