HAPPY HOLIDAYS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We wish everyone a safe, healthy, and happy holiday!

Remember it doesn't matter what you eat or how you train between Christmas and New Years.

It matters how you eat and train between New Years and Christmas!

All the best for 2010! YOU win in 2010!

Recipe Of The Week!

Jules Basic Guacamole

2-3 RIPE avocados (if you do not know how to pick out a ripe avocado, google it, or ask your friendly produce person)

(Here is where you could just add a few scoops of the above mentioned salsa, and be done with it, or you could hand chop the ingredients as follows for a more rustic guac)

Juice of 1-2 limes
About 1 tablespoon of cilantro (more or less to taste)
About 2 tablespoons chopped onion (red or white)
1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 roma tomato, deseeded and chopped
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
A little sprinkle of cumin (optional)


Mash all together with a fork. If you are making earlier in the day and serving later, take plastic wrap and place it directly on the guac. This will help prevent browning. We personally LOVE to add some adobo sauce (the sauce contained in chipotles in adobo) for some extra zing.

Vegan Recipe Of The Week!

“Livesagna”

Ingredients:
1) 4 to 6 oz. sun-dried tomatoes
2) 2 to 3 fresh tomatoes
3) Fresh Italian Herbs, such as basil or oregano, to taste
4) 1 tsp Himalayan salt
5) 1 Tbsp. olive oil
6) 1 soft date, pitted
7) 3 to 5 garlic cloves
8) 1 to 2 cups of pine nuts, macadamias, or Brazil nut
9) 2 bunches of spinach leaves

Sauces:
Blend sun-dried tomatoes with fresh tomatoes, herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, olive oil, date,
2 to 3 cloves garlic

Cheese:
Process or blend nuts, 1/2 tsp sea salt and 2 to 3 cloves garlic. Allow to remain slightly chunky.

Directions:
In a glass dish, layer spinach leaves, sauce(can add shredded carrot, zucchini and red bell peppers as layers or in to the sauce), then cheese. Dehydrate for 1 hour until warm.

Recipe Time!!

Steamed broccoli can get really old really quickly. Aside from doing some sort of saute' or stir fry, have you ever tried roasting your broccoli? Roasting intensifies flavors, also adding a bit of near carmelization to the veggie. Good stuff I say! And added benefit of broccoli and cauliflower are the many nutrients contained, and the low caloric value (1c. of broccoli is only 54cal, 1c. cauliflower is about 38).

Give this one a shot with broccoli (or cauliflower is great too). Oven roasting veggies is a great way to cook up a bunch of veggies at one time without having to stand over the stove stirring something.

Oven roasted broccoli (for cauliflower I suggest dropping the temperature by 25-50 degrees, and no need to peel the stalk of the cauliflower)

Ingredients
1 large head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced or crushed
Ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving

Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Cut crowns into 4 wedges if 3-4 inches in diameter or 6 wedges if 4-5 inches in diameter. Place broccoli in large bowl; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with pepper and garlic to taste and toss to combine.

2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

FYI - cauliflower usually cooks best if you first cover it with aluminum foil for about the first 5-10 minutes of cooking, then flip pieces over and cook another 5 or so until done.

10 Nutrition Myths That Won't Die!

Old myths die hard. And when it comes to diet and health, the misconceptions are endless. Some myths have been around for decades ("vitamin C prevents colds"), while others are relatively new ("drink green tea to ward off cancer"). And, with all that conflicting research out there, it's hard to know what to believe and what not to believe.

Granted, it's not that these beliefs are dead wrong. More often, they're promising theories that are backed by too little evidence. Or they're outdated ideas that have crumpled under the weight of recent research. Today we'll look at the first 5 assumptions that people rarely question.

1. Soy foods prevent breast cancer - Most women will do whatever they can to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Maybe that's why they're so willing to believe that the plant estrogens (phytoestrogens) in soy can keep the disease at bay. Yet so far, the evidence is weak.

