U. S. Dietary Guidelines

Assessing the latest U.S. dietary guidelines: Will they be enough to finally make a difference?

January 20, 2021—Eric Rimm, professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, discussed the recently released 2020–2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines. Rimm served on the Scientific Advisory Committee in 2010.

What’s your assessment of the new guidelines?

This is the first time that the guidelines include advice for children under two. They now actually address healthy eating across the lifespan. I think this is an important change because of the likely role that early diet plays in laying the foundation for healthy dietary habits and a lifetime of disease prevention. The government made a conscious effort to include more pediatricians on the advisory committee, including Elsie Tavares, who has an appointment in our Department of Nutrition. These guidelines will be used to inform government nutrition policy, so I think that was a good step forward.

What was disappointing to me was that the government decided to take a pass on changing recommendations for daily calories from added sugar. The scientific advisory committee had recommended lowering limits from 10% to 6%, but the official government guidelines kept the recommendation at the upper level.

However, I agreed with the decision to leave out the committee’s recommendation to lower alcohol guidelines for men from a maximum of two daily drinks to one. I was the alcohol expert in 2010, and I believe the science still supports what was in the previous guidelines in 2010 and 2015, that is, up to two drinks a day for men and one for women. I think it is important that if a government body is going to make a substantial change in policy statement about alcohol that it be as scientifically accurate as possible.

Going forward, we need to focus on understanding and promoting healthy drinking patterns. The guidelines are very clear on up to two drinks for men in any given day—not seven on Friday and seven on Saturday. With people drinking a lot more at home during the pandemic, it may be a good time to remind people that binge drinking is harmful.

How can the average person make sense of the guidelines and apply some of the recommendations in their own diets?

The guidelines are primarily aimed at policy makers and academics, so people may find some of the recommendations difficult to translate to their lives. Take counting calories, for example. If you give most people a plate of food and ask them how many calories it contains, they won’t know. I don’t blame them. It’s a really hard thing to think about when you’re making a meal.

I think a perhaps more helpful thing to focus on is eating whole foods instead of processed foods. We know that it’s better for you to eat food in its natural form. Highly processed grains like white bread, for example, strip all the good stuff out. Another important step is to choose healthier proteins—chicken and fish over red meat, or soy proteins over animal proteins.

Much of the guidelines do discuss healthy dietary patterns including the Mediterranean Diet or vegetarian diet. To help make them affordable, you can buy inexpensive proteins like dried beans, and also incorporate frozen fruits and vegetables into your diet.

What nutrition policy changes do you hope to see in the next few years?

In 2015, the advisory committee recommended incorporating sustainability into the dietary guidelines—for example, encouraging a more plant-based diet to lower the production of greenhouse gases. This was not included in the government’s official 2015 guidelines, and it did not improve in 2020. The 2020 guidelines were set up by the Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services with very specific parameters around what topics the scientists on the Advisory Committee could address, and sustainability was not listed. Recently, the EAT-Lancet report has really become the source for thinking about sustainability in the way we eat, but I think these conversations still have a place in the guidelines. I’m optimistic that they will eventually be included.

I’m also hopeful that standards around school meals set during the Obama administration, such as lowering amounts of saturated fat and sodium, will be restored. We’re essentially training kids’ palates for unhealthy food for life, which is so disheartening, especially since we know it’s possible to serve healthy school meals that kids will actually eat and enjoy.

Another important area is the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Food insecure people in the program should be free to purchase what they want, but I think we are setting them up to fail. We need to provide incentives to help people on SNAP buy healthier food. There is robust evidence to show that if you do this, it works.

—Amy Roeder

Is There a Longevity Diet?

‘Longevity diet’ may help people live longer by fasting for half the day, banning red meat
April 28, 2022
by StudyFinds

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Fad diets are a dime a dozen these days, but researchers at USC say they’ve finally put one together that has everything you need to live a long and healthy life. Their “longevity diet” favors fish and plant-based proteins, and even welcomes a good amount of carbs, while avoiding red and processed meats.
This diet also requires people to eat their meals within a certain time frame and allow time for periods of fasting. Dieters looking to follow a healthy diet have no shortage of options these days, with most of these plans focusing on cutting carbs and calories. However, it’s been unclear if these diets help people actually stay healthy and live longer.
Now, the USC team has found that it’s not only about what people eat, but also when they eat it.

