Happy Thanksgiving

For my final blog I would like to present my idea of the perfect Thanksgiving dinner. While most of my blogs have dealt with both positive and negative food components and healthy eating, this blog takes a different stand point. In other cultures, holidays and other celebrations are a time for large meals. People eat what they want to and only when they are hungry. There is usually only one meal on that day and it lasts for a very long time because they eat their food very slowly. People in other cultures typically have healthier eating habits than in the US simply because they do not focus on all the different components and their effects like we do (ie. calories, fat, sodium, etc). This Thanksgiving, I hope that you start off with a well balanced table with plently of options (I'll list some components just in case). Try a little bit of everything if you want to, but eat slowly and do not force yourself to eat more than your stomach can hold.

Appetizers and snacks while waiting for the meal:
- Nuts (rich in antioxidants and protein)
- Baked brie and crackers (carbs, protein, calcium)
- Raw veggies: carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants)

Meal:
- Sweet potatoes (vitamin A, Potassium, Zinc)
- Turkey (protein)
- Broccoli and Asaparagus with cheese (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calcium)
- Stuffing (carbs)
- Mashed potatoes with gravy (starch)
- Shredded carrots and turnips (Vitamins)
- Butternut squash (vitamin A, Potassium, Zinc, Fiber)
- Steamed green beans (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants)
- Small dinner rolls with oil (unsaturated fat, carbs)
- Applesauce and Apple cider(Vitamin C)
- Red wine (antioxidants)

Dessert:
- Pumpkin pie (Vitamin A, Potassium, Zinc, Fiber, carbs from crust)
- Apple crisp with cranberries, pears, and golden raisins (carbs, vitamins, antioxidants)

**each food item may have many other positive and negative components that I did not list, but Thanksgiving is not about counting carbs! If you have a colorful plate then you're in good shape, so enjoy for the day and remember not to force feed yourself! (It's always the perfect day for a game of backyard football with your family too!)

Comfort Food

Why do we crave comfort food? What makes comfort food comforting? The main cause for over-eating comfort food is stress. We have many neurotransmitters in our brain that send messages to the rest of the body to help maintain homeostasis. One of these neurons controls both our appetite and stress levels. So when we are stressed, our brains tell us that we are craving food to fix it. Everyone's brain is different and therefore we each will crave something different. However it is proven that foods high in sugar, starch or lard will give us the most energy and make us feel better.

Unfortunately, our cravings may not be based on actual hunger or need for food. This is why people get stuck in a circle and end up spiralling downward: you feel stressed, you over-eat, you feel better, then you feel stressed again because you have gained abdominal weight, so you eat again to reduce that stress, etc. The best thing to do when you feel stressed is try to go do something else. Instead of eating an entire box of chocolates or a big bowl of mac and cheese, try to get your mind off both the stress and the food by going for a run. Excercise will release endorphins that will make you feel better and help fight any abdominal fat that you gained from over-indulging on comfort food.

www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-body-shape

Got Milk?

Milk builds strong bones! It also helps to rebuild muscles, improve the health and beauty of your hair, nails, and skin, helps women with the hormone inbalance during PMS, prevents cavities, and helps you to fall alseep.

But what kind of milk are you drinking?

You should not stop feeding babies breast milk until they are at least one year. After that, you should begin feeding them whole milk. Whole milk has high levels of fat- 1 gram per ounce- which is necessary for their bodily and cognitive development. Once the child reaches two years, you should switch them to lowfat or skim milk.

Many people our age and older still drink whole milk. Our bodies do not need to consume that much fat. The problem is that if a child does not like the taste of skim milk, parents simply allow them to continue drinking whole milk. As you get older, it becomes more difficult to switch because you prefer one taste over the other. Just by switching from whole milk to 1% milk can reduce your daily caloric intake and decrease your chances of hypertension (since animal products contain saturated fats).

So if you haven't made the switch yet to lowfat or skim milk, its high time you did. To learn more about the benefits of milk, visit the interactive website <www.gotmilk.com>

http://pediatrics.about.com/od/milk/i/05_milk.htm

Mold

What do you picture when you hear the word mold? Perhaps you imagine a loaf of bread suddenly decorated with hairy blue or green spots (like this sad peice of bread). Or maybe you have had to clean mold off of the ceiling in your shower. For me, I think of the medicine that I am highly allergic to: Penicillin.

Mold is a type of fungus that grows in warm, dark, damp places. Molds are tiny organisms that carry their stomachs on the outside and feed on organic material. They spread through asexual reproduction, in which they produce tiny spores that can float through the air. Like us, mold requires water to survive, which is why it grows faster in damp places. Since mold does not go through the process of photosynthesis like plants, it does not require sunlight and would dry out with too much sunlight; this explains why mold also grows quickly in dark places.

But not all forms of mold are bad. Although I am allergic to this type of mold, Penicillin was a significant medical discovery that has and continues to help many people suffering from infections. Traces of mold and other fungi are also found in different types of food such as cheese, mushrooms, yeast, soy sauce and hotdogs.

Mold is also used in the aging process of some wines and cheeses. For blue cheese, the milk is curdled (as in regular cheese) and mixed with moldy bread that has been ground into fine dust. Whey is removed from the curds and then it takes time to age. The mold acts upon the curds as the cheese ripens, giving it that smooth texture and the sharp taste and odor.

Be careful when you see mold on your foods however... especially foods like cream cheese or sour cream with oil or water bases because although it looks like you could just scrape that tiny bit of mold at the top of the container, mold has probably spread throughout the liquid base.

www.ehow.com/how-does_5194628_blue-cheese-mold.html
www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/mold-allergy

What is an Antioxidant?

During cold and flu season, everyone reminds us to consume plenty of antioxidants. My previous blog also said that antioxidants can help to improve your overall heart health. So what is an antioxidant? How does it work?

Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals found in high levels in fruits and vegetables. Beta-carotene, a major antioxidant, can be found in pumpkin, pink grapefruit, spinach, tomatoes and many others. Two other important antioxidants are Vitamin C, found in berries, broccoli, oranges, etc. and Vitamin E, found in carrots, mustard, papaya, etc.

Your body goes through the process of oxidation, in which cells die and new cells are formed. While this process is natural, some of the cells involved in the oxidation process can become damaged and go around damaging other cells; these cells are called free radicals. The free radicals eventually mutate your DNA so as it duplicates, it forms diseases.

Antioxidants help to prevent and stop the formation of free radicals. Vitamin C is one antioxidant that helps to prevent free radicals. While you should continue to drink orange juice and consume other foods with Vitamin C when you have a cold, understand that Vitamin C is most efficient in the prevention of new free radicals and will not kill the ones that have already formed and made you sick. Vitamin E is one of the antioxidants that does kill existing free radicals and can help to make you feel better.

It is also important to note that the formation of free radicals can be influenced by the invironment. Excess amounts of sunlight can trigger free radicals in the skin, causing skin cancer. Breathing in cigarette smoke can also cause free radicals to form and spread.

www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/how-antioxidants-work1

Does the Acai Berry Diet Work?

Does the Acai Berry Diet Work?

Acai Berry seems to be one of the most popular and controversial diets at the moment...I have even seen advertisements for it on facebook. But does it work? First I decided to look up the actual health benefits of the acai berry. According to WebMd.com, the acai berry contains the antioxidants anthocyanins and flavonoids. A diet rich in antioxidants helps to "neutralize free radicals" which would otherwise speed up the aging process and increase your chances of heart disease and other life threatening conditions.

Acai berry has not been thoroughly tested or proven to promote weight loss; however, many believe it to be a superfood. I visited one website that told the story of a woman who tested out the acai berry diet for 30 days. She chose, as many others had suggested, to try this diet with a colon cleanse. She was skeptical at first, but was testing this product as part of her job as a reporter. She claims that she did not alter her diet or excercise during the trial and after 30 days felt more energized, was in a better mood, and had dropped 3 dress sizes.

I think it will be interesting to see what scientists end up proving in terms of the weight loss aspects of the acai berry. Most of the reviews that I read told a success story, however I don't think I would try the acai berry/colon cleanse diet with more scientific evidence. The following website has a link to order both the acai berry and the colon cleanse, along with coupon codes to get both products for about a total of $5.

http://healthnews4.net/1q.php

Follow-up: Pumpkin Seeds

Before you smash your pumpkin this fall, collect the pumpkin seeds and increase your fiber intake. This is the recipe I used this year to season my pumpkin seeds:

2-1/4 teaspoons margarine
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 cup pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Bake in a shallow dish (I used a cookie sheet) at 275 degrees for about 40 minutes. If desired, sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking (adds a little dairy and fat).

An Apple a Day

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away". Sure, we've all heard it, but what makes it true? According to a recent study, apples and applesauce have been linked to lung and breast cancer prevention. The flavoniods in apples stop the growth of breast cancer cells and "alter" one of the catalysts that increase the spread of breast cancer. Apples have also been linked to better overall lung health, and the antioxidant quercetin helps to prevent lung cancer.

Apples and applesauce also reduce your risk for hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome. Apples contain vitamin C, fiber, and pectin, which helps to curb the appetite and promote weight loss or maintenance.

