Quick Tricks: Eating More Vegetables

Five servings a day is the goal, but the average adult in the United States gets two and a half (it gets worse -- the three most consumed vegetables are iceberg lettuce, French fries, and ketchup!). Here are some tips for upping your vegetable intake:

Have at least one vegetable with lunch and dinner. Baked sweet potatoes, sauteed spinach, and steamed broccoli are delicious, easy to make, and full of nutrients.

Make salad one of your meals three or four times a week. Forget the standard "greens and tomatoes" and refer back to this article for hints on creating a tasty, filling salad.

Veg-out during snack time. Pass on the potato chips and instead dip celery sticks into natural peanut butter or broccoli and carrots into hummus.

Add at least two nutritious vegetables to a sandwich (i.e.: spinach leaves, shredded carrots, peppers, sliced tomatoes, etc.)

Add a vegetable to your pizza (i.e.: broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers, etc.)

Mix in at least two vegetables into an omelette.

Go for frozen. In a hurry? Pop open a bag of frozen broccoli spears or sweet peppers and throw them into a stir-fry. Veggies in five minutes!

Add at least two chopped vegetables to pasta sauce. They will enhance flavor and help fill you up faster.

Mix and match! Please your tastebuds by cutting up peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and parsnips, mixing them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasting them in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Numbers Game: Down with Diabetes

Losing ______ pounds of excess weight lowers your risk of developing Type 2 (adult on-set) diabetes by ______ percent.

a) 15, 20
b) 20, 15
c) 10, 30
d) 5, 10

Leave your guess in the "comments" section, and be sure to come back Thursday for the answer.

Luna Lore

I don't really have a problem with Luna Bars. I think they're okay once in a while, although at 190 calories and a tablespoon's worth of added sugar, you're better off having some whole fruit and a handful of raw nuts instead.

They are definitely not bad enough to be considered one of my "wolf in sheep's clothing" items, but I was a tad bit disappointed when I saw their latest line of products -- Luna teacakes (not pictured).

It's not so much the product I have a problem with, but the claims on the label.

For instance, the vanilla macadamia teacake is meant for "mood balance".

Per the eye-pleasing website, "Omega-3, vanilla for aromatherapy, goji berries for increasing spirits and optimism, and Vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin", connected to boosting mood through the stimulation of serotonin."

Let's break this down.

"Vanilla for aromatherapy." Except this isn't a candle. Unless you plan on snorting your Luna teacake, how is this relevant?

"Goji berries for increasing spirits and optimism." Yes, goji berries are a nutritional powerhouse (which I will soon feature as an "All-Star of the Day"), but to say they increase optimism is silly. Optimism is not a nutrient.

As for the Vitamin D claim -- the best way to get it is just by being out in the sun, so it truly IS the sunshine vitamin (no quotation marks necessary).

Regardless, increased serotonin levels are also linked to carbohydrate consumption, so McDonald's could make that same claim for their French fries! Again, though, this statement is such a leap. It would be equivalent to a company saying their blueberry sauce is relaxing because the color blue has been shown to lower stress levels.

Although eating healthy, whole foods definitely provides us with more energy (in turn giving us an overall feeling of physical and emotional wellness), going to the other extreme and selling a food as a "mood upper" is just a hyperbolized marketing strategy.

All-Star of the Day: Asparagus

They might look scrawny, but these green spears pack quite the nutrition punch.

A cup of asparagus contains only 33 calories, but all these added benefits: 70% of our vitamin K needs, 17% of our daily folate requirements, 13% of the vitamin C we should get each day, 20% of our recommended vitamin A intake, 16% of our iron requirements, and 3 grams of fiber.

Among other things, folate helps lower our risk of developing atherosclerosis (the clogging of arteries with hard plaque). Pregnant women should especially take note, since folate is THE mineral responsible for preventing neural tube defects (which affect a baby's back and brain).

