Tuesday, 23 June 2015

FOOD GROUPS AND THE IMPACT OF FOOD ON HEALTH

As the old adage goes "LET THY FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND THY MEDICINE, THY FOOD". This simply puts everything into perspective. In layman terms what we eat will definitely reflect on our body. Our bodies are the mirrors reflecting just how much we put in them.If we get too much food, or food that gives our bodies the wrong instructions, we can become overweight, undernourished, and at risk for the development of diseases and conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease. Hence we should be very cautious of what we eat, keeping in mind the {GIGO}; garbage in garbage out theory.



IMPACT OF FOOD ON HEALTH

Food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth. From the definition we can actually derive the impact of maintain life and growth. There are very many other impacts but what is important about this section of this piece is that we need to understand the relationship between food and health so as to be able to control our vulnerability to disease.

WELL BALANCED MEAL

Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean protein offers physical and mental benefits that will last a lifetime.

The World Health Organization identifies several important effects of a healthy diet on the body. Well-balanced nutrition bolsters our immune system, increasing our ability of fight illness and diseases. A healthy diet also reduces our risk of conditions including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and bone and connective tissue disorders.Because good nutrition is associated with healthy weight maintenance, it's no surprise that a good diet may improve our self-esteem. Giving our body the correct fuel will give us more energy and an overall sense of well-being. However food can also have a negative impact on our health which ultimately depends on how we use that food. For instance potatoes are a good source of carbohydrates, however when we deep fry them in fat and not drain excess fat from the chips we predispose ourselves to weight problems and possibly cardiovascular risks as well.

In conclusion food is very important to us in all aspects. In order for use to benefit from it most we should bring to perspective other factors like preparation, safety and hygiene as well as portions/ serving size. The next article will broadly discuss on food groups and portion sizes.

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

FOOD: THE MEANING




We all eat to live as the old adage goes. However how many times have we wondered what this thing food is? In simple terms food can be described as any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth. According to Wikipedia, Food is  any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested by an organism and assimilated by the organism's cells to provide energy, maintain life, or stimulate growth.

The most interesting thing is that the origin of food emanates from the food chain/food web theory. All food originate from plants mainly as even animal food sources deriving their food from plants first.

Food can be classified as animal or plant. Plant food sources can be further classified into seeds such as legumes and cereals like beans, vegetables which can be leafy like kales, stem vegetables like asparagus, root vegetables like turnips and flowery/inlforescence like cabbages. on the other hand animal sources range from beef products, pork, veal, mutton, offals like matumbo [not to mention utamu wa atta na matumbo,lol], poultry like  chicken, dairy products like milk among others.

In order to understand food we also need to have a brief understanding of the taste perception of food. It should be noted that the taste perception of food goes beyond flavor and may involve a combination of aroma and color. As human beings we have five types of taste mainly sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Generally regarded as the most pleasant taste, sweetness is almost always caused by a type of simple sugar such as glucose or fructose, or disaccharides such as sucrose, a molecule combining glucose and fructose.Sourness is caused by the taste of acids, such as vinegar in alcoholic beverages. Sour foods include citrus, specifically lemons, limes, and to a lesser degree oranges. Sour is evolutionary significant as it is a sign for a food that may have gone rancid due to bacteria.Saltiness is the taste of alkali metal ions such as sodium and potassium. It is found in almost every food in low to moderate proportions to enhance flavor, although to eat pure salt is regarded as highly unpleasant. There are many different types of salt, with each having a different degree of saltiness, including sea salt, fleur de sel, kosher salt, mined salt, and grey salt. Bitterness is a sensation often considered unpleasant characterized by having a sharp, pungent taste. Dark, unsweetened chocolate, caffeine, lemon rind, and some types of fruit are known to be bitter. Umami is the savoury kind of taste.

Having exhausted the introductory part of this piece next we are going to look into depth the impact of food on our health and how much of each food group we need.

Keep on enjoying the reading

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

SOFT DRINKS/SODA PART 2

Some few days ago we dealt with a fraction of nutrition stats on soft drink labels and we also dealt with some major ingredients namely carbonated water and sodium benzoate. So now we can pick up from where we left lat time...


ACIDULANTS (CITRIC ACID)

Citric acid is a natural, weak organic acid that is found in many fruits and vegetables, especially citrus.Citric acid is prized for its sour flavor, preservative quality, and ability to act as a pH buffer. For these reasons, citric acid is found on the ingredient list of many food products today. However in combination with sodium benzoate it can form benzene which is a known carcinogen with high linkage to leukemia. Click on this LINK to read more on benzene and leukemia. So with these little knowledge you can be able to tell that if you are a soda lover citric acid and sodium benzoate should be a NO-NO form now on. It is never too late to make positive changes I reckon.

