Nutrition Matters

A Baker's Dozen List of Foods to Eat More of in 2012

2011-12-31T12:20:00.000-05:00

Around this time of year, people start making their new year resolutions. Many of us will decide that this year we will finally go on that diet and keep the pounds off.

Here they are, in no particular order.

1. Sardines. Much cheaper than salmon. Additionally, due to their small size and diet consisting of plankton, sardines do not accumulate heavy metals in their bodies like the big fish do. There is also no fear of stock depletion any time soon. Sardines are a nutrition powerhouse: rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high in vitamin D and B12, and a great source of protein. Bonus: lots of calcium from their edible bones. The one caveat – high sodium content. So watch out.

2. Nuts (instead of salted nut mixes). Buy them in the bulk section. unsalted. mix them up. Place in a ziplock bag and keep in your backpack, purse, office drawer, glove compartment, and anywhere you may get the munchies.

3. Granola. It takes no more than 5 minutes preparation and 60 minutes in the oven to make your own batch. You’ll never go back to store brought. Promise.

4. Legumes. If you’re looking for a more plant based diet, legumes are an important source of protein. Whether beans, lentils, or peas, there are endless recipes and serving variations.

5. Hummus Dip (instead of mayo). It’s a healthy dip because it is full of heart healthy fats, high in protein and very satisfying. The beans also contain nice amounts of fiber. But it can also be a healthy spread to use instead of mayonaise. By the way, hummus is a type of legume.

6. Berries. Fresh or frozen, berries are rich in antioxidants, sweet and tasty.

7. Plain yogurt (instead of flavored). Yogurt has become all the rage in diet circles, and Greek Yogurt even more so recently. If you’ve moved up to yogurt, take the next step and buy it plain. You’ll save yourself half the amount of sugar. Additionally, you’ll avoid all sorts of unnecessary ingredients used to suspend and preserve the fruit inside the yogurt. Most importantly is to try to increase yogurt with live cultures. Your body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract, and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts. the benefits associated with probiotics are specific to certain strains of these "good" bacteria. Many provide their benefits by adjusting the microflora (the natural balance of organisms) in the intestines, or by acting directly on body functions, such as digestion or immune function. (Keep in mind that the only yogurts that contain probiotics are those that say "live and active cultures" on the label.)

8. Unsweetened tea. Americans are drinking too much sweet. Even if you’re off the soda bandwagon, iced tea can contain just as much sugar.

9. Flavored Water: For some people, water gets too boring. You can add a slice of lemon, or cucumber, or lemongrass, or other herbs, and instantly you’ve upgraded your drink. Too lazy to do this on your own? Companies offer a wide variety of flavored waters with 0 added sugar.

10. Fruit: Pass the fruit juice in the grocery aisle and go directly to the fruit, preferrably the fruit in the produce section. Americans drink far too much juice. The cons are that it is calorie dense, no fiber content, and states in your mouth for a such short time. Actually eating the fruit, the chewing and allowing the flavors to actually absorb into the taste buds of mouth is far more satisfying that quickly swishing fruit juice around in your mouth and swallowing it. The actual fruit is fiber rich. Fiber has been shown to be beneficial to your health in so many ways.

11. Olive Oil: Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

12. Flaxseed Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids: a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart. Top a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal with a smidgen of ground flaxseed for the ultimate heart-healthy breakfast.

13. Soy: Soy may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet. Look for natural sources of soy, like edamame, tempeh, or organic silken tofu. And soy milk is a great addition to a bowl of oatmeal or whole-grain cereal. But watch the amount of salt in your soy: Some processed varieties like soy dogs can contain added sodium, which boosts blood pressure.
ref: www.fooducate.com
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/30/the-11-best-foods-you-arent-eating/
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-03-23/health/best.foods.for.your.heart_1_monounsaturated-fats-heart-health-olive-oil?_s=PM:HEALTH

What is a Registered Dietitian?

2011-01-03T09:31:00.004-05:00

Registered Dietitians are your most credible source of nutrition information. A registered dietitian (RD) is a food and nutrition expert who has met academic and professional requirements including:

Bachelor Degree with course work approved by the American Dietetic Association’s Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. Coursework typically includes food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, computer science, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry.
Complete an accredited, supervised, experiential practice program at a health-care facility, community agency or food service corporation.
Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

A RD can hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice, such as pediatric or renal nutrition or diabetes education. About half of all registered dietitians work in clinical settings, private practice or health-care facilities. Many work in community and public health settings, academia and research, business, journalism, sports nutrition and wellness programs.

What can a Registered Dietitian do for you?

A Registered Dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential “RD.”

A Registered Dietitian:

Provides reliable, objective information
Separates facts from fads
Translates the latest scientific findings into information that is easy to understand and use

What is a Diet Technician, Registered?

A Dietetic Technician, Registered is a food and nutrition practitioner, often working in conjunction with a Registered Dietitian, who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential “DTR.” In addition to DTR credentialing, some states have regulatory laws for Dietetic Technicians, Registered.

Dietetic Technicians, Registered must meet the following criteria to earn the “DTR” credential:

Complete at least a two-year associate’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of the American Dietetic Association, which must include 450 hours of supervised practice experience in various community programs, health care and food service facilities
Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration
Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration

There seems to be so much confusion regarding the difference of a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist.

What is the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist?

A registered dietitian is a healthcare professional who has completed a nutrition-related degree (minimum of a bachelor's degree) which includes a rigorous course of study in the scientific areas of biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology classes. A Registered Dietitian (R.D.) requires a minimum of a 4-year degree in a nutritional dietetic program, which is heavily concentrated in the sciences of metabolism, physiology, biology, chemistry, and clinical implications. They also must complete an internship (just like a medical doctor), or go through an approved coordinated undergraduate program that combines supervised practice and the last two years of college. Then all dietitians must pass a national board examination before they can receive the credentials R.D. (registered dietitian).

By the time an individual receives their RD credential, they have specialized knowledge in the area of nutrition. Registered dietitians also must complete continuing education courses regularly in order to keep their registration current.

A registered dietitian is a healthcare professional who applies principles of food and nutrition to health. A registered dietitian can practice in a variety of settings.

Management dietitians work in healthcare institutions, schools, cafeterias and restaurants.
Clinical dietitians are a vital part of the medical team in hospitals, nursing homes, health maintenance organizations, and other healthcare facilities.
Community dietitians work in public and home health agencies, daycare centers, health and recreations clubs, and in government-funded programs.
Educator dietitians work in colleges, universities and medical centers.
Research dietitians work in government agencies, food and pharmaceutical companies, and in major universities and medical centers.
Consultant dietitians work under contract with a healthcare facility or in their own private practice.
Business dietitians work in product development, sales, marketing, advertising, public relations and purchasing in food and nutrition related industries.

There is a significant difference between a Registered Dietitian and a Nutritionist. Registered Dietitians are required to complete a substantially more rigorous educational / training program and are required to pass a state board. The term ‘Nutritionist’ is not legally protected and does not require board certification, this means anyone, even a person with no medical or clinical background, such as the clerk at a farmers market or the cook at a local school, can use the title ‘Nutritionist’.

Many people refer to themselves as a nutritionist. The term nutritionist can be misleading. A nutritionist does not have to meet all of the rigorous requirements a registered dietitian needs to. A nutritionist is not required to complete a degree, a supervised experience, a national board examination, or continuing education courses. Nutritionists have much less fewer training requirements and responsibilities than an R.D., as stated previously; anyone can use the title Nutritionist. Because unqualified individuals can use this title, many states require all those offering clinical nutrition advice, be licensed within their state of practice.

Let's review:

Registered Dietitians and Nutrition Supplements

Registered Dietitians have only recently started recomending nutrition supplements. The American Dietetic Association has established professional guidelines for Registered Dietitians regarding nutrition supplements. These guidelines can be found here: Guidelines Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements with the full text here: Full Text: Guidelines Regarding the Recommendation and Sale of Dietary Supplements. Typically, the Registered Dietitian does NOT sell nutrition supplements. With The American Dietetic Association having strict practice guidelines in place regarding nutrition supplements, the Registered Dietitian must adhere to these guidelines for professional credibility.

sources:
http://www.eatright.org
http://www.eatrightma.org/content4085
http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept27717/files/354575.html

Olive Oil - Liquid Gold

2010-12-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

What's not to love about olive oil? It's delicious, it goes great with almost everything, and it's good for you. It is often called "Liquid Gold." The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean, where olive oil has been an important part of life for thousands of years.

