Hello Fall!

Welcoming fall with a delicious pumpkin cake! I made this cake out of the Weaver cookbook (Virginia Weaver's recipe) and may I just say they were a hit! I did not even get a chance to take a picture without them being demolished! I highly recommend this pumpkin cake... even if it does not appear to be the healthiest option! (So from a dietitian stand point - I don't know if I would be allowed to encourage baking these, but from a bystander point of view - make these and you will impress your crowd!)

  

This is not the best picture, but it shows that these were a hit! 

Recipe:

Ingredients

(For the Bars)

4 eggs

1 cup of salad oil

2 cups of sugar

16 oz of canned pumpkin

2 cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 cup of nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin in a large bowl. Sift together the rest of the dry ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely before icing.

(For the icing)

3 oz cream cheese, softened

6 Tablespoons of butter, softened

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 to 2 teaspoons of milk if needed

Mix the ingredients together. Ice the baked and cooled pumpkin bars. Chopped nuts may be sprinkled on top if desired. 

Whole Wheat Pizza!

My aunt shared this pizza recipe with me from Ina Garten's recipes! My roommate and I made these personal pizza's the other night. We used whole wheat flour to try and add some healthy points to the dinner! The recipe says to divide the dough into six equal pizza's. We froze the other four that we did not use.  This makes for an easy dinner that you can pull out of the freezer, add your toppings and bake in 30 minutes! I added some mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, spinach, mozzarella and tomato sauce. They were delicious! Click here for the recipe.

"Walking in Memphis"

Wow it has been a while since I have posted anything, but I am going to try and blame it on my recent move to Memphis, Tennessee! I moved about a month ago to start my dietetic internship at the VA hospital.  I am loving the city, food and fellowship here! I am looking forward to the next ten months here and possibly longer!

Healthy and Delicious Muffins!!

Healthy and delicious whole wheat banana (carrot) muffins. I got the recipe from one of my new favorite blogs: love food eat. 

Ingredients:

Dry

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups finely chopped/grated carrot
• ½ cup almonds roughly chopped
• ¼ cup quick cooking oats
• ¼ cup raisins
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1tsp cinnamon powder

Wet

• 2 ripe bananas mashed into a paste
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 cup brown sugar

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix till combines. The mixtures will be quite hard. If it looks too dry add a little more yogurt. Don’t be tempted to make it too watery.

Scoop the batter into the greased muffin tray. And bake till done.

The recipe calls for carrots, however I did not add them to the muffins and they were still delicious!  I just made these muffins for the holiday weekend and I would recommend them! Enjoy!

Adding Yogurt to Your Diet

After taking a month off from blogging - oops! I thought I would finally write something up and share with you all. This month I am working at a new local yogurt store called YoYo before I start my internship.  They asked me to research several reasons why yogurt will benefit someone's overall health and nutrition.  Adding yogurt to your diet each day has many great health benefits. There are multiple ways to add yogurt throughout the day.  You can add it to a high fiber cereal, a mixture of frozen fruits, use it to replace mayo in other foods or spread in some vegetables for a spread for a sandwich.  Below I will leave you with 5 reasons why yogurt will benefit your overall health!

Benefits to Adding Yogurt to Your Diet

• Reduce the risk of High Blood Pressure: Lowering LDL and raising HDL levels
• Research shows a link between high dairy (calcium) intake and low blood pressure. The higher intake of dairy, the lower the risk of high blood pressure.
• Yogurt contains low sodium levels and high potassium levels. Both these nutrients are key in lowering blood pressure.
• Calcium and magnesium are found in yogurt and work together to lower blood pressure without reducing your salt intake.
• Improve digestion
• Yogurt contains good bacteria known as probiotics.
• Probiotics stay in the gut to help move and break down foods while fighting the bad bacteria.
• The good bacteria can soothe symptoms of lactose intolerance by ridding the stomach of the bad bacteria.
• Protect against colon cancer                       
• Yogurt contains a healthy bacterium that promotes a healthy colon.
• The more bacteria that is consumed from yogurt will help to decrease the chance of developing colon disease.
• Calcium is a nutrient that aids in colon health. Calcium discourages the growth of cells lining the colon, which increase the risk of colon cancer.
• Prevent Osteoporosis
• Yogurt contains substantial amounts of vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium. Calcium is vital to the body for proper bone growth. In order for calcium to be absorbed by the body, vitamin D is needed.
• Yogurt contains Vitamin D, which will allow calcium in the food to be absorbed by the body.  The phosphorus will aid in maintenance of bone density.
• Since yogurt provides calcium, it helps in preventing osteoporosis so that the body does not have to steal the calcium needed for other functions from the bones.
• Improves immune function
• Probiotics, the good bacteria enhance resistance to and recovery from infections.
• The yogurt will protect the intestinal tract, which prevents the gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Healthiest Snacks for Busy People

I promised that I would write some ideas for healthy snacking.  Snacking is a continuous problem for myself and I presume for others as well.  I came across this video this morning that is an introduction to grocery shopping and picking low-calorie and nutrient-dense foods.

Healthiest Snacks for Busy People

Snacking is where most people tend to spend most of their calories. There are a few tips that can help lessen the calorie amounts while snacking. Pick snacks that are nutrient-dense and that will be fulfilling.  If you choose a snack that comes out of a bag (chips, pretzels, etc.) put some in a small snack bowl first and then put the bag away before you begin to eat your snack. If you have children at home then make sure to keep healthy snacks at eye-level so that the kids can choose from healthy snack options.  One last tip that is good for healthy snacking is to keep fresh fruit and vegetables cut up and in the refrigerator so that they are easy to grab on the go.  This will help eliminate the urge to grab the bag of chips instead of some fruits and vegetables.

I also found this article that was recently done concerning weight loss. The article shares three myths that common dieters believe. One was what I discussed earlier concerning social support being the number one encourager.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0713-myths-20110714,0,2847751.story

Here is a list of snack ideas that I put together:

• Whole wheat tortilla with banana and nutella or peanut butter and raisins (heat it up in the microwave)
• Grapefruit
• Almonds
• Pita bread stuffed with humus, low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, sliced turkey, spinach and tomatoes
• Pears
• Green peppers and carrots with light ranch
• Frozen Banana Pineapple Cups - http://realmomkitchen.com/7175/frozen-pineapple-banana-cups/
• Strawberry-Banana Sorbet - http://realmomkitchen.com/page/6

Below are foods that are high in fat, however it is a healthy fat that is a good addition to the daily diet.

• peanut butter
• avocado
• flaxseed
• walnuts
• almonds 
• walnut oil

Delicious Muffins - must try!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

I just made these muffins for the weekend and of course I had to try one. They were absolutely delicious! These would be perfect for a Saturday morning breakfast.  The chocolate chips are optional, but I would highly recommend adding them if you love chocolate! Click here for the recipe. Enjoy!

4th of July: Patriotic Picnics

Happy 4th of July! Hopefully all of you are enjoying a weekend full of celebrating! I gathered a few "patriotic" favorites to help you celebrate this weekend if you are entertaining.

Chewy Red, White and Blue Cookies

recipe

All-American Chocolate Covered Strawberries

recipe

Patriotic Pie (5 minutes)

recipe

Strawberry Pretzel Squares

recipe

Fruited-Cheesecake Flag

recipe

Desserts and baking tend to be my favorite, but make sure to add some flavorful drinks and main dish items to accompany the delicious sweets!

Sparking Star Punch

recipe

Other delicious picnic must haves:

• Potato Salad
• Sweet and Savory Burgers
• Pigs in a blanket (crescent roll dough and cocktail franks)
• Raspberry Lemonade 
• Orzo, Corn and Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
• Marinated Green Beans

It takes a village to lose a pound...

This summer I have found myself with a “nagging 5 pounds” that seems to be impossible to get rid of.  Unless I miss my guess, someone reading this shares the same kind of issue. I find myself frustrated in the midst of wedding cake, chocolate and other tempting desserts from all the summer activities.  I am slowly starting to recognize the need for accountability during this process of losing weight.  You might say… “It takes a village to lose a pound.”  Behind any task or mission, strength is required.  The task of getting fit or, in my case, losing those nagging few pounds, is no different.  It requires a measure of strength that sometimes is only acquired in “community”.  Two weeks ago I started with Crossfit bootcamp.  It is so much easier to stay motivated when there is a group of people going through the same thing.  All of this to say that working together and partnering with someone for encouragement is likely to help achieve a positive outcome.

Even though I have increased my exercise regiment and have tried to watch what I eat the weight seems to linger.  It becomes frustrating and leads to discouragement.  I have to say some days I bring it upon myself.  For instance, last night as a group of girls gathered around to watch this season of the Bachelorette and it was my night for dessert!  I indulged in this new (and amazing) dessert: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar.  (Just saying those words will add ½ inch to your waist.)  I will not share the recipe here as I’m trying to forget about it.

