When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie . . .

My friend, Stephanie, sent me this article about pasta. So often we think in terms of what we can and can't eat if we want to be healthy. HOWEVER, we need to start to think differently. Instead of thinking, "I can't eat that because it doesn't fit in my diet or will make me gain weight or isn't healthy," think, "Hmmmm . . . . I really want to eat this because I really enjoy it. How can I make it healthier so I CAN enjoy it and still get the nutrition that I need?" One thing is switching from white to wheat! We already covered in an earlier post why it is that that's so IMPORTANT. So - stick with the pasta, the rice, the bread, etc. that you want; just make healthier choices that make it the BEST NUTRITIONAL CHOICE for your body!

Here's the article:

5 Tips for Healthier Pasta

Discover how noodles can be good for you--especially with these healthy-pasta tips.

by Liz Brown, Contributor

Liz Brown is a health, nutrition and travel writer based in Portland, Oregon. She holds a B.S. degree in Nutrition and is co-author (with Chris Meletis, N.D.) of the book Enhancing Fertility: A Couple's Guide to Natural Approaches (Basic Health Publications, Inc., 2004). Brown is also a Spa magazine contributing editor.

Pasta sure has gotten a bad rap in recent years. Ever since protein-packed, carbohydrate-conserving diets captured the attention of health-conscious Americans, pasta has practically been relegated to junk food status. In an effort to temper blood-sugar levels and control their weight, many people stopped noshing on noodles altogether. That's a shame, considering the merits of this economical, nutritious, versatile and tasty food.

Contrary to popular belief, pasta is actually a low-glycemic index food. This means that it has a more moderate effect on blood glucose and energy levels when digested than high-glycemic index refined foods, such as white rice and white bread. The carbohydrates in high-glycemic index foods are quickly digested, causing a spike in blood glucose (sugar) levels, followed by a sharp dip that can leave us feeling sluggish.

Low-glycemic index foods like pasta provide more sustained energy throughout the day, and they may even help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes while encouraging healthy weight.

The most common pasta varieties--spaghetti, macaroni, penne and the like--are made with semolina flour, which comes from durum wheat and contains vitamin-E-rich wheat germ. In addition, pasta tends to be low in sodium and fat and enriched with essential B vitamins (thiamin, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin), as well as iron.

Of course, not all pasta dishes are created equal. Follow these tips to get more nutritional bang for your buck while avoiding common pasta pitfalls.

1. When at home, do as the Romans do.
Moderate pasta's impact on blood sugar for sustained energy by cooking it as the Italians do: al dente, or "to the tooth." Noodles should remain slightly chewy as opposed to mushy. Besides, pasta tends to hold the sauce nicely when cooked to perfection. Follow al dente cooking instructions on the box and sample a noodle or two along the way.

2. Pay attention to portion size.
Despite the heaping servings many restaurants dish out, moderating portion size is paramount. When dining out, consider splitting a pasta entrée with a fellow diner and order a salad, too. At home, serve pasta in shallow pasta bowls instead of large dinner plates, and dish it up in the kitchen to avoid overindulging at the table. Serve a vegetable, salad or lean meat side dish alongside a pasta dish to boost nutrition and variety.

3. Spoon on a healthy sauce.
Alfredo is not your friend. This and other cream-based sauces tend to be high in saturated fat and calories, so opt instead for tomato- and olive-oil-based varieties. You'll get more "good" fats and health-promoting antioxidants while keeping your waistline in check. Liven up sauces up with garlic, onion, sliced olives, fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle a small amount of finely grated parmesan or other strong-flavored hard cheese on top for added pizzazz.

4. Pile on the veggies.
Pasta presents a perfect opportunity to boost your intake of nutrient-rich, low-calorie vegetables. Zucchini, broccoli, roasted red peppers, fresh or sun-dried tomatoes, eggplant--the sky's the limit.

5. Try something new.
The array of pasta options on store shelves continues to expand, with varieties ranging from gluten-free and omega-3-enriched (to up healthy-fat intake) to whole-wheat pastas. The latter provide more fiber than traditional varieties but have a chewier texture that doesn't appeal to everyone. Try a half-and-half combination of whole-wheat with semolina flour. There's no shortage of pasta shapes either, so mix it up to avoid a spaghetti rut.

