Making Frozen Veggies Taste Better

I don't know about you, but one of the reasons I don't eat a lot of frozen vegetables is that some of them come out mushy and flat when I cook them. Corn, peas and green beans seem to do pretty will with freezing. But carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and most others don't turn out as well. This is a shame because, nutritionally, frozen vegetables are as good as, or maybe even better than, fresh ones.

Here are a few tips for making them taste more like their fresh counterparts.

1. Roast them. Toss them with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt, garlic or other seasoning and roast them in a hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes. This will give them just a little bit of a crunch.

2. Stir fry them. Cooking them briefly in very hot oil will not give them time to steam and turn to mush.

3. Use them in soups, stews and casseroles. These sort of dishes tend to produce softer vegetables anyway so you won't even notice much of a difference.

4. Experiment. Try different varieties, cooking methods and seasonings till you hit upon the ones that work best for you.

There are so many advantages to frozen vegetables that it would be a shame not to include them in your regular diet.

In Defense of Pasta

 

Pasta has a bad reputation as being a big plateful of unhealthy carbs. But is it really deserved?

To enjoy a healthy pasta meal, the place to begin is with portion size. "If pasta is associated with weight gain," says Wesley McWhorter, the director of culinary nutrition at the University of Texas School of Public health in Houston, "that is only because we are eating a lot of it." In other words, eat too much of any grain and you will pack on the pounds.

A portion of pasta is 2 ounces (dry) or about a cup cooked. You can weigh it on a kitchen scale or buy a pasta serving measure to make it even easier. Now 2 ounces of dry pasta is not going to look like much if you are used to a typical too large portion size. A cup cooked up is better looking but not generous as you are probably accustomed too. But if you combine it with a protein - like meat, chicken or cheese - and some vegetables, under a low sodium marinara sauce, it starts to look like a meal.

Your healthiest choice would be a whole wheat pasta. A single serving will supply 7 grams of fiber in addition to 6 grams of protein and more nutrients than you will find in a refined grain pasta. It has a different taste and "mouthfeel" though so it may take you a while to get used to it. Its worth it.

But refined flour pasta is not a terrible deal either. It contains a similar amount of protein, often comes enriched with iron and B vitamins and - for biochemical reasons that I won't task you with there - has a relatively low glycemic index. You can make up for the lower fiber content by adding vegetables like broccoli.

If you are adventurous, you can try pastas made from grains other than wheat, or containing vegetables or bean flours mixed in. Try mixing a vegetable pasta with spaghetti squash. Legume pastas are by far the most nutrient dense, with 11 - 15 grams of protein and up to 15 grams of fiber. Each will have its own flavor and texture though so you may like them, or not.

In any case, there is no reason to avoid enjoying your pasta. Just watch the portion sizes and get creative with how you serve it.

Five Lifestyle Factors that Impact Your Vitamin D

 

About half of Americans 60 years and older take a daily vitamin D supplement. Most people know that getting some sunshine helps boost vitamin D levels. But here are five lifestyle factors that you may not have known also influence your status.

1. Don't Smoke.
    A smoking habit can deplete many vitamins, vitamin D among them. Add this to the many other reasons you already have to quit smoking if you do.

2. Watch Your Weight
    People who are overweight have lower levels of vitamin D in their blood. While this relationship is a correlation and not a proven cause, how many reasons do you need to shed a little weight?

3. Stay Active.
    People who are physically active tend to have higher levels of viatamin D than those who are sedentary. 

4. Diet with a D.
    It can be challenging to get enough vitamin D in your diet, but including foods that are fortified with vitamin D (dairy, orange juice and many cereals) or are naturally good sources (tuna, salmon, eggs) will help you meet your requirements.

5. Rule Out Medical Problems
    There are a number of gut and bowel conditions that are closely associated with low vitamin D levels, including Crone's Disease, IBS and other metabolic problems. These can affect your ability to absorb vitamin D.

And, of course, spend time outside. Just 15 to 20 minutes a day in the sunshine may be enough to raise your levels.

The Myth of the Healthy Turkey Sandwich

 

 

 

Ok, full disclosure. A turkey sandwich can indeed be a healthy choice. It all depends on what it is constructed from. And there are limitless ways to turn it into something a good deal less than healthy.

Nearly half of Americans report eating at least one sandwich every day. Most commonly these are made with highly processed deli meats. Most people are aware of the health drawbacks of deli meats, but many do not think of turkey as a highly processed food. So lets take a look at what you need to qualify as highly processed.

The term “processed meats” specifically refers to any meat, pork, poultry or other animal protein that has been altered through a process like salting, curing, preserving, fermentation, or other method to improve flavor, extend shelf-life, and slow or prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying. The turkey sandwich meat that you buy in the deli or cold cut section of your supermarket certainly qualifies. Just taste it. No one would confuse the taste or "mouth feel" of turkey sandwich meat with that of a turkey that you cook yourself and slice up. The lunchmeat turkey is generously dosed with nitrates, a sodium filled saline solution and other additives that give it a "pasty" feel and salty taste compared with real unprocessed turkey meat. Even lunchmeat labeled "no added nitrates" or "nitrate free" are not nitrate free.

So the first thing to consider is the turkey you are using in your turkey sandwich. But that is only the beginning. The bread you use, the condiments you choose and the additional ingredients you add all play a large part in determining the nutritional value of your turkey sandwich.

Lets start with your bread. The starch in white bread breaks down almost as quickly as a simple sugar, reports the Harvard School of Public Health. Then there is the sugar and salt that most white flour baked goods are loaded with. Whole grains metabolize or break down so they can be absorbed in the intestines more slowly than refined white breads. Whole grains also contain more nutrients. If you choose white enriched bread, you get added vitamins and minerals and carbohydrates for energy but you can do much better.

Adding some cheese? Cheese is good food, but it adds a lot of fat, more sodium and a lot of calories for the protein, vitamins and minerals it delivers. 

And then there are the condiments. Mayo seems a natural partner for turkey, but choose carefully. Pick the spread that contains the most unsaturated fats rather than one high in saturated fats. (Mayo made with olive oil for example.) Saturated fats can increase your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of atherosclerosis. Also, a serving is 1 tablespoon. Mustard is also a good deal. Or try cranberry sauce. It was good at dinner so why not on your sandwich?

Now for the good news. You can pile on tomatoes, onions, lettuce and just about any other vegetable you like for a mineral boost at almost no caloric cost. But go easy on the pickles and chips. They are loaded with sodium.

So there really is a healthy turkey sandwich. But its not one you make on white bread slathered with mayo and cheese and made with processed turkey lunchmeat. Instead, try it on a rye or whole wheat bread with a slice of Jack cheese instead of Cheddar and cranberry sauce and red lettuce. You get the idea.

The ABCs of CBD

Since its broad interstate legalization in the federal Farm Bill two years ago, nearly 1 in 3 Americans have used CBD at least once. CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound found in marijuana and hemp. Unlike its cousin THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD does not produce a euphoric high and is responsible for many of the medically interesting properties of cannabinols. CBD is popular for relieving pain and sleep problems, among other things. But what does the science say?

A 2017 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found "substantial evidence" supporting the use of CBD for treating chronic pain, nausea and other side effects of chemotherpy, and the muscle spasms that often accompany multiple sclerosis. It also found "some evidence" that it may be effective for sleep problems, especially apnea, and pain from fibromyalgia.

A 2019 Consumer Reports survey of over 1,000 CBD users found that more than 75% reported being "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with it's effectiveness for pain relief.

The best evidence for the medical use of CBD is in the treatment of seizures associated with three relatively rare seizure disorders. Epidiolex, a CBD-based anti-seizure drug, has been approved by the FDA for this use.

The primary mechanism of action of CBD in the body is believed to be a reduction in cellular inflammation.

There are few side effects connected to CBD. While THC in high doses may cause irregular heart rhythm and hallucination, CBD does not seem to have these effects. CBD can interact with certain OTC and prescription drugs though, particularly blood thinners, statins, antihistamines and antidepressants. If you are taking medication be sure to review your status with your doctor before trying CBD.

And remember, this is a new industry. Quality standards vary wildly and labeling in inconsistent. You can also use a number of different formulations from tinctures to creams to chewable gummies and the dose you receive may vary by delivery mechanism.

Many studies and clinical trails are underway and our understanding of CBD for medical purposes is constantly evolving. The regulatory structure overseeing CBD varies State by State and the market still has a bit of a "wild west" feel to it. If you are planning to try CBD, start with a low does and ease into it until you can see how it works for you. And be sure to research the company you purchase from. There are some very good ones out there. But there is no shortage of CBD scammers either.

Metabolic Syndrome Rates Rising

 

More than half of American adults 60 and older now have metabolic syndrome. The symptoms of metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormally high cholesterol or triglyceride levels. It is a well proven risk factor for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. If you have two or more of the symptoms, you should probably speak with your doctor about a diagnosis.

The good news is that a healthy lifestyle will reduce your risk of developing metabolic syndrome and reduce or eliminate your symptoms if you have it. The Mayo Clinic recommends regular exercise, reducing your weight to within the healthy range for your height and age, a healthy diet (such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet), quitting smoking and reducing stress levels.

Hmmmm, isn't that pretty much the advice for any health problem?

 

An Aspirin a Day?

Many people take a "low dose" (75mg - 81mg) aspirin every day as a precaution against heart attack and other coronary problems. Aspirin acts as a mild blood thinner and is typically recommended for anyone who has suffered a heart attack or stroke as part of their ongoing therapy. But does it help to prevent vascular problems in otherwise healthy people?

For most people, studies affirm that the increased risk of internal bleeding outweighs any benefit of taking a daily low dose aspirin. It is recommended to help in prevention of a second heart attack, stroke or diagnosis of peripheral artery disease. Aspirin may benefit select individuals but generally should not be considered as part of a primary prevention regimen. 

Instead, keeping blood pressure under control, avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, a Mediterranean or DASH diet and regular moderate exercise are by far the best strategies for reducing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

There is emerging evidence that daily low dose aspirin use may play some role in reducing the risk of colon and other digestive tract cancers, as well as reduce the recurrence of breast cancer. But these results are very preliminary and have not as yet been verified in clinical trials.

If you are presently taking low dose aspirin do not suddenly stop doing so. Instead, have a discussion with your doctor on your next visit and evaluate whether or not the risks are worth whatever benefit you hope to gain.

 

COVID Scam Alert

The Coronavirus pandemic has turned over a lot of rocks and it is sickening to see what has scurried out from under them. Scammers are now making fake Covid-19 "contact tracing" calls.

Legitimate contact tracers are government public health employees who call to alert people that they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus. They will ask you who you have been in contact with, and advise you what to do next. They will NOT ask you for any financial or personal information and they will not reveal the identity of the infected person you were in contact with. Nor will they reveal yours to anyone else.

Scammers, on the other hand, while posing as public health employees, will ask for Social Security numbers, health insurance IDs, credit card accounts, date of birth and other data that pubic health departments do not need or want. These calls are increasing in number as the virus continues to spread.

For reliable information about current scams, visit the website Scamicide.com .

3 Popular Food Myths

 

 

 

A lot of what we "know" about diet and nutrition and food we absorb from our families as we grow up. Add in some of the nonsense you routinely hear from the media and the deliberately misleading marketing done by food producers and its no wonder people get confused. Here are three very common myths about food and nutrition.

1. You need to eat more protein as you age to protect against muscle loss.

The truth is, nearly all Americans get plenty of protein very day from their regular diet. A good rule of thumb is to divide your body weight in pounds by 2 and consume that many grams of protein per day. This is going to put you in the right range. There are plenty of online calculators that can give you a more customized number. Here is an example.

While it is true that most people begin to lose muscle mass by age 50, it is a myth that simply eating more protein will slow or stop this loss. Only exercise will preserve or build muscle mass. And unless you are an athlete, 1/2 gram per pound of body weight is plenty. More than that is just converted into body fat - probably not your goal.

2. In order to get complete nutrition, you must eat at least some animal products.

When people speak of "complete" proteins, they mean that the food contains all 9 of the essential amino acids that your body requires but cannot produce for itself. While meats generally provide all nine, so do many plant foods (albeit at lower concentration, but see myth #1). The difference is that where you can get all 9 from a steak, you would need to eat a variety of plant foods to do so. Soy products are one example of a complete plant-based protein. But you can achieve the same results by combining, say, rice with beans.

3. A healthy diet must limit carbohydrates.

The truth is, carbohydrates should be the most plentiful component of your diet, as much as 70% of your daily calories. The key is the type of carbohydrates that you consume. 

There are plenty of terribly unhealthy carbs to be had: pizza, chips, white bread or pasta, sugars, sweetened drinks. But all fruits and vegetable contain carbohydrates and no one would ever tell you to limit those. Make your grains whole and not overly processed. A plant based diet is a carb based diet.

 

If you'd like to assess your present diet, go ahead and visit DietID.com to take their diet quiz and get customized suggestions for improvement.

Navigating the Supermarket

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For better or worse, nearly all of us get our food from supermarkets and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Whether you shop at Kroger or Trader Joe's, Safeway or Whole Foods, you should realize that supermarkets spend millions and millions of dollars every year to manipulate you once you walk in the door. What you see, where and how often you see it, how it is displayed... none of these things are coincidental.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this. Supermarkets operate on razor thin profit margins and do in fact carry an astonishingly wide assortment of products. In many ways they are the envy of the world. During his 1959 visit to the United States, Soviet Premier Nikita Kruschev wanted to see two things: an IMB facility in Jan Jose and a Quality Foods supermarket in San Francisco. It is reported that till the day he died he believed that the market was overstocked just for his visit. But every aspect of the layout of your modern supermarket is carefully designed to direct and influence your shopping.

