Happy Healthy Long Life

Revisiting Raw Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding, Avoiding a Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Surprise, Big Belt Sizes Spell Trouble, a Plant-Based Success Story & Recipe Favorites

Raw Pumpkin Pie Buckwheat Breakfast Bliss Pudding - Four Hours of Fullness

 

If you received this post via email, click here, to get to the web version with all the more readable links, or to post a comment.

 

On Friday morninng I felt like having something different for breakfast.  Not oatmeal, not pancakes, not soy yogurt.  Hmm.  Raw Pumpkin Pie Buckwheat Breakfast pudding, it was going to be.  

I had forgotten how delicious & filling this alternative breakfast can be!  Don't miss it.  Just be sure you use well-soaked buckwheat groats, & take care with your VitaMix--it's quite a heavy mixing load.

But, first things first.  When I looked up my recipe, lo & behold,  I serendipitously rediscovered this pretty interesting post from last August, that I had forgotten about.

Interesting because it's got some cautionary news for men wearing big belts (big belt sizes, to be precise).

Interesting because it shares an inspiring story of a fit-but-not-quite-heart-healthy thirty-something friend of my kids who went on a plant-based experiment--and improved his lipids so much that he was able to ditch the statins he'd been on since his twenties.

Interesting because it shares information from Dr. Gabe Mirkin about the sub-group of type-2 diabetics who aren't overweight--a not too common scenario--that is more difficult to treat than the garden-variety of Type-2 diabetes caused by excess body weight & lack of exercise.

Interesting because of a recent email I received from a reader who is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who has been following a high-carb, low-fat, plant-based diet & was completely taken by surprise by her own pre-diabetes symptoms.  I'm certain, she's not alone.

She got tested & she suggested I alert readers to the importance of having an annual HbA1c Test, (commonly known as the A1C Test)  because when it comes to Type-2 diabetes, "there are no symptoms early in the disease."   Sure, we are all different.  Different metabolisms, different bodies, different medical histories, different genes, different ethnic susceptibilities to diabetes, different exercise routines, different "lean to fat" body mass.  Just passing on her story.  

I know I plan to discuss this with my doctor next month when I see her, especially since my electronic "My Chart" says I'm way overdue for my fasting blood glucose tolerance test.  It was last taken three years ago.

You can read all about the HbA1c Test for diagnosing prediabetes & type-2 diabetes, here.  Information is from the NIH National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse.  As always, discuss this with your physician & find out what the best screening tool is for you.

 

Here's what "C, APRN" recently wrote:

 

"Yes, I was following the No Fat, ALL whole grain, abundant vegetables diet--just as you do.

My one tell-tale sign, that all was not well, were tiny love handles at my waist that I could not get rid of--no matter how careful with the diet and exercise I was--especially after stopping my tiny dose of bio-identical HRT.

Please let your readers know that if someone continues to have these mild symptoms:

• abdominal fat
• intense hunger before meals
• visual changes, feeling slightly 'high' or sleepy after eating a high carb meal
• frequent or nocturnal urination (all symptoms I had that resolved when I changed my diet)

PLEASE encourage them to consider having their HgA1c or 1-2 hour post-prandial blood glucose checked.  I'm so grateful that I did--and that I followed up on my own result (as it was 5.6--still in the 'normal' column and the doctor didn't notice) before being diagnosed. 

To be diagnosed 'prediabetic'  by a clinician, you must have an A1c of 5.7-6.4 which means your blood glucoses have been running in the 140-199 range after meals for quite a long time.   Micro vascular 'consequences' of DM (diabetes) begin with a PP (post-meal) glucose of 140.

 
 

And speaking of type-2 diabetes, some "hot-off-the-press" research drives home the importance of avoiding the unhealthy combo of fat & sugar (desserts!! cookies! brownies!!)--and the importance of exercise & increasing that lean body mass to prevent this highly preventable disease.  Articles here and here.  

From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's latest newsletter, "Best to Eat Just Before or After Exercise" May 26, 2013:

 

Best to Eat Just Before or After Exercise

Two recent major articles show that the most healthful time to eat is just before or after you exercise. When you eat sugar, it is used for energy and a small amount is stored in your muscles and liver. All the rest is turned into a fat called triglycerides that make you fat, form plaques in your arteries, and block insulin receptors which can cause diabetes. One study shows that exercise prevents the rise in triglycerides that follows eating sugar (Diabetes, May 14, 2013). The second study shows that exercising after eating sugar prevents the expected sharp rise in blood sugar levels, and the high rise in insulin that constricts arteries to cause heart attacks (J Atheroscler Thromb, April 19, 2013).

 

How Exercise Protects You

Every cell in your body is like a balloon full of fluid. A high rise in blood sugar after eating causes sugar to stick to the outer surface membranes of cells. Once there, sugar cannot get off the cell. It is eventually converted to sorbitol that destroys the cell to cause every known side effect of diabetes: heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, dementia, impotence, loss of feeling and so forth. Many North Americans suffer very high rises in blood sugar even though they have never been diagnosed as being diabetic.

Resting muscles draw almost no sugar from the bloodstream and require insulin to draw any sugar from the bloodstream. Contracting muscles draw sugar from the bloodstream without even needing insulin. The harder you exercise, the more sugar muscles pull out of the bloodstream. This effect is maximal during intense exercise, diminishes rapidly one hour after you finish exercising and disappears completely around 17 hours after you finish exercising. If you eat before you exercise or within an hour after you finish exercising, your muscles are far more sensitive to insulin and can draw sugar far more rapidly from the bloodstream.

Guess what?  In case you didn't know:  You don't have to be overweight to be at risk for type-2 diabetes.  You can be "skinny-fat" from a diet of too much fat & sugar, and if your muscles are puny or non-existent.

Here's what Dr. Robert H. Lustig had to say on the subject on NPR's Science Friday blog, 1/10/13, "The Fallacy of Biblical Proportion":

 

Here’s the kicker. "Being thin is not a safeguard against metabolic disease or early death. a full 40% of normal-weight individuals harbor insulin resistance—a sign of chronic metabolic disease—which will likely shorten their life expectancy.

Of those, 20% demonstrate liver fat on MRI of the abdomen. Liver fat, irrespective of the rest of body fat, has been shown to be a major risk factor for the development of diabetes. You think you’re safe? You are SO screwed. And you don’t even know it."

 

  Time to Revisit the Chock Full of Info Post I Rediscovered While Searching for Pumpkin Buckwheat Pudding 8/14/12

 

Before the Recipes - Three Links I Don't Want You to Miss

 

 

The Unmentionable Link Between Belt Size, Belly Fat, and Sexual & Urinary Problems in Men Over 40

 

 

Hey, guys, this one's for you.

Take a careful look at the table--the one above, I mean--and what happens as belt size increases.

As a Man's Belt Size Increases, So Does His Risk of Sexual and Urinary Dysfunction.

After age 40, if your waist size is over 39.37 inches, bad things can start to happen.

Read the Press Release Here

The article was just published in BJU International 110(4):540-545, August 2012,  Lee, RJ et al "Central Obesiity as measured by waist circumference is predictive of severity of lower urinary tract symptoms"  Article abstract here

 

 

"As a man's waistline grows, so can his experience with sexual dysfunction and frequent urination, say researchers at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

'We have to think of the body in a much more holistic way. What we eat can have devastating consequences on more than just our hearts,' Dr. Kaplan says. 'Quality of life issues, such as sexual and voiding health, can be affected as well in drastic ways.'

The study, published in the August issue of the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI), is the first to comprehensively show that obesity in men affects not just their hearts and metabolism, but also their sexual and urinary health."

The GOOD NEWS: Additional findings conducted since this study was completed show that eliminating just 2.5 inches from the belly's circumference may lead to measurable improvement in sexual dysfunction and frequent urination, says Dr. Stephen Kaplan.

 

This really isn't hot-off-the-press news.  Click here & here for the old news.

 

One Skeptical Thirty-Something's Plant-Based Experiment

 

I posted this link on Facebook last week & it received an enthusiastic response.

Just in case you missed it....

My kids know JJ & his wife, so this success story has even more significance for me.

Here's a fit young man (around the age of my kids) who had been on statins (for very good reasons) since his twenties.

Now he's not.  

JJ's wife wrote last week:

"My husband has been plant-based (dietary vegan) for a year.

It started as an experiment to see whether eating this way would have a positive impact on his cholesterol.  He thought he could improve his lipids by increasing his running.  That strategy didn't work. 

He blogged about his experience today and I thought you might be interested in reading his story.

As a side-note, it has been eye opening for us to see how becoming plant-based has changed our view of the world in a positive way. We think more about our animals, our environment and our future. All great side effects that pharmaceuticals could never offer."

Don't miss JJ's brief, but motivating post here.

 

 

Dr. Gabe Mirkin Talks Type-2 DIabetes

So, What About about Type-2 Diabetics Who are Thin?

I'm a big fan of Dr. Gabe Mirkin's.  His weekly newletter is a must-read.   Mirkin has a wonderful way of making medical research & concepts easy to understand.

 

This week he did an excellent job of explaining  a very curious study published last week in JAMA that counter-intuitively found patients who were of normal weight at the time of their type-2 diabetes diagnosis (about 12% of those diagnosed) were at a greater risk of mortality, than those who were overweight or obese at time of diagnosis.  Hmm.  Curious, right?

Obesity Does Not Protect Diabetics

(From Dr. Gabe Mirkin's August 12, 2012 Newsletter)

"This week, a study showed that people who have normal weight at the time of their diagnosis of diabetes are twice as likely to die over the next 10 to 30 years as those who are overweight at the time of diagnosis (Journal of the American Medical Association. August 8, 2012).

THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT OBESITY PROTECTS DIABETICS FROM DEATH. It means that if you are thin when you develop diabetes, you have a type of diabetes that is more likely to kill you.

THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF DIABETES:

• Type II diabetes is most commonly caused by inability of your cells to respond to insulin. When blood sugar levels rise too high, your pancreas releases large amounts of insulin. Insulin then attaches on insulin receptors, special hooks on the outer membranes of cells. Then it drives sugar into cells.
• ANYTHING THAT PREVENTS INSULIN FROM ATTACHING TO ITS RECEPTORS CAN CAUSE DIABETES.
• If insulin cannot attach to its receptors, it cannot drive sugar into cells. This causes blood sugar levels to rise too high, and sugar attaches to the outer membranes of cells. Sugar attached to cell membranes is eventually converted to sorbitol which destroys the cells. This cell destruction is what causes all of the known side effects of diabetes.
• FULL FAT CELLS BLOCK INSULIN RECEPTORS. Fat inside cells prevents insulin from attaching to its receptors, so having extra fat in your body causes diabetes.

STORING FAT PRIMARILY IN YOUR BELLY IS A SIGN OF DIABETES

• Insulin causes fat to be stored in the belly, so almost all people with big bellies and small buttocks have high insulin levels because their cells cannot respond to insulin, and the pancreas responds by producing excessive amounts of insulin.
• Most people who store a lot of fat in their bellies and have small buttocks already have diabetes or are pre-diabetic.

LACK OF MUSCLES CAN CAUSE DIABETES

• Muscles help to prevent blood sugar levels from rising too high and damaging the cells in your body. Resting muscles are inactive and draw no sugar from the bloodstream. On the other hand, contracting muscles actively remove sugar from the bloodstream and don't even need insulin to do this.

WHY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE FAT WHEN THEY ARE DIAGNOSED EASY TO CURE?

• Virtually all people who are fat when they develop diabetes can cure their diabetes by losing weight.
• When they empty their muscle, liver and fat cells of fat, these cells can once again respond to insulin. Blood sugar levels drop and the person is no longer diabetic.

WHY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAT WHEN THEY ARE DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES MORE DIFFICULT TO CURE?

• More than 90 percent of diabetics are overweight. Thin people who develop diabetes do not have full fat cells.
• They are diabetic because their pancreas does not make enough insulin. We have drugs to make the pancreas put out more insulin, but we do not have drugs to permanently make the pancreas produce normal amounts of insulin.
• Their muscles are so small that they do not remove sugar from the bloodstream adequately.
• Lifting weights would help, but growing large muscles is beyond the motivation of most people with small muscles. It takes a lot of consistent painful resistance exercise to grow larger muscles.
• They may have other hormone abnormalities that are far more difficult to treat.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES, STORE FAT PRIMARILY IN YOUR BELLY, HAVE A VERY SMALL BUTTOCKS, HAVE A FASTING BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL ABOVE 100, OR HAVE AN HBA1C ABOVE 5.7?

• Immediately try to lose fat by eating less and exercising more
• Start a supervised exercise program and try to exercise every day
• Start a supervised weight lifting program to grow larger muscles
• Avoid all sugared drinks except when you exercise
• Avoid all sugar-added foods
• Avoid red meat (saturated fat from animals blocks insulin receptors)
• Eat large amounts of vegetables and fruits 
• Get your blood levels of hydroxy-vitamin D above 75 nmol/L"

 

Let the Recipes Begin

 

I promised to share these three recent recipes that I love, today, while I have a little free time!

So, dear readers, here you go.

I may not have much time to post anything until after Labor Day, so it's now or never.

 

• Raw Power-Packed Pumpkin Pie Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding.  This one is a no-maple-syrup riff off of "Oh She Glows"  Carrot Cake Buckwheat Porridge, which is fabulous, BTW!   Angela is an amazing recipe developer, & I never would have considering eating raw buckwheat for breakfast if not for her.  Oh She Glows, Rocks!!
• Creamy Chipotle Sauce/Dressing - Two versions.  A cashew more caloric/fat version & a creamy chia low-fat version.  The credit for this one goes to Son #1.  It's his creation.
• No-Sugar No-Fat Blueberry Peach Oat Cobbler.  Just my tiny tweaks to Cathy Fisher's AMAZING Straight Up Food Recipe.  Thank you, Cathy!  

 

 Power-Packed Raw Pumpkin Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding

 

Buckwheat Breakfast Bliss Made in a Blender - Enough for Five Days

 

What Raw Buckwheat Groats Look Like After an Overnight Soaking

 

Looking for a change to your breakfast routine?

Want to expand beyond everyday oatmeal?  

Not that there's anything wrong with oatmeal.

Give raw buckwheat groats a try.

This is so easy to make, loaded with nutrition & taste, and this recipe makes enough to last for five days.

Buckwheat is the highest source of protein in the plant kingdom, with 50% more B-vitamins than wheat. And it's gluten-free.

Did I mention that it's high in lysine--an important "not-so-easy-to-get" amino acid---and it's high in that "hard-to-find" soluble fiber that slows down digestion, which is helpful for keeping blood sugar levels stable.  A plus for diabetics.

It's so satisfying, & I'll vouch for the claim that buckwheat is a slow-release carb. This breakfast keeps me full for four hours.  Really.

Gas-free (unlike steel-cut oats), too!  A definite plus.  Maybe it's because of the soaking.  

What's the big deal about buckwheat?   For starters, it's not really a cereal grain, but a seed, related to rhubarb & sorrel.  It's rich in flavanoids, like the antioxidant, rutin, loads of B Vitamins, sky-high in magnesium, potassium, & phosphorus, & it helps to lower glucose levels.

Read everything you'd ever want to know about buckwheat here and here, in case I missed anything.

As if that's not enough--the pumpkin in this pudding gives you a mega-high dose of beta-carotene, along with chia for an antioxidant & omega-3 booster shot.

Definitely, one delicious, power-packed breakfast.

Just one serving of my pumpkin buckwheat pudding will give you over 180% of your daily requirement for vitamin A, in the form of alpha and beta carotene.  Pumpkin, and other deep orange winter squashes are about as good as it gets in the carotene department.

Need a powerful incentive to load up daily on alpha-carotene?  Check out this article in the November 22, 2010 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, "Serum Alpha-Carotene Concentrations and Risk of Death Among US Adults"

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

 

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

For a copy of the recipe on RECIPAGE, click here.

Servings:  5 one cup servings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of raw buckwheat groats  (available from Nuts.com or Bob's Red Mill or your health food store)  Not the same as toasted buckwheat or Kasha   Note: soak overnight in 4 to 5 cups of water, or for 1 hour, minimum.
• 1-1/4 cup of non-dairy milk.  I prefer Eden Extra Plain Soymilk because of its protein, vitamin, & mineral content
• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1 ripe (speckled) banana
• 2-3 pitted dates  (can add 1-2 packets of stevia if you want a sweeter pudding)
• 1-15 ounce can of 100% Pumpkin (like Libby's)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• raisins & toasted walnuts to sprinkle on top of individual servings.

 

Preparation:

1.  Add the raw groats to large bowl, & soak in 4-5 cups of water.  I let them soak overnight, but they need to soak for 1 hour, minimum.  Overnight soaking is easy.

2.  After soaking, rinse well a couple of times to remove the gelatinous coating.  

3.  The original 2 cups of soaked groats expand to 4 cups.  Reserve 1 cup to add back to the final pudding at the end.

4.  Add the rinsed groats, minus the reserved cup, the "milk", the chia, the pumpkin, the banana, the dates, the vanilla, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg to a blender or processor. I use a VitaMix.  Blend well.

5.  Taste, add a little stevia is you want a sweeter taste.

6.  Pour everything into a large bowl, then mix in the reserved cup of whole groats.  This gives it a nice nutty crunchy taste & texture without the calories of nuts.

7.  Garnish 1 cup servings with a few raisins & toasted walnuts.

8.  Refrigerate the leftovers & enjoy 5 days of buckwheat breakfast pudding.

 

The nutriton info is based on a one-cup serving

Check out the protein, fiber, iron, & vitamin A content.  Oh, baby!

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Pumpkin Pie Raw Buckwheat Pudding
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	366
Total Fat	5.1g
Saturated Fat	0.3g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	29mg
Carbohydrate	73.9g
Dietary Fiber	13.6g
Sugars	14.8g
Protein	14.7g
Vitamin A 188% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    7% Iron 15%

 

 

"Knock Your Socks Off" Creamy Chipotle Topping - Two Ways - Creamy Cashew or Creamy "Nut-Free" Chia

 

 

 Creamy Chipotle Topping Made with 1/2 Cup of Cashews

Chipotle Topping Face-Off: Creamy Chia Chipotle Topping on the Bottom, Creamy Cashew Chipotle on the Top

 Creamy Chia Chipotle on the Left - Creamy Cashew Chipotle on the Right

 

 The Secret Ingredients to Creamy Chipotle Chia Topping - Blends in a Flash

 

To get the chipotle topping recipes on one page, click here. 

We set up a fabulous taco bar one night during our family beach vacation in July.

Son #1 put me in charge of whipping up a creamy chipotle dressing.  I followed his directions & used his made-up-in-his-head-off-the-cuff recipe.  He makes this a lot in his own home.

Trust me, this topping can make a mediocre dish into a spectacular one.

Use it as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, burgers, or salads.

I brought it into work for a taste test, & everyone went wild over it.  Swooned.  Wanted the recipe.  It's so yummy.

Here's Son #1's very simple recipe: 

Creamy Chipotle Cashew Topping

Serves 8 - 1 tablespoon servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of raw cashews soaked in 1/2 cup of water for at least an hour.  Longer is fine.
• 3-4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, less to taste
• 1/2 to 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.  Sizes vary, so go slowly--you can always add more
• a few grains of coarse sea salt to taste

Preparation:

1.  Soak the raw cashews for at least one hour in 1/2 cup of water

2.  Into a power blender (VitaMix works best) add the cashews AND the soaking water, the garlic, the lime juice, & the chipotle.

3.  Blend well until the cashews are a creamy, silky consistency.  Check for taste.  Add more chipotle, if you like.

4.  Add a few grains of salt to taste.

 

Nutrition Facts for a 1 tablespoon serving

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Creamy Chipotle Cashew Topping Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 46 Total Fat 3.3g       Saturated Fat 0.8g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 18mg Carbohydrate 3.1g       Dietary Fiber 0.4g       Sugars 0.6g Protein 1.3g Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 4% Calcium    1% Iron 2%

 

Creamy Chipotle Chia (no-nut) Topping

OK.  I know a lot of you don't eat nuts, especially not cashews.

I figured I could come up with a close substitute for the cashew dressing with soymilk & chia.

It's quite good, and very close to the taste of the cashew topping.  It works.  But, I've got to be honest.

If I had to choose between the two, the cashew dressing would take the gold medal in this contest.

BTW, the secret ingredient to the chia topping is a teaspoon of agave.  Turns out, cashews have a natural sweetness that is missing in the chia version.  Agave came to the rescue.

 

Serves 8 - 1 tablespoon servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of Eden Extra Plain Soymilk (richer than other non-dairy milks)
• 3  tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, less to taste
• 1/2 to 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.  Sizes vary, so go slow--you can always add more
• 3 tablespoons of white chia (I like the Salba brand)
• 1 teaspoon of agave (more to taste, if needed)
• a few grains of coarse sea salt

Preparation:

1.  Add all the ingredients into a power blender (I use a VitaMix), adding the chia seed just before you're ready to turn the blender on.

2.  Blend well, until the consistency is smooth & silky.

3.  Taste, & add extra chipotle, salt, or agave to your own taste.

 

Nutrition Facts for a 1 tablespoon serving - Less fat & calories than the cashew version

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Creamy Chipotle Chia Topping Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 26 Total Fat 1g       Saturated Fat 0.1g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 7mg Carbohydrate 3.2g       Dietary Fiber 0.8g       Sugars 1.2g Protein 1.2g Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 4% Calcium    1% Iron 1%

 

 

 

 My Successful Second Try at Straight-Up Foods Cobbler

Blueberry Peach Oatmeal Cobbler

 

 

 

 My Second Attempt at Cathy's Cobbler was a Big Success

 

 Blueberry Peach Cobbler Goes to Work for a Taste Taste and It's a Big Success!

My First Attempt with Oat Flour & Blackberries - Not Bad, But Not Great

 

I love this recipe.

I love Cathy Fisher's Straight Up Foods Blog.

But, my first attempt at the recipe was a disappointment.  Just look at the difference from Try #1 to Try #2.  

What did I do wrong?

Mistake #1:  Well, I took the lazy girl's way out & used oat flour instead of grinding my own in my food processor.  

Big mistake.  The processor grind was coarser, a much better texture for the cobbler.  I also, used a little less of the "home-ground" flour in the topping, & added back in some rolled oats for some more texture.

Mistake #2:  I should have used the date soaking water, instead of plain water in the "fruit sauce".  It made it sweeter.

