Hello all,
While doing some studying in my nutrition text book the other day I came across some info that you may or may not know. Here are the meanings of some terms that I'm sure you're familiar with, but may not know the particulars about, unless you've done the research, or are into the science of things. So, the first term I'd like to tell you about is hydrogenation - this is the adding of hydrogen to an unsaturated fatty acid to make it more saturated and solid at room temperature. Hydrogenation turns the reconfigured fatty acid into a transfatty acid which is not good for you. The transfatty acids raise your LDL cholesterol (the bad one) and lowers the HDL cholesterol (the good one) and increases your risk for heart disease. Transfats are used in processed foods to provide a richer texture, longer shelf life and better resistance to rancidity. Crisco was the first that most of you may be familiar with. The main source today of transfat in your diet would come from commercially prepared baked items, margarine, fried potatoes, snacks and salad dressing.
This is just one of the many reasons why I tell people to read the labels and whenever possible to make your foods from scratch. I know this is time consuming for those of you who don't really like to cook, or who don't plan their time well enough to be able to cook.
I bet you didn't know that your body makes cholesterol on its own. That's right each and every one of us makes cholesterol in our bodies and it is the precursor of the sex hormones - testosterone and estrogen.
Now, back to the fat comment. Some people try to avoid fat at all costs. But your body needs some fat for insulation of your body and organs; if for some reason your body went into starvation mode, the first thing your body would use for energy is fat. It has a place, the problem is that some people consume way too much fat, and lead sedentary lifestyles. Not only that, but the type of fat people eat plays a role in someone's being overweight or obese. There is saturated fat, and unsaturated fat, to name two. Foods that contain saturated fatty acids, or saturated fats are unhealthy for you, the saturation comes from hydrogen bonds "saturating" the fatty acid chain, meaning they are tight and this makes the fat solid. Unsaturated fats, or unsaturated fatty acids have double hydrogen bonds that cause kinks, keeping them from packing together tightly and therefore making them liquid, like oil for instance.
Hope you find this information helpful
Take care and have a great day!
Jeri
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
How Sweet it is!
Hello All,
Hope all of you are doing well on this lovely fall day! Today I'd like to chat with you about sugar and artificial sweeteners. Sugar is something most of us use on a daily basis. Sugar or sucrose, also known as table sugar is a naturally occurring (found in nature, not man made) product from Mother Nature.
Here is some information about the artificial sweeteners some folks use for things like sweetening their coffee or tea, to baking. Sorbitol which is found in sugarless gum and other products is 50-70% as sweet as sugar. Mannitol, also found in chewing gum, and jam, is used to add bulk to powdered foods and is also 50-70% as sweet as sucrose. These two sweeteners are considered "reduced calorie sweeteners" however if too much of these items are consumed, diarrhea can result.
Sucralose, whose trade name is Splenda is 600% sweeter than sucrose, and is considered a calorie free sweetener, this is one of the newer items on the market today. Some artificial sweeteners that you may recall from the past are saccharin known as Sweet n low is 200-700% sweeter than sucrose. Aspartame known as Nutrasweet or Equal is approximately 200% sweeter than sucrose, and the one calorie free sweetener that everyone is trying is Stevia whose trade name is Truvia, or PureVia is also 200% sweeter than sucrose.
Why am I telling you all this? I want to try to educate you about some of the food choices you make on a daily basis. If you use an artificial sweetener, your body does not metabolize it in the same way that it does table sugar, which is why people with diabetes use artificial sweeteners, as they cause a slower rise in blood glucose than sugar does and don't promote dental caries (tooth decay if you don't practice proper dental hygiene).
For example sucrose and fructose are the most commonly used sugars. Calorie wise just one teaspoon of honey contains 21 calories, compared to one teaspoon of sugar which is 16 calories. High fructose corn syrup has gained popularity over the last several years because it is less expensive to manufacture.
So, if you're in the grocery store and want to pick up a few snacks, read the label. I was recently offered a "healthy" granola bar by a friend at school. I declined the sugary sweet and then asked her if I could read the label, as I was curious about what was in that particular brand. I believe I counted 8 different forms of sugar in that one granola bar. Now don't get me wrong I like a little sugar from time to time, but that would have been way too sweet for me, and I think she decided to put it back and opted for some trail mix instead.
So, I hope you'll find this information useful. You'll read the label the next time you're in the snack isle at the grocery store and decide to cut back on your sweeteners, real and artificial.
