Hello All, hope you're enjoying this lovely spring day!
I am blogging today about pancakes, yet again because I have some very relevant information to impart to each of you.
Most of the pre-packaged foods we eat have more sugar and salt in them than you may think, and as I've been telling people this for a while, I decided to say it one more time. The brand of pancake mix that I grew up with has the lovely African-American lady on the box and loads of sugar in the box. Not to mention preservatives and fillers. So this box has "enriched bleached flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, sugar, leavening ...... corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, etc. So, why does pancake mix (this particular brand at least) need sugar and corn syrup? Also why does this simple food cost approximately $4. Here is the rub, at least for me, you can buy a bag of flour, baking soda and baking powder for under $4, make your own pancake mix, store it in an airtight container and when you're ready to make some pancakes, just add some butter, eggs and milk and you have pancakes. You can even get creative and make buttermilk pancakes or whatever your family likes.
Even syrup is not what you think. The average pancake syrup has corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, which are two of the ingredients that make "pancake syrup" so sweet. Try maple syrup as an alternative, which consists of, guess what?, only maple syrup.
I keep trying to enlighten folks because alot of the foods we love to eat are causing problems for infants, young children and older people because in the long term, all the preservatives and such that we've been putting into our bodies cause major health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, autism and obesity.
Now you may not want to hear me speak about this subject, but I will keep trying to enlighten all of you until a light bulb goes off in your heads and you finally get it.
Yes, it may cost a bit more to eat fresh food, and it does take a bit more time to prepare, but with a little advance planning (you know, that planning you do when you're going to a party or out on a date or whatever it is in your life that you plan for in advance) you can do it! I have faith in you. Better to take this precautions know when you have the option to do something about your diet, rather than later when the doctor tells you that you must in order to stay alive!
Your choice!
As always much love,
J
Monday, April 15, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
We are what we eat!
Hello All,
It has been a while since I posted here, so first let me say that I hope all of you, dear readers are doing exceptionally well!
Now to begin - my title today is "we are what we eat"! I'm sure you've seen the recent commercial for a nutrition shake where the children are playing soccer and one mom says to the other - "does Susie look a little slow to you (the child is dressed in a donut suit); the other parent responds, "well kids are what they eat"!
Not only is this true of children but it is true of adults as well. Some folks live to eat, and this is evidenced by not only their portion sizes, but also the types of food they eat. There is nothing wrong with fried foods every now and then, but on a daily basis, the fried food diet can lead to not only obesity, but high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and other health issues. The same is true of folks who love sweets or salty foods. The key to eating for everyone is follow the suggestions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Their website is www.eatright.org. On this site is a plethora of information about which foods to eat that fit not only your wallet, but also your cultural needs and dietary needs as well.
There is something on this site for everyone, from vegetarians to this with Celiac's disease. I've include the link here for your ease of use, and hope you will take a moment to do a little research so that you can eat better, and eat to live.
Much love as always,
J
It has been a while since I posted here, so first let me say that I hope all of you, dear readers are doing exceptionally well!
Now to begin - my title today is "we are what we eat"! I'm sure you've seen the recent commercial for a nutrition shake where the children are playing soccer and one mom says to the other - "does Susie look a little slow to you (the child is dressed in a donut suit); the other parent responds, "well kids are what they eat"!
Not only is this true of children but it is true of adults as well. Some folks live to eat, and this is evidenced by not only their portion sizes, but also the types of food they eat. There is nothing wrong with fried foods every now and then, but on a daily basis, the fried food diet can lead to not only obesity, but high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and other health issues. The same is true of folks who love sweets or salty foods. The key to eating for everyone is follow the suggestions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Their website is www.eatright.org. On this site is a plethora of information about which foods to eat that fit not only your wallet, but also your cultural needs and dietary needs as well.
There is something on this site for everyone, from vegetarians to this with Celiac's disease. I've include the link here for your ease of use, and hope you will take a moment to do a little research so that you can eat better, and eat to live.
Much love as always,
J
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Reading is Fundamental Part Deux
Hello all,
To continue where I left off in my previous blog. I was reading the label of the tuna fish I use and for some reason although the can says "tuna in water" there is vegetable broth added. I scratched my head, because I'm wondering why "tuna packed in water" has broth of any kind added to it. So, I checked the label of some other brands on the shelf and found that several brands also have vegetable broth in them. Go figure. I will dear readers, get to the bottom of this at some point, and will update you on what I find out!
Much love as always,
J
To continue where I left off in my previous blog. I was reading the label of the tuna fish I use and for some reason although the can says "tuna in water" there is vegetable broth added. I scratched my head, because I'm wondering why "tuna packed in water" has broth of any kind added to it. So, I checked the label of some other brands on the shelf and found that several brands also have vegetable broth in them. Go figure. I will dear readers, get to the bottom of this at some point, and will update you on what I find out!
Much love as always,
J
Monday, February 6, 2012
Reading is Fundamental = RIF
Hello All,
What does the title of my blog today have to do with food? Well, let me take a moment to explain. When shopping for food, (or any pre-packaged item for that matter) one should read the label. For food items, the largest quantities are at the beginning of the ingredients list. Say for instance you're buying cookies, flour is the first ingredient (usually enriched flour, meaning wheat/white flour with other things added to enrich the shelf life of the product) then other things you may or may not be able to pronounce, vitamins, sugar, oils etc. Let's look at Quaker oats (not the instant)- these contain "natural whole grain Quaker quality rolled oats", no additives, fillers, or sugars.
I decided to bring you this topic because the other day I was in the store to get some sweetened condensed milk which is what I sweeten my coffee with. Because I like my coffee with milk or cream and sugar I found that this was a good way for me to lighten and sweeten my coffee both at the same time. Cutting down on my sugar intake, and the flatulence that occurs when I eat certain dairy products (as I'm lactose intolerant and some dairy products also contain carrageenan which is a thickener). So as I proceeded down the aisle there were some cans of sweetened condensed milk on sale. And I thought okay, I can save a bit by purchasing this brand instead of my regular brand. Fortunately for me, I decided to put on my glasses and read the label. There was oil in that brand of milk! Now for the life of me I can't figure out why there was oil in something that should only be milk and sugar. Needless to say I was mortified!!! LOL.
Anyway, once I got the right brand of milk and left the store, I reflected on the importance of reading the label of everything I/we buy to make sure that we know what we're putting into our bodies.
Another thing I've been noticing is that a simple box of shortbread cookies is just about $5. For those of you who are challenged in the culinary arts the cost is not prohibitive, but for me, I was aghast at how much it cost for one box with two stacks of cookies. Needless to say I did not buy them, I ate an apple instead.
So, all this to say take the time to read the labels of the items you want to purchase. I've found that a lot of products list their ingredients on their websites. I think this is an excellent practice because it allows you, the consumer to do a bit of research before you buy to make sure that you're eating as healthy as you can. One of my professors has an expression you may not get at first, but think about it, and it will make sense to you - he would say "more than enough is not better than enough".
Take a moment when you're shopping to read the label, pull out your smart phone and do a bit of research and make sure you're getting not only the best for your money, but ingredients that will not cause you or the environment undue harm over time.
Simply sharing, as always with love,
J
What does the title of my blog today have to do with food? Well, let me take a moment to explain. When shopping for food, (or any pre-packaged item for that matter) one should read the label. For food items, the largest quantities are at the beginning of the ingredients list. Say for instance you're buying cookies, flour is the first ingredient (usually enriched flour, meaning wheat/white flour with other things added to enrich the shelf life of the product) then other things you may or may not be able to pronounce, vitamins, sugar, oils etc. Let's look at Quaker oats (not the instant)- these contain "natural whole grain Quaker quality rolled oats", no additives, fillers, or sugars.
