In This Issue
There is also a third seed, a yellow one, which is sometimes called a flax seed, but isn't. It is actually a solin seed, but while it was developed from flax, its nutritional value is significantly lower.
Flax seeds or flax oil are becoming fairly popular as a nutritional powerhouse, but I recommend using whole seed flax, rather than its oil, which is of lesser nutritional value. Oil is often used for its simplicity -- flax seeds have an extremely hard husk, which requires that they be ground (in a coffee grinder, blender, or food processor); otherwise they will most likely pass through your body without leaving much (if any) of their wide array of nutrients.
In addition to the omega-3 fatty acid (alphalinolenic acid, or ALA) and omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid, or LA) -- both essential fatty acids -- flax seeds are also sources of high quality protein, soluble fiber (making it a natural laxative, so drink plenty of water), vitamins B-1 and B-2, C, E, and carotene; and the minerals iron, zinc, along with small amounts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and calcium. They are also a good source of lignin, which may be an anticancer agent, as well as potentially antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. Flax oil does not include many of the substances listed above, and therefore is of lesser health value than whole seeds. So grind away! It doesn't take long.
Flax oil, in addition to lacking some of the nutrients contained in the seeds can easily go rancid. But, care must be taken with the seeds as well. Grinding small amounts for immediate use is the best practice. Just one to two tablespoons is enough for one day. Note that 1 tbsp = 8.0 g (3 oz) and 36 calories.
Some cautions about using flax include:
Here are some numbers for you to play with, if you like:100 g of flax seeds contains roughly:
Migraine headaches is a topic which has been largely ignored by this newsletter for quite some time, mainly because not much is new on that front. No cure, not even much new in the way of treatment of symptoms. But now there may be something on the horizon. A drug used for preventing epileptic seizures, topiramate (Topamax), is being tested for use against migraines. Preliminary results have shown that it stops up to 50% of regularly recurring migraines.
This medication is still being tested so is not on the market, but you migraineurs might want to check with your physician every now and then to see if it is available yet, and whether it might be appropriate for you.
Mushrooms are nutritious? No, can't be. They are just a fungus that likes wet, dark places to thrive. No color, so no anti-oxidants. Most of us think of mushrooms as something to add flavor, or texture to some other food; but, they are actually quite a nutritious choice. They are a source of protein, niacin, potassium, copper, phosphorous, and riboflavin, a good source of B vitamins, they are low in calories (approximately 20 in a cup of raw mushrooms), and they contain antibacterial and other healthy properties.
The fat story is fairly complex. Any discussion of fat opens up a Pandora's box of related components and issues: lipids, saturated fats, unsaturated fats (mono- and poly-unsaturated), simple fats, compound fats, derived fats, fatty acids, essential fatty acids, triglycerides; and fat and cardiovascular health, fat for energy, weigh gain from fat, and on-and-on, ad nauseam. That is a lot of "stuff, " and we haven't even gotten to trans fats yet, or the butter/margarine war, or. . .
Where to start? At the beginning, I suppose. Fat is one of three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. You have likely heard the term "lipid" used almost interchangeably with "fat." Lipids actually have a broader definition. They are compounds that include fats, oils, and lipid-like substances (e.g., cholesterol). Fatty acids, another common term used when discussing fats, are what make fats from various sources taste and feel different. Take chicken fat and corn oil -- both are (as are all fats) compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (commonly known as CHO compounds), but are constructed differently. Don't worry, I am going to pretend that most of us are not biochemists, so no chemical formulas are forthcoming.
Fats come from both plant and animal sources -- how they get it is a whole other story not to be presented in this article. Oils are part of many fats, but special emphasis has been placed on omega-3 fatty acids found mostly in cold-water fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, herring, and lake trout).The poly-unsaturated fats found in omege-3s include DHA and EPA -- called essential fatty acids because the body needs these compounds, but cannot manufacture them. A third fatty acid, arachidonic acid, becomes an essential fatty acid in the absence of linoleic acid, but this situation is normally avoided -- our normal diets usually contain enough vegetable fats and meats to take care of our essential fatty acid needs. They can only be obtained through one's diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are thought to help prevent blood clots on artery walls, lower blood pressure, increase HDL ("good" cholesterol), and decrease LDL ("bad" cholesterol). While omega-3s are also found in plant sources (e.g., walnuts, tofu, lecithin, and wheat germ, soy and canola oils). The best source is fish.
