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 NEW: HEALTHY KIDS
Download Brochure for Easy
Reference
Obesity rates have doubled in children and
tripled in adolescents over the last two decades. Educate yourself
and your family about the health risks associated with excess weight
by downloading our Healthy Kids Brochure. Number four in our Health
& Wellness Series, this concise guide contains:
Ten tips on how to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into
your child's diet.
Healthy substitutions for junk food -- such as replacing chewy
candies with dried fruit.
Key nutrients lacking in children's diets -- and foods that
supply them.
Snacks you can make together -- plus a fun recipe for "Trees in
a Broccoli Forest."
The brochure makes a handy shopping
guide, as well as provides ideas on how to transform your home food
environment to encourage healthy choices.
DO MEN REALLY PREFER DUMB BLONDES?
Study Shows Smart
Women Less Likely to Marry
Smart men are more likely
to get married than their dimmer peers -- while women's marriage
rates actually dropped as their IQ rates rose, according to a study
just published in Personality and Individual
Differences.
Researchers from the universities of
Aberdeen, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow correlated marital
histories and intelligence quotients for 900 subjects and found that
the likelihood of marriage rose 35% for males for each 16-point
increase in their IQs. The data showed an almost mirror opposite
effect for women: with a 40% drop for each 16-point IQ
increase.
Social theorists are divided on interpretations of
this divergence. Are brainy women bored by marriage? So says Paul
Brown, a psychologist and professor at Nottingham University: "Women
in their late 30s, who have gone for careers ... and who are among
the brightest of their generation, are finding that men are just not
interesting enough." Are men intimidated by more intellectually able
women? Or could it be that the most physically attractive women have
less incentive to develop their intellects?
Unfortunately,
the study did not delve deeper into the reasons behind these
patterns, which may lead some in the media to put their own
sensational spin on the numbers, as with the panic created some 20
years ago when Newsweek reported that single women over 40
years of age were more likely to be "killed by a terrorist" than to
get married. The good news is that modern women are so busy pursuing
a plethora of life options -- professional and social -- they're
less likely to be buffeted by data that, at the very least, suggest
smart women are raising their standards.
PUMP UP THE VOLUME
Stuff Yourself Thin with
Volumetrics
Twelve years after Dr. Dean Ornish
published his best-selling book, Eat More Weigh Less, the press is again
abuzz with talk of how to drop pounds and eat your fill. While it
may sound like just one more too-good-to-be-true diet fad, it's
actually the only way to lose weight, increase fiber, improve your
nutrition and maintain your losses over time.
It's called
"Volumetrics" -- and it's all about choosing more high-volume,
high-fiber, high-water content foods -- like fruits and vegetables
-- and fewer energy-dense foods that pack lots of calories into
little packages (think butter, sugar and junk food). Because foods
in the former category also happen to be packed with lots of
nutrients, and those in the latter tend toward empty calories and
excess salt, getting into this kind of eating habit will not only
help you lose weight, but lower disease risk as well.
US
News & World Report devoted a recent cover to the Volumetrics trend, as have
dozens of other magazines and newspapers. At the center of the story
is Barbara Rolls, professor of nutrition at Penn State, who was
among the first to notice that humans eat about the same weight or
volume of food every day (approximately 3 lbs.).
According to
Rolls, fullness "is the missing ingredient in weight management,"
and she's impatient with those who say the nation's obesity epidemic
can be reversed by "telling people to eat less. People need to eat
more low-energy-dense food, such as fruits and vegetables, so they
get a satisfying amount of food and enough calories."
Rolls
put her theories to the test in a study of nearly 100 obese women,
divided into a "volumetrics" group, encouraged to eat more fruits,
vegetables, soups, whole grains, etc. and another group told to cut
back on portion size. The volumetrics group ate more food -- by
weight -- yet ended up losing 33% more weight (average of 20
pounds).
Believe me, it's the only way to reconcile having a
small dress size and a big appetite -- while getting all your
nutrients the natural way. To see a video demonstration of the
volumetric approach to food choices, tune in to Eat More, Weigh Less on Dole TV, or watch our interview with Dr. Dean Ornish.
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 HIT THE B6
Key Nutrient Linked to Less DNA
Damage
In past newsletters, we've explored how fruit and vegetable consumption can help protect your DNA by protecting it against free radical damage. Now, new
research is demonstrating how key nutrients actually support DNA
repair.
Among these, vitamin B6 is emerging as an "A" player
on the DNA maintenance team. Provided abundantly by bananas, red
bell peppers (see featured superfood, below, and recipe, right),
fish, walnuts and Russet potatoes (and destroyed, incidentally, by
excessive alcohol consumption), B6 is used to convert folate --
another B vitamin -- into thymine, a component of DNA.
