After a long winter, welcoming summer and the accompanying abundant produce selection can be truly thrilling.  I was walking the aisles of my grocery store, excited to add cherries and nectarines to my cart (two of my summer time favorites).  So I thought you'd appreciate a couple of resources for the selecting and storing of produce.

Sean Murphy developed the Harvest App for the I-phone.  For $2.99 you have a guide to the proper selecting and storing of over 125 fruits and vegetables.  Curious if your peach is ripe or whether you should wash blueberries before storing them?  Just check out the app!

In the June 2009 issue of Cooking Light, they provided a simple guide to storing your produce.  Here's a quick re-cap.

Refrigerator: keep these items in perforated plastic bags in the produce drawers
Artichokes, Asparagus, Beans, Beets, Berries, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Cherries, Corn, Cucumbers, Figs, Grapes, Green Onions, Leafy Greens, Leeks, Peas, Radishes, Summer Squashes

Countertop: choose a spot away from direct sunlight and a container that allows for air circulations (like a vented bowl or perforated bag)
* Refrigerate after opening
** Refrigerate after 7 days
Apples**, Apricots, Avocados*, Bananas, Citrus fruits, Eggplant, Kiwi*, Mangoes, Nectarines*, Papayas, Peaches*, Pears*, Peppers, Pineapple, Plums*, Pomegranates, Pumpkins, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Winter Squashes

Pantry: store items away from light in a well-ventilated pantry or cupboard
Garlic, Onions, Potatoes

According to the USDA, 63% of fruits & 57% of vegetables are cheapest when purchased fresh.

 For other budget saving tips, check out this article.

So each month I try to highlight a client's success whether big or small.  And this month I'd like to showcase my good friend Laci.  Over the past year she has fully committed herself to her health.  She, like many of you, was overworked and overcommitted with her job, volunteer work, and taking care of her family.  Good nutrition and exercise were at the bottom of the list (if even on the list at all!).  After delivering her first baby and months of over-indulgent eating and neglecting exercise, she decided to take charge of her health.

Now, she's not a success story just because she lost weight (which she did- she's holding a pair of pants she was wearing to work over a year ago).  She's a success because she committed herself to re-prioritizing her needs and putting them at the top of her to do list!  After reading about Laci's story, I wanted to highlight a couple of the key things Laci did to accomplish her goals.


1.) She was willing to take a hard look at her list of excuses and create solutions for them
2.) She was willing to sacrifice momentary pleasure (favorite TV show) for the satisfaction of accomplishing a long-term goal
3.) She created a support network with both friends and family
4.) She re-created her environment by filling her home with nourishing food options
5.) She established accountability around the food she ate
6.) She signed up for runs and races to keep herself motivated and consistent with exercise
7.) She found out what worked for her and what didn't

Finding solutions to living a healthier life requires creativity and commitment.  What works for you, likely is not the same thing that works for your neighbor.  You are unique- with your own interests, family life situations, time constraints, and goals.  So follow Laci's example- make a decision to live a healthier life and start making creative solutions to keep those goals on track!

I'm not like a lot of dietitians. I work predominantly with people who struggle with disordered, compulsive, or emotional eating. So my job is to help my clients feel less obsessed and connected to food on an emotional level, so they can get to living a healthy full life that isn't centered around food 24/7.  And part of that work is helping my clients be at peace with any and all foods.  

So I was entertained by an article written by Jenna Bell-Wilson PhD, RD.  She asked thousands of dietitians which foods they indulge in.  A lot of people assume that because dietitians know a lot about nutrition and because our professional lives center around healthy living- we eat super healthy, all the time.  I can assure you, this is simply not so! (Just ask any of my friends and/or family members.)

Jenna took these responses and crafted a clever article about what kinds of "cheat foods" dietitians love to eat, even though they don't offer much in terms of nutritional value.  And she also discusses the importance of incorporating these foods into your diet (in moderation of course!) just for the sake of their yumminess!

This got me thinking about my own favorite indulgences and I had a hard time narrowing the list.  Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order: cupcakes, Mint Oreos, Hot Tamales.  Here's to celebrating a diet that is full of whole grains, fruits, veggies, and a consistent sprinkling of the not-so-healthy indulgences as well.  Now that is a diet I can live with!

