Nutrition News

September 2002

In this issue:

• Plant compounds keep disease away – new study
• Fit Versus Fat Controversy
• Fifty minute nutrition consults
• Does your insurance cover nutrition consults?
• Great cookbook from NutritionWorks Bookstore
• Recipe of the Month: Marinated Mushroom and Garden Vegetable Salad
• Favorite Product of the Month – Imagine Soups
• NutritionWorks upcoming events and happenings

Hello!
This has been a month of reflection and contemplation for many of us. The commemoration of September 11th continues to remind us to slow down, appreciate our blessings and take time for those we love. When we are aware of the preciousness of each moment, we can remember to focus on the things that are most important to us – nurturing ourselves, connecting deeply with family and friends, and devoting time to the activities we enjoy.

We also want to wish our Jewish clients and friends a Shanah Tovah – a sweet and happy New Year. May it be a year of peace, health and prosperity for all.

We appreciate the requests, comments and feedback so we can continue to bring you information, ideas, and recipes for you to enjoy and benefit from.

Kathleen and Sandi

Plant Compounds Keep Disease Away
At NutritionWorks, we focus strongly on the importance of increasing the amounts of fruit and vegetables that we eat on a daily basis. New findings from Finland support this health promoting idea.

In a study of more than 10,000 men and women, individuals who consumed more of plant compounds called flavonoids were less likely to die from heart disease or develop a variety of chronic diseases, including lung cancer, asthma, stroke and diabetes.

"The message of our study is that individuals consuming fruits and vegetables rich in different flavonoids have a reduced risk of overall mortality and of several chronic diseases," said Dr. Paul Knekt of the National Public Health Institute in Helsinki.

He added, "This study underlines the suggestion that a healthy diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables”.

Flavonoids, which are found in a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as in tea and red wine, are thought to boost health in part by combating oxidation, a process in which cell-damaging substances called free radicals accumulate. Oxidative damage can be caused by outside factors, such as cigarette smoking, or by factors on the cellular level. Oxidation is suspected of increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke and several other diseases.

The results of the study suggest that the risk of several chronic diseases--including heart disease, stroke, lung and prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes and asthma--drops as the consumption of flavonoids rises, Knekt and his colleagues conclude in a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Most of the benefits seemed to stem from quercetin, although several other flavonoids including kaempferol (found for example in onions) seemed to be protective as well..

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002;76:560-568. Adapted from Reuters Health,2002.

Fit Versus Fat Controversy
For the past decade there has been a heated debate in the scientific community as to which is more detrimental to health and longevity: being overweight or being unfit.

With approximately 55% of women in the United States estimated to be overweight, this is an important question.

Last month, Dr. Steven Blair and colleagues at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas published the results of a long-term study on over 9,000 women addressing this question. Their
results demonstrated that cardiovascular fitness, as measured on a treadmill, was much more important than body weight in reducing overall mortality. In fact, the women who were overweight but were moderately to highly fit were at a significantly lower risk of dying over the more than 10-year follow-up period than the women in the ideal body weight
category who were in the low fitness category. This research supports earlier findings reported for men.

So does that mean that it doesn’t matter whether you are overweight or not. Not necessarily. We know that moderate weight loss is important for reducing type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis.

But what this research and the cumulative evidence to date suggest is that we need to focus more on fitness and less on losing weight. Our society is obsessed with weight loss.

What we need to have is a healthy, strong message for women of all ages to concentrate on fitness first and then sound, moderate weight loss if necessary.

One of our clients at NutritionWorks reminds herself of this often – she uses the phrase “ Fitness is its own reward” to remember that fitness has so many other benefits besides weight loss.

Adapted from Miriam Nelson.

Fifty-Minute Nutrition Consults
From October 1st, we will be working hard at NutritionWorks to keep nutrition consults to a 50-minute time slot. This will help to ensure that clients are not kept waiting for their appointment, and that schedules run smoothly.
Please feel free to give us feedback via email or in person as we institute this schedule change.

