Health Foods Blog

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Low fat, low calories, organic. Packaged foods marketing has gone above and beyond pretty pictures and attention grabbing colors on packaging. Food companies are trying to secure your buy with their clever wording promising a healthier product.

Despite being checked by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some slippery wordage still flies through to the shelves. Real Simple Magazine decoded the unique food language into understandable terms.

Organic:
These products are made using methods thought to be earth friendly. However, to be labeled organic, products only need to contain 95 percent organic ingredients.

Organic foods can cost you up to 50 percent more than nonorganic products. While there is no research organic foods are better than others, it does save you from potentially consuming chemicals.

100% Natural:
These products are free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and synthetic ingredients. They still, however, can contain any amount of sugars, fats and calories.

Fat free:
Contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Manufacturers sometimes add extras (sugar or starch) for flavor. Fat free foods are often less filling, leading to over eating. Skip fat free and buy low fat for more flavor.

Low fat:
Contains three or less grams of fat per serving.

Light:
Contains half the fat of the full-fat options. Best bet for calorie watching and dieting. Can contain higher sugar levels.

0g Trans Fat:
Contains less than 0.5 gram of trans fat per serving. Trans fats raise bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower the good (HDL) kind. Sometimes replaced with unhealthy saturated fats (pal and coconut oil), avoid “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” on packages.

Heart healthy:
Low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and contain no trans fats. Also contain three grams of fat or less per serving and have at least 0.6 gram of soluble fiber. Despite the label, these foods won’t necessarily lower your risks for heart disease. Don’t disregard the heart healthy foods in the fresh produce section.

Low calorie:
Contain 40 calories or less per serving.

Low sodium:
Contains 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving.

Low carb:
There is currently no standard definition for this term. There is also no evidence that low-carb diets are more effective long term than other diets. Manufacturers often replace carbs with high-fat ingredients like nuts, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners.

No antibiotics:
On meat, poultry and milk, this term means that the animals used in creating this product were raised without being routinely fed antibiotics. “Organic” labels on meat are also antibiotic free.

No hormones:
This term means animals were raised hormone free. Hormones are used to up weight in animals or to increase more milk, and despite little long term research, hormone treated foods may increase the risk for cancer. Organic products are also hormone free.

Gluten free:
Gluten can cause intestine damage and can lead to digestive problems. “Wheat free” products are not necessarily gluten free.

Sugar free:
Contains less than 0.5 gram of sugar per serving. Sugar free doesn’t always mean low calories.

Check my earlier entry here on how to win a free bike!
Contest open from now until June 5.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

After a few nights of getting creative with what’s left in the fridge, ignoring your craving for take out gets tough. Local favorites aren’t a good solution for every night, but your waistline and wallet can benefit from giving in now and then.

My sister told me about her use of local favorites when she is cooking. If you’ve got a favorite salsa, humus or dish at a favorite restaurant, order out and mix it with your own food to stretch your dollar. Use the takeout dish as a side dish, and pair it with different sides of veggies or rice for a full meal.

If you’re not so sure about those local favorites, check out the Eat this, Not that section of Men’s Health Magazine. Also in book form, it compares any national/international chain you can think of and give you the low down on what your best options are when out to eat.

Local favorites are a great way to stimulate your neighborhood economy and also to stimulate ideas for dinner throughout the week. Don’t let your quest for a healthy lifestyle stop your exploration of your area. Become familiar with what your local restaurants carry, and keep in mind backup plans for ways to utilize their side dishes throughout the week.

Check my earlier entry here on how to win a free bike!
Contest open from now until June 5.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Submitted by Healthy Foods and Eating Healthy

photo credit: Mel B.

by Cal Smith

In spite of their world-wide reputation as being fattening, pancakes are the perfect breakfast food. It is the toppings and fillings that turns them into fat generators. Take away the butter, milk, sugar, eggs, cooking oil, sour cream, whipped cream, syrups, and jams, and there is nothing left but a perfect balance of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

Two big pancakes made with cake-flour and smothered in fresh crushed strawberries, sweetened with a good sugar substitute like Splenda, contains less than 250 calories. A tablespoon of cooking oil adds an extra 120 calories, and butter contributes another 100 or so. By the time you add in the sugar, eggs, creams, and syrups, your poor pancakes resemble a skinny dad padded with pillows to play the role of Santa.

Of course, pancakes aren’t pancakes without syrup. But now days, syrup doesn’t have to be made with sugar. There are many brands of sugar-free syrups on the supermarket shelves. But none of them are as good as some of the things you can make in less than two minutes in your own kitchen!

All you need is water, flavoring, sugar substitute, and cellulose gum to provide the thickness and viscosity of sugar syrups. Maybe add a bit of coloring for a rich, full-bodied look. Mix it for 30 seconds or so in your blender and you’ve got delicious, thick, slow-pouring maple, almond, strawberry, orange, or lemon syrup.

