Happy Healthy Long Life

How to Avoid GM Foods - It's Really Not So Hard to Figure Out

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version--especially if pictures don't show up in your email, because you'll basically miss the whole point of this post.

Which foods are genetically modified?  Which aren't?

 

Couldn't resist sharing this helpful pictograph from the October/November 2012 issue of Mother Earth News.

 

It's really not so hard to figure out.

 

Go for the BLUE & GREEN

 

Avoid the ORANGE & RED

 

It's hard not to notice how much GM food is avoided when you eat plant-based/no-oil & avoid most processed foods.  Hmm!

 

 

GMO Concerns. Who's Watching Out for the Consumer? Are We Playing "Genetic Roulette"? Are Consumer Concerns Based on Shaky or Real Science? Is the Evidence Anecdotal or Evidence-Based?

 

 

 

Genetically Modified Crops include Bt (Bacillius thuringiensis) Cotton & Corn, and Herbicide-Tolerant (HT) Soy, Cotton, and Corn.  Almost All Soybeans Grown in the United States are Now Genetically Modified. 

Data from USDA Reports  (Mother Earth News Apr/May 2012)

 

If you received this post via email, click here, to get to the web version with all the links, & to watch "Genetic Roulette" 

 GMOs in the Grocery Store?  What Does It Mean, Exactly?

 

A little back-story, to get you started.

 

“Genetic modification” refers to the manipulation of DNA by humans to change the essential makeup of plants and animals. The technology inserts genetic material from one species into another to give a crop or animal a new quality, such as the ability to produce a pesticide.

These DNA transfers could never occur in nature and are not as precise as proponents make them sound. 

Some genetically modified crops have been engineered to include genetic material from BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), a natural bacterium found in soil.

Inserting the Bt genes makes the plant itself produce bacterial toxins, thereby killing the insects that could destroy it. The first GM crop carrying Bt genes, potatoes, were approved in the United States in 1995. Today there are Bt versions of corn, potatoes and cotton.

Roundup-Ready crops — soybeans, corn, canola, sugar beets, cotton, alfalfa and Kentucky bluegrass — have been manipulated to be resistant to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s broadleaf weedkiller Roundup.

These two GM traits — herbicide resistance and pesticide production — are now pervasive in American agriculture.

The Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service says that, in 2010, as much as 86 percent of corn, up to 90 percent of all soybeans and nearly 93 percent of cotton were GM varieties.

You’re eating genetically modified foods almost daily unless you grow all of your food or always buy organic."

-Robin Mather, "The Threats from Genetically Modified Food,"  Mother Earth News, April/May 2012-

The pros & cons of GMO food are more than I could begin to tackle in a single blog post.

To get a handle on the concerns with the pervasiveness of GMOs in our food supply--YOU, dear reader, should you choose to accept this assignment--will have do some homework.  But, no worries.  All the assignments are listed below.

• Watch "Genetic Roulette" before September 23, while it's FREE.
• Read Robin Mather, "The Threats from Genetically Modified Food,"  Mother Earth News, April/May 2012-
• Read Mark Bittman's Opinionator column, "GMO's: Let's Label 'Em"
• Read Linda Watson's piece,"Stanford Organic Study: Should You Take It with a Grain of Salt (Slide Show) in the September 12, 2012 Huffington Post.

Frankly, the whole GMO issue is something I haven't paid all that much attention to.

That's is--until recently.

The published research into the potential adverse health effects of GMO-foods is on the scant-side, because companies like Monsanto don't have to give out their seeds to be tested.  Corporate patent laws protect them from scrutiny.  

 But, reports from respected physicians, veterinarians, botanists, agriculture researchers, policy makers, government scientists, and farmers present a whole laundry list of worrisome side effects:

• Livestock illnesses & malnutrition caused by eating GMO soy & corn (Don Huber, PhD, professor emeritus, Purdue University)
• Pet illnesses, especially of the GI tract, from consuming corn or soy pet food
• Birth defects in birds & amphibians; cancer, endocrine disruption, DNA & developmental damage to mammals exposed to low doses of glyphosate (that's the active ingredient in Monsanto's herbicide, Round-Up which is used as part of the whole package when farmers use Round-Up resistant seeds)  (Check out the 2011 Report "Roundup and Birth Defects: Is the Public Being Kept in the Dark?--a report by 8 international scientists)
• Increases in animal infertility, reproduction disorders, & birth defects. 
• Increases in human food allergies & digestive disorders, like leaky gut--especially in infants & children.  (Dr. Michelle Perro)
• Increases in inflammation caused by GMO allergies & the toxins "genetically embedded into GMO plants"
• Animal liver & kidney toxicity from GMO corn
• Possible autism spectrum connections
• Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder from Bt-embedded plants, which causes "honey bee dementia"
• Intestinal permeability caused by the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which is genetically implanted into seeds to kill insects.   Bt may also be responsible for changing healthy human microflora in the gut.
• Autoimmune disorders caused as a response to ingesting an "unnatural gene-modified food"
• Infants & children are more sensitive to GMO's in food & formula because of their fast growth rates, high metabolisms, & low body mass.  Consider the widespread exposures to GMO-soy formulas like Similac Soy, Gerber Soy, Enfamil soy, & Walmart Soy.  Sadly, the WIC soy formulas are all GMO. Non-GMO or organic brands are fine.

 

So, how is it possible that there is so little published research on the long-term effects of GMOs on human & animal health, considering that GMO-seeds now totally dominate the farming industry?

Turns out, the FDA allowed Monsanta to conduct its own research prior to approval of GMO seeds in the 1990's.  That's right!  No independent investigators.  Monsanto did their own research in-house.  And none of the studies were long-term, which would be necessary to show any connection to cancer, birth defects, or reproductive disorders.  In fact, there was only one human feeding study conducted, prior to approval of Round-Up ready soy seeds.

The FDA policy commissioner at the time of GMO approval was Michael R. Taylor, who had previous ties to Monsanto as their legal counsel--and has had a revolving door of positions between Monsanto, King & Spalding, a law firm representing Monsanto, & the FDA.  Right now, he's the FDA's "Food Safety Czar".  

 

"As the system now stands, biotech companies bring their own research to the government body overseeing their proposed products. The agency may be the US Dept. of Agriculture, the federal Food and Drug Administration or the Environmental Protection Agency.

These government bodies do no independent studies on the safety and efficacy of the proposed products. Instead, they rely strictly on the research conducted by the companies.

"We don’t have the whole picture. That’s no accident. Multibillion-dollar agricultural corporations, including Monsanto and Syngenta, have restricted independent research on their genetically-engineered crops,” wrote Doug Gurion-Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in a February 2011 Los Angeles Times op-ed piece.

“They have often refused to provide independent scientists with seeds, or they’ve set restrictive conditions that severely limit research options.”

 

Honestly, the whole corporations-versus-consumer-versus-the-FDA-&-the-USDA controversy is so shrouded with secrecy & accusations that it's hard to get a bottom line on the real risks of GMOs to our health & our environment.

 My bottom line:  I'm not a GMO fan.  I'm concerned.  I'm going to make every effort to avoid the stuff.  Why wait until it's too late?

 

Why Not Watch Jeffrey M. Smith's Documentary, "Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives" and Decide About GMO's for Yourself?

 

Do Not Miss This One!!!  It's a  worthwhile investment of 1 hr and 24 mins.   And besides, it's free online from Sept. 15-22nd only.  So don't put this off for too long.

You'll find the link to this disturbing documentary, here.   Sorry, I couldn't insert it into the post.

The Lab Rat & I watched "Genetic Roulette" last night.  It's a new documentary that "reveals the serious health impacts of genetically engineered foods in our diets."   No coincidence that its release is timed to the upcoming California Proposition 37 to label GMOs in food.

We were spellbound--glued to our chairs. Now we "get" what GMO seeds are all about--as well as their potential for harm to humans, animals, & the environment.

Scientists, veterinarians, physicians, policy makers, & farmers, together make one heck of a convincing case against GMO foods-& the biotech invasion into the food industry. But, decide for yourself.

I admit it--I was a little skeptical that it might be sensational pseudo-science. I was wrong (unless someone I respect & trust can convince me otherwise).

Frankly, I was unaware of the health ramifications & the lack of scientific oversight of the GMO industry--by the FDA or the USDA before viewing this documentary.  This is one complex story. 

Do yourself & your family a favor & watch this film--and then decide for yourself how closely you want to start reading food labels.

There's an accompanying phone app & a shopping guide that you can download to check out which foods are non-GMO. The Lab Rat just checked out his Wheat-a-Bix & then went through the fridge reading labels. 

http://www.nongmoshoppingguide.com/

Which foods are GMO--unless otherwise labeled?

Soy (I only buy non-GMO)
Corn (not popcorn)
Cottonseed (for oil)
Canola (for oil)
Sugar beets (for sugar)
Papaya
Zucchini
Yellow crookneck squash
Alfalfa (for hay)
Aspartame

All of the foods listed above (or their derivatives, like corn syrup, etc), are genetically modified (GMO) if they were grown in the US & are not labeled organic or non-GMO.

Organic foods are all non-GMO.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times Weighs in on GMO's, Too.

"GMO's: Let's Label 'Em"

 

 

Mark Bittman gets to the bottom of the consumer's "Right to Know" Proposition 37--making GMO food-labeling a law. This quick-must-read explains the big Food-Labeling Fight in California. Big-Agra vs Consumers

How many of us want to know if our food is genetically engineered?  

A whopping 91% of Americans--crossing all political party lines. (65% of California's are for Prop 37, 20% against, 15% undecided)

Who's fighting the Proposition 37 in California's Nov. 6th election with tens of millions of $$$?

Monsanto & whole lot of food manufacturers. Why?  Because "as California goes, so goes the nation."  

"Prop 37 isn’t a ban on foods containing genetically engineered material; it’s a right-to-know law.

Big Food is worried that this is the thin edge of the wedge, and I (Bittman) hope they’re right. If we win the right to know what’s in processed food, we might be inclined to demand to know how other food is produced. (You might think of Prop 37 as the anti-ag-gag law.) If genetically engineered food is so terrific, persuade us; if it’s not, well, fine. In any case, it should be up to us to buy it or not, but first we have to know what it is.

I (Bittman) want to know — quite technically, in all the detail available — how my food is produced, and I’m far from alone. We’d be able to make saner choices, and those choices would greatly affect Big Food’s ability to freely use genetically manipulated materials, an almost unlimited assortment of drugs and inhumane and environmentally destructive animal-production methods."

 

The Murky Money Story Behind the Funding for the Stanford Organic Food Study

 

This one's a real EYE-OPENER!!  If you haven't read it already, be sure to read Linda Watson's piece, "Stanford Organic Study: Should You Take It with a Grain of Salt (Slide Show) in the September 12, 2012 Huffington Post.

Just follow the corporate money trail on the recent Archives of Internal Medicine Stanford study that found "no huge benefits" to eating organic produce. How naive of me!!

I believed the article's disclaimer: "The authors received no external funding for this study." But, who funds Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, & who funded the researchers' study? 

 

 

"A simple look at FSI's 2011 annual report shows that it is funded by Cargill and others who have a strong financial interest in Monsanto, McDonalds, Walmart, and other businesses that profit from industrial food practices.

Before you head out to the market, check out this slide show (in Watson's Huff Post article) to see how the Stanford Institute that funded the study gets its money and to see some of the other reasons to choose organic when you can. Tell us which ones you would take with a grain of salt."

 

Check out: "Uneasy Allies in the Grocery Aisle," by Stephanie Strom, September 13, 2012, New York Times.  Get a better handle on the key players fighting the GMO-Labeling California ballot issue, Proposition 37.

The whole "organic food" & pro-non-GMO story gets even more complicated. Look who's funding the huge anti-GMO labeling campaign to defeat proposition 37 in California?   Along with Monsanto & DuPont are a whole lot of organic food companies who are now owned by big corporations.

 

The Corporate Seed Connection

 

What Do You Think?

 

Are GMOs Something to Be Concerned About

OR

Are Consumer Fears Based on Anectdotal Evidence & Shaky Science?

 

The Healthy Librarian's In-Box: Hair Loss, Success Stories, B-12 Updates, the Protein-Lysine Connection, the Date-Nut Bathing Suit Diet and This Week's Favorite Facebook Posts

 

Counting the Hairs in Your Hairbrush?

 

Excuses, Excuses!  How about Hair Loss, Some Success Stories, My B-12 Update, My Date-Nut Bathing Suit Diet & Four Articles You Don't Want to Miss?

 

If you received this post via email, be sure to click here to get to the web version with all the links, and to comment.

 

You spoke.  I listened.  One down.  Three more to go.  Here are the four most requested topics you asked me to write about next.  Click here for the complete list.

But, I have so few hours to post much of anything for the rest of July--and all of these are time-intensive posts, if I want to do them right.  Excuses.  Excuses.  The grandson is coming to visit & then it's on to a family vacation.

1. Two cardiologists and one cardiovascular surgeon who decided to follow Esselstyn's plant-based no-oil diet.  What's their story, why did they decide to take this route for themselves, and how has it benefited their health. 

2.  The "Strong Bone" diet.  It's not just Vitamin D & Calcium.  A summary of three recent articles that spell out the protocol for strong bones--the right nutrients & the questionable supplements.

3.  How our gut bacteria work for us:  protect us from heart disease, diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes, clear out the toxins, & boost our immune system.  What kind of a diet promotes a healthy gut microbiota?  And what kind doesn't?  When do you need to take pre or probiotics?  Hint: It's definitely not daily. 

4.  A presentation by Dr. Mladen Golubic of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute:  "Take Control of Your Health: A Proactive Approach to Wellness & Aging"  Diet, Exercise & Stress Reduction will make it happen.

Will you accept a substitute today?   Hope so.

 

 

From My In-Box:  Hair Loss & Two Success Stories

 

As much as I'd like to, I can't always answer all the emails I receive, but after I wrote this long reply to one email this morning, I decided to share it with all of you. 

I knew just the source to go to for the answer:  Jack Norris, RD & Virginia Messina, MPH, RD, Vegan for Life.  Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet.  Philadelphia: Da Capo, 2011.

