Healthy Living

Myth of the Month: "Cooking Destroys the Nutrients in Whole Grains" (Not!)

ancient grains bread We all know that foods like blueberries and dark leafy greens are potent sources of antioxidants. But did you know whole grains rival many fruits and vegetables in their antioxidant content? Many wonder, however, if these antioxidants are affected during processing, such as bread baking.

Thankfully, the answer is no. To test this theory, scientists at the University of Maryland measured phenolic acid (antioxidant) content in flour, dough, and bread from three whole and refined wheat varieties. As expected, "all phenolic acids measured were more abundant in whole wheat than refined samples." The researchers also found no significant change in antioxidant levels after the breads were baked. "Thus, the potential phytochemical health benefits of total phenolic acids appear to be preserved during bread baking."

Celebrate the winter holidays with good food,
good friends, and good health.

Anticipation and holidays are practically synonymous, whether you're three or eighty-three. While the word "holiday" isn't among the words in the dictionary's list of synonyms for anticipation, the words listed do evoke the pleasure of holidays. Expectant. Hope. Eagerness. Looking forward.

For many people, food, drinks, special meals and decorating for family feasts are a big part of holiday pleasure. The lead-up to the holidays can be just as much fun as the actual holiday. As you're brimming over with great anticipation, here are five tips to keep your holidays delicious and healthy.

Be realistic. Though this is no time to be on a diet, the holiday season isn't carte blanche to gain a lot of weight. While you may be prepared to shed a few pounds after New Year's, be good to yourself. Who wants to start the New Year off with lots of weight to lose? Enjoy what you are eating; take time for some fun exercise (bike, ski, walk, skate - whatever you love). If you overeat at one holiday meal, eat a little less the next few days and exercise a little more.

Alternate alcohol and water. Not only does too much wine or beer or spirits have too many calories, too much of a good thing can lead to lots of mindless, late night overeating.

Approach the buffet with purpose. You don't need to try everything on the buffet. Pick your favorites, and fully savor every bite.

Health: Whole Grain Rye May Improve Cholesterol



Rye, the principal grain consumed in traditional Scandinavian diets, is a fiber-rich food associated with satiety, weight management, and blood sugar control.

In a European study, 158 people were assigned to either a standard Nordic diet (with lots of refined grains) or a healthy Nordic diet (rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy) consuming their usual calorie level.

Whole grain wheat and rye intake was verified using blood biomarkers. Researchers found that a high intake of whole grain rye (as measured using the blood biomarker) was associated with decreased LDL ("bad" cholesterol), and an improved LDL to HDL ratio, while the biomarker for whole wheat consumption was not associated with any change in cholesterol.

Herbs and Spices: Herbs and spices have their own health benefits, and also give extra flavor and regional identity to any meal or dish. But....do you have bottles of spices in your cabinets or on a spice rack that have been around for more than a few years? Take stock of your collection, and think about what you really use (have you used that bottle of ? in the last year), then discard outdated containers, and refresh your favorites.

Nuts, Peanuts, and Nut Butters: In dozens of the latest studies supporting the many health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, nuts are one of the ingredients frequently called out. There are seven nuts classified as tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts), plus peanuts (technically a legume or ground nut, but used in the kitchen like a tree nut). Choose one or all, and have them on hand to add to almost any dish, or enjoy a handful as a snack. Peanut butter and nut butters are also great staples for any Mediterranean kitchen.

Olive Oil: The Mediterranean Diet wouldn't be the Mediterranean Diet without extra-virgin olive oil! Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age. The North American Olive Oil Association's website is full of useful information about storing and handling olive oil. As they point out, "the three key enemies of olive oil (and really any cooking oil) are heat, light, and air. Limit exposure to all three of these and your olive oil can keep well for up to two years in the original sealed package."

Wine: Speaking of wines (which get better with age!), it's fun to have a variety of red, white, and sparkling wines on hand. Pick a country and/or region and try several wines to find new favorites, or just stock up on the type of wine that you like.

Beans: When we hear people say the Mediterranean Diet is expensive, our thoughts go straight to beans. What could be more affordable than a bag of dried beans (or even canned beans)? They add healthy plant protein, texture, and flavor to salads, pasta dishes, soups, dips -- the possibilities are endless.

Vinegars: Vinegar is great to have in your pantry. Paired with olive oil, it will enable you to whip up delicious vinaigrettes for salads. Red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, and champagne vinegar are just a few of the vinegars on store shelves. Try lots of them! Also, if it's in your budget, we recommend splurging on balsamic vinegar, especially aged Aceto Balsamico, the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena, Italy, made from the juice of Trebbiano grapes. To learn more, visit the website of the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Mondena.

