Fed Up with Fads!

If you read this blog you know I am NOT a fan of fad diets, so today I'm hip, hip hurraying! Before the end of last year, I was asked to look into my crystal ball to predict the nutrition trends of 2006. My forecast included a rise in organics, locally grown, ethnic and whole foods, and the fizzling out of "diets." And well, I guess it wasn't just wishful thinking!

A survey released Wednesday by America on the Move found that a whopping 69% of 2,000+ adults say they're ready to go fad free. Consumers (especially men) are less likely to try a specialized or fad diet today compared to five years ago. And I don't blame them one bit. In my 11 years as a registered dietitian, I've never known anyone to lose weight AND keep it off using a fad diet. They just don't work long-term (you know the drill - you can't keep doing them, they zap your energy, make you cranky, forbid your favorite foods - they're no picnic!).

So I say phooey to fads, and hello to a healthier approach (i.e. selecting lots of delicious good-for-you foods, eating treats in smaller amounts or less often, and enjoying fun physical activities). This path has helped many folks I know (including my own hubby) shed pounds for good while feeling fantastic.

P.S. The last Hawaii photo I'll share - from my hiking adventures - fueled by positively fad-free meals like Thai vegetable curry with brown rice, hummus and falafel, and black bean tostadas with guacamole - yum!

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Spilling the Beans (Hawaiian Treasures Continued)

Hawaii is known for many delicious foods and one very important beverage - coffee (from the Kona side of the Big Island). Did you know that Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee (other American coffees come from Central and South America)? Java consumption dates as far back as the 9th century and today, coffee is the second most commonly traded commodity in the world (oil tops the list).

I love coffee, from Kona, Kenya, Sumatra, Costa Rica, Peru... actually, I love it all! And each variety starts with a mighty bean- sort of. Coffee plants produce berries called coffee cherries that each contain two seeds (sometimes one). We refer to them as beans, but technically, they're really seeds (although "seed juice" doesn't sound nearly as cute as "bean juice").

Now, for the great news - several studies have linked coffee consumption to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and colon cancer. Worried about caffeine? Experts say moderation is the key - up to 3 (8 oz each) cups per day is A-OK for healthy, non-pregnant/nursing adults. So, enjoy your morning coffee - without a side of guilt (just be mindful of what you put in it; more on this in a future post).

P.S.
To learn about Fair Trade Certified coffee, click here:

Today I'm sharing a photo I took of Akaka Falls, located about 11 miles north of Hilo. Amazing!

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Getting Nutty (Hawaiian Treasures Continued)

Of all the foods that whisper Hawaii, the most decadent may be macadamia nuts (fun fact: they’re originally from Australia and were introduced to Hawaii in 1881 but are also grown in California). Visitors to the Rainbow State can get nutty from sun up to sun down munching on macadamia nut pancakes, muffins, shortbread cookies, pies, macadamia encrusted fish, and of course chocolate covered versions of these tropical gems! Personally, I prefer them the old fashioned way – plain old dry roasted (yum, yum!).

But of course this blog is about nutrition and guess what? You got it - they’re good for you too (if you can stop yourself from eating a pound at a time that is). While macs are high in calories (200 per ounce, the size of a golf ball, about a tenth of a day’s worth of cals on average) and fat (22 g per oz, about a third of a day’s worth), they’re low in saturated fat. Just 3 of those 22 grams come from saturated fat (sat fat is the gooky fat that clogs up our arteries and ups our blood cholesterol).

In fact, most of the fat macs provide (17 of the 22 grams) is called monounsaturated, the same heart healthy fat olive oil is famous for. So, if you can stick to golf ball sized portions, consider adding macs to your nut repertoire. You can find them right here on the mainland (tip: purchase a sealable container meant for condiments that holds just 1 ounce – fill it up and think of it as your “allotment” for the day). Just don’t feed them to Fido (mac nuts are toxic to our canine companions). And for more info on healthy vs. not so healthy fats, check out these 2 links:

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4582

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12672919

P.S. Did you know that macadamias are the hardest nuts in the world to crack? Breaking the shell requires 300 pounds per square inch of pressure! Oh, and I just couldn’t resist including this great pic of the beautiful (and endangered) sea turtles at Punalu'u Beach since they live in shells too!

