It's not just in the genes: the foods that can help and harm your brain

Guardian Design Team

"Lisa Mosconi

Mon 12 Feb 2018

Our diet has a huge effect on our brain and our mental wellbeing, even protecting against dementia. So, what should be on the menu?

As a society, we are used to the idea that we feed our bodies, and that our diet shapes our waistlines. But many of us forget that the same diet also feeds our brains, and that the food we give our brains shapes our thoughts and actions. I invested many years formally studying neuroscience and neurology, and have spent many more years as a scientist in those fields. Back when I started, most of my time was spent with medical journals. But 15 years into my research, much of my time is spent with cookbooks.

These books are essential to contemporary brain science. The recipes become food, and that food shapes our brains just as surely as it builds our bodies. Day after day, the foods we eat are broken down into nutrients, taken into the bloodstream and carried up into the brain. Once there, they replenish depleted storage, activate cellular reactions and become the very fabric of our brains.

The brain is the hungriest organ in the body, consuming more than 20% of your body’s total energy haul. At the same time, our brain cells are irreplaceable. Unlike the rest of the body, where cells are continuously replaced, the vast majority of brain cells stay with us for our entire lives – which means they are in need of extra care and nourishment.

Next-generation medical imaging and genomic sequencing studies, including work from my lab at the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, have helped us understand that some foods play a neuro-protective role, shielding the brain from harm. It’s no surprise that, conversely, other foods are harmful for the brain, slowing us down and increasing the risk of cognitive decline. So, what does this mean for your daily menu in terms of optimising for brain health? It means lots of the following:

Fatty acids

A specific kind of fats called polyunsaturated long-chain fatty acids, such as the famous omega-3s. Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines, is the best natural source of the only kind of fat the brain needs throughout a lifetime. Where fish isn’t an option, flax and chia seeds are good alternatives.

Glucose

A specific kind of carbohydrate called glucose. Glucose is the only energy source for the brain, so it’s crucial that the brain gets enough of it. Foods that are naturally rich in glucose and that at the same time contain enough fibre to stabilise your blood-sugar levels are beetroot, kiwi fruit, whole grains, sweet potatoes, onions and spring onions. Raw honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar are also good sources.

Vitamins and minerals

All sorts of vitamins and minerals, especially those with antioxidant effects such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium – but also iron, copper and zinc. Fruit and vegetables are the best natural source of these: go for berries, oranges, grapefruit and apples, which are sweet but have a low glycemic index. Leafy green or cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale, dandelion greens), as well as other vegetables such as onions, carrots, tomatoes or squash are also full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and disease-fighting nutrients that are needed for a healthy nervous system. Make every meal a rainbow.

Extra-virgin olive oil

Last but not least, extra-virgin olive oil is a brain-must, as it is loaded with anti-ageing nutrients such as omega-3s and vitamin E. Vitamin E is particularly important to protect ourselves against dementia. Large studies in the US and Europe have found that elderly people who consumed more than 16mg a day of vitamin E had a 67% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who consumed little to none. Dementia risk was further reduced by taking vitamin E in combination with vitamin C. Both these vitamins protect brain cells from the harmful effects of toxins and free radicals, while vitamin E has the added benefit of increasing oxygen delivery to the brain.

Now for the no-nos

At the same time, some foods are a big no-no. These include fast food, fried food such as fish and chips, fatty foods such as red meat, pork and high-fat dairy, and, most of all, processed foods: baked goods loaded with trans fats and refined sugar such as cakes, biscuits, crisps, ready meals and frozen pizza, as well as many snacks. Then there are all of the margarines and commercial cheeses, along with other spreadable or “creamy” products. Ditto for processed meats such as salami, bologna and frankfurters. The more of these processed foods you consume on a regular basis, the higher your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Across multiple studies, people who consumed as little as 2g a day of trans fats had twice the risk of those who ate less than 2g. It’s disheartening to discover that most people in those studies ate at least 2g a day, with the majority of participants eating more than double that dose on a regular basis.

Genes aren’t destiny

Beyond thoughts, moods and memory, diet plays a clear and determinant role in brain ageing and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, which affects 46 million people worldwide (and is projected to affect 130 million by the year 2050). When I started working in the field, most people understood Alzheimer’s as the inevitable outcome of bad genes, ageing or both. In 2018, it is clear that genes aren’t destiny, and ageing isn’t a linear path to unavoidable dementia.

Most people don’t realise that less than 1% of the Alzheimer’s population develops the disease due to a genetic mutation. These mutations are very rare and so is their outcome: an early-onset and particularly aggressive form of Alzheimer’s that develops when people are in their 30s, 40s and 50s. But the majority of the population doesn’t carry those mutations, and so the real risk for the rest of us is simply not determined by our genes.

While the blueprints for an individual brain do depend in part on DNA, recent discoveries have led neuroscientists to understand that genes load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger. In fact, there is consensus among scientists that at least one third of all Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented by improving our lifestyle, from ameliorating cardiovascular fitness, to keeping our brains intellectually stimulated and, of course, eating better.

