Why Worry About Adding Whole Grains?

Last week I wrote about the search for whole wheat bread my girls would eat. Here's why you should care about adding whole grains to your diet:

They are digested slowly which is a good thing toward delaying recurring hunger and helping you feel full on less food at a meal

They help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

They may lower BMI

They may increase insulin sensitivity

They reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in some studies

They reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack

They reduce blood cholesterol levels

They reduce blood pressure

They reduce the risk of stroke

They reduce cancer risk

They reduce the risk of gastrointestinal cancers

They reduce the risk of oral and esophagus cancer

~~Elaine

Related Topics: FDA: Scale Back Whole Grain Labels, WebMD Daily Video: Snacking Secrets

Technorati Tags: healthydiet, wholegrains

Whole Grains - Teenager Approved

Okay, we all know that whole grains are "good" and we should eat more. And I've got to admit, one of my only regrets as a mom is not pushing the whole
wheat bread when my girls were young...young enough not to know better. You
know what I mean?

Now that they are ages 12 and 14, I'm reintroducing the whole wheat bread
thing and it hasn't been pretty. Basically, I've been buying all sorts of
breads and they've been telling me what they like and don't like. They are
at the age where if they don't like it, they're not going to eat it.

Well...Eureka! I finally found two whole wheat products that pass the taste
test with both Magee girls! I ran into the really nice man stocking these
products and I could help myself--I asked him how they are selling. He said
they are selling "very well, which is good because that means they'll be
around for a while." Without further ado, here are the two whole grain bread
products that have helped bring the Magee teens back into the whole grain
fold:

* Oroweat 100% Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Each roll contains 4 grams of fiber!
Calories 130 calories, 1.5 g fat, 6 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate

NOTE: I love these because they make great little sandwiches for those bag
lunches! (Yes my girls still ask me to pack them lunches) You can also toast
the roll (cut in half) and eat as you would toast.

* Oroweat Cracked Wheat Hot Dog Buns
Each bun contains 4 grams of fiber!
Calories 180 calories, 2.5 g fat, 6 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate

NOTE: It's true that these buns are not "100% whole wheat" and the first
ingredient is unbleached wheat flour...but the second ingredient is whole
wheat flour and further down the list you'll see cracked wheat and wheat
bran listed. Certainly an improvement from the traditional white flour hot
dog buns that abound out there.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Quick Breakfasts for Busy Families, 10 Ways to Raise Food Smart Kids

Technorati Tags: teenagers, healthydiet, wholewheatbread

Recipe Make-Overs

I'm what you might call a nutrition expert, (a nutrition translater if you
will). I have written 25 books (and counting) on an assortment of nutrition topics, but I am the master of none. Sure I've written a book about getting through menopause and beyond without resorting to hormone replacement therapy, but I haven't spent my career just researching the area of menopause. And yes, I've written books about what to eat if you have IBS, type 2 diabetes, acid reflux, headaches and migraines, but I relied heavily on specialists in these areas to review what I wrote, because I am not an expert in these very important topics.

I do consider myself an expert, however, in the not-so-ancient art of
"making over" recipes. I've been doing this since I was a graduate student
in the early 80's, which according to my calculations, means I've lightened
(or made-over) thousands of recipes over the past 20 years! I don't mean to
brag but I can size up an original recipe with a quick glance and know, with
pretty good accuracy, what I can and cannot get away with changing and still
have a dish/food that tastes terrific. I know on the top of my head what the
magical minimum of fat/oil is for most bakery recipes (muffins, cakes,
brownies) and to recipes you wouldn't think could be lightened (like fried
chicken, jalapeno poppers, tempura, or english toffee) - I've said "bring it
on!" and found recipe success. (okay, now I really am bragging, so sorry!)

