Just what the doctor ordered

Doctors at three health centers in Massachusetts are fighting obesity in children of low-income families by giving them $1 a day coupons for fruit or vegetables.

50 families of four will be enrolled in this promotion of healthy eating. The coupons are redeemable at farmers markets.  The state since 1980 began issuing coupons to pregnant or breast-feeding low-income women and children at risk of malnourishment.

Produce high on baby boomers' grocery list

The top five items on baby boomers' grocery lists in 2010:

1. Fresh fruit (83%)
2. Milk (82%)
3. Fresh vegetables (79%)
4. Wheat or whole-grain bread (77%)
5. Canned or frozen vegetables (69%)

Source: Whole Foods Market Inc., survey of 1,349 adults ades 46-64.

Fresh fruits and vegetables making the top three grocery items for baby boomers is great news since the two items failed to crack the top five 30 years ago. Boomers are choosing healthier, lower-fat foods.  

In 1980, the top five baby boomer grocery items were:

1. Milk (89%)
2. Canned or frozen vegetables (83%)
3. White bread (74%)
4. Soda pop (74%)
5. Iceberg lettuce (66%)

Overall food trends noted by the survey include:

• Most adults are more concerned with what they eat
• They more closely read nutrition labels
• They have a better idea of how their food is produced 

27% of adults said natural or organic foods comprised more than a quarter of their total food purchases this year, up from just 20% a year ago.

Fast food good news / bad news

McDonald's is discontinuing their Fruit and Walnut salad, a staple in my 'running around doing errands need a healthy snack' eating. It was launched in 2004 in a much larger size and then downsized to a snack.  It will be missed.

Interestingly enough, McDonald's has been testing oatmeal topped with fresh apple slices, cranberries and two types of raisins.  Oatmeal should be rolled out nationally early in 2011. We'll see if that's enough to draw me to the fast food place for breakfast.  It was enough to get me to Starbucks' for my Saturdays after Weight Watchers and before the gym.

Wendy's has come out with new salads.  Gone are the Madarin Chicken salads with packets of almonds and noodles.  The Apple Pecan Chicken Salad has been a two time favorite in the last week.

It has iceberg, romaine and spring mix lettuce, blue cheese, dried cranberries, apple chunks topped with grilled chicken.  The salad is 350 calories that you can top with roasted pecans (110 calories) and pomegranate vinaigrette dressing (2 packets, each 60 calories).

For a coupon for $1 off go to wendy's.com

Cartoon characters pull kids to eat, hopefully, produce

SpongeBob SquarePants, Shrek and other cartoon characters can encourage kids to eat fruits and vegetables, but they're even more compelling when it comes to candy say four Yale researchers.

The study found that children significantly prefer foods that have popular cartoon characters on the packages, compared to foods without them.

In the study  4 to 6 year olds were more likely to prefer the taste of graphm crackers, gummy fruit snacks and baby carrots if characters like Dora the Explorer, Scooby Do or Shrek were on the package.  The taste perception was the weakest for carrots, suggesting that using characters on healthy dfoods may not be an effective strategy to rpomote consumption of those foods.

Source: Yale study

Exercise and eat more produce

Finally, they're considering changing the food pyramid.  Right now the pyramid looks like you should be eating as much dairy as produce (the blue on the pyramid is dairy, red and green are the fruits and veggies). Made me realize the power of American Dairy Association's lobbyists.  Stay tuned, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is only considering it.

And they should, previous blogs outline an abundance of reasons and now the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee has now weighed in.
Calling obesity the greatest threat to Americans' health.  The Committee "advocates the consumption of nutrient-dense forms of foods to provide the maximum nutritional intake within calorie needs...All vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, eggs and nuts prepared without added solid fats or sugars are considered nutrient-dense."

The report release June 15 will be used to update federal dietary guidelines such as those outlined in the food pyramid.

I'm about halfway through and have found it incredibly interesting, more posts to follow. For your own reading pleasure.

Excercising more

Don't think of it as exercise, think of it as activity.  Make the world your gym.  Do errands on foot, park in the farthest parking space, open the garage door by hand.  You get the idea.  active is the new fit.

Go for a subtle shift in your mind-set. It's more conducive to long-term health and weight loss, according to Russell Pate, PhD, profesor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina.

From the article "More Time (for exercise) in the 3/10 Readers' Digest

Wii vs the actual sport

Using a standard measure called a metabolic equivalent of a task (MET), researchers have rated the effort required in the Wii video games. 

Overall Wii sessions aren't as tough as the activities they mimic - for example real tennis takes 7 METs but the Wii game only 3 to 4.  Although you're more active playing or doing the real thing, Wii does help you meet the American Heart Association's recommendations for optimal fitness: a half hour of moderately intense activity ( 3 to 6 METs) 5 days a week.

Nine Wii activities- including basic step class, baseball, and tennis - demanded 3 to 4 METs, putting them on par with brisk walking (3.8 METs).  Wii push-ups, advanced step and boxing called for more than four METs. 

Information from 3/10 Readers' Digest

Ending World Hunger - Tomorrow's Table

Excerpt from an article published on 5/15/10 in ScienceBlogs.com

I get email almost every day asking if our produce is GMO'd.  Our produce isn't but I still wonder why the emphatic dislike of GMO product.  This article sheds some light, both pros and cons.

A REPORT by the National Research Council last month gave ammunition to both sides in the debate over the cultivation of genetically engineered crops. More than 80 percent of the corn, soybeans and cotton grown in the United States is genetically engineered, and the report details the "long and impressive list of benefits" that has come from these crops, including improved soil quality, reduced erosion and reduced insecticide use...

The article is by Pamela C. Ronald, a professor of plant pathology at the University of California, Davis, wjp is the co-author of "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food" and James E. McWilliams, a history professor at Texas State University at San Marcos, who is the author of "Just Food."

Why look to the traditional diets of native cultures for eating?

Because people knew how to eat long before they knew what a nutrient was.

Human beings are incredible eating machines.  Seemingly odd items as the Intuit's seal blubber, the African Masai's cows' blood, Mayans' corn, beans with very little meat, make for healthy eating habits with the cultures being known for no heart disease or type 2 diabetes to speak of.

So why can't potato chips, cookies, coleslaw and a thick filet mignon be considered odd items for a healthy diet? One look at the average American will tell you why not.

There is no one ideal diet.  But there is one diet that will get you in trouble, the diet that eats lots of processed food, lots of calories, few vegetables, fruits or whole grains. It's the diet that reliably develops heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and certain cancers.

Remember, not everything in a grocery store should be considered food. Rules to live by:

1. Don't eat something your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food.  She might not recognize a papaya, forgive her and buy.  She wouldn't recognize the new Splenda with Fiber.
2. Avoid products with ingredients you'd need a chemistry set to duplicate.  Ethoxylated triglycerides?
3. Pay more for food, less for healthcare. Processed food made with soy and corn ingredients are going to be cheaper because the government subsidizes their growth. Go figure but don't eat'em. In 1960 we spent 18% of our income on food, now 9.5%.  Meanwhile healthcare costs have tripled.  Eat healthier, eat less (a lot less) processed foods.
4. Don't eat mindlessly.  Eating in the car, in front of a screen (computer or tv, no matter) is eating mindlessly.  Do that and you'll eat more.   

