Nutrition News

February 2002

In this issue:

• Cholesterol matters - even for younger men
  
• Good news on how you may improve your memory
  
• Potatoes - the most misunderstood vegetable
  
• Client tips on dealing with sugar cravings
  
• Recipe of the month - Creamy Bow Tie Primavera
  
• Favorite food of the month - Bearitos microwave popcorn
  
• NutritionWorks upcoming events and happenings
  

Hi there!

The sun is shining and, after a brisk walk around Greenlake, we definitely feel like Spring may just be in the air. It's a great time to start getting more active. Also, remember to check out what new fruits and vegetables are coming into the stores. Try one new fruit or vegetable a week to get some good variety into your diet!

We have lots of upcoming events in March so read on for those details, as well as lots of other useful information.

Thank you to those clients who have been submitting questions and experiences for the newsletter.

As always, we appreciate your feedback so email us your comments or any nutrition news you have to share.

Take care,
Sandi and Kathleen

Cholesterol Matters - even for younger men
In a study of men younger than 40, those with blood cholesterol levels below 200 had an estimated life expectancy that was 3.8 to 8.7 years longer than that of men with cholesterol levels of 240 or more. The lower their cholesterol, the longer the men lived. So make sure you know your cholesterol numbers even at a younger age!

J. Ameri. Med. Assoc. 284: 311, 365, 2000.

Good news about how you may improve your memory
Exercise - which of course, benefits the heart by making it pump blood more efficiently - also has positive effects on the brain. Four months of regular aerobic exercise sharpened memory and reduced depression in a group of men and women aged 50 to 77, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

University of California, Berkeley Wellness Letter, April 2001

Potatoes: The Most Misunderstood Vegetable
If you are like most people, you probably have a love-hate relationship with potatoes. You love them because they are so versatile but hate them because they are "high in starch". As nutritionists, we hear potatoes constantly being maligned. It may surprise you to know that starch is no more fattening than protein or any other form of carbohydrate. In fact, starch is simply the storage form of carbohydrates for plants. Just as humans store carbohydrates as glycogen, plants store their carbs as starch... not a bad thing. As educated consumers, we know that carbohydrates don't make us fat, too many calories do!

Need more reason to pick up a potato for dinner? Potatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium, a good source of fiber, and are fat and cholesterol free! How is that for a dreamy food?

Following is a list of the other benefits that make potatoes positively nutritious:

- One medium potato (6 ounces) contains 21% of the daily value for potassium. Potassium has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

- One medium potato contains 37% of the daily value for Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant found in potatoes. Antioxidants protect cells by neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances that travel through cells, disrupting the structure of other molecules, causing cellular damage. Vitamin C is also necessary for the body to produce collagen, which helps hold bone tissue together.

- Potatoes contain glutathione, an antioxidant that may protect against some forms of cancer. Asparagus, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, and raw tomatoes have high amounts of glutathione as well.

- Potatoes are a good source of dietary fiber. One medium potato with skin contains 3 grams of fiber, which can help you reach the recommended daily value of 25 grams. Fiber is beneficial for a healthy digestive system and may reduce the risk of some cancers and possibly heart disease. Consuming adequate fiber with water can also help to keep you feeling full in between meals.

- Potatoes are just one part of a healthy lifestyle, which should also include regular physical activity, controlling portion sizes, and a balanced diet. The best guide for eating well is to follow the Food Guide Pyramid, which includes consuming a minimum of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

Here are some ways to incorporate potatoes into your diet:
- Top a split baked potato with canned beans, cooked frozen corn, nonfat sour cream, and salsa.
- Use a potato as a base for stir-fried vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, peppers or carrots.
- Enjoy!

Source: The Journal of The American Dietetic Association, February 2002.

Client tips on dealing with sugar cravings
Cyndy has made some very significant changes to her lifestyle and submitted a great strategy that she uses to deal with sugar cravings

Cyndy writes:
"I'm an admitted sugar and starch addict. Love breads, love pasta, love cookies, pies, pastries, and sweets. But since I've been working hard at
checking for whole-wheat alternatives to much of my wheat intake, as well as reducing (but not eliminating) the wheat products I eat in general, I have noticed an interesting change in my cravings. I still crave sugar and sweets but not nearly as much as I have in the past. Breaking the sugar cycle is hard but by substituting at least some whole grains and reducing the white flour, it's obvious to me that staying OFF the sugar for longer is much easier. And when I do give in and have my cake or sweets or whatever, I don't necessarily find myself craving sweets the next day or even later in the same day like I have consistently in the past."

Thanks Cyndy for sharing your experience!
Let us know if you have found effective ways of dealing with your sugar cravings. Sandi likes to include some in her diet often in small quantities so she does not feel deprived!

Recipe of the Month
Creamy Bow Tie Primavera

Ingredients:
8 oz. bow tie pasta, uncooked
1 cup broccoli flowerets
1 cup sliced carrots
1 pkg. (8 oz.) fat free cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup (1 oz.) reduced fat parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:
Prepare pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli and carrots to water during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain.

Stir cream cheese, milk, grated topping, onions and seasonings in large saucepan on low heat until smooth.

Add pasta and vegetables; toss lightly. This low fat pasta dish is loaded with vitamin A from the carrots and is a good source of vitamin C and calcium, too!

Nutrition Analysis per serving: Calories 220, Total fat 2 g, Sodium 290 mg, Dietary fiber 2 g.

Source: www.backofthebox.com

Favorite Food of the month
We are popcorn fans and the average microwave popcorn in the grocery store is high in salt and fat (especially saturated fat). However, we have found some no fat, no salt microwave popcorn, which makes a great high fiber snack. It is called Bearitos and you can find it at most grocery stores in the natural foods section. If you like a buttered popcorn taste, buy some "Can't believe it's not Butter" spray and use that instead of melted butter for far less fat.
Try it and let us know what you think.

NutritionWorks Happenings
We have lots of classes planned for the rest of February, as well as for March. We have a few highlights listed below but for a complete upcoming schedule, go to www.NutritionWorkSeattle.com and click on Upcoming Events.

Find a class that interests you and come and join us. We look forward to seeing you there!

• Sandi will be teaching an exciting class called Healthy Menopause on Tuesday 5th March from 7-8:30 p.m. at Evergreen Medical Center in Kirkland. To register, call (425) 899-3000
• Are you interested in weight management?
  Join us on Monday 18th March at Discover U in Northgate for a
  Food Combining for Weight Loss Seminar.
  To register, call (206) 365-0400.
• Join us at Vegfest at the Seattle Center!
  This is a wonderful 2-day event organized by Vegetarians of Washington. There are speakers, a huge book fair, samples, food, cooking demos, kids' activities and more.
  Sandi's presentation "Help out Your Heart" will be at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday 2nd March. For more details, check out www.vegofwa.org

For more information, please call us at (206) 551-3407 or email us at NutritionWorkSeattle@hotmail.com
We look forward to having you join us!

We'd love to hear from you

• Let us know if you'd like us to write about a particular topic or if you have a question you would like printed in the newsletter!
  
• Want to share? If you have had success with managing your health or weight by using a specific technique or would like to share favorite ideas or foods or recipes, please send those in and we will print them in the next newsletter, honoring your privacy if requested of course.
  
• If you know of anyone who would like a nutrition or wellness presentation offered, please let him or her know about NutritionWorks!

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