Salty Recs from the New Dietary Guidelines

Monday ushered in the new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the federal government's evidence-based recommendations to promote health and reduce risk of chronic disease through nutrition and physical activity.  Recommendations for fat, cholesterol, potassium, and fiber are largely unchanged since the 2005 edition, and there was more focus on decreasing added sugars.  Click here for the full report.

Of note, there was little change for sodium recommendations (still 2300mg/day for the general public)—a point of debate for many.  Here is the Dietary Guideline's official stance on salt:

"Reduce daily sodium intake to less than  2,300 mg and further reduce intake to 1,500 mg among persons who are 51 and older, and those of any age who are African American or who have hypertension, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.  The 1,500 mg recommendation applies to about half of the U.S. population, including children and the majority of adults."

This is in contrast to the recommendations from the American Heart Association, which read "Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.  Aim to eat less than 1500 mg of sodium per day."

So which is best... 2,300 mg or 1,500mg per day?  I'm not quite sure myself.  Despite the numbers, I think it's clear that sodium is worth our notice.  We know that high-salt diets are linked to high blood pressure and increased risk for heart disease, and that about 75% of American sodium intake comes from processed foods.  A reduction in sodium will require both a conscious effort from the consumer, and system wide change in the American food supply.

Fortunately, recall that the Institute of Medicine already issued a seminal report in April 2010 calling for food companies to cut back on added salt.  In addition, the IOM asked for regulatory standards for sodium levels in processed foods.  I blogged about the IOM report back in April, so feel free to take a look.

Alright folks, that's my thoughts on salt and the new guidelines.
Do you agree with the Dietary Guidelines or the AHA?      
          
Happy Thursday,
Rachel

photo credit from American Enterprise Institute

Apple Oatmeal Quick Bread

The remedy for these chilly winter days is cozy afternoons spent tinkering in the kitchen.
Time to try a new recipe.
Apple Oatmeal Quick Bread
Taken from a Stonyfield Oikos coupon
1 cup plain Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt (I used regular plain yogurt)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup diced apple, peeled or unpeeled

Directions

In small bowl, mix yogurt and oats.  Set aside.  

In large bowl, mix together egg, oil and brown sugar.  Stir in flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and yogurt mixture (batter will be lumpy).  

Fold in apples.  Pour into greased loaf pan.

Heat oven to 350.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Remove from pan immediately.  

Makes 12 servings.

Serve warm, or enjoy toasted with a smear of jam or butter. 

Nutritional info per serving: 180 calories, 6g total fat, 28g carbohydrate, 4g protein, 2g fiber.

Any new eats or treats this weekend?

Yum!

Rachel

Exercise as a Commodity: Paying For Fitness

flickr photo credit to Catherine's Landing

If exercise is a commodity, how much will you pay for it?  

Apparently some people are willing to invest quite a tidy sum of money.  

This week I read an intriguing article in the Boston Globe about a new start-up called Gym-Pact.  Gym-Pact is an exercise accountability program which requires its members to shell out a $25 penalty fee every time they skip a work-out.  
Gym-Pact originated from Harvard College graduate Yifan Zhang, who stumbled upon the idea during a behavioral economics class.  Zhang was convinced that people are more motivated by immediate consequences than by future possibilities.  Together with classmate Geoff Oberhofer, Zhang created Gym-Pact and started negotiations between gyms and participating members. 

Click here to read complete coverage from The Boston Globe. 

flickr photo sourced from bangkokrecorder

Compelling article!  I have never framed exercise as an economic commodity, but isn't this is what Gym-Pact implies?  On one hand, exercise has become extremely valuable due to its health benefits.  An exercise investment can only grow profitably as obesity and its co-morbidities continue to increase.  However exercise is costly; in the midst of our busy lives, we must purposefully set aside time and resources to get moving.

Kenneth J. Carpenter, PhD noted the historical shift from physical activity to inactivity in his article "A Short History of Nutrition Science" written in 2003.  Carpenter notes, "[In the 1980s] the problem of obesity was still growing, and nutritional science had not been able to come up with an easily adopted solution for people with a sedentary lifestyle.  As technology advanced, the human machine remained the same.  [Back then] a few people were [starting to reverse] the traditional work-rest cycle, i.e. doing their work (and associated travel) sitting down, and spending their breaks on a treadmill."  Now in the 21st century, it seems the work-rest cycle is completed reversed!

What do you think of a program such as Gym-Pact?
What are your thoughts on exercise as a commodity?
Thanks for reading,
Rachel


** Carpenter, KJ.  A Short History of Nutrition Science: Part 4 (1945-1985).  Journal of Nutrition.  (2003) 133: 3331-3342.

Lesson 8: Iron Out the Wrinkles

"Oh dear," I thought, as I tugged my white lab coat from the laundry.  "It's been quite some time since my last hospital rotations.  My coat is wrinkled, my notes are crumpled, and my clinical common sense is no where to be found."  After four months away from the hospital, January marks my return to the pediatric floors.  With mixed trepidation and excitement, I washed my white coat and smoothed out the creases.  Time to re-entered the world of TPN recs and tube feed calculations.

After two weeks I'm grateful to report that I'm loving the peds floors.  Hats off to a fabulous preceptor, a gracious medical team, and the endearing kiddos!  However I'm still having trouble ironing out the wrinkles of my memory.  It's alarming how quickly I've forgotten the minutia of medications and formulas.  But I take heart.  I remind myself that this journey ends at competency, not perfection.

Boston State House on the Commons

Clinical Nutrition Resources for Pediatrics
These resources have proved useful thus far.
I would love to hear your opinions and exchange resources please!

• Pediatric Nutrition Reference Guide, 9th Edition, Texas Children's Hospital
• ADA Pediatric Manuel of Clinical Dietetics
• Nestle Nutrition, Pediatric Nutrition Helpful Hints (fold-out)

With yet another snow storm this weekend and temps below zero, Boston's forecast looks grim.  This month my Sorel snow boots have quickly become my most valuable investment!

Any nutrition and pediatrics references to recommend?
Are you staying toasty and dry this weekend?
Cheers,
Rachel

Keeping Up with Health News: 4 Easy Tips!

flickr photo by B.K.Dewey

Tick tick tick.  The 24-news cycle never ends, and keeping up with the latest health news is harder than ever.  As part of the new year, I will be adding a new role as the Nutrition Newsbites editor for my graduate school newsletter.  I am excited to tackle this task, and eager to share my game plan for tracking the constantly churning health news scene.  I hope these tips are helpful, but I desperately need your suggestions as well! 

Four Easy Ways to Keep Up with Health News

flickr photo by RandyA38

1. Email List-serves, E-newsletters

Signing up for free emails through various health organizations or news services is an easy way to get a daily dose of health updates.  I enjoy Smartbrief, an email service that offers links news articles.  Search by industry: restaurant, nutrition, social media, food service, nursing, health care, and much more.  Other suggestions...

The Daily News from the American Dietetic Association offers a succinct daily summary of nutrition, dietetics, and food service articles.  (ADA membership is required for this one.)

Evidence updates - a daily email from the British Medical Journal group that provides links to newly published medical research from major journals.   You can customize to specific areas of medicine and varying levels of newsworthiness.

Eurekalerts - Not an email alert, but a great site for press releases.  Spanning all topics including general science, health, nutrition, agriculture, education, and more.

2. TOC [Table of Contents] Subscriptions
Stay fresh with breaking research from your favorite journals.  Subscribing to a journal's Table of Contents (it's free!) often allows you to glimpse the upcoming articles before release of the print edition.  Full access to the journal requires a paid subscription, however it is worthwhile to read the research abstracts.  With more than 5,400 worldwide life sciences journals, it is helpful to identify one or two journals that apply to your specific practice or interests.
General recommendations:
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
New England Journal of Medicine (love the weekly resident teaching lessons)
Journal of the American Medical Association (love the JAMA patient page)
Journal of Nutrition
Nutrition Today

3. Google Reader
This service stores your favorite websites, health bloggers, and news organizations in one place, making for easy and efficient reading!  It automatically updates with each new post or article.
4. Customize Your Internet Homepage
Setting your web homepage to a news organization is a simple way to keep your finger on the pulse of consumer health news.  When I go online, my webpage is set to the New York Times Health section so that I can quickly glance at any breaking health feature articles.

