Tag Archives: healthy eating

Farmers Market Fun

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Last week I mentioned that I’m dabbling a bit in container gardening this summer, and hopefully I’ll get a few tomatillos and a handful of cherry tomatoes out of it.  For the majority of my family’s summer vegetable intake, though, we’ll be heading to our local farmers market a couple of Saturday mornings a month.farmers market2

It seems like more and more farmers markets are cropping up, even in smaller towns, which is great news for people who want to buy fresh and local products such as produce, meat, dairy, flowers, and baked goods (To find your nearest farmers market, click here).

To get the biggest bang for your buck and to ensure you’re truly getting local and garden-fresh produce, here are a few tips to remember:

  • Know what fruits and vegetables are in season (click here for a chart).  If a stand is selling tomatoes in early May, be wary, and ask the farmer how and where they were grown.
  • Go early or go late.  The freshest and best quality products will be available right when the market opens, but you may be able to get things at a discounted price as the market closes.
  • Take your own canvas bags, or even a little shopping basket (here are a few examples).
  • Make sure you have cash, preferably in small bills and change.  Some vendors are accepting credit cards now, but it will be faster, especially in large crowds, if you can pay cash in the exact amount.
  • Plan ahead so you generally know what items you are looking for and how you will later prepare your treasures.  Check out these farmers market recipes from Southern Living, Eating Well, and the kitchn.
  • On the other hand, be open to trying something new.  If you aren’t sure what to do with an item, ask the farmer how they would recommend using it or preparing it.
  • Enjoy yourself!  Farmers markets usually have fun and lively atmospheres, and some even offer special activities such as music and cooking demonstrations.farmers market

These and other tips can be found at About.com’s Local Foods section and News and Observer.

Want to grow your own vegetables this summer?  Click here for last week’s post, full of gardening tips and ideas.

-Katie Huffman

First picture by Flickr user US Dept of Agriculture; second picture by Flickr user North Charleston, both via CC

Updates to the Nutrition Label

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It’s hard to buy packaged foods at the store without glancing at the black and white box full of numbers and percentages. But do we really digest the info?

The nutrition label as we know it was introduced in the early 1990s, and it really hasn’t been updated since then, despite all the advances that have occurred in nutrition science and recommendations. However, a few weeks ago, the FDA released a proposal for a new label in the hope of making the food label more relevant, current, and useful to consumers.

“To help address obesity, one of the most important public health problems facing our country, the proposed label would drive attention to calories and serving sizes,” says Michael Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods.  Here are some of the specific changes:

  • The calorie content will be larger and bolder.nutrition label
  • Serving sizes will be more realistic.  For example, a 20-ounce bottle of soda will be considered one serving (instead of two) since most people drink that amount in one sitting.
  • The new label will include added sugars.
  • While continuing to require “Total Fat,” “Saturated Fat,” and “Trans Fat” on the label, “Calories from Fat” would be removed because research shows the type of fat is more important than the amount.
  • Certain “Daily Values” for a variety of nutrients would be revised; these include sodium, dietary fiber and Vitamin D.

In helping unveil the new label, First Lady Michelle Obama said, “Our guiding principle here is very simple: that you as a parent and a consumer should be able to walk into your local grocery store, pick up an item off the shelf, and be able to tell whether it’s good for your family… So this is a big deal, and it’s going to make a big difference for families all across this country.”

The FDA will be taking public comments about the proposed changes to the label through the end of May before making a final decision. Food manufacturers will have two years to adjust the new label to accommodate any changes that are officially adopted.

-Katie Huffman

Image and information from FDA press release.

Taking a bite out of eating slowly

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Many of our readers are familiar with the mindful eating program called Naturally Slim, which has been offered to all three groups of Spirited Life participants. Most of our participants tried Naturally Slim personally; still others may have found themselves at a conference event, hearing their peers talk about “orange water, 10-5-10, and sugar island,” a few of the concepts in Naturally Slim.

One of the Naturally Slim tenets that seems to be most sandwichchallenging for people is eating slowly. I know it is for me! In fact, I would be embarrassed to share with you the number of minutes I spent eating lunch today (fewer than 10 fingers would be needed). Think about your last meal; how long did it take you to finish?

There is growing research to support Naturally Slim’s recommendation to slow down at mealtimes. One recent study out of Iowa State University found that chewing each bite of food more times is likely to result in fewer calories consumed at a given meal. Another study showed that slower eating at lunch resulted in less snacking later in the day, and yet another suggests that slowing down can reduce your risk of diabetes. On the flip side, waiting to stop eating until you feel full and eating too fast can triple your risk of being overweight. A researcher at the University of Rhode Island described it this way: “If you are eating for 20 minutes at 100 calories a minute, that’s a lot. But if you are eating for 20 minutes at 20 calories a minute, that’s not a lot, and it gives your body time to realize it’s full.” There’s also evidence to show that eating too quickly can contribute to digestive problems, acid reflux, and complications after surgeries.

