As many of my peers are new mothers, the question of how to avoid the 'fussy eater' is often posed in my direction, and while there is no single formula which fits all children, I thought it might be useful to you if I shared what I know on the topic ...
Over 3 years ago, a friend and I drove to Star Valley to hear the Dalai Lama speak. It was, of course, one of those memorable days, but there was one thing he said in particular which I have never forgotten, and often quoted. A parent in the audience asked what she could do to encourage her child to be a 'good being'. She felt that she had taught him right from wrong, cruel from kind etc ... but wanted to know if there was anything that His Holiness would recommend she did so that she could be certain to send him on his way through life as a good, kind person. The Dalai Lama's response was short and to the point. While he acknowledged and praised the woman for what she had already taught her child, he said that the most important thing you can do as a parent is to be a good person yourself. That's right, to teach by example. He reiterated that you can go blue in the face by 'telling' your children what to do and how to do it, but that at the end of the day, they will do as you do.
I believe this is as true in the kitchen. There is no way that your toddler is going to chow down on a bowl full of Brussels sprouts if he has never seen you eat them. And how much less attractive can you make a vegetable than by boiling it to death, telling him it's too hot to touch, and then bribing him by saying that if he eats one more mouthful of it, he can have the longed-for dessert? I truly think that most of the time, encouraging your toddler to eat healthily is as much a behavioral act as a nutritional one.
So - to start from scratch, here are my top tips:
• Offer your child a selection of healthy snacks and meals from a young age - this helps them develop a willingness to try new foods, and a taste for the healthier options.
• Let your child TOUCH, smell and explore the food. Seriously. I've seen so many mothers hermetically seal up their toddlers clothes in fear of stains, sit opposite their child with a long plastic spoon, and carefully tip the slightly extraordinary looking mush into their child’s mouth, only to become frustrated when their poor child starts turning his head or spitting to try and exert some level of independence in the matter. It is vital that these little people feel that they are part of the eating process - they very soon will be - and they must be allowed to experiment with these new foods in order to become comfortable enough to eat them. Yes, even when they’re 9 months old, let them touch and play with the food, even if you need to help steer it into their mouths.
• Keep the colors and shapes of the food as varied and inventive as you can. I have been known to craft sailing boats and houses out of various vegetables!
• Never assume that your child doesn't like something after not wanting to eat it the first, second or even third time. Toddlers often need to get used to the look, smell and feel of the food before they will try it, so despite not actually eating it, every time it is served at a meal they become more accustomed to it as a food and closer to eating it.
• Ideally, introduce new foods with old favorites - for example, if he hasn't eaten fish, try offering it in his favorite sauce, or with his favorite side (cream cheese works wonders in our house, as does peanut butter as an accompaniment to celery!)
• Have a selection of healthy foods for snack time ... no toddler will choose a mandarin over an Oreo cookie, but if the Oreo cookie is not an option, the mandarin will be fought over! In our house, I'm all about my little guy eating when he's hungry as I really want him to listen to his internal cues, but if it's between meals, the options are always fruits, vegetables or cheese (with the odd goldfish thrown in there for good measure)!
• Try not to use sweet treats as a bribe - these infer that what you are trying to get your toddler to eat is widely-acknowledged as being less desirable than the chocolate cookie you're dangling at the 'clean-plate-finish-post'!
• And finally - the way to make a food look its most desirable is to eat it YOURSELF. Have you ever looked jealously across the restaurant table at a friend's meal? How often have you pleaded with someone else 'just to taste it'? Often, it's not what we have in front of us that we want, but what we don't have in front of us. The same is true of the toddler, and to illustrate this, just this morning, my son and I baked oatmeal and raisin cookies together. After licking the bowl, he exclaimed like the demanding 2 year old he is, that he 'must have a cookie NOW mummy'. I explained that he could have one after lunch. After lunch, I duly handed him a cookie, and grabbed an apple for myself. He took a bite of his cookie and left the rest untouched, finishing my rather over-sized Granny Smith apple unaided! (And yes, the cookies were delicious in case you were dubiously wondering about our combined baking skills!)
I hope this helps. I do acknowledge that some parents have a hell of a tough time with this area of life, and it can be frustrating and upsetting to no end (especially when you have slaved over the kitchen stove only to have it thrown unceremoniously to the floor by your toddler as he demands mac and cheese for the 5th night in a row ... we have ALL been there!). I guess my main message is not to assume that just because the restaurant chefs restrict the kid menu to chicken nuggets and pizza, you should too. (And as a post-note, I'm all about asking for a kids portion of regular menu item - I mean seriously, why not?! I vote for giving our children's taste-buds the benefit of the doubt).
If any of you are looking for a great stock of toddler-friendly recipes, I recommend 'Baby & Toddler Meal Planner' by Annabel Karmel ... we still use this, and I often feed the whole family from it which is part of its beauty!
Have fun, and let your creative juices flow!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Gluten-Free Fad.
If there's one topic I can honestly say I'm asked most about, it is the gluten-free phenomenon which has swept both the media and the grocery-aisles at increasing levels over the last few years. It is no secret that gluten intolerance has grown over the past decades (an intolerance is a digestive-system response to a food rather than an immune-response), but should everyone really go 'gluten-free' to be healthy?
I think not ... and I have to admit that as an individual who is (unfortunately) 'gluten-intolerant', it frustrates me to no end that the connotation of having to live gluten-free has become mangled with the words 'weight-loss', 'diet' and 'healthy' by the media, making those of us inflicted by this condition look like we are following the latest fad, when in fact, it is following us!
So - first things first. Why is gluten-intolerance on the rise? There seem to be 3 schools of thought on this:
1. Over the years, the harvesting practices of grains, mostly wheat, have been 'improved' and refined to increase yield, and it is believed that in this process, some of their properties have changed, morphing them from the original gluten-containing grains our digestive systems are used to.
