Healthy Thanksgiving Side Alternatives

Cranberry Sauce with Apricots, Raisins, and Orangecranberry-sauce

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 8 Hours 25 Minutes
Servings: 24

“Dried apricots are a great addition to this holiday favorite!”

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
4 cups fresh cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix the orange juice, water, cranberries, sugar, apricots, raisins, and orange zest. Stir constantly until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Bring to a boil, and cook 10 minutes, or until cranberries have burst. Remove from heat, and chill at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving cold.

Baked Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Honey

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 55 Minutes
Servings: 12
“Fresh ginger, cardamom, and sweet potatoes will fill your house with a fall fragrance as well as call your family to the table. Originally submitted to ThanksgivingRecipe.com.”
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and
cubed
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes, honey, ginger, walnut oil, cardamom, and pepper. Transfer to a large cast iron frying pan.
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Stir the potatoes to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized on the outside.

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Healthy Alternatives to Traditional Thanksgiving Stuffing

1. Eggplant and Mushroom Casserole: Eggplant and mushrooms are not only rich in fiber, therefore helping to make the casserole a very filling side dish, but also contain a number of healthful vitamins and nutrients that make this dish a great addition to any table.  To make an eggplant and mushroom casserole, start by using a sharp knife to cut the vegetables into pieces which are all roughly the same size.  Place the cut vegetables into a frying pan that has been coated with a thin layer of olive oil or coconut oil and has been heated to medium high.  Cook the vegetables until brown on the edges, and season with the the herbs and spices of your choice.  Remove the cooked vegetables from the stove, place in a large serving dish, and enjoy.

2. Quinoa is a type of grain that is native to South America and is most often used as a substitute to pasta, though it can also be used to replace stuffing.  In order to get a dish that has a taste similar to that of traditional Thanksgiving stuffing, consider cooking with turkey or vegetable broth in the preparation.  Follow instructions on the side of the box on quinoa in order to achieve optimal results when cooking.

3. Wild rice is a great choice because like eggplant and mushrooms, it is rich in dietary fiber.  For best results when cooking wild rice, consider adding onions, celery and other vegetables. In addition, use a number of different herbs and spices to season your wild rice.  Avoid adding salt to your wild rice.  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=77977&origin=detail&servings=12&metric=false

4. Grilled squash is rich in many important vitamins and minerals needed for good health.  Grilling squash and other similar vegetables not only imparts a tasty, delicious flavor, but also eliminates the need to add butter, oil or other fats to your cooked dish.  In order to make your grilled squash more closely resemble Thanksgiving stuffing, consider removing the cooked squash from the grill and using a sharp knife to cut it into evenly sized small pieces.   Place in a bowl and serve.
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Larger Lunch, Smaller Dinner, Better for Weight Loss

It is common in US culture for people to consume their largest, most calorie rich meal for dinner, once they are done with work.  However, this may not be as good for your health as when you consume more calories at lunch or breakfast lose-weight-healthyand fewer calories at dinner.  A study reported in a paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that without changing total calories, eating your larger meal at lunch and a smaller meal at dinner resulted in significantly more weight loss and better control with blood sugar.(1)  It is common for health professionals and  nutritionists to recommend eating a smaller meal in the evening because you will be doing less activity and not burning off the calories. But other research seems to indicate that what matters is how many calories are consumed during the day, not when those calories are consumed.  This new study lends evidence that eating a smaller dinner is helpful.

This research confirms that overweight and obese women who consumed a larger meal at lunch and a smaller meal at dinner lost  12 lbs, 9 oz (5.7 kilograms) as compared to 9 lbs, 7 oz (4.3 kg) for those who consumed a larger dinner.  Overweight and obese women who followed the larger lunch strategy saw greater decreases both in the fasting insulin levels and the HOMA-IR, a measure of insulin resistance.  This strategy of consuming a smaller dinner and a larger lunch appears to be effective both for weight loss and weight management as well as for blood sugar control and prevention of diabetes.  This study did not include patients who have diabetes, though other research indicates that this type of strategy may be effective for diabetics as well.(2)

 

References:

1. Madjd A, Taylor MA, Delavari A, et al. Beneficial effect of high energy intake at lunch rather than dinner on weight loss in healthy obese women in weight-loss program: a randomized clinical trial. AJCN. 2016;104:982-9.

