Lead a Fit and Healthy Life
Posts tagged food
Going Gluten Free
09 months ago
Gluten-Free: The Low-Carb of This Decade?
The slant of this is annoying — that you shouldn’t go gluten free if you don’t have a health issue bc you could lose out on vitamins. If you are eating whole, clean foods –that shouldn’t be an issue.
“Gluten-free” is fast becoming the “low-carb” diet trend of the 21st century, although only 10 percent of the people buying its foods suffer from the celiac disease, wheat allergy or “gluten sensitivity” that make gluten avoidance a medical-must.
The burgeoning gluten-free marketplace has been a boon to men and women whose good health depends upon keeping gluten out of their gullets.
…Celiac disease, also called celiac sprue, affects an estimated 1 in 133 Americans, many of them unaware that they have a genetic disorder in which the body perceives gluten in their food as an alien invader and launches an immune system attack on the intestines and other organs. Symptoms can range from diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue and headaches to malnourishment, osteoporosis, neurological conditions and in some cases, infertility and cancer.
Celiac sufferers must strictly adhere to gluten-free eating. Even a stray crispy crouton in a salad could be enough to launch an internal immune system siege that can sicken them.
Like those with wheat allergy, which can trigger hives, congestion and potentially fatal anaphylaxis, celiac patients must be vigilant about the contents of everything they eat. Offending foods containing wheat products include such surprising items as salad dressings, cold cuts, egg substitutes, imitation crabmeat (surimi), some herbal teas and licorice.
In addition to wheat, rye and barley, gluten can be found in exotic grains like spelt, kamut, faro and triticale. Even some oat products may contain traces of gluten picked up in the field or during processing.
With the addition of people suffering from gluten sensitivity, the market for foods once considered in the dietary fringe is expected to grow further. Packaged Facts predicts it could approach $5.5 billion by 2015.
Safeway’s Simple Nutrition Shelf Tags – A Review
210 months ago
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Safeway to do a review of their new Safeway.com/Simplenutrition healthy options label system they were rolling out in their stores. In their words: Safeway understands that shoppers want to make better nutrition for themselves and their families. But they also understand reading nutrition labels and wading through all the different sources of nutrition information can be time consuming and confusing. Fortunately, SimpleNutrition is here to help! SimpleNutrition is a new ‘at the shelf’ program that simplifies and personalizes grocery shopping so you feel confident about making informed food choices.
They offered me a gift card as a thank you for taking the time to visit their store and give my honest thoughts about it. Other than knowing there was a new label system they were using, I didn’t find out any more information, thinking it would be a better experience to go in ‘blindly’ and see if I could figure it out. Also, I am not familiar with this particular Safeway either, so it was a double blind experience. Here are my thoughts –
Here’s the Safeway in Ashburn, VA that I visited on a Friday late afternoon. I walked into the store and headed to the produce area –which coincidentally, seems to be in the front of every grocery store if you haven’t noticed before. Anyone know why? Hmmm…
As I was going through the produce area, I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary in terms of labels of the food. Looked completely regular to me — so I headed on down a few aisles, again, nothing stuck out. I was beginning to think that maybe this particular Safeway was not using the new label system. So as I pushed the cart down a few more aisles and went to the frozen food section.
Now that my son, Nate is eating gluten free foods, I have had to become familiar with frozen breakfast items that he can eat and figured, maybe I will see these new healthy option
labels there. What I saw was a clearly marked ‘Organic’ label which I thought was great, but hardly a stand out. (See picture to the right)
I continued on through the aisle and came upon them – FINALLY! They look like little tabs hanging off the edge & right below the food item. They color-coded them along 
with its related word. I saw Organic, Gluten Free, Low Sodium, All Natural & More! Once I got the hang of it and noticed them – I realized how much help they really were. It helped me quickly identify the gluten-free items instead of having to look through and carefully make sure that the product I am getting is indeed what I think it is.
What I have been finding is that many brands have a healthy, organic version AND a healthy, organic but Gluten free option and other than a small little label on it – that says it’s Gluten Free, it’s hard to tell. This really did make it easy!
