Glycemic Index

This just in - a potential update on the glycemic index!  We already know that the glycemic index may help predict the blood sugar effects of a food, but when combining is involved things get a little muddied.  If you are not familiar with the glycemic index it is a ranking of how much standardized portions of foods raise your blood sugar.  The problem is though that most of use eat combinations of food rather than a single food on its own.

With that in mind, scientists from Tufts' studied the effects of blood sugar and insulin when adding different amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat or fiber to a standardized portion of white bread.  They discovered that when they added 7 ounces of tuna (protein) that there was a positive effect - meaning that the glycemic response was 25% less! However, when they added rice cereal to the white bread there was a rise in blood sugar.

The researchers were not surprised that the addition of protein lowered blood sugar because protein slows stomach emptying. That means, that the carbohydrate from the bread would be delayed in entering the bloodstream.  Oddly, adding fat did not show the same results as adding protein.  One theory for that is that perhaps the butter (fat) that was used was not consumed in an amount large enough to slow absorption.

Takeaway:  More studies need to be done on how different combinations of food affect blood sugar and insulin.  For now, it is best to follow a healthy eating pattern with moderate portions.

Reference:  Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, September 2017, VOL. 35, NO.7, New Insights: Glycemic Index (p.3).

Tips for Simple Healthy Meals at Home

We know that many of you are quite busy these days.  Guess what, so are we!  With that in mind, we wanted to share some helpful tips to help you create healthy and simple meals at home.  So go ahead, get your hands dirty, and spark some creativity while you're at it!

Add Some Pizazz to Proteins:

Purchase boneless chicken breasts, thighs, or cutlets.  Then, simply cut them into small pieces and stir-fry them.  It's easy to vary recipes by simply changing out the vegetables, as well as the seasoning. 

Seafood in a Snap:

Stock your freezer with frozen fish fillets like salmon and cod, or shrimp and scallops.  This way, you'll have lean proteins at the tip of your fingers.  Then follow the instructions for thawing.  You can cut the fillets into small pieces too which work well in meals like tacos, stir-fries, or a salad topper.

Plentiful Plants:

Plant proteins like those in beans are a quick and easy ingredient to add to your meals.  You can add them to things like tacos, stir-fries, soups, stews, and of course - salads!  Quick tip - lentils are one of the quickest legumes to use as they only need about 40 minutes to cook from dried.  Bonus, cooked lentils last about 4 days in your refrigerator.

Healthy Whole Grains:

Buy whole-grain pastas, tortillas, pita pockets, and wraps.  Also, other good choices are brown rice, quinoa, and barley as their mild flavor makes it easy to build upon for a full meal. Here's a tip, try making several servings of things like rice which can keep for a few days in your fridge and be used throughout the week.  Or, why not create healthy bowls using whole grains as your base, then add your favorite vegetables, and top it with a flavorful sauce and some protein.  Here's an example: Start with brown rice, next add cooked chicken breast, diced tomato, chopped avocado, shredded lettuce, and salsa! Or, try adding fresh or frozen vegetables like asparagus, spinach, zucchini, or broccoli into your next tomato sauce and serve over whole grain pasta. Another idea is to take a whole grain wrap and use it as a "crust" for a pizza.  Just add shredded cheese, diced pepper, sliced tomato and chopped fresh basil. Bake at 375 degrees for 4 minutes and you have your next meal!

Here are some helpful items for your next grocery list:

Healthy Proteins
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs or cutlets
Canned beans
Canned salmon, tuna, sardines,
Dried lentils
Frozen fish fillets
Frozen shrimp and scallops
Reduced-fat cheese like mozzarella and feta

Whole Grains
Brown rice
Pearled barley
Quinoa
Whole-grain pasta
Whole-grain tortillas
Whole-wheat pita
Whole-wheat pizza crust

Vegetables
Assorted frozen vegetables, including stir-fry mixes
Baby carrots
Bagged leafy greens
Jarred reduced sodium and no added sugar tomato sauce
Fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash and sweet potatoes
Peeled/cooked baby beets
Pre-cut veggies from the produce section of your grocery store

Seasonings
Fresh lemons and limes
Prepared guacamole
Prepared hummus
Salad dressings - assorted flavors and low in carbohydrates - 2 grams or less
Salt-free and no added sugar herb spices/seasoning blends
Low-Sodium fat free broths

Reference: Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, September 2017, Making Healthy Meals with Minimal Fuss, Special Supplement (p.1-4).

