sxc.hu: duchesssa

So, you’re trying to eat healthy or lose weight. That’s great! But, eating healthy can be complicated at times.

Some of the foods available at the grocery store contains all sorts of additives. These additives are supposed to enhance the flavour and appearance of our foods.

But, at what cost?

I don’t want to sound “alarmist,” but some food additives have been linked with cancer, ADHD, nerve cell damage, high cholesterol, and so on.

Admittedly, we need more research to confirm a definite link for some of these. But, in the meantime what are we to do?

Reading food labels is a good place to start, and although that can be very time consuming, a little research is a very small price to pay for a healthier you.

Here are 15 of the most harmful food additives to watch out for. I suggest reading this list, memorising it, or printing it out to take with you to the grocery store.

1. Sweeteners

The jury is still out on the safety of sweeteners, but let’s take a closer look at some of them:

Aspartame — this artificial sweetener is found in diet sodas, low calorie foods, and even some children’s vitamins. In 1995, the FDA listed 92 adverse Aspartame symptoms, which had been submitted as complaints.

Some of these symptoms include, headaches, memory loss, seizures, cancer and coma.

Acesulfame-K — is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be found in diet drinks, candy, and baked goods. Some studies have linked this sweetener to cancer in rats, we really don’t know what it’s long-term effect will be on humans.

Saccharin — found in fruit juice, soft drinks, and canned fruits. Studies have indicated it may cause cancer in lab animals.

Acesulfame potassium (Acesulfame-K) — found in baked goods, soft drinks, and diet produce, such as light yoghurts. There are concerns about it being a potential carcinogen.

So, are artificial sweeteners to be avoided at all costs? I don’t think so. But, you should reduce your consumption, if you consume them regularly.

As a registered dietitian, I go against many of my colleagues, who don’t have a problem recommending sweeteners to their clients. However, I just cannot reconcile myself to the idea that artificial sweeteners are “safe” for everyone.

You can take it or leave it, but I prefer to “air on the side of caution” with this one. That is, no artificial sweeteners, if I can help it.

2. Food colourings

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in the US recommended the common colours should be banned. CSPI executive director, Michael F. Jacobson, co-author of the report, Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks said this:

These synthetic chemicals do absolutely nothing to improve the nutritional quality or safety of foods, but trigger behaviour problems in children and, possibly, cancer in anybody.

Let’s take a look at some of the common food colourings:

Blue 1 — found in certain beverages, candy, and various baked items. This colouring is linked to cancer in mice.

Red 3 — the food coloring used in candy, fruit cocktail and baked goods. In 1990, it was recognised by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals, however it is still permitted in ingested drugs and foods.

Yellow 6 — used in gelatine, baked goods, candy and sausages. This colouring is linked to tumour causation, although disputed by the FDA. It may also cause allergic reactions in some people.

Red 40 — may cause hypersensitivity reactions in a small number of people, and may trigger hyperactivity in children.

Bottom line? All of these additives can be found in junk foods such as candy, sodas, and other sugary beverages — products we need to cut back on anyway.

3. Preservatives

Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite — used to preserve flavour and the red colour in meats. It can be found in bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni, and most processed meats.

These nitrates will form nitrosamines once they enter the body. These are carcinogenic. Studies have indicated that even small amounts can cause breast, prostate and stomach cancer.

Once again, these are unhealthy food choices, and therefore regular consumption should be avoided.

BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) — these are preservatives used to keep oils and fats from going rancid. They are commonly found in processed foods such as cereals, vegetable oils, potato chips and chewing gum.

Studies have suggested these preservatives may increase your risk of cancer.

4. Others

Hydrogenated vegetable oils — also known as trans fat, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. You can find this oil in many products such as potato chips, popcorn, cookies, pastries, butter, margarine, and almost all fast foods.

The danger with this type of oil is it causes an increase in your LDL cholesterol levels, while decreasing your HDL cholesterol levels. This increases your risk for having a heart attack, stroke, or other heart related problems.