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Exotic Eating

In my Farmer's Market entry, I mentioned that I was planning a trip to our 50th state, Hawaii. Well, I just returned from the Big Island, also known as paradise! My adventures included discovering waterfalls, hiking through rainforests, trekking across an active volcano, watching red hot lava plunge into the sea at night, and relaxing with giant sea turtles on a black sand beach. Aaaaah, I'm still on cloud 9. But of course, some of the best memories I made in Hawaii involve food (surely no surprise if you read this blog). So, I decided to devote the next several entries to my "field to fork" experiences, and first on the list is chowing down on the exotic fruits grown on the island.

I took over 200 pictures and I have 4 to share today. The bottom pic is the "fuzzy" rambutan, a delicious fruit as common in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines as apples are to North America. Once we figured out how to open it we discovered a delicious white "egg" (it kind of looked like an eyeball to tell you the truth) that was sweetly delicate and chewy. Rambutans are rich in vitamin C and provide some potassium and dietary fiber. They're sensational all by themselves (and exciting to eat - like opening a beautifully wrapped present).

The photo with my hands is a is a mamey sapote. It is super rich/sweet, high in calories (about 300 per fruit!), but loaded with nutrients including fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin (wow!). It's often blended into milkshakes or made into ice cream, but you can eat it as is, or chop it and add to a garden or fruit salad - yum! Sapotes also come in white and black varieties.

And finally, possibly my new favorite fruit, a dragon fruit (shown sliced open - they can be either white or pink inside, and I selected a pink one). It was almost too gorgeous to eat but of course I managed (tee-hee). You can use dragon fruit in any recipe you would kiwi (the seeds are edible) or of course enjoy it as is. Like rambutan, it's also rich in vitamin C and fiber.

Incorporating exotic fruits into your diet is a great way to get excited about eating fruit again (versus eating a tired old banana day after day), expose your body to new phytochemicals (the disease fighters in produce pigments), load up on nutrients, and treat your taste buds (I cannot tell you how delicious that dragon fruit was! It tasted like a kiwi mixed with a plum).

And the great news is you don't have to travel all the way to Hawaii or any other far off locale to enjoy these amazing treats. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture's web site, several exotics are grown in the Sunshine State including aemoya, canistel, carambola, coconut, dragon fruit, guava, jackfruit, longan, lychee, mango, monstera, papaya, passion fruit, pummelo, sapodilla, and sapote, and of course many are grown in California. Check your own state's site for your local harvests and seasons - you may be surprised what you find! Ok, signing off for today, wishing you adventurous eating!

P.S. The first pic is of me holding something I waxed poetic about in a previous entry - ginger.

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What's Your CQ?

You've heard of IQ (intelligence quotient), and you may have heard of EQ (a.k.a. emotional intelligence), but what about CQ (calorie intelligence)? In other words, how smart are you about calories? The way I see it, calories are a lot like money. We each have a budget to work with, and spending more than we've earned gets us into big trouble. Overspend funds and you rack up debt; overspend calories and you pile on pounds.

Financial experts often advise those "in the red" to start writing down every little thing they spend so they can see where their money goes (i.e. one $5 coffee drink per day and poof, $150 per month out the window - that's $1,800 per year, the price of a pretty nice vacation).

If you struggle with your weight, writing down what you eat (in a food journal) can also be effective, but there's one major problem - you might not know exactly how many calories you have to spend in the first place. To figure it out, follow this link:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Calorie_Calculator.asp

Wanna earn more calories to spend? An hour of dancing could inflate your budget by more than 300 calories (that's a 15% increase for most of us!). Check out the "earnings" tied to other activities here: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Exercise_Counts.asp

P.S. Now that you know what your budget is, you can really put the digits in perspective. For example, a $500 pair of shoes could be a drop in the bucket to some, or a heavy chunk of change for others - ditto for meals and snacks. If you dine out often, surf your favorite restaurants' sites for calorie info. After all, you wouldn't buy a sweater without knowing how much it cost, right?