ANTIOXIDANT (ASCORBIC ACID)
In a simple way antioxidants are those substances which inhibit oxidation of our body cells by other molecules/ free radicals. Ascorbic acid (aka E300 or l-ascorbic acid)* is an artificial additive commonly known as vitamin C. Generally the benefits of ascorbic acid outweigh its potential risk. So that does make it safe in soda? Well with soda concerns are the same as for citric acid and sodium benzoate formation of benzene. This LINK might be useful to get more info on this.

In short as an individual who has read widely on this matter and as a professional nutritionist let me just advise you that if you are on vitamin C supplements or are planning to consume any it is better to avoid foods preserved by sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate for that matter... bottom line is you have to for go one. You are the one to make a choice.


COLORING

This particular ingredient depends on the brand. When I was young I was told that while in the bush if I get hungry to remember blue and purple are poisonous and yelow and orange are good. So why that re-route. Colorants used? "Soft drink consumers are being exposed to an avoidable and unnecessary cancer risk from an ingredient that is being added to these beverages simply for aesthetic purposes," said the study’s senior author Keeve Nachman, director of the Food Production and Public Health Program at the Center, in a press release. "This unnecessary exposure poses a threat to public health and raises questions about the continued use of caramel coloring in soda." Samantha Olson.
In short the chemical used to color soda has been linked to cancer risks.

SWEETENERS

The most commonly used sweeteners are  aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharin and stevia leaf extract (steviol glycosides). These are usually artificial sweeteners.

According to the American Cancer Society aspartame is the most common used sweetener which is made by joining mino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It is used mainly because just a little is needed to make foods ten times sweeter and also lowers the caloric value of thwe foods. The FDA has set the ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) for aspartame at 50 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight. So I think soft drink manufacturers should consider giving information on how much is this ingredient is used. It is deemed safe to use but within the safe limits. However there are contraindications for people suffering from phenylketonuria.


CONCLUSION

From our analysis of the two samples that we had, I hope that we have learnt a lot. Soda is good, however we must learn to be more aware of what we are taking by knowing the contents of the drink and the amounts we require. That way we can be able to make healthy choices. It is all about knowledge and by putting the knowledge we have into practice we can gladly say we are NUTRISAVVY. Also note that with this age of internet we all have the information all of it just at the touch of a button so why not research more on what is in the market and learn alot. For any inquiries please contact me through my facebook page Nutrisavvy Solutions.

Tuesday, 26 May 2015

SOFT DRINKS/ SODA PART 1


Soda also known as soft drinks or carbonated drinks or soda pop is a  beverage containing carbonated water, sweetener and flavoring. At times it may also contain caffeine, coloring, preservatives among other ingredients. The main interest of this article is the ingredients of soda and how much of these ingredients should we really consume. Also to be noted that this article is not targeting a particular brand but will be based on the nutrition facts label samples that are available to me at the time of writing this article.

So first things first....

WHAT IS A NUTRITION FACTS LABEL?


A nutrition facts label also known as nutrition facts panel is usually that part of food packaging which contains ingredients data, how much is there and so on and so forth... Link below can be useful in learnig how to use one: LABELING AND NUTRITION- FDA


The images above are some examples of nutrition facts label on soft drinks.

THE ANALYSIS OF SODAS IN OUR MARKET

In this article I am going to analyze the two brands whose picture I have uploaded below so as to enable us to scrutinize soft drinks keenly before we buy them.

LABEL 1

LABEL2

Label 1 is a carbonated soft drink whose ingredients include carbonated water, sugar, acidulant (citric acid0, stabilizers (E414, E444, E445), preservative (sodium benzoate), flavoring, coloring (sunset yellow and carmoisine), antioxidant (ascorbic acid). Per 250ml that is a glass of this particular label you get 136kcal, 34gm of sugar, no fat, no saturates and 7.1mg of sodium whose percentage recommended daily allowance (RDA/GDA)  is based on a 2000kcal diet.

Label 2 on the other hand is also a carbonated soft drink whose ingredients are carbonated water, sugar, acidulants( citric acid and sodium citrate), flavoring, preservastive( sodium benzoate). Per 250ml you get 105kcal, 25.5gm of sugar, no fat, no saturates and 11mg of sodium whose % GDA is based on a 2000kcal diet.

