Kindness is a Virtue, Compassion is an Art

I'm proud to say this one's from Utah, Dale

Get a Boost With Blueberries

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, blueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants, thanks to their anthocyanins — the compounds responsible for their blue hue.

The Healthiest Good Fat

The healthiest unsaturated fat is monounsaturated, so named for its one pair of double-bonded carbons. This is the kind of fat that can actually lower your "bad" cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. It also supplies fatty acids essential for skin health and cellular development, and is believed to help prevent certain kinds of cancer, including breast and colon cancers. Excellent sources of monounsaturated fat include olive oil, canola oil, raw nuts (not roasted), and avocados.

Fat: Can't Live Without It

Think back on all those past dieting failures. Did you completely eliminate fat in one of those diets? Didn't last long on that one, did you? If being ravenous within an hour of eating a plate of steamed veggies didn't do you in, then surely the lack of energy and fuzzy thinking did.

Let's talk about why you need fat in your diet. Animal and vegetable fats provide valuable, concentrated energy; they also provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances. Fats slow the absorption of nutrients into your system so that you can go longer without feeling hungry, and they aid in sugar and insulin metabolism, which helps you lose weight. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins, aid in the absorption of vital minerals, and help facilitate a host of other important biological operations within the body.

Convinced? Good! I know your next question is, How do I know if foods that contain fat are good to eat or not? It all boils down to molecular structure, and how different kinds of fat molecules affect your body. The fats considered to be healthiest come from plants and vegetables. They are called unsaturated fats, and here's a basic look at the science behind them: Unsaturated fat molecules contain at least one pair of carbons linked by a double bond. Since hydrogen can't break this bond, it can't bond with these carbons, so any fat molecule with one or more double-bonded carbons is considered "unsaturated" by hydrogen. Now keep your eyes peeled for the magic word — unsaturated — on food packaging.

Pick Your Poison - Yellow, Blue, Pink or White

When in restaurants and cafes and you need to choose your sweetener for your hot/cold tea or coffee, you usually have a choice. There's the yellow bag (Splenda), the pink bag (Sweet 'n Low with saccharin), the blue bag (Equal or NutraSweet), or of course the white bag (the real white stuff, also known as sugar).

Everyone I've noticed has a certain color bag they are looking for. My husband, daughter and sister prefer the pink bag, one of my friends yells for yellow, while another friend of mine packs the little blue bag in her purse just in case they don't have any where she's going.

I guess it all comes down to what alternative sweetener you are used to, what you think is the safest choice and which one tastes the best to your particular set of taste buds.

I just did the finger test. You lick your finger and dip it straight into each colored packet. In between each packet I cleansed my palate with some iced green tea.

This is what I thought:
PINK packet (Sweet 'n Low) = intense sweet flavor, only a slight possible aftertaste for me but my daughter thought this one did not have an aftertaste.

BLUE (Equal) = sweet flavor, very desirable, no aftertaste for me but my daughter thought it did have a little aftertaste.

YELLOW (Splenda) = This one tasted closest to real sugar to me and it didn't seem to have an aftertaste (which surprised me because when I bake with it I definitely notice that there's something different). My daughter still liked Sweet 'n Low the best.

Bottom line: I think each person has a different taste perception and is sensitive to various aspects of each one.

What's your color?

Meet the Amazing Autistic Man Known as 'The Living Camera'

We don’t usually go with just one thing, but this video of Stephen Wiltshire, a 37-year-old autistic man, drawing the city of Rome after flying over it once in a helicopter is so special, it stands on its own.

Watch the video here.

Having trouble viewing our video? Here's a YouTube link.

Communicating Through Art
Visit Stephen Wiltshire's Web site.

Read Stephen Wiltshire's Wikipedia biography.

Summer Treats Pack a Nutritional Punch

Ice cream and frozen yogurt are some of the traditional treats that help us beat the heat during summer months. Use them to contribute to your daily nutritional intake, too.

Ice cream and frozen yogurt are filled with protein, calcium and phosphorous. Remember that ice cream contains more fat than most types of frozen yogurt, so be sure to check the Nutrition Facts panel on the package.

While juice bars and other icy treats may provide some vitamins and minerals, they tend to contain more sugar than nutritional benefits. However, these frozen treats often have fewer calories than ice cream.

If you're looking for a cool chocolate fix without the calories and fat of ice cream, try frozen chocolate pops, which often are low-fat or fat-free.

(From the American Dietetic Association)

Robust Beet Salad (Sounds YUMMY!)

8 servings

Beets are a colorful source of anthocyanins, the purple pigments also found in blueberries, red grapes and red cabbage. They are powerful antioxidants and may help protect against cancer and heart disease. This dish brings to mind pickled beets with a grown-up slant. It keeps well in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

3 pounds beets

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup rice or cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon wasabi powder (Japanese horseradish)

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, sliced thin

Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut off the beet tops about an inch above the beet. In a large pot cover the beets with three inches of cold water and bring to a boil. Cover and boil over medium heat until tender, about 45 minutes.

2. Drain the beets under cool running water. Slip off their skins. Trim off stems and root ends and slice the beets thinly.

3. Combine the sliced beets in a bowl with the other ingredients, add salt to taste, and chill. Stir several times. This salad will keep for a week in the refrigerator.

Nutritional Information: Per serving: 122 calories 2 g total fat (0 g sat) 0 mg cholesterol 25 g carbohydrate 3 g protein 5 g fiber 250 mg sodium

Mexican-inspired Chicken with Black Beans and Tomatoes

You know how when you get a new toy, you can't get enough of it? Well, this week we're crazy about our new Ziploc steamer bags. At first some of our testers thought these bags were just another way to steam veggies. But this just isn't the case. Check out this great recipe that's sure to be a hit.

Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon cornstarch or flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup prepared chunky salsa

1 large tomato, diced

Combine chicken, black beans, corn, onion, cornstarch or flour, and salt in a large Ziploc Brand Zip ‘n Steam bag. Seal bag and shake to mix ingredients.

Cook on high power for 6 minutes until chicken is fully cooked, with no trace of pink. If needed, continue microwaving at 30 second intervals until done.

Allow bag to stand 1 minute before handling. Carefully open bag and add salsa and diced tomato. Gently squeeze to distribute ingredients and serve.

To serve 4, recipe may be doubled and cooked for 7 to 8 minutes in a large Ziploc Brand Zip ‘n Steam Bag.

Nutrition Facts per serving: Calorie 233 Fat 2g Carbohydrates 25g Fiber 5g Protein 32 g Sodium 951 mg

Grilled Lemon-Herb Halibut

Ingredients

12 ounce(s) fish, halibut steaks

2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon oregano, fresh

2 teaspoon oil, olive

2 clove(s) garlic, minced

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

oregano, fresh

lemon

Nutritional Info (per serving): Calories: 238, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 636mg, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Total Fat: 8g, Carbs: 3g, Cholesterol: 54mg, Protein: 36g Exchanges: Lean Meat: 5 , Fat: 1.5

Preparation

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. For marinade, in a shallow dish, combine lemon juice, snipped or crushed oregano or thyme, oil, garlic, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Add fish; turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 1/2 hours, turning fish steaks occasionally.

2. Drain fish, reserving marinade. Place fish on the greased unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once and brushing once with reserved marinade halfway through broiling. Discard any remaining marinade. If desired, garnish with fresh oregano or thyme leaves. If desired, serve with lemon wedges.