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Cool Beans

I simply cannot look at beans without secretly singing the bean songs in my head (or sometimes out loud if I'm home alone). You know the ones, "Beans, beans, good for your heart, the more you eat.. beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat..." Of course beans aren't a fruit but hey, it rhymes and it's cute!

Nevertheless, those songs pop up a lot because I absolutely love beans. I mean what's not to love? There are tons of varieties, each with a unique taste (i.e. black beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans are as different as apples, oranges and pears), they're super versatile, very filling, and they're nutritional all stars.

Beans are low in calories (about 120 per half cup, the size of a mini fruit cup), and rich in dietary fiber (which helps lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, and keep our digestive systems healthy), protein (to build and maintain our muscles), folate (which prevents birth defects and is linked to lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer's), iron (for healthy blood), potassium (for blood pressure control), and even some calcium (for healthy bones). And, they have no dietary cholesterol and are nearly fat free. Is that impressive or what?

All that good stuff is probably what links beans to a reduced risk of heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, and even obesity. Did you know that adult bean eaters have a 22% lower risk of obesity? Pretty cool, huh? And the best part is canned beans count! Because of my busy schedule, I'm the queen of quick (and healthy), so I often rely on canned beans to make speedy meals. My favorites are black beans and brown rice, burritos and taco salads made with whole or vegetarian refried pinto beans, and wraps filled with garbanzo beans and veggies like roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts - yum!

For more info on the health benefits of beans, check out this link:
http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=dc_foods_beans

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Fantastically Freeze Dried

Do the words “freeze dried foods” conjure up images of astronauts or treks to remote camp grounds? Well, according to studies supported by the American Institute for Cancer Research, it’s time for at least one category, freeze dried fruits, to get an image overhaul (pay attention Tom Cruise –– just kidding!). Scientists say these crunchy, light weight goodies retain almost all of the disease fighting phytochemicals found in their fresh state.

In case you haven’t heard, phytochemicals are the celebs of the nutrition world these days. They’re the substances that give gorgeous fruits and veggies their color (lycopene makes tomatoes red, lutein makes corn yellow, carotene makes carrots orange, and anthocyanin makes blueberries blue), but they don’t stop there. Once inside our bodies, these powerhouses are major protectors, keeping healthy cells healthy and less prone to disease (I like to think of them as little body guards for our cells).

Ok, so, you may be thinking, “How the heck do you freeze dry a fruit anyway?” Well, let’s take berries for example - first they’re frozen, then a special vacuum completely dries them out by removing all of the water, but the other good stuff stays right there, including that amazing anthocyanin. So, if you can’t always eat fresh produce, freeze dried can be a good option, particularly if you’re on-the-go.

These days you can find freeze dried fruits at grocery stores and specialty markets, or online. Look for varieties with no sugar added and keep in mind that a quarter cup (size of a golf ball) is equivalent to 1 cup (baseball) of fresh fruit. I’ve seen freeze dried strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, mangoes, apples, and fruit blends. They make great snacks because they’re so light and portable, but you can also add them to cereal, or toss them into garden salads.

P.S. Freeze dried fruits are a little different from dried fruits but they’re both great options – check out this fab link to the 5 a Day site about the benefits of dried fruit. I just polished off a few yummy dried plums myself (no longer called prunes – yet another image overhaul!).
http://www.5aday.gov/month/dried_fruit.html

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Eating Your Feelings

If you ask me, emotional eating is practically learned at birth. Human beings bond over food, show love and concern by feeding each other, and food is part of nearly every celebration and holiday tradition.

And let’s face it, eating feels good and can be one of the easiest ways to deal with our feelings. In fact, the food/feelings connection can be so strong that in the heat of the moment, emotional needs easily overpower intellectual thoughts about calories, fat, sugar, and the like. But if you’re an emotional eater, you aren’t doomed.

