Fat: the Good, the Bad and the Tasty

Dietary fat is making a comeback.  It was pretty unpopular in the 90’s but recently we’ve started to identify the benefits of including healthy fats in our diet.  Let’s start by addressing a myth: fat makes you fat…false!  Regularly eating more calories than we burn will cause our bodies to store fat. 

Dietary fats are essential in providing energy and supporting cell growth.  Stored fat provides our bodies insulation and protects organs.  Fat aids in the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, E and K.  The daily recommendation for dietary fat is 20-35% of total calories.

Unfortunately only some dietary fats provide positive benefits for our health.  Trans fat, also identified as partially hydrogenated oil, is a man-made fat that has been linked with increasing risk for development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  Excessive consumption of trans fat can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.  Trans fat can be found in many pre-packaged convenience foods as well as fried foods, pastries, margarine, cookies and potato chips. 

Saturated fat is found in animal products and eating too much of this can raise total cholesterol.  Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature and can be seen in cuts of meat.  It is not necessary to avoid animal products to reduce saturated fat intake.  We can limit saturated fat intake by choosing lean cuts of meat, trimming visible fat and selecting low-fat or non-fat dairy products.  When preparing cuts of meat it is best to grill, bake, broil, roast, poach or steam instead of frying or breading.

Monounsaturated fats have a positive effect on health when eaten in moderation and in place of trans and saturated fats.  Monounsaturated fat helps to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease and some are high in the antioxidant vitamin E.  Monounsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils, peanut butter, avocado, nuts and seeds.

Polyunsaturated fats are another healthy source of dietary fat.  Like monounsaturated fats they can help reduce total cholesterol and lower risk of heart disease.  Omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids are part of the family of polyunsaturated fats, they aid in brain function and growth.  You can find polyunsaturated fats in flax seeds, chia seeds, seafood, soybean oil, olive oil and macadamia nuts.

We hope this will help you when reading food labels and preparing meals.   Choosing unsaturated fats, limiting saturated fat and avoiding trans fat will support heart health and overall wellness.

-Julie

Turkey Zucchini Burgers

I came across this recipe while browsing Pinterest and thought it was a great way to sneak in veggies with kids (and adults!). After trying it out I made a few adjustments and I think we have a real winner here. If you try it out, let us know what you think!

Turkey Zucchini Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce 

Ingredients:

Burgers:
1 lb ground turkey
1 large zucchini, grated
2 scallions, thinly chopped
1 Egg
2 tablespoons of fresh mint, chopped
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (chili powder works fine too)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Lemon Yogurt Sauce:
6 oz (1 container) plain Greek yogurt
1 lemon - zest and juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Directions: 

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl combine all burger ingredients. Mix with your hands, and be careful to not overwork the meat. Next using your hands again shape the mixture into burgers. Set in the fridge for 15-20 minutes for them to set.

Once burgers are set, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat and cook burgers until golden brown (about 6-7 minutes on each side).

Serve on a bun and top with the Lemon Yogurt Sauce. This made about 5-6 burgers for me, but it will depend on how large you make them. I chose to freeze the leftover patties for a quick dinner later in the week. If you're not a big fan of zucchini you could substitute different veggie. Enjoy!

-Leslie

Vitamin B12

There is a lot of buzz surrounding vitamin B12 these days.  We see advertisements enticing us to come on if for B12 injections and find bottles of it on the shelf of every supermarket and nutrition store.  We are promised a boost in energy and assistance with weight loss but how do you know if it is right for you?  We're here to help you sift through that information so you can review your diet for adequate vitamin B12 intake.

Vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal products including milk, eggs, liver, fish and cheese.  The Recommended Dietary Allowance is 2.4 mcg/day which is equivalent to 3 ounces of canned tuna, 3 ounces lean hamburger beef or two cup of skim milk.  Vitamin B12 is not found naturally in plant-based foods which is why it is important for vegetarians and vegans to seek out fortified sources to meet their dietary needs.  A few of these sources include breakfast cereals, soy milk and veggie burger patties.  Nutritional yeast is also a great source of vitamin B12 for those on plant based diets.  Most people aren't familiar with using nutritional yeast in cooking but it pairs very well with savory dishes and can be added to smoothies. 