As I said, once I noticed them – that’s how I finished my shopping trip. Looking for these little tabs all over the store. They were up and down the rice & pasta aisle and I was able to find them in the frozen food area. I was able to scan this wall of mac & cheese options and find the ones that are gluten free quickly and easily. That made me very very very happy!
The way this Safeway is laid out – the healthier options are integrated with all of the food — so I can see how these labels would really help
shoppers quickly identify healthier options. Even the lower sodium spaghetti sauce had a healthy options label to help you find it easier.
So what are my overall thoughts about Safeway Simple Nutrition Shelf Tags? Anything that helps people make better nutrition choices for themselves and their families is a step in the right direction in my book! I really liked how these tags stood out and were very readable. So, for those shoppers already looking for healthier options — this makes it easy. One wish? I wish it had the magic power to convince people to make a conscience choice to buy them…..
Please know that although Safeway did provide me with gift cards to thank me for my time, the opinions shared above are my own & were in no way influenced by them. They did not encourage me to write any particular review of my experience.
Car full of Groceries from Safeway!
Genetically altered foods a major part of our diets
011 months ago
by Stephy
in Health/Nutrition
Genetically altered foods a major part of our diets
Ok am i the only one who didn’t realize this? That much of our food is from genetically modified seeds? This scares me — changing anything from the way nature intended is taking an unnecessary risk — I don’t care how small it is — the fact that I didn’t know about this until now annoys me. I have the right to make informed decisions for my family –
WASHINGTON — Genetically modified plants grown from seeds engineered in laboratories now provide much of the food Americans eat. Most corn, soybean and cotton crops grown in the United States have been genetically modified to resist pesticides or insects, and corn and soy are common food ingredients.
The Agriculture Department has approved three more genetically engineered crops in the past month, and the Food and Drug Administration could approve fast-growing genetically modified salmon for human consumption this year.
‘Guinea pigs’
Agribusiness and the seed companies say their products help boost crop production, lower prices at the grocery store and feed the world, particularly in developing countries. The FDA and USDA say the engineered foods they have approved are safe — so safe, they do not even need to be labeled as such — and cannot be significantly distinguished from conventional varieties.Organic food companies, chefs and consumer groups have stepped up their efforts — so far, unsuccessfully — to get the government to exercise more oversight of engineered foods, arguing the seeds are floating from field to field and contaminating pure crops. The groups have been bolstered by a growing network of consumers who are wary of processed and modified foods.
Flip For FREE Pancakes March 1. 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
011 months ago
TUES 3/1 Flip For FREE Pancakes March 1. 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Visit your local IHOP on March 1st to receive one complimentary short stack. In return for the free flapjacks, they are asking for a donation that will go towards the Children’s MiracleNetworkHospitals and other designated local charities. This year’s goal is set at $2.3 million. For more information, visit ihoppancakeday.com
Bob Harper say it ain’t so –
011 months ago
Don’t buy into the hype people -
Quaker Oats ain’t good for you Just because Bob Harper is Hockin it –http://bit.ly/fQL0T2
The Food Gods Speak: Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser Dish About Walmart, National Security, and Chicken Nuggets
011 months ago
Last week, food movement legends Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) sat down together with Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food, for a fascinating conversation that covered all of the major food stories of the past few months. For those of you who couldn’t make it in person, but want to know when Pollan last ate a chicken nugget, whether Schlosser thinks that Walmart’s new healthy food initiatives are for real, and what they think are the most important things you and I can do to make a difference right now, here’s my recap of the highlights.
First Lady Sets Sights on Global Waistlines
011 months ago
First Lady Sets Sights on Global Waistlines | TakePart – Inspiration to Action.
One year into her ambitious “Let’s Move” campaign to fight obesity in America and encourage the country to make better choices in the kitchen, First Lady Michelle Obama is taking her crusade to the world stage.
In an interview to mark the one-year anniversary of the campaign, Obama said that she’ll now take the “Let’s Move” message with her everywhere she travels, inspired by world leaders’ interest in her famous White House garden.
“What I find internationally, and Barack says the same thing, is whenever he meets with a world leader, one of the first things they ask him about is the garden,” Mrs. Obama said. “Obesity is becoming an international issue. Many first ladies have begun to think about how they’re going to deal with this issue.”
The First Lady also announced that she has been working—quietly, so far—with the National Restaurant Association to give the nation’s eateries a “Let’s Move” makeover: smaller portions and kids’ meals that feature carrots and apples instead of French fries and chips.
The new targets follow a year in which the First Lady used the East Wing bully pulpit to usher in significant changes to the nation’s grocery stores, fast-food outlets and school cafeterias.
Not all sources of protein are created equal
012 months ago
by Stephy
in Health/Nutrition
In the most recent issue of Women’s Health magazine they had a short blurb about sources of protein and if they are all created equal –The answer was No. Up until recently, I never really thought about this. I always figured, protein is protein. But after looking into it and talking with others — you want to eat whole, efficient and complete food — and some would even say the info below should leave out dairy products all together and go pure ‘paleo’. One of the things I have found — we are all different and we need to try different approaches to see what works best for you, your lifestyle and your body type. But the key take away here is not all protein is equal –
Many plant foods, including nuts and beans, can provide a good dose of protein, the best sources are dairy products, eggs, lean meat and fish. …Unlike plant based proteins, animal protein is complete, meaning it contains the right proportions of the essential amino acids your body can’t synthesize on it’s own. It’s possible to build complete protein from plant based foods by combining legumes, nuts and grains, but you’d need to consume 20-25% more plant based protein to reap the same benefits that animal-derived sources would provide…
What if bad fat isn’t so bad? – Health – Diet and nutrition
01 year ago
by Stephy
in Health/Nutrition
What if bad fat isn’t so bad? – Health – Diet and nutrition – msnbc.com.
So much of what I am reading lately questions our common day notions of ‘bad’ fat. I remember clearly when fat free food started hitting the market and yet we are fatter as a country. It’s not unreasonable to want those who study this type of thing to question commonly held thoughts about food and what constitutes good and bad food or if either exists at all. We are learning so much more and more about how we develop and prosper – it seems logical to constantly re-examine what we think about what we eat.
Suppose you were forced to live on a diet of red meat and whole milk. A diet that, all told, was at least 60 percent fat — about half of it saturated. If your first thoughts are of statins and stents, you may want to consider the curious case of the Masai, a nomadic tribe in Kenya and Tanzania.
Restaurant trends for 2011
01 year ago
Eating out in 2011 will be about health! Although skeptical, this is great to read because it shows that it’s on the minds of those in the food business. Of course the fact that they are mentioning improving kids’ nutrition makes me even happier! Let’s keep our eye on this one –
Happy eating in 2011!!
Ahead of the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and impending regulatory standards for calorie postings in restaurants, smart chefs and restaurateurs are aligning their plans with the changing nutritional tide. Thus, eating out in 2011 will be all about health and flavor. Here are some of the predictions: Locally sourced ingredients. After a few tough years with outbreaks of food-borne illness and frequent food recalls, consumers want to know where their food is coming from. The closer, the better. Roof top and back yard gardens are supplying restaurants with the freshest herbs and produce available. Smaller portions. Whether it’s supersize fatigue or a sluggish economy, restaurant patrons are opting for smaller portions or sharing entrees. Fixed price meals and other cost-saving deals will continue to be on the menu. Big flavor. The portions might be smaller, but the flavor is bigger. Ethnic and artisan foods turn a meal into a taste experience. For your consideration: coconut-infused flavor, ancient grains, flavorful cheeses, and local, artisanal beers and liquors. New twist on kid friendly. From the White House to the school lunch room, childhood nutrition is getting a much needed overhaul. Instead of the traditional fried strips of chicken and potatoes, look for more nutritious meal offerings to include fruit, veggies, and milk. Dessert anyone? Yogurt, gourmet popsicles, and pie are topped with or filled with fruit and flavor combinations to delight. Allergy awareness. For those with food allergies, dining away from home is a gamble. Smart restaurants know that clean kitchens and food handling practices that prevent cross contamination could open the doors to new patrons.
