Saturday Fun - The "5 Second Rule" Decision Tree

"The 30-Second Rule, A Decision Tree" by Audrey Fukuman and Andy Wright. Check it out here.

There's a further, rather disturbing study that goes with this. Researchers in Conneticut tested the 5 second rule with apples and Skittles, dropping them both on the floor for different lengths of time. What they found was this:

"No bacteria were present on the foods that had remained on the floor for five, 10 or 30 seconds. The apple slices did pick up bacteria after one minute, however, and the Skittles showed a bacterial presence after remaining on the floor for five minutes."

"The results prove, according Goettsche and Moin, that you can wait at least 30 seconds to pick up wet foods and more than a minute to pick up dry foods before they become contaminated with bacteria."

Sorry, study or not, it's still gross.

Read the article here.

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Inflammation - Part II

I had a bit more to say on the inflammation topic. First off, this interview with Kevin Rose Dr. Weil is awesome. He answers a lot of questions that are on people's minds these days, from vitamin D, to detox kits, to energy drinks.

Two of my favourite comments from Dr. Weil in this video:

“High-fructose corn syrup is an indicator of low-quality food.”

“The best way to detox the body is to stop putting toxic things in... and rely on the bodies own mechanisms”

Why am I paying so much attention to Dr. Weil? A) I agree with 90% of what he has to say, and B) I like his philosophy, and he promotes proper nutrition and the wonderful, disease preventing tool it can be.

"It is my hope that health practitioners of the future will begin to honor the wisdom of the past and once again use food as medicine."

Andrew Weil

I also wanted to bring some light to the anti-inflammatory food pyramid I posted yesterday. Along with that, he lists more specific guidelines on how to follow his recommendations, which I think is generally pretty sound nutrition advice. I like how he gives specifics about types of food, how much to eat, and why. Here are a few of his recommendations. For the complete list, check out his website.

HEALTHY SWEETS
 - How much: Sparingly
Healthy choices: Unsweetened dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit sorbet


Why: Dark chocolate provides polyphenols with antioxidant activity. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa and have an ounce a few times a week. Fruit sorbet is a better option than other frozen desserts.

RED WINE
 - How much: Optional, no more than 1-2 glasses per day
. Healthy choices: Organic red wine


Why: Red wine has beneficial antioxidant activity. Limit intake to no more than 1-2 servings per day. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start.

TEA - 
How much: 2-4 cups per day
. Healthy choices: White, green, oolong teas


Why: Tea is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation. Purchase high-quality tea and learn how to correctly brew it for maximum taste and health benefits.

HEALTHY HERBS & SPICES

How much: Unlimited amounts

Healthy choices: Turmeric, curry powder (which contains turmeric), ginger and garlic (dried and fresh), chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme

Why: Use these herbs and spices generously to season foods. Turmeric and ginger are powerful, natural anti-inflammatory agents.

OTHER SOURCES OF PROTEIN - 
How much: 1-2 servings a week (one portion is equal to 1 ounce of cheese, 1 eight-ounce serving of dairy, 1 egg, 3 ounces cooked poultry or skinless meat)
. Healthy choices: Natural cheeses, lowfat yogurt, omega-3 enriched eggs, skinless poultry, grass-fed lean meats


Why: In general, try to reduce consumption of animal foods. If you eat chicken, choose organic, cage-free chicken and remove the skin and associated fat. Use organic, reduced-fat dairy products moderately, especially yogurt and natural cheeses such as Emmental (Swiss), Jarlsberg and true Parmesan. If you eat eggs, choose omega-3 enriched eggs (made by feeding hens a flax-meal-enriched diet), or organic eggs from free-range chickens.

COOKED ASIAN MUSHROOMS
 - How much: Unlimited amounts
. Healthy choices: Shiitake, enokidake, maitake, oyster mushrooms (and wild mushrooms if available) 


Why: These mushrooms contain compounds that enhance immune function. Never eat mushrooms raw, and minimize consumption of common commercial button mushrooms (including crimini and portobello).

WHOLE SOY FOODS
 - How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soymilk, ½ cup cooked edamame, 1 ounce of soynuts)
. Healthy choices: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts, soymilk


Why: Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and are protective against cancer. Choose whole soy foods over fractionated foods like isolated soy protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate.

FISH & SEAFOOD
 - How much: 2-6 servings per week (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
. Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), herring, sardines, and black cod (sablefish)


Why: These fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which are strongly anti-inflammatory. If you choose not to eat fish, take a molecularly distilled fish oil supplement, 2-3 grams per day.

