Tag Archive for: fluid intake

Side 2: Why Powders Are Better than Plants

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You might have thought that I was a food-only proponent when it comes to nutrition. Not in the least—I’m a big fan of the right kinds of supplements. I think we should start with real food, but we also have to acknowledge that the average person’s plant intake is woefully low: one or two servings per day of vegetables and two or three servings of fruit. It’s even less if we deduct juices. There are many reasons for that lack, but we need a practical solution. Powders can provide a partial answer, whether mixed into smoothies or plain water or consumed as capsules.

The primary reason vegetable and fruit powders are better is consistent content. If the label says 500 mg of blueberry concentrate or 300 mg of acerola cherry concentrate, that content should be there scoop to scoop or capsule to capsule. The produce we buy or even raise ourselves can vary widely in phytonutrient content.

Second, for the most part, the powders are convenient. If you always have a smoothie for breakfast, a scoop or two of the vegetable and fruit powder is a quick way to improve your diet.

The Issue with Powders

The phytonutrient content per scoop or capsule may change depending on when the vegetable or fruit was harvested—even in as little as a couple of hours. It doesn’t mean they won’t be there, only that the types and quantities of phytonutrients may vary slightly.

Another issue is finding a reliable, high-quality manufacturer. This may be a great time to listen to “The Characteristics of a Quality Manufacturer” in my audio on Supplementing Your Diet. If you don’t have a copy, the MP3 is only $4.95 and you be listening in a couple of minutes.

The Bottom Line

There’s room in a healthy diet to get your eight to ten servings of vegetables and fruits from food with an assist from vegetable and fruit powders if you need them. There are small issues with each approach, but using a complementary approach may help you achieve your nutritional goals while giving you the flexibility to meet your nutritional needs even with a demanding, unpredictable schedule. The lesson: Eat better. Some plants plus some powders can give you the best of both worlds, and that can help you get closer to the nutrients your body needs.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Side 1: Why Plants Are Better than Powders

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A month ago I addressed the increased interest in getting vegetables and fruits from powders; now let’s get into more detail.

First, eating vegetables and fruits automatically increases our fluid intake. The exact water content of different plants varies, but the average plant is about 90% water by weight. The water is somewhat purified by the root system; it’s not the equivalent of a water treatment system, but it’s something.

Second, the fiber content of the plants contributes to the 25 to 30 grams of fiber we need every day. The fiber can also add to the prebiotic needed to feed the probiotics. Depending on the way the plants are prepared, they may also contain probiotics.

Those are substances you don’t get in powders unless they’re specifically added or not removed. Are foods always better? No, but they’re the perfect delivery system providing we eat them every day.

But there are two sides to every issue. On Saturday, we’ll talk about how powders are better than foods.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Four Tips for the 4th!

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We are fast approaching the three-day holiday weekend to celebrate the 4th of July here in the U.S. It got me to thinking: just because it’s a holiday, it doesn’t mean we should completely abandon some of our health habits that might be strained a little bit, given the celebrations associated with Independence Day. This is going to be a time to be outside, most likely in the heat and humidity given the advanced forecasts, with plenty of foods that may not be typical of our normal diet. So I decided to give you four tips for your health this holiday weekend.

Protect Your Eyes

I’ve been watching barbecue competitions on the Food Network, and I’ve noticed the master chefs squinting because the sun is constantly in their eyes. Don’t do that. Wear a hat with a brim to shield your eyes from direct sunlight, then add sunglasses to your ensemble. While there’s no direct evidence that a single exposure creates critical damage to the eyes, there’s no point in exposing your eyes to the most powerful and strongest sunshine of the year. Don’t forget that this applies to kids as well; keeping kids in good-quality sunglasses isn’t easy, but we have to protect those little eyes—or maybe opt for a cool hat. It’s also important if spending time in a pool or lake; the glare of the sun off the water can be just as damaging.