 

If you're looking for just one book that will give you knowledgeable research-backed plant-based nutrition information, this is the one. 

This morning I answered an email question about hair loss, straight from "Vegan for Life".

Hair loss is a universal concern--no matter what kind of diet you are on.   Whether you're a man or a women.  A twenty-something or a seventy-something.  So, I figured if this reader is concerned, maybe others are, too. 

Hey, I can remember counting the hairs in my hairbrush when I was 22 years old, and eating a meat-heavy diet--certain I was going to go bald at the rate I was shedding.

 

Here's what one reader wrote me:

 

Dear Healthy Librarian:

I have been following the Esselstyn plan since May of 2011 after seeing him on Dr. Oz.

I even had the pleasure of speaking with him.

My issue was obesity, not so much cholesterol.  Although, I haven't been totally strict on this diet, I've lost 32 pounds, already.  But, for me a major problem is my hair is falling out. Are you aware of this being a problem with others??  Am I getting enough protein??

HELP.

Sincerely,

Counting Hairs

 

Here's what I wrote--rather, here's what I quoted straight from "Vegan for Life":

Dear Reader:

First congratulations on your weight loss.  I have heard from only 2 other people with concerns about hair loss on a plant-based diet--but, the cause is so varied--and so common among women. 

Don't know your age---but from menopause on, most women lose some hair because of the loss of estrogen. 

Here's what Ginny Messina MPH, RD, a well-respected vegan dietitian, says about hair loss:

"Every so often, we hear from women who believe that they have been losing hair since going vegetarian or vegan.  While there are no studies of this issue in vegans, there is research on general nutrition factors and hair loss.

Reasons for hair loss vary among individuals, and they are not necessarily related to diet.  About 1/3 of all younger (premenopausal) women experience some hair loss at one time or another (and the vast majority of these women are not vegan).  And it is an unavoidable fact of life that hair thins as we age.  Women going through menopause may notice a significant thinning of their hair.

Hair loss can be associated with certain medical conditions, including thyroid problems, so if you are convinced that you are losing hair at an unusual rate, it's important to see a physician.  Sometimes a dermatologist can diagnose the problem.

Rapid weight loss can cause an increase in hair loss, and the hair growth should return to normal after the weight loss ceases.  Women who become vegan sometimes initially lose weight quickly and this might account for the hair loss.

At one time, there was a widespread belief that zinc deficiency was a common cause of hair loss, but zinc supplementation has not been shown to help.  Some studies have linked low iron status to hair loss in women, and it is possible that iron levels that are at the lower end of normal may not support optimal hair growth. 

The essential amino acid L-lysine plays a part in the absorption of iron and zinc, and vegans who don't eat many legumes could find themselves falling short on lysine.  (H.L.'s recommendation: Head straight over to Jack Norris' most excellent page on protein and lysine--with his chart on the lysine content of common foods.)  

Iron supplementation alone doesn't always increase iron stores.  But in one study, iron supplementation plus a supplement of 1/5 to 2 grams per day of L-lysine increased iron stores and decreased hair loss by half. 
Other supplements, like excessive intakes of vitamin E & folic acid, can adversely affect hair growth. (Rushton, DH "Nutritional Factors and Hair Loss," Clinical and Experimental Dermatology 27(5):396-404, 2002.)

Finally, women who feel they are losing hair may choose to shampoo less frequently in the belief that this will preserve their hair.  This hasn't been shown to prevent hair loss.  In fact, since everyone loses some hair on a daily basis, if you shampoo less often, you'll see more hair in the tub each time you shampoo, which may convince you that your are losing more hair.

If you believe you are losing more hair than usual, be sure to consider other factors first.  If you've recently lost weight, gone through menopause, are shampooing less often, are dealing with increased stress, or have been taking supplements of vitamin E or folic acid, any of those might be the culprit. 
If you think diet might be the cause, you may want to have your iron levels measured."

This comes from:  Jack Norris, RD & Virginia Messina, MPH, RD.  Vegan for Life.  Everything You Need to Know to be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet, pg. 80-81.  Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2011.

Hope this helps!

The Healthy Librarian

 

Just Eat Your Beans!  More About the Lysine-Protein Connection

 

"The most important thing to be aware of regarding protein in vegan diets is that you need to get enough of the amino acid lysine.  

Protein is important for maintaining muscle and bone mass, for keeping the immune system strong, and to prevent fatigue.

[L]et's just cut to the chase - the RDA for lysine is more important than for protein. If you meet lysine requirements on a vegan diet, you will most likely meet protein requirements.

There is evidence that people over 60 should be eating well above the RDA for protein to prevent muscle and bone loss.

Legumes are the foods highest in the amino acid lysine. Tofu, tempeh, and soy meats are the highest, followed by other legume foods.

Other than legumes, quinoa and pistachios are decent sources of lysine."

 

-Jack Norris is a registered dietitian, who provides research-based nutrition advice on his blog, JackNorrisRD.com, as well as authoring a web-based nutrition resource VeganHealth.org. He is the co-author of "Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet"  

 

Do you want to read more about the whole plant protein/lysine connection?  Read  this extensive post I wrote in April 2011: 

Getting to Plant-Based Nutrition Perfection with a Little Help from Expert Vegan Dietitians Ginny Messina & Jack Norris - The Protein & Supplement Connection

 

Two Readers' Success Stories

 

Reader #1

Dear Healthy Librarian,

I had my cholesterol checked after following your recommended plant-strong, nutrient-dense vegan diet whole-heartedly for 5 months.

My total cholesterol dropped 54 points - now at 204, HDL-66, LDL-126 (down 23%), triglycerides-60. All of my ratios are in the "ideal" range

I lost 8 pounds "effortlessly" and love the new size 6 clothes that I "have" to buy!

I've been reading your blog for many years and appreciate the wealth of knowledge you have shared so generously.
You changed my life and I am very grateful.

All the best,

 

 

Reader #2

Hi!  Just had a wonderful weekend due mostly to my cholesterol results!

I am 42 years old, and weighed 130 lbs.  When my numbers jumped from 207 to 256 this past spring, my Dr. started talking statins.

 I had just read about your plant-based - cholesterol-lowering adventures and I just "finagled" with my Doc's nurse to get permission to try this before acquiescing to his drugs. 

Four short weeks later of doing the "Esselstyn/Health Librarian diet"  as we called it here at home, it dropped to a beautiful 145!   I have been sooo relieved... so on cloud 9.... and lost 12 pounds to boot!

I cannot thank you enough for your blogging! 

Because the nurse seemed so intrigued about the whole matter, I dropped her (& the Doc) a "lookee-lookee/celebratory" email note thru the MyChart system -  I just didn't want something this monumental to slip past their radar-

The nurse called me back to re-ask the details... Gave her (again) the brief Esselstyn scoop and your blogsite.  I told her you were like a total stranger cheering me on - just not knowing it!  (I also told her to TELL folks about this option!)

And truly u were quite my cheerleader!  I thank God for finding your site.

I hope u keep up the amazing job you're doing.  I love the candor in your posts and the excellence in the links.  I feel like reading your blog is never a waste of time.

Sincerely,

 

My B-12 Follow-Up Advice from "The Expert"

 

If you recall, last month I posted about my over-the-range B-12 test results. 

I asked a B-12 researcher for advice.  Should I cut down, or not worry about it? 

Here's what he told him--rather technical info:

For my personal situation only (please consult your own physician)--"Stick with methylcobalamin rather than switching to cyanocobalamin.  Methylcobalamin is a natural form of B12 and serves as a coenzyme for B12-dependent methionine synthase. Drop back to 3 times a week."  He also wanted to know who manufactures the B-12 I was using.  I haven't followed up on that yet.  But, I will.

Two possible explanations for the high B-12:

• You have high levels of the 2 serum cobalamin-binding proteins, transcobalamin and haptocorrin. Because of your near daily intake of 1,000 µg of methylcobalamin (MeCbl), transcobalamin and haptocorrin are likely to be fully saturated with B12
• Your levels of transcobalamin and haptocorrin are lower (and fully saturated with B12) and you have free MeCbl in your serum.

Free cobalamin (B-12) in circulation is usually excreted in the urine. But since your intake of supplemental MeCbl (methylcobalamin) is high, it is likely that you probably have some free Cbl in your serum. The assay for total serum B12 will measure both protein-bound B12 and free B12.

Because B12 is a water soluble B-complex vitamin, it is considered to be non-toxic.

 

Just to refresh your memories, here's what I wrote about my test results:

 

About That High B-12 Test?

 

If you're eating a vegan diet you need to take a vitamin B-12 supplement.  The amount in a multivitamin isn't enough.  The amount in nutritional yeast or enriched non-dairy milk, is not enough.  You need a supplement.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

A prominent vitamin B-12 researcher advised Dr. Esselstyn early on to recommend a dose of 1000 mcg of vitamin B-12 to anyone who is following his plant-based diet.  So that's what I take.  I used to remember to take one about 3 times a week, but once I started to leave the bottle in my car I remembered to take one every day.

There are plenty of good reasons to take B-12, even if you aren't planted-based, especially if you're over age 50.   Preventing dementia & brain shrinkage are two pretty good reasons, for starters.  I've written a lot on this subject, so if you want a quickie review on who should take vitamin B-12 & why, click here and here.

Last December 2011 I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Donald Jacobsen of the Cleveland Clinic interviewed on Dr. Ronald Hoffman's radio show--and here's what he had to say:

1. All vegans need to take 1000 mcg of B-12 a day in the form of cobalamin, methylcobalamin is not necessary.

2. Take it sublingually for the most absorption. It's a safe vitamin & you cannot take in too much--any extra is excreted in the urine.

3. We only absorb 10% of B-12--which gives an actual net dose of 10 mcg.

4. B-12 taken intramuscularly is not necessary & that's been proven with research studies.

5. For the most accurate test of B-12 deficiency Jacobsen recommends the MMA (methylmelanic acid test). Note: results are inaccurate in the presence of kidney disease.

6. Jacobsen says the common Serum B-12 test is not an accurate measure because of the way B-12 binds to proteins in the blood. It can say you're level is normal, when it is not.

7. A newer B-12 test, the Holotranscobalamin Test may be a good choice--but, more research is needed. You can listen to the interview here--just 17 minutes long.http://podcast.wor710.com/wor/3231275.mp3

Turns out my hospital's lab doesn't use the MMA (methylmelanic acid test) that is recommended as the most accurate way to assess vitamin B-12 levels.   Oh, well, I've got to make due with less than perfect testing, which casts some doubt on my over-the-top test results.  

The hosptial uses the common serum B-12 test--so honestly, I have no idea if I need to cut back my daily dose or not.  I feel fine, and according to vegan dietitian Jack Norris, if you're regularly supplementing with B-12, and you're not experiencing any symptoms, like fatigue or tingling--don't even bother getting tested in the first place--the test results are just not that accurate, in the first place.  According to Norris, if you're supplementing--assume you're OK.  Too bad I found that out after my test.   To read more about B-12 from Jack Norris, click here.

 

My Date-Nut Bathing Suit Diet

Flat Bellies at 25 are Easy (me & my husband on the left) - I'm Getting Close to Revisiting It at 62

 

My whole family is heading to a beach vacation in a few weeks. 

With all the traveling I've been doing since April 1, I haven't time to be as regular as usual with my exercise workouts.   Less exercise, plus eating too many dates, too many walnuts, & using cashews in recipes?  It all adds up to gaining a few extra pounds.

That's why I'm going back to Esselstyn basics.  I don't care what the medical journals might say--there is no doubt in my mind that eating nuts will put on the pounds.  Dates, too.

If you haven't read Jeff Novick, RD's eye-opening piece on "A Date with Disaster: The Pleasure Trap of Whole Natural Foods" 6/27/12, read it now. HERE. 

Unless you're exercising like Scott Jurek or the Lab Rat--and most of us aren't--or you're one of the lucky few who have a hard time keeping weight on:  Just Ditch the Dates & Nuts Now, if you want to look good in a bathing suit, among other reasons.

Take my advice:  If you want to avoid eating nuts or dates--KEEP THEM OUT OF YOUR KITCHEN!! 

 

Four Important/Useful Links You May Have Missed If You Don't Read Me on Facebook

1.  Dr. McDougall's List of Canned & Packaged Foods for plant-based diet.  Thanks to KC for sharing this.

2.  What's wrong with Gary Taubes' research?  You be the judge!  Taubes launched his career in 2002 as a journalist-quasi-nutrition-expert by blasting low-fat diets, and advocating a high-protein low-carb diet as the best route to weight loss & health.  His career set sail with his New York Times Magazine article:  "What If It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?"

Taubes was recently back in the news, big-time, with his latest opinion piece in the Sunday New York Times Review section with, "What Really Makes Us Fat".  In response to Taubes' pontificating, I present you with Bonnie Liebman's original Taubes rebuttal (2002),  "Big Fat Lies"    ( go to this address if the link doesn't open:  http://www.cspinet.org/nah/11_02/bigfatlies.pdf Don't Miss This! ) and  Sally Squires' 2002 article in the Washington Post, "Experts Declare Story Low on Saturated Facts".  Turns out, Taubes totally twisted the words of the physicians & researchers he consulted for his original career-launching NYT article.  Shameful journalism.

3.  Got Milk?  You Don't Need It! by Mark Bittman in the New York Times, July 7, 2012.  At last count, 771 comments! Hands down the most balanced rational convincing argument I've ever read about what's wrong with milk.  Read it.  Go, Bittman!

4.  Has "Organic" Been Over-Sized?  by Stephanie Strom in the New York Times, July 7, 2012.

 

There you have it!  

Expect slim blog & FB pickins' until August--but check back--you never know when I'll get some free "posting-minutes". 

Can't wait to play with the grandkids--and the grown-up kids, too.

The Healthy Librarian's Holiday Overindulgence Tool Box: Some Abstinence Inspiration, the Exercise Cure, a Holiday Video, a Company-Worthy Recipe, along with Sara Moulton's Favorite Chocolate (coronary) Cookie Recipe

 

 

"Is that piece of chocolate an innocent indulgence?  Or your next hit? We're finding that a sweet tooth makes you just as much an addict as snorting cocaine.

