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Monday, September 5, 2011 – Daily News 5A Vitality & health (MCT) — Is there anything more exciting for an elementary-school child than the purchase of a new lunch box for a new school year? And is there anything more burdensome for parents than filling that lunch box every day with a wholesome-but- pleasing lunch? I am not so old that I've forgotten the lunches my own mother lovingly packed for me. A big sandwich, a piece of fruit, a box of pretzels and a Devil Dog or Yodel for dessert: Enough food to fuel a longshoreman. Every day, I'd skip straight to the snack cake and dump the rest in the garbage. With that memory in mind as I pack my own daughters' midday meals, I first of all save the sweets for after school. When there are no Ring Dings, they're more likely to eat the other stuff. Since they're not big on sandwiches (the apples don't fall very far from the tree, I guess), I'll often give them a dip or spread instead. It's healthy food disguised as fun food. To kids, everything, including pureed chickpeas or goat cheese, tastes better on a chip. The following recipes take min- utes to prepare and will keep for sev- eral days or up to one week in the refrigerator. Make a couple of dips on Sunday night, keep a bag of baby car- rots, a box of cherry tomatoes, some celery sticks, baked corn chips and whole-grain crackers or pretzels in the house, and packing several days' worth of lunches will be a snap. (If your child is big on sandwiches, you can use any of these dips and spreads on a tortilla, supplemented by baby spinach or lettuce, and sliced turkey or ham, to make a quick wrap.) Yields will depend on your child's age and appetite. One recipe of hum- mus might make four servings for a picky and petite kindergartner who eats lunch at 11 a.m., or two servings for a ravenous fourth-grader who eats lunch after playing kickball at recess. PEANUT BUTTER HUMMUS Pita chips and baby carrots make good dippers for this kid-friendly hummus recipe. Pack healthy dips in school lunches MCT photo Writer Lauren Chattman suggests a healthy dip along with vegetables and whole grain chips or pretzels for a tasty, healthy school lunch instead of a sandwich. 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 6 tablespoons water 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Salt Combine chickpeas, water, peanut butter, lemon juice and garlic in work bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Scrape into an air- tight container and season with salt. The peanut butter hummus will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 2 to 4 servings. WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE SPREAD Pack whole-grain crackers and some cherry tomatoes with this tangy and fresh-tasting spread. Adventur- ous eaters might like herbs or pesto added to their spread. 4 ounces goat cheese, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon pesto (optional) 1 tablespoon lemon juice Combine goat cheese, cream cheese, basil or pesto if desired, and Nutrition Quiz: Fast-food choices (MCT) — The Men's Health magazine- inspired "Eat This, Not That" franchise of books is the gift that keeps on giving for people who like to eat out but not bulk up. The 2011 edi- tion was recently released. Take our quiz based on the book. 1. When you go to Ben & Jerry's, the calo- rie damage is going to be considerable. To mit- igate it, which of these three scoops do the authors recommend? a) Peanut Butter Cup ice cream b) Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream c) Coconut Seven Layer Bar ice cream 2. Why do the authors recommend eating Chipotle's steak burrito bowl rather than the steak salad? a) The corn salsa on the salad adds too much starch. b) The rice in the bur- rito bowl is a complex carbohydrate. c) The honey vinai- grette dressing on the salad adds 260 calories. 3. If you must eat at Taco Bell, which would be the healthiest choice? a) Steak Gordita Beef 'N Brew Sept. 17, 2011 Downtown Red Bluff Microbrew, vendors Beef appetizers Tickets @ Sparrow Antiques Main St. Supreme la b) Chicken Quesadil- c) Fiesta Taco Salad 4. To those you have a weakness for the orange chicken with steamed rice at Panda Express — chosen as the chain's worst entree for your waistline — how many calories does it pack on? a) 820 b) 920 c) 1,020 5. Not to pick on Chipotle, but what do the authors say is the "most dangerous item on the menu," weighing in at 610 calories and 27 grams of fat? a) Crispy Chicken Tacos Salad b) Fajita Chicken c) Chips ANSWERS: 1: b (210 e;calories for cheesecak utter; 276340 for peanut b for Coconut); 2: c; 3: a; 4: a; 5: c. Source: "Eat This, Not That" by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding (Rodale Books, $19.95, 337 pages). James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon •Weight Loss • Kickboxing • Muscle Tone • Boot Camps • Strength Training & Sport Specific Training J J & No Gym, No Problem! We come to you! or email: in.homefitness@yahoo.com Call Jacob (530) 529-0095 In Home Fitness Fellow American Academy of Ophtalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-5pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 lemon juice in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Scrape into an airtight con- tainer. The cheese spread will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 2 to 4 servings. AVOCADO YOGURT DIP Corn tortilla chips (look for all- natural chips) and raw vegetables are the natural choices for this simple dip with Tex-Mex flavors. Thick Greek yogurt is best here; other yogurts are too thin and watery. 