Olive oil is technically a fruit juice rather than an oil. The olives are pressed to release their juices just like an orange or a lemon be pressed. Spain is the world's largest overall producer of olive oil. Italy is second. Greece is the world's largest producer of extra-virgin olive oil. Italy and Spain come in second and third in the extra-virgin race. Greece consumes the most olive oil per capita. Spain, Italy, Tunisia, and Portugal also top the per-capita consumption list. Italy exports more olive oil to the United States than to anywhere else.

Olive oil is growing in popularity in the United States. Sourced from the Mediterranean and part of that famous diet, it has been shown to be a healthy source of fat when compared to fats from animal sources.

It is also more expensive to manufacture compared to canola and soy oils. Like wine, complex flavors abound, depending on the growing region, olive type, and extraction methods. Indeed in some parts of the world, olive oil has a cult like following.

Despite its characteristic greenish tinge and taste, many people are conned into buying adulterated products – olive oil mixed with canola or soy. And even when buying 100% olive oil, the price variations and various claims on the bottles are very confusing to the average consumer.

Marketers want you to buy their olive oil and therefore you’ll see – pure, extra filtered, cold pressed, natural, extra virgin, and the likes. To make things easier for us, starting in October, the USDA now requires importers to abide by strict labeling guidelines[PDF]

The highest quality oils are marked Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EVOO] and their acidity must be less than 0.8%. Extra virgin is the highest quality and most expensive form of olive oil. It comes from the first pressing of the olives. It is the least acidic and has the fruitiest flavor. Use this oil for salad dressings. For heated dishes, you can settle for Virgin Olive Oil, with up to 2% acidity.

The virgin designation means that the olives were cold pressed, and no chemicals were used to extract the oil.

Cold pressing means that no heating was involved in the oil extraction, and more of the original flavor and nutrients are available.

Despite this, from a nutrition perspective, as long as they are 100% olive oil, there is not much difference among the different brands and markings.

Note that in some recipes it is better to use other oils because the dominant flavor of olive oil may overtake the dish. In any case remember that any source of fat, whether olive oil or lard, carries a high calorie tag – a tablespoon contains over 100 calories.

sources:
25 facts about Olive Oil
Olive Oil Source
Fooducate

Metabolic Syndrome – Medical Nutritional Therapy Goals

2010-11-21T22:14:00.000-05:00

I recently got this article published "Connections" Volume 35, Issue 2, Fall 2010, Dietetics in Health Care Communities- A dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association. I thought I would share it here.

Metabolic Syndrome – Medical Nutritional Therapy Goals

By Carol S. Casey, RD, CDN, LDN

Metabolic Syndrome, a constellation of metabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is one of the fastest growing disease entities in the world. With this being evident, it may be surprising to some that even as early as the late 1930s research and experiments produced the first evidence of this disease (1). It wasn’t until the late 1970s the actual term of Metabolic Syndrome became commonly used in medical terminology. Metabolic Syndrome is also known as Metabolic Syndrome X, Syndrome X, Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Reaven's Syndrome (named for Gerald Reaven), and CHAOS (in Australia) (2). Due to the epidemic of obesity, Metabolic Syndrome has become more prevalent and closely associated with obesity related co-morbidities within the last decade.

Metabolic Syndrome has concurrent grouping of low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hyperglycemia, high waist circumference, hypertension, and elevated triglycerides, which is associated with cardiovascular disease often leading to Type 2 diabetes mellitus (3,4). Although it is synonymous with the “insulin resistance syndrome,” not all patients with the Metabolic Syndrome will have insulin resistance (5).

In 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) developed operational criteria to make a diagnosis of the Metabolic Syndrome based on clinical grounds and commonly used laboratory tests that are frequently carried out in an office practice (6). The importance of the Metabolic Syndrome was further highlighted in 2001 with the approval of an ICD-9 code (277.7) for the Metabolic Syndrome by the National Center for Health Statistics (7). Individuals with at least three of the five criteria listed in Table 1 are identified as having Metabolic Syndrome and are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease (4,8). The five criteria listed in Table 1 appear to have been selected due to their tendency to cluster together and have been long associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The fallacy in choosing the numeric upper limits for each criterion is less clear and not derived from outcome data (3). For this reason individual upper limits of each criteria is not the aim of the diagnostic evaluation, but rather the aim is to evaluate the relationship of each criteria and the relationship with insulin resistance and the role of increasing the CVD risk.

Source: Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the NCEP on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel III); JAMA. 2001; 2486-2497. Complete report available at: http://www.nhilbi.nih.gov

.Waist Circumference is one method and often the easiest of obtain to determine excess adiposity. This criteria is not a consequence of insulin resistance, rather it is lifestyle variable. The combination of physical inactivity and elevated waist circumference has a direct negative effect on insulin-mediated glucose disposal. These two factors alone increase the possibilities of abnormalities and clinical syndromes associated with insulin resistance/compensatory hyperinsulinemia (1). Caveat is not all insulin-resistant individuals are overweight or obese as well as not all overweight or obese individuals are insulin resistant

Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) Concentration (also known as FPG or Fasting Plasma Glucose), defined by The American Diabetes Association as 110 to 126 mg/dL (9) and that these individuals are considered prediabetic. Evidence does suggest that the higher the IFG concentration the more likely an individual is to develop Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. It should be noted that the 2003 American Diabetic Association Expert Committee report reduced the lower IFG/FPG cut off point from 110 mg/dl to 100 mg/dl, in part to make the prevalence of IFG more similar to that of the Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT). However, the World Health Organization (WHO) and many other diabetes organizations did not adopt this change. Further clarification is needed to determine if the individual with an elevated IFG provides a particularly effective method to identify the presence of insulin resistance or predictor of CVD risk (1).

The correlation between insulin resistance and essential hypertension and CVD risk is complicated. The relationship between insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia and blood pressure does seem to indicate that essential hypertensive individuals are insulin resistant and hyperinsulinemic. Further the normtensive first-degree patients with essential hypertension are relatively insulin resistant and hyperinsulinemic in comparison with a matched control group without family history of hypertension. Finally the hyperinsulinemic individual, as a surrogate estimate of insulin resistance, has been shown in studies to predict the future development of essential hypertension. Additionally, other factors of the relationship between blood pressure and the CVD risk individual include electocardiographic evidence of ischemic changes due to these individuals demonstrating glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia when compared to individuals whose electrocardiograms are normal (1).

Components of dyslipidemia in the Metabolic Syndrome are the aspects associated most closely with insulin resistance and CVD risk. Low High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL)-C concentration as a predictor of CVD risk has been known for many years. The role of an increase in Triglyceride (TG) concentrations as an individual CVD risk factor certainly exists in the presumption as a component of Metabolic Syndrome. Hypertriglyceridemia is a central aspect of dyslipidemia in of itself associated with insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia. This presents as another example of the importance in the diagnostic criteria for Metabolic Syndrome (1).

IFG and IGT should not be viewed as clinical entities as diagnostic indicators, rather risk factors for Diabetes Mellitus as well as CVD. IFG and GT are associated with obesity (especially abdominal and visceral obesity), dyslipidemia with high triglycerides and/low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. Goals must be tailored to each individual while not losing sight of the overall outcome to increase mortality and decrease the co-morbidities associated with Metabolic Syndrome. These goals must encompass a lifestyle change, as well medical nutritional therapy interventions and pharmacological strategies of medications. Structure lifestyle interventions, aimed at increasing physical activity and producing 5-10% loss of body weight, and certain pharmacological agents have been demonstrated to prevent or delay the development of diabetes in people with IGT. Interventions addressed in Table 2 should be the reference guide for dietetic professionals in the medical nutritional therapy management of the Metabolic Syndrome individual. It is imperative that dietetic professionals, working as a key member of the healthcare team, be aware of the intervention objectives in working with the Metabolic Syndrome individual.

Source: extrapolated from Escott-Stump, S. Nutrition and Diagnosis – Related Car. 6th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Walters; 2008 (3)

References:
1) Shils, M.E., Shike, M., Ross A.C., Caballero B., and Cousins R.J. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 10th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006:1004-1012.
2) Saradis PA, Nisson PM. The metabolic syndrome: a glance at its history. .J Hypertens. 2006 Apr; 24(4):621-6 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16531786.
3) Escott-Stump, S. Nutrition and Diagnosis – Related Car. 6th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wolters; 2008:496-499.
4) Niedert, KC, Dorner B. Nutrition Care of the Older Adult, 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: American Dietetic Association 2004:35-40.
5) Cheal KL, Abbasi F, Lamendola C, McLaughlin T, Reaven GM, Ford ES: Relationship to insulin resistance of the adult treatment panel III diagnostic criteria for identification of the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes 53: 1195–1200, 2004.
6) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults: Executive Summary of the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA 285: 2486–2497, 2001.
7) Reynolds K, Muntner P, Fonseca V: Metabolic Syndrome Underrated or under diagnosed? Diabetes Care: 10.2337/diacare.28.7.1831.
8) National Instituted of Health. Third Report for the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). Bethesda MD: National Institutes of Health; 2001. NIH Publication 01-03670.
9) Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and classification of Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care 2002:25 [Suppl 1]: 58-2-8.

Just WHAT is Stevia?

2010-09-13T00:53:00.001-04:00

Stevia (STEE-vee-uh) is a South American shrub whose leaves have been used for centuries by native peoples in Paraguay and Brazil to sweeten their yerba mate and other stimulant beverages. Stevioside, the main ingredient in stevia (the two terms are often used interchangeably), is virtually calorie-free and hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar.

I am sure you have seen the television commercials for it, you know the one with the green leafs and proclaiming it is "all natural." So,m why don't you see stevia on supermarket shelves next to the Sweet’N Low or Equal? The is a GRAS List that is the jusdiction of the Food and Drug Adminstration. The GRAS List is a list of food additives that are 'GENERALLY RECOGNIZED AS SAFE' (GRAS). This means the food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempted from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) food additive tolerance requirements, The substance must be shown to be "generally recognized" as safe under the conditions of its intended use.

The hasn’t approved stevia because they do not have enough data to conclude that the use of stevia would be safe in food. The U.S. isn’t alone. Canada doesn’t allow food companies to add stevia to their products. Nor does the European Union. In 1999 the scientific panel that reviews the safety of food ingredients for the EU concluded that stevioside is “not acceptable” as a sweetener because of unresolved concerns about its toxicity. In 1998, a United Nations expert panel came to essentially the same conclusion. Further verdicts about the use of stevia remain out or are inconclusive.

Now you ask, "What about the manufacturer's claim that it is all natural?" Well, if it WERE all natural, you would be buying green leafs as stevia. But you don't. It comes in a white powder that you can buy it in health food stores as a dietary supplement. The FDA has little control over supplements as there are no laws governing supplements at that time.

The herb of which stevia is dervived has been consumed without apparent harm in different parts of the world for many years, they argue. No reports of any adverse reactions have surfaced after 30 years of use in Japan, for instance. But the Japanese don’t consume large amounts of stevia.

In the U.S., we like to go to extremes. So a significant number of people here might consume much greater amounts. Stevioside seems to affect the male reproductive organ system,” European scientists concluded last year. When male rats were fed high doses of stevioside for 22 months, sperm production was reduced, the weight of seminal vesicles (which produce seminal fluid) declined, and there was an increase in cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems.1 And when female hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol, they had fewer and smaller offspring.2 Would small amounts of stevia also cause reproductive problems? No one knows. Do you want to risk it? Well I am not.

In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells’ genetic material (DNA). Hey, the same thing was said about Sweet-N-Low and Equal and Nutra-Sweet.

Very large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. The bottom line: If you use stevia sparingly (once or twice a day in a cup of tea, for example), it isn’t a great threat to you. But if stevia were marketed widely and used in diet sodas, it would be consumed by millions of people. And that might pose a public health threat.

All of this means is that some issues still persists with stevia that must be clarified for the FDA before any approval can be considered.

sources:
J. Food Hyg. Soc. Japan 26: 169, 1985.

Drug Chem. Toxicol. 21: 207, 1998.

A Feather in My Cap

2010-09-01T19:02:00.003-04:00

Received this message via email today. If you look on the last page of this PDF file (click on the link just below) and look in the box under "Reviewers" you will see my acknowledgement for my effort as a reviewer. ADA position Integration of MNT and Pharmacotherapy

"Hello Carol,

On behalf of the Association Positions Committee (APC), I would like to thank you and the MNPG DPG for all of the time and effort you put in assisting in the review of the ADA position Integration of MNT and Pharmacotherapy published in the June 2010 Journal of the American Dietetic Association. As experts in your area of practice, we realize that the practice group is frequently requested to share knowledge and expertise. We are especially grateful that you were willing to accept this additional responsibility for the Association and the dietetics practice group.

A thorough and careful review is critical to the position development process which results in an accurate, credible, and up-to-date position. For your information, if the comments you provided were not addressed in the published paper, the authors have provided a collective response (attached) to comments provided from all reviewers involved in the review process.

APC is proud of the final position and extend our congratulations and appreciation for your contribution to this position and the Association.

Sincerely
Donna L. Wickstrom, MS, RD
Manager, Governance"

I am elated...this is a real feather in my cap. I have been published elsewhere, but not in my own professional journal. Even through I was a reviewer to this position paper, I contributed and got mentioned.

The Soda (Soft) Drink Controversy

2010-08-30T21:56:00.000-04:00

The Good Cop/Bad Cop Scenairo

The Good Cop: There are some 16 million less Americans are drinking sugary soft drinks now compared to 6 years ago (68% of adults vs 76%). This, from a report published by Mintel, a marketing research firm.

The Bad Cop: What are we drinking instead
1. 7.8 million switched to diet soft drinks.
2. 24 million added bottled water to their shopping carts. (the healthiest choice, but oh so many plastic bottles…)
3. 17 million more gulped down energy drinks. (the caffeine, the calories…)
4. 11 million additional future Olympians opted for sports drinks. (the broken dream of enhancement…)

The study also found that 16% of Americans are concerned about high-fructose corn syrup, while 15% are worried about artificial sweeteners in diet drinks.

At the same time, an academic research report affirms what dietitians have been telling us for quite some time: cutting calories from sugary drinks may be more effective for weight loss than reducing the same amount in solid foods.

What you need to know:

Soft drinks are a very lucrative market for the food industry. The raw materials are dirt cheap (water, sugar, food coloring), and the returns are very high.

The top 2 players in the US, The Coca Cola Company and PepsiCo, are well aware of shifting trends in consumer preferences and have plenty to continue to offer us from their quiver of brands picked up over years of consolidation.

What to do at the supermarket: Here’s a radical idea. Why not skip the beverage aisle next time you go shopping? Tap water in the US is clean, refreshing, and of negligible cost. In fact, a family of 4 will save over $500 in grocery bills by just quitting soft drinks.

source
Fdoducate

The Train Wreck of Trans Fats

2010-06-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder about trans-fats and what exactly they are?

Many people grew up eating trans-fats. It has only been since 2006 that the term "trans-fats" was added to nutritional labels. Prior to 2006 they would be included under the blanket term of “partially hydrogenated oil." The history of trans-fats or partially hydrogented oils dates as far back as the 1890s. It was at that time that Nobel laureate Paul Sabatier worked to develop the chemistry of hydrogenation which enabled the margarine, oil hydrogenation, and synthetic methanol industries. The German chemist Wilhelm Normann showed in 1901 that liquid oils could be hydrogenated and patented the process in 1902. In 1909, Procter & Gamble acquired the US rights to the Normann patent; in 1911, they began marketing the first hydrogenated shortening, Crisco (composed largely of partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil). Because partially hydrogenated oils primarily came from plant oils, it wasn't until the late 1980s that studies revealed they were detrimental to the cardiovascular system.

Facts about trans-fat:

1. Trans fat is found in shortenings, margarine, snacks such as crackers, candies, and cookies, fried foods, pastries and other foods prepared with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

2. Hydrogenation is the process of bombarding an oil’s fat molecules with hydrogen atoms, making it more dense and raising its melting point, so that the oil becomes solid at room temperature. An unfortunate side effect of this the creation of trans fatty acids. Partially hydrogenated oil means that the hydrogenation process stopped short of a full solid, reaching a more creamy, semi-soft, butterlike consistency. This is the story of margarine.

3. Cis and trans are terms that refer to the arrangement of chains of carbon atoms in a fat molecule. hydrogenation turns cis into trans.

4. Some margarine brands use fractionated oils instead of partially hydrogenated oils in order to eliminate trans-fat. The fractionation process involves heating then cooling a liquid oil, thus separating it to fractions that have different melting points. Unfortunately, this process raises the level of saturated fat in the oil.

5. Trans fat labeling on food packages has been mandatory since 2006.

6. Loophole alert: If a serving has less than o.5 grams of trans-fat, the label may state ZERO. Yes, that includes 0.49 grams in a serving size.
7. Trans-fat is an artificial creation, but there are some trace amounts of trans-fat found naturally in meat and dairy products, called vaccenic acid.

