The Best Salt Substitute

Rumor has it that the next crazed diet is going to name salt as the new enemy. The recommended intake of sodium is 2,300 milligrams per day, but most Americans consume much more. In an effort to keep you from falling victim to the hundreds of new low-sodium products that will be hitting our supermarket shelves soon, let me remind you of the wonders of spices and herbs. Herbs and spices add seasoning and bring out flavor without adding sodium to your diet. They can also help make low-fat foods more enjoyable.

How to get the most from your favorite herbs:
Basil: add it as one of the final ingredients or as a garnish because the taste of fresh basil comes more from your nose than your palate.
Ginger: Fresh ginger is sweet and lemony and is best in stir fries, in fish dishes, or on roasted vegetables. Dried ginger is hotter and spicier. When baking, any form of ginger works.
Rosemary: when using dried rosemary, use it when the recipe has plenty of liquids and cooks for a while so the rosemary rehydrates and is not hard and brittle.
Sage: fresh sage is milder than dried. It's best in tomato based dishes or sauces. Use sparingly with other herbs since it is so pungent.

Tips for using fresh herbs:
*Wash all fresh herbs
*Cut herbs and crush gently before adding them to your dish so they release the most flavor.
*Add fresh herbs towards the end of cooking to make their flavor last longer.
*If the recipe calls for dried herbs, use more of the fresh herbs to get the same amount of flavor.

Make your own rubs:
Citrus rub: Combine grated lemon, orange or lime peel (or all three) with minced garlic and cracked black pepper.
Pepper-garlic rub: Mix together garlic power, cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper.
Italian rub: Combine fresh or dried oregano, basil and rosemary with minced Italian parsley and garlic.
Herb rub: Use fresh or dried marjoram, thyme and basil.
**Press the rub onto the surface of the meat, seafood, or poultry before you cook it. Make sure to wash your hands after you handle the raw meat.

Match the flavor and the meat:
Lean meats: bay leaves, caraway seeds, chives, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley, sage, thyme, allspice, turmeric.
Veal: thyme, mace, curry powder, nutmeg.
Lamb: basil, curry powder, dill, mace.
Lean pork: thyme, savory, rosemary, sage.
Poultry: rosemary, nutmeg, mustard, lemon juice, ginger, dill, curry powder, bay leaves.
Lean ground meats: allspice, basil, mustard, savory.
Lean meat loaf: rosemary, nutmeg.

See the recipe link on the side bar for a Seven-Spice Chicken recipe from the American Heart Association.

The Mighty Mango

Mangos are my favorite fruit so I was thrilled to learn of all the benefits they have to offer. They provide essential nutrients that supply your body with vital antioxidants. Mangos' healthy dose of vitamin C and beta carotene provide essential antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals and can help protect you from chronic diseases, including cancer. Vitamin C supports your immune system and the growth and repair of your body's tissues. Beta carotene gets converted into vitamin A which helps promote healthy vision, strong bones, strong teeth and tissue health. Vitamin A also supports your immune system.

Nutrition:
A cup of mango has about 110 calories and is free of fat, cholesterol and sodium. It also provides 3 grams of fiber, which is 12% of your recommended daily fiber.

How to pick a mango:
There are many differnet kinds of mangos. You can get a fresh mango in green, yellow or red. A ready to eat mango will have a small give when you squeeze it. If it is not yet ripe, keep it at room temperature. Once it is ripe, put it in the refrigerator where it can be stored for up to 5 days. Do not refrigerate an unripe mango.

How to cut a mango:
Always wash the mango before you cut it. The best way to cut it is to put it stem down on a cutting board and cut it into 2 ovals. Then cut parallel slices into the two halves, scoop out the peices and enjoy.

Try incorporating mangos into your recipes. See the recipe link on the side bar for a new mango recipe!

1/2 cup fresh fruit = 1 serving (out of the 5 suggested servings a day)

Kisses for Everyone!!

Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses that is!
Go ahead - enjoy! You don't have to feel guilty endulging in a little chocolate. Cocoa and chocolate contain powerful antioxidants and nutrients. They also have proven to be beneficial to your cardiovascular system, kidney function, brain health, and immune system. Also, if you are diabetic or have high blood pressure, you may benefit from eating chocoate and cocoa as well.

Cocoa beans contain the antioxidant flavanols that protect against harmful free radicals. True, they are not the only food that provides these antioxidants - apples, berries, beans, nuts, red grapes, red wine and tea are other good sources. But, chocolate, aside from being the most delicious of the options, offers the most antioxidant power.



Cocoa and chocolate can also lower LDL/bad cholesterol and raise HDL/good cholesterol by limiting the build up of plaques in arteries. It also promotes healthy blood flow by making blood platelets stick less. Other health benefits include reducing blood pressure for those with high blood pressure, helping maintain healthy blood sugar levels, increasing blood flow in the brain, and keeping skin healthy.

