Healthy & Kosher

After a Jewish holiday filled with food, I always come away feeling like I need some sort of cleanse.  I need to rescue my body from all the meat and challah or this week, all the matzo!  But what do people mean when they say they are on a cleanse?

It turns out they can mean quite a few different things.  The most common type of cleanse is a colon cleanse.  This can be done at home with over the counter pills that will require you to be near a bathroom at all times.  A cleanse can also include a trip to medical professional to do things I don’t think I can get myself to write out in a respectable food website, but let’s just say will irrigate your body.  Both hope to rid your body of harmful toxins.

The theory is that meats and other foods leave behind toxins in the colon and the build up can cause fatigue, headaches, weight gain and/or low energy.  There is no medical consensus on this theory and many doctors and health experts believe our bodies can do a fine job clearing out toxins on their own.  Although there are no shortage of anecdotal stories of people who swear by the occasional cleanse, I can’t try something so unappealing unless I know there is a real benefit.

The other common cleanse is really more of a fast or cleanse diet.   Some might fast completely, others might just drink water or a specially blended juice drink filled with a blend of fruits, vegetables and herbs touted to give you more energy and detoxify your body.

While I do believe this type of cleanse can help by reminding you what it feels like to be hungry and shrinking your stomach after the overindulgences of the Jewish holiday season,  there is no real evidence that these methods have any lasting effects.  Most dietitians recommend cutting back calories, eating less than you did over the holiday and paying attention to your hunger signs again.

Have you ever tried a cleanse?   Share your experience with us below.

As we march into a week filled with starchy spuds, I thought I would share some of the hidden health benefits of potatoes.  Potatoes have gotten a bad rap over the years as people have moved towards lower carb diets and sworn off the white fluffy stuff.  The truth is potatoes are a vegetable and they provide nutrients that our body needs.  Potatoes are a good source of B vitamins like Folate as well as Vitamin C and Potassium.  If you eat the skin it is also a good source of fiber.   One medium potato has 150 calories, a lot more than a cup of broccoli, but it is filling and satisfying as part of a full meal.

The problem with potatoes is really about their preparation.  The biggest culprits are French fries and potato chips, both of which are usually deep fried.  When fried their peels are usually removed and they absorb so much oil they basically become fat sponges.  Even when baked they are often a magnet for fat laden toppings, like butter and sour cream.  If you can change the way you eat potatoes they can and should be part of a healthy diet.

• Try topping a potato with low fat or non-fat yogurt or sour cream
• Stuff with broccoli and a little sprinkling of cheese
• Use skim milk when making mashed potatoes
• Make potato chips or fries in the oven with cooking spray
• Keep the skin on

You might be wondering about sweet potatoes.  Most people consider them healthy, even though they have the same amount of calories as a white potato.  Sweet potatoes have a little bit more fiber and are rich in Vitamin A, but its main claim to health fame is that it has a low glycemic index, meaning that it should make you feel full longer.  That means you get more bang for your buck with the same amount of food and calories.

As to those little purple potatoes, sometimes called Peruvian potatoes.  These colorful guys have been seen to lower blood pressure and they contain anti cancer antioxidants, but their nutritional make up of calories and fiber is more akin to the white potato.

All potatoes can and should be part of a healthy diet, especially on Pesach when starches are limited.  The best thing you can do is be sure to include all kinds of potatoes and beware of the toppings bar.

Recipes

I happen to be a fan of potato skins, not the deep fried ones, but the baked ones you make at home – try Jamie’s Zippy Potato Skins with low fat sour cream and cheese or my Kale and Blue Cheese Sweet Potato Skins.

It’s not easy being green.  Vegetarians on Passover have it pretty rough, especially Ashkenazim who can’t eat beans or tofu.   I can’t even imagine menu planning for vegans who don’t eat eggs!  I’m not sure how they make it through eight days.  I have quite a few vegetarian friends, including my sister in law who will be with me for a couple of meals.  Passover tends to be a very meaty holiday, but there are some great Passover vegetarian and vegan friendly dish ideas that even carnivores will enjoy.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Sweet Vegetables in a Spicy Cinnamon Cider

Tali Simon, food blogger at MoreQuichePlease.com, is a vegetarian living in Israel and also abstaining from kitniyot, swears by roasted vegetables, “You can serve them in different combinations at every Yom Tov seudah, and no one will be the wiser! Try sliced roasted carrots with minced garlic, roasted zucchini and pepper strips in quinoa, roasted eggplant in a salad or dip, and of course, roasted potatoes.”

