New findings from The Nurses’ Health Study in 1998/1999 show that fiber, especially cereal products, protects against heart disease. This study examined the relationship between fiber consumption, as reported by nearly 70,000 women from 1984 through 1998. Woman who ate an average of 23 grams of fiber a day had a 47% lower risk of major coronary events, including myocardial infarction and/or fatal coronary heart disease, compared to those who ate about half as much fiber. When the researchers analyzed the individual effects of three’ different fiber sources (fruits, vegetables, and cereals), only cereal fiber significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.

A daily bowl of cold whole-grain breakfast cereal that supplies 5 or more grams of fiber cut heart disease risk by approximately 37%. This study was reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1999. In this particular study ono,ooo women by The Nurses’ Health Study, the ages of the women ranged from 37 to 64 years of age. None ofthe women in the study had a previous diagnosis of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or high cholesterol. It is proposed that the increased consumption of whole-grain products may increase insulin sensitivity and lower triglyceride levels. Also, whole-grain products, including cereals, are important sources of phytoestrogens and may favorably affect blood coagulation activity (JAMA, October 27, 1999, volume 282′, number 16).

Fiber Reduces Risk of Strokes

The nutrients in fruits and vegetables, such as dietary fiber and antioxidants, are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, but few studies have examined their relationship to the risk for stroke. This study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, described the association between fruit and vegetable intake and ischemic stroke in over 70,000 woman enrolled in The Nurses’ Health Study and 38,000 men in the health professional follow-up study. Everyone in this particular study had no history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, or high cholesterol.

During the follow-up period, which included fourteen years for women and eight years for men, each increment of one serving of fruit or vegetables per day was associated with a 7% reduction for risk of ischemic stroke in women and men. This would translate into a 35% reduction in stroke for people who ate five servings daily of fruit and vegetables. This study showed that there was no further reduction in the risk of stroke above 5-6 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. The consumption of a variety of vegetables and fruits, such as cruciferous vegetables (examples: broccoli and cabbage), green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits or vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables resulted in the largest decrease in risk. These are pretty impressive results for sticking to your high-fiber diet of fruits and veggies (JAMA, October 6, 1999, volume 282, number 13).

Fiber K.O.’s Heart Disease

In a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate three to four servings of whole grains a day had one-third to one-half the risk of developing heart disease as opposed to women who ate refined flour, such as white bread. It is important to check the ingredients in any commercial food to see that it is truly made ftom whole grains. In particular, it is important to check the ingredients in snack foods (for example, cookies, crackers, and chips), since many of these products contain not only refined white flour, but also partially hydrogenated oils (trans-fats), which actually can raise our cholesterol more than any other types of saturated fats.

In a recent study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, people on a high-fiber diet showed a significantly reduced risk from coronary heart disease and death from all causes. This study reviewed dietary data from the Scottish Heart Study on approximately 12,000 women and men, 40-59 years of age. Women with a high intake of fiber had the greatest reduced risk of mortality ftom all causes, including coronary heart disease. These results suggest that the current public health drive to increase your fiber intake to at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day should have beneficial effects on all causes of mortality.

These researchers attributed the beneficial effects of fiber to the fact that folate, the antioxidant-active flavonoids, and minerals (selenium, magnesium, and copper) will be co-ingested at higher levels in high-fiber, fruit and vegetable rich diets. In addition, the stool-bulking properties of fiber may play an important role in maintaing good health. Along with fiber, the study participants ingested other nutrients present in fruits and vegetables that may have an added effect on the prevention of coronary heart disease and on all types of mortality.

Reduce Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

A recent Harvard Medical School study found that middle-aged people who regularly ate cruciferous and leafy green vegetables, delayed the onset of the mental decline that normally comes with aging. Middle-aged people who were overweight had twice the risk of later developing dementia, according to a study at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease. Eating lots of vegetables, and staying physically and socially active may significantly reduce
the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease according to several other recent studies.

