Real World Nutrition News You Can Use
There is a lot of misinformation about nutrition. And nothing in this field is black-or-white, yes-or-no, but many shades of gray and a lot of “it depends.” So, my goal is to help clear up some of that misinformation with some snark, entertainment, and facts (with some opinion thrown in).
Many of these topics come from interactions with the public, friends, clients, and students. I see sheer misinformation about the science of nutrition, and I do my best to clear things up one blog post at a time.
If you have a topic you are wondering about, let me know.
Looking for a specific topic? Search to see if it is already here.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Why are they important?
People do seem to know about omega-3 fatty acids. I find people know they need them, but that is about it. They also know that they are in salmon, which is true, but beyond that? Crickets. This knowledge may be partly because we health professionals talk about omega-3 and eating salmon but never go much past that. So here is the mini-nutrition lesson for today about omega-3 fats.
Omega-6 Fatty Acids – The Other Important Fat
Fat is an essential nutrient – we do need it in the diet. And there are two more specific kinds that we need to include regularly: omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. Many people know omega-3 fatty acids though they may not know the details. However, I find that people either haven’t even heard of omega-6 fats or think we need to avoid them. Omega-6 fatty acids are essential fat since we need to get them from the diet. But why don’t we hear much about this one?
Protein: A Nutrient and A Food Group
One of the more considerable challenges in conversation about nutrition is when people classify nutrients as a food group.
For example, when people refer to carbs and how bad they think they are and believe they shouldn’t eat them. I am surprised that people think we should not eat any fruits, vegetables, or beans?
Because carbs are a nutrient. And the nutrient carbohydrates include fiber, starch, and various sugars.
Food Groups vs Nutrients
One of the on-going things I see and hear is people using food groups and nutrients as interchangeable. They aren’t really.
Like the time my friend said she wasn’t going to have any carbs for lunch – then had a salad and a glass of wine. Really. That was a HIGH carb lunch. I would estimate that 80% of the meal was carbohydrates. It could be more. Look it up.