Fit but Fat?

This has been an age old question: Can you still be "fit" even though you are overweight? A new study in Archives of Internal Medicine found that even though people they studied were overweight, more than half of them did not have very much risk for heart disease.

The researchers found:

• 23% of normal weight adults are at risk for heart disease
• 49% of overweight adults are at risk for heart disease
• 68% of obese adults are at risk for heart disease

It is really difficult to just look at weight when assessing risk of heart disease and not pay attention to other factors. The researchers did find that many of the normal weight people with risk factors smoked and didn't work out. The obese individuals who were more heart healthy exercised more.

I think this study supports other research in the past that shows that just being overweight does in fact increase risk of disease (many diseases, not just heart). It also suggests that even if you are overweight or obese, you can reduce risk of disease by staying fit.

Bottom line
If getting down to your "ideal" weight is unrealistic for you, at least shedding a few pounds will improve your health. If you struggle to lose weight, keeping an active lifestyle and including healthy foods in your diet will help to minimize risk, regardless of whether you lose weight or not.

Labels: fitness, heart disease, overweight, Tara Gidus

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Healthy Hearts in Tots

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new report recommending cholesterol screening in children and adolescents with a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease. Previously, most doctors did not start screening for cholesterol until adulthood. With the increase in childhood overweight and obesity rates, we have also seen increases in heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems that were previously rare in children.

The report also recommended specific changes in the diets of children, and dairy was one food specifically highlighted. For many years we have heard that children should go from formula at their first birthday to whole milk at least until their second birthday. Once they are past the age of 2, they can switch to reduced fat or fat free milk. The report recommends changing these guidelines.

Children who are at risk of obesity, high cholesterol, or heart disease are encouraged to drink reduced fat milk (2%) instead of whole milk between 1 and 2 years, and continue on reduced fat (2%), low fat (1%), or skim (fat free) milk the rest of their lives.

Milk provides numerous vitamins and minerals essential for growth such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and riboflavin.

The Dietary Guidelines encourage the following intakes:

• Age 2-8: 2 cups (16 oz) per day of dairy
• Age 9+: 3 cups 24 oz) per day of dairy

All milks (whole, reduced fat, low fat, skim) provide the same vitamins and minerals, and the only difference is the fat and calories.

• Whole milk: 8 grams of fat, 150 calories
• Reduced fat milk (2%): 5 grams of fat, 120 calories
• Low fat milk (1%): 2 grams of fat, 100 calories
• Skim milk (nonfat or fat free): 0 grams of fat, 80 calories

Flavored milks are also nutritious, but of course contain more calories due to the added sugars. Milk straws are a great way to provide flavor without the added calories.

Labels: children, dairy, heart disease, Tara Gidus

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The Incredible Edible Egg

Remember back 20 years when the egg was thought to be so bad for you? Some people still have a fear of eggs. I have to admit, I was in the "please make my omelet with egg substitute" side for a while. But I have changed my tune now that I have learned more about some of the many positive nutritional aspects of the incredible edible egg.

We used to think that the cholesterol in eggs was a culprit in raising our blood cholesterol. Much research has been done on the effect of eggs on cholesterol and the consensus now is that an eggs are fine, and actually can be very good for you! Saturated fat and trans fat are far worse than dietary cholesterol at raising blood cholesterol. All of the dietary cholesterol is found in the yolk, and that is why we were so "egg yolk-phobic" for so many years. But I am here to tell you, eat the yolk! There is some saturated fat in the yolk, so we still want to use a little bit of portion and frequency control, but an egg every day is not excessive and can fit into a heart healthy diet.

5 Reasons to eat eggs:

1. Weight management. Eggs contain high quality protein that keeps you full longer, helping to maintain a healthy weight.
2. Strong muscles. Protein helps active people build muscle and can help aging adults prevent muscle loss.
3. Healthy pregnancy. Egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects. Two eggs provide 250 mg choline, about half of the recommended daily intake for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
4. Brain function. Choline helps all people maintain the structure of brain cell membranes, and is a key component of the neuro-transmitter that helps relay messages from the brain through nerves to the muscles.
5. Eye health. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two antioxidants found in the egg yolk. They may help prevent macular degeneration.

Nutrition facts for one large egg:
75 calories
6.5 g protein
0 g carbohydrate
5 g fat
1.5 g saturated fat
0 g trans fat
212 mg cholesterol
Contains: Vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, selenium, riboflavin, Vitamin B12, folic acid, Vitamin D, zinc

For more information check out these links:
Fun Recipes and Tips: www.incredibleegg.org
Info on Benefits of Eggs from the Egg Nutrition Center: www.enc-online.org
Recipes for eggs
Blog on eggs and nutrition science: www.unscramblingthescience.com

Photo of eggs courtesy of cursedthing

Labels: cholesterol, eggs, heart disease, Tara Gidus

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Cholesterol Lowering Plants

If you are trying everything you can do lower your cholesterol, add plant sterols to your list. Even if you don't have high cholesterol, plant sterols can be something you may want to consider adding to your diet.

What are plant sterols?
I know the name is kind of scary, but they are simply parts of a plant membrane that resemble the chemical structure of cholesterol (only in animals and humans) but perform a similar function in the plant. They are naturally present in very small quantities in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, and vegetable oils.

What do they do?
Plant sterols have been found in research studies to help lower LDL, or "bad," cholesterol by blocking its absorption. If enough sterols are consumed in the diet, they will compete with cholesterol in the digestive tract and the result is less cholesterol being absorbed by the body. Studies have found that LDL cholesterol can be reduced between 6 and 15 percent. Some studies even suggest a reduced risk of cancer in people who consume plant sterols on a regular basis.

How much?
The hard part is getting enough of these plant sterols to make a difference. Because they exist in such small quantities in the foods we eat, many food manufacturers have started fortifying foods with plant sterols to give us more.

The FDA approved a health claim which reads:
Foods containing at least 0.65 grams per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 grams, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. A serving of [name of the food] supplies ____ grams of plant sterol esters.

Foods that contain plant sterols:
Promise activ Super Shots: 2.0 g
Promise activ Butter Spread (formerly Take Control): 1.0 g
Corazona's Tortilla or Potato Chips: 0.4 g (I love these chips!)
CocoaVia Chocolate bars: 1.1 g
Various products containing Corowise: Vitalicious chocolate muffin tops, milk, orange juice, Nature Valley Healthy Heart granola bars, Lifetime Lowfat Cheese, even vitamins.

Consult with your doctor to see if adding plant sterols to your diet daily is a good idea.

Photo of orange juice courtesy of Corowise
Photo of chips courtesy of Corazonas

Labels: cholesterol, heart disease, plant sterols, Tara Gidus

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Heart Month

Labels: heart disease, Tara Gidus

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Soda and Heart Risk?

You may have heard about a study released Monday about a link between soft drink consumption and increased risk of metabolic syndrome, which also increases risk of heart disease and diabetes. Many people are very upset about this study because it included diet sodas along with regular sodas in the increased risk category.

It is important to recognize that they study does not suggest that drinking sodas causes metabolic syndrome. In other words, there is an association, but not a cause and effect. This is very important to remember.

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of risk factors (you must have 3 or more) including:

• High fasting blood sugar (more than 100 mg/dl)
• Large waist circumference (35 inches for women and 40 inches for men)
• High triglycerides (more than 150 mg/dl)
• High blood pressure (more than 135/85 mm Hg)
• Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dl for men and 50 for women)

Researchers are trying to figure out how diet soda may be related to increased risk of these factors. Diet soda has no calories and therefore should not be contributing to these risk factors.

The theories are as follows:

1. The caramel color causes insulin resistance, leading to weight gain and impaired glucose tolerance
2. Drinking something sweet (even fake sweet like diet soda) increases someone’s preference for sweets
3. Poor health habits of people who drink sodas (even diet) like less exercise, more fat in diet, more calories consumed, and eating less fiber

I have a hard time believing that diet soda is causing people to gain weight. I still think it is total calories that people are eating that contribute to weight gain and that even if there is a slight effect on insulin from diet drinks (which is just a theory and has not been proven) that it can’t be great enough to cause obesity in and of itself. I believe that any association found in this study has got to be from theory number 3, which is that the people who drank soda had other poor habits that lead to metabolic syndrome.

I know plenty of people, myself included, that drink a diet soda or two a day and are not overweight or have any of the above risk factors. Regular sodas do contain calories and a fair amount of them (150 calories per 12 oz can). My advice is to continue to stay away from regular sodas due to sugar and calories, which could lead to weight gain. That being said, I also know plenty of people who drink a regular soda a day and are not overweight and have the above risk factors. But you are much more likely to gain weight from regular soda than diet soda.

Bottom line

As with everything, use moderation. If you enjoy diet sodas, I don’t think this one study is convincing enough to cut them out completely. Look at the rest of your diet and make sure you are not overconsuming total calories, sugar, and fat from other sources. And of course, exercise daily!

To read what the American Beverage Association has to say about the study, click here.

Labels: heart disease, metabolic syndrome, soda, soft drinks, Tara Gidus

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