For a very unusual treat, just add cellulose gum to any flavor no-calorie soda pop. Just imagine - root beer or cream soda syrup! The kids will go crazy! How about a variety of orange crush, lemon-lime, Dr. Pepper, strawberry, peach, and ginger ale. I haven’t tried coke or Pepsi, but they should make good syrups too.

You can turn almost any liquid into syrup with cellulose gum. Chocolate milk becomes chocolate syrup, Add some vanilla, cinnamon, and Splenda to soymilk for a healthy and delicious eggnog syrup.

So forget the frozen waffles, toaster strudels, and French toast stix. Stir up some cake flour, baking powder, and water and cook the kids some pancakes. It takes just a couple of minutes. While they are cooking, make a fresh batch of syrup. Everybody will love them and they’ll go to school filled with all the even, slow-burning energy they need to keep them active and alert all morning.

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Submitted by A Sizable Apple

A Sizable Apple readers are of all different ages, and I recently found a great article to celebrate my range of readers. “Good health at any age”, an article from Weight Watchers.com had a great summary of what to keep up with for women and men at each stage in their life. Here are some highlights from the article (full text can be found here).

All the time:

1. Fuel your body with a wide range of foods, focusing on fruits and veggies.
2. Buy whole grains over processed, and steer clear of foods with added sugars.
3. Pick fish and lean meats over high-fat alternatives
4. Clock in your 30 minutes or more of moderate activity 4-5 times a week.

In your 30’s:

Weight tends to creep up as women start to settle down. Look for alternatives for more exercise, take the stairs, walk whenever you can, ect. Up your folate intake if you’re looking to conceive. Keep up with your calcium to protect your bones!

In your 40’s:Metabolism starts to slow, so cut back your calorie intake or increase your fitness routines. The weight watchers article suggests starting weight training to increase endurance as well, twice a week. Women in their 40’s should also be getting annual mammograms, clinical breast exams and doing a self breast exam monthly.

In your 50’s:

Risks for heart disease, diabetes and many cancers can be fought off with a solid health and fitness routine. Talk to your doctor about scheduling screenings for colon and breast cancers and osteoporosis. Keep up with your blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well. Menopause can cause women to gain about 5-7 pounds.

For more information on age related check-ups, contact your doctor.

Check my earlier entry here on how to win a free bike!
Contest open from now until June 5.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

I was pretty jealous that Cranky Fitness got to give away a bike on her blog, until I was also contacted by the Lipton White Tea folks!

I’m not a big iced tea drinker myself, but I think it’s fabulous that Lipton is working to promote their product in such a healthy way. Their white teas (full of antioxidants!) are made from young tea buds, hence the “Free Your Y” campaign, aimed at tapping into your “inner youthful spirit and highlighting those things we do every day to make us feel young again.”

So, no matter your age, tap into that pool of youth and get riding! Yes, that yellow beauty above can be yours for all of your summer workout endeavors. The Crosstown 2.0 bike is retailed at $399. Contest winnings also include 5 coupons for Lipton White Iced Tea and a $75 check for professional bike assembly.

Lipton Disclaimer:
The Pepsi/Lipton Partnership will provide a check for $75.00 to be used for professional assembly of all Lipton Fuji bicycles awarded. Neither Pepsi Co. nor Unilever is liable for any injuries, damages or accidents that may result from the receipt, assembly or use of this bicycle.

For more information on the bike itself, visit this Fuji Bike page.

A Sizable Apple Contest Rules for the Lipton Bike!

The Lipton folks gave me free range on managing this contest, which means you’re gonna have to work for it a little.

 

Email me your submissions with your name and age to asizableapple@gmail.com subject line ASA BIKE CONTEST. Unfortunately, only US residents are eligible to win. The contest is open from now until June 5!

Send me a photo (1 or more!) that demonstrates (1 or more!) of the following:

* Why getting healthy is important to you.
* Show your dedication to healthy living.
* Express health/fitness ideas in a creative light.

For those old school lacking photo skills, tell me what keeps you motivated to stay (or become) healthy? Share a few short and long term plans you have to get in shape!

Creativity is key, people! This is a great opportunity to cash in on a big prize that will lend a huge hand in your fitness goals! Don’t forget deadline June 5!

If you’re really in the contest mode, check out Lipton’s “Free Your Y” YouTube submission contest. Upload a video here of two minutes or less showing your youthful spirit to win as much as $25,000. You’ll have to act quick- submissions are due May 11! Voting will run from May 11-30 and the winner will be announced on June 2.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Part of staying in shape is keeping up with your proper calorie intake. (Learn more about your specific number here. Counting calories can be tedious, but keeping up with easy tricks to cut your consumption is a great start. Here are some of my favorite tips as reviewed by Health Magazine.

