This is hot off the press from the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter:

“Vitamin E, the subject of dashed hopes for a variety of health benefits a few years ago, is back in the spotlight. This time the focus is dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, with two new studies suggesting that vitamin E – especially from dietary sources – may help stave off mental decline with aging.

In results from a study tracing 5,395 people ages 55 and up for nearly a decade, Dutch researchers report that those with the highest intake of vitamin E from food were 25% less likely to develop dementia than those consuming the least vitamin E. Similar results were seen for Alzheimer’s disease. Dietary sources of the vitamin were primarily vegetable oils, margarine, butter and mayonnaise; the group consuming the most vitamin E averaged 18.5 mg daily, a little less than that found in a quarter-cup of sunflower oil.

A second study, from Sweden, compared blood levels of eight different forms of vitamin E with risk of developing Alzheimer’s among 232 elderly people over 6 years. Those with the highest vitamin E levels were 45%-54% less likely to develop the disease. Scientists speculated that vitamin E’s antioxidant properties might counter the oxidative stress thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s. – Archives of Neurology and Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease”

If you want to increase your intake of vitamin E, excellent sources include wheat germ oil, almonds, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, mustard greens, chard, and turnip greens. Very good sources include peanuts and spinach.

Okay, I have to admit, the results of this recent study took me by surprise. When people were asked to eat a raspberry-chocolate protein bar, thinking about the delicious flavor rather than its nutritional or health-related benefits helped to curb hunger later in the day. The possible explanation may be that many people mistakenly believe that healthy, low-cal foods simply can’t satisfy hunger the way tasty foods can.

So the next time you’re munching on something healthy, yummy, scrumptious, savory, juicy, or crunchy may be good words to have running through your mind!

Source: When healthy food makes you hungry. Finkelstein, S. R., Fishbach, A., Journal of Consumer Research 2010; doi: 10.1086/652248.

Here’s another example of how too much of a good thing can be harmful. A commentary in a respectable journal warns about health risks associated with  excessively high doses of calcium and vitamin D supplements.  This increases some individuals’ risk of developing dangerously high levels of calcium in the blood, which could cause high blood pressure and even kidney failure.

Postmenopausal women, pregnant women, transplant recipients, patients with bulimia, and individuals who are on dialysis have the highest risks due to various physiological reasons.

Calcium supplements taken at recommended levels can be beneficial, but it is important to limit daily calcium in pill form to no more than 1200-1500 mg. For added insurance, the authors  recommend those taking calcium and/or vitamin D supplements to have their blood calcium levels checked annually.

A recent analysis by Harvard scientists has good news and bad news for meat lovers. The good news in the review of nearly 1,600 prior studies totaling about 1.2 million people is that eating red meat such as beef, pork or lamb was not associated with an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes.

The bad news is that the same can’t be said of processed meats such as bacon, sausage, salami, luncheon meat or hot dogs: Just 50 grams (1.8 ounces, about one hot dog) of processed meat daily was associated with a 42% greater risk of heart disease and 19% increased risk of diabetes. “Processed” meats were defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting or chemical preservatives.

Researchers commented, “This suggests that differences in salt and preservatives, rather than fats, might explain the higher risk of heart disease and diabetes seen with processed meats, but not with unprocessed red meats.” To be on the safe side, they advised eating no more than one serving of processed meat per week.
Source: Tufts Health and Nutrition Update

Nuts appear to one of those wonder foods. They’re full of nutrition including healthy fats. And another study just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirm that eating nuts helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides.

In 2003 the FDA allowed a food label stating that eating 1.5 ounces daily of most nuts (in conjunction with a healthy diet) may reduce the risk of heart disease. This study found that eating 2.4 ounces worked even better.

But keep in mind, that doesn’t mean to go wild with nuts…they are very caloric and if you eat them by the jarful, you’re likely to plump up, which certainly isn’t good for your cholesterol.

The findings in the study applied to tree nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamias, and peanuts (which technically aren’t nuts but still give the same effect). So go ahead, enjoy a handful of nuts for your afternoon snack and sprinkle them on your salads!

I’m always looking for delicious new ways to prepare fish, and I came across this recipe this morning on the Splendid Table website (www.splendidtable.org).   I can’t wait to fire up the grill and try this out!

Grilled Miso-Glazed Fish Filets and Steak

Featured on the April 10, 2010 episode

Reprinted with permision from A New Way to Cook    by Sally Schneider. © 2003, Artisan.

This miso-based marinade produces spectacular results with fatty or oily fish such as salmon, sea bass, yellow tail, black cod, blue fish, and pompano. It cures the flesh slightly and permeates it with a delicate flavor. Grilling caramelizes and glazes the surface, leaving the flesh succulent. Plan to marinate the fish at least 12 hours before cooking. If you don’t have sake, use a total of 1/2 cup mirin.

Serves 4

For the Miso Glaze:

* 1 cup sweet white miso paste
* 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
* 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
* 1/4 cup sake

For the Fish:

* Four 6-ounce fish steaks or fillets, such as salmon, sea bass, yellow tail, Chilean sea bass, black cod or blue fish
* 1 teaspoon olive oil

To make the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Reduce heat to low and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Spread one-third of the glaze over the bottom of a glass baking dish just large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. Arrange the fish in the dish and spread the remaining glaze on top to coat them completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12, but no longer than 24 hours.

