New York Magazine published an article on June 9, 2008 titled “The 100-Cereal Taste Test”.   The author, Adam Platt, taste tested 100 cereals and rated each of them based on their taste and ingredients. The classics; Cheerios, Rice Krispies and Apple Jacks were not included.  The main focus was on next-generation (a.k.a. healthier) cereals purchased at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other health food stores.  Taste is an important deciding factor, but so is sugar content, fiber and calories.  There are some cereals featured we would like to highlight, as well as some additional recommendations:    

Kashi 7 whole grain flakes - besides tasting great, it is low in sugar

Barbara’s organic grain shop and ultima organic high fiber- both are high in fiber and low in sugar

Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 original - flourless, high in fiber and no sugar 

Bear Naked peak protein, vanilla almond crunch and triple berry crunch - all three granolas are low in sugar and high in fiber and protein

Nature’s Path mesa sunrise - low in sugar, high in fiber, gluten and wheat free

Please contact us at info@personalwebnutrition.com for more product recommendations.

We always hear about how essential protein is in our diet.  Sometimes it is hard to figure out how much protein we are actually consuming.  Below is a list, broken down by category, of grams of protein in everyday foods.

Dairy and Eggs: 

1 oz. of cheese 7g

1 Egg  6g

2 tbsp. cream cheese  2g

1/2 cup cottage cheese  14g

1 cup of milk  8g

6 oz. yogurt   8g

1 cup of soymilk   7g

Beans and Tofu:

1/2 cup of beans, lentils or peas  8g

3 oz. tofu   7g

1/2 cup of edamame   10g

Fish and Meat:

3oz. of chicken or turkey  25g

3 oz. of ground beef   22g

3 oz. of fish   20g

2 oz. sliced turkey  10g

Misc. Snacks Foods:

1 cup of oatmeal   6g

2 tbsp. peanut butter  8g

1 oz. almonds or cashews  5g

2 tbsp. hummus   2g

1 cup of cheerios   3g

For more information on your individual protein needs, please contact us at info@personalwebnutrition.com.

As college students get ready to leave for school, it seems approprite to discuss how to survive at college on a special diet.

In general, the college environment is quite an adjustment and when you add special dietary needs, it makes it even more challenging.  One of the most important things to do  is to contact  the dining services at your school to inform them of your dietary needs and ask them to help you navigate their food selections.  Since so many people have special dietary needs, dining services are used to tailoring their menus accordingly. The more advanced notice they have the better it is for everybody.  Posting the ingredients and nutritional information of food in the dining halls and highlighting any common allergens would be extremely helpful.    Most, if not all college campuses have a nutritionist that can help educate you about your special dietary needs and provide resources to assist you with making the right food choices.  They also can work with dining services to ensure you are eating a well-balanced diet. 

If you live off campus and do not take advantage of the dining services, it is important to really learn how to read nutrition labels and look for certain keywords to avoid when you are grocery shopping. When dining out, remember to tell your server all of your special dietary needs before ordering your meal. 

It is essential to educate yourself about your dietary needs, including which foods contain ingredients you should avoid and which foods are safe.  Special dietary needs are one of our specialties and we would love to tailor a plan or program just-for-you.  Please feel visit us at www.personalwebnutrition.com to learn more about our online nutrition services.

In the healthy food world, Quinoa (pronounced either KEEN-wah or KEE-no-uh) stands in a class by itself.  Originally from South America, this plant has always been a dietary staple. Although quinoa is usually considered a grain, it is actually more closely related to leafy green vegetables, such as spinach.  It is one of the world’s healthiest foods.  Quinoa is high in protein and is considered a complete amino acid (containing all essential amino acids). It is a great source of dietary fiber and magnesium. Some other wonderful attributes associated with quinoa are: it is a low-glycemic food, alkaline forming, gluten free, suitable for vegetarians, contains iron, can be used in a number of food preparations (cereal, pasta alternative and breading).  Quinoa has become quite mainstream so if you have yet to try this wonderful super healthy food, you should try and incorporate it into your diet.

Please contact us at info@personalwebnutrition.com for more information on other super healthy foods.

New York City is the first city to implement a new law which forces chain restaurants to post the calorie count of each food in the same size and font as the price.  It seems New Yorkers are experiencing quite the sticker shock!  Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and T.G.I. Friday’s were the first chains to implement the new law.  Starting Friday, the city will start fining restaurants anywhere from $200 to $2000 for violating this new law.  For more details please visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25464987/.

