Posts Tagged ‘Chow Line’

Are YOU getting enough calcium?

Monday, December 14th, 2009
By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu or 614-292-9833
Source: Carolyn  Gunther, Human Nutrition
How can I be sure I’m getting enough calcium? If I need a supplement, what should I look for?
The amount of calcium you should get each day changes with age. Here’s the breakdown:
Age 1-3: 500 milligrams.
Age 4-8: 800 milligrams.
Age 9-18: 1,300 milligrams.
Age 19-49: 1,000 milligrams.
Age 50 and older: 1,200 milligrams.
You can look on Nutrition Facts labels to get calcium content on most foods. If there’s just a percentage Daily Value listed instead of the actual amount, you should know that the Daily Value for calcium is 1,000 milligrams. So, if you are 50 or older, for example, you would actually need 120 percent of the Daily Value of calcium to get the amount you need.
You can estimate the amount of calcium you normally get in your diet by using an international online calculator available on the Healthfinder Web site of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Just go to http://healthfinder.gov, click on “C” for calcium, and scroll down to Calcium Calculator. The calculator will ask for your sex and age, and how often you eat certain calcium-rich foods. (Note: 200 milliliters is about 2/3 of  a cup; 300 milliliters is about 1 cup; and 150 grams is about 5.25 ounces.) While the calculation isn’t pinpoint accurate, it will give you a good idea of what your intake might be without having to examine the label of every food you eat.
If it appears you should increase your calcium intake and want to try a calcium supplement, you’ll find you have many choices. Here are some tips from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (http://www.nof.org/) and the National Institutes of Health (http://www.niams.nih.gov; search for “Calcium Supplements: What to Look For”):
Calcium comes in the form of a compound, such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or calcium citrate. Each contains a different percentage of calcium; look at the label for the amount of actual calcium (or “elemental calcium”) in each dose.
Calcium is easiest for the body to absorb when taken in smaller amounts, no more than 500 or 600 milligrams at a time.
Most forms of calcium should be taken with food; the stomach acids that result help the body absorb the mineral. Calcium citrate can be taken any time.
Look for a brand name you trust, or the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol on the label. This voluntary symbol indicates the supplement meets certain standards. Avoid supplements without that symbol that are made from unrefined oyster shell, bone meal or dolomite; they may contain lead or other toxic metals.
Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.
Editor: This column was reviewed by Carolyn Gunther, director of research in the College of Education and Human Ecology; faculty member in the Department of Human Nutrition; and researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu or 614-292-9833

How can I be sure I’m getting enough calcium? If I need a supplement, what should I look for? The amount of calcium you should get each day changes with age. Here’s the breakdown:

Age 1-3: 500 milligrams.

Age 4-8: 800 milligrams.

Age 9-18: 1,300 milligrams.

Age 19-49: 1,000 milligrams.

Age 50 and older: 1,200 milligrams.

You can look on Nutrition Facts labels to get calcium content on most foods. If there’s just a percentage Daily Value listed instead of the actual amount, you should know that the Daily Value for calcium is 1,000 milligrams. So, if you are 50 or older, for example, you would actually need 120 percent of the Daily Value of calcium to get the amount you need.

You can estimate the amount of calcium you normally get in your diet by using an international online calculator available on the Healthfinder Web site of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Just go to http://healthfinder.gov, click on “C” for calcium, and scroll down to Calcium Calculator. The calculator will ask for your sex and age, and how often you eat certain calcium-rich foods. (Note: 200 milliliters is about 2/3 of  a cup; 300 milliliters is about 1 cup; and 150 grams is about 5.25 ounces.) While the calculation isn’t pinpoint accurate, it will give you a good idea of what your intake might be without having to examine the label of every food you eat.

If it appears you should increase your calcium intake and want to try a calcium supplement, you’ll find you have many choices. Here are some tips from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (http://www.nof.org/) and the National Institutes of Health (http://www.niams.nih.gov; search for “Calcium Supplements: What to Look For”):

Calcium comes in the form of a compound, such as calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate or calcium citrate. Each contains a different percentage of calcium; look at the label for the amount of actual calcium (or “elemental calcium”) in each dose.

Calcium is easiest for the body to absorb when taken in smaller amounts, no more than 500 or 600 milligrams at a time.

Most forms of calcium should be taken with food; the stomach acids that result help the body absorb the mineral. Calcium citrate can be taken any time.

Look for a brand name you trust, or the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol on the label. This voluntary symbol indicates the supplement meets certain standards. Avoid supplements without that symbol that are made from unrefined oyster shell, bone meal or dolomite; they may contain lead or other toxic metals.

