"Waste Not, Want Not" and Make it Delicious!
By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional
Recipes
There is no more appropriate time than now to think about how and why we
cook. Food is a way of connecting with the people who surround us.
Through it, we communicate emotions like love, compassion and
understanding, and there is no better opportunity to communicate with
our children than at the table. It's where we can discuss our values of
life that are important to us as individuals, as a family and as a part
of the world we live in.
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Seven Simple Brain Promoting Nutritional Tips
By Daniel G. Amen, MD, author of Making a Good Brain Great
Here is the seven step plan to get your diet under control and to use food as brain medicine.
1. Increase water intake
Given that your brain is about 80% water, the first rule of brain nutrition is
adequate water to hydrate your brain. Even slight dehydration can raise stress
hormones which can damage your brain over time. Drink at least 84 ounces of
water a day. It is best to have your liquids unpolluted with artificial
sweeteners, sugar, caffeine, or alcohol. You can use herbal, non-caffeinated tea
bags, such as raspberry or strawberry flavored, and make unsweetened iced tea.
Green tea is also good for brain function as it contains chemicals that enhance
mental relaxation and alertness.
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Making Healthy Restaurant Choices
At a popular pizza chain, the personal pan pizza with sausage packs 740 calories and 39 grams of fat. And at one major fast-food joint, a triple cheeseburger with everything has 810 calories and 47 grams of fat -- two meals' worth of calories and more fat than most of us should scarf down in an entire day.
The bright spots in this grease-spattered scenario? First, you. Your power as a restaurant patron lies in your order. The waiter, cook, and manager want you to leave happy -- just tell them what you want. Second, more and more fast-food spots, casual dining eateries, and even upscale restaurants offer healthier alternatives on their regular menus. Read More..
Picky Appetites, Texture Issues, and Odd Food Choices
A common problem in children with ASD is picky eating. This can show itself in a variety of ways. Children may limit themselves to only dairy and wheat foods. They may decide what to eat not based on taste, but by the smell or the look of foods. They may become very brand-specific, eating only one brand of chicken nuggets, for example, but not another, virtually identical brand. They may limit themselves to unusual categories of food, such as eating only food that is white or brown. Some like only crunchy foods, while others like only soft or mushy foods. Some like both types but cannot stand having them mixed together or even on the same plate together. They may be exquisitely sensitive to any change in food or to hiding supplements in food. Children with autism can often detect even the subtlest difference in foods. All of these factors combine to make adequately nourishing these children a potentially very challenging task. Read More...
