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July/August 2004
So here we are, more than halfway through the summer season. This is a great time to give your nutrition and fitness routines a facelift. The weather lends itself to outdoor activities, and delicious summer produce makes eating healthy a cinch. So get out there and take advantage!
In this month's newsletter, we'll teach you how to grill your food "the healthy way" and redefine how to build a better breakfast. We'll also take a stroll down the produce aisle to find out what's 'Fresh at the Market' and as always, you'll find a delicious summer recipe that uses this season's best produce.
July/August Nutrition Tips: Fresh Tips at Health!
Grill Time:: The heat is on! And, while BBQing can make for healthy and delicious meals, it is important to understand the dangers that can evolve from grilled food.
Any type of cooking, including grilling, makes most food taste better. It also kills disease-causing organisms, destroys toxins, and increases digestibility. There's a price to pay, though. High heat reacts with proteins in red meat, poultry and fish to create heterocyclic amines (HCAs), chemicals that are linked to cancer, especially of the colon and breast. Because these HCAs form within cooked meat, you can't get rid of them by scraping off char. But scientists have come up with ingenious ways to dramatically reduce the hazard. Precisely why these methods work is still a mystery, but research shows they do. Try some of these hot tips to reduce your risk and cancer-proof your barbeque this summer:
- Flip burgers often. Turning burgers once a minute and cooking over lower heat reduces HCAs and kills potentially deadly E. coli bacteria, finds a new study at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
- Use the right marinade. Slash HCAs by marinating raw meat in a thin, very liquid sauce for at least 10 minutes, or more to taste. The Cancer Research Center of Hawaii found that a teriyaki marinade reduced HCAs 67%; a turmeric-garlic sauce, 50%. The key is to use a watery sauce. When a thick, concentrated commercial barbecue sauce was used, it actually tripled HCAs. So, dilute thick sauces.
- Microwave first. Partially cook burgers, poultry, ribs and fish in a microwave oven before grilling, and be sure to discard the juices. Microwaving a hamburger a couple of minutes or a batch of ribs and chicken 10 minutes eliminates 90% of HCAs, says James Felton, Ph.D., at Livermore Lab.
- Add garlic and herbs. In tests, garlic, rosemary and sage reduced HCAs, according to researchers. Mix them into burgers, use them in marinades or just eat them in a meal with grilled meat. Antioxidants in citrus fruits also block HCAs.
- Don't order meat very well-done. The longer meat is cooked at high temperatures (grilling, broiling, frying) the more HCAs are produced. Cooking steaks very well-done, compared with well-done, doubles HCAs.
- Skip the meat; grill "green." Fruits and vegetables don't contain creatine, the animal protein needed to make HCAs. Pineapple and peppers are great grilled. Also, eating fruits, vegetables and green salads along with barbecued meat lessens the cancer hazard.
- Fix the drips. Another class of carcinogens is formed when fat from meat, poultry or fish drips onto hot coals or stones. These are called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These potent carcinogens are deposited back onto food by the smoke and flame-ups that char or blacken meat. Avoid letting juices drip into the flames or coals, which causes smoke and flare-ups. Use tongs or a spatula to turn foods, instead of piercing meat with a fork. Covering the grill with punctured aluminum foil, not placing meats directly over coals and keeping a water spray bottle on hand (for control of flare-ups) are other ways to reduce drips.
Start the Day the Right Way:: You've heard it a million times - "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." And, while that statement still rings true today, now there is even more research to back it up and prove that Mom was right. Researchers at the American Heart Association found that obesity and insulin resistance syndrome rates were 35 percent to 50 percent lower among people who ate breakfast every day compared to those who frequently skipped it. Eating breakfast was shown to have potentially beneficial effects on appetite, insulin resistance and energy metabolism.
So, how can you build a better breakfast?
- Calcium: In a 2002 review article, authors concluded that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day - about 600 mg in total - could reduce the risk of being overweight substantially.