Sources:
*The best sources are non-alkalized or lightly alkalized cocoas, dutched cocoa, natural cocoa, or dark chocolate with at least 40% cocoa.

*Eat a variety of antioxidant rich foods and eat chocolate in moderation, keeping its fat, sugar and colories in mind.

*Try Fair Trade products which ensure that the producers earn fair wages so that their workers are paid and their children can be sent to school. It also guarantees that no child labor was used.

Almighty Almonds

Every diet suggests almonds as the perfect snack, but is that just because they are better than chips, cookies and crackers? Not only! Almonds are a great snack choice because they contain many nutrients and can improve your overall health. Eating almonds can keep your heart healthy, reduce cholesterol, and help you manage your blood sugar and insulin levels.

Almonds are the most nutrient dense nut. They contain vitamin E to protect against cell damage, magnesium and calcium to keep your bones strong, fiber to aid digestion and heart health, protein for your bones, muscles, hair, skin and other tissues, potassium, phosphorus iron, and monounsaturated fat, which in the place of saturated fat, helps lower your cholesterol and keep your heart healthy.

Serving Size = one ounce = 23 almonds = 160 calories
One ounce of almonds is equal to a handful, a 1/4 measuring cup, a mint tin, a one once spice bottle, or two wells of an ice-cube tray.

Blue Diamond packages almonds in 1.5 ounze servings. They offer 5 flavors: Lime N Chile, Wasabi and Soy, Whole Natural, Jalapeno Smokehouse, and Smokehouse.

Eat Safe

Sure, you may be lucky enough to have never had or never get E. coli or botulism, but what about all the other food borne invaders - toxins, pesticides, environmental contaminants, animal drugs, additives…need I go on? The good news is that there are many simple steps you can take to prevent getting sick from any of these contaminants, without feeling like you are paranoid.




Food Prep, Storage and Clean-Up:
1. Make sure your fridge is set at 40 degrees or below
2. Cook hot food and reheat leftovers to 140 degrees
3. Thaw meats in the fridge!!
4. Heat sponges in the microwave until steaming hot
5. Use separate cutting boards for meats and clean them with soap and hot water

Protecting Your Produce:
1. Wash all veggies and discard outer leaves
2. Wash and dry all fruits, even melons whose rough exterior can trap bacteria and enter food when sliced
3. Rinse berries for 10 seconds
4. Cut away bruises that may house bacteria
5. Drink only pasteurized juices or shelf stabilized juices

Reducing Pesticide Residue Intake:
1. Trim fat from meat and skin from poultry, and discard pan drippings
2. Vary daily meat, poultry and fish choices
3. Do NOT take fish oil capsules
4. Peel waxed fruit
5. Do NOT eat sprouts (may not be safe)

Fridge Time Limits:
1-2 days - raw ground meats and sausages fish and poultry
3-5 days - steaks, roasts, cooked meats and veggies, ham slices, tuna salad
1 week - hard boiled eggs in shells, bacon, unopened hot dogs, aged and processed cheeses
2 months - open mayo and dry cheeses

Fiber Facts

Fiber is a vital part of our diet that is often underconsumed. A diet high in fiber helps maintain a healthy concentration of blood cholesterol, normal blood glucose, a healthy digestive tract, and a healthy body weight.

Fiber may also protect you against heart disease and stroke. This may be because a diet high in fiber fills you up with food that is low in saturated and trans fat and cholesterol, and it is high in protein and phytochemicals. For instance, to get reach your recommended daily fiber intake, you might substitute a plant protein, like legumes, for an animal source of protein, like meat or dairy, which has no fiber. This substitution provides protein, fiber and nutrients without the fat and cholesterol of animal products.

Sources: whole grains, vegetables and fruits
*It is best to eat a variety of these sources each day.
*The best cholesterol lowering foods are apples, barley, carrots, legumes and oats.
*Drink plenty of water!

Daily Recommended Fiber Intake:20-35 grams a day
*Most people only get 15 grams a day
*Men up to 50 yrs. - 38 grams; over 50 - 30 grams
*Women up to 50 yrs. - 25 grams; over 50 - 21 grams

Frozen vs. Fresh

Frozen foods may actually retain more of their original nutrients than your fresh produce. When foods are frozen, its mineral content is retained, because freezing causes bacterial reproduction to stop and enzymatic reactions to slow.
Fresh foods may lose nutrients during shipping or while sitting in the grocery store. Also, unlike frozen foods, fresh produce is usually harvested unripe, so it does not develop all of its potential nutrients.

Other tips:
*When buying frozen fruit, buy uncut fruit - they retain more Vitamin C.
*Refreezing is safe, but causes a substantial loss of nutrients.