Olive Oil for Prevention?

We all know that olive oil is a healthy monounsaturated fat, but did you know that it may help reduce excess liver fat, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes?  One study was designed to test this idea.  A team of researchers randomly assigned a group of people with pre-diabetes to eat their usual diet, a diet high in monounsaturated fat (half from olive oil), or a high-fiber diet (40 grams per 2,000 calories).  To be clear, none of the diets decreased calories.  The results, after three months those on the high-monounsaturated diet had a 17% reduction in liver fat, plus their insulin worked more effectively!  Unfortunately, nothing changed in the other two diet groups.  It is important to note that lessening carbohydrates slightly may have accounted for minimizing liver fat.

The takeaway - More studies are needed.  In the meantime it's worth it to try and replace some of your carbohydrates - especially those that are sweets or highly processed with monounsaturated fats. Also, choose olive oil over saturated fats like butter.

Reference:  Nutrition Action, October 2017, Olive Oil for Prediabetes (p. 7).

Healthy Meals for a Busy Lifestyle Cooking Class in October!

Hey Everyone,

We'll be at Good Life Kitchen in Norwell on Thursday, October 26th from 6:30-8:30 pm helping out with this class - Healthy Meals for a Busy Lifestyle. Interested in joining us? See below for more information, and sign up by way of the link!

Description:

Interested in learning about how to create healthy meals while leading a busy lifestyle?

GLK is teaming with the nutritionists at Ideal Weight Loss to help teach you how to incorporate more plant based foods into your diets and supplement with proteins. In addition, we will help add some nutritional components. Let's have fun, connect, and most of all have a chance to be creative.

Menu:

·        Hearty Kale Salad

·        Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

·        Roasted Vegetable American Chop Suey

·        Oatmeal Fruit Bars

Fee: $65 per person

Sign up at -  http://www.goodlifekitchen.com/event-registration/?regevent_action=register&event_id=929Interested in learning about how to create healthy meals while leading a busy lifestyle?

GLK is teaming with the nutritionists at Ideal Weight Loss to help teach you how to incorporate more plant based foods into your diets and supplement with proteins. In addition, they will help add some nutritional components. Let's have fun, connect, and most of all have a chance to be creative.

Menu:

Hearty Kale Salad

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps

Roasted Vegetable American Chop Suey

Oatmeal Fruit Bars

Fee: $65 per person

Acrylamides - Possible Link to Cancer

Did you know that back in 2002 Swedish scientists discovered something new? What they found was a substance they called acrylamide, which is a chemical that causes cancer in animals, and it is also in many common foods from breads to french fries.

So how do acrylamides form you might ask?  Well, what happens is that when the amino acid asparagine is present and then combines with sugar at high temperatures the result is this chemical. Typically, this substance forms in starchy foods when they are baked, fried, or roasted.  You might have heard of this reaction as it is known as the "Maillard" reaction, which causes the browning of food.

Right now, more studies need to be conducted in people to see if there is a clear link between acrylamides and cancer.  However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the National Toxicology Program, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency all believe that acrylamides are likely to be cancer causing.  With that in mind, so far the FDA has only issued voluntary guidelines on how to lower levels just last year. 

That said, here are some ways to cut down on acrylamides. First of all, no need to worry about acrylamides in fish, poultry, meat, dairy, or most fruits and vegetables. 

Follow these tips:

• Toast bread and cook potatoes until they're golden yellow, not dark brown.
• Eat more boiled potatoes which have no acrylamides and eat less roasted potatoes which have some, and try to avoid fried which have the most.
• Eat more raw nuts which have no acrylamides. If you like roasted nuts you're better off with cashews and peanuts versus almonds as they have less acrylamides.  Evidently, the asparagine in almonds turns into acrylamide.
• Be careful with chips whether they be regular potato or sweet potato - they both contain more of this substance than a baked sweet potato. And, sweet potatoes chips have the most.
• Avoid veggie chips and sticks made from dehydrated potatoes as they are higher in acrylamides than potato chips.
• Choose dark roast coffee over light roast. Though acrylamides are created during the early roasting process the levels decline further along in the process.
• Eat fresh plums, but be careful with dried forms (prunes) which contain low levels of acrylamides, and prune juice produces higher levels.
• Black olives contain higher amounts of acrylamides than other olives.  This is mostly because of the heat used during canning.

Reference:  Nutrition Action, October 2017, Acrylamide Avoiding A Likely Carcinogen (p.10&11)

Amino Acids

We have all heard of proteins as it is a macronutrient that our body needs.  However, did you know that there are two kinds of proteins - nonessential and essential?  The good news is that the body can create more than half of the amino acids for itself as long as it is given enough nitrogen to form the amino group and fragments from carbohydrate and fat that assembles the rest of the structure.  The protein you eat in food typically provides those needed amino acids. These amino acids are considered nonessential.

On the other hand, there are 9 amino acids your body cannot make at all, or cannot make in sufficient quantity.  That means, we must consume these amino acids by our food.  To prevent protein breakdown we need to ensure that our diet supplies at least these 9 essential amino acids, plus the necessary nitrogen-containing amino acid groups and energy.  Unfortunately, the body does not store extra amino acids, so that means an excess in either is wasted or they are used for another purpose. 

Foods that are considered to be a complete protein contain all of the essential amino acids we require.  Animal proteins from meat, fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, and milk usually are complete.  The only exception would be gelatin as it is missing tryptophan, so it cannot help with growth if it is used as the only protein.  Some plant protein from vegetables, grains, and legumes tend to be limited in one or more essential amino acid.  Soy protein however is considered a complete protein.  With that in mind, plant proteins supply less protein per unit than animal protein.  That is why vegetarians need to combine complimentary plant-protein foods.  Doing so helps them to obtain the essential amino acids they need. Examples of this food combining are black beans and rice, peanut butter on whole grain bread, or tofu with stir fried vegetables with brown rice.

Essential Fatty Acids

We have all heard of fat, but were you aware that the human body can make all but two fatty acids?  Yes, that's right - they are linoleic and linolenic acid.  It turns out these two fatty acids are necessary for proper functioning of the body, which is why they are essential.  Specifically, the body uses them to maintain the structural parts of cell membranes that create hormonelike substances called eicosinoids.  These substances help to adjust blood pressure, blood clot formation, blood lipids, and our immune response to injury and infection.

Linoleic acid is the primary member of the Omega-6 Fatty Acid. You can find it in vegetable oils ,as well as meat.  Normally, most people consume enough of this fatty acid. Your body uses this fatty acid to make other members of the omega-6 family like arachidonic acid. 

On the other hand, linolenic acid is the primary member of the Omega-3 family.  When given this fatty acid our bodies can use it to make eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Did you know that many of your body tissues contain these fatty acids? And, they make up a sizeable amount of the communicating membrane of the brain - meaning we need them for proper brain development. EPA and DHA are also present in the retina of the eye, and are needed for normal growth and development.

Note: It is possible for your body to make some fatty acids, but that can only occur if others are available. In addition, some may be essential for growth or disease prevention. However, our bodies cannot make any of the omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids from scratch because we do not have the enzymes necessary to create them. But, you could start with the 18-carbon member of a series and make the longer fatty acids by forming double bonds.  Because this is a slow and tedious process it is best to eat these fatty acids.