Processed People – a new documentary

Two hundred million Americans are overweight and 100 million are obese.  In the UK, approximately 24 million people are overweight and 13.5 million are obese.  

Being severely obese is as hazardous to health as smoking.  In the US, obesity has now overtaken smoking as the no. 1 cause of premature death. 

More than 75 million Americans have high blood pressure and 24 million people are diabetic.  In the UK, 12 million people have high blood pressure and an estimated 3 million people are diabetic.  Heart disease remains the no. 1 cause of death for men and women, followed by stroke and obesity-related cancers. 

In the US, 60 percent of bankruptcies are caused by what has become known as “medical debt”. 

Fast food, fast medicine, fast news and fast lives have turned many of us into sick, uninformed, indebted, “processed” people. 

A new documentary called Processed People features interviews from nine health and environmental experts/advocates.  They discuss how and why we have got into this mess and what we can do to break the “processed people” cycle.

 Trailers for the film are available on YouTube.

If you would like to escape from the “processed people” cycle and live as nature intended, please come and learn how to cook with natural unprocessed foods at Cooking for Health classes, held throughout the year in Somerset, UK.

Over-eating when eating out

Recently, I gave the menu of a well-known chain restaurant to a group of students and asked them to select what they would eat if they were dining there. 

 

They selected a starter (garlic bread with cheese), a main course (traditional lasagne with a salad), a dessert (ice cream) and a drink (a can of coke). 

 

Using the restaurant’s own nutritional information, they calculated the nutrient content of what they had chosen (Table 1).  The results left the students open-mouthed.

 

Their menu selection had provided:

 

n 106% of the guideline daily amount of calories (assuming 2000 kcal per day);

n 141-171% of the guideline daily amount of protein (depending on whether they were male or female);

n 61% of the guideline daily carbohydrate;

n 109% of the guideline daily amount of total fat;

n 192% of the guideline daily amount of saturated fat

n 52% of the guideline daily amount of salt. 

 

It is worth noting that the dietary reference value for salt in the UK is 6 g per day, compared with 2.3 g per day in the USA.

 

Thus, one meal out would have provided more than the entire day’s requirement for calories; enough protein to last for one and a half days; and enough saturated fat to last for two days.

 

Most people have no idea of the nutrient content of the food they are eating, nor of the potentially damaging effects on their health of a dietary excess of sugar, saturated fat and salt. 

 

Given that at least one–third of household expenditure on food and drink is spent on food eaten outside the home in the UK, food manufacturers and caterers have a real opportunity to contribute to an improvement in public health whilst also making a profit themselves. 

 

There is now convincing research evidence to suggest that increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and whole grains in the diet, whilst decreasing the amount of sugar, saturated fat and salt, helps to protect the body from chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and various cancers.

 

A two-day professional training course is offered, tailored to equip caterers, and those involved in encouraging healthier catering practices, with information and practical tools to achieve healthier eating in the population.

 

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Understand the basic principles of nutrition
• Be aware of the importance of food in the maintenance of health and well-being
• Appreciate the role of lifestyles and culture in influencing diet
• Recognise the potential benefits for both caterers and customers of providing a choice of healthier options
• Know more about ingredient selection and methods of food production and processing that can be used to create healthier options, whilst being attractive and convenient to modern tastes and lifestyles
• Be able to apply appropriate and relevant skills and knowledge when advising catering businesses or when planning, preparing, promoting and serving healthier foods

For further information on the course content and the course tutor, Dr Jane Philpott, please click http://cookingforhealth-uk.com/healthier-catering.php.

 

 

Table 1

Menu item	Calories per portion	Protein g per portion	Carbohydrate g per portion	Total fat g per portion	Saturated fat g per portion	Salt g per portion
Starter	568	29.8	35.6	34	16.5	1.15
Main course	934	42.2	74.4	33.1	14.6	1.84
Dessert	475	5.5	18.8	18.1	11.1	0.15
Drink	139	0	35	0	0	0
Total	2116	77.5	163.8	85.2	42.2	3.14
Gov guideline	2000 kcal	45 g/day (women) 55 g/day (men)	267 g per day	78 g per day	22 g per day	6 g per day
% of guidelines	106%	171% (women) 141% (men)	61%	109%	192%	52%

 

 

 

How to get your children to eat more vegetables

Give the vegetables cool names!

