National Let’s Laugh Day

"People who laugh actually live longer than
those who don't laugh.
Few persons realize that health actually varies
according to the amount of laughter."

James J. Walsh, MD

Having a good laugh usually makes
us feel good about ourselves.
This can be a factor in motivating a person to lose weight.

I Love to Laugh

Babies Laughing

Research published in the International Journal of Obesity discovered laughter can be beneficial in weight control.

Laughing helps burn calories by increasing the heart rate by 10 to 20 percent: The metabolism increases as well, meaning you will burn more calories at rest once you have stopped laughing.

Scientists calculated 15 minutes of laughter a day will burn 10 to 40 calories, depending on a person’s weight and the intensity of the laughter.

Laughter can relieve physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which promotes an overall sense of well-being.

Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which may benefit the cardiovascular system.

Laughter may benefit people with diabetes. One study showed after watching a comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after listening to a boring lecture.

Laugh because it feels great,
because it is healthy for you and
because we take ourselves too seriously.
It’s time to lighten up.
“Laughter is the best medicine.”

World Salt Awareness Week: Cutting Back on Salt How am I supposed to live without you? Find Out

Knorr ll Sidekicks ll Commercial

The use of the video is not an endorsement,
but an example of why
it is important to read the label, and I like the song.
"How am I suppose to live without you?"
 - Read below to learn how to cut back on salt.

World Action on Salt and Health (WASH)  was established in 2005 and is a global group with the mission to improve the health of populations throughout the world by achieving a gradual reduction in salt intake.

WASH works to encourage multi-national food companies to reduce salt in their products and with Governments in different countries highlighting the need for a population-wide salt reduction strategy. The aim is to reduce salt intake throughout the world to the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended a maximum intake of 5g per day by reducing the amount of salt in processed foods as well as salt added during cooking, and at the table.

WASH has long been campaigning for everyone to eat less salt. As part of the campaign, WASH has identified that in order for people to take control of their own health they need to know what they are eating in the first place. In 2014 attention will be focused on the need for better nutrition labeling; investigating the current global trend towards nutrition labeling; congratulating those countries that have already implemented clear and consistent nutritional labeling, and targeting those countries that need to do so. The theme aims to show that there are options for consumers that want ‘less salt please!’, and to help make it easier to choose them.

Salt Matters: Preserving Choice, Protecting Health

Where does sodium come from?

Sodium comes from natural sources or is added to foods. Most foods in their natural state contain some sodium. However, the majority of sodium Americans consume comes from sodium added to processed foods by manufacturers. While some of this sodium is added to foods for safety reasons, the amount of salt added to processed foods is above what is required for the safety and function of the food supply.

Reading Labels
When you buy prepared and packaged foods, read the labels. You can tell the sodium content by looking at the Nutrition Facts panel of a food. Listed are the amount for sodium, in milligrams (mg), and the “% Daily Value.” Also read the ingredient list to watch for the words "soda" (referring to sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda), "sodium" and the symbol "Na" to see if the product contains sodium.

Salt and/or Sodium Descriptors

• Salt-Free: Meets requirements for "sodium-free."
• Sodium Free: Fewer than 5 milligrams sodium per serving.
• Very Low Sodium: 35 milligrams or less sodium per serving.
• Low Sodium: 140 milligrams or less per serving
• Reduced Sodium: At least 25 percent less sodium per serving.
• Unsalted: Has no salt added during processing. To use this term, the product it resembles must normally be processed with salt and the label must note that the food is not a sodium-free food if it does not meet the requirements for "sodium-free".

 

The FDA and USDA state an individual food that has the claim "healthy" must not exceed 480 mg sodium per reference amount. "Meal type" products must not exceed 600 mg sodium per labeled serving size.

Sodium and Hypertension.
In order for a food to make an Allowable Health Claim, it must contain a defined amount of nutrients. In relationship to sodium and Hypertension, the amount is 140 milligrams or less sodium per serving.

American Heart Association (AHA)
The American Heart Association recommends you choose and prepare foods with little or no salt to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Aim to eat less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day (less than 3/4 teaspoon of salt).
The AHA is working with federal agencies to identify ways to reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply. The association is encouraging food manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in foods by 50 percent over a 10-year period. AHA will help Americans lower the amount of sodium they consume by the following strategies:
 1. Reduce the amount of sodium in the food supply,
 2. Make more healthy foods available (e.g., more fruits and vegetables); and
 3. Provide consumers with education and decision-making tools to make better choices.

