Cancer Dietitian

Grilling Can Increase Cancer Risk. Cut That Risk With These 4 Easy Tips!

2012-05-14T18:05:32Z

You may or may not be aware that when an open flame touches meat, it forms compounds called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds actually have the opportunity to damage DNA and result in the growth of cancer cells.

This happens under the following two circumstances:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When the cooking method is grilling
When the food item that is cooked is meat (either red meat, poultry or fish)

Don't despair for your Memorial Day cookout though! There are a few easy tips to help you cut the risk.

All tips come from the American Institute for Cancer Research, an evidence based organization that reviews all of the recent studies on nutrition and cancer. Find more information on grilling here.

Get the Red (Meat) Out, Add Other Colors

Focus first on grilling colorful vegetables and fruits, and cut back on the amount of red and processed meat on your cookout menu. Plant foods contain a variety of naturally occurring compounds called phytochemicals, many of which provide their own anti-cancer protection.

Grill vegetables instead of some or all of the meat. The following vegetables are quite tasty when grilled:

asparagus
onions
mushrooms
zucchini
eggplant
corn

Simply cut them into chunks for kabobs, cook in a grill basket or aluminum foil packet, or toss with a small amount of olive oil and grill whole.

Fruit can be great on the grill too! Just cut them in half before putting them on:

apples
peaches
pears
bananas (split lengthwise).

Use fruit that is about a day or two away from being completely ripe so it retains its texture. If you brush fruit or the grill with a bit of oil, it won't stick, and remember to watch closely so it doesn't get overdone.

Marinate the Meat

If you choose to grill meat, switch up they type of meat that you cook. Marinating meat has been shown to reduce the formation of HCAs and it also makes the meat really tasty! Even just 30 minutes in the marinade can help. Keep the meat marinating in the fridge while you get the sides ready.

Partially Pre-cook

You can do this in the microwave, oven or stove to help reduce the amount of time the meat sits on the grill exposed to high heat. For safe food handling, be sure to put the partially cooked meat on the preheated grill immediately to complete cooking.

In this case, the meat still gets the great grilled flavor without having to cook from start to finish over the flame.

Go Slow and Low

The goal for healthy grilling is to reduce the amount of HCAs and PAHs that end up in, and on, the meat. Part of the strategy for this is to slow down the cooking time by keeping a low flame and keep burning and charring to a minimum.

Ways you can do that include:

cut off any visible fat (to reduce flare-ups),
cook food in the center of the grill and move coals to the side (to prevent fat and juices from dripping on them) and
cut off any charred portions of the meat.

Later this week, I'll share a marinade recipe that I used for grilled chicken and a great quinoa recipe using grilled corn. Great for a cookout!

- Julie

Easy Bok Choi Recipe to Try This Weekend!

2012-05-11T18:59:50Z

I've shared the below dressing recipe before in this article highlighting cruciferous vegetables:

Anti Cancer Diet Essentials: Cruciferous Vegetable

This week I was working with a colleague, Jennifer Brown at the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension. They are a wonderful group of people, if you don't know them, you MUST go by! Don 't live in Forsyth County? Pretty much every county has it's own Cooperative Extension office that focuses on healthy eating, gardening and other useful consumer education tools. I hope yours is as good as ours!

Anyway, the point is that we are preparing for a cooking class to teach people how to use seasonal veggies. In May, we still have quite a bit of bok choi, an Asian cruciferous vegetable that sort of combines cabbage and spinach. I have always enjoyed it stir fried with mushrooms.

However, Jennifer found a recipe that you could make Asian slaw by simply cutting it up raw and dressing it. I tried it last weekend. It was really great and quite easy. I suggest you try it yourself this weekend!

Here's the recipe. In my picture you will see I've topped it with grilled chicken. So good!

Bok Choi Slaw with Asian Dressing

Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch of bok choi (or several baby bok choi) - I think I had about 3 medium size ones.
green onion, sliced thin
toasted sesame seeds
sliced toasted almonds

Dressing

minced garlic (2 cloves or so)
olive oil (1/4 cup)
sesame oil (3T)
soy sauce (1/4 cup)
rice vinegar (1/3 cup)

Instructions:

Wash bok choi thoroughly (dirt can stick in the bottom)
Slice bok choi thin. Cut crossways after sliced, if desired.
Mix in green onion, sesame seeds and almonds
Dress with asian dressing!

Enjoy it this weekend before it's out of season!
- Julie

Tea Part II. Is Bottled Lipton® Green Tea Healthy?

2012-05-08T18:59:00Z

You may notice the registered mark - ® - that I included in the title. I will be more conscious about the registered trademarks, thanks to Coca Cola, owners of the vitaminwater® brand. Apparently, this website is now popular enough to draw attention to a post I wrote almost a year ago. They have requested that in the future I refer to the trademarked brand.

To clear the air, I want you all to know that vitaminwater® indeed is a trademarked brand of Coca Cola®. And no, I do not think it's healthy. And Yes, you can make your own healthy water that is much cheaper! For more info, read the original article:

Is Vitamin Water Healthy? Plus a Recipe to Make Your Own!

Tea: Brewed vs. Bottled

Tea Inventory (Photo credit: euphbass)

Anyway, back to our topic of discussion today: Tea. If you missed my last article where I discuss the cancer fighting health benefits of tea, you will want to read it:

Tea - One of the 12 Cancer Fighting Foods

Today, I review information about whether the bottled Green Tea is as healthy as brewing your own.

Back in 2005, Oregon State University released information on green tea. One of the key points they make about bottled tea is that they "have levels of polyphenols and antioxidant activity 10 to 100 times lower than conventionally brewed tea, regardless of whether they are based on green teas or the white teas."

That's not good! Remember that polyphenols are potent antioxidants that make green tea so good for you.

In addition, some of the bottled teas are actually not brewed, but rather made from a tea powder. And just about 99% of the bottled tea on the market is sweetened. (FYI - that is not a statistic that is confirmed by research, but rather my own personal estimate!).

Sweeteners used in the bottled teas are either simple sugars, or artificial sweeteners. Most "diet" teas are actually sweetened and it's very difficult to find a plain, unsweet tea drink in a bottle.

Are Bottled Tea Drinks Healthy?

Bottom line: Bottled tea does not have the same health benefits as brewed tea. For maximum benefit, make your own tea at home. This can include tea from bags or loose leaves. You can even make it iced, or cool by pouring brewed tea over ice or placing in the fridge. By choosing the brewed tea, you get more polyphenols and you can control the amount of sweetener that you might choose to put in it.

This image shows three different tea bags. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another benefit to brewing it yourself? Your wallet! It is much cheaper to make your own. In addition, the environment benefits if you put it in a reusable bottle.

My suggestion: Brew away! Want to know some reader favorites? Here are the ones that Cancer Dietitian Facebook fans recommend:

Jasmine Green Tea from Trader Joe's is my current favorite (this was mine!)
i am addicted to soy chai tea. The kind of organic chai in the bottle
Tulsi Tea...great for dry mouth from radiation.
Good Earth tea! Love it :). Oh yeah, and Ginger tea too!
Genmaicha Green
peach
Chai Spice

For more on tea, check out this article from a cancer survivor and health advocate.

Upcoming Topics

Here are some topics I am planning for the next few articles:

Healthy Grilling
Jicama
Bok Choi
Reader Recipes

Feel free to email me with other suggestions!

- Julie

Tea - One of the 12 Cancer Fighting Foods

2012-04-23T18:32:09Z

Hot or cold, it's good for you! Excessively sweetened? Now that's a different story!

In case you haven't heard, Green Tea is on the American Institute for Cancer Research list of Foods that Fight Cancer.

What is Tea?

500 year old green tea fields, Boseong, Jeollanam-do, South Korea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

With all the different types of tea products out there, it's important to know what the definition of real tea is. True tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. These teas are classified as:

Green
Black
Oolong
White

For more on the different types of tea, check out this article by Registered Dietitian, Tanya Zuckerbrot.

Other types of "tea" that you find in the grocery store are actually herbal infusions and do not include any tea leaves. These include:

raspberry zinger
chamomile
lemon grass
mint
"herbal" tea

Then there are combinations which include some of the true tea leaf and some flower, herb or spice with it. These include:

Chai Tea
Jasmine Green Tea
Earl Grey

Why is Tea Good for Cancer Prevention?

There are so many components of tea that are beneficial for health! Things that you will never find in a pill, that's for sure! Two very potent antioxidants are found in tea, polyphenols and flavonoids.

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, "one class of flavonoids called catechins has recently become the focus of widespread study for their anti-cancer potential. Tea is the best source of catechins in the human diet, and green tea contains about three times the quantity of catechins found in black tea".

In addition, population level studies have shown regular usage of green tea with lower risk for bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers. Although population studies do not show cause and effect, they can give us a picture of where to start when designing future studies.

The good news? There's no risk to drinking tea! That is unless you add too much sugar to it!

Not enough evidence for you?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Check out this list of research studies on Black and Green Tea: http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?keywords=tea&submit=Go&scope=this&news_iv_ctrl=1131&cmd=search&entry=true

What About Bottled Tea?

Are bottled tea drinks as beneficial as brewed at home tea bags? That is a great question. I am asked a lot and of course, I have an opinion.

It's a topic for my next article, so stay tuned! In the mean time, share your favorite tea on our Facebook Page!

- Julie

Lemons and St. Patrick's Day Foods!

2012-03-19T19:05:58Z

I'm a few days late, but I did want to share some healthy, green foods with you in honor of St. Patrick's day!

Healthy Green Foods
Enjoy these green foods for health!

Avocado
Edamame (soybeans)
Kale
Kiwi
Broccoli
Fresh herbs
Green tea
Limes
Cabbage

For more explanation on what makes these foods so healthy, check out this article.

What about artificially green foods?

This is a more complicated topic! I'll have to cover food colorings in more detail in another article, but there is an interesting discussion in this Huffington Post article. I love Dr. Katz's conclusion:

"A lot of questions are asked about how to avoid health hazards associated with any given holiday. I think the best answer is to take care of yourself every day -- and then you can relax and have fun when that special holiday rolls around!"

Great summary!

Email about Lemons:

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Have you received an email from well intentioned friends and family that says this?

"Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells. It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy."

It goes on to claim the following:

"this plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types"
"It is considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is too high and an antidepressant, combats stress and nervous disorders"
"it comes from one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world"

Sound too good to be true? It is!

It would be wonderful if a cancer cure was this simple and affordable! Unfortunately, this email is actually not an accurate representation of any scientific evidence. There was a great review by Snokes here.

The good news is that lemons (and other citrus fruits) are good for you. Drinking some every morning is not a bad idea. An even better idea is to figure out how to include the skin (also called the zest) in some of your cooking. It's great in rice or on fish!

I'll leave you with a belated Irish Blessing that my boss shared with us last week.

Irish Blessing

May you live a long life
Full of gladness and health,
With a pocket full of gold
As the least of your wealth.
May the dreams you hold dearest,
Be those which come true,
The kindness you spread,
Keep returning to you.

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!

- Julie

Berry Compote: A Cancer Fighting Topping for Your Pancakes!

2012-03-08T00:35:29Z

Berries are one of the top 12 cancer fighting foods. I've written on blueberries in the past. The American Institute for Cancer Research covers cranberries in this article. All types of berries are really good for you! Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries have many phytochemicals ("cancer phyters").

I love to share practical ways to include cancer fighting foods into daily eating. Berry compote is a great thing to add to pancakes, waffles or oatmeal and it's really easy. First, I'll share with you how I usually do it. Then, for those who like very specific recipes, I'll share a recipe that seems like it comes pretty close to how I do it.

How to Make Compote: Jessica's Procedure

Ok - so this is really my sister-in-law's idea. Or at least, that's why I started doing it. So we'll call it Jessica's!

Here's what you do: (picture source)

Put frozen berries in a small pot. As many as you want. It's hard to have too many, in my opinion!
Add some sugar if you don't want it be too tart. I don't measure. I just pour a little bit. You can always add more.
Let them cook on medium heat until it's thick and the berries are mushy, stirring regularly. I think it probably takes 15 - 20 minutes or so. Perfect amount of time to cook up some pancakes!
Serve!

The last time I made this, I shared it with my daughter (16 months old). I did not add any sugar at all. It was tart, but I actually thought it was pretty good! Next time, I'll likely just opt out of the sugar.

For those of you who like recipes... here you go!

Berry Compote Recipe from The Food Network

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Combine 1 cup of the blueberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
Cook over a medium heat for about 10 minutes.
Add the rest of the blueberries and cook for 8 minutes more, stirring frequently. Serve warm.

Another Pancake Recipe!

This recipe is from my co-worker, Lindy. I had asked for it last week, when I covered National Pancake Day. She got it for me, but it was 5 minutes after I had posted! So you all can enjoy this bonus pancake recipe to go with your compote. She and her friends swear by it!

Lindy and Friends Swedish Oatmeal Pancakes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 C Old fashioned rolled oats
2 C Lowfat buttermilk
2 T Ground flaxseeds
1/2 C Whole wheat flour
2 T Sugar
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Baking powder
1 T Cinnamon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 T Butter

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk. Let stand at least 30 minutes. (You could make this part the night before and kept in fridge).
In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir them into oats mixture that has been standing. Mix in eggs and butter.
Batter should be thick; add 1 or 2 T more buttermilk if too thick.
Heat oil in pan and pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.
Flip when the pancakes start to bubble in the middle.

I hope you enjoy!

Other News:

First, Be sure to check out my guest article for Moms on Main this week. I highlight the Cancer Fighting Foods in the post that will be published Thursday.

Second, two local Registered Dietitians were interviewed for the Winston-Salem Journal's story on mindful eating. It's a great read!

Last, I want to thank everyone who continues to offer encouraging words. Last week was a first, as I got a phone call of thanks! It warms my heart to hear that our messages of prevention and healthy survivorship are making a difference. It's our mission at Cancer Services and we're honored to be able to share the message with our community!

- Julie

March is National Nutrition Month! Get Your Plate in Shape!

2012-03-01T19:01:56Z

To kick off National Nutrition Month, I have a fellow RD (Registered Dietitian) who is authoring today's article! Barb Andresen, RD, LDN, has many years of experience counseling clients on heart healthy eating, eating for pregnancy, nutrition for families, healthy and well-being and much more! She shares some of her tried and true tips for National Nutrition Month!

Get Your Plate In Shape

National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education campaign created annually in March by the Academy
of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food
choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

Make half your plate fruits and vegetables - great advice, but "how to" increase your intake on a daily
basis takes a bit more finesse.

Here is a taste of the advice I offer my clients who are busy with work and family and trying hard to fill a
better plate. Little effort is needed for a big change!

Tips to Make Half Your Plate Fruits and Vegetables. Recipes Not Needed!

Try some of these ideas on increase the proportion of fruits and vegetables on your plate.

