Elder Care Diet Tips

Mandarin orange chicken sauce

By admin | February 16, 2009

Recipe:  Mandarin orange spice sauce for chicken:

1/2 cup orange juice, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons lite soy sauce, 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger or 1/4 tsp ground ginger, fresh garlic (1 clove, diced).   In small measuring cup, whip juice with cornstarch and soy sauce.  In small amount of peanut oil in wok, stir fry fresh seasonings just until aroma rises, add juice mix, stir until sauce is well blended and turns clear.  Add back the cooked chicken, asparagus and cashews.  Heat through.  Sauce helps to hold this dish together and adds more flavor when serving over plain rice.

Chicken can be sliced thin and stir fried just until pinkness disappears.  Add 2 inch asparagus pieces and stir fry for a few more minutes (longer if chewing problems are present), add sauce and 1/4 cup of cashews and heat through.

Steam boy choy lightly, brush with sesame oil and shake on sesame seeds.  Serve as a side dish.
 

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Boiled chicken

By admin | February 16, 2009

I need help in boiling chicken with bones. How long should I boil chicken with bones?
Do email be at hlm-support@live.com if anyone knows. Thank you so much!!

Boiling chicken on the bone takes slightly more time than boneless but really depends on how much you are cooking.  I would suggest covering the chicken with cold water, and bringing to a slow simmer.  Cook until chicken falls off the bone, this may take from 1- 1 1/2 hours.  Cover while cooking.  Add spices for more flavor such as bay leaf, marjoram, basil, oregano, onion diced.  If you plan to remove from the bone and use in another dish, the chicken may need slightly more cooking time.  You can test it with a fork and when the chicken falls apart, spoon into a dish to cool before removing from the bone.  Save broth for the dish you are making or freeze for future use.

 Adding 1-2 tablespoons of cider vinegar to the water is said to help release the calcium from the bone, making the broth richer and increasing your daily calcium intake.

Thank you for writing.

 Barbara

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Inflammation: good fat bad fat

By admin | November 17, 2008

Our bodies need fat to help transport fat soluble vitamins, to provide protection to delicate internal structures, and to make hormones.  Every day there is more information regarding what to eat, what not to eat.  The very low fat diets of the past 20-30 years are being criticized as possibly being the cause of our increasing obesity.  Changing the quality and quantity of fats you eat every day can begin to improve your overall health and reduce excess fat stores.  Sounds confusing and it is.  Here are some simplified guidelines to help you get started.

Good fats help to make the cells that function as our immune system.  Some cells turn the immune system on when you are injured, or invaded by bacteria or viruses.  When the injury/assault is cleared, other cells turn the immune system off.  When things are working as they should be, the body heals wounds quickly and avoids systemic invasion of bacteria/viruses.  But sometimes the body loses the ability to turn the immune system off and chronic inflammation results.  This inflammation can damage healthy cells and even turn on cancer cell production.  This is considered a critical element in chronic disease states such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and alzheimers.  Autoimmune diseases may also be triggered by inflammation. 

The role of good fats (Omega 3’s from fish oil, flax seed, walnuts) is to produce the cells that turn the immune system off.  These cells prevent chronic immune dysfunction that leads to inflammation.

The role of Omega 6’s (from vegetable oils) is to make the cells that turn the immune system on.  This protects you from injury and infections.

The neutral fats (Omega 9’s and monounsaturated fats: olive oil, olives, avocado, etc) do not regulate the immune system directly but they are important in helping to manage weight and cholesterol levels.

The ‘bad’ fats, trans fats, excess saturated fats, and excess Omega 6 fats cause cell damage, vascular damage, cholesterol imbalance (bad vs good), and increase obesity. 

Omega 6’s should be consumed from healthy sources such as seeds, nuts, cold pressed seed oils.  Avoiding processed foods like cookies, chips, crackers, etc. ensures that you are not consuming excess amounts of these fats. 

Saturated fats come from dairy products, meats, and coconut and palm oils.  The body does not need to take in saturated fats because we can make it from other fats we eat.

Trans fats: fats that are hydrogenated to make them solids and to extend shelf life, are found in packaged foods and stick margarine.  You should not eat any of these.  Your body does not recognize these fats.  They can increase your bad cholesterol, increase abdominal fat, and cause arterial damage.  Look for words like hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, vegetable oil on the label of packaged foods.

