The kitchen is where we spend so much of our family time together, with meals, homework, etc. Would you believe that the kitchen is the dirtiest room in our home?  This is true according to Phillip Tierno, PhD, director of clinical microbiology and diagnostic immunology at the New York University Langone Medical Center and author of The Secret Life of Germs. “That’s because we deal with dead animal carcasses on our countertops and in the sink.” He goes on to say that the kitchen sponge is “the single dirtiest thing in your kitchen, along with a dishrag.”

Our daily use of sponges and dishrags put us in danger of harmful viruses and bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella if not used properly.  A seemingly clean sponge can be spreading germs around as we clean with it. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the following:

Clean and disinfect counters and other surfaces before, during, and after preparing food (especially meat and poultry).

When cleaning surfaces, don’t let germs hang around on cleaning cloths or towels!  Instead use:

• If using a sponge to clean up, microwave it each evening for 30 seconds or place it in the dishwasher
• Consider using paper towels (that can be thrown away) to clean up kitchen surfaces
• Cloth towels that are later washed in the hot cycle of your washing machine
• Disposable sanitizing wipes that both clean and disinfect

Dr. Phillip Tierno cleans his sponges using a mixture of one ounce of Clorox in about a quart of water.  This is also a good solution for cleaning and disinfecting your cutting boards, countertops and utensils.

Related posts:

1. Clean and Disinfect your House & Kitchen Against the Flu
2. No Time to Clean? ‘Wipe-and-a-Promise’ Quick Cleaning Tips
3. Safe Handling of Raw Meat

Artificial sugar is a mainstay in today’s society. From yogurt to bottled water to cookies, artificial sugar is showing up in more and more food products. It used to be seen only in diet sodas and for sweetening coffee, but now the business of artificial sweeteners is a million dollar industry.

But will they actually help you cut calories and slim down? How much Healthy Choice ice cream can I eat before it’s no longer a healthy choice? I don’t believe they actually help you lose weight. But I do believe they help you not ingest more calories. For example, if you normally drink 3 sodas a day, you would consume around 450 calories. Replace this habit with diet soda, with no other diet changes, and you’ll consume 450 calories less per day.

On the other hand, many people have a misguided belief that they can eat more sugar-free foods (usually made with artificial sweeteners) because they’re low calorie. This is why some “diet” foods are dangerous; with little nutritional value, they may make you eat more than you normally would.

But the real question is are they safe? Research shows that unless you have a rare condition called phenlyketonuria (those people can’t metabolize aspartame), the FDA continues to state that artificial sweeteners are safe.

The most common artificial sweeteners and their main ingredient are:

• Sweet ‘n Low: saccharin
• NutraSweet: aspartame
• Equal: aspartame
• Slenda: sucralose

A 2006 review published in the journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety also showed no proof that artificial sweeteners caused serious illnesses. There are some people that do have allergic reactions to the sweeteners like headaches and rashes, and a few others that can get stomach upset.

However, there is overwhelming independent research, especially documented in the comprehensive book, ASPARTAME DISEASE: AN FDA-APPROVED EPIDEMIC by H. J. Roberts, M.D. that aspartame (Equal or NutraSweet) is highly dangerous and leads to numerous health effects. The FDA approved aspartame as a low-nutritive sweetener for use in solid form during 1981, and in soft drinks during 1983. As far back as 1988, seven years after the initial release of aspartame, 80 percent of complaints volunteered by consumers to the FDA about supplements involved aspartame products. By April 1995, it had received 7,232 complaints.

Roberts states, “Senior FDA scientists and consultants vigorously protested approving the release of aspartame products. Their objections related to disturbing findings in animal studies (especially the frequency of brain tumors), seemingly flawed experimental data, and the absence of extensive pre-marketing trials on humans using real-world products over prolonged periods.”

Aspartame is a synthetic chemical consisting of two amino acids, phenylalanine (50 percent) and aspartic acid (40 percent), and a methyl ester (10 percent) that promptly becomes free methyl alcohol (methanol; wood alcohol). The latter is universally considered a severe poison. Additionally, the methanol is quickly absorbed and converted into formaldehyde in the human body. It’s important to note that nearly two-thirds of aspartame users experienced symptomatic improvement within two days after avoiding aspartame. With continued abstinence, their complaints generally disappeared.

