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

The danger of antibiotic resistance

Bacteria resistant to antibiotics currently claim 700,000 lives per year.

And it could get worse... global public health officials have warned that the figure could climb to 10 MILLION per year by 2050 if we do not limit our use of antibiotics.

So, are you ingesting more antibiotics than you realize?

Doctors have been on a crusade for years to deny antibiotics for mundane things like the common cold.  But when your waiting room if full of people with minor ailments begging for antibiotics as a quick solution to their problem, things can get problematic and more serious cases can go undetected.

However, your antibiotic ingestion is not just down to the medical prescription for a throat infection, for example.  Our meat, chicken, pork, etc are full of antibiotics and every time you eat a steak, or a chicken breast your are ingesting tiny doses of antibiotics that gradually, day after day, contribute to the bacteria adapting to those medicines and becoming immune to it.

This means that the next time you have a throat infection - or what ever infection - the antibiotics you will be given will be useless and you could die from a minor infection.

According to those global officials, common infections such as gonorrhea and E.coli could soon be untreatable.

Right now, 70% of the antibiotics that are produced per year are used to fight infections in livestock that are reared in deplorable conditions where infections like E.coli are rife.

For the past 2 years, fast food chains have been promising to serve antibiotic-free meat, sensing their business could be in danger (and rightly so) if they don't.

But a recently published study has revealed that they have not stuck to their promise and only 2 companies managed to score an A grade (Panera Bread and Chipotle) this does not mean they are completely antibiotic-free, but that they are in the process of reducing the amount of antibiotics in their chicken.

The study: Chain Reaction II: How Top Restaurants Rate on Reducing Use of Antibiotics in Their Meat Supply.  This report was compiled by Consumers Union, the Center for Food Safety, Friends of the Earth, Food Animal Concerns Trust, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The scores, as you can see are extremely low:

Four fast food chains (Chipotle, McDonald's, Panera Bread, and Subway) have implemented strategies to make their chicken 100% antibiotic-free by 2025 - that's a long way off when human health is concerned.

Also what about beef and pork?  Why only Chicken?

It doesn't just apply to meat either.  Milk farms use massive amounts of antibiotics as the cows are forced to produce milk at such a rate that they develop mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland which can result in infection.  Those antibiotics and pus from the infection can be found in milk on sale in supermarkets.

The other big question is also... why only antibiotics?

Obviously you have to start somewhere and antibiotic resistance is a HUGE problem.  However, livestock breeding farms where the cattle, pigs and chicken are kept in confined spaces and knee deep in excrement are not only using antibiotics in huge amounts.  They are also using steroids and hormones to grow the animals as big as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Have you notice the increase in "man boobs"?  They aren't just from being overweight, although that does contribute, but men are actually growing breasts from all the hormones in our food.  Breast cancer in men DOES happen.

So think before you order your next McDonald's...

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

Don't eat these... they're GOOD for you!

I quite often get questioned by my clients for suggesting they eat more eggs or avocados.  This happens because for decades we have been told that certain foods are bad for us; eggs and avocados amongst them.

So here is the real lowdown on those foods that you thought were bad for you.

Avocados are actually a fruit.  Avocados are extremely nutritious and provide a wide range of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals.  For example in a typical 100g serving you will get:

160 calories, 2g of protein, 15g of healthy fats, 9g of carbohydrate - but 7g of those carbs are fiber so it is actually a low carb fruit at 2g net.  Vitamins K, C, and E, Folate, Vitamins B5 and B6, and small amounts of Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc, Iron, Copper, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1, B2 and B3.

Contrary to popular belief, Avocados do not contain cholesterol or sodium and are actually low in saturated fat.  The fats they do contain are heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids called oleic acid.  Oleic acid, is also the major component in olive oil and is believed to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects.

They are also very high in fiber which is essential for a healthy gut and can aid in weight loss.

Eggs, yes eggs are healthy too!  They are considered the most pure form of protein and although the
yolks have been demonized for decades due to their cholesterol, they are very good for you.

Studies have shown that when you eat whole eggs, your liver actually produces LESS cholesterol to compensate for the cholesterol in the food you are eating.  It is also believed that eggs may be heart-healthy as they change the size and shape of the LDL particles.  Also, HDL levels and insulin sensitivity increase.

The high amount of good quality protein means that you will stay fuller for longer which means you will eat less at other times, aiding, in some cases, in weight loss.

Another reason to eat those yolks is that they are high in lutein and zeaxanthin, which is thought to protect against eye disease such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Dairy, yes it isn't often I write something positive about dairy.  If you can't live without it then make sure is is full-fat, don't go anywhere near anything that states LOW in fat or FAT FREE... that just means they have replaced the fat with a whole host of dangerous stuff like sugar and salt.

Studies have shown that high-fat dairy does not affect cholesterol negatively or any other heart health markers.  Full-fat dairy contains vitamin K2 which helps protect the heart.  This type of dairy contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is thought to help promote fat loss.

