Six Surprising Superfoods

An article by Men's Health magazine reminds me of Woody Allen's movie Sleeper. When he wakes up from frozen sleep he learns that the foods he thought were unhealthy, like steak and chocolate, are actuallyvery healthy. Everything he knew about food & nutrition was wrong!

Here are six food that you might think are "bad" but probably are not

1. Full-fat cheese: "one of the best muscle-building nutrients you can eat" and "even when men ate 10 ounces of full-fat cheese daily for 3 weeks, their LDL (“bad”) cholesterol didn’t budge."

2. Iceberg lettuce: famous for having NO nutritional value but in reality"half a head of iceberg lettuce has significantly more alpha-carotene, a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant, than either romaine lettuce or spinach."

3. Mushrooms:I saw a sign at an Asian grocery that described mushrooms as the vegetable that does not taste like a vegetable. The fungi metabolites "have been shown to boost immunity and prevent cancer growth"

4. Pork chops: "contains almost five times the selenium—a mineral linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer—of beef and twice that of chicken"

5. Red Pepper flakes: "consuming a gram of red-pepper flakes—about half a teaspoon—30 minutes prior to a meal reduced calorie intake by 16 percent."

6. Vinegar: "when people consumed 2 tablespoons of vinegar with a high-carb meal, their blood sugar was 23 percent lower"

12 Confusing Foods

"You heard that eggs can be high in cholesterol, so you dutifully switched to whole grains for breakfast. Next, you swapped out red meat for fish—only to later learn that fish can contain dangerous levels of mercury...and eggs may not harm your heart after all. 'With all of the different reports and headlines, it’s no wonder that many people get confused,' "

So begins an article by Prevention Magazine on 12 Confusing Foods.

1. Coffee - Prevention notes that coffee has antioxidants and other minerals that are good for you. Of course one could argue that cigarettes with added vitamin D would be "healthy". I disagree with Prevention here and suggest one needs to look at the whole food effect and not just a few favorable components.
2. Wine - as with coffee above, wine has antioxidants. But here Prevention is more clear - at most one glass a day because wine also has negative effects. They fail to note that grape juice can provide many of the same health benefits.
3. Potatoes - is healthy food often served in unhealthy ways (fried, with butter, etc)
4. Cheese - great for calcium but high in fat calories. Depending on your diet this may be a good thing.
5. Fish - "benefits far outweigh the risks" However, the FDA advises that young children, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and women trying to become pregnant steer clear of fish that contain the most mercury, including swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tile fish. [What's a tile fish?]
6. Chocolate - dark chocolate is good for the heart according to recent studies. Eat in moderation.
7. Red Meat - "Go lean. Look for cuts with “loin” and “round” in the name—and limit yourself to 18 ounces a week. That translates into around six 3-ounce servings (imagine a deck of cards)."
8. Nuts - "Ounce for ounce, nuts pack in more calories than most other snacks. But the surprising truth is that nuts are one of the best foods for weight loss."
9. Beer - see wine
10. Soy - a healthy food in "healthy people" but causes hormone-like effects (Estrogen) that may raise the risk of breast cancer. Ask your doctor before consuming large amounts of soy.
11. Eggs - a great food but limit to one a day
12. Margarine - Avoid any product with the words “partially hydrogenated” on the ingredient list.

Bottom Line

Honestly, after reading the Prevention article, I'm still confused. Food X is packed with good stuff but limit to one a day? What kind of advice is that? There's no shortage of "safe" foods that are packed with vitamins and minerals, for example spinach. I'm reminded of Stock Analysts that NEVER say sell; it's always but or hold a stock. Somehow they can never find anything bad to say about a stock. Or Entertainment News shows that flatter celebrities because they do not want to be denied access to the stars. Is Prevention afraid of losing sponsors if they say don't eat this or don't drink that?

Stinky Eggs

“I have met a lot of hardboiled eggs in my time, but you're twenty minutes.” - Oscar Wilde

My wife loves hardboiled eggs but they stink-up the refrigerator with a sulfur smell for a day or more after cooking. I did some research and found two sites that say the smell is most likely from overcooking the eggs.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006021409626

http://hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Home-Egg-Freshness-Test-and-How-to-Boil-Eggs-that-Dont-Smell-Eggy

First check is if your eggs are too old. Eggs in the refrigerator can be stored safely for weeks but each egg is losing moisture through its shell, at the rate of about 5 milligrams of liquid per day. As the moisture escapes the shell, a small air pocket at the base of the egg grows. This provides an easy test for freshness: eggs that float in water are very old and should not be eaten. The quicker an egg sinks, the fresher it is.

