First the 2 not really new pieces of “news”:
1. Moderate alcohol intake is associated with lower risk of death. Well, as I tweeted about on my Twitter page (twitter.com/drtomrifai), this finding isn’t new but it is controversial. Here’s the bottom line: do NOT start drinking if you are a non-drinker based on this observational study. IF you DO already drink about one drink a day as part of your lifestyle (the study said up to 3 but that would be VERY unwise to assume from an observational study that 3 drinks per day was any “fountain of youth”…though you may feel that way while your feeling high until the next morning or when you get busted for a DUI) then, with caveats, you may continue. Such caveats include if you’re a woman at risk for breast cancer (where risk seems to rise at more than 3 drinks per WEEK), a person with high triglycerides having trouble controlling them or feel you are at ALL dependant on drinking and, in the bottom of your heart, know that you may be at risk for increasing to higher levels over time or throwing in occasional binge drinking episodes (which I, personally, would consider more than 3 drinks in a day). All that said, I do know of SOME healthy moderate drinkers (1-2 drinks per day on many days per week) and they tend to be drinking red wine…though the hype of the advantages of red wine over other alcohols seems bigger than the data would support (disclosure note: when I drink, which is probably 2-3 drinks per month, it is virtually always red wine).

2. Excess calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart disease/attacks…NOT a new observation. Bottom line: calcium supplements are over-rated. If you are going to take them for bone health remember these points: first – get your dietary sodium level <1500-2000mg day (think this is easy...well, less than 10% of Americans REALLY pull this off on most days but WAY more think, or say, they do). If not, your probably sapping your bones of calcium because of how the kidney deals with sodium (high sodium in blood equals high calcium out in your pee....which ultimately is from your bones, and could even turn into a kidney stone - just more reason to back off on your sodium intake). Read the book "The Pritikin Edge" in terms of tasty ways around salt and subscribe to "The Nutrition Action Healthletter" for more sane information on nutrition and salt intake (www.cspinet.org). Also, make sure you are eating AT LEAST 2-3 pieces of whole fruit per day and 2-3 (OR MORE) servings of no or low salt added veggies because fruit and veggies contain blood acid neutralizing (alkaline) compounds (like bicarbonate and citrate) that reduce blood acid levels...and if you don't eat such compounds, your bone will have to do the job of buffering the acid in your blood and with the release of buffers from your bone will come the calcium too; additionally - getting and KEEPING (esp in winter) your D level >30ng/mL (better yet >45ng/mL…but this level is more for other health issues beyond bone, such as flu and cancer…esp colon, maybe breast.. prevention – likely MS too). You probably need at LEAST 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily to get and keep that level. Best way to make sure is have your “25 hydroxyvitamin D” level checked after 8-12 weeks on any new Vitamin D dose (go to www.vitamindcouncil.org for cutting edge info on Vit D). Now, after you’ve done ALL that AND are a regular exerciser (essential for natural bone health and good bone density), then and MAYBE then you may take a calcium CITRATE form of calcium supplement (like “Citracal Plus with Magnesium”), but keep the total amount of ELEMENTAL calcium from PILLS to no more than 500mg day or LESS – each Citracal Plus with Magnesium has 250mg of elemental calcium, for instance…so one or two daily MAX. Don’t take calcium carbonate unless your doc gives you a specific reason why to do so instead of the better absorbed, and probably less likely to risk kidney stones, citrate form. The rest of your calcium, AND BONE PROTECTIVE manner of eating (i.e., high amounts of whole fruits and veggies, low sodium and avoiding massive doses of protein at single sittings) should come from the foods you put into your mouth (and swallow….that’s an inside joke for those “Sex and the City” fans out there).

