Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

Reducing Sodium in Your Diet

 Reducing sodium in a person's diet can be a challenge.  In addition to adding salt to food at the table , many foods have salt added to them i.e. processed foods.  According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, there is a need for Americans to reduce sodium intake.  Click here https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByxReHb7wpdDNWM5NDljN2ItMzBmNC00ZTYyLTk1NmEtZTM2NTE2NGYwNTEy
for a tip sheet on reducing sodium intake.

USDA Unveils Improvements to America's School Meals

USDA Unveils Improvements to America's School Meals

Please click the link to view the USDA Historic Improvements to Meals Served in America's Schools:

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/PressReleases/2012/0023.htm

Healthy Habits Can Save You Money

Healthy Habits Can Save You Money

We know that not smoking, being active and making healthy food choices are good for our bodies. But what about our wallets? Research shows that healthy habits can save us money. Gayle Coleman, nutrition education specialist with Cooperative Extension Family Living Programs offers some tips for increasing your health and wealth in 2012.

Take a brisk walk for 30 minutes (or more) each day. Research shows that people who get regular physical activity are less likely to have heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Being physically active helps people manage their stress, blood pressure, blood sugar and body weight. Studies show that average out-of-pocket spending for individuals with at least one chronic medical condition such as diabetes was $655 annually per person. For individuals with three or more chronic conditions it was $1,865 annually. Compare these costs to the cost of a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Enjoy your food but eat less. Choosing smaller portions of food often means consuming fewer calories and maintaining a healthy weight, especially if you’re cutting back on desserts, high-fat meats and sugary beverages. Research indicates that medical costs for U.S. employers for obesity-related medical claims alone accounted for almost $250 per employee in 2007--costs usually passed on to employees in the form of higher insurance premiums.

Wash your hands. Lathering up with soap and water, and scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds is key to preventing illnesses such as colds and flu. Staying healthy could also save wages. For example, an employee making $10 per hour without the benefit of sick leave would lose $80 per day if they missed work due to illness or to care for a sick child.

Drink water in place of sugary beverages. Replacing sugary beverages with water can save hundreds of dollars a year. For example, if you spend $1 per day on soda and replace it with tap water, you could save $30 per month or $480 per year.

Plan and prepare low-cost meals. A few hours a week spent planning your shopping and preparing meals can save your family hundreds of dollars a year. Include foods that are a good buy--produce that is in season or lean meat that is on sale. Planning a weekly menu also increases the chances that food you purchase will be used before it spoils. For example, you might save $5 per week by bringing two lunches from home rather than eating out, which adds up to $20 per month or $240 per year.

Prevent illness. You’ve probably heard the phrase “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The same thing applies to healthcare costs. Getting a flu vaccine at the local drugstore might cost $30 a year. But you save on the costs of medications, lost work, doctors’ visits and even hospitalization to treat the flu if you get sick. Similarly, early detection and treatment of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer through low-cost screenings, could save you the costs of more extensive treatment down the road.

Here’s to health and wealth in 2012!

Arsenic and Apple Juice

Arsenic and Apple Juice 

Recently in the news there has been information about arsenic in apple juice. Please click below to learn more about this issue.

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm271595.htm

Menu A Day Feed Four for Less Than $10.00

Menu A Day – Feed Four for Less Than $10.00

Menu A Day offers 30 healthy dinners for four people that cost under $10.00. Each menu lists recipes, nutrition information and the grocery list items you’ll need for that week. Cost and nutrition information are included for main dishes.

Click this link for access to Menu A Day and shopping list.

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=6532

National Hot Tea Month

National Hot Tea Month 

January is National Hot Tea Month. Sales of gourmet tea are growing in leaps and bounds. While many Americans are discovering fine tea for the first time, tea is the world’s most popular beverage after water. It has been cultivated in China since prehistoric times.

All tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, a warm weather evergreen. Whether tea is black, oolong, green or white depends on how the fresh leaves of the tea plant are processed after they are plucked and their level of contact with oxygen. During oxidation, tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions that result in distinctive color and taste characteristics. Black tea is allowed to oxidize for two to four hours. Green tea is not oxidized at all – the leaves are steamed, rolled and dried. Oolong tea falls somewhere between green and black teas in that the leaves are only partially oxidized. White tea is not oxidized at all, and in fact, is picked in the spring before the leaf buds even unfurl.

Nutritionally green and black tea has important antioxidants and compounds that help in maintaining good health.

The difference in fine tea and mass-marketed tea is that fine tea is made from top quality whole leaves and mass-marketed tea is produced from the bits and pieces. No matter what type of tea you buy, this beverage  is good for you.

Don't Drink Your Calorie

Don’t Drink Your Calories

“Don’t drink your calories” is good advice if you are watching your weight. Many beverages contain significant calories. For example, a peppermint mocha can contain up to 400 calories. Researchers gave 34 young men and women – half overweight or obese and half were lean, approximately 400 to 550 calories a day from either solid food (fruits and vegetables) or fruit juice. The solid food which came to six or eight servings a day, was 10 percent vegetables, 35 percent fresh fruit, and 55 percent dried fruit.

After eight weeks on the fruits and vegetables, the people in the lean group compensated for the extra food by cutting back on their usual diets. They gained no weight. However, they gained about 3 ½ pounds after eight weeks on juice. The overweight or obese participants gained four pounds after four weeks on the fruit and vegetables and five pounds after eight weeks on the juice.

It is key to eat fruits and vegetables instead of getting these servings via juice. Remember that dried fruits are calorie dense, so eat only the recommended portion.

Source: Nutrition Action Healthletter, September 2011

Healthy Eating for the New Year

Healthy Eating for the New Year

On a television segment I did earlier this week, I shared some tips for eating healthy in the new year.
- Snack wisely. Instead of chips and soda, select snack foods like nuts, dried fruit, cereal, hummus and pita chips and fruit.
- Pay attention to the amount of sugar you consume in beverages. A 20-ounce bottle of soda can contain over 19 teaspoons of sugar, nearly one teaspoon per ounce of beverage.

 - Exercise. Get a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps per day. Include some strength bearing exercises as well.

- Eat breakfast. There is no better way to start your morning than with breakfast. Include lean protein, whole grains and fresh or frozen fruits.

- Bring lunch to work. In addition to saving money, you most likely will consume fewer calories.

- Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Eat fruits and vegetables of all colors to obtain health benefits from each color.

- Make half your grains whole grains.

Tips to Avoid Winter Weight Gain

Tips To Avoid Winter Weight Gain

If you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight, holiday parties, football games and cold weather can sabotage your good intentions. However, some thoughtful planning can keep you on track.

Research shows that many adults gain a pound or two during the winter and the extra weight tends to stick around all year. It is easier to avoid gaining weight than it is to take it off and keep it off later on.

The following tips can help you avoid gaining weight during the cold weather months.

- Keep active. Don’t turn into a couch potato when the weather is cold. Walk the dog a few extra blocks each day, play active games with your kids, add a few minutes of brisk walking when at the mail, and take the stairs when you can.

- Monitor your beverages. Drinks such as coffee treats, hot chocolate, eggnog and supersized soft drinks can have as many calories as a cheeseburger. For example, a peppermint mocha can have 400 calories or more.

- Plan ahead for healthy eating at special occasions. If your winter calendar includes family feasts, office celebrations, football parties, and holiday events, stick to strategies that can help you enjoy your favorite foods in moderation. With a personal party plan, it’s easier to enjoy the gathering without being tempted to overindulge.

Source: Susan Nitzke, Nutrition Specialist and Professor Emerita of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison