The Green (Smoothie) Revolution

Greens are here to stay, and not just because spring is finally upon us. However, this is most certainly a cause for celebration! No, I’m referring to the green smoothie trend that seems to have taken over. These vibrantly coloured drinks are a deliciously simple, quick and portable way to up your intake of green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, both of which are rich in vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron and folate, as well as dietary fibre and various antioxidants. If done right, green smoothies can be a true breakfast of champions, an afternoon pick-me-up snack, or even a delicious dessert. What better alternative to caffeinated drinks and sugary, starchy processed snacks and sweets?

Although smoothie-making is not an exact science, here’s a simple formula for whipping up a nutrient-dense smoothie to get you started:

Step 1: Pick a liquid base (1 cup)

• Use dairy milk, soy milk, almond milk or water

Step 2: Choose your leafy greens (1 large handful/1 cup)

• Try kale, spinach, bok choy or collard greens

Step 3: Add some fruit (1-2 cups, fresh or frozen)

• Banana, berries, avocado, pear, mango and pineapple are all great options

Step 4: Optional add-ins

• Ground flax, chia or hemp seeds, almond butter, coconut oil, cocoa powder, cinnamon, etc.

Step 5: Combine all ingredients, blend well, and serve! Yield: one serving.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless! Feel free to experiment until you find your favourite combination.  One of my personal favourites combines unsweetened vanilla almond milk, kale, one medium banana, ½ an avocado, ½ cup frozen blueberries and one tsp cinnamon.

Is there any better way to make sure you get your 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day?

Happy Smoothie-ing!

Health Benefits of Caffeine

Caffeine is the most widely used substance on the planet. Are there health benefits from caffeine or is most of the world just poisoning themselves?

We’ve dug through our archives and put together a list of some of the possible caffeine health benefits according to different studies that have been conducted over the years.

10+ Caffeine Health Benefits

1.    In Japan researchers have shown that caffeine increases memory. Also, a newer study out of Johns Hopkins University showed that a 200mg caffeine pill helped boost memory consolidation.

2.    Caffeine mixed with carbs replenishes muscle glycogen concentrations faster after exercise.

3.    Caffeine detoxes the liver and cleanses the colon when taken as acaffeine enema.

4.    Caffeine is better than sleep when you need to be alert while driving.

5.    Caffeine can stimulate hair growth on balding men and women.

6.    Caffeine relieves post work-out muscle pain by up to 48%.

7.    Caffeine helps ward off Alzheimer’s.

8.    Caffeine can ease depression by increasing dopamine in the brain.

9.    Caffeine increases stamina during exercise.

10. Caffeine protects against eyelid spasm.

11. Caffeine may protect against Cataracts.

12. Caffeine may prevent skin cancer. A new study out of Rutgers University found that caffeine prevented skin cancer in hairless mice.

13. People who consume caffeine have a lower risk of suicide. Src.

14. Caffeine may reduce fatty liver in those with non-alcohol related fatty liver disease. This study comes out of Duke University.

15. Caffeine consuming men showed increased semen volume and significantly less sperm DNA fragmentation than non-caffeine consuming men. Src.

There can be negative health consequences from consuming too much caffeine, so don’t go too crazy. Also some of the benefits of caffeine have only been researched within the context of caffeinated coffee.

Here are some further health benefits when the caffeine is consumed via coffee. It is also interesting that these benefits didn’t carry over to those that drank decaffeinated coffee.

Caffeinated Coffee Health Benefits

1.    Caffeinated coffee cuts mouth and throat cancer risk by 50%.

2.    Coffee can reduce risk of stroke as much as 22%.

3.    Shown to reduce the risk of several types of cancer.

4.    Heart rhythm disturbance hospitalizations decrease with coffee drinkers.

5.    Coffee decreases risk of type 2 diabetes.

6.    Caffeinated Coffee may help with weight loss. Research out of Melbourne, Australia is finding that study participants are reporting decreased appetite when drinking regular coffee as opposed to decaf or caffeine tablets as part of an ongoing study.

7.    People who drink at least 4 coffees or teas have lower blood pressure according to a new study out of Paris. Tea drinkers had the most blood pressure benefit, while coffee drinkers had just slightly less.

