A Healthy Reminder

Don't forget- this weekend is the 14th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival.  Check out this blog posting for details.  Hope to see you there!
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Exercise & Osteoporosis Prevention

Turns out that October 20th, 2009 is World Osteoporosis Day.  Additionally, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary.  They've developed several useful handouts:

25 Facts about Your Bones & Osteoporosis

25 Calcium Rich Foods

25 Ways to Improve Your Bone Health

25 Ways to Prevent Falls

While you might not be able to control some of the risk factors for developing osteoporosis (being female, Asian/Caucasian, and getting older) there are a handful of really important things you can do NOW to prevent osteoporosis. 

You may already know this but consistent exercise is one of the best things you can build healthy bones.  And the National Osteoporosis Foundation has a great article on their website.  Below is a basic run down of the types of exercises and their effectiveness in improving bone health.

Weight-bearing, High-Impact Exercises are best for building bones in people who do not have low bone mass, osteoporosis or are frail.

Some of these exercises include:
Dancing
High-impact aerobics
Hiking
Jogging/running
Jumping Rope
Stair climbing
Tennis

Weight-bearing, Low-Impact Exercises can also help to build bones and are safer for people who cannot do high-impact exercises.

Some of these exercises include:
Elliptical training machines
Low impact aerobics
Stair-step machines
Walking (treadmill/outside)

RESISTANCE AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
These exercises include activities where you move your body, a weight or some other resistance against gravity.

Functional movements, such as standing and rising up on your toes
Lifting weights
Using elastic exercise bands
Using weight machines
Lifting your own body weight

NON-IMPACT ACTIVITIES (BALANCE, FUNCTIONAL AND POSTURE EXERCISES)
These exercises can help you to improve balance, posture, and how well you move in every day activities. These exercises can also help to increase muscle strength and decrease the risk of falls and broken bones.

Some of these exercises include:
Balance exercises. Exercises that strengthen your legs and challenge your balance, such as Tai Chi, can decrease your risk of falls.

Posture exercises. Exercises that improve your posture and reduce rounded or “sloping” shoulders can help you decrease the risk of fractures, especially in the spine.

Functional exercises. Exercises that improve how well you move can help you in everyday activities and decrease your risk of falls and fractures. For example, if you have trouble getting up from a chair or climbing stairs, you should do these activities as exercises (try standing up and sitting down several times until you are tired).

Yoga and Pilates can also improve strength, balance and flexibility; however people with low bone density or osteoporosis should avoid certain positions to prevent fractures. These include forward-bending exercises. A physical therapist should be able to help you learn which exercises are safe and appropriate for you.

NON-WEIGHT-BEARING, NON-IMPACT ACTIVITIES
These exercises can be part of a well-rounded exercise program, but do not help to build bones. If you like these activities, try to add in others that work your bones

Some of these exercises include:
Bicycling/indoor cycling
Deep-water walking
Stretching and flexibility exercises
Swimming
Water aerobics

So get your body movin' today, your bones will thank you for it!  You may want to check out an old posting I did on Vitamin D supplemenation.  Calcium and Vitamin D supplementation is essential for healthy bones.
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The Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet

I live in Cambridge and have found myself surrounded with friends that follow a vegetarian/vegan diet.  Their rationale for doing so varies from person to person: health benefits, decrease damage to the environment, reduce animal suffering, etc. 

While I don't follow a strict vegetarian lifestyle, I am a huge advocate of replacing some of your animal-based food choices with plant-based ones.  Eating a largely plant-based diet is associated with huge health benefits in the prevention of developing many chronic diseases as well as increasing the nutritional quality of your diet. 

The Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group is an excellent resource if you are interested in articles, research, websites, books, and cookbooks on the topic of vegetarian eating.

If you are interested in eating more plant-based meals, but don't know where to start, the Meatless Mondays website is a great place to go.  The rationale behind the website is that by going meatless once a week, we can radically improve our health and health of the planet.  Check it out.

