Surviving Your Business Meals

By Stephanie Wheler, Something Nutrishus Counselling & Coaching
For the Saskatoon Women's Network June/July Network News

As a member of SWN you have the opportunity to attend monthly breakfasts and lunches and depending on your line of work you may be attending numerous other business meetings that have food present. A busy life often means that someone else is preparing our food. You may find yourself away from home or on the road needing to eat out or quickly grab a bite. While it might be a treat to have food provided, you also want to think about what you are putting into your body.

A busy life means that you ask your body and mind to do many things on a daily basis. Providing yourself with proper nutrition will give you the energy to keep going, accomplish the tasks at hand, and maintain your health. The key words I use as a Registered Dietitian are VARIETY, MODERATION, and BALANCE. How can you apply these to healthy choices at business meals?

- In a buffet situation – take a look at all the offerings before starting and fill half your plate with salads and vegetables.

- At a restaurant – ask for what you want such as a baked potato or salad instead of fries.

- On the go – keep healthy snacks with you (fruit, veggies, yogurt, trail mix, canned tuna, peanut butter and whole grain bread/crackers).

- For less fat and calories choose foods that have been baked, barbecued, grilled, roasted, poached, steamed, and broiled.

- Portion control – servings are often large when eating out so choose to share with a colleague, order the children’s size, or take half home with you.

- Drink smart – pop and sweetened beverages provide empty calories; opt for water, milk, 100% fruit juice, and vegetable cocktails instead.

Smart choices are often available although sometimes you have to go looking for them. If you indulge at one meal, try to make healthier options at your next meals. Work at finding a balance for your overall eating pattern – one meal won’t make or break you!

Steph Wheler

www.nutrishus.com

Vitamin B3 - Niacin

Vitamin B3 (also known as Niacin) is another water soluble vitamin. It helps transform the food you eat into the energy you need (metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrate). Niacin is important for growth, mental health, healthy skin, normal digestion, the regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol, and for increased blood circulation. It is often used to treat mental illness and for the prevention of CHD (coronary heart disease)by reducing blood pressure.

Niacin can be found in meat, liver, poultry, fish, peanuts, beans, yeast, enriched whole grain breads and cereals, and nuts.

The recommendation for Niacin is 6 mg/day for toddlers (1 - 3 years), 8 mg/day for children (4 - 8 years), and 12 mg/day for early adolescents (9 - 13 years). The recommendations increases to 14 mg/day for women (14 - 70+ years) and increases yet again to 18 mg/day for pregnant women and 17 mg/day for lactating women. The RDA for men is 16 mg/day.

Niacin is easy to find in the Western diet because it is added to enrich/fortify whole grain products (as are iron, folate, thiamin, and riboflavin). Mild deficiency symptoms can include aggression, hyperactivity, diarrhea, poor memory, anxiety, depression, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and eczema. More severe deficiency can result in a condition called Pellagra.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin

Vitamin B2 (also known as Riboflavin) is another water soluble vitamin. It is necessary to help your body release energy from food (from protein, fat, and carbohydrates). Riboflavin is also important for the maintenance of healthy hair, skin, and nails, and for good vision (prevention of cataracts).

It can be found in lean beef, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, liver, legumes, eggs, cheese, milk, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and enriched/fortified whole grain products. Riboflavin is the only B vitamin found in dairy products. It can be easily destroyed by light which is why milk cartons and jugs are opaque.

The recommendation for men (age 14 - 70+) is 1.3 mg/day, for women (age 19 - 70+) it is 1.1 mg/day with an increase to 1.4 mg/day during pregnancy and 1.6 mg/day during lactation. Females age 9 - 13 have a RDA of 0.9 mg/day, while females age 14 - 19 have an RDA of 1.0 mg/day. Recommendations for children are lower at 0.5 mg/day for 1 - 3 years old and 0.6 mg/day for 4 - 8 years old. Deficiency symptoms include itchy sensitive eyes, eczema, mouth ulcers, cold sores, cracked lips, and hair loss.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin necessary for the growth and repair of body tissues, bone formation, immune functions, night vision, and normal eye sight. Retinoids are animal sources which are stored in the liver and carotenoids are plant sources which are stored in fat. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A is 400 mcg/day for children (age 4-8), 600 mcg/day for adolescents (age 9-13) 900 mcg/day for males (over the age of 14) and 700 mcg/day for females (over the age of 14). As with most vitamins and minerals there are certain risks with both a deficiency and too much (toxicity) Vitamin A.

Vitamin A aids in the synthesis and breakdown of amino acids and it is an important antioxidant (protecting the body from damaging substances). As an antioxidant it helps the body fight infection and helps heal wounds. It helps maintain healthy skin (found in many face creams and acne remedies) and mucous membranes.

Animal sources include eggs, dairy products, margarine, liver, and fish.
Plant sources include dark green and orange vegetables (carrots, cantaloupe, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli...), and fortified breakfast cereals.

Steph Wheler
www.nutrishus.com