DietDetective.com

This is an ongoing feature investigating the claims of food products – here are a few of my latest findings.

Product: SunChips

Claims: That these chips will help your heart. In fact, the advertisement reads: “Your heart does a lot for you. Shouldn’t you return the favor?” SunChip manufacturer Frito-Lay also claims that “Regular potato chips have 10 grams fat per 1-ounce serving. SunChips snacks have 6 grams fat per 1-ounce serving.” Additionally, “One serving of SunChips snacks has less sodium than one serving of microwaveable popcorn.”

Ingredients: Whole corn, sunflower oil, whole-wheat, rice flour, whole oat flour, sugar and salt.

Nutrition Information: (1 ounce, 16 chips) 140 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated, 2g poly, 3.5 mono), 120mg sodium, 18g carbs, 2g fiber, 2g protein.

Facts: Three types of whole grains and a heart-healthy oil make these one of the healthier chip choices. The amount of sodium is low at only 5 percent the recommended daily value. Each serving has 18 grams of whole grains, which is more than a third of the 48 grams recommended daily, says Elisa Zied, M.S., R.D., author of Feed Your Family Right (Wiley, 2007). And they are made with mid-oleic sunflower oil, which is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids and has less than 10 percent saturated fatty acids. So, yes, compared with regular potato chips, SunChips are typically the better choice.

Fiction: Although they contain healthy ingredients, they are still chips, so don’t let that be a green light to overeat them. They still aren’t as low in calories or as high in nutrition as a side of fruits or veggies with your midday sandwich.

Concerns: Yes, adults need 20 to 40 grams of fiber daily. And yes, SunChips do provide 2 of those grams of fiber per 140-calorie/1-ounce serving. However, there are much better ways to get that fiber. “Additionally, providing 18 grams of whole grain in a 1-ounce serving (28 to 32 grams) means that the product is just a little over 60 percent whole grain,” says Dr. Mary Ann Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition and professor of nutrition at the University of Georgia. And the main problem with these claims is that a consumer could believe this product has a halo – and that it’s in the same category as fruits and vegetables. We think not. At 10 calories per chip, you can easily crunch away hundreds of calories, says Zied. And keep in mind, there are healthier ways to consume whole grains, such as eating oatmeal and whole-grain breakfast cereals without added sugars or salt, adds Johnson.

The Bottom Line: These are still chips — this is not like eating a piece of broccoli. Chips alone will not be your ticket to a healthy heart, although these are a better choice than most chips. But to really get enough whole grains daily, consumers should eat a few servings of 100 percent whole grains and obtain their fiber from other sources as well, such as fruits and vegetables, says Johnson.

Product: Dreamfields Pasta (www.dreamfieldsfoods.com)

Claim: From Dreamfields: “Lose weight by eliminating the crash-crave cycle. …What makes our pasta different is our patent-pending formula and unique manufacturing process that protects all but 5 grams of carbohydrates from being digested.” The manufacturer goes on to say that this helps limit the rise in blood sugar that normally occurs after eating regular pasta, and that Dreamfields pasta has a 65 percent lower glycemic index than regular pasta. They also claim that it contains a natural probiotic fiber, inulin, which has been scientifically shown to improve digestion and support a healthy immune system. “The Dreamfields fiber and protein blend creates a protective barrier to reduce starch digestion in the small intestine. The unabsorbed, or protected, carbohydrates then pass to the colon where they are fermented, providing health benefits like fiber.”

Ingredients: Enriched semolina (semolina, iron [ferrous sulfate]), and B vitamins (niacin, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), inulin (vegetable fiber), sorbitol, wheat gluten (plant protein), xanthan gum (food fiber), pectin (fruit fiber), potassium chloride.

Nutritional Information: (2 ounces) 190 calories, 1g fat, 41g carbs, 5g fiber (3g soluble, 2g insoluble), 1g sugar, 7g protein.

Facts: The pasta is a good source of fiber and protein, and “being a lower-GI food can potentially make this a good replacement for regular pasta, which does not contain much fiber, for those who need to control their blood sugar -- but they still need to eat a controlled portion since a high-calorie meal of any sort can make insulin levels spike,” says Zied. This pasta also contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, each of which, according to Zied, has its own health benefits (soluble to help lower cholesterol and insoluble to aid digestion, promote bowel function, prevent constipation, etc.).

Fiction: “The claim of 5 grams of 'digestible carbohydrate' is tested using the manufacturer’s own research methods, and the term 'digestible carbohydrate' is not currently recognized by the Food and Drug Administration,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Also, this food has almost the same calories per 2-ounce dry serving as all other pastas (190 calories versus 210 calories). So even with the possible fiber benefit, according to Blatner it may not be any better for weight loss. All you have to do is take a look at a 100 percent whole-grain pasta, which has 7 grams of fiber and is about 180 calories per 2 ounces -- that’s 2 more grams of fiber and 10 fewer calories.

Concerns: Until the food label says something other than 41 grams of carbohydrates, diabetics should still use this in moderation, like all other pasta, says Blatner. The key with pasta or any refined grain (this is not a whole-grain food, though it does have fiber) is to minimize portions. Also, it contains sorbitol, a sugar alcohol, which can have a bloating, gassy effect on some people.

The Bottom Line: “This pasta sounds too good to be true, but it does contain a healthful combination of protein and fiber that fills you up (and if you fill up more quickly, you may stop eating sooner and take in fewer calories overall, or at least at that meal.) But pasta is still high in calories,” says Zied. And again, Blatner reminds us that this is not whole-grain pasta, “So you won’t get the health benefits associated with whole grains.”

Whether you’re aware of it or not, most people’s lives are accompanied by a stream of internal commentary. The act of “talking to yourself about yourself” makes the situation more real than just visualizing it. And positive self-talk, also referred to as affirmations, can improve your chances of sticking to your diet and exercising more.

According to James Afremow, Ph.D., a sports physiologist in Tempe, Ariz., and author of Lengthen Your Line: The 5 Cs for Exceptional Performance in the Game of Life (iUniverse, 2005), using self-talk as a performance-enhancement technique means mentally rehearsing positive self-statements. Positive or "champion" self-talk is just one of many powerful techniques for performance improvement, and it requires regular and structured practice to get the full benefit.

When practiced and repeated over time, affirmations can alter your mental climate and empower you to make changes in your life. “Self-talk can provide a sense of control if you learn to become aware of self-statements and direct them in a positive manner,” says JoAnn Dahlkoetter, Ph.D., author of Your Performing Edge (Pulgas Ridge Press, 2002) and a sports psychologist in San Carlos, Calif.

And there are studies to prove it: “Studies using different sport samples [skiers, tennis players, sprinters, figure skaters] indicated that positive self-talk was effective in enhancing performances. And in the latest study, both instructional and positive self-talk were shown to enhance strength, accuracy and fine motor coordination tasks,” adds Michael Voight, Ph.D., a sports psychologist at the University of Southern California.

CORNINESS FACTOR

The key to using affirmations effectively is to overcome what I call “the corniness factor.” Many people feel strange and uncomfortable talking to themselves or putting up a reminder note on their refrigerator or mirror saying they are "great" or, "You can do it today."

You may even laugh at yourself when you start to use affirmations, and that’s OK. Affirmations do sound funny at first. Eventually, however, as you become more comfortable with the idea of yourself as someone who can achieve your goals, you’ll become more comfortable using these strategies to reach them.

“Make the affirmations personally meaningful rather than rehearsing generic statements. It's normal and expected to feel strange and uncomfortable making any change at first, so ‘fake it until you make it’ and ‘be comfortable being uncomfortable,’" suggests Afremow.

BE AWARE

It’s important to be aware of your current self-talk practices. “You need to know what you do that motivates you as well as what you do that keeps you from being consistent and committed to your goal. Becoming aware of what you are saying to yourself is an important first step so you can know how much of the self-talk is negative, what the exact wording is, and then find the appropriate replacement language that will improve confidence, motivation and commitment,” says Voight.

