Nutrition Articles

Slimming Foods for Fall

Fall can be time for festivals, pumpkin patches, get togethers, football games and many more events where food plays a huge role in the activities of the day.  If you are like most people you want to watch what you eat during the fall season, as you know that the holidays are just around the corner : which means more overeating!

But, even though fall is synonymous with fattening foods there are some fall food items that can actually help you to slim down.

One of these foods is the apple.  Apples are low in calories and high in fiber (95 calories and 4 grams of fiber per medium fruit) and are great tasting!  In a recent study, dried apples have been found to help people lose weight and lower their cholesterol.

Another great fall slimming food is the squash (and who doesn't love squash from butternut to acorn?)  Just one cup of cooked squash packs 214 percent of the recommended daily value for vitamin A and a third of your recommended daily dose of vitamin C.  Squash are also only 80 calories per cup :compared to its more fattening fall friend the sweet potato at 180 calories per cup.

A good way to add squash to your existing soups and stews is to puree the squash, so you are adding texture and creaminess to your food, without adding all of the extra calories.

Broccoli is another great fall slimming food : a cup of broccoli is just 31 calories and 2.4 grams of fiber.  Plus experts say that when you add fresh vegetables to any food you tend to eat fewer calories so you can add broccoli to virtually any meal to decrease your caloric intake.

Lastly, there is kale.  These days dark, leafy vegetables like kale are the go-to when you are talking about healthy foods.  Kale is packed with vitamin A, loads of fiber and isothiocyanates that help your body to detoxify.

A Little Bit About Fats...

Those people looking to understand what dieticians are talking about when they compare good fats to bad fats will not find these terms on food labels.  Instead you will see words like polyunsaturated and trans fats.  Here is a brief explanation of those fats and how they affect your body.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are the fats that stay solid at room temperature, such as lard, coconut oil and cow butter. Saturated fats are what dieticians consider “bad fats” because they raise your bad cholesterol level, thereby raising your total cholesterol level. People whose diet consists of many foods high in saturated fats typically are at a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats have a lower melting temperature than saturated fats, which means that they do not stay solid at room temperature.  These types of fats can be found in: peanut oil, olive oil, nuts and avocados. Monounsaturated fats are what dieticians consider the“good fats” that lower bad cholesterol without lowering your levels of good cholesterol.  In addition, monounsaturated fats help to prevent against cardiovascular disease.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are fats that can stay liquid even at lower temperatures, such as corn oil and sunflower oil.  Polyunsaturated fats are also found in soybeans, fish, fish oil and in grain products.Dieticians consider polyunsaturated fats the “good fats” as they lower cholesterol and they help prevent cardiovascular disease by lowering the amount of fat in the blood.

Trans Fats

 Trans fats are man-made fats that are created during the hydrogenation process.  These types of fats are unnatural and toxic to your body.  Trans fats are abundant in packaged and processed foods. Dieticians consider trans fats the “bad fats” as they can cause cancer, diabetes, obesity, birth defects, low birth weight babies, and sterility.

Spotlight on: Pumpkins

Eating Healthy

• One thing that many people do not know about pumpkins is that they are made up of 90 percent water.
• Pumpkins also contain other great nutritional aspects including potassium and vitamin A.
• The bright orange color of pumpkins also tells us that they are a great source of the important antioxidant, beta carotene.
• Research has indicated that diets rich in beta carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and protects against heart disease. It also prevents some degenerative aspects of aging.

Pumpkin Soup

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 whole black peppercorns

Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.  Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.  Return to pan and bring to boil again.  Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered.  Stir in heavy cream.  Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe: Traditional Pumpkin Pie

• 1 ¾ cups (one 15oz. can) unsweetened pumpkin puree
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(For crust us a pre-made store bought crust or a homemade crust)

In a small heavy saucepan, stir the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt together until mixed.  Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and shiny.  Scrape the mixture into a mixer or food processor for 1 minute. With the motor on, add the milk and cream, mixing until incorporated completely.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just to incorporate, about 5 seconds after each egg.  When you add the last egg, also add the vanilla. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie shell.  Bake the pie for 50 - 60 minutes at 375 degrees.  It is done when a knife inserted between the sides and center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack.

A Banana a Day Keeps the Doctor Away Especially for Women

In the news...

Everyone has heard that an apple a day can keep the doctor away, but if you are a woman over the age of 50 then you should be having a banana or two along with that apple.

Recent studies show that woman over the age of 50 who ate foods high in potassium were 12 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke in general and 16 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke caused by a blood clot, or an ischemic stroke.

Lastly the study showed that women were 10 percent less likely to die, from any cause, than those who ate low amounts of food containing potassium.

Another interesting finding from the study was that the correlation between potassium intake and stroke prevention was highest amongst women who did not have high blood pressure.  Therefore, nutritionalists suggest that women should increase their potassium intake before high blood pressure has the chance to develop.

For women who aren't big fans of bananas, never fear.  You can get twice as much potassium in a serving of spinach, than you get in one banana. Become a label reader as many foods contain potassium that you may not know about.

Spotlight on: Spinach

Eating Healthy

• Leafy, green vegetables, like spinach, provide more nutrients than any other food.
• Researchers have found at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that have been known to act as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents, combating specific cancers like ovarian and prostate cancer.
• The vitamin K in spinach provides 200% of the daily value in fresh spinach and nearly 1000% of the daily value in boiled spinach.
• Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin A, folate and magnesium.

Recipe: Wilted Spinach Salad

• 10 to 12 ounces spinach, washed and torn into pieces
• ¼ cup minced red onion
• 5 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, 1 chopped and 1 sliced
• 2 to 4 slices bacon
• 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place prepared spinach in a large bowl. Add onions and radishes. Refrigerate, tightly covered. Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel and set aside. In a small jar or measuring cup combine drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving. When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until mixture boils. Toss the chopped egg with the greens then pour the hot dressing over greens mixture; toss again lightly. Top with sliced egg and crumbled bacon.

Recipe: Spinach Lasagna

• 2 egg whites
• 26 oz of prepared spaghetti sauce
• 24 oz of ricotta cheese
• 10 oz of Lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and chopped, then squeezed dry
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated, reserve ½ cup
• ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated and divided, reserve 2 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of black pepper
• Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 9-in. by 13-in.baking dish for lasagna. Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package, then rinse and drain. Combine parmesan cheese, ricotta cheeses with the egg whites, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour ¼ cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out using a spatula. Cover the sauce with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about half the cheese mixture over the noodles, and then cover with about half of the spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese. Finish this layer with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Add a second layer of noodles, topping with the remaining cheese mixture, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the reserved Parmesan cheese over the top and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set for 10-12 minutes.