Nutrition

MomsTeam nutrition expert Nancy Clark reports on the latest research from the ACSM Annual Meeting on the importance of physical exercise, nutrition for the injured athlete, and creatine safety.

Meals are much more than short-term fuel for your body. They are a distinct message that your body will hear and respond to. If you're creating a meal for a loved one or family, what's the message in your meals? That you love them and want to make sure they stay healthy or are you too busy and just don't have time? Here are a few favorite "messages" (recipes) from natural chef, holistic nutritionist, Patty James.

The USDA's MyPlate has replaced its outdated and much-maligned Food Pyramid. The colorful quarters of the plate - green for vegetables, red for fruits, orange for grains, and purple for protein - are aimed at nudging Americans away from meals dominated by meat and starch and towards meals made up mostly of plant-based foods.

Attention sports moms: still skeptical that sports drinks actually do what they say they do - help increase endurance for young athletes in stop-and-go, high-intensity team sports like soccer, football, ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse - and aren't just advertising hype? Well now you don't have to take their word for it, there's scientific proof.

Sports drinks should be consumed by children and adolescents only when there is a need for fluid, carbohydrate and electrolyte replenishment during and after prolonged, vigorous sports participation, while the ingestion of energy drinks should avoided completely, recommends the American Academy of Pediatrics in a report published in the journal Pediatrics.

Advice from sports nutritionist Nancy Clark on what parents can do to help their young athlete overcome cravings and perceived addictions.

Patty James, certified natural chef, holistic nutritionist, and author of More Vegetables, Please!, and her non-profit, DirectionFive.org, traveled to 41 states  to conduct videotape interviews of kids from all walks of life.   Our kids' take on health, nutrition, and exercise may surprise you.

How do you as a parent help your child overcome an addiction to unhealthy food? By overcoming your own addiction first. Most children who are addicted to unhealthy food are getting that food in the home. Children also engage in behavior modeled after their parents. If you want your child to stop eating unhealthy food, you need to lead by example.

Kids are often times more intuitive than adults, and what they think is best for them in terms of health, nutrition and exercise often times is. It's time we truly listened to what they have to say, says certified natural chef, holistic nutrition expert and founder of DirectionFive.org, Patty James.

 

With school and fall sports in full swing, now is an important time for your family to eat a high-quality protein breakfast, like eggs. Here are 3 quick and easy breakfast recipes.