Gezundheit!
A truly intriguing item in today's newspaper caught my attention and made a very good impression on me. Evidently, drinking lots of juice can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's, states a research study released yesterday, led by Dr. Qi Dai, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre and published in the September issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
I imagine it works also for frontal lobe dementia, another dreadful disease of old age that strikes and eventually kills elderly people. I've a particular interest in this, not only because I've read so much about Alzheimer's (as who hasn't?) and met people living with it, in the care of their loving families, but as it happens my mother died as a result of living with the effects of frontal lobe dementia, where, while memory shuts down, so do all other physical bodily functions.
So here we have a study involving close to two thousand dementia-free people, all over the age of 65 and all from the Seattle area. Researchers collected dietary information respecting the amount of fruit and vegetable juices the participants drank and measured that data against their cognitive functioning every two years for about a decade.
Dr. Dai said researchers first thought high intakes of antioxidant vitamins such as vitamins C, E and carotene might help protect against Alzheimer's but he wanted to study the role that another type of antioxidant, called polyphenols, played in reducing risks. Polyphenols are found in teas, juices and wines and are rich in the skins and peels of fruit and vegetables.
The amazing thing was that people who drank three or more servings of juice per week had a whopping 76% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who only drank juice once a week or less. Alas, the study didn't determine what kinds of juices or in which combinations benefit people the most.
On the other hand, aren't we always being informed by nutritionists, dietitians, doctors concerned with human health and metabolism to eat more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis? The brighter the colours the better, since dark or bright colours (such as darker-colour lettuce, bright orange, red and green bell peppers, ripe red tomatoes, green beans, yellow corn, green-green broccoli [ah, the Dreaded Veggie] and the like) are indicative of more vitamins and minerals, and the greater benefit to the human body in its uptake of vital minerals and vitamins.
Doesn't it stand to reason, then, that juices (and we are further told that juices which still have plenty of pulp in them contain the most vitamins and minerals) too would benefit us in the same manner? When it comes to caloric content fresh fruits and vegetables, though, have it all over juices derived from the same sources, as juices deliver up more calories. On the other hand, cooking some vegetables like carrots and tomatoes before consumption releases more valuable vitamins which the body is capable of uptaking more readily. Details, the devil's in them thar details.
Moreover, if you're eating fruits fresh, and decide to peel them before eating, you're losing a lot of the vitamins inherent in those fruits, as they are concentrated under the skins of said fruit - fruit like apples (ditto for potatoes), peaches, pears, nectarines. Definitely do not peel grapes as the famously fastidious Japanese do, mostly because they are very aware of pesticide use and have no wish to pollute their bodies more than necessary.
An excellent way to wash grapes and get as much of the guck off them as possible, is to place them into a deep bowl and run cold water into the bowl, over a tablespoon of lemon juice. The lemon juice does wonders in cleansing the grapes, as you can readily see when you dump the grapes into a colander and see the tiny bits of detritus run out of the water. Then rinse again and you've got squeaky-clean grapes.
Don't peel mushrooms, just gently brush them clean. Take great care with cantaloupes because their crinkled skin is an excellent hiding place for bacteria. Set the cantaloupe into your sink, drip liquid soap in several places over the orb, then wash vigorously with lots of cold water, before cutting into the rough skin to ensure you don't contaminate the interior flesh. Do the same with grapefruit and oranges.
Use onions and garlic often in cooking; if a recipe suggests one clove of garlic don't hesitate to at least double the amount, it will only enhance the recipe, never overpower it. After you've chopped the garlic let it rest for about 15 minutes before beginning to cook with it, to enable the essential phytochemicals to set and to ensure that you receive the full health benefits of cooking with it.
When you're preparing fresh vegetable salads, remember that the larger the pieces you cut the less oxidization takes place and with it loss of vital minerals and vitamins. Instead of cutting up your lettuce, tear it into pieces as the jagged edges are less likely to oxodize as quickly as cut edges. Try cutting pieces of fresh fruit, like peaches in season, into your vegetable salad for extra zing. And for extra-extra zing nothing does it quite like little squares of blue cheese - yum!
