Diets
Back Clinic Diets. The sum of food consumed by any living organism. The word diet is the use of specific intake of nutrition for health or weight management. Food provides people with the necessary energy and nutrients to be healthy. By eating various healthy foods, including good quality vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products, and lean meats, the body can replenish itself with the essential proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals to function effectively.
Having a healthy diet is one of the best things to prevent and control various health problems, i.e., types of cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Alex Jimenez offers nutritional examples and describes the importance of balanced nutrition throughout this series of articles. In addition, Dr. Jimenez emphasizes how a proper diet combined with physical activity can help individuals reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, and ultimately promote overall health and wellness.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness, Integrative Functional Wellness, Integrative Medicine
Is coconut oil a metabolism-boosting superfood or an artery-clogging threat to heart health?
That question has fueled a raging debate for many years, and it was reignited in mid-June when the American Heart Association (AHA) issued an advisory reiterating its longstanding recommendation to avoid saturated fats. Attention quickly focused on coconut oil, which has become trendy in natural health circles despite its high saturated fat content.
Proponents of coconut oil say its medium-chain triglycerides are quickly burned for energy, increasing metabolism. Coconut oil fats are also said to be good for the brain, which is made mostly of fat, and help regulate blood sugar and, ironically, cholesterol levels.
But the AHA advisory contends that all saturated fats raise risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Taking into consideration the totality of the scientific evidence…we conclude strongly that lowering intake of saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, will lower the incidence of cardiovascular disease,” states the advisory.
The AHA researchers specifically advise against using coconut oil, which they note is 82 percent saturated fat and raises “bad” LDL cholesterol levels, “a cause of atherosclerosis.”
But many other scientific reviews in recent years — including one meta-analysis encompassing nearly 350,000 people followed for as long as 23 years — found no link between saturated fat and heart disease.
“Those reviews were much more limited because they didn’t take into consideration what the substitution [for saturated fats in the diet] was,” explains Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, co-author of the AHA advisory. “The better reviews that looked at replacing saturated fat with either carbohydrates or mono- or polyunsaturated fats, show clear differences.”
Many natural health practitioners take exception to the AHA conclusions, including integrative cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson. He contends that AHA researchers cherry-picked data from decades-old studies, and that branding all LDL as harmful is outdated science.
“Total LDL numbers are a very poor prognosticator of heart disease,” says Wolfson, a doctor of osteopathy and board-certified cardiologist based in Phoenix, Ariz. “What’s more relevant is LDL particle size and numbers. Small, dense particles are bad for the heart, but studies show that large fluffy particles, like those promoted by coconut oil, cause no harm.”
But Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tuft University’s Human Nutrition Center on Aging, dismisses the LDL particle size factor, saying, “There’s much more written on the Internet about that than data to support it.”
Wolfson further questions AHA recommendations to use “highly processed” vegetable oils, saying their omega-6 fatty acids can contribute to systematic inflammation. In an AHA newsletter, the advisory’s lead author, Dr. Frank Sacks, suggests that people forsake butter and coconut oil for cooking and use canola, corn, soybean, and extra virgin olive oil instead.
“There’s nothing wrong with deep frying as long as you deep fry in a nice unsaturated vegetable oil,” Sacks adds.
That suggestion may send shudders through natural health practitioners, who widely contend that vegetable oils break down into harmful compounds under high heat.
“Coconut oil has a high smoke point, which makes it more stable for cooking,” explains Wolfson. “Unsaturated vegetable oils oxidize through the cooking process and cause oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.”
Lichtenstein once again cites a lack of data on the adverse effect of cooking with vegetable oils, telling Newsmax Health, “It’s not a concern.”
Wolfson also points out that the evolving science of heart disease seems to be shifting away from cholesterol and more toward inflammation as the primary cause.
“The risk of a cardiovascular event – heart attack, stroke and dying — is much higher when you have inflammation,” says Wolfson, author of “The Paleo Cardiologist: The Natural Way to Heart Health” and advocate of eating diets similar to our caveman ancestors.