2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079942/

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Fish Oil for Concussion and Brain Injury

The aggressive use of omega 3 fish oil after a traumatic brain injury may be very beneficial.  There are several cases of patients who have suffered severe brain trauma being given high dosages–up to 20,000 mg per day of EPA and DHA–recovered much more quickly and to a larger extent than expected.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs after “a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain.” In the US there are over 3.5 million TBIs annually with approximately 52,000 deaths. Traumatic brain injury is a clinical challenge and there are not really any effective treatment options. What is needed is an effective treatment strategy that can target neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, and neuroregeneration. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil may offer an effective approach. There is a growing body of strong pre-clinical evidence and clinical experience that suggests that larger dosages of fish oil, esp. if taken soon after an injury, can provide the optimal nutritional foundation for recovery and repair of the brain from TBI and concussion. Fish oil is incredibly safe and easy to consume through either capsules, liquid or even through feeding tubes.  There are virtually no side effects, unlike most pharmaceutical interventions, with the exception that there is a slight blood thinning effect.  However, for it to become standard mainstream treatment for a head injury, conventional medicine needs to overcome its inherent bias against nutritional, non-pharmacological therapies–sorry Big Pharma.

We know that the brain and the nerve cells are largely composed of fats and proteins and the types of fats that you eat affect the structural composition of the brain and neuronal cell membranes. Due to increased consumption of omega 6 fats in the modern diet from soybean oil and other commercial seed oils, omega 6 fats have displaced omega 3 fats like DHA from neuronal cell membranes. Omega 6 oils tend to lead to inflammation, whereas omega 3 fats tend to reduce inflammation. In addition, incorporation of mega 6 fats into these neuronal cell membranes reduces “cell permeability and synaptic membrane fluidity”. Therefore, having more omega 3 fats makes the brain function better by improving neuronal transmission of signals.  This new omega protocol for recovery from concussion and brain injury is already being used by  a number of University and professional sports teams.

Lewis MD. Concussions, Traumatic Brain Injury, and the Innovative Use of Omega-3s. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2016;35(5): 469-475.
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Mediterranean Diet Improves Cognition and Reduces Cognitive Decline, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease

We have an ageing population and degenerative neurological diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are an increasing concern. Such conditions are marked by progressive deterioration of memory, learning, orientation, language, comprehension, and judgement.  There are no effective drugs to treat dementia, so prevention is crucial and evidence based preventative strategies are needed.  A recent meta-analysis found that adherence to a Mediterranean eating style improved cognition and reduced the cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease that tends to come with age.

 

The Mediterranean diet is generally considered to be an eating style marked by a high intake of olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, grains; a moderate intake of chicken and fish; with a lower intake of dairy (cheese and yogurt), red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and wine in moderation.  This is the traditional diet eaten by those who lived in southern Italy, Greece, and Spain in the 1960s.

This review looked at 32 papers investigating the link between the Mediterranean diet pattern and cognitive function, cognitive decline, and dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form of dementia.  The authors found that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with better global cognition and verbal ability and a slower rate of global cognitive decline.  The Mediterranean diet was also associated with significantly reduced confusion, better performance on the MMSE (the Mini-Mental State Examination) and clock-drawing test, and better reaction time on the Corsi Block Test.  The highest adherence to a Mediterranean diet resulted in between a 19 and 69% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s Disease, depending upon the study.

 

The authors discussed the mechanism by which the Mediterranean diet (MD) might lead to these improvements in cognition and reduced rates of cognitive decline and dementia. The MD has been shown to decrease vascular risk factors, thus increasing blood flow to the brain. Second, because the MD contains lots of antioxidants, like vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, and flavonoids, it reduces oxidative stress to the brain that is associated with cognitive decline.  Third, the MD may reduce cognitive decline by reducing inflammation in the brain.  The MD has been shown to lower inflammatory markers such as C-Reactive protein in neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. Fourth, the MD has been demonstrated to control blood sugar levels and we know that insulin resistance, which comes with imbalanced blood sugar, is associated with increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. In fact, some have called Alzheimer’s Disease Type III Diabetes.  My recommendation is to follow a low glycemic version of the Mediterranean diet that includes only limited amounts of grains but emphasizes intake of vegetables, nuts, legumes, fruit, olive oil, chicken and fish, eggs, and Greek yogurt.

 

Reference:
1. Petersson SD, Philippou E. Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, and dementia: A systemic review of the evidence. Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7:89-904.
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Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators Resolve Inflammation

Acute inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or to pathogens and is beneficial, but too much inflammation leads to severe pain and without resolution, inflammation can become chronic. The body naturally creates Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs) from both omega 6 and omega 3 fats that resolve or end the inflammatory process at the appropriate time. These SPMs are known as lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and marexins.  While these SPMs are created naturally, this is a multi-step process and many factors can interfere with the ability to produce sufficient amounts of SPMs, including poor diet (too many carbs or low quality fats), environmental irritants, too little or too much exercise, stress, poor sleep, aging, and genetics.

Simply taking more fish oil, is not sufficient to increase SPM levels, so taking specialized SPM supplements can be extremely helpful in the fight against too much inflammation. Daily intake of 2 to 6 capsules of SPMs has been shown by research to reduce various markers of inflammation, including hs-CRP, interleukins, fibrinogen, and TNF-alpha. Because SPMs are naturally produced as part of the process that resolves inflammation, these supplements will not interfere with the immune system and will not interfere with healing, as happens with cortisone or NSAIDs (like ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin).

Research shows that SPMs can be helpful to resolve inflammation related to not just muscle and joint injuries like a sprained back, but also inflammation related to arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, cognitive decline, and inflammatory bowel disorders. Research indicates that SPMs may also be helpful in treating bone density issues–osteopenia and osteoporosis. Talk to Dr. Weitz or Amber about whether it would be a good idea for you to take Omegagenics SPMs.

 

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Low FODMAP Diet Effective for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Traditional wisdom has been that patients with digestive disorders should consume more fiber, since fiber reduces constipation and keeps food from sitting in the intestines for too long and rotting.  And constipation might mean that certain chemicals, like estrogens are reabsorbed back into the blood stream rather than being excreted, which can raise the risk of breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer. Insoluble fiber in particular, such as found in wheat bran and other whole grains and also in many vegetables, improves intestinal transit and reduces constipation.  And certainly there are certain patients who will do well with a higher fiber diet that helps the healthy bacteria (probiotics) in the colon to grow. But fiber can also be irritating and certain types of fiber (fermentable fiber) can lead to gas and bloating as some forms of fiber serve as fuel for bacteria in the intestines. The low FODMAP diet is a lower fiber diet that has been shown to be effective as part of a treatment plan for patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or with Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO).

FODMAPs is an acronym that refers to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols,  FODMAPs are a collection of short-chained carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in a very wide variety of common foods.  The FODMAP category includes fructose, a sugar present in high quantities in honey, apples, and pears; lactose, which exists in milk and other dairy products; and fructo- and galacto-oligosaccharides, contained in wheat, rye, onions, garlic, and legumes. FODMAPs also includes sugar polyols, which occur in some fruits and vegetables and are used as artificial sweeteners like sorbitol and xylitol in gums, sugar free candies, and many other foods.  Keep in mind when trying to sort out which foods have which type of fiber, it can be very confusing, since many foods, such as beans and wheat, contain quite a bit of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Studies show that the low FODMAP diet is effective for reducing the symptoms of and helping to heal Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and even Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (IBD) patients, such as those with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis.(1,2)  It is my experience that using this diet for a limited period of time while healing the gut is often a good strategy.  Staying on the FODMAP diet for too long is not healthy, since it stops you from eating too many healthy foods, like cruciferous vegetables.