HEALTHY FATS - 
How much: 5-7 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 walnuts, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, 1 ounce of avocado). 
Healthy choices: For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed organic canola oil. Other sources of healthy fats include nuts (especially walnuts), avocados, and seeds - including hemp seeds and freshly ground flaxseed. Omega-3 fats are also found in cold water fish, omega-3 enriched eggs, and whole soy foods. High-oleic sunflower or safflower oils may also be used, as well as walnut and hazelnut oils in salads and dark roasted sesame oil as a flavoring for soups and stir-fries


Why: Healthy fats are those rich in either monounsaturated or omega-3 fats. Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity and canola oil contains a small fraction of omega-3 fatty acids.

WHOLE & CRACKED GRAINS - 
How much: 3-5 servings a day (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked grains)
Healthy choices: Brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, buckwheat, groats, barley, quinoa, steel-cut oats 
Why: Whole grains digest slowly, reducing frequency of spikes in blood sugar that promote inflammation. "Whole grains" means grains that are intact or in a few large pieces, not whole wheat bread or other products made from flour.

BEANS & LEGUMES - 
How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup cooked beans or legumes)
Healthy choices: Beans like Anasazi, adzuki and black, as well as chickpeas, black-eyed peas and lentils
Why: Beans are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber. They are a low-glycemic-load food. Eat them well-cooked either whole or pureed into spreads like hummus.

VEGETABLES
 - How much: 4-5 servings per day minimum (one serving is equal to 2 cups salad greens, ½ cup vegetables cooked, raw or juiced)
Healthy Choices: Lightly cooked dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy and cauliflower), carrots, beets, onions, peas, squashes, sea vegetables and washed raw salad greens


Why: Vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Go for a wide range of colors, eat them both raw and cooked, and choose organic when possible.

FRUITS
 - How much: 3-4 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 medium size piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit)
. Healthy choices: Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, pink grapefruit, red grapes, plums, pomegranates, blackberries, cherries, apples, and pears - all lower in glycemic load than most tropical fruits


Why: Fruits are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Go for a wide range of colors, choose fruit that is fresh in season or frozen, and buy organic when possible.

Additional Item:

WATER - 
How much: Throughout the day
Healthy choices: Use purified water or beverages made with purified water, such as unsweetened tea, sparkling water, or water with a small amount of fruit juice for flavor


Why: Water is vital for overall functioning of the body.

For the complete list, visit Dr. Weil's website and the pyramid here.

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Inflammation - Is your diet making it worse?

Recent evidence has shown that there is a link between the inflammatory state of the body, and our risk for certain diseases and conditions, such as autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD). To measure your inflammatory state, we can measure "markers" called CRP, TNF and IL-6. Research has found that higher levels of these markers indicate a higher risk of CVD, and may even contribute to the condition. These "markers" are directly influenced by the foods we eat.

Diet and inflammation

It is thought that certain foods contribute to inflammation (proinflammatory), and can increase our risk for developing these diseases. We also know that other foods decrease that inflammation (anti-inflammatory), and can contribute to better overall health. Diets that are high in sugar, refined starches, saturated and trans fats, low in anti-oxidants, fiber, vegetables and fruit and whole grains may activate the immune system, and induce inflammation. By altering our diet, theoretically, we can stop the inflammation process and even reduce it. 

A few years ago, very low fat diets were all the rage, and are still popular to this day. Low fat diets were intended to not only help with weight loss, but also help prevent heart disease, however, we didn’t see the declines in CVD rates that we expected to from just cutting out fat. Limiting fat intake usually meant a higher carbohydrate intake, which can also lead to problems such as high triglycerides. We now know the type of fat we eat is more important than cutting out fat altogether, and certain types of fat should be a regular part of your diet, in moderation of course. Some fats (omega-3’s) have been shown to be anti-inflammatory, while omega-6’s may promote inflammation. It would be great if that was the end of the story, but nutrition is never so straight forward.

We don’t want to cut out omega-6’s altogether. For one, it’s nearly impossible (they’re everywhere), and two, data shows that omega-6 and 3’s have the lowest inflammation levels when they are together. As I mentioned, omega-6’s are in overabundance in our food supply, so we don’t need to worry about getting enough of these. Good sources of omega-3's are more of a challenge.

What can be done to reduce inflammation?

There are a few things we can do to help prevent CVD and other inflammatory-related conditions:

1) Eat high sources of omega-3's, preferably fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines). Plant sources (flax, walnuts) are good too.

2) Cut out industrially produced trans fat completely, and minimize saturated fat intake. Replace these fats with unsaturated, non-hydrogenated fats and oils, such as nuts and vegetable oils.