“Coconut oil doesn’t cause inflammation. Sugar, artificial ingredients, pesticide residue in food…these are the types of things that cause inflammation.”
He emphasizes that it’s important to eat healthy saturated fats that are organic and, if animal-based, come from grass-fed pasture-grazers. Wolfson adds that he has history on his side in the debate over whether they are healthy or harmful.
“Our ancestors ate saturated fats for millions of years,” he tells Newsmax Health. “Why would evolution make it plug up our pipes and kill us? People in the South Pacific have diets that are more than 50 percent coconut-based, and they have virtually no heart disease. If we were all on a deserted island eating coconuts, fish and vegetables, and getting plenty of sunshine and sleep, heart disease would be a non-issue.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Did you know that flavored yogurt in the United States has a lot more sugar than it does in other countries? That’s because our national sweet tooth is out of control. And the more sugar we eat, the more we want.
Studies show that replacing sweet foods with sugar-free versions doesn’t help. Artificial sweeteners don’t satisfy a sugar craving.
The answer is to reset your taste buds for less sugar. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you can do this over a short amount of time, just as it’s possible to reduce a desire for salt.
Cut back on the amount of sweets you eat every day, but do it gradually. Some experts say going cold turkey can lead to a binge later on. Resist temptation by limiting the cookie and candy stash in your kitchen cabinets. Add fruit to your diet — you’ll be getting nutrients along with the sweetness, something processed sugar won’t give you.
Begin your day with a nourishing breakfast that includes protein. Buy unsweetened foods like plain yogurt, plain rolled oats, and 100 percent whole grain cereal, and sweeten them yourself. Just a sprinkle is all you need. Don’t start the sugar cycle with a donut or pastry.
Finally, exercise. Research has found that, in addition to health benefits, exercise starts a chain reaction that lowers your desire for unhealthy, high-calorie foods.
Making better choices will help you break the sugar cycle. You’ll be satisfied with low-sugar foods and appreciate sweets more as occasional treats.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Sen. Charles Schumer is urging federal regulators to look into a “snortable chocolate” powder, saying he’s worried that it could prove harmful and is being marketed like a drug.
In a letter Saturday, the New York Democrat asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the use of caffeine in inhalable food products such as so-called Coco Loko. It’s gotten buzz in recent weeks.
Schumer, the Senate minority leader, says there are too many unanswered questions about a product pitched under the innocent-sounding name of chocolate.
“This suspect product has no clear health value,” he said in a statement. “I can’t think of a single parent who thinks it is a good idea for their children to be snorting over-the-counter stimulants up their noses.”
Marketed as “raw cacao snuff,” Coco Loko includes cacao powder, which comes from beans used in making chocolate; they contain some caffeine. Manufacturer Legal Lean Co. doesn’t detail other ingredients online, but according to news reports, Coco Loko also includes common energy-drink ingredients.
It promises feelings of well-being, mental focus, ecstasy-like euphoria and a rush of “motivation that is great for partygoers to dance the night away without a crash,” according to Orlando, Florida-based Legal Lean’s website. It notes that the claims haven’t been vetted by the FDA.
The agency has said it hasn’t yet determined whether it has authority to regulate snortable chocolate.
Legal Lean Co., which sells Coco Loko online for $19.99 for a 1.25-ounce (3.5-gram) tin, did not return a call seeking comment. Founder Nick Anderson has said he didn’t consult any medical professionals but believes Coco Loko is safe. He said he developed it from snortable chocolate that’s circulated in Europe in recent years.
“There’s really no negative publicity, so I felt we’re good to go,” he told ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday.
Doctors have said they’re not certain what the effects of inhaling chocolate might be.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
If you plan to become a road warrior this summer, make sure you’ve got the right fuel for your body as well as your vehicle. Packing healthy snacks can keep your motor running until you reach the next pit stop.
We’ve asked top nutritionists to select savvy and savory snacks you can easily take with you on your next trip that your whole family will love
Energy bars. “Remember that not all energy bars are created equal,” says Amy Shapiro, a registered dietitian and founder of Real Nutrition NYC. “I like RX Bars, Health Warrior Chia Bars, and Kashi Bars.” Nutritionist Tara Gidus Collingwood tells Newsmax Health that she loves Raw Macaw bars that you can purchase readymade or design your own personal bar according to your taste.
