BeanDiet

Okay, can I just ask for one favor this New Year? This is all I ask - please tell everyone you know: stop using terminology like "protein foods" or "this is a fat" when discussing food.

Why? Well, it's never true, that's why. There's no such thing as a "fat" in the natural food kingdom, nor is there a "protein" or "carb". And when we misname foods this way, we confuse ourselves, cause ourselves undue worry, and make a mess out of nutrition.

I remember being taught in undergrad nutrition class that an avocado is a "fat". But then learning later (in an advanced class) that avocadoes are also quite high in fiber - which is a carbohydrate - nor too short on protein. So why do we call it a fat? Well, few nutritionists do these days, but most other people still do. It's like it has become legend.

And what about those "protein foods" we hear about so often? Hello, ALL foods in their natural, unprocessed state contain protein. Yes, beans and nuts and seeds all are particularly high in protein, but by calling them "a protein" it sounds like they don't also contain lots of good carbs (fiber) or good fats.

What really gets me is when I hear NUTRITIONISTS simplifying foods like this. Like when they tell diabetics to stay away from "carbs" -- like there are foods that exist which are purely comprised of carbohydrates. Fruit is a big one. Fruit does have lots of carbs (again, lots of fiber), but it actually contains protein too.

I don't know. Here in the 21st century I'd like to feel we've come a long way from shallow stereotypes, but can we apply these principles to food?

You might notice that most products at your local supermarket have very long lists, that very few breads have whole wheat as their first ingredient or were made locally. This is not uncommon. So what do you do? Well, considering that your health is your greatest investment, do whatever it takes.

It might be as simple as request your supermarket carry truly whole wheat bread. Or, you might want to purchase your bread directly from a local bakery or bread store (where bread will be fresh and they will be more likely to grant your immediate requests for whole grain products.) You may also want to find another grocery store. It may have to be a health food store, where you’ll likely spend more money. But this is your life we’re talking about: a thinner, disease-free body that doesn’t someday land in a rest home, on dialysis or chemotherapy is priceless. Spend the money now and save later. Besides, the other two things we need to live – sleep and water – are pretty much free. And if you’re a “typical American” I bet you could cut back a little on your entertainment or wardrobe budget.

Personally, because I value health so much (being a nutritionist really helps, as does visiting rest homes periodically), I have decided to make healthy food a financial priority. I have chosen to spend less money on clothes and entertainment. I shop at thrift stores for clothes – and get some amazing deals, by the way – and our family spends very little money on movies, amusement parks or cable television.

Also, be aware that Americans pay less money per capita for food than any other country in the world. Not only that, but less money is spent on food in this country than at any time in the history of the world. We are simply accustomed to cheap food. Yet food isn’t cheap, nor is it supposed to be. The reason we are used to low prices for food is because livestock and agriculture industries are heavily subsidized by the government. This is why food in Europe and other western countries costs significantly more – it is less (or not at all) subsidized. So low prices are not reflecting reality. Do not be deceived: be willing to invest in your health.

Since it's almost Christmas, why don't you make health a present you give yourself?

In case you haven’t noticed, with all the positive attention fiber is getting lately, food manufacturers are starting to add refined fiber to many foods. This can make tortillas, bread and cereals look really good on the label, but nutritionally speaking, fiber should not be added, but be found naturally occurring in foods. While enriched fiber bears many names (oat bran fiber is the most common), the best bet is to buy foods with a short list of ingredients. The fewer ingredients, the more fresh and whole that food is likely to be. The more ingredients, the more preservatives, artificial flavoring agents and fewer nutrients that food will naturally contain.

If you're wondering why some product ingredient lists read like encyclopedias, it's because the older the primary ingredients are, the more preservatives are added. But because preservatives are often bitter to taste, artificial flavors are added to cover up the bitterness. And if this particular "food" (I use that term liberally) is targeting children, teens, or even the average American joe, you can bet artificial colors will be thrown in as well.

