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Nutrition Topics

Weight Management

A recent study found one out of four college freshmen gains about 10 pounds during her first semester. The recipe for waistline expansion hinges on:

  • A decrease in regular physical activity or sports involvement
  • Dining halls with unlimited food choices (both healthy and not-so-healthy)
  • Increased snacking
  • Drinking more high calorie beverages such as soda

The best solution for avoiding college weight gain is to be aware of your daily calorie intake. Since both food and activity play a role in weight management, writing down daily meals, snacks, beverages and physical activity can help keep weight in check. A food and activity log allows you to see the calories you take in and the calories you burn. Calories In: Healthy Food Choices

  • Don’t Skip Breakfast.Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. As the first meal of the day, breakfast keeps your metabolism humming and decreases overeating throughout the day.
  • Watch Portions.Pay attention to food choices and portion sizes in the dining hall.
  • Make Smart Choices.Select fewer processed foods and more high-fiber foods like whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables. Fiber helps manage weight by increasing feelings of fullness with fewer calories and keeping blood sugar steady to relieve frequent hunger.
  • Pick Lean Protein. All meals and snacks should include lean protein sources such as lean beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, nut butters and reduced fat cheese.
  • Choose Fats Wisely.Avoid unhealthy fats from fried foods and sweets. Choose more healthful fats from nuts, seeds, olive oil, canola oil and avocadoes.
  • Drink Low-Calorie Beverages.Skip the regular soda and opt for low-calorie choices like water and low-fat or fat-free milk.

Calories Out: Physical Activity Increase the number of calories you burn. Get moving with at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least five days a week. Moderate-intensity activities include walking, jogging, biking and stair climbing. Take an elective dance or sports class. Activities of daily living, like walking to and from class and parking your car further away from campus, burn calories, too. Source: American Dietetic Association, http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=11183 Increase the number of calories you burn. Get moving with at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least five days a week. Moderate-intensity activities include walking, jogging, biking and stair climbing. Take an elective dance or sports class. Activities of daily living, like walking to and from class and parking your car further away from campus, burn calories, too. Source: American Dietetic Association, http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=11183

Iron Deficiency

What is iron and why do we need it?

Iron is a mineral that is needed by our bodies. It is present in all human cells and has several vital functions. It carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies, it transports electrons within the cells, and it plays a vital role in enzyme reactions in various tissues. Iron is the most common known form of nutritional deficiency. When our bodies don't have enough iron, sickness and death can occur.   What is iron deficiency? The body is iron deficient when it does not receive the recommended amount of iron everyday, this condition is also known as iron-deficiency anemia. A 19-30 year old woman's recommended intake of dietary iron is 18 mg per day. In pregnancy, the recommended increases to 27 mg per day. If a person does not receive the correct amount of iron the following health risks may occur:

  • Iron deficiency can delay normal infant motor functions or mental function.
  • Iron deficiency during pregnancy can increase risk for small or early babies. Small or early babies are more likely to have health problems or die in the first year of life than infants who are born full tern and are not small.
  • Iron deficiency can cause fatigue that impairs the ability to do physical work in adults. Iron deficiency may also affect memory or other mental functions in teens.

What causes iron deficiency? The most common causes of iron deficiency can be put into two categories: 1. increased need for iron, and 2. decreased iron intake or absorption. Since iron is found in the blood, iron deficiency is most commonly found in women due to the loss of blood through the monthly menstrual cycle. Other risk factors include:

  • Young children and pregnant women, because of rapid growth and higher iron needs. 
  • Children between six months and three years of age due to rapid growth and inadequate intake of dietary iron. Infants and children at highest risk are the following groups:
  • Babies who were born early or small.
  • Babies given cow’s milk before age 12 months.
  • Breastfed babies who after age 6 months are not being given plain, iron-fortified cereals or another good source of iron from other foods.
  • Formula-fed babies who do not get iron-fortified formulas.
  • Children aged 1–5 years who get more than 24 ounces of cow, goat, or soymilk per day. Excess milk intake can decrease your child’s desire for food items with greater iron content, such as meat or iron fortified cereal.
  • Children who have special health needs, for example, children with chronic infections or restricted diets. 

What are the signs and symptoms of iron deficiency?

  •  Fatigue
  •  Decreased work and school performance
  •  Decreased immune function
  •  Difficulty maintaining body temperature
  •  Pica: an appetite for non-nutritive substances (coal, soil, chalk, paper etc.) or an abnormal appetite for things that may be considered foods, such as food ingredients (flour, raw potato, starch, ice).

  What can I do to prevent iron deficiency?

  • Eat iron-rich foods. 
  • Eat foods that are vitamin C sources. Vitamin C helps your body absorb non-heme iron especially when the food that is a source of non-heme iron and the vitamin C-rich food are eaten at the same meal. 
  • Eat lean red meats, poultry, and fish. The iron in these foods is easier for your body to absorb than the iron in plant foods
  • Talk to your doctor about taking an iron supplement.

  If you are at all concerned about your iron levels visit your doctor or health care provider. There is a simple test that can detect iron levels and diagnose iron deficiency. Treatment will depend on factors such as age, health, and cause of iron deficiency. You might be subscribed iron supplement pills or be advised on a healthy diet full of iron-rich foods.

For more information on Iron Deficiency visit http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/iron_deficiency/index.htm

Cardiovascular Disease

Not A Man's Disease Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of women in the United States. American women are 4 to 6 times more likely to die of heart disease than of breast cancer. Heart disease kills more women over 65 than all cancers combined (AAFP 2007).

What puts you at risk?

  • Increasing age
  • Gender
  • Family history
  • Previous heart attack or stroke
  • Smoking
  • High blood pressure
  • Physical inactivity
  • Obesity and overweight
  • Diabetes
  • Individual response to stress

What can you do to lower your risk?

  • Don't smoke
  • Control your blood pressure
  • Control you cholesterol level
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat a low-fat diet
  • Take care of diabetes
  • Be aware of chest pain
  • Know your family history

Heart attack warning signs

  • Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.  
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.   
  • Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.  
  • Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness     

Stroke Warning Signs The American Stroke Association says these are the warning signs of stroke:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body   
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding   
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes   
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination   
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause  

Women and Cardiovascular Disease For more information and interactive activities about cardiovascular disease visit the following websites: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseaseinwomen.html

American Heart Association http://www.americanheart.org 7272 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75231 1-800-242-8721

Women's Heart Foundation http://www.womensheartfoundation.org/ PO Box 7827 West Trenton, NJ 08628 609-771-9600

National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease http://www.womenheart.org 818 18th Street, NW Suite 730 Washington, DC 20006 (202) 728-7199 mail@womenheart.org

Heart Truth http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/hearttruth/ P.O. Box 30105 Bethesda, MD 20824-0105 301-592-8573 nhlbiinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov 301-496-4236

American Academy of Family Physicians. (2007). Heart Disease and Heart Attacks: What women need to know. Retrieved December http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2876