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Sunday, July 06, 2008
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| What’s Next – the Healing Power of Pizza?
by beconrad
Maybe it all started with the dark chocolate craze. A couple of studies suggested that the substance that makes dark chocolate dark and bitter may have health benefits, and suddenly Hershey Special Dark bars were a health food. Chocolate lovers around the globe delighted in the fact that their favorite indulgence was suddenly good for them, and sales of dark chocolate soared.
Then soft drinks began to get in on the act. Right there, next to the rows and rows of junk food, was a new product called Diet Coke Plus. Plus what I wondered? It turns out that this questionable mixture of food coloring, water, carbonation and artificial sweeteners now boasted an array of B vitamins, perfect for the health conscious soda drinker. Pepsi soon followed with its own concoction, known affectionately at Pepsi Max. In addition to the ever healthy addition of tons of extra caffeine, this carbonated wonder drink is laced with plenty of healthy ginseng.
Now it seems that candy is becoming even more of a health food, thanks to the recent launch of Snickers, chocked full of caffeine and the amino acid taurine. I’m sure parents everywhere will be glad that their kids can now get an extra kick of caffeine to go with their sugar rush, but I’m not sure about the purpose of the added taurine. I know my cat needs taurine to maintain her good health, but I was not aware of my own feline heritage.
While it certainly doesn’t hurt to add extra vitamins and minerals to the foods we buy, I hope none of us have been convinced that former junk foods are now destined to make us healthy. From my jaded perspective it all appears to be marketing hype, harmless enough and just a little bit silly. While I like the taste of Diet Coke Plus and Pepsi Max I have no illusions that they are suddenly health foods. And while I have always preferred the slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate to the cloying sweetness of the lighter milk chocolate, I do not expect it to allow me to run a marathon. These new foods and drinks certainly have their place, but it seems a little strange to be shopping for health foods in the snack aisle.
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| Is Dried Fruit Really Healthy? The am azing health benefits of fruit are well known. Consumption of fruits has been shown to do everything from reduce the risk of cancer to helping with the promotion of weight loss. Fruits also have been shown in studies to have a blood pressure lowering effect due to their low sodium and high potassium content. With more and more health benefits of fruits being identified, it’s not surprising that people are increasing their intake of these sweet and colorful orbs. Due to their convenience, many people are also reaching for bags of dried fruit to fulfill their fruit quota. But are dried fruits healthy?
Although fruit in any form is going to be healthier than a creamy popsicle or a nougat rich candy bar, the health value of dried fruit is less clear. When fruit is dried, the process used to remove the water also removes many of the water soluble vitamins including Vitamin C, the B vitamins, and potassium. Since it’s potassium that gives the blood pressure lowering effect, dried fruit may not favorably affect the blood pressure profile as fresh fruit is known to do. Plus, the sugars present in the fruit become more concentrated as the water is removed which means you’ll consume more calories with dried fruit than you would for an equal number of pieces of fresh fruit.
Another problem with substituting dried fruit for fresh fruit is that many dried fruits contain sulfites which are used as a preservative. Some people are known to have severe allergic reactions to foods that contain sulfites, further calling into question the health of dried fruits. One way to resolve this problem is to purchase organic dried fruits which generally are free of sulfites.
Although not as healthy as fresh fruits, there are health benefits of dried fruit that can make them worth keeping on hand. Dried fruits are a good source of fiber and roughage which can help to promote colon health. Plus, they have a shelf life of up to a year and take up little shelf space in your cabinets. When you’re ready to eat them, it’s as simple as tearing the wrapper off the package and enjoying them straight from the bag.
To get the health benefits of dried fruit, try sprinkling them lightly on your morning oatmeal or other cereal, adding them to yogurt, baking them into quick breads, or using them as salad decorations. This is an excellent solution for the colder months when you may not have access to a plentiful supply of quality fresh fruit. When summer comes and fresh fruit is in abundance, you may derive more potential health benefits from switching to fresh fruit.
Although the health of dried fruits may not live up to that of fresh fruits, it’s still a nice option to have on hand when you don’t have access to fresh produce. And it sure beats eating that decadent piece of three-layer cake!
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Avoid Healthy Foods to Stay Healthy Do you look for the label that says “low fat” when you shop for snack items at the grocery store? Like many Americans, you believe that low fat foods can help you loose those last stubborn pounds. Unfortunately, this may not be the case according to new research. There’s some thought that it may be best to avoid low fat foods if you want to promote weight loss. Why might this be?
There is the perception that low fat foods are significantly lower in calories than their full fat counterparts. In reality, low fat foods average only around 10-15 percent lower in calories which is not a significant caloric savings. In addition, it’s been shown that people who eat low fat foods and snacks actually end up eating more than if they had eaten the full fat version, thus compensating for the small difference in calories.
A study carried out at Cornell University showed that people ate more M & M’s from a container marked low fat than they did from one that was marked as regular M & M’s. It seems most people feel entitled to eat more when they believe they’re eating low fat which usually more than compensates for the small calorie savings. The decision to avoid low fat foods may be a wise one if you’re not capable of controlling portion sizes.
Another reason to avoid low fat foods is the sugar content. To compensate for the lack of taste and texture of low fat foods, manufacturers frequently add larger amounts of sugar which can have an adverse effect on insulin levels and potentially promoting fat storage of fat. Certainly if you’re practicing a low carb or good carb diet, you’ll want to avoid low fat foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates.
Does this mean you should avoid low fat foods entirely? Not necessarily. It simply means when you do consume low fat foods, you use the same attention to portion sizes as you do when you eat full fat foods. You should also avoid low fat foods that have added sugar and high carb contents by carefully reading the label on all products you buy. Some substitutions that might be easily made include using low fat cream cheese, low fat sour cream, low fat mayonnaise, and low fat milk in place of their full fat counterparts. These products usually don’t have excessively high carb counts which might offset your attempts to lose weight.
It may not be necessary to avoid low fat foods entirely, but make your selections carefully in order to keep you diet and weight loss plan on track.
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