Month of June, 2009

This week I received this great question on my website from Laura:

Is margarine better for you than real butter? What is the truth behind margarine and is it really better for you?

Hi Laura! That is a great question, and one that many people often ask me. The truth is when it comes to butter or margarine in stick form, butter is actually better. 

Now, don’t leave here thinking the dietitian told you that butter was healthy, I am just saying when it comes to stick butter vs. stick margarine, butter is the lesser of the two evils.

When we compare a stick of butter and a stick of margarine, we find that they both are high in fat. Also, they both have saturated fat that has been shown to raise blood cholesterol. Butter contains cholesterol, but margarine does not. However, margarine has trans fat, while butter does not.

Have you ever tried garlic scapes? What about broccoli raab, braising greens, or black-seeded simpson lettuce?

These are all some of the fresh vegetables we’ve enjoyed already this summer in our basket from the farm at Beaverdam Creek in Centerville, TN. We are a part of their CSA (community supported agriculture) program, and each week for less than it would cost at the grocery store, they deliver our basket brimming with colorful produce, to our neighborhood, straight from their farm!

This is a wonderful program, and a great way to encourage us to eat more fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables, both the unusual ones I mentioned above as well as some old favorites such as strawberries, spring mix salad greens, carrots, and broccoli! Just last night, I made a wonderful stir-fry using broccoli, chinese cabbage, carrots, and garlic scapes--all from this week’s basket. The stir-fry was a suggested recipe that was in the newsletter that comes with our basket each week, explaining the different vegetables, how to prepare and store them, and gives updates on the farm and crops.

Stacy from Antigua sent me this great questions:

 I would like to know your recommendations for water intake.  I have seen that the recommended amount is half your body weight in ounces. How much water do I really need to drink each day?

Great question, Stacy, and very timely too. As the weather is getting hotter and hotter each day, we need to be very aware of our fluid needs and be careful to meet them. Half your body weight in ounces seems a high recommendation to me. However, we do need lots of water since the body is roughly 65% water. 

According to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, the average adult loses about two and a half quarts or about 10 cups of water daily. To maintain your body’s fluid balance, you need to replace it each day. 

This week I want to share with you some of the new healthy items that I have found on my recent grocery store trips. I thought you might also want to enjoy these three items because they are all convenience foods that are actually healthy! And it is always easier to make healthy choices when you have some quick options on hand!

Starkist Seasations: