A Better, Healthier Bowl of Chili

I don't think there is anyone out there who would argue that there is anything about beef, particularly hamburger, that's the least bit healthy. You may choose to eat it, but it certainly would not be because of all the great things it can do for your health. From the cholesterol, to the saturated fat, to the concerns about E.Coli and food-borne diseases, ground beef is a health nightmare.

That being said, there are some dishes containing ground beef that folks will simply dig in their heels about and refuse to give up. I happen to believe that chili is one of those dishes. I always LOVED a good bowl of chili, particularly if it came with a biscuit and on a cold winter day. But you don't have to give up chili just because you may be eliminating or cutting back on red meat.

This recipe is simple, inexpensive, and stunningly like the original meat variety. In fact, a gentleman I once knew who had no use for any meal that didn't have parents once ate this chili without realizing that it contained no meat. Best of all, there is nothing in it that most folks don't either already have in the cupboard or cannot be obtained at your local supermarket. Try it today and let me know what you think. I have a feeling you'll be pleasantly surprised.



Can 'o This, Can 'o That Chili
Begin with a large pot.

Add:

2 Tsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup diced red bell pepper

~Sauté until onions start to brown. Then add:
1- 284 ml can of condensed tomato soup (I use Heinz) plus one can of water
1 -796 ml can of diced tomatoes, pureed in the can with an immersion blender. (Or simply dump into a bowl and mash if you like your tomatoes chunky) plus one can of water.
1-284 ml can of mushroom pieces and stems, drained
1-398 ml can of red kidney beans. Take about a quarter of the beans and mash them with a fork before adding to the chilli.)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 tsp paprika
1 ½ to 2 tsp chilli powder
¾ tsp onion powder
¾ tsp garlic salt
Then and only then, add:
1 package soy "ground round", crumbled.
Simmer until chilli is thick and vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes.

The "Incredible" Edible Egg? Not Exactly.

When millions of Canadians stumble out of bed in the morning and think about breakfast, the first thing they think about is eggs. And the vast majority of them cannot imagine not having eggs in the house for use in pies, cakes and cookies. But are eggs good for us, or even necessary? They come with a healthy dose of controversy in regards to their healthfulness, as well as some uncomfortable ethical questions in regards to how they are typically produced.

First, a word about cholesterol, the most common complaint leveled against the egg. It is true that eggs comprise about 35% of the cholesterol in the typical American diet. It is also true that the cholesterol in food can raise blood cholesterol, and most dietary guidelines advise you to eat no more than 300 mgs per day of cholesterol. (The average egg has 215 mgs, all in the yolk.) They have the most cholesterol of any other food. But our bodies also produce cholesterol, some people more than others. The amount of cholesterol in your blood does not necessarily relate to the amount that you consume. As well, the consumption of saturated fats and trans-fats also can raise blood cholesterol.

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Most experts agree that a blood cholesterol level higher than 200 mg increases the risk of heart disease. Some people can ingest a lot of cholesterol before they reach this limit, but for other it takes far less. To make the research into this issue more difficult, those with high blood cholesterol don’t see much of an increase from eating eggs. But those whose cholesterol is low to begin with will likely see their cholesterol rise rapidly.

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The science is confusing, sometimes made that way deliberately so by those who stand to gain by an increase in egg consumption. The bottom line from the American Heart Association is to eat no more than one egg a day as part of your 300 mg limit of cholesterol. So, if you do eat an egg you need to limit your consumption of other animal products accordingly.

Some eggs now come with cartons touting the fact that they are a source of Omega 3 fatty acids. This is achieved by feeding fish oils and flaxseed to the chickens, and usually come with a much higher price. You are better off both financially and from a health perspective getting your omega 3’s by eating the flaxseed yourself.

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Another thing to note is that 93% of the eggs produced in Canada are raised using the battery cage system. The chickens are kept under artificial light in cages stacked several layers high, and never see the sun. The air in these barns have an almost overpowering ammonia stench, and the chickens do not have room to even stretch their wings. Each full grown hen has less space than the size of one piece of scribbler paper, and the only way they can move is if another chicken trades places with them. After about two years in these pens, the only release is when they get sent to the slaughterhouse. If you are concerned about the ethics of your food choices, choose to buy eggs from small, local free-range producers.

