|
| Name of salsa | Main Ingredients | Recommended main dish (origin) |
| Compeche | Sour orange juice, chiles, garlic | Seafood (Veracruz) |
| Pineapple | Pineapple, chile, onion | Grilled pork, whitefish |
| Mango | Mango, chile, tamarind, shrimp, onion, garlic, fresh cilantro, red pepper | Grilled pork, chicken, crab meat, tuna (Caribbean) |
| Papaya | Papaya, black beans, and red bell green peppers, red onions, pineapple juice, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, chile | Grilled fish (Caribbean) |
| Fruity | Plums, onions, ginger, brown sugar, raisins, orange juice, coriander, vinegar, lemon juice, mint | Roasted meats (Modified Ameri- Indian) |
| Banana | Banana, onion, ginger, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, orange juice | Roasted or grilled game |
| Apricot-fig | Apricots, figs, raisins, onions, vinegar, almonds, ginger, red chile, lemon | Lamb (South Africa) |
| Quince | Quince, vinegar, lemon sugar, ginger | Roast duck or goose |
| Grape | Seedless grape, white cloves, ginger, red jalapeno peppers | Baked ham, turkey, roasted or grilled meat |
| Watermelon | Watermelon, cucumbers, red onion, carrot, vinegar, sugar, fresh mint, cilantro | Grilled shellfish (modified South- east Asia) |
| Green apple | Granny Smith apples, white chicken vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, chopped orange segments | Roasted or grilled (American East Coast) |
| Orange | Naval orange, cucumber, red onion, red wine vinegar, orange juice, red chile, pepper, fresh mint | Fish (Morocco, North Africa) |
| Peach | Ripe or semi-ripe peaches, peppers, red onion, orange juice, lime juice, molasses, chile pepper, parsley, garlic | Grilled fish, roast (American) |
(KP)
Source: Food Technology, Vol. 50, No. 1, January 1996
Is It
Safe to Drink Iced Tea?
You may have heard in the national and local news
recently about contamination of iced tea with coliform
bacteria. This problem has been reported in several
states, including Georgia, Ohio, Texas, and others. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
have summarized the problem and provided recommendations
for the food industry.
The CDC has only one reported instance of gastrointestinal illness which may have been caused by iced tea consumption. A review of data from the Foodborne Outbreak Surveillance System from 1973-1991 has shown that none of the 9,502 foodborne outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness can be clearly linked to iced tea. However, tea from several states (Georgia, Texas, Ohio, and others) has been reported to contain coliform bacteria.
What does this information mean? The CDC stresses that tea is a beverage with little history of disease transmission. The CDC admits that tea could be contaminated by bacteria at any step in its production, including growing, harvesting, processing, transport, steeping, and storage. While tea leaves can become contaminated with coliform bacteria, the most probable cause of the introduction of bacteria to the tea is foodhandling errors. To support this, the Tea Association has shown that tea brewed in a clean urn at 175 F or higher and stored at room temperature had no detectable coliform counts during the first 16 hours of storage. Thus, if the tea is brewed at an appropriate temperature, storage conditions and/or cleaning and disinfection of the tea dispenser becomes the main areas that could lead to contamination.
What can we do to minimize the risk? The CDC makes the following recommendations:
1) The tea industry recommends that iced tea be brewed at 195 F for 3-5 minutes, that tea be stored for no longer than 8 hours, and that the tea brewer, storage dispenser, and faucet be cleaned daily. These guidelines for the preparation and storage of iced tea are consistent with available data and are likely to reduce the coliform contamination of iced tea.
2) Redesigning tea dispensers to be more easily dismantled and cleaned than those currently used could further reduce the risk of bacterial contamination of iced tea.
3) The practice of making "sun tea" by steeping the bags in a container of water in the sun may be a higher risk than brewing tea at high temperatures because it provides an environment where bacteria are more likely to survive and multiply.
The Tea Association of the U.S.A. provides factsheets for Foodservice operators titled "Foodservice Tea Brewing Recommendations" (available at the Rapid Response Center), and recommends the following "Tea Tips" for foodservice operators:
1) Store tea bags in a dark, cool and dry place away from strong odors and moisture. Do not refrigerate.
2) Never hold finished brewed tea for more than eight hours at room temperature. Discard any unused tea after eight hours.
3) Brew only enough tea that you reasonably expect to sell within a few hours.