SETTLED on the sofa watching the usual rubbish on TV, I notice that predictable, uncontrollable, nightly craving.  At first I sit there, fighting it. But the longer I fight, the worse it gets. After 20 minutes, I can't concentrate on anything, I feel anxious, and start fidgeting like crazy. Finally, admitting my addiction, I break. I go to the freezer - to my stash of white stuff - and take a hit. Almost instantly, I relax, my brain in a state of bliss as the chemical courses through my veins. Isn't it amazing what a few scoops of ice cream can do?

Before you dismiss my agitation as mere weakness, consider this: to my brain, sugar is akin to cocaine. There is now compelling evidence that foods high in sugar, fat and salt - as most junk foods are - can alter your brain chemistry in the same way as highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Junk foods switch on biological mechanisms that are just as hard to fight as recreational drugs."

-Bijal Trivedi, "Junkie Food: Tastes Your Brain Can't Resist," New Scientist, Sept. 8, 2010-

 

If you've received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with links, a video, & photos.

 

Note:  This was posted last year--on December 22, 2010.  I can't think of a better reminder than this post to watch out for the holiday junk food.  Beware of gifts of chocolate & nuts!

 

Look, I don't miss my old favorites, like cheeseburgers, barbecued ribs, corned beef sandwiches, olive oil, or brie anymore.  I'm so over them.  Not remotely interested.

But, really good cookies or chocolate--now that's a whole different story.   Why?  Because I can't each just one.  If I start with one, I want (no, I need) more.  Normally, I can "just say no!"  But, this season....

On Thursday Dr. D came into the library to give me a thank-you gift for a research project I had helped her with.  This wasn't a Whitman's Sampler--it was a box of chocolates made locally by an artisan chocolatier.  I wasn't planning to taste a single one--and I set the box on the counter by the microwave in the library--for everyone else to enjoy. 

But when two colleauges said, "Go on, just have one.  You deserve it.  Give yourself a treat,"  I took the bait--and I didn't stop with one.   I ended up eating four pieces, stopping only with sheer will power.

Two days later, at a wedding, I downed a piece of red velvet wedding cake, and followed it up with a mini German chocolate brownie.  That night, before I went to bed, I dug into my purse, opened & ate the two-piece mini-box of Russell Stover chocolates my friend Marge had given me on Friday night.  Thanks, alot, Marge!  I tried to refuse them--but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

If you think sugar addiction is a myth, think again.

Back in September, my friend Bob, who works for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), sent me a copy of the New Scientist article I excerpted above--along with a hot-off-the-press article from his friend & colleaugue, Dr. Mark Gold:  "Neurobiology of Food Addiction," by Daniel M. Blumenthal and Mark S. Gold, Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jul;13(4):359-65.  Dr. Gold is an international authority  on addiction research--specifically, cocaine addiction.  According to Gold, there's now hard evidence for the biological basis for sugar addiction.  Doesn't sound far-fetched to me!

Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA agrees--and last year he wrote a book about it: "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite."  Want to learn more?  Read my summary of his research here.  If you can get a hold of the New Scientist article at your local library, it's definitely a worthwhile read, as well.

Bottom Line:  As I continue through this season of temptation--with cookies-chocolate-cheese-and-alcohol everywhere you look--I'm etching Dr. Michael Roizen's mantra indelibly on my brain.  And you can, too!

 

"The joy of eating an ice cream cone might last for 15 minutes.  The damage it does lasts months!"

"The sugar from that cone is going to negatively affect the proteins in your body for the length of life of that protein--anywhere from 90 to 100 days--far outlasting the 10-30 minutes of pleasure you're going to get from that ice cream cone.

Yes, that "extra sugar causes the proteins in your body to be less functional and as a result, directly ages your immune and arterial systems and even your joints (hello, arthritis). The joy of the food might last 10 minutes.  The protein change lasts months,"  says Roizen.

 

Last night my friend Babs, an expert baker, told me she had just made "THE best-ever-chocolate cookies". 

Babs is one of those lucky people who really can stop after eating just one cookie.  Her scrumptious recipe comes from Sara Moulton.  It's Moulton's all-time favorite cookie recipe from the just released: The Gourmet (Magazine) Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009, so you know it's got to be good (and bad for you).  Sara's Chocolate Mocha Cookie recipe comes from 1990--20 years ago--back when I wouldn't have given butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate a second thought.

Three dozen cookies made with 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate, 3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, 1 stick of butter, 4 eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  Oh my!  I'll have to just leave this one to my imagination.  Have you all heard about the new Imagine Diet research out of Carnegie Mellon?  If you want to torture yourself, click here for Sara's & Babs' recipe. 

 

Just in Case You Do Overindulge - Be Sure to Get Up & Exercise Before You Eat Breakfast!

 

Don't miss Gretchen Reynold's December 15, 2010 article in the New York Times, "Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast".  Now this is practical research you can really use!

Here's the pitch:

"A recent study by scientists in Australia found that after only three days, an extremely high-fat, high-calorie diet can lead to increased blood sugar and insulin resistance, potentially increasing the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Waistlines also can expand at this time of year, prompting self-recrimination and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

But a new study out of Belgium, published in The Journal of Physiology suggests a more reliable and far simpler response. Run or bicycle before breakfast. Exercising in the morning, before eating, the study results show, seems to significantly lessen the ill effects of holiday Bacchanalias."

For six weeks, three groups of healthy young men ate a lousy diet--50% fat, and 30% more calories than usual--kind of like all of us might be eating for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

• One group quit exercising completely for six weeks--and just enjoyed their high fat, caloric diet.
• Two groups participated in serious, supervised morning workouts, both with an equal energy expenditure.
• One of the exercise groups ate a hefty-carbo-rich breakfast before they exercised, and also drank a sports drink during exercise.
• The third group worked out before breakfast, on an empty stomach, and only drank water while exercising.  But afterwards...they chowed-down on the same calorie-rich breakfast as the breakfast-eating exercisers had enjoyed.

The results are compelling.

• Bad News.  The breakfast-eating non-exercisers packed on six additional pounds in six weeks!  And it gets even worse.  They developed insulin-resistance, their muscles no-longer efficiently pulling glucose out of their bloodstream, and they started "storing fat within and between their muscle cells".  The Lesson Here: Don't plan on skipping exercise after holiday partying!
• Somewhat Better News. The group who ate a hefty breakfast before working out gained about half as much weight as the non-exercise group.  And just like the non-exercisers, they too became more insulin-resistant, and started storing more fat in their muscles.
• Best News.  The exercisers who skipped breakfast gained zero weight, and showed no signs of insulin resistance.  And they still got to eat a hefty breakfast--but after they worked out.

Take-away message:  When you indulge at a holiday party, be sure to exercise on an empty stomach the following morning.  Eat breakfast after your workout.  Read the entire article for the "rest of the story!"

As for me, since returning home from our Thanksgiving trip to St. Louis, I haven't skipped out on any of my usual exercise routines.  In a week I fit in 4 days of spinning, 3 days of yoga, 2 days of weights, & one or two days of rest a week.   In spite of various sugary indulgences (like handfuls of leftover vegan chocolate chips that I had around because I was baking for company), restaurant dinners, dinner at friends' homes, holiday parties, and a wedding--not one extra pound has been gained so far. 

 

Enough of the Holiday YouTube Videos - This One Might Be a Real Life-Changer

 

I just discovered this powerful video this morning, thanks to James Brown at the Dr. McDougall site.  You'll hear first-hand how fifty-something James Brown ended up bypassing on bypass surgery--with the blessings of his originally skeptical cardiologist. 

Brown had been on high blood pressure meds since he was 23; by his fifties this 5' 7"er weighed 206 pounds; his cholesterol was 339; and he was starting to experience chest pains.  Talk about a "do-over"!  Brown really did it.  If you aren't seeing the video in this post, click here.

 

James Cures Hypertension and Heart Disease, McDougall Diet from John McDougall on Vimeo.

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Version of Company-Worthy Ten-Minute Asparagus & Brown Rice

Looking for a healthy recipe for the holiday season that everyone can enjoy?  This might be it.

Last January I discovered Heidi Swanson's amazing garlicky & lemony-tahini dressed garbanzo bean, rice & asparagus salad.  I brought it work, and everyone who tasted it ended up making it.  It's that good.

But, it's also loaded with fat: over a third of a cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of tahini, and 1 cup of slivered almonds.  Gee, and I used to think this was a healthy meal.  I haven't made it since June 18, 2010 when I started eating "no-added fat" ala Esselstyn style.

Three weeks ago I decided to see if I could "enlighten" this recipe--ditch the olive oil used for sauteeing--and substitute low-fat silken tofu for the olive oil in the dressing--a trick I learned from the Wellness Forum's Chef Del.

 

Golden Browned Onions Without Any Oil

Browning the Garbanzos Without Oil

Toasting the Almonds on Parchment Paper

A Bunch of Asparagus

Mixing It All Together

 

Mixing Up the "Enlightened" Tahini Dressing

 

For a copy of recipe on one page, click here.

Enlightened Ten Minute (more like 30) Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice

based on Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks recipe

Serves 4-6

2 14-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup of vegetable broth--used only as needed when sauteeing the onions & chickpeas

1 bunch of asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces

3 cups pre-cooked brown rice (I used the frozen already cooked brown rice available at Trader Joe's

2 TBS. of almond slivers, toasted in a low oven (I cut this down from 1 cup of almonds--you could leave it out entirely if you like)

fine grain sea salt & paprika, optional

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional--if you like your food hot & spicy

Tahini Dressing:

1 garlic clove, smashed & chopped

2 TBS. tahini (I cut this down from 1/4 cup)  *Don't leave this out!

zest of 1 lemon

4 TBS. low-fat silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu)

scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (one lemon)

2 TBS. hot water

scant 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt (optional)

a few good grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions:

1.  If you're using frozen rice, heat it in the microwave and set aside.  Or, make up enough rice for 3 cups, cooked.

2.  Make the dressing by pulse mixing the following ingredients in a food processor: the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tofu.  Add the hot water to thin a bit and then add the salt & pepper to taste.  Set aside.

3.  Heat your non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the dry skillet and saute. Lower the heat.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt & paprika if you like--the paprika helps give it a nice golden color.  Stir occasionally--the onions will be fine sauteeing in their own juice for awhile.  As they get dry, or begin to stick, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.  Add the garlic, and continue to saute for about 10 minutes total, until they are soft, sweet, and golden.  Add broth--2 tablespoons at a time, if needed to prevent sticking.  Remove from the pan, and set aside.

4.  Now add the 2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzos to the skillet, and "dry saute" for about five minutes.  Let them get a little crusty, browned or even a tad bit charred.  They may "hiss & pop". 

5.  When they are nicely browned, add the sauteed onions & garlic back into the pan, and add in the asparagus pieces.  Cover with a lid for a minute or two to steam--just until the asparagus brightens and softens up just a bit.

6. Uncover and stir in the rice and toasted almond slivers.  Taste & season to taste.  Mix in the cayenne pepper, carefully, if you like that kind of heat.

7.  Serve family style in a big bowl, and pass the tahini dressing so everyone can mix some of it into their rice.

NOTE:  This dressing is delicious on a veggie or falfel burger, and left-over rice salad is great mixed into a salad of greens.

 

Nutritional Information - Based on 1/6 of the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Ten Minute Asparagus and Brown Rice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	305
Total Fat	5.7g
Saturated Fat	0.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	55mg
Carbohydrate	51.6g
Dietary Fiber	9g
Sugars	3.1g
Protein	13.5g
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    12% Iron 18%

 

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Three Tuesday Tips: Dealing with Temper Tantrums at Any Age, Buying BPA-Free Cans, & Movie Theater Contraband Popcorn

 

 

 

 

If you do not see the Temper Tantrum video on your screen, click here. 

 

 

"The trick is to get the child past the peaks of anger.  Once you do that, what's left is the sadness, and sad children reach out for comfort.

The quickest way past the anger--is to do nothing.  

Don't shout, don't hit, don't try to comfort the child.  But, when a child is screaming it's hard to do nothing.

[W}hen children are at the peak of anger and they're screaming and they're kicking, probably asking questions might prolong that period of anger.

When I'm advising people about anger I say, 'There's an anger trap.  Even asking questions can prolong the anger--and the tantrum.'

It's difficult for them to process information--they're overwhelmed.  And to respond to a question that the parent is asking them may be just adding more information into the system than they can really cope with.

It's better to keep things simple.  Issue short commands like, sit down, go to your room.

Understanding that tantrums have a rhythm can not only help parents know when to intervene, but also give them a sense of control."

-Psychologists Michael Potegal & James Green, "Screaming, yelling, whining, and crying: categorical and intensity differences in vocal expressions of anger and sadness in children's tantrums,"  Emotion 2011 Oct;11(5):1124-33-

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with the links & the temper tantrum video!

 

Anyone Can Have a Temper Tantrum

 

OK--so, you don't have kids, or your kids are all grown.  You have zero interest in tantrums.   Why read this post?  

Because---the advice you'll find here can apply to your boss, your spouse, or your friends.  Anyone who's overwrought, frustrated, tired, hungry, angry and needs to vent!   Sure, with adults there's no kicking or screaming--but sometimes it's not a far stretch to substitute the word "venting"--for a "tantrum".

 

Toddler Tantrums Deconstructed

 

Would I be so ga-ga about research on tantrums if I weren't a grandparent--and dealt with a few toddler melt-downs myself?  Probably not!

But, you don't have to be a parent or a grandparent to experience the "horror show" of a full-blown temper tantrum.   Think grocery store lines, airplanes, or restaurants.  

It's happened to all of us--and it can make us feel as helpless as the screaming & kicking child who's having the tantrum.  And by the way--all kids have tantrums.

 

 "Small kids just have tantrums.  Some have lots of them.  Tantrums may be traumatic for parents, but they're mostly normal behavior.  So science hasn't paid much attention to them--until now."  (NPR)

But, if psychologists Potegal & Green are right--and I sure hope they are--there's both parental power & a sense of control when you know that all tantrums follow the same pattern--and if you know exactly when to ignore them, and when to intervene--a tanturm becomes easier to endure.  

