Healthy Cooking by design

Grapeseed oil definitely makes the list of healthy oils to have in your pantry.  As with any ingredient, a little information about how to best use it is helpful. Grapeseed oil is made from the grape seeds after they have been crushed for wine making.  (small rant inserted here - I wonder how much of this valuable oil we would naturally consume if people in laboratories hadn’t played with our grapes to remove the seeds.  It seems to me that whenever we genetically play with foods, the nutrition suffers and we introduce consequences we could not foresee. end of rant…)  Anyway…Here are some facts about this beautiful, pale green oil.

What it is:

• a poly unsaturated fat (more than one double bonded-carbon in the molecule, making it liquid at room temperature and also liquid when chilled)
• high in omega-6 fatty acid
• low in saturated fat
• high in vitamin E
• antibacterial

What it does:

• binds to free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that can attack normal cells and destroy or mutate them)
• does not change at high temperatures and has a high smoke point (428 degrees)
• lowers bad cholesterol(LDL) and raises good cholesterol(HDL)
• lowers triglycerides* (used by the liver as fuel to make cholesterol)
• stays liquid and emulsified in mixtures

How it is best used:

• High temperature frying
• In a sauce or recipe that you do not want to impart any flavor from the oil
• To make salad dressing or mayonnaise that will not separate or cloud in the refrigerator
• Topically on skin - provides healing and moisture for skin, fights acne, absorbs quickly without feeling greasy.  Often used as a lip conditioner, night cream, hand lotion, or massage oil.

Now before you go and throw out all your other oils and exclusively use grapeseed oil, let me remind you that variety and moderation are keys to a healthy diet.  There is no one magic answer or one perfect oil.  I do not think we should try to compare oils to find the healthiest.  Instead, we can identify strengths and weaknesses of an oil and then use it in the applications best suited to its characteristics.  And as with any oil, at around 120 calories per tablespoon, use it sparingly.

*For a really facinating look at triglycerides and cholesterol visit ReduceTriglycerides.com.  You will notices from the listed causes of increased triglycerides that a healthy Mediterranean type diet will eliminate many of them.
Special thanks for the photo to Aurora Marrero on Flickr.

I get asked that question all the time.  I try to be very cautious when answering questions like, “Is (fill-in-the-blank) healthy?”  Because everyone from doctors and nutritionists to your average home cook has a different view of what is healthy.  And with so much research available, it is hard to process it all and form an opinion.  So I will tell you what I think and why, and you can decide what you believe.

I use butter.  There, I’ve said it.  Now, let me tell you some of the good things about butter and why I use it.

• Distinct flavor.  On top of oatmeal, to saute asparagus or mushrooms, or on a baked potato, butter is the only flavor that works for me.  And honestly, those are about the only times I use it.
• It is natural.  I think our bodies process natural foods far better than foods born in laboratories.

Now, here are some things to be aware of about butter.  I won’t say they are bad things about it, just things to be aware of.

• I has 102 calories per tablespoon which is 18% of your total recommended fat for the day.  It contains 36% of your recommended saturated fat as well as 10% of your recommended cholesterol for the day.  What that says to me is “use it sparingly.”  I would never use more than a tablespoon on something I’m eating, and will gladly use less if it gives me the flavor I’m wanting.  And I will thoroughly enjoy every bite.  (To put it in perspective, 2 cubes of cheddar cheese from a snack tray have the identical fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol of butter with 36 more calories.)

Consequences follow our choices and I don’t believe we can short circuit that process of cause and effect.  Can we engineer some buttery tasting spread in a laboratory that has all of the good qualities of butter with none of the bad?  I don’t think so.  Because when we ingest chemicals, that causes a different set of consequences.

So when people ask me if butter is healthy, I usually ask, “How much butter?”  While one tablespoon is a fine addition to a meal, three or four is definitely not.  As always, I believe a healthy diet is one with great variety and wise moderation.  So for certain foods I unashamedly say, “Please pass me the butter.”