Take care everyone, and have a simply marvelous day!
Jeri
Hope all of you are doing well on this lovely fall day! Today I'd like to chat with you about sugar and artificial sweeteners. Sugar is something most of us use on a daily basis. Sugar or sucrose, also known as table sugar is a naturally occurring (found in nature, not man made) product from Mother Nature.
Here is some information about the artificial sweeteners some folks use for things like sweetening their coffee or tea, to baking. Sorbitol which is found in sugarless gum and other products is 50-70% as sweet as sugar. Mannitol, also found in chewing gum, and jam, is used to add bulk to powdered foods and is also 50-70% as sweet as sucrose. These two sweeteners are considered "reduced calorie sweeteners" however if too much of these items are consumed, diarrhea can result.
Sucralose, whose trade name is Splenda is 600% sweeter than sucrose, and is considered a calorie free sweetener, this is one of the newer items on the market today. Some artificial sweeteners that you may recall from the past are saccharin known as Sweet n low is 200-700% sweeter than sucrose. Aspartame known as Nutrasweet or Equal is approximately 200% sweeter than sucrose, and the one calorie free sweetener that everyone is trying is Stevia whose trade name is Truvia, or PureVia is also 200% sweeter than sucrose.
Why am I telling you all this? I want to try to educate you about some of the food choices you make on a daily basis. If you use an artificial sweetener, your body does not metabolize it in the same way that it does table sugar, which is why people with diabetes use artificial sweeteners, as they cause a slower rise in blood glucose than sugar does and don't promote dental caries (tooth decay if you don't practice proper dental hygiene).
For example sucrose and fructose are the most commonly used sugars. Calorie wise just one teaspoon of honey contains 21 calories, compared to one teaspoon of sugar which is 16 calories. High fructose corn syrup has gained popularity over the last several years because it is less expensive to manufacture.
So, if you're in the grocery store and want to pick up a few snacks, read the label. I was recently offered a "healthy" granola bar by a friend at school. I declined the sugary sweet and then asked her if I could read the label, as I was curious about what was in that particular brand. I believe I counted 8 different forms of sugar in that one granola bar. Now don't get me wrong I like a little sugar from time to time, but that would have been way too sweet for me, and I think she decided to put it back and opted for some trail mix instead.
So, I hope you'll find this information useful. You'll read the label the next time you're in the snack isle at the grocery store and decide to cut back on your sweeteners, real and artificial.
Take care everyone, and have a simply marvelous day!
Jeri
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
The food industry and you!
Okay, so if you know me personally, then you know I have an aversion to processed foods and eating out! Now don't get me wrong, there are a couple of processed items that I eat on occasion, and every once in a while I will eat out, but these events take place rarely.
This semester I am taking a class where the professor has provided online information for the class to view, and I just finished watching an ABC news report (by Peter Jennings from 2004 I believe) on the food industry. I'd like to encourage you to watch it, if you care to, you may find it in the archives on ABC News or even You Tube. The gist is that the government subsidizes the food industry to produce food. So, if you think about things that way I do, then .... I'm not going to finish that thought for reasons of my own, but again if you know me personally, give me a call and we can chat about it! LOL
Kraft was the only company that said it would do something, but again this was 2004, so I'll have to look into their record.
My point in all this is that among the daily choices you make regarding the foods you eat and drink try to make as many healthy choices as you can. Like cut out soda and most juices, drink water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, take the time to make your own food at home, and take your lunch with you to work/school, where ever. That way, you know what you're eating, what is in it (ingredients I mean) and where you purchased it from. Keep this in mind, fast food is grown fast, processed fast, and cooked or reheated fast. All that speed can't be good in the long run. Think about it, let me know what you think and let me know what changes you're willing to make in your life.
Much love,
Jeri
This semester I am taking a class where the professor has provided online information for the class to view, and I just finished watching an ABC news report (by Peter Jennings from 2004 I believe) on the food industry. I'd like to encourage you to watch it, if you care to, you may find it in the archives on ABC News or even You Tube. The gist is that the government subsidizes the food industry to produce food. So, if you think about things that way I do, then .... I'm not going to finish that thought for reasons of my own, but again if you know me personally, give me a call and we can chat about it! LOL
Kraft was the only company that said it would do something, but again this was 2004, so I'll have to look into their record.
