November 2008 Archives

Party Strategies for a Healthy Holiday!

Many times good intentions can be sabotaged in party situations. With so many temptations, a busy schedule and well intentioned "food pushers", it's hard to make your intentions a reality.

While attending parties this holiday, here are some tips for making sure that you maintain your healthy lifestyle no matter where you are!

• Eat a healthy snack before you go such as fruit, soup, cereal, yogurt or string cheese. The last thing you need is to be starving and surrounded by convenient junk food!
  
• Limit Alcohol. Enjoy 1 drink if you must and then switch to diet soda or water. Alcohol carries a lot of calories with it that you don't realize you're having.
  
• Have a stick of gum to chew after eating. This will keep your mouth busy so that you don't feel like shoving more food in!
  
• Socialize away from the food. Just being around the food makes you more likely to grab something here and there
  
• Avoid the "food-pusher" and plan how to say "No Thank You". You know the food-pushers! They are the ones that walk around making sure that every dish is empty and that nothing is left behind. They have good intentions but sometimes don't know how to deal with a nicely worded "no thank you"!
  

3 Fool Proof Ways to Say "No Thanks" Politely:

1. Distract them by providing them with an alternative. For example, if they are offering you punch say "No thank you, but I could really use a water". This gives them an option to serve you something without you having to eat or drink something you don't really want to.
2. Compliment how the food looks. Say something like "I'm really not hungry right now, but that looks very good!".
3. Ask for the recipe. A great way to make the host feel good without having to eat or drink the food item is by asking for the recipe. Say "I don't need any right now, but I would love to have the recipe!".

Holiday Punch Recipe

Here's a simple way to make some great tasting punch for the holidays without too many calories. Simply adjust the volume to the number of guests you have. It can be made in individual glasses or in a bowl.

Ingredients:

• Juice (My favorite is pomegranate or black current juice)
• Lemon or Lime Seltzer Water
• Lime Wedges

Pour the seltzer water and add just enough juice to provide flavor. Garnish the glasses with lime wedges. I think I probably do 3 parts seltzer water to 1 part juice. It can be adjusted to your taste!

Happy Holidays!
- Julie

Holiday Tips and Recipes Part I covered the first 5 of my 10 survival tips for the holidays and gave you my favorite holiday mashed potato recipe.

Here are the final 5 Survival Tips for the Holidays and my favorite kale recipe!

6. Sign up for a 5K or fitness walk. During the holiday season, we often are so busy with the to-do list that our exercise ceases. By signing up for a 5k or other fitness event, it will help to keep your mind focused on fitness goals. Many cities have Turkey Trot's on Thanksgiving and holiday themed events during December. Also remember to take a walk before and after big meals and be physically active every day!

7. Don't plan on dieting after the New Year.  Anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating over the holidays.  Plan to continue your healthy eating through into the new year! Don't "save" healthy eating for next year.

8. Prepare for pressure.  During the holiday times, friends, family and co-workers will constantly be offering you treats. Their intention is good, however you cannot eat everything offered to you and maintain good health! Practice saying "No Thank You".  It is not impolite to refuse food or drink offers.

9. Plan for the must-haves. Think about what foods are really special to you that you really want to eat vs. those that you could probably do without. Potato chips at a holiday party are not a must have! You can have those any time of year. Cookies from a store bought package are not must have's either! Save your calories to eat those foods that you really want.

10. Enjoy the company! Although food can be a big part of the season, it doesn't have to be the focus. Holidays are a time to reunite with good friends and family, to share laughter, celebrate and give thanks.

 
BOTTOM LINE:
Remember balance and moderation.  It's OK to eat too much once in a while. Just relax and remember what it is about the holidays that is special to you.

Holiday Recipe:
This is the second recipe I will be bringing for Thanksgiving this year. Trust me, it's EASY! It's also great because you can cook it ahead of time, reheat in the microwave and tastes great!

Tasty Kale
(For other tips on cooking kale and other vegetables, check out Vegetables Made Easy)
 
Ingredients:

• 1-2 bunches of Kale
• 1 medium Onion
• Canola Oil
• Water
  
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Rinse and dice onion.
2. Rinse kale and cut into strips (lengthwise across the leave and stem)
   
3. Place oil in a pan with onions and turn on medium high. (Use as much oil as you need to cook the onions).
4. Let the onions cook in the oil until they begin to turn transparent.
5. Add the kale to the pan stirring until onions, oil and kale are mixed.
6. Let cook for 1 minute.
7. Add enough water to coat the bottom of the pan.
8. Cover and let steam. Add water if it dries up.
9. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until kale is tender to eat.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Eat immediately, keep warm covered in oven or refrigerate until reheated before eating.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
- Julie

A common theme of the holidays is food and feast! For many trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, holiday food and drinks actually pose a threat. If you're interested in your holiday eating IQ, check out this quiz about typical holiday meals: Holiday Eating Quiz.

To  enjoy the holidays without sacrificing your health, try one or more of these:

10 Survival Tips for Healthy Holiday Eating

1. Safeguard your home. There is nothing more important than making sure that your home environment encourages health. This means that you want to avoid temptations and encourage consumption of healthy foods during the holidays.