Here are just some of the few health effects attributed to aspartame use:

• Damage to the retina or optic nerves is largely due to methyl alcohol exposure. Unlike most animals, humans cannot efficiently metabolize it.
• High concentrations of phenylalanine and aspartic acid occur in the brain after aspartame intake
• Aspartame alters the function of major amino acid-derived neurotransmitters, especially in obese persons and after carbohydrate intake.
• Phenylalanine stimulates the release of insulin and growth hormone.
• The ambiguous signals to the satiety center following aspartame intake may result either in increased food consumption or severe anorexia.

Additional disease states associated with aspartame use:

• initiation or aggravation of diabetes mellitus
• hypoglycemia
• convulsions
• headache
• depression, other psychiatric states
• hyperthyroidism
• hypertension
• arthritis
• the simulation of multiple sclerosis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• lupus erythematosus
• an apparent causative role in brain tumors
• carpal tunnel syndrome

Because of this evidence, I avoid Aspartame. I do use Splenda artificial sugar but I limit these to a few packs daily. Sucralose has been accepted by several national and international food safety regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Joint Food and Agriculture Organization, World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives, The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Food, Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada, and Food Standards Australia-New Zealand. Sucralose is one of two artificial sweeteners ranked as “safe” by the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. The other is Neotame.

Recently however, I switched to Stevia, a natural sweetener made from the leaves of the Stevia plant, and really like the taste. The newer Truvia and PureVia have no bitter aftertaste. I’m also reducing the amount of sugar that I put in food, either natural or artificial, to enjoy the natural taste of food…back to simpler times and natural products.

Here are some natural sweeteners that you can use to avoid the artificial kind of sugar:

1. Stevia (also called Rebiana): This sweetener is made from the leaves of the South American stevia plant. New brands like Truvia and PureVia are in grocery stores now. They contain stevia extract mixed with other sweeteners like erythritol.
2. Agave Nectar: Agave tastes like honey, and looks like it too. Extracted from the cactus-like agave plant, it has the same calories as sugar but tastes sweeter, so most people don’t need as much. You can easily buy this at Whole Foods or other natural food stores.
3. Erythritol: This sugar alcohol, found in many fruits and fermented foods, has 1/20 the calories of sugar. It’s usually mixed with other ingredients and is hard to find by itself, but your local health food store should care it.

Some ideas to “sweeten” your food without the need for any sugar, real or fake:

1. Cinnamon: cinnamon is a spice but imparts such nice flavoring that you hardly miss the sugar. Try it in hot cereal, put a bit in your coffee grounds, or on your fruit cup.
2. Sweet fruit: put some fresh fruit into plain yogurt for a healthy sweet taste.
3. Vanilla extract: a small amount in your oatmeal or smoothie will cut the need for added sugar.

Related posts:

1. Stevia and Agave Nectar – Two Natural Sweeteners
2. Natural Foods: You are What You Eat
3. Make Water Your Healthier Drink of Choice

Many of us are having Staycations this year, vacations you take at home. Besides looking in your state for national and state parks, interesting towns to visits, or festivals, you can also check your paper or the internet for free summer concerts in the park. I am currently visiting my relatives in Tennessee, and tomorrow night we’re going to a free concert in the park with music by the Symphony Orchestra. It’s been warm here during the day, but at night should be wonderfully pleasant. Hopefully, the fireflies will be lighting the grasses. Today, however, we’re planning our picnic dinner that we’re bringing. Let’s cover some savvy ways to make a wonderful flavorful picnic for little money. With daytime temperatures reaching in the 90’s, food that is cool and light will be welcome choices. Fruit salad is easy to tote in a plastic container. Tomorrow we’re bringing salad of blueberries, strawberries, apple and a small amount of cantaloupe because that is what we have in our refrigerator, but you use whatever you have. Mixed together and served either plain or with a touch of honey, you can’t go wrong. No fruit? Then buy what is in season since this is usually cheaper. Cut the fruit yourself for even more saving. We’re also bringing cold pasta salad. Leftover cooked chicken, pasta, small amounts of veggies, olives and a touch of light mayonnaise or salad dressing make a lovely tasty salad. Or substitute rice for the pasta. You can also use cooked shrimp or ham in place of the chicken. Spice it up with herbs and seasonings and you have a frugal and yummy main course! A baguette of bread and some tea or wine round out the meal.

