Food and Nutrition

The Quest For A Thin Baby: How Far Some Parents Will Go

Posted Mon, 02/15/2010 - 16:24 by Staff

First there was the airbrushing of babies in magazines and now parents are starving newborns so they don’t become “fat babies”. What is this country coming to?

We all know that being overweight is unhealthy and can put a person at risk for medical illness. Being too thin, however, is also not healthy and often not attainable. Most of us were not meant to be a size zero. And those who do manage to starve themselves to this size, wind up regaining the weight. Yes, there are some people who are naturally skinny and they can be healthy. But most people really have to work to get (and stay) at that size, often using unhealthy methods. Society’s obsession with emaciation is leading to many adverse side effects.

Garlicky Shrimp Scampi from William Sonoma

Posted Thu, 02/04/2010 - 16:47 by kristin


In Italy, scampi are shrimplike crustaceans known elsewhere as Dublin Bay prawns or langoustines. American cooks use the same term to describe sautéed jumbo shrimp in a buttery, white wine sauce. This version is more garlicky and saucy than most, and is delicious served over pasta, rice, or even grits.

Jumbo or extra-large shrimp, 11⁄2 pounds
All-purpose flour, 1⁄2 cup
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil, 2 tablespoons, plus more as needed
Unsalted butter, 12 tablespoons
Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
Dry white wine, 1⁄4 cup
Finely grated lemon zest, from 1 lemon
Fresh lemon juice, 2 tablespoons
Fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons finely chopped
Lemon wedges for serving
Makes 4 servings

Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tail segment intact. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.

Technology for Weight Loss

Posted Fri, 01/22/2010 - 12:08 by Staff

Remember when weight loss was simply about eating less and exercising more? These days, dieting is getting high tech. Every day, studies are released about the benefits of new electronic weight loss gadgets. But are they really necessary and will they actually help with weight loss?

A recent study from the British Medical Journal promotes the use of a small computer-linked food scale (called a Mandometer) to help with weight loss. The Mandometer was developed by researchers from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. Dieters put their plates on this scale which weighs the remaining food as the meal is eaten. There is also a small screen which shows dieters the rate at which they are eating their food and the ideal rate at which they should be eating their food. When food is eaten too quickly, the computer tells the dieter to slow down.

10 Foods That Help Keep Arteries Clean

Posted Sun, 01/17/2010 - 08:55 by Staff

Arteries are blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the entire length of your body. For this process to occur, however, your arteries need to be flexible, strong, elastic and clear of any deposits.

But arteries have to be kept in good shape because deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, calcium and other substances can build up in your arteries. These are called plaques and they can severely restrict blood flow and, more seriously, they can cause your arteries to rupture, leading to blood clots. Blood clots can block your blood flow entirely, leading to heart attack and stroke.

Build-up of plaques in your arteries is known as atherosclerosis and it is the main underlying cause of heart disease. So what should we do? Exercising is an excellent way to keep your arteries healthy, but your diet plays a major role. Here are 10 foods that are helpful in keeping your arteries clean.

1. Grapefruit
2. Green Tea
3. Apples

Yummy Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe

Posted Sat, 01/02/2010 - 11:09 by Staff

If you are looking to make a really yummy and healthy soup, try this easy recipe for Carrot Ginger soup.

Ingredients:

* 6 organic carrots
* 1 medium organic onion
* 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* 6 inch piece fresh ginger Parsley to garnish

Directions:

-Wash, peel, and cut carrots and onion into chunks.

-Saute vegetables in a skillet with olive oil.

-Place vegetables and salt in a pot.

-Add 4 cups water.

-Bring to a boil.

-Cover with a lid.

-Simmer on low heat for 25 minutes.

-Transfer soup into blender, adding water to achieve desired consistency.

-When blending is done, squeeze juice from grated ginger and add to soup.

By Mela Stevens from Boomer-Living.com - active solutions for Baby Boomers

8 Tips to Healthier Holiday Drinks + Recipes

Posted Wed, 12/16/2009 - 13:13 by Staff

Spending time with friends and family is a great way to spend the holidays, and for many of you that means getting together and sharing a few cocktails. Holiday drinking can be fun and enjoyable but for those of us who are trying to watch our waistlines this holiday season, even having a few drinks can set us back a few notches. It’s important to remember that all alcoholic drinks contain calories and these can add up very quickly! But don’t fret, there is still a way to enjoy a few holiday drinks without overdoing it!

Tips to follow when choosing drinks:

1. Try to keep your limit to no more than 1-2 drinks for women or 2-3 drinks for men, any more and the benefits of moderate drinking is thrown out the window

2. Avoid making drinks with heavily sweetened mixers which contain a significant amount of calories from simple carbohydrates

3. If drinking beer, choose a light beer

4. Drink out of smaller glasses or tall, skinny glasses

When Turkey is Not Invited to Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted Fri, 11/20/2009 - 09:43 by Staff

When Turkey is Not Invited to Thanksgiving Dinner

As more people choose to go vegetarian or simply reduce the meat in their diets for health and ethical reasons, the question of what to serve at Thanksgiving dinner becomes bigger than ever before. Instead of simply debating between Mom’s recipe versus Aunt Ruth’s for the turkey, the entire staple entrée is tossed aside. If you have vegetarians coming to dinner or just want to take the non-traditional route, here are some must haves for your Thanksgiving table:

* Vegan Pot Pie: Served steaming hot with tons of veggies, a flaky crust, and chewy tempeh or seitan. Mealsmatter.org
* Butternut Squash and Apple Soup: the rich sweetness of butternut squash plus the natural tartness of apples, pureed with cinnamon and nutmeg. Simplyrecipes.com

BPA Found in Foods States Consumer Reports

Posted Sun, 11/08/2009 - 20:19 by Staff

We have all been reading about BPA lately in plastic bottles, however, now we must face the fact that BPA is showing up in our food supply.

A recent report by Consumer Reports magazine, in their December issue, discloses that brand-name canned foods were found to have BPA in almost all of them. High levels of BPA showed up in both Progresso soups and Campbells soups.

BPA, or bisphenol A, is a synthetic estrogen that is used in many products and now, apparently, it has been found in the linings of cans that hold canned foods. BPA has been linked to many diseases including breast cancer, ADD and genital abnormalities in both sexes.

The many Benefits of Green Tea

Posted Mon, 10/26/2009 - 19:19 by Staff

There are three main varieties of tea -- green, black, and oolong. The difference between the teas is in their processing.

Green Tea has been shown, through research, to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. It fights the aging process and a number of cancers. To benefit from green tea, you must drink more than a cup or two a day.

Green tea is made from unfermented leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants called polyphenols. Antioxidants are substances that scavenge free radicals ... damaging compounds in the body that alter cells and even cause cell death. Free radicals occur naturally in the body, but environmental toxins (including ultraviolet rays from the sun, radiation, cigarette smoke, and air pollution) also give rise to these damaging particles.

Beware - Smart Choices Food Labels Are NOT Such A Smart Choice

Posted Sat, 09/05/2009 - 10:47 by Staff

Nutritionists are up in arms and they well should be! There is a new food-labeling campaign that is called Smart Choices and it is being backed by many of the nation's largest food manufacturers. Maybe that should tell us something right off. One would have hoped that companies would have used this opportunity to really help parents and get exceptional nutritional products into our children, who are currently in the midst of an obesity epidemic. But that is not how it is playing out.

The green checkmark label will replace some of manufacturers labels that supposedly denoted a healthy choice for consumers and this new label is starting to show up on hundreds of food packages. Sadly, this label has been placed on products such as Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops, two cereals that have an over-abundance of sugar. How did they get the label? Well, supposedly these cereals are better choices than things like a sugary donut!

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