Now let as begin with the dietary bit first. If you are to drink 2 glasses of soda lets say label 1 you would have already had 272kcal which is almost a quarter of the Kilocalories that you need for the day am so sure you wont be feeling full only that you would have quenched your thirst and also achieved a bit of you fluid requirements for the day. For those watching their weights and are very strict on their calories but cant keep off this you remain feeling hungry and lesser the satiety the more likely your diet plan is to fail cause of temptations. As for the sodium well it is quite withing your reach for now but for the kidney disease patients out there may be you can only afford 2 sessions of dialysis per week mostly even once so you better watch out on the sodium there. In comparison of the two labels 1 may offer more calories less of sodium where as 2 offers less calories and more sodium so on an individual basis you know yourself best to know where the scale would fall.

Now we get into the common ingredients, "the chemicals added"

CARBONATED WATER
According to Wikipedia it is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved mainly used in making fizzy drinks like mineral water and soft drinks. It has several health benefits like increased water intake, resolving issues of indigestion and reduction of cholesterol and cardiovascular risks. However it is said to worsen irritable bowel syndrome.

PRESERVATIVE (SODIUM BENZOATE)
Sodium benzoate  is a widely used food preservative, with E number E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid and exists in this form when dissolved in water. It can be produced by reacting sodium hydroxide with benzoic acid. Benzoic acid occurs naturally at low levels in cranberries, prunes, greengage plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and apples (REF: WIKIPEDIA).

In combination with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, E300), sodium benzoate and potassium benzoate may form benzene, a known carcinogen. When tested by the FDA, most beverages that contained both ascorbic acid and benzoate had benzene levels that were below those considered dangerous for consumption by the World Health Organization . Most of the beverages that tested higher have been reformulated and subsequently tested below the safety limit. Note the Coca-cola company is said to have noted such issues and is stick to very low levels of this preservative till a safer alternative has been found. Heat, light and shelf life can increase the rate at which benzene is formed. Also there are claims of combinations of some food colorings and sodium benzoate to cause hyperactivity in children.

You can also read more on this and other common food additives on FOOD ADDITIVES WEBMD.


This articles is to be continued soon as i research more the remaining ingredients. please if you have any queries feel free to contact me through my facebook page Nutrisavvy Solutions or leave a comment below.

TO BE CONTINUED....





Sunday, 24 May 2015

CAFFEINE AND BEVERAGES

About a month ago in one of my favorite social media groups a lady raised the concern of her aged aunt refusing to take one too many cups of tea simply because she believed tea has caffeine which would worsen her hypertension.Well, question is does tea have caffeine? How many cups of tea would one have to take so that the caffeine in it has significant effect on your system? What are  these effects of caffeine? All in all hope is not lost because I might be able to give some answers to these questions.

WHAT IS CAFFEINE?

According to the oxford journal of analytic toxicology, caffeine is a psycho-stimulant for enhancing alertness and improving performance. In simple terms we can say that caffeine is  a chemical stimulant produced naturally in seeds, fruits and leaves of certain plants for example tea, coffee, cocoa, guarana and yerba mate. It is used as a food additive in most soft drinks, snacks, energy drinks and also in some medication like fat burners and performance enhancers.

Like everything in this world it has both positive and negative effects. These may vary from enhanced performance and alertness to headache, anxiety, insomnia and irritability.

CAFFEINE AND TEA
Does tea have caffeine? Yes, tea has caffeine. However the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea varies depending on several factors as highlighted below;

  • type of tea plant used 
  • clonal/seed propagation in which case it is stipulated that cloned tea has higher levels of caffeine
  • fertilization method as nitrogen based fertilizers lead to increased levels of caffeine in the plant
  • harvest season
  • the plant part used whether the leaf/ the bud or both usually the recommended is two leaves and a bud
  • the tea processing specifically the fermentation
  • the brewing/steeping time
The most important fact about caffeine in tea is an 8oz cup of tea that is approximately 240 ml has 15 mg to 70 mg of caffeine. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of caffeine for adults is 200 mg to 400 mg. Hence, an average adult can have 4 to 6 cups of tea per day and still be within their daily caffeine allowance. There are also decaffeinated teas which have traces of caffeine that is less than 12 mg per cup. Below is a chart of caffeine in various types of tea;


Note that the RDA of caffeine for pregnant women is 300 mg and for adolescents is <100 mg/day as for children it depends on their weight will do more research on the same and write more on these topic especially when I will be covering ADHD.

Below is a chart showing amount of caffeine in various beverages;



With this chart in hand you can work around it and make wise healthy choices on the kinds of beverages you want to include in your daily meal plan. Feel free to leave your comments below. You can also contact me for a profession meal plan.


You can also check out the links below for more information on the above topic: