To learn more about which whole foods contain higher concentrations of nutrients with targeted health benefits, go to dolesuperfoods.com or download our Heart Healthy brochure. Check out our archives to learn how listening can lower cardiovascular risk, how over-hearty breakfasts can hurt your heart (while vegetable protein can help it). Finally, treat your tummy and your ticker with our featured Superfood Recipe, "Spinach and Chicken Salad with Raspberries."

A recent Harvard Medical School study looked at over 5 million radiology reports to see how many were hindered by “body habitus," or physique. For computer tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the obstacle often resides in physical parameters of the equipment, which has compelled manufacturers to modify the design to accommodate patients weighing up to 550 pounds. In the case of ultrasound tests, excess fat inhibits the transmission of the high-frequency sound waves on which the technology relies.

Dr. Jorge Guerra, professor of radiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, predicts that very soon one-third of patients will weigh 350 pounds or more -- a heavy consideration for doctors, medical equipment engineers, and, most importantly, patients themselves. So if you've been treating excess pounds lightly, add diagnostic accuracy to the list of reasons to lose weight, in addition to increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and cancer.

A University of Washington Seattle study found that by adopting a simple exercise regimen (e.g., walking, running or cycling for an hour, three days a week for six months), previously inactive seniors improved their ability to provide their muscles with the energy needed for exertion. In fact, when seniors (65 to 79) were matched against younger study subjects (20 to 33), the older individuals made even greater relative strides in improved aerobic efficiency.

As previously reported in the DNN, the more you're able to maintain your exercise capacity, the longer you're likely to live. Exercise is also a natural way to boost levels of human growth hormone and elevate your mood. Plus, working out counteracts middle-age spread and bone loss. So, stop the excuses that are holding you back, and start exercising yourself younger today!

What's more, the freeze-drying process concentrates the nutrients, making the banana chips a Superfood for your Heart, just like regular bananas. Both provide an excellent source of vitamin C, to prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, as well as an excellent source of vitamin B6, which helps to reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that, at high levels, can lead to artery blockage. These organic banana chips also provide a good source of potassium (to help manage blood pressure) and magnesium (which plays a role in the regulation of heart muscles). For a full roster of Superfoods for the Heart, go to dolesuperfoods.com.

However, for the sake of simplicity, this comparison will focus on commercially available juices, since those are the kind most people consume. Choose 100% juice when available, and check labels to avoid added sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup. Meanwhile, check out the Dole Poll section of this newsletter to see how popular picks line up with nutrition attributes.

Tomato/Vegetable Juice: One of the healthiest juices on the market, tomato/vegetable juice qualifies as a Superfood for the Heart. Most varieties are high in vitamins A and C, constitute a top source of lycopene, and provide a good source of potassium. Both vitamin A and lycopene prevent oxidation of LDL “bad” cholesterol, while lycopene also reduces levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). Regular consumption of tomato juice and other tomato-based products may reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 30%, according to one Harvard study of over 35,000 women.

Lycopene also promotes prostate health and may protect against a variety of cancers, including ovarian, cervical, oral, pharyngeal, esophageal, stomach, colorectal, lung and pancreatic cancers. Potassium, of course, helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Check your tomato juice labels for sodium levels, which can range from as high as 30% to as low as 6% of your RDA.  

Pineapple Juice: By providing an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a good source of vitamins A and E, regular consumption of pineapple juice (fortified) can play an important role in boosting immunity and burnishing beautiful skin! Vitamin A is commonly known as the "anti-infective vitamin" because it is important in the development of immune and blood cells. Both vitamins C and E support white blood cell production and function. These antioxidant vitamins may also work synergistically to enhance UV protection, spur collagen formation and neutralize the free radicals thought to accelerate the aging process.

Grapefruit Juice: All varieties of grapefruit juice provide over 100% vitamin C and are an excellent source of vitamin A. Pink and red grapefruit juice also supply a potent dose of lycopene. Drinking grapefruit juice may even help reduce the risk of cancer in smokers, according to a University of Hawaii study. As for the old grapefruit diet? Research suggests it may be more fact than fiction! A trial at the Scripps Clinic found that drinking grapefruit juice three times a day helped support weight loss.

Keep in mind, however, that certain compounds in grapefruit juice can affect how some medications are absorbed in the intestine -- and may actually raise drug levels in blood. So, consult with a physician if you are taking prescribed medication and frequently consuming grapefruit juice.

