Source:  National Gardening Association

The USDA recommends that we consume a minimum of 4½ cups of fruits and veggies daily.  Unfortunately, since food prices are expected to rise about 3 percent this year (ouch!), affording this much fresh produce daily could be a tad challenging for some of us. So where can you find produce on the cheap?

The answer: By eating locally. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series about obtaining locally grown food to stretch your produce food dollar.

This week’s blog focuses on eating as locally as you can physically get; namely, right out of your own backyard garden.  According to Bruce Butterfield, the research director at the National Gardening Association (NGA), 39 million households in America had a home garden in 2011, an increase from 2008. A major reason that more households are growing their own food, according to the NGA, is to save money on their food bill.  Research suggests that, on average, a well-maintained food garden yields about a $500 return, when taking into account the gardener’s investment and the market price of produce.

While price is an important consideration among gardeners, the number one motivator and driving force for home gardening is taste. Yup, taste. As most local gardeners already know, nothing tastes more delicious than a ripe, summer tomato plucked right out of your backyard garden. In fact, NGA research shows that tomatoes are grown by more than 85 percent of home gardeners. This doesn’t surprise Butterfield, as “tomatoes are popular among consumers because of their superior taste, their good yield, and more entertainingly, they allow dramatic bragging rights to the most robust crop among your neighbors."

For first time gardeners, the NGA provides easy, step-by-step instructions on growing tomatoes that will be “warm from the sun and heavy in the hand,” chuckles Butterfield.   Plant some basil and along with a smidgen of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, you will be abundantly slicing up a delicious tomato salad nightly.

If you want to make gardening a truly ambitious family affair, Dole Foods has a Garden Kit complete with 12 different varieties of seeds, trays, garden markers, nutrition information, and recipes.

Since kids love to eat what they grow, it is designed to entice and educate kids as to where their produce really comes from.   Click here for more information on the kit.

Do you have a vegetable garden?  Please post your gardening tips below.


Next week's blog:  Produce on the Cheap:  Farmer's Markets (Part 2)

Source: Flickr, McCun934's Photostream

May is National Barbecue Month (who knew?), and Memorial Day Weekend provides an extended opportunity to fire up the grill.

According to a survey conducted by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA), over 60% of the households that own a smoker or grill will cook out on Memorial Day.   Another nationwide poll by the association found that more than a third of households are inclined to just “wing it” rather than follow a recipe when creating their carefree, outdoor dining masterpiece.

Carefree is one thing.  Careless and winging it when it comes to outdoor cooking can have you and your guests spending part of the holiday weekend indoors, close to a bathroom, due to foodborne illness.   If you are the grillmaster this weekend or have been lucky enough to be invited as a guest, read these eye-opening statistics and tips to help your holiday weekend be festive but safe:

Don’t Touch That!: While hand washing is a key strategy in reducing the risk of foodborne illness, unfortunately, men are less likely than women to wash their hands prior to handling food and after using the bathroom, according to a Harris Poll.   Another survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) showed that only 9 percent of individuals always or usually wash utensils before re-using them for cooked foods. 

DO:  Keep moist disposable towelettes near the grill as a reminder to the grillmaster to clean his/her hands before touching the food.  Wash the platter and utensils that touched the raw meat before using them again on the cooked meat.

Don’t Rely on 20:20 Vision:  Let’s test your grilling eye.  Which of the burgers are done and ready to be served:

The only way to tell if the meat is done is to use a thermometer.  Unfortunately, only 23 percent of Americans use a food thermometer to check the doneness of their hamburgers, chicken breasts, and other grilled favorites according to the AND. 

Source:  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at HomeFoodSafety.org

Don’t Let Leftovers Loaf Around: 

While the party may linger, don’t let the leftovers do the same.   The rule of thumb is that food should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours or 1 hour if it is 90 degrees F or above outside. 

DO:  Wrap up leftovers immediately and give them the big chill in the refrigerator or freezer for another meal.

DO email these tips to your favorite grillmaster.

                                        FOLLOW JOAN ON TWITTER AT: joansalgeblake

Source: Flickr, McCun934's Photostream

May is National Barbecue Month (who knew?), and Memorial Day Weekend provides an extended opportunity to fire up the grill.

According to a survey conducted by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA), over 60% of the households that own a smoker or grill will cook out on Memorial Day.   Another nationwide poll by the association found that more than a third of households are inclined to just “wing it” rather than follow a recipe when creating their carefree, outdoor dining masterpiece.

Carefree is one thing.  Careless and winging it when it comes to outdoor cooking can have you and your guests spending part of the holiday weekend indoors, close to a bathroom, due to foodborne illness.   If you are the grillmaster this weekend or have been lucky enough to be invited as a guest, read these eye-opening statistics and tips to help your holiday weekend be festive but safe:

Don’t Touch That!: While hand washing is a key strategy in reducing the risk of foodborne illness, unfortunately, men are less likely than women to wash their hands prior to handling food and after using the bathroom, according to a Harris Poll.   Another survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) showed that only 9 percent of individuals always or usually wash utensils before re-using them for cooked foods. 

DO:  Keep moist disposable towelettes near the grill as a reminder to the grillmaster to clean his/her hands before touching the food.  Wash the platter and utensils that touched the raw meat before using them again on the cooked meat.

Don’t Rely on 20:20 Vision:  Let’s test your grilling eye.  Which of the burgers are done and ready to be served:

The only way to tell if the meat is done is to use a thermometer.  Unfortunately, only 23 percent of Americans use a food thermometer to check the doneness of their hamburgers, chicken breasts, and other grilled favorites according to the AND. 

Source:  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at HomeFoodSafety.org

Don’t Let Leftovers Loaf Around: 

While the party may linger, don’t let the leftovers do the same.   The rule of thumb is that food should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours or 1 hour if it is 90 degrees F or above outside. 

DO:  Wrap up leftovers immediately and give them the big chill in the refrigerator or freezer for another meal.

DO email these tips to your favorite grillmaster.

                                        FOLLOW JOAN ON TWITTER AT: joansalgeblake

Source: Flickr, McCun934's Photostream

May is National Barbecue Month (who knew?), and Memorial Day Weekend provides an extended opportunity to fire up the grill.

According to a survey conducted by the Hearth, Patio, and Barbecue Association (HPBA), over 60% of the households that own a smoker or grill will cook out on Memorial Day.   Another nationwide poll by the association found that more than a third of households are inclined to just “wing it” rather than follow a recipe when creating their carefree, outdoor dining masterpiece.