Coffee... can't live without it?  Well if you can't, you'll be pleased to know that studies have shown that the caffeine in coffee improves mood, mental and physical performance and may also boost metabolism.

Coffee also contains antioxidants called polyphenols which are thought to reduce the risk of disease.  One study in men found that those who consumed coffee bean polyphenols before a meal showed significant improvements in arterial function.  In another study of more than 1,700 men who drank more than 2.5 cups of coffee per day, they found that the men had lower levels of several inflammatory markers compared to those who didn't drink coffee.

Coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, are also linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in an 8-33%
lower risk of this disease.  It also appears to be liver protective including slowing the progression of chronic hepatitis C and reducing liver cancer risk.

Is fresh best?  Lots of people believe that to get all the amazing nutrients in vegetables and fruit, then they have to be eaten fresh.

However, research shows that freezing or canning vegetables means that most of their nutrients are retained.  These methods also lower the price and mean that if you have a busy schedule and you can't always get to the store, you can still have nutritious vegetables for dinner, but from the freezer or kitchen cupboard.

Vegetables are often blanched prior to freezing or canning, this entails quickly boiling the vegetables to kill bacteria and retain color and flavor.  However, during this process some of the water soluble vitamins such as C and B are lost to some degree and their antioxidant capacity, however vitamins A and E, minerals and fiber are all retained during this process.  When tested in one study the vitamin C content in peas and broccoli that had been frozen for 12 months was similar to fresh produce and higher than that of produce that had been stored at home for a few days.

These are just 5 of quite a few "naughty but nice" foods that you really should be eating even if your mother or grandmother says you shouldn't!

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

Rap 1 is not an Eminem song

Rap 1 is not, as it may sound, a song by Eminem.  It is however, the gene that is associated with metabolism, weight gain and overeating.  But, until now, scientists have not been able to find a direct link.

However, a team at Baylor and Texas Children's Hospital have managed to successfully suppress the Rap 1 gene in lab mice and stopped them overeating.

The scientists took 2 groups of mice.  In one group the deleted the Rap 1 gene in a group of neurons in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that is involved in regulating metabolism.

The 2nd group had a functional Rap 1 gene (Control Group).

Then the investigators fed both groups a high-fat diet in which 60% of the calories came from fat.  The results in the control group were expected... the mice with their Rap 1 gene intact, gained weight.

However, the mice in the other group with the deleted Rap 1 gene, lost weight and had less body fat.

The investigators changed the diet and put all the mice on a normal diet and both groups showed similar weights and body fat levels.

The investigators then analyzed why the mice lacking the Rap 1 gene had not gained weight on the

high-fat diet.  They found that the mice were no more physically active than the Rap 1 intact mice, but they did eat less and burned more body fat.

These facts were associated with the hypothalamus producing more of a hormone that reduces appetite, called POMC, and less of two other hormones (NPY and AgRP) that stimulate appetite.  The mice lacking the Rap 1 gene also had lower levels of blood glucose and insulin than the mice in the control group.

The investigators went on to study if there was a change in Leptin in the mice lacking the Rap 1 gene.  Leptin is the satiety hormone that signals the brain to stop eating and is produced by fatty tissue which helps regulate body weight by inhibiting appetite.

However, it has been found that obese people do not respond to Leptin and continue to eat even though they had had enough, and blood levels of Leptin are higher in obese people than in people of normal weight.  This is called Leptin Resistance and is a common trait in human obesity.

The investigators discovered that the Rap 1 lacking mice on the high-fat diet did not develop Leptin Resistance, they were able to respond to Leptin and this was reflected in lower blood levels of this hormone.

The investigators also managed to inhibit the Rap 1 gene by using a drug with the inhibitor ESI-O5.
When administered to normal obese mice with the Rap 1 gene intact, their sensitivity to Leptin was restored to a level similar to that in normal mice (Rap 1 intact) on a normal diet.  The obese mice ate less and lost weight.

What does all this mean?

Well it basically means that researchers are that much closer to finding a magic pill to combat obesity.

Is this what the human race needs?

Possibly.

Right now, we are facing a huge obesity epidemic which is threatening our public health services.  Whereas there are many people who are able to diet and lose weight because they are convinced they
should for better health, there are many who for many different reasons are not able to do so by themselves.  Until now, these people are sometimes helped by having bariatric surgery, a magic "obesity" pill could be a great way to help those who need it without the cost and risks associated with invasive surgery.

Only time will tell.  Until then, eat healthy whole foods and you probably won't ever need this kind of help.

If you do have a problem, then this may, in the future, be a great help.

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

Adolescence...

Adolescence is a tough time for anyone... struggling with hormones gone wild, acne, body image problems, general insecurity and constantly having to live up to society's unrealistic expectations...

