August 18, 2010
 There are steps you can take at home to reduce the risk of food poisoning from pet food:
- You know this step but if you’re like me…have probably skipped it. Wash your hands or your children’s hands after you touch pet food and pet dishes. I can’t tell you how many times I have reached in the dry cat food bag for a few nibbles, given them to my cat and not thought about it.
- Clean pet food bowls and their eating area routinely.
- Avoid bathing infants in the kitchen sink and avoid cleaning pet dishes in the bathtub. This cuts down on cross contamination or bacteria from food that may stay in the bathtub or the kitchen sink and end up on the baby.
Have you noticed that food recalls have become much more frequent? Recently you may have heard about dry pet food being linked to salmonella, bacteria common in food poisoning. This particular outbreak affected about 80 people in the eastern US, 11 of whom were put in the hospital. Almost half of those who got sick were ages 2 and younger…yes…you read that right.
The children didn’t get sick from eating the dog and cat food but rather from touching it or the pet food dishes and then putting their hands in their mouths. The bacteria were cross-contaminated or transferred from the food or dish to the hands and to the mouth.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that heating during food processing typically kills salmonella germs and that contamination may have occurred during a later process where food was sprayed with flavor enhancers.
By the way, the CDC this week reported that poultry is still the leading culprit in food poisoning outbreaks. Beef and leafy vegetables were close behind.
Here’s the deal with reusable bags. Researchers tested 84 reusable bags for bacteria and found bacteria in all but one. Coliform bacteria, which is tied to raw meat or uncooked food, was detected in half of the bags with the dreaded and deadly E.coli in 12% of the tested bags.
What to do?
- Wash reusable bags regularly…toss them in the washer or hand wash if you prefer.
- Designate certain reusable bags for meat only and wash them regularly.
- Wash fruit and veggies when you bring them home BEFORE they go in the refrigerator, pantry, or fruit bowl. Remember that salmonella and other bacteria can be on the outside of your cantaloupe or kiwi and will contaminate the fruit when you cut it up.
- Keep separate reusable bags for other uses such as snacks, gym clothes, books, and shopping.
Think about this…reusable bags that are never washed are a breeding ground for bacteria. If you put raw meat and veggies in the same bag, cross contamination can occur.
Bacteria from the raw meat can get on the fruit and veggies that then take up residence in your refrigerator, fruit bowl, etc. As bacteria grow in the bags, your risk for potential food poisoning goes up.
For more ideas, listen to this week’s podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
August 11, 2010
My cousin is a kindergarten teacher and started school on Monday! It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over and school is back in session. That means it’s time to gear up and think about school lunches… ideas that won’t break the bank, are nutritious and that your kids won’t trade.
Check out this month’s Family Circle recipe for Maple Bran Muffins. Drizzle with maple icing and serve for breakfast or a snack.
Try these five tips to pack a lunch your kids will keep and eat:
- For your sanity, think about cooking and preparing for the week to come on Sunday. Go over your schedule for the week and think about what you can fix ahead to make the week less hectic. Consider meals that will provide leftovers for lunch the next day. Kids love leftover pizza, lasagna and manicotti.
- Get your children involved in the kitchen with you and bake oatmeal or peanut butter cookies.Cut up fruit, make trail mix with nuts, soy nuts, pumpkin seeds, a mixture of their favorite dried fruit, and even add some mini chocolate chunks.
 Or try one of my several favorite mixes from Target’s Archer Farms line, Sunny Cranberry. Many of you know that I partner with Target as their nutrition & health expert and have come to rely on their Archer Farms products for my day-to-day meals and snacks.
- Kids love the power of choice so involve them in choosing from your healthy selections. Think about taking them to the grocery store at a time when you’re not rushed or tired…I know…when is that? You guide the decisions and choices but do allow them to pick an item or two.
This week on the podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine, joins me to talk more about lunches that will be keepers.
According to Family Circle, Meredith Corporation’s Motherboard surveyed moms and 84% were looking for new options to add to their children’s brown bag.
- Rethink the sandwich…switch from bologna with cheese on white bread. Try a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread…add a slice of low fat cheese or soy cheese.
Try whole-wheat tortillas or whole grain wraps as an alternative to bread and in addition to turkey, stuff with lean ham or beef and low-fat cheese, tuna, chicken, hummus or egg salad, and top with sliced veggies such as red peppers and cucumber. Peanut butter, almond butter or sunflower butter with banana or raisins works well too.
  Keep baskets in your pantry filled with healthy snack selections that your children like. Include whole-grain cereal bars (try blueberry almond flax), dried fruit such as cherries or blueberries, nuts, whole-grain crackers, peanut or almond butter, and pop-top cans or pouches of tuna.
Looking for a healthier chip alternative with less fat and calories? Margit suggests Pirate’s Booty as one option. Putting together a lunch is much easier when the choices are there.
For more ideas, listen to this week’s podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
August 4, 2010
Don’t forget! Register to win one of five $52 gift cards from Seasons 52.
 Do you need a few sizzling summer meal ideas? Then I have a treat for you today.
Joining me on my podcast this week is award-winning Chef Cliff Pleau. A graduate of the Culinary Institute, he was selected by Euro Disney to open the Disneyland Hotel in Paris and also played an integral role in the food and beverage development of other Disney concepts including Animal Kingdom, Boardwalk, and the Disney Cruiseline.
Now at the helm of the Seasons 52 culinary program, Chef Cliff believes in taking pure ingredients and preparing them in straightforward ways that are intense in flavor.
 He shares the perfect summer recipe for roasted corn with a zesty red pepper sauce.
Want to grill your corn instead? Watch his short how-to video and you’ll be a grill master in no time. For additional cooking videos check out the Seasons 52 Facebook page.
Terrific Tip: One of my favorite tips from Chef Cliff is to keep two basic inexpensive spray bottles full of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil.
 Spritz your pans and food with the oil instead of pouring from a bottle. At only one calorie per spritz, I control the amount of fat I use but keep the flavor that spritzing food at the very end imparts.
Try it yourself. You add flavor while you save money on oil and prevent extra calories from depositing in places you don’t want them to be.
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 21, 2010
 I just returned from the Florida Dietetic Association annual meeting where the latest evidence-based nutrition research is presented. I have so much to share with you so today I’ll start with a few items I think you’ll find interesting and helpful.
Grape juice…the original super juice. I’m talking about the dark purple Concord grape juice…yes, like Welch’s.
Benefits:
- Heart health: Clinical studies have found that Concord grape juice works in a similar fashion to red wine to promote healthy artery function.Concord grape juice stimulates the production of nitric oxide in cells which promotes the relaxation of arteries and then contributes to a healthier blood pressure.
- Beneficial against age-related brain decline: Grape juice contains naturally occurring phytonutrients or plant nutrients called polyphenols which may be beneficial against age-related brain decline. You’ve probably heard of polyphenols in wine and chocolate as well.
Nutrition buzzword: Naturally Nutrient-Rich
What does naturally nutrient-rich mean to you and the way you eat? Think about some of the products that you buy. Much of the time the food label promotes only one item such as low in fat, low calorie, 100-calorie pack, or zero trans fat.
Let’s say your item is a 100-calorie pack of your favorite cookies. Beside the 100 calories, what else does the product provide your body in the way of nutrition? Is it packed with vitamins and minerals, fiber or protein making it naturally nutrient-rich? Or, is the 100 calories you’re about to munch on just that…100 calories and nothing else? Simply empty calories.
So, when you shop, think about the buzzword …naturally nutrient-rich. Reach for whole foods versus processed foods particularly whole grains and intensely colored fruit and veggies.
Coconut Water: trendy!
Coconut water is fine to drink but according to registered dietitian Janet Helm writing in a recent chicagotribune.com article, coconut water is being hyped as nature’s sports drink without the credentials to back it up.
 Liz Applegate PhD, from UC-Davis is concerned that coconut water contains fewer carbs than commercial sports drinks as well as lacks the sodium level.
Coconut water is a good source of the needed nutrient potassium but when you sweat, you lose sodium and after a strenuous workout of an hour or more, coconut water is not going to provide the needed carbs and sodium to replenish adequately.
Bottom line…if you enjoy the flavor of coconut water, it’s fine to drink. But rethink your drink when it comes to sports nutrition and recovery after a hard workout.
