Get Your Fiber, Eat a Doughnut

100% whole wheat isn't exactly what I expect to see when I'm passing by a Krispy Kreme drive-thru, but it happened this week! On Monday, the Krispy Kreme company launched this new whole wheat glazed doughnut - my version of Ripley's Believe It or Not (I guess it could be called "Magee's Believe it or Not").

My first question wasn"t "how does it taste?" (I knew it would taste great because it was still being deep fried and glazed for heavens sake). No, I wondered "how many grams of fiber do you get with each doughnut?" I put in a call to the company and found out each 180 calorie whole wheat doughnut increases your daily fiber total by 2 grams! That's basically the grams of fiber in a slice of whole wheat bread. What's the fat cost for these yummy two grams of fiber though? Ah...now, there's the rub!

Each whole wheat doughnut contains:
180 calories
11 grams fat (55% calories from fat)
3 grams saturated fat
3.5 grams trans fat
19 grams carbohydrate
2 grams of fiber

Here's the thing folks...it's darn hard to make a doughnut taste great without deep frying it. Trust me, I've tried this many times. A doughnut that isn't deep fried is basically, well... a muffin. So given that Krispy Kreme is still deep frying the new whole wheat doughnut, you can't seem to get away from the 11 grams of fat price tag. I'm thinking we can lose the saturated fat and trans fat though if they start deep frying these puppies in 100% canola oil. Just a thought!

I've got to admit, I probably enjoy a doughnut several times a year, it isn't in my normal list of foods that I enjoy. But from now on, I'm going to enjoy a whole wheat doughnut on those few times a year and maybe, just maybe, on my next trip, they'll have eliminated those trans fats and brought down those saturated fat grams even farther. Hey, a girl can dream!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Recipe: Jelly Doughnut Muffin, Breakfast Recipes

Technorati Tags: krispykreme, doughnuts, wholewheatdoughnuts, breakfast, transfat, fiber

One meal won't matter, right? Wrong!

A few years ago a fancy restaurant opened in my town. One evening, shortly after it opened, my husband and I were invited for dinner by some neighbors. I was looking at the menu trying to find something that wouldn't upset my intestinal tract (I have IBS) and I was having a tough time because the lion's share of the menu seemed to be dripping in saturated fat.

Right at that moment at a table near us, a gentleman, who seemed to have just eaten, was having a heart attack and was taken away by paramedics. I found myself thinking...FIRST OF ALL, I HOPE HE'S GOING TO BE OKAY...THEN I THOUGHT, "WHAT DID HE JUST HAVE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT"...and I found myself wondering whether what we eat on a rare evening out can harm your health in the short term (while the saturated fat is circulating in your blood stream after digestion). Can you tell that I'm a whole lot of fun to take out to a restaurant?

One super rich, greasy or creamy meal isn't going to harm your health, right? New research from Australia and Sweden says "wrong!" Researchers fed a high-saturated fat or high polyunsaturated fat meal on two separate occasions to 14 healthy men and women. The researchers found that several hours after eating a high-saturated fat meal, there was a decrease in the ability of the good cholesterol (HDLs) to act as an anti-inflammatory and to help arteries relax (which allows for better blood flow). On the contrary, the anti-inflammatory action of HDLs improved after the consumption of polyunsaturated fat. So avoiding restaurant meals high in saturated fat is definitely a good idea.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Healthy Meat Choices, High Cholesterol Lifestyle Changes

Technorati Tags: saturatedfat, restaurants, highfatmeals, heartattack, cholesterol, hdl

Our Stressful Amercian Lifestyle

My husband likes to watch the Andy Griffith show reruns - you know the show from the 60's era, set in a small town with Andy Griffith and a very young and freckly Ron Howard. The other day I commented, "I think you like to watch that show because you yearn for those simpler times, don"t you?" I know him pretty well after 17 years of marriage so I already knew what the answer was.

I thought about it though and honestly, as a woman, I don't want to go back those times. First of all, I don't remember much about the 60's (I was born in '61). Secondly, I rather like my full life. I appreciate greatly that I am able to be the mother I always wanted to be at the same time that I am in a happy marriage and enjoying my work that I am so passionate about.

And I even value the technology, (most of it anyway), that we now have available. I love that I have scores of medical journal articles at my fingertips.

But at the very same time, I definitely see how difficult it is to be living in this fast-paced American culture today. How difficult it is to find balance (as a woman) with all those precious balls in the air. It CAN be done, but it isn't easy, that's for sure.

It isn't easy to put your kids first instead of work deadlines or your planned night out with your friends. It isn't easy to spend 10 hours working hard at work and to come home and make dinner for your family while listening to your spouse rant about what happened to him/her that day, when what you really want to do is soak in a bath tub all alone for the rest of the night.

Do I think that many Americans live in a state of chronic stress that threatens their health and happiness? Absolutely. Do I think that many people who spend their life participating in "the rat race" end up realizing, sadly, that they were so busy trying to win that they didn't even enjoy the journey along the way? Sure. Do we, as a nation, need to get back to some of the most important aspects of life and true happiness (which has nothing to do with plasma TVs, fancy cars and video ipods)? You bet.

