Health Care Reform Starts With You

I recently attended the Texas Dietetic Association’s (TDA) Food and Nutrition Conference & Exhibition (FNCE).  This year it was held in Dallas.  There were several excellent workshops and presentations, as well as culinary demonstrations and vendor expos.  One of the most engaging presentations was our opening session. Some of you may be familiar with the speaker we had, Dr. Michael Roizen.  He is a good friend of Mehmet Oz (also known as Oprah’s doctor, who now has his own TV show).  Dr. Roizen is also the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic’s wellness program.

The title of Dr. Roizen’s presentation was “YOU and Your Genes: How Lifestyle and Foods Change Everything.”  During Dr. Roizen’s talk, he showed a clip of one of Dr. Oz’s shows where they put a meat-eating Cowboy named Rocco on a vegan diet for 28 days due to his extremely blocked arteries (over 95%), and diabetes.  His results were amazing.  In those 28 days, he lost 6 inches from his waist, dropped his fasting blood sugar from 179 to 99, and raised his healthy HDL cholesterol from 33 to 45.  Those are extremely dramatic results in just 4 weeks.



Now as a dietitian, I am well aware of the fact that food can have the effects seen in Rocco.  What I didn’t realize was how dramatically food can effect all of our genes.  Dr. Roizen also had lots of data regarding how diet can effectively turn “on” and “off” certain types of genes.  One very telling slide he showed was regarding prostate cancer.  He showed a slide of men who ate a typical American diet, and how many of their “cancer” genes were turned on, while the genes that kill these cancer causers were turned off.  When these men changed their diet to avoid what Dr. Roizen refers to as the top 5 worst foods (saturated fat, trans fat, simple sugars, syrup, and refined grains), they were able to turn off the cancer causing genes and turn on the cancer-killing genes.  Absolutely amazing data!  This means that we do not have to be a victim of our “genes,” we absolutely have control over preventing the vast majority of chronic diseases (including type 2 diabetes). 

One disheartening piece of data he showed was that if you “indulge” in one of these top 5 “bad” foods, it can take between 7 and 21 days to recover.  That speaks volumes of how important it is to eat a healthy diet consistently, and avoiding those “cheat” days.  I know for me personally, I rarely eat “junk” food, and when on occasion I do, pay dearly for it!  My stomach will ache, sometimes eczema on my hands will flair up, I may get a headache. . . in short, I just plain feel lousy!  Then I ask myself, “Was it really worth it?”  For me, there is not any food worth feeling bad for! 

Some other interesting data Dr. Roizen showed was comparisons of Americans and Europeans.  I was not going to mention this, but with all the recent Health-care Reform hoopla, I saw a person holding a sign that said: “We don’t want to be Europeans.”  Well, Europeans have lower rates of virtually every type of chronic disease than Americans (by half or more).  Hmm. . . maybe those Europeans know a thing or two more than we do!  They are definitely much healthier than we are as a country.  Could it be that they exercise more?  Could it be that they eat less?  Could it be that they eat healthier?  Who knows, but one thing is for sure, we as a society need to start making healthier choices ourselves or we are headed for a lower quality of life, as well as a lower lifespan due to physical pain (e.g. joint pain) from being obese, diabetes, heart disease, various types of cancer, etc.

Dr. Roizen has authored several books, including the newly revised “YOU On a Diet,” and works with several registered dietitians in his clinic.  He, along with Dr. Oz and several of their colleagues, will be holding a health symposium called “Food for your Whole Life” this June in New York, NY.  One day is geared toward the general public, while another day is geared toward healthcare professionals.  For more information, visit the symposium website. 

Touring a Local Organic Farm

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a tour of Johnson's Backyard Garden (JBG), the largest local CSA (community supported agriculture) farm in the area.  The tour was organized by Slow Food Austin, a local member organization of Slow Food USA.  "Slow Food Austin supports activities and education to preserve biodiversity in the food supply, spread the education of taste and connect producers of excellent foods with the co-producers (consumers) through events and initiatives."

