Eating For Health

It's time to eat right as we ease into cooler weather. We need to boost our vitamin and antioxidant intake along with decreasing all those carbs and other bad stuff. The benefits are great - less aches and pains along with fewer cough and colds.

The fall harvest is full of beneficial veggies and fruits. Squash is in abundance right now. It pays to incorporate it into our meals three or four times a week.It is chock full of Vitamin C and magnesium which help to destroy free radicals throughout the body.It is also loaded with Vitamin A , namely caretenoids which give it that rich orange color. These also give us lutein and zeaxanthan which helps in preventing the degenerative eye disease, macular degeneration along with strengthening the eyes. It's also inflammatory which help prevent against fevers and even gout. Brussels sprouts are another fall favorite making their debut for the season in many grocery stores. These mini cabbages are other good veggise to eat right now. Like squash they are loaded with Vitamin C but also folate and fiber. The first reduces heart attacks along with being a key factor in the formation and maintenance of DNA -necessary for developing fetuses. Fiber is a dietary must. It keeps the lower intestine working along with lowering cholesterol. Even though tomatoes are past their season, you can still buy vine ripes and grape varieties. They are chock full of magnesium, phosphorous and copper (!) which promote everything from healthy skin to  bone strength and prostrate health for men.

Healthy eating can have a fun side. Raisins, always , a fun nosh are loaded with all sorts of good things. They have catechins which scavenge the free radicals floating in the body that wreak havoc on organs and cells. they also reduce the chance of diabetes and hypertension. Pair them with almonds for a sweet, chewy, snack. Almonds are full of calcium and potassium and have as much antioxidants as broccoli! They also build strong bones and teeth as well as artery walls. Nut fans should also consider pecans too. They're high in iron and manganese along with promoting digestive and heart health.They also reduce breast cancer risk and strokes Dark chocolate, the darling of foodies and chocoholics ,is about the most fun of all the good for you foods.It's shot full of antioxidants as well as a great source of energy.It also raises the good cholesterol HDL while lowering the bad kind LDL. It's excellent for the brain because it increases the bloods' flow to it. Any form of dark chocolate contains theobromine which hardens tooth enamel. The best part about  fun, healthy foods is that they can be combined to make fun treats. Dip raisins and the nuts in melted dark chocolate to form tasty clusters that are not only a treat for your taste buds but for your entire body too.

Eating healthy has so many benefits. It staves off the minor diseases and prevents the major ones form occurring.  Bring these foods into your diet for better living.

Will Our School Lunches Be Swapped?

One of the highlights of the Obama administration was getting our school kids to eat healthier. Thanks to the President and the First lady , kids were subbing in fresh veggies for chips and spring water for soda.Will it change under the new Trump administration? That's what's worrying parents,

 Regular contributor Kim Severson, wrote about it in Wednesday's New York Times Food section. Many with schoolchildren are worried that their kids will be served unhealthy foods again and face the challenges of hypertension, obesity and diabetes at a young age. That may not be the case. The changes are supposed to be subtle. There are three areas of concern. The first is how much whole grain can be used in school lunches.Under Obama era rules, buns,pastas and other foods must be made from whole grain. This proves to be troublesome in the biscuit loving South and bagel loving New York metro area. Also truly whole wheat products can pose a problems. Whole wheat tortillas are impossible to fold and whole wheat pasta can get mushy and bland.Milk is another bone of contention. The Obama Administration allowed 1 percent fat milk but 0 per cent when it came to flavored. Under the new Secretary of the Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, 1% fat chocolate milk can now be served.The most important debate is the use of salt. Overuse of it is the cause of hypertension in kids as young as five.School districts will still have to watch the amount of sodium but not as aggressively as before.

Luckily kids are now savvy about what to choose thanks to regularly eating out with their parents.Gone are the slabs of mystery meat with roach studded mashed potatoes. A school cafeteria resembles a trendy Chipotle with  a build your own  meal approach.More progressive schools are experimenting with ordering food through apps while other serve customized subs, noodle bowls, and tacos. The days when prefab food being shipped in to cafeterias are waning. Many make their own pizza dough, salad dressings, and sauces.  When ingredients are shipped in , they are more natural, Beef and chicken are grass fed and antibiotic free. There are few to no artificial colors. Baked goods, long a staple in cafeterias, are being made with whole grains instead of the more traditional white flour.Sadly, though schools still can't rely on the federal government to improve food. Sure, there are more choices, thanks to kids being more multicultural and to their parents, yet the food is still bland. This may be due to to all the restrictions. School districts will have to take it upon themselves to come up with more flavorful breakfasts and lunches. However this is not the most important issue. Come next month there will be cuts to the Department of Agriculture's budget which means less funding for school meals.

School lunches have come a long way. Yet the Trump administration may bring them back to the days when they were unhealthy and bad for kids. Hopefully parents and kids will rebel against this.