Quiz: Which foods have the most of these nutrients?

1. All of these foods are good sources of vitamin C, but which contains the most?
~ a cup of sliced strawberries
~ a cup of chopped green chili peppers
~ a cup of orange sections
~ a cup of diced tomatoes

2. These foods are all good sources of folate, or folic acid. Which contains the most?
~ 1 cup of orange juice
~ 1 cup of asparagus pieces
~ 1 cup of chopped raw spinach
~ 1 cup of cooked kidney beans

3. Which of these foods is the best source of calcium?
~ 1 cup goat's milk
~ 1 cup cow's milk
~ 1 cup sardines
~ 1 cup rhubarb

4. All of these foods are good sources of vitamin A. Which has the most?
~ a cup of cooked kale
~ a cup of sliced carrots
~ a cup of cooked spinach
~ a cup of cooked beet greens

5. Which of the following fiber-rich foods contains the most fiber?
~ 1 cup orange sections
~ 1 cup oat bran
~ 1 cup apple slices
~ 1 cup raw kale





answers: vitamin C (green chili peppers); folate (kidney beans); calcium (sardines); vitamin A (carrots); fiber (oat bran)

100 Calorie Snacks

All numbers are approximate, but this really shows you how quickly 100 calories adds up.

Salty Snacks around 100 calories
11 french fries - 105 calories
3 cups air popped popcorn - 93 calories
1 large piece of beef jerky - 82 calories
11 Stacy's Simply Naked pita chips - 104 calories
1/2 cup boiled peanuts - 100 calories

Sweet Snacks around 100 calories
2 oreos - 107 calories
1 Rice Crispies Treat - 90 calories
1 cup applesauce - 102 calories
2 medium sized chocolate chip cookies - 96 calories
10 Junior Mints - 106 calories

Healthy Snacks around 100 calories
1 cup grapes - 104 calories
1 medium sized banana - 105 calories
1 medium sized apple - 95 calories
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt - 90 calories
1/2 cup edamame - 95 calories

Sinful Snacks around 100 calories
1/3 cup chocolate ice cream - 95 calories
1 fun sized butterfinger - 100 calories
3 Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies - 112 calories
1/2 glazed cake donut - 96 calories
1/2 bag plain M&M's - 115 calories (No, not the family sized bag!)

Cheesy Snacks around 100 calories
3/4 ounce Nacho Cheese Doritos - 90 calories
2/3 ounce Cheetos - 107 calories
1/2 slice Pizza Hut thin crust cheese pizza
1 fried mozzarella stick - 102 calories
40 Goldfish crackers - 102 calories

Give less this holiday season

I came across this great idea in this month's issue of Natural Health magazine. Rather than buying more stuff for those on your Christmas list, spending $5 here and there on one knicknack or another, spend some time taking friends and family members off junk mail lists.

Visit the website dmachoice.org to register their addresses. They will appreciate their emptier mailboxes, and you will help cut back on the estimated 100 million trees that are sacrified each year to fund America's junk mail habit.

If anyone wants to do this for me, I'd be honored. All I want this Christmas is less junk! And a Starbucks gift card.

a new favorite

My new favorite blog to browse...The Plan to Eat blog

http://blog.plantoeat.com/

Fantastic, motivating writers!!

5 foods you may not have known contain HFCS

HFCS...high fructose corn syrup...the 4 words healthy people are adamant to avoid these days (though plain old white sugar is just as bad in my little opinion). The following five foods are marketed as "healthy." But on closer examination of the label, health-nuts may want to rethink including these in their diets. In the long list of ingredients of each of these products lurks the dreaded high fructose corn syrup.

1. Kellogg's Special K cereal. Ladies, if you think your legs and derriere will look like that of the Special K model just because you include this cereal in your diet, then you probably also own a pair of those Sketchers Shape-Up shoes.

2. Dannon Fruit on the Bottom yogurt. Here's a tip - there's not much real fruit on the bottom. Or anywhere else.

3. Wishbone Fat Free Italian salad dressing. Stick to plain old oil & vinegar made from scratch. It's a better bet.

4. Nutri-Grain cereal bars. These do not meet the nutritional standards in other countries to be considered a healthy food, yet I know plenty of people who swear by them! Must be because of the word, 'grain.'

