Healthy Eating, Diet and Fitness Carnival

The 4th edition of the healthy eating, diet and fitness carnival is up. There are some good posts there, go look.

~Elaine

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The New Enova Oil - Not A Magic Bullet

I haven't bought any myself yet, but the advertising banner that says less of this oil is stored in the body as fat certainly got my attention (only because I knew it would get the attention of others - LOL). It's more expensive that's for sure and this, during a time when we are all paying more for so many other things. Anytime fats are "played with" I get a bit nervous. We created trans fats by partially hydrogenating vegetable oils, remember? And we all know how that turned out. Not that this Enova thing isn't possibly a great discovery. It just might be.

This is how they make Enova oil from soybean and canola oil:

It looks the same on many parts of the nutrition label (120 calories per tablespoon, 14 grams of fat per tablespoon, 5 grams monounsaturated, 8 grams polyunsaturated) but it's different because the fatty acids in Enova are mostly diacylglycerols or diglycerides (DAG). This DAG oil ils manufactured through a process that begins with glycerol and fatty acids prepared from soy and canola oil. The fatty acids are then changed (esterified) with the help of a specific enzyme to form the oil now sold as Enova.

Enova (a new cooking oil on the market)

Calories 120
Total Fat (g) 14
Saturated fat (g) .5
Monounsaturated fat (g) 5
Polyunsaturated fat (g) 8
Trans fat(g) zero grams is claimed
Omega-3 fatty acids (g) 1
Omega-6 fatty acids (g) 7
Vitamin E (IU) 9


The Proposed Health Benefits and Dose:

The company selling Enova claims that it may help lower blood lipids, especially Triglycerides after a meal and that the breakdown of DAG oil by the intestine and liver may enhance the reduction of body weight and body fat. How much Enova would you need to realize these benefits? The company says itself, on its website under "technical FAQs" that further research is currently underway to better determine the exact amount required to achieve optimal health benefits. Although they do also state that their recommended serving size is 2 tablespoons per day, "the amount used in our clinical studies of efficacy," they say.

So What Does All This Mean? What's The Bottom Line:

I always look at the ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids since research continues to show us the health benefits of having more omega-3s in our diet and many experts have noted that Americans tend to get way more omega-6s to omega-3s than we should. Canola oil has one of the best ratios if you want to get more plant omega-3s, with a ratio of about 2.2 omega-6 to 1 omega-3, while Enova has a ratio of about [7] omega-6 to [1] omega-3. I also look at the amount of monounsaturated fat (the other "smart fat") and Enova oil isn't in the top 5 (but olive oil and canola oil are).

The other item to keep in mind is that the clinical trials on Enova in Japan and the U.S. that showed fat mass and weight reduced when 10 to 20 grams of Enova oil is substituted for conventional oils, were conducted on people following a calorie-controlled diet. Which suggests to me that for you to experience the benefits, you might have to make some additional changes in your intake. Many of us consumers aren't following a "calorie-controlled diet". The bottom line is that Enova oil does seem to have a few benefits (it's very low in saturated fat and high in vitamin E, and contains a good amount of plant omega-3s). But from what I can tell, buying this oil is not a magic bullet, even if less of the oil is stored in the body as fat.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: The Truth About Good Fats and Bad Fats, All About Olive Oil

Technorati Tags: enova, enovaoil, cookingoil, cookingfat, oliveoil, canolaoil, omega3, omega6

Taste Test Tuesday - Phad Thai

Yes, even the Recipe Doctor likes to have some frozen entrees on hand for quick lunches. The other day I decided to try "Phad Thai with Tofu" by Whole Kitchen brand (from Whole Foods Market). Phad Thai, it is safe to say, is one of those dishes I rarely if ever make at home, making it a nice meal to have in a frozen entree. The package describes it as "Asian Noodles in a traditional thai-inspired sauce with tofu".

I equate the word, "Thai" with the words, "too hot"... so I was a bit worried it would be to hot-spicy for me personally. Happily, it was at my maximum hot-spicy tolerance level. Any more hot-spiciness and it would have been lighter on "taste" enjoyment and heavier on "torture". Here's a hidden bonus to this frozen entree— during and after enjoying this Pad Thai, I couldn't help but notice an extreme need for a spare tissue or two. Let's just say this dish could come in handy when your sinuses are plugged.

Okay, so how did it taste? It was very good. I did sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of peanuts over the top which added a welcome crunch to the dish. I would recommend this highly to anyone trying this entree!