Looking for a simple & delicious summer recipe?  I think this one fits the bill.  I like making a batch of this Ginger & Lemon Grilled Chicken to use throughout the week.  I'll throw it on salad greens, in a whole wheat tortilla with arugula and tomatoes, or on some rice with veggies.  Enjoy!

Your dietitian in Harvard Square,
Marci



Ginger & Lemon Grilled Chicken
Serves 6

Ingredients
1 cup plan yogurt, whisked until smooth
1 T Cumin
1 T Garam Masala
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 4-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced (fresh makes all the difference)
Salt, to taste
Juice of 2 lemons (again, fresh makes all the difference)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 lbs chicken (I use about a lb of the chicken tenderloins since we don't need 2 lbs of chicken)

Directions
Mix all the ingredients in a pie dish, add chicken and coat.  Marinade for 2-3 hours.  Grill for 5-6 minutes.  We do ours on our little George Foreman and it comes out perfectly!

In March I wrote a blog post about Oprah's interview with Geneen Roth.  And just last week, she had Ms. Roth on her show.  Unfortunately I missed the show but have been thinking a lot about her vow to never diet again.  And several questions came to mind:

* How many billions of dollars will the dieting industry lose now that Oprah has hopped off the band wagon?
* How many women will decide that they are tired of going on/off diets?
* If not dieting, what will Oprah have time to think about instead?
* What will happen to Bob Green, her nutritionist?
* She may not be dieting, but is she dealing with her emotional/compulsive need to eat?
* How do we define dieting and are all diets bad?
* What's the difference between dieting vs. embracing a healthy/balanced lifestyle?
* Does giving up on dieting mean total self-indulgence?

One of my colleagues noted that Oprah is heavier now that she has decided to "stop dieting."  I will just say that there is a big difference between ending a diet and actually dealing with the underlying issues of emotional eating.  Oprah may be feeling less emotional stress now that she doesn't have the stress of dieting in her life, but she will likely continue to gain weight if she isn't dealing with the triggers which encourage her to reach for food.

I fully believe that Oprah, along with anyone else who can identify with her emotional connection to food, can work through this emotionally painful stuff, learn to cope without food, and begin to embrace a much physically and emotionally healthy way of living.  

And most of us will be interested to watch her along the way. Let's hope that she is on to something permanent this time.

Each month I pick a product that glows with a "health halo." A product that claims to be healthy, but actually is not.  And this month The 5 Hour Energy Shot takes center stage.  Their website brags: "At only two ounces it goes down fast. It has zero sugar, zero herbal stimulants and only four calories. It's packed with B-vitamins, amino acids, nutrients and as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee."

Now why would an average consumer need to take shots of caffeine throughout the day? I can think of two obvious reasons- you're either hungry or tired.  And I know of only two effective antidotes: food or sleep.  When your body asks for fuel or a nap and you respond with caffeine, you are masking the underlying issue (not to mention running on a serious insufficient fuel source.)

I'm not saying the caffeine is evil (but here's a link to an article that discusses the potential side effects of caffeine.)  In fact there is research to show that caffeine is an effective ergogenic aid for athletes (although banned by many professional organizations).  However, most of us are not athletes and most of us need to focus on proper sleep, moderate exercise and sound nutrition for a high-energy day.

I can promise that with adequate rest and several balanced meals and snacks evenly distributed throughout the day, you can avoid the dips in blood sugar that may have you running for a 5 hour shot of caffeine mid-afternoon.  Interested in learning more?  My colleague Karen Giles Smith wrote this article that may be of interest.

DISCLAIMER: I am not opposed to eating things that are non-nutritious but tasty. I would be the last to turn down a homemade chocolate chip cookie! My purpose is to help you see through the marketing ploy of food companies and understand how to feed your body based on sound nutrition. The goal is to fill our diets with nutritious foods and enjoy the yummy but not particularly healthy foods in moderation. My hope is to give you a little clarity with these "No Case" postings.

Your friendly dietitian in Cambridge,
Marci

I have a fear of sharp objects.  It stems from an accident I had in my adolescence but irrational fears still remain.  So you may be surprised to know that the one thing I wanted for my birthday was a real chef's knife.  So after a bit of research and help from my friend Kris Widican (dietitian and chef extraordinaire) I decided on this MAC chef's knife (scroll down to MTH-80). I am truly in love.

