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?

FOODS TO HELP PREVENT OSTEOPOROSIS

Disclaimer: I have osteoporosis and over the last few years, I decided to take my rheumatologists advice and take an oral medicine one day a week. This was after a broken hip that I realized it was time to try medications. The trauma surgeon did say my bones actually looked pretty good for my age (late 70s) so I will continue this treatment. At my last test a couple of months ago, my numbers were slightly better so I will continue this regimen. 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 osteoporosis:

• 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 every day.
• 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 (I do take a daily vitamin D supplement as recommended by both my primary care doctor and my rheumatologist).
• 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 the difference is 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.

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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.

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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 greens, 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.

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."

This is a repost from approximately 10 years ago.

HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP?

Are you one of those people who have trouble getting to sleep after getting to bed? A good night's sleep is important to your health so you need to start working on getting to sleep well before bedtime. That's right, start working on getting to sleep at about two o'clock in the afternoon. Ann Romaker, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, says the effects of caffeine can linger up to 8 hours. Therefore, for a 10 pm bedtime, you should switch to caffeine-free drinks by two in the afternoon.

Another tip is from Chin Moi Chow, Ph.D., a senior sleep lecturer at The University of Sydney in Australia. Eat bold flavors for lunch and milder flavors for your evening meal. Acidic and heavily spiced dishes eaten late in the day may cause sleep-disturbing acid reflux in the night.

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GINGER FOR MOTION SICKNESS

Did you know that taking powdered-ginger capsules right before traveling can help with motion sickness? Studies have shown that taking the capsules right before travel can both delay the onset of nausea and help you to recover more quickly. One study showed that people who were spun in a motorized chair but took up to 2,000 mg of ginger 20 minutes before went twice as long before getting sick than did those who took drugs. If you have a problem with motion sickness, give ginger capsules a try.

Note: This picture is not an endorsement of this particular brand.

CHOOSE SNACKS THAT INCLUDE PROTEIN + FIBER

Dr. Melina Jampolis, an internist specializing in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention suggests our snacks should include protein plus fiber. She has stated that protein and fat trigger the release of hormones in the gut that keep us feeling satisfied for hours. Protein also puts the brakes on the body's insulin pump and we know that high levels of insulin can lead to tummy fat. Fiber slows digestion, another key to feeling full. Dr. Jampolis says that many high-fiber carbs such as oatmeal, fresh fruits and veggies are water-rich which means we get to eat a bigger serving for fewer calories!  Below are some of her snack combo suggestions:

• hummus and nuts + carrots or whole-grain crackers
• a hard boiled egg + 1/2 cup grapes
• a packet of instant unsweetened oatmeal with cinnamon and chopped nuts
• a cup of low-fat Greek yogurt + a cup of your favorite berries
• 1/2 cup high-fiber cereal with skim milk
• a 100-calorie pack of almonds + a kiwi

Remember snacks should be no more than 200 calories!

This 2014 post is still good advice.

EASY WAYS TO GET MORE SPINACH INTO YOUR DIET

We all know spinach is good for us but many of us don't like to eat it.  Personally, I love spinach and could eat it every day.  I know that is not the norm.  Whether you like spinach or not, it is important to include it in your diet.  The American Heart Association recommends spinach (and other green leafy vegetables) as part of a heart-healthy diet as they provide good sources of vitamins A and C.  Spinach also a good source of iron, as was noted in a previous post on healthy foods for anemics.  Spinach also contains flavonoids and beta-carotene both of which are important to maintaining good health and preventing disease!  If you don't want to eat a spinach salad or a whole serving of cooked spinach, here are some easy ways to work spinach into your diet.  Whatever method you choose to use, just be sure to include spinach into your diet on a regular basis.  Try to include it at least once a week, starting out slowly if necessary.  Try these little tips:

• Use supermarket bagged spinach to save time if you don't like the rinsing, drying, stemming, etc required in bunches of fresh spinach.
• Coarse chop and toss into scrambled eggs and/or omelets.
• Sauté with garlic until just wilted and toss into tarts, casseroles, etc.
• Add chopped spinach leaves to rice and/or pasta dishes.
• Toss a handful of fresh spinach leaves into soups right at the end of the cooking time.  Chop up if you don't want to get a whole leaf in your spoonful of soup!
• Coarsely chop, toss in a little olive oil and put on pizza.
• Use fresh baby spinach leaves in smoothies.
• Chop and toss with onion and garlic.  Add to browned sausage and or ground beef or turkey and use as a filling in little handheld personal pies.  You could even use refrigerated pie crust or pizza dough without having to make your own.

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EAT FISH WITHOUT THE SKIN

Dr. Andrew Weil, a famous MD says it is better to eat fish without the skin as toxins from the water can accumulate in the scales and fat.  For those of you who often eat fish with the skin on, you might want to change to fish without the skin.

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STORING GARLIC

Do you refrigerate your fresh garlic bulbs? I hope not, I used to until I did a little research. Fresh garlic bulbs should be kept in a cool dry place. Keep them in your pantry in a ventilated container; airtight containers will cause them to mold pretty quickly. Garlic stored properly should keep for months. But once you have broken into the head of garlic, all cloves should be used in about 10 days.

Remember Garlic is a superfood. Use is regularly!

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TABLE SALT

Are you one of those people who grabs the saltshaker and salts their food without ever tasting it?  Ifyou are, STOP IT!  Most of us get way more salt than is recommend.  Salt is a preservative, so it is prevalent in almost everything we purchase to eat.  The American Heart Association recommends a maximum of 1,500 milligrams (mg) daily.  Are you aware that 1/2 teaspoon of salt is about 1,200 mg?  Do not resalt your food and if you are one who does salt everything, start out by cutting the amount of salt you apply in half.  Wean yourself of this nasty habit.  Your body will thank you!

NOTE: If your doctor has told you to get more salt in your diet, follow his/her advice. My husband was one of those people, so I know this does happen.

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BRONCHITIS PREVENTATIVE?

I am not saying this is a cure or that it works 100% of the time.  However, if you have a problem with chronic bronchitis or emphysema it is certainly worth a try.  Some doctors recommend that patients with these pulmonary problems eat pungent foods such as onion, garlic, and hot peppers at least 3 times a week to help keep their airway passages clear.  The benefit most likely comes from the capsacian in the foods.  I recently lost my husband due to COPD which includes chronic bronchitis so I ask you, "Why not eat something that just might be helpful?"

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