Nutrition Frenzy

A good way to avoid weight gain as you age? Eat.

Research shows that people who eat meals regularly throughout the day tend to have smaller waists than people who sometimes skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Get Regular
Regular eaters not only weigh less and have smaller waists but also are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome or experience insulin resistance — conditions that can pave the way for heart disease and diabetes.

Plan for More
An even better plan? Eat many small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. This helps keep your appetite from getting out of control, so you eat less overall throughout the day.

Anti-Meal-Skipper Recipe
Are you typically too time-pressed to eat breakfast? Make these simple, scrumptious muffins this weekend so you’ll have an easy grab-and-go option during the week:

Apricot-Wheat Germ MuffinsNutty toasted wheat germ and tangy dried apricots give these muffins a homey, satisfying flavor. Plumping dried fruit before adding it to the batter keeps the muffins moist.

Ingredients
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup orange juice, divided
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup buttermilk, (see Tip)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Combine apricots and 1/4 cup orange juice in a small bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. (Alternatively, bring to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat.) Set aside to plump.
3. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
4. Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, oil, orange zest, vanilla and remaining 1/4 cup orange juice. Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Add apricots and mix just until blended. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon wheat germ.
5. Bake the muffins until lightly browned and the tops spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

Nutrition Information
Per muffin
Calories: 242
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3g
Protein: 7g
Cholesterol: 36mg
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Potassium: 138mg
Sodium: 184mg

Study finds what people have known for years.

The largest study of its kind finds that older Americans who eat large amounts of red meat and processed meats face a greater risk of death from heart disease and cancer.

The federal study of more than half a million men and women bolsters prior evidence of the health risks of diets laden with red meat like hamburger and processed meats like hot dogs, bacon and cold cuts.

Calling the increased risk modest, lead author Rashmi Sinha of the National Cancer Institute said the findings support the advice of several health groups to limit red and processed meat intake to decrease cancer risk.

The findings appear in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine.

Over 10 years, eating the equivalent of a quarter-pound hamburger daily gave men in the study a 22 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease. That’s compared to those who ate the least red meat, just 5 ounces per week.

Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less.

For processed meats, the increased risks for large quantities were slightly lower overall than for red meat. The researchers compared deaths in the people with the highest intakes to deaths in people with the lowest to calculate the increased risk.

So watch out for how much red meat you eat. If you have concerns, contact your dietician, health care physican or nurse.

Doctors are puzzling over what seems to be an increase in the number of children with kidney stones, a condition some blame on kids’ love of cheeseburgers, fries and other salty foods.

Kidney stones are usually an adult malady, one that is notorious for causing excruciating pain — pain worse than childbirth. But while the number of affected children isn’t huge, kids with kidney stones have been turning up in rising numbers at hospitals around the country.

At Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the number of children treated for kidney stones since 2005 has climbed from about 10 a year to five patients a week now, said Dr. Pasquale Casale.

In a 2007 study in the Journal of Urology, doctors at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Medical Center reported a nearly fivefold increase in children brought in with kidney stones between 1994 and 2005. In 2005, 61 youngsters were treated there for stones.

Dr. David Hatch at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., near Chicago, also has seen an increase. His youngest patient was a cranky 8-month-old girl whose mother found a pea-size kidney stone in her diaper.

Kids’ stones have been the talk of recent pediatric kidney specialists’ conferences, said Dr. Uri Alon, director of the bone and mineral disorders clinic at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.

So far, the only evidence is anecdotal. But Alon is involved in research trying to determine if the increase is real and not just the result of greater awareness and better ways of detecting stones. Alon also is studying whether improved nutrition can prevent kids’ kidney stones.

Eating too much salt can result in excess calcium in the urine. In children, most stones are calcium-based, and Alon said their eating habits, plus drinking too little water, puts them at risk. Plenty of water is generally recommended to help prevent kidney stones.

From webmd: Here are some common diet mistakes that even food-savvy consumers make:

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 1: Buying Fresh Produce for the Entire Week
Once fruits and vegetables are harvested, they start losing some of their vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. So keeping them in the crisper all week long can mean robbing yourself of nutrition.