Think
of thymine molecules as those little bulbs on strings of Christmas
tree lights. When one thymine/bulb winks out, your body reaches in
the B6 box for another bulb. But when you're running low on B6,
you're out of replacement thymine/bulbs. The DNA reaches for
something that kinda looks like thymine, but isn't -- think of it
like sticking endives into your string of lights. They don't
work!
If too many such mistakes occur, the repair-enzyme
mechanisms can become overwhelmed. The result: DNA strand breaks,
which cumulatively leads to negative effects of aging and
development of disease.
In fact, after just one month in a
Washington State University study, participants on a low B6 diet
exhibited 75% more DNA-strand breaks than when they started. Once
recommended intake levels of B6 were restored, the rate of DNA
breakage returned to normal range. It's therefore not a surprise
that in larger scale epidemiological studies, people with higher
intakes of B6 were found to have a lower incidence of colon,
prostate, lung, gastric and pancreatic cancers.
In addition
to supporting DNA repair, B6 also helps with protein metabolism, red
blood cell formation, nervous and immune system function, the
conversion of tryptophan (an amino acid) to niacin (a vitamin) and
the conversion of glycogen (stored carbohydrate) to glucose to
maintain normal blood sugar levels.
How can you make sure
you're getting enough B6? Here's the checklist:
Watch alcohol intake and don't smoke -- both booze and butts
deplete the body's B6 levels.
And in addition to the excellent sources of B6 listed above, add
these good sources to your plate: broccoli, brussels sprouts, sweet
potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower and green peas to meet your
2 mg a day requirement.
Don't reach for the supplement shelf! Not only are B6 pills less
effective in protecting DNA, excessive supplementation can lead to
nerve damage in the arms and legs.
THE STRESS STOPS HERE
Veg Out, Work Out, to Fight
Fattening, Aging Effects of Stress
With tax
deadlines looming, April has a well-deserved claim to its title as
Stress Awareness Month. While stress puppies may claim to thrive in
a fast-paced, high-pressured climate, mounting evidence shows that
stress can make you fat -- and old before your time!
I like
to think of stress as the emotional equivalent of inflammation --
the body's response to infection or trauma. As discussed in a
previous newsletter, inflammation is part of the healing process, but
chronic inflammation is a significant risk factor for
disease.
Similarly, stress is the body's response to a
perceived threat. Like inflammation, stress in and of itself isn't
bad for you. In short doses, it can actually boost your immune
system, and according to some research, give you a leg up on
longevity by preventing the accumulation of damaged
proteins.
But continually elevated levels of stress hormones
can undermine our immune system, aggravate arthritis, increase
abdominal fat, impair memory, prevent sleep and eventually age us on
a cellular level.
A recent University of California at San
Francisco study found that women with the highest levels of
perceived psychological stress had a decade of extra mileage on a
cellular level than their more laid-back peers. Researchers linked
chronic stress to increased oxidative damage and low levels of an
enzyme -- telomerase -- which helps rebuild aging cells.
So
when someone you know complains that a difficult situation has aged
them 10 years -- they are more literally accurate than they may
realize! How to get less stress in your life -- and better manage
the inevitable trials and tribulations that come your way? See the
Dole Spa recommendations at right.
THE SWELL BELL
Why Red Bell Peppers Take SuperFoods
Prize
Red bell peppers are among the most
nutrient-dense vegetables you can buy, with just one medium pepper
(148 g) containing only 40 calories and providing an excellent
source of vitamin C (470%, one of the best sources), vitamin A
(90%), and vitamin B6 (see the vitamin B6 story for more details
about this DNA-defender). This same serving also provides a good
source of fiber and vitamin E (a potent antioxidant). This
diet-friendly treat has no fat, cholesterol or sodium and very few
carbohydrates (only 3%).
In addition, red bell peppers are
loaded with phytochemicals such as beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin
(one of the best sources and may reduce the risk of lung cancer) and
lycopene (may promote heart health and reduce the risk of prostate,
ovarian and cervical cancer). Bite for bite, few vegetables contain
as much beta-carotene as red bell peppers. This is important because
besides being a potent antioxidant, beta-carotene helps keep skin
healthy, the immune system hardy and eyesight keen. Some research
suggests this uber-antioxidant may prevent cancer both by
neutralizing free radicals and by promoting communication between
cells.
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 BOOST YOUR BRAINPOWER
Tips From Brain Health Expert
Dr. Gary W. Small
Dr. Gary W. Small is a
world-renowned expert on brain health, a best-selling author and the
Director of the UCLA Center on Aging.