Source: Carolyn  Gunther, Human Nutrition
Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.Editor: This column was reviewed by Carolyn Gunther, director of research in the College of Education and Human Ecology; faculty member in the Department of Human Nutrition; and researcher with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

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Warm-up Menu with Bouillabaisse

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

I went to dinner at a friend’s house and complimented him on the jambalaya he made, but he corrected me and said it wasn’t jambalaya but bouillabaisse. What’s the difference?

It’s easy to see how the two could be confused — the dishes can be similar, and both vary widely depending on the cook.

But, according to the comprehensive reference work “The Food Lover’s Companion” by Sharon Tyler Herbst, bouillabaisse is seafood stew (other authorities say it may also be more of a soup than a stew), with roots from the French region of Provence. It is made with assorted fish and shellfish, onions, tomatoes, white wine, olive oil, garlic, saffron and herbs. The dish is served over thick slices of French bread.

On the other hand, the “Companion” says, while jambalaya is often made with shellfish, it may also be made with almost any kind of meat or poultry. With its tomatoes, onion and green peppers, the Creole dish is served with rice, not bread. In fact, the rice is commonly mixed in with the dish rather than served separately.

For those not very familiar with either dish, it’s easy to see how they could be confused with each other, or even with a third dish — gumbo. Gumbo is another Creole dish that also contains a variety of vegetables and almost any kind of meat, poultry or fish, but which always starts (according to “The Food Lover’s Companion”) with a dark roux which gives the dish a rich flavor, and it also contains okra and filé powder — a Creole seasoning made from ground, dried leaves of the sassafrass tree — both of which help thicken the gumbo into a hearty dish.

Interestingly, bouillabaisse has its own unusual thickener: According to Harold McGee’s classic “On Food and Cooking,” bouillabaisse starts with a stock that includes small bony fish, which provide both flavor and a thickening gelatin. In addition, when the olive oil is added and the dish undergoes a “fierce” boil for 10 minutes, the fat emulsifies into fine droplets, and the dissolved fish gelatin and suspended proteins coat the oil droplets, preventing them from quickly coalescing again. That and the gelatin from the bony fish give the bouillabaisse a thick, rich creamy texture.

Because these dishes vary so widely depending on the recipe and the cook, you need to know the exact ingredients to calculate nutrition information. But they’re all generally considered to be healthful dishes because the protein they’re made with is usually lean, and they all offer an abundance of vegetables. If you’re watching your salt intake, be forewarned that bouillabaisse might have a higher sodium content.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

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Carve a place for Pumpkin in your diet

Monday, October 5th, 2009

Hi Chow Line readers,

Here’s this week’s column, about pumpkin.
chowpumpkin

FYI, I made Pumpkin Bread last night, using the recipe from the USDA’s SNAP program. It turned out great!

If you’re interested in that recipe or others, go to http://snap.nal.usda.gov/ (click on Recipes on the left column, then search for recipes containing the ingredient “pumpkin”).

Have a good weekend,
Martha

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Chow Line: Many Children Low in Vitamin D

Monday, September 21st, 2009
By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu or 614-292-9833
I recently read that many children are low on vitamin D. How can I be sure my children are getting enough?
This is a great question for your pediatrician the next time you take your children to the doctor. If your health care team has concerns about a vitamin D deficiency, it can take steps to diagnose the problem and offer insight on whether a daily vitamin D supplement is in order.
The problem appears to be more common than previously thought. Two recent studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics examined blood levels of vitamin D, using a measure of 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood as “desirable.” One study, including children and young adults ages 1 to 21, found that 9 percent had blood levels under 15 nanograms per milliliter, and another 61 percent had levels between 15 and 29 nanograms per milliliter.
The other study looked at adolescents and found an average vitamin D blood level of 24.8 nanograms per milliliter. Adolescents with darker skin tended to have lower levels, with an average of 15.5 in blacks and 21.5 in Mexican Americans, compared to 28 in whites. That is likely because darker skin has more of the pigment melanin, which makes it more difficult for the skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
Some authorities say that fair-skinned people need as little as 15 minutes in the sun each day (without sunscreen) to allow the body to make the vitamin D it needs; people with darker skin may need three to five times that much. But before sending your children into the back yard, it’s important to know that the American Academy of Dermatology recommends always using sunscreen — going without, even for short periods, increases the risk of skin cancer. Talk to your pediatrician about what’s best for your children.
The recent studies on vitamin D deficiency also uncovered a sobering finding: Low levels of vitamin D are associated with factors, such as high blood pressure, that could lead to heart disease.
Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended increasing the daily intake for vitamin D for children from 200 International Units (IUs) to 400 IUs. Child-friendly foods containing a substantial amount of vitamin D include milk (100 IUs in each cup); tuna canned in oil (200 IUs in 3 ounces); and fortified cereal (levels vary; check the Nutrition Facts label). On food labels, vitamin D is listed as a percentage; the goal should be to get 100 percent of the Daily Value each day.
Read more about the issue in Ohio State University Extension’s “Eat, Save, and Be Healthy” web blog, at http://osufcs.wordpress.com.
Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.
Editor: This column was reviewed by Julie Shertzer, registered dietitian and program specialist for Ohio State University Extension in the Department of Human Nutrition, in the College of Education and Human Ecology.
Source: Julie Shertzer, OSU Extenson, Human Nutrition

By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu or 614-292-9833

I recently read that many children are low on vitamin D. How can I be sure my children are getting enough?

