April 29th, 2012
This week I tried an herb that I’ve never seen or heard of previously; I will share with you a recipe for how to use it. My husband and I took our usual weekly trip to the Farmer’s Market in our area and found that a new vendor there sells fresh and flash frozen fish. We bought some John Dory, which is a very mild white fish similar to Sea Bass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dory).
John Dory fish
We then stopped at our local nursery, Poway Nursery (http://powaynursery.com) and found that they had an herb called Lemon Balm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemon_balm). Because my husband doesn’t care for fresh lemon juice on fish, he thought that using Lemon Balm leaves might impart the lemony flavor without drying the fish out and . . . he was right! He created a recipe for a delicious tasting grilled fish using just the Lemon Balm, Fresh Basil with a very little salt and pepper (it would even be tasty without salt, however we compromised on using very little). On a side note, while I was at the nursery I learned about a store, Penzey’s Spices, that sells a variety of salt-free seasonings (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/c-Salt_Free.html?id=WbhrFkzg).
Lemon Balm
We also used the Lemon Balm leaves in making Salmon on the grill, along with fresh Rosemary for a very tasty, juicy fish. I’ve included the recipe for the John Dory fish here, however you can use it with many other fish to give that lemon taste without the acidity of the lemon juice.
Lemon Balm Jack
Jack Dory Filets (Jack Dory is a mild white fish similar to Sea Bass)
Lemon Balm (a nice lemony herb), chopped
Basil, chopped
Clarified Butter (or olive oil)
Ground Pepper
Dash of Salt (optional)
Lay out one square of aluminum foil for each fillet
Coat the center of the foil with butter or olive oil
Place the filet over the coating
Sprinkle chopped Lemon Balm and chopped Basil on top of each filet
Lightly season with salt and ground pepper (optional)
Loosely close the foil
Grill for 5 to 7 minutes over Medium High heat
(Cooking time may vary depending on individual grill temperature)
Tags: Farmer's Market, Fish, Herbs, john dory, lemon, lemon balm, Nursery, Penzey's spices, Poway Nursery, salmon, Salt, sodium
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April 18th, 2012
In an article posted by CNN, “Why is fast food saltier in the US?” found at http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/17/health/salt-fast-food/index.html, a study was cited published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, where researchers analyzed the posted nutritional information for more than 2,000 items sold in multiple countries by the world’s six largest fast-food chains: Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Subway. What they found was that overall, fast food tended to be saltier in the United States than in the other countries included in the study: Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the UK. What’s more, the sodium content of the same menu items at the same chains varied by country, sometimes widely.
A key take-away point for me was, “the study findings show that limitations in food-processing technology are not a barrier to providing lower-sodium products, as the food industry has claimed”.
If technology isn’t the barrier, then what is it that prevents many food manufacturers and restaurants from taking steps to lower sodium content of their foods? I wonder if it wouldn’t be a case similar to what happened when people found out about “pink slime” in their ground beef. My local butcher is selling significantly more fresh ground beef as people choose not to take the chance that they may eat “pink slime” when purchasing ground beef at the grocery store.
Will taking away the excess sodium expose the poor quality and taste of fast food? If so, if people stop eating so much fast food then what happens to corporate profits? Is this what the food manufacturers and restaurants are most afraid will happen when people learn what underlies that salty taste they’ve been trained to crave and to which they just may be “addicted”.
I don’t eat and don’t care for excess salted food and rarely eat out. However when dining out with friends or family, I always request my food to be unseasoned, unsalted and without sauces or dressings. This has been an eye opening experience in finding out which restaurants focus on quality ingredients versus which ones are hiding poor quality food behind salt and seasoned sauces.
I truly believe that if more people find out about the poor quality food being served in the US, there will be a demand for more quality, healthy ingredients which will contribute to our better overall quality of health.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Ask your favorite restaurant to lower the salt content in their menu items.
- Ask for your food to be unseasoned, unsalted, and without dressings or sauces.
- Only patronize restaurants which will offer lower sodium options and where you find the food beneath the salt is truly healthy and of good quality.
- Try to cook whole foods at home whenever possible, using fresh or dried flavorful herbs to season the food.
Tags: canadian medical association journal, cnn, fast food, industry, restaurants, Salt, sodium
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April 3rd, 2012
GOOD NEWS!
In addition to the hard copy, How to keep track of your salt intake: Easy as 1 – 2 - 3 is now available wirelessly in the Kindle Store at:
http://www.amazon.com/KEEP-TRACK-YOUR-INTAKE-ebook/dp/B0071FNWGQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333483923&sr=8-2
Tags: amazon, Book, kindle, Salt, sodium, track, wireless
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March 24th, 2012
This week is World Salt Awareness week www.worldactiononsalt.com
What will you do to change your salt eating habits?
