Monthly Archives: July 2012

Watching your salt? Check the ingredients in your chicken!

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20120731-183434.jpgSomething I wasn’t aware of until a couple of years ago was just made very visibly apparent.

Sometimes brands will ‘plump’ up chicken breasts by injecting saline solution. Once I found out about this practice I always have made a point to buy my frozen chicken at Trader Joe’s, but grabbed a bag at Costco when I had run out the other day.

I was marinating some chicken breast when I noticed all of these holes. Kinda creepy, isn’t it?

For more information, here’s a great article from Cooking Light -

The Hidden Sodium in Chicken

One chicken breast could eat up 20% of your sodium limit—before you even start to cook.

Chicken

  • NONENHANCED POULTRY (per 4 ounces raw)
    Sodium:     45 to 70mg
    Fine print says: ”Contains 1 to 5% retained water.” (This is water that may be absorbed during the chilling process; it’s not injected, and no salt is added.)   ENHANCED POULTRY (per 4 ounces raw)
    Sodium: 330 to 440mg
    Fine print says: ”Enhanced with up to 15% chicken broth, salt, and carrageenan.”

“As American as boneless, skinless chicken breast” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “American as apple pie,” but it’s far more appropriate: We eat an average of 87 pounds of chicken per year, up 81% from 48 pounds in 1980. This makes the plumping practice in poultry processing even more troubling.

About one-third of the fresh chicken found in supermarket meat cases has been synthetically saturated with a mix of water, salt, and other additives via needle injections and high-pressure vacuum tumbling. The process is designed to make naturally lean poultry meat juicier and more tender. A 4-ounce serving of what the industry calls “enhanced” poultry can contain as much as 440mg sodium. That’s nearly one-fifth of the current 2,300mg daily sodium allotment—from a source you’d never suspect.

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A slightly more appropriate place for all your meal pics…

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Instagram your every meal? Text your friends dinner pics? I’ve been guilty of both… Now here’s a new place to fulfill that compulsion (and not bother everyone else who could give a…)

I recently read an article about new health apps. I downloaded this one (it’s free) and have been playing around with it for the last few days. If you’re someone who doesn’t feel like weighing all of your food (though it’s a great practice even for a day to know how big servings really are), this may be a baby step towards food logging.

Description

Want to take real steps to improve your eating habits? Use The Eatery to snap photos of your food. We’ll give you something much more helpful than calorie counts.

— Stop Counting Calories. Start Eating Better —

• Studies show that simply recording your meals helps you lose more weight.

• It’s not about counting calories — it’s about becoming aware of your habits.

• The Eatery makes that process fast and beautiful — just snap and rate.

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Dietary Fiber: Insoluble and Soluble Fiber

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What’s the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber?

Insoluble fiber stays mostly intact in your GI tract, adding bulk and pushing things along. Helps prevent diverticulitis. (Little pouches int he lining of your GI tract that can collect food)

Sources: whole wheat, whole grains, wheat bran, corn bran, seeds, nuts, barley, couscous, brown rice, bulgur, zucchini, celery, broccoli, cabbage, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, dark leafy vegetables, raisins, grapes, fruit, and root vegetable skins.

Soluble fiber dissolves in water and turns into a gel (ever try Metamucil and let it sit for more than 10 seconds?) The gel slows down digestion and makes you feel fuller. It also helps blood sugar levels and aids in reducing cholesterol. 

Sources: oatmeal, oat cereal, lentils, apples, oranges, pears, oat bran, strawberries, nuts, flaxseeds, beans, dried peas, blueberries, psyllium, cucumbers, celery, and carrots.

How much? 

The USDA currently recommends about 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories a day.

Daily Vitamins – don’t over do it – Women’s Health Magazine

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Daily Vitamins: Don’t Overload Your System

Dietary supplements are easy to overdo, make sure you know the proper dosage

At the rate vitamins and minerals are being added to food, it won’t be long until fortified Jelly Bellys hit the market—oh wait, they already have. The National Institutes of Health warns of the dangers of too many vitamins. “Quite a few people who take a multivitamin and eat a healthy diet are getting twice what they need,” says Diane Birt, Ph.D., director of the Center for Research on Botanical Dietary Supplements at Iowa State University. And that can be dangerous.

Here are five nutrients people often get too much of. Check out the dosage you’re getting from the fortified foods you eat and the vitamins you take and make sure your intake falls within the recommended range for dietary supplements<.

Calcium

RDA 1,000 mg

Top Limit 2,500 mg

The risk Watch out for calcium-fortified Tums or calcium-fortified chocolates. Too much calcium can lead to kidney stones, calcium deposits in your arteries, and, ironically, weakened bones. That’s because an excess of calcium prevents absorption of other nutrients necessary for bone health, such as magnesium, says Mark Woodin, Sc.D., professor of epidemiology and environmental health at Tufts University in Boston.

Beta-Carotene

Recommended daily amount (RDA) not established

Top Limit not established

The risk Smokers (and inhalers of secondhand smoke) beware: When beta-carotene taken in supplement form mixes with cigarette smoke, it changes from an antioxidant that wards off cancer to a harmful pro-oxidant that ups the risk of lung cancer. Get the nutrient through foods like carrots and sweet potatoes rather than pills.

Iron

RDA 18 mg

Top Limit 45 mg

The risk Studies show that high blood levels of iron (found in meats, spinach, lentils, and soybeans) may be a risk factor for heart disease. Iron also competes with important minerals like copper for absorption in the body, says Roberta Anding, R.D., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Vitamin A

RDA 700 mcg

Top Limit 3,000 mcg

The risk Too much vitamin A can cause liver problems, diminished bone density, and birth defects, says Martha Belury, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at The Ohio State University. Since you get the vitamin A you need through foods like milk, eggs, carrots, and peppers, a supplement isn’t necessary.

Zinc

RDA 8 mg

Top Limit 40 mg

The risk An overdose of zinc can lead to upset stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, and muscle spasms. It isn’t hard to max out when some lozenges for cold relief deliver between 46 and 50 milligrams a day, according to ConsumerLab, an independent firm that verifies commercial claims.

via Nutritional Supplements: Dietary Supplement Guidelines | Women’s Health Magazine.

Some basics: on vitamin C

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Roles:

  • as an antioxidant. It loses electrons which are taken up by free radicals and stabilizes them. (which can lower your risk of cancer)
  • Helps in iron absorption
  • helps in collagen production – which most of us know is in our skin, but it’s also a structure in your teeth and bones that calcium and other minerals lay on top of.
  • During times of stress on the body – infection, injury, your boss breathing down your neck and spiking your cortisol – your immune cells use more oxygen, which produces free radicals to demolish offending viruses and bacteria. Vitamin C helps neutralize extra free radicals, so you do need more during these times.

Recommendations:

  • 200 mg at a time. The rest is flushed out.
  • Sources: fruits and veggies but especially dark green veggies (bell peppers, kale and broccoli), strawberries and citrus, pineapple

Fun (gross) fact – scurvy, which occured to many sailors onboard for long periods of time, was due to the lack of Vitamin C. Ships would run out of fresh fruit and vegetables in the beginning of the journey. The reason one of the symtoms was tooth loss was that the collagen would break down in their teeth. Aar!

Way to Burn Calories in the City

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Way to Burn Calories in the City.

I know I usually focus on nutrition, but fitness is the other half of the puzzle. I try to workout everyday – usually a jog, bike ride around the park or to an errand, pilates, yoga or weight training. And for me this article hits close to home. Both times I’ve moved to NYC I immediately dropped 5 pounds from all of the walking.

  • Take the stairs: No need to schedule time on the Stairmaster, take advantage of the real deal! Instead of using the elevator to go a few floors up, use the stairs. As tempting as escalators may look, do the moving yourself. You’d be surprised by all the leg-toning opportunities.
  • Bike around town: Spending 20-30 minutes on your bike will burn off your morning breakfast, and chances are that is just about the time it takes to get to work! Use your bike the next time you run errands to avoid the hassle of parking and save yourself the headache of traffic. Worried about the safety of your bike? Follow these tips in properly locking up your wheels.
  • Avoid shortcuts: You may have mastered the quickest way to get from point A to point B in your city (like those secret alleys) but stick to the main path. Going the longer route will have you walking more, thus burning more. It might take a little extra time, but it won’t be that bad when you start to see results.
  • Continue reading →

Mmm.. ratatouille!

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I recently went to visit my grandma. She’s taken over the last few years to making this loose ratatouille recipe and I think it’s delicious! When I went to the farm stand the other day she helped me pick out the ingredients.

I think this is a get way to eat some summer veggies. I threw mine in the crockpot as I had to head to a casting, but she uses a pot on the stove. Simply chop up all the veggies and throw in! Here’s what’s in it:

  • one eggplant (I left the skin on because I like some texture, but you can remove)
  • diced tomatoes or a can of them (I cheated. The raccoon ate my tomatoes..)
  • two large zucchini. I used one yellow and one green
  • one large onion
  • a red and green pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • basil and parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

I like to sprinkle with a little parm. Last night I laid it out under a filet of salmon. Or mix in with some pasta and use it as a veggie sauce. So many ways to mix this in with things!

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Pro, Con Arguments on Proposed NY Sugary Drink Ban – ABC News

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My thoughts: I am torn between both arguments. I think that we should have freedom of choice, but I also notice those using that argument on the discussion panel are the food companies that have something to lose by selling less product. Also the fact is that over the years in order to compete with one another, fast food companies have tried to one up each other on their sizes.

Whether it passes or not, I think the heated debate that this issue is getting, and the ridicule on Jon Stewart, will help get a little press out there about just had how bad large sodas can be for you.

The article: Medical professionals who favor a proposed ban on large-sized sugary drinks likened soda companies to Big Tobacco at a public hearing Tuesday, saying the plan would protect the public, while opponents accused the city of playing Big Brother and wondered what tasty but unhealthy foods might be targeted next.

New York City’s health board heard hours of testimony on a proposed rule that would limit soft-drink cup and bottle sizes at food service establishments to no larger than 16 ounces.

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Simple tips: move that olive oil away from the stove!

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We went over saturated versus unsaturated fats.

Today let’s look at their stability.

Fats spoil when exposed to oxygen. Saturated fats are more resistant to this, but the polyunsaturated fats you store next to your stove to cook with are very receptacle to spoilage due to all of their less stable double bonds.

Here are some tips to keep your oil from spoiling and to keep it as healthy for you as possible:

  • Store it somewhere cool dark place away from light and heat – like a cabinet away from your oven
  • Do not keep it stored in plastic bottles. Chemicals from the bottle my leach into it.
  • Keep it sealed tightly
  • If your oil is being used to cook and you don’t care about the taste as much you can refrigerate it. It may turn cloudy and be harder to pour but it’s fine to use.
  • If you are using the oil for dipping, salad dressings, etc – things you really want to taste the oil in, you should buy in smaller amounts, store in a cool place, and use relatively quickly- about three months.

This applies to other great oils, like flax and grapeseed oil. You’ll notice flaxseed oil is sold at stores in the refridgerated section in dark, UV proof bottles.

Hope this tip helps a bit! I always kept a glass bottle with a spout of oil next to the stove till I learned it defeated the purpose.