“Our perception and thoughts often lead to an emotional response. These thoughts and emotions then provide direction and control our actions. Thus, it is crucial to become aware of what thoughts and self-statements you are using prior to training or racing,” says Dahlkoetter.

One way to increase your awareness of how well you talk to yourself is to place a handful of paper clips in your front pocket. “While engaged in a task, transfer one paper clip to your back pocket for each negative thought you identify. See how long it takes before you run out of paper clips -- it might be faster than you expect,” says Afremow.

MAKE IT POSITIVE

As automotive pioneer Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing, or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Think about it this way: Would you ever get on an airplane once you’d overheard the pilot say, “I don’t think I can make it all the way to Florida. I just know I’m going to crash; I’m so scared.” No, of course not. And aren’t you the pilot of your own life? You’re the one in charge. Do you really want to be the one convincing yourself that you won’t succeed?

In fact, according to sports psychologist Voight, “Of the 66,000 thoughts we typically have per day, 70 to 80 percent are negative. Not only is that a lot of self-dialogue throughout a day, but that is a lot of negative, self-defeating dialogue a day.” Negative self-talk is associated with poorer performance. It simply undermines your ability to succeed.

An example of negative self-talk would be constantly telling yourself, “I can’t lose weight -- it’s just too difficult,” or, “I’ll never be able to get out there and walk every day,” or, “I can’t eat at a restaurant without pigging out on the bread basket.”

Granted, there are times when it’s natural to feel insecure about your undertakings -- but don’t be your own worst enemy. At the very least, if you don’t feel comfortable with proactive self-affirmations, make sure to put a stop to negative self-talk -- that is, telling yourself you can’t do something. “Replace negative thoughts with more positive and productive thoughts,” says Afremow, who recommends closing your eyes and taking some slow, deep breaths to clear your head and “get the junk out.”

“Scolding ourselves is not productive. Holding ourselves accountable and committing to a new plan for the following week is quite productive and motivational,” says Voight.

In fact, research reported in the Journal of Sports Sciences demonstrated this with two groups of golfers of varying skill levels. While executing a series of putts, the first group was instructed to believe and tell themselves they would succeed, whereas the second group was asked to think and tell themselves they would not succeed. The investigators found that the players they’d instructed to engage in negative self-talk performed much worse than those who used positive self-talk, regardless of their skill level.

DON’T GET HIJACKED

Be careful while using self-talk. Once you open the door to using it, your thinking could get hijacked, adds Sandra Cousins, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. “It only takes one ‘if’ to get hijacked -- once you say 'if' you’re essentially saying, ‘It’s not going to happen.’”

PRESENT TENSE

Present your achievement to your mind in the present rather than the future tense. Although intellectually you know your goal is in the future, successful mental programming dictates that it be stated in the present tense, as an already realized fact, says Dahlkoetter.

A true affirmation is stated as if it is already true. “No 'cans,' 'shoulds,' 'wills,' etc. are to be included. Also, no ‘nos’ should be included. Use the present tense: ‘I am ...’ No negatives in the positive self-statement,” says Kay Porter, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Eugene, Ore., and author of The Mental Athlete (Human Kinetics, 2003).

KEEP THEM SIMPLE AND SHARP

Don’t go overboard with your positive thoughts. “Take an aspirin, not the whole bottle,” says Afremow. “Strive to keep your thoughts short, simple and productive. Avoid over-thinking. Champions think fewer thoughts while performing than those who are less accomplished. In sports, the ultimate goal is to transcend -- or go beyond -- thought, trusting the body to do its thing.” Reviewing or repeating affirmations can also be a useful part of a pre-performance routine to increase mental readiness.

BE SPECIFIC AND PRODUCTIVE

Vague goals lead to vague outcomes. Make your affirmations and self-talk strategies specific to how you want to feel and what you want to accomplish. “Being positive is not enough -- these athletes keep their self-talk more productive rather than just positive. Productive self-talk is more instructional and technical.” Instead of working simply to inflate the ego and improve self-esteem, productive self-talk helps you focus on important environmental cues (e.g., there is a doughnut shop coming -- I should pass it up) or technical/tactical aspects of performance, says Voight.

For the person who experiences problems on the job, such an affirmation might go something like: “I am a competent person who is capable of succeeding at this task.” For an overweight person who struggles with poor body image, the affirmation might be: “I am a beautiful person, and I deserve to look the way I want to look.” The repetition of such positive statements will eventually lead to a change in the way you view yourself and your own capabilities. Gradually, the mind responds affirmatively, and you begin to experience your intended results.

WRITE IT

When you begin to think of affirmations, you should write them down and repeat them to yourself either as a kind of meditation or whenever you’re experiencing a situation that normally upsets you, stresses you out or damages your self-esteem.

In fact, try writing your affirmations on individual index cards or Post-it Notes and place them where you can view them regularly -- on your desk, refrigerator or nightstand, says Dahlkoetter.

Voight also advises clients to write their negative self-talk and thoughts on a piece of paper prior to arriving at the gym or arena. “They are to write down everything that’s hindering them from performing or exercising well. As they head inside, they will crumple the paper and throw it out in the nearest trash can, symbolically throwing out the 'trash' talking that was going on in their head. Then they are to insert prescribed self-talk that is productive, technical, tactical or motivationally oriented, which will help them prepare for their bout of exercise or activity.”

Remember when you were a kid and you spent the entire weekend outside simply playing? Well, those childhood games can actually help get and keep you in shape. These are fun, engaging activities that fall under the title “play,” which is very important for participation and adherence. People need to play and not think of it as exercise, says Fabio Comana, M.A., M.S., an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. “Plus, many of these are performed in a group-like setting, integrating a social aspect to the activity (a concept I like to call ‘relational fitness’). This, too, is very important to older adults, who generally become more isolated and withdraw as they age,” he adds.

Here are a few of the more popular children’s activities, how to play them, and their benefits.

Hopscotch

Benefits: According to Mieke Scripps, P.T., D.T., a physical therapist for the Miami City Ballet, hopscotch is great for balance, because of the alternating one- and two-foot stance, as well as strength. Hopping works all the leg muscles, and when on one leg the core or center muscles will be challenged. Bending down to pick up stones while on one leg is also great for balance and gluteal strength. In fact, hopping may improve “overall lower extremity mobility given the different movement planes (forward-back, sideways and rotational),” says Comana.

What You Need: Chalk or masking tape, a sidewalk, safe street and/or flat surface and a stone.

How You Play/Participate: Using chalk or masking tape, draw the following: A single box with the number one in it, then two boxes side-by-side centered right above the first box. These boxes should be labeled two and three. Next, draw a single box, centered above the two and three boxes. This box is labeled four. Continue with two more boxes labeled five and six, one centered above those boxes labeled seven, and finally two more — eight and nine — with a semicircle or half-moon at the top.

You play the game with two to four players (or more if you want). One person starts by tossing a stone into the first box. If you miss the box, you lose your turn. If the stone falls within the box, you get to go through the hopscotch course putting only one foot in each box. This means you alternately hop on one foot and land on two feet side by side. Skip the box with the stone in it along the way. The idea is to go through the entire course without losing your balance. After you get to the top, you head back down the course, picking up the stone when you come to it. If you complete the course without losing your balance, stepping on a line or missing one of the boxes, you then throw the stone to the next numbered box and repeat the process. If you do not complete the course, you must wait your turn and then start in the box where you ended your previous turn. Whoever completes the full course first wins.

How Many Calories You Burn*: About 5.9 calories per minute and 175.8 calories per half-hour.

Flying a Kite

Benefits: “It’s not much of a cardio workout, but it does get the body moving around, so I like it for a little challenge to overall body flexibility,” says Comana. Additionally, flying kites offers “scapular stability on the side you are flying. It also builds core strength and balance to stabilize the kite in strong wind,” says Scripps. But keep in mind that the “constant upward gaze might aggravate neck problems for some people,” adds H. James Phillips, P.T., Ph.D., School of Graduate Medical Education, Seton Hall University.

What You Need: A kite, wind, a wide open space.

How You Play: According to David Gomberg of Gomberg Kites (www.Gombergkites.com) in Oregon, “Before you can fly your kite, you need wind. The amount of wind you need depends on the kind of kite you have. Some kites are heavier and need more wind. Others are especially made to fly in light wind. But most kites are made to fly in average winds of between 4 and 10 miles per hour.” How do you get the kite off the ground?

“Stand with your back to the wind and hold your kite up as high as you can. Make sure the nose is pointing straight up, and then gently let it go. If the breeze is strong enough, the kite will start to rise. Slowly let out a little flying line, and the kite will fly back. Then, before it reaches the ground, tighten your grip on the line and the kite will start to rise again. All you need to do is repeat this process until the kite gets up into steady winds,” says Gomberg.

In lighter winds, have a friend hold your kite about 50 feet away and release it into the wind as you pull in on the flying line. The kite should shoot up into the sky. When you get a little height, let out more line, then pull in again to gain altitude.

Buying a kite? There are many types. Each has been designed to do something different in the sky. Gomberg recommends that beginners go with a simple design like a Delta Kite. “Look for a kite 5 to 7 feet wide and made of durable, lightweight materials. Expect to spend $20 to $30,” he adds.

How Many Calories You Burn*: About 3.5 calories per minute and 105.5 calories per half-hour.

Musical Chairs

Benefits: Great for agility, reflexes and balance, says Scripps.

What You Need: Chairs, a semi-open space, a person to manage the music.

How You Play: You’ll need to move some furniture to clear some space. Then take about five or six chairs (depending on the number of players) – to be fair, they should be the same type. Place the chairs in a circle with the seats facing outward. You must have one less chair than the number of participants. The music starts, and the group walks around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone vies to sit in a chair. The player left standing is out of the game. You then eliminate one chair and start all over again. You keep taking away chairs until there is only one chair and two participants left. The one who gets the last chair wins.

How Many Calories You Burn*: About 5.9 calories per minute and 175.8 calories per half-hour.

Seesaw

Benefits: “It works the quads, hamstrings and calves for pushing off, hamstring and calf eccentrically when landing, and the up-and-down motion is good stimulus for the vestibular system, which helps with balance,” says Scripps.

What You Need: A playground or back yard with a seesaw and one other person. A seesaw or teeter-totter is basically a long, narrow plank that is balanced perfectly on some sort of center piece. You can buy a seesaw (www.SwingSet.com) or build one with a kit (www.7thpeak.com).

How You Play: A seesaw needs two people. One person sits on each end, and then you start. One person pushes off the ground, while the other is automatically lowered. That person then pushes off, and the one opposite is lowered. This continues until you get tired.

How Many Calories You Burn*: About 2.9 calories per minute or 88 calories per half-hour.

*Based on a 155-pound person.

Do you want to look and feel younger? Live longer? Research shows that our daily habits rather than our genes actually account for as much as 90 percent of our life expectancy. So how do we live longer? Dan Buettner, a storybook-style explorer who has completed more than 18 major expeditions, led a team of demographers and scientists across the globe to uncover the secrets of the "Blue Zones" - four geographic regions where small populations are living remarkably long, full lives. The goal of the Blue Zone project, in partnership with the National Institute on Aging and the University of Minnesota, was to distill a cross-cultural longevity formula. Now Buettner has put together a summary of his work in a book, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest (National Geographic, 2008). Recently, I was able to grab a few minutes of Dan's time via e-mail - here are a few of his fascinating findings about living longer and better.

Diet Detective: What in the world is a Blue Zone?

Dan: The Blue Zones are the places where people have the longest life expectancies or highest centenarian rate. My team of experts and I have discovered and researched the longevity hot spots of Sardinia; Okinawa, Japan; the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; and the Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, Calif. Two more Blue Zones will be announced this year. In each Blue Zone, I've found that people reach age 100 at rates significantly higher than the rest of us, and on average they live longer, healthier lives with only a fraction of the rate of killer diseases found in America.

Diet Detective: Can you explain the core concept behind "The Power 9?"

Dan: There are nine common denominators or behaviors shared by all of the world's longevity all-stars. We've organized these behaviors into four categories:

Move Naturally - Ensure that your home, community and workplace present you with natural ways to move. Focus on activities you love, like gardening, walking and playing with your family. I'll tell you one thing, I've never met an overweight centenarian. By and large the oldest-lived people are fit, active and move as often as they can. For instance, the Sardinian Blue Zone's unique geography provides many opportunities for movement. The sun-beaten terrain, cut by deep valleys, is not suited for large-scale farming. So, over the centuries, shepherding offered the best way to earn a living. The work was neither stressful nor strenuous, but it did require miles and miles of walking each day. (Walking five miles a day or more provides the type of low-intensity exercise that yields all the cardiovascular benefits you might expect, but it also has a positive effect on muscles and bones - without the joint-pounding damage caused by running long distances daily.) Sardinian male centenarians seemed to avoid bone loss and fractures. One Italian study has shown that Sardinian centenarians reported less than half as many fractures as the average Italian centenarian.

Belong to the Right Tribe - Surround yourself with the right people, make the effort to connect or reconnect with your religion, and put loved ones first. In all of the Blue Zones, spending time with family and friends is an integral part of everyday life.

All of the world's longest-lived people were born into - or consciously chose to associate with - the right people. The Framingham studies show us that if your three best friends are obese, you have a 50 percent greater chance of also being obese. The reverse is true, too. If you dine with people who eat healthy food, you're more likely to eat healthy food. If the friends you spend most time with play a sport, you're more likely to join them. As your mother said, "You're known by the company you keep." You're also likely to resemble them.

Eat Wisely - Use the 80 Percent Rule: In Okinawa, many of the older people utter the phrase "hara hachi bu." It's a Confucian-inspired adage that means, "Eat until you are 80 percent full." We can practice it by recognizing when we are getting full, using plates that are smaller, serving ourselves smaller portions and putting the rest of the food away.

Avoid meat and processed food, and drink a couple of glasses of wine daily. In prewar Okinawa, the majority of people who had become centenarians underwent periods of hunger, of discipline, of physical exertion and of eating bitter-tasting but healthful foods like goya (a dark green, bumpy, bitter gourd). When the Allies won World War II and the United States established a military base on Okinawa, the Americans brought peace, prosperity, jobs and a culture of rich fast food and huge portions. But as is the case with most stories of development, prosperity arrived as a paradox: The end of economic hardship also brought an end to the disciplines, lifestyles, work requirements and diet that had helped foster the culture's extraordinary longevity. A sharp increase in obesity-related diseases such as diabetes has ensued. Okinawa now has Japan's highest rate of obesity in men who are middle-aged and younger, as well as one of the highest rates of premature death from cardiovascular disease.

Have the Right Outlook - Know and be able to articulate your sense of purpose, and be sure that your day is punctuated with periods of calm. In Okinawa the word for this "right outlook" is "ikigai." In Costa Rica they call it "plan de vida."

This may all sound too simple, but the payoff is huge. The average American could live up to 14 more good years by putting these habits to work.

Diet Detective: How has your research changed your own attitude toward growing old?

Dan: When I began this research, I, like many people, was not looking forward to getting older. Our culture doesn't value aging or see the positive aspects of wisdom, perspective, acceptance and history. Many people feel that their life gets out of control as they get older. However, by making a few simple, basic changes people can add many good, healthy and vital years to their life.

Diet Detective: Can you give us a few examples of specific foods we should be eating to increase longevity?

Dan: The message from Okinawa is to add more foods made with soy, such as tofu and miso soup. Flavonoids in tofu may help protect the heart and guard against breast cancer. Fermented soy foods also contribute to a healthy intestinal ecology and offer even better nutritional benefits. We learned that the Seventh-day Adventists who ate nuts at least five times a week have about half the risk of heart disease and live about two years longer than those who don't. Costa Ricans have eaten maize (corn) since the time of the Chorotega Indians (the Mesoamericans who were the sole inhabitants of the Nicoya area of Costa Rica until the Spaniards arrived in 1522). They use lime (calcium hydroxide) to cook the kernels, which infuses them with higher concentrations of calcium. But just exposing corn to heat can also increase its nutritional value. A recent Cornell University study found that cooked corn contains higher levels of antioxidants than raw kernels.

Diet Detective: You mentioned that Okinawan males who are middle-age or younger now suffer from obesity and cardiovascular disease. Does this mean you think that other Blue Zones will also start to suffer the fate of the rest of the obese, unhealthy world?

Dan: I have noticed that in all the Blue Zones junk food is becoming more readily available and replacing whole-grain breads, lots of local fruits and vegetables and occasional lean meats. The young people in each of the Blue Zone cultures are fatter and less inclined to follow the tradition. However, these young people do have connections with their grandparents and great-grandparents, who provide love, care, expectations and motivation to perpetuate traditions and who push children to succeed. This could help to moderate these unhealthy additions.

Diet Detective: What about exercise and fitness?

Dan: Many Americans exercise too hard. The life expectancy of our species, for 99.9 percent of human history, was about 30 years. The fact that medicine has pushed life expectancy to age 78 doesn't mean our bodies were designed for three-quarters of a century of pounding. Muscles tear, joints wear out, backs go out. The world's longest-lived people tend to do regular, low intensity physical activity. The key is to do something light every day. Our Blue Zone research, as well as other well-documented studies, shows that exercise programs fail as often as diets do - a huge percentage of the time. Part of the Blue Zones' message is to create an environment that supports healthier behaviors so that the benefits that come from diet and exercise naturally occur.

Diet Detective: What is the Vitality Compass?

Dan: I created the Blue Zones Vitality Compass with the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. The questionnaire takes two minutes to complete, and uses a sophisticated algorithm to calculate your life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and biological age. Then it will generate eight customized suggestions for increasing your longevity. You can visit at www.bluezones.com.

Diet Detective: OK, now a few questions about you. Your favorite "junk food"?

Dan: Do you consider vodka and cranberry juice a junk food?

Diet Detective: Your favorite breakfast?

Dan: Oatmeal with walnuts, soy milk and brown sugar.

Diet Detective: What do you consider the world's most perfect food?

Dan: Tofu. It's low in fat, high in protein, full of minerals and has all of the amino acids necessary for human sustenance.

Diet Detective: Who's your hero?

Dan: My dad and George Plimpton. The former because he taught me values and adventure, the latter because he taught me how to use words to achieve my dreams.

Diet Detective: What's the most bodacious chance you've ever taken?

Dan: Biking across the Sahara without sunscreen.

Diet Detective: Your proudest moment?

Dan: Getting a speeding ticket while riding my bicycle near my home in Minneapolis.

Diet Detective: Define failure.

Dan: Not to have tried.

Diet Detective: Which historical figure can you relate to most?

Dan: Ulysses. He was an explorer who took risks. He went out into the world and brought back things for the betterment of the community. My goal with Blue Zones is to bring back information from around the world to improve the lives of people.

Diet Detective: As a child you wanted to be?

Dan: A fireman

Diet Detective: What's your motto?

Dan: Live Large.

Visit the Health and Fitness Network at www.dietdetective.com

Are the food-marketing claims true? Are they Calorie Bargains or Calorie Rip-offs? That’s the ongoing question with claims on food packages proliferating and food manufacturers looking for any angle to increase sales. Here are the results of two of my latest investigations.

Product: Planters NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix

Claims: “Keeping it running smoothly gets a little easier with our fiber-filled Digestive Health Mix, a succulent blend of pistachios, almonds, tart cranberries, crunchy granola clusters, and sweet cherries which helps promote digestive health.”

Ingredients: Pistachios, almonds, dried cranberries, whole-grain rolled oats, sugar, brown sugar, dried cherries, high-fructose corn syrup, modified cornstarch, vegetable oil (canola, cottonseed, expeller-pressed high-oleic sunflower, peanut and/or sunflower), inulin (natural extract from chicory root), molasses, salt, natural flavor, baking soda, soy lecithin. Contains: pistachios, almonds, soy.

Nutrition Information: (Serving size 32 grams) 150 calories, 8g fat, 45mg sodium, 17g carbs, 3g dietary fiber, 11g sugars, 4g protein.

Facts: The ingredient list indicates that the product contains inulin. “In sufficient quantities, inulin improves digestive health by helping to alleviate constipation, increasing the rate at which digested foods move through the intestine and stimulating the growth of healthy bifidobacteria in the intestine. Inulin ‘feeds’ the healthy bacteria, allowing them to out-compete some possibly detrimental bacteria in the intestine. Other health benefits of inulin include better blood lipid profiles, thus reducing the risk of heart disease, and improved mineral absorption and bone health,” says Dr. Mary Ann Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Society for Nutrition and professor of nutrition at the University of Georgia. Inulin is a “prebiotic,” which means it boosts the growth and activity of the good bacteria in the intestines that may promote regularity.

Additionally, the first four ingredients in the product are pistachios, almonds, dried fruit and whole oats, all of which naturally contain fiber to help with regularity, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Fiction: “The inulin is 11^th on the ingredients list after three types of sweeteners (sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup), and I don’t know if that would be a therapeutic amount of inulin,” says Blatner. In fact, research shows that 5 to 10 grams of inulin may be needed for a measurable health benefit, adds Johnson. The nut mix contains only 0.2 grams of inulin per 32-gram serving (about an ounce).

Concerns: The consumer wishing to avoid added sugars will see that this product has four sources of added sugars: sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup and molasses. While nuts and dried fruits are healthy in moderation, these foods would need to be limited to 1 to 2 ounces daily because of the relatively high calorie content, which in this product is 150 calories per ounce. Most sedentary adults need only about 1,800 to 2,400 calories daily, so a few handfuls of this snack would contribute a large number of calories, says Johnson. Just like all nuts and trail mix products, the serving size here is 1 ounce, or one-eighth of the container. With 150 calories per serving, it is important to portion wisely and not just snack out of the container, because the calories can add up fast. In addition, this product alone is not enough to promote healthy digestion because we need a fiber-rich diet, plenty of water and exercise to get the best effects.

The Bottom Line: “There is no evidence to support these claims,” says Gerard E. Mullin, M.D., M.H.S., the director of gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins Hospital. “Don’t rely on this to be the key to healthy digestion; instead, eat a wide variety of high-fiber foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, and drink plenty of water,” says Blatner.

Product: Muscle Milk (www.cytosport.com)

Claims: “Muscle Milk helps grow muscle faster than gainers, whey or even creatine. This increased muscle growth is possible because Muscle Milk is the first product patterned after Nature's ultimate anabolic food -- human mother's milk. Locked within human mother's milk are long-held secrets to muscle growth potential previously considered impossible.”

Facts: According to Lona Sandon, M.Ed., R.D., a professor of nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, “Science exists behind the need for these proteins, but it is being simplified and applied to the promotion of muscle growth of an adult human for which human milk is not intended.” And according to sports nutritionist Nancy Clark, this is a product “convenient for athletes who don't take responsibility for grocery shopping.”

Fiction: What you get in this supplement you can get from eating real food. Animal-based protein from meat, milk and eggs provides the body with all the essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth. “Milk is an excellent source of leucine, which promotes muscle growth. Amino acids found in human milk intended for infants do support muscle growth, but their main function is to build antibodies for the immune system. Also, muscle growth must be stimulated by challenging the muscle with resistance. Simply drinking this supplement without resistance exercise will not provide much benefit,” says Sandon.

Ingredients: EvoPro (micellar alpha and beta caseins and ceseinates, whey concentrates rich in alpha-lactalbumin, whey isolates, whey peptides, colostrum extract, l-glutamine, taurine, lactoferrin), Leanlipids (trans-fat-free lipic complex consisting of canola oil, sunflower and/or safflower oil, mct's, l-carnitine), fructose, cocoa powder maltodextrin, cytovite 1 (vitamin and mineral premix consisting of vitamin A acetate, cholecalciferol, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, ascorbic acid, folate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, niacinamide, pyridoxine hcl, cyanocobalamin, biotin, pantothenic acid, di-calcium phosphate, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, ferrous fumarate, magnesium oxide, copper gluconate, zinc oxide, chromium nicotinate), GCC (proprietary endogenous creatine precursor consisting of glycocyamine, betaine anhydrous), natural and artificial flavors, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, soy lecithin.