Wise Choices at the Seafood Counter

Consumers today who are trying to eat a healthier diet are increasingly turning to seafood. Health reports tout fish as an important source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Most importantly, they are known to be a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids. There are two Omega 3 fatty acids present in fish, EPA and DHA. These fatty acids may help prevent high blood pressure and blood clots and therefore, heart attacks and strokes. The results of research on the subject, although not consistent, are compelling enough that most North Americans are advised to eat fish and other seafood twice a week. Sounds simple, right?

Unfortunately, it is not that simple. Our oceans and waterways are becoming increasingly polluted, and those toxins and pollutants are being absorbed into the flesh of the seafood that live in those waters. One of the major pollutants that concern us is methylmercury, formed from the emissions from coal-burning power plants. Methylmercury is something we all would like to avoid, but it can be particularly toxic to children and pregnant women. It crosses the placenta and goes right to the brain and nervous system of the developing fetus, causing disastrous birth defects.

Early signs of methylmercury poisoning include numbness and tingling, muscle weakness, fatigue, headache and inability to concentrate. These symptoms can be caused by any number of other disorders, making it difficult to know when you’ve been affected. The fish with the highest amount of methylmercury in its flesh are the large predatory fish, including shark, swordfish and tuna. (Albacore tuna has more than the chunk light tuna eaten from cans.) In 2001, the FDA also added King Mackerel and Tilefish to this list. Pregnant women and small children should not eat these fish in any amounts.

Another issue we need to consider is the amount of PCB’s and other toxic chemicals like DDT and dioxins present in our fish. Farmed fish, especially those fed on fish oil and fish meal, have the highest amount of PCB’s. Fattier fish have more PCB’s than lean ones, and fish caught for sport may have levels so high that they are not safe to eat. It depends on the waters they are caught in, what species they are, what they ate, and how large they grow. They only way to know for sure is to but your fish from a trusted seller who tests for these chemicals.

Another issue that needs to be considered is the effect of fish farming on the environment, our natural fish stocks, and our health. Some sources estimate that up to 90% of the world’s large fish have disappeared due to overfishing, so fish farms are increasingly stepping in to fill the void. These farms may seem like an easy way to increase our intake of seafood, but they are controversial. Farmed salmon, for example, are raised much like cattle in a feedlot. They live in large, crowded pens, swimming in pools of antibiotics, chemicals, pesticides, and their own waste. Escaping fish spread sea lice to wild fish, and mate with wild fish as well, reducing biodiversity. Farmed fish have twice the saturated fats of wild fish, and depending on what they are fed, they actually may have very little of the Omega 3’s that consumers are eating them for. Salmon are often fed the equivalent of dog food, and this food often contains feather meal from chicken farms, meat and bone meal from rendering plants, and soy meal and oil. They are also fed dyes to make the flesh the same appetizing pink as wild salmon, because without it, the flesh would be grey.

In June 2005, the Vancouver Sun reported that farmed salmon from British Columbia contain six times the PCB’s, dioxins and other chemicals than wild Canadian salmon.

To further muddy the waters, fish and other seafood are a major source of food-borne illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are about 11 million cases of illness caused by seafood in the USA each year. These illnesses are caused both by poor handling, but also by “red tide” organisms, Vibrio, Listeria, hepatitis, E.Coli and Salmonella.

So, as someone who wants to be able to enjoy the occasional seafood meal without fear, what are you to do? Well, several independent organizations Like Seafood Watch and Environmental Defense have stepped in to try and make the choices somewhat easier for you. They produce extensive lists as well as pocket-sized cards that lists the “Eco-Best” and “Eco Worst” seafood. They take into account several factors, such as the nutritional value of the fish, how it is farmed, how it is harvested, and the levels of contamination it is likely to have. The web addresses where you can download and print these cards is listed below. Select no more than two servings per week from the list of the best and most sustainable seafood, and enjoy with few worries. And if you are pregnant or may become pregnant, it would be best to eat seafood seldom if at all, and certainly do not dine from the “Eco-Worst” list.

Another option is to eat seafood seldom, if at all. Omega 3 fatty acids can also easily be obtained from flax and hemp seed. A tablespoon in your cereal or smoothie in the morning provides all that you need without the health risks and troubling concerns about environmental damage and overfishing.
(Source: “What to Eat” by Marion Nestle, 2006.)

