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
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
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 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
June 2, 2010
Did you know that chocolate bars, imitation seafood and herbal teas may contain gluten? To really make the gluten free diet work for you, it’s important to know all the ins and outs…particularly where gluten hides in products that you might not think about.
Where does gluten hide? Here are a few examples.
- Processed foods particularly deli meats, hot dogs
- Malt vinegar and soy sauce
- Imitation seafood
- Beer
- Dry Roasted Nuts: some companies use dust with a wheat mixture
- Glue on postage stamps and envelopes
- Chewing gum
- Some lotions, creams and cosmetics such as lipstick
- Vitamins and medications
Terms to watch out for that may contain gluten:
- Corn starch and wheat starch
- Dextrin
- Modified food starch
- Natural flavoring/artificial flavor/color/smoke flavor
- Fillers
 Now is the time to become a label sleuth. According to registered dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, author of the new book Read It Before You Eat It, if you need to follow a gluten-free diet always be vigilant about label reading, especially because many manufacturers change their products without notifying the public. Something you might have enjoyed previously may now be unsafe.
I’ve posted a gluten-free and celiac disease resource document with links to celiac organizations, food companies, recipes, cookbooks and more at the Nutrition & Health Center.
 You might be wondering if you will ever eat a chocolate brownie again. The answer is absolutely! My colleague, dietitian Liz Weiss, writes a blog called Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen. She has shared a gluten-free black bean brownie recipe that her readers rave about. Yes, it’s made from black beans instead of flour.
 The folks at Cabot Creamery have a number of gluten-free recipes on their site using cheese such as cheddar mashed potatoes and layered broccoli salad.
If you love cheese, register to win a $60 gift box of award-winning reduced-fat Cabot cheeses at the Nutrition & Health Center. Go to the Nutrition & Health Center at WDBO.com …you’ll see the link to register.
More Websites for Helpful Information:
Celiac Disease Foundation http://celiac.org/
Shelley Case, RD, Gluten-free Expert http://glutenfreediet.ca/
Her Book: Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide
Gluten Intolerance Group of North America http://gluten.net/
Gluten-free Cookbooks, Recipes and Food:
Savory Palate, Inc. http://savorypalate.com/
The Gluten-Free Mall http://www.glutenfreemall.com/
stellaLucy Gluten-Free Market http://www.stellalucy.com/
Listen to this week’s podcast
May 26, 2010
 The gluten-free diet has become a popular diet de jour. Oprah pushed its popularity a couple of years ago when she went on a cleanse that was free of several items, gluten included.
The vast majority of you who are following a gluten-free diet are doing so because you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease and there’s a war going on between your gastrointestinal tract and your immune system. A gluten-free diet wins the war.
The bottom-line basics of the gluten-free diet:
- The grain group is most affected.
- Dairy, fruits, vegetables and protein foods have minimal changes (and typically don’t contain gluten) especially in their most natural form.
- Put your emphasis on whole foods versus processed foods or those modified in some way. Processed and modified foods are most likely to contain gluten.
- Remember there are many naturally gluten-free foods such as fruit and vegetables and many grains (see list below). Reach for whole grains such as brown rice over white rice.
This is really important if you think you might have celiac disease. A gluten-free diet can interfere with obtaining an accurate diagnosis so never start on the diet until you’ve had the blood test and biopsy.
For this week’s more in-depth podcast on gluten-free click here.
Next week I’ll post an updated list of gluten-free and celiac resources at the Nutrition & Health Center. Just go to WDBO.com and click on the Nutrition & Health Center. You’ll see the link to the resources at the top of the page.
With Celiac disease, the tiniest bread crumb containing gluten can set some people off, make them sick and harm their intestines. Gluten is so ubiquitous that at times it can make managing celiac disease difficult.
The dangerous grains include:
- barley
- rye
- wheat
- spelt
- kamut
Some of the safe grains include:
- rice
- corn
- potato
- amaranth
- quinoa
- buckwheat
- millet
- chickpea flour
- oats
Remember wheat free is NOT gluten free. Wheat free can contain barley, bulgur or other grains with gluten.
In the past, oats were included on the dangerous list of grains because of cross-contamination. Oats were usually contaminated with wheat, barley or rye during harvesting and processing. More recent studies suggest that for most people eating oats in moderate amounts, meaning about ½ cup of dried oats is safe.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that attacks your small intestine and persists for a lifetime. Autoimmune basically means that your body turns on itself. Specifically your intestine is damaged by the protein you eat found in wheat, rye and barley…collectively this protein is referred to as gluten.
Any food item which contains gluten is like poison to your small intestine particularly to the little fingerlike projections called villi and makes it difficult to absorb the nutrients from food such as vitamins and minerals.
If you have questions that need answers now and want a personalized gluten-free diet, consider making an appointment with the nutrition expert, a registered dietitian. You can search for an RD in your area at the American Dietetic Association homepage.
Listen to this week’s podcast
May 12, 2010
 What is the one item of clothing women hate to shop for? A swim suit. My college roommate was in town last week and we were over at the beach. She was shopping for a swim suit and I wish you could have heard her comments. “I’ve got to lose this extra flab.” “This suit makes me look even fatter than I feel.” “Wow, is my butt really that wide?” “The flowers on this suit make me look like an extra-large arrangement.”
She had me laughing out loud but at the same time, we discussed how we women are our own worst critics. Isn’t that right ladies? We don’t need anyone else to point out our flaws when we try on a swim suit…we do that very nicely on our own. We would never hear a guy say…”Do my thighs look like cottage cheese?” or “Wow, my gut has really gotten big.”
If you want to drop a few pounds before you put on your swimsuit, take this quiz with me and let’s do some diet myth busting.
Here we go: Diet Myth or Diet Truth?
#1, True or False: You can lose weight if you eat grapefruit or drink/use vinegar?
FALSE: This myth is considered ‘food folklore’–wishful thinking for many people who have heard this faux promise for years. Unfortunately no food can directly “burn fat” nor “burn off the calories in a food”. If you lose weight because you eat grapefruit, it’s because you substitute this low calorie food for one in your diet that is likely much higher in calories and fat. Same for vinegar. You may substitute it in place of a much higher fat salad dressing for example and therefore cut significant calories.
This is not going to sound sexy or be the magic pill that we all wish we had but weight loss, bottom line, is about how much you eat day in and day out. I’m talking portion size and total calories plus how physically active you are.
Two huge factors have changed. Number one, we’ve become sedentary as a society. Remote controls, computers, cars, golf carts, etc. do all the work for us. Then consider that most of us don’t live where we can walk everywhere like in the European countries. Number two, portion sizes are obscene. Cookies are the size of small pizzas so we pack on the pounds like never before.
#2, True or False: You must stop eating at 7pm or you won’t lose weight?
FALSE: Calories do not count more in the evening. In terms of fat burning, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, regardless of when it is eaten. The bottom line for weight loss is calories consumed against calories expended. Think about this.
Do you often skip breakfast or lunch or else eat very lightly all day? Are you so ravenous by the time you get home that you could eat the door off the refrigerator and have absolutely zero self control? Do you eat anything you can get your hands on and then fall asleep and never burn the calories off?
Research from The National Weight Control Registry shows that people who eat breakfast and throughout the day have less cravings at night and tend to eat much less after 7 pm.
Listen to this week’s podcast for more diet myths…busted.
Listen to this week’s podcast
May 5, 2010
If you have children or care for children, do you often feel confused about what and how to feed them? My guest on this week’s podcast, dietitian and mom Maryann Jacobsen, has useful tips you don’t want to miss.
 Check out the blog, Raise Healthy Eaters, founded by registered dietitian Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen. The focus is on three essentials to raising healthy eaters: what to feed, how to feed and how to be a healthy role model.
You’ll find useful information on what to eat during pregnancy as well as what to feed infants and toddlers. Plus find out how to outsmart a picky eater!
Maryann shares her insight on children and set mealtimes, the eating cues of hunger and satiety (feeling satisfied or full) and the roll of the parent.
 Here’s a quick bio: Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen is a registered dietitian, mother of two and creator of Raise Healthy Eaters, a blog dedicated to providing parents with credible nutrition advice. Maryann has counseled overweight clients for years and understands the connection between how children are fed and the kind of eater they grow up to be. After having kids of her own, she decided to focus on prevention by helping parents learn how and what to feed their children.