“We explored the link between nutrients, fasting, genes and longevity in short-lived species, and connected these links to clinical and epidemiological studies in primates and humans – including centenarians,” says Professor Valter Longo in a university release.
“By adopting an approach based on over a century of research, we can begin to define a longevity diet that represents a solid foundation for nutritional recommendations and for future research.”

Taking the best parts of popular diets
The researchers reviewed hundreds of studies on nutrition, diseases, and long life, involving both animals and humans, and combined them with their own research. Their analysis included a wide range of calorie-cutting diets such as the popular keto diet, as well as vegetarian, vegan, and Mediterranean diets. It also looked at various forms of fasting, including cutting out food intermittently or over longer periods of time — sometimes for two or more days several times a month.
The team found several factors linked to living longer and certain illnesses, such as insulin, cholesterol, and certain protein levels. Overall, study authors believe the secret to living longer is eating a moderate to high amount of carbohydrates from unrefined sources.
Also, getting the right amount of protein and enough fats from plant-based sources can provide about 30 percent of a person’s energy needs. Ideally, a person’s meals would take place within an 11 or 12-hour window, allowing for a daily period of fasting. A five-day cycle of fasting or fasting-mimicking diet every three to four months could also maintain healthy insulin levels and blood pressure, the study finds.
So, what’s in the longevity diet?
“Lots of legumes, whole grains, and vegetables; some fish; no red meat or processed meat and very low white meat; low sugar and refined grains; good levels of nuts and olive oil, and some dark chocolate,” Prof. Longo says while describing the longevity diet.
Their new menu resembles Mediterranean diets, found in so-called “Blue Zones” like Sardinia in Italy, Okinawa in Japan, and Loma Linda in California. These diets are usually plant-based with some seafood and relatively low in protein.
The researchers’ diet adds to this by also providing time frames for meals and fasting periods which people can adapt to fit their sex, age, health status, and genetics. For example, people over age 65 benefited from more protein to counter the loss of lean body mass and frailty. Next, the researchers are planning on carrying out a 500-person study using the longevity diet in southern Italy.

Study authors suggest anyone looking to follow the longevity diet should work with a healthcare provider to come up with a plan which focuses on making small changes. This is because making drastic changes can be harmful, causing major loss of body fat and lean mass. Moreover, people often put the weight back on once they abandon a highly restrictive diet.
The findings are published in the journal Cell.

South West News Service writer Tom Campbell contributed to this report.
Tags: healthy eating, intermittent fasting, longevity, meat, Mediterranean diet, red meat

Edited for Food, Facts, and Fads by Sally J Feltner, MS, Ph.D

Global Secrets

Making Your Diet Go Global
“Traditional food is an integral part of cultural identity. In Italy, for example, food is not just about sustenance, but also about family, community, and tradition. The Italian food experience centers not only on taste, but on sharing meals with loved ones, the pleasure of cooking, and pride in their culinary heritage.”
“Similarly, in Japan, food and cultural identity are closely tied. Japanese cuisine is known for its simplicity, elegance, and attention to detail. The preparation and presentation of traditional Japanese dishes like sushi, tempura, and ramen are considered an art form. Japanese food culture pays attention to the aesthetics and symbolism of food, and honors culturally rooted respect for nature and tradition.”
In these ways, food can define and perpetuate culture. Yet food customs and dining etiquette are not only important for preserving cultural identity, but also for promoting cultural diversity and understanding. Food can serve as a bridge between different cultures, allowing people to learn about and appreciate other ways of life.”
From a variety of sources of healthy eating from all parts of the globe, foods from a global approach/menu can increase your well-being, extend your longevity and contribute your compression of morbidity as you age. Diet is not dependent on only what we eat, but how and even when we eat. Culturally, we can examine how other parts of our globe that contribute to the keys of lasting health from our vast choices and global difference in enviornments and lifestyle habits.
“In addition to fostering cultural preservation and belonging, cultural foods and traditional food customs can also promote good nutrition and health.
Traditional foods are often made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and prepared using traditional cooking methods that have been passed down for generations. As a result, they tend to be healthier and more nutrient-dense than processed or fast foods. Traditional diets are also typically rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, which can help lower the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and . cancers.”

The Traditional Mediterranean Diet
Rich in “healthy fats” including olive oil and omega- 3 fatty acids
Vegetables abound, meat is minor
Loads of beneficial herbs
Moderate drinking (red wine, e.g.)
Slower pace of life.

“The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health is a book by T. Colin Campbell and his son, Thomas M. Campbell II. The book argues for health benefits of a whole food plant-based diet. It was first published in the United States in January 2005 and had sold over one million copies as of October 2013, making it one of America’s best-selling books about nutrition.[2][3] “
Low rates of many chronic diseases
Compared to North Americans, the Chinese report significantly lower rates of breast, colon and rectal, and lung cancers, and a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Packed wtih produce: less meat, more grains (Plant-hased)
Tea is beverage of choice.
Too high in sodium

Note: Source is 30 Secrets of the world’s Healthiest Cuisines, by Linda Sephen Jonas, MD and Sandra Gordon, 2000
These are post-covid data. (Sally Feltner, PhD)

France: The Good Life Savored
Moderate drinking
Lots of fruits and vegetables
No snacking or dieting: Weigh self only every month
Somewhat of a permissive diet, e.g. relatively high in saturated fats: lower rates of heart disease.

Japan: Embracing the East and West with Beauty and Health

The diet is one of the world’s lowest in fat.
Fish is a mainstay of the traditional Japanese diet.
Soy foods also play a manor role.
Style counts — but not over substance. Food presentation is important.
The Japanese report low rates of major chronic diseases.
The Japanese live longer and boast the world’s highest life expectancy (76 or men and 82 for women.)

Note: Life expectancy rates may have negativley shifted due to the pandemic.

Scandinavia/Nordic Countries: The Benefits of Dairy and Grains
Whole grain breads and cereals are staples of Scandinavian Diet.
Studies show that high fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease, some forms of cancer, constipation, and other intestinal problems.
More fruits and vegetables.
Lower-fat dairy products.

Note:
Increase fiber into the diet gradually; include with intake adequate water consumption. Your body needs time to adjust. Consult your doctor, dietitian or health coach.

Source:
Steven Jonas, MD. Sandra Gordon 30 Secrets of the World’s Healthiest Cuisines. 2000.

Note: The data for this post needs an update; but after some fact checking, appears to be still generally acceptable on the topic of Diet and Health. (Sally J. Feltner, MS, PhD).

American Plate: 1930’s

Merry Christmas and a HAPPY NEW YEAR from Food, Facts, and Fads

Hard Times, Good Times

Here’s Another Story from Another Era

The 1930’s were a dichotomy of despair and progress. Two grim events dominated the 30’s: the global depression and the rise of Hitler and nationalism in Europe. In the midst of all the upheaval another dramatic change – In 1933, Prohibition was finally repealed. Oh and throw in a disastrous Dust Storm that lasted far too long.

The nation goes gaga over vitamins in the 30s. The only over-the-counter products that outsell them are laxatives. Where is the fiber?

Cooking at home became a necessity and a pastime among middle-aged women who had been forced to let their cooks and servants go. Women’s clubs lunches, afternoon teas, Sunday suppers, potluck dinners, church socials and county fairs were all popular ways to socialize.

Hollywood provided a steady stream of fantasy with Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, and Shirley Temple. Cole Porter’s musicals ruled Broadway and Benny Goodman’s dance tunes played on Victrolas everywhere.

Soup Kitchens

For more than a decade known as the Great Depression, reliance on businesses had failed that they could not solve the problems of poverty including hunger. Local governments tried to help the needy, but expenditures, which averaged $8.20 per month per person did nothing to help the thousands more who required federal aid. Thus, organizations like the Red Cross and the Salvation army provided help through soup kitchens and breadlines: 13 million people –25 percent of the population—were unemployed and hungry.

Route 66

Despite the odds, America forged ahead and with the opening of Route 66, food establishments like Stuckeys flourished. In the supermarkets, scores of new products were introduced and many still exist today.

When U.S. highway 66 was completed in 1938, it became a vital 2450- mile artery between Chicago and Los Angeles, snaking its way through 8 states. It veered north then south to pass through small towns to link them with more metropolitan cities. With the route, farmers had a pipeline for shipping their food to the big cities and offer help to those trapped by the tragic Dust Bowl that filled the lives of those farmers in that area. Stukeys gets its start when William and Ethyl Stuckey open a roadside stand in Georgia to sell pecans to motorists en route to and from Florida.