The tricky part is that adequate amounts of folate are needed during the first trimester, when the neural tube is forming (before many women even know they are pregnant). Therefore, if you are thinking of conceiving, be sure to get plenty of folate (legumes, including chickpeas,lentil, and black beans are excellent sources).

Asparagus contain a type of insoluble fiber known as inulin. Because it is insoluble, inulin passes through our digestive system (and helps flush out anything that might be hanging around there), but the friendly bacteria in our gut absolutely love it, since it helps produce more of their immunity-boosting buddies (including some found in yogurt with live cultures!).

Asparagus also contains an amino acid known as glutathione, which among other processes, helps with liver detoxification.

Even better, clinical research trials have linked it to a decrease in damaged DNA (which is linked to a higher risk of developing many types of cancers).

A bioflavonoid known as rutin is also abundant in asparagus. Its attributes? Help absorb vitamin C, and make our arteries more elastic, so blood can flow more easily. It has also been linked to a decrease in total cholesterol.

Oh, yes, as for that pungent smell it leaves in your urine. Nothing to worry about. Asparagus contains a sulfur compound known as marcaptan (the same compound responsible for "skunk smell"). Some of us have an enzyme that breaks down marcaptan, resulting in "that smell". It basically comes down to roll of the genetic dice; having the enzyme -- or not -- does not affect your absorption of nutrients.

Next time you're looking for a green veggie to accompany your dinner, allow lettuce to rest for the night and make room for asparagus on your plate.

Issue 4 Out Friday

Issue 4 of Small Bites (all about fats) will be sent out this Friday.

If you are not on the mailing list and would like to receive the newsletter in your e-mail inbox, be sure to send me an e-mail (andy.bellatti@gmail.com).

Among other things, issue 4 will cover:

* Saturated vs. unsaturated fats
* Omega 3's and 6's -- what you need to know about them for a healthy heart
* Eating salmon to get Omega 3's? I have some potentially bad news for you...

... and more

All-Star of the Day: Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of my whole grain staples. Not only is it a source of excellent nutrition; it’s also a great snack no matter what time of day.

One cup of oatmeal delivers 147 calories along with 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein (yes, whole grains have protein) and a virtually non-existent 2 milligrams of sodium. It also doesn’t hurt that it provides 65 percent of our manganese and 25 percent of our selenium needs.

Although manganese always takes the backseat, many people don’t know that, without it, Vitamin C is unable to do its immunity-boosting work. Selenium, meanwhile, is crucial in helping repair damaged DNA (remember, damaged DNA is linked to the onset of several cancers).

I particularly love oatmeal because it is 100% soluble fiber (the type that helps us feel full and lower cholesterol). Remember, whole-wheat is 100% insoluble fiber (which helps speed up the excretion of waste) while fruits and vegetables are a pretty even mix of both types.

If high cholesterol is a problem for you, I couldn’t recommend oatmeal enough. Hundreds of studies have consistently shown that consistent intake of oatmeal lowers cholesterol. In fact, one cup of oatmeal a day decreases cholesterol by approximately 15 percent – that translates to a 30% lower risk of developing heart disease!

That’s not all. Oatmeal contains a fiber known as beta-glucan, which helps our immune system by super-charging it and helping it shoo bacteria away at a faster rate.

The best way to eat oatmeal is plain; flavored instant oatmeal packets add unnecessary sugar and calories. If you choose to have hot oatmeal, I recommend making plain, unflavored oatmeal and then adding raisins and some sliced almonds (as well as a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg) for an extra kick.

My favorite thing to do, whether it's first thing in the morning or before going to bed, is to add uncooked instant oatmeal to a bowl of plain yogurt (with live cultures) along with flaxseed meal, banana slices, strawberries, and blueberries (or any fruits of your choosing). I dare you to try it and not be hooked!

Forget sugary cereals and chemical-tasting "breakfast bars" -- tune in to Mother Nature and say "good morning" to oatmeal.