10 ways to feel beautiful

1. Stand up straight!  And while you're at it, sit up straight too! Your brain checks in with the rest of your body to find out how you're doing.  Standing and sitting straight tells your brain 'I feel good'. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that you feel more confident about what you write.  Plus, mom was right, keeping your shoulders back and chest up makes you look taller, slimmer and self-assured.
2. Don't judge - View your looks the same way you would those of a child or friend, with acceptance not criticism.  Scars can be seen as a flaw or as a memory of an injury.
3. Admire - Studies sho that people who are unhappy with their appearance zero in on their perceived flaws. So focus on what you like about yourself, "when your eyes take in something pleasing your brain's reward system is activated, lifting your mood," says Nancy Etcoff, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital's Program in Aesthetics and Well Being.
4. Smile - A smile lifts the muscles around the eyes and lips making for a more youthful expression and it also generates a feel-good effect with the brain getting an instant mood boost. You get an added boost when people smile back at you.
5. Breathe deeply - Shallow breathingmanifests as tension in your face, throat and shoulders. Take deep, slow breaths and you'll look and feel more at ease.
6. Thank you - When someone gives you a compliment, just say thank you.
7. Color you beautiful - A pop of color can light up your face and your mood.  Find a shade of red to enhance your skin tone.
8. Only boas should be constricting - Wear clothes that fight.  Too tight gives the appearance that you're uptight and you'll feel uptight. And don't embrace the elastic waistband unless need be.  Looking like a ragamuffin doesn't do much for your self-esteem either.
9. It matters who your friends are - Spend time around people who are confident in their bodies and you'll think along the same terms.

Make breakfast count

Breakfast has some favorite dishes that are good sources of antioxidants that can help prevent or slow down oxidative damage to our bodies. Antioxidants reduce the threat of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Whole grain wheats and oat-based products
Yes you can get antioxidants from processed foods such as cereals and breakfast bars, but why not make oatmeal your early morning choice. Oatmeal couldn't be easier to fix, no need to buy the oatmeal in premeasured packets with dried fruit and sugars already added. 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/2 cup water microwaved for 90 seconds and viola, you've got breakfast. You can add sugar or brown sugar, but try instead using tea instead of water or slice a banana up into the oatmeal before cooking. My sweet tooth is happy with that.

Fruits
Great way to start the day, eat some fruit. We've had a bumper crop of strawberries this year, make it a point to include some in every breakfast you eat. Fruits are a natural source of antioxidants, this includes all types of berries (raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries and strawberries), pomegranates, grapes, pineapples and papaya. Papaya is considered the prime fruit for breakfast in Central and South America. Papaya is loaded with vitamins but also is a great digestive help.

Eat fruit as a side or topping your oatmeal and yogurt. Making a fruit smoothie is a special treat every now and then. You may not want to make it a habit though, blending fruit looses some of its great benefits - fiber.

Nuts
Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, flax seed can top oatmeal and yogurt too.

Source: FatFreeKitchen.com

Food to love, if you don't then learn to love

Eating well is one of the nicest things you can do for yourself.  Enjoying food that's good for you may take some training of the taste buds, but it's worth it both healthwise and weightwise.

Learn to love these foods:

• Avocados - yes they're fatty but it's monounsaturated fat which is still fat but it's the 'good' fat.  You still have to moderate how much you can eat.
• Beets - Betacyanin loaded along with other phytonutrients help to fight several diseases. Beets also have folate, and are high in fiber and beta-carotene.
• Horseradish - Rich in glucosinolate which helps fights cancer. Horseradishes also are a good source of calcium, potassium and vitamin C.
• Sweet potatoes - High in phytonutrients that promote heart and eye health and boost immunity, these buds are super rich in beta-carotene(thought to lower breast cancer risk) and vitamin A (which may reduce the effects of smoking.
• Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli rabe - all contain a powerful range of disease fighters.  One of these, sulforaphane may increase enzymes that lower the incidence of colon and lung cancers.
• Blueberries - count on high levels of antioxidants that combat inflammation.  Anthocyanins may have antidiabetic effects. 
• Spinach, kale, seaweed and swiss chard - excellent sources of iron, vitamin A and lutein for eye health. Plus they've got omega-3s.
• Leeks, onions and garlic - They can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Research shows they may inhibit the growth of prostate, stomach and colon cancer cells. 
• Whole grains - Tasting great while coming in with high levels of magnesium, B vitamins, and fiber.  And, they may help you to not over eat.  One study shows that people feel fuller after eating buckwheat than after eating other grains.
• Spelt - Good source of manganese and copper.
• Turmeric - Used in holistic medicine as a digestive aid, it can also serve as an anti-inflammatory.  Ordering curry takeout (turmeric a key ingredient) helps nurse a toothache or sprain.
• Oregano - Super high levels of antioxidants.  A half teaspoon has the benefits of a spinach salad.Oregano can also work as an expectorant, cleaning congestion and improve digestion.
• Cinnamon - It has the highest antioxidant level of all herbs and spices with positive effect on blood glucose levels.  Adding it to foods can keep you feeling full.
• Ginger, cayenne, black pepper - The heat on your tongue shows that their gingerols, capaicin and piperine are at work boost metabolism.
• Miso -  A fermented soybean paste is a great source of low-calorie protein. Also count on it for B12 and zinc.
• Yogurt -  A good source of calcium, phosphorus and protein. Unlike mild it also contains probiotics, the good bacteria your digestive system needs.
• Sardines - High in vitamin D and calcium.  Buy wild-caught to get the lowest in mercury.
• Canned salmon - It has more DHA plus EPA omega-3 fatty acids than almost any other seafood.  Nutritionally canned is just as good as fresh.
• Sesame seeds - Tasty seeds contain lignans or plant compounds which can help lower cholesterol. Also good sources of calcium, phosphorous, and zinc.
• Walnuts -  Walnuts have the most alpha-linolenic omega-3 fatty acids which lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and may reduce inflammation in arteries.

Source: Oprah magazine 1/2010 pages 150-154

Imitation Crab Ingredient Inhibits Weight Gain

Say 'yes' to an imitation, imitation crab that is.

It's made from low-calorie, low-mercury, nutrient-dense Alaskan pollock, and new research suggests this fish can help you in your goal of a healthy weight.

Research out of Japan found that rats on a high-fat diet gained up to 34% less weight when given protein from pollock as opposed to other protein sources such as chicken and dairy.

Go for endurance

Find yourself getting tired about halfway through your workout? Eat an apple before going to the gym.

A recent study shows that by eating apples, elderberries, fennel and red onions - all great sources of the super-antioxidant quercetin - you may improve overall endurance by 13%.

