PARSLEY IS FOR MORE THAN DECORATION

Yes, parsley sprinkled on foods make them look pretty but according to researchers at the University of Missouri it does a lot more than that. Parsley is a very good source of apigenin, an antioxidant the researchers suggest can stop breast cancer cells from growing. Eating a few ounces of parsley daily is a good way to keep the apigenin in your blood stream. Other apigenin-rich foods include mint and celery. Another benefit of eating parsley is that it helps to control bad breath.

ALCOHOL AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

The International Journal of Cancer has reported that having two or more alcoholic drinks a day raises estrogen levels and doubles endometrial cancer risk.

BOOST YOUR RESISTANCE TO STOMACH FLU (NOROVIRUSES)

Do you ever wonder why some people are always getting a "stomach bug" while others never seem to? There is a simple explanation why many people who are exposed to a norovirus never get sick. Ready? Here it is...they have an abundance of "good" bacteria in their digestive tract. The "good" bacteria crowds out the "bad" bacteria before it has a chance to make them sick. To up your norovirus resistance do something as simple as eating a cup a day of yogurt that contains live bacteria, according to Jeanne Drisko, M.D., integrative medicine researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Protect your little ones, especially now that they are in school, by giving them a "child-size" yogurt daily. Be sure the yogurt you choose says, "live cultures" or "live bacteria".

Note: This is not an endorsement of the brand. This is only to show the Live Cultures on the carton.

WHAT TO EAT WHILE RECOVERING FROM STOMACH FLU

Continuing with yesterday's post regarding stomach flu - should you be unlucky enough to get stomach flu (norovirus) you will not doubt try to avoid food at first. Here are some tips on what to eat to settle a queasy stomach:

• Take small but frequent sips of water. No gulping, just sips.
• Start back on food with easy-to-digest foods such as saltines or other bland crackers, rice, chicken (not greasy fried!), and bananas, cinnamon and/or jello.
• Avoid the following for a day or so until your stomach feels settled: caffeine, alcohol, fatty foods, and dairy.
• Pain or fever? Take tylenol (acetaminophen) as it is easier on the stomach that similar meds.

GREENS HELP PROTECT FROM STOMACH FLU

The stomach flu or what doctors sometimes call acute gastroenteritis is a nasty thing dreaded by one and all. With school starting and our kids exposed to this dreaded vomiting and diahhrea malady here is some info on helping to prevent an outbreak at your house. The 'stomach flu' is easy to catch because it is caused by a highly contagious group of 'bugs' called noroviruses. One of the best preventatives is frequent hand washing. But how about some green veggies to also help?

The digestive tract produces its own immune cells that are highly capable of quashing noroviruses if you have enough of them. According to British researchers you can triple your body's ability to produce these infection fighters in your digestive tract by eating cruciferous vegetables daily.  Cruciferous veggies include kale, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, etc. The researchers suggested 1 cup a day (for adults) for optimum results.

RED PEPPERS VS GREEN PEPPERS

Did you know that red peppers have 9 times more vitamin A and 2 times more vitamin C than green peppers?

WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT TO PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS?

Disclaimer: I have osteoporosis but I just do not take osteoporosis medications. Perhaps I should but I have tried several and I just decided against them. After several colon surgeries, a bowel resection, colon cancer, etc, osteoporosis drugs are not good for my digestive system. My worst osteoporosis spot is one of my hips. When I take osteoporosis drugs, that hip hurts me. In studying the drugs I discovered most of them leach nutrients from the hips and move them elsewhere. If you are on osteoporosis drugs and they are working for you this post is not to discourage you from that course of treatment! Having said all that, this post is about eating to prevent or slow down osteoporosis. Knowing what to eat (or not eat) is important in fighting any health problem. Here are some tips for eating to prevent or slow down osteoporoisis:

• You need calcium. That is probably the number one thing everyone knows about osteoporosis. It is best to get said calcium from the foods you eat and here are some good examples - fat-free plain Greek yogurt, fat-free milk and cheese, white beans, kale, collard greens, broccoli, almonds, and soybeans. Include some of these in your diet everyday.
• Get plenty of lean protein. Examples are lean meats such as turkey, chicken, pork tenderloin, lean beef, legumes, peanut butter, beans, low-fat milk and cheeses. Avoid too many protein bars and shakes. That is not the best way to get healthy protein.
• Vitamin D is important, too. Actually calcium needs vitamin D to help it travel to the bones and where it is needed. Sunshine helps the body to produce vitamin D but that requires too much time in the sun so supplement with the following foods: Fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines and herring. Soy milk, yogurt, and egg yolks also contain vitamin D. Since the list of foods rich in vitamin D is slim you may need to discuss a vitamin D supplement with your doctor.
• Magnesium is also beneficial in preventing and fighting osteoporosis. Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium to help maintain a strong bone structure. Magnesium is found in seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, and flax, brown rice, Swiss chard, spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, wheat germ, etc.

