Sometimes we don’t realize that whether or not we purchase certain foods we eat should depend on their age. The age of the foods you eat could have an effect on how well it keeps you healthy and how many nutrients it contains.  The following article will tell you the ideal “age” for some of the foods you eat.

Chicken: Although capons are mostly white meat, they are high in fat. Poussin/spring chicken, the smaller one of the group has very little fat. A poussin is a very young chicken, and it has a very delicate flavor and little fat at 4-6 weeks old (5 grams). A capon is 8 months old and contains 17 grams of fat.

Coffee Beans: Dark roast means that the coffee bean has been roasted to a higher temperature and typically for a longer period of time. This causes all of the flavor molecules stored within the coffee beans to be burnt away. By roasting so dark, you can’t tell whether it’s a good bean or a bad bean because all the natural flavors have been turned to charcoal.

Onions:  Cornell University scientists tested 10 different onion varieties for phenolic and flavonoid content. Shallots, known as the baby of onions, ranked highest in antioxidant levels. Shallots had the greatest effect against liver cancer cell growth. They have the most phenols, six times the amount found in Vidalia onion.

Carrots: Baby carrots are not young carrots, but rather small pieces of carrots that are chopped and whittled down to look like small carrots. They are peeled, and washed, and insanely convenient. Unfortunately, baby carrots are often made by manufacturers who chemically remove the skin, which leaves them with 30 percent less beta carotene then a regular full grown carrot. Their normal lofty level of beta carotene heals sun-damaged skin and is great for encouraging a lovely complexion, since it promotes circulation and hydration. The root vegetable works as an antiseptic, useful in treating breakouts.

Bananas: Green bananas have more starch which is broken down to sugar during ripening. Therefore waiting until bananas turn yellow, you will not only reap the most health benefits, but enjoy the rich sweet taste as well. Bananas are loaded with potassium and vitamin B6 acts as a natural diuretic which helps to prevent bloating.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

I have a party tonight and don’t want to appear bloated! Which foods should I eat and which should I avoid to keep my belly flat?

Foods to Avoid:

• Salty, highly-processed foods: Sodium causes the body to retain water, which in essence causes bloating — making you feel as big as a balloon. Avoid foods like hot dogs, which are high in both fat and sodium. Also, avoid the fast-food counter where options are usually extremely high in sodium. Avoiding any kind of salty snacks, such as pretzels and potato chips, is essential to maintaining your bikini body.  

• Gassy foods: Certain foods create more gas in your GI tract than others. This includes raw vegetables and legumes such as cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, onions and cabbage. However, many times if you cook these vegetables, they will deliver the same nutrients, but take up less room in your system leaving you feeling skinnier and ready to dress in your mini bikini.

• Chewing gum: Many people don’t realize this, but chewing gum can cause bloating because it causes you to swallow air. All that air gets trapped in your GI tract causing pressure, bloating and belly expansion.

• Sugar-free candies: Sugar free candies and gum often contain sorbitol. Sorbitol is a sugar substitute that acts as a laxative, which draws water into the large intestine. As little as four sticks of sorbitol-containing gum can cause bloating and abdominal pain.

Foods to Have:

• Fiber:  For a flat belly, try increasing your fiber intake. A healthy adult wants to aim for 25-30 grams of fiber per day. Not only will fiber help you feel full for longer, but it will also increase bowel motility helping to remove waste and avoid any bloating. The best part of fiber is that because it is the non-digestible component of plant-based foods, it will make you feel full without adding calories! Consider eating high-fiber foods such as whole-wheat breads, high-fiber cereals, whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

• Water: Not drinking enough water can cause dehydration and bloating, which is why it’s so important to drink enough water. In the summer months, it’s easy and essential to increase fluids, by adding flavored, sugar-free drink flavor packets to water bottles or fresh lemons and limes to plain water. In addition, water keeps you feeling full so you don’t confuse your hunger with thirst. Aim to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water a day, or keep a water bottle with you to help you reach your water goal!

• High-potassium foods: Eating potassium-rich foods will also help combat bloating during bikini season. Potassium counterbalances sodium — which causes water retention and bloating — and has a diuretic effect on the body. So by eating foods that are high in potassium, you can reduce bloating naturally. Foods high in potassium include bananas, papayas, kiwis, strawberries, spinach, cooked beets and broccoli.

• Increase your vitamin B6 consumption: Vitamin B6 acts as a natural diuretic, which helps to prevent bloating. It’s important never to consume more than 100 mg per day. Foods rich in vitamin B6 include yellow fin tuna, roasted chicken breast and avocado.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of www.Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Researchers from Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge, England reported in this month’s edition of the journal, Allergy, that by studying a small group of peanut-allergic children, they have found a possible way of reducing the risks associated with accidental peanut ingestion.

The study authors pointed out that an allergy to peanuts may affect the entire family, particularly when a child has a food allergy.  Families affected by food allergies have a great deal of pressure put upon them, as well as anxieties associated with this condition.

How to cope with food allergies:

Eating out of the home requires planning and education to avoid an allergic reaction.  I often tell my patients to be a “label detective” and understand food labels ― or when dining out, present a “food ingredient card” to the server or kitchen staff to alert them, in order to reduce unwanted exposure to peanuts and other food allergens.  Don’t forget to always ask questions about ingredients and food preparation if you have a history of food allergies.

Bottom line: the only 100 percent successful treatment for food allergies in 2010, is education, prevention and avoidance, as well as preparedness for possible allergic reactions. There is a great need for more research as it is too soon to know whether this approach will ultimately work for the many millions with allergies to peanuts and nuts! 

Check out some additional strategies as well as one of the upcoming food allergy conferences taking place this year hosted by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network at:  http://www.foodallergy.org/conferences.html. 

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine. He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Here in America, we’ve become a society so worried about skin cancer, that we’ve overlooked some of the good things that the sun provides for us. One of those things is an improvement in our mood. Another is Vitamin D. But Vitamin D is also obtainable through food including oily fish, eggs, fortified cereals, milk and orange juice. It can also be taken as a pill or liquid supplement.

Vitamin D works directly on the cells in the body, affecting metabolism the way a hormone dose. It is an extremely important vitamin, and we are finding out just how important with each new study. Deficiencies can lead to bone softening disease (rickets short term, or osteoporosis long term), dementia, heart disease, diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, some cancers, autoimmune diseases, and infections.

As we lather ourselves and our children with sunscreen, we increase our deficiencies. A recent study from Children’s Hospital in Boston revealed that 40% of infants were lacking in Vitamin D. Those especially affected had darker skin which interferes with absorption, or are from the Northeast, where there is less direct sunlight.

But the solution to the growing Vitamin D deficiency problem in our children is NOT to expose them to more sun. Supplying a liquid supplement by mouth is just too easy. The American Academy of Pediatrics has just wisely doubled the recommendation for infants and children to 400 IU daily. This amount is completely safe, and is the amount of Vitamin D found in a liter of infant formula.   

The problem, believe it or not, is worse for mothers who are breast feeding. When was the last time you heard a doctor say that breast milk was deficient in anything? The problem may come from mothers not having enough Vitamin D, which is then lacking in their breast milk. It may be easily correctable by administering supplements to breast-feeding mothers rather than their infants, but this has yet to be studied. In the meantime, the Boston study showed 10 times the amount of Vitamin D deficiencies in infants of breast feeding mothers as compared to those who used formula feeds. This is a huge discrepancy, especially when you consider how easy it is to supplement this essential vitamin.

So use sunscreen on your children’s skin, but at the same time consider giving them a daily drink of Vitamin D.

Dr. Marc Siegel is an internist and associate professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine. He is a FOX News Medical Contributor and writes a health column for LA Times, where he examines TV and movies for medical accuracy. Dr. Siegel is the author of “False Alarm: the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear” and “Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic”. Read more at www.doctorsiegel.com

Q: Will keeping a food journal really help me in my efforts to lose weight?

A: This is such a common question because people tend to get lazy with writing down everything they eat.  I have to say though, without a doubt, the answer is yes.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that those who kept food records six days a week — jotting down everything they ate and drank on those days — lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less.

When keeping a food diary, you should aim to write down everything that you eat, whether it’s a whole meal or a bite of a cookie.  Accountability and honesty are the most important steps to losing weight and keeping it off.  Be honest to yourself about what you eat because every bit counts.  You may start to realize that handful of M & M’s you pick up every time you pass by your co-workers desk.  A lot of the eating we do is subconscious but at the end of the day it all adds up.  Only an extra 100 calories every day can lead to a 10 pound weight gain at the end of the year.  
 
Additionally, when you review a diary, you can often point out problematic cues, triggers and habits that may be contributing to weight gain.  For example, some people may notice they are skipping meals or eating most of their calories at night.  Although keeping a food journal can be hard and time consuming I definitely recommend it.  You become more aware of what you eat and can catch yourself the next time around.

To start keeping a food journal of your own, follow these tips:

• Write throughout the day.  Don’t wait until the end of the day to record what you ate and drank because you will be more likely to forget certain foods by then.
• Focus on portion sizes.  Use measuring cups and/or food scales at home to become more wary of correct portion sizes, especially when dining out.
• Use whatever type of food diary works for you.  It doesn’t matter whether you use an actual journal, email, or your blackberry.
• Don’t skip your indulgent days.  Record even those days when you overeat because it holds you accountable for the good days as well as the bad!
• Eat at home.  By preparing your own meals you’ll have more control over what you consume and what ingredients you put in to make it.  You’ll also save yourself a few hundred calories, helping speed up your weight loss.  

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Summer allergies and oral allergy syndrome

If you are one of the thirty million people suffering from summertime seasonal allergies, it is important to know about pollen-food syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), caused by allergens such as ragweed pollen. 

Each year, grass pollens and weeds cause seasonal suffering and ragweed begins to bloom around early August in many areas of the U.S.  In the warmer climates weed pollens may be seen during much of the year.

Itchiness of the mouth and throat immediately after eating fresh fruits or vegetables are common symptoms of OAS. Oral allergy syndrome results from a cross-reaction between allergy antibodies directed towards pollens with similar proteins that are found in foods in about one-third of seasonal allergy sufferers.  Individuals with ragweed allergies might experience these symptoms when consuming foods such as:

• Banana
• Cucumber
• Melon
• Zucchini
• Sunflower seeds
• Chamomile tea
• Echinacea

Grass pollen allergic individuals might experience symptoms when ingesting

• fig
• melons
• tomatoes
• oranges
• Mugwort (weed pollen) allergic sufferers may suffer after eating:
• carrots
• celery
• coriander
• fennel
• parsley
• peppers

Generally, cooking or microwaving the food will eliminate a reaction, but not always.  Less commonly it is possible for the OAS to induce mouth and throat swelling if you are allergic to various foods. 

For additional information from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2006/08/080206.stm

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended as medical advice to any reader or intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

“1 year ban on new fast food restaurants in Southern L.A.”

If passed, it would affect about half a million people living in an area that supporters say already has about 400 fast-food eateries and few grocery stores.

QUICK STATS:

·         Within the Southern LA area there are 400 fast food establishments and little grocery stores

·         30% of children in Southern LA are obese but ONLY 21% in the rest of LA

·         Diabetes in these areas in on the rise, with 11.1% of kids in Sothern LA suffering from diabetes, but ONLY 8.1% on the rest of the country

·         Many fast food restaurants lack fiber in their menu options, making people who consume meals feel hungry shortly after and put them at risk for CVD and DM.

WAYS TO SAVE AT THE GROCERY STORE:

·         Buy seasonally–options tend to be cheaper and just as nutritious

·         Prepackaged chips and snack foods can be as much as 4 times as much per oz than buying the bag. Make your own portions-Portion off in zip lock bags

1 oz of Bag of Goldfish vs. 1 oz of prepackaged goldfish costs 4 TIMES as much

·         Powdered milk is a great option, it’s cheaper and keeps longer

·         Cut back on Meats and cut back on both cost and calories. Be a vegetarian 2 nights a week incorporating other protein sources such as cheese, eggs, beans, peanut butter etc. This leads to less expensive menu options.