Check out food labels and avoid products stating trans fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.

MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) — you’ve probably heard about the dangers of this food enhancer. It is found in canned soups, potato chips, frozen foods and crackers.

MSG has been linked to a range of side-effects, including headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

A 1995 study, by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, found that although most people can eat MSG safely, “an unknown percentage” may suffer “chest pain, headaches, nausea, rapid heartbeat and drowsiness.” Most at risk were people with severe asthma, or those who consumed MSG on an empty stomach.

Er… comforting thought!

Olestra (Olean) — this is a synthetic fat, developed to prevent fats from being absorbed by your digestive system. The theory is that if your body does not absorb the fat you will not gain weight. However, when the body does not absorb fat, it also does not absorb important nutrients, such as vitamins A, D and K. This is where the problem lies.

Olestra was added to some brands of potato chips, and pushed as a healthy alternative to regular potato chips. But, thousands of complaints have been filed, stating that Olestra has caused severe diarrhea, abdominal bloating, gas and abdominal cramping.

Potassium bromate — this is a bleaching agent, found in flour and baked goods. It is used in rolls, pizza dough and breads.

Studies have shown that this agent can cause cancer in animals and humans. It is banned here in the UK and also Europe, but not in the US. However, since 1991 the FDA have been urging bakers to stop using it voluntarily.

Phew… it makes for pretty frightening reading!

But, avoiding most of these additives is relatively easy. How? By eating mainly fresh, whole foods, and avoiding highly processed products, like those mentioned above.

Another way to make sure you are avoiding food additives is to start a habit of reading foods labels regularly.

What about you — are you concerned about food chemicals or artificial ingredients? How do you protect your health?

The “Rain” gum is a spearmint flavor and each package has 15 pieces of gum in it (which is one more than in my packs of Stride). I have to say, this spearmint rendering is quite a bit sweeter than Stride’s. It’s nice, and a good change of pace, but it took a little time for the flavor to grow on me. But alas, the flavor went away after a too short a time (~15-20 minutes) and I was left with gross gum flavor.

Each piece has 5 calories, 2 grams of sugar alcohols, and nothing else.

… There’s more. Continue reading ’5 Sugar Free Gum (Rain)’…

This gum is so flavorful, it’s amazing. It reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream and it’s just the right combination of sweet and minty. It seems to me that each piece of Trident is smaller than other brands of gum, but for that trade-off there are 18 pieces in a pack. The other downside: this gum doesn’t last nearly as long as Stride.

Xylitol, the sweetener used in this gum, is supposed to help fight cavities. Plus each piece of Trident Minty Sweet Twist Gum provides only 3.5 calories and so sugars. So this is a guilt-free, teeth-cleansing way to get your after-dinner minty fix.

… There’s more. Continue reading ‘Trident Minty Sweet Twist Gum’…

The Summer Fest theme this week is tomatoes and I can’t think of a better thing to talk about than slow-roasted tomatoes.  I made these for the first time last September and they were absolutely amazing.  Although I made them a few more times throughout the year with grocery store cherry tomatoes, I’ve been waiting for some good summer tomatoes to roast.

Yesterday I roasted a tray of 20 gorgeous Roma tomatoes that I had picked up at the Saturday Farmer’s Market.  It took all day, but the end result was fantastic.  I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but I ate about 15 of those tomatoes for dinner last night.  I just kept picking them off the tray as they were cooling.  My name is Nicole and I ate 15 Roma tomatoes in one night!  Now you know why you aren’t seeing photos of slow-roasted Roma tomatoes… I ate them before I could photograph them.

But I also roasted a pan of cherry tomatoes since I didn’t have enough Romas to fill two pans.  If you’re going to have the oven on all day anyway, you really should fill all the racks with tomatoes.  I managed to eat at least a handful of the cherry tomatoes, too.  I know what you’re thinking.  But you’ll understand once you make some yourself.  You should do that.

