Sizing down the easier way (1)

Weight loss programming has never lost its appeal. Wherever we go we could find friends, co-workers, or random strangers on the street who are caught up in the hype: there is always someone trying to shed a few pounds.


And then we find ourselves living in a world full of magic products and solutions that promise instant results, such as slim-down cleansing drinks, extreme work-out plans, and dieting etc. Do you ever wonder which products/services were just burning dollars yet not shrinking your pant sizes? Are there any other realistic ways to lost weight without much additional time and cost involved?


Yes, none of my tips below will take up more than half an hour of your day or cost you more than a meal's worth of food if you are willing to make changes. But it does take a bit of thinking and mindfulness when it comes to meal planning.

1. Eat breakfast

I know many non-breakfast eaters who never feel hungry in the moring or simply can't get into the habit of preparing one that once started having it regularly can no longer start the day without one. The hardest part is getting started. It takes about a good 3 weeks for any behavioural change to settle in. But if we can brush teeth every night for 5 minutes, what's so dreadful about making a 5-minute ready-to-serve breakfast. Yes, my simple starters' breakfast menu will only take 5 min or less to prepare:

• Your favourite yogurt (3/4 cup)
  


• Fruit (1 banana or a few strawberries or a handful blueberries, whatever is available)


• All Bran Buds (2/3 cup)


• Eggs (2 hard-boiled - note: don't have to wait in front of the stove, shower away in the meanwhile, it takes about 10 min for it to be cooked once starting to boil)


• Nutritional Info: 2/3 cups of All Bran Buds will give you adequate fiber intake (22 g) for the day for most people (older adults require more). Fiber (in the whole wheat bran and your fruits can hold you off longer by slowing down the digestion of food in to the intestines, which will keep you full and prevents overeating and hunger between meals. Protein wise, I like starting my day with a protein balanced meal, meaning roughly 20-25 g of protein for breakfast (I will talk more about it in my next post: Finding the right balance of protein and carbohydrate for lasting energy). A 3/4 cup of most yogurts provides 6-8 g of protein, and each egg has about 6 g so I am getting all the protein I need out of a very simple breakfast. And best part is: there is no added salt, no additional preparation like frying, and it's super fast! Feel free to add more fruit to your bowl, there is no limit when it comes to fruits and vegetables (unless managing/having diabetes is a concern)

2. Bring snacks

Healthy snacking throughout the day helps your body burn calories more efficiently and keeps your energy level up. Just like the concept of having breakfast, it prevents overeating at meal times by reducing cravings and keeping us full longer. Our bodies are amazing at adapting to changes in the eating environment: if we starve ourselves all day and eat a big meal at the end of the day, it will hold on to every single calorie that it takes in and learns to use it sparingly. Over a period of time, our metabolism will slow down and our body is kept in a storage mode - saving the energy that's coming in and storing it away as fat. But if we eat regularly and more frequently, it learns to do the opposite. Our body will burn fuel more efficiently knowing that it can expect a steady supply of energy and our metabolism goes up. For best results, we should generally avoid going longer than 4 hours without eating, and look for about 5-10 g of protein at each snack. To briefly touch upon the typical yo-yo dieting pattern that we often times see, this is the phenomenon when people attempt to lose weight over short term but quickly gains it back, and later tries to lose them off by starving or dieting again. It is not only ineffective and extremely frustrating in terms of weight loss management, but it also taking a toll on our health. Keeping weight steady is key to mastering health: constant weight losses and gains puts an enormous amount of stress on our heart, making us susceptible to cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes. The easier and effective way to go is snacking. Here are a few quick snack ideas (recipe sources are from Cleveland Canada Clinic):

#1 - Trail Mix

• 2 parts dry-roasted soy beans


• 1 part raisins


• 1 parts bran buds


• 2 parts cereal (e.g. Shreddies or Cheerios)


• 1 part dry-roasted almonds or sunflower seeds
  

#2 - PM "Hold Me Over"

• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
  


• 2 Tbsp. raisins


• 2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds


• Cinnamon, to taste
  

#3 - Refried Bean Burrito

• 1/2 cup (4-6 generous tbsp) low-fat refried beans (try President's Choice)


• 6'' or 12'' whole wheat tortilla


• 1 oz. low-fat cheese


• 1/2 tomato, diced
  

On the road: fast food, cafeteria, or restaurant choices

• Garden salad with grilled chicken, turkey, egg, chick peas, cheese, etc
  


• 6'' sub on whole-wheat with lean meat, veggies, and mustard


• Tuna, chicken, or ham pita or wrap
• meat or vegetarian chili

To be continued in (2)

3. Switch to smaller plates at meal times


4. Limit buying in bulk


5. Start dinner with a satisfying salad

Curing Cancer Through Eating

This has been a pretty exciting week for me, I learned of two pieces of news that really opened my eyes to the quickly changing fields of nutrition and medicine:

For one, an article was published about an English patient who has seemingly been cured from his HIV infection.

Another, was a theoretical cure for cancer, as proposed by William Li at a recent TED talk.

Whereas the first discovery was more of a miraculous success in a single patient case, the latter has been tested clinically and has proven to be effective in many cases of cancer. My main focus today is on the prevention and treatment of cancer, as it is one of the most devastating diseases in our society, the onset of which often seems to be coming out of nowhere. Or does it?

It is not an uncommon notion that the most common causes of cancer are genetics, that it’s somehow implanted in your genes and you’ve either got it or you don’t.

This, fortunately, is NOT the case. Genetic causes only account for 5-10% of cancers, while the rest stems from environmental factors. In this remaining 90-95% of cancer-causing factors, diet constitutes 30-35%. So the question becomes, how and what should we eat to prevent and treat cancer?

The is often referred to as “Culinary Medicine”

First of all, let’s briefly look into the mechanism behind cancer. What does a tumor look like? Under the microscope, it is a growing mass surrounded by hundreds of blood vessels or capillaries that feed it with oxygen and nutrients. “But cancers don’t start out with a blood supply like this. In fact, they start out as small, microscopic nests of cells that can only grow to one half a cubic millimeter in size and can’t get any larger because they don’t have a blood supply to provide with enough oxygen and nutrients.” At some point in time, with enough triggers either from the environment or inside the body, they mutate and secrete factors; proteins called angiogenic factors that stimulate new blood vessels to sprout and bridge to cancer cells. It isn’t until then that cancers become harmful. “This process of new blood vessel formation, termed angiogenesis, is therefore the tipping point between a harmless cancer and a harmful one. The major medical revolution is a new approach to treating cancer by cutting of the blood supply.”

Here is when diet comes in, to prevent the process of angiogenesis in cancers. “We can eat foods that are naturally antiangiogenic and beat back those blood vessels that are feeding cancers. In other words, we can eat to starve cancer!” Foods such as cooked tomatoes, grapes, soy, garlic, berries and tea all have properties that can reduce angiogenesis in cancer. What’s more interesting is that obesity, another highly prevalent chronic condition shares the same angiogenesis pathway as cancers. Like a tumor, fat grows when blood vessels grow. So, weight loss can be achieved by cutting off the blood supply through the same healthy dietary regimen. As many areas in the world lack the resources to put into place clinical treatment through antiangiogenic therapy, a healthy diet of foods that are rich in antiangiogenic factors may be one feasible way to successfully combat cancer.

Source
This amazing discovery was presented by William Li, a researcher under Harvard Surgeon, Dr. Judah Folkman’s mentorship.

Please check out http://www.ted.com/speakers/william_li.html for William Li's speech on "can we eat to starve cancer" at TED.

To Eat Organic or Not to Eat Organic: 

That is the Question

We decided to write on the topic of organic foods because we are seeing and hearing so much about it in the news, in stores, and in our classes. We thought that as future nutrition health professionals it would be beneficial to do some research and compile our thoughts on organic eating.

