Happy Healthy Long Life

The Mediterranean Diet - It's Better Than the Western Diet - But, It's Definitely Not the Best! Why Settle for Less?

 

 

 

 

The Latest Spanish Study (NEJM) Nudged the Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet Up to a 30% Reduction over the "Western Diet" Control Group - But, There's a Better Choice

 

 

A Small Pilot Study Comparing Omega-3 Levels in a Mediterranean Diet (with fish & olive oil), the Average US Diet, & a Plant-Based No-Oil Diet

 

ALA=plant-based omega-3's

  

DHA=the most important component in Omega-3's

The higher the n3 Index, the better!

The lower the n6:n3 ratio, the better!

In the Spanish Study (Estruch, NEJM) the ALA levels in the best performing group (nuts & olive oil) averaged:  0.45--far below plant-based no-oil.   The researchers speculated that the decrease in cardiovascular events seen in the olive oil/nut group was due to their higher levels of ALA--which were far lower than those in the plant-based in our pilot study.

 

Sorry, guys.  I'm super short on time--so I'm just throwing out some slides & Gayl J. Canfield's excellent analysis of Estruch's Spanish Mediterranean Study before I get busy with vacation & holiday preparations.

I'll leave all the analysis to you!  Sorry, no time to fill in all the details.

For Your Reading Pleasure:

1.  My Experience with the Mediterranean Diet.

2.  What I Learned from the Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn's "Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease" School

3.  Dr. Dean Ornish on "Does a Mediterranean Diet Really Beat Low-Fat for Heart Health?"

4.  Dr. John McDougall on "NEJM Study Promotes Olive Oil and Dismisses Low-fat Diet"

 

Mediterranean Diet: Better, Not Best?

 

This article, recently published in the online medical news service, Medscape, presents one of the most balanced explanations of the recent Spanish Mediterranean Study that's gotten so much exposure lately.  I posted it on FB today--but it's so good, I wanted to share it with non-FB readers, too.

Are olive oil, nuts, & fatty fish the way to go?

Not by a long-shot.  Yes, it's a much better choice than the Western Diet--which for all intents-and-purposes is what it was compared to in the Spanish study.  Make no mistake--the so-called "low-fat" control in the study was anything but low-fat & heart healthy.

Canfield lays out three diets that are much better choices than the Mediterranean Diet--with the Ornish/Esselstyn Diet (plant-based, no-added-oil, no nuts, with a source of omega-3's) leading the pack, because they provide the highest level of cardiovascular benefits--able to prevent & (sometimes) reverse heart disease.

1.  Ornish/Esselstyn: Plant-based, low-fat, no-added oil, no nuts, & includes adequate omega-3's

2.  Pritikin Diet:  Low-fat, no-added oil, allows up to 4 oz. of animal protein a day.

3.  DASH Diet:  Very high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans; low in fats, salt, red meats, and sweets; and moderate in fish, poultry, nuts, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods.

 

 

Gayl J. Canfield, PhD, RD, The author is Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida.Medscape.

Mar 19, 2013, Medscape 

 

Mediterranean Diet Better Than Typical American Diet

In light of the recent media attention on the Mediterranean diet,^[1] you may find yourself fielding lots of questions from patients about which diet they should follow. Right now, we cannot say which diet is best because we still need rigorous studies of all of the popular diets that physicians routinely recommend to their patients. Moreover, we cannot unequivocally recommend the Mediterranean diet on the basis of the recently published study because this study was seriously flawed.

One major problem with the study was that the "low-fat" diet being used to compare against the Mediterranean diet was not, in fact, low in fats. The participants in this group started out with a diet that averaged 39% fat, and during the study period they decreased fat intake to just 37%.

Nor was this so-called low-fat diet a healthy, well-designed regimen. Many of the foods eaten by participants were artery-damaging foods such as red meat, commercially baked goods full of refined flour and fat, sugary sodas, and low-fat cheeses. (Though called "low-fat," these cheeses typically get 35% to 60% of their calories from fat.)

Moreover, the "low-fat" diet excluded an important food proven to protect against heart disease: omega 3-rich fish. This category of food is included in many healthy low-fat-diet plans.

The bottom line is that the study authors were not really comparing a Mediterranean diet with a nutritious low-fat diet. It would be much more accurate to say that they were comparing a Mediterranean diet with a typical American-style diet. But it did not do justice to a well-constructed low-fat diet.

 

Healthy "Low-Fat" Diets

A substantial body of research exists that has documented the heart-healthy benefits of 2 well-known low-fat diets, Pritikin and Ornish [H.L.'s note: similar to Esselstyn's Diet]. In fact, the data are so strong that Medicare now covers cardiac rehabilitation programs based on the Pritikin and Ornish plans for people with a history of cardiovascular disease.^[2] Both programs also include exercise and lifestyle-change components.

The Ornish Program [H.L.'s note: similar to Esselstyn's Diet] has been proven to regress heart disease,^[3,4] and the Pritikin Program has been proven to significantly reduce many modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, hypertension, inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, and excess weight/obesity.^[5-7]

Both programs recommend an eating plan with about 10% to 15% of calories coming from fat, and both emphasize hearty consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes such as beans. The Ornish Program is completely vegetarian, whereas the Pritikin Program allows up to 4 oz of animal protein daily, such as omega-3-rich fatty fish, skinless white poultry, or lean meat such as bison.

Both of these programs are a far cry from the "low-fat" diets of the 1980s and 1990s, many of which were anything but healthy. Often, the "low-fat” and "fat-free" products people were eating (remember "fat-free" cookies?) were essentially junk food themselves -- very high in sugar, salt, and/or refined white flour.

Low-fat plans such as Pritikin and Ornish, by contrast, focus on real food -- whole, minimally processed, naturally fiber-rich foods that, as Michael Pollan wrote in his superb book In Defense of Food, "are foods our great grandmothers would have recognized as food."

Another low-fat diet that has proven to be particularly beneficial for blood pressure control is the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Several studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that the DASH diet lowers blood pressure as well as or better than medications. DASH also promotes menus that are high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans; low in fats, salt, red meats, and sweets; and moderate in fish, poultry, nuts, and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods.

In one study, NIH researchers found that 8 weeks of following the DASH regimen resulted in reductions in blood pressure in all groups of men and women studied.^[8] Even those who started with a normal blood pressure (systolic pressure < 120 mm Hg) saw improvements. The biggest reductions in blood pressure were observed in the individuals who were hypertensive (systolic pressure >140 mm Hg), emphasizing the fact that diet is a major factor in determining blood pressure in most hypertensive patients.

In another DASH study, 3 groups of people followed the diet but took in varying levels of sodium (3300 mg, 2400 mg, or 1500 mg per day). The researchers found that the biggest drops in blood pressure occurred in the group on the 1500 mg/day diet.^[9]

 

Life Lessons

After nearly a decade of teaching healthy eating at the Pritikin Longevity Center, I can say with certainty that people can change. They really can revamp their behaviors and live better, healthier lives. But it takes much more, unfortunately, than simply handing them a diet pamphlet. What works is a solid education in several key skills for healthy living: classes in grocery shopping, reading food labels, cooking, and dining out healthfully. In addition, we provide classes that teach why these skills are so vital and how they benefit the body.

What matters, too, is taking time away from what I call the "American assault on our taste buds" -- a week or more spent eating foods that are completely free of salt, sugar, and grease, so that our palates have a chance to rediscover the good flavors of good food.

If, as a nation, we can institute educational programs like these, we can begin to empty our hospitals of patients needing angioplasties or coronary bypass surgeries; we can lighten the load of nursing facilities filled with people stricken with diabetic- and cardiovascular-related strokes, kidney failure, and amputations.

We know that the Mediterranean diet is better than the typical American diet. We also know that healthy, well-designed low-fat diets are better than the typical American diet. We need more research -- rigorous, randomized trials -- to identify not only the best diets but also the best ways to teach these diets.

In doing so, we can achieve real change across America, change that can not only curtail the staggering economic costs of chronic disease but also help people feel better and live better.

References

1. Estruch R, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, et al. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. N Engl J Med. 2013;DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa200303.

2. [No authors listed] Ornish, Pritikin get Medicare okay for cardiac rehab. Harv Heart Lett. 2010;21:7.

3. Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW, et al. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? The Lifestyle Heart Trial. Lancet. 1990;336:129-133. Abstract

4. Chainani-Wu N, Weidner G, Purnell DM, et al. Changes in emerging cardiac biomarkers after an intensive lifestyle intervention. Am J Cardiol. 2011;108:498-507. Abstract

5. Barnard RJ. Effects of life-style modification on serum lipids. Arch Intern Med. 1991;151:1389-1394. Abstract

6. Sullivan S, Samuel S. Effect of short-term Pritikin diet therapy on the metabolic syndrome. J Cardiometab Syndr. 2006;1:308-312. Abstract

7. Wegge JK, Roberts CK, Ngo TH, Barnard RJ. Effect of diet and exercise intervention on inflammatory and adhesion molecules in postmenopausal women on hormone replacement therapy and at risk for coronary artery disease. Metabolism. 2004;53:377-381. Abstract

8. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997;336:1117-1124. Abstract

9. Sacks FM, Svetkey LP, Vollmer WM, et al. Effects on blood pressure of reduced dietary sodium and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. DASH-Sodium Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 2001;344:3-10. Abstract

 

Three Wake Up Calls In One Week! Always Go to the Funeral - What Will Your Last 10 Years Look Like? - The Miracle of Looking Through the Eyes of Another

 

 

 

"'Always go to the funeral' means that I have to do the right thing when I really, really don't feel like it"

I have to remind myself of it when I could make some small gesture, but I really don't have to and I definitely don't want to.

I'm talking about those things that represent only inconvenience to me but the world to the other guy: you know, the painfully underattended birthday party, the hospital visit during happy hour, the shivah call for one of my ex's uncles.

In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn't been good vs. evil. It's hardly so epic. Most days my real battle is doing good vs. doing nothing."

 

-Deirdre Sullivan, "Always Go to the Funeral," August 8, 2005.  NPR Series, "This I Believe"

 

 

 

Isn't it strange how books, teachers, people, podcasts, articles, and experiences sometimes serendipitously arrive on our doorstep, unasked for--but offering exactly what we didn't know we needed to hear?  Does that make sense?

This week, three "Wake-Up Call" kind-of-serendipitous lessons literally fell into my lap. Two short videos.  One short podcast. Two take place in hospitals.  One's about funerals.  Hmm.   What's the connection here?

All together, they added up to nine powerful minutes out of my week. 

Nine minutes that have kind of shaken me up--awakened me --and made me look at my everday life a little differently.  Maybe they'll have the same effect upon you.

Here's the strange part.   It turns out, all three of the following "on-line learning opportunities" are saying the same thing--sort of.

Many of us have jam-packed schedules.  Throw in another obligation, or try to change the way we eat or shop or start an exercise program, or pay closer attention to everyone we have contact with during the day---sometimes it just seems impossible & so overwhelming.  Who has the time for it all?

For me, the videos & the podcast were a kick in the pants to recognize what sometimes holds me back from "doing the right thing"! 

Honestly, sometimes I just don't feel like it.

The antidote:  Habit kicks in.

Bottom line: It's often the inevitable inertia of everyday life -- Aargh, I'm too busy for that right now, it's not a convenient time, & let's face it--what can look like the lack of empathy is more about being too preoccupied or busy to pay attention to what's going on with someone outside of my own inner circle.   Just speaking for myself, here.

 

The Three Kick-In-The-Pants Reminders I Received This Week

1. "Always Go to the Funeral".    I deeply regret the ones I've missed--but, shouldn't have.   But, I still struggle with how to decide which ones are OK to miss, or which circumstances are excusable.  It's not all black & white.  Thoughts?

2. "What Will Your Last Ten Years Look Like?"    Make your own choice, but it won't happen without making changes, that's for certain.

3. "Empathy - "If you could stand in someone else's shoes... Hear what they hear. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Would you treat them differently?"    Yes, without a doubt!  Err on the side of understanding, cut someone some slack.  Is there any possible alternative?

 

What Do "Two Hospitals" & "a Funeral" Have in Common?

1.  They're about doing the right thing--even when it's inconvenient, even we're too busy right now, even when we can't afford it, even when we can't spare the time or even when we just want to take a pass--this once. 

2.  "If I waited until I felt like doing it--I'd never do it [you fill in the blanks]"

3. "When in doubt, do the positive thing." 

4.  They're about the little things, the small good habits, the better choices, the slight attitude adjustments, when done over & over again slowly change us over time.  After awhile, the changes become automatic--it's just what we do.  Who we are. 

• They can add up to a healthy vibrant last 10 years of life. 
• They can add up to making a difference to someone else's life--even if we are unaware of it.

It's the power of habit, that changes us into the people we want to be.