Here's the nutritional breakdown:

1 serving per container
340 calories
14 grams fat (37% calories from fat)
2 grams saturated fat
0 g trans fat
0 mg cholesterol
9 grams protein
3 grams fiber
490 mg sodium

Vitamin A = 25%
Vitamin C = 25%
Calcium = 10%
Iron = 10%

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Eating Out: Ethnic Restaurant Tips, Chili Peppers

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Coffee & Tea Carnival

The latest edition of the Coffee & Tea Festival is up. Check it out!

~~Elaine

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Cooking in exchange for massage?

You bet ya! This is an example of a good, old fashioned, exchange of services. Remember stories about how in "the olden days" the town doctor might be paid with a pig or a bucket of eggs or something?

Well, I've found myself in a situation where my older daughter needs some massage therapy on a fairly regular basis and a friend of mine, who has two young daughters, happens to be an awesome massage therapist. About every other week so far this summer, my daughters and I arrive at their doorstep (grocery bags filled with pots, pans and various and sundry ingredients) and then my older daughter and my friend go to her massage room for a session while her two daughters and my younger daughter and I retire to the kitchen for an hour cooking class.

My daughter accuses me of acting like I'm hosting a cooking show all the time. But I just can't help sharing my passion for cooking healthy, and whatever knowledge or skill I happen to have, with new cooks.

This particular week I had each of them choose a favorite dish. Stephanie chose meatballs (I taught them how to make lower fat spinach & sirloin baked meatballs.) Emma chose pizza (we made half whole wheat pizza crust with a bread machine and a totally rockin' homemade pizza sauce.) Lauren chose garlic cheesy bread (we made a healthier spread by blending some whipped butter with some extra virgin olive oil, spices, reduced fat cheddar and parmesan cheese!)

We had a ball! The girls can't seem to wait for their next lesson. Everyone wins with this little exchange. I surprised myself with how fun it was to spend some quality time with young people, making something fun, getting your hands dirty, and watching their amazement and enjoyment as they make, bake, and taste various food projects. And frankly, it was also nice to know I have something of direct value to offer a family...That's important since I'm fresh out of pigs.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Moms Influence Teen Dieting, Weight, On the Teen Scene

Technorati Tags: cookingwithkids, kidsinthekitchen, massagetherapy, barter

Taste Test Tuesday - Luna Sunrise Bars

I was in the power bar section of my Whole Foods Markets and noticed the new "breakfast bars" line from Luna brand. I was on my way to work all weekend on my new book (at a special location away from my barking dog and high maintenance teenage girls) and grabbed the blueberry yogurt bar and the strawberry yogurt bar.

I ended up needing both that weekend.

I thought they were pretty tasty. I don't know what makes them more of a "sunrise" bar than their usual Luna bars. Maybe it's the yogurt glaze or the bits of fruit added throughout. They do seem to have a little more fiber than their regular bars (5 grams versus 3 grams) and each bar is more fortified than I remember the others being. For example, the blueberry bar has 35% daily value for calcium, 15% for vitamin D, 50% vitamin E, 50% folic acid, and more. Each bar also contains some plant omega-3s from added ground flaxseed. Gotta love that! Each bar contributes 130 milligrams of ALA (plant Omega-3s) - about the amount in 1/2 teaspoon ground flaxseed. My only question is, why didn't they add more ground flax? I'm thinking a teaspoon or two would be good.

1 bar =
180 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fats, 1 g polyunsaturated fat, 1 g monounsaturated fat, 5 g fiber, 8 g protein, 11 g sugar.

How do you feel about Luna Bars? Do you prefer a different brand?

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Recipe: Peanut Butter Power Bars, 7 Tips for Smart Snacking

Technorati Tags: lunabars, lunasunrisebars, powerbars, breakfastbars, flax

Best Summer Starbucks Choices

Depending on where in the country you live, sometimes it can feel like there is a Starbucks at almost every corner. I live in a suburb and I count 5 Starbucks within a 10-minute radius of my home. It's summer and I've got two teen daughters in tow so let's just say we make just a few Starbucks runs a week.

I couldn't help but take my recent frequent trips to Starbucks and turn them into a blog or two. It seems to me, after perusing the menu, there are a few awesome options around 100 calories (not that I'm into counting calories)...

