Diets/Food

The number of different types of diets being sold today is staggering.  Listening to the by lines, one hears no fat, low fat, raw, and many more.  This tends to create an abundance of confusion.  On top of this I meet people who hop from diet to diet.

         Let’s simplify this whole subject and bring it back to basics.

America has unique food products that are designed to keep you eating.  Have you ever been able to just eat five potato chips?  I doubt it.  The same applies to cookies, cakes, and similar items.  Try to ignore all advertising when it is about food. 

         There are many books on this subject.  I want to keep this really simple. 

  • All fast foods are questionable when it comes to their nutritional value.  It should also be looked at from freshness and how many people are touching the food to prepare it.  Anything that is prepared and frozen and then cooked again has very little nutritional value.  For people with impaired immune systems, undergoing cancer treatments or any medical treatments for that matter should not eat fast foods at all.  This includes salads because I question how well they were washed and by whom.
  • Learn to cook.  I use several cookbooks but Fannie Farmer is one of the best.  If your schedule is busy purchase a slow cooker, aka, crock-pot and your dinner can cook while you are at work.  Most crock-pots come with a cookbook.  Make sure that what ever you buy allows you to take out the inner cook surface for cleaning.  Nothing replaces good, fresh, food, as far as nutritional value. 
  • NEVER purchase meat that has been raised with hormones.  This one statement is full of controversy but needs to be stated anyway.  We purchase meat from a local farmer and then pick it up from the butcher.  I asked him about hormones and here is what he said “I never believed there was any problem with hormones until I butchered a friends cow that was raised with these chemicals.  When I started to cut the meat the color of the actual meat was white.  The fat of an animal raised eating grass is a yellow color because of the chlorophyll in grass is high in vitamin A & D.  These vitamins give the fat a yellow color.  The fat of the cow I butchered was pure white.  Then I started thinking about this and looked at the children in the local schools.  The girls were all developing early and were very busty.  When I grew up a busty girl was rare. Now it is the opposite and I think it is connected to the chemicals put into animal foods.  From that point on, I have fed my family with meat I raise myself.”  Almost all grocery stores now have poultry and beef that are raised without hormones and antibiotics.  These cost more but you can still save money by eating smaller portions. For more information on this subject go to: 

http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/Factsheet/Diet/fs37.hormones.cfm

http://www.apfn.org/thewinds/1997/03/plagues.html   

  • When purchasing fish ask if it is fresh caught.  Some of the fish at the market is frozen and then defrosted.  Do not purchase farm-raised fish.  The best fish to purchase are Anchovies, Artic Char, Atlantic Mackerel, Mussels, Oysters, Sablefish from Alaska & Canada, wild Alaskan Salmon, Pacific Sardines, and Rainbow Trout. Do not consume Tuna more than once a week.  Here is a link to an extensive article on this subject. http://www.deliciousorganics.com/controversies/wildvsfarmfish.htm
  • Stay away from sugar as much as possible use xylitol instead.  There is a xylitol page on this website. 

After your stocks are cooked, just place in plastic containers and freeze.  On the chicken, I just throw the whole carcass into the crock pot, add vegetables, spices, water, cover, cook.  That is it.  

My Old Fashioned Diet with some Twists

First, let me tell you that I am not a dietician or nutritionist.  I’m just a person who has read many books on this subject and has struggled to figure out a healthy diet for our family.  Here is what I have found to be successful. 

The number one objective with food is to give the body energy and nutrition.  One of the more common things that is old fashioned, like what grandma used to make is stews.  Our Chinese doctor told us that stews and soups are easier for the stomach to digest and that statement got my mental wheels turning.  Then when I read the information regarding acrylamide (see “Why Continued” page for this information) it made it more important to eat stews and soups.  Acrylamide is a chemical that is formed when eating starchy food that is fried or baked.  This chemical is not formed when food is boiled. This chemical has been linked to cancer. 

Our forefathers ate stews a lot!  The stew pot was always going and had items added to it regularly.  Recently, I have modified my stews so that they contain far more vegetables and much smaller portions of meat.  If you get the sauce down, the rest tastes wonderful. 