5. It's about overcoming our own inertia and the inconvenience of doing what we'd rather not be doing.

That's it.

 

"Smart people who’ve thought about this usually understand that the habits we put into practice end up shaping the people we are within.

 -David Brooks, New York Times, "Suffering Fools Gladly"-

What Will Your Last Ten Years Look Like?

Click Here If You Don't See the Video on Your Screen

 

 

Don't miss this one minute video produced by the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation.

What will your last 10 years look like?

My eyes filled with tears watching this--memories of my mom & dad.  They are the reason I'm so careful about staying health.  And so are my grandkids, my husband, & my kids.

Giant thank you to C.S., the Canadian reader who shared this video with me.

 

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Empathy - If You Could Stand in Someone Else's Shoes, Would You Treat Them Differently?

Click Here If You Don't See the Video on Your Screen

 

Don't miss this video about EMPATHY--that profoundly challenges us to walk in someone else's shoes.

It has the potential to change your perspective forever. The video was produced by the Cleveland Clini & was featured on the blog of my favorite radio show: "On Being".
 

Have a  kleenex ready.

A big thank you to my daughter-in-law who shared this video with me--I missed viewing it when it was shown at work last week.  Read the full post about the video here.

 

"If you could stand in someone else's shoes... Hear what they hear. See what they see. Feel what they feel. Would you treat them differently?"

"These words end this incredibly beautiful video produced by the Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education.
 

This video speaks to each person's complexity, the stories that go unsaid but float just beneath the surface.

Titled "Empathy," this video was presented by the health care organization's CEO Toby Cosgrove at his annual State of the Clinic address on February 27, 2013. And it gets at a point that immunologist Esther Sternberg explores in her work and personal life: how new knowledge about the physical spaces of our lives can stress us, make us sick, or help us be well and connect with others."

I am forever grateful to Krista Tippett & the producers of "On Being" for the inspiration, the insights, & the new ways they make me think about the world--every Sunday morning on the radio. If you aren't familiar with this award-winning weekly show--I encourage you to discover it on NPR. 

 

 -Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each others' eyes for one instant?-

Henry David Thoreau

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Always Go to the Funeral 

 

Credit: Nubar Alexanian

Deirdre Sullivan, NPR "This I Believe," August 8, 2005

 

 Listen to Deirdre Sullivan explain why she always goes to the funeral, here

 

"I believe in always going to the funeral. My father taught me that.

The first time he said it directly to me, I was 16 and trying to get out of going to calling hours for Miss Emerson, my old fifth grade math teacher. I did not want to go. My father was unequivocal.

"Dee," he said, "you're going. Always go to the funeral. Do it for the family."

So my dad waited outside while I went in. It was worse than I thought it would be: I was the only kid there. When the condolence line deposited me in front of Miss Emerson's shell-shocked parents, I stammered out, "Sorry about all this," and stalked away.

But, for that deeply weird expression of sympathy delivered 20 years ago, Miss Emerson's mother still remembers my name and always says hello with tearing eyes.

That was the first time I went un-chaperoned, but my parents had been taking us kids to funerals and calling hours as a matter of course for years. By the time I was 16, I had been to five or six funerals. I remember two things from the funeral circuit: bottomless dishes of free mints and my father saying on the ride home, "You can't come in without going out, kids. Always go to the funeral."

Sounds simple — when someone dies, get in your car and go to calling hours or the funeral. That, I can do. But I think a personal philosophy of going to funerals means more than that.

"Always go to the funeral" means that I have to do the right thing when I really, really don't feel like it. 

I have to remind myself of it when I could make some small gesture, but I don't really have to and I definitely don't want to.

I'm talking about those things that represent only inconvenience to me, but the world to the other guy. You know, the painfully under-attended birthday party. The hospital visit during happy hour. The Shiva call for one of my ex's uncles.

In my humdrum life, the daily battle hasn't been good versus evil. It's hardly so epic. Most days, my real battle is doing good versus doing nothing.

In going to funerals, I've come to believe that while I wait to make a grand heroic gesture, I should just stick to the small inconveniences that let me share in life's inevitable, occasional calamity.

On a cold April night three years ago, my father died a quiet death from cancer. His funeral was on a Wednesday, middle of the workweek.

I had been numb for days when, for some reason, during the funeral, I turned and looked back at the folks in the church. The memory of it still takes my breath away.

The most human, powerful and humbling thing I've ever seen was a church at 3:00 on a Wednesday full of inconvenienced people who believe in going to the funeral.  [I couldn't agree more.]

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 Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ann Esselstyn on "How to Eat Plant-Perfect: What to Eat, Where to Buy It, How to Cook It"

Ann Esselstyn Speaking at a Hospital Employee Wellness Talk: "How to Eat Plant Perfect"
 

 

 The Esselstyns 

 

If you received this post via email, please click here to get to the web version so you can view the videos of Ann's talk, all the links, & photos. 

 

Oh, gee, it's been three weeks since I PROMISED to summarize Ann's talk.  Finally, coming through today, folks--here it is!

Isn't it Ironic that on January 14th, Tara Parker-Pope writes a column in the NYT on, "How to Go Vegan" , garnering almost 800 comments.  Tara, why didn't you talk to Ann, first?  She's got years of experience.

Then on January 15th,  Ann Esselstyn delivers an energizing talk & demo on "How to Eat Plant-Perfect: What to Eat, Where to Buy It, How to Cook It" to a standing-room crowd of hospital employees where I work.   Do you think plant-based is maybe, just maybe, moving a tiny bit closer to "oh, that's not sooo weird" & "it really does makes sense"?  

Ann is a high-energy, down-to-earth dynamo & this crowd of "mostly-new-to-the-plant-based-world" employees loved her!  She shared her Top Ten Plant-Perfect Rules, along with her most favorite foods--like who makes the best pizza crusts, pasta sauces, salad dressings, non-dairy milks, veg broths---& her go-to everyday breakfasts.  Ann's all about making it easy.   Not fancy schmancy.

Ann is the nuts-and-bolts member of the Esselstyn team.  She'll tell you how to shop, transform your pantry, & how to cook all these strange new foods.  Dr. Esselstyn, on the other hand, is armed with his clinical experience, statistics, angiograms, journal citations & science to explain how eating a diet of just vegetables, grains, beans, & fruit can prevent & reverse heart disease.  You can get a summary of Dr. E's explanation here.

Ann tells us how to do it!

 

How to Eat Plant Perfect.  The Ground Rules

 

1. Forget about replacing meat with "faux meat"

Avoid this:  Ann calls it Vegan Junk Food, and the freezer cases of our grocery stores are filled with faux chicken nuggets, barbecue ribs, fake sausage, hot dogs, & lunch meat.  Newbie vegans figure all they have to do is find plenty of plant-based meat substitutes.  "Forget about it," explains Ann.  Read the labels.  Most of those "faux meats" are filled with faux ingredients.  They're high in fat, contain ingredients of questionable benefit, like isolated soy protein, and they usually have too much sodium.  Just read the labels.

Consider instead: If you're looking for a quality plant-based burger, Ann recommends one made by a company in Columbus, Ohio, called Luna Burgers.  You'll recognize ALL the ingredients on their labels:  Spelt Berries, Black Beans, Oats, Onions, Carrots, Kale, Beets, Blueberries, Molasses, Garlic, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt, Rosemary, Pepper.  I know.  Strange sounding ingredients for a burger--but, they're really good!  Not available everywhere in the US, however.

2. Forget about vegan cheese.  

Avoid this: Carefully read the labels.  Most vegan cheeses contain 2 ingredients you definitely want to avoid: casein, which is a milk protein, & oil.   

Consider instead:  Nutritional yeast.  Find it in the bulk food section of health food stores, or at most grocery stores, these days. Nutritional yeast is a "must-have" seasoning.  It looks like dry pale yellow flakes, but it imparts a subtle cheesy taste to sauces, tofu "ricotta", "mac 'n cheese", pestos, mashed potatoes, popcorn or as a topping, sprinkled on casseroles.  It is a bit of an acquired taste--but, an easy one to acquire.  It's an excellent butter substitute in mashed potatoes.

3.  Give yourself time for your taste buds to adapt & change

If you've eaten a typical American diet all your life, it's going to take time to adapt to the taste of no-oil cooking, new vegetables, less salt, less sugar, exotic spices, unusual beans & grains.  Never fear.  Our tastes change!  

When San'Dera Prude, the 30-something single mom, featured in the documentary Forks Over Knives, was invited to lunch at the Esselstyn's for the first time, she later told Ann she hated the food she was served.

San'Dera was used to fried foods, Kentucky Fried Chicken, a lot of salt, & she wasn't much of a fruit or vegetable fan. Months late, San'Dera realized that she needed to taste a new food at least THREE TIMES before she liked it. Don't make a judgement on your first taste of something new.

4.  What's the difference between Engine 2's Plant-Strong & Esselstyn's Plant-Perfect?

Nuts & avocados are included in the less stringent Engine 2 diet plan.  That's it.  Both plans emphasize: no oil; no meat, no poultry, no fish, no dairy or milk; and both advise a diet of whole grains, mostly unprocessed foods, lots of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, beans, and legumes.  That's it!   Engine-2 was originally conceived by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's son, Rip Esselstyn for a younger population who didn't have heart disease--and wanted to avoid it.

 

 

Ann's Top Ten Plant Perfect Pointers

 

1.  No Oil, Ever.  

 It sounds hard, but it's really the easiest change to make. Here's what's problematic with olive oil.  

Sauteeing vegetables without oil:  Instead of oil, find a low or no sodium vegetable broth to saute with, like Kitchen Basics No Added Salt Vegetable broth.  Read labels. Avoid boullion cubes.  The first ingredient is usually salt, & the second ingredient is often palm oil.  

Sauteeing onions & mushrooms is easy, because they have a high water content.  First, preheat your pan on medium high heat.  Add the onions, mushrooms or celery.  Lower the heat to medium low, & cover the pan. Check on the vegetables about every 2 minutes, stir, add a little broth or water if they are starting to stick--and that will easily deglaze the pan.  In about 7 to 10 minutes you'll have beautiful golden & soft vegetables. Garlic has less liquid content, so you'll need to add more liquid when sauteeing garlic.

Baking without oil:  In place of oil, you can use mashed bananas, baby prunes (avoid Gerber Organic brand--it contain tuna oil. The "conventional" Gerber brand is fine! ), or apple sauce.

Salad Dressings without oil:  Ann's favorite dressing is made with a no-oil, no-tahini hummus, some balsamic vinegar, the juice of an orange, & mustard.  Often she dresses her salads with just a high quality flavored balsamic vinegar, like Olive Tap's.   They have every flavor imaginable, like: black currant, pear, chocolate (which is great on banana "ice cream" or drizzled on strawberries), or tangerine. 

 

2.  Eat Leafy Greens.  Many Servings.  Everyday.

 

Strip.  Ann's fridge & garden are perpetually stocked with kale & collards.  Even in the winter she's harvesting kale.  She calls kale, "Spinach with Heft" because it's so nutrient dense, hardy & "hearty".  To help kale cook evenly, she removes its thick stems by holding each leaf in her left hand, and starting at the stem's base, grabbing the stem with her fingers & sliding the leaf quickly off of the stem.  You can chop up the kale leaves, tear them apart--or not.  Place them in a pot of boiling water, cover, & it's done in 5-6 minutes.  Kale stems can be cut on the diagonal & sprinkled on salads, or thrown into soups.  Kale stems: almost like a brand new vegetable.

Massage.  To use raw kale in salads, you'll need to break down it's tought cellulose a bit by massaging it with your hands using a citrus juice, a non-oil dressing or even some hummus.  After massaging, add cherry tomatoes, some lemon zest & lemon juice, or even mango & lime juice to your salad.  An exotic delicious salad in minutes.  Here's a favorite raw kale salad of mine.

Ann's favorite kale:  Lacinato, the long deep dark puffy textured kale, also known as Tuscan or Dinosaur kale.

Use collard greens as a sandwich wrap, a burrito or for making sushi.  Ann fills large softened collard leaves (burrito-fashion) with steamed asparagus, red peppers, carrots, hummus, cilantro, & lemon slices.  Or she makes them into burritos filled with black beans, sweet potatoes, cilantro, & salsa.

Greens in your pasta.  Another genius Ann tip.  Throw cut up greens into a pot of boiling pasta water & let them soften as the pasta cooks--or throw a bunch into the pasta sauce as it heats.  An easy way of getting more greens into your life.

Remember, no oil, greens every day--in salads, soup, pasta, or sandwiches.  Lots of vegetables.

 

3.  Eat Oats (Oatmeal)

Raw, Cooked, Rolled, Steel-Cut, or Whole Oat Groats.   It doesn't matter how you eat them, just eat them everyday for breakfast.  Or whenever. 