8. Consumption of food containing trans-fat has unequivocally been shown to increase the risk of heart disease by raising levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), and lowering levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

9. In 2003, Denmark effectively banned trans-fat from foods, charting a course for an 80% reduction of trans-fat in all foods.

10. In 2008, California became the first state to ban restaurant chains from using trans-fats for cooking or frying.

What to do at the supermarket: Take a look at the ingredient list to spot partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Don’t trust the nutrition label stating zero trans-fat per serving. Take a look at the ingredient list to spot partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

source:
http://www.fooducate.com/blog
http://www.americanheart.org
http://www.zimbio.com

Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

2010-05-29T20:11:00.000-04:00

This is an article I wrote as a guest editorial for the International Culinary Professionals (ICAP) newletter, Winter 2008

Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health

Guest Editorial by Carol S. Casey, R.D., CDN, LDN

As a dietitian, I knew this book would be filled with information that was going to challenge many nutrition facts as I know them. As I read the book, I found myself engrossed in the examples of how politics influences the nutrition messages that are conveyed to the public. I am one of the biggest skeptics you will ever meet and the message Dr. Nestle conveyed in her book only compounded my doubts. My curiosity regarding the mixed messages the public is given in the media and the policies our country's government endorses was certainly supported by Dr. Nestle's book.

The author enlightens the reader on just how the food industry distorts wholesome natural ingredients into products filled with fat, salt, and needless sugary calories - far from the nutrient dense foods the public is encouraged to consume. Even when this information is made public - as other authors and filmmakers have done recently - the public seems to ignore the information thus contributing to the growing rate of obesity in our country. The messages that bombard the public contribute to their conflicting knowledge of what to chose and what not to chose. There are glimmers throughout the book where she addresses basic gluttony and our arrogant attitude that "more is better" - a result of overcoming a history filled with starvation and disease associated with malnutrition.

Dr. Nestle discusses the different food manufacturing industries of sugar, beef,c ereal and others. As Nestle lays out the facts, she carefully provides sufficient evidence, that for the sake of influence from the food manufacturers the final outcome is confusing messaging to consumers while enabling the company's large profits. She carefully describes, with satisfaction of this reader, that political correctness with the food manufacturing industry is perverse. The political correctness has little to do with what is offensive to others, but more to do with the "you scratch my back, I scratch your back" practices between the food manufacturers and the US government.

Even as the media floods the airways with studies and confusing messages to the consumers, it cannot be dismissed that people are responsible for their own choices. Nestle admits that scientific nutritional advice, which basically boils down to "eat your veggies," can be dull. Such advice is also vulnerable to the food industry's well-funded efforts to undermine dietary recommendations. Our food surplus, combined with an affluent population, forces the food industry into a brutal competition for consumer dollars. To generate profits, food companies must accomplish one of two aims: They must persuade us to choose their products rather than their competitor's, or they must convince us to eat more than we should, in order to increase their sales. The foods that are most profitable to the industry are those high in fat, sugar and salt. So the bottom line of corporate profit relies on the expanding posteriors of the American public

Only a naive person would not admit that we are easy marketing strategy targets. Yet most of us think that we choose food based on taste, cost and convenience. Dr. Nestle quickly dispels this concept by providing countless examples of how the food companies are at the root of subliminal messages enticing us to make choices that are often contrary to sound nutritional choices. As the reader continues through the book, it becomes more and more clear that we have been practically hypnotized by the food companies, thus becoming their mindless puppets.

Increasing personal awareness is blossoming out of individualistic goals for improved health, food security and the public's demand for food industry accountability. While people cannot shed their own personal accountability, Dr. Nestle does not overlook that food science cannot be the solution to food politics. She does not leave out all of the influences of our nutrition culture - we have traditions that are intertwined with food and nutrition. Read this book only if you want your eyes opened to the relationship of politics and food - two unlikely, but very surprising bedfellows. You won't regret the journey Nestle takes you, the reader, on as she meticulously opens your eyes to aspects of food politics that you may have never thought or considered.

Heart Disease – Often Elusive and Ignored In Women

2010-04-17T16:21:00.000-04:00

Studies show that for every two women, one of them will develop heart disease. Each year, nearly twice as many women die from heart disease and stroke than from all forms of cancer combined. The approximately 500,000 heart attack deaths that occur annually in this country and are evenly split between men and women. Unless women see heart disease as part of their disease profile, they are less likely heed to heart disease prevention messages early in life with a decreased response to heart disease symptoms later in life.

One of the telltale signs of heart disease is chest pain or tightness, known as angina that occurs during physically demanding tasks. such as climbing stairs or under emotional strain. This pain can make a person short of breath. It can radiate to the jaw, neck, shoulders, or inner arms. Angina occurs because narrowed arteries in the heart deprive it of oxygen-rich blood. If a blood clot completely chokes off the blood supply in these arteries in what is known as a heart attack, chest pain usually becomes more severe and lasts longer. Chest pain may not be as good a diagnostic clue of serious heart disease in women as it is in men. Women are more likely to have such conditions as heartburn or spasms of the esophagus or heart arteries, which can cause chest pain that resembles angina. Women have an increased tendency to think chest and shoulder pains are mere muscle strains. Many women have the mindset of waiting a few days and the pain will disappear. That waiting could place a woman in a life-threatening situation of having a fatal heart attack. Ignoring or the “wait and see” practice can ultimately result in a more serious health issue or even death. Women are more likely than men to have "silent" or unrecognized heart attacks. Women are more likely than men to have nausea and pain high up in the abdomen or burning in their chest during a heart attack.

A standard test for heart disease includes an exercise stress test. Researchers recently developed statistical standards for the treadmill stress test in women that uses a woman's age and risk factors for heart disease to improve accuracy. Another test includes having the heart’s activity monitored by ultrasound in what is known as a stress echocardiogram. Nuclear ventriculography is useful test that uses radioactive tracers to measure how much blood is pumped by the heart with each beat at rest and during exercise.

Treatments include coronary angioplasty. A tiny balloon is inserted into blocked heart arteries and their branches, and then inflated to compress the plaque that is obstructing the flow of blood to the heart. Treatments for heart attacks also include "clot-busting" drugs and biologics such as tissue plasminogen activator and streptokinase. If these are given within hours of a heart attack, it can limit the damage to the heart by quickly dissolving the clots blocking heart arteries. Aspirin and beta-blocker drugs are equally effective in women and men in preventing a second heart attack.

A diet low in cholesterol, use of medications or other measures to stem high blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, decreasing consumption alcohol if they have high blood levels of triglycerides, and incorporating a regular routine of aerobic exercise have been shown to be effective interventions. Research will continue to bring diagnostic and treatments in the fore ground to paint a complete and accurate picture of the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease in women.

With the often elusive symptoms of heart disease and a heart attack in women, women must be more in tune to their bodies, making sure they do not ignore questionable symptoms. The old practice of ignoring pain or “wait and see” adage is not in the best interest of any woman and increases the risk if a fatal cardiac outcome. Talk to doctor, discuss your symptoms. Being assertiveness and making sure your doctor hears your concern and proceeds with testing is a way to help insure you are not going to be a fatal heart statistic.

Be good to your heart. You can’t live without it.

Junk Science

2010-03-17T21:59:00.000-04:00

Junk science is just as bad as junk food. "Junk science" describes claims that are exaggerated and distorted. The study of nutrition tends to attract a lot of misinformation based on questionable or incomplete research. New diets and gimmicks are almost a daily occurrence, making it a challenge to separate fact from promotion. Grand claims are often made for products without any scientific basis. Consumers are taking greater responsibility for their health, making them hungry for nutrition information, creating opportunities for nutrition misinformation, health fraud, and quackery to flourish. Media is consumers’ leading source of nutrition information, but rarely provide enough context to interpret the advice given.

Several organizations, representing over 100,000 food scientists, nutrition and medical professionals, have joined forces to help separate the ducks from the quacks. This joint task force is called the "Food and Nutrition Science Alliance" (FANSA) which includes experts from the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the American Institute of Nutrition (AIN), the American Society for Clinical Nutrition (ASCN), and the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). FANSA published a list of "Red Flags" to help alert the public to "junk science."

Antioxidants, phytochemicals, complex carbohydrates...is this the outline of a college chemistry course? Or is it dinner? Nowadays, the answer may be both. Scientific developments in food and nutrition are routine occurrences and phrases like "functional foods" are entering people's everyday vocabularies. But how can an average person separate the nutrition science from science fiction or "junk science" and know what to believe? Before reacting to nutrition studies that paint a grim picture of the American dinner table, lunch counter and breakfast nook, consider the red flags to spot "junk" science.