Special thanks for the photo to booleansplit on Flickr.

I was pondering a few of the brands and products always stocked in my house when it hit me, “Maybe other people haven’t discovered these!”.  With that in mind, I thought I’d let you in on some of my little secrets so you could stock your pantry some of my favorite really tasty, healthy products too.

Good Earth Teas - bold and delicious flavor combinations for hot or cold tea.  One of my favorites is their Original Sweet & Spicy.  I don’t even put honey or sugar in it.  The flavor is that great all by itself.

Hellmann’s Canola Mayonnaise - Half the fat of mayonnaise and every bit of the flavor.  No sweet or waxy taste here.

Daisy Light Sour Cream - Creamy, thick, half the fat and only 3 ingredients, all of which I recognize and can pronounce.

Barilla Plus Pasta - If I brag any more about this one, they will have to put me on their payroll.  Tastes just like white pasta, but made from a wide variety of whole grains.

Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer Tea - with a little lemon juice and honey.  To say this tea is relaxing at the end of a long day is an understatement.

Eighth Continent Chocolate Soy Milk - I’d choose it over Purity chocolate milk if that says enough.  If you’ve been disappointed by watery or chalky soy milks, let this brand change your mind.

TLC anything.  Granola bars, crackers, cookies.  Kashi has got it going on.

Naturally Preferred Crystallized Ginger.  I buy it at Kroger.  Soft, chewy hunks of ginger sweetened with evaporated cane juice.  Like a spicy jelly bean, only way better.

Milder Rotel - for us wimps.  It brings the perfect slight kick to a salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or an amazing topping to an omelette.

I’m sure I could go on and on with what I enjoy.  Instead I’ll ask you what healthy things are in your pantry that you feel good about using, or that you look forward to sitting down after a long day and enjoying.

Staggering numbers of adults make a resolution to lose weight in the new year.  So why aren’t there more success stories?  Some websites lure you with some miracle new pill or 10 day wonder diet, but the truth is to lose weight and keep it off you have to consistently apply the basics - eat right and exercise.  I know, it’s not sexy but it works and keeps on working.  A huge key, though, is consistency.

Just how can we eat right and exercise long term?  We have to find what works for specifically for us.  You may never enjoy a salad as a main dish, but you can regularly order baked foods instead of fried.  You may never pack a snack for the car ride in to work, but you can grab a V-8 or Bolthouse Farms juice and peanuts at the gas station instead of a coke and doughnuts.  You may never join a gym, but you can go for a brisk walk every evening.  You may not use an exercise video, but you can do leg lifts or sit ups on commercials while watching your favorite show.  Just find the healthy things you will do and then do them all the time.  It takes lots of little bad choices to get out of shape, so lots of little good choices will get you back in shape!

Consider these things to help you keep a weight loss resolution.

1. Take a big goal like “losing weight” and break it down into smaller steps that you can do.
2. Write down small steps you want to take in the areas of your body, soul, and spirit.  People who address all three have long term success.
3. Steps for the body should include:

• Eat breakfast
• Drink water
• Exercise
• Eat whole grains, fruits and vegetables
• Limit unhealthy fats, sugar, and over-sized portions
• Eat good snacks
• Get adequate sleep

If you want some more detailed encouragement, I read a couple of good articles this week. Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD at Fox News Health Blog gives 7 good tips to keep your New Year’s Resolution.  Tracee Cornforth at About.com explains how quantity and quality of sleep is a big factor in weight management.  Suzanne Meyers at Ezine Articles explains the importance of determining why you want to lose weight.

Consistently applying the basics is what the tortoise did to win the race against the hare.  Go ahead and picture the hare doing a 24 hour starvation diet or one 3 hour workout at the gym.  Be a tortoise - I dare you - you really will win.  So to you I raise my glass and say CHEERS - to one of the success stories!