A Dietitian's View

February 04, 2010

Go Red for Women!

Friday is National Go Red for Women Day! Support the fight against heart disease in women by wearing red. Heart disease is often preventable and largely based on lifestyle choices. Make the choice to live heart healthy today by eating right and being physically active. Visit www.goredforwomen.org for more information.

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November 30, 2009

Nightmare at the Movies

How many of you splurge on popcorn when you go to the movies? Ever wonder what is actually in that buttery, salty snack? Snack may not be the right word...

CSPI said it bought multiple servings of popcorn at movie chains Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Movie Theatres and Cinemark and had them analyzed in an independent laboratory.

It reported a Regal medium popcorn (20 cups) contains 1,200 calories, 60 grams of saturated fat, and 980 milligrams of sodium. That's without the buttery topping that can be drizzled

-- or poured -- on the popcorn, which adds 200 more calories and 3 grams of saturated fat per 1.5 tablespoons.

An AMC medium popcorn did better because of its smaller size -- nine cups -- at 590 calories and 33 grams of saturated fat, and a 14-cup Cinemark medium popcorn was 760 calories and 3 grams of saturated fat (in both cases, before adding buttery topping).

One problem is that Regal and AMC pop their popcorn in coconut oil, which is about 90 percent saturated fat. Cinemark pops its corn in canola oil, which explains its lower saturated-fat levels.

In two positive steps, trans fatty acids were not found in the samples and theaters have stopped using hydrogenated oils in the butter-flavored toppings.

The study is in the December issue of CSPI's Nutrition Action Healthletter.

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July 13, 2009

Inflammatory Eating

Those with heart disease have high levels of inflammation in their bodies, the immune system's attempt to defend against disease or infection. Some foods have been shown to produce pro and anti-inflammatory responses in our bodies. Here's a summary:

Anti-Inflammatory Foods


Beans and legumes: dry beans, tofu

Beverages: green tea, red wine (in moderation)

Fish: cod, halibut, herring, oysters, salmon, tuna

Fruits: apples, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, pineapple, tomatoes

Herbs and spices: basil, cinnamon, ginger, mint, oregano, thyme

Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts

Oils: canola, extra virgin olive

Savory snacks: dark chocolate (in moderation)

Vegetables: bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, garlic, greens, onions, sweet potatoes

Pro-Inflammatory Foods

Excessive consumption of refined sugars: candies, pastries, sugar-sweetened beverages

Highly processed carbohydrates: doughnuts, potato chips

Oils: hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils (trans fat)

Processed meats: hot dogs, luncheon meats, sausage

Saturated fats

Trans fatty acids: margarine

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April 02, 2009

Another Reason to Eat More Fruits and Veggies

A recent study found that people who ate more potassium tended to have a slightly lower long-term risk of death from heart disease.

They also found that people who had consumed the highest levels of potassium and the lowest levels of sodium (about twice as much potassium as sodium) were 50% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those who ate the most sodium and the least potassium (about four times as much sodium as potassium).

The ratio of the two nutrients mattered more than the amount of either one when it came to predicting cardiovascular disease, the study found.

Scientists aren't sure how potassium dampens the heart-damaging effects of salt. It’s possible that potassium may prevent the body from absorbing as much sodium. But regardless of the mechanism, trying to boost your ratio is pretty much guaranteed to improve your health because you'll eat more fruits and vegetables.

A banana has more than 400 mg of potassium, for example. There are more than 900 mg in a potato, nearly 950 mg in a cup of spinach, 600 mg in half a cup of raisins and 500 mg in an 8-ounce cup of orange juice.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables delivers other health-enhancing properties including fiber and antioxidants. And filling up on fresh, whole foods may reduce the reliance on sodium-packed processed meals.

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March 20, 2009

Eggs - Are They In or Out?

Eating foods rich in choline and betaine may help reduce the risk of inflammation that can increase risk of heart disease. Choline and betaine are nutrients found in eggs

as well as beef, salmon, broccoli and cauliflower. Worried about the cholesterol in eggs? Don’t be. A review of studies from the past 30 years published in the journal, Nutrition Bulletin, concluded that eating eggs daily does not significantly raise blood cholesterol. And a recent study with 9500 people showed that eating one or more eggs a day does not increase risk of heart disease or stroke in healthy adults. For healthy egg recipes, check out http://www.incredibleegg.org/recipes.html.

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February 04, 2009

Go Red For Women

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, affecting one in every three women. Help raise awareness by wearing red on National Wear Red Day, Friday, February 6, 2009. Join millions of Americans on this day and wear red to show your support for the fight against heart disease in women.

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November 03, 2008

Heart Disease Risk Factors

Good summary from Prevention Magazine:

Age: Anyone 45 or older is at a higher risk of diabetes, and a woman's risk of heart disease begins to rise at 55. Cancer risk also increases with age. (Talk about a midlife crisis.)

Family history: I always assumed that because many in my family had died from heart disease, I was in trouble. But it turns out that what really matters is early heart disease — for men that means a heart attack before age 55 and for women, age 65. Even then, only first-degree relatives — parents, children, and siblings — are considered red flags. And while it's true that type 2 diabetes rarely occurs in people who aren't overweight or obese, the risk of developing the disease is 5 to 10 times higher if a first-degree relative has it — regardless of your weight.

As far as the big C is concerned, only about 5 percent to 10 percent of cancers are inherited, and those that are typically occur earlier in life. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), most cancers are caused by gene mutations brought on by age, lifestyle, and environmental factors, like inactivity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and increased exposure to radiation or carcinogenic chemicals, among others. In fact, researchers from Britain's Million Women Study found that 5 percent of all cancers affecting postmenopausal women in the United Kingdom are associated solely with excess body weight. Indeed, the ACS and the NCI acknowledge that while being overweight and obese are linked to an increased risk of cancer, there is limited evidence that losing pounds will reduce that risk.

Waist measurement: For women, a waistline of 35 inches or larger is a risk factor for heart disease, no matter how much you weigh or how trim your arms and legs are. And a measurement of 31.5 inches or more indicates an elevated risk of some cancers.

Fitness: Walking briskly for 30 minutes, five days a week, is enough to protect you from disease, no dieting required. "Fitness is achievable, and may do more to improve health than simply losing weight," says Steven Blair, PED, a professor of exercise science at the University of South Carolina and a leading expert on the benefits of exercise among the overweight. In fact, a recent study from the university tracked 2,600 people age 60 and older for a 12-year period, and found that fit overweight people outlive unfit normal-weight people. (Score one for me!) However, if you're overweight and it hurts just to walk up and down stairs, weight loss may be called for; obese women are 4 times more likely to develop knee osteoarthritis than normal-weight women.

Cholesterol and inflammation: A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or more, an HDL reading of less than 40 mg/dL, or triglyceride levels above 150 mg all point to trouble. Being overweight tends to increase cholesterol, and losing weight can help lower total and LDL levels, while raising HDL levels, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (So can increasing your daily activity if you're sedentary.)

Many experts feel that your rate of systemic inflammation, as defined by the results of a C-reactive protein (CRP) test, is an even stronger indicator of heart disease risk. Being overweight raises your risk of inflammation.

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July 31, 2008

What Fish is Best?

We all know that fish are good for you – low fat or high in healthy fat – as long as they are not fried in lots of oil. So that means bake, broil or grill.

There is a concern, however, about a few types of high fat fish that are high in a not-so healthy kind of fat. Quick review – some fish are high in a type of polyunsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats have been shown to reduce blood pressure, lower triglycerides, prevent further heart attacks, and reduce inflammation in your body. Omega-3s also help balance out the omega-6s in our body (another kind of polyunsaturated fat). Problem is our food supply is abundant in omega-6s resulting in a very unbalanced ratio in our bodies. We typically consume a 20-1 ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s when the recommendation is more like 4-1. Omega-6 fats are also found in many commercially made foods such as cakes, cookies, chips due to the use of vegetable oil in these products.

