Mad Cow Musings

Worried about mad cow disease? This past year's largest meat recall in U.S. history, involving a massive 143,383,823 pounds of raw and frozen beef probably only contributed to your concern. The recall was due to one meat packing company in Chino, California, which appeared to be processing so-called "downer" cows, livestock that cannot walk, which is against USDA regulations for good reason.

One of the reasons that livestock cannot walk is infection with "mad cow disease" or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). If passed on to people by infected beef, it can cause a deadly brain disease known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. According to the USDA, out of about 800,000 cows tested since 2004, two have tested positive for BSE and none have shown up in the food supply.

Just in case you want to know what you can do in your supermarket and your kitchen to reduce your risk of BSE...

• Eat less beef in general. Simply put, the less beef you eat, the lower your risk of eating contaminated beef.


• Avoid ground beef; or buy it from a store or butcher you trust, or grind it yourself. (Ground beef is a little more likely to contain the proteins that cause BSE in cows than steaks, because ground meat can come from several cuts of meat and include bone marrow or other questionable parts - depending on the company.)


• Buy cuts of lean beef that are boneless to avoid contact with bone marrow.

Related Topics:

• Greener Pastures
• WebMD Video: Keeping Meat Safe

Fall Favorites: Spiced Apple Cake

Week #3: SPICED APPLE CAKE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

This is a double fall favorite because it has spice cake and apples all wrapped up in the same dessert. I made all sorts of changes from the original recipe. I replace a majority of the white flour with whole-wheat flour and I cut the amount of granulated sugar in half. The 2 sticks of butter in the original recipe were replaced, in part, with 5 tablespoons canola oil and some applesauce. And instead of throwing away the rum (after soaking the dried fruit in it), I added it to the batter to replace the rest of the butter that was originally called for. Lastly, only 1 egg and some egg substitute helped blend the batter instead of the 3 eggs originally called for.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or dried berries
1/4 cup dark or golden rum, apple cider or juice, or amaretto liqueur
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 large egg, higher omega-3 if available
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups diced, unpeeled, apples* (cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. Position rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 350-degrees. Coat the inside of a bundt pan with canola oil or canola oil cooking spray. Dust the inside with flour and shake out any excess.
2. In small, microwave-safe bowl, combine dried fruit and rum. Microwave for about 30 seconds on HIGH and set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt by beating on low for a minute. With mixer off, pour in the brown and granulated sugars, canola oil, applesauce, egg, egg substitute, vanilla, and the rum from the dried fruit mixture (reserve the dried fruit for the next step) and beat on HIGH speed, until batter is smooth (about 1 minute), scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Stir in the apples, pecans and/or (if desired), and the rum-soaked dried fruit.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula. Bake in center of oven until a fork inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean (about 1 hour).
5. Cool the cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then invert cake pan onto a serving plate and cool completely. The cake can be stored at room temperature wrapped tightly in foil or plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

* Sweet apples, like Red Delicious, work well in this recipe. To test the recipe though, I used a combination of Red Delicious and Granny Smith (because that's what I had in the fruit crisper) and it worked out wonderfully.

Yield: Makes 12 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as as 1 piece small muffin + 1 piece fruit OR 1 medium dessert + 1 piece fruit OR 2 pieces pancakes, waffles, french toast + 1 piece fruit

Nutrition Information Per serving: 281 calories, 4.5 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 6.5 g fat, .6 g saturated fat, 18 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 229 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 21 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Healthy Fruit Dessert Recipes
• Common Spices May Help Diabetes

Non-Candy Halloween Options

Be the non-Snickers house this Halloween!

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

You just know plenty of your neighbors will be passing out the predictable Snickers and Milky Way bars, so it leaves the window wide open for you to offer something refreshingly different this Halloween.

Each year I look for desirable snack packs (that aren't too high in calories, fat or sugar) that the kids can put in their school lunch bags or boxes for something a little different. This year I found snack-size bags of pretzels, popcorn, and flavored mini rice cakes.

And if you have a lot of preteens and teens that trick or treat in your neighborhood, I can guarantee that packages of gum will go over really well with this discerning group. You can find 10-packs of sugar-less gum at places like Target for about $2.50, which computes to about 25 cents a pop. And speaking of 25 cents a pop... handing out quarters also seems to go over well with kids old enough to save up for their own toys and treats. If you want to have some mini toys for the littler ones, you can find all kinds of fun things at your nearest party store (like bouncy balls, miniature games, or glow stick necklaces).

