Watch the sodium in Purdue chicken now!

Ok...much to my disappointment, purdue now has fresh chicken that they have added sodium to. Their fresh chicken was always without the added sodium but when I went to Walmart a few days ago, I noticed they now have all sorts of fresh chicken with added sodium. It can be as much as 250-400 mg per piece depending on which piece of the chicken you like. So....buyer beware....check the labels very carefully because not all purdue chicken is now minimally processed without added sodium.

Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches

I love Barbecued chicken, pork or beef sandwiches but as you know all those commercial brands or sandwiches you get in restraurants are very high in sodium. Here's a delicious recipe from "500 Low Sodium Recipes" by Dick Logue. He's right....with this recipe, you won't even miss the expensive sandwiches at your favorite barbecue restaurant! Try it with onion rolls (recipe at bottem) and a scoop of coleslaw on it. Yummy!

2 cups smoked chicken, shredded (if you don't have a smoker, the meat can be cooked in a slow cooker until it's tender and then shredded, which is my method!)

For sauce:

8 ounces no salt added tomato sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (no salt added)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayeene pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix together sauce ingredients. Combine with chicken or spoon over chicken on the roll as desired. Yields: 6 servings. Each serving will have 50 mg sodium.

Now for the onion roll recipe also from the same cookbook by Dick Logue, I highly recommend this cookbook!

1 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons minced onion
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons, or 10g) yeast

For topping:

2 tablespoons (20 g) minced onion
6 tablespoons (90 ml) water, divided
1 egg white

Place ingredients in bread machine in order specified by manufacturer. Process on dough cycle. When done, remove and shape into 10 rolls, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Combine 2 tablespoons minced onion with 1/4 cup water. Let stand 5 minutes. Beat egg white with remaining 2 tablespoons water. Brush rolls with egg mixture. Sprinkle with onion mixture. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 10 servings

Each roll will have 30 mg sodium......much better than what you can buy in the grocery store! Enjoy!

Low sodium recipe

ok...this is NOT my recipe but I'm always looking for new tasty recipes and this one sounds yummy! I got this off the foodnetwork healthyeats feedburner. It is by Dana White in Healthy recipes from the food network website. Sounds good and I know boxed rice mixes are loaded with sodium and are off limits for those of us with heart failure and those that just plain want to eat healthier without giving their children an unhealthy taste for sodium! Here's the recipe:


5 Ingredients or Less: Spicy Cheesy Rice
by Dana White in Healthy Recipes – Posted Monday, June 1, 2009, 12:30 pm

Packaged, seasoned rice dishes are loaded with sodium and preservatives. Sure, it’s easy when it comes from a box, but why not try it yourself? I created this healthier version that’s become a family hit. Serve beside chicken, pork, seafood beef or veggies, or try it with tacos (my favorite). Leftovers are convenient for lunch, too.


Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon Latin spice mix (suggested: Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime or Goya Sazón Natural)
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheese (your choice)
1 cup frozen green peas

1) Brown Rice
Switching to brown rice is an easy way to get more servings of whole grains. The extra fiber, protein and B vitamins keep you satisfied and energized; its mild, nutty flavor goes perfectly with the other ingredients in this recipe.

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, combine rice with 2 cups of water and a dash of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender.

2) Latin Spice Mix
Spice blends usually contain garlic, cumin, chili and coriander. Some also include a spice called annatto — it’s peppery, delicious and has a unique red color. Mixes like Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime (a new Mrs. Dash offering) or Goya Sazón Natural & Complete give flavor without unnecessary salt.

3) Chili Sauce
I’m a chili sauce addict! My favorite is Sriracha. Just a few drops infuses the right amount of sweet heat — plus, it’s another way to add flavor without the extra calories!

While the rice is cooking, combine 2 tablespoons of canola oil, the spice mix and chili sauce in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

4) Low-Fat Shredded Cheese
Low-fat cheese — not non-fat — is always the better way to go. Fat-free kinds tend to have more chemicals in them than cheese and almost no flavor, but low-fat varieties have all the calcium, protein, taste and texture without as much saturated fat. I use a blend of cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey jack.