The key to breaking the cycle is to keep your focus on the feelings, not the food. Instead of blaming chocolate as an evil temptress, first understand why you need the chocolate. You may not have the power to change what triggered you (stress at work, a family illness, etc.), but once you’ve identified what you’re feeling, you can experiment with alternative (i.e. non food) ways of coping with it.

I’ve tried out lots of things over the years and have found a few that really work for me: when I’m sad, cuddling with my pets truly comforts me; if I’m angry or anxious, cleaning helps me release tension; and if I’m bored, starting a new project will keep my mind (and hands) occupied (my favorite is researching travel destinations). Believe me, I know it’s not easy to break the cycle of reaching for food (I’ll be the first to admit that diving head first into a plate of brownies feels great in the moment). But of course, the gratification is fleeting, and turning to food instead of dealing with your feelings causes all sorts of other problems (weight gain, and even more emotions…).

No doubt, emotional eating is a challenging pattern to overcome, but I have seen many clients do it, and keeping a food/mood journal can really help (writing down not just what you ate but how you were feeling before, during, and after). Becoming aware of your patterns (i.e. maybe you crave crunchy foods when you’re frustrated), being patient with yourself, and experimenting with alternative coping methods (through trial and error) are three important keys to changing this pattern. Hang in there - you can do this!

For more info, check out this link.
http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/41.cfm

P.S. If you experience most of your stress between 9 and 5 (or whatever your work hours are), try carving out just 5 or 10 minutes from your lunch break every day for “you time.” Walk, stretch, vent, write, breathe deeply, listen to music, read 10 pages of a juicy novel, or sit in the shade. Taking a scheduled mini mental vacation each day could defuse your stress just enough to negate the need to nosh.

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Localmotion

If you read this blog you may have noticed my affection for Farmer’s Markets. Truth be told, I’d rather go to a Farmer’s Market than a mall any old day (next week I’ll be visiting a Farmer’s Market in Hilo, Hawaii – yipee!). Some of my fondest childhood memories involve slowly strolling through the Farmer’s Market aisles, wide eyed with wonder at both the familiar and new offerings on each table. From the colors and aromas to the anticipation of tasting something I had never tried before, those trips felt like adventures! And all these years later, they’re just as exciting – truly a feast for the senses.

As a grown up, I now know a lot more about the importance of Farmer’s Markets. They help local economies, help farmers (about $.90 of each dollar goes straight to the farmer), bring communities back to life (i.e. “if you build it they will come” – sorry, yet another movie reference), and have a huge impact on the health of the planet (did you know that from field to fork, our food typically travels 1,500 miles – that’s a lotta fuel).

And nutritionally speaking, eating locally gown in-season food is phenomenal for your health, for lots of reasons. First, freshly picked fully ripe fruits and veggies taste so darn good, you’ll actually eat ‘em (instead of letting them rot in the crisper). And, they’re chock full of nutrients – did you know that vitamin levels can drop by 50% within the first 7 days after harvesting (so you gotta get ‘em while the gettin’s good)? And, because your bounty will be so yummy, preparing them is easy breazy (i.e. slice some fresh tomatoes and basil leaves, drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and voila!).

If you’re not sure where the fabulous Farmer’s Markets are in your area, check out this link. Hopefully, you’ll find an adventure too!
http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm

I took this photo at the Jean-Talon Market in Montreal – is this beautiful or what?

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Gimme Some Sugar (Free)?

These days lots of sugar free versions of traditional yummy treats are popping up all over the place (candy and cookies and ice cream…oh my!). Are you thinking, “Sign me up?” Well, before you jump in the car and fill up your cart, consider this. If you look at the Nutrition Facts panel, you’ll find that in many cases, the calorie difference between the original and sugar free version is less than 50, and sometimes just a measly 10 (sugar free sure ain’t calorie free).

