Hi everyone! If you’ve been listening to me for a while, you know I’m a self-proclaimed chocolate lover. I’ve never met a chocolate that I don’t like. I adore dark chocolate and enjoy tasting a variety of flavor profiles. In fact, I just heard that Orlando is having The Festival of Chocolate in March presented by the Orlando Science Center. Have you attended a chocolate festival? Would you go again?
The news has been abuzz with the potential health benefits from eating chocolate so let’s get right to the source and find out. And who better to chat with than my guest on my podcast this week, Dr. Amy Preston from The Hershey Company.
A registered dietitian and PhD, Dr. Amy Preston is a Senior Nutrition Scientist at The Hershey Company. Dr. Preston also currently holds an adjunct position within the Nutritional Sciences Department at The Pennsylvania State University. She has studied many different populations, including healthy participants, overweight/obese subjects as well as those at risk for cardiovascular disease. Now her focus is on chocolate and health. Dr. Preston updates you about the latest research on chocolate.
Some of the questions I ask Dr. Preston include:
Would you break down the latest research on chocolate and heart health? What about chocolate’s effect on blood pressure?
Do the levels of flavanols/antioxidants in chocolate vary?
Does processing affect the flavanol/antioxidant content?
How does this antioxidant content compare to other foods such as wine or blueberries? If I prefer hot chocolate to red wine, would I get similar benefits?
Does percent Cacao on the label indicate the level of flavanols in a chocolate? What should we go by when choosing chocolate?
You’ll going to like the news about chocolate. If you’re looking for Valentine’s Day ideas, check out their website at Hersheys.com. You’ll find decadent Valentine’s Day recipes and all types of ideas for a chocolate covered February. Now I need my little dark chocolate fix for the day!
The buzzwords ‘inflammation’ and ‘anti-inflammation diet’ continue to garner a lot of attention in the nutrition world so it’s time to give you an update on the latest information that may affect your health. Inflammation can be good or bad. It’s good if it’s acute or short term such as when cut yourself. Your immune system kicks in sending white blood cells along with other substances to jump start the healing process. Inflammation is not so good when it becomes chronic or longer term inflammation in your body. This invisible type of inflammation gets all the attention because it’s been implicated in the etiology or cause of many common diseases from heart disease and auto immune illness like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis to some cancers, diabetes, and even stroke.
Here’s what scientists think is happening in the body with this low-grade chronic inflammation. This on-going inflammation damages your blood vessels thus increasing your risk for heart problems. In the case of cancer, inflammation could damage your genes or increase the development of blood vessels that let cancer cells spread and grow. In your body, inflammation raises the level of what’s called C-reactive protein or CRP for short. The liver produces this CRP during periods of inflammation so if the body has chronic inflammation going on, the CRP level will be elevated. Now doctors can measure this level of general inflammation in the body with a blood test called the hs-CRP which stands for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
What can you do about inflammation in the body? Does what you eat potentially make inflammation worse in your body or can it help fight inflammation? Is there an ‘anti-inflammation diet’? Yes there is. It’s called the Mediterranean Diet. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the effect of a Mediterranean diet on inflammation in the body, particularly in people with metabolic syndrome.
Think of metabolic syndrome as a group or cluster of medical issues that includes excess weight around your belly, elevated total cholesterol and LDL levels, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. In fact, metabolic syndrome affects about 25% of our population. Why do I mention metabolic syndrome? Because it’s a syndrome that is tied to a pro-inflammatory state in your body…in other words…this chronic inflammation we’ve been talking about.
This study and others have found that a Mediterranean diet which includes healthy oils, nuts, fish and lots of fruits, veggies and grains decreased the level of CRP in the blood and reduced the level of inflammation in the body. Following a Mediterranean diet often results in weight loss which lowers markers of inflammation in the body…a very good thing.
1. Switch your type of fat: as much as possible use healthy oils such as olive, peanut and canola. These are rich in monounsaturated fats, the more heart healthy type of fat. Cut out as much trans fat and saturated fat as you can. These unhealthy fats not only raise the lousy cholesterol level (LDL) but also promote inflammation. Remember trans fat is the same as partially hydrogenated fat on a food label and saturated fat includes fatty meats, bacon, sausage, butter, full fat dairy, etc….opt for the low fat and lean meat versions.
