Diet And Nutrition Videos

Spinach Facts and Recipes Spinach is a native plant of Persia and was introduced to China in the 7th century. Spinach is a member of the goose-foot family and is closely related to beets and chard. Spinach is of the highest quality when eaten fresh. It loses nutritional properties every day after picking. Refrigeration can slow the deterioration but even doing that does not prevent half of the major nutrients from being lost by the eighth day after harvest. There are advantages to both cooking spinach and eating it raw. While cooking spinach reduces Vitamin C and folate levels, it boosts beta-carotein and lutein bioavailability at the same time. Lightly steaming spinach will help preserve nutrients. Best option is to maybe alternate both cooked and raw. There are many different varieties of spinach, these are some of the main types: Savoy (Dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. Commonly found in supermarkets.) Flat/smooth leaf spinach (Most commonly used for canned and processed spinach products.) Semi-savoy (Hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but is esier to clean.) Baby spinach leaves are soft and tender in texture and are flat, spade-shaped . Unlike mature spinach varieties that generally require blanching to mellow the bitter taste, baby spinach has a very clean and mild flavor. Unlike other spinach varieties baby spinach is not gritty or sandy and the stems do not need to be removed. Spinach Recipes Spinach And Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients 9 ounce package linguine 7 ounce package pesto with basil 5 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves 1 cup chopped fresh tomato 1 cup halved thinly sliced red onion 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon salt Directions 1.Cook linguine according to package directions then rinse and drain. 2.Combine pasta, spinach, tomato, onion and pine nuts in large bowl. 3.Combine pesto, lemon juice and salt in small bowl then add to pasta and toss well. 4.Serve immediately or refrigerate. grouprecipes.com Spinach and Cheese Recipe Ingredients: 3 medium eggs, beaten. 20 oz of frozen chopped spinach. 4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated. 1 cup of cottage cheese. ¼ cup of butter, softened. 2 teaspoons of flour. Salt and pepper. Preparation Instructions: Cook the spinach as directed on its packaging, then drain. Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar, butter, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix throughly. Spoon into a greased baking dish and Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50-60 minutes. spinachrecipes.org Spinach Dip Recipe 1 cup safflower mayonnaise 1 bunch freesh spinach, chopped 1 cup chopped green onion 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2-3 drops Tabasco auce ground pepper to taste 1 cup chopped fresh parsley Put mayonnaise in a blender; add spinach and green onion. Blend for 2-3 minutes. Spoon into medium size bowl; fold in the yogurt and remaining ingredients, except parsley. Chill Just before serving, add parsley. cooks.com

Eating Healthy As We Grow Older In the below video Brenda Walsh, an outpatient clinical dietician discusses ways of eating healthy as we grow older. Making sure to have 3 servings of a fortified dairy product daily and 2 servings of a fatty fish such as salmon every week will supply the required amount of calcium and vitamin D. Although balanced supplements such as Boost and Ensure can be beneficial they should not be used as a meal replacement. Brenda also discusses the importance of variety in your diet specifically in relation to vegetables. The more colors of vegetables you consume the more likely you are of getting the proper balance of vitamins and minerals you need. Eating well as we age

Persian Cucumber Recipes Garlic Cucumber Salad 8 ozs. Cucumber (1 large hothouse cucumber or 3 small Persian cucumbers) 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sesame oil Cut the cucumbers into quarters lengthwise and slice off the center to remove the seeds. For large hothouse cucumbers you may want to further cut the quarters into eights lengthwise. Then cut into two-inch long pieces. Add the salt and garlic then mix well. Refrigerate the cucumbers for about 30 minutes. When ready to serve drain the salt extracted juice from the cucumber pieces and arrange on a plate. Be sure to retain the garlic. Pour the sesame oil over the cucumber and serve chilled. redcook.net Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta Recipe Ingredients Persian cucumbers, about 5 inches long 1 lb thin skinned, mild (non bitter) cucumbers, such as Persian, Armenian, or Japanese cucumbers, thinly sliced. You might also try it with English cucumbers. 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch long segments 2 or 3 red radishes, thinly sliced 10 mint leaves, thinly sliced White vinegar Olive oil 1/4 pound feta cheese Salt and freshly ground pepper Method In a medium sized bowl, gently toss together the sliced cucumbers, red onion, radishes, mint leaves with a little bit of white vinegar and olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, sprinkle on crumbled bits of feta cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4. simplyrecipes.com Persian Cucumber Yogurt Ingredients 1 (32 ounce) container plain yogurt 3 English cucumbers, peeled and cubed 1 clove garlic, minced 1 shallot, finely chopped 5 tablespoons dried dill weed 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper Directions 1.In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and shallot. Season with dill, salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavors. allrecipes.com For more information about Persian cucumbers and cucumbers in general please visit our previous post here