Over the years of lightening recipes, I've changed my focus to incorporate
the latest nutrition science - for example we now know that the type of fat is
an important component to health (so I switch to the smart fats whenever
possible), and I look to increase the fiber and nutrient/phytochemical
content of a recipe just as I work to decrease excess calories from fat
(particularly saturated/trans fat) and sugar, and lower sodium. Being "THE RECIPE DOCTOR" is part of my professional identity (I hope), and I am grateful for and rather fond of this responsibility.

~Elaine

Related Topics: Smart Substitutions, WebMD Daily Video: Supermarket Savvy

Technorati Tags: recipes, healthyrecipes, recipemake-over

Tea for Two and Two for Tea

I have successfully added one healthy habit to my day over the past month--I
now drink a couple of cups of green tea a day.

The secret to my success? I think starting this habit in the middle of winter
certainly upped the odds of sticking to it. It also helped to have several
different green tea flavors available that I really like. I kept the tea
bags right on my kitchen counter (next to the tea kettle) to remind me about
this no-calorie beverage option.

I am now somewhat addicted to enjoying a cup of tea mid-morning and one at
night. How "British" of me! I always found it rather intriguing that
countries like England seemingly stopped everything at a certain time of day
(every day) just to have a cup of tea! I am beginning to understand this
national pastime!

I made a point of trying this "green tea drinking thing" on for size after I
wrote an article for WebMD Weight Loss Clinic on the health benefits of tea. It's something I've read about before, but writing the article just solidified the
immediacy of this daily beverage ritual.

What will become of my new health habit come spring and summer? I think I
might just have to ice those cups of tea!


Related Topics: Green Tea Recipes, How Antioxidants Work

Technorati Tags: greentea, healthyhabits

Obesity Virus

What's This About An Obesity Virus?

Have you heard anything about the research reported recently in the January
issue of the American Journal of Physiology--Regulatory, Integrative, and
Comparative Physiology about the idea that certain viruses may be helping to
feed the obesity crisis. The research reported involved chickens injected
with one of the proposed obesity viruses. The injected chickens did
indeed develop 2 to 3 times more body fat than the chickens without the
injections (even though they ate the same chicken diet).


My take on this?

While this new research and scientific inquiry into possible obesity viruses
is fascinating and potentially very helpful in future decades, at this
moment in time, having a healthy lifestyle (healthy foods and regular
exercise) is our best defense against obesity. Virus or no virus, many of us
will predictably gain weight if we are sedentary and eating more calories
than we are burning.

~Elaine

Related Topics: Obesity Doubles Kids' Risk of Diabetes, Most U.S. Adults Still Don't Exercise

Technorati Tags: obesity, obesityvirus, diet, exercise

Is Take-Out Really Faster?

I spent two nights this past week finding out if take-out was faster.

Well folks, I did what I often do on weeknights around 5 pm...I called my
husband at work and asked what he had for lunch. Is this some type of
obsession I have for him (or food)??? Not exactly, it's my way of deciding
at the last minute what to make for dinner. You see if he had tacos for
lunch, I rule out all things Mexican. If he had a sandwich, anything
deli-like is off the list.

I often decide what to make for a weeknight dinner mere minutes before the
troops converge on my kitchen. I know in this situation our knee-jerk
reaction is to do the "take-out" thing. We think it's faster. But is it
really???????

If you break it down, minute by minute, it really isn't that much more
convenient compared to a fast homemade dinner. Just last night I called in a
take out order to a restaurant chain. Here's how the time went from that
moment on:

7:30 pm cycling class ends and I place the order on my cell phone. They
tell me it will be ready in 15-20 minutes. So I drive over there, it's about
10 minutes away.

7:55 Once I park, get through the line at the restaurant, and pay.

8:10 I arrive home and am unpacking the dinners

Total Time: 40 minutes

Total Cost: $35 (that's with my two teen daughters getting the kids meal and
my husband and I splitting an entree and a dollar tip for the nice lady at
the front desk)

Okay, so now you're thinking "Well of course it took 40 minutes, she went to
a restaurant. That's why drive-through fast food is the ticket on a
weeknight." Okay, so I tried this and you are right, it improved my time,
but not by a whole bunch.


