Nutrition News

October 2001

Hi there!
The fall colors are just perfect right now. Remember to stop and look at the beautiful trees - the leaves will fall before we know it!
Read on for some great information. As always, we appreciate your feedback so email us your comments or any nutrition news you have to share.
Take care,
Sandi and Kathleen

Mediterranean Lifestyle
Research shows that the traditional diet of the Mediterranean region of southern Italy and Greece in the 1960's had a profound health benefit on the populations living in this region. The life span was longer and the rates of chronic disease were much less than populations around the world.

The traditional diet included whole grains, vegetables, and fruit with moderate amounts of fish and dairy with very limited processed food and red meat.

One component most think of with the Mediterranean diet is olive oil. This oil is a monounsaturated source of fat. This type of fat has advantages over other types of fat in that it may help lower LDL cholesterol and sustains or improves HDL cholesterol levels.

It is, however, important to remember that even though olive oil is the preferred source of fat for heart health, it is still a source of fat, which means it is caloric and if used in too high of amounts, is a promoter of weight gain.

Another key component to the Mediterranean diet is regular consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol in the form of wine with meals. Alcohol can help elevate HDL cholesterol somewhat and the polyphenols found in wine may act as powerful antioxidants protecting the arteries.

The title of this article is the Mediterranean Lifestyle...this is because food alone is not what helped this population stay healthy. Physical activity was also part of every day living and significantly improves human health against chronic diseases. Other key characteristics of the Mediterranean Diet include eating seasonally, locally, and making meals enjoyable!

Back from Cambodia and Vietnam by Kathleen
Well, re-entry from abroad is always a challenge, but after the events on Sept. 11 re-entry has a completely different meaning. Myself, my husband, sister and her boyfriend traveled mostly Cambodia for a couple of weeks and the rest in Vietnam. The people in this part of the world are incredibly friendly and warm.

The age dominating the region for both countries is less than 15 years old. Children always make a visit abroad enjoyable because of the knack of curiosity and willingness to express it!

The food was delicious and consisted of vegetable stir-fry with cashews, rice, Cambodian curry, and wonderful tropical fruits such as pineapple, papaya, watermelon, little finger bananas, and dragon fruit.

Stop by our office to see the magnet replicas of all the tropical fruits I picked up there! Angkor Watt, an ancient group of temples, located in Northern Cambodia was a fascinating creation of awe and wonder! As much as I love Asia, I am glad to be home.

In the research: Exercise and weight management.... Good news!

It is true! No longer is it only beneficial for cardiovascular fitness or for weight management to exercise for at least 20-30 minutes. Research is showing short spurts of exercise of 10 minutes can help improve aerobic fitness as well as promote weight loss just as effectively as long sessions of exercise. This is great news for many of us who have a difficult time maintaining a regular exercise routine of 30 minute increments.
Oct. J Am Coll. Nutr 2001; 20:494-501

Cookbook Recommendations
For those of you dealing with foo allergies and intolerances, these cookbooks are a great find. All three are by Carol Fenster.

• Wheat Free Recipes and Menus (wheat and gluten free)
• Special Diet Solutions (no wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, yeast or refined sugar)
  
• Special Diet Celebrations (no wheat, gluten, dairy or eggs)

Spicy tidbits
Now that it is squash season, try baking your favorite squash (ours is butternut squash) and then sprinkling some pumpkin pie spice over the top of it to make a delicious dish.
Another easy seasonal delight would be baked apples or pears with apple pie spice sprinkled over the top for some zip.

Favorite Food of the month
Now that it is getting a bit cooler outside, I wanted to let you know about a tasty and convenient product many clients enjoy! The food is Health Valley Chili. Meal idea is to pour the heated chili over a baked potato with some scallions on top! This makes for a filling and incredibly nutritious quick meal.

Seattle Happenings
The last days of the Pike Place organic market last through the month of October. Come see talented chef and friend, Walter Bronowitz, on Wednesday Oct. 31st from 11 - 1 p.m. for a cooking demonstration using seasonal foods.

NutritionWorks Happenings

• Kathleen and Sandi plan to be teaching community classes at the Experimental College this upcoming winter quarter. We will keep you posted on the details.
• Kathleen is traveling to Los Angles to speak to the Gluten Intolerance Group about Genetically Engineered foods. Kathleen completed her Master's thesis on this topic.
• Sandi is busy teaching classes at local grocery stores on how to shop for your health, food allergies, and fad diets.

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!
  
• A nutrition consultation makes a great holiday gift. We have gift certificates available for initial consults as well as packages.

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