Protein is essential to a healthy diet.

Are you getting enough?

There’s been a lot of hype the past few

years about protein – and for good cause.

A vital element for your health and ability

to function, protein is the building block

for every cell in your body from your

muscles and bones to your cartilage, blood,

and skin. In fact, your nails and hair are

composed mainly of protein. On top of that,

your body needs protein to make hormones,

enzymes, and other chemicals.

When you think of protein, you may think only of meat. But protein is actually found in a number of different foods, and it’s important to choose a variety of protein-rich without eating too much fat or cholesterol. How much protein does your body need, and what are some good protein sources? You’re about to find out.

How Much?

Since your body doesn’t store protein like it does carbohydrates and fats, you need to replenish your protein supply each day. Protein malnutrition can lead to failure to grow, a suppressed immune system, muscle loss, and a weakened heart and lungs. In developed countries, most people generally consume enough protein, many eating more than twice what they need. However, this protein isn’t always from the best sources.

Depending on your age and sex, you should consume the following amount of protein each day:

Infants: approximately 10 grams
Teenage Girls: 46 grams
Teenage Boys: 52 grams
Adult Women: 46 grams
Adult Men: 56 grams
Pregnant or Lactating Women: 71 grams

Where Is It?

Meat. While beef is a good source of protein (a six-ounce steak provides 38 grams of protein), it is also high in saturated fat, so you should eat red meat only occasionally. Skinless chicken breasts and turkey are the leanest protein-heavy options for poultry. A chicken breast the size of a deck of playing cards provides 23 grams of protein.

Fish and Shellfish. Because of the traces of mercury found in fish, the recommended allowance for consuming all fish is about 12 ounces or two meals a week. Tuna, however, should only be eaten once a week. The good news is that while fish shouldn’t be eaten all day every day, a small can of tuna contains 42 grams of protein, and a six-ounce piece of salmon provides 34 grams.

Eggs and Dairy. Other excellent sources for protein are eggs and dairy products. Just remember that eggs, or at least the yolk, should be eaten in moderation, since they contain cholesterol that may increase your risk for heart disease. Yogurt, cheese, and low-fat milk are also healthy choices for including protein and calcium in your diet. A serving of yogurt provides 14 grams of protein, cottage cheese gives your protein intake a 28-gram boost, and a cup of milk has eight grams of protein.

Plant Sources. Another great source of protein comes from plant-based sources such as beans, lentils, peas, and soy. A serving of kidney beans will fill you with about 15 grams of protein.

Nuts and Seeds. Though nuts and seeds are often high in calories, they are also rich in protein, nutrients, and essential fatty acids. They’re so rich, in fact, that a third of a cup of nuts contains the same protein levels as an ounce of meat. Flaxseed is also fiber-ific, and is also filled with fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Whole Grains, Fruits, and Vegetables. Lastly, protein is found in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Grab a plain-old slice of whole-wheat bread, and you’re looking at three grams of protein. Grab a handful of cherries, avocados, leafy greens, prunes, or dried apricots, and you can add even more fiber to your daily diet.

Wise Choices.

Foods rich in protein are a crucial part of a healthy diet. But remember that when choosing your protein sources, consider the unhealthy factors that come with a particular food. Watch out for saturated fats and cholesterol and processed meats such as sausages, hot dogs, and deli meats. They may contain protein, they up your risk for cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

What chemotherapy patients should

eat for optimal health.

While eating may be the last

thing you feel like doing while

undergoing cancer treatment,

good nutrition is essential to

cope with the side effects and

to help your body heal. A loss

of appetite, nausea, taste changes, and mouth sores are only a few of the unpleasant possible side effects of chemotherapy. With symptoms such as these, eating anything – especially worrying about eating healthy foods – can be a serious challenge. However, your body still needs adequate protein, fluids, and calories to equip your immune system for recovery and to stay as comfortable as possible in the process.

Everyone’s experience with cancer treatment is different, but here are a few nutritional tips to relieve your symptoms while staying as strong as possible on your road to recovery.

Mouth Issues

For some reason, chemotherapy drugs often alter your taste buds. What was once your favorite food may now seem disgusting. Many patients say foods and drinks have a metallic taste to them, and meat and water seem to be the most common things that take on a disagreeable flavor.

If this is the case for you, try drinking flavored water or add a lemon slice to your H2O. If meat loses its allure, get your protein from other sources such as eggs, dairy, fish, or beans, and keep trying different options until you find something that you like or can at least tolerate.

Unfortunately, mouth sores are a common side effect of certain types of chemotherapy. If you develop this problem, keep your mouth as moist as possible by drinking plenty of fluids. You should also keep your mouth clean and help heal your mouth sores by rinsing your mouth with salt water after meals. Also, stay away from spicy foods, hot-temperature foods, and alcohol, as these may worsen the problem.

Bowel Problems

In addition to mouth issues, many chemotherapy patients suffer from constipation or diarrhea. If you experience either of these, it is important to stay hydrated. This helps prevent constipation or helps you replenish lost fluids from diarrhea. Signs of dehydration could include sunken eyes, a dry or sticky feeling in your mouth, a low amount of urine that is dark yellow, and not being able to produce tear drops when crying.

