This week we are pleased to welcome a guest blogger, Mary Wirtz, MS.  Mary is a dietetic intern from Yale-New Haven Hospital and is spending a couple weeks interning with us.  She is bringing a fresh perspective and great enthusiasm to our team.

With summer just around the corner and Memorial day arguably marking the start of grilling season, many individuals will soon be trying their hand at mastering the art of outdoor cooking.  More often than not this renowned holiday represents a time to kick back, enjoy the seasonably warm weather, relax, and of course — grill.  While Memorial day is considered one of the most popular grilling days of the year, only second to the 4^th of July, grill safety is a “hot topic” that may fall under the radar and maintaining proper food safety practices outdoors may pose significant challenges.  However, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it is important to consider your outdoor grill as an extension of your kitchen to ensure proper food safety so that you will be able to enjoy festivities all Memorial weekend long!  As you make plans to kick off the summer grilling season, here are a few tips to make your cookout a big hit — and food safe.

Start squeaky clean: Whether you are using a personal or public grill, ensure that you are starting with a clean surface.  This usually translates to scrubbing down the grill with warm, soapy water and washing away any dirt or grime.  Also ensure that you and your guests are washing hands for at least 20 seconds with warm, soapy water prior to, during and after handling food.  Bacteria can easily transfer from your body to foods and surfaces, which is why it is equally important to wash your hands thoroughly after switching tasks when cooking.

Safely thaw and separate:  Make sure to thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator or in the microwave and not left out on the countertop or by the grill. Raw meats and poultry should be prepared separately from veggies and other cooked foods, as the juices from raw meats contain harmful bacteria that may potentially cross-contaminate the raw and already-cooked foods.  Also don’t forget to use separate cooking utensils such as plates, cutting boards, and grilling utensils when handling raw meat and ready-to-eat foods.  Color coding may be beneficial as a reminder to separate those items used with raw, potentially hazardous foods.

Cook it right: Meat and poultry on the grill often brown quickly and visually appear “done,” however color and juices are not a reliable indicator of “doneness”.  Your food thermometer is the most important tool to verify if your food is thoroughly cooked.  Listed below are proper internal cooking temperatures for some of your grilling favorites:

• Steak, roasts, fish and chops: 145 degrees.  (Allow to sit for at least 3 minutes before carving or consuming)
• Hamburgers: 160 degrees
• Chicken and fully-cooked meats such as hot dogs: 165 degrees

Keep it chill: Keeping food at a safe temperature poses challenges even for the best grill masters, but it is extremely important to remember that bacteria can start to grow on perishable food that has been sitting out too long.  Watch the clock to ensure that you are following proper food safety precautions and you may consider setting out perishable food items in one-hour shifts.  After each shift, place any uneaten, covered food back in the refrigerator set below 40 degrees.  It is important to put all dishes in the refrigerator within two hours of serving and in hot weather (90 degrees or warmer) this time will be reduced to one hour.

Leave leftovers: Leave leftovers in a shallow, airtight container that is two inches deep or less and write the date on the top.  Leftover grilled items have a lifespan of three to four days and after that time frame, toss ‘em.  When in doubt, throw it out to prevent any food-borne illnesses.  If consuming within three to four days, ensure that leftovers are reheated to 165 degrees before serving the second time around.

Be sure to start your grilling and summer season off with these food safety tips!

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=10958
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news/NR_051908_01/index.asp

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke; almost a quarter of strokes occur in people younger than 65. A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked and this lack of blood flow causes damage to portions of the brain, possibly leading to paralysis or weakness on one side of the body, problems with understanding or forming speech, cognitive problems or death. If a stroke is treated quickly the risk for disability and death decreases, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms of stroke.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Stroke

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg—especially on one side of the body.
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

If these symptoms occur seek medical attention immediately as this may reduce the risk for disability or death.

References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke Fact Sheet. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_stroke.htm
Million Hearts. About Heart Disease and Stroke. Available at: http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/abouthds/overview.html
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. NINDS Stroke Information page. Available at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke.htm

Cinco de Mayo has come and gone, but the good news is that it’s salsa month all month long (and let’s be honest, salsa is great all summer long). Unlike a lot of dips, salsa is low calorie and adds a bit of extra veggies to your diet. Choose one of Harmons’ freshly made salsas or make your own for a fresh treat. This week, Jameson, our City Creek pharmacist shared one of his recipes.

Pharmacist Jameson’s California Salsa Recipe
½ medium onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and membranes removed
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 clove of garlic, minced (optional)
3 ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered
3 ripe Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

Place onion, peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, and the quartered tomatoes in a blender. Blend well (15-20 seconds) on low speed. Add the chopped tomatoes. Blend for about 10 seconds on medium speed until salsa reaches desired consistency. Be careful not to over mix (Hint: If your mixture turns soupy, you know you’ve over mixed). Note: A salsa maker works well as does a good knife and skilled hand (if you’re feeling ambitious).

Matt Carlin, a student in the University of Utah’s Master’s Program in Nutrition, is interning with us right now and has been learning from our in-store dietitians and gaining experience in the nutrition field.  He is our guest blogger this week.  He is a natural fit for this blog topic as he has worked as a personal trainer, is a natural body-builder, and is also doing his thesis research in the area of skeletal muscle protein synthesis.  We are enjoying having him on our team and can tell he has a bright future in the field of sports nutrition. 

We generally think of losing weight as being healthy, but gaining lean body mass can be incredibly beneficial to people of all ages and can lead to healthier living.  Strength training can help increase bone mineral density and prevent osteoporosis as well as reduce the risk for injury.  Think you just need to burn calories?  Building muscle can increase the amount of calories you burn both at rest and after a workout.  Additionally, gaining and retaining muscle as we age can lead to increased quality of life and independence as well as prevent falls. To build lean body mass without gaining additional fat, a couple of key nutrition and exercise principles should be followed:

1)  The first principle is to consume enough calories to maintain and gain bodyweight.  The body is an adaptive machine and always tries to maintain balance.  For this reason, the body will not build muscle when it does not receive adequate calories- those calories will be used to maintain other bodily processes.  Only when the body is receiving enough calories to maintain normal bodily processes will it consider using some extra calories to build muscle.  Therefore the most important concept in building muscle is ingesting adequate calories and a little more (300-500 calories) to support the addition of muscle.  The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is a great way to estimate calorie needs. For more information on how this can be determined, please contact one of our dietitians. Continue Reading »

Asparagus isn’t just for Easter dinner! Eat it all spring long (and cook it for your mother). Asparagus contains vitamin C, iron, and folate – all important nutrients for women’s health. Iron is important for red blood cell development and vitamin C helps you absorb it. Folate is especially important for women of childbearing age since it prevents spinal birth defects. Also, 1 cup of asparagus has 3 grams of fiber and only 27 calories.

Serving Tip: Try asparagus cold!

You’ll need:

• Asparagus
• Olive oil
• 1 lemon
• Salt
• Small container of Greek yogurt

Sauté asparagus with a little olive oil on medium-high heat for a couple minutes, until al dente. Splash with juice from half a lemon and a little salt. Transfer to plate to cool. While asparagus is cooling, mix up plain Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of lemon zest and juice from the second half of the lemon. Once asparagus is cool, top with lemon yogurt dip. This makes a great appetizer or finger food.

Need ideas on what to make for mom on Sunday? Chef Kimberly and her son Kole share a couple recipes perfect for Mother’s Day brunch.