Mistake #3:  Now this one's personal preference, but I now know that I'm not a fan of allspice in cobblers. I'm more of a cinnamon & nutmeg girl!

Mistake #4:  The blackberries around here are sour & not very good-tasting. And they're super expensive! On my second go-round I used sweet frozen blueberries, & I upped the amount of peaches to 2 cups.  I also made darn sure that the peaches were nice & sweet & ripe.

Big difference!!

I brought samples to work for taste-tasting.  Gotta check it out with the experts, first.  The reviews were excellent. 

"Does this really not have any sugar or butter in it?  It tastes just like the one I make with butter & sugar."

"Not too sweet--just right."

They gobbled everything up & returned the empty container to me.

This is an awesome template for any fruit cobbler.  Apple, Cherry, Blueberry or Plum.  Thank you, Cathy!

 

This is adapted from Cathy Fisher's original recipe:

 

Blueberry Peach Oat Cobbler

Serves  8

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

Cook's Notes:  Read through the entire recipe before getting started!  It seems kind of fussy, but, it's really  very easy.  It helps to read it through, first.  And it's even easier the second time around.

 

Fruit Ingredients:

2 cups of pitted & sliced ripe, sweet, fresh peaches  (could be 2-4 peaches depending upon the size)

2 cups of sweet blueberries (I used frozen)

 

Fruit sauce ingredients:

3 plump medjool dates, pitted, chopped & soaked in enough water to cover, for about 30 minutes.  Reserve the soaking water when you drain the dates.

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup of reserved date soaking water (Note: you can supplement with the date soaking water from the topping)

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 cup of "oat flour" made from processing rolled oats

 

Topping ingredients:

1-1/2 cups of "oat flour" made from processing rolled oats  (NOTE: process about 2 cups of rolled oats in your food processor all at one time--and measure out what you need.  Don't overprocess.  You want it a little coarse. You'll have enough for 1/4 cup for the "fruit sauce" & 1-1/2 cups for the topping)

1/2 large ripe (speckled) banana, sliced

3 plump medjool dates, pitted, chopped, and soaked in water to cover for about 30 minutes.  (NOTE: you can add this reserved "date water", if needed, to make up the 1/2 cup in the "fruit sauce"

1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (I prefer soymilk for cooking--it's richer)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Preparation:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Using 2 different small bowls or cups, soak the 3 dates needed for the "fruit sauce", separately from the 3 dates needed for the topping.   Soak for about 30 minutes.  Drain, but reserve the sweet soaking water.  You'll need 1/2 cup of it for the "fruit sauce"

3.  Place the peaches & blueberries in a big bowl & set aside.

4.  Make your fruit sauce.  Blend the dates, the lemon juice, the 1/2 cup of date soaking water, the cinnamon, & oat flour into a blender & blend until smooth.

5.  Pour the "sauce" into the bowl of fruit & mix well to coat evenly.

6.  Place the saucy fruit into a large pie pan or 9 X 9 inch square pan

7.  Make your topping.  Into a blender, add the banana, drained dates, non-dairy milk & blend until smooth.  

8.  Pour into a medium bowl.  Measure out 1-1/2 cups of the "home-processed" oat flour--& then spoon out about 2 tablespoons of it.  Replace that with 2 tablespoons of rolled oats, for a coarser texture to the topping.  Add the oats to the bowl of wet topping ingredients.  

9.  Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, & vanilla.  Mix with a fork until "the texture is somewhere between dough & batter"--fairly thick.

10.  Spread the topping over the fruit evenly, or in big spoonfuls, with fruit peeking through.  Your choice.

11.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until topping is lightly browned--and no longer wet.  Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Happy Memorial Day--the Unofficial Start of the Summer!

Enjoy the Summer Why It Lasts

Overnight Chocolate Berry Buckwheat Breakfast Groats & Oats - A Breakfast to Benefit Your Brain, Heart, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar, & Digestive System

 

Overnight No-Cook Chocolate Berry Oatmeal & Buckwheat Groat Breakfast Pudding

 

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 And Now for the Real Post

 

Breakfast just got even better.

Hands-down, this is the most delicious, most nutritious, most satisfying breakfast I've ever eaten!

Am I exaggerating?

Not really.

Anne Marie's brilliant suggestion of adding unsweetened cocoa into the oatmeal pudding was sheer genius.

It not only tastes scrumptious, but it also adds all the polyphenol blood pressure lowering benefits of cocoa to this already-tastes-too-good-to-be-healthy-for-you breakfast concoction.

Four servings.  Made overnight in your fridge.  Layered parfait-style (or not) into a bowl in the morning.

This breakfast pudding parfait has it all!

And it's so easy!!!

Makes enough to last for 4 mornings.

 

• Cholesterol-cutting rolled oats that are loaded with both soluble & insoluble fiber. 
• The atherosclerosis-preventing polyphenol, avenanthramide, found in oats, boosts the production of artery-saving nitric oxide.  This is a dose-response relationship--so the more oats you eat--the more nitric oxide you're producing.   Now you can enjoy oatmeal for dessert!
• The "miracle polyphenol", epicatechin, found in cocoa.  It lowers blood pressure, neutralizes inflammation, increases HDL's, dilates blood vessels, helps prevent atherosclerosis, increases nitric oxide production and more!
• The anthocyanins found in berries--that boost memory, tamper inflammation, & clean out "toxic brain junk"--like mini-brain maids.
• Buckwheat groats - high in protein, loaded with B vitamins, gluten-free, low-glycemic, & it even steadies blood glucose levels.  Groats also lend a nice nutty crunch to this breakfast pudding. Who could ask for anything more?
• Chia seeds - you'll get 1 tablespoon per serving, which provides all the omega-3's you'll need for the day (2.7 grams), along with bonus anti-oxidants, protein & fiber.
• Walnuts have the highest amount of antioxidants of all the nuts, as well as heart-healthy omega-3s, and a perfect ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s. It's the best nut out there, hands down.

 

 

First:  The Recipe

Second:  All the Benefits

 

 

 Soak the Oats, Cocoa, Chia, Soy Milk, Vanilla, & Smashed Banana Overnight in a Jar or Covered Bowl

 

Soak the Buckwheat Groats in a Covered Bowl Overnight & Rinse Well in the Morning

 

Layer Thawed or Fresh Mixed Berries, Chocolate Oat Chia Pudding, Raw Buckwheat Groats, & Top with Chopped Walnuts.  Yum!!!

 

The Healthy LIbrarian's Overnight Chocolate Berry Buckwheat Breakfast Groats & Oats with Chia & Walnuts

 

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

Servings:  4  (you can store leftovers in the fridge, & enjoy 4 days worth of already-made breakfasts)

 

Preparation:

 

Part 1:  The Chocolate Oat Pudding 

2/3 cup of old-fashioned (not instant) rolled oats

2 cups of soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)

4 tablespoons of chia seeds (white is prettier, but not necessary)

1 medium to large ripe banana, smashed up 

1 teaspoon real vanilla

1 tablespoon unsweetened, un-Dutched cocoa (I like Penzey's)  (cocoa is optional, of course--it's still good plain)

Optional: 1 packet of stevia

 

1.  Microwave 1/2 cup of the milk until very warm.  Mix in the 1 tablespoon of cocoa.  Un-Dutched cocoa doesn't dissolve well in cold liquids--that's the reason for this step.

2.  Mix everything together (the oats, the milk, the chia, the banana, the vanilla, the cocoa-dissolved-in-the-warmed-milk, & the optional stevia), mix well,  & put in a quart jar or sealed bowl to soak overnight in the fridge.

3.  Store leftovers in the fridge.

 

Part 2:  The Buckwheat Groats

1 cup of raw buckwheat groats (available from Nuts.com or Bob's Red Mill or your health food store)  Not the same as toasted buckwheat or Kasha.  We bought the white groats.

3 cups of water

1.  Soak groats in 3 cups of water overnight in a sealed container in the fridge.

2.  In the morning, rinse very well.  A few times, is even better.  It removes the sticky coating from the groats.

3.  Store leftovers in the fridge.

 

Part 3:  Putting the parfait together

You really don't need to make a parfait--it just looks pretty.  It's fine to dump one serving's worth of  everything into a bowl--it will taste the same.

MIX UP ONLY ONE SERVING AT A TIME.  STORE THE LEFTOVER CHOCOLATE OATMEAL PUDDING & GROATS SEPARATELY.  LAYER THEM WHEN MAKE YOUR BREAKFAST

 1.  Thaw 1 cup of mixed frozen berries, per serving (fresh is fine) in the microwave.   I use 1 cup of berries per serving  

2.  For each serving, layer 1/4 of the chocolate oatmeal pudding, 1/4 of the buckwheat groats, with 1 cup of mixed berries.  

3.  Top your breakfast with a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

 

Nutrition Info Based on Using Eden Extra Soy Milk - Use Less Groats for Fewer Calories

Nutrition Facts Healthy LIbrarian's Overnight Chocolate Berry Buckwheat Breakfast Groats & Oats Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 420 Total Fat 7.2g       Saturated Fat 0.8g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 66mg Carbohydrate 76.5g       Dietary Fiber 13.4g       Sugars 19.4g Protein 16.9g Vitamin A 17% Vitamin C 25% Calcium    17% Iron 20%

 

 

Why You Want to Eat Oats Everyday

 

The New Science Behind Oats - Avenanthramides  

Old news:  Oats have a soluble fiber, known as beta-glucan that helps to lower cholesterol by reducing its absorption into the blood stream.  They are also low-glycemic, taking a nice leisurely time to digest, so they keep you full longer, and keep your blood sugar steady.  All commendable qualities.

New to me news--the Avenanthramides--the heart healthy polyphenol found in oats :   Over at the USDA-Agricultural Research Vascular Biology Lab at Tufts University, Dr. Mohsen Meydani is the "oat expert".   It turns out that the polyphenols in oats, better known as avenanthramides, are the real power players when it comes to heart health.  First off, they prevent LDL from oxidizing, which sets the process of atherosclerosis into motion.  They work their magic by "decreasing inflammation in the artery walls, by limiting the growth of artery-stiffening smooth muscle cells inside arteries, and by preventing white blood cells from sticking to artery walls."  Harvard Health Letter, May 2010.

But it gets even better.  Meydani has recently found that the avenanthramides in oats are not only anti-inflammatory, but they put a stop to the kind of wild cell growth in the artery walls that starts the whole process of atherosclerosis in the first place--which can eventually lead to heart attacks.  As if that weren't enough--when you ingest these avenanthramides with your morning oatmeal, you're also preventing atherosclerosis by increasing artery-saving nitric oxide production in the endothelium or lining of your arteries. That's the "magic gas" that keeps the arteries relaxed and dilated.  And it's a dose-response--the more avenanthramides, the greater the nitric oxide production. Side benefit:  lowered blood pressure.  For Meydani's research click here and here.

Curbing colon cancer with avenanthramides, too.  We knew that oats and other whole grains helped to reduce colon cancer, but the mechanism wasn't fully understood.  Meydani's just-published research in Nutr Cancer 2010 Nov. 62(8):1007-16 found that the avenanthramides in oats tamp down inflammation in the colon, and inhibit the growth of colonic cancer cells.

 

What's So Good About Cocoa?

 

The Greek name for cocoa means, "Drink of the Gods".  Maybe they were on to something.  Epicatechin 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!

 

Bring on the Berries, Everyday!

 

Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower-cost mixed berries are at BJ's or Costco.  Read more here and here.

 

If You're Going to Eat Nuts, Stick to Walnuts--For So Many Reasons

 

Source:  American Chemical Society, March 27, 2011 press release

In a report [presented at the] 241^st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, scientists presented an analysis showing that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who did the analysis. “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.”

Walnuts are the top nut for heart-healthy antioxidants

 

Vinson noted that nuts in general have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits — in addition those antioxidants — wrapped into a convenient and inexpensive package. Nuts, for instance, contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat; vitamins and minerals; dietary fiber; and are dairy- and gluten-free.

Years of research by scientists around the world link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Despite all the previous research, scientists until now had not compared both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in different nuts, Vinson said. He filled that knowledge gap by analyzing antioxidants in nine different types of nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans. Walnuts had the highest levels of antioxidants.

Vinson also found that the quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts. Antioxidants in walnuts were 2-15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.

“There’s another advantage in choosing walnuts as a source of antioxidants,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. “The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants. People usually eat walnuts raw or unroasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.”

 

Dr. David Katz of the Yale University School of Medicine, published a small randomized-controlled study in 2010, that demonstrated how a walnut-enriched diet improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in type 2 diabetic individuals, suggesting a potential reduction in overall cardiac risk.  

Source:  Ma Y, Njike VY, Millet J, Dutta S, Doughty K, Treu JA, Katz DL, "Effects of walnut consumption on endothelial function in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized controlled crossover trial,"   Diabetes Care,  2010 Feb;33(2):227-32.  Click here for the full article.

 

 Chia - For Omega-3's, Anti-Oxidants, & Plenty of Fiber

 

"Chia seeds are one of the oldest cultivated plants known to man.  They are loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids (3 and 6), vitamins, minerals and fiber.  

Chia seeds maintain blood sugar levels as they slow our body's conversion of carbohydrates into simple sugars.  They are great for an athletic person as they can effectively replenish minerals lost in sweat.  

Chia seeds can also help in weight loss as they swell up to 10 times their size, which prevents absorption of some calories we eat.  Chia puddings are great for breakfast as they will provide you with ample energy throughout the day."

This ancient seed is the highest plant source of omega-3s, and it's also loaded with fiber (soluble & insoluble), antioxidants, protein, calcium, and a laundry list of other vitamins & minerals. 

If you've read Christopher McDougall's best-selling book, Born to Run, about the fit & healthy Tarahumara barefoot runners you know what a nutrition powerhouse the chia seed is.  McDougall likens chia water to "drinking a smoothie of wild salmon, spinach and human growth hormone".  Not at all sure about its human growth hormone similarities!

To learn more about all the benefits of drinking chia water,  click here for Christina Pirello's article about chia.   And a big thank you to reader M.L. for sending Pirello's article this way. 

If the Tarahumara Indians sound familiar to you, it's because they are Dr. Esselstyn's poster children for zero heart disease--thanks to their plant-based diet of squash, corn, and beans. 

Now I'm wondering how much a role chia has contributed to their stellar health.  That is, until Western food made its way into their once hidden Copper Canyons--bringing along diabetes, obesity, & heart disease.

 

Excerpt about chia from McDougall's Born to Run:

"...after I satisfied my hunger and thirst with some iskiate, I at once felt new strength, and, to my own astonishment, climbed the great height without much effort.   After this I always found iskiate a friend in need, so strengthening and refreshing that I may almost claim it as a discovery."  (written by the great Norwegian explorer, Carl Lumholtz in the 1890's)

Months later, I'd (Chris McDougall) learn that iskiate is otherwise know as chia fresca--"Chilly chia."  It's brewed up by dissolving chia seed in water with a little sugar and a squirt of lime. 

In terms of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone.

As tiny as those seeds are, they're superpacked with omega-3s, omega-6s protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants.

If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn't do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months of the chia diet, you could probably swim home.

Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage.  Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean.

Despite its liquid-gold status, chia is ridiculously easy to grow; if you own a Chia Pet, in fact, you're only a few steps away from your own batch of devil drink.

 

 Humble Buckwheat Groats

 

Buckwheat is the highest source of protein in the plant kingdom, with 50% more B-vitamins than wheat. And it's gluten-free.

Did I mention that it's high in lysine--an important "not-so-easy-to-get" amino acid---and it's high in that "hard-to-find" soluble fiber that slows down digestion, which is helpful for keeping blood sugar levels stable.  A plus for diabetics.

It's so satisfying, & I'll vouch for the claim that buckwheat is a slow-release carb. This breakfast keeps me full for four hours.  Really.

Gas-free (unlike steel-cut oats), too!  A definite plus.  Maybe it's because of the soaking.  

What's the big deal about buckwheat?   For starters, it's not really a cereal grain, but a seed, related to rhubarb & sorrel.  It's rich in flavanoids, like the antioxidant, rutin, loads of B Vitamins, sky-high in magnesium, potassium, & phosphorus, & it helps to lower glucose levels.

Read everything you'd ever want to know about buckwheat here and here, in case I missed anything.

 

I hope you enjoy the breakfast pudding parfait as much as I do.

Please let me know what you think! 

 

 

Girl Talk, a Success Story, and the Best Vegetables to Put the Kibosh on Cancer

 

My Sister-in-Law Today - March 2012

My Sister-in-Law Seven Months Ago - July 2011

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version, with all the links--and to write a comment!

I was really looking forward to this Wednesday.  

My sister-in-law literally "flew in" for a mini-21 hour visit.

We hadn't see each other since last July, when this photo of our hike was taken.  A last minute business trip was scheduled that would bring her within easy driving distance for a quick visit with me & her brother--the Lab Rat.   We live so far away from each other, that we only get a chance to see each other about twice a year.  Next visit:  At the end of July for a family vacation.

For the entire 7 waking hours of our visit we talked non-stop.  Par for the course.

We had lots to catch-up on.

As for the very personal story that follows, she only agreed to share it because I convinced her it would inspire & motivate others.  She's very modest, humble, & private.  It's all her accomplishment--but, I couldn't be happier & prouder of her success story.

 

The Quickie Back Story

 

Back in August 2011 my SIL found out her cholesterol was way too high--and her triglycerides were off the charts.  Her doctor advised her to high-tail it to a cardiologist ASAP--get on statins, and whatever else was needed to get her numbers down.

Just so you know...

• She's been a lifelong exerciser!  She's no couch potato!  She might have weighed more than she wanted to--but she's alway been fit!   She's always been a regular walker, hiker, weight-lifter, & a "sometimes jogger".
• She watched what she ate.  She really tried to avoid the junk food, and ate a Mediterranean style diet--lots of fish, fruits & vegetables, olive, & nuts.  Just like all of us were doing--when we thought we were "eating a healthy diet."   And, we all know how those restaurant meals, and dinner parties add up.

Before making that cardiology appointment she wanted to see if she could turn those numbers around by herself--with diet, rather than drugs.

She wanted to give Dr. Esselstyn's diet protocol a 100% college-try before taking the medication route.

She downloaded a copy of "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" for her Kindle.  I sent her all the Esselstyn diet information I had--and I even asked Dr. Esselstyn what he advised her to do to get her triglycerides under control.

A few short weeks after she changed her diet, her total cholesterol level had dropped an amazing 100 points.

 

Fast Forward Seven Months Later on the Esselstyn Plan

 

The girl has stuck to with the program!

OK, maybe some very rare transgressions when she's traveling---but those have been few & far between.

Her tastes have completely changed. She loves the foods she is eating now.

Even at restaurants, she's sticking to plant-based no-oil healthy choices.  Salads, baked potato, steamed vegetables.  Amazing!

She's completely hooked on cooking without oil.  She loves all the flavor-packed plant-based recipes she continually experiments with.  OK, there have been a few losers or "so-so's" here & there.  Doesn't miss meat, chicken, fish, or cheese a bit.  But, barbecue potato chips?  That's a different story--but she's not eating them.

She's lost about 25 pounds, which is significant for her tiny frame--and her Chico size is now down to 00-- double zero, for all you Chico fans--probably an equivalent of a size 6.  Her Gap jeans are size 6, & they're lower-cut, skinny ones.  Woo Hoo!   

She feels great. She's going to kill me for saying this (I told you--she's very modest)--but compliments & questions come her way almost every day,  "You look fantastic.  What's your secret?  What are you doing differently?"

In two weeks she get a full-enchilada lipid work-up---so no numbers to report as yet.

 

 

My Sister-in-Law's Request -

A Sneak-Preview of My Centenarian Strategies Presentation

 

After our non-stop gab fest on Wednesday night, my SIL asked to see a preview of my "almost-completed" Centenarian Strategies presentation.

When we got to a slide that detailed which vegetables had the strongest effect on cancer-cell proliferation--and which veggies are the best bets to prevent cancer, she wanted to know where she could find that post on my blog.

She:  "I don't remember seeing a post about this.  Where is it?  Can you send me the link?"  she asked.

Me:  "Well, I never got around to posting it.  It's only in my presentation."

So, dear readers, below, please find my "Table That's Worth a Thousand Words" presentation slide.

Sure, there's more to say about this research than you can see on two slides--but I'm short on time.  

Quickly, here's how the study was designed.

• Extracts from 34 vegetables were isolated & tested on 8 different tumor cell lines for their ability to inhibit cancer cell growth & proliferation .
• Fresh vegetables were juiced with a Juiceman extractor--and then tested on & against specific unique types of cancer cells; like stomach adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung carcinoma, glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, etc.

 

 

The Best Cancer-Fighting Vegetables

 

The Bottom Line:  The Best Cancer-Fighting Vegetables

 

1. Over 250 epidemiological studies have suggested that people who consume a diet high in fruits & vegetables  reduce their risk of developing cancer.  But, which vegetables are the best bets?
2. Not all fruits & vegetables are created equal when it comes to cancer prevention--and the study's results, convinced the authors that people need to be encouraged to eat the vegetables that will give them the "most bang for their buck" when it comes to preventing cancer.
3. Turns out, the vegetables we eat the most--have the weakest inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth: potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, & lettuce.
4. Evidence shows that the cancer prevention properties of fruits & vegetables are "additive" & "synergistic".  Bottom Line:  Eat a wide  of fruits & vegetables to get the "most cancer prevention bang for your buck".
5. Study weakness: The vegetable juices in the study did not contain water-insoluble (aka fat-soluble) molecules such as lycopene or beta-carotene that are found in the yellow, orange, & green leafy fruits or vegetables, which may have resulted in some underestimations of the cancer-fighting properties of vegetables that contain these fat-soluble phytochemicals--like tomatoes, carrot, broccoli, & spinach.
6. Cruciferous vegetables have potent cancer inhibitory activity against most cancer cell lines.
7. Other vegetables in the Brassica oleracea family, like kale, cabbage, curly cabbage, cauliflower, & broccoli, were the most inhibitory vegetables tested.
8. The best bets for cancer prevention are the cruciferous vegetables, the dark green leafy vegetables, & those in the Allium family, like onions, leeks, chive, shallots, & garlic.   The authors want this message to reach the public.  Pay attention.
9. These vegetables have exceptional "inhibitory" activity against all tested cancer cell lines--including those from the kidney & pancreas:  garlic, leek, green onions, Brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, & various cabbages.
10. And which vegetables do we eat the least?  That's right!  All the most potent cancer fighters listed in #9.  

