Holiday meals offer an opportunity to indulge in some favorite foods. Now for those who want to enjoy healthier versions of these holiday treats, a registered dietitian from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston offers some easy suggestions. Veggies can help with the post-meal fatigue you usually feel after a big meal, said Courtney Cary, who works in the Department of Medicine–Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Fiber from veggies can help, even when those veggies are creamed or part of a casserole. Instead of using heavy cream in green bean casserole or creamed spinach, use fat-free half and half. You’ll still get a creamy flavor, but with little saturated fat. Replace the solid fat in a recipe with butter or oil to make more heart-healthy dishes, Cary suggests. Use low-fat or part-skim cheese to decrease the saturated fat further. Get creamy mashed potatoes by using butter and skim milk instead of butter and heavy cream. “Eating decadent and rich food one day out of the year won’t kill you, but that high concentration of saturated fat over multiple days from leftovers can have an impact,” Cary said in a Baylor news release. Nuts can help offset some of the blood sugar changes from starchy and sugary foods. The high fructose corn syrup in canned cranberry sauce is detrimental to blood sugar. Even adding a whole cup of…  read on >  read on >

The whole family — even the youngest members — can take part in Thanksgiving’s hours of food preparation by following some safety tips. The nation’s leading pediatrics organization offers some holiday advice for families with young children. “There’s a lot of excitement and joy surrounding meal preparation at this time of year, but it also can be stressful,” said Dr. Dina DiMaggio, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Consider how to involve kids in the process and think about assigning an adult to keep track of the youngest when the kitchen is at full capacity. By planning in advance, families can help ensure the day goes smoothly for all,” she said in an academy news release. Here are some helpful tips: Start by showing kids how to stay safe while cooking by teaching them to hold kitchen tools safely, DiMaggio suggests. You can do this with specific child-safe knives. Show them how oven mitts can protect hands from heat, as well as how to turn appliances on and off safely. Tell them about the importance of keeping flammable objects away from the open flames. Still, always supervise children when cooking to be sure they’re following the rules. Follow food safety guidelines, including washing raw vegetables and fruits, and cooking food thoroughly. Ensure the little ones also wash their hands thoroughly after touching raw…  read on >  read on >

A happy holiday can go sour quickly when food poisoning joins the party. Experts from Rutgers New Jersey Poison Control Center offer some tips on safely thawing, preparing and storing food, as well as avoiding issues with alcohol and drugs. “Forgetting about food safety is a recipe for disaster,” said Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the poison control center at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s department of emergency medicine. “Don’t prepare food if you have any kind of respiratory illness or infection, as this puts your guests at risk of becoming ill. No matter how busy your kitchen gets during the holidays, always remember the risks of improperly handling food,” she said in a Rutgers news release. Food poisoning is no small problem. It sickens about 48 million Americans each year, causing 128,000 to be hospitalized and 3,000 to die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But here’s some advice from the poison center on how to avoid it: To start, remember to clean, separate, cook and chill. Wash your hands and surfaces often with warm water and soap during food preparation. Use just water to clean fruits and vegetables, not soap. Don’t let food that will be served raw come into contact with uncooked poultry, meat or seafood while grocery shopping or in the refrigerator. Use one…  read on >  read on >

Blood levels of HDL, the famously “good” kind of cholesterol, may not make a big difference to heart health after all — particularly for Black people, a large new study suggests. The study, of nearly 24,000 U.S. adults, found that low HDL levels were tied to a somewhat higher risk of heart attack among white people. That was not the case for Black adults, however. Meanwhile, high HDL levels — traditionally lauded as heart-healthy — made no difference in heart risks for Black or white adults. Experts said the findings call for a reevaluation of how HDL is used to predict people’s risk of developing heart disease. More broadly, they said, researchers need to figure out whether various “traditional” heart disease risk factors have similar effects for all people. “We need to expand our understanding of risk factors for all racial and ethnic groups,” said senior researcher Nathalie Pamir, an associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. That understanding, she added, turns into treatment guidelines. “And our guidelines have to work for everyone,” Pamir said. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, first gained its reputation as the “good” cholesterol with the Framingham Heart Study. Back in the 1970s, it found a correlation between higher HDL levels and a lower risk of heart attack. The Framingham study is a major, still ongoing research…  read on >  read on >

When loved ones come together for your Thanksgiving feast, keep in mind your those who have food allergies. Practice safety in menu planning, food preparation and even serving, urged Courtney Cary, a senior dietitian at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Be aware of the eight most common allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. “If someone who is attending the holiday meal has an allergy to any food, it is important to fully disclose the ingredients of what you prepared so they can avoid a potentially life-threatening reaction,” she said in a college news release. Find out specifically what your guest is allergic to, Cary said. Then, to prepare their food, use separate, sterilized utensils on surfaces untouched by the allergen. Make sure the allergy-free food is served with its own utensil. “This can even mean trading out a baking dish that has just been hand-washed that previously contained that allergen,” Cary said. “Even the smallest particles of allergenic foods can cause a reaction in a person who is very sensitive or has severe reactions to foods.” In addition, a holiday meal isn’t the time to start giving your child new foods. “If your child has never had eggs, for example, the holidays are not the time to have them try key lime pie,” Cary said. “You are in control…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first drug that could delay the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Teplizumab (Tzield) targets the autoimmune issues that drive the disease, rather than its symptoms, making the medication a game changer. “Today’s approval of a first-in-class therapy adds an important new treatment option for certain at-risk patients,” Dr. John Sharretts, director of the division of diabetes, lipid disorders, and obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a news release. “The drug’s potential to delay clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes may provide patients with months to years without the burdens of disease.” Advocates applauded the approval. “A delay in the onset of type 1 diabetes will have a tremendous impact on the daily lives of people at risk for diabetes, their families, and the overall health system,” Aaron Kowalski, CEO of the nonprofit JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), said in a statement. “It would free them from the constant burden and stress of blood-sugar monitoring and insulin administration,” Kowalski added. “It would free them from the worry and fear of short- and long-term complications, while giving them the opportunity to learn more about disease management.” People who have two or more T1D-related autoantibodies and whose blood sugar levels are starting to be abnormal are considered at high…  read on >  read on >

Americans could soon be eating chicken that’s grown in a lab from cultured animal cells, rather than raised at a farm or facility. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration announced Wednesday that the environment-friendly chicken made by California-based Upside Foods is safe to eat, although it is not yet fully approved for sale. “Our goal is to support innovation in food technologies while always maintaining as our priority the production of safe food,” the FDA said. “Human food made with cultured animal cells must meet the same stringent requirements, including safety requirements, as all other food.” The idea behind the firm’s production plan is to use animal cell culture technology to take living cells from chickens, then to grow those cells in a controlled environment. The business walked the FDA through its production process, establishment of cell lines and cell banks, manufacturing controls, and all components and inputs. Before its products are approved for sale, Upside still needs a grant of inspection from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) for its manufacturing facility, according to the FDA. The food itself will also require a mark of inspection from USDA-FSIS. The FDA is closely coordinating with USDA-FSIS to make sure the food would be properly regulated and labeled. UPSIDE Foods CEO and founder Dr. Uma Valeti, who is also a…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears poised to approve certain naloxone products for over-the-counter use, a move that would help fight the nation’s opioid epidemic. Naloxone (Narcan, Evzio) can save lives when administered soon after the first signs of an overdose from opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone or morphine. On Tuesday, the FDA issued a Federal Register notice that could lead to some prescription naloxone products getting approved for over-the-counter sales. The notice could also encourage development of new nonprescription naloxone products. “Today’s action supports our efforts to combat the opioid overdose crisis by helping expand access to naloxone,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf in an agency news release. “The agency will keep overdose prevention and reduction in substance use disorders as a key priority and area of intense strategic focus for action as rapidly as possible.” The notice cites a preliminary assessment that a naloxone nasal spray and an autoinjector “may be approvable as safe and effective for nonprescription use.” However, it isn’t a final decision or a mandate to make naloxone products available without a prescription. The FDA said it still needs more data, including packaging and labeling information, before it makes a final recommendation. In 2021, there were an estimated 107,622 drug overdose deaths in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly…  read on >  read on >

The EpiPen is a known lifesaver when someone with a serious food allergy eats something they can’t tolerate. Yet the auto-injection treatment is greatly underused in the United States, according to a new survey. Just over half of at-risk adults said they had ever been prescribed the device, researchers found. And more than one-third of severe allergy sufferers mistakenly believe the EpiPen itself is a serious threat to their health. “The results were eye-opening,” said study co-author Erin Malawer, executive director of AllergyStrong based in McLean, Va. Food allergy affects more than 32 million Americans. EpiPens contain epinephrine, the only medication able to stop life-threatening anaphylaxis, which can occur from a severe allergic reaction. Roughly 1,000 patients were surveyed online. Those without EpiPens on hand gave a wide range of reasons, among them insurance issues. Without health coverage, Malawer said the injectors cost hundreds of dollars for a two-pen set, which is standard protocol. Brand name EpiPens, marketed by Mylan pharmaceuticals, retail for about $700, while generic versions are about $350, according to healthshare101.com. Survey respondents also cited a lack of access to doctors and/or pharmacies; out-of-stock pharmacies; and fear of needles. “The biggest surprise was that a staggering 25.6% of our respondents replied that the reason they did not have an (EpiPen) was because their doctor did not indicate it was needed,” Malawer added.…  read on >  read on >