6. Go Beyond Spaghetti:

• Capellini: Meaning "fine hairs," this slender noodle is also called angel hair pasta and goes best with delicate sauces.
• Farfalle: Meaning "butterflies," it's also known as bow tie pasta. This is a fun shape for kids and works well with most sauces or soups.
• Linguine: This means "little tongues," and it's a flat, narrow noodle that compliments a variety of dishes--it's often paired with clam sauce or shrimp marinara.
• Orecchiette: Meaning "little ears," this small, round shape hold up to chunkier sauces.
• Ziti: Another word for "bridegrooms," this tube-shaped pasta, like a smooth penne, is great for baked dishes.

So enjoy those noodles but keep these tips in mind to get all the health benefits of pasta without the drawbacks.

The Food Guide Pyramid: A Family Affair

In the spirit of Sue's post last week about helping your children make good choices, I wanted to add something that I have been thinking about and give some family involvement ideas for how to implement it.

We all know the Food Guide Pyramid, right? We learned about it in school; it's on every box of cereal we eat and a foundation for the nutrition information given on other things we eat. Did you know, however, that you can MAKE A CUSTOMIZED Food Guide Pyramid for yourself and your family members at mypyramid.gov? You can! It takes into account your age, height, weight, gender, etc. and customizes a Food Guide Pyramid to your specifications.

Then, as if that wasn't cool enough, you can also prepare a menu by clicking on the My Pyramid Menu Planner link. This will bring up the foods you eat and make a bar graph for you to track how much you are getting of each food category vs. how much you SHOULD be getting.

As if THAT wasn't cool enough, there is also a link for Preschool-age kids. SO . . . basically, you can create an individual Pyramid for EACH MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY!

Here's another idea for including your children so that you are teaching THEM how to eat healthily and MAKE GOOD CHOICES and FORM GOOD HABITS:

Take two mailing envelopes and tape them back-to-back (placing the flaps inside or outside; it really doesn't matter -- though I prefer inside).
Next, take a permanent marker and write on the outside of one of them "OPTIONS" or "CHOICES" and on the opposite envelope "DONE."
Then make a slip of paper for each of the required amounts of the different categories of food. So, you might have three slips of paper that say "FRUIT" and three or so pieces that say "VEGETABLE," etc.
Place all of the slips of paper in the "OPTIONS" side of the envelopes.
Add a magnet to the "DONE side of the envelope and hang it on your refrigerator.

As you go throughout the day, choose things from the front of your envelope and then move them to the back (the DONE side). At the end of the day, see how well you did. You can do this with your children to help them start to think in terms of variety and nutrition and making healthy choices. You might even have an "OTHER" treat for when they have emptied their "OPTIONS" envelope by the end of the day or make it a game in some other way.

Pretty cool, eh?

Recipe of the Week

SHEPHERD'S PIE
1 3/4 lbs. baking potatoes
2/3 C fat-free milk
1 Tbl. unsalted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. lean ground beef (7% or less)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbl. tomato paste
1 (10 oz.) package frozen veggies
1 C. reduced-sodium beef broth (or use bullion to make your own)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2-qt. baking dish with non-stick spray.

2) Topping: Boil potatoes; add milk, butter, 1/2 tsp. of the salt; and 1/8 tsp. of ground pepper. Mash and set aside.

3) Filling: Cook beef in large skillet, until browned. Set aside. Cook onion, garlic, and oregano in skillet until onion is lightly browned. Add tomato paste and cook until slightly thickened. Add frozen veggies and cook until thawed. Stir in beef broth and cook until mixture is slightly thickened. Add beef, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. of ground pepper.

4) Transfer filling to baking dish; spread topping over the filling and bake until filling is bubbly around the edges (about 20 minutes). Remove from oven. Turn oven to BROIL and return casserole to the oven until the top is lightly browned (1-2 minutes). Let stand five minutes before serving.

*** Additional option: Add low- or non-fat grated cheese to the top and then broil the casserole. The nutrition info. given here is without a cheese topping.

Nutrition: Serving size -- 1 1/3 cups. Per serving: 284 calories; 6 g fat; 3 g sat. fat; 0 g. trans fat; 557 mg. sodium; 34 g carbs; 5 g fiber; 22 g protein; 72 mg calcium.

