July Newsletter  Whole Health Nutrition News
 
In this issue: 
· Karen’s summer class schedule
· Now accepting Premera Blue Cross insurance 
· Mediterranean Diet promotes longevity
· Kraft Foods Targets Obesity in Kids
· Produce Pick of the Month
· Recipe of the Month
 
Healthy Cooking Classes for Summer:
 
Sweet Treats. Learn how to make delicious, healthy desserts using natural sweeteners like sucanat and brown rice syrup, and wheat flour alternatives such as spelt. 
Tuesday, July 15th, 7:00-9:00PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Registration: 425-771-0230. Cost: $18.00
 
Vegetarian Cuisine. Learn ways to add whole grains, beans, and other delicious meatless entrees into your diet.
Tuesday, July 22nd, 7:00-9:00PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Registration: 425-771-0230. Cost: $18.00
 
Dining with Diabetes. Learn how to balance blood sugar, lower heart disease risk, have more energy and lose weight –without sacrificing good taste or spending a lot of time in the kitchen. 
Thursday, July 24th, 6:00-8:00PM, Quadrant Park, 728 134th St. SW, South Everett. Registration: 425-640-1840. Cost: $25.00
 
Kid Friendly Quick Meals and Snacks. I will demonstrate several easy, kid-approved recipes such as Inside-Out Pizza and Chocolate-Strawberry-Banana shakes that are nutritious and delicious!
Monday, Aug. 4th, 6:00-8:00PM, Quadrant Park, 728 134th St. SW, South Everett. Registration: 425-640-1840. Cost: $25.00
 
Healthy Eating-On the Run. Learn how to make healthy, delicious meals in under 15 minutes. Lots of new recipes! So even if you’ve taken this class before, you’ll get lots of new ideas!
Saturday, August 9th, Noon-2PM, UW Campus
Registration: 206-68-LEARN. Instructor fee: $14-$18.00
 
15 Minute Meals. Learn how to make healthy, delicious meals in under 15 minutes.
Tuesday, August 12th, 7:00-9:00PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Registration: 425-771-0230. Cost: $18.00
 
Main Dish Salads. These salads are meals unto themselves, are easy to assemble and perfect for a warm summer evening.
Thursday, August 14th, 7:15-9:15PM, Richmond Highlands Rec Center, Shoreline
Registration: 206-418-3383. Cost: $18.00
 
Munchie Madness. I will demonstrate several easy, kid-approved recipes such as Inside-Out Pizza and Chocolate-Strawberry-Banana shakes that are nutritious and delicious!
Tuesday, August 26th, 7:00-9:00PM, Frances Anderson Center, Edmonds
Registration: 425-771-0230. Cost: $18.00
 
Premera Blue Cross Insurance Coverage Added
In addition to Regence Insurance, I am now accepting Premera Blue Cross Insurance. 
 
Close Adherence to a Traditional Mediterranean Diet Promotes Longevity 



People who eat a Mediterranean-style diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and fish have at least a 25 percent reduced risk of dying from heart disease and cancer, researchers reported in a study being published today. The results appear in the June 26, 2003 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. 
 
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece, assessed the dietary habits of study participants from all regions of Greece and found that those who strongly adhered to a Mediterranean diet had improved longevity compared to study participants who did not follow that diet as closely. The traditional Mediterranean diet features an abundance of vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and cereals and regular use of olive oil (monounsaturated fats), moderate amounts of fish and dairy products (mostly yogurt or cheese), small amounts of red meat (low intake of saturated fats) and moderate consumption of alcohol, usually in the form of wine and consumed at meals. 
 
The study involved 22,043 adults, ages 20 to 86, who live in Greece; people with diabetes and known heart disease were excluded.
 
For decades, scientists have had inklings that a diet that derives about 40 percent of its calories from healthy fat and about half from complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables, combined with daily exercise, could promote health and reduce premature death. But this is
the first large trial of healthy men and women to demonstrate a significant reduction in death rates for heart disease, cancer and all other causes of mortality for those who follow a Mediterranean diet and are physically active.
"In the past, when we talked about the Mediterranean diet, we usually talked about cardiovascular benefits," Frank Hu, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said yesterday. "This is
talking about primary prevention. The better the Mediterranean diet, the lower the cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality. . . . That is very intriguing." The results suggest a middle course between the often confusing diet extremes, from the very low-carbohydrate, high-fat Atkins approach to the higher carbohydrate, low-fat U.S. dietary guidelines.
 
