The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending machines in virtually every corner of residential America has created a serious nutritional problem. “Snacking” – a harmless-sounding verb that deceptively implies something unobjectionable – has reached addictive proportions.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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Within a generation, an unprecedented demographic reality will exist in the US: 1 in 5 Americans will be older than 65. This is indeed news worth celebrating, because it means that more Americans are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. Yet this trend also presents some very real health-related problems that American society must solve.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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Americans are literally running out of time. Achieving a work-life balance, which is still a luxury for tens of millions of working parents, has been overtaken by an even greater demand: a work-life-nutrition balance. Unfortunately, this increasing demand for nutrition has not been accompanied by a useful strategy that enables people to reclaim time from their harried lives.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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Americans of all ages live such busy, fast-paced lifestyles, that eating nutritious meals is seen as something of a luxury; to be enjoyed on special occasions or when one rarely has a few hours to prepare a complete meal. Seldom is this healthy eating challenge more pressing, however, than for the typical business traveler.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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America’s focus on nutritious eating began to receive national attention in the 1940s when President Roosevelt introduced the RDA, or Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) model. This model, which took on the shape of a pyramid in the 1980s (and hence now goes by the term “food pyramid”), has gone through a number of iterations since its inception more than 60 years ago.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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While the value of protein in diet has been accepted and promoted within the athletic community, it has been less well disseminated within the very large sedentary population. Currently making up about 25% of Americans – or 1 in every 4 people – sedentary people are defined as those who undertake less than half an hour of moderate physical activity per day.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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Eating the appropriate composition of protein is an unusually difficult challenge for many Americans. Many protein sources are not considered “complete” because they do not provide all of the required amino acids necessary in order to build newer proteins. These incomplete proteins are often derived from fruit, grain, vegetable, and nut sources. However, the alternative to these incomplete protein sources – such as meats and dairy – present their own unique dietary challenges.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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Some camps lobby in favor of whey protein as the best protein source, while others advocate soy. Some claim that meat and poultry are the best source of protein, while others swear that a plant-based item such as spirulina ranks at the top. There are so many opinions – each one claiming to support the best source of protein – that consumers are often left less informed after reading a few of them, rather than more educated.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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The relentless avoidance of fat – even of healthy unsaturated fat – is creating a troubling scenario for many individuals. Instead of losing weight when they go “fat free”, they are actually gaining weight.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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In one way, the impassioned hatred of fat is positive. It reflects a generally understood medical truth that overindulging in fat-rich foods often causes unwanted, and unhealthy, weight gain. However, in another way, this fat-phobia is potentially dangerous, because awareness of fat is not enough; an understanding of how fat influences weight gain and overall health is required. Unfortunately, those who dread and avoid all fat “as a rule” are overlooking an important difference between saturated fat and unsaturated fat.
Posted on July 5th, 2008 by Protica Nutritional Research
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