How to Make Slow-Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

And here are some more links to help you along your tomato-roasting journey.  These bloggers won’t steer you wrong.  You need to do this!

Instructions for Slow-Roasting Tomatoes:

• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Stephen Cooks
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at A Veggie Venture
• How to Make Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Smitten Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes with Sea Salt and Ground Coriander at Orangette
• Slow-Roasted Tomatoes at Andrea’s Recipes

What to do with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes:

• Pasta Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, Grilled Zucchini, and Basil at Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta at The Perfect Pantry
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Hummus at Andrea’s Recipes
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Sauce at The Kitchn
• Slow-Roasted Tomato Soup at A Veggie Venture

Other Summer Fest Attendees Celebrating Tomatoes:

• Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: Heirloom Tomato Tart with Parmesan Crust
• Alison at Food2: Heirloom tomatoes
• The FN Dish: Tyler’s Ultimate Tomato Salads
• Margaret at A Way to Garden: More than one way to ripen a tomato
• Gilded Fork: Celebrating summer lusciousness with a tomato dossier and recipes
• Diane and Todd at White on Rice Couple: Sun-dried tomatoes (actually made in the sun!)
• Paige at The Sister Project: 3 substantial, healthy, vegetarian tomatoey main dishes
• Liz at the Cooking Channel: Easy Tomato Tart
• Kelly at Just a Taste: Tomato Jam
• Alexis at Food Network UK: The seven deadly tomato sins
• Michelle at Healthy Eats: Top 10 Things to Do With Tomatoes
• Marilyn at Simmer Till Done: Cherry Tomato & Maytag Blue Beignets
• Alana at Eating From the Ground Up: Roasted Green Salsa (green zebras and tomatillos), and how late August makes her hurt for New Mexico
• Tigress in a Pickle: Over 50 ways to preserve tomatoes in jars
• Cate at Sweetnicks: A Loaded Bowl (filled with brown rice, Jersey fresh tomatoes, buttery avocados and more deliciousness)
• Caron at San Diego Foodstuff: Chunky Garden Gazpacho with Flowered Corn Tortillas and Melissa Clark’s Tomato Tarte Tatin

How You Can Join in Summer Fest 2010

Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? Starting with our posts of Wednesday, July 28, for five Wednesdays, you can contribute in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Summer Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the juicy Summer Fest 2010 tomato badge (illustrated by Matt of Mattbites.com).

Summer Fest 2010 Posting Schedule

7/28: Cukes and Zukes
8/4: Corn
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans
8/18: Stone Fruit – I missed this one!
8/25: Tomatoes

sxc.hu: mattox

Knowing when you’re hungry may seem simple, but have you really got it sorted?

If you’re going to be successful with your diet, you need to be able to recognise when you are truly hungry.

Perhaps you often eat for reasons other than hunger. If that’s the case, it begins to get very difficult to maintain a healthy calorie intake.

Eating when you are hungry, and only then, means you’ll be listening to your body’s hunger cues, and fuelling it when it’s time to eat.

Here are 3 ways to avoid eating when not hungry:

1. Keep a hunger journal
This is one of the most helpful things you can do to begin recognising when you’re hungry, and get to know your body’s signals.

This is where you write what you eat, when you eat it, and any thoughts or feelings you have while you do so.

You should also include, on a scale of one to ten, just how hungry you think you are before you begin eating. Use the hunger scale to help you work this out.

What does all of this teach? Well, by doing this, you learn to spot patterns in your eating habits which may signify you’ve been eating for reasons other than hunger.

For instance, if you write down thoughts, such as “worried” or “anxious”, yet you’re still rating your hunger at a moderate level, it’s likely you are eating as a result of the anxiety, rather than hunger.

#2 Stay well hydrated
Many people mistake thirst for hunger. But, by making sure you’re drinking at least eight glasses of water each day, you’ll avoid eating when you’re not hungry.

So, when you feel that “hunger daemon” coming on, drink a glass of cold water first, then see how you feel in five minutes.

Here are some tips on drinking more water.