My point in all this is that among the daily choices you make regarding the foods you eat and drink try to make as many healthy choices as you can. Like cut out soda and most juices, drink water, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, take the time to make your own food at home, and take your lunch with you to work/school, where ever. That way, you know what you're eating, what is in it (ingredients I mean) and where you purchased it from. Keep this in mind, fast food is grown fast, processed fast, and cooked or reheated fast. All that speed can't be good in the long run. Think about it, let me know what you think and let me know what changes you're willing to make in your life.
Much love,
Jeri
Sunday, August 28, 2011
School is officially in session!
Hello All,
Here in the Metro Atlanta area, school begins in August, and it is staggered by county. Meaning that depending on which county you live in, your children have been in school now for either a week, or two depending.
So, after having a conversation with a young nursing student at school the other day, about the store brought Granola Bar she had in her hand, I decided to share one from my favorite cookbook author at the moment, Ina Garten, from her "Back to Basic's" cookbook. My theory is and will remain, that when you make it yourself, you know exactly what is in it and can thereby control the amount of sugar, salt and artificial stuff that goes into what you're eating. For this granola, here is what you'll need;
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup wheat germ ( I personally omit this)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar,lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pitted dates ( I personally omit these)
1/2 cup dried apricots (I personally omit these)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or craisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x12 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper or quick release foil.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan, and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots and cranberries and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers with water and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Now the beauty of making your own granola is that you're making it to your taste, not mass produced for a bunch of folks you don't know. So, for me, I'd omit some of the sugar because coconut is pretty sweet on its own. I might even use salted almonds, because sometimes you want some salty with your sweet. Now while I love dark chocolate, I would not add chocolate chips to my granola bars, but you're making these for you, so add what you like, experiment a little and let me know how they come out!
These are a great anytime snack, they pack up well and you can experiment with different types of nuts and dried fruits.
So Mom, or college student, check these out and let me know what you think, I'd love to hear from you!
Ciao for now,
Jeri
Here in the Metro Atlanta area, school begins in August, and it is staggered by county. Meaning that depending on which county you live in, your children have been in school now for either a week, or two depending.
So, after having a conversation with a young nursing student at school the other day, about the store brought Granola Bar she had in her hand, I decided to share one from my favorite cookbook author at the moment, Ina Garten, from her "Back to Basic's" cookbook. My theory is and will remain, that when you make it yourself, you know exactly what is in it and can thereby control the amount of sugar, salt and artificial stuff that goes into what you're eating. For this granola, here is what you'll need;
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup wheat germ ( I personally omit this)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar,lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup pitted dates ( I personally omit these)
1/2 cup dried apricots (I personally omit these)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or craisins)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x12 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper or quick release foil.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds and coconut together on a sheet pan, and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots and cranberries and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers with water and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.
Now the beauty of making your own granola is that you're making it to your taste, not mass produced for a bunch of folks you don't know. So, for me, I'd omit some of the sugar because coconut is pretty sweet on its own. I might even use salted almonds, because sometimes you want some salty with your sweet. Now while I love dark chocolate, I would not add chocolate chips to my granola bars, but you're making these for you, so add what you like, experiment a little and let me know how they come out!
These are a great anytime snack, they pack up well and you can experiment with different types of nuts and dried fruits.
So Mom, or college student, check these out and let me know what you think, I'd love to hear from you!
Ciao for now,
Jeri
Saturday, July 23, 2011
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Hello All,
Okay, so it's summer time and hot as all get out in most of the country. During this time of the year a lot of folks tend to eat a lot more sandwiches or foods involving bread, because it is easier to make a sandwich than prepare a full on meal. Now this is just my opinion, I don't have any exact facts to back up this statement, I'm just guessing here.
Anyway, I want to tell you about a little experiment I'm doing. I gave up regular bread. I thought this would be really hard, because I love bread! So, what I did was switch from regular bread (I like Pepperidge Farm, Oatmeal) to English Muffins and Whole Wheat Pita Bread. So in the morning when I want some toast, I have an english muffin (whole grain or cinnamon raisin), when I want a sandwich, I use Pita bread, and I've actually lost a little weight. I even changed the type of crackers I eat. I changed the crackers because I was wondering why I seemed to be so addicted to Ritz Crackers (the low sodium ones). I'd be up late at night, feeling a little hungry and I'd grab some crackers. Or if I was eating a salad, I'd have some crackers, but usually more than I needed to eat.