First and foremost beware of recommendations that promise a quick fix. There is no overnight cure that can melt off that fifteen pounds you gained on your vacation. It takes time to see results from valid nutrition therapy. Be skeptical of dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen. Do you feel guilty, for instance, when you eat an egg? Use your common sense when you hear advice to totally avoid one food or another. If claims that sound too good to be true. They often are. There has yet to be a magic bullet developed to fix our health and nutrition issues. Changes take effort not just a wiggle of the nose or snap of the fingers.

Anyone can distort a conclusion. Exercise caution with accepting one single conclusion. Advertisers can turn preliminary findings into sales pitches with baseless claims, often for the sole purpose of economic gain.Get the facts; there are at least two sides of a story. Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study is often associated with misinterpretation. There is research, for example, that shows an "association" between television viewing and being overweight. "Junk" science would translate that to mean, "Everyone who watches TV gets fat". Beware, not all nutrition advice is accurate.

Recommendations based on a single study. "Preliminary" research should prompt you to stay tuned for more information. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations are another cause for concern. Be suspicious if there are no credible sources to back up a nutrition claim.

Notorious lists of "good" and "bad" foods should be your “Nutrition Yield Sign.” Nutrition is a science, not a moral issue. There is no such thing as good, bad, legal, non-legal, right, or wrong when it comes to food. A single food or meal doesn't make or break a healthful diet. Healthful eating comes from making informed decisions about all foods.

Be cautious with recommendations that are made to help sell a product. Your first question should be “What is the motivation behind the recommendation?” Recommendations based on studies published without peer reviews are need for skepticism and should have further investigation. Reliable nutrition advice can withstand the critical review of the nutrition community. Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups are biased against different genders, ethnic groups, and different age groups. Men aren't mice and women aren't men. Listen closely to research findings to determine how they apply to you.

Enormous advances have been made in the science of food and nutrition, leading to a fine-tuning of many recommendations about eating healthfully. Despite these positive developments, misinformation about the role of nutrition in health abounds in our society, allowing nutrition related misbeliefs, health fraud, and quackery to flourish.

(source: http://bit.ly/baQeS6)

Frankenstein, Test-Tubes, and Foods

2010-03-14T18:31:00.000-04:00

Not since cholesterol and the egg has a nutrition issue been so debated. Genetic engineering, GMOs, transgenic foods, frankenfoods, scientifically engineered foods - food biotechnology is a hot topic that consumers need to know about and understand.

According to a recent survey, consumer knowledge of food biotechnology continues to be low. Biotechnology is any technique (including genetic engineering) that makes use of living organisms to improve plants or animals or to develop microorganisms for specific purposes.

The goal of food biotechnology is to add or delete certain traits to or from a plant to offer herbicide or pesticide resistance, nutritional benefits, or improved crop yields.

The world population is expected to reach 9 billion in 2050. Many scientists are questioning how we will feed everyone. Food biotechnology can be part of the answer making it possible to grow nutrient dense food on smaller plots of land under poor growing conditions. The world food staples can be enhanced nutritionally through biotechnology to offer sustenance and nutrition to hungry people.

According to the International Food Policy Research Institute, “agricultural products grown locally allow poor people to improve their diets without having to depend solely on the vagaries of often-infrequent fortification and supplementation programs.

The potential of food biotechnology to play a role in battling the economically and politically complex issue of world hunger is great. Research is being done to examine technologies that may enhance the protein and fat content of the diet and the potential social and economic impacts of introducing enriched food sources to populations in developing nations.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy is based on food product characteristics, not the processes used to produce the food. The FDA’s focus on material facts of nutrition, safety, and content, requires labeling of products that have a change in composition or nutritional content, or the introduction of an allergen.

Many countries place great importance on the processes of food production. The explanation from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations meeting summarizes the difference in opinions of the United States and the European Union:

In the United States, the law requires information on food products to be clear and unambiguous. Labels are intended to provide meaningful information, to warn and instruct the consumer. Further misleading or unnecessary information is believed to conflict with the right of consumers to be able to choose wisely, and to lessen the effectiveness of essential label information.

In the European Union, labeling is viewed as a way to ensure the consumers' right to know any fact that they deem important; it is a way to give consumers a choice and to inform them. The European Union's approach to labeling attempts to reach a compromise among the industrial, scientific and public sectors. In the European Union, the question is not whether to label products of biotechnology, but how to label them.

Although the United States does not require labeling of biotech products based simply on the process, some companies want to label their products to indicate that a food or feed has or has not been developed using biotechnology, allowing a greater choice for manufacturers and consumers. All foods that are derived from agriculture have been genetically modified through breeding. The FDA has issued draft guidelines for voluntary labeling that would not allow terms such as "genetically modified" (GM), "genetically modified organism" (GMO), or "modified" because they would be considered misleading and inaccurate. Today, labeling continues to be a point of contention. Studies show that the overabundance of information on food labels does not always increase knowledge or understanding.

Foods produced through biotechnology may contain allergens. Extensive allergenicity screenings would be conducted prior to marketing. Foods of biotechnology are among the most thoroughly tested food products and research can help with allergies. By actually removing allergens from these foods people can eat them and receive the nutritional benefits.

The FDA, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Agriculture are currently involved in food biotechnology issues, regulations, and policies. The verdict is still out. Whatever the case, keep your eyes, ears, and minds open and remember that in the past, changes to our foods have produced public concern and controversy.

source: agreenliving.org

Derailing the Trans Fats Express

2009-10-09T20:44:00.000-04:00

As Fran Lebowitz, a writer and humorist said, "Food is an important part of a balanced diet." With the latest ruling from the FDA regarding trans fat labeling even more emphasis is being placed on a balanced diet. By 2006 food manufacturers will have to list the amount of trans fat in a food or food product if it is .5 grams or greater per serving.

Ever wonder how trans fats ended up in so many foods? Actually the history of trans fats were discovered around the turn of the 20th century and was introduced into the public's kitchen as Crisco ®. Here is even more information about their history: Trans Fat facts and history. As a scientist at heart I find the scientific background and the history of trans fats intriguing. To learn more read here: Trans Fat facts and history

The Dietary Guidelines for American says, "Foods high in trans fatty acids tend to raise blood cholesterol. These foods include those high in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, such as many hard margarines and shortenings. Foods with a high amount of these ingredients include some commercially fried foods and some bakery good. Aim for a total fat intake of not more than 30 percent of calories, as recommended in previous Guidelines. If you need to reduce your fat intake to achieve this level, do so primarily by cutting back on saturated and trans fats."

It is important to remember that fat is a major source of energy for the body and aids in the absorption of certain vitamins and carotenoids. Both animal and plant-derived food products contain fat and is important for proper growth, development, and maintenance of good health. Fats provide taste, consistency, and stability and help us feel full.

Not all fats are the same. Fats have been placed into two broad categories of “good fats” and “bad fats” emphasizing not all fats are the same.

Unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are beneficial when consumed in moderation and saturated fat and trans fat are not. Saturated fat and trans fat raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL) ("bad") cholesterol.

Trans fat is a specific type of fat formed when food manufacturers turn liquid oils into solid fats like shortening and hard margarine. A small amount of trans fat is found naturally, primarily in some animal-based foods. Because studies show a positive association between the intake of trans fatty acids and the incidence of CHD there will undoubtedly be those extremists who will try to unnecessarily eliminate all trans fats from their diet. Eliminating trans fat completely from the diet would require such extraordinary dietary changes (e.g., elimination of foods, such as dairy products and meats that contain trans fatty acids) which could cause an inadequate intake of some nutrients and create health risks.

Because trans fat behaves like saturated fat by raising LDL cholesterol that increases your risk of coronary heart disease reducing the amount of trans fat in your diet can make a positive contribution to your overall heart health. Trans fat can be found in some of the same foods as saturated fat, such as vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, baked goods, salad dressings, and other processed foods made with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Trans fat is made when manufacturers add hydrogen to vegetable oil -- a process called hydrogenation, which increases the shelf life and flavor stability of foods containing these fats.Simply put, the more hydrogenated or harder the vegetable oil has been made the more trans fat it will contain, i.e., stick margarine will have more trans fat than tub margarine and tub margarine will have more trans fat than squeeze margarine.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. One new recommendation made by the American Heart Association is to limit trans fat to less than one percent of total calories. For an average adult consuming a 2,000 kcal diet, that means no more than two grams of trans fat a day!Some actions you can take every day to keep your intake of both saturated and trans fats and cholesterol low while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet. Check the Nutrition Facts panel to compare foods. Choose foods lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. For saturated fat and cholesterol, use the Quick Guide to percent Daily Value (%DV): 5%DV or less is low and 20%DV or more is high. (Remember, there is no %DV for trans fat.). Choose Alternative Fats. Replace saturated and trans fats with mono- and polyunsaturated fats. These fats do not raise LDL cholesterol levels and have health benefits. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and canola oils. Sources of polyunsaturated fats include soybean, corn, sunflower oils, and foods like nuts. Choose vegetable oils (except coconut and palm kernel oils) and soft margarines (liquid, tub, or spray) more often because the combined amount of saturated and trans fats is lower than the amount in solid shortenings, hard margarines, and animal fats, including butter. Consider Fish. Most fish are lower in saturated fat than meat. Some fish, such as mackerel, sardines, and salmon, contain omega-3 fatty acids that are being studied to determine if they offer protection against heart disease. Limit foods high in cholesterol such as liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products, like whole milk. Choose foods low in saturated fat such as fat free or 1% dairy products, lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruit and vegetables.

Although this seems like a lot of work, remember we are all in this together. Good heart health is important for everyone to live a long and healthy life.

When Good Food Goes Bad: Guidelines For Food Safety

2009-09-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

Interesting what you find in the back of a refrigerator. As I was cleaning my refrigerator, I found food— and I use the term loosely, that looked like it had been there since the beginning of time. I should know better. So should we all, says the American Dietetic Association (ADA) in a recent report on home food safety. They surveyed 565 households and found that most of us have a thing or two to learn about how to keep our food at home safe to eat.

The first step should always begin with washing your hands...often. After we handle raw meat, poultry, or seafood. And before we start to cut raw vegetables and fruit. It may sound like fanaticism, but when handling foods, you can never wash your hands enough. Now that you are washing your hands, you might wonder how long to actually do it. A good rule of thumb to know how long to wash your hands is to sing two choruses of the song, “Happy Birthday”, suggests the ADA, while you lather your hands with soap and water. That’s the amount of time — about 20 seconds — it takes to clean invisible bacteria from your hands.

Temperature violation is another way we make ourselves sick with food, when we don’t cook food to a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria. The only way to really know that meat, poultry, and casseroles are safe to eat is to place a meat thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone. Cook steak to at least 145 degrees F. (medium rare). Burgers, casseroles, and egg dishes need to be cooked to a minimum 160 degrees F. Poultry should reach at least 170 degrees F. to be safe.

Leftovers stored below the recommended 40 degrees F. won’t stay fresh forever. Refrigeration slows the growth of bacteria but it does not kill them. Use these guidelines to help gauge when to get rid of leftovers:

Cooked vegetables, soups or stews, Cooked beef, pork, poultry, fish, and meat casseroles: 3 to 4 days.
Gravy and broth: 1 to 2 days
Cooked pasta: 3 to 5 days
Cooked rice: 7 days
Deli meats: 5 days
Cooked seafood: 2 days
Raw potatoes: Before they grow branches
Raw carrots: Before you can tie them in a knot

What about perishable food such as cooked meat or casseroles that has been left unrefrigerated for more than 1 to 2 hours? Toss it, says the ADA. The old axiom still applies, “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Defrost meat, poultry and fish in the refrigerator and take them to the grill when the fire is ready. Letting meat, fish and poultry sit outside until the grill is ready, can allow bacteria to grow. When you’re cooking on the grill, be sure to check the temperature of the meat. Just because the outside looks good doesn't mean the inside temperature is high enough to kill bacteria.

Remember that getting sick from food poisoning or other related food illnesses will definitely put a damper on a pleasurable meal that was prepared without food safety in mind. Temperature violation is another way we make ourselves sick with food, when we don’t cook food to a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria. The only way to really know that meat, poultry, and casseroles are safe to eat is to place a meat thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone. Cook steak to at least 145 degrees F. (medium rare). Burgers, casseroles, and egg dishes need to be cooked to a minimum 160 degrees F. Poultry should reach at least 170 degrees F. to be safe.

Food Safety is also important when grilling and barbecuing food. A recent survey revealed that Americans are using more and more outdoor cooking – even in the dead of winter. Grilling provides lots of new entree choices and flavors. But before you light that fire, take some steps to safe eating.

Once the meat, poultry and fish are defrosted take them to the grill when the fire is ready. Letting meat, fish and poultry sit outside until the grill is ready, can allow bacteria to grow. When you’re cooking on the grill, be sure to check the temperature of the meat. Just because the outside looks good doesn't mean the inside temperature is high enough to kill bacteria.

Marinades give grilled meat a nice flavor, but if you want to baste the meat while it cooks be sure to have fresh marinade. The marinade you used for the meat can have bacteria in it and isn’t a good choice for basting. If you’re serving potato salad or cheese potatoes, remember to keep them at the right temperature until it’s time to eat. Protein foods can spoil very easily when left to sit at room temperature.

What about perishable food such as cooked meat or casseroles that has been left unrefrigerated for more than 1 to 2 hours? Toss it! Remember the old axiom still applies, “When in doubt, throw it out.”

Getting sick from food poisoning or other related food illnesses will definitely put a damper on a pleasurable meal that was prepared without food safety in mind.

Podcast about food safety

Stand Up for Strong Bones

2009-08-29T21:37:00.000-04:00

You hear these medical words everywhere these days; the media, everyday conversation, even with our health care providers. It is important to know what these words mean and even go so far to know the word origins. In doing this, we gain insight what these words mean. You know the word Osteoporosis, but do you know the root word meanings?

Osteo has the Latin root meaning of BONE. Porosis has the Latin root meaning of POROUS. Startling osteoporosis facts include: Eight out of 10 people with osteoporosis are women, one of every two women over the age of 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime, white women over the age of 65 have twice as many fractures as African-American women, osteoporosis can strike at any age, not just in the elderly, and in the first 5 to 7 years following menopause, women can lose one-fifth of their total bone mass, increasing their risk for osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis causes bones to become porous, weak and brittle characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. The bones become fragile and have an increased susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis takes years to develop before symptoms are seen. It is a silent but preventable chronic disease. It is a major public health threat for more than 28 million Americans. Ten million people already have osteoporosis and 18 million others have low bone mass, placing them at risk for osteoporosis.

Select groups of people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others. Risk factors include being female, being Caucasian or Asian (however, African American and Hispanic Americans can be at risk as well), being thin and/or small framed, in advanced age, having a family member with osteoporosis, being post-menopause, including early or surgically-induced menopause, abnormally absence of menstrual periods, having anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, consuming a diet low in calcium, using corticosteroids and anticonvulsants, a man with low testosterone levels, having an inactive lifestyle, smoking cigarettes, and excess use of alcohol.
Osteoporosis develops without symptoms. People may not know they have this disease until their bones become so weak they break under minimal pressure. When vertebrae collapse, it is felt as severe back pain, loss of height or stooped posture. Fractures most often occur in the hip, spine, wrist and ribs, although all bones of the body can be affected.
By the age of 20, most of us have obtained 98 percent of our skeletal mass. Between ages 20 to 30, we generally are able to maintain our bone mass. After the age of 30, the body's ability to synthesize bone is less than the rate of bone breakdown, possibly resulting in a loss in bone mass.
It is imperative that proper bone growth, density, and strength occur during childhood and adolescence. Some strategies to help maximize bone mass and prevent osteoporosis include eating a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, regular weight bearing exercise to pump calcium into bones, stop smoking, limit your intake of alcohol, obtain a bone mineral density test, and take medication and/or hormone therapy (estrogen, alendronate, calcitonin, raloxifene) only when it is physician recommended.
Dairy products are the best source of calcium, but many women, especially younger women, avoid dairy products because they fear weight gain. Low-fat dairy products offer just as much calcium as their full-fat counterparts. Nevertheless, some women will need to take a calcium supplement.

Tips for Calcium supplements:
Read the label
Avoid calcium supplements with dolomite or bone meal, which may contain very small
amounts of lead and other metals.
Remember - a calcium supplement is just that – a supplement that should not be the only important source of calcium
Drink plenty of fluids with calcium supplements to avoid constipation.

