If you haven’t been successful at ditching the bread in light of increasing advice to reduce carbohydrates and substitute bread for lettuce leaves, or you just can’t imagine a world without bread, you may want to keep reading!

Most of us are aware of the nutritional differences between white and wheat bread but sadly that isn’t where the differences begin and end. Just because a bread is brown and the packaging states wheat, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Many times, what the bread claims to contain on the front of its packaging, doesn’t correspond with what’s stated in the nutrition facts information.

To end the confusion once and for all, here is a guide to buying bread:

• Pay close attention to the first ingredient listed on the ingredient label. If the bread lists “wheat flour,” “enriched, bleached flour” or something of that nature, this tells you that the bread is actually a product of white flour. Instead, look for “whole wheat flour” or “whole grain” as the first ingredient. Whole grain means the entire grain kernel was used, which is far more nutritious than a refined grain. Whole grains are low in fat and high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Look for terms such as 100% whole wheat to be sure that what you’re getting is really healthy.

• If you’ve ever seen multi, 9 or 12 grain breads at the supermarket and always assumed they were healthiest, there are two things you must look for. The food label must state 100% whole grain if it’s to truly meet your expectations. Another good rule of thumb is to read the ingredients list. If  a wide variety of grains appear at the top of the ingredients list, then you can be sure that what you are buying is truly whole grain. The preference for whole grain over whole wheat comes in part because the greater the variety of grains, the greater the range of benefits the bread offers the body.

• Be weary of breads that use the term “honey wheat” or other use other names that suggest sugar. Look out for breads that contain high fructose corn syrup. The potential side effects this  sweetener may have on the body  is still relatively unknown. Plus, high quantities of any kind of added sugar don’t have their place in your next ham sandwich!

• Don’t assume that because a bread is dark, it must be healthy. Many dark rye breads actually list unbleached, enriched flour as their first ingredient, making for a far less nutritious bread that’s subsequently low in fiber.

As the name implies, breakfast literally means to “break one’s fast,” following a good nights rest. According to the American Dietetic Association, the body uses breakfast to refuel its glucose stores and provide the brain and muscles with energy to function throughout the day. However, this doesn’t permit us to indulge in bottomless bowls of sugary cereal to meet our glucose requirement. Instead, look for breakfast options that are high in protein and fiber and low in calories, fat and sugar. Rest assured, following these guidelines doesn’t mean sacrificing taste!

Oatmeal: Top of the list for a reason, oatmeal is an excellent source of dietary fiber. Oats offer many benefits to the body, including improved heart health, bowel function and even a reduced risk of certain cancers and obesity. Instant oatmeal is just as nutritious as regular oatmeal and it’s easier and quicker to prepare!

Mix 1 sachet of instant oatmeal with 1/2 cup of low-fat milk, heat and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

English muffin with peanut butter: A good source of dietary fiber and calcium, a whole-wheat English muffin is an excellent alternative to traditional bread. It’s low in calories, low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. Opt for all-natural peanut butter that’s free of added ingredients and preservatives. Adding banana not only makes for a fantastic flavor combination but also adds 1 fruit serving.

Toast 1 light, whole-wheat English muffin and serve with 1 Tbsp of peanut butter and 1 small banana (sliced).

Granola and fruit parfait: When buying granola, pay attention to sugar content (5 grams or less) and look for a granola that contains nuts. Walnuts are high in omega-3s and taste great. For the most nutritious granola, consider making your own; the only way to completely avoid added sugars and preservatives.

Combine 1/2 cup of granola with 1 cup of plain, low-fat yogurt and 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen berries.

Egg and cheese burrito: Eggs are an amazing, natural source of protein. For the highest quality egg, buy organic, free-range.  Eggs enriched with omega-3 fatty acids are a product of hens feeding largely on kelp and flax seed and provide more nutritional benefit than regular eggs.

Fill one whole wheat, low-carb tortilla, with 1 scrambled egg, half a cup of low-fat shredded cheese and 1 Tbsp of salsa.

