The buzzwords ‘inflammation’ and ‘anti-inflammation diet’ continue to garner a lot of attention in the nutrition world so it’s time to give you an update on the latest information that may affect your health. Inflammation can be good or bad. It’s good if it’s acute or short term such as when cut yourself. Your immune system kicks in sending white blood cells along with other substances to jump start the healing process. Inflammation is not so good when it becomes chronic or longer term inflammation in your body. This invisible type of inflammation gets all the attention because it’s been implicated in the etiology or cause of many common diseases from heart disease and auto immune illness like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis to some cancers, diabetes, and even stroke.
Here’s what scientists think is happening in the body with this low-grade chronic inflammation. This on-going inflammation damages your blood vessels thus increasing your risk for heart problems. In the case of cancer, inflammation could damage your genes or increase the development of blood vessels that let cancer cells spread and grow. In your body, inflammation raises the level of what’s called C-reactive protein or CRP for short. The liver produces this CRP during periods of inflammation so if the body has chronic inflammation going on, the CRP level will be elevated. Now doctors can measure this level of general inflammation in the body with a blood test called the hs-CRP which stands for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
What can you do about inflammation in the body? Does what you eat potentially make inflammation worse in your body or can it help fight inflammation? Is there an ‘anti-inflammation diet’? Yes there is. It’s called the Mediterranean Diet. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the effect of a Mediterranean diet on inflammation in the body, particularly in people with metabolic syndrome.
Think of metabolic syndrome as a group or cluster of medical issues that includes excess weight around your belly, elevated total cholesterol and LDL levels, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. In fact, metabolic syndrome affects about 25% of our population. Why do I mention metabolic syndrome? Because it’s a syndrome that is tied to a pro-inflammatory state in your body…in other words…this chronic inflammation we’ve been talking about.
This study and others have found that a Mediterranean diet which includes healthy oils, nuts, fish and lots of fruits, veggies and grains decreased the level of CRP in the blood and reduced the level of inflammation in the body. Following a Mediterranean diet often results in weight loss which lowers markers of inflammation in the body…a very good thing.
1. Switch your type of fat: as much as possible use healthy oils such as olive, peanut and canola. These are rich in monounsaturated fats, the more heart healthy type of fat. Cut out as much trans fat and saturated fat as you can. These unhealthy fats not only raise the lousy cholesterol level (LDL) but also promote inflammation. Remember trans fat is the same as partially hydrogenated fat on a food label and saturated fat includes fatty meats, bacon, sausage, butter, full fat dairy, etc….opt for the low fat and lean meat versions.
2. Eat more whole grains and other high fiber foods such as beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, etc. Consume fewer sweeteners such as sugar and corn syrup and other refined carbs including chips, cookies, pastries, and sweets. Why? They can make your blood sugar level spike which has also been tied to inflammation.
3. Consume more fish: especially fatty fish which contain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are found in fish such as salmon and tuna.
4. Add nuts and avocados to the diet: these are good sources of the healthy fat, monounsaturated which appear to be anti-inflammatory.
5. Increase the number of fruits and vegetables that you eat each day. The antioxidants they contain such as vitamins A, C and E along with all the naturally occurring healthy compounds called phytonutrients seem to ramp down the inflammation process in the body.
Give the Mediterranean way of eating a try. The synergistic effect of these foods eaten together over time can have beneficial effects for your health.
It’s the third week of January. Have you thrown your New Year’s resolutions in the trash yet? Many people have by now. That’s one of the reasons I’m not a fan of diets. I like small and simple changes that don’t overwhelm you. Life can be overwhelming enough. Weight is the big focus at the beginning of the year but weight is just part of the picture. I want you to think about your overall health. Do you know your total cholesterol number and whether the good and evil cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL) are where they need to be? What’s your blood pressure? When was the last time you had it checked? I’m talking outside of your doctor’s office. After all, white coat hypertension can push blood pressure up abnormally. White coat hypertension is the stress you feel when the doc comes in the room to see you and you can’t remember all you wanted to discuss.
