Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Wellness Wednesday

What's on your plate?
Source

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about a free online program called SparkPeople where you can track your meals and activities to keep you on track with your diet and fitness resolutions.  One thing I've never considered tracking until an assignment in one of my nutrition classes is micronutrients, that is vitamins and minerals.  I've always focused on the macronutrients of protein, fats, and carbs.  Within the SparkPeople program, there is an option where you can track micronutrients, such as iron, calcium, and vitamins and compare your intake to recommended levels.  Tracking those nutrients was an eye opener for me as I really had no idea whether or not I was receiving adequate levels of important nutrients.  

There are a number of other programs where you can track nutrition, including the USDA's Super Tracker, My Fitness Pal, Cronometer, and Fit Day.  I haven't used any of these other programs but the professor recommended the Super Tracker and fellow students recommended the others, in addition to Spark People.  I suggest you sign up for one of these programs and track your food for about four days.  I think you'll be surprised at the results.

1 comment:

EcoGrrl said...

Cool! One of the things I like about Weight Watchers Online is that it calculates points for foods by the carbs, proteins, fats, etc., rather than simple calories. Who knew!

I had my first appointment with a naturopath today talking all about my thyroid - SO interesting!

A.