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In my recent blog posts, I talked about diet "secrets" of some of the world’s healthiest populations.
The Mediterranean lifestyle and diet are one case in point.
You don’t have to live on the Mediterranean or buy expensive imported foods, to benefit from the Mediterranean way.
Read how The Sonoma Diet makes it easy and fun to bring the Mediterranean Diet to your family table.
Tags: Mediterranean diet, Sonoma diet, healthy eating plan
I was interested to note that Kraft recently decided to rename its South Beach Diet line South Beach Living. It seems people are focusing more on improving their eating habits and making lifestyle changes rather than adopting quick-fix fad diets.While I recognize that some people need a gimmick – like cutting out carbs as South Beach does – to jump start weight loss, at some point the “diet” must end and life goes on. Usually the weight goes back on as well. Gimmicks don’t work; lifestyle changes do.That’s why I’ve recommended the Mediterranean and Sonoma lifestyles and the Mediterranean food pyramid for years.When Connie Guttersen launched her very popular book, The Sonoma Diet, she called it “a celebration of food. There are no foods that you're not going to be able to have on this diet. It's a lifestyle. The Sonoma Diet isn't about deprivation. It's a celebration of foods that becomes a way of eating for life. You don't want to go back to what you were doing before.” I bet Connie would have loved to name her book “The Sonoma Lifestyle”, but people wouldn’t have gotten the concept back then!Here are some of my favorite Mediterranean-Style Recipes:• Jean’s Tuna Tamarindo• Vitamin-Rich Veggies and Fish• Savory Spinach-Stuffed Chicken• Spinach Español• Nancy’s Grilled VeggiesTags: Sonoma Diet, South Beach Diet, lifestyle changes, tuna recipe, chicken recipe, vegetable recipe
Last time, I mentioned that the Oldways Preservation Trust has created the Whole Grain Stamp to help consumers find real whole grain products.
One of their next projects is to kick off a four-year campaign to help promote the healthy Mediterranean lifestyle with the unveiling of a Mediterranean symbol that will help consumers identify foods that fit with the Mediterranean style of eating. "The new scientific evidence is there," said spokesman Dun Gifford. "The second step is to communicate this evidence to consumers, and the third step involves connecting the science with specific foods."
The evidence is there. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people who followed a Mediterranean diet had 25% less risk of dying from heart disease or cancer. Other new research shows this way of eating is more beneficial than a low fat plan. In addition, “olive oil’s satiety factor helps curb overeating,” according to Mr. Gifford.
The Mediterranean (or Sonoma) diet’s combination of fresh whole foods and the healthy fats found in olive oil and nuts, is simply the best eating plan one can follow. Remember the ten Sonoma Diet Powerhouse foods detailed in previous blogs.
Also remember that there is a style of eating that makes this diet healthy. Relax; eat mindfully; savor your food; and feel your cares and your pounds melt away. Read more about the Sonoma diet.
Tags: whole grains for health, Whole Grain Stamp, fiber, vitamins and minerals
Whole grains include barley, brown rice, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, sorghum, spelt, whole wheat – any grain in its whole form – including popcorn! Whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
All grains start out in whole form, which is simply the entire seed (or kernel) and includes from the inside out, the germ, the endosperm and the bran. All you want is the entire seed before it has been processed. Fortunately that is getting easier and easier to find as the health benefits of whole grains have been discovered and publicized
The germ, fertilized by pollen, is what would grow into a new plant if you didn’t eat it first. It is full of B vitamins, some protein, minerals and healthy fats. Nature designed the endosperm to serve as the germ’s food supply. It contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
The bran, or outer shell of the grains, contains important antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber. It gives a pleasing crunchy texture to whole grains, which most people come to love, once they stop eating mushy processed grains.
Processed grains have the germ and bran removed. That amounts to a loss of 25% of the grain’s protein and many key nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are added back to grains labeled “enriched refined”; but whole grains are still healthier, providing more protein, vitamins, minerals and the all-important fiber.
The Whole Grains Council of the Oldways Preservation Trust has created the Whole Grain Stamp to help consumers find real whole grain products.
