Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research
Weekly column for the week of August 15, 2005
Q: Are cooking sprays fat-free?
A: Since cooking spray oils are made of vegetable oils, they do contain fat. However, the spray cans produce a portion so small that the fat content in a standard serving is insignificant. According to nutrition labeling laws, when one serving of a food contains less than 0.5 grams of a nutrient, that number can be rounded down to zero and the product can be regarded as having none of the nutrient. In the case of fat and cooking sprays, these products can legally be labeled 'fat-free.' However, some people use very large amounts of oil sprays and believe that they are still getting zero fat. This is untrue. A standard serving of a cooking spray lasts 0.3 second and usually contains 0.2 or 0.3 grams of fat. If you spray for a longer period of time, you need to adjust your calculation of the fat content to determine how much you are really getting. But you shouldn't try to make all of your foods fat-free. For good health, we need some fat each day. Two healthful choices when used in moderation are olive and canola oils. Q: Will I get a better workout if I drink a sports drink instead of water before or during exercise?
A: Getting enough fluid before and during exercise is vital all year long, but especially when it's hot and you sweat more. The American College of Sports Medicine advises people to drink about 16 ounces in the two to three hours before exercise, six to 12 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise and enough fluid afterward to replace fluids lost through sweat. For vigorous exercise that lasts over an hour, or for intense stop-start sports like hockey, sports drinks that provide small amounts of carbohydrates can improve your performance. For typical adult exercisers, however, a drink with extra calories does not help and is probably counter-productive for weight control. The best choice is usually water. Studies also show that people are able to put more effort into a workout ? and thus get more benefit out of it ? if they have eaten within three or four hours before exercise. If you exercise too early in the morning to eat beforehand, you might experiment with sports drinks, one hundred percent juices and light snacks like a banana to see what foods work best for you.
Q: Besides bananas, what other fruits and vegetables are high in potassium?
A: Other high-potassium fruits include avocados, cantaloupe, kiwi, raisins and dried apricots. Orange, grapefruit and prune juice are also strong sources. Tomato and tomato-vegetable juices (the tomato is technically a fruit) are high in potassium, but the regular versions of these juices are also high in sodium. Low-sodium and reduced-sodium versions are better choices if you want to stay within the current dietary sodium recommendations. Add a squirt of lemon or lime juice to perk up the flavor if you like. Concentrated sources of potassium can be found among vegetables. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, white or sweet potatoes, winter squash and lentils, and beans like lima, kidney, navy and pinto are all good choices.
Reprinted with permission from the American Institute for Cancer Research
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