When they take the sugar out, they typically put in something called sugar alcohols (i.e. sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, and maltitol). These guys are either absorbed into the blood more slowly or not at all, so they don’t raise blood sugar levels as much as other types of carbs. But, they aren’t really “free” for a few reasons. First, sugar is only one ingredient (just five teeny sugar free chocolates can provide 13 g of fat, 8 of which are saturated – yikes!).

And, according to the American Diabetes Association, diabetics (who often “count” or add up the amount of carbohydrate grams they eat to stay within a certain limit), should count half of the sugar alcohol content (so sugar free ain’t even carb free). And finally, because sugar alcohols aren’t well digested, they can cause diarrhea or a “laxative effect” (especially if you overindulge), and we all know that’s just not pretty. So, if you choose sugar free versions at all, don’t ignore the label (especially calories and saturated fat), use moderation (i.e. two cookies vs. the box), and if you need more info, check out the following “sweet” links:

http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/sweeteners.jsp
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_adap0598_ENU_HTML.htm

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More Than Skin Deep

I love the phrase, “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” because it’s so right-on. And I also believe that in most cases, the skin is the window to the body. Let me explain. There are about a gazillion beauty products on the market, but they all go on the outside. Truth be told, each and every cell in our bodies (including our skin) is knitted from the nutrients we eat – from the inside out. Soooo, it’s not just what you put on your skin but what you put in your belly that counts. Bottom line – beauty products can only do so much if the nutrients needed to make and maintain healthy skin don’t show up for work (that’s like giving a rusted car a new paint job).

So, what does it take to stitch together healthy skin? Lots of good stuff! My top skintastic food picks include: almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and avocados (for healthy fats and vitamin E), citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes, and strawberries (rich in vitamin C), carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, apricots, papaya, and mango (for vitamin A), beans and lentils (for protein), water-rich produce like melon, grapes, greens, and cucumbers, and of course good old H2O (for fluid).

Simple skin nourishing dishes include: a taco salad made with greens, black beans, salsa, peppers, and avocado; spinach salad tossed with strawberries and walnuts; smoothies made with mango and papaya; fruit salad sprinkled with slivered almonds; and lentil soup alongside a garden salad topped with carrots, cucumbers, and sunflower seeds – yummy! And of course, each of these foods is also great for your insides, from your bones and muscles to your organs and blood.

So the next time you reach for hand or body lotion, keep in mind that some of the best skin treatments come from trees and vines, not just bottles.

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Offensive Line

Is it Monday yet? According to a recent survey, 48% of sports fans watch football on TV, 35% say they attend games, and 41% say the Super Bowl is the most exciting championship event of the year (only 3% said World Cup). Clearly, we love this game! But, who says game day food can’t be healthy? Check out this comparison:

TRADITIONAL
4 chicken wings (breaded and fried)
2 slices large hand tossed pepperoni pizza
11 wavy potato chips with a quarter cup onion dip

THE SCORE – PENALTY!
1,818 calories (most of us need 2,000 per day or less)
106 g fat (most of us should max out at 55-60 g per day)
32 g saturated fat (22 max per day is heart healthy)
366 mg cholesterol (no more than 300 mg per is recommended, 200 if you already have high cholesterol)

UPDATED
3 oz (size of deck of cards) grilled chicken breast
2 slices large thin crust veggie pizza
1 cup fresh grapes
1 cup carrot and celery sticks with a quarter cup roasted red pepper hummus

THE SCORE – TOUCHDOWN!
616 calories (a much more reasonable chunk of a day’s calorie needs)
24 g fat (not quite half of our day’s needs)
8 g saturated fat (about a third of the maximum amount advised per day)
103 mg cholesterol (half to a third of the max daily limit)

So whether you tailgate at the stadium or in your living room, consider kicking off this season with some healthy grub – it’ll keep your heart and your waistline “in bounds” (sorry, I couldn’t resist!).

P.S. Go Bucs!

