Is cheese healthy?

Who doesn�t like cheese?  Cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese and crackers.  Many studies have been done on cheese and its health benefits.  So what is the latest � is cheese healthy or bad for our hearts and bodies?

The recent issue of the Wellness Letter from the University of California reported on the latest cheese research (Say Cheese?, September 2015). 

They noted the French consume a lot of cheese as I can verify having visited France last year.  Cheese and bread at breakfast, cheese and bread at lunch.  The French love their cheese.  Yet, the French have relatively low heart disease rates.  Why?

•  Heart Health � many people say cheese is not good for your heart because cheese has some bad fat in it, saturated fat.  A study in 2013 found no link between eating a lot of cheese and heart disease.  Another 2012 study found followed Swedish women for 12 years.  Surprisingly, the women who ate the most cheese had the lowest rate of heart attacks.  Other studies found that butter does raise your bad cholesterol, LDL but cheese does not.
• Diabetes � rather than raise your blood glucose, cheese seems to help stabilize it.  A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that cheese and yogurt improved insulin sensitivity and control of blood glucose levels.  A Swedish study found that woman consuming cheese had a lower risk of diabetes.  They aren�t sure why but cheese does have fat and this slows stomach emptying which means less of a rise in blood sugar levels.
• Anticancer � The more dairy the less your risk of colon cancer probably because of the calcium in dairy and thus in cheese.  But other studies have been mixed as to whether cheese consumption reduces cancer risk.
• Weight � many studies have been done on dairy and weight.  A recent study suggests that cheese consumption is associated with less weight gain and may help a person control their weight.  A study in the Journal of Nutrition involving obese and overweight women found that those who consumer a high protein and a high dairy diet, exercised, restricted calories not only lost weight but loss more fat and gained muscle.
• Cavities � what does cheese have to do with cavities?  First, cheese doesn�t promote cavities and some research shows it may help prevent cavities.  Cheese helps build up the minerals in your teeth, the calcium, phosphorus and even protein promote mineralization.
• Nutrients � cheese is loaded with good nutrients: calcium, protein, vitamin A, B12, B2, zinc and other nutrients.  But most cheese has no or little vitamin D so milk or yogurt are needed to meet vitamin D needs. 

So enjoy some cheese this week.  If you want to cut back on the calories from cheese, choose part-skim mozzarella, mozzarella sticks, feta cheese, part-skim ricotta cheese, 2% cheddar, 2% Swiss which are made with 2% milk.  

Sources:  The Best Low-Fat Cheeses, Say Cheese?  Image source:  Cheese sticks

Nutrition in the News

Good news for consumers.  Many manufacturers and fast food restaurants are making healthful changes in their food offerings.   In the last few weeks, Kraft, Chipotle, and Pepsi have made announcements about upcoming changes.  What drove these changes?  You the consumer, did by requesting healthier options.   It is usually the government forcing manufacturers to make changes and now with social media, the consumer is in the driver�s seat.  So what is changing?

Kraft

Macaroni and Cheese:   has announced it is going to make macaroni and cheese without the synthetic colors or artificial preservatives. 

This change won�t take place until early 2016, but is good news for consumers.  Last March, a Change.org petition requested Kraft remove dyes from its mac and cheese.   This petition garnered over 365,000 signatures so carried a lot of weight with the company.  Before complying, Kraft went to the streets and met with families in their homes, talked to people in grocery stores. 

Dyes � yellow numbers 5 and 6 will be removed.   These will be replaced with paprika, annatto and turmeric to help keep the yellow color.

Capri Sun � Kraft has already replaced high fructose corn syrup with sugar in their Capri Sun products.  Healthier?  Maybe but Capri Sun isn�t a healthy choice.  Better to have 100% juice than Capri Sun.

Chipotle has removed genetically altered ingredients.  Since 2013, Chipotle noted which items contained GMO�s.  Is Chipotle GMO free?  Not exactly as some soft drinks contain sweeteners with GMO corn, and some of its meat and dairy still come from GMO grains fed animals. 

Pepsi � for those who enjoy Pepsi, this summer look for changes.  Pepsi announced it will replace the high fructose corn syrup with sugar.  Probably a move because soft drink consumption is on the decline.  But also because of growing consumer concerns about high fructose corn syrup. 