The American Heart Association recommends eating fatty fish at least twice a week. Examples include salmon, bluefish, carp, catfish, halibut, herring, lake trout, mackerel, albacore tune, whitefish and anchovies.

Recent research suggests that 2 common types of fish – farmed tilapia and catfish – may contain more omega-6s than omega-3s. This is most likely because these farmed fish were raised on commercial feeds that were high in omega-6 fats. However, farmed trout and Atlantic salmon were shown to have relatively good concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids.

Take home message: Wild fish tend to have more omega-3s than farmed fish (because they feed on algae, which is high in omega-3s). Farmed catfish and tilapia would not be a good choice if you were trying to eat more omega-3 fats.

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July 28, 2008

Trans Fat Ban in CA

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made it official: California will be the first trans-fat free state in the nation.
The California legislature pushed the bill through last week, and Schwarzenegger signed it into law Friday, July 25.

The ban will require food providers to begin phasing out trans fat oils by July 1, 2009. Thereafter, noncompliance with the ban will result in fines of up to $1,000.
Trans unsaturated fatty acids are the partially hydrogenated oils that result from a chemical process producing solid fats with a longer shelf life.
These so-called "trans fats" were once thought to be healthier than butter, but research in the last decade has shown that they are much more harmful to health than had been believed. According to the American Heart Association, trans unsaturated fatty acids are medically proven to increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and reducing good cholesterol levels (HDL).

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March 25, 2008

Diabetes Alert Day

The American Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day, “wake-up” call to inform the American public about the seriousness of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association encourages people to take the Diabetes Risk Test and find out if they are at risk for developing diabetes. Observed on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the 20th annual American Diabetes Alert Day is Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Why is Diabetes Alert Day important?

* Nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes
* One-third of those or more than six million do not know they have diabetes
* One in five Americans is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes

For many, diagnosis may come seven to ten years after the onset of the disease. Therefore, early diagnosis is critical to successful treatment and delaying or preventing some of its complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, amputation and death.

Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight, under active (living a sedentary lifestyle), and over the age of 45 should consider themselves at risk for the disease. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and people who have a family history of the disease are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

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January 28, 2008

Leaving Salt Behind

The Food and Drug Administration is now considering whether it should regulate the amount of sodium in processed foods. But for now you still have to be in charge of limiting your sodium intake. Here's how:

Retrain your taste buds. Scale back the amount of salt used at the table and in cooking to reduce your exposure to its taste. After three months, most people no longer miss salt, research shows.

Check nutrient claims. Products labeled "sodium free" contain 5 mg of sodium or less per serving. A "very low sodium" product has 35 mg or less, and a "low sodium" item contains 140 mg or less. But be careful: Products labeled "reduced sodium" or "less sodium" need only have 25 percent less sodium than a standard version of the food. So a cup of reduced-sodium chicken-noodle soup may still serve up a hefty 660 mg, about 28 percent of your daily allotment.

Read nutrition information. Look for foods that provide 5 percent or less of the "daily value," or the government recommended maximum. Then check the serving size to tally your actual intake.

Compare brands. A serving of Newman's Own Lighten Up Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, for example, has 470 mg of sodium, compared with just 75 mg in Annie's Naturals Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette. And a serving of Celeste Pizza For One packs 1,080 mg of sodium, twice as much as a comparable serving of Mystic Cheese frozen pizza.

Sidestep sodium heavyweights. Avoid cured meats, such as bacon, ham, and hot dogs; sardines and smoked salmon; and brined foods, like pickles, sauerkraut, and olives. Go easy on ketchup, salt-based seasonings, and barbecue and steak sauces. And use even the reduced-sodium versions of soy and teriyaki sauce sparingly, if at all.

Rinse your food. Running water over canned tuna and salmon, canned vegetables, feta cheese, and capers can reduce the sodium load by up to 30 percent.

Swap salt for spices. Cook with fresh or dried herbs, salt-free seasoning blends, and acidic flavorings like lemon juice, citrus zest, and flavored vinegars to bring out a food's natural taste. Explore the seasonings used in ethnic recipes, such as cumin and chili powder in Mexican food, and coriander and turmeric in Indian.

Be choosy at restaurants. It's easy to consume a day's worth of sodium in a single restaurant dish. Some chains post nutrition information for each menu item, so check sodium content before ordering. At other restaurants, ask for low-salt dishes, and for sauce or dressing on the side. If you plan to eat out, reduce sodium intake at other meals.

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November 04, 2007

The Other White Meat

Pork is a great source of protein, which builds muscle, offers iron for healthy blood and B vitamins, which help maintain normal body functions.
Remember, a portion size isn't the size of your dinner plate -- it's about the size of a deck of cards.

When reading labels, you're looking to buy cuts from the loin or round. These are the leanest. If you buy other cuts, be sure to bake or grill them.

For cuts that aren't quite as tender, consider using moist heat methods, such as stewing the meat in a liquid.

When baking a pork roast, use a rack to keep the meat out of the juices. Skim the fat from the leftover juices before making a sauce. This cuts down on fat and calories and leaves the taste of the natural juices. Use a meat thermometer and cook to the internal temperature of 160 degrees.

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September 18, 2007

Almonds: Grab a Handful for Heart Health

Almonds are tiny packages of heart healthy nutrients in a tasty, crunchy kernel. The monounsaturated fat in almonds reduces LDL cholesterol and increases the HDL or “good" cholesterol levels. They are also a good source of plant protein and dietary fiber, two nutrients that have been shown to reduce LDL or “bad" cholesterol levels.

Almonds are the best nut source of vitamin E, providing the most vitamin E per serving. Just one ounce of almonds, about a handful, contains 7.3 mg of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, the form of vitamin E the body prefers. This is about half of the amount needed per day.

Give snacks and meals a nutrition boost with almonds
* Choose a handful for a snack instead of cookies or chips.
* Sprinkle them on a salad or bowl of cereal.
* Add them to yogurt and top with fruit.
* Toss chopped almonds into a vegetarian stir-fry.
* Give rice and pasta dishes extra crunch.
* Spread your almond butter on toast or a bagel.

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September 02, 2007

Try Something New: Barley

Barley isn’t just for soup anymore. This grain makes an excellent choice as the starring ingredient in main courses, side dishes, breakfast fare and more. In addition to its versatility, barley is a nutritious food that’s high in fiber and low in fat. It’s no wonder this centuries-old grain is enjoying new-found interest among connoisseurs of good food and good health.

When it comes to adding fiber to the diet, barley is an excellent choice. That’s because both types of fiber—soluble and insoluble—are found throughout the entire barley kernel and not just in the outer bran layer. Even though the outer bran layer may be removed in processed barley products such as pearl barley, barley flakes or barley flour, the fiber content remains high. All forms of barley contain soluble and insoluble fiber and provide important health-promoting benefits.

* Pearl barley is readily available in most supermarkets and may be found next to dry beans, rice and lentils. Some supermarkets may also carry quick cooking barley. These kernels have been steamed and dried prior to packaging and require less cooking time.
* Barley flakes are made from barley kernels that have been steamed-rolled and dried. Barley flakes may be cooked as a hot cereal or used as an ingredient in baked goods. They may be found in the bulk foods sections of some supermarkets.
* Barley flour may be found in some supermarkets with other packaged flour products or in bulk containers. Barley flour may be used to add fiber to baked goods.
* Barley is also used as an ingredient in commercially prepared foods such as ready-to-eat cereals, hot cereals, cereal bars, canned soups and pilaf mixes.

In the Kitchen with Barley
* Cook up a batch of pearl barley and add to prepared soups, stews, casseroles and salads for an extra shot of flavor, texture and fiber.
* For a heart-healthy change of pace, serve your favorite stir-fry, stroganoff or curry over a bed of steaming hot pearl barley.

Barley-Orange Pilaf

1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup slivered and toasted almonds

In a medium saucepan with lid bring water to a boil. Add barley and return to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Set aside. Spray large skillet with non-stick cooking spray; add dates, apricots and marmalade. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 minutes. Blend in cumin, salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in cooked barley and almonds. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until warmed through.
Makes 4 servings.
Per serving: calories 436, protein 10g, carbohydrates 82g, fiber 13g (including 2.5g soluble fiber), fat 10g, cholesterol 0, sodium 306mg.

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August 29, 2007

Go Fish!

The typical American diet contains 20 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s, when the ratio should be four to one or even two to one. Consuming significantly more omega-6s than omega-3s can increase your risk for depression and inflammatory diseases like heart disease.

It’s important to balance out these polyunsaturated fats in your diet. Unless you are pregnant and thus more vulnerable to heavy metal contamination, you can best boost your consumption of omega-3s by eating each week 2 servings of coldwater fish – like salmon or trout. Omega-3s are also found in ground flaxseed and walnuts too.

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February 02, 2007

It's Women's Heart Health Day

Today is National Wear Red Day to celebrate the start of Women's Heart Month. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States. As estrogen levels drop with menopause, women no longer have the same protection estrogen gives them from heart disease and high blood pressure. As a result, women's heart-disease risks parallel those of men.

However, men and women do not display the same signs of heart disease. Women often first experience angina - chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. Additional symptoms can include unexplained heartburn, extreme fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath and reoccurring pain.

If you haven't done so already, start protecting yourself today by making heart-healthy choices:

* Eat a variety of colorful fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fatty fish, legumes and other lean protein sources.

* Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol.

* Be moderately physically active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week, if not every day.

* Maintain a healthy weight. Your heart disease risk is higher if most of your body fat is around your abdomen, rather than your hips and thighs.

* If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.

* Choose and prepare foods with little salt and consume potassium-rich foods to hinder sodium's effect on your blood pressure.

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January 31, 2007

Why eat almonds?

These tear-shaped nuts are packed with nutrients — fiber, riboflavin, magnesium, iron and calcium. In fact, almonds have more calcium than any other nut - 70 milligrams (mg) in 23 almonds. And one serving of almonds provides half of your body's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin E.

Like all nuts, almonds provide one of the best plant sources of protein. And they're good for your heart. Most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated fat — a healthier type of fat that may help lower blood cholesterol levels.

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January 14, 2007

Olive Oil: The One and Only

Olive oil is a staple in any kitchen. It's the base of many salad dressings and is also used as an ingredient in sauces and marinades; as a dip for bread; and for sautéing, roasting, frying and baking. Extra-virgin olive oil can be used as a condiment when drizzled over a bowl of pasta or platter of roasted vegetables.

* Olive oil is an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that may lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.

* It contains Vitamin E and antioxidants.
* It's an excellent replacement for unhealthy saturated fats like butter.

Extra-virgin olive oil has the highest concentration of Vitamin E and antioxidants. Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil on uncooked dishes, where its assertive flavor will complement your finished dishes. Lighter olive oils like those labeled pure, refined or light contain lower concentrations of nutrients but withstand higher temperatures required for cooking.

Although olive oil has great health benefits, it also has a lot of calories. It’s 100 percent fat, and like all liquid oils, contains about 120 calories per tablespoon.

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November 17, 2006

Red Wine Ingredient Increases Endurance, Study Shows

This morning, as part of my daily routine, I’m reading the daily news briefs sent out by the American Dietetic Association and I spot this article: Red Wine Ingredient Increases Endurance, Study Shows. This sounds interesting – no more running, all I need to do is drink red wine? Sounds a little too good to be true (red flag #1). Turns out one researcher has found that “a drug already shown to reverse the effects of obesity in mice and make them live longer has now been shown to increase their endurance as well.�? Mice running on a treadmill run to exhaustion after 1 km. Give mice some resveratrol, a minor component found in red wine, and they can run for 2 km before exhaustion! They have a reduced heart rate and more mitochondria (energy producing cells) in their muscles (which means they can use more fat as energy), just like trained athletes do.

Resveratrol appears to affect a group of enzymes called sirtuins that help keep your body healthy in youth and protect you from disease. Although red wine does contain resveratrol, “its presence there is minuscule compared with the doses used in the experiments.�? “No one can drink enough red wine to obtain such doses.�? Lastly – this is only one study (red flag #2). For me, lots more research is needed before red wine replaces running shoes on my annual Christmas wish list.
So, looks like the best advice is still – if you don’t currently drink wine, it is not recommended you start with hopes of preventing disease, keeping you young or improving fitness. Some people should not drink alcohol (if you have liver disease, abuse problems, are taking certain medications or if you have high triglycerides). If you do drink alcohol – do so in moderation (the dietitian’s favorite word) – this means one drink a day for women, 2 drinks a day for men. One drink is 5 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer or 1 ½ oz liquor. Be responsible…don’t drink and drive…you know the drill.

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September 05, 2006

Where's the Beef?

I know many of you out there are not willing to give up your beef when it comes to healthy eating. The good news is that there are now 29 cuts of beef that meet the definition of lean. The leanest cuts in your supermarket are eye round and round tip, top and bottom round, top sirloin and brisket (flat half). The most popular lean choices at a restaurant are filet mignon, New York strip, sirloin or T-bone steak. As always, size matters. Keep your serving of beef around three to four ounces, the size of a deck of cards. For more about beef nutrition go to www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com/

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June 26, 2006

The Facts on Flax

Omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish, help reduce your risk of heart disease and may help reduce the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis. But if you don’t enjoy fish, how do you get some of the benefits of omega-3s? How about flax seeds?

In addition to omega-3s, flax seeds contain fiber, zinc, iron, vitamin E and calcium among other vitamins and minerals, and are low in saturated fat.

Trouble is, the omega-3 of flax seeds is located in the seed and unless you chew the seeds thoroughly, they can be difficult to digest.

To get the benefit of flax seed, grind it in a blender, coffee grinder or food processor. Then, add it to dough and batter, sprinkle on cereal or pudding or add it to a smoothie.

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June 13, 2006

Nutrition Myth: Shrimp raises cholesterol.

Have you heard that shellfish should be avoided because it’s high in cholesterol? True, shrimp is high in cholesterol (166mg per 3 ounces) but it in itself has not been shown to increase cholesterol. It’s the saturated and trans fat in food that you need to limit if you’ve been told you have high cholesterol (or for normal healthy eating). Saturated fat is found in high fat dairy products (cheese, whole milk, ice cream, sour cream), red meat and butter. Trans fat is found in margarine, shortening, commercially fried foods and commercially-made cakes, cookies and other snack foods. Grilled or steamed shrimp, shrimp Diablo or shrimp with cocktail sauce are healthy sources of protein. Once you fry the shrimp, cook it in butter or add alfredo sauce, you’ve made it a not-so-healthy food choice.

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April 11, 2006

A Closer Look at Ground Turkey

Ground Beef vs. Ground Turkey: For backyard barbecue, your first instinct may be to choose ground turkey rather than ground round. But unless it's made only from breast meat, ground turkey isn't the low-fat option you might think it is. In fact, the calorie and fat amounts in ground round and regular ground turkey are surprisingly close, with the beef at 218 calories and 13 fat grams and the turkey at 200 calories and 11 fat grams. To save calories, go for ground turkey breast, which knocks calories down to 161 and slashes the fat almost in half.

Ground Round (3 ounces, pan-browned)
218 calories
13 grams fat
77 milligrams cholesterol

Ground Turkey Breast (3 ounces, roasted, boneless)
161 calories
6 grams fat
63 milligrams cholesterol

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February 03, 2006

Whole grains: The new broccoli

We've heard for years that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can protect against heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. But did you know that whole grains are now believed to provide just as many benefits? Whole grains have this whole army of different phytonutrients that are doing just as much as fruits and veggies. (A phytonutrient is the name given to the parts of plants that have health benefits.) According to researchers at the University of Minnesota, eating three daily servings of whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease by 25 to 36 percent, stroke by 37 percent, and type 2 diabetes by 21 to 27 percent. Whole grains include oats, whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur, and bran, among others. Pick foods whose first ingredient contains the word whole instead of enriched.

