The best way to get through midlife and menopause is to know the tricks.
One of the tricks for healthy aging is to eat the Mediterranean way. This way of cooking and eating is healthy, tasty, satisfying and good for staying on a budget.
Mediterranean cooking includes whole grains, lean protein such as seafood and chicken, extra-virgin olive oil and lots of veggies.
For flavor and health benefits, the recipes use lemons, lots of garlic, and spices such as oregano, dill and parsley.
There are so many options to consider, and my favorite cookbook for Mediterranean cooking is Live to Eat by Michael Psilakis.
He organizes everything by key items to keep on hand: Greek yogurt for sauces and dips, garden-fresh veggies and fruits, peppers, onions, roasted cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce and garlic confit. From these items, healthy meals are a snap.
Mediterranean cooking has been proven to reduce risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Insulin resistance is the common denominator for all these issues, which combined are the cause of death for a third of women.
Insulin resistance is when the blood sugar stays higher longer after consuming food—and especially higher after consuming simple carbs such as white flour pasta, white bread, white rice, alcohol or treats.
When blood sugar stays high, it can damage tissue and cause higher levels of insulin, which increase cravings for sugar, as well as promote storage of sugar into belly fat.
One of the other things sugar does is make blood vessel linings sticky, which allows fat to adhere to them, increasing the risk of a blockage.
The bottom line, a diet high in foods made with simple carbs cause preventable disease.
Learning how to cook the Mediterranean way can save lives.
Beat chronic inflammation—and all of its side effects—with a vegan diet. And if that won’t work, there are other options. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
As it relates to biological processes within the human body, inflammation is often considered a necessary process.
When the body recognizes a threat from something foreign—an invading bacteria or virus—it activates the immune system to protect itself. Much benefit is derived from the inflammatory process, but only when it truly alerts the body to fight the foreign invaders.
Chronic inflammation is another story altogether. It often presents itself in well-known inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disorders and ulcerative colitis, among various other illnesses.
But chronic inflammation has even a darker side, according to Thomas Boyden, MD, medical director of preventive cardiology with Spectrum Health.
Chronic inflammation can cause coronary artery disease and contribute to the process that causes heart attack and stroke, Dr. Boyden said.
Fortunately, there is a simple solution to help reduce the harmful effects of chronic inflammation: Eat a healthier diet.
In a society where the penchant for meats and over-processed foods runs high, it is admittedly no easy feat for most people to follow a proper diet.
But the most ideal way to reduce chronic inflammation is, in fact, to follow a plant-based diet, Dr. Boyden said. Basically, you would eat nothing that was once alive and moving, such as red meat, poultry, pork or fish. Stay away from animal products such as dairy.
Those who can accomplish this vegan regimen could reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, depression, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Dr. Boyden said.
Realistically, this type of diet doesn’t work for most people, so he highly recommends the Mediterranean diet as the best alternative.
“You can eat fish, poultry and dairy, but it is basically a plant-based diet that allows you to eat small portions of animal-based foods,” he said.
A workable diet
The Mediterranean diet is an entirely accessible, achievable solution for eating.
“I always find it interesting to hear the different reasons that people want to join the program,” Franowicz said. “We’ve had a lot of success with weight loss, lowering blood sugars and cholesterol. Besides these factors, I also have people join because they may have Alzheimer’s, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer in their families, and they want to reduce their risks.
“I think people have great success with long-term weight loss because the diet is sustainable, delicious and satisfying,” she said.
Another reason people often find success with the Mediterranean diet: It emphasizes good fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and omega-3 fatty acids. These types of fats are not only delicious and satisfying, they also keep people from feeling deprived of food.
Better still, these fats help fight inflammation.
To reduce inflammation, it’s generally smart to avoid animal products as often as possible, Dr. Boyden said. Avoid saturated fats, too, which are often found in those products.
And more specifically: Stay away from foods that are fried, sugary or processed.
You should avoid artificial sweeteners, too. They’re made from chemicals—and why would you want to put a synthetic chemical in your body?
“They are not healthy,” Dr. Boyden said, explaining how artificial sweeteners can actually stimulate the brain to tell you you’re hungry. They can also make you gain weight.
“Truthfully, if you change your diet, you really do change your life,” Dr. Boyden said.
Dr. Boyden and Franowicz listed some of the obvious foods that exacerbate inflammation, as well as those that help fight it.
Foods that cause inflammation:
Butter and margarine
Fast food and fried foods
Red meat (burgers, steak) and processed meat (hot dogs, sausage)
Refined carbohydrates such as white breads, sweets and pastries
Sodas and sweetened beverages
Foods that fight inflammation:
Olive oil, nuts and avocados
Fatty fish like salmon twice a week
Tomatoes and greens like kale, spinach, swiss chard
Study shows a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetable fats such as olive oil and nuts had little effect on body weight or waist circumference compared to people on a low-fat diet. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
An eating plan that includes healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts isn’t likely to cause weight gain, a new study finds.