Panera Bread � I like Panera bread.  One can get a reasonably priced and healthy meal at Panera.  So what changes are they planning?  By 2016, they are dropping 150 artificial ingredients  like  saccharin, aspartame, maltodextrin, Azodicarbonamide,  Ethoxyquin. 

High Fructose Corn Syrup � probably good that manufacturers are replacing this in foods.  I have always tried to avoid it as much as possible.  A recent study has shown that drinking beverages sweetened with high fructose corn syrup can increase cholesterol and triglycerides in only two week.  The lead author noted, � It was a surprise that adding as little as the equivalent of a half-can of soda at breakfast, lunch and dinner was enough to produce significant increases in risk factors for cardiovascular disease,� said the lead author, Kimber L. Stanhope, a research scientist at the University of California, Davis. (High Fructose Corn Syrup)

Sources:  Kraft, Chipotle, Pepsi, Panera, High Fructose Corn Syrup Image source:  Kraft

Are Carbs Good or Bad? By Nicole Hamby (Guest Author)

So many myths about carbs.   Are carbs good or bad for your health?  A student in my class, Nicole Hamby, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.  Her paper on Good vs Bad Carbs is below. 

     Carbohydrates have been given a very bad reputation. However, it is not the actual carbohydrate that is bad, but what we have created them into with all of our processing. Instead of eating brown rice or whole wheat bread, Americans have chosen to consume the refined processed versions. Not only do these processed foods now lack essential nutrients but some of them can contribute to obesity and type II diabetes. Perhaps instead of grabbing a handful of jelly beans, which contains refined simple sugars, a piece of fruit would be much more beneficial to help prevent some of these diseases. While fruit may contain some simple sugars, it is natural, unrefined, and packed with vitamins your body needs. Whole grains, which are complex, are also an excellent source of good hearty carbohydrates. They are full of fiber and provide long lasting energy. Whole grains also put hunger at bay and have been shown to help prevent heart disease.                                         

Imagine that you have a nice new sports car. It requires premium gasoline; however you choose to always put regular gasoline in it because it�s cheaper and doesn�t really seem to make a difference anyways. Before long you begin to notice your car isn�t running as well and everything begins to slow down. Like a nice sports car your body also needs the right fuel to work properly. Without food like whole grains, legumes, and other plant foods, you will feel slow and probably pretty tired. White refined sugars like candies, cakes, and doughnuts might give you a quick spike in energy but soon enough you will crash and your body will be lacking the nutrients it needs. So the next time you go to the grocery store go for the natural process free foods and put down those simple refined sugars.

Sources: Not All Carbs Are Created Equal,  Image Source:  Fitness

How to lose weight and keep it off

This  week my husband saw an interesting slide show on MSN health and fitness, 35 simple tips to help you lose weight and keep it off too!   They have some great suggestions.   Their focus: We're not talking about drastic measures here, but quick and easy changes you can make in your daily life to help you achieve your weight loss goals.  If you want to see all 35 tips, click the link.  Here are a few they highlighted:   

1.  Don�t give up your favorite foods � how often do you hear someone say, �I ate a cookie and blew my diet.�  Nonsense, as Joyce Meyer says, �eat the cookie�.  But don�t eat the whole box.  MSN recommends limiting the number of times you eat your favorite or junk food to once a week and eat less of it than you normally do.  
2.  Opt for Whole grains � so many people forgo the whole grains when they are such a healthy addition to your diet.  My relatives are now into Ezekiel bread, a whole grain bread and quite nutritious.  But there are many whole grains, oatmeal, Cheerios, brown rice, whole grain crackers, even Sun Chips.  At Chipotle?  Choose the brown rice.  Find some whole grains you enjoy and add them to your diet every day.  Whole grains not only provide many more nutrients than refined grains, whole grains have fiber which fills you up.  
3. Dark Chocolate � not a lot of dark chocolate but a small piece can cut your appetite.  
4. Water, Not Soda-  sugared soda is loaded with empty calories and all that added sugar.  Drink some water before meals to help feel fuller before you eat.  Drink plain water, sparkling water or unsweetened tea.   
5. Healthier snacks � give up the junk food and enjoy some healthier snacks like a handful of nuts, apple slices with peanut butter, hummus and veggies.  
6. Use nonstick pans or PAM � to reduce the calories from oils or butter you use to cook foods.  Or limit the oil, such as a teaspoon or tablespoon of Olive Oil.  
7. Read the Food Label � look for the amount of fat, amount of saturated fat and calories.  You can�t tell how much sugar is added though by the �sugars�.  You have to look at the ingredients to see if sugar has been added to the food.  If sugar is the first ingredient (like Froot Loops), it isn�t a healthy choice.   
8. Treat yourself, but not with food � find some ways to treat yourself to keep you motivated.  Time out with friends to a movie, a game.   
9. Stay Active � less sitting, more moving.  Although MSN stated exercise at least 3 times a week, if you want to keep the weight off, find a way to exercise every day.  
10. Load up on Veggies � fill your plate with many veggies � very healthy and low in calories as long as the veggie isn�t French fries.  Avoid fried veggies and focus on steamed. 