Grains: Having a variety of whole grains in your pantry will guarantee that you can have the base of a dinner in no time flat. Mix grains with vegetables or greens of all kinds for a simple dish. In addition to pasta and rice, try some other grains, such as quinoa, farro, freekeh, amaranth, or sorghum. For the best information on whole grains, see the website of our sister Oldways program, the Whole Grains Council.

Soups and Broths: For those nights when you come home exhausted, or for weekend lunches when you need something already at hand, canned or tetra-paks of soup are great to have in the pantry. Look for lower-sodium versions to avoid heavily salted prepared soups. Remember, you can also add a pinch of kosher salt to an already low-sodium soup if you think it needs just a little more salt.

Canned Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are also wonderfully useful for recipes and quick meals, particularly in the winter months when tomatoes are not in season. Again, look for lower-sodium varieties.

Eating tips revisited.


1. Eat lots of vegetables. There are so many choices! From a simple plate of sliced fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil to stunning salads, garlicky greens, fragrant soups and stews, or oven-roasted medleys, vegetables are vitally important to the fresh tastes and delicious flavors of the Med Diet. It's almost impossible to eat too many vegetables!

2. Change the way you think about meat. For health and environmental reasons, have smaller amounts, if you eat meat. Think about small strips of meat in a salad or vegetable sauté, or a dish of pasta with diced prosciutto.

3. Eat seafood twice a week. Fish such as tuna, herring, salmon and sardines are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, and shellfish including mussels, oysters and clams have similar benefits for brain and heart health.

4. Cook a vegetarian meal one night a week. Build these meals around beans, whole grains, and vegetables, and heighten the flavor with fragrant herbs and spices. When one night feels comfortable, try two nights a week.

5. Whole Grains for variety and good taste. In addition to crusty whole grain breads, try different Mediterranean whole grain dishes as a main or side: farro, whole grain pasta, freekeh, and whole-corn polenta are just a few tasty whole grains that easily go Med.

6. Use good fats. Include sources of healthy fats in daily meals, especially extra virgin olive oil, nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, olives and avocados.

7. For dessert, eat fruit - fresh or dried. Choose from a wide range of delicious fresh and dried fruits for desserts and snacks. Save sweets for special treats or celebrations.

8. Enjoy some dairy products. Eat Greek or plain yogurt and try small amounts of a variety of traditional or artisan cheeses.

9. Move! Look for ways to be more active. Good food alone isn't enough to live a healthy life.

10. Remember! Eating is a pleasure, not a chore! Eating with family and friends contributes to good health. And, if you live alone, take time to enjoy meals; food isn't just something to keep you going while you watch TV.

Q. I thought that eating a plant-based diet would mean that I'd automatically lose weight, but I'm struggling. What's the deal?

A. It's true that people who eat a plant-based diet tend to weigh less than non-vegetarians-studies show that vegans' average body weight is 5 points lower on the BMI scale than non-vegetarians.

But that doesn't mean that you can throw caution to the wind and eat whatever you'd like when you start a plant-based diet. Just like for everyone, calories really do count. Many junk foods, such as soda, French fries, and potato chips, are plant-based foods!

And to make matters worse, adding the word "vegan" to brownies, cookies, pastries, or pizza at your local natural foods market may make them look healthier, but it doesn't make those calories magically disappear. These foods typically have calorie counts similar to their non-vegan counterparts.

Even some plant-based foods that are legitimately healthy and nutrient-rich can add up in calories, if you're not careful. An ounce of walnuts (14 halves) contains 185 calories, but if you munch on a whole cup for your snack, you're adding 765 calories! The same goes for dried fruits. Raisins have 123 calories per ¼ cup, but if you feast on a whole cup of these naturally sweet snacks, you'll gain 493 calories.

Extra-virgin olive oil is a good thing, but at 40 calories per teaspoon, if you drizzle it all over your plant-based foods, you can be drowning in hundreds of extra calories every day.

Even foods like whole grains (up to 130 calories per ½ cup cooked), whole grain breads (about 75 calories per 1-ounce slice), and potatoes (161 calories for a medium potato) can add up if you're not keeping track of your portion size. Here are a few tips for keeping your weight on track with a plant-based diet.

Use Caution with Nut and Seed Servings.

Nuts and seeds, such as almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds are a good thing. Just keep close track of how much you're consuming. Limit your servings to 1 - 3 per day (depending on your calorie needs), and remember that one serving is ¼ cup nuts or seeds, or 2 tablespoons of nut butter.

Watch Your Fats.

Adding a moderate amount of healthy plant-based fats is a healthy habit. Remember that one serving of plant oil equals 1 teaspoon.
Keep Your Grains in Check. A healthy plant-based diet absolutely includes plenty of whole grains, but only 5 - 8 servings per day, depending on your calorie needs. So, make sure you're not overdoing cereals, breads, and grain servings throughout your day.