 

"Since the formation of tumours is a random event that occurs in a significant percentage of the adult population, the increased consumption of these vegetables with high anticancer properties could play a central role in preventing these tumours to reach a clinical stage, and thus reduce the incidence of several types of cancer."

 

"Antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of common vegetables: a comparative study," Beliveau, R. et al.  Food Chemistry  2009:112:374-380

 

If You Missed It the First Time--Here It Is Again!

The re-posting of My Sister-in-Law's Story

September 05, 2011

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

 

 

 


Photo by Vincent Van Der Pas

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

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

 

 

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

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

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

 

What's Up with My High Triglycerides?  Help!

 

Here's the back story.

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's what I emailed her:

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

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

Good luck!

Love you!

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Sister-in-Law Success! 

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

Uh??  Think again, folks!

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Two of my favorite quotes about the REGARDS study:

 

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

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

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

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

 

Restaurant Madness - From "Cook This, Not That"

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

  Cook This!  Enlightened Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup

 

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

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Appetite for Reduction Tortilla Soup---My Enlightened Version

click here for the recipe on one page

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

 

Ingredients:

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

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

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

4 cloves garlic, chopped

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

1 tsp salt  (optional, always)

28 ounce can of crushed Glen Muir Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

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

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

1 tablespoon ground cumin

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

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

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

Juice from 1 juicy lime

 

Preparation:

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

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

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

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

5.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.

6.  Add the lime juice, taste for seasonings.

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

 

Nutrition Info:

1/6th of the recipe

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100

 

My Dad Would Have Been 100 If He Were Alive Today

Reading the New York Times with coffee - I'm 15 months old & it's 1951 - and at 62 I still start every day this way!

 

 

If you received this post via email click here to get to the web version with all the links & to leave a comment.

Next month I'll be presenting a talk at the Utah Library Association's 100th Anniversary Meeting in Salt Lake City.  My first visit to Utah and I can't wait.

And what better subject to speak on for a 100th anniversary than, "Centenarian Strategies: How to Stay Happy, Healthy, Fit, & Sharp Until You're 100"!

Right now I'm hard at work putting together my talk--which turns out to be the Best of the Best of this  "Medical Librarian's Adventures in Evidenced-Based Living".

Since January 2008 I've been reading and analyzing the medical research on wellness, nutrition, & exercise-- and then trying out the reasonable strategies on myself--and my husband, who's affectionately known as "The Lab Rat".   Yoga & prunes for bone health.  Chia for omega-3s.  Interval training, chocolate hummus, higher vitamin d,  adding b-12,  using a neti pot with Alkalol & saline, talking to strangers, oatmeal with turmeric & spinach....

 We've come a long way baby!  And I know a lot of you readers have come along for the ride.  As for me, my life has changed plenty since January 17, 2008--and at the start of this project I thought I was pretty healthy already.  Wrong!

 

Little did I know back then, that by 2012:

• I would be enthusiastically embracing a plant-based no-oil diet.  Never in a million years would I have guessed that one.
• I would become an avid plant-based recipe creator & tester--whose husband miraculously discovered he liked to cook.  My husband, a really good cook?  Never would have believed it.
• I'd be regularly spinning, lifting weights, building more muscle than I've ever had, & getting good at yoga--and, I'd even willingly get up at 6:30 am on a Sunday morning to fit in a yoga & a spin class. This one, I might have believed.
• I would have lost 15 pounds, wear a size 4, & not need to be on statins, blood pressure, or bone medications--and I'd even get a health insurance rebate.  Wouldn't have believed it!
• I'd be friends with Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn, and I'd have the opportunity to hear Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. David Katz, Dr. Colin Campbell, Rip Esselstyn, Dr. Ed Hallowell and so many others, speak in person on health issues. 
• Many of my friends, family, relatives, & co-workers would be interested in following or at least exploring a plant-based no-oil diet--to varying degrees.  
• I'd still be blogging--and would have started a facebook page in early 2012, enjoying & sharing the "evidence-based healthy living"  ride with thousands of regular readers in almost 200 countries--and getting to know interesting, smart, & engaging people from all over the world--including many physicians.

Yikes, with over 500 posts written, and so much to share, I'm having a hard time cutting to the chase, getting to the nitty gritty--and deciding what to include--and what to leave out in this upcoming talk.

 

 

The plan was to touch on these key strategies, as well as share my own evidence-based experiences.

1. How a plant-based, no-added oil diet can prevent & reverse heart disease, and reduce your risk of dementia, strokes, diabetes, & some cancers.
2. How three different types of exercise can help protect you from dementia, bone loss, osteoarthritis, diabetes, & heart disease.
3. Beyond the body:  Why we need to stretch our brains beyond our comfort zone, make time for friends, fun, sleep, down time, relaxation--& invest our resources in experiences--not things.

 

I Need Your Help!

 

Many of you have been following along with me for anywhere from 4 years to a few weeks.

• What have you learned that's changed your health the most?   Or what's changed your mind?   Or what's changed how you feel, shop, eat, cook, spend your free time, or exercise?
• I'd really appreciate your suggestions about covering the topics that an audience will find the most helpful, the most engaging, the most health-changing, and above all--the least boring.
• What would YOU want to hear me talk about?
• Feel free to comment here (& scroll to the end of the post until you see the comment box) or via [email protected]

Please, give me feedback!  It will be so helpful!  And I'll be so grateful!  Really!

 

 

I'm Taking a Good Look at My 2011 Report Card & My Fifteen Month Plant-Based Diet Update--And You Can, Too

 

 

If you missed my most recent "Report Card" from August 23, 2011, here it is:

Fifteen Months Into the Esselstyn-Style Plant-Based No-Oil Way of Eating - The Healthy Librarian Spills the Beans - And It's All Good! Can't Wait to Compare Notes with Bill Clinton on Saturday

 

I'll probably have less time to post while I put this "Centenarian baby to bed"--but, I'll still try to post "what's new" in health care via Facebook.  And with this gynormous post, you'll definitely have plenty of reading material for weeks to come.

And speaking of what's new....

If you're not a facebook visitor, here's what you missed in yesterday's news.  Pretty interesting!

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Here's it is! After analyzing the data from over 120,000 health professionals for over 26 years, the verdict is in:

Meat's not so good for your health. And it's just as bad for the environment.

“When you have these numbers in front of you, it’s pretty staggering,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Frank B. Hu, a professor of medicine at Harvard. 

This is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study showing that consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meat is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality from all causes as well as from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

An earlier study linked meat consumption to diabetes.

This "hot-off-the-press" study was accompanied by Dr. Dean Ornish's more readable editorial. If you must have meat--the authors advise sticking to less than half a serving a day. Paleo fans, take note!  You just might want to consider a diet re-do.

Even HeartWire billed the story as "The Carnivore's Dilemma" with an interesting lead:

"Long-term data from two large studies might have more people considering a switch to vegetarianism, with investigators reporting results showing that processed and unprocessed meat consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, as well as increased risk of death from cancer."

Find the full article, here: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/archinternmed.2011.2287?etoc

Here's the editorial:  Arch Intern Med -- Holy Cow! What's Good For You Is Good For Our Planet: Comment on "Red Meat Consumption and Mortality.

 

 

The Report Card on the Healthy Librarian's 2010 Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy - What's Working, What's Not, What's New for 2011? 

 originally posted February 5, 2011

December 31, 2010--Ending the Year Right--With Good Friends, Good Food, Good Music & Dancing

 

 

Last year on my 60th birthday, perhaps naively, I sat down to figure out if there was anything I could do to increase my odds for a healthy happy rest of my life.  My parents hadn't fared so well after they hit 60.

 

"Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising.  Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30. 

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything.  He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life.  He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant.  One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, osteoporosis and painful spinal fractures.  Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties."

 

So, on January 1, 2010 I wrote one of my favorite posts,  It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

It outlined the 12 things I planned to do to stay healthy--live long--and die short (hopefully)!   And evidenced-based librarian that I am, most of these strategies are backed by research--and tried out by yours-truly.

So how did I do?  What worked?  What didn't?  And most importantly, what new strategies did I learn about in 2010 that are now part of my daily routine?   

I looked over all of my 2010 posts to see what new strategies I've added to my original Top 12--and I was surprised to see how much I've learned--and how much I've changed this year. 

I'm including the links to my favorite "I'm now doing this daily" posts for 2010 so I won't have to bore you with the details.   And I'll follow it all up with a repeat of my Start of the New Year, Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties post--with notes on what worked, what didn't, for me.

 

And a huge thank you to everyone who takes the time out of their busy day to read Happy Healthy Long Life.  If not for all of you, I know I wouldn't take the time to carefully read & summarize research articles, pay as close attention to the details of the recipes I try out, and be so diligent with what I choose to eat. 

And because I really stuck with no-oil plant-based diet, I'm hooked, it's now a habit, cravings are history, and I feel great!   P.S.  I love hearing from all of you!  It makes my efforts all worthwhile!

 

Biggest Changes in 2010?

1.  I've lost 13 pounds since June 21, 2010 (in 7 1/2 months) by adopting Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" approach to eating--just by cutting out added oils in my cooking & in the groceries I buy, ditching all nuts (except very small amounts of walnuts), chocolate (not cocoa) & avocados (except for occasional small amounts).  It effortlessly did the job.  I also reduced my body's percentage of fat by 5%.  (Update 2012:  15 pounds & that's enough for me.)

Back in March 2008 I had cut out all animal protein (dairy, meat, fowl, ate fish only rarely) and sugar & desserts (mostly) from my diet--and I used whole grains.  But, I never lost one single pound until I cut out the oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados, in spite of exercising regularly!   To be fair, I wasn't trying or expecting to lose weight on the Esselstyn diet--I was more interested in the health benefits.  I didn't expect to shed more than 4 or 5 pounds--but I'm thrilled with the results!   Belly fat is gone--and the butt has shrunk!  Don't be fooled that olive oil, chocolate, nuts, & avocados are health foods.  There are far better choices out there--that are far less addictive--and more nutrient-dense.

2. Health Means Money Where I Work.  Thanks to eating Esselstyn Style, I qualifed for hefty health insurance rebates from my hospital employer at the start of 2011.  I got a 9% rebate off of my 2010 premiums, and I locked into the 2009 rates for 2011--another hefty 17% rebate.   Why?  Because my borderline hypertension is now history, and my lipids are now looking great.  My weight is a comfortable 118 pounds for my small 5' 3" frame--and my BMI is 20.9.  No medical conditions.  No prescription meds.  Woo Hoo!  Lower insurance rates!

 

Why This Plan Works--A Picture & a Graph Tell the Story

Here's why I feel full and can eat whenever I'm hungry.   My belly can only hold 400 calories of high-fiber, high-nutrient plant-based food at a time!  It's that simple. 

 

 

This chart makes it clear as day where you're going to find the best nutrient bang for your calorie dollar!

Source:  T. Colin Campbell, PhD.  The China Study.  Dallas:Benbella Books, 2006, pg. 230.

 

The Healthy Librarian's New "Evidence-Based Living" Strategies for 2010

 

The Exercise Changes I Made This Year

• Kicked it up a notch with the aerobics:  This year's research convinced me that at middle-age I needed to "kick it up a notch" when it comes to heart-pumping aerobics.   I've added higher-intensity intervals to my spinning workout and I've noticed a reduced resting heart rate--an increased aerobic capacity and calorie burn. Read more here and here and here
• Yoga to strengthen your bones & improve core strength, balance & flexibility:  When I learned that yoga is one of the best things you can do to strengthen every bone in your body (not to mention the chill-out factor)--I decided to rearrange my work schedule so I could fit in 3 classes a week.   I never enjoyed yoga that much, nor saw any flexibility improvements until I increased the number of times from once a week or less, to 3 times a week.  Now I'm a huge yoga fan. Read more here and here
• Weight-lifting/Strength-training for the brain & bones:  Weight-training was last on my agenda when it came to exercise--but this year's research showed a double-header benefit for  improvements in both the brain & bones  deparment when you weight-train at least 2 times a week.  This was too hard to ignore.  I now "lift" twice a week--and my husband promises to teach me an easy-to-do-at-home kettle bell routine that can be done in just 10 minutes.  Read more here and here and here  (2012 Update:  I now strength train 3 days a week with an ever-changing routine that engages every muscle & is aerobic at the same time.  It involves using the lower & upper body at the same time, varying the weights, the reps, & the speed of the movement.  Plus lots of push-ups, planks, & ab work. It's challenging & fun.)
• My typical weekly routine: Yoga 2 times a week, spinning 4 times a week, weights/strength training  3 times a week.  One or two days off a week. I can get in this many workouts in each week because twice a week I exercise for 2 hours.    (New for 2012: If you keep strength training all your life, you won't lose muscle--click here & here.  And as we age--we need to add flexibility & strength training to our aerobic conditioning.  Click here)

 

This Research Convinced Me to Make These Supplement/Diet Changes in 2010

• Omega-3s Lengthen Telomeres--slowing down biological aging.  Who can resist that?  I'm not as regular as I should be, but I do take both a molecularly-distilled pharmaceutical quality fish oil capsule, along with a plant-based DHA supplement.  Although this study only looked at the benefits from fish oil--2 other studies in 2010 showed that plant-based omega-3s (ALA)--that's the  the kind found in high amounts in flax & chia--and in smaller amounts in berries & greens--work just as well as fish oil.  Read more here   (2012 update: I regularly eat 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of chia a day & a take a DHA algal supplement-125 mg.  High levels of omega-3 are associated with the best brain health, as we age, click here)  Stay tuned for my update on getting enough omega-3s on a plant-based diet!  Very interesting positive news!
• Vitamin D for So Many Reasons--in spite of the Institute of Medicine's October 2010 guidelines I'm sticking to the advice of Dr. Bruce Hollis and Dr. Michael Holick and taking 2000-4000 IUs of vitamin D--but, it's rarely daily--& my doc tracks my vitamin D levels.   Read more about Hollis & vitamin D here.  I'm also following Dr. Angelo Licata's research that found that absorption increased by 50% or more if you take your vitamin D with your heaviest meal of the day.  Read more about Licata's research here  (2012 Update:  With Rainbow Light Sour Lemon Vitamin D gummies I NEVER miss a day of vitamin D!  I stick to 4000 IUs a day--with my doctor's blessing, but it's time to get retested)
• I'm eating the fruits & vegetables with the highest amounts of antioxidants.   Check the ORAC Index or the Fuhrman/Whole Foods ANDI (aggregate nutrient density index) rankings for the foods with the most bang for the buck.  Read more here
• Low-glycemic whole grains--no exceptions (well hardly any exceptions)--Whole grains (like oats, guinoa, grainy/kibbled breads) reduce the dread & dangerous belly fat & prevent insulin-resistance (think type-2 diabetes).  Cool news to me--the way refined high-glycemic carbs can affect our genes:    "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." Read more here
• B-12 Everyday 1000 mcg/a day:  If you're eating plant-based take a B-12 once daily--that's the only way you'll get enough.  Even if you're eating meat--many medical conditions, prescription drugs, as well as just plain aging can impair the absorption of B-12.  This year's research pointed out the need for adequate B-12 for brain health as we age. Read more here and here
• Rethinking calcium requirements & calcium supplements.  I've decreased my calcium supplement to just 1 a day for 315 mg of calcium--and follow Dr. Walter Willett's advice about the total amount I need--just 700 mg/a day compared to the DRI of 1200 mg/a day for the over 50 set.   I eat a lot of greens that provide highly absorbable calcium, and I use calcium-enriched soymilk in my oatmeal every day.  New this year--2 Australian studies found an increase in cardiovascular events with calcium supplements.  Read more here

Dr. Amy Lanou's Slide from her Wellness Forum Lecture Novembr 2010

 

• Nitric Oxide Boosters to Prevent Alzheimers & Dementia--the blood vessels of the brain need adequate nitric oxide to stay healthy--and increased nitric oxide also prevents dread amyloid plaque formation--and guess what increases it?  That's right, lots of greens & exercise.  I can do that!  Read more here  (2012 Update:  The greens have the highest amount of the nitric oxide building blocks--and arugula is NUMERO UNO!)  Which vegetables are highest in nitrates?  Click here to find out.
• Ditch Vegetable Oils & Nuts (walnuts, excluded)--they are the highest sources of inflammatory omega-6s.  A groundbreaking meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Nutrition pulled the plug on the theory that polyunsaturated oils are good for heart.   Nuts, especially peanuts are off-the-charts high in omega-6s, too!  It took years for the polyunsaturated oil study to surface, so despite research to the contrary, I'm still not convinced that eating 2.5 ounces of nuts a day is a wise health move!   I'm staying away--except for walnuts.  Read more here and here  (New for 2012:  Walnuts are the TOP NUT for heart health.  Click here--& scroll half-way down the page & look for: If you're going to eat nuts, stick to walnuts for so many reasons)

 

Brain Booster Changes Based on 2010 Research

• Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's.  Read more here and here.  (New for 2012: Go for the Berries--latest review on the subject will convince you.  Click here)
• Reduced my belly fat.  It's definitely bad for the brain!  Read more here and here  (New for 2012: At 62 my belly fat is mostly history--I credit my diet, & ditching the added oil & sugar)
• Increased my aerobic exercise & cleaned up my diet--the better the cardiac index the less your brain's volume shrinks.   What's good for the heart is unquestionably good for the brain, according to the latest Framingham study and a University of Pittsburgh study that demonstrated sizable increases in brain volume in the seniors who walked the most!  Read more here and here 
• Keep learning new things daily to grow brain cells & connections.  The only way to keep building brain cells & new connections is by continuously engaging in serious, challenging learning for the rest of your life.  It requires effort, and it has to be something that's important and interesting to you!  It requires intense focus.  Dr. Michael Merzenich is the go-to-guy in this arena.  I'm certainly hoping that putting together this blog is doing something for my brain!  Read more here  (New for 2012:  Why it's important to learn new things as we age.  Click here and here)

 

Favorite Wisdom of  2010 - It Works for Me

• Alkalol & saline solution to prevent colds.  I'm talking about neti pot nasal irrigation with 1-2 TBS of Alkalol, a cup of warm water, 1/2 tsp. of salt, & a 1/4 tsp. of baking soda at the first inkling that a cold is brewing.  1/2 cup through each nostril.  Honestly, this works for me.  Haven't had a cold in a year--in spite of close calls.  What's Alkalol?  It's a solution invented in 1896 by a Massachusets pharmacist, that's made with methol, eucalyptus, thymol, camphor, and oils of wintergreen, spearmint, pine, and cinnamon.  Its "an alkaline saline solution specifically formulated to clean and moisturize the nasal passages, dissolve mucus, kill germs and bacteria, and provide natural relief from the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies."   Better than the now FDA-banned Zicam.  It's sold at my hospital pharmacy, CVS, Drug Mart & Walgreens, but you'll probably have to ask the pharmacist for this low-marketing-budget product.   Read more here  (New for 2012: I now use distilled water & the premeasured packets of salt/baking soda sold at the drug store.  I also wash my neti pot with hot water & soap after every use--& regularly sterilize it in the microwave.  Read more here.)
  
• Make time for fun!   Away from computers & technology.  Hey, I got this message directly from my mom, who passed away in 2003!  This is one of my favorite (& weirdest) posts!  Read more here  And here
• Sister power.  They can be the flesh-and-blood kind--or the best-friend kind.  It doesn't matter.  We all need someone with whom we can share our most insignificant day-to-day things with--and who can give us a reality check.  I count my blessings in this department!  I've got two--Beth & Lisa.  Read more here
• We get our greatest happiness from the experiences we share with our friends & family--not from expensive consumer goods.  "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends."  Spend your time & money wisely.   Dr. Dan Gilbert swears by this research-backed advice.  Click here  for Gilbert and here  and here  and here for my year.
• "When in doubt, do the positive."  This was Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's favorite saying and a rule I try to live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  "Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."    Click here for more

 

Life on the Esselstyn Style Diet

In May 2010, when I found out my cholesterol wasn't as outstanding as I had expected, in spite of a mostly plant-based diet, I asked Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn for advice.  He invited me to be a guest at the day-long session he runs once a month at the Cleveland Clinic, along with this wife Ann.

He challenged me to try eating and cooking with no-added-oils for 4 weeks & see how it works out for me.  I attended the class on June 18th, 2010, and started eating Esselstyn-style on June 21st, 2010.   I haven't looked back & now it's just, "how I eat".   I feel wonderful, I've lost weight, I've got lots of energy, I feel mentally sharp, and my digestive system is AMAZING!  Any nagging hip or joint pain I'd had in the past is long gone--not sure if I can credit the elimination of the inflammtory omega-6s with this surprising occurence or not.  (Update 2012:  knock on wood--hip, finger, joint pain--it's history!  Bill Lands, PhD, a pioneer in omega-3 & omega-6 research says that's no surprise at all.  When you lower your omega-6 load by eliminating the foods that are highest in omega-6, like oils & nuts, you have less inflammation)

 

You can read all about the day long session, and my Esselstyn-style cooking adventures in these posts:

Oops! Take It From Me - Half Dietary Measures to Lower Your Cholesterol Will Result in Half Measure Improvements

The Great Kitchen Cholesterol Clean-Up - Parchment Paper, the No-Oil Saute, and Munching on the Top Cholesterol-Cutting Foods

What I Learned From Dr. Caldwell and Ann Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease "School"

Week Two on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Heart Disease Prevention/Reversal Diet Challenge. The Rules, Tips, and Tricks to Enjoy Plant-Based Oil-Free Eating

Can a Plant-Based No-Added-Fat Diet Survive "Real Life"? My Fourth of July Trial on the Esselstyn Diet - House Guests, Restaurants, Road Trips, and Dinner with Friends. Let the Numbers Speak for Themselves.

Everyone Can Do This! Breakfast & Lunch on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Oil Diet Challenge. Fast, Hearty, Healthy and Delicious.

Some Q & A about the Esselstyn Diet Challenge. Why Do It? What about Oil & Fat-Soluble Vitamins? What About Omega-3s? And My Top Recipe Picks of Week Three

Plant-Based Eating Confusion! Omega-3s, Omega-6s, Glycemic Index, ORAC Index and More. A Picture, a Chart, and the ANDI Rankings Help Clear the Confusion.