* Green Iced Tea (green tea blended with mint, lemongrass and lemon verbena, lightly sweetened) Tall size = 60 calories
* Iced Caffe Latte with Nonfat Milk Grande size = 100 calories, 0 gram fat, 9 grams protein, 25% Daily value for Calcium
* Coffee Frappuccino Light (no whip) Tall size = 110 calories, 1 gram fat, 5 grams protein, 15% Daily Value for Calcium
* Espresso Frappuccino Light Tall size (no whip) = 100 calories, .5 g fat, 4 grams protein, 10% Daily Value for Calcium
* Tazo Green Tea Lemonade (green tea blended with mint, lemongrass and lemon verbena, and lightly sweetened lemonade) Tall size = 90 calories

What is your favorite Starbucks drink?

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Caffeine: Sex Potion for Females?, Summer Sipping

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The Recipe Doctor Gets "Wrapped"

Okay, this isn't something I would normally do, that's for sure. It was one of those gifts you are given and you want to say "thank you" with a big question mark inflection, because you aren't truly sure if you should be thankful or insulted. That's right folks' The Recipe Doctor recently got "wrapped"! That's the Body Wrap revolution that's sweeping the nation (just kidding there with the hype).

But seriously, my friend gave this to me as a thank you gift for some extra help I have given her recently. She was amazed that it actually re-shifted her breasts to be more in front and less toward her armpits. She swears it took copious "inches" off of over 50% of her body. Apparently you get "wrapped" and then you exercise for an hour on one of those "gazelle" exercise machines where you glide your legs back and forth. The exercise is supposed to help release toxins from your body and skin. Okay, okay, enough with the sales job, I told her, "you had me at the shifting of the breast part!"

So I took a leap of faith and made my appointment to get wrapped. I knew I would be blogging about this and actually contemplated taking pictures so I could share this "experience" with you. But when they told me to come ready to be wrapped in my bra and thong (and they didn't mean the kind your feet wear), I changed my mind faster than you can say "but I don't own a thong!"

No one can prepare you for what it is like to be tightly wrapped (emphasis on the word, "tightly") in ace bandage type wrapping then told I was going to exercise on an elliptical type machine for an hour- while they "baste" you with mineral solution every 10 minutes. As I stood there wrapped almost from head to toe, I couldn't imagine walking to the exercise machine let alone getting on it and exercising. I meekly asked the technician if the first 10 minutes were the worst (appeasing myself that if I get through the first 10 minutes, it's downhill from there, right?) She answered "yes".

I also want to warn you that before you get to the "wrapping" part of the experience, they do what is called "mirror work". There I was put in front of a full size mirror wearing only my underwear and a nervous smile. She pointed out areas on me that she could "help do something about" and areas on me that were in good shape. Normally they measure you before and after the wrapping experience so they can show you the progress (in inches lost) that was made I assume. I told her I was there for the de-tox and health aspects and I did not want to be measured. I don't think she hears this often because this seemed to throw her off quite a bit. The truth is, our bodies are almost all water and so I didn't see the value of measuring something like inches when any losses from water coming out of the skin, were temporary. Plus, I think if there were "changes" due to this wrapping experience, I would know myself days later; I didn't want to be influenced by the numbers she gave me.

All in all what did I think? I think whatever changes were made were very subtle (I can say this now that several days have passed). My skin does seem softer, I can say that. Was I glad I tried it? Yes, but I think I'll put this experience (along with para-sailing and taking a mud bath) in the "glad I tried it once but I'm not anxious to repeat it" box!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: The Risks of Spa Treatments, Video: At Home Massage

Technorati Tags: bodywraps, detox, weightloss, inches, spa

The Controversial Bean - Soybean Synergy

Soy is definitely causing more controversy than any other bean. Red kidney beans are certainly safe from rumor. And the pinto's place is secure in the Mexican cuisine. Leave it to the soybean to give us something to talk about for many years to come. What makes soybeans different nutritionally from other beans is:

* They have a high isoflavone (plant estrogens) content
* They are a complete protein (they contain all the essential amino acid building blocks).

I think there is synergy within the soybean, which means, the power is in the package, not necessarily the individual components. Here are a few examples of possible synergy in soy:

#1
Soybeans contain many beneficial active phytochemicals, besides isoflavones, all having antioxidant activity, including lignans (phytoestrogens) and phenolic acids. Genistein, the main isoflavone in soy, has possible anti-tumor activity, but there are other bioactive anti-cancer components in soy as well (protease inhibitors, lignans, phytosterols and saponins). Researchers suspect that these bioactive anticancer components exert their anti-cancer activity in different stages of the carcinogenesis process. This means, there is value in eating your soy as close to whole form as possible instead of getting just one of the valuable components in soy.