I decided to bring you this topic because the other day I was in the store to get some sweetened condensed milk which is what I sweeten my coffee with. Because I like my coffee with milk or cream and sugar I found that this was a good way for me to lighten and sweeten my coffee both at the same time. Cutting down on my sugar intake, and the flatulence that occurs when I eat certain dairy products (as I'm lactose intolerant and some dairy products also contain carrageenan which is a thickener). So as I proceeded down the aisle there were some cans of sweetened condensed milk on sale. And I thought okay, I can save a bit by purchasing this brand instead of my regular brand. Fortunately for me, I decided to put on my glasses and read the label. There was oil in that brand of milk! Now for the life of me I can't figure out why there was oil in something that should only be milk and sugar. Needless to say I was mortified!!! LOL.
Anyway, once I got the right brand of milk and left the store, I reflected on the importance of reading the label of everything I/we buy to make sure that we know what we're putting into our bodies.
Another thing I've been noticing is that a simple box of shortbread cookies is just about $5. For those of you who are challenged in the culinary arts the cost is not prohibitive, but for me, I was aghast at how much it cost for one box with two stacks of cookies. Needless to say I did not buy them, I ate an apple instead.
So, all this to say take the time to read the labels of the items you want to purchase. I've found that a lot of products list their ingredients on their websites. I think this is an excellent practice because it allows you, the consumer to do a bit of research before you buy to make sure that you're eating as healthy as you can. One of my professors has an expression you may not get at first, but think about it, and it will make sense to you - he would say "more than enough is not better than enough".
Take a moment when you're shopping to read the label, pull out your smart phone and do a bit of research and make sure you're getting not only the best for your money, but ingredients that will not cause you or the environment undue harm over time.
Simply sharing, as always with love,
J
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Eating Healthy
Hello All,
Everyone has their own idea of what eating healthy means for them. For some it's fried Tilapia everyday, for some its Morning Star products for others it's freshly prepared from scratch meals. No matter what eating healthy means to you, make sure that you've done your homework, or due diligence and discovered what works best for your lifestyle, your budget, your dietary needs (after consulting your physician of course).
Beware of "Quackery" in other words, if it sounds to good to be true it most likely is. Below is a link from WebMD that should help you with that - http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/health-quackery-spotting-health-scams.
Be sure that you do some research from reliable sources such as - http://www.eatright.org/. and http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/. These sites provide a plethora of helpful information for you to use to make informed choices about your diet and the diet of your loved ones.
No matter what healthy eating means to you, be sure that you're doing all you can to learn about what healthy eating can do for you. And don't forget to exercise, walking around your neighborhood is free!
Much love,
J
Everyone has their own idea of what eating healthy means for them. For some it's fried Tilapia everyday, for some its Morning Star products for others it's freshly prepared from scratch meals. No matter what eating healthy means to you, make sure that you've done your homework, or due diligence and discovered what works best for your lifestyle, your budget, your dietary needs (after consulting your physician of course).
Beware of "Quackery" in other words, if it sounds to good to be true it most likely is. Below is a link from WebMD that should help you with that - http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/guide/health-quackery-spotting-health-scams.
Be sure that you do some research from reliable sources such as - http://www.eatright.org/. and http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/. These sites provide a plethora of helpful information for you to use to make informed choices about your diet and the diet of your loved ones.
No matter what healthy eating means to you, be sure that you're doing all you can to learn about what healthy eating can do for you. And don't forget to exercise, walking around your neighborhood is free!
Much love,
J
If Not Now, When?
Hello All,
One of the many frustrating things (at least to me) I hear from people all the time is "I DON'T HAVE TIME". People often say to me that they don't have the time to cook, or to cook from scratch which is something I strongly advocate. Now, lets get this straight, I'm not saying that you have to cook organic foods, although that helps (if you can afford it) but in my experience things worth having such as good health are worth taking time for. Think about it this way, if you don't take the time now, you may be forced to take the time later, because you may (or not, God willing) develop a health issue that will require you to change your eating habits, so why not start today!
