Gearing up for Fall with Pumpkin Apple Muffins

Hello Everyone,

It has been quite some time since I last updated my blog! I have been very busy since I graduated from Miami! The day after my graduation, I started a summer internship at The Ohio Board of Dietetics. Right after my first day of work, I got engaged. My life has been so hectic since then. My internship just ended mid-august, so I have been searching for a full time job.

Good news! I recently accepted a position at WIC as a dietetic technician and I will be starting very soon. I am very excited and I hope to learn a lot.

I am going to keep my blog going and to start it back up, I thought one of my favorite fall recipes would be perfect. These muffins are amazing and I make them every fall. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins 

Ingredients:

*2 & 1/2 cups flour
*2 cups sugar
*1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1/2 tsp.  salt
*2 eggs, lightly beaten
*1 cup pumpkin
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*2 cups peeled, chopped granny smith apples streusel topping

Crumble Topping:

*2 Tbsp. flour
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
*Cut in 4 tsp. butter. Mix until crumbly

Directions:

Oven to 350 degree. In a large bowl combine first 5 ingredients; set aside. In medium bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, stir just until moistened. Stir-in apples. Spoon batter into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Sprinkle streusel tipping over batter. Baked 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

What’s on YOUR Plate?

Yesterday marked a new hopeful beginning for the obesity epidemic and families across the country. The USDA, with the help from first lady Michelle Obama released the new food icon, which is a plate as seen in the picture. This colorful plate will replace the old food guide pyramid in hopes to make the representation of dietary guidelines easier for parents and children as they make their food choices each day.

Furthermore, this plate was made to help remind Americans that half of your plate should consist of fruits and vegetables.

Obama stated that this plate is not the cure to the obesity epidemic, but it is a small step. I definitely agree and I encourage everyone to eat more fruits and vegetables and to decrease your portion sizes.

With over 60% of the population being overweight and obese, America needs to change and I think that MyPlate is a great way to remind everyone what we should be eating.

Notice there is no room for oils on this plate. A meal from McDonald’s or another fast food restaurant does not fit with this plate. It will take more money and effort from everyone to have meals that resemble this plate, but it will be better for your health, your family, and your future. As you eat each meal, imagine MyPlate and see if your plate matches.

For more information on my plate go www.myplate.gov

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

Boost Your Metabolism the Natural Way!

Metabolism plays a big role in our ability to lose or gain weight. The definition of metabolism is your body’s ability to take in food and use it as energy. Each person has a metabolic rate, which is the number of calories your body carries. Your metabolic rate depends on body size and composition, sex, and age. Furthermore, diet and physical activity can play a key role in a person’s metabolic rate. Unfortunately, there are no short cuts when it comes to losing weight. Eating a balanced diet and regular exercise is the best way to lose weight, but some foods can help increase your metabolism to help you along the way.

Eat Breakfast:
One of the easiest ways to boost your metabolism is to start your day off right with a balanced breakfast. Be sure to eat a breakfast that has a lean protein and complex carbohydrates, such as peanut butter on whole-grain toast, to prevent feeling hungry in just a couple of hours. Eating at least every 4-5 hours keeps your metabolism up, but skipping meals can actually run your metabolism into the ground.

Coffee:
For all you coffee lovers, you can have your coffee and drink it too! Caffeine increases your heart rate by stimulating your central nervous system. A study showed that individuals who consumed drinks containing caffeine had a 16% increase in their metabolic rate compared to people who drank decaff.

Green Tea:
Green tea contains a polyphenol EGCG, which has been shown to promote fat burning. A study showed that individuals who consumed 3 to 5 cups of green tea for up to 12 weeks decreased their body weight by 4.6%.

High fiber Foods:
Foods that are high in fiber such as fruits and vegetables require effort to eat, reduce energy density and promote satiety. They are low in energy, but high in nutrients and help keep things moving in your body. Foods that are high in fiber that can increase your metabolism include:

• Whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice, whole-wheat bread/pastas)
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Apples
• Grapefruit
• Pears
• Beans
• Berries

Water:
Water helps with metabolism because it can help your GI tract adapt to a high fiber diet and reduce hunger because it will increase your fullness between meals.

Capsaicin:
Capsaicin is a spice found in peppers that have been shown to increase the rate of fat metabolism. In general, it has been found that spicy foods can increase your metabolism by 25%. You can find capsaicin in:

• Chili Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Cayenne Pepper

For more information on metabolism-boosters check out these sites:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30874767/ns/today-today_health/
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/news/exclusive0709.shtml
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/boost-your-metabolism?cat=18945&tip=18955

That’s all I have for now,
-Emily

Gaga for Gluten-Free

The new fad diet seems to be the gluten-free diet; however, it may be not as good as it sounds. Here, I will answer questions about the gluten-free diet and you can see for yourself if it’s worthwhile!

Who needs to be on a gluten free diet?

 About 1 out of every 133 people has celiac disease or is gluten sensitive. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that results from atrophy of villi in the small intestine. This atrophy causes malabsorption of minerals, proteins, vitamins, and carbohydrates. This disease is very difficult to diagnose and symptoms are usually common symptoms of other diseases. Individuals with this disease usually feel an overall malaise and suffer from fatigue and bone pain. There is not cure for this disease and the only way to treat the symptoms is to omit gluten from the diet.

