A friend sent me a very nice email today and I had to share a portion of it.
We are not sure who wrote the original.

Don't get discouraged by the big picture of any goal; break it down into bits, so you are not overwhelmed.

"Learn to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often just one baby step at a time and learn to love the doing, learn to use the accumulation of time.  When we multiply tiny pieces of time with small increments of daily effort, we will find we can accomplish wonderful things."  Start today.

Why can't one stop at just one of those chips in the bag?  Only one Oreo cookie, I promise.
Ok, this is the last peanut I am going to eat.

What is it about certain foods that we cannot stop at just one?

Check out former FDA commissioner, Dr. David Kessler's book, "The End to Overeating".
I heard an interview with him on On Point, NPR radio this am discussing his book.
You can also check out an interview he gave with the Wall Street Journal.

"At the core, it's fat, sugar and salt. Not everything activates each of us the same. Here's the fundamental point: We are wired to focus on the most salient stimuli in our environment. If your kid is sick today, that's what you think about. For some people it's sex, gambling, alcohol. For many of us it's food. And within that category, different types of food are salient. You have to condition yourself to take the power out of the stimulus."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124084009832659309.html
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=97689384673&h=cNk4n&u=hln2g&ref=mf

What do you think?  Are we wired and conditioned to be drawn to certain foods and lose control?
I would love to hear your thoughts.

Just heard of this from a friend...Do you long for fresh organic produce year-round? Do you want to support local and small farms? Are you interested in reducing your carbon footprint?

Check it out.
http://www.enterpriseproduce.com/farmshare/index.htm

Case Study - Part Two
Nicky gave birth to her son in March 16th, 2009.
She reached her goal of being in shape to row with her rowing team by June 1st.
Nicky also reached her pre-pregnancy weight of 127 lbs.  Nice work Nicky!

Why do I need to drink milk?  What is calcium?

Your children will learn the answers to questions like that and more when they visit
the Boston Children's Musuem. 

"Kid Power"  is one of  the current exhibits they have for kids and parents to learn
about healthy fuel for the body and why it is important.  A fun learning time for the whole family.

Check out the Boston Children's Museum for information to plan your visit.
http://www.bostonkids.org/exhibits/kid_power.html

Come check out the Boston Health & Fitness Expo at the Hynes Convention Center.
June 27th, saturday and June 28th sunday.

http://www.bostonhealthexpo.com/

Fun activities, cooking demonstrations, guest speakers, sport celebrities, health screenings and more.....visit the URL for directions and schedule for the various events.

If you missed out, this class will also be offered in the Fall as well.  I will keep you posted in advance of registration for Fall.

Come take a 5 week basic nutrition class with Kim at MIT in the MIT Adult Fitness Programs. 
The class is now open to non-fitness MIT fitness center members as well.

Thursday night, 6.30 - 7.45pm
Starts June 11th - July 9th.
Held at the Heinze, W59 building.

Contact or visit the The Alumni Pool and Wang Fitness Center (617.253.2005)
or The Zesiger Sports and Fitness Center (617.452.3690).
Visit either center's main desk to register.
www.mitrecsports.com

Get out the grills and throw on some veggies...
my favorite vegetable to grill is the red bell pepper.

Not only are they tasty but jam packed with some of the best nutrients.  Here are few bites about the pepper:

-Most abundant and tasty during the months of August and September
-One cup provides over 100% of Vitamin C and Vitamin A.
-Excellent source of Vitamin B6.
-Great source of beta-carotene and phytonutrients such as lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin
Source:  USDA Nutrient Database

How to Select and Store

-Choose peppers that have deep vivid colors, taut skin, free of soft spots, blemishes and darkened areas.
-Avoid those that have signs of decay including injuries to the skin or water-soaked areas.
-Unwashed sweet peppers stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator will keep for up to one week.
-Sweet peppers can be frozen without first being blanched. It is better to freeze them whole since there will be less exposure to air which can degrade both their nutrient content and flavor.

Best to buy organic.
According to the Environmental Working Group's 2009 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides," bell peppers are among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. To avoid pesticide-associated health risks, best to avoid consumption of bell peppers unless they are grown organically.

What are your favorite ways to eat red bell peppers?  Do you have any recipes or serving tips to share?

My sister suggested I write a blog about eating out and what choices to
make for healthy eating.

An excellent idea....when you are not the chef it is hard to control what
goes on in the kitchen...here are some helpful healthy tips that
could help with eating out.