Start small, get some fresh broccoli, cut off the stems and steam the florets (this is what a head of broccoli is called). What you don't have a steamer? That is okay, just put a little water (1/2 cup or less) or vegetable, chicken or beef broth in the bottom of a pot and let it come to a low boil, add the broccoli florets and cover. Let steam for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame, let cool and you now have some nice steamed broccoli. You can do this with just about any fresh vegetable you may fancy. This gives you a serving of vegetables, and fiber.
You may love corn and are challenged about how to cook it besides creamed or just plain old boiled. Well try some Confetti corn. You make this with a little minced red onion, minced Orange bell pepper, and some fresh basil, chopped roughly. Contact me for the exact recipe, but that is a viable option, and I'll even let you use frozen corn! LOL.
Another way to look at this is: when you're making a new friend you want to spend time with that person, talking and such. Well become your own new friend and take the time to get to know yourself through healthy eating.
Yes, I advocate eating healthy and cooking from scratch, and yes I do practice what I preach. I make my own soups, spaghetti sauce, pancakes, granola, etc, and at some point I may bake my own bread. Let me give you an example of the perfect time to cook a bunch of dishes and freeze them. Last weekend it snowed, and if you didn't have anywhere you absolutely had to be, you were home. If you'd been to the grocery store prior to the snow falling, then you had some food in the house and you were able to cook a few things and freeze them. Another way this could work for you is if you're home at least one day a week and do a little advance planning. Plan out what you think you might like to eat for lunch and dinner for a week and head to the grocery store. Select some recipes and get to cooking. I know for a fact that this works because I've done it ( I once had 3 jobs and the one day a week I was home all day was my day to cook and freeze). I would prep some turkey burgers but not cook them cause they're pretty easy, just pop them in the oven. I would make a pan of lasagna, cut it up once it cooled and freeze that. I would make my spaghetti sauce and freeze that so when I wanted something different from what was already cooked I could have it, something like Shrimp Fra Diablo, or Penne ala Vodka. These don't take a long time to make and the sauce was already made all I had to do was defrost it.
So, think about it, there are many ways to eat healthy ( I even oven fry chicken and it's pretty good if I do say so myself) do what works best for you and your dietary needs, think outside of the box, experiment a little with different flavors and have fun!
Much love!
J
One of the many frustrating things (at least to me) I hear from people all the time is "I DON'T HAVE TIME". People often say to me that they don't have the time to cook, or to cook from scratch which is something I strongly advocate. Now, lets get this straight, I'm not saying that you have to cook organic foods, although that helps (if you can afford it) but in my experience things worth having such as good health are worth taking time for. Think about it this way, if you don't take the time now, you may be forced to take the time later, because you may (or not, God willing) develop a health issue that will require you to change your eating habits, so why not start today!
Start small, get some fresh broccoli, cut off the stems and steam the florets (this is what a head of broccoli is called). What you don't have a steamer? That is okay, just put a little water (1/2 cup or less) or vegetable, chicken or beef broth in the bottom of a pot and let it come to a low boil, add the broccoli florets and cover. Let steam for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the flame, let cool and you now have some nice steamed broccoli. You can do this with just about any fresh vegetable you may fancy. This gives you a serving of vegetables, and fiber.
You may love corn and are challenged about how to cook it besides creamed or just plain old boiled. Well try some Confetti corn. You make this with a little minced red onion, minced Orange bell pepper, and some fresh basil, chopped roughly. Contact me for the exact recipe, but that is a viable option, and I'll even let you use frozen corn! LOL.
Another way to look at this is: when you're making a new friend you want to spend time with that person, talking and such. Well become your own new friend and take the time to get to know yourself through healthy eating.
