Cheap foods that are good for you!

From Team Beachbody:

"These days it seems as if we're all trying to stretch our dollars, either by necessity or because we're becoming savvier about saving more and spending less. If you've been looking for ways to stretch your grocery budget without resorting to filling up on cheap, empty calories, read on. It's a myth that the healthiest foods are the most expensive. With a list and a plan, it is possible, and surprisingly simple, to eat healthily without blowing your budget."

Good stuff. I am continually impressed with the nutritional side of BeachBody's web site.

The list:

1. Sweet Potatoes
2. Beans
3. Brown Rice
4. Eggs
5. Pasta
6. Frozen Vegetables

Bull makes surprise visit | Video | Reuters.com

Do you remember almost 5 years ago when we had a bear in our West State Street store? (if not see here or here). Well now a grocery store in Ireland has had a run a way bull wander in!

Bull makes surprise visit | Video | Reuters.com:

"A runaway bull is captured on CCTV paying a surprise visit to an Irish supermarket.

Hayley Platt reports."

Better safe than sorry

While this is an unusual post for a grocery store blog, I feel that it may be the best way to reach the local Olean-Allegany-Portville area, so...

What is disaster planning? Planning in advance to reduce the negative effects of a disaster. So this is not to say that swine flu will be a disaster. The same holds true for any disaster: a little thought in advance can save much trouble down the road.

Obviously we can never be fully prepared for everything, but it does make sense every now and then to stop and think if you are prepared. So using swine flu as the most recent excuse, here goes:


What disasters can hit locally? Obviously many things can happen from Earthquakes to Ice storms to chemical spills, but some that come to mind quickly:

• Fires (by far the most common)
• Floods (see 1972, 1942),
• Tornadoes--from 1950 to 1995 (the most recent data I can find, Cattaraugus county was hit with at least 13 tornadoes
• Ice Storms
  
• Pandemics
  

Are you prepared?

1. Install fire (and CO2) alarms and check the batteries!
2. Have a back-up water supply (especially if you rely on well water)
3. Never ever run generators inside. Nor should you have fires indoors or in unventilated areas (several died of this after the Buffalo Snow storm in October 2006).
4. Have a flashlight, radio, and batteries in a safe spot. Information is very valuable. Plan on not having power and no cell coverage.
   
5. Back-up and protect valuable files. Keep in waterproof/fireproof containers. Back up hard drives. Keep off site if possible.
   
6. Know what to in the event of a tornado: get to a safe place ASAP! Basements, doorways, bathtubs.
7. Be aware of what to do and think. DO not panic. Thinking (both before, during, and after a disaster) is probably the most important thing you can do to improve your odds.
   

Obviously with Swine flu on everyone's mind, the increased probability of a pandemic warrants extra attention.

First and most importantly, do not panic. The odds are very much in your favor. Most people have not come down with it even in the hard hits area of Mexico and the vast majority of people who do catch it, recover. That said, why not minimize the risks, so some advice from a variety of sources:

From the Cattaraugus County Health Dept:

"Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties’ Health Departments are working together to educate their county residents about swine flu. The New York State Department of Health has set up a 24 hour a day/ 7 days a week toll free hotline to answer questions from the public. This number is 1-800-808-1987. Public Health Directors Barb Hastings and Lori Ballengee agree the best advice the Cattaraugus County Health Department and the Allegany County Department of Health can give county residents is wash your hands, stay home if you are ill, and keep children home who are ill."

From the CDC's Swine flu and you:

"What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick."

and

"What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them."

The first one is seemingly common sense, but in the 1918 pandemic, it seems that healthy people were more adversely effected, so the success of that may be questioned purely from a flu perspective (obviously good for other reasons!).

Be prepared to stay home. While mandated quarantines have not been even discussed to my knowledge, history suggests that they are likely if the diseased spreads more than expected. Moreover, if you or your family are sick, don't venture out to spread the disease.