5. Wheat Thins Fiber Selects. Again, it's all about the wording. People flock to the word 'fiber.'

One thing all of these foods have in common? They are all processed, proving once again that whole foods are better foods. I know the above foods are more convenient, but isn't your health worth the time that meal preparation takes?

a healthier halloween cookie

This is from Green Bean Delivery, www.greenbeandelivery.com


This cookie uses winter squash and yams to provide sweetness while also supplying healthy vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour (rolled oats ground in a coffee grinder)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup pureed, cooked pumpkin, winter squash, or yams
1/4 cup sucanat
1/2 cup pumpkin butter or plain yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flours, soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a mixing bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine winter squash, sucanat, pumpkin butter, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then top with yummy yam frosting and chocolate chips. Makes 2 dozen cookies


Yummy Yam Frosting

This naturally sweet, beautiful golden-orange frosting can be used to top cookies, quick-breads, graham crackers, gingerbread cookies or cakes. This recipe makes enough to frost 2 dozen cookies or a one-layer cake.

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed baked yams
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon or orange juice

Directions:

Place yams, cream cheese, butter, syrup, and juice in a bowl and cream together. Puree this mixture in a blender, food processor or with a hand mixer to a smooth, spreadable consistency. Makes 3/4-1 cup frosting.

Choosing a Healthier Frozen Meal

Though convenient, frozen meals are often way too high in calories, fat, and sodium for those watching their diets. So here's some tips to help you choose as healthy a frozen meal as possible.

~Look for meals that have fewer than 400 calories, with no more than 30% of those calories from fat. Aim for the saturated fat content to be less than 6 grams and sodium to be under 600 milligrams.

~Other numbers to aim for include 3 to 5 grams of fiber, 7 or more grams of protein, and less than 15 grams of total sugars.

~In the ingredients column, you want to see meals with lots of vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains first and foremost. Avoid meals with heavy creams, sauces, and cheese.

~Supplement the meal with a healthy side, such as a small salad, a cup of fruit, or some greek yogurt to help fill you up.

~Some meals come with little packets of extra seasoning. Use these sparingly to keep the sodium content at a minimum.

~Don't be fooled by "healthy" labels. Just because a meal boasts the term organic or all-natural doesn't necessarily make it a healthier option. Always check labels thoroughly.

~Remember, frozen entrees are processed foods. Cooking for yourself with whole ingredients is always the better option.

Protein-Packed Muffins

Try this recipe for a post-workout treat:

1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened cinnamon applesauce
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese
1 tbsp. natural peanut butter (or any nut butter)
1 full banana, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Cover muffin tins with cooking spray or papers. Mix ingredients in the order listed above, adding blueberries right before spooning batter into muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes. Leave in pan to cool. Enjoy warm, or freeze muffins and store individually for later. They mold fast, so freeze those you won't enjoy right away.

Alternative Preparations:
~ Add 1 tbsp. of honey or agave nectar for a slightly sweeter muffin.
~ Add chopped walnuts for some omega 3 fatty acids.
~ Throw in raisins or dried cranberries for extra flavor.

160 calories per muffin, 3 grams of fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 30 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein

Calcium Citrate versus Calcium Carbonate

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 8 million women over the age of 50 in the U.S. now have osteoporosis and this number is on the rise yearly. Experts have chalked the rise in the disease up to our poor diets and lack of exercise. Americans are no longer getting enough calcium in our diets, we are not doing enough weight-bearing exercise, and we are consuming too many colas, which leach the calcium right out of our bones!

We all know great food sources for calcium include low-fat dairy products, tofu, leafy greens (think kale, swiss chard), canned salmon, almonds, and sesame seeds. But what about supplements? Which is better of the two leading types of calcium supplements - citrate or carbonate? Really, it's a personal choice.

Calcium is best absorbed in an acidic environment and calcium citrate is acidic based. So, citrate is the best absorbed supplemental form of calcium. It doesn't require any extra stomach acid for absorption, so we can take it at any time of day, with or without food. However, it usually provides less elemental calcium per pill than the carbonate form. So if your citrate supplement says 500 mg, only 200 mg of that may be elemental calcium, which is the amount of actual calcium in a pill available to our bodies for absorption. This all means you would have to take more pills of the citrate form than of the carbonate form for the same amount of calcium.

Calcium carbonate, on the other hand, is alkaline based. It requires extra stomach acid for better absorption, so it is best taken right after a meal or with a glass of an acidic juice, like orange juice. Calcium carbonate is also more easily available and less expensive.

Whichever type you choose, aim for 1000 mg to 1300 mg of calcium per day through a healthy diet and supplementation, and never consume more than 2500 mg of elemental calcium daily.

Allergies and Your Diet

More and more often, research is showing a direct link between our diets and our allergies. When diets lack in essential nutrients and fiber and are instead full of highly processed ingredients and sugars, allergy symptoms seem to be worse. Certain nutrients are essential for keeping our immune systems strong and regulating our allergic responses. If you suffer from allergies and you do not get enough of the following nutrients through diet alone, you may want to consider supplements.

~Probiotics.......replenish beneficial bacteria in our intestines. Studies show that there is a link between unhealthy gut flora and allergy symptoms in the lungs. Food sources include: yogurt, fermented foods, probiotic-fortified foods, which there are more and more of on our shelves these days.

~Quercetin & Bromelain.........are a powerful pair that work together to support healthy histamine response. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid antioxidant which aids in reducing inflammation. Bromelain is an enzyme derived from pineapples. Quercetin food sources include: onions, apples, green tea, red wine, and leafy veggies.

~Vitamin C...........plays a role in regulating the release of histamine. Food sources include: peppers, citrus, watermelon, and dark leafy greens.

~Vitamin E............has been associated with a reduced risk of hay fever. Food sources include: wheat germ, whole grains, expeller-pressed vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts.

~Omega 3 Fatty Acids.........are vital for numerous functions in the body, including keeping inflammation at bay. Food sources include: certain fish like salmon and tuna, flaxseeds, walnuts, and dark leafy greens.

If you are an allergy sufferer, ragweed may be doing you in this fall, at least in Indiana where it is at an all-time high. In addition to adding the above nutrients to your diet, reducing or eliminating dairy and meat can also help keep allergies at a minimum.

A Yummy Homemade Granola Bar Recipe

You need:

2 cups old fashioned or instant oats, uncooked
1 cup flour
2/3 cup dried cherries/blueberries/craisins/raisins (your choice)
1/2 cup chopped almonds/pecans/walnuts (your choice, or none if allergies)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
3/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey (I used agave nectar, and a bit less than 1/2 cup)
2 cups finely chopped apples or pears
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray a 9x13 metal baking pan. Glass works but the bars may be a bit harder to cut. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar, wheat germ, flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Stir in the oil, honey, apples or pears, vanilla, and egg until blended. Get your hand damp and use it to pat the mixture into the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the edges are a pale golden color. Cool completely in the dish on a wire rack. When cool, cut into 12, 18, or 24 pieces. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap or foil, put in ziploc bags, and freeze. To eat, unwrap, and thaw in microwave on high for 1 minute.


servings based on 24 bars: 1 bar = 180 calories, 6 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 29 g carbs, 3 g fiber

Frozen Fun

Freezing is a great way to preserve food because it changes food the least. According to the Purdue Extension, you should freeze only the highest quality produce and preserve berries, beets, asparagus, green beans, broccoli, corn, and leafy greens the same day you pick them. Pick tomatoes, apples, and peaches when they are ripe but still firm, and allow them to ripen a bit more for a few days before preserving them. For better veggies, blanch them in boiling water or steam before preserving them to stop the action of natural enzymes that cause produce to spoil and lose nutrients. To blanch: use at least one gallon of water per pound of vegetables. Bring water to a vigorous boil, then place veggies in a wire basket and lower them into the water, making sure they are covered. Put a lid on the pot and set your timer according to info below based on what veggie you are blanching. Keep the heat on high while blanching.

*asparagus - cut or leave whole - blanch 3 minutes
*lima beans - shell and sort - blanch 3 minutes
*snap, green or wax beans - cut in 1 or 2 inch pieces - blanch 3 minutes
*broccoli - soak in salt water for 30 minutes to drive off insects. Cut stalks lengthwise, leaving one inch florets for even blanching - steam for 5 minutes
*carrots - leave small carrots whole, slice or dice large carrots - blanch 3 minutes
*corn - freeze clean cobs or cut corn from cob after blanching - blanch 4 minutes
*peas - shell only what you'll blanch and freeze immediately - blanch 1.5 minutes
*sweet peppers - trim, cut out stems and seeds - blanch 3 minutes
*summer squash - cut in 1/2 inch slices - blanch 3 minutes
*apples - place slices in solution of 2 tbsp salt to 1 gal water for 15-20 minutes, drain, blanch 2 minutes and cool in cold water
*berries - steam blueberries for 1 minute to tenderize skin and make for better flavor, or just wash and freeze
*rhubarb - cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces - blanch 1 minute, cool promptly
*herbs - wash, drain, chop, and freeze. Herbs will be limp when thawed so use in cooked dishes.

What NOT to freeze: foods with very high water content, such as lettuce, cucumbers, and watermelon; celery; potatoes; raw vegetables (must be blanched first).

Ummm...wow

Ingredients in McDonald's Frappe՛

Mocha Coffee Frappe Base
Water, cream, sugar, milk, high fructose corn syrup, coffee extract, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, cocoa (processed with alkali), mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, potassium phosphate, disodium phosphate, carrageenan, carob bean gum, colored with (red 40, yellow 5, blue 1).

Ice
Ice

Whipped Cream
Cream, nonfat milk, water, corn syrup, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, mono-and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, beta carotene (color), natural (dairy and vegetable source) and artificial flavor, mixed tocopherols (vitamin E) to protect flavor. Whipping Propellant (nitrous oxide).