5) Frozen Peas
When I first made this recipe, I thought it needed something green to liven it up — and when you mix legumes like peas with a grain, you create a protein combination the body prefers. Peas also contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, K and thiamin. There’s no need to thaw the peas, they will warm up quickly when added to the rice.

Once the rice is cooked, add the spice mixture, cheese and peas; stir well to combine. Garnish with chopped scallions and fresh cilantro, if desired. This recipe serves 6.

Nutrition Info (per serving):
Calories: 189
Fat: 6 grams
Saturated Fat: 1 gram
Protein: 6 grams
Carbohydrate: 27 grams
Sodium: 95 milligrams
Cholesterol: 2 milligrams
Fiber: 2 grams
Servings: 6

5 foods to boost your energy

I can attest to this!

Forget the energy drinks, supplements or packaged sports bars — get your zip from naturally energizing foods. Try these 5 to get extra oomph every day.


1) Whole-Wheat Bread
The body’s primary source of energy is carbs. I’m not referring to jelly beans and lollipops (a.k.a. simple sugars). If you load up on them, you’ll end up hitting the wall within 20 minutes. Whole grains burn off slower, giving you longer-lasting vigor. They also contain loads of B-vitamins, which work together to boost energy and your metabolism.

Other whole-grain sources: Whole-grain cereal (like raisin bran or shredded wheat), brown rice and oatmeal. Kashi makes great whole grain hot and cold cereals that we love.

2) Strawberries
Need an immediate burst of energy? Have a handful of strawberries. They’re coming into season now at your farmers’ market or produce grocer — this means they’re sweet and juicy. Strawberries also contain fiber, which helps your body more slowly absorb the carbohydrates you eat. Fresh fruits make a great mid-afternoon snack, especially for that 3pm slump.

Other energy-boosting fruit: cherries, apricots …. just about any fresh fruit will give you a lift.

3) Broccoli
Believe it or not, one cooked cup of broccoli actually contains as much vitamin C as an orange. Why is that vitamin important? Well, an Arizona State University study found that 1 in 3 women were not getting enough in their diets. After upping their intake to 500 milligrams a day, they reported feeling better and more energized. Forgo vitamin C supplements and just up your broccoli snacking or sides. (This applies to men, too).

Other vitamin C-packed veggies: cabbage, radishes and spinach

4) Pork
To keep energy levels constant, you need to get enough iron. Unfortunately, iron is the most common nutrient deficiency in the US (and in the whole world). This mineral helps transport oxygen to wherever your body needs it by hooking onto red blood cells. Common iron deficiency symptoms? Low energy and fatigue.

Not only does pork contain iron, it’s also a good source of the B-vitamins like thiamine and niacin, which are both involved with your metabolism. Choose lean cuts of pork, like tenderloin and pork chops — higher fat foods can weigh you down and make you sluggish.

Other lean proteins: beef tenderloin, chicken breast and shrimp

5) Water
Our bodies are two-thirds water. Water helps control body temperature and digestion and, of course, we need it to produce energy. Even slight dehydration can make you tired. Classic recommendations say 8 cups a day, but this can vary per person. Keep a glass by your side and sip away all day. And don’t count out food — eating foods with high water content (fruits and veggies especially) count towards your daily water needs.

The Most Important Thing
Don’t skip meals! Too much time between meals causes your body to start running on fumes, and you’ll be more likely to overindulge at your next meal. Eating larger portions then makes you feel tired and sluggish, too. Stick to 3 balanced meals and 2-3 small, healthy snacks daily — this way you’ll replenish your energy at a slow and steady pace

The Portion Distortion!

ok...after eating out yesterday from lunch and ordering off the "LUNCH" menu at Pappadeaux's and getting 3x the food one needs at one sitting, I thought I would post some tips to avoid portion size pitfalls. More and more restrauants have been piling on the food and we American's have been eating it! Portion sizes have continued to grow in this country and we've seen it in increase obesity in children. Children today will be the first generation to not out live their parents if something isn't done. This is something the "consumer" needs to take control of and learn what a healthy portion size is. I've noticed in most restrauants the plates have gotten much larger too! So, one tip to control portion sizes at home is use smaller plates! You'd me amazed at how much less you eat when eating off a smaller size plate. Here are a few other tips to help avoid the portion distortion!
This is especially important if you are watching your sodium intake!