The University of South Carolina study found that when 12 college-age volunteers increased quercetin intake over the course of a week while being tested for exercise endurance on stationary bikes, they not only improved their oxygen uptake by 4%, they were able to ride 13% longer before becoming fatigued.

Added sugars, processed food can't exist without

Critique of an article written by John S. White, White Technical Research in Food Processing Magazine 3/10

It shouldn't be surprising that Food Processing Magazine, a magazine focused on food manufacturers and processors, published an article touting that high-fructose corn syrup and other added sugars are not the primary cause of obesity.

I agree with the author, eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise is causing the alarming rates of obesity across America. That said, I am trying to avoid or severely limit my intake of high-fructose corn syrup and other 'added sugars' both because of calories but also - and perhaps more importantly - because I don't know the impact of these chemical sweetners on my body.

The process that brings about high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is described as a 'corn wet milling process'. I don't know what that is but I do know, HFCS is different from just being corn syrup because of a chemical reaction that takes place. Making HFCS changes corn syrup molecularly. That's not natural, that's what I worry about (see previous post on HFCS).

The fact that other 'added sugars' such as sucrose (table sugar), fruit juice concentrate, honey, agave nectar are put through a similar 'milling process' to refine the raw botanical material into a 'robust and versatile sweetener that can be formulated into a wide range of foods and beverages' doesn't calm my nerves.

High-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and stevia provide the same sweetness intensity at extremely smaller proportions (hundreths to thousandths will do the trick compared to 'added sugars'). These high-intensity sweeteners do little else but sweeten.

What else can you demand of a sweetner? It turns out that added sugars, the author John White adds, "support yeast fermentations, structure and texture building, surface browning and aroma development, flavor enhancement, sweet-acid balance, unpleasant flavor masking, freezing point control, microbial stability, minimize freeze-thaw damage, extended product shelf life and provide additional valuable, under-appreciated product contributions."

I never thought of recipe creation as delivering such objectives as 'flavor masking' and 'microbial stability', but okay I understand that to manufacture food that sits on a shelf or in a freezer for some period of time you need to be concerned with these objectives.

Up til now, I scrupulously avoided HFCS cheerfully accepting sucrose, honey and fruit juice concentrate in the food I eat. Now I'm questioning any use of 'added sugars'. I'm told that by this article that the American Medical Assn., the American Dietetic Assn., and other expert scientists say there is little difference in composition, calories and metabolism between 'added sugars.' Since I don't like the process that creates HFCS, I question what's being done to more natural sounding sugars. It's the process I fear and how 'refining the raw botanical material into a robust and versatile sweetener' mixes things up making something that sounds natural, unnatural.

Olive oil less fattening than butter?

Olive oil is the loser in calories: olive oil vs butter, unfortunately 120 vs 100 calories per tablespoon.

So why is olive oil getting all this good PR. It's because it has healthy mono-unsaturated fat. You need some fat in your diet. It's better to go healthier with olive oil than butter which contains artery clogging saturated fat. Even olive oil should be used with a light hand, it's still a fat.

Source: HealthyStyle - Parade magazine 3/10

3 routines to reduce child obesity

4-year-olds that had 3 simple routines had a 40% lower prevalence of obesity. The 3 routines are:

1. Eating dinner as a family 5x a week
2. Getting enough sleep
3. Limiting TV time

The finding comes from new research from the National center for Eduction Statistics. Also found in the survey, adopting one of these routines will benefit the child but the strongest results were seen when all three routines were followed.

Source: HealthStyle - Parade Magazine 3/10

Relieve anxiety with stress

I know this without a doubt, going to the gym relieves stress for me.

It turns out my belief is supported by a study done by the University of Georgia that found that people who exercise regularly can greatly reduce their level of stress. The people studied were suffering from a chronic medical condition ranging from heart disease to cancer.

The benefits weighed in at a 20% reduction in anxiety and the benefits were evident in just 3 to 12 weeks.

Source: HealthyStyle - Parade Magazine 3/10

Reusing water bottles

I've held back buying one of those aluminum water bottles thinking my plastic one is just fine. I'm recycling!

Looks like I'm buying a water bottle.

Florida physician Dr. Sasson E. Moulavi says "certain bottles may release chemicals into the water if left in sunlight or used repeatedly."

And if that wasn't bad enough, higher levels of bacteria were found in water bottles that were refilled in a University of Calgary study.

Source: Healthy Style - Parade Magazine 3/10

Processed food: fruit

When did it become hard to get kids to eat fresh fruits?

Betty Crocker has brought "Fruit by the Foot Flavor Kickers" a fruit flavored (both "naturally and artifically flavored") snack to the market. Each ribbon-like foot long shape has 80 calories. The package says it is low in fat and a good source of vitamin C.

The packaging implies that the snack is good for you like fruit, but a look at the label says the fruit snack offers very little by way of nutrition.

How easy would it be for someone to think their child is getting a serving a fruit from one of these snacks?

Sodium: a food processor's view point

79% of consumers don't know how much sodium is acceptable in their diets, according to a recent study of 800 consumers by Health Focus International (HFI), St. Petersburg, Fla.

The recommended daily intake is 1,500mg* to 2,400mg. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Americans consume about 50 percent more than recommended by USDA Guidelines.

It doesn't take much to consume too much. One teaspoon of salt contains about 2,300mg of sodium.

Most of the survey respondents reported that they monitor sodium intuitively by avoiding certain foods or categories (such as french fries, hamburgers and chicken from a fast-food restaurant and, at the retail level, frozen meals, cured/processed meats, savory snacks and canned soups).

The survey showed that consumers are interested in purchasing lower sodium products, but with the added caveat, they want the food to taste just as good. Most consumers recognize foods high in sodium, but only one-third are likely to avoid these foods.

As consumers, we're not making it easy for food manufacturers. In a 2007 study Unilever gave a panel of consumers two identical samples of Lipton Cup-a-Soup and were told one had 25 percent less sodium. The majority of respondents said the soup labeled as low-salt tasted inferior.

As a general rule, consumers will not accept large cuts in salt levels when the taste is too different from the familiar product they've known.

Sodium is critical for food safety and product stability. Salt can provide multiple functions. For example, in bread, salt enhances taste, strengthens gluten and moderates yeast activity

Alternatives include: potassium chloride which provides saltiness, but it has a metallic taste which limits its replacing salt. Masking agents are available to help suppress this off-tastes.

In processed food, sodium can come from different flavoring or texturizing agents, so you have to really understand all the nuances of any ingredients being added to understand your salt intake.

The ultimate thing consumers want is a one-to-one replacement that doesn't affect taste and price. Food manufacturers are finding it hard to meet the challenge.

Source: Food Processing.com 3/10

*1,500mg per day for people with high-blood pressure, blacks and those over 40 years old.

Smart Snacking Kids

When your child wants a snack, what do they eat? And what can you learn about your child's snacking to benefit yours?

The answer is important for kids need good fuel for their bodies -- both in quality and quantity.

Are your kids snacking healthily? According to a recent study published in the journal Health Affairs, the last 25 years has seen the number of snacks eaten and the number of calories in that snack increase. More than 27% of calories consumed by kids come from snacks.