That’s good news for people who’d prefer to try the Mediterranean diet—which includes healthy fats—over a diet that’s low in fat. And the study authors suggest that current health guidelines may be creating an unnecessary fear of these healthful fats.
“More than 40 years of nutritional policy has advocated for a low-fat diet, but we’re seeing little impact on rising levels of obesity,” said study lead author Dr. Ramon Estruch, of the University of Barcelona in Spain.
“Our study shows that a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetable fats such as olive oil and nuts had little effect on body weight or waist circumference compared to people on a low-fat diet. The Mediterranean diet has well-known health benefits and includes healthy fats, such as vegetable oils, fish and nuts,” Estruch explained in a journal news release.
However, he also pointed out that not all fats are created equal. “Our findings certainly do not imply that unrestricted diets with high levels of unhealthy fats such as butter, processed meat, sweetened beverages, desserts or fast-foods are beneficial,” Estruch added.
The study included more than 7,400 women and men in Spain, aged 55 to 80. The study participants ate one of three eating plans: an unrestricted-calorie Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil; an unrestricted-calorie Mediterranean diet rich in nuts; or a low-fat diet meant to avoid all dietary fat.
All the participants had type 2 diabetes or high heart risk. More than 90 percent were overweight or obese, the study authors noted.
After five years, total fat intake fell from 40 percent to 37 percent in the low-fat diet group, and rose in both Mediterranean diet groups, from about 40 percent to 42 percent. The percentage of proteins and carbohydrates decreased in both Mediterranean diet groups, the findings showed.
People in all three groups lost some weight: an average of almost 2 pounds (0.88 kilograms) per person in the olive oil group, 1.3 pounds (0.60 kg) in the low-fat diet group, and 0.9 pounds (0.40 kg) in the nut group, the researchers said.
Waist circumference did increase slightly in all three groups, though less so in those on the healthy fat diets. The low-fat group had an increase of about a half-inch (1.2 centimeters) per person. The olive oil group saw an increase of about one-third of an inch (0.85 cm), and the nut group only saw an increase in waist circumference of 0.14 inches (0.37 cm), the study authors reported.
The report was published June 6 in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
“The fat content of foods and diets is simply not a useful metric to judge long-term harms or benefits,” Dariush Mozaffarian, professor in the School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University in Boston, wrote in an accompanying commentary.
“Energy density and total caloric contents can be similarly misleading. Rather, modern scientific evidence supports an emphasis on eating more calories from fruits, nuts, vegetables, beans, fish, yogurt, phenolic-rich vegetable oils, and minimally processed whole grains; and fewer calories from highly processed foods rich in starch, sugar, salt, or trans-fat,” Mozaffarian explained.
“Dietary guidelines should be revised to lay to rest the outdated, arbitrary limits on total fat consumption. Calorie-obsessed caveats and warnings about healthier, higher-fat choices such as nuts, phenolic-rich vegetable oils, yogurt, and even perhaps cheese, should also be dropped,” Mozaffarian wrote.
Looking for a better way to bounce back from a sports injury or orthopedic surgery? The solution may be as close as your fork.
Experts say choosing the right foods—and avoiding the wrong ones—can help bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments repair faster, getting you off the couch and moving again.
“There are two things to keep in mind,” said Kristi Veltkamp, RD, who counsels Spectrum Health patients on eating well. “First, make sure you are managing inflammation. And second, get the nutrients needed to help you heal and repair.”
Inflammation after any injury is normal.
“There’s often heat, swelling or redness,” Veltkamp said. “To calm that inflammation, look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in salmon, walnuts and flax seed. Olive oil also helps. And try to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.”
If that all sounds familiar, it should. It’s the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which is shown to reduce inflammation, Veltkamp said.
Also avoid foods that are high in sugar, refined flour or trans fats. Alcohol, which slows healing, should be avoided as well.
Building blocks
Alongside managing inflammation, you should focus on getting plenty of the nutrients required for healthy rebuilding.
Start with protein.
“The majority of our tissues are made up of protein,” said Matthew Axtman, DO, a sports medicine specialist with Spectrum Health Medical Group Orthopedics. “So even though protein is part of your normal diet, look to increase healthy sources, like chicken, fish and nuts.
Dr. Axtman recommends getting plenty of vitamin C.
“It helps build collagen, which is the basis of tendons and ligaments,” he said. Look for it in citrus fruits, kiwi, peppers and tomatoes.
Calcium is also essential, especially if you’ve injured a bone. You can find it—along with Vitamin D, which aids in absorption—in dairy products and dark-green, leafy vegetables.
Avoid salt and caffeine during your recovery because they cause you to urinate more. This makes your body lose calcium, Dr. Axtman said.