Fruit Smoothie: Possibly the easiest and most delicious way to meet your daily fruit recommendation, a fruit smoothie is a far healthier alternative to a shake. Using low-fat yogurt to thicken the smoothie and freshly-squeezed fruit juice as the liquid ingredient makes for a low-fat smoothie free of added sugar.

Combine approximately 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh fruit with 3/4 cup of low-fat yogurt, 1/2 cup of fruit juice and  a few cubes of ice.  Blend to desired thickness and enjoy!

Forget forbidden fruits. Avocados shouldn’t be off limits in your quest for optimal health, wellness and weight loss. Avocados are a great source of vital vitamins and minerals.

Half a medium avocado (about four ounces) provides a whopping 500 milligrams of potassium, more than 1/3 of the RDA for folate (folic acid), 10% or more of the RDA for iron, magnesium, betacarotene, Vitamins C, Vitamin E, and B-6.  Listen to this pregnant moms; avocados contain more folate than any other fruit.

But that’s not all. Avocados possess powerful antioxidant and disease fighting phytonutrients.  For this reason, researchers are now considering them true “phyter-fruits” Improving your diet can be a satisfying experience when your taste buds are treated to the rich taste of this creamy fruit. Avocados fit great within an anti-inflammatory, paleo type diet. Don’t be fooled by the fat. Avocados contain heart healthy monounsaturated fats that should be included in every healthy diet. Far too few people who try to lose weight understand that they need to Eat Fat to Lose Fat.

*    Avocados rival many other anti-aging foods such as grapes and red wine. Avocados are truly a nutrient dense food.

*    Avocados contain more lutein than any other fruit. This carotenoid provides powerful protection against cataracts and macular degeneration, major causes of blindness in the elderly.

*    Avocados contain at least twice as much beta-sitosterol (a plant sterol that inhibits cholesterol absorption in the intestines) as corn, green soybeans, or olives, and more than four times as much as bananas, apples, grapes, plums, cherries, and cantaloupe.

*   Ounce for ounce avocados contain three times as much glutathione as bananas, apples, cantaloupes, grapes, plums, and cherries. This antioxidant may protect against cancer.

Novel ways to add avocados to your diet:

*    Brazilians add them to ice cream (see The Ice Dream Cookbook for dairy-free, low-sugar coconut milk ice cream made with avocado)

*   Cubans mash them with capers, pimento stuffed green olives, lime juice & olive oil & serve over poached fish

*    Jamaicans season them with lime juice & Scotch bonnet chiles to make chilled avocado soup

*    Colombians & Ecuadorians slice them into soups (see recipe below).

Creamy Broccoli-Avocado Soup

Prep: 30 minutes/ Cooking: 30 minutes/ Yield: 6 servings

Avocado adds a rich taste and creamy texture to green vegetable soups without milk or cream. I got the idea for this from the California Avocado Commission. I replaced zucchini in their recipe with broccoli, increased the volume of vegetables, and changed the seasonings. This soup goes well with fish, poultry, or meat with a bright orange, yellow, or red vegetable or fruit.

Ingredients

4 cups homemade Bone-Building Broth (from The Garden of Eating), homemade chicken broth or stock, or preservative-free chicken broth or Grass-fed beef bone marrow broth

1 medium onion (1-1 1/2 cups), thinly sliced or diced

2 to 3 small cloves coarsely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (reduce by one-half if using salted broth)

½ to 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotlé (smoked dried Jalapeno pepper powder)

3 to 4 packed cups broccoli, tops cut into small florets, stalks peeled and thinly sliced, tough part discarded

2 large ripe avocados, seeded, peeled, and chopped

1/4 cup minced scallions, parsley or cilantro leaves, or red or yellow bell pepper, garnish

Hot sauce or ground black pepper or lemon pepper, optional

1.   Combine 2 cups broth or stock with onion, garlic, sea salt, cumin, and chipotlé in a 2- to 3-quart pot. Cover and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

2.   Add remaining broth and broccoli. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until fork tender, about 15  minutes. Do not boil hard or overcook. Broccoli should remain bright green.

