Category Archives: Breaking Nutrition News

Say it’s so! Spaniards should eat less meat.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57766345

On average, Spaniards eat two to three times as much meat as recommended by health authorities and experts. Consequently, nutritionists emphasise eating less is not only important for your own health but also that of a sustainable planet. 

Spaniards eat two to three times more meat per week than recommended 

The Spanish news site La Sexta wrote on Thursday about the contrast between meat consumption figures in Spain and recommendations from various international and national health organisations. In total, a Spaniard eats an average of 53.6 kilos of meat per year. This equates to more than 1 kilo per week. Whereas, the health authority’s recommendation is to eat a maximum of between 300 and 500 grams per week. 

International committee recommends low-meat diet for a sustainable planet 

According to experts, exceeding this amount of meat is not only bad for your health, but also does not contribute to a sustainable planet. The pollution and principle of mass livestock farming are examples of this. 

The scientific committee EAT-Lancet, a panel of 37 scientists from 16 countries, found that for a world population of 10 billion people in 2050 a diet of 98 grams of red meat (beef, pork, or lamb) and 203 grams of poultry per week responsible for preserving a sustainable planet. 

Clear conclusion about diet for a healthy world 

The scientists’ conclusions are clear: by 2050, consumption of vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds should have doubled and global consumption of sugars and red meat should be cut by more than half, especially in the richer countries. 

Spaniards eat over 700 grams more meat per week than recommended 

If this advice is accepted worldwide, Spain will be one of the countries that will have to adapt the most. According to the EAT-Lancet model, the Spaniard eats 730 grams more meat per week than recommended. Especially the eating of processed meat stands out in Spain. It has already been scientifically proven that this poses long-term health risks. People who eat more than 50 grams of processed meat daily have an 18% higher risk of colon cancer. 

Spaniards also exceed national nutritional advice 

The advice of EAT-Lancet is very strict, but if the advice of the AESAN, the Spanish food safety agency, is followed, the Spaniards still exceed the recommended amount of meat. The AESAN recommends 2-4 servings of meat per week, preferably chicken and rabbit, and no more than two servings of red meat per week. However, based on this advice, Spaniards eat more than double the recommended amount. 

Advice to Spaniards: eat less meat 

However, all health authorities consulted emphasise it is not necessary to go completely vegetarian. Meat also contains important proteins and nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. A good substitute for meat is legumes, such as lentils and beans, as they also contain the same nutrients. 

This post is from InSpain.news, title “Meat-loving Spain endangers its own health and that of the planet”

January 14, 2022



“Detox” Naturally – Eat Your Way To Better Health

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Your body is a natural detoxifier – In ScienceBasedMedicine, we learn that, “The liver performs a series of chemical reactions to convert toxic substances into ones that can be eliminated in bile, or the kidneys. The liver is self-cleansing – toxins don’t accumulate in it, and unless you have documented liver disease, it generally functions without any problem. The kidney excretes waste products into the urine – otherwise the substance stays in the blood. To argue that either organ need a “cleanse” is to demonstrate a profound ignorance of human physiology, metabolism, and toxicology.”
More info in my article from CuencaHighLife.com.

But no doubt, we eat foods that aren’t the best for us – we may drink too much alcohol and not enough water.  Getting the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables daily may take some planning, but I guarantee that if you follow this eating plan for at least a week, you’ll get fabulous nutrition without being hungry or resorting to a “detox” diet plan.

Prepare to succeed!  Go shopping, stock up on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and dairy (if you choose) –

If you are hungry, feel free to add more vegetables – they are unlimited – this guide is the minimum servings you need daily.

A great website with a FREE database of foods is the USDA’s SuperTracker.

Screen Shot 2015-08-25 at 14.37.10

First, create your profile.  Then, choose your goals – weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain – you can even get recommendations for pregnancy – pre-pregnancy, or first, second, or third trimester.  Put in your vitals – height, weight, age, sex – and goal – and see the recommendations for nutrition, portions, and even click on each food to find out more.  It’s our USA Tax Dollars at work!

woman exercise

Calories Equal Food: What to Eat: How Many Servings Do You Need?

Make Your Menus: click here for information about serving sizes of fruits and vegetables

                                                             Second Nature EatingEating smaller meals more frequently works ideally for me: I translate this eating pattern into portions: for example,
1300-1400 calories 1500-1600 calories
Breakfast ~250 ~300
Lunch ~400 ~500
Dinner ~400-500 ~500
Snack ~100 ~100-150
Snack ~100 ~100-150
Snack
What To Eat? 1300-1400 1500-1600
Starches: grains, breads, legumes, starchy vegetables 4 5
Meats and meat substitutes: Non-meat eaters, estimate ¼ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds can be considered as 1 ounce of meat – 3 oz of tofu has 8 g of protein – see more substitutes ideas here.
 4-5 6-7
Dairy and Dairy Substitutes: per cup – can choose unsweetened soy milk or soy yogurt. 2 2
Crunchy Vegetables: 1 cup raw or 2 cups leafy greens or 1/2 cup cooked At least 4- more is fine At least 4-more is fine
Fruits: 1 small-med piece or 1 cup chopped or 2 tbs dried – I don’t recommend juice 2+ 2+
Added fats and oils – -light spreads (avoid all partially hydrogenated fats, margarine), avocado is great! oils like olive or canola oil-based salad dressing are best – buy organic if possible 1-2 3+ added
Other treats, such as wine or chocolate, depending on your activities!
Sample Menu 1300-1400
Breakfast:~250 calories

1 milk

1 fruit

1 starch

 1 cup nonfat milk: 1 milk—80 calories1 cup berries: 1 fruit—60 calories

about 3/4 cup cooked oatmeal: 1 starch—approximately 100 calories

Total: ~240 calories
Snack:~100 calories

1 milk

 1 6-ounce cup unsweetened yogurt: 1 milk—100 calories
Lunch: ~400 calories2 meat

2 starches

Veggies

 2 slices whole grain bread or cup of quinoa: 2 starch—200 calories2 ounces turkey or tuna or salmon: 2 protein/meat—200 calories

Mustard

Carrots and cucumbers—free
Snack: ~100 calories1 fat 1 small handful almonds (24): 1 fat—approximately 100 calories
Dinner: ~4003 meat

1 starches

2 veggies

2 fat

 3 ounces broiled fish: 3 lean protein—210 calories1 small baked potato with salsa: 1 starch—100 calories

Broccoli and tomatoes, sautéed in nonstick pan with ½ tsp olive oil and herbs: free veggies plus 1 fat—50 calories

Tossed salad with vinegar, lemon, and ½ tsp olive oil—50 calories
Snack ~1001 fruit

1 milk

 Sugar-free hot chocolate—60 calories½ Granny smith apple, sliced thin—40 calories
Sample Menu 1500-1600
Breakfast:~300 calories

1 milk

1 fruit

1-2 starch

 1 cup of nonfat milk: 1 milk—80 calories1 whole cup berries: 1 fruit—60 calories

1- cup cooked oatmeal cereal: 1-2 starch—approximately 150 calories
Snack:~150 calories

1 milk

1 fruit

 1 6-ounce cup unsweetened yogurt: 1 milk—100 calories1 whole orange: 1 fruit—60 calories
Lunch:~500 calories

3 meat

2 starch

1-2 fat

vegetables

 Large tossed salad: free vegetables3 ounces canned salmon or broiled fish: 3 meat

Whole wheat pita bread: 2 starch

1 tablespoon nonfat salad dressing: 1 fat
Snack: ~100 calories1 milk

½ starch

 1 nonfat unsweetened yogurt or Greek yogurt: 1 milk2 tablespoons nugget cereal or wheat germ: ½ starch
Dinner: ~500-6003 meat

1-2 starch

1 fat

 Shrimp with broccoli4 ounces medium-sized shrimp sautéed with 1 teaspoon olive oil; garlic, tomatoes, red peppers, and snow peas:

3-4 lean protein, 1 fat—approximately 300 calories

Big tossed salad with vinegar, lemon, and ½ tsp olive oil—50 calories

½- 1 cup brown rice: 1-2 starch—100-200 calories
Snack ~1001 milk

1 fruit

 Sugar-free hot chocolate—60 calories½ Granny smith apple, sliced thin—40 calories
Total: about 1500-1600 calories Opt for a glass of red wine or a square of dark chocolate—approximately 100 calories

Legumes! New Information Shows Even Greater Health Benefits

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From MedicalNewsToday.com

 

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/310953.php


Legumes may lower risk of type 2 diabetes

Written by Ana Sandoiu
Published: Sunday 2 April 2017

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health concern in the United States and across the globe. New research shows that a high consumption of legumes significantly reduces the risk of developing the disease.
[various types of legumes]
A new study suggests that a high consumption of legumes can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 35 percent.


The legume family consists of plants such as alfalfa, clover, peas, peanuts, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, and various types of beans.

As a food group, they are believed to be particularly nutritious and healthful. One of the reasons for this is that they contain a high level of B vitamins, which help the body to make energy and regulate its metabolism.

Additionally, legumes are high in fiber and contain minerals such as calcium , magnesium, andpotassium. They also comprise a variety of so-called phytochemicals – bioactive compounds that further improve the body’s metabolism and have been suggested to protect against heart disease and diabetes.

Finally, legumes are also considered to be a “low glycemic index food,” which means that blood sugar levels increase very slowly after they are consumed.

To make people aware of the many health benefits of legumes, the year 2016 has been declared theInternational Year of Pulses by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Pulses are a subgroup of legumes.

Because of their various health benefits, it has been suggested that legumes protect against the onset oftype 2 diabetes – a serious illness that affects around 29 million people in the U.S. and more than 400 million adults worldwide. However, little research has been carried out to test this hypothesis.

Therefore, researchers from the Unit of Human Nutrition at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain, together with other investigators from the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) study, set out to investigate the association between legume consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in people at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study also analyzes the effects of substituting foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates with legumes, and the findings were published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

High intake of lentils lowers risk of type 2 diabetes by 33 percent

The team investigated 3,349 participants in the PREDIMED study who did not have type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the study. The researchers collected information on their diets at the start of the study and every year throughout the median follow-up period of 4.3 years.

Individuals with a lower cumulative consumption of legumes had approximately 1.5 weekly servings of 60 grams of raw legumes, or 12.73 grams per day. A higher legume consumption was defined as 28.75 daily grams of legumes, or the equivalent of 3.35 servings per week.

Using Cox regression models, the researchers analyzed the association between the incidence of type 2 diabetes and the average consumption of legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, dry beans, and fresh peas.

Overall, during the follow-up period, the team identified 266 new cases of type 2 diabetes.

The study revealed that those with a higher intake of legumes were 35 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than their counterparts who consumed a smaller amount of legumes. Of all the legumes studied, lentils had the strongest association with a low risk of type 2 diabetes.


In fact, individuals with a high consumption of lentils (defined as almost one weekly serving) were 33 percent less likely to develop diabetes compared with their low-consumption counterparts – that is, the participants who had less than half a serving per week.

Additionally, the researchers found that replacing half a daily serving of protein- and carbohydrate-rich foods – including bread, eggs, rice, or potatoes – with an equivalent serving of legumes also correlated with a reduced risk of diabetes.

The authors conclude that:

“A frequent consumption of legumes, particularly lentils, in the context of a Mediterranean diet, may provide benefits on type 2 diabetes prevention in older adults at high cardiovascular risk.”

Fish Oil Supplements – Helpful or Harmful?

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The American Heart Association has, for years, recommended fatty fish to help reduce the chance of heart disease.   Fatty fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

There are documented benefits linked to omega-3 fatty acids. According to the MayoClinic.com, omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid, which have been shown in clinical trials to reduce inflammation and lower risk for heart disease. Other benefits include decreasing triglycerides, lowering blood pressure, reducing risk for blood clots, boosting immunity and improving arthritis symptoms. Even more studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids improve memory for adults and learning ability for children.

fish oil woman mouth

Health seekers have turned to omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements for a couple of reasons.

Some people dislike fish, especially fatty fish, which is the best food source of omega-3s. Anchovies and sardines are two of the richest sources, but a lot of people complain about the “fishy taste” so fish oil capsules are an ideal compromise.

Contamination is yet another concern. Fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel may be overfished, farmed (and fed antibiotics), or tainted with mercury. A few years back, actor Jeremy Piven would up in the hospital with mercury toxicity – it appears that his twice-daily meal of raw sushi (tuna, mackerel, salmon) caused his mercury levels to soar.

Fresh fish can be expensive – and supplements may be a way to get the fish benefits more cheaply and easily.

