In This Issue

Nuts and Seeds

Water In Poultry

Coffee And Health, Revisited

Portion Size

Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Lipoproteins

Exercise Corner -- Walking

Questions And Answers

Nuts and seeds -- great for snacks -- portable and very tasty. And they are versatile. They can be added to all kinds of recipes; but, they do have their dark side, especially if you are concerned about an expanding waistline. They are quite high in fat content. They are a healthy food, but eat them in moderation. For the nutritional facts about several variations of these edible treats, see Table-1 below.

As you can see from Table-1, most nuts (with the notable exceptions of European chestnuts and pinion nuts) are quite high in fat (up to 95% for macadamia nuts), but what isn't shown is that most varieties contain healthy nutrients -- vitamins and minerals, and fiber. In moderation, they make great snacks. As you peruse Table-1, pay special attention to the protein, total fat, and saturated fat values.

Water in chicken results, claim the producers, from normal processing. They say it is the residual from the bath immediately given to slaughtered chickens to cool the carcasses to 40° -- the normal temperature in a refrigerator. It is estimated that about 5-6.5% of the weight of chicken that you buy at your local market is water; about 4-4.5% for turkey. And, remember, you are paying by the pound. This is somewhat like when you buy a package of chicken parts and, upon opening it to wash it before freezing, you find mounds of chicken skin hidden under each chicken piece. Again adding to the weight you pay for. We seem to be stuck with the extra skin, but the government is about to require (maybe as early as May) poultry producers to minimize the volume of extra water, as well as specify the amount of any extra water, if any, in the meat. They also must prove that any water remaining in chicken pieces is the "inevitable consequence" of food safety procedures. Unfortunately for consumers, the chicken processors have a year to comply, so the water disclosure labels won't be seen until 2002. Now, if something could be done about all that hidden skin...

Coffee (caffeine) and health is an ongoing issue. The latest findings [according to the March 2001, Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter] are summarized below:

• Cancer, in one form or another, has been suggested as a potential result of coffee drinking, but that allegation has not been supported by the bulk of scientific studies.
• Headache (migraines and ??) seems to be improved by use of caffeine, as shown by the efficacy of some drugs which contain caffeine as part of their ingredients.
• Heart disease, according to a Finnish study of 20,000 men and women over 10 yrs, was not shown to increase because of coffee drinking (as much as 5-6 cups a day). Only a group of men who were very heavy drinkers were shown to have an increased risk, but that may be attributed to their excessive smoking.
• Miscarriage seemed to increase according to a new Swedish study of 1500 women. Caffeine equivalent to 1-3 cups of coffee was seen to raise the risk of miscarriage by 30%. The equivalent of three to five cups raised the risk 40%, and after the equivalent of 5 cups worth it soared to 120%. But those numbers are disputed by some.
• Parkinson's disease may be affected by caffeine in the opposite direction. Hawaiian research seems to indicate that coffee/caffeine has a preventative effect on PD. A study of 8000 Japanese-American men showed that those who drank 31/2 cups, or more, per day had a lower risk of getting PD. Caffeine from any source seemed to have a protective effect, but the researchers did stress that their finding are preliminary.
• Rheumatoid arthritis was discovered to increase in those who drank at least four cups of coffee a day, in another recent Finnish study.

Some researchers suspect the findings of this study were related to brewing methods, rather than the caffeine. And still others find the results to be relatively insignificant.

The bottom line, to me, is that the horrors of coffee drinking don't exist unless, maybe, you inhale the stuff in giant amounts. Moderation . . .

Portion size seems to be the downfall of many people who find their weight increasing at an alarming rate. That is apparently because we often have no idea what we're eating -- in terms of amount, that is, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In a study, government scientists compared the number of servings people estimate usually eating of various foods, with records of what they ate over a previous two-week period. This appeared in the October 2000 issue of Nutrition Insights, a newsletter from USDA.

Data from over 5700 people were analyzed for the period 1992-94. Adults underestimated their consumption of grains, fats, oils, and sweets. They overestimated their intake of fruit, dairy, meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. The only category close to being on target was the estimation of vegetables by men, and that was only half of the recommended amount.

The problem is most likely caused by not knowing what a portion size is for each food group. It is often a half cup for many cooked foods (like pasta, vegetables, rice), and that just isn't very much by American eating standards. A standard meat serving is the size of a deck of cards, or about three ounces.

Not just no sense of portions, but also eating "out," are combined with not enough physical activity to lead to the fattening of America.

Standard serving sizes are:

1. grains: 1/2 cup, or 1 slice of bread;
2. fruits and vegetables: 1/2 cup, or 1 piece;
3. meats: 3 ounces, or 4 eggs per week , or 1/2 cup of dried beans -- cooked, or 3/4 cup bean soup;
4. dairy: 1/2 cup yogurt or milk, or 1.5 cups lowfat cheese.