TIP: When you purchase applesauce, try to find ones without a lot of added sugar. Also, when you are cooking this fall, try substituting applesauce for vegetable oil. I made a batch of pumpkin squares (see my pumpkin blog for more health benefits) and used cinnamon flavored applesauce instead of oil. Not only did it make the squares moist and flavorful, but it added to the health benefits and cut back on fat.

www.associatedcontent.com/article/1964044/the_health_benefits_of_applesauce.html?cat=22

The Great Pumpkin

With or without the carved, toothy smile, pumpkins always seem to make October more festive. But did you know that those glowing, orange jack-o-lanterns have many health benefits too?

Obviously, it's orange!
Pumpkins are filled with beta-carotene, a nutrient responsible for the orange color (also in carrots and sweet potatoes). When consumed, the body changes the carotene into Vitamin A, which is an antioxidant.

Better than Bananas?
When you say Potassium, most people think of bananas. A medium banana has about 422mg of Potassium; one cup of pumpkin has about 564mg of Potassium. Studies have found that including more Potassium in your diet reduces your risk for hypertension.

Zinc & Fiber
Pumpkins have a little bit of zinc, which helps boost your immune system and improve bone density. Also, they are high in fiber, which helps you to feel full faster, slow the body's consumption of carbohydrates, and absorb cholesterol, keeping you healthy and helping you lose weight. Fiber also helps to clean out your digestive track, especially the intestines, and relieve constipation.

My favorite part of the pumpkin is the seeds!
Pumpkin seeds are rich in vitamins and have many positive effects on overall health. The fibers in the seeds are good for your teeth, gum, nails and hair. Pumpkin seeds also relieve constipation, help dissolve gall stones, and help prevent kidney stones. Currently, we can see more and more commercials for arthritis medication, but they always have a long list of possible side effects. Pumpkin seeds can help to reduce inflammation, but unlike many arthritis meds, do not increase damaged fat levels in the joints.

www.hubpages.com/hub/Health-Benefits-of-Pumpkin

The HFCS Argument

The FDA ensures that High Fructose Corn Syrup does not pose an imminent threat to overall health; however, many are still convinced that there is a direct correlation between HFCS intake and obesity.

This is a commercial that supported HFCS:

And this is one person's view on the negative effects of HFCS:

Here are the facts:
- HFCS has practically identical caloric values as sugar and honey.
- HFCS has a fructose:glucose ratio of either 42:53 or 55:42, while regular sugar has 50:50.
- HFCS and sugar are equal in sweetness and are broken down the same way in the body.
- HFCS is made from corn.

While it is true that Americans today consume much more HFCS than in the 70's, we also must realize that we consume much less sugar. So why did we switch? HFCS better enhances the natural flavor of foods, increases the longevity of freshness, and helps some foods stay evenly distributed (i.e. Imagine what mustard would look like if if all the parts weren't distributed evenly...ew)

In response to the obesity concerns, I think people need to stop putting so much energy into their excuses and put more energy into eating right and hitting the gym. If it helps, every time you see HFCS as the main ingredient pretend that it says sugar (since they contain the same calories) and choose something healthier. Many other countries do not use HFCS and they too are experiencing greater instances of obesity, so clearly HFCS is not the culprit. If you are concious of your caloric intake, eat a balanced diet, and exercise regularly, you shouldn't have to worry about obesity (and can enjoy the occasional sugary carbohydrate).

Saturated VS Unsaturated Fats- Smother with Butter or Soak in Oil?

When you go out to eat, many restaurants will serve you some kind of pre-sliced bread in a lined basket with either butter or oil on the side. For example, Longhorn Steakhouse serves butter with their bread, while Not Your Average Joe's serves a dish of seasoned oil. The difference: butter is a saturated fat; oil is an unsaturated fat. Could one of these options be detrimental to your health?

In chemical terms, the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats is the number of hydrogen atoms bonded to carbon atoms. In a saturated fat molecule, every carbon is single-bonded to both another carbon and two to three hydrogen atoms (so that it is "saturated" with as many hydrogen atoms as possible). In an unsaturated fat molecule, at least one carbon is double-bonded to another carbon, meaning that there is one less hydrogen atom in the same length carbon chain.

Saturated fats are found in butter, milk, meats and other animal-based products and are known to have negative effects on the heart. Saturated fats also increase "bad" cholesterol. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, increase "good" cholesterol while simultaneously decreasing "bad" cholesterol, and are commonly found in nuts and oils.

To put it simply, choose oil over butter. Oil can be seasoned however you'd like, and it's good for your heart!

http://cholesterol.about.com/cs/faq/f/difference.htm