I have learned over the last few months with the scale becoming a rollercoaster that I need to stick with the motto: “eat to live” and not “live to eat”.  My (and your) social activities typically revolve around food.  Food is a short taste of pleasure that leaves a feeling of guilt at the end of the day.  So, the goal I have set for myself is to find an accountability partner who would join me in eating healthy and maintaining a normal exercise regimen.  It is a hard task and I know doing it alone is becoming nearly impossible.  I am going to put together a post in the near future dealing with healthier food choices and snacks to eat when the feeling of “needing chocolate” hits again.  If you struggle with this, know that you are not alone.  It is a daily battle and with some encouragement and with a “village” behind you, you can accomplish even your most difficult (and nagging) task!

Is Your Athlete Reaching Full Optimal Performance?

As an athlete have you ever had the feeling that you aren’t reaching your optimal performance in your sport?  This feeling may have something to do with a lack of adequate nutrients from the foods you consume. Thiamin is a vitamin required for many processes in the body, specifically ones that can help enhance athletic performance.

Thiamin functions in the body

Thiamin is used to process lactic acid buildup after exercise. With lower intakes of thiamin, the lactate in the blood will have a faster rate of buildup.  This will lead to the inability of the muscles to deal with the large amount of lactic acid being produced from exercise.  Thiamin also plays an important role in the flow of electrolytes in and out of muscle and nerve cells. The body loses electrolytes through sweat when exercising.  They are necessary for metabolism and chemical balance in the body.  These levels need to be replaced before, during and after exercise if the exercise regimen exceeds more than two hours. Body functions and performance during exercise will be sufficiently hindered if levels of electrolytes are not maintained. Thiamin is also needed to control the regularity of the heart and blood pressure levels, both of which are needed to achieve peak athletic performance.

Supplements in optimal performance

Supplementation has been found to possibly enhance performance. 

The results of one study showed an increase in blood levels of thiamin and a reduction in levels of fatigue after exercise with supplementation of 100 mg of thiamin for three days.  Thiamin is needed by the body to help break down carbohydrates.  This explains the increased need for this vitamin when a high-carbohydrate diet is in order. Increased thiamin through supplementation (100 mg/day) can help in preventing or accelerating recovery from exercise-induced fatigue.  The supplementation will suppress the increase in blood glucose in the normal thiamin group and decrease fatigue after exercise. Research has shown that endurance athletes develop acute-performance-enhancing effects by the intake of megadoses of thiamin for three to five days prior to the competition.

Thiamin sources

Adding proper foods to the diet that are rich in vitamins is the best way to achieve the optimal performance for athletes.

Thiamin rich food sources are sunflower seeds, peanuts, soybeans, fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains, lean meats (specifically pork), and peas.  Be cautious with the intake of alcohol, uncooked freshwater fish, shellfish and tea since these foods contain an antithiamin factor that destroys the absorption of thiamin in the body.  

Recommended daily intake

The best way to achieve the daily intake of thiamin is through a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the different food groups. 

Gender and Age	Recommended daily intake
Infants (0 – 6 months)	0.2 mg/day
Babies (6 – 12 months)	0.3 mg/day
Children (1 - 3 years)	0.5 mg/day
Children (4 – 8 years)	0.6 mg/day
Children (9 – 13 years)	0.9 mg/day
Adolescent females (14 – 18 years)	1.0 mg/day
Females (18+ years)	1.1 mg/day
Pregnant or breastfeeding	1.4 mg/day
Males	1.2 mg/day

The "dirty" and "clean" Dozen

Fruits and vegetables contribute to the daily carbohydrate needs of an individual. The both provide additional sources of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for proper health as well as a sports diet. Vegetables will supply vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber. Dark and colorful vegetables provide a higher nutritional value than paler ones.  These include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and peppers. For fruits, citrus fruits contain a high amount of vitamin C and potassium.  

The latest area of nutritional debate is whether or not organic is better.  There has been a list compiled of the "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables that should be purchased organically if possible due to the pesticide residue.  The "clean dozen" have their own protective shell and therefore not exposed to the pesticides. 

“Dirty dozen”: apples, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, red raspberries, potatoes, bell peppers, celery and spinach

“Clean dozen": banana, kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, sweet corn and green peas

Everyone should strive to eat a colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables.