When 186 four-year olds were given carrots called “X-ray Vision Carrots” they ate nearly twice as many as they did on the lunch days when they were simply labelled as “carrots.”  The children continued to eat about 50 per cent more carrots even on the days when they were no longer labelled, according to a new study by researchers at Cornell University.

“Cool names can make for cool foods,” says lead author Professor Brian Wansink of Cornell University. “Whether it be ‘power peas’ or ‘dinosaur broccoli trees,’ giving a food a fun name makes kids think it will be more fun to eat. And it seems to keep working – even the next day.”

Similar results have been found with adults. A restaurant study showed that when the Seafood Filet was changed to “Succulent Italian Seafood Filet,” sales increased by 28 per cent and taste rating increased by 12 per cent.

“Same food, but different expectations, and a different experience,”

said Wansink, author of “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Eat More Than We Think.”

Although the study was conducted in pre-schools, the researchers believe the same naming tricks can work with older children.

“I’ve been using this with my kids,” said researcher Collin Payne, “Whatever sparks their imagination seems to spark their appetite.”

Here are some more ideas to tempt your children to enjoy the wonders of the fruit and vegetable world:

• Ben 10’s Bionic Broccoli
• Elastigirl’s Shapeshifting Strawberries
• Hogwart’s Hufflepuff Herbs
• Lady Penelope’s Pinky Peaches
• Pokemon’s Powerblast Parsnips
• Spongebob’s Squarepants Supersonic Squash
• Thunderbirds’ Hypersonic Rocket Leaf
• Wonder Woman’s Wicked Watermelon

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Recipe for quinoa, apricot and walnut porridge

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a species of the broad-leaf goosefoot family (Chenopodium quinoa) grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. It is not a grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a leafy vegetable, much like amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as “chisaya mama” or “mother of all grains”, and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using ‘golden implements’.

Quinoa has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (14 to 20 per cent). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food.  It is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus and is high in copper, magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten free and considered easy to digest. In its natural state quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting saponins, making it unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America and Europe has been processed to remove this coating.

Quinoa is as versatile as rice, cooks rapidly (10 to 15 minutes) and can be used in creamy porridges, soups, salads, stir-fries and stews.

RECIPE

Quinoa, apricot and walnut porridge

Serves 1

Ingredients

50g quinoa
200ml rice milk
4 organic dried apricots (chopped)
15g walnuts (chopped)

Method

Wash the quinoa thoroughly and place in pan. Add rice milk and chopped apricots and simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is soft. Mix in the chopped walnuts and serve.

For more recipes ideas, information about diet and health, and practical tuition in cooking with whole foods, come along to a Cooking for Health course on Cooking with Whole Foods, in Somerset, UK, with nutrition consultant and cookery teacher Dr Jane Philpott.

Obesity in children

Overweight and obesity among children is widely regarded as being even more serious than it is among adults, with a very rapid rise in prevalence in the last two decades. Child obesity is likely to continue into adulthood, and many of the problems linked to obesity are more severe if the obesity has been present for a long period. Adults with the highest risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, liver malfunction and orthopaedic dysfunction, are likely to have the most extreme levels of obesity and to have been obese since childhood[i].

Projections of child obesity based on trends from the 1980s and 1990s indicate that the annual increase in child obesity prevalence is itself increasing[ii]. By the year 2010, some 26 million school children in the EU are expected to be overweight, of which 6 million will be obese. The numbers of overweight children will rise by some 1.3 million per year, of which the numbers of obese children will rise by over 0.3 million per year.

At a conservative estimate, over a million obese children in the EU are likely to show a range of indicators for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and raised blood cholesterol levels, and to have three or more indicators of the metabolic syndrome[iii]. Over 1.4 million children could have early stages of liver disorder.

The costs of childhood obesity have not been estimated but should include lost educational opportunity. A study of children’s quality of life found the psychological effects of severe obesity to be equivalent to a diagnosis of cancer[iv].

Behaviour, learning and mental health problems in children are rising as fast as rates of obesity and diabetes. Food affects brains as well as bodies, and early malnourishment can have devastating effects on both. Conversely, improving nutrition can help reduce antisocial behaviour as well as symptoms of ADHD, dyslexia, depression and related conditions[v].

