Whole
Health Nutrition News
January, 2004
Happy New Year!
In this issue:
Hearty Winter Soups, Tue.
Jan. 20th, 7-9PM. Warm up this winter while learning to make
hearty, healthy winter soups that are complete meals in themselves. Senior
Center Demo Kitchen, Everett (Pacific and Lombard)
Hearty Winter Soups, Tue.
Jan. 27th, 7-9PM. Frances
Anderson Center, Edmonds.
Hearty Winter Soups,
Thur. Feb. 5th, 7:15-9:15PM.
Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline.
Hearty winter Soups,
Monday, Feb. 9th, 7-9PM.
Jennings Park Barn, Marysville.
Around the World – In
less than 20 minutes, Tue. Feb. 10th, 7-9M. This class
will show you how to prepare an ethnic smorgasbord of healthy meals – in less
than 20 minutes. Several recipes ranging from Thai to Mexican will be
demonstrated. Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds.
Registration:
425-771-0230. Couse# 4078
Munchie Madness, Thur.
Feb. 12th, 7-9PM. Get
ideas for healthy, kid-friendly recipes that are suitable for lunchboxes or
snacks. It is possible to get your kids to eat healthier!
Senior Center Demo Kitchen,
Everett (Pacific and Lombard)
Perhaps you've
made a resolution to get healthier this year! That was the easy part, now
you've got to actually make the changes. After
all, making resolutions is easy; keeping them can be tough after your initial
good intentions fall by the wayside and old habits kick in.
Wouldn't it be great to make a change in your eating habits – a change that will last a lifetime, not merely the time it takes for your willpower to wane? If you pay attention to the top health experts, not the fad-of-the-day diet gurus, it's a change in lifestyle, not a quick fix, that helps you achieve your health goals--losing those pounds, increasing your stamina, or lowering your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. This concept is not new, but what may be new to you is how you approach it.
When you make a lifestyle change, success is the result of making gradual changes that fit in with who you are, rather than food or activity choices that force you to go against your preferences. It’s helpful to make changes very slowly, and to make them specific, such as adding one new fruit or vegetable a week to your diet.
Taking
on too much or trying to make too dramatic a change is just setting yourself up
for a letdown. Another important thing to remember is to be patient. Change
comes slowly, so give yourself time. Patience is particularly important if one
of your goals is to lose weight. Slow, gradual weight loss is crucial for
maintaining the loss. If you lose weight too fast, you are more likely to gain
it back.
10 top ways to
improve eating habits
1. Eat
mindfully.
Sit down with no distractions. No TV, radio, reading,
etc. Be sensitive to how your food tastes and how it affects your body. Closing
your eyes while eating can help you to eat mindfully.
2. Keep a journal.
Write down portion sizes. This will help you become
more conscious of what you are eating, as well as remember what a cup or 4
ounces looks like. Also record any bodily symptoms such as gas or bloating that
you may experience after eating certain foods. This can help pinpoint food
sensitivities – often the culprit for weight gain and fatigue.
3. Always eat
sitting down.
This does not
include your car!
4. Commit to
small changes.
See what you can
change without too much effort and start doing it. It could be something as
simple as trying one new vegetable a week. Reward yourself with something not
food-related after you have achieved your goal.
5. Wipe out
white flour and white sugar.
These can elevate
blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to cravings, depression and fatigue.
6. Eat
breakfast every day.
Combine some
protein, carbohydrate and fat in your morning meal so you start the day with
stable blood sugar. This can be as simple as a blender smoothie made with
yogurt, fruit and some flaxseed thrown in.
7. Choose
healthy fats.
We need fat to
keep our metabolism up and to absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Choose healthy fats
(in moderation) such as raw nuts, tahini, olive oil, butter and avocados.
8. Eat fresh,
whole, organic food as much as possible.
Not only does it
taste better, but your body will be thanking you for more nutrients. The
environment benefits too.
9. Expect
progress, not perfection.
It takes practice
to develop new habits. Stop berating yourself for every sweet or
"bad" food you eat. This only causes you to want the forbidden even
more.
10. Separate
food from feelings.
Many people eat
because they are feeling stressed or emotionally upset. Begin to notice the
triggers and deal with your feelings effectively by seeking help, calling a
friend or journaling.
December 26, 2003 The Washington Post by Margaret Webb Pressler,
The discovery of mad cow
disease in the United States may give a major boost to the organic beef
business because cattle raised organically are less exposed to the major risk
factor for the deadly wasting disease.
