Eating For Health

When traveling this holiday season, you may find yourself eating at some food courts.   Most have a variety of food options.   Food courts also have a variety of germs that you really don’t want to partake of.   Dr. Oz has previously investigated food courts and recently did a show on food courts and why they can be full of germs – bacteria, fungi and even fecal matter.   What can you do to enjoy the food but leave the germs behind? Food Courts – where are the germs?    1.      Temperatures – often the food at food courts is lined up in pans along a window making it easy for you to see your choices.   But is the food being kept at the right temperature?   Dr. Oz reports on a study that found many food court establishments are not keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold.   Hot foods should be kept at 140 degrees or warmer and cold foods at 40 degrees or cooler (e.g. salad bar foods).   When tested, food temperatures at some food courts were not kept hot enough or cold

Students in my class are interested in anti- inflammatory foods as many work out and are interested in reducing inflammation.   Others are interested in diets to reduce inflammation for those with colitis or IBD.   Older students are interesting in anti-inflammatory diets to control osteoarthritis.   Rather than just taking drugs to reduce inflammation, are there anti-inflammatory foods? What are the foods one can eat to reduce inflammation and what conditions do anti-inflammatory diets help?   Osteoarthritis – a common form of arthritis people experience as they age.   The cartilage in our joints begins to break down which results in swelling, stiffness, and pain in the joints.   The U.S. News & World Report has many interesting articles on diet with a recent one titled, “ Osteoarthritis Diet:   Foods to Eat and Avoid ”.   According to the registered dietitian, Daniela Novotny, from Missouri State University, the foods we eat can increase or decrease inflammation.   Wh