1. Use smaller plates to trick your eyes.
2. Pour taller drinks

3. Keep basic herbs on hand, they’re a great way to add fat-free flavor to your food.
4. Make fresh fruits, vegetables and water easy to see and reach in the fridge.
5. Go for fat-free dairy products.
6. Store measuring cups by cereal boxes and other favorite snacks to insure you’re meeting correct portion sizes.
7. Replace carbs with whole-grain and high-fiber products.

Take a look at the choices you make at the grocery store, cooking and eating at home. Where can you make changes?

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Submitted by Café Physique

Appetizer
Always work towards progress.

Main Course
When you first started out with your fitness program, you probably found that you made big strides every week. You were always able to lift more weight, run longer and for greater distances, and stretch further than the week before. If you stuck with it, you have probably noticed these advancements becoming less and less pronounced over time. When you get to the point where you stop losing fat (even though you are a few pounds shy of your goal weight), or you don’t notice any improvements in your athletic performance, you have hit a plateau. Here are a few ways to work through it:

Slow Down – Obviously, you aren’t just lifting weight for the sake of the lifting weight. You want to grow stronger and become more toned, so you should lift slowly – making sure that each rep puts as much strain on your muscles as possible. Ideally, take about two seconds to lift the weight and two seconds to lower the weight.

Shake Things Up - If you have been stuck in a rut for a while, considering adding in a few more exercises or completely changing your routine. Your body craves variety, and switching up can totally change how your work your body.

Take a Break – It sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes taking a couple days off might be the best thing you can do for your fitness training. A plateau might be a sign that you are just overtraining. Take a couple days off, and see how you feel when you come back to it.

Dessert
I don’t want to advocate never being satisfied with your fitness level or how you look, but at the same time, it is OK to enjoy the satisfaction that comes with continually striving for progress. When you see that you making strides, you are more likely to stick with your fitness program and continue to integrate exercise into your overall lifestyle.

Visit 1800blogger to see all of our industry leading blogs.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Welcome to the fresh produce season! Here’s a look at what’s coming fresh to you this summer.

April: Salad greens
Look for bright colored full strong leaves
Supplies vitamin A, folate and minerals such as magnesium and potassium.

May: Strawberries
Look for good red color and berries that are firm to the touch
Will help meet your vitamin C needs, and contains cancer-fighters.

June: Apricots
Look for rich orange color, ripe when slightly soft
Good for vitamin A, fiber and potassium.

July: White corn
Look for green husks and plump kernels
A good source for vitamin B, also thiamin and boots metabolism as well.

For more information on local farms and picking fresh produce, check out my post on supporting your local farmers markets.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Runners are a special breed of human. It takes a different kind of mindset to love treading in various weather or enjoying the less than exciting treadmill.

Not everyone can handle the lifestyle. Running is certainly not the easiest or more glamorous form of exercise to keep up with. A common phrase I hear amongst my non-fit peers is, ‘well I hate running’.

It’s true, running is one of the best cardio workouts, but there are others! This is for you running haters, fit and thin. Here are a few of my alternative ways to stay active:

Bike
(can burn 250-500 calories per 30 min)

Get yourself set up with a good bike this summer. You don’t have to go all out with the latest bells and whistles, quantity is more important than quality. Increase the amount of time you spend on your two wheeler to increase every day endurance. For beginners, find a comfortable pace and try bursts of increased speed.

Swim
(can burn up to 400 calories per 30 minutes)

Often used to cross-train by athletes, spending time in the pool is a great total body workout. The water takes stress of your joints which is good for any injury. The natural resistance of the water means that you’re still getting a workout playing pool basketball or playing Marco-Polo.

Rock climb
(up to 380 calories in 30 minutes)

If you’re alright with heights, and have a competitive drive, this is a great alternative for you. Especially fun in a group setting, rock climbing is a great quick workout. Spending 15 minutes trying to tackle an indoor wall is very satisfying. Plus the burn the day after will remind you of what a great time you had! If you can’t find a good cliff to hang out on or an indoor facility, take up the less intense counterpart- hiking.

Walking can be a cardio workout as well. Go hiking for the day, or challenge yourself to walk somewhere you would normally drive. Other activities like roller blading, jump rope, catch and playing tag will get you workout out without knowing.

What are some of your favorite anti-running workouts?

Submitted by Healthy Foods and EatingHealthy

Image by ex.libris via Flickr

You might think so, but the truth is they are not always. Surprisingly a silent complete with dressings and toppings more often than not contains more calories and fat than most traditional fast food choices.

A typical Caesar salad for instance can easily reach 500kcals and around 30g of fat. This is actually very close to the amount of calories and fat you would find in a small burger and chips.

So you’re winning if you have a flame grilled chicken salad without dressing, but if you add the dressing you add another 70kcals and a further 6g of fat.