Meanwhile, those deep-green vegetables are also a great source of fiber.
“If you’re sitting around more and moving less, it can affect your gut,” Dr. Axtman said. “Fiber-rich foods will help.”
Mind and body
During the rebuilding process, it may help to take supplements for
about two to four weeks. This holds true even if you typically prefer to
get all your nutrients from a balanced diet.
“While you’re healing, consider adding vitamin A, naturally found in many orange vegetables, at 10,000 IUs a day,” Veltkamp said.
Look for a multivitamin that contains 2 to 4 milligrams of copper and 15 to 30 milligrams of zinc, which is shown to help with wound healing.
Veltkamp also recommends HMB, a protein that can help prevent muscle wasting. It’s found in sports supplements such as Myoplex Muscle Armor.
Finally, give a little thought to the emotional aspects of eating. Recovery can be as tedious as watching grass grow, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of eating from boredom instead of hunger.
“Have a list of things you can do when you feel like reaching for food for the wrong reasons,” Veltkamp said. “Like knitting, taking a bath, anything soothing and distracting.”
It’s normal to have food cravings during recovery, but that’s because food can make us feel better. Don’t be afraid to treat yourself now and then.
“Just look for healthier alternatives,” Veltkamp said. “Like chocolate-banana smoothies.”
Did you know eating a Mediterranean diet could prevent or even reverse metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes? (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
We always hear about the latest fad diet, but don’t we often wonder what really works?
Where should we start? How should we start?
In an effort to develop positive eating habits, many of us have tried several diets over the years. More often than not, these diets provide only short-term solutions that leave us without a strong foundation to make significant, long-term behavioral changes.
The Mediterranean diet, however, isn’t a diet so much as it’s a way of living.
It’s a lifestyle.
Who?
Who should be interested in the Mediterranean diet? You, me and anyone who wants to cook and eat real, healthy, whole, unprocessed foods that bring your weight, health and life back to their prime.
We all know that eating the right fats, reading labels and watching carbs is beneficial, but what does that really mean? We go to the grocery store and we fill up our carts with products we either know, or think we know, are good for us. But are they really?
The Mediterranean diet offers many healthy options, no matter what your taste palate. It balances carbohydrates with grains, good fats and proteins, promoting optimal health and natural weight loss.
What?
The Mediterranean diet is not a “fad,” but a long-term solution: Eat low-glycemic-index foods to help you keep your metabolism steady, feel full longer and eat less.
Low-glycemic foods break down slowly, allowing you to feel satisfied and lose weight at the same time. Examples include: berries, citrus, apples, pears, vegetables, legumes, minimally processed grains, oatmeal, nuts, hummus, kidney beans and chickpeas.
With this type of meal plan, you can still fit in your favorite foods. It’s a way of cooking and eating that’s non-restrictive, so you don’t have to suffer through deprivation.
Based on the cuisine of Greece, Middle East, Southern Italy and Spain, the diet entails less consumption of red meat, sweets and saturated fats that are found in butter or high-fat dairy products.
It’s also a sustainable diet that you can live with. If you like to eat “real” foods, if you shop at farmers markets, or if you eat farm-to-table, the Mediterranean way could be the right plan for you.
It’s worth noting that U.S. News & World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet first place in the “plant-based diets,” according to Best Diets 2013 rankings.
Why?
How about, why not? How about cooking like a Greek islander, or learning a gourmet dish from Spain or Italy? Eating like a Greek is not only healthy, it’s delicious.
Mediterranean foods are rich in antioxidants and they have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. So you can live longer, with less disease.
When?
Realistically, we can follow it every day. And since it’s proven to help us live longer, healthier lives, we should.
By incorporating techniques that improve our eating behaviors—meal planning, food choice, and cooking prep—we can reap a lifetime of benefits.
Where?
In the kitchen, the heart of the home, and just about everywhere else. The Mediterranean diet fits a busy, healthy lifestyle, whether you’re learning the art of cooking at home or you’re working to educate yourself on healthy food choices when dining out.
Let’s not forget: How?
Great taste and zero calories aren’t the only benefits of infused water—it can also help flush toxins, improve skin and enhance mood. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
Here’s how to follow a low-glycemic diet such as the Mediterranean diet:
You do not need to memorize the glycemic index or count grams of carbohydrates in foods.
Choose fiber-rich, natural carbohydrates, including vegetables, fruits and legumes. Eat them along with a source of protein and a healthy fat.
Eat grain products in the least-processed state possible. Examples include stone ground whole wheat bread as opposed to white bread.
When you have a sugary treat, do it in moderation—and after a balanced meal.
Limit fruit juice and avoid sugary soda. Drink more water. If you don’t enjoy drinking water, try an infused water recipe to add a little excitement to H2O.