If you find that you become constipated, include as much fiber as possible in your diet. High-fiber foods include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. And while you may be anxious to regulate your bowels, increase your fiber intake at a slow and steady pace.

If diarrhea becomes an issue, steer clear of fried and greasy foods, fruit juices, caffeine, sugary drinks, and raw fruits and vegetables. Safe foods include oatmeal, fruit with skin, squash, and sweet potatoes.

A good idea if you suffer from bowel or stomach issues is to keep a diary of what you eat and what symptoms you experience. This way, you can identify the culprit of your symptoms. You can also consult a dietitian throughout your treatment to identify any problem foods.

Loss of Appetite and Nausea

Many people undergoing cancer treatment lose their appetite or suffer from nausea. In fact, these two often go hand in hand. Since carbohydrates are usually easy to digest, try eating small amounts of foods such as toast with peanut butter, hot cereal, or pita bread with some hummus. Other foods to snack on may include yogurt or pureed soups.

If you suffer from frequent nausea, eating food that is cool instead of warm may help. Also, sipping ginger or peppermint tea or chewing on crystallized ginger may help relieve an upset stomach. Be sure to avoid fried or greasy foods or foods that have strong smells. Eating small meals more often throughout the day may also help discourage nausea.

Foods to Avoid

While on chemotherapy, there are some things to steer clear of completely. One of these is alcoholic beverages. Besides the fact that alcohol may increase your nausea or diarrhea or aggravate your mouth sores, it causes stress on your liver, making it more difficult for your liver to process the chemotherapy drugs .

You should also avoid dietary supplements such as minerals, vitamins, or herbs, as well as green tea and soy-based foods. Though these are fine when you’re not battling cancer, these may interact with chemotherapy medications, decreasing the effectiveness of your treatment.

A Difficult Combo.

Though you may find that eating and chemotherapy are a difficult combination, eating well and trusting the advice of your physician and dietitian will help ease your symptoms while providing the nutrition needed to keep your body strong throughout treatment.

Protect your child from choking on their grub.

It’s a frightening experience to

see a child choking. One of the

most common reasons for injury

and death in children younger

than 5 years, choking is a serious

problem. Not surprisingly, food is

among the greatest choking hazards.

Follow these simple guidelines to

help prevent your kids from choking

on their food.

Foods to Avoid

Young children are more prone to choking for two reasons. First, they’ve not grown their large back molars, which help chew, and second, their throats are smaller. So before serving food to your child, consider the size of the food compared to the size of your child’s throat. You should also consider how difficult it is for your child to chew and swallow a particular food. Children usually develop the ability to chew well around 4 years of age.

Avoid serving your child hard peanuts or other nuts or seeds until they are 7 years old. Also avoid giving hard candies such as peppermints until the child can chew well. If younger than 4, children should not be allowed to chew gum. If serving fruit, first remove any seed or pit. Other possible choking hazards for kids include hard pretzels, popcorn, raisins, raw veggies, ice cubes, corn, beans, marshmallows, small chewy candies like jellybeans, and even kids’ vitamins.

Cut It Up

The shape or consistency of many foods can pose a choking hazard for young ones. It is vitally important to cut certain foods into smaller bites for smaller mouths. Hot dogs are an especially dangerous food for children because of their round, firm shape. Therefore, you should always cut hot dogs into small pieces, cutting across the length and width of the hot dog. Additionally, the size and consistency of many other meats, fruits, and vegetables make the food dangerous, so cut them into tiny, non-round pieces before serving them to a child.

Though you might not think of it, but sticky foods like peanut butter can be a danger. Giving your child a spoonful of peanut butter is not a good idea as it can get stuck in his or her throat. Instead, spread a thin layer of peanut butter on a slice of bread.

Look Out

To avoid a choking emergency, children should be supervised while eating and taught table manners, which often increase food safety. Don’t let children run around the house while eating, but teach them to sit up straight and sit still while eating. And cute as it may be, talking or laughing with a mouth full of food can pose a choking hazard. So teach your kids to chew their food well before swallowing, to break the food into small pieces, and to talk only when they’ve swallowed their food.

At the same time, keep an eye on older siblings who may try to offer dangerous foods to younger children. All it takes is one piece of food to cause an emergency situation.

The Big What If?

What should you do if a child in your care is choking? If mild choking is occurring in a child over the age of 1 year, encourage the child to couch and remove obvious blockage out of the child’s mouth if possible. For severe choking, stand behind the child, lean him or her forward, and give up to five sharp blows with the heel of your hand to the child’s back between the shoulder blades.

If this doesn’t clear the blockage, perform the Heimlich maneuver. Do this by standing behind the choking person and placing your arms around the child’s waist. Have him or her lean forward and with your fists clenched, thrust upward right above the child’s belly button. Perform back blows and abdominal thrusts in three cycles. In the meantime, have someone call for emergency help.

Have a choking infant? Lie the baby face down on your forearm and with the heel of your hand give up to five firm slaps between the baby’s shoulder blades, stopping after each slap to check for clearing. Not working? Administer five chest thrusts by laying the baby on his or her back on your forearm. Use two fingers to push in and up toward the head against the child’s breastbone.