Have you noticed how many foods are new and improved with "valued added" health-promoting nutrients? Is it worth paying more for these functional foods? Can you get too much of a good thing?

The term functional food means foods and beverages with extra fortification of a variety of nutrients. This can mean anything from vitamins in water to fiber in cereal bars, to yogurt with phytosterols to lower cholesterol.

Improvements on what mother nature puts in food can be a good thing. Foods can be either enriched or fortified and there's a difference. Enriched foods have nutrients added back into them that were lost in processing. Fortified foods have extra nutrients included that were never in the food to begin with.

There are good and bad choices to be made, though. Steer clear of high priced waters with added vitamins - they're a waste of money and often contain many added calories. You might consider calcium fortified orange juice, to help boost your intake of calcium, a mineral that's a struggle for most of us.

While you want most of your fiber from fruits and whole grains, fiber fortified yogurt, cereals, and bars can help you get your intake to 25 grams a day. But read those labels, because fiber is turning up everywhere! Increase your fiber intake slowly, about 5 grams every few days, to avoid digestive upset. And don't exceed 35 daily grams.

While most of us don't get enough vitamin d from foods, if you consume dairy products, take a calcium plus vitamin d supplement, and a daily multiple vitamin, you might be getting much more than the 800 mg daily requirement. So, do your math when it comes to these fat soluble vitamins.

My bottom line? Functional foods can help support a healthy diet. But beware of getting too much of a good thing. When it comes to functional foods, more is not always better.

We all know the difference between "health" food and "junk" food. That's a no brainer. But what happens when we find ourselves choosing foods that appear to be healthy - based on a quick look of the packaging, or wording on the labels - but are nutritional frauds. It's not that their "bad" for your health, but it's the mistaken idea we have that such foods are a health-plus. We often justify eating them, sometimes in big servings, believing we've made a healthy choice.

Here are some of my favorite tips for making truly healthy food choices, so so you won't be fooled! What are some of your own "fool-proof" ideas?

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Snack Bars: Don't fall for terms like "natural", "contains whole grains" or other buzz words that don't always mean a more nutrition-dense product.. Many snack bars have the same nutritional content of a candy bar. That's not a bad thing, unless you think you're making a healthier choice. Look for calorie-controlled bars (about 100-120 calories) with protein and added fiber.

Granola: Avoid packaged brands that often contain extra hidden fats and added sugars. Make your own by choosing a high-fiber, low sugar cereals, and adding a variety of sliced nuts and dried fruits. Divide into small snack-size bags for an on the go treat.

"Fruity" Chewies and Strips: Fruit is nature's candy, and the best substitute is dried or fresh fruit. Try 100% fruit "leather".

"Fortified" Waters and 100% Fruit Juice: While water is the gold standard for hydration, many of us want a sweet and tasty beverage to help quench our thirst. Whether it's a sugary vitamin fortified water or sports drink, or even 100% fruit juice (plenty of calories, and little nutritional power), you'll want to avoid liquid calories, to avoid excess consumption. Humans don't perceive calories we drink very well, so it's easy to overconsume liquid calories, and not even know it. Dilute 100% fruit juice to 1 part juice and 3 parts water or seltzer (or even equal parts). Look for low-sugar drinks ranging with no more than 10 calories per 8 ounce serving (usually 25-30 calories for a 20 ounce bottle).

Wraps, Breads, and other Grains that Look Healthy: Products like "spinach" pasta and wraps, or "tomato" pasta and wraps don't back a nutritional punch. These only look like they contain significant vegetable content, but really have only a tiny amount of the vegetable, and often some added color. And don't be fooled by "wheat" bread - look for 100% whole wheat bread, even if a bread appears to be darker, and made from whole wheat.

Yogurt: While a great source of protein and calcium, yogurt - both refrigerated and frozen - can be a carrier for extra sugar, fat, and calories. Start with low-fat or non-fat plain yogurt, and try strained (Greek-style) yogurt if you haven't already, which has a thick and delicious flavor. Add your own fresh fruit toppings, with a light sprinkling of nuts or coconut for added flavor. Reading the label for both calories, as well as sugar and fat, is key when it comes to yogurt.

Salty/Crunchy Treats: Salt and crunch are a match made in heaven. While we know that potato chips are an indulgent treat, it's important to know that other vegetable fried chips (yes, potatoes are a vegetable) may sound more healthful, but are not. So, think twice before you polish off a bag of "vegetable" chips, or specialty corn chips, like "organic blue corn". Try some fresh vegetable sticks, sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt (intense flavor allows you to use less). Stick with single serve 100 calorie bags of popcorn. And don't be fooled by non-fat pretzels; fat free doesn't mean calorie free, and the calories add up quickly with little nutrient content, so pay special attention to portion size.

New federal guidelines from the Institute of Medicine are in place for weight gain during pregnancy. About half of women of childbearing age are overweight, with nearly 1 in 4 being medically obese (a BMI of 30 or more). This new "starting weight" at the beginning of a pregnancy has a big impact on the new recommendations for a healthy weight gain - for both mother and baby. And forget about the old "eating for two"; that old wives' tale is an absolute myth.

This is an important set of guidelines, since overweight and obese women who gain extra weight during pregnancy are at risk for complications including pregnancy related high blood pressure and diabetes. Babies born to women who gain extra weight are at greater risk for premature birth, and more likely to be overweight or obese themselves.

Here's where the body mass index (BMI, or height/weight ratio) really matters. For those women already at a healthy BMI (18.5 - 24.9), the recommendations remain the same - a weight gain of between 25 to 35 pounds. What's your BMI?



An overweight woman (BMI 25 - 29.9) should aim for a pregnancy weight gain of 15 to 25 pounds,while an obese woman (BMI 30 or higher) should aim for 11 to 20 pounds.

Underweight women must also make adjustments. For those with a BMI less than 18.5, a weight gain of 28 to 40 pounds is recommended.

Have an honest talk with your doctor about pregnancy and your weight, before you think about pregnancy. Depending upon your own health profile, weight loss prior to pregnancy is often recommended. Being proactive can support a healthy pregnancy and baby, as well as limiting those extra post-pregnancy pounds.

What do you think of these new guidelines? Leave a comment below.

If your mother ever gave you ginger ale for an upset stomach, she was on the right track. While most of us think this is an "old wives tale", a recent medical study from the University of Rochester Medical Center supports this recommendation.

More than 600 cancer patients had about a teaspoon of ginger added to their standard anti-nausea medication during chemotherapy with convincing results. Nausea was further reduced, by up to 40%, by adding the ginger.  While the mechanism is not well defined, it seems to have an anti-inflammatory response in the intestinal tract.

But don't count on ginger ale or packaged ginger tea alone, as some of these products only contain ginger flavoring, and not ginger root (containing the active ingredients). You'll need about a teaspoon of ginger (powdered) to match the study dose.

Try brewing a cup of your own "ginger tea" by adding a teaspoon of powdered ginger to a cup of hot water and flavoring with a little sugar, honey or low-calories sweetener. You might also try dried ginger, available as "chips" or in plump disks and chews, but the amount of ginger in these can vary widely.

What other food "old wives tales" do you believe in ? Post a note, and I'll check into them!