Olive oil should be a go-to good fat for any heart patient. Plus it can taste great, I use it not only on salads but on grilled veggies and a host of other dishes, just check my recipe page.
And now there’s more good news, a study has found it can cut the risk of developing dementia.
“Scientists examined data collected over almost three decades on about 93,000 middle-aged adults. At the start of the study, participants were 56 years old on average and had no history of cardiovascular disease, a major risk factor for dementia.
“Every four years, participants completed dietary questionnaires detailing what foods they typically ate and indicating how often they consumed olive oil: no more than once a month; up to 4.5 grams (g), or 1 teaspoon (tsp) daily; between 4.5 and 7 g (1.5 tsp) daily; or more than 7 g daily.
“Compared with people who rarely if ever consumed olive oil, those who got at least 7 g a day were 28 percent less likely to die of dementia-related causes by the end of the study, according to results published in JAMA Network Open.
Food trucks have been hot for years but in my Chicago suburb, Evanston, early restrictions limited them largely to one Mexican food truck that shows up at all the the local festivals, and which always seemed a bit overpriced to me.
But that changed dramatically in recent weeks when not one, but two food trucks featuring classic East Coast lobster rolls came to town. Full disclosure, I love lobster. My wife and I honeymooned in Maine back in 2007, primarily for the lobster, which we had several times a day at the rock bottom prices it sells for there.
Yet, getting lobster in the Midwest can be of a hit or miss proposition. The ubiquitous Red Lobster, for example, has the blandest lobster I ever tasted. We never go there. More likely, we buy our own and boil or grill it at home.
So I was really excited to see two lobster trucks posting on Facebook about their planned stops here in Evanston. Neither was cheap, $25 from Happy Lobster, $23 for a lobster roll from Cousins, but I tried them both and a clear winner emerged — Cousins Maine Lobster.
The other, Happy Lobster, didn’t really serve a traditional Maine lobster roll. It used a hamburger bun-type bun. A real lobster roll uses a hot dog bun-like split roll, toasted. Anyone from New England, or anyone who grew up in New York and went to Nedick’s knows what those are.
You can see the difference in the photos below:
Cousins also had just the right hint of mayo, although that too is a departure from traditional rolls which can have lobster meat swimming in mayo.
The staff at Cousins also was much friendly. Setting up in a local microbrewery parking lot, they were giving out shirts, hats and other freebies and talking to people as they walked up.
Happy Lobster’s truck parked at a local hospital during lunchtime and, although it encouraged online ordering ahead, did not have my order ready when I showed up on time. Several of its customers were forced to stand around in the rain waiting for their orders.
Is lobster heart-healthy? It is high in cholesterol content, once thought to be harmful, but thinking has changed on that. It also is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which these days are considered heart-healthy.
So if you see a Cousin’s truck coming to your town, give it a try, I highly recommend it.
Britain has been much more active that the United States in acknowledging, and trying to curb, the daily intake of salt. But this report on FoodNavigator.com notes what I see as a disturbing trend there.
Rather than eliminate sodium completely from food items, the article touches on the substitution of potassium chloride for sodium chloride by food processors.
I’ve tried so-called potassium salt. It tasted a bit different. But that’s not the major issue. The danger is that too much potassium can have its own dire consequences.
“If you have too much potassium in your body, your kidneys may not be able to remove all of it, and it can build up in your blood. Too much potassium in your blood can damage your heart, make you feel palpitations and even cause a heart attack. You can’t always tell when your potassium levels are high,” notes the Cleveland Clinic.
The Food Navigator article notes Britain has cut salt consumption and seen positive health results for its population. But my advice for individuals would be simply cut salt, don’t use a substitute that could cause you more harm than good.
Eating a seafood feast at a restaurant? Check nutritional content online first.
One eating-out trend that developed during Covid was the disappearance of physical menus. In those Covid years of ‘don’t touch anything anyone else touches’ restaurants decided to use QR codes customers could scan to see menus.
