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Nutrition & Health
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Why some foods make you feel good..
Lead Found in Children's Juices
NYONE want oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow morning?" was my question each night to our houseguests in Vermont over a long weekend recently. Three out of four mornings, the answer was steel-cut oats with brown sugar or raisins, salt and milk. The fourth day they opted for bacon, eggs and croissants. More people than I ever imagined like oatmeal as much as I do. The nutty aroma of the simmering oats makes the kitchen seem even toastier on a chilly morning. I confess I eat it year round because it keeps my hunger pangs at bay for quite a long time, and it may reduce cholesterol levels.In the 1990's the Food and Drug Administration gave oatmeal makers permission to put either of two health claims on their labels: "Soluble fiber from oatmeal, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease," or "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include three grams of soluble fiber from whole oats per day may reduce the risk of heart disease."Despite the oat craze about 15 years ago (remember oat bran doughnuts?) the proportion of Americans who eat oatmeal for breakfast has not changed in 20 years, said Harry Balzar of the NPD Group, a consumer marketing research company in Port Washington, N.Y. But it remains a substantial number: one in five Americans eat oatmeal. What has changed is the form in which they eat it. Instead of cooking the old-fashioned steel-cut or more common rolled oatmeal, many Americans prefer instant mixes, which involve microwaving or stirring with boiling water. They don't know what they're missing. What is so appealing about oatmeal, especially the kind made from steel-cut oats, is its nutty flavor and texture. I recently sampled almost 40 types of all of kinds of oatmeals, and the kindest thing I can say about the ones sold as instant is that they have the texture of baby cereal. The nutty flavor is nonexistent, and the instants generally contain sugar and artificial flavors. Even more unfortunate, they severely dilute the health benefits. Whether old-fashioned or quick-cooking, steel-cut oats or rolled oats contain two grams of soluble fiber in a serving. With a couple of exceptions, all the others contain only one gram, even though they still promote health advantages. It would be necessary, for example, to eat almost five ounces of Quaker instant cinnamon and spice oatmeal — containing about 510 calories and 48 grams of sugar — to get the three grams of soluble fiber mentioned in the federally approved statement. That's more sugar than a 12-ounce soft drink contains, but at least they are not empty calories. But Quaker, which says it has 60 percent of all the hot cereal business, is forthcoming about its soluble fiber. Following the label's health claim about soluble fiber and heart health is this statement in small type: "This cereal has one gram per package." Nature's Path instant oatmeal, which comes plain and in three flavored versions, also makes the health claim but does not list the amount of soluble fiber among the nutrition facts on the label. A spokesman for the company said the cereals contain one gram. But promotional information on two of the packages is confusing, one saying that a serving contains four grams of soluble fiber, another that two portions of oat cereal a day lower cholesterol. The company spokesman acknowledged the confusion and said that while the two-portion statement would be retained, the four-gram claim would be removed. A single serving of the maple nut version of this cereal has 200 calories. To consume three grams of soluble fiber would require eating more than four ounces of cereal and 600 calories. Serving sizes vary — a quarter-cup of steel cut is the equivalent of a half-cup of rolled — but these varieties have two grams of soluble fiber and about 150 calories. To get three grams of soluble fiber, you need 1 1/2 servings, or less than 1 1/2 ounces of cereal, which has 225 calories and from zero to one gram of sugar. Even my favorite, McCann's steel-cut Irish oatmeal in a can, carries incorrect information. The "nutrition facts" panel says that one of its serving has two grams of soluble fiber, but the lid provides inaccurate information. A spokesman for the company said that the nutrition panel was correct, and that the lid was being changed. Surely one reason people have turned to instant oatmeal is that it takes only a couple of minutes. Steel-cut takes 20 to 30 minutes, and rolled about 5. For those who like old-fashioned oatmeal for breakfast but don't have much time, two shortcuts are available. Steel-cut oats can be prepared and refrigerated for several days. For breakfast a portion can be placed in a microwave-ready cereal bowl with milk and heated about three minutes. (The exact time depends on the microwave.) It's a good idea to stir it once halfway through. Or it can be cooked from scratch in a microwave in a container tall enough to keep the liquid from boiling over for 12 to 14 minutes. And, as the McCann's can says, "to ensure characteristic rich nutty flavor, avoid overcooking.".