4) To protect tea flavor and to avoid bacterial contamination and growth, clean and sanitize tea brewing, storage and dispensing equipment at least once a day.
5) For any method described, use a thermometer to make sure that brewing water in your equipment meets the temperature specified.
Based on this information, neither the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) nor the Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service will make any change to their current recommendations regarding iced tea. (RB)
Source: Centers for Disease Control, Tea Association of the U.S.A. Inc.
FDA
Approves Fat Replacer Olestra
The Food and Drug Administration in January approved the
use of the calorie-free fat-replacer olestra, marketed
under the trade name Olean, in salted snacks and
crackers. Because of its unique chemical composition,
olestra adds no fat or calories to food. Potato chips,
crackers, tortilla chips or other snacks made with
olestra will be lower in fat and calories than snacks
made with traditional fats.
David A. Kessler, M.D., Commissioner of FDA cautioned, "Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools in some individuals, and inhibits the body's absorption of certain fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. FDA is requiring Proctor & Gamble and other manufacturers who use olestra to label all foods made with it, and, to protect the public health, to add essential vitamins - vitamins A, D, E, and K - to olestra."
The mandatory label reads, "This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added."
Like all food additives, olestra's safety was the primary focus of FDA evaluation. For olestra, the safety evaluation focused not only on its toxicity, but also on the product's effects on the absorption of nutrients and on the gastrointestinal system.
In addressing these questions, FDA evaluated more than 150,000 pages of data on olestra, drawn from more than 150 studies. Proctor & Gamble submitted these data in its original 1987 food additive petition, and in several amendments filed since then to that petition.
In addition, FDA sought advice from outside experts through its Food Advisory Committee. A special working group of the committee met in public in November 1995 to review and discuss the safety questions regarding olestra. After evaluating data presented by FDA, the company and organizations and individuals both opposing and supporting olestra's approval, a clear majority of the working group agreed that all the major safety issues had been identified and addressed by the FDA review, and that the data provided reasonable certainty that the proposed use of olestra would be safe. A majority of the full Food Advisory Committee, which later reviewed the data in public, reaffirmed that judgment.
However, to allay the fears of those opposing olestra's approval, Proctor & Gamble will conduct studies to monitor consumption as well as studies on olestra's long-term effects. Conducting these studies is one condition of FDA approval. The FDA Food Advisory Committee will formally review these studies in a public meeting within two and a half years.
As expected, officials at Proctor and Gamble are ecstatic about olestra's approval. "Americans can get ready to taste history because snacks made with Olean eliminate the taste trade-off with many fat-free or reduced-fat snacks. With Olean, `no fat' doesn't mean `no taste'," said Procter & Gamble Chairman and Chief Executive John Pepper. "Taste buds are tough critics, and fat-free chips made with Olean get rave reviews from consumers across the country who've compared them with regular chips fried in vegetable oil," Pepper added.
Do not expect to see olestra in a wide variety of foods to soon because the FDA's approval only covers the use of Olean in snack chips and crackers, such as potato chips, tortilla chips, cheese puffs and club crackers. While Olean can be used in other types of foods, this would require additional FDA approvals. (RB)
Source: FDA Press Release, January 24, 1996; Proctor and Gamble Press Release, January 24,1996
Modified
Recipe: Fudge Cake
Unfrosted Fudge Cake (Original)
2 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/3 cups brown sugar (packed)
3 eggs
4 oz. baker's chocolate (4 squares)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole milk
Heat oven to 350 F.
Melt chocolate over double boiler. Sift flour, salt and
soda together. Cream shortening and sugar, beat in eggs.
Blend in chocolate and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and
milk alternately. Bake in greased 13 x 9 x 2 pan 30-35
minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
Unfrosted Fudge Cake
(modified)
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cups cocoa powder
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cup plain yogurt (fat-free)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Egg substitute -- equivalent of 2 eggs
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2.
Beat all ingredients on low speed, scraping bowl
constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on high speed, scraping
occasionally, 3 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake 35-40
minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. (RB)
NOTE: Nutrition per serving based on 18 servings per pan
| Nutrition per serving | Original | Modified |
| Calories | 259 | 136 |
| Fat | 16 g. | 3/4 g. |
| Cholesterol | 47 mg. | 1/3 g. |
| Sodium | 15 mg. | 77 mg. |
| Percent of Calories from Fat | 56% | less than 1% |
You
Asked It! - Rapid Response Center Q/A
Q. What is a household measure of bleach that I
can use to achieve the 50-100 ppm recommended for safety?