3) Limit refined grains. Just like fat, the quality of carbohydrate we eat is extremely important. Refined carbohydrates are those that are highly processed and have many of the nutrients and fiber removed, such as white breads, rice and pastas. They also increase glycemic load, which may increase free radicals and proinflammatories. This may partially explain why unstable blood sugars have such harmful effects on blood vessels and systems of the heart.

4) Moderate alcohol intake. As I mentioned in a previous post, alcohol (mainly red wine) has been linked to a lower risk for CVD. But over-doing it negates the benefit.

Following a diet that is high in anti-inflammatory foods can do a number of things, including, improve blood cholesterol, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. These foods and guidelines do more than reduce inflammation, they help the body in a multitude of other ways (beyond what I’ll go into in this post) to ward of chronic disease. However, we don’t eat nutrients, we eat foods, so it’s important to focus on your entire dietary pattern. Try to consistently make healthy choices, rather than singling out specific foods and nutrients.

*Featured above: Dr. Weil's anti-inflammatory food pyramid

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Food 101 - with Oprah!

Today was possibly the best Oprah episode I've ever seen - of course, as a foodie, I'm biased. The talk show Queen brought, what I consider to be some very important issues, into the light of mainstream.

Oprah featured Michael Pollen, journalist, "food expert", and author of such books as "In Defense of Food" and "Food Rules". Together they discussed the movie "Food, Inc." which Pollen is featured in. (Read my review of Food, Inc. here).

Pollen says "A lot of what you see in the supermarket I would argue is not really food," Michael says. "It's what I call edible, food-like substances."

"We all can vote with our forks. We get three votes a day," Michael says. "You don't have to get every one of them right. But if you get one of them right a day, if you vote for food that has been sustainably grown or humanely grown, whatever your values are, ... you will change the food system. It's happening now."

Oprah says she did the show because she believes people have a right to know where they're food comes from, and to make a personal choice as to what they are or aren't going to do about it. I couldn't agree more.

People who are interested in this kind of thing are, like me, researching, reading, watching and absorbing this information all the time. The great thing about today's Oprah show is that she is exposing people to this information who may never have been otherwise. It's bringing awareness on a massive scale and bringing important issues into the mainstream. I think some people view this organic, sustainable food as a trend. I certainly hope that's not the case - but if it is, it's the healthiest trend, for us and the planet, we've seen in the last century.

At that, I'll end with what I consider to be a statement that is genius in it's simplicity and truth:

"Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." - Michael Pollen.

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100 Mile Diet - More nutritious?

The latest issue of DC’s Current Issues looked at the 100 Mile Diet, and whether it was healthier and/or safer for the population. The 100 Mile Diet is popular for a couple of reasons, it supports local farmers and the local community and economy, it’s better for the environment, and some believe it is a more nutritious way to eat, and even safer. This issue of Current Issues looked at all the data so far.

Environmentally speaking, did you know that 80% of fruits and vegetables in Canada are imported? It makes sense that importing foods would have a huge impact on the environment, and eating locally would help reduce that, right? Partially. The article makes an interesting point that many people may not have considered: that “the largest greenhouse gas impact of food transportation can be attributed to individual families making many small volume shopping trips by car to transport food from retail stores to their home”.

In regards to nutrition - “Locally grown and produced vegetables and fruits can be more nutritious than those transported from longer distance”. Reasons for this:

• Local growers generally grow smaller amounts. Many larger supermarket varieties are chosen for their yield and growth rate, as opposed to quality, and may be lower in nutrients.

• Smaller farms tend to have different growing methods that improve the soil (ie: manure), that may lead to crops with a higher nutrients content.

• Local produce generally makes it from farm to table a lot quicker than conventional produce grown elsewhere. Some nutrients tend to decrease with time after the food has been harvested, and things like transportation distance can lengthen the amount of time for nutrient loss.

• Produce that has to travel long distances is often picked before it’s ripe, in order to lengthen the time to spoilage. Crops that are picked when ripe have a higher nutrient content. Local crops don’t have a far distance to go and are usually picked and sold when ripe.

• Locally produced meat may also have nutritional benefits, as it is often grass-fed, which may have higher levels of vitamin A, E, omega-3 fats, and CLA.

• Some fruits and vegetables are also more susceptible to losing nutrient value, such as broccoli and green beans. Others are better at holding nutrients, like apples, carrots, grapefruit and oranges.

As for the safety aspect – there is some thought that locally grown foods passes through less hands, therefore there is less chance for contamination.

