Protein - How Much Do You Really Need

Think you know about how much protein you need in your diet?  Maybe you do and maybe you don't...either way, check out what the USDA guidelines are (of course, if you're an athlete you get to have a bit more):

How much food from the Protein Foods Group is needed daily?

The amount of food from the Protein Foods Group you need to eat depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Most Americans eat enough food from this group, but need to make leaner and more varied selections of these foods. Recommended daily amounts are shown in the chart.  

Daily recommendation*
Children		2-3 years old		2 ounce equivalents**
		4-8 years old		4 ounce equivalents**
Girls		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Boys		9-13 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		14-18 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
Women		19-30 years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		5 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ounce equivalents**
Men		19-30 years old		6 ½ ounce equivalents**
		31-50 years old		6 ounce equivalents**
		51+ years old		5 ½ ounce equivalents**

*These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs. 

What counts as an ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group?

In general, 1 ounce of meat, poultry or fish, ¼ cup cooked beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut 
butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce equivalent from the Protein 
Foods Group. 

The chart lists specific amounts that count as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group 
towards your daily recommended intake: 

		Amount that counts as 1 ounce equivalent in the Protein Foods Group		Common portions and ounce equivalents
Meats		1 ounce cooked lean beef		1 small steak (eye of round, filet) = 3½ to 4 ounce equivalents
		1 ounce cooked lean pork or ham		1 small lean hamburger =  2 to 3 ounce equivalents
Poultry		1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey,  without skin		1 small chicken breast half =  3 ounce equivalents
		1 sandwich slice of turkey  (4 ½ x 2 ½ x 1/8”)		½ Cornish game hen =  4 ounce equivalents
Seafood		1 ounce cooked fish or shell fish		1 can of tuna, drained =  3 to 4 ounce equivalents 1 salmon steak =  4 to 6 ounce equivalents 1 small trout = 3 ounce equivalents
Eggs		1 egg		3 egg whites = 2 ounce equivalents 3 egg yolks = 1 ounce equivalent
Nuts and seeds		½ ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 24 pistachios, 7 walnut halves) ½ ounce of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower or squash seeds, hulled, roasted) 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter		1 ounce of nuts or seeds =  2 ounce equivalents
Beans and peas		¼ cup of cooked beans (such as black, kidney, pinto, or white beans)  ¼ cup of cooked peas (such as chickpeas, cowpeas, lentils, or split peas) ¼ cup of baked beans, refried beans		1 cup split pea soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup lentil soup =  2 ounce equivalents 1 cup bean soup =  2 ounce equivalents
		¼ cup (about 2 ounces) of tofu 1 oz. tempeh, cooked ¼ cup roasted soybeans 1 falafel patty  (2 ¼”, 4 oz) 2 Tablespoons hummus		1 soy or bean burger patty =  2 ounce equivalents

NOTE: 1 Ounce = 28.3495231 Grams

The only thing that I don't like about this chart is that they haven't listed any fruits or vegetables and, face it, protein is a building block - every living thing has protein.  So, when you're counting protein intake, don't forget to take fruits and vegetables into consideration as well.

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Food Labels and Healthier Choices (Part 1 of 2)

When you look at a food label, what do you see?  What do you actually look for?  I'm pretty label scrutinous when I'm grocery shopping but then again, I'm paranoid (to a degree) about what the big food companies and the USDA considers to be food or safe to consume as food.  So, if you're interested, I thought I'd share my method of label scrutiny.  Because of the amount of information on those "pesky" panels of nutrient/ingredient information, I've decided to make this a two-part blog with this first part concentrating on the nutrition part of the labels.  Part two will focus on understanding ingredients and what they could mean to your health.