Here are some tips from Consumer Reports On Health newsletter for navigating the supermarket and getting out with a cart full of healthy groceries.

 1. Always have a list. Ideally, give some thought to what you plan to eat over the next week or so and base your list on that. This will make sure you leave with what you really need and at least alert you to when you are buying something you don't. Also, if you usually shop at the same store, you can save yourself a lot of time by arranging your list in the order you will walk through the store.

2. Read Labels. Food labels allow you to easily compare nutrition across different brands of the same product. You may be surprised by how great the differences can be. Pay special attention to sodium and added sugar content, and look for whole grain as the first ingredient in baked goods.

3. Stock up on frozen items. Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as - or sometime more - healthy as their fresh counterparts. Plus they keep for weeks vs days. Beware of highly processed foods though, frozen or not. They are often loaded with salt, sugar and calories.

4. Buy organic when it matters. Organic foods protect you from pesticide and other chemical residue in your food. But not all foods present the same risks. Look here for lists of foods that should be organic and others where it doesn't matter much.

5. Know the layout. Most supermarkets are laid out in roughly the same way. Fresh foods like produce, meats, fish, baked goods and dairy are on the outside, along the walls. Packaged, processed foods generally fill the aisles. The things that the store especially wants you to buy are displayed at the ends of the aisles (the manufacturer's pay the store extra for this positioning) and the real garbage is near the checkout line.

6. Don't be fooled. If it seems to you like the store is constantly re-arranging where everything is, that is because they are. By forcing you to look for what you need, they are hoping you will see things you do not need and buy them anyway. Avoid such impulse buying. You will save money and eat healthier too.

With a plan and a little understanding, your trip to the market can be healthy, productive and efficient.

Magnificent Magnesium

 

Somewhere between half and three quarters of Americans are estimated to be deficient in their intake of magnesium, the fourth most common element on earth (after iron, oxygen and silicon). Magnesium is important because it is involved in a number of critical health and metabolic processes including blood sugar regulation, blood pressure control, muscle function and protein synthesis.

Among the known conditions in which magnesium (Mg) plays an important role are:

Anxiety. A 2019 study of 20,000 people reported that those with higher levels of Mg in their blood had lower rates of anxiety and depression than those who had lower levels.

Asthma. Mg helps the bronchial muscles and airways relax, thus helping to alleviate asthma symptoms. It is not a primary treatment but can improve the effectiveness of traditional asthma treatments.

Blood Pressure.  Mg reduces constriction of blood vessels, allowing the blood to flow at lower pressure. The effect is not large but it is consistent.

Osteoporosis. A National Institutes of Heath study concluded that women with lower blood Mg levels correlated with higher levels of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Other studies have reported a positive correlation between magnesium intake and bone mineral density in both men and women.

Type-2 Diabetes. Most diabetics suffer from Mg deficiency. A 2007 study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine found that a 100mg increase in daily Mg intake decreased the risk of becoming diabetic by about 15%.

Note that Mg is not promoted as a cure for any of these conditions. But its presence at recommended levels seems to reduce the risk of developing them.

The recommended dietary allowance of Mg is about 320mh for women and 420 for men. A wide variety of foods are excellent sources of magnesium, including nuts, oats, whole wheat, beans, spinach, salmon and yogurt. If your diet comes up short, you can take a supplement. Generally, Magnesium Citrate is your best choice, magnesium sulfate the least desirable - based on absorption rate and bioavailablity.

Very large doses can have side effects such as cramping and nausea, and doses in excess of 5,000mg per day can have very serious, even fatal, side effects. So more if definitely not always better. Also, magnesium can interact with a number of medications so speak with your doctor or pharmacist about the dose that is right for you.

Trying to Cut Back on Sodium?

 

Many people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular health issues struggle to reduce the amount of sodium that they consume each day. Sodium is such a common additive in our foods that it can be very challenging to reduce your intake. But sodium content can vary wildly from one type of food to another. In fact, according to the CDC, ten categories of food accounts for nearly 40% of the sodium consumed by Americans.

At the top of the list were deli meat sandwiches and canned soups. But the others were less obvious and included canned vegetables, bread, other baked goods like cookies, pastas and fast food of all sorts. Notice that things you might have suspected of being high sodium, like potato ships, did not make the list. This does not mean they are good for you, only that they are not as salty as they taste. Taste, in fact, is a terrible guide to picking lower sodium foods. Instead, read the nutrition labels.

Rinsing canned foods under water when possible can reduce sodium content by 40% or more, and foods rich in potassium - avocados, sweet potatoes, bananas - can help offset the effects of the sodium you do eat on you your blood pressure.

Nine out of ten Americans still eat too much salt, 50% more than recommended on average. The illnesses abetted by this kill 800,000 of us annually and cost the economy $273 billion in annual health care costs.

Avocado Oil Letdown

You may have heard about the many benefits of using avocado oil, which include helping to control cholesterol levels, high Omega-9 oleic acid content, antioxidants and more. These all appear to be genuine. It also has a high smoke point relative to other cooking oils, which means you can use it at much higher temperatures. (Fried foods are healthiest when cooked for a shorter time at a higher temperature.) It also gives foods a mild, slightly buttery taste.

The problem is that what you find on the shelf at your local grocery store may not deliver on these proven health benefits. A 2020 study done at the University of California - Davis found that "the vast majority of avocado oil in U.S. is of poor quality, mislabeled or adulterated with other oils".

Researchers tested 22 brands of avocado oil and concluded that 82% of them were rancid well before their expiration dates or else were mixed with large amounts of other oils. Either way, their health benefits were negated. Three of the samples contained almost no avocado oil at all. The test compared the store bought oils to oil produced directly from avocados in the laboratory.

It made no difference if the oil was domestic or imported. In fact olive oil produced in California ranked among the best.

Of the 22 brands tested, only 2 - Chosen Foods and Marianne's - were both pure and un-oxidized.

What is it going to take to force food producers and sellers to deliver what they tell us we are getting?

Healthy Habits Pay Off in Later Years

 

According to a Finnish study done by the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyvaskyla, older people are now healthier than ever. The study compared muscle strength, walking speed, reaction speed, verbal fluency, reasoning and working memory of people aged 70 to 90 with similar measures from 1990. Today's seniors were stronger, faster and more mentally alert than those of 30 years ago. The researchers attributed the difference to improvements in diet, more exercise and continuing education. Apparently there were no Americans in the study.

The takeaway from this is that the decisions you make today about what you eat, how active you are and what sort of mental exercise you get will make a real difference to you in your future. Like with any other investment, you make choices now and reap the rewards (or losses) later. If you ignore what you eat, exercise by clicking the remote control from the couch and think education ends in high school, you may find your lifespan outlasts your healthspan. On the other hand, making good choices now may leave you stronger, healthier and smarter in your old age.