Tags: whole grains for health, Whole Grain Stamp, fiber, vitamins and minerals
One cup of tomatoes contains just 37 calories but has 57% of the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C. As well, a cup of tomatoes contains almost every other vitamin in the alphabet: A (23% DV); B1 (thiamin – 8%); B2 (riboflavin – 6%); B3 (niacin) – 6%; B5 (pantothenic acid – 5%); B6 (pyridoxine 7%); and E 4%. It is also rich in heart-protective potassium (11%) and folate (7%), as well as fiber (8%) for colon health and reducing cholesterol.High intake of the antioxidant vitamins A and C has been shown to reduce progressive inflammation which damages cells and leads to chronic debilitating conditions, as well as the severity of atherosclerosis, diabetic complications, asthma, and colon cancer.However the real star ingredient in tomatoes these days is lycopene. Lycopene is the antioxidant carotenoid which gives tomatoes their vibrant red color. Lycopene has been shown to protect against a growing list of cancers, including colorectal, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic. Scientists are finding that it is the array of nutrients included in tomatoes, including, but not limited to lycopene, that provides so much health value. Carotenoids are fat soluble, and so eating them with (healthy) high-fat foods like oilive oil or nuts enhances their cancer-fighting power.In summary: tomatoes are great for your health; cooked are more powerful than fresh (higher concentration of lycopene); and combining them with olive oil makes the lycopene more bio-available. Tags: tomtatoes for health, heart-healthy fruit, anti-cancer fruit
Is there anyone who doesn’t love strawberries? These little heart-shaped beauties are tasty, good for your heart and health in general, yet have just 43 calories in a cup with no calories from fat.
A cup of strawberries contains 136% of the recommended DV of vitamin C and are also rich in phytonutrient phenols – powerful antioxidants all. Strawberries' high phenol content makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory fruit, all rolled into one.
Though it isn’t yet clear why, studies have shown that eating three servings of fruit a day reduces the risk of age-related macular degeneration by 36%. Taking antioxidant vitamins did not reduce the risk, so something else is at work.
If three servings of fruit a day sound like a lot to you, remember that one serving is the size of your fist. Put a few on top of your cereal. Have some mixed into your yogurt. Dip some big juicy strawberries in (heart-protective) dark chocolate for an elegant dessert.
Try this luscious fruit salsa to serve as a side dish instead of or in addition to the typical vegetable sides. Good with pork, fish and poultry.
Easy Strawberry Fruit SalsaMix 1 ½ cups hulled and sliced strawberries, 4 T. orange juice, 2 T. each chopped red onion, lime juice and cilantro, 1 t. Tabasco sauce and ¼ t. salt.
Tags: strawberries for health, heart-healthy fruit, phenols and antioxidants
We’re almost through the alphabetical list of the Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods. Today, we’ll drool over spinach and next time, strawberries.Calorie for calorie, dark green vegetables like spinach pack more nutrients than any other food. One cup of boiled spinach (equivalent to 6 cups of fresh leaves) contains just 41 calories and zero fat. Spinach is one of the best foods you can eat for bone health, aside from dairy products (which contain varying amounts of fat).One cup of boiled spinach contains eleven times the recommended DV of vitamin K. Yes, you read right – 11 times! Vitamin K activates osteocalcin, the major non-collagen protein in bone. A cup also contains 25% DV of calcium and 39% DV of magnesium, both of which are essential for bone-building and maintenance. Magnesium also helps lower high blood pressure.Spinach is loaded with antioxidants. One cup has three times the DV of vitamin A and 29% DV of vitamin C plus thirteen different types of flavonoids. Antioxidants work within the body to neutralize free radicals and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, various cancers and atherosclerosis. They also help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related mental decline. The folate in a cup of spinach (66% DV) also reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by neutralizing homocysteine.Finally, as any Popeye fan knows, spinach is rich in energy-boosting iron. One cup provides 36% DV of this vital nutrient with none of the fat of red meat.Tags: spinach for health, antioxidants, folate benefits
In addition to its health benefits, olive oil has a rich and pleasing flavor which makes it an easy diet switch for most people. Try dipping a chunk of crusty bread in olive oil instead of smearing it with margarine or butter. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar into a thin puddle of olive oil and sprinkle on some herbs first. As they say in Italian “Buonissimo!”
Olive oil has 126 calories per tablespoon. It is all fat after all. But remember that your body does require a small amount of fat. Olive oil not only meets your body’s need for fat, but provides other major health benefits.
Olive oil is monounsaturated and lowers LDL cholesterol, reducing you risk for heart disease. Most other oils and fats are saturated and raise LDL cholesterol. Not only has olive oil been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, but there are also studies which correlate consumption of olive oil as the primary dietary fat with reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, asthma, colon cancer, breast cancer and arthritis.
It seems that olive oil’s health benefits are not only due to its monounsaturated composition but also to its high concentration of antioxidants, including polyphenols. As well, polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant actions which may account for the reduction in cancer risk.
“Buon appetito e buona salute”!
Tags: olive oil for health, monounsaturated fat, olive oil and disease prevention
All varieties of grapes are nourishing. One cup contains 61 calories and about 5% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) of vitamins B1 (thiamin), B6 (pyridoxine) and C, as well as 33% DV manganese and 5% DV potassium.
When you buy grapes, go for the purple – the darker the better. The deep purple color indicates a high concentration of flavonoids, primarily quercitin and resveratrol. These flavonoids, also highly concentrated in purple grape juice and red wine, are good for your heart.