Convinced yet? Maybe you are, but it’s hard to slow down! Naturally Slim offers a free smartphone app with meal timer that chimes when it’s time to take a break in the middle of your meal.

And now there’s a new technology on the market to help you monitor and track your chewing hapiforkhabits. It’s called the HAPIfork, and its slogan is “Eat slowly. Lose weight. Feel great!” The fork measures how many bites it takes to eat your meal, how long the whole meal lasts, the fork servings per minute, and intervals between fork servings. This data can be uploaded via USB or Bluetooth to your smartphone or online account where you can track your numbers. Not only does the fork collect information, but it even lights up and vibrates when you eat too quickly!  Check out this short NYTimes video review; and this Newsweek review for the practical pros and cons of the HAPIfork.

-Katie Huffman

First image from OpenClipArt user rg1024 via CC and second image from Flickr user David Berkowitz via CC

February Wellness Calendar

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Back at the beginning of January, I came across a new kind of calendar where you focus on a different wellness goal every day of the month.  For each day, a healthy activity is suggested and you customize it by setting a goal that makes sense for you.  The daily goals can be very simple and include things like hydration, having fun, eating healthy, staying active, and self-care… good habits that many of us in Spirited Life are striving for.

The blogger who creates these calendars says, “A healthy lifestyle is made up of a whole collection of small daily decisions… and when spread out over a week, month or year, it adds up to a healthy, happy you.”  I found that even though I might only focus on hydration for one day, those actions I set up carry over into the following days and without meaning to, I’ve started a habit of drinking more water every day.

I enjoyed this exercise and plan on trying it again in February.  Click here or on the image below to download a copy for yourself.  And the good news is that this is for YOU, so if you don’t like one of the recommended activities, replace it with something of your choosing!

feb2014-Katie Huffman

(Find more calendars and healthy recipes at back to her roots)

Keeping germs at bay

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As pastors, I can imagine that you’re exposed to more than your fair share of germs each and every day: you regularly make visits to sick people in their homes and in hospitals; you shake countless hands on Sunday mornings; you enter and exit the same doors that the church preschoolers use; you rub shoulders with other community leaders at breakfast meetings; you simply go to the grocery store!

You’ve no doubt heard these tips before, so consider this a reminder to ramp up your efforts to stay well this winter:no-germ-zone-md

  • Wash your hands: This is a no-brainer, but it’s one of the best ways to stay healthy.  Click here to see the science of washing of your hands.  No access to soap and water?  Keep a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your purse, briefcase, or car.
  • Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated: Include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet, and cut down on sugar to help booster the immune system.  How much water should you drink?  One doctor suggests dividing your weight by 3; this is how many ounces of fluid you should drink a day (plus one glass of water for every caffeinated or alcoholic beverage).
  • Stay back: If you can, keep about 6 feet between yourself and someone who’s sick.
  • Rest well: It’s recommended that adults get 7-8 hours of sleep every day, but you probably have found your own magic number.
  • Exercise: Keeping your body strong is another immune-booster.  And don’t forget about taking care of your mind through meditation, a gratitude journal, taking time off, reading, yoga, or your own favorite stress-reducing activity.
  • Get a flu shot: According to the CDC, January is not too late to get yours!

Let us hear how you try to keep those germs at bay.

-Katie Huffman

Based on “How the fit stay healthy in cold-and flu-season,” by Gabriella Boston at Washington Post Wellness; image by Laurel Holland via Creative Commons and Clker.com

Winter Minestrone Recipe

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I love soup, and I also love the recipes of Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, so when I came across the following minestrone recipe recently, I was unabashedly excited to try it.  A few weekends ago when we had an early cold spell, I cooked up a batch, and it far exceeded my already high expectations!  Even my husband, who is not much of a soup eater, raved about it.minestrone

Heavy on fresh vegetables and beans, this minestrone packs a lot of fiber and protein into one bowl; in fact, it was almost stew-like and one serving was plenty for both my husband and me.  To lighten up the fat and calorie content a little bit, I omitted the pancetta and Parmesan cheese, and I did not use olive oil when toasting the baguette.

Hope you’ll consider giving this recipe a try.  In my mind, there’s not much better than sitting down to a hot, steaming bowl of hearty soup on a cold winter’s night.

