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Another step in Michelle Obama’s campaign to fight childhood obesity is to urge the nation’s largest food companies to make their food products healthier by reducing fat, salt and sugar in their products. She is also requesting that these same companies reconsider directing their marketing of unhealthy foods to children.

At a meeting of the Grocery Manufacturers Association last week, Michelle Obama told the food industry “to not just tweak around the edges but entirely rethink the products you are offering, the information that you provide about these products, and how you market those products to our children,” she said.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association, which counts Kraft Foods Inc., Coca Cola Co. and General Mills Inc. among its members, invited her to speak at its science forum this week.  Attendees gave her a standing ovation.

Welcoming the first lady and helping implement her campaign against childhood obesity could have its advantages. The food industry is in a situation where their profits are expected to decrease in the coming year, due to a child nutrition bill that is moving through Congress that could potentially remove all junk food in schools.

Former President Bill Clinton, who in 2005 partnered with the American Heart Association for a similar campaign against childhood obesity, said he was thrilled that Michelle Obama had joined the cause. “She’ll get visibility for it that I can’t get. She’s a lot younger than I am. She’ll relate better to a lot of the kids in the schools. They’ll relate better to her. I think it’s a really great thing for her to do this.”

Last week, Clinton announced that he has been able to reduce beverage calories shipped to schools by 88%.   His effort was aimed at replacing full calorie soft drinks with reduced calorie, smaller portion beverages in school cafeterias and vending machines.

Since the science forum last week, Kraft Foods Inc. has announced that they are going to make positive changes and reduce fat, salt and sugar in their products.  Michelle Obama expects that other companies will announce changes to their products in the coming weeks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_michelle_obama_food_companies

Reason to celebrate!  February is American Heart Month!  This initiative was created to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, which is the number one killer of people in the United States.

The easiest way to prevent heart disease is through diet, and given that, we have highlighted five heart healthy foods that could potentially save your life.

Garlic.  Numerous studies have shown that regular garlic consumption benefits blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels.   In addition, by using garlic instead of salt to flavor foods you can reduce your amount of sodium intake, which will also keep your heart healthy.

Salmon.  This fish can help lower your risk of heart disease thanks to heart healthy fats.  Omega-3s can prevent erratic heart rhythms, reduce likelihood of blood clots inside arteries, improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, and prevent cholesterol from becoming damaged, at which point it clogs arteries.  Don’t like fish?  No problem!  Even though consuming salmon is your best bet to get the heart healthy omega-3s, supplement your diet with fish oil capsules and you can also reduce your risk of heart disease.

Berries.  Berries are high in polyphenols, which prevent cell damage that creates unhealthy blood vessels and heart.  Berries also contain heart healthy antioxidants.  If you are having a hard time finding berries in the winter, experiment with frozen varieties.  Thaw a bag of frozen berries in the refrigerator and use in smoothies and your morning oatmeal.

Quinoa.  This tiny miracle seed is an excellent source of magnesium, the mineral responsible for relaxing blood vessels. If you are one of the millions of people in the United States with low dietary levels of magnesium, you may be at an increased risk of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias.  Adding versatile quinoa to your diet can help protect your heart!

Hot Chocolate.  Surprised?  Hot chocolate is full of antioxidants!  It contains two times more antioxidants than red wine and three times more than green tea, which are also considered heart healthy foods.  To gain maximum benefit, avoid the sugary hot chocolate mixes and use 100% cocoa and a teaspoon of sugar.  In addition, recent studies have found that by eating a small piece of dark chocolate each day may also decrease your risk of heart disease, just note, the higher the cocoa percentages, the better for your heart!

SOURCE:  http://shine.yahoo.com/event/hearthealth/5-foods-to-prevent-heart-disease-577077/

Everyone is trying to eat healthier and better.  Whether it’s to lose the last 5 pounds or to lead a healthier lifestyle, many rely on nutrition labels found on the packaging of food to help them with weight management and to make informed, healthier choices. 

However, new research tells us that the nutrition labels found on food packaging may not be accurate.   Are we consuming more calories than we think?  More fat?  More sodium?  We asked just how accurate those food nutrition labels are.

A new study that unveiled the inaccuracies of nutrition labels was recently published in the Journal of the American Diabetic Association.  Their research found that prepared foods may contain an average of 8% more calories than their nutrition labels claim and restaurant meals may contain a whopping 18% more calories.  The study was based on discrepancies in caloric content, and further studies will take place on the accuracy of fat grams and sodium percentages.

The findings are the result of work conducted by Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University, and Jean Mayer, of Tufts’ USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.