Now that we know where to find dietary B12 we can discuss it's importance in maintaining a healthy body.  Coenzymes derived from vitamin B12 are part of a metabolic function necessary for normal metabolism of cells.  This is especially important in the cells of the GI tract, bone marrow and nervous tissue.  Folate and vitamin B12 work in tandem to produce red blood cells and a breakdown in this team can lead to pernicious anemia (no, thank you!).

It is also important to note that vitamin B12 requires intrinsic factor, which is found in the stomach, to free it from food and allow absorption in the small intestine.  People living with gastric dysfunction or following gastric surgery may be at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency even if the eat adequate amounts daily.

So now we are aware why vitamin B12 is important in our diet.  Let's talk about the signs of B12 deficiency, they include pernicious anemia, poor vision, fatigue and memory loss.  Yikes, none of those sound like fun!  Well the good news is, you now know where to find good dietary sources of vitamin B12 and if you could be an individual at higher risk for deficiency.  If you are genuinely concerned you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency we recommend reviewing your dietary habits and speaking with your physician about your worries.  Seeking out the professional opinion and advice of qualified clinicians will help you to make the best decisions for a healthy life.

Artificial Sweeteners

Let's talk sugar, sugar.

Sugar, aka sucrose, is a carbohydrate that is present naturally in fruits and vegetables.  Carbohydrates, including sugar, are the preferred sources of the body’s fuel for brain power, muscle energy and every natural process that goes on in every functioning cell... Basically it's important. But here's the thing... We Americans like to go overboard. In a world where processed foods are the norm, there is hidden sugar everywhere. WHO recommends 25g of sugar per day or 5% of your total caloric intake. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret and tell you that eating that amount of sugar is impossible if your normal diet consists of processed foods, drive thru windows, and even restaurants. Increased sugar intake is linked with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other obesity related diseases. Basically what I'm saying is that making increased sugar intake a habit is not good for your body. 

That's where artificial sweeteners step in. These bad boys taste like sugar but your body doesn't necessarily react to them the same way. Sound to good to be true? Well, it might be. 

All artificial sweeteners are chemically processed. So even if that little label claims to be natural... There's still some processing involved. The good news is there's no current evidence that proves they cause cancer or other serious health problems. They can help with weight control and they generally don't raise your blood sugar levels, which is great news for diabetics. So... What's the issue then? 

Here's my issue: These sweeteners are what we call intense sweeteners. That means they are waaaay sweeter than real sugar, which means we only use a tiny amount of them... Which is why they are calorie free, you're using a much smaller volume. The problem is that these sweeteners are so sweet that extended use of them makes regular sugar taste blah. That means the natural sugars in things like fruits just won't satisfy. I'll list some of the popular sweeteners below along with just how much sweeter than table sugar they are. I think it just might blow your mind.

Sweet N Low (saccharin) - 200-700 times sweeter

Splenda (sucralose) - 600 times sweeter

Truvia (stevia) - 300 times sweeter

Equal (aspartame) - 220 times sweeter 

Pretty nuts huh? Here's what I'm not saying... I'm not saying that artificial sweeteners are completely terrible for you, and I'm not even saying regular sugar is terrible either. I'm saying use all of them in moderation. I'm also saying to keep your processed food intake to a minimum. Oh and while we are on that note... Honey and agave... Yea, they're still sugar so don't get too high and mighty thinking you're going the all natural route. At the end of the day sugar is sugar, even if you disguise it as a sweetener. I challenge you to pay really close attention to your sugar intake for just one day this week. You might be surprised with what you find out. 

- Leslie 

The Incredible Edible Egg

You can fry them, boil them, bake them… we’re talking about the incredible edible egg of course! However you like your eggs, these inexpensive, versatile, protein-packed staple, cooks up into a perfect meal any time of the day!

Unfortunately they also have gotten a bad rap in the past because of their cholesterol content. One large egg contains 213 mg of cholesterol, accounting for two-thirds of the recommended daily limit of 300 mg per day. But over the last 25 years of study, scientists have found that cholesterol in food is not the problem, but instead, saturated fat, which has a much bigger effect on blood cholesterol. Full-fat dairy products and fatty meats are examples of foods that are loaded with saturated fat and which trigger the body to produce cholesterol.