Flavonoids help prevent clot formation, similar to a daily aspirin, however with distinct advantages. Flavonoids are bio-available when adrenaline is released in stressful situations; aspirin is neutralized by adrenaline just when you need it most. Aspirin is irritating to the stomach lining.
The flavonoids found in purple grapes and their products decrease the risk of heart disease by: reducing platelet clumping and clots; preventing free radical damage to LDL cholesterol which in turn damages arteries. Although LDL is often called the bad cholesterol, it is actually benign and only becomes harmful after it is oxidized by free radicals.
Read more about the health benefits of powerhouse foods.
Tags: grapes, flavonoids, heart protective
Blueberries were rated #1 in antioxidant power among 60 fruits and vegetables analyzed by researchers at Tufts University. The blue-red pigment found in blueberries comes from anthocyanins. These antioxidant phytonutrients neutralize free radicals which damage collagen.
Free radical damage contributes to many of the visible and invisible signs of aging, from wrinkles to cataracts to heart disease and cancer. Anthocyanins boost the effects of vitamin C, improve capillary integrity, and stabilize the collagen matrix. Blueberries contain 38% more anthocyanins than red wine.
One cup of blueberries contains only 81 calories yet a high dose of vitamin C (32% Daily Value) and manganese (20%).
That brings us to the last of the “B” Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods: Broccoli. Broccoli was first grown in Italy, so it’s not surprising to find it a very important part of the Mediterranean diet, as well as the Sonoma Diet which derives from the Mediterranean style of eating.
What is surprising about broccoli is the health punch it packs. One cup of steamed broccoli contains about twice the recommended Daily Value of vitamins C (206%) and K (194%). It also contains 45% DV of vitamin A.
Broccoli is one of the best non-dairy sources of calcium (10%), but unlike dairy sources, broccoli contains no saturated fat. It is also a good source of dietary fiber (19% DV).
Broccoli is a deluxe detoxifier, clearing away potentially carcinogenic toxins and even inhibiting tumor growth. Broccoli is a potent cancer fighter and heart protector.
You get all this for only 43 calories a cup!
Tags: blueberries, broccoli, The Sonoma Diet
A is for Almonds; B is for Bell Peppers, Blueberries and Broccoli – three of the Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods.
Bell Peppers are off the charts in terms of vitamin C and A content. One cup provides almost 300% the recommended Daily Value of vitamin C and 105% the DV of vitamin A. Research at Kansas State University suggests that a diet rich in vitamin A can help counter the damage caused by benzo(a)pyrene, a carcinogen found in cigarette smoke, thus greatly reducing cancer risk as well as emphysema.
Bell peppers also contain vitamin B6 and folic acid. These B vitamins are very important for reducing high levels of homocysteine, shown to cause damage to blood vessels leading to a greatly increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Red peppers are one of the few foods that contain lycopene, a carotenoid believed to reduce risk for cervical, bladder and pancreatic cancer. Bell peppers are also good for the eyes, protecting against cataracts and reducing the risk of macular degeneration.
One cup of bell peppers contains only 24 calories.
Tags: bell peppers, enjoy your food, The Sonoma Diet
As a reminder, the Sonoma Diet powerhouse foods are: Almonds (and a few other nuts like walnuts), Bell Peppers, Blueberries, Broccoli, Grapes (including wine in moderation), Olive (or canola) Oil, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Whole Grains. They’re called powerhouse foods because they pack nutritional punches, even though some are high in calories or fat. Consider the stats for almonds. One-quarter cup of whole almonds has 206 calories, 164 from fat. That’s 27 grams of fat! How could such a food be recommended for a diet?! In small quantities, that’s how. You may recall that my diet mantra is, "Everything in moderation." Almonds are a good example of when you need to apply this rule.Using slivered almonds gives you the nutty flavor but helps to control portion size. Use almonds to top your yogurt, fruit or vegetable salad. Sprinkle them over trout for trout amandine. Or try my recipe for Vitamin-Rich Veggies and Fish mentioned in the January 27th blog entry.What’s so good about this nut? Almonds are probably the most nutritious of all nuts. They contain vitamin E (45% Daily Value) and vitamin B2 (18% - riboflavin), copper (20%), phosphorus (17%), fiber (16%) and calcium (9%).Read more about the Sonoma diet powerhouse foods.
Tags: almonds, enjoy your food, The Sonoma Diet
Go to your kitchen right now and measure one of your dinner plates. My everyday plates measure nine inches rim to rim. This is quite a common size and is what Connie Guttersen, author of The Sonoma Diet, recommends as a guideline for portion control.
A "healthy" nine-inch plate for dinner (in Wave Three) is comprised of 50% vegetables, 25% protein and 25% carbs. What could be easier? No fair piling your food to the sky though; you’d only be fooling yourself!
Read about Sonoma Diet Portion Control for breakfast and lunch here.
Tags: portion control, enjoy your food, The Sonoma Diet
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