May 2005 Tip Archive

Week of May 29, 2005

Get Moving!

Are you trying to ease more physical activity into your daily life? It is fairly easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. If you think about your routine, you will surely find ways to increase your activity. Here are a few ways.

1. Instead of getting in your car to go see a friend who lives one mile away, walk or bike to see them.

2. Don't stay comatose for long periods of inactivity. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV.

3. If you have a choice beteen stairs and an escalator or elevator, take the stairs.

4. Don't spend 30 minutes cruising the parking lot trying to find a closer parking spot. Park as far away as possible and walk.

5. Instead of stopping at just the store you need to go to in the mall, walk the entire mall and window shop.

Week of May 21, 2005

Remember all fat isn't bad for you. Fat is essential for the transport of fat-soluble vitamins like A, D and E; and it keeps our skin and hair looking healthy, too. You only need a "moderate amount" of fat for health - at least 15 to 20 percent of your overall calories. The good fats that you should be incorporating into your diet are called monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fat has been shown to help in the crusade against cholesterol build up, specifically by raising the good or HDL cholesterol in our systems. Monounsaturated fats come from plant sources.

And while lean meat, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy products do contain some fat, you can also add small amounts of good quality oils to take advantage of the monounsaturated fat and its heart-healthy benefits. So what oils should you be using?

Olive Oil
Known as the age old standard of oils is olive oil . With its rich, buttery taste and robust earthiness, olive oil can turn ordinary dishes into something fabulous. It has a very high monounsaturated fat content. Fortunately, There is a wide variety to choose from. Extra virgin oils have less acidity content of the olive oil than virgin olive oil, making it a good choice to use for cold foods, like salad dressing. Virgin olive oil does not have quite the pronounced flavor of extra virgin, a preference of many cooks when cooking foods that do not need to bring attention to olive oil's taste.

Canola Oil
Canola oil is another good healthy monounsaturated oil to use. Canola oil is not as strong as olive oil. It is an excellent choice for baking and when you want a salad dressing that is extremely light in flavor. It is also good for light sautéing.

Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is another good monounsaturated fat source. It has a higher smoking point than either olive or canola, making it ideal for stir-frying or recipes that call for higher heat. You will find that Chinese peanut oil has more of a distinctive nutty taste than our American varieties.

Walnut Oil
Walnut oil is used extensively in Europe, particularly France. This oil is extracted from walnuts and is best when used as part of a salad dressing so you can taste the nutty flavor.

Sesame Oil
Pressed from sesame seeds, sesame oil is also another good monounsaturated fat. It has been used for years in tasty salad dressings and hot Asian stir fry dishes. Cold-pressed sesame oil is light yellow, has a mild flavor and is odorless. It too has a lovely nutty flavor which is not overpowering. Hot-pressed sesame oil is darker and has a more pungent taste. Recent studies have shown that using only sesame oil may lower blood pressure.

NOTE: Always try to use expeller-pressed oils. These oils are extracted from their seed or nut using a cold process so that the essential fatty acids and vitamins such as Vitamin E are left in a whole state as much as possible. They also taste richer than refined oils. If you cannot find expeller-pressed oils at your market, try finding them at a natural food store

Week of May 8, 2005

Processed foods, including canned goods, are among the most nutritionally devoid foods. Not only are they lower or devoid of nutrients, but many of them contain added hydrogenated fats and food additives that have been shown to be hazardous to your health. If you examine the prices of the packaged, name-brand junk foods, you'll see that you are paying premium prices for no food value. Plus, most of these items are much higher in calories and added sodium than fresh foods.

Save the money that you’d normally spend on processed foods like potato chips, cookies, packaged (this includes dinner in a box and pre-packaged mixes) and frozen foods, and spend it on some fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood, poultry and meat instead.

