Posted 10/14/2009
Make Tonight Pasta Night!
Adding fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
There’s never been a better time to switch to whole grains. You can pick from several brands of whole grain or whole grain–blend pastas. You can even find whole wheat lasagna noodles in some supermarkets. If you’re just starting to venture into whole grain pasta, start with Barilla Plus—it looks and tastes the most like white pasta—and graduate to the 100% whole grain brands when you are ready. Read More >>
Posted 04/27/2009
Natural Sources of Plant Sterols and Stanol Esters
Reduce your cancer risk
By Elaine Magee, RD, MPH
The first time many of us heard of plant sterols and plant stanol esters, and their ability to help decrease total and LDL cholesterol levels, was in a margarine commercial. Brands like Benecol and Take Control hit the market by storm a few years ago—and their message came through loud and clear. But here’s the thing: many foods are natural sources of these same phytochemicals. Read More >>
Posted 04/13/2009
Beans Lower Cancer Risk?
Mmm . . . phytochemicals!
By Elaine Magee, RD, MPH
Eating beans is definitely a step toward health, what with all their fiber and plant protein. Some evidence suggests that diets high in fiber are linked to lower risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancers. But it’s their phytochemicals that appear to protect body cells from the type of genetic damage that can lead to cancer. Read More >>
Posted 03/30/2009
Are You Benefiting from the Power of Beans?
The beauty is in the balance
By Elaine Magee, RD, MPH
Beans offer an amazing package of nutrients—every piece is
important—but the beauty is in the balance. Beans are high in protein
and bursting with beneficial phytochemicals. You get good-quality
carbohydrates that interact with lots of fiber to be digested slowly.
Beans have been shown to result in relatively small increases in blood
glucose levels following meals—in people with and without diabetes. Read More >>
