Soy has been promoted as a miracle food, after all it is low in fat and has no cholesterol. Researchers thought it might decrease breast cancer risk, minimize hot flashes, and increase bone density in women. Then came soy’s backlash.

Dr. Bruce Trock , director of epidemiology division at the Brady Urological Institute, states that soy foods are fine, soy supplements can be hazardous and should be watched. “None of the studies that have looked at normal consumption of soy foods have given any indication of risk, as long as people are trying trying to get their soy from dietary sources, eating things like tofu, soy milk, soy nuts, miso soup etc.” He states it is unlikely that people will experience any real risk from dietary sources. A study recently presented at the American Association for Cancer Research earlier this year, looked at data from more than 18,000 breast cancer survivors, concluded that women can eat soy foods without increasing their cancer risk.

Trock reports the soy supplements can be dangerous because many are highly processed, which might change the biological activity of the soy product. In several animal studies, soy supplements caused an increase in tumor growth, another study found that the more processed the soy product was, the more it increased the rate of growth in tumors of lab animals. With supplements it is possible to get individual nutrients in very high dosages and of different proportions than you would from eating soy foods.

Here’s the deal, soy’s micronutrient, our body uses micronutrients in small doses, and they don’t just work alone, they work in combination with other micronutrients. It not just about the dosage of one micronutrient, but about the balance of micronutrients, Trock says.

Our solution may be as straight forward as losing weight. In a recent report published in the September issue of Health Affairs (2011;30[9], 1693-79. Enrolling overweight adults aged 60- 64 in a proven weight loss program if they are diabetic or at risk for cardiovascular disease could save billions of dollars in a lifetime. Medicare savings could rage from $7 billion to $15billion according to the studies authors.

Lifestyle modification programs such as National Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trials has been shown to reduce the incidence of chronic disease, producing a net health care savings. The authors of this study suggest we may need an incentive program such as reimbursements for positive lifestyle management. Good idea!

Take home message- My guess is participants with greater muscle mass practiced a healthy lifestyle in general, preventing diabetes in addition to heart disease, cancer and arthritis. This is one more study pointing us in the right direction.

Scientists reported in the journal Environmental Science and Technology that replacing meat and/or dairy with other protein sources such as vegetable based dishes a single day per week could have the same climate impact as buying all household food from local providers (Webers and Matthews 2008).

Should we embrace a plant based diet? Absolutely, there is no other way to remedy our current environmental concerns. A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization report addresses this issue and states it’s vital importance.Experts determined that raising cattle for burgers is generating more climate warming greenhouse gases, plus methane, than our transportation system.Care and feeding of the livestock consumes 30% of the earths land, contributing to further global warming.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that as a nation we consume 200 pounds of beef, poultry, and fish per year ( USDA 2002). The Environmental Working Group reports that if each American skipped meat or dairy one day a week for a year it would be the equivalent to removing 7.6 million cars from the road.

What would happen if we all became vegans?

The benefits of a plant based diet on our health are numerous. Take a look around in your daily travels, it seems that most Americans are carrying way to much weight. Obesity is everywhere and we are paying for it in our healthcare costs. Waistlines everywhere would benefit from the plant based diet movement. Here are the results of a few research studies to help send the message home.

Researchers at Boston’s Tufts University compared food questionnaires from 55,000 healthy women, finding that semivegitarians who consume just small amounts of animal based products were 11% less likely to be overweight or obese than those who ate animal products.( Newby, Tucker, and Wolk 2005).

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association study showed that people who ate and drank more calories from animal proteins were at greater risk of being overweight or obese than those who consumed less animal protein.(Murtaugh et al.2007)

The New England Journal of Medicine involving 120,000 men and women determined that a four year weight loss was associated with the intake of fruit, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains, while the consumption of red meat, processed meat, and sugar sweetened beverages was a risk factor for obesity. (Mozaffarian et al.(2011).

Why does a whole food, plant based diet promote weightloss? First, plant based foods are lower in calories (4 cal/gm) compared to fatty animal food (9cal/gm).Second, plant based food is high in fiber which tends to add to satiety . So we are left with a perfect combination of feeling full on less calories. It’s a win-win!

Research shows that as little as five minutes of outdoor physical activity improves mood and self-esteem.

Five minute mood boosters-

Take a quick lunch time walk to smell the fresh air and see the blue sky.

Run a fast mile, come back to work invigorateated!

Go play with your dog.

Garden

Step out on your patio for a mid-day stretch.

Organize family fun outdoors.

E

Individuals in the high intensity group performed 30 second maximal effort sprint four times with a 30 second rest between each sprint; this was performed three times a week. As weeks progressed so did the intensity of the protocol, eventually performing six repititions with a 20 second recovery.

The moderate intensity group exercised at a 70% VO2 max. for 20 minutes three times a week.

The results of this study revealed that the moderate intensity group experienced improvements in BMI, body fat percentage, systolic blood pressure, and HDL and LDL cholesterol levels. The HIT group saw little improvement in BMI and body fat percentage; but experienced improvements in systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The studies authors stated ” It is not surprising that traditional endurance exercise appears to have the greatest effect on CVD risk factors over a 7 -week period; but brief intense exercise is a time efficient way to improve CVD risk factors in adolescents.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE- Today adolescents are on tremendous pressure to meet the increasing demands of life often at the expense of their health. This study demonstrates another option for our time pressed youth.

According to the data collected from this report, counseling participants on HOW to become more committed to an exercise program yields greater results than spouting off all the reasons WHY we should exercise.

” The focus needs to shift from increasing knowledge about the benefits of exercise to discussing strategies to change behaviors and increase activity levels” stated lead study author Vicki Conn of University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing.

The bottom line- Let’s be honest, we all know we should exercise on a daily basis.The problem arises when we get stuck in how to make a exercise program stick CONSISTENTLY.The best way to accomplish this is to take a look at your lifestyle, exercise preferences, family and work commitments. Pick a time when you are least likely to be interrupted and make it a non- negotiable item on your to do list.

More than a third of adults and nearly 17% of children in the United States are obese, increasing there chances of developing chronic health problems as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease and some cancers. Studies have shown that obese children are more likely to remain obese as adults, developing chronic health problems ,further burdening the healthcare system.

NIH’s Recommendations include

- discovering processes that regulate bodyweight and influence behavior.

- understanding factors that contribute and influence obesity.

-designing and testing new approaches for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

- developing strategies to prevent obesity in real world settings.

- using technology to advance obesity research and improve healthcare delivery.

This plan will Initially focus on the science of weight loss and the factors that contribute to obesity.Eventually reaching into public awareness to increase education that can applied in community and medical practices.

The warmer weather can be an inspiration to shed our winter fat and to start healthy lifestyle improvements. With temperatures rising and days getting longer motivation and exercise time increase. Aerobic exercise has been shown to significantly improve HDL (good cholesterol) while also decreasing blood triglycerides . The higher a persons aerobic capacity is the higher HDL levels. We should aim for a minimum of 120 minutes of aerobic activity per week. An early morning or after dinner walk of 20 minutes six days a week is a modest investment with great returns. Greater durations will lead to greater improvements in HDL. Keep in mind a vigorous pace is required to reap the benefits of exercise.

Summertime is barbecue time, with that comes plenty of food and alcoholic beverages. I have found that barbecue can be a nutritional disaster or a Garden of Eden. To improve HDL the American Heart Association (2011) recommends a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium, and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-grain and high fiber foods, and fat-free and low fat dairy. A healthy Mediterranean barbecue menu that includes grilled omega -3 rich fish such as salmon, trout and mackerel accompanied by salads made of green leafy vegetables and walnuts for some added crunch can be very satisfying. Seasonal fruit can be a great substitute for calorically dense deserts.

Moderate alcohol intake has been shown to increase HDL, heavy alcohol use has been shown to increase fatty acid accumulation in the blood and impair triglyceride removal. A good way to avoid overindulging is to drink double handed. One hand holds your alcoholic beverage and the other a bottle of mineral water and go sip for sip!

One good habit often leads to another, if you smoke please stop. The more you smoke the lower your HDL; by quitting HDL will rise within two weeks.

Hopefully, when the leaves fall once again you will have established a heart healthy lifestyle to survive another winter.

Good Luck,
Mary Ellen

The FDA has also announced the development of a new method to alert and quickly warn consumers about new tainted products as they are discovered. FDA tests have found undeclared active ingredients in products that are marketed as dietary supplements such as:

• Anti-coagulants
• Anti-convulsants
• Cholesterol medications
• Erectile dysfunction medications
• Beta blockers
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Anabolic steroids
• Obesity medications found to cause heart problems

Lawful supplements include vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients meant to supplement the standard diet. However, the most common categories of so-called dietary supplements that contain illegal substances or contaminants include:

• Weight loss products – more than 40 tainted products such as Sibutramine found in Slimming Beauty, Solo Slim and Slim-30
• Body Building products – more that 80 tainted products such as Tren Xtreme, ArimaDex, and Clomed. These have been found to contain anabolic steroids.
• Sexual enhancement products – more than 70 tainted products such as Vigor-25, Duro Extend Capsules for Men, and Magic Power Coffee.

National Council on Strength and Fitness, E-News, January Issue 2011

Many studies have shown that exercise is key to preventing or controlling Type 2 diabetes, but that can be challenging to squeeze that in during the day for some. Strong evidence has also found that “unplanned” activity is also very helpful, especially for those who have sedentary jobs. This type of activity can be taking the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. One study done on a university hospital setting found employees who took the stairs increased maximal aerobic capacity by 9% while lowering LDL-cholesterol, BMI, and blood pressure. A little exercise really can go a long way.

Volpe, Stella L., Ph.D, R.D., L.D.N., FACSM. ACSM’s Certified News, Oct-Dec 2010. Vol. 20:4, pp. 5-6