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Greetings!
Greetings to you in 2010. I hope that 2009 was a rewarding year for you and your family. Are you looking forward to an exciting 2010? I hope that this newsletter can provide some helpful tips and encouragement for you in this new year.
I will try to keep the newsletter content fresh and encouraging this coming year. I always enjoy challenging commonly held misconceptions which can often steer people in the wrong direction.
Let me know if you have any thoughts about our newsletters or ideas for articles that you would like to see.
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| Which Fruits are Best?
Did you ever wonder which fruits to eat when you are trying to manage your weight? I'm often asked if fruits are OK. We constantly hear the message that we need to eat more fruit.
Fruits are a powerful natural source of energy. But like any other type of food, some are better than others. Over the past century, fruit producers have sought to produce sweeter and sweeter fruit. As a result, todays fruits are sweeter and more pleasing to the palate than ever before. The downside of all this selective breeding is that many fruits now have a much higher sugar content than some of the older varieties. This high sugar content may even trigger weight gain and craving. In order to avoid this, follow a few simple rules for selecting fruits.
First, limit tropical fruits like oranges, pineapple, and bananas to only one serving per day or less. Second, strictly limit the intake of grapes since they often have a high sugar content. Third, emphasize berries since they have less sugar and high levels of antioxidants. Fourth, eat locally grown fruit when possible and choose apples, pears, peaches, and various melons.
Also, don't forget the veggies. Americans tend to eat more fruit than vegetables. If you are diabetic or are struggling to lose or maintain your weight try to eat twice as many servings of vegetables as fruit.
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The Fall of the Food Pyramid
www.MyPyramid.gov
For decades we have looked to our government as a source of nutritional information. While the government has been creating nutritional guidelines for Americans, our country has only been gaining weight. The rise in obesity is staggering and the government has been ineffective at slowing or stopping the trend.
The food pyramid was developed by the USDA to give guidance to Americans regarding selection of healthy foods. The food pyramid has become too complex and has been developed based upon input from a number of lobbying groups who provided advice to the government. In order to avoid offending any one lobbying group (like the beef producers), the previous blocks of the pyramid were replaced by cone-like columns so that no one group would be on the top or bottom!
I would suggest forgetting the food pyramid. The closest thing to a good food pyramid can be found on the Harvard School of Public Health website. They have a "real" food pyramid which was not built based on the input of a variety of special interest groups.
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Recipe of the Month
Tomato Soup with White Beans Directions
Makes 6 1-cup servings
1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth, divided (1/2 cup plus 1 cup)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup finely sliced celery
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 15-ounce can chopped or 1 1/2 cups crushed fresh tomatoes
1 15-ounce can white beans, undrained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked white beans with 1/2 cup of additional water or vegetable broth
1 to 2 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine 1/2 cup water or broth with onion, celery, paprika, basil, thyme, and black pepper in a large pot. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium. Stir in tomatoes, beans and their liquid, apple juice concentrate, and remaining 1 cup water or broth. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Optional: add a basic non-dairy White Sauce for a creamier soup or non-dairy creamer. Add salt to taste.
Nutrition Information
Per 1-cup serving:
154 calories
3.4 g fat
0.6 g saturated fat
16.7% calories from fat
0 mg cholesterol
7.8 g protein
24 g carbohydrate
8.4 g sugar
5.4 g fiber
556 mg sodium
85 mg calcium
3.6 mg iron
8.6 mg vitamin C
174 mcg beta-carotene
1.2 mg vitamin E |
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Wishing you all the best in this coming year. Please contact us by phone or email if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
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Robert Hart, MD
Northeast Ohio Bariatric Medicine |
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