Jerky. Chewy, savory turkey or beef jerky can satisfy a variety of appetites and is readily available at nearly every minimart or truck stop along the way. Look for brands that have the lowest sodium and fat content.
Cut up veggies, fruit. Shapiro tells Newsmax Health that these items, stored conveniently in a plastic bag, make an excellent and healthy snack to have on hand to keep hunger at bay and to help you stay hydrated.
Rice cakes, nut butters. Rice cakes topped with delicious, creamy nut butters in handy squeeze packs from Justin’s Nut Butter and other makers will make the whole family happy. They are available in flavors like maple almond butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, and honey peanut butter.
Popcorn. Everyone’s favorite movie snack is also great for road trips. Making your own healthy popcorn ahead of time without adding extra fat or salt is super simple. Brands such as the Little Kernel and Skinny Pop also feature healthier fats and lower amounts of sodium and are easily purchased on the road.
Cheese sticks. Most minimarts stock these handy, individually wrapped snacks in their refrigerator section. Cheese sticks are high in protein and calcium to maintain stamina on the road.
Nuts. Collingwood likes to pack almonds, pistachios, and other favorite nuts to take on the road. She also loves the roasted broad bean crisps with flavors like sweet cinnamon and cocoa dusted.
Fresh and frozen fruit. Dried fruit is too sugary, says Shapiro. Instead she opts for fresh fruit which is readily available everywhere and likes to freeze grapes for her road trips. “They take longer to eat and taste like little bites of sorbet,” she says.
Dry oatmeal. All you need is hot water and a cup to make a meal with dry oatmeal packets, notes Shapiro. “Add in some nuts or chopped fruit and you have a balanced meal.” You can also bring packets of dry cereal along to serve with milk that’s also readily available en route.
Hummus. Here’s another healthy filling snack that’s rich in protein and fiber as well as iron, folate, and B vitamins. Keep a tub of hummus in the cooler along with storage bags of prepared raw vegetables. Sabra also sells individual tubs of hummus.
Chia squeeze pouches. When you need a delicious pick me up along the way, try one of the new organic chia squeeze pouches with flavors like cherry beet, blackberry bliss, mango coconut and wild raspberry. You can buy the travel ready packs online at Amazon or at your local grocery store.
Dark chocolate. Collingwood admits she’s a chocoholic. “I will always bring a few individually wrapped squares of dark chocolate to be prepared when my sweet tooth strikes,” she says. Try keeping them in the freezer before you embark upon your journey and keep the chocolate cold and yummy in a cooler along the way.
Greek yogurt. “I will often pick up a yogurt at a gas station or airport store,” Collingwood says. All yogurts are good sources of calcium, potassium, protein, and B vitamins. Sprinkle on nuts or fresh fruit for extra nutrition.
Hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes called the perfect protein, eggs contain all the essential amino acids you need. Hard boil a few before your departure so you’ll have them on hand. You can also find them in the refrigerator section of gas station snack center.
Seltzer water. Your hunger craving may simply signal the need to hydrate. While water is fine, it’s a treat to opt for flavored, zero-calorie seltzer waters like La Croix and Dasani. You may also want to pack a sports drink, like Gatorade, to keep your electrolyte levels in balance especially when you traveling during hot summer months. Gatorade or a similar beverage is also easily found on the road.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
Middle aged adults who do even a small amount of regular strength training exercise may be lowering their risk of so-called metabolic syndrome – itself a risk factor for both heart disease and diabetes, a recent study suggests.
People with at least three unfavorable health stats from a list that includes large waist size, high blood pressure or triglycerides, high blood sugar or low “good” cholesterol are said to have metabolic syndrome, and are at increased risk of going on to develop diabetes, heart disease or both.
But researchers found that when generally healthy people did strength-building exercise for less than an hour a week they had 29 percent lower odds of developing metabolic syndrome than their peers who did no resistance exercise.
