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Healthy Bites
with Rita Smith
Keeping the Gut Calm
IBS. Do you know what that stands for? Irritable Bowel Syndrome. And about 20% of folks in the U.S. experience this uncomfortable condition. Most have a number of symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract from the spasms and cramping that can occur in the colon.
The Risk Factors for IBS:
- Maybe genetics????
- Lots of stress.
- It occurs in more women than men.
Common IBS Triggers:
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Fatty and greasy foods
- Carbonated drinks
- Gum (air gets in the gut)
- Large meals or overeating
IBS Treatment:
- Anti-spasmodic meds
- Avoidance “trigger” foods
- Moderate fiber (not high fiber)
- Plenty of fluids, especially water
- Small meals and small healthy snacks
- Daily stress relievers: daily walk, deep breathing exercises, a good chat with a friend
Pump up the Plant Foods
Every health organization in this country recommends that we eat our fruits and vegetables every day – just like our mothers used to suggest when we were growing up. In a study of over 8,000 adults, very few were eating the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables – and therefore, missing protective substances called phytonutrients.
Carotenoids are a large group of phytonutrients including
- beta-carotene (lower risk for heart disease),
- lutein (protects the eyes from macular degeneration) and
- lycopene (prevent prostate cancer).
The carotenoids are found in colorful produce such as carrots, pumpkin, yams; tomatoes and watermelon; and spinach.
Flavonoids are phytonutrients that may provide anti-inflammatory protection, thus reducing our risk for developing heart disease and cancer. They’re found in grapes, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, orange juice, oranges, lemons, limes, apples, tea and onions.
Phenols are phytonutrients that may protect cell integrity, reducing risk for cancer. Phenols are prevalent in strawberries, raspberries, apples, walnuts, and pecans.
From this study, the folks who ate more fruits and vegetables had more physical activity in their day – so overall, they seem to be more concerned about their heath. And older adults, as well as women, were more likely to get in the suggested amounts of produce.
Depression Link to Food Choices
There may be a link between consumption of fast food and commercial bakery goods, and depression. In almost 9,000 study participants, those who consumed the most fast food and commercial baked goods were 37% more likely to become depressed over a 6-year period than people with the lowest consumption.
Who ate the most fast food and bakery goods in this study (and therefore were at greater risk for depression)? They included people who were single, younger, less active, had overall unhealthy dietary habits, and worked more than 45 hours per week.
According to this study, the most frequently eaten unhealthy foods were hamburgers and hotdogs, pizza, croissants, doughnuts, and cakes.
If you need to eat to fast food, there are healthier options…. Grilled chicken, salads (with dressing on the side!), baked potatoes with broccoli, and fruit cups.
For baked goods and dessert, most can be made at home from scratch with less sugar and fat – as well as the addition of chopped, diced or grated fruits and vegetables to add a nutrition boost…. blueberry muffins, zucchini or carrot bread, etc.
This study included folks who were not currently diagnosed with depression or taking anti-depressants. Approximately 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression, so perhaps part of their treatment should include attention to a healthy diet with more fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts, low-fat dairy, fish and poultry.
The full study report can be found in the Public Health Nutrition journal, March 2012.
Who needs to buy fast food French toast sticks when they are so easy to make at home using whole-grain bread dipped in a batter of Eggbeaters (no fat or cholesterol), skim milk and apple pie spice. YUM!! Serve with frozen berries, heated gently in a saucepan to make a delicious berry sauce.
Get in Enough Protein!
There are three major nutrients that our body needs, protein, fats and carbohydrates. Protein is so important for the maintenance of muscles, healthy cells, and a strong immune system.
Amino acids make up protein, and there are 9 that are essential. Essential means we do not store amino acids, so they need to be consumed every day through our diet.
- Complete Proteins have all 9 essential amino acids: milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, fish, poultry and red meats. An exception is quinoa – although it is a grain it contains all essential amino acids.
- Incomplete Proteins are lacking one or more essential amino acids. But, when combined with another food, they form a complete protein – so cool. Examples are legumes, grains, vegetables and nuts: peanut butter on oatmeal bread, cashew-brown rice stir fry or bean soup with cornbread.
How much protein do we need each day? Count on 8 grams protein per 20 pounds of body weight. You’ll need more during pregnancy and nursing, after an injury or surgery, and during an illness. Also, if you are an athletic, your body will want more protein to build new muscles.
By age 40, we lose about half a percent of muscle mass every year. And as we continue to age, this can really impact our mobility, or lack of resistant to disease and infections. So be sure to eat lean healthy protein sources throughout your life!
Heart Healthy Snacks
At the recent annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, the best heart-healthy snacks were recommended to keep the vascular system in tip-top shape.
No. 1 Heart Healthy Snack (Top of the list): Raisins! They are high in antioxidants (to protect your arteries!), potassium (300 mg in a small box), and a good fiber source.
No. 2 Heart Healthy Snack: Soy foods. This includes soy milk (use in a fruit smoothie), soy cheese (a topper for whole-grain crackers), soy nuts, and oven-roasted edamame. Soy provides isoflavones for heart health.
No. 3 Heart Healthy Snack: Walnuts. These nuts are packed with potassium to lower blood pressure, as well as healthy monounsaturated oils. Also considered a great brain food!
No. 4 Heart Healthy Snacks: Avocados. This fruit has monounsaturated fats to lower cholesterol, and more potassium than a banana (700 mg for 1 cup of sliced avocado).