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February 02, 2006

February is American Heart Month

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together and wipe out heart disease. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives.

Taking care of your heart is more important than you might know. Too few people realize that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of American women — and of men. But the good news is that heart disease can largely be prevented. Go Red For Women empowers women with knowledge and tools so they can take positive action to reduce their risks of heart disease and stroke and protect their health.

Support Go Red for Women by wearing something red on Friday February 3, 2006!

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Salmon: Bone strengthener

With its heart-healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of those foods you should be trying to fit in every week. Study after study has shown that incorporating salmon into your diet reduces blood pressure, lowers cholesterol, and helps prevent heart disease. Now researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have reported that a higher intake of omega-3s additionally appears to preserve bone density, keeping your bones stronger and protecting against falls and fractures. Not crazy about salmon (or just sick of it by now)? Try upping your intake of other cold-water fish, such as sardines, tuna, and mackerel. All of these fish are high in omega-3s, and people who consume them regularly have a lower risk of heart attack, hypertension, and stroke.

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January 31, 2006

Walnuts: Good for the ticker

For many years nutritionists warned their clients away from nuts, fearing that a carte blanche prescription to indulge in this fatty food might lead to excessive weight gain. Recently, though, as scientists have learned more about the various types of fats and their impact on health, nuts have come back into favor. Walnuts, in particular, are unique among nuts because they're full of omega-3 fatty acids, the same substance that has been shown in salmon to reduce the risk of heart disease and hypertension. Japanese men and women who ate a one-fourth to one-third cup of walnuts a day lowered their "bad" LDL cholesterol levels by up to 10 percent. Walnuts (as well as almonds and pistachios) are high in arginine, an amino acid that increases blood flow to the heart.
Click here for a tasty walnut recipe.

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January 26, 2006

Eat your oatmeal, it's good for you

Some folks eat it because they like it. Others eat it because they know it's a healthy choice. No matter the reason, do as the TV commercial says: "Just eat the oatmeal."

Oats contain several nutrients that provide health benefits: fiber (soluble and insoluble), good carbohydrates, plant protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants. Oatmeal is the only whole grain food recognized by the FDA to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Oatmeal also can aid in maintaining a healthy weight as part of a diet rich in fiber.

Oatmeal is best known for a soluble fiber called beta glucan, which forms a gel in the gut that acts like a sponge and absorbs cholesterol-rich bile. Bile is a digestive juice your intestine normally reabsorbs back into the body in the lower gut. Since the bile is now stuck on the soluble fiber, it leaves the body. This helps remove some of your natural cholesterol. The liver now needs to make more bile, so it pulls cholesterol from your blood to make it. This helps your blood cholesterol drop.

Research indicates oats do more. They help maintain a healthy blood pressure, improve satiety (your sense of feeling satisfied when you eat), and maintain a healthy blood glucose level. This does not mean someone with diabetes should eat all the oatmeal they want. The total carbohydrate content has to be calculated into their carbohydrate allowance. A half cup of plain cooked oatmeal contains about 15 grams of carbohydrate, but a packet of sweetened oatmeal can easily contain twice that amount.

Oatmeal is a whole grain, whether it is old-fashioned, instant or quick cooking. The grain is just ground finer in the quick-cooking varieties. As a whole grain, it qualifies for the FDA health claim that states: " A diet rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers."

Despite the benefits, fewer than one in 10 people eat the recommended amount of whole grains, according to government surveys. Almost one-third of Americans skip breakfast daily, but those who do eat a balanced breakfast weigh less, research shows.

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January 10, 2006

Nine Factors that Affect Your Heart's Health

Abdominal obesity

Abdominal obesity more than doubles heart attack risk in both men and women. It's not a big butt that will get you in trouble, it's a big belly. Abdominal fat is hormonally active, begetting diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Alcohol

Another platelet blocker. Modest amounts of alcohol reduce a man's heart attack risk by 12% and a woman's by 60%. All forms of alcohol help in small amounts. Too much beer or hard liquor, more than a drink a day, can promote heart disease, cancer and alcoholism.

Bad cholesterol/good cholesterol

High cholesterol roughly quadruples heart attack risk. It works this way: Bad cholesterol (LDL) carries fats into the artery wall; good cholesterol (HDL) carts it away. A sedentary lifestyle and fatty diet increase LDL and lower HDL. Exercise and a healthy diet switch that ratio and keep arteries clear.

Diabetes

Diabetes is especially deadly for women, quadrupling their risk of having a heart attack. Men aren't much better off; diabetes doubles their risk. Like smoking, diabetes causes platelets to stick together, resulting in scores of tiny clots. These clots clog the microscopic blood vessels that feed nerves and arteries, which is a key reason diabetes destroys circulation. Diabetes also raises the level of harmful fats in the blood.

Eating fruits and vegetables

Eating fruits and vegetables daily cuts heart risk by 30% to 40%. They lower bad cholesterol, improve blood sugar and replace foods that might not be as healthy.

Exercise

Moderate exercise reduces a man's heart risk by 23% and a woman's by twice that amount. We're not talking about marathons. Even just a nice walk in the park. Exercise improves cholesterol, staves off diabetes by improving blood sugar and promotes blood vessel growth.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure nearly triples a man's risk of having a heart attack and more than doubles a woman's. Narrowed blood vessels force the heart to work harder, slowly wearing it out. The blood's friction against artery walls also can promote the rupture of plaques, which can lead to heart attacks.

Psychosocial stress

Stressful life events, behavioral disorders and depression nearly triple heart attack risk. Depressed people with heart disease are four times more likely to have a heart attack or die, and depression is prevalent among 20% of people with heart disease in the USA.

Smoking

Smokers are two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than people who don't smoke. Cigarette smoke damages the artery wall, paving the way for inflammation and cholesterol build-up. It narrows arteries. It also activates platelets, sticky cells that cling together and promote clotting. When cholesterol deposits burst inside arteries, clots form. If a clot tears loose, you're going to have a heart attack.

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January 06, 2006

Now You'll Know

The New Year brings government-ordered changes to the health labels on foods. One big change is that companies now have to say how much trans fat their products contain.

The trans fat information can be found in just one new line in the label, but it’s important information. Trans fat is basically shortening and is considered the unhealthiest kind of fat.
It improves taste and texture and increases the shelf life of baked and processed foods. Many cookies, oils, and foods found in the frozen aisle have trans fats. The problem is that they increase your risk of a heart attack.

Not all products in stores have the new labels on them yet, so you need to look closely while companies change their labels. Products made and leaving the factory after January 1, must have the new trans fat label. A product can claim to have zero trans fat, if it contains 1/2 a gram or less.

This is a small step towards helping consumers get the information they need for healthier diets. The FDA estimates that the new rule along with the resulting changes in how products are made, will prevent up to 1,200 cases of heart disease and as many as 500 deaths a year.

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January 02, 2006

Hearty Whole Grains

Three-Grain Breakfast Cereal with Walnuts and Dried Fruit

This mixture of barley and oats with nuts and raisins will keep you going all morning. Walnuts provide omega-3 fatty acids, but pecans also work nicely in this high-fiber cereal. Serve with yogurt or milk, and top with fresh fruit.

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups regular oats
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cooking spray
1 (7-ounce) package dried mixed fruit, chopped (such as Sun-Maid brand)

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk.

Combine oats, barley, walnuts, wheat germ, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add syrup mixture; stir well to coat. Spread oat mixture evenly onto a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 30 minutes or until browned, stirring every 10 minutes. Stir in dried fruit. Cool completely.

Note: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1/3 cup)

CALORIES 185(28% from fat); FAT 5.8g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.7g,poly 2.8g); PROTEIN 4.5g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 24mg; SODIUM 4mg; FIBER 4g; IRON 1.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.3g

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December 07, 2005

Should We Follow the French?

