NetWellness Diet and Nutrition

Potatoes

Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:11:00 EST

Question: Hello! Just wanted to know if potatoes are good for health. My familie loves potatoes and we have them almost daily in many different ways. I am a bit on the heftier side so many people has told me that potatoes has too many calories and you could gain weight consuming them. Is it true? Please advic . . .

Answer: The nutrient for calorie content of potatoes depends on how you choose to prepare them. Unfortunately, most people eat potatoes in the form of greasy French fries or potato chips, or load their baked potatoes with fats such as butter, sour cream, melted cheese and bacon bits. This type of preparatio . . .

Ask an Expert: Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

VLCD?

Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:11:00 EST

Question: Is a VLCD safe for a woman in her mid 50`s? I did this once before about 19 years ago. I was on a hospital-supervised VLCD for 13 weeks which in those days was only 400 calories/day. I also had the behavior modification and the nutrition classes, 45 minutes/day at the gym 5 days/wk, etc., etc., the . . .

Answer: Thanks for your question. Your health and metabolism were much different ~20 years ago than they are today and I don't believe this diet would be safe or beneficial for you in the long run. Clearly, it was not a healthy method for weight loss then either as you regained all of the weight . . .

Ask an Expert: Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

2 year old below all list weight growth chart

Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:11:00 EST

Question: My son will be 2 in a week. He currently weighs about 22 lbs. At age 1 he was just under 20 lbs. He eats really well for a toddler but just seems to not hold onto any weight. He also gets colds constantly. Our pediatrician whom I really like has kind of brushed it off that he may just be a little gu . . .

Answer: A weight of 22 pounds may be okay. It depends on his height. My grandson was just under 20 pounds at age 1, and now at 15 months is 20.4 pounds. This puts him at the 5th percentile in weight. His height puts him in the 25th percentile. Though his weight is not at the same percentile as his height, t . . .

Ask an Expert: Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

150 lbs

Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:10:00 EST

Question: If a person needs to lose 150 lbs could she just stop eating for a year to lose 150 lbs?

The way I figure it, if the person normally eats 1500 calories per day (and does not lose weight eating 1500 calories per day), in order to lose 150 lbs she would have to be deficient by 525,000 calories (3 . . .

Answer: I think your answer to losing 150 lbs in 1 year is a bit extreme. Obviously, a person cannot survive on just water alone for an entire year. Ask your doctor for a referral to a Registered Dietitian to assist you in meal planning for weight loss. I'd also suggest a gym membership or . . .

Ask an Expert: Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

thyroid grave`s disease,nutrition&health

Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:10:00 EST

Question: i was diagnosed about a yr ago with grave`s disease,prior to that,a few months before i had gained 20lbs in a month,with no diet changes(i drink diet soda,and have not been eating more,)my doctor,couldnt explain it,even with dieting i couldnt lose the weight.then came the grave`s disease,i had lost . . .

Answer:

Thanks for your question. It's possible that since you have missed your thyroid medication on and off, it is not working as effectively as it should be. I cannot answer your question about "antibodies for hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism", and whether or not you need more blood work . . .

Ask an Expert: Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

Collagenous colitis

Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST

Question: Iwas diagnosed with this in Jan 08 after losing 3 stone in weight in 12 weeks (5ft 8" and went down to 8 stone). Budoneside has done a good job in repairing my gut and I came off it in Sept 08. My blood levels for b vits and iron are now normal and I havent had the runs for 2 months. I have put . . .

Answer: I am not familiar with how long symptoms of colitis continue once treatment has started. It sounds like most of your symptoms are under control. I would check with your health care provider to see if the chronic fatigue is a side effect of the colitis or whether the colitis and treatment has brought . . .

Ask an Expert: Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

Broken bones

Jane Korsberg MS, RD, LD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:10:00 EST

Question: How do egg whites help relieve pain from broken bones? I have read that it is a medieval cure. I didn`t know how exactly it worked to relieve pain from broken bones.

Answer: I do not believe that this would be an effective method for pain control and suspect it was just an "old wives tale" without much substance. I do not see the connection between egg whites and pain relief for broken bones. Sorry, I could not be more helpful to you on this.

Ask an Expert: Jane Korsberg MS, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

Vitamin K

Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:10:00 EST

Question: my doctor wants me to be on a low viatim diet can you help me with a list of either foods containing high or low vitiam k.. thjhank you

Answer: Thanks for your question. It sounds as if you may be on a medication (blood thinner) which reacts with vitamin K. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that aids in clotting your blood, and therefore interacts with the medication's effectiveness.

Vitamin K is found in green leafy . . .

Ask an Expert: Lisa Andrews MEd, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

`Low sodium diet`

Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST

Question: What is the meaning of a "low sodium diet"?

Answer: The usual daily sodium intake in the United States is 3-7g (3,000-7,000 mg) and can be higher. For most healthy people ages 9 to 50, the Adequate Intake (AI) of 1,500 mg of sodium daily is enough. Levels above the Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) of 2,300 mg of sodium daily may lead to high blood pressure . . .

Ask an Expert: Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

Milk

Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST

Question: does milk and milk products cause dirra

Answer: Milk and milk products with lactose in them may cause diarrhea in people who are lactose intolerant (lack or are low in the enzyme lactase that digests the milk carbohydrate lactose). Any food, including milk and milk products may cause diarrhea in individuals who have untreated gluten intolerance. . . .

Ask an Expert: Sharron Coplin MS, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition

Facts about Fiber

Bonnie Brehm PhD, RD — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:11:00 EST

NW Article:

Why is fiber an essential part of a healthy diet?

Does it seem that you are hearing more about the importance of dietary fiber than ever before? Recent scientific evidence shows that a high-fiber diet is associated with a variety of health benefits such as controlling weight, contribut . . .

Ask an Expert: Bonnie Brehm PhD, RD, Diet and Nutrition

Carve a Place for Pumpkin in Your Diet

Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:10:00 EST

NW Article:

Did you know that pumpkin - either canned or fresh - is a healthful, filling food? And adding it to recipes, or substituting other ingredients with pumpkin, is a great way to boost the nutrition . . .

Ask an Expert: Julie Shertzer PhD, RD, LD, Diet and Nutrition