This is a great question for your pediatrician the next time you take your children to the doctor. If your health care team has concerns about a vitamin D deficiency, it can take steps to diagnose the problem and offer insight on whether a daily vitamin D supplement is in order.

The problem appears to be more common than previously thought. Two recent studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics examined blood levels of vitamin D, using a measure of 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood as “desirable.” One study, including children and young adults ages 1 to 21, found that 9 percent had blood levels under 15 nanograms per milliliter, and another 61 percent had levels between 15 and 29 nanograms per milliliter.

The other study looked at adolescents and found an average vitamin D blood level of 24.8 nanograms per milliliter. Adolescents with darker skin tended to have lower levels, with an average of 15.5 in blacks and 21.5 in Mexican Americans, compared to 28 in whites. That is likely because darker skin has more of the pigment melanin, which makes it more difficult for the skin to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.

Some authorities say that fair-skinned people need as little as 15 minutes in the sun each day (without sunscreen) to allow the body to make the vitamin D it needs; people with darker skin may need three to five times that much. But before sending your children into the back yard, it’s important to know that the American Academy of Dermatology recommends always using sunscreen — going without, even for short periods, increases the risk of skin cancer. Talk to your pediatrician about what’s best for your children.

The recent studies on vitamin D deficiency also uncovered a sobering finding: Low levels of vitamin D are associated with factors, such as high blood pressure, that could lead to heart disease.

Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended increasing the daily intake for vitamin D for children from 200 International Units (IUs) to 400 IUs. Child-friendly foods containing a substantial amount of vitamin D include milk (100 IUs in each cup); tuna canned in oil (200 IUs in 3 ounces); and fortified cereal (levels vary; check the Nutrition Facts label). On food labels, vitamin D is listed as a percentage; the goal should be to get 100 percent of the Daily Value each day.

Source: Julie Shertzer, OSU Extenson, Human Nutrition

Read more about the issue in Ohio State University Extension’s “Eat, Save, and Be Healthy” web blog, at http://osufcs.wordpress.com.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Julie Shertzer, registered dietitian and program specialist for Ohio State University Extension in the Department of Human Nutrition, in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

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Chow Line: New Folic Acid Recommendation

Friday, June 19th, 2009

By Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu  ( 614) 292-9833

Source: Julie Shertzer, Human Nutrition

Is there a new recommendation for folic acid for adult women?

Well, a new recommendation announced in May made guidelines, in place for several years, even stronger. 

The organization making the new recommendation, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, published an update of its 1996 guidelines in the May 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The earlier recommendation suggested that pregnant women and women who were planning to become pregnant take a daily multivitamin with 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams of folic acid as a way to prevent neural tube defects — serious brain and spinal birth defects — in newborns. At that time, the task force also recommended that all women of child-bearing age consider taking such a multivitamin, but listed that portion of the recommendation as offering just a „moderate‰ benefit, instead of a “substantial” one.

The new recommendation goes a step further, saying that there is indeed a substantial benefit for all women of child-bearing age to take a daily folic acid supplement or multivitamin containing folic acid.

The adjustment is not a big one, but it‚s an important message for women to hear. The birth defects prevented by folic acid (a B vitamin) occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman finds out that she is pregnant. Since about half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, all women of child-bearing age, including teens, should get in the habit of taking folic acid each and every day, even if they are not planning to get pregnant. For folic acid to help, a woman needs to take it before she becomes pregnant.

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration began requiring that all enriched grains be fortified with folic acid. Since then, the incidence of neural tube defects in the U.S. has declined by 26 percent. Still, more needs to be done. With the popularity of carbohydrate-restricted diets, even with the fortification, many women just don‚t get enough folic acid.

A 2008 March of Dimes survey conducted by the Gallup organization revealed that only 11 percent of women knew that folic acid should be taken prior to becoming pregnant. And, although 39 percent of women reported taking folic acid or a multivitamin containing folic acid daily, only 27 percent of younger women (ages 18 to 24) said that they do. And, only 17 percent of Spanish-speaking women in the United States are taking folic acid daily. Those are significant populations of women who may become pregnant, and represent just how many women need to know of this easy way to prevent severe birth defects.

For more information about the importance of folic acid, see the CDC’s Web page on the topic, http://www.cdc.gov/Features/FolicAcid/.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Julie Shertzer, registered dietitian and program specialist for Ohio State University Extension in the Department of Human Nutrition, in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

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Focus on Health to Help Kids Lose Weight

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009
By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
(614) 292-9833

My daughter never lost her “baby fat” and is now a pre-teen with a weight problem that she is defensive about. How can I help?