Chocolate Drizzle
Corn syrup, water, hydrogenated coconut oil, high fructose corn syrup, glycerin, nonfat milk, cocoa powder, cocoa (processed with alkali), food starch-modified, disodium phosphate, potassium sorbate (preservative), xanthan gum, artificial flavor (vanillin), salt, soy lecithin.

A Stolen Snack Girl post

So it's back to school time and we all know you should send your kiddos out the door with a healthy, non sugar filled breakfast. Cereal is popular, but its hard to find good cereal. My favorite website, managed by Snack Girl, recently posted the following that I thought I would share. Everyone should check out her website at www.snack-girl.com. She's full of great info!


"Back in March, I wrote Candy or Breakfast? Evaluate Your Cereal and since then I have been on a search for cereals that pass my, "Healthy or Crappy Cereal Test" (patent pending :)

The sad thing isn't that I couldn't find hardly any that I both liked and passed the test! The biggest problem with my test was the second ingredient measure. If the second ingredient was sugar, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, etc., I had decided the cereal failed.

Well, that turned out to be quite a high bar and I think it ruled out some healthy choices. I asked my new pal Cheryl Forberg what she thought. She thinks that if it has 5 grams or less of sugar per serving it is a good choice.

So here is a new version of the test using Kashi's Heart to Heart Cereal:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthy or Crappy Cereal Test
1. Is the first ingredient whole grain? Yes! The first ingredient is whole oat flour.

2. Is there 5 grams or less of sugar per serving? Yes! There is 5 grams of sugar per serving.

3. One serving must provides at least 4 grams of fiber. You can remember this one with Four Fiber. Yes! It has 5 grams of fiber!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Great! Kashi's Heart to Heart passes!

Previously on Snack Girl, I slammed Kashi for Kashi GoLean, which has 10 grams of sugar per serving. That stuff really tasted like Captain Crunch.

But, Kashi's Heart to Heart cereal is pretty tasty and has less sodium than Cheerios, but more sugar (aah, trade-offs). My kids don't love it, but I can serve it with some other cereal mixed in (like Rice Krispies) and it becomes more palatable.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!"

Food for thought

Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice at night can help you fall asleep. They contain tryptophan, like your Thanksgiving turkey.

A handful of almonds will help ward off pre-period headaches, ladies.

Drink green tea for thicker, lusher hair.

Eat grapes to help repair and even prevent premature dryness, fine lines, and sagging of the skin.

Complex carbs, like chickpeas (think hummus), lentils, & whole grains, can help banish a bad mood. When we are feeling blue, we crave sweets because the simple carbs prompt the brain to secrete serotonin, the calming hormone that eases depression and stress. But after the initial high, the blood sugar crashes and can make your bad mood worse. So stick to the complex carbs!

Protein rich foods can help with splitting nails. Sedentary people need half their body weight in grams of protein daily. Active people need more.

Plain yogurt can help with bad breath. The cultures in plain yogurt get rid of stinky sulfur compounds in our mouths. The sugar in breath mints just make things worse.

Eat an apple with peanut butter for an energy boost in the afternoon.

Low fat dairy can help with PMS. When women don't get enough calcium, they may experience more cramps, mood swings, and bloating. If you also get headaches, you may be low in magnesium. 1/4 cup of almonds or cashews will give you 30% of your daily magnesium needs.

Zinc-rich foods (crabmeat, yogurt, baked beans, green peas, pumpkin seeds) can help with a dry, flaky scalp or hair loss.

10 little changes you can make right now

Here's a list of 10 changes you can make right now for better health...

1. Switch from refined oils including vegetable oil to unrefined oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, sesame oil, etc. The benefits include eliminating processed, heat-treated, & damaged fats and increasing your intake of healthy omega-3fatty acids.

2. Switch from sugar to agave nectar or honey. Both are sweeter than sugar, so you can use less in your coffee or tea. Another benefit of agave nectar is that it is low on the glycemic index, so it won't enter your body all at once and cause you to crash later.

3. Change from margarine to butter. Butter is all natural, unprocessed.

4. Change from table salt to celtic sea salts. You will be adding essential minerals that your body needs.

5. Switch from all purpose white flour to whole wheat flour, or at least go half & half when you bake.

6. Change from overly processed, conventional meats to organic meats that come from grass fed livestock and are free of hormones, antibiotics, and preservatives. You will reduce your body's toxic load.

7. Change from conventional produce (fruits & veggies) to organic. In addition to reducing that toxic load, organic produce has been shown to have a higher nutrient content. Plus it tastes better!