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1. Drink one cup of fat-free milk instead of one cup of whole milk. Add nonfat milk to your coffee, cappuccino, or lattes.
2. Use 1 tablespoon of mustard, ketchup, or fat-free mayonnaise instead of regular mayonnaise in salads or on sandwiches. Mix ketchup and nonfat mayonnaise to make a delicious Russian dressing. Served on a wedge of iceberg lettuce, it makes a tasty snack.
3. Share a small bag of potato chips or French fries with a friend, or skip them altogetber, or just taste three or four and throw the bag away.
4. Cut a slice of pizza in half and save the other half for later in the day.
5. Check serving sizes of your favorite foods when you eat out. For example:
   • One-half cup of cooked cereal or pasta at home is equivalent to a single serving size; however, restaurant portions. are equivalent to approximately three serving sizes, and-that’s before they even add the sauce.
   • One-half of a bagel is one serving, but a deli bagel is equivalent to at least three servings.
   • One small pancake or waffle at home is equal to one serving size, but in a restaurant, one large pancake is about two and one-half servings.
   • A dozen potato chips or tortilla chips equals approximately (one serving; however, a small bag contains at least two to three serving.
6. Always check the servmg :siizes on any prepackaged food that you get.You will be surprissed that some of them say that the content! contain two or three serving sizes. Most people, when thy consume of package of processed foods, assume that it is one serving size, when, in actuality, it may be two to three serving sizes.
7. Becareful of prepackaged foods that contain trans fats. Trans fats are identified as partiatlly hydrogenated oils. They are not lista or labeled on the package as trans fats. The FDA will be requiring foods to haave trans fats listed, but that won’t occur until 2006. The reascon trans fats are dangerous is that they raile the blood levels of cholesterol and saturated fats and lead to heart disease, hyypertension, and strokes.
8. When yu order a meal in a restaurant and the serving size seems too largl, tell the waiter immediately to wrap-up one half of the meal belore you start to eat. Don’t wait until you’ve started the meal to decide to take somee of the food home. By that time, you’ll probably have eaten more than half of the portion size and your ca1orie count will go sky-high. When you’ve finally discovered thay you’ve had enough to eat, the usual response is: “Well, that’s relly not enough food to wrap-up and take home.”

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The French Paradox

There are three known factors contributing to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries):

1. Overactive platelet activity, which causes blood to stick and can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
2. High levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Free radicals can oxidize LDL cholesterol and contribute to the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
3. The third contributing factor to atherosclerosis is damage to endothelial cells.

Patients on a diet high in purple grapes had an almost tripling of the blood vessels’ ability to respond to the increased blood flow, and also showed a slower onset of LDL oxidation, meaning that it is less likely that the oxidation will contribute to atherosclerosis. The flavonoid (transresveratrol) in purple grapes is the key to the prevention of atherosclerosis. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds also contain flavonoids, as well as red wine. This research is often referred to as the French Paradox, which helps to explain the low incidence of heart disease in France, where red wine consumption is high.

While people in France eat almost three times as much saturated fat as Americans, the French have only one-third the risk of heart disease. The same heart disease prevention benefits appear to be related to the consumption of purple grapes, which contain the same flavonoids as red Wine (Circulation, October 1999, 100: 1050-1055), which increases the good HDL cholesterol.

Eating purple grapes or grape juice gives similar protection against heart disease without the alcohol content. Both purple grapes and grape juice contain the flavonoid, transresveratrol, which have cardio-protective benefits. The International Journal of Cancer (Nov. 2004), has found that the antioxidant resveratrol, also appears to have a protective effect against prostate cancer.

The French also eat three to four more servings of vegetables daily than Americans eat. Also, the French season their vegetables with heart-friendly olive oil and add herbs, nuts, and spices. They also take time in preparing their food, and relax and eat slowly to enjoy their meals. Americans, on the other hand, usually eat fast foods or prepare meals quickly and eat them just as fast. They don’t savor foods like the French people do and consequently don’t take the same care in the food preparation and presentation.

Whatever the reasons are, the French people have only had an 8-10% rise in obesity over the last decade compared to a 20-25% increase in obesity in the American population. Also, the French have considerably less heart disease and breast cancer compared to Americans. French people rarely eat prepackaged foods, which are filled with saturated fats, sugar, and sodium. They also usually saute or grill their fresh vegetables to bring out the natural sugars and nutrients contained in the vegetables.

The portions of meats that they eat are relatively small in comparison to the amount of ftesh vegetables that they consume. And even though they enjoy desserts with a high fat content, they usually only consume small portions of these tasty morsels. So, it is not only the wine that keeps the French people healthy, it’s their preparation and enjoyment of healthy, ftesh foods, and their relaxed manner of eating slow, leisurely meals. The French take time preparing and eating their meals, unlike their American counterparts who eat quickly and often have little knowledge of what they’ve actually eaten. Perhaps, it’s the Americans ‘ quick, stressful lifestyle and their inability to relax that causes heart disease and not the actual diet at all.

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There is no clear evidence that low carbohydrate diets are better than low-fat diets in helping people to lose weight. These low- carbohydrate diets can promote short-term weight-loss; however, weight gain rebound occurs in over 90% of the people who go off of these boring, high-fat, high-protein, dangerous diets. In most cases, these individuals gain back almost all of their original weight, with an added 20% bonus of additional pounds.

Your body converts all of the carbohydrates that you eat into sugar (glucose), which our body’s cells use as fuel. When these glucose molecules pass from the intestines into the bloodstream, the organ known as the pancreas produces insulin, which tells the body’s cells to absorb the glucose. Once the cells (skin, internal organs, tissues, muscles, fat, and others) absorb the glucose, then the insulin levels return to normal.

The main element that differentiates bad carbs from good carbs is how fast the carbohydrate foods are converted into sugar in the intestine and absorbed into the bloodstream. This is known as the glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index are considered to be the bad carbs. They include white flour and white rice, refined, highly-processed flour (white breads, cereals, spaghetti, macaroni, bagels, muffins, croissants, pastries, pretzels, pancakes, waffles); fruit juices and sugar-laden sodas and sports drinks; cakes, pies, ice cream, cookies, candy, and most non-fruit desserts; chips and crackers; some vegetables, for example com and white potatoes; sorbets, sherberts and ice cream.

The high glycemic carbohydrate foods, or the bad carbs, rapidly convert carbohydrates into glucose in the intestine, and then rapidly absorb them into the bloodstream. This rapid increase in blood sugar causes a rapid increase in the levels of insulin produced by the gland known as the pancreas. Blood glucose levels then rapidly decrease, due to the output of insulin, which results in the body’s tissues and brain being actually starVed for energy.

The brain then sends out hunger signals for another quick-fix meal to replenish its glucose stores. Then the rapidly fluctuating glucose and insulin levels lead to excessive calories being consumed, which have no place to go except to be stored in your body’s fat cells. This invariably leads to excessive weight gain.

The increased insulin levels that are needed to fill the muscle and fat cells with sugar also inhibit the production of a muscle protein called glucagon, which is a protein that normally signals the body’s fat cells to bum stored fuel when the blood glucose levels fall below a critical level. Since this production of glucagon is inhibited, the fat cells store more fat instead of burning fat for the production of energy. Result: Less energy produced, more fat stored. Certainly,
not a pretty picture.

In addition to gaining unwanted pounds, eating foods with a high glycemic index can cause or contribute to health problems. When excess insulin is repeatedly produced by the pancreas by ingesting high-glycemic foods, the pancreas’s insulin-producing cells can actually wear out, and then they begin to produce less and less insulin. This can eventually lead to diabetes.

