NYC Trans Fat Ban

July 1st marks the date for the official ban on trans fats in New York City restaurants. The city ordinance was passed in 2006, making NYC the first city to ban the artery clogging synthetic fat in dining establishments.
How are restaurants adjusting?
McDonald’s has switched to a fry oil free of trans-fats and has eliminated the substances from products such as apple pies and cookies in their NYC locations. Burger King has done the same.
Dunkin Donuts has stopped using partially hydrogenated and switched to a trans-fat-free blend of palm, soybean and cottonseed oil.
Other chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Boston Market have made similar changes.

Will these changes do much to help New Yorkers health? Not likely.
True, evidence suggests that trans fats raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol, but this is only part of the picture when it comes to obesity and heart disease. A healthy lifestyle needs to include physical activity and a healthy diet—not just a diet that is low in trans fats. Plus, I would hate to see folks increase their consumption of fried foods under some false illusion that they are now “healthier.”
I suppose it’s a step in the right direction, as is another NYC ordinance which may require some restaurants to print nutritional info. on the menu. All told, restaurants simply serve what is in demand. If people were to demand healthy fare, lower in fat and calories and high in nutrient rich fruits and veggies THAT is what restaurants would provide. Perhaps it’s time for individuals to stop whining and take responsibility for their own health, rather than leaving it up to businesses and legislature…

Watermelon is the best part of summer...

Fresh watermelon is undoubtedly one of my favorite things about summer. Jaimes and I can take down a watermelon like piranha on a cow. I’ve always loved them, but now that I know more about their nutrition I have even more reason!

A one cup serving has only 48 calories (which is good because I’d never stop at one cup) and is rich in a host of nutrients. For example, it has high levels of antioxidants vitamins A (11% RDA) and C (23% RDA) and the carotenoid lycopene (more than tomatoes!) which has been shown to reduce cancer risk. Watermelon is also a very good source of vitamin B6 and B1, potassium and magnesium. The fruit is also as rich in iron as spinach (and far tastier IMHO). Plus, the vitamin C it contains helps with iron absorption, making the nutrient more bioavailable than many other non-heme (read: plant based) sources.

Food and Politics

Who really decides what food ends up on our plates? Check out the book Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health by Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH. This exposé examines how the food industry uses lobbying, advertising and even co-opting so called “experts” to influence our diet—often to the detriment of our health.
Even if you aren’t a food activist, you can learn ways to make better decisions for your health and that of your family. "If we want to encourage people to eat better diets," says Nestle, "we need to target societal means to counter food industry lobbying and marketing practices as well as the education of individuals."
She has a blog with current topics on nutrition at: http://whattoeatbook.com and another excellent book titled What to Eat that walks readers through a supermarket demystifying what constitutes health food to help you make the best decisions for your health. With so much information out there, people become so confused that they just give up. Nestle empowers readers to take their health back into their own hands, while exploring the sensual enjoyment of food itself. A Foodie must-read!

Nutritional Assessment

Hopefully I will be able to cultivate a successful consulting business (at least as a side project) after completing my Master's work and obtaining my Registered Dietitian status (2010). In the meantime, I have been doing nutrition assessments for friends as practice and a learning experience. The best way to start is with a 3 to 5 day food log, which I then analyze with the help of some pricey software I have. To do this at home for yourself, I would suggest checking out www.MyPyramid.gov. This USDA sponsored website allows you to analyze your food log through the MyPyramid Tracker link. It doesn't provide as detailed of a report as I might be able to give, but it gives you a good idea of where your diet falls in...

What IS a Foodie?

Simply put, a foodie is someone with a love for food and drink. Here, that love is also combined with a taste for quality, healthful foods that nourish the body while enhancing (rather than detracting from) one's health.
In addition to current topics on food and nutrition, I'll be posting recipes-- some are my own, but many of which are published in magazines such as Eating Well, Men's Health, Women's Health, Women's Day and Self (to name a few). I'll let you know what works, what doesn't, what's good, what isn't...
Life is too interesting to eat the same boring foods every day.
Branch out!