Are food diaries an effective weight loss tool?
Posted by Deb on Dec 24, 2008
You may have heard this tip before, but new research shows it’s worth repeating: If you’re trying to lose weight, keeping a food diary is key.
In the study, 1,685 overweight or obese U.S. adults age 25 or older kept food diaries for six months and were encouraged to eat healthily and be physically active. They also met weekly in groups to share their food diaries and brush up on skills like how to judge portion size.
After six months, participants had shed almost 13 pounds on average. The most powerful predictor of their weight loss was how many days per week they kept their food diary. Those who kept food records six days a week - jotting down everything they ate and drank on those days - lost about twice as much weight as those who recorded what they consumed one day a week or less, as noted by Victor Stevens, PhD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Or.
Seeing the numbers may encourage you to eat less and can also help target areas for improvement - you might for example, realize that you’re eating 1,000 calories at lunch and set a goal to trim lunches.
Stevia: The ‘Holy Grail’ of sweeteners?
Posted by Deb on Dec 3, 2008
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon decide the future of what some in the food industry are calling the holy grail of sweeteners - stevia.
It is a low-calorie, natural substance derived from the South American stevia plant. The particular strain of stevia being considered for approval is called Rebaudioside A.
Stevia has been used in Paraguay for centuries and in Japan for decades. It is currently available in the United States mostly in specialty stores and only as a nutritional supplement. Nutritional supplements are regulated less rigorously than other food and drug substances.
What the FDA must decide is whether Rebaudioside A is safe enough to be used as an additive in processed foods, where consumers may not realize it is there. If approved, it would likely be used in massive quantities of processed foods and drinks.
The sweetener is considered “natural,” but that has not silenced some voices of concern.
“Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean that it’s safe,” Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told “Good Morning America.” “That’s why tests should be done.”
According to Jacobson, stevia may be linked to genetic mutations in lab animals, which could possibly lead to cancer.
“The risk to a given individual is minuscule. Invisible. But when you multiply that very, very tiny risk by 50 million people, 100 million people, that’s a very significant risk,” he said.
But Cargill, which makes a stevia-based sweetener called Truevia, and Merisant, which makes another named Pure Via, both said their products are safe and are applying for FDA approval. True Via and Pure Via are both Rebaudioside A-based.
Recently, international scientists associated with the World Health Organization agreed that these newer forms of stevia sweeteners are safe.
According to industry analyst Mike Richardson of the Freedonia Group, gaining FDA approval is only half the battle for stevia supporters.
“It’s sort of a two-stage thing for these products to be successful — getting FDA approval and then getting consumer approval,” he said.
Early Stevia sweeteners had a licorice aftertaste that many consumers did not like. Richardson said the Rebaudioside A versions are as close to sugar as anything ever created.
Coke and Pepsi are both waiting in the wings, ready to release stevia-sweetened versions of their products if the FDA gives its approval.
The Health Benefits of Cinnamon
Posted by Deb on Nov 30, 2008
Not only does cinnamon taste good, it also contains many health benefits such as: Anti-Clotting and Anti-Microbial actions, Blood Sugar Control, it boosts Brain Function, it’s Calcium and Fiber protect against Heart Disease and improve Colon Health, among other things.
Cinnamon, ground
Although available throughout the year, the fragrant, sweet and warm taste of cinnamon is a perfect spice to use during the winter months. Cinnamon has a long history both as a spice and as a medicine. It is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which is available in its dried tubular form known as a quill or as ground powder. The two varieties of cinnamon, Chinese and Ceylon, have similar flavor, however the cinnamon from Ceylon is slightly sweeter, more refined and more difficult to find in local markets.
Health Benefits
Cinnamon’s unique healing abilities come from three basic types of components in the essential oils found in its bark. These oils contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, plus a wide range of other volatile substances.
Anti-Clotting Actions
Cinnamaldehyde (also called cinnamic aldehyde) has been well-researched for its effects on blood platelets. Platelets are constituents of blood that are meant to clump together under emergency circumstances (like physical injury) as a way to stop bleeding, but under normal circumstances, they can make blood flow inadequate if they clump together too much. The cinnaldehyde in cinnamon helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood platelets. (The way it accomplishes this health-protective act is by inhibiting the release of an inflammatory fatty acid called arachidonic acid from platelet membranes and reducing the formation of an inflammatory messaging molecule called thromboxane A2.) Cinnamon’s ability to lower the release of arachidonic acid from cell membranes also puts it in the category of an “anti-inflammatory” food that can be helpful in lessening inflammation.
Anti-Microbial Activity
Cinnamon’s essential oils also qualify it as an “anti-microbial” food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida. In laboratory tests, growth of yeasts that were resistant to the commonly used anti-fungal medication fluconazole was often (though not always) stopped by cinnamon extracts.
Cinnamon’s antimicrobial properties are so effective that recent research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives. In a study, published in the August 2003 issue of the International Journal of Food Microbiology, the addition of just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to 100 ml (approximately 3 ounces) of carrot broth, which was then refrigerated, inhibited the growth of the foodborne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days. When the broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the pathogenic B. cereus flourished despite the cold temperature. In addition, researchers noted that the addition of cinnamon not only acted as an effective preservative but improved the flavor of the broth.(October 1, 2003)
Blood Sugar Control
Cinnamon may significantly help people with type 2 diabetes improve their ability to respond to insulin, thus normalizing their blood sugar levels. Both test tube and animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells’ ability to use glucose. Studies to confirm cinnamon’s beneficial actions in humans are currently underway with the most recent report coming from researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service, who have shown that less than half a teaspoon per day of cinnamon reduces blood sugar levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers with type 2 diabetes who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams per day of cinnamon while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo capsules. Even the lowest amount of cinnamon, 1 gram per day (approximately ¼ to ½ teaspoon), produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar; cholesterol and triglycerides were lowered as well. When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to increase. (December 30, 2003)
Test tube, animal and human studies have all recently investigated cinnamon’s ability to improve insulin activity, and thus our cells’ ability to absorb and use glucose from the blood. On going in vitro or test tube research conducted by Richard Anderson and his colleagues at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center is providing new understanding of the mechanisms through which cinnamon enhances insulin activity. In their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon—a collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the body’s insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold.. Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects of regularly consuming cinnamon. This new research shows that the potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones with the insulin-enhancing compounds. A recent animal study demonstrating cinnamon’s beneficial effects on insulin activity appeared in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. In this study, when rats were given a daily dose of cinnamon (300 mg per kilogram of body weight) for a 3 week period, their skeletal muscle was able to absorb 17% more blood sugar per minute compared to that of control rats, which had not received cinnamon, an increase researchers attributed to cinnamon’s enhancement of the muscle cells’ insulin-signaling pathway. In humans with type 2 diabetes, consuming as little as 1 gram of cinnamon per day was found to reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol, in a study published in the December 2003 issue of Diabetes Care. The placebo-controlled study evaluated 60 people with type 2 diabetes (30 men and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) who were divided into 6 groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were given 1, 3, or 6 grams of cinnamon daily, while groups 4, 5, and 6 received 1, 3 or 6 grams of placebo. After 40 days, all three levels of cinnamon reduced blood sugar levels by 18-29%, triglycerides 23-30%, LDL cholesterol 7-27%, and total cholesterol 12-26%, while no significant changes were seen in those groups receiving placebo. The researchers’ conclusion: including cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.(January 28, 2004)
The latest research on cinnamon shows that by enhancing insulin signaling, cinnamon can prevent insulin resistance even in animals fed a high-fructose diet! A study published in the February 2004 issue of Hormone Metabolism Research showed that when rats fed a high-fructose diet were also given cinnamon extract, their ability to respond to and utilize glucose (blood sugar) was improved so much that it was the same as that of rats on a normal (control) diet. Cinnamon is so powerful an antioxidant that, when compared to six other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and vanilla) and the chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate), cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other spices (except mint) and the chemical antioxidants. (May 6, 2004)
Cinnamon’s Scent Boosts Brain Function
Not only does consuming cinnamon improve the body’s ability to utilize blood sugar, but just smelling the wonderful odor of this sweet spice boosts brain activity! Research led by Dr. P. Zoladz and presented April 24, 2004, at the annual meeting of the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, in Sarasota, FL, found that chewing cinnamon flavored gum or just smelling cinnamon enhanced study participants’ cognitive processing. Specifically, cinnamon improved participants’ scores on tasks related to attentional processes, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor speed while working on a computer-based program. Participants were exposed to four odorant conditions: no odor, peppermint odor, jasmine, and cinnamon, with cinnamon emerging the clear winner in producing positive effects on brain function. Encouraged by the results of these studies, researchers will be evaluating cinnamon’s potential for enhancing cognition in the elderly, individuals with test-anxiety, and possibly even patients with diseases that lead to cognitive decline. (May 9, 2004)
Calcium and Fiber Improve Colon Health and Protect Against Heart Disease
In addition to its unique essential oils, cinnamon is an excellent source of the trace mineral manganese and a very good source of dietary fiber, iron and calcium. The combination of calcium and fiber in cinnamon is important and can be helpful for the prevention of several different conditions. Both calcium and fiber can bind to bile salts and help remove them from the body. By removing bile, fiber helps to prevent the damage that certain bile salts can cause to colon cells, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer. In addition, when bile is removed by fiber, the body must break down cholesterol in order to make new bile. This process can help to lower high cholesterol levels, which can be helpful in preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease. For sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome, the fiber in cinnamon may also provide relief from constipation or diarrhea. A Traditional Warming Remedy In addition to the active components in its essential oils and its nutrient composition, cinnamon has also been valued in energy-based medical systems, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, for its warming qualities. In these traditions, cinnamon has been used to provide relief when faced with the onset of a cold or flu, especially when mixed in a tea with some fresh ginger. Description Cinnamon is the brown bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular form known as a quill. Cinnamon is available in either its whole quill form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. While there are approximately one hundred varieties of Cinnamonum verum (the scientific name for cinnamon), Cinnamonum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) and Cinnamomun aromaticum (Chinese cinnamon) are the leading varieties consumed. Ceylon cinnamon is also referred to as “true cinnamon”, while the Chinese variety is known as “cassia”. While both are relatively similar in characteristics and both feature a fragrant, sweet and warm taste, the flavor of the Ceylon variety is more refined and subtle. Ceylon cinnamon is more rare in North America than the cassia, the less expensive variety, which is the most popular in the United States.
History
Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known. It was mentioned in the Bible and was used in ancient Egypt not only as a beverage flavoring and medicine, but also as an embalming agent. It was so highly treasured that it was considered more precious than gold. Around this time, cinnamon also received much attention in China, which is reflected in its mention in one of the earliest books on Chinese botanical medicine, dated around 2,700 B.C. Cinnamon’s popularity continued throughout history. It became one of the most relied upon spices in Medieval Europe. Due to its demand, cinnamon became one of the first commodities traded regularly between the Near East and Europe. Ceylon cinnamon is produced in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Brazil and the Caribbean, while cassia is mainly produced in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
How to Select and Store and How to Enjoy
For some of our favorite recipes, click Recipes (www.whfoods.org).
A Few Quick Serving Ideas: Enjoy one of the favorite kids’ classics – cinnamon toast - with a healthy twist. Drizzle flax seed oil onto whole wheat toast and then sprinkle with cinnamon and honey. Simmer cinnamon sticks with soymilk and honey for a deliciously warming beverage. Adding ground cinnamon to black beans to be used in burritos or nachos will give them a uniquely delicious taste. Healthy sauté lamb with eggplant, raisins and cinnamon sticks to create a Middle Eastern inspired meal. Add ground cinnamon when preparing curries.
Safety
Cinnamon is not a commonly allergenic food and is not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines. Nutritional Profile Introduction to Food Rating System Chart The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV) that that amount represents (similar to other information presented in the website, this DV is calculated for 25-50 year old healthy woman); the nutrient density rating; and, the food’s World’s Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. For more detailed information on their Food and Recipe Rating System, please go to : www.whfoods.org
Get a $250 gift card when you order Charter’s Ultimate Bundle online!
Posted by Deb on Nov 29, 2008
I’m a Charter customer and from time to time I’ll visit their website to view their most recent sales and incentives. A few times over the past 3 yrs, I’ve noticed their advertised specials were even better than the rate I was paying, and at those times I’d call them to see if they would adjust my account to the lower rates, and much to my surprise, they usually would!
So now that the holiday season is upon us, and I’m trying to save a few bucks just like most of you out there, I decided to see if Charter was currently running any sales that I might be interested in. They just happen to be having a black friday and Cyber Monday sale that includes their Charter Ultimate Bundle package for only $165.97/mo!
This is an awesome deal!
It includes:
- $250 Gift Card
- 10 Mbps High Speed Internet
- Phone service with unlimited local and long distance calling
- TV service to include: Digital Home, Charter HD, Digital View, Sports View, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, The Movie Channel, Encore and Starz
Not only do you get the $250 gift card with your purchase, but you also have a chance to win an X-Box 360 game console! Charter is giving away 45 of these, so you have a good chance of winning! CLICK HERE for complete X-Box Sweepstakes Rules.
This is the absolutely BEST online deal for bundled services. You’ll have to hurry though, offer ends December 5th!
Sesame Ginger Spinach With Fennel
Posted by Deb on Nov 26, 2008
Ingredients:
¾ cup coarsely chopped fennel
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 six ounce pkg. pre-washed baby spinach
Dash cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- In a very large skillet cook fennel in hot sesame oil over medium heat about 3 minutes or until nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in vinegar, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper; heat through. Remove from heat.
- Add spinach to fennel mixture. Toss just until wilted. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 90
Fat: 8g (sat 1g)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 4g
Fiber: 2g
Chol: 0mg
Sodium: 300mg
Zucchini Alfredo
Posted by Deb on Nov 25, 2008
Ingredients:
5 large zucchini
1 teaspoons salt
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese, cubed and softened
¾ cup half & half or light cream
¾ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper
Ground nutmeg
- Cut zucchini in half crosswise. Cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices and then lengthwise into long, thin strips about ¼ inch wide (similar to fettuccine in size). You should have about 8 cups. In a large colander, toss the zucchini with the salt. Allow to drain for 1 hour. Rinse and drain, pat dry.
- In a 12-inch skillet cook the zucchini and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 to 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
- In the skillet heat the cream cheese and half and half over medium-low heat until smooth. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Stir in zucchini, heat through. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with pepper, nutmeg and additional Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 8 servings
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 351
Fat: 27g (sat 16g)
Protein: 20g
Carbs: 7g
Fiber: 2g
Chol: 69mg
Sodium: 876mg
Military equipment sure has come a long way!
Posted by Deb on Nov 24, 2008
Being a proud Army Wife, I am always checking out the latest military equipment on the market. Not only does it give me an idea of what my Husband is using in his daily military life, but it also educates me about the proper names of things, so that when he wants to discuss something like the latest ‘Under Armor‘, being worn, I’ll actually have a better understanding of what he’s talking about.
I happened to find this really great Tactical site that has just about anything you could possibly think of for that special Military or Law Enforcement person in your life! With closeout sales like the ones on the 5.11 Tactical Garrison Boot of only $49.99 (down from $149.99) and the Blackhawk Omega Tactical Vest at only $59.99 (down from $149.99) I know I’ll be buying quite a few Christmas gifts at the Tactical site this year!