It can be tricky for a parent to help their adolescent child lose weight. The defensiveness you see isn’t unusual. Although the percentage of overweight children and adolescents has substantially increased since the 1980s, there is still a stigma to being overweight. That stigma, and the low self-esteem, depression, and teasing or bullying from peers that can result, makes weight problems a sensitive subject for families.

Unfortunately, the social problems associated with being overweight often thwart attention from the health complications. And those may be even more serious than we thought. A University of Cincinnati study recently reported in the journal Circulation measured the thickness and stiffness of the carotid arteries of 446 young people, ages 10 to 24. About a third were lean, a third were obese, and a third had Type 2 diabetes – which is often associated with being overweight and inactive. Arteries of the participants who were obese or who had diabetes were significantly thicker and stiffer – conditions that lead to heart attacks, strokes and other cardiac problems.

So, what can you do? MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health, offers a wide variety of resources online. Take a few minutes to browse its “Obesity in Children” page ( http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesityinchildren.html <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesityinchildren.html> ) and see what ideas might work best for your family. The first link on the site is an online publication called “Helping Your Overweight Child” from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Its guidance includes:

Be supportive. Be sure your daughter knows that you accept her at any weight. 

Encourage healthy eating habits by serving more fruits and vegetables, offering more water and low-fat milk, and buying fewer high-calorie snacks and fast foods.

Encourage physical activity – kids need about 60 minutes a day. Set a good example by increasing your own activity, and treat it as fun instead of a chore. Help your daughter find things she is comfortable doing – many overweight children are embarrassed to participate in sports but do enjoy activities such as dancing and biking. 

Other good resources to tap include the Nemours Foundation ( http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html <http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html> ) and the Mayo Clinic (http://mayoclinic.com; search for “child obesity”). With all these resources, you’re bound to find something that resonates in your family – then stick with it. 

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Source: Julie Shertzer, Human Nutrition, OSU Extension

Editor: This column was reviewed by Julie Shertzer, registered dietitian and program specialist for Ohio State University Extension in the Department of Human Nutrition, in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

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Should I use a sanitizer to clean counter tops and cutting boards, or does hot water and soap do the job?

Friday, May 22nd, 2009

By: Martha Filipic
filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu
(614) 292-9833

Although a soap and hot water combination cleans reasonably well, it may not eliminate all bacteria. Using some type of sanitizer is recommended. That way, you’re making sure that surfaces that look clean actually are clean. 

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN), bleach or commercial cleaners designed for kitchens are the best sanitizers, as long as they’re used properly. For example, if you use bleach or a sanitizer that comes as a concentrate, be sure to follow product directions when you dilute it. Check the label. For bleach, a teaspoon per quart of water should do the trick. 

Cutting boards are especially important to keep clean. CFSAN offers these recommendations:

  • The easiest types of cutting board to keep clean are smooth cutting boards free of cracks or crevices made of hard maple, plastic or other non-porous material. Avoid cutting boards made of soft, porous materials.
  • When you wash cutting boards, use hot water, soap, and a scrub brush to remove food particles. Then sanitize the board with a commercial sanitizer or bleach solution, or by washing the cutting board in the dishwasher.
  • Always, always, always wash and sanitize cutting boards after using them for raw foods that you plan to cook — especially raw meat or fish — and before using them for ready-to-eat foods. You might consider keeping two cutting boards on your counter — one only for foods that will be cooked and the other for ready-to-eat foods, such as bread, cooked meats, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

To the point, an Ohio State University study published recently in the Journal of Food Protection examined 10 commercial sanitizers on polyethylene material commonly used for plastic cutting boards. Most were ammonia-based cleaners, although chlorine (as sodium hypochlorite) was the active ingredient in one, and lactic acid was the active ingredient in another. This study looked specifically at the products’ efficacy against a bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes. 

The researchers found that all of the products were effective when used according to manufacturers’ directions. Those that required a longer surface time (some as long as 10 minutes) weren’t necessarily better at killing the bacteria than those that required less exposure time.

Another finding was that Listeria monocytogenes can survive on cutting board surfaces that were not sanitized for up to six days. If left on a surface too long, this particular bacterium can form a biofilm that makes it harder to kill. Ideally, surfaces such as cutting boards should be sanitized immediately after being used.

Chow Line is a service of Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1044, or filipic.3@cfaes.osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Lydia Medeiros, food safety specialist with Ohio State University Extension and professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

Source: Lydia  Medeiros, Ohio State University Extension, Human Nutrition

Associated Files: chowsanitizers.pdf <http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/files/chowsanitizers.pdf>  (PDF, 77 Kb)

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