How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight



This is part of our Weight Management Research to Practice Series.
When eating at many restaurants, it's hard to miss that portion sizes have gotten larger in the last few years. The trend has also spilled over into the grocery store and vending machines, where a bagel has become a BAGEL and an "individual" bag of chips can easily feed more than one. Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced with larger portions. This can mean significant excess calorie intake, especially when eating high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you avoid some common portion-size pitfalls.

Portion control when eating out. Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal. Take control of the amount of food that ends up on your plate by splitting an entrée with a friend. Or, ask the wait person for a "to-go" box and wrap up half your meal as soon as it's brought to the table.

Portion control when eating in. To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings when eating at home, serve the food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table. Keeping the excess food out of reach may discourage overeating.

Portion control in front of the TV. When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It's easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else.

Go ahead, spoil your dinner. We learned as children not to snack before a meal for fear of "spoiling our dinner." Well, it's time to forget that old rule. If you feel hungry between meals, eat a healthy snack, like a piece of fruit or small salad, to avoid overeating during your next meal.

Be aware of large packages. For some reason, the larger the package, the more people consume from it without realizing it. To minimize this effect:

Divide up the contents of one large package into several smaller containers to help avoid over-consumption.
Don't eat straight from the package. Instead, serve the food in a small bowl or container.



Out of sight, out of mind. People tend to consume more when they have easy access to food. Make your home a "portion friendly zone."

Replace the candy dish with a fruit bowl.
Store especially tempting foods, like cookies, chips, or ice cream, out of immediate eyesight, like on a high shelf or at the back of the freezer. Move the healthier food to the front at eye level.

When buying in bulk, store the excess in a place that's not convenient to get to, such as a high cabinet or at the back of the pantry.

Healthy Eating tip

Ok...so you're trying to eat healthier and eat foods with less fat and sodium. when in the grocery store, one easier way to do "healthier" grocery shopping is to spend more time in the outer aisles of the store where fresh foods are kept. Spend less time in the middle aisles where packaged foods, snacks, and soft drinks are stocked. when you read your labels, look at the portion size in the container. If you eat double the serving size listed, you need to double the calories, fat, sodium and nutrients. Be aware that most canned foods have more than 1 serving per can, for example......canned soup. Most people eat the entire can and 1 serving can put you over your daily sodium need. Your better off making your own soup! Watch for both natural and added sodium in foods. Ordinary table salt is sodium chloride....40 percent sodium by weight. Healthy adults should take in less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. That's equal to about 1 tsp of salt. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, peas and beans are good sources of dietary fiber and can help reduce the risk of heart disease. For your total carbohydrates, emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals. Remember where there's animal protein, there's also fat and cholesterol.....Eat small portions! Keep track of your calories consumed in a day, you'd be surprised how much you are actually consuming! Watch your total fat intake. Most people need to cut back on calories and fat! Too much fat may contribute to heart disease and cancer. Watch your labels....the label gives you the number of fat grams per serving and the number of calories from fat. If you are overweight or trying to lose weight, your goal is an overall intake of no more than 25 to 35 percent of your total calories from fat, with less than 7 percent as saturated fat and less than 1 percent of trans fat. You should keep track of the amount of calories you consume and the amount of calories you burn. Watch the cholesterol. Too much in your diet may lead to too much of it in your blood. Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to heart disease and stroke. It's best to eat less than 300 mg each day. People with heart disease should eat less than 200 mg per day. I go for much, much less that the recommended amount! Eat healthy and exercise.......choose to live!