You may recall that I have blogged about CSAs before.  Getting to see a local CSA up close and personal was great!  Farmer Brenton Johnson is fabulous!  Before the tour he told us about his background and how he came to be an organic vegetable farmer.  When he was about to graduate from college, he told us he began to think people had a tendency to constantly strive for increasing their standard of living WAY beyond what was necessary and sustainable (he was studying mechanical engineering at Purdue at the time.  For those of you who don't know, I was a mechanical engineer before I became a dietitian, so my ears really perked up when I heard that!).  I cannot do justice to exactly how he worded it, but the gist of what he said is that he thought if animals had to work for their food and shelter, we should too, rather than relying so much on devices that make our lives overly convenient.  I've never heard anyone speak about truly being a good steward of our natural resources in such a way. He said that when he spoke to his professors about it and they thought he was crazy!  Then they suggested he go talk to the Agricultural Engineering group, which he did and ultimately got his degree from that college. 

Fast forward several years to where he is at today: vegetable farmer.  JBG is an organic, sustainable vegetable farm.  I never realized how complicated farming is; he is definitely putting his degree to good use.  Brenton and his staff look at all aspects of their operation in order to keep it as sustainable as possible.  They analyze each chain of events to determine what will be the best overall course of action to minimize their inputs.  For example, he described for us how traditional farmers will use plastics and drip irrigation.  A lot of people think that is a great idea because it limits evaporative water loss that you would get from using elevated sprinklers.  However, the plastic has to be replaced after virtually every crop is harvested, which means a lot of plastic going into landfills.  He and his staff believe overall it is a better use of our natural resources to avoid using the plastic liners by using sprinklers.  True, the sprinklers do cause some evaporative water loss, but his are still 80% efficient and they avoid filling up landfills with plastics. 
                               
I could go on and on about the details of what it takes to run their farm, but I would need to write a book!  I think if more people realized exactly how much work goes into producing sustainable, organic foods, and the care that these farmers put into producing their crops, they may be more willing to pay a little extra.  At the end of the tour, we were treated to 6 different heirloom tomato plants and two other plants (I choose heirloom eggplant!).  I was also one of the lucky people to get a sample of carrots to take home fresh from the ground!

If you live in the ATX, I highly encourage you to attend the next tour of another local CSA that happens to be right in the City at Springdale Farm on April 10.  There will also be a tour of a dairy in nearby Schulenberg, TX on March 27.  If you do not live in Texas, please check out Slow Food USA for a local chapter for more information and farm tours in your area.

March is National Nutrition Month®

It's almost officially springtime, so of course there are lots of things going on.  If you were reading my blog around this time last year, you already know that March is National Nutrition Month®!  According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA) "National Nutrition Month® [NNM] is a nutrition education and information campaign sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association." The main purpose of this campaign is to bring attention to the importance of making healthy, informed food choices and developing good eating habits.  NNM is also used to bring awareness of and promote the ADA and its members to the public and the media as the most valuable and credible source of timely, scientifically based food and nutrition information. 

You may remember (again from my blog last year!) that March also highlights "Registered Dietitian Day."  This year, Wednesday March 10th has been designated Registered Dietitian Day.  Per the ADA: "Registered Dietitian Day commemorates the dedication of RDs as advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world."  To read more about credentialing and what RDs do, you can refer to my blog last spring.

As a registered dietitian and current member of the ADA, of course I want to help spread the word!  This year's theme is "Nutrition From the Ground Up," meaning focus on the basics.  Eat healthy by emphasizing fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of proteins, and healthy fats.  I know, that sounds like an old message, but it still holds true. 

Try to get a variety of colors from your fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting not only different vitamins and minerals, but also a lot of phytonutrients that have additional health benefits.  Try to get locally grown produce; it will taste better and retain more of its nutrients since it has not been sitting on a shelf for an extended period of time.  I am a HUGE fan of CSAs (community supported agriculture) and farmer's markets.  Not only is the produce more fresh, it tastes better too! 

Whole grains are really high in fiber, and are a good source of complex carbohydrates, which are an excellent fuel source.  Why do we always push fiber?  It helps keep you full longer (so helps with weight management), keeps you "regular" which can help lower colon cancer risk, helps stabilize blood sugar, and helps lower cholesterol.  Pretty good reasons! 