Dr. Small's work on
early detection and prevention of Alzheimer's disease earned him a
spot on Scientific American magazine's 2002 list of the
world's top 50 innovators in science and technology. Dr. Small's
research has been featured in many publications such as the New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles
Times. He has authored over 400 scientific publications and his
latest book, The Memory Prescription, provides readers
with a program to keep their brain and body young. Dr. Small was
kind enough to grant us this interview at the UCLA campus last
week.
DNN: How and why does the brain age?
DGS: There
are a number of things that happen to the brain over time. It
actually shrinks in a very gradual process, we lose brain cells,
they eventually die over time, the connections between those brain
cells are not as effective, so there's a long-range process that
occurs. It probably begins very early in adult life as a teen and
continues until death. What's important is how rapidly, or the rate
that the brain ages in each individual. We know that there are
determinants of that. By our best estimate, about a third is genetic
and two-thirds is lifestyle. That is why it's important to live a
healthy lifestyle.
DNN: What can we do to prevent the brain
from aging too rapidly?
DGS: We cannot completely prevent
brain aging, but we can slow it down. I like to think about four
major areas in our lives that scientific evidence suggests we can
make a difference: mental activity, physical conditioning, healthy
diet, stress reduction. My latest book, Memory Prescription,
provides a simple 14-day program that combines these four
strategies. We studied people over that two-week period and found
that there were significant effects in people who embraced these
strategies compared to a control group. People after two weeks had
better memory scores, felt more relaxed, lost weight (on average two
pounds), had lower blood pressure and even had lower cholesterol
levels. So what we're finding is in the strategies to delay the
onset of Alzheimer's disease, we also protect our
bodies.
DNN: What exactly is your program?
DGS: The
program combines stress reduction, physical conditioning, memory
training techniques and a healthy diet. The diet includes five small
meals throughout the day rather than several large meals, because
this tends to keep blood sugar levels at an even level. This
protects your brain and also lowers your risk of diabetes. It
literally lays it out in detail: you get up Monday morning, you have
a stretch exercise, you have a suggested breakfast. You have fitness
on the run, where you park your car a far distance from your
destination, you take the stairs. It has several memory exercises
throughout the day that build over the two weeks. A mid-morning
snack could be unsalted almonds, raisins, or berries and high
antioxidant foods, things like that.
The diet has basically
four components. It helps people to get to their target weight,
because if you're overweight you increase your risk for high
cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, all these illnesses that can
affect brain health. It's high in antioxidants, which protect DNA
and protects cells from wear and tear. It's high in omega-3 fats,
which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. It also
minimizes high glycemic index carbohydrates, which tend to spike
blood sugar. So it minimizes processed foods, but you eat more
fruits and vegetables.
DNN: What is the best food and the
worst food for the brain?
DGS: It's hard to say best and
worst. I can tell you some good foods and some bad foods. A good
brain snack would be almonds and raisins. Any kind of colorful fruit
or vegetable. A colorful vegetable might be a red pepper (see
featured SuperFoods Recipe). Fruit, berries, blueberries,
strawberries. In fact, the most potent antioxidant food,
ounce-per-ounce, would be prunes. You can get about 5600-5800 ORAC
units in 3.5 ounces of prunes.
Not-so-great foods would be
potato chips and processed crackers. White rice is probably not
great. What's interesting is there's a high rate of vascular
dementia among the Japanese. They eat a lot of raw fish and fish is
good for the brain. However, they eat a lot of white rice, which has
a high glycemic index and increases the risk for diabetes. And they
tend to use soy sauce, which is very high in salt, and that
increases the risk for hypertension.
DNN: Do you have any
position on food vs. supplements?
DGS: I think if you can get
nutrients from food you're probably better off. The problem with
supplements is we need to learn more about them. In the supplement
industry, some brands may be better than others; some brands have
been found to have contaminants so I think there is some risk for
the consumer. Also, they interact with medications and can cause
side effects. There's some new controversy about, for example,
vitamin E, and that it may increase risk of heart
attack.
DNN: Exercising was one of the components for brain
health that you mentioned. How does physical exercise effect the
brain?
DGS: It lowers the risk for Alzheimer's disease. A
study from the Journal of the American Medical Association
found that walking just an hour and a half a week could lower
your risk of Alzheimer's disease. There have been studies that have
found that if you put older adults on a walking program, maybe a
half hour every few days, they have better recall and improved
ability to solve complex problems. It's probably a combination of
physiological effects: better circulation means you're getting more
nutrients to brain cells. Your body produces a natural
antidepressant, endorphin, when you exercise.