6:10 pm I'm on the way back from picking my daughter up from the dance
studio and I haven't had the chance to go to the supermarket and last I
checked there was next to nothing in the frig. So I'm thinking fast food is
the way to go and my daughter isn't fighting me on it. We drive 10 minutes
to a part of town we fondly refer to as "fast food row"

6:28 pm other families must have the same idea because it takes us 8
minutes to get to the intercom and order our dinner

6:32 pm we pay for our food and are quickly on our way home

6:42 pm we are home and unpacking dinner

Total Time: 32 minutes

Total Cost: $20 (that includes 4 chicken sandwiches and 4 side salads from
the dollar menu, and no drinks)


Am I saying never take-out dinner again? Of course not, I'm just saying, it
might not be as fast and convenient as you think it is and making a quick
dinner home may beat it in real time spent (and most definitely money
spent). And, staying at home on those comfy nights to whip a quick dinner
together instead of driving the car to and fro to collect your take
out?....Priceless!

~Elaine

Related Topics: Frequent Eating Out Hurts Kids' Hearts, U.S. Leads at Dining Out

Technorati Tags: fastfood, take-out, quickmeals

I Hit a Nerve

I seem to have hit a nerve with my French Women blog...

There were great points made in all the comments--and thanks for sharing.
Just for the record:

* I totally believe in eating whole foods
* I think people all over the world work hard (not just Americans)
* I rarely see things as black and white--I seem to find the grey in almost
every controversial topic
* I think vacation and enjoying life is good
* I think eating TV dinners, eating past the point of comfortable, and rushing through meals is bad
* I understand that the title of a book doesn't necessarily tell the whole
story, but it definitely helps define the book. It is, as they say, the
hook.
* The main point of my blog was that comparing French women to American
women isn't quite as simple as it sounds--it is like comparing apples to
bananas.

--Elaine

Related Topics: French Women's Diet Secret, Diet Secrets from Around the World

Technorati Tags: frenchdiet, healthydiet, diettips

French Women Do Get Fat

One of the biggest books in America last year was French Women Don't Get Fat by the CEO of a champagne empire, Mirelle Guiliano. You know what I think? First of all, it's not true, increasing amounts of French women are getting fat. I knew this a year ago and that link supports my feelings.

And secondly, who really cares if French women don't get fat. No offense to France, but without batting an eye I can think of 7 reasons why comparing French women to American women is like comparing apples and oranges:

• Genes account for more than 50% of the change in BMI as we age, according to a new study. Other studies have found that if you expose people to the same environment of excess food and low activity, ones genetics strongly determines who will become overweight or obese. America is a melting pot of genes while France's gene pool is a bit more clear.


• Americans have a higher-stress culture, that's not going to change anytime soon (nor would I want it to--I like my busy life!) We work darn hard. We are lucky to get 2 or 3 weeks vacation in this country while it seems to be standard to get a couple of months off in France.


• Junk food and fast food is everywhere you turn in America. That's not going to change anytime soon either.


• Typical urban American life with commutes and computers sets us up for being sedentary.


• Americans are obsessed with dieting...and fad dieting leads to weight cycling (making it more and more difficult to lose the weight the next time) and overeating issues.


• The "bigger is better" mentality in America feeds into bigger portion sizes (and the more food that is in front of you, the more you will eat)


• Smoking MUST play a larger role in weight maintenance in France than in the US of A, when I've traveled in France (and frankly other countries in Europe), I was amazed at how many more people smoked there. Smoking is one of the only sure fire ways to override the fat gene--it increases your metabolic rate while it decreases your appetite--that's a powerful combination. Unfortunately many women on both continents stay thin with the help of cigarettes. Cigarette smoking is more socially acceptable there and perhaps they didn't get the "smoking causes cancer and increases your risk for heart disease" memo yet.

It feels good to get that off my chest. I've been wanting to rant about this for a while--Thanks for listening!


--Elaine Magee

Related Topics: Feeding Your Child in a Fast-Food World, Weight Loss 101: Snacking Secrets (WebMD Daily Video)


Technorati Tags: frenchwomendontgetfat, obesity, diet, weightloss, americanculture

Super Bowl Snacking

It's that time of year when even non-football enthusiasts gather around the television for a few hours to watch a predictably spectacular football game (and half-time show) ... satisfaction guaranteed.

If only we could say the same for the often super-caloric Super Bowl party food! Don't worry I won't be a stick in the mud or a party pooper by suggesting everyone serve carrot sticks and rice cakes. Trust me, that is so not the way I do things. I just have a few suggestions for you below-accept the pass or punt it-it's up to you.

What would you say about oven baked potato skins served with a lean and mean chili! Both dishes can be lower in fat and not too high in calories and rich in fiber, delicious and very satisfying. (There are recipes in my new Comfort Food Makeovers cookbook for both-I know that's not going to help you right now though) So this is basically what you do:

• You can make a lean chili with a nice ground sirloin or any ground beef or ground turkey with around 6-8% fat. Don't add too much extra fat, if you have to saute the onions, etc...usually no more than a tablespoon of canola oil is needed when you use a nonstick frying pan. Make sure and add plenty of canned beans and canned tomatoes, they will add phytochemicals, fiber and other vital nutrients.


• To make the lower fat potato skins, scoop out the baked potato halves (make sure at least 1/4-inch thick of potato flesh is left). Then spray with canola cooking spray (or brush the inside lightly with canola oil). Then broil carefully so the potatoes are nice and golden. Meanwhile blend some reduced fat sharp cheddar with some turkey bacon bits and chopped green onion. Sprinkle the inside of each potato skin with some of this mixture and broil carefully until the cheese is nice and melted. Serve with fat free sour cream or light ranch dressing.

Always, and I mean always, include a platter of raw veggies and fresh fruit at your superbowl party. You would be surprised how quickly this good stuff goes when it's right there in front of people. If they are going to mindlessly munch during the game, it might as well partly be nutritional winners like fruits and vegetables.

A bag of tortilla chips is just a bag of chips until you dress it up with a few easy ingredients to make....drumroll please...healthier NACHOS! Start off with a plate of tortilla chips then top it with spoonfulls of fat free refried canned beans blended with some taco seasoning warmed up in a small saucepan (just takes a couple of minutes). Cover the top with some reduced fat cheese (shredded in bags) some chopped peppers and tomato and green onions. Microwave the plate or pop in a hot oven until the cheese is nice and melted. Add a dollop of fat free sour cream and/or chopped avocado if desired.

I love those assembly type appetizers that you throw together with a few ingredients, don't you? Let's see what are some of my favorites...

Assembly Option #1
How about wheat crackers (the lower fat type) topped with a thin slice of brie cheese and top the cheese with a small spoon of bottled sundried tomato bruschetta (found mine at Trader Joes).

Assembly Option #2
Open up a box of light cream cheese onto a serving plate and top with some pesto. Serve with light crackers or thinly sliced pieces of baguette.

Assembly Option #3
Wrap up light turkey franks (cut in half or thirds) in reduced fat crescent roll dough (use dough from half of a crescent roll for each hot dog piece) and bake until lightly brown. Serve with assorted dipping sauces like BBQ and catsup and honey mustard.

Assembly Option #4
Buy already cooked shrimp or prawns (usually have several options in the frozen section) de-veined but with tails on and thaw just barely-serve with bottled cocktail sauce or other fun bottled dipping sauces.


Have a super Super Bowl everyone!

Elaine

Related Topics: Why the Super Bowl Matters, Super Bowl Pledge: Get Moving, Get Fit

Technorati Tags: superbowl, snacks, nachos, chili, appetizers, healthysnacks