Roberts and Mayer studied 29 restaurants and 10 frozen-food products, taking care to select foods dieters would likely choose, which meant that each entrée contained fewer than 500 calories.   In the restaurants they chose items on the menu that had the lowest calories.  Back in the lab, their own tests revealed the high calorie differences between the nutrition labels and the actual caloric value of the entrees.

The restaurant selections contained 18% higher calories than they claimed and the frozen food entrees contained an 8% increase.   Despite their best efforts, many dieters will have trouble losing weight because of these discrepancies, which in one year, could lead to a 10 pound weight gain.

You may be asking – who is responsible for monitoring the food nutrition labels for accuracy?  Federal regulations are very strict about the accuracy of the net weight of a package of prepared food, which must be at least 99% of the advertised weight.  However, when it comes to caloric content, the regulation states that the count can be up to 20% off.  The study finding that most frozen food entrees contain an average 8% more calories than advertised is well within the legal limits.

As for restaurants, the federal government plays no role at all in checking the calorie claims in restaurants, which means that it’s up to the state government to monitor the labels.  Their current response to the situation is their funding and time is better used elsewhere.

If you are one of the many consumers trying to lose weight or manage a healthier lifestyle, be aware of the inaccuracies in your food nutrition labels.  You may be eating more calories than you think!

SOURCE:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100106/hl_time/08599195179800

What you consume every day won’t just help you gain or lose weight, what you eat has a serious effect on how you look, feel and act.  By including these “super foods”  in your diet, you can add years to your life and look younger too!

Eggs can help you lose weight.  One egg contains only 72 calories and has 6.3 grams of protein.  Eggs are a great source of vitamins and minerals and offer a great source of B12, Vitamin A and Vitamin E.  Despite earlier evidence that the yolks in eggs are high in cholesterol, studies have shown that those who consume 4 or more eggs each week tend to have lower cholesterol than those who don’t consume eggs.

Garlic helps strengthen and protect your cardiovascular system.  An antibacterial and antifungal compound called Allicin is found in garlic.  This compound is produced by the garlic plant as a defense against common insects and pests, but inside your body it fights cancer, strengthens your cardiovascular system, decreases fat storage, and fights acne inflammation.  Research shows that the best way for your body to make the most of garlic’s benefits is to crush the garlic as finely as possible and not overcook it, which may take some of the health benefits away.

Bell peppers can improve your immune function. You may have heard the recommendation that you should fill your plate with brightly colored vegetables.  Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are full of antioxidants that help improve your immune function, diminish your risk for several types of cancer and protect you from sun damage.  The colorful pigments are loaded with carotenoids and vitamin C.  Chili peppers are also good for you as they contain phytochemicals that can ward off headaches and arthritis pain and may be linked to boosting your metabolism.

Avocado reduces your risk of heart disease. Contrary to what you may have heard, certain fats are good for you!  Your body needs monosaturated fat to help lubricate skin, joints and muscles. Monosaturated fats also help fight the ‘bad fats’ allowing for better blood circulation.  Avocado is naturally high in monosaturated fat and can actually help you improve your cholesterol, which can lower your risk of stroke and heart disease.

Green tea may help you live longer and boost your metabolism.  Green tea contains catechins, a group of antioxidants that are found in the leaves of tea plants. These antioxidants have been proven to boost your metabolism as well as protect you from illness.  However, to gain the most benefit most researchers suggest drinking 5 cups of green tea each day.

Grapefruit can help you lose weight.  In many studies, those who eat a grapefruit a day tend to lose more weight than those that do not.  Grapefruit helps your body metabolize sugar, thus decreasing insulin levels.  Try to eat a grapefruit each day, but if you can’t, try to find as many ways possible to sneak grapefruit into your diet. Even a slight increase in grapefruit intake should still give you a massive dose of lycopene, the cancer-preventing antioxidant found most commonly in tomatoes.  Grapefruit is naturally high in other vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin C too!

Greek yogurt can help you feel full because it is a great source of protein.  It’s also processed differently from regular yogurt to remove extra sugars such as lactose and increases the concentration of protein, making it a great way to keep you feeling fuller, longer without the extra sugar and calories. Research has also shown that calcium-rich diets can help you lose weight and greek yogurt’s calcium content should help you shed pounds.

Almonds can improve your memory and protect your heart.  Eating 20-25 almonds a day can equal 9 grams of oleic acid which research has proven can help protect your heart.  Almonds have large quantities of protein and fiber that can make you feel fuller, longer.  The newest health benefit added to almonds list of benefits is improved memory. 

Research has shown that if you try to include these ‘super foods’ in your diet you can gain major benefits.  Most of these foods can help you live longer, and also make you feel and look younger too.  From immune function, to controlling acne inflammation, these foods will do all the work for you!

SOURCE:  http://health.yahoo.com/experts/eatthis/38834/8-perfect-stay-young-foods/