The human brain has evolved over millions of years to absorb specific nutrients and to function on a relatively specific diet. Now our society must also evolve, to attend to what our brains need to be fed. On a personal level, that’s for anyone pursuing a long life and a youthful brain to enjoy it. On a global level, that is millions of people who will have a chance to age gracefully with their mental capacities intact".

Fonte e imagem: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/12/its-not-just-in-the-genes-the-foods-that-can-help-and-harm-your-brain

We Can’t Keep Eating Like This

This is the question everyone should be attending to – where is the food going to come from?

By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 11th December 2017

"Brexit; the crushing of democracy by billionaires; the next financial crash; a rogue US president: none of them keeps me awake at night. This is not because I don’t care – I care very much. It’s only because I have a bigger question on my mind. Where is the food going to come from?

By mid-century there will be two or three billion more people on Earth. Any one of the issues I am about to list could help precipitate mass starvation. And this is before you consider how they might interact.

The trouble begins where everything begins: with soil. The UN’s famous projection that, at current rates of soil loss, the world has 60 years of harvests left, appears to be supported by a new set of figures. Partly as a result of soil degradation, yields are already declining on 20% of the world’s croplands.

Now consider water loss. In places such as the North China Plain, the central United States, California and north-western India – among the world’s critical growing regions – levels of the groundwater used to irrigate crops are already reaching crisis point. Water in the Upper Ganges aquifer, for example, is being withdrawn at 50 times its recharge rate. But, to keep pace with food demand, farmers in South Asia expect to use between 80 and 200% more water by 2050. Where will it come from?

The next constraint is temperature. One study suggests that, all else being equal, with each degree Celsius of warming the global yield of rice drops by 3%, wheat by 6% and maize by 7%. This could be optimistic. Research published in the journal Agricultural & Environmental Letters finds that 4°C of warming in the US Corn Belt could reduce maize yields by between 84 and 100%.

The reason is that high temperatures at night disrupt the pollination process. But this describes just one component of the likely pollination crisis. Insectageddon, caused by the global deployment of scarcely-tested pesticides, will account for the rest. Already, in some parts of the world, workers are now pollinating plants by hand. But that’s viable only for the most expensive crops.

Then there are the structural factors. Because they tend to use more labour, grow a wider range of crops and work the land more carefully, small farmers, as a rule, grow more food per hectare than large ones. In the poorer regions of the world, people with less than 5 hectares own 30% of the farmland but produce 70% of the food. Since 2000, an area of fertile ground roughly twice the size of the United Kingdom has been seized by land grabbers and consolidated into large farms, generally growing crops for export rather than the food needed by the poor.

While these multiple disasters unfold on land, the seas are being sieved of everything but plastic. Despite a massive increase in effort (bigger boats, bigger engines, more gear), the worldwide fish catch is declining by roughly 1% a year, as populations collapse. The global land grab is mirrored by a global seagrab: small fishers are displaced by big corporations, exporting fish to those who need it less but pay more. Around 3 billion people depend to a large extent on fish and shellfish protein. Where will it come from?

All this would be hard enough. But as people’s incomes increase, their diet tends to shift from plant protein to animal protein. World meat production has quadrupled in 50 years, but global average consumption is still only half that of the UK – where we eat roughly our bodyweight in meat every year – and just over a third of the US level. Because of the way we eat, the UK’s farmland footprint (the land required to meet our demand) is 2.4 times the size of its agricultural area. If everyone aspires to this diet, how do we accommodate it?

The profligacy of livestock farming is astonishing. Already, 36% of the calories grown in the form of grain and pulses – and 53% of the protein – are used to feed farm animals. Two-thirds of this food is lost in conversion from plant to animal. A graph produced last week by Our World in Data suggests that, on average, you need 0.01m2 of land to produce a gram of protein from beans or peas, but 1m2 to produce it from beef cattle or sheep: a difference of 100-fold.

It’s true that much of the grazing land occupied by cattle and sheep cannot be used to grow crops. But it would otherwise have sustained wildlife and ecosystems. Instead, marshes are drained, trees are felled and their seedlings grazed out, predators are exterminated, wild herbivores fenced out and other lifeforms gradually erased as grazing systems intensify. Astonishing places – such as the rainforests of Madagascar and Brazil – are laid waste to make room for yet more cattle.

Because there is not enough land to meet both need and greed, a global transition to eating animals means snatching food from the mouths of the poor. It also means the ecological cleansing of almost every corner of the planet.

The shift in diets would be impossible to sustain even if there were no growth in the human population. But the greater the number of people, the greater the hunger meat eating will cause. From a baseline of 2010, the UN expects meat consumption to rise by 70% by 2030 (this is three times the rate of human population growth). Partly as a result, the global demand for crops could double (from the 2005 baseline) by 2050. The land required to grow them does not exist.

When I say this keeps me up at night, I mean it. I am plagued by visions of starving people seeking to escape from grey wastes, being beaten back by armed police. I see the last rich ecosystems snuffed out, the last of the global megafauna – lions, elephants, whales and tuna – vanishing. And when I wake, I cannot assure myself that it was just a nightmare.

Other people have different dreams: the fantasy of a feeding frenzy that need never end, the fairytale of reconciling continued economic growth with a living world. If humankind spirals into societal collapse, these dreams will be the cause.