No surprise, sugary foods are the top choice by far. The study showed that "the largest increases have been in salty snacks and candy. Desserts and sweetened beverages remain the major sources of calories from snacks."

Healthy snacks are a terrific way to satisfy hunger and get needed vitamins and nutrients, without adding pounds. This was shown in a study conducted by the Baylor College of Medicine showing how Mexican-American overweight adolescents, lost weight while substituting an ounce of peanuts or peanut butter for other less healthy snack choices.

It's important for parents to pay attention to the quality AND quantity of snacks.

Here a few tips for the after school food rush.

1. Power combos keep kids functioning at their best, combine whole grain carbohydrates with protein-rich foods.
   - string cheese or yogurt for calcium and protein
   - whole-wheat toast with nut butters
   - homemade trail mix made with dried berries and peanuts for antioxidants and healthy fats.
2. Read labels with your kids, teach them that the word "natural" does not always mean nutritious. After all sugar is an "all natural" ingredient.
3. Make healthy snacking fun. Set out a dish of strawberries or some sliced apples, a bowl of yogurt, and some chopped peanuts. Snack by dipping the fruit into the yogurt and sprinkle with peanuts.

Source: Sarita's Sensations, an enewsletter from the Latin Nutrition Organization.

Constipation, how to avoid

Uncomfortable and sometimes inconvenient, constipation is bothersome at best and a symptom of another health problem at worst. The experts at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota suggest the following lifestyle changes to ease most constipation concerns.*

1. Eat more fiber - 20 to 35 grams a day. Eat more beans, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
2. Drink more water - the 8 glasses a day regimen which will soften your stool and help digest the extra fiber.
3. Do more exercise - something moderately intense for 30 minutes a day.

If the above doesn't help and over the counter treatments don't help, see your doctor.

*Source: Family Circle 4/10

Frugality and excess, lethal combination

Shopping a Costco, BJ's or Sam's Club brings out two emotions that normally don't surface together: frugality and excess. That's the only way to describe a purchase of a 5 lb bag of baking soda or a 5 lb tub of fake cheese spread.

The normal person wouldn't use up the baking soda in a life time of deodorizing refrigerators and we all know the toll at the scale if someone ate up a tub of lard, um I mean fake cheese spread.

But the baking soda, the fake cheese spread along with gigantic sacks of cheezie doodles and thousands (4,000 items to be exact in a Costco) of other gigantically packaged items, are inexpensive and most of the time, down right cheap. Too cheap to pass up as American pantries filled to the gills will attest to.

We neither feel deprived by our frugality nor guilty about our excess, brilliant merchandising.

Yes one needs to scour one's sink, then 6 containers of Comet it is. The thing is, I keep a kitchen and 2 bathrooms pretty clean, I can't remember the last time I bought a container of Comet. And Comet is what I use at least once a week in all of these rooms.

But we have to find these values or - better said - we have to find the items in these stores valuable, don't we, to make up for the annual membership fee. It's $50 at Costco. Seems odd to pay for the privilege of shopping, anywhere.

You're in a situation where saving money is dependent on spending money. That can impair your judgement. It's impulse shopping that's not a buck for a pack of gum at the cash register.

I've concluded that buying less will cost more per unit item but less for what you really should be using.

You are getting sleepy

Having trouble going to sleep and staying asleep? Here are some tips.

• Make bedtime relaxation time with an exercise
  1. Focus on your breathing, inhale for a count of 5, hold for 10, exhale for 5. During exhale, rest the tip of your tongue just behind your front teeth. This will make your exhale sound like a swooshing sound. Repeat 4 times.
  2. Focus on your muscles, lying down close your eyes and take 4 deep breaths. Start at the top of your head, focus on what you feel there. If your head feels any kind of stress or is tense, in your mind let it go. Do this for every major part of your body


• Make sense of stress.
  Get out paper or laptop and write what you feel, what you think, maybe even what you'd do to get rid of it.


• Watch what you eat.
  Okay we know no caffeine or sugar x number of hours before bed (as I get older x gets smaller). But other foods may have the same effect and you don't realize it. If you don't sleep one night and the next you do, write down what you intake and compare notes. I used to have a small glass of wine every so often at night. I come to realize on night I do drink, I'm wide awake at 2am. If you suspect certain food to have a negative impact on your sleep, go without for a week and see if your sleep gets better.


• Get up and move
  When the body hasn't been active enough to want sleep, you don't sleep well. Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.


• Pay attention to dreams
  Write down your dreams. Once your unconscious self knows you're paying attention, it will dream more regularly and with greater depth. Dreams let your sleep go beyond restorative and becomes a opportunity for growth.

source: How to Sleep Better article in Body&Soul 2/10

Focus

Between family obligations and work demands, maintaining focus is tough in today's world. Our world overstimulates our brains. Technology has given us so many advances yet have only hasten the speed of our world. We've become more adrenaline-based: the need to answer that email immediately, text that message while we're driving, interrupt a conversation to take a cellphone call.

It's frying our focus. If you want to regain your focus, think about what problem area need the most help.

• Interruptions Continual interruptions can chop up your day eliminating long stretches of time that you can focus, concentrate, be creative. Once interrupted, it takes time to get back to the point you left off at.
  
  Turn off and make your feelings known. Turn off cellphone, email alerts and even the phone. At work, post a 'do not disturb' sign in the entry to your office, speak to people who may interrupt your work and ask them not to do so when the sign is posted. Explain why and you may see a 'copy-cat' or two in the office.
  


• Too much stress Feeling angry, worried or overwhelmed can shake your focus. If a 'stressor' makes us angry, we tend to narrow our focus and thus may miss important cues. Unable to see the larger picture, we can get stubborn, argumentative and critical (even self-critical). If we feel anxious and overwhelmed, our thoughts jumble or we freeze. We may do escape activities to avoid the symptoms but escapism doesn't rectify the problem.
  
  Three steps:
  1. Take 60 seconds to breathe helping to quench stress chemicals.
  2. Find your inner coach; think optimistic thoughts instead of downers.
  3. Compile a music list that make you feel great. Play it.
  


• Boredom We don't have enough time to be bored? But yet we do. We're accustomed to stimulating activities and our brains crave more. We've built a tolerance for stimulation.
  
  Limited multitasking can keep you focused and motivated during boring tasks. Click back and forth between one task to the other. The rapid switching can help you stay juiced. Make the 'other' task simple, like flexing your hands. Something that simple can keep you focused on the main job at hand.
  
  Certain jobs come naturally, absorbing our attention without much effort. You get into a groove. You intuitively know what to do and time passes quickly for you while doing it. Keep a diary and find what jobs put you in your groove. If bored, find a way to do your groove to get you back on track with other tasks.
  
  Do it differently, try a new approach. Focus on doing it as beautifully or as gracefully or as quietly as you can. Challenge yourself to find something to make the task more efficient.

