Shameless Product Placement of May

Because the world didn't come to an end last weekend, I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Friday is finally upon us.  It feels good to be alive.  Although, I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed.  Harold Camping, the preacher who predicted our impending, all be it false, doom has made one hell of a shocking announcement this week. He did his math wrong.  I like a man who can openly admit he is wrong when the general public is unaware of his misstep.  It takes a large set of cahones to publically admit you're wrong, especially after you make the entire world acknowledge what you believe to be their death sentence.  He formally apologized about this on Monday, saying he did not have the dates "worked out as accurately as I could have." Wowsa.  Note to self: Always do your homework. Lucky for us, he has recalculated the date the world will end and now we have until the end of October to get our affairs in order.  Thank God.  I was worried. Having your will drawn up when all you own is a few pair of jeans and an ipod is STRESSFUL. And who does one leaves things to when the world ends? Probably no one, but I like having back up plans for my back up plans. Agh, I have so many unanswered questions.


Although we all only have a few short months left, I think we can all still enjoy the wonderful perks of food. Having said this, the Shameless Product Placement for the month of May  is...

Greek Yogurt

I know what you're thinking.  Kimberly, yogurt is for chicks. Kimberly, yogurt is disgusting. Kimberly, I hate how my toenails grow in various pointing directions.  It's okay.  It took me a while to get accustomed to Greek yogurt.  I've always loved yogurt, but that may be due to the fact that most of the flavored brands are loaded with sugar. Greek yogurt is thicker than traditional yogurt and has a slight tanginess to it. Regardless, it's the bee's knees.

The difference between traditional yogurt and Greek yogurt simply lies in processing. Obviously, both forms are made from milk. Regular yogurt is formed by introducing bacteria (probiotics) into the milk. This mixture then ferments to form its signature consistency. Greek yogurt is made in a near similar fashion. After the bacteria have been introduced to the milk, the mixture is then strained through cheese cloth and the extra liquid whey is drained out.

I've chosen to plug Greek yogurt this month for numerous reasons. One reason does not include the fact that the Yahoo! News Business page ran an article on the stuff this week entitled "Greek Yogurt: Weight Loss Secret for the Summer". Bologna. I love articles like this. She writes sarcastically.  Below I've provided you with the opening two sentences:

Need to lose weight you gained over the winter? Clinical research proves that a reduced-calorie diet that includes yogurt can encourage fat loss.

This is ground breaking.  A reduced-calorie diet encourages weight loss? Ugh I love when people claim the obvious to be something revolutionary. In addition to this, you could substitute almost any other "healthy" food for yogurt in that last sentence and the statement would still ring true: Carrots, beets, grapes, mangoes, etc.. I also found it interesting that this article was in the Yahoo! New Business section and not the Health section until I scrolled down to the bottom of the article where I learn it was written by Emily Neukircher from Sun Valley Dairy. Bingo. I've included this slightly obnoxious paragraph to encourage us all to be active readers when it comes to health related material. Being aware of where your writers are coming from can help you distinguish facts from advertisements.

Back to Greek yogurt.  For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to pick a brand to discuss. Oikos.  One 5.3 ounce container contains 0% fat and only 80 calories. The true claim to fame of Greek yogurt is the protein content. This small little container packs about 15 grams (2 ounces) of protein, making it a crazy good breakfast item or mid-afternoon snack. 

Like I mentioned before, eating Greek yogurt can take some getting used to. So to ease into all the deliciousness, my suggestion is simply dilution. This was how I first starting eating it. Half a cup of plain Greek Yogurt mixed with your favorite traditional yogurt. Feel free to add in berries, nuts, or granola.  After a while, the pain of mixing your yogurt will win out and you'll realize Greek yogurt is actually pretty good by itself. I regularly eat it in the morning with some kind of juicy fruit (mango, berries, or orange slices) and top it with some sliced almonds.  For a while I also used honey or agave nectar to sweeten it up a bit. 

Lastly, for all you bakers out there, Greek yogurt can easily be used in place of sour cream. Cutting the fat and boosting the protein content of any given baked good is truly a health nut's delight. I substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream in my Nana's blueberry muffins and my Mother's chicken enchiladas.  And I got to tell you, we can't tell the difference.

Look for Greek yogurt in your grocer's refrigerated dairy section. Other brands of Greek yogurt include Fage, Chobani, and Trader Joes. Greek yogurt can also be found in a wide variety of flavors if the plain isn't your cup of tea. Blueberry, strawberry, peach, lemon, honey, raspberry, pomegranate, vanilla and mango are just a few of the numerous flavors of Greek yogurt that are out there.  So check it out and enjoy!

Holy Whole Grains

Well, I'm officially a working girl (minus Sigourney Weaver's bone structure and 1980's hair). I have quit my part time job as a dietary clerk at a local hospital and opted for a friendlier paying receptionist gig. For my first day on the job I played nothing but Dolly Parton's "Nine to Five", stuffed my bra with pieces of a Nerf football and drank nothing but caffeinated beverages. To say my coworkers were slightly alarmed is like saying Dennis Rodman would make a good husband.  That's not 100% true but it would have been a great icebreaker, no? Sidebar: how did Dolly convince them to let her work nine to five? Was she not taking her lunch break? I have to admit it sounds nice. I genuinely need my beauty sleep, after one forty-hour workweek I looked like Scrooge from any one of the Christmas Carol adaptations. When I asked for this nine to five schedule, my superiors adopted a look that screamed loud and clear, "Drug test this girl on the spot!"

Let's hope this shift in employment doesn't affect my blog work.  Although, it most likely will because my editor has already noted her lack of volunteer workload. Staying tried and true to my one to two weekly posts, today we're going to discuss glorious whole grains!

I'm not really one to shove my opinions down other people's throats, which in some ways makes this blog completely ironic.  I mean this entire thing is devoted to nothing but my thoughts. I'm finding self-induced egotism suits me quite well.  Never the less, whole grains are something I am somewhat passionate about.  My mother raised both my brother and myself on whole wheat products.  Back in elementary school I cursed her for this. I faced rejection on a daily basis when my classmates refused to trade lunch items with me.  Sandwiches on whole wheat bread, whole grain chips or crackers, grapes, and peanuts were all that armed me on the lunchroom battleground.  Ahh Danielle Howard, how I coveted your Lunchables. It all paid off though.  Today I am thankful for being force fed whole grain products as a child. There was never a need to shift the way I ate grain-based products. Today, most of us know whole grain products are touted over refined white carbs, but why?

What are whole grains?  The official definition is as follows:

"Whole grains, or foods made from them, contain all the essential parts and naturally-occurring nutrients of the entire grain seed."

Before we continue, that definition sounds like we should be eating wheat right off the stalk. It's important to note that if the grain has been processed (e.g., cracked, crushed, rolled, extruded, and/or cooked), the food product should deliver approximately the same rich balance of nutrients that are found in the original grain seed. Okay, that sounds way more reasonable.  For visual purposes, below is a diagram of an average grain kernel (think wheat).

The Benefits of Whole Grains:
When grains are refined, the bran and germ are removed.  The bran is the mother ship of nutrition.  This external casing houses dietary fiber, omega fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals.  The germ is the reproductive part of the plant or the embryo of the seed if you will. It contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, thiamin, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorous.

Phytochemicals and antioxidants are disease-fighting components people commonly associate with fruits and vegetables. What you may not know is that both of these are found in whole grains.  Many of us are familiar with antioxidants; these little compounds protect us from free radical damage both internally and externally. Incorporating antioxidants into food products has become very popular. Just yesterday I found a dog food that claims to contain antioxidants in the form of pomegranate extract.  You know something is popular when animal food companies are jumping on the bandwagon. It's like those Fancy Feast cat food commercials. I could literally see myself trying one of those things simply because of how appealing their advertisements look.  Call me crazy, but who wouldn't want to try one of those gourmet wet cat foods?

Moving on. Phytochemicals are simple chemical compounds in plants that are important to promote healthful reactions in the body but are not classified as nutrients required for life and growth. Regardless, I think they sound fantastic.  So much so that I will probably name my first born after one of them. Commonly referred to phytochemicals include lutein, lycopene, beta glucan, and carotenoids. Potential health benefits of phytochemicals include reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, raising HDL levels, reduced risk of prostate and cervical cancers, and blocking cancer growth.  These things appear to be the Wonder Woman of disease prevention.

The Evidence:
Numerous studies have been done over the years specifically looking at the health benefits of whole grains.  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the Current Atherosclerosis Report, the Journal of Nutrition, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease, and the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition are just a few publications which have published studies in this area of research.  What a substantial amount of medical evidence has shown is this. Whole grains reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity.  Don't believe me? Just go here. 


Application:
So how can you get your grubby little hands on some sweet whole grains? Quite easily. In fact, you may already be consuming whole grains without even knowing it. As we've already learned, whole grans contain the bran, the germ and the endosperm. Examples of whole grains include brown rice, whole wheat flour products (bread, pasta crackers, etc.), oatmeal, bulgur (cracker wheat), quinoa, and whole corn meal just to name a few.   


The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend adults consume at least half of their grains as whole grains (three to five servings of whole grains per day).  So what's one serving? Your friends over at mypyramid.gov have your back. They have put together a picture-by-picture food gallery for grain serving sizes.  To the right is an example of one such image.

Honestly, I think these example pictures are rather complicated, however they do give you good basic information.  Half a cup of cooked brown rice or oatmeal, one slice of whole-wheat bread, five whole wheat crackers, three cups of popcorn, one cup whole wheat cereal flakes are just some examples of what makes up one serving of whole grains.  


Having said all this, it's not just bland whole-wheat products that make up this category. Honey Nut Cheerios, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Chex, Eggo Waffles, and Old del Paso Taco Shells are just a few whole grain products that people don't tend to conventionally think of. It gets better. The good people over at the Whole Grain Council have a special stamp on products that contain whole grains. They have taken the guesswork out for you! I encourage you to shop for whole grain products this week. They pack a powerful punch of protein, vitamins and minerals that refined carbohydrates cannot match. This is one area of the diet we all can improve upon simply for the health of it. 

Come back Friday for the Shameless Product Placement of the Month!

May's Nutrition Hot Topic: Will Someone Please Tell Me What the Deal Is With High Fructose Corn Syrup Already?! (Part II)

Where were we?

High Fructose Corn Syrup is just sucrose (sugar) with greater amounts of fructose (sugar found in fruit). I closed out part one of this post with what the American Dietetic Association has said, "Once absorbed into the bloodstream, the two sweeteners [sugar and HFCS] are indistinguishable." The FDA reaffirmed it's safety in our food supply in 1996.  Lastly, the American Medical Association has stated HFCS is so similar to sucrose it appears unlikely that it contributes more to obesity and other conditions than sucrose.  

My Opinions:

Here's the rub.  Sugar is sugar at the end of the day, whether its sucrose, fructose, glucose, etc. At this time it appears HFCS is not a mortal enemy because we don't have any definitive evidence to indicate otherwise. Regardless, HFCS is still sugar.  It's not made of un-namable chemicals.  It doesn't include ingredients like tire rubber, Pinesol, or Styrofoam.  Let's all just take a deep breath, count to ten and calm down! Gosh, this is like that time I witnessed Santa remove his beard after the night shift at a Macy's Department Store.  Feelings of horror, followed by disappointment were practically palpable. I can recall it so clearly, which may be due to the fact that it was only four short months ago.  

It seems like anytime people want a product viewed negatively they link it to cancer and wash their hands.  So I went to the American Cancer Society website where I found their Seven Steps to Reduce Your Cancer Risk.

"Researchers say if we stopped using tobacco, grew thinner, exercised regularly, avoided diets rich in red meat, and ate diets rich in fruits and vegetables, we would prevent two-thirds of all cancers."

Not one of these Seven Steps specify staying away from HFCS. However, one of the Seven Steps recommends eating more fruits and vegetables and less red meat. In conjunction with this recommendation, they state to limit intake of refined carbohydrates, such as pastries, sweetened cereals, and other high-sugar foods.  I hope by now you've gather that HFCS is just sugar. 

We as a population, consume way too many refined carbohydrates in a day.  These foods aren't doing us any favors.  On top of that, they may be replacing other nutrient dense sources (e.g. fruits and vegetables). Lastly, I promise, diets that tend to be high in fat, sugar and salt lead to weight gain and increased risk of obesity. As every freaking health professional out there who has ever written any book, magazine, journal, or been on any television or radio program will tell you, carrying excess weight increases one's risk for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, infertility and the list goes on.  Phew! Are we there yet?

So how much sugar am I allowed!?! Well, no dietary guidelines have defined the amount of fructose you're allotted in a given day.  However, your friends over at the American Heart Association have recommendations on added sugar consumption.  Women get no more than 100 calories of added sugar (about 6 teaspoons), men its no more than 150 calories (roughly 9 teaspoons).  


To put it in applicable units, I used the Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  I'm ball-parking here, but based on the AMA recommendation women get almost four cookies while men can have closer to five and a half.  That doesn't sound so bad right? Well, that's just the cookies. You eat added sugar in other items throughout the day. Remember that yogurt you had for breakfast? Added sugar. What about the Pepsi you drank at lunch? Added sugar. I'm not trying to sound like the food police, I just want you to know what it means when they say added sugar. I eat cookies too!