Eggs are jam-packed with health benefits and along with milk, contain the highest biological value for protein. Just one egg contains 75 calories, 7 grams of high-quality protein, 5 grams of fat, and 1.6 grams of saturated fat, along with iron, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids. According to numerous studies, this combination of protein and fat will you leave you feeling satisfied and can help ward off unhealthy snacking later in the day.

Try out this recipe for egg salad that was recently inspired by a trip to the store where I found a dozen eggs for 0.99 and large avocados for a $1 each! Whether you have reason to be concerned about your cholesterol levels or not, this recipe replaces some, but certainly not all of the fat found in the yolk, with cholesterol lowering - heart healthy avocados! Try it out and let us know what you think! 

Ingredients:

•     4 large hard boiled eggs - chopped

•     4 large hard boiled egg whites– chopped

•     1 large avocado – diced

•     3 tbsp non-fat Greek yogurt

•     2 tbsp chopped red onion

•     ½ tsp black pepper

•     ½ tsp salt

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the hard boiled eggs and egg whites, avocado, Greek yogurt, and red onion. Mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serving suggestions: Spread between two slices of bread for an Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich. Eat with crackers, cut up veggies, on toast, or in a wrap. This salad is best eaten the day it's made.

- Michelle and Leslie 

Blackberry Vanilla Green Smoothie

Hello Blog readers! It's been a while. I've been in mommy mode (my husband and I welcomed our sweet baby boy into the world a few weeks ago) and in the process have neglected the blog... But I'm finally getting back in the swing of things. 

So. Let's talk a little about fiber. When I used to think about fiber it always made me think of old ladies drinking Metamucil and prune juice... Ew. Turns out there's a lot yummier ways to get your daily fiber intake. How much fiber should you be getting? Women need 25 grams a day and Men need 38 grams per day. It sounds like a lot, but eating fruits, veggies and whole grains will help you easily meet those goals! 

97% of Americans are deficient in fiber, so take advantage of what’s in season and cool down this summer with this nutrient packed blackberry smoothie recipe from Michelle! Try it and let us know what you think!

Cheers!

Leslie & Michelle 

Understanding the Nutrition Facts Label

Hey Guys! Sorry for the little blog hiatus. It's been such a busy couple of weeks. I'm back at it though, and hopefully will be able to write ahead enough to leave you with some blog posts while I take a little maternity leave. That's the plan, we'll see if it actually happens or not... fingers crossed. 

I wanted to talk a little about the food label. Pretty sure we've all seen one and probably have a good idea of how to use it, but it never hurts to refresh.... and there's probably a number or item on there that some of us really aren't familiar with. So, here goes nothin...

                               

1. Serving Size: The first thing you should look at is the serving size and servings per container. If you skip over this part you might be consuming more calories a day than you think you are. On this particular label the serving size is 1 cup, but there's 2 servings for the whole container. That means if you eat the whole box in one sitting you need to multiply all the values like calories, fat, protein, etc. by two. Got it? Good. 

2. Calories: We are probably all pretty good at checking the calories, but do you really know what that number means? We'll talk about this more later, but food labels are based on a 2000 Calorie diet. A quick guide for calories is 40 or less is considered low, 41-100 is considered moderate, and 400 or more is considered high. In the case of this label, this food item is in the moderate category. However, you might notice that almost half of those calories come from fat, so even though the calories are in the moderate range... it doesn't mean that this is the healthiest choice. 

3. Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium: These are the bad boys you want to limit. It's recommended that you get as little as possible of these nutrients. We'll talk about what the % Daily Value (% DV) means here in just a minute. 

4. Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin, C, Calcium, and Iron: These are the things you want to make sure you're getting enough of. They'll help protect you against things like heart disease and osteoporosis. 

5. The Footnote: This is where you'll find the statement that the food label is based on a 2000 Calorie diet. It's also where you'll find the suggested amounts of what you should be getting in a day. It might not be on every food label, but when it is it will always be the same.

6. % Daily Value: So, I've mentioned a few times that the food label is based on a 2000 Calorie diet. So, these percentages are based on that 2000 Calories. However, even if you don't eat 2000 Calories a day you can still use these percentages to help you know if what you're eating is high or low in these things. Like the picture says, 5% or less is considered low (which is what you want for those nutrients we said you should limit) and 20% or more is considered high. 

Hope this little post helps you out! 

Leslie