Source: Regain Your Focus by Erin O'Donnell, Body&Soul Magazine 2/10

Good things come in small packages: flaxseed

A new analysis of 28 studies found flax seed to reduce total and LDL "bad" cholesterol. Flax seed may also help slow the growth of breast tumors in women and prostate cancer in men. All you need is two to three tablespoons a day to reap the benefits.

Keep it handy. I have a jar ready to sprinkle on oatmeal, casseroles, sandwiches and salads. But my friend Sarah regularly sneaks a couple of tablespoons into almost anything she cooks, including pasta, rice and cookies.

Cynthia Sass, RD says ground flax seeds are best. Ground flax seeds can be found at Whole Foods.

source: Readers Digest 4/10

Relying on vitamins to keep you healthy?

...Then you're believing too much of the supplement's advertising.

The 4/10 edition of the Readers' Digest reports that recent research suggests you're not getting any value for your money.

If you think a multivitamin can make up for a bad diet, press the reset button. From the Women's Health Initiative, the long-term study of more than 160,000 midlife women, the study shows women who take a multivitamin are no more healthier than those who don't when it comes to cancer, heart disease, stroke. Women with poor diets weren't helped by taking a multivitamin.

Vitamins made their successful entry into the market around the early 1900's when it hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Vitamin deficiency was a problem. Vitamin D deficiency could cause bowed legs, rickets. A lack of the B vitamin niacin could cause skin problems and the mental confusion of pellagra. Nowadays with all the 'fortified' and vitamin-enriched processed foods out there, it would be difficult to be that deficient in a vitamin to have the above problems.

However, we could all stand to benefit from eating more produce. A supplement's not going to help us there. Multivitamins have plus or minus two dozen ingredients - but plants have hundreds of useful compounds. Plus plants have these compounds in natural combinations and proportions that make their usefulness easily ingested by our bodies.

The exception to the above is women of reproductive ages. Just call it insurance for a possible pregnancy. A woman who gets adequate amounts of the B vitamin folate is much less likely to have a baby with birth defects affecting the spinal cord. With the spinal cord forming early, perhaps so early that the woman doesn't know she's pregnant, it pays for her to take400 micrograms of folic acid (the synthetic form of folate) daily. Multivitamins usually have folic acid in them.

Unless you are a marathoner, skier or soldier on subarctic exercises, vitamin C isn't going to fight off getting a cold. The 2007 study was of 11,000 subjects. The study did show that taking the vitamin on a daily basis throughout the year can cut the length of colds (with a gotcha). So for the average adult, taking vitamin C can shorten the days they have cold symptoms from 12 to 11 a year. The gotcha? You can't start taking vitamin C when you feel a cold coming on to have the same effect. So is one less day a year with cold symptoms worth taking vitamin C pill year-round?

Some researchers observed that people who take vitamin supplements seem to avoid developing heart disease. At the time, researchers wrote cautiously about this phenomenon wondering if these observations reflected the 'healthy use effect' - meaning people who take vitamins are more likely to exercise, eat right and not smoke or drink a lot.

B vitamins seemed promising because folate, B6 and B12 help break down the amino acid homocysteine, high levels of which have been linked to heart disease. So does taking B vitamins help? Not according to recent studies.

What about beta-carotene? Studies determined that rather than prevent heart disease, those supplements produced a slight increase in the risk of death!

The American Heart Association says rather than take those supplements eat a varied diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

We know that unstable molecules called free radicals can damage the DNA of cells which increases the risk of cancer. Antioxidants can stabilize free radicals making them much less dangerous (in theory). However, no study has shown that taking supplements that provide antioxidants will protect you against cancer. Over several studies, taking a vitamin B combo, C, E or beta-carotene supplements did not help reducing your risk of cancer.

Are you still thinking hey, taking vitamins can't hurt? Studies have shown that taking antioxidant pills could actually promote cancer. Taking high doses of folic acid could rise the risk of colon cancer. Some studies suggest a connection between high doses of some vitamins and heart disease.

"Vitamins are safe when you get them in food, but in pill form, they can act more like a drug with the potential for unexpected and sometimes dangerous effects," says Demetrius Albanes, MD a nutritional epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute.

Vitamin D - looking good. Vitamin D protects against:

• For men, getting enough vitamin D have about half the risk of heart attack as men who are deficient.
• Overall, getting enough D appears to lower the risk of at least six cancers such as colorectal.

Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. Sunlight makes it with your skin. With our sedimentary habits and sunscreen, we don't get enough vitamin D. Experts recommend you take 1,000 IU per day.

The spices of life

In recent studies, spices have proven to have an impact on the brain's mechanism for regulating appetite. It's in the brain's satiety center that sends out signals that you are full or you are hungry.

One aspect of spices can impact your feeling full is the spice's aroma. Aroma is a crucial factor in stimulating the satiety center sending out 'full' signals. The more aromatic the food, the stronger the signal the brain sends out to stop eating. Bland, easy-to-eat starches and carbohydrates like bread or pasta don't trigger these stimulates as easily.

Spices add flavor, flavor may replace flavor provided by fat and sugar. Fat as well as sugar adds flavor to dishes, chef's in restaurant are known for their heavy handed use of butter and cream because of this. It's not the chef's arteries getting hardened.

Spice makes your food taste better, you feel fuller sooner and you'll probably eat less fat and fewer sugars.

Spices have been shown to disinfect harmful bacteria and destroy food-borne microorganisms that would otherwise cause food poisoning.

In India, where spices are ubiquitous, spices play a vital nutritional role. Spices are packed with trace elements -micro nutrients that, though present only in minute quantities, are nevertheless essential to health. Even in the poorest parts of India, spices bring balance and variety to a diet that would be otherwise deficient.

Cinnamon for example is laden with proanthocyanidins which are powerful antioxidants that help protect against the buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.

Other benefits of select seasonings include:

• Reducing the amount of fat we absorb: ginger, garlic, fenugreek


• Increasing metabolic rate, burning fat faster: chili


• Slowing the growth of amyloid plaques in the brain, the small knots responsible for Alzheimer's disease (a disease practically unknown in turmeric-addicted India)*: turmeric


• Killing ovarian cancer cells**: ginger


• Helping with ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, depression and multiple sclerosis: ginger, pepper, cumin, cinnamon

*Study by the University of California, Los Angeles
**Study by the University of Michigan
Source: The Spice of Life article in Bon Appetit 3/09 issue

When it's got to be fries

Americans consume an average of 16 pounds of french fries every year.

A healthier alternative is sweet potato 'fries' (I'm suggesting baking vs. frying). Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and beta-carotene. And they are high in fiber.

Sales of frozen sweet potato fries and casseroles over the past year are up about 32%, 'white potato frozens' are up only 1.5%.

Convenience store meals and produce

If you're noticing more fruits, salads, sandwiches and other fresh ready-to-eat items at your local 7-11, WaWa (yes, stores were named this) and at your gas station, it's no mistake. Convenience stores have taken notice of the popularity of ready-to-eat items in grocery stores and trying to grab some of the market. Good news.

