Coyote Nutrition Counseling

05/21/2025

05/14/2025

04/23/2025

Have you ever been told that you are anemic? While anemia comes in many forms, iron-deficient anemia is one of the most widespread forms. It affects toddlers, children, adolescents, and adults of all ages and can come with a cost!

Iron is needed by all living organisms, it's especially crucial for human health as it helps carry oxygen to all of our cells!

There are various food sources of Iron: Red Meat🥩, Nuts and Seeds🥜, Leafy Green Vegetables🥬🥦, and Legumes.

It is important to know that iron from plant sources is known as Non-Heme Iron and is in a different form than iron from animal sources, Heme Iron. Heme (Fe2+) iron is more bioavailable as it does not need to undergo hydrolysis compared to its counterpart, Non-Heme (Fe3+), to be absorbed by the small intestine.

❤️Iron-deficient anemia occurs when there is a problem getting enough iron, whether it be with absorption issues or with lack of consumption. Anemia comes on slowly to start but can become a serious concern, with dizziness, weakness, and fatigue.

🦴Iron is stored in the bones, liver, spleen, red blood cells, and a few other locations. This is why it takes some time to become fully anemic, as you have to use up all of your iron stores, including from the bones.

🛑Conversely, iron can also exist in excess in our bodies, primarily due to a genetic condition known as hemochromatosis. This condition results in the body being unable to gauge iron levels. Hemochromatosis is treated with regular blood removal throughout a patient's lifetime to keep serum levels less than 30 micrograms/liter.

The recommended dietary allowance for Iron is:
👉Men: 8mg/day
Women:
👉Postmenopause: 18 mg/day
👉Premenopause: 8 mg/day
👉Pregnancy: 27 mg/day
👉Lactation: 9 mg/day
🛑NOT TO EXCEED: 35 mg/day (tolerable upper limit)


💭

Source: Stipanuk, M. H., & Caudill, M. A. (2019). Biochemical, physiological, and molecular aspects of human nutrition (4th ed.) Elsevier Saunders.
pg. 824-848

04/16/2025

Vanadium, a trace mineral found in the environment, plays a crucial role in your health. From influencing insulin sensitivity to supporting enzyme reactions, vanadium may have a bigger impact on your well-being than you think!

💡 How Vanadium Works:

Mimics insulin to help glucose metabolism 🍞⚡

Competes with phosphate in vital enzymatic reactions 🔄

Stored in essential organs like the liver, kidneys, spleen, and thyroid gland 🏥

🍽️ Top Food Sources of Vanadium:
🍄 Mushrooms – High content
🦪 Shellfish – Moderate content
🌶️ Black Pepper – Moderate content
🌿 Parsley – Low content
🌾 Whole Grains – Low content

💪 Health Benefits & Risks:
May help regulate blood sugar 🩸
Potentially supports bone health 🦴

⚠️ Caution: Excessive intake can lead to toxicity - While there is no method yet of assessing the body's Vanadium status, it is important to know that there is a Tolerable Upper Limit of 1.8 mg of elemental Vanadium. The most common demographic Vanadium toxicity is found in miners due to exposure. 🚨

Human requirements for Vanadium have not been established; however, recommended intake is estimated at 6 to 18 µg/day or 6-18 MICROgrams per day.🤏

04/16/2025

Get ready to learn!! Your Coyote Nutrition Counselors are starting a series on ✨ Micronutrients ✨

04/10/2025

When it comes to our diet, we always want to make sure we are hitting enough vitamins and minerals which often get disregarded in many people’s intraday meals. It’s important to understand the 5 pillars of the food plate which are Grains, Protein, Dairy, Fruits and Vegetables are the natural sources of optimizing our nutrition.

Enhancing your current meals can take many forms and for starters you want to evaluate your meals and ask yourself , “What here is rich in vitamins?”. Many of the animal-based foods will have essential micronutrients associated, however they don’t cover all of it. A common theme amongst younger generations is the belief that they need to simply just eat chicken and rice or beef rice for the benefit that they will develop their gains, however micronutrients become the rate limiting resource that our body requires. Overtime, that typical diet will wear out in desire and become not enjoyable over many meals consumed of the same dish. Switching the carbohydrate and protein sources, adding in vegetables and fruits all together may not sound appealing at first, but you can adjust how additional ingredients are prepared so it can meet your palatability desires.

