Oatmeal Muffin Day, Magical Oatmeal Muffins

A muffin is a type of quick bread baked in portions suitable for one person. They come in both savory varieties, such as corn or cheese muffins, or sweet varieties such as blueberry or apple.

Magical Oatmeal Muffins, Rebecca Longshore 

Cooking Light  http://bit.ly/2oJvBeX

yields: 12 muffins
Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 cup 2% Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

dash of salt

Topping Suggestions

– cinnamon and apple chunks

– strawberries and blueberries

– chocolate chips and almonds

– strawberries and chocolate chips
– unsweetened coconut
– anything your heart desires

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place 12 pieces of parchment paper or muffin-cup liners in muffin cups, or spray tin with cooking spray.
2. Throw all of the ingredients in the blender; blend until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice.
4. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information

Yield: 12 muffins  

1 Muffin =

Calories 115
Fat 2g
Sat 1g 
Protein 5g
Carb 20g
Fiber 2g
Chol 32mg
Iron 1mg
Sodium 156mg
Sugar 8g

 

Ensure accurate nutritional analysis for your recipes utilizing an extensive research database and over 25 years experience. A great service for the Recipe Blogger, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. Contact: Dietitians-Online.com; Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN, FAND at recipenews@gmail.com

The Edible Christmas Tree

A fun and healthy project for the family to enjoy.

Supplies
Styrofoam Cones, assorted sizes (Can purchase at a craft shop
Toothpicks (Young children should be assisted by an adult)
An assortment of Fruits and Vegetables, such as Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Grapes, Watermelon, Mushroom, Arugula, Broccoli, Kiwi, Mango, Carrots, Tomatoes, Figs, Blueberries, Strawberries, Peppers, Squash, Carambola, Pomegranate Seeds
Protein: Cottage Cheese or Goat Cheese for snow

1. Wash your hands.
2. Wash the fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Wash your hands again.

4. Cut fruits and vegetables into a variety of shapes. Make sure the pieces are large enough to fit onto a toothpick.

5. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Use the largest fruits and vegetables first.
6. Be creative

7. Top your Christmas tree with Carambola (Starfruit).
8. Sprinkle Goat Cheese over the tree.
9. Serve with low-fat vanilla yogurt.

National Handwashing Awareness Month Resources

A Guide to Handwashing

Will Sawyer, MD, is a Family Physician and the creator of the Henry the Hand Foundation and Henry the Hand Champion Handwasher.

Goal: To improve health by making us more aware of our hands' role in spreading disease.

Mission: To propagate Henry the Hand's 4 Principles of Hand Awareness throughout the United States and the world!
1. WASH your hands when they are dirty and BEFORE eating.
2. DO NOT cough into your hands.
3. DO NOT sneeze into your hands.
4. Above all, DO NOT put your fingers into your eyes, nose, or mouth!

Henry the Hand Champion
Handwashing School Visit

Dr. Will has created a wonderful website for children and educators. The site contains posters, coloring books, school programs, tips on Food Safety, and a lot more. Visit Henry the Handwashing Champion.

Why Handwashing with Soap?

Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, which take the lives of millions of children in developing countries every year. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, handwashing with soap is seldom practiced and difficult to promote.

Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into a habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter. A vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under five by two-thirds by 2015.

Global Handwashing Day focuses on children because they suffer the most from diarrheal and respiratory diseases and deaths. Still, research shows that children can also be powerful agents for changing behaviors like handwashing with soap in their communities.

When should you wash your hands?
·         Before, during, and after preparing food
·         Before eating food
·         Before and after caring for someone who is sick
·         Before and after treating a cut or wound
·         After using the toilet
·         After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has               used the toilet
·         After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
·         After touching an animal or animal waste
·         After touching garbage

It's In Your Hands

Resources and References

1. CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives

2. Global Handwashing Day

3. Partnership for Food Safety Education, Fight BAC!

4. The Scrub Club. A fun, interactive, and educational Website that teaches children how to wash their hands properly. The site contains interactive games, educational music, downloadable activities for kids, educational materials for teachers, and program information for parents.

5. Healthy Schools, Healthy People, It’s a SNAP! (School Network for Absenteeism Prevention) program is a joint initiative of the CDC and the American Cleaning Institute. This program seeks to improve hand hygiene habits to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and reduce related absenteeism. This grassroots, education-based effort can help improve health by making hand cleaning an integral part of the school day. Without proper hand cleaning, a single infection can quickly spread among students, teachers, family, and friends.

   

World Kindness Day Health Benefits of Kindness

Random Act of Kindness:  A selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual or in some cases an animal. There is no reason other than to make people smile or be happier. Either spontaneous or planned in advance, random acts of kindness are encouraged by various communities.