Mind you if you decide to eat out by going healthier with a salad, watch out you don’t get tempted into the burgers and fries instead. I’ve done it myself.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

On Sunday I went out biking with my dad. We jumped on the local trail and stayed out for about two and a half hours. It was a bit longer than my latest rides and totaled in at about 30 miles once we finished.

I wasn’t as prepared for the ride as I could have been, strength wise and equipment wise as well. My lack of preparation inspired me to put together a post on the topic. No matter what your activities are this spring, it’s important to get ready well.

The weather on my ride was a little unpredictable. I started off with a pull-over on, which gave me some options- wear the fleece pull over, don’t, or put it under my butt to keep the ride a bit more enjoyable.

My tip:
If you’re going to be out doors for an extended period of time, stock up on clothes! Check the weather report for the entire day, just in case your activity runs later. Prepare yourself for a little warmer, colder and wetter than the forecast calls for. Save your skin with sunscreen, even if temperatures aren’t souring, you can still get burned with partially cloudy skies.

Needless to say, my minimal supply of water didn’t last the difficult 2.5 hour trek. A water bottle is usually all I bring on a ride like that, which does me alright. Thankfully the sun wasn’t beating down, or else I would have guzzled my supply earlier on. I should have at least thrown an extra water bottle in the car for the ride home.

My tip:
Pack way more than you’ll need, no matter the weather. Your extra bottle could come in handy for a friend or be the water over your face you need at the end of a hot day.

Most of my ill preparations steamed from the fact that I didn’t want to carry a backpack with me. I did have a small fanny pack strapped onto my bike, which housed my cd player and cell phone in case of emergency. I should have thrown some Kleenex and a granola bar or two in there just for safe keeping.

My tip:
Buy yourself a sweet bag. Backpack, large purse or fanny pack, it doesn’t matter how silly you look with it on, as long as it gets the job done. Not all outdoor activities make it possible to tote a bag along side, but storing one near by, or keeping supplies in your car and looping back often is a good idea to keeping safe in all kinds of weather.

Also, with warm weather (here at least) approaching, check out my post from last summer on heat related injuries.

Submitted by Healthy Foods and EatingHealthy

photo credit: Luis Fabres [no video!]

Better barbecuing skills come from experience. How do you get experience? Make mistakes. However wouldn’t it be better if you could learn from someone else’s mistakes first?

It’s easy to run into mistakes when you’re barbecuing. We’ve all done it haven’t we?
Wouldn’t you rather someone shared some barbecuing tips?

Here are some insider secrets to better barbecuing.

Before you even begin to cook check your cooking area and spray it with a non-stick cooking spray. This will prevent your meat from sticking and tearing lumps from the surface when you try to turn over or move it. It also helps your meat to retain its natural juices and prevent the meat from drying out.

Temperature variation of the charcoal is another problem you need to avoid. You need to make sure that the charcoal is completely grey before putting the meat on the grill. This allows the temperature to become even and any remaining lighter fluid to burn off. Should you place the meat on the grill to soon not only will the temperature be uneven, but you may cause your food to taste slightly strange as the lighter fluid will favour the meat undesirably.

Image via Wikipedia

If you decide not to use lighter fuel, then you’ll have probably a lot of frustration trying to start your barbecue. Charcoal is extremely difficult to light without lighter fuel.

Properly prepared meat is the secret to a good barbecue. Never attempt to cook frozen or partly frozen food. You’ll end up with food poisoning.

Your meat must be thoroughly thawed before cooking it. Ideally it should be sitting out to thaw from about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on needing it. If it is already thawed and in the fridge, then allow sufficient time for it to reach room temperature before you attempt to cook it.

Keep precooked meat and cooked meat separate. Ensure cooked meat goes to a clean fresh plate. Do not use the same implements to lift your fresh meat to the barbecue that you use to remove it. A second set of utensils should be kept for the cooked food. Fail to do this and you are a looking at a possible dose of food poisoning later. You may be lucky in that it may not be too severe, but you and your guests are likely to have diarrhoea the next day. Not exactly the memories you want to leave your family or guests with.

Resist poking at the meat when it is cooking. This punctures the seared surface allowing juices to escape and leak to the bottom of the grill. It also causes excess smoke when the juice hits the charcoal, and can lead to a buildup of unwanted grease and residue on your grill causing further sticking problems with your food. You want to minimise leaking juices.

If you use a lid on your barbecue to help keep the temperature constant, then resist opening the lid to look at the food because obviously this is going to cause a temperature variation and your meat will dry up or burn more easily.

Meat generally tastes more tender when it is cooked slowly, so less charcoal may be better than more.

Using tin foil is fine to line the inside of your barbecue, but don’t use it on the grill itself or your food will taste like it has been fried rather than barbecued.

Only place your barbecue sauce on your food at the very last minute possible. Putting the sauce on too early will cause your meat to dry out and burn more easily.

Following these simple secrets will give you a much better chance of a delicious and successful barbecue. Enjoy the next one.

Submitted by Cafe Physique

Appetizer
It’s easy to fight the desire to binge on sweets.

Main Course
We all know “that” feeling…where all of a sudden you are overcome with the powerful desire to rip open a bag of potato chips and eat until there is nothing left but crumbs. Cravings can make you feel stressed if you constantly battle with them, and they can ruin your diet if you cave in too often. So what do you do?

Work Up a Sweat - Exercise is a very potent appetite suppressant, so if you feel like you can’t think of anything but devouring ice cream by the spoonful, try going outside for a quick ten minute jog around the block. But the time you return, you will probably find that your cravings are gone.

Get Carb Smart – If you get a sudden craving for cookies, it might actually be a signal from your body that you need more carbs. Instead of immediately heading for the fattening sugary carbs, try eating carbs from a healthier source such as fruit, vegetables, or whole grains. You will probably discover that the cookie craving becomes less prominent after a small snack of good carbs.

Sleep More – A report published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism showed that when you don’t get enough Zs, it reduces the amount of the hormone leptin that your body produces. Leptin is responsible for helping you feel full, so your cravings might be caused by a lack of sleep, not the deliciousness of pancakes and syrup. (Well, maybe it’s a combination of the two)

Dessert
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to cave into your cravings a little every once in a while. It might even help to assign a special “cheat meal” where once a week, for one meal, you have what you want. This can actually help fight cravings in more than one way. I know that when some of my clients overindulge on something they’ve been craving for a while on their cheat day, they wind of not wanting to even think of eating that food for weeks.

Submitted by Cafe Physique

Appetizer
Don’t waste your precious daily calories on high-calorie drinks.

Main Course
Your personalized recommended daily calorie intake is based on your sex, height, weight and activity level. It may also take your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) into consideration if you have access to that information.

Despite all of the mixed messages we hear in the media every day, the secret to success is actually quite simple. If your body gets more calories than it needs to function day-to-day (by eating too many calories or not burning off enough calories), you will gain weight. If your body gets exactly the number of calories it needs, you will maintain your current weight. And of course, if you take in less calories that your body needs or if you burn extra calories through physical activity, you will lose weight.

When dealing with this type of somewhat delicate balance, it’s best to consider every calorie carefully. With only a limited number of calories with which to work each day, try not to waste them on drinks. Use them for nourishing and fulfilling meals instead.

Dessert
Nearly two years ago, I wrote a Cafe Physique post about utilizing too many calories on drinks rather than food which typically provides more nutrients and keeps you feeling full longer. Back then, there were relatively few low-calorie drinks on the market that actually tasted good, but some companies have listened.

I still favor water over any other drinks, especially before/during/after workouts, but when you’re really committed to increasing your daily water intake, it can get repetitive and boring… In comes the new craze of flavored water. HOWEVER, most of these “waters” are nothing short of watered down sugary Kool-Aid with tons of empty calories. Make sure to read the label rather than fall into the trap of thinking that anything that says “water” is good for you. I haven’t tried them all yet, but right now my personal favorite is Propel because it has only one-fifth of the calories normally found in other vitamin waters.

I’m usually skeptical of changing anything in my routine, but I replaced my normal water with Propel last week after seeing this video http://youtube.com/PropelFitWater, and I must admit that I was impressed. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Dr. Larry McCleary is the former Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children’s Hospital. Through his work with children, he has studied the impact of food on the human brain. Below is my interview with him, where he shares some of his work and recommendations for the best brain foods. For more information on Dr. McCleary or brain food, check out his site.

A Sizable Apple: With your studies in neurosurgery, what sorts of foods have you found to be the most beneficial to fighting neurological disease?

Dr. McCleary: I am a pediatric neurosurgeon. That means I do brain surgery in children. Many years ago I was looking for additional ways to help these kids recover better and faster from the serious brain problems they were experiencing. At the time, doctors were using sugar water IVs to provide support. I knew there had to be a better way to provide the brain all the nutrients it required. As a point of reference, the brain comprises 2.3% of the total body weight, yet consumes almost 25% of the energy. That means it is over 10 times as active as the rest of the cells in the body. It also lacks the ability to store any considerable supply of nutrients, so it must receive a continuous, high stream of nutrients to function optimally. Based on these observations, I began researching additional nutrient sources for my patients.

I should also add that although I worked with children, the same applies for adult brains and nutrient requirements. Just think of the aging or stressed brain as a sick brain. Whether young or old, sick brains have similar nutritional needs. I started providing essential fatty acids (such as exist in cold water fish body oil, or krill oil, amino acids (the building blocks of protein), high amounts of minerals and vitamins, and later on unique anti-oxidant formulations to diminish the damage caused by free-radicals that are generated during normal metabolic activity, and in higher amounts in sick brains.