There are no easy answers, but the crucial change is a shift from an animal to a plant-based diet. All else being equal, stopping both meat production and the use of farmland to grow biofuels could provide enough calories for another 4 billion people and double the protein available for human consumption. Artificial meat will help: one paper suggests it reduces water use by at least 82% and land use by 99%.

The next Green Revolution will not be like the last one. It will rely not on flogging the land to death, but on reconsidering how we use it and why. Can we do this, or do we – the richer people now consuming the living planet – find mass death easier to contemplate than changing our diet?"

Fonte e imagem: http://www.monbiot.com/2017/12/13/we-cant-keep-eating-like-this/

I’ve converted to veganism to reduce my impacts on the living world

Illustration by Nate Kitch

por George Monbiot.

"Nothing hits the planet as hard as rearing animals. Caring for it means cutting out meat, dairy and eggs.

The world can cope with 7 or even 10 billion people. But only if we stop eating meat. Livestock farming is the most potent means by which we amplify our presence on the planet. It is the amount of land an animal-based diet needs that makes it so destructive.

An analysis by the farmer and scholar Simon Fairlie suggests that Britain could easily feed itself within its own borders. But while a diet containing a moderate amount of meat, dairy and eggs would require the use of 11m hectares of land (4m of which would be arable), a vegan diet would demand a total of just 3m. Not only do humans need no pasture, but we use grains and pulses more efficiently when we eat them ourselves, rather than feed them to cows and chickens.

This would enable 15m hectares of the land now used for farming in Britain to be set aside for nature. Alternatively, on a vegan planet, Britain could feed 200 million people. Extending this thought experiment to the rest of the world, it’s not hard to see how gently we could tread if we stopped keeping animals. Rainforests, savannahs, wetlands, magnificent wildlife can live alongside us, but not alongside our current diet.

Because we have failed to understand this in terms of space, we believe we can solve the ethical problems caused by eating animals by switching from indoor production to free-range meat and eggs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Free-range farming is kinder to livestock but crueller to the rest of the living world.

When people criticise farming, they usually preface it with the word intensive. But extensive farming, almost by definition, does greater harm to the planet: more land is needed to rear the same amount of food. Keeping cattle or sheep on ranches, whether in the Amazon, the US, Australia or the hills of Britain, is even more of a planet-busting indulgence than beef feed-lots and hog cities, cruel and hideous as these are.

Over several years, as I became more aware of these inconvenient truths, I gradually dropped farmed meat from my diet. But I still consumed milk and eggs. I knew the dire environmental impacts of the crops (such as maize and soya) that dairy cows and chickens are fed. I knew about the waste, the climate change, the air pollution. But greed got the better of me. Cheese, yoghurt, butter, eggs – I loved them all.

Then something happened that broke down the wall of denial. Last September I arranged to spend a day beside the River Culm in Devon, renowned for its wildlife and beauty. However, the stretch I intended to explore had been reduced to a stinking ditch, almost lifeless except for some sewage fungus. I traced the pollution back to a dairy farm. A local man told me the disaster had been developing for months. But his efforts to persuade the Environment Agency (the government regulator) to take action had been fruitless.

I published the photos I had taken in the Guardian, and they caused a stir. Yet the Environment Agency still refused to take action. Its excuses were so preposterous that I realised this was more than simple incompetence. After publishing another article about this farce, I was contacted separately by two staff members at the agency. They told me they had been instructed to disregard all incidents of this kind. The cause, they believed, was political pressure from the government.

That did it. Why, I reasoned, should I support an industry the government refuses to regulate? Since then, I have cut almost all animal products from my diet. I’m not religious about it. If I’m at a friend’s house I might revert to vegetarianism. If I’m away from home, I will take a drop of milk in my tea. About once a fortnight I have an egg for my breakfast, perhaps once a month a fish I catch, or a herring or some anchovies (if you eat fish, take them from the bottom of the food chain). Perhaps three or four times a year, on special occasions, I will eat farmed meat: partly out of greed, partly because I don’t want to be even more of a spectre at the feast than I am already. This slight adaptation, I feel, also reduces the chances of a relapse.

I still eat roadkill when I can find it, and animals killed as agricultural pests whose bodies might otherwise be dumped. At the moment, while pigeons, deer, rabbits and squirrels are so abundant in this country and are being killed for purposes other than meat production, eating the carcasses seems to be without ecological consequence. Perhaps you could call me a pestitarian.

Even so, such meals are rare. My rough calculation suggests that 97% of my diet now consists of plants. I eat plenty of pulses, seeds and nuts and heaps of vegetables. That almost allows me to join the 500,000 people in Britain who are full vegans – but not quite. Of course, these choices also have impacts, but they are generally far lower than those of meat, dairy and eggs. Paradoxically, if you want to eat less soya, eat soya directly: eating animal products tends to mean consuming far more of this crop, albeit indirectly. Almost all the soya grown where rainforests once stood is used to feed animals. Replacing meat with soya reduces the clearance of natural vegetation, per kilogram of protein, by 96%.

After almost a year on this diet, I have dropped from 12 stone to 11. I feel better than I’ve done for years, and my craving for fat has all but disappeared. Cheese is no more appealing to me now than a lump of lard. My asthma has almost gone. There are a number of possible explanations, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had something to do with cutting out milk. I have to think harder about what I cook, but that is no bad thing.

Meat eating is strongly associated with conventional images of masculinity, and some people appear to feel threatened by those who give up animal products. An Italian politician this week proposed jailing parents who impose a vegan diet on their children, in case it leaves them malnourished. Curiously, he failed to recommend the same sanction for rearing them on chips and sausages.

By chance, at a festival this summer, I again met the man from Devon who had tried to persuade the Environment Agency to take action on the River Culm. He told me that nothing has changed. When there’s a choice between protecting the living world and appeasing powerful lobby groups, most governments will take the second option. But we can withdraw our consent from this corruption. If you exercise that choice, I doubt you will regret it.

Fonte e imagem: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/aug/09/vegan-corrupt-food-system-meat-dairy?CMP=fb_gu

The power of a well-packed lunchbox

Caroline's lunch Photograph by Rob Biddulph

"For 26 years Caroline McGivern has saved a fortune by avoiding a pre-packaged sandwich and making her own lunch. Her towers of plastic tubs have inspired real lunchbox envy at the Observer.

There’s nothing like a well packed lunch box and I’ve been making mine for 26 years. It was always a great way of saving money and to be honest, there are only so many mayo filled sandwiches that I can eat in one week.

The choice can be overwhelming or even underwhelming depending on how you look at it, and the worst scenario is to pick up a take-out that you were looking forward to only to end up disappointed. You never experience that with a homemade lunch box because you know exactly what you’re getting.

In recent years we’ve been hit by the foodie bug resulting in an enormous amount of choice, but it comes at a price. I tallied up one colleague’s expenses for breakfast and lunch over the eight years that she’s been working at the Observer, and it came to a beautiful £23,000. And no, that's not a typo.

It’s great to experiment with flavours and customise the food to suit your palette and I love the purity of home-made, knowing exactly what’s gone into it. Sometimes I take it day by day and use up any bits and pieces that are hanging around and other times I make a big vat of rice, lentil or mixed bean salad and include an extra ingredient each day so that I don’t get bored. I go out of my way to make a jar of exceptional dressing, something like a classic French because olive oil and balsamic can get boring, and it makes all the difference to a tasty salad.

It’s a lot easier to make a packed lunch than you think. But yes, you do have to get out of bed. Even if I’m adding daily to to something I've prepared earlier, I need more than 5 minutes to dish it out and prepare the other courses. Courses? My Tupperware tower has reached seven storeys before now - I include a small bowl of pretzels, nuts, a couple of pieces of fruit or a slice of tea loaf. Fruit salad with yoghurt is an everyday must but I vary the fruit by season. A small container of mixed dry roasted nuts and seeds, (not the shop bought variety!), dates, grapes and what ever else takes my fancy.

The Scandinavians have got lunch boxes down to a fine art - every shape and size - but I’ll make do with whatever will hold my bounty. Each morning I lift the altar of Tupperware out out the cupboard and make a selection. And everyday around my desk at 1pm there is serious lunch box envy.

Caroline's tips to a successful lunch:

• You have to be organised and plan ahead. And get up 10 to 15 minutes earlier.
• Stock up on the ingredients you need.
• Cook a bit more dinner the night before as leftovers always taste better the following day.
• Make enough bean/pulse/rice/couscous salad to last you the week and top it up each day with strong flavours - choritzo, goat cheese, tuna or salmon.
• Nibbles to graze on such as dry roasted seeds and nuts, are great with a sprinkling of sea salt and fresh rosemary.
• Keep a jar of salad dressing ready mixed to save time.
• Get inspired with different recipe books or pinch ideas from salads in shops."

Fonte e imagem: http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/she-said/2014/mar/25/the-power-of-a-well-packed-lunchbox

5 a day - the easy way

Kellie Collins 

"We all know by now that we should be eating more fruit and vegetables. From newspapers and magazines, leaflets in supermarkets and even labels on the food we buy, we are constantly encouraged to eat more of the green stuff. And that’s no bad thing.

Fruit and vegetables are power-houses of nutrition. Packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and all kinds of phyto-nutrients, fibre and water, diets rich in fruit and veg are associated with better health – lower heart attack risk, lower risks of some cancers, decreased obesity, better eye-sight, healthier looking skin – you name it, fruit and veg have a role in it.

But just how many portions of fruit and veg should we be aiming for every day…and what is a portion? If you’ve been getting through 2 cartons of juice and 3 tins of beans every day to increase your fruit and vegetable intake, well done for trying. But a closer look at the Department of Health’s recommendations will help you take a step in the right direction.

The Department of Health recently launched new guidelines on what exactly counts as a portion of fruit and vegetables, after a National Diet and Nutrition Survey revealed that only one in seven adults eat the recommended quantity of greens on a regular basis. Part of the problem is that, while a lot of people are aware of the need to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, there seems to be a bit of confusion over what exactly constitutes a portion.

The 5 a day campaign was initially launched to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables as the evidence shows that eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day could help prevent up to 20% of deaths from conditions such as heart disease and cancer. That’s a lot of lives saved just by eating more of something.

