Eat Right: Extending Your Healthy Life

Face-lifts, Botox injections, and other anti-aging procedures are all the rage—yet doctors still have not developed a surgical procedure that will add years to your life (angioplasty doesn’t count.)  “With enough money, you can always look good on the outside,” says Ralph Felder, MD, Ph.D., coauthor of The Bonus Years Diet.  “Reversing the aging process internally is much more difficult.”  And, while a healthy diet won’t necessarily make you look like Demi Moore, it can extend your life.

To get some perspective on what proper nutrition and diet can mean for your health, think of your body as an engine—if you will—a machine.  The higher the octane of the fuel you put into it, the better it’s going to run.  Now, consider what might happen to your internal machinery after ten years of fueling up on double burgers, high-fat cheese, grease-laden fries, and milkshakes:  painfully slow blood flow, and hardened arteries.  Not pretty.

Here’s the good news:  By changing your diet and starting to eat right, we can increase the changes for enjoying a longer life.  Here's how to start:  Quit focusing on the obvious culprits (steak with saturated fat along the outside and béarnaise, buttery mashed potatoes, and full-fat ice cream) and start loading up-on healthful foods.  Let’s try perhaps an egg-white omelet with veggies and some whole wheat toast for breakfast; a small apple between breakfast and lunch; a lean turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato, a small glass of V-8 juice and a dish of fresh cut-up fruit; some non-fat yogurt and chopped walnuts between lunch and dinner; a nicely trimmed skinless grilled chicken breast with sautéed onions, mushrooms and green peppers, coupled with some garlic mashed potatoes made with low-sodium smart balance butter, along side some applesauce for a healthy dinner.  According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, eating seven “super” foods daily (red wine, dark chocolate, fruits, vegetables, garlic, fish, and nuts) in the appropriate portion sizes can reduce heart disease risk by seventy-five percent and add an average of 6 years to your life.

Slash your calorie intake.  Since the 1930s, studies have shown that calorie-restricted diets improve the health and extend the life span of rodents.  Now researchers are learning that slashing calories may have similar beneficial effects in humans.  A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, for instance, found that 2 markers of longevity (fasting insulin level and body temperature) were lowered in humans through prolonged calorie restriction.

Nutrition professionals consistently report that a Mediterranean-style diet—including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and a daily glass of red wine—promotes longevity.  (In my opinion, this does not give everyone a license to drink as much as they want.)  In fact, studies show that this type of diet lowers conditions ranging from cancer to stroke.  In 2 separate studies, researchers found that “going Mediterranean” not only protects against Alzheimer’s disease, but also enables people who have the disease to live an average of 4 years longer.  The more closely participants adhered to the diet, the greater the benefit they saw.

Emphasize plant-based eating.  I suspect that you’d be hard-pressed to find a dietitian expert who would argue against eating more fruits and vegetables.  Plant foods are loaded with antioxidants, powerful disease-fighting chemicals that help counteract damage from free radicals, oxidations, stress, pollution and other environmental toxins.  They are loaded with flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, and thousands of other chemicals we have not even discovered yet, which help prevent disease.  Make today the first day to extend your life the healthy way.

Source:  Everydayhealth.com

Healthy Recommendations to Fight-Off Cancer with Food

By Anthony J. Sepe

http://fromadietititiansperspective.blogspot.com

http://www.medicalnutritiontherapyservices.com

Along with the American Cancer Society, here are some healthy recommendations to fight -off cancer with food:

• Choose most of the foods we eat from plant sources.
• Limit intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources
• Be physically active
• If alcohol is consumed, do so in moderation

Recently, I was asked for a healthy recipe version for Buffalo Chicken Wings/Legs.  Here’s my recipe, which illustrates how a recipe can be modified, still taste good, be simple, as well as be healthy, too.  Enjoy!

© Healthy Buffalo Chicken Wings/Legs

Developed and reprinted with permission from Anthony J. Sepe

Buffalo Chicken Wings/Legs

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup red hot sauce
2. 2 T vinegar
3. 1/2 cup of fat-free  chicken broth
4. 2 T Molly McButter or Smart Balance
5. 10-20 skinless chicken legs

Preparation Method:

1. Mix all ingredients for sauce and heat over low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Pour over chicken legs on baking sheet.
3. Bake 350 degrees until brown; approximately 20-25 minutes

Suggestion: Serve with cut-up raw vegetables and low-fat or fat-free ranch dressing.  Garnish with lemon wedges.