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 14, 2010
 Ok, I admit it. I love ice cream. Do you? What better way to cool down in the summer than with an ice cold creamy frozen treat.
This week on the podcast Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine, and I talk about five ice cream treats that don’t have to be off limits even when you’re on a diet. Their favorites include:
- Breyers Smooth & Creamy Triple Chocolate Dip
- Weight Watchers Giant Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Bar
- Klondike Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Blue Bunny Strawberry Banana Frozen Yogurt
- The Skinny Cow Mint Ice Cream Sandwiches
Or spend an afternoon in the kitchen with your kids and make cookies such as oatmeal raisin. Then put light ice cream or frozen yogurt between two for your personal version of an ice cream sandwich.
Turn your kitchen into an ice cream parlor. A couple of Sundays ago, a girlfriend and her two young girls came over. We decided to turn the kitchen into an ice cream parlor. We took light vanilla bean ice cream and sliced it into small pieces on a cutting board. Next we had a selection of blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and mini chocolate chips to choose from. The girls mixed them into the cut up ice cream.
Then we scooped the mixture into ice cream cones and drizzled with chocolate syrup. Do you think these were a hit? The kids had a blast choosing the items that they wanted to mix in and we loved saving a lot of money by making the cones at home. Give this a try…you’ll be the most popular Mom or Dad on the block.
Be sure and try this month’s recipe for Frozen Tiramisu from the Family Circle kitchens. By using coffee flavored frozen yogurt, instant coffee and chocolate sauce, per serving stats come in under 200 calories and five grams of fat per serving.
Happy summer!
Listen to this week’s podcast
July 7, 2010
 What’s keeping you awake at night? The lousy economy or money issues? Maybe you’re concerned about losing your job or just lost your job.
Sleep is the time that your body restores and maintains itself. Think of it like rebooting your computer. Here are five tips that may help you get a better night’s sleep:
- Just like you may have a workout routine, have a bedtime routine and keep regular sleep times. Your body craves a sleep routine and gets into a rhythm. Remember, there’re TIVO and DVRs so you don’t have to stay up all night to catch your favorite shows! Once in a rhythm, your body will begin to let you know it’s tired and ready for sleep at about the same time each night.
- Exercise, yes this includes sex, improves sleep. Try to get in some exercise during the day but make sure to finish a couple of hours before you turn in so you’re not wired and unable to sleep.
- You’ll love this one. Don’t go to bed hungry. Try a light carb snack like a piece of fruit.
- Nix the caffeine by mid afternoon so it doesn’t keep you awake.
- Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool, quiet and comfortable. Make your bedroom inviting for a great night’s rest. Remember this is the place where you escape whatever it is that stresses you out. Create your own personal bedtime ritual. Try using aromatherapy or a warm bubble bath. Listen to your favorite relaxing music or read a book. But give your laptop, work materials and other such distractions the boot. Your bedroom is your place to chill, not get worked up again and be too stressed to sleep.
Did you know that one-third of Americans are losing sleep over the state of the U.S. economy and other personal financial concerns? This is according to a poll released in March 2009 by the National Sleep Foundation. What’s keeping you up at night? Tell me.
Want a more in-depth discussion of sleep? Listen to this week’s podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
June 30, 2010
Have you heard the terms friendly bacteria or healthy bacteria or the word probiotics? You’ve probably never thought a lot about your gastrointestinal tract until you started seeing commercials for various yogurts, yogurt drinks and cereals that promise to strengthen your immune system, help with regularity or replace healthy bacteria destroyed by antibiotics.
What are probiotics? Live microorganisms when given in adequate amounts can have a beneficial health effect on the body.
If you decide to try a probiotics product, how do you know which one is the best choice?
- Whether it’s a food or supplement form of probiotics doesn’t matter but take a supplement with food as food helps buffer the probiotics against stomach acid so the healthy bacteria are not destroyed and make it to the intestines.