Shopping carts

I suppose no one is terribly interested in the history of the shopping cart; however, it is an appliance of sorts we could not do without. So here goes: Slyvan Goldman, owner of the Standard Food Markets and Humpty Dumpty in Oklahoma City, devised a shopping cart by fabricating lawn chairs into a frame that held two hand baskets. He figured if the shoppers could carry more, they’ll buy more. But the first shopping cart is a hard sell. Men found the carts less than masculine and women don’t see the point – they’re accustomed to shopping often. Finally Goldman pays ‘shoppers to cruise stores using the carts.

Kraft Dinner

In 1937, Spam is introduced – yes it’s still here. Kraft rolls out Kraft Dinner – a boxed meal that sells for 19 cents with an advertising slogan of “A Meal for Four in Nine Minutes”. At the end of the century, 1 million boxes a day of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese are sold in the U.S. Talk about processed food?? Apparently this has pleased the palates of our younger citizens for decades.

Fritos

San Antonio candy-maker C. Elmer Doolin stops in a café for a sandwich and is served a side dish of corn chips. He pays the café owner for $100 for his converted potato ricer and the recipe for “tortillas fritas”. Fritos are born, as Doolin and his family begin producing 10 pounds per day. They eventually move their operation to Dallas. Fritos Corn Chips are introduced nationally in 1949.

At the end of the decade, WW2 was boiling in Europe with America waiting in the wings. The “Bad Times” were just beginning.

Is eating fast food a Dementia Risk?

The health risks of eating ultra-processed foods _________ including sausages and burgers as well as pizza and ice cream ____________ are well documented. They have been shown to raise the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cancer among other ailments. (CNN.com )

In a new study, researchers followed more than 10,000 Brazilians with an average age of 51 for more than 10 years. They found that people who consumed more than 20% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods had a 28% faster cognitive decline compared to those with less than 20%. Unfortunately, that 20% is not a high threshold; just 400 calories out of the 2000 calorie diet. And most Americans are well over that, getting on average a whopping 58% of their calories from ultra-processed foods.

“The sample size is substantial and the follow-up extensive, Dr. David Katz, a nutrition specialist who was not involved in the study. While short of proof, this is robust enough that we should conclude ultra-processed foods are probably bad for our brains.”

Source: The Week. December 23, 2022, Volume 22, Issue 110.

Food and culture: Ethnicity at its best

As cultures tend to mingle and assimilate throughout the world they blend with the so called American diet (cheeseburgers) and bring with them their ethnic uniqueness, for example, about 25% of all restaurants in the U.S. have an ethnic theme. To study these inflences, we need to be aware of the nature of their traditional diiets as well as how they have changed within the cultures due to migration to the new way of eating,

Native American Influences

“Studies have lshown that the diseases that affected these societies differed signifantly from the diseases in North American societies today. For example, Alaskan natives who sill eat the traditional diet have cardiovascular diisease rates lower than those in the general North American population. Younger generations of Alaskan natives, however, who usually do not eat the traditional diet have developed cardiovascular diseases at rates similar to North American in general. This diet is often also called the “Western Diet”. It is also true of the Pima Indian tribe in Arizona compared to their counterparts in living in Mexico.” You can search Pima Indians on this blog from Food, Facts, and Fads.

Hispanic Influences

“Mexican cuisine today shows regional variety. In Southern Mexico, savory sauces and stews and corn tortillas reflect the native heritage. Yucatan cuisine follows Mayan tradition, with fresh produce adding color, flavor and nutrition to authenic Mexican dining. Traditional Mexican is healthful in that is high in complex carbs, beans, fruits and vegetables, particularly rich in vitamins A and C.”

Today true Mexican cooking bears little resemblance to the dishes usually found in “Mexican restaurants in North America. Usually it is based primarily on rice and beans. Restaurant Mexican foods tend to use large portions of meat as well as added portions of high-fat sour cream, guacamole, and Cheese to many dishes.”

Northern European Influences

Immigrants from Western Europe are responsible for the “meat-and-potatoes traditional manner of home cooking. This group contained large groups from The English, French, and Germans. A sizable portion of meat arranged with vegetables and potatoes that could be a dinner plate of boiled, mashed vegetables, sauerkraut, boiled or mashed still is the favorite of many Northern European diners.