“You already get health benefits with even a low amount of resistance exercise per week, which is good news for people with a very busy lifestyle,” said lead author Esmee Bakker of Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
An estimated one-third of U.S. adults have metabolic syndrome, the authors write in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Although previous studies have reported how aerobic exercise, such as running, walking and swimming, reduce metabolic syndrome, few studies have looked at resistance exercise alone.
The U.S. government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest that adults should do “muscle-strengthening activities that are moderate or high intensity and involve all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week” and aerobic exercise 150 or more minutes each week.
“A modest amount of resistance exercise, such as two 30-minute sessions per week, has beneficial effects,” Bakker told Reuters Health by email. “We think that resistance exercise, in addition to aerobic exercise, should be included in standard medical recommendations to prevent metabolic syndrome.”
Bakker and colleagues analyzed data on more than 7,400 people who participated in medical examinations at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, between 1987 and 2006. They ranged in age from mid-30s to mid-50s at the time of their examinations.
The research team found that 1,147 participants, or 15 percent, had developed metabolic syndrome during the follow-up period. Meeting the resistance exercise guideline of two or more days per week reduced risk of metabolic syndrome by 17 percent overall, compared to doing no resistance exercise. Those who met both aerobic and resistance training guidelines had a 25 percent lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
“This result was independent of other healthy behaviors, such as not smoking,” Bakker said. “It also made little difference if people did resistance exercise only on weekends or spread throughout the week.”
Bakker and colleagues plan to study the effect of resistance training on other health outcomes, such as the heart health benefits of a one-year resistance exercise training program. They also want to examine the long-term effects of different types and intensities of strength training on metabolic syndrome.
“The real next step is to see how we can get people to exercise,” said Paul Thompson of the University of Connecticut in Hartford, who wasn’t involved with the study.
“We can talk about the right dose and intensity, but it’s clear that in most studies, doing something is better than nothing,” he told Reuters Health by phone. “Most people do nothing, and the key is to get them to do anything.”
One limitation of the study is that it relies on self-reported survey data, which could bias the results. Thompson also cautions that some patients of the Dallas clinic are relatively more affluent than the rest of the country, so the results might not apply more generally.
“The increasing American girth has increased metabolic syndrome, which leads to insulin resistance and makes it harder for insulin to work,” he noted.
Thompson is studying how exercise affects people who have a tendency toward metabolic syndrome and ways they can work against a genetic disposition toward diabetes and hypertension, for example.
“Everybody should have some exercise,” he said. “Play with the dog or grandkids, do yard work or go for a walk. Just do something for 30 minutes every day.”
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness
People who complain that they only have to smell food to gain weight may be right. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that obese mice who lost their sense of smell also lost weight. That part of the study was no surprise. But the strange part of the study found that mice that retained their sense of smell ballooned to twice their normal weight by eating the same amount of fatty food as the mice with no sense of smell.
Stranger still is that mice with a superior sense of smell gained even more weight on the same high-fat diet than the mice with a normal sense of smell.
The findings, which were published in the journal Cell Metabolism, suggest that the odor of what we eat may play an important role in how the body deals with calories. If you can’t smell your food, you may burn it rather than store it. But simply being able to smell your food may pack on the pounds.
Scientists know that humans who lose their sense of smell due to age, strokes, or diseases such as Parkinson’s, often become anorexic. They theorized that the loss of pleasure in eating can lead to depression, which can cause loss of appetite. But the new study suggests that the loss of smell itself plays a role in how the body uses energy.
For the study, researchers used gene therapy to destroy olfactory neurons in the noses of adult mice. They spared stem cells, however, so that the loss of smell was only temporary and lasted for about three weeks before the olfactory neurons re-grew.
The smell-deficient mice rapidly burned calories by reregulating their sympathetic nervous system, which is known to increase fat burning. The mice turned their beige fat cells, the subcutaneous fat storage cells that accumulate around our thighs and midriffs, into brown fat cells, which burn fatty acids to produce heat.
Some mice turned almost all of their beige fat into brown fat, becoming lean, mean fat-burning machines.
