–Spotted at the World’s Largest Meeting of Food and Nutrition Professionals
I recently returned from the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) that was held in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s the annual event for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the world’s largest meeting of nutrition professionals. The educational sessions addressed issues such as child nutrition, aging populations, sports nutrition, food waste, hunger, obesity, chronic diseases and more.
The expo part of the conference hosts exhibitors showcasing new foods, beverages, technologies, equipment, health education campaigns, corporate health initiatives and more. This year the expo floor included four pavilions– California Fresh, Diabetes, Natural & Organic and Gluten-Free.
Grass-fed is an abused term much like the word natural. Most calves are fed grass for a short amount of time and then switched over to a grain diet, which typically includes genetically modified corn and soybeans. For both the health of the cow and for those consuming the byproducts or the meat, it’s best for the cow to be fed 100% grass from start to finish. Grass is a cow’s native diet!
2. Pulses
The term is used for the edible seeds of legumes (plants with a pod) such as dry peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas, which are an excellent source of fiber and folate, a good source of protein and potassium, high in antioxidants and rich in iron. Pulses are also low in fat, gluten-free, sodium-free and cholesterol-free.
According to the U.N., 2016 is the International Year of Pulses because of the nutritional and sustainability benefits. Pulses are affordable and offer food security for the world’s growing population.
3. Sorghum
It’s an ancient whole grain that date backs to 8000 B.C. and it’s high in fiber, 10 percent protein, gluten-free and non-GMO. Sorghum grain is most often used as a whole grain, whether popped as a snack, milled into flour or cooked whole as a pilaf or cereal. It’s also used to make alcoholic beverages, syrup and biofuel. Sorghum is drought and heat resistant and therefore considered a sustainable food.
It has a soft and delicate taste, which reminds me of Israeli couscous.
4. A2 milk™
A2 milk™ started in Australia and New Zealand, which was initially marketed to the Chinese who often have difficulty digesting milk. A2 milk™ made it to the U.K market in 2012 and is now being launched in the U.S.
It is a natural cow’s milk, but what makes it different from ordinary milk is the homogeneous beta casein content. Beta-casein comprises 30% of the protein content in cows’ milk. Regular cows’ milk contains a mixture of A1 and A2 beta-casein but A2 milk™ just has A2 beta-casein. Research shows that this makes a difference in digestion and associated intolerance experienced by some people after drinking milk. This has nothing to do with lactose intolerance, which is when a person lacks the enzyme lactase needed to digest lactose, the milk sugar in cow’s milk. A1 beta-casein digests differently to A2 due to a slight difference in the amino acid sequence on the peptide chain. A1 beta casein releases beta-casomorphin 7 (BCM7) upon digestion whereas A2 beta-casein does not. The A2 Milk Company™ website states that there are over 100 independent peer-reviewed studies that support the hypotheses around A1 and A2 beta-caseins. However, many of these studies were partially funded by the A2 Milk Company™.
Good news is that goat and human milk does not have this mutation.
5. Probiotics
Probiotics are live bacteria and yeasts that are good for your health, especially your digestive system. We usually think of bacteria as something that causes diseases. However, your body is full of bacteria, both good and bad. Probiotics are often called “good” bacteria because they help keep your gut healthy, which may impact on improving overall health by decreasing inflammation in the body.
Although most people equate probiotic with yogurt, they are many other probiotic-rich foods like cultured and fermented kefir, kombucha, unpasteurized sauerkraut, tempeh, miso soup and sourdough bread as discussed in my book Beyond The Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy. There are pills, powders, drinks and other forms of probiotics on the market today–some with more research behind them than others.
Hottest Healthiest Honorable Mentions
- A vegetarian food source of vitamin D: Mushrooms are being exposed to sunlight so that the mushrooms produce vitamin D in the same way as we do.
- Flavored natural yogurt with less sugar: Look for brands with no more than 12 grams of sugar per 150 grams.
For a no-fad approach to healthy eating without giving up decadent foods and including 50 delicious recipes, pick up a copy of my book Beyond The Mediterranean Diet: European Secrets Of The Super-Healthy.