2. Wheat, the most common gluten-containing grain, has become such a constant in the Western world that our intake far exceeds what it used to. Think about it: bread, bagels, muffins, cereals (hot and cold), cakes, pasta (including lasgana, macaroni and cheese etc), flour tortillas, crackers, salad dressing ... the list goes on and on and on ... all include wheat, and we haven't even touched on the other gluten-containing grains: rye, barley and triticale. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, we are literally bombarding our bodies with gluten, unless you are consciously avoiding it.
3. And finally, the explanation described by the Feb 2010 edition of Environmental Nutrition (yes, another reference to this periodical!) is that gluten and grains have been introduced relatively recently into the human diet, so we do not digest them effectively....
OK, ok, enough with the philosophizing ... let’s get to the point. Should you, or should you not, avoid gluten? The bones of the matter is this: if you do not feel any ill-effects from eating wheat-filled foods, I don't believe you should avoid gluten as part of a weight-loss push. If you are able to digest gluten effectively, the reason a 'gluten-free' diet may help you lose weight is nothing to do with eliminating gluten, but 100% due to the fact that you will be eliminating the majority of refined carbs from your diet, and this simple fact will most likely reduce your calorie intake. If you look at the (incomplete) list of gluten-containing foods above, you will understand that eliminating all these from your diet will most likely support some weight-loss! However, there are plenty of nutrition-benefits from whole-grains, including those that contain gluten, and eliminating these in favor of their often more-processed 'gluten-free' counterparts is not always a health-conscious choice.
However, should you suffer from negative effects of gluten, whether that be full-blown Celiac Disease or just a noticeable level of bloating, gas or abdominal pain, digestive upsets, energy challenges or unexplained weight loss or weight gain, then avoiding gluten might well be the answer. Enjoying alternative grains such as millet, amaranth, quinoa and brown rices can help fill the void, as can the plethora of gluten-free products which are now in the markets (although Shelley Case, RD, and gluten-free nutrition expert, does caution in the Environmental Nutrition article that gluten-free products can contain more sugars and fats than expected, and they are often not enriched with vitamins and minerals like the wheat products ... so don't go and buy out the entire gluten-free aisle without some sort of ingredient check!).
For people diagnosed with Celiac Disease, eating a gluten-fee diet is imperative, because even the smallest amount of gluten provokes an immune response which in turn causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be absorbed properly. And because Celiac Disease is considered the most under diagnosed disease in America, I feel that this blog is incomplete without listing its symptoms (again, taken from the Feb 2010 Environmental Nutrition publication):
- Recurring bloating, gas or abdominal pain
- Chronic diarrhea, constipation or both
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Pale, foul-smelling stool
- Unexplained anemia
- Bone or Joint pain
- Behavior changes, depression, irritability
- Vitamin K deficiency
- Fatigue, weakeness or lack of energy
- Delayed growth or onset of puberty
- Failure to thrive (in infants)
- Missed menstrual periods
- Infertility (male and female)
- Spontaneous miscarriages
- Canker sores inside the mouth
- Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
If you can related to some of these symptoms, you have a couple of options; you can either adopt a gluten-free diet for a trial period (such as 3 weeks) to see if it gives you relief, or you can talk to your doctor about a more specific test for this condition (though it's worthy to note that in many cases, your diet must include gluten to ensure accurate results).
Regardless of which side of the fence you fall, please, please don't assume that when someone says they avoid gluten, they are just enforcing the latest fad-diet on your dinner-party menu. Gluten-containing foods are delicious, and I for one, wish to hell I could enjoy them to the max!
I think not ... and I have to admit that as an individual who is (unfortunately) 'gluten-intolerant', it frustrates me to no end that the connotation of having to live gluten-free has become mangled with the words 'weight-loss', 'diet' and 'healthy' by the media, making those of us inflicted by this condition look like we are following the latest fad, when in fact, it is following us!
So - first things first. Why is gluten-intolerance on the rise? There seem to be 3 schools of thought on this:
1. Over the years, the harvesting practices of grains, mostly wheat, have been 'improved' and refined to increase yield, and it is believed that in this process, some of their properties have changed, morphing them from the original gluten-containing grains our digestive systems are used to.
2. Wheat, the most common gluten-containing grain, has become such a constant in the Western world that our intake far exceeds what it used to. Think about it: bread, bagels, muffins, cereals (hot and cold), cakes, pasta (including lasgana, macaroni and cheese etc), flour tortillas, crackers, salad dressing ... the list goes on and on and on ... all include wheat, and we haven't even touched on the other gluten-containing grains: rye, barley and triticale. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to bed, we are literally bombarding our bodies with gluten, unless you are consciously avoiding it.
3. And finally, the explanation described by the Feb 2010 edition of Environmental Nutrition (yes, another reference to this periodical!) is that gluten and grains have been introduced relatively recently into the human diet, so we do not digest them effectively....
OK, ok, enough with the philosophizing ... let’s get to the point. Should you, or should you not, avoid gluten? The bones of the matter is this: if you do not feel any ill-effects from eating wheat-filled foods, I don't believe you should avoid gluten as part of a weight-loss push. If you are able to digest gluten effectively, the reason a 'gluten-free' diet may help you lose weight is nothing to do with eliminating gluten, but 100% due to the fact that you will be eliminating the majority of refined carbs from your diet, and this simple fact will most likely reduce your calorie intake. If you look at the (incomplete) list of gluten-containing foods above, you will understand that eliminating all these from your diet will most likely support some weight-loss! However, there are plenty of nutrition-benefits from whole-grains, including those that contain gluten, and eliminating these in favor of their often more-processed 'gluten-free' counterparts is not always a health-conscious choice.