Are you shaking your head and saying to me, “I have no clue?” Your energy level and day to day health are affected by more than weight. So take some time for you…just like an oil change for your car, everyone needs preventive maintenance. If you don’t take the time for you, it’s not going to happen, right? You’re worth it…ok? You can find helpful information about all things heart related….your heart, cholesterol, blood pressure and related questions at hearthub.org part of the American Heart Association.
I bet if I ask you what food has a negative effect on your heart and health, you could easily tell me……pastries and goodies made with trans fat, double stacked cheeseburgers, sausage. But what about food that is beneficial to your heart and health? This week on my podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle joins me to discuss must-have foods that benefit the heart. I don’t like to focus on what not to do but rather the steps you can take to make a difference in your health starting today. A few of the foods we take a look at include:
Red bell peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, mixed salad greens, kale, spinach, broccoli
Asparagus, orange juice
Guacamole
Salsa
Pudding, nonfat milk and low-fat yogurt
Canned or pouch tuna and salmon
Be sure andcheck out our Cyber Weight Loss Club. Share your story and photos and we’ll enter you in a drawing at the end of January to win a copy of the book by TV’s The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent called Believe It, Be It.
Family Circle shares an easy way to get your heart healthy fish with a recipe for Teriyaki Salmon with glazed broccoli salad. Pick up the February issue of Family Circle for a full list and discussion of the heart healthy foods we talk about plus others that will surprise you.
Are you excited about the New Year? 2010 is just two days away. I always look forward to the New Year which brings a fresh approach and a new look at areas in life that may have gone a little stale…know what I mean? If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m not about gimmicks, miracle diet pills and products or diets that don’t work. I’m all about real life and how to make tweaks in your life so you feel better, have more energy and enjoy every day…not to mention eat good food. So how’s this for a ‘diet?’ All food is allowed….nothing is prohibited. Otherwise the denial, deprivation and overeating cycle sets in. You deny yourself something you really want to eat and then begin to feel deprived. Finally you can’t stand it any longer so you overeat on the food you denied yourself to begin with and the vicious cycle starts. You don’t win…ever.
In the January 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine, there’s a nice article on smart eating. This week’s podcast welcomes my regular guest, Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle to chat on smart eating tips. Get your New Year’s health on and try these four tips this January.
1. Leave two bites at every meal (about 100 calories total per day). Cutting just 100 calories every day in 2010 results in a ten pound weight loss. Not bad. How would you like to weigh 10 pounds less at the end of next year and accomplish this by slightly cutting your portions?
2. Cook at home one more night each week. Most home cooked meals tend to be lower in fat and calories plus smaller in portion than what you typically get eating out.
3. Turn off the kitchen lights at 8 p.m. Cut out mindless eating at night.
4. Serve your meals on eight inch salad plates. Compared to a standard dinner plate size of 10 inches (or more), the smaller size looks like more food and you have less room to load up.
To start the New Year off right, we have a new spin on eggplant parmesan. Be sure and try the Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan recipe posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center.
I look forward to my favorite comfort foods this special time of year. Don’t you? My top three are probably Southern pecan pie, homemade cornbread dressing and sweet potato casserole or maybe Christmas Stollen, the yeast bread I’ve talked about before. As you can tell, I have quite a few. Many of the most popular holiday foods are not only delicious but super healthy.
Among my list of super foods are cranberries, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and potatoes, baked apples, and pecans.
What makes cranberries carry the popular title of a super fruit? The United States Department of Agriculture or USDA has a list of common foods and their antioxidant rating. Cranberries have a high ranking in what is called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity score or ORAC score. They contain proanthocyanidins, a naturally occurring antioxidant that may help protect against urinary tract infections by preventing bacteria from sticking to cells in the urinary tract.
