Happy Healthy Long Life

The Healthy Librarian's "What's Working, What's Not?" Sprouting, Step Counting, Produce Bags, Switching Schedules and Exercise Routines

The Easy Sprout - The Sprout People's Most Popular Sprouter

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I've let too much time go by without giving any updates on some of the new additions to my household and daily routine.  I promise this is going to be a quick post (yeah right!) because I have some very interesting medical topics I want to get to--and this is one of the few mornings I have some time in which to do it.

We're Making Our Own Sprouts Now!

Thanks to a wonderful reader, Kim, who wrote after I posted "Straight from the Experts at Ohio State University, Johns Hopkins University, & Canyon Ranch: Three "New-to-Me" Super Foods: Black Raspberries, Broccoli Sprouts, & Chicory-Family Leafy Greens", we have started making our own sprouts at home.

 "Why buy Brocco-Sprouts for $4.99 a container when you can make them yourself?  It's much cheaper to do your own & it's really easy.  Check out Sprout People!, " Kim said.

My husband took off running with Kim's suggestion.  Soon we had 10 white plastic sprouters on top of our kitchen counter, and all kinds of seeds to sprout.  He is now a huge fan of the Sprout People.

Sprouting is like having an indoor mini-fresh-garden in the winter.

He's now THE sprout-maven-indoor-farmer, and I just sit back and enjoy the harvest.  Broccoli and alfalfa sprouts are our favorites--and you can't compare the cost & freshness of sprouting your own to buying them at Whole Foods.

He has broccoli sprouts ready to eat in 3-6 days and they last from 2-6 weeks in the refrigerator--although we eat up a batch in a week--adding them to sandwiches and salads.

He's experimented with all kinds of seeds, including sprouting up a batch of "Madison Market Mix" which is a combo of peanuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and almonds.  The Sprout People say this is "more of a soak than a sprout", but it's delicious on a salad.

Wondering what the big deal is with sprouts?

"Sprouts are one of the most complete and nutritional foods on the planet.  They're rich with enzymes and vitamins and amino acids.  And perhaps most important of all, sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli, clover, mung bean, and the like contain concentrated amounts of phytochemicals that can have strong protective effects against disease.

When you eat a sprout, you're actually eating a very, very young version of the whole plant.  You're eating the root, stem, and head. 

Different glucosinolates--phytochemicals that convert to very healthy metabolites in the body--are concentrated in different parts of the plant.  Some are still in the root, others are in the leaves that are thrown away, still others are in the stem.

According to Sonja Pettersen, N.D., "Sprouts are one of the most concentrated sources of nutrition.  They're loaded with phytonutrients."

-Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S., author of The 150 Healthiest Foods of Earth-

Storing Sprouts and Vegetables in PEAKfresh Produce Bags

OK, I admit it.  When my husband said he was going to order PEAKfresh bags to store our sprouts, because that's what the "Sprout People" recommend, I rolled my eyes, and thought, "Uh oh!  Now he's listening to some weird "Sprout People" on an internet site.  What next?" 

I had tried those Debbie Meyer Green Bags (thanks to SIL Lis) and was disappointed.  These sounded like more of the same.

But according to "The Sprout People":  These bags are amazing! We have tested sprouts, fruits and veggies. We had Cilantro in one of these bags for a month! Plastic bags will still do for storing your sprouts, but if you want the best - for every sprout, fruit and vegetable - try these!

You know us, we don't sell stuff just to sell it - these really are awesome. The bags are widely reviewed (positively), and like we said above - our personal experience is great, so we think it is a good bet you'll be happy with them.

Read more about these bags ($5.85 for 10 re-usable bags) here.

These bags really are superior to just storing produce in regular plastic bags!   Really.   I didn't expect them to perform at all.  I stored a cut ripe avocado in a bag--following the directions to press out the air in the bag & seal with a twist tie.  It stayed green and fresh for 10 days--and I had fresh avocado to spread on my sandwiches.  Far superior to a regular bag or container.

Then I decided to try cilantro, which always ends up rotting in the bag after I use it once for a recipe.  Not this time!  The same for the lacinato kale.  They are as fresh as the first day I bought them, after 10 days.  I wish I could report that they lasted longer--but I used them up.

My light bulb discovery!  

• I followed the PEAKfresh directions.  Pre-cool warm fruit and vegetables in refrigerator before storing in bag. Check!
• Use a separate bag for each type of produce. Check!
• Produce should be fresh, dry, and undamaged.  Easier said than done.  But a key step!

DRY!  Wetness is what rots produce quicker than you can blink an eye.  And with all those grocery store sprinklers drenching the greens & herbs getting them dry is tough.  I've tried blotting them with towels - but when I wanted to test out the PEAKfresh bags the "towel dry" method was not doing the job. 

I thought about laying the greens out to dry on the kitchen counter, but I didn't want to take the time to do it.

Then it dawned on me!  Use a hair dryer.  I laid out the greens, zapped them with the hair dryer, and in 2 minutes they were dry enough to get bagged.  Yes, it's an extra step, but produce is expensive.  It beats having to throw out rotted veggies.  Don't laugh.  It worked.

My Step Counter Experience

This is my new toy.  Last week I mentioned that as part of my workplace's incentive to lower our health insurance rates I have to report how many hours I exercise a week and how many cups of vegetables & fruit I eat.

I could have opted to report how many steps I walked a day if I had wanted.  Everyone received a free Omron Hip Pedometer and after writing the post about Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer's tips on keeping weight off--people who successfully kept their weight off put in 11,000 steps a day (5.5 miles)--I decided to clip that pedometer to my hip & see how much walking I was doing throughout the day.

OK--I admit it.  Exercise is not a problem for me.  I can easily exercise 6-7 hours a week, because I just like to exercise.  But, honestly, my weight just stays the same--it doesn't budge.  Maybe the pedometer will help me knock off a few pounds.

Here's what I'm finding out:

• Wearing a step-counter is fun and motivating.  Who would have thought?
  
• Throughout a regular workday--I don't use the counter while I exercise--I manage around 6,000-6,500 steps a day--between 2.84-3.00 miles just doing my regular routine.  It's a far cry from 11,000 steps a day.  I guess I need to kick it up a notch.
  
• My basic plain-Jane Omron step-counter/pedometer is as easy-as-pie to use.  This is the pedometer my very large medical center has chosen to use,  probably because it's easy, reliable, long-lasting, and low cost. There are more sophisticated pedometers out there, but this one is a no-brainer-which is a good thing.  Just clip it on in the morning and go.  It records a week's worth of steps.
• The urge to do more. It's human nature to want to challenge yourself, and increase your steps.  I find I want excuses to get up and walk around at work.  Normally, I never take breaks, but next week I'm going to start--and see how many extra miles I can add up with speed walking for 15 minutes.
• My friend Mary Pat told me that she takes every extra opportunity she can to pump up her daily step totals.  Instead of sitting down for 30 minutes while she waited for a doctor's appointment, she just walked back & forth--boosting her steps.  When she arrived at a movie theater an hour early--to be sure to get a ticket--she didn't go into the theater and sit down--she just walked around the theater.
• Want to check out the best pedometers?  Click here and here

Switching Up My Exercise Routine & Changing My Work Schedule

Since November I've tweaked my usual work & exercise schedule to maximize my time and energy.  Hey, a  little experimenting is always a good idea!   

I am a true-believer in my post: Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks To Your Daily Energy Levels, and  it was high time to stop wasting my peak "9-11 am: Brain work-Creativity-Analytical work" time slot on housework, errands, or exercise on the days when I'm not at work.  It really helps to pay attention to what your best times for brain work are, and make the most of those hours.  I definitely lose motivation for "hard thinking work" if I don't do it early.

By carefully rejiggering my schedule, I was also able to get to a yoga class 3 times  week, instead of maybe once every other week.   And instead of doing my same-old same-old Nautilus weight-machine work-out, I added a killer old-fashioned weight-training class to kick things up a notch.  And I still get to a Spinning class 3 times a week. 

Why was I skipping out on yoga?  I always planned to go to a yoga class after work--never happened.  And the less I went, the harder it was.  And the harder it was, the less I wanted to go.  Guess what?  Once I started going 3 times a week those planks & Chatarangas (the yoga push-up) started getting easier, and I started to really reap the benefits of a regular yoga practice.

Here's what I did:

• On non-work days, I write or research in the morning when I'm fresh--the best time for brain work. Errands, housework, and everything else come later in the day.  If I do decide to exercise I do it in the late afternoon, instead of exercising first thing in the morning. 
  
• I volunteered to work late every Thursday night, but I leave the house at 9:00 am.  I go straight to the gym and take a tough old-fashioned weight-training class, and follow it up with a yoga class.  Then I head on to work.  Before this switch I never exercised on Thursday. 
  
• Early Monday morning I head to a yoga class before starting work.  No need for a shower after class--I save time by changing into work clothes once I get to work. 
  
• Switching from weight machines to a weight-training class has upped my strength.  It's so easy to stick to the same-old-same-old routine because it's comfortable and a no-brainer.  But, Ann Esselstyn (Who is she? Click here.) convinced me to try this class, and what a challenge it is!  She's over 12 years older than I am, and if she can do it--I can do it!  There is no way I would do push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, and free-weights on my own.  No way.  This is like having a knowledgeable personal trainer without the cost.  It's definitely a killer, but every week it just gets easier and easier.  Thank goodness.  Added benefit:  This class keeps my heart rate in an aerobic range for most of the hour!  A 2-fer!  I never even budged into the aerobic range with the Nautilus machines.
  
• Take away point:  Look at your schedule.  Are you doing your brain work when you are at your sharpest, or are you wasting your best hours on activities that don't need brain power?   And look carefully at your schedule, and see where you can squeeze in some exercise.  I'd rather stay at work later, and get my exercise in early.  By evening time I'm just ready to chill out. 
  

I know you all have wonderful discoveries that are making your life easier, healthier, and more productive.  I get some of my best ideas from all of you.  So, please, let me know what's new and working for you!  What's working?  What's not?

The Research Behind the Benefits of a Little Touch - High-Fives, a Pat on the Back, a Touch of the Arm

"Researchers have begun to focus on a different, often more subtle kind of wordless communication: Physical contact.  Momentary touches, they say--whether an exuberant high five, a warm hand on the shoulder, or a creepy touch to the arm--can communicate an even wider range of emotion than gestures or expressions, and sometimes do so more quickly and accurately than words."

"It is the first language we learn, our richest means of emotional expression throughout life."

-Mind: Evidence That Little Touches Do Mean So Much, by Benedict Carey, New York Times, February 23, 2010-

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A few weeks ago one of the research psychologists where I work told me that everyone in her department is convinced about the power of massage.  And not for relieving muscle aches.  She said massage produces so many positive hormones--like oxytocin--and lowers negative ones--like cortisol, that she considers it preventive medicine, not a luxury. 

She has a monthly standing appointment for herself--having seen the tremendous benefits of massage on patients with chronic pain and heart failure.

I've been sharing her story with all my friends--and after reading Benedict Carey's story on the benefits of touch in yesterday's New York Times--I'm sharing both, with you.  Read Carey's short piece, and I guarantee you won't think about a hand on the shoulder in the same way ever again.

