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.
   

What's Happening to Vitamin D?

Wasn't it just last year that everyone was touting vitamin D as a panacea, a true cure-all to cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis? Is the pendulum is swinging the other way? Reporting on last week's Institute of Medicine (IOM) report suggested we are all pretty much getting enough vitamin D from our diets. That's hogwash!

Current recommendations suggest eating vitamin D fortified-foods (e.g., milk, cereal and some orange juice) or spending 10 minutes in the sun/day. Estimates suggest that in 10 minutes of sun exposure our skin produces about 10,000IU of vitamin D. However, if you are in a northern region where 10 minutes of exposure will land you in the hospital with frostbite, you are not producing any vitamin D from the sun. You need to make up the deficit with your diet.

Here are the points I want you to understand about vitamin D:

• Have your doctor check your vitamin D blood level during the winter months (if you live in a northern climate) to make sure you are in a safe range (20-30ng/ml)*.
• People with low blood levels of vitamin D have higher rates of heart disease, some cancers and osteoporosis.
• Current recommendations are to get 600IU (800IU if you are over 70). That's the equivalent of 6 cups of milk or 1 average multivitamin + 2 cups milk/day.
• Research has shown those who take modest doses of vitamin D (800-1000IU) had 20% fewer falls than a non-supplemented control group.
• Last week's IOM report set the upper limit on vitamin D intake at 4000IU. In all likelihood, this is too high. Better Living continues to recommend taking just enough vitamin D to keep your blood levels in a normal range.

*One study (referenced below) found increased risk of heart attacks in men with blood levels lower then 22.6ng/ml.
References:
http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D/Report-Brief.aspx
http://ibdcrohns.about.com/od/relatedconditions/a/fdavitd_3.htm
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d.html
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/589256_7
Bischoff-Ferrari, H.A., et. al, Effect of Vitamin D on Falls, JAMA, April 28, 2008- Vol 291, NO16, 1999-2006
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/168/11/1174