5 Ways to Eat Better and Live Longer

[Guest guest]

(Moderator's Note: I disagree with the soy and plastic bag parts, but overall this is a good one.)from Bottom Line Secrets June 22, 2007

 

 

5 Ways to Eat Better and Live Longer

 

Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH

Harvard Medical School

lenty

of diets claim to help you drop pounds, but few are backed by sound

scientific evidence -- and their long-term health effects are unknown.

Fortunately, there is an eating plan that not only

helps you control your weight, but also helps you maintain optimal

health whether or not you're overweight. This diet is supported by the

findings of the landmark Nurses' Health Study and other important

research.

In addition to getting regular exercise, not skipping

meals and staying adequately hydrated (drink about 64 ounces of fluids

daily), follow these five principles...

Principle 1. Eat lots of green, leafy vegetables. Everyone knows that it's good to eat fruits and vegetables.

Produce is low in calories and provides disease-fighting antioxidants

as well as fiber, which helps relieve constipation and curb cholesterol

levels. Antioxidant deficiencies have been linked to heart disease,

cancer, eye disease and age-related memory loss.

The Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals'

Follow-up Study reviewed the dietary intakes of 100,000 healthy men and

women over a 12- to 14-year period. Those who had five or more daily

servings of fruits and vegetables were more likely to stay healthy than

those with lower intakes.

Important: Green, leafy

vegetables, which are a rich source of vitamins, minerals and other

nutrients, conferred the greatest benefit. (For "A-list" and "B-list"

vegetables, see below.)

Wisest: Precook your

vegetables. Boil until they are half done and rinse in cold water. Let

cool and refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag. Precooking doubles a vegetable's refrigerator shelf life. When you're ready to eat the vegetables, sauté in olive oil and garlic.

Principle 2. "Good" fats don't have to be boring.

Your intake of saturated fat (found primarily in whole-fat dairy

products and red meat) should be limited to one serving a day for

whole-fat dairy and three four-ounce servings a week for red meat.

Trans fats (found in baked goods, packaged snacks, crackers, margarine

and many fast foods) are best eliminated.

But that doesn't mean that you should deprive yourself of all

fats. Olive oil and fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna, are among the

most well-known sources of healthful fat. Other options include

cashews, almonds, peanut butter, avocados and soy products.

Helpful: Make an "omega-3"

butter by mixing one-quarter cup of flaxseed oil with one-half cup of

butter. This provides a better balance of fatty acids than butter

alone. Refrigerate and use as you would butter, but only occasionally.

Do not cook with omega-3 butter -- flaxseed oil can turn rancid when

it's heated.

Principle 3. Don't get rid of all carbohydrates.

Americans get half their daily calories, on average, from refined

carbohydrates, such as white bread, white potatoes and white rice...

ready-to-eat cereals... and baked goods. Whole grains, such as brown

rice, barley, millet and whole-wheat pasta, are better choices. They'll

give you long-lasting energy and lower your risk for heart disease and

diabetes.

Like vegetables, whole grains can be precooked,

stored in the refrigerator (for up to five days in a tightly covered

container) and reheated before serving.

Best: Buy

"quick-cooking" (partially precooked and dried) brown rice in your grocery store. It cooks in about 10 minutes.

Principle 4. Try underused protein sources.

Most people get significant amounts of protein from red meat and

whole-fat dairy products. However, these foods are also rich sources of

saturated fat and cholesterol.

While reducing your intake of red meat and whole-fat dairy, add more plant-based protein sources. Good choices:

Beans, nuts and grains, which contain less saturated fat and more

fiber, vitamins, minerals and healthful fat. Fish, chicken and turkey

can supplement these foods.

Peanut butter is a healthful and

often-overlooked protein source. In the Nurses' Health Study, women who

ate peanut butter five or more times a week had a 21% lower risk of

developing diabetes than those who rarely ate it.

Best: For

lunch, try peanut butter (without partially hydrogenated oils) on

whole-grain bread. Add low-sugar jam, if you like. Other healthful

protein sources include cottage cheese (1% butterfat), kidney beans,

eggs and hummus. Soy products, such as edamame, soy milk and tempeh,

also are good protein sources. But soy has an estrogen-like effect, so

high intakes may increase risk for some types of breast cancer. Limit

your intake to three to four servings of soy-based products weekly.

Principle 5. Don't forget a multivitamin.

The Nurses' Health Study shows that after 10 or more years, the colon

cancer risk was cut by more than half for women who took a daily

multivitamin.

Better way: Skip "megadose" multivitamins. A multivitamin that provides the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of most nutrients is fine. Exception: Vitamin D. The RDA is 400 international units (IU) per day, but studies show that most people need at least 1,000 IU per day.

"A-List" Veggies

Eat all you want of these very healthful vegetables...

All dark green, leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, kale)

Artichokes

Asparagus

Beets

Bell peppers

Bok choy

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Cucumbers

Eggplant

Fennel

Green beans

Jicama

Mushrooms

Radishes

Salad greens

Snow peas

Tomatoes

Winter squash

Zucchini, summer and spaghetti squash

"B-List" Veggies

Eat no more than one to two servings

(one-half cup each) daily of these vegetables, which are higher in

carbohydrates and calories...

Jerusalem artichokes

Parsnips

Pumpkin

Rutabagas

Sweet potatoes

Turnips

Water chestnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottom Line/Health interviewed Walter C. Willett, MD, DrPH, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, both in Boston. Dr. Willett is coauthor of Eat, Drink & Weigh Less (Hyperion) as well as Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (Simon & Schuster). He is a member of the Bottom Line/Health Board of Advisers.