Try some of these tips this week.  Share them with your friends.
 Sources:   35 simple tips to help you lose weight and keep it off too!  Gourmandize articleImage source:  Ezekiel bread

The Case for Carbs By Jackie Kunstmann (Guest Author)

Which carbs are good for your health?  Introduction:  In the nutrition class I teach, students were asked to respond to and prepare a convincing argument to counter the myth, Carbohydrates are bad for you.  One of those students, Jackie Kunstmann, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.  Her paper on The Case for Carbs is below.

Carbohydrates, or �carbs,� have been given a lot of bad press lately.  Many people I know are very quick to jump onto the Atkins or South Beach Diets with their low carbohydrate ways when wanting to lose weight. I even had leanings this way until this Nutrition class.

 The DRI Committee has determined that all persons need to have a diet composed of 46 to 65% of carbohydrates(with only 10 to 35% for protein and 20 to 35% for fat) to adequately meet their energy needs and reduce the risk of chronic disease.(1)  The USDA�s current dietary recommendation, My Plate, features the plate being filled with over half carbohydrates.(2)  When researching heart-healthy ways of eating (since heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults(3)), you will be directed to diets that feature carbohydrates.  The Mediterranean Diet is one you hear much about lately.  The base of the Mediterranean Diet�s pyramid is carbohydrates.(4)  The DASH diet, recommended for lowering blood pressure, features carbohydrates predominantly.(5)  If you search foods which are good for your heart, you will find them to be mainly carbohydrates.  WebMD lists 25 of the top heart-healthy foods, and 21 of them are carbohydrates!(6)

 When choosing foods to eat, we should not be considering whetherto include carbohydrates into our diet (that is a given), we should be considering which carbohydrates to include.  There are �good carbs,� and there are �not so good carbs.�  In determining if a carbohydrate is �good� or �not so good,� you simply need to determine if the food is refined or processed.  Sugars, added sugars, refined grains, and items which include these  (such as candy, baked goods, white bread or rice) would be less than desirable carbohydrate choices; whereas, whole or minimally refined carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, or whole grain products would be optimal choices for carbohydrates.(7)

Sources:   (1) Dietary Reference Intakes  (2) MyPlate  (3)  CDC  (4)  Mediterranean Diet (5) DASH Diet  (6) Top Heart-Healthy Foods  (7) Carbohydrates   (8)  Nutrition  Image Source:  carbs

How to Choose Healthier Frozen Pizzas

Who doesn�t love pizza?  Buying a frozen pizza is simple, convenient and easy to pop in the oven for  a quick meal.  Are there ways to make healthier choices when choosing frozen pizza?  We enjoy frozen pizza about once a week.  We add ingredients and make healthier choices when choosing a frozen pizza and you can too.  The Healthiest and Best Tasting Frozen Pizza  lists a number of ideas for making healthier frozen pizza choices.  

1. Thin Crust � you can save a lot of calories by choosing thin crust pizzas.  If you are ordering a pizza, choose thin crust.  If they offer a whole grain crust, that would be a healthier choice.  Skip the cheese-stuffed crust and skip those added calories.   
2. Simple is Best � although the loaded toppings are tasty, they are also loaded with calories.  The �meat-lovers� pizzas are especially high in calories and in sodium.  
3. Add veggies � we cut up and add some fresh green pepper, fresh onion, fresh mushrooms and some sliced black olives.    Add the veggies you like to �add nutrition� to your frozen pizza.   
4. Portions � read the label for serving sizes.  Look for 2 slices being less than 350 calories and less than 600 mg sodium.   
5. Add sides � add a fresh salad and some fresh fruit to your �pizza meal� to add more nutrition.

What frozen pizzas does Eating Well recommend?

• Amy�s Roasted Vegetable Pizza (for vegans)
• Amy�s Pesto Pizza
• Dr. Oetker Ristorante Pizza Mozarella
• American Flatbread Sliced Tomato and 5 Cheese
• DiGiorno Thin and Crispy Spinach and Garlic Pizza

Want to make your own pizza?  Check out the pizza recipes at:  Healthy PIzza Recipes and Cooking Tips

Sources:  The Healthiest and Best Tasting Frozen Pizza,  Image Source:  Amy's Pizza

Do you need fat in your diet?

Many of us are trying to cut back on calories and thus cut back on fat calories.  But do you need some fat?  The answer is yes.   Fat is important for many reasons but one is that fat soluble vitamins need some fat to be absorbed.  Thus, you may not want to use a fat-free dressing on your salad but a dressing with some fat.  If you want to cut back on fat calories, you can choose the light or reduced fat version of dressing and not the fat-free version.  

In the classes I teach, many students come up with a snack for kids of carrots and Fat-Free Ranch Dressing.  Carrots are a healthy food but serving it with Fat-free Ranch means you won�t be absorbing all the nutrients in those carrots.  Not to mention the child will be hungry in no time as carrots are low in calories and Fat-Free Ranch also is low in calories.  Are there health benefits to using salad dressings with some fat such as regular Ranch or Light Ranch dressing?

A Little Fat Helps the Vegetables Go Down so notes an article at WebMD.   The subtitle is:  �Eating Salads with Fat-Free Dressings May Rob the Body of Nutrients�.   They note eating salad dressing with some fat may be better for your overall health than fat free dressing.  You need some fat to absorb the nutrients found in vegetables like the healthy lycopeneand carotene.  If you choose to eat your salad with fat-free dressing, you may not be absorbing these healthy nutrients.  

Doesn�t mean you need a high fat diet and most Americans eat too much fat.  But it does mean you can enjoy some oil, or fat in your salad dressing.  Vegetables are naturally low in fat so to absorb the healthy nutrients you need some fat with your meal.  So enjoy some low fat or regular dressing with your salad and forgo the fat-free dressing.

Sources:  A Little Fat Helps the Vegetables Go Down,  Image Source:  Light Ranch Salad Dressing

Small Changes for a Healthier Child

Last week we talked about small changes you could make for a healthier you.  I had gathered some ideas from Jo-Ann Heslin, a registered dietitian.   I have adapted some of her suggestions for small changes families with children can make to be healthier. What are some small changes you as a parent can make for a healthier child?    
  1.  Eat together � in today�s go, go lifestyle so many families no longer eat together.  At least a few times a week plan a family, sit-down meal together.  Cornell University recommends eating together as a family at least 3 times a week.  Family meals means a focus on the family, so turn off the TV, the cell phones and focus on the kids.  According to Cornell University, (Do Famiy Meals Really Make a Difference?), family meals have huge health benefits:

          a.       Children are 24% more likely to eat healthier

          b.      Children are 12% less likely to be overweight

          c.       Children do better academically

          d.      Children have more positive family interactions   

   2.   5 A Day� many children aren�t getting five servings of real fruits and vegetables a day.  Sunny D and boxes of sugared drinks like Capri Sun juice drinks aren�t 100% juice and don�t count towards the 5 a day.  At meals, especially lunch and dinner, aim for 2 fruits and vegetables.  Make snacks of fruits or vegetables easy by having a fruit bowl on the counter, cut up vegetables ready to eat with  some Ranch dressing.    

   3.   Model Good Eating � a child that sees his mom or dad drinking milk with meals is more likely to drink milk with meals.  Kids like to copy you so are you modeling good eating habits?         

