Don't Eat That!

I just finished a fasicnating book, In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.  He notes that humans historically consumed over 80,000 different species fo edible plants, animals, and fungi; and that about 3,000 of those have been in widespread use by humans.  When was the last day that you ate 3,000 different foods?  What about last year?  Did you eat 3,000 different foods last year?

It turns out that you probably got most of your calories from only three (yup, 3) foods:  corn, soy and wheat.  About 67 percent of most people's diets come from those three foods and their derivatives.  It's no surprise that we face a health crisis today, a crisis of obesity and life-style diseases.  Some of the common derivatives include:

• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Corn oil
• Soybean oil (hydrogenated or plain refined)
• Refined wheat flour

Think about how many foods that you eat that contain HFCS; foods like soft drinks, marinades, salad dressings, ketchup, breads, and 100's of other fattening HFCS.  Don't forget all of the fried foods that you may eat that are cooked in corn or soybean oil.  These oils are found in processed foods like chips, candies, cakes, salad dressing, tomato sauces, burrito wraps, corn chips, breaded chicken.  Then their are all of the foods made from processed wheat:  breads, cereals, pastas, and muffins.

So, what's wrong with that?  Well for starters:

• It skews the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in our diets from the healthy 1:1 to 2:1 to an unhealthly 30:1
• Gluten intolerance caused by heavy wheat consumption
• Weight gain
• blood-sugar swings and reduced insulin sensitivity
• And, if too much corn and soy is bad for us, what do you think it does to the farm animals that eventually find their way onto our tables.

So what can you do?  Here are a few ideas:

1. Don't purchase processed foods and eat one-ingredient foods instead like fruit, vegetables, beans, eggs (free froaming if you can get them), nuts, seeds, a meats from grass-feed or free roaming animals
2. Get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies, rather than from grains
3. Make your own salad dressings (olive oil and quality vinager are an easy choice)
4. Make sure that your tomato sauces don't have HFCS or soybean oils, or make your own
5. Eat guacamole or hummus with veggie sticks rather than with crackers

My goal is to get my corn/wheat/soy calorie count down from the American average of 67% to a healthier 5% of my diet.  See what you can do.

Exercise for Better Sleep

A recent article published in Sleep Medicine indicates that aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, biking or jogging) can reduce insomnia in middle-aged and older adults.  All it takes is two twenty-minute sessions four times a week, or one 30 to 40 minute session four times a week.  Exercise was shown to improve the quality of sleep, and to reduce symptoms of depression and daytime sleepiness.  Exercise was also shown to increase vitality.

Source:  K. J. Reid, et al.  (2010).  Aerobic Exercise Improves Self-reported Sleep and Quality of Life in Older Adults with Insomnia.  Sleep Medicine.

A Healthy Alternative to Olive Oil

Many people use olive oil because it contains healthy monounsaturated fats like oleic acid.  These fats have mild anti-inflammatory properties, reduce "bad" LDL (low-density lipoprotien) cholesterol and contain beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol than can be healthful for the prostate.  If you find that olive oil has too strong a taste then you might try avocado oil.  It has the same amount of oleic acid as olive oil, a few more calories and a higher smoke point (500 degrees F) than olive oil (400 degrees F).  Avocado oil is slightly more expensive than olive oil but I really like its subtle flavor with a touch of pepper taste.

Another Drug-Free Way to Lower Cholesterol . . . If you are a guy.

A study performed at Iowa State University found that men with high cholesterol who ate at least 150 milligrams of flaxseed lignans a day (about three tablespoons) experienced nearly a 10 percent decrease in cholesterol.  The study didn't explain why flaxseed consumption didn't have the same effect on women.  I sprinkle ground flaxseed on my salads.

Love Those Nuts

A review of 25 clinical trials published in Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that eating about one-half cup (2.4 ounces) of nuts a day can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and total cholesterol as well.  Nuts are high in calories so you might reduce your intake of other snacks and high-calorie foods.