Carole Carson

Fat or Fit? What's Your Relationship with Food?

If losing weight is one of your resolutions in 2012, then an examination of your relationship with food is in order. Your timing is great! The recent start of the New Year gives us the opportunity to dissolve old habits and reinvent ourselves. 

Take this quiz to see if your relationship with food is fat or fit. Give yourself five points for every sentence that describes you or your eating habits. (No one will see your score, so you have permission to be completely honest.) Which of the following apply to you?

1. Most of my friends and family members are overweight.
2. Most of my social activities revolve around eating.
3. I prefer buffet restaurants or ones that serve ample portions.
4. "Going out" is a euphemism for eating and drinking more than I should.
5. Eating helps me relax and soothes me when I hit a bumpy road in life.
6. I have some health problems that are exacerbated by being overweight.
7. I often feel guilty about what and how much I eat.
8. My self-esteem suffers because of my weight and body image.
9. Because I am self-conscious of my body shape, I am reluctant to be intimate with my partner.
10. I avoid social activities that involve exercise (like walking with a friend) because I tire easily from carrying extra weight.

If you scored zero on this quiz, congratulations. You've developed a healthy relationship with food that will serve you well. If your score is greater than zero, then use your score to cut through denial and commit to a new and healthier relationship with food.

Change begins when we recognize dysfunctional behavior that no longer suits us. Without a doubt, making needed changes in any area of our life—but especially in what and how much we eat— involves self-control. But change doesn't have to involve hardship or severe dieting. Instead, making better daily food choices represents an affirmation of the importance we place on our health and well-being—one that meets our future as well as our present needs.

In this spirit, you can resolve that 2012 will mark the beginning of a new and healthful relationship with food.

Photo courtesy of Sakura

Source: Flickr

Making Calories Count: Recipe for Spaghetti all'Arrabbiata

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)

Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Spaghetti all’Arrabbiata, or Angry Spaghetti. Although the sauce can be served over whole-grain spaghetti, it can also be served with shrimp or meatballs. Richard also points out that the sauce is not served with cheese but simply as is.

Spaghetti all’Arrabbiata

Serves 6 to 8

1-1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, chopped, or 2 cans (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti

Place the tomatoes and oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Taste for salt and pepper.

Pass the mixture through a food mill, using the disk with the smallest holes, into a second saucepan. If you don't have a food mill, use a food processer to blend the ingredients. Return the sauce to medium heat, add the pepper flakes and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve over pasta, shrimp, meatballs or your favorite steamed vegetables.

Buon appéPtito!

P.S. Do you have a recipe to share?

Photo courtesy of Safari11

Source: www.sxc.hu

Mindset Makeover on Dietary Fat—MUFAS AND PUFAS

Over the past decade, nutritional advice on how much and what kind of fat to eat to keep our weight in check has shifted much like the colors and shapes in a revolving kaleidoscope.

Ten years ago, most of us thought that eating fat would make us fat. Based on this belief, consumers sought to eliminate all fat from their food. In response to the demand, food manufacturers rushed to fill grocery stores with hundreds of reduced or fat-free products, from fat-free ice cream to reduced fat Oreo cookies.

Today, our understanding of the role fats play in maintaining a healthy weight is more nuanced. Minimizing the consumption of trans fats (an inexpensive ingredient in processed food that is easy to use and lengthens shelf life) and saturated fats (found mostly in food mostly from animals but also a few plants) is still considered sound advice. Both are believed to increase the risk of heart disease by reducing the good cholesterol in our bodies and raising the bad cholesterol.
 
But while trans fats and saturated fats are being ostracized, the surprising benefits of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAS) are making headlines. MUFAS are found in certain oils, nuts and seeds, avocados and dark chocolate. PUFAS are found in some vegetables and nuts, and fish and shellfish. For example, a recent study suggests that eating certain unsaturated fats helped participants with prediabetes reduce their risk of developing full-blown type 2 diabetes by almost 60 percent. MUFAS are also cited as "potential superheros for controlling blood sugar, reducing insulin resistance, fighting belly fat . . . strongly associated with prediabetes and diabetes." For optimum benefits for heart health, researchers advise us to combine MUFAS and PUFAS.

The takeaway advice is this: For optimum nutrition, eat mostly fruits and vegetables, lean meat, some fish and healthy whole grains. Include small amounts of oils (especially olive oil), nuts and seeds and avocados--and an occasional piece of dark chocolate.

