Tag: Diet and Health

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A Longevity Diet? Learning From the Blue Zones | Senior Planet

Summary:

  • high carbohydrate diet centered on whole grains
  • beans
  • eat less
  • eat more earlier in the day, less at night
  • drink alcohol
  • socialize

In my 20’s I was vegetarian for about a year and a half.  I managed to drive everyone around me crazy with my soapbox rants about how eating fast food burgers were the root cause of rain forest clearing for livestock grazing in Central America.  I’ve mellowed with age and no longer rant endlessly about the health benefits of a plant based diet.  I eat almost anything I want, just more of some things and a lot less of other things.  On a weekly basis, approximately two thirds of my meals are meatless.  Bean burritos are a staple, along with homemade bean soups and hummus.  Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, some good craft beer.  I eat differently than I did growing up.  But I guess that’s obvious given my history of losing over 200 pounds.

Good article and audio.  Check it out.

via A Longevity Diet? Learning From the Blue Zones | Senior Planet.

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Peanuts May Lower Cardio Death Risk – Medpage Today

Nut (predominantly peanut) consumption is inversely related to all-cause and especially cardiovascular mortality in African-American and Chinese men and women.

The inverse association of nut consumption and mortality is unrelated to baseline metabolic conditions.

It’s a cardiovascular intervention that literally costs peanuts.

via Peanuts May Lower Cardio Death Risk | Medpage Today.

This is great news.  My unique preference for peanut butter and pancakes turns out to be scientifically heart healthy given my ethnicity.  More peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Pad Thai with crushed  peanuts, spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Update 03.04.15

I ate a mini peanut cup last night.  The jar of dry roasted peanuts was moved from the cupboard to my office.  I have absolutely zero guilt.  It’s for my heart.

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From Paleo To Plant-Based, New Report Ranks Top Diets Of 2015 : The Salt : NPR

For the fifth year in a row, the government-researched DASH diet (an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) ranked No. 1 overall diet. It’s similar to the Mediterranean diet: heavy on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts.

via From Paleo To Plant-Based, New Report Ranks Top Diets Of 2015 : The Salt : NPR.

Rather than just another recipe for my first post of 2015 I have posted a link to a story on the best diet for optimal health.  Eat well.  Live well. Stay healthy.

 

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What 200 Calories of Every Food Looks Like – The Atlantic

I know that Chipotle burritos are extremely caloric, but I’ve managed to convince myself that the burrito bowl—all the cheese, guac, and juicy beef, but without the tortilla wrapping—is practically a health food.

No need to work out today, I walked up the Metro escalator! And sure, eight drinks a week is technically “heavy drinking” for women, but I’m Russian.

via What 200 Calories of Every Food Looks Like – The Atlantic.

Go to the article for some sample pictures.  If you dare.

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China Completes Paperwork for Poultry Export to U.S. | Food Poisoning Bulletin

And yet another reason to never eat another chicken nugget unless you know where that nugget comes from.  Yikes!

via China Completes Paperwork for Poultry Export to U.S. | Food Poisoning Bulletin.

The food safety scandals in China have ranged from companies adding melamine to milk to increase its nitrogen content and hide dilution, which sickened 300,000 babies; to plastic added to bubble tea; to pork blood pudding made with formaldehyde and industrial salt. And jerky pet treats imported from China into the U.S. have been linked to thousands of sickened and killed pets.

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Craft Beer and Health

via Craft Beer and Your Health.

Before I continue I admit I’m thinking about beer and it’s only 10:00 am.  But for years I’ve used my Saturday mornings to catch up on medical and health news.  Last night The Boss went to The Mall after work so dinner got pushed back.  By the time The Boss got home it was like “why cook?” so we went out to an Italian place for a quick meal.  I managed to eat an entire half tray sized piece of lasagna and I started thinking this can’t be good.

I woke up Saturday morning and expected the worst when I approached the bathroom scale.  Friday I was 190.  This morning I was…190!  There was no damage from the half tray of lasagna.

Must be the craft beer.

So with that thought in mind I wondered if craft beer (in absolute moderation of course) could possibly be healthy.  Click through on the link (yeah, I know the research is self-serving) but I found the article enlightening and there are plenty of legit reference links.

Tonight our tiny town in Oklahoma is having its very first foodie/craft beer/food truck/pop up store/live music street festival.  Roughtail brewery Roughtail Brewing Company | Home. will be serving two of their near beers (3.2 ABV).

I am excited.

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Stroke Rounds: Potassium Tied to Lower Stroke Risk

via Stroke Rounds: Potassium Tied to Lower Stroke Risk.

Women (mean age 63.6) who consumed the most potassium each day (>3,193.6 mg) had a 12% lower overall risk of all stroke (hazard ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98) and a 16% lower risk of ischemic stroke (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.74-0.96) when compared with women consuming very little potassium (<1,925.5 mg/day), reported Sylvia Wassertheil-Smoller, PhD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues.

I had a banana with breakfast.  I’m going to pop a few prunes now.

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Pistachios Improve Metabolic Profile in Prediabetes

via Pistachios Improve Metabolic Profile in Prediabetes.

Beneficial Effect of Pistachio Consumption on Glucose Metabolism, Insulin Resistance, Inflammation, and Related Metabolic Risk Markers: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

This study was funded by the Western Pistachios Association, now known as American Pistachio Growers (U.S.), and Paramount Farms.

Hmm…  The diets were isocaloric and matched for protein, fiber, and saturated fatty acids.  But were the foods identical between the control group and pistachio supplemented group?  Food preparation methods controlled for?  Interesting little study nonetheless.

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White Bean Dip Sorpressa

  • one 16 ounce can Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • two small cloves garlic
  • juice from one half a large lemon
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • one teaspoon each dried oregano and dried thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • red pepper flakes, just a dash
  • chili powder
  1. In a food processor pulse the garlic until finely minced.
  2. Add the beans, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes.
  3. Pulse until the beans are well chopped.  Add EVO in a thin stream  and pulse until you have the consistency of a thick paste.
  4. Taste for seasoning and add your salt and pepper at this point.
  5. Transfer to a serving bowl and dust lightly with chili powder.
  6. Serve with chips or pita bread wedges.

Every now and then you have to try something different.  Instead of hummus I decided to make a white bean dip instead.  Cannellini beans.

I was headed down the usual path with the garlic, lemon, oregano and thyme.  Most recipes suggest paprika to top the dip.  I went to my spice cupboard to check the expiration date of the paprika.  As I suspected, time to toss and buy some fresh paprika.  One of the local stores has herbs and spices in bulk.  The prices are reasonable, the quality is high, and you have to fill little plastic bags marked with a large sticker to identify the contents with the code for the cashier to use at check out.  Well, I grabbed a small plastic bag from the spice cupboard, got a spoon and dusted the dip with the paprika I just bought.

Sorpressa!!!  It was chili powder.

Tips – When you screw up like this don’t tell your guests.  If they don’t like the dip, remove the dip, toss in the garbage and blame it on some old (fill in the blank).  Hmm, you say.  The paprika must be old.  That’s what is throwing off the flavor.  Go to your fridge, break out some cheese and nobody will really care.

Now if your guests like the dip, of course, take as much credit as you want.

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