Organics: Should you switch?
Going Organic
When Foods & Medications Don’t Mix
How Healthy Are You Really Eating?
The Smarts about Food Safety
Fiber Frenzy

Organics: Should you switch? Many people buy Organic produce for taste difference and others merely because they think it is “safer.” Regardless of your reason (or decision), it is important to note that the FDA and USDA does not regulate organic foods. If you are completely confused, especially considering that organic food can cost up to 50 percent more; the following suggestion might be reasonable. Consider your regular at-home eating habits. Example: Parents try to enforce the ever-hearty Apple on youngsters via the raw, juice, whatever. Yet, as a family you might have broccoli only once per week. Logically, since the more produce you eat, the more pesticides you eat, it might not hurt to choose your frequent or "fetish" food (i.e., the apples) as your organic choice. Use this list below from foodnews.org to learn which foods rank most consistently as commonly contaminated. Though organic foods have no government regulations, as stated above, the gathering of the below information is the result thousands of tests collected by the USDA and the USFDA over the last few years. Foods Highest in Pesticides These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables are consistently the most contaminated with pesticides. Consider buying these organic. • Apples • Bell Peppers • Celery • Cherries • Grapes (imported) • Nectarines • Peaches • Pears • Potatoes • Red Raspberries • Spinach • Strawberries Foods Lowest in Pesticides These 12 popular fresh fruits and vegetables consistently have the lowest levels of pesticides. • Asparagus • Avocados • Bananas • Broccoli • Cauliflower • Corn (sweet) • Kiwi • Mangos • Onions • Papaya • Pineapples • Peas (sweet) –Ranking list from www.foodnews.org For more information on food and pesticides go to these links:   - www.foodnews.org   - http//www.helpguide.org/life/organic_foods_pesticides_gmo.htm –Gwenn Jones, ed., ACE-Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Trainer January 2005; updated May 2007   Going Organic Some people buy Organic produce for taste difference and others merely because they think it is “safer.” Here is some safety info that might highlight that issue a bit to help in your choice-making. Does the FDA and USDA strictly regulate the use of the term "organic?" No. There are no federal rules in effect though that may change in years to come. And, some states have private programs or certification programs but they vary quite a bit. Is Organic safer? Somewhat. First, Organic foods can become contaminated during handling or processing. Even organic composts can be toxic if improperly prepared. Second, all vegetation needs water and residues from pesticides used elsewhere can filter into watering systems and therefore affect the produce (and soil). So the answer – there cannot be a sure guarantee of non-toxins just because a sign says organic. Organic foods certainly contain reduced toxins. Is Organic produce is more nutritious than conventional produce? False. Nutrition is in the freshness. Whether conventional or organic, if the veggies are wilted in the marketplace, they are less nutritious than the crisp. Organic must be better because of the high cost. False. Organic foods can cost up to 50% more. The reason -- it takes more labor to produce and maintain the product. So, some food for thought for your food! Eat hearty. –Gwenn Jones, ed., ACE-Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Trainer   When Foods & Medications Don’t Mix While doctors and pharmacists often pay close attention to drug-drug interactions, drug-nutrient interactions are often overlooked. Here are some tips to consider when taking your medication with vitamin and/or mineral supplements. • Follow instructions to take medication with food or on an empty stomach. This affects how it’s absorbed. • Take medications with water. Avoid caffeinated beverages and never take meds with grapefruit juice; it changes the way some drugs are metabolized. • Be cautious when taking over-the-counter or prescription medications with herbal remedies. The chart below lists the ways in which various nutrients interact with medications often used by young women. Types of Common Medications & Nutrient Interactions: Acne medications - Nutrient Interaction: Avoid vitamin-A supplements. Antibiotics - Nutrient Interaction: Mineral supplements can reduce absorption. Antihistamines - Nutrient Interaction: Fruit juice decreases absorption. Foods high in tyramine (hard cheese, wine, cured meat) can interfere with MAO inhibitors. Anti-depressants - Nutrient Interaction: Foods high in tyramine (hard cheese, wine, cured meat) can interfere with MAO inhibitors. Minerals - Nutrient Interaction: To increase absorption, take: iron with vitamin C; calcium with vitamin D and lactose (milk); Avoid taking multiple minerals at the same time or with whole-grain foods. Advil, Aleve, Naprosyn - Nutrient Interaction: Can reduce folate activity (especially Naprosyn vital if you may be pregnant) Oral contraceptives - Nutrient Interaction: May increase vitamin B6 requirement; may decrease vitamin A need. –Shape magazine, May 2002 –Bay Bridge Fitness FitGram No.28   How Healthy Are You Really Eating? For an assessment of your diet, visit the USDA’s online Interactive Healthy Eating Index at: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/HealthyEatingIndex.htm. After keeping track of all foods you eat, you type in the quantities, and the program gives you a core on the overall quality of your daily diet as compared to the Food Guide Pyramid. It also tells you how much total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium you have consumed. One day’s intake may not be representative of your normal eating pattern, however. Listing your foods over the course of several days will give you a better picture. And it’s FREE! –courtesy of UCBerkeley Wellness, 9/00 –Bay Bridge Fitness FitGram No.27 January 2002   The Smarts about Food Safety Over 80 million people in the US and Canada get sick every year from eating contaminated food – though, in fact, this is only a guess, since most cases go unreported. For most of us, food poisoning means a day or two of vomiting and/or diarrhea. Yet, many people get seriously ill from it, and an estimated 5,000 die every year. There is a lot you can do to protect yourself and your family. Below are some food safety tips to help you and your family get sick less. 1. Half of all cases of food poisoning could be prevented if people handling and preparing food washed their hands thoroughly with warm soap and water before doing so. And, during preparation, each time raw meat is handled hands should be washed, then dried with a paper towel rather than the kitchen towel. 2. A cold temperature is one good way to keep bacteria from multiplying. Your refrigerator temperature should be at or below 40˚F. Keep a refrigerator thermometer in the frig at all times and check it periodically. 3. What is the ideal temperature for a home freezer? 0˚F (zero). Most people think the freezer should be at 30˚F, not true. 4. No cooked food should sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours – and 1 hour if the environment is 80˚ or higher such as when picnicking. 5. Greens labeled “prewashed” or “triple washed” do not need further washing. Greens washed at a food plant are probably cleaner than home-washed greens can ever be. 6. Can you use marinade in which raw meat was lying for a sauce? Yes, if the marinade is brought to a boil before serving. 7. Should you store raw store-bought eggs in the egg slots in the frig door? No, leave them in the store container and store on the frig shelf. The frig door is less cold than the inner frig. 8. Periodically wash the kitchen counters down with 1-part bleach to 9-parts water to kill all bacteria. These are just some notes to help us be food-safe. –Bay Bridge Fitness FitGram No.26 –refs: UC Berkeley Wellness 9/00

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Fiber Frenzy

My personal no-pain resolution to adding Fiber to my diet

Twenty-five to 30 grams a day? Does anyone actually intake 25 grams of fiber each day? Does anyone care? Well, many folks do not, but we should. This is the universal suggested Daily Value as you have seen on most food containers. I have found no one yet who actually consumes 25 grams, or in fact, even knows how much they do consume. How do we know how much fiber we are consuming unless we know the general fiber content in the items we eat?

Now I refuse to "count" grams of fiber. It is too much trouble. I, like many of you, am too busy. However, I wanted to know for my personal knowledge if I was in the neighborhood of the suggested Daily Value. Here is what I did: I took my time and when it was convenient, I perused the jar, can or box I was into at the moment and made a note of the grams of fiber per serving. This took a couple of weeks plus I added in listings for certain fresh vegetables I often eat. (Example: my habitual cereal was 3 grams per 8 oz. serving; my favorite muffins were 2 grams.) After two weeks, I discovered that my daily intake was on average 10-12 grams of fiber per day. Unacceptable.

How to Increase Fiber Painlessly: First, I pumped up my already-healthy morning corn muffins by adding some bran. This ended up to be a good boost of fiber in just one item. (Not to be confused with "bran muffins" which usually are very high in saturated fat.)

I then went on to conquer the general food world. A fitness student of mine and I were talking about this recently and I went home and thought I should volunteer my silly fiber booster in the FitGram. I mentioned that after my ingenious muffin production, it soon became bran bran everywhere! I put it in my spaghetti sauce, my malt-o-meal, my stuffing at Thanksgiving, and more sauces. Interestingly, no one ever noticed this foreign matter in my cooking, including me. The bran flakes soften up somewhat when in sauce, but still pack a punch as far as completing their utilitarian purpose. Great!

We would all agree probably that my little scheme would send most kids running for the door and is not a favorite discussion topic. But the beauty is, since there is no taste or grassy feeling (unless you use too much) kids would never know bran has been added to some of their food items. Many kids these days are fairly good eaters yes, but do they eat well when the parents are not around? Many do not. Give my bran cannonball a go. No muss no fuss.

Where to get plain bran: Any health food shop stocks bran in the refrigerator section, either wheat or oat and usually organic. And, now many grocery stores as well. Wheat bran is about $1-2.00 per 1 lb. bag and the oat is about $2.50 per 1 lb. bag. You can't beat those prices for health.

Why do we need fiber? Studies are still being done as far as bran and its contribution to reducing the risk of colon cancer. Briefly, let us go over the already-proven benefits of fiber in our daily diet.

-IT ENHANCES FOOD DIGESTION
-PROTECTS AGAINST DIVERTICULITIS (DISEASE OF LARGE INTESTINE)
-FRUIT, VEGETABLE AND OAT FIBER CAN LOWER BAD CHOLESTEROL

What are some high-fiber foods? In Starch: Brown rice, wheat bran, bran cereal, whole wheat breads (ensure package states ‘whole wheat’, not just wheat bread).

In Fruits: apples, figs, raspberries.

Veggies: kidney beans, broccoli, lima beans, spinach. Nuts: Almonds

–Bay Bridge Fitness
–Gwenn Jones, ed., ACE-Certified Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Trainer