Healthy nuts snack are not fattening

Nuts seeds and weight loss

I often hear from my client that they worry about eating nuts and seeds when I suggest it as a healthy snack to stop their hunger way before their dinner. And the main worry is about the fat content of nuts. Well I was trying to see if there are any connection or studies to proof that the nuts are not a problem regarding fat and weight gain. From my experience not one person that had problems with weight was eating nuts regularly. On the contrary when put on a healthy nuts snack they were amazed that they lost weight.  From my research, I found that many studies have shown that people with weight problem did not gain any extra weight but lost weight when added between 26 to 67 g of healthy tree nuts a day. The 67g portion had the benefit of also reducing the bad cholesterol and improving vascular reactivity. This was especially found with the walnuts studies. Walnut contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (the good fat), phenolic acid (ellaic acid, which is an anti-oxidant), especially in the little skin of the walnut, also it contains L-arginine, an amino acid that is also an anti-inflammatory and good for man fertility, high fiber content like any other nuts which helps with any elimination problems, phytosterols which have shown to reduce bad cholesterol and finally walnuts, as well as the other healthy nuts, release the sugar level in the blood slowly therefore people are less luckily to feel hungry or low in energy.  Almonds are another good healthy snack, they are high in absorbable calcium and fibres and again very good for snacking when hungry (needs to be soaked for a better absorption of calcium or grounded). Pumpkins also are a very healthy snack and high in zinc, together with the Brazil nuts are very good for men as Brazil nuts contains selenium which is important for the fertility again. Pecan nuts also very beneficial similar to walnuts. In all in many of the research that I read and seen mostly were mentioning the benefits of eating healthy snacks, and not many connected eating nuts with increase in weight on the contrary few connected the eating healthy snacks with loosing weight.  I would recommend to have also a general healthy diet for the best benefit of eating nuts. But in all adding nuts and seeds into your breakfast or snacks can be very beneficial and maybe even lose weight (no guarantee unless connected to a healthy diet but good to try). Also nuts and seeds are not for everybody as some kids and adults can be intolerant or dangerously allergic to them therefore not be very beneficial. But if you are ok with them enjoy them unsalted and plain. (please remember to store them in a tight air container or in the fridge as nuts and seeds can go rancid or mouldy after they are out of the packet and therefore lose their benefit and cause problems as well).

Reference:

1.      Brufau, G.; Boatella, J.; Rafecas, M. Nuts, source of energy and macronutrients.          Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S24-S28.

2.      Blomhoff, R.; Carlsen, M.H.; Frost Andersen, L.; Jacobs, D.R. Jr. Health benefits of nuts,potential role of antioxidants. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S52-S60.

3.      Dreher, M.L.; Maher, C.V.; Kearney, P. The traditional and emerging role of nuts in healthful diets. Nutr. Rev. 1996, 54, 241-245.

4.      Eaton, S.B.; Konner, M. Paleolithic nutrition. A consideration of its nature and current implications. N. Engl. J. Med. 1985, 312, 283-289.

5.      Feldman, E.B. The scientific evidence for a beneficial health relationship between walnuts andcoronary heart disease. J. Nutr. 2002, 132, 1062S-1101S.

6.      Griel, A.E.; Kris-Etherton, P.M. Tree nuts and the lipid profile, a review of clinical studies. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S68-S78.

7.      Li Z. et al. Pistachio nuts reduce triglycerides and body weight by comparison to refined carbohydrates snack in obese subjects on a 12 weeks loss programme. Journal of American College of Nutrition. 2010 - 29 (3) 198-203

8.      King, J.C.; Blumberg, J.; Ingwersen, L.; Jenab, M.; Tucker, K.L. Tree nuts and peanuts as components of a healthy diet. J. Nutr. 2008, 138, 1736S-1740S.

9.      Kelly, J.H. Jr; Sabaté, J. Nuts and coronary heart disease, an epidemiological perspective. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S61-S67.

10.  Mattes, R.D.; Kris-Etherton, P.M.; Foster, G.D. Impact of peanuts and tree nuts on body weight and healthy weight loss in adults. J. Nutr. 2008, 138, 1741S-1745S.