I love roasted vegetables of all kinds and they make a hardy and filling dish.  There are so many vegetables to choose from, I promise it will never get boring.  Consider adding peeled chestnuts. For a fun change, use beets or kohlrabi.  Roasted vegetables make great leftovers, too.  Here are a few recipes to try:

Beets and Sweets

Maple Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Broccoli with Tomatoes

Portobello Mushrooms

Marinated Portobello Mushr

One of my favorite vegetarian foods is the Portobello mushroom.  All mushrooms have an earthy meatiness to them, but the texture of these meaty mushrooms and their large size allow them to truly become the meal.  Roast them, stuff them with pesto, fry them, sauté them, mix with matzo farfel or quinoa or eat as they are.  They may seem expensive, but they are light weight and eating them in place of meat is still a bargain.

Baby Spinach and Portobello Mushroom Salad

Portabella Quinoa

Eggplant

Spice Eggplant Salsa

Grilled, stuffed, dusted with matzo meal and fried, eggplant can be a hearty main that is perfect with marinara sauce and can easily become the centerpiece of a Yom Tov meal.  Remember to use kosher salt to remove excess moisture and bitterness then rinse and dry before preparing to cook or roast, read our Guide to Eggplants for more tips.

Savory Eggplant

Pomegranate Eggplant Relish

Spaghetti Squash  

Squashetti

In my recent interview with Aviva Kanoff, author of the No Potato Passover Cookbook, I was reminded of this amazing pasta like squash.  Just scrape out the thin strands, sauté with herbs, cover in tomato sauce or mix with pesto for an easy entrée or side.

Easy Spaghetti Squash

Mushroom Primavera with Spagehtti Squash (leave out the cheese for vegan)

Nuts

Carrot Puree with Hazelnut Tapenade

These little guys are most everywhere on Passover.  They are used to replace flour in cakes, ground up in charoset and then forgotten.  Nuts are a fabulous source of protein and many other valuable nutrients.  Add some on top of salads, spread almond butter on your matzo, carry a trail mix of nuts, raisins and dried fruits as a healthy snack or mixed with matzo farfel for granola.

Gluten Free Walnut Stuffing

Hazelnut Chocolate Spread

What are some of your favorite Passover vegetarian and/or vegan recipes?

Featured Image: Beet Salad with Almonds and Chives

I’ve never experienced it, but I have heard the stories.  All inclusive Passover vacations are a great way to have all the fun without all the stress of Passover.  Sitting by the sun and enjoying yourself, while someone else does all the cooking and cleaning.  Sounds like a dream come true!  But if you take “all you can eat” to an extreme, you might come home with more than a sunburn.  And a sunburn fades a lot quicker than those extra 10 pounds.

You can still enjoy your resort vacation while maintaining a healthy diet, and it’s not as hard as you think.  Here are my tips on resisting the temptation to overeat when you are spending so much money to eat everything you want.

The first step is to prepare yourself mentally.  Remember all the reasons you are going away on vacation – other than the unlimited food.  You are spending money to get away, to be on a beach or resort, to relax in a spa or pool, to celebrate with family and friends and to avoid having to cook or clean.  Those are all calorie free benefits of your Passover vacation.

Second, remember that you have 8 days.  It is not just a one day splurge, it’s an entire week.  It is day after day, hour after hour of easily available food.  Say to yourself:“this is not my last meal, it is probably not even my last meal of the day.  So take it easy.”

Okay, so now that we have worked on your mental  state, let’s talk strategy.

1.       Stick to meal times and minimize trips to the tea room.  If all your friends or family are headed there, focus on the tea.  If you have a major sweet tooth, pick one day or two to indulge and taste all the goodies and then go easy the rest of the week.