A couple of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks include:

• Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers
• Vegan with a Vengeance & Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Here is one of my favorite recipes that I've made lately, courtesy of Veganomicon.  I made it last week and served it on a whole grain bun and couldn't wait to eat the leftovers.  Delicious!

Snobby Joes

prep time: | cooking time: 35 minutes start to finish | makes 4 to 6 sammiches

From Veganomicon. Every vegan cookbook needs a sloppy joe recipe with the name changed around a bit, right? Well, this is ours. Those sloppy joes we loved as a child but made with lentils. Snobby Joe thinks he's better than all the other Joes because he doesn't have any meat.


Equipment:
Just a pot or two

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)

4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sesame buns

Directions
Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.

About 10 minutes before the lentils are done boiling, preheat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil for about 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and saute a minute more.

Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.

Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait. I like to serve these open faced, with a scoop of snobby joe on each slice of the bun.
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14th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival

Save the Date!  Boston's 14th Annual Vegetarian Food Festival has expanded to two days.

When: Saturday, October 31st from 10-6 & Sunday, November 1st from 10-4
Where: Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont St in Boston, easily accessible by public transporation
Why: Enjoy delicious/free food while learning about how to incorporate healthy vegetarian living into your life.  Plus IT'S FREE!!!

Here is a run down of the festivities:

• 120 exciting exhibitors
• free food sampling!
• grocery and natural foods store exhibits
• food producers and new products
• cooking demonstrations by noted chefs
• book and cookbook publishers and authors
• top national speakers
• educational exhibits on protecting animals and the environment
• Festival discounted shopping
• registered dietitian consultants
• children's activities
• restaurants
• exhibitors of products and services which support a vegetarian way of life
• free parking and a subway stop across the street

Here is a link to the speakers and cooking demo schedule.

In honor of the upcoming festival, I'll post some of my favorite vegetarian recipes for you to try.

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Food Rules

Today, theNew York Times magazine is all about food. One of the articles, written by Michael Pollan caught my eye. It's about food rules.  Basically, his premise is that culture might have more to teach us than the government or trained nutritionists. 

Pollan says "If we can’t rely on the marketers or the government or even the nutritionists to guide us through the supermarket woods, then who can we rely on? Well, ask yourself another question: How did humans manage to choose foods and stay healthy before there were nutrition experts and food pyramids or breakfast cereals promising to improve your child’s focus or restaurant portions bigger than your head? We relied on culture, which is another way of saying: on the accumulated wisdom of the tribe."

So I'm interested to know- do you have food rules that you live by?  If yes, what are they?  Do you think food rules can be helpful or harmful?  Pollan solicited for readers food rules.  Check out this "food rule slideshow" to see some of the responses.

Interestingly enough, I was planning to blog later on this month about a fantastic book called "The Rules of Normal Eating" by Karen Koenig that has some great suggestions for helpful food rules.  Check back later on in the month for my book review.

I do have some pretty simple food rules that I try to live by:
1.) Eat breakfast
2.) Eat when hungry, stop when full as much as possible
3.) Eat foods I crave
4.) Eat fruits and vegetables everyday

What are your food rules?
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that October marks the 25th year of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM)?  The purposes of this annual campaign is to increase awareness, raise funds for research, and promote prevention and early detection.

Please note that Friday, October 16th is National Mammography Day.  Take this as an opportunity to schedule a mammorgram or encourage a loved one to schedule a mammogram today.  You could be saving a life.

The BCAM website is filled with lots of information and tools for patients, information about the disease, and a listing of opportunities to help the cause.  While breast cancer is not totally preventable, it's important to remember that there are a few important things you can do to be as healthy as possible.

1.) Begin scheduling regular mammograms and screenings at the age of 40.
2.) Obtain a clinical breast exam annually.
3.) Perform monthly breast self-exams.  This goes for women in their 20's and beyond.
4.) Choose a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and foods naturally high in fiber (think whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and legumes).
5.) Limit your alcohol intake to <1 drinks per day.
6.) Stop smoking if you are currently in the habit.
7.) Stay active! A brisk 30 minute walk on most days of the week does the trick.  But it can be a lot more fun to find something you enjoy: exercising with a friend, taking a dance class, walking your dog, etc.

