Accentuate The Positive, Eliminate The Negative
Restaurant and food manufacturer marketing departs are always coming up with new ideas to get people into their restaurant or buy their products even when they are not as healthy as they claim.
Here is a recent ad for a national chain steak restaurant.
What parent doesn’t want their child receiving good grades? But does eating protein rich foods make you smart? Here are some facts and myths:
Myth: Eating fish makes you smarter.
Fact: Fish is a perfect source of fats that are essential for normal body functions, including brain activity and other cell activities. (source: www.today.com)
Myth: Protein improves mental focus.
Fact: Protein can increase brain chemicals related to alertness (norepinephrine and dopamine), but it has only a small effect that occurs several hours after eating. (source: www.today.com)
“Next to water, protein makes up most of the weight of our bodies. Muscles, organs, hair, nails and ligaments are all composed of protein, so it’s obvious why protein is an important part of the diet.
But it gets more complex with the brain. The brain and its long spidery neurons are essentially made of fat, but they communicate with each other via proteins that we eat.
You don’t need to load up on protein. Most Americans eat far more protein than they need and as a consequence end up consuming too much fat and cholesterol as well. The USDA recommends only two to three small servings of protein a day, or about 12 percent of total calories—and that’s more than what most of the world consumes.”
(source: www.psychologytoday.com)
A serving of steak is 4 ounces (113 g). Steaks at most restaurants start at 6 ounces and go up from there. Americas obtain too much protein from red meat which includes pork.
Non-meat sources of protein include seafood, poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds. Quinoa is an excellent source of protein. The healthy benefits of these proteins is that they are all low in saturated fat which raises LDL cholesterol and your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Marketing accentuates the positive. Would you dine at a restaurant with an ad that goes something like this?
Steak has Saturated Fat
Saturated Fat Raises LDL Cholesterol
Elevated Cholesterol = Heart Attack or Stroke
Probably not.