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What Do Mojitos, Tea, And Gum Have In Common?

May 26, 2011 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

Mint, or mentha, that wonderful aromatic herb that’s refreshing, cooling, and so much more than a garnish or flavor.

I did a lot of planting this past weekend – and have a couple of large pots brimming with different types of mint (there are many varieties) – a sure sign that summer days are somewhere in the near future.

Mint Has A Wonderful History

In Greek mythology, Pluto fell in love with a river nymph named Minthe (also known as Menthe). When his wife, Persephone, got wind of this she was so angry she turned Minthe into a plant so that people could trod all over her.  Pluto couldn’t undo the spell but gave Minthe a wonderful aroma that he could smell when people walked on her and crushed her leaves and stems.

Known as the herb of hospitality, the ancient Greeks rubbed mint on their tables to clean them and mint tea is served throughout the Middle East to welcome visitors. Early Europeans threw it on their hard packed soil floors for a nice scent as people stepped on it. Biblical references suggest it was so highly valued that it was used as tithes by the Pharisees (Matthew xxiii, 23). Medieval monks appreciated its culinary and medicinal properties.

A Prolific Grower

Mint grows like crazy, extending its reach through a network of runners.  It is so invasive that it is often grown in pots.  That’s what I do – and it comes back year after year even after being left out on the deck and behind a shed in the snow, blazing sun, and whatever weather arrives in Connecticut.

 

Mint Is So Much More Than A Garnish

Mint:

  • has vitamins A and C and trace minerals
  • soothes the stomach – spearmint and peppermint aid digestion — and eases breathing
  • is used in tea, beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic), jelly, syrups, and ice cream
  • menthol from mint essential oil (40 -90%) is used to flavor breath fresheners, drinks, mouthwash, toothpaste, gum, candy, and cigarettes (it masks the taste and soothes the throat); in cosmetics and perfume; and in some drugs
  • has antiseptic qualities and is used as a mouth freshener, gargle, mouth wash
  • is an antipruritic (anti-itch) especially for insect bites – often in combination with camphor
  • repels mosquitos; mint oil is a “green” insecticide for cockroaches, ants, wasps, and hornets; rats and mice don’t like it and neither do deer.

Cooking And Storing Mint

The culinary source of mint is its fresh or dried leaf. Fresh is preferred over dried if storage or availability isn’t a problem. The leaves have a warm, fresh, pleasant, aromatic, and sweet flavor with a cool aftertaste.

When you buy mint look for leaves that aren’t bruised. The leaves can be harvested at any time. Fresh mint leaves should preferably be used right away  but you can wrap them in a lightly damp paper towel and put them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a few days. It can also be frozen in ice cube trays. Dried mint leaves should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place.

Mint is full of cooling menthol and is a wonderful and refreshing herb to go along with simply grilled meat, vegetables, and fruit and is awesome to flavor beverages of all varieties.

Try some.  One of my favorite things to do is to grab a few sprigs and leave them in a pitcher of water in the fridge.  Really refreshing and usually prompts the response – “gee, this is really good.”

 

Filed Under: Food for Fun and Thought Tagged With: food facts, food for fun and thought, herb storage, herbs, mint

You Probably Should Eat A Healthy Breakfast – Here’s Why . . .

May 24, 2011 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

My Mom always made me eat a “good” breakfast – eggs, leftover hamburgers from the night before, some kind of hot cereal made with milk.  My Mom grew up on a working farm – and farmers had the right idea about the need to fuel themselves for the coming day (and to use whatever food was on hand). The habit of eating a healthy breakfast has stuck with me, but even though many of you know how important it is, you probably don’t always make it a priority or carve out enough time to do it.

The advice to eat a good breakfast has been around for centuries.  It’s clear how it affects your body’s biology, but now it’s being documented that eating a healthy breakfast — especially one high in protein – can leave you feeling fuller and less hungry throughout the day.

 

A Breakfast Study

Research published in the journal Obesity studied teens who either skipped breakfast or ate a 500 calorie breakfast of cereal and milk (with normal amounts of protein) or higher protein meals like Belgium waffles with added protein, syrup, and yogurt for three weeks.