Here is a simple recipe for fresh cranberries that you’ll love and can make year around. Fresh cranberries will keep in the freezer for about a year so you can enjoy them anytime. I’m not a stickler about amounts in this recipe thus one reason it’s so easy. Basically, I wash a package of fresh cranberries and place them in a saucepan. Then I add the zest of an orange and a lemon. After you zest the fruit, cut it in half and squeeze the juice into the pan. Add an additional cup of orange juice and some sugar…about ½ cup or more. Remember that fresh cranberries are very tart so you need the sweetness of the sugar. The orange juice provides a little sweetness. Bring the mixture to a bubbling or rolling boil for 3 or 4 minutes until the berries begin to burst. Remove the cranberries from the heat and cool. That’s it. After 30 minutes or so, taste the mixture and see if it’s sweet enough. Remember, it’s a cranberry relish so you want it somewhat tart. It will jell slightly when cold and makes a great side to turkey or pork. I like it as a spread on my turkey sandwiches. And yes, this recipe is posted at the WDBO Nutrition & Health Center.
Next up on my list of powerful holiday super foods is pumpkin. When you have that slice of pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread pudding, remind yourself that the pumpkin you’ve just eaten is a valid source of vitamin A for healthy eyes and contains fiber which most of us need a lot more of. The bright orange color tells you that pumpkin naturally contains alpha and beta carotene and other carotenoids tied to good health plus iron and potassium.
Let’s not forget sweet potatoes, another super food. When you cut the sweet potato open, the bright orange color means vitamin A and beta carotene just like you find in pumpkin in chart topping amounts. Plus a medium sweet potato contains almost four grams of fiber. Fiber is like a chocolate chip cookie to your colon. Your colon loves fiber as it helps reduce the risk for some cancers plus it helps keep your colon healthy. By the way, it’s so easy to microwave a sweet potato. Prick it four or five times with a fork so it doesn’t explode, place it on a paper towel or microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for about four to five minutes.
Let’s not forget potatoes. Just like bread, potatoes are popular and back in a big way. Why? Let’s peel back the truth. How about 110 calories for a medium size spud, naturally fat free, plus 45% of the vitamin C you need daily and more potassium than a banana when you eat the skin. Did I mention nearly five grams of fiber? From yellow Yukon golds to the ever popular Russet or the colorful blue and purple potatoes, there’s a choice for everyone and every dish. Running short on time? How about two quick-fix microwave recipes for Mashed Potatoes and Roasted-Style Potatoes from the United States Potato Board? We just posted the recipes at WDBO.com’s Nutrition & Health Center. Be sure and follow the easy directions as you are NOT going to poke holes in the potatoes before your microwave them for mashing. The steam stays inside the potato and prepares them for mashing.
Next up are apples. Granny smith, red delicious and other apples have significant antioxidant levels. You may have heard that apples are part of a cholesterol lowering diet. This is because apples are a source of soluble fiber that works in your body similar to a sponge to help mop up excess cholesterol. Baked apples never looked so good! Toss a few pecans with chopped dates and a little brown sugar into the center of the apple before baking it.
Nuts have received a lot of attention lately for their heart health benefits. Pecans, the staple in pecan pie, pecan squares and other foods like baked apples, contain both heart healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats along with antioxidants, vitamin E and fiber. Nuts are calorie dense so you do have to be aware of the amount you eat.
My girlfriend called last night and she has the swine flu. She thinks she picked it up on a flight home last week. Do you have a cold? Even worse, the flu? Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) up to 20% of Americans will likely get a rotten case of the flu this year? Along with the H1N1 flu, that percentage will likely be much greater. When you are feeling absolutely rotten, what you eat can help fortify your immune system and even help ease your cold and flu symptoms.
Tea: all types of tea including green, black, white and red offer health benefits in the form of antioxidants. Besides feeling good to your throat and warming your body when you have the chills, hot liquids temporarily thin out the mucus in the nose and throat. Here’s a little unexpected tip. Regular tea (not decaf) contains enough caffeine to give you a slight energy boost when you feel so bad you don’t want to lift your head off the pillow. Remember, in addition to tea, continue to drink a lot of water to keep your body well hydrated and to help thin out mucus buildup.
