The Big Bad Avocado

Yes, I know, I keep going on about how good avocados are for you.  But I keep doing it because I keep getting resistance to eating them from lots of people.

Avocados have had so much bad press for so long, it's difficult to change peoples' perception of them, which is such a shame as they are packed with vitamins, minerals and HEALTHY FATS.  Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat which helps REDUCE levels of LDL cholesterol - otherwise known as "bad" cholesterol.  They also contain more potassium than bananas and are rich in vitamins B, C and K.

But first things first; cholesterol is a type of fat that is produced by the human body and is key to good health.  We have all heard of the two most common forms of cholesterol; HDL or "good" and LDL or "bad".  HDL or High Density Lipoprotein which guards against heart problems while the LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein, causes build-up on artery walls causing blockages which can lead to heart disease.  But there are other types LP (a) a genetic variation of LDL which together with triglycerides (a form of fat made in the body), make up the TOTAL cholesterol count on your blood test.

However, one of the most important jobs carried out by cholesterol is to help in hormone production. Cholesterol is stored in the ovaries, testes and adrenal glands and is converted to steroid hormones.  Steroid hormones are necessary for the correct functioning of the human body, and without them we would have problems with weight, sex, bone and mental health.

Cholesterol also helps in digestion.  The liver uses cholesterol in the production of bile which helps us to digest the food we eat - especially fats.

Cholesterol is also a structural compound of cells together with polar lipids, cholesterol provides a protective barrier.  Cells are affected by increases and decreases in cholesterol and these changes can affect our ability to metabolize and produce energy.

However, unhealthy diets can cause high levels of LDL cholesterol, which raises the risk of heart disease and stroke.  Being overweight or obese raises your risk of having high LDL levels, BUT normal weight people can also have high LDL levels, so it is important to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.

Now, back to avocados.  A small study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association,

found that eating an avocado a day as part of a heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering diet can help improve LDL levels in overweight or obese individuals.

45 overweight or obese but otherwise healthy individuals between the ages of 21 and 70 were put on three different diets to lower cholesterol.

Diet 1:  Lower-fat diet WITHOUT avocado
Diet 2:  Moderate-fat diet WITHOUT avocado
Diet 3:  Moderate-fat diet WITH one avocado per day.

Each participant ate each of the three diets for 5 weeks.

The results were astounding:

The average American diet was used as the baseline and when compared to this the reduced-fat diet (diet 1) LDL levels were 7.4 points lower.  Diet 2 - moderate-fat with NO avocado, LDL levels were 8.3 points lower.  And Diet 3 - moderate-fat WITH avocado was a whopping 13.5 points lower!  But it doesn't stop there; several other benefits were noted from the moderate-fat avocado diet: total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were improved also.

So, an avocado a day doesn't just add fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats to your body, but it also helps protect your heart.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Heart Healthy

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) causes more than half of all deaths in Europe.  CVD causes 46 times the number of deaths and 11 times the disease burden (cost of treatment and care) caused by AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined in Europe.

80% of premature heart disease and stroke IS PREVENTABLE.

Who suffers from CVD?

Anyone can suffer from CVD if they don't look after themselves.  The World Health Organization states:

"Research has shown that males between 20 and 64 years of age in semi- and unskilled manual occupations run a three times higher risk of premature death from CVD compared to those in professional and managerial positions.  Moreover, when improvements to health do occur, the benefits are unevenly  distributed within society.  These conditions and their causes contribute to differences in healthy life expectancy between and within European countries."

Other contributing factors are; stress is associated with CVDs, and the prevalence of depression  is a predictor of poor life expectancy among those suffering from CVDs.

Diet: a high intake of salt leads to hypertension, junk food and other processed foods which are also high in sodium.

Being overweight or obese.  Obese adults are particularly prone to CVD and other health problems. Inactivity, smoking, and alcohol all contribute to CVDs.

Most patients living with a heart condition... angina, blocked arteries or even having suffered a heart
attack or stroke already are nearly always prescribed statins, which reduce the levels of cholesterol, and are proven to save lives.

This type of medication cuts the chance of early death among people with CVD by 18%, according to a report involving 200,000 patients in 2013.

However, at the European Society of Cardiology Conference being held this week in Rome, leading experts have stated that there is a new treatment that is NATURAL and should be prescribed by doctors BEFORE turning to pills to treat CVD.

This "new" and natural treatment is none other than the Mediterranean Diet.  A diet packed full of fresh fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes, oily fish, sea food, healthy fats such as avocados and olive oil and some meat.  What it's lacking is refined carbohydrates and processed foods.

We already know that the mediterranean diet protects healthy people from developing serious diseases such as CVD, diabetes and cancer, but this new study is supported with the strongest evidence to date that a diet could also be a powerful treatment for people who already suffer from CVD.

The experts think that the diet has such good results on heart patients because it is high in heart healthy fats that protect the heart, such as omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.

An Italian team examined the diet of almost 1,200 heart patients and tracked them for a period of seven years.  In that time 208 died.  After taking into account other contributing factors such as diabetes, smoking, cholesterol levels and age, they found that the patients who followed the mediterranean diet more closely, were 37% less likely to die during the study period than those whose eating habits were the farthest from the Mediterranean diet.

This does not mean that if you are on heart medication you should stop taking it without speaking to your doctor.

What it does mean, is that if you change your diet to a more Mediterranean style diet, then you could significantly improve your life expectancy.

Also, if you are healthy and aren't suffering from a serious illness, then your risk of developing one would be lower if you were to change your diet.

So, get Mediterranean!!!!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

EAT CHOCOLATE!

