by kelsey | May 10, 2012 | Diet, Etc., Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
Today I had the honor of being part of the Senior Issues Forum at the Codington County Extension Complex. It was a nice event with a good showing! During our open panel discussion, the topic of blood pressure and sodium came up frequently. Deb Sundem, Extention Specialist had a booth displaying various portions of salt and the amount of sodium in them. We recommend limiting your sodium intake to 1500-2400 mg/day. If you have high blood pressure and/or heart disease or are at risk for these diseases, it’s recommended to stay under 1500 mg to reduce risk for complications. This is very hard to do because salt is in everything! I included a picture of fried foods as processed foods and foods eaten out are typically highest in sodium. 1500 mg of sodium is less than 1 tsp of salt. Most Americans are getting anywhere from 3000-5000 mg/day!
It’s very important to choose low sodium options when you can and to try to use a salt substitute or herbs and spices over the regular salt when cooking. I was also asked about sea salt as some think it’s a better choice. Sea salt is processed differently which results in a more vibrant taste which makes some people use less. It does have a little less sodium than our regular iodized salt, however salt is salt! It’s best to use the salt substitute and/or herbs and spices as the sodium can really add up in a day!
In addition, a higher intake (5-9 servings) of fruits and vegetables has shown to improve hypertension and heart disease. Be sure to get plenty of these in your daily intake!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | May 1, 2012 | Etc., Family, Food
Happy May Day! Today has always been a fun day because it marks the first day of May and all the joy that brings, but it’s also my husband, Adam’s birthday! We had a little birthday party this last weekend to celebrate. As you can see in the picture we are both SDSU Jack’s fan and yes, he does have a rich and delicious turtle pie cake that his mother made him! Days like this are worth celebrating…and of course, food is always involved! So you may wonder, what does a dietitian serve for parties like this. Well we had our fare share of sweets with this tasty cake and icecream that surely testing our portion control, but we also opted for a lean meal of burgers on the grill, veggies, and fruit salad. Celebrations are a part of life and it’s ok to take a time out from your diet to enjoy, just remember to get back on the wagon the next day and be sure to get your exercise in! Also, if you are in control of planning the menu opt for lean meat choices, be sure to have a fruit and veggie selection, and choose a healthy cooking method such as grilling, baking or broiling versus frying.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Apr 11, 2012 | Etc.
We want to inform you that due to a scheduling conflict, we have switched Dr. Jon’s and Deidra’s talks for this spring session of STRIVE. Thus this next Tuesday, April 17th, Deidra Van Gilder, PharmD will speak and Dr. Jon will give his talk on May 15th. Since some of you past participants still come to the lectures or come to some that you missed during your session, we wanted to inform everyone of this change.
Deidra VanGilder, PharmD is a great resource for questions on vitamins, minerals, supplements, and medications, so be sure to bring those questions with you next Tuesday!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 29, 2012 | Etc., Food
If you have read, listened, or watched the news lately, most likely you have heard about the “pink slime” or lean finely textured beef. There is a lot of hype about this in the media which results in a lot of confusion and questions. As consumers we want to make sure we access high quality, safe food, thus I wanted to share with you the facts about the lean finely textured beef.
This information is from Registered Dietitian Holly Swee, who works with the South Dakota Beef Industry Council.
- “Lean finely textured beef is just that. Beef. When steaks and roasts are cut, it creates the “trim” that becomes ground beef. The companies supplying lean finely textured beef use a process to remove a lot of the fat from the lean beef in the trim, which is then added to ground beef as a concentrated, lean source of protein. Though some media outlets are reporting this product is a filler, that’s not true. It’s beef plain and simple.
- The nutritional profiles of lean finely textured beef and traditional ground beef are nearly identical. Lean finely textured beef is 90%-to-95% lean (5%-10% fat) and, just like all beef, is a good or excellent source of 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins.
- Lean finely textured beef offers affordable nutrition for kids, which is critical given shrinking school budgets, rising food costs and the fact that for many kids, school lunch is their best chance at a getting a well-balanced meal during the day.
- Ground beef that includes lean finely textured beef is safe according to independent scientists, safety advocates and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). By law, E. coli and Salmonella cannot be in meat supplied for school lunch. In some cases, a small, safe amount of ammonia gas or citric acid is used to produce the lean finely textured beef, which like other safety measures along the way, reduces the potential for bacterial contamination. FSIS has reviewed and approved this practice as safe, and safety advocates have applauded it as an effective way of ensuring safe beef for consumers.
- Processing aids like ammonia gas, citric acid and others do not appear singled out on food labels because by definition and by law, they do not affect the finished food. According to the Food and Drug Administration, labeling of “incidental additives” like these processing aids would be impracticable and might draw undue attention to what essentially amounts to meaningless trace amounts.
You may be wondering if we’re talking about the same product after all you’ve heard or read about “pink slime,” but the fact is, the gross descriptions of this product and process that are circulating out there just aren’t true. Lean finely textured beef is simply a low-fat source of beef protein, that when added to ground beef, is just another ingredient in the ground beef dishes you know and love.
There are a number of resources available if you’re interested in learning more or looking for information to share, including: a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Agriculture; video of the process from one of the lean finely textured beef suppliers, Beef Products Inc.; an interview and expert Q&A with Dr. Russell Cross, former FSIS administrator and current head of the Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University; and a “pink slime” myth debunking website.”
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact myself or Holly.
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Mar 22, 2012 | Etc., Food
The warmer weather, turning of green grass, and birds chirping are signs spring is here! Spring is always a great time to do some “spring” cleaning! We often think about spring cleaning in regards to the outside of our house such as cleaning windows, etc, however it’s also really important to take a good look at the inside of your house, especially the inside of your fridge and freezer. Take look at the food products inside your fridge, if anything is expired or has a signficant odor, cleaning is a must! First off, empty your fridge so that you can really clean inside. You can use a vinegar water (equal parts) solution to wipe the inside out. The acid in vinegar helps destroy mildew. Then wash inside the fridge with a baking soda and water solution. Be sure to scrub the gaskets, shelves, sides, and doors. If able, allow several days to air out. If your fridge is extra smelly, you can sprinkly fresh coffee grounds or baking soda loosely in the bottom of your fridge or place them in an open container. Another option is to place a cotton swab soaked with vanilla inside freezer and close the door for 24 hours.
“For more information on how to keep your refrigerator safe and clean, check out our Refrigerator Safety Tips and visit homefoodsafety.org.”
Reference: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442468402
Happy Spring Cleaning!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Mar 20, 2012 | Etc.
Today is an exciting day for us! We are ending our winter STRIVE and starting our spring STRIVE…and it’s the first day of spring! As we look forward to more warmer weather and sunny days, it’s a great time to put YOU first by improving your health and wellness. We still have some room in our spring program, so if you are interested in learning more or getting enrolled, contact us today! Our first meeting is tonight at 5:30pm at the County Fair Banquet Hall. We look forward to another great group as we work together to STRIVE 2 Survive!
-Kelsey