8.    Research out of Greece shows that Greek boiled coffee may increase longevity and heart health.

While this list might seem like a green light for caffeine consumption, it does come with a few caveats. In most cases the caffeine health benefits were realized by those who consumed moderate coffee/caffeine amounts. Also in some of the studies above, the caffeine was concentrated and applied directly to the body area being researched, i.e. cataracts and baldness etc.. Therefore, dietary caffeine would not produce the same results.

We can conclude that caffeine consumed via natural sources is probably the best since many of the health benefits of caffeine are probably largely due to the high antioxidant levels found in regular coffee and tea.

Foods and Our Mood

Many individuals are unaware of the impact food can have on one's mood. Certain foods actually have the ability to boost your mood. These foods essentially have the ability to increase the concentration of Serotonin in your body. Essentially, Serotonin (a neurotransmitter) works to send messages from one side of the brain to another and it is believed that it is this neurotransmitter that has the power to tell us we're hungry, tell us we're happy or even induce motivation. Many of the foods we eat have different benefits that may have the ability to naturally increase one's mood. We must also remember that our lifestyle choices play pivotal roles in the maintenance of our health. Exercise is important in keeping Serotonin balanced; it is also an important mood elevator. Choose happier foods and colorful foods, many of them have the natural ability to increase 5-HT in your body via their high levels of Tryptophan. Some of these high Tryptophan foods include:

Broccoli
Pineapple 
Bananas 
Kiwi
Tomatoes
Spinach
Dates
Cantaloupe
Eggplant
Figs
Grapefruit
Honeydew melon 

Remember that Tryptophan is the precursor for Serotonin, by increasing Tryptophan, you are naturally increasing Serotonin (5-HT). Feeling down lately? Try and integrate some of the foods above into your every day diet!

The “Yoga Mat” Chemical

The chemical azodicarbonamide, which is known to the public as the “yoga mat” chemical, has recently made headlines following Subway’s statement that they were removing the ingredient from its bread. This chemical gained attention after a blogger brought attention to the fact that the chemical is included in flip flops and yoga mats, and this expectedly resulted in negative responses from the public.

Azodicarbonamide (ADA) is commonly found in packaged foods, including breads and croutons, and is responsible for giving these products a buoyant quality. It is also known as a “foaming agent” that makes the dough rise more rapidly.

This substance has previously been banned in Australia and Europe, and this is because of its link to respiratory issues. However, it is approved by the FDA if present in levels below 45 parts per million.

A nonprofit advocacy organization known as the Environmental Working Group made the acknowledgment that “ADA is not known to be toxic to people in the concentration approved by the FDA”. They also claimed that ADA is an industrial chemical, and not a food, with the purpose of improving the convenience for bakers.

So, there seems to be mixed views on this chemical, and it appears to be non-toxic at levels present in the food we consume. But the real question: is ADA truly a necessary ingredient in the foods we consume?

Chia Invasion

Many of us have heard about the numerous benefits of Chia seeds – from drinks to desserts, these tiny seeds have found their way into many of our diets.

From the Salvia hispanica plant, these seeds have quite a long history and many experts claim that they were used by Mayan and Aztec cultures for their power to heal.

So what’s the big deal? What makes these seeds so great for us?

In each 1 oz serving of chia seeds there are;

• 138 calories
• 5 grams of protein
• 9 grams of fat
• 10 g of fiber
• Significant amounts of calcium and omega 3s

These seeds can be eaten whole or ground – when combined with liquid the seeds swell and form a gel, and interestingly this gel can take the place of eggs in a recipe or of the ingredient pectin in jam!

Some claims out there imply that chia seeds have impact on controlling hunger and promotion of a healthy heart but there are still some inconsistencies. For example, only 3 of 4 published clinical trials showed health benefits (including weight loss, reduced blood sugar, and decreased triglyceride levels).

These seeds can be sprinkled on pretty much anything or added to puddings, yogurts, veggie patties, and can also be ground into flour to be used in baked goods etc.

There seem to be many potential benefits of these nutrient-packed seeds, so if there’s no harm in adding them to our diet then, why not?

The History of Canada’s Food Guide

When Canada was at war in 1942, the government implemented the first version of Canada’s Food Guide known as Canada’s Official Food Rules. The government felt it should give people guidance on how to eat to stay healthy in spite of food shortages. The original purpose of nutrition advice was to prevent nutrient deficiencies.

Today many Canadians are overweight and at risk for diseases. Therefore today the food guide is designed to help people reduce their risk of chronic disease and obesity. It has also been designed strategically to make sure people consume the right amount of micronutrients, while properly balancing macronutrients. You can easily obtain your own copy of Canada’s Food Guide from Health Canada’s website. You can even develop your own personal food guide tailored specifically to the types of foods you eat more often.