Numbers Game: Answer

A March 2007 report by the United States of Department & Agriculture found that 62 percent of adults in the United States have zero whole fruits a day.

More than half of all adults in this country have absolutely no fresh fruit each day. Of this 62 percent, 27 percent have fruit in its juice form only (which, as regular readers of this blog know, is not as nutritionally complete as eating a whole fruit).

You Ask, I Answer: The Raw Food Diet

A friend of mine swears by the raw food diet (she actually calls it a lifestyle). She says it’s good not just for losing weight, but for feeling energetic and staying healthy. What do you think?

-- Susan Gribes

Portland, OR

I think you should sign your friend up for a nutrition class.

The raw food diet is actually one of my biggest pet peeves, mainly because most “raw foodists” I’ve met have a certain aura of culinary superiority about them, as if people who cook their food belong in an era where dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

According to the raw food camp, food should not be heated above 116 degrees Fahrenheit.

Otherwise, they believe, precious enzymes (proteins that, once consumed, kick off a variety of processes in our body) are lost.

Raw food advocates will also be quick to point out this is how we are "meant to eat". They support this statement by pointing out that we are the only animal species to cook our food, and that our ancestors were just fine before fire was "invented".

Of course we are the only species to cook our food; when was the last time you saw a cat sauteeing greens on a stovetop?

The raw food diet is wrapped in spiritual mystique, as many people who go on it -- including the Hollywood crowd, of course -- claim they finally "feel as one" with their bodies.

The raw food diet tends to be vegan, as there are usually no dairy or animal products allowed.

As far as practicality goes, going raw certainly misses the mark. For instance, want some beans on your salad? Forget pouring them from a can. You would need to soak them overnight (this also means you very likely would not be able to eat beans at 95% of restaurants).

Want to snack on some almonds? Go ahead – after you soak them for 12 hours in order to “activate enzymes”.

If you want to heat something, you must purchase a dehydrator -- an appliance which blows hot air through its roof and does not heat the food at more than 116 degrees.

Let's begin with the enzyme claim. Yes, it's true -- enzymes in food are killed by heat. So what? A plant's enzymes help it grow, but these enzymes don't do a darn thing in our bodies other than pass through our digestive system and get excreted. Our body uses its OWN enzymes for digestion.

Not to mention, some nutrients (such as beta-carotene) are more easily absorbed when they are heated. Spinach offers more calcium when it's cooked, and we absorb more lycopene (a plant chemical) from tomatoes when heat is applied to them.

As far as this being how we "are meant to eat" -- how was this determined?

As for the claim that eating raw is great for weight loss: raw foods do not make you lose weight; eating less calories makes you lose weight. Considering the extreme limitations to this diet, it’s pretty hard to have a high caloric intake.

It’s certainly fine – and beneficial – to eat fresh raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts (especially if these foods replace the overly artificial, sugar and fat-laden snacks that are so readily available to us), but the concept of shunning anything that is heated above a certain temperature is ridiculous.

Numbers Game: Gummi Bears Do Not Count As Fruits

A March 2007 report by the United States of Department & Agriculture found that _____ percent of adults in the United States have zero whole fruits a day.
a) 27 b) 62 c) 46 d) 18

Leave your guess in the "comments" section and come back on Sunday for the answer!

Say What?: The (Completely Ridiculous) Secret

If you haven’t read it, I am sure you’ve heard about it. The Secret -- a book revealing the "ancient secret" that, surprise, optimism and believing in yourself are more likely to get you the life you want than negativity and anger -- has been topping best-selling lists all over the globe.

Thanks to its overproduced wannabe Da Vinci Code feel, it is initially thought-provoking and inspiring (largely due to its glossy marketing until you realize, “Well, yeah, of course I’m more likely to be successful if I believe in myself and utilize opportunities rather than think I’m doomed for failure and give up on myself.”

In essence, "The Secret" is to make the masses believe you hold the key to their happiness, and ask them to pay for your "wisdom".