I love spices because they also contain a broad range of anti-oxidants and healthy plant nutrients (called phyto-nutrients). They also are generally calorie free. At the top of the list are cinnamon, turmeric (the spice in curry and mustard), ginger, sage, rosemary, basil, cumin, coriander, clove, and related seasonings. So, spice up your diet for variety and healthy eating.

Nuts and seeds (almonds, pistachios, hazel nuts, cashews, brazil nuts, walnuts, etc., and pumpkin, flax, and sunflower seeds) are chocked full of healthy fats (mono and polyunsaturated fats), vitamins and minerals. They contain magnesium and potassium-both heart and brain-healthy nutrients.

Green tea and an occasional glass of red wine are also brain healthy. Coffee consumption, if you tolerate it, has been associated with lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss.

So, to summarize, the nutritional bottom line is to eat a broad range of colorful foods and spices and to avoid foods that contain empty calories such as trans-fats (partially hydrogenated vegetable oils), refined carbohydrates and starchy foods (bread, potatoes, pancakes, cookies, cakes, candies, etc), and go easy on artificial sweeteners. I also recommend the avoidance of MSG, the flavor enhancer found in many Chinese restaurant dishes. It tends to over stimulate the brain and harm nerve cell function.

ASA: How does what we eat affect our brain?

Dr. McCleary: We are what we eat. This is even more true for the brain because it is 60% fat and the fats we eat end up essentially unchanged in the very membranes that surround and affect the function of each nerve cell. Eat good fats and other nutritional raw materials and you and your brain will be happy!

ASA: What have you found about diets change as we age?

Dr. McCleary: The nutritional requirements are fairly similar regardless of age. What changes is the number of calories we eat as we age. In general, activity levels decline and with that is an associated fall in energy (food) requirements. This drop in intake makes it more difficult to maintain high essential nutrient consumption while calories are falling. That means vitamin levels fall, for example. So the choices and consumption of nutrient dense foods of the type we have discussed, at the exclusion of empty calorie foods, becomes more important as we age. A multi-vitamin and mineral supplement would be a good idea for everyone, but is essential as we age.

Submitted by Healthy Foods and Eating Healthy

photo credit: avlxyz

Probiotic foods are foods that contain friendly or beneficial bacteria. The actual term probiotic means ‘for life’. Probiotics are simply organisms that live in your intestines, (specifically the colon), aid with digestion, and are beneficial to your health as they combat bad bacteria and help fight disease.

The most commonplace to find probiotic organisms are in yoghurt. Yoghurt which contains probiotics is commonly labelled ‘bio-live’, ‘probiotic’, or ‘active’.

Probiotics work in several different ways. They combat inflammatory processes. They secrete compounds which regulate cell functions, and they reduce the growth of bacteria which cause disease by inhibiting their attachment to the intestine and by producing chemicals that reduce or slow down their growth.

Image via Wikipedia

Additionally they assist with the digestion of food and with the manufacture of vitamins, and believed to help strengthen the immune system and reduce blood cholesterol.

There is a fine balance between good and bad bacteria in our gut and this balance can be easily upset allowing the bad bacteria to become prominent. Stress, poor diet, illness, antibiotics, and prescription drugs can and will upset the balance to our detriment.

This imbalance actually has a medical name. It’s called disbiosis, and has been linked with a number of problems including irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, colon cancer, diarrhoea, ME, food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and even thrush.

By now you should be beginning to see that there is a benefit to topping up your probiotics on a daily basis. To be effective however the probiotics need to reach the colon insufficiently large numbers to make a difference. This means overcoming and resisting the effects of digestion, gastric juice in the stomach, and bile in the small intestine.

When they get to the colon there has to be enough left for them to reproduce and establish themselves. Therefore it is no good taking a probiotic yoghurt one-day and not taking another for days later. In order to be effective a daily topping up with new supplies of probiotic organisms are required.

In other words bio-live yoghurt should become part of your daily diet.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Dairy is a notorious diet killer. Hefty whole milk made cheeses especially can tack on hidden calories to your meals.

Notorious for its high concentration of calcium, cheese also contains protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin B12.

“Nutrition Action” a healthy mini magazine that made its way to my home this month, included an extensive guide to picking the best cheese for your figure. The magazine ranked cheeses in seven categories from least to most saturated fat, sodium and calories. Here are the top picks in each field:

Finding cheese that works with your diet is possible with a little label studying. Get the best bang for your buck and bring home a calcium rich cheese that’s low on the calories and saturated fat.