Now the one relatively new piece of info in the mainstream press from Europe (and just another reason to eat lots of WHOLE fresh fruits and veggies) is that, and who knows why specifically (though just consider it the anti-oxidants if you like, for now), eating a high variety of fresh whole fruits and veggies may lower lung cancer risk … and lung cancer is BY far the most common cause of cancer DEATH (not most common cause of cancer…the most common cause of cancer DEATH – a very deadly cancer) in the USA. This was found to be especially true among smokers…but make NO MISTAKE – the ONE AND ONLY BEST WAY to prevent lung cancer is to NOT SMOKE….but throw the fruits and veggies in there too for bonus because, as you’ve read above – from prevention of heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones and osteoporosis, there’s a huge list of reasons why we should be doing better as a country than only 14% of us eating the minimum 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily (that’s right! a PATHETIC FOURTEEN PERCENT of us! Even Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa admitted that, likely due to this low demand, if EVERY single person in the US immediately started trying to eat 5 servings – we should probably be shooting more for like 8 to 12 – of fruits and veggies per day THERE WOULDN’T BE ENOUGH IN THE US TO PROVIDE IT! Sad, just sad! Come people, start switching from all those crappy, salty refined bread, chips, crackers, wraps, pastas, white rice, etc etc and get on the FRUIT AND VEGGIE WAGON ALREADY!).

Last, but not at all least, is an important piece of data from JAMA Sept 1, 2010 issue (pg 949-950) revealing the bottom line that people with resting (that means RESTING…probably most strictly defined as after sitting and resting for at least 5 and maybe up to 14-15 minutes) heart rates higher than 80 (and technically, the threshold started at a rate of 74) beats per minute are at double the risk of KIDNEY DISEASE AND FAILURE. People with higher resting heart rates have higher “sympathetic tone” (no, it does not mean you are necessarily a sympathetic person from a social perspective) – meaning, basically, higher amounts of adrenalin being pumped out of nerve endings in your body, including to your heart (giving higher heart rate) AND KIDNEYS leading to blood vessel contriction and, among a host of other things, INSULIN RESISTANCE (higher than optimal insulin levels) which has already been implicated in heart disease, stroke, dementia, diabetes and some cancers. SOOOOoooo….the answer is NOT a heart rate lowering drug – and this was made clear in article so do NOT let that be your docs’ answer to your heart rate unless he/she gives your a VERY clear and evidence based reason why…the answer is GET PHYSICALLY ACTIVE and BACK IN SHAPE with some weight loss! Getting yourself in physical shape (with aerobic exercise but also some resistance too …. get a quality trainer or physical therapy to guide you if needed! its worth it!) will lower your resting heart rate naturally and probably go WELL beyond just preventing kidney disease – it’ll likely lower your risk of all the major modern causes of death and disease: including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, dementia (and guys….ED probably too – that’s a published fact!)….so, for your bones, your kidneys, your heart, brain and….well guys, you know – but I can’t find the gall to type it – EAT YOUR FRUITS/VEGGIES, get walkin’ and lifting some moderate weights have a FANTASTIC and HEALTHY day as a leader and role model for the masses that NEED HEALTHY LEADERS!

AND….more decent news on the preventive front…it looks like programs that integrate the proven Pritikin (and Ornish, which I am less of a fan that Pritikin by far) program will be covered by Medicare as an alternative choice to heart bypass surgery! Of course, our program at St Joseph Mercy Oakland integrates Pritikin for lifestyle maintenance wholeheartedly! In fact, in a recent interview with Hour Detroit magazine (www.hourdetroit.com), I was asked what my top two books to read were regarding longevity lifestyle of which one is: THE PRITIKIN EDGE (go get it!) by Dr Robert Vogel. Full disclosure, I was a manuscript reviewer for the book but I receive NO PROCEEDS whatsoever from the book. I am telling you to read it because no book combines all the aspects of known (and practical! THAT’s a critical part) approaches to eating and being active (including the difficult effort to get salt under control without losing flavor!) as well as THE PRITIKIN EDGE….the other book, as a compliment as far as the power of environmental control and the PSYCHOLOGY of eating is MINDLESS EATING by Cornell University’s Dr Brian Wansink …. he says its for weight loss…but the book is more practical for weight MAINTENANCE, IMO – but THAT is the CRITICAL part of TRUE lifestyle change…..

The upshot – come to a serious, intensive metabolic program like ours at St Joseph Mercy Oakland for an intensive 3-6 month program to safely take off 10-20% of your weight (just call 248-858-2475 option#1) and during that time read (or listen to on CD) The Pritikin Edge and Mindless Eating to prepare for KEEPING it off and MUCH MORE as it relates to health (because there is FAR more to longvity lifestyles that JUST losing weight!)….some runner up books for learning the “after intensive weight loss” maintenance approaches to lifestyle from both nutrition/psychological perspectives worth checking out:
-Volumetrics (subtitle: Feeling Full on Fewer Calories) – Dr Barbara Rolls
-Shrink Yourself – Dr Roger Gould (a good look at binge eating issues and emotional insights)
-The End of Overeating – Dr David Kessler (the former FDA commissioner gives a GREAT overview on the published data on how the food industry has found taste profiles as, if not more, addictive than crack cocaine for some, if not MOST, people!)