2.       Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.  Don’t order or take more food than you can or should eat.  I love to taste lots of things, that is why I love small plates, but assuming they don’t do small plates, stick to one nice dish, there will always be another tomorrow.

3.       Start with salad.  The old diet trick stands the test of time.  Fill up with a nice salad with a little olive oil and vinegar and as many vegetables as you can.  All the checking and chopping has been done, this is the best time to indulge.

4.       When dessert time comes, choose something small or share half with a friend.  It’s almost like a low-calorie dessert when you’re ony having half the calories.

5.       Avoid fried foods as much as possible.

6.       Drink water, seltzer and unsweetened tea or coffee instead of soda or juice.

7.       Last, but not least, exercise.  Even if you don’t exercise regularly, you are on vacation.  Get up and move.  Find a sport you love, but never have time to play.  Take leisurely walks or jogs on the beach or anywhere.  Go swimming or just play.  There is plenty of time to read, sleep and rest, but you will feel so much better if you burn calories, like you burn your chametz.

Are you headed to a resort this year?

Passover is approaching and we are getting ready for protein overload.  Without rice, pasta, corn, beans and tofu, meat seems to make an appearance at most every meal.  Since I try and limit our meat consumption all year, on Passover I recommend swimming with the fishes.  It is easy to find kosher for Passover canned tuna and canned salmon and there are so many ways to enjoy those two other than just spread on a matzo.  Use matzo meal instead of bread crumbs in most any salmon cake recipe and you will have a yummy appetizer or main any time.  Fresh salmon is also easy to come by and is very popular.  And then there’s tilapia.

The USDA reports that Americans ate 475 million pounds of tilapia last year, four times the amount a decade ago, making this once obscure African native the most popular farmed fish in the United States.   It is an inexpensive and mild flavored fish that many people love.  Fish is a low-fat, high quality protein.   The American Heart Association’s recommendation to eat fish twice a week is because fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to keep our heart and brain health.  But tilapia may not be the best source.

The debate over tilapia centers around its omega-6 fatty acid content.  Omega-6 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats essential in our diet, but they are already prevalent in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils.  In other words, we get plenty of Omega-6 fatty acids, but we need more Omega-3s.   Farm-raised tilapia has a relatively high Omega-6 fatty acid concentration, compared to Omega-3 rich fishes like salmon. Others disagree.

Alice H. Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy at Tufts University says “Tilapia happens to be lower in fat than some other fish, so it has less of all types of fatty acids. Tilapia is, however, more affordable than most other fish in the market today. Splitting hairs over whether one fish has less omega-3 fatty acids per serving than other types of fish when the total fat content is low seems to miss the point.”

Especially on Passover, when brisket and meatballs seem to be on every menu, any fish variety is an excellent substitute for red meat and other foods high in saturated fat.  As always, the key is moderation and variety.  So, try some tilapia, take on tuna and slip in some more salmon this holiday.

Here are some Passover friendly tilapia recipes to try.

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Chili Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus Lemon

Mock Ceviche

Parmesan and SunDried Tomato Crusted Tilapia

Garden Style Fish with Onions and Bell Peppers

Main Image – Pan Seared Tilapia

Liquid calories are hiding in your coffee drinks, your cocktails, your sodas, your fruit smoothies, and even your “hydrating” sports drinks. Yup, it’s true. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, are advertised as fluid replacements for athletes. They provide carbohydrates (for energy to fight fatigue) and electrolytes (for hydration and muscle function) that are not found in water.

But here’s the catch. While electrolyte and energy deficits can occur during rigorous events (say a 50 mile run, a 100 mile bike ride, or a four hour triathlon), average workouts (an hour lifting weights, a 45 minute spinning class, or a 30 minute run) will not do the same. In fact, you need to engage in strenuous exercise for at least an hour or longer in order for expensive sports beverages to provide a performance edge that water can’t supply. Also keep in mind that if your goal is weight management
or weight loss, drinking extra carbohydrates (aka extra calories) is counter productive.

For most, water remains an effective and inexpensive way to cover losses sustained by a common workout. And the absolute best option for everyday hydration!

