The Food and Drug Administration has proposed sweeping rules to curtail food-borne illnesses that kill thousands of Americans annually — and, in the process, to transform itself into an agency that prevents contamination, not one that merely investigates outbreaks.

The rules, drafted with an eye toward strict standards in California and some other states, enable the implementation of the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act that President Obama signed two years ago in response to a string of deadly outbreaks of illness from contaminated spinach, eggs, peanut butter and imported produce.

The first proposed rule would require domestic and overseas producers of food sold in the U.S. to craft a plan to prevent and deal with contamination of their products. The plans would be open to federal audits. The second rule would address contamination of fruit and vegetables during harvesting.

Click here to read more from the LA Times.

As we all prepare for the upcoming holiday meals for Thanksgiving, food safety is something that can fall to the wayside along with the discarded scraps and trimmings. However, there are a few good tips from the Washington Post’s recent article we can all follow to help keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy, safe and happy this holiday season.

For example:

• A colander (or strainer) allows you to wash fruit and vegetables quickly and safely because it lessens the risk of contamination from other foods, such as raw meat, that might have been in the sink earlier.

• Wash refrigerator bins with dish detergent in warm water. Crisper drawers hold more bacteria than any other part of the refrigerator. Wash them often in a clean sink.

To read the full article, click here.

The Fit NOLA Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana Project, led by the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), in partnership with the City of New Orleans Health Department, is slated to receive a total of $2.2 million in funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and pledged matching funds from community partner organizations to increase use of neighborhood parks and access to healthy foods in three underserved neighborhoods. The project will work to transform policies, systems and the environment in parks and surrounding neighborhoods to address barriers to both physical activity and access to healthy food.

The Fit NOLA Project will work to create innovative linkages between community health clinics, parks, and farmers markets in the St. Roch, Gert Town, and Hoffman Triangle-Central City neighborhoods, with a goal of connecting  approximately 64,000 residents with new opportunities for family-oriented physical activities, nutritious foods, and community centered health clinics that support and promote better nutrition and increased physical activity to improve long-term, community health outcomes.

Click here to read the full story.

Salad dressings are often the cherry on top of what should be a fairly healthy meal – until we load them with a quarter of a bottle of ranch. All oils are not created equally and some are better for us, in moderation, than others. When topping your salads this summer, consider these tips that a research study from Purdue University came up with to give you great taste, and keep you healthy an on track at the same time.

Click here to read the full story.

We’ve continued to follow the New York Times’ Recipes for Health section. A recent addition was this wonderful sounding white beans with chicory, or other preferred cooked green. It looks simple and delicious!

Click here for the recipe.

As we get older, our nutritional needs change as well. Whether it be for general good health, preventing or maintaining diabetes, or other health risks, this article has some great tips for adults 50+ to recognize signs they aren’t getting all the nutrients they need.

Read the full article here.

While the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may not exactly be true, the habit of having an apple a day for a snack instead of that bag of potato chips does have health benefits.

In fact, creating just a few healthy daily habits can have great benefits for our health. Substitute green tea in the morning for that Venti Macchiato, eat a piece of fruit for an energy boost in the middle of the day instead of something sugary, etc.

Check out these other great, easy tips from Self Magazine and create some healthy habits of your own!

We’ve been following the New York Times’ Recipes for Health section lately and wanted to share a recent entry. This spinach bouillabaisse looks divine, healthy and filling!

Check out the recipe on the NY Times website here.

Certain “super foods,” as they’ve come to be labeled, have shown lots of promise when it comes to their nutritional value and weight loss. When included in healthy diet and exercise routines, these foods can help boost energy, metabolism and help drop a few lbs in the process.

Check out CNN’s recent article about these foods to find out more.

Whole grains are essential to a healthy diet and have lots of great benefits, including curbing our risk for cancer and numerous other health issues. MD Anderson has created an easy list of what are and aren’t really true whole grains that we can all use as we do our grocery shopping and cooking. Its a great thing to keep handy to help you eat well!

Check out MD Anderson’s list here.