However, some food manufacturers jumped on the 5 a day bandwagon and began to promote their products as being as healthy and nutritious as fresh fruit or vegetables. Take baked beans, for example.

Beans do count as a vegetable portion and the tomato sauce they come in can also go some way to meeting your 5 a day. In fact, cooked tomatoes provide even more of the anti-oxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes. But when those beans and cooked tomatoes are accompanied by salt, sugar, fat, Tele-Tubbie shaped pasta and even mini-sausages, the health message begins to get pushed a little to one side.

The Department of Health now insist that companies who make claims like this will have to review their recipes to ensure their processed foods are not high in fat, sugar or salt, if they want to be included in the 5 a day campaign.

So, what exactly counts as a portion of fruit and veg?

Well, the list below should help you out on that one. But to confuse matters, there are some foods that can only count once. Whether you drink a glass of fruit juice or a whole carton of fruit juice, it can only count as one fruit and veg portion per day. Sorry folks, but when fruit and veg are juiced, they lose their fibre so this guideline is in place to ensure we all get enough fibre to keep our bowels happy. If you smoothie your fruit, on the other hand (blend up whole fruit with milk, yoghurt and other yummy things like honey), each fruit portion that goes into your blender counts.

Beans (small, round beans like baked beans, not long thin green ones) and pulses can only count once because they are higher in protein and calories and lower in water than other vegetables. And 100% concentrated puree, such as tomato puree, can also only count as one portion, no matter how much you eat of the stuff.

And to set the record straight, frozen is just as good (sometimes better) than fresh, and tinned veggies are certainly better than none if that’s all you have access to.

Have a look at what constitutes a portion and get yourself down to the greengrocers pronto.

Fruit - aim for at least 2 servings a day.

½ avocado or grapefruit 1 medium apple, banana, orange, fresh peach, large slice of fresh pineapple, tablespoon of raisins, handful of grapes, handful of banana chips (a handful is how much will comfortably fit in the palm of your hand) 2 inch slice of melon, small mandarin-type oranges, rings of canned pineapple, plums, apricots, kiwi fruit, handfuls of raspberries 3 dates 7 slices of canned peach, strawberries 14 cherries

Vegetables - aim for at least 3 servings a day - but the more the merrier

½ pepper 1 cereal bowl of lettuce, medium onion, medium tomato, large parsnip 2 inches of cucumber, spears of broccoli, heaped tablespoons of cooked spinach 3 sticks of celery, heaped tablespoons of sweetcorn, lentils or beans (only once a day), mixed frozen vegetables, peas or carrots 5 spears of asparagus 7 slices of beetroot, cherry tomatoes 8 cauliflower florets, Brussels sprouts

As with everything else, variety is the spice of life. Although not specified in the government guidelines, we would recommend that waist watchers don’t rely on avocado, banana chips and raisins for their 5 a day. Avocado is a relatively high-fat food (okay, it’s good fat, but it’s still fat), banana chips are all too often fried and dried fruit can be coated in oil to keep them shiny and as good as new.

So fill up your plate with greens (and reds, oranges, yellows and purples) and get on target for better health."

Fonte e imagem:

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?code=27101&article_id=1741

5 a day - the easy way

Kellie Collins

"We all know by now that we should be eating more fruit and vegetables. From newspapers and magazines, leaflets in supermarkets and even labels on the food we buy, we are constantly encouraged to eat more of the green stuff. And that’s no bad thing.

Fruit and vegetables are power-houses of nutrition. Packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and all kinds of phyto-nutrients, fibre and water, diets rich in fruit and veg are associated with better health – lower heart attack risk, lower risks of some cancers, decreased obesity, better eye-sight, healthier looking skin – you name it, fruit and veg have a role in it.

But just how many portions of fruit and veg should we be aiming for every day…and what is a portion? If you’ve been getting through 2 cartons of juice and 3 tins of beans every day to increase your fruit and vegetable intake, well done for trying. But a closer look at the Department of Health’s recommendations will help you take a step in the right direction.

The Department of Health recently launched new guidelines on what exactly counts as a portion of fruit and vegetables, after a National Diet and Nutrition Survey revealed that only one in seven adults eat the recommended quantity of greens on a regular basis. Part of the problem is that, while a lot of people are aware of the need to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day, there seems to be a bit of confusion over what exactly constitutes a portion.

The 5 a day campaign was initially launched to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables as the evidence shows that eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day could help prevent up to 20% of deaths from conditions such as heart disease and cancer. That’s a lot of lives saved just by eating more of something.

However, some food manufacturers jumped on the 5 a day bandwagon and began to promote their products as being as healthy and nutritious as fresh fruit or vegetables. Take baked beans, for example.

Beans do count as a vegetable portion and the tomato sauce they come in can also go some way to meeting your 5 a day. In fact, cooked tomatoes provide even more of the anti-oxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes. But when those beans and cooked tomatoes are accompanied by salt, sugar, fat, Tele-Tubbie shaped pasta and even mini-sausages, the health message begins to get pushed a little to one side.

The Department of Health now insist that companies who make claims like this will have to review their recipes to ensure their processed foods are not high in fat, sugar or salt, if they want to be included in the 5 a day campaign.

