FitSugar

The Skinny on Zinc

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:00:00 -0700

Zinc is one of those essential minerals that often flies under the radar, mostly because deficiencies of zinc are rare here in the U.S. It is, however, present in almost every cell of your body. It stimulates almost 100 enzymes, which are responsible for many biomechanical reactions in the body. This busy mineral supports a healthy immune system, is needed for wound healing and helps maintain your sense of taste and smell.

The recommended daily intake of zinc is 9 milligrams for an adult woman, and it is always better to get your RDI in the form of whole foods. That being the case, here are some foods high in zinc include: oysters (6 oz = 75 mg), crab (3 oz = 7), beef (3 oz = 6), and beans (1/2 cup = 1.8 mg).

Zinc has been getting a lot attention lately for its ability to fight colds. Some studies indicate that it can decrease the length of a common cold, while others show no real benefits to using zinc lozenges. The debate continues, and it seems like the form of zinc you take matters. Look for zinc supplements that use zinc gluconate, since it seems to be the most effective form of the mineral. If you are fighting a cold with zinc, do be aware that the upper tolerance is 40 mg for adults and high doses of zinc can interfere with iron and copper absorption.

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What Does Your RDI Look Like: Zinc

FitSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

When the mineral zinc comes to mind, I mostly link it with fighting colds. While it's true that it helps support a healthy immune system, that's not all zinc does. It's essential for cell division and the synthesis of DNA and protein. It also stimulates 300 enzymes, which are responsible for many of your body's functions. Zinc heals and protects your skin, is needed for proper thyroid functioning, and helps maintain your sense of smell and taste. It also boosts brain activity, improves your mood, and can help alleviate PMS symptoms.

An adult woman over 19 should be getting 8 mg of zinc each day. If she's pregnant, she needs 11 mg, and if she's nursing, then she needs slightly more, 12 mg. Are you getting your RDI? To find out read more.

1 cup milk

Food	Amount of Zinc
6 medium oysters	76.7 mg
3 oz. beef shanks	8.9 mg
3 oz. crab	6.5 mg
1 roasted chicken leg	2.7 mg
3 oz. pork tenderloin	2.5 mg
3 oz. lobster	2.5 mg
1 oz. pumpkin seeds	2.1 mg
1/2 cup baked beans	1.7 mg
2 tbsp sunflower seeds	1.6 mg
1 oz. dry roasted cashews	1.6 mg
1 cup lowfat yogurt	1.5 mg
1/2 cup chickpeas	1.3 mg
1 oz. Swiss cheese	1.1 mg
1 oz. almonds	1 mg
.9 mg
1/2 roasted chicken breast, no skin	.9 mg
1 oz. cheddar or mozzarella cheese	.9 mg
1/2 cup kidney beans	.8 mg
1/2 cup cooked peas	.8 mg
1 packet instant oatmeal	.8 mg
2 tbsp hummus	.6 mg
3 oz. flounder or sole	.5 mg
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch	.4 mg
1 miniature box of raisins	.1 mg

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Are You Getting Your RDI?

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:30:00 -0700

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 read more.

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 Reminder: How Much Do I Need Again?

FitSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

We all know we should be getting enough vitamins and minerals from the food we eat. If there's any doubt in our minds that we're missing certain nutrients, we take vitamins just to be sure. The problem is, consuming excessive amounts of certain vitamins and minerals can be harmful so check out this chart for a little recommended daily intake (RDI) refresher. Pay special attention to the amounts because some are needed in micrograms (mcg), and some are needed in grams (g).

Vitamin	Amount	Sources
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

To see the rest read more.

Vitamin	Amount	Sources
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)	2.4 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	40-60 g (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	9 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

I printed this chart and put on the inside of a cabinet door in my kitchen so I can conveniently refer to it.

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Oysters: More Than Sexy

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Oysters inspire no middle ground, you either love them or hate them. I fall in the former category and am always happy when oyster season comes around. Months that contain the letter "R" are the months of oyster season (that is September through April), so the season is upon us!

People gulp them raw hoping they are truly the aphrodisiac of legends, but some folks shy away from oysters because they think the mollusk is high in cholesterol. Well, truth be told they are a lean source of protein and they contain Omega-3 fatty acids. In fact 6 oysters contain one third of your RDI of the uber healthy fatty acid. Seems like a reason to split a dozen with your honey to me.

On the other hand, 6 oysters only contain about 55 milligrams of cholesterol, about 1/5 of the cholesterol found in an egg. So the effect on blood cholesterol caused by oysters is minimal at most. Plus they are high in the immune supporting mineral zinc, as well as B12, copper, iron and selenium,

Fit's Tip: You want to look for oysters that have tightly closed shells. They should smell like the sea and not at all sulfurous. Pregnant women, children and people with compromised immune systems should avoid eating raw oysters due to the potential of toxic bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.

And you, how do you feel about oysters? Do you like them raw? Do you prefer them on the BBQ. Tell me about it in the comment section below.

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Fittingly Mad: Diet Coke Plus?

FitSugar — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Tons, and I mean tons, of people drink Diet Coke. The zero calories concept seems to sway a lot of people, I guess, but I prefer not to rot my teeth - it is the chemicals not the sugar that etch away at the enamel of your teeth.

It seems a little like a scam to me, people drinking this cola and thinking it is good for them since it contains no calories but I call it “chemical water.” Now Coca Cola has created - Diet Coke Plus.

Plus what, you may ask? They mix 15% of your Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for niacin, B6, B12, and 10% of your daily zinc and magnesium into every 8 oz serving of artificial sugar.

I should be happy, right, that Diet Coke is somehow trying to encourage its faithful drinkers to be a little healthier, but I am not buying it (literally too!). This is just another way for them to make money since vitamin water is so popular. And people are going to fall for it. They'll forget all about the artificial sugar and the caffeine, and think "Hmmm, that's neat. Now I can get my Diet Coke and my vitamins and minerals. Yay!"

Too bad drinking sodas regularly, like Diet Coke, are connected to low bone density mass. That means drinking soda 5 times a week can put you at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis, the brittle bone disease that approximately 55% of Americans are at risk of developing.

I have an idea. How about we ditch the soda and drink water instead. If you're eating a healthy diet full of lots of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins and whole grains, then I'm sure you're getting more than enough vitamins and minerals. You don't need help from Diet Coke Plus to get you there - it's doing more harm than good.

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