No. 5 Heart Healthy Snacks: High-fiber foods in general. This includes whole-grains such as oats (oat snack bars), multi-grain crackers and pretzels, popcorn, fruits and vegetables. Fiber can bind cholesterol in the intestinal tract, and may help with weight control.
Kids and Asthma
Researchers from Sweden tracked 2,000 children for 8 years, and here’s interesting discovery: kids who were either overweight or obese were at a greater risk of developing asthma than normal-weight kids. Normal-weight toddlers who gained weight later and had a high BMI by age 7 were more likely to have asthma. (Asthma is inflammation of airways. Leading to difficulty breathing, wheezing and coughing.)
The good news: Kids who were heavier but then leaned-out reduced their asthma risk to the low risk of the normal-weight kids! Cool.
Tips for raising healthy weight kids:
- Provide breakfast
- Serve skim and 1% milk (2-3 servings/day)
- Lots of water between meals (rather than calorie-containing sodas, sweet drinks and juices)
- Meals and snacks based on fruits, veggies, and whole-grains
- Serve family meals daily
- Fun outdoor time with your children
Prevent Diabetes
Last Tuesday was National Diabetes Alert Day, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. It is a “one-day wake-up” call to assess your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. With 26 million Americans who have diabetes, and another 79 million with pre-diabetes (or, one-third of all adults!), it is really important to take this disease seriously and work to prevent it.
Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes:
- overweight and sedentary
- over age 45
- having a family history of type 2 diabetes
- certain ethnic populations: African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian Americans
Protect Yourself From Type 2 Diabetes:
- have your glucose levels tested
- enjoy a daily 30-minute walk
- eat healthy most of the time
- lose weight or stay lean
All of this is especially important if you’re over 65: Because 1 in 4 Americans over the age of 65 has type 2 diabetes.
You can take a diabetes risk test and gather some great information at www.diabetes.org or at www.stopdiabetes.com. And think about coming to my FREE Supermarket Smarts class for folks with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes. The calendar is available at www.marthajefferson.org or you can call MJH Health Connection at (434) 654-7009.
Staying Lean Tips!
The National Weight Control Registry has tracked more than 6,000 individuals who have lost a significant amount of weight (average: 60 lbs) – and kept it off for over 5 years. Tips from this group:
- Have a fairly structured diet.
- Eat breakfast (yes! It really is the most important meal of the day!).
- Eat consistently during both the week and weekend. By consistent, I mean they eat the same types of foods and at the same times.
- Have less fat – it saves calories.
- Believe it or not, about 50% of their calories were from carbs.
- Three meals each day (no skipping!).
- Several healthy snacks.
And, of course, more physical activity. Hmm, nothing earthshaking but still important.
Yup, people can lose weight and keep it off. And you don’t need to do anything heroic or make spectacular changes – small changes that you can live with for the long term seems to be the way to go.
A healthy between-meal snack idea is dip from reduced-fat cream cheese, nonfat yogurt and sugar-free preserves. Dippers? Fresh fruit, of course. And then for a different twist, whole-grain toaster waffle wedges. YUM.
Reducing Colorectal Cancer Risk
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and it is estimated that this year alone, there will be over 145,000 new cases diagnosed and almost 52,000 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that if people over age 50 were regularly screened with a colonoscopy, 60% of deaths from this cancer could be prevented. Here are some cancer prevention reminders.
Risk factors for colorectal cancer cancer:
- Age – over 50 years
- Having a close relative with colorectal cancer
- Having inflammatory bowel disease
- Being a smoker
- Drinking too much alcohol
What can offer protection from developing colorectal cancer:
- Get to and maintain a lean weight
- Exercise – 30 minutes daily
- Have polps removed
- Healthy diet with little red meat
- Lots of fruits and veggies
- Eating lots of legumes, whole-grains, fish
There is a great website – www.preventcolon.org – that lets you figure out your risk for developing colorectal cancer, and then it provides information to help you lower your cancer risk.
Research in this field continues every day with very dedicated cancer specialists. They are looking at the benefits of aspirin and having more calcium and folic acid in the diet – nothing is firm about these yet but it looks promising. And the key is to have your colonoscopy when your doctor recommends it. Don’t put it off – it could save your life!
This delicious-looking black bean-couscous salad provides a vegetarian meal with plenty of fiber! The dressing is a combo of low-sodium V-8 juice and olive oil.
Cook at Home for Leaner Kids
Parents who eat out at fast food restaurants and buffets often weigh more and are more likely to develop insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes)… Not good for you, but did you know these behaviors can also be harmful for your kids? A recent study has connected many common health problems in adolescents with eating out or having meals prepared outside of the home.
When adolescents eat meals NOT prepared at home (i.e. fast food, sit-down, take out, delivery), they are much more likely to be overweight and develop insulin resistance (a precursor to type 2 diabetes). In this study, the leanest kids had more meals cooked at home with very little risk for type 2 diabetes.
Why are meals not prepared at home resulting in obesity? There are several potential culprits:
- the portion sizes are much larger
- food preparation is often less healthy (fried!)
- more unhealthy food options to choose from
Based on this study of almost 400 adolescents, meals shouldn’t just be eaten at home – they should be PREPARED at home too. Even home delivery or take-out foods were linked to excess weight and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Three cheers for home-cooked meals!!! More delicious and good for you, too! Here are the simple ingredients for oven-roasted fries: olive oil and Mrs. Dash no-salt seasoning. Who needs to go out for fries?
Oven-Roasted Fries
Rita P. Smith, MS, RD, CDE is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She has worked in the field of nutrition and disease prevention for 35 years, working with patients and their family members to help guide healthy food choices. Read More