Go Crazy for Veggies. The one food group you should eat without caution is vegetables. These plant foods average about 25 calories per serving, and their bulk, water, and volume can help you feel more full and satisfied.

Fruit for Dessert. Skip the dessert and enjoy a serving of seasonal unsweetened fruit to hit your natural sweet spot. At about 60 calories per serving, you can't go wrong!


-- Sharon Palmer, RD, dietitian and author of The Plant-Powered Diet (2012) and Plant-Powered for Life (2014).

Foods you should never put in the refrigerator

Refrigerators can help plenty of foods last longer, but many people don't know that not every perishable needs to be kept in the cold.

Chef Rachel Reuben of Food Fix Kitchen makes her living teaching others how to cook. Reuben says one of the most important lessons she provides involves guidance on which foods need to be refrigerated, especially when it comes to produce.

"I think we assume everything will do better in the refrigerator but that's not really true," Reuben told CBS News.

Knowing what food should and shouldn't be left to chill can ensure that what you eat maintains its quality, she explains.

While the cold can prevent many fruits and vegetables from going bad, that doesn't mean they'll taste as good or will be as healthy. "They will lose nutrients and flavor in the refrigerator," Reuben said.

In the fridge, tomatoes lose their texture and potatoes can become gritty. Reuben believes other foods like apples, onions, avocados and citrus fruits are better when kept at room temperature. Bananas should never be refrigerated because they turn black faster, she says.


Should we be following food "best by" dates?

Berries can also be kept out of the fridge but should be eaten quickly, which is why Reuben recommends buying them in smaller quantities.

Many people refrigerate bread because there's a widespread belief that it will reduce mold growth. However, Reuben says that cold bread tends to dry out.

Reuben also pointed out one item most people don't refrigerate but probably should: nuts. Though it's safe to keep nuts in the pantry, Reuben says they will actually taste better and last longer if you store them in the fridge. They also contain oil, which can go bad over time.

"If you have a large quantity of nuts that you know you're not going to use for a long period of time, I would definitely keep nuts in the refrigerator," she said.

Secret of Finding Happiness Explained


The key to finding happiness may be learning to shift personal
priorities from the boardroom to the bedroom.

New research provides evidence to support the old adage, "You
can't buy happiness." It suggests that people will find
happiness by focusing more on family life and health issues and
less on career and financial pursuits.

Researchers say people spend too much time worrying about
achieving professional and monetary goals that may never bring
them true happiness. But by devoting more time to personal
health and family life, people will find lasting happiness.

Happiness Explained

Researcher Richard Easterlin, an economist at the University of
California, argues that a new approach to finding happiness is
needed that combines the two prevailing theories of happiness in
psychology and economics.

According to the psychological view of happiness, each
individual is born with their own setpoint for happiness that's
determined by personality and genetics. Life events, such as
marriage, loss of a job, and serious injury or disease, can
temporarily raise or lower a person's level of happiness above
or below this predetermined level, but they will eventually
return to the original level.

In contrast, the economic "more is better" view of happiness
argues that life circumstances and the growth of income have
lasting effects on happiness.

But Easterlin argues that life events like marriage, divorce,
and serious disability, have a lasting rather than temporary
effect on happiness. And an increase in income doesn't
necessarily bring lasting happiness because a person's
expectations are also raised by through adaptation and social
comparison as they achieve greater wealth.

A better theory of happiness, Easterlin says, should take into
account the fact that happiness found through family life and
personal health is affected much less by heightened expectations
and social comparison than happiness sought through financial
gains.

Make More Time for Health and Family

Easterlin says people make decisions assuming that more income,
comfort, and positional goods will make them happier, but they
fail to recognize that adaptation and social comparison will
come into play and raise their aspirations to about the same
extent as their actual gains, which leaves them feeling no
happier than before.

"As a result, most individuals spend a disproportionate amount
of their lives working to make money, and sacrifice family life
and health, domains in which aspirations remain fairly constant
as actual circumstances change, and where the attainment of
one's goals has a more lasting impact on happiness," writes
Easterlin.

"Hence, a reallocation of time in favor of family life and
health would, on average, increase individual happiness,"
Easterlin concludes.

I feel that it is quite hard to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.. Maybe i am too picky on food? Haha

Fruits.


Kiwi: Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E and fiber.
Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

Apple: An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants and flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack and stroke.

Strawberry: Protective fruit.
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits and protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging and free radicals.

Orange: Sweetest medicine.
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent and dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

Watermelon: Coolest thirst quencher.
Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C and Potassium.

Guava and Papaya: Top awards for vitamin C.
They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation.Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.