Welcome to the SoCal Nutrition & Wellness Blog!
Please check back regularly for news and happenings in the nutrition, fitness, and wellness world in addition to SoCal Nutrition & Wellness announcements. This forum is for current and prospective clients, health professionals, and anyone interested our nutrition musings. Please create a conversation by submitting your comments, suggestions, and experiences. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook as well.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, September 29. 2010
Many of my clients are often surprised to learn that one's risk of cancer, especially breast cancer, can be strongly related to diet and lifestyle. Genetics and age also play a strong part in increasing one's risk of cancer; those are non-modifiable factors. However, we can control what we eat and how much we exercise (our modifiable risk factors). The research to date suggests that diet and lifestyle are very important in reducing our risk.
Here are some diet and exercise tips to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer:
- Limit alcohol to less than one drink per day or avoid completely.
- Maintain a healthy body weight. There is an established link between obesity and increased breast cancer risk, especially if the excess weight is put on after menopause.
- Be physically active at least 30 minutes per day.
- Eat a diet low in fat. This means consuming less than 30% of your total daily calories from fat and less than 7% from saturated fat.
Speak to a Registered Dietitian to assess your diet and to get on the road to a healthy lifestyle that reduces your risk of disease. For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month please visit: http://www.nbcam.org/
Tuesday, September 21. 2010
Tonight I made a healthy, easy, budget-friendly, and delicious pizza! I started with Trader Joe's wheat pizza dough (only $0.99!), which I let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes while I prepared all of my toppings and pre-heated the oven to 450 degrees. My toppings included Trader Joe's spicy jalapeno chicken sausage, pizza sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 organic green bell pepper, 1/8 red onion, ~8 sliced kalamata olives, buffalo mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Once my dough was softened, I rolled it out on top a light layer of flour and popped it in the oven for about 3 minutes. Then, I layered my toppings and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
I served it with a salad of baby greens, tomatoes, olives, and red onion lightly topped with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. That's it!
Friday, September 17. 2010
Want to schedule a nutrition consultation, but running low on funds? Hershey's has agreed to pay for 1,994 appointments with Registered Dietitians valued at $250 each! Beginning today, there's a fantastic new resource available. The Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition and the American Dietetic Association are launching Moderation Nation, a program featuring lots of helpful tools and a national initiative to cover the cost of ADA registered dietitian visits. Click here to download your certificate to connect with an RD. You must use the certificate within 45 days. You can find details regarding rules and stipulations here. Contact me if you are ready to redeem your certificate! What an amazing opportunity!
Tuesday, September 14. 2010
Have you heard? The FDA may approve a genetically engineered salmon that will grow to full size in 18 months instead of 3 years. Safety data is limited, but regardless, this may end up in our restaurants, grocery stores, and ultimately on our plates.
The FDA has scheduled meetings September 19-21 to hear advice about whether the agency should approve GM (genetically modified) salmon. These are Atlantic salmon bioengineered by AquaBounty Technologies. Atlantic salmon only grow for a few months per year; they do not produce growth hormone in non-growth months. AquaBounty scientists combined growth hormone genes from an unrelated Pacific salmon with DNA from the anti-freeze genes of an eelpout fish. The result is that the GM salmon produce growth hormone throughout the year and grow at twice the rate of non-GM salmon.
What do you think about this? Food & Water Watch, a non-profit consumer food safety advocacy group, suggests 10 reasons these so-called "Frankenfish" should be rejected.
Sunday, September 12. 2010
With fall quickly approaching and summer coming to a close, butternut squash will soon be in season. Butternut squash is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with fiber, a multitude of B Vitamins, Vitamin E, C, A (as beta-carotene), Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. Each cup of butternut squash provides about 82 calories, 2g protein, and 22g carbohydrate. It can be made into a delicious soup (such as the recipe below), simply roasted and served as a side dish, or used to create a creamy risotto or savory ravioli.
Recipe of the Month: Butternut Squash Soup
A perfect fall dish! This recipe is ranked as "outstanding" with a 5 star average rating provided by 26 reviewers on CookingLight.com. Serve with a grilled panini or a large mixed greens salad for a tasty, nutritious lunch-time treat.
Ingredients:
4 cups (1-inch cubes) peeled butternut squash
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 large shallots, peeled and halved
1 (1/2-inch piece) peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp (1-inch slices) fresh chives
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Combine first 5 ingredients in a roasting pan; toss well.
-Bake at 375 for 50 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool for 10 minutes.
-Place half of squash mixture and half of broth in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large saucepan. Repeat procedure with remaining squash mixture and broth. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with chives and pepper, if desired.
Makes 6 servings (serving size is 2/3 cup soup and 1 tsp chives)
Each serving yields ~ 112 calories, 2.5g fat, 3g protein, 4g fiber, 1.6mg iron, 84mg calcium, 266mg sodium.
Source: Cookinglight.com
Thursday, September 9. 2010
September is National Cholesterol Education Month
High cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious health condition that increases one's risk of heart disease, the #1 cause of death in the US. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater your risk. When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked? Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every 5 years. You may have high cholesterol and not even know it. But, cholesterol alone does not tell the whole story. To get a complete picture of your heart health, a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" is necessary. It consists of total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides. So what does that mean and what should your numbers be?
- Total Cholesterol: Optimal levels are less than 200 mg/dL.
- LDL: also known as the "bad" cholesterol because it is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries. Optimal levels are less than 100 mg/dL.
- HDL: also known as the "good" cholesterol because it helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries. Optimal levels are above 60 mg/dL.
- Triglycerides: another form of fat in the blood. Optimal levels are less than 150 mg/dL.
What Affects Lipid Levels?
- Diet: saturated and trans fats are major culprits in causing elevated cholesterol and LDL levels.
- Weight: being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and also tends to raise cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels.
- Physical Activity: Regular physical activity (at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days) can decrease LDL levels and raise HDL levels.
- Cigarette Smoking: can raise LDL levels
- Alcohol Intake: can cause elevations in triglycerides
- Age and Gender: cholesterol levels tend to increase with age and for women, especially with menopause.
- Heredity: Unfortunately, we can't change the set of genes we're born with and high cholesterol tends to run in certain families.
For more information, visit the NHLBI webpage or contact a Registered Dietitian.
Estimate Your 10-Year Risk
The National Cholesterol Education Program has an online assessment tool for estimating your 10-year risk of developing hard coronary heart disease (Myocardial Infarction and Coronary Death). The risk assessment tool uses recent data from the Framingham Heart Study, the most significant ongoing study of cardiovascular risk available. The tool is designed to estimate risk in adults aged 20 and older who do not have heart disease or diabetes.