Final Week on the Esselstyn Plant-Based No-Added Oil Diet Trial. What's Changed? What Have I Learned? Tips and This Week's Favorite Recipes

My Esselstyn Plant-Based Diet Trial Results Are In. Understanding the Numbers and Why No Oil or Nuts Makes Sense. Think Weight Loss, Lowering the Omega-6s, Healthy Arteries, and Energy

More from the Healthy Librarian's Plant-Based Kitchen Lab: The Restaurant Scene, Staying Fueled, PB2 the Nut Butter Substitute, and Chia Fresca for Omega-3s

Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Bill Clinton's Diet Gurus, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish - What the Interview Didn't Have Time to Explain about How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease with a Plant-Based Diet

Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

Follow One of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's Patients - Q & A on the First Three Months of a Diet to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease

My Favorite Healthy Kitchen Pantry Staples: For Quick, Easy & Delicious Plant-Based/Vegan Meals

 

My Top Food Discoveries/Additions for 2010

• Hot Mexican Cocoa, Fruited Steel-Cut Oats (now made with pumpkin! or savory), & Air-popped Popcorn  Read more here.   (2012 UPDATE: Chocolate Oatmeal   Chocolate Hummus & More Treats & Teeccino, a caffeine-free herbal coffee substitute)
• PB2 "Peanut Butter" and Chia "Fresca" Water  Read more here  I top my morning with oatmeal with chia daily!  Go Chia Seed for omega-3s!
• I can easily "Esselstynize" any recipe in my fave cookbook--Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz  Read more here  Just cut out the oil, nuts (or sub smaller amounts of walnuts), vegan margarine, vegan mayo, & vegan cheese.
• Keep vegetables, especially greens & herbs fresh a lot longer with Kinetic Go Green BPA-free storage containers.   These are truly AMAZING!!  Read more here
• Here's a list of my favorite kitchen pantry staples  
• Homemade Raw Chocolate Chia Walnut Energy Bars beat Larabars for their taste & they pack a nutrient wallop!  Read more here
• Spiced Pumpkin Fruited Steel-Cut Oats is my new breakfast fave--brimming with alpha & beta carotenes  Read more here  Top it with a tablespoon of chia seed & you won't be thinking about lunch for hours!
• Sami's Pizza Crusts--whole grain millet & flax, no-oil & delicious.  Order from Sami's Bakery in Florida & receive them in 2 days--it's really not a big deal.  Can't live without these.  Just received an order for 16 to divide among 3 of us.  With delivery it comes to $5.00 per crust--not cheap--but it's fast--whole grain--and feeds my need for pizza.   Read more here
• Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz--my current go-to favorite cookbook.  I could use it everyday.  She's finally cut the fat, calories, eliminated the vegan junk stuff & included nutritional info.  I highly recommend it!  Read more here

 

Best Science-Based Diet Information for 2010

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

Dr. Hiromi Shinya, the Physician-Inventor of the Colonoscopic Polypectomy: What He's Learned About Diet and Health From Over 300,000 Colonoscopies

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

Dr. Michael Roizen's Straight Talk About Chronic Disease - Lifestyle Changes Can Control Them and Bring Health Care Costs Down. Roizen's Thirteen Pearls of Wellness.

 

Finally, the Original Start of My Sixties Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy & Happy

 

January 2, 2010

It's the Start of the New Year, the Start of the New Decade, and the Start of My Sixties. Some Simple Strategies for Staying Healthy and Happy. At Least I Can Hope!

Author Dan Buettner has scoured the Earth — not for the fabled Fountain of Youth — but for the key to a happy old age. He spent five years visiting areas of the world where people tend to live longer, healthier lives, areas he calls "Blue Zones."

Buettner says he has identified four things people can do that can potentially increase life expectancy:

• Create an environment that encourages physical activity
  
• Set up your kitchen in such a way that you're not overeating
  
• Cultivate a sense of purpose 
  
• Surround yourself with the right people.

"These are long-term fixes that have been shown over and over to add not only more years of life, but better years of life."

-NPR story, "Can 'Blue Zones' Help Turn Back the Biological Clock?", June 8, 2008-

If you're reading this through via email, click here to get to the more readable web-version.

 

It's the start of the New Year. 

It's the start of a new decade.

It's the day I turn sixty.

Look, I'm not a big-birthday-celebration-kind-of-person.  They come and go and I don't even think about the years.  But turning 60 is different.  It's the last quarter of life, with no guarantees on what that quarter is going to look like.

Judging by my parents--that last quarter of life doesn't look so promising.  Which is exactly why I've been paying attention to exercise and eating right since I turned 30. 

That's when my dad had one of those massive debilitating strokes that left him unable to communicate, unable to read or fully understand speech, and eventually unable to walk or do anything.  He was 69 at the time--just when he was getting ready to kick back a little, work a little less, travel, and just enjoy life.  He spent 16 years living in this kind of post-stroke-limbo-state, spiraling downward.

My mom was 62 at the time, and my dad's stroke changed her life in an instant.  One minute she was planning all the trips they'd finally have a chance to take--and enjoying their new role as grandparents--and in the next she was jockeying the world of wheelchairs and therapists.

With the stress of full-time care-giving, and years of no exercise or attention to diet, by 72 she had developed severe coronary artery blockages, hypertension, kidney stones, and painful spinal fractures.  Then came the mini-strokes that finally added up to vascular dementia in her eighties.

And unfortunately, this scenario is all too common.  "[M]ost elderly Americans – more than two-thirds of current 65-year-olds, according to a detailed 2005 projection by a team of health policy analysts — at some point will need assistance to cope with daily living, either paid help or unpaid, at home or in a facility."

So, sixty seems kind of scary to me.

Which is exactly why I'm ready for a more "Conscious Aging" plan.  We already have all the evidence we need to stay healthy.  It's not about adding more years to our lives.  It's all about adding more life to our years!

Just a sampling of the evidence.

• The 52 country INTERHEART study was very clear.  There are 9 easy-to-modify risk factors that are associated with 90% of heart disease.  This was a huge study--30,000 people from every inhabited country--and the results were the same for all races, all sexes, all countries.  All 9 of these risk factors are within our control--and would eliminate 90% of heart disease, regardless of one's genetics. 1. Keep lipids (cholesterol & triglycerides) down; 2. Stop smoking; 3. Prevent or control hypertension; 4. Prevent or control diabetes; 5.  Reduce belly fat; 6.  Find ways to control psychological and social stressors; 7. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption; 8.  Moderate alcohol consumption is protective; 9. Get regular physical exercise   Lancet 364:937-952, Sept. 11, 2004.

• The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study.  "The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose dietary habits were followed for 14 years.  The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease...[F]or every extra serving of fruits and vegetables that participants added to their diets, their risk of heart disease dropped by 4%." Harvard School of Public Health

• The China Study.  This is Dr. T. Colin Campbell's mammoth 2006 study on the effects of a plant-based diet on health--citing over 750 studies.  The conclusion: People who ate the most-animal-based foods got the most chronic disease.  People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.  According to Campbell, "Good nutrition supported by exercise, clean water, and sunshine is greater than the sum of its parts.  It's a biological symphony.  My introduction to Dr. T. Colin Campbell

• The Longevity Personality.  From the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, April 2009 comes this conclusion: Those who live the longest are more outgoing, more active, more easy-going, more empathetic, and more agreeable than those who live a normal life span. The Blue Zones calls it, "likeability".

Here's My Strategy for Staying Out-of-Trouble After Sixty

Some of these are long-time habits, and they're easy for me to follow.  Some of these I don't do as regularly as I should.  Some of these are new goals.  But this much I do know:  If I don't have a plan, if I don't do these consciously, and if I don't carve out time to make them happen--they won't.

1.  Stick with 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.  The Green Smoothies make it easy.  I get 6 servings in a 27 ounce Klean Kanteen that I divide over breakfast and an afternoon snack.  I calculated the nutritional info on my daily 27 ounce serving that includes, 2 1/2 cups kale, 8 mini-carrots, 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, 1/2 apple, 1/2 orange, 1/2 kiwi, and 3/4 cup frozen black raspberries.  Check out the nutrient content for 27 ounces:

 2012 Update:  My Green Smoothie has grown up since this post.  These days, it's  mostly vegetables--and not very sweet--but loaded with vitamins & minerals.  

The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie  1/24/12

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Green Smoothie-kale,blackberries,carrots,orange,kiwi,pom juice,apple
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	342
Total Fat	2.2g
Saturated Fat	0.2g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	140mg
Carbohydrate	82.1g
Dietary Fiber	13.8g
Sugars	49.1g
Protein	8.9g
Vitamin A 729% Vitamin C 485% Calcium    35% Iron 28%

 

Then throw in some veggie-based soup, a salad, a veggie-based dinner entree, some fruit for dessert, and I'm good to go. 

This eating plan is the same as the DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension)--guaranteed to stop hypertension.  The Cache County (Utah) Study on Memory shows it also prevents cognitive decline.   Dr. Amy Lanou and Michael Castleman, authors of Building Bone Vitality claim it will build and strengthen bones--because the 17 nutrients necessary to build strong bones are all found in a diet high in fruits and vegetables.  I'm still sold on eating 7-9+ fruits or veggies a day.  Still drinking that old-stand-by Green Smoothie--but I keep experimenting--using less fruits, more vegetables.

2.  A balanced exercise plan.  It's not just about cardio--there are 4 areas that need attention: Cardio (spinning-my fave), Weight-training, Flexibility & Balance (yoga-my fave), and Core Strength.  No, you can't just walk and think you're in good shape.  I'm super regular with my cardio, and not as regular with the weight training and yoga.  Click here to see what my workout looks like. As for core strength--that's pretty much non-existent.  And when it comes to weight-training, according to Randy Raugh, the Canyon Ranch physical therapist, and author of the excellent Prime for Life--Functional Fitness for Ageless Living--to get the maximum benefits you need to do it for 3 non-consecutive days a week--2 at the minimum.  Unfortunately, I often weight train only 1 day a week.  If you want to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis, and maintain your muscle strength as you age--weight-bearing exercise for the lower body, and weight-training for the upper body is a must-do!  Yoga, helps with balance, preventing future falls, and building strength.  As for core strength, I'm upping my game with Dr. Stuart McGill's routine, and my birthday-present to myself is the physical therapist-designed Pelvicore exercise ball. 
Upped my exercise efforts this year--it now includes 3 days of yoga (smart move) & 2 days of strength-training (that made a difference).  Yoga also develops core strength with the plank pose & others.  Haven't done much with my Pelvicore exercise ball--but I should.

3.  A plant-based diet with minimal added fat.  I'm nearing the 2 year mark on eating plant-based, so this is the easy part. I've got this down pat. I still use a little olive oil for cooking and in salads, and very occasionally eat some seafood or dairy when eating with friends.  I'm convinced.  If you want to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk of heart disease & stroke, and reduce your belly fat--this is the way to go.  Dr. David J. Jenkins of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto is one of the pre-eminent researchers on the benefits of a plant-based, low-glycemic diet (like beans, nuts, oats,& quinoa) for improving diabetes control, lowering cholesterol, and preventing cardiovascular disease.  Click here for Jenkins research.  And that's not all--keeping your blood sugar stable with low glycemic plant-based foods and exercise will preserve your brain.  Click here.  And as for too much fat--not only is it bad for your belly--it's bad for your brain--so just ditch it Click here.  I Finally ditched the fat starting 6/21/10.  Don't miss it a bit.  The benefits are too numerous to mention!

4. No time urgency.  This is what keeps the Okinawans calm, relaxed, and living longer.  I'm really working on this one--which goes hand-in-hand with flexibility.  Things don't always go as planned--you either go-with-the-flow or get stressed and anxious.  My favorite 2 words, "Oh well."  Life goes better when you stay in the moment, chill, and don't worry about getting there fast.  When our Christmas Day trip to New York City was aborted because of an ice storm, we checked into a hotel at noon, and enjoyed a dinner of cranberry nut mix, Larabars, Cliff Bars, and clementines.  All the restaurants were closed in this Pennsylvanian town.  Oh well.  We had a good time, and made it to New York safe and sound the next day.  I've used this "slow down", "oh well", "why get yourself in a tizzy" self-talk approach throughout the year.  It helps--I could be better--but I'm better than I was!

5. More Dancing, Singing, Laughing, Playing, Schmoozing, and Mahjing.  What's the point of staying healthy without having fun?  That's the reason we work at staying healthy. Cool fact: There's a little organ deep in the ear, called the sacculus--and it gives us a great sense of pleasure and well-being when it's stimulated.  But, it can only be stimulated through singing!  So, bring on the Singstar Karaoke!  Click here.  I say "Yes!"  to fun things to do, trips, visits, outings, meeting new people, and dinners whenever I possibly can--without making myself crazy by overbooking or overcommitting.   I'm almost always glad for it!   Haven't signed up for dancing lessions yet--but it's on my to-do list--and definitely need more Maj-time!!!  OK, gal pals, when's the next game?  Frannie we miss you!

6.  The Supplements.  I'm really bad at regularly taking supplements.  I'm good at counting them out, taking them to work, and bringing them back home with me.  Truth is, there are some supplements worth taking because there's no easy way to get enough of them through diet alone.  Here are my favorites:  Omega-3s (I use Omega-Brite), DHA, (an omega-3 for brain health), Magnesium, Citracal, Vitamin D (I'm up to 3000 IUs), Curcumin (also known as turmeric, the yellow color in curry), and Juvenon (the combo of acetyl l-carnitine & alpha lipoic acid) developed by Dr. Bruce Ames.  Click here to read more about what I take, and what some prominent physicians take.  I'm not an everyday person with supplements, and try hard to get them from real food, but I still take a plant-based DHA, magnesium in am & pm, 1/2 the Citracal I used to take, curcumin occasionally, Juvenon occasionally, vitamin D (2000-4000 IUs), and a daily vitamin B-12 (1000 mcg), and I've added 1/2 of a whole foods multivitamin ("Mega Food Women Over 40 One Daily") twice a day based on Dr. Roizen's recommendation.

7.  Eliminate the time-wasters from my day.  Except for watching "The Middle" or "Glee", TV watching always leaves me bored and unsatisfied.  So, why bother wasting the precious time?  The same goes for my mindless internet cruising, checking in more than necessary with email, the NYT, and other favorite sites.  Enough already!  Except for writing this blog, doing research, or writing/reading emails I'm no longer cruising the internet.  I just don't have that much extra time in the day--with a long commute & everything else.  TV doesn't interest me much--unless it's at the end of the day & I'm too tired of reading.

8.  Maximize my peak energy times of the day.  Over a year ago I blogged about getting in sync with our natural energy ebb and flow throughout the day.  It works--and I intend to start planning my day around them, when possible.  For instance, 9-11 is the peak time for brain work-creativity-and analytical work.  On days when I don't work I would usually use this time for exercise & errands.  Poor use of brain time.  Better to exercise between 3-6.  To read more, click here:  Maximize Your Energy-Match Your Tasks to Your daily Energy Levels.  This really works & I try hard to follow it.   I've changed my work schedule around so I can fit in exercise on workdays--and on days off, I do brain work before anything else--when I can.

9.  Give a gift a day for 29 days a month.  When 36 year old Cami Walker of LA learned she had multiple sclerosis, her spirits flagged.  She was tired, in pain, and had the prospect of a debilitating disease ahead of her.  When a holistic health educator gave her the prescription of giving 29 gifts a day for a month she thought it sounded it crazy.  Nothing big (and that's the point)--something like making a supportive phone call or saving a piece of yummy cake for her husband.  Of course the prescription didn't cure her,  but it had a startling effect of helping her cope with her illness and gave her a more positive outlook on life.  I love this idea.  It's a planned regular way to just think about kindness.  No big acts, just something little-done everyday.  To read more, click here.  Sorry, to say, this hasn't become a regular habit--but I do look for opportunities to do that "little something more" or favors throughout the day.  I know it makes me feel much better--need to make a more conscious effort with this one.

10. Cultivate my garden of friends and family.  Regular phone calls, visits, dinners, outings, and celebrations.  At 60 there's no time to delay any of these.  It's the glue that keeps us together and makes life worth living.  I really try hard to keep this one at the top of my list!  Can't help but think of the extra time I'd have to accomplish this if I ditched writing this blog, though, but read #11!

11.  Once You're Through Learning--You're Through.  This is the philosophy of John Wooden, the 97-year-old retired (he died in June 2010 at 98) UCLA basketball coach.  No doubt about it, learning and sharing what I learn is my purpose in life.  I'm lucky to have a job that gives me access to learning about health and medicine, and a hobby that gives me a chance to share what I learn.  Not a day goes by that I don't work on this one--but it doesn't feel like work to me!  Well, at least most of the time it doesn't feel like work.

12.  Start Eating Less.  OK, I'm ready to shed a few pounds, and I know from past experience that writing down exactly what I eat, and how much I've exercised, really works.  I use something called MyFoodDiary.com and it's set up with all my favorite recipes.  Unfortunately, I haven't used it in quite some time.  The new year is a great time to start!  To read more about this tool, click here.  Well, this strategy  sure played out big-time in 2010!  I'm eating far fewer caleries, shed 13 pounds, but I eat whenever I want.  You all know this story--I won't repeat it!  And yes, I do use MyFoodDiary for my recipes & to keep a check on how balanced my diet is--but not daily or weekly.

For some good reasons to eat less, read:  CALERIE: The NIH Calorie-Restriction Experiment. Lessons for Health, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Longevity, and Disease Prevention 

 And my updated version: Painless Calorie Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention from the NIH CALERIE Study

 

My new goals for 2011: 

1.  Resume a regular meditation practice--so many good reasons to do so, including its positive effect on some 2000 genes: those that control aging, inflammation, & metabolism.  Read more here

2.  Start playing around with the  Dr. Michael Merzenich's Brain Fitness Auditory software that I received for renewing my local NPR affiliate membership.  I'm a huge fan of his work! 

3.  Figure out some way to have more unscheduled do-nothing time:

"La dolcezza di non fare niente!" 

Italian for "The Sweetness of Doing Nothing"

 

Time to end this list.  I've more than maximized my 9-11 brain time and written this post.  It's now time to make my smoothie, do some core exercises, take those supplements, answer birthday phone calls, enjoy a birthday lunch, followed by an evening out with friends who all share the same wedding anniversary--if we can just make it through our foot of snow!

I'd love to hear from anyone who is 60 or over with advice, tips, and wisdom about maximizing life in the sixties, seventies, and more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Perfect Quick Pre-Work-Out Breakfast - Sonya O'Donnell's Chocolate Banana Chia Power Pudding - Followed by the Healthy Librarian's Favorite Friday Morning Work-Out

 

Sonya O'Donnell's Power Chia Banana Pudding

 

 

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

Lucky me--I don't work on Friday's.

But, no matter how late I get home on Thursday nights, without fail, I wake up early on Friday morning so I can get to my favorite workout:  Caroline's 30 minutes of spinning, followed by 30 minutes of weight-training intervals that keep the heart pumping.

There usually isn't much time for breakfast--and don't tell anyone--but, sometimes I leave the house without even brushing my teeth--until I get home!  Shhh!

Last week when I spotted Sonya O'Donnell's Quick Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding, I decided I had to give it a try.  I'm a sucker for pudding, chocolate, and chia.

Nothing could have been easier to whip up!  I added my secret ingredient--1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to give it a touch of sophistication--and a little caffeine.

Let me tell you--this pudding is THE PERFECT PRE or POST WORKOUT fuel.  It even has champion tri-athlete Brendan Brazier's perfect workout fuel or recovery ratio:   3-4 grams of carbohydrates to 1 gram of protein for post recovery. 

 

It's a perfect nutritional powerhouse, with protein from the soy milk, hemp seeds, & chia--potassium from the banana--polyphenols & antioxidants from the cocoa--and carbohydrates, fiber, & antioxidants from the dates--and, it's loaded with omega-3s from the chia & hemp.  Oh baby.  Plus, it tastes delicious!

 

Making the Power Pudding--It's as Easy as Pie

 

Easy Ingredients--Non-Dairy Milk, Chia, Hulled Hemp Seeds, Banana, Dates, Vanilla, & Cinnamon

 

 

Here's Sonya's recipe, with my modifications of espresso powder & soy milk:

 

"Chia seeds are one of the oldest cultivated plants known to man.  They are loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids (3 and 6), vitamins, minerals and fiber.  

Chia seeds maintain blood sugar levels as they slow our bodies conversion of carbohydrates into simple sugars.  They are great for an athletic person as they can effectively replenish minerals lost in sweat.  

Chia seeds can also help in weight loss as they swell up to 10 times their size, which prevents absorption of some calories we eat.  Chia puddings are great for breakfast as they will provide you with ample energy throughout the day."

Read more about the benefits of cocoa and chia here and here and here.

 

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

Ingredients (makes 4 servings):

• 1½ cups EdenSoy Extra (it's fortified with calcium, B-12, & vitamin D, etc.)  Or use the non-dairy milk of your choice.   Sonya's recipe uses almond milk
• 1 organic banana
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder or Penzey's non-Dutched cocoa (my fave), or any non-Dutched cocoa
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup chia seeds
• 2 medjool dates, pitted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder

Preparation:

1. Place the chia seeds in a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Blend soy milk, banana, hemp seeds, cacao or cocoa, salt, dates, vanilla, espresso powder and cinnamon in a high speed blender.
3. Blend on high until a chocolate shake consistency is achieved.
4. Add wet ingredients to chia seeds and mix thoroughly.
5. Let stand for at least 20 minutes while chia seeds swell and become gel like.
6. Serve with a few goji berries as garnish.
7. Pudding will last in refrigerator, covered for a few days.

 

Nutrition Facts Sonya O'Donnell Chia Chocolate Banana Power Breakfast Pudding
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	200
Total Fat	7g
Saturated Fat	0.7g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	180mg
Carbohydrate	28g
Dietary Fiber	7.1g
Sugars	14.3g
Protein	7.5g
Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    9% Iron 9%

 

 

The Workout I Don't Ever Want to Miss

 

 The No-Frills Spin "Studio" at My Neighborhood Fitness Co-op

 

That's Me--Enjoying the 30 Minute Weight Work-Out after 30 Minutes of Spinning

 

My idea of a perfect workout:

• 30 minutes of spinning to get my heart rate thumping--in the company of a fun group of 20-somethings through 60-somethings  (namely me--& my friend Janet whose almost 60)
• 30 minutes of non-stop complex weight-training moves that simultaneously use the upper body & lower body to keep the heart rate up.   Think squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, abs, & working every possible upper body muscle group.  Always different, with a mixture of light & heavy weights, bands, & even paper plates!

 

Did the Power Pudding keep me fueled?

