Healthy Advice

2010-07-26T13:28:00.001-07:00

Jamie Eason

2009-05-01 20:30:47

Chicken Meatloaf Muffins

1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
2 tsp. dry yellow mustard
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice (spicy, but key to the recipe)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tbsp of garlic powder)
1 small onion, finely chopped (I get the pre chopped version or even the frozen - thawed)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 egg whites
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground chicken breast (I use 3 packages)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, add cumin, thyme, yellow mustard, black pepper, McCormick’s Chipotle Pepper Spice, salt, oats, garlic, onions and celery. Mix until well combined. Next add the ground chicken and egg whites and mix with your hands until evenly distributed. Make racquetball size portions and place in muffin tins, sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 40 minutes.

Yields about18 muffins

Nutrition: 1 muffin
78 calories
2 g fat
4 g carbs
11 g protein

Servings are usually 2 for women and 4 for men.

2009-12-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

Frozen or Canned vs. Fresh Produce

QUESTION:

I've always thought that fresh fruit and vegetables were the way to go, but I miss having my favorite choices when they're not in season. How do frozen or canned fruits and vegetables compare to fresh produce?

ANSWER:

Frozen and canned fruit and vegetables have similar nutrient content to fresh produce. In fact, sometimes they can even be more nutritious because nutrients in fresh produce can be lost during storage, shipment and as they sit on the produce stand; however, the nutrient content is maintained when produce is frozen or canned immediately after peak harvest. One key strategy is to always read the food label and avoid items that have added sugar, such as canned fruit packed in syrup. When possible, choose items that have been processed with the skin of the produce intact to maintain the fiber content.

Although canned and frozen fruit and vegetables are a convenient and practical way to up your intake, try to include some fresh produce as well. Expand your repertoire and enjoy the variety of in-season fruits and vegetables! To maximize the nutrient content of fresh produce, buy from local sources and don't buy more than you can use within a few days. Avoid produce that is bruised or wilted as nutrient loss has likely occurred. The United States Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with State resources, offers the following websitehttp://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/ to help you find local farms and produce markets in your area.

Whether frozen or fresh, increasing your dietary intake of fruits and vegetables is a smart choice.

2009-09-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Grilling Vegetables

QUESTION:

We'd like to grill outside more often but would like some menu ideas beyond the typical burgers and hotdogs. Any ideas?

ANSWER:

Grilling is not just for meat! This time of year is perfect for enjoying the variety of outside grilling options using those veggies harvested from your garden.

Firmer vegetables, such as bell peppers, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms and onions, can be brushed with marinade and placed right on the grill for about 10 - 15 minutes. Remember to always use a separate brush for basting meat and vegetables to avoid contamination.
Placing chunks of veggies on kabob skewers is always a fun way to both cook them and eat them … especially for the kids.
Corn is especially simple. Soak corn with husk intact in water for 30 minutes and then place on grill – husk and all.
Tender vegetables and fruit can be marinated and wrapped in tin foil and placed on the grill with low-medium heat for about ½ the time … zucchini, summer squash, and tomatoes are wonderful!
Try a variety of different marinades. Oil and vinegar seasoned with a variety of herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, or thyme provide an extra antioxidant kick. Wine, salsas, and sweet or tart marinades like pineapple and orange juice or lemon and lime juice provide a tasty alternative.

Enjoy!

2009-09-21T00:51:00.000-07:00

QUESTION:

A friend told me that I shouldn't ever drink regular soda because the sweetener in it causes obesity. Is this true?

Your friend is referring to the theory that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the sweetener used in most sweetened beverages, is linked to the rise in obesity seen in our society over the past 50 years. It is speculated that fructose actually alters the hormonal response of the body, resulting in increased body fat storage and appetite as compared to other sugars of the same caloric content. However, the jury is still out on this topic as the research is inconsistent and limited. As with most theories, additional research will eventually reveal the mechanisms behind the associations between HFCS and weight gain.

Whether or not fructose alters metabolism in favor of weight gain, it clearly provides the added calories necessary for weight gain. It is estimated that approximately half of the added sugars in our diet come from HFCS! Therefore, if weight control is a concern of yours, it is wise to choose beverages that are unsweetened such as tea or water. If carbonation is something that you desire (I happen to fall into this category!), then try carbonated water with a slice of lemon, lime or orange. It's refreshing and provides that much-loved fizz without added sugar or chemicals.

2009-08-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing that trans fats are bad for you?

2009-08-22T16:59:00.000-07:00

Trans fatty acids (TFA's), also known as funny fats, are formed when oils are subjected to heat, pressure, chemical solvents, or a process called hydrogenation. This process of hydrogenation exposes an oil to high heat and high pressure in the presence of hydrogen gas. Functionally, it makes an unsaturated fat more solid at room temperature, which extends its shelf life and improves texture in many processed goods.
It was once thought that these fats were better than saturated fats because they were unsaturated. However, we now know that not only do trans fats increase LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) as saturated fats do, but they also decrease HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) -- a double whammy! There is also increasing evidence that these funny fats may lead to a host of other problems as well, such as metabolic disorders.