A. 1 tbl per gallon
Q. What is
"Glycemic Index" or "High Glycemic
Foods?"
A. Glycemic Index (GI) is a measure of how fast
the carbohydrate of a particular food is converted to
glucose and enters the blood. The more glucose that
enters the blood in the first three hours, the higher the
GI. Glucose has a GI of 138. Foods with a GI greater than
one-half that of glucose (greater than 69) are considered
to have a high GI, or in other words, are High Glycemic
Foods. For more information (or a list of GI's for
various foods, contact the Rapid Response Center).
Q. Does almond bark
have almonds?
A. First of all, there are two kinds of real
almond bark, white chocolate and milk chocolate, both of
which should have almonds if they are any good. However,
there are products on the market today that are called
almond bark, but are nothing more than candy coatings
(with a lot of fat).
Q. What is the
green found near the surface of some potatoes? Is it
safe?
A. The green near the surface of potatoes is
called solanine. It is a biological toxin in high levels,
but rarely would you consume enough to make you sick.
However, it is a good idea to remove the green from the
potatoes (peeling usually does this) before cooking or
consuming.
Q. Is the Ball Blue
Book still a reliable source?
A. Yes, very much so and so is the Kerr book. Ball
and Kerr both use scientifically reliable, USDA endorsed
practices in their recipes.
Q. What is
converted rice?
A. Basically, converted rice is rice that has been
boiled slightly before the hull, bran and germ are
removed. This allows many B-vitamins to leach into the
rice, increasing the nutritional value. Converted rice is
less sticky than conventional rice.
Q. What is file'
(pronounced feelay)?
A. File', a cajun spice, is ground sassafras and
can be used to make Jumbalaya.
Q. Would unflavored
gelatin go bad in one year?
A. No, the shelf life of properly stored gelatin
is 18 months. (Contact the Rapid Response Center for
complete Cupboard, Refrigerator, and Freezer Storage
Charts.)
Q. How do you test
a candy thermometer?
A. The only way to calibrate a thermometer at home
is to use boiling water. Most thermometers have a nut
under the face which can be used to adjust the dial to
212 F (100C) when placed in boiling water.
Q. Are those little
decorative silver balls that are put on cupcakes and
things safe?
A. The FDA has a fact sheet on Dragees (their
actual name) and states that "We have no evidence of
harm to health from the extremely small quantity of
silver in the coating. Therefore, the FDA has not
objected to the presence of silver on these decorations
when they are used as a cake decoration." (RB)
Exercise
and Arthritis
Researchers at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have
completed a study of 1,178 men and identified a
relationship between being overweight in your twenties
and later development of osteoarthritis. The study showed
that a 5'10" man weighing 170 pounds at age 26 was 3
1/2 times more likely to develop arthritis by age 65 than
a man of the same size and age who weighed 148.
The investigators speculate that excess weight wears on the bones and cartilage around joints, causing degeneration. Although it was not studied in this project, researchers believe weight loss may be helpful at any time. It relieves stress on joints and might delay the condition from developing or prevent it from getting worse. (MP)
Source: Environmental Nutrition Sept. 1995 Vol. 18 No 9
Economic
Impact of Heart Disease
A recent study found that reduction of saturated fat in
the diet not only would reduce the incidence of coronary
heart disease (CHD) but would result in millions of
dollars of related costs. The study used data from the
Framingham Heart study and National Health and Nutrition
Examination Surveys.
Investigators determined that without direct intervention to reduce coronary risk factors such as saturated fat in the diet, three million Americans ages 35 to 64 will develop CHD in the next ten years. If Americans reduced saturated fat intake from current levels to nine percent of calories, about 100,000 first-time coronary events could be averted by the year 2005, with cost savings of approximately $13 billion. (MP)
Source: JADA Feb 1996 Vol 96, No 2
EBT-Are
We Ready?
Few stores, especially in low-income rural areas, are
prepared to implement the electronic benefit transfer
(EBT) system, according to a recent USDA report. The new
system has the potential of reducing fraud and increasing
the efficiency of many federal and state entitlement
programs by eliminating paper coupons and automatically
distributing funds to recipients using debit cards.