So, what exactly counts as a portion of fruit and veg?
Well, the list below should help you out on that one. But to confuse matters, there are some foods that can only count once. Whether you drink a glass of fruit juice or a whole carton of fruit juice, it can only count as one fruit and veg portion per day. Sorry folks, but when fruit and veg are juiced, they lose their fibre so this guideline is in place to ensure we all get enough fibre to keep our bowels happy. If you smoothie your fruit, on the other hand (blend up whole fruit with milk, yoghurt and other yummy things like honey), each fruit portion that goes into your blender counts.

Beans (small, round beans like baked beans, not long thin green ones) and pulses can only count once because they are higher in protein and calories and lower in water than other vegetables. And 100% concentrated puree, such as tomato puree, can also only count as one portion, no matter how much you eat of the stuff.

And to set the record straight, frozen is just as good (sometimes better) than fresh, and tinned veggies are certainly better than none if that’s all you have access to.

Have a look at what constitutes a portion and get yourself down to the greengrocers pronto.

Fruit - aim for at least 2 servings a day.
½ avocado or grapefruit
1 medium apple, banana, orange, fresh peach, large slice of fresh pineapple, tablespoon of raisins, handful of grapes, handful of banana chips (a handful is how much will comfortably fit in the palm of your hand)
2 inch slice of melon, small mandarin-type oranges, rings of canned pineapple, plums, apricots, kiwi fruit, handfuls of raspberries
3 dates
7 slices of canned peach, strawberries
14 cherries

Vegetables - aim for at least 3 servings a day - but the more the merrier
½ pepper
1 cereal bowl of lettuce, medium onion, medium tomato, large parsnip
2 inches of cucumber, spears of broccoli, heaped tablespoons of cooked spinach
3 sticks of celery, heaped tablespoons of sweetcorn, lentils or beans (only once a day), mixed frozen vegetables, peas or carrots
5 spears of asparagus
7 slices of beetroot, cherry tomatoes
8 cauliflower florets, Brussels sprouts

As with everything else, variety is the spice of life. Although not specified in the government guidelines, we would recommend that waist watchers don’t rely on avocado, banana chips and raisins for their 5 a day. Avocado is a relatively high-fat food (okay, it’s good fat, but it’s still fat), banana chips are all too often fried and dried fruit can be coated in oil to keep them shiny and as good as new.

So fill up your plate with greens (and reds, oranges, yellows and purples) and get on target for better health."

Fonte e imagem:

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?code=27101&article_id=1741

Top 10 tips for staying healthy on holiday

"Holidays and travel have a tendency to throw healthy eating and exercise habits off track, but there are measures you can take to at least minimize the harm when you are taking life easy if you have decided to travel this July.

1. First things first, it’s your attitude that matters. Healthy eating is not all about lettuce and lentils, missing meals and missing out. It’s about what you eat, not what you don’t. Going on holidays determined to eat as healthily as possible is not about depriving yourself. You’re there to give yourself a well-deserved break, why put extra pressure on your body while you are there by eating badly? It’s about taking care of yourself.

2. Focus on all the hard work you have done to lose weight leading up to your holiday and vow not to undo it in the space of two weeks or so. Do not go on a crash diet the week before your holiday to make room for weight gain while you are away. You will gain it back twice as quickly.

3. On a more practical note, when on holiday, food is usually on offer more often than at home, whether from the kiosk near the beach, from the friends you are staying with, or in your hotel. You don’t have to accept food every time it is offered. Listen to your hunger signals.

4. Balance high and low calorie meals throughout the day. That mixed grill for breakfast is fine ... if you cut back at lunch or dinner.

5. Carry foods with you if you'll be traveling for long periods of time or through mealtimes. That way you will not be tempted by high fat snacks or meals at the airport or on the road-side cafes.

6. Avoid eating while driving. Take a break and sit down for your meals. It’s very easy to mindlessly munch your way through a whole bag of sweets or chocolates due to boredom.

7. Be aware when ordering meals at the restaurant and choose wisely. Avoid any of the fried or fatty foods and try not to eat a starter AND dessert. Plan ahead and order one or the other.

8. Bring fresh fruit with you to the beach as a snack. The only snacks available are often ice creams or crisps. If you leave it to chance you might find yourself filling up on fatty treats mid-afternoon.

9. Use your holiday as an opportunity for extra exercise. You have the whole day to enjoy yourself so taking an hour or two to walk the beach shouldn’t be seen as a chore but a way to add to your enjoyment. Walking in soft sand can be a great work-out. Why not take the plunge and get involved in some of the water sports available at many resorts – water skiing, wind sailing, canoeing etc.

10. What you drink is just as important as what you eat when it comes to watching your weight in holidays. Water is the best option for staying well hydrated during the day, and stick to diet drinks if you want to have a soft drink. A can of fizzy drink will add around 130 needless calories to your daily intake. It’s also a good idea to limit your alcohol intake by alternating between water and your drink of choice through out the evening.

Remember, a holiday won't ruin a healthy lifestyle if you give some thought to the foods you choose BEFORE eating them and make an effort to get active every day. When the holiday is over, you can face the scales knowing you have not done too much damage and get right back on track, refreshed and ready to start again.

Bon Voyage."