Also, the first ingredient on the label should never be “enriched flour”. That means the bread product you’re buying is primarily made of white, nutrient-depleted flour. It is legal for food manufacturers to advertise their products as “whole wheat” with only 25% of the flour actually being whole wheat. So look at that label – the first ingredient will tell you the real story. Also, make sure your bread has at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.

One more little tip on bread and bread products: buy fresh. Fresh means the bread was made locally and therefore recently. Once grains have been ground into flour the nutrients are more easily oxidized, and therefore lost. So the fresher the bread (or tortillas, English muffins, bagels, etc.), the more nutrients it will retain... and less preservatives and artificial flavors will be present.

An interesting article appeared in the current (December 10th, 2007) issue of Newsweek, called "Fats, Carbs and the Science of Conception". This article is a summary of some revolutionary new dietary findings recently published in The Fertility Diet. I highly recommend reading the article, if not the whole book.

Never before has there been this much evidence between healthy eating and fertility.

Here's the lowdown:

The research, derived from data from the Nurse's Health Study by Harvard researchers, followed 18,000 women for over 8 years. They specifically looked at those women trying to conceive during this period, then separated those who became pregnant from those who were unable to conceive (particularly, those who were diagnosed with "ovulatory infertility"). They compared the diets of these two groups, looking for signficant differences, while controlling for age, smoking, body weight, exercise and other possible confounding factors.

They found 4 extremely significant factors between the two groups:

1) Those who ate diets highest in fiber were much more likely to be fertile.

2) Those who ate diets highest in trans-fat, or partially-hydrogenated oils, were less likely to be fertile.

3) Those whose diets were higher in plant-based protein verses animal protein were much more fertile. In fact, they were 39% more likely to conceive. Here are some interesting quotes from the article:

"When total calories were kept constant, adding one serving a day of red meat, chicken or turkey predicted nearly a one-third increase in the risk of ovulatory infertility."

"Adding plant protein instead of animal protein was even more effective. Replacing 25 grams of animal protein with 25 grams of plant protein was related to a 50 percent lower risk of ovulatory infertility."

4) Those who consumed high-fat dairy products were more likely to conceive than women who consumed low-fat dairy products.

Ok. This last finding was definately the most surprising, if not altogether alarming. I mean, nutritionists have been recommending low-fat dairy for billions of years. How could all that extra saturated fat possibly be beneficial? Anyone?

Well, here's where it gets interesting. One more quote: "Proteins added to make skim and low-fat milk look and taste "creamier" push (fertility) even farther away."

Bovine proteins, such as casein, are added to skim and low-fat dairy products, and these proteins are known for interfering with fertility. Hummmm.

So there you go.

My only issue with this study is it didn't compare women who consumed no dairy vs. those who consumed high and low-fat diary products. I would imagine these women would be the most fertile.

Finally, I'll leave you with a personal anecdote. I was 32 when I got pregnant with my daughter. I was a strict vegetarian: ate tons of fiber, plant-based protein, and little - if any - trans-fat. I also consumed almost no dairy at all, except for the occasional cheese. It took my husband and I all of 3 months to conceive. Please hear me - I'm not bragging. I have a handful of other similar stories of women in their 30's and 40's getting pregnant easily. This study is empirical evidence of what some of us have known for years.

Since I recently blogged on the myth of protein, I felt compelled to attack another C.A.M. (Common American Myth). And of course that's the belief we need SO much calcium in our diet, and that if we don't consume enough, we're just setting ourselves up for brittle bones.

Can I just say that next to the protein myth, this is the most outrageous nutrition legend of western civilization?

I've covered this topic in past posts, but again, if it's worth saying, it's worth saying twice.

Let's just think a moment. The recommended levels of most vitamins and minerals are in milligrams or - yet smaller - micrograms. The daily allowance for calcium is in neither; it's in grams (1500 mg = 1.5 grams)! That is, it's recommended we consume hundreds or literally thousands of times the amount of this particular mineral vs. other minerals. Does that seem a little strange to you?

