From the Healthmonitor, 9 good foods that could be bad for you:
- Turkey. Low in fat and high in protein, turkey is a terrific menu option—unless you suffer from the painful joint condition known as gout, in which uric acid builds up in the body and causes severe joint pain and swelling. White meat turkey is among several foods that are high in purines, which aggravate gout.
- Leafy green vegetables. They can cause major problems for people with heart disease who are taking blood-thinning drugs. The vitamin K in leafy green veggies encourages clotting.
- Grapes. Diabetes patients may think they’re following a good diet if they stay away from candy, cookies and cake. But fruit contains sugar, too, and grapes contain more sugar than most and may cause your blood glucose to spike.
- Dark chocolate. If you suffer from calcium oxalate kidney stones, talk to your doctor before you unwrap another chocolate bar. According to the National Kidney Foundation, people with such kidney stones should avoid foods high in oxalates (a type of salt crystal) because they can promote stone formation.
- Oatmeal. This whole-grain food helps lower “bad” cholesterol, but the phosphorus in protein-rich oatmeal can then build up in your body and leach calcium from your bones. This can lead to poor circulation, hardened arteries and heart problems.
- Pomegranate juice. If you’re taking statins to lower your cholesterol, your doctor probably advised you not to down your meds with grapefruit juice. But people taking statins also should avoid pomegranate juice. Both juices contain a specific enzyme that increases the length of time statins remain in the body—where they can cause serious side effects, such as muscle pain and, in severe cases, liver damage.
- Sushi. Elderly adults, pregnant women, people undergoing chemotherapy and those infected with HIV should skip the rice-wrapped raw fish. The risk of food-borne illnesses is much higher in raw or undercooked animal protein food sources.
- Whole-wheat bread. The very qualities that make whole-grain foods so nutritious can be a thorn in the side of people who suffer from intestinal problems. People with Crohn’s disease, for example, must limit fiber because their intestines are narrowed and prone to developing blockages that can end up requiring emergency surgery.
For the original article from the Healthmonitor – click here.
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From The Daily Green an article about the “dirty dozen,” the most pesticide contaminated and the least contaminated fruits and vegetables.
12 Most Contaminated
- Peaches
- Apples
- Sweet Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Nectarines
- Strawberries
- Cherries
- Pears
- Grapes (Imported)
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
Click here to read the entire article, about the least contaminated fruits and vegetables, and what you can do about the fruits and vegetables with the most contamination .
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Low fat, really? And now some good news from the Harvard School of Public Health.
The low-fat muffin represents everything that’s wrong with the “low fat is best” myth: Most fat in muffins comes from plant oils, which are rich sources of “good” fats—the unsaturated fats that are healthy for the heart. When the fat’s cut back, what’s left? White flour and sugar—refined carbohydrates that the body breaks down in a flash, leading to a rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin, followed by a rapid drop, and an all-too-quick return of the hunger pangs that led you to eat that muffin in the first place. It’s a perfect recipe for weight gain, masquerading as a “better-for-you” choice.
That’s not the only reason why low-fat muffins are a less-than-healthful option. Low-fat baked goods (and other low-fat processed foods) aren’t as flavorful as their full-fat counterparts, so food-makers bump up the salt. That’s bad for the heart—as is eating lots of white flour, sugar, and other heavily-processed carbohydrates: Diets high in refined carbohydrates seem to increase the risk of heart disease as much as, or perhaps more than, diets high in harmful saturated fat.
Clearly, it’s time to end the low-fat myth—and it’s time for a muffin makeover. Chefs and registered dietitians at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), working with nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), have created five new muffin recipes that use healthy fats and whole grains, and have a lighter hand on the salt and sugar.
You can create more healthful versions of family-favorite muffins and baked goods in your own kitchen. If a recipe calls for butter, start by replacing half the butter with healthful oil, such as canola oil. Then see if you can replace half of the refined, all-purpose flour with whole grain flour. In the CIA test kitchens, bakers often had to tweak recipes three or four times to create moist, tender, and toothsome muffins.
Here are a dozen tips and test-kitchen insights that home bakers can use to build “better-for-you” muffins that taste great.
Click here, for the entire article.
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