Southern-Style Eating is Killing Us & Weight-loss Hacks

 

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

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

 Being overweight has become a new normal in our country, with more than 70% of our population being overweight or obese.  Of the most overweight and obese states in America, Missouri ranks number 14, and 12 of the 14 are considered in the "south”.  Eating a southern diet means a 56% higher risk of heart disease, a 46% higher risk of sudden cardiac death, and a 30% increased risk of stroke.  In fact, the south is now known as the “stroke belt.”  Southern foods aren't inherently bad - it's the butter, salt, cheese, bacon, and other unhealthy things that are added.  It's Meatless Monday and there are LOTS of delicious recipes on their website that will help you lose weight and gain health! 

Yesterday we mentioned that 70% of our population has a high, unhealthy weight and most of the states with this problem are in the south.  So why is that?  Just exactly what are we eating (yes, our state is considered one of the tops for being overweight) that’s so unhealthy?  Southern foods are more often fried, and fatty, and have added butter and oils.  They use a higher number of eggs, processed meats like bacon and ham, and organ meats such as liver, as well as sugary drinks like sodas and sweet tea.  Try crowding out fried foods this month with healthier options, then give up the processed meats next month, and soon you'll transition to foods that will help you live longer and live stronger!

 Dr. Michael Greger and his NutritionFacts are the leading source for reliable information on nutrition research and can provide the answers for remedying our “living in the South” healthcare woes.  It’s no surprise that the emphasis is on whole foods that are plant-based.  250 calories of carrots fill us up a lot more than 250 calories of a fountain drink, pack a lot more nutrition, feed our gut microbes, and make us feel a lot fuller – all of which will help in losing weight.  Pre-loading our meals with a glass or two of water and a salad or piece of fruit also helps - on average we'll eat 300 fewer calories!  AND eating more plants and fewer animals ramps up our resting metabolic rates, so we burn more calories while we sleep!   Plantify your plates and have a wonderful Wednesday!

 Let’s face it – eating plant-based means it's high in healthy carbs, and many are pursuing weight loss through low-carb diets, which means high in fat and protein.  Diets like Keto are effective in weight loss because of giving up sugar and processed foods, but we are mortgaging our health to lose weight.  Keto dieters are dying earlier and suffering from more diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.  We can have all of the benefits of weight loss and INCREASE our health with plants.  It’s the only diet that has been shown to reverse our #1 killer, heart disease, and so much more.  Enjoy a wealth of health with whole, plant-based foods!

 It's Fix-it Friday and you'll love these Barbecue Pulled Portobello Sliders! 

 Ingredients:

 1 tube of polenta

4 large portobello mushroom caps

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup sliced onion

1 cup shredded napa cabbage

1/2 barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Green Goddess Sauce

1 cup fresh spinach

 Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Slice polenta into a 1/2-inch round and bake for 20 minutes.  Slice portabella mushroom caps into thin slices and cook in a large pan in 2 Tbsp water until wilted.  Add the liquid smoke, onion, and napa cabbage and cook for 5 minutes, then add barbecue sauce. 

 Assemble the sliders with the polenta on the bottom, then fresh spinach leaves, Green Goddess Sauce, then the mushrooms, and more sauce. 

 Green Goddess Sauce

3/4 cup cashews, soaked for an hour in water

1/2 cup tightly packed parsley and stems

1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves and stems

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves and stems

3 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp maple syrup

3/4 cup water

 Drain the cashews in a food processor or high-speed blender, add all ingredients, and blend.  Add more water if you'd like a thinner consistency.

 Resources:  WalletHub, NutritionFacts.org, Be a Plant-based Woman Warrior Cookbook by Jane Esselstyn and Ann Crile Esselstyn.

 Here's an oldie but goodie!