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 2: Buying Too Much Processed Food
Processed foods tend to have more sodium and saturated fat, and less fiber and nutrients. Instead, start with fresh, whole foods as much as possible. When you do choose convenience products, look for those that contain whole grains (like whole-wheat bread and hot dog buns, whole-grain tortillas, and whole-grain blend pasta), have no trans fat, and are low in saturated fat (like bottled marinara made with olive oil, light salad dressing made with canola or olive oil, and some broth- or tomato-based soups.)

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 3: Eating Out or Ordering Takeout More Often Than Not
“According to our research, the average American adult purchases a meal or snack from a restaurant 5.8 times per week,” says Annika Stensson, director of media relations for the National Restaurant Association.

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 4: Not Taking Advantage of Food Synergy
Do you peel your apples or tomatoes? Do you eat your veggie-rich green salad with fat-free dressing? Do you like to peel and chop your garlic right before adding it into your stir-fry or sauce? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you are decreasing the availability to your body of important nutrients found in these foods.

That’s because there are all sorts of relationships between the various components within certain foods and between certain foods, a concept called “food synergy.” For example, certain phytochemicals in apple peel account for most of apples’ healthy antioxidant activity, so peeling apples isn’t the healthiest way to go.

Also, it’s a good idea to let your minced or chopped garlic rest for 15 minutes before proceeding with cooking, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. This helps ensure that the enzymatic reaction that begins when garlic is chopped releases as much of the antioxidant allyl sulfur as possible — and thus maximizes the cancer-fighting benefits.

Healthy Eating Mistake No. 5: Avoiding High-Fat Plant Foods
The three foods that come to mind are avocados, nuts, and olives, which are relatively high in calories and fat but low in saturated fat. These foods contribute smart fats to our diet, and they come with fiber and phytochemicals, too.

Moderation is the key here. So enjoy a quarter of an avocado on sandwiches and in salads, or a handful of nuts as a snack or added to your salad, cereal, or pasta. Use a light drizzle of olive oil in cooking. And add olives to salads, sandwiches, and casseroles, or eat them as a snack.

7 products that claim to shrink your belly, fight cancer and help your heart

Acai Berry

Claims: This small purple berry, harvested from the Açai Palm in Brazil, is said to fight heart disease due to a potent mix of antioxidants, minerals and amino and fatty acids. Some product makers also claim the berry helps people lose weight, prevents aging and stops cancer.

Reality check: Açai berries do contain beneficial fatty acids and high levels of phytochemicals, an anti-inflammatory, fibrous, antioxidant blend that research suggests may reduce chronic-disease risk. However, there isn’t enough scientific evidence to claim that açai berries are more beneficial than other phytochemical-rich berries such as blueberries, raspberries or cranberries

Claims: This relatively low-caffeine, less processed form of tea is said to contain high levels of antioxidants that help prevent cancer and heart disease. Some vendors also claim it helps people lose weight.

Green Tea

Reality check: Research confirms that green tea is rich in antioxidants. However, evidence that it benefits heart health or prevents cancer is not conclusive, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

What about the weight-loss claims? They’re not completely unfounded, says Washington, D.C., nutritionist Katherine Tallmadge, an American Dietetic Association spokesperson. Green tea contains the fat-burning compounds catechins, but you’d have to drink at least three cups of it daily for the slightest drop in weight, she says.
Black tea actually packs a bigger weight-loss wallop, she says, because in addition to catechins, it contains more caffeine — also a weight-loss aid.

Mangosteen fruit

Claims: This purple fruit from Asia is said to contain powerful antioxidants called xanthones, which are found in a few tropical fruits. Xanthones are supposed to boost the immune system, improve intestinal health and ward off cancer.

Reality check: As with some açai berry manufacturers, a marketing network is selling mangosteen as a blended juice. In the U.S., a bottle of XanGo goes for $37. And as with the açai berry, no rigorous research on humans exists to back the immunity-boosting claims, notes nutritionist Salge Blake.

Dark chocolate

Claims: The cocoa in dark chocolate contains phytochemicals known as flavonols, which marketers say help the heart by controlling bad cholesterol and ease blood pressure by expanding blood vessels.

Reality check: The flavonols in dark chocolate — not regular or milk chocolate — do appear to fight cholesterol and may even give your brain a boost, research indicates.