Snacking Habits
Snacking for your child
When your child rolls through the door after school, they leave a trail of books, knapsacks, coats,
pencils and shoes. Follow this trail, and you will be led right to the refrigerator. It is time for the after school snack! Snacking is a very important part of childhood nutrition. Your children need to eat often because they have high-energy needs and burn their foods fast. The average child needs three meals and two to three snacks a day. This is where you can supply healthy foods and promote healthy choices by following these simple steps.
Plan Ahead
Unplanned snacks that are low in nutritional value result in weight gain.
Parents need to control the types of snacks, limiting them to nutritious foods.
Avoid large gaps in time where there is no food.
Arrange snacking only when the child is hungry
Avoid snacking during other activities (television, Sega, etc.)
Create Snack Habits
Eat Snacks while relaxed and sitting down.
Schedule Snacks around certain events of the day (after school, bedtime)
Unplanned frequent snacks add up to a lot of calories.
Your child should be hungry, not just want to eat.
Healthy Snacks
No Preparation
Fresh Fruit (Bananas, Strawberries, apples)
Vegetables (raw carrots, peppers, string beans, celery)
Rice Cakes (low fat, about 40 Cals/cake)
Dried Fruits (raisins, apricots, prunes, apples)
String Cheese
Cereals (unsweetened such as rice krispies, cheerios)
Quick and Easy
Yogurt (low fat, with or without fruits)
Sorbet (no fat, and lower in calories than milk or ice cream)
Air popped popcorn (can use butter spray instead of butter)
Frozen fruit pops (blend with nonfat yogurt and fruit)
Yogurt dips and vegetables
Salsa dips and tortillas (not potato/corn chips)
Fruit Shakes-smoothies (1-cup skim milk with banana, strawberries, ice, vanilla in blender)
Bagels (scoop out the inside, add turkey slices, low fat cottage or ricotta cheese)
Beverages
Skim Milk (children over 2 years of age only!)
Water
Iced teas (non sugared, decaffeinated)
Foods to avoid:
Juices (Period!)
Potato Chips (try tortillas, pretzels instead)
Doughnuts (try scooped bagels with fruit preserves or ricotta cheese)
Pies (try applesauce, heated with a bit of cinnamon instead)
Ice Cream (try nonfat frozen yogurt)
Cookies (try graham crackers, vanilla wafers, rice cakes)
Quick Tips on getting your child to eat better
Children will eventually learn new to eat new foods if started early and introduced often.
Make snacks available (cut up the vegetables, and keep them handy and within reach in the refrigerator.
Add fruits to breakfast, in the cereal, in yogurt or as a shake.
Have your child help prepare the meals and snacks. They will be more apt to eat if they helped make it.
Use low fat dips (yogurt, salsa, and blended fruits) for all types of snacks. Kids love to dip and eat.
Mix new foods with old time favorites. They are more likely to try it this way.
Serve great tasting healthy desserts (fresh berries on yogurt or frozen low fat yogurt, air popped popcorn instead of cookies, dried fruits instead of candy)
make a good example. Kids will eat what their parents eat. You have to lead by example.
Sources for healthy eating:
http://www.eatright.org
Why some foods make you feel good..
Do you ever find yourself sitting on the sofa with a bar of chocolate when you're feeling stressed, bored, or just lonely? Or find that you get cravings for certain foods — such as cookies, bread or pastries — even when you're not hungry?
Many people turn to food for reasons other than physical hunger. They put this down to a lack of discipline, get very "down" on themselves, and then eat even more so they feel better again! This is a little like getting a flat tire, jumping out of the vehicle, and shooting out the remaining three tires.
What they don't realize is that these cravings could be due to a drop in the levels of serotonin in the brain. In fact, some studies show a direct link between obesity (due to overeating) and decreased brain serotonin levels.
Serotonin
Serotonin is a type of neurotransmitter known as a monoamine. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that send messages from one nerve cell to another. In short, a neurotransmitter helps different parts of your brain "talk" to each other. Without adequate levels of serotonin, you'd probably suffer from depression, sleep disorders, and various addictions.