In these mice, white fat cells — the storage cells that cluster around our internal organs and are associated with many health problems — also shrank in size.
Although it would be a drastic step to eliminate smell in humans wanting to lose weight, Andrew Dillin, senior author of the study, said it might be a viable alternative for the morbidly obese contemplating stomach stapling or bariatric surgery.
“For that small group of people, you could wipe out their smell for maybe six months and then let the olfactory neurons grow back, after they’ve got their metabolic program rewired,” he said.
One problem is that the loss of smell was accompanied by a large increase in levels of the hormone noradrenaline, which is a stress response tied to the sympathetic nervous system. In humans, such a prolonged rise in this hormone could cause a heart attack.
But stomach stapling and bariatric surgery are also associated with problems. A study published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases found that one in five patients who undergo bariatric surgery for weight loss is likely to develop problems with alcohol.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Diets, Fitness, Physical Rehabilitation
It’s high season for grilling and backyard barbecues, with July 4 celebrations planned across the country. But experts say it’s important to be aware that the popular summer pastime is riddled with minefields when it comes to health and food safety.
“Grilling is generally a healthy way to cook food if you take certain precautions,” says registered dietitian Joan Salge Blake, an associate professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences.
Here are some tips from Blake and other experts:
Avoid food contamination: Mixing cooked food with juices from raw meat is a big no-no. “When it comes to food safety, we have to be careful about cross-contamination,” Blake tells Newsmax Health. “People bring the raw meat out on a platter, grill it and then put it back on the same platter without washing it. That’s how you can transfer pathogens that can cause a range of food-borne illnesses.”
Use a thermometer: You can’t trust your eyes to tell you whether or not meat is cooked enough. “One in four hamburgers turn brown prematurely, before they are at a safe internal temperature to be consumed,” says Blake. “Rather than trust our vision to determine if food is safe to eat, use a meat thermometer and make sure the internal heat is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Keep the flame down: Cooking with high heat from an open fire creates carcinogenic compounds in beef, pork, poultry, and seafood. So while that flame-licked steak or salmon may have a great grilled flavor, it also contains heterocyclic amines (HCAs) from the charred part and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the fire’s smoke. Lab studies suggest that they can cause mutations in DNA that may boost the risk of cancer.
Pre-cook meat: One way to reduce HCAs and PAHs is to partially cook meat — by boiling or microwave — before grilling it. That will reduce the time it is exposed to the high heat and smoke that creates these dangerous compounds.
Flip frequently: “You want to keep turning the meat to keep it from getting charred, because that’s where the [biggest] problem is,” says Blake. “If it does get charred, don’t eat that part.” Aim to flip grilled foods at least once a minute.
Foil flare-ups: One thing that can make the flame flare up is when fat from the meat drips down to the heating source. Blake suggests putting some foil down on the grill, which will keep the melted fat from hitting the flame.
Use marinade: Studies show that marinades can significantly reduce the HCAs and PAHs in grilled meat. Researchers believe it works by helping to keep the meat moist, and it can also improve flavor. One study showed that using the herb rosemary lowered HCA levels by 90 percent. Other things that can cut down on the bad compounds are garlic, onion and honey.
Watch your sauce: Blake warns not to use the leftover marinade for a sauce on the grilled meat, unless you cook it as well, because it could contain bacteria and other pathogens from the raw meat.
Grill veggies: “One of the best things you can do for overall health is to grill more vegetables than protein sources,” says Blake. “They don’t produce HCAs and PAHs, and they have a wide range of health benefits.”
Be fire smart: The most obvious health threat of grilling is the fire itself. According to the National Fire Prevention Association, about 9,000 blazes are sparked by grills every year, causing an average of 10 deaths, 160 injuries and more than $100 million in property damage.
Using common sense can reduce fire risks. The NFPA cites the main fire causes as placing the grill too close to anything that can burn, not cleaning it regularly, and leaving it unattended. If you’re using a propane grill, don’t turn the gas on for too long before lighting it. You should also check lines and connections for leaks.
