Foodborne illnesses are known to cause some 7 million documented cases every year. Some cases are violent and even result in death.  Of course this is commonly known as “food poisoning.”  The culprit is food that has dangerously high levels of bacteria due to improper cooking or handling.

Food safety is usually taken for granted by the buying public but everyone’s attention was recently directed to food poisoning involving some meat that was undercooked.  It was determined that the problem never would have happened if the meat had been cooked properly.  E.Coli 0157.H7 is a potent virus, but it can be completely destroyed when the meat is fully cooked.

It is important for consumers to take an all-around safety approach to purchasing, storing and preparing both traditional and new meat and poultry products.  Ultimately, consumers and food handlers bear the responsibility for keeping food safe once it leaves the store.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 85 percent of foodborne illness cases could be avoided each year if consumers would handle food properly.  The most common foodborne illnesses are caused by a combination of bacteria, naturally present in the environment, and food handling mistakes.  Ironically, these are also the easiest types of foodborne illnesses to prevent.  Proper cooking or processing of raw meat and poultry kills bacteria that can cause foodborne illness.

When you’re out, grocery shop last, take food straight home to the refrigerator.  And never leave food in a hot car!  Don’t buy anything you won’t use before the use-by date.  Don’t buy food in poor condition.  Make sure refrigerated food is cold to the touch.  Frozen food should be rock-solid.  Canned goods should be free of dents, cracks or bulging lids, which can indicate a serious food poisoning threat.

The performance and maintenance of your refrigerator is of the utmost importance.  Check the temperature of your refrigerator with an appliance thermometer.  To keep bacteria in check, the refrigerator should run at 40 degrees F; the freezer unit at 0 degrees F.  Generally, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible without freezing your milk or lettuce.

When you prepare food, keep everything clean and thaw out any frozen food you plan to prepare in your refrigerator.  Take it out of the freezer in advance and place it in the refrigerated section of your refrigerator.  Always wash your hands in hot soapy water before preparing and handling any food as well as after you use the bathroom, change diapers, handle pets, etc.  Remember, too, that bacteria can live in your kitchen towels, sponges and dishcloths.  Wash them often and replace the dishcloths and sponges you use regularly every few weeks.

Be absolutely sure that you keep all raw meats, poultry and fish and their juices away from other food.  For instance, wash your hands, your cutting board and knife in hot soapy water after cutting up the chicken and before dicing salad ingredients.  It is best to use plastic cutting boards rather than wooden ones where bacteria can hide in grooves.  Don’t take your food out of the freezer and leave it on the kitchen counter to thaw.  This is extremely dangerous since the bacteria can grow in the outer layers of the food before the inside thaws.  It is wise to do your marinating in the refrigerator too.

Hope this information helps keep you safe and healthy!

Darlene

If we think we are heavier than we want to be, we naturally are inclined to eat less food, thinking that if we skip a meal or eat less our body will burn off some of it’s fat.

This is not necessarily true. It actually makes it more difficult to lose weight when we reduce our food intake. Our bodies are designed to sustain us, even through starvation. We have a built-in mechanism to help us survive even when confronted with a lack of sustainable food.

Losing weight is not an overnight project. There is no “magic” pill that is going to make us lose weight and keep it off successfully. We must adopt a new mindset with common sense and certain guidlines. Healthy weight loss starts with a new attitude, one which allows us to think in terms of lifestyle eating changes and modifications.

Some of these modifications involve:

1. You guessed it…DRINKING WATER!

I assure you, you are not alone in your reluctance to drink the required amount of water every day (8 8 oz. glasses). I put a slice of lemon in mine to help it go down better.

2. Reduce or eliminate the consumption of Cola’s.

The taste may be enjoyable, but carbonated soda’s contain empty calories, adding pounds to our bodies.

3. Vegetables and Fruits are our friends!!
 
There cannot be enough said about the advantages of choosing healthy, natural meals consisting of veggies and fruits. Determine which ones you like, then be creative…put cheddar cheese on your apple, or some lemon pepper seasoning on broccoli. There are a lot of ways to spice up these natural foods.

4. Make your favorite recipes with leaner meats.

Chicken, turkey and fish are all lean meats which add less fat and cholesterol to your diet.

5. Make exercise a part of your daily routine.

Losing weight and getting fit does not have to mean a gym membership, buying a weight set or spending hours working out. Select a routine that YOU are comfortable with. Remember, walking is one of the easiest and best exercises for controlling your weight, toning your muscles and strengthening bone. It also helps release endorphins which just make you feel better.