Interestingly, the commercial states that "[HFCS], like sugar, is fine in moderation". Yes it's true, it's fine in moderation. However, high fructose corn syrup is EVERYWHERE - 100 calorie packs, salad dressing, cereals, bread, granola bars, flavored yogurt, condiments, canned vegetables, soda, fast food and the list goes on.  What if 90% of the foods we consume in any given day contain high fructose corn syrup? Sadly, I think that falls out of the "moderation" category and into the "over-consumption" category.

From a Business Perspective:

Remember your father or grandfather telling you, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". Well, now it seems numerous food companies in America have buried that ideal and adopted the consumer-friendly notion that "if it doesn't earn the largest possible profit, fix it". I'm not about to get on my soapbox on how the food system runs in this country.  That is for another day. Having said this, the use of HFCS is all about saving money and creating a larger profit margin. 

HFCS is great for manufacturers who want to sweeten their products, while using less ingredient(s) to do so. As mentioned before, fructose is much sweeter than sucrose and HFCS is just regular corn syrup with a greater amount of fructose. By using HFCS manufacturers are able to use less sweetening agent and still yield equally sweet products by the end of the process. How sweet a combination it is to come in under budget while making more money! 

Corn's Infiltration

Food Inc. is a documentary on our nation's food supply. In this 94 minute eye opener, Troy Roush, the Vice President of the American Corn Growers Association says, "In the United States today 30% of our land base is being planted to corn.  That's largely driven by government policy...policy that allows us to produce corn below the cost of production.  The truth of the matter is, we're paid to over produce and it's caused by these large multi-national interests." As I mentioned in the first post, The Corn Refiners Association put out these HFCS ads, so you better believe they have an interest in keeping this stuff in a favorable light.

Products that include corn-based ingredients include ketchup, cheese, Twinkies, batteries, peanut butter, cheez-its, salad dressing, coke, jelly, sweet and low, syrup, juice, Kool-aid, charcoal, diapers, Motrin, meat, fast food, not to mention animal feed. 

****

"It's made from corn, it's natural.." says the mother pouring the sugar water beverage. I ask you this. Does "because it's made from corn" make it "natural".  The word natural is thrown around a lot in our food supply because it's use, specifically in regard to labeling, is unregulated by the FDA. If there is one thing you should have noticed in the first post, it's that in order to make high fructose corn syrup, sucrose must undergo man induced enzymatic reaction. I don't know about you, but when I think of something as being natural I tend to (foolishly?) believe it can be found in nature.  Last time I checked there weren't any high fructose corn syrup plants lying around. Maybe I'm mistaken.  Someone get me Ken Jennings number, stat!

At the end of the day the issue isn't any one ingredient, it's simply the over consumption of highly processed and refined foods, many of which just so happen to contain high fructose corn syrup. 

Sources:

Seven steps to reduce your cancer risk.  Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org

Sugars and carbohydrates. (2010, October 12). Retrieved from http://www.heart.org

Kenner, Robert (Producer). (2008). Fod, Inc. [Theater].
Nelson, J.k<. (2010, October 23). What are the health concerns about high-fructose corn syrup?. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com

American Dietetic Association. Use of nutritive and nonnutritve sweeteners. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004. 104:225-275

American Medical Association. Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health. The health effects of high fructose corn syrup. July 23, 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9vZYj-aJ4
McWilliams, M. (2008). Foods: experimental perspectives . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Eggs: Rectified!

What a legendary weekend.  While battling through a substantial amount of head congestion I chose to address all 80+ of my graduation announcements.  There is nothing quite like formally addressing piles of crisp ivory envelopes to really make a twenty something single girl pathetically assess where she is in her life.  I was discussing my 'woman on the verge' moment with an older female adult, explaining I need a textbook for the next chapter of my life.  She looked me dead in the eye and replied, "Kimberly, there is one." Thinking she is about reference a Chicken Noodle Soup book, I smiled politely and replied "Oh?" "Well, the Twilight books of course!" was her disturbing response. Really? That's my life's textbook.  An angst ridden teen romance novel revolving around a human, a vampire, and a werewolf? Is the Wizard of Oz my retirement plan? If so, those Munchkins need to have one hell of a 401K, because I am not picking up a second job after 65.

In an effort to distract myself from this obnoxiously classic distress, I had breakfast with an old friend from high school.  As we sat in our laminated booth, I skimmed the menu in hopes of finding some killer oatmeal. While I glanced over the egg dishes, I noticed there was not one but three egg white breakfast entrees.  She asked me what I planned to order and upon informing her, she responded, "Oh, you mean you're not getting the egg white omelet?" Some days I really curse my major.  When people assume you're the food police, they also expect you to abide by the law. When did egg whites become the gold standard of breakfast eating?

In a (nut) shell eggs are high quality protein with a minimal price tag.  As a student of nutrition, it's discouraging to see such a wonderful food wrongfully framed as "unhealthy". I don't like putting foods into the dreaded off limits category.  I tend to believe it sets one up for failure. A day is going to come when I want that deep fried Oreo at the State Fair and God as my witness, I will not be denied.

Years ago, numerous health experts preached that eggs should be avoided. Now, many seem stuck on the notion that eggs are bad for us. They're even being used as a weapon on that boy with the hair. All he's trying to do is put on a good show, cut the prepubescent kid some slack. But I digress. For those of you who believe eggs are "unhealthy", I'm here to tell you that label is a misnomer. Eggs are an excellent source of vitamin A, riboflavin and iron.  They are also a complete protein (contain all 9 essential amino acids).  One egg or two egg whites are equal to one ounce of protein.

What I believe is responsible for eggs' bad image, is the cholesterol containing yolk.  Ahhh she said the word cholesterol! Honey, get me my box of Cheerios, ASAP! Cholesterol is not a dietary essential.  We do not need to eat it because our bodies are perfectly capable of making their own cholesterol. It's recommended that in order to decrease the risk of heart disease, we need to limit our daily cholesterol consumption to 300mg. One egg contains 213mg.  You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that after one egg, you're almost to your limit of cholesterol for the day.

If I eat an egg yolk in the morning (or at lunch or dinner, I am a college student after all), you better believe I'm not going to track and compute my cholesterol consumption for the rest of the day.  I have way better things to do with my time and brainpower. However, I am also aware of the other cholesterol containing foods I shovel into my mouth.  Only animal products contain cholesterol (milk, cheese, fish, butter, beef, lamb, etc.).  This is the reason I laugh when I see a jar of peanut butter labeled cholesterol free.  Like the manufacturers have performed this big feat in removing cholesterol from their plant-based product.

The National Cancer Institute has a list of the top food sources of cholesterol the US population consumes (2005-2006). I was first going to put this in as a table, but it was way too imposing.  The top 5 are as follows:

1. Eggs and egg mixed dishes
2. Chicken and chicken mixed dishes
3. Beef and beef mixed dishes
4. Burgers
5. Regular cheese

Oof. Specific. Honestly, the entire list was rather vague, but I think you get the idea of where your dietary cholesterol is coming from. At the end of the day, should you consume whole eggs on a daily basis? Probably not.  But eating one whole egg once or twice a week is perfectly fine! I tend to saddle up to the Mediterraneans way of thinking when it comes to eggs. In my personal opinion, they have the best food guide pyramid out there. Hands down.  I'm sure this will be revisited later, but I could not help but mention it in this post.  

The Mediterranean pyramid divides up food groups among daily, weekly, monthly consumption categories. Whole eggs fall into the weekly category.  Notice, I did not say egg whites.  I love egg whites just as much as the next health conscious freak, but I'll tell you a secret; I rarely eat egg whites plain.  Quite frankly, they're boring and tasteless.  Instead, I often scramble three egg whites and one whole egg together. I usually eat this once or twice a week.  I recommend adding garlic, onion, dry mustard, spinach or feta cheese.

Egg Buying Basics for the Average Consumer:

• The diet of the chickens can be altered to manipulate the components of the egg.  This is why you see omega-3 eggs (usually achieved by feeding the hens flax seed).
• Cage-free eggs are laid by hens raised on the floor of a building instead of in cages.
• Free-range eggs are laid by hens that are raised outside during the day, but in a barn at night.

My Simple Tips on Eggs:  

1. Do not be fooled by the color of the egg

Grocers like to charge higher prices for the brown eggs. I'm here to tell you, white and brown eggs are EXACTLY the same except for the color of their shells. The color of the shell simply indicates the breed of the bird. Nothing more. Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs, while chickens with brown earlobes lay brown eggs. So just buy the cheaper white eggs. There is no point in paying for an aesthetic you are just going to crack and throw away.  

2. Keep the eggs in the carton 

That carton is specifically designed to prevent the eggs from absorbing orders or flavors from other foods found in your refrigerator.  

3. Don't wash your eggs

Eggs have a natural protective layer on the shell's surface.  By washing them, you remove that barrier and make the egg more susceptible to flavors, odors, and bacteria. 

