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AllThere are 39 entries in the glossary.
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| Strawberries | We're always glad to see these fragrant, perky red fruits in the market in late spring and early summer. The first berries of the season, strawberries are filled with nutrition and a welcome addition to meals and snacks. A cup of strawberries contains 82 milligrams of vitamin C-2 mg more than the vitamin C content of one orange. Since our bodies also absorb water-soluble vitamin C easily, other antioxidants in strawberries, like anthocyanins, can hitch a ride into our systems. At breakfast, add strawberries to cereal, smoothies, and healthy morning muffins. Try them in a salad of Boston lettuce, slivered almonds, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette. For dessert, combine with other fruits and yogurt for a not-too-sweet but satisfying treat. | | | | | Sugar alcohols | On the Nutrition Facts labels of some chewing gum, candy, breakfast bars and even your mouthwash and the lozenges you take for a sore throat, you will notice the amount of “sugar alcohol.” Just what is sugar alcohol? Found in many processed foods, sugar alcohols are ingredients used as sweeteners and bulking agents. They also occur naturally in foods and come from fruits, berries and other plant products. They’re neither “sugar” nor “alcohol.” In fact, they appear in foods labeled as “sugar-free” and “reduced sugar.” Sugar alcohols are not commonly used in home cooking. Sugar alcohols are not as sweet and don’t contain as many calories as table sugar – “sucrose” – but the flavor is similar. Food producers normally use sugar alcohols to mask the after-taste of high intensity sweeteners. For fans of sugar-free candy and chewing gum, that cooling sensation in their mouths comes from the sugar alcohols, which don’t contribute to tooth decay. Your body also doesn’t absorb sugar alcohols completely in the blood, which means they don’t affect your blood glucose levels as much as regular sugar – a popular selling point for diabetics and low-carb dieters. Common names for sugar alcohols are mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, isomalt, maltitol and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, which may be listed on Nutrition Labels rather than “sugar alcohols.” | | | | | Trans Fats | Trans fats, or trans fatty acids, are created when food manufacturers hydrogenize (add hydrogen to) liquid fats to turn them into a solid. Trans fats extend a food product's shelf life, and can be found in many cookies or crackers, other snack foods, as well as many fast foods. Trans fats, along with saturated fats, are known to raise levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL), otherwise known as "bad cholesterol" in the blood. Limiting intake of trans fats is suggested for those who are at risk for heart disease. As of this month, January 2006, the FDA requires all nutritional labels to list levels of trans fats along with levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. DID YOU KNOW? Typical french fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids; many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids; doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids. | | | | | Triglycerides | Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. They are a major source of energy and the most common type of fat in your body. When you eat, your body uses the calories it needs for quick energy. Any extra calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells to be used later. The excess calories are stored as fat regardless of what kind of food you eat-fat, carbohydrate, or protein. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you may have high triglycerides. In normal amounts, triglycerides are important to good health. When triglyceride levels are high, it is not clear whether these high levels directly increase your risk for heart disease. But high triglycerides are often part of a group of conditions called metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the combination of increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess weight, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, and high triglycerides. This syndrome does increase your risk for heart disease as well as for diabetes and stroke. Triglycerides are measured as part of a blood test that measures your cholesterol. Normal triglyceride levels are below 150. Levels above 200 are high. Source: www.healthwise.com | | | | | Type 2 Diabetes | Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease that develops when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin or the body is unable to use it. In many people, the body first becomes resistant to insulin and then eventually loses the ability to produce it. Insulin is a hormone that allows sugar (glucose) to enter cells, where it is used for energy. It also helps the body store extra sugar in muscle, fat, and liver cells. The stored sugar can be released later and used for energy when needed. When the body does not have enough insulin or cannot use it properly, the blood sugar level rises above what is healthy. Very high blood sugar levels can lead to loss of consciousness (coma) and death. Uncontrolled diabetes over time can lead to complications, such as damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. In the past, type 2 diabetes was considered an adult disease. Type I diabetes was associated with children. However, the number of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is increasing. In some areas, up to 45% of the children diagnosed with diabetes have type 2. The major factors that increase a child's risk for developing type 2 diabetes are being overweight, not physically active, and having a family history of the disease. | | | |
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