Salmonella Outbreak - Peanut Butter
Sunday, February 18, 2007

The big health news of the week was the latest outbreak of Salmonella in peanut butter.

So will this news effect the peanut butter industry the way Taco Bell was effected by it's E. Coli outbreak? And do you plan on avoiding peanut butter the way that most people avoided bagged spinach? How long will be before we can all start enjoying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches without any worries?

I've been trying to eat only natural peanut butter lately because it's a lot more healthy than brand name peanut butter. You have to mix the peanut oil that rises to the top of the jar back in but other than that I'm quite fond of it.

With all these outbreaks in the news, do you think that they're occurring more frequently or do you think that they are just being reported more?

And how long before all these health scares are tied to some sort of terrorism? I can see it now, "Is Al Queda poisoning your peanut butter? Film at eleven."

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posted by Anthony @ 8:32 AM, ,


Chocolate - Fatigue Fighter
Sunday, January 07, 2007

2006 was an excellent year for Dark Chocolate. Studies concluded that dark chocolate, with it's high levels of polyphenols and flavanols, is actually good for you.

Another recent study has shown dark chocolate to fight fatigue. According to UK researchers, a small piece of dark chocolate on a daily basis, can help with the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

Who doesn't love eating chocolate and now that it's a heart healthy food and helps fight fatigue, why deprive yourself. Obviously this doesn't mean to hit the vending machine with a pocket full of quarters and think that your doing yourself a favor. No, as usual, moderation is important.

I think I'm going to try adding a small piece of organic dark chocolate (I've seen it at Trader Joe's) as an after dinner snack.

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posted by Anthony @ 10:12 AM, ,


Trans Fat
Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Trans Fat is probably one of the most talked about health issues of 2006. And looks to continue to be hot topic through 2007. Even if you don’t follow health news, you may still have seen all the hoopla created by Mayor Bloomberg who passed a law to ban all Trans fats in NYC. The ban will force restaurants to switch to healthier cooking oils as well as salad dressings, baked goods, etc.

So what is trans fat. The American Heart Association defines it like this.
Trans fat (also called trans fatty acids) is formed when liquid vegetable oils go through a chemical process called hydrogenation, in which hydrogen is added to make the oils more solid. Hydrogenated vegetable fats are used by food processors because they allow longer shelf-life and give food desirable taste, shape and texture.

Are all fats bad for you? No, there are healthier forms of fat than trans fat. But remember that even though they lower the bad cholesterol in your body they should only be consumed in moderation.

Monounsaturated Fat: Found in most nuts, olive oil and avocados.
Polyunsaturated Fat: Found in vegetable oils like corn, soy and sunflower
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in seafood such as salmon & herring as well as in flax oil and walnuts

Tips to avoid Trans Fat:

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posted by Anthony @ 7:00 PM, ,


E. Coli On The Menu
Sunday, December 17, 2006

Most people are aware that fast food isn’t the most healthy choice out there but lately it’s becoming deadly.

First there was the bagged spinach outbreak, then Taco Bell and now I’m seeing reports of E. Coli at the Olive Garden.

I think my policy going forward is going to be to try to cook and eat as much fresh food as I can. Conveniences like fast food and bagged greens are nice but if I want a taco, I should make it myself. As someone trying to eat healthy and lose weight, it’ll take more time to wash some greens from the produce market instead of ripping open a pre-washed bag but in the long run I’ll probably be better off.

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posted by Anthony @ 7:27 AM, ,


No more fast food
Sunday, December 10, 2006

The easiest way to immediately start cutting calories and eating healthier is to stop eating fast foods. I went for many years without eating any fast foods but sadly, I’ve started again. Being a father of kids ages 4 and 2, means that Happy Meals are a part of your life. I know that the right thing to do would be to introduce the kids to healthy foods at a young age so that they develop good eating habits early on but that just isn’t realistic all the time. Sometimes they’re so finicky that they won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets. We’ve even tried to buy chicken nuggets at the supermarket but they won’t even try them. And when your kids are yelling Wendys, Wendys, Wendys at dinnertime you usually give in just for the silence.

So Mommy and Daddy started to grab a meal with the kids and now we eating fast food again. 500 + calories for a hamburger and then add fries and a soda on top of that and that’s just not good for anyone. Especially if your on a diet.

Recently, the kids have started eating Subway sandwiches. They have a Kids Meal deal where you get a small sandwich, a fruit roll up and a juice box. Obviously still not the greatest thing for you but much better than a hamburger.

Avoiding fast food is a must and sometimes you have to get creative to find alternatives when you’re on the run or if you have small kids.

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posted by Anthony @ 12:02 PM, ,