Health
Dietitians Warn: How Your Salad Could Be a Calorie Bomb
United States: Salads are most often referred to as the source of proper, slimming, and satiating nutrition and are considered to be low in calories, low-carb, and nutrient-rich.
However, it can be seen that there is need to know how calories may be sneaking and accumulating in even the healthiest of foods such as a plate of salad greens and thus, three registered dietitian have offered their views as to what those chances are and why they are adverse.
According to Nikki Kuhlmann, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian with Anne Till Nutrition Group in Raleigh, North Carolina, “Some sneaky culprits, however, can turn your healthy meal into a calorie-laden dish,” as Fox News reported.
Here are seven of the areas worth reconsidering.
1. Salad dressings
You may believe that choosing a salad for lunch and dinner almost guarantees a low-calorie and healthy meal choice, but the wrong salad dressing can shift your meal to one with more calories than expected.
Therefore, Julie Lopez, A.R.N., with Virtual Teaching Kitchen, located in Succasunna, New Jersey, warned to stay clear of creamy dressings. Moreover, too much of the dressing can be a sneaky trap.
Lopez said, “You can always add more dressing, but you can’t take it away,” and, “Some [people] recommend dipping your fork in the dressing, but I personally like to toss it all together. So I like to add a little and toss it so it lightly coats it.”
Kuhlmann with Anne Till Nutrition Group also warned that store-bought dressings are generally loaded with sugar, unhealthy fats, and preservatives, Fox News reported.
She added that even “light” or “fat-free” versions can be high in sugars and additives to compensate for the lack of fat.
Kuhlmann added that, “A healthier way to go is to make your own dressing using olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and a touch of mustard or honey for flavor,” and, “This way, you control the ingredients and the portion size.” as Fox News reported.
2. Cheese toppings
Cheese is an added bonus in terms of taste and moistness, although food professionals tend to agree that the latter compromises calories and saturated fats.
According to Kuhlmann, “A small sprinkle can quickly escalate the calorie count,” and “Cheese can add 100-200 calories per serving and significant amounts of saturated fat, which can contribute to heart disease if consumed in excess.”
3. Croutons and other crunchy toss-ins
Opposed to that, under the notice of Dieticians, such additions like croutons, bacon bits, and fried onions also give crunch, and all of them, and even worse, are very caloric, contain unhealthy fats, and sometimes added sugars, – Kuhlmann.
She continued, “While these toppings, depending on the serving size, contribute approximately 100-150 calories per serving, are made with refined grains and unhealthy oils.
Further, as she said, there should be a better choice than using peanut butter; instead, one should opt for using almonds or walnuts or other kinds of seeds like sunflower seeds.
“These contain, above all, the healthy fats, proteins, and a crunchy texture, and the toasting can bring benefits to the flavor of nuts,” she said.
4. Protein picks
Yes, protein is needed but certain foods such as fried chicken, processed deli meat, or large amounts of steak can raise caloric intake and the intake of unhealthy fats, said Kuhlmann.
But grilled or baked chicken or fish, tofu, beans, or legumes can be perfectly healthy choices.
These options are relatively lower in unhealthy fats and could, therefore, be potential sources of quality protein.
5. Pasta and grains
Such salads with pasta added in them, as well as quinoa or couscous, make them more filling. However, they make it calorie-dense.
According to Kuhlmann, “A cup of pasta or grains can add 200-300 calories,” and “While these can be healthy carbs, they can also push your salad into a high-calorie meal if not portioned properly.”
She also suggested that “You can also use cauliflower rice or spiralized vegetables like zucchini noodles for a lower-calorie alternative,” as Fox News reported.
6. Dried fruit
Ordinary ingredients which are added to the salads include dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, dates, and cherries — but these are rich in calories.
Lisa Valente, MS, RD, food expert with Healthline, who is based in Burlington, Vermont, said, “I love dried fruit, but throwing a big handful on a salad can add quite a few calories,” and, “I prefer using fresh fruit for a little bit of sweetness … You get a much bigger portion, but if you’re really craving dried fruit, be mindful of portion size and look for no added sugar options.”
7. Nuts and seeds
Moreover, if we talk about nuts and seeds, we can add more crunch to a salad and be sources of healthy fats. They can help you feel fuller between meals but keep portion size in check, as experts alerted.
According to Valente with Healthline, “Choose smaller nuts and seeds, like slivered almonds or sunflower seeds, to help spread them out over your salad without going for a huge portion,” as Fox News reported.
However, when choosing nuts, it is wise to exclude candied nut products, suggested Lopez from Virtual Testing Kitchen.
United States: In East African countries, health authorities said on Thursday that 11 people had died from Marburg hemorrhagic fever, a disease first found in patients using health facilities.
The latest Rwandan government update indicates 36 cases of disease that looks like Ebola, with 25 of them in isolation.
More about the news
On September 27, Rwanda declared an outbreak and on the next day reported six deaths, US News reported.
The first cases were found among patients in health facilities and authorities said an investigation was being carried out “to determine the origin of the infection.”
However, it’s unclear where the source of the outbreak is, causing fears that the virus is spreading through a small central African nation.
