Quick Tips for 2008

In cultures all over the world the holidays were celebrated by the gathering together of loved ones and the sharing of food. Much of the food we shared was seasonal, traditional and very plentiful. Unfortunately many of us will have over indulged on sweets and fatty foods that were made so readily available. Now that it is the New Year it is time to regroup and get ourselves off on a healthy start. I am going to share with you information I read in the December issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter which highlighted the results of the 2007 Report on Food, Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer. To prepare this evidence-based report they started with a half a million studies and nine research teams. In the end they had a panel of 21 international experts and 7,000 studies reviewed. Based on that review, here is their advice for us (with a few added recommendations from me):

1. Be as lean as possible. Know your Body Mass Index (BMI) and stay within the normal range. If you have come to see me for the personalized health plan I calculated this for you in the nutrition section of my recommendations. In addition to BMI, waist circumference is important. The more visceral (aka belly) fat we have the higher the risk of cancer and other chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Calculate your BMI.

2. Be physically active as a part of everyday life. Take the stairs, have a walking meeting and park away from the store door. Take every opportunity to move throughout the day. Start by walking briskly at least 30 minutes a day and then increase it to 60 minutes. Limit sedentary activities like watching TV and sitting in front of the computer.

3. Limit consumption of calorie dense foods and avoid sugary drinks. That means fruit drinks too- most of them are calorie dense and full of sugar.

4. Eat mostly foods of plant origin. The goal is to eat at least 5-7 servings of fruits and veggies per day. Stay away from refined starchy foods like wheat bread, pasta and white rice. Eat unprocessed grains and/or beans with every meal. In my experience, this is one of the most difficult things for most people to do.

5. Limit intake of red meat and avoid processed meat. If you eat red meat limit it to 18 oz a week. That's not much! Stay away from processed meat or food of any kind, need I say that?

6. Drink just a little alcohol. For women that means one drink per day and two for men. Even one drink a day significantly increases the risk of breast cancer so drink alcohol judiciously.

7. Steer clear of the salt. Don't add it to food unless you have to -try spicing up your food with herbs instead. If you buy sauces, salad dressings or any food in a package check the sodium (salt) content. More about salt.

8. Eat good quality food so you don't need supplements. This panel did not find that dietary supplements prevent cancer. There are a few supplements that are looking promising: selenium (prostate cancer), vitamin D (colon cancer, breast cancer and multiple sclerosis etc.) and fish oil (cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions and possibly cancer). Sometimes I think people will go ahead and eat poorly because they figure taking vitamins and supplements will keep them healthy. Yikes! Food is the best source of vitamins and minerals plus it has other good stuff like fiber.

9. Aim to breastfeed up to the age of 6 months at least. The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous for both mom and baby. More on the benefits of breastfeeding.

10. Cancer survivors should follow the recommendations for cancer prevention: eat well, stay at a healthy weight and be physically active. More info for cancer survivors.

The nutrition advice the panel offers is not earth-shattering, much of it is very basic. I would take it a step further by advising you to follow an anti-inflammartory diet. As you know, if you come to see me for a consultation I will provide you with more detailed personalized recommendations that include information about the anti-inflammatory diet. I can help with other issues too such as weight loss, food cravings, mood balance, nutrition for chronic conditions such as arthritis, high cholesterol, etc. Give me a call if you are interested!