8 Amazing Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies [Infographic]

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I thought I'd share a special infographic with you highlighting only a few of the amazing benefits of breastfeeding for babies.  I'm definitely an advocate for breastfeeding and want to do my part in bringing awareness to this natural, healthy feeding practice for infants.  If interested, please check out my previous posts on this topic:  Breastfeeding: A Moral Decision?, Breastfeeding: What are the Benefits for Baby?,  Breastfeeding: How Does it Benefit Mom?, and Breastfeeding: Sticking with it.   Without further adieu, here's the infographic. Please feel free to share with proper credit.

How do you bring awareness to and support breastfeeding?  

Amazing Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies - Copyright 2014 - Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RDN, CSSD

Amazing Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies by Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RDN, CSSD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at nutritionandwellnessbytes.blogspot.com.

Health Food Imposter #13: Frozen Yogurt

Does frozen yogurt deserve its health halo?  - Copyright 2013 - Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RD, CSSD - Go Wellness

Health Food Imposter #13:  Frozen Yogurt
Over the last few years, the rise of the FroYo has been occurring with the growing popularity of frozen yogurt shops and frozen yogurt products on grocery store shelves.  People seem to be flocking to frozen yogurt as a healthier alternative to ice cream, but unfortunately, in some cases, it may not be all that we believe it to be.

• While frozen yogurts are generally lower in fat and calories than their ice cream cousins, it doesn't mean they are "low calorie".  For example, I decided to compare Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia FroYo with their Cherry Garcia Ice Cream.  The ice cream has 240 calories and 13 grams of fat per 1/2 cup serving while the FroYo has 200 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving.  So yes, the frozen yogurt is lower in calories and fat.  However, it is not technically a "low-calorie" food since it does not contain less than 40 calories per serving required by federal labeling guidelines.  Add some less nutritious toppings, like cookies or candy, and you're tacking on a lot of extra low-quality calories and ingredients, too!  

• Frozen yogurt may generally be lower in fat than ice cream, but it is not necessarily lower in sugar.  In fact, using the Cherry Garcia example again, the frozen yogurt actually contains 1 more teaspoon of sugar than the ice cream, 27 grams vs 23 grams per half cup respectively.  While some of the sugar in frozen yogurt is naturally occurring from the yogurt itself, much of it is added in the form of sweeteners, like sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose.

• Another reason people turn to frozen yogurt is for the proposed probiotic health benefits.  Because frozen yogurt falls under a different product classification than regular yogurt, it does not have to meet the same standards in terms of the production and final product as regular yogurt.  Unfortunately, not all frozen yogurts contain live and active cultures, which means they do not confer the health benefits associated with probiotics.  In some cases, the yogurt is heat-treated during the production process thereby diminishing the benefits from the probiotics.  Frozen yogurts also may not contain the amount or variety of probiotic strains as some regular yogurts do, and this may affect the potential health benefits as well.  

• Frozen yogurts may still contain other questionable ingredients, such as artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, that many people are now trying to limit or avoid. For instance, some fruit-flavored frozen yogurts do not actually contain any real fruit in them.  So the health benefits of the real fruit are lacking in many of these frozen yogurt products.  

A better alternative?
Consider frozen yogurts a treat like ice cream.  Enjoy it occasionally, but it's best not to consider it a nourishing everyday meal or snack.  There are higher quality frozen yogurts available.  To make the best choices, read the Ingredient Lists and Nutrition Facts for products on grocery shelves and check out the nutrition information online for versions from yogurt shops.  Look for frozen yogurts with simpler ingredient lists that also include live active cultures.  When opting for FroYo from yogurt shops, stick with healthier toppings, like fresh fruit and nuts, rather than cookies or candy, and consider portion size, especially with self-serve spots.

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Health Food Imposter #12: 100 calorie snacks

Are 100 calorie snacks health food imposters?  Copyrigh 2013 -- Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RD, CSSD -- Go Wellness

Health Food Imposter #12:  100 calorie snacks

The 100 calorie snack products are tricky.  The fact that they are portion-controlled and only 100 calories each may make them appear more healthful, but this does not make them high quality, health supportive, and deeply nourishing food.