First, about fresh fruits and vegetables -- I know, I know, there's no labels but there's a few rules I follow when I'm buying these.  These are:

1. Try to buy locally grown;
2. Whether local or not, try to buy organically grown, especially if it's something that grows close to the ground or that we'll be consuming the skin---pesticides will soak into the entire fruit or vegetable but tend to concentrate more in the skin...just in case you didn't know  (There was a case study done with chimpanzees and bananas...organically grown bananas and conventionally grown bananas were given to the chimps at the same time for many days--each day, the chimps would first choose the organic bananas and eat them with the skin but would leave the conventional bananas until much later in the day when they were fairly desperate...interestingly enough, they DIDN'T eat the skins of the conventionally grown bananas--just saying that the chimps may be smarter than we are or at least better "smellers");
3. If you can't find fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally or within a short distance of where you live, your better choice (if applicable) is the frozen variety because the produce is frozen very soon after being picked, ensuring that nutrients are held in "limbo" instead of depleting via oxidation;
4. GMOs (Genetically Modified) produce - steer clear!  This is a HOT, HOT, HOT topic right now, with Monsanto being one of the most evil corporations behind these.  (If you don't know the deal with GMOs, do your research and learn about the physiological functions of our bodies and what our bodies can recognize as nutrients.)

Okay, now on to real labels!  Let's start by looking at a nutrition label (one of my fave cereals from Kashi, BTW):

1) On the first line, you'll see the serving size that this nutritional information is really for, which is 27 biscuits (pieces) that are about 55g or 1.9oz in weight total (27 biscuits=55g or 1.9oz).
2) The 2nd line is how many of those servings (approximately) should be in the ENTIRE box (about 9 is the amount for this example)

So, per the serving of 27 biscuits/pieces (equivalent to 55g or 1.9oz) the following is the nutrient information (without milk or milk-like products, BTW):

1) Total Calories - 190 ... of those 190 calories, 10 of those calories are derived from some type of fat. Easy, right?

2) Speaking of fat...
     The TOTAL fat is 1g, but then we learn that that 1g of fat IS NOT a trans fat nor a saturated fat, which is good because those are the TWO worst fats that we can have (unless you want heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. that is)! So, by omission, we learn that the 1g of fat is probably a monounsaturated or a polyunsaturated fat (good fats but even these should be kept low but not removed because we need fats with certain foods to induce bioavailability of certain nutrients - FYI).
    Also, notice the right furthest column (under the category % Daily Value) - there's a number there that tells us that this fat intake is about 2% of our DAILY RECOMMENDED FAT INTAKE. If I ate this whole box of cereal in one day, I would have met 18% of my daily recommended fat intake for that day just with this box of cereal.  (IMPORTANT NOTE: the Daily Value amounts are based on a 2000 calorie diet and your needs might be different depending on how many calories your body needs to function, such as an endurance athlete might have a higher calorie need to do what she/he does.)

3) Then we see cholesterol amounts (which the closer to zero, the better, since our bodies are capable of making cholesterol, but shouldn't exceed a total of 200mg daily).

4)  Here comes another big player - SODIUM! This cereal's not bad at only 5mg per serving (not even making a dent in the %Daily Value amount.
     FYI, the ADEQUATE daily intake of sodium is as follows:
          >1500mg for 19-50 year olds
            > 1300mg for 51-70 year olds
            > 1200mg for over 70 year olds
      The maximum daily intake should not exceed 2300mg (Hint: 1tsp of salt is approximately equally to 2000mg of sodium).  Most processed foods have a very large amount of sodium content and, sometimes, things that we don't think taste salty have significant amounts of sodium.  Too much sodium in our daily diets can contribute to hypertension (high blood pressure) and loss of calcium. (Yep, I said "loss of calcium".)
     People who are "salt sensitive" and should avoid excessive intake of sodium are:
        - Those with parents who had high blood pressure (or those who HAVE high blood pressure)
        - Those with chronic kidney disease
        - Those with diabetes
        - African Americans
        - People over the age of 50
        - Those who are overweight
       