Carefree is one thing.  Careless and winging it when it comes to outdoor cooking can have you and your guests spending part of the holiday weekend indoors, close to a bathroom, due to foodborne illness.   If you are the grillmaster this weekend or have been lucky enough to be invited as a guest, read these eye-opening statistics and tips to help your holiday weekend be festive but safe:

Don’t Touch That!: While hand washing is a key strategy in reducing the risk of foodborne illness, unfortunately, men are less likely than women to wash their hands prior to handling food and after using the bathroom, according to a Harris Poll.   Another survey by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) showed that only 9 percent of individuals always or usually wash utensils before re-using them for cooked foods. 

DO:  Keep moist disposable towelettes near the grill as a reminder to the grillmaster to clean his/her hands before touching the food.  Wash the platter and utensils that touched the raw meat before using them again on the cooked meat.

Don’t Rely on 20:20 Vision:  Let’s test your grilling eye.  Which of the burgers are done and ready to be served:

The only way to tell if the meat is done is to use a thermometer.  Unfortunately, only 23 percent of Americans use a food thermometer to check the doneness of their hamburgers, chicken breasts, and other grilled favorites according to the AND. 

Source:  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at HomeFoodSafety.org

Don’t Let Leftovers Loaf Around: 

While the party may linger, don’t let the leftovers do the same.   The rule of thumb is that food should not be left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours or 1 hour if it is 90 degrees F or above outside. 

DO:  Wrap up leftovers immediately and give them the big chill in the refrigerator or freezer for another meal.

DO email these tips to your favorite grillmaster.

                                        FOLLOW JOAN ON TWITTER AT: joansalgeblake

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Kicking off with Mother’s Day, this week is National Women’s Health Week coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The theme of the week is “It’s Your Time” to remind women to make their health a top priority.

Here’s some healthy diet and lifestyle changes that women can easily make to help feel better, both inside and out:




Eat To Beat Wrinkles:  You may have heard the old wives tale that consuming vitamin C can help fight a cold, but what about wrinkles?   A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of over 4,000 women between the ages of 40 and 70 showed that routine higher takes of vitamin C-rich foods was significantly associated with a decrease in the prevalence of wrinkled and dry skin due to aging.  The study also found that higher intakes of linoleic acid reduced the chances of developing not only the same age-related dryness but also thinning of the skin.  While citrus fruits, juices and tomatoes are the leading sources of vitamin C in the American diet, green leafy vegetables, soybean oil, flaxseeds, and walnuts are ringers for linoleic acid. 

Tip:  Beautify your breakfast by topping your whole grain cereal with ground flaxseeds and chase your morning meal with a glass of OJ.  Add spinach to your lunchtime green salad and sprinkle a spoonful of chopped walnuts to give it crunch.  For a linoleic-rich salad dressing, combine balsamic vinegar and soybean oil to top it off.

Pick Berries for a Sharp Mind:  Even though women live longer than men, eating berries can help them live “smarter”.   A study in the Annals of Neurology involving over 16,000 women showed that those who consumed a greater amount of blueberries (1/2 cup or more weekly) or strawberries (1 cup or more weekly) were associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline (thinking, remembering, and reasoning) as they aged.   Researchers speculate that the mind-enhancing ingredient may be the phytochemical and antioxidant, anthocyadindin, which gives berries their robust color.

Tip:  Begin and end your day with berries.  Add them to your morning cereal or yogurt and make them your evening dessert.  Try this Greek Yogurt with Warm Berry Sauce as sweet ending to a meal.

Move Often To Fight Diabetes:  A new study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that women who spend four to seven hours a day sitting are at increased risk of showing early signs of type 2 diabetes, yet the researchers found no link among men.  Even more interestingly, this risk remained significant even if the women engaged in physical activity later in the day, such as exercising after a long, sedentary day at the office.  “The reality for many Americans is that we work nine to five jobs and are sedentary most of the work day, increasing our [a women’s] risk for developing type 2 diabetes,” according to registered dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson, Jessica Crandell.

Tip:  Move more often during the day in addition to your planned daily exercising regimen.  Put a timer on your desk and set it to go off at regular intervals to remind you to get up and move more often.  Use the restrooms that are the farthest from your desk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and get up and speak to a colleague in person instead of sending an interoffice email.

Foods That Fight Alzheimer’s Disease:  First, the bad news.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, twice as many American women as men have Alzheimer’s disease.  The good news is that a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology suggests that eating omega-3 rich foods, such as fish, salad dressing, margarine, and nuts, may help lower a level of a protein in the blood that has been associated with increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two fish meals, especially fatty fish, weekly to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.  Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men in the United States. 

Tip:  To get triple Alzheimer’s disease-fighting potential at lunch, toss together tuna fish, chopped nuts, and a light salad dressing and stuff this salad into a whole wheat pita.  For a yummy and easy salmon dinner recipe, try this Pineapple Teriyaki Salmon.  Double the recipe for leftovers for the next at lunch.

Please pass this on to all the women in your life! 

                                        Follow Joan on Twitter at:  joansalgeblake

Source:  HomeFoodSafety.org

Michael, a 58-year old business owner and lover of good food is also equally concerned about the environment.  He routinely lugs an armful of cloth grocery bags from his automobile trunk into the supermarket to cart home his groceries each time he goes food shopping.  When it comes to plastic shopping bags,  Michael's mantra is "less is best.”

To avoid plastic, Michael doesn’t even put his fresh apples, pears, and red peppers in those nifty produce bags on the roll in the produce aisle.  As a purist, he bags them alfresco in the cloth bags along with the packaged raw meat and poultry.  When asked about the last time he cleaned those cloth bags, without even blinking, Michael said “never.”

Sound familiar?  Michael is actually among the majority of Americans when it comes to reusable cloth bag hygiene.  Unfortunately, only 15 percent of Americans wash their reusable tote bags on a regular basis, according to a survey conducted by the Home Food Safety program, a collaboration between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) and ConAgra Foods.

Michael's shopping bag habits may prompt you to reconsider your grocery tote bag sorting and cleanliness.  The raw meat and poultry drippings in Michael's tote bag could easily cross contaminate the fresh produce in the same bag.  With 48 million Americans affected annually by food poisoning caused by salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, Michael's food shopping habits not only illustrates the potential cross contamination of bacteria-containing meats and poultry with fresh produce but also the potential of infecting the bag for future outings.

According to Ruth Frechman, a registered dietitian and media spokesperson for AND, "Food poisoning can easily be prevented by using practical steps, such as cleaning grocery totes and separating raw meats from ready-to-eat foods when shopping, cooking, serving, and storing foods."

