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.