Protect Your Skin

I recently spent a significant amount of time researching the potential benefits of taking collagen for skin health, and the single most damaging factor to skin as we age is exposure to the sun. If you’re going to be outside for parades, family gatherings, in the pool, etc, make sure that you use sunblock to protect your skin. It will require re-application as the day goes on, but it’s worth it. If you want to avoid the problems of aging skin, protect it now, and again, don’t forget about protecting the skin of your children and grandchildren. A bad burn early in life may have consequences later on.

Drink!

When you spend hours and hours in outdoor activities, you have to maintain your fluid intake and then some. The general recommendation is half your body weight in ounces per day; if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of fluids every day. If it’s a hot, humid day, it should be four to eight ounces about every 15 minutes. The only fluid that doesn’t count is alcoholic beverages; alcohol is a diuretic which means you will lose more fluid than you take in. So you have to make sure that you focus on other types of fluid as well. This might be a good time to check out Paula’s Sugar-Free Sweet Tea recipe on the Health Info page of drchet.com; she spent weeks researching and testing to find a way to have Southern-style sweet tea without the calories, and I think she came as close as possible. Contrary to widespread belief, caffeine is not a diuretic; tea, coffee, energy drinks, and other caffeinated drinks add to your total the same as non-caffeinated.

Red, White, and Blue

Hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, and other grilled meats seem to dominate our diet during the July 4th cookouts. I wouldn’t think of changing that, but I would add some red, white, and blue to it. The vitamins and phytonutrients in fruit can offset some of those high fat foods we may eat. Look for strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, and tomatoes for the red. Apples, pears, and bananas for the white. Blueberries, blackberries, and Concord grapes for the blue. Emphasize fruit snacks instead of salty, and get a cup or two with every meal for the healthy nutrients and great tastes.

The Bottom Line

Enjoy Independence Day to the fullest, but take a couple of minutes to take care of your health while you celebrate. You’ll reap the benefits by keeping your body independent of the potential challenges celebrations can bring. Paula and I will do the same. Enjoy the holiday weekend and we’ll see you next Tuesday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Winterize Yourself

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The official start to winter is quickly approaching, but for most of us the cold, wet, snowy, rainy weather has already begun. Today’s Memo contains some tips on how to winterize your body by focusing on basic nutritional supplementation.

Water: Make sure you increase fluid intake during the winter. The humidity is lower because the heat is on in your home, work, and school. You breathe out more water as a result. You have to replace those fluids. Every day drink one-half your body weight in ounces of water or any other fluid; if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water daily.

Multivitamin-mineral (MVMM): If you haven’t been consistent in taking your MVMM, this is a good time to begin. Your immune system needs some basic nutrients and a MVMM is a good place to start, especially if it’s one that contains plant concentrates and extracts.

Probiotics: The immune system starts in the gut. Taking a probiotic every day can help your immune system function better. In addition, taking fiber with the probiotic can help feed all the good bacteria in your digestive system.

Vitamin D: Consider adding vitamin D to your regimen because we get a lot less sun during the winter. Ask your physician to test your vitamin D levels; if it’s below 30 ng/ml, add 2,000 IU vitamin D to your supplementation. There’s no real danger in taking vitamin D, so make sure you’re getting some even without a test.

Antioxidants: Help your immune system; add additional vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene to your supplementation.

Supplementation may or may not help you avoid getting a cold or the flu, but it may help reduce the severity and duration of a respiratory infection if you do get one. That’s worth the small expense of the supplements in my opinion.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paula and I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for your support throughout the year. This week is one to spend with family and friends, so this will be the only Memo of the week. Thanks for being a member of the Dr. Chet family.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

Observations from the Road: The Mile-High City

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Whenever I travel, I observe people and especially what they do. This past weekend was no different as I traveled to Denver to do a seminar. Because Denver is called The Mile-High City, I thought altitude was a great place to begin.

There are at least two things that happen when you move from sea level to 5,000 feet: the oxygen level of the air drops about 3%, and the density of the air decreases. The net effect to the body is that it’s more difficult for the hemoglobin of your blood to saturate with oxygen and . . .

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