1 (8-ounce) container plain Greek- style yogurt 1 small avocado, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper Combine yogurt, avocado, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper, if desired, in the work bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Transfer to an airtight container. The avocado and yogurt dip will keep in the refrig- erator for several days. Makes 2 to 4 servings. fitness Nerve tumor causes dizziness DEAR DR. GOTT: Dizziness is a common problem that you've addressed a lot. I suffered for over a year, having been diag- nosed with Meniere's after a CT scan showed nothing. Much later, another doctor ordered an MRI that showed an acoustic neu- roma. This condition isn't as uncommon as once thought. I would encourage anyone with continuing dizziness to have an MRI. It saved my life. I was successfully treated with a gamma knife procedure and have been fine ever since. DEAR READER: An acoustic neuroma (also known as a vestibular schwannoma) is a benign, slow-growing tumor on the primary nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain. Symptoms occur as the tumor grows and presses on surrounding blood vessels, brain structures or nerves, leading to hearing loss on one side, tinnitus, facial numbness and weakness, vertigo, unsteadiness and a loss of balance. Rarely, it can grow large enough to compress the brain- stem and become life- threatening. In some cases, hearing loss may become permanent. Treatments include monitoring, radiation and surgical removal. In your case, you were success- fully treated with a form of stereotactic radio- surgery, a type of radia- tion therapy. This option allowed the physician to deliver radiation directly to the tumor without affecting a larger portion of tissue. It doesn't involve any incisions, so it is non-invasive, and is especially beneficial for small or residual tumors. It can take several weeks, months or even years before the effects of this radiation become evi- dent. Risks include hear- ing loss, balance prob- lems and facial weak- ness. Surgical removal is invasive and complicat- ed. Because the tumor is on a nerve and near the brain, serious complica- tions can arise if the sur- geon is not very precise and experienced. The hospital stay is typically six days, and recovery is six weeks or more. Dr. Peter Gott Small tumors that aren't caus- ing symptoms and are no longer growing or are growing slowly typically require only monitoring. This is especially true for older adults for whom the risks of radia- tion or surgery outweigh the benefits. Readers who are inter- ested in learning more can order my Health Report "Ear Infections and Disorders" by send- ing a self-addressed, stamped No. 10 envelope and a $2 U.S. check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, P.O. Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title, or print an order form from my website's direct link: www.AskDr- GottMD.com/order_form .pdf. DEAR DR. GOTT: I read your column daily but don't recall seeing my question before. My wife will eat a meal and then shortly after have a running bowel move- ment. She will declare that something she just ate must have made it happen. I've repeatedly explained to her that it's not possible to eat some- thing and have it pass through a person that fast, that it takes many hours and possibly overnight. She insists she can eat something tainted now and within the hour it makes her run to the bathroom. Please clarify this for me and especially for my wife. I've tried to tell her if she has a runny bowel movement soon after eat- ing, it's most likely from something she ate earlier or the day before. DEAR READER: For most healthy adults, it takes 24 to 72 hours fol- lowing a meal for it to be digested and excreted. It takes up to eight hours for it to pass through the stomach and into the small intestine. It then enters the large intestine for further digestion and absorption of fluids and nutrients. Elimination of undigested food residue begins after 24 hours, but complete elimination may take longer. The rapid sensation your wife experiences may simply result from the new food stimulating the existing digestive process. I side with you on this one.