COOKING TIPS
Forget the Oil
Roasting squash, making french or sweet potato fries, cooking lentil patties, roasting cauliflower (or any other vegetable), or sautéing vegetables can be done easily without oil.
Why?
Contrary to popular news reports, oils (olive, flax seed, coconut, canola, etc) provide curso community manager online and nothing more than empty fat (14 grams per tablespoon) and calories (119 per tablespoon) while lacking any nutrients. See Jeff Novick's article Marketing Junk Food: Don't Go Cuckoo Over Coconut Oil comparing the nutritional content of coconut oil vs. table sugar. In summary, calorie for calorie sugar has more nutrients and that is not saying much.
How?
If you intend on cooking a lot of vegetables in the oven it would be worthwhile investing in a silicon or silpat baking sheet. When cooking vegetables on a silicon baking sheet, vegetables brown nicely without sticky to the pan and most importantly, emerge from the oven tasting delicious without absorbing hundreds of calories and grams of fat. Parchment paper is another alternative, however, it must be thrown away.
Sautéing vegetables without oil is easy. Simply use water in place of oil when sautéing vegetables. Cooking onions in water (or vegetable stock for a richer flavor) until the liquid evaporates, brings out the sweetness of the onions without the fat and calories of oil. Save the water used to boil potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, beets etc. and use for this purpose or to cook rice or other whole grains.
Vegetables can also be sautéd in a dry pan. Once the vegetables begin to cook they usually release enough water to prevent them from sticking. If not, add a little water or vegetable broth to the skillet.
Use apple sauce in baking instead of oil.
Why?
Contrary to popular news reports, oils (olive, flax seed, coconut, canola, etc) provide curso community manager online and nothing more than empty fat (14 grams per tablespoon) and calories (119 per tablespoon) while lacking any nutrients. See Jeff Novick's article Marketing Junk Food: Don't Go Cuckoo Over Coconut Oil comparing the nutritional content of coconut oil vs. table sugar. In summary, calorie for calorie sugar has more nutrients and that is not saying much.
How?
If you intend on cooking a lot of vegetables in the oven it would be worthwhile investing in a silicon or silpat baking sheet. When cooking vegetables on a silicon baking sheet, vegetables brown nicely without sticky to the pan and most importantly, emerge from the oven tasting delicious without absorbing hundreds of calories and grams of fat. Parchment paper is another alternative, however, it must be thrown away.
Sautéing vegetables without oil is easy. Simply use water in place of oil when sautéing vegetables. Cooking onions in water (or vegetable stock for a richer flavor) until the liquid evaporates, brings out the sweetness of the onions without the fat and calories of oil. Save the water used to boil potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet corn, beets etc. and use for this purpose or to cook rice or other whole grains.
Vegetables can also be sautéd in a dry pan. Once the vegetables begin to cook they usually release enough water to prevent them from sticking. If not, add a little water or vegetable broth to the skillet.
Use apple sauce in baking instead of oil.
NUTRITION TIPS
Arsenic
Hold the rice to hold the arsenic? Not exactly.
More than three quarters of the arsenic in the American diet comes from animal products. Pork, beef, hot dogs, milk, eggs, and the biggest source…chicken.
“How did it get there? The poultry industry fed it to them…. Two million pounds of arsenic compounds are fed to chickens every year in the United States.” Arsenic in Chicken
“Based on the USDA estimates of arsenic levels in the U.S. chicken supply, the prestigious Medical Letter on the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration concluded, “Chicken consumption may contribute significant amounts of arsenic to total arsenic exposure of the U.S. population….Levels of arsenic in chicken are so high that other sources may have to be monitored carefully to prevent undue toxic exposure among the population.”” How Much Arsenic in Rice Came From Chickens?
Red rice has 10 times more antioxidants than brown rice (Brown Rice vs. Black Rice) and regardless of whether you cook with red, black, or brown rice they all have more antioxidants than white rice. Enjoy both the healthiest lentil (The Healthiest Lentil) and healthiest rice with my nutrient-packed version of sloppy joes.
More than three quarters of the arsenic in the American diet comes from animal products. Pork, beef, hot dogs, milk, eggs, and the biggest source…chicken.
“How did it get there? The poultry industry fed it to them…. Two million pounds of arsenic compounds are fed to chickens every year in the United States.” Arsenic in Chicken
“Based on the USDA estimates of arsenic levels in the U.S. chicken supply, the prestigious Medical Letter on the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration concluded, “Chicken consumption may contribute significant amounts of arsenic to total arsenic exposure of the U.S. population….Levels of arsenic in chicken are so high that other sources may have to be monitored carefully to prevent undue toxic exposure among the population.”” How Much Arsenic in Rice Came From Chickens?