8. Switch from eating excessively refined carbohydrates to pairing complex carbs with protein at each meal and snack. For example, an apple paired with a tbsp. of nut butter. Protein helps you feel fuller longer, improves your mood, and keeps your blood sugar stabolized.

9. Switch from white stuff (bread, pasta, rice...) to whole grains. Foods made with white flour have basically had all the nutrients sucked out of them. Like protein, whole grains help you feel fuller longer and add fiber to your diet, which we all need daily.

10. Switch from candy, chocolate bars, and other sugary treats to dark chocolate. Look for 70% to 90% cocoa. Good quality dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants and minerals, especially magnesium.

Tuna and White Bean Salad

This recipe is from Beachbody and is very versatile if you want to improvise from the original. It's a great source of protein and fiber, and incredibly tasty as well.

2 6-oz. cans water packed tuna
2 cups canned white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup canned or jarred artichoke hearts, chopped (reduce olive oil used in dressing if artichokes are marinated in oil)
1 bunch parsley, stemmed and chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix first eight ingredients (tuna through rosemary) in a large bowl. Whisk together garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper. Add dressing to large bowl and toss together. Serves 4. (For extra zip and fiber, serve on a bed of raw arugula or spinach leaves.)

I really had to improvise because I did not have on hand cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, or rosemary. So I dug through the fridge for veggies that needed used up. In with my tuna and beans, I mixed chopped red pepper, snap peas, a few diced carrots and the called for onion and artichoke hearts. Unfortunately, I had no fresh herbs, but the recipe was still good. The dressing really makes it work with anything you have on hand.

As prepared from the original recipe, one serving has 372 calories, 12 grams of fat (though it's the heart healthy kind from the olive oil), 40 grams of carbs, 11 grams of fiber, and 33 grams of protein.

Red dye #40

Yesterday I had one of those moments that can make you feel like a total failure as a parent. My youngest daughter is involved in American Heritage Girls, which is sort of like Girl Scouts, and they had their valentines party yesterday after school. Guess who's little girl was the only one to show up with no valentines to pass out? Yep. Mine. It just completely slipped my mind. So, I left one down-hearted child there, took the older one, and high-tailed it over to CVS to find something she could share with her friends. Now I'm not sure if it was the guilt driving me or what, but I ended up with a bag of red heart shaped suckers. Here's the short ingredient list: artificial flavoring, artificial coloring, high fructose corn syrup, and red dye #40. That's it. Four items. Four items that I have successfully eliminated from my children's diets (well, minus what others give them, GRAMMA!). And now here I was handing them out to 24 little girls, including my own. Ignoring the first three ingredients for now, I know all too well the evils of red dye #40. That nasty stuff wreaked complete havoc on my oldest daughter for awhile until we finally nailed it as the culprit to her constant hives. Red dye #40 can cause all sorts of woes, especially in our children's little bodies. Allergies, headaches, mood swings, behaviorial problems, lack of concentration, hives, asthma, hyperactivity...it's even labeled a possible carcinogen. But the FDA approves it because in small doses, it can't hurt, right? Let's take a look at some of the products out there that contain red dye #40.

Icing and cake mixes (and I'm talking about you, Duncan Hines & Pillsbury)
Pillsbury crescent rolls
Pie crusts and pie fillings
Hard candy of all sorts: peppermints, suckers, cinnamon disks
Gummy worms
Caramels (why??)
Chocolate bridge mix (again why??)
Twizzlers
Altoids breath mints
Fruit chews
Jolly ranchers
Starburst
Jelly beans
M&Ms (unless you live in England because they've requested it be taken out of their chocolates. M&Ms complied. Bet the red ones taste the same over there still.)
Skittles
Life Savers
Certs
Too many types of gum to list
Smarties
Tootsie roll pops
Hot tamales
Dum Dum suckers
Cereal: Kix, Lucky Charms, Reese pb cereal, Fruit Loops, Fruity pebbles, Honey Bunches of Oats with strawberries, Capt Crunch
Dannon Light n Fit and Fruit Blends yogurt
Yoplait Trix yogurt
Strawberry Kiwi V-8 Splash, Hi C, Minute Maid orange soda, Sunkist, Gatorade, Hawaiian Punch, various koolaids and crystal lights
Lipton Brisk iced tea
Ruby Red grapefruit juice
Code Red Mt. Dew
Tropicana Twister
Canned fruit salads
Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper
BBQ sauces
Catalina salad dressing
Popsicles
Doritos
Fritos
Fruit gushers
Hersheys syrup
Twinkies
Nutrigrain cereal bars
Poptarts
Jello

I'm going to stop there, though this is only a partial list. And please note that you should always read labels since companies change their recipes sometimes, so some of this stuff may be red dye #40 free now while other stuff may have snuck it in to their product.