3. Keep track of the age of your eggs

The USDA recommends using your eggs within 3-5 weeks of purchasing them. I try to use mine within one week of the sell by date. Interested in determining the age of your eggs? There is a three-digit code (001-365) on the side of every egg carton.  These three numbers indicate on which day of the year it was packed (Dec. 31 would be 365).  There is the old wives tale that if you put an egg in a glass of water and it floats it's bad (which makes sense because the older an egg is, the more air it contains).  I tend to just trust the sell by date and my nose.

Image courtesy of Curb Stone Valley Farm

Was this boring?

May's Nutrition Hot Topic: Will Someone Please Tell Me What The Deal Is With High Fructose Corn Syrup Already?! (Part I)

(Could that title be any longer?)

Reader,

Let me start out by saying at times this topic can be so frustrating it can feel like another bewildering game of Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego, but I'm going to try my best. You know those high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) commercials where the question is posed as to why HFCS is bad and the responder can't come up with a single reason? Well, if you haven't, you're not missing anything. Regardless, they make me laugh.  Not only are they awful, they're also true to a certain extent.  Below is a link to one such gem of a commercial if you're so inclined.

HFCS- "Party" TV Commercial

There is so much information out there about this stuff.  It's good.  It's bad.  It's going to run as the Republican Candidate in the 2012 election.  Mitt Romney who?! Let me tell you folks, it's views on healthcare and tax reform may give the Democratic Candidate a run for his (or her, but most likely his) money.  Moving on.  I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you what I've learned on this controversial ingredient that's been linked to just about every disease in the book. I was originally going to make this a general post back in April, but holy moly it's just not that simple!

What exactly is high fructose corn syrup?

The Chemical Basics

After scouring the internet for a solid Bill Nye video on sugar, I came up empty handed.  So you're left in my semi-capable hands to try and spell this out.  

After I dusted off my Foods: Experimental Perspectives textbook, I located the chapter entitled Monosaccharides, Dissaccharides, and Sweeteners.  For those of you have haven't had a science class in quite some time, do not, I repeat do not let any of those words intimidate you. Monosaccharide and disaccharide are just two words that also mean carbohydrate. Don't let the prefixes throw you either. Monosaccharide means one sugar (or carb). Three of the most common monosaccharides are glucose, fructose (sugar found in fruit), and galactose (sugar found in milk).  Oh organic chemistry, how I miss you so.  Dissacharide means two sugars. Who's on third? (That was a joke. Stop sweating). Sucrose, better known as table sugar, is a dissaccharide in which one glucose and one fructose are linked together.  You still with me?

Now let's talk about sweetness. Table sugar (sucrose) is 100 on the relative sweetness scale. Fructose is much sweeter and comes in at 173.  Glucose is slightly less sweet than sucrose at 74.

The Making of HFCS:

Traditional corn syrup is simply made by introducing water to cornstarch. It's made up of glucose and other larger compounds.  When commercial manufacturers make HFCS, they convert some of the glucose to fructose, thus making it sweeter.  This conversion takes place via enzymatic activity.  What is an enzyme?  An enzyme is simply a catalyst that brings about a reaction.  Manufacturers can convert upwards of 90% of the glucose to fructose. The more glucose that's converted to fructose, the sweeter the solution will be.

At the end of the day, high fructose corn syrup is still simply sucrose (glucose + fructose) with a greater concentration of fructose.

The Advertisements

Allow me to point out what I believe are two glaring components of the commercial

1. What are they drinking?!
2. This ad, along with its sister commercials out there on HFCS, are brought to you by the Corn Refiners Association. This isn't made apparent to the average viewer, as in those of us with moderate to poor eyesight.  This little brought to you by tag appears for about three seconds at the very end of the commercial in faint grey font.  So what's the big deal? Well HFCS is made from corn.  Think they have an agenda?  You bet they do.

Misconception:

Below are two actual comments people made on the youtube video of the HFCS commercial I posted earlier:   

"High Fructose Corn syrup is a good substitute for sugar, kinda like motor oil is a good substitute for extra virgin olive oil. Pour some motor oil in your pan and eat that, but only in moderation." - received 17 thumbs up (those who agree)

"This is a huge piece of propaganda, this stuff hurts you, it is horrible compared to natural sugar, this stuff is linked to colon cancer."  - received  21 thumbs up 

Consider yourself warned.  I love fact-checking people.  It's almost an innate compulsion.  I'm not sure where it all stems from, but I sincerely hope it doesn't become a defining characteristic of my personality; otherwise I am going to be single forever.  Mark my words. Regardless, this bold statement that HFCS is directly linked to colon cancer was like a towel whip to my face, screaming out to be investigated.  

