Today is Open Phone Wednesday!
There’s lots in the news about nutrition this week:
-What’s the scoop on Vitamin D?
-Is there really a “better” fast food choice?
-”The Seasonal Seven” – is holiday weight gain fact or fiction?
Gather up your nutrition and wellness questions and give me a call.
Let’s talk nutrition!
Mark your calendars! I am officially dubbing Wednesday as Open Phone Day. There’s lots of confusing and conflicting nutrition/exercise/wellness information floating about the ether-net. If you have a nutrition-related question or issue, pick up the phone and let’s talk. Interesting discussion is certain to ensue, and perhaps, you may even get an answer or two.
I’m here Wednesdays from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST. So give me a call: 425.957.9669.
Calls are free and I will be taking them on a first come, first serve basis. If you get voice mail or a busy signal, please don’t leave a message (I won’t be able to answer Open Phone Wednesday messages), but do try again! And, please review my disclaimer.
I look forward to talking with you!
Jess
Dear Jess, Thanks for your last post on home made nutrition bars. I usually avoid buying snack bars for my kids because of the cost. On Sunday, my 2 daughters (ages 9 and 11) and I tried out the recipe for “Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Bars”. It was an easy, fun activity and the girls love the bars. And so do I! They have been enjoying them as after-school snacks (and sometimes bedtime snacks). Thanks for the good idea! DC
I am so happy to hear you like the bars; thanks for sharing your experience with me!
Let me also include my own review of the nutritional bar recipes that I tested last Saturday. The goal was to provide you with a healthy, tasty snack alternative to expensive commercial bars. Having tested a few batches of different recipes in a morning, I, also, attest to the fact that they are, indeed, fun and easy to make. And, in comparison with commercial bars going for upwards of $2.50 for organic, whole food bars, the homemade variety are much less expensive. I used all organic ingredients for my bars and my rough estimate for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice bars was less than 50 cents a serving. Be forewarned though…they are so good that it would be easy to eat $2.50 worth! Read more
Dear Jess, I just can’t seem find time to stop at the gym after work. Do you have any suggestions for a home workout? Thanks, JS
There is quite a bit you can do at home with just a minimal amount of equipment. Without knowing more about your personal fitness goals and current exercise routine, let me just throw out a handful of ideas:
Planning and preparing food for the week ahead is an important aspect to maintaining your goals for a healthy diet. Having healthy foods available makes it easier to avoid poor food choices.
Eggs are an affordable, nutrient-rich food. They contain the highest quality source of protein as well as nearly every essential vitamin and mineral. They also contain nonessential nutrients like choline, which is essential for normal brain development and memory, and lutein and zeaxanthin, two anti-oxidants from the carotenoid family, that contribute to eye health by protecting eyes from ultraviolet rays, reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration, and decreasing risk of developing cataracts. Read more
Dear Jess, I’ve tried everything to lose weight, but I just don’t have enough willpower…help!
Sometimes it does seem as if people struggle to achieve change by sheer willpower. This is most uncomfortable and, in the long-run, very difficult to keep up.
Difficulty making desired changes often lies in counterproductive thought and emotional patterns that block the way. Making a positive change becomes a more effortless and rewarding process with a few tips about how to use your thoughts and emotions to work for you, rather than against you. Read more
Jess, I read that sugar is actually addictive. Is it really that bad for you in even in moderation? Thanks, T.G
Interesting question. We could have quite a long discussion about what “addictive” is or isn’t, but let’s look at a recent 
study that came to my attention yesterday while perusing Dr. Mercola’s site: “Intense Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward”.
“An astonishing 94 percent of rats, who were allowed to choose mutually-exclusively between sugar water and cocaine, chose sugar. Even rats who were addicted to cocaine quickly switched their preference to sugar, once it was offered as a choice. The rats were also more willing to work for sugar than for cocaine.” Read more
Dear Jess, I heard that almonds are now required to be pasteurized. Can that possibly be true? -AS
Yes. It is true. Starting September 1, 2007, it will no longer be legal to manufacture and sell 100% raw almonds in the United States. Due to a mandate passed by the USDA, FDA and the California Almond Board ALL almonds, organic and conventional, grown in the US will be required to be pasteurized. Note that these almonds will still be labeled as raw!
The mandatory pasteurization program requires that almond handlers achieve a dramatic reduction in the amount of Salmonella (technically, a 4-log reduction is the standard) by one of these methods:
1) Expose almonds to high heat or steam pasteurization sufficient to raise the temperature of the almond kernel to 200 degrees F.
2) Fumigate the almonds with propylene oxide gas. Read more
Dear Jess, I work in an office setting and several of my co-workers always seem to be coming down with colds and other illnesses. Do you have any suggestions for boosting my immune system to avoid getting sick? Thanks much, BA
The immune system is one of the most amazing systems in the body incorporating several of the body’s most complex mechanisms. This entire system works to protect your from foreign invaders like viruses, bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms. It is also the immune system’s job to scout out and destroy cancer cells. While most of us are familiar with the consequences of an under-active immune system (frequent colds and infections, increased cancer risk), there is also the other end of the spectrum – over-activity of the immune system - that sets the stage for the body to attack itself and is manifested in diseases like allergies, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Both are important to address.
It is a paradox – a robust immune system supports your good health and, conversely, your good health is essential to supporting your immune system. Read more
Dear Jess, I know soda isn’t a healthy option, but I really enjoy a can of pop each day and so do my kids. If our family is going to drink soda, do you have a recommendation for the “best” soda? Thanks, E.F
Hmmm…this is a tough one to answer. Instead of soda, can I, perhaps, encourage you to try making a gradual shift to sparkling mineral water with a splash of citrus juice?
No, you are not having any of that, are you? Well, making a recommendation regarding the “best” soda (an oxymoron, you realize) to drink on a regular basis seems like I am condoning ingesting a fluid that I don’t really consider food at all. Many people say, “Everything in moderation”, and so a daily “Coke” isn’t such a bad thing. I beg to differ. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about “Coke” or soda, and it, in fact, contains several ingredients that are worth avoiding altogether. To name a few:
• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
• Phosphoric acid. This creates the bubbles you expect in a soda, but it can up your for risk of osteoporosis if your phosphoric acid intake is disproportionate to your calcium intake.
• Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose)
• Artificial colors and flavors
• Preservatives Read more