Now, I realize that there is an ad campaign saying that high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation, and that may be true, however, what I have found by doing this little experiment is that my cravings for sweets has subsided quite a bit since I stopped eating regular bread. I've cut out a lot of unnecessary sugars, at least as much as possible and I don't even crave chocolate! I know something must be wrong with me, LOL. Because I love dark chocolate, and for the last month or so, I did not crave it, and therefore did not eat it. That has changed a little, as I've had some chocolate TCBY recently, and a Hagen-Das Coffee Chocolate Almond Pop, but otherwise, I've been good!
All I'm saying is that perhaps if you do a little experiment of your own, read the labels on the foods you buy to see if they have sugar and high fructose corn syrup (one or both). See if you can find a reasonable substitute that you'll enjoy as much and see if you lose a few pounds. I'm only talking about a few pounds here, not a major weight loss, but any poundage gone is a good thing, don't you agree?!
Well ciao for now and stay cool!!!!
Much love to each and every one of you,
Jeri
Okay, so it's summer time and hot as all get out in most of the country. During this time of the year a lot of folks tend to eat a lot more sandwiches or foods involving bread, because it is easier to make a sandwich than prepare a full on meal. Now this is just my opinion, I don't have any exact facts to back up this statement, I'm just guessing here.
Anyway, I want to tell you about a little experiment I'm doing. I gave up regular bread. I thought this would be really hard, because I love bread! So, what I did was switch from regular bread (I like Pepperidge Farm, Oatmeal) to English Muffins and Whole Wheat Pita Bread. So in the morning when I want some toast, I have an english muffin (whole grain or cinnamon raisin), when I want a sandwich, I use Pita bread, and I've actually lost a little weight. I even changed the type of crackers I eat. I changed the crackers because I was wondering why I seemed to be so addicted to Ritz Crackers (the low sodium ones). I'd be up late at night, feeling a little hungry and I'd grab some crackers. Or if I was eating a salad, I'd have some crackers, but usually more than I needed to eat.
Now, I realize that there is an ad campaign saying that high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderation, and that may be true, however, what I have found by doing this little experiment is that my cravings for sweets has subsided quite a bit since I stopped eating regular bread. I've cut out a lot of unnecessary sugars, at least as much as possible and I don't even crave chocolate! I know something must be wrong with me, LOL. Because I love dark chocolate, and for the last month or so, I did not crave it, and therefore did not eat it. That has changed a little, as I've had some chocolate TCBY recently, and a Hagen-Das Coffee Chocolate Almond Pop, but otherwise, I've been good!
All I'm saying is that perhaps if you do a little experiment of your own, read the labels on the foods you buy to see if they have sugar and high fructose corn syrup (one or both). See if you can find a reasonable substitute that you'll enjoy as much and see if you lose a few pounds. I'm only talking about a few pounds here, not a major weight loss, but any poundage gone is a good thing, don't you agree?!
Well ciao for now and stay cool!!!!
Much love to each and every one of you,
Jeri
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Berrylicious!
Hello All,
I'd like to introduce you to a salad you may not ordinarily think of, it is a fresh berry salad, and with the abundance of berries that can be found here at your local Roswell grocery stores, I'm sure you'll find some of your favorites to make this easy salad your own!
To begin you'll need: 5 cups of mixed salad greens
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries (or blueberries or blackberries)
2 tablespoons toasted almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place about 1 cup of salad greens on each plate, top evenly with the berries, nuts and blue cheese.
Wisk the vinegar, oil together in a small bowl, sprinkle with the black pepper to taste and serve.
This is a cool and refreshing summer salad that you can serve every summer once the berries are in season for a light lunch or dinner.
Enjoy, much love to you all!
J
I'd like to introduce you to a salad you may not ordinarily think of, it is a fresh berry salad, and with the abundance of berries that can be found here at your local Roswell grocery stores, I'm sure you'll find some of your favorites to make this easy salad your own!
To begin you'll need: 5 cups of mixed salad greens
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries (or blueberries or blackberries)
2 tablespoons toasted almonds, chopped
1 tablespoon crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Place about 1 cup of salad greens on each plate, top evenly with the berries, nuts and blue cheese.
Wisk the vinegar, oil together in a small bowl, sprinkle with the black pepper to taste and serve.
This is a cool and refreshing summer salad that you can serve every summer once the berries are in season for a light lunch or dinner.
Enjoy, much love to you all!
J
Saturday, June 4, 2011
New Plates!
