Eating For Health

Chocolate was in the news this week.   Nestle is planning to reformulate chocolate to make it lower in calories.   Who doesn’t love chocolate?   And more recently they have discovered chocolate actually has many health benefits.    But the downside has been that chocolate is often loaded with sugar and fat which somewhat negates its health benefits.   So, what does Nestle plan to do to make chocolate lower in calories? Nestle will lower the sugar content in chocolate. Lowering the sugar content sounds good from a calorie and health perspective but not from a taste perspective.   How can Nestle lower the sugar content but keep the taste? Restructure the Sugar Molecule: Nestle has found a way to basically reform the sugar crystal, making it hollow on the inside.   But one still gets the sweet taste from the hollowed-out sugar crystal so they say the reduced sugar chocolate will still taste sweet.   The Nestle technology officer e...

Who hasn’t used the 5 second rule?   You drop some food on the floor and if it is less than 5 seconds, is it safe to eat?   If it is on the floor longer than 5 seconds, is it really more contaminated?   Does the type of floor matter?   The type of food?   Is the 5 Second Rule another food myth?    Believe it or not, researchers have actually studied the 5 second rule.   What foods did they drop and what did they find? A number of researchers have studied the 5 Second Rule the most recent study about Myth Debunked , was published in September in the journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.   Previously, a high school student studied gummy bears and fudge-striped cookies dropped on a floor contaminated with E. coli.   He found that food was contaminated in less than 5 seconds.    So, what did the 2016 researchers find? What is the 5 Second Rule – the belief is if you drop any food on the ground/floor and pi...

Now that the weather has turned colder, it is time to think about how you can protect yourself and family members from getting colds or flu this winter.    There are many things people can do in terms of diet, exercise and habits that can greatly reduce your chances of getting sick.    What diet and other changes can you focus on to boost your immune system and keep you healthy?      1.   Fruits and Vegetables – 5 A Day is the suggested amount but eating even more than 5 A Day during the cold and flu season is a wise choice. a.        Antioxidants for your immune system: Fruits and vegetables are not only full of vitamins and minerals but also antioxidants that can help you fight off those infections and build your immune system.   But each color of fruit and vegetable has different antioxidants.   To ensure you are getting a wide range of colors, vary your colors.   Include many di...

Watching your carbs?   Who hasn’t heard people who say, “I am watching my carbs.”?   Well, you should “watch your carbs” to make sure you are getting whole grains in your diet every day.   Most Americans are getting enough grains in their diet, but not enough whole grains. The Whole Grains Council lists many benefits of eating whole grains. Reduce your risk for many diseases.   Eating whole grains can reduce your risk of: o    Stroke by 30-36% o    Type 2 diabetes by 21-30% o    Heart disease by 25-28%                 And, contrary to public opinion, whole grains can make maintaining your weight easier. The American Heart Association in articles in Circulation , noted replacing refined grains like white bread with whole grains like whole wheat bread and whole grain cereals lowered one’s risk of heart disease ( Replace refined grains with whol...