What to do?  Eat closer to the farm.  Start to clear your pantry of foods with labels, and especially those foods that contain the trans fats.  Add more healthy monounsaturated fats at meals.  Eat only what you need to prevent excess fat stores.  Exercise at least 15 minutes 2-4 times a day or one hour a day.  Drink plenty of fresh water and avoid sugared, or artificially sweetened drinks.

Benefits:  save money, decrease the pain of arthritis and muscle pain, improve sleep and energy levels, decrease risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases, and decrease medications.

Ready, set, GO!  Start now.  Each week, choose a whole food to replace a packaged item. 

Example:  Whole brown rice in place of packaged rice mix.  Sweet potato in place of french fries.

Eat 2-4 fruits, 3-5 vegetables, 5-6 ounces of lean meat/low-fat dairy/or protein alternates - soy, nuts, beans.

Drink water, green/black/white teas.

Change to wholesome whole foods and start the healing process now!

Be well,

Barbara

Topics: Nutrition Facts | No Comments »

Braised rosemary chicken & vegetables recipe

By admin | October 13, 2008

I found this recipe on the internet and thought it was an excellent use of a variety of healthy foods so I made it and thought it worth sharing.  It is fairly inexpensive, made enough for 2 meals for 2, incorporates some fresh herbs that many of you probably have right outside and never make use of.  You  could, of course, use dried herbs (cut the portion to about 1/4 - 1/2 tsp) but the end result wouldn’t be as nice.  I made a few adjustments and these are included in ().  Remember the healthy diet includes a variety of vegetables of different color.  This recipe includes the white onions and mushrooms, red pepper, orange carrot, and the wholesomeness of beans.  Excellent source of fiber as well.  I loved the use of the healthy braising method and it does work great!  I cooked this in my cast iron dutch oven.  It provides a nice even heat for slow cooking and may infuse a little extra iron!

The recipe came from “The Natural MD”, a wellness site that is free to the public.  You can check it out at  http://www.the-natural-MD.com .

Braised Rosemary Chicken & Vegetables

Note: the original recipe omitted the onion so I used one medium sliced and it seemed to be enough. The cooking time was a little optimistic but my stove tends to cook hot so I kept it to a very slow simmer. I gave it about 15 minutes more which makes it almost an hour to cook. But the final result was good, chicken tender and juicy, fresh spices different and enjoyable. The recipe was very easy and didn’t take much to cut up everything.  I had plenty of time to relax, set the table, read my book, toast a wheat bagel and peel an orange.  Dinner’s ready.

This delicious tasting substantial one dish meal is full of nutritional benefits. It can be made easily, and the fresh herbs add a great tasting Mediterranean flavor. Our stovetop braising method is not only fast but it is a healthier way of cooking that is lighter with less fat.

Prep and Cook Time: 25 minutes; cooking time 35 minutes

Ingredients:
¼ cup pearl barley1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced medium thick
5 cloves garlic, chopped
4 skinless chicken thighs, skin removed
1 medium onion, sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, cut in 1 inch squares (got too soft-maybe add ½ way through)
1 cup carrots,sliced medium thick (I used about 1 ½ c)
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced medium thick
1 TBS tomato paste
2 cups + 1 TBS chicken broth (I used 2 ½ c)
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 TBS fresh rosemary, chopped
2 TBS fresh thyme, chopped
15 oz can navy beans, drained
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak barley in a bowl of water while preparing rest of ingredients.
Chop and cut onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrots and mushrooms. Strain barley and discard water.
Heat 1 TBS broth in a medium size braising pan or wide soup pot. Healthy Sauté onion in broth for 3-4 minutes over medium heat stirring frequently.
Add garlic, bell pepper, carrots, barley and mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another 5 minutes stirring. Place chicken thighs on top of vegetables.
In a separate small bowl mix tomato paste with broth and lemon juice, and pour over chicken and vegetables.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover, and simmer for about 35 minutes. Add beans, herbs, salt and pepper and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until chicken and vegetables are tender. This is our Stovetop Braising cooking method.

Serves 4

Healthy Cooking Tips:

The vegetables are cut medium thick so they don’t over cook before the barley is done. You want the vegetables to become tender throughout since this is a stew and it has more flavor if the ingredients can have more time to infuse with one another. But you don’t want mush for vegetables from being over cooked. The best way to avoid either is to cut them the size asked for. The peppers are 1 inch pieces. The sliced carrots and mushrooms should be about ½ inch thick. Also, this dish would cook faster if the thighs were boneless, but would not have near as a good a flavor, so use skinless thighs with the bone in. This also gives the barley a chance to fully cook. Make sure the herbs are fresh and not added until 5 minutes before done. They will start to lose their flavor if added too soon. Check for tenderness of both the vegetables and chicken before adding the beans and herbs so they don’t get over cooked. They should be almost done.

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Peach crisp

By admin | September 23, 2008

I have a new passion.  It came with my new job, but is so necessary for my personal use that I have had to embrace it in the extreme.  Well, not quite the extreme.  I try not to be a fanatic about anything.  Everything in moderation.  But somethings you need to be a little more obsessive about.  What is my charge?  Whole foods.  My new role as a dietitian is with oncology patients.  My new focus as a wife centers on the fact that my husband has had chronic fatigue for 16 years, recently had all of his teeth removed (still waiting for replacements), lost 50# in the past year, and has diverticulitis.  Any of this sound familiar yet? 

   In June I attended a conference in Maryland entitled ‘Food as Medicine’ and developed the beginnings of my new passion.  Although I have been a dietitian for 16 years, I feel like I am learning this all over again.  The more I learn, the more I want to know.  Of major concern for me is the concept of food as an antagonist, causing increased inflammation (pain, fever, internal stress).  I use myself as the guinea pig and my husband has been a pretty good sport in eating along with some of my untraditional meals.  He loves vegetables, so that makes it easier.

   Here is just a brief synopsis, changing your diet to help decrease pain, decrease risk factors for chronic disease: 

Get away from packaged foods, base your diet on fruits and vegetables (as close to the farm as possible

Avoid simple and refined sugars and flours

Eliminate as much of the unhealthy vegetable oils and saturated fats from your diet as you can

And eat whole grains and beans often. 

Why?  Our body works to process everything we eat.  It can either use what we eat to provide nutrients for healthy cells and chemical reactions, or use it to increase antagonists. 

Too much sugar and refined food can increase weight and insulin production.  These can both cause increased inflammation. 

Fiber and whole grains slow down digestion, this helps to decrease insulin production.  Improves regularity.   Provides nutrients for healthy intestinal bacteria.

Too much of the wrong fats increase the inflammatory response in the body.  Packaged foods, vegetable oils, shortenings and meat products have too much of the wrong fats.  These fats  are used in the body to produce the cells that increase inflammation (proinflammatory). 

Inflammation, unchecked, leads to heart disease, diabetes, joint diseases, fatigue, and may be critical in alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

What can you do about your diet?  Everything!  I am going to use the next few articles to introduce the concept of the whole foods pantry as well as provide resources and recipes to help get you started.  It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive and you don’t need to be a trained chef to relearn how to cook healthy.

To begin, here is a peach crisp recipe that I borrowed from AICR (the American Institute for Cancer Research www.aicr.org) and adapted for my own needs.

The original recipe:

Pear Crisp

1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp. walnuts
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. canola oil
6 firm, yet ripe pears, peeled (if desired), cored and cubed
1/4 cup raisins
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
Caramel pecan or vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt
   or lowfat ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8- or 9- inch round cake pan.

In food processor, pulse oats and walnuts 15 seconds. Add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Blend 15 more seconds. While running, drizzle oil and blend 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, toss pears with next 6 ingredients. Spoon pears into prepared cake pan. Cover with oat mixture, pressing down gently. Bake 45-50 minutes, until topping is brown and pears are bubbling. Serve hot, topped with nonfat frozen yogurt or lowfat ice cream, if desired.

Makes 9 servings. Per serving: 164 calories, 4 g. total fat (<1 g. saturated fat), 34 g. carbohydrates, 2 g.