USDA surveyed supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, specialty food stores, produce stands and general stores. Supermarkets were the most prepared of all food stores to implement EBT. Smaller stores, especially in rural areas, were least prepared because they lacked the necessary equipment. Almost 75% of all respondents believed EBT had advantages over the current paper coupon/voucher system. Respondents in low income rural areas, however, were more likely to cite disadvantages including equipment cost and lack of space. (MP)
Sources: Food Retailer Readiness for Electronic Benefit Transfer USDA report CNI Jan. 12, 1996
WIC
Clinic of the Future
Many services provided by WIC clinics will be provided
electronically in the future. At a conference in January
for federal, state and local WIC officials and industry
representatives, the Food and Consumer Services (FCS)
department of USDA demonstrated how nutrition education
can be delivered automatically. Touch-screen kiosks will
be used to determine a client's eligibility for WIC
benefits and can provide information on breastfeeding,
smoking and a healthy diet. Another computerized system
is designed to call clients to remind them of
appointments. This system already in use in many states
has increased show rates of clients for appointments.
FCS cannot afford to fully automate every WIC clinic but allows states to use WIC discretionary funding grants for updating clinic technology. A total of $7 million in grant funds also is available for the same purpose. (MP)
Source: CNI Jan. 5, 1996
Eat
Less To Live Longer?
In an older person, losing weight unintentionally is a
sign of malnutrition and possible death. For example,
losing 10 to 20 pounds without dieting over a six-month
period suggests that an elderly person may be developing
a serious disease such as cancer. Severe underweight in
an older person is believed to be unhealthy. The person
does not have enough calories stored to fight a serious
illness such as a high fever or prolonged diarrhea.
But one of the puzzles of our age is; "How can animals who have been on calorie restrictions up to one third to one-half of normal live an uncommonly long, healthy life?" For example, the average life span of white rats is 23 months with a maximum life span of 33 months. Calorie restrictions of one-third will increase the rodent's average life span to 33 months and maximum life span to 47 months, i.e. roughly an increase of one third for both measures.
How can this be? The animals are usually put on the lower calorie levels at puberty or as young adults and it is important to note that the diet is of high quality, i.e. enough protein, fat, vitamins and minerals to maintain efficient operation of their tissues. In other words, the animals are fed a prudent diet of minimal calories without becoming malnourished.
This phenomenon was first noted back in the 1930s and has since been reported in all sorts of creatures from single-celled protozoans to rodents and fish. Currently, experiments are taking place with monkeys -- our closest relatives -- to see if caloric restrictions of thirty percent will have a similar effect. Scientists think that it will take another 10 to 20 years before they have evidence that lowering calories in humans produces similar results.
In the five years since the beginning of these monkey experiments, the early results are encouraging. For example, only 10 percent of body weight is fat, blood pressures are somewhat lower, there is a drop of 15 mg/dl in blood glucose levels, a 69 percent drop in insulin and a 58 percent lower serum triglyceride level. Furthermore, the dieting animals seem healthy and happy.
There is little evidence available for humans. Most humans who have been on inadequate calorie diets have been short in various nutrients as well. The only isolated human study we have comes from the two year study of eight people living in Biosphere 2 near Tucson, Ariz. They lived on reduced calorie diets because their food-producing efforts were lower than expected. The team's physician, Dr. Roy Walford who is an expert on calorie restriction and aging, helped his colleagues avoid malnutrition. He demonstrated that caloric restriction led to lower blood pressures and lower cholesterol and glucose levels.
What's important and what's not?
A number of hypotheses have been advanced but several have now been discounted. Still viable explanations include 1) calorie restrictions interfere with cell division and growth, 2) too much glucose is toxic to long-lived proteins, and 3) lowering calories limits the production of free radicals. In the cell, free radicals are those "active oxygen" and other compounds with unpaired electrons that can damage many molecules and tissues, including proteins, DNA, enzymes, and even the mitochondria, the energy powerhouses where the caloric nutrients are "burned" to release their energy. Incidentally, antioxidants such as beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, selenium and other natural chemicals in food as well as chemicals produced naturally in the body can negate these free radicals and limit their damage. The theory suggests that over time, radicals can lower the ability of the mitochondria to produce energy, the molecules and cell structures to be repaired, and the entire body to age and begin to fail. It's something like the old nursery rhyme, "For want of the nail, the shoe was lost; for want of the shoe, the horse was lost; for want of the horse, the rider was lost; ..." Many researchers think that the free-radical explanation is the best one. Over-taxed metabolic processes from too much food may indeed be a part of the puzzle. Only time will tell. (MPC)
Source: Weindruch, Richard. Caloric Restriction and Aging. Scientific American, January 1996, pp.46-52.