Add fresh or thawed frozen berries to your hot or cold cereal - a serving is 1 cup and adds so many nutrients including phytochemicals and fiber.
Put sliced apples and a handful of berries on top of you salad
Try fresh sliced mozzarella and strawberries on top of romaine and arugula salad for a different spin on salad
Thinly slice Granny Smith apples on a toasted English muffin, sprinkle with cinnamon and melt low fat cheddar cheese on top in the toaster oven (I use Cabot 50% reduced fat cheddar)
Spread low fat vegetable cream cheese on a whole wheat tortilla, slice ½ red pear on top, sprinkle with cinnamon and roll up
Top baked chicken with canned tomatoes and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning
Top broiled lean pork chop with applesauce and a sprinkle of black pepper and cinnamon (I prefer Trader Joe brand Unsweetened Gravenstein Applesauce)
Sauté sliced onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms quickly in a Tbsp of olive oil and mix in bottled pasta sauce, pour over prepared light ravioli (Buitoni or other brand)
Snack on raw sweet potato sticks and red pepper slices, can dip in seasoned Greek yogurt (plan Greek yogurt with Greek seasoning blend)
Slice a banana in half, sprinkle with dried cranberries and drizzle with a tsp of honey
Make a breakfast smoothie with plain greek yogurt, low-fat milk and frozen mango (or any berry)
Put sliced cucumbers on a sandwich instead of pickles, adds crunch and flavor without the sodium
Top a baked potato or salad with salsa (Herdez is a favorite in my house)
Keep a large Ziploc bag or container in freezer and add any leftover vegetables to it. Soon you will have adequate amount to make a quick vegetable soup by adding no-salt added canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil and top with chopped red pepper and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Get creative, involve the whole family and find new ways to use fresh and frozen fruit and vegetables to get YOUR plate in SHAPE!!

Brought to you by Barb Andresen, RD, LDN
BAndresen & Associates MNT Services
336-659-8622 WWW.MyMNT.net

Today is National Pancake Day. Enjoy These Healthy Pancake Recipes!

2012-02-28T13:36:16Z

I heard on the radio that IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day today. Who doesn't love pancakes? There are so many different variety's and toppings, it's hard to not like them!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily advocating for IHOP pancakes. I think it's generous of them to celebrate pancakes and encourage people to donate to charity. However, I can't advocate so much for the nutrition value of their pancakes. Yes, they have a "Harvest Grain 'N Nut Pancake" that is supposed to be whole grain. However, I'm quite confident that it is not 100% whole grain.

Here's the nutrition breakdown for 4 of them:

Harvest Grain 'N Nut® Pancakes

Calories 920
Total Fat 49g
Saturated Fat 11g
Trans Fat 0g
Sodium 1810mg
Total Carbohydrates 95g
Fiber 10g
Sugar 22g
Protein 25g

First off, 920 calories and 95g of carbohydrate at one meal might be a bit much for most people. The pancakes are probably pretty large, so you would be best served having one of them and a side of fruit and an egg. Yeah, right!

Instead of suffering through an experience of only eating one "not really whole grain" pancake when you have a stack of 4, why not celebrate National Pancake Day at home. You can still donate to charity!

Healthy Pancake Recipes

Try these two recipes and see what you think. If you're the "pancake mix" convenience kind of cook, there are some great whole grain pancake mixes. I've tried Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Grain Pancake & Waffle Mix and we've really enjoyed it. I've also had a friend who made jars of pancake mix to give away as gifts. It was great! All we had to do is add milk, eggs and a little oil. Just make sure that if you purchase a mix, read the ingredient list for whole grains. If it says 'enriched', then it's not whole grain.

pancakes front and center (Photo credit: digiyesica)

Pumpkin Pancakes

Use canned pumpkin puree, freshly prepared puree, or frozen puree which has been thawed.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (if you don't have whole wheat pastry flour, you can use 1/2 cup all purpose and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup molasses or maple syrup
3-4 tablespoons fat free buttermilk or skim milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans or hazelnuts, optional

Instructions:

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat egg slightly. Add pumpkin or squash puree, molasses or syrup, milk or buttermilk and melted butter or margarine. Mix until smooth.
Blend in the dry ingredients all at once. Mix until batter is smooth. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes or more.
Stir nuts into batter, and add additional tablespoon of buttermilk or milk if batter is too thick.
To make pancakes, spoon a heaping tablespoon of batter onto a lightly greased preheated griddle or heavy skillet. With the back of the spoon, flatten batter to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cook slowly until bubbles appear on top and bottom is golden brown. Lift edge to check. Turn and cook until other side is golden brown.
Place on a platter and set platter in a warm oven. Continue making pancakes until all batter is used. Makes about 24, 3-inch pancakes. Serves 4 to 6 people.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg

Directions:

Place flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, buttermilk, vanilla, oil and egg in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour the the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Healthy Pancake Toppings:

Here is something that my husband and I do to make our pancakes even healthier. Rather than topping with butter and syrup, we often will top with one of the following (or a mix):

yogurt
marmalade or fruit jam
peanut butter
honey

And we almost always top that with some fresh or frozen fruit! Or even better, we make a berry compote. But that's a recipe for another article!

Happy Pancake Day!
- Julie

Is Chia a Superfood? Can it Prevent Cancer or Diabetes?

2012-02-14T17:00:00Z

Who knew!?! Chia seeds are not just to make little terra cotta pot animals known as "Chia Pets". I can already hear the commercial jingle... "Ch Ch Ch Chia!".

Image by misterbisson via Flickr

I decided to cover this topic because in two weeks, I've had people ask about Chia seed in two completely different presentations!

I did some research on what I could find out about the plant. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

"Chia seeds come from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, a member of the mint family. Salvia hispanica seed is often sold under its common name "chia" as well as several trademarked names. Its origin is believed to be in Central America where the seed was a staple in the ancient Aztec diet. The seeds of a related plant, Salvia columbariae (golden chia), were used primarily by Native Americans in the southwestern United States."