However, should you suffer from negative effects of gluten, whether that be full-blown Celiac Disease or just a noticeable level of bloating, gas or abdominal pain, digestive upsets, energy challenges or unexplained weight loss or weight gain, then avoiding gluten might well be the answer. Enjoying alternative grains such as millet, amaranth, quinoa and brown rices can help fill the void, as can the plethora of gluten-free products which are now in the markets (although Shelley Case, RD, and gluten-free nutrition expert, does caution in the Environmental Nutrition article that gluten-free products can contain more sugars and fats than expected, and they are often not enriched with vitamins and minerals like the wheat products ... so don't go and buy out the entire gluten-free aisle without some sort of ingredient check!).
For people diagnosed with Celiac Disease, eating a gluten-fee diet is imperative, because even the smallest amount of gluten provokes an immune response which in turn causes damage to the small intestine and does not allow food to be absorbed properly. And because Celiac Disease is considered the most under diagnosed disease in America, I feel that this blog is incomplete without listing its symptoms (again, taken from the Feb 2010 Environmental Nutrition publication):
- Recurring bloating, gas or abdominal pain
- Chronic diarrhea, constipation or both
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- Pale, foul-smelling stool
- Unexplained anemia
- Bone or Joint pain
- Behavior changes, depression, irritability
- Vitamin K deficiency
- Fatigue, weakeness or lack of energy
- Delayed growth or onset of puberty
- Failure to thrive (in infants)
- Missed menstrual periods
- Infertility (male and female)
- Spontaneous miscarriages
- Canker sores inside the mouth
- Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
If you can related to some of these symptoms, you have a couple of options; you can either adopt a gluten-free diet for a trial period (such as 3 weeks) to see if it gives you relief, or you can talk to your doctor about a more specific test for this condition (though it's worthy to note that in many cases, your diet must include gluten to ensure accurate results).
Regardless of which side of the fence you fall, please, please don't assume that when someone says they avoid gluten, they are just enforcing the latest fad-diet on your dinner-party menu. Gluten-containing foods are delicious, and I for one, wish to hell I could enjoy them to the max!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
... a final few words on High Blood Pressure.
The morning after I wrote my last blog, I received my most recent publication of 'Environmental Nutrition', which coincidentally has a long article on the most effective 'diet' for optimal heart health and blood pressure.
With the risk of flogging a dead horse, I just wanted to highlight the results of the OmniHeart Trial which is the most recent study in this area (though not exactly 'new'; its results were published in November 2005). In addition to the recommendations listed in my previous blog, it is interesting to know that the most successful diet in this trial to reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number!), LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides (blood fat linked to heart-disease), was that which had a higher amount of protein and unsaturated fats.
Now, before you run to McDonalds, I have to stress that the protein used in this study was primarily from plant sources (beans, legumes, nuts and seeds) ... but according to this research, plant protein and unsaturated fat (think: nuts, seeds, plant oils, fish and avocados) can positively affect blood pressure and lipid levels, thereby possibly reducing cardiovascular disease risk. In fact, the article in EN states that the cholesterol-lowering effects of this diet were comparably as efficient as prescription statin drugs; a reason that there should be a dietary component in any treatment plan for heart protection?!
So increase your intake of those plant proteins and oils too, and to help you get started, here is a recipe for my most favorite 'energy' bars which are rich in plant foods and a delicious start to the day when breakfast looks like it's going to be shelved in favor of reaching school/work/the ski slopes in time!
Muesli Breakfast Bars
I have adapted this recipe (quite drastically!) from one I found in the Mayo Clinic’s 2005 cookbook. These bars are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a healthy snack, and as far as I can tell, are liked by both adults and kids! (Muesli is a German word meaning ‘mixture’ and these bars are based on the original breakfast cereal which combines oats with dried fruit and nuts.)
They are gluten-free, dairy-free and wheat-free.
Makes 24 bars.
• 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup soy flour (any flour will work – whole wheat/rice etc. but soy flour has a higher protein content)
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup sliced/flaked almonds, toasted (or any other nut eg. Pecan if almond-sensitive)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (or any other nut eg. Hazelnut if walnut-sensitive)
• ½ cup dried apples, chopped (try and find them without added sulfites)
• ¼ cup raisins (sulfite-free)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (sulfite-free)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark honey or blue agave sweetener
• ½ cup organic unsalted peanut butter (I used the crunchy texture, but either will work. Use cashew butter if sensitive to peanuts – you might need to add a little olive oil to this if it is on the dry side)
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, ground flaxseed, almonds, walnuts, apples, raisins, cranberries and salt. Stir well to blend, and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together the honey, peanut butter, and olive oil over medium heat until well blended. Do not let the mixture boil. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Add the warm honey mixture to the dry ingredients and stir quickly until well combined. The mixture should be sticky but not wet.
5. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Press firmly to remove any air pockets. Bake just until the edges begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces and leave in pan until totally cool.
6. Remove bars from pan and store in airtight containers in the fridge.
With the risk of flogging a dead horse, I just wanted to highlight the results of the OmniHeart Trial which is the most recent study in this area (though not exactly 'new'; its results were published in November 2005). In addition to the recommendations listed in my previous blog, it is interesting to know that the most successful diet in this trial to reduce systolic blood pressure (the top number!), LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides (blood fat linked to heart-disease), was that which had a higher amount of protein and unsaturated fats.