We all need protein to help build muscle, make hormones, etc., but "lean" sources are emphasized to minimize fat, particularly saturated fat.  This is important again for weight management, but also to lower the risk of increasing "bad" LDL cholesterol. 

And of course we still need "healthy fats" that have a variety of uses in the body, including lowering our risk of heart disease, providing some insulation and cushioning of our joints, keeping us full, etc.  

For more information, visit eatright.org.

February is National Grapefruit Month!

I can't let February slip by without calling attention to it being National Grapefruit Month, especially since Ruby Reds, also known as "Texas Reds," are in season right now in my home state! 

Grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit.  The grapefruit as we know it was developed sometime in the 1700s by cross breeding oranges with pomelos (which are also called "Chinese Grapefruit").  The varieties include white, pink, and red.  Grapefruits are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene, limonin, and fiber (particularly soluble fiber in the form of pectin).  Both lycopene and limonin are antioxidants that may help prevent certain types of cancer. 

Lots of people have tried "The Grapefruit Diet" in an effort to lose weight.  Historically people lost weight following this diet for the simple reason that they were eating very few calories.  However, there have been a couple of studies that show that grapefruit may help with weight loss, but the exact reason is unclear, and it is not rapid weight loss.  One study was conducted in 2006 at the Nutrition and Metabolic Center at Scripps Clinic in California.  They found that eating half a grapefruit or drinking a serving of grapefruit juice before each meal caused people to lose at least 3 pounds over a 12-week period.  Researchers at Louisiana State University conducted another study in 2009; they found that people eating half a grapefruit 3 times a day were able to lose 4 pounds (on average) in 12 weeks even though they had not altered the rest of their diet.       

So eating grapefruit can be healthy for you in more ways than one.  However, if you are taking certain medications, it is best to avoid grapefruit because it can significantly elevate the absorption rate of these medications in your body, which can cause negative side effects.  Examples of medications that may interact with grapefruit include those that lower blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as thyroid medications and some antihistamines. 

For more information and recipes visit Texas Sweet. 

Cherries: Tasty and Good for You!

You probably all have heard that February is American Heart Month.  There are several other monthly observances in February, including National Grapefruit Month, National Cherry Month, etc.  Since I’ve been neglecting my “food specific” blogs, I thought this would be a good time to get back into food by writing about cherries! 

Cherries not only taste good, but they have many health benefits as well.  For example, researchers have found that cherries are very high in a flavonoid called “quercetin” that has been shown to help prevent heart disease.  What are flavonoids?  They are plant pigments, also called phytochemicals, that have health benefits, including their “antioxidant” properties.  Antioxidants are substances that prevent or slow down damage caused by “free radicals” that are produced as a by-product when our bodies use oxygen. 

According to the California Cherry Advisory Board, cherries are also beneficial for cancer prevention, pain relief, and bone health.  A phenolic acid called “amygdalin” that is found in cherries (and other fruits) “has been shown to reduce tumor size and further spread of cancer, as well as to alleviate the pains of the cancerous process.” 

Anthocyanins are another flavonoid found in high amounts in cherries.  Anthocyanins block inflammatory enzymes, which reduces pain associated with arthritis, gout, as well as soreness and joint pain related to exercise.  In fact, the “Red Recovery Routine” was created by dietitian Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, LDN, CSSD to help athletes recover from exercise induced pain.

Cherries are grown in several regions in the US, but seventy percent come from four states (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah). The 2 main types of cherries are sweet and sour (or “tart”).  “Montgomery” is the best-known tart cherry.  It is grown primarily in the Midwest and Eastern states and is mainly canned or frozen for use as pie filling or sauce. 

There are several varieties of sweet cherries on the market.  “Bing” is the most well known.  It is large, round, extra sweet, has a deep red skin that is almost black when completely ripe and the flesh is purple-red.  Lamberts are also sweet cherries; they are smaller than Bing cherries and are more heart-shaped.  Rainer is the variety of sweet cherry that is milder, has a yellow or pinkish skin, and is grown in much smaller quantities, and Royal Ann has a blush yellow skin and is often canned or made into Maraschino cherries.