Daily Limits (for a 2,000 calorie diet): Saturated + Trans Fat: 20 grams. Sodium: 1,500 milligrams. Calcium Daily Value: 1,000 milligrams.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Heard enough of the term ‘lean meat’? Recently doctors and nutritionists have been on our case to lay off the steak and hamburger for lighter and whiter options.

Why is white meat such a superior choice?

Marie Watson’s “White Meat or Red Meat” article does a great job at breaking down some of the misconceptions between eating red and white meat.

Watson says higher cholesterol content in red meat, a discovery made in the last two decades, has lead doctors and nutritionists to encourage limited consumption of red meat, substituting with more lean meat like poultry and fish.

Even pork, claimed as ‘the other white meat’ should be scrutinized for its higher fat content. Recently, turkey substitutes have become very popular. Ground turkey has become a substitute for ground beef, to turkey sausages and turkey bacon. Changing some of your regular chili and sloppy Joe recipes can benefit you and your family.

Between the red and white meat debate, keep savvy to lean meat options. Lean meats are high in protein, rich in iron and contain B-12 vitamins (which help with healthy nerve cells and red blood cells). Lean meats include white meat, skinless chicken and turkey, to round or loin meats.

Top 3 tips to spotting lean meat:

1. Look for labels with: ‘organic’, ‘hormone-free’, ‘antibiotic-free’, ‘free-range’, ‘grass-fed’, or ‘wild’
2. Pick poultry with USDA Select grading of A & B
3. Cut skin off poultry before cooking or eating it

Understanding recommendations from your doctors is key to keeping up with healthy trends. Ask your doctor or do your research when new practices come about. For more information on lean meats, check out these great sites:

http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/clinical/pyramid/meats.htm

http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/meat.html

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

My post earlier this month on negative calorie foods created a mini buzz about the truth in negative calorie fruits, which are known to be higher in sugar.

Claudia Meydrech, a certified nutritionist and blogger kindly answered this one for me and I wanted to pass it along with my readers:

“It’s not so much the amount of sugar that is in the fruit, it is what it does once it is in the body. Though I have not seen any studies cited, and am not certain many have been done, I know that those who encourage negative calorie dieting state that these fruits and vegetables stimulate the body to produce certain digestive enzymes. This increases metabolism, and increased metabolism burns calories. In the case of negative calorie fruits and vegetables, more calories than the fruit/vegetable itself contains, even those that contain sugars.

Another thing to know about fruit-based sugars that is not related to the topic, they are not used in the body as quickly as refined sugars, causing the sugar highs and lows that are so hard on the pancreas.”

Another post from early April looked at the possible appetite suppression from a tablespoon of oil and a slice of whole wheat, whole grained bread.

Gay Riley, a certified clinical nutritionist and writer gave me some feedback on this one as well:

“Fat satiates and stays in the stomach longer, and the bread fills you up. I believe the protocol was 2 tsp olive oil (90 calories) plus a piece of wheat bread 110-180 calories. A good snack but high calorie for most. I will go for the theory that you will eat less dinner 20 minutes later if it is controlled portions. Basically it takes 20 minutes to get the CCK signal to the brain from the stomach via the vagus nerve that it is full or satisfied. Put simply. So if the theory is fullness and fat, then a salad with olive oil might do it as well. Just wait 20 minutes before you eat your meal. Olive oil is definitely a good thing all around but calorically it needs to be controlled for the benefits rather than the repercussions.”

If you have questions about anything posted on A Sizable Apple, email me at asizableapple@gmail.com and I’ll send them along to our in house nutritionists- Claudia and Gay for review.

Submitted by A Sizable Apple

Two weeks ago I updated about the bike trip me and my family were preparing for. My previous post was corrected by the lovely folks hosting the event about the logestics of Zoo-de-mack.

“Zoo-de-Mackinac isn’t a race but a huge group ride. You will still need to train for some of those killer climbs the first half of the ride, not to mention training your butt for 51 miles on a bike seat”

- Sarah @ Zoo-de-Mack

I promised I would update with a three part diary from myself, my sister and my mom and how our training varies. Our trip is less than a month away!

My sister in Chicago is getting ready for our ride without a bike. Hers has already made its way up north and is being stored near the beginning of the race. Here’s my sister’s update on her training!:

I have to admit that I’m pretty nervous for the bike trip. It’s just over a month away, and I don’t really feel that prepared. I haven’t ridden by bike in almost two years, and unfortunately, I don’t have it here with me, so I can’t use it to train at all. So that’s problem number one: I hope I don’t have any mechanical issues with the bike, and I’m also going to have to get used to riding my own bike again!

I work out between five and seven days per week, so in general, I think I’m in pretty decent shape. During the work week, I go to the gym during my lunch hour, which gives me enough time to work out for a half-hour. I usually run during this time, since running is lately my favorite form of exercise. In preparation for this trip, I’ve been biking sometimes, too. I’ve also been biking for longer time periods on the weekends, when I have more time (between an hour and an hour and a half).