Researchers in the Netherlands recently reviewed 13 studies -- largely from China and Japan -- that looked at soy and the risk of breast cancer (Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 77: 171, 2003). "Overall, results do not show protective effects, with the exception maybe for women who consume phytoestrogens at adolescence or at very high doses," concludes Petra Peeters of the University Medical Center in Utrecht.

The bottom line: It's still too early to say whether soy -- or other phytoestrogens -- might protect the breast.

What about prostate cancer and hot flashes? Soy's impact on the risk of prostate cancer is still muddy, in part because most Americans eat too little soy for studies to detect any lower risk. However, researchers have tested soy's impact on PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels, with mixed results.

In a recent study, soy grits (about 2 ounces a day) lowered PSA by 13% in eight men with prostate cancer (Urology 64: 510, 2004). In studies on healthy men, though, PSA didn't budge (Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev. 13: 644, 2004). And experts are now questioning whether small changes in PSA levels matter.

As for hot flashes, so far, well-designed studies have found that soy (or plant estrogens from supplements like red clover) has little impact on hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause. Researchers at the University of Minnesota recently examined 20 trials on menopause and soy foods, beverages, powders, or extracts. Nearly all came up empty (Obstet. Gynecol. 104: 824, 2004).

"The available evidence suggests that phytoestrogens available as soy foods, soy extracts, and red clover extracts do not improve hot flushes or other menopausal symptoms," conclude Minnesota's Erin Krebs and colleagues.

The bottom line: Soy foods do seem to lower cholesterol, so they may help protect your heart. But whether they do more is a question mark.

2. Olive is the healthiest oil

Fish oil is probably the healthiest, but you can't pour it on your salad or cook with it. Olive is certainly one of the good oils. Whether it's the best is unclear.

"Canola is probably better than olive oil because it's lower in saturated fat," says Alice Lichtenstein of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston. "What's more, canola has more polyunsaturated fat than olive oil, "and polys lower LDL ['bad' cholesterol] more than monos."

So why not stick with soy and canola? Both have more of a polyunsaturated fat called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than olive. ALA is an omega-3 fat that may help lower the risk of heart disease. But if preliminary studies hold up, ALA may also raise (slightly) the risk of prostate cancer. Right now that's a big if.

And there are other ways to cut back on ALA. "Red meat and dairy fat are also sources of ALA, and they have been more consistently related to higher prostate cancer risk," says Ed Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Our advice: at home, switch off between canola and olive.

4. If your blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure aren't high, you don't have to worry.

Even before you hit "high," you hit trouble. Your risk of a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes doesn't jump from low to high when your number crosses a sharp cutoff. It's gradual. That's why experts keep ratcheting down what's "normal." For example:

Blood sugar. In April 2004, the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) announced that 40% of U.S. adults have "pre-diabetes," which means their fasting blood sugar is between 100 and 125. (Over 125 is diabetes.) Using the old cutoff (110), only 20% of adults had pre-diabetes.

Blood pressure. In May 2003, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) declared that an estimated 22 million Americans have pre-hypertension -- that is, blood pressure over 120 (systolic) or over 80 (diastolic). (Another 25% have hypertension, or high blood pressure, which starts at 140 over 90.)

Triglycerides. Triglycerides under 200 used to be "normal." Now normal ends at 150, and "borderline high" ranges from 150 to 200, says the NHLBl.

HDL ("good") cholesterol. The lower your HDL, the higher your risk of heart disease. "Low" used to be 35 or below. Now it's 40 or below (for men) and 50 or below (for women).

LDL ("bad") cholesterol. A "borderline high" LDL is 130 to 160. But 129 isn't ideal. So NHLBI now makes it clear that only LDLs under 100 are "optimal." An LDL between 100 and 129 is "above optimal."

Why do the numbers keep shifting? Studies show that people in that gray area between "low" and "high" are at risk. Take blood sugar. Many people with pre-diabetes go on to develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. But not if they do something about it.

"Research has clearly shown that losing 5% to 7% of body weight through diet and increased physical activity can prevent or delay pre-diabetes from progressing to type 2 diabetes," explains NIDDK director Allen Spiegel. "The emphasis has shifted from treatment to prevention," says Tufts's Alice Lichtenstein. And most people can prevent illness with diet, exercise, or other lifestyle changes.