To achieve a healthy home environment, try these tips:

• Keep a minimal amount of baked goods on hand. (Only bake enough to give away or use for one festivity) 
  
• Keep baked goods or junk food in closed containers out of site.
  
• Be sure to have plenty of healthy food available.
• Keep healthy snacks visible on the counter so you're more likely to eat them.
  

2. Eat your Vegetables! Often during holiday times we forget about the basics of healthy eating. For some reason holiday fruits and vegetables are dressed up with lots of sugar and fat.There's nothing wrong with including plain old veggies and fruits in your holiday menu! 

It's also important to remember to include vegetables and/or fruit with every meal. Make sure vegetables take up half the room on most of your plate even during the holidays!
 
3. Tune-up your menu. Look over the menu you traditionally serve. Maybe this is a year to try a new healthy holiday recipe. I wouldn't do that with the whole meal, but one dish would provide an opportunity to test it out on your family. Also look at your traditional recipes and see if any healthy substitutions might be possible without sacrificing taste.
 
4. Focus on weight maintenance rather than weight loss. The average person gains between 5 and 10 pounds during the holiday season. NOT gaining extra weight during the season is something to celebrate!
 
5. Maintain perspective.  Overeating one day won't make or break your eating plan. Our bodies are made to tolerate times of feast and times of famine. It takes days and days of overeating to gain weight.

If you over-indulge at a holiday meal, don't worry about it. What you want to avoid is overeating leftovers for a week after the feast! Return to your usual eating plan the next day without guilt.

Holiday Recipe: Garlic Mashed Potatoes
I get lots of compliments on this recipe, which was passed through the family from my Aunt Donna! They are great to make ahead, if needed.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 potatoes (Russet - or equivalent volume of red)
  
• 8 oz fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• 5 garlic cloves
• chives
• salt
• pepper

Instructions:

• Scrub, wash and boil the potatoes
• Mash them along with all other ingredients.
  
• Add skim milk if needed to make creamier
• Place all ingredients in a 2 qt. casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.[If you want to make them a day ahead, put potatoes in dish and refrigerate. Simply increase the baking time to 45 minutes].

Enjoy!
- Julie

I know the suspense has been killing you! In part one we discussed the background on soy foods and breast cancer and the fact that there is no conclusive evidence either way for soy.

We discussed the facts regarding lifestyle and breast cancer risk and with no further ado, here is the rest of the information on soy foods and breast cancer:

2. Understand the Current Theories.

Although numerous studies claim positive effects of soy foods on cancer risk, other studies have found no effects, or unwanted effects. The key to this topic is that processed soy supplements may show activity that is not present in natural foods made from soybeans or soy flour (such as those consumed in Asian diets).

For hormone positive (ER or PR) breast cancer survivors, experts are not sure if soy fights with estrogen in the body to lower the chance of the cancer returning, or increases that chance by working with the estrogen. Some say one to two servings per day, the average amount eaten safely in Asian culture, is probably safe for survivors. Others are more cautious, and recommend three to four servings per week.

For those looking for cancer prevention, timing of soy intake also may be of importance to cancer risk. The association between consuming soy in childhood and reduced breast cancer risk has been observed in Asian-American and Chinese women. However, animal studies suggest that adult exposures to soy may not provide the same protection.

3. Decide What is Best for YOU!

Now that you know the facts, the choice is up to you! There is no one answer for everyone, it is your job to evaluate your situation, the facts and theories and decide. Of course, you always have the right to change your mind later with more research!

For me, I enjoy soy foods like soymilk, tofu and soybeans on a regular basis for 2 reasons.

1. I like how they taste!
2. It is a great source of plant protein that provides my body with many cancer fighting phytochemicals.
   

What's your choice?
- Julie

This question regarding soy foods and breast cancer is one that I get often when talking with groups or individuals. Although numerous studies claim positive effects of soy foods on cancer risk, other studies have found no effects, or unwanted effects.

It was just last week I spoke to a breast cancer survivor who was told by her oncologist to avoid soy foods. She described to me her difficulty as she was avoiding all products with any form of soy, including soybean oil!

Phytoestrogens in Soy

When health professionals talk about soy foods in relation to breast, ovarian or endometrial cancer, it is the phytoestrogens in the soy that we are talking about. Phytoestrogen refers to the phytochemicals in soy that appear similar to human estrogen in chemical structure.

In this survivor's case, she was avoiding all forms of soy. However, the active phytoestrogens that are in question are mostly concentrated in the highly processed soy supplements, such as soy protein isolate, isoflavone-rich soy extracts, or isoflavone capsules and not in soybean oil or "natural" versions of soy, like tofu, soymilk or soybeans.

In questions like this where research has not provided a clear conclusion, it is important to evaluate 3 things. First, understand the facts and what we know for sure. Second, understand the current theories. Third, you get to decide what is best for YOU!

In Part I we will cover the first of these three. The final two things will be discussed in Part II.