Nutrition Benefits of Chia

The following nutrients are found in Chia seeds:

protein
fiber
calcium
omega 3 fats
antioxidants

Chia has been studied for several different health related issues including:

glucose control
cholesterol management
weight loss

I could not find any good studies on Chia and cancer. However, the following 2 studies are from 2009 and give a summary of what was found regarding Chia and health:

Chia seed does not promote weight loss or alter disease risk factors in overweight adults. No group differences were measured for changes in blood EPA and DHA. Pre-to-post measures of body composition, inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure, and lipoproteins did not differ between chia and placebo for both sexes. In conclusion, ingestion of 50 g/d chia seeds for 12 weeks by overweight/obese men and women had no influence on body mass or composition, or various disease risk factor measures. [Nutrition Research Journal 2009].
Dietary chia seed (Salvia hispanica L.) rich in alpha-linolenic acid improves adiposity and normalises hypertriacylglycerolaemia and insulin resistance in dyslipaemic rats. The present study provides new data regarding the beneficial effect of chia seed upon lipid and glucose levels in an experimental model of dislipidaemia and insulin resistance. [British Journal of Nutrition, 2009]

Basically, a human study found no changes in body mass or disease risk over 12 weeks. The other study, on rats, showed a benefit to lipid levels and insulin response.

What's The Bottom Line?

Chia seeds are a good sources of healthy nutrients. While there's not consistent evidence that it will significantly improve your health, it doesn't appear to be harmful. I say it's worth a try. Let me know what you think!

How can you use it? Chia seeds work well as an addition to yogurt, sprinkled on cereal, and in smoothies.

Warning! Because they are a good source of fiber, they are best introduced starting with 1 or 2 Tbsp per day. Otherwise, you might be dealing with some gas and abdominal discomfort!

Want to read more evidence based information regarding Chia? Check out these articles:
What are Chia seeds?
Dietitian writes on Chia

Share your thoughts and recipes on the Cancer Dietitian Facebook Page!
- Julie

Bring Your Lunch Ideas

2012-02-03T20:33:55Z

Lunch is sometimes just something to get you from breakfast to dinner. There are days when you have to eat something, and just about anything will do. I had one of those days this week with our kitchen at home under construction. Bringing lunch has been an extra challenge and has NOT been happening!

I went out for a day or two, but by Thursday, I didn't want to go anywhere, I just wanted to eat. And had almost nothing. So... I ate peanut butter on bread (we had some in the office). And then I had a 'dessert' of frozen berries that I microwaved. Unfortunately, I had put them in the work freezer about a year ago. They weren't bad... but they weren't good either! At least I had something.

Then I got this email from a friend-

"One of my 'resolutions' for February is to bring my lunch to work more often (or ya know.. at all...) but I hate frozen lean cuisine-type lunches, and am not sure what would be easy besides sandwiches... I would love any ideas you have, for good, easy, healthyish lunches!"

And what did I think? HEY! That would be a great article for the website! And then... I wrote her back. : )

Don't Miss Out on Cancer Fighting Lunches!

First off, remember that in order to get at least 4 cups of fruits and vegetables (combined) each day, you need to include them at EVERY MEAL. That means that you should aim to get 1 cup of vegetables and a fruit at lunch. That's a good starting point for your meal planning.

If you don't plan to get some fruits and veggies at lunch, then you probably won't get them. And it will be hard to make up for that after you get home at night. My 'last-minute-ditch-effort-lunch' wasn't too bad after all. I probably had a cup of berries (freezer burn and all) but I was lacking vegetables. On the positive side, at least it wasn't 6 cookies, a bowl of pretzels and a milkshake!

Healthy 'Bring Your Own' Lunch Ideas

lunch-2007-04-03a (Photo credit: flakyredhead)

Here are the things I suggested to my friend plus some extra that I have come up with since doing a little more thinking and research:

Leftovers - this is my FAVORITE! It's pretty easy to put food away after you cook in the evenings and store them into lunch size containers. If you have a lot of leftovers, you can even freeze them in lunch size portions. This is also good for your budget! The most common leftovers that I take to work are soups (try the minestrone soup recipe) (I freeze it in pint size jars), chili (toppings optional if you have time to grab some - cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes), and casserole or curry (get a recipe here for chickpea curry)
Sandwich - Egg Salad (recipe here) PB&J (or PB & banana) with veggies leftover from night before, or carrots and peppers
Carrots and crackers dipped in hummus with some fresh fruit
Beans and rice topped with roasted peanuts.
Veggie Burger on sandwich thin, wrapped in tortilla or on a bagel
Trail mix, salad, 1% milk
Burrito - bean, cheese, salsa, chopped lettuce, guacamole or avocado wrapped in a tortilla - can be made in bulk and frozen. They are great reheated in the microwave!

I came up with a few other ideas, including the following recipe, from Fitness Magazine's article on 20 lunches under 400 calories.

I really like this recipe idea because I think it's so easy. Most of the things you can buy ready to eat and you just have to throw it together. You can even skip the dressing and just use oil and vinegar. Voila!

Greek Chopped Pita Salad

2 cups romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
1 whole wheat pita, chopped
2 tablespoons low-fat vinaigrette

Emergency Lunch Back Up

Another important aspect to bringing your lunch is the back up plan for when you forget it at home, or don't have time to pack. Hence... why I had frozen berries in the fridge from one year prior. My suggestion though... eat them up sooner!

Here are the things I keep at work:

cans of Annie's soups (Costco had sold some in packs of 8)
fruit (dried, fresh or frozen)
individual packs of flavored oatmeal
100 calorie packs of popcorn
peanut butter
crackers
tea bags (not necessarily a lunch item, but great to have around!)