Control your risk factors

Did you know that YOU have control over 80% of the risk factors for heart disease? Most people never even think about their heart and what they are doing to it however. You can't control your family history but you can control other things that increase your risk of developing heart disease. One of the ways is by making a healthy lifestyle YOUR lifestyle. By eating right, exercising and controlling your weight you can do a lot to reduce your risk factors and stay healthy. The best way to lose weight, however, is thru lifestlye changes not thru the use of diet supplements which are generally pretty unhealthy for your heart. Most of them contain hidden sources of high amounts of caffeine which are potentially dangerous for your heart. I'm a big advocate of staying away from that stuff because I know what it can do to your heart and it's not worth losing a few pounds if you lose your life due to a dangerous heart rhythm all because you popped a pill instead of trying to be healthy! Here's an article on the subject from the Go Red for women website.

05/01/09 — Weight-loss Supplements May Cause Life-Threatening Cardiac Complications or Death



Weight-loss Supplements May Cause Life-Threatening Cardiac Complications or Death
Study published in the HeartRhythm Journal reveals hidden heart health risks associated with ingredients found in diet pills


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ann-Marie White
Heart Rhythm Society
(202) 464-3476
awhite@hrsonline.org


WASHINGTON, DC — A study published in the May edition of the HeartRhythm Journal, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, found that many non-prescription weight-loss supplements that are accessible online may have hidden heart health risks. Eight out of 12 weight-loss supplements analyzed contained one or more ingredients associated with life-threatening cardiac complications such as ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac arrest or sudden cardiac death. Read full text of study »

Conducted by a team of researchers from the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology Research at the Texas Heart Institute, the study reviewed the ingredients of 12 different weight-loss supplements available on the Internet. The researchers identified the sample supplements by entering the common search terms “diet pills” and “weight-loss supplements” into the Internet search engines Google, MSN and Yahoo, and selecting the top four hits returned from each search. Of the 12 weight-loss supplements purchased for evaluation, a list of ingredients was included on the label of each, but none of the supplements included warning labels on the bottles or shipping packages regarding the potential life-threatening cardiac side effects known to be associated with the ingredients.

“The growing rate of obesity in America has led to more frequent and widespread use of weight-loss supplements that are easily available without prescription,” said Alireza Nazeri, MD, lead author of the study. “We applaud the FDA for becoming more involved in identifying the risks associated with weight-loss supplements, but there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure that dangerous ingredients are regulated.”

From the ingredients listed on each label, researchers identified 11 ingredients (representing 8 substances, because more than one name was used for some ingredients) with at least two reports of life-threatening cardiac complications or death: bitter orange (also listed as Citrus aurantium and synephrine HCl); green tea (also listed as Camellia sinensis); buckwheat; guarana; Korean ginseng; licorice root; Ma Huang root; caffeine anhydrous.

“The use of multiple names for the same substance can cause a great deal of confusion, even for physicians,” said Mehdi Razavi, MD, senior author of the study. “While it is critical to improve public knowledge of weight-loss supplements and the risks associated with them by issuing complete warning label information, it is highly recommended that individuals seek a doctor’s advice before purchasing any weight-loss supplement.”

“We hope that this study will expand health care providers’ knowledge about the potentially life-threatening adverse effects of some non-prescription weight-loss supplements,” says Ali Massumi, MD, FACC, Director of the Center for Cardiac Arrhythmias and Electrophysiology at the Texas Heart Institute. “We also hope that health care institutions will become more involved in educating patients and the general population on this subject.”

For more information about this study, please visit www.heartrhythmjournal.com.

About HeartRhythm Journal
HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, provides rapid publication of the most important science developments in the field of arrhythmias and cardiovascular electrophysiology (EP). As the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society, HeartRhythm publishes both basic and clinical subject matter of scientific excellence devoted to the EP of the heart and blood vessels, as well as therapy. The journal is the only EP publication serving the entire electrophysiology community from basic to clinical academic researchers, private practitioners, technicians, industry and trainees. HeartRhythm has a new impact factor of 4.203 for 2007 and ranks 10th out of 72 cardiovascular medicine journals by the Institute for Scientific Information. Additionally, the journal ranks seventh in the Immediacy Index among cardiology publications. It is also the official publication of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Society.




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