Rev-Up Your Immune System Through Nutrition
- At March 11, 2020
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
0
Check out CNN’s video featuring Katherine’s immune-boosting tips:
What you eat profoundly affects your ability to fight disease. With all the nasty bugs going around this cold and flu season, it’s especially important to pay attention to boosting your immune system through nutrition. While every nutrient is important for your body’s ability to prevent and fight disease – from colds to cancer – certain nutrients play key roles:
Found naturally in yogurt and kefir, probiotics nourish your gastrointestinal tract’s microbiome, that is, its microscopic ecosystem of cells called “microbes.” The health of your microbiome can make – or break – your health in every way. Eating foods high in probiotics (and prebiotics) is the best, if not the only, way to make sure your microbiome is filled with those healthy microbes.
But probiotics can’t work alone. To be effective, you also need foods containing prebiotics, certain high fiber plant foods, to create the good health you desire. Prebiotics nourish probiotics. Together they form the critical prebiotic/probiotic duo creating a microbiome teeming with healthy microbes that achieve the superior level of beneficial microbes that fight off chronic and acute diseases.
While not always, microbes usually live in harmony with their human hosts. They inhabit just about every part of the human body, living on the skin, in the gut, and up the nose. The healthy ones, increased with probiotics, are essential for good health and survival.
But there are dangerous ones, too, that cause disease and death. The typical American diet and lifestyle produce more of the disease-causing microbes. Your health and quality of life suffer dramatically when the unhealthy microbes outnumber the healthy ones. The only way to keep that from happening is to consistently nourish your body the right way so you can be as healthy, happy and energetic as possible.
Your prescription:
DAILY eat yogurt or kefir, in whatever form you like best
Protein
Protein is one of the most important nutrients in the human body, second only to water. Bone health, muscle function, muscle strength, muscle mass and immune function — all are impaired with a low protein intake. In fact, the antibodies which are essential to protecting your body against pathogens, are made of protein, so without enough protein, your body has no chance. Certain vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those who already have compromised immune systems, should be particularly careful to eat enough protein – in fact, even more than the recommended dietary allowance – for maximized protection.
Protein can be found in a wide range of foods. Animal protein is in seafood, dairy, meat, poultry and eggs. Vegetarian protein can be found in legumes, soy, vegetables and whole grains. And while it’s true that high-protein foods often bring fat and calories along as uninvited guests, it doesn’t have to be that way. The lowest-calorie animal protein sources are the leanest. Go for eggs, seafood, poultry with no skin, skim milk, nonfat or low fat yogurt, and low fat cheeses are also great options. Soy products also provide great low-calorie options and are high quality proteins similar to animal protein.
Protein foods have other benefits. Fish, legumes, seeds, nuts contain immune-boosters zinc and iron (but in too high quantities, for instance in megadose vitamin pills, can backfire and suppress the immune system). Dairy products (keep them fat-free or low fat) are naturally loaded with magnesium, potassium and calcium – all important for immune function. Beans and soy beans are high in iron, zinc and magnesium.
Fats and Oils
The type of fat you eat can improve the effectiveness of your body’s immune response because fat ends up in all of your body’s cell walls. It acts as a cell lubricant, improves flexibility and communication between cells, and is important for cell metabolism and gene expression. If the fat you eat is saturated – solid at room temperature – as in butter or animal fat – this decreases cellular flexibility and functioning. So, to maximize your immune response, use oils in your cooking, such as olive oil (for drizzling), peanut/nut oils (for high heat cooking), and canola oil (for high heat cooking), and stick with foods high in heart-healthy fats, such as nuts, avocados and fatty fish, which is high in omega-3-fatty acids. Minimize animal fats in dairy products, red meats, butter, cream, or too many foods or desserts containing said ingredients. They increase the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Red meats (pork, beef, lamb) also increase the risk of many cancers, particularly when they’re cured.