The only pan-European estimates of children’s food consumption patterns are from self-reported surveys of health behaviours of children aged 11-15 years[vi]. The most recent (for 2001-2002) found:

• In virtually all countries fewer than 50 per cent of children ate vegetables every day. On average, 30 per cent of children said they ate vegetables daily, but the children in countries once famous for their Mediterranean diets reported lower than average levels, especially Spain, where vegetables were typically eaten daily by only 12 per cent of children.
• In virtually all countries fewer than 50 per cent of children ate fruit every day. On average, 30 per cent of boys and 37 per cent of girls reported eating fruit daily, but in sixteen countries only 25 per cent of children were eating fruit more than once a week. Lowest levels of consumption were reported among children in Northern European countries.
• Soft drinks and confectionery were consumed daily by about 30 per cent of children (over 40 per cent in some countries).

According to the last National Diet and Nutrition Survey in the UK[vii]:

• 92 per cent of children consume more saturated fat than is recommended
• 86 per cent consume too much sugar
• 72 per cent consume too much salt
• 96 per cent do not consume enough fruit and vegetables

Governments are trying to improve children’s diets, but young people’s exposure to marketing pressures in our time-poor, anxiety-ridden, media-driven society is at an all-time high.

Widespread action is needed to reverse current trends – and we all need to take responsibility for what we are feeding young bodies and minds.

In a Cooking for Health class focused on Healthy Cooking for Your Children, we look at:

• The best and the worst food for children
• Easy steps to free your child from food traps
• Simple, child-friendly recipes
• Practical tips to help your child make the best food choices

The class involves 100% hands-on practical cooking in a small, supervised group, combined with teaching of up-to-date information and research findings on the effects of diet on health. Clear, easy-to-follow presentations and handouts are provided with plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion.

References

[i] Policy options for responding to obesity. Summary report of the EC-funded project to map the view of stakeholders involved in tackling obesity – the PorGrow project. Dr Tim Lobstein and Professor Erik Millstone. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/porgrow

[ii] Jackson-Leach R, Lobstein T. Estimated burden of paediatric obesity and co-morbidities in Europe. Part 1. The increase in the prevalence of child obesity in Europe is itself increasing. Int J Pediatric Obesit 2006;1:26-32.

[iii] Lobstein T, Jackson-Leach R. Estimated burden of paediatric obesity and co-morbidities in Europe. Part 2. Numbers of children with indicators of obesity-related disease. Int J Pediatric Obesity 2006;1:33-41.

[iv] Schwimmer JB, Burwinkle TM, Varni JW. Health-related quality of life of severely obese children and adolescents. J Am Med Ass 2003;289:1813-9.

[v] Richardson, A. They Are What You Feed Them. Harper Thorsons (5 Jun 2006)

[vi] HBSC. Young people’s health in context: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children 2001/2002. Health Policy for Children and Adolescents 4. C Currie et al (eds) Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2004.

[vii] Gregory, J. et al. National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Young People Aged 4-18 years (The Stationery Office, 2000)

 

 

 

Soybean product may be of benefit in preventing Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists in Taiwan have published a paper in the February 2009 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry indicating that an enzyme, nattokinase, which is found in a fermented soybean product called natto, has powerful ability in lab experiments to prevent formation of the clumps of tangled protein (amyloid fibrils) observed in Alzheimer’s disease.

More than 20 unrelated proteins can form amyloid fibrils in the body, which are related to various diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, prion disease, and systematic amyloidosis.  Enhancing amyloid clearance is one of the targets of the therapy of these amyloid-related diseases. Although there is debate on whether the toxicity is due to amyloids or their precursors, research on the degradation of amyloids may shed light on the prevention or alleviation of these diseases.

In this Taiwanese study, nattokinase degraded several kinds of amyloid fibrils suggesting its possible use in the treatment of amyloid-related diseases.

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans and is a popular breakfast dish.  For some, natto is an acquired taste due to its powerful smell, strong flavour and sticky consistency.

