Blog - Susan B. Dopart M.S., R.D.

Entries in heart disease (11)

Tuesday

Apr062010

Eating with Utensils...A Lost Art to Good Health?

Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 8:55PM

After watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution one gets a clear picture of the sober situation of food and weight issues in America. The show starts out by Jamie trying to make changes in a town called Huntington, West Virginia – coined the unhealthiest city in America.

The series opens with Jamie trying to modify elementary lunches from processed fake foods to real whole foods. The high resistance to change radiates from the kitchen staff to the superintendant of schools to a DJ who is quite influential in the community.

Jamie meets the most heat when he requests that the children eat with forks and knives versus just a spoon and their hands. No utensils are used since the children are eating pizza, chicken fingers and French fries. When they are shown different vegetables the children are not able to identify them. In fact, one appalling statistic is that a pile of French fries is counted as 2 vegetable servings per child.

When the forks and knives are taken out the children need to be taught how to use them. Is the skill of using utensils becoming a lost art?

You need utensils to eat real healthy food. Without these basic skills we are creating a lifestyle where older children eat their food with one hand and use the other hand to text or play games. This creates a perfect storm for mindless eating.

Mindful healthy eating requires utensils. Continuing to feed our children processed fake foods is creating a generation of children with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease who will have shorter lives than their parents. Eating fruits, vegetables and food made from scratch rather than out of a box with multiple ingredients is the mission of Food Revolution which will hopefully change food in school lunch programs.

It is our responsibility at home and in the schools to educate, equip and model how to eat and appreciate the benefits of healthy real food. It is an investment this country cannot afford to pass up.

If we can teach our children at an early age to eat with utensils and enjoy whole real food we might start to get a hold on obesity in America….resulting in mindful eating and good health. Remember, it's prevention not prescription.

Susan Dopart |

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Friday

Mar192010

Peel over Pill for Prevention

Friday, March 19, 2010 at 10:45AM

After attending the Natural Foods Expo in Los Angeles you might have been led to believe the way to eating “naturally” is to pop a pill or drink a beverage laced with green tea extract, quercetin, or Curcumin. These hot breaking news nutrients can have tremendous benefits for your health.

But are taking supplements really “natural?” Can we take what is in Mother Nature and replicate the benefits in a pill? So far the research is leaning towards eating your nutrients. However, the lure of a magic pill for benefiting your health remains. Here’s what we know right now:

So far we’ve identified about 13,000 nutrients in foods known as phytochemicals or phytonutrients. Phytochemicals are substances that plants naturally contains to protect themselves against sunlight, bacteria or viruses and oxidation – kind of like a natural sunscreen. Simply put, once we eat these plants, our immunity increases, and we become more resistant to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and other medical problems.

It is estimated there are over 100 phytochemicals in just one serving of a fruit or vegetable. For example, a carrot can contain as many as 100 different carotenoids, whereas a beta carotene supplement has only one type of carotenoid. Furthermore, you receive the benefit of the fiber and fullness of the actual food when you eat the carrot.

Apples contain the phytonutrient quercetin. Extensive research by food scientist Rui Hai Liu at Cornell University found that both the apple skin and the fruit contain nutrients to help lower cholesterol and inhibit or kill cancer cells.

Curcumin is responsible for the yellow color in the popular Indian curry spice turmeric. Known for being an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant, some research shows turmeric can be helpful in preventing development of medical issues related to oxidative damage such as cancer and heart disease.

UCLA Neurologist John Ringman studied Curcumin supplements in Alzheimer’s patients. The study results showed no differences in patients treated with Curcumin supplements versus a placebo. However, this study and others do show Curcumin has poor or uncertain absorption when taken in supplement form versus used as a food spice.

Tea contains a type of phytonutrient called EGCG. Green tea contains the most EGCG of all the varieties of tea. However, all tea leaves are good sources. EGCG has been linked with a lower risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. It is also associated with reduced rates of prostate, stomach and colon cancer. However, studies to date show drinking the tea has the most potent and effective benefits.

The discovery of nutrients in foods is ongoing. The research shows eating your phytochemicals through food instead of popping a pill is currently the path to health and definitely more “natural.” I guess Mom was right when she told us to eat a balanced diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Make sure to consume a mixture of color to obtain your phytonutrient needs. Remember, it’s prevention, not prescription!

Susan Dopart |

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Sunday

Mar072010

Curcumin - Supplement or Tasteful Spice?

Sunday, March 7, 2010 at 4:10PM

If you had an ailment 3000 years ago, more than likely you might seek a cure from a medicine doctor. These doctors treated anything from general wounds and infections, to more severe medical afflictions. A key treatment might have included the brightly colored spice turmeric. Curcumin is responsible for the yellow color in this Indian spice, along with curry powder.