Separating tote bags (one for raw meats, fish, and poultry and another for fresh produce) as well as washing the bags after each outing seems like an easy way to prevent a potential risk of contracting foodborne illness. 

Unfortunately, like Michael and most of us, when was the last time you washed your reusable grocery bags?  Honestly share below.....

Why should we devote an entire month to eating a Mediterranean-style diet?  Because the research that backs up the health advantages of this style of eating is stacked higher than the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid (see left). 

It all started circa 1960 in several areas of the Mediterranean region, specifically the Greek island of Crete, other areas of Greece and southern Italy.  Researchers were drawn to these areas because the adults living there had very low rates of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, as well as very long life expectancy.  For examples, the natives of Greece had a rate of heart disease that was 90 percent lower than that of Americans at the time.  (Mind you, heart disease and cancer are still currently two of the top killers of Americans.)

In addition to a physically active lifestyle, these Mediterranean natives consumed a diet that was rich in grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts.  In fact, more than 60 percent of the calories in their diets in the 1960s were supplied by these high-fiber, nutritionally-dense plant foods.  The majority of the fat in the diet was provided by olives and olive oil, and fish and seafood was enjoyed at least twice a week.  (Note:  the latest recommendation from the USDA is to consume at least two fish meals, especially fatty fish such as salmon, weekly to increase longevity.)

Following this traditional 1960s Mediterranean Diet, foods from animal sources were limited as well as sweets.  Water was abundantly consumed throughout the day and low to moderate amounts of wine were enjoyed, typically only with meals.  Equally important, meals were enjoyed with friends and family. 

Fast forward to the present, ongoing research continues to support the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.  In fact, one would be hard pressed to find a study that found that this type of eating style was unhealthy.

With the warmer weather and budding of plants around us, May is the perfect month to start enjoying more of a plant-based, Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.   Here's some tips:

• Try nonfat Greek yogurt with berries and some nuts at breakfast.
• Bake, broil or grill extra salmon steaks at dinner and have the leftovers the next day in a lunch salad.  Pesto:  You just met your minimum "two weekly fish meals." 
• Stoke up the BBQ and grill tons of veggies drizzled with a little olive oil.  Leftovers are fabulous as a cold snack.
• Make beans the focus of one meal weekly.  Here's an easy Pasta Bean Toss recipe.
• Try leaving your car parked in the driveway on the weekends and do your errands on foot.  You'll not only step up your physical activity but also save $$ on gasoline.

Click here for more tips from Oldways, the brains behind the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, as well as tons of recipes to help you bring a little Mediterranean into each day of May and beyond.

Cheers!

Source: International Tree Nut Council

 If you snack during the day (who doesn't?), you may want to consider reaching for some nuts.  A recent study of over 13,000 adults published in Nutrition Research showed that consuming nuts was associated with a higher level of the HDL "good" cholesterol and lower blood levels of insulin and C-reactive protein.  A high level of C-reactive protein is a marker for inflammation in the body and increased risk of heart disease.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows nuts to boost a health claim on their labels specifying that "scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease." Nuts are rich in heart-healthy antioxidants, fiber, vitamin E, potassium, and healthy oils yet low in heart-unhealthy saturated fat.

If you are worried about the effects of eating nuts on your waistline, another study found that those who consumed peanuts and tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, and walnuts) had a lower prevalence of being overweight than non-nut consumers.  Researchers look to nuts' satiety effect, or their ability to make you feel full, as a possible explanation for their potential waist-friendly attributes.  The fiber, protein, and healthy unsaturated fats in nuts all contribute to satiety.  Translation:  a half ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 24 pistachios, or 7 walnut halves) as a snack, which is considered a serving, weighs in anywhere from about 80 to 95 calories, but their "fullness factor" may help you feel satisfied for less calories overall.  Compare that to an ounce serving of wheat crackers (about 16 Wheat Thins), which serves up 140 calories, but lacks the fiber and protein-rich satiety.  Thus, you may find yourself over-munching on the crackers (and the calories) to get that same feeling of fullness.

The beauty of nuts is that they are a transportable snack in your briefcase, pocketbook, and/or backpack.  Pack a half ounce in a plastic container for a convenient portioned snack in between meals to curb your appetite and potentially improve your health.  If you are looking for a handy container to package the nuts, the Almond Board of California sells colorful tins for about $2.  Click here for more information.

Do you snack on nuts?

Timing is everything in life....especially when it comes to weight loss.  A timely study just released from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reminds us that the calorie density, or the amount of calories per bite of food that you eat, may make all the difference in helping you painlessly shed some of that extra winter weight.

Just ask Barbara Rolls, PhD, researcher, and author of the just released, The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, an updated and expanded version of her bestseller book published in 2004.  According to research, much of which was conducted by Rolls, it is the volume of food rather than the calories that is the key to helping you feel satisfied or satiated when you eat.   Translation:  When it comes to weight loss, you need to outsmart your stomach by filling it up with a large volume of low calorie-dense foods to satisfy your hunger, which will enable you to cutback on daily calories.  In this case, size does matter.

For example, an apple that would fit in the palm of your hand (about 3 inches) is a mere 75 calories.  Because over 85 percent of its weight is from water (0 calories) and fiber (0 calories), it is considered a low-density food as it is low in calories per bite.  However, a slice of apple pie, which could also fit in the palm of your hand, has calorie-dense fat and sugar added, along with the apples, so will serve up about 300 calories a slice.  (That's without the a la mode part.)  You would have to eat four apples to consume the equivalent of the calories in the pie slice.  Because of the apple's volume, you would likely get "full" after chomping on an apple or two, and thus, consume less calories overall.
 
Compare these two meals:

Source: CDC

Volume-wise, the more colorful dinner plate of grilled chicken, which is loaded with tons of low calorie, high-volume veggies is going to fill you up for less calories compared to the higher fat, more caloric-dense fried chicken meal.   In fact, the puny portions in the fried chicken dinner may cause you to go back for seconds (adding more calories to your meal) in order to obtain the volume of foods you need to eat to feel full. 

The same strategy goes for soups.   By ladling a low-calorie dense, veggie-based soup rather than a high calorie-dense fatty chowder in your bowl, you will end up consuming the same volume of soup but for less calories:

Source: CDC

This is actually part of the logic behind the new MyPlate.  By devoting half of your plate to low- calorie, high-volume fruits and veggies, you will crowd out the higher, calorie-dense items on your plate while feeling satisfied.


Need help in planning meals that are voluminous but not high in calories?   The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet also contains over 100 new recipes developed by registered dietitian and culinary wizard, Mindy Hermann, as well as advice for when you are food shopping and dining out.

