Women who eat the most carbohydrate have twice the risk of heart disease compared to women who eat the least carbohydrate

This post includes a summary of a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine 2010 Apr 12;170(7):640-7 and a recipe for roast pheasant.

Study title and authors:
Dietary glycemic load and index and risk of coronary heart disease in a large italian cohort: the EPICOR study.

Books:

Sieri S, Krogh V, Berrino F, Evangelista A, Agnoli C, Brighenti F, Pellegrini N, Palli D, Masala G, Sacerdote C, Veglia F, Tumino R, Frasca G, Grioni S, Pala V, Mattiello A, Chiodini P, Panico S.

Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS (Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico) Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386010

This study which included 47,749 volunteers and lasted nearly 8 years found that women who ate the most carbohydrate had twice the risk of heart disease compared to the women who ate the least carbohydrate.

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Recipe of the day

Roast Pheasant

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Roast Pheasant

1 two- to three-pound pheasant

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
Few celery leaves
1 slice lemon
4 slices bacon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to moderate (350 degrees)

2. Sprinkle the pheasant inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the bay leaf, garlic, celery leaves and lemon in the cavity. Tie the legs together with string and turn the wings under.

3. Cover the breast with bacon. Place the pheasant, breast up, on a rack in a baking pan and roast until tender, about thirty minutes per pound, basting frequently with drippings.

Roast Pheasant



Low fat meals increase heart disease risk factors

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology 2010 March; 4(2): 236–243 and a recipe for cabbage rolls.

Study title and authors:
Postprandial Insulin and Triglycerides after Different Breakfast Meal Challenges: Use of Finger Stick Capillary Dried Blood Spots to Study Postprandial Dysmetabolism
Sonia Kapur, Ph.D., Margaret N. Groves, M.Phil., David T. Zava, Ph.D., and Sanjay Kapur, Ph.D.
ZRT Laboratory, LLC, Beaverton, Oregon

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2864157/

Books:

Kapur notes that high levels of insulin and glucose following a meal are recognized risk factors for heart disease.

The study examined insulin and glucose levels collected after five different breakfast meals which had various fat, protein and carbohydrate ratios.

The study found:
(a) Significantly lower glucose levels were seen after meal 2 (the highest fat/lowest carbohydrate content) compared to the other meals.
(b) Insulin returned to normal fasting levels in significantly more subjects (90%) after meal 2 (the highest fat/lowest carbohydrate content) and significantly fewer subjects (31%) after meal 4 (lowest fat/highest carbohydrate content) than the other meals.

To conclude: High fat meals lower heart disease risk factors, whilst low fat meals increase heart disease risk factors.

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Recipe of the day

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

Sauce:

Food Mall: Ground Beef

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon dried basil

Black pepper to taste

Cabbage Rolls

1 lb grass fed ground beef

2 cups diced fresh spinach

1 small apple, finely diced

½ red onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 egg

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

12-15 cabbage leaves

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and set aside. Remove the core from a head of cabbage and place the cabbage leaves in your pressure cooker with one cup of water. Bring the pressure cooker up to pressure and cook for 30 seconds. Take the leaves out and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, mix together all filling ingredients. Depending on the size of your cabbage leaves, place approximately ¼ cup of filling on the bottom edge of each leaf. Fold in the two outside edges of the cabbage leaf and roll up the filling. Place each cabbage roll seam side down in your pressure cooker. Cover the rolls with the sauce. Bring the pressure cooker up to pressure and cook for 12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cabbage Rolls



Researchers question the validity of present-day (low-fat, high carbohydrate) dietary guidelines

This post contains a summary of a paper published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2004 Jul;7(4):485-92 and a recipe for green chicken masala.

Study title and author:
Carbohydrate and weight control: where do we stand?
Acheson KJ.
Nutrition and Health Department, Nestlé Research Center, P.O. Box 44, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland. kevin.acheson@rdls.nestle.com

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15192454

Books:

Acheson notes that the Atkins diet has been criticized and vilified by much of the scientific community since it was proposed 30 years ago, because it challenged nutritional recommendations and dietary guidelines for a healthy diet. However, in spite of such recommendations the prevalence of obesity continues to rise. The present review evaluates recent scientific evidence and attempts to reach consensus on the confusion of weight-reducing diets.

The review found that low-carbohydrate, Atkins-type diets have been demonstrated to have positive effects on weight loss and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk, which has prompted some researchers to question the validity of present-day (low-fat, high carbohydrate) dietary guidelines.

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Recipe of the day

Green Chicken Masala

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Chicken Thighs

•2 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces;

•1 cup full-fat coconut milk;
•1 onion, finely chopped;
•1/4 cup lemon juice;
•1/2 cup water or chicken stock;
•4 garlic cloves, minced;
•2 cups fresh cilantro leaves;
•1 cup fresh mint leaves;
•1 jalapeño pepper, chopped coarsely;
•1 1/2 tsp turmeric;
•1/2 tsp cinnamon;
•1/2 tsp ground cardamom;
•1/8 tsp ground cloves;
•3 tbsp coconut oil or clarified butter;
•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation:
1.Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add the onion with the cooking fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.

2.Add the chicken thighs as well as the turmeric to the skillet and continue cooking, still while stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, water or stock, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and garlic in a blender or food processor and process to obtain a smooth puree.

4.After the chicken has cooked for about 7 minutes, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.

5.Pour in the coconut milk, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the herb puree.

6.Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is well cooked and tender.

Green Chicken Masala



Low carbohydrate diets diets are a viable option in reversing diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and the epidemic of obesity

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice 2011 Jun;26(3):300-8 and a recipe for ground lamb and pumpkin.

Study title and authors:
Low-carbohydrate diet review: shifting the paradigm.
Hite AH, Berkowitz VG, Berkowitz K.
Valerie Goldstein-Berkowitz, 7 West 51st Street, New York, NY 10019;

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21586415

Books:

This review examined and compared the safety and the effectiveness of a low carbohydrate diet as an alternative to a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, which is the current standard for weight loss and/or chronic disease prevention.

The review found:
(a) In short-term and long-term comparison studies, low carbohydrate diets performed as well as or better than comparable low fat diets with regard to weight loss, cholesterol levels, glucose and insulin response, blood pressure, and other important cardiovascular risk markers in both normal subjects and those with metabolic and other health-related disorders.
(b) The metabolic, hormonal, and appetite signaling effects of carbohydrate reduction suggest an underlying scientific basis for considering it as an alternative approach to the low fat, high-carbohydrate recommendations in addressing overweight/obesity and chronic disease.

Hite concludes: It is time to embrace low carbohydrate diets diets as a viable option to aid in reversing diabetes mellitus, risk factors for heart disease, and the epidemic of obesity.

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Recipe of the day

Ground Lamb and Pumpkin

Food Mall: Ground Lamb

Ingredients:

1 lb ground lamb

1 zucchini, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp fresh mint, minced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp allspice

Instructions:
Black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet, add onion and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add lamb and cook until the lamb is almost done. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, cover and let simmer together for 2 minutes or until the zucchini is tender but not mushy.

For the pumpkin, use 1 small sugar pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in 1/2 and remove the seeds (save them to roast)! Place the pumpkin in your pressure cooker with about 2 cups of water and cook for 6-7 minutes.

Scoop out the pumpkin and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon with the lamb.

Ground Lamb and Pumpkin



Diets high in cholesterol and saturated fat lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes

This post includes a synopsis of a paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002 Dec;76(6):1214-21and a recipe for the quickest breakfast.

Study title and authors:
Dietary and plasma lipid, lipoprotein, and apolipoprotein profiles among elderly Hispanics and non-Hispanics and their association with diabetes.
Bermudez OI, Velez-Carrasco W, Schaefer EJ, Tucker KL.
Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA. bermudez@hnrc.tufts.edu

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12450885

The objective of the study was to assess the dietary and cholesterol risk factors for cardiovascular disease and their relationship to diabetes. The study involved 490 Hispanics and 163 non-Hispanic whites aged 60-98 years.

