Archive for the ‘smart mommy’ Category
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
It’s quite easy and getting easier by the day!
The world of green design is replete with beautiful options in styles ranging from classic and posh traditional to sleek and modern. Your bed or your sofa can be and should be ecofriendly (do you really want to sleep on polyurethane foam?) but it really need not like it. There are many ways a piece of furniture can be green, from using sustainable wood to soy or organic cotton cushions.
What you need to look for:
Organic: As in the case of organic food, organic fabrics come from plants raised without the use of chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides.
Natural fibers: They include wool, cotton, jute, and sisal and are a good alternative to synthetic materials, which very often contain harmful chemicals or additives.
FSC certified: The Forest Stewardship Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC certification is considered the gold standard for sustainable wood.
SFI certified: The Sustainable Forestry Initiative also offers certification for wood cut from sustainably managed forests, but there are a number of controversies surrounding this certification (you can find out more about this on Treehugger).
Reclaimed or salvaged wood: a piece of wood that is living its second life as a new piece of furniture. For example, old flooring turned into a dining table. The type of materials that can be reclaimed or salvaged is long (and may include recycled plastic bottles turned into a shower curtain or drapes or wind turbines turned into playground equipment).
And when you clean your new furniture of accessories, make sure you use non-toxic materials!
Tags: ecofriendly design, FSC certified, green furniture, nontoxic furniture, reclaimed furniture, reclaimed wood, sustainable wood furniture
Posted in General Topics, household products | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 29th, 2012
Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco says that sugar in all of its forms – from refined table sugar in your coffee to high fructose corn syrup in your conventional cereal – is a key contributor to many of our diet-related diseases, including obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure.
Dr. Lustig explained that although Americans’ sugar intake has declined over the last several decades, most Americans’ diets are comprised of processed foods, which contain high fructose corn syrup. “The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic.”
Recent reports estimate that approximately 16 percent of the total calories consumed by Americans comes from added sugar. Where is this added sugar? For most people, it is in soda, energy drinks, cookies, cakes cereals, ice cream, hard candy, chocolate, and even flavored yogurt. Lots of empty calories that replace whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Of course with diets and dietary elements the issue is never black and white.
Nutrition scientist Dr. David Katz of Yale University Prevention Research Center agrees that sugar can be harmful and should be limited in our diets, he adds that “It’s not sugar that’s the poison, but the dose that makes the poison.”
So, how much sugar is considered “healthy?”
The American Heart Association recommends up to 100 calories (25 grams) per day of added sugar for women, and 150 calories (about 38 grams) for men.
What does that translate into in terms of sugar in our foods? Probably less than we might think: 100 calories of added sugar is found in 1/2 cup chocolate ice cream (56 calories) plus one cup of low fat chocolate milk (45 calories). One can of regular soda contains 126 calories from added sugars.
How is that for a wake-up call?
Experts suggest three easy ways to lower the amount of added sugar:
Skip the soda. If it is the fizz you want, reach for sparkling water, club soda, or seltzer, and sweeten naturally with fresh fruit or a splash of 100-percent fruit juice.
Look at both grams of sugar and ingredient list. The grams of sugar grams listed on the Nutrition Facts labels and panels on packaged foods and drinks are a total, lumping together naturally occurring sugars (such as lactose in milk) and added sugars. It is the latter we want to avoid, but until labeling requirements change, we have to look at the ingredient list as well, to see whether the food item contains added sugar and if so, how high on the list it is.
Learn to decipher labels. The following terms on ingredient lists are all sugar in one form or another: high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, raw sugar, malt syrup, maple syrup, fructose sweetener, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose and crystal dextrose.
Sources: Today Health, Food Safety News
Tags: added sugar, added sugar in cereals, artificial sweeteners, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, processed foods and sugars, refined sugar
Posted in food products, General Topics, smart mommy | No Comments »
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
And that one ingredient is added sugar.
I make every effort to eat whole, unprocessed foods that are natural, organic, and (whenever possible) local. That means cooking dinner every night, even if it is nothing but a quick, 15-minute vegetable soup (onions, carrots, kale, and garbanzo beans) or scrambled eggs with steamed broccoli & brussels sprouts. After all, Michael Pollan is one of my favorite authors…
Of course, for most of us working parents /adults living in a big city it is practically impossible to use only whole foods we buy at the farmer’s market – an 8:30 – 6:30 daily office schedule makes that a “nonstarter.” Thus, we reach into our cabinets and take out a box of organic whole wheat pasta for dinner or a natural cereal bar for an afternoon pick-me-up. Naturally derived or organic, without hydrogenated oils or BHT, but still processed.
Reading ingredient lists and labels as much as I do, I am increasingly worried about the amount of added sugar in these natural / organic processed foods. Recent reports and studies are adding to this momentum.
Now, take a look at some of the containers and boxes in your cabinet, fridge, or freezer. Look at both the nutrition panel (by gram) and the ingredient list (by rank) as naturally occurring sugar and added sugar are lumped together in the nutrition panels. (Changing that would be great, wouldn’t it)?
Garbanzo beans from Eden Foods- no problem. Beans, water, and seaweed in a BPA-free metal container. All carbohydrates are naturally occurring in beans.
Plain Greek Yogurt from Wallaby – no issues. Organic cultured pasteurized milk in a BPA-free plastic cup. All 7 grams of carbohydrates are naturally occurring in milk.