Check out a blog post I wrote earlier about Holly Clegg and her fanastic cookbook "Eating Well Through Cancer."  Here's a recipe for Yam Biscuits she recommends for the day of chemotherapy.  This can be a great resource for anyone who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

Everyone who is reading my blog is aware of how important it is to take care of your bodies as best you can.  All you can do is your very best, so try not to get overwhelmed and stressed.  It may be helpful to choose one thing you can do a bit better and focus on it...even if that means reaching out to your Mom, sister, or best friend.
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Product Showcase: Dole's Wildly Nutritious Frozen Fruit

Did you know that frozen fruits and vegetables may have a higher vitamin & mineral content than your fresh fruits and vegetables?  It's true!  And this cool video from Dole can show you why.  Ok, it's not cool, it's sort of cheezy.  But the content is good.

That is one of the many handy tips I picked up while browsing the information packed website from www.dole.com.  I first went the website because I wanted to highlight my product pick of the month which is "Dole's Wildly Nutritious Tropical Frozen Fruit" which I LOVE.  It has all of my favorite fruits: pineapple, mango, and strawberries.  Whipping it up with some yogurt is truly one of my favorite ways to start my day.  Does that sound over the top?  Yes, but it's true!

But after checking out the website, I was amazed at all of the great nutrition information and recipes that are available.  I found a recipe for Spinach, Arugula, & Orange Pesto that sounds fantastic.  I've posted it below.  If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Spinach, Arugula, and Orange Pesto
8 Servings

Ingredients
1/4 cups livered almonds, toasted
1-1/2 cups loosely packed fresh DOLE Spinach leaves
1-1/2 cups loosely packed fresh DOLE Arugula , sorrel or watercress leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Place almonds in a food processor or blender container. Cover and process or blend the almonds until finely chopped.
2.Add the Spinach and Arugula, sorrel or watercress; cover. With the machine running, gradually add the oil in a thin, steady stream, processing until the mixture is combined and slightly chunky.
3.Add Parmesan or Romano cheese, orange peel, orange juice, ground red pepper and salt. Process or blend just until combined.
4.To Store: Divide into 1/4-cup portions and place in airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
5.To Serve: Bring pesto to room temperature and spread on grilled salmon, grilled chicken or toasted bread. (Makes 3/4 cup)

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Eggs & Cholesterol

So I have a surprising number of people ask me about eggs.  It seems that a fair number of you like them but are afraid that their high cholesterol content will have a negative impact on  your cholesterol.  As it turns out, the newest research shows that it's actually excessive intake of saturated fat, rather than cholesterol that negatively affects risk factors (i.e. high blood lipids, cholesterol, and blood pressure) for the development of cardiovascular disease.

Here's a quick little abstract from the Journal of American College of Nutrition which states that "The most recent American Heart Association guidelines no longer include a recommendation to limit egg consumption, but recommend the adoption of eating practices associated with good health."  In fact, there just doesn't seem to be good data that eating a lot of eggs directly increases cholesterol levels.

Currently, the AHA recommends 6 or fewer eggs per week.  This article provides a list of cooking tips to consider if you are worried about your heart health.  Remember, it's the overall pattern of your diet that matters most!  It's not about obsessing over one food in isolation.

But I say, let's focus on the positive.  Eggs offer some really fantastic nutritional benefits.  It's a great source of protein, fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A,D,E,K), and they are super cheap!  So I say scramble a couple of eggs with your favorite veggies and serve it up with some whole grain toast.  Here's how I serve up my eggs at home:

1.) Saute whatever veggies I have in the house (peppers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, onions, etc) in some olive oil, black pepper, red pepper, and garlic for 5 minutes (or so).
2.) Whisk together an egg or two with some skim milk and season salt.
3.) Pour the egg mixture into the pan with the cooked veggies.
4.) Scramble until desired consistency (I never can make a beautiful omelette so I just end up scrambling them up).
5.) Toast some whole grain bread and serve your eggs with hot sauce, salsa, ketchup, or plain!
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