How to you prepare to stay at home? Have an emergency supply of things that you would need to be able to stay at home for a week to ten days if necessary. Look for long shelf lives and easy preparation/storage.

Need some suggestions?

• Cans of soup, peanut butter and jelly, canned vegetables, bottled water, tissues, toilet paper, hand santizers, oatmeal, pasta, tuna fish, mac and cheese, etc. (note you may not be living the high life, but you are only looking for things to be comfortable with)

If you are run a school or business: have plans to have your classes/employees work at home. Sure it is a pain, but it can be done.

For instance, at the Allegany Park and Shop we have a disaster pandemic plan that starts simple and gets more advanced if the problem escalates. A summary:

1. More frequent washing of all carts, surfaces, and doors to help prevent the spread of the flu virus.
2. Hand sanitizers at all registers for use after each customer.
   
3. Accepting phone and internet orders and then have a drive-up pick up (on the Maple avenue side) so that people would not need to come into contact with others.
   
4. Make home deliveries where food could be prepaid and left on porches.
5. Operate with a skeletal crew by cutting back on hours of operation and the number of product offerings: for instance water, vegetables, breads, etc.

Hopefully none of these will need to be used, but it is better to be prepared than to be caught by surprise and make costly mistakes.

For more see Ready.gov.

Breastfeeding 'protects mother'

BBC NEWS | Health | Breastfeeding 'protects mother':

"A US study found women who breastfed for more than a year were 10% less likely to develop the conditions than those who never breastfed.

Even breastfeeding for at least a month may cut the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The research features in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting breastfeeding has health benefits for both mother and baby."

Kashi : Our food : Kashi U, Original

This is included partially in honor or Earth week, but more because it is simply that good! Possibly the best cereal on the market today. I think I have had three bowls already today.

From their website:

Kashi : Our food : Kashi U, Original: "

Representing the unity within your body, we created Kashi U™ cereal to promote the vitality of five body systems: Heart, Immunity, Bone, Digestion & Mind.

The tasty combination of toasted Seven Whole Grain flakes, tangy black currants, crunchy walnuts, and acai oat clusters is packed full of nutrition:

• Cardio Nourishment – 350mg ALA omega 3 from walnuts and 100% of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid
• Immunity Boost – 50% of your daily value for vitamins A, C and E as well as zinc and antioxidant super fruits black currant and acai
• Strengthen Support – More calcium & vitamin D than half a glass of milk* plus zinc to support bone health
• Thrive Inside – 7g of fiber and prebiotics to help the good bacteria grow
• Mental Sustenance – Over half of the daily recommended amount of whole grains

We believe that everything we do can make a difference and that every step counts. So the Kashi U box is printed with compostable, soy-based inks, is 100% recycled and contains 80% post-consumer recycled content, and is printed by a company that offsets its electricity use with clean wind power."

Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat, Diabetes Risk

Blueberries May Help Reduce Belly Fat, Diabetes Risk:

"The new research, presented April 19 at the Experimental Biology convention in New Orleans, gives tantalizing clues to the potential of blueberries in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of phytochemicals – naturally occurring antioxidants – that blueberries contain.

The study was performed in laboratory rats. While the animal findings suggest blueberries may be protective against two health conditions that affect millions of Americans, more research should be done."

Will have to add more to my next smoothie!

Fact or Fiction: Raw veggies are healthier than cooked ones: Scientific American

Have had this debate with several friends. While the evidence is somewhat mixed, it seems that cooking does enhance more than just the taste (and not just in carrots and tomatoes!)

Fact or Fiction: Raw veggies are healthier than cooked ones: Scientific American:

"A January 2008 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry said that boiling and steaming better preserves antioxidants, particularly carotenoid, in carrots, zucchini and broccoli, than frying, though boiling was deemed the best. The researchers studied the impact of the various cooking techniques on compounds such as carotenoids, ascorbic acid and polyphenols.