DNN: You
mentioned stress reduction as a key component of your program. Do
you have any tips for reducing stress?
DGS: There are a
number of things people can do. Just taking some quiet time,
breathing deeply and slowly, closing their eyes, thinking of a scene
on the beach or a relaxing setting. You can also set more realistic
goals. A lot of times people are stressed out because they're
unrealistic in what they take on. They might look at their list of
things to do that day and maybe cut out a couple of them. Talk to
people. A great way to reduce stress is to take a walk with your
best friend or mate after dinner and talk about your day. You get
physical conditioning, which reduces stress, and you get to vent or
air some of your problems.
DNN: Do you have any quick tips to
increase memory, such as tips to remember people's
names?
DGS: My memory training course can really be reduced
to three basic things. I call it Look, Snap, Connect. Look reminds
us to pay attention and focus our attention. The biggest reason
people don't remember is that they're distracted. Snap reminds us to
create a visual image to help us remember. It's much easier to
remember visual imagery than most other forms of information.
Connect is just a technique to hook up those visual images so you
can remember them later. With this technique you could conjure up an
image for each word and come up with a little story that helps you
remember the words. So if I said "banker, rocker, butterfly, salad,
cigar, teddy bear, and tennis racket," you might see a banker eating
a salad and a butterfly flies out of it and you see a man playing
tennis and a teddy bear smoking a cigar. You come up with a
whimsical story that's very easy to remember. With names and faces,
you want to create an image for each and then link them
together.
DNN: What is the most surprising fact about the
brain that the general public probably doesn't know?
DGS: I
can tell you one thing that is quite interesting that we've learned
in recent years, which is that it is possible for new brain cells to
grow. It's always been a myth, at least in the scientific world,
that once there's brain damage, nothing can be done. We're learning
that's not the case. This new knoweldge creates hope. Having said
that, it's easier to protect the brain before there's damage,
rather than trying to repair it. If we can keep those brain cells
healthy for a longer period of time that's one way we might be able
to cure Alzheimer's disease.
DNN: Thank you.
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SUPERFOODS RECIPE
Easy Barbecue
Kabobs
Prep: 15 min.
Grill: 15 min.
Makes: 4
servings
1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Pineapple Chunks, drained
1/3
cup bottled barbecue sauce
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, cubed OR 1lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 DOLE
Red or Green Bell Pepper, cut into cubes
1 zucchini,
sliced
Drain pineapple chunks; reserve 2 tablespoons
juice.
Stir together reserved juice and barbecue sauce in
small bowl; set aside.
Thread pineapple chunks, chicken (or
shrimp), bell pepper and zucchini onto skewers. Brush with barbecue
sauce.
Grill or broil kabobs 10 to 15 minutes or until
chicken is no longer pink (shrimp is pink in color), while turning
and brushing occasionally with barbecue sauce. Discard any remaining
barbecue sauce. Serve with coleslaw and green beans, if desired.
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DOLE SPA
Want less stress? Here's 10 ways to
skip the hassle and mellow out:
1. Smile -- Fake it
till you make it -- smiling tells your body to tilt the
neurochemical balance toward calm.
2. Leave enough time --
Running late is a major source of stress -- so leave early, arrive
early and relax.
3. Don't multitask -- University of
Michigan researchers found multitasking makes each task take longer
and diminishes recall.
4. The plot thickens -- Listening
to an audio book during your commute can help take your mind off
traffic snares and rude drivers.
5. "Veg" out -- USDA
research suggests vegetable consumption reduces the levels of four
stress molecules.
6. Feel "Scent-sational" -- Lavender,
cucumber and green apple scents are most soothing, research
suggests.
7. Mellow out with melody -- A number of recent
studies have shown that music can slow heart rate and increase
endorphins (feel-good hormones).
8. Get a dog -- In a
study of 100 women conducted by the State University of New York at
Buffalo, researchers found that those who owned a dog had lower
blood pressure than those who didn't.
9. Sit up straight
-- Poor posture restricts breathing and reduces blood and oxygen
flow to the brain, increasing muscle tension and the sense of being
overwhelmed.
10. Walk it off -- Exercise increases the
body's ability to regulate blood pressure in response to stress.
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Eat More Weigh Less
Pound for pound, fruits and vegetables have fewer calories than other food groups. |
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DOLE POLL
Bravo! The majority of you -- 51%
-- work out five to seven days a week. You must be a mellow
bunch, which means you should ace the stress quiz below
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 What's your number one source of
stress?
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Family |
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Work |
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Diet |
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Finances |
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Relationships |
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How do you beat stress?
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Exercise |
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Wine/food |
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Bath/pampering |
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Spirituality |
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TV |
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