- Probiotics are not the same nor equal. The health effect depends on the species and strain. OK, think of it like this. When you are sick with an infection that requires antibiotics, your doctor prescribes one based on the illness you have. The particular antibiotic prescribed has been proven to destroy the bacteria causing the illness. In other words, antibiotics are specific to certain bacteria. Same with probiotics. They are species and strain specific.For example, Lactobacillus acidophilus GG is often recommended for antibiotic use and the resulting diarrhea that often occurs while B lactis is used for IBS or L caseii for the immune system. Bottom line, the strain of probiotics must be specific to the health concern you want to address. That’s why probiotics may or may not help.
- Probiotics are categorized by group, species and strain. So take the Lactobacillus acidophilus GG mentioned above. Lactobacillus is the group, acidophilus is the species and GG is the strain. GG is the strain with research behind it.Be sure and discuss with your doctor or health care provider which probiotics strain is right for you if you are using it to help treat a specific health concern. Check out the company’s website for specific information on the species and strain of the probiotics. Want more overall knowledge… take a look at usprobiotics.org
- Probiotics or healthy bacteria can be destroyed by direct light and high temperatures over time. Be sure and check for a shelf life and how the product should be stored.
By the way, natural food sources of probiotics include yogurt, buttermilk, sauerkraut and kefir.
A few of the probiotics-enhanced products with research behind them to check out for specific health benefits include the supplements Culturelle and Florastor and the food products Activia, DanActive, Danimals, Yo-Plus yogurt, Stoneyfield Farms yogurt and Kashi Vive cereal.
Listen to this week’s podcast
June 23, 2010
It’s time to announce the winner of the $60 gift basket of award-winning Cabot cheese. Congratulations Luanne from Elizabethton TN! Watch the mail for your gift is on the way.
If food calls your name when you’re emotionally upset and you turn to food for comfort, it’s time to put on the brakes and stop stress-eating.
 Try these three stress-less strategies.
- Recognize emotional eating for what it is. Pay attention to your emotions this week. Every time you eat something, ask yourself if you are hungry or eating because of stress.Even better, keep a journal or notes on your blackberry or iphone for a few days. Why? When you write down what you eat, how much you eat and why you eat, stress-eating patterns become clear very quickly.
- Decide what actions you can take to help deal with your stress besides turning to food. Find a substitute to replace food … walk around the block, read one chapter in a good book, or chew sugarless gum.Seek professional counseling if you feel it’s needed or confide in friends or family members and come up with some strategies to deal with the stressful situation.
- Start one new healthy eating strategy. Here are two to choose from:
- If you don’t eat breakfast, start. Research shows that people who eat breakfast eat less during the day so it’s easier to control your food intake when you’re stressed and your emotions feel out of control.
- Eat more frequently. If you are an emotional eater and go more than four hours without food, you already know that it’s easy to eat and eat a lot. When you eat more frequently, you have less low blood sugar moments and feel less compelled to eat in response to your stress.
Good Morning American interviewed Andrew Shue, co-founder of CafeMom.com. You may remember him as an actor on the Melrose Place series. CafeMom.com connects mothers and mothers-to-be on all aspects of life for conversation and support.
CafeMom polled 2,000 of their moms in the MomIndex and found that a whopping 61% indicate they do not have enough time for themselves. Guess what the biggest source of anxiety is for moms? Money! One in five moms said that their family income has been affected by job loss.
Did the results of this poll sound like you? Do you eat because you are stressed, depressed, sad, lonely, or angry? Are you eating because you’ve lost your job or someone in the family has and you’re concerned about paying bills?
Has food become your new BFF, your best friend? You’re comforter? Really think about your relationship to food. Try these strategies and email me or post comments on the blog. Let me know how you are doing.
Listen to this week’s podcast
June 16, 2010
According to the American Heart Association the average teen consumes about 34 teaspoons of sugar…or about 500 calories…in a typical day. It’s so easy to reach for snacks loaded with sugar and fat and empty when it comes to nutrition. With just a little planning, you can feed them well and feel good about it.
On the podcast this week, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle magazine joins me to share simple strategies for your kids’ snacks.
 Try these simple strategies from Family Circle’s July issue:
- Offer smart snacks. Choose options that override cravings for sweets such as peanut butter or almond butter and whole grain crackers or whole wheat bread. Try fun, prepacked freeze-dried fruit, trail mix or squeezable applesauce.
