Every once in a while I hear someone mention that they have either fasted or gone on a restricted diet to “detox” — and, of course, to lose a lot of weight relatively quickly. Is this a good practice? Is it safe?
You’re right to be skeptical. Any diet that promises a quick fix, encourages a severe restriction of calories, advises you to eat only certain foods or requires that foods be eaten only in specific combinations screams “fad diet.”
Detox diets claim to “detoxify” the body, allowing toxins and contaminants that have accumulated over time to flush out. You can find many versions of the detox diet, but they usually start with a very low calorie fast followed by drinking juice and eating small amounts of fresh produce. Many detox diets...
My mother-in-law gave me her pressure canner, and I’m hoping to do some canning for the first time this year. How should I prepare?
One of the best resources for beginner and experienced canners alike is the National Center for Home Food Preservation, hosted by the University of Georgia, http://nchfp.uga.edu.
The site offers free access to many reliable sources of canning information, including the ability to download the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Complete Guide to Home Canning. (Note: You can also purchase a spiral-bound printed version of the USDA guide for $18 from the Education Store of Purdue Extension, https://mdc.itap.purdue.edu/.)
Ohio State University Extension also offers food preservation information: go to http://ohioline.osu.edu, click on “Food,...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When Lea Richards first stepped into the pilot food processing plant of Ohio State University's Food Industries Center, she was taken aback.
"I was really amazed at the breadth of equipment that you have under one roof," said Richards, owner and operator of Pig of the Month BBQ. "There's all kinds of kettles, fryers, canning equipment, ovens for baking, a huge popcorn popper.
"It's a great way to get your feet wet if you're just starting out in the business, before you spend a ton of money."
The pilot plant Richards used when starting her business is one of two such plants in The Wilbur A. Gould Food Industries Center, part of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
The center supports the...
I’m interested in eating more healthfully and hopefully losing a few pounds, but I don’t want to track everything I eat or count calories. Do you have any general tips that could help?
Many people do find that keeping a food log helps them lose weight, but if you’re not interested in doing that right now, yes, of course you can take other steps. Here are some tips:
The Harvard Medical School suggests cutting back on carbohydrates, particularly from sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks and from refined-carbohydrate foods, including many types of bread, cereal, pasta, snack foods, and French fries and other types of fried potatoes. Instead, choose water or unsweetened beverages, and whole-grain foods that offer fiber and other...
I’m a new mom, and I always thought I would enjoy reading to my baby from day one. But I find I feel silly reading to him (he’s now 6 weeks old), because it’s obvious he doesn’t yet understand the story. Should I keep at it, or wait until he’s older?
Early childhood experts say it’s never too early to begin reading to your infant.
Especially at this early stage, you don’t need to worry about reading for long periods of time — even a few minutes is OK.
The important thing is to find different ways to stimulate your son’s understanding of language. Talking, singing and reading aloud, as well as using other sounds, facial expressions and gestures, will help provide a solid foundation for communication and literacy.
Many experts...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Millions of American children will soon be going to summer camp. But before committing their children's time and their own pocketbook to the experience, parents should ask a few questions to help make sure their kids will be happy campers.
Joshua Kirby, Ohio State University Extension specialist in 4-H older youth and camping, said parents should consider a number of things when deciding whether this year will be the one to send junior to camp for the first time. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
"If a parent has concerns that their child isn't ready to be with other camp members, that gut feeling is the best evaluation that could be had," Kirby...
I recently noticed that my favorite fast-food restaurant lists the calories of what I’m eating on the wrapper. I was shocked at how high the calories were. Is it just me, or are most people unaware of how many calories are in fast food?
It’s not just you. Many people are blissfully unaware of how many calories they consume, particularly when they eat out.
And that can be a large portion of the diet, considering that about half of Americans’ food dollars are spent on meals prepared outside the home.
Some restaurants already include calorie counts on their menus, which could help people like you who want to make better choices. Unfortunately, though, the implementation of a 2010 federal law requiring any restaurant or other food-service operation that has 20 or more...
A colleague mentioned he got really sick after a cookout last year. What are the most important things to remember regarding food safety when grilling out this season?
No one really wants to think about food poisoning when they're enjoying the outdoors and grilling food. But food safety is just as important to keep in mind whether you're in the kitchen, at your backyard barbecue or grilling food at the company picnic.
The U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service offers great guidance in "Grilling Food Safety 101" online at http://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/grillingsafety.html. And, Ohio State University Extension offers more tips in a new video online at http://go.osu.edu/grillsafe.
Food safety specialists say it's especially important to make sure meat is cooked...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As concern about antibiotic-resistant organisms grows, an Ohio State University researcher has identified a potentially critical cause for their proliferation: the widespread use of oral antibiotics.