Cherries are generally in season from May to August, but can be found dried, frozen, or canned year round.  When buying fresh cherries, choose those with the stem on.  They should be bright, shiny, and free from blemishes.  Sweet cherries should be firm and tart cherries should be medium-firm.  Avoid cherries with cuts, bruises, stale/dry stems, or that are soft. 

Store unwashed cherries in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or in a single layer in a pan covered with plastic wrap.  Good cherries should last for up to a week.  Wash cherries just before eating, and allow to come to room temperature for better flavor. 

You can also freeze cherries by rinsing and draining thoroughly.  To avoid having the cherries take on an “almond” flavor, remove the pits prior to freezing.  You can either place them in a plastic bag or spread on a cookie sheet and freeze “individually” prior to placing them in a plastic bag for storage. 

Recovering After the Marathon

First, I want to wish good luck to all my peeps running the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon this coming Sunday!  What a way to celebrate Valentine’s Day!  You all will definitely deserve a celebration dinner afterward! Now, let’s talk about how to recover after running 26.2 miles.

Recovering properly means you need to take into account both nutrition and activity.  I remember when I ran my very first marathon; I ran way too many miles each week (and way too many “other” races!) and didn’t do enough cross training.  I also had some issues with my form (partially due to lack of core strength). As a result, I ended up with ITB Syndrome and had to walk a lot of the second half of the marathon because I was in so much pain and my right leg just would not bend.  I was so tired when I finished that I didn’t feel like eating initially and instead took a nap for about 6 hours! I knew that not eating enough within a couple of hours (max) was not good, but I had no idea how just laying around would make things so much worse.  I got up for a light snack, then went back to bed and didn’t get back up until the next day.  I had a lot of trouble walking the first couple of days; both of my legs were sore for at least a week!  Back then, I was not aware of the benefits of an ice water bath or a short walk later in the day.  

Now I know better!  The more marathons I have run, the less sore I am afterward.  At this point, within a few days I am back to running short mileage, and within 2 weeks, back up to 10+ miles for my weekend “long runs.”  Maintaining a high level of fitness year round and knowing all the little “tricks” to recovery have helped tremendously.  I have found that the single most important thing for my own personal recovery is how well I trained prior to the event.  Hopefully you have followed a training plan that included a good amount of base mileage as well as other exercises to keep your muscles in balance; that is the foundation for your recovery.  If you have not trained properly for your marathon, you will definitely feel more pain both during and after the event.

Some other “must do’s” to speed your recovery: 1. Eat the snacks provided at the finish line.  At the bare minimum drink some sports drink AND water, but ideally eat some solid carbs as well, such as fruit or bars.  Make sure you have a balanced meal that includes protein and some healthy fat a few hours later; 2.  Do an ice water bath for 20 minutes within a few hours of finishing.  You will be amazed at how well an ice bath will reduce inflammation and muscle soreness; and 3.  Go for an easy 10 – 20 minute walk later that evening to loosen up the leg muscles.

It is normal to start feeling muscle soreness after the event, which can last for a few days (and in some people up to 1 week) afterward.  The next day, it is not uncommon to feel a little “down,” especially if it is your first marathon and the soreness and fatigue start to settle in.  That’s o.k.; just try to take it easy.  If you want to go for a run, make sure you run on a nice flat surface, preferably something soft such as a track.  Make sure to take it easy and listen to your body!  Limit your self to just 10 – 15 minutes.  Try some light stretching.  Go to bed early as your body is still rebuilding and repairing tissue that was damaged the day before.  Also be sure to get a massage a couple of days after the race to help flush out any knots.

Even though it may seem like a lot of people run marathons, those of you who complete a marathon are still part of a relatively small percentage of the overall population.  After accomplishing such a big feat, most people experience an incredible high.  Sometimes it is hard to know what to do after meeting such a big goal.  The first week after, try not to make any specific plans.  Continue to eat well-balanced meals and do some light physical activity, but definitely do not push yourself.

