Adapted from “Cook’s Country”

Serves 4

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 chipotle chiles, roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt and pepper
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
• 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions (or red onion)
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced thin (optional)
• Lime wedges for serving

1. Light grill, or heat grill pan to medium. Whisk lime juice, cilantro, oil, chiles and sauce, honey, garlic, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl.

2. Toss chicken with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in separate large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate chicken in refrigerator while grill (or grill pan) continues to preheat.

3. Toss beans, scallions, red pepper, and avocado with 1/4 cup lime juice mixture in serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Grill chicken over very hot fire (or in grill pan) until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, 8 to 13 minutes. Transfer chicken to serving platter and drizzle with remaining lime juice mixture. Serve immediately with black bean and avocado salad.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quesadillas

Yield: 8 large quesadillas

Courtesy of Operation Frontline

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 can cooked black beans
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon       
• 4 cups sweet potatoes, about 4 medium potatoes cooked and mashed
• 8 tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

  Preparation:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Sauté onion in large pan with 1 TBS oil until translucent.

3) Add black beans, cumin, cinnamon and cook another minute.

4) Add the sweet potatoes and heat through, frequently stirring to prevent sticking.

5) Spread about 1/2 cup filling and 2 TBS cheese on half of each tortilla, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the sides.

6) Fold tortilla in half.

7) Place on oiled baking sheets

8) Brush tops with oil

9) Bake in oven until brown, 15-20 minutes.

10) Serve with salsa, guacamole and plain yogurt (a great substitution for sour cream)

 369 kcals, 5g fat, 16g protein, 66g carb

This salad makes a perfect addition to summer picnic, potluck or BBQ.  Can be used as a side dish or as a main entree.  Enjoy!

Although my search through the depth of the research done on bone health and calcium supplementation is shallow, I am not confident that there is any research worth putting in a peer reviewed scientific journal can state that calcium supplementation alone will improve bone density. The research I have come across that does equate calcium supplementation and increased bone density usually has another component to it such as weight bearing activities. Research done on elderly residents in nursing homes and calcium and Vitamin D supplementation has also shown an improvement in bone density. I would argue though that the biggest reason for the increase is that these research subjects do not get exposure to any sunlight, and probably are not consuming any foods high in Vitamin D. Therefore, the supplementation they are getting is readily absorbed by the body and may result in a minimal increase in bone density.
Everyone is individualized, and in some instances, a calcium supplement may be warranted. However, I can say with a lot of confidence that at least 75% of individuals on a calcium supplement did not gain any bone density because of it. Two positive changes you can make that affect bone health: eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and weight bearing exercises (walking, running, lifting weights are good examples). Fruits & vegetables are alkaline in nature and will help balance out our acidic food environment and save our bodies from systemic inflammation and disease. I also recommend investing in a good Vitamin D supplement (Vitamin D behaves more like a hormone as it acts on target organs and helps regulate expression of around 2,000 genes. Take your Vitamin D supplement October-March), possibly an omega-3 fish oil and whole food concentrate like Juice Plus+® (although if you are eating a diet high in processed foods, this may counteract the effect of your omega-3 supplement and then it becomes a waste of money).