5. People gain a lot of weight over the holidays.

Office parties, neighborhood gatherings, family celebrations -- from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, most Americans are surrounded by luscious, tempting, irresistible food. So the conventional wisdom -- that most of us start the new year about 5 pounds heavier -- seems reasonable. Reasonable but not necessarily true.

In 2000, researchers tracked 200 people from late September to early March, and, in some cases, into June (New Eng. J. Med. 342: 861, 2000). On average, they gained only about a pound during the holidays. But that doesn't mean you can live it up from turkey to eggnog:

• You might not lose what you gained. In the study, most people lost little weight after the holidays, whether they tried to or not. And 1 pound is half of what the average person gains in a year. Those 2 pounds may not seem like much, but after 10 years, they could easily move you from trim to chubby.


• You may not be average. Among the overweight or obese participants in the study, 14% gained more than 5 pounds. What's more, the participants may not be typical.

"The study followed employees of the National Institutes of Health, an upscale, professional, health-conscious bunch if ever there was one," notes Susan Roberts of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

"Weight gain is a likely consequence of overindulgence," she cautions. "It's always easier to overeat than to lose weight, because our bodies don't seem to count a few thousand extra calories, but start screaming hunger if we cut a few thousand."

• Source: Nutrition Action Health Letter (remaining myths to come in a day or two...)

Recipe Day!! - Breakfast & Lunch!

Cheese Pancakes (yum!)

4 pancakes

Makes 8 pancakes total.

Ingredients:

¼ cup flour

1 cup 2% cottage cheese

1 cup egg substitute

2 Tsp. canola oil

2 cups mixed berries - divided

Instructions:

Mix up and pour onto griddle to cook. Top each serving with 1 cup of mixed berries. May be sweetened with 1 tablespoon agave syrup.

Wicked Good Chicken Salad (great name!)

(Makes 3, protein wraps)

Ingredients:

1 Can of All White Meat Chicken In Water (12oz)

½ Avocado Diced

½ Tomato Diced

2 Tbsp Diced Onion

1 clove of Garlic, Diced

1 Tbsp Mustard

Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste

Green Leaf Lettuce (optional)

Instructions:

Open and Drain Chicken. Rinse Chicken under water to help remove salt. Add all ingredients into mixing bowl and mix until all ingredients are blended together. Wrap the chicken salad in the lettuce, low carb wrap, or small pita. Balance with a side salad and a piece of fruit. Eat and enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner.

What Type Are You?

It's easier than ever to eat healthy. But with so many smart philosophies out there, it's not always easy to find the right approach for you. Here's how four top athletes get the fuel they need...

The Locavore - If you've ever compared a tomato ripe off the vine with one of those mealy, mass-produced, flavorless ones, you know the superior taste that just-picked food delivers. The locavore aims to capture that flavor difference and promote sustainable, community-based agriculture by favoring "low-mileage" foods over ones that have traveled long distances to arrive at your plate.

The Omnivore - At the core of the omnivore's philosophy is this fact: As long as you don't overindulge, no food is off limits. That means food some might consider forbidden, such as red meat, cheese and oils, are part of the ominvore's diet - in moderation. Allowing yourself a range of options is the strategy of this eater.

The Vegetarian - When it comes to being a vegetarian, there are a few hard and fast rules. Some eat no animal products at all, while others may eat dairy, eggs or fish. Regardless of where you draw the line, a vegetarian diet can provide healthy fuel for athletes. Studies show that vegetarians have a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. They also tend to be leaner than meat eaters. Just be sure you're getting these four crucial nutrients: iron, calcium, Vitamin B12 and Omega-3 fatty acids.

The Foodie - In the world of the "Foodie," eating is an experience to be savored - from selecting top-notch ingredients, to cooking the meal, to relishing each bite. It's about slowing down and taking the time to cook and try new things. When you get pleasure out of food, you slow down and are more satisfied - meaning you eat less. Just be sure you try new foods to ensure a healthy balance, use spices to add more health benefits and focus on quality of food, not quantity.