Manufacturers have been using partially hydrogenated oils in products for decades now and they are in a large percentage of processed foods. Any product that lists partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredients list will contain trans fatty acids. Common foods that contain TFA's are:

		Commercial baked goods (cakes, cookies, doughnuts, etc)
		Fried Foods (French fries, fish sticks, fried chicken, etc.)
		Margarine and vegetable shortenings
		Chips and Crackers

Luckily, it will soon be easier to identify the amount of trans fatty acids in products because the Food and Drug Administration is requiring food companies to list them on the food labels starting in 2006. In the meantime, read the ingredients list and avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated oils. In addition, look for products labeled as "No Trans fat" as manufacturers are starting to step up to the plate and provide more trans fat free products for consumers. Better yet, choose minimally processed foods for the bulk of your diet (fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and cereals, beans and legumes, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and nuts and seeds) – you can't go wrong!

Food On The Mind

2009-08-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

What Are Your Calorie Needs?

2009-08-15T10:44:00.000-07:00

Dieters think of calories as the enemy--the part of food that prevents weight loss and sneaks onto the thighs. Food packages list calorie content per serving. Diets with one-size-fits-all calorie limits are promoted for weight loss. You can track your calorie intake with computer software. Calorie information overload can turn eating into a numbers game instead of a pleasurable part of daily life. We are calorie-obsessed!

The truth is, everyone needs some calories every day. Unless you are a highly trained athlete, your biggest daily calorie cost is something called resting metabolic rate (RMR), or the calories you need just to exist. Breathing, heart beat, cell metabolism, kidney function, and even thinking and dreaming uses calories. Muscle cells use calories even when at rest. Eating and digesting food, standing, sitting, talking, and surfing the Internet all burn calories beyond the basic RMR requirement.

What Is a calorie?

Calorie is a term for the energy content of food. Some foods are very dense in energy, like butter and vegetable oil.

Physical activity not only burns calories, it helps you burn extra calories ALL DAY. Add some exercise equipment to your life. Check out:

- Treadmills
- Stairmasters
- Recumbent bikes

Others, like celery and cucumbers, have much less. It is a bit like comparing octane in gasoline. Higher octane fuel will make your car go a bit further for every gallon burned. Likewise, a tablespoon of canola oil, with 100 calories, will get you further than a tablespoon of chopped celery, with maybe 1 calorie. Unlike cars, humans do not have limited fuel tanks. We have expandable fuel tanks called fat cells. Also unlike cars, we can ramp up our daily calorie use by adding physical activity.

What is the recommended daily calorie intake?

It is not easy to come up with an accurate number for your calorie requirement. Accurate measurement of calorie requirements is limited to research settings. Subjects sit in a closed chamber for hours, while researchers measure the amount of oxygen used. Calculations based on oxygen use give the number of calories burned in a day. This procedure is not practical for widespread use. There are mathematical equations that attempt to estimate calorie needs based on simple body measurements, such as gender, age, height, and weight. But equations have limitations. Research shows that most equations are off by anywhere from 5% to 25% when used to predict a person's basic calorie requirement. If you are trying to plan a reduced calorie diet, it is not helpful if the equation overestimates your basic needs by 25%.

Recently, small portable calorie measuring devices have been developed. Some health clubs, medical offices, and wellness clinics use these to help clients plan weight loss diets. The procedure usually involves wearing a nose clip and breathing by mouth into a small, hand-held device for several minutes. This is an attractive concept for dieters, but there are many complications. Exercise, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and eating too soon before the test can throw off results. In addition, anxiety or fidgeting will result in erroneously high results. If you decide to have a measurement done, be sure to carefully follow all the instructions for pre-test preparation.

How many calories do I need?

If you do not have access to a metabolic measurement, you can use an equation to estimate your basic calories. The most accurate one is the Mifflin-St. Joer equation. Weight in pounds must be converted to kilograms by dividing weight in pounds by 2.2. Height must be changed to centimeters by multiplying inches by 2.54. Plug your height and weight into the basic equation:

9.99 x weight + 6.25 x height - 4.92 x age.

Men then add 5; women subtract 161.

The total is your approximate calories per day for resting metabolic rate. The RMR for a 40-year-old man who weighs 190 lbs and is 6'1" is 1800 calories per day. A 25-year-old woman who is 5'6" and 140 pounds has a basic calorie requirement of 1380. Because the equation is not completely accurate, real RMR may be slightly lower or higher.

In addition to the RMR calories, each person needs additional calories for daily activities and exercise. A sedentary person will need fewer calories than an active person.

Burn more calories: physical activity

Physical activity not only burns calories, but helps you burn extra calories all day, even when you're not exercising. Active people have more muscle than sedentary people. Muscle tissue has higher calorie needs even at rest than fat tissue. This is an excellent reason to include exercise in your daily routine.

Conclusion: if you are eating the right amount of calories your weight remains stable

In the future, when the technology improves, fast accurate metabolic measurements might be part of the bathroom scale. Until then, the one true, but indirect, way to know your calorie intake is to monitor your weight. If your weight is stable, you are eating the same amount of calories you burn. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat less than that amount or burn more with exercise.

