We have talked a lot about the complex nature and disease-fighting properties of food. This week we get back to the basics in food chemistry. Food is largely made up of four chemical structures: carbohydrates, fats, proteins and alcohol. These four macronutrients form the structure of all food. They account for all the calories and, therefore, the energy food provides. It is a common misconception that we get energy from vitamins and minerals. We do not.
1 gram (measure of weight) of each of the macronutrients provides the following calories:
Carbohydrate 4
Protein 4
Fat 9
Alcohol 7
You can multiply the grams shown on a food label for each of the nutrients to calculate the total calories. The newest food label already does this for fat calories.
Many diet plans restrict alcohol and fat since, by weight, they are so much more caloric than protein and carbohydrates.
**************************************************** On a personal note, I sold my house and am buying another. My new place needs quite a bit of work. I’ll, therefore, be taking the summer off from blogging while I rewire, fix plumbing and paint. If you have nutrition questions in the interim, please feel free to contact me at by email at mark@betterliving.biz. Have a great summer and happy eating!
Several new studies suggest exercise is key in keeping the brain working. One study found that people who exercise regularly and have a stroke later in life have fewer and less severe consequences. Exercise develops cellular stress proteins which confer protection during a stroke.
One of the consequences of Alzheimer’s Disease is brain shrinkage. Yet, a study published in Neurology, showed patients with early forms of the disease who performed well on a treadmill test were far less likely to have brain shrinkage. Exercise is known to increase brain size and strength.
Another study showed a parallel decline in cognitive function with a decline in HDL (good cholesterol). HDL can be raised with regular exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and soluble dietary fiber intake.
To keep your brain healthy start an exercise calendar this week. Use a simple wall calendar to log your exercise. Document your low-intensity (walking, house cleaning), moderate-intensity (fast walking, jogging, weight lifting) & high-intensity exercise (running, fast aerobics). This will give you a great snapshot of your total exercise plan. Many of my clients are motivated to write something on each of the blank squares of the calendar.
As always, leave a comment on the blog if you have questions about your fitness plan.
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David A. Brown and Russell L. MoorePerspectives in innate and acquired cardioprotection: cardioprotection acquired through exercise J Appl Physiol 103: 1894-1899, 2007
J. M. Burns, B. B. Cronk, H. S. Anderson, J. E. Donnelly, G. P. Thomas, A. Harsha, W. M. Brooks, and R. H. Swerdlow Cardiorespiratory fitness and brain atrophy in early Alzheimer diseaseNeurology 2008 71: 210-216.
Tolle, Markus, et. al., HDL-Associated Lysosphingolipids Inhibit NAD(P)H Oxidase-Dependent Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Production.Arteriosclerosis,Thrombosis and Vascular Biology Aug 1, 2008
Acne is an embarrassing skin condition that affects adolescents and sometimes older individuals. For several decades we have relied on fairly weak research stating that diet does NOT affect acne prevalence. Interestingly, most people believe the opposite - that diet actually DOES affect acne risk.
Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests people were right. The study looked at two groups eating a diet of 30% fat, 45% carbohydrates and 25% protein. One group ate carbohydrates with a low glycemic load (beans, whole grains, vegetables). The other group ate carbohydrates with a higher glycemic load (rice, semolina pasta, white bread).
The low glycemic load group had significantly fewer acne lesions after the 12-week trial.
The study suggests that a healthy diet based on fruit, vegetables, legumes and whole-grains is beneficial for our skin as well as our cardiovascular systems. Make these changes to your diet this week to get started:
Start eating a whole-grain cereal for breakfast.
Make a lunch out of a tortilla-less bean burrito (Qdoba, Chipotle, or your favorite Mexican restaurant) or a bowl of lentil soup.
Stir-fry a couple bags of frozen vegetables with diced chicken breast or tofu and serve it with 1 cup brown rice.
Smith RN. et al. A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 86(1):107-15, Jul 2007
Smith RN. et al. The effect of a low glycemic index on acne vulgaris and fatty acid composition of skin surface triglycerides. J Dermatol Sci. 50(1):41-52 Apr 2008
Even after 10 years of nutritional counseling, I continue to be amazed at the power of writing a food log or diary. Everyone who keeps a food log discovers something.
I didn’t realize I eat so much…
I feel so much better when I eat…
I got headaches when I ate…
I barely had any vegetables…
A new study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed people lost twice as much weight when they kept food logs. Moreover, the logs need not be fancy. They can be jotted on scraps of paper. Some participants sent themselves emails or text messages with what they ate. Another study showed great results from simply taking a picture of every meal with a cell phone camera. The importance is the self-reflection and monitoring.
Try keeping a food log for 1 week. You can find a sample log form on the “resources” page of www.betterliving.biz.
If so, you should have your physician do a simple blood pressure test called the ankle brachial index to see if you have peripheral artery disease(PAD). Studies show that only half of people with PAD realize they have it. Like the more serious coronary artery disease, PAD is an accumulation of plaque in the arteries. However in PAD, the blockages occur in the legs and arms. People with PAD have a 20% chance of dying in the next 10 years.
The good news is that an exercise and dietary program may be able to reduce or eliminate the leg pain symptoms. One study showed exercise is actually a more successful treatment than angioplasty and as beneficial as medication or bypass surgery in treatment of PAD. Furthermore, another researcher demonstrated a reversal of arteriosclerosis with a very low-fat diet.
You are at greatest risk of having PAD if you smoke, have high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol or you are over 65 years old. If you have two or more of these risk factors, speak with your health care provider. Contact Better Living if you would like to start a program to treat your PAD.