HAVE A GREAT AND HEALTHY DAY AND know for a FACT that you are NOT alone in this struggle to live healthy as a “hunter-forager-gatherer” in this NON-hunter gatherer and now FOOD TOXIC world! (p.s., if you’re interested in the energy behind that last statement…just check out the last part of Daniel Quinn’s book “The Story of B” … it’s called “The Public Teachings”….and be ready to be disturbed with chilling logic!

Chicken and shiitake mushroom consommé
Miso broth with tofu
Turkey sausage with dried apples (Oh my LORD this was INCREDIBLE! Don’t EVER believe that the only way to have sausage is the salty, fatty common, assembly line variety!)
Grilled vegetable salad with cucumber yogurt
Farro and tomato salad with low fat Greek-Feta dressing
Grilled potatoes and tomatoes with fresh basil-roasted shallot vinaigrette
Pan seared sea scallops with roasted corn salad
Grilled ahi-tuna with tomato-pineapple-papaya salsa
Grilled fruit kebobs

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AND…for you fellow pizza addicts (yup, I’m a pizza lover – Its just that I want to make sure the pizzas I eat love me BACK!)…I am endorsing, and will be working with to further on (pretty much!) pizza perfection with, A.C. LaRocco Pizza Company (no refined junk! only FRESHLY flash frozen veggies! Light in sodium! As low cal as a TRULY TASTY pizza can be!). Keep your eye out for them and our Healthy Pizza Revolution at: www.aclarocco.com where you can learn more, including where to get ‘em (my personal fave is Spinach and Artichoke Thin Crust! YUM! And way less than 2 calories per gram! The WHOLE pizza has only about 600 cal!). If you’re in Metro Detroit check ‘em out now at Plum Markets and keep an out for them to start (again) seeing them in Kroger (by popular demand!)!

Also, check out my newest media update on Vitamin D. Its called “Dr T talks Vitamin D” in my site’s “Media” section and is an interview with the top talent, Paul W. Smith, on the clear channel WJR AM 760 which reaches several states.

And the new position of the Pritikin Scientific Advisory Committee, of which I am part, on caffeine is now available at: http://pritikin.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1630:coffee-tea-and-your-health&catid=115:nutrition&Itemid=75

Lastly, beware of some “new” drugs that will come out for weight loss – starting with Qnexa. Qnexa is not “new” really…its just a mix of two available meds – topiramate (brand name: Topomax), used most commonly for migraine headache prevention and phentermine (brand name: Adipex)..in an extended release formulation. The phentermine, like any other amphetamine, can have some deleterious effects like nervousness, sleep disturbance, heart arrythmias, elevated blood pressure. The topiramate is probably more benign, but can cause fatigue, slowed thinking and at high doses (but probably not the doses in Qnexa) kidney stones. While I concede there is a small role for medications in some cases of metabolic/weight management. My point is that none are a cure-all and we as individuals and as a society need to get a tight grip on the fact that we need to eat better, move more, accept our humanity and occasional indulgences but recognize when we are using overusing food as a drug for stress and mood management. It happens to all of us, to be sure! But recognize it and find better ways to deal with stress. It could be yoga, it could be a daily brisk walk/exercise, it could be talking about that problem that’s been itching at you with your spouse or a friend, or it could be speaking with a good and qualified therapist (e.g., a “cognitive-behavioral therapist” that has a PhD, PsyD, Master’s or a very experienced social worker). Food for thought and have a GREAT day!

1. If you take fenofibrate (e.g., Tricor) for your triglycerides its a possible waste. Another disappointing report out in New England Journal of Medicine. Omega 3 (e.g., prescription Lovaza 3-4 capsules once daily) and/or extended release niacin (e.g., prescription Niaspan or OTC Slo-Niacin) for a target dose of about 1000-1500mg nightly is more evidence based to reduce your risk of death, something fenofibrate has yet to do.