6. Reduce carbohydrate consumption.

Carbs have gotten a bad rap lately, but they are needed for the proper daily requirements. Think quantity when you think about carbohydrates in your daily meal planning. Breads, pasta’s and potatoes all have a place in our diet’s, we just need to think on a smaller serving level.

I hope these ideas will help you in your goal to become healthier!

Darlene Schirmer
I use Strip That Fat to help me  plan healthy meals and manage my weight!

You will find a free list of negative calorie foods below, but first let’s consider what this means. There is no such thing as a negative calorie – a calorie is a unit of heat and it cannot be negative. So when people talk about negative calorie foods, this just means a food whose calorie level is low enough that it takes more energy to eat and digest it than the food contains.

For example, if you consider water to be a food, then cold water is certainly a negative calorie food. It contains no calories at all and the body has to expend energy to bring it up to blood temperature. So every time we drink a glass of cold water we burn up a couple of calories and lose a little weight. There are very few foods like this.

Most foods that are on the list do not really use more calories than they add, or if they do, the effect is negligible … until you remember that at the same time the body expends energy just to keep alive and breathing. Celery for example does not give us enough calories to cover both the energy that it takes to digest it, plus the energy that we expend even when we are doing nothing. So that is why people call it a negative calorie food.

Negative calorie foods are most attractive to anorexics, which is a very unhealthy eating disorder. A negative calorie diet would obviously result in starvation in the long term and nutritional deficiencies can occur surprisingly quickly. The calories burnt usually come from muscle mass, and the result is debilitating.

A more healthy way to use a negative calorie diet is as a form of fasting or detoxification. It is something you can do for one to three days right after the Christmas season or another time when you have been eating an over-rich diet. Provided you are otherwise healthy, it can be a great way to clean out the system. However it is still best to take medical advice before attempting this.

If you decide to use a negative calorie detoxification, keep the following points in mind:

1. It is never a good idea to eat huge quantities of one type of food, especially fruits. A lot of foods contain substances that can be damaging if consumed in excess. For example, the acid in grapefruit and pineapple can damage your stomach lining. Other foods put an excessive burden on the liver or may cause diarrhea. So try to use all the different foods in small quantities.

2. Do not spend all day eating. You will just become bloated and feel sick. If you are only doing this for a couple days, you should not feel too hungry. Plan four or five salad meals each day, and let your digestion rest at other times.

3. You will feel more satisfied if you eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly. You will also use more calories that way. So if the foods can be eaten raw, that will be more effective than cooking them. Foods like carrots and beets will also be more satisfying if you eat them grated.

4. Schedule time when you do not have any important commitments. As with fasting or any kind of detoxification, you may suffer some uncomfortable symptoms including headaches, tiredness, depression and irritability. If these become severe, stop the diet and see a doctor.

5. When you end the detoxification, plan a gradual return to normal eating.

If all the above points are checked and passed, let’s move on to the list of foods.

    * Apples
    * Asparagus
    * Beets
    * Blueberries
    * Broccoli
    * Cantaloupes
    * Carrots
    * Cauliflower
    * Celery stalk
    * Celery root
    * Cranberries
    * Cucumbers
    * Eggplant
    * Endives
    * Garden cress
    * Garlic
    * Grapefruit
    * Green beans
    * Green cabbage
    * Lamb’s lettuce
    * Lemons
    * Lettuce
    * Onions
    * Papayas
    * Pineapples
    * Prunes
    * Radishes
    * Raspberries
    * Spinach
    * Strawberries
    * Tangerines
    * Tomatoes
    * Turnips
    * Zucchini

Please use this list of negative calorie foods wisely. 

Please make sure  that you take good care of  yourself by eating healthy, nutritious meals.

Darlene

If you want to lose 10 pounds in two weeks the healthy way, Strip That Fat  is the product you need.

I’m using it and the food plan and shopping list is wonderful!

add peppers for dieting magic

A popular view within the circle of weight-concious individuals is that dieting is some sort of punishment for not having a body thats perfect, or that enjoying food is a bad thing. Although eating with good health in mind can involve changing a lifetime of eating habits, it does not have to be unenjoyabe, torture or a punishment, it can simply mean adding new flavors and meals to your everyday intake. Think of it as adding some adventure to a vital, everyday occurance.

When you’ve made the decision to start eating healthier every day, simple things like adding spices or cooking in a different manner can make a huge difference in whether you are going to be able to maintain your healthy food goals. It is much easier to keep at it if you are able to sustain flavor and texture in the foods you love or in new foods altogether.

