Resolve to Make Real Nutrition a New Year Priority

(Family Features) A new year signals a chance to renew your commitment to healthier eating, but many of the most popular diets, like the keto diet and paleo diet, eliminate entire food groups, which can cause you to fall short on nutrients you need.

For example, a study in the “Journal of Clinical Lipidology” suggests low-carb diets may not have meaningful long-term benefits for weight or heart health compared to other diets and could actually restrict foods that are good for your heart.

This new year, instead of jumping on restrictive diet bandwagons, focus instead on consuming real, wholesome foods you can still enjoy, like dairy milk, that deliver benefits backed by decades of research.

Consider these tips for incorporating nutrient-rich foods into a few trending diets to make them work for you.

Intermittent Fasting: Skipping meals could do more harm than good if you’re not getting the nutrients you need to be your best. A better bet: balanced, flavorful meals that incorporate multiple food groups. If you really want to try intermittent fasting, consider not eating past a certain time in the evening so you can “fast” throughout the night, and make sure to eat a nourishing breakfast in the morning, like oatmeal made with real milk, topped with fruit and a handful of nuts.

Plant-Packed Plates: If you’re considering a vegetarian or plant-based diet in the new year, it’s important to pack the right nutrients into your meatless meals, particularly protein, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Make sure you’re getting enough by enjoying a variety of plant-based foods like beans, nuts, fruits and vegetables along with some other thoughtfully chosen options. Real dairy milk is a good choice in a vegetarian diet, providing as much as eight times more protein than many non-dairy milk alternatives. Each 8-ounce glass is also a source of vitamin D, and an excellent source of calcium and vitamin B12.

Focus On Fats: If you’re keeping closer tabs on your fat intake, it’s important to choose the right ones and know that a growing body of evidence suggests not all saturated fats are the same. For example, whole milk, which has more dairy fat than skim or low-fat varieties, may actually help raise “good” cholesterol and could be considered part of a diet that’s also good for your heart, according to research in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”

Calorie Conscious: Monitoring the calories you consume versus the calories you burn through exercise and everyday activity can help manage the fuel your body needs. When you consistently burn more calories than you eat, you are more likely to effectively lose weight. However, that doesn’t mean you have to forgo all your favorite foods. For example, when it comes to dairy, swapping full-fat options for skim or low-fat alternatives is one way to receive the same nutrient package with less fat and calories.

Make better nutritional balance a priority this new year and find more advice and recipes at MilkLife.com.

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Real Milk’s Role in a Sustainable Farm-to-Table Diet

(Family Features) A dairy cow in a pasture can feel like a long way from the milk in refrigerators and at family tables. However, the distance between the farm and your family may be shorter and more sustainable than you think. Dairy farmers are committed to sharing milk’s vital nutrients in more environmentally conscious ways, and they’re making strides today and with each generation.

Sometimes it might feel difficult to balance your family’s nutritional needs with what’s best for the planet, but dairy milk production uses fewer resources than before while providing a unique nutrient package that nourishes your family.

Farmers, who work the land and care for the animals that help nourish families, understand that resources are finite and must be handled wisely. From using sustainable cow feed to reusing water and repurposing manure for fertilizer, farmers improve their operating practices, reduce waste and contribute to a better environment today and for the future.

In fact, today’s milk is made with 65 percent less water, 90 percent less land and 76 percent less manure, resulting in a 63 percent smaller footprint compared to 75 years ago, according to research published in the “Journal of Animal Science.”

When you buy a gallon of milk, you’re supporting farmers committed to continuous improvement while also incorporating one of the most nourishing foods available into your diet.

Dairy milk is a natural source of high-quality protein and is the top food source for calcium and vitamin D, which diets often lack, especially for children. In all, milk provides nine essential nutrients and is one of the original farm-to-table foods, meaning you’re making smart decisions about nutrition while providing your family with an increasingly sustainable food.

Across many aspects of life, balance is key. That is especially true in how and what people eat, and a truly sustainable diet involves more than its impact on physical surroundings. It must also be nutrient-rich, practical and affordable. The right amount of animal and plant foods can help create more sustainable diets for both people and the planet.

Learn more about how dairy farmers are stewards of the environment at milklife.com.

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Take Steps Toward a Healthier Lifestyle

(Family Features) There isn’t a better time than now to start getting fit with health information and products so easily accessible. Simply incorporate the basics into your daily routine – good nutrition, adequate exercise and a daily supplement – and start down the path toward better health. 

Plan a Nutritious Diet
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans describes a healthy diet as one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, nuts, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk products. It should be low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugar.

• Warm weather makes fresh produce more easily accessible. Eat more fruits and vegetables by setting freshly washed and prepared produce on the kitchen counter or at eye level in the fridge. At every meal, make sure half your plate is made up of fruit and vegetable servings.
• One-fourth of your plate at every meal should be made up of grains, such as wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal or barley. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases.
• The remaining one-fourth of your plate should be lean or low-fat cuts of meat, plant-based protein or seafood.