Anyway, I recently came across the following passage in the book version of The Secret that had me completely flabbergasted.

“The most common thought that people hold, and I held it too, is that food was responsible for my weight gain. That is a belief that does not serve you, and in my mind is complete balderdash! Food is not responsible for putting on weight. It is your thought that food is responsible for putting on weight that actually has food put on weight.”

Why this is under "self-help" and not "science fiction" beats me.

The author goes on to write:

“Food cannot cause you to put on weight, unless you think it can. You most likely know of someone who is thin and eats like a horse, and they proudly declare, “I can eat whatever I want and I am always the perfect weight.” And so the Genie of the Universe says, “Your wish is my command.”

The Genie of The Universe??

Wait, there’s more!

“Write out your perfect weight and place it over the readout of your scale. If you see people who are overweight, do not observe them, but immediately switch your mind to the picture of you in your perfect body and feel it.”

I had to pick my jaw up from the floor after reading that. In fact, I read it five times to make sure I was reading this correctly. Then, I just got very angry.

Apart from the disturbing notion that you should shield your eyes from overweight people (gee, because being overweight isn’t hard enough), this book completely discredits nutrition.

I certainly hope the millions of people who have bought into “the secret” aren’t fooling themselves into thinking they can eat whatever they want as long as they truly BELIEVE they can fit into their Size 2 jeans next month.

No matter how hard you wish, a Starbucks chocolate chip cookie will always add 400 calories to your day (that’s more than a medium order of Fries at McDonald’s, by the way). And, no, it is not possible to not give a second thought to what goes into your mouth and expect to be a walking image of perfect health.

I don’t know what’s worse – the implied “blame the victim” subtext (if you gained weight after eating pizza every night it’s because you just don’t truly believe in yourself) or the fact that the author, Rhonda Byrne, is making millions spreading such delusional concepts.

PS: Here is a great deconstruction of this massively popular book.

All-Star of the Day: Kiwi

This little fuzzy guy from the Far East (kiwis are native to China) is quite the nutrition master.

Kiwi is, hands down, one of the best sources of Vitamin C. One cup of the egg-shaped citrus fruit packs 5 grams of fiber, 273% of our vitamin C needs, 13% of our daily vitamin E recommended intake, and 16% of the hypertension-preventing potassium we should get each day into just 108 calories!

The high antioxidant activity in kiwi has also shown a lot of promise.

A 2004 study at Norway’s University of Oslo published in the August 2004 issue of peer-reviewed journal Platelets concluded that after eating two to three kiwi fruits a day, test subjects lowered their risk of forming blood clots by approximately 20 percent. How? Certain phytonutrients (plant chemicals) in kiwi make blood platelets less sticky, therefore making it harder for them to lump together in the walls of our arteries. Sweet!

This same study also found that these same subjects reduced their triglycerides (a type of blood fat associated with an increase in heart disease risk) level by 15 percent.

It gets better! A study at Great Britain’s Rowett Research Institute demonstrated that just eating one kiwi a day helped damaged DNA – which has the potential to increase our risk of developing many cancers – repair itself! This is huge. Many foods are able to help decrease the risk of DNA damage, but certain antioxidants in kiwi are able to undo the damage to some extent.

A word of warning – be cautious when feeding kiwi to infants and young children. A study at England’s Southampton University’s Allergy and Inflammation Services unit published in the July 2004 edition of Clinical and Experimental Allergy found that kiwi resulted in a higher percentage of allergy symptoms in young children than other fruits.

The study isn’t considered complete since researchers have yet to find out what properties in this fruit result in its apparent higher allergen position, but it’s worth keeping in mind for now.

Next time you're making a fruit salad, be sure to include your new furry friend!

Numbers Game: Answer

The average adult in the United States eats 3 hamburgers and 4 regular orders of fries a week from a fast-food restaurant.

Doesn't this make the obesity epidemic less mysterious?