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Today I am going to share with you everything I know about seitan, what it is, how to make it at home and some recipes that feature seitan.

Seitan is a meat alternative that is made from the protein found in wheat, gluten.  Although it is made from wheat, seitan has little in common with flour or bread.  It actually becomes surprisingly similar to the look and texture of meat when it is cooked.   The texture is chewier than tofu and it is also high in protein which makes it a popular protein source for vegetarians and vegans.

Even if you haven’t heard of seitan you probably have eaten it.  Many of the mock meats found in vegetarian Chinese restaurants are made from seitan.  You can even buy seitan in many health food stores all ready in chunks to throw in your stir fry.  However, if you want the most flexibility in using setian to make things look like large pieces of meat you will want to make it at home.

Seitan can be prepared using regular wheat flour, but it is a long process to separate out the gluten.  Your best bet is to start with Vital wheat gluten sold near the flour at many supermarkets and health food stores.  It takes some time to cook, but then it can be stored in the fridge for about a week and used as needed in your favorite recipes.  It can be breaded and fried like in a Marsala or Picata (just use the seitan in place of the chicken).

I was originally inspired by a recipe I found in the Millenium vegan cookbook from a vegan restaurant in San Francisco.  I have tried a few recipes and this is the best one, the double boiling is a little more work but I find it gives it the best texture.  Try making your own Seitan and let me know how it turns out.

The recipe pictures above is for a Seitan Vegetable Stir Fry.

It’s no secret that actor Jonah Hill has lost a lot of weight over the past year.

Jonah Hill’s work in “Moneyball” earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, recently spoke with ABC News.  Apparently, the secret to his remarkable weight loss was a diet of mostly sushi.  ”It was just mostly diet,” Hill said. “I wish there was some crazy thing that I did, like a pill or a genie or something, but it wasn’t, unfortunately, I went to see a nutritionist, and he told me what to eat to change my habits and stuff.”

For years, my husband has been telling me he wants to go on a sushi diet.  Have chopsticks, will travel.  He loves how he feels after he eats it, never heavy or bloated and he knows fish is incredibly healthy.  Honestly, I’m not sure an all sushi diet is practical (or affordable), but incorporating sushi and other Japanese foods in your diet isn’t a bad idea at all.   Sushi is made from combining small portions of rice (carbohydrates) with protein and omega -3 filled fish and often some nutrient filled seaweed.  Drink some healthy green tea with it and you have a filling meal with lots of beneficial ingredients.

Homemade Sushi Recipe

Of course, you will want to avoid maki rolls with added fats.  No mayonnaise, cream cheese or fried tempura rolls.  They don’t eat cream cheese in Japan.  Spicy tuna and salmon usually are made with mayo and California rolls sometimes have a mayo sauce, too.  Keep it zen and go easy on the soy sauce.  In Japan they dip the fish not the rice which soaks up all the sodium your body doesn’t need.  Adding avocado is okay, the healthy fat from their complements the fish.  Basic tuna or salmon rolls are 140 to 180 calories, and the calories vary widely by size.

Weight loss is all about calories in versus calories out.  A sushi diet is just another way to get you to think about what you are eating.  Say sayonara to those extra pounds!

Here is another recipe for Vegetable Sushi and here is one for a slightly different take on sushi – Sushi Salad.

Wondering why Chia seeds are all the rage?

Chia is part of the mint family and is native to central and southern Mexico and Guatemala.  Chia seeds are smooth, tiny and oval flecked with gray, white, black and brown colors.  Last year I bought it at a local supermarket and it has been sitting in my cabinet all year while I waited to figure out what to do with it.

Every time I see another article extolling the virtues of this humble seed, I remind myself that I better go try it.  You can try it in smoothies, baked in muffins, added to oatmeal or cold cereal.   They are pretty tasteless and you don’t really notice them, but your body will.

According to natural health expert Dr. Andrew Weil, Chia seeds may be even a better source of Omega 3s than flax and they don’t have to be ground to obtain the benefits.  They also last a lot longer than flax seeds which can quickly go rancid.  Chia seeds also provide fiber, calcium, phosphorus,magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.