At the end of each week, the teens filled out appetite and satiety questionnaires, and had a brain scan before lunch that used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify brain activation responses.

The researchers focused on teens because 60% of them skip breakfast and breakfast skipping is strongly associated with unhealthy snacking, overeating (especially at night), weight gain, and obesity.

 

What They Found

The results showed that eating breakfast led to increased fullness and less hunger throughout the morning.  The fMRI showed that before lunch there was also reduced brain activity in regions that control food motivation and reward.

Eating breakfast reduced brain signals that lead to reward driven eating behavior when they’re active.  The higher protein breakfast produced greater feelings of satiety and changes in reward driven eating behavior than the normal protein milk and cereal meal.

Since skipping breakfast is associated with more snacking and food cravings, breakfast — especially one that is rich in protein — could be an effective strategy in controlling appetite and preventing overeating.

 

 

Filed Under: Calorie Tips, Healthy Eating, Food Facts, Manage Your Weight, Shopping, Cooking, Baking, Travel, On Vacation, In the Car Tagged With: brain activity, breakfast, cereal, nutrition, protein, weight management strategies

Cold And Creamy Street Food

May 20, 2011 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

On the streets of New York . . .

Yogo — spotted in the Meat Packing District — is served to order, non-fat frozen yogurt, in a cone or cup, with assorted toppingsl

Mr. Softee — spotted on the Upper West Side — is soft ice cream that comes as sundaes, shakes, cones, and other pre-wrapped treats with lots of kid appeal. Let’s not forget the famous Mr. Softee song that signals the truck’s presence.  Ever have a truck park right outside your windows or next to your kid’s soccer game? 

Filed Under: Food for Fun and Thought Tagged With: dessert, food for fun and thought, food trucks, frozen yogurt, ice cream, snacks, street food

Don’t Let An “Organic” Label Pull The Wool Over Your Eyes

May 19, 2011 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

Even though “organic” refers to a method of production rather than nutritional content, an “organic” label can make you believe that food is healthier and tastier. A Cornell University study was designed to test what’s called the “halo effect,” or the theory that people are influenced by how something is described.

 

The Study

The study looked at the “health halo effect” of whether food products labeled “organic” were perceived as more nutritious and  better tasting than conventionally produced products.

144 volunteers compared what they thought were conventionally and organically produced chocolate sandwich cookies, plain yogurt, and potato chips. Everything was actually organic, but the products were labeled as either “regular” or “organic.”

They participants ranked them on taste, estimated the caloric content, and indicated what they would pay for each product.

 

What They Found

The results showed that organic foods fall under a “health halo” and that having supposedly healthy food – in this case the food labeled organic — within a meal, can lead to misjudging the entire meal as being healthier and lower in calories.

The participants in the study:

  • preferred almost all the taste characteristics of foods labeled “organic” even though the “regular” food was exactly the same.
  • thought the food labeled “organic” was lower in fat, higher in fiber, significantly lower in calories, and worth more money.
  • thought the chips and cookies labeled “organic” were more nutritious than the ones they thought were not organic.

 

What Does Organic Really Mean?

“Organic produce and other ingredients are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.”

According to the USDA:

  • “100% Organic” products are made with 100% organic ingredients
  • “Organic” products are made with at least 95% organic ingredients
  • Products labeled “Made With Organic Ingredients” have a minimum of 70% organic ingredients (with strict restrictions on the other 30%)
  • Products with less than 70% organic ingredients can list organic ingredients on their side panel but not on the front

 

Filed Under: Calorie Tips, Healthy Eating, Food Facts, Food for Fun and Thought, Shopping, Cooking, Baking Tagged With: calories, food facts, food shopping, ingredients label, organic, produce, USDA

Stand Up And Cheer

May 17, 2011 By Penny Klatell, PhD, RN Leave a Comment

That’s Right!  Cheer for how much you will be helping your health by not sitting so much.  Check out these stats and graphics courtesy of Medical Billing and Coding.org.

Sitting is Killing You

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Filed Under: Food for Fun and Thought, Manage Your Weight Tagged With: activity, cholesterol, exercise, food for fun and thought, heart disease, insulin, obesity, sitting, walking, weight management strategies

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