Heart Disease and Cancer Prevention

I was at a health fair recently, and one of the participants told me he was resigned to his fate of having a heart attack or getting cancer because of his family history. He tossed up his hands in frustration, believing that he really had no control over his health. I explained to him that although genetics do play a role in our health, 60-70% of our risk for disease comes from our own lifestyle behaviors.

When it comes to both heart disease and cancer, a diet of whole healthy foods, staying at a healthy weight, daily activity, managing stress, avoiding smoking, and getting enough sleep are the tickets to longevity.

Recently, the DASH diet (which was developed to control blood pressure) was voted the best overall diet by US News and World Reports. The main tenets include emphasizing fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein like poultry and fish, nuts, seeds,  beans, and nonfat or low-fat dairy and reducing your intake of calorie- and fat-laden sweets, red meat, and salt. The principles of this diet are good for lowering blood pressure as well as reducing the risk of cancer and diabetes.

Maintaining a healthy weight throughout your life has been linked to a lower risk for disease. Besides aiming for a body mass index of 18.5-24.9, your waist measurement is another indicator of health. Too much visceral fat (the kind found around your internal organs) could increase your risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer.

• WAIST MEASUREMENT TIP: Your waist measurement should be no more than half your height in inches. For example, at 5' 8" (68 inches), the waist should be ≤ 34 inches. 

Being active at least 30 minutes every day is the mantra. But recently new research has indicated even 30 minutes of activity may not be enough to combat 8-10 hours of sitting which is all too common for many of us. So think about getting up and moving around every hour. 

• EASY ACTIVITY TIP: if you're on your computer all day, set your Outlook alarm to go off hourly. Then get up and walk around for 5-10 minutes. At the end of an 8 hour day, that will give you 40-80 minutes of "extra" walking daily!  

Chronic stress elevates hormones in the body which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, headaches, high blood pressure, depression, insomnia, and other health problems. Physical activity is a great stress buster. So is deep breathing, yoga, guided meditation, owning a pet, doodling, and watching an aquarium (check out this virtual aquarium for your computer wallpaper!).

New research continues to support the importance of 7-1/2 to 8 hours of sleep for adults. Attempt to get to bed at a reasonable hour and get up at about the same time every day, even on weekends.  And keep your cell phone and computer out of the bedroom.

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Bread, not chips are the No. 1 source of sodium! 

90% of us eat more sodium than recommended and the highest source comes from an unlikely food:  bread!  In fact, bread often has more sodium per serving that chips. And because we love our bread we can consume a lot of sodium on a daily basis.

The average daily intake of sodium is about 3300 mg. The US Dietary Guidelines suggest limiting sodium to less than 2300 mg per day. But adults over the age of 50, who are African American, or are already diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease should limit their daily intake to 1500 mg.

Most people are surprised to learn that less than 10% of our salt intake comes from the salt shaker. In fact, 65% comes from foods bought at retail stores and 25% comes from restaurant meals.  So just removing the salt shaker from the table isn't enough to reduce your intake.

More than 40% of our sodium intake comes from just 10 types of food and here is the list in order of consumption:

1. bread and rolls
2. cold cuts and cured meats (like deli or packaged ham and turkey)
3. pizza
4. fresh and processed poultry (these are often injected with a salt solution to "enhance" the flavor)
5. soups
6. sandwiches (including hamburgers and cheeseburgers)
7. cheese
8. pasta dishes
9. mixed meat dishes (like meat loaf with tomato sauce)
10. salty snacks (like chips, pretzels, and popcorn) 

So what can you do to reduce your sodium intake?  Here are some helpful tips: 

• Follow a DASH-type diet as discussed above
• Read the Nutrition Facts label while shopping to find the lowest sodium options of your favorite foods (especially of the top ten food categories above)
• Purchase bread and grain products with less sodium (bread, rolls, and bagels can vary from 80-300 mg per serving)
• Serve less cured and processed meats and purchase chicken without injected salt solutions (the labels on saltwater-infused meats typically say "enhanced with up to 15% chicken broth")
• Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables
• Rinse canned vegetables and cook in fresh water
• Limit processed foods high in sodium
• When eating out, choose more whole foods rather than mixed casseroles and those with sauces
• Talk with your grocer and favorite restaurants about offering lower sodium food choices 
• Support initiatives that reduce sodium in packaged and canned foods

This delicious stew is loaded with veggies and spices which help protect your heart and prevent cancer. You can easily make this a vegetarian entree by omitting the chicken and/or adding more edamame or  a can of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed).

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil

1 medium onion or 1 large leek (white part only, washed well, sliced in half), chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

2 cups sliced mushrooms

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cardamom

3 cups organic low salt chicken or vegetable broth

1- 16 oz can diced organic tomatoes including the juice

3 medium white or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

1 cup shucked edamame soybeans (or green beans cut into 1 inch pieces)

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

6 green onions, chopped (reserve green part for garnish)

2 boneless organic chicken breasts, steeped and shredded (see steeping directions at the top in the Did You Know section)

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup roasted no salt or low sodium peanuts for garnish

 1.  Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven pan. Add onion or leek, carrots, and mushrooms. Sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1-2 more minutes. Add the spices, stir, and sauté another minute.

2.  Add the broth, tomatoes, potatoes, and edamame or green beans. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not mushy. Add the peanut butter and the white part of the green onions. Cook to warm and dissolve the peanut butter. If the stew is too thick, add more broth.

3.  Add the shredded chicken and cook 5-10 more minutes until hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with reserved chopped green onion and peanuts. If desired, serve with brown rice.

Serves 6-8. 

When I made brown rice to accompany the Chicken and Vegetable Curry Stew, I ended up with leftovers. So I decided to try brown rice for breakfast....and it was delicious!  (Leftover brown rice also freezes very well).