Hot Topics in Nutrition
Speaker - Colin Kave
by Mary Idleman and Colin Kave
October 15, 2008
In observance of National School Nutrition week, Dietetic Intern, Colin Kave, presented Hot Topics in Nutrition in the OHS auditorium on Tuesday, October 14th. Colin spoke to the OHS students to promote sound nutrition for young adults. Colin graduated from Illinois State University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Dietetics and Nutrition. He is currently completing his Masters Degree in Dietetics. His talk covered topics such as energy drinks, healthier fast food choices, and the importance of calcium in the teen years.
Energy Drink manufactures are successfully marketing their
advertisements towards the teen population. Caffeine works by
stimulating the central nervous system thus causing an increase in
energy, improved mood, and a speeding up of the heart rate. The
energy drinks (caffeine) make you feel good for a few hours and
tricks your body into wanting more to keep that feeling.
The busy schedules of teens help to dictate the choices they make
in regards to food. Teens want things that they can grab and go.
These convenience food items are typically coming from fast food
restaurants or are highly processed foods. Tips for cutting back on
calories and reducing the fat include:
• Cutting out the mayonnaise and special sauce, by removing the mayo from your hamburger you can drop 150 calories on average.
• Avoid the soda and you will decrease the average fast food meal by 200 calories. Choosing water or diet soda are much smarter choices for those health conscious individuals.
• Choosing reduced fat or fat free dressings. Fat free dressings are usually ½ the calories of full fat dressings. Limit the amount of salad dressing that you use with foods.
Calcium is essential to prevent bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
Once we reach our mid to late 20’s, our bones stop taking in
calcium. The 2 best ways of increasing our bone strength is to
ensure we are getting enough calcium and to exercise. Males and
females age 12-19 need 1300 mg of calcium a day which equates to
about 4 servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese a day.