(more…)

Five easy ways to helpyour metabolism speed up.

Exercise more. When you walk, run, or lift weights, you increase the energy required of your body, which raises your metabolism then, and for hours afterward.

Work out with weights. During weight training, muscle tissue is stressed; afterward, it’s repaired — which raises metabolism.

Practice portion control. This helps ensure you don’t overload your metabolism with a surplus of unusable energy (that is, food).

Use a food scale or measuring cups to identify proper portions. Or use your hand as a guide. A fist equals a serving of fruit, a cupped hand equals a serving of cereal or grains, two cupped handfuls equal a serving of leafy green vegetables and an open palm equals a serving of meat.

Eat smaller meals more often. Some experts recommend eating smaller meals throughout the day, known as grazing. “Grazing helps normalize blood sugar levels rather than producing three large spikes, which is what happens eating three meals a day,” says Nick Flynn, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas.

Determine the amount of calories you need at Mypyramid.gov. Then keep that number in mind as you transition from eating three ordinary-sized meals to five smaller ones.

Laugh it off. When researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, put people into a “metabolic chamber” (a small room that measures heat output in order to calculate a person’s metabolic rate) and showed them funny videos, the subjects’ metabolic rates rose by 10 to 40 calories. It’s a small increase, but every calorie counts for those seeking weight loss, says lead researcher Maciej Buchowksi, PhD.

With the growing obesity epidemic occuring in children in the US many health care providers are recommending cholesterol screening in kids as young as 2.

Given the increase in childhood obesity and diabetes in the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends routine screening for heart disease in children between the ages of 2 and 10.

“The children who are most concerning are those who are already overweight or obese,” said Dr. Jennifer Shu, a spokesperson for the AAP and Maddie’s pediatrician. She said other risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure and a family history of early heart disease. Health Minute: Watch more on kids and cholesterol

When a young patient fits the risk profile, Shu recommends testing blood cholesterol levels with a simple finger prick. If the results are normal, she suggests a follow-up test in three to five years.

But if the cholesterol reading is high, Shu refers the patient to a cardiologist and strongly suggests some immediate changes at home.

“Lifestyle is always first,” Shu said.

When Maddie tested positive for high cholesterol at age 7, Zacks made sure her daughter started a daily exercise regimen. She also took a close look at the family diet.

“We’re not perfect,” admitted Zacks. “I try to lead by example. I cook with healthier foods.”

When diet and exercise don’t seem to make much difference, some doctors may turn to cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins. Based on clinical trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a handful of statin medications for use in children.

Great news for soup lovers!

The first Campbell soup is getting a low-sodium makeover.

The Campbell Soup Co. announced Wednesday that its tomato soup — the one painted by Andy Warhol — will have its sodium cut by 32 percent by August.

The new level will have 480 milligrams of sodium per serving — low enough to qualify for the government’s definition of low-sodium.

The company is using low-sodium sea salt to modify a product that hasn’t changed much since it was introduced in 1897. Sea salt is used more and more by food manufacturers to introduce low-sodium foods to the public.

Over the past three years, Camden-based Campbell has used the sea salt in dozens of its offerings.

Denise Morrison, the president of the Company’s North American soup, sauces and beverage operations, says that by fall half the company’s soups will be low-sodium.

Campbells Tomato soup is the go-to soup for a quick lunch, dinner, or addition to recipes. Great news that they are reducing sodium in their soups, and that their classic Tomato is the first to get the makeover. There have been more and more food products that include Sea salt and it is a nice change from the bombardment that your taste buds endure with the regular foods that are difficult to stomach.

Hopefully, this new wave of Campbells foods will encourage other food manufacturers to produce more low-sodium foods when they see how popular Campbells Tomato Soup has become. There is one kitchen that will be stocked with this new low-sodium soup.

I’ve long been a big fan of spices in cooking instead of salt. But there comes a time when even the consummate cook has old spices in store. When to weed them out? The Seattle Times comes to the rescue.

For spices, the government’s guideline for freshness dating is four years for whole spices and two years for ground spices. But two years is a long time for a finely ground spice to stay fresh. A good rule of thumb is to buy no more than a one-year supply of herbs or ground spices and a two-year supply of whole spices.

Keep in mind that each spice contains hundreds of flavor components. It is the quantity and balance of these components that determine the quality of the spice. The flavor components will dissipate at different rates. When in doubt about a spice, smell it. If it smells strong and spicy, use it. If the aroma has faded away, toss it. Old spices never go bad, they just fade away. Spices must be stored properly to maintain a strong, fresh flavor. Heat, light, moisture and air all speed the loss of flavor and color. Store accordingly.

In addition, flour will be good for nine months if stored in an airtight container and kept from heat; sugar for up to two years. Sauces and other condiments, once opened, will keep for six months if properly refrigerated.

Since I use spices alot in my cooking, I doubt I have any that are older than six months.

9 resistance-boosting foods and ingredients to help you win the cold war

Yogurt

Probiotics, or the “live active cultures” found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs. Although they’re available in supplement form, a study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.

Sweet potatoes

You may not think of skin as part of your immune system. But this crucial organ, covering an impressive 16 square feet, serves as a first-line fortress against bacteria, viruses, and other undesirables. To stay strong and healthy, your skin needs vitamin A. “Vitamin A plays a major role in the production of connective tissue, a key component of skin,” explains Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center in Derby, Conn.

Tea

Take frequent tea breaks this winter, and you may just get through it without a sniffle. Immunologists at Harvard University discovered that people who drank five cups of black tea a day for 2 weeks transformed their immune system T cells into “Hulk cells” that pumped out 10 times more cold and flu virus-fighting interferon — proteins that defend against infection — than did the immune systems of those who didn’t drink black tea. Green tea should work just as well.

Chicken soup

When University of Nebraska researchers tested 13 brands, they found that all but one (chicken-flavored ramen noodles) blocked the migration of inflammatory white cells — an important finding, because cold symptoms are a response to the cells’ accumulation in the bronchial tubes.

(more…)

From CNN Health: Is decaffeinated green tea as healthy as regular green tea? Are plums as healthy as prunes? Are fresh cranberries as healthy as dried cranberries? The “buzz” in the media is that green tea, prunes and cranberries are all extremely healthy foods. But, what if the caffeinated green tea keeps you up all night and you’re not a fan of dried fruits?

This is an excellent question and brings up an important point. While it seems like every week there is a new “must eat” food or drink, there are lots of nutrient rich foods that can be incorporated into a healthy diet based on your food and drink preferences. In addition, getting a variety of healthy foods is even more important than consuming the latest products generating media “buzz.”

In general, I’m not a big fan of dried fruit either as dried fruit is much more calorically dense than fresh fruit because of its significantly lower water content. And with the obesity epidemic in this country, keeping calories under control is just as important as choosing healthier foods. Fresh fruit is just as healthy as dried fruit and you don’t have to worry about added sugar, fat or portion sizes, which must be more closely controlled when it comes to dried fruit. And if you don’t like cranberries, my colleague, Wendy Bazilian, who has a doctorate in Public Health and Nutrition, is a registered dietitian, and author of “The SuperFoods Rx Diet,” is quick to point out that for urinary tract health, blueberries may work just as well as cranberries. For heart health, all deeply colored berries, cherries and even grapes are rich in disease fighting phytonutrients and antioxidants.

When it comes to green tea, which is an excellent source of disease-fighting phytonutrients known as catechins, the decaffeinating process may reduce some, but not all of the health benefits. However, the negative health impact of sleep deprivation far outweighs the health benefits of green tea so I would certainly recommend sticking to decaffeinated green tea if caffeine impacts your sleep.

Most eating-related side effects of cancer treatments go away after the treatment ends. Sometimes side effects such as poor appetite, dry mouth, change in taste or smell,trouble swallowing, or significant weight loss may last for some time. If this happens to you, talk to your health care team and work out a plan to address the problem.

As you begin to feel better, you may have questions about eating a healthful diet. Just as you wanted to go into treatment with the necessary nutrient stores that your diet could give you, you’ll want to do the best for yourself at this important time. There’s very little research to suggest that the foods you eat will keep your cancer from coming back. But eating well will help you regain your strength, rebuild tissue, and feel better overall. And certainly, what you eat can help reduce risk for other cancers.