3.   Purée the broccoli, onion, and broth mixture with the avocados in a blender, Vita-Mix, or food processor in 2 batches, until smooth and creamy. Add additional water ¼ cup at a time as needed to make a smooth purée. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

4.   Return the soup to the pot and heat gently. Ladle into bowls, garnish, and serve. Add hot sauce or black pepper at the table if desired. Served chilled in hot weather.

5.   Refrigerate leftovers and use within 3 days.

1 cup: 149 calories, 4 g protein, 11 g carbohydrate (6 g fiber), 10 g fat, 37 mg calcium, 174 mg sodium

Variations:

*    Creamy Cauliflower Avocado Soup: Replace broccoli with cauliflower. Increase cooking time as needed to soften the cauliflower.

*    For milder flavor, omit chipotlé. Add 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper or lemon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or 1 teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon fresh dill weed. Add hot sauce to servings if desired.

Bio: Rachel Albert-Matesz is a Phoenix, Arizona-based freelance food and health writer, cooking instructor,  healthy cooking coach, chef, blogger, co-author of The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004) and author of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces (Planetary Press, 2008). For more information about her books, classes, phone coaching, and other services, visit her blog: www.TheHealthyCookingCoach.com

Have you had your onions today?
Onions have been held in high esteem throughout recorded history and used in nearly every cuisine around the globe.  They are one of the oldest known vegetables, probably among the first cultivated crops, are easy to grow, do well in a wide range of soils and climates, are less perishable than many other vegetables, and have grown wild in many regions of the world.  Food historians estimate that man has been sowing and reaping onions for at least 5000 years and that our ancestors feasted on wild onions for thousands of years before the invention of farming and writing.

Let onions be your medicine
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, noted for saying “Let food be they medicine and medicine be thy food,” considered onions as medicine. Asians have similarly held onions in high esteem. Dr. Henry C. Lu, author of Chinese Foods for Longevity and Chinese System of Food Cures, promotes the health benefits of onions and says that onions have been used in China for at least 5,000 years—to increase urination, expel phlegm, treat coughs, colds, wounds, ulcers, constipation, trichomonas, vaginitis, non-bacterial enteritis, and hypertension.

Wash your mouth out with onion
According to food historian Martin Elkort, author of The Secret Life of Food, an
old wives tale lists onions as an ideal mouthwash!  “Chewing raw onions for five minutes kills all germs in the mouth, making it sterile; a good thing to know next time you get a cold.”

Ode to the onion
What  shall we make of this lore?  Can an onion a day really keep the doctor at bay? Surprisingly, it may.  Modern research supports a surprising array of ancient allium-related health claims.  According to researchers in the United States and India, onions also kill the germs that cause tooth decay.

What’s the secret?
Onions contain at least 25 identified active disease combating compounds that, like garlic, posses antibacterial, antifungal, and immune enhancing properties— which may explain their efficacy in warding off colds, relieving upset stomach, and other gastrointestinal imbalances.  Onions appear to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, inhibit growth of cancer cells, reduce stroke risk, and aid in preventing heart disease.

An onion a day
Many people don’t appreciate the nutritional value of onions. One medium onion contains only 38 calories and as much vitamin C as each of the following: 2 apples, 1 banana, 1 tomato, or 1 orange.  Onions are among one of the 10 most popular vegetables in the U.S.  Prevention Magazine named onions one of the 25 superfoods for combating heart disease and cancer.  So, an onion a day….. is a decent way to increase your odds for a healthy, well-rounded existence.

Onion prowess
The onions most assertive compounds appear to be sulfur and quercetin, antioxidants able to neutralize free radicals in the body, protecting cell membranes from damage.  Onions beat red wine and tea when in quercetin content. (Yellow onions top red onions in the antioxidant race.)  Unlike wine, onion addiction won’t reduce your reflexes or get you arrested, so you can safely indulge—-any time!   (I do, daily!)