Potatoes and other vitamin C-rich foods: Surprise, most people don’t think about potatoes but they are a very nice source of vitamin C and potassium. Add them to your chicken soup or baked one quickly in the microwave when you don’t have much of an appetite. Other vitamin C-rich foods include kiwi, blueberries and blackberries, cherries, tomatoes, and the traditional tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and strawberries. Choose the whole food over a vitamin C supplement since you get the benefit of the water content as well as other vitamins and minerals in the fruit. Research has not proven that vitamin C prevents colds but it does aid your immune system which in turn helps you fight off the cold and flu. By the way, 100% fruit juices provide hydration plus the benefits of vitamin C and antioxidants, particularly the deeply colored juices such as pomegranate, cherry, blueberry and blackberry.
Chicken Soup: The zinc found in chicken is good for your immunity. Enhance your soup with garlic, onions, potatoes and lots of broth. The garlic and onion loaded broth nourishes you and helps ease congestion and thin out mucous. If Mom isn’t around to make that chicken soup for you, there are some good canned versions on the market. Be sure and check the Nutrition Facts label for the sodium content as canned soups can be over the top when it comes to added salt and sodium.
Yogurt. This is probably a food you never would have thought about to fight flu and colds but here’s the deal. You want yogurt that contains active cultures so check the label. Yogurt with active cultures such as acidophilus (also called probiotics) replenishes healthy bacteria in the body, especially your gastrointestinal tract where a lot of your immune function happens. Active cultures are particularly important if you are taking antibiotics which tend to strip out the bad bacteria and take the good along with it. The active cultures help replenish those healthy bacteria. Probiotics are strain specific meaning that you need a certain strain of probiotic bacteria if you are taking antibiotics so be sure to discuss this with your doctor, dietitian or pharmacist. You can also find these active cultures added to other products such as cereal bars, cereal, yogurt smoothies or kefir.
Spicy foods such as hot sauce, wasabi, chili or spicy sauces help to temporarily open sinuses and help with congestion. A bowl of chili or spicy tortilla soup with a dash of hot sauce may cause your nose to run and eyes to tear but right now, that could be a good thing. This relief helps you to breathe easier for a little while so if you’re up for it, try a little spicy food.
Now that you’ve given your body food to fight that flu or cold, it’s time for some much needed sleep. Rest and feel better.
How’s your stress level this week? We’re into the first week of December. Is your to-do list growing and is your calendar jam-packed? Do the holiday foods and festivities have you feeling a little bloated? Whether that bloated feeling comes from swallowing too much air as you stand, talk and eat at your friend’s party, or from not getting enough fiber in your diet due to party food overload or from consuming too much salt and sodium at a food fest, there are foods to counteract the big bloat. In this month’s Family Circle magazine, check out The No-Bloat Diet including these no-bloat foods and more.
Dried plums and 100% plum juice (not to be confused with prune juice): provide the body with fiber, potassium, magnesium and sorbitol…all found naturally in the fresh plum and which also help keep the digestive track humming along. You might have seen PlumSmart juice in your grocery, which is new from SunSweet, and is plum juice enhanced with dextrin, a prebiotic fiber which works as a teammate along with probiotics such as found in yogurt to increase the beneficial cultures in the digestive tract.
Whole-wheat tortillas: contain insoluble fiber which acts like Roto-Rooter to keep everything running smoothly. This same insoluble fiber is found in whole grains including whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice and fruits and vegetables.
Melon: a diuretic fruit due to its high water content.
Cucumbers and lettuces: also have a high water content and act as diuretics to release some of the retained fluids.
Avocado: when you consume too much sodium, fluid retention can be an issue. The mineral potassium has the opposite effect helping to shed the fluid. An added bonus is the positive effect of potassium-rich foods on helping to lower blood pressure.
Margit Ragland, Senior Editor from Family Circle magazine joins me on the podcast this week. In addition to no-bloat foods, we dish on how to make Fruit and Cheese Bites, sweet yet spicy tiny cheese balls that include a touch of hot sauce to give a slight kick to the cheese along with the sweetness of dried pineapple and apricots. These Fruit and Cheese Bites are speedy to make when friends are dropping by unexpectedly. You can find this recipe and many others at the Nutrition & Health Center on WDBO.com.
