A Week's Worth of Nutrition and Health News

Good morning! Our party was last night and let's just say I had a bit too much fun. But we had a BLAST! I will post some pictures on Tuesday (there aren't many, but I still like posting party pics).

Starting today, I am going to do a weekly post of my favorite nutrition, food and health-related articles from the week. Here is a look at this week's most interesting nutrition, food and health articles.

Nationwide Food Campaign Rolls Out!
(Just in time for summer, the FDA, CDC and USDA have teamed up to create some pretty entertaining and effective ads to remind you to be food safe!)



Is Saturated Fat Really the Dietary Bogeyman?
(I'm a huge fan of fat, as you all know, so this peaked my interest. Many people tell me they eat a low saturated diet, but they have no problem eating loads of white breads and pastas....not good!)

Source: iStockPhoto


Diet Sodas Don't Help With Dieting
(The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas may actually be linked to weight gain. I'll still drink one every once in a while, but for caffeine, I'm still sticking to coffee (at least is has some health benefits)!)



U.S Is Becoming a Nation of Snackers!
(You hear it all the time, "you should have three meals and two snacks each day!", but I'm starting to think people think they should snack even when they aren't hungry. This, coupled with a poor snack choice, could be contributing to our nation's expanding waistlines)

Source: iStockPhoto



Does Working Out On An Empty Stomach Really Allow You To Burn More Fat?
(Sounds nice, but not so much...)



Have a great Fourth of July everyone!

Happy Fourth?

I know it's June 30th, but really quick.....where did 2011 go!? Just think, in 2.5 seconds it will be the 4th of July. That's how fast time goes by lately. I feel like I was just making new year's resolutions.

Speaking of resolutions, who is still going strong? I am, for the most part, but I'm still working on a few things:


1) Not eating as much at night. I'm eating less, but I'm still eating more than I should (calories, that is). With my increased intake of beer during the summer (often one-half or one 12-ounce beer) it's more difficult to control the mindless nighttime snacking. But in reality, nothing I put in my mouth is mindless, which is what helps keep me successful in eating healthy and staying slender.


2) Decreasing my caffeine intake. I'm down to only 300 mg caffeine per day (the max you should consume is about 400mg) . My goal is to get down to 200 mg, but I never want to stop drinking coffee (read this article about coffee and Alzheimers), I'll just add more decaf and less regular.


3) Stop nagging as much. I'm really working hard on this one. Nick and I have been under some stress lately (as I'm sure most people have), some good, some not so good, and I tend to get more snappy during these times. I'm really trying to just stop, breathe and react with love.




What are you doing to celebrate July 4th?

Grilling?


In our part of town, the Fourth of July starts today, actually. I don't work today, but will be working Friday and Saturday. Then on Saturday night Nick and I are having our party. On Monday, the actual fourth, Nick and I will relax (clean!) and watch the fireworks at night.

I have been telling my clients that they don't need to deprive themselves at summer cookouts, but I do believe there is an appropriate way to fill your plate;

Source: ChooseMyPlate.gov

I found this (below) in my photos from last year. Yikes. I surely didn't practice what I preach (there is a burger under that cheese and tomato)! But hey, I did include a nice slice of tomato on there. One-quarter of a cup, it counts for something, right?! I think that was my first plate, actually. I took a day off from eating plenty of fruits and veggies, and I'll probably do it again on Saturday. I do know I'll have some veggies and dip, fruit and baked beans (with Beano), so those have to count for something!

Random Tips for the Fourth

- Don't forget to be food safe! Here are ten great summer grilling food safety tools to get you ready for grilling season.


- If you are looking for some great 4th of July recipes, check out AllRecipes.com's 4th of July recipes


- Looking for some pointers on making your holiday plate a bit healthier? Check out this article with helpful tips form dietitian Ellie Krieger.


- My tip is to make friends with the fruit tray, and eat your beans. Yum.



QUESTION: What will you do this holiday? What's your favorite cookout food? I love baked beans and bratwursts.

Refrigerator Food Safety. Is Your Fridge SAFE??