You can eat more and weigh less. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public to stay away from the over-the-counter diet pill, Japan Rapid Weight Loss Diet Pills Yellow (see photo on left) as it contain sibutramine and phenolphthalein.  The product can be obtained on the Internet through eBay and other websites.

Sibutramine is a controlled substance that the FDA removed from the market in 2010.   It has been shown to increase blood pressure and/or pulse rate in some individuals and be significantly risky for those with a history of heart disease, irregular heart beats, and stroke.  The chemical solution, phenolphthalein, is suspected to cause cancer and has not been approved for use in the United States.  To make matters worse, the product may also interaction with other medications causing a potential life-threatening situation in some individuals.

The FDA advises that individuals who are taking the pills to stop immediately.

Beware.  There could be a Duck Boat sailing down your neighborhood handing out free samples of healthy whole grains as Mayor Thomas Menino has proclaimed Wednesday, April 4  National Whole Grains Sampling Day in Boston. This first ever, nationwide event is being organized by Oldways and the Whole Grains Council to encourage consumers to try healthy whole grains everyday and everywhere they go.  The Duck Boat will be traveling throughout the city making stops at Boston University, the Boston Police Department Headquarters and Emerson College.

On a national level, many restaurants, supermarkets, and food service outlets will be offering whole grains to celebrate the day.   Food Network Star, Ellie Krieger, RD, will be sharing her whole grain wisdom via social media, and Cooking Light Magazine is devoting their entire April issue to the health benefits of whole grains, featuring tons of healthy, easy-to-create whole grain recipes.

Research suggests that a healthy diet that contains whole grains can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.  Even though the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that half of your daily servings of grains should come from whole grains, such as whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta, oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain barley, and popcorn (who knew?), only 15 percent of Americans are consuming the recommended minimum three servings daily.

If your diet is falling short in the whole grains category, try these easy ways to get more throughout your day:

• Choose whole grain cereal such as shredded wheat, whole wheat flakes, or oatmeal in the morning.
• Combine a whole wheat English muffin and low fat cheddar cheese for a lunchtime cheese melt.
• Snack on a 100-calorie pack of popped popcorn in the afternoon.
• Try quick cook brown rice instead of white rice at dinner.

What type of whole grains do you eat during the day?  Please share below.

Photo Source: FTC

Spring has sprung and so has the advertising for fad diets and quick weight loss gimmicks. Unfortunately, a faddist approach to shedding weight can be rather costly.

Can you guess, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), how much Americans spend on weight loss programs, products, pills, and portions annually to lose weight:

a)    $20 million
b)    $30 million
c)    $ 100 million
d)    $10 billion
e)    Over $30 billion


The painful answer is over $30 billion.  With over 65 percent of Americans overweight, it appears that the only thing many of us are losing is our money.  To avoid financially contributing to this unbelievably lucrative but generally ineffective industry, the FTC urges that you view fad diets and quick weight loss regimens with a healthy portion of skepticism.

Click on this website and see if you can identify at least three Red Flags that should alert you that the weight loss that is being promised is, well, too good to be true:


To help your identify the facts from fiction, here are the FTC’s top Red Flag claims that are commonly used in the advertising of fraudulent weight loss products:

If the advertisement guarantees speedy results, it’s guaranteed to be a fad diet that is likely to be untrue, unhealthy, and not safe. Losing weight at the rate of a pound or less weekly is the safest and most realistic rate that you could expect.

"Lose weight by limiting carbs!"

Many fad diets claim that you can eat as much protein and fat as you want as long as you strictly limit carbohydrates-rich foods, such as grains, fruits, and veggies.  This type of very restricted diet is not only unhealthy, as you will be missing important nutrients from these foods groups, but you will likely also be piling your plate with foods that are high in heart unhealthy, saturated fat.  Whole grains, fruits, and veggies should be on a waist-friendly plate.

Nothing in life is free.  Pass on any product that promises miraculous results with little effort on your part.

When was the last time you were ever able to eat unlimited amounts of high calorie foods and lose weight? When it comes to lose weight, you can't have your cake and eat it too.
Weight loss is never permanent if you regress back to your unhealthy eating habits and couch potato lifestyle. If there isn’t a discussion of long term lifestyle changes, you are being duped.
There isn’t a patch or cream on this earth that you can apply topically that will melt fat away on or in your body.

Rather than throw your hard earned money away, meet with a registered dietitian (RD)  in your area for individualized, science-based weight loss advice to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  Depending on your medical history, the costs could be covered by your insurance company.  (Check with your insurance policy to see if this service is covered.)

For many folks, you may be a co-pay away from getting the best weight loss guidance and coaching to finally beat the battle of the bulge at the fraction of the costs of many fad diets.  Visit the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website to find an RD in your area.

Photo Source: CDC

Do you routinely get less than 8 hours of sleep nightly?  Are you also having trouble managing your weight?  If so, the two could be connected, according to new research. 

At last week’s American Heart Association’s scientific meeting in San Diego, California, Mayo Clinic researchers presented their findings involving healthy young adults who were forced to become sleep deprived.  Prior to the experiment, the researchers monitored the number of hours the subjects normally slept as well as how many calories they typically consumed daily.

During the experimental period, half of the subjects were allowed to sleep normally for 8 days, while the other half were forced to sleep for only 2/3 of their normal nighttime hours, or about 1 hour and 20 minutes less than their typical schedule.  Even though foods were freely available to both groups, the sleep-deprived group ended up consuming about 550 calories more daily during the experiment compared to when they were getting adequate sleep.  Keep in mind that consuming this many excess calories daily could manifest itself in an one pound weight gain by the end of a week.  Other studies have also shown that sleep deprivation is associated with increased feelings of hunger and body weight as well as depression, diabetes, and heart disease.  

While most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly, approximately 25 percent of American adults are trying to get by with 6 or less hours.   If you are routinely sleep deprived and struggling with your weight, getting adequate sleep may be one of the easiest ways for you to reduce both your hunger and your waistline.

For the sake of your waist, try these tips from the National Institutes of Health and the National Sleep Foundation:

•    Avoid alcoholic drinks in the evening.    While having a drink within an hour before bed may help you fall asleep sooner, it will also disrupt your sleep cycle during the night.  Alcohol can cause you to awaken in the middle of the night and make returning to sleep a nightmare.  With all this tossing and turning during, rather than sleeping, you’ll likely feel exhausted the next day.

•    Watch your caffeine intake during the day.  Your intake of mammoth-sized coffees, energy drinks, and sodas as well as other caffeine-containing beverages, could be fueling your alertness in the evening.  Try cutting back gradually on the amount of caffeine you consume, especially in the afternoon, by switching to decaffeinated alternatives. 