Tips for reducing sodium in the diet

1. Choose fresh, frozen, or canned food items without added salts.
2. Select unsalted nuts or seeds, dried beans, peas, and lentils.
3. Limit salty snacks like chips and pretzels.
4. Avoid adding salt and canned vegetables to homemade dishes.
5. Select unsalted, lower sodium, fat-free broths, bouillons, or soups.
6. Select fat-free or low-fat milk, low-sodium, low-fat cheeses, and low-fat yogurt.
7. Use spices and herbs to enhance the taste of your food.
8. Add fresh lemon juice instead of salt to fish and vegetables.
9. When dining out, ask for your dish to be prepared without salt.
10. Don’t use the salt shaker.

National Day of Unplugging - Alternative Activities

National Day of Unplugging. is a holiday that consists of a 24 hour period from sundown to sundown, to unplug, unwind, relax and do things other than using today’s technology, electronics, and social media.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under 2 and less than 2 hours per day for older children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents create an electronic-media-free environment in children’s bedrooms.
 

The Benefits of Reduced Screen Time

• Reducing screen time can help prevent childhood obesity.

• Children who spend less time watching television in the early years tend to do better in school, have a healthier diet, and are more physically active.

Hazards of Too Much Screen Time

•Adolescents with a television in their bedroom spend more time watching TV and report less physical activity, less healthy dietary habits, worse school performance, and fewer family meals.

• Children with a television in their bedroom are more likely to be overweight.

Alternative Activities During National Day of Unplugging

• Prepare a family meal together.
• Take a walk in the park.
• Join a family fitness group.
• Plant a vegetable garden or grow a fruit tree. 
• Visit the zoo.
• Plan a picnic or barbecue.
• Go to a museum.
• Take a nature hike.
• Organize a scavenger hunt.
• Learn yoga.
• Go dancing.
• Volunteer for a community or charitable organization

From Farm to Table: Jamaican Callaloo

What is the Jamaican callaloo plant?

Callaloo is a fast-growing tall leafy green vegetable from the amaranth family. You can harvest the young tender leaves or the mature leaves/stems for cooking. It is a nutritious green. The flower buds and seeds can also be eaten.

Jamaican Callaloo is a famous local staple green leafy vegetable. Cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper, this healthy side dish is for a tropical breakfast, lunch, or supper. Callaloo, also known as amaranth, is an ancient green leafy vegetable that has been consumed for thousands of years. It tastes like spinach but with a stronger flavor.

In Jamaica, farmers produce callaloo seeds and sell the plant in local markets.

How to Grow Callaloo

• Callaloo, Amaranthus Spinosus, or Jamaican or Caribbean spinach, is something you can easily grow in a garden bed at home or in a community garden.
• Plant callaloo in the early spring after the last frost. Wait until April or May, depending on the last frost in your area, to prepare a garden bed for your callaloo seeds.
• Choose an area that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight a day
• Add well-draining compost to the garden bed for extra nutrients.
• Press seeds into the soil 7–10 inches (18–25 cm) apart in the rows. Callaloo plants can handle a little crowding, so don’t worry too much about getting the spacing exact.
• Cover the rows of seeds with 1⁄4 in (0.64 cm) of soil. The goal is to firm the soil up just enough to cover the seeds and keep them in place in their rows.
• Water the seeds gently to moisten the soil. Use a watering can or a hose with a light spraying attachment to water the soil. Avoid using a hard stream of water that could disturb the seeds.
• Water the plants 1-2 times a week during dry periods. Spray down the whole seedbed with a hose and a misting attachment. Wait a few seconds for the water to seep into the soil, and spray any dry spots.
• Callaloo plants are considered drought tolerant, so it’s fine for the soil to dry out between waterings.
• There's no need to water callaloo unless the soil is totally dry. If you can feel any moisture in the soil, leave the plants alone for now.
• You don’t have to fertilize callaloo for it to grow well.
• Removing weeds lets the callaloo plants get all the nutrition out of the soil because no other plants compete for it.
• Get rid of pests by spraying the leaves with a pest control spray. Watch out for pests on the leaves, like beetles, aphids, and mites. Spray the foliage with an organic pest control spray to remove any pests if you plan on eating the callaloo.
• Callaloo is very disease tolerant, so you only really have to look out for pests, which can cause the plants to yield less foliage for harvesting.
• You can harvest callaloo as soon as the leaves are big enough to handle, usually within the first couple of months after planting it.
• Collect leaves every 2 weeks or so during the summer. Allow plants to regrow for a couple of weeks after each harvest. Trim off up to 1/3 of the oldest leaves again after 2 weeks to encourage new growth throughout the growing period.
• You should be able to do this through late September if you live in a seasonal climate in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, you could do it until March or around then.
• There’s no pruning necessary to care for callaloo plants.
• Callaloo is naturally resistant to most pests and diseases.
• You can substitute callaloo for spinach in most recipes that call for spinach.