Now, before you run to McDonalds, I have to stress that the protein used in this study was primarily from plant sources (beans, legumes, nuts and seeds) ... but according to this research, plant protein and unsaturated fat (think: nuts, seeds, plant oils, fish and avocados) can positively affect blood pressure and lipid levels, thereby possibly reducing cardiovascular disease risk. In fact, the article in EN states that the cholesterol-lowering effects of this diet were comparably as efficient as prescription statin drugs; a reason that there should be a dietary component in any treatment plan for heart protection?!
So increase your intake of those plant proteins and oils too, and to help you get started, here is a recipe for my most favorite 'energy' bars which are rich in plant foods and a delicious start to the day when breakfast looks like it's going to be shelved in favor of reaching school/work/the ski slopes in time!
Muesli Breakfast Bars
I have adapted this recipe (quite drastically!) from one I found in the Mayo Clinic’s 2005 cookbook. These bars are perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a healthy snack, and as far as I can tell, are liked by both adults and kids! (Muesli is a German word meaning ‘mixture’ and these bars are based on the original breakfast cereal which combines oats with dried fruit and nuts.)
They are gluten-free, dairy-free and wheat-free.
Makes 24 bars.
• 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup soy flour (any flour will work – whole wheat/rice etc. but soy flour has a higher protein content)
• ½ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup sliced/flaked almonds, toasted (or any other nut eg. Pecan if almond-sensitive)
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (or any other nut eg. Hazelnut if walnut-sensitive)
• ½ cup dried apples, chopped (try and find them without added sulfites)
• ¼ cup raisins (sulfite-free)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries (sulfite-free)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark honey or blue agave sweetener
• ½ cup organic unsalted peanut butter (I used the crunchy texture, but either will work. Use cashew butter if sensitive to peanuts – you might need to add a little olive oil to this if it is on the dry side)
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (essence)
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, ground flaxseed, almonds, walnuts, apples, raisins, cranberries and salt. Stir well to blend, and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, stir together the honey, peanut butter, and olive oil over medium heat until well blended. Do not let the mixture boil. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Add the warm honey mixture to the dry ingredients and stir quickly until well combined. The mixture should be sticky but not wet.
5. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Press firmly to remove any air pockets. Bake just until the edges begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Cut into 24 pieces and leave in pan until totally cool.
6. Remove bars from pan and store in airtight containers in the fridge.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Dietary 'Do's' and 'Don'ts' of High Blood Pressure.
A great friend of mine has recently been told that he has 'high blood pressure' (HBP) and he and his wife were asking me whether there were any foods he should focus on and/or avoid ... while the demands of his work are thought to be the real cause of his condition, his diet is at least an area of his life over which he has a degree of control ...
While I don't for a minute propose that anyone should read this blog and 'self-medicate' a similar condition based on the dietary changes I am about to suggest, I think it is important to know that while you wait an intermiable amount of time to see your physician (this process further challenging your blood pressure stats!), there are things you can be doing at home.
Ok - so first things first, here are all the 'Don'ts;
While I don't for a minute propose that anyone should read this blog and 'self-medicate' a similar condition based on the dietary changes I am about to suggest, I think it is important to know that while you wait an intermiable amount of time to see your physician (this process further challenging your blood pressure stats!), there are things you can be doing at home.
Ok - so first things first, here are all the 'Don'ts;
- Limit your intake of saturated fats. This really translates to limiting your intake of animals fats which are most commonly found in fatty cuts of meat, bacon, sausages, duck, chicken and turkey with the skin on, egg yolks, butter/lard, cream, ice-cream and whole milk dairy products. (It is true that Coconut oil and Palm oil are the vegetarian offenders due to their high saturated fat content, but they are yet to be shown to have unfavorable effects on cholesterol and blood pressure statistics).
- Watch your salt intake. While it is currently proposed that we don't exceed a salt intake of 2,400 mg/day, there are a number of studies which show a healthier intake to be around 1,600 mg/day. In the case of individuals who are trying to lower their blood pressure, the Mayo Clinic recommend trying to limit intake to 1,500 mg/day. This is actually not a challenge if you are able to avoid processed foods. 75% of our salt intake is from processed foods, and only 25% is from the cooking salt and table salt. So for all those salt-junkies (I am a self-proclaimed salt-lover...), we really can reduce our intake without compromising taste, as long as we get friendly with our kitchens!
- Limit alcohol - but don't panic, it is recommended just to drink in 'moderation', which is 1 drink/day for women and 2/day for men ... and no, you can't store up your quota and drink 14 in one night - not ideally, anyway, for your blood pressure or your liver!
- Be 'healthy': - and by this I am encompassing the 'don't smoke' recommendations along with the '30 minutes of aerobic activity a day' and the 'maintain a healthy weight' suggestions which seem to accompany all disease prevention spiels in today's world!
And now, for those of you who would like to stop 'avoiding' and start 'adding' blood-pressure friendly foods into your day, here are the 'Do's':
- Focus on eating fruits, vegetables and whole-grains. This means, embrace those stir-fries with whole-wheat noodles, the brown and wild rice dishes and legumes (see my previous blog), whole grain breads and pastas ... and the apple/tangerine/banana/pear/dried fruit snack options. In addition, if you are a desert addict, don't lament the loss of your ice-cream fix at the end of dinner, but instead try and get creative with the fruit bowl .... and by the way, low fat frozen yogurt is still ON the menu?!
- Increase your potassium intake. This means including dried foods such as raisins, apricots, dates and prunes, fresh fruits such as bananas, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and oranges, fresh vegetables such as beets, greens, spinach, peas, tomatoes and mushrooms and dried vegetables such as peas and beans. Yum!