 

"[W]hen looked at scientifically, tantrums are no different than thunderstorms or other natural phenomena.  Studying them as scientific subjects, rather than experiencing them like parents can cause the tantrums to stop feeling traumatic and even become interesting."  (NPR) Really????

 

My Temper Tantrum "Ah Ha" Moment!

When I heard the NPR story yesterday morning I had an AH HA moment!

Isn't a toddler's temper tantrum something we can all relate to? 

When we're REALLY REALLY UPSET or REALLY REALLY ANGRY (of course, I never am) we just want to have our say--and have someone listen to it--and not interrupt us.

• We don't want anyone to shut us up.
• We don't want any sympathetic coddling.
• We don't want to hear anyone's advice or solution to our problem.
• We don't want to hear logic.
• We don't want to be comforted.
• We just want to be heard, to vent, & release anger & frustration
• Only when we get our proper say, are we ready for hugs, comfort, & to listen to reason.

 

BTW--it only took me about 30 years of marriage to learn to just close my mouth & listen when my husband was having the equivalent of a grown-up's temper tantrum.   Plenty of time to talk & comfort after he's had a chance to vent!

Thanks to Michael Potegal of the University of Minnesota, & James Green of the University of Connecticut, who studied & recorded over one hundred temper tantrums--there just may be an easy technique for dealing with the terrible two's & meltdowns.

How crazy is this?  Potegal & Green devised a onesie with a wireless microphone.  Then they convinced parents to put the onesie on their kids--& hit the GO button, so they could record all that tantrum screaming, crying, wailing, & whining.

Potegal & Green say most temper tantrums follow the same pattern--the build up is quite quick--to a peak of anger--but then the child exhausts himself & what's left is a child who wants to be comforted.

 

The Play-By-Play Analysis of a Tantrum

 

NPR:  (commenting on the video) It looks like the tantrum is escalating.  But, in fact, what the new theory suggests is exactly the opposite.

Green:  (speaking about the child in the video) Once she's thrown herself on the floor and thrown something, or in this case, knocked the chair against the wall, we're probably on the down slope of this tantrum.  She's spent a lot of energy; screaming, yelling and now doing these physical behaviors.

NPR:  The scream was a peak.  No one can stay that angry for long - it's exhausting.  I asked Green what sounds he expected next from Katrina (the child in the video).

Green:  Probably something...like crying or whining.  There's been so much energy expended.  The child knows that they've been out of control.  That leads to a sense that they'd like some comfort from their parents.

NPR:  This tantrum from scream to whimper took only a minute.  But, Green & Potegal argue that no matter how long tantrums last or how often they occur, they follow the same pattern.

 

The Three Phases of a Tantrum

 

Phase I:  Yelling & screaming.  Associated with a high degree of anger.  That's how tantrums start, especially if there's a goal the parent has in mind that's different from what the child has in mind.

Phase: 2:  Physical actions.  Throwing oneself on the floor or throwing something.  This signals the downslope of the tantrum.  The child has spent a lot of energy, screaming, yelling & physical behaviors.

Phase 3:  Crying & whining.  This signals the end of the tantrum--what we see after intense physical behaviors.  And it can sometimes take only a minute to go from screaming to a whimper.  Only now is the child ready to be comforted--and she's ready to listen to mom or dad.

But, no matter how long it takes, from start to finish, all tantrums follow the same pattern!

Learn more:

1. Read the NPR "What's Behind a Temper Tantrum transcript here.

2. Listen to the NPR "What's Behind a Temper Tantrum" radio show here.

3. Access Potegal's & Green's article in Emotion here.

 

 

Look Right Here for BPA-Free Cans or Containers

 

The Go-To Safe Brands:  Eden Beans, Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes (started in January 2011), & Foods Packaged in Tetra-Paks or Glass

 

Just the facts, folks.

BPA is bad news.  I'm not going to get into all the nasty details of how this endocrine disruptor can be damaging to pregnant women, fetuses, babies, & children--or how, as a hormone disruptor it's been linked to breast & prostate cancers, attention-deficit disorder, behavioral problems, & even diabetes.

That's all old news.

But, here's the new deal, you might have missed.  BPA isn't just in plastic bottles--it's also in the linings of many cans--to prevent corrosion.  In fact, until recently, it was found in the linings of practically all canned tomato products.   That's now changed, because Muir Glen Organics recently started using BPA-free cans for its tomatoes.  Learn more below.

 

Here's what my friend Fran recently sent me from 7 Foods Experts Won't Eat (and just so you know--Dr. Fredrick vom Saal is THE BPA expert in the US).

 

Why You Should Avoid Canned Tomatoes (until recently, that is!!)

The Expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A.

The Situation: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people’s body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals.

“You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that’s a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young,” says vom Saal. “I won’t go near canned tomatoes.”

The Solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe’s and Pomi.  (and Muir Glen tomatoes canned after 1/11)

 Muir Glen Canned Tomatoes

Last Friday afternoon I waited  on the phone for 45 minutes in order to talk to a Muir Glen customer service rep to find out if Muir Glen tomatoes are really BPA-Free. 

To date, there is nothing on their label to indicate that they are BPA-free.  So I wanted to hear it from a company representative.

Here's the scoop:

• All Muir Glen tomatoes packaged since January 2011 are now in BPA-free cans.
• The company won't put the BPA-free labels on their cans until all the old stock is off the shelf.
• So, how will we know if our cans are BPA-free, until the new labeling goes into effect?   
  

1.  The lining will be orange, not white.

2.  The expiration date will have a 2014 on it.  But..most of my cans have an expiration date of Mar. 2013, & they've all been orange on the inside--which means they're BPA-Free.  The 2014 date will give you 100% assurance that the can is BPA-free--but there are 2013 expiration-dated cans that are also BPA-free.

3.  Here's another clue.  If the can has a white-enameled lining with BPA, it will say so on the label, right near the nutrition facts.  Something like: contains enameled lining.

Eden Brand Beans

All Eden Brand Beans come in BPA-free cans.  Learn more about that here.

Tetra-Paks or Glass

All food packaged in glass containers or in Tetra-Paks do not have BPA.  Some researchers have concerns about the linings of Tetra paks--but, I haven't seen any research on that subject.

The BPA Health Risk Cliff Notes

Cleaning Up My Kitchen - Clearing Out the Bisphenol-A and Other Lurking Toxic Chemicals

The Consumer Reports Tested BPA Levels in Canned Food. It's Time to Ditch the Cans and the Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole. Safe Levels Are Much Lower Than the FDA Allows

ADD, Autism, Hyperactivity, Behavioral Problems? Could BPA or Phthalates in Cans, Plastics, Carpets & PJs Be Responsible?

 

Here's the new research from JAMA, November 23, 2011

On November 23, 2011, right before Thanksgiving, when millions of Americans were going to open up cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, green beans, Durkee's Onion Rings, pumpkin pie filling, & cranberry sauce---one of the top-dog medical journals, JAMA, busted canned soup for it's sky-high BPA levels.   You can read a snippet of the article here.   

But, hey, if you had read my Consumer Reports post on canned foods, none of this would have been a big surprise.

Source:  Carwile JL, Ye X, Zhou X, Calafat AM, Michels KB,  "Canned soup consumption and urinary bisphenol A: a randomized crossover trial,"  JAMA  2011 Nov 23;306(20):2218-20.

The New York Times on BPA in Cans

 

If you want a quick summary of the JAMA findings--head over to the New York Time's article written by Anahad O'Connor on November 22, 2011.

 

"People who ate one serving of canned food daily over the course of five days, the study found, had significantly elevated levels — more than a tenfold increase — of bisphenol-A, or BPA, a substance that lines most food and drink cans.

The new study, which was published [on November 23, 2011] in The Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first to measure the amounts that are ingested when people eat food that comes directly out of a can, in this case soup. The spike in BPA levels that the researchers recorded is one of the highest seen in any study.

“We cannot say from our research what the consequences are,” said Karin Michels, an associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and an author of the study.

“But the very high levels that we found are very surprising. We would have never expected a thousand-percent increase in their levels of BPA.”

Dr. Michels noted that all the participants were fed amounts of soup that were smaller than what people probably would consume on their own.

“One serving of soup is a not a lot,” she said. “They were actually telling us that that wasn’t even enough for their lunch.”

But she also pointed out that the findings were probably applicable to other canned goods, including soda and juices.

“The sodas are concerning, because some people have a habit of consuming a lot of them throughout the day,” she said. “My guess is that with other canned foods, you would see similar increases in bisphenol-A. But we only tested soups, so we wouldn’t be able to predict the absolute size of the increase.”

 

Bring Your Own Popcorn to the Movies!

 

My Ziploc Bag of Contraband "Barbecue" Popcorn - Is It OK to Bring Your Own?

 

On Saturday, I worked all day--drove home, downed a quick bowl of soup, popped some popcorn in my hot-air popper to take to the theater--and headed out to see a movie.   The plan was to see The Way, but it was sold-out. 

We saw The Descendants instead.  All four of us gave it a thumbs up.  But, I still want to see The Way.

 

Here's how to make your own Barbecue Air-Popped Popcorn

• Use a hot air-popcorn popper. 
• As the popcorn comes out, mist it with water (yes, it really works & it's not soggy) from a water spray bottle, and at the same time sprinkle on Bone Suckin' Sauce Seasoning & Rub (or the seasoning of your choice)  It works a lot better than spraying the popcorn with cooking oil spray (which is what I used to do), with none of the fat!  The water just evaporates on the hot popcorn.
• If you don't like  barbecue flavor--just sprinkle on finely ground Morton's Popcorn Salt, or nutritional yeast.  Plain popcorn is pretty boring, in my opinion.

But, this is supposed to be about bringing your own popcorn.

My husband thinks it's unethical.   After all--I do have to "sneak" it into the theater. 

But, I say, it's not like I'd eat the theater's popcorn, if I didn't bring my own.  Are you kidding?

A medium combo (cola & bag of popcorn) at Regal has 1,610 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. That's roughly the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter.  To get the low-down on fat & salt content of the movie popcorn you're cluelessly munching, click here.

 

 

Chef AJ's Popcorn Experiment--Sugar, Salt, & Fat are the Evil Trifecta

 

Here's why we love our movie popcorn so much!

1. Make yourself a big bowl of air-popped popcorn.  Notice how you can't keep eating it after you're full.
2. Now add salt to the bowl & notice how you'll eat more than if it were just air-popped
3. Now add butter & salt to the bowl & notice how you'll eat even more of it.
4. Now make some Kettle Corn--with popcorn, salt, butter, & sugar, and notice how it's impossible to stop.  Sugar, Salt & Fat--the deadly Trifecta.

 

With Three Tips--I've Got Three Questions for You:

 

1.  What do you think about the Green & Potegal temper tantrum research?  Anyone agree with my adult "temper tantrum" comparison? 

2.  Do you have concerns about BPA in canned food--or do you kind of ignore the whole thing?  I still bought canned tomatoes, so I'm glad Muir Glen made the switch.

3.  Do you bring your own popcorn into the theater?

 

 

Friday Night Dinner, a Movie, and Two Ounces of Red Wine - "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead"

 

 

If you received this via email, click here to get to the web version, with videos & links.

Friday night.

I wanted to go to the "first-Friday" swing dance, plus lesson--at a nearby middle school.  A wildly popular seven man swing band from Pittsburgh was featured.

Didn't happen. 

Turns out it was my husband's week to usher at the 6:15 pm service at our synagogue.  He's not the kind of guy who would skip out.

So, while he was ushering, I got to work in the kitchen making my version of Pea's & Thank You's Jambalaya!

My friend Janet introduced me to this recipe a month ago.  Then my husband made it for our grandson, who gobbled down two helpings.  Now it was my turn to make it.  Click here for the recipe. 

My husband returned home at 8:00 and dinner was ready to go!

 

How About 2 Ounces of Wine Before Dinner?

 

 

He:  "Hey, why don't we just chill out, have a glass of wine, enjoy our dinner, and see if there's something to stream on Netflix."

Me:  "Great idea, but, just pour me only a 1/4 cup of wine."

He:  "What?  What's up with 1/4 cup of wine?"

Me:  "Straight from this week's issue of JAMA.  Big study.  Women who drank 3 or more glasses of wine a week increased their risk of breast cancer.

Yep! Even low to moderate amounts of alcohol isn't such a good idea for women.  But, the researchers say it might still be a good idea to have a little wine--because even just a little reduces heart disease risk.  Hey, it's all about weighing your own risks. Breast cancer or heart disease. 1/4 cup might help me with both."

He:  "But, what's up with the 1/4 cup?"

Me:  "Run the numbers.  3 5-ounce glasses of wine comes to 15 ounces a week--I figured it was better to have a little everyday--which comes to 1/4 cup a day--and I'd likely only have that 1/4 cup 3 or 4 times a week.  Besides, Tom, a retired physicist blog friend of mine who hates the taste of alcohol, has analyzed every study out there on the health benefits and risks of alcohol.  His conclusion:  2 ounces of wine a day for women was the sweet spot."

We really did have this conversation, believe or not!

 

Want to Know More About the JAMA Breast Cancer Alcohol Study? 

 

If you do not see the video on your screen click here

 

Source:  JAMA 2011 Nov. 2;306(17):1884-90.  Chen, WY, Rosner, B, Hankinson, SE, Colditz, GA, Willett, WC.  "Moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk."

Bottom Line:  Women of all ages need to limit their alcohol consumption to 1-3 drinks a week, maximum.   Even low levels of alcohol consumption can increase the risk of breast cancer.  Beer, mixed drinks, straight up, wine--they're all the same when it comes to increasing the risk of breast cancer.

 

On to the Movie

 

Netflix was not going to cooperate.

Turns out we have the cheapest Netflix plan, and my husband had already used up our monthly allowance streaming "Hell on Wheels"  (a documentary about the Tour de France) while he lifted weight in the basement.