Get Regular Exercise
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends an adequate amount of exercise every day. This guide can point to the right amount of exercise to add to your schedule:

• Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week. For best results, spread the time out over several days.  
• Do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Lifting weights builds muscle, which means the body burns more calories – even at rest.
• It’s important to keep in mind that when people are active, they produce more free radicals. The antioxidants found in supplements can help buffer the negative effects of the workout.

Improving your diet, exercising regularly, taking a daily supplement and getting enough restorative sleep are all important steps to overall wellness. Work to incorporate each step into your daily routine until you reach your goal of good health, and find more health-conscious tips at eLivingToday.com.

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Small Changes for Better Living

(Family Features) A busy schedule doesn't have to prevent you from taking steps toward a lifestyle that fosters overall well-being. There are many easy, small changes you can make toward better living that can make a noticeable impact.

1. Choose the long route. For many people, it's an automatic move to find the closest parking space or shortest distance to the door. With your lifestyle goals in mind, consider taking a different approach. Look for ways to work in more physical activity. Seek out a spot in the back of the parking lot as an opportunity to increase your steps for the day, or choose the longer scenic route when walking your dog at the park for a more pleasant experience all-around.

2. Go for guilt-free snacks. Better living isn't about giving up everything you like; it's about balance and moderation. For example, Nonni's Foods now makes a better-for-you chocolate chip thin cookie that lets you enjoy the indulgence without the guilt. Made with real, premium ingredients like dark chocolate, crunchy California almonds and coconut oil, the individual portion packs are portable for the perfect on-the-go snack to satisfy cravings anytime, anywhere. Available in Double Chocolate, Almond Chocolate and Toasted Coconut varieties, each pack contains three cookies that are low in sugar, fat and carbohydrates with an average of only 100 calories total.

3. Take time to recharge. Even when you're strapped for time, carving out a few minutes for yourself each day to focus on your mental well-being is important. This can include simply enjoying a few moments of silence or something more specific like meditating or journaling. Busy people tend to carry more stress, so looking for ways to inject these calming activities into daily schedules can help keep you refreshed and bring you more happiness.

4. Practice self-care. Especially when you're busy, it's easy to slack on self-care, but combine that with elevated stress and you may be especially susceptible to not feeling your best. Give yourself a boost with a daily vitamin or try a warm bath with Epsom salt to soothe your senses.

5. Space out your meals. Waiting hours to eat can cause people to overeat at major mealtimes - especially dinner. Taking time to plan simple snacks throughout the day helps ensure cravings are met and overeating is avoided when the dinner bell rings. Consider keeping a snack like Nonni's Artisan Thin Chocolate Chip Cookies on-hand for guilt-free snacking when hunger strikes.

For more better-for-you snack ideas, visit nonnis.com.

Do You Love Whole Milk?

New research suggests you can follow your heart

(Family Features) New research suggests “good” fat may be good for your cholesterol. Whole milk may help raise “good” cholesterol and could be considered part of a healthy diet that’s also good for your heart, according to a new study from the“European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”¹

When adults drank two cups of whole milk every day for three weeks, they had higher levels of good cholesterol that promotes heart health (HDL) and similar levels of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar (risk factors for heart disease) as when they drank the same amount of fat free milk for the same period of time. Based on these findings, researchers concluded whole milk can be part of a heart-healthy diet as long as calories are taken into account.

This study adds to a growing body of research that suggests whole milk can fit within a healthy diet, and some studies suggest it may have additional benefits for both adults and kids – including maintaining a healthy weight and getting enough vitamin D. Researchers followed more than 18,000 healthy-weight women for nearly a decade and found those who consumed more whole milk and full-fat milk products (1.3 servings every day) were less likely to become overweight or obese compared to women who didn’t consume any full-fat dairy at all, according to a study from the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.”²

Whole milk may also give kids a vitamin D advantage, according to another study from the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Kids who drank whole milk had higher blood levels of vitamin D than their peers who drank low-fat milk, even when the total amount of milk they drank was the same.³ Researchers believe this might be because milk fat helps kids’ bodies absorb vitamin D more efficiently.

Experts agree milk plays an important role in a nutritious, balanced diet, and the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three servings of low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products each day. Many people are surprised to learn whole milk has the same essential nutrients as low-fat and fat-free milk, so no matter which type of milk you choose to pour in your cereal bowl, use in your smoothie or fill up your glass, you can rest assured that all dairy milk – from fat-free to whole – is simple, wholesome and naturally nutrient-rich.

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¹Engel S, Elhauge M, Tholstrup T. Effect of whole milk compared with skimmed milk on fasting blood lipids in healthy adults: a 3-week randomized-crossover study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018,72:249-254.

²Rautiainen S, Wang L, Lee I, Manson J, Buring J, Sesso H. Dairy consumption in association with weight change and risk of becoming overweight or obese in middle-aged and older women: a prospective cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016;103:979-988.

³Vanderhout SM, Birken CS, Parkin PC, Lebovic G, Chen Y, O’Connor DL, Maguire JL, TARGet Kids! Collaboration. Relation between milk-fat percentage, vitamin D, and BMI z score in early childhood. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016;104:1657-1664.