And a final word on caffeine ... there is no standard line on this, but it is possible that caffeine can cause a short but dramatic increase in blood pressure in some individuals. In order to find out if you are one of them, check your blood pressure within 30 minutes of drinking a caffeinated beverage and if it increases by 5-10 points then it suggests that you are sensitive to this side-effect of caffeine. To be honest, I recommend anyone with high blood pressure to limit the amount of caffeine they drink to 200 mg/day - which is about 2 cups of coffee (12-ounce, people...not 24 ounce!). In addition, it's recommended you avoid caffeine right before activities that naturally increase blood pressure such as weight-lifting and aerobic activity.
So - there you have it - the blood-pressure-friendly nutrition tips. To be honest, there's nothing new here is there? They're pretty much the standard 'healthy eating' guidelines we've all come to know, if not love! I think the point is that if you have HBP, these guidelines really can enable you to be effective in helping your numbers come down. I've known a lot of people who can reduce their blood pressure readings simply by taking control of what they eat ... and lets face it, actually making some constructive changes it's a hell of a lot less frustrating than just being told to 'relax' the whole time, right?!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Staying Healthy on a Budget.
While we metaphorically tighten our belts, it is often true that we simultaneously expand our waistlines. It is one of my biggest gripes that when stopping at a gas station for a snack, an apple will cost you more than the competing sugar-laden junk food ... is healthy food really always more expensive?
The answer is no. Yes, organic food is most often pricier than its conventionally-grown counterpart, but do you really need to eat badly in order to eat within budget? I argue not. My blog last week detailed the benefits of frozen produce at times of economic hardship, and here I just wanted to say a little word about the protein-alternatives which are more wallet-friendly than the standard meat and fish options.
OK, don't panic you carnivorous boys, I don't mean that you need to eat meat-free for the rest of 2010, my point is that you don't need to eat meat EVERY day in order to be healthy. And before you start that internal argument in your head, take it from me, your muscle definition will not fade, and your manhood is not under threat. I promise!
The under-utilized, yet nutritionally award-winning category of foods which are a great substitute for meat are legumes. They seem to be a popular part of the food chain in Mexican restaraunts but they are seldomly cooked at home (by anyone other than my mother) ... and yet they are cheap, a good source of protein, and incredibly versatile. The legume family includes beans, peas and lentils and they are all typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium.
You can buy them dry, in bags (the cheapest option) and in this case they often require a good long soak (sometimes up to 12 hours) before being cooked, or you can buy them in cans, already cooked, and ready to use (save the odd rinse). If you are not deterred by the thought of shoving them in a bowl of water and leaving them to soak overnight, rest assured, there are detailed instructions of how to do this on the back of the packets.
Either way, they are a lot less expensive than meat or fish, and to show you how delicious they can be, I have added one of my favorite recipes below.
... and as a word of caution - for the benefit of your house-mates (whether they be of the human or pet variety), if you have rarely eaten these before, it might be wise to introduce them slowly to your weekly menu. I say this because they can cause an increase in gas due to their high content of indigestible sugars, and without putting too fine a point on it, this can be a little isolating! However, this is not true for everyone, and it can often be avoided by integrating them more slowly into your diet.
That said, if you are determined that these are your diet-and-wallet-saving answer, the Mayo Clinic describes a 'Gas-free' soaking method which claims to dissolve 75-90% of the indigestible sugars responsible for the gas. For more information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/legumes/NU00260
Enjoy!
Home-made Pilafs
This is one of my favorite recipes; it is such a great and easy way to experiment with different grains and beans, and the result is so delicious. Feel free to add and substitute ingredients – this is just a fail-safe pilaf base to get you started! Just add nuts, seeds and grilled or fresh vegetables to make it a wholesome meal. This can be made in bulk (quadruple the portions if you have a large enough pan!) and frozen in single-portion freezer bags for easy access at a later date.
· ½ cup barley
· ½ cup red ‘kamut’ rice
· ½ cup wild rice
· ½ cup lentils
· ½ cup long-grain brown rice
· 1 onion (either red or white), chopped small
· 2 zucchini, chopped small
· 1 can black beans, rinsed
· 1 can garbanzo/chickpea beans, rinsed
· Canola or olive oil
· Sea salt & black pepper – freshly ground
· Fresh coriander/cilantro – or any herb you feel like! Chopped.
Place the barley, rices, and lentils into a big pan, and add 2 ½ -3 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the grains are cooked (the wild rice will stay a little ‘al dente’ but this adds a great nutty texture).
Meanwhile, fry the onion and zucchini in a frying pan in a generous dollop of oil, until slightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the beans.
When the grains are cooked, drain and add to the frying pan. Turn on the heat and heat through so the beans are warm. Add the chopped cilantro/herb and salt and pepper to taste.
Easy!
The answer is no. Yes, organic food is most often pricier than its conventionally-grown counterpart, but do you really need to eat badly in order to eat within budget? I argue not. My blog last week detailed the benefits of frozen produce at times of economic hardship, and here I just wanted to say a little word about the protein-alternatives which are more wallet-friendly than the standard meat and fish options.
OK, don't panic you carnivorous boys, I don't mean that you need to eat meat-free for the rest of 2010, my point is that you don't need to eat meat EVERY day in order to be healthy. And before you start that internal argument in your head, take it from me, your muscle definition will not fade, and your manhood is not under threat. I promise!
The under-utilized, yet nutritionally award-winning category of foods which are a great substitute for meat are legumes. They seem to be a popular part of the food chain in Mexican restaraunts but they are seldomly cooked at home (by anyone other than my mother) ... and yet they are cheap, a good source of protein, and incredibly versatile. The legume family includes beans, peas and lentils and they are all typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium.
You can buy them dry, in bags (the cheapest option) and in this case they often require a good long soak (sometimes up to 12 hours) before being cooked, or you can buy them in cans, already cooked, and ready to use (save the odd rinse). If you are not deterred by the thought of shoving them in a bowl of water and leaving them to soak overnight, rest assured, there are detailed instructions of how to do this on the back of the packets.
Either way, they are a lot less expensive than meat or fish, and to show you how delicious they can be, I have added one of my favorite recipes below.
... and as a word of caution - for the benefit of your house-mates (whether they be of the human or pet variety), if you have rarely eaten these before, it might be wise to introduce them slowly to your weekly menu. I say this because they can cause an increase in gas due to their high content of indigestible sugars, and without putting too fine a point on it, this can be a little isolating! However, this is not true for everyone, and it can often be avoided by integrating them more slowly into your diet.
That said, if you are determined that these are your diet-and-wallet-saving answer, the Mayo Clinic describes a 'Gas-free' soaking method which claims to dissolve 75-90% of the indigestible sugars responsible for the gas. For more information: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/legumes/NU00260
Enjoy!
Home-made Pilafs
This is one of my favorite recipes; it is such a great and easy way to experiment with different grains and beans, and the result is so delicious. Feel free to add and substitute ingredients – this is just a fail-safe pilaf base to get you started! Just add nuts, seeds and grilled or fresh vegetables to make it a wholesome meal. This can be made in bulk (quadruple the portions if you have a large enough pan!) and frozen in single-portion freezer bags for easy access at a later date.
· ½ cup barley
· ½ cup red ‘kamut’ rice
· ½ cup wild rice
· ½ cup lentils
· ½ cup long-grain brown rice
· 1 onion (either red or white), chopped small
· 2 zucchini, chopped small
· 1 can black beans, rinsed
· 1 can garbanzo/chickpea beans, rinsed
· Canola or olive oil
· Sea salt & black pepper – freshly ground
· Fresh coriander/cilantro – or any herb you feel like! Chopped.
Place the barley, rices, and lentils into a big pan, and add 2 ½ -3 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the grains are cooked (the wild rice will stay a little ‘al dente’ but this adds a great nutty texture).
Meanwhile, fry the onion and zucchini in a frying pan in a generous dollop of oil, until slightly browned. Turn off the heat and add the beans.
When the grains are cooked, drain and add to the frying pan. Turn on the heat and heat through so the beans are warm. Add the chopped cilantro/herb and salt and pepper to taste.
Easy!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Luck of the draw....genetically speaking.
My last blog recommended an individual approach to weight loss, and now I just want to reiterate why the belief that there is a one-fits-all approach is so flawed (despite desperate attempts by glossy-covered diet books to make us believe otherwise)!
As I flicked through old copies of my Environmental Nutrition newsletters, I came accross a lengthy article detailing the 'Nutrition-Gene Connection' in the November 2009 issue. This describes the reason why the same food can act as a medicine in one person but wreak havoc in another. In short, each person's unique genetic makeup determines how their cells respond to what they eat. In fact, if every human ate and drank the same foods every day, there would still be a variety of health outcomes due to differences in our genome.
So sadly, no matter how many times you lament the injustice of the fact that your best friend can drink numerous steaming cups of hot chocolate and whipped cream during the course of a day without adding an inch of flesh to her bones, when you only have to look at one to feel the pounds creep on to your hips, the reality is that she just 'got lucky' in the gene pool!
And before any of you throw up your hands and claim despair, this nutrient-genome connection is not some excuse to give up your hard work and nutritional goals! Instead, it is an exciting discovery which explains more clearly the different reactions we all have to the same foods. This is just a scientific explanation for what we have been idly discussing over coffee for years! Furthermore, it makes the quest to find what foods best work for YOU, an even more important journey, and could potentially allow for some short-cuts, if you have a particularly nutrition-intuitive parent or sibling ...?!
While we wait for genetic profiling to become the norm, the best method is to be your own detective and listen to your body's reaction to different foods. Then trust it. You know it best.
As I flicked through old copies of my Environmental Nutrition newsletters, I came accross a lengthy article detailing the 'Nutrition-Gene Connection' in the November 2009 issue. This describes the reason why the same food can act as a medicine in one person but wreak havoc in another. In short, each person's unique genetic makeup determines how their cells respond to what they eat. In fact, if every human ate and drank the same foods every day, there would still be a variety of health outcomes due to differences in our genome.
So sadly, no matter how many times you lament the injustice of the fact that your best friend can drink numerous steaming cups of hot chocolate and whipped cream during the course of a day without adding an inch of flesh to her bones, when you only have to look at one to feel the pounds creep on to your hips, the reality is that she just 'got lucky' in the gene pool!
And before any of you throw up your hands and claim despair, this nutrient-genome connection is not some excuse to give up your hard work and nutritional goals! Instead, it is an exciting discovery which explains more clearly the different reactions we all have to the same foods. This is just a scientific explanation for what we have been idly discussing over coffee for years! Furthermore, it makes the quest to find what foods best work for YOU, an even more important journey, and could potentially allow for some short-cuts, if you have a particularly nutrition-intuitive parent or sibling ...?!
While we wait for genetic profiling to become the norm, the best method is to be your own detective and listen to your body's reaction to different foods. Then trust it. You know it best.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
A word on diet-diversity...
No New Year's blog would be complete without mentioning the pink elephant in NY resolution room: weight loss ... but rather than follow the media-frenzy and detail the latest diet-fads, I want to bring a different perspective to the table.
As detailed in the January 2010 edition of 'Environmental Nutrition', the science behind weightloss is finally supporting the message that nutritionists have spoken for years: 'Weight Loss Science Supports Whatever Works Best For YOU'.
Research into the many scientific trials and investigations that study the most effective method of weight loss has resulted in a clear and concise conclusion: there's more than one way to achieve successful weight loss. Phew, I breath a sigh of relief; my profession is not yet deemed useless in this field! Despite the huge number of diet publications, there is no one-plan-fits-all approach (yet!).