Vitamins and Minerals
Studies show all nutrients are involved in your immune response but taking high doses of certain nutrients can cause imbalances, backfire, and actually suppress your immune response. So it’s ideal to get your vitamins and minerals from a nutrient-rich, balanced diet. Though you may benefit from taking a basic multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to cover your bases. And there may be some exceptions depending on your own nutritional status (best to get personalized advice from your dietitian and doctor)…
Vitamin D
New research has found Vitamin D augments the body’s ability to eliminate disease-infecting microbes, and most of us are deficient in Vitamin D, which we get from the sun and very few foods. Your doctor should check your vitamin D status at your next visit to make sure your blood values are adequate to fight infection, among other things. That said, most of us need a vitamin supplement with vitamin D, usually somewhere between 1,000 and 4,000 IU/day. But check your blood values first. They should be somewhere between 50 and 75 for most people. Check out my “Vitamin D” article for more details…
For Those Over 50
Vitamin E
Studies from Tufts University found that vitamin E supplementation may help fight the common cold and other upper respiratory tract infections. The recommendation is about 400 IU/day
Zinc
Zinc helps fuel the production of infection-fighting white blood cells so a lack of zinc reduces immune response and illness recovery time is prolonged. The elderly are particularly vulnerable to deficiencies and may even need more than normal. So here’s another case where a supplement may be useful. When zinc supplements were given in a nursing home, residents reduced their risk of contracting pneumonia, according to researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
Vitamin B 12
Vitamin B 12, another nutrient important for immune function, is poorly absorbed in many elderly patients (and is missing from the diet of vegans) which is why your vitamin B 12 status should be checked by your doctor and you may need a supplement – in the form of an injection. For most of us, though, B 12 is easily obtained and absorbed by eating any animal products.
The following is a list of foods containing key immune-boosting nutrients.
Include them in your diet every day:
High Beta Carotene Foods
Orange and deep green veggies and fruits, particularly…Carrot juice, carrots, butternut squash, pumpkin (or any orange-colored winter squash), sweet potato, greens such as spinach, collards, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, orange melons such as cantaloupe, red peppers, apricots, broccoli, plums, mangos papayas, plantains, Brussels sprouts, watermelon, asparagus
High Vitamin C Foods
Citrus fruits such as orange, lemons and grapefruit, peaches, sweet and hot peppers, papayas, pineapple, strawberries, broccoli,kiwi fruit, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi,
High Zinc Foods
Oysters, lobster, crab, clams, fortified whole grain cereals, beans (legumes such as lentils, chick peas, black-eyed peas, soy beans, kidney beans, limas, pintos), turkey, whole grains such as buckwheat, whole wheat, cracked wheat (bulgur), oats, whole grain cornmeal, wild rice, yogurt, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, mixed nuts, peanuts
High Magnesium Foods
Whole grains such as buckwheat, wheat, oats, cornmeal, barley, brown rice, Also soybeans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, cashews, greens such as spinach, beet greens, fish such as halibut, haddock and flounder and sole species, beans (legumes such as black beans, white beans, soy beans, navy beans, limas, black-eyed, great northern, kidney, chick peas,. lentils)
High Vitamin E Foods
Sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower oil, safflower oil, canola oil, hazelnuts, pine nuts, spinach, turnip greens, beet greens, dandelion greens, canned pumpkin, carrot juice, broccoli, sweet potato, sweet red peppers, mangos, papayas
Cranberries
Have antibacterial qualities. Eat them dried for the highest levels of nutritious compounds
Have a myriad of beneficial health effects. They’ve been shown to boost the immune system, especially in relation to cancer. Called a “drug-botanical interaction,” mushrooms appear to increase the effects of chemotherapy, and lengthen survival.
Mushrooms also reduce fatigue.They act on the muscular system, body antioxidant system, cardiovascular system, hormone system, and immune system, all of which improve liver function, blood circulation, and blood glucose regulation, among other benefits.
Immune-Boosting Eating Strategies
* Eat a lean protein source at every meal – including breakfast, lunch and dinner. 20 grams for women and 30 grams for men is the amount most bio-available per sitting.