5) Potassium is sodium's arch nemesis, sort of.  So why is potassium important against sodium? It seems to prevent calcium excretion that are a response to high sodium intakes.  Funny thing is, most processed/refined foods change during the processing with potassium levels are significantly decreased while sodium levels rise.  Chalk up another reason to AVOID processed foods!  Here's a table showing you what I mean:

6) Total Carbohydrates - you know, I'm so tired of the bum wrap carbs have gotten these days!  These little energy powerhouses are a needed nutrient, just not in the Twinkie or slice of cake form :-D  Making sure that most of your carbohydrate intake is coming from fiber, such as whole grains, vegetables, & fruits, is a good rule .
     Fiber content, again, is important.  But if you're asking, "what's the difference between soluble & insoluble fiber", well, I'm going to tell you.  Soluble fiber is the one that becomes dis-sol-ved in your digestive fluids and transforms into a gel-like substance that may trap some other nutrients to make them less absorbable, including fats and sugars though you still get the calories from them (bummer)...this is the protective fiber that helps protect us from heart disease.  Insoluble fiber is the opposite and DOESN'T dissolve -- it's the bulk fiber that...well...helps going to the bathroom get going better...got it?
     As for sugars, the amount on the nutrition label is for ALL sugars - whether it's added or naturally occurring.  To check to see if there's added sugar, that's where reading the ingredient list will come in handy (upcoming in part 2).  Personally, I really wish they would break this down to "Naturally Occurring" and "Added" categories because I do believe our bodies break these down differently. For the most part, I try to limit "added" sugars to 18g/daily and I don't count the fruits and vegetables that I eat.

7) Last, but not least in any way, is protein.  On average, if you're over the age of 18, the recommended daily amount for protein is approximately is 5oz if you're female and 6oz if you're male (unless you're a bodybuilder or lift heavy weights or there's another reason why you should increase your protein intake) - THAT'S IT!  So going to a steakhouse and eating a 6oz steak (if you're a guy) and you're done with protein for that whole day...Americans tend to overdo the protein idea, just saying.  Overdoing it with protein starts a whole other story for later ;-)  Just realize that we don't need as much protein as the fads (and food manufacturers, including restaurants) have lead people to believe.
     One last thing on protein - make sure you get different types of proteins from different sources!  Variety, in food especially, is definitely the spice of life (and health)!

8) Now we're going below the line! It's about the vitamin content of the food.  Basically, these numbers are the percentages based on the Daily Value numbers.  So, for example, the iron per serving in this cereal is 8% of the daily recommended amount of total iron we need.

9) The next section is just a reminder of the Daily Values (total amounts per day) with certain nutrients for a 2000 calorie diet and a 2500 calorie diet.  It shows that, if you are on a 2000 calorie diet, your fat intake should not exceed 65g or 20g of saturated fat in a day.  If you were on a 2500 calorie diet, those numbers would change to 80g and 25g.

10) And, the final thing on this part - how many calories are in a gram of fat?  How about a gram of carbohydrate?  And protein?  Basically, 1 fat gram=9 calories, 1 carbohydrate gram=4 calories, and 1 gram of protein=4 calories...it's there, to help you make better choices and realize that one stands out as our biggest caloric enemy...

And just for giggles, I'm putting another nutrition label for a popular kids' cereal...this is one of my daughters' favorite cereals and I can't get them to stop eating it :(  See if you can spot the nutritional differences:

Part two of this blog (how to understand ingredient lists) ... I'll try to have it up by the end of the next week (Feb. 25, 2012)  For now, want more information on nutrition labels or recommended daily amounts?  Visit the USDA website at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying.  
   

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Iron Absorption for Vegetarians

Iron. Are you getting enough iron as a vegan or vegetarian? Heme iron (derived from red meats)  technically has a larger percentage of absorption in our systems (about 15%-35%) but since that's not an option for us, we tend to take in non-heme iron (derived from plant sources).  The absorption percentage is lower at about 2%-20%. And, did you know that tannins in tea can decrease your iron absorption? So will calcium and some proteins found in soybeans!  So what can we do?

