NutritionDoc

Aluminum foil has a shiny side and a dull side. Some people believe that one side or the other should be used for cetain purposes. Not true. It makes no difference which side is up. The only reason the two sides look different is that in the final stages of rolling out the metal, two sheets are rolled together as a sandwich to save time. Where they contact the polished rollers they come out shiny; where they contact each other they come out somewhat duller.

After cutting raw meat or poultry on your cutting board or butcher block, it is a good idea to wipe it down with a disinfectant solution, such as a tablespoon or two of chlorine bleach in a quart of water. But the bleach leaves the board with a long lasting chlorine smell that is very hard to wash off.

Vinegar will remove it. Rinse the board with any kind of vinegar; its acetic acid neutralizes the alkaline sodium hypochlorite of the bleach and kills the smell.

Not to encroach on Heloise's territory, but if you add some distilled white vinegar to the final rinse water when washing your white clothes with chlorine bleach, your hankies will not smell like a chemistry lab.

Energy drinks are taking the soft drink industry by storm; sales are expected to reach $275 million this year. With bold packaging and names like Full Throttle, Amp, Monster, Rockstar and No Fear, these drinks are aimed at "mostly male teenagers and 20 some-things" and are often targeted to such "niche" consumers as extreme sports enthusiasts, video gamers and hip hop aficionadoes. But a number of scientists are questioning whether they are safe for everyone.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world. It is addictive. And it can present challenges to children who are extra sensitive to caffeine and cannot easily gauge their own reactions. For this reason, scientists would like the Food and Drug Administration to require vendors to list the caffeine content on soft drinks.

The FDA has long suggested that soda makers limit caffeine to no more than 65 mg per 12 oz. serving. Yet energy drinks often have twice the amount of caffeine of a regular cola. A few brands do suggest a limit to the number of energy drinks any one person should consume in a day. Read labels . . . educate yourself so you can protect your children. Choose wisely . . . live well.

ONE OF THE MANY THINGS NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT AGING IS THAT IT IS SUCH A NICE CHANGE FROM BEING YOUNG.

I have several emails asking about "white" whole wheat bread. So I will attempt to answer all the questions with this:

These "whole grain white" breads, such as Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Whole grain White and Natural Oven Bakery Healthy Beginnings Whole grain White are indeed whole grain. There are also whole grain "white" bagels, English muffins and whole grain Goldfish crackers that retain the texture, nutrients and fiber of the original. BUT whether they provide the same health benefits is not known.

Traditionally, most whole wheat foods use flour that comes from a variety of wheat called red wheat. But most of these new "white" whole grain breads use a special variety called hard white wheat that produces flour with a lighter color and sweeter, milder taste that appeals to white bread lovers. This hard white wheat undergoes a unique processing that reduces the particle size of the whole wheat germ and bran to a size similar to that of refined flour, but still retains the fiber and nutrients in the whole grain.

The whole grain white flour used in the new products, as well as the production process itself, were developed by ConAgra, which sells the flour to food companies. Ultragrain flour is this years hot product.

Ounce for ounce, Ultragrain flour has the same amount of fiber, nutrients and phytonutrients as a traditional whole wheat flour, because the bran and the germ of the wheat remain intact. BUT, none of the new products are made with 100% Ultragrain flour; most contain only about 30% to 50% Ultragrain. The rest? . . . . plain old refined wheat (aka white) flour. Soooooooooooo read product labels carefully.  Sara Lee's Soft & Smooth Made with Whole grain White Bread, for example, contains 30% Ultragrain and 70% refined white flour.

While the new white whole wheat breads are certainly an improvement over traditional refined white breads, they are not as good as true whole grain products. The 100% whole grain breads are just that - 100% whole grain - so they should be your first choice. But if you are a die hard fan of white bread these new breads do kick it up a notch and contribute to your whole grain intake.

One of the reasons little ones ( toddlers and pre school children) get sick so often is: too much sugar. It is so very important to read the nutrition facts label on packages so you can control the amount of sugar little people injest.

 

Sugar inhibits the ability of the white blood cells to fight bacteria!