Serves 6

not just brown vs. white: the complex carb

So in preparing to write this, I googled complex carbs, and found this article from the diet channel. It's all about simple vs. complex carbs, and explains it better than I thought I could (the address is at the bottom-I couldn't get a link to work)
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Simple carbohydrates
These are just what they sound like: simple sugars. Simple sugars are quickly converted to glucose in your body . Simple carbohydrates include naturally occurring sugars and are most usually found in refined and processed foods, including white breads, sugary beverages and candy.

Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbs are more slowly digested and almost always found in foods more healthful than their simple counterparts. You find complex carbohydrates in:

•Fruits
•Vegetables
•Whole grain foods

Health benefits of complex carbohydrates
There are numerous health-related reasons why you should increase your complex carbs, while decreasing the amount of simple sugars in your diet:

1. Complex carbs aid weight management
Foods that are high in complex carbohydrates are often lower in calories. It generally takes more time to eat 100 calories of a banana than it does to consume 100 calories of soda. Calorie for calorie, complex carbohydrates are more satisfying and the calories add up more slowly when compared to simple carbs.

2. Fiber keeps your feeling full longer
Most Americans don’t get the recommended amount of fiber per day: 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Increasing your complex carbohydrate foods always means an associated rise in fiber intake. And fiber helps you feel fuller for longer, meaning you’ll feel the need to eat less often.

3. Complex carbs contain nutritional benefits
There is no limit to the amount of nutritional benefits you get from switching to complex carbohydrates. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and other nutrients that are rarely present in simple-sugar food items.

Be a smart consumer: choose complex carbs over simple carbs
People and dieters alike are finally waking up to the fact that carbs are not the enemy . The recent focus on the detriments of low-carb diets has had a positive effect—there’s a renewed interest in the benefits of complex carbohydrates and whole grains.

But beware; food manufacturers are exploiting this interest with numerous ways to confuse complex-carb seekers. A good whole grain food choice should be made primarily from whole grains. It sounds intuitive, but it’s easy to get misled:

Be wary of misleading food labels
Regulation surrounding labeling claims on whole grain foods is weak. Any food with a modicum of whole grain in it can be labeled “whole grain”. Check the ingredient list: if “enriched” is in the first ingredient, put it back on the shelf. Look for the word “whole” in the first ingredient to assure it is indeed a good whole grain food.

Keep an eye out for the fiber content in your food
The truth is in the label, and particularly the “fiber” section of the label. A good serving of whole grains will have 3 grams of fiber or more per serving. Only choose breads, pastas, cereals and grains that meet this requirement.

You can’t go wrong with eating fresh fruit and vegetables
These are your best low-calorie sources of complex carbohydrates. They are packed with nutrients and fiber and make great snacks throughout the day.

Balancing carbs, proteins, and fat is key
Keeping your carbohydrates to 55-60% of your total calories is a good way to divvy up your nutrients. Follow this rule of thumb: “Make half your grains whole” and eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. These strategies will ensure that your complex carbohydrate intake is adequate.

http://www.thedietchannel.com/Good-Carbs-Vs-Bad-Carbs-How-To-Pick-The-Best-Carbs-For-Your-Diet
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As for the brown and white argument, it kind of goes hand-in-hand with complex carbs. "Browns" are more difficult for your body to digest than "whites", aiding in helping you feel fuller longer, and burning more calories (basic metabolic rate). This is why we see TONS of arguments for whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal, and other WHOLE grains.

My best example is found in bread, but can be transferred to anything...White bread is made of white flour, wheat has been striped of its outer shell where only the "insides" are used. Basically, production has eliminated the need for your body to digest the outer layer (bran), making it easier for your body to convert the 'flour' molecule to a glucose molecule (our bodies convert carbs to glucose for energy). The easier the conversion, the faster the digestion process, the less full we feel (because we are only eating part of the wheat kernel), and the less calories we burn, the more we want to eat.

This example can be transferred to rice, and other grains. ANY time you get the WHOLE grain, you are choosing a better product for your health, and increasing your chances for successful, long-term weight loss.

So, in conclusion, carbs are not the bad guy, but you have to be smart in the type of carbs you choose..yes bread is better than a cookie, but if it is white bread, chances are that it isn't that much better.

http://www.thedietchannel.com/Good-Carbs-Vs-Bad-Carbs-How-To-Pick-The-Best-Carbs-For-Your-Diet