Suggestions for healthy eating after cancer

Check with your doctor for any food or diet restrictions.
Ask your dietitian to help you create a nutritious, balanced eating plan.
Choose a variety of foods from all the food groups. Try to eat at least 5 to 7 servings a day of fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits and dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables.
Eat plenty of high-fiber foods, such as whole grain breads and cereals.
Buy a new fruit, vegetable, low-fat food, or whole grain product each time you shop for groceries.
Decrease the amount of fat in your meals by baking or broiling foods.
Choose low-fat milk and dairy products.
Avoid salt-cured, smoked, and pickled foods.
If you choose to drink, drink alcohol only occasionally.
If you are overweight, consider losing weight by reducing the amount of fat in your diet and increasing your activity. Choose activities that you enjoy. Check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Gabrielle Reece of Yahoo Health has these great hints and tips for living a healthier lifestyle!

1. Drink only water, with the exception of your beloved coffee in the morning. According to studies, this would eliminate 20% of our caloric intake and help all of our body functions run more smoothly.

2. Cut down your portions
I’m not even going to say what to eat and not eat. I’m just saying if you are having that sub at lunch cut it in half. We all overeat, so just eat until you are full. I’ts difficult to do, so halve the food and get it away from you. If it’s sitting there you will want to eat it.

3. Don’t skip breakfast
You will have a 70% chance of overeating throughout your day if you skip breakfast.

4. Keep a food journal
This will help you see exactly what you are eating and when. You will even be able to see patterns of grabbing food at stressful moments, etc. Journaling just makes you aware and in charge of your food–not the other way around.

5. If you can avoid it, don’t eat after 7 p.m.
On business dinners or birthday gatherings don’t worry about it. But when you can, try to finish eating earlier in the day.

These are great tips for anyone wanting to be healthier. This is a great start, along with cutting out processed foods, cutting down meats, increasing your vegetable intake (minus the starchy, carb-loaded vegetables). Another great tip is to walk at least 30 minutes per day! Good luck!

Since many fast food restaurants have adopted the “bigger is better” attitude, classic small, medium, and large sizes are no longer available.

Great question on the American Diabetes Association webpage.

Now you have large, extra large, and supersize. Because of these larger portion sizes, the average American takes in 150 more calories a day, and most of these calories are fat. Although an extra 150 calories a day doesn’t sound like much, these calories add up with bad results for you. And don’t forget about carbs! Fast food restaurants are notorious for their high carb count and content.

There are many ways you can lower calories, carbs and fat in a fast food restaurant. The easiest way is to choose the smallest serving available. Just choosing a plain cheeseburger instead of a double cheeseburger will remove more than 200 calories. Most important is to choose low-fat items in place of high-fat items. For example, choose a baked potato with salsa or steak sauce (instead of butter and sour cream) to replace French fries. Order sandwiches without fancy sauces, and order salads with low-fat dressings (or “on the side” to control the amount of dressing you put on your salad). When low-fat options are not available, leave a few fries on your plate or a few bites of your sandwich, and skip dessert. Also don’t forget salads, minus bread/croutons and artificial bacon bites. Salads are a person’s best friend. Ask for double veggies on a salad as well. Feeling some meat? Ask for a broiled/grilled lean chicken breast on top.

The best way to reduce fat in fast food? Reduce how often you eat fast food.

When it comes to weight loss, some calories count more than others. In a yearlong study of overweight people on a reduced-calorie diet, those enjoying soup each day lost more weight than people who got the same number of calories from other foods eaten for lunch or snacks.

The reason the soup-eaters lost more is likely because a bowl of it has a low ratio of calories to ounces. In other words, the soup takes up more space in people’s bellies, and those who ate it felt less hungry later and ate less of other foods over the course of the day.

What won’t work: Cream-based soups (after all, heavy cream packs 400 calories per half cup!). To keep you satisfied and help you trim down, choose soups with a base of low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth and varieties loaded with vegetables, kidney beans, lentils, or brown rice. Those who ate two servings of low energy-dense soup per day (as part of a reduced-calorie diet) lost an average of almost 16 pounds in a year. People who got their calories from high energy-dense snack foods lost much less — an average of only 10.5 pounds.

Don’t love soup? Other foods with a low calories-to-ounces ratio include air-popped popcorn and fresh produce.