Natto is made from soybeans, typically a special type called natto soybeans.  Smaller beans are preferred as the fermentation can progress to the centre of the bean more easily.  The beans are washed and soaked in water for 12 to 20 hours, which causes the beans to swell.  Next, the soybeans are steamed for 6 hours, although a pressure cooker can be used to reduce the time.  The beans are then mixed with the bacterium Bacillus subtilis natto, known as natto-kin in Japanese.  From this point on, care has to be taken to keep the ingredients away from impurities and other bacteria.  The mixture is fermented at 40°C for up to 24 hours.  Afterwards the natto is cooled, then aged in a refrigerator for up to one week to add stringiness.  During the ageing process at a temperature of about 0°C, the bacteria develop spores, and enzymes break down the soybean protein into its constituent amino acids.  For this reason, the high protein content of the soybean is in a very digestible form. 

In addition to its high protein content, natto is rich in fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.  In common with other soybean products, natto contains significant quantities of the isoflavone phytonutrients including genistein and daidzein, which are believed to have cancer-protective properties.

Natto is believed to have numerous health benefits and there is some medical research to support this.  The enzyme nattokinase is a serine protease which may reduce blood clotting by direct fibrinolysis of clots and inhibition of the plasma protein plasminogen activator inhibitor 1[i].  Clinical trials are needed to confirm laboratory studies.  An extract from natto containing nattokinase is available as a dietary supplement.

Vitamin K, which is present in significant amounts in natto, is involved in the formation of calcium-binding groups in proteins, assisting the formation of bones and preventing osteoporosis.  Vitamin K1 is found naturally in seaweed, liver and some vegetables, while vitamin K2 is found in fermented food products such as cheese and miso.  Natto has very large amounts of vitamin K2, approximately 870 mg per 100 g natto.

Natto is reported to contain substantial levels of a natural product called pyrroloquinoline quinone, which has been shown to stimulate DNA synthesis in cultured human fibroblasts, modulate immune response, and reduce liver injury, cataract formation and lipid peroxidation[ii].   

 A study reported in 1996 suggested that natto may have benefits in reducing cholesterol levels in people whose cholesterol and triglyceride levels are high[iii].

In January 1997, a Japanese television programme called Revealed! Encyclopaedia of Living recommended two portions of natto per day as a means of losing weight in only two weeks.  With the Japanese struggling with overweight and obesity this hit a nerve, and by lunchtime the next day national stocks of natto had sold out.    Whilst it is the case that natto has a relatively low number of calories per g of protein and a high nutrient density, it will only contribute to weight loss if consumed as part of a healthy diet, high in whole grains, vegetables, fruits and unsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats, salt and sugar, combined with plenty of exercise.

The most popular way to eat natto is to put it in a small bowl, add a little soy sauce and some finely-chopped spring onion and/or some mustard, mix the ingredients together and serve on some steamed rice.  Natto can also be added to miso soup to create a rich and nourishing dish, which smells a little like capuccino.

Natto can be purchased in the UK from specialist suppliers of Japanese food, such as the Japan Centre  and Japanese Kitchen.

Learn how to cook with natto and other soybean products such tempeh and tofu at popular Cooking for Health classes  held throughout the year in Somerset, UK .

Jane Philpott

 

References

[i]  Fujita M et al (December 1993). “Purification and characterization of a strong fibrinolytic enzyme (nattokinase) in the vegetable cheese natto, a popular soybean fermented food in Japan”. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 197 (3): 1340–1347.

[ii] Kumazawa, T.  et al. Levels of pyrroloquinoline quinone in various foods.  Biochem J. (1995) 307: 331-333

[iii] National Cardiovascular Center, Osake, Japan (April 2006). “Examining the effects of natto consumption on lifestyle-related disease prevention“

Mediterranean diet may help prevent prostate cancer

Recently reviewed evidence relating diet and prostate cancer suggests that a traditional Cretan Mediterranean style diet based on a variety of plant foods (fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereals, nuts and legumes), olive oil as the main source of fat, moderate to low intake of dairy foods, moderate to high intake of fish and moderate intake of wine, mostly with meals, may be helpful in reducing prostate cancer risk.

A recent meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies using a score to assess adherence to a Mediterranean diet found that stronger adherence was associated with reduced all cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, as well as decreased incidence of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases [i].

