Despite its vibrant green and red stalks, rhubarb might be one of the most overlooked plants in the garden. An acquired taste, it looks like celery and has a tart tang, yet is used in many dessert recipes, from compote to pie. As with cranberries, rhubarb needs quite a bit of sweetness to appeal to the palate. It’s often paired with strawberries to cut down on the amount of sugar needed. Why should it be on your menu? Rhubarb is an excellent source of vitamin C, lutein and calcium. It’s also very low in calories with just 11 calories per stalk. So if you’ve never had it before, it’s time to give it a try. You’re likely to find rhubarb at farmers’ markets as well as in the produce section of your favorite store. When shopping for rhubarb, look for brightly colored, firm and straight stalks. Important: Only the stalks are edible. Even if cooked, the leafy tops have a toxin that’s poisonous. If still attached, leaves shouldn’t look wilted. Cut them off and throw them away once home. Then wash the stalks and place in the fridge for up to a week. One simple way to sample rhubarb is to cook it the way you would apples for applesauce. Classic Rhubarb “Sauce” 1 pound rhubarb, trimmed 2 tablespoons honey Water as needed Cut the…  read on >

About two-thirds of Americans have taken steps to cut back on salt, according to the International Food Information Council Foundation. This often starts with comparing labels and choosing foods — from soups to canned veggies — with less sodium. Here are four more steps that you can take to reduce your salt intake. You know that processed red meats and lunch meat of all kinds are loaded with salt, but also be aware of less obvious sources, like packaged breads. If you have toast at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch and a roll at dinner, all that salt will add up. Prepared and packaged dinners can be high in salt, especially pizza, chicken nuggets and many ethnic foods, the American Heart Association warns. The same goes for poultry that’s been “pre-basted” or injected with a sodium solution. Make more food from scratch. Restaurants, and fast-food establishments in particular, add a lot of salt and sodium-based flavor enhancers to foods. When you do the cooking, you control the salt. Besides herbs, use spices to add flavor. Try various pepper-based ones like ancho and chipotle chilies and paprika. Using garlic and onions adds sweetness and depth. Just beware of spice blends with hidden salt, like taco seasoning — look for no- and low-salt varieties. Track your salt intake on the same app or website that you use…  read on >

With all the attention that the very high-fat Keto diet is getting, you might be wondering how much fat is healthy and how much your body really needs every day to thrive. First, know that some fat is essential for most people. Your body uses fat for many health functions, including processing fat-soluble vitamins like A and E. Including some fat in meals helps you feel more satisfied, and that’s important when you’re eating fewer calories on a weight-loss diet and want to curb between-meal hunger. As for ideal amounts, healthy adults should eat between 20% and 35% of their calories from fat, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Keep in mind that one tablespoon of olive oil is equal to 10% of the daily calories in a typical, 1,200-calorie per day weight-loss diet. To calculate a more personal daily range of fat grams, the American Council on Exercise suggests a simple formula. For the minimum amount, multiply your weight (in pounds) by 0.4 and for the maximum, multiply it by 0.5. So, if you weigh 140 pounds, that’s between 56 and 70 grams of fat each day. What kinds of fats you eat matter, too. Most should be from mono- and polyunsaturated fat foods. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats altogether. Trans fats are being phased out of packaged foods, but…  read on >

The kind of foods you eat, and even the order in which you eat them can affect your odds of developing type 2 diabetes, three new studies suggest. The studies — being presented to the American Society for Nutrition — found: Switching to a mostly plant-based diet (but one that could still include meat and dairy) could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 60%. Eating greater amounts of vitamins B2 and B6 was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while getting more B12 in the diet seemed to be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The order that you eat your foods appears to matter. People who ate vegetables before having meat or rice had lower blood sugar levels, along with positive changes in their hunger hormones. Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, reviewed the findings. “Emphasizing fruits and vegetables and whole foods is a very practical and easy way to manage type 2 diabetes,” she said. “Half your plate should be green, even at breakfast, when you could have an egg white omelet with spinach for example.” As for the sequence of eating, Kumar said vegetables, high-fiber foods and even protein take longer to leave the stomach, which slows down the rise in…  read on >