I promise you’ll be surprised how quickly it kills your appetite

#3 Take a short walk
This may seem like a strange way to avoid eating when not hungry, but sometimes just getting the blood flowing through the body, helps you realise you aren’t as hungry as first thought.

Also, exercise itself tends to suppress the appetite, so you’ll probably find that walking around cures any hunger cravings you were having anyway.

Plus, you’ll also burn off some additional calories — great if you’re trying to lose weight.

Bonus tip
Keeping yourself busy during the evening hours can be a huge help. Evening is often the time when people eat for reasons other than hunger, such as boredom or loneliness. So, by planning to stay busy, you’ll prevent this from happening.

Even if you have no other plans, find something to do that keeps your hands and your mind occupied.

Needlework, painting your nails, reading a book, taking a night class, or doing an evening workout — these are all great options. If you’re really ambitious, consider cleaning your house, or mowing the lawn

Remember, if you plan for success, you are planning to succeed.

What are your tips to avoid eating when you’re not hungry?

Flickr: cosmic bandita

If you’re like most people, after making the decision to get on with your weight loss, you’re antsy to see results.

It’s totally natural to be excited about these new changes — you’re ready to move forward, full steam ahead, that’s a great sign.

But, before you dive into your new program, consider the following tips. These are some of the main areas people fall down on when they try to lose weight.

1. Create a food menu
Like most things in life, having a game plan is vital. And, weight loss is no different.

Always start your week by figuring out what meals you’ll have ahead of time, and then prepare a grocery list that will guide you in what to purchase.

When you stock only healthy foods in your home, it’ll be so much easier to stick to your program.

2. Get a workout buddy
Looking for a way to stay motivated? Nothing beats having a workout buddy by your side to make you show up to each and every session.

Find someone who has similar goals as you do, and a similar workout plan. When you know someone’s counting on you to show up, it’s so much easier to get yourself going and to that workout session.

3. Clean out your cupboards
As much as you hate to part with it, try your best to clean out your cupboards and get rid of any foods that just don’t fit into your plan.

While it can be difficult to say goodbye to your favourite brand of cookies, if you do, the temptation to satisfy your craving will be reduced ten-fold.

Flickr: ugocei

4. Get some new music
If you’re finding it harder and harder to get pumped for your workouts, find some new music to load on to your MP3 player.

Whether you’re into fast and upbeat, or something more “clasical”, a selection of new songs can really get you working hard again.

5. Try a new cardio class
If there’s one aspect people have a hard time sticking with, it’s cardio. To prevent cardio boredom and eventually dropout, try some of the new fitness classes at your local gym.

Whether it’s power yoga, kickboxing, or some other variation, it’ll get you burning calories and enjoying your workout sessions again.

6. Get online support
If you find you don’t have people around who encourage you to stay active and eat properly, turn to an online support group.

These groups are a fantastic way to get encouragement to stick with your goals, and to find other liked-minded individuals to share the process with.

7. Make food substitutions
If you’re dealing with massive food cravings, consider finding some fast food substitutions.

For example, if you feel like you’ll die without some ice cream, consider a cup of natural yoghurt instead (freeze it if you prefer). Want a big plate of spaghetti? Consider spaghetti squash with some tomato sauce for a lower carb version, which tastes really great, too.

By making smarter choices that fit into your diet, you can kill the cravings and stay healthy at the same time.

8. Educate yourself on calories
if you want to succeed with weight loss, check out the calorie content of the foods you’re eating — I’m not saying examine every morsel you put into your mouth, but it’s good to have some idea of what calories you’re taking in.

So, start reading nutritional labels (particularly for those foods you routinely eat), so that you become more aware of what’s in the foods you’re eating.

9. Buy new workout gear
Some people find getting new workout gear extremely motivating.

Perhaps you need a new pair of running shoes, a new sports bra, or something else that makes your workout more enjoyable. If that works for you, go for it!

10. Create a journal
One thing that helps people when they try to lose weight is to create a journal.

In your journal try writing about any thoughts or feelings that hold you back, things that help you lose weight, and also about the results you’re seeing.