The Research on Touch

• Students who receive a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher are nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class than those who were not touched.
• A sympathetic touch from doctors leaves patients with the impression that the visit lasted twice as long compared to those who were not touched.
• A massage from a loved one can ease pain, soothe depression, and strengthen a relationship.
• The best basketball teams tend to touch more than the worst teams.  The "touchiest" teams are currently the best: the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers.  And the "touchiest" player in the NBA is Kevin Garnett of the Celtics.  "Within 600 milliseconds of shooting a free throw, Garnett has reached out and touched four guys,"  according to Dr. Dacher Keltner, whose paper on touch in the NBA will be published in May 2010.  And in case you're wondering--it's not that the best teams touch more because they are winning--the researchers controlled for this in their study.  But they're aren't ready yet to conclude that touch improves performance. 
• Touch  releases oxytocin, the hormone that creates a sense of trust--and it reduces cortisol, the hormone of stress.   Exactly what the research psychologist told me a few weeks ago!
• Couples who touch more have more satisfying relationships.  Take note!   But, it's not clear yet if there's a causal effect.

The Science Behind Why We Touch--Why We're Wired For Touch

• Touch reduces stress--oxytocin is released, we relax, we feel good, we feel bonded. 
• When stress is reduced, the brain is better able to think & problem-solve.
• When we receive a supportive touch, we unconsciously think, "OK, I can share the load."  Who knew?
• According to psychologist James A. Coan of the University of Virginia, "We think that humans build relationships precisely for this reason, to distribute problem-solving across brains.  We are wired to literally share the processing load, and this is the signal we're getting when we receive support through touch."
• Check out the latest research at the January 2010 meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, "Gimme Five!"  Tactile Communication and its Prosocial Consequences"
  

Now go out there today and hand out some supportive touches, high-fives, and hugs.  You just may unwittingly find some volunteers to help you solve your problems!

Sundays with Judy Collins. A Couple of Movies, Some Exercise, Some Music, Cooking Sunday Supper, and Maybe a Little TV

"You know you're getting old when you look up and Judy Collins is 70.  The singer-songwriter, who released her first album at age 22, still performs, almost constantly."   But performing isn't all Judy is doing!

-"Sunday Routine: She Always Cooks with Onions", by Corey Kilgannon, New York Times February 18, 2010

 

 

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I loved Judy Collins back in 1970.  And I still do.  Both Sides Now.  Send in the Clowns.  And then, what about Crosby, Stills, and Nash's, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes? 

When I read this delightful glimpse into Judy Collins' life I thought, "I can't believe it!  I'm just like Judy Collins." 

Yes, I know,  I can't sing.  I don't perform.  I'm not famous.  And I don't travel 40 weekends out of the year.  But, Judy & I both pack our breakfast, lunch, and dinner when we go to work.  We both love to see movies on the big screen--in theaters--and we're both fans of Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. 

Plus, we both really like cooking dinner--especially on Sundays--and we always start it with browning an onion.

And on Sunday evenings--we both like to just relax, maybe watch a little TV and chill at home.  That's when Judy also gets in her 60 minutes of exercise.  I do mine in the morning.

 

Judy Collins' Secrets to Staying Healthy

 

"I have a strict food plan and I always prepare my meals, no matter where I am. 

I travel with my meals prepacked in insulated bags, and I carry a scale with me and I'll weigh and measure my portions. It's a big enterprise, but it's necessary. 

I don't have cravings and I'm never hungry. I only eat what I'm supposed to be eating, because in this line of work, you have to live like an athlete. 

(For Sunday movie matinees) I pack my lunch: measured amounts of fruit and yogurt, or cheese and vegetables and dip.

I've had a 50-year career and I'm working more than ever.  The word retire is not in my lexicon.

I love that my work has increased rather than decreased.  I can't find enough hours in the day."  (Judy is also releasing a new CD, "Paradise" in May, and she's in the middle of writing her memoir.)

My Sunday Supper - Bulgur with Swiss Chard, Chickpeas, and Feta

 

While Judy was browning onions on Sunday, I was making this easy, delectable, hearty, healthy dish. 

Truth be told, I really made it on Saturday afternoon--because my husband & I went out to eat on Sunday--with some of the same college gang who were also listening to Judy Collins back in 1970.

Back to the recipe.  This is a variation of Martha Rose Shulman's "Recipes for Health".   It cooked up in a flash, and I made sure that my husband didn't touch the leftovers so we had supper ready to go after work on Monday.

This casserole has it all!  It's got bulgur, made from whole grain wheat that's loaded with fiber--as in 7 grams a serving.  Add in the anti-oxidant vitamin-packed Swiss chard and chickpeas and you've got an award-winner. 

*OK--it does have feta, and if you're a purist you could leave it out--but, honestly, the feta gives this dish  pizazz!   I used a low-fat version from Trader Joe's (and there's only 1/2 ounce a serving), but if you want to try your hand at a vegan version, Bryanna Clark Grogan has a recipe for vegan feta.  I even checked with her and she says it's a winner.  But, that's for me to try at another time.

 

photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Bulgur, Swiss Chard, Chickpeas & Feta

Serves 4 generously (big eaters)

Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman's recipe in the New York Times, February 8, 2010

 

Ingredients:

1 cup bulgur (medium or coarse grade) Note: look for "whole-grain" bulgur--that's coarser & darker in color--the taste & texture is preferable)

Salt to taste

1 pound Swiss chard,  2 inches of the stem ends removed, washed well, and chopped

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)

1/4 generous cup chopped fresh dill (you can use parsley, but dill is fabulous)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbed or cut in small squares

 

Preparation:

1. Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the bulgur and salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and uncover. Place a clean dish towel over the pan, then replace the lid. Allow to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil spray (or not) a 2-quart baking dish. Spread the cooked bulgur in the baking dish in an even layer.

3.  Heat a tablespoon of broth in a large frying pan. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant and translucent, 30 seconds to a minute.  Add the chopped Swiss chard to the pan and lightly saute until wilted and tender.  Don't overcook.

4. Add the chickpeas and dill into the pan.  Season with salt and pepper, and toss together.

5. Lay the chard mixture over the bulgur, gently mixing it lightly into the bulgur. Top with the feta, and gently push the feta cheese down into this mixture.

6.  Bake covered for 30 minutes or until sizzling. Serve hot.

Advance preparation: Reconstituted bulgur keeps well in the refrigerator for three or four days and can be frozen. Reheat in the oven (350 degrees for 20 minutes), in a pan on top of the stove or in the microwave. Sauteed chard & garlic will keep for three days in the refrigerator. You can assemble the dish several hours before baking. Cover and chill if holding for more than an hour.

Enjoy!  We did!

If you prefer to try Martha's version with 1/4 cup of oil, click here.

 

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Losing Weight, Exercise, Stress, and Cardiovascular Risk from an Expert, Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer. The Best Diet, How Much Exercise, the Hormone Stress Connection, the Best Phytonutrients, and the Healthiest Carbs

"Why is it so hard to to maintain a healthy weight and good eating habits?  It's multi-factorial.  Genetics loads the gun - but the environment pulls the trigger.

We are all different  genetically in our hunger and satiety cues--the rate at which we burn off calories, our dietary patterns, and the stress-causing changes in our brains."

-Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Clinical Nutrition, Albany Medical College, Albany NY-

"A habit cannot be tossed out the window; It must be coaxed down the stairs a step at a time."

-Mark Twain-

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Would you lose weight and start to exercise if it could save you money?

Starting this year almost everyone at my place of work is getting with the Program.  The diet & exercise program.  If lowering cardiovascular risk, and feeling great isn't enough motivation--maybe money will work!  If we want to pay 2009 rates for our health insurance in 2010 & 2011 we need to show that we are either healthy, or we are taking serious steps to get healthy. 

If you have hypertension, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, asthma, are a smoker, or you are overweight (BMI above 27) you need to join a free program (including Curves or Weight Watchers) and reach the set healthy goals by November 2010 to get your rebate.

Everyone, even those of us who are already in good shape--must still participate by joining a small "team" & tracking one or more healthy behaviors:

• Weight loss
• Pedometer steps (and we've all received a free pedometer)
• Daily exercise minutes
• Cups of fruits & vegetables consumed

Yes, it feels "big-brother-ish", but you aren't forced to participate--and frankly, I don't know anyone who isn't.   I've just logged in my exercise minutes, and how many fruits & vegetables I've eaten--and I have to admit, it's a great way to keep me honest--and motivated!

So, now let's bring on our diet and exercise expert--Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer.

What's Eating You?  Food, Mood, and Cardiovascular Risk

For the past weekend I've been "up to my ears" listening to a fascinating lecture by Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer--all about how diet, exercise, stress, sleep, belly fat, and brain chemicals affect our cardiovascular risk.

The lecture title says it all:  "What's Eating You?  Food, Mood, and Cardiovascular Risk", Audio-Digest Foundation--Family Practice  58(8): Feb. 28, 2010.  Click here

I'm going to do my best to highlight some of the "new to me" research Dr. Alger-Mayer presents.  Stick with me--there's a lot to cover.

Here's a chance to benefit from the knowledge, experience, and wisdom of a top-notch specialist without making an appointment.  

If I had to sum it all up in 6 key points it would be:

• Eat a diet that is 750 calories less than what you need to maintain your present weight.  Get a diet buddy or join a support group for the best chance of success
  
• The type of carbohydrates you eat makes a big difference and they actually affect your insuling-signaling genes.  Eat Low-Glycemic Carbs!  That means foods like beans, legumes, oats, quinoa, dark rye bread, vegetables, & fruits.
  
• Exercise often--short bouts are best, enough to burn 2800 calories a week, including 11,000 steps a day (5.5 miles), & 2 days of more intense exercise a week
  
• Consider adding phytochemicals like (but not limited to) cocoa, green tea, resveratrol (grapes or wine), acai berries, or hops (rho-iso-alpha-acids)
• Get enough sleep--at least 7.5 hours
• Find a way to manage stress to reduce fat-causing hormones (like cortisol) that pack on belly fat and increase inflammation.  Simplest stress reducers:  Exercise and deep breathing--one deep abdominal breath, hold for count of 4, and repeat.

 Who Is At Risk?  Who Needs to Get With the Program?  Where Do You Begin?

 Lifestyle accounts for more than 50% of the deaths among middle-age women.

72% of cardiovascular mortality can be attributed to lifestyle factors. 

Metabolic Syndrome is what you want to prevent--or get rid of--if you have it.  If you've got a little too much belly fat, elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, low HDLs, and/or high triglycerides you're at risk for heart attack, stroke, and type-2 diabetes.  We're talking Metabolic Syndrome--and with the right diet, exercise, stress management, and the addition of some potent phytochemicals you just might turn that ship around.

