Most television shows about food are focused on competition between chefs and recipes for less than healthy meal ideas. The up and coming Food Forward is a refreshing, delicious, health-conscious change in the right direction. Food Forward, while still in the process of being created, is a 13 episode documentary focused on people in the United States who are trying to create more just and sustainable ways for people to think about, acquire, and eat their food.

The different episodes cover all different kinds of food activists from metropolitan areas around the country. From an urban gardener to a nouveau lunch lady, these people are making the changes that need to be made to create a happier and healthier country. We applaud all of the amazing work they have done and continue to do!

Since so many people spend their relaxation time watching television, this could educate a whole new group of people on these extremely important issues. To find out more about this inspiring project visit their website.

Do you or anyone you know work to change the way Americans eat and think about food? Share your stories with us!

Many children in our country start off Saturday morning with their favorite cartoon or television show. This is prime time for advertisers to sell the latest trend in children’s toys and foods. The problem is that the latest trend in food is generally an alarmingly unhealthy choice for children. A debate has sparked between the food industry and the federal government about what qualifies as an appropriate and healthy food to advertise to children. According to a recent New York Times article, the food industry began an initiative in 2007, to fight childhood obesity, and are trying to advertise and sell healthier choices for kids.

Unfortunately, the food industry has an odd conception of what is healthy for a child to eat and what is not; Froot Loops with 12 grams of sugar per serving are deemed healthy by their standard. While that amount of sugar is clearly a less than healthy choice for kids, the battle between the food industry giants and the federal government will continue to rage on. 

Although it is tough to fight such a big industry on a topic like this, we can all take our own steps to raise happy and healthy children.

Since sugar-filled breakfast foods are one of the largest culprits of target advertising, we came up with a few healthier options to feed your children first thing in the morning:

• Avocado on an Ezekiel muffin or whole grain toast sprinkled with sea salt and extra virgin olive oil
• Raw muesli with fresh berries
• Oatmeal with organic raisins and a touch of maple syrup
• Baked apples or pears sprinkled with oats and/or chopped nuts drizzled with honey or maple syrup
• Fresh fruit smoothies
• Almond butter and banana sandwiches on whole grain toast
• Breakfast egg sandwich with a whole grain muffin, turkey bacon and organic cheese
• Red quinoa with berries and/or bananas, warm milk and honey or maple syrup

What do you serve for your kids in the morning?

Choosing foods for you and your family that are made from quality ingredients can sometimes be a daunting task.  Many people depend on stores such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to make quick decisions on what foods are healthy, nourishing, and not filled with harmful chemicals or treated with pesticides.  Although it may seem difficult to avoid foods that are possibly harmful to your body, it is often even harder to figure out what health and beauty products do not contain similar toxins.

Often we forget that not only what we put in our body but what we put on our body can affect our health. Everything from lotion to perfume, nail polish to shampoo can greatly affect the natural chemistry of our bodies. These products are often ridden with chemicals that contain carcinogens and toxins that can have negative effects on our health.

The ingredients of these products are so important that according to a recent New York Times article Whole Foods has recently announced a strict regulation of the products they sell in their stores.  While many products will claim that they are made from “natural” ingredients, starting in June 2011, Whole Foods will only sell products that are certified as organic by either the Agriculture Department’s National Organic Program or NSF International.  They will continue to sell other products that are not organic, as long as they do not claim to be organic. 

With Whole Foods taking this regulatory step, most truly organic cosmetic labels will do what they have to and get certified by these agencies. In the future when buying cosmetics you should:

1. Purchase from a store that you trust to carry quality, safe, and healthy products
2. Check for a certified organic label
3. Remember that your health can be affected

What are your favorite organic health and beauty products?

In a disposable society, we tend to place value on convenience, quick fixes, and fast food.  Yes, fast food is popular because it’s cheap, quick, and can be thrown away.  We toss the wrapping, cutlery, containers and leftover food as easily as we cruise through the drive-in.  The U.S. also has a bad habit of excessive waste as a result of overproducing mass quantities of food. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says, in a new study, that 40 percent of what farmers grow ends up in the garbage.  This article states, “The food we toss consumes 4 percent of all U.S. oil and more than 25 percent of our fresh water. Food rotting in landfills produces methane, a potent climate-changing gas. Not to mention the energy spent first delivering, then hauling away uneaten food.” 