Now let's jump to the subject of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. This gets us back to the chemical structure of fats (but still no formulas). In saturated fats no room is left for loose hydrogen atoms to attach to the fatty acid chain. Saturated fats are found mostly in animal products, and can be a scourge for the cardiovascular system. On the other hand, unsaturated fat, found mostly in plant sources, contains one (monounsaturated) "space" for a hydrogen atom to attach itself to the fatty acid chain, or two or more in a polyunsaturated chain. Unsaturated fatty acids are, generally speaking, heart healthy.
Some foods containing various types of fat are:
Okay, so what is a compound fat? It is a simple fat combined with other chemicals, and includes phospholipids and lipoproteins.
Phospholipids are synthesized in the liver from fatty acids, phosphorus, and nitrogen compounds. And are important as a part of all cells. They help maintain cell structural integrity, are important to blood clotting, and form part of the insulating sheaths around nerve cells. The most commonly known phospholipid is lecithin (see Noe 1), which is an emulsifier in the small intestine. It helps with transportation of lipids into cells.
Other compound fats, including lipoproteins are mostly developed in the liver (it's one of the liver's approximately 500 bodily functions) from triglycerides, phospholipids, or cholesterol with protein.
Lipoproteins (a combination of lipids and proteins) act essentially like tugboats in the bloodstream -- they transport fat. And they are:
And derived fats are? They are compounds made up of both simple and compound fats. The most commonly known of these is cholesterol (see Note 2), which technically isn't a fat at all, it's a "sterol", but normally included as a fat.
Sterols include the bile acids, the sex hormones (e.g., testosterone), the adrenal hormones (e.g., cortisol), and cholesterol itself.
Cholesterol suffers from a bad reputation, but it is a necessary substance -- it forms part of cell structures, helps with synthesis of sex hormones and vitamin-D.
Cholesterol's downside is that while it's in the bloodstream on its way to various destination cells, it can form deposits in artery walls, leading to a potential cardiovascular disaster. As with lecithin the liver builds all the cholesterol we need (i.e., we don't need any from dietary sources).
That concludes the semi-scientific side of the fat issue, so let's get on with the practical side, including fat storage, fat for energy, how much fat should we eat, and trans fat.
Fat storage is important. It is not stored just any old place -- special fat cells in adipose tissue (connective tissue in which fat is stored and which distended by droplets of fat) exists for this purpose, and are proficient at it, as is evidenced by the plethora of fat/obese Americans. Fat cells start out empty, but as we develop physically, they start to fill up. They can expand, but not infinitely. It might be appreciated by some of us if when "full," more incoming fat was simply eliminated, but of course that doesn't happen. We just get new fat cells, and there is no upper limit.Triglycerides are densely packed in adipose cells to provide potential energy. Fats in food are especially efficiently stored. Fats are essentially absorbed into fat cells; whereas carbohydrates and proteins must go through a series of chemical processes that convert them to a storage form, and unlike fat, .energy is expended during these conversion processes. The eat-less-fat-to-control-weight concept came from that fact -- along with the fact that fat contains more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein (fat = 9 calories per gram, protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram ).
But we can't just eliminate fat from our diets, we need it -- for energy for one thing. Fat supplies roughly 60% of the energy needed at rest, and about 50% or more during low to moderate activities. As the intensity of an activity increases, fat use decreases and glucose (from carbohydrates) use rises. At highest intensity, glucose supplies close to 100% of needed energy. And the brain prefers glucose to keep it fully functioning. But, fat is by far the main source of energy for humans.
How much fat do we need? For healthy individuals:
Before I forget, the issue of trans fat must be addressed. It is not specifically identified on food labels, but its presence is indicated by the terms "hydrogenated," or "partially hydrogenated" on the ingredients list. The hydrogenation process used by food manufacturers to firm up baked goods, and foods like margarine (non-tub type). Trans fat functions much as does saturated fat (both raise LDL and total cholesterol, but trans fat also lowers HDL), and its use should be minimized.