You can pay now, or you can pay later.

"Approved" and "Qualified" Claims

Everyone knows that a product cannot be held to "prevent or cure" a specific disease or condition without first undergoing rigorous, extensive testing to satisfy the FDA that the product both does what it says it does and does no harm in the process. Such testing very expensive and well beyond the budget of most product managers.

Products that do not complete such testing still have some options for making health claims on their packaging though.

"Authorized" health claims in food labeling are claims that have been reviewed by FDA and are allowed on food products or dietary supplements to show that a food or food component may reduce the risk of a disease or a health-related condition. An example of an Authorized Health Claim can be found on every box of Cheerios cereal. 

"Three grams of fiber daily from whole gain oat foods like Cheerios cereal, in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."

No fine print. No asterisk. The FDA has determined that there is sufficient scientific evidence supporting the claim, and that the product does indeed contain whole grain oats, to allow General Mills to make this claim on its packaging. Such claims are supported by scientific evidence and may be used on conventional foods and on dietary supplements to characterize a relationship between a substance (a specific food component or a specific food - whole grain oats) and a disease or health-related condition (e.g., heart disease). Its not a very high bar, but its not a lie.

And yet it is too high a standard for many producers.

Thus we have the "Qualified" health claim. Qualified health claims are supported by some scientific evidence, but do not meet the significant scientific agreement standard. Read that again. They do not rise to the standard of significant (let alone conclusive) scientific evidence. In order to distinguish it from an Authorized claim, the FDA requires Qualified claims to bear a footnote stating that "The FDA has concluded that the scientific evidence supporting this claim is limited and inconsistent." In other words, maybe it does what it says. And maybe it doesn't.

An example of a Qualified Health Claim would be Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail (basically cranberry flavored sugar water) claiming prominently that 

"Consuming one serving each day of Cranberry Juice Cocktail may help reduce the risk of recurring urinary tract infection in healthy women."

The evidence for that is mixed," according to Ruth Jepson, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh. "Cranberry juice does not appear to have any significant benefit in preventing UTIs."

Yet there it is, right on the bottle. Also on the bottle, in teeny, tiny print that you are lucky to even find let alone read, is the FDA's qualifying statement. Its bad enough that people can be mislead by claims like theses, but often the product is not even a remotely healthy choice.

As always, no one had you back on this, so caveat emptor.

Five Ways to Make Thanksgiving Dinner Healthier

Thanksgiving is not the time for a lecture on diet or to leave yourself feeling deprived. This has been a rough year for everyone and there is no better time than Thanksgiving to pause and reflect on all of the good things in our lives that we have to be grateful for - even in 2020. And food is always a part of the holiday.

Here are some things you can do to make you meal healthy as well as fun and delicious rather than instead of fun and deliscious. Feel free to share any tips of your own.

 

1. Turkey is a great source of lean protein, but many Thanksgiving preparations call for way too much salt. Try omitting the salt and seasoning your turkey with flavored herbs such as garlic, rosemary, oregano, cilantro and parsley instead.

2. Traditional stuffing can be made much healthier without sacrificing any taste! Exchange the white bread for 100% whole-wheat bread to increase fiber and substitute olive oil for the butter. (1Tbsp of butter equals 2tsp of olive oil.) Toss in some walnuts or almonds and who says you can't add some cranberries right into the stuffing? (No offense to those who prefer to call it dressing!)

3. Incorporate a wider variety of vegetables than usual. Many of the vegetables that are in season during the fall and winter are superfoods packed with nutrients. Brussels sprouts (roast them in garlic and oil!), pumpkins, squash (makes a great, easy soup), and so much more! Bake or sauté your vegetables with garlic, olive oil and herbs as delicious and healthy side dishes. Try something new.

4. Go easy on the alcohol. Don’t forget those alcohol calories add up quickly. By all means have a celebratory drink and a glass of wine with dinner. And in between alcoholic drinks, enjoy some sparkling water. This way you stay hydrated, limit alcohol calories, and stay sober.

5. Savor slowly. Eating slowly, putting your fork down between bites, and tasting each mouthful is one of the easiest ways to enjoy your meal and feel satisfied with one plate full of food, experts say. Choosing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, broth-based soups, salads, and other foods with lots of water and fiber add to the feeling of fullness. So does giving your tummy a chance to catch up with your mouth.

Here are a few healthy recipe suggestions for Thanksgiving from Food Network.


And finally, don't forget to be realistic. The holiday season is a time for celebration, not diet Nazis. With busy schedules and so many extra temptations, strive for weight maintenance instead of weight loss. Don't beat yourself up if you overdo it once or twice. As long as you swing right back into your regular diet and exercise routine later its not going to be a weight disaster for you. In fact, most people gain only 2 or 3 pounds over the holiday eating season. As long as it comes off soon, you are good.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and stay safe.

Three Ways Food Producers Mislead You

 

Eating a healthy diet ought to be simple. You already know what is good for you and what isn't. But it isn't easy at all. Everywhere you turn you are confronted by mountains of cheap, tasty, readily available food. And food producers are spending billions of dollars every year to make sure you eat as much of it as you can find.

Everybody eats. Everybody buys food. Its a big business. And many of those billions of dollars find their way into the campaign coffers of politicians who then keep the regulators off the food producers back.

But you should know the three ways in which the food companies deliberately and effectively mislead you.

1. Advertising.

The companies that deal in the unhealthiest of foods are also the ones spending the most to grab your attention. They target their advertising at black and Hispanic youths especially, although none of us are immune. Even after many of these corporations publicly pledged their commitment to promoting healthier eating, their dollars are still trying to convince you to do otherwise. Food companies spent $11 billion on television ads alone in 2017, and 80 percent of that, about $8.8 billion, was spent on their unhealthiest offerings ― sugary soda, fast food, candy and unhealthy snacks - and targeted at minorities and children.

These ad dollars are devastating in light of the ongoing obesity epidemic in America, which affects almost 26 percent of Hispanic children and 22 percent of black youths, compared with 14 percent of white children, according to the CDC. According to the American Heart Association, "Children are regularly exposed to advertising and marketing through television, the internet, magazines, schools, product placements, video games, cell phones, and other means. These advertisements are designed to boost brand recognition, sales, and loyalty, more often for unhealthy, high-calorie foods. Unfortunately, most of these products have excessive amounts of added sugar, salt, and fat, and inadequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains."

Food companies use all sorts of clever ways to boost consumption, including celebrities, musicians and athletes endorsing products they, themselves, do not eat. No wonder we keep getting fatter and fatter.

2. Misleading Claims on Food Packaging.

We've all seen it. There is is in large print right on the front of the package. Helps Build a Strong Immune System! Supports Heart Health! Contains Real Fruit! All Natural Ingredients! Most of us miss the fine print hidden way down at the bottom in a font so small you can't even see it, let alone read it, that says that the FDA does not approve the claims. Some claims, such as "natural" do not even have a legal meaning and so can be applied to anything. And are. Content claims are especially misleading. Often the touted ingredient is there in such a small amount that it serves no purpose at all other than allowing the company to legally proclaim it is there.