Brown Rice  

Macrobiotic cooking calls for quite a bit of brown rice being consumed.  (A Macrobiotic diet was looked into because it is one of the diets recommended for healing, but I found it to be very complex and arduous for the average person, including myself.)  Looking into this further here are some facts.  Brown rice only has the outermost layer, the husk removed.  The remaining kernel of rice contains bran, which is the most nutritious part of the rice. When the bran layer of the rice is removed to make white rice, the oil in the bran is also removed.  Rice bran oil may help to lower LDL Cholesterol.  Among other key sources of nutrition lost are fatty acids and fiber. I am sure you have heard how important certain fatty acids are for your body, but did you know these impact your mental disposition, alertness, as well as many other things? 

One cup of cooked long grain brown rice contains the following nutrients.

Total Omega-3 fatty acids                     27.3 mg.

Total Omega-6 fatty acids                     603 mg.

Dietary fiber                                              3.5 grams

Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol)            0.1 mg

Vitamin K                                                  1.2 mcg

Thiamine                                                   0.2 mg

Niacin                                                        3.0 mg

Vitamin B6                                               0.3 mg

Folate                                                         7.8 mcg

Pantothenic Acid                                    0.6 mg

Choline                                                      17.9 mg

Betaine                                                       1.0 mg

Minerals

Calcium                                       19.5 mg

Iron                                              0.8 mg

Magnesium                                83.9 mg

Phosphorus                                162 mg

Potassium                                   83.9 mg

Sodium                                         9.8 mg

Zinc                                              1.2 mg

Manganese                                 1.8 mg

Selenium                                     19.1 mg

White rice is starchy and does not have half the nutrients of brown rice.  Yes, this is a major change but you can modify taste buds usually in three days.  White rice is also binding and mixed with certain medications or chemo can be a bad duo for your intestines.  

Rue Moulfetard market. Paris, France June 1963 by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Rue Moulfetard market. Paris, France June 1963 by Alfred Eisenstaedt

Vegetables. Notice all of the colors in the photo above, not only do these represent different tastes but also different nutrients.  There are many articles regarding the importance of vegetables for a healthy body.  Many times friends have told me that they do not like the taste of vegetables.  There is a trick with vegetables and that is learning which brand to buy.  For instance some carrots are bitter and taste terrible.  Other brands are delicious and sweet and come out fabulous when sautéed.  One would have to shop and experiment with the various vegetables on the market to see and taste what they like. 

Fruit is another type of food that people do not eat enough of.  Ideally you should go to the store and purchase one of several different types of apples. Try each one until you find a brand that you like.  Repeat this step with other fruits.

Carbohydrates make you desire more and more.  I mean the type of carbohydrates like chips, cookies, crackers and even cereals.  These types become an addiction that is hard to quit.  Try introducing new foods on a regular basis and cut down the carbohydrate intake at the same time.   

 

Carbohydrates by Mark Kaufman 1968

Carbohydrates by Mark Kaufman 1968

 

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are made up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as peas, beans, whole grains, and vegetables. Both simple and complex carbohydrates are turned to glucose (blood sugar) in the body and are used as energy. Glucose is used in the cells of the body and in the brain. Any unused glucose is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for use later.

Complex carbohydrate foods provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are important to the health of an individual. The majority of carbohydrates should come from complex carbohydrates (starches) and naturally occurring sugars, rather than processed or refined sugars, which do not have the vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in complex and natural carbohydrates. Refined sugars are often called “empty calories” because they have little to no nutritional value.

Bread/Flour

Did you know that in the history of flour, especially wheat flour there was a major problem with the flour going rancid.  Once the farmer picked the wheat it had to be used rapidly.  Natural four has natural oils and fiber that are filled with nutrients but they do not have a long shelf life.  Around the turn of the century manufacturing processes were able to strip away all of the healthy parts of the flour and the result was something close to lifeless.  The shelf life was extended many times over.  At this same time appendicitis became a major health problem for people.  Did you know that flour mixed with water can turn into a cement like substance?  Imagine mixing flour with oils in your digestive tract. The four used today is so processed that it has to be fortified in order to provide some negligible health benefits. These are far out weighed by the negative health effects modern processed flours cause.   We switched to sprouted grain breads some years ago.  These are a real food because the grains are allowed to grow first, then turned into flour, capturing all of the life giving properties of the plant.  This bread reminds me of sturdy old-fashioned breads.  To see a list of products and read more about this type of flour and why it is so important go to http://www.foodforlife.com/sprouted-grain-difference.html 

