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Iced Tea can be a healthy drink that can help quench your thirst on a hot summer day.  Iced tea can contain caffeine or be decaf, can be sweetened or unsweetened.  There are now even different types of iced tea, such as black tea, green tea, or many different types of herbal tea.  Unsweetened iced tea is calorie free and contains many antioxidants.  Sweet tea can contain up to 180 calories per serving and have different flavors, such as peach, raspberry, blueberry, and many more.  So, when choosing tea, it’s best to choose the unsweetened variety.

Hot tea has been around for centuries, but iced tea is relatively new.  Iced tea made its first appearance in print in 1879 in the cook book ‘Housekeeping in Old Virginia’.¹  In that book the author recommended filling the glass with ice, putting two teaspoons of sugar in the glass, and pouring the green tea over the ice and sugar.  Iced tea really became popular after it was featured at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Black tea is what the typical iced tea is made from.  Black tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis plant.  It is stronger in flavor and has more caffeine than other teas, but less caffeine than coffee.  Black tea offers many health benefits due to the antioxidants that it contains.  Black tea contains polyphenols that have antioxidant properties.²  Consuming antioxidants can help decrease the risk of chronic disease and improve overall health.  Black tea may also be beneficial for heart health.³  Studies have found that regularly drinking black tea can help reduce the risk of heart disease.  There are two types of cholesterol in the blood.  LDL cholesterol, which is the ‘bad’ cholesterol and HDL which is known as the ‘good’ cholesterol.  Too much cholesterol in the blood can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Studies have found that black tea may reduce LDL levels.^4,5  Black tea may also help control blood glucose (sugar) levels.  Insulin is a hormone that is secreted when you consume sugar.  Unsweetened iced tea can help improve the use of insulin and reduce blood glucose levels.⁶

Green tea has many of the same benefits as black tea.  Green tea contains a powerful compound, Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG).  EGCG is one of the reasons green tea has medicinal properties.⁷  Green tea has been shown to increase the metabolic rate and increase fat burning,^8–10 however not all studies agree with this.¹¹  Green tea may also lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, a disease that has reached epidemic proportions.  Green tea has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce blood glucose levels.¹²

If you want to try an herbal tea, here are some choices that may be worth trying:

• Peppermint – Most commonly used to relieve discomfort of the digestive tract, but also has antioxidant, anticancer, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.¹³
• Hibiscus – This tea is made from the colorful flowers of the hibiscus plant.  It is usually pink in color and has a tart flavor.  Hibiscus tea may help lower blood pressure.  It should not be taken with certain diuretic medication or at the same time as asprin.¹⁴
• Rooibos – This is an herbal tea that comes from South Africa and is made from the leaves of the rooibos plant.  South Africans have used it for medicinal purposes, however few human studies have been conducted.  Preliminary evidence suggests that rooibos tea may help improve bone health, but more studies are needed.¹⁵

Overall, iced tea rather it be black, green, or herbal all play a part in healthy eating.  Just be sure to choose the unsweetened version to keep your consumption of sugar sweetened beverages down.  Iced tea is packed with antioxidants which can help lower your risk for heart disease and some cancers, as well as lower LDL cholesterol levels and blood glucose levels.

Enjoy a glass of unsweetened iced tea today!

References

1.         History Of Lipton Iced Tea. Lipton. https://www.lipton.com/us/en/our-purpose/the-history-of-lipton-iced-tea.html. Accessed June 26, 2019.

2.         Łuczaj W, Skrzydlewska E. Antioxidative properties of black tea. Prev Med (Baltim). 2005;40(6):910-918. doi:10.1016/J.YPMED.2004.10.014

3.         Gardner EJ, Ruxton CHS, Leeds AR. Black tea – helpful or harmful? A review of the evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007;61(1):3-18. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602489

4.         Davies MJ, Judd JT, Baer DJ, et al. Black Tea Consumption Reduces Total and LDL Cholesterol in Mildly Hypercholesterolemic Adults. J Nutr. 2003;133(10):3298S-3302S. doi:10.1093/jn/133.10.3298S

5.         Fujita H, Yamagami T. Antihypercholesterolemic effect of Chinese black tea extract in human subjects with borderline hypercholesterolemia. Nutr Res. 2008;28(7):450-456. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2008.04.005

6.         Tang W, Li S, Liu Y, Huang M-T, Ho C-T. Anti-diabetic activity of chemically profiled green tea and black tea extracts in a type 2 diabetes mice model via different mechanisms. J Funct Foods. 2013;5(4):1784-1793. doi:10.1016/J.JFF.2013.08.007