Deep fried foods are notorious sources of free radicals, caused by oil being continuously oxidized when it is heated at high temperatures. These radicals, which are highly reactive because they have at least one unpaired electron, can injure cells in the body. The antioxidants in the oil and the vegetables get used up during frying in stabilizing the cycle of oxidation."

Of course, this is not the only side of the issue as some suggest that boiling, or even cooking at all, is bad. But it seems that some cooking of some vegetables is actually food for you!

Vital Signs - Risks - Waist Size Strongly Tied to Heart Disease - NYTimes.com

Vital Signs - Risks - Waist Size Strongly Tied to Heart Disease - NYTimes.com:

"A large new study has provided added evidence that larger waist size alone, even in people of normal weight, significantly raises the risk for heart disease."

Free Bag at Park and Shop

" It's Earth Week!!

Free Bag!!*

It's Earth Week! We'll help you to be more environmentally friendly...

See ParkandShopOnline to see how you can get it for free!! THIS WEEK ONLY!!!

And for the week, we will take two cents off your order for every bag you reuse

Not All Diets Pass the Heart-Healthy Test

I doubt you will be surprised by any of this, but it is a scientific look at diets and what is good for the heart and what only claims to be (or at least cannot yet be shown to be good)


From WebMD:
Not All Diets Pass the Heart-Healthy Test:

"The final results showed only three specific dietary factors had strong evidence behind them as proven heart disease fighters:

* Vegetable-rich diet
* Eating nuts rich in monounsaturated fatty acids like walnuts and other nuts
* Following a Mediterranean-style diet high in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, cheese or yogurt, and fish

Of these, only a Mediterranean-style diet has been shown in randomized controlled studies to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Researchers also found strong evidence behind the negative effects of the following dietary factors on heart disease risk:

* Following a Western-style diet high in processed meats, red meat, butter, refined grains, and high-fat dairy products
* High-glycemic index foods
* Trans-fatty acids"

Maybe Vegetarians have high volatilty

From Science Daily:

Young Vegetarians May Have Healthier Diets But Could Be At Risk For Disordered Eating Behaviors:

"In a study published in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers observed that adolescent and young adult vegetarians may experience the health benefits associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake and young adults my experience the added benefit of decreased risk for overweight and obesity.

However, current vegetarians may be at increased risk for binge eating, while former vegetarians may be at increased risk for extreme unhealthful weight control behaviors."

To which I would suggest that the people (i.e. the vegetarians) studied, may be high volatility people in the sense they go to extremes. As such, they are more apt to become vegetarians but also more likely to have eating problems later on if they give up the vegetarianism.

Cross-posted at RandomTopics2 blog too. (I had intended it for the P&S blog (here) but messed up so might as well leave it there as well).

New Approach Discovered To Lowering Triglycerides

New Approach Discovered To Lowering Triglycerides:

"Studies done with laboratory rats suggest that supplementation of their diet with lipoic acid had a significant effect in lowering triglycerides, which along with cholesterol levels and blood pressure are one of the key risk factors in cardiovascular disease.....

The results were just published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics.

"The extent of triglyceride reduction was really dramatic, we didn't expect it to be this profound," said Regis Moreau, an assistant professor with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University."

Lipoic Acid is found in Kidney meats, Broccoli, and Spinach among other foods.

Caffeine Reduces Pain During Exercise, Study Shows

I would not have expected this. Although it does make sense and helps explain not only the habitual coffee many cyclists have pre-ride, but also the caffeine tablets I have seen some riders take mid way through a long hard ride (at least that is what they said the tablets were!) as well as the cans of coke that are ubiquitous in long stages of the Tour de France.

From Science Daily: Caffeine Reduces Pain During Exercise, Study Shows:

"Motl's latest published study on the effects of caffeine on pain during exercise appears in the April edition of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.....

This study looks at the effects of caffeine on muscle pain during high-intensity exercise as a function of habitual caffeine use,' he said. 'No one has examined that before.

'What we saw is something we didn't expect: caffeine-naïve individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine (consumption).'"

The study is from the University of Illinois.