You have the right to know what is in your food!!!

The introduction of genetically engineered foods into the American food supply without labels is of concern to many given that no long term human health trials have ever been conducted on these ingredients.  

Robby Kenner who produced Food Inc. shares this concern and to address it has just released website www.fixfood.org.  You can also find the videos here http://justlabelit.org/robynlabelit

The video is short and intended to be widely shared, with a call to action asking the FDA to label these ingredients, as they are labeled in other developed countries around the world.  

Please take a few minutes to watch this, to lend your voice to the campaign asking the FDA to label these ingredients and to remember that together, we can affect remarkable change, in the health of our food system, our families and our country.

Kids in the Kitchen- Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

-Dressing: 4 cloves garlic, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, ¼ tsp basil, juice of 1 lemon, salt and pepper to taste

-Salad: 4 cups cooked quinoa, 1 cup grated carrots, ½ cup chopped green onions, ½ cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped mushrooms, ¼ cup sunflower seeds*, ¼ cup slivered almonds*

Directions: 

-Combine dressing ingredients and let stand for at least 10 minutes.

-Combine quinoa, veggies and seeds (omit for allergies and young children).  

-Toss with dressing and serve

*Children can help rinse the quinoa, measure the liquids and veggies and stir the salad.  Getting children involved in preparing food has shown to help them be more interested in trying new foods.  It is also a great opportunity for learning (math, science, etc) and additional quality time to spend together as a family! 

*seeds and nuts can be a choking hazard for young children.  Omit or substitute if any food allergies exist. 

BMI... What you need to know

One term we hear a lot about recently is "Body Mass Index", or BMI. It seems to be important, but many people are not sure what it is, what it means, or why they should be concerned about it.

What does BMI tell you?
Body mass index (BMI) is a number that evaluates an individual’s weight status in relation to his or her height. BMI generally is used as the first indicator in assessing body fat and has been the most common method of tracking weight problems and obesity among adults. Although this is an effective screening tool for children and adolescents, it is important to remember that it is not a diagnostic tool.  BMI provides a guideline based on weight and height to determine weight issues. As children grow, their body fat changes. BMI decreases during the preschool years, and then increases as the child grows older. This pattern is shown better on the BMI-for-age charts. 

How do you calculate BMI?
Two methods are used to calculate BMI – the metric formula and the English formula. Both provide the same information, and neither is more accurate than the other.

Metric Formula
BMI = Weight in kilograms / [Height in meters] x 2 

English Formula
BMI = [Weight in pounds / Height in inches 2] x 703

How do you calculate BMI for age?
The guidelines for interpreting BMI are listed below. It is critical that accurate measurements are obtained. It is common for caregivers to be concerned about their child’s weight and where he or she is on the growth chart.

• Underweight BMI-for-age < 5th percentile 
• At risk of overweight BMI-for-age > 85th percentile 
• Overweight BMI-for-age > 95th percentile 

BMI is particularly helpful for identifying children and adolescents who are at risk for becoming significantly overweight as they get older. In older children and teens, there is a strong correlation between BMI and the amount of body fat. Those with high BMI readings - and probably high levels of fat – might be likely to have weight problems when they are older. If health care providers can identify these at-risk children early on, they can monitor their body fat more carefully and potentially prevent adult obesity through changes in eating and exercise habits.

BMI is not perfect by any means, it is a screening tool. For example, it's very common for kids to gain weight quickly and see the BMI go up during puberty. Your child's doctor can help you figure out whether this weight gain is a normal part of development or whether it's something to be concerned about. If you think your child may be gaining or losing weight too fast, talk to your child's doctor. A child can also have a high BMI because he or she has a large frame or a lot of muscle, not excess fat. By the same token, a person with a small frame may have a normal BMI but might have too much body fat.

Also, it's important to look at the BMI numbers as a trend instead of focusing on individual numbers. Any one measurement, taken out of context, might give you the wrong impression of your child's growth. The real value of BMI measurements lies in viewing them as a pattern over time. That allows both doctor and parents to watch the child's growth and determine whether it's normal compared with that of other children the same age. BMI is an important additional tool that can be used as an indicator that your child is growing and developing in a healthy way.  If you have concerns about your child's growth or eating, discuss it with their pediatrician and ask for a referral to a pediatric dietitian if it is warranted.

The Importance of Protein

Everyday I tell clients about the importance of protein in their diets.  Not only does it help with blood sugar control but it helps regulate your feeling of fullness (get you full and keep you full longer).  A recent study found that a diet that had 15% protein compared to a diet with 10% protein resulted in an overall lower caloric intake and less snacking.  (Gosby et al, Testing Protein Leverage in Lean Humans: A Randomized Controlled Experimental Study. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (10)).

Try to these tips to help increase your protein intake:
- have a source of protein with each meal and each snack (vary the type... be creative)
- choose seafood twice a week
- make meat & poultry lean
- have eggs (they are good for you... if you have high cholesterol, limit the yolks and eat the whites where the protein is found)
- have nuts & seeds!!!  Try almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds...  the sky is the limit!  Definitely go with unsalted and try to have raw when possible.
- Eat plant protein foods more often: beans and peas (black, pinto, garbanzo, lentils, hummus, red beans, kidney beans- you name it), tofu, tempeh, veggie burgers
- Remember that you should still be watching your portions... If you eat 3 meals and 2 snacks that are well balanced (contain protein, fruit and/or veggie, whole grain and dairy) you will obtain all of the nutrients you need, eat small portions, feel satisfied and get to a healthy weight!

Enjoy and be well...

Beating the Bloat

Bloating... ugh, no one likes to feel bloated, but it happens to all of us.  Jeans don't fit, it's hard to sit down and you feel awful.  What to do??? 

Check out my segment on CBS 2 news for tips and tricks on beating the bloat.  I bet you didn't know that drinking from a straw can cause bloating or that if you feel bloated that it's best to go out for a walk rather than sit down... intrigued?  Click on the link! 

Fill half of your plate with fruits & veggies

How many apples or mushrooms or salads do you or your kids need to eat to get your 5 servings of fruits and veggies every day? Is it even 5 servings any more or is it more? So much seems to have changed which leaves many of you confused!!! A tool has been developed to help getting your fruits and veggies easier: fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at each meal and try to snack on fruits and veggies too.


If you make fruits and vegetables a priority of every meal it will help you meet your goal each day— simple as that!

The new MyPlate icon (which has replaced the food guide pyramid) developed by the USDA supports this concept … fill half your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at every single meal! Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more details, recipes and lots of great interactive tools.

Write it down... the benefits of keeping a food journal

“I have NO idea what I ate yesterday” or “I really do not eat that much” or “I can’t understand why I am not losing weight” or “I don’t know what my child eats for snacks”.


How many of you have ever said this? Most of us are so busy with our everyday lives that we don’t pay detailed attention to what we eat. Our portions may be larger than we think or we may not be getting enough calcium, we may not be eating fruits and veggies, or we may even eat mindlessly at times during the day. Many people vastly underestimate the amount of food they are eating – sometimes by as much as 75% and recent studies have shown that those people who keep a food log can double their weight loss.

Keeping a food journal has many benefits including:

-Encourages mindful eating. – keeping a record of what you eat encourages you to think about what you are eating.

-Helps you make a connection between what you eat and how you feel. (This can be used in many ways, either to help with emotional eating or even to track symptoms of food allergy/intolerance).

-Helps you be sure you are getting enough of each food group to maintain a well balanced diet. It is important to eat a balanced diet. A food diary can provide clues as to what foods you have been neglecting and need to add to your diet.

So get your notebooks out or try one of the food log apps on your smart phone (try livestrong.com).