Cholesterol Drugs for Kids Could Reduce Heart Attacks in Adulthood

ARTICLE: Kids should get screened for cholesterol — and some as young as 8 should get cholesterol-lowering drugs. Those are the recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which today published a new set of guidelines on lipid screening (online here).

The guidelines point out that atherosclerosis — the hardening of the arteries that leads to heart disease — begins in childhood. And, they note, more than 10% of kids have total cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dL, which is “a level of concern in adults.”

For the many kids with high cholesterol who are overweight, shedding pounds should be the first course of action. Switching to reduced-fat milk after overweight kids hit 1 is also a good idea. A low-fat diet makes sense for all kids older than 2.

Kids with very high bad cholesterol, or LDL — 190 without other risk factors; 160, if other risk factors are present; 130 in kids with diabetes — should also change their diet to eat fewer saturated fats. If that doesn’t work, cholesterol lowering drugs such as statins may be appropriate.

“If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life … and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood,” Stephen Daniels told the AP.

Daniels, a Colorado pediatrician who was one of the authors of the guidelines, has consulted for Abbott and Merck, but not on matters involving their cholesterol drugs, the AP said.

MY OPINION: In today’s Wall Street Journal there is an article about a doctors group that now recommends cholesterol drugs for kids.  The doctors group is recommending that some children as young as 8 years old be given cholesterol fighting drugs to ward off future heart problems.   Treatment would generally be targeted for kids at least 8 years old who have too much LDL “bad” cholesterol, along with other risky conditions, including obesity and high blood pressure.

Whatever happened to taking a look at our diet, lifestyle and other contributing factors to health issues?  In my opinion, there is something very wrong with recommending cholesterol lowering medication to children.  All drugs have side effects! Maybe we should educate ourselves on the foods we are consuming.  Is it really necessary to have hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, saturated fats and other unhealthy ingredients in our food?  It is scary when we start accepting drugs to control common health problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  Please think about all of your options before making a drastic decision for you or your child!

For more information on healthy ways to lower your cholesterol please contact us at info@personalwebnutrition.com today.

As a nutritional consultant I have many responsibilities to my clients.  One of them is researching new products.  When I recommend a product it is because I genuinely like it and believe in the company and the ingredients used in their products. Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the entire day taste testing my way through the 54th annual fancy food show.  What a treat (pun intended)!

Now for the good stuff, my favorite products:

• Frosteas by Wise acre, inc.  I tried their cool your jets herbal frozen treat.  Extremely refreshing and not overly sweet because it is only sweetened with  honey.
• Joseph Banks cassava chips.  Their chips are a wonderful snack. They are a great substitute for potato chips and provide more fiber. I tried the sea salt chips.  A little greasy but quite an interesting taste.
• Wholesome Sweeteners (makers of agave nectar) have a new product out called organic zero. Although I tried it by itself, it seems like a great new product for those of us that do not wish to use artificial sweeteners.
• NutraBella belly bars.  These bars are extremely tasty and meant for women before, during and after pregnancy. A terrific concept and their products are packed with key prenatal nutrients. Nutrabella also makes convenient sized chews and shakes.
• Saratoga Peanut Butter Company. I LOVE natural peanut butter and was so excited to try Saratoga’s products.  While they have many unique flavors available I only tasted the chillin chocolate.  WOW!  Delicious and not too sweet because they do not add sugar and use dark chocolate.  Did I mention they are gluten and dairy free?  
• Metromint waters.  While this company has been around for awhile they have launched some new flavors to their water.  My favorite hands down is the chocolate mint (that’s right, chocolate flavored water.  They use no sweeteners, preservatives or calories.  Calorie free dessert! 
• Organic Nectars gelato and granita. Anyone that is interested in a nutritious substitute to ice cream read on.  Their products are free of dairy, eggs, refined sugar, soy, wheat, gluten GMOs!  I have enjoyed the gelato before but never tried the granita.  The ginger granita was refreshing, especially on a warm summer day!  And their products are sweetened with agave nectar (low glycemic and suitable for people watching their sugars)
• Pamela’s products, wheat and gluten free foods. An oldie but still a goodie. Delicious cookies and baking mixes!
• Cherry Brook Kitchenhas a new line of mini gluten free cookies - LOVED both the chocolate chip and  snicker-doodle cookie.
• Raw Revolution had a new gluten free and vegan chocolate chip cookie dough bar that was quite enjoyable.
• Aunt Gussie’s now has gluten free and even gluten and sugar free cookies.
• Sensible portions.  Besides their attention grabbing name, this company makes wonderful chips.  Their multi-grain chip line is even gluten and dairy free.  Kudos to sensible portions.  I only tasted the apple cinnamon soy crisps, which of course were delicious.
• Corazonas snacks.  This company makes a unique chip.  Sounds impossible, but it does.  Their  tortilla chips are heart-healthy because they contain whole oats and plant sterols, clinically proven to help lower cholesterol levels.  I tried the  margarita lime chip and it was extremely enjoyable and healthy for my heart!