1. Don't worry about cleaning your plate.  
Often restaurant portion sizes are double or triple the size of a single serving.  
Some restaurant offer half portions or consider splitting an entree with a friend
and have a healthy side salad too.
 
2. Watch out for the fried food trap.  
Always elect poultry and seafood to be prepared:
steamed; poached; roasted; broiled; boiled; grilled; or baked.
As for beef, be sure you choose lean cuts like loin or flank.
These methods don't necessarily mean no fat was added.  
So it is always a good idea to ask.

3. Love those blooming onions?  Think twice.  
1/4 of a Outback Steakhouse blooming onion with dipping sauce has 787 calories,
70.3g of total fat, 10.9g of saturated fat, 77mg of cholesterol and 1261mg of sodium.  Scary.

4. Beware, read the menu carefully:
Cream sauces; butter; oil; au gratin; breaded; Alfredo; battered or
batter-dipped any of these key words usually signify high fat.
Or if you must, ask for sauces on the side and you can control the amount.
 
5.  Soup?  Ask if the soup was made with milk or cream.  Choose broth based soups.

6.  Who doesn't love pasta....Sometimes the pasta can be tossed with oil before the sauce was added.
Portion sizes are usually 3x a single serving. 

7. Doggee Bag-it.
Before you start eating, ask your server to wrap up 1/2 of your meal so you don't
feel tempted to eat the entire plate of food.
 
8. Beware of the buffets.
Portion control can become a hard concept for the healthiest
eater at a buffet. The variety of foods available at buffets is also daunting;
studies have shown when we're given more choices we tend to eat more.

9. Watch the liquid calories. Especially fruit juices.
One 6-oz. glass of fruit juice could be anywhere between 80 and 100 calories.
Before you drink juice, have a tall glass of water -- you'll end up drinking
less juice. It's always best to have actual fruit, which can help curb your appetite.
 
10. Be a Picky Customer
Don't be afraid to ask for substitutions, such as egg whites or egg beaters
for whole eggs, or even request items that aren't on the menu. Healthier choices
like yogurt, fruit, a whole wheat bagel, or cottage cheese may be available
on request.  

11. Hold the spread.
Ask for your bagel, english muffin or toast without butter or on the side.  
That way you control how much you use for a spread.  Try using only jam or jelly
instead of those along with the butter or margarine.

12.  Watch out for the fat.
Home fries, hash browns, breakfast meats, and butter-laden grits are often high in
fat, sodium and calories.  Most of the fat is found in the fat they were cooked in.

13. Need bacon with your eggs?
If you can't have eggs without bacon or sausage, choose Canadian bacon -- this is a
healthier choice with less fat and calories.

14. Pass on the pastries.
Muffins, croissants, donuts, biscuits and cinnamon buns should only be an occasional
indulgence. Be careful about non-fat varieties when you do splurge -- they often
contain more sugar than their regular counterparts, as well as fat replacements that
significantly increase their calorie count.

What are your ideas for eating out healthy?  I'd love to hear your tips and ideas.




 

"Smell this, what do you think, should we eat it?"

Hmmn, this cottage cheese expiration date states it expired 7 days ago?
"Use by"
"Sell by"
"Best if used by"
"Expiration Date"

What does all this mean exactly?  

Except for poultry, infant formula, and some baby food,
product dating is not required by the federal government

“Use by,” “best if used by,“ or “quality assurance” date:
The last date the product is likely to be at peak flavor and quality.
This does not mean it is unsafe to eat.

“Sell by” or “pull”: An indication, to the retailer, of the last day
on which a product should be sold. It takes into account time for the
food to be stored and used at home. You should buy it before the date,
but don't have to use it by then. You should be able to use milk,
for up to about seven days after the sell-by date.

"Pack or package date": The date the food, for example, fresh meat
was packed or processed. Consumers can tell which package is fresher and
choose that one. A pack date isn't an indication of safety.

“Expiration”: For most foods, this indicates the last date on which
they should be eaten or used.  

“Born on”: Initiated by Anheuser-Busch, it's supposed to let buyers
choose the freshest beer. According to the company, its beer is
freshest and tastes best within 110 days from the born-on date.

"Coded date": A series of letters or numbers or both used by the
manufacturer to track foods across state lines and, if necessary,
recall them. The code isn't meant as a use-by date.

Canned goods.
High-acid canned foods such as tomatoes can be stored on the shelf
for 12 to 18 months; properly stored low-acid canned foods such as meat,
fish, and most vegetables will keep 2 to 5 years.
Don't use a can that's bulging.  
 
Here are some sites that have charts for food safety.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fttstore.html

http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/pdf/5403.pdf