Bermudez found that:                                                                                                          Books: 

(a) Intakes of carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat were higher in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic whites.

(b) Intakes of cholesterol and saturated and monounsaturated fat were lower in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic whites.

(c) Concentrations of (good) HDL cholesterol, and (good) apolipoprotein A-I were significantly lower among Hispanic women than among non-Hispanic white women
(d) Concentrations of (good) HDL cholesterol, and (good) apolipoprotein A-I were lower among Hispanic men than among non-Hispanic white men.
(e) High levels of (bad) triglycerides and low levels of (good) HDL cholesterol were more prevalent among Hispanics with than without diabetes.

The study results indicate that a diet high in cholesterol, saturated and monounsaturated fat, and low in carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

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Recipe of the day

Quickest Breakfast
                                                                                                                               Food Mall: Eggs
Ingredients:
butter
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Firstly, switch on the frying pan (skillet) and put about 1 ounce (25g) of butter in it to melt.

While the pan is heating up, get out 4 eggs, a plate and cutlery.

By this time, the butter in the pan should be melted and starting to bubble. If it is, just break the eggs into the pan and stir, using a moderate heat, until cooked to your satisfaction.

Serve and add salt and pepper to taste.

34% more weight loss on a low carb diet compared to a low fat diet

This post includes a summary of a paper published in Cardiovascular diabetology 2009 Jul 18;8:36 and a recipe for chicken and chard.

Study title and authors:
A randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of carbohydrate-reduced or fat-reduced diets in patients attending a telemedically guided weight loss program.

Books:

Frisch S, Zittermann A, Berthold HK, Götting C, Kuhn J, Kleesiek K, Stehle P, Körtke H.

Klinik für Thorax- und Kardiovaskularchirurgie, Herzzentrum NRW, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany. sfrisch@hdz-nrw.de

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19615091

The study revealed that the carbohydrate-reduced diet was more beneficial with respect to weight loss and cardiovascular risk factors compared to the fat-reduced diet.

Subjects lost 34% more weight on the low carb diet compared to the low fat diet.

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Recipe of the day

Chicken and Chard

Food Mall: Boneless Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

5 garlic cloves, minced
½ red onion, diced
2 bunches of rainbow chard, roughly choped
1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 – 4oz can of roasted diced green chile’s
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon of ground all spice
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Small handful of raisins and raw sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions:
In a large wok or skillet heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they start to turn translucent. Add the chicken and cook for 3-5 minutes or until almost cooked through. Add the garlic and saute together with the chicken and onions for another 2-3 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, cumin, allspice, and the can of chile’s and mix well. Add the chard and cook until the chard is wilted, about another 3-4 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of raisins and almonds.

Chicken and Chard



Low-carbohydrate diets improve blood flow

Published in Metabolism. 2009 Dec;58(12):1769-77. Epub 2009 Jul 25.

Effects of dietary carbohydrate restriction versus low-fat diet on flow-mediated dilation.
Volek JS, Ballard KD, Silvestre R, Judelson DA, Quann EE, Forsythe CE, Fernandez ML, Kraemer WJ.
Department of Kinesiology and the Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1110, USA. jeff.volek@uconn.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19632695

The findings of the study show that a low-carbohydrate diet improves post-meal blood vessel flow more than a low fat diet in overweight men and women.

AMAZON UK Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life
AMAZON USA Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life

Low carb or low fat diets. Which is better for lowering heart disease risk?

Published in NMCD Volume 20, Issue 10, Pages 720-726 (December 2010)

Carbohydrate restriction favorably alters lipoprotein metabolism in Emirati subjects classified with the metabolic syndrome
T. Al-Sarraja, H. Saadic, J.S. Volekb, M.L. Fernandeza
a Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, 3624 Horsebarn Road Ext, U 4017, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
b Department of Internal Medicine, United Arab Emirate University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
c Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.nmcd-journal.com/article/S0939-4753(09)00143-4/abstract
 
The study found that a low carbohydrate diet was better than a low fat diet for reducing heart disease risk factors.

AMAZON UK Cereal Killers: Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free A to Z
AMAZON USA Cereal Killers: Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free A to Z