Fonte:
http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?code=27101&article_id=1356

FATS: Foods to enjoy, foods to avoid

John McGran

"Not all fats are created equal. That’s according to sports nutrition instructor and author, Kerry McLeod. There’s good fat, bad fat, fat-free, low fat, full fat, and the list goes on. And while "good" fats and oils are absolutely an essential part of good health and maintaining your weight, they should be used sparingly.

McLeod says it’s important for you to know how to identify the healthy fats from the unhealthy fats. She says there are three categories: the good, the bad and the ugly. (Cue haunting spaghetti western music ... wah, wah, wah...).

Facts About Fat
McLeod notes THE GOOD FATS (unsaturated) can actually help you lose weight because they help the body burn fat rather than store it. They also help to lower LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) and maintain or even raise HDL (good cholesterol). It’s important to include good fats at every meal, because they help to absorb other nutrients like vitamins A, D, E and K more efficiently. The recommended amount of good fats should be in the range of 20-30% of your total daily calories.

There are two types of good fats:

Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature but can start to solidify in the fridge. The main sources include olives, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, most nuts and avocados.

Polyunsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature and in the fridge. Main sources include vegetable oils such as safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed. Another type of polyunsaturated fat, called omega-3 fatty acids, are well known to provide a wide range of health benefits. They appear to decrease the risk of heart attacks, protect against irregular heartbeats and lower blood pressure levels. In addition, they may protect against some cancers. They are found mainly in fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring. Lesser amounts are found in flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans and rapeseed oil.

THE BAD FATS (saturated) contribute to arterial aging and heart disease, as well as strokes and many different types of cancer and diabetes, because they raise bad cholesterol and suppress the good. They are solid at room temperature and are found most often in animal products such as red meat, poultry, butter, eggs and whole milk products like ice cream, cheese and cream cheese. Other foods high in saturated fats include coconuts, coconut milk, coconut oil and palm oil.

McLeod says it is important to note that many of the saturated fat-laden products - butter, mayo, cream cheese and salad dressing - are now offered in low-fat or fat-free versions, which are far better choices. The recommended daily amount of saturated fat is an absolute maximum of 10% of your total calories.

THE UGLY FATS (trans fats) along with saturated fats are thought to raise your blood cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. Trans fats are made when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation; this makes the fat more solid at room temperature. It helps to increase the shelf life of foods, and supposedly makes them taste better. Often, trans fats are found along with saturated fats in products such as vegetable shortening, margarine, crackers and biscuits, sweets, commercially baked goods and fried & processed foods.

"If you see the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated in the ingredients listed on food labels, you should know the food contains trans fats," McLeod notes. "That’s your cue to try to avoid eating that particular food. However, you will find that it’s quite a challenge to avoid buying processed foods that don’t have trans fats in them. Look at the foods you buy each week, even the ones that you thought were super healthy. You’ll be amazed at how many of them contain trans fats."

In The Last Diet Book Standing , she spells out the best choices by food category that DO NOT contain trans fats, for the food shopper who doesn't have the time to read nutrition label after nutrition label.

There are two interesting fat facts you should know:

- A fat-free diet can actually cause you to gain weight! How can that be? Well, the body stores what is in short supply for as long as possible. So, if you deny your body fat it’s going to hold onto what fat you already have.

- All fats have more than twice the calories (9 calories per gram) of carbs and protein (each has 4 calories per gram). So, good or bad, it is important to watch your fat intake...

Here’s a rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Apply this theory to most low-fat packaged foods. The low-fat version of a packaged food (biscuits, cakes, crackers, etc.) may sound like a healthier alternative of the regular version. But in actual fact, manufacturers often compensate for the lack of fat by adding more sugar, salt, and thickeners to boost flavour and texture, thereby substituting one evil for several others. So low-fat versions usually have about the same number of calories (sometimes more) as their regular versions.

If you compare the labels, you’ll find "low fat" is not the same as "low calorie". In addition, you’ll quickly realise that because most low-fat versions don’t taste as good, you tend to eat more to satisfy that craving. You’re probably better off eating the full-fat biscuit that you were craving in the first place, but in moderation!

The "too good to be true rule" does not apply to low-fat versions of animal foods (i.e. dairy and meat). These low-fat options are definitely better for you than the full-fat versions because they’re lower in fat and calories, and still taste great!

McLeod wants the savvy dieter to walk away with these nuggets of knowledge:

- Make sure to include foods high in essential fatty acids for optimum health. However, you only need a little bit of even the good stuff to get the protective benefit. Any more will make you fat.

- When using fat as a spread, choose the lower fat versions (low-fat salad dressings, mayo, butter and cream cheese).

- "Low-fat" animal foods (i.e., red meat and milk products) are great options and still taste great. However, low-fat processed goods often contain other unhealthy ingredients, lack taste and are not typically lower in calories.

- Keep consumption of saturated and trans fats to a minimum. They can make you gain weight and are linked to major diseases"

Fonte:

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?article_id=2008&code=27101

Seven healthy heart habits

"So, you want to decrease your risk of heart disease. You’ve heard it a thousand times before - follow a healthy lifestyle.

That’s a no brainer.