Protein does not have to derive from animal foods mainly, as routinely consuming plant-proteins like seeds, nuts, and legumes allows your palatability to expand and receive additional nutrients that may not be available in red meats, poultry or dairy products. Consuming different species of fish also contributes to protein variation since they contain essential fats and proteins that our body cannot produce on its own without consumption of these products.

As a little tip when it comes to preparing your meals, you typically would want 3-5 different natural colors of food in your meals. The reason behind this recommendation is that Vitamins often produce a natural color when our vision strikes these foods. An orange carrot gives off the color orange which is associated with beta-carotenes along with red and yellow, which is Vitamin A. Others include the many B-vitamins that are present in leafy vegetables as well as Vitamin K or the multitude of fruits that are full of Vitamin C antioxidants. Consuming frequent meals of color variation can be a healthy sign that you are receiving adequate micronutrients and less at risk of deficiency.

Everyone loves a desert of their own and we all have our own go-to when we feel like we deserve it. Most of these dishes are full of delicious carbohydrates and fats but if you want to feel balanced, fruits can be the best pairing to your palate because of their natural sweetness. Next time you have your desert, try experimenting with 1-3 fruits to see what works best so you can receive the most nutrients from your meals.

04/07/2025

Introducing your Student Nutrition Counselor Coordinators: Ali and Adrianna

About Ali: Hi! My name is Ali, and I’m a first-year Master’s student in Nutrition Science. I’m passionate about helping people reach their nutrition and health goals in a way that feels sustainable and empowering. I love combining science with real-world strategies to make healthy living approachable for everyone, and I’m excited to keep growing in this field!

About Adrianna: As a first-year MSNS student, I strongly believe in the role nutrition plays in our health. In addition to being a student, I am also a Doula, Mother of two boys, and Wife. I hope to provide support and guidance as one of the Nutrition Counselor Coordinators at CSUSB!

04/03/2025

The Mediterranean diet is a healthy eating plan inspired by the traditional cuisines of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy fats, and moderate consumption of lean proteins. Here's a breakdown of the diet and some simple dishes you can try:

Key Components of the Mediterranean Diet

Plant-based foods: The foundation of the diet includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Healthy fats: Olive oil is the primary source of added fat.

Lean proteins: Fish and seafood are consumed regularly, while poultry, eggs, and dairy are eaten in moderation.

Limited red meat: Red meat is consumed sparingly.

Simple Mediterranean Dishes

Greek Salad:

Combine chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and Kalamata olives.
Top with crumbled feta cheese and dress with olive oil and lemon juice.

Hummus with Vegetable Sticks:

Serve store-bought or homemade hummus with carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips.

Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers:

Fill bell peppers with a mixture of cooked quinoa, diced tomatoes, and crumbled feta.
Bake until peppers are tender.

Baked Lemon Chicken:

Marinate chicken in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and oregano.
Bake in the oven until cooked through.

Whole Grain Toast with Avocado:

Top whole grain toast with mashed avocado and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.

Greek Yogurt Parfait:

Layer plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries and a drizzle of honey.
Top with chopped nuts for added crunch.

These simple dishes incorporate the key elements of the Mediterranean diet and require minimal cooking skills, making them perfect for beginners looking to adopt this healthy eating pattern.

04/02/2025

How to maximize your vitamin intake without drastically changing your diet, consider incorporating these strategies into your daily routine:

Optimize Your Food Choices

Embrace colorful fruits and vegetables
Add a variety of colorful produce to your meals. Different colors often indicate different vitamin profiles. For example, include leafy greens like spinach for iron and vitamin K, and citrus fruits for vitamin C.

Choose nutrient-dense foods

Opt for foods that pack multiple vitamins in a single serving. Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds, are rich in various vitamins and minerals.
Incorporate oily fish. Include fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines in your diet. They're excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D.

Smart Cooking and Preparation

Minimize cooking time
Lightly steam or stir-fry vegetables to preserve their vitamin content. Overcooking can lead to vitamin loss.
Use the right fats
Cook with extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K2.
Leave the skin on
When appropriate, keep the skin on fruits and vegetables, as it often contains a high concentration of vitamins.

Clever Combinations

Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C
Combine iron sources like legumes with vitamin C-rich foods to enhance iron absorption.
Mix fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins
Combine foods with fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) with those containing water-soluble vitamins for better absorption.

Supplement Wisely

While it's best to get vitamins from whole foods, a multivitamin can help fill nutritional gaps. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any supplement regimen.

