January 26, 2012
I just returned from a trip to California and can you hear what came with me? A chest cold along with laryngitis. Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) up to 20% of Americans will likely get the flu every year? When you feel achy all over and feverish, your food selections can help fortify your immune system and ramp down some of your cold and flu symptoms. Healthy food, which provides needed nutrients to your body such as vitamins and minerals, is essential for optimum function of the immune response.
Try these flu and cold fighters:
Hot Tea: all types of tea including green, black, white and red offer health benefits in the form of antioxidants. Besides feeling really good on your throat and warming your body when you have the chills, hot liquids temporarily thin out the mucus in the nose and throat. Here’s a little unexpected tip. Regular tea (not decaf) contains enough caffeine to gives you a slight energy boost when you feel so bad you don’t want to lift your head off the pillow.
When you feel chilled and achy, try this simple Spiced Orange Green Tea from the Florida Department of Citrus.
Here’s what you need:
4 ounces Florida Orange Juice
1 cinnamon stick
3 ounces green tea
Here’s what you do:
Combine the three ingredients in a saucepan and heat until steaming. You could also heat the ingredients together in a microwaveable cup until hot.
Blueberries, , potatoes, red peppers, kiwi and other vitamin C-rich foods: I bet you didn’t think about red peppers or potatoes for their Vitamin C but they are a very nice source of both vitamin C and potassium. Bake a potato quickly in the microwave when you don’t have much of an appetite. Other vitamin C-rich foods include blackberries, cherries, tomatoes, broccoli and the traditional sources you think of such as tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and strawberries.
I much prefer the whole food over a vitamin C supplement since you get the benefit of the hydrating water content as well as other vitamins and minerals in the fruit. Research has not proven that vitamin C prevents colds but it does have a role in overall immune function that in turn helps you fight off a cold and flu. By the way, 100% fruit juices provide hydration plus the benefits of vitamin C and antioxidants.
Nuts and Seeds: Surprise…your body can benefit from the nutritional star power of nuts and seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower seeds, pistachios and pecans or peanuts or walnuts to provide your body with fiber and a roll call of nutrients including folate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin E. Nuts and seeds make an easy energy and nutrient-packed snack when you don’t feel like preparing food.
Spicy foods such as hot sauce, wasabi, chili or spicy sauces help to temporarily open sinuses, relieve some congestion and perhaps help you taste the food. A bowl of chili or spicy tortilla soup with a dash of hot sauce may cause your nose to run and eyes to tear but right now, that could be a good thing. This relief helps you to breathe easier for a little while so if you’re up for it, try a little spicy food.
Want more information? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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November 18, 2011
Does diabetes run in your family? Has your blood glucose (aka blood sugar) been a little elevated? According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), approximately 35% of adults 20 and older, and 50% of adults 65 and older have pre-diabetes.
Have you heard the term pre-diabetes? It’s used to describe above-normal blood sugar levels that are not quite elevated enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Here’s the kicker: unless lifestyle changes are made such as weight loss, tweaks to the diet and more exercise, pre-diabetes typically progresses to diabetes.
But I like to focus on the good news. If you are pre-diabetic or diabetes runs in your family, you can take control now and help prevent diabetes. If you have diabetes, smart habits can reduce your blood sugar level enough that you may need less medication or none at all.
Joining me on the podcast this week to bust some diabetes myths and talk superfoods is my guest Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine.
One of the most common diabetes myths is that eating too much sugar causes diabetes. You my eat very little sugar or few sweets and still develop diabetes. Weigh gain plays a big role in diabetes and it doesn’t matter what foods you eat or drink to put on the pounds.
Diabetes Superfoods to Add to Your Diet:
Leafy greens
Nuts
Herbs and spices: particularly cinnamon, oregano and turmeric
High Fiber Foods: Susan: such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal
New research is looking at both regular consumption of caffeinated coffee and a normal blood level of vitamin D as potentially protective against diabetes.
 Be sure and try this month’s Family Circle recipe: turkey scaloppine with tarragon-mushroom sauce at the WDBO.com/healthcenter.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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November 10, 2011
Can you believe it? The holiday season is about to begin. What’s on your holiday menu? Have you started thinking about it? What about those party foods you’ll need to prepare? This year, try adding a variety of spices to your recipes. A sprinkle of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves and nutmeg or a touch of sage, rosemary and thyme can make all the difference in flavor.
Spices help develop the flavor profile of your food. And did you know that many spices may have a health benefit? The emerging science is fascinating especially when you consider that spices have antioxidant and protective properties.
A new study from researchers at Penn State, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that seasoning a high-fat meal with two tablespoons of an antioxidant-rich spice blend could enhance antioxidant defenses and reduce the body’s negative responses.
To be specific, the antioxidant-rich spice blend increased one measure of antioxidant activity in the blood by more than 13% and decreased the insulin response by about 20%.
Post-meal triglycerides also decreased by about 30 percent, compared to the meal without spices. Typically blood triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) rise after a high-fat meal is consumed and research suggests if high-fat meals are eaten frequently, your risk for heart disease increases.
These researchers suggest that the beneficial changes from the spices are likely due to the naturally-occurring plant compounds (polyphenols) that are equivalent to the amount found in a glass of red wine or blueberry juice.
Are you curious as to which spices made up the blend? I was. The spice blend included black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, ginger, oregano, paprika, rosemary and turmeric.