Which one describes your style of eating? Or, do you have one of your own you'd like to share? Enligten us!

Famed Fruits...And Why They Are

Cherries

Why: Delicious, sweet and oh-so-low in calories.

Health Perks: Fifteen cherries have only 64 calories and more than 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin C. They are also rich in vitamin E, contain two grams of fiber and are a good source of potassium, magnesium, iron and folate.

Cherries contain a pigment called anthocyanin (responsible for their color), an antioxidant linked to a variety of health benefits including reduction of risk for heart disease and cancer. Additionally, cherries are one of the few food sources of melatonin, shown to aid in sleep.

Nutrition: Serving size: 15 cherries (102g), calories 64, total fat 0.2g cholesterol 0mg, sodium 0mg, total carbohydrate 16.3g, dietary fiber 2.1g, sugars 13.1g, protein 1.1g.

Seek Out: High-quality cherries are firm and dark red, with bright, lustrous, plump-looking surfaces and fresh-looking stems.

Avoid: Soft, shriveled or blemished cherries. Green also suggests avoiding dark or brittle stems.

Storage: Remove any that are soft or split, says Green. Then refrigerate. Check the fruit occasionally and remove any that have gone bad. You can freeze cherries (with or without pits) by rinsing and draining them thoroughly, spreading them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and placing them in the freezer.

Interesting: Seventy percent of the cherries grown come from four states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah).

Your Continued Monthly Eating Guide...

Most fruits and vegetables are available year-round. Buy in-season, however, and you get produce at its peak of flavor and nutritional value. Here's a guide to what's in season and at its peak for the next few months...

April

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Salad greens (radicchio, mache)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Richly colored, non-wilted leaves

REAP THE BENEFITS: A two-cup serving supplies more than 400 percent of for vitamin A, 100 percent of folate, and a wealth of minerals, such as magnesium and potassium

May

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Strawberries

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Deep-red fruit, without mushy or spoiled spots; smaller are often sweeter

REAP THE BENEFITS: One cup fulfills your daily vitamin C needs and contains the cancer-fighters ellagic acid and anthocyanins.

June

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Apricots

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Rich orange-colored fruit that is slightly soft, indicating tree-ripened

REAP THE BENEFITS: Three apricots pack more than half of the DV for vitamin A, 15 percent of fiber, and tons of potassium.

Boot campers! Welcome to Rialto Boot Camp and to the Nutrition Blog. We try to give you the latest and most informative news about nutrition and how to fuel your body for optimal performance during your workouts. But we are always open to new ideas and, of course, questions. If you have any tips, blog ideas or questions about nutrition, please feel free to post them here. We'll try to get back to you as soon as we can! Good luck in BC!

Eat Right Fitness Flash!!

Use your UFOs! - Do you have a UFO (underutilized food object) in your fridge? Trying to figure out whether to toss it or make some strange concoction that might turn out very wrong? Why not try the recipe search tool at CookThink.com? Type in the food or spice and the tool will create a list of recipes that include that item. Whip it up without worry because all of the site's recipes have been kitchen-tested.

Cuisine cure - Many of you are battling the cold and flu bug that are going around, or you may be just getting over an illness. You may not feel ike chowing down when you're sick, but your body needs food to get well, research from USF in Tampa shows. Cutting food intake by 30 percent made the immune systems of mice less effective at battling germs, the study showed. If the only thing you can handle is soup, spoon it up!

Go green! Sipping green tea may help you bounce back after a tough workout. Taking in the equivalent of three cups a day reduced cell damage from resistance exercise, a study in the journal of Nutrition reports. Brew a fresh mug to get the most antioxidants.

Weight worries :( - Feeling fat could be as bad for you as actually being overweight, note researchers from Columbia University in NYC. Stressing about your size may increase levels of brain chemicals linked to diabetes and high blood pressure - the same conditions obese people are more likely to face. To be healthy, focus on eating right rather than making weight loss the sole goal.

Get Dressed Up!

Salad bars have sprouted up everywhere these days - from urban street corners to posh, "green" restaurants that also serve wine and cheese. Growing demand for healthy, unprocessed food has spurred a huge growth in supermarket sales of salads, as well - especially pre-bagged leafy greens and accompaniments.

