BeanDiet

Maybe it's the shorter daylight hours and the fact I've just moved to a new city... I don't know about you, but I want to hear good news these days. So forgive me for sharing with you some evidence that avoiding meat (yes, including fish) improves mood. Now, who couldn't benefit from that? And if you do avoid meat and think your mood isn't so hot, just think how bad it could be!

On a personal note, I distinctly remember experiencing a significantly improved memory after removing all animal origin foods (all meat, dairy and eggs) from my diet. I also lost 20 pounds - talk about putting me in a good mood.

Just in (via PCRM.org):

Omnivores who cut all meat out of their diets experience mood improvements, according to a poster session presented this week at the annual American Public Health Association conference. Researchers at Arizona State University divided 39 omnivorous participants into three dietary groups: control (made no changes to diet), fish (consumed three to four servings of fish per week and no other meat), and vegetarian (consumed no meat and no eggs). The vegetarian group experienced mood improvements in both tension and confusion categories, while the meat-eating participants and fish eaters showed no significant changes in mood.

Beezhold BL, Johnston CS, Daigle DR. Restriction of flesh foods in omnivores improves mood: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Poster presented at: American Public Health Association's 137th Annual Meeting and Exposition; November 9, 2009: Philadelphia, PA.

I want to apologize to all my dear blog readers for my absence these past several weeks. My family has been in the midst of moving to another city, and today is my first day of "normalacy".

The good news is, there's some good nutrition news.

For example, British Journal of Cancer (2009: 101, 192–197) recently published a study of over 60,000 men and women who were followed for 12 years and observed for cancer diagnoses. They found that on average, vegetarians were 12% less likely to develop cancer verses non-vegetarians. Even though I am not presently a proponent of fish consumption, I need to state that this study found vegetarians who consumed fish were 18% less likely to develop cancer (on average, depending on the type of cancer) than non-vegetarians.

Imagine a diet that significantly lowers your risk of cancer. What good news that is... and why aren't more people consuming this diet?

And now, for good news for preventing diabetes:

A new review (of 12 prior studies) published in the journal Diabetologia (2009;52:2277-2287) found that people who consumed the most red meat had a 21% higher risk of developing diabetes verses those who consumed the least. Those who consumed the most processed meat (bacon, lunch meat, sausage, pepperoni, pastrami, salami, bologna and hot dogs) had a 41% higher risk of developing diabetes verses those who consumed the least.

This is so significant - let's pass this on to our loved ones who are consuming meat and processed meat regularly.

And finally, good news for preventing bone loss:

In a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (2009;170:901-909), intake of soy products reduced the risk of hip factures as much as 36 percent among women who consumed more than the least amount of soy. All intakes above the least amount consumed (for example any amount greater than one-fourth cup tofu per day) averaged a 30 percent protective effect. The study was part of the Singapore Chinese Health Study and looked at more than 63,000 male and female adults.

Other healthy sources of soy products include tempeh (my personal favorite when grilled and in a sandwich), edamame (cooked soybeans from the pod, frequently served in Japanese restaurants but easy to cook at home since they cook in 5 minutes), and miso (found in many Japanese soups - YUM).

I hope this news encourages those of you who are trying to eat healthfully, and inspires those of us who need it.

While the media touts fish as a health food, I've been preaching otherwise for some time now. Besides the Omega-3 fatty acids found in most fish, there's really no benefit to eating it, although there are plenty of hazards: mercury, PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenals), cholesterol content (the same as red meat), homocysteine levels, Heterocyclic Amines, and of course, fish has no fiber.

The one beneficial compound in fish - Omega 3's - are found throughout plant foods such as nuts, flaxseed and other seeds, legumes, whole grains and fatty fruit like avocados.

But wait, just in case you still weren't convinced, there's a new study published online in the European Journal of Heart Failure (2009;11:922-928) that contradicts the belief that fish prevents heart disease. Researchers studied over 5,000 men and women (who lived in the Netherlands) for over 11 years and compared episodes of heart failure between those who consumed the most fish and those consumed the least. Guess what? They found NO DIFFERENCE. In fact, in their own words, the author of the study concluded: "Our findings do not support a major role for fish intake in the prevention of heart failure."

