Home > Healthy Eating > Archives > 2007 > July
July 2007
Fountain of Youth Foods?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Foods such as blueberries, salmon, flax seed and yogurt have made it into the category called “superfoods” because they boost health and fight disease with their high concentration of a certain nutrient or are great one stop shopping for a number of nutrients.
Now there’s new emphasis on foods that might promote healthy aging and even defy the ravages of time on our skin, bones, eyes, minds and energy levels. Do you think that what you choose to eat can either speed up or slow down the aging process??
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment |
Can ya tell by lookin’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One of the arguments against regulations requiring nutrition information be listed or posted at restaurants is that “People can tell which foods are fattening.”
OK, you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to detect that chicken fried steak with country gravy is going to be higher in fat and calories than a side of sliced tomatoes. But, sometimes menu descriptions imply a “lighter” choice when in fact, the numbers add up to calorie sticker shock. Case in Point: Ruby Tuesday: Carolina Chicken Salad - 1025 calories, 72 g fat (without the dressing).
Add a half cup (that is what most restaurants serve) of Honey Mustard salad dressing (380 calories, 36g fat) and you are up to 1,405 calories, 108g fat. (FYI: a stick of butter has 88g fat!)
Ruby Tuesday: Classic Burger has 1014 calories, 71g fat. Their side of fries = 359 calories, 13g fat for a total of 1373 calories and 84g fat.
Look at the numbers….and you can see that the SALAD has more calories and fat than the burger!! Would you have known??????
Waiter! There’s food in my drink!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From watermelon martinis to cucumber cocktails there’s a tasty trend in the world of bartenders- or bar chefs- as they’re now often called to add more foodie ingredients to alcoholic beverages. The bloody mary at TAP, the new gastro pub in Midtown, is made with an in-house heirloom tomato juice. Do you find these more appealling at Happy Hour? or do you suspect it’s yet another way to boost the bar tab by charging a few more dollars for a gourmet gulp?
Are you in the 86%?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to the Produce for Better Health Foundation 86 percent of Americans do NOT consume the recommended minimum five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Quick math tells us that 14 percent of you are enjoying a respectable amount of produce daily. Now it just seems weird to me that so many people are NOT eating their veggies because salads are so popular at restaurants and grocery stores do seem to be restocking their produce sections constantly.
Do you think these sad statistics seem valid?? Put down that apple (or bag of chips) and let me know.
Jump start your veggie intake with suggestions from Cynthia Hizer’s list of in season fruits and vegetables at: In Season
Good, bad, ugly fat facts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you enjoy a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil on a crisp green salad or can’t wait to savor a salmon steak hot off the grill, then you are part of a happy and healthy nationwide nutrition trend. According to results of the 2007 Food & Health Survey recently released by the International Food Information Council, 72 percent of Americans indicated that they are concerned with both the amount and types of fats they consume, compared with 66 percent last year.
So, fat isn’t just associated with being “fattening” anymore. More people are learning that some fats can be good for their health. For instance, the polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids in foods like salmon, walnuts, olive oil and canola oil are linked to preventing heart disease, certain cancers and even depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Meanwhile, other fats are in the headlines because of their role in causing disease. Saturated fats found in meats and dairy foods should be limited to 10 percent of total calories because they can raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing your risk of heart disease. And beware the Darth Vader of the food world — trans fats— now on the nutrition hit list of ingredients to avoid entirely if you can.
If you find this good-fat vs. bad-fat information hard to digest, you’re not alone. Many Americans are a bit foggy on the dietary details. The food council survey found that while 75 percent of people correctly said they should be eating less trans fat and saturated fats, a troubling 42 percent incorrectly thought they were supposed to eat less polyunsaturated fat, too.
To help you identify the fats to hire or fire from your diet, here are some fat facts. Please note that all types of fat — I repeat, all types of fat — provide the same 9 calories per gram. So while olive oil may be good for your heart and bacon fat may be bad, either one can make you fat if you eat too much.
Here are fat résumés, so you can decide which one’s best for the job:
The fat facts • Omega-3 fats: Though actually in the polyunsaturated category, generally considered to be in a class by themselves. Work hard at reducing heart disease, cancer, swollen joints, even may help eczema and depression. Found on land and sea in the company of fish, shellfish, flaxseed, walnuts and canola and liquid soybean oil. Has centuries of experience in the Mediterranean keeping generations healthy. Prime performance: Lowers bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol.
• Mono-unsaturated fats: Long-term experience lowering bad fats and raising good fats in the blood. Also may help manage blood sugar levels. Monos hold prominent positions in olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, cashews, almonds, peanuts and avocados. Commonly employed in the Mediterranean, where olive oil is the most popular dietary fat. Seeking more opportunities to improve public health worldwide. Prime performance: Lowers bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol.
• Polyunsaturated fats: Although still recognized as a leader in their field for lowering cholesterol levels, demoted several years ago to a less prominent position behind omega-3 fats and monos. Though polys provide healthy fatty acids, best when added to the diet in a subordinate position to omega-3s and monos. Chief fat in walnuts, flaxseed, whole grains and vegetable oils, including canola, safflower, soybean and corn oils. By far, the most often employed fat in the American diet. Prime performance: Lowers bad cholesterol, raises good cholesterol.
• Saturated fats: Have held the same low-level position for decades. Known to clog arteries and suspected of other underhanded dealings affecting heart health. Chief fat in animal foods — fatty beef, pork, lamb, butter, cream, ice cream and other full-fat dairy products. Plays the heavy but adds lots of flavor to foods. Also, employed in the tropics as the fat found in coconut and palm oils. Acceptable in small doses; shouldmake up only 10 percent of your total staff. Prime performance: Raises bad cholesterol.
• Trans fats: Ignored for decades. Now known to be really bad news. Long-term experience raising artery-clogging bad cholesterol in the blood. Tricky “trans” position created when otherwise healthy liquid oils are processed into solid vegetable shortening, such as stick margarines. Used in many packaged foods — crackers, cakes, cookies, pastries, cereals, soups and salad dressings. Often goes by the name “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil.” Prime performance: Raises bad cholesterol.
Human resources note: Trans fats are increasingly unwelcome in any business spawning a nationwide movement to create “trans fat-free” frying oils, margarines, cookies, crackers and snack chips.
Just sounds healthy?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There are lots of foods and ingredients that truly can be called “healthy” for various reasons. Oatbran- because it contains fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Yogurt- because it contains probiotic bacteria that improve digestive health. Green Tea- because it contains antioxidants that help decrease risk of cancer.
But what about the food products that try to borrow a bit of that health halo by adding a small amount of the healthy ingredients to their recipes? For instance, I once saw Oat Bran Potato Chips on the market, you may have seen ( and tasted!) those so called yogurt covered chocolate balls. And recently Green Tea has been added to everthing from ice cream to soft drinks. Do you fall for what could be a sneaky marketing ploy???
Services »