The problem is that I just don’t really enjoy riding on stationary bikes; I get bored easily, I guess! I also know that the bike trip is going to be several hours long, so I’m not sure how much my short rides are really preparing me. My dad, who participated in the bike trip a couple years ago, assures me that it’s really not that hard. He says the course is relatively flat, which makes me feel better since I hate hills (and who doesn’t?!).

Overall, though, despite my nervousness, I’m really looking forward to the trip. Northern Michigan is one of my favorite places in the world, and I’m excited to spend time with my family, too. We haven’t been on a vacation “up north” in several years, so it should be fun to have a mini-reunion. And like I said, even though I haven’t been biking as much as I probably should, I at least make sure to work out almost every day, and I make an effort to eat healthy, stay hydrated, and get a lot of sleep. Wish me luck!

My mom is a fitness freak. Between work and taking care of a family, she uses her workout time to get away and unwind. She’s an avid runner who also enjoys other forms of exercise, yet hasn’t been on a bike in quite awhile. Here’s a look at my mom is handling bike training:

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
First day out. Asked a friend of mine who is big into cycling for some training advice. He provided me with a looped route that took a little over 45 minutes to accomplish. Probably about right for my maiden training voyage. He said I would “use the gears like crazy” and he didn’t lie. He also advised to “avoid coasting” on the downhill. I suspect the point was to use my legs as much as possible in order to get them into shape, but it’s pretty difficult not to coast on a downhill in which I’m already in the most difficult gear and my legs are having difficulty keeping up with the speed at which the wheels are flying. Conversely, I’m going to have to ask him if getting out of the saddle is permissible on the uphill.

Forced to venture out during rush hour. Not optimum, but what’s a working girl to do? Riding before work in the morning is not an option because it would be dark. Bad enough I run twice a week well before dawn but going out on a bike would be even more reckless. Ran 5 miles this morning. I’ll probably sleep well tonight! Wore my heart rate monitor for the ride and burned 171 calories. Not bad. But, I digress. It’s spring in Michigan and potholes abound making the ride a bit treacherous in a couple of spots. Not to mention the drivers who don’t share the road well.

Speaking of workouts, I’m going to have to make some sacrifices to fit in this bike training. Gave up plyometrics today. I can live with that because it’s WAY challenging. Also going to skip 1 day of yoga, which I can also live with because I do that twice a week. I will, however, be VERY sad about having to forego my ONE day a week in the pool. I’m able to get in the water 4 days a week in the summer, but during the winter months, it’s down to only once a week.

HIGHLIGHT: Saw an egret in a marsh!

Thursday, April 10, 2008
Cold and rainy – couldn’t get out on the bike. MAD! Took to the yoga mat in keeping with my regular routine. It had better not rain on Saturday!

Saturday, April 12, 2008
Cold and rainy AGAIN – no ride. MAD! On the “up” side, I was able to get to the pool. Woo hoo! Yoga too.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Another good outing. Weather very nice. Rode a little extra since I had the time. Rode what must have been within somewhat close proximity to some greaseball, trans fat-laden restaurant. What a stench (oil that’s used over and over and over and over again). Made me nauseous for a minute. And to think people eat that crap. I used to eat that crap. BLECH!

HIGHLIGHT: Saw a heron in the marsh this time. Always a good omen.

And finally, my quick update on my recent training:

I’ve just started finals week at my school. Needless to say, with all of my non-school related projects (A Sizable Apple!) and preparing for finals, I’ve been a little stressed and a little busy as well. Thankfully I have great roommates that enjoy blowing off steam in great ways. Last week I went on an hour long ride and did some good exploring of the west Michigan area. Only down side was the road kill and abundance of farms. Dead animals up close are not pleasant and the lingering smell of manure in the air isn’t my favorite, but hey I’m just a city girl at heart.

On the days I’m not able to get out on my bike, I’ve been trying to get out running, or at least going for a walk. Saturday I went mountain climbing on the indoor facility on campus. Hadn’t done that in a few years and although it was a little scary, it was a great challenge and just got me more excited for that great sore feeling that reminds you how hard you worked the day before.

I’ve been on my bike a few more times this week with my roommates. Although none of them are into the long rides like me, I was able to coax one of them and we stayed out for an hour completing about a 10 mile loop. I hope to get out again today since I have a break in my schedule. My rides haven’t been anywhere close to the Zoo-de-Mack 50, but going regularly will help a lot.

Biking is one of my favorite forms of exercise, especially when the weather is nice. It’s much easier to go on a ride than it is for me to go running. I can last longer on my bike and with changing gears, each course can vary in difficulty which provides some good variation on the same land. More so, biking is a little more exciting since you’re moving at a faster pace than a run, and good for