Laughing Sherpa by Dr Miriam Korn, MD » Nutrition

Food Guide for Optimal Health

Mia Korn — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:20:00 +0000

s

Dr. Weil’s
Anti-inflamatory Diet

Reduce inflammation, linked to
many diseases including emotional disorders, cancer and heart disease.
This maximizes well-being and slows aging.

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HEALTHY SWEETS
How much: Sparingly
Healthy choices: Unsweetened dried fruit, dark chocolate, fruit sorbet
Why: Dark chocolate provides polyphenols with antioxidant activity. Choose dark chocolate with at least 70 percent pure cocoa and have an ounce a few times a week. Fruit sorbet is a better option than other frozen desserts.

RED WINE
How much: Optional, no more than 1-2 glasses per day
Healthy choices: Organic red wine
Why: Red wine has beneficial antioxidant activity. Limit intake to no more than 1-2 servings per day. If you do not drink alcohol, do not start.

SUPPLEMENTS
How much: Daily
Healthy choices: High quality multivitamin/multimineral that includes key antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, mixed carotenoids, and selenium); co-enzyme Q10; 2-3 grams of a molecularly distilled fish oil; 2,000 IU of vitamin D3
Why: Supplements help fill any gaps in your diet when you are unable to get your daily requirement of micronutrients.

TEA
How much: 2-4 cups per day
Healthy choices: White, green, oolong teas
Why: Tea is rich in catechins, antioxidant compounds that reduce inflammation. Purchase high-quality tea and learn how to correctly brew it for maximum taste and health benefits.

HEALTHY HERBS & SPICES
How much: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: Turmeric, curry powder (which contains turmeric), ginger and garlic (dried and fresh), chili peppers, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme
Why: Use these herbs and spices generously to season foods. Turmeric and ginger are powerful, natural anti-inflammatory agents.

OTHER SOURCES OF PROTEIN
How much: 1-2 servings a week (one portion is equal to 1 ounce of cheese, 1 eight-ounce serving of dairy, 1 egg, 3 ounces cooked poultry or skinless meat)
Healthy choices: High quality natural cheese and yogurt, omega-3 enriched eggs, skinless poultry, grass-fed lean meats
Why: In general, try to reduce consumption of animal foods. If you eat chicken, choose organic, cage-free chicken and remove the skin and associated fat. Use organic dairy products moderately, especially yogurt and natural cheeses such as Emmental (Swiss), Jarlsberg and true Parmesan. If you eat eggs, choose omega-3 enriched eggs (made by feeding hens a fl ax-meal-enriched diet), or organic eggs from free-range chickens.

COOKED ASIAN MUSHROOMS
How much: Unlimited amounts
Healthy choices: Shiitake, enokidake, maitake, oyster mushrooms (and wild mushrooms if available)
Why: These mushrooms contain compounds that enhance immune function. Never eat mushrooms raw, and minimize consumption of common commercial button mushrooms (including crimini and portobello).

WHOLE SOY FOODS
How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup tofu or tempeh, 1 cup soymilk, ½ cup cooked edamame, 1 ounce of soynuts)
Healthy choices: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy nuts, soymilk
Why: Soy foods contain isoflavones that have antioxidant activity and are protective against cancer. Choose whole soy foods over fractionated foods like isolated soy protein powders and imitation meats made with soy isolate.

FISH & SEAFOOD
How much: 2-6 servings per week (one serving is equal to 4 ounces of fish or seafood)
Healthy choices: Wild Alaskan salmon (especially sockeye), herring, sardines, and black cod (sablefish)
Why: These fish are rich in omega-3 fats, which are strongly anti-inflammatory. If you choose not to eat fish, take a molecularly distilled fish oil supplement that provides both EPA and DHA in a dose of 2-3 grams per day.

HEALTHY FATS
How much: 5-7 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 walnuts, 1 tablespoon of flaxseed, 1 ounce of avocado)
Healthy choices: For cooking, use extra virgin olive oil and expeller-pressed organic canola oil. Other sources of healthy fats include nuts (especially walnuts), avocados, and seeds – including hemp seeds and freshly ground flaxseed. Omega-3 fats are also found in cold water fish, omega-3 enriched eggs, and whole soy foods. Organic, expeller pressed, high-oleic sunflower or safflower oils may also be used, as well as walnut and hazelnut oils in salads and dark roasted sesame oil as a flavoring for soups and stir-fries
Why: Healthy fats are those rich in either monounsaturated or omega-3 fats. Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity and canola oil contains a small fraction of omega-3 fatty acids.

