KTK-Nutrition

According to  WebMD , “there are over 100 different emulsifiers that can be added to foods”.  In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates what emulsifiers can safely be added to foods and list these on the list of  G enerally  R ecognized  A s  S afe or the GRAS list.  Some common  emulsifiers  on this list include:           Lecithin may be used in mayonnaise, creams and some sauces           Mono- and diglycerides           Monosodium phosphate derivatives           Glycerol monostearate           Carrageenan           Xanthan gum           Guar gum           Gum Arabic           Polysorbates like polysorbate 80 What foods may have emulsifiers? Many processed foods have emulsifiers.  ...

Who doesn’t love snacking?   On a recent trip to Europe, one thing we missed were snacks.   Americans love to snack.   Snacking doesn’t have to be unhealthy and actually can add some good nutrition to your day.   One of my favorite snacks is a banana.   A natural food, unprocessed, no plastic packaging and rich in potassium and fiber.   But too many Americans are eating snacks that are ultra-processed.   What is ultra-processed ?   Ultra-processed foods are those shiny, packaged products that often have little resemblance to their natural origins.   They are typically loaded with additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.   What are some examples of ultra-processed snacks to avoid? Mass-Manufactured Chips/Snacks:   Think Cheetos or other colorful, flavored, and heavily processed snack foods.   Sweet Buns and Cookies:     Those soft, sweet buns and sugary cookies you find at the store?   Yes, most...

The USA is well known for its safe food supply.   But there are foods and ingredients in the USA that are banned in other countries.   Each country and the European Union have their own food standards so what can be sold in one country may be banned for sale in another country.    Go on a trip to another country and you will see American food everywhere.   In France, you can easily stop at a McDonald’s for their coffee or food.   Our fast food restaurants seem to populate the globe.   But some foods you can easily buy in the USA are not sold in some other countries.   Or, there are some ingredients you can find on food labels in the USA but not in some countries.   What are some of these ingredients and what countries ban them?      1.     Artificial Food Dyes :     Many candies and other foods are colorful because of artificial food dyes.   M&M’s – one of my favorite snacks, especi...

What are ultra-processed foods and how might these foods add to your waist line and your weight?   The obesity epidemic in the USA is blamed on many factors:   less exercise, more Fast Food, more and more screen time, more riding in a car instead of walking.   New research is focusing on how ultra-processed foods contributes to more weight on the scale and bigger waist lines.    What are ultra-processed foods vs minimally processed foods?   Think of the foods we all love to eat that are high in fat, salt and added sugar and usually loaded with additives.   Although these foods taste good, they often are lacking in vitamins, minerals, fiber and the healthy antioxidants.    White Bread would be an ultra-processed food Ultra-processed Foods: A Brazilian nutrition researcher named Carlos Monteiro defined ultra-processed foods to include foods with additives like preservatives, colors, added sweeteners but not whole foods like frui...

We all know people who have been slim for life.   Those who never seem to pile on the pounds, never seem to gain the extra weight as they age.   So is it just genetics or do slim people have habits that we can learn from?   Many of you have read the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .   So what are the highly effective habits of slim people ?   To find out researchers at Cornell University have asked those who have been slim all their lives to volunteer to register at:   http://healthyweightregistry.org/ .   Cornell is compiling a registry of slim people to find out what are their habits that help keep them slim?   You can go to this registry to read more about what they have found out to date.   And if you are one of those people who have been slim for life, then you may be interested in volunteering to join this registry and participate in this research study.   What do they ask these slim people?   They ask them ab...