Why Eat Healthy? Part 4 – “Live Long and Prosper”

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Julie Harrison

longevity and healthy eating,why eat healthyIt’s official…a recent study from the CDC says healthy lifestyle pays off with increased longevity!  As reported in the American Journal of Public Health in September 2011, the study covered an 18 year period, looked at over 16,000 people and included 4 healthy behaviors.  These were healthy eating, exercising, drinking alcohol in moderation, and not smoking.  People who practiced these behaviors were 63% less likely to die than people who didn’t practice any of them.

While these results may not be surprising, I think we sometimes lose sight of how lifestyle habits can affect our health over the long term.  The state of our health has a big impact on our quality of life.  Take good care of yourself!  You’re worth it!

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Why Eat Healthy? Part 3 – Alcohol Pros and Cons

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Julie Harrison

alcohol and health,why eat healthy,why is healthy eating important,healthy food guideThis month the Harvard Heart Letter reported the results of a study on the effects of drinking alcohol on our health.  The study was a big one, followed over 2 million men and women for an average of 11 years, and compared moderate alcohol use to no alcohol use.  Moderate alcohol consumption did reduce the risk of coronary artery disease and heart disease, but it increased stroke risk somewhat.  One drink per day was the amount that produced the least risk for any cause of death in the study.  At 4 drinks per day stroke risk was a whopping 62% higher than with no alcohol consumption.  Clearly the amount of alcohol consumed is key.  Once it becomes excessive any beneficial effects are far outweighed by substantially increased risk of stroke, liver disease, a variety of cancers and other health problems.  As the Harvard article points out, alcohol is a double-edged sword. Please share your views by leaving a Comment below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 6 – Tomatoes

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,lycopene benefits,why eat healthy, why is healthy eating important,healthy eating guideTomatoes are one of the best sources of lycopene.  Dr. Mehmet Oz writes that lycopene prevents cancer cells from growing and dividing.

I like tomatoes raw or cooked, and my favorites are the fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes that we grow in the summer…tomato sandwiches, anyone?  Tomatoes are most beneficial when eaten cooked, however.  I use them most often in pasta sauce and homemade chili.  Click here for an easy chili recipe, make extra and freeze it to have convenient meals ready when you don’t have time to cook (or just don’t feel like it!).  Another great way to eat cooked tomatoes is by making a simple tomato sauce for pasta… an easy recipe follows.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 5 – Blueberries

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anti-cancer foods,anticancer foods,why eat healthyBlueberries are a great source of antioxidants, nutrients that are so important for our health. Blueberries also contain a substance called ellagic acid, according to Dr. Mehmet Oz. Ellagic acid helps prevent carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) from damaging our cells’ DNA. Damaged DNA can cause healthy cells to develop into cancer cells.

Fresh blueberries aren’t available year-round where I live, so I usually buy them frozen.  Get the unsweetened ones – the only item listed on the package Ingredients Label should be blueberries.  I put the amount I’ll use over 3-4 days in a container in the refrigerator so that they’re thawed when I’m ready to use them.  I add them to my morning oatmeal.  They’re also good stirred into plain, low fat yogurt.  If you’re indulging, throw some on your ice cream or frozen yogurt!  Please share your favorite ways to eat blueberries by leaving a Comment below.

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Why Eat Healthy? Part 2 – Dangers of Processed Meats

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Julie Harrison

why eat healthy,why is healthy eating important,processed meat and cancerWhat exactly are “processed meats”?  Are they good or bad for us?  Processed meats include bacon, hot dogs, cold cuts and “deli meat”, sausages including breakfast sausage and other types like kielbasa and bratwurst (“brats”), and cooked ham.  These items are practically a staple in the typical American diet.  They also increase our risk for developing cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.  Why?

These meats almost always include nitrites or nitrates (“nitrosamines“) as a preservative and will appear on the Ingredients Label on the meat package, usually as potassium nitrite or nitrate or as sodium nitrite or nitrate.  According to cancer researcher Dr. William Li and Dr. Mehmet Oz, these nitrosamines are converted into carcinogens by the body and damage our cells’ healthy DNA.  Once that happens, the cells can become cancerous.  One to three slices of processed meat per day will increase our risk for cancer of the colon, pancreas, esophagus, stomach and ovaries.  Nitrosamines also increase our risk for Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, according to Dr. Suzanne DeLaMonte.

I decided to search my local grocery stores and see if I could find  any sausage or cold cut brands without these nitrosamines.  I did find one brand of cold cuts and one brand of sausage without them, although there may be others. Continue reading →

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Why Eat Healthy? Part 1 – The Mediterranean Diet

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Julie Harrison

Mediterranean diet,why eat healthy,why is healthy eating important

Why is healthy eating important?  I was listening to John Tesh’s radio program the other day and  he was talking about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.  What is it, and why is it good?