I do not profess to have all the answers, but I do know that striving for balance in our lives is one of the keys to health and happiness. Granted, balance is harder to achieve in our fast-paced American lifestyle than it was in the 60's town of Mayberry, but some things in life are worth fighting for, and I think this one is worth the effort. Remind yourself as often as you can to enjoy those happy moments when they come your way, and I now it's a cliche but remember to stop and smell the roses. In fact, stop and smell the chocolate chip cookies too while you're at it!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Simplify Your Life, Manage Stress

Technorati Tags: stress, lifestyle, busy, workingwomen, balance

Our Favorite After School Snacks

When people find out what I do for a living, they often quickly fling a nutrition question (or two) my way....not that I mind. Recently I was asked "Since you probably don't have junk food in your house, what do you feed YOUR kids afterschool?" Well, I have two teenagers who both dance several hours after school each day so we try to have healthy snacks that will fuel their afternoon activity. Here are some of our favorite after school snack options:

* A yogurt parfait by layering yogurt, fresh or frozen fruit and topped with granola cereal.

* I blend a teaspoon of taco seasoning (available in packets) with 1 cup of fat free or vegetarian refried beans (in cans) and make easy 1-minute microwave nachos by spooning some of the bean mixture over reduced fat tortilla chips and top with reduced fat shredded jack and cheddar cheese.

* A smoothie with frozen or fresh fruit, yogurt or light frozen yogurt or ice-cream and fruit juice, lowfat milk, or soy milk.

* Make a quick quesadilla over the stove or in the microwave with corn or whole-wheat flour tortillas and reduced fat cheese and any vegetables such as fresh chopped tomatoes, onions, and zucchini.

* A fruit, cheese and cracker plate with whole-wheat crackers, sliced fruit (like apples and pears) or grapes plus sliced or cubed cheese.

* A quick pizza by spreading bottled pizza sauce on a whole-wheat tortilla or whole-wheat bagel half (sitting on a small sheet of foil) then top with shredded reduced fat cheese. Add any healthy toppings and pop it in the toaster oven for a minute or two until cheese is all bubbly.

* Trail mix is something you can eat in the car driving to your sports activity. The fruit and nut combination seems to settle nicely in the stomach and it seems to keep you energized for a couple hours too.

NOTE: No matter what snack we are making, I usually also have lots of raw veggies and fresh fruit out for easy munching.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Healthy Snacks for Kids on the Go, Instans Energizers

Technorati Tags: afterschoolsnacks, teenagers, snacks, healthysnacks

Peanut Butter Recall

A few days ago I received a press release from the FDA warning consumers not to eat certain jars of peanut butter (Peter Pan and Great Value brands with the product code on lid of the jar beginning with "2111.") and as I kept reading down the release I came to the headline "Product May be Contaminated With Salmonella."

I took a double take because historically it was aflatoxin mold that I remember potentially being in peanut butter (that's why I refrigerate my peanut butter) not the notorious salmonella linked to raw meat, raw eggs and contaminated produce.

The batch of potentially contaminated peanut butter was manufactured in a single facility in Sylvester, Georgia. The company has stopped production in this plant until the exact cause of the contamination is identified and eliminated.

According to the FDA press release, the first consumer may have become ill back in August, 2006. The obvious question is how did salmonella get in this peanut butter? Well, I'm guessing the same way it got on the lettuce in California: through contaminated soil or water.

Peanuts are grown in the ground so they are sitting ducks if the ground is contaminated with animal feces.That's my best guess. Although, the salmonella is being traced to a particular plant so the plant may be contaminating peanuts once they come in. Time will tell and this will add another piece to the salmonella puzzle.

Salmonella 101:

• Salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of humans and other animals,including birds.
• Salmonella are usually transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated with animal feces.
• Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal.
• Contaminated foods are often of animal origin, such as beef, poultry, milk, or eggs, but all foods, including vegetables may become contaminated.

Related Topics:

• Salmonella Outbreak: Know the Symptoms
• 6 Salmonella Risk Factors for Babies

Technorati Tags: FDA, salmonella, food poisoning, peanut butter, product recall

Serve Soy With Citrus

Vitamin C may boost the effectiveness of phytoestrogens found in soy.

I came across a cool study published in 2000 by researchers from University of Southern California that is yet another example of how different components between foods can work together for maximum health benefit in your body.

According to this new study, Vitamin C may boost the effectiveness of phytoestrogens (found in soy) to inhibit the oxidation of LDL "bad" cholesterol. (Oxidation of LDLs is thought to encourage atherosclerosis or fatty deposits in the arterials walls).

The reason why it makes sense that phyto or plant estrogens may help protect LDL cholesterol from hazardous oxidation is because the hormone estrogen has been demonstrated to inhibit the susceptibility of LDL to be oxidized and it is only when women have low levels of estrogen (post menopause) that their risk of heart disease mirrors men.