If this is your first marathon, it may take you a full month to recover completely and feel like you are back to your pre-race level of fitness.  Don’t let this high level of fitness slip away!  If you don’t feel like you want to run a lot at first, try something else.  Consider cycling, swimming, or hiking.  Maybe try your hand at triathlon.  But please, do not stop exercising.  Your body is at a high level of fitness; keep building on it.  

Best wishes for a great race and a speedy recovery, and I will see you all at the race!

Countdown to the Austin Marathon

Well, it’s that time of year again!  The Austin Marathon is less than 2 weeks away!  At this point, you should be in taper mode, as there is nothing more you can do to get physically ready for this race.  You may remember last year I also wrote a blog post about what to do the week before the race.  If this is your first marathon, you may want to review that post for specifics on nutrition, hydration, preparing your race gear, etc.  In this post, I’d like to spend some time on the “mental preparation” that needs to happen for you to have a successful race. 

The marathon is not for wimps!  26.2 miles is a long way, and anything can happen.   Whether this is your first marathon or whether you have done several, no two race experiences are exactly the same.  If you tend to get nervous before events, or if you have had bad experiences in races in the past, it is important to be prepared mentally for whatever happens. 

Visualize your perfect race: how do you feel at the start?  Visualize yourself running the first few miles at an easy pace, getting your body warmed up.  You hit your water stops with ease, tolerate your nutrition with no stomach queasiness, and the miles just seem to click by.  Before you know it, you are at the halfway point and feeling great.  You feel so good that you start to pick up your pace a little bit.  Now you are at the 30K mark, having a great race.  You are remembering to drink your water, take your supplements, eat your snacks, and wave to the crowd.  Now you are entering the home stretch.  You only have 0.2 miles to go.  You wipe your face off, straighten up your shirt and bib, and smile for the cameras.  Now you have less than 0.1 miles to go; you pick up speed, starting to pass other runners as you cross the finish line, arms lifted in triumph!  The crowd goes wild!!!  You slow down, get your medal, and head into the finishers area to collect your goodies. 

Sounds great, doesn’t it?  But we all know that unexpected things can happen that can cause your race to be less than perfect.  Maybe it’s super windy that morning, or raining, or hot!  What will you do?  Having a mantra that you truly believe in, or some type of mental picture of someone (yourself or someone else) overcoming adversity is a powerful tool that you can use to get yourself through tough patches.  If you have run in my training group, you have already experienced all sorts of weather extremes, so you know you can handle it.  Draw on those positive past experiences and know that you can handle the weather. 

What if you start to cramp?  If it is a side stitch, push into the area where you are experiencing the tightness and breath slowly and deeply in and out. You may need to slow your pace down a little.  If you have had side stitches before, you know that they will pass.  Use your mantra or visual image.  

What if you start to experience pain in your knee/back/ankle, etc?  First, assess the pain level.  Is it so severe that you are starting to run with a limp?  Are you recovering from an injury?  If not, is this a “phantom” pain?  Often times if we have not had any injuries in training, as we start to feel fatigued during an event, our mind and body can start to play tricks on us.  Focus on keeping your form, remember to breathe, and continue to run for at least 2-3 more minutes (time yourself), then re-assess.  Again, use your mantra or your visual image.  Use the crowd for support! 

What if your stomach starts acting up?  If you tolerate some type of antacid (such as Tums, Rolaids, etc.), plan to carry some with you “just in case.”  Don’t be afraid to stop and use the port-o-potties because you’ll “lose too much time.” If you try to avoid stopping and run too long on an upset stomach, you will likely feel worse, slow down your pace significantly, and eventually end up having to stop at a port-o-potty anyway.  Once you start running after your “pit stop,” again re-assess how you feel and determine whether you can safely continue.  If you can safely continue, lean on your mantra.   

If you are recovering from injury, know your limitations and lower your expectations.  If you are already planning to finish “no matter what,” be prepared to have to walk. Take in the crowd, the bands, the volunteers and plan on just enjoying the fact that you are still physically able to walk in a marathon! 

Good luck to everyone!