Celebrity Diet Secrets: Brad Pitt (And the Protein Myth!)

Back when Brad Pitt was filming Troy, an article in Fitness Magazine proclaimed: "His days included two to three hours in the gym, two additional hours of sword work and four high-protein, low-carb meals. As a result, he gained about 10 pounds of brawn."

Before you binge on 15 egg whites in an attempt to get Brad Pitt's body, please read this in its entirety.

The two “secrets” behind gaining muscle are performing weight-bearing exercises and consuming more calories than your body can burn.

If you eat large amounts of food and don't exercise, the extra calories will show up as fat, but working out makes your muscles hungry, which then absorb all the food they are given and grow.

Similarly, spending two hours a day lifting weights but not getting enough calories will result in more toning, but you can completely forget bulking up.

“But if I eat so much food, I’ll get fat!” Sure, if you are a couch potato. If you are in the gym lifting weights day in and day out, you’re burning a good number of calories and should not be worried.

Onto the protein myth. I am sure you've heard it from a personal trainer (some of the worst people to get nutrition advice from, by the way) -- eat as much tuna or grilled chicken as you want, but say "no" to a side dish of whole wheat cous cous and raisins.

Enough! The protein powder companies, of course, love that so many of us have fallen hook, line, and sinker.

Here is the deal. Protein is a necessary nutrient, but the average adult in the United States gets 150% of their daily protein requirement. No one in this country is lacking protein.

Furthermore, extra protein does not make muscles grow – it just makes our kidneys work unnecessarily harder than they need to.

Yes, if you exercise heavily you need to replace it (which is why having some protein after a workout is ideal), but you also need a carbohydrate source after your workouts to ensure your muscles are getting adequately fed.

Is there a place for protein shakes in diets? Absolutely. Some people want to add mass but are unable to consume a lot of calories a day, so a protein shake (providing concentrated calories) is helpful. However, rather than consuming 60 grams of protein in a shake, use only one scoop of powder and accompany the drink with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fruit and slivered almonds to make sure you are getting all the nutrients your muscles need.

The crucial point that many people keep missing is that carbohydrates are our body’s main source of energy – the same energy you need for hard, effective workouts. In fact, carbohydrate spares protein from being used as energy so it can do what it’s supposed to do – help muscles grow.

If you shun carbs and down as much protein as possible, you’re asking it to give you energy rather than do the muscle growth and repair it’s supposed to be doing! People who go low-carb in hopes of “getting big” end up canceling all that hard work in the gym because their muscles aren't getting the care they need.

Remember, carbs are broken down into glucose, which our body stores for energy. This is why they (ie: oatmeal, a piece of fruit, whole grain toast) are a great pre-workout snacks -- they are instant fuel!

The reason Brad Pitt put on mass is because he endured grueling workout sessions (who WOULDN'T build muscle spending two to three HOURS at a gym 7 days a week and then practicing sword skills for another two hours for an entire year?) and consumed a large amount of healthy calories (3,500 calories of Big Macs do not translate to muscle).

It is quite possible that his protein needs at this time were slightly higher than normal, but there was absolutely no need for him to go on a low-carb diet.

Now, get that Atkins bar out of your mouth and have some real food, will you?

Simply Said: "All Natural"

Food products, much like books, are judged by their covers. Would it surprise you to know that many companies literally spend millions of dollars on teams that scrutinize precisely what images and words to display on a box of crackers?

Certain health claims up a product's chance of ending up in a consumer's shopping cart. One of the most aggravating claims is "all-natural!" (what would the world of marketing be without exclamation marks?)

Many people still attempt to justify junk food as being okay because, hey, the box says it's "all-natural" (yeah, and the ad for a 20 square foot studio apartment in New York City describes it as "cozy and charming").

Truthfully, that means nothing. Sure, baby carrots and orange slices are "all natural" foods, but so are french fries, cheeseburgers, and brownies.