Also, one recent large study of post-menopausal women showed that those taking calcium supplements had no difference in bone loss than those who did not take supplements - but they were more likely to develop kidney stones. (Calcium deposits are a leading cause of kidney stones).

Or just look around the world. Most people are lactose intolerant, and dairy is very little, if any part of their diet. Yet not only do their children grow strong bones, even after weaning, but elderly people in such countries are LESS likely to develop osteoporosis than milk/calcium consuming seniors in the U.S.

Things just aren't making sense at all if you believe high levels of calcium in your diet will prevent bone loss, or build strong bones.

Things do start making sense when you realize that bone loss is due to other dietary factors that cause our body to lose calcium. And that's exactly the problem. It's not an issue of calcium consumption - it's all about retaining the calcium already in our body.

So here are the biggest calcium losers, in order:

1. Excess animal protein
Yep, it really is the number one cause of osteoporosis (and kidney stones). All
sulfuric acid and uric acid created from animal protein - verses plant-based
protein - leaches out calcium from our bones to buffer the blood pH. This is not
an area of controversy in scientific circles, by the way. It's actually the
reason it's recommended Americans consume so much calcium: to compensate for all
the calcium lost from a typical American very-high-protein diet.

2. Phosphoric acid, from cola
Dark sodas especially contain this acid. One study showed 9th and 10th grade
girls who drank soda regularly were 3x more likely to experience bone fractures
than girls their age who rarely drank soda. Scary.

3. Excess sodium, mainly from processed foods
Sodium competes with calcium in the body. Most Americans consume enough sodium
to cause calcium levels to become depleted.

4. Alcohol

5. Coffee
These last two are diuretics, meaning they cause us to pee out more water - and
electrolytes like calcium - than we take in. Of course they are mainly a problem
when in excess. Defination of excess: more than 2 servings/day.


So how much calcium do we need? Not very much. Some experts believe if we cut down on the calcium losers we need very little calcium, maybe 300 mg.s/day. Also, note that calcium is only absorbable when other nutrients are in our G.I. tract, nutrients like vitamins C, D & K, manganese, boron, fiber, silicon, magnesium, and copper, just to name a few. With the exception of vitamin D, which comes from sunlight, the rest of these nutrients are found primarily in plant foods: whole grains, legumes, nuts/seeds, fruit and veg.s. So even the little bit of calcium you find in such foods will be absorbed and retained, which is what's really important.

Since I preach so much on the importance of buying produce when it's in season (for the maximum nutrient content), I thought I'd share with y'all what fruit and veggies are in season throughout the year. I know that in most supermarkets it appears that ALL produce is in season ALL the time, but what you're really seeing is some pretty old (thus, the wax coating) and imported produce.

Since it's currently December, I'll try to start now and work forward...

Winter:

Oranges and all varieties of citrus (tangelos, tangerines, lemons, grapefruit, etc.)
Kiwi
Broccoli
Carrots
Greens
Lettuce
Cauliflower
Potatoes
Winter Squash
Sweet Potatoes and Yams


Spring:

Strawberries
Cherries
Apricots
Green Beans
Asparagus
(many of the winter veg.s, such as potatoes, cauliflower, greens, lettuce and carrots are still in season to some degree)


Summer:

Blackberries
Raspberries
Boysenberries
Peaches
Plums
Nectarines
Watermelon
Tomatoes
Basil
Summer Squash
Cucumber
Zucchini


Fall:

Apples
Persimmons
Pomagranates
Melons
Pears
Beets
Eggplant
Butternut Squash


Now, some of you wonder, what about bananas? Well, bananas are either always in season, or never in season depending on how you look at it. Since most bananas are grown in more tropical climates, they're imported, and since they travel long distances, they are never picked ripe - meaning we don't receive all the nutrients we find in locally grown, seasonal produce. Thus, bananas don't deliver a whole lot of nutrients any time of year. However, they do contain a decent amount of minerals - I know you've heard they're high in potassium - and about 3 grams of fiber. But personally, I don't purchase a whole lot of 'em.