Warm Up This Fall with Peasant Stew

As the temperature drops and winter draws near, there is nothing cozier than a bowl of warm, delicious stew. Dust off the crock pot and serve up a satisfying meal that takes little effort but offers plenty of healthy nutrients.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds), skinned
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeño peppers and spices, undrained
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream 

Preparation:

1. Combine cumin, salt and pepper; sprinkle over chicken.
2. Place chicken in an electric slow cooker; stir in onion, tomatoes and chiles. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for three hours. Stir in beans, cover. Cook on high-heat setting one hour. 
3. Place one chicken thigh in each of six soup bowls. Ladle 1-1/4 cups stew into each bowl. Top each serving with two teaspoons cilantro and two teaspoons sour cream.

Nutritional Information:Amount per serving

• Calories: 214
• Calories from fat: 16 percent
• Fat: 3.9 g
• Saturated fat: 1.4 g
• Monounsaturated fat: 0.9 g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.9 g
• Protein: 21.5 g
• Carbohydrate: 23.7 g
• Fiber: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 61 mg
• Iron: 3 mg
• Sodium: 773 mg
• Calcium: 85 mg

The recipe yields six servings.

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Light (August 2002).

Bottled Water: Is It Worth It?

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, explains the benefits of drinking tap water instead of bottled water.

Water is the best beverage for staying hydrated and avoiding extra calories, but it’s not necessary to buy it in a plastic bottle. The bottled water industry promotes bottled water as being healthier, yet the reality is that bottled water is less regulated for quality than tap water. Plus it is more expensive and can be environmentally unfriendly, too.

Before buying bottled water, consider these facts:

• Bottled water can cost nearly 2,000 times as much as tap water.
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for regulating municipal tap water are far more rigorous in terms of control, disinfection and monitoring than those used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to oversee bottled water. In fact, a National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) study of the bottled water industry, tested over 1,000 bottles of water, and concluded that bottled water is not guaranteed to be any cleaner or safer than tap water. The study found that approximately 25 percent of bottled water was tap water packaged in a bottle and 22 percent of the samples contained chemical contaminants above the strict state limits on municipal tap water.  
• Bottled water companies are not required to disclose information about their products. A recent report released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) indicates that more than half of the bottled water products surveyed failed EWG's transparency test. According to the report, 18 percent of the companies failed to reveal the source of the water and another 32 percent did not disclose any information about the treatment or purity of the water.
• Studies have also shown that chemicals called phthalates, which disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time.  Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap water, there are no legal limits for phthalates in bottled water.  
• Although plastic bottles are recyclable, nearly 90 percent of them end up as litter or garbage contributing more than 2 million tons of plastic to landfills each year. 

A comprehensive list of the tap-water contaminants in your area is available on the EPA website. If you are concerned about the quality or flavor of your tap water, purchase a water filter to put on your tap. It is both easier on your wallet and on the environment. To keep filtered water accessible to drink when you’re on the go, put it in your own reusable bottle to carry with you throughout the day.  

• Complete guide to purchasing a water filter 
• More details on the NRDC study results

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN

Penn Advancing Bariatric Surgery with Clinical Research

Jacque Spitzer, MSEd, research project manager at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders and member of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team, explains the various ways patients can stay connected with the program after surgery.

There are many ways to stay connected with the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program after your surgery. In addition to regular follow-up appointments and an annual visit, many people choose to join Penn’s post-operative support groups or participate in clinical research programs.

As one of the leading research programs in the country, Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery is deeply committed to advancing medicine by finding new, improved ways help people with morbid obesity. At any given time, the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program conducts multiple research studies aimed at better understanding the underlying cause of severe obesity, developing new surgical techniques and finding optimal strategies for improving post-operative outcomes and success.

The first step in participating in clinical research involves learning about the study, asking any question you may have and providing informed consent if you choose to participate. Informed consent means getting all the information about the study and then making an educated decision about whether you want to participate. The decision is all yours and it does not affect the quality of care you receive from the program.

The next step in the process is a screening interview or visit to make sure you fit all of the requirements to participate in the study. Research studies vary greatly in the number of visits and types of activities that they involve. Some involve filling out a one-time survey while others involve repeated visits over months or even years. You learn about all of these parameters before deciding whether to participate.

Participating in clinical research provides the unique opportunity to contribute to the growing understanding of obesity and obesity-related diseases as well as obtaining access to the latest treatments. Click here for a list of all obesity and weight loss surgery research studies currently under way at Penn Medicine.

In addition, support groups provide an opportunity to meet other people who are on a similar weight loss journey, share experiences and offer support to one another. Staying in close contact with the team also allows them to quickly address any problems you may be having so you can stay on track with your post-operative lifestyle changes and achieve your weight loss goals.

- Jacque Spitzer, MSEd

Bariatric Surgery's Halo Effect: Weight Loss for the Whole Family

Bariatric surgery improves the health and well-being of those who undergo surgery, but a recent study at Stanford University School of Medicine shows the positive impact actually extends to the entire immediate family. 

Researchers found that one year after a family member's gastric bypass surgery, other obese adults in the family lost an average of eight pounds and obese children had a lower body mass index than expected for their growth curve. The family members and children that participated in the study accompanied the bariatric patient to all pre- and post-operative clinic visits, including diet and lifestyle counseling. 

Adult family members reported improved eating habits with less uncontrollable eating, emotional eating and alcohol consumption. Both adults and children reported a significant increase in their activity levels. 

The results of this study come as no surprise to members of the Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team who have witnessed this pattern many times. After bariatric surgery, patients often report that their pursuit of a healthier lifestyle spurred changes for their whole family, including kitchen cabinet makeovers, healthier home-cooked meals and family fun nights that involve physical activity.

Family members and friends are always welcome to attend Penn Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Program information sessions and support groups to help their family members and to help themselves as well. 

Note: The study was published on Oct. 17, 2011 in the Archives of Surgery. 

Savor the Tastes of Fall: Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pilaf

Roasted pumpkin and sweet potato pilaf presents the perfect opportunity to mix warm, cozy and delicious fall flavors with healthy ingredients. Pilaf is a form of grain that gets its flavorful taste from cooking in broth. With fiber-rich brown rice and vitamin-packed vegetables like pumpkin and sweet potato, this tasty side dish adds important nutrients to your meal.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed, peeled fresh pumpkin (about 12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed, peeled sweet potato (about 1 medium)
• Cooking spray
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion (1 small)
• 1/3 cup diced celery (about 1 rib)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup brown rice (not instant)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Arrange pumpkin and sweet potato in an even layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, stir and return to oven for another 17 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth and remaining ingredients to onion mixture, stirring to combine; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 50 minutes or until rice is done and liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Add pumpkin mixture; stir gently to combine.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per serving

• Calories: 200
• Calories from fat: 11 percent
• Fat: 2.5g
• Saturated fat: 0.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 1.4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.5g
• Protein: 5.9g
• Carbohydrate: 38.8g
• Fiber: 3g
• Cholesterol: 0.0mg
• Iron: 1.3mg
• Sodium: 428mg
• Calcium: 45mg

The recipe makes 6 servings. Serving size is about ¾ cup.

This recipe is courtesy of Jaime Harder, MA, RD, Cooking Light (October 2007).