7.         Eng QY, Thanikachalam PV, Ramamurthy S. Molecular understanding of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018;210:296-310. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.035

8.         Venables MC, Hulston CJ, Cox HR, Jeukendrup AE. Green tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87(3):778-784. doi:10.1093/ajcn/87.3.778

9.         Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, et al. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;70(6):1040-1045. doi:10.1093/ajcn/70.6.1040

10.       Diepvens K, Westerterp KR, Westerterp-Plantenga MS. Obesity and thermogenesis related to the consumption of caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, and green tea. Am J Physiol Integr Comp Physiol. 2007;292(1):R77-R85. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00832.2005

11.       Gregersen NT, Bitz C, Krog-Mikkelsen I, et al. Effect of moderate intakes of different tea catechins and caffeine on acute measures of energy metabolism under sedentary conditions. Br J Nutr. 2009;102(8):1187-1194. doi:10.1017/S0007114509371779

12.       Liu K, Zhou R, Wang B, et al. Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;98(2):340-348. doi:10.3945/ajcn.112.052746

13.       McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of peppermint tea (Mentha piperita L.). Phyther Res. 2006;20(8):619-633. doi:10.1002/ptr.1936

14.       Hopkins AL, Lamm MG, Funk JL, Ritenbaugh C. Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in the treatment of hypertension and hyperlipidemia: A comprehensive review of animal and human studies. Fitoterapia. 2013;85:84-94. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2013.01.003

15.       Nash LA, Ward WE. Comparison of black, green and rooibos tea on osteoblast activity. Food Funct. 2016;7(2):1166-1175. doi:10.1039/c5fo01222h

Spring is here, and summer is right around the corner!  That means it’s time for picnics.  No one likes ants or bees, and no one wants food poisoning.  Here are some tips to keep your picnic food safe.

1. If you’re cooking raw meat be sure to bring a food thermometer.  The only way to tell if meat or poultry is done is to use a food thermometer.  Looking at the color of the meat/poultry will not ensure doneness.  Here is a link for proper food temperatures. https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html

• Plan ahead. Be sure you have plenty of clean utensils, storage containers for left overs, ice for the cooler, paper towels, and garbage bags.

• For food safety, do not thaw your meat on the counter overnight.  Either thaw the meat in the refrigerator, cooler with ice, or just cook it from a frozen state.  Keep in mind that cooking meat from a frozen state will take about 50 percent longer than cooking thawed food.  

• Be sure to store perishable foods, such as hot dogs, burgers, chicken, deviled eggs, potato salad, pre-cut fruit and vegetables, as well as veggie dips in a cooler with ice.  All these foods need to be kept cold.

• Be sure to wash your hands before you prepare food and after touching raw meat.  If running water is not available be sure to bring wet wipes or hand sanitizer with in order to keep your hands clean.

• Do NOT leave foods out in the sun.  Keep the cooler in the shade.  Serve foods quickly from the cooler and return it to the cooler as quickly as possible.  Food should not sit out longer than two hours. If the temperature is above 90^oF, food should not sit out longer than one hour.

• Once the food is cooked to temperature on the grill, be sure to serve the food on a clean plate.  Don’t use the same plate or utensils for cooked food that were used for the raw food.

• Be sure to place all leftovers in the cooler as soon as possible and empty the cooler as soon as you get home.  Foods that have stayed cold can be returned to the refrigerator for consumption later.  If the food has become warm or there is no ice left in the cooler the food should be discarded.

Resource: Van D. Perfect Food Safe Picnics! Food Safety.gov. https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/perfectfood.html. Published 2012. Accessed April 22, 2019.

The American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day is observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March.  It is a one-day “wake-up call” that focuses on the seriousness of diabetes and the importance of understanding your risk.  You can find out your risk for type 2 diabetes by taking a quick quiz at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/risk-factors-type-2-diabetes/diabetes-risk-test.

Facts about Diabetes

• Diabetes affects about 30.3 million Americans
• About 1 in 4 adults (about 72 million Americans) are unaware they have diabetes
• About 84 million Americans have prediabetes.  Prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.
• Nine out of 10 adults with prediabetes don’t know they have it

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose is too high.  Blood glucose is the body’s main form of energy. Insulin is a hormone that is made by the pancreas and helps glucose get from the food you eat into your cells to be used as energy.  Sometimes the body does not make enough (or any) insulin or the body doesn’t use insulin the way it should and therefore glucose stays in the blood and doesn’t reach the cells that need it.  Having too much insulin in the blood over time can cause health problems.  Did you know there are different types of diabetes?  The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes. 