By getting it out on paper, it helps prevent stress and obsessing over the whole process.

11. Back away from the TV
Those who spend their time watching TV each night are far more likely to battle a weight problem.

So, find some other activity to do instead, such as grabbing a coffee with friends, or taking up a new hobby.

12. Add 10 minute walks
While getting a good cardio workout in a great, don’t think you have to hit the gym to get in a good workout.

Ten minute walks throughout your day can really aid your weight loss, and are a great starting place if exercise isn’t the norm for you. 

Try to get a 10 minute walk in during the morning, one at lunch, and one in the evening following dinner.

Flickr: mythoto

13. Get your partner involved
Do your best to get your partner or a close friend involved with your efforts.

It’s going to feel easier to stick with your program if you have some support, and even more so if they’re working towards a similar goal.

14. Try one new recipe each week
One very good way to cure dietary boredom is to try at least one new recipe each week.

By doing this you’ll reduce your chance cheating on foods that aren’t nutritiously sound just because you’re bored with your current eating routine.

15. Swap coffee for green tea
If you typically start your day with a cup of coffee, swap this for green tea instead. 

Green tea provides numerous health benefits, and is thought to help speed up the metabolism, which is great for fat loss.

16. Toss the scale
If you’re still suck on using the scale to determine your weight loss progress, it may be time to abandon that forever.

Weighing scales are a poor way to gauge success because they don’t tell you whether what you have lost is fat or muscle weight.

Instead, use the mirror as your guide, or start using a tape measure. If you really want to know how you’re progressing, get a body fat assessment taken.

17. Try an early morning cardio session
If you aren’t doing early morning workouts, make it your new mission to get in some early morning cardio training.

By getting it out of the way at the start of the day you’re less likely to put it off, and it’s a great way to begin the day, as you feel fired up to stick with your new healthy habits.

18. Add more fibre
Eating lots of fibre rich foods helps slow down your digestion, and keeps you feeling satisfied for longer.

Toss some blackberries onto your morning bowl of oatmeal for an easy way to add another 5-10 grams of fibre.

19. Expect hurdles
If you’re constantly expecting perfection from yourself and your diet you’re going to find it’s difficult to stay on track.

Instead, try to come up with some fast solutions that you can turn to should a hurdle arise. This will allow you to deal with it properly.

20. Cut out all processed foods
If there’s one group of foods you should avoid, it’s processed foods.

When you remove all packaged foods from your diet, you’re sure to see weight loss benefits.

Flickr: oliliqui

21. Freeze some food portions
If you’re busy and don’t have much time to cook, cut down your meal prep by making a batch of healthy foods on the weekends, and then freeze some in containers for later.

Soups, stews, and stir-fries all work well for this purpose, and will make meal time a breeze later in the week.

22. Try incline walking
If you’re not a big fan of running, a great alternative that will help you burn calories fast is incline walking.

This is the perfect way to get your heart rate up and your muscles working, without the high impact nature of running.

23. Get in some healthy fats
Do you avoid healthy fats because of the calorie content? If you do, it’s time to get over this.

Start taking in more healthy fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty sources of fish. These will improve your blood cholesterol profile and stabilize your blood sugar levels, without hindering your weight loss efforts.

24. Take an active vacation
Far too many people let the weight creep on when they go on holiday because they feel they can’t stick with their eating plan and workouts as they should when out of their normal routine.

Instead of kicking back and forgoing exercise on your next vacation, why not consider a few active pursuits? Mountain climbing, surfing, cycling or simply walking around looking at the sights, are all great ways to get active and burn some calories.

25. Don’t shun night-time snacks
If you feel true hunger at night-time, a snack is not going to completely derail your progress.

If you plan for it, choose something healthy, and are sure to include it in your total calorie intake, there’s no reason why you can’t have a healthy snack, without gaining weight as a result.

What are your fat loss tips? I’d love to hear from you, too…