This leads me to urge all of you who would like to drop a few pounds not to go and buy the latest fitness magazine, but instead to spend some time thinking about what foods you feel work best for you, and which foods (if any) leave you feeling bloated, lethargic or uncomfortable. If you are able to pin-point some culprits, I suggest whole-heartedly that you remove these from your diet.
Yes, it can be this simple.
For people with even slightly compromised digestive systems, removing foods which challenge your body can act rather like purifying the fuel you put in your car; both systems run a lot more effieciently. In the case of the body, this can help re-balance your digestive system, increasing your sensitivity to satiety (the feeling of fullness), increasing your energy, improving bowel movements and in turn, encouraging weight-loss.
If you do not feel that there are any foods which compromise your body, congratulations, you obviously have a great and strong digestive system. In this case, I urge you to experiment a little. What happens if you decrease your intake of bad fats? Simple carbs? High fat protein? It is likely that one of these categories will help you lose those pounds more than the others.... and no one but you can determine which.
As noted in the latest edition of Environmental Nutrition, Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., who researches weight loss at Stanford Prevention Research Center says: "We have evidence over the last 10 years that the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein doestn' really make any difference in weight loss. It's more complicated..."
Right then, so all those diet 'fads' which eliminate one of the food groups from our diet, making us feel miserable and deprived, don't necessarily work? ..... um, that's not really a newsflash now, is it?! And lets be honest, we all know someone for whom one or other of the diets DID work...so they're not necessarily all rubbish .... it's just about finding what works for YOU.
So I leave you with two pleas ...
As detailed in the January 2010 edition of 'Environmental Nutrition', the science behind weightloss is finally supporting the message that nutritionists have spoken for years: 'Weight Loss Science Supports Whatever Works Best For YOU'.
Research into the many scientific trials and investigations that study the most effective method of weight loss has resulted in a clear and concise conclusion: there's more than one way to achieve successful weight loss. Phew, I breath a sigh of relief; my profession is not yet deemed useless in this field! Despite the huge number of diet publications, there is no one-plan-fits-all approach (yet!).
This leads me to urge all of you who would like to drop a few pounds not to go and buy the latest fitness magazine, but instead to spend some time thinking about what foods you feel work best for you, and which foods (if any) leave you feeling bloated, lethargic or uncomfortable. If you are able to pin-point some culprits, I suggest whole-heartedly that you remove these from your diet.
Yes, it can be this simple.
For people with even slightly compromised digestive systems, removing foods which challenge your body can act rather like purifying the fuel you put in your car; both systems run a lot more effieciently. In the case of the body, this can help re-balance your digestive system, increasing your sensitivity to satiety (the feeling of fullness), increasing your energy, improving bowel movements and in turn, encouraging weight-loss.
If you do not feel that there are any foods which compromise your body, congratulations, you obviously have a great and strong digestive system. In this case, I urge you to experiment a little. What happens if you decrease your intake of bad fats? Simple carbs? High fat protein? It is likely that one of these categories will help you lose those pounds more than the others.... and no one but you can determine which.
As noted in the latest edition of Environmental Nutrition, Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., who researches weight loss at Stanford Prevention Research Center says: "We have evidence over the last 10 years that the amount of carbohydrates, fat and protein doestn' really make any difference in weight loss. It's more complicated..."
Right then, so all those diet 'fads' which eliminate one of the food groups from our diet, making us feel miserable and deprived, don't necessarily work? ..... um, that's not really a newsflash now, is it?! And lets be honest, we all know someone for whom one or other of the diets DID work...so they're not necessarily all rubbish .... it's just about finding what works for YOU.
So I leave you with two pleas ...
- Do not remove an entire macronutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate) from your diet. EVER. This is far from healthy, and even less sustainable. Instead, take some time to think about what makes you feel good, and whatever doesn't, might need to take the cut instead!
- Focus on REAL, WHOLE foods. Enough of those food bars, sugar-substitutes and protein isolates. Real foods have the right balance of nutrients to be digested optimally, and this in turn helps our bodies stay balanced. As soon as we try to 'trick' ourselves with fake fillers, a disarming number of hunger-signals await us, complicating both our brains and our stomachs. As Dr. Gardner said: "Relax, go back to real food, grow some of your own vegetables and use common sense". I support this advice (although for some of us, growing our own vegetables might be a step too far...!).
Above all, work WITH your body, and not against it. No battle has been won by being at war with yourself.
2010 is your year.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Fresh or Frozen?
A friend recently asked me whether it was better to buy fresh or frozen vegetables. As we sit in the middle of winter here in the US, and our post-holiday dollar must stretch to its limit, I deem it a very fair question. Most frozen vegetables are undeniably cheaper, but are they as nutritious?
The answer is: sometimes. As a general rule, frozen vegetables are picked from the plant at their peak of ripeness, blanched in hot water or steam to kill bacteria and stop the action of degrading enzymes, and then flash-frozen. While the blanching process causes some water-soluble nutrients to leach out (for example, vitamin C and vitamin B), the subsequent flash-freeze locks in the remaining nutrients in a stable state.
In contrast, fresh vegetables are more often than not, picked from the vine before they are ripe. This gives them less time to develop the full range of nutrients that their 'vine-ripened' counterparts contain. Outward signs of ripening still occur, but they are not as nutritious an end-product as they would be if they were allowed to ripen naturally. In addition, the time it takes these vegetables to get from the farm to our plates is often surprisingly long, and during this time they are exposed to lots of heat and light which in turn degrades some of their nutrients.