It can be very useful to measure and weigh your food, at least until you get used to what a 1/2 or 3/4 of a cup, or 3 ounces of meat looks like. Teaspoons, tablespoons, and measuring cups are common household items, but a food scale can be a useful acquisition to add to your food tools.

The subject of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglycerides should be of interest to most of you. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called a sterol, triglycerides are lipids, a type of fat; and lipoproteins provide a transportation system in the blood-stream for lipids -- triglycerides and cholesterol. All are crucial to human life. Cholesterol is found in every cell in the body, and is crucial to both building cell membranes and making several essential hormones, is used for insulation of nerves; is used by your liver to make bile for food digestion; and more. Triglycerides consist of chains of fatty acids that provide energy for powering cell function. As you may know, fat is the most used energy source in the human body during resting periods and long duration (endurance type) activities. It is the body's most abundant energy source -- more abundant in some than others. There are some people who seem prepared for an endurance event lasting into the next millennium.

Both cholesterol and triglycerides come from the same sources: either through the diet, or manufactured in the body.

Dietary cholesterol and triglycerides come primarily from animal products and saturated fat. [Cholesterol comes only from animal products.]

Lipoproteins (HDL--high density lipoproteins, LDL--low density lipoproteins, and VHDL--very low density lipoproteins) are part of what is measured when you get a fasting blood test for cholesterol; that is, in addition to total cholesterol and triglycerides. But, they are not cholesterol components. Instead, they provide a transportation system in the bloodstream for lipids -- triglycerides and cholesterol.

While all three of these substances are needed for human life, more is not necessarily better. Although I don't think there can be too much HDL.

Before going any further let's briefly examine the role of the liver in this story. It, among its many jobs, is responsible for getting cholesterol and triglycerides to their intended destinations. For about eight hours after a meal the liver collects dietary cholesterol and triglycerides. When dietary lipids are unavailable, the liver manufactures them (about 80% of blood cholesterol is created in the liver).

The liver then "packages" the cholesterol and triglycerides in lipoproteins. These lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VHDL) then make their deliveries to needy body cells, which then collect the cholesterol and triglycerides for use when needed. In the bloodstream "bad" cholesterol is transported in LDL, and is designated as bad because when there is too much it tends to stick to the lining of blood vessel walls, causing atherosclorosis (hardening of the arteries). The stuck stuff on vessel walls is called plaques, which causes narrowing of arteries, and potentially leads to blockage, which in turn can lead to heart attacks (blocked coronary arteries) or strokes (blocked arteries to the brain).

The cholesterol that is termed "good" is packed in HDL, which seems to clean is packed in HDL, which seems to clean the walls of blood vessels of cholesterol. So, the cholesterol in either LDL or HDL is the same. It is the packaging that is good or bad. This good/bad concept is mostly conjecture rather than an incontrovertible fact. It is the current "best guess."

High cholesterol is seen as a problem, but it isn't so clear about high triglycerides. A person with a high triglyceride level typically has other risk factors -- obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, smokes, . . . When triglycerides are elevated, HDL is typically reduced. Is there a cause-and-effect relationship? Nobody knows for sure, so doctors don't normally get in a tizzy over this condition; especially since high triglycerides aren't usually an isolated condition.

Okay, why the increased cholesterol? There are numerous reasons:

• Heredity
• Poor diet -- too much saturated fat and cholesterol
• Overweight/fat -- increases LDL and lowers HDL
• Sedentary lifestyle -- increases LDL and lowers HDL
• Age -- increases with age after about age 20
• Gender -- females prior to menopause have lower levels than men of the same age, but after menopause, those levels rise, as does their risk of heart disease.

An overnight fasting, cholesterol test is recommended to be done every three to five years -- more often if you have a high level. This test measures total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. LDL can be measured directly, but is difficult (requires special equipment if I remember correctly) so it is most often calculated, using the formula:

LDL=Total cholesterol-(HDL+[triglycerides/5])

In today's world, doctors pay most attention to your HDL number (a high HDL to LDL ratio is healthy) since studies have shown that even with a satisfactory total cholesterol level, if your HDL level is low, your risk for CVD may still be elevated.

Alcohol consumption beyond one or two drinks per day can raise blood pressure and increase levels of triglycerides in your bloodstream, which is not heart healthy.

One last note: if you are taking a medication for high blood pressure (a CVD risk factor), you should be aware that some anti-hypertension drugs increase triglyceride and LDL levels, and decrease HDL. If you are in this category, talk to your physician about these side effects.