The Mediterranean diet is named after countries that border the Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy and Turkey.  The people there traditionally eat a lot of vegetables and fruits every day.  The main fat used in cooking is olive oil, which has healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants.  Nuts, legumes such as beans and lentils, fish and other seafood are also a big part of the traditional menus around the Mediterranean, as is red wine in moderation.  This style of eating is mainly plant-based.  Red meat, highly processed foods, and added sugar are not consumed in large quantities like they are in the typical American diet.

What are the benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating?  This type of diet reduces the risk factors for heart disease because it lowers high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It helps prevent Type 2 diabetes and decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.  People with Type 2 diabetes often see their health improve on this type of diet.  These all sound like good reasons to adopt some eating habits from around the Mediterranean.

How do you include the food traditions from the Mediterranean in your daily life?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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Soy Myths Exposed – The Dangers of Soy

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Julie Harrison

Julie’s Comments: Many people consider soy products a health food.   Here are short videos from two different experts that give reasons why soy products are not good for us, except for fermented ones like miso, tempeh and nato in moderation.  Please share your views by clicking Comments below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 4 – Endive

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,cancer fighting foods

 

Cancer researcher Dr. William Li recently appeared on The Dr. Oz Show to talk about foods that fight cancer.  He said “Mother Nature has laced many fruits, vegetables and spices with the same molecules we are studying in the lab to develop cancer drugs.”  Endive is one vegetable that has been shown to reduce cancer risk.

Endive is a vegetable used primarily in salads, and is part of the chicory family.  It can be easily recognized in the grocery store because it looks like a pale yellow and white tulip that hasn’t yet opened.  A study of 62,000 women in the Netherlands showed that eating endive reduced the risk of ovarian cancer by 75%.  Endive contains a molecule called camphorol, which cuts off blood supply to cancer cells and causes them to die.  How much endive do you need to eat?  Dr. Li recommends 1/2 cup of raw endive twice a week.  It’s important that the endive is raw, because the cancer-protective effects were not seen with cooked endive.

Endive has a very mild flavor and is slightly crunchy.  I like it sliced crosswise and added to salads, or by itself with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. You can use the whole leaves as a base (instead of lettuce) for a scoop of tuna, shrimp or salmon salad. One of my favorite ways to eat whole endive leaves is as a holder for other things like hummus, peanut butter, almond butter or salsa.  Using endive leaves this way is so much more nutritious than using chips!

Do you include endive in your eating plans?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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AntiCancer Foods Part 3 – Cruciferous Vegetables

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,cancer fighting foods

There’s probably something you can find that you’ll like on this list of cancer fighting cruciferous vegetables:  Arugula, Bok Choy, Broccoli and Broccoli Sprouts, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard Greens, Radish, Rutabaga and Turnip.  Watercress (see AntiCancer Foods Part 1) is also on this list.  Dr. Nicholas Perricone, world  renowned healthy-aging expert, explains why these vegetables are so beneficial:

“Sulforaphane, discovered by accident in 1995 by a group of scientists researching the anticancer compounds in broccoli, is a phytochemical compound that can be obtained by eating cruciferous vegetables such as arugula, watercress, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, kohlrabi, mustard, turnip, radish and rutabaga.  Sulforaphane is particularly abundant in watercress and broccoli sprouts. Continue reading →

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AntiCancer Foods Part 2 – Onions

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Julie Harrison

anticancer foods,anti-cancer foods,cancer fighting foods

According to Dr. Mehmet Oz, onions are a superfood that can help fight cancer. Eating half an onion a day can help decrease many cancers including breast and colon cancer.  To save yourself money he says there’s no need to buy them organic, because growers don’t spray onions like they do a lot of other fruits and vegetables.

I use onions nearly every day.  They are so versatile.  You can add them to soups and stews, saute and add them to scrambled eggs or an omelet, and use them raw on sandwiches and salads.  Different types of onions have different flavors.  If you don’t like the sharp taste of a white or yellow onion, buy onions labeled “sweet”.  Sweet onions have the mildest flavor of all the onion varieties.  Examples of these are the famous Vidalia onions from Georgia and Texas Sweets.  My mother-in-law, a native of Georgia, loves Vidalia onion sandwiches!  Red onions have a milder flavor than the white and yellow ones and add beautiful color to a dish.  There’s an onion for just about every taste.  You can try different ones and see what you like best.

How do you include onions in your eating plans?  Please share by clicking Comments below.

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