WHOLE & CRACKED GRAINS
How much: 3-5 servings a day (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked grains)
Healthy choices: Brown rice, basmati rice, wild rice, buckwheat, groats, barley, quinoa, steel-cut oats
Why: Whole grains digest slowly, reducing frequency of spikes in blood sugar that promote inflammation. “Whole grains” means grains that are intact or in a few large pieces, not whole wheat bread or other products made from flour.

PASTA (al dente)
How much: 2-3 servings per week (one serving is equal to about ½ cup cooked pasta)
Healthy choices: Organic pasta, rice noodles, bean thread noodles, and part whole wheat and buckwheat noodles like Japanese udon and soba
Why: Pasta cooked al dente (when it has “tooth” to it) has a lower glycemic index than fully-cooked pasta. Low-glycemic-load carbohydrates should be the bulk of your carbohydrate intake to help minimize spikes in blood glucose levels.

BEANS & LEGUMES
How much: 1-2 servings per day (one serving is equal to ½ cup cooked beans or legumes)
Healthy choices: Beans like Anasazi, adzuki and black, as well as chickpeas, black-eyed peas and lentils
Why: Beans are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber. They are a low-glycemic-load food. Eat them well-cooked either whole or pureed into spreads like hummus.

VEGETABLES
How much: 4-5 servings per day minimum (one serving is equal to 2 cups salad greens, ½ cup vegetables cooked, raw or juiced)
Healthy Choices: Lightly cooked dark leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy and cauliflower), carrots, beets, onions, peas, squashes, sea vegetables and washed raw salad greens
Why: Vegetables are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Go for a wide range of colors, eat them both raw and cooked, and choose organic when possible.

FRUITS
How much: 3-4 servings per day (one serving is equal to 1 medium size piece of fruit, ½ cup chopped fruit, ¼ cup of dried fruit)
Healthy choices: Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, oranges, pink grapefruit, red grapes, plums, pomegranates, blackberries, cherries, apples, and pears – all lower in glycemic load than most tropical fruits
Why: Fruits are rich in flavonoids and carotenoids with both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Go for a wide range of colors, choose fruit that is fresh in season or frozen, and buy organic when possible.

WATER
How much: Throughout the day
Healthy choices: Drink pure water, or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, sparkling water with lemon) throughout the day.
Why: Water is vital for overall functioning of the body.

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Fertility Foods

Mia Korn — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 06:07:00 +0000

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

Michael Pollan, author

This food guide provides guidelines as to minimum amounts of foods to eat

from each food group for optimal fertility. Choose highest quality foods in each food group.

Food Group	Servings per Day	Serving Size	Best Fertility Choices
Whole Grains* **	6 – 11	½ cup cooked grains ¾ cup cold cereal 1 slice bread ½ tortilla 3 cups popcorn	whole oats, barley, buckwheat bulgur, whole rye quinoa, brown rice, millet, wild rice amaranth, triticale, corn, millet popcorn, farro, wheat/spelt/kamut berries, sprouted wheat rice/corn tortillas high fibre cereals.
Vegetables	4 or more	½ cup raw or cooked 1 cup raw greens (salad)	local, seasonal, fresh, frozen, coloured. Include at least 1 serving of leafy greens (kale, chard, rapini, dandelion, spinach, romaine lettuce).
Fruit*	3 or more	½ cup raw or 1 small fruit	local, seasonal, fresh, frozen berries tree: apples, pears, peaches citrus: oranges, grapefruits, kiwi
Protein Foods	3 – 4	1 cup beans 2 Tbsp. nut or seed butter ¼ cup nuts or seeds 2 eggs 60 – 90 grams meat, poultry, fish	dried beans and peas, lentils mackerel, sardines, wild salmon, halibut almond/hazelnut butter, sunflower seed butter almonds, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts free range organic poultry and eggs grass fed organic meat
Calcium Rich Foods**	6 – 8 (maximum of one serving of dairy)	1 cup greens 75 g canned sardines or pacific salmon ¼ cup almonds or sesame seeds 1 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses 1 cup legumes ½ cup milk or fortified grain beverage ½ cup yogurt or 1 oz. cheese	raw almonds, almond butter sesame seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts broccoli, Chinese greens, nettles cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower unsulphured blackstrap molasses sea vegetables (nori, wakame, kombu) navy beans, white beans organic whole fat milk, yogurt, cheese.
Fats	3 – 6	¼ cup nuts or seeds 1 Tbsp. oil or 2 Tbsp ground flax/hemp/Salba ½ avocado 3 oz fish	walnuts, butternuts, avocado olives, extra virgin olive oil ground flax/flax oil ground hemp/hemp oil Salba mackerel, sardines, wild salmon
Herbs, spices condiments	Unlimited except for salt	Small amounts of unrefined sea salt	cayenne, cinnamon lemon juice, miso paste pepper, tumeric nutritional / engivita yeast, organic vinegar

* For weight loss & PCOS : max : 6 servings whole grains and 3 small servings fruit/day. No flour, sugar.
**For endometriosis : wheat-free, dairy-free choices

from AcuBalance

‹ Cellular Inflammatio

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Cauliflower Trivia

Mia Korn — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 05:51:00 +0000

Origin

Cauliflower and its superfood cabbage family kin were all derived

from colewort, an ancient, loose-leafed wild cabbage that still grows

wild in coastal Europe.

Colewort budsbecame Brussels sprouts, its flowers became broccoli and cauliflower, its leavesbecame kale and collard greens, its stem was transformed into kohlrabi and its rootturned into the turnip.

Harvest

Cauliflower is composed of immature, unopened flower buds called “curds”. When the florets begin growing, farmers wrap each head of white cauliflowers in its own leaves and secure the foliage with rubber bands or twine to shade it from the sun.

This “blanching” technique preserves the whiteness of the curds. The head swells and sweetens in the cocoon of its leaves until it is harvested. Self-blanching cauliflower varieties have leaves that fold over the heads without assistance. Orange and purple cauliflowers do not require this parasol approach.

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A Dark Chocolate bar a week…

Mia Korn — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 06:54:00 +0000

Photograph: Jennie Fairhurst/PA

Flavonoids

found in chocolate can

reduce

blood stickiness and bad cholesterol in blood.

click on link for more info :
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/aug/29/chocolate-reduces-risk-of-strokes-for-men

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Better TOGETHER

Mia Korn — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 07:40:00 +0000

Some foods, when paired, are more nutritious

Honey and Yogurt

Adding honey to yogurt enhances the growth, activity and viability of Bifidobacteria, a group of bacteria that is important to the health and proper functioning of the gastro-intestinal tract. Adding honey to dairy products enhanced calcium uptake.

Green Tea and Lemon

Regular consumption of green tea can help prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. The compound thought to be responsible is a catechin called ECGC. Catechins are relatively unstable in non-acidic environments such as the intestines, and less than 20 per cent of the total remains in the body after digestion. When lemon juice is added to green tea 80 per cent of the tea’s catechins remain in the body. Ideally fresh lemon should be used and added after the tea has been properly brewed, not beforehand.

High-Fat and High Calcium

After a meal high in saturated fat, combine it with a high calcium veggie or

follow it with a calcium-rich drink or dessert. Skim milk or low-fat yogurt is perfect.

Calcium aids in fat oxidation (burning). Calcium-rich foods also include tofu,

bok choy, turnip greens, broccoli, white beans, and low-fat yogurt.

Cinnamon and Carbs

Seasoning a high-carb food with cinnamon can help lessen its impact on blood sugar levels. Cinnamon has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, cholesterol-lowering, andimmune-strengthening effects. It also slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar and eating. Researchers say as little as ¼ to ½ tsp of ground cinnamon is all that is needed to achieve beneficial effects.