Dr. Alger-Mayer's Prototype Patient:

• 52 year old woman
• High stress job, long hours, finds it hard to find the time to exercise
• Travels for work, eat too many restaurant meals, breakfasts on bagels or pastry, drinks 2-3 glasses of wine at night to wind down
• Poor quality sleep, wakes up frequently
• Feeling depressed, trouble concentrating, anxious, worried about her memory, worried about her health
• Insulin-resistance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, family history of early heart attack, a history of weight issues, loses weight and puts it right back on.
• 5'6", 228 lbs, BMI of 37, waist circumference of 42" (>35" increases risk), elevated fasting glucose, HDLS & triglycerides are OK, LDL is elevated, C-Reative Protein (inflammation marker) is elevated at 3.4  Click here for BMI tables  Click here for CRP tables & "The Inflammation Connection"
  
• Meets criteria for Metabolic Syndrome even though none of her values are super high
• She is ready to get serious about losing weight and making a change     

Before getting started, here's what Dr. Alger-Mayer asks all her patients to do, because "knowledge is power".

• Keep a 3 day food record of what they are eating day-to-day
• Record how they are feeling--emotions & moods.  What's driving their food choices
• Wear a step counter for 3 days--not to change anything, but to see how active they are during the day
• Keep a 7 day record of their sleep cycle
• What are they doing for fun?  What do they have to look forward to?  What helps to diffuse their stress?

Getting Started When You're Feeling Overwhelmed - Where Do You Begin?

Dr. Alger-Mayer's typical patient is an intelligent bright woman who has struggled with this weight issue for many years. 

It's not just about knowing the issues.  She feels totally overwhelmed & challenged by life & finding the time & energy to make big changes is extremely difficult.

Alger-Mayer says you need to break down the process into a manageable set of goals.  Here's what Ms. Typical Patient wants to know from Dr. Alger-Mayer:

• Is there one diet that would be best for her particular medical risk factors?
• What about exercise? She knows she has to exercise, but how much does she need to do?
• Are there any nutritional supplements that would help?

Let's Talk Diet - What's the Best One?

• When it comes to weight loss--it doesn't matter.  According to a 2009 New England Journal of Medicine study that compared four different weight-loss diets (low vs. higher fat; low carb vs. higher carb; low protein vs. higher protein)--it just didn't make any difference.  All the diets achieved weight loss, and lowered cardiovascular risk factors, decreased waist circumference, and triglycerides.  The fasting insulin level dropped in all the diets except the 65% carb diet.  All 4 diets were basically healthy--they emphasized adequate fiber and low-glycemic carbs, were low in cholesterol, and participants were asked to do 90 minutes of exercise a week.  Most weight loss occurred in the first 6 months of this 2 year study that followed over 800 overweight adults.  Final conclusion: "Reduced-calorie diets result in clinically meaningful weight loss regardless of which macronutrients they emphasize."
• What did make a difference?  The patients who attended at least 66% of the group support sessions lost the most weight--an average of 20 pounds over 2 years.
• To lose weight, you need to eat 750 less calories than you would need to maintain your present weight.
• Dr. Alger-Mayer emphatically points out that this study DOES NOT MEAN, that diet doesn't matter--and that you can eat whatever you want to, as long as you cut calories.  High fat and simple sugars are not good for you, and will not reduce your cardiovascular risk factors.
• My opinion: Go for plant-based, minimal to no added fats, low-glycemic carbs like beans, oats, legumes, fruits & vegetables, whole-grains, and minimal sugar.  No worries!

A Calorie is Not Just a Calorie.  Carbs Affect Our Genes.  What?

 Some recent landmark studies have confirmed that the kind of carbohydrates we consume actually affect the genes in our abdominal fat--which has a tremendous impact on developing or curbing Metabolic Syndrome.

• The Carbohydrate/Gene Study.  Here's how the the low vs high glycemic carb study played out in 2 groups of people with Metabolic Syndrome.  One group was fed carbs that were high fiber low-glycemic (think oats, beans, quinoa).  The others group was fed carbs that were high fiber high-glycemic (think potatoes, whole wheat bread).  Both carbs had the same amount of protein and fat.  The low-glycemic carb meal produced a low insulin response, and the insulin-signaling genes in the abdominal fat were actually down-regulated.  But after the high-glycemic carb meal,  insulin shot up, and 62 different genes that are linked to the stress response, insulin-signaling and cytokine-mediated immunity were turned on.  Pretty amazing!  This study prompted endocrinologist Dr. David Ludwig to write an editorial called, "Putting your genes on a diet: the molecular effects of carbohydrate."
• Take away point:  The kind of carbs we eat have a significant effect on the gene regulation that affects how our bodies handle insulin--and don't forget that abdominal fat is a marker for an insulin response that is out of whack.  This process has nothing to do with how many calories we consume, or how much we weigh--but it has everything to do with what kind of carbs we are consuming.
• The effect of whole grains vs refined grains on the risk of cardiovascular disease in Metabolic Syndrome.   In this study the two groups being compared both reduced their calories by 500/a day for 12 weeks--but one group ate whole grains while the other consumed refined grains.   After 12 weeks both groups had the same weight loss--but the whole grain group had lost more belly fat, and had a 38% decrease the their C-reactive protein levels (inflammation marker).  The magnitude of the this C-reactive protein reduction was similar to the reduction achieved with statins.   
• Why do we want to eat foods that discourage belly fat--and that will down-regulate the genes in our belly fat?  Belly fat is completely different from the subcutaneous fat that surrounds our bodies. It's called omentum, and it acts just like an organ, secreting its own chemicals and hormones like adipokines that produce angiotensin II, that raises blood pressure. It also secretes tumor necrosis factor, interleukin 6, and C-reactive protein which lead to high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol and inflammation that damages our brains & blood vessels. To read more about why you want to ditch the belly fat, click here.
• How do I find out which foods are low-glycemic?  The University of Sydney maintains the most reliable database.  Look for foods that have a glycemic index of 55 or under.  Click Here for the database.  Click Here for their excellent newsletter. Bottom line: you want very grainy "kibbled" least-processed breads & carbs that move slowly through your digestive system.

Why Exercise Matters If You Want to Keep Your Weight Off Forever!

The best data out there on the effect of exercise on weight loss comes from the National Weight Control Registry that was started in 1994 by Dr. James Hill and Dr. Rena Wing in Denver, Colorado.  The registry tracks over 5,000 people who have successfully lost an average of 60 pounds and have successfully kept it off for 5 years or more.  It aims to find out why these people are successful at keeping their weight off.

• The most powerful predictor of successful long-term weight loss is movement!  aka Exercise.
• On average people who have successfully maintained their weight loss, burn off 2800 calories a week which is quite a lot. 
• The calorie burn comes mostly from walking, 11,000 steps a day (that's 5.5 miles), and a higher intensity exercise for 2 days/a week--at an average of 6 METS--which is about an hour of jogging, bicycling, tennis or aerobics.  800 calories of the 2800 were burned as high intensity exercise.
• The exercise doesn't have to be in the form of long workouts--like 60-90 minutes at the gym.  People who had multiple short bouts of exercise on more days lost more weight and achieved similar cardiovascular benefits.

What Nutritional Supplements Can Help with Weight Loss and Reduce My Cardiovascular Risk?

It turns out that Metabolic Syndrome is tremendously impacted by the quality of our diet.   We are now beginning to understand that the phytonutrients in our food--which have nothing to do with calories or weight loss--are metabolically active, and have profound  effects on our signaling systems--and work through the same kinase systems that pharmaceutical drugs work on.

These phytonutrients can affect the insulin-signaling pathways which are closely linked to the inflammatory pathways in our body.

Here are a few examples of some of these active dietary phytonutrients:

• Green tea
• Ginseng
• Cinnamon
• Resveratrol
• Hops - used as the bitter flavoring for beer
• Cocoa

What happens when you add phytonutrient supplements to a high quality Mediterranean Diet?  Magic!!

Dr. Robert Lerman compared two groups of dieters on a super healthy Mediterranean diet high in omega-3s, low glycemic carbs, high quality proteins, and fruits and vegetables for 12 weeks.  One study group was supplemented with the phytonutrient hops (rho-iso-alpha acids) and an extract of acai berries.

Here's how the groups compared after 12 weeks:

• Resolution of Metabolic Syndrome:  43% of the phytochemical group vs. 22% of the diet only group
• Reduction of Framingham 10-year risk scores  dropped by 5.6% in the phytochemical group vs. 2.9% in the diet only group
• Weight loss was the same in both groups
• LDLs were reduced by 17% in the phytochemical group vs. 8.4% in the diet only group
• HDLs were increased by 7% in the phytochemical group vs. 3% in the diet only group
• Triglycerides dropped by 35% in the phytochemical group vs. 14% in the diet only group

Take away point:  The optimum way to use phytochemicals is to consume them as part of a healthy diet in whole foods (think lots of fruits & vegetables), rather than thinking, "I'll just go the health food store & buy some rho-iso-alpha acid pills & then just keep eating my regular diet."  I don't think so.

According to Alger-Mayer, diets high in saturated fat have a negative effect on those protein kinase pathways, and just may wash out the beneficial effects of these phytochemicals.

What Other Whole Food Phytochemical Supplements Does Alger-Mayer Recommend?

Resveratrol

This is the phytonutrient found in the skins and seeds of grapes and of course, in wine. 

• It's known to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering blood pressure.
• It improves endothelial function (the lining of blood vessels) by increasing that "magic gas" nitric oxide--which makes blood vessels flexible and improves dilation.  Nitric oxide production increased 3-fold in endothelial cells that were "incubated" in red wine.
• It decreases blood platelet aggregation, which means less clumping and clotting
• It's known to activate cell proteins that prevent cell death in bacteria--suggesting a "possible" increase in human longevity.  Who knows?

Cocoa

The Greek name for cocoa means, "Drink of the Gods".  Maybe they were on to something.  Epichatechin is the polyphenol in cocoa that does its magic on the cardiovascular system.

• It lowers blood pressure
• It reduces insulin resistance and improves platelet function
• It increases nitric oxide production--that "magic gas" that improves endothelial function, and it has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• In a recent meta-analysis in the journal Circulation, 75 grams of dark chocolate for 3 weeks increased HDLs by 14% and decreased LDL oxidation. Lowering blood pressure took even less cocoa to do the job.
• How does cocoa do all this?  It's probably because it increases the availability of nitric oxide, and it also increases arginase--which prevents nitric oxide from breaking down.  It's a 2-for-one!
• Cocoa's best benefit?  It inhibits the kind of inflammation that creates atherosclerotic plaque.
• This study will give you a good reason to drink cocoa daily.  One of the tests for a healthy vasculature is the ability of our blood vessels to dilate.  This study looked at the dilation of arteries after drinking a high flavanoid cocoa drink, compared to a low flavonoid drink.  There was a significant increase in vasodilation with the high flavonoid drink--and nitric oxide levels increased as the level of flavonoids in the cocoa increased.
• Watch out!  Avoid cocoa or dark chocolate that is "Dutch-Processed" or is treated with an alkali to decrease its bitterness--that destroys the flavonoids!

What Does Stress Have to Do with Diet and Weight Loss?

Plenty!  Stress decreases leptin---and low levels of the hormone leptin will increase food cravings even if you aren't hungry.  Stress also increases ghrelin---the hormone that keeps you eating even when you aren't hungry.

