Walnuts for health

A recent study compared antioxidants in nine different types of nuts and found walnuts to have the most antioxidants of all that were compared. Walnuts also had the highest potency of antioxidants among all the nine different types of nuts.

Antioxidants help protect cells by preventing cell damage by substances called free radicals.

Walnuts also contain the highest amount of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which is a plant form of omega-3's.

Heart-healthy fats and ALA help lower cholesterol levels, including total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein), the "bad" cholesterol.

All nuts are high in heart-healthy fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Naturally, they have very little sodium but make sure you read the ingredient list to see if salt has been added. One ounce of walnuts contains 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 10% of the Daily Value of both magnesium and phosphorus. Walnuts also contain a small amount of potassium (125 mg), comparable to the amount of potassium in 1/2 cup of strawberries.

A small portion can give you the health benefits and nutrients, without adding too many extra calories or fat. One ounce, about 7 whole walnuts or 12 to 14 walnut halves, daily is a beneficial amount.

There is also some research to show that walnuts can help boost memory, improve cognitive functioning, and can improve bone health.

Roasting nuts generally decreases the potency of all types of nuts. Walnuts are usually eaten raw and unroasted, so you get the highest amount of antioxidants possible.

Walnuts as well as other nuts can fit into an overall healthy eating plan. Add some to your salads, desserts, side dishes, or eat as a snack. Walnuts can look expensive when you buy them at the store, but as long as you stick to 1 ounce per snack or meal, they will last a long time.

All about yogurt

Yogurt is a versatile food - add some fruit for a healthy breakfast or snack, use it in place of sour cream in dips or on baked potatoes, or incorporate it into dessert. Here is more information about yogurt.

Yogurt is considered a milk/dairy food on Mypyramid because of the calcium. The cultures in yogurt help digest lactose (milk sugar), which may help those who suffer from lactose intolerance eat yogurt without symptoms. There is some evidence that the cultures also help keep healthy bacteria in your guy, but there is no solid proof of this. Those cultures may be listed on the label as L. acidolphilus, L. bulgaricus, (the L. stands for lactobacillus) and S. thermophilus.

Greek yogurt is strained differently than regular yogurt, resulting in more protein. Greek yogurt has about 17 grams of protein per 6 ounces, whereas regular plain yogurt has about 8 grams of protein in 8 ounces. Regular yogurt that has added sugar or fruit may only contain 3 or 4 grams of protein.

Greek yogurt does tend to have less calcium than regular yogurt. Greek yogurt is also more expensive, sometimes twice as much.

To choose a healthy yogurt, you must read the nutrition label. You should try to pick one that is a good source of protein and calcium without a lot of added fat, sugar, or artificial sweeteners.

Plain yogurt is better than flavored or sweetened yogurt, but if is it too tart or too plain, try mixing half sweetened/flavored with half plain. Some sugar sweetened yogurts can have up to 4 teaspoons of sugar. Some have artificial sweetener, which is safe is small amounts, but many of our foods have artificial sweetener, so it's something to limit.

Plain Greek yogurt works great as a veggie dip (in place of sour cream based dips, which have no nutrients) or as a topping on a baked potato. Plain regular yogurt works too, but the texture of Greek yogurt is more similar to sour cream. By using either plain or Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, you are getting more nutrients and less fat.

Some brands of yogurt claim that they help with regularity and digestive system health. What they don't mention is that you would have to have three servings a day to see that benefit. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has investigated these claims and has made recommendations to revise these statements.

Some yogurt now has added fiber in the form on inulin. Yogurt does not have fiber naturally. There is no good evidence that inulin is as good as naturally occurring fiber in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

To see what brands and types of yogurt may be best, you can read this article from the Nutrition Action Healthletter from 2008. I also have a more recent article on yogurt that I would be glad to fax if anyone is interested.

Eat some green for St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day, so here are some tips for eating healthy green fruits and vegetables to celebrate.

• Try a spinach salad. If raw spinach is too bitter, mix in some Romaine or even a little iceberg lettuce. Darker greens have more nutrients, but mixing may help with the flavor. Spinach has a ton of nutrients, including over 1000% of the Daily Value for vitamin K, over 300% of the Daily Value for vitamin A, over 60% of the Daily Value for folate, over 35% of the Daily Value for iron, and over 25% of the Daily Value for calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. Spinach is also a good source of fiber.
  
• Add spinach to your smoothie. Try mixing blueberries (or other fruit), milk, yogurt, ice cream, or sherbet with a handful of spinach. You won't taste it but you will get the great nutrients from the spinach.
• Steam some broccoli for a side dish. Steamed broccoli retains most of the nutrients, such as vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, and fiber. Broccoli is in season in the summer and fall. Brussels sprouts have nutrients similar to broccoli.
  
• Green peppers are versatile and can be eaten cooked or raw. They can be used in stir fry, salads, or eaten as a snack.
• Asparagus and cabbage also provide many nutrients. Asparagus has vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, vitamin K, and fiber. Cabbage has vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, magnesium, and fiber. Asparagus and cabbage are both in season in the spring and cabbage is in season in the fall too.
  
• Lima beans, peas, and green beans are also green vegetables to try. They have some of the same nutrients that were listed for the other green veggies.
  