But, as reported in Men’s Fitness,   there are countless brands of fish oil supplements ranging in price from $5 up to $30 dollars per bottle – available over-the-counter, even online. But be forewarned – all supplements are not created equal – some may even be dangerous – they may contain less of the active EPA and DHA omega-3s than advertised…or worse, they may contain unsafe and illegal levels of PCBs.  Safe supplements will list the species of fish used to make the oil (salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies are the richest and safest fish in terms of level of mercury), and also list total amounts of EPA and DHA – as well as the source of the fish, and a guarantee that there are no heavy metals, toxins or pesticides. I think it’s important to only buy supplements that have been reviewed by an independent, third-party testing company, such as ConsumerLab.com or USP.org.

salmon

Consumers can skip supplements and if they dislike fish they can choose other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, including vegetarian omega-3 supplements (vegetable oils such as soybean, canola, walnut, and flaxseed) and foods such as walnuts and flaxseeds.

The American Heart Association recommends eating one to two servings a week of fish, particularly fish that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The AHA cites studies that link consumption to a reduced risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death.

All fish are good sources of protein but the best advice is to avoid potential contaminants – such as mercury – by eating a variety of fish – avoid big predatory fish like swordfish, tuna, and shark – and eat smaller fish like sardines, anchovies, and my favorite, shellfish – all are rich in omega-3s and have a low chance of being contaminated.

To learn more about all sources of omega-3 fatty acids: from both fish and vegetarian sources from WebMD.com, click here

To learn more about fish oil supplements from the NYTimes.com click here

 

Make Your Hands Smile With My Meal

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Some great innovative information from Angie Hasemann, a genius registered dietitian colleague from the University of Virgina:

“Want to know how to teach children and adults how to balance meals, focus on fruits and veggies, and eat appropriate portions in a simple, easy‐to‐remember way? Try out this simple “Make Your Hands Smile” trick to teach clients of any age in under five minutes. It may just be the most effective tool you’ve ever learned. Place your hands palms up, side‐by‐side. Your meal should be just enough food to cover your hands (accounting for children of different ages). One palm is a lean protein; the other is a whole grain. Fingers are filled with fruits and veggies. Your hands are filled, but what if you’re still hungry? Spread out our fingers to fit more fruits and veggies (our best choices for seconds). Recognize the shape of the smiley face, with the most important part (the mouth) being fruits and vegetables-the best part to eat first! Using numerous photos of actual meals demonstrating this concept to encourage balance, portion control, and to focus on fruits and veggies is the perfect teaching tool for clients, students, and other health professionals. Family tested and RD approved, this simple technique for teaching the very basics of nutrition in a fun and creative way has proven to be effective with children of all ages and is regularly used with overweight and obese children in the University of Virginia’s Children’s Fitness Clinic.

This innovation has already enhanced the practice and performance of practitioners. It turns all of the basics‐‐that we try to teach overweight children, adults wanting to lose weight, and other health professionals with little nutrition education‐‐into something simple, fun, and easy to remember. It’s an effective way of providing pictures for visual learners and utilizes a tool‐‐our hands‐‐that stays with us all day long. It solves the questions of “Why is my big brother getting more food than me?”, “How do I know how much to eat?”, and “How can I plan a healthy meal?”. With the overriding concept of half of the plate being fruits and vegetables, it’s an easy message for kids and parents to understand and health professionals to pass on to their clients. The pictures of smiley face meals are great ideas for meal planning as well.

Feedback from patients, their parents and other family members, students and interns, as well as other health professionals shows they have successfully learned basic nutrition and applied it to their daily life with the use of the innovation. Many RDs and DTRs struggle with translating the science of nutrition into user-friendly formats that motivate people to be interested in nutrition and empower them to make real changes. This technique is simple to understand, easy to apply, and impossible to forget. Kids come back requesting that every meal be in the shape of the smiley face and going for their fruits and veggies first at meals, because that’s what they learned! Physicians have responded that it’s one of the easiest ways to communicate nutrition to their patients and can be done without any visual aids or handouts, so its ease of use makes it more practical for their office setting. Using and teaching techniques likes this helps our clients and other health professionals to continue to look for us for guidance in nutrition.”

Thanks for sharing, Angie!

Angie Hasemann, MS, RDN, CSP
Weight Management Dietitian, Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Virginia Children’s Hospital
Program Director, UVA Health System Dietetic Internship
Address: P.O. Box 800673, Charlottesville, VA 22908-0673
Make Your Hands Smile with My Meal