Tag Archives: health

Paula Deen Announces She Has Type 2 Diabetes

Posted on January 17, 2012 | 2 Comments

This morning on the TODAY Show, Paula Deen announced that she has Type 2 Diabetes. Here’s a link to the video

In the interview, the Food Network star defends the high-cal Southern cooking she is famous for and emphasizes that she supports “eating in moderation.” She also encourages people to see their doctor, get tested, and get on a good regimen to manage the disease if they do have it.

Deen, who found out she has diabetes three years ago, is now a spokesperson for a drug called Victoza, and just released a new program, Diabetes in a New Light. It gives the thing a bit of a creepy PR glow, but I’m glad to see at least a little bit of info about lightening up recipes without sacrificing taste, even if Deen is mostly hawking a diabetes drug.

Let’s not kid ourselves, here—expecting Paula Deen to start endorsing, like, steamed veggies and fish and talking about diabetes exchanges just wouldn’t be realistic. While I have plenty of my own thoughts about the high-cal dishes she prepares on her show and the well-established links between diet and diabetes, I’m also vaguely nauseated at the way people seem to be relishing this, as if the woman’s being brought to justice or something.

What do you think about Paula Deen’s announcement? 

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Lucky Foods for the New Year

Posted on January 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

Happy 2012! Hope you had a great New Years Eve. Do you like to nerd out over New Years Day rituals? I kind of do. I like the idea of starting your new year off doing things you hope to do a lot of in the coming 365 days—start off on the right foot, you know?

 

Beans & greens for good luck in the new year!

Certain foods are thought to be good luck when eaten on New Years Day. Greens and green foods in general are said to promote financial wealth and growth. Same goes for beans and lentils, as they’re round and swell as they cook.  Long noodles are on the list too. Some meats and fish dishes can be lucky too, but stay away from lobster, as they move backwards and are thought to symbolize setbacks.

In 2009 I went all out and whipped up a feast of lucky foods, including:

  • Mixed greens with roasted beets, sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and maybe blue cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette
  • Roasted garlic, served with roasted peppers, hummus, and whole wheat flatbread
  • Vegetable antipasto—lots of roasted and grilled vegetables, served with olives and feta
  • Sesame soy slaw, made with brussel sprouts, sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce and red onion
  • Lentil-stuffed peppers

Um, yeah. Totally not doing that this year. I did buy lentils and split peas, though, and I have a sh!t ton of kale all prepped and waiting to be used in something.

Do you have any New Years Day rituals? 

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Turn Over a New Leaf in 2012

Posted on December 30, 2011 | 1 Comment

With the New Year right around the corner (aka 2 days away), many of us are thinking about  the year ahead and changes we want to make in our lives. Have you ever thought about taking a stress reduction or meditation class to help you achieve some of your goals?

My mother, a psychotherapist based in New Jersey recently announced her winter class schedule. In January and February, she is offering classes in:

  • Smoking Cessation
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
  • Weight Control and Food Issues
  • Meditation Training

All classes will take place on weekends, and there is information on her blog regarding where classes to be held and how to sign up.

Have you ever taken a class to help you stop smoking, lose weight, or de-stress? 

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SMART resolutions for the New Year

Posted on December 28, 2011 | 3 Comments

Happy New Year—here's a mug of champagne

Are you making an resolutions for 2012? This is the time of year when people start vowing spend more time with family, save money, or get in shape and lose weight.

Unfortunately, many health-related New Years resolutions fizzle out by Valentines Day, often because they are vague or unrealistic. Anna Armstrong, a clinical dietitian with Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health in Lafayette, shares a few tips for sticking to those goals, primarily by starting off with SMART resolutions, which are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Realistic
  • and Timely

Though I can’t remember what mine were last year, partway through January, I made a resolution to get a massage once a month (finding a place that made this financially realistic was my inspiration). It worked out a lot better than the unspecified “do nice things for myself” I’d attempted in years past.

I don’t really have any health goals planned for this year besides to keep staying active most days of the week. With my dietetic internship starting in February, I know that 2012 is a going to be a busy year—probably not the year to take on a recipe challenge or decide to pretend I was born with not-deformed feet and start training for a marathon. Some of us just aren’t meant to be runners, and that’s okay.

I do, however, intend to keep getting those monthly massages! Also, since it dawned on me that I’ve been living in NYC almost four years and done very little in the way of sight-seeing, I’m resolving to visit one museum or other New York must-see per month.

Do you have any 2012 resolutions? What are they? 

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Survey shows men have a harder time dropping weight loss hints

Posted on December 23, 2011 | 3 Comments

another holiday with the family...