Taking antibiotics orally exposes the microflora in the digestive system to those medicines, and this exposure in itself could be a significant cause of the increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria seen, according to a new study by Hua Wang, associate professor of food science and technology with the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and postdoctoral research associate Lu Zhang.
The pair presented the findings at the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology this week in Denver.
Their study, "Antibiotic Administration Routes...
Friends tell us they get good deals with credit card rewards programs, so we’re starting to investigate possibly signing up for one. What questions should we ask? We always pay our credit card bills in full every month.
Credit card rewards programs can indeed offer a welcome bonus simply for using credit as you normally do.
But there could be some pitfalls, so you’re wise to not just jump into something like this without asking questions first. Keep in mind that any bonus will quickly be negated if you overspend or carry a balance on your card from month to month.
It’s great that you always pay your credit card bills in full. That way you avoid finance charges on any outstanding balance. Even if the interest on your card it relatively low, the extra charges can add up...
I can easily find information about nutrition online, but I'm not certain how to tell if it's reliable. Are there good sources I can trust?
There are plenty of sources of trustworthy nutrition information online -- too many to try to list here. But perhaps even more important is learning for yourself how to evaluate information you find on the Web.
Several good sources provide guidance on that. Here are some tips from the National Institutes of Health in its "MedlinePlus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing" (http://bit.ly/hlthyweb) and from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) in its Complete Food and Nutrition Guide (Fourth Edition, 2012):
First, find details about the source of information. Look for an "about us"...
PIEDMONT, Ohio -- When Dick and Kaye Clay were approached by a shale energy representative about possibly leasing a portion of their Harrison County land, Kaye Clay knew where to turn for guidance.
She had previously worked for the Guernsey County office of Ohio State University Extension and was familiar with a fact sheet that Extension educator Clif Little had written in 2008, "Leasing Farmland for Oil and Gas Production" (online at http://ohioline.osu.edu/als-fact/). OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State University's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
"Knowledge is gold," Kaye Clay said. "I thought I knew a few things about oil and gas development, but I didn't know a fraction. That's where Extension comes...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Three "Grow Your Own" workshops are scheduled for May through July in Columbus to help people interested in raising chickens, bees and produce in urban environments. The workshops are free and are sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, Local Matters and the Godman Guild.
OSU Extension is the outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
All workshops are held at the Godman Guild, 303 E. 6th St., Columbus. Participants are asked to RSVP by emailing localmattersintern@gmail.com.
The workshops are:
Chickens 101, May 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Speaker Rachel Tayse Baulliel will discuss housing, health and nutrition needs of backyard chickens.
Keeping Bees in the City, June 15, 9 a.m.-noon. The Central Ohio...
I’ve been trying to lose some weight, but lately I’ve been eating out a lot, both for business and pleasure. How can I keep eating healthfully at restaurants?
It can be a challenge to keep calories under control when eating out. Portion sizes tend to be big, and, if nutrition information isn’t available, items that sound healthful on the menu may not be so in reality.
However, with a little planning and determination, you can stay on track and keep shedding pounds, even while dining out. Here are a few tips:
If you know where you’ll be eating, look online for a menu to review ahead of time. This will help in case you find yourself caught up in conversation and not able to study the menu carefully once you get to the restaurant.
While you’re online,...
Some people at work keep their frozen food entrees in the refrigerator until lunchtime, even though the packages say they should remain frozen until heating. Is this safe?
No, you can’t assume that it is. Frozen food entrees and snack items carry safe food handling and cooking instructions designed to prevent foodborne illness. Consumers should follow these instructions carefully.
Most frozen convenience foods are not ready-to-eat and must be properly cooked first. Some people think freezing food will destroy bacteria that can cause illness, but that’s not true. Freezing temperatures can prevent or slow bacteria from multiplying, but they’re not dead. And they can raise their ugly head when you heat the food and put it in your mouth.
It’s uncommon for frozen...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- Every year, an estimated one in six Americans gets sick from foodborne illness. Three thousand of them die.
Those statistics are frustrating for Lydia Medeiros and Jeff LeJeune. The researchers are among a half-dozen go-to experts on food safety at Ohio State University. They've dedicated their careers to learning about disease-causing pathogens and getting the word out to let people know how they can protect themselves.
But telling people what to do is quite different than people actually doing it.
"Apparently, beating people over the head with data doesn't work," said LeJeune, a microbiologist with Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
That's why these educators are studying techniques from the fields of...
I always used to use romaine lettuce for salads, but recently I switched to a spring mix and I love it. What can you tell me about other types of greens for fresh salads?
This is a great time of year to start exploring a wider variety of fresh greens. If you’re adventurous, you can even plant a few varieties and grow your own -- leafy greens are cool-season crops and thrive in early and mid-spring.
But even if you’re not interested in developing a green thumb, exploring new types of lettuce can add variety and interest to your salads.