Dairy Foods Reduce Risk of Osteoporosis & Colon Cancer

J Dairy Sci. 2006 Apr;89(4):1207-21.

Major scientific advances with dairy foods in nutrition and health.

Huth PJ, DiRienzo DB, Miller GD.

National Dairy Council, Rosemont, IL 60018-5616, USA.

A large body of scientific evidence collected in recent decades demonstrates that an adequate intake of calcium and other nutrients from dairy foods reduces the risk of osteoporosis by increasing bone acquisition during growth, slowing age-related bone loss, and reducing osteoporotic fractures. These results have culminated in the new (2005) Dietary Guidelines for Americans that now recommend 3 servings of milk products per day to reduce the risk of low bone mass and contribute important amounts of many nutrients that may have additional health attributes beyond bone health. A number of animal, observational, and clinical studies have shown that dairy food consumption can help reduce the risk of hypertension. Clinical trials indicate that the consumption of recommended levels of dairy products, as part of a healthy diet, can contribute to lower blood pressure in individuals with normal and elevated blood pressure. Emerging data also indicate that specific peptides associated with casein and whey proteins can significantly lower blood pressure. In addition, a growing body of evidence has provided support for a beneficial effect of dairy foods on body weight and fat loss. Clinical studies have demonstrated that during caloric restriction, body weight and body fat loss occurs when adequate calcium is provided by supplements and that this effect is further augmented by an equivalent amount of calcium supplied from dairy foods. Several studies support a role for calcium, vitamin D, and dairy foods against colon cancer. Additionally, conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid found naturally in dairy fat, confers a wide range of anticarcinogenic benefits in experimental animal models and is especially consistent for protection against breast cancer.

And now, how many servings of dairy products have you had-- thus far--,today?

Eating, Living, Health and Aging

How should we eat as we age?  Which foods are likely to keep us most healthy, and which ones should we limit?  Is it possible to eat well and stay within a healthy weight?  These and other questions are addressed in “Eating Well as You Get Older,” a topic added to NIH SeniorHealth, the health and wellness website developed by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), both part of the National Institutes of Health.

“Eating well is vital at any age, but as we become older,the daily food choices can make an important difference in our health.  Good nutrition is one component of an overall strategy to stay healthy,” says Richard J. Hodes, MD, director of the NIA, which developed the content for the topic on NIHSenior Health.

Eating a well-planned, balanced mix of healthful foods every day may help prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bone loss, some kinds of cancer, and anemia.  Eating healthfully may not always be easy for us as we age.  Changing appetites, slower metabolism, eating alone, buying ready-to-eat meals, and living on a fixed income can affect the quality of one’s food choices. Yet our need for nutritious foods does not diminish with age.  In fact, as we age, our bodies require essential nutrients to help us maintain function, and most of those nutrients are found in foods.  “It is important for older adults to select foods that provide them with the nutrients and energy they need for healthy, active living,” says Hodes.

In addition to learning how to make wise food choices, older adults will find information  about food labels, food safety, meal planning and food shopping, and ways to enhance the enjoyment of eating at http://nihseniorhealth.gov/eatingwellasyougetolder/toc.html.

Older Americans (one of the fastest-growing groups using the Internet) increasingly turn to the web for health information.  In fact, 68% of online seniors surf for health and medical information when they visit the web.  NIHSeniorhealth, which is based on the latest research on cognition and aging, features short, easy-to-read segments of information that can be accessed in a variety of formats, including large print, open-captioned videos, and audio.  Additional topics coming soon to the site include Parkinson’s Disease, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and Leukemia.

Source: The National Institutes of Health

Which Item Doesn't belong?

