Can Food Make Me Smarter?

Back in December I started eating less bread, rice, pasta and cereal. This was tricky because I already follow a plant-based (with occasional fish) diet. When you have already stripped out meat, cheese and eggs, what's left? However, I was motivated by a nagging reminder...I kept forgetting words.

I've been reading several books on brain health and there is a theory that the rise of dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and general brain deterioration may be the quantity of grains we eat. Grains raise our blood sugar and, consuming too much of them, can produce insulin resistance. Furthermore, some people experience inflammation (another brain combatant!) when they consume wheat-based (gluten-containing) products. While I am not in this camp, I thought I'd do an experiment on myself and eat more vegetables and fruit to replace the extra grains. What came was a surprise.

Kale and Carrot Salad

After a month of eating a daily salad, I actually started craving salad. Salads became my base for most dinners. Throw a piece of smoked mackerel or a can of sardines on a salad. Roast walnuts and sprinkle tofu on a salad. Crumble a veggie burger on a salad. What's more, while I used to think of salads as the thing that came before the main meal. Now, I feel full and satisfied with just a big salad. Beyond salad, I learned several tricks for making meals delicious without grains...

Matar Tofu on Cauliflower 'Rice'

Frozen "riced" cauliflower can be a substitute for rice under stir-fries and Indian dishes. Roasted vegetables make a fantastic, filling side-dish replacing white potatoes. Zucchini noodles (prepared correctly) are just like pasta. Pureed turnips and cauliflower make a mashed "potato" that is sweet and creamy. Lay a piece of pecan-encrusted perch on your mashed turnips for a mouth-watering dinner. Yum.

Nearly 3 months into my experiment, I've lost weight, discovered boundless energy and I've run two Spartan races. I spend a lot of time in the produce section of the grocery store and race through the rest. Am I thinking more clearly? Not yet. But, case studies show dietary changes can take 4-6 months to have an effect on the brain. 

Every dietary improvement can impact your life. Want to work on your nutrition plan? Email me at mark@betterlivingfitness.com to get started. www.betterlivingfitness.com

Thai Curry Soup with Zucchini Noodles

Who is ready for swimsuit season?

The answer to that question is the 6 fearless participants in this round of 10 Week's to 10lbs Lighter.  Collectively down 56lbs since the start of the challenge 9 weeks ago.  They have been increasing their step counts with our program pedometers and getting creative with their eating. Last week's challenge was to come up with a creative way to eat more vegetables.  We've got a recipe for Vegetable Biryani and a Brussels sprout/Cranberry Slaw which you can access below.

Print off the recipes and try them yourself.

Ever Heard of Ethylene Gas?

A good teacher once told me to give the "take aways" upfront. I've got two for you today:

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Learn some simple chemistry to save yourself some money.

Most fruit and vegetables give off a gas called ethylene. It's what softens peaches or turns tomatoes red when you store them in paper bags. The gas brings about the natural degradation process in fruits and vegetables. The trick is getting the raspberries to your mouth before they soften and mold, a process that can happen on the drive home from the grocery store. Here are two strategies for maximizing your produce enjoyment.

Know your culprits
Peaches, apples, bananas and watermelon all give off a fair amount of ethylene sending everything else in your crisper drawer into a downward tailspin. Separate these fruits from other produce.

Use an ExtraLife Produce Saver
Those who read this blog know I don't often endorse products, but I think this one is nifty. These little green disks transform the ethylene gas in your crisper drawer into water vapor. This means you can actually have a chance to eat the spinach you bought this weekend and didn't have time to cook. One of my clients gave me a disk last week. I put it in a drawer with some apples, pears and green peppers. All produces seems to be in a state of suspended time. So far so good.  Each disk says it lasts 3 months. If it can save me one carton of blackberries it will have paid for itself.

I've included a link below where you can buy 3 disks for $11.

Mark Thiesmeyer, MS, MPH, RD
734-747-0123

http://www.amazon.com/ExtraLife-Produce-Preserver-Disks-Set/dp/B000MQ8SS8

Join the Community AND Improve Your Health

Do you know the acronym "CSA"? If you said, "Community Supported Agriculture" give yourself a pat on the back!

We have entered an era of very cheap produce, but it comes at a cost. Many industrial crops are doused with pesticides and herbicides to insure their growth. Such chemicals can remain on and even in the finished product. While the government does diligence in making sure these chemicals are not harmful in acute dosages, no one knows the health effect of them in low-dose over many decades.

Part of the benefit of a CSA is that you purchase a share of a local farm's bounty. You know where your produce (and even eggs) is/are produced. You can choose organic if you want to avoid pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Furthermore, by buying from the farm down the street, you are not only supporting the local economy; you are also eating the produce that fights off the same pathogens and environmental challenges you do. Some experts believe this is a great way to fortify your body.

There are ample CSA's in Ann Arbor. You can find a list at http://www.ecovian.com/s/ann-arbor-mi/csa, but I would like to highlight one in particular. Green Things Farm is run by Nate Lada and Jill Sweetman, two recent graduates of the U-M. Nate and Jill are first-time farmers working with the Tilian Farm Development Center. The program is using Ann Arbor's Green Belt to help new farmers get started and break the cycle of small farms losing out to industrial farming. If you would like to buy into Nate and Jill's farm, visit them at http://greenthingsfarm.com/.

A CSA is a fantastic way to increase your vegetable consumption this summer. Share it with a friend or neighbor during the weeks that you are vacationing or overwhelmed by the bumper crop! In the end, a CSA is a great motivator to try some new vegetables, meet your local farmers and improve your health.

For my out-of-town readers, just google "CSA" and you'll get the one's local to you. Happy eating!

November Fruits and Vegetables

I often tell people to eat more fruits and vegetables and to buy what is in season. That led me to wonder, what fruits and vegetables are in season in November? I did some research and here is the list:

Fruit

Apples

Bananas

Figs

Grapefruit

Quince

Tangerines

Vegetables

Artichokes

Bok choy

Winter squash

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Cauliflower

Kale

Parsnips

Turnips

Fruit is easy to consume, though please comment on the blog if you know what to do with a quince. Winter vegetables, on the other hand, sometimes intimidate people. Don’t overlook them though. Turnips and parsnips are chalked full of natural vitamin C and folate and they are low-fat and high in fiber. The recipe below has been a hit at my last two Thanksgivings where people told me they loved the vegetables even though they had no idea what they were eating. (That's what you get when you dine at the house of a dietitian!)

Better Living’s Roasted Root Vegetables

Peel and chop:

2 sweet potatoes

1 red onion

2 turnips

3 parsnips

1 cup baby carrots

Toss with 3-6 tablespoons canola or olive oil and spread in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh rosemary and thyme (use dried in a pinch). Bake at 400 degrees for 40-50 minutes until soft inside and crusty on the outside, stirring occasionally.

Sources:

http://localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/MidwestSeasons.htm

http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/The-Myrtle-Reed-Cookbook/Fruits-In-Season.html

Keep your lean muscles of youth with the right diet!

Preliminary research suggests eating vegetables and fruits may be our best dietary fountain of youth. As we age, we experience a gradual muscle wasting called sarcopenia. If you look at body fat percentages for a 20 yr old versus a 65 year old, you see vastly more muscle in the younger and more body fat in the older person.

A 2008 Tufts University study suggests this muscle wasting could be a result of our high-protein, wheat, corn and rice diets. These foods create an acidic residual in our bodies. To maintain a neutral pH, our bodies may sacrifice muscle. To prevent this, we should eat more potassium-rich foods. Try these potassium powerhouses to keep your muscle tone. Contrary to common sense, acidic foods such as tomatoes still create a non-acidic/alkaline residual:

Tomoto sauce
Beet greens
Dates
Grapefruit
Lima beans
Plantains
Spinach
Plums
Peas
Prunes
All fruits and vegetables are a good bet!


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Dawson-Hughs, B, Harris, S, & Ceglia, L, Alkaline Diets favor lean tissue mass in older adults, Am J Clin Nutr, 2008;87:662-5