For decades many within the scientific and medical communities have called the French a "paradox" because both their eating habits and lifestyle foster an enviable life expectancy, significantly lower rates of heart attacks, cancer, diabetes, degenerative disease, and a lower incidence of obesity in their population when compared with other industrialized nations even though their diet is high in fat (38-45% of total calories, as much as 40% of fat from saturated fats).

To give you a quick idea of the difference in health - the French:
• Rank #16 in the world at 79.28 years (the US ranks #48 with 77.14 years) for life expectacy
• Have an obesity rate of 9.4% (the US has an obesity rate hovering around 33%)
• Average 47 litres of wine per person annually (the US averages 7 litres per person)
• Average 52 litres of soft drinks per person annually (the US averages 216 litres per person)
• See a rate of 39.8 deaths per 100,000 from heart attack (the US sees 106.5 deaths)
• Consume just 7-pounds of added sugar per person annually (the US consumes 152-pounds per person annually)

I think one of the most striking differences is deaths from heart attacks - the very health problem we are told again and again a low-fat diet will help prevent. Put another way, if you eat and live like the French, your odds of dying from a heart attack is rare despite a high-fat diet.

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November 14, 2005

New products with plant sterols

Buttery spreads like Benecol and Take Control, are not the only products that contain these cholesterol-fighting substances. New products are now on the market for those who don’t want to eat 2 Tablespoons of margarine each day. Yoplait has a new yogurt called Healthy Heart which contains .4g plant sterols per serving. Nature Valley has a Healthy Heart granola bar with .4g plant sterols in each bar. Even Minute Maid has put plant sterols in a special Heart Wise OJ to offer a beverage with this cholesterol advantage. You would need to eat 2 containers of yogurt, 2 granola bars or drink two 8 fl. oz glasses of orange juice each day to get the benefit.

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November 11, 2005

Where's the Beef?

Looking for ways to "beef up" your recipes? With thought and planning, beef can make meal times tasty and healthy. Choosing the right cut of beef and enjoying proper portions can make it easy to add beef to a heart-healthy eating plan.
Choose cuts of beef that aren't heavily marbled and appear redder in color.

Good beef choices include:
Eye of the round
Top round
Top loin
Flank steak.

Once you've settled on a lean cut of beef, remember your portion sizes. A three-ounce piece of beef is about the size of a deck of cards. If you generally eat larger pieces, enjoy it less often or stretch it out by adding vegetables to a kabob or mix meat with pasta or rice.

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Another Reason to Eat Fish

According to a recent Greek study, fish reduces chronic inflammation in the body, which has been increasingly implicated in heart disease. Those who ate at least 10 ounces of fish a week averaged 33% lower levels of C-reactive protein, and had similar reductions in other markers for inflammation.
Try this salamon recipe tonight!

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October 21, 2005

Outrageous Foods: Salt’s On!

There’s nothing like a hot bowl of soup to make you feel better when you’re sick, right? Unfortunately, Campbell’s red-and-white-label condensed soups are brimming with salt: half a can averages about half of a person’s daily quota of salt. Instead, try brands like Healthy Choice or Campbell’s Healthy Request, which have less than half as much sodium. Even better if you have someone nice enough (or you feel well enough) to make you a pot of homemade soup where you can control how much sodium is in it by using lots of spices instead of the salt.

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September 16, 2005

National Cholesterol Awareness Month

Have high cholesterol or high blood pressure or know someone who does? Participate in your community’s Heart Walk and raise money to help fight heart disease. Walking is a great way to meet the daily physical activity recommendations. It can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. It also burns calories and can aid in weight loss or maintenance. Follow this link and find out more about your local Heart Walk.

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July 21, 2005

No More Cracks About Eggs!

Susan L. Burke, MS, RD/LD, CDE wrote:

Wondering what’s the latest on eggs? Over the past 30 years, health professionals have wavered from touting eggs as “the complete food�? containing great amounts of vitamins, minerals and protein to warning people about eggs as sources of “evil�? cholesterol! What's a concerned dieter to believe?
Cholesterol is not a fat, but a waxy substance only found in animal products. It’s vital for many human bodily functions and is produced in your liver. Cholesterol from food is mostly found in meat and poultry, seafood, dairy and eggs. But dietary cholesterol is not automatically converted to blood cholesterol when you eat it.

In fact, the American Heart Association has recently weighed-in on the side of eggs. They estimate that 2/3 of the population can safely eat an egg a day without any change in blood cholesterol.

What’s known is that each individual reacts to dietary cholesterol differently, and for most, it’s saturated fat that must be avoided to reduce blood cholesterol. Eggs are great sources of protein (mainly found in the egg whites), as well as B vitamins. Eggs are naturally low in sodium.

Don’t forget, the dietary guidelines encourage a balanced meal plan -- and moderation is always the key to good health!

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June 30, 2005

Wonder what's next? Whole-grain white bread

By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Wonder Bread, the nation's No. 1 bread brand, is going against the grain.
New federal dietary guidelines recommend that at least half of a consumer's bread and cereal intake be from whole-grain products.

Next month, it's coming out with a 100% whole-wheat loaf aimed at mothers who are worried about children's nutrition.

Made with an albino wheat variety that doesn't have the harsh taste of whole red-wheat flour, the bread has the same spongy texture, the same mushability and pretty much the same taste as Wonder Bread. But it's a shade or two browner because it's made from 100% whole wheat, and it has three times the fiber.

Whole-wheat and whole-grain flours contain all three parts of the wheat kernel: the bran, germ and starchy endosperm.

But traditional Wonder Bread, made with white flour from which the bran and germ are removed, isn't going away.

The 100% whole-grain alternative is meant to "deliver all the goodness and health benefits of whole grain without sacrificing the benefits of white bread," says Jacques Roizen, chief marketing officer for breadmaker Interstate Brands. "It still has the taste and texture of white bread but the benefits of whole grain.

To keep consumers from getting confused, Interstate Brands has bestowed the loaves the somewhat clunky name "White Bread Fans 100% Whole Grain." Roizen says it's meant for fans of white bread who want 100% whole grain.

Loaves are set to roll out of the ovens July 18 in six U.S. markets: San Francisco, Sacramento, Kansas City, Omaha, Memphis and Little Rock. The rest of the country will follow by the end of the year.

A year and a half in development, the new product comes as Americans are beginning to turn away from low-carb diets that turned bread into a forbidden food. At the same time, new federal dietary guidelines are recommending at least half of a consumer's bread and cereal intake be from whole-grain products.

It's a tough row to hoe when an estimated 40% of Americans eat no whole grains at all, according to the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter. Whole-grain products, with their high fiber, mineral and vitamin content, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, may help with weight maintenance and may lower the risk for other chronic diseases, according to the federal guidelines.

Brian Wansink, who directs Cornell University's food and brand lab, calls the idea of a whole-grain Wonder Bread that tastes like the original "stealth health." Says Wansink: "It's like whole-wheat Lucky Charms. It could succeed in bringing back the disenfranchised customer who left because they just saw white bread as sticky stuff that balls up in your stomach."

But to Marion Nestle, a nutritionist at New York University, the long list of dough conditioners necessary to give the new Wonder Bread its distinctive soft, mushy texture means it's hardly bread at all. "Bread is flour, water, yeast, salt. Period. This has something like 20 other ingredients. ... Why not buy your kids real bread?"

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June 06, 2005

Metabolic Syndrome

The growing number of overweight Americans is leading to an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, a disorder that often includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar.

Metabolic syndrome is not a single disease but a cluster of health problems. Experts say the syndrome may be caused by a combination of genes and lifestyle factors including overeating and lack of physical activity.

According to the National Institutes of Health, metabolic disorder may be present if a person has any three or more of the following symptoms:

A waist measuring greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women
Triglyceride levels equal to or greater than 150 milligrams per deciliter
HDL (good cholesterol) levels of less than 40 milligrams per deciliter in men and less than 50 milligrams per deciliter in women
Blood pressure 130/85 milligrams of mercury or higher
Blood sugar 110 milligrams per deciliter or higher.
If you find that you fall into three or more of these categories, contact your physician or registered dietitian to learn more about metabolic syndrome and how to treat it.