Weight gain in adolescence is part of the current obesity epidemic.  There is a serious problem with childhood obesity that is very worrying with more than one in every 3 adolescents being overweight or obese.

Until recently, scientists have always believed that when children reach puberty they burn MORE calories because of growth spurts.  However, a 12 year study has unexpectedly found the opposite happens; boys and girls experience a rapid DROP in the number of calories they burn.

They study was comprised of 279 children from Plymouth, UK, and covered a twelve year period between 2000 and 2012.  Burning calories uses a fixed amount of oxygen, the children rested in a sealed canopy that measured their oxygen consumption over a period of time, thus enabling the researchers to calculate their calorie use from the amount of oxygen consumed.

Professor Terry Wilkin of Exeter University and lead on the study, found that 15-year-olds use between 400-500 LESS calories while at rest per day than when they were 10.

That's a whole Big Mac (508 calories) less per day.

The researchers found that adolescents exercise less during puberty therefore adding to the calorie

excess that supposedly underlies obesity.  The drop in exercise levels is particularly noticeable in girls, where activity levels drop by a third between the ages of 7-16.

What we can not overlook is that childhood obesity is a very real problem.

"Child obesity and associated diabetes are both among the greatest health challenges of out time," Professor Wilkin said.

However, the drop in calorie burn can only be a contributing factor to the child obesity crisis.

The real problem is: junk food, fizzy drinks, over consumption of sugar (teenagers consume more than three times the recommended daily amount of sugar) and refined carbohydrates, and too many processed foods.

It is "cool" to go out for a McDonald's with friends and wash a Big Mac down with a can of Monster, but this type of diet is putting out teenagers health in serious danger.

Also many children are having to "fend for themselves" as both parents work.  A take away is a parent's way of knowing their child will eat and won't run the risk of burning themselves or setting the house on fire if they have to cook.

May be it is time to bring back home economics and cooking classes in schools.  I believe we should be teaching our children about REAL food and how to cook from an early age.  A good understanding of a healthy diet from the beginning will mean your child's health will be better for life.

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

Junk food side effects...

Our diets have changed radically in the past 50 years.  In fact if you compare a typical diet 50 years ago to a typical diet today, many people would struggle to find any similarities.

Part of this major dietary change is due to the appearance of junk food in our lives.  Also, long working hours, stress and family obligations mean that it is often easier to reach for the telephone and order a take-away than it is to cook a meal from scratch.

We all know that the general population's fast food addiction is largely to blame for the obesity epidemic that is putting huge pressure on healthcare.

But is it just obesity that is being fueled by junk food, or is there something far more sinister?

Dr. Julia Rucklidge, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, has said that eating processed foods might actually cause mental illness as well as weight gain.  Dr. Ricklidge believes that the spiraling rates of mental illness, and the use of anti-depressants is due to the change from eating foods made from whole ingredients to junk food.

Dr. Rucklidge is investigating the link between nutrition and disorders such as depression, ADHD, anxiety, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  She says that diet has changed so much and so quickly over the past 50 years that it is hard not to believe that it's having some impact on mental health.

Last year, in an interview with the New Zealand Listener, she said her team was studying whether multivitamin formulas can help with mental health disorders.  Her study specifically used formulas by Nutra Tex and Truehope.

"My work shows that, because we show an impact of using vitamins and minerals on mental health, it simply proves the point that the diet these people are eating is simply not adequately meeting their nutritional needs."

According to her research, overall between 60-80% of people in these trials responded to treatment with a micronutrient formulae.  The supplements included vitamins A, C, D, E, B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, potassium and some amino acids.

She also spoke about how previous research has shown that high-quality fish oil can help create new brain cells and reduce inflammation in the body.  S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), a sulphur containing compound, can help regulate mood.  N-acetylcysteine (NAC) an amino acid, has been shown to help people with bipolar depression, schizophrenia and compulsive and addictive behaviors. A Mediterranean diet has been found to lower the risk of depression and anxiety.

However, what she has not been able to find so far, is exactly which mechanism the nutrients use to lower symptoms of mental illness.

"It might be (the micronutrients) are assisting the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, to work more effectively," she said, "Or we are giving the body nutrients to help reduce inflammation or oxidative stress.  Or we are just providing the body with what it needs in order for it to function effectively.  Micronutrients do seem to work on so many different levels."

Dr. Rucklidge's investigations have found that 64% of people with ADHD receiving supplements showed fewer symptoms over 8 weeks compared to 37% given a placebo.

After the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake in 2011, she found that people suffering from PTSD had their symptoms reduced from 65% to 19% among people receiving extra vitamins and minerals.  It is her belief that governments should consider giving out vitamin and mineral tablets after a disaster has struck.

But how does all this relate to junk food?  It's quite simple, junk food does not provide the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health that whole foods cooked from scratch do.  So, cook whole fresh foods instead of reaching for the take-away menu, and you might just be doing you and your family one huge favor.

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