Nutrition News

March 2002

In this issue:

• Facts about Flax
  
• Best way to prevent diabetes: Lifestyle!
  
• Stress and nocturnal eating
  
• Speaking of stress...
  
• Book Review: 10 Essential Foods, LaLitha Thomas
  
• Recipe of the month - Kashi muffins
  
• Favorite food of the month - Edamame
  
• Something to think about
  
• NutritionWorks upcoming events and happenings

Happy National Nutrition Month!
Now that Spring is official, let us hope the spring weather is here to stay! March is a wonderful month for National Nutrition Month as spring is a time for renewal. Take some time to reflect and direct where you would like your energy and focus on health to go this spring season. Longer days and more sunshine helps with energy levels after winter season. Take advantage of this energy to initiate and recommit to your health and wellness.

Big news here at NutritionWorks includes big congratulations to Sandi and her husband Mike as they are celebrating their wedding ceremony this month!

As always, we appreciate your ideas, feedback, and questions re: nutrition and the newsletter so please continue to email us your comments or any nutrition news you have to share. We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter!

Take care,
Kathleen and Sandi

Facts about Flax
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil have been touted as a good addition to one's diet. The health promoting and therapeutic qualities of flax making it quite popular as a additional food or dietary supplement. Flax contains omega 3 fatty acids which have been shown to lower triglycerides, act as an anticoagulant, an anti-inflammatory, and lower blood pressure. Research has shown that flax may help ward off some cancers and heart disease. It is not yet recommended for women who are pregnant or those receiving breast cancer medications. Children, young adults, and those breast feeding are recommended to use flax with caution until more research is done.

Flaxseeds need to be ground for the oil to be absorbed by the body when eaten. You can grind the whole flaxseed in a coffee grinder or blender at home before eating. Stores also sell ground flaxseed ready to eat; it just needs to be stored in a dark, air tight container in the refrigerator. Flaxseed oil is sold in a dark bottle in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets and will keep for only a couple of months. Do not put the oil in direct contact with a heat source because the heat will destroy the omega 3 fatty acids. Add ground seeds and/or oil to cereal, yogurt, salads, or soups.
Flax Counsel

Healthy Lifestyle is the best protection against Diabetes
Researchers have found that lifestyle may work better than medications in preventing Type 2 Diabetes which is the most common type of diabetes in the United States. The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group followed 3,200 people considered to be at high risk for Type 2 Diabetes. The group receiving the blood sugar lowering drug, Glucophage, developed diabetes 31% less than the placebo group. The group receiving lifestyle coaching to lose weight and exercise 2 1/2 hours a week had close to twice the reduction of incidence of diabetes with a 58% lower occurrence than the placebo group!
Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter, March 2002

Stress and Nocturnal Eating
Researchers from Norway may have linked an abnormal release of hormones in response to stress in those with night eating syndrome. The nocturnal eaters in the study had higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol circulating and less of a response to induced stress in contrast to the comparison group. The "relationship between the adrenal gland (which releases cortisol), the hypothalamus (where the appetite center is), and the pituitary (where many hormones are produced) is out of control" in the night eaters group. Stress hormones can have a direct impact not only on our metabolism and fat deposition but also our appetite.
Amer J of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, Feb 02

Speaking of Stress...
At NutritionWorks we believe in working with each client to address possible underlying issues as to why our clients might be choosing to overeat or avoid eating. Often eating or not eating is a symptom of other issues. Stress happens to be a common underlying reason for many of us. As a result, we are very excited to offer our clients stress reduction tapes recorded by a stress management specialist, Carolyn McManus. The tapes include a relaxing body scan and guided imagery. These are available through NutritionWorks for $10 each. Carolyn teaches a wonderful class called the Wellness Program at Swedish Medical Center and Kathleen is currently being trained in stress management by her this winter. If you are interested in learning more about stress management or these tapes, contact us and we'd be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.