FODMAPs share three common functional properties.  First, they are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.  They are also rapidly fermented by intestinal bacteria, contributing to excess gas production.  And finally, FODMAPs are small and therefore highly osmotic molecules which, when mal-absorbed, can cause an influx of water into the colon, resulting in diarrhea.  I usually recommend trying the Low FODMAP diet for a 2 to 3 months while trying to eradicate unwanted bacteria in the small intestine or pathogenic bacteria or yeast or parasites in the colon with natural anti-microbials or in some cases, prescription antibiotics (such as Rifaximin) or anti-fungals.

References:

1. Maagaard L, Ankersen DV, Végh Z, et al. Follow-up of patients with functional bowel symptoms treated with a low FODMAP diet. World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Apr 21; 22(15): 4009-4019.
2. Halmos EP, Power VA, Shepherd SJ, et al.  A Diet Low in FODMAPs Reduces Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gastroenterology2014;146:67-75.
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Exercise Reduces Cancer Risk

Exercise Reduces Cancer Risk
Increased physical activity reduces your risk of 13 different types of cancer, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. This was a meta-analysis of previous studies and the cancers prevented include esophageal, liver, kidney, stomach, endometrial, leukemia, myeloma, colon, head and neck, rectal, bladder, and breast cancer.  This study pooled data on 1.4 million people who were included in a number of other studies.  The subjects that were grouped as being the most physically active, did the equivalent amount of exercise of 7 hours per week of brisk walking or 2.5 hours of jogging, whereas the least active did only 20 minutes of brisk walking per week.

This study found that the more you exercise, the greater your reduction of risk of many cancers. Higher levels of physical activity compared to lower levels of physical activity conferred the following decreased risk of the following cancers: 42% esophageal adenocarcinoma; 27% liver; 23% kidney; 22% stomach; 21% endometrial; 20% myeloid leukemia; 17% myeloma; 16% colon; 15% head and neck, 13% rectal; 13% bladder; and 10% breast.  There was an overall 7% reduced risk of all cancers with higher levels of exercise.  There was an increase in melanoma rates in those who exercise, but this correlated with geographical areas where there is a lot of sun, so this was related to exercising outside without sun screen.

There is a growing body of evidence documenting the benefits of exercise in reducing the risk of cancer and improving survival. The American Institute for Cancer Research notes that exercise regulates the levels of several hormones (such as insulin) that reduces cancer risk.(2) Physical activity also increases the intestinal transit time of food through the colon, thus reducing exposure of the colon wall to dietary carcinogens. Exercise also reduces body fat levels, and this reduction in body fat is associated with a reduction in cancer risk. In addition, regular moderate amounts of exercise reduces inflammation, improves immune function, and reduces oxidative stress, all health benefits that reduce cancer risk.

References:

1. Moore, SC, Lee I-Min, Weiderpass E, et al. Association of Leisure-Time Physical Activity With Risk of 26 Types of Cancer in 1.44 Million Adults.  JAMA Intern Med. 2016; 176(6):816-825.
2. http://www.aicr.org/cancer-research-update/2016/05_18/cru-More-Evidence-of-Exercise-for-Cancer-Prevention.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
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Andrographis, An Immune Strengthening Herb

Andrographis paniculata is an herb that has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine to treat a variety of conditions.(1)  Like other plants that are recognized as having medicinal properties, the efficacy of andrographis may be due to compounds that impart a bitter flavor.  Plants protect themselves from being eaten by animals with bitter taste and this is accomplished by producing phytonutrients that create the bitterness.  These phytonutrients then often have beneficial properties for humans.  Andrographis stimulates the immune system. Meta-analysis indicates that andrographis may be more effective than placebo and may be an appropriate alternative treatment of uncomplicated acute upper respiratory tract infection.(2)

Taking andrographis during flu season for three months may reduce the incidence of the common cold.(3) We recommend Andrographis Plus for these purposes–2 tablets twice per day or after contracting an upper respiratory infection or cold–2 tablets three times per day.