The traditional pattern provides abundant protein, starch, and dairy nutrients. However, the protein contains insufficient amounts of whole grains, vegetables and fruits or whole grains. Many people from these cultures eat less than healthy dishes combined with high-fat versions that contribute to the high rates of heart disease and obesity and cancers.

African Influences

The “soul food” of African Americans is the basis of the regional cuisines of the southern U.S. African American women. The combination of these foodways with Native America, Spanish and French traditions produced Cajun and Creole cuisines enjoyed today in Louisiana and through out the nation. Pork and corn products were the basis of soul food. Today we all enjoy it as barbecued meat since many enjoy the foods brought from Africa as well as yams, African sweet potatoes, okra, and peanuts. Corn was ground for cornbread, greens like collards, mustard, and turnip and kale. were usually cooked with a small portion of smoked pork as well as black-eyed peas. This diet is obviously high in unhealthy components as well as increased heart disease and cancer. For example, the South east states of the typical American or “Western’ diet” is often called “The Stroke Belt? indicating diets high in calories and/or sodium.

Asian Influences
More than 200 different vegetables are used in the Chinese cuisine, bok choy and other forms of Chinese cabbage are perhaps the most widely eaten vegetable in the world. Rice is the core of the diet in southern China, home to the Cantonese culture whereas in Northern China wheat is used to make noodles. China is the original home of pasta, bread, and dumplings. Stir fried includes hot pot stews containing many vegetable mixtures and protein sources like legumes, nuts and seeds.

Chinese migration to North America began with the California gold rush in the middle of the 19th century. Chinese workers brought with them food preparation that tended [o to contain nutrients, as well as a variety of sauces and seasoning, used today in Chinese cookery.
North American restaurant versions of Chinese dishes are generally not authentic. Such food is often prepared with far more fat than true Chinese cooking which tends to use flavorful but fat free sauces and seasonings. The restaurant versions of Chinese dishes also contain much larger portions of protein.

Ethnic food shows us how our attitudes, practices and rituals around food reflect our most basic beliefs about our world and ourselves. The meaning of food sheds light on who we are as Americans. “We do not sit at a table only to eat, but to eat together. — Plutarch

The American Plate: 1920s

Nutrition Confusion: The Roaring Twenties. This is the decade of the 20’s – or more simply “the battle of the bulge” (and I don’t mean WW2 )

”Mary Pickford, Theda Bara, and Rudolf Valentino, the era’s movie idols, promoted the idea of being thin. This replaced the “plump” image of the previous decade, exemplified by Diamond Jim or Lillian Russell, a couple of decades ago. Lillian Russell could easily compete at the dinner table with her companion, Diamond Jim!!! She was one of the greatest beautifies of all time and weighed about 200 lbs. He died of a heart attack at the age of 61.

Home economic classes and a plethora of women’s magazines helped America on its new ideal of body image – the war against fat. “What ever happened to home ec classes? Maybe we should should revisit them?

“American women were ready to cut their hair, step out into jobs, and have a good time.” But, at the same time, American women were becoming dependent on their own cooking and household skills. The result was that between 1921 and 1929, the home appliance industry tripled its output. The kitchen was considered the workstation whereas; eating was almost always done in an adjoining breakfast room or dining room.”

“The May issue of Women’s Home Companion publishes an article that includes the lines, “with the revolution in clothes has come a revolution in our attitude toward avoirdupois (weight). Once weight was an asset: Now it’s a liability, both physical and esthetic.” This reflects a new attitude of women with a new body image.

Looks Good Enough to Eat

By 1927, there were 20 million cars cruising over 600,000 miles of roads connecting U.S. cities and towns. All those drivers needed to eat somewhere, and to get their attention on the open road, restaurants took on a whole new shape – literally. Diners and coffee shops were built to look like doughnuts, ice cream cones, coffeepots, hot dogs and yes, pigs. While these establishments provided only mediocre food, they supplied plenty of atmosphere and maybe even more important, offered quick and consistent meals. The whimsically shaped spots would pave the way or the drive-ins and chain restaurants of the future. I think the “weiner-mobile still exists?