* Eat 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day – especially colorful varieties, eat at every meal and snack
* Eat a vegetarian meal every day using beans or soy beans for protein,
* Eat fish high in omega-3-fatty acids, such as salmon, herring, anchovies and sardines, at least two to four times per week, and vegetarian sources such as walnuts, ground flax seeds and canola oil,
* Use canola oil in your cooking and a fresh, newly harvested olive oil for drizzling,
* Eat whole grains at breakfast (such as cereal with skim milk or soy milk) and with sandwiches or wraps at lunch,
* Snacks: Try fat-free yogurt and fruit, fat-free yogurt dip or hummus with veggies,
* Toss nuts/seeds/dried cranberries in your whole grain cereal, your salad or your afternoon yogurt snack
* Skim milk or Soy lattes or teas are great snacks, too…
* Take a multivitamin-mineral supplement daily.
* Take a Vitamin D Supplement so that you are getting 1,000 to 2,000 IU/day
* If you are over 50, but particularly 65, look into supplementing your diet with Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Zinc and probiotics such as lactobacillus in yogurt.
Of course, don’t forget to keep your blood moving by being moderately physically active with plenty of walking, yoga, etc. Get plenty of rest, wash your hands frequently, drink fluids (especially warm fluids which will send light steam into your nasal passages) and spend time with friends and loved ones. Studies have shown these habits increase your ability to conquer diseases – from colds to cancer.
What Eggsactly is the Story About Egg Safety
- At March 26, 2019
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 0
The media thrives on hype and its latest target is the egg, a low calorie, inexpensive, source of protein and hard-to-get nutrients.* It is now being blamed for heart attacks and premature death.
Happily, the overwhelming evidence from many well-respected studies show that it is ok to eat an egg.
The media has focused on a single new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that concluded: “Among US adults, higher consumption of dietary cholesterol or eggs was significantly associated with higher risk of incident CVD [cardiovascular – heart – disease] and all-cause mortality [all causes of death] in a dose-response manner.”
However, a well-regarded review of 17 studies found that: “Higher consumption of eggs (up to one egg per day) is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke.”
Further, the recent JAMA study has been criticized for its weak design. Indeed, the authors admitted that they could not rule out other foods or lifestyle issues causing the spike in CVD and death rates. For instance, did the subjects eat eggs with buttered white toast or bacon, as people often do? If so, there is a large body of evidence showing that buttered white bread or bacon would be the more likely offenders in spiking CVD or early death.
JAMA study results stated that there is this flaw. It said: “The associations between egg consumption and incident CVD … and all-cause mortality … were no longer significant after adjusting for dietary cholesterol consumption.
In other words, eggs may have had little or nothing to do with increasing CVD risk, while cholesterol may have.
Besides the admitted weakness, in the JAMA study, there are other unanswered questions:
Did the researchers analyze red meat intake? It is well-established that red meat is associated with increased CVD risk and all causes of death, and red meat happens to be high in cholesterol. Could the cholesterol in red meat have been responsible? The JAMA researchers said themselves that they could not tease out all factors leading to the increased CVD and death rates they observed.
Did they analyze saturated fat content? Saturated fat is a more established culprit behind heart disease, according to a Harvard study (among many others) and the American Heart Association.
Cholesterol is in all animal foods. And, we know that foods like red meat are strongly linked to CVD and all causes of death – and are also high in saturated fat.
In short, the JAMA study did not shed any further light on what foods are responsible for increased CVD. While any number of well-respected studies show that it is ok to eat an egg.
* Here are some ways you may benefit from eating eggs…
Protein. Eggs are considered the gold standard against which other proteins are measured. Because of the superior amino acid mix, an egg’s seven grams of protein are absorbed easily and efficiently used by the body. The egg is also low-calorie (74 calories).
Choline. Yolks are one of the best sources of this essential nutrient. Choline is needed for brain development in a growing fetus and may also be important for brain function in adults.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin. These two, important, beneficial nutrients found in egg yolks (as well as kale and spinach) help prevent eye diseases, especially cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. While eggs contain less lutein and zeaxanthin than greens, they are more absorbable because of the presence of fat in the yolk.
Vitamin D. Eggs are one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, important for the bones, teeth, and possibly reductions in heart disease, cancer and a myriad of other diseases.
4 Steps for Strengthening Muscles: Some Surprising News
- At August 21, 2013
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 14
I’ve been asked to share my personal regimen. Well, here it is – throughout the article, but also, look at the very end… Along with some personalized strategies for YOU!