Red rice has 10 times more antioxidants than brown rice (Brown Rice vs. Black Rice) and regardless of whether you cook with red, black, or brown rice they all have more antioxidants than white rice. Enjoy both the healthiest lentil (The Healthiest Lentil) and healthiest rice with my nutrient-packed version of sloppy joes.
Diet vs. Exercise
Is exercise or diet more important in weight loss or are they equally important?
Diet.
Turns out diet plays a bigger role in weight loss than does exercise. The equation to balance energy, where calories in must equal calories out, misleadingly implies “that energy intake and energy expenditure occupy equivalent roles in determining energy balance, when in fact the factors governing energy intakes influence the energy balance far more powerfully than the factors determining resting energy expenditure.” Diet vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
If we consider the amount of exercise necessary to simply negate the calories contained in some commonly consumed foods, it is probably much greater than you may realize. To burn the calories of a single pat of butter you need to walk almost a half mile; one sardine would require a quarter mile jog; and eating two chicken legs would necessitate running an extra 3 miles to prevent weight gain. And that is for steamed chicken with the skin removed. Diet vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
Remember these distances are simply to stave off weight gain which means weight loss requires even greater levels of exercise. Luckily, you can keep your exercise régime the same while enjoying this sweet pie because Noah’s Pie is not only free of cholesterol but also virtually fat free and just so happens to contain one of the healthiest vegetables. Anti-Cancer Potential of Sweet Potato Proteins
In fact, eating this dish (or any of the other recipes would upregulate your metabolism. How to Upregulate Metabolism
Diet.
Turns out diet plays a bigger role in weight loss than does exercise. The equation to balance energy, where calories in must equal calories out, misleadingly implies “that energy intake and energy expenditure occupy equivalent roles in determining energy balance, when in fact the factors governing energy intakes influence the energy balance far more powerfully than the factors determining resting energy expenditure.” Diet vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
If we consider the amount of exercise necessary to simply negate the calories contained in some commonly consumed foods, it is probably much greater than you may realize. To burn the calories of a single pat of butter you need to walk almost a half mile; one sardine would require a quarter mile jog; and eating two chicken legs would necessitate running an extra 3 miles to prevent weight gain. And that is for steamed chicken with the skin removed. Diet vs. Exercise for Weight Loss
Remember these distances are simply to stave off weight gain which means weight loss requires even greater levels of exercise. Luckily, you can keep your exercise régime the same while enjoying this sweet pie because Noah’s Pie is not only free of cholesterol but also virtually fat free and just so happens to contain one of the healthiest vegetables. Anti-Cancer Potential of Sweet Potato Proteins
In fact, eating this dish (or any of the other recipes would upregulate your metabolism. How to Upregulate Metabolism
Which Became More Contaminated…the Chicken or the Egg
The Emerging Pathogens Institute ranked Salmonella as the worst foodborne pathogen as it represents the largest public health burden on our country. Eggs contaminated with Salmonella sicken 142,000 Americans each year. Yet salmonella in eggs was only ranked the #10 worst pathogen-food combination.1
In fact eating chicken may be eight times riskier than consuming eggs. Thanks to heightened food safety regulations during the Clinton administration the number of Americans food-poisoned by chicken each year decreased to 200,000 from 390,000. “But isn't that a bit like some toy company boasting that they've reduced the amount of lead in their toys and are now killing 40% fewer babies?”2
Within the last 10 years or so we have seen a decrease in food-poisoning caused by E. coli. The reason for this reduction is because selling E. coli laden beef is illegal. Yet chicken laced with salmonella contaminated fecal matter is totally fine.3
In 1971 the American Public Health Association sued the USDA saying salmonella-contaminated meat cannot be given a stamp of approval. The USDA argued that “there are numerous sources of contamination which might contribute to the overall problem" and it would be "unjustified to single out the meat industry and ask that the Department require it to identify its raw products as being hazardous to health."4 “That's like the tuna industry arguing there's no need to label cans of tuna with mercury levels because you can also get exposed eating a thermometer.”5
The meat industry’s position was upheld by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, who decided it was acceptable to allow potentially deadly salmonella in meat. Their reasoning was "American housewives…normally are not ignorant or stupid and their methods of preparing and cooking of food do not ordinarily result in salmonellosis."6 “That's like saying oh, minivans don't need airbags or seat-belts and kids don't need car seats because soccer moms don't ordinarily crash into things.”7
___________________________________________
1 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 APHA v. Butz, 511 F.2d 331, 334 (1974).