So organic food is food that is produced without chemicals (herbicides, pesticides), growth hormones, or antibiotics. Thus, it is supposedly more healthy for you because chemicals, such as pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics have been shown to cause unhealthy side effects in some cases.  Once not too long ago, organic food could only be found in small health food stores, but now it is present in almost every supermarket. As nutrition students, we believe that it is important to understand the pros and cons to organic foods because it is such a ‘hot’ topic in the media. We each chose a side and started thinking and looking... 

Pros of Organic Foods (Fei)

Well one of the obvious pros of organic foods is that they are chemical free and contain no growth hormones. For me, this is the main reasons I would purchase organic food. We have all heard of the horror stories in the past related to growth hormones being associated with early maturity in girls and fertilizers being linked to cancer, so no wonder organic foods are becoming so popular!  With the media’s stories about the health consequences of genetically modified foods and the huge amount of chemicals used in the mass production of crops, any consumer that listens to the news has likely thought about buying organic at some point. 

This increase in demand for organic foods has lead to an increase in production of these foods. With this increase in demand and production the costs related to organic foods, which are usually higher, may actually begin to decrease to levels closer to conventional food items. This potential decrease in pricing can be seen as a possible future pro because organic foods would then be financially accessible to more people, especially those who cannot afford to buy organic right now.   

Another point is that some studies have documented that organic foods, such as leafy vegetables and potatoes, are more nutritious because they contain more absorbic acid than their conventional counterparts  (Magkos, Arvaniti & Zampelas, 2003). So, organic food can be safer and more nutritious than conventional foods. 

In many ways I believe that organic foods are better for the environment. With the growing of organic crops, toxic chemicals are not release into the soil, thus the soil is healthier and more nutrient dense, and there is no worries associated with chemicals leaching into the drinking water and other water systems. In my opinion organic eating is a way of life, people that choose to eat organic may be more likely to also purchase local foods, recycle, use the composter, and other environmentally friendly practices (www.ota.com/organic/mt/consumer.html). From my past knowledge, organic farmers are more likely to be interested in environmentally friendly practices, such as renewable resources and sustainability, than conventional farmers. Doesn't it make sense that organic food would be linked to the whole 'green' initiative?  I think it does!

I think organic foods have also become more accessible to communities through farmer’s markets and other community programs such as The PACT “Grow to Learn” Urban Agriculture Initiative, which was discussed in class. This initiative allows for organic food to be donated to food banks in the Greater Toronto Area. Students help to grow the organic food used for this program, so it not only focuses on community building, but it also helps youth learn about the food system and provide organic foods to people that may not be able to afford them. I believe that this is a great example of an initiative that intertwines many different issues, such as community, organic foods, and educating the youth of future generations. I also found a news article regarding new organic certification in Canada through the Agricultural Justice Program. This new form of certification is suppose to promote equality between farm workers and employers, fair wages and enable fair contractual agreements between organic farmers and retailers. The development of this type of certification for organic food production demonstrates that the issue of equality and fair trade of organic foods is recognized in Canada.

In summary, I think organic foods are safer and more environmentally friendly than the conventional foods found in the grocery store. I know that organic farming could be viewed as a means for large companies to make a large profit, but the concept behind organic farming is also important to remember. I believe organic foods promote a more environmentally friendly lifestyle that is less centered around mass production and more centered around sustainability, community and safety. 

Cons of Organic Foods (Trudy)