How to Cut Callaloo for a 

Continuous Harvest All Season Long  

 

Nutrition Information

Recipe: Jamaican Callaloo
Serves 2

A friend stopped by and brought over Jamaican Callaloo. It was delicious. Jake says it is better than spinach. It is unique and favorable. 

Ingredients
4 cups callaloo, chopped 

1/2 tsp Salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, or coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, whole 
2 tablespoons water


Directions

1. Remove the outer old leaves and peel the outer membrane of each callaloo stem.
2. Cover callaloo in cold water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and leave aside while prepping the remaining vegetables.
3. After discarding the water, rinse with water and drain. Callaloo should be chopped.
4. In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, spring onion, thyme, tomato, and scotch bonnet pepper until the onion is transparent.
5. Add callaloo. Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes on low heat, or until the callaloo is soft.

Reference.

1. Callaloo, Wikipedia. "There are many variations of Callaloo across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main ingredient is an indigenous leaf vegetable, traditionally either amaranth (common in Jamaica, also known as callaloo), taro leaves, or Xanthosoma leaves."

National Potato Chip Day

Potato chips are a major part of the snack food market. The global potato chip market generated total revenues of US $16.4 billion in 2005. This accounted for 35.5% of the total snacks market in that year (US $46.1 billion).  

How Potato Chips are Made

Potato chips were originally fried and seasoned. After the release of the Dietary Reference Intake guidelines in the US, Canada, and various countries concern regarding the amount of trans fats, sodium, and sugar became a major issue. The consumers, advocacy groups, and health associations focused on the nutritional value of junk foods, including potato chips. 

A recent study determined excessive consumption of potato chips may cause obesity, which can produce a rise in blood pressure. 

Some potato chip companies have responded to the criticism by investing in research and development to modify existing recipes and create health-conscious products. 

National School Breakfast Week

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) 2023 theme #NSBW23 is “Dig in To School Breakfast.” By celebrating National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) every year, SNA encourages all schools to recognize the importance of a healthy start to the day for fueling a child’s academic success. 

Benefits of Eating a Healthy Breakfast

Rise and Shine with Raffi and
a Healthy Breakfast
A Special Thank You to Raffi and the Centre for Child Honouring for
providing permission to use "Rise and Shine" to encourage a Healthy Breakfast.

"Raffi" (Raffi Cavoukian), C.M., O.B.C.

Founder and Chair, Centre for Child Honouring

He is known to millions as "Raffi," a beloved songwriter and performer, author,
ecology advocate and founder of the
Raffi Foundation For Child Honouring

Visit https://raffifoundation.org/ to learn more about
the Raffi Foundation For Child Honouring. 

Child Honouring is a vision for creating
a humane and sustainable
world by addressing the universal needs of children.

In his career, which spans three decades, Raffi has refused all commercial endorsement offers, and Troubadour Music, his own company, has never directly advertised or marketed to children. He passionately advocates for a child’s freedom to live without commercial exploitation.

      "We invite you to be a part of the global movement that views honouring children as the best way to create sustainable, peacemaking societies."  - Raffi

National Nutrition Month through the Cat in the Hat

Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good for You

Oh, The Things You Can Do That Are Good for You: All About Staying Healthy (Cat in the Hat's Learning Library) 

National Nutrition Month® 2023: Fuel for the Future

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of National Nutrition Month® created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year's theme is "Fuel for the Future." Eating with sustainability nourishes us during our life and protects the environment. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that are sustainable and celebrate your unique needs.

The FAO’s definition of sustainable diets:

Sustainable Diets are those diets with low environmental impacts that contribute to food and nutrition security and to healthy life for present and future generations. Sustainable diets are protective and respectful of biodiversity and ecosystems, culturally acceptable, accessible, economically fair, and affordable; nutritionally adequate, safe, and healthy; while optimizing natural and human resources.

National Nutrition Month® in 2023 is "Fuel for the Future" 

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day is also celebrated during National Nutrition Month®, on the second Wednesday in March. This occasion increases awareness of registered dietitian nutritionists as the indispensable providers of food and nutrition services while recognizing both RDNs and nutrition and dietetic technicians registered for their commitment to helping people enjoy healthy lives.

National Family Caregivers Day

National Family Caregivers Day celebrates caregivers everywhere. What caregivers do every day requires superpowers, and though we may not tell them often enough – the care they give matters to all of us.

Are you a caregiver to a parent, sibling, adult child, aunt, or uncle? It is not easy, and not many resources. Recently I came across a support group for caregivers. Most were parents taking care of their adult child. It was a blessing. I wasn't alone.