5 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
6 APHA v. Butz, 511 F.2d 331, 334 (1974).
7 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
In fact eating chicken may be eight times riskier than consuming eggs. Thanks to heightened food safety regulations during the Clinton administration the number of Americans food-poisoned by chicken each year decreased to 200,000 from 390,000. “But isn't that a bit like some toy company boasting that they've reduced the amount of lead in their toys and are now killing 40% fewer babies?”2
Within the last 10 years or so we have seen a decrease in food-poisoning caused by E. coli. The reason for this reduction is because selling E. coli laden beef is illegal. Yet chicken laced with salmonella contaminated fecal matter is totally fine.3
In 1971 the American Public Health Association sued the USDA saying salmonella-contaminated meat cannot be given a stamp of approval. The USDA argued that “there are numerous sources of contamination which might contribute to the overall problem" and it would be "unjustified to single out the meat industry and ask that the Department require it to identify its raw products as being hazardous to health."4 “That's like the tuna industry arguing there's no need to label cans of tuna with mercury levels because you can also get exposed eating a thermometer.”5
The meat industry’s position was upheld by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, who decided it was acceptable to allow potentially deadly salmonella in meat. Their reasoning was "American housewives…normally are not ignorant or stupid and their methods of preparing and cooking of food do not ordinarily result in salmonellosis."6 “That's like saying oh, minivans don't need airbags or seat-belts and kids don't need car seats because soccer moms don't ordinarily crash into things.”7
___________________________________________
1 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
2 Ibid
3 Ibid
4 APHA v. Butz, 511 F.2d 331, 334 (1974).
5 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
6 APHA v. Butz, 511 F.2d 331, 334 (1974).
7 NutritionFacts. (Director). (2013). Salmonella in chicken & turkey: Deadly but not illegal [DVD]. DrGreger. (http://nutritionfacts.org/video/salmonella-in-chicken-turkey-deadly-but-not-illegal/)
WELLNESS TIPS
Stand Up for Your Health
Use this Calorie-Burn Calculator to determine how many more calories you will burn each day by simply standing more and join the trend by converting your desk to a standing workstation.
Long periods of daily sitting are linked to a shorter lifespan, even if you get regular exercise. Our bodies were designed to move.
(Standing Up For Your Health; Treadmill Desks: Stand Up For Health; Stand-Up Desks Gaining Favor in the Workplace)
How else can you move more throughout the day?
Long periods of daily sitting are linked to a shorter lifespan, even if you get regular exercise. Our bodies were designed to move.
(Standing Up For Your Health; Treadmill Desks: Stand Up For Health; Stand-Up Desks Gaining Favor in the Workplace)
How else can you move more throughout the day?
- Take frequent breaks from sitting
- Use the bathroom on a different floor
- Fill your water bottle throughout the day
- Move commonly used objects (scissors, tape dispenser, stapler, etc.) out of reach of your chair or to a common area away from your desk
- Stand when talking on the phone
- Remove the trashcan from your desk
- Walk during your breaks
- Park your car further away from the entrance
- Take the stairs
- Make your next meeting a talking while walking meeting
Exercise More, Drive Less
Live close enough to walk or bike to work?
Take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and fresh air by committing to walk or bike to work.
Set a goal for yourself to walk or bike one day a week and upon achieving your goal, reward yourself by getting a professional massage.
If you found the change easier and more rewarding than you anticipated, commit to as many days as your schedule will allow.
Too far to bike or walk to work?
Take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and fresh air by committing to walk or bike to work.
Set a goal for yourself to walk or bike one day a week and upon achieving your goal, reward yourself by getting a professional massage.
If you found the change easier and more rewarding than you anticipated, commit to as many days as your schedule will allow.
Too far to bike or walk to work?
- Drive part of the way and bike or walk the rest
- Walk or bike to local errands
- Try to pretend like you don’t own a car one day a week
Is Organic Better?
Yes.
It has been known for years that the 800 million pounds of pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides) used annually in the United States, causes detrimental affects (brain cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and cancers of the stomach and prostate) on farmworkers and their families.i
The National Cancer Institute’s Presidential Cancer Panel Report on reducing environmental cancer risk concluded that “exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing…food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers...” Further, “[t]he panel urges you, Mr. President, most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food...”ii
The best way to limit pesticide exposure from food is to choose organic. Rinsing a conventional apple appears to remove only about 15% of the pesticides. In order to significantly lower the pesticides on a conventionally grown apple you must remove the peel. Peeling the apple eliminates about 85% of the pesticides but also removes much of the nutrition.iii
By simply eating organic versions of the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables (EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce), your pesticide exposure can be decreased by around 90%. Not to mention organic produce contains more vitamins, more minerals, stores and tastes better and “you get to not be complicit in poisoning of farmworkers and their families.”iv
Choosing organic is easy when you join a certified organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Sign up for a local CSA offering fresh, local and organic produce.