·         Oatmeal and other dry cereals tend to be more cost efficient options than cold cereals which can be much higher in both price and calories

·         Bagged apples/oranges provide you with fruit throughout the week, without the excess cost

·       Frozen Fruits and Vegetables are just as nutritious and cheaper! You can store them too!

MEAL IDEAS: FASTFOOD VS. HOMEMADE – SAVE ALL-AROUND!

Here are some healthy alternatives that are not only cheaper and less calories but also pack a fiber punch!

Breakfast

Fast Food Option: Sausage McMuffin with Egg with Hash Brown, Large Coffee w/ cream and sugar and a small OJ—

Nutrition Information: 650 calories and 30 g of fat

 Price $7.50 ((NY PRICE w/tax))

Versus

Homemade Breakfast Sandwhich

Ingredients

Thomas’ Light Multigrain English Muffin-$0.65

1 Egg-2.79/12-$0.21

1 slice Kraft Free American Cheese-$0.33

Canadian Bacon-$0.35

1 Orange-$0.50

Brewed Coffee-$0.25

Total Cost: $2.00

Total Nutrient Value: 248 calories, 8 grams of fiber, 7 grams of fat

SAVINGS: $5.50, 400 calories, 23 g of fat and 8 MORE g of fiber

Lunch/Dinner

Fast Food Option: Quarter Pounder w/ Cheese Meal (includes med. Fries, and med. Coke)—

Nutrition Information-1100 calories, 45 g of fat

Price $7.50 ((NY PRICE w/tax))

Versus

Homemade Cheeseburger

3 oz lean sirloin-$1.24

1 Whole wheat bun-$0.41

1 slice Kraft Free American Cheese-$0.33

1 Potato-$0.60

1 can of Diet Coke-$1.19

Cost: $3.77

Total Nutrient Value: 275 calories, 9 g of fat, 3 g of fiber

SAVINGS: $4.00, 825 calories, 36 g of fat PLUS 3 g of fiber

FAMILY MEAL

KID: Kid’s Meal: Hamburger, small fries, small coke- w/toy

Nutrition Information: 590 calories, 20g of fat

Price: about $4.00 ((NY PRICE w/tax))

MOM: Premium Bacon Ranch Salad with Crispy Chicken Ranch dressing and a large diet coke – Nutrition Information: 550 Calories, 35g fat

Price about $9.00 ((NY PRICE w/tax))

DAD: Big Mac, Large Fries w/ ketchup, Large Coke

Nutrition Information: 1390 calories, 54 g fat

Price about $8.00  ((NY PRICE w/tax))

FAMILY NIGHT OUT at McDonald’s totals $21

Versus

Chicken with Rice and Beans, Family Dinner Night

1 lb Chicken Cutlets-$4.99

2 cups brown rice, dry (4 cups cooked)-$1.35

3 cans of kidney beans-$3.57 (1.19×3)

2 cup cooked Broccoli-$1.99/bunch

Cost per Family-$12.00

Nutrient Information-370 calories, 7 g of fat, 9 g of fiber

Desert

Strawberries and Cream

1 cup Strawberries-3.49/package

Kool Whipe Lite, 2.49/tub

Cost per Family-$4.50

TOTAL COST PLUS DESERT IS $16.50

Nutrient Information: 60 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3 grams of fiber

TOTAL DINNER CALORIES: 430 calories, 8 g of fat, 12 g of fiber

SAVINGS: $3.50, 960 calories, 46 g of fat and PLUS 12 g fiber   

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Summer allergies and oral allergy syndrome

If you are one of the thirty million people suffering from summertime seasonal allergies, it is important to know about pollen-food syndrome, also known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS), caused by allergens such as ragweed pollen. 

Each year, grass pollens and weeds cause seasonal suffering and ragweed begins to bloom around early August in many areas of the U.S.  In the warmer climates weed pollens may be seen during much of the year.

