NutritionDoc

Uno, which calls itself "The Original Chicago Pizzeria", now sells its Deep Dish Pepperoni Pizza in supermarket refrigerator cases nationwide.  Lucky you.  Now you can tuck into a slice of pizza that delivers 410 calories and 8 grams of sat fat - 40 % of a day's worth - and never have to get off your couch. And you don't have to pay extra for the 860 mg of sodium that makes Uno's a double whammy to your arteries. The catch is that many people will not stop after one slice. The numbers on the package are for the government's 5 oz serving size, which might apply to some children under 8 and some women over 80.  But most people are likely to polish off at least half a pie. that brings the damage to 1030 calories and 20 grams of sat fat seasoned with 2150 mg of sodium.  It is almost like having 2 Big Macs . . . make that 4 if you finish off the whole pie.  Deep dish pizzas are always more of a load on your body parts than thin crust. But with Uno's pizzas, your coronary arteries are in deep mozzarella, tooooo. Choose wisely, live well.

For a luscious summertime treat, cut ripe peaches in half, spritz with cooking spray, and grill (flat side down) for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Top each half with a dollop of low fat or frozen yogurt.

Crisp red and green apples, juicy red grapes, creamy low fat yogurt, canided walnuts. Sure does not sound like Mickey D's usual fare. And while I don't expect to see fruit trees sprouting up under the Golden Arches anytime soon, you can now buy a Fruit & Walnut Salad at any McDonald's nationwide. So the next time you need a break from the interstate or the shopping mall, you do not have to settle for burgers, fries, pizza, maga muffins, ice cream, or other less healthy foods. You can't beat the numbers. With the mini pack of walnuts, the salad has 310 calories ( 160 calories if you don't eat the nuts). It is low in saturated fat (1 1/2 grams) and sodium 90 mg). And the candied nuts add only 3/4 of a teaspoon of sugar. What is more, the salad delivers a respectable 6 grams of fiber, a good dose of potassium, and 15 percent of a day's calcium. But odds are you will be thinking "sweet and luscious", not "fiber and calcium".  Fruit lovers now have a full size salad to go along with the fast food chain's dessert size Fruit n Yogurt Parfait and its Apple Dippers that kids can swap for the fries in a Happy Meal. Maybe, someday, fruit will be the first thing that comes to mind when somebody says McDonald's. Eat healthy = live well.  Visit my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

For many, the thought of a "veggie" burger conjures up images of Birkenstock shod communards having a "barbecue" to celebrate the solstice - without animal sacrifice. However, a trip down the frozen food aisle of any major supermarket tells an entirely different story: the nonmeat burger has become far more mainstream than fringe. Many stores have more than a dozen varieties on display. Most fall into one of two categories: trying to mimic the experience of the meaty patty or going its own way merrily down the garden path.  Choose a veggie burger made from wholesome ingredients, such as vegetables, whole grains and soy products. They should also be free of artificial preservatives and flavors or other controversial ingredients. They should have no trans fats and only a few gram or two of sat. fat. From a nutrition perspective, the best veggie burgers should deliver at least 10 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber and contain under 350 mg of sodium. Some to consider: Amy's California Burger: falls into the more-veggie-less-meaty category. It has a slightly nutty tast and you can see some veggies. You can pronouce everything on the ingredient label. Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Patties: This golden colored burger also falls into the "unfeef" category and has a clean veggie flavor. Lots of visible vegetables and a nice mushroomy taste. Choose wisely - eat well.

In trying to eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day, it is easy to overlook breakfast - DON'T. Here are some ways to make that meal count:

Start the day with a glass of orange juice.

Top your cereal with a banana, raisins, or kiwifruit.

If you prefer toast or a muffin, add sliced apple, pear, or tomato to make an open faced sandwich.

Add fruit to low fat or nonfat cottage cheese.

Add berries or cooked or diced fresh fruit to pancake batter.

Try fruit garnishes for pancakes instead of or with syrup.

Make a vegetable omelet. To reduce the cholesterol, use only egg whites  or use an egg substitute.