Not only is this overproduction of food in the U.S. bad for our planet, it’s also bad for our health. 

From this complex study, NIH scientists came up with their "push" hypothesis; “excess food pushes its way onto plates, the little bit more that people eat makes them overweight, and the rest goes in the trash or gets wasted along the way”.  The overproduction of food thereby becomes a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. 

With agricultural subsidy programs that reward overproduction, and a food industry that is profit driven, producing a lot of cheap, high-calorie food items; change needs to come from the source.  What if government subsidies were given to small organic farmers instead of Big Ag and there were more regulations on how the food industry can market their products?  Do you think we would see a shift in this complex issue of food waste and the "push" hypothesis?

How would you change the production model?  What is your solution to the high cost of cheap food?

Lately, the weather in many areas across the country has pushed the envelope of what’s comfortable.  The heat has reached levels that are dangerous for many individuals.  Taking special care of ourselves is very important, and worth the extra effort; as temperatures soar near 100 and over, in some regions. 

Some tips for staying cool in the sizzle of summer:

1. Drink more (and more) water…The body is 75% water and needs to be replenished continually.  When we are sweating and losing fluids through our skin, it’s even more essential to add more water to your diet.


2. Drink cold water in very hot temps to cool your body down from the inside out.


3. Avoid sugary sports drinks, sodas, and juices that can make you even thirstier and add extra calories.


4. Limit your exercise to early morning or late evening to avoid the excessive heat of midday sun.

This New York Times article explains that “people who drink lots of high-calorie beverages rarely compensate by eating less, and they can end up with a caloric overload.  And if people who try to limit calories fill their daily quota with high-calorie drinks, they can easily shortchange themselves on foods that supply essential, health-promoting nutrients: fruits and vegetables…”

A large majority of American people are dehydrated, which contributes significantly to a poor state of health.  Maintaining hydration can prevent premature aging, eliminate pain and headaches, lessen hypertension and promote weight loss.  Symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, irritability, headache and muscle cramps. 

Try adding a squeeze of lemon or orange, a slice of cucumber, some mint, or anything that creates an appealing flavor. 

What’s your favorite way to stay cool in sweltering temps?

The South Bronx is one of the poorest sections in the country; low income and bad health.  Are they related?  Many people think there is a direct correlation between financial status and health.  Junk food is cheap food.  If you have a limited amount of resources, you will buy the least expensive food available and that food happens to be boxed, processed food, or fast food.  Fresh, seasonal produce is hard to come by in urban communities.  As a result of eating food that is naturally high in sugar, salt, and fat, urbanites in poorer communities like the South Bronx experience higher rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. 

That’s why a program offering shares of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) for reasonable rates in the South Bronx is getting a lot of well deserved attention.  Corbin Hills Road Farm’s owner Dennis Derryck, a Harlem resident, has developed a commercial CSA that gives participants a chance to own shares in the farm.   The New York Times quoted Dennis Derryck in a recent article, “If there is a food revolution, it’s not yet including the low income.” 

Mr. Derryck changed the traditional model of a CSA to something that would work for residents of the South Bronx by giving plan members a say in what is grown.  Instead of paying a fee upfront, that would be hard to budget, for a bounty they may not be able to feed their family with, participants can help decide what the farm will produce.  Additionally, with the help of nonprofit groups, he will be able to make it less expensive.

If this model could gain momentum and support in other urban communities, we could see a real shift in the health problems that plague our nation’s cities. 

If you live in an urban area, would you participate in a program like this one in the South Bronx?  How can you support a program that wants to transform the health of poorer communities?

 On Tuesday June 15, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation held its
annual Healthy Schools Program Forum in New York.  Integrative Nutrition graduate, Sarah Chaplin was in attendance to accept a Bronze award for her school, Thurgood Marshall Middle School, in Maryland.  President Bill Clinton was also on hand to speak on the important work The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is doing in over 9,000 schools. 

Sarah explains what receiving this award means to her, “It is an absolute privilege to be in a position to help a child take responsibility for their health and know that the work I have done with them will create habits that will last a lifetime.”