The findings also point to "diet as being very important in more ways than we had anticipated," said Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, who advocates boosting "healthy fat" in the American diet as well as adding more grains, fruit, vegetables and fish. (So-called healthy fats are found in such foods as olive oil, avocados, nuts and fish.)
The U.S government's recommendation of consuming only 30 percent of total calories in the form of fat may "not be optimal for many people," Willett said. But the study also "emphasizes that, for overall good health, eating porterhouse steak, butter and lard is not the way to go." What the results underscore is the importance of the overall Mediterranean diet approach, rather than any one food type. "That's interesting," Willett said, "because any one piece of the Mediterranean diet on its own was not so impressive. It's the whole package -- the fruit and vegetables, the nuts . . all those things that seem to contribute."
Upon entering the study, participants were interviewed in depth about their daily diets and exercise habits. The researchers assigned points for each component of diet and lifestyle. For example, eating vegetables, legumes and beans, fruit, nuts, whole grains (in cereal, bread and pasta) and fish raised the scores. So did consuming more monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, rather than saturated fats, such as butter or cream.
 
Adapted from the Washington Post, June 25, 2003
 
Kraft Foods Targets Obesity in Kids
 
Kraft Foods, the nation's largest food company, announced a sweeping, global overhaul of the way it creates, packages and promotes its foods. Kraft plans to reduce the portion size, fat and calories of many of its foods, and provide more nutrition information, a move that other major food companies worldwide are expected to mimic.
 
Some question Kraft’s motives but applaud the potential result. 
 
Dr. Henry Anhalt, director of pediatric endocrinology at New York's Infants and Children's Hospital of Brooklyn, said he thinks Kraft is trying to avoid lawsuits such as those that have hit the tobacco industry. 
 
"Although I may question what their motivation is, anything that can perhaps decrease portion sizes and caloric intake in kids can have dramatic effects on obesity," he said. 
 
The company said it hopes to develop its standards by the end of the year and implement them over two to three years. 
 
Food companies and fast food chains have faced increased criticism for producing unhealthy, fatty foods. Obesity among adults in the United States has doubled since 1980, and tripled among adolescents, according to the U.S. surgeon general
 
Marketing fatty and sugar-laden foods to children has been a hot-button issue as obesity concerns have come to the forefront. In response to these criticisms, a number of changes through-out the food industry are being implemented:
 
McDonald's this summer will test a Happy Meal with an option to replace the wildly popular -- but trans-fat -filled -- french fries with a bag of fresh, sliced fruit. They are also phasing out purchase of meat products laced with growth-promoting antibiotics (a standard practice on non-organic farms).
 
Frito-Lay is within weeks of eliminating all artery-clogging trans fatty acids from its chips and snacks. And the CEO of its parent company, PepsiCo, has vowed that at least half of its new foods and beverages will be aimed at nutrition-conscious consumers.
 
Kellogg recently bought Kashi, whose cereals have no highly refined sugars or preservatives.
 
Last week, New York City's school system decided to remove candy, soda and sweet snacks from school vending machines. In addition, sugar, fat, and salt will be trimmed from the city’s 800,000 daily lunches.
 
Adapted from USA Today, July 1, 2003, and Organic Bytes, Issue #16, June 27, 2003
 
Produce Pick of the Month
 
Imagine eating a crisp, juicy slice of watermelon on a hot summer's day and receiving great health benefits at the same time! Well, you do. 
 
An all-American favorite, watermelon is highly nutritious and packed full of the phytochemical lycopene. It's one of the few foods that contain it in large amounts. Other good sources include tomatoes, red and pink grapefruit, and guava.
 
Lycopene is a red pigment that occurs naturally in certain plant tissues. In addition to giving watermelon and tomatoes their color, it is also thought to act as a powerful antioxidant. Lycopene scavenges free radicals, which react with cell components, causing oxidative damage and loss of proper cell function.
 
Many studies have concluded that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the incidence of heart disease and cancer in humans. Scientists have found that lycopene in the diet correlates with reduced incidence of certain types of cancers such as prostate, breast and cervical cancers. And lycopene levels in fat tissue—an indicator of lycopene consumption—have been linked with reduced risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack). 
 
 Studies have shown that a cup and a half of watermelon contains about 9 to 13 milligrams of lycopene. On average, watermelon has about 40 percent more lycopene than raw tomatoes.
 
Watermelon is also a source of vitamins A, B6, C, and thiamin. Red, ripe flesh is the best indicator of the sweetest and most nutritious watermelon, though it's hard to choose the ripest melon when it's uncut. However, the following tips might help:
 
Look the watermelon over, choose a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free of bruises, cuts and dents.
 
Lift it up - the watermelon should be heavy for its size. Watermelon is 92% water that accounts for most of its weight.
 
Turn it over - on the underside of the watermelon there should be a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.
 
Recipe of the Month
 
Watermelon Smoothie
 
1 8 oz container lemon yogurt
3 cups cubed, seeded watermelon
1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1 tablespoon honey or strawberry jam
3 ice cubes
In a blender or food processor, combine yogurt, watermelon, strawberries, honey and ice cubes. Process until smooth and frothy. Serve in tall glasses with a straw. Makes 4 servings.