If that wasn’t reason enough, chia seeds may help you lose weight and give you energy.   When mixed with water, chia seeds turn gelatinous, they absorb liquid and make you feel full longer.  The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Ray Rice, the leading rusher for the Baltimore Ravens, uses chia to replenish his energy and help keep his digestive system humming.  In Mexico and Central America they enjoy a Chia Fresca, water with lime juice, sugar and chia.  Give it a try and tell us what you think!

Before I moved to Israel five years ago, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was considered to be the “national food” of Israel.  Even though I grew up in the United States, far from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, I remember my mother telling me that falafel was sold on almost every street corner in Israel. She described it as being similar to the hot dog vendors I would see on every corner in New York City, or the soft pretzel vendors you would see on the streets of Philadelphia.

What my mother didn’t tell me was that Israeli falafel was NOTHING without its “partner in crime”, hummus. Even in the fanciest of restaurants or the most unusual events here in Israel, hummus somehow becomes part of the menu.   From hummus served with meat, at the Basarim restaurant in Tiberias; to hummus with mushrooms at Marvad Kasamim (The Magic Carpet) in Jerusalem; to the local hummusiyah (hummus vendor/restaurant), the flavor of hummus is ubiquitous in Israel.

So what is this hummus stuff anyway?

Hummus is a thick paste of chickpeas (“hummus beans” here in Israel!), garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and sesame paste called “tahini”. The earliest incarnation of hummus appears in 13^th-century Egypt. Back then hummus consisted of chickpeas mixed with vinegar and pickled lemons, instead of the garlic or tahini we use today.

Hummus as we know it today was first documented as part of a recipe in Syria in the late 19^th-century. It is unknown when hummus first appeared regularly at dinner tables throughout Israel.

Ok, so hummus tastes good, but is it good for me?

Hummus is a great source of iron and vitamin C.  It also contains amounts of folate and vitamin B6. As the main ingredient of hummus is the chickpea, it’s a great source of protein and fiber. Besides being a common “salad” found on Israeli tables, it’s also a staple of both vegetarian and vegan diets.

So what does hummus have to do with Purim?

A friend called me up shortly before I was going to write this article to ask me for my hummus recipe. She didn’t explain what she was going to pair it with, but she decided to include it into her Misloach Manot. I hope she serves it with falafel or carrot sticks – two favorites in our household!

How do you make hummus?

Joy of Kosher has all sorts of hummus variations, but click to see my “top secret” hummus recipe.

Ideas of what to pair hummus with for Purim:

• Carrot/vegetable sticks
• Homemade pita chips
• Falafel
• Pretzels
• Crackers
• Pickles

With the chance to dress up in costume and stock up on treats, Purim is a favorite holiday for kids of all ages.  But since its also high season for candy and sugary snacks, it can also be frustrating for parents who want their kids (and themselves) to choose healthy foods and limit sweets as part of a balanced nutritious diet.

On the one hand, you want to indulge and enjoy the holiday, after all Purim is one of the few one day holidays where you can visit out of town friends and relatives and hop from party to party.  On the other hand, you don’t want to undermine all the work you do the rest of year and confuse kids with mixed messages.

Here are some tips and tricks for a happy and healthy Purim.

• Enjoy the holiday and don’t count calories, but try to limit sweets to the seudah feast by focusing on one or two extra special desserts that they will really remember.
• Stash away the Shalach Manot with store bought candies for another time.Start your day and every meal with something healthy before indulging.
• Stick to fresh fruits and fun vegetables to counter balance the Hamantashen.Think about your Mishloach Manot packages, if you give lots of junk you will have lots of junk left over, use this guide to healthy Mishloach Manot and unless Hershey is sponsoring your Purim seudah get creative with some healthful snack options.
• Feed your kids before you go out on Purim night and day so you are not stuck buying junk food at the carnival and eating whatever is in your gift bags as you walk and drive around the neighborhood.   If you and your kids eat a well-balanced meal there will only be so much room left for the treats.

Have a Happy and Healthy Purim!

Allergy Free.  Nut and Seed Free.  Gluten Free.  The signs are everywhere these days.