To be certified as being organic by the
Agriculture Department, beef cattle must be fed a strictly vegetarian diet,
which would prevent them from being exposed to the kind of tainted feed
suspected of causing the mad cow disease discovered in Washington State.
Additionally, organic cattle farmers rarely
process meat from sick or injured animals, a common practice in the traditional
meatpacking business that has been criticized by some food-safety activists.
Organic producers also say they don't employ the kind of high-tech,
high-pressure meat extraction systems used in traditional meat processing that
some critics say can pull tissue from areas where the infection mostly occurs,
the spinal column and brain, into the surrounding muscle tissue.
These differences cannot guarantee that a
cow raised organically will not develop mad cow disease, however, because some
of the ways the disease is transmitted are still unknown. And non-organic cuts
of beef are considered safe, according to federal food-safety officials who
note that the disease has never been found in muscle meat from an infected cow
-- such as steaks and roasts.
Nevertheless, food scares can cause
consumers to change their habits quickly, often without regard to actual science
or true risk.
"Food has always been considered
special in terms of risk factor," said Elizabeth M. Whelan, executive
director of the American Council on Science and Health, a New York-based
nonprofit organization that tries to educate consumers on issues related to
food, nutrition, the environment and health. "People are willing to choose
alternatives even if there's no rational basis for it."
And because of that, organic beef producers
expect to benefit.
Read the rest of the story at http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/organic122703.cfm
A great local source for organic grass-fed
beef is Thundering Hooves ranch in Walla Walla, www.thunderinghooves.net, or Skagit
River Ranch in Sedro Wooley, www.skagitriverranch.com.
Grass-fed beef are not fed any grain, so the meat is lower in saturated fat and
higher in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You can read more about the
benefits of grass-fed beef at www.eatwild.com.
There’s
nothing better than a hearty bowl of piping hot soup on a cold winter evening.
For some, soup is a favorite comfort food; for others, it is a quick meal. In
any case, studies show that a bowl of soup can also improve your health in
several ways.
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One
study from Penn State University suggests that soup can help take off those
extra pounds.
Researchers
gave two groups of people the same foods to eat. One group ate the foods in the
form of a soup, while the other group ate the same foods in the form of a
casserole.
The
group that ate the meal as soup consumed nearly 30 percent fewer calories and
did not feel as hungry later in the day as the casserole group reported
feeling.
Researchers
caution that the kind of soup eaten makes a big difference. A broth or
tomato-based soup like chicken, vegetable or minestrone are better choices than
cream-based or cheesy soups.
Weight
control is not the only benefit of eating soup. Soup provides an easy way to
add extra servings of vegetables to your diet. When making soup, double the
amount of vegetables or add leftover vegetables, like steamed broccoli or
carrots, to commercially-prepared soups. Add chopped spinach or kale towards
the end of cooking to dramatically boost the soup’s vitamin, mineral, and
antioxidant content, which may help fend off those winter colds and coughs.
Canned beans that have been drained add extra fiber.
If
eating soup before a meal, eat slowly for the most benefit. If soup is the main
meal, make sure that it includes a good source of protein, like diced chicken
or turkey, or beans. A small amount of protein will satisfy hunger for a longer
period of time. Canned soups can be high in sodium, so choose low-sodium
varieties.
With
the right choices, soup can also help lower the risk of cancer and heart
disease, and supply the nutrients needed for overall good health.
Roasted
and Curried Butternut Squash Soup
This recipe can be either vegetarian or meat based. It also freezes well, just
thaw, heat and add cream or yogurt before serving. It's delicious, nutritious,
and well worth the extra steps of roasting and pureeing.
Prep Time: approx. 20 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 1 Hour. Makes 8 servings.
|
1 butternut or other
winter squash, halved and seeded |
1 teaspoon mild curry
powder |
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Place squash halves and onion onto the prepared baking sheet. Wrap
garlic in foil and set with other vegetables.
3. Roast in the center of the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the squash
is tender. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
4. Squeeze garlic cloves out of their skin like paste into a blender or
food processor. Scrape the flesh from the squash and place into the blender or
food processor along with the roasted onion. Puree until smooth. Add vegetable
broth if necessary. Transfer the pureed
mixture to a stockpot and stir in vegetable broth. Season with brown sugar,
curry powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil
and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.
Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.