Did you get the message? Fat is not inherently "bad," we need some, but reduce the saturated and trans fats in your diet -- concentrate on mono- and polyunsaturated fats,. And too many calories, regardless of their source, are what lead to excess pounds.
Note 1 - Lecithin is a major example of a phospholipid, and is part of cell membranes. Food supplement manufacturers like to push lecithin supplements, and it certainly is important, but lecithin supplements are unnecessary - the liver produces all that the body needs. And one can actually get too much by taking supplements - GI problems, sweating, loss of appetite and salivation.
Note 2 - Cholesterol is found only in animal sources and ; it is especially abundant in organ meats and eggs. Brains contain a very high amount (3 oz. = 1696 mg. Egg whites have none. Dairy products are generally in a moderate range (10-35 mg. Seafoods are moderately higher - shrimp is highest (3 oz = 165 mg), while lobster clams, fillets, and oysters are at about 50-60 mg per 3 oz. Egg yolks = 213 mg.
Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are something fairly new on the health front. They are created in a lab and are designed to target specific cells or proteins (bacteria or viruses), which cause specific diseases. The intent is to kill only specific invading bodies, and not, for example, friendly bacteria in the digestive tube. Natural antibodies secreted by white blood cells sometimes kill just about everything in their path, which often is not desirable. Currently MAbs. are being created to fight rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and breast cancer.
Nothing seems to have materialized from this effort to date, but hope is high. MAbs are being tested for treatment of substance abuse, asthma, viral infections, coronary disease, and sepsis; and plans are being made to use MAbs for multiple sclerosis, some cancers, and some types of leukemia.
Exercise Corner -- Incline Dumbbell Triceps Press. This exercise is very close to a chest press, but one variation makes it triceps-intensive: keep your elbows along your sides. During a standard bench press, your elbows are pointed out to the sides, putting your body in what is essentially a 'cross' position, which emphasizes the pectoral muscles of the chest. Keeping your elbows to your sides (they are pointing toward your feet) forces greater stress on the triceps muscles, while still working the anterior deltoids (shoulders) and pectorals of the chest. This exercise may be done on a decline or flat bench in addition to an incline bench.
This exercise may also be done with a barbell by using a narrow grip, which keeps the elbows close to the body. Even simple pushups done by positioning the hands close together (thumbs and index fingers touch) give emphasis to the triceps muscles.
(Q) Does secondhand smoke affect pets? I live alone except for a dog and cat (they get along fine) and don't want to put them in an unhealthy environment.
G.O., Santa Anna, TX
(A) Unfortunately, secondhand smoke does affect pets. Cats seem to have a higher risk for malignant lymphoma if exposed to smoke, and they are already at risk for this cancer. Dogs seem to be at greater risk for lung cancer.
(Q) I am a forty-something female, and while I eat very little, I keep putting on weight. Can you help?
D.C. Ottawa, Canada
(A) Possibly. Even if you are fairly active and eat sparingly, if your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is low you will gain weight. RMR is based on several factors, but the only one you can change is the ratio of lean body mass (mainly muscle) to fat mass. Women are at a disadvantage to men in this area, and, furthermore, RMR starts declining after your twenties.
Exercise can potentially be a big help, especially weight training. Exercise builds muscle, and as your muscle mass increases, so does your RMR, which means you will burn more calories all the time. Any exercise will build some muscle, but strength training (especially weight training) is most effective.
Together with exercise, a healthy diet is crucial. Eat a well-balanced diet with no more calories than you can burn.
(Q) I am trying to cut down on saturated fat -- what is the biggest source?
A.W., Bellview, WA
(A) Cheese, as it turns out. On average, we eat three times as much as 30 years ago. It is ubiquitous -- on pizza, pasta, sandwiches, hamburgers, in salads; it's everywhere and loaded with saturated fat.
(Q) Is it really necessary to soak brown rice?
R.P., Butte, MT
(A) No, but the rice is more nutritious if you do. Soak it in warm water for 24 hours and it will start to germinate, and certain nutrients, phytochemicals, and fiber will increase significantly.
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