Nutrition Information: (Serving size, 11 ounces) 220 calories, 11g fat (4.5g saturated), 250mg potassium, 110mg sodium, 9g carbs, 1g fiber, 21g protein.

Concerns: The calories. This is a very concentrated source of calories, making it easy to overdo. Plus it has a lot of multi-syllable ingredients.

Bottom Line: “Research has shown that when drunk after exercise, a glass of regular low-fat chocolate milk promotes muscle recovery and growth similar to the recommendations and claims of this product. Plus, you still have to exercise and eat a balanced diet,” says Sandon.

This is part of a continuing series on the health benefits of grains that you might not have heard of or tried. The first in the series focuses on bulgur and sorghum.

Bulgur

What It Is: Bulgur is not actually a plant: You won’t ever see bulgur growing in the fields. It’s actually a Middle Eastern way of preparing wheat that maintains almost all the bran and germ of the wheat kernel, which is why it’s considered a whole grain. “To make bulgur, whole-wheat kernels are steamed, then dried and cracked, and the resulting pieces sorted by size from coarse to fine. Because it’s largely pre-cooked, bulgur can be on the table in as little as 10 minutes,” say Cynthia Harriman, director of Food and Nutrition Strategies for The Whole Grains Council.

Texture: Pleasant. Soft without being at all mushy.

Tastes Like: Bulgur has a mild, nutty flavor that some say is halfway between white rice and brown rice. It’s a great “starter grain” for people just branching out beyond refined grains.

Nutritional Information: (1 cup cooked) 151 calories, 0.44g fat, 33.82g carbs, 8.2g dietary fiber, 5.61g protein.

Nutrients: (Daily values are based on 1 cup cooked) Higher than average in niacin (1.82mg, 9 percent DV, heart health), and fiber (8.2g, 33 percent), magnesium (58mg, 15 percent), iron (1.75mg, 9.7 percent, forms hemoglobin in blood), copper (1.37mg, 6.8 percent), zinc (1.04mg, 6.9 percent, cellular metabolism, immune response). Some of the other nutrients found in bulgur are calcium, vitamin B6, thiamin, pantothenic acid, potassium, selenium and folate.

Health Perks: The amount of fiber is off the charts – a whopping 33 percent of the daily value, making it an excellent source. In fact, bulgur has more fiber than quinoa, oats, millet, brown rice and many other whole grains. There are also 98 micrograms of lutein, plus zeaxanthin, which is important for eye health.

Best Served or Cooked With: There are three grades of bulgur. “Fine grains are used in such dishes as kibbe, which is a mixture of bulgur and meat or poultry that’s cooked, baked or made into a casserole. The fine grains do well in dishes with meats because they adhere well to the meat. Medium-size grains are used for various salads and in making tabbouleh. The third size, which is coarser and larger, is best used in pilafs,” says Michael D. Ozner, M.D., medical director of wellness and prevention at Baptist Health South Florida and the author of The Miami Mediterranean Diet (BenBella Books, 2008). It can be used in recipes very much like rice, and couscous and is often substituted for meat in many vegetarian dishes.

Healthy Recipe:

Classic Tabbouleh

Makes 4-6 servings

¾ cup bulgur

1½ cups water

2 cups freshly chopped parsley

¾ cup chopped scallions, white and green parts

½ red bell pepper, diced

½ green bell pepper, diced

½ cup finely chopped fresh mint

½ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

In a small saucepan, soak bulgur in water for 30 minutes. Drain bulgur through a sieve and allow it to dry thoroughly. Place bulgur, parsley, scallions, peppers and mint in a large bowl. Stir to mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season bulgur mixture with salt and pepper. Add lemon mixture to bulgur – only enough to make salad moist (not runny) – and toss. Fold in tomatoes and cucumber, then cover and chill. Serve on a bed of greens, with seasoned pita wedges for dipping.

This salad goes well with toasted, herb-seasoned whole-wheat pita triangles.

Nutritional Information: Approximately 177 calories per serving, 3g protein, 21g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 19g carbs, 0g cholesterol, 23mg sodium, 4g fiber.

Healthy Recipe Source: Michael D. Ozner, M.D., Medical Director, Wellness & Prevention at Baptist Health South Florida and the author of The Miami Mediterranean Diet (BenBella Books, 2008).

Sorghum / Milo

What It Is: Sometimes known as milo, the type we eat today is called sweet white sorghum to differentiate it from the red variety fed to livestock. “Sorghum is used in other countries to make beer and is now used here in the U.S. as the basis for several brands of gluten-free beer, but it also makes wonderful baked goods,” says Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author of Gluten-Free Quick & Easy (Avery/Penguin Group, 2007).

Sorghum is an ancient grain that originated in Africa and then went to India and the Middle East. “It was brought to the U.S. by slaves. Despite its use in Africa as a staple human food, in the U.S. it was mostly used as animal feed. It grows well in hot climates and does not require a rich soil. It is being promoted as the prefect ‘Earth Day Food’ as it needs fewer environmental needs,” says Julie Miller Jones, Ph.D., a professor of nutrition at College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minn.

Hard to find in stores, whole-grain sorghum can be ordered directly from a grower at www.twinvalleymills.com, suggests Fenster.

Texture: When cooked, it is very chewy and hearty, much like bulgur.

Tastes Like: There are many varieties, so its color and taste vary. Some of the dark varieties have a stronger, more bitter taste. The light varieties have a taste like quinoa or millet or some rice pilafs. However, according to Fenster, “Many gluten-free people think that this grain tastes the closest to wheat. It has a mild, slightly earthy flavor that won’t interfere with other foods.”

Nutritional Information: (1/4 cup) 163 calories, 1.58g fat, 35.82g carbs, 3g fiber, 5.42g protein.

Nutrients: (Daily values are based on ¼ cup) It’s a good source of fiber (12 percent of daily value) and protein (11 percent DV). It also contains 2.11mg iron (about 12 percent), 138mg phosphorus (14 percent) and 168mg potassium (5 percent). Sorghum has heart-healthy vitamin Bs (thiamin 7.5 percent DV, riboflavin 4 percent and niacin 7 percent).

Health Perks: This is a perfect gluten-free whole grain for those with celiac disease (those who are allergic to gluten). “Some varieties are very high in antioxidants. It also contains a waxy compound called a polycosinol, which lowers serum cholesterol,” says Jones.

Best Served or Cooked With: The whole grains should be soaked overnight to soften them slightly before cooking in water. Or, cook overnight on low in a slow cooker with 4 parts water to 1 part sorghum kernels, says Jones. Many gluten-free bakers use sorghum flour in place of wheat flour. When cooked, it makes a wonderful substitute for bulgur or wheat berries, says Fenster, and it can be used like couscous for a delicious mix of whole grain, vegetables and meat. It can even be eaten like popcorn.

Healthy Recipe:

Slow-Cooker Sorghum Pilaf

Serves 4

Sorghum produces a robust pilaf with lots of chew and texture. For best results, have all ingredients at room temperature when you start the slow cooker.

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried minced onion

½ cup uncooked whole-grain sorghum (available at www.twinvalleymills.com)

2 cups gluten-free low-sodium chicken broth, such as Swanson Natural Goodness

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese or soy alternative, such as Soyco

1. Lightly coat the liner of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients except the Parmesan cheese to the slow cooker and stir to blend thoroughly.

2. Cover and, without removing the lid, cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.

Healthy Recipe Source: Carol Fenster, Ph.D., author of Gluten-Free Quick & Easy (Avery/Penguin Group, 2007).

Have you ever heard of a belt that can help you get skinny? One that claims it can get you in shape? And what about the latest fitness craze - using Russian weights to get extra-fit? Possible? Here's what we found in two of our latest investigations.

Slendertone Flex (www.slendertone.tv)

Claim: "Use your Flex Abdominal Toning Belt for just 30 minutes a day, five days a week and in just weeks, your abs could be firmer, stronger and more toned. Satisfaction Guaranteed!" There are many different Web sites all with similar claims, but, in a nutshell, the claim is that the product is FDA approved, it will tone and strengthen your abs in just weeks, and it was shown effective in a clinical study by Dr. John Porcari at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in 2004.