Even the Cheetos shown in the photo accompanying this post are "naturally baked". Huh? In an oven at high temperatures as opposed to what kind of baking that would be considered "artificial"?

To demonstrate how nutritionally irrelevant this health claim is, all I can say is that poisonous mushrooms also natural. Sure, some render us dead, but they grow in nature.

Please, do not fall into the hands of a slick advertiser trying to pry a few dollar bills from your wallet with vague health claims. A product can be all-natural and still be high in fat and sugars but low in fiber and nutrients.

You Ask, I Answer: (More) Wine

What is the deal with tannins in red wine? Are they healthy?

-- Jane Shou
Brooklyn, New York

Tannins are bitter compounds found in tree bark, tea, cheese, nuts, berries and grapes (and, thus, in wine)

You've had them, believe me. Remember the time you took a sip of red wine or bit into an unripened blueberry that just made your mouth pucker? Well, tannins are plant's shields. They taste bitter to animals (that includes us) and prevent fungi and bacteria from attacking.

Going back to the blueberry example – tannins disappear from fruit once it's ripened (nature's ingenious way of keeping animals from eating certain growing crops).

If not handled properly during the winemaking process, tannins can turn a potentially delicious bottle of wine into a bitter mess. That being said, all wines contain them, since they are responsible for their color and, to a certain extent, texture.

They also happen to bring along some nifty antioxidant properties! For instante, catechin (found in tea) is a tannin that helps increase our good cholesterol while lowering the bad.

A 2006 study by Queen Mary's School of Medicine in London concluded that tannins in wine known as procyanidins help our cardiovascular systems by minimizing the damage certain enzymes do to our arteries.

Some people understandably steer clear of these compounds. Turns out tannin decreases our levels of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin, which consequently triggers migraines in a small percentage of the population.

Unless you regularly suffer from migraines, I would not be concerned with the consumption of tannins. Since they are naturally found in foods that have been consumed for thousands of years by millions of people, I wouldn't give them a second thought.

Instead, we should be more concerned with how some candies can drastically change colors ten seconds after being chewed.

All-Star of the Day: Shrimp

Although small in size, shrimp are one of nutrition's biggest kahunas.

Like eggs, they spent some time on the "Do Not Eat" list in the fat-phobic 90's due to their high cholesterol. But, as you faithful readers now know, dietary cholesterol doesn't have much of an effect on our blood cholesterol.

And, considering all the health benefits shrimp provide, it would be a shame to put a dunce cap on them and make them face the corner.

For one thing, shrimp contain omega-3 fats – the anti-inflammatory kind that help prevent blood clots, lower bad cholesterol, and have been linked with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.

Despite their high nutrient volume, shrimp are low when it comes to calories. Three ounces (considered to be one serving) provide 84 calories, just .8 grams of fat, 17.8 grams of protein as well as 15% of our iron and 48% of our daily selenium requirements!

Although obscure in the mainstream press, selenium is a crucial mineral with antioxidant properties. Many clinical research trials show a promising link between it and the repair of damaged cells in our bodies as well as a significant reduction in the multiplying of already existing cancerous cells.

It's also smart to be aware of good sources of iron, especially considering that 12% of women aged 12 to 49 in the United States are living with iron-deficiency anemia.

It goes without saying that in order to reap all these benefits, shrimp should be grilled or sauteed. Three ounces of popcorn shrimp clock in at 281 calories, 16.2 grams of fat, and 586 milligrams of sodium (as opposed to 190 for plain grilled shrimp).

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Nutrigrain Yogurt Bars

The first day of May kicks off a brand new section of the Small Bites blog where the truth is revealed about products marketers want us to associate with optimal nutrition.

Nutrigrain Yogurt Bars don't need too much advertising. After all, many people immediately see the words "nutrigrain" and "yogurt" and associate it with "minimally processed" and "healthy."

Think again.

