More Nutrition Trends Mom Should Know About

By now you have probably heard all about a gluten free diet. This means excluding gluten, a protein that is found in grains such as bread, pasta and cereal from your diet. This is a specialized diet for people who have celiac disease or who are allergic to gluten or have a gluten intolerance. Since the word “diet” is synonymous with losing weight, some people mistakenly think that it’s a weight-loss plan, but it isn’t intended to be that. A gluten-free diet excludes many common dietary staples so you should follow it under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.

When it comes to your gut and your kid's guts you have also probably heard a lot about Probiotics. Probiotics promote good digestion, strengthen your immune system and protect against disease-causing “bad” bacteria. They are also handy for treating diarrhea and urinary tract infections. Certain

Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains may help reduce the duration and severity of a cold. You should consume probiotics when you take antibiotics; they will replace the good bacteria that the antibiotics have killed. There are many different strains of probiotics and each one offers a different health benefit.

Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, for example, may help boost your immunity. There are other strains and combinations that may help prevent colds and urinary tract infections, and help with lactose intolerance. Talk to a health-care professional to determine which type will best meet your needs. Probiotics are found in yogurts and fermented products.

By now you have also probably heard about Stevia. natural sweetener that’s 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar and extracted from the stevia shrub, which is native to Paraguay. Stevia sweetens like sugar, but has no calories. Stevia has been safely used as a sweetener for hundreds of years in South America, but there aren’t any clinical studies on its safety.

Adults are best to stick to no more than 280 milligrams a day of stevia leaf powder. Liquid and spoonable stevia powders are available in health food stores. In Canada, stevia is not permitted as 
a food additive for widespread use because of the lack of research. It can be found in some natural health products that have a natural product number on them. This means they are government regulated and must list a dosage amount on the package.

Stay away from any nutrition trend that is not government regulated. It is quite simply bad for your health.

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Fast Food Snacks to Avoid

If you're wondering where those extra pounds are coming from it could be that treat you grabbed with this morning's cup of java. Yes, they're delicious, but many of the snacks you'll find at the higher end coffee shops and other fast food restaurants have more calories than you think. In fact the foods with the highest fat might even look like the most natural choices.

For instance, if you go to Starbucks you might be deciding between the Blueberry Scone and the Double Fudge mini doughnut. Believe it or not the Double Fudge Mini Doughnut only has 130 calories and 8grams of fat compared to the 470 calories and 25 grams of fat in the Blueberry Scone!

At Tim Horton's you are better off to choose the Strawberry Yogurt rather than just one Sour Cream Glazed Cake Tidbit. The yogurt has 140 Calories and 2.5 grams fat while the Timbit has 90 calorie with 4.5 grams fat. And can anyone ever eat just ONE Timbit?

At McDonald's you might think having a Carrot Muffin instead of a Vanilla Cone makes sense. Wrong! The Vanilla one is only 230 calories with 7 gram of fat while the carrot muffin is 430 calories with 16 grams of fat.

At a Coffee Time outlet it is better for you to choose the Almond Hazelnut Biscotti over the Raisin Bran Muffin. The Muffin has 610 calories and 18grams fat while the Biscotti have 160 calories and 5 grams fat. However the redeeming factor with the muffin is that it does have 9 grams of fiber where the biscotti have none. On the upside with the biscotti again, it contains almonds which are high in Vitamin E and help lower cholesterol.

It's a bit ironic but sometimes the healthiest sounding items are the worst culprits when it comes to their calorie, fat and sugar contents even if they do contain healthy things like flaxseed, bran or fruit.

You should also watch out for toppings like butter, peanut and margarine which can add tons of calories to fatty items such as scones, muffins and croissants.

As you can see it is important to check the nutrition information. Many snacks have more fat and sodium than you would ever think. Be sure to ask a clerk for information. If they do not have a brochure then go online to check the nutrition of what you are getting with some of these quick snacks. Don't think they don't count when it comes to counting calories! They do!

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