To Sun
Or Not To Sun
"Avoid exposure to the sun or you'll get skin
cancer, and above all, be careful about those tanning
parlors" or "Always wear sunscreen when you're
outdoors." Sound familiar?
Certainly, few would question advice to avoid sunburn. Bad burns may trigger skin cancer later on. But like everything else, blocking skin exposure to the sun can be carried to extremes, especially for older adults.
Not getting enough vitamin D can interfere with calcium absorption and use. The high rate of hip fractures among the elderly -- some 300,000 a year -- is no small thing. This event triggers disability, and often is the precipitating event for the downhill slide into nursing home placement, risk for pneumonia and blood clots, and ultimately death.
Even with enough dietary and/or supplemental calcium, vitamin D is required for its absorption and utilization. Postmenopausal women are particularly exposed to bone fractures because without estrogen replacement or vitamin D with their calcium pills, they usually lose high amounts of calcium. They must have enough calcium and vitamin D to replace the bone being lost. Unfortunately, most women consume less than recommended amounts of both calcium and vitamin D and there are a number of experts who now recommend as much as 1500 mg calcium as well as 400 to 800 units of vitamin D.
Dr. Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, chief of the Calcium and Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, and her group have looked into the influence of inadequate vitamin D upon bone loss. They studied 250 Boston-area women who consumed 100 to 125 units of vitamin D daily, a typical amount for adult Americans. All were in their 50s or 60s when inadequate vitamin D becomes more of a problem. Aging skin is not as able to manufacture vitamin D from cholesterol by using the sun's energy from ultraviolet rays. The researchers gave half of the women daily supplements of 100 units of vitamin D and to the other half, they gave 700 I.U.s bringing the total to about 800 units a day (four times the RDA). At the end of two years, the women on the lower supplement lost more than twice as much bone from their hips as the group on the higher supplement. By cutting bone loss in half, you can delay fractures for many years.
If elderly women live in the northern part of the country, most of them should be receiving supplemental vitamin D in some form, according to Dawson-Hughes. Here in Kansas, women living anywhere north of I-70 will get inadequate direct sun at least two months of the year especially during cloudy weather. If you live farther north, say on a line east and west drawn from Boston to Minneapolis to Boise, Montana, you are out of the loop for four months out of the year. So women may need more vitamin D during the winter even if they are exposed to outdoor sun. Shut-ins or those who avoid sunlight or use sunscreen also increase their fracture risk.
The best available food source of vitamin D is fortified milk. Since all kinds of cow's milk -- be it skim, whole or dry milk -- has vitamin D added, two glasses daily provides the recommended RDA of 200 units. Dawson-Hughes's work suggests that higher supplementation would be even better for many women. Of course, too much vitamin D will be toxic but a maximum of 800 units is a safe amount. Those older women who get little or no sun exposure should be receiving vitamin D supplements even in the summer months. Do not depend upon sunlight through a windowpane because most of the ultraviolet rays are blocked. (MPC)
Source: Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter. For avoiding broken bones, more vitamin D. 13(5):1-2. July 1995. Ryan, C, P. Eleazer & J. Egbert. Vitamin D in the Elderly. Nutrition Today. 30(6):228-233. Nov-Dec 1995.
Team
Nutrition Supports USDA School Meals Initiative for
Healthy Children
The USDA School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children
(June 1995) called attention to our national health
responsibility to provide meals for children that are
consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and
current scientific nutritional recommendations. A four
point framework for action was established to
continuously improve school meals:
1. Eating for Health: meeting the Dietary Guidelines in school meals
2. Making Food Choices: nutrition education, training and technical assistance
3. Maximizing Resources: getting the best value by improving commodities and building partnerships
4. Managing for the Future: streamlining program administration via technology and less paperwork
USDA's Team Nutrition is a network of public and private partnerships that promote food choices for a healthy diet through the media, schools, families, and the community. USDA's Team Nutrition supports the new policy updating school meals nutrition standards to reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This historic policy change -- the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children -- is the most significant reform of the school meals program since 1946.
Team Nutrition Schools represents the community focal point for USDA's Team Nutrition. They serve as the catalyst for bringing together stakeholders who will work to ensure healthier school meals and more information for children and their families. Team Nutrition Schools is an exciting incentive program designed to coordinate Team Nutrition activities at the local level and to encourage prompt implementation of the new school meals policy.