So, after taking out all this junk from her diet, my daughter was still in hives. Why? Well, because red dye #40 can also be found in laundry detergent, body wash, shampoo, cold medicines, toothpaste, lotions, hand soap, talcum powder, makeup, lip gloss, chapstick, cough drops, etc. For us, it was her pretty pink princess toothpaste. So, yes, now I get to pay extra dollars for the Tom's of Maine brand. Totally worth it to see my daughter's back clear of open sores, though.

It's easy to say "Oh, a little won't hurt." But how many products do you or your children consume/use that contains the FDA dyes over the course of a day? A little here and there adds up to a whole bunch rather quickly.

*sources include www.red40.com and my textbooks
**My sincerest apologies to the mommies of the 24 little girls to whom my daughter lovingly passed out valentine suckers yesterday. I promise it won't happen again. :)

Supplement Seminar

Recently I joined the wellness group at my church, White River Christian Church in Noblesville. The group is called LiteHearted, and it is sure to be one of my biggest blessings this year. So much fabulous information on women's wellness spiritually, physically, and nutritionally!

Last night, we had the privilege of having a local chiropractor, Dr. Zimmer, talk about supplements. He first debunked the myth that vitamins just result in expensive urine. I wish I could remember his exact wording, but I'll do my best. Essentially, it's like saying you don't need to drink too much water because you just pee it out anyway. Water is crucial to life, is it not, and drinking lots of it results in good things like clear skin, healthy organs, and a natural way to rid the body of toxins. Yes, you will pee alot if you drink alot of water, but it's still helping your body out. Same is true with vitamins. If you take an optimum amount of vitamins, yes you will rid of some of it in your urine. BUT, the vitamins still do their job for your body, protecting you from all the toxins and pesticides and chemicals we all come across in our daily lives.

It's worth it to invest in a great quality vitamin because there's so much junk and hype out there. Dr. Zimmer listed four questions to ask when choosing a multi-vitamin.

1. Does the multi supply vitamin E in its natural "d" form? Look at the bottle and find the vitamin E. It should read d-alpha-tocopherol, NOT dl-alpha-tocopherol. The dl form is not natural and is in fact derived from petroleum. Remember "dl" stands for don't like!

2. Does the multi supply only higher quality minerals? Higher quality mineral names include: calcium citrate or calcium malate, zinc amino acid chelate or zinc picolinate or zinc glycinate, magnesium amino acid chelate or magnesium citrate or magnesium citramate to name a few examples. Make sure these word do not describe your minerals: carbonate, oxide, gluconate. They are poorer quality.

3. Is your multi completely FREE OF these chemicals? Hold on, the list is long...BHT, hydrogenated oils, polyvinyl alcohol, corn starch, modified food starch, pregelatinized corn starch, artificial colorings or flavorings, polyethylene glycol, sodium benzoate, sucrose, talc, aluminum silicate. Whew!! All junk.

4. Is your multi FREE OF any herbals? Blends of herbs will be listed as a 'proprietary blend' followed by a list of numerous herbs. This is a marketing ploy to make you feel like you are getting a benefit from what is essentially a clinically worthless amount of herbs. Don't be fooled. The herbs probably won't harm you, per Dr. Zimmer. They just aren't doing you any good.

The doctor mentioned that the one supplement he recommends everyone take are omegas (fish oil) in a reputable source that tests for PCBs and rancidity. Good brands are metagenics and nordic naturals. He also touched on the benefits of probiotics, which puts good bacteria in your gut and helps with digestive issues. Find one with billions of a variety of bacteria listed.

The information Dr. Zimmer gave was priceless, as is all of the information at LiteHearted. Join us at WRCC on Monday nights, 6:30pm or contact me for further information about this fabulous group.

Eating Out

Let's face it. If you live in this country, you most likely eat out...at least occasionally. Nowadays, more and more restaurants are posting nutritional information on their menus, websites, ipod apps, and more. That's great. BUT (you knew there was a 'but' didn't you?) in the food science labs where these meals are made and tested for calorie, fat, fiber, protein, etc. counts, the ingredients are very precisely measured. In the kitchens of your local restaurant establishments, they may not be. They want their food to taste good, so more butter, sugar, salt, and sauces may be used than was used in the lab specimen. That means your 550 calorie meal may be a tad, or more, higher. So here are a few tips gathered from various sources that might help you choose a healthier option from your favorite menu:

1. Look for code words. Steer clear of creamy, crispy, smothered, rich, thick, cheesy, fried, au gratin, escalloped, pan-fried, sauteed, or stuffed. Better choices to look for are steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached, roasted, and seared.

2. Request dressings or sauces on the side, so you have control over how much is added to your meal. In many a salad, the dressing is where the majority of the calories lie.

3. Either ask for a half portion or share a meal with your dining partner. If the restaurant will not make half portions and no one wants to share, ask for half of your meal to be automatically boxed up to take home. Most restaurant portions these days are two to three times more food than one person needs at any given meal.

4. Ask for the veggie of the day as your side instead of fries or coleslaw or onion rings. Your thighs will thank you later.

5. Tell the waiter NOT to bring the bread and butter before the meal.

6. Choose your restaurants carefully. Indian foods are often high in calories and fat. Other not so great choices: pubs (heavy on fried foods), diners (often specialize in foods covered in cheese, gravy, or syrup), and buffets (all-you-can-eat, which is usually more-than-you-need). On the other hand, sushi is a light, nutritious choice as long as its not the deep fried variety. Grills often have a healthy choice or two. And bistros usually carry entree salads and lighter options.

7. Go the "small plate" route by choosing 2-3 healthy appetizers as your meal. Just remember all of the above guidelines when choosing. Crispy chicken wings with ranch dressing - NO. Grilled shrimp on a bed of spinach - YES.

8. When it comes to dessert, order one for the whole table. Quite often, just a bite or two of a treat will satisfy a sweet tooth. Or order sorbet, fresh fruit, or low fat yogurt.

9. When it comes to fast food, go hungry. Just kidding! Well, sort of. But I guess most fast food places have grilled chicken sandwiches these days, and side salads, and....bottled waters.

10. Instead of drinking your calories, or your poisons for all you diet drink junkies, stick to water. That's a super easy way to do away with added calories and sugars.

Most of all, when you eat out, enjoy the friends & family that surround you at the meal, making them the focus of the experience instead of the food.

"The 11 Best Foods You Probably Aren't Eating"

Following is from an email I received from my wonderful friend, Jen. The author is Tara Parker Pope, a NY Times health writer and the article originally appeared in her column back in 2008.

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Nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden has created several lists of healthful foods people should be eating but aren’t. But some of his favorites, like purslane, guava and goji berries, aren’t always available at regular grocery stores. I asked Dr. Bowden, author of “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” to update his list with some favorite foods that are easy to find but don’t always find their way into our shopping carts. Here’s his advice.

1. Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.
How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power.

2. Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.
How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches.

3. Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.
How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil.

4. Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal.

5. Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.
How to eat: Just drink it.

6. Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.
How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked.

7. Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.
How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad.

8. Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.
How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread.

9. Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish.

10. Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.
How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds.

11. Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Top Tip #4

Don't eat Twinkies.

Nine Reasons to Avoid Processed Foods

1. They ruin your taste buds. Processed foods contain refined sugar, excess salt, and other flavor enhancers. These foods are not only unhealthy, they also dull our taste buds to natural flavors. So then you need to eat more processed foods to get the taste you want because you can no longer appreciate the flavor of natural foods.

2. Deadly additives. Harmful chemical additives are added to many foods to give them a longer shelf life and to enhance flavor & color. Our bodies are unable to process these additives into nutrients. Therefore the additives hang out indefinitely in our systems, delaying digestion and adding extra toxins to our blood, tissues and organs...and extra pounds to our weight.

3. Hide & seek. Processed foods contain hidden sugars, salt, and harmful fats. All three of these contribute to health problems.

4. Mystery ingredients. Many processed foods are filled with strange parts and pieces. For example, "edible offal" in hot dogs means they contain animal skin, snouts, ears, esophagi, etc.

5. No nutritional value. Processing takes most of the nutrients out of nutrient-rich foods. You'll get almost nothing of what your body needs.

6. Fortified with synthetics. To make up for the loss of the nutrients mentioned above, synthetic vitamins and minerals are added. These may appear healthy, but our bodies aren't built to process synthetic nutrients. A perfect example is "enriched flour" found in many breads and other products. Wheat is stripped of all its natural nutrients and then synthetic vitamins are added. That's considered "enriched."

7. Wrong market. When you spend money on processed foods, you encourage growth in this market. Spending money on organic and local fruits and veggies instead promotes growth in that market, thereby potentially bringing prices down for those items.

8. Money. Although fruits and vegetables often appear to be expensive, they are quite often less expensive than processed foods.

9. They are dead! Most of the goodness is cooked or processed out of those foods. Therefore, we cannot benefit from the enzymes and nutrients the foods normally contain.

(from the Dietary Guidelines of GCNM textbook module 1)

A Personal Victory

On Friday, January 8, 2010, my daughter Brynn had an annual check-up with her pediatric allergist/asthma specialist. While there, her doctor changed her "severe" asthma status to "minor" and told me he really saw no hint of asthma in her at all anymore. He took her off all asthma meds. No more nebulizer treatments. No more pulmicort. She only has an emergency inhaler, just in case. During the course of the visit, he asked what (if anything) we had changed over the last year. I told him we had taken dairy out of her diet, as well as many of the "convenient" foods that are so full of preservatives & artificial ingredients; that we don't eat out as much as we used to; and that we added supplements in the form of a multi-vitamin, probiotics, and omegas. He smiled and said his advice would be to keep doing those things.