Absolutely!!   And I followed it up with some Green Smoothie & Chocolate Oatmeal with Berries when I got home.  I've got energy to spare!  And yes, I brushed my teeth right after that second breakfast!

 

What's your favorite pre or post workout meal?

What's your favorite work-out?

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Weekly Facebook "Brain Backup" - My Favorite Health & Wellness News & Recipes for January 19-January 29, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

January 19, 2012

• Heartwire: Statins for Prevention?  Why Two Top Doc Recommend Prescribing Based on Total RIsk--Not Just LDL
  
• Diane Rehm Show: Adult Children Caring for Their Elderly Ailing Parents--Author Hendrick Hartog Discusses the Difficulties
  
• NYT: A Better Middle-Aged Brain--Suggestions for What Works
  
• HHLL: Facebook Weekly Back-Up Post--News from January 11-January 19, 2012
  
• Disease Proof: DHA & Micronutrients for the Brain--What You Need
  

 

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

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Dr. Harlan Krumholz of Yale & Dr. Rodney Hayward of Michigan argue for a sea change in treating cholesterol. Treatment based on overall risk, rather than a single LDL number. [I say "Hooray!"] What do you think?

Makes sense to me when you look at the evidence of drastic health & cardiac risk improvements (far better than with statins)--with no adverse effects, for people on the Esselstyn plant-based no-oil diet--even when LDL levels sometimes don't go down as drastically as they might with high-dose statins. You stop making small-dense atherogenic LDL. Looking solely at LDL numbers ignores the reality of "light fluffy LDL).

If inflammation is the main driver of heart disease--this makes sense to this rank amateur. Time to focus on the big picture (weight loss, BP-lowering, diabetes reversal, inflammation-reduction) when it comes to heart disease prevention--not one single lipid number!

 

Treating risk, not LDL cholesterol: Open letter | theheart.org

In focusing on patient risk, rather than LDL-cholesterol treatment targets, doctors would improve patient outcomes and reduce adverse effects and costs that result from treating low-risk, low-benefit patients, say experts.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

If you love your children, stay as healthy as you can, for their sake, if not your own! Heard this on Diane Rehm this morning--and it's worth listening to if you've ever cared for or been responsible for an elderly sick parent or relative. It's only going to get more difficult as our economy & gov't assistance gets more challenging. Many can't afford assisted living or nursing care--and taking care of a sick parent at home (especially if you are working-live out-of-town-or have kids at home) can be one of the most difficult of life's challenges. I was 30 years old with a newborn when my dad suffered a major stroke. It's not easy.

 

 

Hendrick Hartog: "Someday All This Will Be Yours" | The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR

thedianerehmshow.org

We all hope that we will get the care we need through our old age. But these days, Social Security, Medicare, pensions and retirement plans seem less of a sure thing. Economic uncertainty is putting new pressure on adults to take on...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Exercise, Education, Friends, Volunteer, Stay Calm--the Better Brain Prescription. Must reading if you wonder why some people remain sharper than others as they age.

"When the Midus team (a National Institute of Aging mega-research project studying mid-life) put their data together, they noticed other similarities among people with the strongest cognitive skills. Senior citizens who performed as well as younger adults in fluid intelligence tended to share four characteristics in addition to having a college degree and regularly engaging in mental workouts: they exercised frequently; they were socially active, frequently seeing friends and family, volunteering or attending meetings; they were better at remaining calm in the face of stress; and they felt more in control of their lives.

Just as money and education often run together, these factors tend to reinforce one another. Adults who call on friends and family for support may be better able to reduce their stress, and reducing their stress may give them sense of control. "

 

A Sharper Mind, Middle Age and Beyond

New York Times:  How to subtract 10 years from your brain’s age? Get a college degree.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: The Healthy Librarian's Brand-New Weekly Facebook "Brain Backup" - My Favor

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Missed it on Facebook? Find it here. A few readers told me they were disappointed that I started posting a lot of information only on Facebook--and not on HHLL. Turns out, if you don't have a Facebook account, it's a...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I take a DHA supplement everyday--along with chia & flax. B-12 is a must. I'm not taking any chances with my "brain nutrients." I will have the opportunity to take a DHA test soon to measure how well my plant-based omega-3s (ALA) are converting into long-chain EPA & DHA. Very curious to find out.

 

DHA and micronutrients may prevent brain shrinkage with age

Disease Proof:  Vitamins, DHA, and the aging brain It is known that a Western diet is associated with dementia – the risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease

 

January 20, 2012

• HHLL:  My Very First Blog Post--January 2008
• Dr. Neal Barnard Video:  Reversing Type-2 Diabetes with Diet
• WSJ:  Chia to Win Football Games?
• Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: The Cognitive Impairment--Kidney Connection
• The Atlantic: The Evidence for a Vegan Diet
• The Vegan RD:  Omega-3s in the Plant-Based Diet

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

What a revelation! My very first blog post was made on January 10, 2008. How my life has changed since then! No more counting calories, or measuring food. I now eat until my appetite & "heart's content"! I still use My Food Diary for getting the Nutritional Info for my recipes--and to check in every so often to see how much protein, fat, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, & calcium I'm getting from my typical diet. It always checks out as "Excellent". Happy Blog Anniversary to me! First public post was on January 18, 2008! Some things never change! http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2008/01/crazy-busy-over.html

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: What a revelation! Filling out MyFoodDiary before I start my day.

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

I joined MyFoodDiary a couple of years ago when Tarah Parker-Pope recommended it in her review of food diaries for the Wall Street Journal. When I use it, it's eye opening & IT WORKS! It shows you exactly how healthy...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Hands down, one of the best videos I've seen to explain how what we eat affects our health & our weight. Whether your pre-diabetic, already have type-2 diabetes, or you're perfectly healthy--take the 37 minutes to watch this. Best time investment of the week for me. Dr. Barnard is funny, articulate, & turns the complicated into simple!!! Just watch it until the end. And he changed my mind about salmon.

 

Neal Barnard program for Reversing Diabetes-YouTube Video

Neal Barnard program for Reversing Diabetes book tour at Vero Beach SiliStudio Speaker: Neal Barnard Videographer: Sam Tsang PostProduction: Silvia Li

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Just posted my summary of Dr. Neal Barnard's video on Reversing Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet on HHLL--including my detailed summary of what Barnard has to say in the video.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Can You Really Reverse Diabetes with a Plant-Based Diet? Let Dr. Neal Barn

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

Dr. Neal Barnard on Reversing Diabetes Through Diet If you do not see the video, click here to go to the direct link. This is hands down, one of the best videos I've seen to explain how what we eat...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

HHLL reader & friend Tom says Ray Rice must be reading my blog, since I'm such a big fan of chia. Thanks, Tom, for sending me this link!

 

The NFL's Top-Secret Seed

online.wsj.com

Ray Rice, the leading rusher for the Baltimore Ravens, has a diet secret: mixing in spoonfuls of an obscure Bolivian-grown seed that, he believes, replenishes his energy and helps keep his digestive system humming.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This large study of woman over age 70 found that even very small amounts of protein in their urine indicated the very beginnings of kidney dysfunction, and signaled that cognitive abilities — higher-order brain functions like memory and verbal fluency — declined two to seven times faster than normal. Why? Damage to small blood vessels--in the kidney & the brain. The cause? Vascular inflammation associated with obesity, diabetes, & hypertension. The puzzle pieces continue to fit together. Diet does matter!

 

How Your Kidneys Could Signal Trouble Ahead For Your Brain | CommonHealth

New research finds links between the humble kidney and our brains. Shown here is the kidney of an embryonic mouse, genetically altered to glow green.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

From the Atlantic. Thanks Amy for sharing this one!

 

The Evidence for a Vegan Diet

From the Atlantic

There's plenty of science to justify a plant-based diet, but the stories of personal transformation—curing diabetes, losing 100 pounds, living an active lifestyle—make the biggest impression.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Bottom Line: Don't skip on the flax seed/meal, chia seeds, etc! Everyday! You need them. The research is just not out yet on whether you also need a DHA/EPA supplement.

Omega-3 Fats in Vegan Diets: A Quick Primer | The Vegan RD

 

January 21, 2012

• What's in the Healthy Librarian's Saturday Take-to-Work Lunch Box?
  
• MedCityNews: Biotech Company Making Omega-3 Supplements from Algae
  
• Science Friday: The Benefits of Meditation for the Body & the Brain
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Off to work on this Saturday. Packed my lunch box with a Green Smoothie (lacinato kale, Swiss chard, orange, carrots, mixed berries), Crockpot Chocolate Oatmeal with chia, walnuts, & berries, and an OMG! Cajun Kale Soup with just a little Field Roast "Andouile Sausage" & Rice. Recipe on Sunday--if I have time.

 

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Seems like timely news! Could fish oil be on the way out--and sustainable algal oil on the way in? Hmm. Or maybe it will turn out that none of it's needed if you're on a plant-based, no-added-oil, balanced omega-6:omega-3 diet.

 

Biotech company that makes omega-3 oils from algae raises $2.5M

MedCItyNews: AlgiSys looks to enter the vegetarian omega-3 oils market with technology that makes omega-3 acids from algae. Read more about AlgiSys' technology

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian via Science Friday

Meditation Friday

soundcloud.com

Take a few minutes out of your day to relax with a meditation from psychologist Mark Williams, author of Mindfulness.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I'm planning to listen to this Sci Fri podcast when I get some quiet time alone--and then chill out with their mini-meditation below!

 

Be Here Now: Meditation For The Body And Brain

ScienceFriday: Oxford University clinical psychologist Mark Williams talks about his new book Mindfulness.

 

 

 

January 22, 2012

• The Favorite Fun Facebook Video of the Week: The University of Toronto's Dr. Mike Evans & His Amazing Video on the Benefits of Exercise--Don't Miss It!  All Learning Should Be This Fun.
  
• HHLL: Spicy Cajun "Sausage" & RIce Soup (Everyone Who Has Made It--Has Loved It)
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Watch this sometime today--without fail!! A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way.

Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital. A big thank you to Scott in MN for sharing this gem with me! I'll present more convincing evidence on Tuesday on HHLL.

 

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health? YouTube Video

A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way. Dr. Mike Evans is founder of th...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Latest HHLL post. My latest new fave soup discovery. Plus some "sure bets" for dinner this week. And how about a couple movie recommendations for a winter stay-at-home "Dinner and a Movie Night"?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Finding Soup at a Hair Salon! The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Caju

www.happyhealthylonglife.com

The Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Cajun Kale "Spicy Sausage" & Rice Soup I found this recipe hiding in a magazine at my hair salon. On Tuesday I got my hair cut & colored (don't judge!), and while I waited from Michelle...

 

 

 

January 23, 2011

• The Natural Standard Database: Strontium Ranelate for Osteoporosis
  

• NPR: The Story SSRI's for Depression--The Low Serotonin Theory
  
• Planet Money on "This American Life":  The Euro Crisis & What Really Happened to Greece.  Economics Made Interesting & Understandable
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Researchers Compare Osteoporosis Drug Effectiveness. Strontium ranelate may be a more efficient osteoporosis drug than alendronate, according to a recent study. Strontium is a metallic element that has properties similar to those of calcium. The body can easily incorporate strontium into bones and tooth enamel. Strontium ranelate is a frequently prescribed drug for post-menopausal osteoporosis that may not only prevent the breakdown of bone, but may also encourage bone growth and density. The scientists concluded that strontium ranelate may have a stronger influence on the structure of the bones than alendronate. However, they added that more evidence is needed in order to better understand these findings.

 

Natural Standard - Database Home

naturalstandard.com

Natural Standard, the Authority on Integrative Medicine

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Everyone likes a simple late 1980's story of a chemical imbalance brought on by low serotonin--to explain depression--and that's why it has remained very popular. "I don't know of any story that has supplanted it," says Alan Frazer, a researcher who studies how antidepressant medications work. He is also chair of the pharmacology department at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Unfortunately, the real story is complicated, and in a way, not all that reassuring. Researchers don't really know what causes depression. They're making progress, but they don't know. That's the real story. It's not exactly a blockbuster.

 

When It Comes To Depression, Serotonin Isn't The Whole Story : NPR

NPR:  The antidepressant Prozac selectively targets the chemical serotonin. When the drug was introduced in the 1980s, it helped solidify the idea in many minds that depression was the result of a chemical imbalance. But the real story is far more complicated.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I heard part of this on the way home from the gym on Sunday--and I'm going back for more! It turns snoozer info into an exciting who-done-it. It clarifies what's going on in Greece, Spain, & Portugal. Get the whole Euro monetary crisis explained in a way that you sure to understand! Viva Planet Money & This American Life. I love Ira Glass.

 

Continental Breakup | This American Life

If you're like us, when the words "European debt crisis" pop up in the news you feel a little worried, and a little like taking a nap. Turns out, there's a story behind this story. One that's filled with guilt, and drama, and betrayal, and 100-year-old dreams come true. Alex Blumberg of Planet Money...

 

 

 

January 24, 2012

• Healthy Librarian Tip: Cocoa-PB2 Chocolate Heaven
  
• HHLL Reader's Tip:  Ann Esselstyn's Orange Soup Simplified in Crockpot
  
• New York Time Education Issue:  One Hour a Day--The Lifetime Learning Prescription
  
• HHLL Post:  The Green Smoothie Controversy
  
• The Vegan RD:  Dairy/Plant-Based Comparisons--And the Winner is?
  
• New York Times: The Calorie-Burning Benefits of Brown Fat--A Good Reason to Exercise & to Lower Your Thermostat
  

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Last night's chocolate fix. I'm LOVING Penzey's Unprocessed Cocoa (richest grade available in the world). 2 TBS. PB2 (defatted peanut flour), 1 TBS. Penzey's Cocoa, 1 packet stevia, a couple drops of really good vanilla, 2 TBS of warm water. Mix well in a cup, and dip 1/2 a banana slices into it. Oh baby!

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This morning's genius "no-work" tip from HHLL reader Amy: Just wanted you to know that I got rushed today and put Ann Esselstyn's Orange soup in my crockpot. I did none of the steps AT ALL. I merely put in precut raw butternut squash and raw, peeled, cut up sweet potatoes, chopped onion, chopped celery, chopped carrot, the chopped garlic, the lentils, 1 tsp salt, the rosemary and red pepper. Plus the 8 cups of water. When I came home from work I used my immersion blender to whir it all up and it was amazing. I cannot believe it! Pass it on! :) Recipe below.

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: Real Men Can Cook: An Amazing Plant-Based/Vegan Nutritional Powerhouse of a

Ann Esselstyn's Awesome Almost All-Orange Vegetable Soup Ann Essestyn's Very Easy Blueberry Muffins Click here to go to the web version of this post, if you've received this via email. Better for photos. My apologies for writing another recipe/food post....

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Devote 1 single hour a day to learning something new, no matter what--something that's out of your comfort zone. Take advantage of free mini-online classes on iTunes U which includes Stanford & MIT or even YouTube. Keep track of it all in a notebook or a spreadsheet. Jeremy Gleick, you inspire me!

 

Renaissance Man

New York Times: For more than two years, Jeremy Gleick has set aside a “learning hour.” He recently logged in his 1,000th hour.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My latest HHLL post! The Green Smoothie Controversy. Is it good for your health? It all depends. My argument for a greens & vegetable heavy smoothie, that's light on the fruit. What's your opinion?

 

Happy Healthy Long Life: The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Gr

The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable-Heavy Smoothie - Mostly Kale (8 cups), 2 carrots, 1 orange, and 1 cup of berries Yesterday, I received this email from Gael, a long-time HHLL reader: "This does not make me happy!" To Smoothie or Not...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

A must read comparison of dairy vs non-dairy equivalents. This research confirms that milk and other dairy products have nothing to offer that you can’t get elsewhere. Here are some things that happened when dairy products were replaced with nondairy foods. The amount of saturated fat and sodium both dropped. And the amounts of vitamin A, potassium, and magnesium all increased. The study didn’t analyze vitamin C, vitamin K, iron or fiber, none of which are found in dairy products and all of which would be provided by the nondairy composite. Thanks to HHLL reader, Betty, for sharing this with me!

Dairy-Free Diets Are Packed with Nutrients | The Vegan RD

by Ginny Messina on 23. Jan, 2012

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My house is set at 58 degrees in the winter. It's freezing at work, too. And I exercise. Gotta love that calorie-burning brown fat. Who knew? I'm not complaining about a too cold house anymore. New article from the Journal of of Clinical Investigation by Dr. Carpentier explains how it works. Brown fat, Dr. Carpentier, “Is on fire.” On average, Dr. Carpentier said, the brown fat burned about 250 calories over three hours. It not only takes up glucose, if you have it, it will keep you warmer in a freezing room.

Brown Fat Burns Ordinary Fat, Study Finds

The New York Times:  In separate studies, researchers have determined that in cold conditions, people’s calorie-gobbling brown fat uses ordinary fat as fuel — and that exercise may convert ordinary fat to brown fat.

 

January 25, 2012

• Disease Proof:  It's a Junk Food Jungle Out There for the Kiddos--Two Mom's Track the Sugary Snacks Offered to Their Kids for 6 Weeks
  
• Wall Street Journal:  Point-Counter Point on Prescribing Statins for Prevention--Should Healthy People Take Statins?
  
• Dr. Michael Greger: The Number One Cancer-Fighting Vegetables
  
• New England Journal of Medicine: Is Heart Disease or a Stroke in Your Future?  An Easy Risk Calculator.
  
• Marth Rose Shulman's Black Rice, Red Lentil, & Edamame Salad Recipe

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

In forty-five days, three children, ages 3, 5, and 7 were offered a total of 41,734 extra calories; 1,927 grams of fat; and 6,470 grams of sugar! No joke! No wonder our kids are hooked on sugar & fat. Even if your house is junk food-free, there's always someone else ready to offer them a treat. Interesting experiment.

 

Two moms and an eye-opening experiment

Disease Proof:  The creativity of our readers is amazing! The following is an “experiment” that two Moms, Mandy and her friend Jessica, did over this pas...

 

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Drs. Roger Blumenthal & Rita Redberg do an enlightening "Point Counter-Point" in the Wall Street Journal on prescribing statins to healthy people for primary prevention.

Here's what Blumental says: Critics of statins argue that lifestyle changes are a lot cheaper than drugs. But generic statins cost about $50 a year. Can you get a year's worth of fruits and vegetables for $50? (Me: and that's a reason to prescribe drugs?? But, it gets better...when he says:)

What's more, the true alternative to statins is more costly than that. Current lifestyles in the U.S. are flawed. We're getting fatter, older and sicker. We must fundamentally restructure our food supply, so that the focus is not on meat and high-calorie, high-fat foodstuffs with little nutritional value. Our cities, our workday and our pastimes must be restructured to promote physical activity and heart-healthy behaviors.

 

Should Healthy People Take Cholesterol Drugs?

online.wsj.com

Roger Blumenthal of Johns Hopkins says statins save lives in seemingly healthy people who have high cholesterol. Rita Redberg of UC San Francisco argues that the evidence isn't clear and that the risk of side effects is too great.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Given the release this month of the American Cancer Society’s new dietary guidelines calling for an “emphasis on plant foods,” I thought for today’s video pick (featured below) I’d feature a video that offers insight into which plant foods may be best. It covers a landmark study that pitted 34 common vegetables against 8 different lines of human cancer cells. Make sure to also check out the “prequel” video Veggies vs. Cancer. Thanks to HHLL reader Gael for sharing this one!

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/1-anticancer-vegetable.html#ixzz1kV82TRiF

 

#1 Anticancer Vegetable

Dr. Michael Greger:  A landmark study in which 34 common vegetables are pitted against 8 different lines of human cancer cells.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

A study in the January 25, 2012 New England Journal of Medicine offers a simple way to predict the risk of a fatal or debilitating heart attack or stroke for a middle-aged person over the rest of his or her life."

If at age 45 you have two or more of either elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes or smoking, and you're a man, then there's a 50-50 proposition that you will have a heart attack or a stroke during your remaining lifespan," cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, who headed the study at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Women with two risk factors have about a 30 percent chance.

Having even one risk factor dramatically increases the risk of heart disease. And 95 percent of middle-aged Americans (ages 45-55) have at least one risk factor for heart disease.

 

Start Early To Curb Heart Risks For A Lifetime : NPR

NPR:  Middle-aged men with two common risk factors have a 50-50 chance of having a serious heart attack or stroke as they grow older, a new study finds. The findings suggest that taming risks early in life can make big difference later on.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Minus the oil--this one sounds like a winner, don't you think?

 

Black Rice and Red Lentil Salad — Recipes for Health

Martha Rose Shulman's Recipes for Health:  With a mix of textures and colors and bright flavors, this dish makes for an enticing midday meal.

 

 

 

January 26, 2012

• One Green Planet:  Flavonoids to Lower Heart Disease & Stroke
  
• Chicago Tribune:  An Interview with Yogi Tara Stiles,
  
• The Natural Standard Database: The Sugar and C-Reactive Protein Inflammation Connection
• Dr. Michael Greger: Antioxidant Rankings & What's the Better Breakfast?
  
• NIH News:  Nurses's Health Study and the Animal Protein & Gestational Diabetes Connection
• New York Times:  Kettle Bell Work-Out for a Stronger Injury-Free Back

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

This just published study (ahead of print) in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that flavonoids have a number of benefits linked to less heart disease & stroke-- including fighting inflammation and acting as antioxidants — which means they also help protect body cells from damage that may lead to chronic diseases and cancer.
The findings are based on more than 98,000 men and women Thanks to Bev for sharing this!

 

Flavonoids Found in Plant-based Foods Linked to Fewer Heart Deaths | One Green Planet

www.onegreenplanet.org

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who get the most flavonoids in their diets are less likely to die of heart disease or stroke, when compared to those who ate the least flavonoids. The compounds are found in a range of plant foods, including man...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

Yoga instructor Tara Stiles: Q&A

articles.chicagotribune.com

When yoga teacher Tara Stiles listed her influences on her YouTube profile, she typed in "Deepak Chopra, Jane Fonda and Yoko Ono." Shortly thereafter, Stiles become Chopra's personal yoga...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

In a new study, researchers studied 559 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18. They collected data on participants' diet and blood sugar levels.
The results suggested that higher fructose consumption may be associated with several heart disease risk factors, including higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar and increased levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.

 

Natural Standard - Database Home

naturalstandard.com

Natural Standard, the Authority on Integrative Medicine

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Be sure to watch Dr. Greger's "A Better Breakfast"! Looks like he's a smoothie fan. Anybody ever hear of "amla"? Sounds interesting, don't you think?