High Fructose Corn Syrup Podcast Sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup are used in many foods. Everything from soups to salad dressings seem to include it in varying amounts. Consumption of high fructose corn syrup has gone up dramatically since it was created in the 1960s. Speculation exists that the rise in obesity rates corresponds directly with the increased use of this sweetener although research has yet to definitively support this theory. In this podcast interview, registered dietitian and nutrition therapist Mary Beth Sodus from the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at the University of Maryland Medical Center, discusses how high fructose corn syrup is made and why many food companies use it. She also shares some of the advice she gives her weight loss patients about high fructose corn syrup. Note: There is multimedia content on this page which requires the Flash viewer. To see it, download and install the Flash plugin here: Macromedia Flash Player

Here are some random yet interestingfacts about beets Ancient documents describe beets growing in the hanging gardens of Babylon around 800 BC. Beets as we know them today are derived from wild sea beets that originated around the coasts of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The Greeks originally only used the beet plants leaves as a medicinal culinary herb. The Romans used both the leaves and the beetroot as medicines but also used the beetroot as a culinary herb. A pigment called betalain is what gives red beets get their color. The Romans considered beet juice to be an aphrodisiac. Pickled beets are commonly put on hamburgers in Australia. Homemade wine is sometimes made with beets.. Beet juice has been used as a natural red dye since the 16th century, . About 100 pounds of sugar beets are required to make five pounds of sugar. One cup of cooked diced beets contains 50 calories. 6 Amazing Beet Recipes Beet Pancakes 1 cup minced cooked beets 2 tablespoons cornstarch 4 egg yolks, beaten 3 tablespoons heavy cream – or – 3 tablespoons undiluted canned milk ½ teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon nutmeg Fruit marmalade or preserves Combine all ingredients, except marmalade. Cook as for pancakes in a hot buttered skillet. Serve with marmalade or preserves. From www.justvegetablerecipes.com. Mandarin Beet Salad 1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained, 2 tablespoons liquid from can reserved 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 cups sliced cooked beets salt and freshly ground pepper In a large bowl, whisk together mandarin orange liquid, vinegar oil and mustard. Add beets and drained oranges. Toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 4. From www.foodnetwork.com. Beets Superbly Swedish: Recipes and Traditions, 1983. Beet Risotto 3 to 4 medium beets, washed 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium red onion, chopped fine 2 cloves of garlic 1 1/2 cups arborio rice 4 cups hot water 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt Washed, chopped beet greens (optional) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 6 tablespoons grated romano cheese Preheat oven to 375F. Wrap beets in aluminum foil and place in a baking pan. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until beets are tender. Remove from oven and unwrap beets, allow to cool a bit, peel the skins away and dice the beets. Heat oil in large saucepan, add the onion and garlic, sauté for 4 minutes. Add rice, 2 cups hot water, wine and dried seasonings. Cook uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in beets (along with optional beet greens, if desired), remaining 2 cups of hot water and parsley. Cook 10-12 minutes, continuing to stir until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Serves 4. Adapted from Vegetarian Rice Cuisine by Jay Solomon. Orange Pickled Beets 1 teaspoon orange zest 1/3 cup fresh orange juice 2 teaspoons canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 large beets (or equivalent), cooked and thinly sliced 3 large shallots, thinly sliced Whisk zest, juice, oil, mustard, sugar, allspice, salt and pepper in a bowl until well-combined. Add beets and shallots; toss until vegetables are mixed and well-coated. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 3 days before serving. To serve, mix well. Adjust seasoning. Serve chilled or at room temperature Makes 2 cup From “Chicago Tribune” August 7, 2005, courtesy of Abby Mandel. For more beet recipes see our previous post containing some beet salad recipes.