How have people reacted? Not well, according to a survey by US Foods, a major foodservice distributor. A survey of 1,000 people recently found 89% prefer physical menus. Roughly one in six don’t know how to scan a QR code to get to a menu.
And 51% say QR code menus slow down ordering.
It will be interesting to see if restaurants keep the codes or go OG with real menus again.
On the healthy eating front, the survey found 53% would prefer to see calorie counts on menus and 17% have asked for additional nutritional information not listed on menus.
That’s a good practice for anyone who cares about eating heart-healthy. My advice, check menus online before going anywhere to eat. You’re likely to find more nutrition information than will be available in a restaurant and so you can make smarter choices.
Beware self-basting turkeys, they are loaded with salt. Always read the nutrition label before buying.
In the post-Covid food retailing environment, however, finding a fresh, low-sodium turkey has been tough. Two mainline supermarkets I went to had only one turkey brand, Jennie-O or Butterball, in freezer and refrigerated cases crammed with high-salt hams. Those turkeys come with self-basting fluids that are loaded with salt.
I finally turned to Whole Foods which thankfully had fresh turkeys, although even those had more salt, 125 mg a serving, than truly fresh turkeys which have about 75 mgs per serving. And I had to pay up, around $3 a pound, for the fresh turkey.
Another issue, stores are no longer carrying low-fat turkey gravy. During and after Covid, supermarkets cut the number of products they carried to simplify their supply chain management, and to increase profits. Low-salt, low-fat and low-sugar items suffered as a result.
Shop carefully this Easter, always read nutrition labels and enjoy a peaceful Sunday dinner.
I recently heard a doctor speak very enthusiastically about Ozempic use by heart patients such as myself. Ozempic and similar drugs now on the market cut your appetite (to put it very simply) and you drop pounds. That in turn helps heart health.
Would I stop loving Italian food if I took Ozempic?
Being able to take a pill (or an injection in Ozempic’s case) while still eating whatever you want sounds like the American dream doesn’t it? There are side-effects. A friend taking it for her diabetes tells me she throws up from it but finds it a small price to pay for dropping pounds.
And what about the price — more than $1,000 a month? Medicare won’t pay for it, although lobbying is underway to change that. Private insurance may or may not, enjoy the fight (that will probably make you nauseous too).
So should I ask my doctor to prescribe it (wonder if he would)? This all comes at a time when I’m feeling particularly frustrated by my weight.
After my first stent in 2012, I lost 30 pounds in about a year because I stopped eating everything I liked. But I could only stay hungry for so long and, after needing a second stent in 2017, I began wondering how much losing weight really impacted my arteries which seem determined to clog every few years.
Fast-forward to 2020 and Covid. Worrying about what I was eating went out the window at a time when a new virus could kill me in a matter of days.
I ate whatever we could buy in depleted stores or from restaurant takeout windows. And I started getting deliveries from a local bakery which had never delivered before.
The result — I’m now 14 pounds heavier than when Covid hit four years ago and 31 pounds heavier than my lightest in 2013. And I feel it every day. Exercise? I walk and ride an exercise bike. And for the past year and a half I’ve been taking a weekly boxing class. Punching the big bag is a great way to face my weight-loss frustration. But it hasn’t helped me lose any weight.
So is an Ozempic injection the answer? The idea of having medicine take away my appetite seems a bit big brotherish to me, a little too controlling. But am I just looking for an excuse? What would you do?
Sargento cheese products sold in 15 states are being recalled as a consequence of a major listeria outbreak traced back to a dairy in California, according to the Food and drug Administration (FDA).
Sargento Cotija, Parmesan, Swiss Asiago, Monterey Jack, white cheddar, bistro blends, Italian, taco, and queso products all are involved, says the FDA. Specific lot numbers can be found in the FDA announcement.
The Sargento recall is only the latest involving cheese products contaminated with listeria. To read our coverage of earlier recalls, simply click this link.