3. Sneakily designed "clinical trials" that prove nothing.

Industry-funded research nearly always comes out in the favor of whoever is paying for it, and if it doesn't it never sees the light of day. There are dozens of ways to fake research results. Some of the most popular are to prove something that has no relevance to the product's claims, using poorly designed studies that often employ badly flawed methodologies, "publication" in industry owned or non-peer reviewed journals, failure to include a control group in the study and using a study group so small that the results have no meaning.

Just because something says "clinically proven" doesn't mean that it is.

 

And by the way, all of this applies to supplement manufacturers just as much as to food producers.

When it comes to the food you serve yourself and your family, there is no one looking out for you but you. Fortunately, there are two things that you can do to protect yourself.

First, learn what a portion is and adjust yourself to it. Larger portions mean more calories, more preservatives and more of everything else.

Second, eliminate as much fast food and ultraprocessed food from your diet as you can. Just stop buying it. You won't likely be able to get rid of it all. That's ok. You don't have to be perfect. But the more crap food you replace with real, unprocessed food, the better off you will be.

Soup Simply

"Soup is good food" says soup maker Campbell's. The truth is, it depends.

Soup is usually a good source of nutrients for not a lot of calories. But it can also be overloaded with sodium. Making your own soup gives you control over the sodium content without sacrificing any of its nutritional benefits. If you avoid making your own soups because you think it is complicated or time consuming, the following generic recipe will change your mind.

1. Create the base.

In a medium to large pot, saute a couple of carrots (sliced), a small onion (chopped) and a stalk of celery (sliced) in a little bit of oil (olive or canola). Toss in whatever seasonings you enjoy. Garlic, ginger, curry powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika, basil and rosemary are all good. Experiment to find the mix you like.

Add 5 - 6 cups of beef, chicken or vegetable broth or stock. Stir it together and let it simmer.

2. Toss in the vegetables you like.

Add in about 2 cups of vegetables. You can use fresh but frozen works just as well without the prepping. You can use anything here. Beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, mushrooms. Its all good. If you want to use a leafy green like spinach, go for it. Just add them in toward the end of the cooking time.

3. Gain some grain.

Grain ups the fiber content and gives you more texture and flavor. You can use pasta, barley, quinoa, rice or whatever you like.

4. Now some protein.

Beef, chicken, pork, seafood, whatever you have on hand. You can even use a cup of tofu or more beans if you prefer.

5. Go do something else for a while.

Let the whole thing simmer on low heat for 20 - 30 minutes. Its fine to sneak a little taste, and go ahead and add SMALL amounts of spices to taste if you like (you can always add more but once its in there, its in there).

That's it. Enjoy your creative creation. Most any soups will keep in the refrigerator for a week so go ahead and make extra to save you some stove time later.

If you prefer a thick soup such as squash or potato, there is a little more prep involved but its no more difficult. Cut up the base (potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash) and boil until until easily pierced with a fork. Let it cool a bit (you don't have to but you will wish you had).

Then add in 3 - 4 cups of broth or stock, some diced onions and garlic, and whatever spices you prefer. Curry or paprika are great choices.

Then run the mixture in a blender until smooth (this may take several times depending on how much you made). You're done! Warm it up in a pot and enjoy.

And in case you didn't know the difference between broth and stock, here it is: Not a lot. Broth is intended to be consumed directly, so it tends to have much more sodium and other flavorings. Stock is intended for use as a base, and generally has less of both. Either way you go, look for low or reduced sodium versions.

What is your favorite home made soup? Go find out.

Oatmeail Still Tops the Superfood List

Sometimes you read something that you just can't improve on. Looks like Mom was right again.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/oatmeal-is-still-the-world-s-best-performance-breakfast?utm_source=pocket-newtab

Most/Least Pesticide Laden Produce

 

One of the main reasons that people spend extra money buying organic foods, particularly fresh produce, is to avoid the residue left on it from the use of commercial pesticides. Both synthetic and organic pesticides have been found to have harmful health effects but at doses much higher than those typically found in fruits and vegetables. One study of 1,139 children found a 50–90% increased risk of ADHD in children with the highest urine levels of pesticides. A study of organic pesticides used in gardening found that the use of rotenone was associated with Parkinson’s disease later in life, and both synthetic and organic pesticides have been associated with increased cancer rates at higher levels in lab animals. However, no increased cancer risk has been linked to the small amounts of pesticides in produce.

Still, some of us prefer to be safe now rather than sorry later. Certainly limiting your exposure to pesticide residue in and on what you eat can do you no harm. But are all fruits and vegetables equal? Do some tend to carry higher amounts to your plate than others? It turns out the answer is yes. 

Here are ten foods that seem to have especially high levels of pesticide residues and ten that have very little. For a longer list, you can look here.

Most Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

1. Strawberries
2. Apples
3. Nectarines
4. Peaches
5. Celery
6. Grapes
7. Cherries
8. Spinach
9. Tomatoes
10. Sweet Bell Peppers

Least Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables

1. Avocados
2. Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet Peas – Frozen
6. Onions
7. Asparagus
8. Mangos
9. Papayas
10. Kiwi

If, like me, you regularly consume items on the Most list, this is not a recommendation to stop doing so. As was mentioned, the proven risk is quite small. But you may want to be sure to buy them organically grown. And as with all produce, wash it well under cool water before eating. You are probably perfectly safe buying non-organic for items on the Least list.

Holiday Weight Gain: Fact vs Fiction

We are rapidly approaching "the Holidays". Urban legend suggests that we Americans pack on lots extra pounds between Halloween and New Year's Day. The bad news is, most of us will put on some weight. The goods news is that it will likely be much less than the frenzied hype suggests. Here are some of the real facts about Holiday Weight Gain.

The average American is likely to gain about 2 pounds over the Holiday Eating Season. About half of us fall in this range. Now this is an average so there are people who will gain more, perhaps much more. But some will put on none at all.

We are very unlikely to "compensate" for too much eating and drinking with additional exercise. Controlled studies show that only about 20% of the extra calories are burned off by an extra visit to the gym.

Very few people are successful in returning to their pre-Holiday weight with a post-Holiday diet. That means that even one or 2 pounds are likely to stick with you. If you eat more and different foods at all those parties, you will have a very difficult time going cold turkey in January. If you struggled with your weight before the Holidays, it will only be more difficult afterward.

There is no need to deny yourself some overindulgence at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. One or two heavy eating days is not going to have a big impact on your weight. What does is a Holiday diet of booze, sweets, carbs and fat sustained for 6 or 8 weeks.

To give yourself a leg up on the season, start your day with a breakfast high in protein, enjoy the eggnog but do so moderately, and have a plan when you head to the party so far as what and how much you will wolf down. 

