Nutrition and Weight Loss Q & A's
Questions and Answers
Can vegetables prevent cancer?
TheNational Cancer Institute, in its booklet Diet, Nutrition, & CancerPrevention: A Guide to Food Choices, states that 35 percent of cancerdeaths may be related to diet.
The booklet states:
Dietsrich in beta-carotene (the plant form of vitamin A) and vitamin C mayreduce the risk of certain cancers. Reducing fat in the diet may reducecancer risk and, in helping weight control, may reduce the risk ofheart attacks and strokes. Diets high in fiber-rich foods may reducethe risk of cancers of the colon and rectum. Vegetables from thecabbage family (cruciferous vegetables) may reduce the risk of coloncancer. FDA, in fact, authorized several health claims on food labelsrelating low-fat diets high in some plant-derived foods with a possiblyreduced risk of cancer.
While FDA acknowledges that highintakes of fruits and vegetables rich in beta-carotene or vitamin Chave been associated with reduced cancer risk, it believes the data arenot sufficiently convincing that either nutrient by itself isresponsible for the association. Nevertheless, since most fruits andvegetables are low-fat foods and may contain vitamin A (asbeta-carotene) and vitamin C, the agency authorized a health claimrelating diets low in fat and rich in these foods to a possibly reducedrisk of some cancers.
Another claim relates low-fat dietshigh in fiber-containing vegetables, fruits and grains to a possiblereduction in cancer risk. (The National Cancer Institute recommends 20to 30 grams of fiber a day.) Although the exact role of total dietaryfiber, fiber components, and other nutrients and substances in thesefoods is not fully understood, many studies have shown such diets to beassociated with reduced risk of some cancers.
What are the facts about weight loss?
Being obese can have serious health consequences. These include an increasedrisk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes,gallstones, and some forms of cancer. Losing weight can help reducethese risks. Here are some general points to keep in mind:
Anyclaims that you can lose weight effortlessly are false. The only provenway to lose weight is either to reduce the number of calories you eator to increase the number of calories you burn off through exercise.Most experts recommend a combination of both. Supplementation canassist the weight loss process.
Very low-calorie diets arenot without risk and should be pursued only under medical supervision.Unsupervised very low-calorie diets can deprive you of importantnutrients and are potentially dangerous.
Fad diets rarelyhave any permanent effect. Sudden and radical changes in your eatingpatterns are difficult to sustain over time. In addition, so-called"crash" diets often send dieters into a cycle of quick weight loss,followed by a "rebound" weight gain once normal eating resumes, andeven more difficulty reducing when the next diet is attempted.
To lose weight safely and keep it off requires long-term changes in daily eating and exercise habits.
Do diet programs work?
Approximately 8 million Americans a year enroll in some kind of structuredweight-loss program involving liquid diets, special diet regimens, ormedical or other supervision. In 1991, about 8,500 commercial dietcenters were in operation across the country, many of them owned by ahalf-dozen or so well-known national companies.
Before youjoin such a program, you should know that according to publishedstudies relatively few participants succeed in keeping off weightlong-term. Recently, the FTC brought action against several companieschallenging weight-loss and weight-maintenance claims. Unfortunately,some other companies continue to make overblown claims.
Before you sign up with a diet program, you might ask these questions:
What are the health risks?
What data can you show me that proves your program actually works?
Do customers keep off the weight after they leave the diet program?
What are the costs for membership, weekly fees, food, supplements, maintenance, and counseling?
What's the payment schedule?
Are any costs covered under health insurance?
Do you give refunds if I drop out?
Do you have a maintenance program?
Is it part of the package or does it cost extra?
What kind of professional supervision is provided?
What are the credentials of these professionals?
What are the program's requirements?
Are there special menus or foods, counseling visits, or exercise plans?
What are sensible weight maintenance tips?
Losingweight may not be effortless, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Toachieve long-term results, it's best to avoid quick-fix schemes andcomplex regimens. Focus instead on making modest changes to your life'sdaily routine. A balanced, healthy diet and sensible, regular exerciseare the keys to maintaining your ideal weight. Although nutritionscience is constantly evolving, here are some generally-acceptedguidelines for losing weight:
Consult with your doctor, a dietician, or other qualified health professional to determine your ideal healthy body weight.
Eat smaller portions more frequently and choose from a variety of foods.
Load up on foods naturally high in fiber: Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
Limit potions of foods high in fat: dairy products like cheese, butter, and whole milk; red meat; cakes and pastries.
Exercise at least three times a week.
Why should older people be concerned about nutrition?
Nutrition remains important throughout life. Many chronic diseases that developlate in life, such as osteoporosis, can be influenced by earlier pooreating habits. Insufficient exercise and calcium intake, especiallyduring adolescence and early adulthood, can significantly increase therisk of osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become brittle andcrack or break.
But good nutrition in the later years stillcan help lessen the effects of diseases prevalent among older Americansor improve the quality of life in people who have such diseases. Theyinclude osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease,certain cancers, gastrointestinal problems, and chronic undernutrition.
Studies show that a good diet in later years helps both in reducing the risk ofthese diseases and in managing the diseases' signs and symptoms. Thiscontributes to a higher quality of life, enabling older people tomaintain their independence by continuing to perform basic dailyactivities, such as bathing, dressing and eating.