We know you're focused on the health and well-being of others, but it's important to remember to take care of yourself. Caring for yourself isn't selfish; it's an essential part of making sure you can give your best every day.

Staying strong as a caregiver

*Stay healthy with proper nutrition

*Eating healthy is the best way to maintain your strength, energy, stamina, and immune system. It's also one of the most powerful things you can do to stay positive.

*Good nutrition for your care receiver helps make care easier

*Up to half of all older adults are at risk for malnutrition, that's why it's important to make sure those you care for have a healthy diet. It helps prevent muscle loss, supports Rest. Recharge. Respite.

*Make sure to take some time away to re-energize or ask for help. Caregiving can be stressful, and taking a breather ensures that you'll be ready to take on the challenges Find out if you and your care receiver are getting the right amount of nutrients. Complete this nutrition assessment and see how you are doing.

10 Tips for Family Caregivers

1. Seek support from other caregivers.  You are not alone!
2. Take care of your own health so that you can be strong enough to take care of your loved one.
3. Accept offers of help and suggest specific things people can do to help you.
4. Learn how to communicate effectively with doctors.
5. Caregiving is hard work so take respite breaks often.
6. Watch out for signs of depression and don't delay getting professional help when you need it.
7. Be open to new technologies that can help you care for your loved one.
8. Organize medical information so it's up to date and easy to find.
9. Make sure legal documents are in order.
10. Give yourself credit for doing the best you can in one of the toughest jobs there is!

Make Your Recipes and Menus Stand Out with Nutrition Analysis

The many uses of Recipes and Menus Analysis and Development to enhance your product. Many people with special dietary needs and allergies will benefit from this information.

• Bloggers: Add nutrient analysis to your Recipes.
• Journalists: Feature Special Food Holidays
• Cookbook Publishers: Add nutrient analysis to Recipes and Menus
• Educators: Teach students how to read a label.
• Chefs: Creating healthy heart recipes
• Consumers: Create healthy recipes & menus
• Health Professionals: Resources
• Food Industry: Recipe and Menu development using their products.

Nutritional Analysis is part of our everyday life. We have grown accustomed to nutrition information being readily available. It helps many control their diets.

Avocado Toast with Fresh Beet Hummus,
 @KidsCookMonday #Hummus #Beets
#Avocado #FruitandVeggiesMoreMatters  

Chili Lime Jackfruit Tacos

Whole Grain Date Walnut Bread, Modified. http://bit.ly/2BQLC5F

Millions of people depend on nutrition information to meet their dietary needs. Some diets include low-calorie, carbohydrate-controlled, high protein, low protein, low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium, high fiber, gluten-free, lactose-free, and peanut allergies

Why use a dietitian for nutrient analysis?

• Purchasing nutrient analysis software and learning how to use the program is only useful if you have the knowledge to convert “as purchased” ingredients to the “edible portion.”
• Recipes are usually written based on what the consumer needs to purchase. The individual analyzing the recipe must evaluate the recipe based on the actual food-ready-to-eat (unless the food is meant to be eaten whole.)
• A nutritional analysis program cannot cook or prepare meals. A person must have skills in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Nutrition, Cooking and Preparation Techniques, Purchasing Guides, Yield Factors, and Nutrient Analysis Software.
• To own professional nutrition software with yearly maintenance fees can be expensive. In addition, there is the cost of an educated person to run the software.

Consider adding nutritional analysis to your online recipes. Your readers will benefit from the Nutrition information and a Registered Dietitian. A valuable service for Recipe Bloggers, Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, and Recipe Websites. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutritional Analysis.

References:
Sun-Sentinel, Ft Lauderdale, FL
Condé Nast, Bon Appétit, CA, NY
Atlanta Constitution, GA 

Detroit Free Press, Detroit, MI
Fort Worth Star, Worth Forth, Texas

Publications:

Menu Solutions

Menu Solutions: Quantity Recipes for Regular and Special Diets

From "As Purchased" to "Edible Portion": How to Analyze a Recipe Using a Nutrient Database

Cost-effective - Pricing structure

Recipe Nutrition Analysis
(Please contact a company providing laboratory services; this is not a laboratory analysis.) Nutrition Analysis by the database is an excellent resource for the Media, Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites, and Blogs. With all recipes and menu analysis, the more information you provide, the more accurate the nutrition information.

  

Fee Structure for Nutrition Analysis
Number of Recipes	Fee/Recipe
	Nutrient Information
1 to 19	$ 40.00/recipe
>20 recipes	call for special pricing
Retainer services are available 954.294.6300 ask for Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, FAND

Click the link to download the necessary form. Please call if you have any questions. All information provided is confidential.

For additional information, contact Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN,  FAND at recipenews@gmail.com  at 954-294-6300