#2
Here's another reason to eat your soy in close to "whole" form. Soy contains "inactive" components along with the "active" ones we've just been talking about. It is even possible that some of these "inactive" components are required for the "active" components to be useful. And it's "dietary" soy that has been shown to improve blood pressure by making it less likely that our blood vessels will constrict in the presence of two hormones (angiotensin II or phenylephrine). In female rats, it was dietary soy again that exerted a vasodilator effect (opening up and relaxing the blood vessels) similar to the effect fish oil seems to have.

#3
Soy In Synergy With Radiation Therapy. Here's a way most of us never thought soy could help - Eating soy (under certain conditions) may actually make radiation more effective during prostate cancer treatment by making the cancer cells more susceptible to radiation (or more radiosensitive), according to some new research by Dr. Gilda Hillman, PhD, with the Karmanos Cancer Institute.

But here's the fascinating news that suggests to me that soy has synergy and that the best way to get soy is probably as a whole food--as close as possible to whole soybeans. When Dr. Hillman used the isolated soy isoflavone, genistein, in her study, it showed the potential to stimulate the spread of tumor cells from the prostate to the lymph nodes. But when she switched to dried powder of whole soy, she got the same exciting radiosensitization effect on the prostate cancer cells but without the negative effect of the tumor spreading to the lymph nodes. "It's intriguing that whole soy did not stimulate prostate cancer cells to metastasize while a single soy component did," said Dr. Hillman.

First of all, that's over-the-top exciting. But secondly, more clinical data in human subjects are needed before advice about soy and supplements during treatment can be made, advises Dr. Hillman. So we'll just have to stay hopeful while we await more research. [AICR Press Release June 28, 2006 "Laboratory Studies Reveal How Components
of Diet Help Therapies Target Cancer Cells"]

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Studies Short on Soy Formula Risks, WebMD Video: The Joy of Soy

Technorati Tags: soy, soybeans, prostatecancer, cancer, isoflavones

Carnival of Healthy Eating, Diet & Fitness

The second edition of the Carnival of Healthy Eating, Diet & Fitness is up at I.ATE.A.PIE.NET. Check it out and submit your blog for the next edition.




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Taste Test Tuesday - Kid Friendly

(More Healthful) Frozen Mini Taquitos

It's summer and what can I say, I want to stock the refrigerator/freezer with some lunch items that my teenage daughters can make for themselves. So I've been "on the lookout" you could say. Then on a recent trip to my nearby Whole Foods Market, I was perusing the frozen food section (you see some really different options there compared to your other supermarket chains-I"m always amazed)... and I came across these little boxes for Organic Bean & Cheese Mini Taquitos by "Whole Kids Organic" brand.

Each box is a serving of 12 mini Taquitos. I immediately thought of my 13 year old who likes these sort of things. She's the daughter (of the two) who will try almost anything once...fish, tofu-laden dishes, or sushi. Her favorite fast food chain though is Taco Bell...

Anyway, she tried them for lunch the first chance she got and she loved them. I bought a few more boxes today and I tried them myself and they were rather tasty. They were easy enough to heat up (in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes).

Nutritionally speaking, they look pretty good. I particularly like the 11 grams of fiber and only 4.5 grams of fat (no trans fat and 1.5 grams saturated fat). They were very filling to me (that's the fiber talking) and the serving of 12 mini taquitos even seemed like to much to me.

I felt like dipping them in something though so you might want to have some fat free or light sour cream or salsa handy!

The Ingredient List
Organic corn tortilla (water, organic corn flour masa, salt, trace of lime), filling (organic cooked pinto beans, organic long grain white rice, water, organic cheddar cheese, organic tomato paste, organic chili pepper, organic canola oil, etc..)

Here's the Nutrition Facts for you:
290 calories
4.5 g fat
1.5 g saturated fat (0 trans fat)
5 mg cholesterol
610 mg sodium
54 g carbohydrate
11 g fiber
11 g protein
(8% Daily Value for vitamin A, 15% for calcium, 30% for iron)

The Only Trouble with this Product Is... the price. Each box (which is one teen serving) is about 3 dollars. So you'd better have a 20 spot if you are stocking up on summer foods for teens.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Organic Food: Worth the Money?, Feeding Your Teenager


Technorati Tags: wholefoods, organic, taquitos, teens, teenagers, summer