Originally, foods were grown and eaten directly from the Earth. Eventually techniques for food preparation and preservation, such as pickling, salting, and smoking, were developed to deal with the problems of food storage, waste, and food-borne and food bacteria illnesses. Today, our modern food industry’s reliance on processing and additives continues to increase and have reached a nightmare level. Many are beginning to ask if these technological “advances” are worth everyone's health.

The food industry is continually creating chemicals to manipulate, preserve or transform food. Scientists are able to mimic natural flavors, color foods to make them look more “natural” or “fresh,” preserve foods for longer and longer periods of time, and create altered versions of breads, crackers, fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and many more commonly used foods.There are even “foods” that are made entirely from chemicals like coffee creamers, sugar substitutes, some and candies. These "foods" are made almost completely of artificial ingredients.

The food industry generally provides five main reasons for why chemicals must be added to our foods:

To improve shelf life or storage time.
To make food more convenient and easy to prepare.
To increase the nutritional value.
To enhance or improve the flavor of foods.
To enhance the attractiveness of food products and improve consumer acceptance.

Here are the things they contain that are toxic or can be bad for you:

Hydrogenated Fats - Can cause cardiovascular disease, obesity
Artificial Food Colors - Can cause allergies, asthma, hyperactivity; possible carcinogen
Nitrites and Nitrates - These substances can develop into nitrosamines in body, which can be carcinogenic
Sulfites (sulfur dioxide, metabisulfites, and others) - Can cause allergic and asthmatic reactions
Added Sugar and Sweeteners - Can cause obesity, dental cavities, diabetes and hypoglycemia, increased triglycerides (blood fats) or candida (yeast)
Artificial Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame K and Saccharin) - Have been known to cause behavioral problems, hyperactivity, allergies, and possibly carcinogenic. The government cautions against the use of any artificial sweetener by children and pregnant women. Anyone with PKU (phenylketonuria—a problem of phenylalanine, an amino acid, metabolism) should not use aspartame (Nutrasweet).
MSG (monosodium glutamate) - Can cause common allergic and behavioral reactions, including headaches, dizziness, chest pains, depression and mood swings; also a possible neurotoxin
Preservatives (BHA, BHT, EDTA, etc.) - Can cause allergic reactions, hyperactivity, possibly cancer-causing; BHT may be toxic to the nervous system and the liver
Artificial Flavors - Can cause allergic or behavioral reactions
Refined Flour - Contains low-nutrient calories, can cause carbohydrate imbalances and altered insulin production
Salt (excessive) - Can cause fluid retention and blood pressure increases
Olestra (an artificial fat) - Can cause diarrhea and digestive disturbances

Other Concerns:

Food Waxes (protective coating of produce, as in cucumbers, peppers, and apples) - May trigger allergies, can contain pesticides, fungicide sprays or animal byproducts.
Plastic packaging - Carcinogenic (vinyl chloride); may cause immune reactions, lung shock

Week of May 1, 2005

Spring has arrived, and so has a crop of fresh produce.

Take advantage of both by creating a variety of refreshing salads.

Enjoying a salad as a prelude to a meal or as a main course, a delicious salad is one of the quickest and easiest foods to prepare. Remeber you don't have to settle for a simple bowl of iceberg lettuce and chopped tomatoes. A salad, almost by definition, is simply a bunch of ingredients tossed together with dressing.

So use your imagination and any number of your favorite ingredients to create a signature dish featuring the foods you love. Just make sure the flavors complement one another and it's hard to go wrong.

Feel like Italian? Try halved cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cured black olives and fresh basil tossed with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Can't get Mexican south of the border out of your mind? Mix black beans, corn, tomatoes and fresh cilantro with a blend of white wine vinegar, lime juice and a dash or three of chili powder.

Thinking Greek? You can't go wrong with fresh greens topped with tomatoes, red onions, and crumbled low fat feta topped with a low fat herbed vinaigrette of your choice.

Add a little chicken, turkey or lean pork strips for a hearty main dish salad. For something a little more unusual, grill meaty portabello mushrooms and fresh yellow squash to place atop mixed greens drizzled with a tangy citrus dressing.