Type 1 diabetes

This is formerly known as juvenile diabetes.  With this type of diabetes, the body does not make insulin.  The immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.  Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, but it can appear at any age.  People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes have body’s that do not make or use insulin well.  Type 2 diabetes can develop at any age, even during childhood, but occurs most often in middle-aged and older people.  Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes. 

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant.  It usually goes away after the baby is born, but women who have had gestational diabetes have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes means blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.  Over time prediabetes can lead to a person developing type 2 diabetes.

How can type 2 diabetes be prevented?

The best ways to lower your risk of type 2 diabetes is to lose weight and keep it off, move more, and eat healthy foods most of the time. 

What can you do?

Use the link above to find out your risk.  The sooner you know you are at risk the sooner you can take steps to prevent or manage your diabetes. Did you know that if you have a family history of diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes?  Other risk factors for developing diabetes include over the age of 45, overweight/obesity, and/or not physically active.

In conclusion, if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes, there are steps you can take to take control of your health.  First of all, know your family health history.  Family history is a risk factor for developing type two diabetes as well as other serious diseases.  Most people with type 2 diabetes have a family member with type 2 diabetes.  Secondly, if you have a history of gestational diabetes, you have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  And lastly, develop of game plan to take steps to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.  Taking small steps, such as eating less, moving more, and losing weight can help you prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

Here are some facts about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)        

• Began in 1946, serving about 7.1 million children (1)
• Is the second-largest food assistance program in the United States (2)
• In 2016, the NSLP served 30.4 million school children, down from a high of 31.8 million in 2010 (1)
• Provides free- and reduced-price lunches to income-eligible students and subsidized paid lunches to students who are not eligible to receive free- or reduced-price lunches (2).  About 68 percent of all lunches served are free- or reduced-price lunches (3). 
• In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was passed (4).  This was the first time in 30 years that the USDA could make real changes to the school lunch and breakfast programs.  This implemented new standards to begin for the 2012-2013 school year and phase in other standards.  The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was more in line with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) (5) and required most schools to “increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans-fat in meals; and meet the nutrition needs of school children within their calorie requirements” (5,6). 
• As of 2017 the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act has been updated so all grains must be whole grains and an improved sodium target was implemented in 2014 (7). 
• Schools participating in the NSLP are required to offer at least one option from each of the five meal components (meat/meat alternative, grain, fruit, vegetable, and milk).  Students are not required to take all the five components, but they must select three of the components.  Of the three components, one must be a fruit or vegetable. 
• Most children generally like school lunches

1.        States Department of Agriculture U. THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM [Internet]. Available from: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition.

2.        Agriculture USD of. Budget Summary and Annual Performance Plan FY 2015 [Internet]. 2015. Available from: https://www.obpa.usda.gov/budsum/FY15budsum.pdf

3.        Service F and N. National School Lunch Program: Participation and Lunches Served [Internet]. Washington DC: United States Department of Agriculture; 2014. Available from: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/pd/sbsummar.pdf

4.        United States Department of Agriculture. Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act | Food and Nutrition Service [Internet]. Food and Nutrition Service. 2017 [cited 2018 Sep 7]. Available from: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/healthy-hunger-free-kids-act

5.        United States Department of Agriculture. National Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs [Internet]. Washington DC; 2012. Available from: http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards-school-meals

6.        Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service 7 CFR Parts 210 and 220 Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; Final Rule E:\FR\FM\26JAR2.SGM 26JAR2 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with RULES2 [Internet]. 2012. Available from: www.regulations.gov

7.        USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider, Employer and Lender School Meals Patterns with Flexibilities for [Internet]. 2017. Available from: https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/dietaryspecs.pdf

History of Cereal

Cereal is an American invention.  In 1863, James Caleb Jackson created a breakfast cereal from graham flour dough that was dried and broken into shapes.¹  These shapes were so hard that they needed to be soaked in milk overnight.  It was called granula.  In Michigan, a surgeon, John Harvey Kellogg made his own version and called it granola.  A former patient of Kellogg, C. W. Post, created Grape-Nuts.  In the 1900s, Kellogg and his younger brother created a flaked cereal they called Corn Flakes.  The Quaker Oats Company, began marketing Puffed Rice and Puffed Wheat, in the 1910s, after acquiring a method that forced rice grains to explode under pressure. In the 1940s, Cheerios appeared as CherriOats, but were renamed. Cheerios has become the best-selling cereal in America.  Honey Nut Cheerios was introduced by General Mills in 1979.  In the 1950s cereal consumption increased and sugar became a selling point.  Kellogg’s invented Frosted Flakes and Tony the Tiger.  The 1970s became the heyday of fruit-flavored and monster cereals.  Cereals like Franken Berry and Count Chocula became popular for General Mills, while Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles were popular for Post.  In the 2000s consumers started demanding more natural and organic products.  Kellogg’s ended up buying Kashi and General Mills bought Cascadian Farms trying to get in on this exploding market. 