Two pounds or so is not really a big deal, unless it sticks with you forever.

Statin Scandal

Ok, perhaps "scandal" is a bit of a rant, but if its not then it should be. Read on and decide for yourself.

Every year, doctors write about 240 million prescriptions in the USA for statin drugs in order to lower a patient's LDL (bad) cholesterol. This amounts to over $11 Billion in sales annually. There is just one problem with this. There is little evidence to support the belief that lowering LDL levels has any effect at all on the risk of heart disease.

A new research study published in the British Medical Journal concluded that 75% of people taking statins or other LDL-lowering drugs showed no reduction in rates of death from heart disease. In many of the studies analyzed large drops in LDL levels produced no reduction in heart attacks, strokes or deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD). The researchers noted that in the USA, CVD deaths are rising despite the heavy use of statins and generally declining levels of LDL within the overall population. The only benefit noted from taking a statin drug was for men under 75 years old who had already suffered a heart attack or stroke. In this case the benefit was from the statin's  blood thinning action, not from lowering LDL levels.

In the face of this lack of measurable benefits, statin drugs come with a number of undesirableside effects, including muscle pain and (rarely) rhabdomyolysis, liver damage, increased blood sugar levels, memory loss or confusion, headache, insomnia, dizziness and low blood platelet counts. You get all these bonuses for taking a drug that lowers LDL just as claimed but has little or no impact on your CVD risk.

I have a fiend who was placed on Crestor to reduce his high LDL levels. Within 2 years he experienced "a problem with his liver enzymes" that caused his doctor to take him off the statin. In their place the doctor suggested "diet and lifestyle changes". My question was, why was that not the FIRST suggestion instead of Plan B?

For the answer, we need to go back to 1967 and the landmark study conducted at Harvard University and published in JAMA. At that time, the dietary underpinnings of CVD were still under debate. One camp proposed that cholesterol-raising saturated fats were the cause. The other suggested that it was the inflammatory effect of sugar on arteries that was responsible. The Harvard study reviewed the link between sugar and heart disease and concluded that sugar played no role.

Only much later was it learned that the study was discreetly funded, designed and directed by the Sugar Research Foundation, a trade group representing the sugar industry. If this were the only problem it would not be an issue. Regardless of the funding source, a study can still be credible, right? But it's not.

In the 1990s, statin drugs became available and were quite successful in lowering LDL levels, so they were heavily promoted as the best preventative for heart disease. However the results of research into the relationship between LDL levels and CVD were, to be charitable, greatly exaggerated by the pharmaceutical companies conducting it.

In contrast, the authors of the BMJ study concluded that using statins to reduce the risk of CVD is "a failed strategy". "Considering that dozens of randomly controlled trials of LDL-cholesterol reduction have failed to demonstrate a consistency of benefit," they wrote, "we should question the validity of this theory." They went to to critically note that, "In most fields of science the existence of contradictory evidence usually leads to a paradigm shift or, at least, a modification of the theory in question, but in this case the contradictory evidence has been largely ignored."

So then if LDL cholesterol is not the culprit, what is? 

So far, the best predictor of future CVD is insulin resistance, which has been show in research by Dr. Gerald Raven of Standford University to dramatically increase the risk of CVD. If this is true, the biggest threat to your heart is not saturated fats but... sugar. 

Now this in no way suggests that saturated fats are healthy or good for you. They are significant sources of cellular inflammation, which is a root cause of many chronic health issues. But it does suggest that taking statin drugs for heart health benefits nobody by the pharmaceutical companies that produce them.

If you are presently taking a statin to lower your LDL cholesterol, DO NOT stop taking them suddenly. But DO start doing your own research into the risks and benefits for you and then have a conversation with your doctor about it.

(On Monday I will discuss insulin resistance in more detail and suggest some dietary and lifestyle approaches you can adopt to address it.)

Dementia Patients Overprescribed Unnecessary Drugs

 

Donovan Maust, MD, a geriatric psychiatrist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, recently published a study in JAMA that concluded that nearly three quarters of dementia patients had been prescribed antidepressants, opioid pain medications, anxiety drugs or antipsychotics despite "the lack of evidence that they actually ease the dementia-related behavior problems that often prompt a doctor's prescription in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders". Worse, many of these drugs "have been linked to worse cognitive symptoms in old adults". That is in addition to the increased risk from unintended side effects and drug interactions.

None of the drug classes studied has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for use in dementia, and Maust says that evidence supporting their off-label use is slim. But all of the drugs are associated with special risks to people in their 60s and older, including falls or dependence that could lead to withdrawal.

If someone you care for has dementia, do them a favor and keep a list of all the prescription drugs that they are taking. Ask a doctor or pharmacist what symptoms each drug is intended to alleviate and also about its proven effectiveness for those specific symptoms. These are vulnerable people who often cannot do this for themselves.

 

 

Is There an Anti-inflammation Diet?

Not really. There just is no magic diet that will drastically reduce the chronic cellular inflammation that is at the root of much of the cancer, heart disease, diabetes, allergies and arthritis that cause us so much suffering. But that does not mean that diet and lifestyle have no effect - for good or ill.

In a study conducted at Emory University, a diet consisting of diverse fruits and vegetables (surprise, right?) was associated with lower levels of inflammation, while a more typical diet high in processed foods was associated with higher levels. Regular physical activity (who would have thought it!) was also associated with lower levels, while obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption (more than 1 drink a day according to the latest guidelines) was associated with higher inflammation levels.

The study concluded that adding or removing any one component of the healthier diet and lifestyle did not have any major impact on the results, suggesting that it is the broad pattern of diet and lifestyle that was important rather than trying to focus on any one food or activity. (Which is how we got this way in the first place.) The best approach is to eat more anti-iflammatory foods while reducing those that tend to cause inflammation (they actually paid people to conclude that!).

In order to help people make those adjustments, the study authors developed a scoring system to rate various foods and activities according to their impact on raising or lowering inflammation.

The bottom line is that there is really not any special diet or routine that you can try for a while that will seriously reverse years of poor eating and limited physical activity. It is a lifestyle problem, and creating a healthy lifestyle is the solution to this, as it is to so many other health problems.

Five Foods that Support Immune System Health

 

In today's COVID-19 world, supplements and foods that supposedly support, boost, enhance, strengthen or otherwise buff up your immune system are everywhere. Can you say "Once in a Lifetime Marketing Opportunity"? Do any of them actually do you any good?

Well, yes. And no.

The actual science suggests that the way to keep your immune system strong and functioning effectively is - get ready for this - eating a healthy, balanced diet, plenty of moderate exercise, getting a good night's sleep most nights and managing your stress level. This does not mean that certain foods can not help you get the job done. Just don't expect them or a supplement to make any real difference absent the lifestyle steps listed above.

Currently, no research supports the use of any supplement to strengthen the human immune system (systems, really), let alone to protect against COVID-19 specifically. But you can add any of the following foods to your diet to help make sure you are giving your immune functions all the ingredients that they need to do their job.

