RunAthena.com :: Nutrition

I can't think of a better cereal for starting off the day than Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Granola with Pumpkin Seeds. I added a cup of organic vanilla soy milk to my bowl of granola this morning for a rich, flavorful, filling and complete morning meal.

Certified by both the USDA and a third party as 100% organic, this amazing cereal contains a delicious, hearty, filling blend of whole grains and seeds to provide a rich and balanced blend of carbs, protein, fiber and healthy omega-3 fats. There is even organic cinammon to add a special flavorful touch.

(Note that the amazon price includes SIX 15 oz. boxes of the cereal)

The rolled-oat nuggets are small -- about the size of barley corns -- and easy to chew. A tasty blend of organic molasses, oat syrup, and soy oils helps the cereal hold together with a generous scattering of whole pumpkin seeds and whole flax seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of iron, and flax seeds provide some of the highest concentration of desirable omega-3 fatty acids in the entire plant kingdom.

As I mentioned, the seeds are whole, and minimally processed, so this is not the best cereal for folks with dentures or certain dental appliances.

But if you want a chewy, tasty, healthy treat to start your day, I highly recommend this delicious, healthy, organic cereal.

Today's Dallas Morning News devotes its entire "Healthy Living" section to heart health.

Among the articles included in the section is a nutrition piece touting the benefits of a "Mediterranean" diet -- a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, low in fatty meats, and free of processed food products.

The article, "A heart-healthy bounty", is available to read or download from the newspaper's website.

The Kellog cereal company has launched a "Special K Challenge" to help people lose holiday pounds and to promote its line of Special K nutritional products.

Visitors to the challenge website answer a few simple questions to create a customized diet plan. While the plan is made up almost entirely of Special K diet, nutrition, and snack products, the menu generated by the Special K Challenge website could serve as a template. Users could substitute similar snack and meal items for the Special K items called for in the menu.

The two-week Special K challenge menu is designed to help participants lose up to 6 pounds.

For more information, go to SpecialK.com. A SpecialK challenge online community/message board is available on Yahoo's Health page.

A special advertising section in today's Dallas Morning News offers several suggestions for adopting a healthier lifestyle in the New Year. But instead of focusing on diet or exercise, the section's headline article focuses on mental and emotional health.

The article by Esther Bauer, "Accept yourself to devise a healthy weight-loss plan," touts the importance of addressing depression as a first step in a successful weight-loss regimen. "Be okay with yourself, regardless, and then construct your life from there," says Gary L. Malone, M.D., chief of psychiatry for Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth.

Doctor Malone teaches people to first "de-link" their self esteem from their physical condition/body image, then take steps towards a healthy lifestyle.

While running is a great activity to help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, running also places demands on your body. To maintain health and improve fitness, a runner's diet should include high-quality foods in the right proportions and the right amounts.

According to an article in Runner's World, a runner's diet should consist of 25 percent fat, 50 percent carbohydrates, and 25 percent protein.

Hal Higdon recommends similar nutritional proportions for distance runners in this article, though he allows for some variation in the protein and fat components. Higdon suggests a diet of 20 percent protein, 25 percent fat, and 50 percent carbohydrates.

But how much food should a runner consume? The Runner's World article suggests first determining your daily caloric needs required to maintain your current weight. To do this, the article suggest, take your current weight and multiply by 13. The resulting number gives you a gauge of how many calories you must consume daily to keep your current weight.

To lose a pound in a week, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3,500 pounds -- either by reducing the quantity (but not the quality) of the calories you consume, or increasing your activity level. Running, for example, burns 100 calories per mile.

Because running burns so many calories, runners who are at a healthy weight and want to maintain it must be careful to avoid creating a calorie deficit. "As your mileage climbs beyond [20-25 miles per week], you need to eat more and more food, not less," Higdon says. "In all honesty, this is why a lot of runners run, and why they train for marathons. Their common motto is, 'I love to eat.'"

Americans in general certainly love to eat. One of the most important factors in establishing or re-establishing healthy eating habits involves paying attention to portion size. The Mayo Clinic offers an eye-opening online tutorial to help you develop an eye for portion and proportion in your diet.

Most importantly, remember to speak with your doctor before beginning any diet and exercise program.