Lower your cancer risk further by choosing foods known to be best at prevention. Test your cancer prevention IQ with these fun quizzes. The April Edition of the antioxidant quiz reveals which mushroom is best at breast cancer prevention and the January Edition tests your knowledge of what the best anticancer vegetable is in addition to the best families of vegetables for cancer prevention.
_________________________________________
iNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger. Sanderson WT et al. Pesticide prioritization for a brain cancer case-control study. Environ Res. 1997;74 (2): 133-144. Zahm SH, Blair A. Cancer among migrant and seasonal farmworkers: an epidemiologic review and research agenda. Am J Ind Med 1993;24(6): 753-766. Brown TP et al. Pesticides and Parkinson’s Disease-Is There a Link? Environ Health Perspect 114:156?164 (2006).
iiNutritionFacts. (Director). (2012). Presidents cancer panel report on environmental risk [DVD]. DrGreger.
iiiNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger.
ivNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger. Rembialkowska, E. Quality of plant products from organic agriculture. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(15), 2757–276. (2007). Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S, et al. Effect of diets based on foods from conventional versus organic production on intake and excretion of flavonoids and markers of antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Sep 10;51(19):5671-6. Olsson ME et al. Antioxidant levels and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro by extracts from organically and conventionally cultivated strawberries. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1248-55. Worthington V. Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables and grains. J Alt ComlMed 2001; 7(2): 161-173. Fuhrman, J. (2013) The end of diabetes: The eat to live plan to prevent and reverse diabetes. New York, NY.
It has been known for years that the 800 million pounds of pesticides (herbicides, fungicides, insecticides) used annually in the United States, causes detrimental affects (brain cancer, Parkinson’s disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and cancers of the stomach and prostate) on farmworkers and their families.i
The National Cancer Institute’s Presidential Cancer Panel Report on reducing environmental cancer risk concluded that “exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing…food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers...” Further, “[t]he panel urges you, Mr. President, most strongly to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food...”ii
The best way to limit pesticide exposure from food is to choose organic. Rinsing a conventional apple appears to remove only about 15% of the pesticides. In order to significantly lower the pesticides on a conventionally grown apple you must remove the peel. Peeling the apple eliminates about 85% of the pesticides but also removes much of the nutrition.iii
By simply eating organic versions of the top twelve most contaminated fruits and vegetables (EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce), your pesticide exposure can be decreased by around 90%. Not to mention organic produce contains more vitamins, more minerals, stores and tastes better and “you get to not be complicit in poisoning of farmworkers and their families.”iv
Choosing organic is easy when you join a certified organic Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Sign up for a local CSA offering fresh, local and organic produce.
Lower your cancer risk further by choosing foods known to be best at prevention. Test your cancer prevention IQ with these fun quizzes. The April Edition of the antioxidant quiz reveals which mushroom is best at breast cancer prevention and the January Edition tests your knowledge of what the best anticancer vegetable is in addition to the best families of vegetables for cancer prevention.
_________________________________________
iNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger. Sanderson WT et al. Pesticide prioritization for a brain cancer case-control study. Environ Res. 1997;74 (2): 133-144. Zahm SH, Blair A. Cancer among migrant and seasonal farmworkers: an epidemiologic review and research agenda. Am J Ind Med 1993;24(6): 753-766. Brown TP et al. Pesticides and Parkinson’s Disease-Is There a Link? Environ Health Perspect 114:156?164 (2006).
iiNutritionFacts. (Director). (2012). Presidents cancer panel report on environmental risk [DVD]. DrGreger.
iiiNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger.
ivNutritionFacts. (Director). (2010). Can pesticides be rinsed off [DVD]. DrGreger. Rembialkowska, E. Quality of plant products from organic agriculture. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 87(15), 2757–276. (2007). Grinder-Pedersen L, Rasmussen SE, Bugel S, et al. Effect of diets based on foods from conventional versus organic production on intake and excretion of flavonoids and markers of antioxidative defense in humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Sep 10;51(19):5671-6. Olsson ME et al. Antioxidant levels and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in vitro by extracts from organically and conventionally cultivated strawberries. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1248-55. Worthington V. Nutritional quality of organic versus conventional fruits, vegetables and grains. J Alt ComlMed 2001; 7(2): 161-173. Fuhrman, J. (2013) The end of diabetes: The eat to live plan to prevent and reverse diabetes. New York, NY.