6 survival skills for a healthy—happy Thanksgiving dinner

For my family, Thanksgiving dinner starts early in the day and ends hours later after we’re all stuffed and exhausted. I call it the "food coma." While there’s lots of talk of elastic-waist pants, loosening of belts, and "never eating again after today," rarely is there discussion of scaling back on portions or eating in moderation—and why not? Because, by tradition, the holidays are a time for celebrating people, blessings, and second or third helpings of your mom’s famous stuffing. But for if you’re minding your waistline, or simply concerned with keeping up healthy habits you’ve worked hard to maintain throughout the year, Thanksgiving can feel like a huge setback. It doesn’t have to be, though. Here are six healthy survival skills to help you make it through the upcoming holidays without calorie overload:

Cut out the things you don’t love. Holidays provide the perfect landscape for overeating because there’s so much food. But, it’s likely there are several high-calorie, high-fat dishes you can do without. Decide what you really want to indulge in and go for smaller portions rather than heaping ones. And avoid nibbling on tons of fatty appetizers because they can add extra calories without making you feel full.

Don’t gobble, gobble. Slow down and enjoy your meal. Studies show that eating a meal quickly may inhibit the release of gut hormones that help you feel full.

Have your pie, and eat it too. No need to deprive yourself, and hurt grandma’s feelings in the process. Again, choose the dessert that you’ve been craving all day, rather than filling up on portions of all the cakes, pies, and puddings being served. If you’re a guest at someone’s celebration, bring a healthier dessert—such as a low-fat pumpkin pie, sorbet, or a fruit plate—even if you’re not asked.

A healthy weight helps women age better, says study

Can you still fit into your high school clothes? I know I’d struggle after two kids and a decade and a half of marriage. But according to a study released last month in the British Medical Journal, our chances of living long and healthy would improve if we could squeeze into those old clothes.

In the study, researchers looked at the body mass indexes of 17,065 women, and found that the more weight the women gained from age 18 until mid-life, the less likely their chances of being healthy in later life. And it didn’t have to be a significant amount of weight—for every kilogram of weight gain (2.2 pounds), the odds of being alive and healthy into their 70s decreased by 5%.

The study also found that, when compared with lean women (BMIs of 18.5-22.9), the women with a BMI of 30 or above had lowered their odds of living healthily into their 70’s by 79%.

That’s a scary thought. And if I want to lose enough weight to even get close to my high school jeans, I have to overcome two very large obstacles—me and my husband.

I try to eat healthy, trying several stay-thin strategies. I’m a big fan of salads, and have never met a vegetable I didn’t like in at least some form (though I’m still struggling on those beets). My personal weakness is all those luscious, scrumptious carbs. I have been known to burn my fingers ripping apart a hot, crusty loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. 

What your walking speed can tell your doctor

Doctors are trained fortune-tellers of sorts. But instead of divining the future through tea leaves or Tarot cards, they look to our bodies for clues. If our blood pressure is high, they may warn of heart and circulation problems that could be down the road. Ditto for high cholesterol. But doctors can also draw upon subtler signs — even, for example, our walking speed.

As odd as it may sound, studies show that healthy older adults who walk slowly are at higher risk of falls, disabilities, frequent hospital visits, and other health problems. And, according to a new study, slow walkers also have triple the chance of dying from heart disease, although the reasons aren't yet clear.

The study included 3,208 seniors ages 65 to 85 in France. Each person's walking speed was clocked over 6 meters (almost 20 feet). The researchers then checked on the participants every couple of years. All were in reasonably good health at the start of the study, and didn't have any conditions that could have substantially affected how fast they walked, such as Parkinson disease, dementia, or a disabling stroke.

After five years, 209 people had died, including 99 from cancer, 59 from heart disease, and 51 from other causes (such as infections and respiratory failure). The researchers found that the slowest walkers were three times more likely to have died of heart disease than those who walked at a faster clip. However, they didn't find a link between slow walking and other causes of death, including cancer.

BPA may affect sexual function in adult men, study finds

While the Food and Drug Administration continues to review the safety of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), a new epidemiological study finds for the first time that the ubiquitous substance may well have a serious impact on male sexual function in adults who are exposed to substantial amounts. The men affected worked in factories that manufactured BPA-containing materials and were exposed to relatively high levels of BPA.

Lower levels of BPA exposure are also a concern, and our latest tests found the chemical in just about every canned food we looked at. In that recent investigation, we found that consumers eating just one serving of the canned vegetable soup we tested would get about double what the FDA now considers typical average dietary daily exposure--though that is still far less than the occupational exposures that were noted in factory workers.

BPA is a chemical that can mimic estrogen, and it has been used for years in clear plastic bottles and food-can liners. Some studies have linked exposure to BPA with reproductive abnormalities and a heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. Use of the chemical has been restricted in Canada and some U.S. states and municipalities because of potential health effects. An FDA scientific advisory panel weighed in a year ago that the agency’s rationale for setting safety standards for BPA was inadequate. A congressional subcommittee determined earlier this year that the FDA relied too heavily on industry sponsored studies.

Q&A: Minerals in tap water?

A report from my municipal water supplier shows that my tap water has high levels of calcium, iron, magnesium, and several other minerals. Does that mean that my water has nutritional value? —F.P., Morse, Saskatchewan

Yes. Your body can absorb minerals as readily from water as it does from food. In a study of drinking water in Sweden, researchers estimated that as much as 13 percent of some residents’ daily intake of calcium, magnesium, and potassium came from its tap water. Some preliminary research has linked consumption of mineral-rich, or "hard," water to lower rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and possibly some types of cancer. If your water provider didn’t include mineral levels in its annual report (the law doesn’t require them to), you could send a sample to a certified lab for testing. To find one, go to www.epa.gov/safewater/labs/.

For more on tap water safety, visit GreenerChoices.org.

It’s about time for a school lunch makeover

When I read that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had released new guidelines to improve the nutrition of school lunches, my first reaction was "It’s about time!" The guidelines include setting a maximum number of calories in a meal, lowering the sodium, saturated fat and starchy vegetables, and increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

Having lived through school lunches of chicken fried steak with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and a big cup of ketchup as the "vegetable" (thank you Ronald Reagan), I realize that many school cafeterias have made some strides. But placing a largely ignored bowl of apples at the end of the line does little to negate the greasy pizza, and fried chicken patties that usually precede that bowl. And my children have been known to throw at me that a meal of macaroni and cheese with French fries can’t be that bad, since it’s served at the school cafeteria.

One of my brothers tells me that I worry too much. We ate it, and it didn’t kill us. But it is killing us. And it’s setting up our children for a lifetime of poor health. A new national survey released by the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association found that most Americans don’t realize that heart disease risk doesn’t wait until adulthood. The American Heart Association even held a conference this year looking at the dangers of the growing girth of our children. And they are growing—some estimates say that 1 in 3 of our kids are overweight.

6 easy ways to get more fiber

Eating a diet rich in fiber foods such as oat bran, beans, and most produce can help lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and aids digestion. But many of us hear the word "fiber" and immediately think bulky, coarse, and unpalatable. Our sister publication, ShopSmart, suggests these easy, appetizing ways to get your fit in your daily serving (25 to 30 grams) of fiber:

• Add kidney beans or chickpeas to soups, salads, and pastas. Legumes are an undervalued source of fiber, and they’re inexpensive.

• Put raw berries on cereal or pancakes or in salads. A cup of raspberries, for example, has 8 grams of fibers.

• Eat fruits with the skin on and don’t peel potatoes before you cook them.

Snacks and slow eating may help you lose weight

There may be some truth to my mother’s warning that "wolfing down your food will make you fat." According to new study, to be published in the January 2010 issue of Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, eating a meal quickly may reduce hormones in the gut that help you feel full.

In the study, researchers had 17 male participants consume the same test meal, 300ml of ice-cream, in either 5-minute or 30-minute eating sessions. Researchers took blood samples and measured glucose, insulin, plasma levels, and gut hormones before, during, and after the sessions, and determined the men who ate during the 30-minute session had higher concentrations of gut hormones and feelings of fullness.

If you’re trying to keep your weight under control, taking a longer lunch might be worth a try. Invite a friend (chatting while eating always slows me down) or take a lesson from a macrobiotic eater and "chew your food well."

In defense of snacking

Another way to slow down your eating style is by snacking—or as one of our staffers calls it, "grazing." Snacking is often seen as the gateway food to poor eating habits. With all the hard-to-resist fatty and sugary munchies out there, snacking has gained a bad reputation. But, snacking can be good for you, according to several studies that point out the benefits of well-placed snacks throughout the day as a way to curb your appetite.

Sugar Wars: Industry front group defends high fructose corn syrup

Big Corn is fighting it out with the Big Apple in ad wars. Last year, the Corn Refiners Association launched a series of ads defending the processed sweetener against its attackers. This year, The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched ads asking subway riders if they were "pouring on the pounds." The posters depict a bottle of soda, sports drink, or sweetened ice tea morphing into blobs of fat as it’s poured into a glass. Now, the deceptively named Center for Consumer Freedom is getting in on the food fight.

The group—which according to SourceWatch was founded with tobacco industry funding and has been financed in the past by sweetened-beverage companies, including Coca-Cola, among other major food industry players—launched it’s own poster in New York asking "Big Apple or Big Brother?" Now the group has launched a million dollar ad campaign defending high fructose corn syrup.

The SweetScam campaign includes this ad, which depicts a sugar cube, a honey bear, and an ear of corn in a police line-up for causing weight gain. The "victim" isn’t sure which culprit is to blame, but thinks it might be the corn because he’s "seen that high fructose corn syrup guy on the news." The police officer informs him they all have the same calories, and are "processed by the body the same way too." He releases the sticky suspects after determining that the victim is "making this stuff up without any proof."

The point is summed up as "a sugar is a sugar." To a certain extent that’s true—and most Americans would do well to consume less of all of them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American should consume no more than about 40 grams (approximately 10 teaspoons) of added sugars a day–added sugars don’t include those that occur naturally in fruit and other foods. But the average American consumes more than twice that amount about 22 teaspoons per day, and adolescent boys between 14 and 18 consume more than three times more, about 34 teaspoons per day.

Q&A: Can particular foods lower bad cholesterol?

Can particular foods or dietary strategies lower "bad" LDL cholesterol? —A.S., via e-mail

Yes, several. Foods that can help lower LDL include those high in fiber (particularly oat bran, psyllium, and barley) and foods containing added or natural stanols or sterols—plant substances that inhibit the absorption of cholesterol—such as Benecol and Take Control margarines, Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise orange juice, and certain nuts and seeds. Eating two to three servings of soy foods each day may also help. Researchers have found that combining those foods increases their benefits: A diet high in soy protein, fiber, and plant sterols can reduce LDL levels as much as a low-dose statin drug. Other LDL-cutting dietary strategies include reducing saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of calories, minimizing trans fat, and losing excess weight.

5 tricks for healthier Halloween treats

Halloween is a time of year for kids to indulge their sweet tooth. That can mean heaps of sugar-covered and chocolate-dipped treats of every variety—a scary prospect for parents concerned with their kids maintaining healthy eating habits. Luckily, there are some simple ways to make sure kids avoid a frightful sugar overload and still have a scream:

Don’t skip dinner. Feeding your children a nutritious meal or snack prior to parties or trick-or-treating will help discourage them from filling up on too many sugary sweets.

Help kids practice portion control. When your children return home with treats, sort through it and set limits on an acceptable amount to eat over the next several days. In a KidsHealth survey, 82 percent of parents say they set limits using a variety of strategies to keep kids from going overboard on the Halloween treats. One tactic is to remind your kids that if they don’t eat it all now, they’ll have more treats for later.

Get a little creepy… and creative. If you’re hosting a Halloween party, have fun with fruits and veggies, and get the kids to help. Create carrot-finger food or banana ghosts, and make pizza faces with low-fat cheese, bell pepper strips, black olive slices, carrot slices, and pizza sauce. And instead of serving chips or cheese puffs, go for pumpkin seeds.

Q&A: Can soy products prevent breast cancer?

The evidence is contradictory. Soybeans contain estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones that, in animal studies at least, fuel the growth of cancer cells and reverse the inhibitory effects that drugs such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex and generic) have on that growth. Yet Asian women, who tend to consume lots of soy foods, have a lower incidence of breast cancer than do women in Western countries. On balance, it's probably safe for most women to consume soy products as long as they don't go overboard (no more than about 100 mg of isoflavones a day). But women who already have breast cancer or are at high risk for it should limit their consumption.

Q&A: Frying with healthful fats?

Eating foods fried in oils that are high in saturated or trans fats is bad for your arteries. But is frying in unsaturated fats such as corn, canola, and olive oil a healthy alternative? —M.B., Roslyn Estates, N.Y.

It’s healthier—but hardly healthy. Unsaturated fats do tend to improve cholesterol levels, and saturated and trans fats do the opposite. But frying can undermine that benefit. For one thing, the grease gives any fried food far more calories than the same food cooked in other ways. Moreover, the high frying temperatures can destroy the vitamins, antioxidants, and other disease-fighting compounds in both the food and the oil. And the heat creates other substances that help cholesterol stick to artery walls. (Evidence suggests that oils high in polyunsaturated fats, such as corn, safflower, and sunflower, may generate more of those artery-clogging substances than predominantly monounsaturated oils, such as canola, olive, and peanut.) In addition, heating any oil repeatedly or lengthily may create potentially cancer-causing compounds.

Cereal ads might be bad for your child’s health

The average preschooler sees 642 cereal ads per year on television alone, almost all for unhealthy cereals. And the fact that commercials for these sugary, frosted, candy-colored breakfast cereals run during your child’s favorite television shows is no coincidence. According to a new study from Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, the least healthy breakfast cereals are the most frequently and aggressively marketed to children. The researchers looked at the nutrient composition and comprehensive marketing efforts of 115 cereal brands and 277 individual cereal varieties, and here’s what they found:

• Cereals marketed directly to children have 85 percent more sugar, 65 percent less fiber, and 60 percent more sodium than cereals marketed to adults.
• Forty-two percent of child-targeted cereals contain artificial food dyes, compared with 26 percent of adult cereals.
• Of the children’s cereals, only 8 percent meet the nutrition standards needed to be included in the USDA’s food stamp program, and not one meets the nutrition standards required to advertise to children in the United Kingdom.

Get more from your pumpkin—and eat the seeds

Pumpkins have long been a symbol of Fall, with delicious pies, soups, and breads. But, there’s more to this fruit (yes, it’s a fruit) than tradition, tasty desserts, and festive decorations. Pumpkins provide heaps of health benefits that could make you feel a little less guilty about having that second helping of pie.

The flesh of the pumpkin is low in calories and fat and, as its bright orange hue would suggest, an excellent source of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Research has found that a diet rich in beta-carotene can reduce your risk of developing certain cancers and help prevent heart disease. Beta-carotene also offers helps maintain good vision.

Pumpkins are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and digestion-friendly fiber. And don’t throw away the seeds—roast them instead. Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, and vitamin E—and there’s fiber in the seed covering. Pumpkin seeds are also a source of zinc, which helps the immune system function properly.

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