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
  

Make your refrigerator work harder for you

1. Is your refrigerator too warm? Set your fridge at 39 degrees to keep foods safe, according to Angela Fraser, associate professor at Clemson University. Warmer temps encourage faster spoilage. Time for a refrigerator thermometer.

2. Buy just what you need. If what's been wrapped on plastic little trays by the supermarket is too much, ask the person behind the meat/fish/deli counter to package what and only what you need.

Another key is to find a grocery store that sells 'bulk', you scoop out just what you need. You can buy nuts, cereals, candies, coffees and many more dry goods in bulk. Whole Foods has a great bulk section in their stores.

1. 3. Store leftovers and odds'n ends in clear plastic containers stored upside down (if the top isn't clear) in the front of the fridge, making contents easier to see and less easy to forget.

4. Reorganize the fridge. An orderly fridge doesn't have forgotten ingredients pushed to the back.
Shown in photo - my fridge with some great plastic organizers with handles. I wish all 3 were clear but the white holds my breakfast fruit and I don't need to see all the berries. I know they're there (I just shopped, that's why there's some berries out of the container). The container on the 2nd shelf holds my favorite salad ingredients while the 3rd container holds the vegetables I use for stir fry (a favorite that's easy to fix). These containers can be found at the Container Store.

5. Know label 'dates' "Sell-by" or "use-by" dates don't always mean "toss-by." The sell-by date is the last recommended day you should buy a product, but you can eat it several days to a week after. "Use-by" is the date through which the item will be top-quality. However, if stored properly, most foods stay fresh several days longer than the use-by date, even meat. Don't throw out good food, check out a handy food storage guide.

6. Clean it out once a week. Pick a day and stick to it, because the night before that day becomes...

7. 'Use up' meal -because Friday night leftovers sound horrendous. Bring all leftovers out and serve buffet style. Serve one extra special item that's not a leftover that your family will look forward to avoiding any negative feeling about it being 'Use up' night. For my family, it's Bisquick biscuits, yes those shapeless, hard as a brick, easy to make recipe right off the back of the box. It's the one time a week that I make these biscuits and the only time butter is placed on the dinner table.

New veggie options in the freezer

New packaging innovations for veggies may be worth a try. Steam-in-bag veggies hit the supermarket several years ago but new packaging technology has progressed allowing more gourmet vegetable dishes.

Vegetable steam-in-bags puff up under the pressure of steam created within the packaging. Veggies, seasonings and any sauces steam directly in the microwave without transferring to a cooking dish. Popular because they taste like side dishes you'd get in restaurants, they're also easy to fix.

Pre-seasoned vegetables are available from Birds Eye and Green Giant. Birds Eye's offerings add a cheese sauce to their broccoli/carrots/cauliflower combination and a butter sauce to their green beans. Way to knock out the pluses of eating your veggies.

Green Giant has a line of Health Blends designed to meet certain health goals. For example, "Digestive Health" blend includes carrots, navy beans and spinach in a garlic herb sauce and is high in fiber promoting a healthy digestive system.

More interestingly, Green Giant's Just for One single-serve frozen vegetables are endorsed by Weight Watchers touting a 0 point Broccoli and Cheese Sauce (40 calories) that comes in its own steam tray. Single servings are a way for a dieter to eat a vegetable dish that their family wouldn't.

Carrie Taylor, registered dietitian for Big Y's supermarkets says, "steamable veggies are an easy way to make a meal healthier." She's not a big fan of seasoned blends with even the lightly sauced having high salt, sugar and fat content. "I recommend that fruits and vegetables should stand on their own, without added sauces. If sauce is preferred, it's better for people to add the sauce themselves."

Excerpts from an article in Supermarket News 2/1/10 by Carol Angrisani

Get emotional over fruits

In the dreary months of winter, use produce and their bright colors and vibrant tastes to remind you that spring is around the corner. You can do, it the IFICF survey indicates that we do make emotional connections with what we eat. Why not find some positive emotional connections with food that's good for you.

Picking mulberries off a tree growing up always brings great memories of my sisters and I eating so many berries that our faces would be blue.

Living in Southern Florida, my beloved teenage church group would go strawberry picking on Saturday to sell on Sunday to raise funds for trips and other gatherings.

Eating Caribbean Red papayas to me will always bring that Caribbean cruise back front and center in my mind.

A crisp, tart apple floods my mind with autumn memories. Somehow I don't get that biting into an apple, but do when I slice a cold one.

Mangos, probably half of my lifetime ones were eaten under the tree with the warm and humind Miami breezes rifling through the leaves above.

What are your memories?

*International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF)

Reading as a healthy living activity

Some interesting findings in the 2009 Food & Health Survey.* 42% of all consumers are bewildered by many of today's health messages. 67% are interested in reading or hearing about the relationship between food and health, but more importantly most are interested in hearing what to eat versus what not to eat!

Who knew reading this blog would be so good for your health.

*International Food Information Council Foundation (IFICF)

Party time

When your office has a lunch, does it look like this? Knowing I watch what I eat, one of the lunchtime revellers pointed out to me that one of the pizzas was vegetable. I had to look close to recognize the black, green and red chunks as olives, green peppers and tomatoes.

If pizza served with a side of greasy potato chips is your office's idea of a great lunch, don't go. It's time for an off-premise meeting.

Eating local - a wintery view

Think of the produce section of your grocery store as the first stop, destination health center.

I know what you're thinking. You want to eat locally, best for freshness, the best for the environment.

Unfortunately for most of us, eating locally is not an option this time of the year. Produce from the Southern Hemisphere is relied upon for your supermarket to offer a seamless 12 month produce supply. So think of the alternative, the bottled V8 juice? fruit roll-up? canned string bean casserole? Have you checked your root cellar lately for some carrots?

This is not the time of the year - flu season - to hold back from fresh produce. We should be taking proactive measures with our health and that includes upping your consumption of items that are high in vitamin C such as strawberries, which are also high in antioxidants.

Show your heart some love, celebrate National Heart Month

February is National Heart Month. It seems right to show your heart some love.

The Mediterranean diet is one of the world's healthiest ways to eat, and incorporating these foods into your everyday diet, will do your heart some good.

"While it's the whole diet that makes the health difference, there are some foods, rich in healthy fats and antioxidants, that are extra beneficial for heart health," said Sara Baer-Sinnott, Executive Vice President, Oldways.* "Found in the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, these foods can decrease your chance of developing heart disease, improve your overall health and, best of all, they taste great."

10 Healthy Foods based on the Mediterranean Diet to help your heart this month and beyond:

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Rich in monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol, reducing the risk of developing heart disease. Tip: Use healthful olive oil instead of butter when sautéing or roasting vegetables.


2. Fish: Salmon is super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids that reduce blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Nutrition scientists, the American Heart Association and Oldways suggest eating fish twice a week to benefit from its heart-healthy fats. Tip: Grill or broil salmon and serve with a green vegetable and a squeeze of lemon juice for added flavor.


3. Nuts: Nuts and peanuts are good sources of protein and fiber and are rich in heart-healthy omega-3s and omega-6s. They also have plenty of mono-and poly-unsaturated fats, good for reducing the risk of cardiovascular heart disease. Tip: Sprinkle peanuts and nuts on salads, pastas, and cereals or add them to muffin batters for an extra crunch.


4. More Herbs and Spices - Less Salt: Herbs and spices contain important phytonutrients that are essential to good health. They are a healthy substitute for salt, which can increase blood pressure. Tip: Add an extra pinch of dried or fresh herbs or spices to soups, dressings and sauces to heighten flavor without adding salt.


5. Whole Grains: Oatmeal is a fiber-rich super food that may help lower cholesterol and help keep arteries clear. It is also packed with omega-3 fatty acids, folate and potassium. Tip: Start your day with a steaming bowl of healthy oatmeal, or reach for an oatmeal raisin cookie for a heart-healthy snack.


6. Red Wine: Made from grapes containing resveratrol and other powerful, naturally-occurring plant compounds, red wine may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Moderate consumption is important - two glasses per day for men, one for women. Tip: Enjoy a glass of red wine with your dinner tonight.


7. Vegetables: Vegetables have essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that can help protect the body from chronic diseases. Spinach, with high levels of folate, potassium and B-complex vitamins, is a standout for heart health.Tip: Use spinach instead of lettuce for a nutrient-packed salad or add it to sandwiches, wraps or omelets.


8. Fruit: Fruit has important antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart disease. Blueberries are also a star fruit for heart health because they lower cholesterol and are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, folate and fiber. Tip: Sprinkle fresh blueberries on cereal and salads or add frozen blueberries to your morning smoothie.


9. Small Amounts of Meat: Meat can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat, and if eaten frequently, can cause fatty substances to build up inside artery walls. Tip: Arrange your dinner plate so that meat is a side feature, not the "main event." Or better yet, eat a vegetarian meal a few nights a week.


10. Friends, Family and Exercise: For overall good health including heart health, make exercise a regular part of your day, just like brushing your teeth or checking your email. Tip: Meet up with a friend or family member and try to walk for 30 minutes, three days a week.

*Oldways and the Mediterranean Foods Alliance are non-profit organizations that firmly believe we're not eating right. We used to eat right but processed foods, lack of exercise, dependence on sugary foods have made us fat and unhealthy. Oldways works hard to make sense of all the health, food and exercise tips out there and put it in an easy format for us to understand.

They have replaced the USDA food pyramid with their Mediterrean diet pyramid. I agree with the implied assessment of the government funded geometric form that is really bottom heavy much like any American that may follow it.

Oldways also have a strong program for Hispanics to continue their good eating habits developed before getting to this country.

I strongly suggest bookmarking their website for great information for eating, exercising and being healthy. For a nice copy of the above download a free copy from their web site which includes delicious and easy recipes.

Could Burger King and I agree on something?

The Burger King sign says it all. It is my credo; there is no going back to cereal for breakfast. What I have shoveled in my mouth in the name of getting a good start on the day is embarrassing. Ah the sugar, ah the refined wheat, oh all the vitamins and minerals fortified (read "processed") into the cereal, and for what - something soggy to start the day.

It's oatmeal and berries for me now. OJ's hold on my brain that it's the only great source of vitamin C has been torn asunder. I eat plenty of veggie and fruits that easily achieves the right nutrition for the day. Truth be told, fruits and veggies are more delicious. And a fresh orange (I live in Florida) is a delight.

So while I agree with the sign posted at a local BK, I don't agree with what they're replacing cereal with. Let's look at a croissandwich for example.

MMMM, that's sausage, egg and cheese on a croissant that a Frenchman would crack a tooth on. Nutrient wise that's:
460 calories
11g sat. fat
215mg cholesterol
5g sugar
27g carbs
31g fat
0.5g trans fat
19g protein
1000mg sodium

Cereal never looked so good.