Cranberry Juice: Gram for gram, cranberries are highest in antioxidant power compared to other frequently consumed fruit. Like other juices on this list, processing does diminish nutrient levels, but having begun with antioxidant super-abundance, cranberry juice retains its ability to help protect against harmful free radicals.

Researchers have isolated compounds in cranberries that may help halt proliferation of certain cancer cells. Cranberry juice is well-known for its ability to help prevent urinary tract infections. Now, new research suggests that the same proanthocyanidins that keep bacteria away from your bladder walls may help suppress herpes outbreaks.  

Apple Juice: Commercially available apple juice lacks the fiber found in raw apples but does retain some antioxidants. In fact, apples are a top source of the antioxidant quercetin, which proved more powerful than vitamin C in neutralizing free-radical damage (in one Cornell University animal study). This activity may translate into protection against a litany of ailments, including heart disease, Alzheimer's, prostatitis and cancers of the prostate, breast and lung. Still, raw fruit is highest in these protective polyphenols, as they're concentrated in the apple's skin (vs. flesh).

Pomegranate Juice: If you have a hard time extracting the fruity pulp of a pomegranate, store-bought juice may be a practical way to obtain the fruit's healthful benefits. Study subjects who drank just 2 oz. of pomegranate juice a day for a week increased antioxidant levels by 9%, according to an article in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The very latest research suggests consuming pomegranate juice after radiation or surgery for prostate cancer may reduce blood levels of PSA, or prostate specific antigen, a marker for recurrence of prostate cancer.

Orange Juice: While fresh-squeezed OJ provides over 200% of vitamin C, store-bought orange juice is usually fortified with C, among other vitamins and minerals, such as calcium. Antioxidants particular to citrus fruit (known as naringenin and hesperetin) are significant contributors to your overall “antioxidant pool," possibly because they are easily absorbed by the body. Recently, scientists from University of California Davis Medical Center found that reduced-calorie orange juice helped to lower levels of C-reactive protein and  LDL or “bad” cholesterol.

Grape Juice: An excellent source of vitamins C and K, grape juice has been linked to improved short-term memory, coordination and balance. Daily grape juice may also benefit blood pressure and arterial function.

Of course, the effects of grape juice vary depending on the variety of grape from which it is made. Red grapes contain a phytochemical that increases production of leptin, a hormone that regulates appetite, and adoponectin, a protein that enhances fat burning. However, since many of the antioxidants found in grapes are concentrated in the skins and seeds, they are more likely to show up in wine (which uses these components), than highly processed juice made from grape flesh only.

DNI: In your book, you discuss the body's particular nutrition needs during cancer treatment. You provide some very specific recommendations, but what are some broad guidelines to keep in mind?

DC: Once you’ve had a cancer diagnosis, then nutrition recommendations vary based on the type of cancer. In general, something that’s very important is avoiding sugar, because sugar suppresses white blood cell production.

Generally, a nutrition protocol for someone who is in cancer treatment is one that is higher in protein. So, 25% more protein and no sugar or even white flour that breaks down into sugar in our systems -- because sugar feeds the cancer, and it suppresses white blood cell production. It’s very important to avoid sugar during treatment.

DNI: Can fruits and vegetables help with treatment?

DC: Oh, yes. Fruits and vegetables are a very important part of treatment. Many oncologists recommend staying away from antioxidant supplements during treatment so that they don't inhibit radiation and chemotherapy. We’re relying on our diet to get our antioxidants to support the immune system through the healing process.

So, during treatment you do need to keep up your intake of fruits and vegetables. You can do that in many ways: just eating fresh fruits and vegetables, or sauces, like applesauce. Another way that I’ve found to help cancer patients is making smoothies, because it’s cool, it feels good on the mouth when you’ve had chemotherapy, and also there’s not a lot of aromas, which people often want to avoid when they’re in the middle of treatment.

DNI: How do these foods help support the cancer patient?

DC: In the same way that cancer treatment is constantly giving you radiation or chemotherapy to kill those cells, when you’re constantly infusing your body with nutrients with the phytochemicals that are in whole foods, and like fruits and vegetables, you’re actually battling the cancer every time you put those foods into your body. And they do that in several ways. The antioxidants and the phytochemicals such as anthocyanins and the carotenoid family and the flavonoids, in fruits in particular, those actually battle cancer. They help to kill cancer in several ways. 