Is Junk Food Addictive?

The notion that junk food, like narcotics, is addictive and that this addiction explains the national crisis in obesity is gaining traction. Findings based on research with rats reported in Science News provide worrisome support for this idea.

Rats fed a diet rich in junk food (processed cakes, sausage, bacon, cheesecake, etc.) quickly adopted the habits of drug addicts. They wanted more and more junk food and needed more and more to feel normal; they refused to eat regular food once they were hooked on the rich, sweet food even if rejecting normal food meant starving; they continued to eat junk food even when consuming it triggered an electric shock to their feet; and once they went back to rat chow, their bodies took a long time to recover. In fact, some never did return to normal eating habits.

Tests on the rats’ brains and intestines during and after the rats consumed junk food showed biochemical changes. Researchers concluded that the brains and digestive systems of the rats had become captive of the chemical changes resulting from eating junk food—the very definition of addiction. And like drug addiction, junk food addition can produce changes that are difficult to unwire.

If the experiment with rats is predictive of human behavior, then the chemical changes in the rats’ bodies and the rats’ addictive habits could explain the growing problem of obesity in the United States. As we consume more and more rich, sugary food, we will want more and more, and we’ll gain more and more weight.

Three Tips for Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk: Get FIT

One out of every eight women in the United States will face the breast cancer, despite medical advances. Early detection, for example, using tomosynthesis, an innovative technology that provides three-dimensional detailed imaging of the breast, and effective treatments have improved the survival rate of breast cancer patients. In fact, when breast cancer is detected early and confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is 97 percent.

This remarkable progress has shifted the focus of breast cancer research to prevention. Only 5 to 10 percent of cases can be blamed on genetics; the majority appear to be linked to environmental causes and personal lifestyle choices.

Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder of Breastcancer.org, reports that “significant evidence links excess weight with a higher risk of breast cancer—both for a first diagnosis and for recurrence.” Maintaining a fit body through healthful eating and regular exercise could eliminate almost 40 percent or 70,000 cases of breast cancer each year.

To minimize your breast cancer risk, focus on fitness. Here are three tips for getting FIT:

F =    Find healthy foods that you enjoy eating. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein will nourish your body without expanding your waistline. Explore healthier ways of preparing food and find fabulous lower-calorie recipes online. Limit alcohol consumption (one drink a day for women) because of its association with breast cancer.

I =    Integrate regular exercise into your life. Spending 60 minutes exercising each day is the best investment you can make in your health. Individualize your routine: find an activity you thoroughly enjoy that is appropriate for your age, medical condition and schedule. For example, if you dislike jogging on a treadmill at the gym, you could rent exercise videos or purchase a Wii exergame.

T =    Team up with friends, colleagues, neighbors and family to create a fitness-oriented community. Write a fitness team newsletter and report on your program. Join a free online support community. By giving and receiving support, you reaffirm your own commitment to fitness.

Adopting healthful habits not only reduces the risk of breast cancer, it also helps prevent other life-threatening conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and improves the chances of survival for breast cancer patients.

Exercise: Fountain of Youth and Miracle-Gro for the Brain

You’ve seen and admired them—the men and women who seem to drink regularly from the fountain of youth. Although their hair may gray, they never seem any older. Rather, they age gracefully without acquiring a disabling disease, losing precious memory, gaining excess weight or losing their agility.

Fortunately for us, the key to aging successfully is simple and accessible. The most effective defense against the inevitable onslaught of aging is exercise.

Exercise Changes the Length and Quality of Cells

Although most of us knew that regular exercise was good for us, we are just now beginning to understanding its positive impact at the cellular level. In an article in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 168, No.2, January 28, 2008, “The Association between Physical Activity in Leisure Time and Leukocyte Telomere Length,” researchers were able to measure the beneficial effect of exercise on cells.

The study was based on the observation that telomeres in white blood cells erode and shorten during the aging process. Consequently, their length and quality are biological indicators of human aging. Researchers hypothesized that comparing the length and quality of the telomeres in exercising and sedentary twins would indicate whether exercise had an impact on the rate of cellular aging.

In the London-based study of 1,200 sets of twins, researchers found that the longer, healthier telomeres of the active twin indicated a younger biological age—sometimes by as much as nine years—when compared with the biological age indicated by the shorter, degraded telomeres of the sedentary twin.