Source for Seafood cards, (or “Fish Lists”)
Environmental Defense:
http://www.environmentaldefense.org/
Blue Ocean Institute:
http://www.blueoceaninstitute.org/
Seafood Safe Program:
http://www.seafoodwatch.org/

The Unexpected Dangers of the Barbecue

Well folks, it’s summer in the Maritimes at last, and we all know what that means: Mosquitoes. Oh, and barbecuing, that most festive of occasions when we move our cooking and dining into the great outdoors and try to squeeze every last drop of summer sun out of our oh-so-brief summer. There’s nothing more relaxing than lounging around the grill on a sultry summer night, nursing a cold drink and gossiping with friends. Perfectly delicious, and perfectly harmless, right?

WRONG. Unfortunately, evidence shows that barbecuing meat on the grill causes a dangerous, cancer-causing substance called PHiP to form in the meat. PHiP, also known as 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine in scientific circles, is a dangerous substance that is formed when meats are cooked at very high temperatures, such as when you barbecue. A study published in the American Association for Cancer Research in 2007 found that the more grilled red meat that a man consumed, the more PHiP was found in prostate tumour cells. Grilled hamburger had the greatest link with prostate cancer of all the different kinds of meat, and that’s bad news. (Studies at the UC Davis Cancer Centre in California showed similar risks, although they found that chicken had the greatest potential to form PHiP during cooking.)
In 2001, researchers from the University of Guelph found that it can increase the incidence of breast cancer as well as increase the cancer risk of nursing infants whose mothers eat a lot of grilled meat.

PHiP is caused by cooking muscle fibres at very high heat. The higher the cooking temperature, the more PhiP that forms in the meat. This applies not only to food cooked on the BBQ, but also to so-called “healthy” grilled chicken served in restaurants. A study performed by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine in 2008 tested one hundred samples of grilled chicken from seven different chain restaurants, (including Burger King and McDonald’s) and PHiP was found in every single one.

So what’s a Maritimer to do? Well, there are few things you can do to minimize the risk. Marinating the meat before cooking, turning frequently, and choosing lean cuts of meat does help. However, other cooking methods such as baking and roasting cause far fewer PHiP’s to form. Better yet, give some non-meat foods the old college try this summer. Veggie burgers, Portobello mushrooms, and vegetable shish kebabs are all delicious on the grill without delivering a dose of carcinogen along with the entrée.

References:
http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/20080109_prostatecancer/index.html
American Chemical Society (2001, November 29). Canadian Researchers Find Cancer Suspect From Grilled Meat In Human Milk

“Detection of PhIP in Grilled Chicken Entrées at Popular Chain Restaurants Throughout California”; www.pcrm.org

Welcome!

These days, it's harder than ever before in history to choose a healthy diet for yourself and your family. We live in a world that is grossly unbalanced in the sense that millions of people go hungry while millions of others are suffering the affects of obesity and other diseases related to too much food.

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Here in North America, most of us have no problem getting enough calories. Food for the most part is cheap and plentiful. Instead, we face a dazzling array of products to choose from every time we step into a store. In fact, the average grocery store can have more than 30, 000 items to choose from! Fast food restaurants are popping up on every street corner, and more and more of our meals are being eaten outside the home. Food labels are written in confusing language (sometimes, I suspect, deliberately so) and few people are equipped with the knowledge to decipher them.

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To further muddy the waters, the manufacturers of these products are pouring millions of dollars into advertising to cleverly convince you that you need to buy them, and still more millions into developing more and more processed, nutrient-poor products every year. It seems that consumers are being successfully convinced to spend their hard-earned money on attractive, colorful "non-food" instead of wholesome, basic foods. The best of intentions are helpless against the juggernaut of big business.

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So, what do we do? Well, we need to become well informed about just exactly what we are eating. Most of the average consumer's information about food is coming from the very companies trying to sell it to you, and often this information is self-serving and should not be trusted. We need to get the straight truth from a disinterested third party, who has nothing to lose or gain from your choices at the supermarket. I want to help! I will be turning a critical eye to a variety of products, health claims and scientific breakthroughs, and helping you to understand what they mean to you, the health conscious consumer.

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The field of nutrition is complicated, and is likely to remain so for quite some time yet. It's made even more complicated when the manufacturer of every product wants to convince you that you need to buy their product in order to be healthy. But even so, it IS possible to truly make healthy, empowering choices at the market. Stop by often and I'll try to set the record straight.