Healthy eating tip 7: Put protein in perspective

من طرف **أ . نورا البكري** الأحد مارس 03, 2013 6:42 am

Healthy eating tip 7:
Put protein in perspective

Protein gives us the
energy to get up and go—and keep going. Protein in food is broken down into the
20 amino acids that are the body’s basic building blocks for growth and energy,
and essential for maintaining cells, tissues, and organs.

Here are some
guidelines for including protein in your healthy diet:

•Try different types
of protein.

•Beans: Black beans, navy beans, garbanzos, and lentils are good
options.

•Nuts: Almonds, walnuts,
pistachios, and pecans are great choices.

•Soy
products: Try tofu, soy milk,
tempeh, and veggie burgers for a change.

•Avoid salted or
sugary nuts and refried beans.

•Downsize your
portions of protein. Many people in the West eat too much protein. Try to move
away from protein being the center of your meal. Focus on equal servings of
protein, whole grains, and vegetables.

•Focus on quality sources of
protein, like fresh fish, chicken or turkey, tofu, eggs, beans, or nuts. When
you are having meat, chicken, or turkey, buy meat that is free of hormones and
antibiotics.

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Healthy eating tip 8:
Add calcium for strong bones

Calcium is one of the
key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is
an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, as
well as many other important functions.

You and your bones
will benefit from eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that
deplete your body’s calcium stores, and getting your daily dose of magnesium
and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its job.

Good sources of
calcium include:

•Dairy: Dairy products are
rich in calcium in a form that is easily digested and absorbed by the body.
Sources include milk, yogurt, and cheese.

•Vegetables
and greens: Many
vegetables, especially leafy green ones, are rich sources of calcium. Try
turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, celery,
broccoli, fennel, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts,
asparagus, and crimini mushrooms.

•Beans: For another rich
source of calcium, try black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans,
black-eyed peas, or baked beans.

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