• Most of these 100 calorie snack products are made with processed flours, which have been stripped of valuable nutrients, including vitamins and hunger-satisfying fiber.  Most of them also contain a variety of sources of refined sugars, like corn syrup and dextrose, often contributing up to 2 teaspoons of added sugar per serving.  While these may satisfy a craving for something sweet, without the naturally occurring fiber or a high quality source of protein, these may leave some hungry again in no time.
• Unfortunately, the 100 calorie snack products may also be taking the place of more healthful foods, like vegetables, fruits, or nuts, that could be consumed instead.  This could make one less likely to consume enough essential nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and other health promoting phytochemicals.
• Many of these products also contain less healthful fats and oils, like trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils.  While these oils may enhance the shelf-life and flavor of a product, they will not  enhance your health.  Because the trans fat content is < 0.5 grams per serving, you will see 0 g trans fat listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel even though the product contains trans fat in the form of partially hydrogenated oils.  Always read the ingredient list.
• Some of these products do a little health washing by using "yogurt flavoring", but that does not mean they confer the same health benefits as regular yogurt with live and active cultures.  The yogurt flavorings are generally nothing more than sugars and fats dressed up with heat-treated yogurt powders that do not contain live and active probiotic cultures.
• Some of these products also contain moderate amounts of sodium that could pose a problem for sodium-sensitive individuals.  
• Finally, some of these products also contain artificial colors, flavors, and other questionable ingredients that many people are now looking to avoid for a variety of reasons.  Again, while these ingredients may make the product taste or look better, they don't necessarily add to your health or quality of life.  

What is a better alternative?
There are many naturally lower calorie snack options that incorporate whole, real foods, so plan these into your diet. Some simple examples include almonds, pistachios, fruit with cheese, vegetable sticks with hummus, or even a hard-boiled egg.  Not only are these foods more nourishing, but they'll also often be more satisfying than the 100 calorie snack products.

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Say hello to our little gastrointestinal friends!

Probiotics...You've probably heard about them but maybe not by this name. What are these? They are live, non-disease causing microorganisms, such as bacteria (aka, "friendly bacteria"), found in food or supplements that are potentially beneficial to health, if consumed in adequate amounts. Did you know that your body houses some 10 trillion bacteria, which are primarily located in our gastrotinestinal tract? While the amounts remain fairly constant over time, there are factors that may cause levels of these bacteria to fluctuate, such as illness, antibiotic use, and diet, thus, leaving our immune systems a little more vulnerable.

Some of the most common probiotic bacteria found in food include various species of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Foods that contain probiotics include yogurt, acidophilus milk, fermented milk products, such as kefir, miso, tempeh, some soy drinks and some juices. Some manufacturers of products containing probiotics make claims such as "clinically proven to help regulate the digestive system" or "clinically proven to help strengthen the body's defense systems"; however, the science behind these claims has recently come under attack. While more research on the potential benefits of probiotics is warranted, I will share with you what some favorable evidence does suggest when it comes to certain probiotics. Certain types of these friendly bacteria may be useful for:

• Reducing diarrhea associated with taking antiobiotics and traveler's diarrhea
  
• Controlling certain types of infectious diarrhea, especially the type in children caused by rotavirus
• Preventing and reducing length of vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
• Lowering cholesterol
  

A few studies suggest that probiotics may be useful for other conditions as well, including: reducing lactose intolerance, reducing the length of intestinal infections, managing irritable bowel syndrome, lowering recurrence of bladder cancer, and preventing and managing atopic disease (i.e., allergies, eczema).

In order to experience the potential health benefits of probiotics, one must consume large quantities -- approximately 100 million to 100 billion live bacteria daily; however, more research is needed to determine an optimal dosage. For example, some yogurt products contain the "Live & Active Cultures" seal to inform consumers that the product contains at least 100 million cultures per gram at time of manufacture (or 10 million per gram for frozen products, such as frozen yogurt). Typically, 1 cup of yogurt or 3 1/2 servings of acidophilus milk will provide the recommended amount. You may also take probiotics in supplement form; however, keep in mind that not all probiotic strains are the same, which means they do not all have the same potential health benefits either. So, you may want to consult a registered dietitian to discuss your options.

Salud!