The popular ingredients of salads - from tomatoes, red peppers and shredded carrots to arugula and watercress - are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They provide fiber that keeps our systems functioning. And they are rich in antioxidants, particularly carotenoids.

So, what could possibly be wrong with this development? For one thing, many salad savorers think they are doing themselves a favor by opting for dressings with low or not fat, or no dressing at all. The truth is that you need some fat to extract the nutrients from salads, especially those carotenoid antioxidants. At the other extreme are those who take their salads with prepared or commercial dressing. But most of those dressings, even in health food stores, are made with inferior and even unhealthy fats.

The secret to good salad dressing is a good oil. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is, literally, the gold standard. Nut oils - walnut oil, hazelnut oil - are delicious too, with a more delicate flavor. Commercial dressings almost invariably rely on cheap soy oil, which - aside from its tastelessness - oversupplies mega-6 fats to bodies and brains that need omega-3 fats instead. So, turn over a new leaf and start preparing your own salad dressings!

Here is one that takes about two minutes to prepare and you could add tons of extra(curry paste, blue cheese, using sesame oil instead)...

Basic Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 1/2 cup EVOO, 3 Tbsp. quality balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar or fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. powdered mustard, 1 tsp. sugar or sugar substitute and salt and pepper to taste.

Directions: Put dry ingredients in small bowl or jar. Add a few drops of oil and mix to a paste, then stir in the rest of the oil. Add vinegar or lemon juice. Stir well to mix and then shake. Refrigerate after using.

Hmmmm...Bedtime Strawberry Delight!

Super Easy Bedtime Strawberry Delight

Ingredients:

1 cup Frozen Sliced Strawberries

½ packet Splenda

¼ cup 2% cottage cheese or skim ricotta

Fat Free Whip Cream

Instructions:

Place Frozen Sliced Strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle just a dash of splenda on top. Place it in the Microwave for 30 seconds then take out mix together, add cottage cheese or rictta and put a dollop of Fat Free Whip Cream on top. If you prefer to not have them a little frozen and more like room temperate then place back into the microwave for 15-20 more seconds. It’s a delicious way to end a great day!

Boot campers! If you have any recipes or tips on eating that you'd like to share, we'd love to hear about 'em!

Eat Like An Olympian

By Aaron Brock - Head Athletic Trainer for U.S. Men's Olympic Volleyball Team

While many factors need to be considered when discussing an athlete's performance-- nutrition is among the most important variables. Research clearly demonstrates the beneficial effects of good nutrition on athletic performance. Here are some simple ways to work good nutrition into your daily life.

1. Devour Breakfast!

Your mother was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't start the day with an empty fuel tank. The Men's Olympic Volleyball Team practices every morning and lifts weights in the afternoon. If the players don't eat an adequate breakfast, they will not have enough energy for a quality practice.

Replenish your energy stores to ensure adequate fuel for competition or training. Have both carbohydrate and protein in your breakfast. Protein will help maintain your glucose levels throughout the morning and stave off hunger, while carbohydrates will provide needed energy.

Some healthy options include:

-Low fat yogurt and fresh fruit
-Smoothie made with fruit and low fat yogurt
-Whole grain cereal with skim milk and fruit
-Vegetable omelet with whole wheat toast and orange juice
-Scrambled eggs and one-half of whole wheat bagel

2. Smart Pre-workout Nutrition

This concept goes hand in hand with the importance of eating breakfast, depending on the time of day you practice. If training is in the afternoon--perhaps several hours after your last meal--your pre-workout nutrition becomes even more vital.

Any fruit: celery, apples, applesauce, pears, oranges, melons, berries, grapes, tomatoes, smoothies

Light sandwich: turkey (hold the mayo), chicken, peanut butter and jelly, etc.

Grains: cereal, bagel, English muffin, tortillas, pita pocket.

Sports drinks or light fruit juice.