Flank Steak Spirals
Posted by Deb on Nov 23, 2008
Ingredients:
1 1 ¼ pound beef flank steak
1 cup dry red wine
¼ cup finely chopped green onions (about 4)
1 bay leaf
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoons black pepper
6 slices bacon
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
- Score both sides of meat.
- Place meat between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from center to edges, use flat side of a meat mallet to pound steak into a 12×8-inch rectangle. Remove plastic wrap. Place meat in a plastic bag set in a shallow dish.
- In a bowl combine wine, green onions, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, 1 clove minced garlic,
½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Pour over meat & seal bag. Marinate in refirgerator for 4 to 24 hours, turning occasionally. - In a skillet cook bacon just until done, but not crisp. Drain on paper towels. In a bowl combine onion, parsley, 2 cloves minced garlic, ½ teaspoon black pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Drain meat, reserving marinade. Sprinkle one side of steak with parsley mixture. Lay bacon strips lengthwise on steak. Roll up meat from a short side; secure with wooden toothpicks at 1 inch intervals. Cut between the toothpicks into eight 1-inch think slices.
- For a charcoal grill, grill steak on rack of an uncovered grill over medium coals until desired doneness, turning and brushing with reserved marinade halfway through grilling. Allow 10 to 12 minutes for medium (160°F). For a gash grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place steak on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above. Discard remaining marinade.
Yield: 4 servings
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 324
Fat: 16g (sat 6g)
Protein: 35g
Carbs: 3g
Fiber: 0g
Chol: 67mg
Sodium: 575mg
Mexican Chicken Soup
Posted by Deb on Nov 22, 2008
Ingredients:
2½ pounds meaty chicken pieces (breasts or thighs will work)
6 cups water
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
2 cups coarsely chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
1½ cups chopped carrots (3 medium)
1 cup coarsely chopped tomato
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 poblano chile pepper
Sliced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro & sliced green onions (all optional)
- Skin chicken. In a 4½-quart Dutch oven combine chicken pieces, water, 1 cup onion, 1 cup celery, the tomato, cilantro, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer covered for 50 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken pieces and set aside to cool slightly. Strain the broth mixture, reserving broth and discarding the vegetables. Return the broth to the Dutch Oven. Add the remaining 1 cup onion, 1 cup celery and the carrots. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Meanwhile, cut chile peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds, stems and veins. Place pepper halves cut side down, on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake in a 425° oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until skins are blistered and dark. Wrap in the foil; let stand about 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the skins from the pepper halves; gently and slowly pull off the skin in strips. Discard skin. Chop peppers.
- Remove chicken from bones; discard bones. Chop the chicken. Stir chicken and poblano peppers into broth mixture. Heat through. If desired, garnish with avocado, cilantro and green onions.
Important Note: Hot chile peppers (such as the poblano) contain oils that can burn your eyes, lips and skin. Wear plastic gloves while preparing chile peppers and be sure to thoroughly wash your hands and nails in hot, soapy water afterward.
Yield: 6 servings
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 158
Fat: 5g (sat 1g)
Protein: 21g
Carbs: 7g
Fiber: 2g
Chol: 61mg
Sodium: 638mg
Spinach Feta Bake
Posted by Deb on Nov 21, 2008
Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil or cooking oil
¾ cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 10-ounce pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese, drained
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup egg replacement product (such as Egg Beaters) OR 2 eggs beaten
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir onion mixture until onion is tender.
- Stir in spinach, cottage cheese, feta cheese, egg product, oregano and pepper. Thransfer the spinach mixture to the prepared pie plate.
- Bake, uncovered, in a 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. To serve, cut into wedges.
Yield: 6 servings
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Calories: 185
Fat: 10g (sat 5g)
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 3g
Chol: 28mg
Sodium: 657mg