- Cinnamon: A recent study found that when people with diabetes consumed between 1 and 3 grams of cinnamon daily, their blood glucose, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol levels dropped significantly. Cinnamon extracts appear to enhance the efficiency of insulin and help fat cells recognize and respond to the hormone.
So why not combine all the latest research and start your day the right way. Some quick and easy ways to build a better breakfast include:
- plain yogurt with a sprinkle of honey or splenda and cinnamon
- cottage cheese with cinnamon and walnuts
- oatmeal made with milk and cinnamon
Fresh at the Market
Peaches & Nectarines
Commonly showcased side by side with peaches, nectarines are a similar, but yet different fruit. The best way to identify the difference between a nectarine and peach is by the lack of fuzz on the nectarine. Nectarines, like peaches, most likely originated in China more than 2,000 years ago and were cultivated in ancient Persia, Greece and Rome. Today, California grows over 95% of the nectarines produced in the United States.
With either fruit, select ones that are soft to the touch, blemish free, and have a fragrant smell. Peaches that are mildly fragrant ripen into sweet and delicious flavors. Choose fruit that has a background color of yellow or cream and has a fresh looking appearance. Peaches may have some red "blush" depending on the variety, but this is not a sign of how the fruit will taste after its ripened. At home, both can be ripened at room temperature in a brown paper bag in 2 to 3 days.
Nectarines can be used and prepared in the same ways as peaches, with no need to peel because they have no fuzz. Leave the skins on when making pies, cobblers and fresh fruit salads. Both fruits are a good source of vitamin C and low in calories with no sodium or cholesterol. So, toss some summer fruit into your meals this month!
Green Beans
Green beans, otherwise known as string beans, are the most popular edible pod bean in the United States. These beans are often called string beans because years ago a fibrous string ran along the seam of the bean. The string was noticeable when you snapped off the ends. The snapping noise is the reason for its other nickname.
It is best to handpick green beans from a market that sells them loose. To ensure uniform cooking time, select beans of similar size and shape. Choose slender beans (no thicker than a pencil) that are crisp and free of blemishes. The beans should be a bright green color. Do not purchase beans that are stiff or have the seeds visible through the pod because those beans will be tough.
Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to prepare green beans. This method maintains more nutrients than other cooking methods. Whatever cooking method you choose, remember to cook beans as little as possible, using the least amount of water possible. Green beans can also be boiled, steamed, or microwaved. Any way you choose to enjoy these tasty summer veggies, you'll be taking in good amounts of vitamin C, fiber, and little calories!
July/August Recipe: Baked Eggplant with Tomato and Feta
Ingredients:
2 medium eggplant, cut into ¼? slices (can use regular or Japanese eggplant)
4 ripe tomatoes, diced (large beefsteaks will work, or 7-8 plum tomatoes)
5 ounces feta, crumbled
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black peppe
4 tbsp chopped fresh oregano, or 1 tbsp dried oregano
Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the eggplant slices and set aside for 15 minutes. Rinse the eggplant in water and pat dry with a paper towel. (This salting process will get rid of any bitterness.)
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and sauté both sides of the eggplant until it browns slightly, about 2-3 minutes per side. Layer cooked eggplant in a casserole dish. Sprinkle the feta over the eggplant.
Wipe out the skillet you used for the eggplant and add the diced tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes over medium heat for 10-15 minutes; until the tomatoes break down and the liquid begins to evaporate (you do not want too much liquid left). Season the tomatoes with about 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and generously with black pepper, and spoon over the eggplant/feta. Then sprinkle the dish with the oregano.
Cover casserole with aluminum foil and cook for 40 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 5 more minutes.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Nutrition Information per serving
121 calories
4 grams protein
4.5 grams fiber
15 grams carbohydrate
6 grams fat
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and as always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Healthy Regards!
Sara
http://www.sararybanutrition.com/
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