My Best Friends... left and right... :-)

Everyone has their "thing" or their "release", for me it is running/walking with my IPOD and my best friends.. the sneaks...

We all know that exercise is good for the physical bod, but for me it is more important for my mental "bod"... I think, out of all of the addictions out there, running is probably the best one that I could have adopted. It is during this hour that I am with me, myself and I, zero judgments, zero negativity, zero connections except for the one between me and my thoughts. My sneakers do not judge they do not scold when I do not push myself and they let me flow freely through the streets, on the treadmill and most importantly through my contemplations on what is going on in my life at that time. They let me dwell on the last 2lbs that I want to lose and they let me obsess over the last mile I know I should run, and they accept it allowing me this time.

Foodie news is so much fun for me and allows me to share my thoughts on food, nutrition and exercise. If anyone is reading this and has not uncovered their "healthy" vice, try downloading your favorite "tune out tunes" and walking for 30 minutes. You get to escape your daily routine and at the same time burn a few extra calories and get your heart rate up.... it is a win win situation and a fantastic find!!! Look below for average calories burned during walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes and running at 6.0mph for 30 minutes.

Walking - 105 cals per 30 minutes
Running - 250 cals per 30 minutes

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

How yummy do these look?!? Don't worry, its ok to have one or even two, they are not terrible and strawberries are low in calories and high in vitamin C! Today is the day to indulge a little, not too much and show your loved ones, significant other and YOURSELF some appreciation! Flowers, candy, cards, dinner, chocolates! Whatever makes you and your loved ones happy! Its healthier to love then to hate and less draining! Take today to indulge in something that you love to do. Cook? Bake? Exercise? Little Spa time? Some Chocolate??

Favorite indulgence of mine is to have a bubble bath, light candles, have a glass of champagne or wine and a good book... a little me time!!

Hopefully everyday you treat everyone around you and yourself a little special, but today treat yourself and loved ones a little extra special. It is a good thing to have that little something you love, chocolate, candy, whatever it is. Just don't over do it! Plus a little can go alooooooooong way and you can have more candy/chocolate if you share! Look at the cals in some of my favorite Valentine's Day treats!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry (average) - 107cals 7g fat
One glass of Champagne - 85cals 0 fat
Milk chocolate truffle - 78 cals 6g fat
White chocolate truffle - 87 cals 7g fat

Sometimes it is nice to let your guard down and have something that you typically wouldn't. A cheat day as sometimes I classify it! You work so hard at work and on being healthy, a little break never hurt anyone, just dont overindulge!

Don't forget to show everyone even in an email that you appreciate them, it definitely makes a difference!

Enjoy!

Snack on This!

Feel like a chocolate fix? WHO DOESN'T! Instead of choosing a cholesterol laden, fat promoting chocolate bar such as this little devil (to our left), choose CocoaVia (to our right)

CocoaVia actually helps the heart and prevent heart disease!

Visit the website at http://www.cocoavia.com/story/science.aspx to learn more about this delicous chocolate fix! The chocolate product comes in bars, chocolate covered almonds and raisins, and even a drink! Like dark chocolate? No problem! Milk chocolate preferred? Easy as pie! Check out the site to see all of the products and find out where you can pick up a box to test for yourself!

Heartful Help!!!

Here we go, just a few more days until Valentines Day!

Tradition has it that we give our heart to that special someone and we receive the heart of him or her. For this reason, we best keep our hearts in tip top shape so we can continue to carry out this tradition for many years! Recently, I had my annual blood work done to check my cholesterol levels. Was I feeling sick? Nope. Chest pains? Not so much. I go annually to make sure that my heart is set up so it can work as efficiently as possible and if not, then I can make necessary changes before anything gets way out of hand. One of the essential components to a healthy heart is cholesterol. Cholesterol lines the arteries and is necessary to protect the lining, however if it builds up over time in excess, it can actually block the flow of blood and cause a heart attack.

It is always better to be proactive rather then reactive. When you know how your HDL, LDL and triglyceride fat levels, you can breathe a sigh of release or make necessary changes to your diet and lifestyle in order to bring them to normal levels. Please see the chart below to find out what HDL, LDL and triglyceride fats are and what a normal level actually is.