Fast Food

The first White Castle hamburger stand opens in 1921 in Wichita, Kan. The white of the stones suggest cleanliness; the castle facade suggests stability. The little burgers cost 5 cents apiece and are marketed with the slogan “Buy ‘em by the sack.” Paper napkins come on the market in 1925, and the White Castle locations follow by developing folding paper hats that can changed often. “Program-mic” hot dog-shape kiosks and cone shape stands architecture becomes the rage in restaurants.”

Flappers and the 1960’s (Enter Twiggy)

No one knows how the word flapper entered American slang, but its usage first appeared just following World War I. The classic image of a flapper is that of a stylish young party girl. Flappers smoked in public, drank alcohol, danced at jazz clubs and practiced sexual freedom that shocked the Victorian morality of their parents. Many pictures depict them wearing a tight-fitting cloche. This led to the visit to the “speakeasies” that brought on the answer to Prohibition. Cocktails became a common beverage — dry martinis, anyone?

But as the future evolved into the 1960s, ‘Little be known but we now claimed and adored an icon named “Twiggy”. “Throughout the coming 20 years into the 20s and even to this day, writes historian, Carolyn Kitch,” the ideal female body was once again of a preadolescent girl much like a flapper”. It was a real young woman, a British model known as Twiggy. She was 5 ft. seven inches stall and reportedly weighed 91 pounds, which gave her an almost unheard body mass index of 14.3. Normal is considered to be about 26 to 30 for a “healthy weight and body type.” Source: Gina Kolata. Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss and Realities of Dieting. 2007.

However, the good times were all about to change – in October, 1929, the stock market crashed and the country was faced with the worst economic trial of its history. So much for Twiggy.

… What in the heck are the “dirty dozen?”

Should I Eat Organic?

Organic foods have shown lesser interest but still have outpaced conventional foods while still racking up more than 50 billion dollars in annual revenues, according to the Organic Trade Association. Almost 1/2 of U.S. adults believe that organic produce is healthier than non organic. But is it?

In a French study in 2018 published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a survey of 70,000 adults, organic consumers presented 25% fewer cancers than those who never ate organic. And a meta-analysis in the British Journal of Nutrition found that organic meat and milk provide 50% more omega 3 fatty acids than non-organic products. In addition, more organic farming is better for the environment, generating fewer chemicals that leach into soil and water. Organic foods generally cost more than conventional ones and still can carry traces of pesticides.

One way to compare which organics are worth the added costs is to consult the Environmental Working Group’s annual lists of the “Dirty Dozen List “- conventional produce that have shown higher rates of pesticide residue (strawberries, spinach, e.g. There is also a “Clean Fifteen List”- that typically includes thicker skinned fruits such as avocados that are first on the list and have cleaner pulp.”to be part of a plant-based diet. The vitamins and phytochemicals in the Dirty Fifteen can still provide the needed nutrients necessary for a healthy diet. All produce should be washed thoroughly. The differences between organic and non-organic are negligible.

Food, Culture, and Health

FOOD AND CULTURE
Ethic influences on the North American Diet

As cultures tend to mingle and assimilate throughout the world they blend with the so called American diet (cheeseburgers) and bring with them their ethnic uniqueness, for example, about 25% of all restaurants in the U.S. have an ethnic theme. To study these influences, we need to be aware of the nature of their traditional diets as well as how they have changed within the cultures due to migration to the new way of eating,

Native American Influences

“Studies have shown that the diseases that affected these societies differed significantly from the diseases in North American societies today. For example, Alaskan natives who sill eat the traditional diet have cardiovascular disease rates lower than those in the general North American population. Younger generations of Alaskan natives, however, who usually do not eat the traditional diet have developed cardiovascular diseases at rates similar to North American in general. This diet is often also called the “Western Diet”. It is also true of the Pima Indian tribe in Arizona compared to their counterparts in living in Mexico.” You can search Pima Indians on this blog from Food, Facts, and Fads. It’s a fascinating story of how cultural changes can affect an entire population.

Hispanic Influences

“Mexican cuisine today shows regional variety. In Southern Mexico, savory sauces and stews and corn tortillas reflect the native heritage. Yucatan cuisine follows Mayan tradition, with fresh produce adding color, flavor and nutrition to authentic Mexican dining. Traditional Mexican is healthful in that is high in complex carbs, beans, fruits and vegetables, particularly rich in vitamins A and C.”