Health Benefits of Kindness

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation

Established in 1995 as a nonprofit organization, The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a resource for people committed to spreading kindness. The Random Acts of Kindness™ Foundation inspires people to practice kindness and to “pass it on” to others. They provide a wide variety of materials on their website, including activity ideas, lesson plans, project plans, teacher’s guide, project planning guide, publicity guide and workplace resources - all free of charge. 

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is the United States delegate to the World Kindness Movement, an organization that includes various nations. People in these countries promote kindness within their countries’ borders and are creating a global network of kindness and compassion. As people from different cultures and from all walks of life are joining to spread kindness, they are creating a powerful, synergistic action throughout the world.

Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand

Studies have shown acts of kindness can result in physical and mental health benefits.
• Kindness can bring a sense of richness and fulfillment to our lives, and promote good health and longevity.
• Helping others can decrease the effect of diseases.
• After performing an act of kindness many experience a feeling of euphoria followed by a period of calm.
• Acts of kindness have shown to reduce feelings of stress, depression, loneliness, overeating, etc.
• Helping others increases self-worth, happiness and optimism.
• A person feels more energetic after performing an act of kindness
• A more optimistic and happier outlook on life

Kindness is not only something that has positive benefits for ourselves, it is something that has a positive effect on the community.

Try Some Kindness (The Letter K Song)

As people tap into their own generous human spirit and share kindness with one another, they discover for themselves the power of kindness to effect positive change in their lives and the lives around them. When kindness is expressed, healthy relationships are created, community connections are nourished, and people are inspired to pass kindness on.

National Candy Day - Tips to Decrease Added Sugars

Cut Back on Your Kid's Sweet Treats

10 tips to decrease added sugars

Limit the amount of foods and beverages with added sugars your kids eat and drink. If you don’t buy them, your kids won’t get them very often. Sweet treats and sugary drinks have a lot of calories but few nutrients. Most added sugars come from sodas, sports drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, cakes, cookies, ice cream, candy, and other desserts.

1.    Serve small portions. It’s not necessary to get rid of all sweets and desserts. Show kids that a small amount of treats can go a long way. Use smaller bowls and plates for these foods. Have them share a candy bar or split a large cupcake.

2.    Sip smarter. Soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks contain a lot of sugar and are high in calories. Offer water when kids are thirsty.

3.    Use the check-out lane that does not display candy.  Most grocery stores will have a candy-free check-out lane to help moms out. Waiting in a store line makes it easy for children to ask for the candy that is right in front of their faces to tempt them.

4.    Choose not to offer sweets as rewards.  By offering food as a reward for good behavior, children learn to think that some foods are better than other foods. Reward your child with kind words and comforting hugs, or give them non-food items, like stickers, to make them feel special.

5.    Make fruit the everyday dessert.  Serve baked apples, pears, or enjoy a fruit salad. Or, serve yummy frozen juice bars (100% juice) instead of high-calorie desserts.

6.    Make food fun. Sugary foods that are marketed to kids are advertised as “fun foods.” Make nutritious foods fun by preparing them with your child’s help and being creative together. Create a smiley face with sliced bananas and raisins. Cut fruit into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters.

7.    Encourage kids to invent new snacks. Make your own snack mixes from dry whole-grain cereal, dried fruit, and unsalted nuts or seeds. Provide the ingredients and allow school-aged kids to choose what they want in their “new” snack.

8.    Play detective in the cereal aisle. Show kids how to find the amount of total sugars on the Nutrition facts label in various cereals. Challenge them to compare cereals they like and select the one with the lowest amount of sugar.

9.    Make treats “treats,” not everyday foods. Treats are great once in a while. Just don’t make treat foods an everyday thing. Limit sweet treats to special occasions.

10. If kids don’t eat their meal, they don’t need sweet “extras”. Keep in mind that candy or cookies should not replace foods that are not eaten at meal time.

New Food Trends for Halloween and Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

"For generations, kids have toted UNICEF's collection boxes door to door on Halloween, calling out "Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF!" They have raised more than $170 million since 1950 to help children around the world - funds that have enabled UNICEF to save and improve children's lives by providing health care, improved nutrition, clean water, education, and more."

Resource
1. UNICEF, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF

Wild Food Day October 28

For thousands of years, people have been eating foods grown in the wild; such as wild greens, mushrooms, roots, fruits, berries, vegetables, and flowers.

11 Edible Mushrooms in the U.S.
Can you tell which Mushrooms are Safe to Eat?

AZ of Bushcraft (E for Edible wild food)

How to identify and eat wild plants and
how to cook Fish over an open fire.

Today, the gathering of wild foods has become increasingly popular.  People consider wild foods healthier and eco-friendly.