Winter Minestrone and Garlic Bruschetta, by Barefoot Contessa
Good olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch-diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 (26-ounce) can or box diced tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
Garlic Bruschetta (recipe follows)
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, I add more chicken stock.

Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

Enjoy!

-Katie Huffman

Image courtesy of Food Network

Rev. Dan Gobble: Success With Naturally Slim

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This is a guest post by Rev. Dan Gobble, pastor of Providence UMC in Salisbury, NC. It was originally featured in Naturally Slim’s newsletter and is reprinted with permission.  

All Spirited Life participants have had the opportunity to participate in Naturally Slim, and pastors still receiving services (Group 3) will have an final opportunity to enroll in 2014. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I recently turned 50 years old. At my annual physical in 2012, my doctor told me, “Dan, it wouldn’t hurt you to go hungry once in a while.” At that time I weighed around 240 pounds. I knew he was right. There is a BMI chart on the wall beside the scales in his office. I knew that, for my height, I was way over my ideal weight, almost in the morbidly obese category. I was frustrated because I wanted to do something about my weight, but I didn’t have confidence in what I knew about weight loss.

Dan collageIn the meantime, my employer, the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church began a program to help clergy better manage their health. Being a pastor is a high stress job, and clergy often have problems dealing with the stress that comes with it. As a result, they often experience weight gain and develop markers for metabolic syndrome like, high blood pressure, high or out of balance cholesterol, and even diabetes, which affect their health and quality life. Since entering the ministry in 2002, I have gained about 45 to 50 pounds. Over the years, my doctor had put me on blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. I was also borderline diabetic. When he told me at my last physical that it wouldn’t hurt me to lose weight, I finally RESOLVED that I would DO something about it. When the church offered the Naturally Slim program as a possible way to help us manage some of our healthcare concerns through weight loss, I jumped at the chance.

I had always been skeptical of diets and weight loss programs because I saw how folks struggled to sustain the results over the long haul. The thing that attracted me to this program was the overall common sense wisdom and the well-organized approach. This program looked like something I could incorporate into my lifestyle by making some “doable” changes. When I tried to lose weight in the past, I had no real success because I had no real understanding of how my body deals with food. Naturally Slim explains how our bodies and food interact and then Naturally Slim gave me a straightforward, workable plan for losing weight that made sense, and which is backed up by nutritional and medical facts. For example, after following the Naturally Slim plan for just a few weeks, I realized that I didn’t need to eat in the morning. I had been a big cereal eater for years, but it was more out of habit than a true need for fuel. Now I have some H-2-Orange in the mornings, plus some coffee, and I can enjoy food when my body needs it later in the day. This cut out a lot of unnecessary food on a daily basis.

Another facet of the program which really helped me lose weight was cutting out the sweets and high sugar foods (especially the constant snacking and grazing on sugary foods). Lowering my food intake, and learning the importance of eating slowly gave me a winning strategy for weight loss. The final component of the program that I found helpful was the pedometer that Naturally Slim sent in the starter package. It made me become more intentional about walking around the neighborhood and working to get a minimum number of steps in each day. As a footnote, I have now walked over 1,000 miles since April of 2013. I’ve always wanted to do more running and jogging. I am happy to say that I can now run a 5K (something that was impossible prior to the weight loss). I also enjoy an active lifestyle, including walking with my wife and our dog, running, and riding my bicycle.

I never really thought I would come close to attaining these results at this point in my life. I thought there was no other option for me but being overweight and in declining health for the rest of my life. But Naturally Slim has helped me reverse some negative trends in my health. At my last physical in June, my doctor took me off blood pressure and cholesterol medicine. I’m at the recommended BMI for my weight & height. I’m wearing the size clothes I wore when I was in my early 20s! I look and feel so much better and I have a much better self-image (I took my shirt off and body surfed the waves at the beach this summer, without being self-conscious about my appearance). My family is really proud of my weight loss. I get asked on a regular basis to reveal my secret. I tell everyone who will listen, “If you’re really interested in losing weight, then you need to check out Naturally Slim”. I’m a believer!

Update

Since Dan started the program in late March of 2013, he has lost 63 pounds.  At that time he weighed 233. He now weighs 170 pounds.  His waist has been reduced 10 inches from 44 inches in March of 2013 down to 34 inches in Oct 2013. He also reports that he is off all medication to control his cholesterol, and all cholesterol numbers have improved to the point that they are better than they were when he took the medication to keep them under control. 

Holiday Challenge

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The holidays are just around the corner!  While the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas are usually filled with joy and merriment, they can also be filled with extra calories and less time for exercise.