Eating foods that are also vitamin C rich at the same time as iron-rich foods will improve the absorption rate.  Cooking foods in iron cookware is also a good idea and, if you're prone to iron deficiency, taking a iron supplement might be an option but make sure you check with your doctor first (now there are some mild supplements that don't have the horrible intestinal side effects of their predecessors).  If you want to learn more, go to the National Institute of Health's webpage at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/iron

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The Good, The Bad and The...Carbs!

Carbohydrates!  Did you flinch?  Hide?  It seems these days that little word (okay, it's a pretty long word) sends fear into so many people and has prompted so many arguments within and without the medical community.  You have fitness gurus, nutrition store workers, chiropractors, medical doctors, and all kinds of people making claims to "stay away" from those bad, awful, belly-bulging carbs, right?  Are they right or just inappropriately generalizing?  I think those people are taking the good of carbohydrates, ignoring them, and lumping them in with the bad.

Carbohydrates are NEEDED by our bodies.  Here's an idea - ask a dietitian or nutritionist (or anyone that spent longer than one semester learning about nutrition - not counting online researching).  Everything in excess becomes a toxin or a bad thing for us.  Too much protein can cause havoc in your stomach, your liver, etc. and lead to so many other issues.   The fact is that most people don't reach for the legumes when they're told to increase their protein and limit their carbs.  Nope, they go straight to the fatty animal proteins, with their cholesterol and saturated fats. Yep, that's so healthier, right?  Forget that bologna if you're trying to lose weight (no, really, bologna is mega bad for you on so many levels)...it's a basic equation to lose weight: More calories out than calories in. PERIOD.

As for thy mortal enemy "The Carbs", the ones we really need to stay away from as much as possible are the overly-processed sorts:  white sugars, white breads, white rice, etc.  (notice a "white" theme here?)  What those folks don't mention is that lettuce is a carb but have you ever seen an obese wild rabbit?? Ya, I didn't think so.  I don't think that even most people know exactly what a carbohydrate is...do you?

First of all, carbohydrates (carbo=carbon, hydrate=with water) are compounds composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen arranged as monosaccharides or multiples of monosaccharides (mono=one saccharide=sugar; they follow a general formula of C6H12O6 & form a single ring).  Did I lose you? Basically, a monosaccharide is the smallest form of sugar.  Now, there are two categories of carbohydrates: simple and complex.  You've probably heard people talk about "simple sugars" or "complex carbohydrates" but, really, what's the difference?  They are either simple or complex :-D  Okay, simple carbs are either monosaccharides or disaccharides and are easy for the body to access or store for immediate energy.

The most important of the simple carbohydrates are:
     -Monosaccharides
        1) Glucose
        2) Fructose
        3) Galactose

     -Disaccharides (pairs of monosaccharides)
        1) Maltose (glucose + glucose)
        2) Sucrose (glucose + fructose)
        3) Lactose (glucose + galactose)

The complex carbohydrates contain many glucose units, including sometimes other monosaccharides.  These are all strung together to form polysaccharides (poly=many).  There's another word in this category - oligosaccharide (oligo=few), which has less units than polysaccharides but more than the simple carbohydrates.

So, why are carbohydrates so darn important?  They're important because, eventually, all these carbohydrates, simple or complex, get turned into their basic forms - glucose or glycogen.  (Glycogen is what our bodies store extra glucose into that isn't immediately needed/used.)  These two basic carbohydrates provide about half of all the energy that our muscles (and other body tissues) use to function.  The other half is provided mostly by stored fat.  Glucose is the "food" preferred by our brain cells and nerve cells to function efficiently.  Also, it's super important for muscle function (which helps when we exercise).