"Let's try Hulu,"  he said.

Real bad idea.  There is nothing on the freebie version of Hulu. 

Except, as he scrolled through the alphabet of loser movies that no one has ever heard of, I spotted something that sounded vaguely familiar, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  How's that for a cheerful Friday night flick?

Turns out, it wasn't what I thought it was.  It was a hundred times better.  We both thoroughly enjoyed this 2010 documentary that's won many awards at film festivals none of us has ever heard of.  Actually, we LOVED this movie!

It's funny.  It's inspirational & uplifting.  It's down-right sad & scary.  It has heart and really gets you involved in Joe's story. It's all about an "everyday overweight guy" just trying to turn his health around and inspire others along the way.

Am I the only person who has never heard of this movie??  Am I really late to the party?

Two big thumbs up!  And best of of all--it's free on Hulu--for the price of watching a few commercials.

You can watch the full movie, 1 hr. 37 mins. here on Hulu--just be sure to disable any adblockers & give it time to load. We streamed it on our TV.

Would I recommend Joe's diet kick-starter plan?  No.  But, it worked for him, and he did it safely, under the care of a physician.  And now he's eating healthy plant-based meals & exercising regularly.  

And just who was Joe's doc?   None other then Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

 

Meet Joe Cross--He's Young, Fat, Desperate, and Sick of Being Sick

 

Joe and Phil

 

If you don't see the video on your screen click here to go to the YouTube movie trailer.

 

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead  (the extended trailer)

 

SYNOPSIS

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope.

In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself.

He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days.

Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well.

What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.

Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.

 Click Here for the Full Film on Hulu

 

 Jamabalaya, Baby!!  So Easy!  So Delicious!

 

Jambalaya & Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

 

Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Jambalaya

(adapted from a recipe in Peas and Thank You)

 

Servings: 4

Click here for a copy of the recipe on one page

 

Ingredients:

2-3 Field Roast Italian Sausages, thinly sliced  

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large red pepper, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes in juice

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

1 teaspoon T.J.'s 21  Seasoning Salute (or other salt-free spice combo)

salt to taste (optional)

1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional or to taste  (if you like more heat, substitute red pepper flakes for the black pepper, to taste)

2 cups of already cooked brown rice  (I saved time with T.J. frozen brown rice pouches--ended up using 1 1/2 pouches)

1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste

 

Preparation:

1.  Prepare rice, whether microwaving the frozen rice, or cooking your rice.

2.  Saute the Field Roast sausages in a large non-stick skillet until they're browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove them to a plate for adding later.

3.  Add onions, celery, and red pepper and "steam" saute over medium heat.  Cover & let them soften for  5 minutes, checking halfway through to mix.  If it gets too dry, and starts to stick, add a little bit of broth or water to deglaze the pan.  

4.  Add the seasonings & garlic and cook for one minute. 

5.  Add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and bring to a low boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.

6.  Add the browned "sausage", the pred-cooked rice and the tomato paste, mix well,  and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.  Adjust seasonings.

 

It was a perfect Friday Night.

Dinner, Wine (1/4 cup), and a Surprise Hit of a Movie

Got any Dinner & a Movie Combos to Recommend for Our Next Friday Night at Home?

 

 

 

Saturday Morning Heart to Heart Girl Talk with My Sister-in-Law - Triglycerides, Esselstyn Diet Success, Restaurant Insanity, Molten Lava Cake, Tortilla Soup - and of course, the Grandkids, Kids, & Husbands

 


Photo by Vincent Van Der Pas

"When triglycerides go up over 100 we start making abnormal forms of cholesterol--the small dense LDLs that are atherogenic and penetrate much more rapidly into the arteries than normal large LDLs. 
 
When triglycerides start going up--and the changes start around 80-100--nearly everyone with triglycerides over 100 is making significant amounts of small dense atherogenic LDL--above 150 almost all LDL particles are small dense and atherogenic." 

-Dr. Patrick E. McBride, Professor of Medicine and Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin, and a member of the Expert III NCEP Panel setting cholesterol guidelines-

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

On Saturday morning, my sister-in-law and I FINALLY had a chance to catch up.  

We talked for an hour staight--which is nothing for us--we'd barely scratched the surface of what we could cover--but we both had to call it quits to get on with the rest of of the stuff on our To-Do Lists.

She had some pretty good news to share--and I asked her if it was OK if I shared it with you.  She said, "Sure! Go ahead."   So here's what we talked about....

 

What's Up with My High Triglycerides?  Help!

 

Here's the back story.

Exactly, one month ago my sister-in-law texted me a cryptic message, "Call me when you have a chance.  Need your opinion."

Turns out, she'd had her annual gyno exam.  Her doc had taken her lipids, and she' had just found out that her total cholesterol was too high--and her triglycerides were off-the-charts high.

 

She: "How can that be?  I really do eat healthy.  I exercise.  My doc wants me to make an appointment with a cardiologist ASAP, but I don't want to go on statins, or take anything for the triglycerides.  Most of my other numbers are OK--the LDLs & HDLs--but the triglycerides are sky-high.  I'd really like to go 100% on the Esselstyn diet first  & see if I can get those numbers down."

Me:  "Well, don't get mad at me for saying this--but I've been there myself--thinking I'm eating a healthy diet, when I'm really eating "a healthy diet at home"...in addition to a load of crap out-of-the-house!  

I know you make healthy meals at home--but it's probably all the rest of the stuff you're eating.  The restaurants, the traveling, the cookies, cakes, & pastries your friends make, the lack of exercise when you're traveling, the wine & rum, the sugar, the dinners at friends', the crusty French bread, yada yada yada.  It all adds up--and bottom line--if you're taking in more calories than your body needs--you can end up with high triglycerides!

Look, I never would have tried the Esselstyn diet 100% if he hadn't challenged me to do it.  You won't know if it works until you do it 100%.  Once I did it 100% & saw the results--I was convinced.

High triglycerides, are bad news.  Definitely see the cardiologist. But, sure-- try the diet first to see if it can make a difference for you.

She:  I've already downloaded Esselstyn's book on my Kindle.  Can you send me any other info you might have that will help?  I've got just 2 1/2 weeks to try this out, before I go out-of-town with my friends.  I know I won't be able to do it 100% on vacation--just not possible--so I'm going to see if I can get a cholesterol test before I leave on vacation to at least see if I'm on the right track. Before I see the cardiologist.

Oh, I've been reading up on triglycerides--but send me anything you might have on the blog that would help.

Here's what I emailed her:

Here's one of the posts I've written about on triglycerides--but this one sums it all up.  NOTE:  In April the ranges for normal all moved downward.  Now, the recommendation for the normal range is at 100 or below (no longer below 150).  But as you'll read, it's best to be at 80 or below. You want to make sure you're making light fluffy LDLs, not the small dense kind.  You might request the NMR particle test.  And here's the link to the new American Heart Association Scientific Statement recommending that triglycerides ought to be at 100 or below--not 150.

You want me to ask Dr. Esselstyn what he suggests you do?

Good luck!

Love you!

My note to all of you:  Please read that post I sent my sister-in-law about triglycerides.  It will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about these bad-boys.  They're an independent risk factor for strokes & cardiovascular disease.  If you've got a lot of belly fat--you probably have high triglycerides.  If you're eating more calories than your body can burn off--you probably have high triglycerides.  To read even more (yeah right!) about the triglyceride stroke/heart connection, click here and here and here.

How Strange is This?  The day after I sent the email to my sister-in-law, Dr. Esselstyn just happened to call me at work with a library question.  Of course, I asked him for some words of wisdom for my sister-in-law & for high-triglycerides in particular.  Darn, I no longer have my notes--but here's what I remembered he said:

• Cut out the sugar--all kinds!  (my note: be sure to read this and this)
  
• Cut out alcohol
• Cut out the white foods--refined flours, pastas, breads, rice, crackers, etc. If high triglycerides are a problem for you--stick to just eating whole grains--and skip foods made with whole grain flours, like breads & pastas.  Even whole grain flours can raise triglycerides in folks who are overweight and insulin-resistant.  Think about it--flours of any kind are "processed" & digest too quickly.  Instead eat quinoa, wheatberries, hulled barley, steel-cut oats.  Flourless sprouted breads, like the Ezekiel brand, are a better choice if you need a bread.
• Remember!  Green leafy vegetables are the Main Event when it comes to making blood vessels "heart attack proof".  Load up on vegetables over grains!
  
• No fruit juices--and be careful not eat too many fruits, either, if you have high triglycerides.  Stick to the ones with the lowest sugar content.  (my note: the fruits lowest in fructose include strawberries, berries, cantelopes, grapefruit, peaches)  Source: AHA statement quoted on CardioBrief
  
• Avoid smoothies made with fruit!  It can cause a rapid rise in blood sugar for some people.  I see it happen a lot!
• Avoid dried fruit--too much sugar!  Especially high sugar fruits like dates & raisins.
  

 

Oh heck--I really really don't want you to miss the Triglyceride Post I emailed to my sister-in-law--so, just in case you don't click that link--I at least want to make sure you get some of the key points:

In A Nutshell--Here's What Dr. Patrick E. McBride is Saying About Triglycerides

• If your triglycerides are under 80 you are making "normal large" LDLs that are not very atherogenic (think atherosclerosis; arterial plaque; hardening of the arteries)

• When triglycerides are over 150 (there are just too many particles floating around with no where to go) they briefly get inserted into the LDLs and change the LDLs into "small dense atherogenic" particles.

• Stealth LDL: That's what you call what was once a normal LDL particle that's been penetrated by free-floating triglycerides.  When triglycerides are too high they are able to change the LDL into "small dense dangerous" LDL that oxidizes very easily (a bad thing) and penetrates rapidly into the arteries. Note: Triglycerides are not supposed to penetrate the LDLs!!

• Normal LDL: It's difficult for normal LDL (large & fluffy) to penetrate into the wall of an artery!

• When triglycerides are between 80-100 you start to  make abnormal LDL.  Some of it starts changing into the "small dense atherogenic" variety at this level.  (If changes start happening over 80--it looks to me like the only safe triglyceride number is under 80!)

• When triglycerides are over 100--according to Dr. McBride--you've turned the corner & "are making at the very least, a significant amount of "small dense" LDL."

• When triglycerides are above 150, almost all of the LDL particles become "small dense atherogenic".

• Dr. McBride served on the III NCEP Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults that set the guidelines for triglycerides (and cholesterol) back in 2002.  He advocated for the normal level to be under 100--and he strongly believes that the current level will go down to 100 when the next guidelines come out.  Note: in April 2011 the AHA issued a Scientific Statement recommending the new normal be under 100.  Find that here.

• Big clue that your triglycerides are probably too high?  Abdominal obesity aka belly fat.  That's the engine--the symptom--that starts the cascade toward atherosclerosis; heart disease; stroke; type II diabetes.  It's a big reason for triglycerides producing nasty stealth LDL. Read "This Belly Fat is Going to be the Death of Me and Now I Understand Why."  and "Lose That Terrible Horrible Inflammatory Disease-Causing Visceral Belly Fat with Whole Grains? Tufts Researchers Say It Helps!"

• According to Dr. McBride, if you have abdominal obesity, the chances are greater that you are producing the abnormal dangerous "small dense" form of LDL.

• If you overconsume sugar, soda pop, saturated fats, trans fats, refined carbohydrates, and "fried apple pies"--and you are consuming more calories than you need--your body doesn't know what to do with all that junk--and you end up with lots of rich triglycerides--that are very inflammatory and very atherogenic--floating around--just looking for an LDL to penetrate and turn it into "small dense dangerous" LDL!

 

Sister-in-Law Success! 

 

Before my sister-in-law went on her week vacation with her gal pals, she wisely had her blood drawn for a cholesterol test.  She'd been on the Esselstyn diet for just 2 1/2 weeks--eating no-fat, no meat, no cheese, no-oil, no refined grains.

She knew it wouldn't be as good as if she'd been on the diet for 4 weeks--but at least she's get some idea if it could improve her lipids.

 

Test results:  Her total cholesterol dropped 100 points!  Amazing! Full disclosure: for some unknown reason, the lab only measured her total cholesterol--not what she really needed--a full lipid panel.  But she figures the triglycerides & LDLs must be going down if her cholesteol levels came down so much in just 2 1/2 weeks.  She'll be following up with a full lipid panel.

Other good news:  In spite of her one week of transgressions on vacation--she's back to the Esselstyn diet--and she's losing weight.  Best of all, she's losing belly fat!  She's committed to stick with it. She'd rather lower her triglycerides with diet instead of drugs.  Besides, only diet can help reduce weight.

 

What My Sister-in-Law is Up Against.  She Lives in the Southern "Stroke Belt", Her Friends Think Health is All About Genes, Not Diet & Everyone Likes to Eat Out

 

She's swimming against the stream in her neck of the woods.  She's the odd girl out in her social circle.

Everyone loves butter, meat, cheese, pastries, fried foods, good old Southern cooking, and eating out.

Lately, everyone's complaining about being so forgetful.  They thinks it just normal aging. 

Uh??  Think again, folks!

Check out this "hot off the press" article published online in Stroke, Sept. 1, 2011   Buchman, AS etal "Cerebrovascular Disease Pathology and Parkinsonian Signs in Old Age".  It's summarized in the NPR Blog, Shots:

 

"Old people who don't have signs of cardiovascular disease still may have suffered microscopic strokes that don't show up on conventional tests. The small strokes may impair their ability to walk, balance and function just the same.

Scientists examined the brains of 418 priests and nuns after they died. The researchers found that one-third of the brains that had seemed normal using conventional tests while the people were alive actually had damage to tiny blood vessels. The damage was so slight it was impossible to see without a microscope.

The people whose brains had these tiny signs of hardened arteries and stroke were most likely to have had shuffling gait and other movement problems while they were still alive."

 

If you've been eating the standard American diet--and you're eating out a lot, there's a good bet that what we take to be the "normal forgetfulness of aging"--isn't exactly normal.  It could be teeny weeny imperceptible strokes.  Now that's one scary thought!