Allergies appear to be on the rise and awareness has grown.  Everyone knows someone who has an allergy.  It wasn’t like this when I was growing up, or at least it didn’t seem that way.  The only person I knew who had an allergy was my dad.  He was allergic to sesame, but since we didn’t go out to eat very often, I never really noticed.   Looking back, I realize why we never had hummus or sesame bagels.  Since I enjoy cooking Asian and middle eastern foods, I have to stop and think every time he comes over to make sure I don’t accidentally add sesame oil or sesame seeds to a dish I am preparing.  I go out of my way to make special recipes like Walnut Hummus so he can enjoy the taste of hummus, without the inconvenience of upper respiratory failure that can totally ruin your night.  When we all go out to eat for Chinese, Japanese or Israeli food we make sure to let the waiter know, no sesame.  Fortunately, my family is allergy-free, but I feel for my friends who struggle and their children who struggle with food allergies.

An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system mistakes a harmless substance for a dangerous one. In response, the system launches a full-scale attack, wreaking havoc on your body.

Here are 20 of the most common allergenic foods:

• Cow’s Milk
• Wheat gluten (gliadin)
• Gluten (in wheat, oats, rye and barley)
• Yeast
• Egg Whites
• Cashew nuts
• Egg Yolk
• Garlic
• Soya beans
• Brazil nuts
• Almonds
• Corn
• Hazelnuts
• Oats
• Lentils
• Kiwi fruit
• Chili peppers
• Sesame seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanuts
• Spinach
• Shrimp
• Oranges
• Chicken
• Strawberries
• Tomato
• Pork
• Beef

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list the eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Most other countries have similar rules. In the United States, information about food allergies has to be written in simple terms adults and older children can understand. The eight foods included in food allergy labeling account for an estimated 90 percent of allergic reactions. These eight foods are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)
• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)
• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Soy
• Wheat

As a culture, we seem to be more sensitive to the dietary needs of others.  As an observant Jew, this is a very positive development. It is common to see Jews and non-Jews dining together in kosher restaurants for business and menu options for vegetarians and vegans.  When we are hosts and guests we also share a responsibility to try to learn the allergies and food restrictions of others.  A simple question posed to a guest like: “Do you or anyone in your family have any allergies or dietary restrictions?” is an act of kindness and generosity that can elevate a simple Shabbat meal.

Let us know how you deal with food allergies in the comments below.

The line refers to the foods that are not kosher, I didn’t remove them in case anyone reading this doesn’t keep kosher and would need to know.

With the Purim holiday fast approaching many people are starting to plan their Purim cocktails.  Purim is the day that tradition tells us we are supposed to drink so that we can’t tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman, good and evil.  Tradition did not have to go to work and get the kids out for school the next morning.  For the rest of us, who may take things a little easier on Purim but still would like a drink or two, there are some great scientific studies to justify drinking in moderation.

Here are a few peer-reviewed excuses to keep in your pocket, right next to your hip flask.

Anti Aging

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests that the availability of ethanol — the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages — may play an important role in delaying the aging process.  Their study was based on C. elegans, a benign worm that is less than .04 of an inch long.  Apparently this tiny worm has a lot in common with us and so it may work for us too.

Heart Disease

The Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism wrote “Numerous well-designed studies have concluded that moderate drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health.”  A World Health Organization Technical Committee on Cardiovascular Disease asserted that the relationship between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced death from heart disease could no longer be doubted.

The Common Cold

There is research that has found moderate drinkers to be more resistant than abstainers to five strains of the common cold virus. Those who consumed two to three drinks daily had an 85% greater resistance. Those drinking one to two drinks daily had a 65% lower risk and those who drank less than daily had a 30% lower risk than abstainers.

It appears that moderate drinkers do tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers.

In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine and distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer strokes, diabetes, arthritis, enlarged prostate, dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), and several major cancers.  (Read this article for more information.)

What Is Moderation?

A standard drink is:

• A 12-ounce bottle or can of regular beer
• A 5-ounce glass of wine
• A one and 1/2 ounce of 80 proof distilled spirits (either straight or in a mixed drink)

The alcohol content of all of the above is roughly equivalent and so are the health benefits.