Strawberries, broccoli and whole wheat bread. Pineapple,cigarettes, and eggs. Cheese, onions and grapes. Which item doesn't belong? Oddly enough, just now, some supermarkets are choosing to no longer sell tobacco products. They realize tobacco doesn't support the health of their customers and community. Other supermarkets continue to sell tobacco products. Should you feel compelled to take a stand, consider asking your supermarket to stop selling tobacco products. WWW.TobaccoFree Grocery.org

Fix it—Then, Get the Bonus !!!

by Anthony J Sepe

http://fromadietitiansperspective.blogspot.com

  Well, we talked some about Organic food the other day, let’s   go  a little further.  It’s certainly not, AIG, but you are insured, and you can build trust because its with National Standards. That’s Organic Food.

So, what does it really mean for us?    The word “organic” varied from person to person and from state to state, but up until a few years ago, that’s really the way it was.  The USDA, then stepped in and said, basically, they get some uniform conformity here, as to standards.  They worked hard for close to a decade or more to develop national guidelines for earth-friendly foods.  There is now, a USDA Organics seal for the foods.  There are many categories such as, 100% organic, organic, made with organic ingredients and contains organic ingredients.

So you may ask:  What’s so different?

The growing process makes all the difference.  The organic farmers keep a delicate balance of nature, protect the supply of water, and improve the soil by eliminating most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, using birds and insects to control pests, and tiling weeds and rotating crops the “old-fashioned” way.  Labor-intensive organic agricultural practices, like hand weeding, are obviously more expensive, which contributes and explains why the expense of organic foods.  Therefore, let’s just say:  we really do get a bonus because organic foods are inherently better for you because of the lack of chemical involvement during the growing stage.  Step up and get your bonus, you really deserve this bonus—be good to yourself and your body.

Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop on organic foods and cancer treatment

Blog by, Anthony J Sepe

http://fromadietitiansperspective.blogspot.com

 

Natalie Rotunda, Organic Food Examiner from the Examiner.com, points out that Certified Master Chef Jack Shoop is a man who appreciates the health value of organic foods. In August 2008, the Culinary Institute of America's honors graduate, educator, and restaurateur returned to his native Philadelphia to put his extraordinary culinary skills to work as Executve Chef, now also Director of the Dietary Department, at that city's Cancer Treatment Centers of America facility, whose care model revolves around an individualized, integrated, patient-centered approach to treating advanced cases of cancer.

Charged with revitalizing the culinary and dining experience, one of the aspects of the Center's whole-person treatment model, Chef Shoop is doing just that. A key ingredient he and his staff of 51 serve in every dish they prepare is that which comes from the heart: a deeply caring attitude. "Why am I doing this?" he asks. "For one reason, it's going to give the cancer patients a better opportunity for them to get a second chance. What impact is it going to have on our patients, that's what it comes down to."

In a recent news release, Chief of Staff at CTCA in Philadelphia Steven Standiford, MD, said, "The importance of nutrition throughout a cancer patient's journey is well documented, but often understated. Jack believes in our whole-person model and brings creativity and compassion to the culinary helm."

Chef Shoop, tell us about a typical day for you.

I cook about 10 hours a day. I manage and have an assistant clerical person, kitchen staff of 20-some, and dining staff of 20-some, and an executive sous chef. I've never felt like it was working. I come in at 5:30 in the morning. I butcher the beef and filet the fish. We make all our own pastries. The only thing we buy is Metro Artisan Breads; everything else we make from scratch.

Percentage-wise, how much organic food do you use?

In the winter, 80-85% of the foods are organic because it's not as available. In the spring, summer and early fall, it's a lot easier to get local foods, and the percentage of organic foods is in the 90-percents. You're searching everywhere for organic foods. One local family owns two farmers' markets, and they bring all our produce.

We buy from all types of sources all over the U.S. For fish and meats, we use a couple different companies.

When you cook Mediterranean foods, as I did at my restaurant, 60% of the food on the plate is vegetables. I used a lot of organics at my restaurants. As a Master Chef, you have to be qualified in nutrition. When you bring organic foods to the table, you're taking steps to eat healthy.

In addition to working with licensed nutritionists and physicians, do you also work directly with the patients?

Because I'm here to provide the 'mother standard of care,' treating every patient the way I'd want my own mother treated, I've taken the liberty, aside from working with nutritionists and physicians, of visiting the rooms of the patients. I become their friend, number one, and we can get more information for the patient's needs.

