FitSugar

Are You Getting Your RDI?

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Is it me or are you confused about how much of each vitamin and mineral you are supposed to get each day?

Some of my friends take daily vitamins, and some eat fortified foods like calcium-enriched orange juice. It that necessary, or do we get enough in the foods we eat?

The first step in answering that question is to know how much we need to get each day. Here's a chart to make it a little more simple for you. These numbers are the RDI (reference daily intake) for women.

Want to see? Then

Vitamin	Amount	Foods it's Found in
Vitamin A	700 mcg	Carrots, sweet potatoes, dark-green veggies
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	1.4 mg	Green peas, spinach, liver, beef, pork, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, nuts, bananas, whole grain and enriched cereals, and breads
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	1.2 mg	Asparagus, okra, chard, almonds, leafy greens, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, and fish
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	14 mg	Chicken, beef, tuna, salmon, milk, eggs, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, dates, sweet potatoes, asparagus, avocados, nuts, whole grains, beans, mushrooms, nutritional yeast
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	5 mg	Whole grain cereals, beans, eggs, meat, some energy drinks
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine)	1.3 mg	Nuts, liver, chicken, fish, green beans, salad greens, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables, and bananas
Vitamin B7 (Biotin or Vitamin H)	30 mcg	Beans, nutritional yeast, cauliflower, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, liver, meat, molasses, dairy products, nuts, oatmeal, oysters, peanut butter, bananas, soy products, mushrooms, wheat germ, and whole grains
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid)	400 mcg	Leafy greens such as spinach, dried beans and peas, sunflower seeds, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, liver, enriched cereal
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	6 mcg	Animal products such as meat, eggs, dairy products, nutritional yeast, and fortified cereals
Vitamin C	75 mg	Oranges, strawberries, grapefruit
Vitamin D	200 units	Milk, sunlight
Vitamin E	15 mg	Eggs, fortified cereals, fruit, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach), meat, nuts, poultry, vegetable oils (corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, sunflower), olive oil, wheat germ oil, and whole grains
Potassium	4,200 mg	Potatoes, tomatoes, white beans, lentils, yogurt, bananas, broccoli, soybeans, avocado
Calcium	1,000 mg	Dairy products, nuts, broccoli, fortified orange juice, sardines
Protein	40-60g (depending on your weight and activity level)	Dairy products, nuts, meat, poultry, fish, eggs
Iron	18 mg	Molasses, liver, dates, baked potato with the skin, kidney beans, chickpeas, oats, beets
Zinc	8 mg	Oysters, red meat, chicken, beans, nuts, whole grains, dairy products, fortified cereals
Magnesium	300 mg	Chard, spinach, tofu, artichokes, lima beans, scallops, sea bass
Phosphorus	700 mg	Bran, Cocoa powder, dairy products, seafood, chickpeas, garlic, lentils, soybeans, nuts, liver, eggs, chicken, yeast

RDI vs. RDA

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 02:00:00 PDT

First the USDA changes the food pyramid and now I'm starting to see RDI instead of RDA. What is the change all about?
RDI stands for Reference Daily Intake and represents the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group. Basically the RDI replaces RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), since the RDA was expanded in 1997 (I guess I am a little behind the game since I am just now noticing it) to became one part of a broader set of dietary guidelines called the Dietary Reference Intake, which is used by both the United States and Canada. The new guidelines include the tolerable upper intake levels (UL) to caution against excessive intake of nutrients (like vitamin D) that can be harmful in large amounts.

The RDI is used to determine the DV% (Daily Value percentage) that you see on food labels. The DV is the dietary reference value displayed on food labels, So the DV is a percentage and the RDI is total amount in milligrams or grams.

I know this all seems a little dry, but I still find it interesting.

Fittingly Mad: Grams to Teaspoons

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:00:00 PST

I am a label reader, there is no doubt about that. I want to know what I am eating and how much of it too. So I look on the back of food packages, let's use yogurt as an example, to see how much of some ingredient it contains, for instance - sugar.

A serving size of this new vanilla yogurt I bought was a cup. I looked to see how much sugar there was in one cup and the answer is listed in grams. 33 Grams, to be exact. But I have no idea what that really means. We never went metric here in the U.S. so why are ingredients listed in grams? If the serving size is listed in cups, shouldn't the amounts be listed in ounces, tablespoons and teaspoons. I know roughly how these units of measurement break down. There are: 8 ounces in a cup, 2 tablespoons in 1/8 of a cup, and 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon. These measurements I am familiar with. But grams - I do not know grams.