If you eggs are fresh but still produce a sulfurous smell when hard boiled then you've overcooked them. Rapidly boiling water will overcook the white part of the egg before the yolks are completely set. Rapid boiling can also crack the shells. So the suggested technique for making hard boiled eggs is:

* Place eggs in pot of cold water, single layer, with an inch of water covering
* Heat just till boiling (let the eggs warm up slowly)
* Start your timer.
* Gently simmer your eggs at about 90 degrees. Some cooks say cover the pot and remove it from the burner.
* Eggs are solid at 13-17 minutes depending on the size of the egg (http://www.ochef.com/655.htm)
* Do NOT cook for longer than this.
* Stop the cooking process by removing the eggs from the pot and plunge them in cold water or place them briefly under cold running water. This is VERY important.

Get crackin'.

Bottom Line

Eggs are high in nutrients -- a very good source of selenium, iodine, and vitamin B2 and a good source of protein, molybdenum, phosphorous, vitamin B5, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. There are 78 Calories, 2 Weight Watchers points in one hard-boiled egg.

The bad: Eggs are high in Saturated Fat, and the yolks are very high in Cholesterol. The MayoClinic recommends just one egg a day if you eat the yolk.

Beverage Secrets

“The materials don't even have the guts to urge kids to drink less soda pop, or eat less candy.” - Michael Jacobson on the new Food Pyramid for Kids

Did you know that the average American drinks 1/5th his daily calories? Many of us drink more than 400 calories every single day, 21% of the daily recommended limit, which is twice as much as we drank 30 years ago. What changed? Women's Health magazine has the answers in 12 Secrets the Beverage Industry Doesn't Want You to Know.

1. How bad can a milk shake be? The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Shake at Baskin-Robbins requires 50 ingredients and packs 1,690 calories and 46 grams of saturated fat. That's just about an entire day's limit in one drink. Shakes at the ice cream parlors of yore used just 5 ingredients and had fewer calories.

2. Everyone knows ice cream is caloric so I'll consume a healthy fruit drink instead. But the article claims that many of Ocean Spray's drinks contain as little as 20% real juice with 73-85 of the calories from added sugar to sweeten the cranberries. "That amounts to about as much sugar as two scoops of ice cream stuffed into each 8-ounce cup of juice."

3. When you drink a beverage that is "100 percent juice" know that very little of that juice is cranberry or pomegranate or whatever is pictured on the label. Most of the juice is cheaper apple or grape juice and is not much better for you than sugar water.

4. So I'll drink something 100% natural like milk. There are some reasonable fears over the use of bovine growth hormone that makes cows produce more milk. It adds an insulin-like growth factor, IGF-1, to the milk which may cause cancer and other side effects in humans.

5. OK, how about diet soda? It's calorie free and no hormones. Yet there are theories that diet soda makes you hungrier. The body is revved up with a sugar high but there's no calories to burn so the body demands content with hunger cravings.

6. Is soda natural? 7Up claims it is "all natural" but the natural ingredients are subjected to some serious chemistry and centrifuges to turn corn into corn sugar. "A 20-ounce bottle of 7Up has nearly as much sugar as five Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches."

7. Cocktails are loaded with sugar. Tom Collins, Whiskey sour, Pina colada and other popular mixes contain twice the sugar as regular soda.

8. "Glaceau doesn't want you to know that a bottle of Vitaminwater has more sugar than a Snickers bar."

9. "The bottled water industry doesn't want you to know that its product isn't any better than the water that comes from your tap, which has passed strict state, federal, and local guidelines."

10. Many of the fruit smoothies you buy come spiked with sugar. Order your smoothie "skinny" and save about 100 calories per 20 oz.

11. "The coffee industry doesn't want you to know that the average latte is worse than a double-scoop ice cream cone."

12.  "The beer and soda industries don't want you to know that aluminum cans are lined with a toxic plastic. Bisphenol A, otherwise known as BPA, that has been identified as a threat to your health."

Bottom Line

For more information see
http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2010/04/caffeine.html  Caffeine levels in drinks
http://perpetualpreparedness.blogspot.com/2009/04/things-you-pay-too-much-for.html  Cost of drinks

Healthy Foods

If you like to talk to tomatoes
If a squash can make you smile
If you like to waltz with potatoes
Up and down the produce aisle...
Have we got a show for you!
- VeggieTales theme song

There are some studies that show multi-vitamins are less healthy than claimed. As one writer puts it – the carrot is more important than beta-carotene. Without the proper food context, supplemental vitamins may remain undigested and pass through the body without doing anything. Rather than relying upon health in a pill, it’s better to get your daily essential vitamins and minerals via a wise choice in the food you eat. To help with meal planning, Men’s Health Magazine has published The Most Nutritious Whole Foods for key supplements. The foods are listed in decreasing order of impact. Check out the full article for details since a single serving of some foods below will supply 1400% of what you need daily while others at the end of each list as little as 10% daily.

