Category Archives: healthy-cooking

Hidden sugars in food items

Lets look at each of the items above in terms of traffic light colors.

Dates: Short yellow light. While dates are good sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber, they are also high in natural sugar. For the green light, limit yourself to 1 or 2 in a sitting.
Ketchup, BBQ sauce and other tomato condiments: Long yellow light. Most commercially prepared ketchups and BBQ sauces are loaded with the sweet stuff. In general, a 2-tablespoon serving of BBQ sauce will give you 3 or more teaspoons of sugar; as for ketchup, it’s one-quarter sugar! My recommendation: Teach your children to skip these.
Flavored yogurt: Red light. Low-fat yogurt typically contain 5 teaspoons of added sweeteners, plus artificial sweeteners. My recommendation: Choose full-fat, plain yogurt, or make your own.
Nut mix: Short yellow light. Filled with healthy fats, protein and minerals, (unprocessed) nuts are a great choice for snacking! However, many nut mixes include candy, chocolate chips, or an abundance of dried fruit, which contains a good deal of sugar. To get a green light, make sure your nut mix has mostly almonds, walnuts and macadamia nuts and less of dried fruit. Add variety with pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and forget the candy!
“Fruit snacks”: Red light! Processed fruit snacks are loaded with sugar (as much as 4 teaspoons per serving) plus artificial coloring and who-knows-what-else-that-your-body-doesn’t-need. My recommendation: Go with real fruit.
Soft drinks: Red light. A 12-oz can of regular, carbonated soda contains 10-11 teaspoons of sugar. My recommendation: Avoid all sodas, including the diet varieties. They are liquid candy. Even tonic water, which has a bitter taste, contains as much sugar per serving as regular soda.
Tomato / pasta sauce: Yellow light. Tomato sauce generally has more than 2 teaspoons of sugar for each ½ cup serving, not to mention high sodium content. For the green light, make your own sauce from fresh tomatoes.

Canned beans: Yellow light. Canned beans, especially baked beans, often contain added sugar.

Chocolate: Yellow light. While milk and white chocolate varieties get the red light, I am a big fan of dark (70 percent or higher) chocolate because it contains healthy compounds. Be sure to limit yourself to 1 or 2 small pieces at a time.
Granola: Yellow light. Granolas often list sweeteners, such as dried cane syrup, brown rice syrup, and evaporated cane juice, among the first ingredients. They may contain more than 2 teaspoons per ½ cup serving. My recommendation: Look for brands with lower levels of sweeteners, often advertised as “high protein” or no-sugar added varieties. Avoid products with canola oil. If you can, make your own granola (and use coconut oil).
Grapes: Green light. While grapes do contain some natural sugars, they are full of water, which makes them a better option than dried fruits. Grapes also contain lots of vitamins (especially C and K), as well as minerals and phytonutrients like resveratrol (in red grapes).
Fruits packaged in syrup: Red light. Fruits in cans, jars and plastic containers are usually loaded with sugar. Best is to just eat the real thing.
Protein bars: Long yellow light. Protein or meal replacement bars can contain from 5 to 7 teaspoons of sweeteners (not to mention GMOs, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives). My recommendation: look for bars lower in sugar; unprocessed whole food varieties get my green light. If you are looking for protein, there are much better sources, even if you are on the go, such as hard boiled eggs, unsalted nuts, or a can of wild salmon.
Popular cereals: RED light. These can be real sugar traps, particularly the one intended for children. According to the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that educates the public on environmental issues affecting public health, some products are as much as half-sugar by weight. Better, cook at home. Getting children hooked on sweet stuff for breakfast will help create a sugar addiction and early onset diabetes.
Sports drinks: Very long yellow light. Sports drinks offer a tasty replenishment for lost minerals (electrolytes) that occur from heat and heavy exercise, but most commercial varieties are loaded with sweeteners and may be high in caffeine. A 32-oz drink could contain more than 12 teaspoons of sugar (in addition to artificial colors and flavors).  What really gets my seal of approval is coconut water.
The bottom line: Select no-sugar-added foods whenever you can. Your body will thank you for it!

Bet on butter!

For many years, studies have shown an association between eating dairy products and lower diabetes risk. But how dairy protects against diabetes remained a mystery. The answer may lie in dairy’s fat.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have identified a naturally occurring trans fat in dairy that may substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Trans-palmitoleic acid is a fatty acid found in milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter. It’s not produced by the body. It only comes from your diet.