The article also gives some great suggestions for good food-buying practices:

• Eat more in season foods, and avoid out of season foods that must travel long distances

• Get to know which foods are in season in your area

• Look for local suppliers, farmers markets, and visit U-pick farms

• Plant a vegetable garden and/or plant fruit trees and bushes, if possible

• Freeze or can foods when they’re in season, to last through the winter

• Support restaurants that buy locally

In summary, it’s not that local foods are better foods in and of their own. It’s the processing and time from farm to table that has the most impact on the nutrient quality of the food. The paper points out that these small nutrient benefits of local foods may or may not be enough to make a significant health difference. True, one food alone isn’t likely to make a difference, but if you’re consistently eating locally and consistently getting slightly more nutrients, it certainly won’t hurt. Finally, if you’re eating locally for the good of the planet, do your best to walk, bike, take public transport or car-pool to the market or superstore.

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Movie Theatres, Part II - Candy

Happy Monday all! Continuing the movie theatre theme, here’s a quick look at what some candies will set you back, in terms of Calories:

Sour Patch Kids (185g) - 690

Twizzlers (250g) - 830

Glosette Almonds (85g) - 460

Milk Duds (141g) - 610

M&M’s Peanut (150g) - 790

Reese’s Pieces (105g) - 530

Yikes!

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Saturated Fat OK?? New study says "Yes".

It’s the buzz in the nutrition world, and certainly worth talking about. The general consensus on fat in the nutrition and medical world over the past 10+ years, in a nut shell, has been this: unsaturated fats good, saturated fats bad, trans fats REALLY bad.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is turning this idea upside down. For people who are already frustrated with nutrition advice changing from day to day, this certainly won’t help.

The paper (a meta-analysis of 21 studies) looked at the association between saturated fat and coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). There conclusions were this:

“A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD.”

Studies have been done for years which have shown a relationship between saturated fat intake and CVD. Particularly, in previous studies, replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats were found to decrease LDL or "bad" cholesterol, which is a contributor to atherosclerosis and heart disease. So were all those studies before, wrong? This new study leads to the question - is saturated fat really that harmful to health, or is replacing saturated fat with healthier, mono- and polyunsaturated fats just lowering the risk of heart disease in these previous studies? It also raises the question as to how much of a role carbohydrates play in the development of CVD, as benefits of removing saturated fat and replacing them with carbohydrates were not observed.

"Replacement with a higher carbohydrate intake, particularly refined carbohydrate, can exacerbate the atherogenic dyslipidemia associated with insulin resistance and obesity that includes increased triglycerides, small LDL particles, and reduced HDL cholesterol."

Although the study raises an interesting point for discussion, I’m not convinced that we should all be throwing previous recommendations to limit saturated fat out the window, and here’s why: One meta-analysis is not enough for me to discard all other previous evidence that has been found about the negative health impact of saturated fat. I don’t think saturated fat is evil, and I do prefer butter to a industrially-produced margarine, but like everything else, moderation is key. The findings related to carbohydrate are also interesting, and hopefully will soon be investigated further.

There are still plenty of reasons to minimize your intake of saturated fat, unrelated to heart disease. Here are my top 4:

1) Saturated fats come from animals - high intakes of red meat have been linked to an increased risk of cancer . It’s not all just about cardiovascular disease.

2) Reducing your meat intake is good for the environment.

3) Fat is still the most concentrated source of Calories. If you’re trying to maintain or lose weight, your total fat intake still needs to be within moderation.

4) Although it may not do as much damage as originally thought (although, again, I’m not convinced yet), saturated fats still aren’t healthy. Your best choices for fats are still mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

It’s also important to note that one of the funders of the study was the National Dairy Council. Although they may not have any investment into the outcome of the study (the outcome isn’t likely to affect dairy sales, due to availability of low-fat items), I’m always a bit cautious where industry is involved.

So for now, my advice is this - do all you can to eliminate trans fats, enjoy a modest amount of saturated fats from your favourite foods (cheese, meat, cream), but try to get most of your fats from healthy sources like nuts and vegetable oils. A moderate intake of carbohydrates, from whole grain and unrefined sources, is also an important part of a balanced diet.

The study: Siri-Tarino, Patty, et al. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 13, 2010. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.27725

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Movie Popcorn

Movie popcorn is notorious for Calories. It’s a nutritional deviant, and one of the worst!

We all know it’s bad, but just HOW bad is it?

Popcorn starts out as a pretty healthy treat. It’s a whole grain that is naturally high in fiber, and fat free. A few handfuls of air popped popcorn is a great snack. Unfortunately, the bright yellow stuff at the theatre leaves the stuff nearly unrecognizable.

In Canada, Cineplex theatres have switched from using coconut oil (high in saturated fat), and now uses non-hydrogenated Canola oil for popping its corn - a better choice it terms of oils. Empire also uses Canola.