Related Topics:

• 10 Tricks to Avoid Halloween Candy Temptations
• Ghoulishly Healthy Halloween Snacks

Fall Favorites: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Week #2 SUPER SLOW COOKER POT ROAST

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

The slow, moist simmering of a slow cooker can turn an extra lean cut of beef into a tender, flavorful entrée. So, armed with the mighty magic of a slow cooker, we can take the leanest roasts around (a lean chuck arm pot roast with no visible fat and a beef bottom round roast with no visible fat) and turn them into a tender and savory pot roast. What makes this pot roast "super" special is the high antioxidant and phytochemical-packed veggies cooked with the roast.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unbleached white flour
4 tablespoons merlot (or other red wine), non-alcoholic beer, or water
2 medium onions, outer skin peeled and top trimmed off then each cut into 8 wedges
About 16 whole garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 bulb)
4 cups baby carrots (16 ounce bag) or 4 medium carrots, cut into three or four pieces each
1 chuck arm pot roast, beef chuck cross rib roast or beef bottom round roast, lean with no visible fat (about 2.5 pounds)
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. In measuring cup, combine flour and red wine. Add to crock of slow cooler and stir in onions, garlic cloves, and carrots.
2. Sprinkle the outside of roast with salt and pepper and set on top of carrot/onion mixture. Pour Worcestershire sauce over the top of the roast, Cover slow cooker, and cook on HIGH for 5 1/2 hours or on LOW for 9 hours.
3. Spoon the juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the vegetables and roast then sprinkle fresh parsley over the top and continue to cook 30 minutes on HIGH or 1 hour on LOW.
4. Place roast on a serving plate and let sit 10 minutes. Place vegetables in a serving dish and pan juices in a gravy boat. Cut the roast against the grain into slices with your desired thickness and serve!

Yield: Makes 8 servings

WebMD Weight Loss Clinic members journal as: Per serving: 279 calories, 35 g protein, 15 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 77 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 148 mg sodium (365 mg sodium with added salt). Calories from fat: 26 percent.

Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Slow but Sure Recipes
• Greener Pastures

Talking About Food Synergy

You may have read about my new book, FOOD SYNERGY, but now you can actually hear me talk about it! A podcast of a short interview just went live on HealthCastle.com (an online nutrition community run by Registered Dietitian) as well as iTunes. It will be featured for 2 weeks.

If you listen to the interview you will hear me get very excited about "Chapter 7." I call Chapter 7 the "Aha" chapter... the chapter where it all comes together in a way that I hope blows your mind (just a little). I tell people who buy the book that if they only have a couple of hours, read the introduction and go straight to Chapter 7.

Anyway, enough about chapter 7! Here is the link to the podcast: http://www.healthcastle.com/podcast-020.shtml. Have a listen.

Related Topics:

• Top 10 Food Synergy Super Foods
• 5 Food Synergy Secrets for Weight Loss

Are You Really Hypoglycemic?

I sometimes say that I'm "hypoglycemic" and for me that's just code for "I'm getting kind of light headed and I need to eat something PDQ." It usually happens to me when I've had a caffeinated beverage without eating something at the same time. I call it "hypoglycemic" because it feels a little like I think having low blood sugar would feel. But maybe, at least for me, "caffeine sensitive" might be the more accurate term. It isn't just me that seems to throw the term around loosely though.

So what is hypoglycemia and does it really exist in people who don't have diabetes?

The true definition of hypoglycemia is low blood sugar-below 50 and it isn't very common in people without diabetes. It is possible that some of us are more sensitive to quick changes in our blood sugar (so we may still have normal blood sugar levels but the quick change is causing us to have symptoms). With reactive hypoglycemia the body may overreact to fast absorbed carbohydrates (like from sugars), but in my experience caffeine and PMS-type hormones can bring about a feeling of hypoglycemia more so than sugar intake in some people. And eating balanced meals (with protein and fiber) seems to help minimize lower blood sugars for some.

If you think you have reactive hypoglycemia, it's best to get a proper diagnosis from your doctor.

And here are a few diet tips that might help reduce the symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia:

• Eat five small meals a day that are nicely balanced with a mixture of complex carbohydrate (whole grains, vegetable and beans), protein and some smart fat (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat).


• If you are sensitive to the body's reaction to sugars, eat them in sensible servings WITH other foods and not by themselves.


• Avoid caffeine, especially during the time of day when you seem the most sensitive to it.

Related Topics:

• WebMD Video: Non-Diabetics Can Have Hypoglycemia?
• Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar) in People Without Diabetes

YUM Thinks Outside the Bun

Some fast food chains REALLY do think outside the bun!

YUM Brands, parent company to Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver, A&W, and Pizza Hut, announced that it will add calorie counts to their indoor menu boards. It's not grams of fat or trans fat, but it is a start and perhaps it's the nutrition information that many people want most.

Michael F. Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, hopes that this "bold" move by YUM Brands encourages other major chains like McDonald's, Starbucks, Applebee's, to follow suit.

Hopefully it's just a matter of time for the others as several major cities (New York City, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco) and one state (guess which one - California) have recently passed laws requiring certain nutrition information on menus.

It will be hard to ignore the fact that certain items are shockingly high in calories (like KFC's pot pie). But perhaps the people who don't want to know or be reminded of this fact, will simply not look up.

Will you look up?

Related Topics:

• Healthy Fast Food for Kids a Tall Order?
• 21 Healthier Fast-Food Meals

Fall Favorites: Topless Chicken Pot Pie

THE FALL FAVORITES RECIPE SERIES!

Is Fall your favorite season? I must admit, I really love this time of year. In my neck of the woods, the days have noticeably become shorter and the temperature cooler. Each year when this happens I automatically start cooking some of our favorite fall foods. This includes several savory dinner entrées, yummy fall breads, and basically anything with pumpkin.

So, for the next 4 weeks, I am going to do a Recipe Doctor "makeover" on 4 Fall Food Favorites, starting with two favorite savory entrées (healthful variations on Chicken Pot Pie and Slow-Cooker Pot Roast) and working our way to a a favorite fall bread and dessert!

Week #1: TOPLESS CHICKEN POT PIE

Photo Credit: Elaine Magee

Break your addiction to frozen pot pies with this recipe for Topless Chicken Pot Pie.

Your typical chicken pot pie has fat, saturated fat and calories coming at you from three directions; the top crust, the creamy filling, and the bottom crust. We are making a lower fat, higher fiber crumb topping to replace the top pie crust and we are making a lighter filling using only a couple teaspoons of olive or canola oil to sauté lots of vegetables; plus a cream sauce made with 2 tablespoons of whipped butter or less fat margarine, fat free half and half and skinless chicken breast. If you want to keep the bottom crust, choose a whole-wheat pie crust if possible. Or, if you are really feeling like trimming calories and fat grams, the pot pie can be bottomless as well.

Time Saving Note: If you want to trim some prep time, substitute 1 2/3 cups Bertolli Mushroom Alfredo (bottled) for the homemade white sauce. You can also make this dish with or without the bottom crust.

Ingredients:

1 whole-wheat pie crust, uncooked (optional)

Filling:
2 teaspoons olive oil or canola oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped or sliced celery
3/4 cup chopped carrot (baby carrots can be used)
1 teaspoon minced or chopped garlic
3 cups diced roasted or grilled skinless and boneless chicken breast

Homemade White Sauce Option:
1/2 cup light cream cheese
1 cup fat free half and half
1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white or black pepper

Topping:
1/3 cup Panko crumbs
1/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
Olive oil or canola cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Set pie crust, if desired, in a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan if not already in one or divide crust into 5 equal circles if using individual pot pie dishes. If making individual pot pies, place each of the crust circles into an individual dish or ramekin about 4- to 4.5-inches wide, set aide.
2. Pour 2 teaspoons oil into a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir in the onion, celery and carrot and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute. Scoop this mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Combine light cream cheese, half and half and flour in a small food processor (or electric mixer) pulsing until smooth. In same medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the cream cheese mixture and continue to stir and gently boil until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Turn off the heat and stir in the pepper, sautéed vegetables and diced chicken. Spoon mixture into the crust lined pie plate or if making individual pot pies, divide the filling between the 5 individual dishes (about 1 1/4 cups).
4. For the topping, in medium sized bowl, combine the Panko, oats, and Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. Spread topping over the top of the large pot pie or 5 small pot pies. Coat the top generously with canola or olive oil cooking spray. Place pot pie(s) on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 30 minutes (for one large pie) or 20 minutes (for individual pies) or until crust is nicely browned.

Yield: Makes 5 servings

With Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 2 cups "hearty stew" OR 1 portion frozen dinner regular + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat + 1 slice bread (1 serving of regular crackers can be substituted)

Per serving (with bottom crust): 440 calories, 36 g protein, 33 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 564 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 36 percent.