Oats help to reduce cholesterol, reduce inflammation & the more you eat, the greater the results--because their benefits are dose-responsive.

Dr. Esselstyn eats his Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats raw, every night after dinner as a snack.  He adds 1 tablespoon of chia or flax meal (kept refrigerated) to them, along with bananas or berries, a crunchy cereal like Kashi, Ezekiel, Grape Nuts, or Shredded Wheat, and oat milk. 

Ann used to eat her rolled oats totally dry with halved red grapes, & maybe a squeeze of grapefruit juice. She wasn't a fan of cooked oatmeal. But, she's changed her tune, and she's now passionate about cooked steel-cut oats, made with a REALLY RIPE banana, 1 cup of water, & 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  When done cooking, she tops it with chia & blueberries.  No milk in her oatmeal.

Ann's Favorite Savory-Style Oats:  Yay!  She's a fan of my "Cheezy Savory Oats with Greens"   They're steel-cut oats that you could serve to company for dinner.

Dr. Esselstyn's Favorite Milk:  Oat milk

Ann's Favorite Milk:  Almond milk

Don't Forget One of These Important Oat Toppers:  Add a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed (flax meal) or chia seed to your daily oatmeal for a handy source of omega-3's.  Flax seeds need to be ground for your body to absorb their nutrients--and always keep them in the refrigerator for freshness.

The of variety of non-dairy milks is stunning.  Almond, Oat, Soy & Rice.  Sweetened, unsweetened, enriched, Vanilla, Chocolate, you name it.   Each come with there own benefits.  Some are better for cooking.  Some are better tasting.  Most are enriched with calcium & vitamin D, to match dairy milk.  Read the non-dairy milk labels carefully.  Avoid any that contain oil or ingredients that you don't want to consume.   Avoid coconut milk.

 

4.  Fill Your Life with Beans & Lentils

Ann's favorite bean is red lentils, because they cook quickly & dissolve into a thick creaminess which is perfect for soups & stews.  She even throws red lentils into pasta sauces.

Bean rule #1:  Look for cans or cartons with no-added salt.  Whole Foods 365 Brand & Eden Foods make no-salt beans.  Eden Foods packages them in no-BPA cans, & now 365 Brand packages their beans in tetra-boxes.

 

5.  Eat Whole Grains

Read all bread, tortilla, pasta & cereal labels CAREFULLY.  The first ingredient should include the word WHOLE, as in WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, not just wheat flour, or semolina flour.

Pizza crusts:  Ann sometimes uses whole wheat pita bread or lavash as a pizza crust.  But, her all-time favorite, & mine, is Sami's Millet & Flax crusts.  Unless you live in Florida, unfortunately, you'll have to order Sami's crusts from their main bakery in Tampa, FL.  To cut down on shipping costs, I order them with a group of four friends.  32 crusts at a time, 8 crusts for each of us, & we store them in our freezers.

 

 

Pizza & Pasta Sauce?

Ann recommends Walnut Acres Basil & Tomato.  It's one of the few prepared sauces that's made with no-oil & is low-sodium.  Look for it at health food stores, Giant Eagle, or order it through Amazon.   

Second best:  Muir Glenn's Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce.

Third best:  Trader Joe's No-Oil Marinara Sauce.  It's high in sodium.

Ann's tip for pizza sauce:  Mix chopped-up cooked kale into your pizza sauce to get extra greens. You won't even notice it in there.

 

 

A Delicious New Bread Discovery by Ann.  Almost dessert-like.

Manna Bread.   This is a sprouted, organic bread made with whole wheat kernels, carrots, & raisins.  Ann recommends toasting it for your "eating pleasure"--because it has a soft squishy texture.   I haven't tasted it yet, but Ann's got a loaf set aside for me in her freezer to be delivered the next time we meet up at the gym. Look for it at some Whole Foods.

 

 

 

6.  Drink Water

Don't drink your calories. No soda.  No diet drinks.  Don't juice.  Don't drink smoothies.  Better to chew your fruits & vegetables, & eat them whole, rather then blend them into a drink.  

 

7.  Limit Salt

The amount of salt that's added to processed, prepared, or restaurant foods is over-the-top.  Instead of salting your foods, Ann recommends a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, because they activate the same taste receptors on the tongue & trick our brains into not missing the salt.  Other brain-tricking options are using a dash of vinegar, hot sauce, sriracha or cholula sauce.

Ann tip:  Freeze lemons & limes whole & grate some onto whatever you're eating.  Vinegar takes the bitterness out of foods, so drizzle some onto greens or other strong-tasting vegetables.

 

8.  Limit Sugar

Bottom Line:  Keep sugary snacks & baked goods out of the house.  It's just too tempting, & as long as you keep the sweets around you'll keep your sugar addiction.  Just try eating one piece of chocolate or one cookie.  You know you'll be back for more.   

Ann tip:  Consider a Yonanas machine & make your own sugar-free "soft-serve ice cream" from frozen fruit & bananas.

 

9.  Avoid Coconut Milk or Coconut Oil

Coconut is everywhere these days, touted as a "healthy fat" mostly because of its creamy mouth-feel.  It's in non-dairy milks, ice creams, & yogurts.  Don't use it.  It's a highly saturated fat.  In just 1/4 cup of coconut milk (about 1 serving) you'll find 12 grams of fat--10 grams of which are saturated.  Even if it was found to be a healthy, unharmful fat--it's still a fat, that's loaded with calories of limited nutritional value.

A Handy Coconut Milk Substitute:  You can easily substitute the taste & creaminess of coconut milk in recipes by adding 1 teaspoon of high quality coconut extract, like Silver Cloud Estates, to one cup of non-dairy milk.  You'll need 1 1/2 teaspoons & 1 1/2 cups of milk for a typical can of coconut milk.

 

10.  Unsweetened Un-Dutched Cocoa Yes!  Dark Chocolate, No!

You get all the heart-healthy benefits of chocolate if you go right to the source:  COCOA.  In one small serving of dark chocolate you're eating 20 grams of fat, 12 of which are saturated.  It's just not necessary. You can enjoy non-fat unsweetened cocoa in so many ways.   Like these, for example:  "Anytime Valentine Chocolate Treats for Breakfast, Snacks, or Dessert - It's Just Beans, Oats, Chia, and Dates (and Stevia)"

 

The New Kitchen Gadget Ann Recently Discovered

 

 

Ann's daughter, Jane, recently gave her a Perfect Tortilla Cup set.  It's available at  Bed, Bath, & Beyond--so I hear.  "The best part",  Ann says, "is that the Engine 2 No-Oil Sprouted Grain & Gluten-Free Torillas fit perfectly into these molds & make "perfect tortilla bowls"  for salads."

 

I'm an unabashed Ann Fan!  She tells it like it is.  She's fit, strong, energetic & a role model for all of us who want to age with health & vitality.

 

 

 

Excerpts from Ann's Talk at the Lab Rat's Rotary Breakfast Meeting (8 minutes)

 

Ann, you'll be happy to know, the Rotarians were taking excellent notes.  Yesterday's newsletter had a full page summary of your talk!  

 

If You Don't See the Video, You Can Access It Here

 

Ann's Talk in Nova Scotia, Canada (36 minutes)

 

This video was part of a public lecture presented by Dr. and Ann Esselstyn while visiting Sydney NS Canada in January of 2013.

 

If You Don't See the Video, You Can Access It Here

 

 

It's the Food, Dude! Living the Blue Zone Life at Age 85. Meet My Role Model--The Plant-Based Poet. It's Never Too Late to Change!

 

Margaret Bennet-Alder

 

"Although heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity have felled relatives, I'm well at [85], thanks to my plate of plants.  I look forward to more years of the same."

--Bennet-Alder's comment on the New York Times, "The Fat Trap,"  by Tara Parker Pope--

 

 

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

You don't have to live on the Greek island of Ikaria to live a Happy Healthy Long Life.   If you missed this favorite article of mine, "The Island Where People Forget to Die", you can enjoy it now.

Take heart!  Margaret Bennet-Alder is doing it, and she was even a bit a late-bloomer.

When I grow up, I want to be just like her.

This energetic dynamo is 85 years old, publishes the "Gardener's Journal", maintains the Toronto Garden Book website, has an iPad, follows me on FaceBook, exercises daily, has been plant-based for over three years, & her latest accomplishment is poetry!  Stay tuned--you'll find her brilliant whimsical "Veggie Verses" below.

We first met about a year and half ago, and I've been an admirer of hers ever since.

Margaret is truly living the Blue Zone life--even though she's miles away from Ikaria, Sardinia, Loma Linda, or Okinawa.  It's something we can all do--no matter where we call home!

Margaret's checked off all the Blue Zone boxes--and so can you.

• She's an avid gardener
• She's a strong woman
• She's got strong family relationships
• She's active in her community
• She execises, walks, and leads a busy life doing work she's passionate about
• She eats plant-based--including plenty of legumes
• She doesn't smoke
• Sun---well, not so much!
• She's a hip lady--who keeps up with times!

 

 

It's the Food Dude

 

Over a month ago, Margaret sent me a "keeper" kind of email, along with a clever "Ode to Plant-Based Living", she called "The Veggie Verses".  She wrote it for the benefit of her friends, to condense everything she had learned that was enabling her to stay happy, healthy, and to lead a long active life without disabilities.  

As Margaret once told me:  "I realized that in their mid-to-late eighties many of the elderly go into nursing homes.  I'm trying very hard to stave that off."

 

Me:  "Your email, & Veggie Verses are just a delight--and of course I'm immensely flattered to have made the cut--and to get a very nice mention.   Don't know how you did it--but you didn't miss a beat--& covered it all.  Love your mantra, "It's the food, dude!"  Especially, coming from you.

Please, please, please may I share it via the HHLL blog?  It's too good to hide under a hat.  But, I totally understand if you don't want to share it."

Margaret:  "Thank you, Debby, and of course you may use it however you want to."

 

 

Margaret's Back Story

 

I hope you find this as inspiring as I do. 

 

"You are one who continues to inspire me to follow a whole foods plant-based diet. Tonight my son and I are going to have pizza based on your recent recipe. Primarily because of you, I joined Facebook. Thank you, thank you.

In attempting to share with my friends and relatives the information I've found, I have composed the following doggerel, Veggie Verses. Several resources are briefly mentioned including the Healthy Librarian, which may be of interest to you. Even a crumb-sized comment will be welcome.

But first a bit of my nutrition history. 

I’ve been eating plants for the past three years. At age 85 I’m in good health, and my weight has come down to what it was in my teens.

This all began after my brother urged me, albeit gently, for 18 months to read The China Study, but what does a brother know? I found out.

Finally three years ago this past June when I was about to turn 82, he said, “Have you got the book yet?” I told him I was waiting for a copy on reserve at the library.

He said, “You want your own copy.” As we spoke on the phone, a Tuesday, I ordered it from Amazon, and it came on Thursday. I dipped into it and by Saturday I was eating vegan.

What convinced me was that generally speaking excess calories from animal foods turn into fat whereas excess calories from plants are burned up in activity or heat.

My brother also recommended books by John McDougall, MD. Following The McDougall Program I began this new way of eating by using the recipes and menus for his 12-day diet. Within a month I lost the 10 pounds I’d been trying to lose for 35 years.

As I studied further and cut out all added oil, I lost another 15. My BMI in total went from 26 to 19: my clothes from size 14 to 8 or 10.

Friends tell me how great I look, and I feel good. My knees used to hurt on the stairs, but no longer.

Diet trumps exercise and when people comment on my good health, I say, “It’s the food, Dude.”

My background in nutrition helped me to accept what I was reading. I graduated with a BA in home economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1949, and then taught high school students home ec which included much nutrition advice I would never teach today.

Other factors motivating me in this whole foods plant-based way of eating is the ill health in my and my parents’ generation.

My  parents, neither of whom smoked, each died of a heart attack. Aunts suffered from obesity, cancer and diabetes. My brother almost died of a heart attack 12 years ago. He and his wife were in a Honolulu hotel waiting to go on a cruise the next day. He woke up in the morning with an elephant on his chest and by 11 am had a stent in one of the arteries to his heart.

He also studied nutrition at the Ontario Agriculture College-University of Guelph.  In The China Study,  by T. Colin Campbell, PhD, my brother found the information he was looking for to avoid another heart attack and stent. We both also read How to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., MD.

And so I continued to read and study, and wanting to share with more than "It's the food, Dude," especially to neighbours and friends to whom in conversation I can't get across all the information that I would like to, I give them the Veggie Verses with the preamble."

 

What Margaret didn't mention in this email is that she also walks 45 minutes a day, six days a week.   

She lifts weights six days out of seven--with an increasing number of repetitions.

She also balances on a BOSU every morning for two minutes as her oatmeal cooks in the microwave.