What Professionals Are Saying:

Jennifer Nelson MS, RD, LD writes like a rock star on this disputed topic on the Mayo Clinic website. 

"Research studies have yielded mixed results about the possible adverse effects of consuming high-fructose corn syrup. Although [HFCS] is chemically similar to table sugar (sucrose), concerns have been raised because of how [HFCS] is processed. Some believe that your body reacts differently to high-fructose corn syrup than it does to other types of sugar. But research about high-fructose corn syrup is evolving."

The American Dietetic Association has said, "Once absorbed into the bloodstream, the two sweeteners [sugar and HFCS] are indistinguishable." The FDA reaffirmed it's safety in our food supply in 1996.  Lastly, the American Medical Association has stated HFCS is so similar to sucrose it appears unlikely that it contributes more to obesity and other conditions than sucrose.  

When organizations like the American Dietetic Association, Food and Drug Administration, and American Medical Association tell me something is safe, I tend to believe it. I'm not anhedonic.  

Come back Friday to get reacquainted with eggs! 


Stay tuned for Part II 

(How can there be more?)

Sources:

Seven steps to reduce your cancer risk.  Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org

Nelson, J.k<. (2010, October 23). What are the health concerns about high-fructose corn syrup?. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com

American Dietetic Association. Use of nutritive and nonnutritve sweeteners. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004. 104:225-275

American Medical Association. Report 3 of the Council on Science and Public Health. The health effects of high fructose corn syrup. July 23, 2009.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl9vZYj-aJ4

McWilliams, M. (2008). Foods: experimental perspectives . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Gluten: Friend, Foe or Switzerland?

Yours truly here is down for the count.  As an individual who in the last 24 hours has drunk eight cups of herbal tea, used a Neti pot three times, and woke up with four Halls wrappers in her bed, I think it's safe to say that springtime is officially kicking my pollen-sensitive butt. Just in the nick of time too.  School's winding down, finals are approaching, graduation is looming, and I am currently in search of my future apartment for the fall in a city that sits 1200 miles away from where I currently reside. Stress?! What stress? But enough about me, let's talk about gluten!

Gluten.  As food companies promote gluten free products and our grocer's shelves become more stocked with them each day, many people have come to the logical verdict that gluten must be a dietary enemy.  It's similar to when you see products labeled "No MSG" or "No High Fructose Corn Syrup".  If companies are advertising these ingredients aren't in their products, the general public naturally assumes they must be harmful.  In some instances, this may be true. However, when it comes to gluten, that's just not the case.  

I once had someone ask me why gluten was so bad for her.  I must have given her a rather quizzical look. A look involving facial expressions one might have when viewing the bearded lady at the circus. Having interpreted my facial language, she followed her question up with, "well there's all these gluten free products out there and I've heard of a few people voluntarily adopting a gluten free diet." 

So what is gluten anyway?  Gluten is simply a protein complex that forms when wheat, barley or rye flour mixes with water and the batter/dough is manipulated (stirring, kneading, or beating).  Gluten is responsible for the texture of many of our favorite baked goods, such as bread or muffins. The protein network that develops controls the product's cell size and volume.  What am I talking about when I refer to cell size and volume? See below.

Those pockets of air are also called cells.  As you may well know, these large aerated cells make for some deliciously soft bread. Yum.

In order to make products gluten free, one must use alternative flours, such as rice or potato.  The downside with gluten free baked goods is you often end up with a heavy, dense, and tough final product.  I'm not saying all gluten free products are bad, however many of them are reminiscent of the low carb options bakeries were churning out in the early 2000s. A glorious time when the carbohydrate was as cherished by active fad dieters as profanity on Sesame Street.

Part of my Medical Nutrition Therapy class required me to follow a gluten free diet for a couple of days and as the old saying goes, you don't realize what you have until it's gone. By the end of the project, I felt like a psych experiment.  I had developed an eye twitch and chewed off the majority of my fingernails. I never realized how frequently I consume products that contain gluten. I survived on nothing but eggs, fruit, vegetables and peanut butter. I tried gluten free pancakes and bread, but they fell drastically short.  Not to mention they were expensive!

So now that we're all familiar with gluten, why are there gluten free products out there?

