I'm a multitasker. While writing this column I'm reducing my risk of cancer by munching on a sweet, crisp Bosc pear. Who knew disease prevention could taste this good? The connection between food intake and a reduced risk of cancer has been in the news many times, but there's nothing wrong with a gentle reminder. I'm sharing the reminder I received at the recent Well Being/Being Well conference sponsored by the Sylvester Cancer Center.
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A few years ago, a northern friend became enamored with mangoes during a visit. After about three days of intensive mango munching she turned orange. This benign condition of carotenemia, most often seen in babies, develops after consuming large amounts of beta-carotene-containing foods. It is odd looking, not attractive. A reader's question about the color of salmon prompted me to wonder if fish also had this color-changing trait and whether it would have an influence on nutrition and shopping.
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Confusion about healthy foods vs. healthy eating is everywhere. Over a recent dinner, my friend Suzanne proudly showed me a bag of what she thought were ''healthy'' plantain chips. Look, she said, ''they have fiber; they're healthy.'' I gently replied that they were OK, but not as wholesome a food as she thought. About 50 percent of the calories in each serving are from fat and 2 grams of the fat is saturated. Even with the fat, these chips could still fit into a healthy lifestyle as an occasional...
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When I am giving lectures on making food changes for a healthier diet I often ask how many people in the audience have a family member with diabetes. When I first started this a number of years ago, few people raised their hands. Now a majority, myself included, have hands high in the air. With so many people affected by this disorder you would think knowledge and understanding had risen, but that's not the case. Help is on the way. A new book, 16 Myths of a Diabetic Diet by registered dietitians...
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Can a leopard change its spots or, more to the point, can a fatty pig become a healthy entrée? A number of readers have asked me this, so I did a bit of research. It seems that pigs have done what so many of us have struggled to do. They have lost weight, lowered their cholesterol levels and gotten leaner. This leads us to question if pork really is the other white meat.
Is Bugs Bunny a bit limited in his food intake? As children watch this carrot-munching rabbit, parents reinforce the message of vitamin A and eyesight. Vitamin A prevents a certain type of vision loss that is a leading cause of blindness in the developing world but rare in the United States. Cataracts are the primary eye problem in our country, and it seems food can make a difference. A research article in the January 2008 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology illuminates the way to clearer vision.
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How much assistance does food need to be nutritious? It sounds helpful when we learn that scientific advances have the capacity to increase a food's vitamin content and make it a more potent disease fighter, doesn't it? But should a food's genetic history be on the label? These questions might soon be on your plate.
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There has been a bit of panic on the prescription aisle with the recent findings about Zetia and Vytorin not decreasing the risks for a heart attack or stroke. We might get conflicting results on medications but the one consistent recommendation with any cholesterol lowering medication, including statins, is that they be part of a healthy lifestyle. The right food choices can move you closer to the following heart friendly goals.
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Finding foods rich in folic acid just got easier with the introduction of a Folic Acid Seal from the March of Dimes and the Grain Foods Foundation. The bright purple Folic Acid Seal will identify good sources of this important vitamin. The seal is not mandatory and for now will only be on select grain products.
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Which would you prefer: broiled fish or succulent Italian seafood fillet? With restaurant items, it's the name that entices us. Brian Wansink has shown this in his research at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. In one study he gave diners identically prepared fish. The entrée received better customer ratings when identified as succulent Italian seafood fillet as compared with plain broiled fish. I am all for anything that increases the enjoyment of broiled fish, even if it's just a name.
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Concerns about pesticides can make the ''eat more fruit'' recommendation hard to swallow. I learned this from a reader who stopped eating blueberries when told they were high in pesticides. Here are the facts. In 2003 the Environmental Working Group tested and ranked 46 common fruits and vegetables for pesticide contamination. According to their findings, the produce with the highest amount of contamination, coined the dirty dozen, are peaches, strawberries, apples, spinach, nectarines, celery, pears...
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A few readers have been asking my opinion about alli, the latest bullet in the war on weight. Xenical, the stronger prescription form of alli has been on the market for years and has a positive safety record when used correctly. Alli works by interfering with an enzyme that breaks down fat in the digestive tract. This undigested fat cannot be stored on hips, stomach and other pesky places and passes out during normal bowel elimination. The person taking alli must stay on a low-fat diet or end up...