Also visit www.SalTrax.com
Tags: awareness, habits, Salt, sodium, world
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February 10th, 2012
February is American Heart Month and it’s a great time to share the latest research and information about heart disease and stroke prevention. The newest edition of CDC Vital Signs focuses on excessive sodium in the American diet and the top 10 types of foods most responsible for it.
Visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/Sodium/
Some key points of the CDC Vital Signs report on sodium include:
- 9 in 10 Americans aged 2 years and older eat too much sodium.
- 44% of the sodium we eat comes from just 10 types of foods.
- 65% of sodium we eat comes from foods sold in grocery stores.
- 25% of sodium we eat comes from foods served in restaurants.
- Too much sodium can raise high blood pressure and increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
- 800,000 people die each year from heart disease, stroke and other vascular diseases.
A key point that is very important to remember: most of the sodium we eat comes from food sold in grocery stores and in restaurants, and not what is added at the table. Sodium is already part of processed foods and cannot be removed. To address this, a comprehensive approach that involves public awareness about dietary guidelines for daily sodium consumption, food manufacturers and restaurants implementing steps to lower sodium in the foods they produce and sell and consumers comparing sodium in foods to choose lower sodium items is needed.
Reducing sodium content of the 10 leading food sources by 25 percent would lower total dietary sodium by more than 10 percent.
What YOU can do:
- Choose to purchase healthy options and talk with your grocer or favorite restaurant about stocking lower sodium food choices.
- Read the Nutrition Facts label while shopping to find the lowest sodium options of your favorite foods.
- Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen fruits and vegetables without sauce.
- Limit processed foods high in sodium.
- When eating out, request lower sodium options.
- Support initiatives that reduce sodium in foods in cafeterias and vending machines.
Tags: Blood Pressure, CDC, DASH, diet, dietary guidelines, february, food, grocery store, heart, heart disease, Nutrition Facts Label, processed food, Reduced sodium, restaurant, Salt, sodium, stroke, table
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January 21st, 2012
Did you know that most Lemon Pepper seasoning you find in the grocery store has SALT in it? Even if it doesn’t explicitly state “salt” on the front label, read the back label and you will often find that salt is one of the main, if not the first, ingredient.
You must be careful to read labels and make sure that the seasoning you use, whether Lemon Pepper or other seasoning, states that it is Salt-Free or in the list of ingredients does not have any words such as salt or sodium.
When I cook, I prefer the taste of fresh lemons and ground pepper if I want to use Lemon Pepper. This way I know for sure that it is truly no salt added and whatever I cook has a great flavor. If you don’t have a fresh lemon on hand, keep TrueLemon (www.TrueLemon.com) available for seasoning along with pepper.
I happened to watch the Dr. Oz show last week and although I applaud the effort to include the DASH diet, which is low sodium, into his ”Super Diet”; when discussing alternatives to adding salt, he made the common error of suggesting Lemon Pepper without the caution to read the list of ingredients to ensure that it is free of sodium. See: http://www.doctoroz.com/search?q1=super+diet
I believe that all seasonings that contain salt should be labeled as such on the front label so that the customer cannot be taken advantage of, especially in the case of Lemon Pepper. It is a natural assumption to think that something called Lemon Pepper would be salt free. If you agree, call the manufacturer and express your opinion about the importance of truth and clarity in food & spice labeling.
Tags: Blood Pressure, DASH diet, Dr. Oz, labels, lemon pepper, mccormack, Salt, salt-free, seasoning, spice, super diet
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December 20th, 2011
Happy Holidays!
My hope is that everyone reading this blog will resolve for 2012 to try one, some, or all of the following:
- Read food labels for sodium amounts.
- Choose Low Sodium or No Added Salt foods in the grocery store.
- Beware of foods with sauces & dressings when eating out; when possible order foods plain with sauce on the side for taking small tastes.
- Use lemon & olive oil to salads instead of dressings.
- Avoid processed and packaged food as much as possible.
As Michael Pollan says, “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.”
Enjoy the holidays and have a very happy New Year!
Tags: 2012, eat, food, holidays, linked in, new year, Salt, sodium
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November 16th, 2011
TAKE ACTION TODAY: Tell the FDA You Support Reducing Sodium Levels in Our Food!
http://www.yourethecure.org/composeletters_open.aspx?AlertID=23506
“Did you know that over 75% of the sodium in our diet comes from processed foods, beverages and restaurant foods? That’s not just a food problem, it’s a heart problem. High sodium can lead to high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. With 9 out of 10 Americans facing high blood pressure during their lifetime, it’s clear that we need better control of our sodium intake”.
The American Heart Association, through it’s You’re the Cure action network, has a sample template letter that you can use to send your comments into the FDA before November 29, 2011. The FDA held a public hearing on November 10th and is soliciting comments from everyone regarding the HUGE amount of sodium that is being added to our processed, packaged and restaurant foods as well as strategies for how to best lower the amount of sodium in our food. This is a critical time for you to take action and speak up about this issue. Until the amount of hidden sodium in our food is lowered, we will continue to have NO CHOICE as to how much salt we ingest. I would like everyone reading this to let the FDA know that we want the choice back whether we want to eat foods with salt added. Please consider adding your voice.
Right now, the FDA is seeking public comments about sodium levels in our foods and we need you to speak-up. Send a message of support for sodium reduction efforts today!
Tags: American Heart Association, Blood Pressure, heart, packaged food, processed food, restaurant, Salt, sodium FDA, You're the Cure
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November 7th, 2011
I am pleased to report that the largest organization of public health professionals in the world, the American Public Health Association, is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating the amounts of salt and other sodium-containing ingredients used in processed foods with a goal of reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent. In a resolution http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/apha-resolution-salt.pdf passed unanimously at the American Public Health Association’s 139th annual meeting, the group called on the FDA to “remove or modify” salt’s official status as a Generally Recognized as Safe (or GRAS) food ingredient—a status that allows unlimited amounts of sodium in foods. The resolution calls on the FDA to begin regulating sodium in the food supply within one year and to establish a timetable for gradually reducing sodium in the food supply by 75 percent within ten years. The resolution also recommends that all Americans consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.
Interesting highlights from this comprehensive and well-researched resolution:
*Between 75 and 80 percent of the daily sodium intake of the U.S. population comes from salt added to processed and restaurant foods.
* The average American adult ingests roughly 3600 mg of sodium daily, after accounting for discretionary salt.
*2010 Dietary Guidelines state that only persons who are either hypertensive, diabetic, black, > 51 years of age, or have chronic kidney disease consume no more than 1500 mg daily. For the rest of the population, they recommended that persons consume less than 2300 mg daily.
*Even young adults are now developing hypertension; a 2011 report of a large representative sample of U.S. adults aged 24 to 32 found an alarming 19 percent were hypertensive, much higher than previously found in NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey).
*The CDC has noted that roughly 70 percent of adults fall into the category for which the Dietary Guidelines recommended no more than 1500 mg daily.
*Healthy adults living in a temperate climate can maintain a normal sodium balance with as little as 115 mg of dietary sodium per day.
Please take the time to read this important resolution and act by contacting the FDA before November 29th, 2011. Let the FDA know that you support lowering the amount of sodium in our food supply. It has been done successfully in many European countries and they are seeing the benefits in reduced hypertension and heart disease. Let’s not let our country fall behind in this important area. If easier for you, there is a form letter you may submit through the American Heart Association, found at http://www.yourethecure.org/composeletters_open.aspx?AlertID=23506
Tags: American Heart Association, APHA, FDA, heart disease, hypertension, Public Health, Salt, sodium, United States
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October 15th, 2011
Nourish Day in San Diego is Friday Oct. 21 and will involve a full day of activities, including a breakfast meeting between local growers and community partners, a field trip at Olivewood Gardens, an educational project at High Tech Middle Media Arts, and the day’s big public event – an outdoor screening of the film “Nourish: Food + Community.” See a preview of the film at: http://www.nourishlife.org/2011/03/nourish-trailer/
The film tells the story of our food, where it comes from and what we should do to better understand and appreciate its origins. The film stars food activists Michael Pollan, Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters and Anna Lappe, and is hosted and narrated by Cameron Diaz.
The screening is at 6 p.m. outdoors on the lawn at High Tech High in Point Loma. The Nourish filmmakers will be present. Also screened will be a few related short local films produced by Media Arts Center San Diego.
The 30-minute screening will be followed at 6:45 p.m. by a panel discussion featuring some of our Healthy Works people involved with the different nutrition-related interventions. The special guest speaker is Seth Nickinson, U.S. Field Director for Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
Starting at 3:30 p.m., the Healthy Works Farmers Market will open on the lawn, featuring some of the farmers and vendors now active at local farmers markets. The farmers will talk to visitors about the purpose of a farmers market, and how such markets lead to better personal and community wellness. That afternoon, the Network for A Healthy California will offer physical activities for kids on the lawn.
The afternoon/evening event on the High Tech High lawn is FREE and open to the public. Families are welcome and can bring a blanket and some dinner, or purchase fresh produce and hot food from the farmers market vendors.
I plan to be there and hope to see you there too!
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