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Nutritional needs assessment available


The May 27 Wellness Wednesday, held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Children’s Hospital lobby,  will offer free brief nutrition needs assessments.

by Janet Carter
Registered Dietitian
Registered dietitians (RD) are nutrition experts who can help you estimate your personal nutrition needs while explaining the nutrients and their effect on your body. The following is a brief summary of the specific nutrients that healthy adults need each day:

Calories: Calories are a measure of the energy in food and the energy that our body uses to function. If we eat more calories than our body uses, we will gain weight. 

Fat: Fat has gotten a bad reputation during the years, but getting enough of the good fats can protect you against heart disease and other health problems. Good fats are unsaturated and include olive oil, nuts and flaxseed oil.

Saturated fat: Too much saturated fat can cause our body to produce more cholesterol than it needs, which can then build up in our blood vessel walls.  Adults need less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat (remember that 1 gram of fat has 10 calories)

Trans fat: Trans fats are found minimally in nature and cause our body to produce more cholesterol than it needs, which can than build up on our blood vessel walls.

Cholesterol: Dietary cholesterol is only bad if you have more than the recommended amount, which is no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.
Sodium: Too much sodium can raise blood pressure in salt-sensitive people. Healthy adults should try for less than 2,400 mg per day.

Fiber: Fiber is important for our body in that it helps us stay regular, and it can help lower blood cholesterol.  Adults need a minimum of 20-35 grams of fiber per day.

Protein: Protein has many important jobs in our body. Having said that, most of us get plenty of protein, and more likely, more than we need.  Don’t be fooled—too much protein can also be stored as fat in the body. Adult recommendations are 0.8 grams per kilogram body weight (remember that there are 7 grams of protein in one ounce of meat; so a 3 ounce chicken breast, which is about the size of a deck of cards, provides about 21 grams of protein).

 


 

Friday, May 22, 2009


The Catalyst Online is published weekly by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. The Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to The Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.