Would You Like Additional Sodium with that Salad?

Image taken from USA Today

The greenest thing on the menu isn't necessarily the best option. Many waist band watchers go for the salad thinking they're being healthy. It has vegetables and sometimes even a lean protein. Salads tend to be low in calories and fat (minus the dressing), so what's the big deal? Sodium is. The Daily Mail published an article today about the how the salt content of salads can be higher than a Big Mac. A Big Mac contains 1,040 mg of sodium, but what does that mean to the average consumer?



Image taken from Business Week

According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, it is recommended that Americans get less than 2,500 mg of sodium per day (even lower if you are in a high risk population group). This is the equal to 1 teaspoon. If you haven't seen a teaspoon lately, I suggest you take a look at it. It's not much and most people surpass this easily due consumption of processed foods and salt added when cooking. Higher levels of salt intake often correlate to high blood pressure, which can lead to hypertension. Reducing salt intake and keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range decreases one's risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and kidney disease.

Sodium isn't the devil by any means. Our bodies still need it to work properly. For instance, sodium is needed to regulate nerve and muscle function. It also helps regulate fluid in our bodies. Other than what you intake, your kidneys are what internally regulates sodium in your body. When your kidneys can't do the job any more, sodium builds up in the body and can lead to high blood pressure and other health problems.

Back to the Big Mac, it contributes less than 1/2 the daily requirement. How much more are these salads? Let's say your at McDonald's staring at that menu board. Your dead set on a salad. Thinking that you're being healthy (even though you'll reek of grease when you leave) you order the Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken forgoing the Caesar dressing for the Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. That salad may be low in fat and calories, but it contains over 1,600 mg of sodium. That is way over half what is recommended; the low-fat dressing contributes more than the grilled chicken does!

There are two primary ingredients that are used to give food flavor. One being fat, the other being salt. When the fat is cut out of the salad dressing, a multitude of other ingredients are needed to make up for what the fat component was responsible for. Since fat is being lowered in low fat dressing, additional salt is needed to make up for taste.

To create the healthiest option for a salad at McDonald's, order any salad (but the Bacon Ranch) minus the chicken and with the Creamy Southwest Dressing.

Please note: Your salad will not even remotely look like the image above. Same goes for the Big Mac.

When a Few Becomes More

At least at one point in your life you may have heard your mother, aunt, grandma, etc. utter the phrase, "A moment on the lips means forever on the hips." This phrase usually came out just as you lifted a bite of decadent cake coated in luscious frosting to your mouth. In that instance you either a.) disregarded said comment, looked them dead in the eye, and defiantly ate that cake (and proceeded to nap) or b.) let that phrase ring in your ears and thought to yourself that a post-cake consumption walk may be in order.



This image was taken from chocolatecakerecipes.net

I almost cringe to say this, but they were right. A recent study from Swedish researchers is the first of its kind to have people intentionally binge eat and gain weight to see the effects of weight gain.

The study took the weight and measurements of 18 young volunteers. All of the volunteers were slim, active, healthy people. Researchers then told the group to eat at least two junk food meals a day and limited their activity to 5,000 steps a day, which is the definition of a sedentary lifestyle. The second group was told to continue living their life how they have been up to that point. Both groups were followed for one month.

So how did these groups fair? The junk food junkies gained on average 14 pounds in that one month. One month! But six months later, they had lost most of that weight. A year later though, their body weight was three pounds heavier. Not bad, but two and half years later their weight was almost seven pounds heavier and the other group was no heavier than when they started the study. It should be noted that the fat free mass of participants did not change during this time but rather the fat mass.

Many people shrug off seven pounds in a what's-the-big-deal fashion. Heck, some people feel they don't really have cause for concern unless they find they own more jeans with elastic waist bands. Seven is not that far from 10 pounds. Ten is the magic number here. Studies have shown that people who gain at least 10 pounds since the age of 18 (with a normal BMI) have a higher risk of having a chronic disease. Chronic diseases include Cardiovascular disease, High Blood Pressure, and Type II Diabetes.

This study may help explain the physiological changes that occur when people gain weight that make it hard to lose weight. It also suggests that short-term food binges (in addition to a sedentary lifestyle) may have long-term effects on health.

Next time someone utters that phrase to you, resist the urge to retort with "I see you learned the hard way." Instead, offer them half and go to the gym. Your hips will thank you later.

Editor's Note: I would like thank Mr. NN for tipping me off about this study. :)

Garden Goods

It's the time of year where even if you don't garden, you are still benefiting from one. Office lunchroom tables are filling with garden randoms like tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, (insert what you see in your office here), etc. Some of the garden goods can be kind of intimidating to use. Here is a quick, easy recipe to help clear your office lunchroom.

Tomato and Summer Squash Pasta

Ingredients:
3 medium tomatoes
2 medium (or one large) summer squash
8 oz of spaghetti or linguine
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tsp of thyme
1/2 cup of shredded reduced fat mozzarella
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel, halve, and seed the the squash. Cut each half into slices (about a centimeter wide) and place in a bowl. Next halve and slice the tomatoes and place them into the same bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the vegetables on it. Sprinkle the vegetables with thyme, place in the oven for 8- 10 minutes or until the vegetables start turning golden brown.

While the vegetables are in the oven, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and coat the cooked pasta with the remaining olive oil.

When the vegetables are done, add them to the pasta along with the mozzarella cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well, and serve immediately.