Yes, I advocate eating healthy and cooking from scratch, and yes I do practice what I preach. I make my own soups, spaghetti sauce, pancakes, granola, etc, and at some point I may bake my own bread. Let me give you an example of the perfect time to cook a bunch of dishes and freeze them. Last weekend it snowed, and if you didn't have anywhere you absolutely had to be, you were home. If you'd been to the grocery store prior to the snow falling, then you had some food in the house and you were able to cook a few things and freeze them. Another way this could work for you is if you're home at least one day a week and do a little advance planning. Plan out what you think you might like to eat for lunch and dinner for a week and head to the grocery store. Select some recipes and get to cooking. I know for a fact that this works because I've done it ( I once had 3 jobs and the one day a week I was home all day was my day to cook and freeze). I would prep some turkey burgers but not cook them cause they're pretty easy, just pop them in the oven. I would make a pan of lasagna, cut it up once it cooled and freeze that. I would make my spaghetti sauce and freeze that so when I wanted something different from what was already cooked I could have it, something like Shrimp Fra Diablo, or Penne ala Vodka. These don't take a long time to make and the sauce was already made all I had to do was defrost it.
So, think about it, there are many ways to eat healthy ( I even oven fry chicken and it's pretty good if I do say so myself) do what works best for you and your dietary needs, think outside of the box, experiment a little with different flavors and have fun!
Much love!
J
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Food Safety and YOU!
Hello All,
While doing some research today, I came across some interesting information that I decided to share with all of you. Food safety should be one of your top priorities because buying, storing and preparing food requires (for the home cook and for the food service professional even more so) an understanding of how to buy, store and prepare food. For instance when defrosting in your refrigerator any type of poultry product, be it chicken, ground turkey, turkey or ground chicken, you should place the product in a rimmed bowl, or a plate large enough to hold the item and place this on the bottom shelf of your fridge so that as it defrosts all the meat juices are caught by that bowl or plate and the rest of your food is not cross contaminated. Also be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling any raw foods, but especially poultry. I'm going to say this again, WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER!!!!! Not hand sanitizer, but actual SOAP, and dry them on a paper towel. Not a hand towel or a dish towel as the germs that are on the towel can be transferred, so a single use towel is best.
So anyway, what I found that I'd like to share is a link to the NSF's list of companies that require or accept Global Food Safety Benchmarked Certification :
http://www.nsf.org/business/global_food_safety_standards/GFSI_Supporters_6_30_11.pdf . What this should mean to you the consumer is that your food is received and stored properly prior to your purchase at the store. It means much more than this, but this is what I'm imparting today. So, be sure to check out this list for companies in your neck of the woods.
I hope you will find this information helpful, and let me know if you do any further research into this area!
Much love always!
J
While doing some research today, I came across some interesting information that I decided to share with all of you. Food safety should be one of your top priorities because buying, storing and preparing food requires (for the home cook and for the food service professional even more so) an understanding of how to buy, store and prepare food. For instance when defrosting in your refrigerator any type of poultry product, be it chicken, ground turkey, turkey or ground chicken, you should place the product in a rimmed bowl, or a plate large enough to hold the item and place this on the bottom shelf of your fridge so that as it defrosts all the meat juices are caught by that bowl or plate and the rest of your food is not cross contaminated. Also be sure to wash your hands with soap and water after handling any raw foods, but especially poultry. I'm going to say this again, WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP AND WATER!!!!! Not hand sanitizer, but actual SOAP, and dry them on a paper towel. Not a hand towel or a dish towel as the germs that are on the towel can be transferred, so a single use towel is best.
So anyway, what I found that I'd like to share is a link to the NSF's list of companies that require or accept Global Food Safety Benchmarked Certification :
http://www.nsf.org/business/global_food_safety_standards/GFSI_Supporters_6_30_11.pdf . What this should mean to you the consumer is that your food is received and stored properly prior to your purchase at the store. It means much more than this, but this is what I'm imparting today. So, be sure to check out this list for companies in your neck of the woods.
I hope you will find this information helpful, and let me know if you do any further research into this area!
Much love always!
J
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