 There is increasing consensus that transitioning towards reduced meat consumption and more plants is a key to addressing important health and sustainability issues.  Nearly every credible forecast shows that if we're to have any chance of meeting future food in a sustainable way, lowering our meat consumption will be essential.  We hear this, we know this, yet consumers continue to buy meat.  A recent study revealed that the most important barrier to following a plant-based diet is related to meat appreciation, namely the enjoyment of eating meat.  So, the taste and texture of vegetarian meals that more closely follow the preferences of meat eaters make a difference - and that's where meat analogs - meatless meats - come in.  It's meatless Monday and we'll talk a lot more about transitional foods this week - go to meatlessmonday.com for ideas and have a marvelous Monday everyone! 

The environmental impact of switching from beef to plant-based meat is a 90%+ reduction in land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water usage.  Though health, environmental and animal welfare aspects can persuade customers to try a meat substitute, they need to TASTE, LOOK and FEEL good to win us over, and it's working because of great new products that are coming out.  Even those with strong positive beliefs about meat eating are trying what's called "meat analogs" - you know - Beyond Burgers, "Un-chicken" and such.  They are made with soy protein, wheat protein, pea protein, and now mycoprotein - the future of nutritious non-meat protein, which comes from mushrooms.  You'll find it in the frozen section called Quorn.  A bonus?  Plant-based meat substitutes result in increased satiety, which leads to 200 fewer calories consumed per day - you're just not as hungry hours later.  With great taste, affordability, and availability almost everywhere they are growing in market share.  Power up your plates with these veggie-based, high-protein meat substitutes to live longer and live stronger have a terrific Tuesday!

 We're talking this week about meat substitutes - they aren't whole foods and are highly processed, so why would we advocate them?  Because not everyone can wake up one day and do quinoa and kale!  These are great transition foods that are beneficial.  Let's compare the Impossible and Beyond burgers to beef.  Beef has 1.5 grams of trans fat, which is a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's, and dementia ... and the substitutes have zero.  Beef also has 80 mg of cholesterol, hormones, and antibiotics, whereas the substitutes have zero.  If you don't salt your beef, the substitutes have more sodium, but they aren't high.  Beef is a human carcinogen, whereas the substitutes don't cause cancer.  Go to your favorite grocery frozen section and give them a try - along with the substitute chicken and sausage options - and improve your health on the shelf on this wonderful Wednesday!

 More about meat substitutes today.  Of course, beans, pulses, and legumes have the fat of no kind, no salt, no hormones, no antibiotics, and 10 times the fiber, and are not "processed".  So transitioning to meat substitutes THEN whole foods is best...for most of us, improving our diet is about getting cleaner and cleaner, gradually.  So, are plant-based burgers and other items healthy?  The answer is, compared to what?  Compared to a beef burger, yes, they are, but compared to a bowl of beans, no they aren't.  Eating an Impossible Whooper with fries and a Coke is better than eating a Whopper with fries and a Coke.  Every bite we take is an opportunity to eat something healthier - so the question is, what would you be eating if you didn't eat the plant-based burger?  Sausage is considered a group 1 carcinogen, meaning 1 single breakfast link is about the same as living in second-hand smoke.  Plant-based sausage tastes GOOD and causes no cancer.  Shop in that aisle today - our best recommendations are Beyond Meats and Gardein Ultimate Plant-based Chick'n items. More tomorrow!

 We know that meat substitutes are just as high in protein as meat...and the real beauty is that plant-based protein is so different for our bodies.  Animal protein is associated with a higher risk for death, particularly from heart disease, whereas higher plant protein intake is associated with a lower risk for death in recent, huge studies.  Replacing animal proteins with plant proteins lowers mortality, especially by getting rid of processed meat and eggs.  And unlike animal protein, plant protein doesn't increase our levels of IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1) so it lowers blood pressure, reduces LDL, and improves insulin sensitivity.  Substitution of plant protein for animal protein has been related to a lower incidence of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  More good news - plant-based children tend to be lighter and leaner than nonvegetarian children, and taller.  Daily intake of plant-based meat substitutes also reduces hip fracture risk in half and eating legumes instead of meat reduces it by 67%!  Have a fantastic Friday everyone!