Acai to Zucchini: antioxidant food rankings

nutritionfacts.org

Today's NutritionFacts.org video-of-the-day Dragon's Blood wraps up a ten-part series based on a groundbreaking study that measured the total Antioxidant

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

High animal fat diet increases gestational diabetes risk, January 25, 2012 News Release - National I

NIH:  Women who consumed a diet high in animal fat and cholesterol before pregnancy were at higher risk for gestational diabetes than women whose diets were lower in animal fat and cholesterol, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health and Harvard University.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

At the end of the study, the kettlebell exercisers reported less pain as well as improved strength in the trunk and core muscles, compared with the control group. Over all, working out with kettlebells reduced lower back pain by 57 percent and cut neck and shoulder pain by 46 percent.

Turning to Kettlebells to Ease Back Pain

New York Times:  Kettle-shaped iron weights, which have been used for centuries to train Russian soldiers and athletes, appear to be a promising therapy for back, neck and shoulder pain, new research shows.

 

 

 

January 27, 2012

• NPR: StoryCorps on Coping with the Sudden Death of a Child--Overcoming Grief
• People's Pharmacy:  Interview with Reid Wilson, PhD. on Overcoming Obsessions
  
• One Green Planet: An Easy Energy-Packed Chocolate Banana Chia Pudding for Breakfast
  
• Happy Herbivore:  Q & A of Tofu, Calcium, & Nutritional Yeast
• The Chef in You: Vegan Egg Substitutions for Baking & Cooking
  
• Nutrition Facts: The Most-Nutrient-Dense Fruits & Vegetables to Lower C-Reactive Protein/Inflammation
• Osteoporosis International Study: Spinning & Jogging for Stronger Bones

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Every Friday morning I listen to StoryCorps. I am always moved beyond any expectation. Real people sharing their stories. Sometimes inspiring. Sometimes devastating. Always thought-provoking. This morning I cried.

 

After Son's Sudden Death, Shock, Grief, And Coping : NPR

NPR's StoryCorps:  Dennis Apple and his wife, Buelah, came to StoryCorps to talk about their son Denny. Nearly 21 years ago, Denny came down with mononucleosis. Before going to bed one night, he took some medicine, and talked about where he wanted to sleep.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Haven't listened to this one yet--but the People's Pharmacy podcasts are my listening favorites for my work commute. Always top-notch experts.

 

844 Overcoming Obsessions - The People's Pharmacy®

People's Pharmacy Interview:  Letting Go of Obsessive Thoughts

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Probably more for the athletes, skinnies, & exercisers among us--with a 1/2 cup of chia & 2 TBS of hemp you're getting 12.25 grams of fat per serving--but lots of it is healthy omega-3s. I've got all the ingredients in my pantry, so I'll give it a try (with Penzey's cocoa). BTW--organic shelled hemp seed is DELICIOUS!

 

Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding | One Green Planet

www.onegreenplanet.org

Chia seeds are one of the oldest cultivated plants known to man. They are loaded with antioxidants, essential fatty acids (3 and 6), vitamins, minerals and fiber. Chia seeds maintain blood sugar levels as they slow our bodies conversion of carbohydrates into simple sugars. They are great for an a...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian shared a link.

 

This Week's Q&A (Talking Nutritional Yeast, Tofu, Calcium & More!)

happyherbivore.com

You've got questions, I've got answers!1. My husband has been concerned that we're not getting enough calcium since switching to a vegetarian (trying to be vegan) diet. He's run some numbers to compare what we're eating to see how much we are getting each day, but still feels like we ...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

I usually use 1 TBS of flax meal mixed in 3 TBS of water as an egg substitute, but, I wanted more guidance before trying HHLL reader Amy's Black Bean Cake which uses 3 eggs. Would Energ-G be better? Came across this helpful looking post. Verdict: I'm going with "flax eggs".

 

Substitute for Eggs | Vegan, Egg Free Substitutes in Baking | Chef In You

chefinyou.com

Comprehensive list to know how to make egg substitutes to make Eggless (Egg Free) Cakes, Muffins, brownies, Pancakes, Cookies and other savory dish recipes.

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Choosing the most nutrient dense fruits & vegetables can reduce your C-Reactive Protein (aka inflammation levels) Link to article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20674303

 

Anti-inflammatory antioxidants

nutritionfacts.org

Even when choosing the same quantity of fruits and vegetables, those making higher antioxidant choices experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein (inflammation) levels.

Happy Healthy Long Life: What the Experts Say About Getting the Most Antioxidants from Our Food. Wh

‎"About twenty years ago, researchers found the missing link. They discovered that colorful plant foods in their natural state were also rich in thousands of compounds with important health properties for humans—phytochemicals. Only by eating an assortment of natural foods...

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

Hey 20 & 30 somethings--take note! A recent study published in Osteoporosis International investigated the normal exercise routines of more than 1,000 25-year-old women and found that high-impact weight-bearing activities, particularly jogging and spinning (my fave), led to stronger bones than similar low-impact exercises like walking and regular cycling. Researchers believe these differences occur because higher impact exercises involve more jumping and strength-training which place more resistance on the skeleton, better stimulating bone growth.

 

Hey, Ladies: Exercise for Bone Strength, Not Just Weight Loss | Mind the Science Gap

As obesity continues to plague Americans, exercising for weight loss seems to be at the forefront of education, news, and entertainment. But exercise has benefits far beyond just losing weight, including research supporting its potential to ward off osteoporosis. A recent study in Sweden confirms ...

 

 

 

January 28, 2012

• Feeding Our House Guests Fabulous Plant-Based Meals for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian

My sister and brother-in-law are visiting this weekend. Last night's dinner: Spicy Cajun Soup with "Andouille Sausage" & Chili Rellenos. Chocolate Oatmeal with berries & walnuts for breakfast.

 

 

 

January 29, 2012

• Dairy versus Dark Leafy Greens for Calcium

 

Plant calcium from dark green leafy vegetables is absorbed twice as well as the calcium in milk. And the other bonus from the green leafies: fiber, folate, iron, anti-oxidants, & the bone health super star: vitamin K. The bonus from cow's milk: cholesterol, butter fat, lactose, manure particles, antibiotics, & pus. Turns out pasteurization kills the bacteria from pus--but it can't cover up the taste. Yummy!

 

Plant vs. Cow Calcium

Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/plant-vs-cow-calcium-2/ and he'll answer...

The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie

 

The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable-Heavy Smoothie - Mostly Kale (8 cups), 2 carrots, 1 orange, and 1 cup of berries

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links & photos--and to comment.  I love feedback.

Yesterday, I received this email from Gael, a long-time HHLL reader:

 

"This does not make me happy!"

To Smoothie or Not to Smoothie.  The Skinny on Blending Your Fruits & Vegetables.

 

Gael was referring to a recent blog post written by Lani Muelrath, presenting the case against smoothies.

Lani's post didnt' make me happy, either.  Not all smoothies are created equal.  And I don't agree with all of her arguments against them.  But, hey, there's room for differences of opinion.  

Until I see a study that looks exactly at the digestion & nutrient absorption of my power-packed Green Smoothie, and convinces me otherwise--I'm sticking to my Green Smoothies.  Using a study that compares an apple to apple sauce is just not the same!   Sorry. 

I wrote a lengthy response back to Gael, and then I decided to share it with all of you.

I'm not looking to stir up controversy.  I just want to present another point of view.

 

My Smoothies Have Grown-Up--More "Savory" Than Sweet

 

Not all Smoothies are created equal!   And they shouldn't be judged in the same way.

It's just like lumping the health of all vegans together. 

Think about getting more vegetables into your body--not more fruit.  No one has a problem eating enough fruit--right?   It's the kale that can be more of a challenge--especially if you work.

Make your smoothies with a 4:1 ratio of vegetables (mostly greens) to fruit, & concentrate on low-sugar high-nutrient fruits like mixed berries, citrus or kiwi, &  maybe 1/2 an apple.   I use 1 orange, 1 cup of berries, & maybe 1/2 of a large apple in a smoothie that's large enough to last 2 days---almost 64 ounces.  That's not much fruit, at all!  

The bulk of calories in this smoothie come from kale & carrots:  177 calories are from the vegetables!  That's 72%!!

My 64 ounce smoothie--that lasts 2 days--consists of:

• 8 packed cups of organic kale
• 2 large organic carrots
• 1 very juicy orange (or a kiwi)
• 1 cup of berries (usually mixed--but I only had wild blueberries today)
• Occasonally I'll also add 1/2 of a large Honey Crisp apple
• 3 cups of plain water--I like a drinkable smoothie

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable Heavy Green smoothie Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 247 Total Fat 2.7g       Saturated Fat 0.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 164mg Carbohydrate 55.3g       Dietary Fiber 12.5g       Sugars 17.5g Protein 10.9g Vitamin A 1,295% Vitamin C 624% Calcium    45% Iron 31%

A Power-Packed Nutrient-Dense High-Fiber High-Protein Snack to Sip Through Out the Day

 

 

Here are my thoughts on Green Smoothies:

• The majority of the ingredients should be greens:  kale, collards, spinach, or Swiss Chard
• Include carrots or other, not-too-strong flavored vegetables, if you like.  Like celery, parsley, cucumbers, bok choy, or even cooked beets
• NEVER add a sweetener or fruit juice or yogurt or non-dairy milk!
• Fruit should be limited to about a quarter of the contents--I prefer berries, an orange, maybe 1/2 an apple.  All low-sugar fruits.
• There is no way I could consume all these greens without drinking an almost daily smoothie, and I don't drink it as a meal replacement--or down it all at once.  I'll divide it over the course of a day--as part of a snack, have a little with my lunch, after a work-out, or on my way home from work.   There is no sugar rush whatsoever from my smoothies.  It keeps me from overeating--and keeps my blood sugar steady.
• Diabetics or people with insulin-resistance may be wise to avoid them, consult their physicians---or drastically lower the fruit content of their smoothies.  
• Dr. Esselstyn advises his patients (primarily people with heart disease, & some with other complications like type-2 diabetes) to avoid them.  I want to make that very clear.  These are my opinions--not his.
  
• If you are adding mostly fruit smoothies to your usual diet--you will likely gain weight!

 

Why Dr. Esselstyn Disapproves of Green Smoothies (my words--not a direct quote from him)

 

Dr. Esselstyn is not a fan of "Green" smoothies, because they're usually made with  lots of fruit--and for some folks that quick rush of sugar can be a problem for their blood sugar &/or their triglycerides--and maybe not much different than drinking fruit juice.  

And Esselstyn is a firm believer in chewing fruit--not drinking it--to get that amylase in the saliva flowing, I think.  Amylase is an enzyme found in the saliva that helps to digest starches & separate out glucose for storage & usage. Click here to learn more  And then there's the concern of getting too many added calories with the fruit in smoothies.  All valid concerns.

 

My Amateur Argument for Green Smoothies--Dr. Joel Fuhrman-Inspired

 

I respectfully disagree with Lani.  The study she cites as an argument against smoothie, compares eating an apple with eating applesauce or drinking  apple juice that has a fiber supplement added to it.  That is not enough to convince me.  Applesauce is a fruit, it's heat-processed, and the peel has been removed.  It's not comparable to drinking a fresh, vegetable-heavy Green Kale Smoothie. 

And the purpose of the Penn State study was more about the benefits of eating raw apples before a meal to curb your appetite--which is exactly how I use my Green Smoothie.  

 

My Mostly Vegetable Green Smoothie - Not Very Different From Vegetable Soup

Many people make sweet smoothies filled mostly with fruit--and sure, that could be a quick rush of insulin.   My smoothies are mostly kale & carrots, an orange, berries, & sometimes an apple.   They aren't at all sweet, and those are low-sugar foods.

With all due respect to the "Anti-Smoothie" Theory--that it interferes with satiety, makes you crave more calories, & that it "disrupts" fiber in a negative way--it just doesn't make sense to me!

Dr. Fuhrman specifically explains how breaking down the tough cellulose opens the vegetables' cell walls & makes it easier for us to absorb its nutrients.

 

The Up-Side of Smoothies--According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman

This comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health book, vol. 1.  It certainly makes sense to me--and I absolutely can see (literally) the benefits of my morning/afternoon "green heavy" smoothie snack & this excerpt is what influenced me to make vegetable-heavy green smoothies.

Juicing & Blending:

All plants are composed of cells whose walls consist mainly of cellulose, a type of carbohydrate.  Humans do not have the enzyme capable of breaking down cellulose, so we cannot utilize cellulose as an energy source.  The only way we can break down these walls and release the most nutrients possible from the cells into the blood is by thoroughly chewing fruits and vegetables.

However, when we chew a salad, we often don't do an efficient job of crushing every cell; about 70-90 percent of the cells are not broken open.  As a result, most of the valuable nutrients contained within those cells never enter our bloodstream and are lost.  They just travel through our bodies until they are excreted.  This is one of reasons why practicing the chewing exercises detailed in Phase One is so important to the Eat for Health plan.

An even more efficient way to ensure you receive these needed nutrients is using a blender to puree raw, leafy greens.  The blending process aids your body in the work of breaking down and assimilating nutrients.  It guarantees that a higher percentage of nutrients will be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Making "green smoothies" or "blended salads" is also a delicious and convenient way to pump up your consumption of greens.  It is amazing how many people love the taste of these liquefied mixtures of raw greens and fruit that can be made in a high-powered blender.  While you sip or eat a creamy smooth blended salad with a spoon, think about all of the nutrients that are now powering your body to restore and maintain optimal health.  Savory blended salads can be made with endless combinations of vegetables & fruits.

And it continues on.  

Heat softens the cellulose walls of vegetables--which is why we can often better absorb nutrients from vegetable soups -- we don't usually chew our soups--especially blended ones. 

 

 

Kicking Green Smoothies Up a Notch with Dr. MGs Power Green Smoothie - It Powers Her All Day

 

 

 

First off, I've got to tell you about son #2 (the 28 year-old)--a lawyer who rarely cooked when he was in law school.  That's when he first started to make Green Smoothies--as a way to get some quick, easy, quality nutrition into his body.  Eventually he kicked his smoothie-making up a notch, too.   He used to make his with mild spinach, heavy on the fruit.  Then he graduated into the kale world, and adding carrots in to the mix. 

In his words,  "Oh yeah, kale really does make a difference.  Mom, did you know there's a web site all about the benefits of kale?   365 Days of Kale.  Written by a cancer-surviving dietitian.  Check it out!"   I did--you should, too. 

Now back to Dr. MG.  She's a busy second year medical resident or fellow (not sure which now) with whom I correspond occasionally.  She's got a crazy busy schedule--but Dr. MG is serious about nutrition & a nutrient-dense diet.  She blogs about medicine & life as a resident at Adverse Effects.

Almost a year ago, she picked right up on my comment that Dr. Esselstyn isn't a huge fan of smoothies, because he's concerned that they're too fruit heavy--and he thinks it's better to chew your food--not drink it.  Here's why I got hooked on green smoothies back in 2008.

Here's what Dr. MG had to say:

"Hey, green smoothies don't have to have too much fruit!

For today's smoothie I packed the hopper full of dandelion greens, dino kale, parsley, and arugula.

Then I added a lemon, baby beet, carrot, small knob of fresh turmeric root, chia seeds, wild blueberries, and a few frozen strawberries.

I admit I'd never choke this down without a nice thick glass straw, but it truly fills me up, gives me more energy, and my skin tone looks better than it has in years. Can't get around the no chewing, tho'."

 

Not enough info for me.  "Tell me more."   I wanted more exact amounts.  Dr. MG delivered & here's what she wrote back.  Honestly, I'm going to try some of her ingredients:  Fresh turmeric, the power-packed antioxidant--I never knew it came in any other form but powdered in a jar--beets, cayenne?  Wow!

 

"My smoothies are limited only by the size of the Vitamix container.

The vegetables:

I cram as many greens as I can into the hopper. Dandelion and arugula go bad fast, so I try to use them within a couple days of purchase. Kale, parsley, and cabbage keep longer. Oh, and I include the stems!

Today, I had no room for celery, but I usually add that, too. I usually add 1-2 carrots. Any size will do, but mine tend to be smaller as I buy them in 1 lb bags.

I add raw beet to most smoothies, either a single baby or a chunk of a larger one. Gives it a deep fuschia color.

The fruits:

I usually add half-to-one cup of frozen wild blueberries in every smoothie plus one other fruit. Today I added ~5 organic strawberries. I know they're not in season, but they add a nice flavor. I often add half a lightly peeled grapefruit.

Orange gives a very nice flavor, too. A peeled lemon or two is refreshing.

But the point is that adding two of the above fruits really doesn't break the sugar bank. On rare occasions I'll add half a banana or a whole one if I'm serving someone less accustomed to weird smoothies. :-)

The spices:

I get the turmeric at Whole Foods. For the sake of accuracy, I should add that it's a rhizome, or an underground stem. It has a fairly unique flavor that is stronger than the powdered version.

Fresh ginger (also a rhizome!) goes wonderfully in smoothies.

Savory smoothies (e.g., lemon/parsley/tomato/beet/celery) do very well with a little cayenne.

MG's Mixing Technique:

I fill the container about 3/4 full with water after I add the solid contents.

When blending, I always wrap a clean rag around the tamper and spout to avoid splash. 

About That Glass Straw: 

I want to emphasize the importance of a good glass straw to get these smoothies down. At a minimum, the veggie bits get stuck in teeth and blueberries/beets stain.

For more strongly flavored smoothies, the straw really softens the flavor. You can water the smoothie down more if it's too thick for a straw.

I use smoothie straws from glassdharma.com. They're strong, not too expensive, and have a great warranty. The skinnier version is great for tea or coffee. Be sure to get the pipewire cleaner (comes with all sets or is available for sale). Hope this helps. I'm the first to admit that this approach is unconventional, but I know I'd be a lot less healthy without my veggie-heavy smoothies. Let me know how your smoothie adventures go!

Smoothie Words of Advice from the Doc:

You know, I should add that I really don't use recipes for the smoothies. I buy whatever looks good at Whole Foods (oh, how I miss California farmers markets!) and chuck it into the VitaMix.

My rule of thumb is that if you can eat it raw then it's fit for the VitaMix!:-)

I might limit certain potent ingredients if I'm serving the uninitiated since I can see how my smoothie tastes have evolved since I started doing this last June. Another great perk is that my produce never goes bad anymore!"

 

 

Dr.  Maring's Amazing V-7 Juice

 

 

"A well known vegetable juice blend (can you guess which one?) has 480 mg of sodium in its "classic" version.  In response to new national guidelines about sodium intake - 2300 mg per day for many, but 1500 mg per day for all people 51 years of age and older, African Americans of all ages, or anyone with heart disease, kidney disease or hypertension - they offer a lower sodium version that has 140 mg per cup.

Here's a homemade Farmer's Market knock-off I call V-7 for obvious reasons.  As a teaspoon of salt has about 2300 mg of sodium, you can make your own low sodium version with a half teaspoon of salt for 8 cups.  The heavy dose of Tabasco doesn't add that much sodium as it only has about 30 mg per teaspoon."

-Dr. Preston Maring, a Kaiser Permanente physician and surgeon with 36 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology.  Because of his passion for organic local produce & cooking, Maring started the Friday Fresh Farmer’s Market at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in May 2003-

 

This was written at the end of the summer--August, 2011. 

When you go away in August, you better believe you come home to loaded-down tomato plants.

Before even unpacking the car, my husband headed out to the backyard to see how his beloved tomato plants were doing.  He filled baskets with mega-giant Brandywine heirloom tomatoes and plenty of sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.

On Monday morning before heading off to work I spotted Dr. Maring's recipe for V-7 juice on my RSS feed & printed it off for my husband to see.  Hint! Hint!

He fell for the bait.  When I got home I found 2 half-gallon jugs filled with this gorgeous amazing anti-oxidant orange-colored smoothie concoction.   OMG!  Fabulous!

Of course he improvised a bit.  He added more garlic than Dr. Maring.  Maybe more tomatoes.  And a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce.   But, this is just a template.  Create your own V-7 Juice.

I think even Dr. Esselstyn would approve of this all vegetable smoothie.  He's not a fan of "Green" smoothies because they're usually made with fruit--and for some folks that quick rush of sugar can be a problem for their blood sugar &/or their triglycerides--and maybe not much different than drinking fruit juice.   And Esselstyn is a firm believer in chewing fruit--not drinking it--to get that amylase in the saliva flowing, I think.   And then there's the issue of added calories with the fruit in smoothies. 

 

Dr. Maring's V-7 Juice (modified by my husband) - A Smoothie Maybe Even Dr. Esselstyn Would Approve Of

Click here for the original recipe

 

Ingredients

Makes about 8 or more cups — about 2 servings of vegetables per cup

8 heirloom tomatoes, cored and chunked  (our heirlooms were gigantic--so my husband used about 4)  NOTE:  I think the fresh heirloom tomatoes are the secret to the delicious taste.
6 medium carrots, chunked
4 celery stalks, chunked
1 medium yellow onion, chunked
About 1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
1/2 bunch spinach  (about 4 cups)
4 cloves garlic  (my husband grew his own this year--OMG what a difference from the grocery store variety.  He used Georgia Fire garlic for this juice)
Water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Worcestershire sauce to taste (vegan or regular)

Note:  He made ours in a Vita-Mix (of course), in batches, as Dr. Maring suggests.

Dr. Maring suggests doing this about 4 cups at a time in your blender or food processor. Divide the veggies — 1/2 the tomatoes, carrots, etc. Put the squishier vegetables in first, e.g. tomatoes and onions. Add the rest of the vegetables then water to make four cups. Blenderize. Transfer to whatever storage container you are going to use in the refrigerator. Process the remaining vegetables with water. Mix all together and stir in salt and Tabasco. Chill. Maring says his turned out sort of a weird green color but it sure tasted good.

As you can see, ours was a gorgeous pinky orange.

 

Nutrition Facts Dr. Maring's Low Sodium V7 Juice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	78
Total Fat	1g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	142mg
Carbohydrate	17.1g
Dietary Fiber	4.2g
Sugars	8.1g
Protein	2.5g
Vitamin A 319% Vitamin C 67% Calcium    6% Iron 9%

 

Honestly, after tasting this savory blend of juice, I just might start making fruit-free savory smoothies a regular habit!

And maybe tonight I'll turn some of the leftover V-7 into a super-healthy Bloody Mary!