1. Garlic
     Garlic has been used in folk medicine for centuries for its mild
     anti-biotic properties. There is some evidence that it can modestly
     boost the number of virus-fighting T-cells in your blood and the
     sulfer in garlic can aid your ability to absorb zinc, long used as
     a cold preventative. Plus, it makes so many dishes taste better!

2. Onions
     Cousins of garlic, onions are loaded with key nutrients that your
     immune system requires like zinc, Vitamin C and selenium. They
     are also potent sources of flavenoid antioxidants. And like their
     cousin, tossing them into a recipe is nearly always tasty too.

3. Citrus Fruits
     Almost all citrus fruits are very high in vitamin C and with the wide
     variety there is to choose from it is easy to fit them into your
     diet. Beside Vitamin C they are also rich in other vitamins and
     minerals that your body needs to work properly, including B
     vitamins, potassium and magnesium.

4. Spinach
     Come on, put on your Big Boy Pants and revisit this nutritional
     powerhouse. I know you hated it as a kid, but that was then and
     this is now. Spinach packs a myriad of of antioxidants, beta-
     carotene, iron, folate, Vitamin K, magnesium and calcium. You
     can eat it raw or cooked and toss it into salads, egg dishes, soups
     and stews. Buy it frozen and already chopped - its just as good
     for you and super convenient.

5. Poultry
     Yes, poultry. I bet you didn't expect to find that on this list. It is
     high in protein and Vitamin B6, which is important for the
     creation of new red blood cells. Chicken soup has long been
     touted for colds and with good reason.

For a more extensive list of immune supporting foods, you can look here.

Cinnamon and Diabetes

In a study by the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston and published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society, cinnamon was found to improve blood sugar control in subjects with pre-diabetes.

Participants were given 500mg of cinnamon in capsule form three times a day for 12 weeks. Fasting glucose levels were reduced by the end of the study and carbohydrates produced a lesser glucose spike for those on the cinnamon regimen.

Further research is needed but the preliminary evidence is that cinnamon might be used to reduce the risk of people who are pre-diabetic developing Type-2 diabetes over time.

In the meantime, think about using cinnamon more in your diet. It can't hurt any and is a nice stand in for sugar. It works in eggs, on toast, frozen deserts and many other way. Plus how often does something good for you taste great?

Alcohol Consumption Guidelines for Men Revised

 

According to the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, men should have no more than one alcoholic drink per day, the same as the current guideline for women. There is an emerging consensus that earlier research linking moderate drinking to reduced risk for heart disease is flawed and incorrect. More recent studies show that men consuming two drinks per day, the current guideline, is associated with an "moderate" increased risk of death from all causes compared with men who drank less.

The Committee is recommending that men consume no more than a single drink per day. My response? Fewer drinks of better whiskey!

To read the Committee's entire report, or to submit comments, visit the DGAC web page.

Olives 101

 

We're all familiar with the many benefits of olive oil. But olive oil comes from olives, so what about them?

It turns out that olives are even more nutritionally packed than their oil (probably not too surprising). Olives are high in vitamin E and all the same healthy fats contained in olive oil, which makes them relatively high in calories. They are low in carbohydrates but high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated (good) fat linked to heart health and higher HDL (good) cholesterol, and they are a good source of iron, copper and calcium. Olives also contain phenols, which are powerful antioxidants. They are, however, a relatively poor source of dietary fiber.

The primary phenol in olives, Oleuropein, is extremely bitter tasting. So most olives are cured to reduce the bitterness. The one dietary downside is that olives tend to be very high in sodium, though this is due more the the methods by which they are cured than to the olives themselves.

Most canned black (or ripe) olives are cured in a mild lye solution. This removes more of the bitter flavor than other methods and so black olives typically have the mildest flavor.

Klamata, Spanish and Sicilian olives are usually cured in brine, similar to the way pickles and sauerkraut are made.

Finally, many kinds of Greek olives are dry cured in salt. This removes the least amount of phenols and produces the most intense flavor.

Olives make wonderful hors d'oeuvres, of course, and add a lot of zing to salads and recipes. And what would a martini be without one or two. Go ahead and enjoy them and the nutrition benefits they have to offer. Just remember they are calorie dense and high in sodium so be mindful of portions.

Roundup: Its in Your Food Too

 

It is one thing to be surprised by bad news when you make no effort to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle. But when you do try to consume a healthy diet, its a real kick in the gut to find out that the food manufacturers have sabotaged your efforts. Again.

You have probably seen the ambulance chaser commercials on TV soliciting people who may have developed cancer from exposure to Roundup weed killer. Most likely though, you never expected Roundup to turn up in your food. Especially in food you choose because it is supposed to be good for you.

Well it has. Examples include whole grain pasta, wheat-based breakfast cereals, oats, chickpeas, soybeans and lentils. So much for hummus being a safe, healthy alternative to dips.

A study done by the Environmental Working Group found that 70% - 90% of the products they tested contained troubling levels of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup. Often quite high levels. "Seems like every time a government agency or public interest group tests food for Monsanto’s weedkiller glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer, they find it," said study author Alexis Temkin. Any amount of glyphosate in food is troubling, especially for children.

Try not to eat ANYTHING from a can that you have not rinsed thoroughly. When possible, make your own food from organic ingredients. The Government is not going to protect you from Monsanto. You have to learn to protect yourself.

Sugar and Cholestrol?

 

 

For decades, people dealing with elevated cholesterol levels have been advised to sharply reduce their consumption of foods high in saturated fats. This has lead to the whole "Low Fat/Fat Free" industry and is so widely accepted that it is not even questioned. But in an article published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine this past July, someone did question it.

In a study lead by David Diamond, PhD, a Professor of psychology and molecular pharmacology at the University of South Florida, the authors found "no justification" for reducing saturated fat intake in response to elevated cholesterol. Instead, they suggest cutting back on sugar and refined carbohydrates.

"For the past 80 years, people with familial hypercholesterolemia (doctor-speak for high cholesterol) have been told to lower their cholesterol with a low saturated fat diet," said David Diamond. "Our study showed that a more 'heart healthy' diet is one low in sugar, not saturated fat."

These findings are consistent with another paper recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, which provided strong evidence that food that raises blood sugar, such as bread, potatoes and sweets, should be minimized, rather than tropical oils and animal-based food. 

I would be wary of using this research as an excuse to amp up your saturated fat consumption. But is does seem to give you yet ANOTHER reason to cut back on the sugar. In eating, as in so many other things, moderation, it seems, is indeed a good policy.

Go Ahead. Go Nuts

Nuts (the fruit composed of an inedible hard shell around a crunchy seed, not the typical American voter) have a well-earned reputation as a healthy, nutritious food. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and healthy fat. And unlike many "good for you" foods, nuts taste pretty good too. They make a superior snack to sweets and salty chips, help lower rather than raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, are readily available and come in an astonishing variety. But they are not entirely without issues.