Click the image to view the video on KUTV

Strawberry Orange Mascarpone Crepe
Ingredients
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 cup orange slices
8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped to med stiff peek
1 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup sugar
1 package of prepared crepes
Mint sprigs for garnish Continue Reading »

Strawberry Orange Mascarpone Crepe
Chef Kimberly, Harmons Bangerter Crossing Cooking School

Ingredients
2         cups strawberries, sliced
1          cup orange slices
8  oz.  Mascarpone cheese
1 1/2   cup heavy cream, whipped to med stiff peek
1          TBLS . vanilla bean paste
1/4      cup sugar
1          package of prepared crepes
Mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:
In med bowl combined strawberries slices, orange slices and sugar.  (keep some of the strawberries and oranges for garnishing)
Set aside and allow to marinate.
Combined mascarpone and vanilla bean paste, mix until smooth.
Fold in 1/2 of the whipped cream. Then fold in strawberries and oranges.
Lay out prepared crepe. Spoon filling on 1/3 of crepe then roll up.
Lay in baking pan and repeat with all crepe shells.
Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, just to warm slightly.
Serve with a dollop or two of whipped cream, a strawberry, three orange slices and mint sprig.

May is National High Blood Pressure Awareness Month. High blood pressure is estimated to affect 1 in every 3 adults in the United States. When left uncontrolled, it contributes to many health problems including stroke, heart disease, kidney damage, vision loss, and memory loss. High blood pressure is treatable both through medication and lifestyle modifications such as the DASH diet, weight management, exercise and smoking cessation. As high blood pressure often has no symptoms, make it a priority to have your blood pressure checked this month. If you do find that your blood pressure is high, take immediate steps toward blood pressure reduction both through medication (if your doctor finds this necessary) and lifestyle modifications. If you would like help planning a healthy diet following a plan such as the DASH diet (which has been shown to be effective at reducing blood pressure) or would like more information on this topic, contact one of your Harmons’ Dietitians.

Laura, Registered Dietitian

A busy week culminated late yesterday afternoon in a mess of frustration, stress, and an overall no-good-very-bad mood.  So I did what I had been putting off all week – I jumped on my bike and rode up Emigration Canyon.  Just what I needed.  I left as a grumpy pants and came back 90 minutes later cheery and refreshed.  Magic, right?

Well, depending on your definition of magic, yes.  Exercise has been shown to improve mood and reduce depression in multiple studies over the last few decades.  One study measured the mood of 80 dance class participants before and after an hour long class.  The researchers found that exercise improved mood—especially in those who had depressed feelings before the class.

Feeling moody and down after a long day or week is one thing, but the benefits of exercise goes even farther.  It may also improve symptoms of clinical depression.  A 2009 review article concluded that exercise can be as effective as anti-depressive medications and cognitive behavior therapy (counseling).  This is great news, but please talk to your doctor about the best care plan for you.

To decrease symptoms of depression and enhance mood, 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week is recommended by The Institute of Clinical Symptoms.  Notice that this is in line with the recommendations for general health and prevention of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.  Also, any exercise is beneficial (even if it is broken up into 10 minutes segments), but a mix of aerobic and resistance exercise is most effective.  Meditative type exercise such as tai chi and yoga also works.

How exercise improves mood is less clear.  The Mayo Clinic suggests these factors are behind exercise’s mood-enhancing effects:

• Releases “feel-good” brain chemicals such as neurotransmitters and endorphins.
• Increases body temperature which may help calm us down.
• Helps us gain confidence.
• Distracts us from our worries and things that cause us anxiety.
• Offers an opportunity for social interaction (if you exercise with others).
• Provides a healthy way to cope with negative feelings.

This is just another reason to stop sulking and thinking up more excuses.  Get out there and move!  Your body and mind (and maybe your family and friends too) will thank you.

References:
Lane, AM and Lovejoy, DJ.  The effects of exercise on mood changes: the moderating effect of depressed mood. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2001; 41:539-45.
Mead GE, et al. Exercise for depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009; CD004366
http://www.jfponline.com/Pages.asp?AID=8921
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6217a2.htm?s_cid=mm6217a2_w

Bob and Randy joined Chef Evan in the City Creek Cooking School kitchen this morning and got their Cinco de Mayo party started a little early. Chef Evan showed us how to make fish tacos with jicama slaw and a delicious Tres Leches Cake.

There’s no describing Bob and Randy’s “festiveness” – you just have to watch. Make sure you watch all three segments to catch the three recipes and get the full Bob and Randy effect.

Click the image to watch video on KSL

Fish Tacos

Jicama Slaw Continue Reading »