Also, overweight and physically inactive people may develop a condition known as insulin resistance. This is a condition wherein the body’s tissues resist insulin’s signal to transfer glucose from the blood into the cells. This is another way that people on high glycemic diets can develop a condition known as insulin-resistant diabetes. Exercise and weight reduction are certainly ways that this condition can be prevented.

High Sugar Diets Increase Breast Cancer Risk

It appears, according to recent research reported in The Journal of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers Prevention (August 2004), that women who ate a lot of refined carbohydrates had twice the risk of developing breast cancer than those women who ate less sugars and starches. Scientists think that the excess of refined carbohydrates in the diet may increase breast cancer risk by rapidly causing the blood sugar to, rise, which in turn causes a surge in blood insulin levels. These high blood insulin levels can cause normal cells to divide too quickly and may cause higher levels of insulin in the actual breasts’ cells. These two factors could possibly lead to the formation of cancer cells in the breast.

These studies don’t suggest that people should go on the typical low-carbohydrate diet, which essentially increases the fat (meat, cheese, and whole-fat dairy products), in their diets. These studies, however, indicate that people should restrict refined carbohydrates and substitute complex high-fiber carbohydrates in their diets. High fiber diets have been shown in many studies to decrease the risks of various types of cancer when combined with a low-fat, lean-protein diet. High-fat diets, on the other hand; have been repeatedly shown to increase the risk of various forms of cancer, particularly breast cancer. These findings raise concerns about women who eat excess amounts of refined sugars and could be at risk for developing breast cancer. This is particularly true for women who are overweight or are diabetic or who have a condition known as insulin resistance.

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According to a new Harvard study of approximately 75,000 women, participants in the study who ate at least two servings daily of high-fiber whole grain breads and cereals were fifty percent less likely to gain weight, compared to those women in the study group who ate refined carbohydrates (bad carbs) without fiber. It was shown that the high fiber good carbs bum more calories during digestion and make you feel fuller earlier and longer than eating refined bad carbs. High fiber breads, cereals, pastas and rice all reduce the output of fat-storing insulin, which results in less weight gained, and more fat calories burned. Here’s yet another example of how eating good carbs can help you lose weight.

Most vegetables (except com and white potatoes), fruits (not fruit juices), beans, legumes, nuts, whole-grain cereals and breads have a low glycemic index. These can be considered the good carbs. Your body converts these good carbohydrate foods into glucose, which is slowly processed in the intestinal tract and absorbed into the blood stream.

Since this glucose is absorbed gradually, it only triggers a moderate, sustained rise in the insulin produced hy the pancreas. This even level of blood insulin can process the blood sugar (glucose) into the body’s cells slowly to use for energy production. In other words, there is no rapid filling of the fat cells full of extra sugar caused by the high levels of insulin and glucose, which causes excessive weight gain. Also, there are no rapid shifts in high or low levels of glucose or insulin, causing excess hunger and binge carbohydrate eating.

These good carbs can be helpful in a weight reduction program, provided they are combined with low-fat, low-calorie foods. These good carbs are primarily of plant origin and contain many different phyto (plant)-nutrients. They are also rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and many other plant nutrients.

The following carbohydrate foods have a low glycemic index, and for all intents and purposes can be labeled as good carbs:

1. Most vegetables, with the exception of com and white potatoes.
2. Most fruits with the skin intact, with the exception of fruit juices, which contain high levels of sugar and very little actual fruit. Some fruits, for example, watermelon and grapes, do have high sugar content and have to be consumed in moderation.
3. Beans and legumes are excellent sources of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
4. Whole grains.
   • Whole-grain cereals, such as oatmeal (instant oatmeals may have a high sugar content) or cold cereals are good choices for low glycemic carbohydrates. Make sure that the package shows a fiber count of, at least, 4 to 5 grams of fiber, or more, per serving, and a sugar count lower than 10 to 12 grams of sugar per serving, preferably under 8 grams. Whole-grain cereals that contain bran are usually high in fiber.
   • Whole-grain breads. The label on whole-grain breads should show that the first ingredient listed is ”whole grain flour”(example: whole-grain wheat). If it doesn’t list whole-grain flour first, then it is really not a whole-grain bread. This includes any type of whole-grain bread products, especially those that also contain bran.
   • Brown long-grain rice makes a good low glycemic addition to any meal, since it is broken down and absorbed slowly.
   • Whole-wheat pastas now come in many varieties, such as noodles, spaghetti, vermicelli, linguini, etc.
5. Nuts are good low glycemic snack foods. In addition to being absorbed slowly, they are excellent sources of protein, fiber, magnesium, copper, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin D. Nuts are also considered to be the good fats, which are actually called monosaturated fats. They help to keep the blood vessels open, which, in turn, can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes. Raw nuts, in particular, are called heart healthynuts, since they contain generous amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These omega-3 fatty acids are heart protective, and have also been known to prevent certain forms of cancer.

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The low carbohydrate diet craze, which is essentially a high ­fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, is a component of practically every diet book that has been on the market for the past ten years. The first question that comes to mind is, “Then, how do people lose weight on these low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets?” For example, most of the diets say that you can have bacon and eggs for breakfast, hot dogs for lunch, and a juicy steak for dinner. Sounds tempting, doesn’t it? They also tell you that you can’t have any, or, at the very least, minimal amounts of carbohydrates with each meal; for instance, no vegetables, fruits, cereals, breads, potatoes, pasta, etc. Sounds unappetizing and unhealthy, doesn’t it? It certainly is.

The simple fact is that you do lose weight initially on these very low-carbohydrate, high-fat, high-protein diets; however, most of the initial weight-loss is water weight-loss, due to a metabolic process called ketosis, which, in fact, is a condition found in unhealthy people (for example, those with diabetes and kidney disease), and not in healthy people. Once the body gets rid of this water, it starts burning fat, which is left over - which, in itself, is a good thing; however, the downside is that this abnormal process of ketosis also begins to bum the body’s protein (muscle tissue). This actually is a very bad thing. By attempting to burn protein as a source of fuel for energy, the body is actually breaking down one of the most important elements in the body that is used to sustain life (building and repairing the body’s tissues, cells, and organs).

The fact that a substance called ketones appears in your urine (a by-product of this abnormal process called ketosis) shows you clear evidence that your body is breaking down its muscle tissue. This is one of the reasons that fatigue and general weakness have been reported as early side effects of this completely unhealthy diet.

Also, kidney and liver damage may result if too much of the body’s protein is broken down in these unhealthy, low-carbohydrate diets.

In ketosis, fatty acids are broken down to form ketones and acetones, which the body can then use as fuel. Unfortunately, this results in the loss of sodium and potassium from the body, which are vital minerals essential for health. Even levels of thyroid hormone decrease and your metabolism slows down to conserve energy, which, in turn, slows the process of weight-loss: During this process of ketosis, the blood cholesterol goes up, which, in itself, is a dangerous condition.

While the body is breaking down fat to form ketones for energy, it must consume some of its muscle tissue (protein) to meet the energy needs of the brain and nervous system. Since the brain and nervous system use approximately two-thirds of the glucose present in the body, ketones cannot replace glucose for many of the brain’s functions. This, in turn, can affect the brain adversely, since protein must be broken down to form amino acids, which can then be converted to glucose. If this is not done in a timely fashion, then the brain’s blood supply of glucose is limited, resulting in temporary and/or permanent neurological damage.

As you can see, this is a dangerous way to diet and is not a healthy type of diet to remain on for any period of time. In addition, once this diet is stopped, rapid weight gain resumes, since the body has been depleted of carbohydrates, water and nutrients. The hunger center (appestat) in the brain increases your appetite, and you usually begin to consume massive quantities of carbohydrates to alleviate the adverse effects of this diet.

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