Now she is still severly allergic to peanuts - that may never change, and we still have so much room for improvement in some of our eating habits (like the fact that we're all still sugar addicts!!) That being said, I knew she had been healthier with the few changes we've managed to stick to. Still, I had no idea how powerful one's diet can be and I certainly didn't expect the tremendous report we received at the doctor's office. (I think he was a bit surprised, too!)

So, yes, though the judges have frowned at my rice milk and rolled their eyes at my insistence on supplements every morning, I will continue on this journey because I feel it is very GOD LED. And believe me when I say that I could FEEL Him smiling down on us in that doctor's office Friday, nodding His head and saying right along with the doctor, "Keep doing those things."

Singin' the Blues

Lately, a handful of my friends have mentioned a slight case of depression/irritability/the general blues and asked if I'd read anything nutritionally related to feeling down in the dumps. So after consulting my main text, The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford, I thought it would be most helpful to just type verbatim what he says...

"There are many nutritionally related causes of depression, the most common being suboptimum nutrition resulting in poor mental and physical energy. Disturbed blood sugar balance can result in periods of depression. Lack of omega-3 fats can make you depressed. If you are low in serotonin, you may benefit from (the amino acid) 5-HTP. People who produce excessive amounts of histamine (allergic individuals) are also prone to depression. Adrenal exhaustion, usually brought on by stress and overuse of stimulants, can result in it. Allergies, too, can bring on depression.

Diet advice: Cut out or avoid sugar and refined foods. Cut down on stimulants -- tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks, cigarettes, and alcohol. Experiment for two weeks without wheat or dairy products (to rule out allergies being the cause of the depression).

Suggested supplements: multivitamin with multiminerals, vitamin C (1000 mg), 5-HTP (100 mg twice a day), and omega-3 fish oils providing EPA of 1200 mg."

So, did anyone else say, "What is 5-HTP?" or was I the only one? I looked that up, too.

"A particular amino acid called 5-hydroxytryptophan is the daughter of tryptophan and the mother of serotonin, the brain's 'happy' neurotransmitter. Many people have low levels of this essential brain chemical and feel depressed as a result. This is especially true of people on weight-loss diets, which are notoriously low in tryptophan. But that isn't all. Serotonin controls appetite. The more you have, the less you eat. This may be why people eat more in the winter. The less light you get, the less serotonin you make. If you are low in serotonin, one of the quickest ways to restore normal levels, and normal mood, is to supplement 5-HTP."

A website on 5-HTP makes the claim that it can help control appetite, calm anxiety, relieve insomnia, improve mood, and reduce sympoms of pms, fibromyalgia, and headaches. After reading this, I wondered why everyone wasn't taking 5-HTP!!! But seriously, never take anything, even a supplement, without discussing it with your health care professional. Though no drug interactions were mentioned with 5-HTP, it's better to be safe than sorry.

Foods that can help: cold water fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring (due to their high levels of the omega EPA, known to be a potent anti-depressant), nuts and seeds (due to their omegas, magnesium, and B-vitamins), and foods rich in tryptophan such as beef, chicken, turkey, cow's milk, and eggs.

Lastly, I did stumble upon a website called Food for the Brain (www.foodforthebrain.org) that looked promising. Hopefully, something here will help someone, even if just in a small way. And next time you're feeling down and out, always remember Jesus loves YOU. YOU matter. YOU are not junk because God doesn't make junk.

2010!!!

Happy New Year! Any resolutioners out there? I've decided mine is to be more 90/10 this year than 80/20. The healthier I eat, the better I feel, so I just need to keep that in mind. Over the holidays, I ate/drank stuff I haven't in a while, and I'm feeling it now, for sure. And I don't like it. Time to get back on track!

A few websites I've found that might help me do this (and that you may enjoy as well) are:

www.snack-girl.com ---> She focuses on good for you snacks at 100 or so calories. I like her because she does not believe a mini pack of 100 calorie Oreos is equal to a fresh, 100 calorie apple no matter what Nabisco claims!

www.fooducate.com ---> This website looks at all the popular brands of food found at the grocery store and rates them for nutritional value. I was quite shocked by Yoplait yogurt and Ritz crackers. They are not backed by/endorsed by any food company or government agency, either, so they are honest assessors! You can get to their blog from my blog ~ left side of page, bottom column, Blogs I Enjoy.

Whatever your resolutions may be, I wish you much success and great health in 2010!