 I think one of the most apparent cons of organic foods is the price. If you walk into any grocery store and compare the price of almost any product, the organic product is usually significantly more. This price differential can make organic foods financially inaccessible to people with lower incomes. This can then create an inequality between the people that can afford to eat organically and those who cannot. How would you feel if you were a single mother of two, with a low paying job and you were told that your children would should eat organically?  Personally, I would feel guilty because organic foods would be financially inaccessible to my children. Thus unless community programs are put in place that help lower income, food insecure individuals obtain organic foods, I feel that it creates just another inequality between the rich and the poor. This also brings me to the point as to whether or not organic food is even safer or more nutritious than conventional food?  I know that the production of organic foods does not involve chemicals, growth hormones and antibiotics, but does that really mean that organic foods are more nutritious or even safer?  I know there are very strict laws in North America that control the use of pesticides and other fertilizers on produce brought into the country. Moreover, the antibiotics and growth hormones used on cattle, pigs and other animals used for human consumption are strictly tested for side effects and possible disease outcomes before they are used.  So, to say that conventional food is not safe would not necessary be true. My parents and other relatives have all eaten non-organic food for their entire lives and they have yet to have suffered from any direct health consequences of eating conventional food. 

I have also read in many magazines and news articles that certain vegetables and fruits may be ‘cleaner or less contaminated’ than others, thus is their organic version really needed?  For example, I once read that broccoli does not need to be bought organically because it is not as contaminated as other vegetables. I think it was related to the fact that few insect pests feed on broccoli, thus less pesticides are used to a lesser degree on this vegetable. So, in some cases there is little to no difference in chemical ‘contamination’ between the organic and conventional versions. 

***As a side note, I personally found food a chart in a magazine a few years ago which contained a column titled “buy this organic” and “do not buy this organic”, and it was based on the degree of possible contamination. I keep it on my fridge and whenever I can I try to follow it***

In my opinion the organic food industry is becoming a more profit centered business ever since the large spike in organic food consumption. In the past, organic foods were not as popular and thus only found in health food stores, but today they can be found everywhere. Even Walmart! I think many people believe that organic foods are more nutritious, but really I have not found much evidence on this claim, thus large corporations may use this possible misconception to sell their organic products. Large corporations are also aware that some people are more willing to pay more money for organic foods, thus I believe that in some cases prices may not actually reflect the value or quality received from purchasing an organic product. 

As discussed in class, organic food consumption which was largely advocated by grassroots movements, is becoming dominated by larger corporations. Most grocery stores now carry organic foods, thus organic foods may eventually no longer be associated with sustainability and environmentally-friendly practices, but they may become part of the unconscious, dissociated grocery store ‘environment’ which is no longer connected to its natural roots. Also, organic foods are starting to dominate the processed food sector. Since, many people associate organic foods with “healthy” food, does this mean that processed organic foods will come to be thought of as “healthy” compared to their non-organic counterpart? They will likely still contain the same amount of sugar, sodium and saturated fat, so is it really beneficial to the population to make processed foods organic? In my opinion, it is not. I think this movement is largely driven by money hungry corporations, that use profit as their main goal. 

My last point for a possible con related to organic foods involves land use. I know organic farming is known for its sustainability, but how can it ever be more efficient than conventional farming?  Without the use of chemicals or growth hormones wouldn't the yields of organic farmers be much less than those of conventional farmers? Thus, wouldn’t organic farmers need more land?  So, with the increased demand for organic food, will an increase in land use for agricultural purposes also increase?  Will this mean that forests and other valuable land will have to be transformed into agricultural land?  I do not know the answers to these questions, but they are definitely questions that make me wonder about the future of organic farming practices. 

So, we gave you some of our thoughts on the pros and cons of organic eating. We hope that you found some of them interested and they generated some thoughts of your own. The debate over the advantages and disadvantages of organic foods will likely continue for sometime. What are your thoughts on the subject?

More Info/ interesting sites:

http://dufferinpark.ca/market/pdf/noworganictoronto.PDF

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

http://www.nextnature.net/2008/12/i-want-my-organic-coke/

Canadian Organic Growers: http://www.cog.ca/

Canadian Food Inspection Agency: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/orgbio/orgbioe.shtml

Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada: http://www.organicagcentre.ca/

References

Magkos, F., Arvaniti, F., & A. Zampelas. (2003). Organic food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 54: 357-371. http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a713995042&db=all

The PACT: http://www.pactprogram.ca/pact/Grow_to_Learn.html

http://atlanticfarmfocus.ca/index.cfm?sid=332033&sc=587

Milk, (Not) For Everyone?