When was the last time you went to a natural food store (or anywhere supplements are sold) and calcium was NOT one of the supplements that was highlighted in some fashion or another? Calcium: are you getting enough of it? Should you be taking a calcium supplement? If so, at what age should you begin to do so? It is definitely a hot topic in the ever so fascinating world of health and nutrition. Please join me for Part I of a conversation on why you should think twice about taking a calcium supplement.
Calcium is an important mineral that is involved in many aspects of our physiology. Not only does calcium keep bones strong, it also allows for muscle to contract and our hearts to maintain a normal rythmn.
Let’s talk about bone health and how to keep our bones strong to ensure vitality and a freedom of fear from developing osteoporosis and fractures. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, Osteoporosis affects 44 million Americans and costs us as a nation $19 billion in 2005. Hopefully these numbers wake you up and you will want to learn more about what you can do to prevent this disease or if you already have it, work on increasing your bone density (which is possible!).
What are the risk factors of osteopenia (low bone mass) and osteoporosis?
• Poor Nutrition
• Inactivity
• Smoking
• Gender
• Obesity
Now, all of us have probably heard of the first 4 risk factors for osteoporosis, right? You may have thought this was one disease that did not affect obese individuals. So what does obesity have to do with developing osteoporosis? There are a couple of reasons. First off, a person who is obese is also suffering from a lot inflammation in their body and this inflammation shows up partially as C-reactive proteins. C-reactive proteins can interfere with the crucial building blocks of bone (osteoblasts), thus leading to decreased bone mass. Secondly, an obese person over time has consumed a diet rich in calories, but perhaps not nutrient rich. A diet based on processed foods, fast foods and foods rich in protein will result in an acidic environment. The body tightly regulates the pH level of blood. In an acidic “food environment,” the body will pull alkaline sources from where it can to help neutralize the acid. What is a good source of alkaline? You guessed it: calcium carbonate. It is not that we are not getting enough calcium in our diet (we are the largest consumers of dairy products in the world, but suffer from the highest prevalence of osteoporosis in the world, so perhaps milk is not the answer…do not tell my grandfather the former dairy farmer that I said that!); it is that we are losing calcium from our bones as a result of our diet and not maintaining what we have through weight bearing activities.
Please stay tuned for Part II…

Natural sugar comes from canes and beets, which is traditionally found in table sugar (sucrose: a disaccharide of glucose and fructose – although table sugar is usually refined, and that is whole different conversation!).  Corn syrup is exactly what it sounds like, the liquid that results from boiling corn, so yes it is somewhat processed.  High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is another step further down the processing line (glucose isomerase is added to glucose extracted from the corn, and that is what makes HFCS as sweet as sugar).  The corn industry defines HFCS as 55% fructose and 45% glucose, which would resemble table sugar (see above definition of sucrose).  However, that is not always the case; it can be as high as 90/10 spilt of fructose and glucose.  But how does one know?  Unfortunately unless you are in the lab where it is produced, you will not know.  The reason for the high use of HFCS in many foods today is that it is sweeter than sugar.  Therefore, less is needed to accomplish the same amount of sweetness of sugar and the cost of production goes down.

HFCS was discovered in Japan in the 1970s.  Coincidentally, that is when obesity started towards the epidemic percentages you see today.  HFCS and its link to obesity are sketchy at best.  I, along with the corn industry, have a hard time believing you can make this generalization.  People want an out, and HFCS was an easy target BECAUSE it is found in foods with low nutritional value and calorically dense.  One may argue that foods containing HFCS have addicting properties or is because that same food is rich in fat/salt/sugar and those combinations of foods are addicting?

Food science/functional properties of HFCS:

• Helps with browning of breads
• Prevents freezer burn
• Extends shelf life
• Allows yeast to rise in breads

Calorie for calorie HFCS is on an equal playing field as any other carbohydrate even though it is metabolized slightly differently (fructose’s final stages of metabolism/digestion takes place in the liver, where other carbohydrates are finished off in the small intestine).  If fructose is naturally found in table sugar, fruits and vegetables, how does the body distinguish between the fructose found in those foods vs. HFCS and metabolize them differently?   On one hand the body would be using fructose as a source of energy from the fruits and vegetables and on the other (in the form of HFCS) it metabolizes it into fat?  Our bodies are amazing machines, but I cannot see how it would be able to distinguish between the two sources of fructose.

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, HFCS is very similar to sucrose, being about 55% fructose and 45% glucose, and thus, not surprisingly, few metabolic differences were found comparing HFCS and sucrose. With that being said, HFCS does contribute to added sugars and calories.  Its presence also signifies a high degree of processing.  The more processed foods you eat, the less nutrition your body has available to stay healthy.  Whole foods are what your body needs and craves for weight loss, optimal sports performance, strong immunity and disease prevention.

In summary, should you absolutely avoid HFCS at all costs (well, if you take Food Inc to heart, you may want to!)?  I do not think that extreme is necessary.  Read food labels, and if it is not there, great (be aware of other added sweeteners, those foods ended in –ose)!  If it is, make sure it is past the 5^th ingredient on the label (same case for all added sweeteners).  If it is in the top 5, really consider whether it is worth eating or not.

Maria K. Gordon, RD

September 2009, revised March 2010

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.2009.High Fructose Corn Syrup: Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask. Vol 88:6, 1715S.