Today true Mexican cooking bears little resemblance to the dishes usually found in Mexican restaurants in North America. Usually it is based primarily on rice and beans. Restaurant Mexican foods tend to use large portions of meat as well as added portions of high-fat sour cream, guacamole, and cheese to many dishes.”

Northern European Influences

“Immigrants from Western Europe are responsible for the “meat-and-potatoes” traditional manner of home cooking. This group contained large groups from The English, French, and Germans. A sizable portion of meat arranged with vegetables and potatoes that could be a dinner plate of boiled, mashed vegetables, sauerkraut, boiled or mashed still is the favorite of many Northern European dinners.”

African Influences

The “soul food” of African Americans is the basis of the regional cuisines of the southern U.S. African American women. The combination of these foodways with Native America, Spanish and French traditions produced Cajun and Creole cuisines enjoyed today in Louisiana and through out the nation. Pork and corn products were the basis of soul food. Today we all enjoy it as barbecued meat since many enjoy the foods brought from Africa as well as yams, African sweet potatoes, okra, and peanuts. Corn was ground for cornbread, greens, like collards, mustard, turnip and kale. were usually cooked with a small portion of smoked pork as well as black-eyed peas. This diet is obviously high in unhealthy components as well as increased heart disease and cancer. For example, the South east states of the typical American or “Western’ diet” is often called “The Stroke Belt” indicating diets high in calories and/or sodium.

Asian Influences
More than 200 different vegetables are used in the Chinese cuisine, bok choy and other forms of Chinese cabbage are perhaps the most widely eaten vegetable in the world. Rice is the core of the diet in southern China, home to the Cantonese culture whereas in Northern China wheat is used to make noodles. China is the ordinal home of pasta, bread, and dumplings. Stir fried includes hot pot stews containing many vegetable mixtures and protein sources like legumes, nuts and seeds.

Chinese migration to North America began with the California gold rush in the middle of the century. Chinese workers brought with them food preparation that tend to preserve nutrients, as well as a variety of sauces and seasoning, used today in Chinese cookery.
North American restaurant versions of Chinese dishes are generally not authentic. Such food is often prepared with far more fat than true Chinese cooking which tends to use flavorful but fat free sauces and seasonings. The restaurant versions of Chinese dishes also contain much larger portions of protein and sodium.

Italian Influences

Pasta is the heart of the Italian diet. Italians eat six times more of it than do North Americans. Although some components of the Italian diet contain substantial amounts of saturated fat, we now know that other components, such as pasta, olive oil, and vegetables contribute to healthy diets. Italian traditional diets do combine healthy food along with fat in the diets and seem to handle the diet just fine. Italians lean to a diet pattern called the Mediterranean Diet. This is a plan based on food choices like those traditionally found in the simple cuisine of Greece and Southern Italy. It now allows up to 35% of total calories. Northern Italy, the more affluent part of the country, is the principal producer of meat and dairy products, such as butter and cheese. Rice dishes such as risotto, are popular. Fish is more important in regions near the sea and lighter foods, such as fresh vegetables are prepared with herbs, garlic and olive oil, are characteristic. The poorer regions south of Rome, as well as the island of Sicily, have a diet rich in grains, vegetables, dried beans and fish, with little meat or oil.
Olive oil is the preferred fat. Extra virgin olive oil is recommended since it now is called a “healthy fat” containing primarily monounsaturated fat and little saturated fat.

Note:
“It is impossible to define a healthy diet with the space found in this post. However, it can be simply stated with the seven words from Micheal Pollan, author of “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto:”
Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants..”
AMEN!!! (SJF)

Contemporary Nutrition, Issues and Insights . Fifth Edition

The Blue Zones

What Are the Blue Zones? Why are they called “blue”?
An epidemiologist, Pes began to study centenarians, he denoted those areas that appeared to be long-lived on a map with a blue marker. thus the Blue Zones. He used dietary surveys from the last century and noted that from the late 20th century, certain areas in the world had diets and similar social patterns that consisted primarily minimally processed plant foods-i mostly whole grains, greens, nuts, tubers and beans. Most people ate meat on average only five times a month They drank mostly water, herbal teas, coffee, and some wine. They drank little or no cow’s milk; sweetened sodas and fast foods. were largely unknown.

