Nutrition News
May
2002
In
this issue:
- Should you
trust the health information you hear on the news?
- Diabetes
and stress management
- Don't say
"cheese"!
- Recipe of
the month - Tofu dip
- Favorite
food of the month - mini bell peppers
- NutritionWorks
upcoming events and happenings
Hi there!
There are lots of exciting things happening at this time of the
year. The Farmers markets have recently opened and are a wonderful
way to get fresh, local produce. We don't regularly think about
the source of our food but at the Farmers markets, we get to meet
the farmers and talk to them about their produce. They will often
have great recipe suggestions for you too!
This is the
perfect time of year to start eating more salads - choose dark salad
greens like arugula and radicchio as much as you can. Add some chopped
vegetables, a cup of beans (kidney beans or garbanzo beans work
really well), and a handful of nuts. Try a light salad dressing
made with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. Then take your
feast out to the park, get some sunshine and enjoy!
We have lots
of upcoming events in June and July so read on for those details,
as well as lots of other useful information.
As always, we appreciate your feedback so email us your comments
or any nutrition news you have to share.
Take care,
Sandi and Kathleen
Should
you trust the health information you hear on the news? Look for
these Ten Red Flags.
Want to know
if you should trust the information you read in a magazine or hear
on late night TV? Look for these telltale signs.
- Recommendations
that promise a quick fix.
- Dire warnings
of dangers from a single product or regimen.
- Claims that
sound too good to be true.
- Simplistic
conclusions drawn from a complex study.
- Recommendations
based on a single study.
- Dramatic
statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
- Lists of
"good" and "bad" foods.
- Recommendations
made to help sell a product.
- Recommendations
based on studies published without peer review.
- Recommendations
from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.
Source:
Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA)
Diabetes and Stress Management
A
recent study showed that patients who took part in just five stress
management training sessions lowered their HbA1c levels by an overage
of 0.5 percent - as much as some diabetes medications. The HbA1c
test measures how much sugar has attached to red blood cells over
a 3-month period and is an excellent indicator of average blood
sugar levels over a period of time. Previous studies have shown
that lowering HbA1c levels by this amount reduces a patient's risk
for developing microvascular diabetes-related complications, such
as kidney and eye diseases.
Stress management
is a vital part of lifestyle change for many people. Kathleen and
Sandi are able to assist with stress management techniques and can
also refer you to ongoing stress management classes. Contact us
for more information in this regard.
Source:
www.diabetes.org
Don't
say "Cheese"!
As a
nation, we get more bone-building calcium from cheese than from
any other food except milk. But cheese also gives us more artery-clogging
saturated food than any other food, even beef or milk. It's also
a major source of cholesterol and sodium.
Just one ounce
of full fat cheese can have as much as 6 grams of saturated fat
(about half of a day's worth). Switch to reduced fat cheese and
you can reduce your saturated fat intake dramatically. Low fat mozzarella
has half the amount of total fat and saturated fat as regular mozzarella.
However, part-skim mozzarella is something of a fraud. It saves
you just 1 gram of total fat (almost all of it saturated) for every
ounce you eat.
Another strategy
is to use strong, flavorful cheeses like Parmesan and Romano. They
are just as fatty as other cheeses but we tend to use much less
of them because they are so flavorful. It only takes at most two
tablespoons to zip up a
bowl of pasta and that means 3 grams of fat (2 of them saturated).
Your best pizza
strategy - ask for your pizza with half the usual amount of cheese.
Try making it at home with low fat mozzarella or soy cheese. Many
of the soy cheeses melt very well and taste delicious when used
as part of a dish. Soy cheese contains primarily unsaturated fat
and so is a very healthy alternative.
The average
American eats more than two pounds of cheese a month…so try
saying "less cheese" and help your heart!
Source:
adapted from Nutrition Action Healthletter Jan/Feb 2001
Recipe
of the Month
Tofu
Dill Dip (Serves
5)
This
delicious dip is a great way to try tofu. Some reluctant vegetable
eaters may be more excited to eat their carrot and celery sticks
with this dip!
1 cucumber,
peeled
1 lb. tofu
1 tsp. dill weed
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley or 1 Tbs. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt to taste
Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender and
blend until creamy. Serve with raw vegetables and crackers.
Total Calories per serving: 77
Fat: 5 grams
Protein: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 3 grams
Calcium: 104 mg
Source:
www.vrg.org
Favorite Food of the month
We
are very excited about mini bell peppers, which you can find at
Trader Joes, Sam's Club, some Fred Meyer stores and QFC. These red,
yellow and orange treats are sweet and delicious and look so pretty
on a party table. They are one of the easiest ways to eat vegetables
- no preparation required. Throw them in your lunch bag, use them
as an appetizer with a low fat dip, or snack on them while preparing
dinner.
Try them and let them know us know what you think!
NutritionWorks
Happenings
We
have lots of classes planned for June and July. We have a few highlights
listed below but for a complete upcoming schedule, go to www.NutritionWorkSeattle.com and click on Upcoming Events. Find a class
that interests you and come and join us. We look forward to seeing
you there!
- Sandi and
Kathleen will be teaching an exciting class called Fad Diets -
Myths and Truths on Wednesday 5th June, Wed 12th June, and Mon
17th June at PCC stores in Greenlake, West Seattle and Issaquah.
For more info and to register, call (206) 545-7112.
- Are you
interested in vegetarian cooking and nutrition?Join us on Wednesday
June 10th at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park for a Healthy
Vegan cooking and nutrition class from 6:30-8:30pm. To register,
call (206) 366-3333
- Sandi is
teaching an exciting class called Exploring Vegetarian Diets on
Wed 19th June from 6:30-8:00pm at Evergreen Medical Center in
Kirkland. To register, call (425) 899-3000.
For more information,
please call us at (206) 551-3407 or email us at NutritionWorkSeattle@hotmail.com
We'd
love to hear from you
- Let us know
if you'd like us to write about a particular topic or if you have
a question you would like printed in the newsletter!
- Want to
share? If you have had success with managing your health or weight
by using a specific technique or would like to share favorite
ideas or foods or recipes, please send those in and we will print
them in the next newsletter, honoring your privacy if requested
of course.
- If you know
of anyone who would like a nutrition or wellness presentation
offered, please let him or her know about NutritionWorks!
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