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What You Need To Know About New Dietary Guidelines

What You Need To Know About New Dietary Guidelines

By Andrea Weigl, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) (TNS)

Now that the smoke, debate and confusion has cleared over the latest update to the federal dietary guidelines, here is what you need to know.

Big picture focus: This year’s update stresses “a healthy eating pattern” over the course of your life as opposed to focusing on individual nutrients or foods. “It’s not one food. It’s a whole eating pattern,” said Barry Popkin, a food science researcher at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and author of The World is Fat.

Elisabetta Politi, nutrition director at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center, cheered the change: “I’d like to commend them for that.” The previous focus to limit certain foods or nutrients created confusion for many people trying to watch what they ate. “I see this every day with many clients,” Politi said. “They feel guilty about eating eggs and butter.” (It’s worth noting that the new guidelines do mention limiting three nutrients, which we’ll explain more below, but the overall focus has changed.)

So what does a healthy eating pattern include? The usual suspects: a variety of fruits and vegetables, grains (especially whole grains), fat-free or low-fat dairy, a variety of proteins (seafood, lean meats, eggs, beans and peas, nuts, seeds and soy products) and oils.

How can you do this? The key is to take small steps, not efforts at large-scale change, explained Nancy Fey-Yensan, a registered dietitian and dean of the college of health and human services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She suggests keeping track of what you eat for a few days and then looking at what healthier substitutions you can make. “Mindfully identify places where you can swap out for things that you like,” Fey-Yensan said.

A few ideas: Bring home a new-to-you fruit or vegetable every week, whether that’s papaya or kohlrabi. Instead of white rice, make brown rice half the time. Instead of white bread, try some whole grain bread. Instead of whole milk, try 2 percent milk, then graduate later to 1 percent or skim. Expand your protein choices: Try a new fish or seafood, go meatless one night a week, make a big pot of beans or field peas once a month.

What does a healthy eating pattern limit? Sugar, salt and saturated fat. We should consume less than 10 percent of calories per day from added sugar. The same goes for saturated fat. Sodium should be limited to 2,300 milligrams a day.

What’s the math for sugar and saturated fat? Determining what is 10 percent of your daily calories depends upon how many calories you eat in a day. For women, that’s 1,600-2,000 calories. For men, it is 2,400-3,000. Therefore, 10 percent equals 160 to 300 calories. One 20-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola contains 240 calories from sugar. Three Oreo cookies contain about 54 calories from sugar. A McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese and a large fries contains 148 calories of saturated fat. A Subway 12-inch meatball sub has 126 calories from saturated fat. It’s easy to see how quickly it adds up.

Let’s break down the math for salt: A teaspoon of salt is equal to 2,300 milligrams. This is not only the salt you sprinkle on food; this number also reflects the salt already in the processed foods we eat. In one day, you would reach that limit by lunchtime by eating three slices of bacon, two fried eggs, a 1-ounce snack-size bag of Doritos, two slices of ham and one slice of American cheese on two slices of white bread and a 12-ounce Diet Coke.

What about coffee? The guidelines gave a boost to those who need their daily caffeine fix. The guidelines’ scientific report cited research that shows the amount of caffeine in three to five cups of coffee can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults and may even protect against Parkinson’s disease.

And eggs? The guidelines also seemed to clear eggs, with their high levels of dietary cholesterol, as a culprit for the artery-clogging plaques that cause heart disease. The guidelines removed the limit of 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day. Experts caution that this is not a green light to eat a lot more of cholesterol-laden foods, including eggs, butter, bacon, sausages, red meat, cheese and pastries.

SOME HEALTHY MEAL RESOURCES

Right now, we’re reaching for three books:

Bon Appetit: The Food Lover’s Cleanse by Sarah Dickerman (William Morrow, 2015). Usually, I despise any cookbook with the word “cleanse” in the title. But this isn’t a cleanse book; it’s a collection of good-tasting, seasonal dishes that happen to be healthy from Seattle-based food writer Sara Dickerman.

The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins (Bantam, 2009). This update of Jenkins’ classic 1994 cookbook is worth your time and money.

Mediterranean Harvest: Vegetarian Recipes from the World’s Healthiest Cuisine by Martha Rose Shulman (Rodale, 2007). Shulman wrote the Recipes for Health column in The New York Times. Her recipes are dependable and delicious.

©2016 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: Organic vegetables are shown at a Whole Foods Market  in LaJolla , California  May 13, 2008 as the company is set to release second quarter earnings today. REUTERS/Mike Blake  

 

Check The Facts Before Detoxing Or Adding Supplements To Your Dietary Intake

Check The Facts Before Detoxing Or Adding Supplements To Your Dietary Intake

By Barbara Quinn, The Monterey County Herald (TNS)

Let’s just say it feels very good to get back on track when the holidays are over. Why else would I be checking out the detox tea in my daughter’s cabinet on New Year’s Day?

“Detox” generally refers to the process of removing toxins (poisons and other harmful substances) from the body. And need I mention that we humans have a pretty powerful detoxifying system in place, even without detox tea? The liver is the body’s most dynamic detox unit; it removes harmful substances from our blood and zaps and neutralizes chemicals and other substances (such as alcohol) that would otherwise cause damage. Also partnering with the liver to detoxify our bodies are the kidneys and intestinal (digestive) tract. Keep these organs healthy and they work overtime to protect us from dangerous toxins.

Just for fun though, let’s see what’s in this detox tea that might be good for my holiday overloaded body:

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Sure enough, ground up seeds from this plant might help protect the liver from toxic chemicals and drugs. There is conflicting evidence, however, whether or not milk thistle can actually help heal a liver damaged by excessive alcohol.

Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita). According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), peppermint oil may ease the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). And herbal combinations of peppermint with milk thistle have been found to relieve heartburn (acid reflux) according to the US National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Dandelion (Taraxacum) Yep, the same plant we dig out of lawns in the summer has been used for hundreds of years to treat upset stomachs and a variety of other health problems. Unfortunately, there is not enough scientific evidence to determine if dandelion is an effective detoxifier.

Sweet Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Fennel seed oil has been shown to be effective in reducing colic symptoms in breast fed babies. Not a lot of evidence for its detoxifying effects, however.

Parsley leaf is an edible green that is high in vitamins A, C and K. It’s also a good source of antioxidant substances that reduce inflammation in the body. Parsley is also high in potassium and phosphorous — nutrients to avoid in excess for some people with kidney disease.

Due diligence is always in order before ingesting any dietary supplement that claims to have a medical benefit. I like to check the evidence from trustworthy sites such as Medline Plus from the National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health (nlm.nih.gov) or the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ods.od.nih.gov).

(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition” (Westbow Press, 2015). Email her at barbaraquinn88@yahoo.com.)

©2016 The Monterey County Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: Judit Klein via Flickr

 

What Exactly Makes Up A Healthy Diet?

What Exactly Makes Up A Healthy Diet?

By David Templeton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

BOSTON — Put 20 of the world’s top nutrition scientists in a room together and what do you get? A 90-minute debate about what a vegetable is and, specifically, whether tubers such as potatoes fit in that category.

While the scientists couldn’t come to a consensus on potatoes at the recent Oldways conference, they did — finally — provide clarity overall on what we’re supposed to eat as part of a healthful diet: more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes and nuts. The group also recommended moderate alcohol consumption, with lower consumption of red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened drinks and refined grains.

Following this pattern should help people avoid spikes in blood sugar, clogged arteries, digestive disorders and chronic disease, it said.

The group also agreed with the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s endorsement of the Mediterranean Diet, the Vegetarian Diet and the Healthy American Diet.

Oldways, a Boston-based nutrition information nonprofit headed by Sara Baer-Sinnott, led the charge in seeking common ground on which foods and food groups are healthful and which ones people should limit or avoid.

A key problem she sees is the daily barrage of media reports about bacon and butter being good, or kale being toxic, or meat diets being the ultimate in good health. This prompted her to invite 20 of the leading nutrition scientists — Walter Willett, David Katz, Dean Ornish, Neal Barnard, T. Colin Campbell and S. Boyd Eaton among them — to work on a consensus of what foods can extend longevity and prevent chronic disease to benefit people and the planet.

Food and nutrition journalists and bloggers also were invited to discuss how and why the science so often is distorted by reports extolling the virtues of foods long deemed unhealthful while condemning foods scientifically proven to be beneficial. The often noted example was Time magazine’s June 2014 cover story, “Bacon is back.”

“No wonder people say they are confused and have no idea how they should eat and therefore just give up,” Oldways stated in its conference introduction. “Adding to the confusion, public perception is that nutrition advice changes every day, leaving many of us scratching our heads and saying, ‘Can’t those experts agree on anything?’ “

Dr. Eaton, the Harvard scientist who is known as the father of the Paleo Diet, surprised the other scientists by noting that whole plant foods were healthiest, and that he recommended meat consumption only a few times a month, with fish being the most healthful meat. The consensus was that meat consumption should focus mostly on fish and less so, poultry. Beef and processed meats should be limited or avoided.

The Common Ground conference, held Nov. 17-18, wasn’t a cakewalk. It was more of a food fight, with advocates for various diets, including vegans, Paleo and Mediterranean diets, convening with others advocating the benefits of meat and dairy in one room for many hours.

Hence, the sizzling debate about the healthfulness of potatoes. “There was not common ground on including potatoes,” said Dr. Willett, the Harvard University who helped lead the conference.

In addition to offering general support for the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommendations issued in February, it opposed Congress’ decision to censor that committee’s recommendations advocating sustainability.

“Food insecurity cannot be solved without sustainable food systems,” states the Common Ground report. “Inattention to sustainability is willful disregard for the quality and quantity of food available to the next generation, i.e., our own children.”

Oldways is establishing a network of scientists, including many involved in the conference, as a media resource for stories about food, nutrition, including those rogue scientific studies that counter more established nutritional science without regard for the methodology or quality of the study. The news-making studies often lack supportive studies.

“When Sara contacted me, we were working on parallel paths,” said Dr. Katz, a Yale University nutritionist who is founding director of its Prevention Research Center and president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

The consensus statement can be read here: oldwayspt.org

©2015 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: All kinds of nuts, such as walnuts, above, play a key role in a healthy diet, according to scientists and dietitians. (Larry Roberts/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

 

Moving Made Fresh Meal Deliveries A Natural

Moving Made Fresh Meal Deliveries A Natural

By Barbara Quinn, The Monterey County Herald (TNS)

Ahh, the adventures of moving. You think you’ve got your precious belongings carefully labeled. Then when you get to your new location, you’re surrounded by strange unpacked boxes that seem to say, “Bet you can’t guess what’s in here!”

Normal meals take a back seat during times of transition. Groceries? My refrigerator has not been this clean — or empty — in a long time. And after begging meals at my daughter’s house all week, I suggested we eat out — again.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” she said. “I got an extra delivery from my meal service that I’m not going to use. Do you want it?”

I hesitated, thinking about my empty kitchen cabinets.

“All you need is olive oil and salt and pepper,” she explained. “Everything else is included in the box…even spices.”

Sure enough, this box of food supplies from a company called “Hello Fresh” had all the items, including step-by-step recipes, for three generous meals. I accepted her offer and took it on faith that I could find the necessary cooking utensils…somewhere.

Forty-five minutes later (including 15 to find a knife, cutting board and cooking pot) I sat down to a yummy Cod Cioppino Tomato Stew, complete with toasted baguette for dunking.

I was impressed with the generous proportion of vegetables in these recipes in addition to the more than adequate servings of protein. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this company has a registered dietitian on staff. Sure enough, they do. Thank you, Rebecca Lewis, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).

Several such companies exist these days. Registered dietitian nutritionist Tess Warwick of Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Calif., gets fresh ingredients delivered to her door each week by a company called “Blue Apron.”

“It’s helped me step out of my culinary comfort zone,” she says. “Meals are balanced, healthy and most importantly tasty!”

And…enough for leftovers the next day, I’d add. All I need is a fork and a plate and I’m in business.

Another nice thing about these companies is how they feature seasonal foods. For example, winter squash recipes and fun facts are included with this fall shipment. Did you know, say these cooking experts, that the squash we call “winter squash” is actually grown in the summer? It gets its name because its hard shell is durable enough to be stored during winter months. And you can choose to peel the thick skin on these winter varieties of squash before or after cooking.

Even with labels, we sometimes don’t know what’s really inside until we investigate. I’m glad I had the chance to try out this new idea of fresh delivered food and recipes. Now where in the world did I pack my cell phone charger?

(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition” (Westbow Press, 2015). Email her at bquinn@chomp.org .)

(c)2015 The Monterey County Herald. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: BellaGaia via Flickr