Individuals with Celiac's Disease have a gluten sensitivity.  Basically, their GI tracts have an abnormal response to this stuff. Side effects can be pretty unpleasant because an immune reaction takes place in the small intestine. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, intermittent diarrhea, and bloating.  Malabsorption of food is also occurring and can lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, weight loss, muscle cramping, even osteoporosis. 

My Top 3 Encountered Gluten Misconceptions

Myth #1: Everyone should avoid gluten

False. Only individuals who need to avoid gluten are those with Celiac's Disease or other gluten intolerance issues.

Myth #2: A gluten free diet is healthier for everyone
False.  This sudden boom in gluten free products is great for those with Celiac's Disease or other gluten intolerance issues.  Gluten free products simply allow these individuals to eat foods they would not normally have been able to eat, such as pasta, pancakes, breads, and cereals (think anything wheat, rye, or barley based).

Myth #3: A gluten free diet is a perfect weight loss diet
False. In fact, gluten free products tend to be higher in sugar, fat, and overall calories; the antichrist for trying to drop a few lbs.

Want more information on Celiac's Disease? Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic's Celiac Disease page.  Mayo Clinic - Celiac Disease 

Come back Monday for Part one of May's Nutrition Hot Topic!

Oats: It's What's For Breakfast

My few, but dedicated readers.  I did not budget my postings well last week. Rookie mistake.  I gave you the HUGE nutrition hot topic of the month Monday and then just rolled over Wednesday with another post on my love affair with television programming.  Who am I? You all got it way too easy last week.  You probably checked in Friday thinking I would indulge you again.

So allow me to say I'm sorry.  Never again will I spoil you so much in any three consecutive days.  You better be enjoying this, oh what's the word...it's an expression of regret....oh yeah, apology.  I'm serious.  The last time I issued one of these, Clinton was in office and Monica Lewinsky was just another anonymous intern. I swear, most direct photos of her look like glamour shots taken by a federal penitentiary camera crew.  I'm allowed to say this because I don't take my own looks too seriously and most days I resemble Sloth from The Goonies.

Let's start this thing, shall we?

Cooking.  Some of us love it. Some of us hate it.  I would never deny that it can be time consuming, but it can also yield numerous rewards.  Now while I'm no Martha, Julia, or Giada, I can handle myself in the kitchen and that's a start.  So today I post a recipe for a breakfast item that doesn't even fall into the cooking category.  It's more assembly, sit, and serve.  It's the Chia Pet© of breakfast foods.

The Kraken

I am an advocate for eating breakfast. Having said this, I understand not everyone is like me.  Most days when I get up I tend to mimic a one-year old in the sense that within no time I will have something in my mouth.  To say I sort of require breakfast is like saying the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan are somewhat bloody.  Let's just leave at if I don't eat breakfast, it's like unleashing the Kraken.  Look out people!

Moving on.  It's been said by every cereal company and countless health professionals out there, "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".  To say it's not, would be blasphemous.  However, while I put stock in breakfast I also value the importance of listening to your body - the whole eating when you're hungry, stopping when you're full thing.  Once every three years, I myself have a morning where I arise and I'm not hungry.

I was a breakfast skipper.  During the glorious days of high school, better known as the dark ages to some, I opted out of consuming this metabolic kick-in-the-pants.  Learning to eat breakfast can take a little bit of practice, but trust me, after a while, things are going to get easier. And before I start quoting the first family of soul, the Five Stairsteps' "O-o-h Child", let me just say it's all about baby steps. Maybe it's a granola bar on your way to work.  A piece of fruit while you're in the shower. Yogurt while you write your daily email to Oprah telling her how her hairstyles through the years have changed your life.
Side bar: that is literally a link on her show's website.  "Best Lists: Oprah's Hair Through the Years". Check it! You can't make this stuff up.

Even though you may not be as calorie dependent as this blog's author, you may still enjoy this breakfast just the same.

You want me to do what with the oats?

Make this recipe the night before.  Put it in a plastic container overnight and the next morning, voilà, you have delicious oaty goodness at your fingertips that's ready to be devoured.

I've adapted this recipe from Oh She Glows.

Overnight Oats

One Serving

1/2 cup dry rolled oats

1 cup milk (skim, soy, almond)

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 Tbs of Chia seeds (optional)

A dash or two of cinnamon

In your plastic container, mix together oats, cinnamon, and chia seeds.  In a small separate bowl mix together milk and the mashed up banana. Add the milk and banana mixture to your dry ingredients.  Stir well.   Cover and place in fridge overnight.


Stir up in the morning and enjoy! I like it just like this, but feel free to top with nuts, dried coconut, raisins, cranberries, peanut butter, or pure maple syrup.