Nutrition Expert Voices Today

The Real Scoop on High Fructose Corn Syrup and Sugar

Bob sent me an email wanting to know if bee honey is more fattening than jelly or jam when used on a piece of bread. Bob, it’s your personal preference. The calories in a tablespoon of honey, jam or jelly average 55-65 and there is very little difference nutritionally so enjoy your favorite. The key to weight maintenance is portion control and the total calories you take in every day against how many you burn off in daily activities and exercise. Your question, Bob, ties in with the current urban myth that high fructose corn syrup is the evil sweetener that is making everyone fat. It reminds me of when eggs got such a bad rap and people stopped eating them because they were told their cholesterol would go up. More…

Healthy Nut Butters

Greg sent me an email with some questions about peanut butter. He wants to know if the oil in peanut butter is the same as fat and if so, should he consume low fat peanut butter? I’m glad you asked these questions Greg as there are many nut butters on the grocery shelves and it can be confusing. Let’s start with your first question about the oil in peanut butter. Yes, oil is the same as fat. It’s a form of fat. Fat has many faces or looks. Think about the oil in salad dressing or a bottle of canola oil or any oil. These oils are fat. Butter, shortening, margarine….these are all fat. Even the marbling around the outside of a steak or the skin on a chicken, these are fat. The oil in peanuts and peanut butter is a form of fat. More…

Are Plastics a Potential Health Problem?

A friend who has been dealing with breast cancer asked me if drinking out of hard plastic bottles like the ones that hikers use could potentially put her at risk for more cancer due the chemical bisphenol-A. You may know it as BPA which has a #7 on the bottom of containers for recycling purposes. Many reusable water bottles, some baby bottles, and clear plastic storage containers are made with polycarbonate plastic containing BPA. The lining of most canned food, pizza boxes, water pipes, cell phones, shower curtains, CDs and some dental sealants contain BPA. There is even a small amount of BPA in house dust and the air but the biggest part of your exposure comes from food and liquids. More…

Making Sense of Supplements

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Comfort Food Facelift

  Does the economic crisis have you turning to food as your friend and for comfort? You are NOT alone. Food is legal, ubiquitous and a comfort to many people. Comfort foods are always popular but more so when times are tough. Some of my favorites are blackberry cobbler, homemade meatloaf and mashed potatoes...foods of the South which I grew up on. How about you? What comfort foods do you love? You don't have to feel guilty about eating comfort foods because there are so many easy ways to give your comfort foods a face-lift ... still absolutely yummy but tweaked to be a bit healthier. More…

The New COOL or Country of Origin Label

If you’ve visited other countries and bought food, you’ve probably noticed that country of origin labels are common. Now, when you’re in the grocery here in the US, you’re going to see something you haven’t seen before...a label on your cut of meat telling you where the meat is from. On September 30th, country of origin labels also know as COOL will become commonplace in the US. Meat, poultry, produce and some nuts sold in the U.S. will require a label that states the product's origin. I’ll tell you what I know about it right now although the interim final ruling may be revised and updated because of controversy. • 2002: Farm Bill mandated country of origin labels or COOL • 2004: Rule was published for fish and shellfish only More…

What is Your Salt IQ?

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Brain Food: What to Eat to Boost Your Brain Power

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Spotlight on Choline: the Tie to Breast Cancer

Have you heard of the nutrient choline? It’s been in the news quite a bit lately because of studies tying it to the prevention of breast cancer. Here’s what you need to know. Choline is not a vitamin or mineral but it is one of many nutrients needed by the body that have very specific roles in day to day body processes. More…

Gluten-Free Living Guidelines, Part 2

This is part two on the gluten-free diet so if you missed part one, you can listen to it at WDBO.com, just click on the Nutrition & Health Center and look for the podcast archives at the bottom of the page. Did you know that the glue on envelopes, imitation seafood and gum may contain gluten? To really make the gluten free diet work for you, it’s important to know all the ins and outs particularly where gluten hides in products that you might not think about. More…