COLD PASTA SALAD with CHICKEN OR SHRIMP

8 oz. pasta noodles 1 c. French dressing 10 fresh sliced mushrooms 1 c. fresh broccoli florets, blanched 10 halved cherry tomatoes Ripe olives (sliced) 1 can sliced artichoke hearts 2 c. cooked cubed chicken (or boiled shrimp) 1/3 c. fresh basil (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried) 1/3 c. toasted pine nuts, optional

Cook pasta, transfer to mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of the dressing and toss well. Cool and chill 3 hours. In another bowl, mix mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, olives, artichokes with remaining dressing. Chill. Add chicken, basil, nuts. Mix.

Simple sandwiches of pitas stuffed with chicken salad, or even store bought fare works well. Or go for the simply elegant meal of brie cheese, fruit, and french bread. This is always a winner. Simple Tip! For dessert, pack ice cream in a thermos the night before, and freeze overnight. It will stay cold for hours! For pennies, we’ll enjoy a lovely evening out in nature, wonderful music, the company of friends and relatives, and a tasty dinner. Do you have your favorites for your picnic fare? Please share your ideas!

Be Creative with your Picnic Fare

Here are some helpful savvy tips for a fun but safe picnic…

1. Make a list of all the things you need to bring so you don’t forget anything. It’s so disappointing to find you forgot the corkscrew for the wine!
2. Bring a blanket for the ground large enough for all. Inexpensive plastic coated ones make great blankets or covers for picnic tables. It’ll wash right off when you get home.
3. If you’re going to a concert like we are, get there early to reserve your space.
4. Bring chairs if you have trouble sitting on the ground. If you’re going to see a concert or a play, respect your neighbor by not bringing high-sitting lawn chairs. Low sitting beach chairs are low enough to see over and are very comfortable.
5. Pack a picnic basket with reusable plates, silverware, cups, and cloth napkins. Pack your food in reusable containers when you can. Not only is it classy and easier to eat your food, but environmentally friendly.
6. Pack plastic grocery bags to cart the dirty dishes home. I also pack some folded paper towels to wipe up spills.
7. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, anti-allergy medication and prepackaged wet wipes in a ziploc. After applying the creams, use the wet wipes to clean your hands before eating. Small bottles of antibacterial gel also come in handy to clean hands.
8. Pack a citronella candle and matches if it’s mosquito season.
9. Bring sunglasses and a hat if the sun is still shining.
10. To keep your cold foods chilled, use the refreezable ice packs or ice in waterproof bags. Or fill small empty soda bottles with water and freeze the day before. They’ll keep your food cold, and when they melt, you’ll have bottled water.
11. Keep hot foods hot in a thermos. First fill the thermos with boiling water or very hot tap water, let sit for a minute or two, then empty and fill with hot food.
12. If you’re bringing hot take-out food, be sure to eat it within two hours.
13. Save your condiment packs from restaurants to bring for burgers or sandwiches.
14. If you can, pack a small hard plastic cutting board and sharp knife (protected). It’s handy to cut bread, cheese, or fruit. Pack with the dirty dishes and just pop in the dishwasher when you return home.
15. Don’t forget your corkscrew for your wine.
16. Bring plenty of water in hot weather.
17. Bring fun, quiet activities for the kids…toys like bubbles, frisbee, teddy bear, or ball and glove. Be sure their activities don’t disturb the neighbors.
18. Keep an eye on the weather report and the sky for inclement weather. Bring a light jacket or sweater. Even on warm days, it can get cool when the sun goes down.
19. If picnicking in the woods or grassy area, check for ticks and bugs when you get home.

Related posts:

1. Easy Leftover Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
2. Smart and Simple Travel Tips
3. 12 Simple Traveling Tips