Bad Research, Bad Foods, but Good Fitness

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

It is important to use reputable resources when looking at research studies in nutrition, medications, or other health-related topics. For example, one study’s headline was that patients who ate a cheese diet, meat diet, and low-fat diet ended up with the same cholesterol levels. How can that be? It is important to find out who sponsors studies:  this study was sponsored by the dairy industry. To make sure the subjects ended up with the same cholesterol level, they added lots of coconut oil and COOKIES to the "low-fat" diet! The same was done to compare dairy products with dairy alternatives and to compare meat diet results with tofu diet results. They stuffed the tofu with lard! At least the meat industry had a footnote that said tofu would not normally contain the addition of lard. NutritionFacts.org does its best to make sure studies are sound. On this Meatless Monday, look for validated studies, and know that they consistently show more plants mean better health.

Yesterday we talked about valid studies in nutrition. This is interesting…the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has the following sustaining partners:  the Sugar Association, candy bar, and soda companies, the corn syrup organizations, and the meat, dairy, and egg industries. The meat industry did a study showing that eating red meat does not negatively affect cardiovascular disease risk factors. They did this by swapping one meat for another – using chicken or fish rather than red meat. Regarding cholesterol, white meat like chicken and turkey is just as bad as red meat, and fish may be even worse. The good news is when studies compare meats to plant-based foods there is significantly lower cholesterol for plant-eaters. Trade one serving a day of meat with nuts or beans, and you can lower cholesterol, a key risk factor for the #1 killer of men and women. Have a terrific Tuesday everyone and power up your plantified plates today!

Yesterday we mentioned swapping one meat serving each day with nuts or beans. A single serving of nuts every day is associated with a 22 percent reduction in the risk of premature death. Millions of deaths could be prevented by this one change! And it is not only swapping the meat out and the nuts in – there are fewer heart attacks even for vegetarians if they eat more nuts. Some keys to consuming nuts:  more variety is better, eat raw nuts (never roasted and not salted), soak them overnight to dial-up their good enzymes, and because they are dense in calories the serving size is important, so you do not eat too many! One serving size a day would be fourteen walnut halves, twenty-four almonds, sixteen cashews, forty-five pistachios, and eighteen pecan halves - a little less than ¼ cup. It is a wonderful Wednesday to power up your plates with nuts!

New York City’s public school system made a substantial change to go to “No Meat Friday’s” to introduce healthier food choices to their kiddos. They have meatless tacos, black beans, corn salads, and many other plant-based options that are high in protein and more nutritious. The Mayor of NYC is vegan and committed to helping improve the health of the city’s youth and the environment. The rates of childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diseases have been on the rise for years, yet if you go into the schools, the food they are offered only accelerates this healthcare crisis. Here are the sad facts:  only 7% of school-aged children eat the recommended daily serving of fruits, and only 2%, yes only 2%, of all children eat enough vegetables. School meals can make a difference! On this fantastic Friday, why not encourage the schools your children attend to help them be healthier?

 Reference:  Nourish: “The Definitive Plant-based Nutrition Guide for Families”, by Reshma Shaw, MD, and Brenda Davis, RD 

An Oldie, but a Goodie!

Family Health and Fitness Day is this Saturday so let us get a jump start on it! Of COURSE, we think of food as the way that we set up the potential for health...or the potential for disease. In fact, our food is the single greatest tool we have in the fight against diseases. IT'S MEATLESS MONDAY so power up your plate to help YOUR family be their healthiest by choosing these foods and beverages:

Avocados, Beans, and Berries

Broccoli, Olive Oil, and Leafy Greens

Flax, sunflower, pumpkin, and Chia Seeds

Herbal and green teas, mushrooms, and Nuts

Quinoa and other Whole Grains

Sweet Potatoes and Turmeric

Here is to your family's health and listen in tomorrow for the "what not to consume" list!

We have been focusing on family health and fitness and on Monday we listed many foods and beverages to help your family be as healthy as possible. Today, here is the list of those that can wreck our family's health:

Alcohol - it DIRECTLY damages brain cells and is linked to breast cancer plus a whole lot more

Butter and margarine - choose avocado oil, canola oil, olive oil, or the plant-based spreads that taste just like the real deal

Cheese, meat, and chicken are all high in bad fats - in fact, chicken is the main source of cholesterol in our diets now!

Fried foods, fast foods, processed foods (like chips, cookies, frozen foods, and most bread), and all "sweets" including sugary drinks - yes...juices and sodas.

Have a Terrific Tuesday everyone and the power of the plate will help your family be its healthiest!

God wants us to live longer and stronger and feel better and better! It is Family Health and Fitness Day this Saturday and let us talk about Fitness. Here is a sad fact - never in our history have we been less physically active than we are right now. So, we can all improve! One of the clearest relationships between exercise and health has to do with blood flow - yes, aerobic exercise. a morning walk, hiking with the kids, chasing the dog with her frisbee, or climbing the Stairmaster at the gym are all examples - they get your blood flowing. Resistance training is also important - no matter WHAT your age, lifting weights is helpful because it reduces bone loss, maintains muscle, increases balance, and helps our brains! Stay tuned for more details and have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!

Thursday's tip for a healthier family is to help them to unwind, yes, stress affects everyone, no matter what our ages. Stress increases cortisol levels, digestive problems, and sleep issues, it causes depressed immune function that makes us more vulnerable to infections and cancer, insulin resistance, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety. So, wow - it is important to find ways to unwind! Here are some ways:  

Meditation 

Walking outside

Doing yoga

Listening to music (YAY KHIS!)

Simplifying your lives

Cultivating healthy relationships, and 

Living a purpose-driven life - think about all these ways to help your family boost their health!

It is Friday's holistic habit of the day and we are finishing the week on Family Health and Fitness tips - Tomorrow is Family Health and Fitness Day! It is all about good nutrition and avoiding unhealthy food and beverages. Including in your life aerobic exercise, like walking and bicycling, lifting some weights at every age, "downshifting" to reduce stress, and getting plenty of sleep. We have said so many times that it is our lifestyle choices that make the difference. Many experts have given up on trying to help us change our lifestyles, but new research shows it is much more achievable than we think! Lifestyle change DOES require focus and effort - it only works if it is constant and intensive so that it results in new habits. We CAN make it a priority... so we can live longer and stronger for Christ! Have a fantastic Friday everyone!