Diet 4U Online News Letter

 In this issue you’ll find,

1.       Diet Tip of the Month

2.       Quote of the Month

3.       Something New

4.       Nutritional News of Interest (three articles)

5.       Recipe of the month

 Diet Tip of the Month

Give the clothes that don’t fit you any more to charitable organizations. Get them out of your house as soon as possible. Burn your bridge to the heavier lifestyle you used to live and set your sights on thin person you are evolving into.

For more diet tips, go to  Diet 4U Online’s Tips 4U  Changed every Monday

Quotations for Dieters

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work.” - H. L. Hunt

Something New

Check out the Food Guide Pyramid a new interactive health aide

Nutritional News of Interest

 

Herbal Supplements

The information contained herein was obtained from the book Herbs of Choice, the Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, by Varro E. Tyler, PhD.

BRONCHIAL ASTHMA and NASAL DECONGESTANT
EPHEDRA- Chinese ephedra acts as a nasal decongestant, a central nervous system stimulant, and a treatment for bronchial asthma. CAUTION: increases blood pressure and heart rate. It may also cause nervousness, headache, insomnia and dizziness. Therefore, it should NOT be used by persons suffering from heart conditions, hypertension, diabetes or thyroid disease.

CARDIOVASCULAR PROBLEMS
There are not any herbs as effective as prescription drugs for the treatment of congestive heart failure or angina. However, garlic can be used as a preventative measure against arteriosclerosis. GARLIC-fresh garlic in large amounts (0.25-1g/kg body weight, or 5-20 cloves per day for a 175lb individual) has been proven to lower blood cholesterol, inhibit platelet aggregation (blood clotting), and lower blood pressure. Dried garlic powder and garlic extracts may also be effective if they are prepared appropriately. CAUTION: may result in heartburn or gas. Those taking anticoagulant drugs (like aspirin) probably should not consume garlic in high amounts.

ANXIETY AND SLEEP DISORDERS
Insomnia is the inability to obtain restful sleep in adequate amounts, and can be treated by drugs. However, most of these prescriptions often result in addiction, tolerance and overdose. Herbs do not have these problems, but they are also much less potent VALERIAN-the most effective. It may be administered several times daily as a tea. No side effects have been reported, and it has not been shown to be toxic. It is approved as a calmative and a sleep-promoting agent. PASSION FLOWER-also effective in treating nervous unrest. It can be taken as a tea. No side effects have been reported.

HEADACHE
FEVERFEW-can be consumed by chewing the fresh leaves or dried leaves. It is also available in a tablet or capsule. CAUTION: only buy from a reputable company. There have been problems in the past with adulteration or substitution of the product. For example, in Louisiana, two out of every three feverfew products purchased actually contained the active ingredient in feverfew that is responsible for alleviating headaches.

DIABETES
Many plants have been shown to lower blood glucose in animals. None of these however have been tested in humans to demonstrate usefulness to substitute them for insulin or current diabetic drugs.

ARTHRITIS
WILLOW BARK-contains salicylic acid, the same active ingredient in aspirin. This compound reduces inflammation, relieves pain, maintains joint mobility, and helps prevent deformity. The usual daily dose of aspirin to treat arthritis is 3.6 to 5.4g per day. To obtain an equal dosage of active ingredient from willow bark, a person would have to drink more than 5 gallons of willow bark tea each day! Impossible. Therefore, willow bark can be used as a supportive role in treating arthritis, and may also be a psychological support in some individuals. By itself though, it will not effectively treat arthritis, headaches or muscle pains.

CANCER
Because it is so serious, cancer should not be self-treated. There are however many plant medicines that physicians currently use to help treat the disease. However, some herbalists recommend “anti-cancer herbs” to patients. One of these is PAU D’ ARCO-its active ingredient was found to be too toxic for human use in clinical trials. It is unproven and should not be recommended.

IMMUNE FUNCTION
Echinacea -one of the most comprehensively studied herbs. Has been proven to boost immune function. It is not an antibiotic however. It stimulates the bodies immune system and increases the bodies resistance to bacterial activity. It is most often consumed orally in capsule form. Echinacea has NOT been proven to treat yeast infections, arthritis, side effects of radiation therapy, or cancer etc. despite claims by many herbalists. PROBLEM: Other plants have often been fraudulently substituted for echinacea. Therefore, it should only be purchased from a supplier with an immaculate reputation for integrity. CAUTION: Echinacea should not be used by persons suffering from severe systemic illnesses like tuberculosis, leukosis, collagen diseases, multiple sclerosis, etc. Also, use should not exceed 8 consecutive weeks.

CONCLUSIONS:
Herbs, when used to treat physical ailments, are drugs. Although they are more dilute, herbs also contain additional active ingredients that can assist the primary active ingredient. Furthermore, they can contain other active ingredients that may exert undesired activity. Use caution. If any undesired symptoms occur, discontinue use. Also, experience in life tells us there are no cure-alls. Always get a second opinion. Only buy herbs of the highest quality. The biggest problem with using herbs today is a lack of quality control. There aren’t any regulations that currently require proper identification of herbs or specific potency. Generally, larger companies have more to lose if they sell herbs of inferior quality or use fraudulent claims. Good luck!

FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF MORE HERBS AND THERAPEUTIC USES OF HERBS, I RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING BOOKS:

Tyler, Varro E. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

Tyler, Varro E. The Honest Herbal: A Sensible Guide to the Use of Herbs and Related Remedies. 3rd edition. Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1993.

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which contains:
Herbal Extracts: Burdock root, Rhubarb root, Parsley root, Angelica root,Sarsaparilla root & rhizome, Licorice root, Dandelion root, Cascara sagrada Bark and more.
To order, go to our new Health Store’s supplement page: HERE

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Diet 4U Online provides Meal Plans of three meals and three snacks a day including all the foods recommended by the latest cutting edge nutritional research, so you do not have to worry that you are missing the latest information for your health.  Let us do it for you!! 
 

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Study Supports Idea Chinese Diet Protects Heart
02:27 a.m. Nov 10, 1999 Eastern

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Chinese researchers presented more evidence Tuesday that the standard Western diet can cause heart disease.

They said people who ate a traditional Chinese diet, based on rice, vegetables and green tea, were much less likely to suffer the physical symptoms of heart disease—even though they have high rates of smoking.

But when Chinese people moved to Western cities such as San Francisco or Sydney, their arteries started to make the changes that herald heart disease, Dr. Kam Woo of the University of Hong Kong told a meeting of the American Heart Association.

“Both Chinese and non-Chinese should recognize the potential effects of the traditional Chinese diet,” Woo told a news conference.

GREEN TEA

“They should think about drinking more green tea, eating more vegetables and eating less meat and dairy products.” Woo started with villagers in Pan Yu, a town in Guangdong province about 100 miles from Hong Kong in southern China, who have one of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world.

He used ultrasound, which uses sound waves, to measure the thickness of the inner walls of the carotid arteries that feed blood to the brains of some of the villagers, and asked them about their dietary habits.

Woo then compared these measurements to westernized Chinese living in Hong Kong, Sydney, and San Francisco. In all, he studied 116 people aged 20 to 60.

The combined thickness of the lining and middle muscle layers of the carotid artery are considered a good indicator of heart disease.

The average carotid inner wall thickness was about one-fifth thinner among the Pan Yu villagers than in the Westernized Chinese, Woo reported.

HALF THE MEAT

The Pan Yu villagers ate just under half as much meat and just a tiny fraction of the amount of dairy food as the Western-living Chinese. They ate more vegetables, tofu and drank much more green tea.

For breakfast the villagers would eat congee, or rice porridge, steamed buns containing a small amount of meat and plenty of tea.

“Hardly any ham, bacon, sausage or scrambled egg is eaten in the typical Pan Yu breakfast meal,” Woo said.

Other meals included stir-fried or steamed vegetables, a little meat and fish or tofu.

“That is in contrast to fried chicken or fish fillet” in the West, he said.

He said Westerners should not only eat more vegetables and less fatty meat, but should cook Chinese-style more often, steaming or stir-frying foods.


Copyright 1999 Reuters

Because of this groundbreaking research Diet 4U Online has started recommending at least one cup of Green tea a day to all clients.  Green tea can be purchased at any health food store, Chinese restaurants and at our health store HERE

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Tofu Enlisted in The Fight Against Cancer

So long, chicken. Hello tofu.

Tofu and a host of other products made from the mighty soybean are pushing aside meat, milk and even ice cream on grocery store shelves these days as scientists rave about the health benefits of soy.

Most recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way for food companies to include labels that say eating 25 grams a day of soy protein, when included in a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, “may reduce the risk of heart disease.” Soy protein boosts good cholesterol and sweeps bad cholesterol out of the body before it can clog arteries.

But that’s old news in the scientific community.

What drew 600 scientists to a conference on soy in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 31 were the intriguing new findings on the cancer-fighting properties of isoflavones, a plant-based form of the hormone estrogen that is unique to the soybean.

Isoflavones appear to help strengthen bones, reduce the unpleasant symptoms of menopause and, most importantly, control how quickly cells replicate, which could be beneficial in preventing the out-of-control cell growth associated with cancer. The National Cancer Institute recently listed genistein, the main isoflavone in soy, as one of four “superior” anti-cancer agents.

Isoflavones also are showing real potential as a supplement for hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women and as a bone-fortifying agent to help guard against osteoporosis.

When Mark Messina, a respected authority on soy products and adjunct professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University, started studying soy at the National Cancer Institute in the late 1980s, there were roughly a dozen scientific papers on the topic and tofu, the only soy product readily available, was a specialty item tucked away in health food stores.

“Now everybody’s talking about soy and cancer, soy and menopause and all these things,” Messina said. “You see television commercials advertising soy supplements for hot flash relief and prostate health. Kellogg’s announced recently that it’s coming out with a soy cereal. It’s clearly very interesting and intriguing, and that’s why a lot of people are talking about it. And industry is responding with an amazing array of products.”

But that doesn’t mean everyone should run out and stuff themselves with tofu.

“The evidence is really intriguing,” said Messina, whose 1994 National Cancer Institute report on soy as a potential cancer fighter is considered a cornerstone of the current explosion in research. “But one thing is clear: We have a long way to go before we can speak in a conclusive manner about any of this stuff.”

Take breast and prostate cancers. There is intriguing evidence that men who drank isoflavones in soy milk had less risk of developing prostate cancer, but the results are more mixed when it comes to breast cancer.

One study found a combination of the soy-based soup additive miso and the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen reduced breast cancer tumors in lab rats, while there were no changes in rats who only got the drug. But, according to Dr. Claude Hughes, director for the Center for Women’s Health at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, another study hints that isoflavones might actually stimulate cancer cell growth in post-menopausal women with low estrogen levels.

Hughes is also lead investigator on another study that found a diet high in soy actually can trigger subtle changes in the development of a fetus. Are those changes good or bad? There’s potential both ways, and right now no one can say for certain which one will prevail, Hughes said.

The problems are complex because people’s bodies change with age, so a diet high in soy might be beneficial at one age and detrimental at another.

“What do you do?” Hughes said. “Well, if you’re a man or woman in your 40s and you’re not planning to make babies, having a few servings of soy foods per week is a good idea. If you are a 28-year-old woman who is actively trying to get pregnant, the advice is very simple: Eat a broad-based diversified diet. Be a grazer. Don’t eat huge quantities of anything. Don’t be a cheeseburger junkie. Don’t be a tofu junkie. Just move around. Eat a little bit of everything.”

The effects of soy are so mild it won’t make much of a difference for anyone when consumed in moderation. Messina said it takes roughly 60 milligrams of isoflavones a day about two glasses of soy milk to get the potential anti-cancer benefits of soy. It takes four soy entrees to get enough soy protein to help ward off heart disease.

More definitive answers are coming. The prostate cancer and child development studies were published in the last three weeks, about the same time the FDA finally approved the new soy labeling rules. Messina said where there were only a dozen published studies on the topic in 1985, there are now more than 2,000.

Hundreds of scientists around the globe are turning their microscopes to soy in search of ways to prove or disprove its cancer-fighting ability or its benefit as a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy.

Good science requires patience. Messina notes that the first scientific paper of the heart health benefits of soy protein was published in 1967, but it took more than two decades for scientists and ultimately the marketplace to catch on. And that was easy. Checking cholesterol is as simple as pricking a finger and drawing a blood sample. Cancer is more enigmatic, elusive and influenced by a host of variables scientists are only beginning to understand.

“We know soy protein lowers cholesterol, but pretty much most of the other effects are speculative,” Messina said. “There is a lot of research, but it takes a lot before you can really know something with any certainty. I can tell you there wouldn’t be the enthusiasm and excitement about soy foods if they were only a good source of protein that’s low in saturated fat. Obviously, people are hoping it is a lot more than that. And only time will tell.”

Messina and Hughes agree that consumers should embrace soy products as part of a balanced diet, but not overdo it an American tradition. Soy protein and isoflavones are a good addition to a healthy lifestyle but will never be that proverbial magic bullet against disease.

“Instead of looking for magic, maybe we should look for wisdom,” Hughes said. “And the wisdom is to take advantage of sets of interventions which, hopefully in some additive way, will be robust in sum total.”

Diet 4U Online is now recommending at least one meal a week using soy.  We are incorporating a new soy recipe into each weeks meal plan.  Join now at Sign Up Now and take advantage of the latest breakthroughs in nutrition!!

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Recipe of The Month

HEART-HEALTHY APRICOT MUFFINS 

A Diet 4U Online healthy choice soy recipe

Serving Comment:    one muffin

Servings: 12                    Calories/Serving: 160.56           PCF Ratio: 15-64-21

 

WHEAT FLOUR, WHITE, ALL-PURPOSE - Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched                       1.5 cups

SALT, TABLE - Salt, table                                                                                                          1/8 tsp

SOY FLOUR -                                                                                                                           4 oz

EGG, CHICKEN - extra large, grade AA                                                                                       1 egg

SUGAR, GRANULATED - Sugars, granulated                                                                               1/3 cup

SOY MILK - Soy milk, fluid                                                                                                         ½ cup

WATER, DRINKING - drinking                                                                                                     ½ cup

BAKING POWDER - Leavening agents, baking powder, double-acting, sodium aluminum sulfate      1 tbsp

SOYBEAN OIL - Oil, soybean, salad or cooking                                                                           1 tbsp

CINNAMON, GROUND - Spices, cinnamon, ground                                                                      1 tsp

PINEAPPLE, JUICE PACK, CANNED - Pineapple, canned, juice pack, solids and liquids                ½ cup

APRICOT, DRIED - Apricots, dried, sulfured, uncooked                                                                 ½ cup

NUTMEG, GROUND - Spices, nutmeg, ground                                                                             ¼ tsp

 

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt; mix well. Make a well in the center and add egg, soy milk, water, oil, pineapple and apricots; mix only until moistened. Spoon mixture into oiled muffin tins. Bake at 400°F, 12 to 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Makes 1 dozen

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