Founded in 2006 by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association and largely funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Alliance is focused on addressing one of the nation’s leading public health threats—childhood obesity.  The Alliance launched its Healthy Schools Program to support schools across the country in creating a healthier school environment.  Sarah’s school was among 179 schools recognized Wednesday by the Alliance and President Clinton.  The Gold Award was given to Memorial High School, West New York Town, New Jersey. 

"The 179 schools earning recognition today – the most in any year in the Alliance's history – join the ranks of schools from all over the United States that have shown exemplary commitment to the health of their students and staff," President Clinton said, "The Alliance is pleased to assist in these efforts in more than 9,000 schools in all 50 states to make innovative and healthy changes that will turn the tide on childhood obesity."

For more information on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation visit their website http://www.healthiergeneration.org/

Integrative Nutrition is dedicated to improving the health and happiness in schools by providing scholarships to principals, superintendants, and food service directors across the country.

 For more information on our Healthy Lunches, Healthy Students Scholarship, go here.

According to a study reported on by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, if you are consuming the foods television advertisements encourage, your health may suffer the consequences.  Marketers are promoting foods that are processed with added sugar, salt, cholesterol, and saturated fat.  The study suggests that these food advertisements are contributors to the obesogenic environment that is related to chronic disease.

The New York Times quoted Michael Mink, the lead author of the study, stating “Just one advertised food item by itself will provide, on average, three times your daily recommended servings of sugar and two and half times your daily recommended servings of fat.  That means one food item could give you three days’ worth of sugar.”

If society is influenced by what the television advertises to them, perhaps this is a wakeup call to better regulate the industry that has the potential to impact our health in such an alarming way.  Where are the local farmer’s market commercials? Or the advertisements promoting organic foods? 

Is it time to cut the cable or change the channel?  What solutions do you propose to this commercial dilemma?

 It’s no secret that if you eat a diet that is packed full of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid processed foods, your health may improve.  That is unless those fruits and veggies are conventionally grown using pesticides which keep the bugs and weeds away, but also leave harmful chemicals that end up in our bodies. 

A new report by the Environmental Working Group and highlighted by Sanjay Gupta, MD on CNN, gives insight into the debate on whether eating organic is really better for you.   The reports states that if you are eating conventional celery, you may be ingesting up to 67 pesticides with it.  These chemicals are designed to kill things.  Do we really want to save the few cents that buying conventionally grown produce offers us? 

There are many ways to save money and your health.  Try shopping at the local farmers market.  You can buy fresh off the farm produce, cultivate relationships with the farmers and have a discussion about their growing practices.  If you live in an area that allows, you can also grow some of your own food.  Finally, with knowledge of the harmful effects of toxic chemicals in our environment, finding ways to avoid non-organic food is of vital importance. 

Are you spending the extra money for organic foods?  What are your suggestions for saving money on an organic diet?

The weather is heating up, so we naturally start craving foods that are more cooling.  The summer months are the perfect time to enjoy fresh fruit, salads and raw foods.  Tropical fruits are very popular in smoothies, juices, and as the basis for delicious desserts.  Integrative Nutrition graduate Moria Felber’s Raw Pineapple Cheesecake will delight your taste buds. 

What foods do you crave when the weather heats up?

Raw Pineapple Cheesecake
compliments of Wild Thyme Kitchen

Makes 1 cheesecake

Crust:
1.5 cups raw almonds
5-6 pitted dates
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Combine above ingredients in a food processor using the S-blade. It helps to stream the vanilla in while the motor is running. When the mixture begins to ball-up on the sides it is ready. Transfer to a spring-form pan. Use a flat bottom bowl to press the crust evenly into the pan. Work the crust up the sides and use your fingers to pinch the top of the crust to make it pretty. Set aside.

Filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked 1 hour and drained
4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
3/4 cup raw honey
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon natural yellow food coloring, optional
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup extra virgin coconut oil

Place above ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides down with a spatula. Pour half of the mixture onto the crust and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until the filling has set. The whole pie should be able to be removed from the spring-form pan and hold its shape. This is such a delicious and healthy spring dessert.