Thanks for stopping by for a little holiday cheer. Are you ready to start your ovens? The holidays are here and it’s time to cook. Let’s talk about easy tips for healthy holiday cooking that let you enjoy the feast and festivities and not increase your dress or pant size. I love to eat and I look forward to my favorite comfort foods this special time of year. Don’t you? My grandmother and my mother both made this festive yeast bread called Christmas Stollen. It’s a German recipe filled with pecans, cinnamon, dried cherries, apricots and raisins. I can almost smell it coming out of the oven. I’ve learned to make it with a few little tweaks of my own so I carry on their tradition of a spicy cinnamon, buttery yeast bread but with a healthier spin. Small changes in recipes yield big rewards when it comes to cutting calories and fat without sacrificing flavor.
So, tip number one to keep the flavor and perk up the health benefits in your holiday cooking:
1. Switch from candied fruit such as lemon, orange and cherries that are typically used in fruit cake to dried fruit such as plums, blueberries, apricots, and cherries. Easy switch… big flavor. I did this in my Mom’s Christmas Stollen recipe and it gives the bread an updated appeal with the health benefit of the antioxidants from the dried fruit.
2. Nutrition is about making smart choices, not about deprivation such as you feel when you’re on a diet. It’s about real, delicious food made with healthful ingredients. Kick up the nutrition in your recipes by adding vegetables, fruit and nuts. For example, add nuts to pumpkin, banana or zucchini breads; diced green pepper, carrots, onions and garlic to pasta sauce; your favorite chopped vegetables to omelets or scrambled eggs; dried plums or blueberries to yogurt, oatmeal or cereal. All of these efforts add up and make it easy to fit more fruit and vegetables into your busy day.
3. Mom’s Christmas Stollen recipe also called for 1 cup of whole milk. Replace whole milk with 1% or skim milk. For most recipes, you won’t notice a taste difference and you still get the protein, calcium and vitamin D but your hips and heart will notice the drop in total fat and saturated fat. Cut the fat and saturated fat with all your diary choices. For example, when I make dark chocolate fondue and the recipe calls for evaporated milk, I use skimmed evaporated milk. For a key lime pie, I use fat free sweetened condensed milk. For mac and cheese, try reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (not fat free) and use part-skim ricotta for manicotti and lasagna. The reduction in total fat and saturated fat adds up quickly without you feeling deprived of anything.
By the way, do you have guests spending the night and want to impress them for breakfast? Mix up pumpkin pancakes. The recipe is posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center along with others we’ll talk about today. You can make the pancake batter up the night before. Just make sure you have the ingredients on hand. If you’ve never made pancakes, they’re much easier than you think. The point to remember is to flip them only once on the griddle or skillet. Wait until you see bubbles around the edges and then flip and cook the other side. The recipe includes canned pumpkin, cinnamon and vanilla yogurt. Pumpkin is a source of vitamin A for healthy eyes and contains fiber which most of us need a lot more of. The bright orange color tells you that pumpkin naturally contains alpha and beta carotene and other carotenoids tied to good health. I use skim milk instead of 1% and add raisins to my batter instead of making the topping. These pancakes are a winner at my house.
4. Focus on the fat. Did you know that one tablespoon of regular butter contains 11 grams of fat with seven of them being saturated fat? Saturated fat is the least healthy type of fat and known for clogging arteries. Light butter with added oil such as olive or canola brings down the saturated fat content and is a better choice along with light spreads made from heart healthy oils such as soybean, canola, and olive. Light spreads are typically even lower in saturated fat than light butters. Both light spreads and light butter work well on toast, muffins, corn on the cob and vegetables but remember that light butter and light spreads are not the best choice for baking. The water content affects the outcome of the recipe.
5. Consider baking with a spread. There are many choices in the spread aisle and the lingo can be confusing. Be a label sleuth. Here’s the bottom line you need to know. You want a spread that is made with healthy oils such as canola, olive and soybean, contains no added trans fat (aka partially hydrogenated oil), and has the least amount of saturated fat. I’m talking 2 grams or less of saturated fat per tablespoon. That will cull down the selection pretty quickly. Yesterday I was doing an interview for a magazine and one of the questions asked was if you can substitute spreads for butter when baking. The writer had an apple crisp recipe that called for a stick of butter and she was concerned for her father had a heart attack recently. Yes, regular spreads bake cakes, cookies and fruit crumbles or crisps beautifully without all the artery-clogging saturated fat.
I’ve posted a number of recipes on the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center for you to try this holiday season that use spreads low in saturated fat and free of trans fat including Promise and I Can’t believe It’s Not Butter! Try the oven-baked harvest apples, banana, date & walnut muffins, honey & orange mini cakes, and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies (yes, I add chocolate chips to the batter). The parmesan-crusted sweet potato fries make a tasty side for your leftover turkey sandwiches. Let me know which recipes are your favorites and have fun in the kitchen with your family and friends.
Are you pregnant or close to someone who is? I have a treat for you today. My guest on this week’s podcast is registered dietitian Frances Largeman-Roth, author of Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom’s Healthy Eating Guide. Frances has been the Senior Food & Nutrition Editor at Health magazine for five years. She covers healthy recipes, food trends, weight loss issues, and the latest nutrition research. Frances was previously part of the editorial team at the Discovery Health Channel.
With a seven-day tear-out eating plan, this new book is an informative and easy-to-follow resource for healthy eating during pregnancy. From cravings to food safety, Frances covers it all. During the interview, Frances discusses the topic of food safety during the holidays and why pregnant women need to be more concerned about food safety than the rest of us.
Also, there is confusion over cheeses and which are OK and not OK to eat during pregnancy. Frances clarifies the smart cheese selections and speaks to smoked salmon canapés, pigs in blankets, and Belgian endive spears as well.
Most pregnant women avoid alcohol due to its potential to harm a developing fetus. But in addition to eggnog and the usual suspects, there are other booze-filled things to watch out for at holiday parties. Don’t miss these useful tips for yourself or to share with other pregnant friends.
If you want to find out more about Frances and her new book Feed the Belly, check out her website at franceslargemanroth.com. We’ve also posted a recipe from the book (Mornin’ Sunshine Parfait) at the Nutrition & Health Center on WDBO.com under breakfast items.
When it’s hot, do you find yourself snacking instead of eating a hot meal? Or maybe you are out and about during the day and hungry for a snack but you don’t want it to end up on your thighs or behind. The stores are filled with all types of snacks, both healthy and not. What to do? I worked with a group of motorcycle cops and one of the tricks I taught them was to keep five or six baskets in their pantry. Every week they were to refill the baskets with portable, tasty and healthy snacks. As they left for their shift, they would grab several different snacks and put them in the storage compartments on their cycles. These snacks helped to keep their energy levels up and cut down the desire to stop and snack on less-than-healthy foods.
So, what makes up a great snack? It all depends on you. Remember, nutrition is personal. For example, if you’re a stress eater you do better with a protein-carbohydrate combination snack. If you’re diabetic, you most likely have a personalized plan from your registered dietitian that you follow. If you’re watching portions, which most everyone is trying to do, how much you eat determines if it’s a snack or a meal…know what I mean?
Snacks to try:
My current favorites are three snacks from the Archer Farms line at Target/SuperTarget.
Archer Farms Dill pickle cashews
Archer Farms Black pepper & sea salt low fat potato crisps
All three of these are portable too. Just put them in a small plastic container and toss in your backpack, purse, or briefcase.
If you love nuts, check out Mrs. May’s naturals at mrsmays.com. My husband really likes the premium fruit & nut crunch sold in a bag which contains cashews, almonds, blueberries and cranberries. He takes it to work and stirs pieces into his yogurt. It’s also a great snack by itself. If you want bars to toss in your bag, check out their Trio bars made with nuts, seeds and fruit. Remember that even though nuts contain heart healthy fat portion control is important.
Are you watching a lot of movies this summer at home? Here’s an easy way to make great popcorn. Buy regular or original popping corn, not microwave popcorn. Place about ¼ of a cup in a brown paper bag like you would use to pack a lunch, add your seasoning and oil if desired. Use one staple to close the bag and then microwave on high for about two minutes depending on your microwave. It’s so easy. I learned this technique from Alton Brown on the Food Network.
More snack ideas:
Hummus or guacamole with baked chips is easy and kids love both.