• Kiwi and green apples are two green fruits. Kiwi is very high in vitamin C and both have fiber. Apples have vitamin C and potassium.
  

Remember to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables of all colors of the rainbow to get the nutrients you need. Most adults need between 2 1/2 to 3 cups of vegetables and 1 1/2 to 2 cups of fruit everyday. Children need a little less than that. Try to incorporate fruits and vegetables to all of your meals to meet the current recommendations.

Healthy Quick Meals

One big challenge for some of us is cooking dinner after a long day, especially if we haven't planned ahead. Here are some tips for preparing ahead for meals, along with some quick and healthy recipes.

Plan ahead:

• Plan your meals, including lunch and dinner, for the week ahead and do your grocery shopping on Saturday or Sunday. To save money, plan your meals around sale items.
  
• Cook enough for extra meals over the weekend for the week ahead. Cook a big pot of chili or soup for leftovers. Freeze the leftovers that you won't use within 2-3 days.
• If you don't like leftovers, just cook extra meat and use it in different dishes over the week. Make extra chicken and use it for salads, sandwiches, or other meals.
  
• Use a crockpot. You can prepare the ingredients the night before then cover and refrigerate. Before work in the morning, put the crock out at room temperature for a little bit and then heat on low to be ready for dinner when you get home. Use your choice of meat and veggies.
  
• Keep a few items that can be pulled together for a quick meal on hand.
  

Quick and healthy recipes:

Tuna with veggie salad
Ingredients:
Raw spinach or other leafy greens (Romaine, etc)
1 can or packet of tuna packed in water (drained)
Other veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, etc)
Your choice of beans or lentils
Olive oil and vinegar

Mix ingredients for a tasty and quick salad. You can use a tiny bit of mayo or some mustard to flavor the tuna if plain tuna is too boring. You could also use 1 can of cooked chicken (drained) but tuna gives us healthy omega-3s.

Corn and black beans
Ingredients:
1 package of frozen microwavable corn or 1 can of corn
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
Salsa
Optional: Plain unsweetened low-fat or fat free Greek yogurt (to be used instead of sour cream)
Optional: Low-fat or fat-free shredded cheese

Heat the corn in microwave, according to directions. Mix ingredients. Can be served as a main dish with added chicken or other meat, or served as a side dish. This is a very versatile dish so you can change the amount of ingredients or add other seasonings.

Veggie and cheese stuffed baked potato (from Lickety-Split Meals)
Ingredients:
1 baking potato
1 cup frozen California blend frozen veggies
Low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Optional: fat-free or low-fat unsweetened Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream)
Pepper

Wash and scrub potato. Pierce a few times with a fork and cook 4-5 minutes, longer for a bigger potato. Cook frozen vegetables according to directions, up to 6-8 minutes until done. Add veggies to baked potato, top with cheese and cook in microwave for one more minute. You could also add meat that was cooked earlier in the week.

Quick nachos, quesadilla, or burrito
Ingredients:
Tortilla chips, flour tortillas, or whole-wheat tortillas
Low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
Fat-free canned refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, or your choice of canned beans (drained and rinsed if necessary)
Salsa
Other veggies (tomatoes, green peppers, etc)
Leftover chicken, steak, or other meat

Layer ingredients on chips or tortillas. Heat to melt cheese as appropriate.

English muffin pizza
Ingredients:
English muffins (100% whole wheat for added fiber)
Spaghetti or pizza sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Veggies (spinach, green peppers, tomatoes, etc)

Spread sauce of English muffin, add cheese and veggies. Microwave or broil in oven until cheese is melted.

Planning ahead is the key to serving quick and healthy meals for you and your family. Scheduling your meals for the week and having ingredients on hand will save time and energy in the evenings.

For many more quick and healthy meals, look for the book "Lickety-Split Meals" by Zonya Foco, RD. I have a copy that I can loan to others to view.

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, an educational campaign sponsored by the American Dietetic Association. The blogs this month will focus on nutrition topics.

The 2011 campaign slogan is "Eat Right with Color." For each meal you eat, try to include a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. The different colors provide us with different nutrients. For example, dark green veggies have vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium, calcium, and fiber.

Here are some ways to add color to your plate:

• Make a side salad with a variety of vegetables and even fruit pieces. Try spinach or romaine lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, and mandarin orange pieces. Top with olive oil and vinegar for the dressing.
• Add strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or banana to your cereal, oatmeal, or yogurt. Use frozen berries if fresh is not available.
• Instead of grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and corn, top your grilled chicken with fresh salsa, try mashed sweet potatoes, and asparagus.
• Add tomato and spinach to your plain turkey sandwich. Try sliced carrots, celery or green or red pepper strips as a side dish instead of potato chips.
• Have baked or grilled fish with broccoli, cauliflower, and peaches or sliced apples for dessert.
• Instead of a brownie or cookie for dessert, try some sliced fruit such as cantaloupe, watermelon, or mango.
• Buy fruits and vegetables in season for the best offerings and best prices. Frozen or canned fruit can be an option as well.
• Try to move toward filling half your plate full of veggies, and then 1/4 with lean protein, and 1/4 with a whole grain. Add a piece of fruit and milk or yogurt for a nutritious and filling meal.