Pizza may be the perfect snack!

I've been thinking a lot about snacking. When hospital patients experience trauma we recommend eating small frequent meals. It's gentle on digestion and provides a level energy through the day. Eating small, frequent snacks rather than big meals is also good for healthy individuals. One of my favorite small meals is a couple slices of homemade pizza. Here's my secret:

Build your pizza on these two products -

• Mama Mary's Gourmet 100% Whole Wheat Crust - it's thin crust so you can load up on toppings without losing your waistline!
• Muir Glen Organic Pizza Sauce - amazingly fresh and wonderful.

Top your pizza with low-fat and healthy ingredients -

• Capers
• Sauteed mushrooms
• Baby spinach
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Walnuts
• Artichoke hearts
• Tofu
• Chicken
• Broccoli
  

With so much flavor from the toppings you'll only need a sprinkling of cheese (I use a soy cheese) to hold the pie together. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 425 and enjoy. It's good hot or cold. Most importantly, it is a perfect snack to give you balanced energy.

Join the Community AND Improve Your Health

Do you know the acronym "CSA"? If you said, "Community Supported Agriculture" give yourself a pat on the back!

We have entered an era of very cheap produce, but it comes at a cost. Many industrial crops are doused with pesticides and herbicides to insure their growth. Such chemicals can remain on and even in the finished product. While the government does diligence in making sure these chemicals are not harmful in acute dosages, no one knows the health effect of them in low-dose over many decades.

Part of the benefit of a CSA is that you purchase a share of a local farm's bounty. You know where your produce (and even eggs) is/are produced. You can choose organic if you want to avoid pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, by buying from the farm down the street, you are not only supporting the local economy; you are also eating the produce that fights off the same pathogens and environmental challenges you do. Some experts believe this is a great way to fortify your body.

There are ample CSA's in Ann Arbor. You can find a list at http://www.ecovian.com/s/ann-arbor-mi/csa, but I would like to highlight one in particular. Green Things Farm is run by Nate Lada and Jill Sweetman, two recent graduates of the U-M. Nate and Jill are first-time farmers working with the Tilian Farm Development Center. The program is using Ann Arbor's Green Belt to help new farmers get started and break the cycle of small farms losing out to industrial farming. If you would like to buy into Nate and Jill's farm, visit them at http://greenthingsfarm.com/.

A CSA is a fantastic way to increase your vegetable consumption this summer. Share it with a friend or neighbor during the weeks that you are vacationing or overwhelmed by the bumper crop! In the end, a CSA is a great motivator to try some new vegetables, meet your local farmers and improve your health.

For my out-of-town readers, just google "CSA" and you'll get the one's local to you. Happy eating!

How much protein do we need?

Nothing gets my blood boiling more than reading overly generalized articles that misleads people into making poor food choices. Such was the case when I read the supporting study for a claim that older people need more protein because they don't make muscle as efficiently as younger people. The study looked at 11 older persons (65-69 years) versus 8 younger persons (28-32 years) and found after eating the equivalent protein of a half cup of cottage cheese, the elderly folks did not build as much muscle. However, the study looked only at people who did NOT exercise. We know that strength training builds muscle in elderly people. Why would they look at non-exercisers and make a generalization to all elderly people. Furthermore, how can you generalize to all senior citizens based on the results of 11 people?

If you have endured my rant this far, let me give you some practical information. The current recommendation for protein consumption for healthy people is 0.36-0.5 grams protein per pound you weigh. Therefore, a 160lb person should eat 58 to 80 grams/day. If you are overweight, adjust this number down by using your realistic goal weight.

What is that in food?
2 cups milk or soymilk - 16g
3oz turkey - 25g
3oz fish - 23g
1/2 cup cottage cheese - 15g
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TOTAL - 79g

What you should know
We need more research on the topic of protein intake and muscle building. It is true that sedentary older people lose muscle. However, strength training seems to reverse that without extra food intake. Many protein foods can be high in saturated fat which contributes to heart disease. When choosing protein for your diet look for lean cuts of meat, fish, nuts, and low-fat dairy. If you are really trying to build muscle try adding a low-sugar, whey protein smoothie to your normal plan.