But there are carbohydrates we should try to avoid most of the time and ones we shouldn't, especially if you're looking to lose weight.  It's a matter of making the right choices most of the time.  Sometimes it's difficult to choose between a slice of chocolate fudge cake and a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert...it's difficult to choose carrots over pretzels...trust me, I know!  And, sometimes, you just have to go for that piece of cake and that's okay too but remember that those are "empty" calories (foods that deliver energy but little or no protein, vitamins or minerals) and that there are healthier, more nutrient rich carbohydrates out there.  It's all back to choosing one's calories wisely and trying to go more toward nutrient-dense foods (e.g. a candy bar at 92 calories versus a bowl of soup at 90 calories).

Let's stop with giving carbohydrates such a bad reputation!  They are our fuel and some of them pack a mighty nutrient punch too!  Embrace the carbs!

Oh and this topic isn't over yet...look for my next entry about what happens to your body on a low dietary carb diet!

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Think E-N-E-R-G-Y Instead of Calories

Those two words are pretty synonymous because calories and energy are pretty much the same thing.  The correct term is kilocalories (or kcalories for short). For those who remember from school, a kilo is equal to a 1000 increment of metric measurement, in this case it's calories.  So, it is a measurement in 1000-calorie metric units for the energy released/produced from carbohydrates, fats (lipids), and proteins. Basically, it measures heat energy.

Now, let's make it more complicated and talk about the International System of Units (known as the SI).  Well, obviously, these are used worldwide in the scientific communities. Even though calories or kcalories is the most common measurements of food energy, the SI uses joules or kilojoules instead.  I know, I know...some of you might be thinking "Hey, wait a minute! A joule is a measurement of work done!"  Guess what? You're right, it is. So there's a formula (of course there is).  The work energy formula goes like this:

1 joule = 

the movement of 1 kilo,

a distance of 1 meter,

by the force of 1 newton

Get it?  I've got the gist of it, which is what matters.  A little easier is to convert from kcalories to kilojoules and that formula is to just multiply the kcalories by 4.2 to arrive at the kilojoules (kj). Now that that's out of the way, on to more interesting things to do with food energy!

Energy from Foods (aka calories).  

This is oh-so dependent on how much carbohydrates, fats, and proteins a food contains.  But not all of these are the same either!

To calculate how many calories a particular food has, you have to know the baseline caloric breakdown for these nutrients.  

       1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 kcalories of energy

       1 gram of proteins          = 4 kcalories of energy

       1 gram of fat                  = 9 kcalories of energy

       1 gram of alcohol           = 7 kcalories of energy

Now, you probably will never have to do this calculation because most product manufacturers and plenty of weight control books/websites offer the breakdown for you but just so I get it down... the formulas to calculate a food's available energy:

  Total carbohydrate grams X 4 (kcalories)= available energy

  Total protein grams X 4 (kcalories)         = available energy

  Total fat grams X 9 (kcalories                 = available energy

  Total alcohol grams X 7 (kcalories)         = available energy

    -Next, add all the available energy and you have your total.

Now, this calculation might come in handy as it helps to gauge the energy density of a food. This is NOT the same as the nutrient density which I previously discussed. Nope, this has to do with the potential energy of that food.  Which means that if you were trying to lose weight, you'd want this density number to be low and not high.  Remember, lower for losing, okay?  So to calculate this, take the total kcalories and divide it by the total grams...

   Total kcalories  /  total grams    = kcalories per gram

And, to calculate the percentage (%) of kcalories of the separate nutrients:

Nutrient's Available kcalories / Total kcalories of food =  %

So, for example... say the total calories for a food (that's all it's nutrients' calories added together) is 173 kcalories and you want to know how much of that food's kcalories is derived from fat.  You know that the fat's available kcalories for the food is 81, so you divide 81 by 173. That gives you .468, and flashback to school again, you multiply that number by 100 to get a percentage (or do the fancy decimal point move thing) which makes it (with rounding) 47%.  That means that the food derives 47% of it's energy/kcalories from fat!  That's a lot.  One should strive to limit fat intake to 20-35% of the DAILY kcalorie intake.

Now think about all these calculations and how many times we refer to the word energy.  These kcalories/calories are basically potential energy - nothing more, nothing less.  Think of this energy as money you deposit into your checking account at the beginning of the month.  Then you pay your rent/mortgage, utilities, and other bills, you meter out spending money and then you (hopefully) take what's left and put it in savings.  The bill paying is your daily calorie burn.  Savings is the fat storage located all over our bodies.  The fat "savings" is there for a "rainy day" and, just like your savings account, if you never draw money for those fabulous exotic vacations and just keep adding, that account grows larger and larger because, just like the bank, our bodies aren't going to say "Whoa, there partner, you're saving way too much so we're going to have to throw away some of this".  Nope, as much as we'd like our bodies to reach a maximum weight savings, it's not going to happen.  But, it is our responsibility (for health reasons alone) to make sure we are properly taking in energy amounts that our bodies can use to function properly without throwing the extras into "savings".  Hmmm, maybe I should've compared energy intake and output as paying the right amount of income taxes so that you neither have to pay anything in April nor receive a refund...oh well, you get the idea!

I'm going to end this section here - hopefully you weren't too bored with all the math in this post :-D 


All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. Most information and data was taken from my textbook "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition" by Rolfes, Pinna, & Whitney, ISBN-13: 978-0-495-55646-6

Happy October!

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Nutrients

You've heard the word or at least seen it - nutrient.  What is it exactly?  Obviously, it has something to do with nutrition - right.  Nutrients are, basically, chemicals derived from food that our bodies use for energy, structural materials (bone, etc.), and regulating agents for growth, maintenance, and tissue repair.  Hmm, pretty important stuff those darn nutrients.  Nutrients are broken down into various categories, depending on what is being discussed:

• Macronutrients are those nutrients that our bodies need in large amounts such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (macro=large);
• Micronutrients are the nutrients that our bodies need in smaller portions such as vitamins and minerals (micro=small);
• Essential nutrients are nutrients (chemicals) that we require from outside our bodies.  In other words, our bodies can't produce them or we produce them in too small quantities to meet physiological needs -- there are approximately 40 essential nutrients, by-the-way;
• Organic nutrients - no, not like organic produce but it relates to the nutrients that contain at least 1 carbon molecule.  These are the vitamins of which there are 13.
• Inorganic nutrients are nutrients that do not contain any carbon molecule.  These are the minerals and there are only 16 of them that are known to be essential in human nutrition.

Now that we have all of that cleared up, I'd like to discuss these nutrients :D  You knew that was coming, right?  Right.

There are six classes of nutrients required by our bodies.  They are:

1. Carbohydrates - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
2. Lipids (aka fats) - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
3. Proteins - macronutrient; provides energy; organic
4. Vitamins - micronutrient; organic
5. Minerals - micronutrient; inorganic
6. Water - inorganic

 NOTE: There are other compounds in foods that our bodies utilize (fibers, phytochemicals, etc.) but these are not considered nutrients...just wanted to clarify that.


Macronutrients. When the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for energy or fuel, the bonds between the nutrient's atoms break and releases the energy into our bodies.  Some of the energy is released as either heat or it's used to send electrical impulses (messages), to synthesize body compounds, and to move muscles.  If either of these macronutrients is not used up in the body, what do you think happens?  Yep, it gets stored in the body for some day in the future when the intake is inadequate or during the night while you sleep or even for in-between meals.  Speaking of which, your body continues to use energy (your brain especially) while you sleep therefore depleting stored reserves and helping you to lose weight - that's why it's so important to get enough hours of sleep if you're trying to lose weight!  And, did you know that our brains (since we've sidetracked a bit about that fine organ) use glucose for fuel and that our bodies produce that from the carbohydrates we eat?  The only animal product that has enough carbohydrates for this are dairy products...take that, Atkins dieters. Click here to learn more.  These same macronutrients (carbs, protein, & fats), also provide the foundational materials to build tissues and regulate many of the body's activities/functions. (FYI - Protein is NOT a major energy provider but is more of a structural building block. It also helps to regulate digestion and metabolize energy.)
 