Make your own simple but more-than-adequate salad dressing: one-quarter vinegar (balsamic, salad or wine) to three-quarters extra-virgin olive oil; add salt and pepper to taste, along with the herbs of your choice (dried oregano or sweet basil always work well). Place these ingredients in a tight-capped jar and shake vigorously before use.
Drinking tea several times a day, or a minimum of three to four cups a day is a fairly good idea, too, as it has antioxidant properties as well; either black or green. Salmon or mackerel or any other kind of fatty fish is better for you than white fish, although in truth any kind of fish is healthier eating than red meat. Farmed salmon if you must, but preferably wild Pacific salmon.
Use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking, and sparingly; use Becel margarine for baking purposes, or, if you're so inclined, as an alternative for butter, although eschewing butter isn't really necessary, it's a good source of Vitamin A. Poultry: chicken, Cornish hens, turkey, are always a healthier alternative than beef and pork (even with the leaner cuts now available), so try to keep red meat to a minimum in your diet, no more than once a week.
Oops, don't forget the grains - whole grains preferably. When you peruse the ingredient line-up in breads and crackers, make sure that the grains are of the "whole" variety. Such as whole wheat; it packs a much bigger whallop for the health of your constitution than wan white flour that nutrients are milled and bleached out of, even if by law, some elements have to be stuck back in post-milling.
Good idea to sprinkle wheat germ or wheat- or oat-bran over your cereal. Freshly-ground flax seed sprinkled over breakfast toast or cereal will help in keeping cholesterol levels down. Also useful used the same way and for the same purpose: a tablespoon of mixed nuts and seeds.
And don't, while we're at it, forget to look at the fat content of any product you purchase. Look assiduously for trans-fats and saturated fats, and if they're included just forget it. Keep looking, you'll eventually find a substitute that's a whole lot healthier for the living temple of your body. And while you're at it, don't forget to look at the sodium content; if it's in double digits you don't want it.
For best results, repeat daily.
Grab that leash and clip it onto that desperate dog's collar, take him for a nice long walk in the neighbourhood or to an area park. On the way, smile at others doing likewise, and offer a cheerful greeting. When you get home reward yourself and relax, read the newspapers, or pick up a book and have a go at it. While we're at it, how about writing a real letter to a friend, to a family member?
Send a cheque to your local Food Bank, to the Shepherds of Good Hope and to Medicines sans Frontiers. While you're at it, resolve to volunteer on an occasional basis, to participate in a door-to-door fund-raising canvass for example, to benefit yourself, your community and also the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, The Canadian Diabetes Association, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind, the Salvation Army, and any other meritorious charitable institution deserving of your support.
Notice something notable and nice about people you work with, people you share friendship with, people you live with, and mention it - don't be shy about handing out compliments, they're always gratefully accepted, and they make those to whom you offer your congratulations feel good about themselves. In return, you can feel good about yourself, too.
At all suitable opportunities, give out hugs to family - and friends too, if you're not too shy. Share stories and jokes, and make the most of opportunities to laugh, and when you do laugh, relax about it and let it roll right through you, from the bottom of your belly to issue through your throat in a celebration of life.
Hey, stop using all that sun block, it's quite possible, scientists now agree, that chemicals in that liquid sun block, used over a lengthy period of time, and too generously rubbed into the skin may be carcinogenic. Like that? Instead, dress appropriately to ensure when you're out in the sun that you're not too exposed for too long a period of time. And remember: we actually need the direct rays of the sun on our bodies to keep us healthy as 95% of our intake of vitamin D comes from sunshine to keep our bones healthy.
Repeat as required.
Hey guys, that's a good start...!
posted by Pieface @ Friday, September 01, 2006
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