 

So, there you have it.

A lot of words that can be summed up into just five: I think Veg-Heavy Smoothies Rock!!

Please tell me what you think!  To Smoothie or Not?  That is the question.

 

How About Some of the Healthy Librarian's "Save Your Heart" Nitric Oxide-Boosting Chocolate Oatmeal to Start the New Year Off Right! It's for Breakfast and Dessert!

 

"Save Your Heart" Chocolate Oatmeal with Mixed Berries & Walnuts

 

"How could something this good for you, be so delicious?  Eat it for breakfast or dessert.  Served up warm with berries & walnuts, and just a hint of sweetness, your blood vessels & body will be thanking you!"

 

-The Healthy Librarian-

 

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

 

Now, don't get me wrong--I'm not about to trade in the Healthy Librarian's Savory "Cheezy" Oatmeal with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sundried Tomatoes & Spinach,  Mike's Quick Kick A** Thai Peanut Butter Chili Oatmeal with Greens, or the Oatmeal Breakfast of Champions - Spiced Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats with Berries and Chia.

They still have a place in my heart.  And health.

 

But, my version of Kathy Hester's "Chocolate Oatmeal Topped with Berries & Walnuts (and Chia)" is just crazy good and it has it all.

• Cholesterol-cutting steel cut oats that are loaded with both soluble & insoluble fiber. 
• The atherosclerosis-preventing polyphenol, avenanthramide, found in oats, boosts the production of artery-saving nitric oxide.  This is a dose-response relationship--so the more oats you eat--the more nitric oxide you're producing.   Now you can enjoy oatmeal for dessert!
• The "miracle polyphenol", epicatechin, found in cocoa.  It lowers blood pressure, neutralizes inflammation, increases HDL's, dilates blood vessels, helps prevent atherosclerosis, increases nitric oxide production and more!
• The anthocyanins found in berries--that boost memory, tamper inflammation, & clean out "toxic brain junk"--like mini-brain maids.
• Walnuts have the highest amount of antioxidants of all the nuts, as well as heart-healthy omega-3s, and a perfect ratio of omega-3s to omega-6s. It's the best nut out there, hands down.

 

Could we ask for anything more?

 

Let's Thank Healthy Librarian Marlene for Discovering Kathy Hester's "The Vegan Slow Cooker"

 

My New Fave Cookbook and Where I Discovered Chocolate Oatmeal

 

The Back Story on How I Discovered Chocolate Oatmeal & the Vegan Slow Cooker

My fledgling "healthy librarian" friend & colleague, Marlene, hates to cook. 

She's on a personal mission to find the perfect vegan cookbook with recipes that have less than 5 ingredients, no exotic spices like cayenne or cumin (I keep telling her that these are not exotic), and can be prepped in 5 minutes.

Every new vegan cookbook that she discovers--she borrows from the library--but since Kathy Hester's cookbook is so new, she couldn't find a library with a copy.  So...she decided to buy a copy for herself.

She asked me what I thought of Vegan Slow Cooker.  Did I think it looked good?  Did I think the recipes were Esselstyn-style healthy?

Oh baby, was this one a winner.  I immediately photocopied 16 recipes--hoping to try them out over the Christmas & New Year's holidays.  Don't worry, Kathy.  I've already ordered my own copy--and I'm recommending it to anyone who will listen.

Here's what I've tried, so far--and all were winners at my house: 

• Cranberry Vanilla Quinoa (GF, SF)
• Be-My-Valentine Chocolate Oatmeal (GF, SF)
• Chili Relleno Casserole (GF)
• Chili-Chocolate Black Bean Brownies (GF, SF)

Here's what looked good to me--but trust, me everything in this cookbook looks good--but there was a limit to what I could copy:

• Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup (GF, SF)
• Chinese-Style Eggplant in Garlic Sauce (GF)
• Thai Red Curry Tofu and Veggies (GF)
• Chana Saag (Indian Greens with Chickpeas)  (GF, SF)
• Easy Veggie Chickpea Biryani (GF, SF)
• Chorizo and Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
• Atomic Tofu Pecan Loaf (GF)
• Pumpkin & White Bean Lasagna
• Texax-Style Tofu Taco Filling
• Carrot Cake and Zucchini Breat Oatmeal (GF,SF)
  
• Mango Coconut Rice Pudding  (GF,SF)
  
• Hungarian Mushroom Soup (GF, SF)
  
• Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew
• Apple Sage Sausage (GF version given, SF)

Full Disclosure:  There's very little oil used in any of these recipes, and when there is, it's usually just to pre-saute the vegetables--or to oil the crock-pot.   Easy to eliminate.   Hester does use coconut milk in some recipes, but that's such an easy fix, with 1 cup of non-dairy milk plus 1 tsp. of coconut extract.

She tries to avoid using too much sugar or sweeteners, and there are plenty of gluten-free & soy-free recipes. 

 

"Heart-Saving" Chocolate Oatmeal - Healthy Librarian-Style

 

Mixing up the Cocoa in a Cup of Milk & Water

 

Penzey's Special Deep Rich Cocoa - Not Really High-Fat At All! 

 

How Yummy Does This Look in the Slow-Cooker?  My House Smelled Heavenly!

 

Click here to get the recipe on one page

Adapted from Kathy Hester's "The Vegan Slow Cooker"

Serves:  4 large servings

Note:  I doubled Kathy's recipe & used my cheapo Procter-Silex 3.5 quart slow-cooker.  That way I had left-overs.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup steel-cut oats

2 cups water

3 cups unsweetened soy milk or almond milk (vanilla flavor is fine)

1/4 cup good quality unsweetened undutched cocoa powder  (Penzey's, Hershey's, Scharffen Berger's, or Ghiradelli's)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4+ tsp. stevia (to taste)  You can always add more to your oatmeal later if you want it a little sweeter--but watch out--stevia can get a little bitter if you add too much.

2 tablespoons of agave nectar (or maple syrup)

Options:  1/2 tsp. of cinnamon; 2-4 tablespoons of PB2, the defatted peanut powder

Top each serving of oatmeal with 1/4 cup of thawed, mixed frozen berries;  1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts, & 1 tablespoon of chia seed, if desired.

The night before:

1. Spray your crockpot with Spectrum's high-heat canola cooking spray if food tends to stick to your slow-cooker.

2.  Measure the milk & water, and then heat up about 1 cup of the liquid in the microwave, until very warm.   Now, slowly mix in the 1/4 of cocoa with a tiny whisk.  Cocoa usually doesn't mix well in cold liquids--that's why I pre-dissolve it, before adding it to the slow-cooker.

3. Add the oats, the milk, water, cocoa mixture, the vanilla, the stevia, & the agave. That's it!

4.  Set the slow-cooker to low.

Hester says this should take 6 to 8 hours.  Mine took only 6 hours!  Just warning you.

5.  Refrigerate the left-overs, and enjoy reheated the next 3 days!

Warning:  My slow-cooker runs hot--so my oatmeal was done in 6 hours.  If I had cooked the oatmeal overnight, it would have been a little dry, and slightly crusty or overdone on the sides.

Hester highly recommends that the first time you use these recipes you should do it when you are home, to see how long the cooking actually takes--and if your slow-cooker runs on the hotter or cooler side.

I REALLY want to get a better slow-cooker, so recommendations are welcome.  A programmable one--that could flip to warm after 6 hours, would be perfect.

Note:  I'm sure you could prepare this at night and let it soak overnight in a regular saucepan in the refrigerator--and cook it in the morining--on the stove.  It's the overnight soak that makes it special.

 

Nutrition Facts (based on one serving topped with 1/4 cup of mixed berries, and 1/8 of an ounce of walnuts, equivalent to 1/2 tablespoon)  (chia seed isn't included in this count)

 

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's/Kathy Hester Save Your Heart Chocolate Oatmeal wt Berries
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	312
Total Fat	10g
Saturated Fat	1.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	8mg
Carbohydrate	46.5g
Dietary Fiber	7.4g
Sugars	12.4g
Protein	16.4g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 5% Calcium    7% Iron 21%

 

 

Why You Want to Eat Oats Everyday

 

The New Science Behind Oats - Avenanthramides  

Old news:  Oats have a soluble fiber, known as beta-glucan that helps to lower cholesterol by reducing its absorption into the blood stream.  They are also low-glycemic, taking a nice leisurely time to digest, so they keep you full longer, and keep your blood sugar steady.  All commendable qualities.

New to me news--the Avenanthramides--the heart healthy polyphenol found in oats :   Over at the USDA-Agricultural Research Vascular Biology Lab at Tufts University, Dr. Mohsen Meydani is the "oat expert".   It turns out that the polyphenols in oats, better known as avenanthramides, are the real power players when it comes to heart health.  First off, they prevent LDL from oxidizing, which sets the process of atherosclerosis into motion.  They work their magic by "decreasing inflammation in the artery walls, by limiting the growth of artery-stiffening smooth muscle cells inside arteries, and by preventing white blood cells from sticking to artery walls."  Harvard Health Letter, May 2010.

But it gets even better.  Meydani has recently found that the avenanthramides in oats are not only anti-inflammatory, but they put a stop to the kind of wild cell growth in the artery walls that starts the whole process of atherosclerosis in the first place--which can eventually lead to heart attacks.  As if that weren't enough--when you ingest these avenanthramides with your morning oatmeal, you're also preventing atherosclerosis by increasing artery-saving nitric oxide production in the endothelium or lining of your arteries. That's the "magic gas" that keeps the arteries relaxed and dilated.  And it's a dose-response--the more avenanthramides, the greater the nitric oxide production. Side benefit:  lowered blood pressure.  For Meydani's research click here and here.

Curbing colon cancer with avenanthramides, too.  We knew that oats and other whole grains helped to reduce colon cancer, but the mechanism wasn't fully understood.  Meydani's just-published research in Nutr Cancer 2010 Nov. 62(8):1007-16 found that the avenanthramides in oats tamp down inflammation in the colon, and inhibit the growth of colonic cancer cells.

 

What's So Good About Cocoa?

 

The Greek name for cocoa means, "Drink of the Gods".  Maybe they were on to something.  Epicatechin 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!

 

Bring on the Berries, Everyday!

 

Berries, baby!   The research is nothing but good, good, good for berries & the brain.  In fact, now we know a little bit more about how they do their magic on the brain.  They "activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism, which cleans up and recycles toxic proteins linked to age-related memory loss and other mental decline."   Like mini-brain-maids these cells clear out brain junk.  I have berries daily in my Green Smoothies, and either on top of my oatmeal, or mixed in plain soy yogurt.   Lower cost organic mixed berries are at BJ's or Costco.  Read more here and here.

 

If You're Going to Eat Nuts, Stick to Walnuts--For So Many Reasons

 

Source:  American Chemical Society, March 27, 2011 press release

In a report [presented at the] 241^st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, scientists presented an analysis showing that walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut.

“Walnuts rank above peanuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios and other nuts,” said Joe Vinson, Ph.D., who did the analysis. “A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut. But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them. This study suggests that consumers should eat more walnuts as part of a healthy diet.”

Walnuts are the top nut for heart-healthy antioxidants

Vinson noted that nuts in general have an unusual combination of nutritional benefits — in addition those antioxidants — wrapped into a convenient and inexpensive package. Nuts, for instance, contain plenty of high-quality protein that can substitute for meat; vitamins and minerals; dietary fiber; and are dairy- and gluten-free.

Years of research by scientists around the world link regular consumption of small amounts of nuts or peanut butter with decreased risk of heart disease, certain kinds of cancer, gallstones, Type 2 diabetes, and other health problems.

Despite all the previous research, scientists until now had not compared both the amount and quality of antioxidants found in different nuts, Vinson said. He filled that knowledge gap by analyzing antioxidants in nine different types of nuts: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamias, and pecans. Walnuts had the highest levels of antioxidants.

Vinson also found that the quality, or potency, of antioxidants present in walnuts was highest among the nuts. Antioxidants in walnuts were 2-15 times as potent as vitamin E, renowned for its powerful antioxidant effects that protect the body against damaging natural chemicals involved in causing disease.

“There’s another advantage in choosing walnuts as a source of antioxidants,” said Vinson, who is with the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania. “The heat from roasting nuts generally reduces the quality of the antioxidants. People usually eat walnuts raw or unroasted, and get the full effectiveness of those antioxidants.”

Dr. David Katz of the Yale University School of Medicine, published a small randomized-controlled study in 2010, that demonstrated how a walnut-enriched diet improves endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in type 2 diabetic individuals, suggesting a potential reduction in overall cardiac risk.  

Source:  Ma Y, Njike VY, Millet J, Dutta S, Doughty K, Treu JA, Katz DL, "Effects of walnut consumption on endothelial function in type 2 diabetic subjects: a randomized controlled crossover trial,"   Diabetes Care,  2010 Feb;33(2):227-32.  Click here for the full article.

 

Just Wanted to Say, "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You" to Everyone Who Takes the TIme to Read HHLL!!!

You are no doubt some of the most thoughtful, interesting, intelligent, independent-minded, savvy & healthy group of readers out there!

1.  What a surprise for me to see Happy Healthy Long Life on Susan Voisin's (The Fat-Free Vegan's) short-list of helpful sites that will support a plant-based lifestyle.  Susan's New Year's post,  My Get-Healthy Plan to KISSS in the New Year is outstanding.  Be sure to check it out.  Susan, I'm so honored to have made your list!  Thank You!  She is one of the best resources for fat-free recipes around.

2.  If you haven't been keeping up with all the thoughtful, articulate, motivating, & inspiring comments to my recent post, please click on this link, and scroll on down to read them: The Sunday New York Times "Fat Trap" & "Why Lost Pounds Come Back"- It Misses the Mark! Forget the Genetic, Hormone, & Metabolic Excuses - Just Give Esselstyn Plant-Perfect a Try!  Some very interesting comments.

3.  I'm overwhelmed, humbled, & absolutely thrilled to see so many of you visiting the Happy Healthy Long Life - Healthy Librarian Facebook page.  All your thumbs up, and generous words are beyond any expectations I had when I created the page.  It's so much fun for me to finally meet you--and have a conversation.  If you haven't visited, please do--and join in the conversation. 

You can find me here:

Follow me on Happy Healthy Long Life - The Healthy Librarian's Facebook Page. Something new everyday--& you don't need a Facebook account to check out what's on the page. 

4.  Another surprise for me was seeing Happy Healthy Long Life on MD Consult's list of "Blogs We Follow".  MD Consult is an excellent and highly respected subscription website for physicians & medical/hospital libraries--so not something most of you are likely to have seen.  It's produced by Elsevier, one of the premier medical publishers in the world.  I'm honored to be on that list.

5.  My last bit of shared news, is one of my favorite comments on the New York Times, in response to Tara Parker Pope's, "Fat Trap" article.   It was written by an uber-healthy 84 year-old woman from Toronto:

• Margaret Bennet-Alder
• Toronto

Wouldn't every man worth his salt, and and every woman, want to put Viagra out of business? The wrong food got him into his pickle and the right food can get him out of it.

Forget the Food Pyramid with its animal foods. Use the Food Plate: whole grains, vegetables, beans/legumes, and fruits. How to make the switch?

Neal D. Barnard, MD, in his new book 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart takes you by the hand explaining why animal foods pack on the pounds and plant foods burn calories. Menus and recipes ease you on your way.

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's classic, Prevent and Reverse Disease, is the one that inspired former president, Bill Clinton, to lose weight and keep healthy after a stent.

Three years ago after reading The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, I became a vegan overnight. I began by following Dr. John A. McDougall's plant-based 12-day Meal Plan which is free from his web site. Within a month I lost the 10 pounds that I had tried to lose for 35 years. Upon not using any added oil I have lost another 15 pounds and now weigh what I weighed in high school. I'm never hungry and enjoy healthy carbohydrates. I'm looking forward to Dr. McDougall's forthcoming book, Starch, to be published by Rodale in April, 2012.

The healthylibrarian.com and vegsource.com provide excellent information to keep me on track.

Although heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity have felled relatives, I'm well at 84 thanks to my plate of plants. I look forward to more years of the same.

• Jan. 1, 2012 at 2:45 p.m.

 

Using Medical Journals to Guide Your Cooking - Immune-Boosting Mushrooms and Inflammation-Fighting Vegetables - Three Favorites Recipes - Two Favorite Movies - Three Thanksgiving Dishes to Try

 

 

Big Vegan's Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine - Is It an Immune Booster Shot?

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version--there are videos you won't see in your email.

My husband & I returned from a jam-packed wonderful Wellness Forum Weekend late on Sunday afternoon.  After 3 days of sitting, listening, and taking pages of notes I was glad to be home.  And I was so happy that we had a big pot of Sweet Potato Spinach Soup in the fridge for dinner.

Strange factoid:  Both of us are used to eating so much food at home, that we both lost weight on the  meals served in the hotel--in just 2 1/2 days.  I was disappointed that Chef Del wasn't able to prepare the meals, as he did last year.  He's an amazing chef.  This was a hotel's version of plant-based fare.

Biggest surprise:  I got to meet some HHLL readers who attended the conference and introduced themselves to me.  This was so much fun for me--delightful--and totally unexpected!  It was a pleasure to meet, talk, and compare notes with everyone.  I met readers from Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Idaho, California, and Connecticut.  Hope I'm not leaving anyone out.  Thank you so much for taking the time to introduce yourselves and stopping by to chat. I only regret that we couldn't talk longer.

Lots to report on what I learned at the conference.  But, you'll have to wait until later in the week.

The most practical "I can take-this-back-home-and-use-it"  information came from:

• Janice Stanger, PhD: "Ten Dangerous Nutrition Myths" - I thought I would know everything on this list--I was wrong!
  
• Janice Stanger, PhD:  "It's Toxic Out There: Seven Steps You Can Take Now to Protect Yourself and the Planet" - Except for BPA and teflon, I kind of turn a blind eye to the info on toxins--but Janice definitely opened my eyes.  Think air fresheners, pesticides, household cleaning products, cosmetics, shampoos, body lotion, hair dyes, scented candles, mercury, and more.
• Gene Baur:  "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food"  OK, I've got to admit, before hearing Gene, this was the talk I was least interested in.   But, Gene is  a compelling speaker who just laid out the facts & photos about what goes on in factory farming. Think Food, Inc.  Frankly, it's hard to ignore what he had to say--and he made some good arguments about the free-range & pastured livestock industry, as well.  It's not as idyllic & pastoral as I thought it was.  His bit about dairy cows was particularly disturbing, and all new information for me.
• Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr:  "Yes, You Can Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease"   OK, I've heard this talk at least 4 different times--in short, medium, long, & one-on-one versions.   But, it was still a research-packed talk that helps reinforce what I already know--and I still came away learning something new.
• Ann Esselstyn:  "How to Set Up a Kitchen to Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" - More reinforcement to carefully read labels, add greens every chance I can, skip the desserts, and keep a lid on the nuts!  I hope I can have half as much energy as Ann does when I'm her age.  She's a testament to the plant-based diet.  And who do you think I saw at my early Monday morning yoga class?  You guessed it!

 

Thanksgiving is Around the Corner!  Let's Talk Recipes for the Holiday Weekend

 

Thanksgiving is fast approaching--and I just have to share three new recipes that have  knocked-my-socks-off since returning home on Sunday!  And it's only Tuesday!  You just might want to try them out on your guests over the long holiday weekend.

• Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine--This just might be one of the best dishes my husband has ever made.  It's from Robin Asbell's Big Vegan.
• Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, & (a little) Peanut Butter Soup  It's from Quick-Fix Vegan.
• French Lentil Dijon Chipotle Spread--It's a sandwich spread, it's a dip, it's easy & it's delicious. It's from Cynthia Lair's Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Families.

 

The Janice Stanger Research Connection to These Recipes

 

According to some of the research presented by Janice Stanger at the Wellness Forum's Fall Conference, each of these recipes brings a little something to the table when it comes to giving us an immune-boost.

• Two of the recipes contain mushrooms--the evidence for their immune-boost is mostly preclinical, in the test tube, culture dish or animal stage.  We'll have to wait a bit for the randomized-controlled human trials.  But, there's no harm in getting a head start, in case the preclinical studies pan out some day.  Mushrooms have been used medicinally in many traditional cultures for years.
• The soup recipe is filled with vegetables high in anti-oxidants, and they are cooked quickly, retaining their immune-boosting benefits. This is research you can take to the bank.

 

Janice Stanger's Myth-Buster #9 - Chicken Soup Is the Best Food If You Have a Cold, But It's Not Because of the Chicken!

 

Check out the title of the study Stanger shared with us.  It was published in 2000 in the prestigious respiratory medicine journal, Chest.  And then it was re-published in Chest's 75th year commemorative issue in 2009!  This article has been a long-time favorite.

Special Report:  Chicken Soup Inhibits Neutrophil Chemotaxis In Vitro (in the test tube or culture dish). Rennard, BO, et al.  Chest  118(4):1150-1157, October, 2000.  Want to read it?  Here it is!

Here's the research behind what makes chicken soup good for the common cold:

Back in 2000, Barbara Rennard & her colleagues tested each component of a special recipe for Grandma's Chicken Soup.  One at a time they tested each ingredient of the soup to see which one had the strongest effect on inhibiting the immune response that's responsible for our miserable cold symptoms.

Which ingredient do you think had the most potent effect on inhibiting neutrophil migration?

• Chicken
• 3 Onions
• 1 large Sweet potato
• 3 Parsnips
• 2 Turnips
• 11-12 carrots
• 5-6 celery stalks
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Salt & pepper

Turns out, all the anti-inflammatory action of the soup came from its lightly cooked vegetables--not from the chicken.  The chicken broth had no benefit at all on inhibiting neutrophil chemotaxis.  Zippo.  That is...until the vegetables were added to it.

All the benefits of the broth on human immune cells came from the vegetables--and cooking them just 8 minutes was the optimal time--just until they were tender.

Take home message:  Don't overcook your vegetables!

 

"That some interaction takes place during the cooking seems likely as the soup acquires maximal inhibitory activity shortly after adding the first group of vegetables. 

While still active, inhibitory activity does decrease slightly during the later stages of the preparation.

The current study demonstrates a statistically significant inhibition of neutrophil chemotaxis by (vegetable) chicken soup in vitro.  This was not an "in vivo" (human) trial.

[Just to be perfectly clear]  The current study assessed a single measure of the inflammatory response, migration of neutrophils."

 

If you want an extra immune system boost--Dr. Stanger recommends you think about adding more mushrooms to your meals.