Other: skim milk, low fat yogurt

3. The Powerful Powers of Protein

Athletes need high levels of protein (15 to 20 percent of daily caloric intake) to help repair and rebuild muscles broken down by physical activity and to aid in carbohydrate storage. An athlete's elevated protein requirements can usually be met by a well planned diet (supplements are not typically necessary, however, this can vary on the individual):

Excellent protein sources include poultry, turkey, beef, pork, fish, low fat cheese, legumes (black, kidney, pinto beans, and chickpeas), egg whites, and soy products such as tofu

Although adequate levels of protein are important, keep in mind that excess protein is simply extra calories either burned for energy and used to build leaner muscle tissue.

When it comes to fuel, protein is less efficient than carbs. Get enough protein from your diet so your body doesn't break down muscle to use the protein for fuel.

Protein from both food and supplements increases your need for water. Since your kidneys require more water for protein metabolism, individuals with liver or kidney problems are susceptible to negative effects of excessive dietary protein.

4. Be Smart About Supplements

Use healthy high grade gender specific supplements. (i.e. EFA's, Multi-Vitamins)

Recipe Day!!

This one takes a little skill in the kitchen, but it sounds like a challenge you can handle...

Apple-Cinnamon Crepes

Servings: 2 servings of crepes

Ingredients:

2 whole eggs

6 ounces deli ham, diced fine

1/3 cup soy flour

1 cup 1-percent milk

1 red Delicious apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2/3 cup cooked oatmeal

2 2/3 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, soy flour and milk to form a batter. This amount of batter will make four crepes. Pour 1/2 teaspoon oil into a nonstick saute pan or crepe pan. When the oil is hot, add a quarter of the batter to pan. Cover pan with another saute or crepe pan. Cook on medium-high heat until bottom is set and crepe will move easily in pan. To turn crepe over, securely place second pan over first and turn pan over. The crepe will then be in the second saute pan. The second side of the crepe should cook for only a minute or so to color it. Transfer crepe to serving plate and repeat process to make three more crepes. (If you need more oil in the crepe pan, omit oil from crepe filling and use it for cooking the crepes.) Place apples, applesauce, oatmeal, 2/3 teaspoon oil, ham and cinnamon in another saute pan to form crepe filling. Using low heat, cook mixture until apples are tender. When ready, divide filling amount between the four crepes by placing it in a line along the center of each crepe. Fold over the sides to make a trifold. Serve immediately, two crepes per plate.

Weekly Nutrition Notes

In Season:

Passion Fruit

That wrinkly purple-fleshed fruit in the produce section is worth a second look. It's as sweet and tasty as it is odd looking. Plus, passion fruit is loaded with fiber, potassium and vitamins A and C. One-half cup provides about 115 calories. This tropical fruit native to Brazil is ripe when its leathery skin is deeply wrinkled. Before it ripens, keep it at room temperature. Add passion fruit to salads and smoothies for a flavor boost, or liven up grilled chicken or fish with a generous spoonful.

Craving Something Salty?

Go ahead. Give in. Salty snacks like chips have no more sodium than a slice of wheat bread--certainly no more than most restaurant or processed food. But don't let that be a license to overindulge. Keep your salty snack small and avoid anything with trans fats or more than 3 grams of saturated fat. Here are some top picks:

EDAMAME BEANS IN THE POD: One-half cup with a sprinkling of salt provides approximately 100 calories, 145 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 0.5 g saturated fat and 8 g protein.

POPCORN: 6.5 cups microwave popcorn, a whole grain, averages approximately 110 calories, 220 mg sodium, 4 g fiber and 0.5 g saturated fat.

MIXED NUTS: A 1-ounce serving contains heart-healthy fats and approximately 190 calories, 60 mg sodium, 3 g fiber, 2.5 g saturated fat and 7 g protein.

TRISCUIT THIN CRISPS: Made of whole wheat, a 1-ounce serving (15 crackers) contains 130 calories, 180 mg sodium, 3 g fiber and 1 g saturated fat.

Did You Know?

