Sensitive Living

Here are some plant food alternatives to animal protein. You can use them to devise a diet that will help you lose weight without compromising bone health.

Almonds. A cup of dry, roasted, unsalted almonds contains about 30 grams of protein and very low amounts of cholesterol and sodium.
Tofu. Tofu is rich in both protein and calcium. From three ounces of tofu, you get about 20 grams of protein and about 170 milligrams of calcium.

Oatmeal. A cup of oatmeal yields around six grams of protein. Oatmeal is also low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol and sodium. It is good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, and selenium, and a very good source of manganese.

Spinach. There may be more to Popeye and spinach than a cartoonist’s tale. A cup of boiled and drained spinach has about five grams of protein. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and a good source dietary and other important minerals and vitamins.

Green peas. A cup of boiled green peas contains about nine grams of protein. Green peas provide a number of essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and a very low saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

With floods, bad weather, and possible power cuts around the country, health issues associated with food in the home become crucial. Here are some tips to prevent food-borne illnesses during emergencies.

Food storage

• Eat perishables such as bread and meat first, which spoil faster.

• Eat canned foods last.

• Minimize food spoilage by opening the fridge only when needed.

• Get rid of vegetables or fruits that have been lying in floodwaters.

• Cover foods with plastic wrap or store them in waterproof containers.

• Throw out rotting or tainted food before it spoils other food.

Food safety

• Frozen food that retains ice crystals and has undamaged or unopened packaging can be safely refrozen.

• Defrosted foods can be used if they were only recently defrosted and were kept cold (i.e., if the fridge is working again).

• Dispose of any food that changed color, is slimy, or smells.

• Throw away damaged and punctured cans or tins with split seams.

Many weight-loss programs propose changes in the propositions of the three main food groups–proteins, fats and carbohydrates. How effective are these programs? The Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, placed 811 overweight adults on four different diets over a two-year period. The diets contained varying percentage of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.

After six months, all four diet groups averaged a six-kilogram weight loss, or 7 percent of their original weight, which ever diet they were on. All again began to regain weight after 12 months. After two years, the average weight loss was about four kilograms for all groups. Earlier studies had claimed that higher protein intake reduced appetite and sustained muscle mass better during weight loss. The Harvard researchers’ conclusion: A diet program’s benefits result from the degree to which people stick with them, not from any specified energy reduction formula.