The numbers:

Cineplex (no butter):

Small popcorn - 480 Calories

Regular - 780

Large - 1,120

Adding Becel loads another 160 - 270 Calories on top, and butter will set you back about another 190 - 320 Cals.

Empire (no butter):

Small - 360 Cals

Regular - 530 Cals

Large - 730 Cals

Adding Becel at Empire will load another 220 - 370 Calories on top, and butter, about another 250 - 420 Cals.

Empire’s sizes are a bit smaller (1-4 cups less, depending on the size) than Cineplex, and therefore you will get slightly fewer Calories, however, they use about 2-3 times as much sodium!! A medium popcorn will get you 370mg of salt at Cineplex, but a whopping 1090mg at Empire. Empire’s butter pumps are also a bit bigger, so adding butter will do more damage.

And let’s not forget the pop. A regular pop will run you from 150 Calories (11 tsp sugar) for a small, up to 450 Calories (31 tsp sugar) for a Large. Yuck!

If you must indulge (and we all do now and then) - keep these things in mind to minimize the damage:

-Skip the butter. The popcorn at movie theatres is already yellow with butter flavour, without the extra fat pumped on top. It may be a touch change at first, but you’ll get used to it - I promise!

-Go for a small, or better yet, the kid’s size! One of my favourite tricks for portion control is ordering kid’s sizes. Most kid’s sizes actually used to be adult sizes years ago, but companies have over sized and super sized everything over the past few decades.

- Just say "no" - to candy! Most theatres only sell the largest packages of candy. If you must have the candy, pick up a small package from the corner store before you go - you’ll save money and Calories!

- Skip dinner! Well, ok, I’m not advocating you regularly fore-go a balanced meal for a night at the movies (and even by doing so, you will still definitely be going over your fat and Calorie budget for the day), but a night of movie popcorn does not constitute a “snack”, so cutting back on something during the day isn’t a bad idea.

*Thanks to Nutrition Action for the nutrition info

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Fitness Tip - Even more reasons to exercise!!

Here’s some motivation, above and beyond weight loss, to get you moving -

1. Decrease your risk of cancer and chronic disease, such as diabetes
2. Exercise creates new brain cells and increases blood and nutrient flow to the brain; It may also increase the size of the “hippocampus”, and area crucial for memory
3. Boost Insulin sensitivity (both aerobic and strength exercises do this), which helps control blood sugars.
4. Build muscle
5. Prevent visceral fat gain - this is the fat that accumulate around the belly and organs, and is more detrimental in terms of your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
6. Decreased risk of depression
7. Helps lower systolic blood pressure
8. More mitochondria! These little guys in our cells help burn fat. Therefore, more = better.

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More Caloric Bang for your Buck

We know that when we go out to eat, we are likely going to be getting more Calories, fat and sodium than we would from a homemade meal, especially if you are getting fast food. In the past few years, some restaurants have tried to help consumers make informed choices, by putting nutrition information on their menu, website, or posted in their restaurants.

The only limitation to this is that, in order to know what you’re getting, those numbers have to be correct.

A recent study from the American Dietetic Association found that the accuracy of nutritional information provided by restaurants isn’t always, well, accurate. They looked at the amount of Calories listed versus actual content, for lower calorie restaurant foods and also, frozen meals from grocery stores.

The average restaurant meal had 18% more calories than stated, and frozen foods - about 8%. Some individual restaurant meals had up to 200% more calories than claimed, and free side dishes increased this to 245%.

Some of the nutritional low-lights: (Listed Calories - Actual)

Denny’s dry toast 97 - 283

Taco Bell express taco chicken salad 326 - 607

Lean Cuisine shrimp & angel hair pasta 250 - 319

Weight watchers lemon herb chicken piccata 252 - 306

*It should be noted that some foods actually had less calories than stated, but not most.

This doesn’t really surprise me when we’re talking about traditional sit-down restaurants, as what you get depends a lot on which who is cooking. Some restaurants do pre-weigh and measure out things like meat in order to keep things consistent, and food costs down, but this is not always the case. Things like butter, oils and sauces aren’t usually measured in the kitchen before they’re doused onto your food, which means you may get two very different Calories contents from ordering the same meal twice. I was a little more surprised about the frozen meals, as I thought those were all pretty standardized and pumped up by machines.

The calorie variance in frozen foods isn’t likely to make a big difference. As for restaurants, well, all it means is that we may not actually be behaving as well as we think when eating out. But don’t for-go trying to be healthy altogether, but portion control can be your best friend.

