Tag: healthy eating

hands holding a nutrtion app scanning a bowl of salad

#EatingHealthy: Can Nutrition Apps Do the Job?

We’ve all seen the increase in the number of available apps to monitor lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity, sleep and stress. There is also clear interest in apps that monitor diet and nutrition. So, how do you know if a nutrition app will be helpful? In the last few years, millions of users have downloaded and installed nutrition-related apps. The latest research supports that “if the shoe fits” then maybe it is worth using! Mobile apps can provide an opportunity for assessing and improving nutrition by providing personalized information and instant feedback.

What are the benefits?

Apps can be an effective tool to evaluate and monitor eating behavior and diet-related health risk factors. Apps can provide autonomy and help people take charge of their nutrition choices. Monitoring food intake, setting goals, and viewing progress can all occur privately which may be appealing for those who desire less in-person contact with health care providers.

What type of apps are available?

The number and type of nutrition apps are only growing and with many being free, apps have the potential to reach large numbers of people world-wide. Here are some of the most common types of nutrition apps available.

  • Calorie Trackers/Food Tracking/Food Diary Programs
  • Macronutrient (carb, protein and fat) and Micronutrient (vitamins/minerals) tracking
  • Recipe Builders or Meal Planning
  • Restaurant and Grocery Finders
  • Diet Specialty – Example: carb counting for people with Type 2 diabetes
  • Food Allergy or Food Intolerances
  • Hydration
  • Grocery and Money Saving
  • Prompts or Timing
  • Nutrition Counseling and Education
  • Mindfulness/Intuitive Eating
  • Diet Specific – Example: Weight loss or Low sodium
  • Condition specific – Example: Pregnancy nutrition

Apps can offer a wide range of personalization and unique features that may help in managing conditions or reaching personal goals.

What are the cons?

It takes effort to enter in every bite of food. It can be hard to remember to enter your food intake and to remember what exactly you ate. In addition, some apps don’t contain all products in their database. Rather, they may include broad categories of foods. For instance, some apps are unable to distinguish between Kraft’s macaroni and cheese and Annie’s brand macaroni and cheese.

Nutrition apps are also generally harder to use than physical activity monitors. Unlike the automatic activity tracking (passive data input) that comes with a Fitbit, Apple watch or a pedometer, entering food into an app requires time and energy.

Another consideration is the cost. Some diet-tracking apps may not be transparent about extra fees and may not provide satisfactory customer support. Many are subscription based and require full price to unlock useful features.

A major downside to using apps is that you miss out on professional insight/advice that comes from interacting with a well-trained health care provider. Depending on the app and your specific goals, communication with a professional may not be included. Further, some apps fail to provide long-term and in-depth support, which are key for sustaining behavior change.

Finally, not all apps are evidence or science based. If an app promises to help you lose 20 pounds in one week, chances are the quality is poor. Apps tailored to specific needs are more promising for prolonged use and effectiveness. Lifestyle changes take time and while the short-term use of apps can be effective, the long term use is largely unstudied.

The bottom line

Apps can be a great tool to improve health through better eating and planning. Smartphones offer inexpensive options allowing for more engagement, empowerment, self-monitoring and communication with health care providers. Research has shown that apps can be superior to traditional methods at helping track food intake, making better food choices and losing weight.

So if you come across a helpful app, walk it around and it give it a try! Nutrition apps can help make life easier. A great place to start is with the MyPlate App that allows you to pick daily food goals, see real-time progress and earn fun badges through a simple program to start building healthy eating habits one goal at a time!

Additional information on eating healthy, meal planning, tools and resources can be found at www.myplate.gov.

Author:  Laura Young, Ph.D., American College of Sports Medicine

healthy food options

Nutritional Strategies for Healthy Aging

Over the last century, the human lifespan has undergone dramatic changes. At the start of the 20th century, the average lifespan at birth for women and men in the United States was 50 years. In 2021, the average life expectancy is around 77 years (1). This increasing lifespan trend is expected to continue rising to an average of 85 years by 2125. It is important to note that this change is primarily driven by a reduction in early morbidity rates rather than an extension of maximum lifespan. Due to this, many more individuals live longer lives during a period where they can be classified as “older adults.” Presently, 13% of the United States population is comprised of individuals over 65 years of age, compared to 4% in 1900 (2). Therefore, it is important to discuss research related to the effects of aging on physiology and metabolism to promote public health policies and practices that benefit older individuals.