It makes sense, on-the-go customers will buy ready-to-eat food. A recent study by the Integer Group should that 27% of shoppers consider healthy food and fresh produce a reason to seek out convenience stores.

It's not easy for the convenience store that normally gets deliveries once a week and has years of negative consumer perceptions.

What the mummies tell us

Ancient Egyptians had atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis was found in over half of the mummies recently CT scanned by a team of Egyptologists and cardiologists. Some of the mummies had been deceased for more than three thousand years.

Atherosclerosis was widely believed to be a modern disease.

Source: Supermarket News Spring 2010 edition

Vitamin D - should the daily allowance be raised?

Born and raised in subtropical Miami, it should be no surprise that I've had to deal with sun cancer. You don't see me out in the sun without a hat and sunblock on. Before I pat myself on my own back, I've got to remember that it also means I'm not taking advantage of the best source of vitamin D there is, the sun.

Not getting enough vitamin D may impact conditions such as cancer, coronary artery disease and even chronic pain.

Currently the suggested daily allowance of vitamin D for adults is 400 international units (IU). Doctors have been suggesting this be increased to 1,000 to 2,000 IUs. One of these doctors is Dr. Soram Khalsa, an integrative medicine practitioner at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and author of a book on vitamin D. A growing body or research suggests that higher vitamin D consumption has preventative effects on certain conditions and diseases: osteoporosis, certain cancers and diabetes to name a few.

Vitamin D is naturally present in very few foods. Supplements continue to be the most reliable method of intake.

The FDA is expected to issue an opinion on whether daily allowances for this vitamin should be raised.

source: Vitamin D-Day, Supermarket News, Spring 2010 edition.

Fruit, vegetable carts to roll out in New York's Central Park

Excerpts from a 3/10/10 article in The Packer by Tom Burfield

Starting in April, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation will allow produce carts with fresh fruits and vegetables to set up around Central Park, where hot dog and pretzel vendors have long pedaled their wares.

The program is part of the Green Cart Campaign, which was introduced to promote more healthful eating citywide. The carts will offer competitively priced produce, including "three bananas for just a buck, half-pound boxes of strawberries for $2 and mangos for $1.50." For NYC, those prices are pretty good.

Is your state meeting its fruit and veggie goal?

The answer is no. According to Healthy People 2010, there is not one state in the country that meets the national goals for daily fruit and vegetable consumption. The goals are 2 fruits a day and 3 vegetables a day.

As seen in this chart, we are 50% below these goals.

Sorry news for March as it's National Nutritional Month®

Eating healthy requires eating fruits and vegetables, not vitamins, not supplements, not veggie drinks.

Produce provide us with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and plenty of disease-fighting antioxidants. In fact, it's well established that people who eat vegetables daily, as part of an overall healthy diet, are likely to reduce their risk of many chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Here are few health tips that may come in handy next time you are at the grocery store:

1. Look for fresh fruits and vegetables when you can. In colder months, canned fruits and vegetables can be a great option, but be sure to look for labels that read "packed in its own juices" or "unsweetened." You'll save on calories and get a truer taste.


2. Frozen vegetables and fruits are also a wonderful option, especially in the winter months. Look for "naked" vegetables, rather than vegetables in cream or cheese sauces. Go a clean taste and you get way fewer calories.


3. Canned soups and vegetables can be quick and easy, the healthiest option is to choose low-sodium versions.

*Tips adapted from the ADA

Loving salmon

Consume more omega-3 fatty acids. Yes your doctor tells you that, but now your dentist should also be chiming in.

A recent Japanese

study compared levels of omega-3 fatty acids and the prevalence of dental diseases. The results show that the anti-inflammatory effects in omega-3's are found to combat bacteria causing dental health issues.

Let's review what we've got so far on omega-3 fatty acids. They benefit the heart, ward off Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, treat depression, play a crucial role in brain function, as well as aid in normal growth and development.

Our bodies cannot make omega-3 fats; to get them eat fish, particularly salmon, tuna, and halibut, other seafood, green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, plus some nuts like walnuts, and some nut oils.

Besides being an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids - one gram per one 1.5-ounce serving - salmon packs a whopper in nutrients: high protein and Vitamin D to name just a few.

Nutrition scientists around the world, and groups like Oldways, the Latino Nutrition Coalition, and the American Heart Association recommend that people include two four-ounce servings of fish each week.

What's on your breakfast plate?

Keep your breakfasts balanced. Besides proteins (see earlier post) you should include:

Whole Grains - rolled oats are a good source of fiber that keeps blood sugar levels steady thus prevent hunger pangs and energy crashes. Oatmeal also helps to flush LDL ("bad") cholesterol out of your system. A cup of oatmeal also has 6 grams of proteins, something your breakfast cereal doesn't have.

Dairy adds extra protein and a healthy dose of calcium for good bone and muscle health.

Fruits and vegetables - they are the best sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants (which help rid the body of free radicals and may protect against cancer and heart disease).

Source: naturalhealthmag.com 2/10

Your morning meal

Individuals who eat a breakfast high in protein feel fuller. And feeling full from breakfast lasts longer compared to lunch and dinner.*

Breakfast has always been touted as THE important meal of the day and now what you eat at the meal can make even a bigger difference in what you eat all the day long.

You need a steady supply of protein throughout the day. We should be getting at least 50 grams a day.

Jackie Newgent, R.D. says "protein is especially important in the morning because it's metabolized at a consistent rate keeping you feeling energized and satisfied longer than if you'd eaten just carbs or fat."

Great sources of breakfast proteins

Sources: 2009 Purdue University study published in the British Journal of Nutrition

naturalhealthmag.com 2/10

The spices of life

Clinical studies show that spices have health benefits.

"The anti-inflammatory abilities of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne are remarkable," says Bharat B. Aggarwal, Ph.D., professor in the department of experimental therapeutics at the M.D. Anderson Center Center in Houston.

Inflammmation is thought to be common to a slew of chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes,allergies and heart disease.

Spices may be a key ingredient in helping cultures be healthier. For example, lung, prostate, breast and colon cancers are more than 50x lower in India than in the U.S.

Here's a guide to what's considered the healthiest spices you can enjoy:

Tumeric
taste: bitter and sweet
benefits: Phytonutrient in tumeric may interfere with tumor growth. A 2009 Chinese study suggests it can inhibit the metastaszing of melanoma cells. A recent University of California, LA study indicates that tumeric may ehlp the immune system clear the brain of amyloid beta which forms the plaques found in Alzheimer's.
cook: Turmeric pairs well with white meats, potatoes, rice, mustard and spices like coriander, cumin and ginger. And you can't make a curry without this essential ingredient.

Cayenne pepper
tastes: warm, spicy with a zingy bite
benefits: Cayenne pepper has capsaicin, a phytochemical that has been linked to weight loss, pain relief and cardiovascular health. A 2009 Danish study found that capsaicin creates a full feeling helpful when losing weight. Studies have indicated that capsaicin has an analgesic effect becasue it blocks a protein critical to the transmission of pain signals in the body.
cook: A little goes a long way. The longer it's cooked the heat just increases. Add a pinch near the end of cooking fish or tomato-based dishes, soups and stews.