Wow. Hope this makes headlines too.

My goodness, I'm so glad I chose nutrition as my profession - it never gets boring!

Today's news: nitrates (and nitrites) in food are worse than previously thought. A recent study at Brown University found that dietary nitrates are strong predictors of chronic disease such as Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Volume 17:3 July 2009). Nitrates are also known carcinogens, most linked to childhood cancers - if that weren't bad enough.

Where do nitrates come from? Processed meats such as lunch meat (bologna, salami, pastrami), sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham, and of course, America's favorite: hot dogs. Nitrates are also found to some degree in cheese and beer, although I believe they're most heavily concentrated in processed meats. Also, as nitrogen-based fertilizer use increases, nitrates are showing up at higher levels in all kinds of food (one more reason to buy organic - no chemical fertilizer with added nitrates).

So why are these food preservatives SO bad? For one they decrease oxygen circulation in our blood - which explains the link to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. When oxygen rates to the brain decrease, brain cells die quickly and permanently. Nitrites actually bind with hemoglobin proteins in red blood cells, preventing the cells from carrying oxygen, which leads to premature cell death throughout the body.

Nitrates and nitrites from food also form compounds in our body called nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are the actual carcinogens that are notorious for causing cancer. They act similarly to free radicals by mutating cell DNA - which is never a good thing.

The good news is foods naturally rich in vitamin C such as fruit and vegetables (especially locally grown, fresh and organic produce, which naturally contain or retain more vitamin C) help prevent the formation of nitrosamines from nitrates. So this is just one more mechanism that fruit and veggie consumption prevents cancer.

So let's all stay away from nitrates and nitrites by eating less (or no) processed meat and more fresh & organic produce. And for you who already do, let this encourage you - you are healthier than you know!

I am excited to announce some upcoming seminars in Sacramento, please come and join the fun!

** Sunday, October 4th at 2pm I will be giving a free seminar at Whole Foods on "How to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes and Lose Weight in the Process". I know space in Whole Foods is limited, so please pre-register if you plan on coming. I will be selling and signing my books there.

** Monday, October 5th at 6:30pm Healthy U (in Natomas) is having a speaker come out from Washington D.C. He is the associate director of one of my favorite organizations (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine), and he will be discussing one of my all-time favorite subjects - that's right - the colon. Dr. Mills' seminar is actually titled "Put Your Colon to Work for You: How it Improves Physiology and Protects Your Health". So true Dr. Mills, thank you for being willing to speak on this subject!

Since Healthy U seminars all include delicious vegan dinners served beforehand, and since it costs $10, space is limited, so please call Charleen at 482-8123 to reserve your space.

** Wednesday, October 7th at 6:30pm I will be giving another free seminar at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op on "How to Prevent and Reverse Diabetes and Lose Weight in the Process". Of course my books will be sold there, and of course I will sign them! Please register online for the class online at their website (www.sacfoodcoop.com).

So I hope some to see some of you in the near future. Or perhaps better yet, you have a friend or family member who could benefit from this information!

Of course, you may still buy my book Free to Eat at my website: www.fiber-girl.com. All copies will be signed by yours truly.

Last week I had an informed reader ask me about naturally occurring substances in vegetables, whole grains and legumes commonly referred to as "anti-nutrients". This reader wanted to know if soaking and/or sprouting grains and legumes was helpful in decreasing said substances. (Common anti-nutrients include tannins, phytates or phytic acid, and oxalates or oxalic acid - although many more exist.) The name "anti-nutrient" is given because these compounds bind with minerals in food - particularly iron, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium - and thereby lower mineral absorption to some degree.