Researchers from the University of Southern California discovered, in test tube experiments using LDL isolated from adult blood samples, that increasing amounts of three phytoestrogens (genistein, daidzein and equol) inhibited LDL oxidation and that this protective effect was even more powerful when ascorbic acid (vitamin C) was present too. Genistein and daidzein are the isoflavones found in soy and soy products. So paring some soy with some citrus sounds like a partnership that can't miss.

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Video: Simple Formula Predicts Heart Disease, High Cholesterol: Top 2 Dangers

Technorati Tags: soy, citrus, cholesterol, heartdisease, foodsynergy

Chocolate Packs a Double Whammy

Think chocolate tastes good? Well, according to some researchers at Yale
University, it smells good too. They found that sniffing chocolate activated
different regions in the brain compared to just tasting it. You know what
that tells me? That doing both at almost the same time must be a
mind-blowing experience!

Next time you taste chocolate, try letting your nose appreciate it too and
see if this seems to enhance the flavor for you. You can also try the
opposite; taste chocolate while pinching your nose (this will block the air
flow between the olfactory system and the mouth) and note if there is a
decrease in your taste experience.

Related Topics: Chocolate - And Your Health, Dark Chocolate is Healthy Chocolate, Taste Test: Sugar-Free Chocolate

Technorati Tags: Chocolate, Taste, Smell

--Elaine Magee

Exercise: Embrace it before it is too late

I just read a new WebMD article that talks about research that found most people with diabetes are not exercising... And it totally made me think of my dad who died of type 2 diabetes complications at the age of 80.

Exercise acts like insulin in the body so for people with diabetes especially, exercise is as good as gold. The trouble is if you wait too long to jump on the exercise bandwagon, unmanaged diabetes can make exercise increasingly more difficult as time goes on. For my dad, he eventually lost some feeling in his legs, which made one thing after the other impossible (first driving and eventually walking). He wasn't open to exercising mainly because he said he did enough walking fighting in a couple of wars for Holland. It was also difficult for him to engage in physical activity because he became rather heavy (I'm not going to use the "O" word) starting around age 50 (as a result of stopping smoking).

Try as we might, he just didn't ever quite "get with the program" and manage his diabetes. We got to a point where we just loved him and took care of him and gave up on trying to help him help himself. I always thought that if he somehow became more open to exercise (and eating wisely) earlier on (before he became as heavy and before the trouble with his legs), he would have saved himself from some of this. It's as if there was a window of opportunity that once it passed, change became even more unlikely. I think this is the case for many other people in the same boat.

So if you have diabetes and your window of opportunity is still open, seize the day and improve the quality of your life and your health. Do whatever it takes to exercise almost every day and to start eating healthier (my book TELL ME WHAT TO EAT IF I HAVE DIABETES, is written specifically for people with type 2 diabetes). You can do it!

~~Elaine

Related Topics: Video: Diabetes Disaster, New Drug for Diabetes, Weight Loss?

Technorati Tags: diabetes, type2, exercise

The Recipe Doctor Takes On Popular Cake Mix Recipes and Gets Slammed!

Mostly I love my job and the work that I do. But every now and then I get a letter or email from a reader that has taken issue with something I've done or said and frankly, it doesn't feel good at all. The latest slam comes from a reader of my national newspaper column, THE RECIPE DOCTOR. For the month of January I ran a Cake Mix Makeover series where I "madeover" 4 popular cake mix recipes. This was her inquiry to her editor:

"I am very surprised to see recipes requiring cake mixes in the "health" section of your newspaper. Don't you folks realize that cake mixes have trans fat? Isn't your section always encouraging its readers to stay away from trans fat? You folks should do more research and get a little more creative with your recipes."

Ouch! I rather thought my cake mix series WAS being creative. In my defense:

Point 1 - My column tries to reach all types of people and many types of people use
cake mixes. This series was showing people who like to use cake mixes that you can create the same awesome desserts but without a lot of the added fat that these recipes usually call for.


Point 2 - My column doesn't call for cake mixes often, just every once and a while.
Plus now that most companies are listing the trans fats on their labels, a reader can choose the cake mix that they feel best about. The one I used to test the recipes actually had ZERO trans fat per serving.

I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe and all of the flavors now have zero grams of trans fat. In fact, I've noticed that their reformulations have lowered the fat per serving of the dry cake mix to 3 grams of fat (in the past most cake mixes have had 4 or 5 grams of fat per serving of dry cake mix). Here's the information on the classic white box:

Moist Deluxe Classic White Cake 1/12 package (just mix)
calories 180
fat 3 g
saturated fat 1 g
trans fat 0 g
polyunsaturated fat 1 g
monounsaturated fat 1 g
cholesterol 0 mg
sodium 250 mg
total carbohydrate 36 g
sugars 18 g
protein 2 g

Exhibit A:
Here"s my picture of one of my favorite recipes in this series. A picture is
worth a thousands words, right?

--Elaine

Related Topics: Chocolate Recipes to Die(t) For, Birthday Cake Without Calorie Chaos

Technorati Tags: cakes, cakemixes, transfats, baking, duncanhines