Iceberg lettuce is still the most widely available and most popular type of lettuce. It’s not hard to see why: It tends to last longer in the refrigerator than other types of lettuce, and adds a good crunch to the salad bowl. But it has...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- Produce growers and other interested parties from across Ohio will attend a listening session April 30 about the Food and Drug Administration's proposed new food safety rules for produce.
"We encourage people to to register in advance, but walk-ins are welcome," said Ashley Kulhanek, an educator with Ohio State University Extension, which is the outreach arm of Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
In addition to growers who may be concerned about how the new rules will affect their farm operations, the session will be of interest to grocery store buyers and other wholesale buyers of fruits and vegetables, and anyone interested in farm practices that can decrease the risk of foodborne illness from...
We have a teenage daughter who seems to be withdrawing. We barely talk. I’m worried about what will happen when she deals with a stressful situation. If we can’t talk about everyday stuff, how will we talk when it’s really important?
Communicating with teenagers, whether they’re girls or boys, can feel like an exercise in frustration. But it doesn’t have to be. And you’re right, the better you are at communicating with each other on a normal, day-to-day basis, the easier it will be to talk about serious issues when they arise.
First, you should realize that it’s perfectly normal for teens to withdraw emotionally from their parents. The teen years are when people develop a sense of independence and self-awareness. At the same time, teens need to...
I’m trying to add more fiber in my diet, but I’m not sure how much I need or if it matters what type of fiber it is. Can you fill me in?
The amount of fiber you need varies a bit, depending on your age and gender.
The 2010 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans lists these goals for adults:
Ages 19 to 30: 28 grams per day for women; 34 grams for men.
Ages 31 to 50: 25 grams for women; 31 grams for men.
Ages 51 and older: 22 grams for women, 28 grams for men.
Unfortunately, most Americans don’t get nearly enough fiber. And that’s too bad, because research continues to show fiber’s benefits.
For example, a study published online in advance of the May 2013 issue of the journal Stroke indicates that for every 7-gram increase in daily fiber...
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For most kids, summer means a well-deserved extended break from school.
"But it's so important to continue STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in the summer -- but to do it in a fun, hands-on way outside of the classroom," said Sally McClaskey, program coordinator with Ohio State University Extension's 4-H Youth Development program.
That's why she is coordinating two science camps for kids this summer -- a day camp and an overnight camp.
Both will be hosted at Ohio State's Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Drive, and are part of the science, technology, engineering and math offerings by OSU Extension's 4-H program. OSU Extension is the outreach arm of the College of Food,...
A few weeks ago, I soaked some dry kidney beans to prepare them for some chili. My sister told me that before adding them to the chili, I should boil them to make sure the beans wouldn’t make us sick. I did, but was that really necessary?
You’ve got a knowledgeable sister. Many people don’t know the risk posed by dry red kidney beans when they’re not cooked properly.
The problem isn’t bacteria, but something called “phytohaemagglutinin,” also called PHA, or kidney bean lectin. Lectin is a type of protein that performs all sorts of functions in both plants and animals. But some types of lectin, including this one, can be toxic at high levels.
If this lectin isn’t destroyed by thorough cooking, you’ll be sorry. According to the U.S....
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Big 10 may not have prevailed in the national college basketball championship, but today The Ohio State University was named national champion in the second annual Environmental March Madness tournament.
The competition is sponsored by Enviance Inc. in partnership with GreenBiz Group and Qualtrics.
Organizers said Ohio State's demonstrated excellence in environmental academics and sustainability, as well as outstanding student and faculty engagement in the tournament, were the reasons it beat out three other universities in the tournament's "Finest Four": Colorado State University, George Mason University and the University of Washington.
"We are very excited to be recognized as national champion and are especially proud of our exceptional...
What does vitamin D do? How much of it do we need?
Vitamin D plays a wide variety of roles. For one thing, it helps the body absorb calcium, which builds strong bones and prevents osteoporosis. Vitamin D’s effect is significant: If you don’t get enough, your body absorbs only 10 to 15 percent of the calcium you consume. With vitamin D, absorption jumps to 30 to 40 percent.
In addition, muscles, nerves, the immune system and many other bodily functions all require vitamin D to do their jobs properly.
The recommended amount of vitamin D for most people is 600 IU (international units) per day. Infants up to 12 months need less, 400 IU, and adults 71 or older need more, 800 IU.
How do you know if you’re getting enough? It’s not easy. Fortunately, nearly all milk in...
WOOSTER, Ohio -- A listening session is scheduled for April 30 to hear comments and concerns about the U.S Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed new food safety rules for fresh produce.
The session will be 1 to 4 p.m. in the Shisler Conference Center on the Wooster campus of Ohio State University's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), 1680 Madison Ave. OARDC is the research arm of Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. The program is being hosted by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio State, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio Farm Bureau.
"The FDA is coming here because they want to hear from Ohio’s produce growers," said Ashley Kulhanek, agriculture and natural resource educator...