This year, to help you keep your waistline in check (did you know that the average adult gains 1-5 pounds during the holidays and never gets these pounds back off?) consider signing up for the Maintain, Don’t Gain Holiday Challenge.  Sponsored by Eat Smart Move More NC, the Holiday Challenge runs from November 25-December 1 and encourages holiday challengeweight maintenance during the holiday season.  By signing up, you’ll get weekly newsletters with tips and recipes, have access to weight/activity tracking charts, and receive support and motivation from other participants.

Sign up for the Holiday Challenge here.

I signed up for the Holiday Challenge and have already found some great recipes that I hope to try soon.  Check out these: pumpkin spice latte and maple roasted sweet potatoes.

-Katie Huffman

Healthy Autumn Snacks

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1291439_10152248326317576_1520576390_nWith mornings here in Durham positively chilly, my cravings have turned toward fall. Being a native New England-er, autumn is my favorite season. I love taking long walks in the woods and finding fall treasures, and I love coming home to cook and bake with fall flavors.  Here are two healthy and tasty recipes to inspire you on this beautiful fall day.  Both of the recipes come from a list of 36 healthy snack recipes for fall from the website Greatist, a great source of holistic health tips. Happy baking (and snacking)!

Healthier Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies by Perry Santanachote

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature (or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce)
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups whole-wheat flour (or a half white flour, half whole-wheat mix)
  • 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (optional — if you omit, add an extra 1/2 cup of flour!)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup  dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

What to Do: 

  1. Set oven to 300 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt (if using) together in medium size bowl. Set aside.
  3. Mix the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 or 5 minutes).
  4. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to the sugar and butter and mix at low speed until thoroughly blended. Mixture will look curdled. (Don’t panic.)
  5. Slowly add the dry ingredients at low-medium speed until just combined.
  6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  7. Use a large cookie scoop (or ice-cream scoop) to form cookies. Space them two inches apart on baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.Pumpkin-Cookies_PS_604_2
Cranberry Granola by Rachel Ray
Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup natural almonds, chopped
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions

  1. Toss oats, almonds, syrup, oil and cinnamon together. Spread on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool; stir in cranberries.

—Caren Swanson

Images by Caren Swanson (top) and Perry Santanachote.

Questioning the Necessity of Breakfast

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3692867013_59a2b2e3a8A new report questions the age-old wisdom that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that it is essential for weight loss. It has long been assumed that folks who eat a healthy breakfast are less hungry throughout the day, thus consuming fewer calories, but it turns out that there is little evidence to substantiate that claim. Furthermore, the breakfast foods that usually ARE consumed (cereals, muffins, bread products) are known to help pack on the pounds. So why the confusion? To eat breakfast or not to eat breakfast?

According to a recent New York Times article, very few studies have been done that look at the correlation between weight loss and breakfast eating, and of those that have been completed, the findings are mixed. There is no question that eating breakfast can be an important part of a healthy day, but is it essential? Probably not. While many Americans have included breakfast as a part of their weight-loss diet, it is unclear whether breakfast-eating itself is a contributor to the weightloss.  As the article explains:

Data from the National Weight Control Registry showed that after their weight loss, about 80 percent of people reported regularly eating breakfast. “There was no difference in reported energy intake between breakfast eaters and non-eaters,” the registry showed, “but breakfast eaters reported slightly more physical activity than non-breakfast eaters.”

The research showed only that eating breakfast was a common behavior among people who were actively trying to avoid regaining weight, just as diet soda might be a common drink of choice among dieters but not necessarily the cause of their weight loss.

4041800875_c26b204e80None of this will be news to anyone who watched even the first video of the Naturally Slim program (the mindful eating program available to all Spirited Life participants). Marcia Upson, the Nurse Practitioner behind the program, insists that instead of eating breakfast out of habit, we should wait until we’re hungry. If we stay hydrated, drinking our “H2Orange,” then we may not be hungry until 10 or even 11 in the morning. We may then decide to instead eat an early lunch, reducing our number of meals consumed to two a day. By paying attention to their bodies’ true hunger cues, many people have successfully lost weight on her program.

All of this is not to imply that you should suddenly STOP eating breakfast. Everyone has different caloric needs, and everyone has different hunger patterns. Perhaps yours kick in first thing in the morning, while your spouse’s don’t kick in until much later. Either way, the best thing to do is listen to your body’s signals, and follow the wisdom that we KNOW is true: eating when we’re not hungry leads to weight gain, and learning to listen to our body’s signals can help us achieve a normal body weight. Maybe it’s time for me to kick my daily bowl of cereal habit!

–Caren Swanson

Images by flickr users *Zoha.Nve and Stephanie Kilgast, via Creative Commons.