When serotonin levels drop below a certain level, your brain "thinks" that your body is starving and "tells" you to start eating. Overweight people with low levels of serotonin feel almost compelled to eat more. Once they get their carbohydrate "fix", serotonin levels rise, and they feel better again — albeit temporarily.
It might also interest you to know that nicotine increases serotonin levels. Nicotine withdrawal has the opposite effect. This is one reason why people who quit smoking find that they rapidly gain weight. They're trying to get their serotonin "fix" from food instead of cigarettes.
The food you eat has the potential to raise or lower your serotonin levels. That's why the ingredients of a meal have such a powerful impact on the way you feel after you eat it. To understand why, you need to know a little more about an amino acid called tryptophan (pronounced trip-toe-fan).
The protein in the food you eat is made up of "strands" of amino acids. Your body can't make serotonin without the help of tryptophan. That's why it's called an essential amino acid. If you were to eat just tryptophan by itself, then it would enter the blood, flow into the brain, and raise serotonin levels.
However, whole foods contain other amino acids besides tryptophan. Tryptophan requires the use of a transport molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier. Several other amino acids "compete" for this transport molecule. The presence of these competing amino acids (tyrosine, phenylalanine, valine, leucine and isoleucine) can inhibit the transport of tryptophan into your brain.
That's why eating a food high in tryptophan (such as cottage cheese) is not the best way to raise serotonin levels. Tryptophan is present in foods in relatively small amounts in comparison to these other amino acids. According to some estimates, as little as one percent of the tryptophan in your diet actually crosses the blood-brain barrier.
Carbohydrate
Richard and Judith Wurtman, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have shown that meals high in carbohydrate can actually "help" tryptophan to enter your brain [8]. When you eat a food high in carbohydrate, your body releases insulin. Insulin helps to clear the competing amino acids from your blood. However, insulin has no effect on tryptophan. Consequently, once insulin has cleared the competing amino acids from your blood, tryptophan is free to enter your brain.
The link between serotonin and sleep is one reason why some people feel tired after eating a high-carbohydrate meal containing potatoes, bread, or pasta. It also explains why foods high in carbohydrate are described as "comfort" food.
People with an almost uncontrollable urge to raid the fridge late at night are doing it to help themselves sleep by boosting serotonin levels.
If you've ever wondered why dieting affects your mood, low serotonin levels could be the explanation.
Confirming the findings of other studies, researchers from Boston's Beth Israel Hospital have shown that tryptophan levels can drop significantly after just four weeks on a low-calorie diet. This has the effect of reducing serotonin levels. The resulting mood swings and carbohydrate cravings are one reason why binge eating interferes with the attempts of many people to stick to their diets.
More interesting still, the drop in tryptophan appears to be greater in women, rather than men. For instance, researchers from the University of Oxford found that just three weeks on a low calorie diet significantly reduced both tryptophan levels and the ratio of tryptophan to competing amino acids in a group of 15 men and women.
Despite a similar drop in weight, the decline in tryptophan was greater in women than men. In other words, women appear to be more vulnerable than men to a diet-induced reduction in serotonin levels. This could be because estrogen levels are higher in women than men, which can increase the number of serotonin receptors in the brain.
There are also genetic variations in the serotonergic system (specifically, the 5-HT2A receptor gene) shown to affect both food and alcohol intake in overweight people. This means that some people will respond in very different ways to the same diet.
There's evidence to show that you'll feel more alert and attentive when you consume both carbohydrate and protein in the same meal.
A good example comes from researchers at the Department of Agriculture and Food Science in Zurich, Switzerland.
The study was designed to examine the effect of meals containing different amounts of carbohydrate and protein on mental function. Each meal contained approximately 400 calories. However, the levels of carbohydrate and protein in each meal varied.
• Meal 1 was high in carbohydrate and low in protein (4 grams of carbohydrate to 1 gram of protein).
• Meal 2 was high in protein and low in carbohydrate (4 grams of protein to 1 gram of carbohydrate).
• Meal 3 contained a balance of carbohydrate and protein (1 gram of protein to 1 gram of carbohydrate).
Attention and decision times were improved within the first hour after the high-carbohydrate meal. However, after the first hour, the high-protein meal and the balanced meal led to improved mental performance. So, if you want to stay "sharp" mentally, it appears that a meal containing both carbohydrate and protein is the best way to do it.