Even though the newest food guide has been designed in an era where there is much more nutritional knowledge, I think the original ‘Food Rules’ can still teach us all a valuable lesson.  The rules were developed to help people know which foods to eat in order to survive, and avoid nutrient deficiency diseases. They ate for survival! Simple as that. I think much of today’s obesity epidemic could be solved if we all learned how to eat for necessity. This includes a varied, moderated, balanced diet that is adequate for health.

Special thanks to Eric for the idea of “simply eating for survival.”

The Mediterranean Diet

As the new year begins everyone is looking to get healthier and in shape. The mediterranean diet is a common diet that people go towards. However, what you may not know is that the mediterranean diet can help reduce the risk of certain diseases as well as obesity, and heart attack.

The diet includes fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains along with a limited amount of unhealthy fats. Research has show that the traditional mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, a recent analysis showed that 1.5 million healthy adults reduced their risk for heart disease and cancer, as well as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease when put on the mediterranean diet.

The diet is primarily composed of plant-based foods (ie, fruits and vegetables). It replaces butter and salt with healthier fats such as olive oil and herbs and spices to give flavor. The diet tried to reduce the intake of red meat and consume fish and poultry at least two times a week.

Here is a sample meal plan on a mediterranean diet:

Breakfast:
-yogurt granola parfait

Lunch:
-chickpea salad

Snack:
-crackers with hummus

Dinner:
-chicken kabobs

Coconut Craze

The use of coconut oil has been said to do many impressive things for the body, but is this backed up by science or is it just another fad?

First let’s look at some brief history – coconut oil is edible, and has been consumed as part of the regular diet in tropical places for years. Some studies have shown that the people in these areas are more generally in good health, and don’t suffer as much from the diseases that we see in our western nations, where coconut oil is rarely consumed.

This surprised me as coconuts are high in saturated fat (the bad fat), but it has been shown that the increases in HDL cholesterol are higher than the increases in LDL cholesterol – which may actually mean improvements in the blood cholesterol profile.

Interesting targets for coconut oil, especially for this time of the year, are the skin and hair. With the winter months bringing dry, crisp and brutal weather it’s increasingly important for us to protect these areas. 

In a study done years ago, they tested coconut oil versus sunflower oil as well as mineral oil on different types of hair. The study showed that among the three, coconut oil had the best results on decreasing the loss of protein from damaged or non-damaged hair. The authors postulate that this is because of the saturated fat content (specifically lauric acid) which gives coconut oil a high affinity for hair proteins. Due to its low molecular weight and straight linear chain, it is able to get within the hair shaft and affect the proteins. This is not the case for bulky sunflower oil or mineral oil which has no affinity for protein and is the reason they do not change the actual health of your hair in terms of preventing protein loss.

It has also been shown that coconut oil has great moisturizing properties when applied directly to the skin, but these properties are comparable to the active control product, mineral oil.

So, coconut oil may be worth a try, but remember to do your research about any product you think sounds interesting before buying into the “hype” as it might just be the new fad of the month.

Keep your skin and hair healthy this winter!

Karine Shirazi

4^th Year BSc NANS

Local fruits and veggies year round!

With the colder months approaching many of us struggle with trying to eat local foods as much as possible. Ever wonder which fruits and vegetables are in season in November in Ontario? Although our selection in terms of local foods may decrease in the winter months, there are quite a few fruits and vegetables grown locally through November. These include:

·      Crabapples

·      Pears

·      Beets

·      Bok Choy

·      Brussels Sprouts

·      Cabbage

·      Carrots

·      Cauliflower

·      Greenhouse cucumber

·      Garlic

·      Leeks

·      Greenhouse lettuce

·      Mushrooms

·      Onions

·      Parsnips

·      Greenhouse peppers

·      Radishes

·      Rutabaga

·      Sprouts

·      Squash

·      Sweet Potatoes

·      Greenhouse tomatoes

 

A great place to look for local fruits and veggies is your local farmer’s market. Here in Guelph we have a great farmer’s market open year round with many vendors selling everything from beets to handmade socks to freshly squeezed juice! See www.guelphfarmersmarket.ca for more information.

A great way to include some of the above super foods into your diet is in a homemade juice or smoothie. Here is a simple recipe for a delicious energizing juice:

- 1 beetroot

- 1 cucumber

- 2 sticks of celery

- 3 carrots

- 1 red apple

- An inch of ginger

Juice it up and enjoy! Both colourful and delicious!

The Coffee Controversy

Recently it has been shown through epidemiological studies that habitual consumption of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee is significantly associated with a decreased risk of Type II Diabetes. However, short term intervention trials have demonstrated coffee to acutely reduce insulin sensitivity. This may sound like many other nutritional news reports you have read or heard; one day they say something is good for you, and the next they say it’s bad. Who do you believe?

There are a few things to remember when you have been given conclusive statements regarding the toxicity or benefits of different nutrient extracts, whole foods, or beverages. First, if you are reading it in the newspaper and hearing it on the news, remember the only stories that get published in the news are those that draw a reaction out of the public. We see reports of floods, hurricanes, and crimes… not reports of those towns that didn’t get flooded, or reports of people who have managed to follow the law perfectly. It’s not any different in the nutrition world. One study does not represent the entire story. Second, many reporters will take a correlation and make it seem like a cause. The months of June, July, and August are correlated to increased ice cream sales. These months don’t cause the sales to increase, it just so happens the temperatures are higher and most people prefer ice cream when it’s hot. In other regions of the world it could we warm year round, or hot during a different time of year. Which bring me to my next point; understand the context! Due to ethical reasons, many studies are conducted using animal models. They may or may not be representative of human metabolism. It is also very common to increase the doses in order to see results, because interesting results means more publications, which ultimately leads to a larger paycheck. Many of these doses are so high, they are unrealistic to that of human consumption. Remember what the Paracelsus stated in the 1950’s; “Everything is poison. Only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” So before you jump on the bandwagon of the next nutritional claim supported by a study or two, albeit positive of negative, do your research. 1. Does the person reporting the findings stand to benefit from making these proclamations? 2. Have the proper conclusions been drawn, in other words is it causative or correlative? 3. Are the settings and dosages/exposures realistic? You don’t have to acquire your PhD to decide whether a claim is true or not, just use common sense.

Back to the coffee controversy. This is an interesting topic a couple of my friends and I have been tackling for a Nutrition Toxicology class. Yes one side is more correlative and the other is more causative. However, the negative effects caused from coffee seem to only occur acutely, and the amount of caffeine within the coffee also seems to have a significant role as well. Could it be dependent on our P450 genes (a topic discussed previously in this blog)? Could we adapt to the initial negative effects of coffee to the point where other components within the coffee, namely the many different phytochemicals, provide a more positive impact? Due to the lack of fruits and vegetables in the average consumers’ diet, many people receive most of their phytochemicals from coffee, especially when it’s not uncommon to have over 500 mL a day. We know many phytochemicals have antioxidant capacity, and that oxidative stress is also significantly associated with insulin resistance. By no means is this enough information to draw proper conclusions, but it begs for another study to help solve the mystery! I’m not telling you to increase your coffee consumption, nor am I telling to stop drinking it all together. Remember what you consume does impact your health, and balance is the key to a healthy diet.

Mary Allison

4^th year BSc. Nutrional and Nutraceutical Sciences

University of Guelph

Halloween Sweets- good or bad?

We all know Halloween is a time for splurging our sweet tooth but as Halloween has come to an end many of us are eating the leftover treats that were suppose to be given out. But, you may want to think twice when you are about to reach for another piece of that chocolate bar.

We all have read the numerous facts and studies about how chocolate is actually heathy for us, but is it really? Chocolate is high in empty calories and a lot of Americans these days can eat three chocolate bars and still not be full and this all because of the empty calories in it. Empty calories causes weight gain and we all know that weight gain can cause so many health effects such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The high amount of calories in chocolate bars are due to the loads of sugar found in them. But the sugar in the chocolate bar is crucial for customers to keep buying it. Can you imagine a Kit-Kat without it being sweet? It would be extremely bitter and no one would buy it. Next, chocolate contains a chemical called tyramine which is thought to be associated with migraines. This is why when someone finishes eating a chocolate bar they may experience a migraine. Chocolate also has a chemical known as oxalates which can causes kidney stones.

Now I am not saying to stop eating chocolate but you may want to eat less of it. Here are some healthier alternates to curb your sweet tooth.

-fruit

-yogurt with granola

-trail mix

I hope you all had a great Halloween!