What are the Top 10 Best-Selling Breakfast Cereals?²

10. Fruity Pebbles ($172.3 million; Boxes sold: 54.1 million)

  9. Life ($177.5 million; Boxes sold: 58.1 million)

  8. Frosted Mini Wheats ($241.9 million; Boxes sold: 71.3 million)

  7. Fruit Loops ($269.1 million; Boxes sold: 91.7 million)

  6. Lucky Charms ($283.4 million; Boxes sold: 86.4 million)

  5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch ($344.3 million; Boxes sold: 105.2 million)

  4. Honey Bunches of Oats ($375.2 million; Boxes sold: 111.3 million)

  3. Frosted Flakes ($412.6 million; Boxes sold: 132.3 million)

  2. Honey Nut Cheerios ($421.7 million; Boxes sold; 129.3 million)

  1. Cheerios ($435.9 million; Boxes sold: 139.1 million)

How to Pick a Healthy Breakfast Cereal.

Not all cereal is created equal.  Come are low in fiber, others are high in sugar.  With so many different ingredients, how do you know what you should buy.  Some brands add inulin (aka chicory root) to increase fiber, but eating whole grains can have additional benefits such as a lower BMI and improved cholesterol levels.  Start off looking for whole grains at the top of the ingredient list and keep sugar low.  Many cereals are high in sugar and keep a lookout for barley malt extract.  This is just a fancy name for sugar.  Some numbers that I like to look for when choosing a breakfast cereal are:

Per ¾ cup: 3 or more grams of fiber and 7 grams or less of sugar.  If a cereal has raisins or dates 16 grams of sugar can be included to account for the natural sugars found in these fruits.  Keep in mind that dried cranberries and dehydrated fruits contain very little natural sugar and usually have sugar added to them, so this higher number does not apply to these types of cereals. 

For more information on National Cereal Day visit http://www.nationalcerealday.com/

1.         Severson K. A Short History of Cereal – The New York Times. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/22/dining/history-of-cereal.html. Published 2016. Accessed March 6, 2019.

2.         Burrows D. America’s Most Popular Breakfast Cereals (And the Stocks Behind Them). Kiplinger. https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/investing/T052-S001-america-s-most-popular-breakfast-cereals-stocks/index.html. Published 2018. Accessed March 6, 2019.

There are many benefits and advantages to frozen foods.  Frozen foods allow people all over the world to have a large selection of seasonal ingredients year-round, contain no preservatives as freezing is a natural form of preservation, and helps reduce food waste as you can use only what you need.  Therefore, you are helping out your pocket book too! 

Benefits of Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

• Freezing allows you to be able to choose from almost any fruit and vegetable year around regardless of where you live in the world.
• Frozen produce is fast and convenient.  Frozen vegetables can be steamed in the bag, steamed in a pot, stir-fried, or microwaved and ready in minutes.
• A great, easy way to meet your fruit and vegetable requirements.
• Freezing produce locks in vitamins at the point of harvest.

Benefits of Frozen Fish

• Freezing allows seasonal fish to be available year-round.
• Frozen fish is often fresher than ‘fresh’ fish, as fresh fish can often take a week to reach the store!
• Frozen fish and seafood are often cheaper than fresh fish.  The shelf life is much longer than fresh fish.

Here are five reasons why you should be eating frozen foods!  https://foodandnutrition.org/blogs/stone-soup/5-reasons-eating-frozen-foods/

With all of the nutrition information floating around, be sure to know where to look to get your nutrition information. Everyone seems to be a nutrition expert these days – your friend you meet for coffee, the friend at the gym, or the personal trainer you’ve hired to help you get healthy. Keep in mind that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Anyone can give nutrition advice, even if it is not accurate. Some may claim to be a Certified Nutritionist. In other words they may have taken a two hour online course! When your looking for credible nutrition advice be sure to look for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). RDNs must have at least a bachelors degree in nutrition (many have a Master’s), complete a dietetic internship, pass a national exam, and complete continuing education. So next time your looking for nutrition advice, look no further than your local RDN! To find a dietitian in your area go to Find an Expert on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website.