Did you know that one teaspoon of cinnamon contains as many antioxidants as a full cup of pomegranate juice? Cinnamon contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that may help regulate blood sugar levels. I sprinkle it on oatmeal and also toss in dried cherries or blueberries along with a few walnuts or pecans. This past weekend, I made buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes and added a pinch of cinnamon.
What do you like on a hot dog or hamburger? Did you say mustard? Do you buy the traditional bright yellow mustard? Guess what spice is in mustard? Turmeric. The golden yellow color in turmeric comes from curcumin, which is the naturally occurring phytonutrient. By the way, if you’re a curry power fan, turmeric is one of the spices in it.
Last week I made Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives out of Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. The turmeric adds flavor and gives that slightly yellow color to the dish. Health wise, studies suggest that the curcumin in turmeric may help slow or stop the development of harmful brain plaque or amyloid plaque tied to Alzheimer’s disease.
What are your favorite ways to use spices? If you want more information and a selection of recipes that contain these super spices, check out spicesforhealth.com
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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September 15, 2011
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.
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August 18, 2011
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.
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August 3, 2011
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.
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July 6, 2011
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.
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June 29, 2011
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.
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June 16, 2011
June 15, 2011
One of my favorite things about summer is that the farmers’ markets and grocery stores are overflowing with beautiful, brilliantly colored produce. From the deep reds and burgundy of red peppers and cherries to the bright orange of cantaloupe, these brilliant colors suggest a powerhouse of nutrition hidden within just waiting to help protect and nourish your body.
The synergistic effect of eating various brilliantly colored fruits and veggies is too powerful to ignore. Think of synergy as the effect of a team working together.
So you have a quick and tasty summer recipe using your favorite fruit or veggie? Tell us about it at my blog or facebook
To create some synergy on the podcast this week is my guest Regina Ragone, registered dietitian and Food Director at Family Circle magazine. We chat up the latest research/health benefits of many fruit and veggie favorites such as:
Cherries: Studies by Dr. Reiter from the University of Texas Health Science Center suggest that consuming a small handful of cherries (dried or fresh is fine) one hour before you sleep on a long flight can help increase melatonin levels and may help with both jet lag and to reset sleep cycles.
Pineapple: One cup provides128% of the recommended daily amount of manganese, an essential nutrient that helps to destroy free radicals in the body…one more way that various fruits help protect the body.
Blueberries: Often referred to as the ultimate brain food, these berries may help protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Limes: contain potential cancer-fighting properties called limonoids that remain in the bloodstream up to 24 hours after consumption of limes and other citrus.
Need a 15-minute recipe for an easy summer dinner? Check out the Family Circle recipe for Mango Chicken Salad. The recipe calls for rotisserie chicken and can be put together in no time.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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And… don’t forget you can now find our podcasts at familycircle.com, keyword ‘podcast’.
March 23, 2011
Good thing nuts are good for you because I’m a nut junkie! Are you? Walnuts, pecans, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, pine nuts…doesn’t matter, I eat and like them all.
Nuts and seeds are simple to add to your diet:
- As a snack by themselves.
- Add nuts to salads or pasta dishes. The colors of pistachios make an eye catching salad topping when combined with fresh citrus sections or sliced strawberries.
- Toss nuts in cereal and oatmeal.
- Add nuts to cookie and bread batters….toast to intensify the flavor.
- Stir nuts or pumpkin/sunflower seeds into yogurt.
Do you have favorite ways to use nuts? Share your ideas on my blog at susanmitchell.org
If your cholesterol is elevated or you’re trying to keep a lid on it because high cholesterol runs in your family, perk up for this news.
A 2010 study in the Archives of Internal Medicine pooled results from 25 trials in seven countries. The combined studies looked at almost 600 men and women with normal or high cholesterol levels but they were not taking cholesterol-lowering medications. Researchers from Loma Linda University found that the participants consuming nuts daily (about 2.4 ounces or in real world amounts…2/3 cup of walnut halves) saw an average 5% drop in total cholesterol, 7.4% decline in lousy or LDL cholesterol and 8.3% improvement in the ratio of the lousy LDL cholesterol to the healthy HDL cholesterol.
And, don’t miss this…those with high triglycerides saw levels plummet by an average of 10%. The good news for us nut eaters is that different types of nuts had similar effects.
Register for a chance to win a case of Wonderful Pistachios! Register now, and get chompin’!
Why are nuts so good for you? Here’s a little nut nutrition 101. Nuts and seeds contain a low amount of saturated fat and higher amounts of the good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated). Any idea how much cholesterol is in nuts? The answer: zero cholesterol! Cholesterol is only found in animal sources only and nuts are a plant source.
Nuts also contain protein, fiber, the antioxidants vitamin E and selenium plus naturally occurring phytonutrients. Many people tend to skip nuts and seeds because they think they’re too high in fat and calories. True, the fat and calorie content are high but the type of fat is healthy and the nutrients are beneficial.
In another 2010 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Penn State researchers found that pistachios lower lousy cholesterol (LDL) while packing a powerful antioxidant punch. Compared to many nuts, pistachios contain higher levels of antioxidants including beta-carotene, lutein, and gamma-tocopherol, which researchers think may help combat inflammation in the body.
Again, the serving size used in the research was about 1.5 ounces and the participants consumed two servings per day (10-20% of total calories). The cholesterol lowering effect plus the antioxidant benefits could help reduce cardiovascular disease beyond the benefit of just lowering LDL-cholesterol.
If you want to include nuts for their full cholesterol-busting benefits (up to 3 ounces per day), think about your calories and where you will need to make adjustments so you don’t gain weight.
Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.
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