Health And Prevention | How Big Is Your BUT? Blog - Dr. Susan Mitchell

October 6, 2011

Listeria: Preventing Food Poisoning

What are your thoughts about so many food items being recalled for contamination? Currently, grape tomatoes, ground beef and cantaloupes are several of the items recalled for bacterial contamination. Tyson Fresh Meats Inc. has recalled 131,000 pounds of ground beef for potential contamination with E. coli O157. This form of E. coli is potentially deadly. No doubt you’ve heard about the deaths resulting from cantaloupes contaminated with Listeria or what’s referred to as listeriosis.

Just what is listeriosis? A serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, listeriosis, like E. coli mentioned above is ugly and can be deadly.

So what signs should you watch for if you think you’ve consumed a tainted cantaloupe? First, and don’t miss this… it’s really important. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Listeria symptoms may not show up for up to two months so don’t forget this if you consumed a cantaloupe from the recall list and start to have any of these symptoms. Listeria bacteria can grow in the cantaloupe at room and at refrigerator temperatures.

Symptoms of listeriosis include:

Fever and muscle aches

Headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions

Diarrhea and/or other gastrointestinal symptoms

Listeriosis is an invasive infection: means the bacteria spread beyond the gastrointestinal tract.

What can you do day-in and day-out to keep yourself and your family safe from potential food poisoning resulting from E coli, Listeria or other dangerous pathogens? These recommendations from the CDC may sound silly or like no-brainers but you would be surprised how many people do not follow proper sanitation when they touch or handle food.

Wash raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking. Even if the produce will be peeled, still wash it.

Scrub firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush.

Dry the produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Separate uncooked meats and poultry from vegetables and fruit, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods.

Wash hands, knives, countertops, and cutting boards with hot, soapy water after handling and preparing uncooked foods and raw produce.

Obtain a refrigerator thermometer and check the temperature. The refrigerator should be 40°F or lower and the freezer 0°F or lower.

Clean regularly the inside walls and shelves of your refrigerator with hot water and liquid soap, then rinse.

Cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry to a safe internal temperature. For a list of recommended temperatures for meat and poultry, visit the safe minimum cooking temperatures chart at FoodSafety.gov.

Forget about relying on the color or look of meat to tell you if it’s done. A look-see is not accurate at all. If you don’t have a food thermometer, get one. It’s one of the best investments you can make and the only way to know the real temperature.

Check out this quick video on ways to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning. Let these tips become part of your routine every time you touch food!

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (1)

September 22, 2011

It’s Football Time! Perfect for a Beer-Cheese Pairing

Hi Everyone! It’s football time in Tennessee! To me, there’s nothing like SEC football. Who’s your favorite team? Recently, I was giving a talk on food trends and the popularity of beer and cheese pairings. What goes better with football than beer and cheese?

So, I thought you might enjoy reading about these pairings too. The simple fact is that cheese and beer are perfect partners. Think about the undertones or flavors of beer and cheese…earthy, yeasty, musty, fruity, toasty and floral.

They combine in a way that wine and cheese cannot:

1. Wheat beer with goat cheese: Wheat beers such as Boulevard Brewing Co. Unfiltered Wheat are full of high notes, like a fruity note, and are often light bodied so pair them with goat cheese that brings about balance. Wheat beer also pairs nicely with an earthy tomato basil cheese (Cabot has a good one). Add olive bread for a Mediterranean flair.

2. Pilsner (Lager) with short-aged Gouda: As opposed to ales, lager beers are traditionally aged longer. The American light beers we all know well (Budweiser, Miller, Shiner Bock) are descendants of the German pilsner. Pilsners are typically deep golden or yellow in color with a dry, somewhat bitter taste

For your cheese selection, choose one that has hint of fruit and sweetness to offset the dryness of the beer. You don’t want a cheese that is too strong, since it could overpower the beer’s more delicate flavor. Try a gouda cheese that has been aged less than four or five years and serve with honey wheat pretzels.

3. Stout with blue cheese: Stouts (such as Guinness or Maduro oatmeal brown ale out of Tampa) are dark brown to pitch-black Ales. Stouts which range in taste from very sweet to bone dry are enormously popular among US craft brewers and lovers/the drinkers of craft/artisan brews.

Pairing a stout with cheese can be tricky due to it’s bitter, cocoa like flavor, which can overwhelm even strong cheese. Go with creamy, pungent soft-ripened cheese such as blues or seriously sharp cheddar cheese and serve with a hearty whole wheat or rye bread.

So tell me what beer and cheese pairings you try at your next get together. It’s going to be a fun football season.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

September 15, 2011

Crave Chocolate More Than Sex?

My daily treat is dark chocolate. Ok, so I never met a chocolate I don’t like. What about you? What’s your favorite? I’m always excited to hear nutrition news that reports on chocolate’s potential health benefits. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal was a systematic review of seven studies on chocolate specifically looking at the association between chocolate consumption and the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders (think heart disease and stroke, diabetes and metabolic syndrome).

By the way, these studies did not differentiate between dark and milk chocolate. The results found that a higher level of chocolate consumption was associated with about a one third reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke risk as compared to a lower chocolate intake.

What does this mean? Eating chocolate in reasonable amounts does not seem to be problematic but may in fact be helpful in reducing overall risk. What’s in the chocolate that has this effect? Or is it chocolate in combination with a healthy diet?

Another study in Chemistry Central Journal found that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants (polyphenols and flavanols), just like wine, grape juice and most fruit. Do these antioxidants in chocolate, wine and fruit have a specific beneficial action in the human body versus the plant itself? This is the question that many researchers want to the answer to.

Research indicates that the flavanols (antioxidants) in cocoa may have heart health benefits that include improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure and lowered production of the lousy or LDL cholesterol. In addition to the flavanols found in cocoa, dark chocolate also contains other nutrients including iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and fiber.

The caveat here is that the nutritional profile can be significantly hindered by the addition of less healthy ingredients such as too much sugar (most all chocolate will have some sugar to counteract the bitter pure cocoa flavor), trans fat or hydrogenated fat, butter oil, coconut or palm oil, or even milk fat.

So it’s up to you to be the label sleuth and look at the Nutrition Facts label and also closely read the ingredient list. The longer the ingredient list, the more likely it is that added items will take away from the cocoa’s potential health benefits.

Dark chocolate can be enjoyed without the guilt as long as you don’t forget that chocolate contain fat and calories so you must be prepared to burn off the calories so they don’t end up on your backside.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

August 25, 2011

Are Germs Lurking in Your Lunch?

Did you hear that a study from the University of Texas published in the journal Pediatrics tested over 700 lunches belonging to preschoolers and found that 98% of the perishable products such as meats, vegetables and dairy products were in the unsafe temperature zone or rather the zone for growing bacteria? This danger zone is from 40-140 degrees so room temperature falls in this range.

What does this mean? If you’re packing lunches and they remain at room temperature for over two hours the food may become a breeding ground for bacteria. It’s a must-do to include a couple of cold packs and freeze items such as grapes, juice packs or bottles of water that will thaw as the day wears on. All of these tricks matter when it comes to keeping food safe.

Let’s scrub up on food safety:

1. If your children or you take a packed lunch, first find out if there is an option to put the lunch in a refrigerator. If not, the best lunch box choice is one that’s insulated plus will hold several cold packs. Cold packs tucked around the perishable items sounds like overkill but it’s the safe way to go. Freezing items such as grapes and juice boxes also helps keep perishable items cold. What items do you freeze?

2. What about preventing food poisoning at home with produce you purchase for lunches? Wash fruit and veggies when you bring them home BEFORE they go in the refrigerator or fruit bowl. Why? Salmonella and other bacteria can be on the outside of your cantaloupe or kiwi and will contaminate the fruit when you bite or cut into it.

3. When you walk in your kitchen to make lunch for the kids or yourself or when you eat lunch at work for that matter, the first thing to do is wash your hands. You would think washing hands is a no-brainer but you’d be surprised how many people use their computer keyboard, cell phone, TV remote or other items known to be covered with bacteria and then touch food. This is a very easy way to cross contaminate or spread germs from one item to something else. Use a hand sanitizer if a sink isn’t available. No need to become germ phobic just be smart about what you do and you lower the risk that anyone gets sick.

As we’re getting ready for fall schedules, last weekend I made a batch of Banana, Date & Walnut Muffins and put them in the freezer. Some of my college roommates are coming for a visit and I want to have some breakfast and snack muffins on hand. The muffins are naturally sweet from the dates and bananas and make a nice lunch box treat.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

August 18, 2011

Avocados: All that and more!

Suffering from an unfair bad boy reputation, avocados are plentiful right now and their nutrition credentials are impressive. Did you know that the avocado is considered a fruit? It’s in same family as cinnamon and bay laurel. California, Florida and Mexico lead the world in production.

South Florida grows an avocado called the Lite or SlimCado, which contains one third fewer calories and 50% less fat. According to an article on palmbeachpost.com, the SlimCado contains less fat due to the natural effects of Florida’s humid climate than the familiar Hass avocado grown in California.

