Nutrition Articles

Prevent Pounds by Avoiding These Winter Comfort Foods

Studies have shown that during the months of December and January, many people gain at least one pound , every year. Why? One main reason is that besides being less active during the winter months, we also turn to comfort foods to get us through those dark, dreary winter days.

In order to prevent that one pound per year weight gain that can be so hard to come off, the following foods should be avoided or at least eaten in extreme moderation:

Macaroni and cheese Cream based soups and bisques Cream and cheese based casseroles Cheesecake Pies with whipped cream and/or ice cream Cookies French fries, chili cheese fries, onion rings Creamy pot pies (with pastry top and bottom)

Just by making some slight alterations and by avoiding these fattening foods you will see that you will not only feel better but you can prevent packing on those unwanted pounds, too.

How Many Calories Are In Your Thanksgiving Feast?

Use this handy calorie counter to find out how many calories are in some of your favorite Thanksgiving foods, and avoid packing on some extra pounds this holiday season.

Salads and Appetizers:

3 cups salad (with light dressing): 100 calories ½ cup jello with fruit: 120 calories ½ cup Waldorf salad: 110 calories 1 cracker with cheese: 70 calories ½ cup mixed raw vegetables: 25 calories ½ cup mixed nuts: 440 calories 1 oz. tortilla or potato chips: 150 calories (75 extra calories per tablespoon of dip)

Main Course:

6 oz. cured ham: 300 calories 6 oz. white and dark turkey: 340 calories ½ cup stuffing: 180 calories ½ cup cranberry sauce: 190 calories ½ cup mashed potatoes: 150 calories ½ cup gravy: 150 calories ½ cup green bean casserole: 225 calories ½ cup candied sweet potatoes: 150 calories 1 dinner roll: 110 calories (45 extra calories with one pat of butter)

Drinks:

1 mixed drink: 250 calories 1 glass of wine: 120 calories 1 glass of cider: 120 calories 1 cup eggnog: 343 calories

Desserts:

2 small chocolate chip cookies: 150 calories 1 piece apple pie: 410 calories 1 piece pecan pie: 480 calories 1 piece pumpkin pie: 180 calories ½ cup whipped cream: 75 calories ½ cup ice cream: 145 calories

Leftovers:

1 turkey sandwich with mayo and cranberry sauce: 450 calories 1 open-face turkey sandwich with stuffing and gravy: 290 calories

Fall Finally! Enjoy Your Fall Squash and Gourds

Now that summer is coming to a close, it's time to enjoy one of the most popular fruits that fall has to offer: squash and gourds. While in cooking squash and gourds are considered vegetables, botanically speaking squash and gourds are fruit.

Summer squashes like zucchini and yellow crookneck are harvested during the growing season, are eaten almost immediately and require very little cooking time.

Winter squashes like butternut, acorn, spaghetti and pumpkin are harvested at the end of the summer, can be stored in a cool, dry place for eating later and generally require longer cooking times.

Gourds are from the same family as squashes.

When purchasing these fruits, look for squash and gourds that are fairly heavy and firm. Choose squash that have bright, glossy exteriors and avoid squash that have nicks, bruises or soft spots.

Here are a few yummy squash recipes you may want to try this fall.

Butternut Squash Soup

6 tablespoons chopped onion 4 tablespoons margarine 6 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash 3 cups water 4 cubes chicken bouillon ½ teaspoon dried marjoram ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper 2 (8 ounces) cream cheese

In a large saucepan, sauté onions in margarine until tender. Add squash, water, bouillon, marjoram, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Bring to boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender. Puree squash and cream cheese in a blender or a food processor in batches until smooth. Return to saucepan and heat through. Do not allow to boil.

Candied Acorn Squash

1 medium acorn squash (about 1 ¼ pounds) ¼ cup maple syrup or 3 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted ½ teaspoon finely shredded orange peel (optional) 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove and discard seeds. Arrange the squash halves, cut side down, in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn the squash halves cut side up.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together maple syrup, butter, orange peel (if desired), and cinnamon. Spoon syrup mixture into centers of squash halves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until squash is tender.

Simply Spinach

Ever since we saw Popeye take out that can of spinach to help make himself super strong, we have known about the nutritional benefits of spinach. But there are plenty of other benefits of spinach that maybe even Popeye was not aware of.

Leafy, green vegetables, like spinach, provide more nutrients than any other food. Researchers have found at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that have been known to act as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents, combating specific cancers like ovarian and prostate cancer.

The vitamin K in spinach provides 200% of the daily value in fresh spinach and nearly 1000% of the daily value in boiled spinach.

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, folate and magnesium.

Cooked spinach is a great source of iron, and is totally fat free.

Spinach has been known to protect against osteoporosis, heart disease, arthritis and many other conditions.

So maybe Popeye was really onto something ,

Straight From the Headlines: Eating Junk Food An Addiction?

According to a recent study published in the journal “Nature Neuroscience,” a high-calorie diet, including junk food, may be as addictive as drugs like nicotine or even cocaine.

The study, conducted on rats, shows that overconsumption of high-calorie foods can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain, thereby turning the rats into compulsive eaters.

Decreased levels of a specific dopamine receptor : a brain chemical that allows a feeling of reward : have been found in these overweight rats, as they are found in humans with drug addictions.

The research was conducted in conjunction with the announcement that obesity-related diseases cost the U.S. and estimated $150 billion each year and an estimated two-thirds of American adults and one-third of children are obese or overweight.

Researchers say that eating snack foods are okay to eat from time to time, it's when we repeatedly overindulge that the problems begin.