Alger-Mayer says that stress reduction is a key factor in managing our food intake--and it even plays a role in our ability to exercise.

What effect does cortisol have on weight loss?

• Stress increases cortisol, which increases the likelihood  of snacking--especially high calorie snacks. 
• It increases belly fat
• Cortisol increases significantly in women who are "high stress reactors"--snacking is strongly associated with daily stressers in women who are "high stress reactors".
• Cortisol-Abdominal Fat Connection. Men & women with a high waist-to-hip ratio had greater cortisol release when under stress than those with a low waist-to-hip ratio--suggesting the release of cortisol in response to stress contributes to abdominal fat.  Click here for a waist-to-hip calculator & chart.
• Rats fed a high-fat, high sugar diet and exposed to long-term stress had a 50% increase in visceral (belly) fat

Top ways to reduce stress

• Exercise.  It reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and raises dopamine--the feel good brain chemical--which may also reduce the craving for high fat, high sugar foods.
• Many of Alger-Mayer's patients tell her that when they exercise they are better able to stick to their meal plan and avoid cravings.  When they get knocked off track, their cravings come back.
• Turns out that wheel-running in rats is a protection against stress, anxiety, and depression.  It also affects their serotonin and noradrenaline (fight or flight hormone) levels, and increases their dopamine--the feel-good hormone.
• Exercise is actually an antidote for high sugar intake!
• How deep breathing helps reduce stress.   Try the "mini"--a simple technique developed by Dr. Herbert Benson, an interventional cardiologist who founded the Mind-Body Institute at Harvard.
• Within one minute of deep breathing you increase the calming parasympathetic system kicks in, the heart rate drops, blood pressure drops, and "yeah",  cortisol drops, too.
• Here's how to do it.  Take a deep breath, expanding into the abdomen.  Hold it for the count of 4, and breathe out.  Repeat.  Doing this simple technique when you start to feel stressed may reduce cortisol, and prevent our cells from being bathed in cortisol, increases our risk of belly fat. To learn more about Benson's technique's click here.
• Figure out a step-by-step plan.  Be clear & specific.  When will you eat?  When will you walk or exercise?  How long?  Find an exercise and diet buddy.  Alger-Mayer recommends Spark People--an online weight-loss community to help you find a group with similar ages and goals as yours.
• Get enough sleep!  Less than 6.5 hours of sleep causes increased hunger, impairs glucose tolerance.  Alger-Mayer suggests going to sleep 20 minutes earlier to start.
• Give yourself rewards for your diet or exercise success.

What am I now going to change after my "appointment" with Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer? 

• I'm definitely going to to think twice about eating any high-glycemic carbs.
• I'm going to try very hard to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep.
• I'm going to program the free step counter I got from my workplace--and start using it.  I wonder how many steps I'm walking a day?
• I'm going continue with my daily cup of cocoa.
• I'm going incorporate Benson's mini's--the deep breathing technique--as needed.
• And that's enough for now!

Please let me know what you think of this summary.  I really appreciate feedback!

 

To Improve Your Brain and Sharpen Your Memory - Try Blueberry Juice Twice a Day and Start Learning Something New

"These preliminary memory findings are encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration."

-Robert Krikorian, PhD, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, lead author of "Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults" J Agric Food Chem 2010.

"We now know that exercise activity in animals generate and sustain more brain cells, and we have many studies confirming that humans who lead mentally active lives have better brain function.  But, not all activities are equal in this regard.  Those that involve genuine concentration--challenging mental activities will increase the likelihood that hippocampal neurons will survive."

-Dr. Norman Doidge, "The Brain That Changes Itself.  Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science"

If you are reading this from your email, click here to go to the web post with all the links.

Back in August I wrote a post about the many virtues of blueberries, and discussed Dr. Robert Krikorian's promising  "not-yet-published" study on the positive effects of blueberry juice on memory.  Click here

• Berry protection for the brain in animal studies. Rats who feasted on blueberries and strawberries were able to protect their brains when they were irradiated to simulate the kind of cognitive & memory damage the brain sustains through normal aging.  The interesting point:  the blueberries and strawberries actually protected different parts of the brain--so diversify your berry munching.
• Blueberries & humans.  Once more, Dr. Robert Krikorian is the man doing the research on people.  He has recently shown that a number of learning and memory skills improve when humans supplement with blueberry juice.  He's planning to also assess the effects of blueberries on behavioral skills.

In January 2010, Robert Krikorian's blueberry and memory study was published online ahead-of-print and I just had a chance to read through it yesterday.  You'll find it in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry  DOI:10/1021/jf9029332

Why it's a big deal?  It is the first human trial to look at the effects of blueberry supplementation on memory. 

Who was in the study?  This was a small study--it compared nine older adults against a control group of seven, whose average age was 76,  and who had age-related memory decline, like forgetfulness and memory lapses, that put them at risk for dementia.

What kind of blueberry supplement did they take & for how long?  For 12 weeks the trial group drank from 2 to 2 1/2 cups of wild blueberry juice--the amount was based on their body weight.  During the test period everyone had to avoid any additional berries, cherries, grapes, pomegranates, grape juice, or wine to make sure that only blueberry juice was affecting the results.

How were their memories tested?  All the participants took  pre and post tests that measured their memory function--the Verbal Paired Associate Learning Test (V-PAL) and the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT).  Both tests are good measures of progressive neurodegeneration and are sensitive to both age-related memory changes, as well as early and more advanced Alzheimer's disease.

So, how did the blueberry juice folks do compared to the fake blueberry juice folks?  Turns out that the blueberry juice definitely improved their memories.  There was significant improvement in the post test of the blueberry juice drinkers, and at the end of the 12-weeks, the blueberry juice group tested significantly better against the placebo group.  After 12 weeks the blueberry group's  V-PAL cumulative learning test scores went from 9.3 points to 13.2 points.  The scores on their CVLT word list recall improved from 7.2 points to 9.6 points. 

Memory wasn't the only thing that improved with the blueberry juice.  The researchers also did pre and post tests on depression and fasting glucose levels.  After 12 weeks the blueberry juice drinkers had notable reductions in their depression symptom scores, and their fasting glucose levels were reduced. 

Both of these changes further support the neurocognitive benefit of blueberry juice.  It turns out that the anthocyanins (the polyphenols in blueberries) are not only anti-inflammatory, but they help to "get rid of" excess glucose, which is known to damage the brain--and just might be one of the reasons that blueberries help to improve memory.

How do blueberries benefit the brain?  They contain polyphenolic compounds, most prominently anthocyanins, that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  Anthocyanins are known to increase the signaling between neurons in the brain, improve memory function and slow down neurodegeneration.

What happens next?  This was just a first step.  It's a small study, but the results were encouraging and suggest that consistent supplementation with blueberries may offer an approach to prevent or slow down neurodegeneration.    As every researcher says at the end of their articles--"Replication of the findings in a larger, controlled trial will be important to corroborate and amplify these data."  Stay tuned.

What am I going to do?  When I was at Trader Joe's on Sunday, instead of picking up my usual pomegranate juice for my green smoothies, I decided to try a bottle of their Just Blueberry Unfiltered 100% Juice.  It's not made from wild blueberries, but what the heck.  I think I may also start throwing in some of the Wyler's Frozen Wild Blueberries into my smoothies as well--alternating with TJ's Frozen Black Raspberries.  A memory is a terrible thing to lose!

Brain Plasticity in Older Adults.  Why We Need to Continue to Learn New Things

One of the perks of my job is that I get to see what all the top researchers are reading.  A few weeks back one particularly interesting book crossed my desk, "The Brain That Changes Itself.  Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science,"  by Dr. Norman Doidge. The book is about neuroplasticity--  how our brains are not static, but can change and improve, even as we age.  Much of this research is credited to Dr. Michael Merzenich who has pioneered computer-learning activities for children, and has recently developed memory-training programs for adults.  Click here to learn more.

Writing this blog has given me a chance to take time out to study, learn, and concentrate on new areas of research--and to understand it well enough to be able to write about it.  Without undergoing any "brain testing" I can tell you that my learning skills and memory have definitely sharpened and improved through blogging.  I'm now a believer in neuroplasticity.

So, in light of my 2 year blogging experience, I was really struck when I read this quote by Merzenich in Doidge's book:

Merzenich:"We have an intense period of learning in childhood.  Every day is a day of new stuff.  And then, in our early employment, we are intensely engaged in learning and acquiring new skills and abilities.  And more and more as we progress in life we are operating as users of mastered skills and abilities."

Doidge: "Psychologically, middle age is often an appealing time because, all else being equal, it can be a relatively placid period compared with what has come before.  Our bodies aren't changing as they did in adolescence; we're more likely to have a solid sense of who we are and be skilled at a career.  We still regard ourselves as active, but we have a tendency to deceive ourselves into thinking that we are learning as we were before.

We rarely engage in tasks in which we must focus our attention as closely as we did when we were younger, trying to learn a new vocabulary or master new skills.

Such activities as reading the newspaper, practicing a profession of many years, and speaking our own language are mostly the replay of mastered skills, not learning.

By the time we hit our seventies, we many not have systematically engaged the systems in the brain that regulate plasticity for fifty years.

That's why learning a new language in old age is so good for improving and maintaining the memory generally.  Because it requires intense focus, studying a new language turns on the control system for plasticity and keeps it in good shape laying down sharp memories of all kinds.  And it keeps up the production of acetylcholine and dopamine.

Anything that requires highly focused attention will help that system--learning new physical activities that require concentration, solving challenging puzzles, or making a career change that requires that you master new skills and material."

So, yes, maybe go ahead and add blueberry juice to your daily diet, but better yet, find something that's really interesting to you and start learning all about it--even though there won't be a test on it in 2 weeks!

The World Ain't Slowing Down - But I Am - Roasting Vegetables & Listening to Ellis Paul

If you've received this via email click here to get to the web version and all the links.

I'm not much of a "just-listen-to-music''  kind of person.  I wish I was.  I figure I'm about the only person in the world whose IPOD is filled only with podcasts and books instead of music.

When I cook I love to listen to NPR. Science Friday.  All Things Considered.  The Car Talk Guys.  Fresh Air with Terry Gross.

But I'm changing my ways.  I finally get it.  Today I found my long lost Ellis Paul CD with one of my all-time-makes-me-feel happy songs. I wasn't even looking for it.  It just turned up.

Way back in November when my friend Cheri returned from her Livestrong week at Canyon Ranch she explained to me why music is especially important for left-brained language-driven people like me. 

If most of your time is spent with left-brained activities like reading and writing, you need to balance yourself out--and slow down all that left-brained stimulation with right-brained activities, like exercise (check), painting, or music. 

The Canyon Ranch folks advise left-brainers to sometimes just take a break and turn off the words and language in the evening--yes, that means the computer, TV, and even reading books--and just sit in a chair and listen to music. But that sounds so hard to do!

Or, they say, turn off the news or NPR when you're driving, and just listen to music. It calms that over-loaded over-stimulated sympathetic nervous system--and balances us out.

Here's an additional medical benefit of listening to music.

Music, like laughter benefits the heart.  According to Dr. Michael Miller of the University of Maryland, if you're listening to a song that makes you feel "joyful or euphoric", your blood vessels will dilate 26%, improving blood flow--which is an effect similar to that of exercise. 

Miller says:  "The inner lining of the blood vessels--the endothelium--serves as the gatekeeper to vascular health."   Keep them dilated & keep them healthy.

Just don't listen to the same songs all the time, or it won't work.  Mix up your play list--2 week intervals are best.

What's on my play list?  Right now "The World Ain't Slowing Down" has moved to the number one spot.  But, it also includes,  "Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me" & Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" & about a million others.  I think I'm finally ready to start alternating joyful music with my NPR fix.

So here it is Sunday night.  It's 9:00 pm and I'm prepping beets and squash and brussels sprouts to roast in the oven with maple syrup, a little salt, and pepper.  The house it completely still.  No background TV or radio.

Ellis Paul is singing "The World Ain't Slowing Down" and I'm feeling as happy as a kid on a merry-go-round. Downright euphoric.  Give a listen.  See what you think.

The World Ain't Slowin' Down.  Ellis Paul

You gotta get gone
You gotta get going
Hey, the world ain't slowin' down
For no one

It's a carnival calling out to you
And it sounds like a song
It hits you like scripture
You paint the picture
With colors squeezed from your hand
Weren't you the kid
Who just climbed on a merry-go-round
Hey, look, the world ain't slowin' down

Click here if you aren't seeng the video

Lyrics | Ellis Paul - The World Ain’t Slowin’ Down lyrics

Radiolab's Ultimate Valentine's Day Mix. The Sound of Love Aboard the Voyager, Two Marriage Proposals, a Record, an 8mm Movie, and an Audio-Cassette

If you're reading this through your email, click here to get the web version with all the links.

Yesterday morning as I was about to leave the house I heard the last 2 minutes of an NPR Valentine story that sounded like a love story with a cosmic/scientific twist.

Something about compressing the impulses of the brain and nervous system of a person "newly in love", and then putting that sound on a record and hurtling it out into space--a billion miles away--to one day be discovered by another civilization.  What?

The story ended with narrator Renee Montagne almost speechless, saying:  "Gosh that is so romantic.  I mean...your brain and body in love, hurtling through the cosmos for the next billion years."

I had to know "the rest of the story".

So, with a little hunting I found this Valentine story of love, and outer space, and this tiny gold record that is the ultimate sound mix of love: the sound of a kiss, a mother's first words to her newborn child, music from all over the world, Mozart, Beethoven, greetings in 59 different languages (Bonjour, Shalom), a "hello" from the children of planet Earth, and even non-human language--the greetings of the humpback whale.

As Ann Druyan, the creator of this cosmic mix that's aboard the Voyager says, "And it was a sacred undertaking, because it was saying we want to be citizens of the cosmos.  We want you to know about us.

                               

The 12-inch gold-plated records contain greetings in 59 languages, samples of music from different cultures and eras, and natural and human-made sounds from Earth. One record is currently 16.89 billion km from Earth, the other is over 13 billion km away.

To hear and see everything on these golden records--that are still hurtling through space, click here.

For a montage of Sagan and Druyan's golden record--aka Carl & Annie's Earth Guide for Aliens, watch the video below.  If you aren't seeing it on the screen, just click here.

Ann Druyan and Carl Saga circa 1977

A Valentine Story.  Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan's Ultimate Mix Tape

by Soren Wheeler and Jad Abumrad  click here for the NPR site

My suggestion:  Listen to the story.  Hearing Annie Druyan tell it herself beats reading it--hands-down!

This is a love story. And, oddly enough, it starts with an interstellar space mission and a golden record.

Toward the end of the summer of '77, NASA launched two spacecraft as part of the Voyager Interstellar Mission. On board each craft was a golden record that included, among other things, the sound of a kiss, a mother's first words to her newborn child, music from all over the world, and greetings in 59 different languages. The spacecraft were designed to take close-up pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, then continue into the great expanse of space beyond our solar system. The records on board were meant to survive for a billion years, in the hope that some day, against enormous odds, they might cross paths with an alien civilization.

So how do you decide what to put on the ultimate mix tape of the human experience? What do you do if you have one shot at describing humanity to an unknown life form? That was the charge of Carl Sagan — astronomer, astrophysicist and famed popularizer of science. Of course, Sagan had a lot of help, including the creative director of the project, Ann Druyan.

It was a chance to tell something of what life on Earth was like to beings of perhaps 1,000 million years from now," Druyan says. "If that didn't raise goose bumps, then you'd have to be made out of wood."

For Druyan, though, the summer of 1977 and the Voyager project carry a deeply personal meaning, too. It was during the Voyager project that she and Sagan fell in love.

After searching endlessly for a piece of Chinese music to put on the record, Druyan had finally found a 2,500-year-old song called "Flowing Stream." In her excitement, she called Sagan and left a message at his hotel. At that point, Druyan and Sagan had been professional acquaintances and friends, but nothing more. But an hour later, when Sagan called back, something happened. By the end of that call, Druyan and Sagan were engaged to be married.

"We both hung up the phone, and I just screamed out loud," says Druyan, "It was this great eureka moment. It was like a scientific discovery." The first of the Voyager project's two spacecraft launched on Aug. 20, 1977. Druyan and Sagan announced their engagement two days later. They married in 1981, and were together until Sagan's death in December 1996.

But the evidence of their love has taken on a life of its own. Not long after that serendipitous phone call, Druyan had an idea for the record: They could measure the electrical impulses of a human brain and nervous system, turn it into sound, and put it on the record. Then maybe, 1,000 million years from now, some alien civilization might be able to turn that data back into thoughts.

So, just a few days after she and Sagan declared their love for each other, Druyan went to Bellevue Hospital in New York City and meditated while the sounds of her brain and body were recorded.

According to Druyan, part of what she was thinking during that meditation was about "the wonder of love, of being in love." And the gold records? They're still out there with their offer, to whomever might stumble across them, of a human body newly in love.

"Whenever I'm down, " says Druyan, "I'm thinking: And still they move, 35,000 miles an hour, leaving our solar system for the great open sea of interstellar space."

Story postscript:  In 1990 Carl Sagan convinced NASA to turn the Voyager around after Pluto, before it ventured into empty space, and take one last picture of our galaxy.   And what was that day?  Valentines' Day!

What Would Go Into Your Valentine's Day Mix?

After listening to Annie and Carl's story I'm thinking about the 8mm home movie mix and the accompanying audio-cassette musical mix my husband played for me in December 1970 when he proposed. 

I really want to see it again!  The 8mm movie was converted to a videocassette many years back--but now we no longer have a videotape player.  And the audio-cassette which was filled with the music of the Moody Blue's and who knows what else from 40 years ago just might be buried in a box in our attic--or not.  Hope it didn't get pitched when my husband cleaned out the attic 2 months ago.

Right now my husband is in Honduras doing volunteer dental work.  He returns late tomorrow night--on Valentine's Day.  I hope I can dig up that video and audio-cassette--or was it an 8-track tape?

Now that would be some Valentine's Day gift!

And I almost forgot, this sage advice comes from Rhett Ellis' wacky book, How I Fell in Love with a Librarian and Lived to Tell About It:

"We've all got our good and bad sides.  If you want to find love and joy in this lifetime you've got to live by mercy.  Focus on the best in people and ignore all the bad that you can ignore.  It's really that simple."

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Best Advice--Stay Away From the Chocolates (nah, go ahead, it's just one day)

Three Simple Diet Tweaks to Keep You Healthy, Happy, and On Track From Breakfast Through That Evening Snack

Mexican Hot Chocolate

 

It's no secret that I try to eat healthy. 

But, there's only so much time in the morning to prepare something that's as tasty as it is healthy.

And I'm no saint.  I love chocolate, but I have to keep it far away from my kitchen cupboards.  There's no way I can stop at a tiny square of a dark chocolate bar.

And in the evening, when I'm watching TV or a video, I sometimes want something tastier than an apple for a snack.  I want a little crunch.  And yes, a bit of salt.  A tiny bit.

This is going to sound crazy, but these three simple, delicious, time-saving food tweaks have made my mornings a breeze, brought me a mid-day boost, and satisfied my snack cravings at night.  You've got to give them a try!

And the best part.  Each of these foods comes with impeccable research credentials.  But frankly, they taste so good, I wouldn't care if they didn't.

1.  Steel cut oats.  Put up a double-batch of crock-pot fruited steel cut oatmeal on Sunday night, and have breakfast ready-to-go all week. 

2.  Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate.  Late afternoon or in the evening make my gourmet Mexican cocoa with cayenne & cinnamon & you won't miss high-cal chocolate bars.

3.  Popcorn.  Get yourself a hot-air popcorn popper, and hit the popcorn with 4 or 5 sprays of canola or olive oil and as it fills up a huge bowl--sprinkle with a few shakes of super-fine popcorn salt, and you won't miss the microwave or oil-made popcorn at all.

Overnight Crock-Pot Fruited Steel Cut Oatmeal

After making this oatmeal for months, it finally dawned on me that if I doubled the recipe, I'd have enough for breakfast 7 mornings a week--in a microwave minute!

If you are used to making steel cut oats on the stove, let me tell you--the taste doesn't even come close to the crockpot version that slowly cooks for 8 hours.

As for the health benefits--Dr. David Jenkins' 2008 JAMA study found that high fiber low-glycemic foods--like steel-cut oats--were superior to even whole grains, like whole-wheat bread and brown rice when it comes to keeping the blood sugar stable. 

Stable blood sugar not only keeps you full, is great for preventing type-2 diabetes, but it also prevents the kind of spikes that damage the dentate gyrus--the memory center of the brain.  Click here

And for added measure throw in the benefits of the soluble fiber of oatmeal that removes damaging cholesterol--and the dried fruit that is great for bone health.  If you're scratching your head over the fruit-thing--read Dr. Amy Lanou's research.

And here's a new one to me.  Oatmeal also enhances the body's immune system, is anti-inflammatory, and has more protein than most cereals.  (according to Jonny Bowden, Ph.D. in The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth)

My Creamy Crock-Pot Oatmeal with Lots of Dried Fruit   enough for 7-8 servings.

Cooker:  3 quart
Setting and Cook Time:  Low for 8-9 hours. 

1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup dried currants
1 tsp. Trader Joe's pumpkin or apple pie seasoning (or a little cinnamon & nutmeg)
5 1/2 cups water 
1 cup almond, hazelnut or soy milk

1. Lightly spray your cooker with cooking oil spray to prevent sticking.
2. Combine all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Mix up well.  Cover and cook on LOW for 8-9 hours, until thick & creamy.
3. Wake up to delicious cooked oatmeal.  The smell is amazing!  Refrigerate the leftovers for later in the week.  Just scoop out a serving from the the fridge & microwave for a couple of minutes.

A happy oatmeal surprise.  My entire life I've never eaten breakfast first thing in the morning.  I'd get up at six, and never eat breakfast until 8:30 or 9.  With this oatmeal I've started to eat breakfast first thing in the morning, and to my surprise, I'm actually less hungry throughout the entire day.  It keeps me full and energetic until lunch-time.  I can't explain that one!