You can even bring some things in on Mondays to last for the whole week. Or get together with your co-workers for who is going to bring what and then the office can share!

Share your lunch ideas on the Cancer Dietitian Facebook Page, or comment here!

- Julie

New Cancer Fighting Food: Apples!

2012-01-23T20:48:47Z

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away!

Image via Wikipedia

I think we've all heard that saying since early in life! In the more recent future, apples were given a bum rap. Remember when everyone was carb-o-phobic (some people still are!) and would generalize by saying "don't eat anything white"? Or they would say that "apples are nature's sugar water"?

I kind of felt sorry for apples. Maybe generic apple juice isn't the healthiest choice, but that doesn't mean that apples aren't nutritious! Although I can't find anyone who was a witness, I remember saying to a group that apples were going to be the next 'superfood'. I figured the Apple Council (I assume that actually exists!) was going to get together to fund some research highlighting the health benefit of apples!

I'm happy to say that the day has come for apples to be highlighted! I was updating my 'Fighting Cancer With Your Fork' seminar and noticed that Apples and Winter Squash were recently added to the American Institute for Cancer Research's "Foods that Fight Cancer" list.

Why Did Apples Make The List of Cancer Fighting Foods?

Apples are the second most common fruit consumed in the US (bananas are the first). Apples contain many phytochemicals that scientists look at for their cancer preventive effects. The peel of the apple contains a third or more of its phytochemicals. Most of the quercetin and triterpenoids are found in the peel.

But don't give up on the flesh of the apple. Although it's the 'white' part that gives it a bad name, the middle of an apple has a good amount of the fiber, pectin. Your GI tract uses the pectin to produce compounds that protect colon cells.

This is particularly important because your GI tract is in charge of making sure that the right compounds are transferred from into your blood. You want to keep it healthy! And no, a colon cleanse is not the best way to keep your GI tract healthy. That's another article in itself!

Apples are a good source of:

Fiber
Vitamin C
Quercetin (a flavonoid that shows anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties)
Other flavonoids, including epicatechin and, in red apples, anthocyanins
Triterpenoids

Diets high in fiber have convincing evidence in lowering the risk of colorectal cancer. Diets high in fruits have probable evidence in lowering risk of mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, lung and stomach cancer. Diets containing vitamin C have probable evidence for lowering risk of esophageal cancer.

Apple, Avocado and Walnut Salad Recipe

This recipe looks great, easy to make and tasty. I like pretty much anything with avocado in it! The recipe is from Conner Middelmann-Whitney, author of Zest for Life: The Mediterranean Anti-Cancer Diet. FYI - the cookbook is on sale right now for $9.99 or $6.99 on kindle. I've been working through a copy of it. There's good information and great Mediterranean recipes!

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed
1 apple, cored and cubed
1 rib celery, cubed
1 T dried cranberries
1 T walnuts, chopped
2 T chopped parsley
1 T lemon juice
1 T walnut oil (I don't typically have this in the pantry, so if I didn't have time to go to the grocery store, I'd probably substitute with another oil - I'm sure it wouldn't taste the same though!)
1 T olive oil
1 t honey (Conner suggests acacia honey - I honestly am not sure what the difference is. If any of you know, feel free to enlighten me!)
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a small serving bowl, combine apples, celery and avocados and sprinkle with parsley, cranberries and walnuts.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk oils, lemon juice and honey
Pour dressing over fruits and vegetables, toss lightly and serve immediately.

YUM!

When I knew I wanted to highlight apples, I asked Conner if she had a cooking video for Apples. She kindly recorded this video of her recipe! She even adds some tips on ways to make the recipe extra special for guests. You could probably use baby spring mix for lettuce if you don't have the kinds that she mentions. Although, I have grown arugula in my yard. It grows quite easily around here!

I hope you're convinced... Apples are GOOD FOR YOU! Eat them!

- Julie

Is it Possible to be Fit AND Overweight? Healthy At Every Size Debate

2012-01-12T14:30:21Z

Image via Wikipedia

I don't like the word "fat" as an adjective. It's fine as a noun. There are a lot of negative meanings that go along with describing a person as fat. Alternatively, "skinny" is mainly used as a compliment. But a skinny body is not always a healthy body! Here's a comment I posted on the Cancer Dietitian facebook page a few weeks ago:

"Soapbox: Skinny is not the only healthy body type. Skinny does not necessarily mean healthy. One cannot tell how healthy someone is simply by looking at them!"

I had a follower who commented that she had lots of people say they wish they were thin like her. She is a cancer survivor who has an awesome attitude. She has been through many surgeries and eating issues, from feeding tubes, to supplement drinks. Her response to people who say that: "Really?!! You sure about that?!!". (... at least that's what she wants to say!)

For her, putting on weight is a challenge, and one that she probably wishes she didn't have to spend so much time working on!

Skinny is Not the Only Healthy Body Type

Yes, skinny is A body type. But it does not hold the monopoly on healthy. And many skinny people are not healthy! Just because someone is skinny doesn't tell you their body composition. They could be mostly fat, or mostly muscle. They could be weak, or strong. They could be not eating because of stress, or depression, or illness.

I've known people to "get skinny" when they were going through a personal crisis. To me, someone becoming skinny can be a red flag that something isn't going so great.