For those who count calories, tack on an extra 20% to the stated Calorie content, just to be safe. Then again, if you’re following the 80/20 rule (eat properly 80% of the time, and relax a bit the other 20%), it may be better not to know the damage, and just enjoy a night out.

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Nutrition Impostor: Nestle Chocolate Bars

Another Nutrition Impostor for the books…This time it’s Nestle.

Standing in line at the grocery store, I noticed a few of the chocolate bars had, what looked to me, like the “heart smart” check from the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. Upon closer inspection I see that it is merely a red shape resembling a heart (part of the Nestle logo), with a big white check mark.

It looks to me that Nestle is using clever but oh-so shady visual marketing tactics to get people to think that they’re making a good choice by buying a chocolate bar. They simply removed the word “Nestle” from their logo, and put in a check mark instead. What would be their motivation to do that? According to their website, it has something to do with "Creamier chocolate". And it's just a happy coincidence that the Nestle logo is a mis-shaped heart.

I'm not convinced. It seems to me like they are trying to confuse consumers into thinking they’re buying a product that is healthier in some way to the poor, check mark-less bar beside it. The font size of "Creamier chocolate" is so small, I didn't even notice it. What I noticed was the check mark. If Nestle really wanted to emphasize the chocolate aspect, it would make more sense to make the font bigger and take the check mark out altogether.

The use of this symbol will definitely confuse consumers. With so many “health” symbols out there now, it’s hard to tell what’s what. These symbols are not regulated, but there are “rules” around using heart heath claims.

The Guide to Food Labelling and Advertising from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency states:

“The use of heart symbols and heart healthy claims to describe a food or food choice (whether on labels, menus or in advertising) are generally not acceptable. They may give an erroneous impression that consuming a single food or menu selection will provide heart health or prevent heart disease.”

Nestle has been known for shady practices in the past so I wasn’t all that surprised to find out this way the company behind said check mark. But still I say, Shame on you, Nestle.

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Obesity... on hold.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that climbing adult obesity rates in the U.S. have levelled off.

Although there has been no significant change in obesity rates in the past 10 years, prevalence is still very high. More than one-third of adults were obese in 2005-06 - 34% of those 20 years and older. Note: this does not include overweight people. Combining overweight and obesity rates in the U.S. puts this number at 68% of the population.

The target set by the Healthy People 2010 objective was to have obesity rates at less than 15%, which obviously, has not been met. The last time rates were that low was 1980.

Similar data hasn't been released in Canada, but since we tend to mirror the trends of our slightly unhealthier neighbours to the south, it's likely Canada is following suit.

So what caused the change? Let's hope there's been a wake up call among the population, maybe people are moving more and eating less. Or maybe it's the preachings of Bob and Jillian on the Biggest Loser. Whatever the reason, it's a good start. Now if we could get those rates to actually drop, we'd really see some benefits.

Read the report here.

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Nutrition Imposter: Nutella

Once in a while I come across a product that is, what I call, a “nutrition impostor”. That is, although the product contains little nutrition, is high in fat and/or sugar, the company would have you believe it is little short of a nutrition powerhouse.

There is a ton of false advertising out there, getting us to believe that things are healthier, “greener” or better for us or the environment than they actually are. I’m going to call those products out.

My first offender - Nutella. Nutella’s TV ads feature a mother telling us why she feeds her kids Nutella, as “Part of a balanced breakfast”. Since when does a balanced meal include sweets?

She says “Nutella is made with skim milk, hazelnuts, and a hint of cocoa".

Nutritious? Nutella provides: (per 2 tablespoons)

200 Calories (100 Calories from fat)

11g fat (3.5g of which are saturated)

21 (!) grams of sugar

3g protein

Since when is a product that high in sugar and fat considered “healthy”??

Ingredients (as listed on the label): SUGAR, modified palm oil, hazelnuts, cocoa, skim milk, reduced minerals whey (from milk), soy lecithin: an emulsifier, vanillin: an ARTIFICIAL flavour.

As sugar is listed first on the label, that means product contains more sugar than any thing else. Secondly, notice that “hint” of cocoa is listed before the skim milk, which means there is more cocoa in the product than milk.

And I particularly like how they make a fuss on the website about having NO artificial colours or preservatives, but they DO have artificial flavour listed right there on the label.

The comment at the bottom of the website states “this website is not brought to you by health care professionals”. No kidding. And above the picture of the “balanced” Nutella breakfast, it states “The ideal Nutella balanced breakfast, as pictured here, is CLOSE to the breakfast recommended by the 2005 Recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans”.