 

"Dr. Megan C. Leary of UCLA examined over 5,500 MRIs of the brains of 50 year olds & found many had tiny white spots that indicated that they had unknowingly experienced tiny, imperceptible strokes.  These "brain attacks" have the same history and cause as heart attacks.   See "Annual Incidence of First Silent Stroke in the U.S" Cerebrovasc Dis 2003;16(3):280-5.

According to Leary, "'Silent strokes' are epidemic in this country.  While they occur in parts of the brain where they don't cause symptoms right away, the word 'silent' should be put in quotes, because their effects accumulate over the years.''

While a single silent stroke may have no impact, repeated ones lead to memory lapses, mood problems and difficulty walking. They are also a sign that people are especially prone to full-blown strokes.

Keep on eating the same way at age 60, 70, & 80 and there's a good chance that those tiny strokes will add up to increasing memory lapses, and progress on to dementia--depending upon what part of the brain has been affected. 

What's good for the blood vessels of the heart, is good for the blood vessels of the brain."

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease lecture 6/18/2010. see also: The Rotterdam Scan Study;  "Silent Brain Infarcts and the Risk of Dementia and Cognitive Decline," New England Journal of Medicine 2003 Mar 27;348(13):1215-2; "Silent Brain Infarcts: a systematic review,"  Lancet Neurology 2007 Jul;6(7):611-9.

 

As for all that rich Southern cooking--forget about it!  It's killing brain cells and giving the South a new claim to fame:  It's known as The Stroke Belt. 

The "brain-damaging suspects" are likely to be the much-loved traditional Southern diet of fried, salty, & fatty foods along with too little exercise--all of which contribute to hypertension, excess weight, & diabetes--the biggies responsible for stroke risk.

I posted about the brand new REGARDS Study, the Stroke Belt & how the Southern diet is affecting cognitive impairment on July 26, 2011.  No need to repeat what I wrote, just click here to refresh your memories.

 

Two of my favorite quotes about the REGARDS study:

 

"This is a very strong alarm signal.  [The finding suggests that] if you want to keep your marbles, you need to control your blood pressure, excessive weight and other risk factors for stroke."  

Dr. Gustavo C. Roman, the head of the neuroepidemiology section of the American Academy of Neurology, commenting on the article.

[Problems like high blood pressure and diabetes are likely to be "affecting  blood flow to the brain, even if it's not causing a visible stroke.  An undersupply of blood can also cause problems with brain cells that lead to cognitive decline."  

Dr. Kenneth Langa, a professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan, commenting on the article.

 

Restaurant Madness - From "Cook This, Not That"

 

My sister-in-law's friends like to eat out.  Who doesn't?   It's nice to have someone else do the cooking. 

But, once you really know what's in all that restaurant food--most of us will run back to our own kitchens.

Unfortunately, twice a week my sister-in-law has a pretty much mandatory "luncheon meeting" at a restaurant with her business partner.  Sort of non-negotiable. 

Last week, on my weekly public library run I picked up one of those "Cook This Not That" books.  OMG!  I started reading it before I went to sleep--and I couldn't stop interrupting my husband's own reading with, "Listen to this!"   "OMG!  Listen to this one--it's even worse."  

The book shocked me!  No wonder most Americans are overweight.

We haven't a clue what's in that restaurant food--so a big "Thank You" goes out to David Zinczenko & Matt Goulding for collecting all this incriminating nutritional info.  I suspected it--but I really didn't know it was that bad.

And to think how much I used to love Molten Chocolate Lava Cake.  Never again!

 

Chili's Molten Lava Cake - 1,070 calories, 51 g fat, (26 g saturated), 143 carbs

 

No wonder restaurants don't want to post the nutritional info on their menus. 

These aren't the worst offenders--but here's a sampling of some of the meals that even health-conscious folks might consider ordering.

 

Marie Callender's Spanish Omelette:  1,550 calories, 78 g fat (25 g saturated), 2,980 mg sodium

Baja Fresh Chips and Gaucamole:  1,340 calories, 83 g fat (8 g saturated), 950 mg sodium

California Pizza Kitchen Tuscan Hummus with pita:  861 calories, 4 g satuated fat, 1,562 mg sodium

Ruby Tuesday Buffalo Shrimp Quesadilla:  1,465 calories, 89 g fat, 3,528 mg sodium

Houlihan's Fire Grilled BBQ Salmon Salad:  1,182 calories, 61 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,719 mg sodium

T.G.I. Friday's Santa Fe Chopped Salad:  1,800 calories

Panera Bread Tuna Salad on Honey Wheat Sandwich:  750 calories, 47 g fat (9 g saturated), 1,130 mg sodium

Chipotle Grilled Chicken Fajita Burrito:  870 calories, 30 g fat (13 g saturated), 1,940 sodium

Just for kicks, borrow a copy of this book from your library--or check out the worst vegetarian restaurant meals  (check out the side-panel on the left) and then click through the slideshow of the 20 worst new foods in America.

 

  Cook This!  Enlightened Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup

 

Enlightened Isa's "Appetite for Reduction"  Tortilla Soup - 223 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 8.7 g fiber

 

 

No conversation with my sister-in-law is complete without sharing recipes--the new finds-that-we've tried out--and loved!

Funny, how she is always trying recipes that I never even noticed--even though we both share a lot of the same cookbooks.  I'm definitely going to reap the benefits of her expert cooking now that she's going Esselstyn.

She:  "Have you tried Isa's Tortilla Soup in Appetite for Reduction?  We all loved it.  But I cut the jalapenos down to just one."

Me:   "Nope.  I never even noticed it in the cookbook.  But I'll check it out as soon as I hang up!"  

And I did, later that day.  A big winner.   Here's my enlightened version.

It looks like a stew or a chili--but it's a soup.  Hearty, spicy, and a big one-bowl meal.

 

Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup---My Enlightened Version

click here for the recipe on one page

Serves 6 generously.  Add a salad & an ear of corn for a terrific meal!

 

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped (Isa used a small one)

1 jalapeno, seeded & sliced thinly (Isa says use 2)

1 poblano pepper, seeded & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (this is the large dark green one--ask your grocer--I had to)  OK to use a sweet green pepper, but go with the poblano!

4 cloves garlic, chopped

(Isa also recommended 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes.  I left these out to see if the soup needed it--and it was hot enough without them--and I like heat!)

1 tsp salt  (optional, always)

28 ounce can of crushed Glen Muir Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

3 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth (plus extra for sauteeing the vegetables)

4 ounces of fresh small corn tortillas--bake or toast these until they are crisp.  Watch them carefully so they don't burn.   (Isa uses 4 ounces of baked corn tortilla chips)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 (15 ounce) can of pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup of frozen or fresh corn.  (I like using Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn)

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnishing

Juice from 1 juicy lime

 

Preparation:

1.  Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium high heat.  Dry saute the onions, jalapeno, & poblano peppers until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add a little vegetable broth if the onions start to stick or dry out--to deglaze the pan.

2.  Add the crushed tomatoes, the 3 cups of vegetable broth, and the cumin to the pot.  Mix well.

3.  Crush the crisped tortillas into crumbs (some bigger pieces are OK) & add about 1/2 of them to the pot--reserving the rest for garnish.   (I ended up adding all of them to the pot, because I didn't read the directions carefully & it thickened the soup, nicely)  You want the crumbs to "melt" into the soup.

4.  Cover, & bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer, add the beans, corn, & cilantro.  

5.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.

6.  Add the lime juice, taste for seasonings.

7.  Ladle soup into bowls, & top with remaining tortilla crumbs & remaining cilantro.

 

Nutrition Info:

1/6th of the recipe

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts Enlightened Appetite for Reducti The Best Tortilla Soup Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 223 Total Fat 1.5g       Saturated Fat 0g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 408mg Carbohydrate 46.9g       Dietary Fiber 8.7g       Sugars 12.4g Protein 8.6g Vitamin A 48% Vitamin C 172% Calcium    8% Iron 15%

 

 

 

 

I'd love to hear about your favorite Appetite for Reduction recipes!  

Anyone have some suggestions for "safe foods" when you absolutely have to eat out?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Top Three Picks for Health News You Can Use Right Now! Low Sodium-High Potassium Foods for Health, Why You Need to Lift Weights More Often When You Hit 60, & the Environmental Triggers of Autism

 

 

 "Americans who eat a diet high in sodium and low in potassium have a 50% increased risk of death from any cause, and about twice the risk of death from heart attacks.

In a traditional, largely plant-based diet, potassium content is high and sodium content low.

As foods are processed, typically sodium is added and potassium is removed, reversing the sodium-potassium ratio.

Encouraging consumption of unprocessed, potassium-rich fruits and vegetables is the safest and preferred pathway to increasing potassium intake."

-Drs. Lynn D. Silver & Thomas A. Farley, commenting on, "Sodium and Potassium Intake and Mortality Among U.S. Adults,"   Archives of Internal Medicine 171(13):1183-1190, July 11, 2011-

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version.

Honestly, there are so many medical articles that are published every week, it's tough to choose the ones that really matter to our everyday lives.

After looking through last week's news--here are the stand-outs that IMHO are worth paying attention to.  It's research you can put to use, right now.  I know I'm going to!

 

Bad News:  The High-Sodium Low-Potassium Diet = Processed & Fast Foods

Good News:  The Low Sodium-High Potassium Diet = Whole Real Foods

 

1.  Here's what you need to know:  If you eat a diet that's high in sodium, highly processed, and mostly comes from restaurants, your local grocery store deli or take-out counter or fast food joints, you significantly increase your chances of death, compared to those who eat a diet that's low in sodium, and high in fresh unprocessed food.  Plain & simple!   Doesn't it just make sense to eat lots of plants & cook your own food?

The Sodium-Potassium ratio matters!   In a recently published research study, in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the folks with the highest ratio of sodium to potassium had the highest risk of death from all causes, including heart disease.  Who wants that?

Think of it this way:  Sodium = processed food.  Potassium = Fruits, Vegetables, & Unprocessed whole foods.  It might not seem like a real news flash, but most U.S. adults get on average 3,300 milligrams of sodium a day--which is over twice the amount recommended.  If you're over 50, you're only supposed to be consuming 1,500 milligrams of sodium.   If you're under 50, your max is 2,300 milligrams of sodium.  Note: 1 tsp. of table salt contains 2,200 mg of sodium

So where's all that sodium coming from?  Restaurant foods, packaged foods, canned foods, cheese, processed meats, breads, soups, fast foods, and pastries--they all have a lot more sodium than potassium in them.

How much potassium are we supposed to be consuming a day?  4,700 milligrams a day.  Honestly, it would be tough to get this much everyday if you didn't eat lots of fruits & vegetables.  You can get your own potassium count on some of your favorite foods on the  Nutrition Data site.  But check out how easy it is to rack up the potassium milligrams on a plant-based diet:

• My typical green smoothie is made with 4 cups of kale (1200 mg), 1 cup of carrots (410 mg), 1 orange (313 mg), 1 kiwi (522 mg), and 1 cup of frozen blackerrries (211 mg) comes to a grand total of 2656 mg of potassium.
• 1 cup of baked sweet potato=950 mg
• 1 large banana=487 mg
• 1 serving of cooked lentils=534 mg
• 3 cups of romaine lettuce=348 mg
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa=348 mg
• 2 ounces of uncooked oatmeal=240 mg
• 3 Medjool dates=501 mg
• 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard=961 mg
• Grand Total= a whopping 7025 mg of potassium  (and this is just for starters)

No wonder the famous DASH Diet to stomp out high blood pressure recommends eating 8-10 servings of fruits & vegetables everyday.  It's all that potassium, baby!

And the benefits of the DASH Diet have extended to preventing memory loss.  Just check out the Cache County, Utah study where the results showed that those seniors who were closest in following the DASH diet, had the slowest decline in cognitive functioning--while the participants in the lowest quintiles had the most rapid decline in congnitive functioning.

Why is this study so important?  

It's the first one to look at a nationally representative sample of Americans, and examine the association between mortality and how much potassium & sodium we are consuming.   The researchers used top-notch statistics--analyzing the data from the the CDC's Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)--which collected data about the nutritional & health status of 12,267 U.S. adults for 15 years, from 1988 to 2006.

What can we take home from this study?

• The higher the sodium to potassium ratio, the higher the risk of cardovascular disease--and the higher the sodium intake, the higher the higher the risk of all-cause mortality. 
• Increase your potassium levels with whole foods that are also low in sodium, such as leafy greens, like spinach & collards, grapes, blackberries, carrots, potatoes, & citrus fruits. 
• Potassium increases should come from real food--not through supplements.  Those with diabetes mellitus, renal failure, or heart failure, or taking certain medications are at risk of hyperkalemia when using potassium supplements.  (Arch Intern Med 171(13);1191-1192, July 11, 2011)
• The CDC says, "People who reduce their sodium consumption, increase their potassium consumption, or do both, benefit from improved blood pressure and reduce their risk for developing other serious health problems."
• Read labels carefully--eat out with caution--chef's like their salt shakers.  It makes food taste good!  And you won't find nutritional labelling on restaurant menus.
• Rip Esselstyn's Rule of Thumb:  Limit the amount of sodium per serving to the number of calories per serving, or less.  You'll be shocked when you carefully look at the sodium/calorie content of processed foods.  It's not so easy to lower sodium.

From one of the study's authors, Dr. Elena V. Kuklina of the CDC:

"The major implications of our findings are that a diet balanced in both micronutrients (sodium & potassium) is important.  People should try to reduce sodium in particular by consuming less processed food, but also they should increase potassium intake, and this is easily done by eating more fruit and vegetables and dairy products, which are a good source of potassium and low in sodium.  This is nothing new: a healthy diet is good for your health.

We found that potassium does matter." 

But, wait a second, I've got a question:

Is it really the sodium-potassium ratio that's responsible for such a positive health benefit in this study--or is potassium just a marker for a diet that's high in fresh vegetables and fruits--that brings with it a number of benefits, like vitamins, antioxidants, polyphenols, and fiber?  Hmm!