Due to my fear of sharp objects, I decided to take a knife skills class at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.  After three hours of slicing and dicing, I began to wonder how I ever lived without this fabulous kitchen staple.  Using a sharp, well-crafted knife is worth every penny and truly makes cooking easier and more enjoyable.  I had heard it from many people before, but if you spend a reasonable amount of time in the kitchen, invest in a good chef's knife!

Here's a useful article for Gourmet Food's Top Picks for a Chef's knife.  My recommendation is to try out multiple styles before committing to and buying one.  What works for one person may not work for you.  I love the way my knife fits in my hand and is relatively light so I feel in control of it.

My knife certainly came in hand this weekend as I was whipping up several recipes for my busy week.  It's super simple and absolutely scrumptious.  The chopping does take a bit of a time, so for me this is a good weekend recipe that makes great leftovers.

Crustless Leek, Greens, and Herb Quiche
Source: Vegetarian Times May/June 2010 P. 63
Ingredient List

Serves 4

2 Tbs. fine dry breadcrumbs
2 small leeks, white and light green parts halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick
2 cups chopped Swiss chard, kale, collard greens, or mustard greens
4 egg whites
3 whole eggs, beaten
1/4 cup low-fat milk
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp. chopped fresh basil
2 oz. soft goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat bottom and sides of 9-inch glass pie dish with olive oil cooking spray. Scatter breadcrumbs over bottom of pie dish.
2. Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in large pot. Add leeks; boil 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, add Swiss chard, and let stand 30 to 45 seconds, or until greens are wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again, squeezing out excess water with hands. Set aside.
3. Whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in eggs. Whisk in milk and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Whisk in tarragon and basil.
4. Scatter leeks and Swiss chard over breadcrumbs in prepared pie dish. Dot cheese on top. Pour egg mixture into pie pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

As a Registered Dietitian (RD) I subscribe to multiple nutrition listservs. One such listserve was discussing their responses to this article I recently blogged about.  As a result, many of the RDs were claiming how easy it is to pull together a nutritious meal in under 30 minutes.  One of the RDs decided to collect all of the quick and nutritious meal ideas and post them in her blog.

So I share with you 25 Healthy Meals in 20 Minutes or Less.  Hope you find some simple meal solutions that strike your fancy.  Enjoy!

I spent the weekend attending the 2010 MEDA Conference: Getting Unstuck: Revitalizing the Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders.  The closing keynote speaker was Kitty Westin, a woman who's daughter commit suicide as a consequence of her eating disorder.  Kitty has turned her grief into activism and has committed her life to advocacy for the research, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders.

She informed us that on 4/27/10 a monumental bill called the FREED Act was introduced into legislation. The Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders (FREED) Act is the first comprehensive legislative effort introduced in the Senate to confront the seriousness of these diseases by:
*expanding research
*improving training and education of treatment providers
*improving surveillance and data collection to track prevalence and severity of eating disorders
*facilitating eating disorders prevention through grants
*providing more opportunities for affordable care.

Eating disorders are devastating illness.  Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric illnesses and the suicide mortality rate of people suffering from anorexia and bulimia is 23 times that of the general population. As a dietitian who works almost exclusively with eating disorders, I urge you to contact your local congressman and advocate for their support of this bill. I did so and it took approximately 5 minutes.  Those 5 minutes may result in the passing of a law that radically opens doors for better research and treatment of these debilitating illnesses.

I got a kick out of reading this article.  Michael Ruhlman says the old excuse of being too busy to cook is a bunch of BS.  He states that we all have the same 24 hours in a day and that we all choose how to use those hours.  If you don't have time to cook, he thinks it's just not high enough on your list of priorities.

What do you think?

I for one spend multiple hours in a day helping people develop simple strategies for healthier meals, made with fewer processed ingredients.  But I don't actually cook 5/7 days of the week!  I developed a strategy that works for me.  Cook 3 meals on Sunday that last through the work week, eat out on Saturday and cook a nice meal on Sunday.

What works for you? 

No matter how you look at it- eating fewer processed meals and incorporating better nutrition into your diet does take time, a bit of sacrifice, and some serious planning.  But I just don't know that I can agree with Ruhlman.  For many of us, cooking on a nightly basis isn't a matter of priorities, it's just a matter of reality.