HEALTHY FOODS

Word for the Day   WE ARE MORE THAN WHAT WE EAT

we are more than what we eat,
but as we eat
we become more
of what we are.

   

Robyn 

BEING ME What do I eat?

I like fresh and cooked veges; fresh fruit made into a fruit smoothie (that way I can hide some ingredients from the family e.g. soaked chia or certain green herbs that they would not choose for themselves); a small amount of red meat, some chicken and fish and I like to cook my own pancakes with sugar and fresh lemon as a treat. 

I appreciate research relating to healthy food choices, but one needs to assess research, for some is unscientific, being written simply to support a theory or as a marketing ploy.    

I did not score very well on the following article: 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat, but I will improve, I am certain!  

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize-and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes-the nation's most popular vegetable-they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher ofPrevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, ororganic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first. http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963.html

 http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963.html

I was pleased to get a better score on the following article - 12 Foods your children shouldn't eat.

12 foods your children shouldn't eat

Want to give your kids a diet that meets their high nutritional demands and keeps them healthy? Well, what you don't give them to eat is just as important as what you do.

Nutrition in kids is a constant source of concern for parents. Processed, artificially-flavoured savoury foods and sugary, additive-rich snacks feature in the diets of today's youth like never before, and our youngsters are paying with their health - increased obesity and risk of diabetes, and poorer concentration, mental function and fitness levels.

While it is impossible to constantly monitor what your children eat beyond a certain age and compel them to follow a 100 percent fresh, organic and additive-free diet, you can help encourage them away from nutritionally sub-standard foods and steer them towards healthier alternatives. 

Steer away from: 

1. Sugary cereals Children's cereals tend to be extremely rich in sugar. Nutritionist Natalie Savona, author of Wonderfoods for Kids (Quadrille Publishing, $22.95), warns of those that 'try to give the impression that they're healthier by using words like "wholegrain" on the box.' She adds: 'You can have all the wholegrain in the world but if you've got 35g sugar per 100g of product, it'll give them a poor start to the day.' Tabitha Ellem is one of over 600 children who have been treated by umbilical cord blood and bone marrow transplants at the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. When Tabitha was two, she was diagnosed with Hurler's Syndrome - a very rare metabolic storage disorder where sufferers lack an important enzyme which results in damage to soft tissue cells in the heart, brain, liver, eyes and bones. Without a transplant, most will die by the age of 10. Tabitha's diseased white blood cells with the missing enzyme were replaced with new healthy cells from a cord blood transplant, preventing further damage being done.

Instead Savona acknowledges that it's tough finding a healthy cereal that appeals to children, but argues that if they're not habitually fed sugary cereals, kids will get used to unsweetened varieties. Or try smoothies instead. 'Make smoothies with natural yoghurt and fruit, and add oats and a little hemp oil for extra omega 3s,' she says. 'Add to that some wholemeal toast and peanut butter and it's a terrific, sustaining and nutritious start to the day.'

2. Fruit juice drinksFruit juice drinks contain juice, water, sweeteners and perhaps other flavourings. 'Some have smart packaging with pictures of delicious looking fruit, but look at the label and there can be as much as 15 teaspoons of sugar in an individual child's bottle,' says Mandy Francis, a nutrition researcher and author of Healthy Cooking for Children (Infinite Ideas, $24.95), adding that those boasting "No Added Sugar" may contain artificial sweeteners.

Instead 'Unsweetened pure fruit juice is much better,' says Francis, 'but dilute it 50:50 with water as juices have a lot of natural sugars and can be very calorific. Use fizzy water to make an attractive sparkling drink.'

3. Chewing Gum
'Chewing gum offers nothing nutritionally to children,' says Savona. 'It's just a habit some kids get into, but it's confusing for their digestive system, because the constant chewing and production of saliva prepares it to receive food which never actually arrives. This can eventually interfere with kids' ability to correctly interpret hunger signals.'

Instead After a meal, the occasional sugar-free gum with xylitol - a sweetener known to reduce tooth decay - is okay, but because gum-chewing is a more a nervous   habit than a food one, encourage kids to channel their energies into activities such as arts or sports, in order to distract them from the temptation to chew.

4. Supermarket/Takeaway Pizza
Two words: fat and salt. 'Those pizzas with processed meat toppings are particularly bad,' says Francis. 'And the takeaway varieties with processed cheese-stuffed crusts just needlessly add extra fat. Terrible.'  

Instead Francis suggests DIY pizzas which children love making, and offer an ideal opportunity to sneak in extra vegetables - like tomatoes, onions and capsicums - into their diets: 'Get them to make individual snack "pizzas" using halved brown muffins or bread rolls, tomato passata with herbs, vegetables of their choice and a little grated cheese, and putting them under a low grill for a few minutes.'