Tips to get calcium in your diet:
Drink milk or fortified fruit juice during your coffee break
Try flavored milk
Enjoy calcium-rich snacks like yogurt, cheese and crackers, and pudding
Order a latte or cappuccino (skip the fat by requesting skim milk) in place of black coffee
While caffeine can interfere with calcium absorption, consuming the amount of
steamed milk typically added to latte or cappuccino readily offsets this effect.
Choose other foods with more calcium such as dark green leafy vegetables, fortified fruit juices
and fortified cereals.
Try some freshly baked cookies with a glass of cold milk.

Include a wide variety of calcium-rich foods and fluids everyday. Work those bones - weight bearing exercise such as walking and running, helps strengthen bones to help prevent osteoporosis.

To paraphrase Ben Franklin: “Remember, the calcium in your diet today could save a bone “tomorrow.

I Scream For Ice Cream

2009-08-08T18:46:00.000-04:00

“I scream, you scream, we all scream — for ice cream!” That old song is right on. Almost everyone loves this smooth, creamy treat. Ice cream has become big business.

Here are 13 facts about ice cream that anyone would find interesting.

It is America’s favorite dessert, even without the homemade Apple Pie. Nothing is as refreshing or cooling as ice cream on a hot summer day. Ice cream is a year round true “comfort food.” The word “cream” in ice cream is the tip-off that this frozen classic is going to be higher in fat than some other frozen treats. Ice cream has become more accessible for even people on “special diets” or have lactose intolerance. Ice cream varieties are now available in reduced sugar content, low fat and low cholesterol content and reduced lactose content. Many people claim that these dietary modifications can change the texture of ice cream. For a true ice cream connoisseur, this may be true. However, for the true cream lover who can’t live without ice cream this is a wonderful compromise to be able to still include this “all-American” delicacy in a restricted diet.

Rightfully so, July is National Ice Cream month. It was designated so in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. Typically the third Sunday of July is National Ice Cream Day.
Surprisingly (or not) vanilla continues to be the most popular choice in flavor in the supermarket and food novelities. It is felt that this is primarily due to this flavor is the most versatile, mixing well with toppings, drinks and bakery desserts. America's top five favorite individual flavors are vanilla, chocolate, butter pecan, strawberry and chocolate chip mint.

Ice cream flavors are only limited by the imagination. Manufacturer's, vendors, and ice cream shops have learned they must be creative to keep their customers coming back to purchase again.

"While the majority of ice cream sales have long been regular-fat products, processors continue to diversify their lines of frozen desserts in order to fit into various lifestyles -- often called "better for you" products. Consumers can find an array of frozen desserts to fit specific dietary needs or wants, such as reduced-fat, fat-free, low-carb, "no sugar added," added calcium or other nutrients, or lactose-free ice cream. Novelty/single-serving products are also an important part of this trend, as some consumers prefer the pre-packaged portion when counting calories, carbs or fat grams." (source)

With all the innovations of the ice cream market, there is no reason anyone who loves ice cream can't enjoy it. The options are limitless.

Researchers are continuing to help improve that savvy treat many of us enjoy. Ice cream is not such a scream when little bits of ice give it an annoying crunch. Ice cream kept in the freezer for a long time may form these tiny, sharp, unpleasant ice crystals. Other foods stored in the freezer can develop these same crystals — including microwave dinners, fish sticks, and bread. Food makers have tried to prevent ice crystals from forming. However, nothing seems to work.

Now chemists in Wisconsin have discovered an ingredient that works like an antifreeze for ice crystals in ice cream and other foods. Chemists who discovered that a natural protein material called gelatin hydrolysate does the trick. It works like the antifreeze used in cars. Car antifreeze, however, is poisonous and can never be eaten. Ice cream made with the food antifreeze had fewer and smaller ice crystals than the batches without it. The food antifreeze is tasteless. It won’t change the taste of your favorite treat. And people will still scream for ice cream. (The study appeared in the Dec. 26 issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a journal for scientists). This is a prime example of ongoing ice cream research. I want to apply for the job of "Ice Cream Research Scientist." I think that would be my dream job.
Now if you will excuse me, I am off to the grocery store to buy some ice cream (I just gotta find my keys).

The Caffeine Hype

2009-07-12T22:52:00.000-04:00

OK, I’ll admit it, I am hooked. I can’t seem to function well in the morning with my coffee. But as history has it, I am not first and it looks like I am not alone. Coffee has been lauded as a medicine, condemned as a poison, banned by Kings, and spies have smuggled it. Caffeinated beverages have been enjoyed since ancient times as far back as 2700 B.C., the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung sipped hot brewed tea. Coffee originated in Africa around 575 A.D. using the beans as money and as food. Eleventh century Arabians had coffee beverages. Aztec Emperor Montezuma treated Spanish conquistadors to a chocolate drink in 1519.

The first coffeehouse opened in 1650 in England and then in 1672 in France. By 1843 thousands of coffeehouses in Europe and the American colonies had sprang up. Italian priests asked Pope Clement VIII to forbid coffee; the Pope, finding delicious, endorsed it. Frederick the Great of Prussia, condemned the increase in coffee and urged his subjects to drink beer instead. Women in England, annoyed that their husbands spent many hours at the coffeehouses rather than at home, circulated a protest petition in 1674.
In the beginning of America’s love affair with coffee small amounts were initially imported to the colonies. As Dutch and French smugglers introduced it in great quantity coffeehouses opened in major colonial cities. Most were like taverns, serving coffee, chocolate, ales, beers, and wines. One famous coffeehouse in New England was the Green Dragon in Boston with it’s popularity of British officers, it came to be the gathering place of John Adams, Paul Revere and other revolutionaries plotting against England. Tea remained the favorite drink of colonists, until Britain's King George insisted on taxing its importation so heavily that it led to the Boston Tea Party.

Civil War soldiers received coffee in their food rations. In the 1880s, it was common to stir in eggs and boil them along with the grounds. In the Wild West, coffee had to simmer for days before being drinkable. The pot it was made in was never washed to keep the entire accumulated flavor and aroma. Usually coffee was strong enough to get up on its own hind legs and walk.

During Prohibition, Americans drank as much coffee as they once drank beer. By 1932, coffee imports had risen 250 million pounds yearly. With Prohibition repealed, coffee consumption continued to rise. The first caffeinated soft drinks were created in the 1880's. In 1958, the FDA declared caffeine as being safe.

Caffeine is a natural substance found in the leaves, seeds or fruits of more than 60 plants. Caffeine processing camouflages the natural bitterness. Coffee and cocoa beans, kola nuts and tea leaves are used to make beverages such as coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, and a flavor in a variety of beverages. Today caffeine can be found in a variety of beverages and foods. Caffeine is a stimulant that raises blood pressure with effects ranging from mild alertness to heightened anxiety and body tension.

It can produce "coffee jitters", headaches, disorientation, and insomnia. Regular caffeine consumers regularly develop a reduced sensitivity and require higher doses of caffeine. The more caffeine consumed, the more caffeine is needed to feel the same effects. Regular users who suddenly stop consuming caffeine may experience withdrawal symptoms including drowsiness, headaches, irritability, nausea and vomiting and depression. The amounts of caffeine needed to affect each person differ. Health risks include possibly aggravating heart problems or nervous disorders, and diuretic effects.

We have various different types of caffeinated beverages. Espresso, which is a concentrated coffee drink, made by forcing a measured amount of hot water under high pressure through freshly ground and tightly packed coffee. Cappuccino is Espresso with foamed milk spooned on top. Often prepared with some liquid milk mixed with the espresso. Café Latte is Espresso with steamed milk often topped with foamed milk. Coffees are now flavored in practically every flavor imaginable on the grocery shelf.

Effects of caffeine vary from one person to the next and it is recommended that people follow the premise of consumption in moderation.

Making Backyard kitchens A Hot Safe Commodity

2009-07-03T21:27:00.000-04:00

Turning a patio into an outdoor living area, complete with a full kitchen is very popular which can include an elaborate grill, mini refrigerator, ice makers, power burners, granite counter tops, wooden drawers and cabinets hold utensils and plates. Summer time is perfect grilling time. Home entertaining has seen a boost, and people are turning to their decks and patios for mealtime and meal preparation that often includes everything to make a picture perfect meal. When enjoying the outside and the summer, it is important to remember points for safe grilling and food safety when you fire up the grill.

When shopping, choose meat and poultry last, and don't put them in the trunk. The temperature there is too hot and bacteria will grow rapidly. Don't let meat set out for longer than one hour during warm weather. If meat sets out too long, bacteria can produce toxins that can cause illness and stay active even during cooking. Refrigerate meat and poultry immediately upon arriving home. Buy ground meat or poultry no more than a day or two before you plan to grill it. Otherwise, freeze them. Grill larger cuts of meat, such as steaks, within 4 days of purchase or freeze them.