Exercise Corner for this issue tackles a toughie -- walking. Since almost everyone who can read this has mastered the fundamentals of this exercise, let's forego the "how to." And because this is an aerobic exercise, the "muscles used" will also be skipped. Let's assume that you are now covering about 23 miles a day, and just can't afford the time anymore, and you want to reduce the distance, but increase the intensity. A worthy goal, and here are some suggestions :

• Walk as much as you can wherever you are
• To increase speed, quicken your steps rather than taking longer strides
• Increase your arm swing -- pump them and your legs will try to keep pace
• Perform intervals -- alternate faster and slower pace
• Pick a hilly course
• Use a walking stick or poles to get a push-off, as in cross country skiing
• Walk backwards, preferably on a track so you can get an idea of where you're going, and a forward walking partner can be a big help.

(Q) I have tinnitus, and recently read that the supplement ginko biloba will help. Will it really? I don't want to waste money because of false advertising.
J. F., Staten Island, NY

(A) It seems that ginko biloba is useless as a remedy for tinnitus, as is everything else tried so far. Studies have shown ginko to be no more effective than placebos.

(Q) Is hair analysis worthwhile as a tool for discovering mineral abnormalities?
R. L., San Jose, CA

(A) No, even though $10 million a year is spent on hair analysis in the U.S. As backup for that response, the California Department of Health Sciences has reported sending hair samples from a single individual to nine separate laboratories (which actually analyze 90% of hair samples in the U.S.) , and the results were amazingly inconsistent. Up to 10 times more minerals were found by some labs than others. Also, five labs reported mineral levels above the normal range, but no two labs reported the same abnormality. Additionally, three labs recommended their own vitamin/mineral supplements which sold at up to $100 a month. Furthermore, it is not proven that minerals found in hair reflect the minerals in the rest of the body, And hair treatments may further contaminate analysis results. [As reported in the April 2001 issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter.]

(Q) I have been weight training for awhile now, and am curious about what comprises a proper warm up. I have always used a pair of dumbbells or weight plates to swing in different directions until I feel "loose." I got that from copying other lifters at the gym I go to. But a friend recently said that my warm up isn't adequate. I don't want to waste a lot of time, but I don't want to get hurt either.
D. J., Amarillo, TX

(A) A proper warm up consists of two parts: 1) about 5-10 minutes of an aerobic exercise as a general warm up done at a level that produces a light sweat; then 2) before each set do one or two sets of two to five reps using 50-75% of your normal weight. Don't count warm up sets as part of your routine.

(Q) I have a personal trainer who is always giving me grief about my arm (biceps) curl form. What is the acceptable form?
A. L., Los Altos, CA

(A) To start out let's use a pair of dumbbells -- my favorite. As you stand erect, chin off your chest and head facing forward, arms hanging vertically, wrists straight, knees soft, shoulders back, and elbows close to your sides; we are going to do a screw curl so your palms are facing each other. As the dumbbells clear your body, start rotating your wrists into a supine position, and as you near your shoulders, rotate your wrists a little more.

Your arms are initially hanging at 180°. As you start curling the weights, you will hit your power zone at about 120°. As your mus cles start to fatigue, there is a tendency to let your form disintegrate -- wrists curled, forward lean, elbows bent, then a backward bend -- mostly to get into the power zone faster and to get some help from momentum.

My recommendation is that once you start to break form, your set is over. Struggling/contorting to do more reps may lead to injury, and you aren't really training the targeted muscles anymore anyway. But, there is nothing wrong with taking a 30 second to one minute break, and then doing another set; although one set may be enough.

(Q) We have been using a home humidifier, but have recently heard they can actually cause health problems. How can that be?
V. W., Reno, NV

(A) It is true if you don't properly maintain your humidifier. Without regular cleaning, fungi and bacteria can accumulate in your humidifier's tank, and then be emitted into the air in your residence, resulting in respiratory problems. A condition called "humidifier fever" can then be a result of breathing in the contaminated air.

To prevent this problem, the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission recommends, in addition to following the manufacturer's directions for cleaning and maintaining your machine, that you also: € Change tank water daily -- empty leftover water and dry the tank before refilling. € Sanitize your humidifier every week or two by emptying the tank and refilling with a solution of one teaspoon bleach to one gallon of water. Leave it for 20 minutes, and then empty and rinse it until the bleach smell is gone. € The humidity should be maintained at 30-50%. A higher level can result in moisture condensation on surfaces in your home that can provide a good home for the aforementioned fungi and bacteria. A hygrometer is a good tool (a gauge) for you to use to periodically check your home's humidity.

(Q) Is guacamole really fattening?
A. J., San Juan, PR

(A) It sure is, since it is largely avocado, one of the fattiest substances in the non-animal world.

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