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American J of Clinical Nutrition 82:1065, 2005.

http://heartspring.net/list_of_high_protein_foods.html

Perfection is so hard to reach!

Today while making a vegetarian chicken pot pie I found myself calling my mother once again for her pie crust recipe. It turns out perfectly every time and is so universal, you can use if for dessert or savory pies. Best of all, it uses canola oil which is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Who's not willing to have a slice of pie to help their cardiovascular system?

Mom gave me permission to reveal her secret:

Mom’s Perfect Pie Crust

For 8-9 inch pie pan.

1 1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup canola oil

3 T milk

Combine milk and oil. Mix oil/milk mixture with flour until flour is just moist (the longer you mix, the tougher the crust will be). Wipe the counter/table with a moist dish cloth. Place a sheet of wax paper over it (moistening the counter holds the wax paper from slipping). Place dough on wax sheet and put another wax sheet over it. Roll the dough out from the center with a rolling pin.

Peel off top layer of wax paper. Then flip crust over into pan using the bottom sheet of wax paper. Peel that off.

If you want a pre-cooked crust (e.g., for a pudding pie or no-bake pie), cook this pie crust at 425 degrees for 8 minutes until lightly brown. Otherwise, follow directions for your pie recipe.

When making a double crust, Mom makes the recipe twice. She says you could try doubling the recipe, but you’re doing it at your own risk.

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Mom is careful to tell me she learned this recipe in home economics class in high school. If you taught home economics at Franklin High School in Livonia 40 years ago write in so I can give you credit.

I am crazy about these crackers!

The problem with most crackers is that they are not purely whole grain. Just about anything strictly whole grain should have 3+ grams dietary fiber for every 100 calories. This is the sure-fire test to ensure your carbohydrates don't go straight to your gut. Take one look at the nutrition label and you'll see most crackers don't fit the bill (and the one's that do taste like cardboard!). Furthermore, many crackers are loaded with salt and fat, especially the far-too-often-consumed soybean oil.

Finally, there is a cracker that tastes good and is good for you. Check out Kashi's Heart to Heart Original or Roasted Garlic Whole Grain Crackers. They look like any other woven-wheat cracker, but they are made with the much-healthier canola oil and contain a few other potential health bonuses (e.g., plant sterols & decaffeinated green tea extract). Plus, for those watching blood pressure, they only contain 75mg sodium per serving. If you are looking for a lighter cracker option, check out Trader Joe's Savory Thins. They are about half the calories of most crackers so you can spend some time with them without having to run to the gym to burn them off.

Try either cracker with a non-fat black bean dip or hummus for a tasty whole-grain/protein snack.

http://kashi.com/products/category/Crackers

Sweet Cravings Spoil the Bikini Body

So many people I meet are trying to lose weight but can't seem to shake their sweet tooth. Why is it that I can't pass up cookies at the office? How do overcome my 3pm craving for chocolate? Often people cannot lose weight until they find the answers to the questions.

In a decade of nutrition counseling, I've come up with 3 answers.

1. You are craving sugar because at this moment your body needs carbohydrates, especially simple sugars. Choose a piece of fresh fruit instead of a Snickers bar.
2. Research shows that the sugar/fat combination (e.g., cake, cookies, candy, ice cream, etc.) causes a release of serotonin in the brain stimulating a sense of pleasure. This is the same type of response you get when you take crystal meth. Yes, people can get addicted to chocolate. I am convinced this response is stronger in some people than in others.
   
3. Finally, food takes on all sorts of associations. People feel joy when they eat cake because it's linked with celebrations. Sharing a doughnut with colleagues is just being a team player, right? When losing weight you should try to break these associations and think of food as fuel. It's tough advice, but it will yield results on the scale.