Produced by ADA’s Public Relations Team

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April 18, 2005

Peanut Butter: Not Just For Kids.

Looking for a tasty way to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease?

The answer may be in a food that many children love and enjoy on a regular basis: peanut butter. Research shows that peanut butter, along with peanuts, can help lower blood cholesterol and protect against heart disease, when used in a heart healthy eating plan.

Peanuts appear to have this effect because they contain healthy unsaturated fats. Other nutrients include fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper and zinc. As with many other studies, the benefits of peanuts were seen with consumption of the food, not supplements.

A lot of people have misconceptions about peanut butter in that it is unhealthy because it has some saturated fat and some sugar in it. When you look at the big picture, the amount of healthy fats outweighs the small amount of saturated fat in a serving of peanut butter. I would also recommend the natural peanut butter which contains just peanuts and oil. Just remember, fat has the most calories per serving so even though the fat is a healthy fat, you still need to watch your serving sizes.

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April 12, 2005

Feel Like a Nut?

Nuts to you! Just a small handful of nuts is packed with protein, other nutrients, fiber and health-protective plant substances. Stick to a small serving so calories don’t add up. In fact, 1½ ounces of nuts a day may reduce your chance of heart disease if the saturated fats and cholesterol in your food choices are low!

Different nuts have different benefits: almonds for the most fiber, almonds and hazelnuts for the most vitamin E (an antioxidant), pecans for more cancer-fighting ellagic acid, Brazil nuts for more selenium (another antioxidant), cashews and pistachios for more potassium, walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids. Many nuts also have phytic acid, which may reduce cancer risk and help control blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.

Wonder about the fat? It’s mostly monounsaturated—the kind that doesn’t raise your blood cholesterol. And nuts are cholesterol-free, too.

Pick an easy nutritious culinary idea today.

Use nuts as a condiment. Sprinkle on soup, salad, yogurt, chicken, or fish or cooked veggies.
Switch nuts for different benefits. Try chopped hazelnuts in salads, walnuts in pesto, or pistachios on baked fish.
Try this crumby idea: Mix finely chopped nuts in a breadcrumb topping.
Give a toast to nuts! Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for three to five minutes, shaking often, to intensify their flavor.
Source: 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association

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March 30, 2005

Butter vs. Margarine

Which is healthier, butter or margarine?

From a fat and calorie standpoint, butter and margarine are the same with about 35 calories and four grams of fat per teaspoon. Both are primarily fat; only the source differs. Butter contains more saturated fats than most margarine. Because margarine is made from vegetable oil, it has no cholesterol. However, margarine contains trans fat which could be just as bad as saturated fat, or even worse.

When it comes to fat, the more liquid, the better. It’s best to use olive, canola or peanut oil whenever possible. Dip hard crusty bread in, season vegetables, make salad dressings, use in baked goods, stir fry or spritz on popcorn.

Some grocery store shelves are beginning to stock margarines that claim to provide cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Research shows margarines that are made from two different phytochemicals can reduce LDL (lousy cholesterol). The plant compounds that interfere with the absorption of cholesterol are plant sterols and stanols. The compounds are used in two different FDA-approved margarines, which lower cholesterol by an average of 10 percent when consumed as directed. While they do help lower the LDL cholesterol, the margarines do not lower HDL (healthy cholesterol).

Most likely you’ll find these margarines on the top shelf of your grocery store shelf with possibly the highest price tag. Adding one of these margarines to your eating plan might be worth the extra calories, but margarine alone can’t lower cholesterol. That starts with an eating plan that is low in total fat, especially saturated fat.

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March 24, 2005

Spice it Up!

Americans are gluttons for salt. There is salt in processed food, salt used in cooking and salt in the shaker on the table. Many people shake on the salt without even tasting the food placed before them.

Salt is composed of sodium and chloride. Our love affair with salt causes the average American adult to consume 6,000 milligrams of sodium a day. The recommended intake for sodium is 2,400 milligrams per day.

An excessive sodium intake can be a problem, especially for people who have high blood pressure or other medical problems, says the American Dietetic Association. Set aside the salt shaker and learn to use other seasonings instead.

Try using these combinations to spice up your meals without salt:

1. A small amount of Tabasco instead of salt to add flavor to foods. It is especially helpful in flavoring soups, stews, potato dishes, beans and rice.

2. Mix fresh lemon, diced mushrooms and diced tomatoes along with parsley, paprika and cayenne to season fish.

3. Use a very light dust of pepper and Parmesan cheese over steamed broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, squash or spinach.

4. Chinese five-spice blend for chicken, fish or pork: 1/4 cup of ground ginger, 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons of ground cloves and 1 tablespoon each of ground allspice and anise seed.

5. Mexican blend for chili, enchiladas, tacos, chicken, pork and beef: 1/4 cup of chili powder, 1 tablespoon each of ground cumin and onion powder, 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano, garlic powder and red pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

6. Mixed herb blend for salads, steamed vegetables or fish: 1/4 cup of dried parsley, 2 tablespoons of dried tarragon and 1 tablespoon each of dried oregano, dill weed and celery flakes.

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March 03, 2005

Wine keeps women's hearts beating healthily

Drinking wine, but not beer or spirits, keeps women's hearts beating healthily, finds new research.

Writing in the March issue of Heart (91, pp314-318), Swedish researchers say that they may have found a possible explanation for the drink's benefits.

Much of the research on the potential health benefits of alcohol has been done on men, and it is still not clear exactly why moderate amounts of wine seems to be good for heart health.

The team from the Karolinska institute and other Stockholm-based centres studied 102 women under the age of 75, all of whom had survived a heart attack or heart surgery for blocked arteries. A year later, participants were asked to record their alcohol intake for one week.

After at least a year, a heart tracing (ECG) was taken over 24 hours during routine activities in all the participants, to test heart rate variability (HRV).

HRV measures the changes in time intervals between the beats of the heart. Decreased variability has been associated with an increased risk of heart disease and death.

HRV was highest in women who drank 5 or more grams of alcohol a day, equivalent to more than half a standard unit, and lowest in those who drank no alcohol at all.

But further analysis showed that the type of alcohol consumed was important.

HRV was highest among women who drank wine, even after taking account of other influential factors, such as age, weight, and smoking habit. Beer and spirits had little impact on HRV.

The favourable effects on HRV may be one of the reasons why wine protects heart health, suggest the authors.

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February 24, 2005

The Other Unsaturated Fat: Omega-3’s

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in seafood, especially higher-fat, cold-water varieties such as mackerel, albacore tuna, salmon, herring, sardines, and lake trout. All seafood, including shellfish and crustaceans such as oysters and shrimp, contain omega-3 fatty acids. These fats have been shown to provide a protective effect against heart disease by lowering triglycerides, correcting irregular heart beats and decreasing your risk of getting blood clots. It is recommended that you consume fatty fish 2 times per week to see a benefit. Walnuts and flaxseeds are also a good source of omega-3’s. You can add them to cereal, baked goods like breads or muffins before baking or sprinkle them over salads. Grinding the flaxseeds makes it easier for your body to digest. Cooking oils which are rich in omega-3’s are canola and soybean.

Fish-oil capsules contain omega-3 fatty acids but they are not recommended as a substitute for fish or as a dietary supplement. Eating fish, as part of a healthful eating plan, is the best way to get omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and other important nutrients.

Pregnant women, nursing mothers and children should avoid shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel, all of which have high levels of mercury. These people can comfortably enjoy up to 12 ounces a week of other types of well-prepared fish.

Poached Salmon with Asparagus

4 salmon fillets (about 1 lb.)

1 tsp. dried rosemary

½ tsp. black pepper

1 can (14 oz.) ready-to-use vegetable broth

Juice of 1 lemon

½ lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

Season the salmon with the rosemary and ¼ tsp pepper. Place in a large skillet.
In a small bowl, combine the broth, lemon juice and the remaining ¼ tsp pepper. Mix well and pour into the skillet. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the asparagus around the salmon. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the asparagus is tender. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Serving size: 1 fillet

Calories: 209

Fat:: 10g

CHO: 3g

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February 23, 2005

High Blood Pressure

Hypertension affects approximately one-quarter of adult Americans with another one-quarter having prehypertension, or blood pressure in the zone between normal and high.

Keep your blood pressure normal – or lower it – by making some lifestyle changes:

1. Participate in regular physical activity: at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week.
2. Consume moderate amounts of alcohol.
3. Maintain a normal body weight.

4. Limit foods high in sodium

Canned soup, vegetables, beans
Frozen dinners, vegetables in sauces
Processed meat – deli meat, hot dogs, sausage, bacon
Convenient foods – dry/instant soup, boxed rice mixes, instant potatoes
Snack foods – crackers, chips, pretzels, nuts, cheese, pickles
Seasonings – garlic/onion salt, salt, ketchup, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, steak sauce

5. Choose low sodium alternative foods when possible and watch your portions.

Low sodium soups, no added salt vegetables and beans
Low sodium frozen entrees
Fresh or frozen meat, fruit and vegetables
Low sodium snack foods
Garlic/onion powder, low sodium condiments

6. Eat 5-9 fruits and vegetables each day

7. Eat 3 high calcium foods each day

1 cup of 1% or skim milk
1 cup of low fat yogurt
Low fat mozzarella cheese sticks
½ cup of pudding made with low fat milk
Try lactose-free products or lactase enzymes, if you’re lactose intolerant.

8. Do not add salt to your plate. At least taste it first!

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January 31, 2005

Fat To Fit In

Tired of hearing not to eat this food because it has this fat and not to eat that food because it has that fat? Good news! There is a type of fat that I want you to eat…everyday. Once you’ve started limiting your saturated fat and trans fat foods, starting adding in some foods with unsaturated fats in them. Monounsaturated fats are marvelous because they help lower your LDL cholesterol (the lousy cholesterol) and can maintain or even raise your HDL cholesterol (the healthy cholesterol). Monounsaturated fats are found in avocado, peanut, olive and canola oils, peanut butter and nuts like peanuts, cashews and almonds. Add a slice of avocado to a taco or turkey sandwich. Dip French bread into olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stir fry vegetables in peanut oil. Spread peanut butter on whole wheat toast. Have nuts for an afternoon snack. Women can have one serving of monounsaturated fat each day and men can have 2 servings. If you’re not trying to lose weight…add on another serving. But beware…even though they are healthy fats, they still have calories and too many calories can lead to weight gain.

1 serving =

½ avocado

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp peanut butter

½ cup nuts

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January 26, 2005

Alcohol and Your Arteries

Ever wonder how cholesterol starts to build up? One of the first steps of heart disease is an injury to the wall of your blood vessel. This injury could occur from many things including high blood pressure, high blood sugars or smoking. The injury activates our immune system to send immune cells to that area. Inflamed areas on blood vessels happen to be a great place for cholesterol to accumulate. Alcohol has been shown to create an anti-inflammatory effect in our blood vessels. Red grapes used to make red wine contain antioxidants which also help keep our arteries healthy. Antioxidants try to fix injured areas of our blood vessels. For these reasons, moderate intake of alcohol in general and red wine has been linked to lower risks of heart disease. Moderate drinking is defined as 1 drink a day for women and 2 drinks a day for men.

What counts as a drink?

12 oz of beer

5 oz of wine

1 ½ oz of liquor

**Note: If you do not currently drink alcohol, I do not recommend that you start. Certain people should not drink alcohol, such as those with liver problems, high triglycerides, abuse problems or who are taking medications. And remember, please drink responsibly!

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Anti-Inflammatory Eating

Katherine Tallmadge wrote:

When pharmaceutical executives announced they were pulling their company's hugely popular anti-inflammatory drug, Vioxx, off the market last fall because of safety concerns, my clients began to ask questions.

Are drugs the only answer to the problem of inflammation, which many of them did not realize they might have? Was there anything they could do to prevent it short of taking other medications.

Fortunately, what you eat -- or don't eat -- can profoundly affect inflammation. And that is important, because inflammation contributes to illnesses that are chronic, costly and corrode our quality of life. Inflammation is a silent killer. You don't see it or even feel it until after many years, when it can blossom into or contribute to full-blown problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, Alzheimer's or arthritis.

How could inflammation contribute to so many seemingly unrelated illnesses? Inflammation is your natural defense against disease-causing microbes. It can happen anywhere in your body. When you cut your finger and it becomes red, swollen and painful, that's inflammation at work. It's your body's way of fighting infection, and it's a lifesaver. Once healing begins, inflammation ceases, and the body resumes normal functioning.

But that immune response, which is constantly on patrol to prevent diseases throughout our body, in our blood vessels and organs, sometimes doesn't shut down, and inflammation becomes chronic.

"In the blood vessels, inflammation may cause fatty plaque to rupture, form blood clots and lead to heart attack or stroke," said Rick Weissinger, a Delaware consultant nutritionist, at a George Washington University conference recently. "Inflammation has also been found to predict the development of both hypertension and diabetes. And emerging research shows that inflammation is involved in the gene mutations that cause cancer and in furthering cancer growth."

There is also evidence that in the brain, inflammation attacks nerve cells, and may contribute to dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

How do you know if you have chronic inflammation? Scientists look for "biomarkers" in the blood. These are biological signs that indicate the presence of inflammation and suggest increased disease risk. One of the most well-known is C-reactive protein (CRP), which correlates with heart attack risk and for which there is a clinical test available in your doctor's office.

The cause of chronic inflammation can be genetic or environmental. Scientists have found that smoking, high blood pressure, excess body fat, a sedentary lifestyle and eating a poor diet all increase various inflammatory biomarkers and contribute to chronic inflammation and disease.

Studying inflammation is relatively new, and there are still inconsistencies in the data. But researchers have found that certain foods appear to reduce inflammatory markers. A diet high in these foods can hedge against our constant exposure to pathogens. These "anti-inflammatory" foods act a lot like anti-inflammatory medications -- without the side effects -- and may reduce inflammation by continuously supplying the body with nutrients and compounds that keep the immune response at bay.

Here are some foods that researchers believe will reduce inflammation:

• Fish The omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, anchovies and sardines, are the compounds that work most consistently. Several studies have concluded that fish and fish oil reduce heart disease by cutting arrhythmia, blood-clotting and inflammation. High-fish diets may also reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's and dementia. And emerging research shows omega-3s found in fish and other sea creatures may also reduce cancer risk, arthritis, asthma, psoriasis and other inflammatory diseases.

• Flaxseed and walnuts New research has found that the plant version of omega-3 fatty acids, ALA, found in flax seeds and walnuts, reduces inflammation. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition last year found that Americans who consumed at least 2.3 ounces of walnuts and flaxseed daily had reduced levels of CRP and other inflammatory markers.

• Vitamins E and C A study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Immunology last year found that children who ingested vitamins E and C had lower levels of inflammatory markers. The condition of some asthmatic children improved. Nuts, seeds and oils, especially wheat germ oil, sunflower seeds and almonds, are high in vitamin E. It is not recommended that you take high doses of vitamin E supplements unless prescribed by your doctor. Fruits and vegetables, especially strawberries, oranges, cantaloupes, tomatoes, mangoes, cauliflower, broccoli and sweet potatoes, are high in vitamin C.

Many nutritionists' tips for reducing inflammation are the same advice we give patients for living a healthy life, losing weight, preventing disease and increasing longevity. Among them are:

• Follow a Mediterranean-style or vegetarian diet Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last year showed that inflammatory biomarkers were reduced in a Mediterranean diet group that ate at least nine to 11 ounces of fruit, four to six ounces of vegetables, one to two ounces of walnuts and 14 ounces of whole grains or legumes daily. That group also increased its consumption of olive oil. A control group ate the same level of carbohydrates, protein and fat, but they didn't eat as many complex carbohydrates, or as much fiber or olive oil and ate more saturated fat and cholesterol.