Blend a banana, an orange, orange juice, and plain nonfat yogurt for a fruit smoothie. Many fruits and juices can be added to smoothies.

Add chopped fruit or grated vegetables to softened low fat or nonfat cream cheese.

Add fresh or dried fruit to plain or flavored nonfat yogurt.

Choose wisely - eat well. Check out my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

 

Ensure has gone "solid". Makers of the liquid supplement, which has been widely marketed as a meal in a can to busy baby boomers, and their parents, are now selling nutrition bars. The vitamin fortified sweet treats are available in Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Honey Gramham Crunch and can be found on pharmacy shelves next to the likes of Power Bars. Ross Products, the manufacturer, reportedly plans to start pitching the bars in health clubs, too, to compete with other "energy bars" for space in consumer's gym bags.The label boasts that a 130 calorie Ensure bar provides "complete, balanced nutrition", is "rich in calcium and vitamin C", and is "low in cholesterol and sodium". True enough, but ounce for ounce, it has virtually the same calories, fat and cholesterol as Kellogg's Frosted Blueberry Pop-Tarts. Pop-Tarts do not have as much protein as Ensure bars nor as much in the way of a number of vitamins and minerals. But Americans are not deficient in protein anyway. Moreover, the Chocolate Fudge Brownie Ensure bars are a bit gummy and grainy in texture with a metallic aftertaste. So I think it would make more sense to get 130 calories of chocolatey-tasting vitamins and minerals by swallowing a supplement with a glass of low fat chocolate milk, or even half a candy bar or a couple of cookies. It would certainly be cheaper - one Ensure bar costs $1.  Choose wisely - eat well.  Check out my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

"Cedarlane is here to help you with your lower carb lifestyle!" says the company's Web site. the help comes as seven "Carb Buster" entrees.  ARTERY BUSTER is more like it.  The chili Relleno Pie, Four Cheese Quiche, Spinach and Feta Enchiladas, and Vegetable Lasagna each helps in the form of roughly 500 calories and a day's worth of saturated fat (about 20 grams). Thank goodness the low carb craze is losing steam. Cedarlane's regular line has its own issues. The Low Fat Garden Vegetable Lasagna and Three Layer Enchilada Pie list only about 200 calories, 2 or 3 grams of sat fat, and less than 600 mg of sodium on their Nutrition Facts panels. BUT, those numbers apply to only half of the petite 10 ounce box, which is clearly meant for one person. That is legal, since the FDA allows companies to use a 5 ounce serving for "ixed foods not measurable with a cup". Still, Stouffer's, Lean Cuisine, and Smart Ones give numbers for their entire 10 ounce packages of lasagna, which they say are one serving. Is Cedarlane hoping no one will notice that its label's numbers apply to just four or five mouthfuls?  READ THE LABELS!

For more info visit my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who wrote The South Beach Diet, has the right idea when he advised dieters to limit bad fats and bad carbs. But he missed the message on salt, the nation's number one blood pressure booster. Why else would he allow Kraft to squeeze roughly 1000 mg of sodium into each South Beach Diet entree? Since most people need around 2000 calories a day, blowing 1000 mg of sodium on a 250 to 350 calorie frozen entree is likely to send even careful dieters over a day's sodium limit. It is not as though dieters need the salt. Recipes in The South Beach Diet book are not loaded with it. And competitors like Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, and Smart Ones typically stay well under 1000mg. Until Kraft does, walk on by. And don't stop until you have also passed Life Choice, another lower carb line. It curbs carbs but lets salt and sat fat get out of hand. Choose wisely - live well.