2. More bad news for high dose folate supplements…yes, the kind of stuff you can find in multivitamins…which are largely a waste of time – DON’T TAKE THEM! JUST EAT HEALTHY (i.e., lots of whole fruits and veggies and fish, preferably wild but many decent farmed, as well as beans/lentils and moderate amounts of whole grains and nuts, frequently). High dose folic acid is ONLY FOR WOMEN TRYING TO BECOME OR WHO ARE PREGNANT TO REDUCE NEURAL TUBE DEFECT RISK IN THEIR BABIES…otherwise, with rare exception, stay AWAY from supplements containing high dose folic acid (400mcg or more) as there is NO brain benefit, NO heart benefit, NO kidney benefit and they MAY slightly INCREASE your risk of cancer. Generally speaking, there are only three nutritional supplements that a good argument can be made may prolong life: Omega-3, Niacin and Vitamin D3….taking Vitamin B12 (NO other B vitamin as a supplement other than niacin…which is B3…again, GENERALLY speaking – there are INDIVIDUAL cases which are not able to be covered here).

3. The Chicago Blackhawks may have to thank Vitamin D3 for their Stanley Cup…apparently their (smart) team docs diagnosed the majority of them with D insufficiency and put them on 5000 (yup, 5000…NOT five hundred) units of D3 daily….and no wonder – in this month’s ADA journal Diabetes Care 99% of hundreds of Detroiters were found to be Vitamin D insufficient when tested. While these were Arab Americans, don’t think for a SECOND that you are not at risk as well….even during the summer!

4. Remember, for those of us that like to be stuffed (great for 10,000 years ago when food had little calories, lots of water, fiber, vitamins, minerals and protein with miniscule sat fat/salt)….VIGOROUS exercise is great BUT it CAN ignite hunger! Eat a small snack before you train and get to some protein ASAP (protein shake, pre-prepped meal) after working out and do NOT think that your training gives you a free pass to eat junk…it DOESN’T! In fact, marathon runners were recently studied and found to have far higher heart disease than expected….and I suspect, from the many I’ve known who have run them, even an Iron Man I knew, its partly b/c they end up eating a ton of saturated fat, calorie dense and salty carbs….if you want the FULL health potential from exercise, you MUST eat healthy too!

1. FATS ARE THE MOST CALORIE DENSE FORM OF CALORIES AT 9 CALORIES PER GRAM (PROTEIN AND CARBS ARE 4 CALORIES PER GRAM AND ALCOHOL HAS 7) AND CAN CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT GAIN NO MATTER WHAT KIND

2. THERE ARE 4 KINDS OF FAT: THE TWO BAD FATS – TRANS FATS AND SATURATED FATS; MONOUNSATURATED FATS (E.G., AVOCADO, CANOLA OIL, OLIVE OIL, MANY NUTS) AND THE POLYUNSATURATED FATS (I.E., OMEGA 3 AND OMEGA 6)

3. THERE IS GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT: SATURATED AND TRANS FATS ARE A PROBLEM AND PROMOTE UNHEALTHY CHOLESTEROL AND ARTERIAL BLOCKAGES; THAT OMEGA 3 IS HEALTHY AND LIKELY PROMOTES LOWER RISK OF SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH; THAT OMEGA 6 IS FAR BETTER TO EAT THAN SATURATED FAT, BUT MAY BE A PROBLEM IF WE EAT TOO MUCH RELATIVE TO OMEGA 3….THE JURY IS OUT ON MONOUNSATURED FAT, WHICH IS LIKELY LESS OF A PROBLEM THAN SATURATED FAT BUT IS HARDLY IN THE “EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT WITH RECKLESS ABANDON” CATEGORY

UPSHOT – THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS ALL OF THESE IS:

1. EAT LOW OVERALL FAT BY PRIORITIZING VEGGIES, WHOLE FRUITS AND BEANS/LENTILS OVER GRAINS AND, WHEN EATING GRAIN BASED FOODS (E.G., WHEAT FLOUR, RICE, OATS, QUINOA, BARLEY, ETC) EAT ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY NO SALT ADDED WHOLE GRAIN SOURCES

2. USE SMALL AMOUNTS OF CANOLA AND OLIVE OIL AS THE MAIN SOURCE OF VEGETABLE OIL, WHOLE (UNSALTED) NUTS AND AVOCADO AS THE MAIN SOURCES OF HIGH FAT FOODS

