Nutrition Articles

Food for Thought: Halloween Hangover- Avoid the Sugar Rush this Holiday

Long gone are the days when young trick or treaters travel from door to door getting fruit and popcorn from their neighbors.  Instead, the new “normal” is to give out as much candy as possible and at the end of Halloween night the children's bags are chock full of sugar-filled, unhealthy items.

Nutrition experts (and dentists) cringe every time October 31 rolls around, but this year parents can not only do their part in giving out healthier treats, but they can also be sure to monitor what their children are eating, too. We all know that too much sugar is bad for anyone, but do we know what effects too much sugar can have on our children?  Nutrition experts offer the following points:

Avoid Halloween hangover

• Children that consume too much sugar and too many carbs, can suffer from hypoglycemia causing fatigue, poor concentration, mood swings and frequent illness.
• Too many “empty calories” can mean that children aren't getting the nutrients they need on a daily basis.

• Recent research has shown that more than 20% of school-aged children are obese and more than 50% are overweight.
• Too much sugar can cause chronically elevated blood insulin levels triggering inflammatory problems and elevated cholesterol.

Now don't get us wrong, this Halloween doesn't have to be all “doom and gloom” when it comes to having a few treats.

Parents need to be very careful in monitoring what their child puts into their mouth and how often they are turning to sugary items. Ration the sugary products over a longer period and incorporate them with a protein snack.

Having a protein, especially before the sugar snack, will slow and reduce the rate and quantity of insulin secreted by the pancreas, thereby reducing many of the risks stated above.

Here is to a Healthy and Happy Halloween.

In the News: How to Lose Weight This Fall

Fall can be a time of festivals, pumpkin patches, get togethers, football games and many more events where food plays a huge role in the activities of the day.  If you are like most people you want to watch what you eat during the fall season, as you know that the holidays are just around the corner : which means more overeating!

Weight loss tips for this fall

But even though fall is synonymous with fattening foods there are some fall food items that can help you to slim down.

One of these foods is the apple.  Apples are low in calories and high in fiber (95 calories and 4 grams of fiber per medium fruit) and are great tasting!  In a recent study, dried apples have been found to help people lose weight and lower their cholesterol.

Another great fall slimming food is the squash (and who doesn't love squash from butternut to acorn?)  Just one cup of cooked squash packs 214 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A and a third of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C.  Squash are also only 80 calories per cup :compared to its more fattening fall friend the sweet potato at 180 calories per cup.

Broccoli is another great fall slimming food : a cup of broccoli is just 31 calories and 2.4 grams of fiber.  Plus, experts say that when you add fresh vegetables to any food you tend to eat fewer calories so you can add broccoli to virtually any meal to decrease your caloric intake.

Lastly, there is kale.  These days dark, leafy vegetables like kale is the go-to when you are talking about healthy foods.  Kale is packed with vitamin A, loads of fiber and isothiocyanates that help your body to detoxify.

Eating Healthy: Spotlight on: Pumpkin

• One thing that many people do not know about pumpkins is that they are made up of 90 percent water.
• Pumpkins also contain other great nutritional aspects including potassium and vitamin A.
• The bright orange color of pumpkins also tells us that they are a great source of the important antioxidant, beta carotene.
• Research has indicated that diets rich in beta carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and protects against heart disease.

Healthy Pumpkin Recipes

Recipe: Traditional Pumpkin Pie

• 1 ¾ cups (one 15oz. can) unsweetened pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(For crust us a pre-made store bought crust or a homemade crust)

In a small heavy saucepan, stir the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt together until mixed.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and shiny.  Scrape the mixture into a mixer or food processor for 1 minute. With the motor on, add the milk and cream, mixing until incorporated completely.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just to incorporate, about 5 seconds after each egg.  When you add the last egg, also add the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.  Bake the pie for 50 - 60 minutes at 375 degrees.  It is done when a knife inserted between the sides and center comes out almost clean.  When done, place on a wire rack to cool.

Recipe: Pumpkin Soup

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 whole black peppercorns

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.  Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.  Return to pan and bring to boil again.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered.  Stir in heavy cream.  Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Food for Thought: Back to Lunch : Tips for Children's Healthy Eating

Grocery stores are filled with nutritious choices nowadays and by enlisting the help of your child when shopping for their lunch foods, he or she can learn how to make the best choices as they grow up and create meals of their own.

Be sure to check out the following areas of your supermarket and your child's lunch will not only be filled with great tasting foods, but it will also create a healthy lunch.

Healthy Lunch Tips for Children

• The Produce Section: The produce section is always a good place to start when it comes to a healthy lunch. Choosing fruits and vegetables that your child enjoys and even some they may have never tried is a great idea and is always a good place to find those important vitamins and minerals that every child need.

• The Drink Aisle:  While many children would love to enjoy a sugary soft drink with their lunch, a better option is a 100 percent juice instead.  Be a label reader and avoid juices with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial flavors.

• The Dairy Section: The dairy section is also an area where you can find some great foods.  Try low-fat dairy options, like cottage cheese, string cheese and yogurt.

• The Snack Food Aisle: Many parents would avoid this aisle completely, but there are still some great lunch items that can be found in the snack food aisle. Be on the lookout for baked and not fried snacks, avoid trans fats, choose whole-wheat over non-whole grain snacks, grab some all-natural granola bars that offer whole grains, nuts and pieces of fruit all in one snack.

A Banana a Day Keeps the Doctor Away for Women

Everyone has heard that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but if you are a woman over the age of 50 then you should be having a banana or two along with that apple.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Recent studies show that woman over the age of 50 who ate foods high in potassium were 12 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke in general and 16 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke caused by a blood clot, or an ischemic stroke.

Lastly the study showed that women were 10 percent less likely to die, from any cause, than those who ate low amounts of food containing potassium.

Another interesting finding from the study was that the correlation between potassium intake and stroke prevention was highest amongst women who did not have high blood pressure.  Therefore, nutritionists suggest that women should increase their potassium intake before high blood pressure has the chance to develop.

For women who aren't big fans of bananas, never fear.  You can get twice as much potassium in a serving of spinach, then you get in one banana. Become a label reader as many foods contain potassium that you may not know about.