By implementing these strategies, you can significantly boost your vitamin intake without making drastic changes to your diet. Remember, consistency is key – small, sustainable changes can lead to significant improvements in your overall nutrition.

03/27/2025

What is the so-called Mediterranean Diet that you often hear about and possibly recommended to you by your primary care physician?

The Mediterranean Diet is a series of whole foods that aims to include every essential nutrient that is required by our bodies to function. The diet does not take-out foods in specific but rather emphasizes adequate fiber, healthy fats (monounsaturated & polyunsaturated), leaner protein sources such as fish, whole grains & plant sources. With moderate consumption of meats and dairy, and limited foods that are highly processed that contain an abundant amount of sodium, added sugars, lack of essential vitamins and minerals, and unhealthy fats (trans & saturated fats).

Here is a breakdown of the diet:

Whole Grains: These food groups consist of complex carbohydrates that contain rich amounts of fiber that is required by our intestinal tract to reduce strain and prevent inflammation. It is also linked to reducing colon cancer risk because fiber will result in faster transit time of your stool to pass through your tract. Having prolonged bowel movements is essentially having toxic waste sit in your tract until it can be passed through, however the goal is to eliminate waste that could be harmful to your overall health. Fiber also feeds the healthy bacteria in our gut that is needed to carry immune functions. Whole grains contain decent amounts of protein that can contribute to your macronutrient intake goals.

Fats: The type of fats we are wanting to consume as a part of this diet are going to be liquid temperature fats such as olive/vegetable oils or more complex fats that are typically found in fish and seeds/nuts. These fats are known as Monounsaturated fats and Polyunsaturated fats (Omega-3s & Omega-6s). Both share roles in lowering the risk of developing common cardiovascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia which overtime can lead to atherosclerosis of the arteries and increase risk of having heart attack or a stroke. Polyunsaturated fats are considered to be essential because our body cannot produce these Omega-3s and Omega-6s that serve for brain health, lowering triglycerides and is an anti-inflammatory.

Fruits & Vegetables: Just as most healthy diets, fruits and veggies are a core staple to an everyday diet simply because there are many fat- and water-soluble vitamins as well as minerals that reduce the development of Metabolic syndrome. The criteria for this syndrome are met if you have 3 out of the 4 conditions: Obesity, Prediabetes, High Blood Pressure and low HDL (good) cholesterol. They also are low in calories, but high in essential nutrients which makes them great nutrient-rich food choices and can be a part of weight loss strategies.

Proteins & Legumes. The theme of animal proteins is going to be fatty fish, poultry, eggs, with moderate consumption of red meat such as lamb. Legumes are the plant-based proteins that are beans, and they contain rich-amounts of fiber and small amounts of healthy fats. Other sources of protein from this diet include dairy that have low to zero amount of fat like Greek Yogurt. Nuts will also count towards protein intake requirements and are plant-based. The diet’s protein choices are adaptable to your preferences and applicable to those who are vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The variety in these choices offer both essential amino acids which are building blocks of protein that our body cannot make and combines many non-essential amino acids (our body can make on its own) that makes up for missing amino acids to meet necessary protein goals.

As mentioned, this diet has plenty of benefits towards your cardiovascular health, body composition, gut health, controls appetite and makes you feel great when ingesting these meals. Check our visual above to get inspired by some Mediterranean dishes that you can try today.
For further inquiries about dishes, visit: Mediterranean Recipes & Lifestyle - The Mediterranean Dish

For further meal planning, and individual breakdown, visit and schedule an appointment with a Dietitian today. Share in the comments below about your experiences and favorite dish of the Mediterranean Diet.

03/27/2025

A Nutrition Assessment is the first step in the Nutrition Care Process. It is the foundation of personalized healthcare. Going over everything going on with your body helps to give your Registered Dietitian and YOU! a better understanding of what may be going on with your body.

Nutrition Assessments help to:
1. Understand your health: A nutrition assessment gives you a clear picture of your overall health, which helps to identify potential risks or deficiencies early.
2. Pinpoint nutrition issues: Whether there’s an imbalance in nutrients, a food allergy, or an eating habit affecting you negatively, an assessment helps you find out what is preventing you from feeling your best
3. Track progress: Regular assessments allow you to track your changes to your health, to help you and your Dietitian make informed adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.
4. Tailored recommendations: Based on your personal needs, a nutrition assessment leads to a personalized plan for optimizing your health, energy, and overall well-being!