3. EAT ONLY ULTRA LEAN – PREFERABLY PASTURE RAISED, GRASS/RANGE FED LAND ANIMAL MEATS BETTER YET, EAT FISH (FINFISH, MOLLUSKS OR SHELLFISH) OVER ANY LAND ANIMAL MEAT AND PICK ONLY VERY LOW FAT OR SKIM DAIRY PRODUCTS (PREFERABLY ONES WITH LIMITED SODIUM)

FAT IN MORE DETAIL:

Fat is the most calorie dense form of calorie at 9 calories per gram. Protein and carbohydrates (whether starch or sugar…aka “complex” or “simple” carbs, respectively) have 4 calories per gram. Note that alcohol has 7 calories per gram so is closer calorically to fat.

Now keep this in mind, lowering calorie intake while keeping the nutrient intake (i.e., vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants) from foods high is the key to healthy living and of longevity! And since fullness (i.e., avoiding excess hunger) is the key to being able to stick to an eating pattern…. AND it takes about one pound of food to make someone feel pretty full (some of us more full than others, but for argument’s sake this is true enough) – remember that one pound of oil (any type, olive or canola or sunflower or corn oil, etc) has about 4000 CALORIES!

One pound of whole wheat bread has about 1300 calories. One pound of lean fish or bananas about 400 calories. One pound of berries about 150-200 calories and one pound of spinach about 100 calories. So NO FAT is good to eat in virtually unlimited amounts because when it comes to weight control, calorie intake is key and eating low calorie density is king of making it easy to keep calorie intake low and fat is the MOST calorie dense form of calorie that exists!

The most common “bad” fats, i.e., the ones that can contribute to clogging arteries the most, are saturated fats. They are solid at room temperature and 2/3 of the saturated fat an average American eats comes from animal products like land animal meat and skin (particularly beef, poultry and pork) and dairy (whole and 2% milks, cheeses, creams, ice cream, etc) as well as egg yolks to some degree. The other 1/3 comes from vegetable sources such as coconut and palm and palm kernel oils (what do you think makes the chips in mint chip ice cream, and eventually your arteries, so hard and crunchy?).

Keep in mind that olive, sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut and soybean oils….even most nuts… are OVERALL “unsaturated” fats, but still have 10% or more saturated fat. For reference, the AHA recommends less than 10% calories from saturated fat and if you’ve had heart or vascular disease, 7% or less. SO YOU CAN’T GULP DOWN OLIVE OIL OR HAMMER DOWN A BUNCH OF NUTS AS IF THERE’S NO TOMORROW!

Canola oil is about 7% saturated fat and, as you’ll see, a far better source of omega-3 fat than olive oil…BUT due to it’s calorie density (ultra-high! just like any oil), I still wouldn’t recommend gulping down canola oil either. One thing is for sure when it comes to what “Mediterranean Science” has taught us about fats – SATURATED FAT SHOULD BE KEPT AS LOW AS POSSIBLE…preferably LESS THAN 10 grams DAILY and certainly less than 20 grams per day.

A note for chocoholics (like me)…..Cocoa butter is majority saturated fat too, but is a type of saturated fat (i.e., stearic acid) that our livers can more easily change into “less bad” monounsatured fat (see below)….but this means DARK (NOT MILK) chocolate…and dark hard chocolate is STILL calorie dense and NOT EVER going to be a true “health food”, is only going to be less of a problem. AND, if you want any of the over-hyped “anti-oxidants” that come with the load of death defying calories, make sure you DON’T see any of the following words or terms on the ingredient list: “alkalai” or “treated with alkalai” – if you see “alkalai” it means the chocolate has been treated in a way to kill its bitterness but ALSO whatever blood pressure lowering/”healthy” anti-oxidants that cacao would have been able to deliver).

Trans fats are formed from a chemical “saturation” of unsaturated fats/oils (like soybean, cottonseed, etc) were originally produced to improve the shelf life of foods. They’ve been found to raise LDL levels (so-called “bad” cholesterol) AND LOWER HDL (so-called good cholesterol). They’ve been associated with abdominal obesity, diabetes risk and sudden cardiac death.