With holiday gatherings on our agendas this week, it’s likely most people are dreading at least one potentially uncomfortable conversation topic. For many, that topic involves weight or appearance.  Have you ever told a partner, friend or family member they should lose weight? Has anyone ever said this to you? Do you know someone who has no problem commenting on others’ weight or is that subject off limits?

A recent poll of more than 2,000 people commissioned by the International Chair on Cardiometabolic Risk (ICCR) to highlight the risks of being overweight revealed that men have a “tougher” time telling a partner to lose weight.

31% of men surveyed don’t want to confront their partner about losing weight, while 10% of women who wouldn’t want to tell their man to drop a few pounds. However,  women are much more likely to find it difficult to tell a close friend to go on a diet (23%), compared with 8% of men.

Professor David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, which backed the survey said, “Suggesting to someone that they should consider losing a few pounds may not be a comfortable conversation to have but if someone close to you has a large waistline, then as long as you do it sensitively, discussing it with them now could help them avoid critical health risks later down the line and could even save their life.”

Still, I wouldn’t consider that license to tell your partner/cousin/sibling/friend to slim down in the middle of dinner, surrounded by others. Just pass the potatoes and find a quiet time later or another day when you can tell them that you care about them and are concerned about their health.

Who knows? They might already be looking into ways to improve their lifestyle. Singling someone out can hurt feelings and may even discourage that person from making changes. In some cases, you might even be better off saying nothing at all. Weight is such a touchy subject, you need to think carefully before opening the discussion.

What do you think? When is it okay and when is it not okay to talk about weight with your loved ones? 

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Food Day is Coming

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 2 Comments

Happy Friday, guys. What are you up to this weekend? I’m heading out to NJ for a wedding—my last of the season. I’m looking forward to being with my friends this weekend but I’m also looking forward to not having any more big events on the horizon.

Until the holidays, of course. Ugh,my favorite…Well, they’re usually better than I expect them to be.

Speaking of holidays, this upcoming Monday, October 24, is Food Day, which is being relaunched by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) after a 34-year hiatus. Food Day “seeks to bring together Americans from all walks of life—parents, teachers, and students; health professionals, community organizers, and local officials; chefs, school lunch providers, and eaters of all stripes—to push for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.”

All across the country, all kinds of Food Day events and programs are taking place. Visit Food Day online for information on what’s up in your community or host an event.

Do you have any Food Day plans? 

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Vegetarian Awareness Month

Posted on October 17, 2011 | 4 Comments

Did you know that October is Vegetarian Awareness Month?  Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, a Meatless Monday participant, or even someone who’s curious as to how the hell vegetarians get protein, there are all kinds of reasons to appreciate vegetarianism. Continue reading →

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Ingredient of the Week: Bananas

Posted on October 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

Ingredient of the Week is back!

This week we’re going to talk about bananas—which are packed with nutrients and delicious on their own and in all kinds of dishes.

First up, the nutrition stats. One medium-sized (7″-7 7/8″) banana gives you:

  • 105 calories
  • 0 g fat
  • 27 g carbohydrates
  • 3 g fiber
  • 1 g protein
  • 17% of your daily vitamin C
  • 22% of your vitamin B6 needs
  • 422 mg potassium (12% of what you need in a day)
  • 39 mg magnesium (about 8% of your daily needs)
  • 16% of the manganese you need in a day
There’s some hype out there about bananas being a  ”bad” fruit because of the high sugar content, and while it’s true that a good portion of the calories in bananas come from its naturally-occuring sugars, I personally don’t believe there is such a thing as a “bad” fruit. There are so many other important nutrients in a banana that there are more good reasons to eat them than to not eat them. That said, if you’re concerned about the sugar content, just have half at a time and eat it with something else—it doesn’t get much better than a slice of toast with a tablespoon of peanut butter when you need a filling, energizing snack. 

Though some worry bananas are in danger of going extinct, others roll their eyes at the mention of the threatening Tropical Race Four fungus. I guess we’ll see. A world without the bananas we know and love would be a sad thing.

Though bananas are great as is, they can also be used as an ingredient and substitute in other dishes, especially baked goods. One of my favorite ways to use them is to sub mashed ripe banana for eggs and/or oil in cakes and cookies.

It’s also hard to go wrong with banana “ice cream.” It doesn’t get much easier than this.

frozen banana slices

Take frozen banana slices. Place them in a food processor (blender works too), and process until it has the consistency of soft serve. Eat plain or add toppings and mix-ins. 

Bananas are also a great way to add volume and sweetness to oatmeal. The trick is to keep stirring it and breaking up small pieces. It may sound tedious, but it’s totally worth it. Look what you end up with…

pumpkin banana oatmeal topped with roasted figs, granola, and peanut butter

What’s your favorite banana recipe? 

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