Peach crisp (my version)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp. walnuts
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. canola oil
6 firm, yet ripe peaches, peeled (if desired), pitted and sliced
1 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt
or lowfat ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 8- or 9- inch round cake pan.In food processor, pulse oats and walnuts 15 seconds. Add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Blend 15 more seconds. While running, drizzle oil and blend 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl and set aside. (Pulsing the walnuts makes them manageable for those with chewing problems and digestive disorders but you may choose to eliminate them).In another bowl, toss peaches with next 6 ingredients. Spoon peaches into prepared cake pan. Cover with oat mixture, pressing down gently. Bake 45-50 minutes, until topping is brown and peaches are bubbling. Serve hot, topped with nonfat frozen yogurt or lowfat ice cream, if desired.Makes 9 servings. Per serving: 164 calories, 4 g. total fat (<1 g. saturated fat), 34 g. carbohydrates, 2 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 3 mg. sodium.

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Vitamin D and health

By admin | August 21, 2008

In case you haven’t heard it enough, vitamin D deficiency is being considered a major health concern.  We mainly get vitamin D from the sun in a form that is converted within the body to an active vitamin D from, and from seafood, especially salmon.  Vitamin D is being investigated for cardiac health and cancer.  Lack of vitamin D can affect every aspect of life including fatigue, pain, clarity of thought, and efficient use of nutrients.  http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nutrition/factsheets/vitamin-d.html

As we age our bodies become less efficient at converting the vitamin D we absorb from the sun in it’s active form.  We may tend to spend less time out of doors than our ancestors because of school, work, indoor entertainment, and fear of skin cancer.  When we are in the sun, we slather on sunscreen to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful rays.  The typical American diet includes less and less fatty fish like salmon and mackerel due to rising costs, fear of mercury poisoning, and most recently, bans on fishing. 

Vitamin D supplements can improve blood levels in many people.  A simple blood test ordered by your physician costs about $100.00 and may or may not be covered by your insurance.  This test tells your doctor what level your vitamin D is.  Based on this information, the doctor can order different types of supplementation including one-time monthly dose, weekly doses, or even over-the-counter supplements. 

Current recommendation is for 200 iu per day before 50 years of age and 400 iu after 50 but doctors and researchers are suggesting much more may be required to maintain adequate levels in the body.  You should always consult with your doctor before taking large doses of any vitamin or mineral supplement.   The recommendation for dietary intake is to eat fatty fish like salmon or mackeral 3 times per week.  In addition to this, you would want to take in 20 minutes of sunshine at least 4 days per week.  Persons with kidney disease may not benefit from the sun’s rays effectively and would need to rely on alternate (active) forms of vitamin D.  Other options are Flax seed (ground or oil), cod liver oil, some algaes and algae preparations, and sardines.  Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and therefore some is stored in the body’s tissues for later use.  Toxicity is possible and therefore megadosing without your doctor’s support is not advised.

This website http://newsletter.vitalchoice.com/index000289004.cfm includes an interesting article on Vitamin D and the health and future of our salmon resources. 

If you are concerned about eating fish you can print out your own pocket selector for healthiest and worst fish by going to this link http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=1521 and clicking on the ‘print out a pocket guide’ link.  This handy tool can be carried in your wallet or kept with your shopping list pad.

Talk to your doctor about your risk for vitamin D deficiency and whether you should be tested or should be taking a supplement.  In the meantime, plan your weekly menu to include some fatty fish when you can.

Be concerned, be aware, be well.

Barbara

Topics: Nutrition Facts | No Comments »

Swiss Chard (recipe)

By admin | June 24, 2008

I recently attended a conference in Baltimore, promoting Food as Medicine.  It was a full 4 days of nutrition as it relates to prevention and treatment of disease.  One of the main concepts was the use of whole foods, you know, those foods that come without a label straight from nature, or someone’s farm.  The goal is to fill 3/4’s of your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and the remaining 1/4th with lean protein source.  The protein could be meat, fish, poultry, soy, beans/legumes, nuts and seeds, or low fat dairy.  I was intrigued by this.  I have always promoted eating close to the farm.  I hope to share more on this concept in the coming weeks.

For today, I am sharing a simple recipe for Swiss Chard.  This leafy green vegetable is packed with vitamins, tastes great, and is really easy to prepare.  The best source is direct from the garden as it gets more bitter as it ages.  I purchased enough for 2 large servings for about $3.50 from our local organic farmer.  It should be used within a few days of picking for best results and maximum nutrition.