She's read Dr. Norman Doige's book, The Brain That Changes Itself, where she learned about Michael Merzenich's Posit Science Brain Training, and completed the "auditory training".  Judging by everything this woman is accomplishing at age 85--I think she's on to something!

This is fascinating stuff and I've written about it here.  Don't miss it!  Read about Dr. Merzenich's ground-breaking work in the New York Times, here and here.

 

 

The Veggie Verses - An Ode to Living the Plant-Based Life

 

 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It’s not!
—Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax


You’ll find attached
what my brain has hatched.

 
It’s my device
for giving advice,
free and unasked for,
which may close the door
on our seeing each other,
which is not what I’d rather.

Make no mistake,
no need to partake.
But being a taker
perhaps may delay
the sight of your maker.
And if in the end,
my way to wend
is not your intend,
I’ll still be your friend.


Veggie Verses

Many a diet I’ve tried,
to have less fat and more pride,
but all to no avail,
save for this holy grail.

At age 85, I should be dead,
like too many cousins and friends.
Instead, I’m alive and don’t ail,
thanks to this holy grail.

It’s the food, Dude!

Just eat the food:
    beans, greens,
    oats, groats,
    roots and fruits,
    potatoes, tomatoes,
    berries and curries,
    onions and melons,
    beets and wheat.

Eat no meat, athlete,
nor milk and its ilk,
especially cheese,
to prevent disease.

For the uninitiated,
avoid the fractionated.
To achieve your goal,
eat it whole.

T. Colin Campbell,
of U. of Cornell,
is retired as a doc of nutrition.
He’s written, for our erudition,
about his life’s work in a book.
So have a good look
at The China Study:
the plants are your buddy.

To improve your health,
thus add to your wealth,
Google McDougall, Dr. John.
Free lectures, free letters—right on!
As are his programs live-in and live-out.
He talks straight; does not mess about.
His “The Perils of Dairy”
on YouTube is awfully scary.
Many books he has written.
His newest on starch-strong nutrition,
is The Starch Solution.
It’s a true revolution
based on human evolution.
To all and sundry,
you’ll never go hungry.
His programs residential
are highly influential.
You’ll be curtailed,
but not food-failed.
Have all you can eat,
not forgetting a sweet.

The Esselstyn clan,
Doctor Caldwell and Ann,
have written a clicker
to heal your ticker,
and how “healthy” oil
just increases hearts’ toil.
Bill Clinton went seekin’
his advice on the vegan.
Rip, their son, also is hip.
His Engine 2 Diet for 28 days
will you amaze. His week-ends away,
Farms2Forks, in the U.S. of A.,
do so much much more
than make only hay.

A man of nutrition and a dietitian,
Jeff Novick’s quick tricks
with meals made simple
will show your dimple
‘cause his style
makes you smile.
He’ll save you time
as well as your dime.
He’s also a joker,
and not mediocre.

The dot-com vegsource
is a tour de force,
with many a link
to help us shrink.
There’s so much knowledge,
it could fill a college.
They’ve DVDs and CDs galore.
If it’s names you’ld like to look for,
here are a few to pursue:
Barnard and Lisle,
Pulde and Lederman,
Chef AJ and Heidrich,
Robbins, both Ocean and John.
Dapper Doc Klaper,
and for your soul,
the amazing Rich Roll.

The medical Healthy Librarian,
a plant-based true vegetarian,
informs with voluminous vigor
the evidence-based and de rigeur
on Facebook, email, and blog.
Her web site, so topical, you’ll be agog.
And her recipes, too, are nutritious
and super delicious.

From peer-reviewed journals,
good Doctor Mike Greger
makes videos short and of rigor
which he posts every day
on NutritionFacts dot org.
He’ll delay your trip to the morgue.

Powered-up athletes
who’ve given up meats
ascribe their condition
to starch-based nutrition.
And older men, too,
don’t feel so blue.
No more Viagra,
they feel like Niagara.

A name with a hook
is Forks Over Knives,
a movie, a site and a book,
all made to better our lives.

It’s worth repeating,
that this way of eating
is catching on
from city to farm.
So let’s whoop it up
for a healthy head’s up.

Choose this way to dine
and do go online,
where our brains are imploding
with the info exploding.

May my little review
make all easy to do.
Thus you’ll not fail
with this holy grail. 

 

 

 Margaret's My Role Model

I Hope She's an Inspiration to You, Too!

In Spite of Genes, Our Family History--or Even Our Age--It's Never Too Late to Change!

 

Thank you, Margaret, for your willingness to share your story & your Veggie Verses with all of us.

Why Not Give Margaret a Thumbs Up on FB or in the comments, right here?

 

Farms2Forks Preview. Painless & Effortless Calorie-Restriction for People Who Love to Eat - Lessons for Health, Longevity, and Disease Prevention

 

 

 

If You Stick to Primarily Eating the Foods Above the Red Line You'll Be Full, Healthy, & Not Overweight - Four Pounds of Food for Only 1500 Calories

 

 

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

Yes, yes, I know.

When am I going to post my summary of my fantastic Farms2Forks weekend at the Esselstyn Farm?

Soon.  Soon. I promise.  I'm working on it.  Busy, busy, until after Labor Day.  

So much to share--so little time this month.  I've got over 70 pages of notes & tons of pictures to somehow summarize into maybe 4 posts!  I can't thank the Esselstyn's enough for inviting me & the Lab Rat to share the fun, food, friendships, & brain-expanding/motivating presentations at what Jeff Novick dubbed, "Plant-Stock" at Claverack!  

 It was a cross between summer camp, a family reunion, an outdoor rock concert, & a top-notch weekend college seminar.

Just imagine a beautiful sunny 75 degree weekend on the Esselstyn farm, enjoying delicious plant-strong breakfasts, lunches, & dinners that someone else prepared, meeting HHLL readers & like-minded upbeat people from all over, & having the opportunity to talk with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, all the Esselstyns, Jeff Novick, and Lindsay Nixon (The Happy Herbivore).  Beyond anything I could have imagined!

 And, just so you know--Rip's crew did put us to work.  The Lab Rat helped to park cars, & I helped with registration.  But, it was so much fun.

 

 

 

But, back to H.L. designed-chart above.  It's based on data from one of Jeff Novick's Farms2Forks presentations, "Calorie Density: How to Eat More & Weigh Less,"  which sums up why switching to a nutrient-dense plant-based lifestyle will bring you health, prevent chronic disease, & help you to lose weight painlessly & effortlessly.  Really.

I had a chance to talk to Jeff, and I was excited to learn that he's a friend & a fan of Dr. Luigi Fontana's, the long-time caloric-restriction researcher at both Washington University in St. Louis & the Italian Institute of Health.  And what does Luigi Fontana have to do with Farms2Forks?  Let me explain.

Fontana's research has led him to the conclusion that eating excessive animal protein increases prostate, breast & colon cancers--and eating a lower-calorie nutrient-dense diet will prevent the typical Western chronic diseases.  You can read all about it below.

And Fontana, is a really nice guy!  He even wrote my daughter-in-law back recently when she asked him for a recommendation for a family doctor who supported a plant-based diet.  Unfortunately, he didn't have one to recommend.

This post, written almost 2 years ago after my first three months on a plant-based no-added oil diet, does a good job of explaining why "plant-strong" works for me.   So, here you go!  

It's the essence of Farms2Forks.

In the meantime, Jeff Novick has his own excellent summary of a lot of the material he presented in his "Calorie Density: How to Eat More & Weigh Less"  presentation.   You can find it here.   

But trust me, it doesn't come close to hearing Jeff in person.  He's half stand-up comedian and half "the most engaging college professor" you ever had.  If you ever have a chance to hear him speak in person--"just do it!".

Find fantastic photos of the Farms2Forks weekend here.

If you missed my "put a smile on your face" video of exercising during a Farm2Forks break, you can watch it here.

 

 

Calorie Restriction Without Counting Calories - A 6 Cup Salad, Eggplant Lasagna, a 27 ounce Green Smoothie, & Fruit for My Lunch & Dinner

 

 "I didn't think calorie restriction worked in humans until I started working with people who'd been doing it for years.

They are among the healthiest people I've ever known.  Their heart function is similar to people 15 years younger, they have very low levels of inflammation and very few get cancer."

-Dr. John Holloszy, M.D., lead CALERIE investigator, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri-

 "In terms of cardiovascular diseases - the No. 1 cause of death: 4 out of 10 people die of it in the U.S. and Europe - we know that they (Calorie Restriction Society members) will not die of cardiovascular death."

 "..every day doctors are publishing hundred of papers on circulation research and medications that are lowering blood pressure or cholesterol by a small bit. And here we have such a powerful intervention that is basically cleaning out the arteries."

 "I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this."

-Dr. Luigi Fontana & Dr. Susan Roberts, Washington University & Tufts University, investigators for the NIH-funded CALERIE Study-

 

9/21/10 update: Bill Clinton's CNN interview.  Why he's eating plant-based.  His stent wasn't going to cure his cardiovascular problems.  He wanted a long-term solution.  Click here.

Update 9/25/10:  Click here for my latest post about Bill Clinton's Diet and Wolf Blitzer's Interview with Drs. Esselstyn & Ornish.

 

Back to October 11, 2009 - Revisiting the CALERIE Study

One of my all-time favorite posts was almost a year ago--about the CALERIE Study that's been ongoing at Washington University in St. Louis (a shout-out to Wash U!), Tufts University in Boston, and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

I was totally intrigued by these 132+ people who were cutting their calories by 25%, eating a nutrient-dense diet, and getting super healthy all at the same time.  But, honestly, it sounded like a whole lot of measuring, weighing, calorie counting, and constant hunger.  Back then I didn't seriously think it was something I could ever do it.

Fast forward to June 18, 2010 when I decided to up the ante on my plant-based diet, and take Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's challenge to cut out oils, nuts, and avocados from my already healthy diet.  That was 3 months ago--my 4 week "experiment" is over, but I'm still going strong with this eating lifestyle.  (update Aug. 2012:  Still going strong with the plant-based no-added-oil diet, 2+ years later & cannot see ever changing)

Weight-loss is always a huge motivator.  I got on the scale today and I was 121 pounds--unbelievable for me--and that's with plenty of muscles, I'll have you know!  Down 10 pounds in 13 1/2 weeks, and I'm not counting calories or depriving myself one bit. (update Aug. 2012: I've stabilized at around 118 pounds, with plenty of lean muscles, a pretty flat belly & I eat a lot!)

I love how my clothes fit--I love that my blood pressure is consistently low normal--that my resting pulse is around 56--my cholesterol is just fine, I've got plenty of energy, the toxic belly fat is almost gone, as well as my extra tush cushioning--and guess what?  I didn't set out on this diet to lose weight.  I figured I was fine just the way I was--at 131 pounds--OK for a sixty-year old. (Update Aug. 2012: Now age 62.5 at 118)

I set out on this path for the same reason that Lisa Walford did.  She's the 55 year-old daughter of the late Dr. Ray Walford, one of the first researchers to look at the benefits of caloric-restriction.  Lisa has followed a 25% calorie restricted diet for over 20 years and at 4 foot 8 inches, she weighs in at a diminutive 80 pounds, and eats around 1500 calories a day.  If Lisa wasn't trying to lose or gain weight--her "set point" would be 95 pounds and she'd be consuming 2000 calories a day.

 

"Personally, I don't do it in hopes that I live longer.  I do it so that I can liver better now!  If I do live longer, it'll be a nice bonus."   Lisa Walford

 

My Unintentional Calorie-Restriction Experiment

 

Without intending to, it turns out that I'm following many of the precepts of calorie restriction, as well as the guidelines of the CALERIE Study (the Comprehensive Assessment of the Long Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy). 

 

• Sticking to the most nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes--although the CALERIE study is not vegan or vegetarian.
• Eating foods that are filling, appealing, low in calories, and nutrient-rich.
• Eating lots of fiber--at least 50 grams a day (for me) without counting grams or even trying.  Fiber is key to keeping satisfied and full--and it likely activates the satiety receptors in the lower intestine.  My husband is a huge fan of eating a big bowl of high-fiber cereal (Uncle Sam's & Ezekiel's) with oat milk as a dessert, or when he craves a snack.
• I've easily cut my calories by 25% just by eliminating the high calories of oil, avocados, chocolate, sugar, and nuts. I'm consuming around 1400-1600 calories of very filling, nutrient-dense & high-fiber foods without counting a single calorie.
• Why I wasn't losing weight on a plant-based diet. To maintain my previous weight of around 131 pounds I was eating around 2000-2200 calories a day, and exercising around 5 days a week.  Sure, I had been eating mostly plant-based since March 2008--but I still used olive & canola oils, salad dressings, ate avocados, nuts, nut butters, chocolate, and didn't scrutinize labels for added fat.  I never lost a pound.
• Eliminating high-calorie-low-nutrient foods. By just cutting out the added oils in my food and in my cooking, eliminating nuts (except for small amounts of walnuts in recipes), avocados, vegan mayo, my beloved Terrapin Ridge Chipotle sauce, my favorite Whole Foods prepared deli vegan fare, hummus with tahini, and chocolate--I've naturally cut my calories to about 1400 a day without counting a calorie, or missing a thing!  Believe me, I never thought I could cook without oil, or live without nuts.
• I eat whenever I'm hungry and as much as I want.