Bottom line - 2 tablespoons of Nutella is nutritionally equivalent to giving your kids a chocolate bar for breakfast. A tasty treat to be enjoyed on occasion, sure. But claiming the product is anything close to healthy is just false advertising.

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Cereal Scan App!

The cereal scan app combines two things I love - the iphone, and nutrition info!! The new Cereal scan app helps you determine how healthy or unhealthy that box of cereal is. Simply scan the barcode, and voila!! Nutrition info at your fingertips, no reading of labels required!

According to the website, the Cereal scan app gives you:

• Healthify your supermarket choices.
• Eliminate nutrition label confusion.
• Independent, objective food recommendations.

And no, in spite of my enthusiasm, I am not receiving a dime for raving about this product.

Check it out here! Or download it at the iPhone App store!

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McMap

THIS is very cool, yet so very, very wrong. This map and those bright dots represent the distances between McDonald's locations in America.

Created by Stephen Von Worley, www.weathersealed.com/tags/maps

HAPPY FRIDAY!

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Alkaline Diets

Alkaline or “low acid” diets seem to be popping up everywhere lately. The premise behind them is that the western diet is too high in acidic foods, which can cause everything from decreasing fat loss to increasing your risk of cancer.

What is “pH”?

“Physiological pH” is the level of acidity in the body. The human body is really good at controlling pH levels, because they are so critical - every cell in our bodies depend on it! pH must remain neutral in order for our bodies to function properly. When your pH shifts a little, your body will make adjustments to correct it. It does this through changing breathing rates (which adjusts CO2 levels), using up excess hydrogen (acidic) ions, and excreting or holding onto acidic substances via the kidneys.

The “Alkaline Diet” or “Acid-Ash hypothesis” are theories that the western diet is high in acidic foods, which alters the pH in our bodies and is not corrected properly by the mechanisms listed above. In order to correct the pH, our internal reserves are used to neutralize the acids, mining our bones, joints and vital organs of precious elements. Over time, they say, this leads to disease. The "acid-ash" idea is the theory that acids in the diet, such as phosphate, lead to more acid ion loss through urine, taking calcium with it, which leads to de-mineralization of bone and may result in osteoporosis. Wow! Sounds horrible!

So what are “acidic” foods? Animal protein, sugar, caffeine, and processed foods to name a few. Cutting out these foods and following the “Alkaline Diet” leaves you with the components of any typical “healthy” diet. The fact that eating a diet higher in fruits and vegetables, lower in fat and higher in fibre is good for us is not news, and this part of the diet is fine. However, the alkaline diet also promotes exclusion of many foods with well-known health benefits, such as fats and oils (essential fatty acids), beans and legumes (phytonutrients, fibre), and some fruits (antioxidants, vitamins, fibre).

What the facts say...

This alkaline diet is based on a theory. There is a significant lack of studies looking at pH in the human body. Most studies regarding the alkaline diet have been done in test tubes and animals, neither of which are necessarily applicable to humans. I was able to find 2 studies and 2 articles on the subject, and here’s the low down...

I found two studies looking pH. The first was a massive review (which examined 30 other studies) looking at calcium balance with acid (from phosphate) intake. They found that the amount of calcium excreted through the urine was actually less when subjects were given more phosphate, regardless of how much calcium they were taking in, or how acidic the phosphate was. Basically, it disproves the acid ash theory and, in fact, calcium retention actually increased with phosphate supplementation.

The second study I found looked at acid-base load of the diet and urinary pH. (put in links to studies). This study measured urine pH in relation to how acidic the diet was. They found that a diet higher in fruits and vegetables, and lower in meats, lead to a more alkaline pH, at least in the urine. But the question is - does the pH of our urine accurately represent the rest of the body? That seems to be unclear and could throw this study out the window. And even with a slightly alkaline or acidic pH, we don’t know what the exact effects on health would be, if any.

I did find 2 articles (not studies) from MD's whose personal opinion it is that there is some basis to this diet. For people who propose this diet, the theories are still just that, theories. But the advice from these people is familiar - more fruit, veggies, fiber! I had to laugh when I read the advice from one of the advocates of this diet, advising people to "fill half their plate with vegetables" at meals... exactly what dietitians are advising! The theory may be new, but the recommendations are not groundbreaking.

The reasons to eat less protein and more fruits and vegetables are plenty, but currently, the acid-alkaline basis isn't a strong one. We already know that the western diet isn't a particularly healthy one for a myriad of reasons, and the chronic disease epidemic is evidence of that. We need to focus on eating healthier... period. "Acidic" foods just happen to be those that are also high in preservatives, chemicals, salt, sugar, etc... Foods that we already KNOW are bad for us and contribute to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and so on. At this point, what ever gets people eating their fruits and veggies is a good thing. Don't bother getting too caught up in what fruits and veggies are less acidic - JUST EAT THEM!