    4.  Breakfast every day � so many parents seem to forget kids need breakfast every day.  Not a Pop-Tart, Sunny D breakfast, but one of real food.  There are so many whole grain cereals to choose from, whole grain toast with peanut butter, milk, juice.  Breakfast also has many health benefits:

         a.       Better academic performance in school

         b.      More energy to start the day off right

         c.       Improved concentration

         d.      More strength and endurance

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has great ideas on Easy Breakfasts for Kids to Make:   

• Cheese slices on whole wheat toast, 100% juice
• Whole grain Cereals, milk, banana slices
• Peanut butter on whole grain toast, waffle, or rolled inside a wheat tortilla, tangerine
• Fruit � bananas, strawberries, raisins � instant oatmeal and milk
• Cold pizza 
• Apple and cheese slices on graham crackers or whole wheat crackers
• Yogurt, fruit    

 5.  Sit Less, Move More �  In the book, The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, Dr. Sears has an excellent recommendation:  �Time Sitting = Time Moving� .  He suggests kids earn their TV, video, screen time.  30 minutes of exercise earns 30 minutes of screen time.   Many studies have found that many Americans don�t necessarily eat too much but they move too little. 

So, what small changes can you make in your family to eat healthier?  Small changes can add up to a healthier you and healthier kids.

Sources:  Live Better , Do Famiy Meals Really Make a Difference?   Image Source:  Family Meals

The Cost of Living

What is the first thing that comes to mind�money�right?  Well, that is part of the �Cost of Living�.  I see this phrase in a whole new way as in the choices I make with my life.  What I choose to think, feel, how I act, respond, do or not do all determines my �Cost of Living�. 

Happiness comes at a price and so does stress and struggle.  I know that when I feel at my best and happy about how things are going, the cost for me is a great day, feel on top of the world, confident, and just all together fabulous�right?  Just as allowing some injustice that has been thrown my direction to take over my whole persona, well the cost would be stress, anxiety, and just an overwhelming YUCK feeling in my life bank. 

Sometimes, it is difficult to always pay the right cost all the time in life to receive the right result.  Look at how the �Cost of Living� affects health and I will speak personally here�If I choose to sit around and do nothing active, then the cost would be that my body receives no benefit of exercise, no positive endorphins to flood my system�and boy do I love that feeling, and really puts a damper in my routine.  Let me hit up my nutrition using the same analogy.  If I choose to eat processed crap, overload my system with sugar, and do not pay attention to what I put in my face, the cost would be not feeling well, probably constipated (YUCK), low energy, and really not feeling mentally good about ME. In both regards, my health would suffer at the cost of my not taking care of ME.

The mental game comes with the biggest cost as it really determines how each day will unfold, and overall how life is lived.  If I walk around with an �I can�t� attitude, the cost for me would be �I won�t� which eventually leads to never will, and I would suffer not only emotionally but physically.  Can you imagine what kind of life that would be for me�bitter, depressed, judgmental, wanting it but not willing to work for it�feeling the victim in life�now that is a heavy cost of living.  Looking at the flip side of having an �I can� attitude, the cost would be �I will� and �I did�.  Putting forth some energy (cost) to reap the benefit of a happy healthy life sounds like the type of journey I would and will want to continue for a lifetime.

That is ultimately what I am trying to get across with the �Cost of Living��YES, it takes a conscious effort to want a healthy life and I do want this for ME.  It does cost me time, energy, some money, planning, and caring and I am not saying that it is always easy, but I can tell you that it has been worth it.  So I do put money in my health bank in the form of exercise, healthy food, water, quality ME time, time with God and many things that are invaluable�money can�t buy my health, but the things that I do for ME can and do provide me with a life that is full, healthy, and happy.  

IN YOUR FACE MOTIVATIONS 

 

Dedicated to My Mother ~ Happy Birthday

Thanks for stopping by my Blog, hope you enjoy the content, and if you have not become a follower yet, I would love to see your face on my friend's list.  If you are inspired, LIKE my entry, leave a comment and I look forward to responding! 

 

Have a FABULOUS weekend and upcoming week!

 

Stay Healthy!

Darla;)

 

 

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