So I did my research (did I ever!) and here's what I've found. While vegetables, whole grains and legumes do contain these compounds that can lower mineral absorption, they also have powerful antioxidant properties that have proven to lower blood glucose levels in diabetics, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and perhaps most surprisingly: have been found to play a powerful role in preventing cancer cell proliferation. To read a review of studies on that last point, read more here.

Not only that, but when foods containing such "anti-nutrients" are consumed regularly, mineral deficiencies are extremely rare. Case in point: black tea contains high amounts of tannins, yet myriad studies show post-menopausal women who drink tea regularly are less likely to lose bone density than those who do not drink tea. Since zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium are especially play an especially important role in bone density, the results are surprising. (see Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Apr;71(4):1003-7.)

Foods made with soy have received ridiculous amounts of bad press (from bad sources) in regards to anti-nutrients - yet people who consume the most soy, from fermented sources or not, are the least likely to develop mineral deficiencies, as well as chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Due to all their benefits, many researchers are starting to call "anti-nutrients" just plain "nutrients". I agree. So keep eating your vegetables, whole grains and legumes. If you choose to lower anti-nutrients (like phytic acid) through soaking, sprouting and fermenting your legumes and grains, that's fine, since you can't entirely eliminate all the anti-nutrients anyway. But if you don't take measures to reduce these compounds, you will derive great benefits too.

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By the way, thank you everyone who has bought my book these past two weeks! I've heard some great feedback already! This week will be the last week to purchase it without shipping and tax charges. And of course, I will sign each one. Read it and buy it at http://www.fiber-girl.com!

I went to the farmers market today and bought myself five avocados for $7.00. I recommend you do the same. Besides the fact that avocados are delicious and satiating (read: filling), they are also GOOD for you.

So here are just a handful of reasons why you should go nuts on avocados:

1) Antioxidants. Avo's are loaded with antioxidants like vitamin E, folic acid and glutathione. All these are known to prevent cancer & heart disease while boosting the immune system.

2) Potassium. Forget bananas, avo's have way more potassium which is known to lower blood pressure. (Yes, you can have your bananas too.)

3) Fiber. One avocado contains between 6-8 grams of fiber - without the peel or pit.

4) Diabetes. Because of their high fiber & healthy fat content, avocados are ridiculously low on the glycemic index, or GI. The GI measures how slowly a food causes blood sugar to rise and therefore, its potential contribution to diabetes.

5) Lowering cholesterol. Fatty plant foods like avo's and nuts contain high amounts of what are known as plant, or "phyto" sterols. Plant sterols block cell receptor sites from absorbing real cholesterol, thus lowering LDL (bad) and total cholesterol levels significantly.

6) Preventing cancer and macular degeneration. Ohio State University researchers found that the beneficial fats in avocados increase the absorption of carotenoid nutrients by up to 15 times (Journal of Nutrition, 2005). Study participants who consumed avocados with their salad absorbed more lycopene (known to help prevent prostate cancer), beta and alpha carotene (known to prevent many types of cancer, including oral), as well as lutein. The nutrient lutein is especially known for preventing macular degeneration in the elderly, which is the most common form of blindness in the U.S.

7) Appetite control. That's right, avocados - like nuts - are often believed to cause weight gain but actually do the opposite. The fat in avo's is not only good for you but keeps you fuller for longer periods. Think about it, how many avo's can you eat at once? Just try.

8) Omega-3 fatty acids. We hear so much about Omega-3's being found in fish, but avo's have just as much and there's no mercury to worry about. Omega-3's are renown for lowering high blood pressure, preventing blood clots leading to stroke and heart disease, as well as improving brain function and the immune system.

So add avo's to your salads, sandwiches, burritos, or just eat them plain or spread on bread. Finally, an easy way to improve your health.

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By the way, if you haven't bought my brand new book Free to Eat yet, I will forgo tax and shipping costs for another week as part of the promotion. Oh yeah, and I will sign them for free too! Free to Eat includes all the material on this blog plus 50 recipes and a 30-day meal plan. Buy it at http://www.fiber-girl.com!