Since I arrived, I have selected Raquel Leonard, a Georgetown University graduate who is also a Culinary Institute of America graduate whom I'd met, and loved and appreciated what she did, and titled her Chef de Cuisine Patient Care. When the patients in the rooms order their food for the three-meal period, Raquel is responsible for seeing to the quality of the foods. She and an assistant actually cook the foods, with portion control in mind, and as much organic food as we can get on the plate. Everything is more harmonious with the patients' needs. We meet with  nutritionists every week and make sure we understand what every patient's needs are.

What kinds of changes have you instituted since you arrived at CTCA?

I asked for the opportunity to embrace the patients closer. My dining room manager, Devin Harrison, and her three assistants, get to know the families and what their nutritional needs are. They walk into the patients' rooms wearing business suits, not uniforms. From there, they manage our patient serving reps, those who take patients' food orders. That way, we can educate the families so they better understand what we're doing, and help the family heal, not just the patient. Three-and-a-half months now we've been doing this, and it has worked magic.

What has that got to do with organic foods? You're taking service to the organic level, meaning that if you care that much about serving organic food, why do you do that with mediocre service?

How do you cook for cancer patients whose taste buds may be compromised because of treatment, or for a number of other reasons?

One of the most interesting things I've been experiencing since I've been here, even though I've been cooking more than 40 years, you never can learn enough. When you are dealing with, for example, two cancer patients who are getting the same treatment, no matter how similar their profiles, one of them might handle doing a very, very spicy gazpacho, and the other patient will reject having those spices. You have to take it patient-by-patient, and find out what is going on with that patient.

Sometimes you have to put a little oomph into the food. Let's say we were steaming a variety of six or seven vegetables. Maybe you have to put in a pinch of sea salt and maybe a natural herb so it is delicate. If a patient is starving for some taste, we may take a little fennel or something to give flavor. We feed 800 people a day. [Note: Not all are patients.] All of the food that goes out in a buffet we do delicately, to please all the people.

For those patients who are in a challenging situation, we have to study their diet a lot more carefully, and keep a watchful eye.

Malnutrition is a very common challenge for cancer patients. Proper nutrition helps keep them strong and able to continue their treatment without interruption.

I understand you also teach cooking classes What do you teach?

We are just beginning our classes here, though the nutrition department has been educating patients and families for some time on healthy eating and nutrition and even grocery shopping.

Before you can cook, you have to shop. Even if you're doing this at home, whether a cancer patient or a food lover, buy foods in season. They will look the best in color, and taste the best in flavor. Buying organic is the healthiest, smartest thing you can do.

So I teach in three areas: First, buying the right foods; second, learning how to use your tools efficiently and keep them organized and sanitized; and third, learning how to cook smarter with healthy cooking techniques.

One of the most important things any food lover can do in order to have a finished wonderful product is to be in the right frame of mind. For cancer patients, it is that embracement, it's that extra hug, that tells them we care about them. It's the same at home. If your mind is in love with the food, the food is always better. It really does work. That is why it's important to go above and beyond for our patients, aside from the clinical side. This is what the culinary department can do for them. In order to work for me, you have to get it. You have to believe.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America Philadelphia

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More About: organic foods · Chef Jack Shoop · cancer treatment

Captain Sully: Pilot Calm

Current news reports reveal today that Captain Sully was 'calm' as a cucumber, as the flight bound for its destination never arrived, but rather, took a detour into the Hudson River, last week. The fortitude and inner-strength this well-seasoned and trained Caption displayed was unimaginable, as on-lookers surveyed the wing-filled with people on the water in disbelief. This same -- fortitude and inner-strength--is inside everyone of you, too, but in a different kind of "weigh." Making small gradual steps, just one-at a- time, can make a difference on your journey to a healthier and happier you. For example, let's take a look at vegetables. This food category or food group is a food group that can provide healthy nutrients, and send you on your way, each day, to a healthier you. Just increase your consumption just a little, not a lot. So if you are used to having 2 teaspoons of peas, make it, 1/2 cup. Why did I choose peas? Well, because this is a vegetable that most people don't like. From 30 years of experience, this is a vegetable that I have seen on more patient trays' than the likes of it's cousin, the little trees--broccoli. The nutrients abound; however, try an increase from 2 teaspoons, to 3 teaspoons. Do you know that 3-teaspoons = 1-Tablespoon? Next, try, 1/2 cup of sliced cucumbers. This what we all need to be. Cool as a cucumber, because ,change takes time. Slow gradual changes can yield a bigger serving in the long run, which is more than you could have asked for. Maybe this is all it takes-- be cool as a cucumber like Captain Sully and, we are on our "weigh" to being less in weight number and more rich in antioxidant health to benefit from it's rewards. ~Anthony Sepe