In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Harvard researchers analyzed data from 6,814 adults. They measured circulating blood levels of trans-palmitoleate. At the end of 5 years participants with the highest levels of this fat had higher levels of good cholesterol, and had lower fasting insulin levels  and systolic blood pressure . Compared to those with the lowest level of the fat, those with the highest levels had half the risk of developing diabetes. The results confirmed an earlier Harvard study reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

When the researchers combined the data from the two studies they found that each .05% increase in trans-palmitoleate in the blood levels was associated with a 34% lower risk of diabetes. They noted that this trans fat seems to have an extremely strong protective effect, stronger than other things known to be beneficial against diabetes.

In the meantime, enjoy full-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt, preferably from grassfed animals. And you can add reducing diabetes risk to the other healthy reasons to eat real butter.

But continue to avoid artificial trans fats from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils.

Plastic Bottles

We have all been hearing about the danger of BPA and plastics and how it can affect our endocrine system, immune system, and several other systems of the body.

This chemical BPA, or bisphenol-A, mimics the hormone estrogen, and therefore, it can have estrogenic effects in the body, and these effects have been linked to everything from cancer to diabetes to obesity. The list includes things like asthma, infertility, low sperm count, liver problems, ADHD, and its almost “Pick a disease, literally pick a disease,” and you’ll find a connection with estrogenic activity due to some of these chemicals.

These ‘outside estrogens’ are called xenoestrogens.

This BPA info has been out for a while, so a lot of companies have been switching to BPA-free plastics. You’ve all probably seen baby bottles and Tupperware and things that are marketed as being BPA free, the idea being that we can continue using these plastics since they are safe.  So, what’s really disturbing is that a lot of recent research, including a paper that recently appeared in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that almost all commercially available plastics, including the ones that are marketed as being BPA free, leach synthetic estrogens. Even when these plastics weren’t exposed to conditions that are known to unlock these potentially harmful chemicals, like heat, putting them in a microwave or putting them in a dishwasher or leaving a plastic water bottle out on the dashboard of your car in the sun, just normal contact with food or water was enough for these chemicals to leach into the food and the water.  And the problem is that some of the chemicals that are in the BPA-free plastics actually have been found to have greater estrogenic activity than BPA itself.

So, this is sort of trading the frying pan for the fire, really.  It means that we should really be cautious with any kind of plastic containers – plastic water bottles, plastic baby bottles, and things like that.

Phthalates, like BPA, are endocrine disruptors.  They interfere with the endocrine system, and are also used in plastics.  Phthalate exposure leads to sperm damage in men.

Tupperware is a brand, not a product. you have Milton, Rubbermaid, Tupperware. Not glass, steel, Tupperware.

Soft plastic or vinyl products that are often given to babies for teething can contain phthalates.  You should make sure that your toothbrush and especially those chew toys are labeled phthalate free. Pay attention to personal care products for phthalates.

Sometimes patients don’t respond as expected  to treatments. There can be a lot of different explanations for why that is, but one potential reason is exposure to these types of environmental toxins.

So what to do?

Use stainless steel or glass.

Simple.

And keep yourself, and your family, safe and healthy!

Cooking oils – the good, the bad and the ugly

 

Choosing the right cooking oil can be difficult with so many options lining supermarket shelves. In addition to the health benefits of various oils, you have to consider their flavor, price, smoking points, and whether you’re frying or sauteing.

Should it be polyunsaturated? Or monounsaturated? Is saturated oil good? Or bad? Everything’s so confusing, with conflicting claims abounding.

In general:

Refined oils are the ugly. The process of refining exposes the oil to high heat, pressure, and industrial solvents, such as hexane. This destroys any anti-oxidants present in the oil, and the chemicals used can cause hormone imbalances in the body, leading to chronic illnesses.

So it doesn’t matter if its sunflower or canola or whatever, refined oils are the ugly of oils. Go for cold pressed oils or filtered oils, where the oil is extracted by simply applying pressure, and may be filtered just to remove suspended particles.

Vegetable oils are the biggest sources of Omega-6 in the diet. We need optimum ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats, and excess omega 6 is inflammatory and can cause illnesses such as heart disease.

Often, chemicals are added back after refining, to give the oil an appealing color and fragrance. Which makes them even worse.

Mono- or Polyunsaturated?

This refers to the free carbon bonds present. The more the free bonds, the greater the likelihood of forming free radicals when exposed to high heat. So the more unsaturated, the more it is unsuitable for cooking at high temperatures. And definitely for frying and reusing.

Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems, and the development of conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Polyunsaturated fats are common vegetable oils that contain Omega-6 and are highly susceptible to heat damage. Once Omega-6 has been altered, it turns into Trans fat, which not only clogs arteries, it increases risk of breast cancer and heart disease, and hardens into margarine. This is why I always recommend butter over margarine. You also get these kinds of fats in processed food and for that reason you should avoid those as well whenever possible.

Examples of polyunsaturated fats are-

Corn, Safflower, Soy, Canola, and Sunflower.

The bad:

Monounsaturated oils are more stable to heat. And saturated fats are the healthiest to cook with. Really. Because they are much more stable in cooking conditions and less inflammatory than polyunsaturated oils with cooking.

Olive oil is mostly monounsaturated, so its ok for cooking at low temperatures. I know I see chefs and Italians using it even for frying. But the fact is, it is unstable at high temperatures and should be used only at low temperatures. And it should be extra virgin, cold pressed, not a mixture or refined or chemicals added. Obviously. And it should be stored away from heat and light.

Recently Consumer Reports revealed that approximately 20% of all olive oils are fake and have been mixed with other cheap oils, while still claiming to be 100% pure. So be very careful.

The Good

This is why tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils (and even animal fats such as lard and butter) are best for cooking… they have very little polyunsaturates and are mostly composed of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat / light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body from cooking use.

That’s also why natural butter (NOT margarine) is one of the best fats for cooking. This all goes directly against what you hear in mainstream health talk… because most health professionals don’t truly understand the biochemistry of fats, and falsely believe that saturated fats are bad for you… when in fact, they are actually neutral in most instances… and saturated fats from tropical oils are actually good for you as they contain mostly medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) which are lacking in most people’s diets.

Ghee – clarified butter – has stable saturated bonds and so is a lot less likely to form dangerous free radicals when cooking. Ghee’s short chain fatty acids are also metabolized very readily by the body. It is rich with antioxidants and aids in absorption of vitamins and minerals from other foods, serving to strengthen the immune system. A high concentration of butyric acid, a fatty acid that contains anti-viral properties, is believed to inhibit the growth of malignant tumors.

So the best fats to cook with:

Virgin Cold pressed Coconut oil.

Ghee.

Organic Butter.

 

Nuts contain polyunsaturated fats, which get oxidized on roasting. So prefer eating your nuts raw, not roasted. And not salted.

And, of course, choosing good fats is not license to go go overboard! Fats still have 9 calories per gram, and should be used in moderation. Although some thought leaders currently recommend that the diet should consist of 50 – 80% fats!

Remember: Sugar makes you fat. Fat makes you thin.

Stay Healthy!

 

 

 

Let’s Quiz – Glycemic Index

Here’s a simple question.

There are three options.

1.

A slice of white bread.

2.

A slice of brown bread.

3.

A teaspoon of table sugar.

 

Now the question is, if you want to make the healthful choice, which of these options will you choose?

Obviously the brown bread, right?

Up until just a few months ago, I did the same. But surprisingly, its not the best choice.

Let me introduce you to a concept called ‘Glycemic Index‘. This (GI) is a measure of how quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a particular type of food. A food with a high GI raises blood glucose more than a food with a medium or low GI.

Glucose is the reference, having a GI of 100, creating a surge in the blood glucose level. We want our food to release sugar slowly, so the rise is slow and controlled. This helps maintain insulin levels in a stable, controlled range, so our risk of developing diabetes is lower.

Now back to the quiz.

Sugar has a GI of 58, white bread 73 and brown bread 71. So brown bread raises blood sugar more than sugar. Most brown bread is simply colored brown by adding molasses. Read the ingredient list. The first listed should be whole wheat flour, preferably cracked whole grain which has high fiber.

Two slices of whole wheat bread raise blood sugar higher than 6 teaspoons of table sugar. 

Low GI – 55 or less: Most fruits and vegetables, beans, minimally processed grains, pasta, low-fat dairy foods, and nuts.

Moderate GI – 56 to 69: White and sweet potatoes, corn, white rice, couscous, some breakfast cereals.

High GI – 70 or higher: White bread, cakes, doughnuts, croissants, waffles, most packaged breakfast cereals. Notice this list contains most bakery items? Avoid, avoid, avoid. Remember, sugar is poison. And refined carbs act just like sugar in the body.

So look for GI, and go for those foods which have lower GI.