If you had the chance to stay healthy and lean as you aged--free from the diseases of aging, like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases--and all you had to do was cut out 25% of your daily calorie intake--would you do it?

Oh--and if you could also fit into cool clothes, drop to your high school weight,  & enjoy super energy?  Would you be willing to do it?

Why Is Calorie Restriction on My Mind Right Now?

A few weeks ago I picked up the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of Natural Health and zeroed right in on their cover story "Eat Less, Live Longer" by  Catherine Guthrie.  

And then I watched the 2010 Milken Institute panel, "The Science of Longevity", that featured my favorite calorie restriction expert from Washington University, Dr. Luigi Fontana.  I highly recommend viewing this video if you ever have 70 minutes to spare.  Right!

August 2012 Update:  I just watched the 2012 Milken Institute Panel, "Getting to 100: Your How-To Guide" with Dr. Luigi Fontana & others.  Excellent 1 hour presentation.  That summary will appear in a future post.  Dr. David Heber, admittedly, can be a tad annoying & overbearing!

If you aren't seeing the 2012 Milken Institute video on your screen, click here.

 

 

 

Here's what I learned from the 2010 Milken Institute:

1.  Your body has a natural set point weight.  That's the weight your body would naturally gravitate to if you weren't trying to lose or gain weight.   If you want to lower your calories by 25%--you first need to know how many calories you typically eat to maintain your "natural set point" weight.

2.  Short-term pleasure vs long-term benefits.  To make this work, you have to be willing to sacrifice the short-term pleasure of chocolate cakes for the long-term benefit of good health.  Easier said than done.  It's also not just a calorie-cutting game--it's eating the most nutrient-dense foods possible.  Otherwise you end up malnourished.

3.  Why does calorie restriction confer good health?   Most researchers in the field believe it's because low-calorie nutrient-dense foods stave off oxidative stress, which is the damage caused by free radicals--a natural byproduct of the body's metabolism.  Catherine Guthrie offers an elegantly simple explanation of the process.

"Think of free radicals like the carbon dioxide produced when you burn gas driving a car.

By restricting the amount of calories entering the body, cellular engines are forced to be more efficient (hybrid vs SUV), and the entire body hums like a well-oiled machine.  More efficient cellular engines mean less metabolic waste and fewer free radicals spewed into the body.

Since free radicals (and inflammation) play a role in nearly all age-related diseases, especially cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, the result is healthier aging."

4. Caloric restriction slows aging. According to Dr. Luigi Fontana, caloric restriction is the most powerful tool we have to slow aging, and reduce disease.  All the cardiac risk factors are reduced significantly, type 2 diabetes is reduced to zero, arteries are clean, and cancer causing hormones are down-regulated.  Right now the average life span in the U.S. is 80 years.  The average health span is 50 years--after that it's doctor visits, prescriptions & treating disease.  We need to bridge that gap.  Fontana's latest article on "Extending Healthy Life Span--From Yeast to Humans"  is published in Science 2010 Apr 16;328(5976):321-6. Click here.

5.  Animal protein & cancer.  Reducing the amount of animal protein we eat to 10% of calories eaten reduces risk factors for prostate, breast, and colon cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases.  Animal protein increases IGF-1, a growth factor associated with these diseases. (Fontana)  Click here to read more.

6.  A Flat Belly Means a Healthy Body.  BMI is a crude way to measure health.  Waist circumference is better.  A flat belly means you are eating just the right amount of calories you need. Yikes!  A round belly means you are eating too much. (Fontana)

7.  If you have a family history of cancer, eating a high animal protein diet is not a good idea. (Fontana)

 

And now for the original post from Oct. 11, 2009.  It will explain a lot.

CALERIE: The NIH Calorie-Restriction Experiment. Lessons for Health, Slowing Down the Aging Process, Longevity, and Disease Prevention

Photo credit: Reinhard Hunger NYT 10/11/09

  

"In terms of cardiovascular diseases - the No. 1 cause of death; 4 out of 10 people die of it in the U.S. and Europe - we know that they (Calorie Restriction Society members) will not die of cardiovascular death."

"... subjects have cholesterol around 160, blood pressure around 100 over 60, high HDL, low triglycerides and very low levels of inflammation."

"...every day doctors are publishing  hundreds of papers on circulation research  and medications that are lowering blood pressure or cholesterol by a small bit.  And here we have such a powerful intervention that is basically cleaning out the arteries."

"I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this." 

Dr. Luigi Fontana & Dr. Susan Roberts, Washington University & Tufts University investigators for the NIH- funded CALERIE Study,   NYT 10/11/09

If you had the chance to stay healthy and lean as you aged--free from the diseases of aging, like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases--and all you had to do was cut out 25% of your daily calorie intake--would you do it?  Oh--and if you could also fit into cool clothes, drop to your high school weight,  & enjoy super energy?  Would you be willing to do it?

We know that careful calorie restriction--eating a nutrient-dense-low-calorie diet--works in rodents and those University of Wisconsin rhesus monkeys--but will it work for humans who are constantly tempted by cheeseburgers, pizzas, office parties, and dinners out with friends?  (Read about the Rhesus Monkey 20 year follow-up here)

 

According Dr. Susan Roberts, one of the principal CALERIE investigators, when it comes to animals,  "They don't just live longer, they are healthier.  They actually aged biologically slower.  Their hair has gone gray less quickly.  Their hormones have stayed at their youthful profile and their immune function has stayed good."

I'd heard for years about too-skinny "calorie-restriction groupies" who were out to beat death with a miserably low-cal boring diet.  It held no appeal for me.  I love food too much!

But, I've got to tell you, after reading about the National Institute of Aging's ongoing calorie-restriction  experiment known as CALERIE  (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy)--I'm rethinking this whole calorie-restriction scene!  This is not excruciating or boring at all!  And since I started on my "veganish" adventure in March of 2008--I'm not that far away from the CALERIE model already!

Take a look at Jon Gertner's fascinating story, "The Calorie-Restriction Experiment" in the October 11, 2009 New York Times Magazine, here. 

Honestly, I'd describe it as Weight Watcher's on steroids--with help from physicians, dietitians and counselors.  There's even room for an occasional Uno's pizza, Haagen Dazs ice cream bar, bratwurst, or beer.

The first participants are finishing up their 2-year trial and the results are promising.

 

What is the CALERIE Study?

• Since it's virtually impossible to follow people over a lifetime to find out if restricting calories by 25% would slow aging, drastically reduce diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer--CALERIE aims to follow a select group (right now there are 132 enrolled) for two years to find out if the biomarkers for aging can be modified when calories are restricted.
• The study will measure if inflammation, insulin levels, blood pressure, core body temperature, and body weight can be lowered simply by reducing calories by 25%.
• Where are the sites?  Tufts University in Boston; Washington University in St. Louis; Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.
• Who is eligible?  20-50 year olds who are healthy and not too fat or too thin--having a BMI of 22-27.9.  Participants also have to be motivated, organized (they have to measure & record every morsel they eat for 24 months), have stable jobs with little travel, and a supportive family.

 

What's the Diet Like?

• So, do you think you know how many calories you eat every day?  Think again.  Most participants guessed wrong.  Using a high-tech lab technique that involves swallowing water with rare isotopes, the researchers are able to figure out precisely how many calories each participant is typically consuming.  Then they cut it down by 25%.  
• Liz Ewen, a molecular biologist, was eating 2,226 before CALERIE--now she's at 1,670.  Dr. Jeff Peipert, an OB-Gyn, was consuming a whopping 3,300 a day pre-CALERIE--now he's at just under 2,500. 
• For the first 28 days participants get all their meals & snacks cooked for them and at no cost--based on their individual calorie counts.  This gets them accustomed to portion sizes and adjusted to eating the kind of foods that will keep them filled and satisfied.  And this food isn't spartan:  Mediterranean-style fish with Greek-style potatoes, or Farfalle with Pesto & Diced Chicken, for example.  After 28 days--they buy and prepare their own food--with regular help and guidance from dietitians and a support group.
• The Key to eating 25% less:  eat foods that are nutrient rich and high in fiber, like vegetables, fruit, high fiber cereals, and soups.  Aim for foods that weigh as much as what you were eating before the diet--but lower in calories--to keep you full and satisfied.  Favorite food for keeping hunger at bay:  apples.   Everyone in CALERIE has become a big fan of apples. 
• The 4 Rules for Eating Less:  Eat Foods That Are Filling, Appealing, Low in Calories, Nutrient Rich!
• Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts says, "If you don't change your diet to a high-satiety diet you will be hungry, and you will fail."  Fiber One, the breakfast cereal, or Nature's Path Organic Smart Bran--both with soluble & insoluble fiber, "have a unique  effect in helping calorie-restriction subjects feel fuller, probably because they activate certain receptors in the lower intestine."

To see some of Dr. Roberts' satiating snack recipes in my previous post click here: "The Instinct Diet Helps Us Combat Our Hard-Wired Food Cravings - And Satisfy Our Cravings for Something Spicy, Salty, Crunchy, & Chocolate"

• CALERIE tip: Save up calories if you have a special occasion or celebration coming up.  Want a bratwurst or Haagen-Dazs?  Save up those calories.  Decide what's more satisfying--170 calories for a gin & tonic, or a  190 calories for a  Haagen Dasz ice cream bar.

 

What Is the Hardest Part of the CALERIE Diet?

• Surprisingly, no one complains of raging hunger.  But most everyone felt hungry for the first few weeks.  When I joined Weight Watchers years ago to lose pregnancy weight I felt exactly the same way.  But then you just get used to less calories and learn to eat more filling foods.
• The hardest (& most annoying) part is getting used to measuring the food, preparing the food, and keeping track of the calories.

 

Why is CALERIE Working For Most of Its Participants?

• There's accountability. 
• You have to submit a weekly food diary.
• Attend weekly weigh-ins
• Once or twice a week you must attend individual counseling sessions
• Group counseling sessions give participants an opportunity to swap strategies and get support from fellow dieters.
• There's a battery of medical tests every 6 months.  Cognitive tests.  Blood tests.  Bone-mineral density tests.  Measurements of resting metabolism, respiratory output, and internal core temperature.

 

What About Weight Loss?  What About Health Improvements?  What About Energy? 

• Most participants met their weight loss goals.  They were told to expect to lose about 15% of their weight during the first year.  After that initial drop they would plateau to "weight stability".
• Doug Hansen started out at 198 pounds and dropped to 168--near his plateau--after 6 months.  Jeff Peipert began at 174 pounds--dropped to 151 after 52 weeks--and was projected to plateau at 147 pounds.
• Benefits.  For example: Peipert's blood pressure started out at 130 over 80.  Now almost a year into CALERIE, he's at 110 or 115 over 54. At age 49 his weight is what he weighed in high school.  Same for Brad Beggs. He is down to wearing a size medium shirt--a size he hasn't worn since high school.  And Beggs adds, "I've never gotten so much pleasure in my life."

 

Dr. Jeff Peipert, a Washington University CALERIE participant

 

Wondering about energy?  Check out how Dr. Jeff Peipert spent a recent day off:

1.   18 holes of golf

2.   Biking 8 miles back & forth to his office just to pick something up

3.   Cutting his 1 acre lawn

4.   Pulling out tree roots with his son for over an hour

5.   40 minute after-dinner walk with his wife.

6.   This "calorie-incinerating machine"  was wondering why he felt particularly hungry the next day,  resulting in his eating a bowl of cereal in the middle-of-the-night.  Both my husband & I have definitely noticed the huge uptick in our appetites the day after long work-outs.  It makes sense to us.

Is Calorie-Restriction Possible for the Average American?