So let's talk about other body types.

Banana - This is the typically skinny body type. Pretty thin all around!
Pear - This is the body type that carries extra weight in the hips. More women than men have this body type.
Apple - This is the body type that has thin legs and carries extra weight in the mid section. More men than women have this body type

You've probably heard of the "pear vs. apple" where experts have found better health in people with pear shape over people with apple shape. This is mainly because the apples tend to carry any excess fat in the mid section around their organs, where the pear shape carries any excess fat on their hips.

At any rate, the point is that there are many different healthy body types!

That raises the question.

Can You Be Overweight or Obese and Fit?

Everyone knows that being overweight or obese raises your risk for disease. There are certain cancers that have been shown to be at higher risk in people who are overweight.

But there are some overweight or obese individuals who are careful to eat a health promoting diet and get regular physical activity. They have healthy cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Are they healthy?

Much of the previous research has answered that question pretty clearly. No. But according to an article in the January 2012 issue of the Environmental Nutrition Newsletter, a recent study actually found that overweight, high-fitness (determined by exercise testing) participants had a much lower risk of dying compared with normal-weight, low-fitness subjects. Yes, it determined that the overweight participants were actually healthier than the normal-weight participants!

For now, there's not enough evidence to support the idea that everyone could be obese and have good quality of life and lower disease risk. But, no matter what, we all should be making choices to promote a healthy and fit body! That means:

Eating a mostly plant-based diet.
Exercising at least 30 minutes each day. That's 10,000 steps, if you use a pedometer.
Get 7-8 hours of sleep each night.
Get regular check ups with your doctor.

From now on, let's start complimenting people for their healthy behaviors, not how their body appears from the outside!

Fighting Cancer With Your Fork

I will be presenting a Fighting Cancer With Your Fork seminar this coming Tuesday, January 17th from 5:30 - 6:30pm at Allegacy Federal Credit Union community education room. Come learn about the 11 most researched foods when it comes to nutrition and cancer! And a preview of the 12th food, recently added by the AICR!

RSVP or get more information on our event page. If you're not local, I'll be writing an article on the newest addition next week!

I hope to see you there!

- Julie

Newtrition = Nutrition in the New Year! Trends for 2012

2012-01-06T15:09:25Z

I think I just made up a word in trying to decide what to title this article! So here it is: Newtrition! What's my definition? I'm defining it as trends in nutrition for the New Year 2012. I've been reading a few New Year's articles and wanted to share the highlights of what I'm seeing.

Diet Trends for 2012

The first highlight is from Environmental Nutrition: The Newsletter of Food, Nutrition & Health.They have 13 trends listed in their Jan 2012 newsletter, but I'm going to just highlight #13:

Fed up with nutrition misinformation.
"The information super highway may be a bog of myths, urban legends, and unscientific information on nutrition, but look for a growing new appreciation for science-based, practical nutrition information."

I'd like to congratulate all of you regular readers. This is not a 2012 trend for you! It's the reason I started writing articles. So many times I would have nutrition consultations or give a class and my clients were confused about the unscientific information on nutrition. Thank you for inspiring me years ago to provide good, science-based, practical nutrition information!

Image via Wikipedia

Start 2012 Off Right

The next highlight is actually 2 different ones from the Environmental Working Group (EWG). I like how they help consumers to make the connection between nutrition and the environment. This is often lost in our culture now where food is typically farmed away from us. Much of the time kids have no idea where food comes from!

I've shared before about the Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce. While there has not been consistent data linking organic foods to better health outcomes, many of my clients are interested in avoiding pesticides whenever possible. Who really wants to eat pesticides anyway?

Be sure to download the guide for your phone or to print and take with you to the grocery store. It tells you the 12 foods that are most contaminated by pesticides and the 15 that are least contaminated!

A Guide for Meat Eaters

I think the theme of my articles comes through pretty clearly. EAT MORE VEGGIES. i.e. eat less meat.

This highlight also comes from the EWG. They report that Americans consume 60% more meat than Europeans. And I've told you all before... on average, American's eat twice as much meat as their bodies need!

Producing all this meat and dairy requires large amounts of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, fuel, feed and water. It also generates greenhouse gases and large amounts of toxic manure and wastewater that pollute groundwater, rivers, streams and, ultimately, the ocean.

Yuck! It doesn't have to be this way. You can do something about it! Enter... the EWG's Eat Smart: Meat Eater's Guide. For those of you who do choose to include meat into your diet, this guide helps you choose the type of meat that has less negative impact on our environment.

3 Minute Office Workouts

This highlight is from AICR, my favorite place to go for evidence-based nutrition and cancer information!

They made this video with information on how you can get a 3 minute workout right at your desk! Awesome!

3-Minute Office Workouts from AICR on Vimeo.

My office mate and I just tried them out. They're pretty good! Our tip is to make sure you're not using a chair with wheels or you might be filing a worker's comp claim!

I hope you enjoy these Newtrition Tips for 2012!

- Julie

Cancer Fighting Cabbage Recipe, Survey Results and Couragous Survivor Story

2011-12-27T12:40:38Z

I trust that you all are having a nice holiday! Hopefully getting some quality time in with family and friends and not spending too much time here on the internet! Technology is useful and handy, and there are definitely times that I need to get away from it.