One bar packs 140 calories, 3 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and a measly 1 gram of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

If you can squint your eyes just right to read the ridiculously small font on the ingredients list, you would find that the main ingredient in the bars is the high fructose corn syrup in the filling (read issue 2 of Small Bites for more information on HFCS), which also has added sugar in the form of fructose.

The bar itself has a few oats, but is mainly refined wheat flour (stripped of its fiber and antioxidants) with added sugar AND high fructose corn syrup.

Oh, yes, as for the yogurt... well, it's really yogurt powder which is entirely lacking the live cultures that make yogurt such an immunity-boosting, gastrointestinal wonder.

Those 140 calories would be better spent as part of a breakfast higher in fiber and protein but lower in sugar.

A more natural version of this snack -- a standard 6 oz. container of non-fat plain yogurt mixed with one cup of fresh strawberries -- comes out to 133 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein, and no added sugars. You could even add an entire teaspoon of sugar and still have 2 1/2 less than you would in a NutriGrain yogurt bar.

Prepare a scrambled egg with a litle spinach and a slice of whole grain toast to accompany that concoction and you have an all-star breakfast that will keep you going all morning long, free of hype and buzz.

You Ask, I Answer: Wine

I've read red wine is the only healthy alcoholic drink. True?
-- Nydia Parries
Brooklyn, New York

Partially true. It is true that the antioxidants in red wine – courtesy of the fermented grapes that make it – have been found to help with circulation and heart health. White wine also has these components, although to a lesser degree.

That being said, that statistic only applies to one 4 - 6 ounce glass a day for women, and two for men. These health properties are not cumulative (no wine for five days followed by 10 glasses on Friday night has very harmful, not beneficial, effects).

Keep in mind that no one ever developed cardiovascular disease from NOT drinking red wine.

And, don’t forget that red wine still has calories. One 6-ounce glass packs 128 calories, which translates to 512 calories per bottle.

In conclusion, if you already are a wine drinker, one or two glasses a day (depending on your sex) can provide health benefits. Otherwise, you're better off looking for antioxidants in actual foods than in wine.

Numbers Game: The Fast and the Fattening

The average adult in the United States eats _______ hamburgers and _______ regular orders of fries a week from a fast-food restaurant.

a) 2, 1
b) 3, 4
c) 2, 2
d) 3, 2

Leave your guess in the "comments" section below and be sure to come back on Thursday for the answer!

All-Star of the Day: Sweet Potatoes

The potato’s more exotic counterpart has taken a backseat for a while, but after knowing its secrets, I’m sure you’ll agree it deserves the spotlight.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, two antioxidants that help prevent cells from damage that often leads to cancers and other mutations. Vitamin C also has anti-inflammatory properties, making it particularly helpful in decreasing risks of arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

Vitamin A is particularly helpful in maintaining our respiratory system in order. The latest research indicates that the cells lining the lungs of people with low intakes of vitamin A lose the ability to battle disease-causing microorganisms.

Smokers – pay special attention! A chemical in cigarettes known as benzapyrene has been linked to vitamin A deficiency, thus leaving lungs and bronchii especially vulnerable. Although everyone needs vitamin A, smokers in particular need to monitor their intake.

A medium sweet potato only packs 100 calories, but provides 438% of our vitamin A and 37% of our vitamin A needs and, when eaten with its skin, 5 grams of fiber (15% of the recommended daily amount). And, by contributing 18% of the daily potassium we need and practically no sodium, it is definitely a vegetable to have in your “anti-hypertension” arsenal.

To clarify some confusion, the terms “yam” and “sweet potato” are (incorrectly) interchanged. Many grocery stores refer to sweet potatoes as yams. A real yam looks has a rough exterior and, insider, is white and very starchy.

Baked sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and salt (or cinnamon if you want to bring out its sweetness) are quick, delicious snacks.

For a sinless treat, cut a sweet potato into thin wedges, drizzle with olive oil, flavor with salt and pepper, toss on a cookie sheet and heat in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.

Prepare to taste just how sweet healthy eating can get!