Facts: The Food and Drug Administration does regulate electrical muscle stimulators; however, most of the stimulators are intended for use in physical therapy and rehab. This is what the FDA Web site says about EMS products: "The FDA has cleared many electrical muscle stimulators for prescription use in treating medical conditions. Doctors may use electrical muscle stimulators for patients who require muscle re-education, relaxation of muscle spasms, increased range of motion, prevention of muscle atrophy, and for treating other medical conditions which usually result from a stroke, a serious injury, or major surgery. Again, the effect of using these devices is primarily to help a patient recover from impaired muscle function due to a medical condition, not to increase muscle size enough to affect appearance." And yes, it is true that the Slendertone Flex has met FDA's regulatory requirements and been "cleared by FDA for toning, strengthening and firming abdominal muscles."

According to Fabio Comana, M.A., M.S., an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, "The technology transmits a repeated low-grade impulse to stimulate low-grade, repeated muscle contractions. This form of technology has been used in physical therapy for decades to treat muscle trauma. Any time a group of muscles performs more work, it should offer some benefits. If this is used on very de-conditioned individuals with weak abdominals, the muscles will be stimulated to contract and will get stronger as long as overload is applied [the muscle does more work than what it is accustomed to]."

Fiction: The following is taken directly from the FDA Web site: "Using these devices alone will not give you 'six-pack' abs. Applying electrical current to muscles may cause muscles to contract. Stimulating muscles repeatedly with electricity may eventually result in muscles that are strengthened and toned to some extent but will not, based on currently available data, create a major change in your appearance without the addition of diet and regular exercise." Also, according to the FDA, which has approved this device: "While an EMS device may be able to temporarily strengthen, tone or firm a muscle, no EMS devices have been cleared at this time for weight loss, girth reduction, or for obtaining 'rock hard' abs."

"Spot reduction is a myth, and people often confuse improved abdominal endurance and strength with getting a washboard stomach. We all have a washboard, but for most, it is covered with a layer (of varying size) of fat tissue that has to be shed in order to show the six-pack," says Comana. Additionally, Comana has several issues with the design and methodology of the only study conducted on Slendertone.

The price: About $200.

Concerns: Only one researcher is cited as having done studies on Slendertone Flex. Why are there not more studies cited, or have there been no other studies done by other researchers, asks Christina "Tina" A. Geithner, Ph.D., a professor of exercise science at Gonzaga University and spokesperson for the American College of Sports Medicine. "I'd consider this device a fad and a rip-off," says Geithner.

Comana believes that just focusing on six-pack abs is a mistake. "What about the obliques and back muscles? The reason one should strengthen the abs is to protect the spine, not to gain a six-pack. The abdominal muscles need to be strengthened in balance with the obliques and the back. We should train people to move efficiently, not train muscles in isolation," he adds.

Bottom Line: If you want to develop washboard abs, this belt will not do it for you. Try ab work, cardio and a healthy, calorie-lowering diet.

Russian Kettlebells

Claim: This cannonball with a suitcase-like handle is better than free weights for strength training, and kettlebells are the only workout you need.

Facts: Kettlebells can provide a challenging, effective workout for those who are bored with traditional free weights or simply looking for an alternative. The design of the kettlebell results in its center-of-mass being outside the grip because of the handle placement. This results in a far different - and greater - challenge than that experienced in most free-weight exercises and can provide a terrific challenge to the muscles of the forearm, shoulder and core, says Jonathan Ross, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.

Kettlebells can help people strength train and get them prepared for more real-life situations. "Kettlebell exercises help with regular everyday functions such as lifting groceries, carrying a pile of magazines, gardening, throwing out the trash or lifting a child - moving irregular-size objects and controlling the momentum," says Tedd Keating, Ph.D., a professor of physical education and human performance at Manhattan College. "Kettlebells use a swinging, curvilinear pattern when performed, whereas free weights have a linear pattern. It's actually in the process of accelerating and decelerating the movement of the kettlebells that the strength and power gains are made," he adds.

A kettlebell is a compact and convenient piece of fitness equipment. Once you figure out the appropriate weight of kettlebell you need, all the exercises use that one kettlebell. So you don't need an entire set to do your strength-training program. As you get stronger, you simply do additional repetitions and increase movement speed, says Keating.

Fiction: Kettlebells will provide you with a better workout than free weights. Actually, kettlebells are simply different from free weights, not necessarily better. "It provides a different, unique challenge to your muscular system," says Keating. This is not the be-all and end-all when it comes to fitness - it's just another tool in your fitness toolbox. Keating does not recommend kettlebells as a stand-alone fitness program. There are many other components needed for an appropriate fitness regime (e.g., cardio, flexibility, etc.).

Price: $24.95 (10 pound) to $109.95 (100 pound)

Concerns: Kettlebells can be unexpectedly heavy, and because the design adds an additional "unwieldy" component, that can be both helpful and dangerous. The kettlebells' greatest strengths are also their greatest weaknesses. "Many of the movements with the kettlebells are done rapidly - thus generating a significant need to control the momentum of the weight when accelerating and decelerating it," says Ross. Additionally, kettlebells can create an excessive challenge to the forearm muscles, putting the wrist at significantly greater risk of injury.

"The weight of the kettlebell is far outside the grip, thus dramatically increasing the torque on the wrist joint (imagine trying to swing a sledgehammer like a carpentry hammer). This property of the kettlebell - one of its most frequently stated attributes - needs to be respected and handled with care at the introduction of kettlebell training. A frequent mistake people make is to compare what it feels like to lift a 25-pound dumbbell overhead to lifting a 25-pound kettlebell. Given the different properties of the two, a far lighter kettlebell should be used," says Ross.

Bottom Line: Kettlebells can be very effective if used appropriately and very dangerous if not. "Their use should be undertaken by a competent professional well-versed in and espousing a respect for a variety of training methods and aware of the advantages and disadvantages of each," says Ross.

Unfortunately, nutrition advice and philosophies are always changing – which is frustrating to say the least. The result is often confusion. The following are questions we’ve received from readers and answers from some of the country's leading health experts. Is a vegetarian diet always best in terms of health and weight control? Is there a special order that is used for the ingredients list on a food label?What does it mean when a food product claims that it’s a “high” or “good” source of a particular nutrient? Will artificial sweeteners make you fat?

Is a vegetarian diet always best in terms of health and weight control?

The fact is that “a vegetarian diet contains the fundamentals for reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, stroke and obesity,” says Joan Salge Blake, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., registered dietitian and nutrition professor at Boston University and author of Nutrition & You (Benjamin Cummings, 2007).

One of the main reasons vegetarian diets are healthier is that they’re typically lower in fat and cholesterol, higher in fiber, and more moderate in protein and calories than other diets. Plus, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts contain a variety of antioxidants that are known to promote health and reduce the risk for onset of disease.

In general, “Vegetarians do not consume animal flesh, such as beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood. Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume both milk and eggs, in addition to eating a plant-based diet of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Lacto vegetarians will eat milk products, such as cheese, milk and yogurt, in addition to their plant-based diet, but they do not eat eggs. Vegans consume no animal products whatsoever, which means no eggs, milk, butter or gelatin,” explains Anne VanBeber, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., associate professor and chair of the department of nutritional sciences at Texas Christian University.

However, simply eliminating meat and animal products from one’s diet does not mean it’s automatically lower in fat and calories or higher in health-promoting nutrients. According to VanBeber, “A vegetarian diet is not always lower in fat and calories than a meat-based diet. A vegetarian diet is not always higher in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants than a meat-based diet. Vegetarian diets are not always the best in terms of health and weight control.” Basically, while a vegetarian diet may be better, it doesn’t guarantee a healthy and waist-friendly life, agrees Salge Blake.