Andrographis has some benefit in lowering blood pressure. It should be noted that Andrographis has some blood thinning properties, and should not be taken if you are already taking blood thinners.  It should also not be taken if you are pregnant or trying to conceive based on some animal studies. Furthermore, andrographis does have an effect on the P450 liver detoxification enzymes, so there can be some herb/drug interactions. In particular, it stimulates the expression of the CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 enzymes, while it inhibits the CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 enzymes.(4)

References:

1. http://www.drweitz.com/2016/06/andrographis-an-immune-strengthening-herb/
2. Poolsup N, Suthisisang C, Prathanturarug S, et al. Andrographis paniculata in the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2004 Feb;29(1):37-45.
3. Cáceres DD, Hancke JL, Burgos RA, Wikman GK. Prevention of common colds with Andrographis paniculata dried extract. A Pilot double blind trial.  Phytomedicine. 1997 Jun;4(2):101-4.
4. Pekthong D, Blanchard N, Abadie C, et al. Effects of Andrographis paniculata extract and Andrographolide on hepatic cytochrome P450 mRNA expression and monooxygenase activities after in vivo administration to rats and in vitro in rat and human hepatocyte cultures. Chem Biol Interact. 2009 May 15;179(2-3):247-55.
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Dark Chocolate Improves Athletic Performance

Consuming dark chocolate improves athletic performance. It was found that when consuming 40 g of dark chocolate daily, amateur cyclists were found to use less oxygen when when riding at a moderate pace for 20 minutes. These cyclists also traveled a longer distance in a two minute timed trial, during which they went rode as hard as they could.(1)

This was a small trial with nine cyclists, but it had a crossover design and one group ate white chocolate and did not get the same results.  It is believed that these results from eating dark chocolate were because dark chocolate contains flavonols, including epichatecin, which has been shown to raise nitric oxide levels. Some athletes now consume beet juice because it has nitrates that raise nitric oxide levels in the body and this has been demonstrated in studies to dilate blood vessels and to improve glucose uptake and regulate muscular contraction.(2,3) But beet juice is not exactly great tasting.  Dark chocolate seems to have some of the same properties as beet juice and is much more palatable.

Dark chocolate has been studied previously for its effects in reducing blood pressure in hypertensive subjects and for reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.(4,5) Dark chocolate, unique to other dietary nitrate supplements is hypothesised to mediate nitric oxide production through endothelium-dependent effects; related to flavanols’ ability to supress vascular arginase enzyme activity, thus increasing the production of nitric oxide.

References:

1. Patel RK, Brouner J, Spendiff O. Dark chocolate supplementation reduces the oxygen cost of moderate intensity cycling. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015; 12 (1) DOI: 10.1186/s12970-015-0106-7.
2. Bailey SJ, Wilkerson DP, DiMenna FJ, Jones AM. Influence of repeated sprint training on pulmonary O2 uptake and muscle deoxygenation kinetics in humans. J Appl Physiol. 2009;106:1875-87.
3. Lansley KE, Winyard PG, Fulford J, Vanhatalo A, Bailey SJ, Blackwell JR, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of walking and running: a placebo-controlled study. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110:591-600.
4. Taubert D, Roesen R, Lehmann C, Jung N, Schomig E. Effects of low habitual cocoa intake on blood pressure and bioactive nitric oxide: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;298:49-60.
5. Corti R, Flammer AJ, Hollenberg NK, Luscher TF. Cocoa and cardiovascular health. Circulation. 2009;119(10):1433-41.
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