Does Your Insurance Cover Nutrition Consults?
Many people have questions regarding insurance coverage of nutrition consults. Coverage often varies from plan to plan even within the same insurance company. Some plans will cover particular diagnoses but not others. Some require physician referrals and some have limits on number of visits allowed per calendar year.

For your convenience, we have attached an insurance form to the home page of our website www.NutritionWorkSeattle.com

You can download the form, which guides you through the most important questions to ask your insurance company to assess your coverage.

Unfortunately, information given to you by the insurance company does not guarantee coverage but it does give you a good idea of the coverage you can expect.

We have a service called A&R Billing, which handles all of our insurance billing. Our representative is Anna and she can be reached at (206) 725 0683 if you have any further questions about insurance coverage or payments.

Great Cookbook from NutritionWorks bookstore!

At NutritionWorks, we often talk about the health benefits of including more whole soy foods in our diets.

One of our favorite soy cookbooks is Soyfoods Cookery – Your Road to Better Health by Louise Hagler.

This is a user-friendly cookbook for people who are just beginning to use soy, as well as for those of us who eat soy on a regular basis. The recipes are quick, easy and delicious. The book includes explanations of different types of soy products and encourages the use of soy in both familiar and new dishes.

The marinated tofu and tempeh kebabs are a favorite!

Order Soyfoods Cookery at our bookstore at www.NutritonWorkSeattle.com.

Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Recipe of the Month
Marinated Mushroom and Garden Vegetable Salad

10 ounces (about 3 cups) fresh white mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces (about 3 cups) broccoli florets
1 small, cut in 1/2 inch chunks (about 1 cup) zucchini
1 medium, cut in 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups) sweet red bell pepper
4 ounces (about 1 cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup low-fat Italian dressing
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey

In large bowl combine mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, pepper, and tomatoes.
In small bowl combine Italian dressing, vinegar and honey; mix well.
Pour dressing over vegetable mixture; toss until well coated.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, tossing occasionally.
Just before serving, drain lightly.
Serve on bed of soft lettuce as a side dish or make a light main dish by adding strips of cooked chicken breast, or a cup of garbanzo beans (or beans of your choice).

Makes 8 servings.

Adapted from www.mushroomcouncil.org

Favorite Product of the Month – Imagine Soups
There is starting to be a chill in the air…what better time for some quick and easy soup!
Imagine soups look like milk cartons and you will find them in the natural foods section of Fred Meyer and QFC, as well as in natural foods stores.

They are low fat, dairy free and gluten free – and they taste really good!

Our favorite is the tomato soup, but there are a variety of options including cream of mushroom and cream of broccoli. We often use them as a base and then add extra vegetables and/or canned beans.

They are higher in sodium than if you made soup from scratch yourself – but are lower in sodium than many other brands on the market.
Give them a try – we would love to hear your opinion on these!

NutritionWorks Happenings
We have another fall quarter packed with a variety of fun, informative nutrition classes. Below are a few highlights, but visit our website at www.NutritionWorkSeattle.com for a complete list of upcoming classes.

We are back in the Northgate area at Discover U teaching our Food Combining class on Sept. 23. For more information and registration call (206) 365-0400 or visit www.discoveru.org.

We are teaching “Food and Mood” classes at PCC in Greenlake, West Seattle and Issaquah. The first class is Sat Sept 28th from 1-3pm, and the next two are Oct 19th and October 21st. This is a great class if you are battling with sugar cravings – call PCC at (206) 545 7112 to register.

Eastside classes include Bringing in the Harvest, 5 a Day, Occupational Eating Hazards, and Supplements. Please call (425) 899-3000 to learn more about dates, times, and future offerings.

We look forward to having you join us!

• Thank you to those of you with questions and suggested recommended topics. Continue to let us know if you have any questions.
• If you'd like to share experiences or successes with managing your health, favorite recipes, or newly discovered foods...we'd love to hear from you!
• If you know anyone who would like a nutrition/wellness presentation offered, please tell them about NutritionWorks!

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