Health News / April 2007
Food Fare
Trying to find solid ground between the shifting sands of scientific studies and the celestial claims of food industry marketing can put consumers in a dizzying spin. The short solution to eating right for maximum health seems to be: eat real food, don’t eat too much of it and, when in doubt, go for plants.
Once upon a time, not that long ago, consumers knew that oat bran was good, eggs were bad, chocolate, wine and beer were bad and low fat diets protected against breast cancer. It turned out oat bran didn’t really help prevent colon cancer, the federally funded Women’s Health Initiative found no link between low fat diets and coronary disease and the panic over eggs subsided with the recognition of ‘good’ cholesterol. After over 1100 studies, researchers found that coffee may have many healthy attributes and has as many antioxidants as green tea. Recent research indicates that wine and chocolate may encourage longevity and a few ounces of alcohol may be beneficial to the human diet.
What’s a girl got to eat to stay healthy? Generally, nothing from a fast food window. A little more specifically, less meat, fewer processed foods, more fruit and more vegetables.
Consumers looking for more specifics should head to the produce department and avoid the grocery aisles with boxes of ‘C’ foods-cookies, cake mixes, cereals, cornbread and chips. Sweet potatoes, loaded with carotenoids and vitamin C, are one of the best vegetables for nutrition. Grape tomatoes are bite sized for snacking, but also packed with vitamins C and A, plus some phytochemicals. Broccoli has lots of vitamin C, carotenoids and folic acid. Greens like kale and spinach are nutritional powerhouses with lots of vitamin C, carotenoids, calcium and other healthful goodies. Try butternut squash-just a half cup has a payload of vitamins A and C. Citrus fruits, including grapefruits and tangerines, are rich in vitamins and help satisfy a sweet tooth. Whole-grain crackers, usually called crispbreads, are often fat free. Quick-cooking or regular brown rice beats enriched white rice, which has lost the vitamins E and B6, magnesium and other phytochemicals that are in whole grain. Fat free, skim or 1% milk is an excellent source of calcium, vitamins and protein with little or no artery clogging fat and cholesterol.
It takes determination, perseverance and discipline to resist the “New and Improved, Climbing the food chain isn’t for sissies.
Copyright © 2007 A Woman's View. All rights reserved.
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