One of my 50-something clients, who lost twenty pounds with a few “Diet Simple” tricks, increased pedometer steps, and weight training, confided in me that she feels sexy for the first time in years! On the tennis court, she performs better, is more flexible, stronger and quicker. Who could ask for more in your 40s, 50s, 60s – or even older?
My clients regularly ask me, “How do I maximize my workouts to gain muscle as quickly and effectively as possible?”
My answer: “What you eat and when you eat it profoundly improves your ability to build muscle mass and strength, and new surprising studies show an ancient beverage and a simple stretching routine can make a huge difference, too. Let me explain…”
1. Your Workout
While nutrition is important, the quality of your strength training workout is a key factor for building muscle mass. The National Institute on Aging recommends strength training all of your major muscle groups at least three times a week for 30 minutes. I encourage all my clients to get some kind of strength training so that when they lose weight, they not only look more toned and have more strength (who wants to be a flabby skinny person?), they’re healthier. This can be accomplished by working with a skilled trainer, but also through vigorous yoga and pilates – whenever there is resistance and you work your muscles to exhaustion – that is, you can’t do just one more pushup – you’re building muscle.
It’s also important to build muscle because the more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body burns because muscle mass increases metabolism. That’s why a man who weighs the same as a woman can eat so much more, and will lose weight more easily. He has relatively more muscle so he burns more calories, even at rest!
Studies of 80-year-olds show muscular strength can mean the difference between independence and a nursing home… it improves balance, walking, and reduces falls.
But it’s not easy to build muscle for a variety of reasons.
First, muscle mass declines as you age, starting in your mid 30s. An average person will lose five to seven pounds of muscle between age 35 to age 50 due to disuse. For every pound of muscle lost, you lose the capacity to burn 35 to 50 calories per day. That means if you’ve lost seven pounds of muscle by the age of 50, at 50 calories per muscle, that’s 350 calories you can’t eat just to prevent weight gain, let alone lose weight.
Second, weight loss causes muscle loss. When you lose weight, about half of what you lose is muscle -though you can minimize muscle loss by eating right (so read on!). This makes it even harder to keep the weight off because you’re reducing your muscle and therefore your metabolism as you lose pounds.
This brings us to the obvious: Building muscle as you age, eating the right kinds of foods to make that happen – and to minimize muscle loss as you lose weight – is essential to keeping lean.
Now for the nutrition…
2. Protein
Protein is essential for healthy living. It is one of the most important nutrients in the human body, second only to water. Bone health, muscle function, muscle strength, muscle mass and immune function — all are impaired with a low protein intake. But how much protein do we need?
New research has found that eating the right amount of protein – and at the right times – is essential not only for your health, but also for effective muscle gain and weight loss. Eating enough protein while losing weight is more likely to minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss. Keeping muscle stores high is critical as losing muscle decreases resting metabolic rate, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat.
The National Academy of Sciences, in a recent report, recommended Americans eat at least 15% of their calories as protein but never exceed 35 percent, as that may be when adverse symptoms begin to appear (Low carb diets are often as high as 80% protein, and have many adverse health consequences).
If you’re losing weight or are worried about muscle or bone loss, consider increasing your protein.
How Much Protein? A personalized formula: The studies of aging populations find about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of (2.2 lbs is 1 kg) helps to reduce age-related muscle – and bone – loss. This amount should also be adequate for you to maximize your workouts, especially if you are in your mid-30s or older. Though some in the body-building community believe you can go as high as 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight. You may also need this higher amount if you’re sick or bed-bound to minimize muscle loss.
Example: So, if you weigh 150 pounds, this means the amount of protein you should eat is: 150 lbs (divided by 2.2 lbs per kilogram) = 68 kg; 68 kg X 1.2 grams of protein per kg of ideal body weight = 82 grams protein daily. For the maximum amount of protein, multiply 68 kg X 1.6 grams of protein per kg = 109 grams of protein per day
Where Do I Get Protein? Protein can be found in a wide range of foods. Animal protein is in seafood, lowfat dairy, poultry and eggs. Vegetarian protein can be found in legumes, soy, vegetables and grains. And while it’s true that high-protein foods often bring fat and calories along as uninvited guests, it doesn’t have to be that way. The lowest-calorie animal protein sources are the leanest. Go for seafood or poultry with no skin. Skim/lowfat milk, nonfat/lowfat yogurt, lowfat cheeses are also great options. Soy products also provide great low-calorie options and are high quality proteins similar to meat.