Recipe:

 In a medium saucepan, saute a thinly sliced clove of garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Cook on fairly low temp to protect the delicate oil.  When the garlic brings a scent, add the swiss chard that you have rinsed and sliced into one inch strips.  Discard the heavy bottom stalks or use in other recipes.  They will be more bitter.  Cover the mix, and simmer on a medium low flame.  In about 5 minutes, toss the chard to allow to cook evenly.  When done, the chard will be soft and resemble cooked spinach.  Cooks in about 10 minutes.  Takes only a minute to clean and prep.  You can eat plain or add your favorite vinegar. 

 Meal idea:

Here’s our menu:  Whole wheat pasta summer salad with scallions, olives, grape tomatoes, cheese and oil/vinegar dressing, swiss chard, fruit salad (seasonal-melon cubes), Buffalo burgers. 

Remember, 3/4’s of your plate is your whole grains and vegetables/fruit, 1/4 protein.

While this meal cooked, I used about 1/3# of buffalo burger to start a spaghetti sauce for tomorrow night.  The pasta salad was already prepared.  Total cooking time: 45 minutes.  The next meal with spaghetti sauce and whole grain pasta will only require cooking pasta and making a salad. 

Hint:  while you are cooking, plan ahead and see if you can prepare enough for another meal using similar items or totally different ones.  Since you are in the kitchen anyway, why not give yourself another night off.  Maybe later in the week you won’t be so well rested from the weekend.

Happy eating!

Barbara

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Mouth ulcer/itching

By admin | June 17, 2008

Dear Barbara
I an having mouth ulcer and backside itch. I think it is due to my menopausing but doctors said its stress related. how come?
Recently, my right eye had a retina tear too.
I am frustrated. Pls help.
Many thanks

Dear reader,

Thanks for the email.  First, let me say that I am not a doctor and any information I provide should be shared with your doctor in the event it is counterproductive to other treatments that you may be involved with.

I think that I would need a little more information before making a suggestion.  It is possible that you have a yeast type of infection if you are having these problems.  Have you been checked by your doctor?  Some common causes of yeast infection are overuse of antibiotics, a high processed sugar diet that provides excellent food sources for yeast growth, and immune suppressing drugs. 

If you are considering dietary changes to try to treat your problem, and if your doctor believes it to be yeast overgrowth, you may try reducing your intake of all types of sugars including those from fruit juices, prepared foods, and honey, syrups, and jams/jellies.  I would not suggest you switch to artificial sweeteners as these have their own issues.  Milk may need to be restricted as well because of the lactose (milk sugar) that contains.

If you know that you have allergies, be diligent in avoiding any allergens that you can in order to allow your body to begin to heal itself.

Here are some foods that should be acceptable:  Fruits:  apples, blueberries, cherries, other berries and pears.  Garlic.  Vegetables.  Whole grains.  Choose organic and local produce as often as possible to try to decrease your intake of pesticides and chemicals.

Oils: preferred types are olive oil and grapeseed oil.  Try to limit your intake of processed foods that contain added fats as these can increase inflammation, and this can create an internal environment that yeast and other bacteria love to thrive in.  Other fats: a handful of nuts, especially walnuts, seeds and even coconut and avocado.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day.  Pay attention to the color of your urine to know if you are getting enough fluids.  You can also count herbal teas, broth type soups, and other clear liquids.

Get plenty of rest.  If you can, sleep 8 hours per night.  Inadequate sleep can lead to weakening of your immune system, impairing your body’s ability to repair itself.

Try to limit your meat based proteins to 3-4 ounces per day, and choose organics, especially fish and poulty in place of beef, when you can.  Use eggs, nuts, seeds, soy in place of meat 2 meals per day.  High protein intake requires extra fluids and can change the pH of your gastric system, slowing your body’s ability to detox itself.

If you have not tried yogurt, you may consider an all natural yogurt such as Nancy’s, Stonyfield Farms, and Activia have been shown to help improve the good bacteria in the GI tract.  You would want to eat 1 cup per day at least.

Exercise.  Remember that your internal organs are muscles too.  Keeping all of your muscles strong and flexible helps to ensure a healthy body.  Walking 30 minutes a day, yoga, stretching, biking, anything you can to begin to strengthen your overall body.