Survey Results
Thank you to those who took the Cancer Dietitian Reader Survey. I had just over 100 completed, which was my goal. We have a lot of good information from the responses, including great ideas for future articles! For those who are interested, check out this page with the results.

Easy Roasted Cabbage Recipe!
Cabbage is another type of cruciferous vegetable. I guess third time's the charm, because this is the 3rd cruciferous vegetable recipe that I've written in a row! Brussels Sprouts and Kale are also in the same cancer fighting category!

Image by bgblogging via Flickr

My dietitian friend told me about this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. Check out the site for recipe pictures and more info. I love the recipe because I've been getting a cabbage (or two!) in my vegetable box every week and don't always have the time to chop it or shred it. This recipe only requires washing and cutting it into 8 wedges, then it's ready for roasting!

Roasted Cabbage With Lemon

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized head of green cabbage
2 T olive oil
2-3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
lemon slices, for serving cabbage (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick spray or olive oil.
Cut the head of cabbage into 8 same-size wedges, cutting through the core and stem end. Then carefully trim the core strip and stem from each wedge and arrange wedges in a single layer on the roasting pan (leave some space around them as much as you can.)
Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice. Then use a brush to brush the top sides of each cabbage wedge with the mixture and season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Turn cabbage wedges carefully, then brush the second side with the olive oil/lemon juice mixture and season with salt and pepper.
Roast cabbage for about 15 minutes, or until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Then turn each wedge carefully and roast 10-15 minutes more, until the cabbage is nicely browned and cooked through with a bit of chewiness remaining.
Serve hot, with additional lemon slices to squeeze lemon juice on at the table if desired.

I've made this 3 times in the last week. Yes, I had a lot of cabbage, ha! The first time I made it, I was out of olive oil and lemon juice, so I used canola oil and lime juice. My husband liked the lime juice version better! I like the original recipe. Let me know what you think!

Courageous 26 Year Old Cancer Survivor Shares His Story
You won't want to miss Ron's story. His courage during a difficult cancer diagnosis is inspiring and reminds you how small things can make a big difference!

Don't forget to make your year end contribution to Cancer Services, helping make this website possible! Thank you to those who are regular donors! Everything Cancer Services does is delivered at no charge. What's more, 90 cents of every dollar goes to survivor programs and community services.

Thank you for caring for survivors!
- Julie

Recipe for Kale Chips - They're So Good!! Bonus - Cancer Services Short Film

2011-12-16T01:20:20Z

Greetings! If you're like me, you like local stuff. Food, crafts, businesses, farmers. One of our clients (a regular reader of this website too!) referred to supporting Cancer Services as "Buying Local". I love it! Not only are we a local agency (no national or state-wide affiliations), but we had a local artist, Mike Foley, create an awesome short film about Cancer Services called:

Facing the Boogie Man

I've been known to watch it through a couple of times whenever I need a little inspiration. You can't help but move with the rap at the end! And I get goose bumps each time I watch it. We hope you are inspired by too :).

How is Cancer Dietitian sustained?

As I mentioned before, there are no advertisements on this site. Why? Well, I started out with Google ads. I thought the site would be a good way to bring in some income (as most blogs do!!). However, the ads that came up with my articles were selling things that I would not recommend. And I had no control over the ads.

The ads had to go because I feel strongly that this website should be an unbiased and consumer oriented site providing evidence based information on nutrition and cancer. End of story.

Enter Cancer Services! When I started working for the agency (4 months after starting the website), I had the opportunity to use it as part of our education programs. Amazing! But, just as everything else in life, nothing is free; someone has to pay for it.

Cancer Dietitian is supported solely by Cancer Services, Inc. a local, community non-profit agency in Winston-Salem, NC. Thirty percent of our budget is supported by individual donors. Another large group of supporters are volunteers. We have 300 volunteers who provide over $400,000 worth of services with their time. We love both types of Go Givers and could not do what we do without them!

Do you want to become a Go Giver for Cancer Services? There are two easy ways. Chose one or both!!

Giving a donation of any amount will help continue the Cancer Dietitian website and many other programs. 90% of all moneys go directly to programs and client services! Donations are 100% tax deductible. We appreciate any support you are willing to give!
For readers in our local area, become a Go Giver volunteer! Here are our volunteer needs.
There's actually a 3rd option. Do you know of a business who would like to be a sponsor? We have many sponsorship opportunities including this site! Of course, all sponsorships are tax deductible as well and your business would be recognized. Let me know if you need more information.

Thank you for reading this site, sending me emails, encouraging me and sharing your recipes and ideas. It's part of what makes my job so amazing!

Now... what you're really here for... :-P

Kale Chips Recipe

They're so easy. And SO GOOD! I can't believe I have never made them before. What is wrong with me??

Anyway - here's a mental picture for you. 2 dietitians (one does food demonstrations for Whole Foods in W-S). 5 bunches of greens. 3 recipes. Trust me... this was the best one, by far! :).

Instructions:

Rinse (and dry!) Kale. Tear it into pieces. Or buy in one of those packages that has it already rinsed and cut.
Toss with olive oil and salt.
Lay on baking sheet (don't stack on top of each other).
Bake @ 375, checking every few minutes until they are crisp, like chips! I didn't mind the little bit browned taste, but they can burn FAST if you're not watching!

That's it!! And they're good the next day too. Even our 1 year old liked them. Her first chips! :)

Thank you again for all your support and encouragement!

- Julie