Completely thaw meat and poultry in the refrigerator or just prior to cooking in a microwave. Frozen foods do not grill evenly and may be unsafe. Never defrost on the counter—bacteria will begin to grow. It takes about 24 hours to thaw 5 pounds of meat in the refrigerator.
Clean up juice spills immediately. Juice spills should be cleaned with a paper towel. If using a dishcloth to wipe up raw meat or poultry juices, wash it in hot soapy water before using it again.
Marinate meat and poultry in the refrigerator. Sauce can be brushed on these foods while cooking, but never use the same sauce after cooking that has touched the raw product.
Make ground beef patties about ½-inch thick by 4 inches in diameter (4 ounces or 4 patties per pound). This size cooks thoroughly and evenly, taking 11 to 13 minutes to cook to a safe temperature of 160 degrees F.

Unwashed hands are a prime cause of food-borne illness. Whenever possible, wash your hands with hot, soapy water for 20 seconds before handling food. Keep meat and poultry cold with ice or frozen gel packs. If leaving home pack food and cooler. Avoid frequently opening the cooler. Pack beverages in one cooler and perishables in another. Keep the cooler in an air-conditioned vehicle for transporting and then keep in the shade or shelter at the picnic site. Remove at one time only the amount of food that will fit on the grill. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits and vegetables.

Cooking is key to meat and poultry safety. Scrape the grill before grilling and heat it to kill microorganisms before placing meat or poultry on it. Cook ground beef patties until brown in the middle and juices are clearish with no pink in them when you cut into the meat (160 degrees F). A hamburger can be brown in the middle and still be undercooked. The most accurate way to determine doneness is with an instant-read thermometer. Ground meats should be heated to 160 degrees F to kill microorganisms, the temperature for a steak can be 145 degrees F for "medium rare." A "medium" steak is cooked to 160 degrees F and a "well done" steak is cooked to 170 degrees F. Use a tongs or spatula to turn steaks rather than a fork which punctures the meat and introduces surface bacteria into the interior of the meat. Whole poultry should be cooked to 180 degrees F in the thigh. Breast meat should be cooked to 170 degrees F. When poultry is done cooking, juices will run clear with no pink when you cut into the meat.

Use a food thermometer. Keep your family safe. Be a better cook.

Nutrition the Old Fashioned Way

2009-06-27T19:49:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs said:
“Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes... the ones who see things differently - they're not fond of rules... You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things... they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

It seems as if Steve Jobs is summarizing me. As a registered dietitian there is a lot of scientific facts known and not known about the human body, our metabolism, and how nutrition can effect our body. With more and more information than ever before the challenge of juggling our nutrition, meeting our needs, while still savoring our food becomes a real juggling act. I have been criticized by some taunting my individualistic, rebel personality. I am proud of who I am. Perhaps those critics have hidden agendas. I look at this quality as an opportunity to capitalize on the premise that nutrition is not a "one-size" fit all concept. Just as all of us are different, we need basic nutrition, but it can be individualized to meet our personalized nutrition needs.

Being the optimist right now is very important in today's economy environment. With this concept it is important to chose nutrient rich foods. That isn't as difficult as one might think. Making this one change can enable us to change our perspectuve of how we eat and our food. With this little premise this creates a foundation for healthier eating patterns Evolution is necessary even with the way we think about food our nutrition.

TARGET MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK:
By this I mean you want more for less. Yes, that is actually possible with nutrition and the foods you eat. If you choose nutrient-foods that are loaded with vitamns and minerals.

How is this possible - choose MORE of these foods in your choices:
• Brightly-colored fruits and 100% fruit juice
• Vibrantly-colored vegetables and potatoes
• Whole, fortified and fiber-rich grain foods
• Low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt
• Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts

Eating in a calm environment, taking time for you allows you to savior your food. I am thinking you have been told thousands of times to slow down when you are eating. These little steps helps you enjoy your food, helps your body use the food more effective to send those signals to the right places that you are getting full and even possibly help you not to over eat.

Just like many things we are experiencing now, everything old is new again. Simpify your perception of what is good nutrition, get back to the basics, allow yourself to enjoy what you are eating, and target the foods that will give you the nutrient packed nutrition to make you a better you.

For an additional resource, here is a download that will help further elaborate on these ideas:
http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Nutrient_Rich_Foods.pdf

The Questions that are Repeatedly Asked Over and Over.

2009-06-13T19:16:00.000-04:00

What is the difference between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian. Other questions are: "Why is it spelled it Dietitian and not Dietician?"

The internet is littered with explanations. Most of these explanations attempt to make each profession legitimate. As a Registered Dietitian I must preface any explanation that I am biased. That being said, I will make an objective attempt to help anyone that reads my blog understand the differences.

A small preface side story. Last year I watched Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts interview Tory Johnson. Ms. Johnson was talking about quick ways to earn money at home. In a nutshell she said that people can take a quick home study course and become a nutritionist.

This story is an example of the lack of education many nutritionists have. There are nutritionist that are very well educated and have very good experience. Attaining that type of crediential is expensive and requires a minimum of a master's degree. Typically the average nutritionist can little or no formal education. They can call themselves nutritionist simply by reading magazines and perhaps taking a 6 week corresponsence home study course.

EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS for a REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Registered dietitians (RDs) are food and nutrition experts who have met the following criteria to earn the RD credential:

1) Complete a minimum of a bachelor's degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

2) Complete a CADE-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation, or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. Typically, a practice program will run six to twelve months in length.

3) Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

4) Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

5) Some RDs hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice, such as pediatric or renal nutrition, nutrition support, and diabetes education. These certifications are awarded through CDR, the credentialing agency for ADA, and/or other medical and nutrition organizations and are recognized within the profession, but are not required.

In addition to RD credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. Frequently these state requirements are met through the same education and training required to become an RD.

A larger majority of states in the United States require that RDs be licensed as well. This means that specific licensing requirements must be met and maintained, often requiring additional ongoing education.

COLLEGE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
Dietitians study a variety of subjects, ranging from food and nutrition sciences, foodservice systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology, and communication to science courses such as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy, and chemistry.

Why is it DIETITIAN and not DIETICIAN?

No one can really answer this question. The American Dietetic Association has endorsed the spelling of DIETITIAN. Recently I have run across is: the spelling of DIETITIAN uses a "T" indicates a TEACHER and the spelling of DIETICIAN uses a "C" indicates a COOK. I do not necessarily agree with that rationale. Outside the US, many people spell dietitian as dietician (a "tic" in the middle) and in the United States, dietitian is spelled dietitian (a "tit" in the middle). Since the internet is worldwide, either spelling would be correct.

ADVICE FOR THE PUBLIC

When you are seeking nutrition advice, investigate the results of the professional. Ask to see their credentials. Question their educational background. The Registered Dietitian is The Nutrition Expert within the healthcare/medical field. It is your responsibility to know the qualifications of the professional you are seeking advice of for your nutrition care, your medical nutritional therapy.

source: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/CADE_748_ENU_HTML.htm

The Inaugural Post - Why Blog?

2009-05-28T21:41:00.000-04:00

Why another blog about food and nutrition authored by a dietitian. The name of the blog fairly well sums up the reason why.

This quote further emphasizes that fact: "Food is an important part of a balanced diet" - Fran Leibowitz.

My career in dietetics and nutrition began in 1984. Coming to this profession may have been an accident, however as I reflect on these past decades, I wouldn't have cherished any other profession any more than that of a Registered Dietitian.

As a Registered Dietitian I often get all kinds of questions and hear many different discussions about food and nutrition. When I first came into this profession, I like to compare myself to a crusader attempting to conquer all nutrition programs and issues within my reach. That was an idealistic, "Green-horn" philosophy. There is no possible way that this philosophy could continue and my sanity remain intact. As I progressed through these years of my profession, my outlook and philosophy has changed. I do not inject my opinions with friends and co-workers, and even then I am cautious. I know that many of these people I encounter already have preconceived opinions. I tread very lightly until I get the lay of the land, so speak. I am able to assess their mind frame and their receptiveness to the issues in the discussion.

As a Registered Dietitian, I often get questions of what is the difference between is a Registered Dietitian different than a Nutritionist, why do I spell Dietitian as "dietitian" and not dietician." As a Registered Dietitian I have decided to author my own blog with my pragmatic perspectives with goals of answering some of these questions.

With this being the inaugural post of this "Nutrition Matters" I will be trying to answer these questions and addressing current topics while putting my pragmatic spin on issues.