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Vegetable of
the Month:
Heirloom Tomatoes
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 If you've passed over those heirloom tomatoes in fear of their odd shapes and different colors, you're missing out! Heirloom tomatoes (and other heirloom plants) are open-pollinated, meaning that plant breeding is uncontrolled by humans. This allows for more genetic variations in the tomatoes, thus giving the tomatoes unique shapes, colors and tastes! Hybrid pollination is controlled pollination in which different strains of pollen are selectively combined to increase stability (shelf-life) and uniformity in a plant's color and size. This is why the word "tomato" congers up the image of those traditional red round tomatoes that are found year-round in the grocery store. The downside of hybrid pollination is that it can affect the flavors and taste of the tomatoes. It's also possible that heirloom tomatoes retain more nutrients than typical hybrid tomatoes. Your local farmers' market is a great place to look for heirloom tomatoes. After eating the tomato, save the seeds so that you can plant your own delicious heirloom tomatoes.
Nutrition Information for 1 raw large tomato (3" diameter, 182g):
33 calories, 7g carbohydrates ( 2.2g fiber), 0.36g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1.6g protein.
Complete nutrition facts available here. Heirloom tomatoes (and tomatoes in general!) are a good source of: the caroteniods lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; vitamins A, C, K; and minerals manganese and potassium Healthy Recipes: Kitchen 101: Did you know.... - Heirloom tomatoes are called Heritage tomatoes in the United Kingdom.
- The tomato is a cousin of eggplant, red pepper, ground cherries and the potato.
- The tomato is the official state vegetable AND fruit of Arkansas.
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DCR on the road!
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John Muir Womens'
Health & Wellness Expo
On Saturday, August 18th, Diablo Clinical Research will be offering free cholesterol tests and heel scans for all attendees!
The event will have various demonstrations and workshops on the following topics, including:
- Fitness classes (Zumba, Yoga, Bootcamp)
- Mind/Body
- Nutrition
- Various health screenings (cholesterol, blood pressure, bone density, memory testing)
- Healthy food court
* Event Hours 8:30am - 4:00pm
* Spotlight Seminars: 9am-3:30pm (additional cost)
* Key Note Speaker: Jane Fonda 11:30-12:30pm (additional cost)
Location:
Women's Health Center
To register or for more information about the fair, call John Muir Hospital at (925) 941-7900
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Do you or someone you know have Celiac Disease?
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Follow a gluten-free diet?
Still experiencing symptoms when exposed to gluten?
Interested in Celiac Research?
You may qualify for the study if you:
- Are between the ages of 18 and 75 and have been diagnosed with celiac disease
- Have biopsy proven celiac disease and positive serology test results more than 12 months before study entry
- Have been on a gluten-free diet for 12 months or longer
- Are still experiencing symptoms when exposed to gluten
- Have a CeD-GSRS score of 2.0 or higher at screening
- Have a positive serum anti-tTG (IgA or IgG) or DGP (IgA or IgG) antibodies at screening
- Are willing to comply with a gluten-free diet for the duration of the study
- Satisfy other study criteria
To participate in a survey to determine whether or not you qualify, call Ava at
925-930-7267 or email: apaulazzo@diabloclinical.com
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Discuss your Diet with a Registered Dietitian!
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Confused about calcium? Lost about leafy greens? Questions about quinoa? A Registered Dietitian (RD) can answer all these questions and more in a nutrition consultation. You will review your diet and exercise regimen and focus on behavior modification. It's all part of small steps towards a healthier you! As a service to the community, Diablo Clinical Research's nutrition consultations are specially priced at $50/hour. For more information, please contact our Registered Dietitian, Kelley Bradshaw MS, RD.
Phone: (925) 930-7267
kbradshaw@diabloclinical.com |
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| Advancing Health Newsletter | August 2012 | |
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Nutrition F.A.Q.:
What is an 'anti-inflammatory' diet?
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Inflammation has gained a lot of attention in recent years. Many of us are familiar with acute inflammation, such as when we get a cut, break a bone or get a cold. We may experience swelling, pain, redness or even warmth surrounding the 'injured' area. In the short term, the body releases pro-inflammatory compounds AND anti-inflammatory compounds to fix the injury and 'turn off' the inflammation. Acute inflammation is temporary and can actually aid the body in recovery processes.
Chronic inflammation occurs over a long period of time and may take years to show up in the body. Diseases associated with chronic inflammation include cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and certain types of cancers. A poor diet, stress, lack of exercise, toxin exposure (including second hand smoke) and genetics can all play a role in chronic inflammation.
What we eat plays a huge role in chronic inflammation. Our food choices can make inflammation worse or can help to reduce it! An anti-inflammatory diet is not a 'diet' in the weight loss sense of the word. (And remember--'diets' don't work! Permanent lifestyle changes do!) Rather, it is a way of eating designed to prevent and reverse inflammation. The goal is to optimize health via food. However, certain types of foods (or food products) are known to cause chronic inflammation. These include refined grains(which technically includes whole wheat and whole grain flours), added sugar (not the kinds that naturally occur in produce and plain dairy products), and processed foods (tv dinners, fast food, boxed mixes, sodas and other sugary beverages, desserts, snack foods, etc.)
So what can you do to curb chronic inflammation? Below are some principles and guidelines of anti-inflammatory eating:
- If you have any of the previously mentioned conditions, ask your doctor for a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) test, a lab test that assesses inflammation. An elevated HS-CRP can predict future development of diabetes (type 2) and high blood pressure more accurately than Body Mass Index (BMI).
- Minimize your consumption of refined grains, added sugars and processed foods (see above list).
- Consume a variety of vegetables (both raw and cooked forms) and fruits (fresh or frozen with no added sugars); go organic when possible. Aim to make vegetables the bulk of your diet, which will help to increase your fiber intake.
- Choose whole, intact grains and seeds such as brown rice, quinoa, spelt, millet, bulgar and oats, instead of products where the grain is ground into flour (such as bread).
- Don't fear fat! Choose healthier fat sources such as fatty fish (wild salmon, mackerel, tuna, cold), nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews), seeds (chia, hemp, flax), olives/olive oil and avocado.
- Go quality over quantity when it comes to protein, such as organic and grass-fed meat products, omega-3 eggs and sustainably raised fish that is lower in Mercury.
- Season with spices and herbs. Limit salt.
- Drink plain water and other unsweetened beverages.
- Keep your waist measurement low: < 35 inches for women, < 40 inches for men.
- Be active everyday!
- Floss and brush your teeth twice a day
- Stop smoking, reduce stress and get more sleep!
 And of course, with all the different 'diets' or eating patterns out there (anti-inflammatory, Atkins, Paleo, vegan, etc.) the one uniting theme is to limit the aforementioned processed foods. Make it a priority to reduce your intake of these foods, as they are known to be calorie-dense and nutrient poor.
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"You owe it to yourself and the ones you love to find out if your bones are healthy." Dr. Weinstein
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Are you
at risk for osteoporosis?
For the month of August, Diablo Clinical Research is continuing to offer FREE DXA bone density scans for women age 60+ and postmenopausal who also have 3 or more qualifying risk factors.
Qualifying Risk Factors* for a DXA screening include:
- History of fractures (any broken bone) after age 50
- Family history of fractures or osteoporosis (mother, father, sister, brother)
- Loss in height of 2-3 inches.
- History of falls
- Cigarette smoking
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Low calcium and vitamin D levels
- Persons of Caucasian, Asian or Latino races
For more information, please call (925) 930-7267 and ask for Jimmy.
* must have 3 or more to qualify for the free DXA. |
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Recipe Roundup:
Cinnamon Quinoa 'Oatmeal'
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This gluten-free, grain-free (quinoa is actually a seed), dairy-free breakfast is delicious and filled with some of the healthiest foods around: protein-packed quinoa, antioxidant-filled blueberries, omega-3 rich walnuts and fiber-friendly sunflower seeds. It is also very low in sodium and has no added sugars! Choose organic ingredients if your budget allows.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 3 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 medium apple, finely chopped (save ~ 2 TB for garnish
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts, chopped
- 4 TB raw sunflower seeds (not salted)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- optional: fresh raspberries or strawberries, chopped pecans or almonds, hemp seeds or ground flaxseed, stevia (liquid or powder)
Directions:
- Combine quinoa, almond milk, cinnamon and allspice in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil; place lid on pan and reduce to low heat, cooking for approx. 5 minutes. Stir in chopped apple and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Stir and check for remaining liquid. If most of the liquid is absorbed, then remove from heat, leaving lid on pan and let rest for 5 minutes to absorb the rest of the milk. If there is still large amounts of liquid in the pan, simmer the mixture for an additional 3-5 minutes. Make sure that the mixture doesn't burn or become dried out, then allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Taste mixture before serving. If desired, add a few drops of liquid stevia or sprinkle in powdered stevia.
- Top each serving with walnuts, sunflower seeds, blueberries and remaining chopped apple.
Nutrition Facts per serving (without optional ingredients):
414 calories, 45g carbohydrates (10g fiber, 8.6g sugar), 20g fat (2g saturated, 4.4g monounsaturated, 12g polyunsaturated), 17g protein, 0mg cholesterol, 27mg sodium, 656mg potassium, 82mg calcium, 4.4mg iron
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New cholesterol studies!
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Do you have high cholesterol and diabetes and are currently using a statin? If so, you may be eligible for study opportunities!
Please call (925) 930-7267 for more information.
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Beat the Heat with Hydration!
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Staying hydrated in the summer can be a real challenge! Signs of dehydration aren't necessarily obvious. In fact, when we actually realize that we're thirsty, we're all ready dehydrated! Signs of dehydration include: thirst, dry or sticky mouth, tiredness or feeling sluggish, decreased urine output, dry skin, constipation and headaches. In severe cases of dehydration, an individual may experience low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, lack of sweating (even if active or in hot temperatures), fever, extreme confusion and little to no urination (urine will be dark yellow or amber colored.)
Dehydration can also be problematic if we're trying to eat healthy foods and be aware of our food intake. Why? Sometimes the body mistakes dehyration for hunger. As a result, we end up reaching for food when a glass of water would be the better option.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that men consume 3.7 liters of fluid a day ( 125 ounces or 15.6 cups) and women consume 2.7 liters of fluid a day (91 ounces or 11.4 cups.) Water in foods counts towards this total. Here are some helpful hints to keep you hydrated:
- Make water your #1 hydration source. While we do lose some salt when we sweat and are dehydrated, sodas and other salt containing beverages won't necessarily quench our thirst. Not only are you getting extra calories and sugar, but too much caffeine can be dehydrating as well.
- Unless you're really active or are outdoors in a very hot and humid climate, most people won't need to hydrate with sports drinks. Plain water will do just fine.
- Take sips of water throughout the day. Every little bit helps!
- Carry a refillable BPA-free water bottle with you.
- Keep a tally of every glass of water you drink. A Post-it or scratch paper works great!
- Drink water with your meals.
- Eat foods that are high in water (think most veggies and fruit.)
- If you don't like plain water, add sliced fruit to a pitcher of water and place in the refrigerator. After a few hours, the water will be infused with the delicious flavor of the fruit without the calories and sugar. Just make sure to leave the fruit in the pitcher.
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Do you have Multiple Sclerosis?
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