Spicy Sweet Mexican Hot Chocolate

About 3 years ago my husband, my college friend Babs, and I went to New York City chocolate shop called The Chocolate Bar and indulged in hot chocolate with chili peppers.  I loved it!   So, a couple months ago when I spotted this Aztec Hot Chocolate Mix at Whole Foods I decided to give it a try.  Of course it was delicious, but who needed the sugar in it?  Certainly not me.

I decided to try my hand at making my own, and it tasted even better.  I tested it on my non-hot-chocolate drinking 26 year-old son & husband, and they both gave it a big thumbs up.

And the health benefits are almost too good to be true!

• Cocoa powder lowers inflammation, increases HDLs, and has the potential to slow or prevent atherosclerosis.  This comes from straight from a 2009 Spanish study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  Cocoa has more flavonoids than tea or red wine and they improve lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure (click here), reduce platelet activity, and keep the lining of blood vessels flexible and healthy.
• In a 12 week study the skin of women drinking a daily cup of cocoa containing 2 TBS of high-flavonoid cocoa powder was significantly smoother, retained more moisture, and had better circulation.  Click here for the article
• Cocoa gives you all the benefits of chocolate without the fat & calories.  Dr. Susan Kleiner, author of the Good Mood Diet is a big fan of drinking hot cocoa in the evening.
• Drinking 8-10 ounces of hot cocoa fills up your tummy far better than 1 ounce of chocolate can, and nips hunger in the bud.
• Cayenne pepper contains a phytochemical called capsaicin that's linked to weight loss, pain relief, & cardiovascular health.  A 2009 Danish study even confirmed that it suppresses appetite by creating feelings of satiety.
• Cinnamon is known to lower blood glucose and LDL cholesterol.

Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate   Serves one

1 heaping TBS. of high quality non-dutched (it retains the flavonoids) unsweetened cocoa.  I like Ghiradelli's, & Scharffen Berger's

1 packet of stevia (I like Stevia in the Raw) or sweetener of your choice

1 tiny (or not so tiny) pinch of cayenne powder.  The best way to do this is to shake some in the palm of your hand and then pinch some.

A few shakes of cinnamon

About a tablespoon of very hot water

1 1/4 cups of hazelnut, almond, or soy milk  *Note: my taste tests show that Pacific brand's Hazelnut milk makes the best-tasting Mexican hot cocoa.  The almond milk just didn't have the depth of taste.

Mix the cocoa, stevia, and spices in a nice-sized mug.  Add some very hot water and mix it all up.

Add the milk and mix.  A tiny whisk works great for this.

Microwave until nice and warm.

A happy cocoa surprise.  This is so satisfying as a late afternoon snack or an evening dessert.  I was completely surprised at how tasty and satisfying this cocoa can be, and I'm not even missing chocolate.

Hot-Air Popper Popcorn

About 6 months ago I decided to pick up an Orville Redenbacher Hot Air Popcorn Popper for $20 at Bed, Bath, and Beyond with a 20% off coupon.

Frankly, I ditched my original hot air popper in the 70's because the popcorn it made was so bland.  But, my friend Howie told me about his technique of grinding up salt in a coffee grinder to get a powdery mix that sticks just fine to the popcorn if you spray it a few times with canola or olive oil spray.

Then my husband perfected the whole technique, and he picked up some Morton Super Fine Popcorn Salt, so we could ditch the "grinding step".

Here's the Snack-Maven's technique

1.  Measure 1/4 or 1/2 cup of popcorn & pour it into your popper

2.  Use the largest bowl you have--and if it has a lid it's a plus for better "salt distribution"

3.  As the popped corn starts to fill the bowl spray it with a quick shot of "oil spray", and then a quick shake of the salt.  We usually end up with about 5 sprays and 5 shakes.  I actually measured out how much salt comes out, and it ends up less than 140 mgs of salt, which is 6% of your daily recommended intake--and that's if you eat a whole bowl yourself. 

4.  If you have a lid, give the bowl a nice shake.

Six cups of hot-air popcorn is about 120 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 4 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, and 10% iron.

Health Benefits:

• Rich in insoluble fiber to keep your digestive system moving
• Eating 3 cups of air-popped popcorn (not microwaved) twice a week can reduce your risk of diverticular disease by 28%.  Click here for the study
• Popcorn has THE HIGHEST LEVELS of healthy antioxidants of all whole grain snack foods.  Click here for the study

Happy popcorn surprise:  Who knew how satisfying and tasty hot-air popped popcorn could be--not to mention how healthy it is.

 

 

How Vitamin D Works - Answers From Dr. Bruce Hollis--Its Role in Cancer, Musculoskeletal Pain, Heart Disease, Inflammation, Infection, and the Brain

Target tissues for Vitamin D--Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 10:12-19, 2007

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"Since the Human Genome Project, we now know that Vitamin D is responsible for regulating over 10% of our genes.  It's not just responsible for skeletal health--but cells throughout the entire body are dependent on Vitamin D in order to work properly.

I'm talking  about brain function, nerve function, immune function, skeletal function--all dependent on adequate supplies of Vitamin D--including its important role in preventing 14 types of cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, inflammation/inflammatory diseases, infection, and osteoporosis."

Happy Healthy Long Life post on Dr. Bruce Hollis' Vitamin D Research, Dec. 10, 2009

It's February!  By this time of the year if you live in the Northern half of the U.S. most of the vitamin D you've stored from the sunshine is long gone and you're at your lowest level of the year.  You haven't made a drop since October.  The average American's blood level in the winter is 15-18 ng/mL.

If you read the February 1, 2010 New York Times article, "The Miracle of Vitamin D: Sound Science, or Hype" you might be tempted to dismiss the recent research on Vitamin D.  I wouldn't advise it.  If you want to wait to get your "sunlight fix" or down your Vitamin D supplements until the gold standard randomized control Vital Study is complete--go for it. 

I wouldn't count on its results being conclusive.  The study group is too old-women over 65 & men over 60. The dose is the same for everyone which makes no sense when it comes to vitamin D--because everyone has a different base level of vitamin D--and vitamin D doses are weight dependent.  Plus, much of the benefit of taking vitamin D occurs years before disease may surface.

In December 2009 I reported on Dr. Bruce Hollis' research on the effects of Vitamin D in pregnancy and breast-feeding.  This post is the continuation of my summary of his interview with Joe and Terry Graedon on the People's Pharmacy, November 19, 2009. 

For my previous posts on vitamin D, click here:

• Dr. Bruce Hollis' NIH Vitamin D in Pregnancy Study is Now Complete. High Dose Vitamin D (4000 IUs) Significantly Improved Health & Outcomes for Moms and Babies. And Harvard Researchers' Theory of a Vitamin D - Autism Connection
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Vitamin D from the Expert, Dr. Michael Holick. How Much Do We Need? Why Is It So Hard to Get Enough? What About Breast-Fed Babies? Why Is It So Important for Good Health?
• Why is Vitamin D my favorite? Let me count the reasons.
• Caroline Adams Miller's Ten Non-Negotiable Pearls to a Life Well-Lived - Successful Balanced Happy. And the Possible Dementia Vitamin D Connection

Who is Dr. Bruce W. Hollis?

He's one of the leading authorities on vitamin D, as well as Professor of Pediatrics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Director of Pediatric Nutritional Sciences at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.

If this vitamin is so important, why are so many of us deficient?

This potent hormone is made through the skin--we were designed to get it from the sun, not through food or supplements.  Most of us spend much of our time indoors, and when we are outside we're covered in clothing and sunscreen.  If you live above the 37th parallel (Richmond, VA-St. Louis, MO-Sacramento, CA) you can't make enough vitamin D from the sun for almost 6 months out of the year!

Why are the RDIs (recommended daily intakes) for Vitamin D so low - at 200 or 400 IUs?  Why is the normal blood level for Vitamin D set so low, at 31?

According to Hollis, the federal guidelines for vitamin D--set at 200-400 IUs/day are 100% absolutely incorrect!  They don't even begin to touch what we need.  The 400 IU recommendation was based on the amount needed to prevent rickets--based on no real data--and Hollis believes that for those recommendations to continue today, is medical malpractice.  Hollis' own recent safety & outcomes pregnancy study recommends 4000 IUs during pregnancy.  

We've known for over 30 years that if you get 15 minutes of sun exposure in a bathing suit between 10 and 2 o'clock, in the middle of the summer, your body will produce 20,000 IUs of vitamin D within 24 hours.  The body can make and release huge amounts of vitamin D--and yet national guidelines are still recommending only 400 IUs a day.

According to Hollis, most adults need 2000 IUs or more/day, and he takes 4000 IUs.  He monitors his blood levels with the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test, and tries to keep his levels at 50-60 ng/mL. 

4000 IUs would replete (maintain at the optimal level) almost all adults unless they were obese or had a high BMI.  In obese patients, Hollis has even found that 10,000 IUs was not be enough to adequately raise their blood levels.  There really is no rule of thumb for "the right dose" of vitamin D for obese individuals--you just have to monitor the blood levels and make adjustments through trial and error.

Why are doctors now testing for vitamin D levels?  If 31 ng/mL is normal, why would I want to go over that level?

The history of the 25-hydroxy-Vitamin D test.  Dr. John Haddad of Washington University School of Medicine developed the first test for measuring vitamin D in the blood back in the 1960s.  To figure out what a "normal" level of Vitamin D was--a level that prevents rickets--he measured a huge number of people, like office workers, physicians, and people of color.  Their average blood level was 27 ng/mL--and to prevent rickets you only needed to be above 10 ng/mL. 

Back in the 1970s, it looked like most everyone was "normal" if they were over 10 ng/mL.  Today, we know so much more--and rickets is the least of vitamin D deficiency diseases.  Fortunately, Haddad also tested lifeguards--and their levels were at 50-100 ng/mL.  Dr. Hollis believes that those are the optimum levels for good health--the physiological level one would reach if he were fully sun-exposed. 

Studies continue to show that the higher the vitamin D level, the lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, infections, breast, prostate, and colon cancers, and rheumatoid arthritis.  31 ng/mL has now become the lowest normal level.

Classification of 25 OH Vitamin D status:

Insufficiency/Moderate Deficiency: < or = 30 ng/mL
Sufficiency/Optimal Levels: 31 to 80 ng/mL
Toxicity: > 100 ng/mL

What have we learned from new research on Vitamin D?

The Human Genome Project has opened our eyes.  10% of our genes are influenced by Vitamin D--and very few of these have to do with the skeleton or bone health.  Important processes like cell maintenance, cancer immune function, autoimmune function, infection and inflammation control--to name a few--are all affected by our levels of vitamin D. 

Around 2000 research began to surface about the optimal health effects of higher blood levels of vitamin D.  In Dr. Hollis' recent pregnancy study he found immune function improved significantly--and infection rates dropped--when vitamin D was supplemented in pregnant women to 4000 IUs.  He saw absolutely no adverse effects at this level.

How about some examples of how vitamin D supplementation has helped people in everyday medical practices?