I've gleaned these resources from classmates and mentors throughout the past 3 semesters of grad school.  But I'm sure eager to hear your opinions and further suggestions.
In particular, know any good news sources for farming and food policy?

Cheers to a new year!  

-Rachel

A Chamorro Holiday

Empanadas

I will not see my grandma for Christmas this year, so I'm posting a holiday tribute for her!  Fortunately family and friends recently celebrated her 84th birthday this June, so I have pictures to share.

Flag of Guam. 

My grandma hails from Guam, a micronesian island located in the western Pacific Ocean.  Historically a Spanish colony, today Guam serves as a U.S. naval base and Japanese tourist hot-spot.  I have never been to this sunny island, but I certainly enjoy the local cuisine.

Like all Mariana Islands, Guam has influence from its indigenous Chamorro people, from previous Spanish colonizers, and Filipino neighbors.  Though not paritcularly healthy, the food is a fabulous mix of island tastes.  My favorite is the signature Red Rice, which is soaked in the achotte seed to give it a brilliant orange hue.

 Latiya.  My favorite!  Basically layered vanilla custard sponge cake.

 

Merry Christmas Grandma!

Love,

Rachel

Choco Sweet Potato Torte

My search for the perfect Dairy-free, Gluten-free Dessert...

Guest post from Utchima Sriprachya-anunt 

Dietetic Intern, Tufts Medical Center

Holiday Cheers! From the Tufts dietetic interns.

It has been four months since I moved to Boston for a dietetic internship.  Although the weather is getting colder and colder, it has been a warm Christmas season due to all the fun festivities with my lovely new friends and dietetic internship family!

A few weeks ago I got super excited when I heard about a Christmas party with my dietetic internship girls.  Aside from the fun Yankee swap game, and the excuse to drink a glass of wine, I was eager to bake and make something nice and delicious.  

I have been inspired by Ashley, a fellow dietetic intern, who eats gluten-free and dairy-free.  I knew she would be at the party, so I began to search for a dessert recipe that is gluten-free and dairy-free. I have never done this before, but I decided to take on the baking challenge.  Suddenly as I was flipping through a pile of Vegetarian Times magazines, I found it.  What would be more perfect than a combination of two of my favorite foods: chocolate and sweet potato! 

I have to admit that the recipe was not as easy as I thought.  But I guarantee that this will be one of your favorite recipes ever!

Chocolate Sweet Potato Torte

(Adapted from Vegetarian Times January 2010)

While making this recipe I learned that “torte” is not the same as tart.  (I don't know why I always thought the two of them are twins but turns out that they are not.)  Torte is a rich cake, often made with little or no flour. Instead, it uses ground nuts or breadcrumbs mixing with eggs, sugar, and some flavorings. This recipe calls for almond flour, which is a new adventure for me. But it turned out very well.  I really love the texture of this torte; surprisingly smooth and dense, just like flourless chocolate cake.  I'll warn you that one piece is not enough!

1 cup packed cooked, mashed orange-flesh sweet potato. (I used garnet in this recipe.)

1 ½ cup sugar, divided into 1 cup and ½ cup

1 cup almond flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 tsp salt

4 large eggs

2 oz. Bittersweet chocolate (I used 4 in here! Chocolate overload!)

2 Tbsp soymilk

1.     Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.

2.     Blend sweet potato, 1 cup sugar, almond flour, cocoa, and salt in food blender until smooth.

3.     Separate 3 eggs, placing whites in a separate bowl. Add 3 yolks and remaining whole egg to sweet potato mixture; pulse to combine. Transfer sweet potato mixture to large bowl.

4.     Beat egg whites with electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Add remaining ½ cup sugar. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.

5.     Fold one-third egg white mixture into sweet potato mixture with spatula. Gently fold in remaining whites. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan or wire rack.

6.     Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in soymilk. Spread chocolate mixture over top of cake. Let stand until chocolate set. Decorate!

Utchi is a first year dietetic intern at Tufts Medical Center, Frances Stern Nutrition Center.  She hails from Bangkok, Thailand—the food heaven! "That's why I love eating and cooking! My rule is that healthy  food should taste good as well.  I am a sweet tooth and I enjoy baking!"

Thanks for sharing Utchi.

I vouch that your torte was fantastically scrumptious!

Rach