Eating For Health

Chipotle has certainly been in the news about E. Coli outbreaks at its restaurants.   What is E. Coli and what can you do to avoid getting an infection?   WebMD, CNN, CDC and others have focused on E. Coli and provide some excellent tips for consumers. What is E. Coli? It is a bacteria and the official name is Escherichia coli.   Food infections can come from animals or humans.   It is found in both animal and human intestines.    A simple way to describe it is “Poop Germs”.   Many of us can have E. Coli in our intestines and it is harmless.   However, some strains can make you sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory illnesses and if severe enough even kidney failure. What foods can be contaminated with E. Coli? Most commonly, E. Coli outbreaks are linked to undercooked hamburgers.   Produce can be contaminated and is the leading reason for outbreaks.   Raw milk as it hasn’t been pasteurized, and unpasteuri...

If you haven’t added some yogurt to your daily diet, it would be a good time to start.   Many people that eat yogurt think only Greek yogurt is healthy but it doesn’t have to be Greek yogurt.   Find a yogurt you like, in a flavor you are willing to eat.   Here are some health benefits of yogurt and what to look for when choosing yogurt.   (Adapted from Yogurt and health).      1.          Does yogurt help your smile?   Yes.   Yogurt not only doesn’t cause cavities, it helps protect your teeth (calcium) and even helps prevent periodontal disease.         2.        Does yogurt help your brain?   Yes.   Surprisingly, researchers have found that your gut bacteria affect brain function.   So researchers studied the probiotics in yogurt and found yogurt improved brain cognition.        3.  ...

Some interesting nutrition topics in the news this week.   Coffee Drinker?   Well good news for your health.   I love coffee and couldn’t start my day without it.   A large study has reported drinking coffee actually reduces your risk of dying from heart disease and other diseases.   Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health studied both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee in over 200,000 men and women.   For non-smokers the reduced risk is impressive.   Just one-three cups of coffee a day reduces risk of dying by 8%, 3-5 cups reduced it by 15%.   But less returns on coffee consumption for over 5 cups a day.    Interesting, these findings were also true for those drinking decaf coffee.   Cranberries – what is Thanksgiving without the traditional cranberries?   Have any leftovers?   Enjoy as cranberries are great for your health.   Eating fruits and vegetables is more than getting vitamins and minerals. ...