A Simple Tip to Take Control of Mindless Eating

One of the 7 Secrets to a Strong Start is to focus on developing healthy habits, not losing weight. One habit that many people struggle with is mindless eating. The 10 Steps to Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle Mind Over Body plan can help you with tools to overcome emotional and mental attitudes about food. Before you begin adding those tools to your healthy eating toolbox, begin using this simple tip as you make food and snack choices each day.

One Simple Tip for Healthier Eating

You may have started the New Year by reading tips for how to select a diet that suits your needs and lifestyle. Perhaps you joined the 28-Day Bootcamp Challenge to get your booty moving. Maybe you've read about the 11 healthiest food trends of the 21st Century and want to incorporate some of them into your healthy eating plans for 2011.

The first week of a new commitment to health can be exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. Many people are at a loss for how to begin making healthier eating choices. Following a "diet" plan may seem like an easy option at first. However, by day three a more rigid approach to eating then you are accustom can suddenly become tedious and feel restrictive. Trying to make all these new habits fit into your day-to-day life can become too much to process. Getting started with healthier eating does not have to be as complicated as you might think. Here is a secret tip that can help you begin your journey.

Are You Something Beautiful?

Perhaps you remember Brooke White from Season 7 of American Idol. This self proclaimed lover of anything "right brained" is now taking on acting in the latest Family Movie Night presentation.

Change of Plans is a "revealing story that shows how embracing life's unexpected events can open your heart and mind to new possibilities." This latest installment of better TV for families presented by Walmart and P& G will have its world premiere on FOX this Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST. Although co-star Phylicia Rashad of Cosby Show fame caught my attention, what really put a smile on my face was Brooke's movie theme song video for Something Beautiful.

Are You Ready for a Food Safe Holiday?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that one in six Americans suffer from foodborne illness each year. Because of this, the Partnership for Food Safety Education created the Holiday Food Safety Success Kit to increase awareness and information about the importance of food safety during the Holiday season.

The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline talked to almost 350 people on Thanksgiving Day regarding turkey thawing, preparing and storage concerns. Sometimes people know what to do but just need someone to provide reassurance. Other times, people are way off base and require redirection to keep their family and guests safe from foodborne illness.

As you prepare to enjoy time with family and friends, here are some food safety reminders to help you have a food safe holiday.

New Food Allergy Guidelines Released

In some individuals, foods, medications, latex or insect stings cause an immune response. More than 170 food or food additives have been found to cause allergic reactions. However, over ninety percent of those responses come from eight common food types: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pecans), fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. After eating one of these foods, people may experience a variety of allergic responses from a mild reaction such as a tingling sensation to a more severe anaphylactic response.

There is currently no cure for food allergies, only avoiding the offending food or additive or managing resulting symptoms. Allergies to milk, egg, soy, and wheat are often outgrown, but allergies to peanuts and tree nuts tend to persist throughout life. It is also not uncommon for people with food allergies to also have other diseases like asthma, eczema, or eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) as well.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there were about three million children under the age of 18 with reported food allergies in 2007 which is an 18 percent increase from a decade before. That means one out of every 100 children had a food allergy of one type or another. Although food allergies are more common in children, one in 25 adults suffers with a food allergy as well. Since people do not live in a vacuum, an entire family is likely to be affected in one way or another when someone in the house has a food allergy. Because of this, allergy awareness has continued to rise over the last decade making it a subject of increased public concern.

Are Tiny Tastes Sabotaging Your Efforts?

Earlier this month the Things I don't tell the Nutrition Tracker about... thread caught my attention.



The fun listing of things not entered into a food tracker brought a chuckle on first reading.

1. Licking/spooning up pan drippings when I have cooked something especially yummy.
    
2. Bites I take off my kids' plates.
    
3. The sample foods I eat at the grocery store.
    
4. Just how much I heap each tablespoon of cheese ball.
    
5. The fatty pieces of meat.

New Update Encourages Increase in Vitamin D

In 1997, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) created a new way to look at Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) by creating the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) system. Since that time, the DRIs for essential nutrients have remained the same. They serve as a guide for healthy eating and provide health professionals like Registered Dietitians with a framework for use when meeting with individuals for dietary evaluation and counseling. Governmental agencies use DRIs as reference for things such as nutrition labeling or setting school meal standards.

The IOM (Institutes of Medicine) was asked by the United States and Canadian governments to evaluate scientific data and health outcome research related to calcium and vitamin D. In response, the IOM and their evaluation committee reviewed nearly one thousand published studies and scientific testimonies and issued their report last month. While the IOM report confirmed that most Americans and Canadians select foods and supplements that supply adequate amounts of both calcium and vitamin D, they did issue updated recommendations for vitamin D. To reduce risks of potential harmful effects related to excessive amounts of the nutrients, safe upper level intake recommendations were also shared. So what do these findings mean for you?

What is Your Most Life Changing Experience?

About a month ago, I found an interesting new movie on The Hallmark Channel. A Family Thanksgiving was about a happily single, high powered attorney and her taste of what her life could be like if she had made different choices. It was about the opportunity to walk in different shoes in order to recognize life's blessings more clearly. I love when movies cause us to reflect about what matters most in our own lives.

There is another movie coming up this Friday, December 3, 2010, with a similar theme and opportunity. Movie partners Wal-Mart and Procter & Gamble will premiere their third made-for-TV family movie on local NBC stations at 8PM EST (Eastern Standard Time). A Walk in My Shoes looks at the sacrifices a military family endures in service to their country. Perhaps it will help all of us recognize the importance of not making judgments without looking at situations from another person's point of view. It may also inspire us to help others when we see a need as well.