The conclusions of the July 11, 2011 Archives of Internal Medicine article sound strangely familiar to an article published just seven months ago in the November 22, 2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, "Serum Alpha-Carotene Concentrations and Risk of Death Among US Adults":

 

"[O]ur findings, based on data from a large representative sample of US adults, showed that serum alpha-carotene concentrations were inversely associated with the risk of death from all causes, and death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer.  These findings support increasing fruit and vegetable consumption as a means of preventing premature death."

 

 If You're Over 60 You'll Need to Boost Your Weight-Training If You Want to Keep Your Muscles

 

 

Ernestine Shepherd, age 74--Holds the Guinness Book of World's Record for the Oldest Female Body-Builder (read more about Ernestine here)

 

 

The older you get--the harder you have to work.  Sorry.  That's just how it is.  This article couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me--now that I've set up an appointment with a trainer to design an at-home routine I can do 2-3 times a week. My motivation is for bone health--but I won't turn down bigger muscles.

Hot Off The Press:  Older Adults Have to Exercise More to Maintain Muscle Size.   Bickel, C. Scott et al.  "Exercise Dosing to Retain Resistance Training Adaptations in Young and Older Adults,"  Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise 2011 Jul;43(7):1177-87.

What can we take home from this study?

This is the first study to "suggest" that adults over age 60 need more weight-training sessions than 20-35 year olds need--if they want to maintain all their hard-won muscle mass gains they get from strength-training at the gym (or home).  Once a week just won't cut it!  If you cut back your weight-training to one day a week, your muscles will start to shrink.   Sorry to break it to you.

20-35 year olds just don't have to work as hard.  They can maintain their muscle mass gains with one day a week at the gym.  They can even cut their repetitions down from 3 sets, to one set, strength-train only once a week--and still maintain their muscle mass.

The good news is that both young & old can maintain their muscle strength (not to be confused with muscle mass) with a once a week weight workout.  But, strength isn't enough, if you want all the health benefits of resistance-training as you age.   It pays to work out 2-3 times a week & build your muscle mass, too.  It will help maintain your glucose balance, your fatty acid metabolism, as well as your bone & joint strength!  Just do it!

How was the study designed?

• 31 adults were 60-75 years old.  39 adults were 20-25 years old.  No one was obese, or had musculoskeletal problems.  No one had resistance-training experience in the past 5 years.
• The study lasted 32 weeks
• Phase 1 Progressive Resistance Training-16 weeks:  Three progressive resistance-training exercises were performed 3 times a week, for 16 weeks.  Everyone did 3 sets of each exercise--leg extensions, knee extensions, & squats.  All 70 participated.
• Phase 2 Detraining/Maintenance Training-16 weeks:  After the 16 weeks of muscle-building, the groups were divided into 3 groups.  One group did no exercise at all.  One group cut their training down to once a week, but still did the three sets of the three exercises.  One group cut their training down to once a week, but only did one set of the three exercises.
• How did the researchers measure muscle mass & muscle strength.  To determine changes in muscle mass each subject had 4 muscle biopsies performed (ouch!)--baseline, after the training, after follow-up periods of 16 weeks, and 32 weeks.  Each participant also had their muscle strength measured with load-lifting tests.
• The study took place at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a joint effort of the Depts. of Physical Therapy, Surgery, Physiology & Biophysics, Geriatric Research, & the Birmingham VA Medical Center.

 Bottom Line

• For those over age 60, once-a-week strength-training will maintain muscle strength, but it will not maintain muscle size, once it has been achieved.
• The researchers demonstrated that a once-a-week resistance-training workout can maintain muscle strength up to 8 months in young & older adults.
• But, adults over age 60 need more frequent resistance-training workouts to maintain any muscle mass gains they achieve from weight-training.

"We are not advocating that people only train one day a week indefinitely, but we do believe such a program can be effective during temporary periods when it is difficult to maintain a consistent, intensive exercise regimen, several days per week."  Lead author, Marcas M. Bamman, PhD.

"The positive health benefits of increased muscle mass among older adults extend well beyond muscle performance, to include glucose homeostasis, fatty acid metabolism, aerobic capacity, and bone & joint health.

Therefore, we recommend progressive resistance-training continue indefinitely for the health and functional status of all individuals." The authors

 

The Environmental Triggers of Autism

 

Graph: The prevalence of autism has increase dramatically in the last decade. (Wikipedia Creative Commons)

 

The causes of autism still remain a mystery.  Is it genetic?  Is it environmental?   As the number of children with autism has increased in recent years, researchers can't pin down a single, clear cause. 

Is it caused by parental age, prenatal viruses, infant vaccines, environmental toxins, or even a lack of vitamin D, as some researchers have suggested?   Maybe there hasn't been an increase in cases at all.  Some researchers suggest that the increase in numbers is just based on a loosening of the diagnostic criteria?

Back in 2008 I posted about the work of some of the country's top environmental researchers, who were betting that autism might be fueled by the endocrine disruptors that come from everyday chemicals.

Bisphenol-A (BPA) that was commonly found in moldable plastics & is still in the linings of cans, along with phthalates found in carpets & flame-retardants have been implicated.  Click here for that post. 

Since writing that post, many products made with BPA have been pulled off the market--substituted with other plastics.  But are the BPA  substitutes safe?   If you have babies or children at home, or in your future, be sure to read what Dominique Browning has to say about the BPA substitutes in her recent New York Times Opinion piece:  Hitting the Bottle

Two weeks ago, I was up early on a Saturday morning & caught an interview on National Public Radio's Living on Earth broadcast with Dr. Martha Herbert.  She's a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and an expert in autism research.  

She explained the findings of the latest autism study that was published in April 2011 in the  Archives of General Psychiatry  This new study found that the genetic causes for autism have been overestimated--and the environmental causes have been seriously underestimated.  Definitely something we all need to consider carefully.

To read the complete interview transcript, click here.

 

GELLERMAN: So let's look at the methodology that the researchers used [in this study]- they studied twins.

HERBERT: Right.

GELLERMAN: Why?

HERBERT: Because twins are in the same family and they share at least some genes. But identical twins share all the genes and fraternal twins don’t share all the genes - they have maybe 50-50.

GELLERMAN: So if something shows up in the identical twins you’d say, ‘Ah, genetic.’ But, if something shows up in the fraternal twins, you’d say, ‘Mmm, there’s something else going on here.’

HERBERT: Yes, that’s what people have usually said.

GELLERMAN: So these researchers studied, what, about 192 pairs of twins?

HERBERT: Right.

GELLERMAN: What did they find?

HERBERT: They found that actually there was more concordance than expected in the fraternal twins, and less in the identical twins.

GELLERMAN: Concordance?

HERBERT: That means that if one is autistic, then the other is autistic. So usually it has been that 60-90 percent of the identical twins were both autistic, and 0-10 percent were both autistic if they were fraternal twins. And that led people to think that this was, by in large, very, very strongly, a genetic disorder. But to have there be so much match-concordance - in the fraternal twins, and not so much in the identical, suggests that there’s shared environment. What they calculated was that the risk for autism was 38 percent from genetics and 58 percent from the environment that the twins shared.

GELLERMAN: So it’s a very low number in terms of genetics and very high in terms of environmental issues.

HERBERT: Yes, which is really different from what everybody’s been saying up until now.

GELLERMAN: So what kind of environmental factors could we be talking about?

HERBERT: Well, there are lots of environmental factors that people have been talking about and trying to do research about. It ranges from chemicals to nutrition to exposures like to living near a freeway – many, many different types of factors.

GELLERMAN: Are there any suspects that perhaps stand out from the crowd?

HERBERT: There are a number of chemicals that it’s a good idea to watch out for.

• Bisphenol - plasticizers that make plastics moldable.
  
• Flame retardants - flame retardants in baby pajamas and in bedding that were not tested for the baby urinating in the bed, which then makes the chemicals float around in the air that the baby then breathes in.
  
• Pesticides - be really careful about spraying your house. Find more natural ways of avoiding pest exposure.
  
• Pesticides in food - try to eat organic if possible.
  
• Don’t microwave in plastic.
  
• Look under your sink and clean out a lot of the products, which have long lists of chemicals that you can’t pronounce.
  
• There’s lots of ways of cleaning your house with simple products, with vinegar and water and baking soda, and things that are not going to cause problems, that may show up now or later.

 

GELLERMAN: How does this research help us, and what happens next in autism research?

HERBERT: I think this paper is fantastic for saying: ‘Lets pull out the stops and look at everything we possibly can - environmentally.’

We have been putting our eggs so much in the basket of genetics. I have a dear friend who is a geneticist who said, ‘Why don’t you environmental people wait for awhile, we’ll work out the genes and you can sort of do the trimmings.’

Now, looking back, this is not the trimmings. This is not the icing on the cake, it’s the cake.

 

Read the entire transcript here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Quick Bites: Scott Jurek's Sierra Club Interview, the Fix for BPA in Cans, Statins & Diabetes Risk, the Best & Worst Foods for Weight Loss, Plant-Resistant Family Members, & Why One Couple Decided to Give Plant-Based a Try

 

-Plant-Based Ultramarathoner Scott Jurek Wins Races on 5,500 calories/day-

 

 

"Becoming vegan wasn't like, 'Oh, I can't eat this, I can't eat that.'  It brought so many new ways to explore cooking."

 

-Scott Jurek, Sierra Club Magazine, July/August 2011-

 

I'm changing it up today with some "Quick Bites"!   Nothing too dense or heavy.  All topics that caught my eye & interest this week.  Take just a taste--or click on the links if you want to know more.

 

1.  Scott  Jurek, 37, is a vegan ultramarathoner who's "won the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run seven times.  And he does it all on a diet devoid of animal products."   He's a former hunter & fisherman, who used to live on double McChicken sandwiches & extra-large fries.  A short interview with Scott was featured in the July/August 2011 issue of Sierra Magazine caught my eye.  But, click here to learn a whole lot more about Scott: how he deals with restaurants, his favorite foods and footwear, what he thinks about barefoot running, his thoughts about the environment, and why he's a vegan, not a vegetarian.

What made him want to go vegan?   The short answer?  He switched over to a vegan diet gradually, between 1997-1999 as a way to "gain optimal health". 

Can he credit a vegan diet for his wins?  Here's what he told Kevin Gray in, "The Power Vegans,"  published in Men's Journal October, 2010.  

"What Jurek realized during his remarkable winning streak is that eating vegan allowed his muscles to heal faster between training sessions, a discovery that in turn allowed him to train more. 

'On race day everyone is looking for the magic bullet, but it really comes down to training harder.  If you can bounce back faster, you can train more,'  said Jurek. 

[His] results aren't backed by any significant studies, but his theory is sound.  Extreme exercise inflames muscles and builds up free radicals that lead to what's known as exercise-induced oxidative stress. 

High-fiber foods like fruits and vegetables are rich in naturally occuring antioxidant vitamins minerals, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which help limit inflammation in [the body, and in the] arteries.  Animal fat, on the other hand, is pro-inflammatory..."

For a link to an excerpt in Men's Journal , click here. Just scroll past Michael Douglas' story to get to it~

And don't miss this link to the Men's Journal Guide to Going Vegan that includes the "ground rules", what to expect, a shopping list, and Scott Jurek's recipes, click here.

 

2.  BPA & Canned Food--The Fix.    "Canned foods & drinks are a major source of the hormone disrupting chemical BPA, suggests new research.  But here's the good news.  When study participants SWITCHED FROM CANS TO A DIET OF FRESH FOOD, their BPA levels dropped by 60%."   Sierra Club Magazine, July/August 2011.  Read the whole article in Environmental Health Perspectives 2011 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print], right here.

My Best BPA Tip:  No time to cook your beans from scratch?  No worries.  You can still enjoy the convenience of canned beans if you switch to the Eden Organic brand.  Not only are the linings of their cans BPA-free, but Eden cooks their beans with KOMBU SEAWEED.  So what's the big deal with kombu?  When it's added to grains or beans, it makes them more alkaline (a good thing), more tender, more digestibile, adds minerals, and best of all, reduces gas production.  No joke--it really works.  Try it out for yourself.

For more info on what's wrong with BPA, click here  and here.

 

3.  What convinced my healthy weight-lifting-cyclist friend to switch from an omnivore diet to a plant-based one?

When my friends, the Beas, turned the barbecue they were hosting last Friday night into a vegan burger barbecue I scratched my head!  Huh?  What's up with that?  This couple prefers the real thing--namely, ground beef.  Not anymore, I guess. Here's what happened:

• First, Mr. Bea started making Green Smoothies with his new power blender--increasing his vegetable intake.
• A "not so good family health history" was a powerful motivator. 
• Then the Bea's saw "Forks Over Knives," which had them on the edge of their seats.
• Days later, through some coincidental serendipitous perfect-timing magic,  Mr. Bea's business was asked to assess some storm damage at the Esselstyn's house.  Suddenly, he had a face-to-face opportunity to talk to, & question, the experts about the benefits of the plant-based no-oil diet.
• Ann Esselstyn gave Mr. Bea a copy of Dr. Esselstyn's book & some good advice on how to keep his energy high while weight-lifting & working-out.
• Then Mrs. Bea bought Mr. Bea a copy of Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Diet--and that's how our Friday night dinner turned into a vegan burger barbecue extraordinaire.

 

Amazing Vegan Burgers, Grilled Onions, Raisin & Pumpkin Seed Cole Slaw, Fruit Salad, Grilled Vegetables, &  Spicy Blue Potato, Roasted Corn Salad Topped with Guacamame

 

4. New Harvard Study: The top foods for weight loss--and weight gain.  When Harvard researchers wanted to figure out why the average person gains about one pound of weight a year, they carefully looked at the data collected from 120,000 nurses & health professionals who have been keeping track of their eating habits for 20 years.  Just so you know, this group is mostly white & well-educated.   The study was just published last Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. 

Mozaffarian, D.,  "Changes in Diet & Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Men & Women" N Engl J Med 2011 Jun 23;364(25):2392-404.  Click here for the NPR story.

The researchers knew that the advice "to eat less & exercise more" wasn't doing a thing to keep Americans from gaining weight, so they decided to analyze the foods that people were eating to figure out which ones packed on the pounds--and which ones kept them off.

The Top Foods that Promote Weight Loss:

• Yogurt (This one was the biggest surprise!  Why would yogurt hold the top rung as a weight-loss food? The researchers cite "intriguing evidence suggesting that changes in colonic bacteria might influence weight gain."
• Fruit
• Nuts
  
• Whole grains
• Vegetables--includes beans & soy
  

The Top Foods that Promote Weight Gain:

• Potato chips
• Potatoes or fries  (this category lumped together French fries, mashed, baked, & boiled potatoes--and didn't account for potato "add-ins" like butter, margarine, milk, or cheese)
  
• Processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs, & deli meats
  
• Red meat
• Sweets & desserts
• Sugar-sweetened beverages

Looking at the results, it's pretty clear to me why a plant-based, no-added oil, whole grain diet with very little sugar keeps the weight off--although I didn't need a study to tell me that.  As you'll see below, all the foods on a nutrient-dense plant-based diet fall into the negative side for weight gain. 

Too bad the diet surveys used in this study didn't have the participants to track fats, like oil, mayo, or margarine--they only tracked butter consumption.  (at least as far as I could tell from the appendix)

Coincidently, guess what my latest super-fast breakfast fave just happens to be?   Unsweetened soy yogurt topped with berries, a couple of walnuts, & a tablespoon of chia seed.  What's my go-to yogurt:  Plain Wildwood HIgh Fiber Probiotic Soyogurt.  So delicious, filling, & apparently, weight-reducing!

 

 

This Week's Breakfast Fave: Wildwood Plain Yogurt Topped with Berries, Walnuts, Peaches, & Chia.  The New England Journal of Medicine Says It's the  #1 Weight Loss Food!

 

Blog reader, Tom, who does an amazing job of keeping up with all the health news, sent me his "value-added" version of the New England Journal of Medicine's food ranking graph--along with his "easy-to-understand" explanation of why all foods aren't created equal.

 

Tom's summary:

Aside from just reading the foods down this chart,  you can roughly divide the chart into upper and lower parts:

 

A.) "Fast & High Fat Foods", e.g. a Big Mac with fries = weight gain 

B.)  Whole Foods with a Low Glycemic index, i.e. foods that are slowly rather than quickly digested = weight loss.  

 

With low glycemic foods that are slowly digested,  you don't get a large spike in blood sugar that you get with high glycemic foods such as potatoes, refined grains, sweets, sugars and fruit juices. 

 

Your body has a hard time handling the sugar spike that comes with eating easily-digested high-glycemic foods.

 

This sugar spike has several unfortunate consequences: 

•  Damage to your blood vessels
•  Developing insulin resistance and eventually Type II diabetes
•  Abnormal storage of this excess blood sugar as fats in your fat cells rather than directly burning the sugar in your regular metabolism.

 

5.  The Higher the Dose of Statins, the Higher the Risk of Diabetes--The Reasons are Unclear

"Last year, Lancet published an analysis of major statin trials involving 90,000 patients that showed statin users had a 9 percent higher risk of developing diabetes than those who didn’t take statins. But questions remained about whether the effect was real or something that may have just been due to chance."   NYT  June 21, 2011

Now,  "a just-published meta-analysis of some of the more high-profile statin trials testing the effectiveness of high-dose therapy has revealed a significant increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus associated with statin use in high doses.

Compared with moderate-dose therapy across five statin trials, investigators report that treatment with high-dose statins increased the risk of diabetes by 12%, which translates to a 20 percent overall increased risk of diabetes for high-dose statin users, compared to those who don’t take the drugs, according to the study’s senior author.

Senior investigator Dr Kausik Ray (St George's University of London, UK) said that while there might be consequences from the raised blood glucose levels, researchers do not yet know what these long-term effects mean.

The net benefit of high-dose statin therapy "is definitely in favor" of using the drugs, he said.

'One thing we do know is that there does appear to be a dose effect with statin therapy, with the risk of diabetes mellitus increasing with higher doses,' Ray told Heartwire.

'Statins have multiple effects and cause a number of changes. What we're seeing is probably an off-target effect, and right now we have no obvious mechanisms.

However, lowering LDL-cholesterol levels is probably more important than the increase in blood-sugar levels.'"  Excerpted from HeartWire June 21, 2011.   Ray, KK, "Risk of incident diabetes with intensive-dose compared with moderate-dose statin therapy:  a meta-analysis,"   JAMA  2011 Jun 22;305(24):2556-64.

So, I'm wondering...

The researchers have no clear explanation for why statins raise the risk of diabetes as the doses go up.

Is it possible that statins aren't to blame for the rise in diabetes risk?

Could it be as simple as the eating & lifestyle habits of high-dose statin-takers. 

Do statins make people worry less about what they eat, or how much they exercise--knowing that the statins will easily take care of their cholesterol for them?

Do they think statins will protect them from the negative effects of weight gain, food indulgences, or lack of exercise?   Could that account for the increased risk in diabetes as statin doses rise?

A one NYT's commenter confessed:  "Perhaps the reason people who take statins are at a slightly higher diabetes risk is because the statin - which has clearly demonstrated its effectiveness in lowering cholesterol levels- may provide one with the mirage of safety when it comes to deciding whether to avoid a food of questionable nutritional value.

I take statins and I know I eat more red meat than I would if I didn't take statins. I might also cheat a bit more on the sugar-based foods as well. Perhaps I should take my head out of the sand!"

 

6.   Are you living with a Plant-Resistant-Person?  Wondering how to help them find better health and embrace your plant-based diet?   You're not the only one with this predicament.   You've got plenty of complany.  Be sure to check out this Peas & Thank You blog post with some really down-to-earth advice. 

Make My Man Eat Plants!  It includes a terrific assortment of recipes for the Plant-Resistant-Person in your life.

 

My Husband's Not Plant-Resistant, But Boy Did He Love this "Chicken Burger" Recipe

It's sure to please the pickiest plant-resistant-person  (based on an old Perdue Chicken Burger favorite of mine)

 

Makes 5 big burgers--Prep time:  15 minutes

1 pound package of MATCH "Chicken",  thawed

1 cup whole wheat Panko crumbs

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

3 TBS. worcestershire sauce (vegan or regular)

1 TBS. dry mustard

1 TBS. Dijon or brown mustard

2 TBS. ketchup

1 1/2 tsp. Bone Suckin' sauce Seasoing & Rub (or another spicy Cajun mix)

1 tsp. curry powder

Feel free to come up with your own spice mix!

Mix all the ingredients together.  Form into patties.  Spray very lightly with a canola spray to prevent sticking to the grill.

Grill on medium for about 5 minutes on each side--until grill marks appear, and burgers are firm, & look done.   Do not overcook.

Top with grilled onions or sprouts, & pass the ketchup.   I like to use Alvarado Street Sprouted Burger Buns.  Enjoy the leftovers.

Cook's Notes:  When you're short on time, this really beats mashing beans, & chopping ingredients to make your own veggie burgers.  

 

A Husband-Pleasing Hearty "Chicken" Burger with Oven-Roasted Potatoes

 

Check out the July/August 2011 issue of Natural Health for recipes for the "The Best Veggie Burgers in the the U.S".  Make 'em at home.  pg. 80

 

A New York Times Magazine Must Read: Gary Taubes Asks, "Is Sugar Toxic?" Could There Be a Cancer Connection?

 

 

 

"Is that piece of chocolate an innocent indulgence?  Or your next hit? We're finding that a sweet tooth makes you just as much an addict as snorting cocaine.

SETTLED on the sofa watching the usual rubbish on TV, I notice that predictable, uncontrollable, nightly craving.  At first I sit there, fighting it. But the longer I fight, the worse it gets. After 20 minutes, I can't concentrate on anything, I feel anxious, and start fidgeting like crazy. Finally, admitting my addiction, I break. I go to the freezer - to my stash of white stuff - and take a hit. Almost instantly, I relax, my brain in a state of bliss as the chemical courses through my veins. Isn't it amazing what a few scoops of ice cream can do?

Before you dismiss my agitation as mere weakness, consider this: to my brain, sugar is akin to cocaine. There is now compelling evidence that foods high in sugar, fat and salt - as most junk foods are - can alter your brain chemistry in the same way as highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Junk foods switch on biological mechanisms that are just as hard to fight as recreational drugs."

-Bijal Trivedi, "Junkie Food: Tastes Your Brain Can't Resist," New Scientist, Sept. 8, 2010-

 

 

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On Monday my husband made a double-batch of Rip Esselstyn's Engine 2 Dark Chocolate Brownies.   He needed to bring something to his Master Gardener meeting--and he figured that as long as he was pulling out all that baking stuff--he'd make a batch for us, too.

Big mistake!  Take my advice.  Do not make these brownies.  Do not have sugary treats in the house.  Just because they don't use butter or oil or eggs--and just because they use cocoa and whole wheat flour--doesn't mean they're good for you.   And it doesn't mean you'll eat less of them.

I rarely eat sugar or cookies or baked goods.  Really.  But if they're in MY HOUSE--who can resist that temptation?  I ate three brownies--one right after the other--and honestly, I physically felt "not so good".

 

Your "Must Read" This Week:  Gary Taubes Looks at the Research in the New York Times Magazine - Is Sugar Toxic?

 

Photo Illustration by Kenji Aoki for The New York Times; Prop Stylist: Nell Tivnan. Source: U.S.D.A. 2009 Estimates.

 

Gary Taubes' excellent NYT Magazine article will appear this Sunday, April 17, 2011.   Here's the link--enjoy!  Well, maybe "enjoy" isn't exactly the right word.   Change that to: Worry, Wonder, Question, Quit Eating Sugar?

If you're a regular blog reader, you know all about the subject of Taubes' article--It starts with Dr. Robert Lustig and his viral YouTube video--"Sugar: The Bitter Truth".   If you missed that post, you can read it here--and skip Lustig's 90 minute video--which was a taping of his University of San Francisco Mini-Medical School Lecture.

 

 

My Advice--Read the Article - But Here's a Taste--Teaser

 

Taubes gets right down to the bottom line, "This brings us to the salient question: Can sugar possibly be as bad as Lustig says it is?"

"If I didn’t buy this argument myself, I wouldn’t be writing about it here," says Taubes.

[For]Varman Samuel, who studies insulin resistance at Yale School of Medicine, the correlation between liver fat and insulin resistance in patients, lean or obese, is “remarkably strong.” What it looks like, Samuel says, is that “when you deposit fat in the liver, that’s when you become insulin-resistant.”

The Cancer Connection: One of the diseases that increases in incidence with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome is cancer.

This is why I said earlier that insulin resistance may be a fundamental underlying defect in many cancers, as it is in type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The connection between obesity, diabetes and cancer was first reported in 2004 in large population studies by researchers from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.

It is not controversial. What it means is that you are more likely to get cancer if you’re obese or diabetic than if you’re not, and you’re more likely to get cancer if you have metabolic syndrome than if you don’t.

Cancer Is Rare in Non-Western Diets.  The second observation was that malignant cancer, like diabetes, was a relatively rare disease in populations that didn’t eat Western diets, and in some of these populations it appeared to be virtually nonexistent.

Now most researchers will agree that the link between Western diet or lifestyle and cancer manifests itself through this association with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome — i.e., insulin resistance. This was the conclusion, for instance, of a 2007 report published by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research — “Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer.”

How Does Insulin Resistance Promote Cancer?  So how does it work?  Cancer researchers now consider that the problem with insulin resistance is that it leads us to secrete more insulin, and insulin (as well as a related hormone known as insulin-like growth factor) actually promotes tumor growth.

As it was explained to me by Craig Thompson, who has done much of this research and is now president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the cells of many human cancers come to depend on insulin to provide the fuel (blood sugar) and materials they need to grow and multiply. Insulin and insulin-like growth factor (and related growth factors) also provide the signal, in effect, to do it.

The more insulin, the better they do. Some cancers develop mutations that serve the purpose of increasing the influence of insulin on the cell; others take advantage of the elevated insulin levels that are common to metabolic syndrome, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Some do both.

Thompson believes that many pre-cancerous cells would never acquire the mutations that turn them into malignant tumors if they weren’t being driven by insulin to take up more and more blood sugar and metabolize it.

Is the problem caused by sugar or obesity or both?  But some researchers will make the case, as Cantley and Thompson do, that if something other than just being fatter is causing insulin resistance to begin with, that’s quite likely the dietary cause of many cancers.

If it’s sugar that causes insulin resistance, they say, then the conclusion is hard to avoid that sugar causes cancer — some cancers, at least — radical as this may seem and despite the fact that this suggestion has rarely if ever been voiced before publicly. For just this reason, neither of these men (Cantley & Thompson) will eat sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, if they can avoid it.

“I have eliminated refined sugar from my diet and eat as little as I possibly can,” Thompson told me, “because I believe ultimately it’s something I can do to decrease my risk of cancer.” Cantley put it this way: “Sugar scares me.”

 

If you ask me it's not just about sugar.  And it's not just about fat.  It's about both!   And we have more to be concerned about than just cancer!  What about heart disease, stroke, arthritis, joint problems, dementia, the disability that comes with obesity, and more? 

Sugar isn't the sole disease driver of this disability bus.  It's also too much dietary fat, insufficient intake of vegetables & fruit, too little fiber from refined grains, too many calories, and not enough exercise!

My comment on Taubes' article in this morning's New York Times, sums up what I believe.

 

"Fantastic summary of the research by Taubes! Thank you.

Americans overconsume everything that tastes great--sugar & fat & salt. We're programmed to do it.

The worst part---they fill us up, and we have far less interest in the real stuff with all the nutrition---vegetables, fruits & whole grains.

I "mostly" ditched sugar 2 years ago. Nine months ago I ditched the fat. We can argue all we like---but my weight is down to college weight---and I'm 61--and I eat EVERYTHING  "healthy & real" that I want to eat! And as much as I want to eat.

Couldn't feel better--and BP & lipids are now perfect. No more belly fat.   It's not just about the sugar.  It's about the fat, too.  Never lost a pound by just ditching sugar!" 

-The Healthy Librarian, NYT 4/13/11-

 

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