Reading List: Goat Meat On Menus, A New Mexican Food Show & Bloody Mary Time
In this week’s nutrition news: The negative effects of fortified foods, a new Mexican cooking show and goat meat is what's for dinner.
These days many food manufacturers claim they’re adding vitamins to improve our health. If someone downs a few of these products (especially energy juices and bars), they can take in up to 20 times the recommended amounts of a vitamin. This isn’t necessarily a good thing. Too much of any vitamin can produce signs of toxicity -- for example, too much vitamin C can lead to an upset stomach. Get too much vitamin A and you'll have more serious symptoms like nausea, vomiting, blurry vision and eventually liver damage. If you're trying these fortified products, read the labels and stay away from the super-boosted ones just in case.
Perfect for the Weekend: Bloody Mary, Lightened Up
Sunday brunch wouldn’t be the same without a Bloody Mary. We came across this lighter version at Fitsugar.com. Instead of vodka, they use shochu, a Japanese distilled beverage that’s made from rice, sweet potato or barley. It’s weaker than vodka (with only 25% alcohol by volume), which means it contains fewer calories.
This past weekend I dined at the eclectic Mexican restaurant La Esquina in New York City. My mouth was watering as the plantains, spicy mini tacos and cheesy corn hit my table. Mexican fare is big these days, and Food Network is jumping on the Mexican food trend with a new show, Mexican Made Easy. The show, which stars cookbook author Marcela Valladolid, debuted last week. It'll be fun to see what flavor combos Marcela comes up with.