I would recommend trying this basic diet for 2 weeks and reassess your symptoms at that time.  There are other remedies, the internet is full of herbal and other interventions.  Be cautious what you invest in.  My recommendations require only the simple change to whole foods (what your grandmother would have had on hand), rest, water, and exercise.  So, give it a try.  Let me know how you feel.  And if this doesn’t help, please let me know and I will try to help you research some other options.

If this does help, and the diet gets boring, you can slowly begin to readd other foods, one new food every 2-3 days, to see if the symptoms return.  But the best diet is one that supports your body, not one that constantly challenges your body.  Whole foods, less chemicals, and less sugar would be long term recommendations.  Remember to try to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. 

Good luck and good health!

Barbara

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Changing faces…

By admin | May 20, 2008

Hello everyone.  Thanks for continuing to revisit my site even though I haven’t been very active lately.  Good news is I started a new job and I love it.  I am going to be working with cancer patients and this has been very time consuming learning all about complementary and alternative medicines and nutrition recommendations for cancer patients and survivors.  It is really exciting to be learning something new and developing a broader perspective.

 I hope to be able to share some of the information I discover and be able to help my readers.  If anyone has specific needs I will definitely take the time to investigate anything that I don’t know already.  It will be a learning experience for us all.

 I promise to continue to provide comments on elder and home care support.  Thank you for your patience.  I hope you will continue to check in from time to time.

Our family is busy working in the yard which is my number one hobby.  But of course I always bite off more than I can chew and am very tired trying to get through this huge project.  My plan is to transform my yard into a more sustainable area using less water (and less weeding).  Not sure how this will work but it is challenging and fun.

So, get out there and plant those pots if you haven’t already.  A rectangular planter (about 8 x 20) makes a great home for lettuce.  A large pot can hold a grape tomato, some parsley, and cilantro.  Chives grow anywhere and add a nice touch to baked potatoes and sauces.  And then cucumbers can sit in a pot on the deck and dangle over the edge giving them lots of growing room.  Go for the pickle cucumbers for less seeds and softer skins. 

All these plants need is water, sun and a little plant food every 2-3 weeks.  They are easy to manage weed and bugwise and you have everything you need for a quick summer salad.  The little care they need forces you to get outside and communicate with nature for a few minutes.

You too can go organic.  Happy Spring!

Barbara

Topics: Nutrition Facts | 1 Comment »

Breakfast/granola bars for everyone!

By admin | April 26, 2008

When you think you have finally found the answer to your healthy eating worries, along comes a dietitian to throw you into a muddle once again.  In my practice, working with diabetics and obese clients, we often use a variety of breakfast/ granola bars to evaluate food labels.  It is overwhelming the vast difference in ingredients.  You can find bars that are mainly a foil wrapped cookie, those that try to meet your daily fiber needs, those that could replace an entire meal based on calorie content.  When choosing your bar, consider what you are using it for.

Diabetic emergency food:  for those who need to carry a quick fix carbohydrate load for lows you should be looking for a bar that provides between 15-24 grams of carbohydrate, 7-10 grams of protein, less than 8 grams of sugar, and 3 or more grams of fiber.

Snack:  hungry kids/adults who just want a quick and easy snack for on the road, on a hike, or between meals, look for a lower calorie version that provides no more than 130 calories per serving.  If you can get 3 or more grams of fiber and a little protein, consider this a healthier option over a cookie.  Combine with a glass of low fat milk for a more nutrient dense snack.

Energy bar:  Bars with 35 or more grams of carbohydrates should be reserved for those who are actively exercising for more than one hour.  These are very high in carbohydrate.  This would be the equivalent of 2 slices of bread but may contain enough sugar to equal a midsize candy bar.  Some of these bars can have upwards of 300 calories.  You would need to do an hour of high aerobic exercise or bicycling to burn off these calories.  Not a weight loss option.

Lunch treat:  if the bar is a dessert option, consider one of the lower calorie cookie type bars.  Tasty and healthier than a frosted filled cookie, but still not a ‘health’ food .

If you need help understanding food labels, check out this website provided free from the FDA:  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/nutfacts.pdf  for step by step guides to reading and interpreting food labels.  Use the label, you’ll be amazed at what you can learn.

Barbara

Topics: Nutrition Facts | 1 Comment »

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