1. Understand the Facts.
   

First off, it is important to know that there are many more significant factors that can increase risk of breast cancer than eating soy foods. The most significant risk factors for breast cancer when it comes to lifestyle include:

• being overweight or obese
  
• taking hormones after menopause
• smoking
• excessive alcohol intake

In part II of "Do Soy Foods Cause or Prevent Breast Cancer?", we will discuss current theories and recommendations and guide you in making your personal choice.

If you want more information before Part II comes out, be sure to review these two posts I wrote earlier this year:

Soy Foods and Cancer
Soy Foods and Cancer - RECIPE!

- Julie

Quick Oats vs. Steel Cut Oats

  VS. 

When I talk about the benefits of whole grains, I often mention oats. They're easy, contain the phytochemical terpenoid and most people like them! In order to really understand which is better, we need to define what each type of oat is.

• Steel-cut oats are the whole oat kernel, which is cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. They are a better source of fiber than rolled oats, but take longer to cook.
• Rolled oats have the bran mostly removed and are rolled flat to make them easier to cook. With the bran removed, they have less fiber than steel-cut oats.
• Quick-cooking and instant oats are rolled oats that have been cut into smaller pieces and rolled thinner, thus cook quickly. They are an easy source for preparing many oatmeal dishes.

When comparing the different types of oats, the steel-cut oats are definitely less processed and have a higher nutrient content. However, when we make them it can take a LONG TIME (20 minutes or more).

Quick cooking oats are still considered a whole grain and have less fiber, but not by much. They are certainly more convenient and I would consider them very healthy. The ones you want to stay away from are the individual packets that contain sugar and other flavorings!

Your best bet is to cook your oatmeal and flavor it yourself. For a convenient chart that compares different products, check out Grains and Losses.

Personally, I like the texture and flavor of the steel cut oats but often eat the instant because it takes less time. If you want to save time though, try this recipe for steel cut oats in a crockpot. They can be refrigerated or frozen into individual portions once they are cooked.

Crock Pot Oatmeal:

1 cup steel-cut oats
1 cup raisins, cranberries, or dried fruit of choice
4 cups water
½ cup milk, half and half, or buttermilk
2 tablespoons of cinnamon or pumpkin spice
2 tablespoons of maple syrup

In a crock pot, combine all ingredients. Cook on low heat
(covered) for 7-9 hours. Stir and serve. *For non-dairy
oatmeal, try adding applesauce, apple butter, or almond
butter instead of dairy products.

For your personal enjoyment, I have included a poem that my dad wrote about oats. Now you know where I get my writing skills!

A Toast to Oats:

Quaker Man, Quaker Man, in your box so round,
Taking nature's oats and grinding them on down.
Sheaths with grains of goodness, waving forth and back,
Cut and ground and stored in boxes red and black.

But now I hear this oft refrain:
Steel-cut, Steel-cut, it is nutrition's gain.
So tell me, Miss Fooditian, in your blog so soft and low,
Is this really right, or is it just not so?

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and I'm hoping that this article will get you up to date on the most recent information about lung cancer and what you can do about it!

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

While early lung cancer often does not cause symptoms, it is important to know the signs. Common symptoms may include:

• a cough that gets worse or does not go away
• breathing trouble, such as shortness of breath
• constant chest pain
• coughing up blood
• a hoarse voice
• frequent lung infections, such as pneumonia
• feeling very tired all the time
• weight loss with no known cause

Causes of Lung Cancer

Of course, we don't know for sure what causes cancer in any one person. If we knew that, I would be out of a job and happy about it! However there are things that can increase risk for lung cancer and they include:
   

• Tobacco smoke: Smoking cigarettes, pipes, or cigars can cause lung cancer and secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer in nonsmokers.
• Radon: Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. It forms in soil and rocks.
  
• Asbestos and other substances: People who have certain jobs (such as those who work in the construction and chemical industries) have an increased risk of lung cancer.
  
• Air pollution: Air pollution may slightly increase the risk of lung cancer.
  
• Family history of lung cancer: People with a father, mother, brother, or sister who had lung cancer may be at slightly increased risk of the disease, even if they don't smoke.
• Age over 65: Most people are older than 65 years when diagnosed with lung cancer.

What Can You do About Lung Cancer?

1. Show compassion to people diagnosed with Lung Cancer. I know it's instinct to try to figure out why or how someone gets sick. However, when you ask whether someone with lung cancer smoked or not, they don't feel compassion, they feel blame. My first tip is for you to avoid asking someone or their loved one if they smoked. Once they're diagnosed, it really doesn't matter. They just need your care and compassion.

2. Advocate for Lung Cancer. Make sure your friends and family know that facts on lung cancer. Send the following quiz to at least 10 of your friends and challenge them to learn the facts about lung cancer: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pFjYnQglzhurYhEkNUdDvA_3d_3d. It's SHORT (only 4 questions) and you can win PRIZES!

3. Support a Free to Breathe 5k for Lung Cancer. You can walk, run, be a virtual runner, or support a participant. Whatever you do, be a part of the movement. I'll be there on Nov. 15th in Greensboro and I hope to see you there!

- Julie