Processed foods began to penetrate these areas as well as animal products and fast foods began to invade the cultures. Not surprisingly, chronic diseases began to appear on their menus.

Sardinia, Italy: Home to the World’s Highest Concentration of Male Centenarians.
In the Years after WW2, 38 people in the village of Arzana in Sardinia’s Gennargentu mountains – one out of every 100 of their peers- have reached a century at last birthday.

The following are short bios or vignettes that describe how several members of the Blue Zones have lived and practiced the ways of the centenarians they have become. Each glimpse of them is reflected in the habits they swear have contributed and shown us the way that their lifestyles may contribute to their longevity. The purpose of this is to show how they lived in their culture with a hope that we as Americans can learn how to adapt to or adopt some of the components of this way of living and show us how to adopt them to the “American” way of life. It is also important to realize that” it’s not always what we eat, but how to eat”. As we said, the information is based on a real life experiment called The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People by Dan Buettner. The book is very interesting.

“”Carbohydrates from Sardinian sourdough bread enter the bloodstream at a slower rate than those from plain white bread.”

“ Traditonal diets with whole grains, greens, nuts and beans offer the promise of eluding disease and staying healthy.”

In the kitchen, ninety-year old Assunta Podda flashes a toothy smile while she viigourously stirs an earthen pot of the melange of beans, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, fennel, kohlrabi, and various herbs – all of which had been doused with olive oil. On table next to her sits the staples of the evening meal: some sourdough loaves, forage greens, and a carafe of garnet red wine. With the steady hand of a younger woman, she pours wine into stout glasses and ladles the steaming soup into dishes. “Now eat”, she says with a grin.”

Bread making in Sardinia is a community affair. Women can be seen making the traditional bread served at most meals. In one village bakery. The octogenarian senior baker named Regina Boi had provided the starter dough that her family had cultivated for generations. The starter contains yeast and native Lactobacilus bacteria. From these ingredients carbon dioxide leavens the bread and the lactobacilli also break down the carbohydrates to produce lactic acid that provides the traditional sour taste of sour dough bread.

As Podda’s family dinner ends, a spirited exchange ensues with the local village gossip, Pes, one of the guests raises his glass in a sense of revelry and expresses the signature toast of the island, “a kent annos”. May you live to 100”. The remaining guests respond, “And may you be here to count the years”.

Nicoya, Costa Rica: Adults Here have the Longest Life Expectancy in the Americas.

Excess access to fruits such as pineapple and papayas from home gardens extends this plant-based diet year around.
Costa Rica’s blue zone is a roughly 30-mile long strip that runs along the spine of the Nicoya Peninsula; it doesn’t include the tourist resorts on the coast.

“A healthy diet is part of the practice that can support longevity, e.g. having a circle of friends, and a strong sense of purpose. Every morning, Maria Elena Jimenez, Rojaz in Santa Cruz gathers to make the perfect tortilla. Three women mix black beans with onions, red peppers, and herbs. The beans will cook until tender and then be nixed with rice and sauteed peppers, onions and garlic to produce a uniquely Costa Rican version of gallo pinto.

The region’s Chorotega people have influenced the food supply by simply eating the same food for a millennia. This may be partly the reason adults there have the longest life expectancy for Americans and men older than 60 have the lowest reliably measured rate of mortality for their age group in the world.

Corn tortillas might affect longevity. The wood ash the women add when they soak the corn breaks down the cell walls of the kernels and releases niacin which helps to control cholesterol. Black beans contain the same pigment-based antioxidants found in blueberries. They are also rich in colon-cleansing fiber. The secret is pairing corn with beans is that then they can contribute all nine essential amino acids to make muscle in addition to less cholesterol and saturated fat. as meats.

By the way, Paulina serves this breakfast so typical in the Nicoya region to her 102 – year old father, Pachito and her nephew, Sixto every day. The meal includes coffee, eggs, rice and beans, and those famous tortillas cooked on a traditional wood-fired stove known as a fogon.

How is Longevity Studied?
Telomeres are protective “caps”on the ends of DNA strands, which wear down over time. This effect becomes a marker of biological age. Research has shown us Nicoyans have longer telomeres (a good thing) on average than Costa Ricans overall.