Are You Worth it? Prostate Cancer In Men: What's your Diet Like?

Make Prostate Cancer A National Priority With President-elect Obama taking office on January 20th, now is the time to act. A petition has been circulating around the country collecting signatures from citizens (like yourselves) who want to ensure that Prostate Cancer is made a national priority. Please join us in our efforts by signing at: www.prostatecancerpetition.org. In addition to the prostate cancer petition, there are a number of ways that you can help support efforts to establish an Office of Men's Health. Please watch your email for more information on this issue. Below is a message from John Sharp, Us TOO Prostate Cancer Group Leader: This will take less time to sign this then it will to read this letter. Pass this on to Two people to pass on to two. Let's make a difference.http://www.prostatecancerpetition.org Please sign the Petition as there are only 12,917 Signatures as of today. I think there are more men in this country. Think like this if we had two friends sign and they had two and so on we could get a lot of signatures on this. This is to be presented to the new president of the United States of American on January 21, 2009. With this limited amount of signatures it will barely make any appearance. Our doctors, researchers and pharmaceutical companies all need our help and support. With the new numbers presented for this last year (2008) it appears that Prostate Cancer is on its way down. Not the case the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute has changed the formula for estimating. With the new formula we are seeing the percentage of deaths to diagnosed increase from 11% to 15%. The deaths for 2008 are estimated to be at 28,660 up from 2007 numbers of 27,050. Now prostate cancer is no longer the big three which are Lung Cancer, Colon Cancer and Breast Cancer. We must stand up and be counted.This past December 25th (Christmas Day) one of my closest friends lost his life at the young age of 47 years young. His brother and I share the same birthday. Almost three years ago his brother called me on our birthday and asked me to help his brother. His brother became a very good friend and we fought together with the best doctors in the United States. Still he lost his life and left three children, a wife, family and friends. Please take the time to sign this before January 20th, 2009. Every signature counts. Prostate Cancer incidence rates are comparable to Breast Cancer rates. Yet, federal funding is significantly higher for Breast Cancer research than for Prostate Cancer. In 2008, there were the same number of new cases of Prostate Cancer (186,320) as Breast Cancer (184,450), as estimated by the American Cancer Society. In 2007, Breast Cancer received almost two thirds more funding ($127.5 million) from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program as did Prostate Cancer ($80 million dollars) (59.5% difference). In 2007, Breast Cancer received more than twice as much funding ($707 million) as did Prostate Cancer ($305 million) from our nation's medical research agency, the National Institutes of Health (231% difference).Breast and Prostate Cancer scientists should not be made to compete for limited research funding. Scientists must feel encouraged to develop prostate cancer research. Both Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer research funding must continue to grow. Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer patients, equal in number, should receive equal and adequate funding and promotion for research. John F. SharpUs Too Support Group Please sign http://www.prostatecancerpetition.org and then get two of your friends to sign. Males: What's the composition of your meal selection like? More fat? and, saturated fatty food items? Not as much fruit and vegetable consumption as you would like to have? Make sure to read the above petition, sign, and start to decrease your fat consumption, just 1-step at a time and increase your fruit and vegetable consumption daily-- starting today, on your way to better prostate health by making healthier food choices. By increasing your fruit/vegetable consumption and decreasing fat consumption there is a reduced risk of prostate cancer, and increase in respect for yourself and respect for your body. Are you worth it? ~Anthony Sepe, From A Dietitian's Perspective.Blogspot.com