• Lose body fat Most scientists will agree that weight loss is probably the most effective way to reduce inflammatory markers. Research has shown that fat tissue produces pro-inflammatory compounds -- which may help explain why obesity is correlated with heart disease, hypertension, cancer, arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

• Cut back on fatty meat and high-fat dairy products Foods high in certain saturated fats, found in meats and dairy products, increase biomarkers of inflammation, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year. A story published in the journal Angiology in 2000 found that men and women eating a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet increased their CRP by 61 percent. "Low Carb diets may initially cause a drop in bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, however the risk of heart disease is still high because markers of inflammaton increase, said Richard M. Fleming, author of the study and the book "Stop Inflammation Now."

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January 24, 2005

The Skinny on Saturated and Trans Fat.

There are two kinds of fats found in food that should be on your radar. These are saturated fat and trans fat. Saturated fat has been shown to increase your LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol that clogs your arteries). Men should eat about 10-13 grams per day and women should eat about 8-12 grams per day. Saturated fat is found in animal products like milk, cheese, butter, red meat and ice cream and also in palm, palm kernel and coconut oil. Fortunately there are similar foods which you can choose which have less saturated fat. Choose 1% or skim milk, low fat or part-skim cheese (like mozzarella), lean ground beef with 7% or less fat, lean steaks like sirloin, filet mignon or NY strip steaks, skinless chicken breasts, low fat fish like snapper, cod, orange roughy or flounder, low fat ice cream and oils like olive, canola or peanut.

Trans fat is the new fat on the block which may even be worse for you than saturated fat. It is formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil in order to change the liquid oil into a solid at room temperature. This process is known as hydrogenation, which also transforms the unsaturated fats of the liquid oils into saturated fat. Trans fat not only increases your LDL cholesterol but may also lower your HDL cholesterol (the healthy cholesterol you want to be high). Trans fat is found in commercially made products like doughnuts, danishes, cookies, and cakes, snack foods like crackers and chips, pie crusts, commercially fried foods, margarine and shortening. By law, food companies will have to list the amount of trans fat in their products as of 2006. If you don’t see trans fat on the food label, check the ingredient list. If hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil is listed in the ingredient list, the food contains trans fat. Some companies (Frito-Lay) are changing their products to contain less/no trans fat and labeling their products early. Some fast food restaurants are attempting to make changes by trying new oils to fry their foods in. As for the companies not making changes or for the foods containing a lot of trans fat, you probably won’t see their new labels until the last minute. Some advantages that hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats have are that they are inexpensive and have a long shelf life. The best thing to do is to read your food labels and be wise when ordering fried foods and pastries when eating out.

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January 20, 2005

The Power of Soy

People who consume soy-based diets have less incidences of cardiovascular disease. Research suggests that the combination of soy protein, vitamin E, soluble fiber and isoflavones lowers LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and soluble fiber inhibits cholesterol absorption. Isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen, act as a defense mechanism in plants. The specific isoflavone found in soybeans is genistein and has been found to decrease blood clots. To be beneficial, the Food and Drug Administration recommends eating 25 grams of soy protein each day along with a low fat diet.

Soy Foods Grams of Soy Protein

½ cup soybeans 14

1 cup soy milk 7

½ cup tempeh 16

½ cup tofu 20

1 veggie burger 15

1 ounce soy cheese 2-7

¼ cup soy nuts 17

Tempeh Fajitas

From Cooking Light

Use a wire grilling basket for the onion and bell pepper so they don't fall into grill. If there's enough room on your grill, you can heat the tortillas as the onion mixture and tempeh cook. Wrap in heavy-duty foil, and grill 5 miutes or until thoroughly heated.

1 (8-ounce) package five-grain tempeh
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups (1/2-inch) vertically sliced onion
1 1/2 cups (1/2-inch-thick) slices green bell pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas
1/4 cup chipotle salsa (such as Frontera)

Cut tempeh in half crosswise; cut each half lengthwise into 6 strips. Place tempeh in a shallow dish. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, lime juice, cumin, oil, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and garlic in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour pineapple juice mixture over tempeh. Marinate at room temperature 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Prepare grill.

Lightly coat onion and bell pepper with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Arrange onion mixture in a wire grilling basket coated with cooking spray. Place grilling basket on grill rack; grill 5 minutes or until lightly browned, turning occasionally. Remove the tempeh from marinade, reserving marinade. Place tempeh on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, basting occasionally with reserved marinade.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Arrange 3 tempeh pieces, 1/2 cup onion mixture, and 1 tablespoon salsa down center of each tortilla; roll up.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fajita)

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 259(18% from fat); FAT 5.1g(sat 0.7g,mono 1.2g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 14.6g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 64mg; SODIUM 712mg; FIBER 8g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47.3g

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January 17, 2005

Say OK to Oats

What's for breakfast on this cold, winter morning? How about instant oatmeal, crunchy oat cereal or an oat bran muffin? No matter how you eat them, oats offer benefits beyond their hearty taste.

A good source of soluble fiber, oats are well known for their heart-healthy benefits, which include lowering blood cholesterol. What's more, the plant substances in oats may help control blood pressure, even body weight (since oatmeal helps you feel full longer).

How much helps with cholesterol reduction? Three grams of soluble fiber a day from all your foods. One serving of these oat-based foods puts you one-third there: 1 cup ready-to-eat cereal, ½ cup cooked oatmeal or 1/3 cup cooked oat bran. Add oatmeal to muffins, burgers, meatloaf or stuffing, too.

Source: 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association (Wiley 2004), Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS

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Managing Your Cholesterol

Do you know your cholesterol numbers? If you don’t...you should!

Overall, your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dl. The HDL cholesterol is the healthy cholesterol and you want this number to be high (at least 60 mg/dl). You want to have less LDL cholesterol (less than 100 mg/dl) because this type of cholesterol builds up in your arteries. Lucky for you there are lifestyle changes you can make to help raise the good cholesterol and lower the bad cholesterol.

Ways to Increase HDL (Healthy cholesterol):

Weight loss. Expend more calories than you consume.

Exercise. Moderate intensity, long duration. Walk for 30 minutes rather than run for 10.

Quit smoking. Enough said.

Ways to Lower LDL (Lousy cholesterol):

Limit Saturated Fat. Choose chicken, turkey, low fat fish, lean ground beef and lean cuts of beef. Choose low fat cheese and milk.

Limit Trans Fat. Think fresh. Commercially prepared foods often contain trans fat. If the ingredient list has hydrogenated oils in it, the food has trans fat. Some food companies/fast food chains have modified their foods to reduce the amount of trans fat in their products. Read the food labels!! Margarine and shortening also contain trans fat.

Choose Monounsaturated Fats Daily. This is the type of fat we want you to eat! Olive, canola and peanut oil are the best oils to use. You can spread peanut butter on almost anything: bread, pancakes, waffles, bananas, apple slices, or celery. Slice avocado on tacos or sandwiches. Have ¼ cup of nuts for a snack.

Choose Polyunsaturated Fats Sometimes. These fats are ok, but not as good as the monos. Vegetable oils (safflower, sunflower, soybean), and sunflower seeds are high in polyunsaturated fats.

Fill up with Fiber. Eat 5 fruits and vegetables every day. Try to make each one a different color. Include whole grains daily – whole wheat bread, tortillas and pasta, brown rice, and high fiber cereal.

Be Active. Walk, climb stairs, take the long way, turn on music and dance. Move, move, move.

Soy Products. Try soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy nuts, or veggie burgers. Aim for 25 grams of soy protein each day.

Try Stanols/Sterols. These plant substances that help block cholesterol absorption are fortified in spreads like Take Control or Benecol.

Read Food Labels – know what you are eating!

Surround yourself with supportive friends and family.

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