In September, USDA introduced Team Nutrition Schools in each state. This national network will demonstrate results of changes in school meals and showcase their successful nutrition education programs. USDA will continue to recognize those schools and communities that have demonstrated their commitment to improving the health and nutrition education of children and encourage all schools throughout the nation to become a USDA Team Nutrition School. In June 1996, thousands of USDA's Team Nutrition Schools from coast to coast will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the school lunch program.
In December, the Secretary of Agriculture sent a letter to every school in the country currently participating in the school lunch program inviting the principal to enroll their school in the Team Nutrition Schools Program.
A TEAM NUTRITION SCHOOL WILL:
Support USDA's Team
Nutrition mission and principles
Designate a Team Nutrition School Leader
Demonstrate a commitment to meeting the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans in school meals
Distribute Team Nutrition education materials Involve
teachers, children, families, food service personnel,
and community organizations in nutrition education
activities
Share their successful strategies and programs with other
schools
Demonstrate a well run Child Nutrition Program
A TEAM NUTRITION SCHOOL WILL RECEIVE:
A Team Nutrition
Leadership Award acknowledging their commitment
Recognition in a National Directory of Team Nutrition
Schools
Team Nutrition resource materials for use in the
classroom, in the cafeteria and at home, such as
Scholastic's classroom kits and Disney educational
posters featuring "Lion King" characters
Early alerts about the many additional products available
in the future
Team Nutrition School designation for 2 years
Cooperative Extension Service Is A Partner:
Extension is a partner in Team Nutrition to help promote community involvement. A Team Nutrition Working Group is co-chaired by Alma Hobbs, the Deputy Administrator for Families, 4-H and Nutrition, and Patty Morris, an Executive Assistant to USDA Under Secretary Ellen Haas. A Community Action Kit is being developed which will initially target third through fifth grade children and their parents/caregivers. The working group includes extension state specialists, county faculty as well as national program leaders. Kansas has a representative on that committee, Paula Peters.
The plan is for the Community Action Kits to be delivered to every county in the country in time to help promote the 50th Anniversary of School Lunch in June 1996. Be watching for more details on this kit and how you can promote and cooperate with Team Nutrition Schools. (PP)
For more information write to: Team Nutrition Schools - 3101 Park Center Drive - Room 802, Alexandria, VA, 22302 or visit the website at: http://www.fns.usda.gov/TN/Defined/index.htm
Eating
and Body Image in Women
We all know that our society promotes thinness,
especially in women. As a result, enjoyment of eating is
often overridden by a preoccupation with weight and
feelings of guilt. The following are some common-sense
approaches to minimizing this conflict:
- Don't deprive yourself. Dieting or fasting prior to a holiday or special event may lead you to overeat when the occasion arrives.
- Learn to recognize hunger. When we are children, we know when we are hungry and when we are not. As we get older, we learn to eat in response to many different cues not related hunger. Try tracking your hunger by rating it on a range from ravenous (0) to full (10). Try to avoid either extreme.
- Don't weigh yourself compulsively. Our weight fluctuates daily. If weighing yourself helps you control it, limit it to once a week. It is tempting to tie self-esteem to the numbers on the scale which can lead to feelings of hopelessness and set the stage for overeating, binging, or depression later on.
- Set up a support system for yourself in advance. If you know that you are going to be in a situation that will encourage you to overeat, enlist the help of a friend to help you. They should not monitor what you eat, but rather help diffuse any tension that may be causing you to overeat.
- Imagine yourself in control. If you are concerned about being able to stop once you start eating a favorite food, take a few minutes to visualize yourself being in control of your eating before you even sit down to the table.
- Don't eat standing up. At a buffet table, you will probably consume less and enjoy the food more if you take a small amount of the food you like and sit down to eat it rather than grazing down the line.
- Exercise. Regular exercise helps control weight and appetite and maintain good health. If you are sedentary now, start slowly -- as little as 5 minutes of walking -- and gradually increase the time. It is best to consult a physician before starting an exercise program.
- Think of your diet
as food you need to nourish you body, rather than
a temporary, restrictive regimen. This is
probably the most important point of all. If you
think of eating and weight as a health issue
rather than a cosmetic concern, you will be more
likely to eat a healthy diet. By thinking this
way, it will be easier to make small, permanent
changes that help you think of eating as an
enjoyable activity.
(PP)
Source: Harvard Women's Health Watch, December 1995.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.