But remember, the Florida avocado is quite a bit larger than its California cousin so your total portion still matters. The Florida avocado is a brighter green large fruit with a smooth skin while the California Hass is smaller with a dark green, pebble-looking skin.

My husband brought a SlimCado home from the market last weekend. It was not quite ripe (still hard to the touch) so I put it in a brown paper bag with a banana and it ripened in about two days.

The banana emits ethylene gas, which speeds the ripening process. You could put the avocado in the paper bag by itself but the days to ripen would be a little longer.

Let’s take a closer look at the creamy, buttery, smooth tasting avocado. It’s true, the avocado contains a fair amount of fat…but the majority of the fat is monounsaturated like you find in peanut, olive and canola oil plus it contains some polyunsaturated fat. These two types of unsaturated fat are considered the smart, heart healthy types of fat to add to the diet while cutting back on the much less healthy saturated fat and trans fat.

On fourth of an avocado contains only about 80 calories with five grams of monounsaturated fat and three grams of fiber. You’re also treated to a laundry list of healthful vitamins including C, K, and folate.

Avocados with their bright green flesh contain a bevy of carotenoids (remember these are naturally occurring nutrients that act as antioxidants) including beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin. Plus newer studies have indentified some lesser known but equally as important carotenoids such as alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin (sounds like something out of Star Wars).

I’m a big fan of all avocados for they pair well with a wide variety of food. Slice them for salad and sandwich toppers, to include in quesadillas, and to make guacamole. Cube some for your salsa too and serve along side fish. Layer it on Swiss cheese for a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.

I’ll slice an avocado along with fresh heirloom tomatoes and a couple slices of fresh mozzarella cheese for a quick and healthy salad for lunch or a light dinner. Drizzle with a little basil-infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar and that’s it. Mm mm!

If you don’t have time to make fresh guacamole, try one of my favorites, Wholly Guacamole. We find it in 3-packs at Costco and keep it in the freezer. Also check out the California Avocado Commission for some delicious and easy to prepare recipes.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

August 3, 2011

Focus on These Foods to Help Protect Your Eyes

August 3, 2011

Did you know that age-related macular degeneration, aka AMD, is the leading cause of vision loss as you get older? Do you have friends or family members who are losing their vision?

Perhaps they’ve been diagnosed with AMD, which affects the central vision and results in significant vision loss or even blindness. Spots, referred to as blind spots, cloud this central vision making it very difficult to see faces clearly, read and drive. And don’t miss this. If you have a family history of AMD, are female or white…all three increase your risk.

What if you can add certain foods to your diet NOW to help prevent AMD down the road? Data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (known as AREDS) reported in the May 2009 issue of the journal Ophthalmology found that participants whose diets were high in certain nutrients including vitamin E and C, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fats had the lowest risks of age-related macular degeneration.

Other studies suggest that a diet consisting of more low-glycemic foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils and whole grains as examples) and less high glycemic foods such as candy, desserts, and sweetened drinks results in a lower risk for AMD.

In case you’re wondering how refined or processed foods, which are typically high on the glycemic index affect vision, here is what scientists currently believe. High-GI foods cause a rapid increase and decline in blood glucose levels as opposed to low-GI foods that raise blood glucose more slowly.

The rapid rise in blood glucose may damage the macula or part of the retina, which provides detailed central vision. The good news is that the certain nutrients just mentioned above seem to help protect your eyes from AMD.

Consider making these foods a staple in your diet.

Citrus fruits, kiwi, berries, potatoes, tomatoes: Vitamin C
Nuts (walnuts have fats that convert to omega-3s in the body): Zinc, Vitamin E and healthy fats
Red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products: zinc
Dark green leafy veggies such as broccoli, spinach, kale plus yellow foods such as corn and egg yolks: carotenoids: lutein
and zeaxanthin.
Cold-water fish like salmon or canned tuna: omega-3 fats

For more information on eye health, check out the National Eye Institute http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/index.asp.

The good news is that all the foods mentioned above are not only beneficial for eye health but for your total body health.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

July 21, 2011

Pesto and Pizza: A Perfect Duo

July 20, 2011

It’s so hot here in Florida that I want to use my herbs before the summer heat bakes them. I have a bumper crop of basil so decided to make fresh pesto to use on pizza instead of traditional tomato sauce.

Martha Stewart has a simple recipe that I like and have adapted in different ways based on the nuts and cheeses that I have on hand. Typically I also use more basil and less olive oil.