To cook the fish, prepare a fire in a grill or preheat the broiler. Scrape the glaze off the fish and discard. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and brush lightly with olive oil. Grill or broil 3 inches from the heat source 3 or 4 minutes. Turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, or until you feel no resistance when you insert a kitchen fork into the dish. Serve immediately.

You can prepare the glaze up to 2 months ahead and refrigerate it.

Red Miso Glaze for Red Meats and Chicken

You can transform the Miso Glaze, above, into a robust seasoning for well-marbled red meats such as beef, chicken legs and thighs, lamb and pork. As with fish, the glaze imparts subtly winey undertones and insures succulent flesh. Cooked over a barbeque or under a hot broiler, it will caramelize deliciously.

Make the Miso Glaze replacing 1/2 cup of the sweet white miso paste above with red (aka) miso. Instead of fish, use about 2 pounds of meat suitable for grilling or broiling and proceed as directed, adjusting the cooking time and heat as necessary.

Diet and lifestyle should remain first among osteoporosis management options despite major advances in evidence for and approval of new treatments over the past few years, according to the North American Menopause Society.

The group’s position statement on osteoporosis management in the January/February issue of Menopause emphasized that all postmenopausal women should be encouraged to reduce their risk of bone loss and osteoporotic fractures by:

* Maintaining a healthy weight
* Eating a balanced diet
* Obtaining adequate calcium (1,200 mg per day at age 50 and beyond) and vitamin D (800 to 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per day)
* Participating in appropriate exercise
* Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption
* Not smoking
* Taking measures to prevent falls

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/Osteoporosis/19352

When most people in their 40’s and 50’s look at pictures of themselves when they were in their twenties, they not only notice how nice and smooth their skin was, they also usually notice how much trimmer they were. The average person gains one pound  a year between the ages of 25 and 55, resulting in a weight gain of 30 pounds!

A new study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association followed 34,000 women starting at age 54 for 13 years.  Only those women who did 60 minutes of exercise daily were able to maintain a healthy body weight defined as a body mass index less than 25.  (You can check your body mass index in the Tools section of my website).

This study doesn’t tell us how much exercise younger women need to maintain their weight.  And other studies have shown that men typically require less exercise to maintain body weight (perhaps because they have more lean muscle mass which burns more calories even at rest).  We do know the federal government recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week to lower the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer. And they also recommend at least 300 minutes per week to lose weight or maintain a weight loss.

The women in this study were averaging over 400 minutes per week–that might seem daunting, but remember exercise is cumulative. You don’t have to do 60 minutes all at once: a twenty minute walk on your treadmill in the morning, a twenty minute walk at lunchtime, and a twenty minute walk with your dog in the evening works too!

You might be surprised to hear that 1 in 3 Americans has high blood pressure! Aside from helping control weight and keeping cholesterol in check, a new study has found that fiber helps to lower blood pressure. All of these benefits translate to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. So what foods supply you with fiber? Think plant-based foods: fiber is the parts of plants which are indigestible, such as the seeds, husks, and fibrous stalks. (So animal products do not contain fiber).

When buying foods made from grains (like bread, cereal, crackers, pasta, tortillas, etc), make sure the first ingredient says “whole grain” or “100% whole grain.” Don’t be fooled by labels that say “Wheat Bread” or “Multigrain Bread.” Many of these use white flour as the main ingredient and add coloring to make the bread look like whole wheat bread.

Vegetables and fruits are great sources of fiber and have the bonus feature of being low in calories. So you can pretty much eat unlimited amounts of these (unless you’re a diabetic and need to closely monitor your carbohydrate intake). No one gets fat eating vegetables and fruits—unless they’re in the form or French fries and potato chips!

Beans are another excellent source of fiber. There are so many varieties including pinto, black beans, lentils, garbanzos (chick peas), cranberry, split peas, red beans, and black eyed peas. Throw them into soups, chili, salads, etc. If you’re troubled by gas when you eat beans, try a great product called Beano. This contains the enzyme that helps to break down the undigested starch in the beans. Just chew 2-3 tablets with your first bite of the offending food (don’t swallow them). Beano also helps with gas from those sulfur-containing veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

That’s quite a headline but this is really an easy win! You don’t even have to change your diet–if the average TV viewer (who watches about 5 hours of TV daily!) cut their TV viewing in half, they could lose up to 12 pounds in one year! It turns out when people watch less TV they replace that activity with others that burn more calories.

TV viewing requires only slightly more calories than sleep–so replacing that with even slightly more active activities like knitting, sewing, cleaning, or scrapbooking make a difference over time.

Here’s another idea: if you have a piece of exercise equipment at home, try watching some of your favorite TV shows while you walk or peddle. If you don’t like sweating, keep in mind that you don’t have to work out at a frantic pace. Walking burns about 100 calories a mile…so if you watch a one hour show and walk 3 miles while watching, you’ve just burned an extra 300 calories!

Something that works for me is splitting my time on the treadmill into 2 sessions. I watch two of my favorite chefs on the Food Channel for 30 minutes each, one in the morning and one in the evening.  It is easier on my body than one 60 minute session and sometimes I end up going longer than 30 minutes so my total minutes for the day might actually work out to 75 minutes. The trick here is figuring out what works for you to keep on moving!