Having heard enough on the debate of whether milk is good for people or not, we decided to look into this topic ourselves. We have summarized findings of the pros and cons from various studies as follows and would like to touch upon the benefits of milk consumption as well as its associated risks.

Calcium and Milk

Calcium is a major component of a healthy diet. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of calcium is approximately 800-1000mg, and 1200mg ideally according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Calcium is crucial to the normal functioning of our bodies in a number of ways: muscle contraction, bone health, neurological functions, vascular and granular functions. It is for the exact reason that a large part of the ongoing milk advertisement campaign is focused on persuading people to increase milk consumption for its calcium content (Lee and Wei, 2002). How much calcium is there in a cup of milk? Is milk really the best source to provide the majority of calcium that our body needs? According to the “Not Milk” campaign, milk contains less calcium per given amount than green leafy vegetables and grains (Lee and Wei, 2002). A typical 100g portion of 2% fat milk sample contains a surprisingly low value of 33-35mg of calcium compared to 234mg of calcium in the same portion of almonds (Lee and Wei, 2002). The better alternatives for calcium intake are raw turnip greens or cooked turnips, watercress, seeds such as sunflower or sesame and grains that do not have the uncomfortable side effects that are normally associated with milk consumption (Lee and Wei, 2002).

Lactose Intolerance and Milk

Milk causes bloating, gas, cramping and diarrhea in an estimated 50% of the adult population (Lee and Wei, 2002). Lactose intolerance results from a deficiency of lactase, a natural enzyme required to break down the lactose in milk and milk products. The production of lactase declines gradually in the intestines of people after weaning and may eventually stop if lactose is not continually and regularly consumed to signal the intestinal brush border that lactase is needed (Lee and Wei, 2002). The natural tendency of producing less and less lactase in the majority of world adult populations precludes the practical option of milk consumption as a source of nutrients for many adults (Lee and Wei, 2002).

Allergies and Milk

Milk allergy is another barrier to the daily consumption of milk in addition to the problems associated with lactose intoleration. Milk allergy occurs when our bodies react to the proteins in cow's milk, such as casein and whey, as if they were foreign substances. Interestingly, it is the young children who are most affected by milk allergy as opposed to adults. About 3% of infants are allergic to milk proteins, however, 80% of these allergic children become resistent to it by six years of age (Steinman, 2002). Adults may acquire the allergy in their 30s and 40s. There are three types of milk allergy symptoms:

1. Immediate symptoms develop shortly after consumption of cow's milk. Reactions affect the skin, causing eczema or hives.
   
2. Symptoms begin a few hours after consumption of cow's milk including diarrhea and vomiting.
3. Symptoms such as diarrhea develop over 20 hours after ingestion.
   

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) and Cow’s Milk

Monsanto’s rBGH is commonly used as a way to increase milk production up to 20% more in cows (Epstein, 1998). The hormone causes udder inflammation in cows (Epstein, 1998). As a result, antibiotics are used to treat the inflammation in cows, which in turn are passed on to humans as people consume milk produced from these treated cows (Epstein, 1998). In addition, milk produced by rBGH-treated cows has higher concentrations of insulin-like growth-factor-1 (IGF-1) (Epstein, 1998). Higher levels of IGF-1 are associated with a risk factor in certain cancers (Epstein, 1998). A Harvard School of Public Health study has shown that people with higher IGF-1 levels were more likely to develop breast, prostate, and colon cancer (Epstein, 1998). To protect consumers from the IGF-1 harzards, European nations and Canada have banned sales of rBGH milk as of 2000 or ealier (Epstein, 1998).

Kidney Stone from milk overconsumption?

Contrary to the common belief that milk overconsumption leads to the formation of urinary stones or mineral deposits in the kidney, studies have shown that even calcium-sensitive patients were able to consume milk without increaing their risk of stone formation (Lee and Wei, 2002). Some studies have even indicated that the risk for kidney stones can be lowered by increasing your intake of dairy products.

