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Attention Urban Gardeners: Do you know what’s in your soil?

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By Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, October 17, 2010

Like so many other city-dwellers around the country, I've caught the gardening bug. My little vegetable patch has grown to the extent that it now supplies the majority of our produce from June to September.   So I was aghast to see my city singled out by name in this recent article on the possible risk of lead poisoning from food grown in urban gardens.

According to Gabriel Filippelli, the soil in urban areas may be high in lead and other heavy metals, either from automobile exhaust, industrial activity, or paint from older structures.( Even though the buildings may be repainted or long gone, the paint may linger in the soil.) YIKES!

Filippelli recommends that home gardeners have an inexpensive soil test to determine whether their soil contains any harmful metals. Good advice--especially if you're feeding young children with the fruits of your green thumb. The test will also tell you whether your soil is in need of any nutrients or other amendments, which can help make your garden more productive.

Bonus: Seasonal Recipes Fresh from the Farm

If it turns out that your soil contains contaminants, it doesn't mean your gardening days are over. Building raised beds or growing in large containers can minimize the risk.

Contact your state extension service for information on soil testing.

blogs, Food and Drink, green, healthyeating, Kids and Family, medicalissues | Amendments, Automobile Exhaust, Building Raised Beds, City Dwellers, Containers, Good Advice, Green Thumb, Harmful Metals, Heavy Metals, Home Gardeners, Lead Poisoning, Nutrients, Recent Article, Seasonal Recipes, Soil Test, Soil Testing, Urban Areas, Urban Gardeners, Urban Gardens, Vegetable Patch

Does toasting bread change the nutritional content?

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By Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, October 16, 2010

Q. I've read that toasting bread can reduce the amount of carbohydrates it contains. Is that true?

A. When you toast bread, a couple of things happen.  Some of the water in the bread evaporates, making the bread dryer and a bit lighter.  Also, carbohydrate molecules on the surface of the bread undergo a chemical reaction with proteins that causes the food to turn brown.

That reaction--called the Maillard reaction--doesn't significantly change the nutritional value of the carbohydrates. It can, however, reduce the digestibility and quality of proteins. Seeing as toast probably isn't your primary source of dietary protein, this is probably not a big issue.

There is one other thing to take into consideration, however. Toasting bread also creates a compound called acrylamide.  Although acrylamide can be toxic in large amounts, there's no evidence that the amount of acrylamide you would typically get from food is a problem.  Nonetheless, if you're concerned about acrylamide, you might want to set the toaster on "light."  (For more on acrylamide in foods, see this episode of the Nutrition Diva podcast.)

allqandas, Ask Monica: Nutrition Q&A, Calories, Food and Drink, nutritionqanda | Acrylamide, Carbohydrate Molecules, Carbohydrates, Chemical Reaction, Cooking, Dietary Protein, Digestibility, Diva, Maillard Reaction, Meal Plan, Monica, Nbsp, Nutrition, Nutritional Content, Nutritional Value, Primary Source, Proteins, Toast Bread, Toaster

Caffeine buzz all in your head?

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By Monica Reinagel, MS, LD/N, October 16, 2010

Just came across an interesting study mentioned in the September issue of Self Magazine. Apparently, the mental boost you feel from caffeine is at least partially in your head!

Researchers gave sleepy subjects a cup of either regular or decaffeinated coffee and then tested their alertness.  Not surprisingly, those who got the decaf reported feeling no more alert afterward than before. But get this:  When they gave subjects caffeinated coffee but told them it was decaf, the subjects got no benefit. It only helped when they knew it was caffeinated.

Unfortunately, it didn't work the other way around. Subjects who were given decaf but told it was caffeinated didn't feel any more alert.

Go figure!

Food and Drink, Nutrition Research, nutritionresearch | Alertness, Benefit, Caffeine Buzz, Decaf, Decaffeinated Coffee, Nbsp, Self Magazine, September Issue

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