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Metabolism - Can you give it a "Boost"?

"Metabolism" is the accumulation of processes in the body that use up energy, or “burn Calories”. Everyone has to deal with slowing metabolisms sooner or later. Before we know it, gone are the days of eating whatever you wanted and not gaining a pound, and we begin pay for even the smallest dietary blunders.

There are 3 main factors that add up to make your individual metabolism: Basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, and thermic effect of activity. In other words, your body burns all its Calories doing these 3 things:

• the daily functions of the body (making cells, breathing, etc) (about 60-75% of Calories are spent this way)
• digesting the food you eat (about 10%)
• physical activity (15-25%)

The amount of muscle we have determines how many Calories we burn. Muscle cells burn energy when we move them, fat cells don’t. Therefore, the more muscle we have, the more Calories we burn doing every day things.

Can you boost your metabolism?

There are a few things we can do to ensure we’re burning the most Calories we can.

Weight training - Metabolism starts to drop around age 25 because we start to lose muscle around this time. One proven way to slow this process is through weight training. Weight training reduces age-related muscle loss, and therefore, helps maintain metabolism.

Aerobic exercise - jogging, running, swimming, biking, all burn Calories while you’re doing the exercise, and for a while afterwards.

Sleep - It has been shown that sleep has an effect on appetite-regulating hormones, how much we eat and our waist line. Getting enough sleep sets you up for a good day of healthy eating and gives you enough energy to get that workout in!

Get enough Calories - eating less is important if you’re trying to lose weight, but go too low and you’ll have the opposite effect. Most of us have heard of “starvation mode”. This happens when we eat fewer Calories than meets our basal metabolic needs, triggering the body to become more efficient with the few Calories you give it, and slowing metabolism. Metabolisms can recover from this eventually, but you will likely see weight gain while it’s sorting itself out.

Eating regularly - Think of your metabolism like a fire. You must throw logs on the fire every once in a while... wait too long, and it smolders out. Going too long without eating (5 or more hours) can have the same “starvation” effect.

High protein diets - it has been suggested that high protein diets can offer a slight advantage in blunting the fall of metabolism with dieting.

Supplements - most products marketed to increase metabolism work by increasing heart rate, which does increase energy expenditure. Although some of them may be moderately effective (burning about 75 extra Calories per day), the risks outweigh the benefits. Many of these products market themselves as “natural” and, unfortunately, people take that as meaning “safe”. Natural products can act just like drugs, and studies regarding their safety are lacking. The side effects of these products, natural or not, can include anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations and increased blood pressure.

Read about spices and metabolism here.

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Vitamin C - More than just for colds?

A recent article in Environmental Nutrition (www.environmentalnutrition.com) claims that vitamin C may have more than just cold-fighting powers. Research suggests that it may play a role in prevention of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and more.

As a vitamin, the “C” is responsible for maintaining things like ligaments, collagen, tendons, blood vessels, wound healing and more. Vitamin C has been studied for years, without much ground-breaking news. However, vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps protect cells from damage from “free radicals”, which may play contribute greatly to disease. The catch? Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means our bodies don’t store it. Researchers think that in order for us to see these great disease-protective benefits of Vit C, we need higher blood levels. Since we don’t store it in our tissues, this means taking a steady intake.

What the research has shown:

-Those who take ~700mg of supplemental vit C per day were 25% less likely to develop heart disease

-Those with higher vit C blood levels were 42% less likely to suffer a stroke

-Vit C intake (from fruits and veggies) was shown to reduce the risk of some cancers. The same was not true from Vit C supplements, which indicates it may be the interplay of many components of the food that provides the health benefits.

-For people with diabetes, it was shown that Vit C may actually have a negative effect, and may slightly increase the risk for atherosclerosis for some people with the disease.

So how much?

Evidence shows that our cells become fully saturated with vitamin C around 400mg per day. Any extra is excreted through the urine. Most healthy adults should aim for 200-400mg per day for maximal health benefits.

To put that in perspective... the average Vit C supplement has 500 - 1000 mg per capsule and the average multivitamin has about 90mg per capsule.

Of course, it’s better to get your vit C from fruits and veggies than pills, and it’s not difficult to do:

One cup of strawberries = 85mg

1 medium orange = 83mg

1/2 cup chopped red pepper = 95mg

And just to confuse you more, there has also been some emerging evidence that multivitamin supplements may do more harm than good, so focusing on food sources is your best, and safest bet. 

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