Today I'm going to start with a few things from yesterday's post:

1) I keep my bananas in the refrigerator because it slows down the ripening process. This has a lot to do with the humidity in your drawer. It should be set to low, because fruits ripen faster in areas of high humidity. Veggies are the opposite, as they will stay more crisp in areas of high humidity. BTW, it also helps to separate bananas! They will ripen slower if you separate them.

2) I keep my whole wheat flour in the refrigerator because, again, it will last longer in the fridge. Whole grains have the endosperm, germ, and the bran (refined grains don't contain bran and germ). The bran and germ contain oils that could possible go rancid. Your flour will last a long time outside the fridge, but it will last longer in the fridge!

3) I looked at the ingredients for the Silk Almond Milk and noticed the second ingredient is evaporated cane juice. What a BUMMER!! I will not be buying this anymore :(

How Safe is YOUR Refrigerator?!

My master's thesis focused on food safety, specifically which factors predict whether or not an RD will teach food safety (fresh vegetable food safety) to their clients and/or patients. You may find this strange, considering I have not once (that I can remember) written a post focusing on food safety. Having posted about the foods in my refrigerator yesterday, here are seven "Chilling Facts" about American's refrigerators, which were accumulated from research by Tennessee State University, Kansas State University, and RTI International.

Source: The ADATimes, a publication of The American Dietetic Association

1) Fewer than 50% of Americans know that their refrigerator should be below 40 degrees F. If it's higher than that your food is at risk of being contaminated by bacteria (and I'm not talking the good bacteria that you find in yogurt!).

2) A large majority of Americans have no idea what the current temperature of their refrigerator is. Do you have a thermometer in your refrigerator? I'll admit, I don't. I'm bad. However I do know that my refrigerator is cold enough because the food in the way back always freezes. I should still get one though. And it's not just important to get a thermometer, it's also important to check the thermometer! One of the areas I'm not sure about, despite my food freezing in the back, is the food on my door.....

3) Most refrigerators tested by researchers (76%) had an internal temperature that exceeded 40 degrees F. Ninety-one percent had door temperatures about 40 degrees F. Try not to keep foods like meat, poultry, fish, or dairy on the door. When you open the refrigerator those are the first to get warm. Same with your freezer.

4) More than half of Americans store their food in a way that makes cross-contamination an issue. According to the article and the research, it's likely that many people have spoiled food in their refrigerator right NOW! Remember, eggs can be stored up to four to five weeks beyond the carton's packing date. Leftovers should be discarded after four days. Also, don't place raw poultry or meat on the top shelf unless it is well packaged. To learn more, check out FoodSafety.gov.

5) Very few people (if at all) clean their refrigerators thoroughly. As part of my research at OSU I had to take a sponge and do swabs of people's refrigerators, under their drawers. You should have seen some of the crap I saw.....nauseating. Have you taken your drawer out lately?? A thorough cleaning includes emptying out the fridge, cleaning out the interior surfaces with a wet towel or disinfectant wipe, and taking out the bins/drawers to clean them, and clean the area underneath. I do this before I go to the grocery store, when my fridge is pretty empty. Be sure to DRY ALL SURFACES because a wet refrigerator means bacteria may thrive.

6) The produce bin is the area in the fridge that is most likely to harbor bacteria. The researchers didn't find just any bacteria either, they were pathogenic bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella! This doesn't surprise me after some of the stuff that I saw during my time swabbing people's refrigerators. Make sure you use your produce fairly quickly and don't allow it to spoil. If it does, clean the drawer with an antibacterial rag or spray.

7) A faulty door seal is a major problem! Check your door seal and see if there is resistance with a gentle tug. There should be some resistance. Also check for mold between the cracks (there shouldn't be mold). This is typically a problem in older refrigerators, but can be a problem even in new ones! If your door seal if faulty or the seal is losing it's grip, this could create condensation inside the fridge, causing mold and inconsistent temperatures.

Coming Up

My next post will include a new recipe and the low down on the common ingredient; soy protein isolate. Later in the week I will show you what's in our freezer and cabinets. Oh yeah, I'll also be posting about our big MOVE! BTW, does anyone have any good suggestions for a mattress? We're currently looking for a new one and we don't know where to begin.

Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great day!