So, my advice is this: when the vegetables (or fruits) are in season (and therefore generally grown close to your dinning table), buy them fresh and ripe. When they are out of season, frozen vegetables are a great option since they most probably offer you a higher level of nutrients. In addition, since frozen vegetables are generally cheaper than fresh, some of us are able to afford more organic options in the freezer section of the market.
And finally, in answer to those of you who are questioning how to know what the hell is in season now we are pretty much offered the full spectrum at any point in the year (!), there is a pretty conclusive list at www.fruitsandvegiesmorematters.org . At the moment, in the Northern Hemisphere, December, January and February yield the following:
Apples
Belgian Endive
Brussels Sprouts
Cherimoya
Chestnuts
Collard Greens
Dates
Grapefruit
Kale
Kiwifruit
Leeks
Oranges
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pummelo
Radicchio
Red Currants
Sweet Potatoes
Tangerines
Turnips
Winter Squash
I'd like to continue this blog to cover foodmiles, 'green' produce containers and much more, but I'll leave these for another day. Suffice to say that 'Eating Well' online recommends that those of us in the US choose packages marked with a USDA "U.S. Fancy" shield, as this designates produce of the best size, shape and color, which deems the vegetables more nutritious than those of the lower grades ("U.S. No. 1") or ("U.S. No. 2").
As yet, I haven't been able to find enough information on the UK grading system ...
I hope this helps stretch those winter dollars and keep the nutrition levels high!
The answer is: sometimes. As a general rule, frozen vegetables are picked from the plant at their peak of ripeness, blanched in hot water or steam to kill bacteria and stop the action of degrading enzymes, and then flash-frozen. While the blanching process causes some water-soluble nutrients to leach out (for example, vitamin C and vitamin B), the subsequent flash-freeze locks in the remaining nutrients in a stable state.
In contrast, fresh vegetables are more often than not, picked from the vine before they are ripe. This gives them less time to develop the full range of nutrients that their 'vine-ripened' counterparts contain. Outward signs of ripening still occur, but they are not as nutritious an end-product as they would be if they were allowed to ripen naturally. In addition, the time it takes these vegetables to get from the farm to our plates is often surprisingly long, and during this time they are exposed to lots of heat and light which in turn degrades some of their nutrients.
So, my advice is this: when the vegetables (or fruits) are in season (and therefore generally grown close to your dinning table), buy them fresh and ripe. When they are out of season, frozen vegetables are a great option since they most probably offer you a higher level of nutrients. In addition, since frozen vegetables are generally cheaper than fresh, some of us are able to afford more organic options in the freezer section of the market.
And finally, in answer to those of you who are questioning how to know what the hell is in season now we are pretty much offered the full spectrum at any point in the year (!), there is a pretty conclusive list at www.fruitsandvegiesmorematters.org . At the moment, in the Northern Hemisphere, December, January and February yield the following:
Apples
Belgian Endive
Brussels Sprouts
Cherimoya
Chestnuts
Collard Greens
Dates
Grapefruit
Kale
Kiwifruit
Leeks
Oranges
Passion Fruit
Pear
Persimmons
Pummelo
Radicchio
Red Currants
Sweet Potatoes
Tangerines
Turnips
Winter Squash
I'd like to continue this blog to cover foodmiles, 'green' produce containers and much more, but I'll leave these for another day. Suffice to say that 'Eating Well' online recommends that those of us in the US choose packages marked with a USDA "U.S. Fancy" shield, as this designates produce of the best size, shape and color, which deems the vegetables more nutritious than those of the lower grades ("U.S. No. 1") or ("U.S. No. 2").
As yet, I haven't been able to find enough information on the UK grading system ...
I hope this helps stretch those winter dollars and keep the nutrition levels high!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year!
I am now back on US soil and hope that you have all had a wonderful holiday season. If nothing else, I hope it was a welcome break from 'routine', both industrious and nutritious! There is nothing more refreshing than being removed from the well-trodden daily pathways of our lives, and sometimes it takes global festivities to persuade us off those favored tracks!
If nothing else, today is a day which should fill us with hope and new beginnings where needed....and as my revered Chinese doctor said to me last night 'If at first you make a mess of your New Years resolutions, there's a chance to start again at Chinese New Year, February 14th'! I rather believe that all resolutions benefit by continuous affirmation of their importance and presence, so I offer Chinese New Year as a more formal method of achieving this!
Whether your resolutions are nutrition-based or otherwise, I thoroughly recommend you restrict yourself to objectives you feel are WELL within your grasp. There is no written rule that you can't expand your goals if you achieve them before the year is out ... rather like taking a smaller portion of food the first time round, knowing you can have a second helping if you so desire!
Enjoy this new beginning ... I am going to post some exciting new recipes and invigoratingly healthy tips in the coming few weeks ... just as soon as our bodies have had time to digest December's indulgences!
2010 is going to be a good year. I'm sure of it. Be good to yourself.
If nothing else, today is a day which should fill us with hope and new beginnings where needed....and as my revered Chinese doctor said to me last night 'If at first you make a mess of your New Years resolutions, there's a chance to start again at Chinese New Year, February 14th'! I rather believe that all resolutions benefit by continuous affirmation of their importance and presence, so I offer Chinese New Year as a more formal method of achieving this!
Whether your resolutions are nutrition-based or otherwise, I thoroughly recommend you restrict yourself to objectives you feel are WELL within your grasp. There is no written rule that you can't expand your goals if you achieve them before the year is out ... rather like taking a smaller portion of food the first time round, knowing you can have a second helping if you so desire!
Enjoy this new beginning ... I am going to post some exciting new recipes and invigoratingly healthy tips in the coming few weeks ... just as soon as our bodies have had time to digest December's indulgences!
2010 is going to be a good year. I'm sure of it. Be good to yourself.
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