Check out my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

"Wholesome. All Natural.Delicious," say boxes of Linda McCartney meatless meals. It is not clear what makes these dishes "natural." Some of their ingredients (like xanthan gum, wheat matlodextrin, yeast extract, whey protein, and dextrose) sound like the same additives that you find in any frozen dinner.  The grains - rice or pasta - are refined in 6 out of the 8 entrees. And the lack of preservatives is nothing special for frozen foods since freezing prevents spoilage. And don't assume that "wholesome" is a synonym for "healthy".  Two of Linda's dinners have 6 or 7 grams of sat fat (a third of a day's worth).  The Macaroni & Cheese hits 11 grams. And while the Fire-Grilled Vegetarian Chicken & Veggies and Portabello Mushroom Barley Pilau are low in sat fat, each has more than 900 mg of sodium. That is hardley "wholesome". Worst of all are the Cheese Enchiladas with Mexican Style Corn Risotto.  At first glance, it looks like you are getting 250 calories, 6 grams of sat fat, and 570 mg of sodium. Look again. That is for ONE enchilada plus half the risotto. Eat both enchiladas and whole side dish and you have downed the equivalent of a Big Mac.

Visit my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

Metabolism, a greatly misunderstood process of the human body, takes the brunt of many a middle age whine. People conclude that a slower metabolism is an inevitable part of aging and beyond their control. Our bodies do change as we age, and metabolism can take a dive as a result, BUT we hold the key to avert this decline. Metabolism, the process by which our bodies burn calories (food energy), has 3 components: resting metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, and physical activity. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the energy we use at rest to perform basic body functions, like breathing and sleeping. In most people, this accounts for about 60 to 70 % of their total daily energy expenditure (about 1450 calories a day for a 140 lb woman). Because muscle is the body's metabolically active tissue, RMR is almost totally determined by the amount of lean body (muscle) mass a person has. For the most part, we all have the same metabolism per amount of lean body mass. Most women have more body fat in proportion to muscle mass than men, and thus women generally have metabolic rates that are 5 to 10 % lower than men of the same ht. and wt. The RMR of most people goes down by 2 to 3% with each decade once we reach our 30s, a direct result of the loss of muscle mass that often accompanies aging. Therefore, we should do strength training exercies.

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy we use to burn calories - to digest, absorb and metabolize our food. Our greatest control over metabolism lies with physical activity. It is also the most easily thwarted, living as we do in a world of drive thru banks, escalators, leaf blowers and the omnipresent computer. Even fidgeting,  which comes naturally to some people,(hi Ty, hi Russ) can increase energy expenditure above resting levels by 300 to 600 calories per day. Compared to sitting still, browsing in a store takes twice the energy, while a slow walk can triple energy expenditure.

We certainly can't stop the years ticking by, but keeping our metabolism youthful and burning calories at a healthful rate is well within our grasp. Fun facts = calories burned in action (not counting the 77 calories burned at rest) chewing gum = 11; fidgeting = 70; walking 1 mph = 119; walking 3 mph = 228.

For more info and maybe a laugh or two visit my blog at http://nutritiondoc.blogspot.com

Eating undercooked beef could raise your risk of a drug resistant urinary tract infection report scientists at UC Berkeley and Pen State U. They found that a strain of bacteria in cows matched a strain isolated from women with UTI. E. coli from cows' intestinal tracts can contaminate beef during slaughtering. If you eat contaminated beef that has not been properly cooked, the bacteria can end up in your digestive tract, leading to a UTI. MAKE SURE YOUR BEEF IS WELL COOKED.

Red and white skinned potatoes are boiling potatoes. They are low starch and consequently more solid, dense, and waxy than other varieties. They are best used for potato salads.

Russet potatoes, often called Idaho potatoes, are high in starch and low in moisture. They are perfect for French fries and mashed or baked potatoes.

Yukon Golds are considered medium starch potatoes, which makes them all purpose - good for mashing, roasting and frying.

When shopping, you will find whole flaxseeds and ground flaxseed- labeled either "ground flaxseed" or "flaxseed meal."  Choose flaxseed meal that is pure and not combined with flour. You will find flaxseed products in health food stores or in the baking aisles of supermarkets. Because flaxseed is high in fat, store it in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent spoilage. Whole seeds will keep for up to one year, while ground flaxseed will keep for 3 to 4 months. As with cooking oils, smell the seeds or meal before using in a recipe - if it smells a bit like oil paint, it has spoiled.