One of those ways is that they boost the enzyme activity in the liver which cleaves and breaks down toxins in the system and that helps protect us from cancer and it helps stop the spread of cancer. Many of them actually bind with toxins in the system and pull them out. This is one of the biggest battles our bodies have in trying to boost our immune system and fight cancer. So what you put in your cart is really a pharmacy for fighting cancer and many diseases.

DNI: Are there certain foods one should avoid during cancer treatment?

DC: The same foods that we want to avoid before we have cancer, of course, are the foods that we need to continue to avoid after a diagnosis, and again, we want to focus on taking in nutrients and eating a whole-foods diet and avoiding chemicals.

During treatment it’s really important to avoid those low-quality animal products like bologna and saturated fats like steaks, especially charbroiled -- anything cooked on the grill -- because of the polyaromatic hydrocarbons that we know are carcinogens.

DNI: What kinds of things do you recommend to your clients when you take them to the grocery store?

DC: Foods with the least amount of processing. For example, extra virgin olive oil, a very different food than just regular olive oil. It’s been minimally processed. It’s the very first press of the olive, so there’s no chemical extraction needed and the polyphenols are very high. You don’t see that in regular olive oil, only in extra virgin. And those polyphenols are very powerful cancer fighters and they protect us from heart disease as well.

When you’re looking at fruits and vegetables, the color that you see is actually the nutrients. So, the more color in your cart, the more nutrients you have for fighting cancer. As you’re going through treatment you really need to keep your digestion working properly and we can do this with fiber in foods, eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, because they have a lot of water content, and also getting digestive enzymes through our diet. Papaya has papain and pineapple has bromelain and these are very important for helping us break down our food so that we can release the nutrients into our blood stream. How we receive the nutrients from our foods is through proper digestion.

DNI: What about the role of nutrition in protecting yourself against cancer in the first place -- i.e., before diagnosis?

DC: With the cancer prevention diet, we’re really trying to increase nutrients and decrease chemical exposure -- these are the two main components in boosting the immune system. Again, what we’re really looking at is the least-processed diet, the whole-foods diet, and that is one made up of foods that are the least-processed as possible -- whole fruits, vegetables, legumes, which are beans, peas and lentils, and whole grains.

DNI: What about the role of fats in cancer prevention?

DC: Generally speaking, for cancer prevention, the types of fats that are really important for us are essential fatty acids, and those are found in fish and fish oils, nuts, seeds and avocados. Those essential fatty acids help reduce inflammation. Equally important is avoiding the wrong types of fats -- the types of fats that can suppress the immune system are the kinds of fats that are found in meats. Processed meats are just full of things like nitrates and things that we know put us at a high risk for cancer, and they don’t have the essential fatty acids that we’re looking for in cancer prevention. Red meats from animals that have been farmed in a way that they’re fed a lot of chemicals, hormones and antibiotics -- those will increase our risk of cancer. 

DNI: The cancer prevention diet you're describing would also help with weight management.

DC: Yes, as we know, obesity and being overweight increases our risk of cancer considerably, and that’s something we can all do to reduce our risk of cancer -- just lose a few pounds, a good goal is 10% of our bodyweight. A whole-foods diet is very conducive to weight loss. In fact, beans, peas and lentils, if you don’t change anything else in your diet, just add in a couple of servings of beans, peas and lentils each day -- that alone will help you lose weight.

DNI: Thanks, Daniella. For more information, readers should visit  www.womenandcancermag.org.

Researchers speculate that allowing children to take a bottle to bed may contribute to over-feeding. In and of itself, bottle feeding (vs. breast feeding) is considered to be a contributing factor to childhood obesity, even for infants. As explored in a previous DNN, babies who are breast-fed for three to five months are a third less likely to be obese at age 6; those breast-fed for six months are 43% less likely -- while those breast-fed for more than a year are 72% less likely to become obese.

Excess weight puts children at risk for a variety of ailments, ranging from diabetes to blood pressure to breathing and musculoskeletal problems. In addition to watching children's bottle habits, there are plenty of ways parents can help protect their children from obesity, such as those outlined in our Healthy Kids brochure. There's also a wealth of information, learning materials and resources to help children develop sound dietary habits available at dolesuperkids.com.