“Not all vegetarian diets are created equal,” says Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., author of Cholesterol DOWN (Three Rivers, 2006). “Vegetarian diets require careful planning to ensure consumption of all the nutrients required for good health. Highly restrictive, poorly planned vegetarian diets could lead to deficiencies in protein, calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and zinc, to name a few. What’s more, just because the diet is vegetarian does not ensure weight control. One could still create a calorie excess (eating more than one expends) on this type of diet, which would result in weight gain.” For instance, those vegetarians who consume dairy products have to make sure they don’t overload their diet with full-fat cheeses. Ounce-for-ounce, the Cheddar cheese on top of the cheeseburger has more calories and heart-unhealthy saturated fat than the burger, adds Salge Blake.

VanBeber has other concerns as well: Care must be taken to improve the absorption of the non-heme iron from plant foods to prevent anemic conditions. Vitamin C-rich foods should be included in all meals to enhance the absorption of non-heme iron found in foods such as whole grains, legumes, raisins, molasses, spinach, broccoli and almonds.

Bottom Line: “Moving toward a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to boost your health, protect against disease and keep your weight in check,” says Brill. “Just make sure to do your homework.”

What does it mean when a food product claims that it’s a “high” or “good” source of a particular nutrient?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the government agency that regulates those terms: The terms "high" and "good” focus on nutrients for which higher levels are desirable. To qualify for the "high" claim, the food must contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value for that nutrient in a serving. "Good source" means a serving contains 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value for the nutrient. Approved synonyms for high are "rich in" or "excellent source."

Is there a special order that is used for the ingredients list on a food label?

The label is regulated by the FDA, which requires food manufacturers to list ingredients in “descending order of weight (from most to least).” So, if you want to limit added sugar, you probably don’t want to see added sugar (e.g., corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, honey or maple syrup) on the list at all, but even in a worst-case situation it should not be one of the first several ingredients.

Will artificial sweeteners make you fat?

Recent research has made us all wonder if we’re doing ourselves more harm than good by drinking diet soda – are we? “Animal research suggests the possibility that the dissociation of sweet taste from calories makes it tougher for the appetite center to track calorie intake,” says David L. Katz, M.D., a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, who also believes that artificial sweeteners might be feeding our “sweet tooth.” “The more sweet we consume, the more we need in order to feel satisfied. Artificial sweeteners may bump some sugar and calories out of the way immediately, but at the cost of cultivating a preference for ever-sweeter food (the commonly used artificial sweeteners range from 300 to 1,200 times sweeter than sugar),” he adds. The problem is that those calories might sneak back in elsewhere.

Bottom Line: Still nothing definitive other than a few studies, but I would use artificial sweeteners sparingly.

Here are a few nutrition and fitness tips to keep you a bit healthier this summer.

Don't Eat When You're Thirsty: We often mistake thirst for hunger, especially during the warm summer months. Don't eat when what you really want is to drink. Always ask yourself if you are really hungry.

Watch What You Drink: Drinking high-calorie beverages like soda, whole milk, juices, alcohol and sugared iced tea can add unwanted, and under-appreciated, calories. Drink water with lemon or mint, or try seltzer or unsweetened iced tea. Tea is loaded with antioxidants and health benefits, including reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. In fact, tea has been said to have more antioxidants than almost any whole fruit or vegetable. Read more about tea here:

Bike Instead of Drive: Buy a bike, save gas and get some exercise. A 155-pound person riding at a leisurely pace of 10 to 12 mph can burn 423 calories in just 60 minutes, or about 7 calories per minute. If you would like to know more about bicycling, visit www.dietdetective.com/content/view/1334/90/

Go Hiking: To get started visit the following Web sites:

Trimbleoutdoors.com offers thousands of day hikes and includes interactive maps, aerial and scenic photos, video and downloadable GPS files.

Localhikes.com has local hikes around the United States. There are not too many listings, but it's a good start.

Trails.com charges $49.95 per year, but does have a 14-day free trial. The site offers detailed route descriptions, driving directions, guidebook-quality trail maps, photos and ratings and reviews from members for more than 38,000 trails.

Recreation.gov is the U.S. government's one-stop shop to the outdoors. There is information on everything from monuments, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, water-skiing and rock climbing to wildlife observation and caving. It lists 388 National Park Service areas, 3,200 federal recreation areas and 16,741 miles of trails in parks that range in size from one-fifth of an acre to 13.2 million acres.

Make a Pop: A new book called Pops (Quirk, 2008) by Krystina Castella helps you learn to make delicious ice pops - some healthy, some not so healthy. Try the Banana & Date Pops.

Ingredients:
6 large ripe bananas, sliced
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup nonfat milk (modified from original recipe)
1 cup low- or no-fat yogurt (modified from original recipe)
2 teaspoons honey heated for 30 seconds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Put the bananas, dates, milk and yogurt in a food processor or blender - process until the mix is smooth. Add honey and vanilla extract - process again to combine. Fill 8 pop molds with the mixture (or use plastic or paper cups). Insert sticks. Freeze for 6 hours. Remove from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before removing the pops from the molds.

Makes eight 6-ounce pops.

Don't Skip: It's easy to skip meals when you're out and about over the summer. Keep in mind that meal-skipping leads to overeating during meals later in the day - which means consuming more overall daily calories. Try to eat something healthy every few hours.

Enjoy Watermelon: It's low in calories (only 92 calories per 2-cup serving) and it fills you up because it's 92 percent water, which will also help to rehydrate your body on a hot summer day. On average, 1 cup of watermelon has 7.5 to 10 milligrams of the antioxidant lycopene - that's about 40 percent more than is found in raw tomatoes. Additionally, watermelon is a good source of vitamins A (1 cup has almost 20 percent of your daily values) and C (20 percent of daily values), and it also contains potassium, vitamin B6 and thiamin. Look for firm, juicy, red flesh without white streaks and skin without cracks, bruises or mold. The best way to tell for sure that a watermelon is ripe is to ask your grocer to cut a plug (a small triangle that will show you how the inside looks) out of the fruit.

Injured? Try R.I.C.E.: Dr. William Levine, chief of sports medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, recommends that for tennis elbow, runner's knee, and similar injuries, you should try R.I.C.E. -- Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. "Rest means that the injured area is not put through any undue strain. When icing a body part, apply the ice in a covering so that it is not in direct contact with the skin. A cotton handkerchief covering the ice is helpful. Ice the affected area several times a day for about 20 minutes at a time. Compression is applying pressure to the injured area to stop bleeding (if any is occurring) or to reduce swelling. Elevation helps in these respects as well. Compression and elevation are to be used in the case of acute injuries, such as a twisted ankle."

Exercise Dangers: The dangers of urban air pollution are of special concern to those who run, bike or skate. These individuals, while trying to help their bodies through exercise, should take care that they do not harm themselves through exposure to air pollution, especially in the summer, says Ronald Crystal, M.D., chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He suggests that if you're in an urban setting on a hot summer day you should try exercising indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned room. If you must exercise outdoors, the early morning or evening is best. It will be cooler, the sun is not at its peak, and the ozone levels will be at their lowest.

Sun Screening: Biking, swimming or walking outdoors in the summer sun? Try Bullfrog - it stays on great. Also Bethesda Sunscreen Soap (www.bethesdaskincare.com) actually contains sunblock. Use this soap in the shower and you'll have protection of at least an SPF 10, plus it also has whole leaf aloe vera gel, healing balm of Gilead, glycerin and chlorophyll.

Sunblock? Got Carrots? A recent review of several studies that was published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology showed that eating foods rich in beta carotene or taking supplements may protect against sunburn. However, the study also indicated that 10 weeks of use was required to show an effect. Unfortunately, supplementation with beta carotene is not a replacement for using sunscreen.

Summer Heart Attacks: Weekend warriors beware -- heart attacks and all other cardiac problems occur in the summer months just as often as during the winter. According to Jack Flyer, M.D., of CardioCare, a Washington, D.C.-based medical practice focusing on wellness and preventative patient care, "Heat stroke is a condition that causes the body's core temperature to rise. This heat can cause end-organ (i.e., the heart) damage directly and can also cause symptoms, such as fast pulse, that can secondarily cause a heart attack. It can also lead to dangerous arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). The signs of heat stroke are fast heart rate, confusion, shortness of breath and cessation of sweating." Also, watch out for dehydration, which Flyer says is a close relative of heat stroke. Solution: Stay out of the sun, especially during the heat of the day, drink water before you go outside, particularly before exercise, and make sure you take water with you wherever you go.