LDL Levels - Deemed the "bad" cholesterol, the lower the better
Less then 100mg/dl - BEST
100-129mg/dl - Ok, not great
130-149mg/dl - Risky
160-189mg/dl - High
190mg/dl+ - VERY HIGH

HDL Levels - Deemed the "good" cholesterol.
Men - between 40-50mg/dl
Women - between 50-60mg/dl
If your numbers are below the minimum, you could be in high risk for heart disease.

Triglyceride Fats - Type of fat found in blood coming directly from the digestion of fats from your food. high levels of triglyceride fats increases risk for heart disease.

Less then 150mg/dl - BEST
150 - 199mg/dl - OK, borderline
200 - 499mg/dl - High
500mg/dl + - Very High

Make an appointment and find out where your "numbers" lie. A diet low in fat, especially saturated fat combined with adequate physical activity can keep your heart healthy.

Some examples of food that are high in cholesterol are:

Eggs
Butter
Cream
Shrimp
Certain Beef

Vegetables and fruits have zero, yes zero cholesterol and can help lower LDL levels!

FRUITY FACTS!!!!

Fruit is a delicious choice when choosing a food for fiber! They are low in calories and fat, 100% natural, can be used in a zillion recipes and are super tastee! Seeing as this is love month at foodie news, what better way to show your bod how you are luvin' it by learning more and EATING more fruit! Look at the list of my favorite fruits and the nutritional content. Also, you can substitute some fruits for oil and butter that is usually called for in recipes, (depending on the recipe of course!) I experimented and came up with a nutrient and flavor packed apple raisin bread recipe that packs in some healthful love for the bod without the excess fat and calories!

Calories in Fruits: (please note these are avg sizes, cals and fat varies if smaller or bigger)
Apple - 80c/0.5g fat
Banana - 110c/1g fat
Grapes - 110c/0.3g fat
Orange - 62c/0.2g fat
Pear - 96c/0.2g fat
Kiwi - 50cal/0.5g fat
1/2 med grapefruit - 41cals/0/1g of fat
1 cup of strawberries - 46cal 0.4g fat
1 cup of diced melon - 54cals 0.3g of fat
1 cup of diced honeydew - 61 cals/0.2g of fat
1 cup of diced pineapple - 74cals/0.2g of fat
1 cup of blueberries - 83cals/0.5g of fat
1 cup of diced watermelon - 46cals/0.2g of fat
1 cup of raspberries - 64cals/0.8g of fat
1 cup of diced mango - 107cals/0.4g of fat

My own Fat Free Apple Raisin Recipe -
1 cup of whole wheat flour (adds 14.6g of fiber!!)
4 granny smith apples
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 cup of sugar (or 1.5 cups of splenda)
3/4 cup of raisins
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup of plain fat free yogurt

Total calories with sugar - 1970

Total calories with splenda - 1200

(Recipe produces 16 slices)

Turn oven on at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, pour flour, baking soda, egg whites and fat free yogurt. Set aside.

Peel apples and dice. Put into saucepan at medium boil with 1/4 cup of water. Stir occasionally until tender/mushy or you can put into a mixer and puree the apples. When apples seem almost like sauce, turn off water and add sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Mix together and slowly pour into flour mixture until completely combined.

Cook for 20-30 minutes or until fork comes out clean.. ;-)

I made this last night and my boyfriend ate the whole thing! It is a delicious treat packed with fiber, and healthy fruitiness!

FRIGGIN' FIBER MAN...!

Recently, I received an email from a close friend(eh hem, the pic..) of mine who wanted to know what the hype was around fiber. What is it? Why do we need it? How can it help in her weightloss effort? and most importantly what foods is it in?

I thought that maybe more people were not aware of the healthful benefits of fiber and wanted to give a quick little rundown on something that if not in our diet, we definitely feel it and if we have too much, WE DEFINITELY FEEL it.

Fiber is indigestible and passed through our digestive tract without being broken down into nutrients. When it reaches the colon, it is broken down and aids in the function of other organs such as our kidneys, which essentially helps our metabolism.

Insoluble vs. Soluble - Insoluble fiber helps move all of our "waste" through our system which prevents constipation. It also keeps our PH levels normal which prevents colon cancer. Good sources of insoluble fiber are dark leafy veggies, whole wheat, nuts, seeds and the skin of fruits.Soluble fiber lowers blood cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Good sources of soluble fiber are apples, oranges, oat bran, flax seed and carrots.