Red: Strawberries, watermelon, red peppers and tomatoes

Green kiwi, grapes, honeydew melon, peas, beans, spinach and broccoli

Blue/purple: Blueberries, grapes, prunes, eggplant, beets

Orange: mango, peaches, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin

Yellow: pineapple, star fruit, summer squash, corn

White: banana, pears, garlic, onions

How to add fruits and vegetables to your daily diet:

• Add a banana or berries to your cereal
• Add raisins or dried fruit to hot cereal
• Make a smoothie with whole fruits
• Eat fresh, raw carrots or another vegetable for lunch
• At work, keep apples and oranges to snack on
• Eat an extra large portion of broccoli for dinner
• Order pizza with extra peppers or broccoli

How to Survive in the Fast Food World...

Summer time typically consists of multiple road-trips whether that be to a friend's wedding, family vacation or other excursions.  During these hours on the road we often find ourselves struggling with what exactly would be a healthy meal choice when choosing from fast food restaurants.  Below are some restaurants and food choices that would make for a good healthy meal while traveling.

Subway:
- Turkey breast sandwich on wheat: 280 calories and 3.5 grams total fat
- Veggie delight sandwich: 230 calories and 2.5 grams total fat

Wendy's:
- Grilled chicken go-wrap: 260 calories and 10 grams total fat
- Ultimate chicken grill: 360 calories and 7 grams total fat
- Small chili:  210 calories and 6 grams total fat
- Broccoli and cheese potato: 330 calories and 2.1 grams total fat

McDonald's:
- Premium Caesar salad with grilled chicken: 220 calories and 60 grams total fat
- Snack size fruit and walnut salad: 210 calories and 70 grams total fat
- Fruit and Maple oatmeal (w/ brown sugar): 290 calories and 40 grams total fat
- Fruit 'n Yogurt parfait: 160 calories and 20 grams total fat

All restaurants will have nutrition guides near the menu, so get in the habit of glancing over the guide and ordering a meal that is low in calories.  Watch out for the hidden calories that are in the sauces that you add to chicken tenders, your hamburger and even your salad. With a salad order a low-fat balsamic vinaigrette.  If you want a hamburger than order a kids hamburger with a salad as the side item.  If you can avoid beef than choose a grilled chicken sandwich.  Avoid the fried and crispy chicken options.  Eating out and on-the-go is always a challenge, good luck!

A Challenge: A month diet of only whole foods

This last week I had this idea and desire to try to eat only whole foods for a month.  My thoughts behind this was how it would make me feel as I "cleaned" up my body and diet.  This whole food challenge would eliminate any processed foods.  A breakfast meal might consist of two eggs and a cup of blueberries.  This will obviously be a challenge since we are constantly surrounded daily by food that is processed and refined.  This idea has been on my mind for a couple days now and I just looked online to see if anyone else has ever tried to achieve this goal.  I found a blog of a family who did it for 100 days! Their blog shares great recipes (whole wheat banana pancakes - my favorite!) and other ideas of what to put together for meals. Read their blog below and you will for sure be inspired!

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

An example of a menu from the family that you can use:
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Meal-Plan-1.pdf

Please join me on this journey throughout June! I know it will be hard and difficult to resist temptations at times, but I am certain that it will be a rewarding journey!

Whey protein vs. Soy protein

Whey is a milk-based product and provides a good source of protein, vitamins, minerals and lactose. It is often used in supplementation to help build or repair muscle tissues. It can help with mobility of limbs and prevent atrophy of muscular cells. Add egg whites in addition to supplements of whey to achieve the protein levels. Whey protein has low fat content so it can be used in weight loss.  It has been shown to help with:

• Maintaining proper weight
• Antibacterial
• Improving the function of the immune system
• Improving blood pressure
• Improving function of digestive system

 vs.

Soy protein is from soybeans and is a better option for those who are lactose intolerant. Soy contains less cholesterol compared to whey. It has been seen to help reduce developing osteoporosis. It can speed up metabolism of the thyroid, which could possibly assist in weight loss.  This is also a common type of protein used in a vegetarian diet. Soy has about twice as much glutamine per 100 grams of protein compared to whey.  Glutamine is needed for many functions in the body so in this area, soy would be a better option.

I would pick soy since it is plant based.  However, whey has lower fat and can help with maintaining weight or losing weight.  It is similar to yogurt in terms of the bacteria that helps with the digestive tract. Whey protein would also help after a long run (half-marathon) for building and repairing muscle cells that were damaged.  I would add whey protein along with the soy for both benefits from both animal and plant sources of protein. Soy protein since it is plant based avoids the health risks that could arise from consuming plant-based sources of protein.