If you don't eat enough fat, you may be setting yourself up for a sports injury, suggests a recent article in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Among 86 female runners, those with the lowest fat intakes were the most likely to get injured. The researchers hypothesized many possible reasons including inadequate calorie consumption, lower intakes of fat-soluble vitamins and poorer energy supplies leading to fatigue while running. To make sure you consume the most healthful fats, choose fatty fish, nuts, oils and avocado.

A Healthy Read

Pick up The Jungle Effect by Dr. Daphne Miller and learn about the world's healthiest diets--and how to improve your own. Miller travels the world in search of the foods that have protected populations from disease for generations. She visits Crete, where heart disease is rare; Okinawa, Japan, recognized for its low rates of breast cancer; and Iceland, where few people suffer from depression despite long, dark winters. To get you started on a healthier path, Miller provides plenty of tasty, authentic recipes. $23, harpercollins.com.

Happy Travels

It may be to your advantage to skip the crummy airport food on your next trip. A recent study published in the journal Science suggests that avoiding breakfast and lunch prior to the flight and eating upon arrival may fend off some of the problems associated with jet lag. Your brain's circadian clock responds to light and controls the desire and ability to sleep, wake and eat. But when food is scarce, a "food-related clock" jumps in and overrides the "light clock."

Recipe Day!!

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the salsa
4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped or 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 avocado

For the chicken
1/2 cup non-fat, plain yogurt
1/2 small red onion
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Instructions

For the salsa:
1. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, pepper and cilantro.

2. Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of lime juice to keep it from browning. Add the avocado and remaining lime juice to the bowl and toss to combine. (This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)

For the chicken:
1. In a small food processor, puree the yogurt, red onion, lime juice and cilantro to make a yogurt marinade.

2. Transfer the marinade to a shallow bowl or a plastic bag. Add the chicken and coat well with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

3. Preheat the grill to medium-high.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.

5. Serve the chicken with tomato-avocado salsa.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 chicken breast with salsa
Amount Per Serving

Calories 283
Protein 43 g
Total Carbohydrate 16 g
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Soluble Fiber 0 g
Insoluble Fiber g
Sugar 8 g
Total Fat 6 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g

Purchase Produce At Its Peak!

Almost every fruit and vegetable is available year-round. But if you buy in-season, you get produce at its peak of flavor and nutrients. Here's a month-by-month guide to the best of the fresh.

January

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Clementine

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Fruit heavy for its size

REAP THE BENEFITS: 35 percent of Daily Value (DV)

for vitamin C and a wealth of folate, a heart-healthy B vitamin.

February

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Rainbow chard

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Vibrant leaves (not wilted); firm stalks

REAP THE BENEFITS: A cup of braised chard is big on fiber, calcium, and carotenes.

March

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Asparagus

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Firm stalks the width of your little finger

REAP THE BENEFITS: 1 cup steamed provides 100 percent of DV for vitamin K (great for bone health) and 65 percent of folate.

April

FRUIT OR VEGETABLE: Salad greens (radicchio, mache)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Richly colored, nonwilted leaves

REAP THE BENEFITS: A two-cup serving supplies more than 400 percent of for vitamin A, 100 percent of folate, and a wealth of minerals, such as magnesium and potassium.

That gets you through the first few months of the year, so load up on these veggies when they're at their peak. We'll give you more in a few months, when it's closer to summer. In the meantime, here is more on this month's pick - Rainbow chard...

Chard’s leaves can be prepared like spinach. In fact, its leaves serve as a good substitute for spinach in most recipes, but they will need to be cooked slightly longer.

Chard may be steamed, sautéed, or braised, and it can be added to soups, stews, and casseroles. The leaves and stems may be cooked and served together, or prepared separately as two different vegetables. The Italians make an egg frittata with chard.

Like other leafy vegetables, chard needs to be thoroughly washed before cooking since sand and other debris tend to nestle in its leaves. Instead of using a colander and running water over the leaves, the best way to remove debris from leafy greens is to dunk and soak them in plenty of water. Place the leaves in a large bowl, pot, or sink filled with cold water. Agitate the leaves one by one, then remove individual leaves by hand and place them in another container. Pour out the water and repeat the procedure until the water is free of debris. If you will be using the greens in a salad, dry them in a spinner.