But these associations are hard to completely filter out of the many other bad players that trans fat usually comes with like: salt (think McD burger), calorie dense carbs (think muffins, cookies), saturated fat, etc…And in the landmark “Lyon Heart Study”, one of the best Mediterranean diet studies to date, the special Canola margarine (yes, the main oil in the Lyon study was Canola, not Olive!) apparently contained some partially hydrogenated for the 1st two years of the four year study. Of course, there were SO many healthy things the subjects were eating that the effect of one issue – a slightly higher than optimal trans fat intake – were likely overwhelmed by the huge number of healthy things being eaten.

Nevertheless, the best thing to do is have less than 2 grams of trans fat daily (since, in the worst case scenario analyses – the risk of trans fat is such that one gram is as toxic as 5 grams of saturated fat in terms of heart disease). Looking at labels here might be a bit tricky, because the FDA allows any food that has less than half a gram (i.e., 500mg) of trans fat per serving to say it is trans fat free. So if you see a food that otherwise looks healthy, and it says “0″ trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label, but also says “partially hydrogenated oil” somewhere on the ingredients label, assume that there is 499mg of trans fat and limit the daily servings to 4 of that item….that is unless you KNOW (by calling the manufacturer, for instance) the exact amount is far less.

Monounsaturated fats are a bit confusing because we know they are part of a Mediterranean pattern of eating, they can raise HDL cholesterol in some cases, and they are not typically associated with raising LDL cholesterol. So they can be considered “healthy” IF they are REPLACING (i.e., not simply being added to) saturated fat sources. BUT, and this is a BIG BUT (no pun intended!), there is conflicting evidence as to whether monounsaturated fats are actually “healthy”, in and of themselves, or simply “less bad”.

Because monounsatured fat is NOT required for life (our bodies can make all the monounsaturated fat it would ever “need”), because it is, (just like all fats) VERY calorie dense and because some data says monounsaturated fat promotes vascular disease, just maybe less aggressively than saturated/trans fat, I am in the camp of monounsaturated fat being a “less bad” fat….so SORRY OLIVE OIL – we’ll still need to measure you out carefully and not pour you on our foods like a tsunami!

In fact, in a recent published analysis of the Greeks of the Island of Crete – where the Mediterranean lifestyle was first fully revealed – it was those who ate the LEAST olive oil that had even LOWER heart disease than the rest! So olive oil in SPARING amounts – for instance, to make your colorful veggies taste so wonderful that you’ll want to eat them forever! – is the best way to go rather than pouring it on as if olive oil was a panacea for anything that ails us!

Now, the two Polyunsaturated Fats, otherwise known as Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. They are the ONLY fats “essential” for human survival because they cannot be made by our bodies and since the essential structure of our skin relies on Omega 6 fat and the mass of our brain/spinal cord are made up of Omega 3 fats…..And this doesn’t even address the critical, if not “essential” role Omega 3 fats play to prevent death from heart disease. The major common sources of Omega 3 are fish, walnuts, Canola oil, vegetables, whole fruits and beans/lentils…. truly grass and pasture raised land animal meat and land animal products (RARE in the USA!), such as egg yolks and fatty dairy (both still not the best source due to saturated fat and calorie density, but less bad than grain fed animal fat! See below) can also be high in omega 3. The main sources of excess Omega 6 are most common vegetable oils OTHER than canola and olive oils and grain/corn/soybean fed animal meat and animal products.

Throughout our ancestors’ history, and in modern history’s longest lived peoples, including the Japanese Okinawans and the Greek Cretans, the ratio of Omega-6 fat to Omega-3 fat was less than 5 to 1 (i.e., no more than five grams of Omega-6 for every one gram of Omega-3) – and as low as one to one. We are at an artery, joints and lung inflaming 15-20 to one now! This is due to our reliance on lots of grain fed animal fat, grains (corn, wheat….and most of the corn and wheat is, even worse, REFINED) and NON-canola and olive oils with WAY too little fish, vegetables, whole fruits, beans/lentils

Why this is important is that the major inflammation chemicals in our bodies, such as prostaglandins (what we take anti-inflammatories like aspirin, Aleve and Motrin to block the production of and that can inflame our arteries, not just our joints); the major blood clotting chemicals, thromboxanes (involved in heart attack and stroke); as well as the major asthma promoting chemicals leukotrienes are all made from either Omega 6 or Omega 3 fats. And the enzymes our bodies use to make prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes from polyunsaturated fats don’t “care” whether they’re Omega-6 or Omega 3….you truly ARE what you eat when it comes to inflammation of your arteries, lungs and joints. And the prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes made from Omega 3 are WAY LESS inflammatory than the kinds made from Omega 6.