Current research is focusing on the beneficial properties of Curcumin. Curcumin has been studied for its role in prevention of both Alzheimer’s disease and cancer since it is a powerful antioxidant with strong anti-inflammatory benefits. It is now thought that one of the keys to lowering risk of cancer, diabetes or heart disease is to lower inflammation in the body.

A few epidemiological studies (ones in which an association exists between two things) revealed that individuals consuming foods with turmeric or curry a few times a month has less incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive problems than those who ate the spices less than once a month.

Research does show the supplement Curcumin has the potential to interact with blood thinning agents, NSAIDS (i.e. Motrin/Advil) and prescription medications metabolized by the liver. In addition, this supplement is not recommended for those with liver or gallbladder disease.

Still to this day in India turmeric is referred to as “holy powder” for its health benefits. Since turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, why not include it in your regular diet? However, instead of grabbing a supplement, reach inside your spice cabinet and create a tasty recipe using turmeric or curry, which has the potential to benefit your health and possibly lower risk of Alzheimer’s and cancer. That sure beats visiting a medicine doctor.

Susan Dopart |

Dark Chocolate Also Good for Beauty?

Sunday, February 21, 2010 at 2:57PM

One of the sweetest parts of writing A Recipe for Life had to be the section on dark chocolate and all its incredible health benefits. This mornings beauty section of the Los Angeles Times has an interesting read on dark chocolate's health AND beauty benefits so of course I had to get the scoop.

Dr. Steven Pratt, a physician at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, discusses why dark chocolate is a super food. Dark chocolate contains nutrients known as flavonoids that can actually relax your blood vessels which lower blood pressure and in turn lower your risk of a heart attack. Sounds like a no brainer to me. Eat dark chocolate and lower your risk of heart disease? One catch is that is it doesn't take all that much to achieve the effect - only a couple squares of greater than 70% cocoa a few times a week - not a license for eating a whole chocolate bar every day.

The article goes on explain how eating small amounts of dark chocolate provides your body with natural essential fatty acids and "skin-friendly" minerals that can help with decreasing wrinkles and sun damage. It also contains a compound called theobromine which can increase circulation in the skin and reduce cellulite. Sounds a little too good to be true, but what do you have to lose? I think having one or two squares a day of dark chocolate gives me the little treat I need each day. I can forego the extra bread at a restaurant or the cookie at the office as long as I can come home to a good cup of tea and my 2 squares of dark chocolate...and...I'm keeping the doctor away.

Susan Dopart |

Why Flax?

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 5:30PM

What is all the hype about flax seed? Why do you need it and what is the best way to get incorporate it into your diet?

Flax seed is a small seed rich in the essential omega 3 fat alpha-linolenic acid or ALA. ALA is called essential because the body cannot manufacture it on its own, and therefore, one has to ingest it. ALA can be found in other foods but the highest concentration is in flax seeds. In order to get the health benefit of the flax seed it needs to be ground. Otherwise it will go through your digestive track undigested, which is helpful for fiber and regularity but without the omega 3 benefit.

Flax seeds are also the richest source of lignans which are plant compounds that help with hormone balance. When I started using ground flax seeds almost 2 years ago I noticed an immediate increase in energy, and a favorable change in my periods and symptoms related to PMS such as cramps and headaches. I won’t go without it and travel with it due to the improvement in my health.

Research now shows ground flax seeds are helpful during peri-menopause, and menopause for hormone stability, a great alternative to taking hormones. For younger women flax seeds can promote normal ovulation and increase fertility. Flax seeds are also being studied for their health role in the prevention of diseases such as cancer, arthritis, and heart disease.

Ground flax seeds can be bought in vacuum-sealed packages. After opening, store in the refrigerator and use within 3 months. You can also buy them whole, and grind with a coffee grinder but that seems a little too much work for my tastes.

Use 1 tablespoon per day to get the recommended amount of ALA. I like to have it first thing in the morning on my yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit and nuts. You can also put it in a smoothie, sprinkle it on a salad or use it on top of a tomato much like bread crumbs. It can make a wonderful substitute for bread crumbs in meatballs, a recipe from my book A Recipe for Life by the Doctor's Dietitian.

Try different brands as they can taste quite different. I like the Organic Spectrum brand over others which you can purchase at Whole Foods or other health food stores.

Ground flax seeds are an easy addition to your diet and well worth the health benefits. Remember, it’s prevention not prescription.

Susan Dopart |

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