Cascadian Farm’s Purely O’s – a good choice. All 23 grams of carbohydrates, including 1 single gram of sugar, are naturally occurring in organic whole grain oats, whole grain barley and other organic ingredients. NO added sugar.
Frozen cherries from Whole Foods’ 365 house brand – only organic frozen fruit – no preservatives or additives. Only naturally occurring sugar in fruit.
Stonyfield Yobaby Meals 3 in 1 – 15 grams of carbohydrates, including 14 grams of sugars, in a 113 gram serving size. Added sugar is only 3rd on the list, preceded by organic milk and fruit and vegetable purees.
Now, dig deeper into that cabinet or fridge.
Kashi’s GoLean Crisp Cinnamon Crumble – 34 grams of carbohydrates, including 10 grams of sugars, in a 51 gram serving size. Cane Juice Crystals is the second ingredient.
Cascadian Farm’s Fruitful O’s – 23 grams of carbohydrates, including 8 grams of sugars, in a 28 g serving size. Cane sugar is the second ingredient listed.
Nature’s Path Berry Strawberry Flax Plus Chewy Granola Bar - 25 grams of carbohydrates, including 11 grams of sugars, in a 35 gram bar. Cane juice is part of the first ingredient (granola), and invert cane sugar is fourth.
I LOVE what Kashi, Cascadian Farm, Stonyfield and other organic and natural food producers have done – eliminating GMO ingredients, using rBST-free milk, taking out all artificial colors and preservatives, and using eco-friendly packaging. All fantastic choices that help us live greener and healthier in our fast-paced, nature-unfriendly world.
But, when it comes to certain processed foods, I think it is time to reduce the amount of added sugar.
Kashi, Cascadian Farm, Nature’s Path and others out there – can you help?
Tags: added cane sugar, added sugar, artificial sweeteners, bad sugar, how bad is sugar, too much sugar
Posted in baby food products, food products, General Topics, smart mommy | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 19th, 2012
A new study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that moderate consumption of alcohol during adulthood marginally increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
The study followed about 105,000 people for nearly 28 years. It concluded that in women who never consumed any alcohol, there were 281 breast cancers per 100,000 women (per year). In contrast, in women who drank 3 to 6 glasses of wine a week, there were 333 breast cancers per 100,000 per year – a 15% increase. In women who consumed 19 glasses of wine a week (or, about 3 glasses of wine a day), the incidence of breast cancer increased to 413 per 100,000 women per year. That is a significant 47% increase.
Several studies have researched and examined the effect of heavy alcohol consumption on the development of breast cancer but this is the first significant study that looked at the possible link between moderate alcohol consumption and breast cancer.
Why and how does alcohol raise the incidence of developing breast cancer?
The exact connection between alcohol consumption and breast cancer is not known, one likely explanation is alcohol’s effects on oestrogen levels.
Tags: alcohol consumption and cancer, breast cancer, breast cancer and alcohol
Posted in General Topics, smart mommy | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 17th, 2012
We already know that these foods are good for us and here is a summary why:
Studies have shown that blueberries aid in everything from fighting cancer to lowering cholesterol. But the blueberry is not the only superstar among berries – all berries, including raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries contain antioxidants and phytonutrients. And when fresh berries are not available, frozen berries will do the trick. Just make sure you opt for organic / local whenever you can to keep those nasty pesticides out of your system.
Salmon is a superfood because it provides a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids. which studies show significantly lower the risk of heart disease. Omega-3 fatty reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing inflammation and slowing the rate of plaque build-up in blood vessels.
Although eggs often get a bad reputation for high fat content and increasing cholesterol, eggs are a great choice for breakfast. They are high in protein and full of choline, which actually helps block fat from being absorbed in the liver.
Like eggs, nuts are often looked at unfavorably for their high fat content. Interestingly, many research studies have shown that eating a few tablespoons of nuts several times a week can actually help weight loss – they will keep you full and do that with good fats (vegetable v. animal fat).
Herbal teas and green tea – so many teas are “superfoods” including green tea, known for its high antioxidant level that even helps prevent cancer. Other super teas to consider: alfalfa tea and chamomile tea.
And then there is broccoli – my personal favorite! It packs a nutrient punch with only 30 calories per cup. By eating just that one cup of broccoli (make sure you steam it just until tender or else you risk loosing those nutrients) you get fiber that curbs your hunger and aids digestion, and polyphenols that detoxify cell-damaging chemicals in your body. On top of it, broccoli fights and prevents cancer.
Low-fat dairy is another superfood. Various research studies have shown that women who consume about 1,400 milligrams of calcium per day burn more fat than women who forgo dairy completely. The star among dairy is yogurt – it helps slow the production of cortisol (a hormone that slows metabolism). If you reach for Greek yogurt or kefir, you’ll also get a healthy dose of protein.
All legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas etc.) make it onto the superfood list because of their high fiber and protein content. They fill you up, help you build muscle, and get your metabolism working without any unnecessary bad fat.
Last but certainly not least – chocolate! We have all heard now that chocolate (in moderation) may help us loose weight and stay thin, some researchers are still not convinced about this benefit. But they all agree that dark chocolate has healthy heart benefits and the caffeine may also help increase your metabolism.
Tags: berries, blueberries, healthiest foods, healthy food, healthy foods, legumes, organic food, superfoods, superfruits
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