Good nutrition is essential regardless of an individual’s age because it may help prevent diseases such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. However, good nutrition may be even more important in older individuals due to changes in energy intake and energy expenditure with age. The impairments in energy balance can be mediated by several factors such as reduced hunger and increased satiety (3), changes in blood sugar concentrations (4), impairments in hormone production (5), changes in taste and smell (6), reduced dietary variety (7) and medical and social factors (8). Furthermore, with increasing age, researchers have also observed a decline in  the amount of energy used while the body is at rest(9) and the amount of energy used for digestion, absorption and storage of consumed foods(10). Taken together, these changes in metabolism that occur as we age call for effective nutritional strategies that help older individuals stay healthy with aging.

Nutritional strategies that help older individuals stay healthy with aging

  • Incorporate food groups that provide nutrients without extra calories, such as fruits and vegetables (of different types and colors), whole grains (like oatmeal, whole-grain bread and brown rice), fat-free or low-fat dairy products fortified with vitamin D and calcium (like milk, yogurt, nut milks), lean protein sources (e.g., seafood, lean meats, poultry and eggs) and healthy fats (e.g., walnuts, almonds, avocados) will translate to a healthier lifespan.
  • Minimize high-calorie, low nutrient-dense foods (e.g., foods with excess calories but few nutrients, such as chips, desserts, baked goods, soda and alcohol).
  • Reduce saturated and trans fats (e.g., animal products, margarine, fried and processed foods).
  • Drink enough liquids to ensure proper hydration and prevent dehydration. Aging and certain medications may impact sensations of thirst. Older adults should consume two to three liters of liquids per day in the form of water (ideally), herbal teas, broths or liquid-based foods like smoothies and soups.
  • Maintain physical activity according to the ACSM guidelines to promote beneficial effects on healthy aging by reducing the risk of falling, fractures, coronary heart disease, developing high blood pressure, certain cancers and diabetes(11).

 

Authors: Rohit Ramadoss, M.S.; Stella L. Volpe, Ph.D., RDN, FACSM, ACSM-CEP, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

References

  1. NVSS – Life Expectancy. (2021, March 10).
  2. 2017 Profile of Older Americans | advancingstates.org.
  3. Evidence for the anorexia of aging: Gastrointestinal transit and hunger in healthy elderly vs. Young adults | American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
  4. Campfield, L. A., Smith, F. J., Rosenbaum, M., & Hirsch, J. (1996). Human eating: Evidence for a physiological basis using a modified paradigm. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 20(1), 133–137.
  5. Roth, G. S. (1979). Hormone action during aging: Alterations and mechanisms. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 9(5), 497–514.
  6. Doty, R. L., Shaman, P., Applebaum, S. L., Giberson, R., Siksorski, L., & Rosenberg, L. (1984). Smell identification ability: Changes with age. Science, 226(4681), 1441–1443.
  7. Mt, F., & Kj, S. (1985). Characterizing consumption patterns by food frequency methods: Core foods and variety of foods in diets of older Americans. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 85(12), 1570–1576.
  8. De Castro, J. M., & de Castro, E. S. (1989). Spontaneous meal patterns of humans: Influence of the presence of other people. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 50(2), 237–247.
  9. Fukagawa, N. K., Bandini, L. G., & Young, J. B. (1990). Effect of age on body composition and resting metabolic rate. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 259(2), E233–E238.
  10. Thermic Effect of Feeding in Relation to Energy Balance in Elderly Men—Abstract—Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 1983, Vol. 27, No. 1—Karger Publishers.
  11. Scientific Report | health.gov.

Fruit and Vegetables Fuel Good Health

 

You were always told you to eat fruit and vegetables – and it turns out that was very smart advice! It has been well established that diet and physical fitness are strongly linked. However, high levels of physical activity can’t make up for a poor diet, any more than healthy eating can remove the need for physical activity. In fact, researchers have consistently reported that exercise alone is not likely to effectively reduce weight – a change in eating patterns is required.

Unhealthy eating is a known risk factor for many leading causes of disease, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers. The ACSM American Fitness Index (Fitness Index) includes the percent of residents who report eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables as two measures of a healthy diet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on a person’s age and sex, federal guidelines recommend that adults eat at least one and a half to two cups per day of fruit, and two to three cups per day of vegetables as part of a healthy eating pattern. A good diet provides the needed nutrients for strong bones and muscles that enable us to be physically active. For good health and to support fitness, focusing on improving access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables would be a great strategy for communities across the country.

How many fruits and vegetables are people in your city eating? Find out with the 2017 Fitness Index rankings. Check back in May for the 2018 Fitness Index rankings!

Authors

Terrell W. Zollinger, Dr.P.H, MSPH

Stella L. Volpe, Ph.D., R.D.N., L.D.N., ACSM-CEP, FACSM