An elderly home-bound population.  Dr. S of Getzville, NY is a geriatrician treating home-bound elderly with multiple chronic conditions.  "The medical community doesn't understand the physical limitations caused by vitamin D insufficiency.  The muscle and bone pain from low vitamin D can be considerable."

Here's just one example of how increasing a patient's level of vitamin D to an "robust level" benefited one of Dr. S's patients. He resolved a patient's debilitating limb pain--which was poorly responsive to narcotics--just by increasing the patients' vitamin D to optimum levels.  He has even helped patients who have stopped walking--when they were identified as having very low Vitamin D levels. 

To determine the best way to increase his patients' vitamin D levels,  he takes into account their current level and their weight, and uses a table (see below) that can be found in Dr. James Dowd's book, The Vitamin D Cure.  The table is based on the research of Dr. Michael Holick and Dr. Robert Heaney.

For those at moderate/average vitamin D deficiency Dr. Dowd recommends supplementing at 20 IUs/per pound and for those at highest risk (African Americans or a BMI over 30) he recommends a vitamin D dose of 25 IUs/pound.  In real life: a 185 lb. man might supplement at 3700 IUs.  A 300 lb. man might supplement at 7500 IUs.  A 125 pound woman might supplement at 2500 IUs.

According to Dr. S, this has revolutionized his practice.  By increasing his elderly patients' levels to the "best practice robust levels" of experts like Dr. Michael Holick and Dr. Bruce Hollis, he has seen "clinically satisfying success in a practice where there isn't a lot of success"--the chronically ill geriatric home-bound population. He sees the quality of life improve for both patients and their families, with improvements in functional mobility, walking, transfers, and mood--all without having to go to other prescription medicines.  He has also seen improvements in chronic arthritis pain.   Source: #749 Vitamin D Update Nov. 19, 2009 People's Pharmacy podcast

Source: James E. Dowd, M.D. The Vitamin D Cure.  2008

What's Dr. Hollis' reaction to Dr. S's Vitamin D experience with his elderly patients?

Hollis says he get emails and comments every week with similar positive effects of vitamin D. Resolved muscle pain, and reports of people who couldn't walk, or had to use a walker, and once they were put on adequate vitamin D they were able to walk.  (my comment: this sounds almost like a faith-healing story--but who knows?)  For Hollis, results such as Dr. S's are not uncommon. 

As for a vitamin D/mood connection--Hollis says there's some evidence to suggest it's possible.  There are vitamin D receptors in the brain and enzymes that metabolize vitamin D in the brain.  Vitamin D definitely has neuro-functions, and Australian researchers studying its effect on rodents know that offspring born from vitamin D deficient mothers have dramatic brain deficits that are both physical and biochemical--and these deficits are never resolved.  To Hollis this is a very scary prospect--thinking about  humans raised in a vitamin-D deficient environment.  He wonders about the potential for profound brain development deficits? 

What about vitamin D toxicity?

Normal blood levels are 31ng/mL (lowest acceptable level) to 100 ng/mL.  The optimum level would be 50-70 or 80 ng/mL, or whatever your physiological maximum level would be if you were fully sun-exposed--as are field workers or life guards.  Hollis says he doesn't even know what vitamin D toxicity is--he's never seen it, and never saw any adverse effects in his pregnancy study where women took 4000 IUs/day.  According to Hollis, there's little evidence of adverse effect under 10,000 IUs a day.

What about the effect of Vitamin D on rheumatoid arthritis?

Since vitamin D is an immune regulator, and has a profound influence on autoimmune processes, it may be possible to see improvements in rheumatoid arthritis and a slowing of disease progression.  However, vitamin D deficiency is more likely a trigger in developing autoimmune diseases like RA--not a cure for the disease.

The Iowa Women's Health Study found women taking vitamin D supplements were less likely to develop RA.  And in a recent article a surprisingly high incidence of vitamin D deficiency was found in inflammatory joint patients even in a sunny Mediterranean country. Animal studies have shown reduced joint inflammation with vitamin D supplementation.

There are just a few clinical studies on vitamin D for treatment of RA--but in 3 of 5 studies researchers saw improvements in symptoms.

Vitamin D and osteoarthritis

From Dr. James E. Dowd of The Vitamin D Cure: "The Framingham Study found a 2-3 fold faster rate of osteoarthritis progression in people who were in the lowest 20% of vitamin D levels compared to those in the highest."  Boston researchers found that when vitamin D levels rise, people with osteoarthritis function better, and the severity of symptoms and disability are reduced. 

Non-specific aches & pains in bones and muscles can be confused with osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia--but if it's  caused by osteomalacia it will improve dramatically (may take 3-6 months) with adequate vitamin D.

Can adequate levels of Vitamin D really prevent colds & the flu?

The higher the vitamin D level the lower the risk of upper respiratory tract infections.  According to Hollis there are ongoing studies on using vitamin D as an immune booster, and there is incredible evidence to show just how this works. 

Vitamin D activates the "Rapid Response" component of our immune system, called the innate immune system which  controls the production of natural "antibiotics" that attract bacteria & viruses.  These processes aren't activated if someone is vitamin D deficient.  And Hollis' pregnancy study offered conclusive proof that increasing levels of vitamin D absolutely controlled infection.  "The vitamin D  immune boost is a very real thing!"

What about the cancer connection? It seems so far-fetched.

Dr. Hollis has collaborated with Dr. Walter Willett and the Harvard School of Public Health for over 15 years, studying epidemiologic data on the effects of vitamin D on cancer.  These studies have routinely shown that an adequate vitamin D status protects against 13 or 14 different cancers, including breast, prostate, and colon cancer. 

Hollis is skeptical that vitamin D could treat cancer once you get it--its benefit is in preventing it in the first place--and having adequate levels will lower your risk.  Researchers in Nutrition Reviews project that a vitamin D blood level over 52 ng/mL would reduce breast cancer by 50%, and levels over 34 ng/mL would prevent 50% of the colon cancers.

Here's how it works: Vitamin D helps control cell growth and that's why we think that it will reduce the risk of many deadly cancers like prostate, breast, and colon by as much as 50 percent.  In its role as a hormone, vitamin D travels all over our body delivering messages to activate genes and control cell growth. 

If a cell turns cancerous, vitamin D delivers the instructions for that cell to self-destruct. Not enough vitamin D and that cancer cell might keep reproducing.  According to Hollis,  "vitamin D acts as a brake" when it comes to cancer.  It prevents cells from growing wildly out-of-control--and this mechanism has been studied for years.

Explain the difference between D2 and D3.  Is D3 superior?

D2 was commonly used in the U.S. because it was approved as a pharmaceutical in 1911.  But Hollis doesn't like to use it.  It's unnatural.  It comes from yeast.  It's functional, but D3 is preferable, and it's very easy to get these days.  If you have the option--Hollis says, "Use D3".

How do you get enough vitamin D if you have a severe malabsorption syndrome, colitis or celiac disease?

If you can't absorb vitamin D supplements adequately, you clearly need to get your vitamin D from the sun.  There are no vitamin D injections. When it comes to winter-time, dermatologists won't approve, but one option is short twice weekly visits to a sun tanning bed--10-15 minutes with face & neck covered with sunscreen.  It is effective.  Or play it safe and find out about getting controlled UV treatments in a medical setting.

What are normal vitamin D blood levels for children?

Hollis says normal levels for children are the same as for adults.  "Do you think a rapidly growing child needs less vitamin D than a staid (no-longer-growing) adult?"  A colleague of Hollis' in S. Africa recently measured blood levels of active-outdoor-playing children, both Black and Caucasian.  Both had similar levels--around 50 ng/mL.

Please explain how vitamin D affects cardiovascular health.

There is a 142% increased risk of heart attack in vitamin D levels under 15ng/mL.  According to Hollis, important recent research has shown that vitamin D acts as a natural statin, by decreasing inflammation.  It doesn't lower cholesterol.  It also prevents the infection-inflammatory processes and lowers blood pressure--both of which can contribute to damaged blood vessels, atherosclerotic plaque build-up, and clot formation.

Once you start taking vitamin D supplements how long will it take to increase your blood levels?

Hollis said most physicians should assume that their patients are vitamin D deficient, especially every person of color,  and order a base-line blood level test--the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D test.  For most people, supplementing with 2000-4000 IUs of vitamin D should be adequate.  1000 IUs will do very little except for a small child.

You'll need to wait 3 months before getting retested.  If someone is very low, and depending upon their size, it could take months to get their levels up to optimal--50 ng/mL-70mg/mL.  

What research on the horizon looks the most exciting?

Hollis is most excited about the current research on the effect of vitamin D on infections, as well as the multiple sclerosis/vitamin D research of Dr. George Ebers of Oxford University.  Ebers recently discovered that vitamin D deficiency is an environmental trigger for multiple sclerosis. 

"The Oxford University-led research, published in PLoS Genetics, suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the early years may increase the risk of offspring developing MS later in life." Click here to read more.

How about some "practice-based evidence" from primary care or internal medicine physicians?

Two comments from physicians in response to the Feb. 1, 2010 New York Times Vitamin D article were of particular interest to me.

Dr. Robert Baker 

 "The major problem with the proposed study is that it will give 2000 units of vitamin D a day without testing levels to determine an end point. 400 Units daily has been shown to raise levels only 5 ng., and 2000 Units daily has been shown in some studies to raise levels less than 20 ng.

I have tested 1800 people in primary care practice since 2005. 2/3rds are below 32 ng. but 1/3rd are below 20 ng., and 10% have levels in single digits. These figures are duplicated with published studies. So for many people raising the level even 20 ng. will not be enough.

The human body from sun alone will not make a level over 150 ng. A feedback mechanism breaks down vitamin D in the skin once this level is reached.

Lifeguards in August have been shown to have levels approaching this level. Humans evolving near the equator wearing scant clothing would also have had this level.

Sufficient vitamin D does not come from diet - amounts are small and several glasses of milk only have the small amount of 400 units of vitamin D because manufacturers add it.

So the wisdom of nature is already telling us the maximum level."  Click here for the NYT link

Robert Baker MD
Primary Care Internal Medicine
Cherry Hill, NJ
[email protected]

Dr. Greg Plotnikoff

Vitamin D and Pain

Most clinicians who have read the literature and who prescribe vitamin D for patients based on their blood tests will affirm that replenishing vitamin D to a serum level of greater than 40 ng/ml can make a huge difference in chronic pain, muscular weakness and a wide range of non-specifc complaints.

The most impressive reports come from woman with muscle or bone pain on an aromatase inhibitor or persons with undiagnosed, chronic, non-specific musculoskeletal pain or unexplained significant muscular weakness.

No one with symptoms has fibromylagia or somatoform disorder until vitamin D deficiency has been ruled out or replenished.

Testing and replenishment is incredibly cost-effective.

The clinical effectiveness of D replenishment can be so profound, so unforgettable, that for practicing physicians there is no need for randomized controlled trials to assess the value of normalizing low vitamin D in persons who suffer.

Simply, test, replenish, monitor.

Why wait five years for a publication when one can have results of a blood test in a few days and results of replenishment in 2-6 months?

Asking this crucial question frustrates well-meaning researchers: Failing to ask this question frustrates patients.

— Greg Plotnikoff, MD

Dinner and a Movie On a Cold Winter's Night - How About Some Meaningful Movies for Grown-Ups and a Sophisticated Mediterranean Vegetable Ragout?

 

"We are always on the lookout for movies that "speak to our condition" (a Quaker phrase) and reveal new possibilities for our lives. We love dramas that touch on universal experiences, knock down barriers between people, and evoke our compassion. We are enriched by stories that touch our hearts and send us out of the theater rejoicing. A truly good film is not only thought-provoking and entertaining, it also leaves the viewer with a sense of what it means to live deeply and fully every day."

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Film Critics 

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OK--the 2010 Oscar nominees have just been announced.  So, let's talk movies!

What do you do for "an evening out" when you don't want to spend a lot of money? 

• Make dinner at home.
• Rent a movie.
• Invite some friends over to share the dinner & the movie.

 

The Best Movies for 2009

I "discovered" Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat many years ago when I subscribed to a quarterly magazine called, "Spirituality & Health".  

Once a year the  Brussat's would compile at Top 10 List of the Most Spiritually Literate Films of the Past Year.  I knew I could trust their recommendations because I loved the ones on their list that I had already seen.  When I took their recommendations for ones I hadn't seen, I was almost always rewarded with a winner.  See what you think!

Don't be put-off by their use of the words "Spiritually Literate".  These movies aren't religious or sappy.  If you like movies that are intelligent--shake you up--stretch your mind--and make you look at yourself or the world a little differently, they just may become your Go-To-Movie-Critics, too. 

Here's their list of the Ten Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2009.  If you like what you see, scroll down on their site, and check out the blue sidebar for their favorite picks of years past. 

For the Brussat's Reviews of the Latest Releases click here.
 

Missing from the "Most Spiritually Literate List" but well worth seeing:

• It's Complicated  (Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin.  Later-in-life romance for the baby boomer set--sassy, touching, and a just a whole-lot-of-fun)
• Pirate Radio  (Philip Seymour Hoffman) In 1966, hard-partying British DJs have the time of their lives running a radio station on a ship in the North Sea, broadcasting generation-defining (but banned) music to millions. Music rocks!
• Crazy Heart (Jeff Bridges) Powerful story of a washed-up alcoholic country western singer who starts to rethink his sorry life. Music rocks!
• This Emotional Life.  PBS documentary.  Harvard psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Daniel Gilbert (Stumbling on Happiness) hosts this three-part PBS series that explores the range of human emotions and how we can strive to become more positive in our day-to-day lives. The program examines the biological basis of happiness, the role of relationships-marriage-friendships-family- and the ways in which we can cope with negative emotions.  Borrow it from your public library or Netflix.  My husband, my 26 year old son, and I were transfixed for 3 nights and 6 hours watching this PBS special when it aired.  Trust me--if they watched this for 6 hours and loved it--it has to be good!
• Blind Side (Sandra Bullock) The true inspirational story of African American Michael Oher, a homeless teen with serious learning problems from across the tracks, who is taken in by an affluent Memphis couple, enrolled in a private Christian school, and taught to play football.  Michael goes on to graduate from college and play for the NFL.  To read the "real" story in the New York Times, click here.  It's worth it!

My Go-to-Gal For Dinner Recipes
 

Now for the "dinner" part of the "dinner & a movie".  When it comes to healthy recipes that are original, with lots of flavor and spice, I turn to Susan Russo, at Food Blogga.  My husband and I made this recipe last weekend and we LOVED IT.   I took some of the leftovers to work to get a review from my "official taste testers" and they gave it a BIG THUMBS UP!  Look for the recipe after the movie reviews.
 

Take Your Pick of the Most Thoughtful Movies for Grown-Ups in 2009

The Ten Most Spiritually Literate Films of 2009

*I've added an asterisk to movies I have personally seen & recommend.  Click on the links to read the Brussat's reviews.

COMPASSION
The Messenger (Oscilloscope Laboratories) is an emotionally affecting drama about the birth of compassion in an Iraq war hero assigned to work for the Casualty Notification Office.

CONNECTIONS *HL Liked it, didn't love it
Avatar (20th Century Fox) is a visually impressive and imaginative sci-fi masterpiece replete with spiritual lessons embedded in the story of an ex-Marine who joins a tribe of indigenous people.

CONNECTIONS *HL Thumbs Up
Up in the Air (Paramount Pictures) is a bright, sassy, and savvy relevant story about home, connections, unemployment, technology, and traveling light.

ENTHUSIASM *HL Thumbs Up
Julie & Julia (Sony Pictures) is a celebration of culinary creativity that demonstrates how the spiritual practice of enthusiasm makes it possible for two women to give their best to the world.

FORGIVENESS *HL Thumbs Up
Invictus (Warner Bros.) is an astonishing and incredibly entertaining movie about the power of forgiveness, the importance of sports, the art of transformative leadership, and the reconciliation of the races.

HOPE
Amreeka (Indie PR) is an uplifting story of a Palestinian mother whose resilience and grace under pressure enable her to triumph over the various obstacles as she makes a new home for her son in America.

LOVE *HL Thumbs Up
Away We Go (Focus Features) is an incredibly original and appealing drama about the cross-continent journey of two parents-to-be seeking to deepen their relationship while also finding a new home to raise their child.

MEANING *HL Thumbs Up
A Serious Man (Focus Features) is a thought-provoking spiritual drama that honors the mystery of God, the futility of seeking answers, and the need to live as best we can in a sea of roiling troubles and uncertainties.

SHADOW
The Hurt Locker (Summit Entertainment) is a riveting Iraq war film about three members of an Army bomb dismantling squad in Baghdad.

TRANSFORMATION
Precious (Lions Gate) is an emotionally poignant drama a depiction of a degraded and abused African-American teenage girl whose life is turned around by the love and concern of an inspiring teacher.

The Ten Most Spiritually Literate
Documentaries of 2009

FAITH
Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love (Shadow Distribution) is an inspiring exploration of the power of music and the soul of a big-hearted African Sufi singer who has used his exceptional talent to make a better world.

JUSTICE
Burma VG: Reporting from a Closed Country (Oscilloscope)) is a moving documentary about the courage of underground video journalists during the 2007 protests in Burma against a repressive military regime.

JUSTICE
Crude (First Run Features) is a dramatic documentary about the David vs. Goliath dimensions of the "Amazon Chernobyl" case where indigenous tribal groups are fighting the multinational corporation Chevron.

JUSTICE
The Garden (Oscilloscope) is a compelling documentary about an urban garden collective and their fight for justice in a nation where poor people are expected to keep quiet and not speak truth to power.

JUSTICE
They Killed Sister Dorothy (Junge and HBO Documentary Films) is an engrossing documentary on the life and work of Amazonian activist Sister Dorothy Stang and the trial of those involved in her murder in 2005.

KINDNESS
The Way We Get By (Gita Pullapilly) is an extraordinary documentary that celebrates the kindness of three elders who serve as troop greeters in Bangor, Maine.

PLAY

Afghan Star (Zeitgeist Films) follows the competitors in an American Idol-like TV show that reflects the volatile mix of history, religion, and pop culture in contemporary war-torn Afghanistan.

QUESTING
Unmistaken Child (Oscilloscope) is a compelling, enlightening, and emotionally absorbing documentary that follows a Tibetan Buddhist student assigned to find the reincarnation of his teacher.

SHADOW
The Cove (Lions Gate) is a thoroughly shocking documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

SHADOW *HL Thumbs Up
Food, Inc. (Magnolia Pictures) is a bracing and disturbing documentary about the industrialization of farming, the dangers of genetically modified foods, and the growing power of the unregulated food industry.

Ten More Spiritually Literate
Films of 2009

COMPASSION *HL Thumbs Up
The Soloist (Dreamworks Videos) is a deeply spiritual movie about the moral complexities of helping another person, opening one's heart, feeling the pain of another, and letting go of the need to fix that person.

HOSPITALITY

District 9 (Sony Pictures) is a bold and creative science fiction adventure that shows the dire consequences of hating strangers and ignoring the spiritual practice of hospitality.

IMAGINATION
Phoebe in Wonderland (Image Entertainment) is a family drama about the power of the imagination and the challenges faced by children in a world where conformity is rewarded over creativity.

IMAGINATION
Where the Wild Things Are (Warner Bros.) is a haunting, innovative, and poignant film about childhood that may have you howling with the Wild Things inside and around you.

JUSTICE
American Violet (Image Entertainment) is a courageous expose of racism as the sick and sad shadow that is still alive and well in America.

LOVE
Bright Star (Apparition) is a spellbinding story of true love between English poet John Keats and his neighbor Fanny Brawne.

LOVE *HL Liked It, Didn't Love It
(500) Days of Summer (20th Century Fox) is a fresh and appealing romantic drama brimming with heart, creativity, and panache.

MEANING
Cold Souls (Samuel Goldwyn Films) is an engrossing surreal comedy that takes an inventive look at soul, dreams, emotions, and the emptiness of a life devoid of meaning.

MEANING
The Invention of Lying (Warner Bros.) is a romantic comedy that brings us to a deeper sensitivity to the sharp edges of honesty and the ways in which deceptions can both heal and harm.

SHADOW *HL Thumbs Up

In the Loop (IFC Entertainment) is an audacious and well-written British comedy that is the wildest and funniest political satire since Wag the Dog.

What's for Dinner?  The Food Blogga's Mediterranean Vegetable Stew with Olives

 

 

photo by Food Blogga

Mediterranean Vegetable Stew with Olives

Makes 6 generous servings

Note: Omit the grated cheese, and this recipe is vegan. 

3 tablespoons olive oil  (I made this with 1 TBS of oil--and nutritional info reflects this change)

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 fennel bulb, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)

1 eggplant, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 ½ cups)

1 red bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

¼ cup dry white wine

1 (28- ounce) can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives

¼ cup coarsely chopped Cerignola olives (large, green Italian olives)

1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

Zest of ½ lemon (about 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary  (I subbed 3 TBS of basil and it worked just fine)

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan or Reggiano-Parmigiano cheese  (I omitted the cheese)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onions, and sauté until just transparent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and fennel, and cook 2 minutes. Add eggplant and peppers, and cook 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add wine, and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add olives, cannellini beans, lemon zest, fennel seeds, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir well, and cook until heated through, 3-4 minutes. Stir in fresh herbs.

2. Serve with crusty Italian bread, or serve atop polenta, rice, or wide pasta noodles, such as parpadelle. Garnish individual servings with desired amount of grated cheese.

NOTE:  I served this on homemade polenta the 2nd night.  I can't believe how easy it is to make.  It was a great combo with the stew.

Recipe created by Susan Russo of Food Blogga. Makes 6 servings

 

Nutrition Facts Food Blogga Mediterranean Veg Ragout wt Olives
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	184
Total Fat	4.9g
Saturated Fat	0.7g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	796mg
Carbohydrate	33g
Dietary Fiber	10.1g
Sugars	10.9g
Protein	7.4g
Vitamin A 55% Vitamin C 203% Calcium    6% Iron 15%