Nutrition

Exercise and Diet

The Keys To Longevity

by Sabine Weber

Life – one word that means everything. What we do with it is up to us. Our bodies can take a lot; they withstand abuse, neglect and bad habits. But these treatments show profound results as we age starting from poor skin to cancer, heart disease, bone disease, liver disease, eye disease and much more. We are always looking for that magic pill, that quick fix that will keep us young and healthy or even cure us of our ailments. It’s just the power of knowledge and a little hard work that some people are missing or choosing not to do.

We know that the proper nutrition and exercise can and will make a difference on how healthy our bodies age. Just as smoking, sugar, and alcohol may not show effects for years and years but very few get away without repercussions. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis are three debilitating diseases that diet and exercise can have an intense effect on. Let me share with you what we know about keeping our bodies healthy.

Phytochemicals
An article on disease prevention and longevity would not be complete without a basis introduction on plant chemicals. Phytochemicals are foods that may provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

The beneficial component in the plant food is a phytochemical (phytochemicals are chemicals which protect the plants against damage from oxygen radicals, a viral attack, harsh weather and improper handling). These chemicals may act similarly in the body by blocking cancerous substances, protecting the body against cell damage from oxidation and stopping tumor growth. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dried beans and peas (legumes), nuts, and seeds all have phytochemicals. Phytochemicals have the ability to halt tumor growth, detoxify cancer causing substances, interfere with estrogen receptors to help prevent hormone driven cancers, lower blood cholesterol levels, aid eyesight, protect cells from damage of free radicals, maintain GI health and act as antibacterial agents.

Quick and Easy Ways to Eat Phytochemicals

• Eat yellow-orange and dark green fruits and vegetables every day.
• Replace coffee with green and black tea.
• Add nuts, seeds, beans, and berries to cereals, salads, or just as a snack.
• Mix soy nuts, seeds, whole grain cereal, and dried fruit as a healthy trail mix.
• Use silken tofu in place of sour cream for a vegetable dip.
• Mix tuna salad with grated carrots, red peppers, onions, and garlic.
• Eat more grains such as buckwheat, barley, bulgur, and oats.
• Use soy nut or almond butter on whole grain toast.
• Use soymilk in soups, cereals, puddings, or just to drink.
• Drink purple grape juice at night in place of beer or a drink.
• Stir fry fresh vegetables with olive oil and garlic as a side dish at dinner.
• Mix yogurt with fresh berries, bananas and sunflower seeds.

Exercise
The benefits of keeping active are endless. Exercise helps to prevent obesity, keep the immune system strong and metabolism efficient, maintain lean tissue, deposit calcium in the bone and maintain bone density, keep bowel habits regular to effectively eliminate toxins from the body and prevent gastrointestinal diseases and cancers, keep cholesterol down, strengthen the heart muscle, increases oxygen supply to all parts of the body, and aid in a outlook positive, decrease stress and improve sleep habits. A strong heart muscle pumps blood and nutrients more easily through out the blood vessels. Risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and some cancers is significantly reduced when 30 minutes of physical activity is obtained on most days of the week.

Cardiovascular Disease
Foods with phytochemicals to help cardiovascular health include soyfoods, soluble fiber from oats and other plants, tomatoes, watermelon, grapes, orange and green fruits and vegetables, flaxseeds, garlic, onions, kale and broccoli. Also, omega 3s from flax and fish, and other essential fats from nuts and seeds like almonds. Soy products are now allowed to make the health claim that 25 grams of soy protein per day may help to lower cholesterol. Keeping homocysteine levels low with adequate B vitamins, especially folic acid from orange juice, legumes, wheat germ, and fortified grains and consuming optimal levels of antioxidants and essential nutrients is beneficial at all ages. Vitamin E, vitamin C and alpha-lipoic acid are three naturally occurring free radical scavengers associated with cardiovascular protection.

Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality, independent of other lifestyle modifications including diet and smoking. Regular exercise also reduces several cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, high blood lipids, risk of blood clotting and blood vessel dysfunction.

Cancer
The American Cancer Institute now recommends 5 to 9 servings of vegetables per day. Foods with phytochemicals have been found to reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Practical Tips to Reduce Carcinogens in Food

• Don’t burn or char your food, especially if you are cooking meat or starchy foods.
• If you grill meat, trim the fat off the meat before you cook it.
• Eat smaller portions of meat and larger portions vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, and fruit.
• Eat more cooked cereals and whole grains such as oatmeal, barley, quinoa and brown rice.
• When cooking on the stove, do not allow the fat to burn and smoke before pan frying or sautéing.
• Choose organic produce, dairy and meats as often as possible.
• Avoid hormones in meat and dairy products, pesticides, non-organic foods, food additives and preservatives (nitrates, nitrites), white flour products, iron-fortified cereals, safflower, sunflower, corn oils, sunflower seeds, margarine, fried foods, processed and refined foods, commercial cereals, fruit juice, soda and alcohol.

Exercise is also important part of cancer prevention. It helps prevent obesity associated with cancers of the rectum, colon, prostate, uterus, breasts and kidneys.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can be prevented and reversed by optimal nutrition. Weight bearing exercise is extremely important to strengthen bones. Serum vitamin D levels are a must test for all older adults, especially those with osteoporosis. Vitamin D is the most important nutrient for bone health and acute deficiencies may require vitamin D by injection to reverse. In the winter, vitamin D cannot be made from sunshine. Aging skin also makes less vitamin D.

Diet and Exercise for Osteoporosis

• Get enough calcium: The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Adults for women 50 and younger should receive 1,000 milligrams per day and women 50 and older are 1,200 mg per day. To protect against osteoporosis the National Institutes of Health now advise 1,500 mg per day for post-menopausal women not on estrogen and for adults over age 65 years of age.
• Get adequate Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps deposit calcium in bones. Your body makes Vitamin D when ultraviolet light touches your skin. If you can’t go outdoors or if you need to cover up, you might need a Vitamin D supplement.
• Phytoestrogens and isoflavones: New research shows that foods with estrogen activity (plant estrogens) can aid in decreasing the rate of bone loss.
• Avoid high protein diets: High protein diets cause calcium to spill over in the urine. This is another reason why the incidence of osteoporosis is high in American or Caucasian cultures.
• Move those bones! Being inactive for a long period of time weakens bones. Weight bearing activities trigger your body to deposit calcium in your bones. Some weight bearing activities include: walking, jogging, aerobic dancing, volleyball, tennis, dancing, or weight lifting, or even mowing the grass and shoveling snow.
• Consider other lifestyle changes: Eliminate or reduce intake of 1) Caffeine – reduces the absorption of calcium, 2) Heavy Drinking – linked to weaker bones, and 3) Smoking – promotes bone loss.
• Look for calcium supplements that contain vitamin D, vitamin K, boron and magnesium: These have also been linked to bone health and osteoporosis. Sources: 1) Vitamin D – sunlight or fortified milk, 2) Vitamin K – green leafy vegetables and green tea, 3) Boron – fruits and vegetables, and 4) Magnesium – wheat bran, wheat germ, nuts and tofu.

Eat right and exercise. Sounds like I’ve heard that before, have you?

Spinach Salad

5 cups fresh spinach, washed and drained
1-teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1-tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-cup sliced carrots
2 cups sliced broccoli
1-cup mushrooms
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2-cup green onions
3 tablespoons chopped peanuts or walnuts
1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1-tablespoon cornstarch
2-tablespoon light soy sauce

Spray a non-stick skillet with vegetable oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the carrots, mushrooms, and green onions. Sauté until golden, about 2 minutes.

Mix the broth with the cornstarch, sesame oil, cayenne pepper and vinegar. Add it along with bean sprouts and broccoli. Bring to boil, stirring frequently. Toss the stir-fry with the spinach and peanuts. Serve warm.

Serves 4. Each serving (2 cups): 114 calories, 5 grams fat, 1-gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 348 milligrams sodium, 12 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber.

Source: Communicating Food for Health Newsletter

Sabine Weber (adknutrition@msn.com) is a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist, and owner/operator of Adirondack Nutrition Consulting and Bean’s Goods in Lake Placid. She enjoys hiking, running, biking, rock climbing, skiing and snowshoeing

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