National Nutrition Month - Enhance Flavors with Spices and Herbs

Instead of salt, use spices, herbs, lemon juice, and/or vinegar to enhance the taste of your food. The health benefits are life-long.

Wikipedia has provided an extensive list of culinary herbs and spices. The list does not contain salt (which is a mineral) or plants used primarily as herbal teas or medicinal herbs. Explore the different flavors and cultures.

National Nutrition Month and Beyond

National Nutrition Month®  is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits. In addition, National Nutrition Month® promotes the Academy and its members to the public and the media as a valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically-based food and nutrition information.

National Nutrition Month® Campaign

During National Nutrition Month® and Beyond, help the Academy achieve its vision of a world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition.

Key Messages:

1.      Include a variety of healthful foods from all of the food groups on a regular basis.

2.      Consider the foods you have on hand before buying more at the store.

3.      Buy only the amount that can be eaten or frozen within a few days and plan ways
    to use leftovers later in the week.

4.      Be mindful of portion sizes. Eat and drink the amount that’s right for you, as
    MyPlate encourages us to do.

5.      Continue to use good food safety practices.

6.      Find activities that you enjoy and be physically active most days of the week.

7.      Realize the benefits of healthy eating by consulting with a registered dietitian
    nutritionist. RDNs can provide sound, easy-to-follow personalized nutrition advice
    to meet your lifestyle, preferences and health-related needs.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day. The goal is to increase awareness of the registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services and recognizes RDNs for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.

Be sure to visit the Academy's National Nutrition Month® website during the upcoming months for new and updated resources to help make National Nutrition Month® celebration an infinite success!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education, and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.

Reference
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Nutrition Month®

National Triglycerides Day

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of fat. They are the most common type of fat in your body. They come from foods, especially butter, oils, and other fats you eat. Triglycerides also come from extra calories. Your body changes these extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. When your body needs energy, it releases the triglycerides. Your VLDL cholesterol particles carry the triglycerides to your tissues.

Having a high level of triglycerides can raise your risk of heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease.

What causes high triglycerides?

Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include

• Regularly eating more calories than you burn off, especially if you eat a lot of sugar
• Being overweight or having obesity
• Cigarette smoking
• Excessive alcohol use
• Certain medicines
• Some genetic disorders
• Thyroid diseases
• Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
• Liver or kidney diseases

How Triglycerides is Diagnosed

What are the treatments for high triglycerides?

You may be able to lower your triglyceride levels with lifestyle changes:

• Controlling your weight
• Regular physical activity
• Not smoking
• Limiting sugar and refined foods
• Limiting alcohol
• Switching from saturated fats to healthier fats

Some people will also need to take cholesterol medicines to lower their triglycerides.

Resources.

1. High levels of fat in the blood in the form of triglycerides can increase your risk of heart disease. #Eatright 

2. What Are High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides? American Heart Association

3. Triglycerides, MedlinePlus