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Rooting for Ginger

It only seemed fitting to follow my chocolate post with what is probably my second favorite (and almost as magical) substance on the planet – ginger. Most people enjoy ginger in either Asian cuisine or holiday baked goods. But it actually has few limitations in both cooking and baking. It’s one of my personal favorite ingredients in everything from dressings, sauces, marinades, soups, peanut butter, fruit dishes, hot or cold drinks, and smoothies to chocolate, and desserts. And I’m not talking about the powdered stuff.

If I’m the mood to spice things up, I’ll head straight to the Farmer’s Market or produce section for some fresh ginger (soooooo delicious!). My favorite seasonal ginger dishes include: dark chocolate ginger truffles (winter), ginger coleslaw (spring), strawberry ginger dressing (summer), and baked apples with ginger (fall). If you haven’t cooked with fresh ginger before, I have a few tips.

Avoid ginger that looks wrinkled, discolored, or moldy (I probably didn’t have to tell you that), and look for pieces with smooth, unblemished, almost translucent skin. Peel it using the edge of a metal spoon to scrape off the skin, then grate it using a microplane (careful – very sharp!) or grater.

Some people recommend storing ginger wrapped in the refrigerator to prevent it from drying out, but others say it turns moldy if you refrigerate it and advise storing it at room temperature like potatoes. I rarely have any left over but I’d say the real key is only buying what you'll need so storage won’t be an issue (a little goes a long way). And last but not least, keep in mind that ginger's flavor fades as it cooks, so it’s generally best to add it at the end of cooking.

P.S. I almost forgot – ginger isn’t just for nausea. Like other spices, ginger contains powerful phytochemicals that may play a role in reducing cancer risk. And other studies have linked ginger to anti-inflammation.

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Chocolate Amore!

I love, love, love chocolate! Are you with me? If you read this blog, you know I'm a big movie buff and the film Chocolat (with the amazing Johnny Depp) is one of my very favorites. Like the main character Vianne Rocher, I believe chocolate is enchanting and magical. In fact, as recently as the last century, cacao beans were still used as currency in some parts of Central America (hmmm, getting paid in chocolate would have its advantages…). If you're a history buff (or chocoholic), you may know that Christopher Columbus was the first European to encounter the beloved cocao tree in 1502, but chocolate consumption dates as far back as 500 A.D. (or earlier).

Mayans consumed a frothy unsweetened cocoa drink made with water and spices (including vanilla and chili pepper), which they believed to cure digestive problems and act as an aphrodisiac. Europeans quickly replaced chili pepper with sugar and chocolate became a luxury few could afford. Today of course, chocolate is everywhere, but should you steer clear? No way!

Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't cause acne, and the caffeine content is fairly low (about 20 mg per ounce of dark chocolate compared to 100-150 mg in a cup of joe). In fact, chocolate is a good-for-you food. It contains over 300 natural substances including a "feel good" chemical (nope, it's not just in your head), and others that have been shown to help blood vessels relax (lowering blood pressure), and prevent cholesterol from sticking to your arteries (reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke). And finally, chocolate contains the minerals magnesium, iron, zinc, and copper. So, go ahead, indulge a little (in moderation of course), without the side of guilt. Choose high quality dark chocolate, let it melt in your mouth, and savor every itty bitty bit!

For more info on chocolate's health benefits, check out this link:
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3032194

P.S. Try adding a little vanilla and chili pepper to your hot cocoa or chocolate fondue some time – it's fantastic!

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Wholy Grains!

Whole grains are hot! In fact, sales of whole grains have skyrocketed since the beginning of 2005. Thankfully, ultra low carb diets are finally out (hurray!) and consumers want quality foods with that dynamic duo – tastes good and good for you. And I’ve gotta say, whole grains deliver (did you know that popcorn is whole grain? Yum!). The latest Dietary Guidelines recommend eating 3 or more servings of whole grains each day. But on average, Americans eat just one, and almost half eat none (not so hot). So, let’s start with the big question - what the heck is a whole grain anyway?