Lean meats 

Lean meats are any meat that does not contain a high fat content.  Skinless turkey, skinless chicken breasts, fish, and lean cuts of beef are all fine in moderation.  The bulk of your meal should be vegetables and brown rice with your meat as a side dish.  The National Institutes of Health recommends you consume no more than five ounces of lean meats a day. For a copy of their tip sheet go to www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ chd/Tipsheets/meat.htm

Putting All of This Together

Diet is really not complex if you try to think of the way people ate 50 years ago.  Meals were much more simple, not out of a box or a frozen dinner.  There were no microwaves.  Usually people ate meat, potatoes and vegetables. 

Today we have learned that brown rice is far more nutritious than white rice.  Salads have been incorporated into our daily fare.  When I grew up salads were iceberg lettuce and some tomatoes, boring fare and not something I looked forward to. 

Sandwich wraps, burritos, tacos, oriental noodles, Mediterranean, and so many other international foods have been incorporated into the American diet. 

Eat less meat and replace this portion with more vegetables, salads and brown rice. 

Think and eat green.  Salads, sautéed vegetables, steamed vegetables, and stews loaded with vegetables are the way to eat on a regular basis.

Purchase meats that are hormone free.  Many grocery store chains now carry natural meats that are raised without antibiotics and hormones. 

Eggs should be free range and natural.  

Get into the habit of drinking water and Green tea.  Many people drink sodas and coffee in excess.  Both of these habits are really hard to quit.  I allow myself coffee on the weekends only, this way I do not become addicted again. 

Invest in good cookbooks if you are not a cook.  Cooking is not hard to learn.  Get recipes from friends. 

Snack on fruits or nuts instead of packaged goods. 

Life Style Changes

The first thing that has to change is the modern view of food, which is sadly lacking.  I am always shocked when I see children drinking large sodas on a hot day in Florida with no healthy snacks brought to the park with them.  To me, this lack of foresight is actually cruel.  People would look at me funny because I brought a lunch box packed with cut up apples, sliced oranges, rice crackers, and lots of cold water.  Many times the other children looked at us with longing while we ate our snacks. 

1. Carry clean water with you at all times.  Purchase a good water jug that you can carry and is insulated.  Here are some links to companies that make and sell portable water bottles.  http://www.thinksportbottles.com/products.htm  http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/category/sports-bottles/?gclid=CK64gImv1J8CFQlinAodjgl-cA  

Stainless water bottles are the best.  If you decide to go with plastic make sure it is not see through and is made with food grade plastic.  Mine comes with insulation and shoulder strap.  If you get into this habit of bringing water with you, you will drink more. 

2. Invest the time and money to eat at home and eat good simple meals that have more vegetables than meat.  Steamed vegetables take minutes to cook and taste great. 

Purchase a steamer that fits inside a pot.  They are stainless steel and look like a fold out sort of flower.   Just place water inside the pot, put the colander inside, dump your vegetables in and steam.  Easy peasy!  This colander costs between $8.00 and $12.00 and will last many years. 

Experiment with raw foods.  In other words purchase vegetables and fruits in small portions so that you can test what you like raw.  Keep hunting until you have found an assortment that you like. 

3.Learn to make healthy stews and serve these on a bed of brown rice.  There are many recipe websites available. Most stews taste better the next day.  I love making these types of meals because then I do not have to cook on the next night.  This saves both time and money.  

This is a life long commitment, not an over the night, get feeling better routine.  It takes time, effort and attention, to carry this through so that a permanent life style change has been attained. 

4. Learn to snack on healthy foods.  Get rid of fried chips and other junk. 

Many parents of cancer children say that they cannot get their child to eat well.  I admit that this is a challenge but here are two cookbooks that address this problem.  Available through Amazon at the following link:

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food –  by Jessica Seinfeld

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals by Missy Lapine

I am going to be really harsh here and say that it is gross negligence not to make your self learn these things for you and particularly for a cancer patient or any patient for that matter.  There is no excuse!  Anyone who is physically ill needs home made meals that taste good, are not hard to digest, and taste good.  Now is the time to get started in a new way of living and it starts in the kitchen.


“The kitchen is a country in which there are always new discoveries to be made.”

— Grimod de la Reyniere, Almanach des Gourmands