Our brains may benefit from exercise as well. Dr. Waneen Spirduso, author of Exercise and Its Mediating Effects on Cognition, argues that exercise improves mental functions such as recall, learning and abstract reasoning. Exercise may even help prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Exercise Can Take Seven to Ten Years Off the Age of Your Brain

No one is more enthusiastic about the neurological benefits of exercise than Harvard University professor and psychiatrist John Ratey, author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. In “Exercise Is Good for the Brain,” an article in the Los Angeles Times (March 17, 2008), Dr. Ratey claims that aerobic exercise can delay cognitive decline by as much as seven to ten years. [CMS]

Further, because exercise creates neuron growth, Dr. Ratey calls exercise “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” He believes that exercise is the single best tool we have for keeping our brain functioning at its highest level. Dr. Ratey also encourages us to exercise with friends so we experience the social benefit as well.

How ironic if the elusive fountain of youth turned out instead to be a foundation for youth, one built simply on regular, consistent exercise. Indeed, the evidence is so compelling that I’m turning off the computer and heading outside for a walk.

Photo courtesy of Cienpies Design

Location: www.sxc.hu

Trivia Question: What Is the Greatest Risk Factor to Seniors for Falls?

More than one-third of Americans age 65 and over fall each year.  Which of the following seniors are most likely to take a tumble?

1. Seniors who are frail
2. Seniors who have arthritis
3. Seniors who have diabetes
4. Seniors who are obese
5. Seniors who have suffered a stroke

The answer is number 4. Obesity is the single greatest risk factor to seniors for falls. In a study of 10,755 seniors age 65 and over reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, obese older adults were anywhere from 12 percent to 50 percent more likely to suffer a fall over two years than their normal-weight peers. Moreover, when obese seniors were injured, they were less likely to recover than seniors of normal weight.

Here's yet another reason to stay fit and encourage those around us to trim down.

Making Calories Count: Recipe for Chicken Cacciatore—Mouth-Watering, Healthy Chicken Dish

My neighbor Richard Scammell is a wonderful cook. Cooking is Richard's hobby, but when it comes to food preparation, Richard is a highly skilled and well-educated professional. (He's even traveled to Europe to take cooking classes.)

Richard and I share a love of creative, healthful cooking. When I asked him for ideas that I could share with readers, he sent this simple recipe for Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken Cacciatore): 

Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken Hunter Style, from Umbria, Italy)

Serves 6
 
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 chicken, cut into 16 pieces
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/2 small white onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth

Place the flour in a plastic bag and add the chicken pieces. Shake the bag until all the pieces are coated evenly with flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sauté until golden all over, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the garlic, rosemary and onion over the chicken, raise the heat, add the wine and cover the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turn the chicken pieces over, cover the pan and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stir well, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the broth, mix well and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. At this point, the chicken will be cooked, but still juicy with a thick sauce. Serve immediately.

Buon appétito!

P.S. Do you have a recipe to share?

Photo courtesy of A. Laczek

Source: www.sxc.hu

Eating Done Right: Mushrooms—Food of the Week

Mushrooms are a wonderfully versatile ingredient. They are eaten at all meals, from breakfast through supper, and can be incorporated into traditional recipes or worked into ethnic cuisine.

In addition to their versatility, mushrooms are a nutritional bargain. According to nutritionists, besides being low in calories, mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid. Mushrooms also contain Vitamin D and potassium, along with selenium and ergothioneine, two antioxidants that help protect the body's cells from damage.

Botanists have found over 38,000 species of mushrooms. White button mushrooms are perhaps the most common mushrooms found in grocery stores, but you may also be familiar with portabella, maitake, oyster, cremini, shiitake, beech, enoki and wild mushrooms. If your pocketbook can take the hit, you can spend a small fortune on mushrooms. For example, Japan’s matsutake mushroom sells for around $1,000 to $2,000 per pound. (I’ll stick with the local mushrooms, thank you.)

Whatever the variety, mushrooms can be sautéed, grilled, broiled, microwaved, roasted or eaten raw in salads. They can star on their own (for example, mushroom soup) or play the role of a supporting cast member (for example, pot roast with potatoes, onions, carrots and mushrooms). Because of their texture and flavor, some mushrooms (especially portabella) can replace or extend meat in burgers.