2. Eat more whole grains and other high fiber foods such as beans, peas, lentils, oatmeal, etc. Consume fewer sweeteners such as sugar and corn syrup and other refined carbs including chips, cookies, pastries, and sweets. Why? They can make your blood sugar level spike which has also been tied to inflammation.
3. Consume more fish: especially fatty fish which contain omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are found in fish such as salmon and tuna.
4. Add nuts and avocados to the diet: these are good sources of the healthy fat, monounsaturated which appear to be anti-inflammatory.
5. Increase the number of fruits and vegetables that you eat each day. The antioxidants they contain such as vitamins A, C and E along with all the naturally occurring healthy compounds called phytonutrients seem to ramp down the inflammation process in the body.
Give the Mediterranean way of eating a try. The synergistic effect of these foods eaten together over time can have beneficial effects for your health.
It’s the third week of January. Have you thrown your New Year’s resolutions in the trash yet? Many people have by now. That’s one of the reasons I’m not a fan of diets. I like small and simple changes that don’t overwhelm you. Life can be overwhelming enough. Weight is the big focus at the beginning of the year but weight is just part of the picture. I want you to think about your overall health. Do you know your total cholesterol number and whether the good and evil cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL) are where they need to be? What’s your blood pressure? When was the last time you had it checked? I’m talking outside of your doctor’s office. After all, white coat hypertension can push blood pressure up abnormally. White coat hypertension is the stress you feel when the doc comes in the room to see you and you can’t remember all you wanted to discuss.
Are you shaking your head and saying to me, “I have no clue?” Your energy level and day to day health are affected by more than weight. So take some time for you…just like an oil change for your car, everyone needs preventive maintenance. If you don’t take the time for you, it’s not going to happen, right? You’re worth it…ok? You can find helpful information about all things heart related….your heart, cholesterol, blood pressure and related questions at hearthub.org part of the American Heart Association.
I bet if I ask you what food has a negative effect on your heart and health, you could easily tell me……pastries and goodies made with trans fat, double stacked cheeseburgers, sausage. But what about food that is beneficial to your heart and health? This week on my podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle joins me to discuss must-have foods that benefit the heart. I don’t like to focus on what not to do but rather the steps you can take to make a difference in your health starting today. A few of the foods we take a look at include:
Red bell peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, mixed salad greens, kale, spinach, broccoli
Asparagus, orange juice
Guacamole
Salsa
Pudding, nonfat milk and low-fat yogurt
Canned or pouch tuna and salmon
Be sure andcheck out our Cyber Weight Loss Club. Share your story and photos and we’ll enter you in a drawing at the end of January to win a copy of the book by TV’s The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent called Believe It, Be It.
Family Circle shares an easy way to get your heart healthy fish with a recipe for Teriyaki Salmon with glazed broccoli salad. Pick up the February issue of Family Circle for a full list and discussion of the heart healthy foods we talk about plus others that will surprise you.
Ali Vincent was the “one to watch” on Season 5 of TV’s popular reality show, The Biggest Loser. She won the competition while viewers watched her amazing transformation from overweight and discouraged to fit and inspiring. As a nationally and internationally ranked synchronized swimmer, Ali never thought she would have a weight problem. She was a competitive athlete! Ali readily admits that when she gave up swimming, she never replaced that activity with anything else. Gradually, by adding five pounds at a time, after thirteen years Ali tipped the scales at 234 pounds. With determination, a positive outlook, and a commitment to her goals, even when she was voted off the show, Ali Vincent lost 112 pounds and became the first female Biggest Loser. Ali joins me on the podcast this week to share her experience and philosophy that you can also read about in her book “Believe it. Be it.”
