A Caveat On Fats

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  there are good fats and bad fats.  Choose your fat sources wisely.  Fats are essential for healthy livers, the absorption of vitamins K, A, D and E, and can be a great source of fuel and energy.

The Omegas...What You Need To Know If You Suffer From Inflammatory Diseases

Omega-3s can be found primarily in plant sources (flaxseed, hempseed, walnuts, dark leafy green vegetables) and the fatty fishes (salmon, bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, rainbow trout, sardines).  These are the 'good' omegas.  Omega-6s (the 'not so good' omegas) are found primarily in meat adn meat products (eggs, whole dairy products and mostly red meat).  Omega-6 food sources contain arachindonic acid.  Arachindonic acid can contribute to any inflammatory condition.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you suffer from R.A., gout or any other type of inflammatory disease, it's best to eliminate all Omega-6 foods from your diet and INCREASE the Omega-3 foods daily.  Use olive oil, don't eat processed foods or commercial mayonnaise and spreads, avoid fried and fatty foods.  Above all, enroll yourself into a treatment program of acupuncture and exercise.  My patients have experienced considerable relief from inflammation by having weekly treatments and making lifestyle modifications.  Call or email the office today and begin living your life painlessly.  917-701-7582
k@kmondesire.com

Another Reason Why The Mediterranean Diet is Just So Great

From Medscape News, January 13, 2011
Older adults who stick close to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) experience slower rates of cognitive decline as they age, new research suggests.

"...adherence to a Mediterranean diet is not only a heart healthy diet plan but also one that fosters a healthier functioning brain,” Christine C. Tangney, of the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.  Their results were published online December 22, 2010, in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The researchers used a modified version of the Harvard food-frequency questionnaire to assess level of adherence to 2 dietary patterns. One was the traditional MedDiet pattern, which is rich in olive oil, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and moderate amounts of wine and is low in dairy foods and red meat. The other was the Healthy Eating Index 2005 (HEI-2005), which is based on recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The maximum score for the MedDiet, which would mean complete adherence, is 55, and participants' mean score was 28.2. The maximum score for the HEI-2005 is 100, and participants' mean score was 61.2.
Participants most likely to adhere to the MedDiet were white, nonsmokers, and multivitamin users, with higher educational levels and lower body mass index. Those with higher MedDiet scores had lower prevalence of stroke, hypertension, and depression and higher baseline global cognitive scores.
According to the investigators, a higher MedDiet score indicating closer adherence to this eating pattern was associated with slower rates of cognitive decline over time, after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, participation in cognitive activities, and energy.
"If we were comparing 2 persons with MedDiet scores or MedDiet wine scores that were 10 points apart, the person with the higher scores would appear to perform as if she or he were 3 years younger cognitively," the study authors note.
 
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  You don't have to be a professional chef, nor do you need to be a good cook to adopt a delicious and nutritious Mediterranean diet.  All you need to do is do a little research, go to the grocer and produce stores, and not be lazy about your meals.  Modern medicine will have us all living a lot longer than we previously thought possible and I don't know about you, but I'd like to have my wits about me as I move along that timeline!  If anyone would like to share some recipes, please do post them and help out other folks who wouldn't normally create their own meals!