|
|
READERS' QUESTIONS always intrigue me: Local folks ask about such interesting things.
QI am the biggest junk-food eater in Fredericksburg, and I have a simple question: Can a person eat too many vegetables?
Simply stated, rather than eating chips or doughnuts every day for my snack, I am trying to eat carrots, but I usually eat a dozen. I figure there are no calories--is this OK? Appreciate your response.
--Bob Morgan, Fredericksburg
AIf you continue eating 12 carrots a day for several weeks or months, it may make your skin turn orange, especially the soles of your feet and palms of your hands. This effect, called carotenemia, is harmless. It's caused by the beta carotene, an orange pigment in carrots and other dark orange and dark green vegetables.
To avoid this, mix things up a bit. All nonstarchy vegetables are about as low in calories as carrots. Try munching on cherry tomatoes, rings of sweet pepper or slices of cucumber.
QMy 20-year-old son, who is in college, has decided to try a vegetarian diet for a few months to see how he likes it (he is still eating eggs and dairy products). He is very active, and his main sports are running and cycling.
He is about 6-foot-1, and weighs around 155 to 160 pounds. Our diet at home tends to be fairly low in meat and fish anyway, but he wants to completely eliminate these foods while he is away at school. My only concern is that he still get the nutrition he needs, considering his age and level of activity. He does take a multivitamin. Can you give me any guidance?
--Name withheld
AA vegetarian diet can be incredibly healthy: Track athlete Carl Lewis, winner of nine Olympic gold medals, is an example of a famously fit vegetarian.
However, your son is underweight, and I worry that he needs to be eating more food, not less. Your son's ideal body weight is roughly 185 pounds, so he is only about 86 percent of his ideal weight. Anyone weighing less than 90 percent is considered at risk for malnutrition. This may not be the best time to eliminate food groups.
However, if your son has always been this thin, there's probably no need to worry.
But if he is losing weight, your family doctor can pinpoint the cause. Overtraining and not eating enough calories could cause your son to lose too much weight, which will eventually affect his performance running and cycling.
A variety of digestive problems and other diseases can cause unhealthy weight loss. Also, although eating disorders are most common in young women, men can develop them as well.
If the doctor gives your son a clean bill of health, I see no reason to worry about his vegetarian preferences.
QWe enjoy your column in The Free Lance-Star. Also, we attended one of your presentations to the Lake of the Woods AARP group.
Onions serve as an anchor in our salads, sandwiches and main dishes. We include green garden onions in our daily salads as well as the large yellow, Vidalia, white and purple onions. We include a mix of green peppers and onions in our cooked vegetable and meat dishes. However, we seldom read anything about the nutritional characteristics of onions. Can you provide us with some information on onions? Do cooked onions lose any of their nutritional value?
Thanks, and keep up the good work.
--Ray and Jody Zogran, Lake of the Woods
AWhile onions don't have too many vitamins and minerals, they are a powerhouse when it comes to phytochemicals. Onions and their relatives, such as scallions, leeks, shallots and garlic, have quercetin and several kinds of sulfides that may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, prevent ulcers and even help reduce the risk of cancer.
For more information, check out onions-usa.org on the Web. Enjoy your onions--they're great for you.
JENNIFER MOTL is a registered dietitian in Fredericksburg. She welcomes reader questions. E-mail her at jenmotl@earthlink.net; or write to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.