Basically pesto is a finely blended combination of pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, Parmesan and/or Romano cheeses, garlic and good quality olive oil. The word pesto means ‘pounded’ or ‘crushed’.

All of the ingredients except the olive oil go into the food processor, which you process until finely chopped. The oil is then slowly poured thru the food tube with the processor running to blend the oil with the other ingredients. That’s it.

I have used walnuts and pistachios or a mixture of both in place of pine nuts, which produces a robust and flavorful pesto.

Toast your nuts of choice for more intense flavor. This is easy to do. Just place them in a skillet on the stove over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn and be sure to stir or toss a few times. If you want to toast nuts in the micro or the oven, check out these tips from The University of Nebraska.

Basil is one of the easy-to-grow herbs and production overflows in the summer. Give basil morning sun, afternoon shade, and don’t let it dry out. I grow basil in a pot so it’s easy to move around to shady spots.

If you don’t want to grow your own, look for fresh cut basil at farmers’ markets and in the grocery most of the year. The leaves should be bright green and not wilting. Place the stems in water and top with a plastic bag or wrap basil in paper towel and put in a plastic bag. Either way, keep basil in the fridge and it will last about a week.

Once you make fresh pesto, it keeps for about 4-5 days so plan to use it in several ways. You can press plastic wrap on the top of the pesto to help retain the beautiful green color and then store it in the fridge.

Use the basil pesto as the base for your pizza…it’s fabulous. But also toss it with pasta and roasted veggies. I roast purple onion, yellow squash and grape tomatoes while I cook whole grain pasta and then toss both with the basil pesto. Delicious and so easy! What’s your favorite way to use pesto?

Want more on pesto? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

July 13, 2011

Instant Gratification with Time-Crunched Meals

July 13, 2011

So you’re trying to eat more fresh foods that are less processed. You’re preparing some meals ahead or making meals that do double duty. But on some days even make-ahead meals never happen. What to do?

This week on my podcast, Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine joins me as we share some of our favorite quick-fix items that don’t sacrifice on taste or nutrition. We’re not spokespersons for these products, we just like them.

And… don’t forget you can now find our podcasts at familycircle.com, keyword ‘podcast’.

1. Rustic Crust’s Great Grain Pizza Crust ($3) and Old World Pizza Sauce (3 packs/$4), you can get dinner on the table in less than half an hour (often faster than pizza delivery!).

Regina suggests topping the pizza with your favorite low-fat cheese blend and then piling on plenty of veggies. Make an extra pizza for leftovers…it’s good hot or cold.

2. Brush some ColavitaBalsamic Glaze ($7.50) on chicken breasts or pork chops during the last minute of cooking for a sweet, caramelized coating. Or step up steamed vegetables with a light drizzle of Lucini’s Robust Garlic-Infused Extra-Virgin Olive Oil ($16).

Also toss the garlic infused oil with potatoes. I use a lemon-infused on my salads regularly along with balsamic vinegar.

3. Enjoy one of the newest better-for-you frozen microwave dinners. Regina says that time and again their staff turns to Kashi’s Frozen Entrees ($4). Their current top three are Lemongrass Coconut Chicken, Mayan Harvest Bake and Chicken Florentine. Each meal boasts Kashi’s famous 7 whole-grain pilaf plus fresh vegetables, for a great-tasting, high-fiber, low-fat meal.

Watch for sales and put a few extra in your freezer. When you’re schedule changes at the last minute, which often happens, you’re prepared.

4. Having an ice cream craving? Try Arctic Zero a frozen treat made from whey protein that’s like eating a frozen protein shake with only 150 calorie per pint…yes, I said pint. ($4.49-4.99)

This is the perfect option if you have family members or friends who are diabetic, follow a gluten-free diet or you just want a frozen ice cream-like treat that’s creamy but without all the fat and calories. My current favorites are Maple Vanilla and Cookie & Cream.

5. Looking for meatless options? Dr. Praeger’s burgers contain no fillers or egg products—just fresh vegetables. Regina loves the California, Bombay, Tex Mex and Italian Veggie Burgers (4/$5), stacked high with lettuce and tomatoes on a whole-wheat Arnold reduced-sodium Sandwich Thin.

Add a Dr. Praeger Sweet Potato or Spinach Pancake (6/$4) and you’ve hit your veggie requirement for the day.

Be sure and try the recipe for Burrito Casserole. You can make the assemble up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Leave out on counter for 15 minutes before putting in oven.