• The Naysayers:  Dr. John Holloszy, a Washington University lead investigator thinks 99% of Americans can't stick with it.  Other doctors think calorie-restriction requires too much individual effort--too much in medical resources--too much in counseling.   Dr. Robert Krikorian, a neuropsychologist who happens to be a long-time follower of a calorie-restriction diet himself-- thinks that most people won't pay attention to how much they eat--and they would refuse to keep up the organizational requirements necessary for such a diet.
• The Boosters:  Many doctors involved in CALERIE are surprised & encouraged at the high level of compliance with the diet.
• The Participants:  All of the subjects that Times writer Jon Gertner spoke with intended to continue with calorie-restriction when the trial ended.  Liz Ewen likened it to Weight Watchers (& I agree).  Given the right online tools, some sort of infrastructure, group meetings, and dietitians available for support, Ewen thinks it's suitable for many people.  "It's really not much more than embarking on a diet that teaches you how to eat normal foods but make better choices!"
• Some of the  first of the group to finish:  Most of "first finishers" plan to keep up the diet--but switch to estimating the calories, rather than counting them precisely.  Josh McMichael finished up with CALERIE in September.  In the few weeks since ending the program he gained eight pounds--but it's now mostly gone.  "I tried the new massive burgers at Burger King,"  he said.  "Twice.  Wasn't worth the side effects.  I think I've gotten over things like that.  For the most part."

 

Words of Encouragement from the Lead Investigators

• Dr. Luigi Fontana of Washington University in St. Louis.  "My perception right now is the effects of calorie restriction are multiple, so I think it is highly difficult to find one, or two, or three drugs that will mimic such a complex effect."  And although he isn't optimistic that calorie restriction will gain traction in the general public, he does believe an important common sense lesson will be learned from the experiment:

"Eating less is better than eating more, especially if it's a nutritious mix of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and the like.  The evidence is overwhelming now that it will improve your health and will improve your chances of living healthier and probably longer."

• Dr. Susan Roberts of Tufts University in Boston:  Roberts thinks the study will have greater effects than the average clinical trial.  "I don't know why anyone would take drugs when they could do something like this--calorie-restriction,"  said Roberts.

 

The Healthy Librarian Weighs in on Calorie Restriction

For my money, the folks in the CALERIE study are following a plan that seems very similar to:

• Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, and Liver Longer
  
• Dr. Susan Roberts'  (a CALERIE lead investigator) Instinct Diet
• Dr. Caldwell Essestyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
• The Weight Watcher's diet plan

 

Easiest way to cut calories:  ditch added fats, like butter, margarine, mayo, cooking oils, salad dressings, desserts, high-fat dairy like cheese & ice cream, and the after-dinner snacking.

Foods highest in nutrient density:

*Dr.Fuhrman’s  Aggregate Nutrient Density Index
Top 30 Super Foods Score

1. Collard, mustard, & turnip greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Watercress 1000
4. Bok choy 824
5. Spinach 739
6. Brussels sprouts 672
7. Swiss chard 670
8. Arugula 559
9. Radish 554
10. Cabbage 481
11. Bean sprouts 444
12. Red peppers 420
13. Romaine lettuce 389
14. Broccoli 376
15. Carrot juice 344
16. Tomatoes & tomato products 190-300
17. Cauliflower 295
18. Strawberries 212
19. Pomegranate juice 193
20. Blackberries 178
21. Plums 157
22. Raspberries 145
23. Blueberries 130
24. Papaya 118
25. Brazil nuts 116
26. Oranges 109
27. Tofu 86
28. Beans (all varieties) 55-70
29. Seeds: flaxseed, sunflower, sesame 45
30. Walnuts 29

 

Drugs or Diet?  I find it interesting that the only cure for celiac disease (the inability to digest gluten) is to follow a gluten-free diet.  There are no pharmaceutical or surgical cures.  People with celiac who want to get better just follow a gluten-free diet.

Yet, when it comes to the diseases of aging, like Type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and cardiovascular diseases--most physicians find that the majority of people are unwilling to follow a diet even if it promises to free them from these diseases.  Oh well!

Do you think such a diet is ready for Prime Time?  Would you be willing to give it a try?

 

 

Two Cardiologists & One Cardiac Surgeon Who Follow an Esselstyn-Style Plant-Based Diet. What's Their Story and What Health Benefits Have They Seen?

 

 

"Most of my career I looked at coronary artery disease as a "terminal disease".  You'd die from it.  But, I began seeing more research showing that not only was it preventable, but it was reversible.

I heard Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. speak at meeting three years ago--and it opened my eyes.  

I started studying & doing my own research on others who were doing similar research.  Esselstyn wasn't alone.  There's a building body of evidence that coronary artery disease is preventable & reversible. That was eye-opening."

-Dr. Marc Katz, MD, PhD, cardiac surgeon, Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute and Head of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at Bon Secours Richmond Health System-

 

 

Last week I asked for your help in deciding what to write about next.

Hands down, via Facebook, email, & blog comments--this was the post most of you wanted to read first:

Two cardiologists and one cardiovascular surgeon who decided to follow Esselstyn's plant-based no-oil diet.  

What's their story, why did they decide to take this route for themselves, and how has it benefited their health?  

Since starting Happy Healthy Long Life over four years ago I've heard from a number of physicians who have shared their personal success stories following an Esselstyn-style plant-based diet.  They represent a wide range of specialties.

The stories all share similar elements.  And the physicians are all surprised (some even shocked) & pleased by the non-pharmaceutical results:

• Effortless weight loss
• Significant improvements in cholesterol numbers, blood pressure, CRP, and other health markers or symptoms.
• Everyone's surprised at how much easier the diet is to follow than they expected.
• Their food tastes & preferences changed.

But, let's face it.  A plant-based, no-added oil diet is far from mainstream, or standard medical practice.   Many physicians aren't ready to "go public" about how well this is working for them, or for their patients who have hopped onboard.

To me it speaks volumes, when a cardiologist, in particular, chooses to adopt a plant-based diet.  And, of course, I want to know why.  I figured you would, too.

That's why I decided to share the experiences of two cardiologists & one cardiac surgeon.

 

Cardiologist Number One

 

When I was preparing my "Centenarian Strategies" presentation back in March, I asked a cardiologist who had written me, if he would be willing to share his "back story"--why he made the personal switch to a plant-based diet.  

I thought it would be a compelling story to share.  Everyone who has seen my presentation--and heard his story, thought so, too.  I can't thank him enough for taking the time to put it into words.

Here's what he wrote:

Almost 3 years ago, as a 40-year-old cardiologist with a family history of heart disease, I looked at my body as a painful example of what happens when a person spends too much time working, eats badly, and never exercises. I was not very overweight, but I have high standards for myself and I felt that I was weak and quite flabby, and I knew that there was unseen damage on the inside of me.

Even more importantly,  I just didn’t feel good.

Back in 1994 I had the good fortune to eat dinner with Dr. Esselstyn at a restaurant in Philadelphia and after the meal was over, he told me that by eating what I had ordered (fish) that I had subjected my body to “a hit from which it would never recover.” Those words stuck with me, and 15 years later, when I heard him lecture I found myself really wondering what it would be like to eat the way he does.

I  read his amazing book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and suddenly on September 17, 2009, I began his plant-based, whole food, no oil diet.

My lipids fell by nearly half after only 3 weeks! My body fat percentage went from 19% to 15% within a year and I slowly lost 25 pounds over about 18 months before stabilizing at my current weight.

I was never hungry and I felt physically so much better, with so much more energy. I eventually quit caffeine too, which was not easy, but afterward felt great without it. Most importantly, I really felt in control of my health and my body, and this was the true cure for my mid-life crisis of a body going downhill.

All of this was without exercising. I later began exercising regularly, which added additional benefits, including further lowering of my body fat to 11% and gain of muscle and flexibility. I feel like I am more than 10 years younger now. My blood pressure has gone from 130/90 to 110/65 and my resting heart rate from 80 to 55.

Since I made these changes, I have made it a point not to preach to others about its benefits. I eat what I eat without compromising, but don’t make a big deal about it to others. I have never tried to convince anyone else to eat the way that I eat, but many people are interested and I have always answered every question asked of me carefully and completely.

In just a couple of years, almost 20 friends and family members have gone on to convert to the Esselstyn diet – it’s contagious! As a cardiologist, I know that, for people eating a typical American diet, the chance over a lifetime of severe illness or death due to food-related diseases is staggering. My greatest reward is knowing that my own choices have inspired others to make such wonderful changes in their own lives.

 

Cardiologist Number Two

 

I "met" this cardiologist about a year ago.

In his practice he had some patients who were unable to tolerate statins because of their side effects, and others who were just unwilling to take them.   

They needed viable alternatives.

When he heard Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn's lecture he was impressed with both the research, and Dr. Esselstyn's results.  Maybe this was the alternative he was looking for.  But, before advising any of his patients to give a plant-based no-added-oil diet a try, he wanted to try it out for himself first.   

 

The widely accepted belief by cardiologists is that "Eighty percent of the body’s cholesterol is made by the liver. That means, only 20 percent comes from our diet. That’s why it is so hard to lower cholesterol through diet alone. By banning nearly all cholesterol from your diet, you might be able to reduce your total cholesterol level by about 20 percent.  Understanding this can often make the choice to take cholesterol-lowering drugs easier."

 

However, here's what cardiologist #2 experienced for himself on a plant-based diet: 

He personally cut his total cholesterol from 209 to 136 and his LDL's from 144 to 72 with just nutritional changes.  That's a 50% drop in LDL's.  A lot better than the conventional wisdom would have you believe.

 

His interpretaton of the conventional cardiology wisdom that says "Diet can't cut cholesterol or inflammation significantly.":

I think it is fallacious to say that because 20% of your [cholesterol] intake is dietary, you cannot reduce [your cholesterol] by more than 20% by changing your diet. 

This part is just plain wrong.

The statement that 80% of your cholesterol is made by the body and only 20% comes from diet is based on the average (as measured in the population eating the Western diet) cholesterol production of 1 gm per day and the recommended dietary intake of cholesterol of 200-300 mg. 

For many Americans, the daily intake of cholesterol is much higher.  For those eating a plant-based diet, the intake is near zero.  So the 20% is not representive of a population, but rather an average of very different nutritional choices.  Several other logistical fallacies occur to me:

• Population studies on humans who eat a plant-based diet with very low dietary cholesterol intake show some of the lowest intrinsic cholesterol levels.  We have many studies on dietary modification showing that decreasing cholesterol intake can result in dramatic lowering of serum cholesterol levels.

• Relatively few (if any) studies of cholesterol regulation have been performed in vegans, so we don't have much information on the effect of this nutritional strategy on cholesterol synthesis. You can't extrapolate findings from studies of patients on a Western diet.

• The assertion that drug therapy of elevated cholesterol is more effective than nutritional changes focuses on a surrogate endpoint, that is, the cholesterol level, rather than clinically important endpoints like death, MI and stroke.  Dependence on surrogate endpoints (cholesterol levels) is a one of the biggest criticisms of drug and device studies.  Statins have been shown to result in improvement in early MI and death rates, but they are not above suspicion for longer term adverse outcomes and there is a growing concern about the downside of life long administration.  Several drugs have been removed from the market because they lead to higher death rates despite their beneficial effect on surrogate endpoints.  We need to look at the the MI, death and stroke rates of nutritional changes, not whether they can decrease cholesterol by 20%.

• That said, there is no question that statins have a role in the early treatment of unstable coronary disease, but it is likely not due to their cholesterol-lowering effect, but rather on their anti-inflammatory and pro-endothelial effect.  There may be much less powerful effects long term on mortality and MI rates (as well as other longterm adverse effects).  There is much less data on that." 
  

Cardiologist #2 doesn't spend hours cooking or following elaborate recipes.  He sticks to the basics, preparing simple meals with greens, plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes, & whole grains. 

 

The Cardiac Surgeon

 

 

Dr. Marc Katz, MD, PhD is currently the Medical Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute and Head of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Program at Bon Secours Richmond Health System.  He completed a general surgery residency at the Medical College of Virginia, & fellowships in cardiothoracic surgery & pediatric cardiac surgery at Boston Children's Hospital.

I recently learned about Dr. Marc Katz' plant-based conversion through Kirk Hamilton's June 16, 2012 Prescription 2000 Newsletter. You can listen to Hamilton's radio interview with Katz here, "Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease With A Vegan Diet - An Interview With Cardiac Surgeon Marc R. Katz, MD, MPH: ".

Katz' "plant-based awakening" occured after hearing Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn speak at a lecture three years ago.  Learning about the "end-stage" coronary artery disease patients that Esselstyn treated by diet alone, and especially seeing the angiograms that showed disease reversal was the "game changer" for Katz.  This was something that he previously thought was impossible. 

Before that time, he considered heart disease to be a terminal illness--you could slow it down a bit, repair blockages, but you couldn't prevent or reverse it.

After hearing Dr. Esselstyn's lecture, and following up with his own research, Katz has since changed his mind about the major effect that diet can have on heart disease:  specifically, a plant-based no-added oil diet. Beyond Esselstyn's work, he found a building body of evidence showing that heart disease can be prevented and often reversed.  

And then he changed his own diet.

After hearing Dr. Esselstyn's lecture, Katz attended Esselstyn's day-long session at the Cleveland Clinic, and changed his own diet.