Happy 2010! Thanks for starting off your New Year with me. OK, let’s get right to it. This year do you want to hear those magical words…. “Have you lost weight?” How about a little more energy too? Many of you email, ask questions and share your struggles with me so I decided to start off this year with a Cyber Weight Loss Club. I want you to have a place to post your weight story…successes, struggles and questions…and chat with me. Share your before and after pictures. Tell us cooking and grocery shopping tips that work for you. If it affects your weight, I want to hear about it. I’ll be posting comments and tips along with some of our guests who will share insights and helpful ideas.
This is not a club you have to join but a cyber place to come where you can dish with others about weight issues that are on your mind. Where is it? You’ll see the link at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center or just go directly to the Cyber Weight Loss Club page.
Speaking of someone who has heard the magical words, “have you lost weight?” joining me in the studio on this week’s podcast is WDBO’s Program Director Steve Holbrook. If you’re a regular listener you know that Steve was my guest on three podcasts last year as we followed his weight loss journey beginning about March 2009. To recap, Steve heard me discuss the research on protein and weight loss during my radio segment and he took it on as his personal weight challenge. Steve is the perfect example of a super busy guy who made a personal decision to change his eating habits, weight and health regardless of his crazy schedule…. which he knew wasn’t going to change.
By the way, you can see Steve’s before and after pictures which he has posted at the Cyber Weight Loss Club and if you want to ask him a question about his weight loss success, you can also do that at the Cyber Weight Loss Club. Remember, the Cyber Weight Loss Club is a forum for you….to help you stay on track, get accurate information and encouragement and succeed with your weight loss goals.
Are you excited about the New Year? 2010 is just two days away. I always look forward to the New Year which brings a fresh approach and a new look at areas in life that may have gone a little stale…know what I mean? If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m not about gimmicks, miracle diet pills and products or diets that don’t work. I’m all about real life and how to make tweaks in your life so you feel better, have more energy and enjoy every day…not to mention eat good food. So how’s this for a ‘diet?’ All food is allowed….nothing is prohibited. Otherwise the denial, deprivation and overeating cycle sets in. You deny yourself something you really want to eat and then begin to feel deprived. Finally you can’t stand it any longer so you overeat on the food you denied yourself to begin with and the vicious cycle starts. You don’t win…ever.
In the January 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine, there’s a nice article on smart eating. This week’s podcast welcomes my regular guest, Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle to chat on smart eating tips. Get your New Year’s health on and try these four tips this January.
1. Leave two bites at every meal (about 100 calories total per day). Cutting just 100 calories every day in 2010 results in a ten pound weight loss. Not bad. How would you like to weigh 10 pounds less at the end of next year and accomplish this by slightly cutting your portions?
2. Cook at home one more night each week. Most home cooked meals tend to be lower in fat and calories plus smaller in portion than what you typically get eating out.
3. Turn off the kitchen lights at 8 p.m. Cut out mindless eating at night.
4. Serve your meals on eight inch salad plates. Compared to a standard dinner plate size of 10 inches (or more), the smaller size looks like more food and you have less room to load up.
To start the New Year off right, we have a new spin on eggplant parmesan. Be sure and try the Panko-Crusted Eggplant Parmesan recipe posted at the WDBO.com Nutrition & Health Center.
My girlfriend called last night and she has the swine flu. She thinks she picked it up on a flight home last week. Do you have a cold? Even worse, the flu? Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) up to 20% of Americans will likely get a rotten case of the flu this year? Along with the H1N1 flu, that percentage will likely be much greater. When you are feeling absolutely rotten, what you eat can help fortify your immune system and even help ease your cold and flu symptoms.
Tea: all types of tea including green, black, white and red offer health benefits in the form of antioxidants. Besides feeling good to your throat and warming your body when you have the chills, hot liquids temporarily thin out the mucus in the nose and throat. Here’s a little unexpected tip. Regular tea (not decaf) contains enough caffeine to give you a slight energy boost when you feel so bad you don’t want to lift your head off the pillow. Remember, in addition to tea, continue to drink a lot of water to keep your body well hydrated and to help thin out mucus buildup.
