Foodbuzz

Coconut: Is It Worth All the Hype?

 

coconut oil

Coconut water, coconut milk, coconut butter, shredded coconut, coconut ice cream – looks like we’re in the middle of a Coconut Craze!

More and more, coconut-based products are showing up on grocery store shelves, and people are buying them up at rapid speed. 

But is coconut truly healthy, and should you start eating more of it? 

Honestly, we don’t really know yet.  Scientists used to agree that coconut oil (one of the only plant-based foods that is very high in saturated fat) was something to avoid in a healthy diet.  Now some research is showing that the saturated fat in coconut acts differently in the body than the saturated fat in fatty meats and dairy products.  While the fatty acids in butter, cream, and some meats have been linked to increased risk of heart disease, the fatty acids in coconut oil (lauric and stearic acid) don’t seem to have the same effect.

This does not mean, however, that coconut products will reduce your risk of heart disease, or that they promote weight loss or an improved immune system.  Coconut can be a tasty addition to our diets some of the time, but it is not a “miracle food” and should not serve as a substitute for other healthy fats.

In general, stick with what we do know for sure: most of the fat in our diets should be unsaturated.  Oils that are liquid at room temperature – especially olive and canola – avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish are all good sources of unsaturated, heart-healthy fat.

image source for above

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

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Kombucha: What is it and Should You Drink It?

 

kombucha nutrition

There’s been a lot of talk lately about kombucha and other fermented foods and why we should be eating them.  Many of you have been wondering: is this just another fad or is there some truth to the hype?

I asked my friend and fellow nutritionist, Daina Slekys, to help answer this question for me.  Not only is Daina a nutritional biochemist, but she’s also the founder of a kombucha company called Health-Ade – and a fermented food pro.  Here’s what she had to say.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha is a fermented tea that has been around for thousands of years in countless cultures.  It’s similar to other fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, vinegar, sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. — all of which give your body a great dose of beneficial bacteria and yeast in your intestines, which promotes healthy digestion.  Kombucha also contains B vitamins, vitamin C, and other antioxidants, and is low in sugar and caffeine.

Why eat fermented foods?

These days, the average American diet is full of processed, refined foods.  And those of us who eat meat are consistently exposed to antibiotics (which are used in meat production unless you buy organic).  As a result, the beneficial flora that is meant to be in our “guts” is not.  This allows for more threatening bacteria to migrate in and damage our bellies, and may explain why close to 20% of Americans are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) according to the NIH.

Why do people choose to drink Kombucha?

Many people like the taste, and just plain feel better when they eat kombucha and other fermented foods.  Kombucha is naturally full of the “good” cultures our guts are starved for, so as long as you buy kombucha that’s prepared carefully and safely, it’s a great way to get some fermentation into your diet!

Want to hear more?

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of kombucha, I urge you to check-out www.kombuchakamp.com or read the comprehensive and informational book called “Kombucha Tea” by A. Bartholomew.

This post was written by Daina Slekys, MS, MPH. Daina is the founder and nutritionist of Health-Ade kombucha and can be reached at daina@health-ade.com with any questions.

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

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The Hidden Costs of Ordering Take-Out

 

When you’re tired, hungry, and don’t have much more than ketchup in the fridge, ordering take-out seems like a great idea.  You get to have a hot meal, made by someone else, in the comfort of your own home, without doing a single dish.

So why isn’t take-out as good of a choice as it initially seems?

Because when you think about it a little longer, there are some significant costs involved:

1.  Health.  Most restaurant food has more calories, more fat, and more salt than food made from scratch at home.  So when you order take-out, it’s more of an indulgence that should be enjoyed occasionally – not a substitution for healthy, wholesome meals made at home.

2.  Money.  This cost is the obvious one: take-out is expensive.  Even if you find a meal for $10 per person – a bargain – that’s still significantly more than if you bought groceries for the week and prepared some simple meals yourself.  Many people argue that grocery shopping for healthy food is also costly, but if you plan ahead to reduce food waste and utilize ingredients in several dishes, you can drastically reduce your costs.

