Food News Today Transcripts for the week of July 9th, 2012

Is meat macho around the world? A new themed dinner party idea, and an old style diet that really works, for July 11th 2012, this is Food News Today.

Good morning, Food News Today is sponsored by ConAgra Foods, who shares with me the desire to provide the most current, interesting, and unbiased food news.

>There is something about meat that implies masculinity, maybe its because of the ads featuring all those manly men, cooking and eating those juicy steaks. Or maybe its just our vision of the American cowboy. Whatever it is the implication hold true  according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research. The study consisted of a variety of experiments that looked at metaphors and foods, i.e. meat and milk; results demonstrated that people rated meat as more masculine than vegetables. Male meat eaters were also thought of as being more masculine than non-meat eaters.  Even just the mention of the word meat also generated more masculine words when participants spoke about it. While most of the research took place in the US and Britain, the authors also analyzed over 20 languages and found that in most of these cultures, meat was related to the male gender. This could be a valuable learning for proofing fruits, vegetables and other non-meat foods - use more masculine words, actors and symbolism and maybe it can change our eating behaviors. After all it did work for Marlboro back in the day.

>Themed parties are all the rage – especially if your trying to mix it up this summer and go beyond the traditional BBQ. Try this - host a evening with only dark colored foods; top chefs across the country are doing just that to add a sense of drama to the dinner table, as well as boosting health benefits. The dark color in foods is the result of naturally occurring flavonoid pigments called anthocyanins. They protect the plant against oxidation, pests, and from radiation from the sun.  In the body anthocyanins act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, protecting against the development of chronic diseases, and certain cancers, as well as contributing to overall good health.
So what to serve?
-Black rice, which contains higher amounts of vitamin E in the bran; great for the immune system as well as possessing antioxidant capacity.  And according to a study from the Agricultural Center at Louisiana State University black rice contains more anthocyanin antioxidants than blueberries. 

-Black lentils, which are a great source of iron. One cup contains 8 milligrams, about half the daily recommendation for women.

-Black beans are packed with bioflavonoids, powerful plant nutrients that may protect against cancer.

- Blackberries are another great choice and can be served as an appetizer, on salads, or as dessert. They contain polyphenols that may help reduce cognitive decline as we age, according to researchers at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging. Blackberries are also a great source of fiber, one cup has over a quarter of the daily recommendation.

Take a look around the next time you shop, you'll be surprised to see just how many foods you can find.

>Losing weight it on the top of mind for most of Americans, especially as they try to fit into last years bathing suit. The fact is that nearly two-thirds of Americans who are obese try to lose weight, and 40 percent actually succeed. So what’s their secret? They did it the old fashioned way – eating more healthy foods, watching portion sizes and exercising. The study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine – found that fad diets, pre-made diet foods and over-the-counter pills didn’t prove successful for most dieters. 65% of the "big losers" ate less food, 44% ate less fat and 41% switched to foods with fewer calories. Using diet pills and a liquid diet were least successful. Also keep a fat diary! Writing down what you eat has proven to reduce the amount of food by 20%. Start one today - free - online at PhilsFatDiaries.com

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