References

Epstein, S. S. (1998). Monsanto's Hormonal Milk Poses Serious Risks of Breast Cancer, Besides Other Cancers, Warns Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health. Cancer Prevention Coalition. Retrieved Feb 28, 2010, from http://www.preventcancer.com/press/releases/july8_98.htm

Lee, J. and Wei, R. (2002). Milk, Doing Your Body Good? Journal of Young Investigators, 6 (3). Retrieved Feb 28, 2010, from http://www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue3/features/lee_and_wei.html

Steinman, H. (2002). Milk Allergy and Lactose Intolerance. Science in Africa. Retrieved Feb 28, 2010, from http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2002/may/milk.htm

LOVE APPLE

Tomatoes, also known as love apples or wolf peaches have not always been a popular food in North America. They came a long way to being widely accepted and finally loved.

Tomatoes belong to the genus Lycopersicon (Solanaceae family). The 1st domesticated tomato was a yellow fruit grown by the Aztecs of Central America who called it ‘xitomatl’ (pronounced zee-toe-má-tel), meaning plump thing with a navel (Durrant, 2010). Tomatoes were later called tomati by other Central American tribes (Durrant, 2010). The tomato’s actual origin is thought to be Peru in South America where it grew wild several thousands of years before making its way north to Central America (Durrant, 2010).

Back in the 1800's, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous throughout europe. Northern cultures associated the tomato plant, which bore morphogical resemblance to the poisonous members of the Solanceae family, specifically henbane, mandrake and deadly nightshade (Cox, 2000). Atropus belladonna, a kind of nightshade, bears good resemblance to the tomato plant and is a poisonous plant used both as a hallucinogenic drug and a beauty aid in different parts of Europe (Cox, 2000). The hallucinogenic effects of the plant often led to the association of witchcraft with nightshade (Cox, 2000). Old German folklore has it that the nightshade plants are used to evoke werewolves, hence the common German name for tomatoes as "wolf peach" (Cox, 2000). Another common source of fear around tomatoes was caused by the acidic property of the fruit. When the acid of tomatoes leached out the lead in utensils made of pewter, it caused sickness and even death in people (Durrant, 2010).


On September 26, 1820, Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson of Salem, NJ stood in front of the Salem courthouse and bravely consumed a bushel of tomatoes in order to prove that tomatoes are edible (Paul, 2009). His courageous gesture attracted over 2,000 people who gathered to witness his 'public suicide' (Paul, 2009). As the story went, he did not suffer from any illness afterwards. Before consuming the bushel of tomatoes, Johnson said, "The time will come when this luscious, scarlet apple...will form the foundation of a great garden industry, and will be...eaten, and enjoyed as edible food...and to help speed that enlightened day, to prove that it will not strike you dead -- I am going to eat one right now!" (Paul, 2009).

Today, tomatoes are one of the most common vegetables/fruits in North America. They are now grown worldwide, of which china became the largest producer and produced about 130 million tons of tomatoes in 2008. There are around 7500 different varieties of tomatoes in the world that are grown for various purposes. Current evidence suggests their benefit in heart health and cancer prevention as they contain powerful antioxidants such as lycopene, vitamin C and many other nutrients including vitamin A, anthocyanin and fiber (Tomatoes, 2010).

References

Cox, S. (2000, December). History of the Tomato:From discovery to modern commercialism: The complete story behind Lycopersicon esculentum. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.landscapeimagery.com/tomato.html

Durrant, L. (2010). Plant Origins: Lycopersicon (Tomatoes). Horticultural Information. Retreived Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.hort.wisc.edu/mastergardener/features/vegetables/tomatoes/tomorigin/tomato%20origin.htm

Paul, U. (2009). The Most Misunderstood Fruit in the World: The Wolf Peach. Walk About Magazine. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.walkaboutmag.com/17unclepaul.html

Tomatoes. (2010). The World's Healthiest Foods. Retrieved Jan 28, 2010, from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=44