If you’re ready to expand your repertoire of mushroom dishes, you’ll find dozens of recipes here. For my contribution, I selected a recipe that I learned from Sabrina, my French daughter-in-law. A French recipe seemed particularly appropriate, given that France was the first cultivator of mushrooms in caves outside Paris. Here is Sabrina’s simple, elegant recipe:

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms
Serves 4

4 portabella mushrooms
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

After cleaning the mushrooms with a damp towel, remove and discard the stems. Place the mushrooms in a glass baking dish with the gills facing up. Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar evenly over the gills. Cover with foil and marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Grill or broil the marinated mushrooms, for 4 to 6 minutes on each side. Serve hot off the grill with fresh bread and a green salad for a satisfying lunch or light dinner.

Bon appétit!

P.S. Do you have a mushroom recipe to share?

Photo courtesy of Keith Syvinski

Location: www.sxc.hu

 

Fitness Support for Teens and Young Adults

About a third of the young men and women recruited by the army are "too fat to fight." That alarming statistic, along with health concerns, has prompted the introduction of innovative programs to promote fitness among young adults. Five promising programs are detailed below:

Online Health Community for Teens: Teens seeking to lose or gain weight, stop a bad habit, escape bullying or get support for academic goals have a safe place to discuss and learn about wellness issues at teen.sharecare.com. To keep the site safe for teens, a team of volunteer nurses answers questions and moderates the site on an around-the-clock basis. Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Ellen Rome and other health professionals contribute health blogs specific to teen concerns. Forums include such topics as exercise and physical fitness, taking care of your body and nutrition and health eating. The site is free, and teens can remain anonymous.

Fitness Test for Freshmen: Beginning this fall at Coker College, freshmen will undergo a mandatory fitness assessment. The assessment is part of a new initiative designed to prepare students for adulthood that includes maintaining their personal health and fitness. Students will complete a one-mile run or walk and perform sets of sit-ups and push-ups. In addition, each student will receive a body mass index score. The timing of this initiative is no accident—Coker College is located in South Carolina, a state that recently moved from number nine to number eight on the list of Top 10 Fattest States. Coker president Robert L. Wyatt, who lost 100 pounds after graduating from college, believes that we should educate young people to be fiscally and physically fit, so that they can live “long, happily and well.” 

Innovative Fitness Program at University of Louisiana at Monroe: As obesity rates climb, college campuses are recognizing the need to fight back by educating students and the wider community about the benefits of fitness and nutrition. Exercise is Medicine on Campus, an initiative launched at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, does just that. The initiative hosts fitness events on campus for everyone in the community.

Event organizer and kinesiology graduate student Talya Williams hopes that such events will demonstrate that fitness can be varied and interesting: “We want everyone to know that exercise has been falsely portrayed as a somewhat dull, ‘hum-drum’ system that includes straight-line running, treadmills, weights, and/or a gym. Exercise is physical bodily activity with a goal of developing or maintaining physical fitness. Movement can be exercise. If we can get that message to our community, then our campaign is a success.”

University of Missouri Nutrition Education Programs for the Community: Two programs launched by the University of Missouri focus on educating the community about proper nutrition. One program, the Family Nutrition Program, aimed primarily at low-income adults, children and teens, offers cooking classes and general information on healthful eating and fitness. One youth participant, commenting on the success of the program, said, “My mom is thankful for what the program taught me about eating well and exercising. Because of what I've learned, she has lost 45 pounds and we are a lot more active together.” The other program, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, focuses on educating adults with young children and helping them achieve health for their families.

Top 10 College Towns for Fitness: As a college student, balancing studies, work and physical fitness is a challenge. Some college environments, however, are more supportive than others, boasting many opportunities for those who want to maintain a fun and active lifestyle. Topping the list are Madison, Wisconsin, a city where bicycles outnumber cars; San Francisco, California, which boasts multiple opportunities for outdoor fitness, including competitive events; and Tucson, Arizona, where mild winter temperatures encourage outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and horseback riding. Other cities that made the list include Austin, Texas; Hanover, New Hampshire; Salt Lake City, Utah; Portland, Maine; Gainesville, Florida; Reno, Nevada; and Missoula, Montana.

Given the nationwide trend of increasing obesity, programs targeting fitness for young adults are particularly timely. "Despite the bombardment of news about the dangers of obesity and the billions of dollars poured into healthy choice programs, America is getting fatter," according to a report from the Trust for America's Health, issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in July 2011. Unless these and similar initiatives reverse this trend, our nation will see an even larger number of young adults facing distressing personal and medical problems resulting from being out of shape and overweight. Surely we can do better.