Dried cranberries, cherries, or blueberries…you can find all types of dried fruit in various size bags. Dried fruit is good on cereal and stirred into yogurt or mixed into muffin/bread batter.
Go Green! Eco-friendly! The grocery store and your kitchen are good places to start going green. Every item you buy potentially impacts the environment from the resources used to create it to the energy used to get it to the grocery store shelf. Have you heard the term carbon footprint? A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, specifically the amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) produced in our daily lives from the burning of fossil fuels for electricity or transportation for example. The goal is to lower the carbon footprint for each person by making small changes that have a big impact. If you want more in-depth information on GHG, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s website.
Let’s look at a food’s packaging as an example. The post-consumer waste of a food product is the packaging. It is the trash that you routinely throw away. The industry standard for post consumer waste varies from about 35% to as high as 70%. Eco-friendly food companies are now striving for around 20% post consumer waste.
What’s realistic for you? What can you do to go green in your kitchen?
Start with reusable bags available everywhere. Use them at the grocery, farmers’ market, anywhere you’ve been using plastic bags. I have large ones that I take to the grocery each week and smaller ones for the farmers’ market in my town. I always have one or two small ones in my car for quick stops at the grocery on the way home. The colors and prints are fun and varied…check your favorite shops for unique ones. I read where Cooking Light magazine readers trade reusable bags from their favorite shops.
Instead of brown bags for lunch, try a reusable lunch bag. I found this great insulated lunch bag at reusablebags.com. It’s very colorful and made by a women’s co-op in the Philippines from recycled juice boxes. Each one is different and people always ask me “where did you get your lunch bag?” It keeps the juice boxes out of the landfill and keeps my lunch cold.
Use stainless steel or BPA-free reusable plastic water bottles and cut down on the cases of plastic one-time-use bottles that go in the landfill.
Check out the new appliances. Are you in the market for a new refrigerator or stove? Refrigerators that have water filters to filter the chilled water and ice that come from the dispensers are common place but recently, a few manufacturers have begun adding interior air filters as well. For example, according to the pros at Aggressive Appliances here in Orlando SubZero has a very advanced filter. Originally created for NASA, this system does more than just clean the air. It significantly reduces bacteria, odors, and the ethylene gas naturally emitted by some foods such as apples and apricots. This gas causes over-ripening and hastens the spoilage of foods. The air in the refrigerator is refreshed every 20 minutes.
Consider induction cooking. An induction cooktop looks like a traditional glass-top electric cooktop, but it doesn’t have the traditional heater coil under the glass. What is under the glass is a high powered electromagnet. Roughly 90% of the potential energy of the cooktop ends up being used to cook the food. Not only are induction cooktops greener due to greater efficiency, they also get to the temperature much faster, shortening the time the cooktop is on.
When it comes to grilling, gas is better for the environment. According to Christian Science Monitor, a new study reported in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review compared grilling using charcoal and propane. They found that propane is better for the environment than charcoal. Propane, the author says, has a carbon footprint almost two thirds less than charcoal’s. It’s seems to be a question of efficiency in the manufacturing process (how much fuel it takes to make the fuel). Then, according to the study, there’s the matter of efficiency at your grill. Gas-burning grills turn on and off quickly, so you have control over how much is burned and how much CO2 gets released. By comparison, charcoal grills aren’t as easily started or stopped plus they require a lighter, an additional fuel with a CO2 footprint.
Go green and make a few eco-friendly changes in your daily habits. Mother Earth will thank you.
The buzzwords ‘inflammation’ and ‘anti-inflammation diet’ continue to garner a lot of attention in the nutrition world so it’s time to give you an update on the latest information that may affect your health. Inflammation can be good or bad. It’s good if it’s acute or short term such as when cut yourself. Your immune system kicks in sending white blood cells along with other substances to jump start the healing process. Inflammation is not so good when it becomes chronic or longer term inflammation in your body. This invisible type of inflammation gets all the attention because it’s been implicated in the etiology or cause of many common diseases from heart disease and auto immune illness like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis to some cancers, diabetes, and even stroke.
Posts
©2009 Practicalories,
Inc. All rights reserved.