11.  Mukuddem-Petersen, J.; Oosthuizen, W.; Jerling, J. A systematic review of the effects of nuts on.blood lipid profiles in humans. J. Nutr. 2005, 135, 2082-2089.

12.  Nash, S.D.; Nash, D.T. Nuts as part of a healthy cardiovascular diet. Curr. Atheroscler. Rev.2008, 10, 529-535.

13.  Rajaram, S.; Sabaté, J. Nuts, body weight and insulin resistance. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S79-S86.

14.  Ros, E.; Mataix, J. Fatty acid composition of nuts. Implications for cardiovascular health. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S29-S35.

15.  Ros E. Health Benefits of Nut Consumption. Nutrients 2010, 2, 652-682; doi:10.3390/nu2070652

16.  Sabaté, J.; Fraser, G.E.; Burke, K.; Knutsen, S.F.; Bennett, H.; Lindsted, K.D. Effects of walnuts on serum lipid levels and blood pressure in normal men. N. Engl. J. Med. 1993, 328, 603-607.

17.  Sabaté, J. Nut consumption, vegetarian diets, ischemic heart disease risk, and all-cause mortality:evidence from epidemiologic studies. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999, 70, 500S-503S.

18.  Sabaté, J.; Salas-Salvadó, J.; Ros, E. Nuts, nutrition and health outcomes. Br. J.           Nutr. 2006, 96, S1-S102.

19.  Sabaté, J.; Angt, Y. Nuts and health outcomes, new epidemiologic evidence. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2009, 89, 1643S-1648S.

20.  Salas-Salvadó, J.; Bulló, M.; Pérez-Heras, A.;  Ros, E. Dietary fibre, nuts and cardiovascular disease. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S45-S51.

21.  Segura, R.; Javierre, C.; Lizarraga, M.A.; Ros, E. Other relevant components of nuts, phytosterols, folate and minerals. Br. J. Nutr. 2006, 96, S36-S44.

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Holidays are over and back to health!

Well the holidays are over and who ever survived the eating and indulgence is ready for going back to health. I went back to my family and being Italian, they cannot deal with low salt or less wheat. Being an Italian myself, I love the food but I realised that eating a lot more salt and eating more wheat that I usually eat lead to my increase in my weight, and that without any alcohol. So now that I am back to my normal no salt and little wheat a day I already lost 1 kg. I loved the Italian foods but eating it every day is too much. But that is only traditional food, if you eat fresh salads from the garden and fresh vegetables without the salt and wheat is actually the healthiest diet! I suppose once a year even the healthiest person can let go of being strict and enjoy what everybody else eats. I was actually craving though for my own foods after a week I do not think I could bare much of the good tastier food or the rich food that I was eating, once a week or twice yes but everyday was too much!! Well my advice after the new year for everybody, is staying away from alcohol  for a month, reduce the salt and wheat products and eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils for the vegetarians and vegans and fish and white meat for the non vegetarian, grilled or oven baked or stir fryed. Enjoy long walks in the park or visit your nearest gym for some extra exercise!!!

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Love your liver this holiday!

Is that time of the year again where we start to indulge again in a lot of food, sweets and alcohol. Just a short reminder again of taking care of your liver!!.  Here is again a reminder of what your liver does and how much pressure it gets under the holiday seasons.....

The liver is quite often forgotten by people or not thought about at all. Even though the liver is the only organs that can regenerate, when it cannot cope with too much work, you can start feeling it by having spots on your face or forehead, feeling sluggish, having headaches and feeling tired and having the feeling of being spaced out. Even if you are eating healthy but loosing weight for any reason the liver is the one that will have to do a lot of the work by eliminating all the toxins freed by the fat cells or any cell. The liver also is the one that makes protein that you need for repair of cells as well as transforming excess sugar into fat for storage. It is the major detox organ for drugs, hormones, as well as being the organ where vitamin D is activated. The liver is also a storage place for some of the vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E, K, and B12.  Now it is Christmas time again and time for Christmas parties and overindulgence of alcohol based drinks and overeating time. It is good to have fun but think of your liver as well. So even though you do not want to miss out on a Christmas party, take few steps to help your liver to cope with the extra work. Take some extra vitamin B, vitamin C, as well as milk thistle, dandelion root tea or tincture. Drink water between alcoholic drinks, fruits such as mandarins, and other seasonal fruits, as well as vegetables such as chicory salad, fennel, beetroots, artichokes, rockets, watercress, cabbage family and radicchio. If you drink water between the alcohol you will not drink as much and you will still have plenty of fun. Eat some food with your alcohol, which helps with reducing the effect of the alcohol. By taking the few steps above you can still have fun without the feeling that you need a month to feel good again after your parties. And most of all enjoy yourself…….. 