Resources:
1. Edible Wild Food
2. How to Find Wild Edible Plants

October 24, Food Day - From Our Garden to Our Table

Welcome to Our Food Day Celebration!
From Our Garden

Food Day inspires Americans to change their diets and our food policies. Every October 24, thousands of events all around the country bring Americans together to celebrate and enjoy real food and to push for improved food policies. 

6 FOOD DAY PRINCIPLES

1. Reduce diet-related diseases by promoting safe, healthy foods.

2. Support sustainable farms and limit subsidies to big agribusiness.

3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger.

4. Protect the environment and animals by reforming factory farms.

5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids.

6. Support fair conditions for food and farmworkers.

Planning Our Food Day Meal Every family is unique. When planning our meal, we considered foods from our garden, finances, physical abilities, including finger foods and easy to chew and swallow, and color – the theme for our dinner. 

Our family and friends come from diverse backgrounds with physical and emotional challenges or chronic illnesses, such as Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Heart Disease.

Our Meal

The main course is a tri-color pasta with various toppings to choose from.  Our garden provided us with tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cucumbers, and basil. We purchased spinach, pasta sauce, locally grown fruits, and part-skim mozzarella, and for the meat-eaters, we had ground turkey meatballs and shredded chicken.

In addition, we prepared a red, white, and green grilled cheese sandwich from the US Dept of Health and Human Services cookbook “Keep the Beat Recipes,” recipes. A free copy of the cookbook is available on their website. 

The dessert was a big hit. We made fruit kabobs using locally grown fruits and paired them with low-fat ice cream, and for Jake, we prepared a smoothie using the same ingredients.

Adaptations and Individual Preferences

My son Jake was born with Cerebral Palsy and is quadriplegic. He is unable to hold utensils and requires a straw to drink fluids. Finger foods and a weighted cup with a flexi straw usually provide him the most independence.

National Color Day - Explore the Many Colors of Food

Music: The Wonderful World of Color,
Walt Disney and Disney World.

Eat Right with Colors explores the health benefits associated with eating foods of many colors. Including color diversity in your meals and food choices enhances your intake of a wide range of nutrients. 

Red and Pink Foods

Apples, Beets, Cayenne, Cherries, Cranberries, Guava, Kidney Beans, Papaya, Pink Beans, Pink/Red Grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radicchio, Radishes, Raspberries, Red Bell Peppers, Red Cabbages, Red Chili Peppers, Red Corn, Red Currants, Red Grapes, Red Onions, Red Pears, Red Peppers, Red Plums, Red Potatoes, Red Tomatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Watermelons

Green Foods

Alfalfa, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli rabe, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, Chives, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Dandelion Greens, Edamame, Endive, Fennel, Green apples, Green Beans, Green cabbage, Green Grapes, Green Olives, Green Onion, Green Pears, Green Peas, Green Pepper, Green Tomatoes, Honeydew, Kale, Kiwi, Leeks, Lettuce, Limes, Mint, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Pistachios, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Swiss Chard, Tarragon, Tomatillo, Wasabi, Watercress, Zucchini

Blue and Purple Foods

Blue Grapes, Blue and Purple Potatoes, Blueberries, Dried Plums, Plums, Eggplant, Pomegranates, Elderberries, Juniper Berries, Kelp (Seaweed), Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Cabbage, Purple Figs

Yellow and Orange Foods

Apricots, Bananas, Butternut Squash, Cantaloupe, Carrots, Cheddar Cheese, Citrus Fruits, Clementines, Corn, Creamsicle, Garbanzo Beans, Golden Apples, Golden Flax Seed, Golden Raisins, Grapefruit, Honey, Lemon, Lemongrass, Mandarin Oranges, Mangoes, Nectarines, Orange Jello, Orange Peppers, Orange Tomatoes, Oranges, Papaya, Parsnips, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pineapple, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Saffron, Salmon, Spaghetti Squash, Squash Blossoms, Sweet Corn, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerines, Whole Grains, Yams, Yellow Apples, Yellow Beans, Yellow Peppers, Yellow Summer Squash, Yellow Wax Beans

White and Black Foods

White: Cauliflower, Coconut, Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions, Scallions, Horseradish, Jicama, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Millet, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Quinoa, Shallots, Soy Products, Sunflower Seeds, Tofu, Turnips, White Beans, White Corn, White Sesame Seeds

Black: Black Beans, Black Cherries, Black Currants, Black Mushrooms, Black Olives, Black Quinoa, Black Raspberry, Black Rice, Black Sesame Seeds, Black Soybeans, Blackberries, Boysenberries, Prunes, Raisins, Seaweeds, Tamari (Soy Sauce)

Wellness News employs adults with "Special Needs" (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy). Many of the photographs are available for purchase, with the proceeds going to special needs adults. Contact Dr. Sandra Frank for additional information (recipenews@gmail.com). 