Listen to this week’s podcast
April 28, 2010
 You’ve asked me questions such as how do I know where my fish is from and is it farmed or wild-caught?
Here’s your quick A-Z guide to purchase fish.
Sources for fish information fast:
- Monterey Bay Aquarium in California has a Seafood Watch Program. Check out their Seafood Guide App that you can download to your iphone or ipad to help you make sustainable seafood choices quickly and easily, whether you’re eating out or shopping at your local supermarket. The app features regional guides so you can see what seafood is best in each area of the country and a sushi guide.
- You can send a text while you stand in front of the fish counter and make sure the fish you plan to purchase is eco-friendly and without a health advisory. This very cool tech tip is courtesy of blueocean.org.
Send a text to 30644 with the message FISH followed by the name of the fish you want to buy…for example, FISH SCALLOPS or FISH SALMON. I sent a text for FISH SALMON and received two texts within a few seconds.. The Blue Ocean Institute tracks 90+ fish species and regularly updates their database.
- Other good sources for information on seafood choices that protect marine life and/or the environment and support well-managed fisheries are seafoodwatch.org and nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch, part of the government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
How do you know where your fish is coming from?
The Country of Origin Labeling called COOL, which was developed by the USDA, requires all large retailers (supermarkets) to disclose the country of origin of fresh or frozen fish and whether it is farm-raised or wild-caught.
What about sustainable seafood?
The Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) certification program and seafood ecolabel recognizes and rewards sustainable fishing. They are a global organization working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. Look for their label on fish products.
Do farmed fish provide the same health benefits as wild?
There’s a lot of controversy about farmed-fish versus wild-fish in regards to nutrition content, environmental safety and toxins. Farmed fish can be a healthy and delicious alternative to more expensive wild-caught fish but, there is potential for higher amounts of toxins and poor nutrition content. The key is ‘farmed responsibly’ resulting in fish that is an affordable and perfectly recommendable source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Listen to this week’s podcast
April 14, 2010
 With the trend towards locally grown, eco-friendly, natural food, raw milk is touted as being more healthful, better tasting and nutritious than pasteurized milk…but is it? Proponents of raw milk say it’s safe to drink…but should you drink it and give it to your family
Raw milk is milk that has not been pasteurized. It’s milk from any hoofed animal including cows, sheep or goats. Because of the potential for raw milk to contain a wide variety of bacteria including such suspects as:
- Salmonella
- E. coli
- Listeria
- M. tuberculosis
- Campylobacter
- Brucella
Public health officials for decades have expressed concern over drinking raw milk. Symptoms of illness range from:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- abdominal pain
- fever, headache and body aches
However, people with weakened immune systems from HIV or autoimmune diseases or infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially sensitive and illness from raw milk can be very serious and result in death.
Joining me on the podcast to answer more questions about the raw milk movement is Dr. Ronald Schmidt, Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida. Dr. Schmidt has authored more than 100 scientific publications and presentations in dairy/food science technology, food safety, and microbiology, and is co-editor of the book, Food Safety Handbook.
Dr. Schmidt delves into these questions that you have asked?
- First, I have to ask this same question that I asked Joe Wright, the dairy farmer who was our guest last week. Do you drink raw milk or pasteurized milk and why?
- Proponents of raw milk say it is more nutritious with additional enzymes and healthy bacteria that are destroyed by pasteurization. Is one milk more nutritious than the other?
- Does raw milk contain antimicrobial components making pasteurization unnecessary? What effect does pasteurization have on milk?
- Dr. Schmidt, advocates of raw milk point to some studies where children drinking raw milk have less allergies, asthma and eczema. Where does the scientific community come out on this debate on drinking raw milk and giving it to children?
- What about cheese made from raw milk? Is it safe? I see dairies selling it at farmers’ markets.
- Do you think raw milk will become legal in Florida and other states?
What’s your opinion on raw milk? Post your comment on my blog and I’ll share some of them on an upcoming podcast.
Listen to this week’s podcast
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