Toss four ounces of poultry or seafood or 12 ounces of spiced tofu into your salad and gain 28 grams of high-quality protein and no more than 150 to 200 calories.
8 ounces milk/yogurt: 8 grams protein
8 ounces Greek Yogurt: 20 grams
1/2 cup cooked beans/tofu: 8 grams protein
1 ounce fish/chicken/cheese (the leaner the meat, the more protein and the fewer calories): 7 grams protein
1 large egg: 7 grams protein
1/2 cup cooked or one ounce dry (1 slice bread) grain: 3 grams protein
1/2 cup cooked or one cup raw vegetables: 2 grams protein
3. Timing is Everything!
Eat a food or beverage high in protein (with some carbohydrate) 20 minutes before, and again, immediately after your strength training workout or after a vigorous cardiovascular workout, such as tennis, swimming, or kayaking, or even just a long walk. When you work out, you break down your muscles. Taking in protein when your muscles are being broken down and are metabolically active will build your muscle mass and strength more effectively. You also need to make sure you hydrate yourself properly!
My personal regimen includes drinking some skim milk before my workout – all you need is about 1/2 cup – and eating yogurt immediately after my workout or after yoga. If I forget the yogurt, I’ll run to the nearest coffee shop after my workout and buy a skim latte for my protein, which contains milk, or soy milk. But, I like yogurt the best: It contains important probiotics which keep your gastrointestinal tract healthy. It also contains high quality protein, carbohydrate, calcium, potassium and magnesium – important nutrients which you need to replenish your muscles. Eating immediately after your workout could have other benefits: It prevents the “extreme hungries” some people feel after heavy exercise, and it could prevent muscle cramps, according to a client who used to have muscle cramps regularly until she started eating yogurt after her exercise.
Current thinking among protein researchers is that protein is most bioavailable for your muscles (and your cells and organs) if eaten in relatively small quantities through the day. For women, 20 grams per meal is what the body can utilize efficiently. For men, that can go up to 30 grams per meal. So, with my personal protein goal being 60 grams per day, I’m sure to have about 20 grams in the morning, 20 grams mid-day and about 20 grams in the evening, as my body may not benefit from more at one sitting.
If you’re a man who needs 100 grams per day, you could spread out your protein intake through the day to 4 meals – separated by at least two hours – of about 25 grams each. So an 8 ounce steak at night, containing 56 grams of protein, just won’t cut it!
A new study found tea improves muscular strength. Tea? Apparently, as we age, oxidative stress and inflammation cause age-related muscle and bone breakdown. Tea’s healthy compounds, called “polyphenols,” reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, preventing this breakdown, and even improve muscular strength and bone mass. In a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, when post-menopausal women with osteopenia (the beginning of osteoporosis – brittle bones) were given tea and/or Tai Chi exercises, after six months, the tea alone caused an improvement in muscle strength and bone-building biomarkers. Learn more about the health benefits of tea… So did the Tai Chi alone – certainly not a rigorous or impactful exercise, which we’ve been taught all along was necessary for muscle and bone building! Apparently, Tai Chi also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress.
With the amazing results of this study in mind, it makes sense that any foods high in anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as fruits and vegetables, may help improve bone and muscle strength. And, if Tai Chi helps improve bone and muscle mass, shouldn’t other forms of meditation or meditative exercise, such as yoga? More research is needed to establish the facts, but these results certainly are promising.
See more specifics of my own personal regimen below!
