February 2010 Blog Posts (23)

Cancer Survivor Sues over Grilled Chicken Carcinogen

Fast-food companies market grilled chicken as a healthful option, but most consumers have no idea that the products harbor a dangerous carcinogen. Two Connecticut residents have teamed up with The Cancer Project to file a class-action lawsuit demanding that Burger King, Friendly’s, and McDonald’s warn customers that their grilled chicken products contain PhIP, a chemical that increases cancer risk… Continue

Added by Susana on February 25, 2010 at 3:00pm — 2 Comments

Old Food: What to Keep, What to Toss

I was having breakfast with a friend recently, and when I peeled my banana, I discovered that the top half was brown and bruised. I nonchalantly broke the banana in half and proceeded to eat the non-offending portion, but my friend was horrified. “How can you eat that?” she said. “Isn’t it dangerous?”…

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Added by Susana on February 25, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

The Danger of Daily Aspirin

By ANNA WILDE MATHEWS

If you're taking a daily aspirin for your heart, you…

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Added by Susana on February 24, 2010 at 1:11pm — 3 Comments

Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

Oh, I love eggplant! It is one of my favorite veggies. It has to be cooked right though. I usually have an eggplant dish when

eating at a Thai or Indian restaurant. Of course they use lots…

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Added by Susana on February 23, 2010 at 8:00pm — No Comments

Winter Blues

This is the time of the year when it is very easy to become depressed or

to get the "wintertime blues". If you find yourself lacking in energy

or just do not feel like doing things that you normally enjoy, you may

have a mild case of the blues. If you are finding that the cold

temperatures and the gray skies are affecting your outlook on the day,

you will be glad to hear that there are some very simple things you can

do to help you.

1. Diet - It is very… Continue

Added by Lynn on February 22, 2010 at 9:00am — No Comments

The recipe for a long and healthy life

Do you want to live to 100?

For most of us, a long and well-lived life sounds rather tempting. So what can we do to get as much out of life as we can, for as long as we can?

It turns out we know some important things about what influences longevity; there’s even a fun game online that will estimate how old you’ll live to be. All you have to do is answer 40 quick questions related to your health and family history and a calculator (at the end of this post) will do… Continue

Added by Ayala laufer-Cahana MD on February 22, 2010 at 6:01am — 1 Comment

Sodas Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

Feb. 8, 2010 -- Drinking as little as two soft drinks a week appears to nearly double the risk of getting pancreatic

cancer, according to a new study.…

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Added by Susana on February 20, 2010 at 10:39am — 1 Comment

Creamy Stuffed Potatoes with Tender Broccoli and Meaty Mushrooms

Years ago, when my husband and I were young and dating, we frequented a restaurant that made a terrific stuffed potato. Of course, the restaurant's potatoes were stuffed with tender meat and creamy cheddar cheese - still, they were worth the calories.

These days, we are a few years older, and a bit wiser, so we try to keep the calories and fat in check. This recipe for stuffed potatoes is considerably leaner, but adding meaty mushrooms and salty Parmesan cheese really takes them up a… Continue

Added by Kristi Rimkus on February 20, 2010 at 7:55am — 1 Comment

A Cheesy, Creamy Tuna Melt Lightened Up

Tuna melts are usually laden with fat and calories thanks to the use of mayonnaise and butter.

My sandwich uses ingredients like onion, pickle, mustard, a really great muenster cheese, and some spicy arugula to boost flavor, without added fat and salt. Grilled, it comes out nice and crunchy on the outside, and cheesy, creamy on the inside.

Now I have a sandwich that weighs in at almost half the calories, fat and sodium.… Continue

Added by Kristi Rimkus on February 18, 2010 at 7:02am — No Comments

Later Introduction of Baby Foods Related to Lower Risk of Obesity Later in Life

A baby eating baby food. A late introduction of baby food, rather than duration of breastfeeding, may protect against becoming overweight in adulthood.…

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Added by Susana on February 17, 2010 at 8:00pm — No Comments

”Let’s Move” to reform school food

School food received some major media attention in the past week.

Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move anti-obesity campaign last Tuesday, with improving school food as a major program cornerstone. Congress will reauthorize the Childhood Nutrition Act this year—with some planned overhauls and budget… Continue

Added by Ayala laufer-Cahana MD on February 15, 2010 at 4:17am — 1 Comment

Happy Valentine's Day!

... to all Iowa Avenue members!

Don't eat too much chocolate :)

By the way, I was able to make a heart with the milk foam in our cappuccino:…

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Added by Susana on February 14, 2010 at 10:30am — 1 Comment

Is Bagged Salad Safe to Eat?

It has been on our local news lately with special reports. Do you consume bagged salads or you prepare your own?

Bagged salad: the best thing since sliced bread... Convenient, nutritious, flavorful - and scary?

Consumer Reports magazine published the details of their…

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Added by Susana on February 10, 2010 at 3:00pm — 2 Comments

3 Simple Ways To Have a Sustainable Valentine’s Day

If your goal is to live more sustainably, including supporting a more sustainable food system, Valentine’s Day is the year’s first holiday to put that resolution to the test.…

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Added by Susana on February 10, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Easy Heart Healthy Salmon and Asparagus in a Packet

I can't say I'm the most organized cook. I go through spurts of taking a few hours on a Sunday to plan my menus for the week, but that doesn't last long. This means that I'm depending on a stocked pantry, with lots of options in the freezer.

Last night I hit the jackpot with this salmon and asparagus recipe from Taste of Home. I had everything I needed to get this meal on the table in no time flat.

It really is a recipe worth trying.… Continue

Added by Kristi Rimkus on February 10, 2010 at 6:57am — 1 Comment

A healthy and nutritious homemade smoothie

In my previous blog, Chia Seeds: An Ancient American Super Food, the article said it will cost $20 for a pound. Hurray! I was able to get a pound of organic raw Chia seeds… Continue

Added by Susana on February 9, 2010 at 12:30pm — No Comments

10 healthy cooking tips for great flavor with less salt

I devoted last week’s post to salt, and to the fact that we consume, to our detriment, two-to-three times our recommended daily upper limit of salt. The bulk of this excess intake comes unnoticed and hidden in processed and restaurant (especially fast-food… Continue

Added by Ayala laufer-Cahana MD on February 8, 2010 at 5:03am — 2 Comments

Chia Seeds: An Ancient American Super Food

Though we’ve all heard of chia pets, it’s less known that the tiny black seed responsible for the chia “fur” is a bona fide nourishing food crop, once cultivated by The Aztecs, and even used as a currency.

Chia (Salvia columbariae, S. hispanica) is a member of the Lamiaceae (Mint) Family. Salvia, the genus name, derives from the Latin salvere, meaning,…

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Added by Susana on February 6, 2010 at 6:00pm — 4 Comments

Looking For Some Terrific Recipes?

If you eat light, then I bet you cook a lot at home. I guess it's obvious that I do, since I author a light cooking blog.

Of course this means I'm always on the hunt for something new to make. That's why I love my fellow bloggers.

These blogs offer some really terrific recipes, and I always find inspiration as I read through their stories, and get a glimpse into their lives.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! …

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Added by Kristi Rimkus on February 6, 2010 at 9:30am — 1 Comment

The Inside Scoop on Agave Nectar

By Andrew Behrendt, Natural Solutions magazine

Forty miles northwest of Guadalajara, in the arid highlands of western Mexico, lies the town of Tequila. In the hills surrounding the town, the subdued blue of the Agave tequilana plant colors the countryside. The region’s farmers grow and harvest acre upon acre of the plant.

They discard the plant’s succulent, spiky leaves, despite their beauty, and focus instead on the… Continue

Added by Susana on February 2, 2010 at 8:00am — 2 Comments