Itchiness of the mouth and throat immediately after eating fresh fruits or vegetables are common symptoms of OAS. Oral allergy syndrome results from a cross-reaction between allergy antibodies directed towards pollens with similar proteins that are found in foods in about one-third of seasonal allergy sufferers.  Individuals with ragweed allergies might experience these symptoms when consuming foods such as:

• Banana
• Cucumber
• Melon
• Zucchini
• Sunflower seeds
• Chamomile tea
• Echinacea

Grass pollen allergic individuals might experience symptoms when ingesting

• fig
• melons
• tomatoes
• oranges

Mugwort (weed pollen) allergic sufferers may suffer after eating:

• carrots
• celery
• coriander
• fennel
• parsley
• peppers

Generally, cooking or microwaving the food will eliminate a reaction, but not always.  Less commonly it is possible for the OAS to induce mouth and throat swelling if you are allergic to various foods. 

For additional information from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2006/08/080206.stm.

Dr. Clifford W. Bassett is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and on the faculty of NYU School of Medicine.  He is the current vice chair for public education committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.  No information in this blog is intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

If you’ve ever opened your refrigerator and thought, “What am I in the mood for?” you have intuitively acknowledged what researchers have begun to explain scientifically – that food and mood are intimately connected in biochemical, as well as emotional, ways.

Although the science is still relatively new, research has begun to reveal how conscious eaters can choose their fuel to help achieve or maintain a desired mental state.  Our moods are linked to the production or use of certain brain chemicals, scientists have identified many of the natural chemicals in foods that change the way we feel. Food influences neurotransmitters by attaching to brain cells and changing the way they behave. This opens pathways to those cells so that other mood-altering chemicals can come through the gates and attach themselves to brain cells.

So the next time you want to change your mood, take a walk to the kitchen! It might just save you a trip to the therapist!

When you want to feel alert and energetic: Dopamine and norephinephrine produce a feeling of alertness, an increased ability to concentrate and faster reaction times.  Levels of dopamine and norepinephrine are increased by the consumption of protein rich foods. Try beans, meat, chicken, fish, cheese.  For example, have tuna fish for lunch to be alert in the afternoon.

When you want to chill out and relax: Serotonin production in the brain has been associated with a more calming, anxiety-reducing effect and even drowsiness in some people. Cereal with milk (both carbohydrate based foods) is a great late-night snack to eat before bedtime for a good night’s sleep.

When you want to feel happy:  Simple carbs that lack protein or fat allow an amino acid called tryptophan to flood your brain, where it morphs into serotonin and boosts your mood.  Try whole wheat toast with strawberry jam.  Eating foods that stimulate the release of dopamine may produce pleasant feelings.  Try Bananas, milk, chicken and leafy greens.

To ease feeling of depression:  Eat more fish!  Omega-3 fatty acids (found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, sardines and tuna) may help ease depressive symptoms.  A recent study showed that eating fish twice a week was associated with lower risk of depression and suicide.

When you want to feel frisky/more sexual: Asparagus contains folate, which boosts histamine production necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes. Plus watching you eat asparagus, a phallic food, is sure to get him in the mood.

Zinc has been linked to male fertility, potency, sex drive, sustained sexual health and is essential to sperm production. The daily requirement for zinc can be gained by eating just one oyster so imagine what serving your boyfriend an appetizer of a few oysters could do… schwing! If oysters aren’t his thing, turkey, lean beef, and beans are other good sources of zinc.

When you feel fatigued: Drink water!  Symptoms of dehydration include feeling tired, weak and shaky.  Often, people confuse the symptoms of fatigue with hunger and end up eating in order to feel better. When in reality, having a large, zero-calorie glass of water would do the trick!

To get out of a bad mood: A lack of selenium can cause bad moods. Individual suffering from too little selenium have been shown to be more anxious, irritable, hostile and depressed than people with normal levels of selenium. Good sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, tuna, sunflower seeds and whole-grain cereals.

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

A New York food company is recalling more than 286,000 pounds of meat and poultry because it might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes.

The possibly tainted items might be contaminated with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

The voluntary recall includes several different brands of fresh and frozen products made by Gourmet Boutique, the USDA said.

Click here to read the full story and to get more information about this recall

Bloggers: Do you feel safe eating what’s on your dinner table? What precautions do you take?

Please leave your comments and thoughts below.