The bottom lines on Polyunsaturated Fats are these: We “need” Omega 6 fat but we eat too much of it, thanks to too much grain eating (e.g., corn, wheat) vs vegetable, whole fruit and bean/lentil eating; too much grain fed animal fat eating (i.e., too much saturated fat in grain fed animal meats and sources isn’t the only problem, so are too MUCH Omega 6 inflammatory fats – imagine now, if you will some fatty red meat – the saturated and trans fats clog your arteries and the Omega 6 fats inflame your arteries getting the cholesterol plaques “primed” to rupture and cause a heart attack or stroke!), too LITTLE omega 3. And we haven’t mentioned a bunch of iron in red meat that, for many of us, is unhealthy and that there’s NO Vitamin D in land animal meats like fish would have….

You can truly see the problem with our grain fed red meat dependant lifestyles!) combined with way too much sunflower, corn, safflower, cottonseed and other low Omega 3 oils. Compounding the problem greatly is too little fish, whole fruits, vegetables and beans/lentils – all of which carry far more Omega 3 than Omega 6 fat. Human diets of 8,000-10,000 years ago, the Mediterranean Greek Cretan diets up until the 1970s, Okinawan Japanese and certainly the Lyon Heart study participants all had about 4 or less grams of Omega 6 eaten for each gram of Omega 3…by replacing a canola based margarine (e.g., Smart Balance) for butter, replacing red meat for wild fish and trading in some of your grain containing foods for vegetables and whole fruits. The result could not only be less heart disease or diabetes, but a Paleolithic or Mediterranean approach to eating may lower your risk of cancer too….

….doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun once in a while but make it an exception, not the rule! Life is too short to waste!

But here’s some cool stuff from some of the other, many high quality, speakers at the conference in no particular order:
1. Dr Wansink of Coronell Univ. – BRAVO! THE best speaker, IMO. Check out his book “Mindless Eating”!
2. A GREAT website for girls (i.e., up to age 18) trying to lose weight in a healthy way: www.fitsmi.com
3. Some cool trivia: kids’ favorite foods in the USA in 1928 were ice cream (well…of course!) and SPINACH!! Thanks Popeye!! unfortunately, now we have Sponge Bob…and last I heard from him he was in a Burger King commercial

From today’s Dr Oz show…first the Good (actually the EXCELLENT!)
- Dr Oz and Roizen make it clear what us serious nutrition docs and practioners have known, but put it in the middle of the public arena…and that is that EXCESS SALT IS TOXIC WHETHER YOU HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OR NOT! First, high salt loaded meals cause fluctuations in blood pressure and the flucuations (called “blood pressure variability”), EVEN WITHIN THE NON-HYPERTENSIVE RANGE, INCREASE the risk of cardiac events and stroke! Also, there are other more complex effects of salt on the blood vessels and heart that, IN ADDITION TO POTENTIAL BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUES, can promote kidney damage and heart failure. And that doesn’t even include the osteoporosis, kidney stone and stomach cancer risks of excess sodium (especially when we aren’t eating enough potassium – e.g., lots of whole fruits and veggies!)

Now the bad and ugly -
Oh, come ON Dr Oz! Dark chocolate and “natural” peanut are weight loss foods??!! PleEEZE!! While there are more toxic foods – e.g., milk chocolate and Crisco – please do NOT believe that monounsaturated fat is “soothing” nor that dark chocolate or peanut butter are healthy sources…..they are WAY too calorie dense and have BOTH been associated with weight GAIN in the long run. Even more embarassing…he confused the fact that cocoa butter fat has a specific form of saturated fat (stearic acid) that is “less bad” than other saturated fats because the liver can convert it into monounsaturated fat relatively easily. But when it comes to weight loss monounsaturated fat is only LESS BAD saturated fats! AND, if you REALLY want to eat a food that delivers some monounsaturated fat without the risk of going overboard on the calories – try avocado! But again – dark chocolate HELPS people lose belly fat??!! PLEASE Dr Oz, don’t be an ignoramous! MAYBE people would gain SOMEWHAT less fat with dark than milk chocolate … but take it from a chocoholic (i.e., ME!), I have NEVER, nor has ANYONE, reduced belly fat by eating ANY form of chocolate or peanut butter. If you want some dark chocolate, or “natural” peanut butter, go ahead – but do NOT believe its going to give you six-pack abdominals!