•    Don’t exercise too late in the day or in the early evening.  According to the National Sleep Foundation, strenuous exercise in the evening, even up to 3 hours before bed, can cause a rise in your body temperature and alertness, making it difficult to fall asleep.

•    Avoid large meals late at night. Eating too much too late can cause heartburn and also make you feel uncomfortable when lying down.

•    Relax before going to bed.  A warm bath may be just the thing to help get you in the mood to sleep.

Should you still have trouble sleeping, consider speaking with your healthcare provider.  It may be the best conversation and weight loss strategy that you can do for yourself.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that children are consuming about 16 percent of their calories or about 280 to 360 calories daily, on average,  from added sugars, with the majority of the added sugars coming from edibles found in the kitchen cupboards in their homes.   This amount of added sugar is equivalent to 18 to 23 teaspoons of sugar or the amount of sugar cubes in the photo on the left.

So which foods and beverages are the biggest sugar culprits?  Additional research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition uncovered that the major food sources of added sugars in the diets of children are grain-based desserts (cookies and cakes), candy,  syrups, dairy desserts (ice cream) and ready-to-eat cereals, while soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks were the big ticket beverage items.

Not surprisingly, these edibles are the same high sugar rollers being consumed by adults.  In fact, Americans of all ages, on average, are consuming about 140 calories daily of grain-based desserts, according to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.   With over 65 percent of Americans overweight, do the majority of us really need to be eating cookies and cakes daily?

Click here to watch this Fox25TV segment to learn how to realistically reduce added sugars in the diet.


The Take-Home Sugar Message:

1.    Since cookies, cakes, and candies are huge sources of added sugars in the diet, don’t buy the large, warehouse-sized boxes and packages of these sweets and treats.   The more you buy, the more you are going to eat.   Stick to smaller, supermarket-size packages and don’t be so quick to replenish the supply in the kitchen cupboards when these sweets are gobbled up.

2.    When choosing breakfast cereals, reach for the wholegrain variety and make sure that they contain only about 8 grams of sugar (the equivalent of two teaspoons of table sugar) or less per serving.   These sweetened cereals are, by far, a healthier alternative to breakfast donuts and other pastries. 

3.    Fruitades, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and of course, soda are pure sugar in a glass.  These shouldn’t be the daily beverage of choice.  Switch to skim milk at meals and water in between meals to keep hydrated.

For more on good nutrition, visit: kidseatright.org and eatright.org.

Have you reduced the added sugars in your diet?  Share your tips.

Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that children are consuming about 16 percent of their calories or about 280 to 360 calories daily, on average,  from added sugars, with the majority of the added sugars coming from edibles found in the kitchen cupboards in their homes.   This amount of added sugar is equivalent to 18 to 23 teaspoons of sugar or the amount of sugar cubes in the photo on the left.

So which foods and beverages are the biggest sugar culprits?  Additional research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition uncovered that the major food sources of added sugars in the diets of children are grain-based desserts (cookies and cakes), candy,  syrups, dairy desserts (ice cream) and ready-to-eat cereals, while soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks were the big ticket beverage items.

Not surprisingly, these edibles are the same high sugar rollers being consumed by adults.  In fact, Americans of all ages, on average, are consuming about 140 calories daily of grain-based desserts, according to the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans.   With over 65 percent of Americans overweight, do the majority of us really need to be eating cookies and cakes daily?

Click here to watch this Fox25TV segment to learn how to realistically reduce added sugars in the diet.


The Take-Home Sugar Message:

1.    Since cookies, cakes, and candies are huge sources of added sugars in the diet, don’t buy the large, warehouse-sized boxes and packages of these sweets and treats.   The more you buy, the more you are going to eat.   Stick to smaller, supermarket-size packages and don’t be so quick to replenish the supply in the kitchen cupboards when these sweets are gobbled up.

2.    When choosing breakfast cereals, reach for the wholegrain variety and make sure that they contain only about 8 grams of sugar (the equivalent of two teaspoons of table sugar) or less per serving.   These sweetened cereals are, by far, a healthier alternative to breakfast donuts and other pastries. 

3.    Fruitades, fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, and of course, soda are pure sugar in a glass.  These shouldn’t be the daily beverage of choice.  Switch to skim milk at meals and water in between meals to keep hydrated.

For more on good nutrition, visit: kidseatright.org and eatright.org.

Have you reduced the added sugars in your diet?  Share your tips.

Source:  USDA

Not surprisingly, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently uncovered that nine out of every ten Americans, or 90 percent of us, are eating way more sodium than currently recommended.   Americans, on average, are consuming about 3,300 mg (the equivalent of about 1.5 teaspoons of salt, see photo at left) daily.  Unfortunately, this is above the 2,300 mg upper limited recommended by the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines and even farther from the ideal of limiting it to 1,500 mg daily.

What's the fuss?  Dietary sodium can rise blood pressure and research shows that high blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, the first and fourth leading cause among Americans.

It has long been known that processed foods are the biggest ticket items when it comes to dietary sodium.  According to the CDC, approximately 65 percent of our daily sodium consumption comes from foods purchased outside the home, such as at a supermarket or convenience store.  In fact, the CDC identified that over 40% of the sodium that we eat comes from these 10 categories of processed foods:

1.    Breads and rolls  
2.    Cold cuts and cured meats  
3.    Pizza  
4.    Poultry  
5.    Soups  
6.    Sandwiches 
7.    Cheese  
8.    Pasta dishes 
9.    Meat dishes  
10.  Snacks

While cold cuts, cured meats, and soups have a history of being notoriously high in sodium, surprisingly, bread and rolls actually top the list due to the frequency that we eat them daily.   Obliviously, since so much sodium is already in the foods that Americans buy, food manufacturers need to ratchet down the sodium content in their products to help Americans ratchet down their blood pressure.

To help in this cause, many food companies such as Kraft Foods, Campbell Soup Company, Wishbone, and Dietz and Watson have signed on to the National Salt Reduction Initiative.  As part of the initiative, each company must pledge to reduce the sodium within their product line (canned soup, cold cuts., etc.) to within a specific level.  The goal of the initiative is to reduce Americans' salt intake by 20 percent over five years.  For example, Pepperidge Farm, a subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company, have reduced the sodium in their breads by at least 25 percent as compared to regular breads, rolls, and bagels.  The USDA plans to continually monitor the sodium content in processed foods.

As a consumer, you can control your sodium intake by comparison shopping.    For example, the sodium per serving in these three cans of soup range from a low of 120 mg to a high of over 800 mg.  Since consumers "talk with their food dollars," choosing the brand with the lowest sodium will send a message to food manufacturers that lowering sodium is important to the consumer.


For more help in choosing lower sodium alternatives, use this nifty chart.

Source:  FDA

If you are taking Allegra, Lipitor, or other over-the-counter and prescription medicines, think twice before consuming these drugs along with grapefruit juice.   According to Shiew Mei Huang, the acting director of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Clinical Pharmacology, this fruit and drug interaction can be dangerous as grapefruit juice can affect the absorption of certain medications, and thus, the level of the drug in the blood.

In the case of the cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, such as Zocor, Pravahol, as well as Lipitor, substances in grapefruit juice block an enzyme in the gastrointestinal tract, which interferes with the drug’s metabolism, so more of the drug is absorbed in the blood.   Higher blood concentrations of these drugs can cause adverse effects in the body, such as liver damage and kidney failure.  Seville oranges and tangelos can also affect this enzyme.

The opposite effect can happen with fexofenadine, the drug in Allegra.  Substances in the grapefruit juice block protein transporters that are needed to get this antihistamine into the body cells.  Because of this, the medicine ends up being less effective in the body.  Apple and orange juice can also interfere with fexofenadine so allergy sufferers should avoid these combinations, according to the FDA.

Source:  FDA

According to the FDA, grapefruit juice and grapefruits can interfere with:

•    Some blood pressuring-lowering drugs, such as Nifediac and Afeditab
•    Some statin drugs that lower cholesterol such as Zocor, Lipitor, and Pravachol
•    Some anti-anxiety drugs, such as BuSpar
•    Some anti-arrhythmia drugs, such as Cordarone and Nexterone
•    Some organ transplant rejection drugs, such as Sandimmune and Neoral
•    Some antihistamines, such as Allegra

Since the effects of grapefruit juice or grapefruits linger long after they are consumed, it is best to avoid these juices and whole fruit altogether when taking the above drugs.  Should you currently be taking any medications, check with your pharmacist or health care provider to make sure that consuming these drugs with grapefruit juice or grapefruit will not cause an unhealthy interaction.

If you are having trouble zipping up your snug pants, it may not be entirely due to what you are eating, but rather, what you are drinking.  A study of more than 300 overweight  adults published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition uncovered that by simply replacing sugar-laden beverages with either diet beverages or water (regular or sparkling water) resulted in the individuals losing weight.

The participants in the study were encouraged to replace at least 200 calories (two 8-ounce servings) of a sweetened beverage with a non-calorie drink daily.  After six months, the researchers found a significant reduction of 2 to 2.5 percent of body weight, on average, among the diet beverage or water consumers compared to the control group. 

To put this in perspective, for a person weighting in at 220 pounds (about the weight of the adults in this study), this percentage of body weight loss would translate into an approximate five pound loss.  Shedding five pounds in six months may just be enough to allow you to happily zip up those tight pants.

According to the USDA, added sugars provide a whopping 16 percent of the daily calories in the diets of Americans.  Not surprisingly, the number one source of added sugars in the diet is sweetened beverages including soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks.

Keep in mind, most sweetened beverage come in containers that are larger than eight ounces.  If you are drinking the entire container and several containers daily, you are gulping a fair amount of calories:

Coca Cola, 20 oz bottle = 250 calories
Nantucket Nectars Lemonade, 17.5 oz = 220 calories
Red Bull, 16.9 oz can = 225 calories
Arizona Ice Tea, 20 oz bottle = 225 calories

If you are concerned about your weight and are consuming sweetened beverages, replacing these beverages with the diet version or water may be an easy way to cut calories and drink your way to a thinner you.

Source:  Flickr, Joits

What’s not to love about chocolate? It is the most commonly craved food among women, and according to the National Confectioners Association, it is the favorite flavor of about 50 percent of Americans (male and female).

Chocolate melts just a tad below body temperature so it literally and lusciously “melts in your mouth.”  To top it all off, since chocolate is made from the cocoa beans of the Theobroma cacao fruit tree, it is rich in flavonoids, more specifically, flavanols, which are phytochemicals and antioxidants that can be heart healthy.  

Antioxidants counteract oxidation, a harmful chemical reaction that takes place in your body.  For example, antioxidants can  help to protect the “bad” LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized and contribute to the hardening of the arteries and heart disease.   In addition to being an antioxidant, flavanols have other heart healthy properties.   Studies have shown that flavanols may help reduce high blood pressure and the clumping of platelets into an unhealthy blood clot, both of which can increase the risk of heart disease.   Even though milk chocolate, black tea, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, grapes, apples, and strawberries also contain flavanols, dark chocolate, by far, contains a higher concentration of this phytochemical.

Before you start passing out the chocolate bars in celebration, the million dollar question is exactly how much dark chocolate should you eat as sweet treat to fight heart disease?   According to Norman Hollenberg, a physician and researcher who has studied flavanols for over 20 years at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the exact amount of dark chocolate that can be enjoyed to reap heart healthy benefits isn’t currently known.  However, based on his research, Hollenberg feels that one to two ounces weekly (the equivalent to 6 to 12 Hershey Dark Chocolate Kisses) could be beneficial.  

Is there a downside to consuming this amount of dark chocolate?  There could be.  Since an ounce of dark chocolate provides 170 calories, consuming up to two ounces weekly can have you adding an extra 340 calories to your weekly calorie intake.  If you don’t compensate for these calories elsewhere in your diet, there could be an extra 5 pounds of you on the bathroom scale by year’s end.   Since obesity increases the risk of heart disease, all of a sudden eating chocolate may not appear to be such a sweet idea.

It may make better sense to use dark chocolate to replace an existing weekly dessert choice, such as ice cream, cake, or cookies.  To avoid over-consuming dark chocolate, consume it with low calorie, flavanol-rich fruit to help you keep to a more reasonable, one ounce portion and also gain a bonus of  additional flavanols from the fruit. 

Try this:

1.    Melt one ounce of dark chocolate in a microwavable bowl.
2.    Place a variety of flavanol-containing fruit, such apple slices, blueberries, and strawberries on
       a dessert plate.
3.    Dip the fruit into the ounce of melted dark chocolate.

Double Bonus tip:  Brew up a cup of black tea to add more flavanols to your heart-healthy dessert.

Here's to dark chocolate (in moderation) & your health!

Photo: Courtesy of the University of Minnesota

While the term “behavioral economics” doesn’t sound very appetizing, when applied strategically, it can have individuals, even kids, chowing down more healthy foods, such as fruits and veggies.   Now, that’s rather delicious. 

