As a major grain product, pasta is a leading nutrition player in Canadian diets. It is economical to eat and can provide significant health benefits. We've researched and compiled links to other reliable resources for diet and nutrition information about pasta and other health-related information. Try these websites: National Institute of Nutrition "Report on the Role of Grains in Canadian Diet Sends a Wake-Up Call" - Grain products get an A+ for their healthful qualities. - Canadians need to boost their intake to merit a passing grade. - With meat intake declining, enriched grain products are becoming a more significant source of iron. - As a bonus for women, many grain products (including pasta) are now also fortified with the B vitamin folic. - The hero in grain foods is starch, particularly "slowly digestible" and "resistant" starch. - Grain products can be thought of as the "great regulators" having positive effects on the control of blood sugar, intestinal function, blood cholesterol and appetite. - NIN advises Canadians to: "experiment with different types of pasta". Dietitians of Canada - Seize every opportunity to eat well! Time, taste and health may be some of the factors that affect your food choices. - Keep your pantry . . . well stocked with food basics such as . . . pasta. When you're really pressed for time, you can use these basics to make a nutritious meal in a snap! - The interactive side of the Dietitians of Canada web site helps you analyze your nutrient intakes, assess your activity level, check out your body mass index, explore a virtual kitchen full of food and nutrition information and search for answers to nutrition questions. Health Canada - This is the best Canadian source for information about Canada's food and drugs rules and policies - especially Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Canadian Health Network - Health information you can trust, funded by and in partnership with Health Canada. - Most people know that healthy eating is very important, but knowing what to eat can be difficult. This Health Centre contains information to help people of all ages get the nutrition they need. U.S. Food & Drug Administration - In the U.S., health claims authorized by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) are one of several ways food labels and product advertising can win the attention of health conscience consumers. - These claims alert shoppers to a product's health potential by stating that certain foods or food substances - as part of an overall healthy diet - may reduce the risk of certain diseases. Examples include folic acid, fibre, low sodium and hypertension and dietary fat and cancer and dietary saturated fat and cholesterol and heart disease. - Foods can qualify for health claims only if they meet FDA requirements. Some whole wheat pasta products in the U.S. now carry claims like "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fibre, particularly soluble fibre may reduce risk of heart disease, a condition associated with many factors." Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada "Improving your odds against Canada's #1 killer - This is the most reliable source of information about heart, stroke and healthy living in Canada. It provides research information, heart disease and stroke statistics, heart smart kids and family fun activities, information about heart healthy eating and other heart health issues. Canadian Diabetes Association - Insulin resistance appears to affect a small percentage of Canadians and is most common among overweight individuals. It is related to a form of diabetes called Type II diabetes. In an insulin-resistant person, the pancreas produces too much insulin after he or she eats sugars or starches. Additionally, cells in insulin-resistant individuals' bodies may not respond to insulin, causing their blood sugar to stay abnormally high after a meal or a snack. - The reality is that being overweight causes insulin-resistance. A high-carbohydrate diet does not make an insulin-resistant person overweight, nor does it cause insulin-resistance. - Adopting a high-carbohydrate diet actually enhances insulin function for most people by lowering insulin levels. Carbohydrates are converted to glucose in the body and insulin helps cells utilize glucose for energy. - This is the best source for diabetes information and includes highlights of recent Diabetes Dialogue articles.

Wednesday June 29, 2005