Hello All,
Don't know if you all know this but the US Dept. of Agriculture introduced a new way to make healthier food choices by replacing the Food Pyramid with a Plate. The new tool is called "My Plate" and I've included the link here for your review! http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
To the folks who felt like the old pyramid was confusing, the plate is far simpler and just as colorful as the foods you eat daily should be. Fruits are RED, vegetables are GREEN of course, (my favorite color, LOL), protein is PURPLE my second favorite color and it starts with a P which I'm thinking was done on purpose to make it easier to remember that you need some protein in your diet daily, grains are sort of an ORANGE color and dairy is BLUE (can't explain that one, ;-) In addition to the colors on the plate, the color's also suggest portion size so that you don't overeat, while you're following this suggested balanced diet!
I hope you'll take a look at this and make some modifications to your diet and the diet of your family, so you can be around for a long time!
On a separate note, many of you feel that cooking from scratch takes too much time. Now to be honest it does take longer that opening a package of some frozen item and putting it in the microwave or having something delivered from your favorite delivery restaurant, however when you make your food from scratch you know exactly what's in it!
So, here's my take on that theme. I make pancakes from scratch and use maple syrup, because there are no fillers and stabilizers in them when I make the pancakes from scratch. If you've ever read the pancake box, no matter which brand you use, there are items in the mix other than flour, baking soda, baking powder, an egg and buttermilk. You may know what those items are, but the vast majority of the population may have no idea what is in most of the foods they eat, they eat them simply because they like the way they taste! Same thing with some of the items you may eat at your favorite restaurant. One of the things I love to do on the rare occasions that I eat out is to try to taste all the flavors in the dish and come home and recreate them. I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty good at it, and even if the dish doesn't taste exactly like the restaurant's I like to think that mine is better because not only am I using fresh ingredients, I'm adding love to the dish, which the folks enjoying the food can taste! Now you may think well, this can get expensive, all this cooking and stuff, but think about it, in the long run isn't your body and your health worth taking a little extra time to prepare a meal from scratch. If you don't take care of yourself now, you'll be taking care of yourself later with lots of medications and such that may have been able to be avoided if you took better care of yourself now! Pay for it now, or pay for it later!!!! Just a thought.
Well, that's all for now.
Much love to all of you!
J
Don't know if you all know this but the US Dept. of Agriculture introduced a new way to make healthier food choices by replacing the Food Pyramid with a Plate. The new tool is called "My Plate" and I've included the link here for your review! http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
To the folks who felt like the old pyramid was confusing, the plate is far simpler and just as colorful as the foods you eat daily should be. Fruits are RED, vegetables are GREEN of course, (my favorite color, LOL), protein is PURPLE my second favorite color and it starts with a P which I'm thinking was done on purpose to make it easier to remember that you need some protein in your diet daily, grains are sort of an ORANGE color and dairy is BLUE (can't explain that one, ;-) In addition to the colors on the plate, the color's also suggest portion size so that you don't overeat, while you're following this suggested balanced diet!
I hope you'll take a look at this and make some modifications to your diet and the diet of your family, so you can be around for a long time!
On a separate note, many of you feel that cooking from scratch takes too much time. Now to be honest it does take longer that opening a package of some frozen item and putting it in the microwave or having something delivered from your favorite delivery restaurant, however when you make your food from scratch you know exactly what's in it!
So, here's my take on that theme. I make pancakes from scratch and use maple syrup, because there are no fillers and stabilizers in them when I make the pancakes from scratch. If you've ever read the pancake box, no matter which brand you use, there are items in the mix other than flour, baking soda, baking powder, an egg and buttermilk. You may know what those items are, but the vast majority of the population may have no idea what is in most of the foods they eat, they eat them simply because they like the way they taste! Same thing with some of the items you may eat at your favorite restaurant. One of the things I love to do on the rare occasions that I eat out is to try to taste all the flavors in the dish and come home and recreate them. I'm not an expert, but I'm pretty good at it, and even if the dish doesn't taste exactly like the restaurant's I like to think that mine is better because not only am I using fresh ingredients, I'm adding love to the dish, which the folks enjoying the food can taste! Now you may think well, this can get expensive, all this cooking and stuff, but think about it, in the long run isn't your body and your health worth taking a little extra time to prepare a meal from scratch. If you don't take care of yourself now, you'll be taking care of yourself later with lots of medications and such that may have been able to be avoided if you took better care of yourself now! Pay for it now, or pay for it later!!!! Just a thought.
Well, that's all for now.
Much love to all of you!
J
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