KT walking in the’hood! In addition to some facts about my own regimen written throughout this article, read more about my personal regimen below… (Photo by Zach Lipson)
In the meantime, I’m drinking tea every day, doing vigorous yoga at least 2 to 3 times a week, working with a trainer once a week, walking A LOT to keep body fat down, at least 10,000 pedometer steps is a daily average, in my posture-improving MBT shoes, from Comfort One Shoe Store (ask for Manager, Shawn O’Neill), eating plenty of yogurt, and my own delicious batch recipes filled with healthy foods found in Diet Simple and Diet Simple Farm to Table Recipes (only $4.95) to keep my muscles and bones strong, and my body in shape!
Healing Nutrition
- At May 06, 2012
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 1
Soupe aux Fraises et Rhubarbe (Photo by Alison Eaves)
It’s scary thinking of my mother going through surgery. I’m especially concerned that she maintain her active life here in Westlake Village, California. Mom has tons of friends, she volunteers at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center, and she and Dad even work as Crossing Guards at local elementary schools. They regularly attend concerts at Hollywood Bowl (she LOVES Pink Martini),visit wineries, well, you get the idea. They may be “retired,” but they’re definitely not retired from living life!
To get her back to fighting form as soon as possible, she’s following my special “Healing Diet.” My healing diet worked beautifully after her hip replacement surgery 5 years ago; she healed quickly, and without the weight gain she dreaded. So I’m back again repeating the performance!
What you eat profoundly affects your ability to recover from surgery or heal from any injury. Everyone’s nutritional needs are different, but there are general rules of thumb for maximizing your body’s ability to heal through foods.
Healing Nutrition Principles
Because you’re sick or recovering from an illness or surgery, you are inactive. That means your calorie need is usually quite low (there are exceptions), but to heal properly, your nutrient intake must be high. It’s challenging to keep calories low, yet nutrients high; but it is very do-able, and I have successfully helped many people (including my mother) recover from surgeries and illnesses without weight gain, and even some weight loss – while at the same time – healing quickly and effectively. To do this, concentrate on nutrient-dense, low calorie healing foods, eaten at regular time through the day.
Protein
Protein is one of the most important nutrients in the human body, second only to water. Protein is critical for healing. Immune function is impaired without enough. The antibodies essential to protecting your body against pathogens are made of protein. Protein builds muscle and tissue, broken down after injury or surgery.Without enough protein, your body has no chance to heal.
Certain vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, children, and those who already have compromised immune systems, should be particularly careful to eat enough protein – even more than the recommended dietary allowance – for maximized protection. Your protein needs should be individualized and, to maximize your body’s ability to absorb and use the protein, should be eaten in small amounts through the day. Stick with lean, low calorie protein sources since you’re not active (see examples below). Learn more about protein…
Fats and Oils
The type of fat you eat can improve healing and the effectiveness of your body’s immune response because fat ends up in all of your body’s cell walls. It acts as a cell lubricant, improves flexibility and communication between cells. If the fat you eat is saturated – solid at room temperature – as in butter or animal fat – this decreases cellular flexibility and functioning. Learn more about healthy, healing fats… Eat healthy fats at each meal, but keep your fat intake low, as fats are high in calories, and since you’re inactive, you must keep your calorie intake low.
5 So-Called Health Foods You Should Avoid
- At March 02, 2012
- By Katherine
- In Articles, News
- 5
Featured on CNN’s Health Minute
Read it to find out why this article went VIRAL!
Recently published in LiveScience.com, published in “The Washington Post,” and broadcast on WOR Radio New York City…
Eating healthy can be harder than you think, thanks to an enterprising food industry that wants us to consume more than we need. That’s because our country’s agricultural system produces twice what most people require – 3,900 calories per person per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. This encourages creative marketing to unload the excess, much of it made with cheap ingredients, having long shelf-lives, and minimal nutritional value – the kinds of “food” with the highest profit margins.
As a nutrition consultant, I know that words such as “low fat,” “high fiber,” “multigrain,” gluten free,” and “natural” can confuse even the most sophisticated customers into believing what they’re buying is healthful. In fact, market research proves it.