It takes on 15 minutes to put this casserole together. Depending on the size of your family, you may have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Want more details? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

July 6, 2011

Blueberries and Brain Benefits

July 6, 2011

Last weekend fresh blueberries were a deal at my grocery so I bought 3 containers. On Sunday I made Blueberry-Maple Muffins. This is a recipe from EatingWell magazine that I’ve had for probably five years and my family devours them.

Blueberry-Maple Muffins

See the recipe

Courtesy: EatingWell: Summer 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

Whole-wheat flour and flaxseeds give these maple syrup-sweetened blueberry muffins a delicious, nutty flavor. Compared to a traditional version of the recipe, they have four times the dietary fiber and substitute healthful monounsaturated fat (canola oil) for saturated fat (butter).

12 muffins | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1/5 cup whole flaxseeds
1 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.
Grind flaxseeds in a spice mill (such as a clean coffee grinder) or dry blender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend. Whisk eggs and maple syrup in a medium bowl until smooth. Add buttermilk, oil, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla; whisk until blended.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with sugar.
Bake the muffins until the tops are golden brown and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen edges and turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

Nutrition Per muffin : 208 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 36 mg Cholesterol; 31 g Carbohydrates; 6 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 184 mg Sodium; 149 mg Potassium

From start to finish you can bake up a dozen muffins in an hour and I typically double the recipe so there are leftovers to freeze. The hint of orange citrus combined with the blueberries gives off a comforting aroma as the muffins bake. Nothing like the scent of homemade bread or muffins….can you smell them?

You can use frozen blueberries when fresh ones are not in season. Plus I’ve used both lime and lemon zest and juice. At about 200 calories per muffin, it sure beats the 300-400 calorie content of many muffins.

Blueberry’s benefits:

84 calories per cup

4 grams of fiber

Good source of vitamins C and K plus the mineral manganese

Rich in antioxidants

So, add those blueberries to your cereal, smoothies, muffins, yogurt and salads!
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

June 29, 2011

Agave Syrup…How Sweet is It?

Agave nectar, also called agave syrup, is a sweetener from the agave plant, which is a Mexican succulent like a cactus. Agave juice is collected from the plant and then filtered and processed to break down the carbohydrates into sugars. The result is the popular syrup.

So agave is a processed sweetener, less processed than some and more processed than others, but still processed as most sweeteners are. Some companies process agave using organic standards.

Agave contains inulin, a more complex form of fructose thus making fructose the main sweetener. Sugar and agave have approximately the same number of calories….about 16 per teaspoon. Agave is sweeter than sugar so you could save a few calories by the amount you use.

Popular for its delicate taste, agave is used in desserts as well as to sweeten teas and health drinks. Plus, it’s a trendy sugar alternative frequently used in cocktails. The darker agave syrup is good on pancakes or waffles.

Agave is one more caloric sweetener choice in the ‘added sugars’ category that already includes honey, maple syrup, sugar, raw sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. The word ‘sugars’ refers to all of them.

Here’s an interesting bit of trivia. Previously I’ve mentioned the antioxidant content of spices such as cinnamon and ginger. Well, a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association looked at the antioxidant content of various sweeteners and found that sugar, high fructose corn syrup and agave have minimal antioxidant activity while dark and blackstrap molasses had the highest antioxidant activity with maples syrup, brown sugar and honey coming in somewhere in the middle.

Is agave better for you than any other sweetener such as sugar, maple syrup or honey? Agave is promoted as a low glycemic alterative for diabetics. Is it? If you’re diabetic or have friends or family members who are, you don’t want to miss this. Sugar is technically called sucrose, which is composed of 50% fructose and 50% glucose when it is broken down in the body.

Agave varies in its fructose content with a range from 55% up to 90% or more. It all depends on the agave vendor and processing method used that can affect the fructose content. Agave nectar with 55% fructose is about the same as high fructose corn syrup so don’t miss this…there would be no benefit in agave with 55% fructose over sugar, high fructose corn syrup, brown sugar or honey from the standpoint of composition and utilization by the body, only taste and personal preference.

The reason you hear agave nectar touted as safer for diabetics is that a higher fructose composition typically doesn’t cause dangerous spikes in blood glucose. Currently, we don’t have clinical studies as it regards agave’s safety in diabetes. Unless there is a label stating the exact percentage of fructose in the agave nectar, it can range as we just talked about from 55% up. So if you are diabetic, your blood glucose may or may not be spiked…all depending on how much fructose is in the particular agave product consumed and your particular case of diabetes.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast

Comments (0)

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »

October 6, 2011

September 22, 2011

September 15, 2011

August 25, 2011

August 18, 2011

August 3, 2011

July 21, 2011

July 13, 2011

July 6, 2011

June 29, 2011

Tag Index