Yes, that's right... chocolate is GOOD for you.  I thought that would get your attention!  Want to know why chocolate is good for you?  Then, read on!

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has released a video claiming that chocolate contains hundreds of compounds, many of which a beneficial to health.  Other studies have established that chocolate contains several beneficial compounds, one of which is resveratrol, a compound that may not only protect your brain and nervous system, but it may actually prolong your life too.

Dark chocolate is also good at fighting inflammation.  Other good inflammation fighters are turmeric and the mediterranean diet, both of which reduce the inflammatory process underlying many chronic and degenerative diseases rife in the developed world.

The Feel Good Factor:

Some people get a nice "feel good" boost after eating chocolate.  However, there is actually a chemical reason for this boost.  Anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced in the brain that temporarily blocks the feelings of depression and pain.  Anandamide is a derivative of the Sanskrit word "bliss", chocolate not only produces this compound but it also produces other chemicals that prolong that blissful feeling produced by the anandamide.  However, anandamide does more than just make us feel good, Daniele Piomelli from the University of California, said:

"Anandamide is also synthesized in areas of the brain that are important in memory and higher thought processes and in areas that control movement.  That implies that anandamide's function is not just to produce bliss."

Anandamide has been compared to the sensation you get from marijuana, but Piomelli says,

"We are talking about something much, much, much, much milder than a high."

Comfort food or something better?

Going beyond the feel good factor of the anandamide in chocolate, another ACS study published in the Journal of Proteome Research, states that chocolate could be the new anti-anxiety drug.  The study revealed that one and a half ounces of dark chocolate a day for 2 weeks reduced stress hormone levels.  The participants in the study were all classified as "highly stressed", at the end of the two-week study period they were all found to have lower levels of coritsol - the stress hormone also known as "fight or flight" hormone.

However, you must make sure you are eating dark chocolate and as organic as possible.  Many chocolate brands are high in sugar and unhealthy saturated fats.  A study by the Cleveland Clinic said:

"...Be careful about the type of dark chocolate you choose: chewy caramel-marchmallow-nut-covered dark chocolate is by no means a heart-healthy food option.  Be aware that milk chocolate does not have the same healthy effects as unadulterated dark chocolate, because milk often prevents absorption of polyphenols.

"It is also important to remember the word moderation.  There's a measured and tested amount of chocolate - 6.7g a day (or one small square of chocolate two or three times a week) - that provides the best health benefits.  While it undoubtedly comes as a pleasant surprise that chocolate is actually good for you, eating the right amount is crucial if you want it to be a benefit and not a liability."

The Antioxidant Factor:

One of the most important reasons for making chocolate a part of your diet may be the antioxidants it provides.  Few foods have such a good potential for antioxidants as dark chocolate.  A wide range of accumulating scientific research link its consumption to over 40 important health benefits.

The formation of free radicals - atoms, ions and molecules with unpaired electrons - in your cells can damage your DNA to the point that your risk of developing degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease and cancer are elevated.

The antioxidant polyphenols in chocolate are so important because they have the ability to stop free radical mediated oxidation.  This decreases the risk of those and other diseases by directly interfering with one of the major preventable causes of chronic degenerative diseases.  As stated in ACS's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry; naturally occurring polyphenols in cocoa actually boost levels of HDL - also known as "good" cholesterol, while reducing the atherogenicity of LDL or "bad" cholesterol by preventing oxidation.  The Cleveland Clinic study supported this by noting:

"Antioxidants are believed to help the body's cells resist damage caused by free radicals that are formed by normal bodily processes, such as breathing, and from environmental contaminants, like cigarette smoke.  If your body does not have enough antioxidants to combat the amount of oxidation that occurs, it can become damaged by free radicals.  For example, an increase in oxidation can cause low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol, to form plaque on the artery walls."

The Brain Boost and Energy Factor:

We all know that chocolate is a natural stimulant and can provide a boost in both physical and brain energy, primarily from the caffeine and theobromine.  One clinical study with 24 healthy female participants showed "synergistic" effects on cognition and mood, which translated into improved blood pressure.  Studies have also shown that chocolate can inhibit brain inflammation that causes migraines.

Flavonols are the main flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate.  A pilot study evaluated the link between cerebral blood flow and a dose of flavonol-rich cocoa, this showed a notable increase in the cerebral blood flow to the brain.  The results from the study indicated that the flavonols in cocoa have the potential to protect against vascular impairment.

A Johns Hopkins study found that dark chocolate may protect the brain from damage after suffering a stroke by increasing cellular signals.  Mice that had ingested epicatechin, a compound found in dark chocolate, suffered significantly less brain damage after suffering an induced stroke than mice that had not been given epicatechin.  Therefore epicatechin may actually protect the brain.

The Heart Factor:

Following on from the previous point the ACS studies found that the polyphenols and catechins in chocolate may decrease the stroke risk in men.  The epicatechins, which help prevent clotting and inflammation are helpful in preventing some types of strokes.

A 7-study meta-analysis set out to find a link between chocolate consumption and certain cardiometabolic disorders such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and all the related problems to these diseases such as hypertension, elevated fasting glucose and triglycerides, high cholesterol and abdominal obesity.  However, what they discovered was that chocolate consumption, especially the raw unprocessed varieties, did not have negative effects and actually reduced the risk of such medical disorders.

If you love chocolate please be careful which chocolate you buy.  It must be dark chocolate with nothing more added, no nuts, caramel, milk, etc..  Also be wary of the brand you buy.  Lots of brands like Nestlé use GMO products.  It's better to buy from an organic store that can certify their chocolate is 100% organic.

Social Nutrition:
You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com