Cinnamon
tastes: warm, sweet with a hint of smokiness
benefits: Helps lower blood glucose and LDL ("bad") cholesterol. A 2009 study links it to lower levels of hemoglobin A1c in patients with type II diabetes. Hemoglobin levels are indicators of long-term blood-glucose control. 1/2 teaspoon a day is considered a good dose.
cook: add early in the cooking process to allow its flavor to blend.

Ginger
tastes: warm, piquant
benefits: A popular medicine across history, known for its ability to soothe indigestion, and ease motion sickness. Recent Japanese animal studies show it may help prevent colon and lung cancer.
cook: Ginger pairs well with honey, lemon, lime, scallions, soy sauce, carrots and fish.

Cumin
tastes: bitter, pungent and slightly sweet
benefits: Said to help in the treatment of the common cold.
cook: Add early in the cooking process to mellow its strong flavor, add to meats, beans, lentils, rice, and potatoes.

Source: naturalhealthmag.com 2/10

2010 Top Flavor Pairings

McCormick - of herb and spices fame - has forecasted the 2010 top flavor pairings.

1. Roasted ginger and rhubarb - "Layering spicy and sour with a powerful tang." I've only had rhubard in pies and quite honestly never thought rhubarb worth the pastry surrounding it. However in my new mode of finding a way to love every fruit and vegetable, I am going to try it. If you have a recipe send it along.
   
2. Thai basil and watermelon - "A colorful study in contrasts with a sweet, refreshing balance." I used to love salt on my watermelon, what a disgrace. No longer bringing the salt shaker to the watermelon feasts, I'm eager to try basil in the upcoming summer months.
   
3. Caraway and bitter greens - "An unmistakable spice tames the bitter bit of bold greens." Unfortunately I'm not sure what they mean by bitter greens, last night I did try some caraway with some collard greens and liked it.


4. Bay leaves and preserved lemon - "Slowly coaxed flavor - worth the wait - an aromatic mix of bitter, salty-tart and bright." Not sure what to make of this, then I remembered it's McCormick making the forecast and I have a feeling they've got a brand-new spice on your grocery store's spice aisle called preserved lemon. That said, I do want to dust off my bay leaves jar and try, what I consider my mother's spice, on something. Not a lemon person, I'm going to try it with something lime.


5. Almond and Ale - "The bittersweet character of both ingredients makes a "congenial, cozy and hearty match." If I'm drinking beer (ale to the McCormick people), I'm not adding almond to it. Beer is reserved it for those hot summer days when I've been working out in the yard, and I'm just showered and find myself resting on my patio looking at my just completed work.


6. Turmeric and vine-ripened tomatoes - "Eathy and naturally sweet, this colorful, healthful blend is always in season" Gotta love the marketing jibe. 'Vine-ripened' to me means locally picked and even in Florida tomatoes aren't grown year-round (summer's too hot for them). Anyway, this is a nice combo as my Florida tomatoes proved last night.


7. Pumpkin pie spice and coconut milk - "This lush, warm pairing reconnects with its tropical roots" The McCormick marketing person should watch her words. I get this because I know calabaza, a tropical pumpkin, and can see coconut milk and a 'pumpkin' spice can do the aforementioned reconnection with the tropics.


8. Roasted Cumin and Chickpeas - "This globetrotting Mediterranean duet delivers warm, eathy flavor harmonies."


9. Chives and fish sauce - "Savory fusion of French and Asian cuisines."

Source: The Shelby Report 2/10

Glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose

What are the differences among fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose? They share the suffix -ose (from French) means 'carbohydrate' or 'sugar'.

• Glucose (also called dextrose) and fructose (also called levulose or fruit sugar) are simple sugars. Glucose is found in plant saps and fruits and fructose is in fruits, honey, and green plants.
• Sucrose - ordinary table sugar from juices, fruits, and roots - is a disaccharide or double sugar as is lactose (also called milk sugar), and maltose.
• Maltose (also called malt sugar) is found in beer and malt whisky. There are also polysaccharides, complex carbohydrates which include cellulose and starch.

Source: Dictionary.com

Power food combos

Boost the benefits of antioxidants found in papayas, sweet potatoes and tomatoes, says Ashley Koff, R.D. Los Angeles. Combine walnuts with papayas, tomatoes with olive oil and sweet potates with pecans. The monounsaturated fat in pecans, olive oil and walnuts help your body absorb more of the nutrients found in papayas, sweet potatoes and tomatoes.

Source: Natural Health Magazine 2/10 page 20

New Year's resolution undone?

Not on top of your new years' resolutions? Don't beat yourself up. You're not alone. Leave the resolutions (and the negative thoughts about not being able to keep them) behind and recreate resolutions into intentions?

Take a blank sheet of paper with a line going down the middle and list a resolution on the top of each page. Below it:

1. Positive focus - Write out the resolution so it's a positive. Instead of 'I need to lose weight' (-), make it 'I want to be leaner and stronger'(+). This will help move you past whatever reasons you haven't accomplish this goal before.


2. Prioritize - Shuffle the pages so that priority one is on top, number two is next and so on...


3. Say why it's important - one sentence, for our lean and stronger example I say it's for my health and enjoying life to the fullest.
   
4. Take baby steps - Below the newly thought out intention, write out 3 steps you need to take to start your journey in achieving this goal. If your goal is to be leaner and stronger, perhaps joining a gym is a good idea. One step would be to decide how much you can budget for a gym membership. Step two may be calling around and find a couple of gyms that fit your budget. Step three might be taking a tour of these local gyms to see their facilities.


5. Quantify the costs - Estimate costs both in time and money. In our 'leaner and stronger' example, the gym membership may cost $40 a month but also an hour and a half of time three to four times a week.
   
6. Draw a timeline - Write down milestones for obtaining the overall goal. Our leaner and stronger example could have lengths of jogs (10 minutes,, 2 miles, etc.) as milestones. You may want to work up to a local marathon. You may want to go hiking with friends on a vacation and not always be the 'tail-end'. The objective is to not be overwhelmed but have some goals to achieve scattered throughout the year.
   
7. Be open - Be open to help, find a friend to join you in achieving the same goal, find a mentor, find someone to talk to about your progress. In my leaner and stronger example, I sat down with a registered dietitian to talk about how I eat and how I like to eat. It really opened my eyes as to how I sabotage my energy with what I do and don't eat.
   
8. Write it down, post it where you'll see it - Keep the goal in your face.
   
9. Don't fret about not getting to 'intention #5' - Concentrate on a few great goals that are the most important to you.

How Americans and Europeans buy food

Living in the US means you're more than likely to purchase food systematically at the lowest price, a result of a culture that favors food abundance, an emphasis on quantity. To Europeans, one look at our super-sized refrigerators will tell you the same.

Americans are more likely to spend on high quality alcohol, wines and furniture than food. England and Germany share the US hunger for bargain food and use it, like Americans, to adjust the family budget. In economically troubled times this is leverage becomes important.