Already, 26 illnesses, 23 hospitalizations and two deaths across 11 states have been linked to the outbreak, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The cheeses were sold in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin.
Heart patients like me get pretty straightforward advice about eating — less meat, more vegetables.
Ok, but are all veggies created equal when it come to heart health? Not exactly, says Certified Nutritionist Amy Fox, founder of Food and Mood Lab.
Amy’s top heart-healthy vegetables and her comments about them:
Broccoli anyone? It makes the heart-healthy list.
1. Leafy Greens such as spinach, kale, and collard greens are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, as well as antioxidants that help lower inflammation and blood pressure and may improve heart health. Add a handful of greens to your breakfast smoothie or incorporate them into your lunchtime salad.
2. Cruciferous Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts contain a compound called sulforaphane that has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve blood pressure. Roast them in olive oil and seasonings for a tasty side dish or add them to stir-fries.
3. Beets get their vibrant color from powerful compounds called betalains, which may help improve heart health by reducing inflammation and protecting against oxidative stress. Roasting beets in the oven with other veggies or slicing them thinly and adding them to sandwiches are great ways to incorporate them into your diet.
4. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect the heart by reducing inflammation and lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels. Roast them in the oven, add them to your soups and stews, or create a tasty homemade salsa.
5. Sweet Potatoes contain high levels of beta-carotene, which acts as an antioxidant and can reduce inflammation in the body. Bake this delicious and versatile vegetable in the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon and a drizzle of honey for a sweet treat.
6. Bell Peppers are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to support heart health. They also contain capsaicin, which offers anti-inflammatory benefits to the body. Slice them up and add them to your veggie wraps or salads for added crunch and flavor.
7. Garlic contains allicin, a compound that can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Roasting garlic to spread on bread or adding minced garlic to your favorite marinades is a great way to incorporate this heart-healthy ingredient into your diet.
8. Okra is an excellent source of fiber, magnesium, and folate — all crucial nutrients for regulating blood pressure and preventing blood clots — and helps lower cholesterol levels, further protecting your heart. Roast okra pods with spices for a crispy snack, or add them to stews, curries, and stir-fries for a unique, heart-healthy twist.
9. Swiss Chard is loaded with potassium and magnesium, minerals that naturally regulate blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke. Its vibrant green leaves are brimming with beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, essential for maintaining healthy heart tissue. Try sautéing Swiss chard with garlic and olive oil for a flavorful side dish, or add it to soups, stews, and even sneak into baked goods like brownies.
How many of those do you eat regularly? I eat six of the nine regularly, let me know if you can beat that.
The bowls have it, at least when it comes to how people are buying food items at restaurants, according to a piece by The Food Institute, a food service industry news site.
One chain, Juice It Up!, saw sales climb 38% over the past five years because of its bowl offerings, for example.
It’s not just cereal people want in a. bowl anymore. Restaurants are seeing sales rise for bowls offering a variety of menu items, all aimed at satisfying consumer desire for better-for-them products.
“Bowls are a fun choose-your-own-adventure with endless combinations,” Troy Guard, the owner and executive chef with TAG Restaurant Group, told FI. “They’re easy, convenient, travel well, can often be reheated or saved for later, and contain fresh and healthy ingredients.”
“No matter where consumers look, restaurant-goers seeking salads, acai, Mexican, Poke, protein, fruits, or grains can often find them in bowl form,” the article states.
A chain I’ve been frequenting lately, Cafe Zupas, has been pushing its bowls in email marketing but I’m sticking to the make-my-own salad because I can control the salt, fat and sugar by doing that.
2 tablespoons wine vinegar or a combination of vinegar and lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and/or salad oil, such as grapeseed oil
1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallot or scallions and/or ¼ teaspoon dried herbs, such as tarragon or basil
Big pinch of freshly ground pepper
I’d omit the salt and stick with olive oil. But even if you use the salt, it’s still a relatively small amount given the amount of dressing you’re creating.
The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar Journal 