Nuts are a very calorie-dense food. That means that a small serving of nuts pack a lot of calories. A 1/4 cup serving of mixed nuts will cost you a little over 200 calories. For comparison, a similar size serving of pretzels will have about 40. This doesn't mean you should avoid nuts. Just be sure you know how many you are eating. Measure them out. They are nutritional powerhouses even if you are watching your calories.

Keep an eye on the salt. Most nuts that you buy pre-packaged will be roasted and salted. But you can easily get them unsalted if you look. Generally though a serving of salted nuts do not pack a lot of sodium, 100mg - 175mg is typical. Just check the labels before you buy.

Avoid nuts that have been heavily processed. Glazed or coated nuts or clusters or bars are often more sugar than you need or want. Again, read labels. You want nuts with no added sugar at all.

Most nuts have about the same amount of fat - typically 15g - 20g per ounce. But the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats varies quite a bit. Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and walnuts are on the low end with less that 15% saturated fats. Cashews and Brazil Nuts serve up about 25%. Peanuts, macademias and pistachios fall in between. If you are replacing cheese, meat or highly refined carbs with nuts, don't lose any sleep over the fat ratios. Any of them are better for you.

Labels come in terms of servings, so what is a serving of nuts? Here is a handy guide to what a 1 oz serving looks like.

The key with calorie dense foods like nuts is not to add them to your diet but to replace other, less healthy choices with them. Leave some on your counter and snack on them instead of, well, most any other "snack food".

SALT: Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later

In his new book, "Salt Wars", Michael Jacobson, the founder and former President of The Center for Science in the Public Interest, calls plain old ordinary salt "the biggest killer in our diets". Given all the unhealthy things we eat, perhaps that is a bit of an overstatement. But consider.

Over 100,000 premature deaths and $20 billion in healthcare costs are attributed to the level of sodium we consume in our diets every year. These deaths come mainly in the form of hypertension related heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease.

The average American woman consumes about 3,000mg of sodium daily, while the average male clocks in at around 4,000mg. Only about 20% of women and 2% (yes, TWO percent) of men consume the recommended amount of 2,300mg or less.

Only about 5% of this sodium comes from our salt shakers. About 70% comes as additives to processed and restaurant foods. Some restaurant meals contain two or three times the sodium one should consume in an entire day. And most of it is invisible (or at least very well hidden).

Salt is everywhere. Soups, processed meats, salty snacks, pizza, frozen meals and canned foods are more-or-less well known sodium bombs. But bread and rolls supply more sodium than any other food category. And breakfast cereals, cheese, sports drinks, processed vegetables like pickles and olives and even desert all contribute significant amounts of sodium to our diets.

The antidote to all this salt is fairly straightforward: eat less processed foods and restaurant meals. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and low-fat dairy are all relatively low in sodium (remember you NEED some sodium).

The other thing you can do is read labels. The sodium content is clearly listed on nutrition labels and the good news is that there are many low or lower sodium options available. Compare different brands of almost any food and you will note very large differences. For example, a can of Health Valley Organic Vegetable Soup contains about 45mg of sodium per serving. Progresso Vegetable Soup will serve you up 450mg while going with Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable will contain 650mg per serving. Here is a link that will help you to decode the sodium claims you will find on food labels.

We may as well face the fact that salt is a taste we crave. Switching to a low or no added salt product is almost certainly going to taste flat and bland to you. The good news is that our salt cravings are learned, and that in time they fade. After 4 - 6 weeks you will probably not miss the salt as you begin to notice all the other flavors foods contain. You can always add from a nearly infinite variety of sodium-free herbs and spices if your taste buds need a little more zing. As an example, when I made the switch from regular to reduced sodium V-8 juice, its seemed tasteless and watery to me. But now it tastes fine and the regular version like sea water.

In the end, like so many other things, this is a choice you have to make for yourself. No one is watching out for you. Not the FDA or the food companies or anyone else. As the old TV commercial used to say, you can pay me now, or you can pay me later.

America's Health Report Card

 

 

Nutrition Action recently published its report card on the health of Americans, and we're probably not eagerly waiting for dad to get home. They offer the following snapshot of our nation's health at a time when people with chronic conditions such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes are at greatly increased risk of the most serious outcomes of a COVID-19 virus infection. Grades are based on the percentage of Americans with normal/healthy results.

High Blood Pressure: F

Only 54% of all Americans have a blood pressure in the normal range (120/80 or lower). For those of us over 65 years old, the percentage is 22%.

Diabetes/Prediabetes: F

For Americans under 65 years of age, 52% of us are either not diabetic or do not have pre-diabetes. About 13% of all adults are diabetic (Type 2) but if you are older than 65 it is 27% - almost 1 in 3. Roughly half of adults 65 and older are pre-diabetic.

High LDL Cholesterol: C-

It is not your total cholesterol that really matters in predicting your chances of developing cardiovascular diseases but your LDL (bad) level. About 71% of us have normal LDL cholesterol levels.

Overweight: F

About 28% of adult Americans have a normal body weight. Of the 72% of us who are overweight, 40% are obese. Children fare a little better, with 61% in the normal range (a solid D-).

Bone Loss (Osteoporosis): F

Here we see a large difference between men and women. Women 50 years of age or older earn an F, with only 30% having a normal bone density. At 59%, men still earn an F+ but are closing in on a D-. Under age 50, the normal percentage increases quickly and is higher the younger you are.

Loss of Muscle Mass: B+

The good news here is that under age 60, muscle loss is about 10% and declines rapidly the younger you are. The bad news is that from age 60 to age 80 it rises to about 50%.

I leave it up to you to decide if these are grades that you would be proud to bring home to your parents. The reality is that all of these conditions are strongly influenced by what you eat and how active a life you live. A charitable interpretation of these results is that a majority of Americans still eat garbage and live like slugs. Its hard to imagine that people do not realize this, they just don;t seem to care. Both of these factors are 100% under your own control. So we can fairly say that most of our chronic health problems are self-inflicted.

Tellin' on Nutella

Nutella ("Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa") advertises itself as a nutritious alternative to butter. Most nut butters are, in fact, good nutritional choices, including hazelnut butter. But Nutella is not that. It is far more palm oil and added sugar than hazelnuts.

Here is how it compares to Butter (basically pure fat) and Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (Creamy).

                                    Nutella           Butter                  Adams

Calories (2tbsp)            200                 200                       190
Saturated Fat                4g                   14g                        3g
Total Carbs                   22g                   0g                         7g
Added sugar                 19g                   0g                         0g
Total sugar                    21g                  0g                         2g
Sodium                        15mg              180mg                  105mg
Protein                          2g                    0g                         8g
Fiber                             1g                    0g                         3g

So while spreading your toast with Nutella is probably a better alternative than using butter in some respects, don't confuse it with a healthy nut butter. It is closer to cake frosting.