Sure, it boils down to a few basic guidelines that make sense. They include things like: eating a balanced diet, watching your portions, exercising often, and refraining from smoking. Sounds simple enough, right? Then why are so many of us doing just the opposite? Because, we’ve gotten ourselves into an unhealthy lifestyle rut.

Our lives are more hectic than ever, so we look for convenience. Between work, school, socialising, hobbies and the kids, there’s just no time to eat right and exercise! And we’re paying the price with our health!

The question is, how do we get out of this unhealthy lifestyle rut? The answer is really quite simple. It will take a commitment to making a few changes in your current lifestyle - there’s no getting around this. But don’t fret, we’ve figured it out for you. The following are what we determined to be the "lifestyle habits" of highly healthy people.

Make a mental note of how many of these are habits you are already hooked on.

Habit No.1: Highly healthy people make health, nutrition and weight management a priority.

No matter how busy you are, the most important thing is your health. The key to good health is taking preventative measures every day, like eating right, exercising consistently and refraining from smoking. Equally important is early detection of diseases through regular health screenings appropriate for your age group. Visit your doctor for a check up to find out your cholesterol and blood pressure readings. This will help you to know what you need to work on.

Habit No.2: Highly healthy people make better food choices everyday.

Better food habits can help you reduce your risk for heart attack, so it’s important to choose foods that taste great and pack a nutritional punch. The easiest way to do this is to include the healthiest selections from the five food groups with an emphasis on getting your five to 10 fruits and veggies and enough fibre each day. You should also try to reduce your salt intake by not adding it during cooking or at the table, and choosing lower salt versions of foods like baked beans and other tinned foods. By doing this you will retrain your mind and body to go for more whole foods (heart protective), rather than unhealthy, fatty, processed, packaged junk foods.

Habit No.3: Highly healthy people practice safe portion control.

Following the recommended serving sizes from the major food groups automatically helps to keep your weight in check. Restaurants and fast food places serve portions that are two to five times larger than they were in the 1950’s - no wonder heart disease is on the rise! By consistently eating smaller portions of food, you’ll begin to be satisfied with these portions; it only takes a few days for the body to adjust.

Habit No.4: Highly healthy people drink eight glasses of water per day.

Staying hydrated helps rid your body of toxins, reduces stress levels, enhances your metabolism and makes you feel fuller. Try to limit your intake of alcohol and caffeine, as they tend to be dehydrating. Drink at least 8 (200 ml) glasses of water per day, or fill a 2 litre bottle in the morning with water and drink it throughout the day.

Habit No.5: Highly healthy people plan their meals in advance.
Many of the people featured in our Success stories have admitted that weekly menu planning is the key to staying on course with new healthy lifestyle goals. Prepare a shopping list before you go to the store; if you stock your fridge with healthy foods, you’re probably going to eat them. Prepare meals and snacks in advance; it makes it less likely that you will grab something unhealthy if you shop when you’re hungry.

Habit No.6: Highly healthy people exercise consistently.

Exercise is one thing that can help you get your heart in shape immediately. Plus, it can make your bones stronger, it beats stress, fights off mild depression and can help you sleep better at night. Being active on a regular basis reduces your risk of heart disease by up to 25 percent. Just do it, as they say!

Habit No.7: Highly healthy people "chill out" to keep their stress levels in check.

Too much stress can cause blood pressure to rise and is believed to be a major risk factor for heart disease. Controlling your blood pressure can yield a 20 percent risk reduction. The best way to deal with stress is to use a range of coping mechanisms, including yoga, meditation, therapy and a good chat with a friend!

Make their habits your habits!

Now that we’ve given you the lowdown on the habits of highly healthy people, here are a few pointers that will help you make the transition from unhealthy to healthy less traumatic:

• Focus on incorporating new healthy habits, rather than focusing on breaking bad habits; psychologically, it will be easier.

• Instead of stressing out over an all-or-nothing approach, think in terms of moderation. Focus on the things you can do, rather than on the things you can’t. We don’t promote complete abstinence from junk food, mainly because it’s unrealistic, it’s too inflexible, and frankly, it’s no fun! Instead, we promote moderation and making better lifestyle choices.

Still not convinced that you should make some changes?

Here’s some good news. It’s never too late to start eating right and exercising. The sooner you start, the sooner you can start undoing a lifetime of bad habits. Research has shown that the body has an amazing ability to heal itself. It’s a fact that the risk of heart disease can be greatly decreased by living a healthier lifestyle. But don’t take our word for it, here’s what the experts are saying:

• Healthy foods can help you reduce the major risk factors for heart attack - high cholesterol, high blood pressure and excess body weight. (British Heart Foundation)

• Consuming a healthy diet is one of the best ways to prevent or combat heart disease. (Harvard Nurses Health Study)

• For every 1 percent drop in LDL (bad) cholesterol, you get a 2 percent reduction in heart-disease risk. (Heart UK)

• Quitting smoking greatly reduces the risk of heart disease within a year. (British Heart Foundation)

• Not smoking, maintaining a normal weight, consuming a healthy diet, exercising consistently and drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may help reduce the risk of heart disease by about 80 percent. (Harvard Nurses Health Study)"

Fonte:

http://www.guardianeatright.co.uk/news/article.cfm?article_id=1702&code=27101