Book Review: 10 Essential Foods by LaLitha Thomas
We are always curious about the "best foods to eat" for our health. Thomas not only lists what is called the "10 essential foods", but also includes principles for optimizing health and nutrition. Some of the principles are very enlightening and are explained with some humor and thorough explanations.

Our favorites include:

• Relax and eat the food you enjoy!
  
• Avoid extremes when it comes to nutrition principles
  
• Support sensory appeal (add color, texture, and a variety of temperatures!)
  
• Chew! "It is easy, inexpensive and highly profitable!"
  
• Educate your loved ones through "culinary creativity and enlightened encouragement"
  
• Practice conscious under-eating

Essential foods from the book include: almonds, broccoli, brown rice, sprouts, figs, carrots, dulse and sea vegetables, flaxseed oil, grapefruit, and spinach. "Fish, poultry, and meat are to be eaten wisely".

What we think:
Find your favorite foods on the list? Turn your nose up because you only eat a couple of those "essential foods"? There is no reason to make yourself eat a particular food or foods if you do not enjoy them! There are plenty of foods from these plant families that provide many similar nutrients and health promoting qualities!

Remember the first principle - enjoy your food! There is no such thing as a "perfect food". All natural plant foods contain these essential nutrients, therefore an individual food is not essential in and of itself. This is the beauty of the plant kingdom! Although we disagree with the notion that a particular food is "essential" (to a nutritionist this means you must have it in your diet to survive) there are some valuable principles and fun ideas in the book.
10 Essential Foods, LaLitha Thomas

Recipe of the Month
Fiber Friendly Kashi Muffins

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cup Kashi Good Friends or GoLEAN cereal
¾ cup skim milk, rice or soy milk
¼ cup honey
2 egg whites
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal and milk and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Add the honey and egg whites and beat well. Stir in applesauce and banana. Add flour mixture and mix only until dry ingredients are moistened (over-mixing will produce rubbery muffins). Fill sprayed muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition Analysis per serving: Calories: 100, Fat 2 grams. Fiber, 3 grams
Source: Kashi® cereals.

Favorite Food of the month
It is simple, it is easy to find and easy to prepare! It is also one of our favorite ways to eat soy - Edamame! It has been referred to as "Japanese bar food" since the Japanese have been enjoying these soybeans in the pod, steamed, and often lightly salted for ages. Edamame is one of the most natural ways to enjoy soy and get the benefits of the cholesterol lowering, cancer fighting food. You can find Edamame or "sweet beans" or "soy beans" in most grocery stores in the frozen food section. Look for the "organic" or bags marked "No GMO" meaning the soy has not been genetically engineered. It is available in the pod or already "shelled". Do not eat the shell. These are not pea pods! They are much tougher to chew. Eat as a snack, appetizer, or substitute in recipes such as salads and soups for green peas.
Try it and let us know what you think.

Something to think about:
The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want in the moment!
Source: Unknown

NutritionWorks Happenings
We have been holding classes all around the Puget Sound region these past few months! The Vegfest was thrilled with Sandi's presentation on heart health at the Seattle Center at the beginning of this month. Sandi will be involved in another presentation with the Vegetarians of Washington on April 21st, details to be posted on our website when times are confirmed.

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, invite your friends and family and come join us. We look forward to seeing you there!

Tasty Soy & Your Health
NutritionWorks is cooking and teaching about the wonders of soy on Weds. April 17th from 6:30- 8:30 pm at Third Place Books in Bothell. Come join us for an evening of fun in this new venue for us! To register call: (206) 366-3333.

Health Grocery Shopping
Join Sandi at Sno-Isle Co-op in Everette on April 27th from 10 - 11:30. Bring your questions about nutrition and your favorite food products. Call (425) 259-3798 to register.

Improve Your Cholesterol, Manage Your Health
Join Kathleen at Providence Swedish Medical Center in Seattle on April 24th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm to learn what the numbers mean and what to do about them. Call (206) 386-2502 to register.

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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