Have you heard of carotenoids?  They are the pigments in red, orange, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables.  They have anti-oxidant properties that have been determined to reduce cancer risk.

Carotenoids are fat soluble, so the next time you enjoy a colorful plate of produce, make sure you drizzle on a little fat (olive oil would be a terrific choice) in order to help your body absorb all those nutrients.

Condiments are stealthy. 

An easy trick for watching for fat and sodium when you’re out is to ask that salad dressings, sauces, butter, sour cream, etc. be served on the side.  Add only small amounts to enhance the flavor of your dish.

The same goes for condiments like ketchup, mustard, relish and pickles if you’re trying to watch your sodium intake.

Trust me, a little goes a long way.

Okay, I couldn’t resist sharing another fascinating excerpt from “Chew On This” (Houghton Mifflin Books, 2006).

In a section discussing artificial flavorings, the authors list ingredients needed to concoct a typical at-home strawberry milk shake – “ice, cream, strawberries, sugar, and a touch of vanilla”. 

I get that.

They then print the ingredients found in a typical fast-food strawberry milk shake – “milkfat and nonfat milk, sugar, sweet whey, high fructose corn syrup, guar gum, mono- and diglycerides, cellulose gum, sodium phosphate, carageenan, citric acid, red food coloring #40, and artificial strawberry flavor”. 

Hmmmm.

The FDA permits the use of that phrase – “artificial strawberry flavor”.  This, however, is what that additive really contains – here goes:

“amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, diporpyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hyroxyphrenyl-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl salicylate, mint essential oil, neroli essential oil, nerolin, neryl isobutyrate, orris butter, phenethyl alcohol, rose, rum ether, y-undecalactone, vanillin, and solvent.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhh?

My oldest daughter is an avid reader and couldn’t wait to get her eager hands on the 6th grade summer reading list.  This list is a combination of fiction and non-fiction titles, some catching the eye of both of us right away.

“Chew On This”, by Eric Scholosser and Charles Wilson, is the book by my daughter’s bed right now.  It documents the inception, growth, mass production practices, and health realities of a part of our world we all take for granted – fast food.

I will, on occasion in this blog, point out some of the more poignant (read heartrending) particulars that I end up not being able to pry out of my head.

Here are just a few morsels from the inside flap.  Did you know that…

1) “Americans now spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, and recorded music – combined”?

2) “A child of ten who is diagnosed with Type II diabetes can expect to lose seventeen to twenty-six years of his or her life”?

3) “The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross”?

Are you kidding???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A good guide for the astute label reader is this – the Calories from Fat should be less than 1/3 the total number of Calories per serving.  That means that if an item has 100 Calories per serving, there should be 30 or fewer Calories from Fat per serving.

Now, beneath the Total Fat line, the label will further detail the number of grams of Saturated Fats, Unsaturated Fats, and Trans Fats. 

Saturated Fats come from high fat animal products, such as cheese, whole milk, butter, fatty meats, lard etc.  Avoid Saturated Fats as these can lead to high blood cholesterol and heart disease.

Unsaturated (mono- and poly-) Fats are found in vegetable oils, olives, most nuts, avocados, and fatty fish.  These fats are good for your body in moderation as they are necessary for gland health, brain cell function and digestion.

Trans Fats are found in Hydrogenated Oils, and you know how I feel about those – see entry dated 04/03/09.

We hear about these healthy fats on the news, in our favorite magazines, on-line, everywhere.  Omega-3 fatty acids are useful in our bodies for cell health, regulating heart rate and carrying fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and oxygen into our cells.  They help maintain healthy skin and hair (who doesn’t want that??), protect our organs and provide a sense of satiety after meals.  A diet high in Omega-3’s will have more lean muscle, lower body fat and better health. 

The best place to get these fatty acids is from fish, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and soy. 

Flax is a favorite of mine.  You can find flax seeds, which are about the same size and shape as sesame seeds but have a more toasted color.  If using the seeds, make sure you grind them first so your body can absorb all those nutrients – a coffee bean grinder works great.  I like to sprinkle this flax “meal” on my cereal or yogurt.  I even mix it into turkey burgers and meatloaf and bake it into my banana bread! 

Flax oil is also available in stores and can easily be mixed into salad dressing, ketchup and even smoothies – the kids will never know!  Don’t heat the oil form, though.  Heating flax oil rids it of its nutritive benefits. 

A common adult “dose” of flax meal is 1 1/2 tablespoons per day.  For the oil, a guideline is to use 1-2 tablespoons per 100 pounds of body weight per day.  Kids can take in a bit less than these amounts.

Give flax a try.  I’d love to hear other ways people incorporate it into everyday dishes, so let me know your fantastic ideas.

Let’s start talking about food product labeling and the claims that food manufacturers post on their packaging.  A key tip – the claims on the front of a package of your favorite food are just that – claims. 

When the front of the package states “Reduced Fat”, “Light” or “Low Fat”, keep in mind that the manufacturer may have added loads of sugar to the item instead.  If the label states “No Cholesterol”, that means no animal fat may have been used in making the product, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s low in fat. 

The real info is on the nutrition panel and ingredient list.  On that ingredient list, items appear in descending order from largest to smallest amounts.  The longer the ingredient list, the more processed and unhealthy the food is.  Focus on nice short ingredient lists – with ingredients you can pronounce!

My first official post addressed the prevalence of High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Now, I’m going to tackle the equally prevalent existence of hydrogenated oils in the foods available in our local grocery stores.  

Hydrogenated oils (trans fats) are created in an industrial process engineered to extend a food product’s shelf-life.  Consumption has been linked to heart disease, obesity, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and MS.  Be aware that regulations for food claims on the front of a package are very loose, and a package might claim 0% trans fat but actually contain up to 2 grams of trans fats per serving. 

If you see hydrogenated oils in an ingredient list, put the product back on the shelf.