Speaking of spices, there are a multitude of great, natural flavorings that will enhance foods once considered bland because they are in the “healthy” or “diet” foods list. Blackening seasoning is one such spice, adding flavor and “zing” to your chicken, turkey or fish, without adding calories and consequently, weight. Lemon pepper, italian seasoning or even garlic and herb seasonings give the feeling of dining in an upscale eatery! Add some steamed vegetables with a bit of herbal seasoning for a fantastic healthy meal. Products such as Mrs. Dash introduce the taste buds to a whole new world of flavor. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, chop up jalepeno, habanero or serrano peppers for an even spicier meal, sauteing them with the fish or poulty to relase their wonderful flavors into the meat.

Trying to lose or maintain weight does not mean having to sacrifice your enjoyment of food. Let’s face it, if dieting means eating boring foods FOREVER, no one in their right mind would do it!

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Another great option for dieters is grilling! Marinate chicken or fish in italian dressing or a store bought marinade to add flavor, or sprinkle your own seasonings on during preperation, grill and enjoy! Summer is here and this is a great way to eat healthy and also keep your kitchen cool. Vegetables can be seasoned, sprinkled with some spices, rolled up in aluminum foil and cooked on the grill too. Personally, I eat this way during summer about 90% of the time, and have been able to maintain my weight right where I want it. We even grill in the winter months, but then I live in an area not known for harsh winters, which is an advantage.

You don’t have to lose out on dessert either. You can find all kinds of low sugar or low carb desserts on the market that you can enjoy sparingly. You can even find sugar free or low calorie candy in some cases though you should keep in mind that calories, particularly when it comes to candy you eat unconsciously add up quickly and you must pay close attention to those things you put into your mouth.

There are also low-fat dips and sauces out there which are flavorful, such as salsa. These dips and sauces can often make a great substitution when paired with vegetables, for chips and dips we love so much and often miss when dieting. Cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, broccoli, and carrot sticks all have a nice little crunch to them that when combined with a good low fat dip can help cure the craving for greasy chips that often rears its head when dieting.

If you are someone who counts your calories carefully, you probably know about the snack treats that are prepackaged in 100 calorie packs. This means that you can indulge on occasion in those treats that you love most without sacrificing all your dieting efforts in the process. These snack packs have become one of the best dieting tools since the invention of diet colas. We all want the benefits of losing weight and will readily admit that if it were a simple process we’d all be thin. However, having something like these hundred calorie snack packs to carry you through the worst of your cravings can mean the difference between dieting success and failure. They are definitely the difference in the old way of dieting and the new way of dieting without sacrificing flavor.

So, there you have a few ideas for making mealtime a much more enjoyable experience while you’re dieting. Losing weight doesn’t have to be a miserable time of denying yourself flavor or enjoyment. Step outside your usual box and take advantage of the great flavors out there to add spice to your life.

 I guarantee you won’t regret it.

Darlene
Click here for the plan I’m using to get ready for summer!

Trying to eat with good health and nutrition in mind can sometimes be a challenge. In this world of fast paced living, fast food and quick meals are the normal routine for many people. This article has some hints and guidelines to help you make good meal choices, choices that will help you reach your goal of healthy living.

Breakfast 

#1–Choose fruit more often. Just a few great choices in the fruit family are: cantaloupe, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, bananas, pears, and apples.

#2–Choose whole-grain cereals and products more often. Examples are whole wheat or bran breads, bagels, and cereal.

#3–Try making pancakes and waffles with whole wheat flour instead of white flour and one whole egg and one egg white rafter than two whole eggs. For a low-fat topping with fiber, try applesauce, apple butter and cinnamon, or fruit and low-fat plain yogurt.

#4–Fruit juice and skim milk are familiar breakfast drinks. For an extra boost in the morning, why not try a fruit smoothie made from juice, fruit and nonfat plain yogurt blended together. Other nonfat choices are seltzer water, coffee, and tea.

These are sound nutrition choices because they are not only low in fat and cholesterol but also provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some foods that you should choose less often are sausage, bacon, butter, whole milk and cream (including commercial nondairy creamer). These foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Lunch

#1–Try a fiber-rich bean, split pea, vegetable, or minestrone soup. Use commercially canned and frozen soups and cream soups less often—they can be high in sodium and fat. If you make your own soup, use broth or skim milk to keep the fat content low.

#2–Have a bean salad or mixed greens with plenty of vegetables. For fiber include some vegetables like—carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and kidney or garbanzo beans. For a low-fat dressing, try lemon juice or a reduced-calorie dressing. If you use regular dressing, use only a very small amount.

#3–Try sandwiches made with water-packed tuna, sliced chicken, turkey, lean meat, or low-fat cheese, and use whole-grain bread or pita bread. To decrease fat, use reduced-calorie mayonnaise, or just a small amount of regular mayonnaise, or use mustard. Mustard contains no fat.