So what is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found traditional wheat foods such as rye, barley, malt, etc. Gluten is in a lot of products such as cakes, cookies, breads, pastas, waffles, etc. so eliminating it from the diet can be very difficult.

Why are people going gluten-free?

Many people believe that gluten-free is the way to go because they have symptoms they feel are related to a gluten sensitivity and removing gluten will cure them. Gluten sensitivity is different than celiac disease and one should consult their doctor or dietitian before putting themselves on a gluten-free diet. Also, the common belief is that the gluten-free diet can help you lose weight.

Can a gluten-free diet lead to weight loss?

Gluten itself is a protein and taking it out of the diet will not cause weight loss. In fact, some gluten-free products contain more calories than the regular product, which would cause a gain in weight due to a consumption of more calories. Also, fiber is lacking in gluten-free products, which is bad because fiber helps fill you up and is something you want in your diet if you are trying to lose weight. Lastly, just a side note, gluten-free products can cost 2-3 times more than regular products.

If you think you may have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity contact your doctor to get tested and you two can work out a gluten-free diet together. Otherwise, do not waste your time or money. Going gluten-free may be the new fad, but it is more work, has more calories, and does not taste nearly as good as the real thing.  Remember, it’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle!

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

Two Must Read Books

I have been currently reading two books that I think are great and very interesting! I wanted to share a little bit about each one and I hope that you will want to read them as well to better your knowledge of the issues presented in each book.

Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale 

Organic Manifesto is a book about the organic farming system that challenges the reader to make a change to organic foods. This book talks about the current climate crisis and how conventional foods are the big contributors to this crisis. Rodale writes a lot on safety and the harms of chemical farming. In her book she stresses how organic farming can help the planet and it really can feed the world.

One of my favorite quotes from her book is “Though obesity has become a worldwide problem, chemical and biotech companies still claim that there is not enough food to feed the world-and that we need chemicals and GMO’s to provide enough for all.”

Rodale is very bold in her book and I think she makes a lot of great points. If you want to learn more about this book, read it!

In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food is a book about how the Western-diet has taken over and is causing obesity, diabetes, and other health issues. Pollan has a simple philosophy of “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.” Pollan challenges the reader to really think about what they eat and what is in the foods they eat. Furthermore, he challenges the reader to stay away from the low fat foods, and eat the natural foods like fruits and vegetables. In his book he gives many tips to readers when buying and choosing the foods they want for their diet. One of his tips is to not eat a food product that has ingredients on that label that you do not recognize.

Pollan has a great message of eating natural foods. I think that everyone should read this book because even though his message is simple, it is something we all need to hear.

 

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

Celebrate National Nutrition Month with Eggplant Pizza

I had this pizza in class once and I fell in love with it! What a great way to add COLOR in your life through vegetables!

Not sure on the calorie content, but it has a lot of great vegetables and an amazing flavor. **Also, I add a little bit of pizza sauce to mine to give it a better pizza flavor!

Eggplant Pizza

1/2 package frozen bread dough, thawed
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium eggplant, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch slices and grilled until browned
8 Roma tomatoes, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1 tablespoon black olives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Press bread dough onto a pizza pan or cookie sheet, forming a crust. Rub dough lightly with olive oil. Top crust with eggplant, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and olives.
3. Sprinkle with garlic salt, basil, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes on middle rack of oven until cheese is bubbling and crust is lightly browned.

Want daily updates on nutrition and health? Follow me on Twitter @TheDietSheriff

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

March is National Nutrition Month!!!

This year the theme of National Nutrition Month is Eat Right with COLOR!  On the ADA website you can find a lot of great ways to participate in National Nutrition Month. Furthermore, the resource page is packed full with information on how you can add fruits, vegetables, and fiber to your life, tips for older adults, tips for a healthy breakfast, reasons why you should consult a dietitian, great nutritious recipes, and more!

Check out the websites for great tips to help you live a healthier life!

My goal for everyone this month is to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day!

This may be hard for some, especially if you do not like fruits/vegetables, so my tip for you is to try something new! There are a lot of fruits and vegetables out there, so if you do not like one, then try something else. You may find something new that you like!

Another idea to add fruits and vegetables in your life is to cook them in your foods. If you are going to make a casserole, throw some vegetables in there to get extra servings. Eat raw fruits and vegetables with your favorite sauce. If you do not like the taste of them alone, add some peanut butter or a low fat dressing to add a little flavor. Add fresh fruit to your cereal or oatmeal in the morning; strawberries go really well with an oat based cereal. You can make a fruit smoothie with low-fat yogurt for an afternoon snack.

There are so many great ways to add COLOR to your life with fruit and vegetables, so please check out the websites I provided and celebrate National Nutrition Month with more fruits and vegetables in your diet!