Vitamins. Obviously, vitamins don't directly provide energy to the body but they do play their part. These little (micronutrients) powerhouses help the macronutrients release their energy and they do a bunch of other things throughout the body too.  Each of the 13 vitamins has a starring role in the body because almost every action in the body requires the help of vitamins.  Also good to know - vitamins can only function properly if they are intact.  Their molecular organic complexity makes them vulnerable to being destroyed by heat, light, and chemical agents!  This is why steaming veggies for a very short time (or eating them raw) is a preferred and healthier method of preparation.  Just for fun, here are the 13 vitamins: 

1. Vitamin C (water soluble);
2. Eight (8) B vitamins (water soluble) - thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, B12, folate, biotin, and pantothenic acid;
3. Vitamin A, D, E, & K (fat soluble).

 Minerals. These also don't fuel the body's energy needs but they are important to the body's structures.  There are only 16 known essential minerals in human nutrition, even though they are studying others to figure out if they have a significant function.  Being inorganic, minerals are pretty much indestructible but they can bind to other substances that might get in the way of the body being able to absorb them.  They can also be lost during food-refining processes or when cooking because they seep into the preparation water that is thrown out. Major minerals are equivalent to macronutrients in that they are needed in large amounts and trace minerals are needed in smaller amounts.

1. The major minerals are: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, & sulfate.  For more information on the major minerals, go here.
2. The trace minerals are: iron, iodine, zinc, chromium, selenium, fluoride, molybdenum, copper, & manganese.  To learn more about trace minerals, go here.

 Water.  Everyone has heard of how important water is to the proper function of our bodies, right?  It must be really important if a 150lb body contains about 90lbs of water! It's used in metabolic reactions, helps transport vital materials to cells, helps carry away cell waste products...it's really important.  We can go (on average if we're healthy) about 8 weeks without food but we can die in a matter of hours without water.  

So, drink your water and make sure you're getting all of your nutrients!

All information on this blog is my own pursuit of information on the road to getting my BS in Nutrition Science and as a mode of studying. Most information and data was taken from my textbook "Understanding Normal and Clinical Nutrition" by Rolfes, Pinna, & Whitney, ISBN-13: 978-0-495-55646-6

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Calcium and Being Vegan

*NOTE: I am not a health or medical professional but am sharing what I learn on my journey to becoming one and the journey to find my own better health.

We're always hearing about how "Milk does a body good" and how eating all those dairy products are supposed to keep us from getting osteoporosis, right? This is an important subject that I've been forcing myself to learn more about especially since my own bone density test came back two years ago with a diagnosis of osteopenia in my lower back. My first reaction was, "but I eat cheese, yogurt, etc.". Yes, that was my pre-vegan time. So, now with being vegan, I figure I might be in a lot more trouble bone-wise than before and hence the in-depth reading. I have to give a push for the best book with all types of nutritional information that has become my so-called "vegan bible"...Becoming Vegan by Davis & Melina! I highly, and greatly, recommend this book even for non-vegans/vegetarians!

Anyway, back to what I've discovered about our bodies, our food, and calcium...

First off, did you know that calcium isn't just for helping to build bones? Its uses in the body are phenomenal - essential in blood clotting in injuries, relaxing muscle fibers after contraction, enabling nerve signals, and it regulates cell metabolism! Plus, they're seeing signs that it even helps with preventing high blood pressure! Wow, that's one little amazing mineral, right? It does all of this with only about 1% of the calcium stored in our bodies. Now, if we are experiencing bone loss already, what do you think happens to those other calcium functions? Ya, it doesn't look good, does it? But it does.

It's not all about how much calcium we take in but more about the balance of that amount, the absorption of it, and the excretion or loss of calcium. For example, North Americans (according to the RDs who wrote the book "Becoming Vegan") absorb about 30% of the calcium in their diet but once you look at the amount that is excreted, the actual retention is as low as 10% of what was in the food to begin with. Now the question is, what affects these calcium losses.

The things that make our bodies excrete high percentages of calcium that could've been otherwise used for bones and/or any of the other calcium functions are things that will likely surprise some of you:
Protein. Yes, I said protein but namely the sulfur amino acids in it. These amino acids cause a pH imbalance in the blood causing the body to restore this balance by depleting calcium from the bones (acts as a neutralizing agent). It's approximated that for every gram of protein we consume/absorb that 1 mg of calcium is used then disposed of in the urine. Now we know we need protein for many physiological functions but the game is to not overdo it or to stay away from those proteins that have a higher amount of sulfur amino acids. Meat, by-the-way, is a highly concentrated source of these (considered highly acidic) and dairy products are not that far behind (considered moderately acidic)...just putting it out there. The other culprit that creates havoc with our calcium absorption/stores?
Sodium. That just has a bad rep all around, doesn't it? Well, in this case, when the kidneys have to process out all the extra salt, the body also loses about 23-26mg of calcium per gram of sodium removed. This one is definitely a red alert for vegans since a lot of prepared foods come with a lot of sodium in order to make certain things taste better, like those "meat" substitutes.
Soft drinks & coffee. Here is another repetitive health alert for these things, though coffee is only shown to be a possible culprit after 3 cups a day. Soft drinks, on the other hand, do their damage with their phosphoric acids (see the word "acid"? What does the body use to neutralize acids?)

All right, so now we know what's not pro-calcium balance so what does a vegan do to get balanced? Well, it's recommended that an adequate intake (AI) of calcium a day (for an adult) be between 1000-1200mg, while trying to maintain a ratio of calcium(mg) to protein(g) of 16:1 to 20:1 and to get less than 2400mg of sodium per day. Mumbo jumbo translated: for every gram of protein you eat, you should eat 16-20mg of a calcium rich (or enriched) food but keep your daily sodium allowance under 2400mg. Plus, research has shown that we absorb calcium better when small amounts are taken at a time (instead of a giant calcium supplement). Also, don't forget the important roles that vitamin D and magnesium have on calcium absorption - make sure you get enough of those too. I take a vegan vitamin D supplement (VegLife) every morning because I was extremely low and a fizzy magnesium drink every night before bed (Natural Calm)...just make sure to have your blood tested for vitamins & minerals first before adding any supplements to your daily routine. Don't forget weight bearing exercise like jogging or weight lifting, that also helps build bone!

And, just for good measure, here are 10 of some of the high calcium plant foods (calcium mg per 100 calories of the food - nutrient density):

1)Cooked collard greens (1/2cup)...457mg per 100cals
2)Raw kale (1/2cup)...270mg per 100cals
3)Raw romaine lettuce (1 cup)...257mg per 100cals
4)Raw seaweed (1/2 cup)...360mg per 100cals
5)Calcium enriched tofu (1/2cup)...471mg per 100cals (this may fluctuate so read labels)
6)Vegan ground round (2oz)...76mg per 100cals
7)Flaxseed (2tbsp)...56mg per 100cals
8)Figs (5)...83mg per 100cals
9)Oranges (1med.)...85mg per 100cals
10)Blackstrap molasses (1tbsp)...366mg per 100cals (this one is the biggest surprise for me)

Looks like I'll be buying some Blackstrap molasses, though it's hard to find sometimes since most people prefer buying the dark corn syrup but I'll find it! Most of the foods on the previous list are things I already enjoy eating so I think I'm on the right track but only next year's bone density test will prove it or not :D

Want a quick comparison to dairy products for a gauge?
1) 2% milk (1/2cup)...208mg per 100cals
2) Cheese (3/4 oz)...152-182mg per 100cals
3) Yogurt (1/2cup)...291mg per 100cals

If you have a moment, let me know what your experience with increasing your calcium intake has been like!