Increase Your Intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids The below video presents some very good tips on ways to Increase Your Intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids Some of the suggestions include Taking a fish oil supplement that is mercury free you can even find some that are flavored lemon, peach or orange for example. Eating 2-3 servings of fish weekly Incorporating items such as flax, flax seed oil and walnuts into your diet. Trying some of the new Omega 3 fortified foods that are now in stores including eggs, pasta and cereals. How To Get More Omega 3 Fatty Acids Into Your Diet on Howcast

Healthy Kids Snacks for After School Providing healthy kids snacks for after school time can be a real challenge for parents. Many children head straight for the refrigerator or cabinets soon after they return from school. One way to help prevent kids from eating unhealthy snacks is to prepare and plan healthy kids snacks for after school and make sure it is well known what is aceptable to eat and what is not. The below video gives some helpful tips for dealing with after school snacking. Healthy snacks for after school

How to Provide Healthy School Lunches Many caregivers struggle to provide children with healthy school lunches. Good news is that there are some things you can do to at least try and make that perfect nutritious lunch. The video below discusses some ideas you can use to create those healthy school lunches including adding basics such as calcium, fruit, whole grains and lean protein. School lunches that are nutritious

Dr. Michael Wayne explains what a Low Density Lifestyle is, and gives one secret to living a Low Density Lifestyle.

Professor Christopher Nordin from the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science in Adelaide has grave concerns that there is no primary prevention program for osteoporosis in Australia.

Articles About Nutrition and Health I was reading some health articles about nutrition and health on the MSN website and found a couple I thought you might be interested in. One of the articles is titled Avoiding Mercury in Fish and answers the following questions What is mercury? Do you need to avoid the mercury found in fish? How should you change your eating habits to reduce your exposure to mercury in fish? Should a woman who is not planning a pregnancy be concerned? You will also find some links to additional related resources You can read the full article HERE The other article is titled New Facts About Fish and answers the following questions I m worried about mercury contamination. Should I skip fish altogether? Which fish is healthier: farm-raised or wild? What are some easy ways to eat more fish? What s safest for our oceans — and for you, when it comes to mercury and PCBs? You can read the full article HERE

Food Additives to Avoid I just read an article about what food additives to avoid and thought the information was valuable enough to pass on to you. It was written by Jean Weiss for MSN Health t always add up to more, at least when it comes to your health. Studies that test the safety of additives are based on animal trials. It is difficult to deduce whether the results of an animal study equate to human health, though many of these studies show that some additives could be cancer-causing. Read the full article here

How to Choose Healthier Pasta This video will show you how to choose healthier pasta. This is especially important if you love to eat pasta, but you re worried that it s just empty carbs? Prevention Magazine s Nutrition Director Cynthia Sass says fiber-rich whole grains are the way to go. How to choose healthier pasta

What are calories ? General Nutrition: What are calories ? Calories are energy measurements in food, and the number of calories you have will determine your health and your weight. You need calories for every metabolic function in the body. You need calories for energy to do any kind of atheletic sports, activities, etc. Anything in your life that s an activity, you need calories for. The challenge for most people today is that they re eating so much more than they require. For example, 3500 calories make a pound of fat, or a pound of weight. If you re getting too many calories in the food you are eating, you re going to gain weight. It s automatic that if you need to lose weight, you need to cut calories. I know there s a lot of fad diets around that don t talk about calories, but the fact is when it comes down to the nitty gritty of the whole thing, it s the number of calories you take in and the number of calories you burn through metabolic activity, or what the body is doing and working on, or through activities that you do in your life. We often see people who go on a diet, and they don t really lose much weight because they re only cutting down their calories and not actually increasing their activity. The two things together will increase your ability to lose weight faster. The other point is that lean muscle tissue is very active tissue and it will actually burn calories faster.