Raw or cooked?
Both have benefits.  Cooking softens the bite, sweetens the pot, multiplies your options, concentrates the volume and nutrients, and allows you to eat more onions in a single sitting.  Cooking does reduce sulfur compounds slightly…. though it leaves the quercetin  intact.

If you have a craving for onions now, try Chef Rachel’s Healthy Onion Ring Recipe.

Bio:  Chef Rachel Albert-Matesz has been a natural foods chef, cooking instructor, and freelance food and health writer for more than 20 years. She has led 900+ cooking classes in 5 states and had more than 225 articles published in national and regional publications.

She is the author of The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy-Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten-Free Cookies, Compotes & Sauces (Planetary Press, 2008) and co-author with Don Matesz of the award-winning book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet & Cookbook (Planetary Press, 2004. She leads group and private classes, cooking parties, healthy shopping tours, coaches clients by phone and in their kitchens, and speaks to groups in the Phoenix metro area. For recipes, cooking tips, and a schedule of classes, visit her blog www.TheHealthyCookingCoach.com

Let’s talk about leptin and insulin…

The ensuing results that occur when attending to and normalizing the function of these two hormones can be accurately described as losing weight naturally. Leptin and insulin are two master hormones when it comes to controlling weight and body composition. When they’re allowed to work, weight management is a self-regulating system. In a recent study, very overweight mice actually doubled their amount of physical activity when the hormone leptin – which regulates appetite and energy expenditure (fat burning)- was switched on in their brain. In fact, when leptin signaling was ‘turned on’ in the brain, the study quotes, “remarkably, blood glucose levels are entirely normalized.”

Totally normalizing blood sugar? Doubling the amount of exercise one is capable of? It’s time the public was let in on this.

Diet induced, type 2 diabetes has risen in this country to levels never seen before.

It’s even infiltrated the future of the nation-our youth.

Insulin resistance…leptin resistance…. what to do? Who’s the chicken? Who’s the egg?

If the culprit of this ever growing obesity and overweight problem was a popularity contest, insulin resistance would win by a mile.

But some research is pointing to the fact that leptin resistance may be an underlying precursor to insulin resistance. We need to rethink weight loss in lieu of these observations. Of note, leptin can also be found in skeletal muscle. The increased risk of diabetes that comes with obesity ay be caused in part by increased lipid deposits in that skeletal muscle as well as the liver, creating insulin resistance. Here is a wonderful illustration showing the reversal of insulin resistance by leptin.

A new study In the  June 2009 issue of the medical journal Cell Metabolism,  shows the astounding possibilities of what can happen once leptin resistance is restored. Raise your hand if your overweight but just don’t have the energy to exercise. OK, more than a few hands went up. Now…read carefully…

In this recent study, obese lab mice with severe type 2 diabetes had their blood glucose levels restored to normal and experienced a doubling in physical activity when sensitivity to the hormone leptin was restored to a portion of their brain called the hypothalamus. So, if this was an absolute truth, then what this research is saying is this- if you can restore your body’s sensitivity to leptin, it may not only increase your ability to engage in activity that helps you lose weight (exercise), but it may also have profound effects on another very important metabolic hormone-insulin.

So again, if this study turns out to be an absolute truth, then restoring leptin’s sensitivity in the brain may  help people who are chronically overweight or obese lead more active lives by enabling them to exercise more. In my experience, it’s far too common that people are stuck in the vicious cycle of not having enough energy to exercise, which diffuses weight loss efforts and leads to ill health.

Leptin and insulin are intimately dependent upon one another, and your metabolism is dependant upon them. Lack of exercise, increased exposure to chronic stress and a diet void of  nutrient dense foods, are what creates these non-responsive states of insulin and leptin resistance.

Embarking on a path to help normalize and resensitize your body to these two powerful hormones is just plain healthy.  You experience a whole different set of outcomes from your efforts when you have your hormones working for you, rather then against you-not only for weight loss but for your entire aging process.