So after consulting the web, my favorite research tool, I found gourmet sleuth a really great cooking measurement conversion site . Here's the deal: 33 grams of sugar = 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. I don't know about you, but that seems like a lot a lot of sugar.

From now it is plain, non-fat yogurt for me with a smidgen of maple syrup as sweetener. I have to tell you though, I really want to be able to eat without my computer.

How Much Protein Do I Need Each Day?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:32:39 PDT

If you're wondering how many grams of protein a woman should consume per day, there's no cut and dry answer. It depends on your weight, your activity level, and whether or not you're pregnant. There's an easy way to calculate the number of protein grams that's right for you. Just take your weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2 to figure out your weight in kilograms. Then multiply that number by 0.8 (not very active) through 1.8 (extremely active), depending on how much exercise you get. As a general guideline, the USDA's RDA for protein for adults is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. The USDA's average requirement of protein for women ages 31-50 is 46 g/day. But, as you can see from this chart, you'll need to up that if you keep an active life; you should also increase protein intake if you are pregnant or nursing.

Check out the chart below to see how much protein you should be eating each day. If you don't see your weight, just use the formula above to calculate your daily protein. See the chart after the break!

From the Community: Fiber Supplements - Good as the Real Deal?

Fit Community — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:05:54 PDT

FitSugar reader livinginthin turned to an expert to find out if fiber supplements are good stand-ins for the real thing. She posted her findings in the 10 Pounds DOWN! community group.

Metamucil got a makeover! These days supermodels sell Benefiber - this isn't your grandma's supplement! - and many products are now touting "added fiber" as a bonus on the package. It made us wonder: do fiber supplements offer the same benefits as natural fiber-filled stuff?

The short answer? Not really. There isn't any overwhelming evidence that supports the ability of fiber supplements to help lower your risk of heart disease or obesity in the way that fiber-rich foods do. Plus, supplements offer none of the nutritional benefits that nature's fiber-carriers do. Sure, the fake fiber may help you stay regular, but it probably won't do much else for you. Why not get more bang for your buck and stick with the real stuff?

Eating foods that are high in water and fiber throughout the day can also help you stay fuller longer, which is beneficial if you're trying to shed pounds, says Amelia Winslow, MS, MPH. "For example, for the same number of calories you can have 1/4 cup (1 oz.) raisins or an entire large apple (8 oz.). The apple will take up more room in your stomach and be absorbed slowly, so you'll stay fuller for longer." Winslow also suggests modifying your favorite meals to include more vegetables and fruits. "There's no need to give up pasta or chili, just replace some of the noodles or meat with veggies, so that the veggies make up the bulk of the meal," says Winslow. "Same goes for dessert: instead of a whole bowl of ice cream, have a small scoop topped with a cup of berries. The berries add bulk, fiber, and replace some of the calorie-dense ice cream."

For best results, aim to get 25-30 grams of fiber a day to stay healthy, and be sure to add it into your diet gradually to avoid bloating or cramping. Some great whole food, high fiber options include: 1 cup of split peas (16g), 1 avocado (11g) or 1 cup of raspberries (8g).

Do you have a nagging exercise question or have a stellar workout to share? Post it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! group in the FitSugar Community!

Know Your A, B, Cs: Vitamin A

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Vitamin A - What doesn't it do? It helps with your vision, bone growth, cell growth and repair, and cell division. It helps regulate the immune system, and makes white blood cells, which help to fight off infections. Vitamin A also helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses. It also speeds up healing when you get cut, and prevents your skin from aging.

It's a good thing that vitamin A is found in so many of our foods, so you usually get enough in your diet. Colorful fruits and veggies are great sources of this vitamin. The RDA (recommended daily allowance) for women for vitamin A is 700-750 micrograms.

Are you getting enough? To find out

Food	Serving size	% of RDA for women
sweet potato	1/2 cup	200%
carrot	1 medium	145%
kale	1/2 cup	34%
mango	1/2 medium	28%
raw spinach	1 cup	26%
papaya	1/2 medium	21%
red bell pepper	1/2 medium	20%
canteloupe	1/2 cup	18%
large egg	1	13%
romaine lettuce	1 cup	10%
raw tomato	1 medium	5%
green bell pepper	1/2 medium	2%
orange	1 medium	2%

Well, as you can see, it's pretty easy to get your RDA of vitamin A. If you eat a salad, a carrot, or baked sweet potato, you're good to go.