Broccoli and Tomatoes

When combined, they synergize to fight cancer. Studies show the real

foods seem to make the difference, since eating supplements of the cancer-fighting compounds isolated from tomatoes or broccoli did not have the same impact.

from Alive magazine

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Oatmeal vs. Quinoa

Mia Korn — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 06:22:00 +0000

Highlights

1/2 cup of uncooked Oatmeal Quinoa

calories 153 313

protein 5g 12g

fiber 4g 6g

fiber 27g 54g

fat 2.6g 5g

iron 1.72mg 3.4mg

magnesium 167mg 56mg

potassium 147mg 479mg

zinc 1.47mg 2.63mg

folate 13mcg 156 mcg

vitamin E 0.17mg 2.07mg

see link for more info

http://www.livestrong.com/article/427582-nutritional-comparison-of-quinoa-oatmeal/#ixzz22qKD00rs

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Tea Tips

Mia Korn — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:31:00 +0000

Caffeine content
from highest to lowest

Black > Semi-Green > Green > White

White tea = most fermented , black tea = least fermented.

Studies have associated drinking two cups of green tea
per day with weight loss.

Herbal tea generally contains
no caffeine and is not a form of fermented black tea.

Tea Tasting

The Tea-master offers tea samples,
inviting tasters to note …

Color

Dark? Light?

Smell

Flowery?
A hint of Lilac? Fresia? Rose?

Taste

Sweet?
Caramel? Maple?

Grassy?
Like “hay”? tobacco?

Steeping

Each tea requires different heat of water
and steeping times.
Do not steep teas longer than indicated.
The tea is “spent” after this time,
and can lose some of its health benefits
with excess steeping.

From: Silk Road Teas 2011 Victoria, BC

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An Apple a Day . . .

Mia Korn — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:44:00 +0000

Apples
There are 500% more anti-oxidants in the peel of a Red Delicious apple than there are in the peel of an Empire apple.
In fact, the Red Delicious beat out eight common varieties.

If you’re peeling apples for a pie, choose Northern Spies.
Their flesh has more antioxidants than that of any other.

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Optimal Snacking

Mia Korn — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:37:00 +0000

Healthy Snacks

The optimal snack equation
200 calories =
3 grams of fiber + 5 grams of protein + 12 grams of fat

Fiber is digested slowly and helps sustain your energy. It also absorbs water and expands
in your stomach to keep you full.

Protein releases a hormone in the body that increases satiety.

Eating snacks with no more than 12 grams of fat will prevent you from getting more
than 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories from fat.

Try….
Clementines and walnut halves

Soy nuts and chocolate chips

Grapes and light mozzarella cheese

A packet of plain instant oatmeal (made with water) and blueberries

Cucumber and hummus

Low-fat vanilla yogurt, canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice

Carrots and peanut butter

Pineapple juice, plain low-fat yogurt, strawberries, frozen banana (blended together)

Sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, basil leaves, balsamic vinegar

Banana, almond butter, toasted shredded coconut

Pumpernickel toast, low-fat cream cheese, radish

Cooked brown rice, vanilla soy milk, raisins
(warmed together in the microwave)

Blackberries, part-skim ricotta, honey, grated lemon zest

From: Men’s Health magazine October 2011.

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The Basics

Mia Korn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 06:03:00 +0000

1. Cut down / out junk food

2. Read labels and look for chemicals, fat, sugar

3. Drink at least 2 liters of water per day

4. Eat 5 – 8 fruits and vegis per day, ideally at least half of these should be raw

5. Lots of colour ! Sweet potato, berries, broccoli, tomatoes, greens are full of anti-oxidants

6. Baked, grilled and steamed are better than fried or boiled

7. Fresh, whole is generally better than frozen or canned. Canned fruit has particularly
high sugar and low nutrients.

8. Lean protein such as beans, tofu, chicken breast, fish, lean beef, nuts – moderate amounts.

9. Complex carbs with whole grains, like multi-grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal, millet, buckwheat.
whote wheat / brown rice pasta

10. Eat three meals, including breakfast, with healthy snacks in between. ie. eat every 2- 3 hours

11. Sugar, fats in moderation

12. Healthy fats : olive, grapeseed, canola, flaxseed oil, avocado, salmon

13. Shop for most groceries in the outer aisles ie. produce (#1) , dairy, meats, bakery

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