Well, in a nutshell, whole grains contain the entire grain kernel, which has three distinct parts - the bran (outer skin), the germ (the inner part that sprouts into a new plant), and the endosperm (the germ’s food supply). Refined grains, on the other hand (like white bread and white rice), have been processed, which removes both the bran and the germ (yikes!). Processing gives grains a finer texture, and improves their shelf life, but it also removes precious dietary fiber, iron, and many vitamins.

But whole grains aren’t just more nutritious – they’re powerful disease fighters linked to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and even obesity. Surprised by that last one? Several studies back this up. A few years ago, researchers found that men who ate 40 grams of whole grains per day (i.e. one cup of cooked oatmeal or two slices of whole-wheat bread) cut middle-age weight gain by up to 3.5 pounds. And that’s nothing to sneeze at – 3.5 pounds of fat is the equivalent of about 14 sticks of butter! Another study found that among 74,000 women, those who ate whole grains consistently weighed less than those who didn’t (I guess whole grains don’t discriminate!).

Examples of whole grains include 100% whole-wheat products, bulgur, oatmeal, whole corn or cornmeal, brown rice, buckwheat, popcorn (probably my favorite one), whole rye, and wild rice. And more “exotic” whole grains (at least in this country) include amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, and triticale. So, now that you know what to look for – what counts as a serving? About 1 cup of whole grain dry cereal, a half cup of hot cereal, 1 slice of whole grain bread, a half cup of a cooked grain like rice, or 3 cups of popped popcorn. Given that, three a day is a piece of cake, right? Oatmeal for breakfast, 100% whole wheat bread at lunch, brown rice for dinner and ta-daaa, you’re there! Realistically, you’re not going to go through life never having another refined grain (my husband gave my whole grain chocolate chip cookies the thumbs down). But whenever you can, swap a refined version for a whole version and you’ll gain a “whole” lotta benefits (tee-hee).

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Put a Little Spice in Your Life!

My husband can eat raw Habaneros, the hottest pepper on the planet. Sometimes I think he actually has an iron stomach. I on the other hand whimper if the slightest hint of a jalapeno (5 times milder) crosses my lips. But honestly, I wish I wasn’t so pepper-phobic.

Believe it or not, firing up your diet can be really good for you. If you think about it, we tend to eat slower and drink more fluid when we’re “getting our spice on” – two effective weight control strategies. And, there are naturally occurring substances in peppers linked to all kinds of health benefits, including thinning the blood (lowering the risk of stroke); reducing the risk of certain cancers; clearing the sinuses (I’d say so!); boosting the immune system; and reducing inflammation. Peppers are also rich in beta-carotene (a powerful antioxidant) and immune boosting vitamin C. Finally, they’re super low in calories and sodium free (so you can flavor your food sans salt shaker). In a nutshell, they’re hot!

If you’ve been told to avoid spicy foods for medical reasons, certainly steer clear. And if you’re considering testing your tolerance, be careful not to choose a pepper that’s too fiery for your palate. The hotness of a pepper is measured in Scoville Heat Units (fun fact: a scale developed by Columbia University chemist Wilbur Scoville in 1912). The higher the number, the greater the heat. See how these five popular peppers stack up:

Anaheim – mild; great for sauces, soups, casseroles (500 to 2,500 Scoville Units)
Poblano – mild; great for stuffing and roasting (1,000 to 2,000 Scoville Units)
Mirasol – medium; often used in meat dishes, stews and mole sauces (2,500 – 5,000 Scoville Units)
Jalapeno – hot; can be eaten raw or added to any recipe for both heat and flavor – not for the faint of heart! (2,500 to 5,000 Scoville Units)
Habanero – extremely hot (for fire eaters only); handle with care (caution: can burn skin, cause coughing and watery eyes) (10,000 to 350,000 Scoville Units – zowie!)

P.S.
If you eat a pepper that sets your mouth on fire, don’t drink water – it will only spread the heat. Instead, eat chips, crackers, a bread type product, or a dairy food such as milk, cheese or cream cheese to put out the flames.

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