3.  Environment.  To-go food is usually packed in numerous containers, wrapped in a plastic bag, and accompanied by plastic silverware and bunches of napkins that all end up in the trash within minutes.  (When we remodeled our kitchen a few months ago and had to get take-out much of the time, we produced more trash in 2 weeks than we normally do in 2 months!).  Grocery shopping and making meals from whole foods uses less energy and creates less waste, and is thus much better for the earth.

Once again, food made and eaten at home reigns supreme!

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

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Spinach and Cheese Puff Pastry

 

spinach pastry

Puff pastry is certainly not a health food, but it’s a great item to keep on hand in the freezer in case you have unexpected company or need a quick yet impressive brunch dish.

You can buy frozen puff pastry dough at most grocery stores, and though it sounds fancy, it’s super easy to work with – and the possibilities are endless.

Roasted tomato & goat cheese pastries are usually my go-to, but the other day I decided to try a spinach and cheese pastry when I had some extra dough in the freezer.

spinach pastries

Instead of cutting the dough into small pastry pieces, I left it whole and topped it with a bag of thawed & drained frozen spinach, shredded sheep’s milk cheese (this was a hard cheese, but you could use feta or goat or any cheese you like), and a generous pinch each of salt and dried thyme.

spinach pastries

spinach pastries

It was delicious and so easy!

Saturday, April 21st, 2012

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5 Tell-Tale Signs A Diet Won’t Work

 

diets don't work

Every few months there seems to be a new diet fad.  This confuses many people, but it’s actually pretty easy to tell if the latest trend will be the one that helps you lose weight and keep it off.  Here’s how: If your new diet involves any of the following, it probably won’t work…

1. Give up a food group.  Many diets require that you eliminate this or that food…and even if it’s just for a short period of time, you can bet that you’ll regain the weight you lost after you start eating that food again.  That on top of the fact that you’ll be ultra-focused on what you can’t have instead of what you can.

2. Lasts a defined period of time.  Healthy eating lasts a lifetime, not any period of time shorter than that.  Unless you’d be happy sustaining a diet forever, better not to start it in the first place.

3. Promises fast results.  A healthy weight loss rate is about 1 lb per week (it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose each pound, which = cutting 500 calories/day which is pretty significant).  If your diet is promising faster results, it’s may be unsafe, and will almost certainly lead to more weight gain later.

4.  Less than 1200 calories.  Most women should be eating at least 1500 daily calories, even during a weight loss plan.  Eating too little can slow down your metabolism (because your body thinks it’s starving), which can lead to yo-yo dieting and cause long-term damage to your health.  People who lose weight on ultra-restrictive diets usually gain back more weight than they lost.

5.  Claims to “detoxify” or “cleanse” your body.  Words like these are code for “causes diarrhea and rids your body of nutrient stores.”  No, thank you!  You’re better off relying on your innate body systems, which naturally keep your body “clean” on the inside.

Sorry to burst your new-diet-excitement-bubble, but this is just reality.  Weight loss — that you can maintain in the long-term — is a slow process that requires many small changes that add up over time.  If your diet claims to have a solution that’s quicker and easier than that, it’s probably a scam.

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

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Coconut Bliss

 

coconut ice cream

I can’t believe it took me this long to discover Coconut Bliss.  This non-dairy coconut milk ice cream is so amazing, it just might replace my regular ice cream habit.  Here’s why:

  • Tastes like heaven
  • All ingredients are organic and fairly traded
  • Produced with sustainability in mind at each step of the growing/making/packaging process
  • Offers a way to indulge in ice cream without overdoing it on the dairy (I love dairy, and will continue to enjoy it as part of my diet, but would like to reduce my dependence on animal-based foods to some extent)
  • Comes in a variety of flavors so you’re not limited to coconut.  Cappuccino, Ginger Cookie Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter?  Yes please!

cocnut ice cream

At over 200 calories per serving, Coconut Bliss is a real treat that should be eaten in moderation.  So when you’ve eaten your veggies, worked out, and feel ready for an indulgence, scoop a little into a (small) bowl and enjoy every delicious spoonful!

coconut ice cream

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

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