Heart burn suggestions

I have been quite busy lately and have not done much on writing here but just to get back to it I have something that I wrote a while back on suggestions on heart burn which is a problem for many people.

Triggers factors

• Heavy meals
• Lying down or bending after a meal
• Eating immediately prior to exercise
• Prior esophageal surgery
• Esophageal stricture (narrowing of the esophagus)
• Cigarette smoking
• Alcohol intake

Sign and symptoms

Heartburn -- a burning sensation under the sternum in the chest -- is the primary symptom of GERD. Heartburn often occurs after a meal and worsens at night, when you are lying flat. It is more likely to occur following a heavy meal, or if you bend, lift, or lie down just after eating.

Other symptoms of GERD include:

• Regurgitation of food
• Belching
• Nausea and vomiting
• Chronic cough, wheezing
• Sore throat, hoarseness or change in voice, difficulty swallowing
• Chest pain

Life style

• Avoid behavior that does not allow food to easily move down into and through the stomach. This includes bending, lying down, or participating in jarring exercises soon after a meal.
• Don't eat heavy meals
• Avoid acidic foods and drinks. These include caffeinated beverages, decaffeinated coffee, and orange juice
• Avoid alcohol, chocolate, spearmint, and peppermint. These can relax the low esophageal sphincter.
• Avoid carbonated beverages
• Avoid eating fatty foods, including full-fat milk, which also may relax the lower esophageal sphincter tone. Avoid fried foods.
• Citrus foods
• Take medication with plenty of water
• Lose weight if you are overweight
• Quit smoking
• Avoid cranberry juice

·         Avoid Italian heavy food,

·         Avoid Mexican foods

·         Avoid Tomatoes

·         Processed foods

·         Sugar

·         Drink a big glass of water when the reflux starts, - Chew well - Eat plenty of raw vegetables - Eat slowly - Do not eat 3 hours before going to bed

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loosing weight, brown fat and white fat

Loosing weight, brown fat, white fat

What is the difference between white fat and brown fat? Well is better to have brown fat for thermogenesis (production of heat) if you want to lose weight and keep warm. Brown fat has got a high degree of vascularity (more blood into them). They contain more mitochondria, where the energy fuel is made. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy for the building up compounds as well as breaking them up. Babies have a lot of brown fat as they need to cool down or warm up more than adults for survival, then, once they start moving the muscles will deal with activating our brown fat. Adrenaline, which is the hormone that deals with stress activates the brown fat which is why when hunting or doing fighting might make you lose some weight (also there is a danger of exausting your adrenal glands if that carries on for too long). Thermogenesis is the dissipation of energy derived from ingested food as heat. So when you overheat or you are exposed to prolonged cold, the brain and more specifically the sympathetic division of the brain (the division that is more to do with stress activation, running, fear, etc) activates the thermogenesis. For this process also retinoic acid is also stimulated (vitamin A). Also lipoprotrein lipase and glucose transporters are enhanced to provide fuel. This means that the more heat is needed the more ATP needs to be produces which stored glucose and nutrients are then broke down to supply this. In theory this is a way to lose more weight. There is a theory regarding obesity and defective thermogenesis in obese people, which counts for the fact that they cannot loose weight. I have been to a seminar yesterday that actually confirmed this with plenty of research. According to their study, people exposed to cold baths would activate the brown fat and therefore thermogenesis. The people participated in the study lost about 38 kgs in 24 weeks without being on a restricted diet. Certain food activate or de-activate thermogenesis, capsicin and protein would activate it and carbohydrates and sugars would turn it off. Nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin D and essential fatty acid (omega 3 oils) are needed for the brown fat to be activated. Low or deficiency of these nutrients would not activate the thermogenesis. Warm clients or heating system would not activate the thermogenesis either. Also this is my thought is the eschimos have a lot more brown fat than anybody else and they do not have high incidence of heart problems. That because they eat a lot of fat from fish and because they are exposed to extreme cold.