Moderation for men is up to two drinks and up to one for women per day.

Let’s raise a glass to good health, moderate drinking and a Happy Purim!

Purim is one of my favorite Jewish holidays.  I love baking hamantashen with my kids.  I have so many special memories baking with my mom and grandmother as a child.  After college, I had a tradition to bake hamantaschen with my friend Arlene, who now lives in Israel. One day I hope to resume that tradition, but for now my baking team consists of three children, ages seven, five and three.

Each year my kids are very excited to show off the new Purim costumes their grandmother bought them.  They wear the Purim costumes to shul, to school and usually to some other Purim carnival or festival.  They also begin to strategize how and where they will hoard their candy.  They tear open every package with excitement and pick out their favorite items to stash away.  All my kids have their own hidden treasure of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Dentists everywhere must love this holiday!

As a dietitan, I am conflicted.  But we have reached a compromise.  After a balanced day of (mostly) healthy eating, on special occasions like Shabbat they get to pick out one small treat or piece of candy to take to shul to make Shabbat a little sweeter and get them out the door before Torah reading.  It works for us and they learn a little self-control along the way.

Mishloach Manot do not have to be filled with Hershey bars and sugar-filled candy.  Last year, I shared ten themes with healthy options for your Mishloach Manot.  This time I am going to share healthy recipes you can use in your Mishloach Manot.  Pair them with fresh or dried fruit and some dollar store toys and your friends will thank you, even if your dentist won’t.

Empanadas

We have 6 different empanada recipes to try and there are so many fillings to choose from, I wish someone made these for me.

Muffins

The perfect snack for anyone any time of day.

Soft Pretzels

I have a recipe in the Purim issue of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller with two dipping sauces that is perfect for Mishloach Manot.  This recipe is fantastic and you can even print your own pretzel card to send with it.

Chicken Fingers

Chicken fingers are good hot or cold and a perfect afternoon snack on Purim day. It’s nice to come home from delivering gifts and not have to think about feeding the kids.

Panini Sandwiches

You can fill these with anything, dairy or meat. They sit great and are really yummy.

Mediterranean Salads

You can always do a few side salads, this Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad is delish.

I hope you like these ideas and please share some of your Purim favorites with us, too.

Alec Baldwin, star of NBC hit comedy “30 Rock”, attributes his recent weight loss to giving up sugar.  In a recent interview, he told Access Hollywood, “I gave up sugar. I lost 30 pounds in four months. It’s amazing.”  From Hollywood to the American Heart Association, sugar is under attack.

The American Heart Association says no more than 100 calories a day from added sugar for most women and no more than 150 calories a day for most men. That’s about 6 teaspoons of added sugar for women and 9 for men.

Most Americans get more than 22 teaspoons — or 355 calories — of added sugar a day, which far exceeds anyone’s recommended limits.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for the first time recommends cutting back on calories from SoFAS, solid fats and added sugars.

Isn’t sugar in everything?

All sugar, whether natural or processed, is a type of simple carbohydrate that your body uses for energy. Sugar occurs naturally in some unprocessed foods that are staples of a healthy diet — fruits, vegetables, milk and some grains.  These natural sugars are not a problem.

Added sugars are those used in most processed foods and are found in different forms.  Such as sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup, fructose, crystalline fructose, dextrose, sucrose, corn syrup solids, etc. These and other forms of sugar are common in processed food because they boost flavor, give texture and color, preserve foods such as jams and jellies, assist in fermentation of baked goods, and balances the acidity of foods containing vinegar and tomatoes.

Too much sugar can lead to many health problems, including tooth decay, poor nutrition, weight gain and increased triglycerides with can lead to heart disease.

It is very hard to give up sugar entirely and I am not ready to suggest that to all of you, but you should try and cut out as much as you can.  Switch from processed foods to whole foods.  Make your own meals, sauces and snacks so you can control how much sugar goes in, if any.  Try to replace added sugars with the natural sweetness from fresh and dried fruit.

Don’t miss our article on lowering sugar for Purim.

Sources http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/added-sugar/my00845