Buy Some Cool Cooking Tools: We love all the offerings at Williams-Sonoma; however, there are a few seasonal standouts. Want to make guacamole, grilled veggies or cut up fresh fruit? If so, you have to get their Professional Multi-Chopper. It slices, dices, wedges and cores, and it's dishwasher safe. The cost? $49.95. Looking for extra flavor on your gas grill? Try Williams-Sonoma's Smokehouse Hickory Wood Chips ($7), a great way to add flavor that doesn't cost calories. Speaking of flavor, there's nothing better than garlic. For that they offer the Garlic Genius - wow! This cool tool chops the garlic into tiny cubes ($24.95). www.williams-sonoma.com

Ice Cream Cheat Sheet: Fudgsicles are still a good choice at 45 calories. Frozen yogurt or soft-serve ice cream also have the same calories per serving - about 140. No-fat yogurt is about 110. Italian ices (100 calories per cup) are a better choice than gelato (about 500 calories per cup). Keep in mind that if you're going for a cone, you should make it a wafer cone, which has 20 calories, as opposed to a sugar cone that's 50 or 60 calories or a waffle cone at 100 to 160. Four tablespoons of sprinkles are about 220 calories.

Barbecues and Picnics: For frankfurters, the best toppings are sauerkraut, good old ketchup, mustard and relish. Stay away from cheesy sauces and chili. As for burgers, make your own using the leanest beef you can find and toss in veggies such as mushrooms, onions and peppers to increase nutrients and lower the calorie content without reducing the volume. Watch out for barbecued ribs: They add up to more than 1,000 calories for six medium ribs. Just one 3.5-ounce fried chicken breast has about 250 calories, and one drumstick with skin has about 200 calories. Pasta salad? For 1 cup, depending on ingredients, you're looking at 500-650 calories. Use 100 percent whole-wheat pasta and light vinaigrette or low-calorie Italian dressing. Baked beans can be 300 calories per cup. Coleslaw can be more than 350 calories per cup. Use light or nonfat mayonnaise and make it yourself. Use healthy, low-calorie marinades instead of oil and butter to flavor foods. And be careful when using cooking spray on your grill. Spray the grill before you turn it on; otherwise, the spray can flare up.

On The Road? Watch out. When unhealthy choices are made on the road, there may be irritating consequences to deal with. "Unhealthy eating, in general, can cause decreases in energy and mood. In addition, stress levels are easily increased with improper nutrition. Furthermore, a lot of greasy fast foods can cause indigestion, which can negatively affect sleep," says Steven Aldana, Ph.D., author of Stop and Go Fast Food Nutrition Guide (Maple Mountain Press, 2007). According to Aldana, the worst restaurant choices are typically breakfast places such as Denny's, Shoney's and IHOP. In addition, places like Krispy Kreme and Taco Bell offer very few, if any, healthy selections. Where should you eat? Surprisingly, almost all the offerings at Panda Express receive a "green" or healthy rating because of the high quantities of vegetables, healthy oils and whole grains that are used. Other great selections include sandwich shops like Subway - which allow tremendous flexibility when ordering.

Visit the Health and Fitness Network at www.dietdetective.com

This is the third part of a continuing series on the health benefits of nuts - however, for this particular column we're going to fudge it a little bit, because peanuts are really legumes and more like beans than nuts.

Why: Peanuts are impressive nutrient powerhouses - in fact, they have more than 30 essential nutrients and phytonutrients. They're unusual because the peanut produces flowers above the ground, but its fruits are below the ground. The peanuts we see, whether shelled or unshelled, are usually dry-roasted. Raw peanuts would taste a bit like a bitter, soft bean, and the roasting process also helps kill the naturally occurring bacteria associated with being grown in the dirt.

Dry roasting is a process by which the peanuts are placed in a large oven and subjected to forced hot air for about 15 minutes at medium heat. They may be plain-roasted or seasoned and roasted in the shell. "To season peanuts in the shell, they are washed prior to roasting. After that, the seasonings, which are dissolved in water, are forced through the shells by a pressure process. Then, when the peanuts are dried during roasting, the seasonings remain inside the shells," says Lisa Agostoni, a spokesperson for the National Peanut Board.

Peanuts can also be oil-roasted in continuous cookers that take a steady stream of peanuts through hot oil for about five minutes.

There are several types of peanuts - Runner, Spanish, Valencia and Virginia. Almost 80 percent of the peanuts produced in the United States are Runner - most often used to make peanut butter. Spanish peanuts, recognized by their reddish-brown seed cover and extra-nutty flavor, are smaller and used in cooking, peanut candies and to make peanut oil (because of their high oil content). Valencia peanuts are very sweet and typically roasted in the shell. They're unique because they can have three or more kernels, each enclosed in a bright-red skin, inside every shell. The peanuts sold in stadiums and at the circus are the Virginia variety.

Nutrients: (Daily values are based on 1 ounce) Peanuts are a good source of vitamin E (11 percent of daily values), which is known to have antioxidant properties and to boost immune function, and folate (10 percent daily values), widely known for its role in reducing the risk of certain serious birth defects, such as spina bifida. They also contain 2 grams of fiber, which is good for digestive health and increased feelings of satiety; niacin (19 percent of daily values), which helps reduce high cholesterol; magnesium (12.5 percent of daily values), which relaxes muscles and increases metabolism; phosphorus (10 percent of daily values), for healthy bones and teeth; copper (0.19 milligrams or 9.5 percent of daily values), to help convert carbs into energy; and good amounts of potassium, zinc, iron and heart-healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Just 1 ounce of peanuts also has about 7 grams of protein, more than any other nut. Protein helps keep you feeling full longer. Peanuts also contain high amounts of arginine (an amino acid that can improve blood flow) and flavonoids (a type of antioxidant that reduces inflammation and protects against cell damage). Plus, they're low in sodium and, like any plant-based food, naturally cholesterol- and trans fat-free.

Health Perks: Peanuts contain resveratrol, which is linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Peanuts are also very low on the glycemic index, which means that they do not cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, and there has been research demonstrating that they may help prevent diabetes.

Nutrition Stats: (1 ounce, 30 peanuts) 166 calories, 14g fat, 230mg sodium, 6.1g carbs, 2.3g fiber, 6.71g protein.

Purchasing: "Look for things such as moisture or shell texture. Unlike a melon, you can't squeeze a peanut to tell if it's ripe, but you can inspect the shell to make sure it's not broken or soggy," says Agostoni. A few other interesting facts: 1 1/2 pounds unshelled peanuts equals 1 pound shelled = 3 1/4 cups, and 2 cups ground peanuts equals 1 cup peanut butter.

Storage: Peanuts have a short shelf life, mostly because of the high percentage of oil they contain, and high temperatures may cause the fat in the nuts to become rancid. Stored sealed, in a dry place below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, they will probably last a week. They last longer when refrigerated, and you can also freeze them indefinitely in a sealed container.

Recipe: Chili Peanut Popcorn

1 3/4 ounces salted peanuts
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon corn oil
2 tablespoons popping corn
Lemon juice, to taste

Heat a heavy-based pan that has a lid, add the peanuts and toss them over medium heat until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. While the peanuts are still warm, sprinkle them with the red chili powder and stir well.

Pour the oil into the pan and, when heated, add the popping corn and cover. Cook over medium heat until the corn stops popping. (You'll hear it hitting the lid as it pops.) Remove from heat and pour the popped corn into the bowl with the peanuts. Stir well, adding more chili powder if desired and lemon juice to taste just before serving.

Makes: 2 servings

Nutrition per serving: 198 calories, 14.6g fat (11.1g unsaturated), 2.2g dietary fiber, 329mg potassium, 0.1g sodium, 63mg magnesium, 0.013mg folate.

Recipe Source: National Peanut Board