Potatoes and other vitamin C-rich foods: Surprise, most people don’t think about potatoes but they are a very nice source of vitamin C and potassium. Add them to your chicken soup or baked one quickly in the microwave when you don’t have much of an appetite. Other vitamin C-rich foods include kiwi, blueberries and blackberries, cherries, tomatoes, and the traditional tangerines, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple and strawberries. Choose the whole food over a vitamin C supplement since you get the benefit of the water content as well as other vitamins and minerals in the fruit. Research has not proven that vitamin C prevents colds but it does aid your immune system which in turn helps you fight off the cold and flu. By the way, 100% fruit juices provide hydration plus the benefits of vitamin C and antioxidants, particularly the deeply colored juices such as pomegranate, cherry, blueberry and blackberry.
Chicken Soup: The zinc found in chicken is good for your immunity. Enhance your soup with garlic, onions, potatoes and lots of broth. The garlic and onion loaded broth nourishes you and helps ease congestion and thin out mucous. If Mom isn’t around to make that chicken soup for you, there are some good canned versions on the market. Be sure and check the Nutrition Facts label for the sodium content as canned soups can be over the top when it comes to added salt and sodium.
Yogurt. This is probably a food you never would have thought about to fight flu and colds but here’s the deal. You want yogurt that contains active cultures so check the label. Yogurt with active cultures such as acidophilus (also called probiotics) replenishes healthy bacteria in the body, especially your gastrointestinal tract where a lot of your immune function happens. Active cultures are particularly important if you are taking antibiotics which tend to strip out the bad bacteria and take the good along with it. The active cultures help replenish those healthy bacteria. Probiotics are strain specific meaning that you need a certain strain of probiotic bacteria if you are taking antibiotics so be sure to discuss this with your doctor, dietitian or pharmacist. You can also find these active cultures added to other products such as cereal bars, cereal, yogurt smoothies or kefir.
Spicy foods such as hot sauce, wasabi, chili or spicy sauces help to temporarily open sinuses and help with congestion. A bowl of chili or spicy tortilla soup with a dash of hot sauce may cause your nose to run and eyes to tear but right now, that could be a good thing. This relief helps you to breathe easier for a little while so if you’re up for it, try a little spicy food.
Now that you’ve given your body food to fight that flu or cold, it’s time for some much needed sleep. Rest and feel better.
Hi everyone…thanks for checking in this week. Does diabetes run in your family? Have your blood sugar level and your weight seen an increase? Maybe you’ve been told by your health care provider that you have pre-diabetes…meaning that your blood glucose is above normal but not quite high enough to be classified as diabetes. I’ll bet you didn’t know that more than 70,000 people die of diabetes every year, making it the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
As our population becomes heavier, new cases of diabetes continue to climb. What if you could follow a tasty diet that includes better for you carbs and fats…even dessert…and potentially lose weight and bring down your blood glucose aka blood sugar? Today’s diabetic diet is just that. It’s kind of like a BOGO…buy one get one free…which we all love. You lose weight and your blood glucose drops as a result. Did you know that the foods you choose to eat everyday impact on your chances of developing diabetes? If you already have diabetes, making some simple changes to your diet can mean fewer complications and less medication or perhaps none at all.
From a broad perspective, three of the smartest tweaks to your current diet for diabetes defense include:
Switch from fruit drinks and soft drinks to tea, water, unsweetened flavored water and coffee.
Cut out trans fat and reduce saturated fat as much as possible and switch to unsaturated fat sources such as nuts, avocado and vegetable oils.
Go very easy on processed meats including hot dogs, bacon, ham and sausage and instead reach for poultry, seafood, soy foods and beans.
The November issue of Family Circle magazine has made it easy for you to go on diabetes defense. The issue includes their eat-to-beat-diabetes plan which works in two ways. Margit Ragland, senior editor at Family Circle joins me on my podcast this week to talk all about it.