Without Bottom Crust
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic Members journal as: 1 1/2 cups "hearty stews" OR 1 portion light frozen dinner + 1/2 cup vegetables with 1 tsp fat OR 1 serving of "lean meat with sauce" + 1 cup vegetables without added fat.

Per serving (without bottom crust): 320 calories, 35 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 11 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 401 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 31 percent.


Week #1: Topless Chicken Pot Pie
Week #2: Super Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Week #3: Spiced Apple Cake
Week #4: Ginger Pumpkin Bread

Related Topics:

• Fall Foods to Be Thankful for
• Frighteningly Fattening Fall Foods Slideshow

Frugal Friday: Washing Dishes the "Green" Way

Photo Credit: Brooke Raymond

According to researchers who are paid to study such things, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher uses 37 percent LESS water than washing dishes by hand! However, if you fill up one side of the sink with soapy water and the other side with rinse water - and if you don't let the faucet run - you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher does. Doing the dishes this way can save enough water for a five-minute shower!

If you do use a dishwasher, it also conserves energy and water if you wait until you have a completely full dishwasher to run it (instead of a partly filled dishwasher). This way you are getting the biggest bang for your buck of running it...one load of a full dishwasher uses less energy and water as running two loads of a half-full dishwasher.

Also, many dishwashers now have an "economy" cycle option. So if your dishwasher has this option, give it a whirl. Use it and save!

Related Topics:

• Green Cleaning Spruces Up Environment
• Saving Money the Healthy Way

Taste Test Tuesday: Two New Green Teas

Green Teas from Celestial Seasonings

Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Every time I see those pink ribbons on pretty much anything, it grabs my attention. Well, there are two new flavors on Celestial Seasonings green tea boxes proudly displaying the pink ribbon as a sponsor of the National Breast Cancer Foundation...just in time for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.

The colorful and eye-catching art on the two boxes were designed by two artists who are breast cancer survivors. These boxes are so beautiful; you will want to keep them out on your kitchen counter! The bonus to this is you are much more likely to think about having your high antioxidant cup of green tea if it's sitting right there in front of you.

How did they taste?
What I loved about both of the flavors was that they still looked and tasted like green tea. Sometimes when you have a berry-flavored tea, the tea is literally red and overwhelmingly tart or sweet. Not the case here.

The Topical Grapefruit was nice and subtle and you might still enjoy this tea even if you aren't crazy about grapefruit.

The Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea was also delightful. The berry and pomegranate flavors were noticeable and pleasant without being overwhelming.

I will be enjoying both of these new green tea flavors throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month and beyond!

NOTE: Green tea is one of the 10 "synergy superfoods" I named in my most recent book, FOOD SYNERGY. The half life of some of the healthful phytochemicals in green tea is a few hours so have a cup in the morning and one later in the day or early evening!

Related Topics:

• Green Tea Ingredient Slows Breast Cancer
• WebMD Video: Green Tea for the Skin

Healthy Lifestyle of a Breast Cancer Survivor

I am often inspired by WebMD members who post on my healthy cooking community board! I read a post from a Stage 1A breast cancer survivor who described her usual day:

• She eats at least 10 servings of vegetables per day and at least 5 of fruit.
• She eats yogurt, nuts, lentils, raisins, brown rice, whole grain cereal, and edamame.
• She exercises 7 days a week, is 5'7" tall and weighs 125 pounds
• She doesn't smoke, drink alcohol or soda, doesn't eat junk food or fast food
• She doesn't eat meat
• She meditates once a day

Can you believe how awesome her lifestyle is? She wanted to know if I saw anything that she should change. Wow!

I told her that there are a lot of vegetables there so if she came down a bit in servings, she shouldn't worry too much - her produce base is definitely covered. I told her she could take a day or two off of exercising each week, as the joints do tend to need a day a week to rest and recover.

I won't question her reason for not eating meat, but studies show various health benefits to eating high omega-3 fish (and fish in general) and in some ways meat like poultry doesn't have the same health risks as other meat (it's more health neutral if that makes sense).

After reading her post though, I was left with the nagging question of whether she ever enjoys some dark chocolate or maybe a cup of frozen yogurt or something?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. What are you doing to make your lifestyle more healthy?

Related Topics:

• Fight Breast Cancer at Every Meal
• Exercise and Nutrition After Breast Cancer Surgery
• Yoga May Help After Breast Cancer