Germans will more likely frequent hard discount stores (48 percent) like the U.S.'s Wal-mart, Costco, B.J.'s and Sam's Club. However the German hard discount stores are thought to have higher quality with a more extensive variety to choose from.

Meanwhile the Italians and Spanish continue to spend as much as they can afford, the importance of food and healthful eating outweighs economic concerns.

Source: European Market by Sharon Greene, Managing Director RISC International in Produce Business 2/10

Stevia-based sweetners

Consumers want natural low-calories sweeteners, alternatives to aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda) and saccharine (Sweet'N Low). Making in-roads in grocery stores everywhere, Truvia, Stevia Extract in the Raw, Sweetleaf Stevia Plus, and PureVia are being marketed as natural zero-calorie sweeteners.

These sugar substitutes are made from parts of the stevia plant, native to Paraguay. This plant gets processed differently so the different stevia derived products will taste different.

Splenda from McNeil Nutritionals advertises it as a healthy and safe alternative to sugar because it starts with sugar that is converted to a no-calorie, non-carbohydrate sweetener.

Source: Supermarket News 2/15/10

Sugar vs HighFructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

"Efforts to position HFCS as unhealthy are a form of marketing gimmickry that will force consumers to pay more at checkout," said Audrae Erickson President of Corn Refiners Association, Washington. "Consumers are learning that a calorie is a calorie and a sugar is a sugar. They're equally caloric and handled by the body in the same way."

The Washington-based Sugar Association says that "claims that HFCS is nutritionally equal to sugar are false and misleading. While sugar is all-natural, HFCS does not exit in nature and is highly processed."

Barbara Ruhs, Bashas' registered dietitian says "HFCS serves a purpose keeping food and beverage prices lower." But she's concerned it is being over used. "It's getting out of control - it's an ingredient in almost everything," she said.

HFCS retains mositure and keeps ingredients evenly mixed. It's used in products like bran cereal and yogurt. It also enhances spice flavorings, so it's also used in sauces and marinades.

Dietitian Anne Cundiff for Hy-Vee's Supermarkets says she can see why it's used in sports drinks and other beverages. For breads and cereals, "it doesn't have a place in those products," she says.

Source:Supermarket News 2/15/10

Are you hiding fat?

What you can't see may hurt you. A Boston University School of Medicine study showed that a healthy body-mass index may not show the amount of dangerous fat in and around one's heart or other vital organs. And these internal fat deposits help to decrease cardiovascular function.

Exercise physiologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham also warn of hidden fat around your organs can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

The good news is you can reduce visceral fat through diet and exercise. Once lost, this fat is easier to keep off than subcutaneous fat which lies just beneath the skin. The University of Alabama study showed that 80 minutes of aerobic or strength exercise a week will keep this fat from reforming around your organs.

A University of Southern California study found that increase fiber in your diets also helped to decrease the amount of harmful fat in and around the human body's middle area where the important organs are.

For more fiber, snack on fresh fruits and veggies, eat oatmeal for breakfast and choose brown rice/whole wheat over processed grains.

Source: GetFitNow by Michael O'Shea in Parade Magazine of 12/6/09

Bring more meaning to your chocolate

Anyone can buy a box of chocolate for their valentine, but that's overkill (for me, that would be overindulge). If not giving chocolate says 'Valentine dearest, you need to lose weight', here's a suggestion.

Give less chocolate but give chocolate with more meaning. And yes, this is going to take a lot of explaining to your true love so don't make chocolate your only Valentines gift. You have three choices.

1. I honestly don't believe the entire premise for Intentional Chocolate™ but their hearts are in the right place and it can open up communication channels for some great discussions with your loved one. The Chocolate maker donates 50 percent of net profits to organizations committed to the benefit of humankind. For the couple of weeks leading up to Valentines' Day, they gave 100 percent of profits to Haitian relief. These are nice people.
   
   According to their website, the driving belief behind the firm is that home cooked meals made with love and care (good intentions) are satisfying and healing. The firm infuses their chocolate with good intentions. Intentional Chocolate is 'intention-enhanced food' that delivers nourishment for both body and spirit.
   
   "The good intentions are infused into the chocolate from advanced mediators -- some who have trained with the Dalai Lama -- and is delivered with love to those who eat it."
   
   Intentional Chocolate says they are 'reintroducing the ancient concept of intentional eating to refocus our attention on the important relationship we have to food' which if the food industry would embrace this precept it would bring greater health and quality of life to all beings.
   
2. Taza Chocolate makes chocolate in a socially conscious and old fashioned - as in Mayan, who kicked off the whole chocolate craze - way. With minimal processing and a traditional method of stone grinding the beans, Taza Chocolate is surprisingly pleasing with a gritty texture. The ingredients are sourced directly from small farmers that are compensated fairly for their work. Each bar is dairy-,gluten- and soy-fee for any vegan on your Valentines' list.
   
3. If your valentine is an environmentalist, try Endangered Species Chocolate which is 100% ethically traded. The firm buys cacao from small family-owned properties, helping sustain the habitats and communities in which they exist. The chocolate and its wrappers increase awareness of species currently listed as threatened or endangered on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered Species List. 10 percent of this company's profits go to organizations that support cacao farming communities.

Supplements: insurance with a high deductible?

Some information and quotes are from an article in the Washington Post 2/9/10 by Melissa Bell

It's amazing what we'll pop into our mouths for the sake of health: fish oil, CoQ10 (whatever that is), folic acid and even charcoal. Taking a Flintstones multivitamin doesn't seem to be enough.

Some nutritionists and doctors say you shouldn't be taking supplements because there is no proof that they work.

Supplements try to reduce food to a single component, a nutrient or an anti-oxidant. No study or test has proven what exactly makes food, such as fruits and vegetables, so healthy. It may not be one thing; it may be the combination.

Personally, I see dietary supplements as insurance with a high deductible. I try to get the nutrients that I need from the food that I eat. However, I've had two bouts of melanoma, so I don't go in the sun without hat, long sleeves, pants and sunblock. I take vitamin D and yes I take calcium. Although the latter, I think I'm overdosing.

Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, supplements are highly recommended. Benjamin Caballero, a professor at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said he does not think any "healthy person with a healthy diet should take dietary supplements, with a few exceptions: pregnant women; children under the age of 6 months who are being breast-fed (breast milk is not rich in vitamins A,C and D; and people with gastrointestinal problems."

As a whole, says Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at NY University, Americans are not vitamin-deficient: these (supplements) are for the worried well."

Nutritionists and doctors emphasize that people concerned about their diet should vary their food, not their food supplements.

Nutrient recommended foods:

• Omega-3s: salmon, tilapia, tofu
• Calcium: milk, broccoli
• Potassium: bananas, shellfish, cucumbers
• Magnesium: red meat, citrus, apples
• Vitamin D: eggs
• Vitamin B-12: yogurt, scallops
• Folic acid: spinach, liver, grapefruit
• Antioxidants: cinnamon, pecans, cranberries