- Focus on fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar or fructose plus a load of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Summer is peak season for a lot of fresh fruit. Serve it with frozen yogurt or make parfaits with granola, fruit such as blueberries and your favorite yogurt. I like to use Greek yogurt and make parfaits for snacks and breakfast.
- Rethink drinks. Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages are major culprits in over-the-top sugar consumption. Try mixing juice with sparkling water or seltzer, unsweetened tea, or try the lower-sugar fruit-juice-blend products. Don’t forget milk.
What simple strategies work for you? Tell me.
The Nutrition Facts label is very confusing when it comes to figuring out sugar intake. I hope that changes with the label update. For now, your simple strategy is to do the math so you know the amount of sugar in a product.
Determine calories from sugar: grams of sugar in a serving x 4 (4 calories/gram) = sugar calories
Teaspoons of sugar: grams of sugar per serving divided by 4 = teaspoons of sugar per serving
Remember that currently the Nutrition Facts label doesn’t separate out naturally occurring sugars such as fructose or lactose from the added sugars. You must go one step further and look at the ingredient label to see what sugars have been added.
In your body, sucrose which is sugar, molasses, honey, raw sugar, high fructose corn syrup or maple syrup are all sugars or sweeteners and the body doesn’t differentiate between them regardless of what the Internet scares tell you.
Each month Margit shares a recipe from the Family Circle kitchens and this month it’s a Berrylicious Shake. It’s quick and includes fresh blueberries which are in season now.
Listen to this week’s podcast
June 9, 2010
 Plastic baby bottles, plastic water bottles and plastic microwave containers…should you use them or not? What do you think? BPA is a hot button of controversy. Because consumer awareness of this potential health issue is growing, many manufacturers are producing BPA-free products.
If you want to reduce your exposure to BPA while the research and controversy continues, you can try these tips:
- Use plastics marked BPA-free or opt for stainless steel, glass or porcelain. Remember, you can always email or call the manufacturer if in doubt.
- To prevent BPA from seeping into food and liquids, wash plastics by hand instead of in the dishwasher even if the container says dishwasher safe.
- Also, forget about using plastics in the microwave and go with glass or porcelain that’s made especially for a microwave.
- This also includes plastic wrap for a cover…use glass, paper towel or wax paper as better alternatives.
- Try to avoid those white clamshell take-out containers. Both plastic wrap and these containers may contain other plastics that could be problematic too.
- Try to stay away from #7 on the bottom of containers in terms of recycling unless the items say BPA free.
- Choose glass or BPA free infant formula bottles.
- Select fresh or frozen foods over canned unless you find a manufacturer that uses an alternative. Also look for shelf stable cartons, pouches, bags and cups as alternatives to cans.
The chemical bisphenol-A or BPA is found in many reusable water bottles, some baby bottles, and clear plastic storage containers. Just to give you an idea, the lining of most canned food, pizza boxes, water pipes, eyeglasses, cell phones, shower curtains, DVDs, bicycle helmets, airplanes and even some dental sealants contain BPA.
BPA is a chemical used to make polycarbonate plastics which mimics or acts like the hormone estrogen and is referred to as an endocrine disrupting chemical. BPA can leach into food and drinks from cans, containers and bottles. A study published in Toxicology Letters (2008) found that hot liquids and food put into plastics containing BPA actually leached more of the chemical from the container into the food or liquid…up to 50 times more.
According to the American Chemistry Council, eleven regulatory bodies around the world have assessed the science on BPA and have determined that BPA is safe for use in food contact materials. However, use of BPA is definitely a controversial one. Animal studies have found that BPA is potentially linked to abnormal development of reproductive systems and precancerous lesions.
A report in the December 2009 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine found BPA in most all of 19 name-brand foods from canned soups and juice to tuna and green beans. BPA was even found in cans labeled “BPA-free”. The Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, has taken the position that manufacturer and government agencies should act to eliminate the use of BPA in all materials that come into contact with food.
These results stoke the fire as to how much BPA is safe to ingest and should BPA come into contact with food. According to medpagetoday.com, at the end of 2009 the FDA reversed its position and will budget $30 million for short and long term studies on the health risks associated with BPA particularly in infant food containers.
Listen to this week’s podcast
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