The above is a thought for people that would like to lose weight and nothing works…… There are many more factors to losing weight though, as emotional and mental condition, allergies, and the entire body-mind integration…..

http://www.nutritionhealth.net/

Vitamin A for the immune system

Vitamin A has had a bad repution for a while and many people think that they have to be away from it. The most danger from vitamin A is if you eat the liver of a bear or liver everyday, which can contain a lot of the vitamin A and other nutrients. The following are facts about vitamin A:

Vitamin A is one vitamin that has a bed reputation for being bad in pregnancy. But a vast majority of pregnant women and children in the third country and some in the western world are deficient of this vitamin. This leads to many problems in the foetus and pregnancy as well as reducing the activity and function of the immune system.

Vitamin A has an important role in the mucosal surfaces of the intestinal tract (which is the first line of defence for the body) and the lining of the lungs. Deficiency of the vitamin A leads to night-blindness, xerophtalmia, retardation of growth, impaired reproductive capacity and anaemia.

There are two ways that you can get the vitamin A, directly from food via animal sources in the retinol form. These foods are egg yolk, liver, butter, cheese, whole milk and cod-liver oil. The pro-vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene is found in vegetables foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, yellow and orange foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, mangoes, papaya, oranges and tangerines and many others..

How vitamin A works is in the form of retinoic acid and attaches to retinoid receptors in order to make its effect on the target cell and specific target gene. Retinoic acid influences gene activation through specific receptors that are part of the thyroid and steroid receptors. Vitamin A receptors is very closely involved in the gene expression (DNA expression, where each individual body takes their instruction) and therefore involved in regulating genes.

Vitamin A is essential for the mucosal surfaces of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and genitourinary tracts and it is also essential for the lymphoid system of the mucosal tract Deficiency of vitamin A in childhood is one of the most causes of mortality in the developing world. Also vitamin A it seems to be recognized as essential for many aspects of the immune function, including components of both non-specific immunity such as phagocytosis (eating debris or bad bacteria), maintenance of mucosal surfaces and specific immunity, such as generation of antibody responses (IgA in mucosal surfaces).

Deficiency in vitamin A can lead to:

• Abnormal expression of keratins in the respiratory tract, genitourinary tract and ocular surface

• Loss of Cilia from respiratory epithelium

• Loss of microvilli from small intestine

• Decrease in goblet cells and mucin production in mucosal epithelia

• Impaired neutrophil function

• Impaired natural killer (NK) cell function and decreased number of NK cells (NK are included in the immunity as anti-viral and anti-tumour immunity)

• Neutrophils are impaired (involved in phagocytosis adhesion and generation of active oxidant molecules (retinoic acid plays a role in the normal maturation of neutrophil)

• Impaired aspects of haematopoiesis (CD4 + lymphocytes count is lower)

• Shift towards T-helper type 1-like immune responses (vitamin A balances the T-helper type 1 and T helper type 2 like response.

Measle

Some studies have shown that children with deficiency of vitamin A are more at risk of mortality from measles. Children given vitamin A, showed reduce mortality and less complication from measles. Children who received 60mg of retinoic acid had significantly higher IgG responses to measles virus and higher circulating lymphocytes counts during follow up compared with children receiveing placebo.


Diarrhoeal diseases

Diarrhoeal disease caused by rotavirus, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Vibrio cholerae Salmonella and Entamoeba histolytica have been shown to reduce mortality and morbidity from these pathogens by fortification or supplementation of the vitamin A in Tamil Nadu, Nepal, Ghana and Brazil.

Vitamin A in pregnancy and lactation might has shown to be very important for the immune system and for night blindness. Vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene has shown to reduce all cause of mortality and morbidity in the developing countries and western world. Beta-carotene needs zinc to be converted into the retinoic acid.

Mucosal immunity

The way the mucosal function can be impaired by the deficiency of vitamin A is through the loss of cilia in the respiratory tract (cilia are hair like processes, they are also found in the uterine tract to move the ova towards the uterus). Loss of microvilli in the gastrointestinal tract (this are fingerlike projection that makes your nutrients being absorbed from the intestine). Loss of mucin and goblet cells in the respiratory, gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts (mucin and globlet cells, make mucous which get rid of any bacteria and waste from the mucosal lining). Squamous metaplasia with abnornla keratinisation in the respiratory and genitourinary tracts. Alteration in antigen-specific secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentrations (this are the antibodies that fights bacteria and other pathogens in the mucosal surface). Impairment of mucosal-associated immune-cell function and lastly decreased integrity of the gut (allowing more pathogens and bigger molecule to enter the blood leading to possible allergies and intolerances reaction).

Well the above was a bit scientific but it is nice sometime to have some breakdown of what the actual nutrient do in your body and how wanderful our body is to make all these things from just a little nutrient and which we get from our healthy food!!!!!
http://www.nutritionhealht.net/

One apple a day

Almost everyone know the expression ‘one apple a day keeps the doctor away’, even in Italy when I grew up! Being lucky enough to grow up in the countryside in Italy and near the seaside I did not realize then that not everyone had the same fortune of picking up their own fruits and vegetables from their front yard. I remember just going under the tree and picking up the fruits of the season wash eat or clean it and eat it. I don’t think I have ever tasted the same fruit ever again really. Or I still do when I go back to Italy and my parents still pick up pears from the tree for our breakfast. But all fruits have really a good amount of nutrients and vitamins, so why just apples are the ones that are so important or why the expression. I am not sure where it started or when but here are some apple history and qualities:

There are about 25 types of apples and they vary in colour and texture, from green to red. Some are sweet such Red Delicious, Royal Gala (my favourite) to Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Cox Apple, etc.. It seems that the original apple tree comes from Eastern Europe and Southwester Asia. Because of the cultivations and hybridization (is the process of combining different varieties or species of trees and make a new type) there are now many more varieties of apples from the first original apple tree. In the past the apple was thought to keep people forever young. Scientifically the consumption of apples in many studies have show to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma, type 2 diabetes (as it releases the blood sugar slowly). Here are some of the nutritional benefits of apples. Apples contain high amounts of flavonoids especially quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant that protects the integrity of the cell membrane. Our body is formed of millions of cells and the outside of the cell can be under oxidation attack all the time. Quercetin and other antioxidant such as vitamin C, and many more flavonoids found in coloured fruits and vegetables, protect our cells from being destroyed. Quercetin also blocks the inflammatory cascade, which involves quite a lot of the inflammatory disorders such as asthma, arthritis, allergies, etc... Of course you could be allergic to the apple and so in that case you need to find the solutions for that (see my website for treatments). Pectin is another ingredient in apples; pectin can help lower cholesterol levels by improving the intestinal motility and reducing therefore the reuptake of fat and toxins (in few words good for elimination of food waste). One medium whole apple supplies 3 grams of fibres; eating about two apples a day will reduce the cholesterol up to 11 percent. Pectin is good not only to relieve constipation but also diarrhoea (Kaopectate is an over the counter medication for diarrhoea that contains pectin). Nutritionally raw apples contain vitamin C, pectin, fibres, potassium, phytochemicals such as ellagic acid (anti-oxidant) and quercetin. So really when they say that one apple a day keeps the doctor away is quite true but it is also true that many fruits also contain some sort of nutritional value, antioxidants, and fibres and therefore is worth to vary and combine our fruits to get the most of goodness from them. So hopefully the above has convinced you a bit to start keeping an apple or two in your lunch box or bag or any other fruits. Fruits salads are really good to have and enjoy!!!!

 

http://www.nutritionhealth.net/