If you dread seeing the doctor and your blood pressure reading always seems to be high at the doctor’s office, a new review says you should take those elevated readings seriously. The problem is called white-coat hypertension (because of doctors’ traditional white coats) and it may signal an underlying problem. The research defined white-coat hypertension as elevated readings at the doctor’s office, along with normal blood pressure elsewhere. People who had untreated white-coat hypertension had double the risk of dying from heart disease or stroke compared with people with normal blood pressure. The odds of having a heart attack or stroke were also about one-third higher for those with white-coat hypertension, according to the new review. Their risk of dying prematurely from any cause was also increased by about a third compared to people with no blood pressure problems. “People with white-coat hypertension may not be monitored regularly. They may feel like nothing is wrong,” said lead author Dr. Jordana Cohen. She is an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in Philadelphia. Cohen said everyone needs to know their blood pressure outside the doctor’s office. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a defined as a top reading of at least 130 or a bottom one of 80. The condition affects nearly a third of American adults, the researchers said. “Know…  read on >

Creamy and rich, yogurt is a versatile dairy food that can be turned into delicious meals. It’s high in protein, probiotics to help with digestion, and other essential nutrients like calcium. Research has shown that the fat in yogurt doesn’t damage your heart, so full-fat is fine unless you’re on a low-fat diet for health or to lose weight. In this case, 0% fat is for you. When it comes to yogurt flavors, however, skip the “fruit on the bottom” varieties and avoid the kids’ brands that come in a tube and have loads of sugar. Instead, start with plain yogurt and flavor it yourself. For extra creaminess, go for Greek yogurt. Thicker than sour cream, it can be used in its place in many recipes. If you don’t want the tanginess of plain yogurt, stir in the sweetener of your choice. This way you can control the amount of sugar. Also remember to check the expiration date before you buy. While you’re in the dairy section, check out kefir, a yogurt-like drink that contains even more probiotics than yogurt. It’s a great base for smoothies. Whether you prefer yogurt or kefir, here are three fun ways to enjoy them: For a fast dip, stir dried onions into 2% Greek yogurt along with celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and black pepper to taste. For…  read on >

The more we learn about fiber, the more important the recommendation to get enough of it becomes. Key Health Benefits of Fiber Lowering cholesterol Lowering blood sugar Easing elimination Improving heart health Possibly reducing colon cancer risk Helping with weight control “Fiber” is actually an umbrella term for many different types in foods, so many that they’ve been likened to vitamins. They vary in function and amount needed, but all contribute to better health. Common thinking has been that soluble fiber, typically found inoatsand in legumes like peas and lentils, helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar, while insoluble fiber, found in wheat bran and fruit and vegetables, helps keep you regular. Turns out that it’s not quite so black and white. Some soluble fibers like oat bran and psyllium do both jobs, while others don’t seem to affect cholesterol. That’s why getting a mix through a varied diet makes the most sense. But it’s also important to get enough fiber every day. While eating lots of fruit and vegetables is good for many reasons, realize that even eating the skins contributes only slightly to meeting daily fiber needs. Try to increase and vary the total amount of fiber-rich foods you eat by adding whole grains like wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet and buckwheat, along with legumes, nuts and seeds. The U.S. Food and Drug…  read on >

The kind of foods you eat, and even the order in which you eat them can affect your odds of developing type 2 diabetes, three new studies suggest. The studies — being presented to the American Society for Nutrition — found: Switching to a mostly plant-based diet (but one that could still include meat and dairy) could reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 60%. Eating greater amounts of vitamins B2 and B6 was linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while getting more B12 in the diet seemed to be associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The order that you eat your foods appears to matter. People who ate vegetables before having meat or rice had lower blood sugar levels, along with positive changes in their hunger hormones. Dr. Rekha Kumar, an endocrinologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City, reviewed the findings. “Emphasizing fruits and vegetables and whole foods is a very practical and easy way to manage type 2 diabetes,” she said. “Half your plate should be green, even at breakfast, when you could have an egg white omelet with spinach for example.” As for the sequence of eating, Kumar said vegetables, high-fiber foods and even protein take longer to leave the stomach, which slows down the rise in…  read on >