Sweet Product - Sweet Potatoes

Earlier this week, October 25-28, I was among thousands of other nutrition professionals in Chicago at the American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE). It is a fantastic time of networking with peers and colleagues and getting together with friends.

One of the best parts of FNCE, and I make my co-workers jealous, is the Expo, where we learn about new products and foods that are or will soon be available to the public. We do get to sample and take home some of these products. I thought I would tell you about some of them over the next several entries.

Ore-Ida Steam n’ Mash Sweet Potatoes (found in the freezer section)

I just love sweet potatoes and I make baked or mashed sweet potatoes year round. Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can get your hands on. They are an excellent source of potassium; a great source of Vitamins A, C and E, and fiber is bountiful in them. Also, as with most vegetables, they have no fat and are not too bad in the calorie department.

But, whenever I want mashed sweet potatoes, I generally have to plan ahead by an hour to allot for peeling, cutting and boiling them so they will be done in time to have with the rest of dinner.

This product does the peeling and cutting for us. You can pop the bag in the microwave for 10 minutes, and they are done! You can eat them as is (in the chunks), or mash them up and dress as you normally would. Just remember when you add things to it, you add calories! I’m going to look for them on my next trip to the grocery store.

Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well - today!

Fasting - Pros and Cons?

I was recently interviewed about the pros and cons of “fasting” and unfortunately I find that many people do it so I thought I would put in my 6 cents about the topic.

First, I want to clarify: What is fasting?

There are several variations of fasting, but here are three general categories as I define them:

1. Water only, no nutrients or calories of any kind for a period of time.



2. Juice fasts. This includes drinking fruit and/or vegetable juice for a period of time. This category I would also include other “liquid” fasts including the maple syrup/cayenne pepper concoction or the “cleansing teas” and similar variations – there are many.



3. Fasting by abstaining from certain types of food for a period of time – such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, red meat, etc.

When I refer to fasting I’m referring to no food – looking at categories 1 and 2 above. Most often people choose to do this for the purpose of weight loss or “detox.”

I acknowledge fasting is appropriate in the following two instances: medically necessary prior to a blood test or surgery and religious purposes/observances as directed by certain religions for various holidays (ex. Ramadan, Lent, Yom Kippur).

For all other reasons I strongly urge people to NOT engage in fasting for several reasons. Here is my top five.

1. Your brain needs fuel and it needs it regularly and often. It will go through the glycogen it needs within a day and, if not replenished, it won’t be able to function properly.
   



2. Your body needs fuel. Basal metabolism, which is the basic amount of energy our body needs just to function daily, is still quite a lot of calories (mine is about 1200 calories). You add calories to that to support movement, like if you plan to get out of bed to take a walk to the fridge or take a shower. Feed your body regularly with GOOD healthy food, just not too much.
   



3. Weight loss (most people really want FAT loss rather than WEIGHT loss) will not happen during a fast, and really if you want a “jump start” – then quit eating unhealthy foods and start eating healthy foods. That is a good start.
   



4. “Detox” isn’t going to happen during a fast. Choose to not consume toxic substances anymore if you are concerned about toxins. Most toxins are filtered out through the liver. That is the job of the liver.
   



5. Finally, the biggest one, you want to keep your family and friend from hating you. If you plan to have any human contact during your fast, especially during the first 4-5 days, please have your family, friends, and co-workers sign waivers that they will not hold anything against you during this time. You are going to be one cranky S.O.B. and should not be held responsible for your actions. If you are already a cranky person, some people may not notice a difference. But if you get in a really bad mood when you go without eating for about 6-8 hours, this is going to be a really bad idea.

Truly, a fast of any kind is just silly, and a waste of some great days of healthy eating.

Don’t deprive yourself. You could miss out on some great food opportunities.

Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well – every day.