Behavioral economics is the meeting of two models: 1) behavior models in psychology, coupled with 2) the decision making models in economics, according to Cornell University researchers Brian Wansink, Ph.D. and David Just, Ph.D.   It highlights how your present biases in the perception, memory, or thoughts, in this case, about the consumption of produce, may influence your decision or choice to consume them.  Researchers are now using behavioral economics to make low cost, subtle changes in the display and location of healthier foods in school cafeterias, which have been shown to increase the consumption of these healthier foods. 

For example, a study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) uncovered that when it comes to getting kids to eat veggies at school, a picture may speak louder than words.   Researchers at the University of Minnesota discovered that putting pictures of carrots and green beans on each cafeteria tray in the lunchroom of a local elementary school (see above), changed the behavior of the kiddies and increased the likelihood that they would choose to put these veggies on their trays.   Consequently, the researchers found an overall significant increase in the veggies consumption among the group when they were given the tray with the pictures compared to another day when carrots and green beans were served but there weren’t any “picture reminders” on the cafeteria tray.   This is behavioral economics in action.

This isn’t the first study using behavioral economics.  Wansink and Just have conducted numerous studies in school lunchrooms with fascinating results.  Their research has shown that simply relocating healthy foods on the cafeteria line can increase their selections.  As any good real estate salesperson will tell you, when it comes to selling, it’s all about location, location, location:
 

In addition to switching the location of fruit, Wansink and Just also uncovered that by giving carrots a “cool” name, kids were more apt to not only pile them on their plates but also eat them:


For more about behavioral economics in the lunchroom, please visit SmarterLunchrooms.org.

On the home front, you may want to find a decorative bowl, fill it with bright red apples or oranges, and make it the new centerpiece for your kitchen table.  When it comes to healthy eating, think "location, location, location."

Your thoughts?

Photo: Intermountain Healthcare

 You are probably thinking that if you’ve seen one vending machine, you’ve seen them all.   Typically, they are chock full of sweets and treats with often the “healthiest” choice being a measly oatmeal raisin cookie or chocolate covered peanuts.

Well, there is a new kid on the block, well, at least on a block in Utah.  The LiVe Vending Machine, which is the brainchild of Intermountain Healthcare in Utah, is a full-sized, vending machine (see photo to the left) that doesn’t take money or even dispense snack foods.  Rather, it is a talking vending machine, full of fake foods, which dispenses humorous messages about the healthy qualities, or lack thereof, of the food chosen when you push the corresponding button.  The back talk from this sassy machine is intended to educate Utah middle school and high school students about healthy food choices and positive lifestyle changes in a light-hearted fashion. It is part of a larger, community-based program.  The machine has been test marketed in Utah schools and is wildly popular with both the students and parents. 

“Our goal with the LiVe campaign is to approach this important issue from a child’s point of view and offer positive, helpful solutions for families.  LiVe can help children be more physically active and make more healthy food choices,” according to Dr. Tamara Sheffield, LiVe’s medical director of Community Health and Prevention. 

Here’s a sample of some of the messages coming from the machine:

If you pressed the button under the fake potato chips, you would hear:
“Potatoes come from Idaho; potato chips come from the deep fat fryer.”

If you press on the phony candy bar button, you would hear:
“How about you run to the grocery store and pick up some fresh fruit or somethin’?  You could use a healthy snack and the run wouldn’t hurt either.”

Ironically, this new vending machine comes on the heels of recent report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) that approximately 17 percent of America’s youth, ages 2 to 19, are obese.





“This fake snack vending machine is an innovative tool to get kids thinking about the products they choose from vending machines.  It is a very tech savvy idea that could be a great educational tool for kids and adults alike,” according to Debbi Beauvais, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

To view a virtual LiVe machine on the web, click here.

So what are your thoughts?  Post your comments below.

While genetics play a role in diabetes, the amount and types of foods that you eat are major players in fighting the disease.  According to the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) latest position statement, your diet is key in not only managing diabetes and reducing the complications associated with it, such as kidney failure, heart disease, and blindness, but more importantly, in preventing diabetes.

Individuals develop diabetes because they aren’t producing enough of the hormone insulin and/or have developed a resistance to insulin, such that their cells do not respond to the hormone when it arrives.  Obesity increases the cell’s resistance to insulin.   In fact, according to the ADA, the current epidemic of diabetes among Americans has been climbing because our weight has also been climbing.

Insulin’s job in the body is to direct glucose, the most abundant sugar in foods, into the cells to be used as immediate energy or stored in another form for later use.  With diabetes, insulin may be available in the blood but the cells’ decreased sensitivity to it interferes with its ability to work properly in the body.   The bloodstream ends up becoming flooded with glucose that can’t enter the cells for its use.   Because of this, many individuals have to take medication to help the insulin work properly and/or inject themselves with insulin to manage their blood glucose levels.

Over 25 million American adults—about 8 percent of the population—have diabetes.   Type 2 diabetes, which is the type both celebrity chef Paula Deen and American Idol judge Randy Jackson have, accounts for 90 to 95% of diabetes among adults.  Even more serious, it is estimated that 35 percent of Americans adults have prediabetes.  Those with prediabetes do not have blood glucose levels high enough to be classified as full-fledged diabetes but are on the road to developing it in the future.

According to the ADA, studies show that those with prediabetes who lose weight and increase their physical activity can either prevent diabetes by having their blood glucose levels return to normal, or at least, delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes.  The ADA also recommends meeting with a registered dietitian for dietary guidance in both managing and preventing diabetes.  Click here to find a dietitian in your area.

Since diet and lifestyle are so important, here are 5 key recommendations from the ADA to fight diabetes and prediabetes with a knife and fork:

1.    Lose Some Excess Weight.  Research suggests that even a modest weight loss (approximately 5- 7% of your body weight) can reduce the cell’s resistance to insulin so that glucose will be taken up by the cells, and thus, improve blood glucose levels.

2.    Move at Least 2½ Hours Weekly.  Physical activity has been shown to improve the cells sensitivity to insulin and lower blood glucose levels.

3.   Choose Your Carbohydrates Wisely.  A well-balanced diet that contains carbohydrate-rich foods including fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes and low fat dairy, along with some lean protein and healthy oils, is the diet of choice in the fight against diabetes, as well as heart disease and stroke.  Cut back on the calories from the less nutritious, carbohydrate-rich sweets and treats to lose weight.