I found this website while looking over the two different products.  For more information about the two I would recommended reading further from here: 

http://www.mytopform.com/whey-protein-vs-soy-protein

Chocolate Chip Bars

An easy dessert that combines a brownie and chocolate chip cookie! A family favorite for sure!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oleo
2 eggs
12 oz chocolate chips

Combine half of cake mix with water, eggs, oleo & brown sugar. Blend in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips. Spread in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

So what's the big deal with FIBER?

Over the last year the hype over fiber has increased.  So is it really beneficial? Yes.

Fiber is a carbohydrate that the body does not digest. By eating fruits, vegetables and other grains it will help achieve the daily recommendation of fiber in your diet (25g).  Fiber expands in the stomach making you feel full. This could possibly help with weight loss as well since it will decrease your appetite.

Fiber has been found to help lower cholesterol.  Soluble fiber, is soluble in water, will bind with cholesterol in your body so that it does not become oxidized and harmful to your body.  This will help to lower blood pressure (LDL levels).  These sources include oatmeal, oranges, apples and carrots.

Insoluble fiber does not absorb water, but helps with constipation and preventing cancer. This includes bran layers in foods of cereal.

So there is a big deal with fiber.  It is important to get enough fiber each day. Here are a few tips that can help to achieve adequate fiber:

-       Choose fruits and vegetables with peels (may want to consider organic if eating the peels)

-       Choose whole grains, cereals and pasta

-       Use brown rice instead of white rice

-       Add beans or lentils to meals instead of using meat

Below is a recipe that is high in fiber.  My Aunt Shelley gave me this recipe in her latest cookbook. (Fiber amounts: All-bran ½ cup = 10 grams and All-bran bran buds 1/3 cup offers 11 grams.)  She is a phenomenal cook and I made two of these muffins everyday for breakfast. They filled me up instantly and are delicious! Make the batter and put it in your refrigerator to last you a couple weeks! (the batter can keep for up to 6 weeks)

Bran Muffins

3 cups of sugar

1 cup of shortening

5 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

2 cups of boiling water

4 cups of Kellogg’s All Bran

2 cups of Kellogg’s All Bran Bran Buds

1 quart of buttermilk

5 cups of flour

4 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

Pour hot water over Bran Buds. Cool. Cream the shortening, sugar and eggs. Add buttermilk and bran mix. Sift flour, salt and soda together. Add all at once with All Bran. Fold in only until all ingredients are well-moistened. Grease muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Makes 1 gallon and will last 6 weeks in refrigerator. You may cut the recipe in half.

There is nothing like the smell of fresh muffins in the morning with a cup of your favorite organic coffee!

Coffee: organic or regular?

One of my friends recently encouraged me to research the background of coffee.  Since every morning I typically enjoy a nice cup of hot coffee I thought it would be time well spent researching on this topic.  After spending some time looking at the background of regular processed coffee verses organic coffee, I have decided to invest in and consume organic coffee.

"Coventionally-produced coffee is the third most heavily chemically treated crop in the world" (thenibble.com).  This means that pesticides and fertilizers are regularly used in the production of coffee and the production is most likely not monitored.  An increased intake of pesticides from foods can lead to harmful side effects so it is important to choose foods that have limited exposure to these harmful substances.  Organic foods and discussion can be left for another day! In contrast to regular coffee, organic coffee is not permitted to be grown on land that has been exposed to pesticides, fertilizers or other negative substances.  Organic coffee has also been noted to have a richer taste with decreased amounts of caffeine.  The beans are higher in quality since they are not damaged by the presence of pesticides or other harmful substances.  So by just a quick overview of comparing several aspects of the two different types of coffee it is evident that organic coffee has better nutritional and overall health value.

What constitutes a good cup of coffee for you?

(The picture is taken from one of my all-time favorite coffee shops in Birmingham: The Red Cat Coffee House.  Check it out if you are ever in the area.)

The background to 'tasteful tidbits and treasures': Welcome!

This week I am approaching my college graduation with a degree in nutrition and dietetics.  As I have studied nutrition over the last four years it has greatly increased my love and passion for food.  While I continue to learn interesting facts and fun tips about food and nutrition I hope to share them with you through this blog.  I am excited to share new recipes that I discover as well as random "treasures" that I run across through the journey.  My hope from reading this blog is that by discovering different foods and other tips, you will increase your fascination in this topic as well.  Welcome to 'tasteful tidbits and treasures'!