While there were several other products and companies I loved, I did not want to bore you with my day of eating (I mean working)!  All in all, it was quite an enjoyable day of non-stop grazing! Please feel free to contact me at info@personalwebnutrition for more information on different products at the show.

Let’s celebrate summer together! 

Sign-up today for one of our custom nutrition services  at www.personalwebnutrition.com and receive a free Personal Web Nutrition t-shirt!   

That’s right, Personal Web Nutrition wants to help you this summer.  Whether you want to improve your overall health, modify your weight, increase your energy, improve your mood or find alternatives to foods causing sensitivities or allergies, Personal Web Nutrition is for you!!!

Every body is unique. Let us customize a nutrition plan or program for you today and you will receive a free PWN t-shirt.  We know your friends and family will want to join in on the fun, so we are also offering special friend and family packages!  Please e-mail us at info@personalwebnutrition.com for more details on these wonderful giveaways and specials.      

Each year Americans spend an estimated $46 billion on diet products and self-help books.  We fill our shopping carts with the foods these plans claim will help us lose weight and keep it off. Unfortunately, many people do not realize how easy healthy eating can be.  

Eating healthier foods means choosing the “right” foods, foods that are loaded with nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants).   Start by selecting a variety of different healthy foods so you don’t get bored.  Make your plate as colorful and appetizing as possible by combining different fruits and vegetables. 

In honor of the “unofficial” start of summer, I have devised 3 different must-have food lists for you. 

Must-haves for your pantry:

canned beans (no sugar added), instant brown rice, all-natural chicken or vegetable broth, raw seeds (pumpkin or sunflower), qunioa, raw nuts, extra virgin olive oil, agave nectar (or other all natural sweetener), tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, old-fashioned oatmeal, canned wild salmon, whole grain crackers, polenta, freeze dried fruit (no sugar added) and carob or cocoa powder 

Must-haves for your freezer:

frozen berries, frozen spinach and broccoli, edamame (shelled), whole-grain bread, whole-grain or corn tortillas, whole-grain waffles, all-natural chicken, ground extra-lean turkey, veggie burgers, low-fat and low-sugar ice cream/ soy dessert and homemade healthy baked goodies

 Must-haves for your refrigerator:

Greek yogurt, organic romaine lettuce or mixed greens, fresh herbs, organic eggs, salsa, sliced vegetables (celery, peppers, carrots, and cucumber), hummus, all-natural peanut, almond or cashew butter, Ezekiel bread, lemons and limes, homemade salad dressing, low-fat cottage cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese 

 We hope these must-haves will help GET YOU READY FOR SUMMER!!!!

My clients and friends always ask me how I live a healthy lifestyle on a regular basis.  My first response is that it is EASY.  There are so many wonderful foods out there that are nutritious and taste great, besides fruits and vegetables.  I like variety in my diet, including a ”treat” every once in awhile.  There are endless products out there for special diets.  I am gluten, dairy and sugar free and want to share my Nutritious 9 with you:

1.  Organic Ville gluten and dairy free salad dressings

2.  Arico gluten and dairy free cookies

3.  Kay’s naturals protein cereal

4.  Bell & Evan’s gluten free chicken nuggets

5.  Soy Delicious frozen dessert

6.  Alexia sweet potato fries

7.  Hint water

8.  Organic brand protein bars

9.  Sensible Foods freeze dried fruit and vegetable snacks

Please feel free to contact us at info@personalwebnutrition.com for more product recommendations.