First, the plan is designed to help you lose weight. Here’s the great news. A weight loss of just five to seven percent of your body weight can sharply lower your diabetes risk (that’s like dropping 8 to 12 pounds if you weigh 170). Second, the eat-to-beat-diabetes plan is also loaded with nutrients to help defend against diabetes and it’s workable for your entire family. The Family Circle eat-to-beat-diabetes plan has two calorie options to choose from. Variety and portion size are key elements to your success. Be sure and pay attention to the Nutrition Facts panel on food items for information on portion size, total carbohydrate and fiber.
Foods that are high in fiber are a big part of the plan. Try the red lentil soup recipe that was just posted at the Nutrition & Health Center on WDBO.com. Remember to use a low sodium vegetable broth to reduce the sodium content per serving.
Do you have friends or family members who are losing their vision? Perhaps they’ve been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration or AMD which affects the central vision and results in significant vision loss or even blindness. Did you know that AMD is the leading cause of vision loss as you get older? What if you can add certain foods to your diet to help prevent AMD down the road? Data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (known as AREDS) reported in the May 2009 issue of the journal Ophthalmology found that participants whose diets were high in certain nutrients including vitamin E and C, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fats had the lowest risks of age-related macular degeneration. Close to 2500 people were followed for 10 years.
Other studies suggest that a diet consisting of more low-glycemic or GI foods (vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils and whole grains as examples) and less high glycemic or GI foods such as candy, desserts, and sweetened drinks results in a lower risk for AMD. In case you’re wondering how refined or processed foods which are typically high on the glycemic index affect vision, here is what scientists currently believe. High-GI foods cause a rapid increase and decline in blood glucose levels as opposed to low-GI foods which raise blood glucose more slowly. The rapid rise in blood glucose may damage the macula or part of the retina which provides detailed central vision. The good news is that certain nutrients found in specific foods seem to help protect your eyes from AMD.
Consider making these foods a staple in your diet.
Citrus fruits: contain vitamin C
Nuts: contain zinc, vitamin E and healthy fats; walnuts have fats that convert to omega-3s in the body
Red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products: source of zinc
Dark green leafy veggies such as broccoli, spinach and kale: contain lutein and zeaxanthin; lutein is also in egg yolks
Cold-water fish like salmon: source of omega-3 fats
The good news is that all the foods mentioned above are not only beneficial for eye health but for total body health. For more information on eye health, check out the National Eye Institute.
How often do you jump on a plane and cross multiple time zones? For millions of you, the loss or gain of daytime or nighttime hours can be exhausting to your mind and your body. It’s called jet lag. You’ve heard the term and probably experienced it. What I don’t like about jet lag is that it can really have a negative effect on your travel experience. No one wants to spend the first few days of his or her vacation recuperating from the plane trip. And you business travelers who cross multiple time zones frequently would like to arrive with a fresh, productive outlook instead of feeling so drained. Not to mention the insomnia, irritability and fatigue that may follow. Well, I have great news that you don’t want to miss… the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has figured out a way to help leave the jet lag behind when you travel across three or more time zones. It’s called the Anti-Jet Lag Diet.
According to research reported in Military Medicine soldiers being deployed across nine zones who followed the Anti-Jet Lag Diet were 7 to 16 times less likely to experience jet lag. According to Argonne spokesman, Dave Baurac, the Anti-Jet Lag diet has helped the CIA, President Ronald Reagan, our soldiers and many others. He says that The Anti-Jet-Lag Diet focuses on the body’s natural clock or circadian rhythm and some of the same time cues that cause jet lag. These time cues include meal times, sunset and sunrise, and daily cycles of rest and activity.
Prior to travel, the Anti-Jet-Lag Diet alternates days of moderate feasting and fasting to help speed your body’s adjustment to a new time schedule. These days of feasting and fasting also vary the intake of protein and carbohydrate to affect the production of neurotransmitters or brain chemicals which help the body feel more alert or prepare for sleep.
Hi everyone! If you’ve been listening to me for a while, you know I’m a self-proclaimed chocolate lover. I’ve never met a chocolate that I don’t like. I adore dark chocolate and enjoy tasting a variety of flavor profiles. In fact, I just heard that Orlando is having The Festival of Chocolate in March presented by the Orlando Science Center. Have you attended a chocolate festival? Would you go again?
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