Poor nutrition, on the other hand, can prolong recovery from illnesses,increase the costs and incidence of institutionalization, and lead to apoorer quality of life.
What are some tips to reduce fat and cholesterol in my diet?
Steam, boil, bake, or microwave vegetables rather than frying.
Season vegetables with herbs and spices instead of fatty sauces, butter or margarine.
Try flavored vinegars or lemon juice on salads or use smaller servings of oil-based or low-fat salad dressings.
Try whole-grain flours to enhance flavors of baked goods made with less fat and fewer or no cholesterol-containing ingredients.
Replace whole milk with low-fat or skim milk in puddings, soups and baked products.
Substitute plain low-fat yogurt or blender-whipped low-fat cottage cheese for sour cream or mayonnaise.
Choose lean cuts of meat, and trim fat from meat and poultry before and after cooking. Remove skin from poultry before or after cooking.
Roast, bake, broil, or simmer meat, poultry and fish rather than frying.
Cook meat or poultry on a rack so the fat will drain off. Use a non-stick pan for cooking so added fat is unnecessary.
Chill meat and poultry broth until the fat becomes solid. Remove the fat before using the broth.
Limit egg yolks to one per serving when making scrambled eggs. Use additional egg whites for larger servings.
Try substituting egg whites in recipes calling for whole eggs. Use two egg whites in place of one whole egg in muffins, cookies and puddings.
What are tips for getting more fiber in your diet?
Read food labels. The labels of almost all foods will tell you the amount ofdietary fiber in each serving, as well as the Percent Daily Value (DV)based on a 2,000-calorie diet. For instance, if a half cup serving of afood provides 10 grams of dietary fiber, one serving provides 40percent of the recommended DV. The food label can state that a productis "a good source" of fiber if it contributes 10 percent of the DV--2.5grams of fiber per serving. The package can claim "high in," "rich in"or "excellent source of" fiber if the product provides 20 percent ofthe DV--5 grams per serving.
Use the U.S. Department ofAgriculture's food pyramid as a guide. If you eat 2 to 4 servings offruit, 3 to 5 servings of vegetables, and 6 to 11 servings of cerealand grain foods, as recommended by the pyramid, you should have notrouble getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day. Start the day with awhole-grain cereal that contains at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.Top with wheat germ, raisins, bananas, or berries, all of which aregood sources of fiber.
When appropriate, eat vegetables raw. Cooking vegetables may reducefiber content by breaking down some fiber into its carbohydratecomponents. When you do cook vegetables, microwave or steam only untilthey are al dente--tender, but still firm to the bite.
Avoid peeling fruits and vegetables; eating the skin and membranesensures that you get every bit of fiber. But rinse with warm water toremove surface dirt and bacteria before eating. Also, keep in mind thatwhole fruits and vegetables contain more fiber than juice, which lacksthe skin and membranes.
Eat liberal amounts of foods that contain unprocessed grains in yourdiet: whole-wheat products such as bulgur, couscous or kasha andwhole-grain breads, cereals and pasta. Add beans to soups, stews andsalads; a couple of times a week, substitute legume-based dishes (suchas lentil soup, bean burritos, or rice and beans) for those made withmeat.
Keep fresh and dried fruit on hand for snacks.
What are some tips in choosing a snack?
Today, it's easier than ever to find a version of your favorite brandor type of snack food that is lower in fat or sodium--or both--than the"regular" version. With a bit of comparison shopping, you'll find snackfoods you can enjoy even if you are on a restricted diet because ofhigh blood pressure or another medical problem.
These are some of the descriptors to look for on the front of the package:
fat-free: less than 0.5 grams (g) of fat per serving
low-fat: 3 g or less per serving (if the serving size is 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less, no more than 3 g of fat per 50 g of the food)
light: one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the "regular" version
low-sodium: 140 milligrams (mg) or less per serving (if the serving size is 30 g or less or 2 tablespoons or less, no more than 140 mg of sodium per 50 g of the food)
lightly salted: at least 50 percent less sodium per serving than the "regular" version
reduced: when describing fat, sodium or calorie content, the food must have at least 25 percent less of these nutrients than the "regular" version.
Are there nutritional differences between fresh foods and canned foods?
Theheating process during canning destroys from one-third to one-half ofvitamins A and C, riboflavin, and thiamin. For every year the food isstored, canned food loses an additional 5 to 20% of these vitamins.However, the amounts of other vitamins are only slightly lower incanned food than in fresh food.
Most produce will begin tolose some of its nutrients when harvested. When produce is handledproperly and canned quickly after harvest, it can be more nutritiousthan fresh produce sold in stores.
When refrigerated, freshproduce will lose half or more of some of its vitamins within 1 to 2weeks. If it's not kept chilled or preserved, nearly half of thevitamins may be lost within a few days of harvesting. For optimumnutrition, it is generally recommended that a person eat a variety offoods.
Does freezing affect the level of nutrients contained in foods?
Fortunately,the freezing process itself does not reduce nutrients, and, for meatand poultry products, there is little change in protein value duringfreezing.
Does pasteurization affect the nutritional value or flavor of foods?
Pasteurization can affect the nutrient composition and flavor of foods. In the case of milk, for example, the high- temperature-short-timetreatments (HTST) cause less damage to the nutrient composition andsensory characteristics of foods than the low-temperature-long-timetreatments (LTLT).