Last week I lost my best friend/4-legged son – Henry. A dog’s love (or cat) as you know is unconditional; no matter what you say or do, they still love you. It’s a special kind of love that I was fortunate enough to experience. Henry was always there to greet me at the door and smother me with kisses, even if only gone for 5 minutes. He thought I was the prettiest mom, best cook, and a fabulous singer. (Of course he did!!) Occasionally he was embarrassed by my dog walking outfit, but hey moms are meant to embarrass! Henry had a wonderful life and we both were so lucky to of had each other for 15 1/2 years. I will cherish my memories forever.
In this week’s The Keri Report:
- You Ask: I Answer: What is Choline and do I need it?
- The Downfalls of Packaged Diets
- 5 Meal Prep Tricks That Will Help You Avoid Eating The Same Thing Every Day
Photo by me
You Ask: I Answer: “What is Choline and do I need it?” Funny enough this question came from my mom, or my “devoted reader” as she refers to herself.
Personally, I have been obsessed with doing a daily NY Times crossword puzzle (Who cares if it’s a mini one and not the regular version?) and using the Lumosity app after constantly hearing about how important it is to keep your brain sharp as you age. OK, I admit I might like to jump start things! After telling my mother she should do the same, our conversation shifted toward food and nutrients. Hey, I’m a nutritionist, isn’t that what always happens?
One of the nutrients I mentioned to my mom is choline. She had never heard of it. Choline, an essential nutrient (meaning our body doesn’t naturally produce it) closely related to the B vitamins, is especially important for cognitive health both early in life as the brain is forming, and later in life to help prevent cognitive decline. As the brain’s instant messenger, choline provides a connection between brain and muscles, helping to support memory and retention.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends aiming for 550 mg of choline per day. Unfortunately, choline is not found naturally in many everyday foods, and most sources provide a fraction of the amount we need each day. For example, 1 large egg provides 147mg, a 3-oz chicken breast 70mg, 1-cup wheat germ 201mg (and no one I know is eating a cup of wheat germ!) and 63mg for Brussels sprouts. So, it is probably a good idea to look for foods fortified with choline and consider supplements to fill gaps. And that goes to all my devoted readers!
For more info, click here.
Disclosure: This post was paid for by Balchem Corporation; opinions are my own.
Photo provided by Shutterstock.com
The Downfalls of Packaged Diets – My Fitness Pal Blog
There are so many packaged diet plans out there that it can be hard to choose one. But wait – SHOULD you choose one??? I’ve never been a fan of most of these plans mainly because they are typically too restrictive and too unrealistic for the long haul. Learning to cook and order healthy when dining out is way more up my alley. But for more deets – read this story!
Photo provided by Shutterstock.com
5 Meal Prep Tricks That Will Help You Avoid Eating The Same Thing Every Day – Women’s Health
So above I ranked on packaged diet plans that were delivered to your home. But, what about creating your own “packaged” meal plans? Personally, I have never been that into meal prepping, BUT I have seen huge success from my patients, therefore definitely recommend it. The only typical downfall is boredom and that can definitely cause failure. See what I suggest to avoid the ho-hums!