Please make a donation.

 

Prepared by
http://www.dietitians-online.com/
http://www.weighing-success.com/
Wellness News (www.weighing-success.com/WellnessNews.html)
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RD, LDN
Jake Frank
Michelle Canazaro
John Gargiullo

National Apple Day: Health Benefits and Recipes

Health Benefits
Apple is a fruit rich in antioxidants and a good source of fiber. Quercetin is an antioxidant found in apples and may inhibit lung cancer. Pectin found in apples helps treat diarrhea and constipation by adding bulk to the stool. Other benefits being studied include treatments for diabetes and heart disease, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood levels of LDL, reducing risks of Alzheimer’s, and decreasing bone fractures.

Apple seeds should never be eaten. They contain the poison cyanide.

Let’s not forget the peel. The apple peel contains ursolic acid, a chemical that may prevent muscle wasting.

There may be some truth to “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away”.

Apples: From Farm to Table

Recipe: Baked Sliced Apples

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
2 Apples, cored and sliced
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Lemon-Lime Soda, diet
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
1/2 cup Bran Flakes
1/2 cup Applesauce, unsweetened

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a mixing bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon-lime soda. Toss to combine.
2 Layer sliced apples in a baking pan.
3 Combine cinnamon, bran flakes, and applesauce. Place mixture over apples.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
5. Serve with low-fat vanilla yogurt or ice cream.

References and Resources
1. U.S. Apple Association
2. Healthy Apple Recipes to Keep You Warm & Cozy This Fall, EatingWell
 

Nutritional Analysis Services
Ensure accurate and cost-effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services.

Contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN, FAND
recipenews@gmail.com
954-294-6300

World Menopause Day How to Avoid Menopausal Weight Gain

Every woman will go through the “change of life,” around 50 years of age plus or minus. This is the time of her last period (or menstruation). Symptoms of menopause vary with every woman. Common symptoms include hot flashes; night sweats; sleep irregularity; mood changes; and possible weight gain around the middle. Some women go through menopause without symptoms.

Due to a decrease in hormone levels and the aging process, many women find themselves gaining weight in their forties and fifties. There is a loss of muscle, which decreases metabolism, and a gain of fat, mainly in the belly area. Lifestyle factors will play an important role in how you handle menopause. Menopausal women tend to be less active and eat more calories than they need.

Nutrition, Eating and
Wellness Guidelines for Menopause

1. Maintain a healthy weight; it will decrease your risk of heart disease and other problems. 
2. Meet your calcium and vitamin D needs. This is important to maintain healthy bones and prevent bone loss that may occur after menopause. Good food sources of calcium include dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese; fortified soy and rice beverages; fortified juices; and canned fish with bones. Good food sources of vitamin D include milk, fortified soy and rice beverages, fortified juices, and fatty fish. 
3. Be physically active every day. Physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, keep bones strong and energy levels up, and decrease the risk of heart disease and other age-related complications.
4. Some women will try soy and flax in food to help relieve the side effects of menopause. Currently, studies have not proven that soy and flax help.
5. Wear lightweight and layered clothes. Body temperature fluctuates from hot to cold.
6. Keep a cold glass of water by your side. Due to hot flashes and excessive sweating, it is important to stay hydrated.
7. Relax.
8. Take time to laugh.

How to Avoid Menopausal Weight Gain

You don't have to gain weight as a result of menopause.
Elizabeth Somer, RD explains how to avoid weight gain after menopause.

The Menopause Blues

I Will Not Age

Is It Hot In Here, Or Is It Me?

Resources and References

The Menopause Diet Plan: A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones,
Health, and Happiness, by Elizabeth Ward, Hillary Wright

The International Menopause Society (IMS), in collaboration with the World Health Organization, has designated October 18 as World Menopause Day. To celebrate World Menopause Day, IMS is launching a new campaign to create awareness of understanding weight gain at menopause and the implications it can have on the future health of women in the post-menopausal period. 

For women aged 55–65 years, weight gain is one of their major health concerns, and many are not aware of the health implications of excessive weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, which is associated with a heightened risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease and also impacts adversely on health-related quality of life and sexual function.
An educational toolkit of materials has been developed to support local country initiatives throughout the month of October to raise awareness of this potential health issue, and many have been translated into key languages to ensure the campaign has a truly international perspective.

The IMS hopes that national societies will take the opportunity of World Menopause Day to highlight the increasing importance of menopausal health issues by contacting the women of their country to encourage them to talk to their doctors about menopause and its long-term effects.