New Wendy's 'Natural-Cut' Fries: Are They Any Healthier?

In a recent 2010 Zagat Fast-Food Survey, Wendy's French fries came in at number four behind industry leader McDonald's, up-and-comer Five Guys and In-N-Out Burger. Perhaps that is why after 41-years, Wendy's has redesigned their fries.

In an attempt to enhance flavor and texture, the new "natural-cut" fries include the skin and sea salt seasoning. They have been designed to be a hotter and crispier fry. The new 100 percent Russet potatoes made their nationwide debut a few weeks ago but they have just arrived in restaurants in our area. They seem to be another focus on wholesome ingredients to appeal to the nutrition conscious just as their new salads were earlier this year. So how do they measure up?

The Value of Holiday Traditions

When you think back to the holidays of your childhood what comes to mind? What memories come first? For me there are so many but the first are always the things that were considered traditions and part of each year's celebrations.

Traditions create an identity for a family or a group of people. For example, football fans enjoy the tradition of watching the Detroit Lions or Dallas Cowboys play each Thanksgiving afternoon. Once Thanksgiving is over and you hear a bell ringing around town, you expect to see a red kettle and someone representing The Salvation Army.

Traditions are held practices, customs, beliefs, or values handed down from one generation to the next. Through the oral tradition, much cultural and historical information was passed down through generations. Much of the information was captured once a written language was established. Thoughts, stories, and ideas common to a group of people that have been tested to be enjoyable or reliable tend to continue and while those that are not fall away. Children learn by repetition and thrive in the predictability of routine. When they have participated in an activity or routine several times, they come to expect them, which helps reduce anxiety from the unknown and unexpected. Traditions keep loved ones alive in our hearts and minds when they are away from us and create a special bond for years to come. Many of the happy experiences we remember as we age come when we revisit the memories of routines and traditions we enjoyed in our youth. It isn't difficult to establish traditions with neighbors, family and friends. Here are some ideas to help you make the most of your time together this holiday season.

How Much Will Your Thanksgiving Meal Cost?

My mother-in-law is a retired home economics teacher and a great cook! Thanksgiving in her home each year includes many traditional favorites. Of course the centerpiece is a beautifully roasted (on the grill) turkey surrounded by many delicious side dishes such as fluffy mashed potatoes, homemade stuffing, three bean salad, homemade yeast rolls, a relish tray, molded strawberry Jello salad, cranberries, broccoli and rice casserole and sweet potato casserole. After dinner has settled, there is the difficult decision between homemade apple and pumpkin pie for dessert. Even using helpful tips to survive Thanksgiving temptations, the meal still causes most of us to end the day with an excessive caloric intake.

A recent report by the American Farm Bureau suggests this year's meal cost will only be slightly higher than last year. Although inflation rates have remained fairly flat, statistics show there has been a steady rise in the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving for nearly two decades. There is the option of enjoying a Veg-friendly Thanksgiving this year to save some money. However, if you are planning to put a traditional meal on your table here is some information to help you maintain your meal costs.

Milk Tips for Goof-Proof Baking

You can tell it is time for holiday baking when you see the shelves at the local grocery store. With several varieties of canned milk products and creams, it can become confusing. Here are some brief descriptions and alternatives to help make your holiday baking goof-proof.

Make Leftover Halloween Treats Disappear

You used suggested tricks to avoid Halloween treats as well as tricks for healthier Halloween treats but still ended up with sweet treats staring at you a week after the festivities. Here are some creative ideas to use the leftover Halloween candy and outsmart temptation.

High Potassium Foods for a Healthy Balance

Perhaps you have heard eating a banana or drinking a glass of orange juice or milk can help relieve the pain of leg cramps. Maybe you have read that a diet high in potassium can help reduce blood pressure or the risk of a kidney stone incident.



If you don't battle with any of those issues, you may not be familiar with the benefits of consuming an adequate potassium intake. Minerals work throughout the body to regulate processes and provide structure including potassium.

Let's Help Stop Diabetes during American Diabetes Month

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of defects in the body's ability to produce or use insulin. In 2006, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death according to U.S. death certificates. In that year alone, over 72,500 people died with diabetes as an underlying cause.

There can be a variety of complications associated with diabetes of cardiac nature such as heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Diabetic retinopathy is not uncommon and causes vision impairment and in some cases, legal blindness. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and in 2005, there were nearly 179,000 people with end-stage kidney disease either living on chronic dialysis or with a kidney transplant in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Over 60 percent of people with diabetes experience mild to severe nervous system damage known as neuropathy due to nervous system disease. Sixty percent of all non-traumatic lower extremity amputations occur in people with diabetes due to decreased wound healing and nerve damage.

These statistics illustrate the known fact that diabetes is not simply a condition but a disease with deadly consequences. Because of this realization, in 2009 the American Diabetes Association launched a national movement to Stop Diabetes. The goal was to raise awareness about the disease by gathering the support of millions of Americans to raise their hands to help confront, fight, and help stop diabetes. Perhaps you have already seen this year's new Stop Diabetes PSA with Bret Michaels. If you haven't, more than likely you will in coming weeks during American Diabetes Month. Nearly 24 million adults and children are worrying, testing, treating, and fighting the silent epidemic that is diabetes. Here are some ways you can join the movement this November.