This is a short list of foods that will help you prevent or slow down osteoporosis. There are more but if you make a point of including several of the above foods in your daily diet you will be well on your way to preventing this bone disease.

SUGAR IN FRUIT VS TABLE SUGAR

People often ask what is the difference in eating the sugar in fruit vs 'regular' sugar. Yes, sugar is sugar no matter the source but the body does process it differently. The following remarks from nutritionist Joy Dubost, R.D. explains it better than I can:

Whether it's in a piece of fruit, your soda or a pastry, sugar is made up of the same two components: fructose and glucose. The molecular structure and composition of sugar molecules is the same no matter where they come from.

The ratios of fructose and glucose are pretty much the same in both fruit and table sugar. Most fruits are 40 to 55 percent fructose (there's some variation: 65 percent in apples and pears; 20 percent in cranberries), and table sugar (aka sucrose) is 50/50. Neither type of sugar is better or worse for you, but your body processes them differently. Fructose breaks down in your liver and doesn’t provoke an insulin response. Glucose starts to break down in the stomach and requires the release of insulin into the bloodstream to be metabolized completely.

USE MUSTARD ON YOUR SANDWICH

Mustard is actually a good-for-you condiment. No matter whether you choose, brown, yellow, Dijon - they are all made the seeds of various mustard plants. Mustard is rich in selenium - which plays a key role in thyroid function - and in magnesium, which is crucial to bone health as well as enery. Also, most yellow mustards get their color from added turmeric. Turmeric is a spice known for its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. An added benefit studies show

Here's another little trick for you - substitute mustard for half the mayonnaise in salads such as tuna and potato.

DIABETICS AND DIET

The best weapon in your arsenal to fight your blood sugar and maintain weight control is a healthy diet. I talk to people all the time who say, "But I eat healthy." That may be true but do they eat 'diabetic healthy'? There is a difference. If you have been diagnosed with diabetes it is as important to know how to combine the foods you eat as it is to eat something 'healthy'. No matter what you eat, be sure your protein to carb ratio is good. Over the course of a meal, you should be getting a ratio of at least 1/3 as many proteins as carbs (even healthy carbs).  And be sure to include fiber!

Here is an example:
I have people say, "I had a healthy meal of spaghetti and a salad. I even left off the garlic bread." Okay, let's look at that and assume we are talking about a traditional spaghetti meal. Was that a whole-grain pasta? If not, your blood sugar will go up. Did you use a sugar-free sauce? The amount of sugar in pasta sauces varies greatly. A small amount of lean ground beef or meatballs in the sauce is also helpful for added protein. What kind of salad did you have? It should consist of mixed greans, a sprinkling of kidney or garbanzo beans, and some nuts or seeds. You should go easy on the dressing and it should be sugar free. If you eat this same meal with regular pasta, your sauce has sugar, you have things you shouldn't on the salad and the dressing has sugar, you have not eaten a diabetic healthy meal.  You can also see from this example why it is important to be careful when eating out. You can almost be guaranteed that if you eat that meal in a restaurant it will not be made with whole-grain pasta or sugar-free sauce. 

The next time you sit down to enjoy a meal really look at what you are eating. Look at each item and ask yourself if you are meeting 'diabetic healthy' guidelines.

WHAT IS THE ONLY GRAIN NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA?

Did you know that wild rice is actually the only grain native to North America? And guess what! It is actually a grass. Here is a bit of info on wild rice. Originally, unculivated wild rice grew in the wetlands and was hand-harvested by canoe in the Great Lakes regions of the United States and Canada. There are certain places where it still grows unculivated. But it is now cultivated in Oregon and California. The cultivated isn't quite as good as the wild but it still quite tasty.

It takes longer to cook wild rice than it does other types as the wild rice contains the bran, endosperm, and germ. Even after cooking it remains chewy and has a nutty taste. To cook wild rice, cook for 45 minutes to an hour in lots of boiling water. One cup raw makes about 3 1/2 cups when cooked. Wild rice tastes best when combined with brown rice and I like mushrooms in mine.

Why not make wild rice one of the grains you add to your diet (if you aren't already doing so)?

WHY IS BREAKFAST IMPORTANT?

For many people the temptation is to hurry out the door in the morning and to skip breakfast in the process. This is one of the worst ways to start your day. You don't have to eat an elaborate breakfast but you do need to eat a healthy one. If you want to lose weight, keep your blood sugar under control, or just feel better throughout the day you need to eat breakfast.  Here is one of the main reasons why eating a healthy breakfast is important to your day and to your health. You need a good breakfast to get your metabolism going after a night's sleep. As Denice Furko-Adams, MPH, R.D., LDN, coordinator of the MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education at Villanova University in Villanova, PA so simply stated, "Skipping breakfast is like a car running on empty. You need a high-quality breakfast to fuel up."