LET FOOD BE YOUR MEDICINE

According to a new report published in Diabetes Care, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association, people who ate a low fat vegan diet, cutting out all meat and dairy, lowered their blood sugar more and lost more weight than people on a standard American Diabetes Association diet.

Participants say the vegan diet was easier to follow than most because they did not measure portions or count calories. Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine, which helped conduct the study said, “I hope this study will rekindle interest in using diet changes first, rather than prescription drugs.” After 22 weeks on the diet, 43 percent of those on the vegan diet and 26 percent of those on the standard diet were either able to stop taking some of their drugs such as insulin or glucose-control medications, or were able to lower the doses. In other words, food really can be your medicine.

The vegan dieters lost 14 pounds on average while the diabetes association dieters lost 6.8 pounds. An important level of glucose control called A1c fell by 1.23 points in the vegan group and by 0.38 in the group on the standard diet. A1c gives a measure of how well-controlled blood sugar has been over the preceding three months.

Small changes made now can make a big difference later, when it comes to educating your children and teaching them to steer clear of type-2 diabetes. If healthy foods are always handy, then it’s easy for you and your kids to make healthy choices.

PECANS

Pecans have it all. Besides being one of the most elegant, versatile and rich-tasting nuts you can put on your plate, they offer up a package of health benefits that’s very impressive. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture recommend eating 4 - 5 servings of nuts per week.

A Mayo Clinic study has shown that all nuts are nutrient dense and naturally cholesterol free. Other studies have shown that not only are nuts cholesterol free but eating pecans may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels, which leads to a reduction in risk of heart attacks and coronary artery disease. The serving size for nuts is about one ounce or about 15 pecan halves. One serving of pecans can take the place of the protein found in one ounce of meat.

Pecans are also a rich source of oleic acid, the same type of fatty acid found in olive oil. Laboratory tests have found that oleic acid has the ability to suppress the activity of a gene in cells thought to trigger breast cancer.

The same natural compound that gives pecans its cholesterol lowering power, has also shown to be effective in treating the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland. About two ounces of pecans provides a dose of beta-sitosterol found to be effective. Also a number of studies have found that as nut consumption increases, body fat decreases.

So, Eat more nuts! Eat more pecans, walnuts & hazelnuts.

BLUEBERRIES

Recent USDA studies show that blueberries are a tasty way to eat right and stay healthy. Scientists at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University ranked blueberries # 1 in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables.

Dr. James Joseph, chief researcher at Tufts, is working with blueberries to examine their potential to help improve motor skills and reverse the short-term memory loss that comes with aging.

“The blueberry has emerged as a very powerful food in the aging battle,” said Dr. Joseph. “Given the possibility that blueberries may reverse short-term memory loss and forestall other effects of aging, their potential may be very great.”

According to the research findings at the Rutgers Blueberry Cranberry Research Center, blueberries help promote urinary tract health. According to Dr. Amy Howell, blueberries like cranberries, contain compounds that prevent the bacterial responsible for urinary tract infections from attaching to the bladder wall.

Eat a handful 2 or 3 times a week and see your energy level go up and good health begin!

GRAPES

Eating fresh grapes may prevent the accumulation of harmful oxidized cholesterol as well as the development of atherosclerotic lesions. According to the study, as reported in the Journal of Nutrition (Vol.135), naturally occurring antioxidants in fresh grapes known as polyphenols are believed to be responsible for this beneficial impact.

In order to ensure the scientific validity of grape health studies, a representative sample of fresh California grapes was collected, freeze-dried and ground into an edible grape powder. The grape powder used in this study contains all of the biologically active compounds found in fresh grapes.

“We found a remarkable reduction in the development of atherosclerosis following consumption of grape powder,” said principal investigator Bianca Fuhrman, at the Lipid Research Laboratory in Israel. “Grapes contain an abundance of powerful antioxidants that appear to inhibit an array of critical factors that can cause atherosclerosis.”

Atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, is the result of cholesterol build-up on the arterial wall, which leads to blockage of the vessels that supply blood to the heart or the brain, resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Blood cholesterol is carried throughout the body by two lipoproteins. Low density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol, deposits cholesterol in arterial walls when it is present in excess. High density lipoprotein (HDL), or the good cholesterol, removes the excess cholesterol from the arteries to the liver and out of the body. When cholesterol is damaged by oxidation, such as oxidized LDL cholesterol, it is more easily deposited on the arterial walls, leading to a blockage of the vessels. Diseased caused by atherosclerosis are the leading cause of illness and death in the U.S.

Dr.Fuhrman’s study showed that grape polyphenols reduced oxidative stress, increased serum antioxidant capacity, and reduced cell uptake of oxidized LDL cholesterol. “We are pleased to see studies such as this further the mounting evidence that grapes exert a protective role in heart health, this work provides insight that grapes impact a number of mechanisms that may lead to a reduction in atherosclerosis.”

Eating fresh grapes, drinking reconstituted frozen grape juice (purples grapes are best) are two ways to get this working in your life.

Give it a try!

BANANAS

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with dietary fiber so they give an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. Bananas can also help us overcome and prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Research published in the January 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cancer suggests that regular consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, is highly protective against kidney cancer. The result of this large prospective study (61,000 over 13 years) found that those eating more than 75 servings of fruits and vegetables per month cut their risk of kidney cancer by 40%. Among the fruits, bananas were found to be especially protective. Those eating bananas four to six times a week cut their risk by 50% compared to those who did not eat bananas.

A group called MIND, the largest mental health charity in England, did a study among people suffering from depression and found that many felt much better after simply eating a banana. This is because bananas contain Tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

Bananas have also been recognized for their antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. In one study, a simple mixture of banana and milk significantly suppressed acid secretion. The nutrients in bananas help activate the cells that compose the stomach lining, so they produce a thicker protective mucus barrier against stomach acid. Bananas also contain compounds known as protease inhibitors which help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that are the primary cause of stomach ulcers.

This unique tropical fruit is high in potassium yet low in salt making it perfect to help with high blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

So, eat those bananas!

CARROTS

All of our lives we have been told to eat our carrots, they help improve your eyesight. Maybe you have wondered what is it about the carrot that is good for your eyes? That would be the beta-carotene. In addition to giving the carrot its name and orange color, it also converts vitamin A in the body which helps improve vision. The vitamin A forms a purple pigment called rhodopsin the eye needs to see in dim light. Rhodopsin production is spurred by vitamin A, raising the effectiveness of the light sensitive area of the retina.

The beta-carotene in carrots is an antioxidant combating the free radicals that contribute to conditions like cancer, heart disease, and macular degeneration. Medical studies have shown that men with high levels of beta-carotene and vitamin C had a 37% lower risk of cancer than the men with lower levels. Another study showed that men who consumed high amounts of alpha carotene have a lower incidence of lung cancer.

Cooking carrots actually raises the nutritional benefits. The fiber in carrots can trap the beta-carotene, making it difficult for your body to extract. By cooking them slightly, you free the beta-carotene from the fiber which allows your body to absorb it better. Eating only a half cup serving per day will give you more than the recommended dosage of beta-carotene. Getting your carrot-a-day is easy, considering the vegetable’s versatility and “blendability.” You can liquefy it in a blender or juice it. Each of these allows for the breakdown of the fiber yet you still get the benefit of the fiber with the juice.