Vitamin A (good for eyesight and fighting viruses)
1 Cup of the following red/orange and dark green vegetables will provide at least a day’s worth of A. Raw carrots, spinach, sweet potato, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cantaloupe.

B1 (Thiamin maintains energy, and helps the nerves, heart and muscles)
Sunflower seeds, Yellowfin tuna, black beans, Corn, Sesame seeds, Oatmeal, Asparagus, Brussels sprouts, Spinach, Pineapple

B6 (Involved in over 100 enzyme reactions including nerves & digestion of starch and sugar).
Banana, Chicken breast, Turkey, Cod, Potato, Avocado, Garlic, Red Pepper, Watermelon, Cauliflower

B12 (Develops blood and nerve cells and processes protein)
Clams, Duck liver, Oysters, Calf liver, Rainbow trout, Top sirloin, Skim yogurt, Milk, Lean ham, Eggs

C (Protection from colds & cancer, protects cells)
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Strawberries, Orange, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Grapefruit

D (essential for calcium absorption)
Halibut, Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Oysters, Shrimp, Vit-D milk, Cod

E (Protects skin from UV rays)
Fortified cereal, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, almonds, olives, papays, sweet potato, spinach

Folate (Folic acid – prevents anemia, helps skin and nerves and bones)
Lentils, navy beans, beets, split peas, papaya, mustard greens, peanuts, flaxseeds, orange

Calcium (Essential for healthy bones and teeth)
Sesame seeds, Milk, Soymilk, Yogurt, Spinach, Cheese, Tofu

Iron (required for red blood cells)
Liver, soybeans, spinach, tofu, sesame seeds, kidney beans, venison, lima beans, beef, turkey

Magnesium (Helps muscles and nerves to relax, strengthens bones)
Salmon, Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds, Prickly pear, Black beans, Almonds, Pinto beans, Brown rice, Scallops, Summer squash

Potassium (Stronger muscles, balances electrolytes, lowers risk of high blood pressure.)
Winter Squash, Avocado, Pinto beans, Lentils, Beets, Figs, Brussels sprouts, Cantaloupe, Banana, Tomato

Selenium (Protects cells from free radical damage, allows thyroid to produce hormones, and protects joints from inflammation.)
Wild oysters, Snapper, White tuna, Halibut, Shrimp, Turkey, Beef, Portobello mushrooms, Egg, Tofu

Zinc (Stabilizes metabolism and blood sugar, helps immune system when you're sick)
Beef, Lamb, Fortified cereals, Wheat germ, Venison, Sesame seeds, Pastrami, Green peas, Shrimp

Bottom Line

Looking over the list I notice that there are a few foods frequently mentioned:
Spinach and sesame seeds; also broccoli, beans, and Brussels sprouts. I definitely need to eat more vegetables.

The Amazing Banana

“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana”-Groucho Marx

I love bananas. When I worked in NYC I’d buy one from sidewalk vendors each morning. Now that I work in Connecticut I bring a banana in my lunch bag each day. So I’m pleased to read in, “A Banana a Day?”, that this fruit is even more amazing than I knew:

Compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium (second only to the avocado).

With three natural sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous, 90-minute workout. [On the flip side, don’t gorge on the yellow fruit. A single banana contains 170-190 calories. Twice the calories of a medium sized apple.]

The “A Banana a Day?” article also cites health benefits for the following:

• Reducing Depression & SAS (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
• Ease PMS
• Lower Blood Pressure & the risk of Stroke
• Calm the Nerves & Stress
• Increase Brain Power
• Ease Constipation
• Prevent Hangovers
• Lessen Heartburn & Ulcers (a natural antacid)
• Reduce Morning Sickness
• Remove the itch from Mosquito Bites (rub the bite with the inside part of the peel)

Bottom Line

The banana is unique amongst fruit because it does not come from a tree but rather from a giant tree-like herb related to the lily and orchid family. Bananas are easy to digest with no fat and are often the first solid food given to infants.

The texture, color, and sweetness of bananas will change as they ripen. Green tipped bananas are firmest and ideal for cooking, yellow ones are for eating, and brown-specked ones are great for baking breads, muffins and cookies. You can add yellow bananas to your cereals, salads, yogurt, salsa, smoothie or shakes.

Store bananas at room temperature until they reach the ripeness you want; then move them to the refrigerator. The peel will turn black in the fridge but the banana inside will remain firm. To speed up ripening, store bananas in a brown paper bag with an apple or tomato overnight.