TGIF and have a great weekend! Dr Tom

1. For ice cream freaks: The DQ Fudge Bar – available at Dairy Queen, its only 50 cal for over 2oz serving and 20 cals of protein! Sodium is low and no saturated fat. IMO, tastes almost as good as Haagen Dazs chocolate for ALOT less cal!

2. For bread freaks: Bread is dangerous for me, I can eat WAY too much (plain bread, mind you…I don’t need ANYTHING else other than a glass of water to help swallow it FASTER!)…BUT, as anyone who REALLY knows bread will find, its the SALT that makes it so tasty. So for me, the only bread in allowed in my house is EZEKIAL LOW SODIUM or Trader Joe’s Sodium Free Whole Wheat. EZEKIAL, when toasted well, has GREAT crunch, so mouth feel is not compromised at ALL…in fact, its got GREAT mouth feel toasted. But without the salt, I am able to control myself to one slice at a time mixed with other low cal density foods like veggies, egg whites (sometimes with some Sargento Reduced Fat Swiss or with some low fat, reduced sodium cottage cheese on top and a 1/2 svg of Activia Strawberry or Peach “with Fiber” on top of that…great low cal, low sodium, quality protein “creamy/crunch”!

3. Already mentioned above for the cheese freaks – I’d recommend any quality reduced fat Swiss, as Swiss is a low sodium cheese by definition…but, to me anyway, Sargento Reduced Fat Swiss, at almost 1/2 of its calories from protein and only 2grams sat fat per slice, goes great with egg white omlettes (just had one!) or even as a “cheese and crackers” mix with, believe it or not, plain shredded wheat squares (many brands: Post, Kellogg’s, generics like: Kroger’s, Trader Joe’s, etc) which, by themselves, wouldn’t be edible…but a bite of Sargento Reduced Fat Swiss and a couple of shredded wheat squares you get that mix of cheesy, crunchy without all the salt and less sat fat and, overall, calories

4. For hummus lovers…well, as you should know..hummus is NOT plain chickpeas! Its got alot of fat/cal from sesame seed oil/”tahini”….but if you mix a bite of hummus with a bite of lowfat cottage cheese? WOW! DAMN good I’ve found! Put a layer of low fat cottage cheese on top of a toasted Low Sodium Ezekial bread slice and a light layer of hummus on top of all of it…YUM! Problem IS in the salt of the lowfat cottage cheese, but find the lowest sodium hummus you can find and since the Ezekial Bread has no sodium things are somewhat balanced out on the sodium issue. BUT, if you’re lucky like me, you’ll be able to find a cottage cheese I learned about while I was the Associate Medical Director of the world renown Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, FL…it’s a brand called FRIENDSHIP 1% NO SALT ADDED Cottage Cheese (http://www.friendshipdairies.com/products/detail_product_cc_lowfat_1_nosalt.php). It’s admittedly REALLY low salt, so I mix a tub of the Friendship NO SALT ADDED with a standard low fat cottage cheese (of which I specifically use DAISY 2% Low Fat Cottage Cheese b/c its the “least high” in sodium of all the standard low fat cottage cheeses and has great mouthfeel) in a big bowl and repack them in the containers as a “light in sodium” (vs “no salt”), nice, balanced cottage cheese.

5. Last but NOT least…for Pizza Lovers its AC LaRocco HANDS DOWN! Just check out: www.aclarocco.com
AC LaRocco was sited by the reputed Nutrition Action Healthletter (www.cspinet.org) as the tastiest, healthy pizza in the USA and I AGREE! And they have a decent cap on their sodium content with NO compromise in taste, IMO! Its carried in the freezer section of quality grocery stores (sometimes in the organic section)….Here in the Detroit area AC LaRocco pizzas are carried in the many PLUM MARKET’s that can be found around town as well as some of the Kroger FRESH FARE stores.

…..HOPE THOSE SUGGESTIONS HELP! Now I’m off to New York City to see if Dr Oz has anything seriously helpful to say at his “Food For Your Whole Life Conference” this Sunday and Monday….if anything cool is said, or shown I’ll blog it…stay tuned and KEEP A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!! Dr Tom