Stopping the spread of viral hemorrhagic fevers like Marburg depends upon the isolation of patients and their contacts.
In Rwanda, everyone with potential symptoms of Marburg — including high fever, headache and muscle pain — are being screened even though these symptoms are similar to malaria. https://t.co/Mib0L2sDlM
— TimesLIVE Premium (@TLPremium) October 4, 2024
Cases in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, would be risky to international spread since the city has an international airport and is connected by road to other cities in East Africa, the World Health Organization has warned.
What more are the experts stating?
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a regular briefing on Thursday while referring to the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda, “WHO assesses the risk of this outbreak as very high at the national level, high at the regional level and low at the global level,” US News reported.
The news is testimony to growing international concern over the outbreak, with two people in the northern German city of Hamburg isolated after returning from Rwanda, where they’d been in a medical facility alongside patients with Marburg virus, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement Thursday.
The ECDC statement said both tested negative for the virus.
Concern about the virus led authorities to cordon off two tracks of a railway station at which two people had arrived, German media reports said.
The other was a young medical student who had suffered symptoms of the disease and contacted doctors from the train.
United States: Supporters of the abortion rights ballot measures across the country have raised nearly eight times what opponents are spending to try to halt the amendments on the November ballots.
The advantage could be small, however, and it may not give Florida an edge down the stretch in the most expensive of the nine statewide campaigns to ensure abortion rights are written into state constitutions.
More about the news
So far, campaign finance data compiled by the watchdog group Open Secrets and analyzed by The Associated Press tells a similar story in most of those states: As of reports aggregated Tuesday, backers of the amendment brought in nearly USD 108 million, compared with USD 14 million for their opponents, and also raised multiples of as much money and had multiples more donors.
However, in the final weeks before the November 5 elections, it’s not certain that this will result in further spending to push the measures in every state.
According to Kelly Hall, who is an executive director of The Fairness Project, which is providing money and other support for abortion rights groups in several of the campaigns, “The apparent differential on campaign finance reports does nothing to reassure me that we will not see large, late spending on these campaigns,” US News reported.
Abortion Rights Fundraising Blitz: Will It Secure Victory? Credit | AP
What are the impact of measures?
The measures would roll back restrictions in some states and provide protections in others in a few others’ constitutions, post SC’s 2022 ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
After the ruling, most of the GOP-controlled states banned or restricted most of their rights.
Some of the most Democratic-controlled ones provided at least some protections for abortion access.
The ballot measures could also encourage turnout in the elections. The money would then go to ads and elsewhere.
This puts campaigns with more money ahead on ads on TV, radio, and websites, by mailers and yard signs, and so forth, as well as in terms of other organizing power in things like door knocking.
Data collected by the media tracking firm AdImpact showed that big funding advantages so far have translated into far more ad buys in Missouri and Montana, US News reported.
The Open Secrets data also show abortion rights groups have raised more than USD 5 million in Missouri, and state filing shows millions in more contributions, including USD 1 million from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
United States: According to the scientists at the American Cancer Society, Gen-x and Millenials in the US have higher chances of developing seventeen of the thirty-four cancer types as compared to older generations.
More about the news
The report suggests that almost 80,000 young adults whose ages lie between 20 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer in the US.
The researchers stated, “Although we have identified cancer trends associated with birth years, we don’t yet have a clear explanation for why these rates are rising,” CBS News reported.
Therefore, the findings raise a major question about whether cancer is becoming common in the younger generation.
What more are the experts stating?
According to Dr. Jason Molitoris, an oncologist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, “There is clear evidence that’s been published in the literature showing an increase in incidence in the number of cancers in younger people.”
Is Cancer Getting Younger? Alarming Data Raises Concerns. Credit | Getty Images
Molitoris also urged individuals to have regular checkups of health and to get them done regularly.
“What is next?” – Experts
According to a case study, in which a patient, Tiffany Walker-Jones, a Maryland mother of four, was shocked to be diagnosed with cancer.
Tifanny, who is 38 years old, was diagnosed with bile duct cancer.
She said, “I went through all the emotions of what’s going on. What’s going to happen? Am I going to survive this?,” reported CBS News.
Moreover, weeks earlier, when Tifanny woke up with a left flank and made herself go for an immediate check up, she said, “Even the nurses thought it was just a kidney stone, and then they did the CT scan, and they found the mass on my liver, then they did an MRI, and they found a lesion on my spine.”
Is Cancer Getting Younger? Alarming Data Raises Concerns. Credit | iStock
Diagnosis is hard to accept
According to Dr. Jason Molitoris, “In my day-to-day practice, it’s also very noticeable,” and “I see a lot of patients who are younger coming in with cancers that we typically associate with patients who are of older ages.”
However, it is unfortunate that Tiffany’s cancer is identified as one of the early-onset cancers in the study, where it is shared by a large number of young adults.
Tiffany said, “I just asked, do I have an expiration date?” and “I think that is the first thing that comes to anybody’s mind when they hear ‘You have cancer.'”
“What I try to do is give the patients a sense of what we’re going to be going through, and I try to give everybody a sense of hope,” Molitoris answered.
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