Like many of us, this 50-something surgeon had put on weight over the years, and his cholesterol was climbing, too.  After switching to a plant-based no-added-oil diet, he lost 35 pounds over just a "very few months", and his cholesterol dropped by 1/3 without any drugs.  In his opinon, "These were great results."

What's Katz eating now?

Breakfast:  Chai tea with non-fat soymilk, a whole grain English muffin with homemade no-fat hummus; a piece of fruit like an apple or a banana

Lunch:  a salad

Dinner:  usually mixed grains, like quinoa and vegetables

Nuts are only an occasional treat for Katz--and he limits those to walnuts & chestnuts when he does indulge.

No seeds

Absolutely no olive oil.

For omega-3's, he sticks to flax meal, on a daily basis.

He credits his wife for making the diet such an easy transition.  Not only is she a terrific cook, but she's 100% onboard with following a plant-based diet.

 

Dr. Marc Katz' Interview Highlights

 

Why is there so much cardiovascular disease?

There's no question that it's diet related.  We're getting fatter, and eating worse than ever before. Colorado is the only state in the nation where less than 20% of the population is obese.  In 49 other states, the obesity rate exceeds 20%--and we're not talking about just being overweight.  The dietary causes for heart disease & obesity are eating too much fat, too much refined food, not enough fiber, not enough plant protein, and not enough whole foods.  80% of cardiovascular is preventable by diet.

In your opinion, what causes coronary disease--cholesterol or inflammation?

The biggest issue is inflammation of the endothelium--the single layer of cells that line the blood vessels. Animal protein & fats have been shown to be very inflammatory to blood vessels.  Both Drs. Caldwell Esselstyn & William Castelli, the lead researcher in the Framingham Study, cite the example of the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II, when all the livestock in the country was consfiscated, meat & milk consumption dropped, and heart disease deaths plummeted. After the war, when the livestock returned, so did heart disease.  On the other hand, those countries with the highest percentage of calories coming from unprocessed plant food also have the lowest incidence of heart disease & cancer.

You recommend "no-added fats" whatsoever for anyone trying to reverse heart disease.  What about fish oil?

Yes, no oil whatsoever, including fish oil.  Katz gets his omega-3's from ground flaxseed, daily.  He seems unconcerned about the issue of conversion of the short-chain omega-3's (ALA) found in flax into the long-chain omega-3's (EPA/DHA) found in fish oil.  [H.L. We'll save that discussion for another post.]

What's the breakdown of your cardiac surgery caseload?  How much of it is for coronary artery disease?

It's about a 50-50 mix between structural repairs/general cardiovascular surgeries & coronary artery disease procedures.

How much nutrition education do you now give to your heart surgery patients?

I speak to all of them before & after the surgery--and give them the evidence that this disease can be halted &/or reversed if they're willing to make major diet changes.   Before the surgery, if their coronary disease is stable, I explain that if they are willing to do this, it may be something they want to try first--before going ahead with surgery.   Post-surgery, all heart surgery patients are put on a low-fat whole plant-based diet while they're in the hospital, and given diet recommendations to follow when they go home.  However, Katz suspects that the number of patients who actually follow-through with all the recommendations when they go home is small.

If you had 20 patients who were 100% compliant with their diet--how many do you think could avoid surgery?

If someone has unstable symptoms--then they need to get out of trouble with surgery or a procedure, first. But, if they are stable, it's hard to say--I don't know of any randomized study on this.  I can only give you a guesstimate.  Perhaps, 40-50% could potentially reverse their disease.  As for the others--by following this diet protocol--even halting the disease & not necessarily reversing it--that would still be a huge advantage & benefit for them.

Do you think cardiac surgeons would be looking for work if we did our jobs right--and everyone switched to a plant-based diet?

Absolutely!!

How can we motivate people to make major lifestyle changes?

I used to think that "splitting" the breast bone during cardiac surgery would be motivation enough to get someone to change their lifestyle into a hearty healthy one.  Everyone's motivated when they're in the hospital, but they often lose that motivation & fall off the wagon when they leave the hospital & get immersed into the busyness of life.  Katz thinks you have to start with small goals, and build on those--making small dietary changes--one at a time.  Make goals attainable.  Practice small changes.  Turn those into habits--and then continue to add more.  [H.L.  Sorry, Dr. Katz--I think a more aggressive approach with more active hands-on education, nutritional counseling, cooking, shopping, label-reading instruction, group support & follow-up is necessary.]

If you were the "Health Czar" what would your top recommendations be?

1.  A whole food plant-based diet

2.  Daily exercise

3.  A good preventive health care regimen--not just showing up in the ER for your health care.

 

 

If you learned that your doctor followed a plant-based diet--would that motivate you to change your diet?

What do you think works best?  The step-by-step approach to making diet changes, or doing it all at once?

What has worked for you?

 

 

It's a Numbers Game! What HBO's "The Weight of the Nation" Missed - Eat More, Weigh Less on a Plant-Based Diet

 

"I don't understand why I'm not losing weight.  I exercise.  I eat healthy food.  And, I'm not eating that much."

-Just about everyone I know, including me--before I went plant-based & ditched the oil-

 

 

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Prior to 23 months ago I was exercising, eating a healthy "mostly" vegetarian diet, & exercising more than most.

I weighed 132 pounds & never lost a single pound.  To tell the truth, I didn't think I needed to lose any weight, but now that 15 pounds have just effortlessly fallen off--I'm thrilled.  I feel better, my blood pressure is excellent, my cholesterol is perfect, the belly fat has banished, & I like how my clothes fit.

Huh?  So, what was I doing wrong, before?  Turns out, I was eating about 400 more calories a day than I needed to.  And all of it was from cheese, pizza, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, chocolate, desserts, & eating out.

If you haven't watched the 4 part HBO documentary, "The Weight of the Nation" yet, watch it online here. This eye-opening research-based film is the reason for this post.

Bottom Line:  We're getting fatter & sicker, while consuming more calories than ever before.   You've heard it all a thousand times.  To lose weight we need to eat less & move more.  Lots of people have already tried this approach.  And lots of people have failed, over and over again.

Yes,  "The Weight of the Nation" is a must-see, but they left out one important message:

It's a lot easier to lose weight, get healthy, AND FEEL FULL, if you switch to a diet that's PLANT-BASED, NUTRIENT-DENSE WITH NO-ADDED-OILS and MINIMAL USE OF HIGH-CALORIE NUTS & SWEETENERS!

It's the ONLY way you can eat a boat-load of food, fill your tummy, be satiated, get healthy, and STILL LOSE WEIGHT.

No calories to count.

It's that simple!

Sure, you can go ahead & follow the moderate standard lower-calorie Weight Watcher's sort of diet (like Rhonda & Elana in Weight of the Nation), count calories, include a little dessert, some nuts or almond butter, a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, some chicken, a little feta or goat cheese, a mini-slice of pizza---but, I'm telling you--you probably won't feel full--and you won't lose your cravings for fat and sugar.   

You'll probably feel deprived.  And how long are you going to put up with that?

No wonder people just give up trying to lose weight.

If we honestly look at what we are eating, consider how much we eat out, all the little indulgences we choose to ignore, start paying attention to labels, & start moving more, we'd notice how easy it is to lose weight--on a plant-based no-added oil diet.  And yes, you won't lose weight on a plant-based diet if you make up your own rules!

 

 

Meet Nutritional Mathematician, Carson C. Chow

 

Photo by: Michael Temchine for the New York Times

 

Carson C. Chow is a mathematician who didn't know much about calories or obesity until he took a job in 2004 with the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases. 

But, Chow was a quick learner & he put his mathematical modeling skills to work to better understand how the U.S. has gotten so overweight & sick since the 1970's.

He also helped figure out a "slimmed down" equation that ordinary folks could use to calculate how much they can eat if they want to lose weight.  His equation factors in age, height, activity levels throughout the day, plus how quickly you want to achieve your goal weight.

I used the NIDDK calculator today, and it was spot on for me.

I plugged in that I wanted to lose 15 pounds in 180 days-- and it told me I needed to eat just 1326 calories a day for 180 days, provided that I exercised strenuously a few days a week, given that I have a desk job & sit at a computer all day.

And, once I lost those 15 pounds, I could up my ante to 1558 calories to maintain my weight. Woo Hoo! Lucky me.

Totally, accurate for me.  It took me about 6 months to lose 15 pounds, & I've been able to increase what I eat to just about 230 calories--the equivalent of a date or two, and some walnuts.  Maybe.  

But, guess what?  I didn't count calories while I was losing weight, and I don't count them now.  

So, how do I know the NIDDK calculator is correct?  Because, I check in" periodically & plug my calories into myfooddiary.com--and I always seem to eat around 1400-1600 calories a day.  And I eat a lot.

Give the NIDDK Body Weight Simulator/Calculator a try & see what you think.  Find it here.

• First download & install the NIDDK applet--it will take a few minutes
• Then close your browser & restart it
• When you go back into the site after you've downloaded the applet, you'll need to click "Allow Access" for it to work.
• Be careful to change all the defaults that apply to you, or this won't work correctly.  For example:  Change from grams to pounds, change from kj's to calories, from centimeters to inches, & change your original & goal weights

 

The NIDDK Body Weight Simulator/Calculator

 

"A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity," by Claudia Dreifus

 

Yesterday, the New York Times published an "enlightening" interview with Carson C. Chow--definitely worth reading.  That's where I discovered the NIDDK Calculator.

 

Here are some of the interview's highlights:

 

What new information did your equation render?

That the conventional wisdom of 3,500 calories less is what it takes to lose a pound of weight is wrong. The body changes as you lose. Interestingly, we also found that the fatter you get, the easier it is to gain weight. An extra 10 calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one.

Also, there’s a time constant that’s an important factor in weight loss. That’s because if you reduce your caloric intake, after a while, your body reaches equilibrium. It actually takes about three years for a dieter to reach their new “steady state.” Our model predicts that if you eat 100 calories fewer a day, in three years you will, on average, lose 10 pounds — if you don’t cheat.

Another finding: Huge variations in your daily food intake will not cause variations in weight, as long as your average food intake over a year is about the same. This is because a person’s body will respond slowly to the food intake.

Did you ever solve the question posed to you when you were first hired — what caused the obesity epidemic?

We think so. And it’s something very simple, very obvious, something that few want to hear: The epidemic was caused by the overproduction of food in the United States.

Beginning in the 1970s, there was a change in national agricultural policy. Instead of the government paying farmers not to engage in full production, as was the practice, they were encouraged to grow as much food as they could. At the same time, technological changes and the “green revolution” made our farms much more productive. The price of food plummeted, while the number of calories available to the average American grew by about 1,000 a day.

Well, what do people do when there is extra food around? They eat it! This, of course, is a tremendously controversial idea. However, the model shows that increase in food more than explains the increase in weight.

 

In the 1950s, when I was growing up, people rarely ate out. Today, Americans dine out — with these large restaurant portions and oil-saturated foods — about five times a week.

Right. Society has changed a lot. With such a huge food supply, food marketing got better and restaurants got cheaper. The low cost of food fueled the growth of the fast-food industry. If food were expensive, you couldn’t have fast food.

As for the genetic argument, yes, there are people who are genetically disposed to obesity, but if they live in societies where there isn’t a lot of food, they don’t get obese. For them, and for us, it’s supply that’s the issue.

 

Any practical advice from your number crunching?

One of the things the numbers have shown us is that weight change, up or down, takes a very, very long time. All diets work. But the reaction time is really slow: on the order of a year.

People don’t wait long enough to see what they are going to stabilize at. So if you drop weight and return to your old eating habits, the time it takes to crawl back to your old weight is something like three years. To help people understand this better, we’ve posted an interactive version of our model at bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov. People can plug in their information and learn how much they’ll need to reduce their intake and increase their activity to lose. It will also give them a rough sense of how much time it will take to reach the goal. Applied mathematics in action!

 

What can Americans do to stem the obesity epidemic?

One thing I have concluded, and this is just a personal view, is that we should stop marketing food to children. I think childhood obesity is a major problem. And when you’re obese, it’s not like we can suddenly cut your food off and you’ll go back to not being obese. You’ve been programmed to eat more.

 

You said earlier that nobody wants to hear your message. Why?

I think the food industry doesn’t want to know it. And ordinary people don’t particularly want to hear this, either. It’s so easy for someone to go out and eat 6,000 calories a day. There’s no magic bullet on this. You simply have to cut calories and be vigilant for the rest of your life.

 

 

 

What Did I Eat Yesterday?  About 1400 Nutrient-Dense High-Volume Calories

 

After plugging my information into the NIDDK Calculator I ran the calorie numbers on what I ate yesterday--being scrupulously honest.  I wanted to see just how much I'm eating these days.