Fiber and weightloss?!? - Fiber helps metablolism, and also being that it is not broken down until it reaches our colon, it helps us feel fuller longer, and we therefore we do not eat as much.

Where do I find this little miracle? - Cereals, whole grain breads, beans, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

How much do I need? - 25-30g per day, don't go overboard on the fiber as it can cause constipation and your tummy could hurt!

Warning - Be careful with some of the cereals that claim to have a high fiber content as they could also have a high calorie content!
Banana Nut Crunch cereal raves about its high fiber, but conveniently neglects to say that it has 240 calories per serving as well as 6grams of fat with the 5g of fiber that it provides. Incorporate more fruits and veggies! You can eat more for less calories and fat and still get your daily fiber intake while feeling fuller longer and maybe lose a pound or two if that is what you are looking for!

SHARE YOUR KNEW KNOWLEDGE! REMEMBER THIS IS THE MONTH OF LOVE! HELP OTHERS WHO MAY NOT BE "LOVING" THEIR BODIES, AND SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN BE HEALTHIER!

Tips for a Low Sodium Diet

DON'T YELL AT ME! This will be the last posting on sodium, I PROMISE! All of that extra sodium in your diet could be contributing to those extra 2-5lbs that you can't seem to shake. Forgo that salt shaker and pick up some herbs and spices! Have you ever heard of oregano? Pepper? Cajun? Parsley? These lovely herbs have zero calories, fat, sodium and can be full of flavor and in some cases nutrition!

Here are some tips to get rid of your nasty salt habit and show your body and blood pressure some love -

1- Avoid canned foods and opt for the fresh veggies and meats. Might be a tad more pricey, but worth it in the long run. Canned foods are loaded with sodium. Why? Because the salt preserves the food.

2-Stay away from the frozen entree aisle! Healthy choice, Swansons, heck even Smart Ones are full of flavor and yes FULL of sodium. That little dinner might only have 220 calories, but could have as much as 1,000mg of sodium. Stay tuned though, a little birdie told me that some of our favorite brands are in the works to produce lower sodium entrees.

3- READ THE FOOD LABEL! Remember to look at the size of the serving and how many servings are in the container, box, jar, whatever it may be. If a serving is 1 cup and there are 3 servings where there are 300mg of sodium per serving, well then there are 900mg of sodium in the whole thing.

4- BECOME CREATIVE! Use herbs and spices! Pick up a bottle of DASH (Salt free combo) and sprinkle that on your steamed broccoli! :-)

5- Drink water to flush out the extra sodium your body is carrying. Never hurt anyone to drink a little extra H2O anyway.

Email any questions to me at jensfoodienews@gmail.com and I hope everyone has learned a little bit more about sodium and what it does to your body.

Thank you for reading!

Read Thy Food Label!!

Didja know that the average American consumes at least 4,000mg of sodium a day?! That is almost twice as much as the recommended maximum amount!!! Next question, what are we doing to ourselves by consuming this much??? Guys, its not pretty. Get ready to see what we are doing to ourselves by overindulging and not being aware of what we are putting into our bodies. Fingers a little swollen? Headaches a little more common? I am not surprised. Look at the list of the negative effects of too much sodium -

-Headaches (contributes to migraines)
-Swollen hands and feet (bloating related to retaining of water)
-Increased bone loss as too much sodium leads to decreased calcium in bones
-Increased blood pressure leading to to heart disease/stroke and kidney failure

Put down that table salt everyone. SODIUM IS PREVALENT in just about everything we eat unless it is specifically left out. Processed foods? Soups? Cured Meats? You got it. These guys are loaded with this chemical. Take a look at the content in some of our favorite eats. (Please note, these are average estimates and of course are different in relation to size/brand/type.)

Canned Soup - 1/2 cup - 490-860mg
Pretzels - 1oz - 500-700mg
Olives - 5olives - 1800mg
Angel Food Cake - 1 slice - 550mg
Grilled Bacon - 40g - 2000mg
Canned Ham - 1250mg
Hamburger - 660mg
Salami - 3slices - 1850mg
Soy Sauce - 1 pack - 660mg

Before you make your next breakfast,lunch, snack or dinner choice, READ THE LABEL. Know how much sodium you are taking in and be aware of how your health is doing. It is important to go to the doctor once a year and get your blood pressure taken to make sure you are not in a high risk category.