4.   Beef Up the Fiber In Your Diet.  According to research, dietary fiber, as well as whole grains, has been associated with improved insulin sensitivity, or the use of insulin by the cells.  While the current recommendation is to consume about 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily, Americans, on average, are consuming about 15 grams daily.  Choose whole grains (whole wheat bread, oatmeal, popcorn) over refined grains and beef up the whole fruits and vegetables in your diet.

5.   Watch the Alcohol.  While some studies suggest that moderate enjoyment of alcohol, one to three drinks daily, is associated with a decreased risk of diabetes, more than three drinks daily will increase the risk.

There is both some good and bad news when it comes to the projected food costs for 2012.

First, the BAD news:

While food costs have increased steadily over the years, the cost of food at the supermarket is forecasted to increase 3 to 4% in 2012, according the Consumer Price Index (CPI) experts at the USDA.  Believe it or not, this is actually less than the approximate 4.5% increase that was seen in 2011.  So how is this going to affect your wallet at the supermarket in the coming year?

Let’s go back to 2008, when $100 went pretty far at the supermarket.  However, if you tried to fill your shopping cart with the same foods over the years, your bill would have looked like this:

$105.00 in 2009 (0.5% increase)
$108.15 in 2010 (0.3% increase)
$113.02 in 2011 (4.5% increase)
$116.97 in 2012 (based on a 3.5% projected increase)  Ouch…

Now, the GOOD news:

By shopping smarter, you can fight this annual food increase and actually reverse your bill, while simultaneously improving your health  Consider these three steps, Chart, Clip, and Cash In, before you head out to the store:

Step 1) Chart Your Shopping Course

• According to NCH Marketing, three out of every four shoppers are making food decisions prior to heading out to the store.  Visit your supermarket's website and have their weekly circular emailed to you.  Supermarkets purposely put healthy perishables (produce, poultry, etc.) and staples (grains, cereals) on sale to lure you into the store.  Plan your meals around the sales items and make a shopping list to chart your course before you head out to the store. Your list should contain predominately fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and moderate amounts of lean protein and dairy. In fact, shopping with a list has made a trendy comeback as customers are quickly learning that sticking to a list helps avoid impulsive purchases, which tend to not only be pricy but often less healthy.
• Cut costs by cutting back on lean protein. Keep in mind that you don't need more than about 6 ounces of cooked lean meat, fish, and poultry daily. A pound (16 oz) of raw ground turkey or beef will cook down to 12 ounces so will serve up four 3-oz portions.  A chicken breast will shrink about an ounce after it’s cooked.
• Go meatless at least once a week. Click here for a Mexican Mac & Cheese recipe that is fast, cheap, and has a kick.
• Frozen veggies and fruit are nutritionally equivalent, cheaper, and a time saver in the kitchen compared to fresh as there isn't any slicing or dicing involved.

Step 2) Clip Coupons   

“Coupon” is the code word for CA$H.  According to Coupon Package Goods (CPG), over 165 billion coupons were distributed to consumers during the first half of 2011 and usage is at an all-time high. Double your cash back by coupling a supermarket's coupon with a manufacturer's coupon. For example, if the circular includes a $1 off coupon for Cheerios and General Mills provide $1 off coupon for this cereal in the Sunday newspaper, you will save two bucks when you checkout.

Visit these websites below, which offer coupons for healthy foods such as yogurt, wholegrain cereals, canned fruits, and frozen veggies:
Eat Better America
Smart Source
General Mills  

Step 3) Cash In
Sign up for your supermarket's preferred buying card to reap the weekly savings automatically.

Source: Flickr  by photophnatic

Who would have ever thought that the cold weather may be good for your waist?  If you often reach for soup to warm you up when the temperature drops, you're in for some good news. 

According to a study in Appetite, adults consuming a bowl of a low calorie (about 150 calories), broth-based vegetable soup prior to lunch, decrease the calories consumed at the lunch by 20%, on average, compared to when they consumed the same lunch without soup.  Not surprisingly, the soup consumers were not only less hungry after consuming the soup but also fuller much sooner during lunch compared to when they consumed the same meal without the soup.

This isn't the first study to show that soup before a meal may have this appetite-curbing affect. Other studies have also shown that routinely eating soup before a meal can reduce hunger and increase fullness. The researchers speculate that watery, veggie-based soups distend the stomach and cause the food to stay in the stomach longer, both of which can increase that feeling of satiety, better known as fullness.

While this study doesn't give you carte blanche to dig into a bowl of a high calorie, creamy chowder, which can provide more than 300 calories, it does provide a delicious way to use a low calorie veggie-packed soup as a pre-meal appetizer that could not only warm you up but also maybe even thin you out.

On the weekend, consider simmering up a large pot of a vegetable soup and storing it in a covered container in the refrigerator for the week.  During the week, pack a container of soup along with your lunch at the office or microwave up a bowl for a pre-dinner warm up when you get home.

If you don't have the time to make a homemade soup, try this semi-homemade, quick and easy version:

For all the beef lovers out there, the New Year has brings some good news.  A recent research study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that a healthy diet containing lean beef was able to lower blood cholesterol levels in adults.  This study of individuals with high blood cholesterol levels showed that heart  healthy diets containing 4 to about 5.5 ounces of beef daily, lowered total cholesterol levels as well as the LDL "bad" cholesterol, by about 10 percent, on average.   The beef diets were designed to be heart healthy, rich in fruits and veggies, contained only lean dairy, and most importantly, had less than 30 percent calories from fat, 7 percent calories from saturated fat, and 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol.

But before you start placing an order with your butcher for a prime rib, keep in mind that the cuts of beef used in the study were very lean: select grade top round and chuck shoulder pot roast and 95% lean ground beef.  (Note: the select grade is the leanest of all the grades of meat.  Tip:  Always choose "select" when buying meat for the leanest cut.)  Even the researchers of the study admit that following such a diet could be initially challenging to consumers as they would have to make sure that only lean cuts of beef are consumed and that the portion sizes are modest by American standards.

When it comes to eating beef, one of the best kept secrets is roast beef.  Lean roast beef is very low in calories, fat, and saturated fat, with a two-ounce serving providing as little as 80 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 1 gram of saturated fat.

Having a roast beef sandwich at lunch could be an easy way for you to enjoy the lean side of beef and keep your portions in check.  Since the roast beef will be sandwiched between two slices of bread (wholegrain, hopefully), it will be easier for you to keep to a modest 2-ounce portion, especially if you add layers of heart-healthy lettuce and tomatoes to "beef" it up. 

Who knows?  Since your occasional yen for beef will be satisfied at lunch, perhaps you could look to enjoying more heart-healthy fish and skinless chicken for dinner on a regular basis.

Happy New Year!