5. French Fries
Kids love them, but they rank lowly in the health league due to a high saturated fat content.

Instead Ready-made oven and microwave varieties tend to be better than takeaway fries as they're lower in fat. But just because your kids love chips, doesn't mean they won't eat other vegetables. Francis suggests making 'fries with sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, parboiled, then baked with a little oil. Offer them other "sunny" vegetables too. Surveys suggest that carrots and sweet corn are among childrens' favourite vegetables. 'It's interesting that warm-coloured varieties come out on top, when you think that kids' favourites of burgers, fries and chicken nuggets are all similar in colour,' says child psychologist Dr Pat Spungin. 'Even though they're green, kids love peas because they're quite sweet,' points out Mandy, 'and they contribute one of their all important daily portions of vegetables too.'

6. Biscuits
A perennial children's favourite, typically made with wheat flour, fats, salt and sugars - they have very little to redeem them nutritional.

Instead A much better option are oat cakes and biscuits that don't raise children's blood sugar levels as sharply as refined wheat biscuits; with lower glycaemic index and load (GI/GL) values, they're more satisfying and less likely to be overeaten. Alternatively, try making natural homemade cookies with your kids, which allows you some control over ingredients and fat and sugar content.

7. Potato crisps
An obvious source of salt - as well as other artificial flavourings such as monosodium glutamate, and of course saturated fats. Kids aged one to three should have no more than 2g of salt a day, those aged four to six, 3g, those aged seven to 10, 5g, and those 11 and over, 6g. A 25g bag of crisps can contain 1g.

InsteadSavona says crisps are okay in moderation, but problematic when they become a key feature of kids' diets. For lunchboxes, rather than giving children a whole packet, pop half into an airtight container.

8. Processed cheese snacks
Cheesy "straws" or cheese'n'cracker snack packs are typically high in salt, fat and flavourings. 'Again, some manufacturers may try to distract the consumer with "good source of calcium" on the packaging, but it's important to check the ingredients,' says Francis.

Instead 'Kids like to assemble and dip things and eat with their fingers, so give them mini pitas, bread sticks, raw vegetable batons and a dip such as hummus or guacamole,' says Francis. 'They can sometimes surprise you with their sophisticated tastes.'

9. Processed meat "takeaway" products & burgers
Cheap meat pies and sausages are two of the worst foods you can give your child because they're dripping in hydrogenated fats. The meat in the sausages and low-quality burgers can be low grade and mechanically recovered, and pies are sometimes deep fried, further adding needless fat.  

Instead If you really must, the best "takeaway" alternatives to a fast-food outlet tend to be the fish-based ones. Choose a good piece of cod - or even a fish burger - with some vegetables such as peas. If the fish is battered, trim some of it off and you'll be left with a wholesome portion of fish.

10. Cereal barsOften considered better alternatives to sweets and chocolate bars, these can be deceptively high in fat and sugar. 'Imagine several spoons of sugary cereal which needs something to bind it all together,' says Savona. 'As far as the main commercial brands of cereal bars go, that something is yet more sugar in the form of glucose syrup or honey.'

Instead 'Try pure fruit bars,' says Savona. 'Some are pulped up with grains too, and although they can be quite sweet, at least your kids are getting all the nutrients in the fruit.'

11. Ice cream
High in sugar and, often, artificial colours - as well as fat, if cream is included in the mix.

Instead 'You can make great home-made ice creams by using smoothies or pulped fruit poured into a mould and frozen,' says Francis. 'Kids love it if you let them choose their own combinations. Alternatively, try freezing fresh bananas, then blend it into a sort of "ice cream" - a terrific and healthy alternative to the real thing. Trust me, they'll barely notice the difference.'

12. Caffeine
'Just like with adults, caffeine gives kids a boost, followed by a crash, and is bad for their energy levels, concentration and moods,' says Savona. 'A child with any form of hyperactivity should be protected from caffeine and its effects.'  

Instead Choose a fruit drink rather than a soft drink. Most kids don't like coffee or tea, but chamomile tea is a good, mild caffeine-free alternative, as is redbush tea, which can be taken with milk and is a lovely deep red colour that children often like. Chocolate contains caffeine, but white chocolate has very small amounts - again, though, check sugar levels very carefully.

http://www.bubhub.com.au/info/articles/feeding-baby-child/12_foods_not_to_eat.shtml

What did Moses eat?
Moses in Egypt, growing up as the adopted son of the princess, would have eaten very well in the Pharoah's court.

During his years in Goshen where he worked for his father-in-law as a shepherd, Moses would have eaten lamb along with foods which accompanied it.

During the 40 year exodus in the Sinai wilderness, Moses only ate "manna", this word meaning, "What is it?"  The Hebrew people gathered their manna from the ground in the mornings, for when the sun grew hot, it melted away! The manna was white like coriander seed and it tasted like wafers made with honey. Moses and the Hebrew people ate manna for forty years, until they reached the border of Canaan. Exodus 17 

Choosing Healthy Foods

May we each
Reach to choose
Healthy wholesome tasty foods.
Robyn

Happy eating

from Robyn 

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum.