November 2011 Archives

I had some good responses from my last post. From people who have struggled with weight gain over their life to people who commented about healthy eating being more than just calories. Here's a thought provoking one:

"I would hate to see food "legislated", throwing politics into the fray."

I totally agree. It seems that the more the legislation, the more complicated it gets! For better or worse, though, our government does play a role in what we eat, or what we think we're eating!

In addition to regulations on what schools serve, the government also regulates how foods are marketed, i.e. labeled and described. For an example of this, check out this 2010 NY Times article about labeling changes of high fructose corn syrup.

When it comes to guidelines for school meals, it's up to the schools to decide how to meet the guidelines that the government requires. They could be met with processed, not so healthy foods or they can be met with high quality fresh foods. Or somewhere in between!

Cool things happening in schools:

My dietitian friend who lives in Oregon sent me the link for this blog, which highlights some schools around the country that are doing great things with their school meals! http://eatwellatschool.blogspot.com/ Definitely check it out and their School Meals That Rock Facebook Page.

Are you or your kids helping to make your school a healthier place? Tell me about it! I'd love to share some stories, especially from schools in the Triad, NC area!

5 Holiday Eating Tips for the DON'T GAIN Challenge!

How are you doing in the DON'T GAIN challenge so far? Black Friday through New Year's Day are the most important days when it comes to healthy holiday eating. What you eat on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day are not the most important. Take those 2 special days to enjoy time with friends and family and eat whatever you want!

It's the days in between that are the most important! If you take the foods and amounts that you eat on Thanksgiving Day and continue eating that way for almost every day (think cookies, creamy vegetables, large portions and sugary drinks) - THAT'S when you start to put on the pounds.

So here are your 5 tips to avoid the weight gain during holiday times:

1. Safeguard your home. There is nothing more important than making sure that your home environment encourages health. This means that you want to avoid temptations and encourage consumption of healthy foods during the holidays.
   •    Keep a minimal amount of baked goods on hand. (Only bake enough to give away or use for one festivity)
   •    Keep baked goods or junk food in closed containers out of site.
   •    Be sure to have plenty of healthy food available.
   •    Keep healthy snacks visible on the counter so you're more likely to eat them.
   
   
2. Eat your Vegetables! Often during holiday times we forget about the basics of healthy eating. For some reason holiday fruits and vegetables are dressed up with lots of sugar and fat. There's nothing wrong with including plain old veggies and fruits in your holiday menu!  It's also important to remember to include vegetables and/or fruit with every meal. Make sure vegetables take up half the room on most of your plate even during the holidays!
   
   
3. Sign up for a 5K or fitness walk. During the holiday season, we often are so busy with the to-do list that our exercise ceases. By signing up for a 5k or other fitness event, it will help to keep your mind focused on fitness goals. Also remember to take a walk before and after big meals and be physically active every day! In Winston-Salem, we have a Mistletoe 5K and 1/2 marathon this weekend. I'm sure there are many opportunities out there! Or, join me for Cancer Services' Polar Bear Ride for Courage on January 1st, 2012. It's one of my favorite events and you will be motivated to do some riding during the holidays to get ready for it!
   
   
4. Prepare for pressure.  During the holiday times, friends, family and co-workers will constantly be offering you treats. Their intention is good, however you cannot eat everything offered to you and maintain good health! Practice saying "No Thank You".  It is not impolite to refuse food or drink offers. Are you worried that refusing will insult the cook? Tell them it looks great and you'd love the recipe but that you are too full to enjoy it right now.
   
   
5. Plan for the must-haves. Think about what foods are really special to you that you really want to eat vs. those that you could probably do without. Potato chips at a holiday party are not a must have! You can have those any time of year. Cookies from a store bought package are not must have's either! Save your calories to eat those foods that you really want.

Mark Your Calendars!

To keep your healthy eating plans going through the New Year - plan to join me on January 17th from 5:30 - 6:30 at the Allegacy Federal Credit Union community room for a "Fighting Cancer With Your Fork" seminar. I will cover the 11 most researched foods when it comes to nutrition and cancer and answer questions. To RSVP, call 336-760-9983 or email me!

Let me know how your healthy holiday is going so far!

- Julie

Wow - there are a few disturbing stories out in the news today and also some very useful ones!

First I'll start with the disturbing stories and get out my rants: 

1. Congress Blocks New Rules on School Lunches (NY Times Article) - I know that things in politics are complicated. But we've got to do something about school meals. They haven't changed in 15 years. Have you noticed what's happened to our kids in the last 15 years? Sadly, childhood obesity is a serious problem. Our kids today are not going to live longer lives than we will. That's a pretty sad legacy we're leaving.
   
2. Americans Are Expected to Keep Getting Heavier (NPR Story) - It is reported that if trends continue as they are now, 83% of men and 72% of women will be overweight or obese by 2020. One cardiologist reported that the reduction in Americans' cancer risk from people who have quit smoking, lowered their cholesterol, and lowered their blood pressure will be canceled out because of the increase in weight, diabetes and pre-diabetes. And let me remind you about how excess weight and diabetes impacts risk for cancer. 

We've got to DO SOMETHING!

This is not just a problem for people who are overweight, or obese. This is a problem for society. Did you notice that health care costs are rising? How can we keep those costs down? By lowered disease risk for everyone!

How can our country lower that risk? We help people make good choices. There are many ways to do that and it's not just about people having the self discipline to "make the right choice". It's about all of us trying to stack the deck so that it's EASY and FUN to make the right choice.

• Do you serve healthy foods for friends and family at home meals, church or work events?
• Do you give kids junk food for treats?
• Do you choose to socialize while being physically active instead of socializing around TV, video games or food?
• Do you give kids toys that encourage them to be active?
• Do you encourage your community to make sure that EVERYONE has easy access to grocery stores or farmer's markets that offer quality produce? (Yes - that's everywhere in town!)
• Do you pay more for quality food products? Your dollar makes a difference.
• Do you pack your lunch and your kids lunch? Here's some tips for packing healthy lunches your kids will eat. I guess that means they are probably good ideas for what you would eat too!
  

I could go on... and on... and on! But the point is, please, please, please: For the health of our country, your neighbor, friend, kid, grandkid... DO SOMETHING!

Here's my challenge to you. Let's start right at home.

DON'T GAIN!

This challenge will start with Holiday Season 2011! The challenge is to NOT GAIN the usual 5 - 15 pounds during the holiday season. NOT GAINING is like losing it in the first 3 months of 2012.... only easier! It's the easiest weight loss plan you've ever tried!

Need to become more educated about holiday eating? Check out this article/quiz on how to cut 1,000 calories from Thanksgiving. Or check out this article on holiday party strategies to avoid overeating.

Maybe we can keep it going to 2020. Because if we all 'DON'T GAIN', then we WON'T have 83% of men overweight or obese in 2020.

For more rants, articles and tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook! Next time, I'll share some tips on holiday eating to keep you motivated to succeed in the DON'T GAIN challenge!

Thanks for listening!
- Julie

Last article, I touched on new research for foods that prevent prostate cancer. The key message was for men to include plenty of cruciferous vegetables into their diets. Interestingly, later that day, I ran across this article that talked more about how to include more cruciferous vegetables into your thanksgiving meal. I'd encourage you to check it out!

Winter Greens

Alright, so it's November and you might be starting to see all different kinds of leafy greens out there. I've been getting several different ones in my CSA vegetable box.

Here's a list of what we've been getting recently:

• Bok choy
• Swiss chard
• Collards
• Kale
• Broccoli rabe
• Mustard greens
• Turnip greens

[FYI - if you live in the Winston-Salem area and are interested in becoming part of our CSA family next year, let me know!]

I admit, it can be really tough to figure out what the heck I'm going to do with them. Similar to many people's problems regarding what to do with winter squash. However, at least with winter squash you can let them sit around for weeks or a month and they're still good. With the greens, you better eat them before they go slimy!

Here are two recipe ideas on what to do with greens. Please share with me what you do with yours! Especially those mustard or turnip greens. They're impossible for me to find a tasty way to fix them!

No Fuss Swiss Chard!

Ingredients:

• Minced garlic
• Oil
• Chard (any kind - rainbow, swiss, yellow)
  
• Salt or soy sauce
  

Instructions:

1. Rinse the fresh chard leaves. Cut off the bottom of the stem (I usually take ~2 inches or so off). Chop the chard, don't bother removing the rib/stalk, it will add a bit of texture to the final product.
   
2. Heat your pan.
3. When the pan is hot, add just enough oil to lightly coat the pan.
4. Once the oil is hot,  add minced garlic (to your taste!)
5. Stir the garlic around in the pan and then add the rinsed chard. The water from the rinsing will help steam it. No extra water is needed! Once it wilts, it's done. Remove from heat and season with salt or other spices.

Note: The cooking the chard part of the process only takes 7-10 minutes (depending on how tender it is). It will wilt quickly and be ready to eat!  You'll know you're overcooking it when it starts to get mushy and yucky.

Steamed Kale - It's SO Good!
(This a Cancerdietian classic, so good I had to share it again!)

In a recent post I told you about the Journal of the American Medical Association article on a study about vitamin E supplementation and prostate cancer. The conclusion was that those who were randomized to receive daily supplementation with vitamin E had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer.

I wanted to make sure you have the most current information on foods that are being studied to prevent prostate cancer. Therefore, that's our topic for today. Be prepared for some weird words, because we'll be talking about phytochemicals!

Glucosinolates

Say What?!? I know, the word sounds crazy. Scientists name them and they are impossible to pronounce! Basically, glucosinolates are natural, sulfur containing compounds. Cruciferous vegetables are actually one of the best sources of these compounds. They form another compound called sulforaphane, which has been studied to interfere with the cancer process.

Research on sulforaphane has shown promising results for the prevention of lung, colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. And according to this article in Today's Dietitian in Oct 2011, a new study found that sulforaphane targets prostate cancer cells and pre-cancerous cells while leaving healthy prostate cells alone. The perfect combination!

The connection between sulforaphane has been studied in labs, in animals and in humans. They are even trying to figure out if it could be used to make cancer treatment medications.

Obviously, this research also suggests that eating cruciferous vegetables can help to prevent prostate cancer.

What Counts as a Cruciferous Vegetable?

There are many vegetables that fit into the category of cruciferous. Broccoli and cauliflower are the most common, but here are some additional ones you will want to include in your diet:

• brussel sprouts
• cabbage
• collard greens
• kale
• kohlrabi
• mustard greens
• rutabaga
• turnips
• turnip greens
• bok choy
• Chinese cabbage
• arugula
• broccoli rabe
• horsradish
• wasabi
• radish
• daikon

Many of these are in season right now. I cannot tell you how many radishes I've had in my fridge for the last few weeks. They've been coming in the vegetable box from my farmer and I haven't had the chance to cook them!

How Much Should I Eat?

There aren't any specific recommendations on amounts that you should eat. I typically encourage men and women to eat 5 servings a week or more of cruciferous vegetables.

I'll try to pull together some good recipes for these powerful vegetables to share. I have been reading through a book by a nutritionist and cook in France called Zest for Life. It focuses on a Mediterranean anti-cancer diet. I used one of her recipes for cabbage wraps the other day and it was great!

I'm thinking of attending one of her cooking classes in France next spring. Anyone want to join me? : )
- Julie

Do you need even more reasons to eat winter squash? How about a yummy cake!?

Here is a recipe from the American Instititue for Cancer Research (AICR), a great organization that focuses on the evidence and studying of nutrition and cancer. It's a very reliable source of information!

I made this cake over the weekend to celebrate my daughter's birthday. I enjoyed some for breakfast this morning as well!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake (for a printer friendly version, click here: Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake)

Ingredients:

• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin purée
• Confectioners' sugar, optional, for decoration

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 8-cup bundt cake or tube pan liberally with canola oil cooking spray.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine two flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in center and set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk egg and white to combine. Add sugar and whisk until dissolved. Add buttermilk, sour cream and pumpkin, whisking to combine all wet ingredients.
   
4. Pour wet ingredients into center of bowl of dry ingredients and, using flexible spatula, mix until they are just combined and still slightly lumpy. Scoop batter into prepared baking pan.
5. Bake cake in center of oven for 70-75 minutes, until surface is browned and straw inserted into center comes out clean and nearly dry. Do not worry about cracks on the surface.
6. Set baked cake on wire rack and cool for 5 minutes. Run thin knife around center post and inside edge of pan. Set plate over pan and, holding in place, invert so cake drops onto plate. Cool completely.
7. If desired, sprinkle cake lightly with confectioners' sugar before serving.
   

Makes 12 servings.
Per serving: 170 calories, 2.5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 33 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 210 mg sodium.

It is really tasty, but if that isn't reason enough, here are some reasons why it so good for you!

Why Is This Recipe So Good For You?

Direct from their website article is the following information on Pumpkin:

"Pumpkin purée is loaded with beta-carotene - a cancer-fighting phytochemical and antioxidant. You can find cans of pumpkin purée in the baking section of most grocery stores.

Beyond baked goods, puréed pumpkin can be blended with reduced-sodium, low-fat broth for a pumpkin soup or with sautéed onions in a filling for pasta shells or tortillas. You can even stir a spoonful or two into low-fat vanilla yogurt for a healthy breakfast or dessert.

Spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg make pumpkin a delicious treat while they add their own phytochemical benefits. And, for this recipe, low-fat buttermilk is called for, but you can simply put a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a 1-cup measuring cup and fill it up with regular low-fat milk instead.

FYI, bundt cake pans are ring-shaped and date back to a favorite European type of cake. Some pans are molded with attractive designs that give the cake a festive look when it is turned out onto a plate and dusted with powdered sugar."

More from AICR

For more delicious recipes that fit a cancer fighting diet, visit the AICR Test Kitchen. OR - Click here to subscribe to their weekly Health-e-Recipes. That's where I found the pumpkin cake!

Enjoy!!

- Julie