Start Your New Year Safely

So, have you made up your mind on the resolution you are going to attempt this year, yet?  Are you going to lose those 10 pesky pounds?  Be less of a procrastinator?  Or maybe you vow to exercise every single day for an hour…or forty-five minutes…okay, at least three times a week!   How about this year you make a resolution that you will succeed at indefinitely.  Make this year’s resolution to be safe.  Food safe.  

When’s the last time you thought about how much bacteria was on that dip you ate last night while at that party?  That spinach dip was supposed to be cold right?  Or was it supposed to be hot - like the restaurant?  Now that you think about it, your stomach did feel a little queasy…but that was from the spicy wings right…?!?! Hmmm. 

One in 6 will get food poisoning each year.  The twenty four hours flu – it usually means you’ve got a touch of salmonella, E.coli, or heck, let’s throw in a little Clostridium perfringens while we’re at it.  Yuck! 

Here are some simple tips to help you have a healthier 2016:

1.      Wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday twice).

2.     Use a food thermometer.  Cook foods to their proper temperatures.

3.     Keep your kitchen clean.  Make sure countertops, cutting boards, handles, and utensils are clean.  This will prevent cross-contamination.

4.     Store leftovers safely.  Make sure prepared food is eaten within two hours and refrigerate or freeze foods within two hours of serving. 

Enjoy your 2016!

http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/holidays/a-food-safety-resolution

Start Your New Year Safely

So, have you made up your mind on the resolution you are going to attempt this year, yet?  Are you going to lose those 10 pesky pounds?  Be less of a procrastinator?  Or maybe you vow to exercise every single day for an hour…or forty-five minutes…okay, at least three times a week!   How about this year you make a resolution that you will succeed at indefinitely.  Make this year’s resolution to be safe.  Food safe.  

When’s the last time you thought about how much bacteria was on that dip you ate last night while at that party?  That spinach dip was supposed to be cold right?  Or was it supposed to be hot - like the restaurant?  Now that you think about it, your stomach did feel a little queasy…but that was from the spicy wings right…?!?! Hmmm. 

One in 6 will get food poisoning each year.  The twenty four hours flu – it usually means you’ve got a touch of salmonella, E.coli, or heck, let’s throw in a little Clostridium perfringens while we’re at it.  Yuck! 

Here are some simple tips to help you have a healthier 2016:

1.      Wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds (sing Happy Birthday twice).

2.     Use a food thermometer.  Cook foods to their proper temperatures.

3.     Keep your kitchen clean.  Make sure countertops, cutting boards, handles, and utensils are clean.  This will prevent cross-contamination.

4.     Store leftovers safely.  Make sure prepared food is eaten within two hours and refrigerate or freeze foods within two hours of serving. 

Enjoy your 2016!

http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/holidays/a-food-safety-resolution

Candy, and Cookies, and Pies, Oh My!

Well, it’s that time of year again.  That beach body that we all worked so hard to get for the summer will soon be covered by bulky hoodies, comfy sweatpants, and warm wooly mittens (doesn’t everyone spend time making sure their hands are slim and trim for the summer?!).

Between the Halloween candy, the overeating at Thanksgiving, the cookies and pies at Christmas…sigh, I can smell the cinnamon and spice and everything nice already… C’mon - who doesn’t gain at least 1-2 lbs over those three months?  So what should we do, so come January we aren’t making multiple failed attempts of losing those extra pounds we put on? 

    

Do not skip meals.  I know, sometimes we have to skip breakfast on Black Friday so we can stand in line for 12 hours to make sure we get the newest and latest gadget of the year – but take along something to munch on (and I don’t mean a bag of potato chips).  Use smaller plates at parties and dinners.  Trust me, your eyes and brain will be fooled by seeing a small plate filled with your favorites.  Try eating slowly.  What?!  What does that even mean?  Let me say it again.  Eat slowly.  Spending the day with family and friends usually is an all-day event.  The food will still be there and the hustle and bustle is over by this time.  Chew your food. Your digestive system will appreciate the change.  And, finally, try filling your plate up with fruits and vegetables first, and then add more fattening and indulgent foods.

Make these small simple changes and putting on, and taking off, the pounds after the holiday rush will be a much more pleasant experience! 

http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/lifestyle/holidays/enjoy-the-holiday-without-the-weight-gain

How Healthy is Your Drink?

We have all joked at some point about the customer who orders the Big Mac, large French fry, and a Diet Coke.  And I know, especially since fall is upon us, we are all guilty of ordering our favorite Starbucks drink, laden with calories and sugar!  But what about the drinks we consume on a daily basis?  Orange juice for breakfast?  Energy drinks to get us through the day?  What about those healthy smoothies you see everyone walking around with?  Are all these choices healthy- or are we making decisions just like the customer who orders the heart attack on a tray with a diet soda?  Although you probably do not think twice about what you drink, they can be just as high in calories and sugars as your food.  Are you drinking enough calories to make up a meal?!

Let’s say during the course of a day, I consume the following beverages (all 12 oz serving size):

Drink                                                                                                   Calories           TSP of Sugar

Breakfast: Orange juice                                                                           165                      10

Snack:  Mango Smoothie from Jamba Juice                                            375                      15

Lunch:  Glass of skim milk                                                                     119                       4              

Snack:  Red Bull Energy Drink                                                               165                      10 

Dinner:  A&W Root Beer                                                                       180                      11

Bedtime:  Glass of water                                                                           0                        0

Total                                                                                                   1004 Calories  50 TSP Sugar

WOW!!!!  1,004 calories drinks only?  That’s crazy!  Depending on what your personal goal for calorie consumption is daily, I just drank half of what you may “allow” yourself to eat for the entire day!  The American Heart Association recommends 9 teaspoons of sugar a day for men, and 6 teaspoons of sugar for women per day-which far exceeds the 50 teaspoons in this menu.  And just think, this does not include any of your foods you would normally eat- guess you should double think that piece of cake in your hand, huh?  Unfortunately, as outlandish as this menu of drinks may seem to me, it is reality for many.

The solution?  Just add 1,000 calorie allowance to your already established diet!  Totally. Joking.  Limit your unhealthy drinks.  Have a smoothie during the week, but forgo the energy drinks and sodas.  Limit your juice intake to 4-6 oz a day instead of 12 oz.  Low-fat and skim milk is always a solid choice.  And, of course, drink plenty of refreshing calorie-free water!  Add lemons, limes, mint, or a few blueberries or strawberry slices to your water for an even wider variety of flavors!                                                                                            

http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/weight-loss/tips-for-weight-loss/rethink-your-drinks

https://cdn1.sph.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/10/how-sweet-is-it-color.pdf

http://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/caramel-macchiato#size=126197&milk=63

http://www.caloriecount.com/calories-milk-nonfat-fluid-i1151

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyEating/Sugar-101_UCM_306024_Article.jsp