What can you do? First, make a habit of reading the ingredients list, not just the Nutrition Facts panel. And remember the following products worth resisting…
Reduced-fat peanut butter
The oil is the healthiest part of a peanut* or a tree nut, containing most of the nutrients, so there’s no advantage to taking it out. In fact, it’s worse because it robs the peanut butter of its health benefits. “Reduced-fat peanut butter has as many calories and more sugar than the regular,” says Bonnie Liebman, nutrition director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Instead: Buy regular peanut butter. Eating one or two ounces of nuts daily is associated with reductions in heart disease and cancer risk. A recent Harvard study showed that eating nuts is associated with lower body weights.
Enhanced water
Sports drinks, diluted soft drinks with salt, are only needed during intense exercise exceeding one hour or in extreme heat. Drinks such as Vitaminwater (c) are essentially sugary drinks with a vitamin pill. They are “unequivocally harmful to health,” says Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard’s School of Public Health. “Whether vitamins dissolved in water have any benefit will depend on who you are and whether you are already getting enough. . . . Some people may be getting too much of some vitamins and minerals if they add vitamin water on top of fortified foods and other supplements.” A recent Iowa Women’s Health Study found an association between certain commonly used vitamin and mineral supplements and increased death rates. But the worst offenders in this category are energy drinks such as Red Bull, Sobe Life Water, or Monster Drinks. They’re not only high in sugar, but most contain stimulants which may be harmful, especially with medical conditions like high blood pressure.
Instead: Drink water, ideally from the tap (“Eau du Potomac,” as it’s known locally). It’s the best drink for hydrating your body, is naturally calorie-free and contains fluoride to prevent tooth decay. No supplement matches the nutrients in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains.
Energy bars
The reputation of these bars, also known as meal replacement bars, is that they are healthy, aid in weight loss or help build muscle. In fact, they are calorie bombs: candy bars with vitamins, protein or fiber added. For most of them, sugar is either the first (predominant) or second ingredient.
Instead: Snack on fruit or veggies for weight loss and yogurt for muscle gain. If you’re hiking a long distance and want a healthful, nonperishable calorie bomb, try nuts and dried fruit.
Multigrain foods
Multigrain breads, crackers and cereals are often the most confusing foods. People see “multigrain” and think “whole grain.” That’s not necessarily so. This is an important distinction because people who eat whole grains have a lower incidence of diabetes, heart disease and cancers, and are less likely to be overweight compared with those who eat refined grains. Note that when “enriched wheat flour” is listed in the ingredients, that’s refined flour.
Instead: Be sure a whole grain, such as whole wheat, whole rye, whole oats or brown rice, is the first and preferably the only grain in the ingredient list. A great example is a cereal listing whole rolled oats as the only grain or a bread listing whole wheat as the only wheat. Alternatively, consider an egg for breakfast. “The huge amounts of refined starch and sugar that many people eat for breakfast, often thinking that this is the healthy choice, does far more damage to their well-being than an egg,” says Harvard’s Willett.
Non-fried chips and crackers
It’s easy to believe these foods are healthful because of labels such as “baked,” “low fat” or “gluten free.” But most are made with refined grain or starch, which provide plenty of calories and few nutrients. Popchips, for example, are a new product marketed as healthful. But the ingredients are highly refined potato flakes, starch, oil, salt and about 14 additional things. Pita chips, made with white flour, oil, salt and several more ingredients, are no better. To boot, research shows that too much refined grains and starches increases the risk for heart disease, cancers, diabetes and weight gain.
Instead: Try Wasa or Finn Crisp Original Rye crackers. They’re 100 percent whole grain and have little sodium. If you’d like a chip, try Terra Chips, made with sliced vegetables, or even a 100 percent whole grain chip fried in a healthy oil, such as olive or canola. Tortilla chips and SunChips are two examples. “Now that trans fats have been removed from most cooking oils, the healthiest part of potato chips is the fat,” Willett says. “And chips made of whole grains rather than potatoes, like Frito-Lay’s SunChips, can legitimately be considered a health food,” so long as you keep to the one-ounce serving size.
*Peanuts are technically a legume, but we call them nuts nutritionally because their nutritional characteristics and health benefits closely match those of tree nuts.
Find this article originally printed in The Washington Post February 28, 2012
Listen to me discuss “Health Foods You Should Avoid” on WOR 710 Talk Radio NYC “The Joan Hamburg Show”