2009-08-11T22:52:00.001-07:00

Parmesan Crusted Zucchini

Tasty grilled zucchini topped with a crunchy parmesan cheese topping.

Ingredients

Directions

Slice zucchini lengthwise in to 1/2" slices. Leave skin on the zucchini (you can also use summer squash).
Coat shallow cookie sheet with olive oil (or use cooking spay).
Lay the zucchini slices next to each other on the cookie sheet. Be sure not to overlap the slices.
Sprinkle the zucchini with salt and pepper to taste (or sprinkle a little basil for extra flavor).
Place in broiler about 4" from the element and watching closely allow the zucchini to turn a nice brown. Takes about 6 minutes (don't be afraid to brown zucchini pretty good, just not black!).
Pull out zucchini and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese on top.
Place back in broiler for 1 to 2 mintes, just enough to brown the parmesan cheese and make it crusty, but do not burn.
Scoop out on to plate and serve.

2009-08-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

This creamy and mild eggplant salad is made with a quick dressing of yogurt and seasonings. You can grill the eggplant half an hour before you serve the salad, or a half a day (or longer) ahead; it doesn’t matter much at all.

Grilled Eggplant Salad With Yogurt

Yield 4 servings

Time About 40 minutes

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Though grilling can compensate for inferior eggplant, you're better off starting with the slender lavender or other smaller varieties; these are found in farmers' markets and Asian grocery stores. Look for firm and unwrinkled specimens. Use whole milk yogurt, or the dressing will be watery.

Ingredients

1 pound eggplants, preferably small light purple ones
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne or Aleppo pepper or other mild ground chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or mint

Method

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; rack should be no more than 4 inches from heat source. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise up to stem, but do not cut through. Spread about 2/3 of the onion and garlic between the eggplant halves and press the two sides back together.
2. Grill eggplants, turning once or twice, until they are blackened and collapsed, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not worry if skin burns a bit. Meanwhile, mix remaining garlic and onion with yogurt; season to taste with salt, pepper and a little cayenne.
3. When cooked, let eggplants cool a bit, then peel off skins and let cool further. Roughly chop eggplants, then mix with yogurt dressing. Serve at room temperature or chill if you like; in either case, garnish with parsley or mint.

2009-08-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

The Cause of Disease

Have you ever wondered if many of the diseases raging through our society have a common cause? Many doctors, herbalists and nutritionists believe that the explanation may come down to these simple words:

pH Imbalance
Acid Alkaline Imbalance: Over acidity, which can become a dangerous condition that weakens all body systems, is very common today. It gives rise to an internal environment conducive to disease, as opposed to a pH balanced environment which allows normal body functi

on necessary for the body to resist disease. A healthy body maintains adequate alkaline reserves to meet emergency demands. When excess acids must be neutralized our alkaline reserves are depleted leaving the body in a weakened condition. A pH balanced diet, according to many experts, is

a vital key to health maintenance.
The concept of acid alkaline imbalance as the cause of disease is not new. In 1933 a New York doctor named William Howard Hay published a ground-breaking book, A New Health Era in which he maintains that all disease is caused by autotoxication (or "self-poisoning") due to acid accumulation in the body:

Now we depart from health in just the proportion to which we have allowed our alkalies to be dissipated by introduction of acid-forming food in too great amount... It may seem strange to say that all disease is the same thing, no matter what its myriad modes of expression, but it is verily so.
William Howard Hay, M.D.

More recently, in his remarkable book Alkalize or Die (see recommended reading), Dr. Theodore A. Baroody says essentially the same thing:
The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause...too much tissue acid waste in the body!
Theodore A. Baroody, N.D., D.C., Ph.D.
Understanding pH
pH (potential of hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14—the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher the pH the more alkaline (or base) the solution. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7 which is neutral.

Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, comprising 70% of the body. The body has an acid-alkaline (or acid-base) ratio called the pH which is a balance between positively charges ions (acid-forming) and negatively charged ions (alkaline-forming.) The body continually strives to balance pH. When this balance is compromised many problems can occur.

It is important to understand that we are not talking about stomach acid or the pH of the stomach. We are talking about the pH of the body's fluids and tissues which is an entirely different matter.

2009-07-31T02:17:00.000-07:00

How many times have you gone to the store and not sure which water is the better one? They must be the same or they different. Some say they have been shipped in from a far away land. how do i decide the best one for me, are they the same, and if not what's the difference in them? why is water all of a sudden complicated, get the best water available. What do you do?

This is a common problem but as for my self i have been drinking a well purified water for years now and i feel the best than i have in years. where does my water come from you might ask, but let me ask you this. Does water really matter where it comes from, last i check the water molecule structure has not changed. so why is it so different on were it comes from? This is the big secret, it does not matter where it comes from but what's in it! what do i mean about this. well there is minerals and many other things in your water to give it its unique qualities. Like tap water, its has many things in it that has been proven to cause, Illness and cancers. makes you think doesn't it. i know of one company and only one that has cleaned a water, cleaner than any other water out there. but before i give this away lets learn something about water and many other health facts and guidelines we should live by. Until next week start measuring up your waters and find out what really in them and not what is say on the label.

Dan Royer, know your water