They've got more than 300 compounds that will increase the production of white blood cells and boost your immune system.  The #1 mushrooms for boosting immunity are: shiitake, maitake, & reishi, but, even white button mushrooms have recently been shown to have plenty of immune-boosting power.  Check out this article,  "The Effects of Mushrooms During Inflammation,"  BMC Immunol. 2009 Feb 20;10:12.  You can read it here.

So, here's the interesting way mushrooms work in the presence of disease--they seem to promote an appropriate immune response--inhibiting tumor growth or even destroying disease-causing microbes--but leaving healthy cells or beneficial bacteria alone.

Here's an example:

In a recent study of treatment for gingivitis (gum disease), researchers tested a mushroom extract against mouth bacteria.  Then they compared the results to what happens when a commonly used gingival mouthwash, chlorhexidine, is used.

The cholhexidine killed both the gingival-causing bacteria, as well as the benefiical bacteria in the mouth.

The mushrooms, on the other hand, had an appropriate immune response--and killed only the gingival-causing bacteria.

Read the full article here.  Ciric, L. et al "In Vitro Assessment of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes) Extract for Its Antigingivitis Activity,"   J Biomed Biotechnol. 2011; 2011: 507908. 

As much as I'd like to believe that mushrooms can perform magic on humans, at this point in time, most of the immune-boosting mushroom research is being done in the test tube, the culture dish, or on animals.  I checked PubMed, The Natural Standard Database (the authority on integrative medicine , Sloan-Kettering's Integrative Medicine Database, & more). 

The results are positive, but we'll have to wait to see the randomized-controlled human trials, for the final word. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if we see something positive--not as a cure--but as an immune-booster.  

As for me, I'm going to add mushrooms whenever I can--they taste great, and I'm betting they're health-promoting.

Looking for some other natural cold or flu-fighting tools to put in your arsenal?  Read this HHLL post from 11/09:

Advice From the Experts on How to Protect Yourself From Colds and Flu. How to Boost Your Immune System and Avoid Germs. What Foods and Supplements Will Help the Most?

And Now for the Recipes!

Immune-Boosting (Maybe In Vitro) Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine (from Asbell's Big Vegan)

 

Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine

 

Creamy Mushroom Sauce for the Fettucine

 

Browning the Sliced Seitan for the Fettucine

 

A big thank-you to MLB, a blog reader in Philly who recommended Robin Asbell's Big Vegan to me.  So far, everything I've made from it has been amazing.  And I only have 348 recipes to go.

We had this for dinner last night and I just couldn't believe how fabulous it was.  It's got a dense, rich, and creamy sauce with just a hint of wine & spice.  The seitan provides just the right texture & mouth feel--not to mention, it's a huge protein boost.

If you want to get fancy, sprinkle a teaspoon of toasted chopped walnuts on top. 

Get the recipe on one page here.

 

Nutrition facts are for 1/4 of the recipe that includes the walnuts.

Nutrition Facts Big Vegan Creamy Triple-Mushroom Fettucine wt Walnuts
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	396
Total Fat	5.1g
Saturated Fat	0.4g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	382mg
Carbohydrate	57.5g
Dietary Fiber	7.6g
Sugars	4.2g
Protein	26g
Alcohol	2.7g
Vitamin A 18% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    16% Iron 30%

 

 

 Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes & a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

 

Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

My husband picked out this recipe from Robin Robertson's Quick-Fix Vegan to try last Thursday night, when I worked late.

This one is definitely going to go on my Go To Quick-Dinner List.

It's got it all.  Speed.  All the nutrient-dense ingredients.  Lots of spice.  And it smells heavenly.

I brought some of our left-overs to work yesterday, and every one of the healthy librarians who tasted it gave it a huge thumbs up.  I promised them I'd post it today!

Robin Robertson says it serves 4.  Don't believe her.  We always eat huge portions, and we got at least 6 servings out of it!

Click here for the recipe on one page.

 

Nutrition Facts are for a heaping two-cup serving made with Better'n Peanut Butter & no crushed peanuts

 

Based on using Better'n Peanut Butter & no chopped nuts

Nutrition Facts Quick-Fix Vegan 2 cup serving Enlightened Sweet Potato Spinach Soup
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	148
Total Fat	1.5g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	554mg
Carbohydrate	28.7g
Dietary Fiber	7.1g
Sugars	11.6g
Protein	6g
Vitamin A 159% Vitamin C 46% Calcium    15% Iron 17%

Cynthia Lair's Protein-Packed French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread/Dip with Chipotle

 

 

French Lentil Dijon Spead/Dip Ingredients

 

French Lentil Dijon Dip - OK It's Not Much to Look At - But It Really Tastes Delicious

 

French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread with Roasted Red Peppers 

 

My son & daughter-in-law's friend, natural foods chef Eli, of "Eat with Eli", brought over her favorite cookbook as a gift, to celebrate the arrival of their new baby girl in October.   Cynthia Lair's  Feeding the Whole Family.  Recipes for Babies, Young Children & Their Parents.  Sasquatch Books, 2008.

Cynthia is a cooking instructor at Bastyr University in Seattle and she has a quirky/funny cooking video website called:  Cookus Interruptus, How to Cook Fresh Local Whole Foods Despite Life's Interruptions. It's really a blast (with a title like that!)--and even though Cynthia doesn't cook exactly as I do--she's got some excellent cooking tips, techniques, information, & recipes on her site.  Check it out.

 

 

Now, back to the French Lentil Dijon recipe.

This recipe just jumped out at me when I leafed through Lair's cookbook.  It takes all of ten minutes to prepare--and it's star ingredient is French Lentils--one of the best beans out there.  High in taste, iron, protein, the amino acid lysine, and fiber.   This dip is loaded with flavor & keeps in the fridge for about a week.

I've served it as a dip, and a sandwich spread.  Add a little avocado, tomato, lettuce, sprouts, & roasted red pepper and it can't be beat for a fast nutritious lunch.   It's last minute pantry food.

I've since shared it with my kids, the healthy librarians at work, and some of my friends--and now with you.  But thank Cynthia Lair, not me.

Everyone seems to add their own special flair to it.  Mary, the librarian added the chipotle, and I'm now adding it to mine!  Snez added a green onion.

Warning:  You must use French Lentils.  Not brown. Not red.  Only French.  If you're lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe's, use their already steamed, long-shelf-life lentils that come in a light blue box.  You'll find them either in the produce or the meat & cheese refrigerated cases.   These are French, and they really speed up the prep time.

Last thing:  It really works best to make this in a processor, although a VitaMix will also work--it's just harder to clean out.

 

Get a copy of the recipe on one page here.  Note: When I made this on 11/22/11 I noticed I had forgotten a key ingredient--1 tablespoon of lower-sodium tamari (or soy sauce)--and I didn't mention that the pepper in the recipe was ONLY if you weren't using the chipolte.  Sorry, if I ruined anyone's recipe!  My recipe has now been corrected--and it tastes delicious!

 Nutrition info is based on three servings for the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's French Lentil Dijon Sandwich Spread
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	133
Total Fat	3.3g
Saturated Fat	0.3g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	433mg
Carbohydrate	15.9g
Dietary Fiber	5.9g
Sugars	2.2g
Protein	7.4g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 3% Calcium    2% Iron 14%

 

Movies for Grown-Ups - Two I've Recently Seen That I Can't Stop Thinking About

 

Take Shelter

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

In a Better World

Click Here to Get the Trailer If You Don't See It on Your Screen

 

 

 

Three Recipes on My Tentative Thanksgiving Menu

 

These three were recommended by MLB in Philly.  She LOVES the mushroom soup, and the waldorf salad.  She hasn't tried the chocolate-pumpkin bread pudding, but the NYT's Tara Parker-Pope swears by it.

Roasted Triple Mushroom Soup--Nix on the olive oil and sour cream.  Use vegetable broth.

Chloe Coscarelli's Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding--I'll use faux coconut milk, not sure whether I'll use sugar or maple syrup.

Kale Waldorf Salad--Honey Crisp apples.

The Big 9p21 Cardiovascular Gene Turn-Off! Vegetables & Fruits - Q & A with Dr. Sonia Anand, the McMaster University Researcher Who Helped Discover the Interaction Between Heart Disease, Genes and Diet

 

My All-Day Heart Food Green Smoothie: 4 Cups of Kale, 1 Cup of Carrots, 1 1/4 Cup of Frozen Berries, 1 Orange, 1 Kiwi.   A Big 9p21 Gene Turn-Off!

 

 

"A diet high in fruits and vegetables appears to mitigate the genetic risk of a heart attack.

We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype (variations of chromosome 9p21) can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables.  

Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health." 

Sonia Anand, is the study's joint principal investigator, a researcher at the Population Health Research Institute and a professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.   "The Effect of Chromosome 9p21 Variants on Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified by Dietary Intake: Evidence from a Case/Control and a Prospective Study,"  PLoS Medicine, published ahead-of-print on October 11, 2011. 

 

 

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

For almost three weeks I barely looked at my computer, read a medical journal article, listened to NPR, watched television, or read a newspaper.   But, somehow, even I didn't miss this exciting Canadian diet/gene article!

I was busy enjoying the deliciousness of caring for a sweet toddler, while my son & daughter-in-law were hard at work bringing a gorgeous healthy baby girl into the world.  I'd say 56 hours of labor was hard work! 

And what more exciting news is there than a new baby?

I was doing the most important work I could think of at the time--playing & snuggling with my grandkids, reading picture books, going to the playground, coloring, preparing meals, grocery shopping, negotiating with a 2 year-old, doing lots of laundry, changing diapers, washing dishes, and best of all--giving "Beginning of Life Care" to my family.   Absolutely the best!  Stay tuned for more on that story...

 

Stuck with Bad Genes?  Think Again!  Fix Them with Vegetables & Fruit?  What??

 

I hear it all the time.  

Cardiovascular disease is all about the genes you're dealt.  And there's nothing you can do to change that hand.  So why bother changing your diet?   Bring on the cheeseburgers & fries.  Enjoy life.

Well, it's time to rethink that erroneous line of reasoning!

Dr. Sonia Anand & Dr. Ron Do were the principal investigators of a recently published study in PLoS Medicine that has now put the KIBOSH on the "I'm stuck with bad genes" fairy tale!   

I'm just saying....If you're going to skip your fruits & vegetables--you're making a big mistake.

Their study is the largest gene-diet interaction study ever conducted, and it encompassed multi-ethnic & racial groups--Europeans, South Asians, Chinese, Latin Americans, & Arabs.  You heard right--the 9p21 gene exists in all racial & ethnic groups.  It's not just a Caucasian thing.

 

What's Up with This 9p21 Chromosome?  Explaining the Back Story - Its Inflammation Connection

 

The 9p21 chromosome is the most robust gene ever associated with heart disease. 

Since 2007 scientists from all over the world have identified variations of this gene that are linked to cardiovascular disease & heart attacks.  This is a proven unquestionable finding.  If you have one or two copies of this gene--your risk of heart disease goes up.  How much?   Who's stuck with this gene?  More on that later...

Researchers already knew that this gene was bad news for heart disease, but it was only recently that they figured out how & why it caused so much damage!

The missing puzzle piece?  The 9p21 gene is an inflammation driver.  It does its dirty work by increasing inflammation in the endothelial cells that line blood vessels!  This is a huge AHA discovery!  

If you carry this gene you are at a higher risk of coronary & arterial diseases because it makes you more susceptible to inflammation than non-carriers.

Turns out, Dr. Kelly A. Frazer & her colleagues at the University of California at San Diego used some new-fangled three-dimensional DNA selection & ligation (DSL) technology to determine exactly how this gene increases arterial inflammation--which helps to explain why having a copy or two of this gene increases one's risk of cardiovascular diseases.  See:  Harismendy, O., Notani, D., Song, X. et al.  "9p21 DNA variants associated with Coronary Artery Disease Impair Interferon-{:gamma;} signaling response,"  Nature 2011; 47-264-268  Click here for the article.

 

According to Dr. Eric Topol, one of the study's co-authors:  

"This connects the dots for the 9p21 markers with multiple vascular phenotypes---coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and intracranial aneurysm---to inflammation.

It explains why 9p21 affects not just risk of coronary artery disease, but also aneurysms--because inflammation, as well as causing atherosclerosis, can weaken artery walls."

And according to Dr. Kelly Frazer:  

"[I]t opens up ways of thinking about people who have this particular [9p21] variant as a susceptibility--you may want to monitor their inflammation more than other aspects--eg, cholesterol--because when people think about coronary artery disease, they tend to always focus on cholesterol."  (for inflammation, think about the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Test)

My comment:  If the 9p21 gene increases vascular inflammation, consider what other environmental/lifestyle factors further increase inflammation & cardiovascular disease independent of genes.

A diet high in omega-6 oils and the long-chain omega-6s found in grain-fed meat, saturated fats, trans fats, too little sleep, too little exercise, refined grains, too little fiber, too much sugar, abdominal belly fat, and a diet low in fruits & vegetables?   Are you beginning to connect even more dots?  Does this help to explain why a plant-based no-added oil diet is protective against cardiovascular disease?

 

Read more in:

1.  The Inflammation Connection--Statins, CRP & the JUPITER Study. The Non-Prescription Way to Prevent Heart Attacks & Strokes

2.  My Amateur Spin on Putting the Diet Puzzle Pieces Together - The Omega-6 and Omega-3 Face-Off in Health & Disease

 

Why Vegetables & Fruit Can Mitigate the Risk of the "Heart Disease" Gene

 

Once you know that having the 9p21 gene makes one more susceptible to inflammation, you can better understand why people who have this gene might decrease their risk of heart disease by eating lots of inflammation-inhibiting fruits & vegetables.  You know--the "anti-oxidant effect".  

But, wait a minute!  The McGill/McMaster Diet-Gene-Heart Disease Interaction Study was going on long before anyone knew that the 9p21 gene was responsible for vascular inflammation--which makes the study's results even more exciting.

 

How the McGill/McMaster Diet-Gene Interaction Study was Set Up

 

The Canadian researchers looked at two large international study groups totaling more than 27,000 people--from both the INTERHEART Study & the FINRISK Study--and identified which people had copies of any of four varieties of the 9p21 gene.

They compared the eating habits of those who had the gene with those who did not.   And then they looked at who had a myocardial infarction--and who did not--and compared that with their eating habits & their genes.

The result:  The people in the study who ate a "Prudent Diet" that was high in raw vegetables & fruits lowered their risk of heart attack even though they had the high risk gene.

 

Ira Flatow Interviews Dr. Sonia Anand of the Canadian Heart Disease-Diet-Gene Interaction Study

 

 

I'm a huge fan of NPR's Ira Flatow, and his Science Friday radio interviews with cutting-edge scientists & researchers.  

Listening to his recent interview with Dr. Sonia Anand helped me to better understand the 9p21 gene study--and answered a lot of practical questions that I had.  

How many of us have this gene?  How common is it?  How much can diet affect this gene?  How many fruits & vegetables do you need to eat to silence this gene?

Click here to listen to the interview yourself.

 

Here's what Ira Flatow asked Dr. Anand:

 

Tell us more about the 9p21 gene?

Having this gene increases your risk of heart attack.  It was discovered in 2007 & since then, many investigators have replicated this finding--so we really understand the effects of this gene quite well.

If you have one copy of the bad gene, or 2 copies of it, you have a significantly increased risk of a heart attack.  

 

People who ate a healthy diet, even with an increased risk from the gene, lowered their risk.  Please explain.

First we confirmed that the 9p21 gene was a risk factor, & then we looked at whether a diet high in raw fruits & vegetables would protect someone with the gene, from heart disease.  It turned out that it did.  

Then we looked at groups of people in different combinations, dividing people up by their gene status, and their dietary habits.  We found out that if you had the "bad gene" & consumed a "bad diet" that was low in raw fruits & vegetables, your risk of a heart attack was increased by 30%.

But, if you had the "bad gene", and consumed a "good diet", high in raw vegetables & fruits--your risk of a heart attack was no different than those who did not have the "bad gene".   So, the risk was brought down back to 1.  (Note: Other lifestyle factors also affect one's risk of heart disease, e.g. physical activity, smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, etc, regardless of one's genes.  This study looked only at how diet can affect those with a genetic risk of heart disease, as compared to those without a genetic risk.  In most common diseases, both lifestyle & genes play a role. The 9p21 gene ups the risk of myocardial infarction by 1/5 over those who don't carry the gene.)

 

Do fruits & vegetables have some mechanism to turn the gene off, or affect how it's working?

From this broad population observation, we believe that it's true--there are good properties within the raw fruits & vegetables that actually silence or turn off the gene.  

We don't understand how, and I believe that future studies should be focused in this area to understand at the level of the DNA what actually happens when people are consuming high quantities of fruits & vegetables.

 

Could you tell from the study which fruits and vegetables were the best at silencing the gene?

We conducted the first study in 5 different ethnic groups (the INTERHEART Study included Europeans, South Asians, Chinese, Latin Americans, & Arabs) and the main driver of the protective effect of this diet appeared to be among people who consumed RAW vegetables & fruits.

We then wanted to test our observation in a second study--and looked at the FINRISK Study from Finland.  They measured diet slightly differently than in the INTERHEART Study.  We found in that study, that any vegetable, both raw & cooked--or fruit or fresh or frozen berries seemed to have a protective effect.  So, I think that any of those--raw or cooked vegetables, fresh or frozen fruit or berries--are likely protective.  My comment:   Should we consider the ORAC Index or Dr. Joel Fuhrman's ANDI -Aggregate Nutrient Density index?

 

How many people have the 9p21 gene?  What percentage of the population has 1 or 2 copies of these genes?

50% of the population carries one copy of the "bad gene".

20-25% of the population carries two copies of the gene.  So it's actually quite a common gene.

*To clarify these figures:

"9p21 occurs in 75% of the population except for African Americans and is associated with a 25% increased risk for CAD with 1 copy and a 50% increased risk with 2 copies. Perhaps the most remarkable finding is that 9p21 is independent of all known risk factors, indicating there are factors contributing to the pathogenesis of CAD that are yet unknown. 9p21 in individuals with premature CAD is associated with a 1-fold increase in risk, similar to that of smoking and cholesterol." 

Clinical Chemistry  2011 Oct 20. [Epub ahead of print]  Roberts, R, Stewart, AF, "9p21 and the Genetic Revolution for Coronary Artery Disease."  Click here for article

  

Does diet affect the risk of heart disease equally--or does the risk go down equally if you have both genes?

If you have two copies of the "bad gene" & you are consuming a "bad diet"--your relative risk of a heart attack is increased 2 times, or 200%

If you have only 1 copy of the gene, and you're consuming a "bad diet", your risk of a heart attack increases about 60%.

So, two copies of the bad gene is worse than one copy--and any copy of the "bad gene" is worse than not having it at all.

 

Is there any way to know if you have a copy of the gene?

The genetic test is not widely available.  Physicians don't use it in their risk prediction.

There are some private companies that people can send their saliva or a blood sample to--and pay out-of-pocket to get this testing.  But, I think that outside of the research context, our findings should encourage all people to increase their fruit & vegetable consumption, because we know that high consumption of fruits & vegetables is not only protective against heart disease, it's also protective against stroke & some types of cancer.

 

In your study, how many fruits & vegetables did people eat during the day?

To be classified as a "high consumer", you had to be consuming fruits, vegetables, & berries in multiple servings per day--at least two was average--but likely, if we put our findings together with the public health recommendations, it would be eating at least five to six servings a day.  That's the best advice! And a serving is the amount you can hold in the palm of your hand.

 

So, if you have a couple of servings a day, that would be protective?

That's consistent with our study, and we have observed that that amount of fruit & vegetable consumption can silence this "bad gene".  

 

Can you get even "better silencing" if you eat more fruits & vegetables?

Well, we don't know of an upper limit--so we don't think there's a point where you can consume too much, or have adverse consequences.  Other studies have demonstrated that the higher number of servings per day, the better your health.   At least two per day--but likely more is better!

 

Do you think this study & the effects of diet on this gene explains why people who eat a healthier diet are healthier?

Well, it's one of the first clues between this observation of fruits & vegetables on health--and the potential interactions between a good diet & genes.  

I think it's important because we often think that if something runs in our family, well, it's in our genes. There's nothing we can do to change it--but now we have a hint that perhaps we can silence our genes & change our family history by embracing a healthy lifestyle.

 

Were you able to find out what role exercise might have with the healthier diet?

Yes!  In our study we looked at various factors that may alter the expression of this gene, and we really came up big with this signal from diet!

We didn't find that there are other interactions either positive or negative with other health behaviors, with respect to modifying this gene.  But, I will add that whenever you divide the study population many many times, in difference subgroups, your results become less reliable, because you don't have as many people.  That said, this study doesn't rule out the fact that exercise may turn off or enhance protective genes, but we can definitely see the observations of the protective effect of diet on the 9p21 gene.

 

Where will your research go from here?

In terms of research & next studies, I see three different lines of upcoming research.

• First is at the basic science level--trying to understand how this type of diet may alter gene expression.
• Secondly, we hope to replicate, replicate, replicate our observations in many other studies. Versus heart attack.  Versus stroke.  And the more we see this observation repeated, the more believable it will be.
• The third line of research, which is pretty exciting, is trying to understand if an individual's knowledge of their genetic risk will actually alter their health behaviors.  Will this informations cause more people to embrace a healthy lifestyle & diet, than if they didn't have this information?

 

What Does Dr. Eric Topol Think of the Canadian Diet-Gene Study?

 

Topol is one of the country's leading experts in cardiovascular genomics.  He's a professor of translational genomics at The Scripps Research Institute, and Director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute in La Jolla, California.

It was his recent research that identified the 9p21 gene's inflammation connection.

 

Here's what Topol had to say about the Canadian study:

 

"The study findings suggest that lifestyle does matter, no matter what your genes have dealt you.

This suggests you may be able to do something about it [bad genes] if you follow a prudent diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.

I think this is a very sound report.  It's really one of the first solid evidence of this whole field of nutrigenomics.  (the way genes interact with nutrients)

The researchers found a dose response.  The worse the diet, the higher the risk of heart attack.  The better the diet, the lower the risk."

 

It goes without saying, that probably none of this comes as a big surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog for awhile.

But, it helps to confirm & and perhaps explain how a plant-based diet that's high in nutrient-dense vegetables & fruit can prevent and reverse heart disease--in Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's patients--and for those who have duplicated his diet on their own!

Read more here and here.

I'd love to hear your reactions to this study!