Two intervention studies have supported the benefits of a Mediterranean style diet on metabolic risk factors [ii] [iii].  In a Spanish study, men and women with elevated levels of cardiovascular risk factors were randomised to either of two ‘Mediterranean’ diets and provided with either olive oil and nuts, or to a control low fat diet.  After 3 months the Mediterranean diet groups had lower mean plasma glucose, systolic blood pressure and total/HDL cholesterol ratio than the control group [ii].  Italian adults with the Metabolic Syndrome were randomised to a ‘Mediterranean’ diet or a ‘prudent’ diet, both with similar macronutrient (carbohydrate, protein, fat) composition.  The ‘Mediterranean’ diet was associated with greater improvements in markers of vascular risk and endothelial function than the control group [iii].  In both studies the ‘Mediterranean’ diet groups received more nutrition education than the control groups.

The Lyon Heart Study demonstrated that a modified Cretan diet low in butter and meats, and high in fish, fruits and enriched with alpha-linolenic acid from canola oil was more effective than a ‘prudent’ diet in the secondary prevention of coronary events and overall mortality [iv]. 

Simopoulos [v] notes that the traditional Greek diet resembles the Paleolithic diet in terms of fibre, antioxidants, saturated and monounsaturated fat, thus is consistent with human evolution.  While traditional diets must reflect regionally available foods, the dietary principles of the traditional Greek diet may be applied in many countries.  The evidence suggests that a traditional Greek or Cretan style diet is consistent with what humans have evolved to consume and may protect against common chronic diseases, including prostate cancer.

For information and practical tuition in how to incorporate the dietary principles of the Mediterranean diet into your own cooking, why not come along to a Cooking for Health course, run throughout the year in Somerset, UK.

Jane Philpott

References

[i] Sofi, F., Cesari, F., Abbate, R., Gensini, G F., Casini, A. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: meta-analysis.  BMJ 2008: 337: a1344.

[ii] Estruch, R., Martinez-Gonzalez, M A., Corella, D. et al.  Effects of a Mediterranean-style diet on cardiovascular risk factors: a randomised trial.  Ann Intern. Med. 2006: 145: 1-11.

[iii] Esposito, K., Marfella, R., Ciotola, M. et al.  Effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomised trial.  J Am Med Assoc 2004; 292: 1440-6.

[iv] de Lorgeril, M., Salen, P. Modified Cretan Mediterranean diet in the prevention of coronary heart disease and cancer.  In Simopoulos A,P., Visioli, F. eds.  Mediterranean Diets.  World Review Nutr. Diet. Basel: Karger, 2000: 1-23.

[v] Simopoulos, A P. The traditional diet of Greece and cancer.  Eur J Cancer Prev 2004; 13:219-30.

Obesity begins at home

Researchers at the University of California have found that adolescents are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables a day if their parents do.  In contrast, teenagers whose parents consume fast food and fizzy drinks are more likely to do the same.

A survey of thousands of teenagers revealed that:

• Teens whose parents drink soft fizzy drinks every day are nearly 40 percent more likely to drink fizzy drinks themselves than teens whose parents do not drink fizzy drinks
• Teens whose parents eat five servings of fruit and vegetables daily are 16 percent more likely to do the same than teens whose parents who do not eat five servings a day
• Nearly half of adolescents (48 percent) whose parents drink fizzy drinks every day eat fast food at least once a day, while only 39 percent of teens whose parents who do not drink fizzy drinks eat fast food once daily
• 45 percent of teens whose parents do not eat five servings of fruit and vegetables daily eat fast food at least once a day, while only 39 percent of teens whose parents eat five servings a day eat fast food at least once daily

“The research shows us that one of the keys to solving the teen obesity crisis starts with parents, but we must also improve the abysmal food environments in many low-income communities,” said Dr Robert K. Ross, president and chief executive officer of the California endowment.  “While parents are the primary role models for their children and their behaviour can positively – or negatively – influence their children’s health, it is also essential that local officials representing low-income communities work to expand access to fruit, vegetables and other healthful foods”.

Educating parents about healthy food choices, as well as how to plan and prepare healthier meals, would help in rducing teenage obesity, according to the authors of the policy brief. 

They also recommend employment policies that promote a better work-life balance.  Given more flexible working hours, more families might have time to prepare food at home and engage more often in family meals – an activity that has been linked to healthier lifestyles.

For more information on courses available on choosing and preparing healthy food for your children see Healthy Cooking for Your Children.

Jane Philpott, Cooking for Health