I knew I ate a lot.  I figured it had to be a high number of calories.  Wrong!

Yesterday, I put in an hour of spinning & weights after work, and after dinner I sat in a chair, vegged out, watched "The First Grader"  (which I recommend, BTW) with the Lab Rat--and consumed a GYNORMOUS bowl of air-popped popcorn, seasoned with Bone-Suckin' Barbecue Rub, plus a mix of PB2, Penzey's Cocoa, stevia, a couple of chopped walnuts & a half a banana.  Quick chocolate fix.  I was stuffed.

 And what else did I consume during the day?

• Breakfast: A bowl of Savory Cheezy Oatmeal with Spinach, Shiitakes, & Sun-Dried Tomatoes, topped with 1 1/2 tablespoons of chia
• Lunch:  A bowl of Mark Bittman's Miso Soup with Soba Noodles--substituting steamed French lentils for the grilled tofu which we had devoured the the night before.
• Snack:  20 ounces of a vegetable-heavy Green Smoothie (kale, orange, berries, & carrots)
• Dinner: A green salad with tomatoes & cucumbers, plus a big serving of Enlightened Bulgur, Swiss Chard, Garbanzo's & Tofu Feta cheese.  Delish!
• Dessert:  1/4 cup of pop corn, air-popped, 2 tablespoons of PB2 mixed with 1 tablespoon of cocoa & stevia, a tablespoon of chopped walnuts, & a 1/2 a banana.  Yum!

 

A quick look at the numbers will show you that these 1400 calories were power-packed!

• 570.1 mg of vitamin C.  This is 760% of the recommended daily value (75 mg) for adult women.
• 45332 IU of vitamin A.  This is 1,511% of the recommended daily value for women.
• 37.8mg of iron.  This is 210% of the recommended daily value for pre-menopausal women.
• 66 grams of protein.
• 70 grams of fiber
• 1050 mg of calcium
• 23 grams of fat--the only "too low" category by "normal standards", & 2.1 grams of saturated fat.

 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Food Summary

 

Meal Calories Fat Carbs Protein Breakfast 256 8.4g 59.0g 16.3g Lunch 380 1.0g 73.3g 16.1g Snack #2 170 1.8g 38.1g 7.2g Dinner 302 2.8g 62.2g 14.9g Snack #3 285 8.9g 47.9g 11.1g Total Percentage of Calories 1 1393 22.9g 13% 280.5g 71% 65.6g 16%

   ¹  Typical Percentages: Fat 20-35%, Carbohydrates 45-65%, and Protein 10-35%.

At a glance ...

Notes A high-fiber breakfast can help you lose weight and reduce your risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. You have eaten fiber-rich foods.  This is a good indicator of a healthy diet. Saturated fats only accounted for 1.1% of your calories.  Good job staying below the 9% limit! You consumed 570.1 mg of vitamin C.  This is 760% of the recommended daily value (75 mg) for adult women. You consumed 45332 IU of vitamin A.  This is 1,511% of the recommended daily value for women. You consumed 37.8mg of iron.  This is 210% of the recommended daily value for pre-menopausal women. Only 13.0% of your calories came from fat.  Fat should account for a minimum of 15% of your calories.

 

 

 

The Caloric Density of Food

 

When I first saw this information from Natala Constantine posted on The Healthy Girl's Kitchen---I thought it had to be an exaggeration.  But, I looked at a composite of caloric information on the USDA nutritional database, and it's pretty accurate for a composite estimate of calories for these food groups.

I took Natala's information & put it into a handy-dandy chart that I used in my Centenarian Strategies presentation  in April 2012.

Pretty instructive--and proves the point of this post:    Eat More, Weigh Less with a Plant-Based No-Oil, Low-Nut, Low-Sugar/Sweetener Lifestyle

That's the only way we'll be able to change,  "The Weight of the Nation", IMHO.

Four pounds of plant-based food above the red line = 1500 calories of food.  Goodness.  Enough to fill anyone's tummy.

 

What Do 500 Calories of Food Look Like?

 

This informaton is based on a chart in "The China Study".

The plant portion is based on equal parts of tomato, spinach, lima beans, peas, & potatoes.

The animal portion is based on equal parts of beef, pork, chicken, & whole milk.

 

 

As Always, I'd Love to Hear Your Feedback on the Post

Did Your Results with the NIDDK Calculator Seem Accurate?

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Is Money - Economist Justin Wolfers Offers Advice on How to Spend Your Free Time Wisely. What's the Opportunity Cost?

 

"But the foundation of all economics is something called opportunity cost.

It says that the true cost of something is the alternative you have to give up. 

So each hour that I spend running (or blogging or gardening or Facebooking or watching TV) is an hour that I don't spend hanging out, working, or sleeping. 

How do I choose?"

  -Justin Wolfers, business & public policy teacher at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania-

 

"Stop Hitting the Snooze Button"

-Mel Robbins, author of "Stop Saying You're Fine"-

 

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

If you haven't yet checked out Happy Healthy Long Life-The Healthy Librarian's Facebook page, please do.  I post a lot of news I don't have time to blog about.  And you don't need to be on Facebook to look at the page.  Find the Facebook link in the upper-right corner of Happy Healthy Long Life.

 

I wrote the post you'll soon read below on a sunny day in August, 2009.  And it's still one of my favorites.

But, this Thursday morning was a gray, snowy, cold January 5, 2012.  I "made" myself get up early in the pitch black predawn darkness--out of a warm cozy bed (thanks to my heated mattress pad!!).

 

"Good Reasons to Wake Up Early"

I got up crazy early so I would have time to catch up on the news, eat breakfast (chocolate oatmeal), make a Green Smoothie, pack my lunch, pack my "librarian" clothes, and attend a morning super-tough weight class-- before going on to work--and then meeting-up after-work with three of my favorite gal pals for a "1/4" glass of wine, and a birthday celebration dinner at veg-friendly Indian restaurant.  Got home at 10:00 pm.

 

After-Work Birthday Dinner & Fun with the Gal Pals [over 240 years of experience here]

Sure--there are plenty of things I can't do because I choose to eat healthy, cook most of my meals (with the considerable help of "Lab Rat"), work, hang out with my friends, exercise religiously, visit my family every chance I can, and blog.   But, we all make choices every day.

My soon-to-be-28-year-old son's (#2) favorite quote is something like, "Gandhi says we all have the same 24 hours in a day.  How you spend it is your choice." 

I think it's a pretty wise investment to devote time to preparing healthy meals & to exercise.  Sure, I know how difficult it is to find the time--and establish the "plant-based shopping/cooking/eating & exercise habit".   But the returns on this investment are something money cannot buy:  improved health, weight-loss, increased energy, & a great mood!  Really.

 

Update:  Since writing this post in 2009 I've economized on the ways I fit in exercise, shop, cook--and spend my time.  Far from perfect--but, I'm always tinkering with the best ways to "fit it all in".  If your kids are still "in the nest", you have parents to help take care of, or you're a single parent--I know it's going to take a whole lot of creative time management to fit it all in.

 

The Economics of Time - How We Spend What We've Got

 Written August 26, 2009

Yesterday after work I planned to go to the gym, but I changed my mind.  It was 72 degrees & sunny.  I headed home, put on my workout clothes, attached the nifty radio receiver I have for my iPOD Nano & set off for an hour long walk, listening to NPR.

Marketplace Money came on with their series, Econ Fun-01--about what economists do with their free time.  Listening to Justin Wolfers talk about the "Time is Money" conundrum is making me do some serious rethinking about how I'm spending my limited "free time".

Look, we only have so much time in a day.  I'm at a big disadvantage right from the get-go because I live "way out" in the sticks--about a 45-50 minute commute to work--a 20 minute drive to where I work-out--a 30 minute drive from lots of my friends, my favorite movie theater, and decent shopping. 

But I love where I live--it's green and open and quiet and peaceful--and my house is paid-off.  Moving is non-negotiable for now.

I've got some other "time-user-uppers" that are also non-negotiable:

1.  I need 7-8 hours of sleep
2.  I try to exercise at least 5 days a week for 60 minutes
3.  Healthy eating takes lots of time to shop & prepare for.  I "make" breakfast, lunch & dinner, and I enjoy cooking.
4.  Work
5.  Weekend evenings are reserved for socializing
6.  If I want a good night's sleep, I need to just do something mindless after 9:00 pm, like TV, magazines, or book skimming
7.  I would never say "no" to an important activity or event involving family or friends 

Justin's hobby of choice is training for a marathon. 

My hobby of choice--reading about health & wellness, and blogging about it--is a huge time-sucker.  But I love it.  I love learning new things and taking the time to capture them on a computer.  I love the positive feedback from readers all over the world.  But, I have far too much to write about than I have time for and that creates its own stress.

And frankly, Justin is right!  There is an opportunity cost. 

1.   Less time to do nothing--don't discount that one.
2.   Less time to hang out with friends, or take long leisurely walks.
3.   Less time to organize & fix up my house.
4.   Less time to volunteer.
5.   Less time to sit on the couch & read an entire book.
6.   Less time to meditate.
7.   Less time to spend with my husband.
8.   Less time to work in my garden.
9.   Less time to switch gears & pick up a new hobby.
10. Less time to clean up my messes, organize my photos, or learn something new.
11. Less time to just talk.

We all have our hobbies. 

And we all have our time-wasters.  What can we cut out?  Or is it possible that some time-wasters are   mind-savers because they help us to wind-down & chill-out?  Facebook, Twitter, favorite-must-check-daily websites, ESPN, HGTV, sudoku, KenKen, garage sales, computer games, talking on the phone, texting, you-fill-in-the blanks. 

If the internet is your time-wasting addiction of choice, you MUST READ a recent article in Slate that shows how it adversely affects our brains, and why it's actually a most unsatisfying activity!  Seeking:  How the Brain Hard-Wires Us to Love Google, Twitter, and texting.  And Why That's Dangerous.  by Amy Yoffe.  Click here for the article.  After reading Amy's article I'm definitely curbing my laptop usage.  (Update 1/7/12): Yeah right!  Hasn't happened.)

Want to waste some time seeing how Americans spend their day?  Check out this interesting interactive graphic.  How are we spending our time?  (Very cool graphic!)

 

The problem: 

According to Justin: "And as I spend my hours slugging out the miles, I'm forced to confront my choices.  Instead of sweating it out on the trails, I could take on extra teaching and earn a few extra bucks.  And so going running costs me good money."

"The same logic applies to you.  Each hour you spend on your hobby you don't spend working harder to get a promotion, studying for a degree, or shopping around for the cheapest groceries."

 

According to me: "Or, each hour you spend on your hobby you don't spend with your spouse, friends, family, neighbors, getting your house in order, having fun or just plain relaxing."

So, am I going to keep on blogging, or am I going to give it up for more walks, housework, reading, Mahj games, and meditation?  Something to think about.  "I keep doing an activity only as long as it yields greater benefits than the alternative."

This "not having enough time to do everything" is a running theme for me.  It's my "Fighting Entropy" syndrome and I've written about it here and here.

Justin's Marketplace transcript:

If You Run the Numbers, It's a Good Time  click here
 

JUSTIN WOLFERS: I'm not just an economist, I'm also a runner, training for the Marine Corps Marathon.

Runners World magazine recently argued that marathon running is an incredibly cheap sport. All you need is a pair of shoes, and you're off and running. But they're wrong.

You see, they were emphasizing the out-of-pocket cost, which is small. But the foundation of all economics is something called opportunity cost. It says that the true cost of something is the alternative you have to give up.

So each hour that I spend running is an hour that I don't spend hanging out, working, or sleeping. How do I choose? Following economic theory, I keep doing an activity only as long as it yields greater benefits than the alternative.

And as I spend my hours slugging out the miles, I'm forced to confront my choices. Instead of sweating it out on the trails, I could take on extra teaching and earn a few extra bucks. And so going running costs me good money.

The same logic applies to you. Each hour you spend on your hobby is an hour you don't spend working harder to get a promotion, studying for a degree, or shopping around for the cheapest groceries.

By my calculations my 16-week training program comes at an opportunity cost of several thousand dollars. A quicker runner would have a smaller opportunity cost. It's only because I'm both slow and an economist that I fret that the world's cheapest sport is actually incredibly expensive.

But to an economist, the choice is still a no-brainer. We think you should only do what you love, and pay for it by doing what you are good at.

By sticking to economics, I make time for running. Rather than spend hundreds of dollars worth of time cleaning my house each Sunday, I hire a cleaner, who does a better job, at a better price.

When a friend asks me to help them move, I write them a check to pay professional movers instead. It's just more efficient.

And while it can be hard to forgo extra income for a long run, it is even harder to justify wasting that time on Facebook. And with the time that saves, I'm pulling on my shoes to head out for another run.

Justin Wolfers teaches business and public policy at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.