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

The Healing Power of Garlic

With cold and flu season at its peak, it is important to keep your body healthy and it is best to try to stay away from getting sick. Garlic has been known to have health benefits for centuries. Egyptians used to feed garlic to their slaves when they were building the pyramids. So what does garlic have to do with colds and flu? Well, studies have shown that garlic can be swallowed to help cure a cold. Garlic has a disease-fighting potential from its sulfur compounds. The sulfur compounds in garlic act as antioxidants. Furthermore, the cloves of garlic contain allicin which is an antimicrobial that helps fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses. If you have the cold or flu, try swallowing a clove every 3 to 4 hours, or you can add it to your chicken noodle soup. If you do not want garlic breath, you can buy over-the-counter garlic supplements. A study showed that people who took garlic supplements for 12 weeks during cold and flu season were less likely to get sick than the people who did not; and if they did get sick, they healed about 4 days sooner than the other group.

Outside of cold and flu season, garlic has other great healing powers. Garlic has been shown to lower cholesterol and can act as a blood thinner to reduce the formation of blood clots which reduces your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Garlic can lower your overall risk of getting heart disease by 76%! Eating one clove of garlic a day can lower your risk of certain cancers such as: cancer of the stomach, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer.

After cutting or chopping your garlic, let it stand for 10 minutes to fully release its healing powers.

Make sure you check with your doctor before taking garlic supplements, especially if you are already on heart medication.

Want more tips on cures with food? Check out this book!

That’s all I have for now,

Emily

NEW RDA’s!

The USDA just released updated dietary guidelines for 2010! So what does this mean for you and what is an RDA? RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowances. An RDA is the average daily amount of a specific nutrient that is adequate to meet the needs of most of the healthy population. In the press release from the USDA, they said that there is a stronger emphasis on increasing physical activity and reducing calories because more than 2/3 of adults and 1/3 of children are overweight or obese. Also stated in the press release, are some tips that Americans should incorporate into their everyday lives. For example, one of the tips says “avoid oversized portions”. Everyone should look at these new recommendations to make sure they are meeting their nutritional needs and not eating excess fat and calories. The new dietary guidelines can be downloaded by anyone for FREE! It is separated into six chapters that include:

-Chapter 1: Introduction

-Chapter 2: Balancing Calories to Manage Weight

-Chapter 3: Food and Food Components to Reduce

-Chapter 4: Food and Nutrients to Increase

-Chapter 5: Building Healthy Eating Patterns

-Chapter 6: Helping Americans Make Healthy Choices

The 2010 dietary guidelines can be found at

www.dietaryguidelines.gov

Other websites recommended for more information on dietary guidelines include:

www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines

www.healthfinder.gov/prevention

Make sure you take advantage of the new dietary guidelines because it can help you live a healthier life!

That’s all I have for now,

-Emily

You CAN Have Your Cake And Eat It Too!

If you are like me, then you love baked goods. The only problem with baked goods is they contain a lot of fat! Here are some great substitutes for baking that can reduce fat without compromising the flavor.

General Baking Substitutions:

If your recipe calls for:

-Whole Milk, use skim milk instead

-Sour Cream, use low fat sour cream or low fat yogurt

-Eggs, try using egg whites or half egg whites and half whole eggs

-Cream, use low fat milk or soft tofu

-Baking Chocolate, use cocoa

-Cream cheese, use fat free or reduced fat cream cheese

Fat Substitutions in Baking:

-You can replace up to 3/4 of the shortening (fat) in your recipe with applesauce or apple butter. If the applesauce or apple butter is sweetened, reduce the sugar a little bit. Simply add your substitution with the other wet ingredients in place of the fat you would have used.

-Another option is using pureed prunes. It sounds a little gross, but I have had pureed prune brownies and I could hardly taste the difference. You can replace up to 3/4 of your fat with pureed prunes, and it works best with chocolate desserts.

-Mashed Bananas can be used to substitute all the fat in your baking

-Oil can be used instead of fat because oil is less saturated than solid fats. Avoid using oils for fat when baking cookies, cakes, and pastries because it can make your product greasy and dense.

-For muffins, quick breads, and cookies you can reduce the fat intake by 1/3 without compromising the taste and quality

See, you CAN have your cake and eat it too. I personally have not tried all of these substitutes, so my advice is to try it and see if you like it! Also, a fun fact about cake is that angel food cake does not contain fat. Below is a recipe from my Betty Crocker cook book for Angel Food Cake. One serving of this cake is only 180 calories with zero, yes zero grams of fat!

Angel Food Cake Recipe (Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cake flour
1 & 1/2 cups large egg whites (about 12)
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Move oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix powdered sugar and flour; set aside. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Beat in granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high speed, adding vanilla, almond extract and salt with the last addition of sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy meringue forms. Do not underbeat.
3. Sprinkle sugar-flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, over meringue, folding in just until sugar-flour mixture disappears. Push batter into ungreased angel food cake pan (tube pan), 10×4 inches. Cut gently through batter with metal spatula.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cracks feel dry and top springs back when touched lightly. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen side of cake with knife or long, metal spatula; remove from pan.

If you have a specific topic that you would like me to write about, please let me know!

That’s all I have for now,

Emily