Being healthy is not just about fitting into those size 0,2,4 or whatever jeans. It is about making sure that you are getting the right nutrients and not overdoing it on certain ingredients.

Living in the U.S., we are privy to the most processed foods in the world. As it is nice to have options and some fun foods, we are also ingesting more then we should in quantity and in calories, fat, sodium and ingredients that we can not even pronounce! If you are a fan of these processed foods, get familiar with the nutritional label and know what you are putting into your body. Moderation guys, moderation! Too much of anything is not good... :-)

Love Thyself, Know Sodium!

If you are reading this, you are ready to learn more about what we are putting in our bodies and how it is either helping or harming our physical and mental health. Many people have no idea how food effects their internal mechanics and their mood. You (in most cases) have total control over your health! Knowing WHAT you are eating is the first step to improving YOUR awareness and ultimately, YOUR health.

Our society is fat and calorie obsessed. Everyone (sometimes myself included) is more interested in seeing how they can improve their external appearance and less interested in learning how the food choices they make effect their internal beauty. Fat and calories are the leaders when it comes to this notion but there are other key elements to health. One of them is apart of the alkali metal family. Um, 10th grade Chemistry class, symbol is Na... oh jeez, SODIUM!

Knowing what sodium is and the positive and negative effects of this compound on our bodies will be very helpful in our quest to improve our internal and our external appearance. This little addition to most foods is crucial to our existence but, if abused, can be harmful.

What is sodium? Why do we need sodium? Is sodium the same as salt?

Sodium is an essential electrolyte as it balances the water within our cells and helps aid in the work of our muscles and nerves. Hence, when we work out our sweat is pretty salty. Sodium is naturally found in most foods that we consume, and due to the tastiness, many people add more then they should to their already salty foods.

Did you know that sodium and salt are separate compounds! Table salt is actually 40% sodium and 60% chloride. The sodium part is what we are concerned about when talking about the effects on our body and salt is what we like to add to our foods to add a little bit more flava'.

The minimum daily requirement is 1,500mg (less then ONE TEASPOON!) and the maximum requirement is 2,300mg.

Point being that a little goes a long way, and many of us abuse this flavoring chemical. Stay tuned this week on the positive and negative effects of sodium as well as ways to reduce our sodium intake and how this will make you feel better and in some cases look better too!

Month of Love

Here we go! February is unofficially declared the month of love! We all know that February 1st means that February 14th is just around the corner. The day all couples are supposed to gush over their love for each other.

But, I just have a question. Why is it only for the ones that have a significant other? What about our friends? family? co workers? OURSELVES? This month, the articles generated will be focused on expressing and showing love in any way, and yes that means to ourselves and more importantly to our bodies. We can savor the 14th as the day to appreciate that extra special someone who spices up our lives however, I think it is time that I share some ways that I feel we could show love to ourselves and others.

Everyone will learn new exercise tips, ways to improve your physical and mental health and ways to share some of your new found knowledge with the people around you. To get started, we all should wipe our slates clean, erase any hatred or negative thoughts we have with ourselves or with others. Start today and clear up mishaps, accept things and move on.

You dont like your jiggle in the middle? Accept it or choose to change it to make yourself happier and love it (don't worry,we will touch upon tips to get rid of the jiggle). Do you keep berating yourself for being a little short? tall? fat? skinny? Well, you can not do anything about your height, so accept who you are and love it and make the best out of it! Your weight, well, do I need to say anything? Unhappy with a friend? Co worker? Think about why you are unhappy and deal with it or resolve it.

Sometimes our unhappiness with others or ourselves spills over into how we treat ourselves and our bodies. Don't take it out on your body which is allowing you to experience life! Put down the artery clogging, fat inducing, bad mood producing foods and learn how to be better to yourselves and show some love to your innards.. :-) Wipe that slate clean so its shining and then we can begin loving ourselves, treating ourselves healthier and doing the same for others.

Get ready for some lovin'!