#4–For dessert, have fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, or a frozen fruit bar.

#5–Fruit juice and skim milk are good beverage choices. Club soda with a twist of lemon or lime, hot or iced tea with lemon, or coffee without cream are refreshing drinks.

At lunch, try to eat these foods less often: processed luncheon meats, fried meat, chicken, or fish; creamy salads, french fries and chips, richer creamy desserts, high-fat baked goods, and high-fat cheeses such as Swiss, cheddar, American, and Brie.

Dinner

#1-Eat a variety of vegetables. To increase variety, try some that might be new to you, such as those from the cabbage family (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage), dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach and kale), and yellow-orange vegetables (winter squash and sweet potatoes). For old favorites, like peas and green beans, skip the butter and sprinkle with lemon juice or herbs. Or, how about a baked potato, with the skin, and topped with low-fat yogurt and chives, tomato salsa, or a small amount of low-fat cheese?

#2-Try whole wheat pasta and casseroles made with brown rice, bulgur, and other grains. If you are careful with preparation, these dishes can be excellent sources of fiber and low in fat. For example, when milk and eggs are ingredients in a recipe, try using 1 percent or skim milk, reduce the number of egg yolks and replace with egg whites.

Here are some ideas for grain-based dishes:

–Whole wheat spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce;

–Whole wheat macaroni and chickpea stew in tomato sauce;

–Tuna noodle casserole, using water-packed tuna (or rinsed, oil-packed tuna), skim milk, and fresh mushrooms or sliced water chestnuts;

–Turkey, broccoli and brown rice casserole using skim milk and egg whites;

–Eggplant lasagna, made with broiled eggplant and part-skim mozzarella or ricotta cheese.

#3–Substitute whole-grain breads and rolls for white bread.

#4–Choose main dishes that call for fish, chicken, turkey or lean meat. Don’t forget to remove the skin and visible fat from poultry and trim the fat from meat.

Some good low-fat choices are:

–Red snapper stew

–Flounder or sole florentine (make the cream sauce with skim milk);

–Salmon loaf (use skim milk, rolled oats, and egg whites);

–Baked white fish with lemon and fennel;

–Chicken cacciatore Italian-style (decrease the oil in the recipe);

–Chicken curry served over steamed wild rice (choose a recipe that requires little or no fat; “saute” the onions in chicken broth instead of butter);

–Light beef stroganoff with well-trimmed beef round steak and buttermilk served over noodles;

–Oriental pork made with lean pork loin, green peppers and pineapple chunks served over rice.

#5-Choose desserts that give you fiber but little fat such as:

–Baked apples or bananas, sprinkled with cinnamon;

–Fresh fruit cup;

–Brown bread or rice pudding made with skim milk;

–Oatmeal cookies (made with margarine or vegetable oil; add raisins).

For many, the end of the workday represents a time to relax and dinner can be a light meal and an opportunity to decrease fat and cholesterol.

Snacks

#1-Try a raw vegetable platter made with a variety of vegetables. Include some good fiber choices: carrots, snow peas, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans.

#2-Make sauces and dips with nonfat plain yogurt as the base.

#3-Eat more fruit. Oranges, grapefruit, kiwi, apples, pears, bananas, strawberries and cantaloupe are all good fiber sources. Make a big fruit salad and keep it on hand for snacks.

#4-Plain, air-popped popcorn is a great low-fat snack with fiber. Watch out! Some prepackaged microwave popcorn has fat added. Remember to go easy on the salt or use other seasonings.

#5-Instead of chips, try one of these low-fat alternatives that provide fiber: toasted shredded wheat Squares sprinkled with a small amount of grated Parmesan cheese, whole-grain English muffins, or toasted plain corn tortillas.

#6-When you are thirsty, try water, skim milk, juice, or club soda with a twist of lime or lemon.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Cancer Institute are committed to promoting good health and reducing the loss of life from heart disease and cancer. You can help. By using the ideas in this booklet, trying recipes that have been modified to decrease fat and sodium and increase fiber, and planning menus that are high in fiber and low in fat, especially saturated fat, you may reduce the risk of these diseases for yourself and for those you love.

Here’s to a Newer Healthy You and Me!

Darlene

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Thank you for stopping by!

Here at ANewerHealthyYou you will find a very laid-back community promoting good health, nutrition and fitness. I welcome any and all comments. If you have been here before, you know that I have recently changed the site. I missed the interaction on the original website and really look forward to sharing my health journey with everyone who might be interested. I will be reviewing different weight-loss and exercise programs periodically, so make sure and come back periodically to see me and get the latest scoop on whats out there in regards to good health.

Darlene

Thank  you again for joining me here!