Environmental Nutrition

View or print a copy of the entire November 2009 issue of Environmental

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America Scores an F for Obesity

Subscribers Only Despite a landslide of attention on the nation’s weight problem, it looks like we’re losing our battle. During the past year, adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state. The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.

Research Roundup: 11/09

Subscribers Only Scientists from Toronto found that oils from allspice, cinnamon and clove possess properties that act against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. These essential oils are rich sources of compounds that inactivate disease-causing bacteria. The researchers concluded that developing edible films made of spice oils for use on food products might offer consumer benefits, such as protection against foodborne illness.

Cranberries, Our Holiday Season’s Sparkling Gem

Subscribers Only Presented as a welcoming gift to the Pilgrims by Native Americans, the cranberry was likely served at the very first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. The settlers called the vibrant red fruit crane berries, because the blossoms resemble the head and bill of the cranes that frequented cranberry bogs. An important food source, Native Americans also used this brightly colored berry to dye blankets and weavings, and made medicinal poultices from brewed cranberries.

From Wagyu Beef to Kurobuta Pork, EN Defines Exotic Names for Meats

Subscribers Only Congratulations, you have just discovered an up-and-coming trend in the culinary world—an appreciation for high-quality meat. Similar to the way you see Angus beef highlighted on menus, these terms also signify the animal breed. But in the cases of Kobe, Wagyu and Kurobuta, it’s all about Japanese preferences for animal breeding.

Tofurky, A Vegetarian Alternative for the Holidays

Subscribers Only If you’re planning a vegetarian Thanksgiving table—or simply want to introduce more plant-based proteins—you might want to consider adding Tofurky® to the menu. Created by Turtle Islands Foods, Tofurky Roast is a pre-cooked vegetarian product made from a tofu-wheat protein blend (using organic, non-genetically engineered soybeans) that boasts a turkey-like texture and flavor.

A Night on the Town: A Look at Family Restaurant Entrees

Subscribers Only There are those of us who save eating out for special occasions—perhaps dining out only a few times a year, at which time we look forward to a more extravagant meal than usual. And then there are those of us who find ourselves enjoying a restaurant meal once or twice a week, or more. If you find yourself in the latter group, choosing the higher fat- and sodium-containing meals more often than not is not the best idea for your health or your waistline. To help you narrow down the vast choices restaurants offer, we’ve scoured several family-style restaurant menus to get the low-down on just what you’re getting when you order.

New Findings Look at the Best Carbohydrate Intake for Optimal Weight

Subscribers Only The amount of carbs you should eat in order to achieve a healthy weight is a hot topic these days. Should you eat a low-carb diet or a high-carb diet in order to win the battle of the bulge? When it comes down to it, there is little consensus among experts on the perfect mix of carbs, protein and fat that creates the best weight loss results over the long-term. Data suggests that high-protein/low-carb diets bring about greater weight loss in the short-term, compared with overall low-calorie diets, but at the end of one year there is no difference in weight loss. There is evidence that the Mediterranean diet (40 percent of calories from "good" fats and high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables) is as effective as low-carb and low-fat diets in weight reduction over two years. Researchers have also discovered that diets low in whole grains, fiber, fruit and vegetables, and high in trans fats are linked with obesity.

Weaving a Fascinating Web of Nutrition Tales in the The Jungle Effect

Subscribers Only Daphne Miller, a family physician in San Francisco, set out on an adventure across the globe to learn how the diets of indigenous populations helped fend off the chronic diseases that were killing people in her practice in America. Singling out "coldspots"—geographic locations with low rates of chronic disease like Copper Canyon, Mexico; Crete; Iceland; Cameroon, and Okinawa—she spent time with villagers eating, cooking and collecting recipes, ever observant about how their native diets seemed to protect them from disease.

Looking for the Mark of the Mediterranean Diet

Subscribers Only You don’t have to live on a Greek island to appreciate the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. After all, well publicized research links eating the Mediterranean way with a number of positive effects, including lengthened life, anti-cancer and anti-depression properties, weight management, protection against Alzheimer’s disease, improved symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, and decreased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes. And don’t forget that Mediterranean cuisine is more than just healthy—it’s delicious. With so many good reasons to dive into Mediterranean food, what’s keeping you from taking the plunge? For many people, the question is simple: "How do I get started?" Contrary to what you might think, the Mediterranean diet is not an exotic way of eating foods, or a "diet" in the sense of something you might go "on" or "off". Instead, consider the Mediterranean diet as a lifestyle followed by residents of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea (Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Algeria, Greece, Albania, Israel, Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Lebanon, Libya and Malta).

Gain a Fighting Edge Over Breast Cancer through Diet and Lifestyle

Subscribers Only Let’s face it. The statistics for breast cancer are alarming. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that 192,370 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2009. Of those, 40,610 will die. On the positive side, these numbers represent an overall decrease since the 1990s, which researchers attribute to a decrease in the number of women on hormone replacement therapy. Although it doesn’t look like we can prevent breast cancer altogether, you can shift the odds in your favor by making lifestyle changes—changes that should sound familiar to all of us: Eat a healthful diet that includes plenty of plant foods, stay active, maintain a healthy weight and drink alcohol only moderately or not at all. In a recent American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)/World Cancer Research Fund research review—the largest to look at lifestyle and breast cancer ever conducted—it was found that women can reduce their risk by 40 percent through such lifestyle changes.

Food for Thought: Smart Nutrition Tips to Protect the Aging Brain

Subscribers Only What’s your biggest fear when you consider your golden years? According to surveys, the second most cited fear is the loss of mental function (second only to the threat of cancer). It’s a real concern—an estimated 8 million people in the U.S. will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by the year 2030. A neurodegenerative disease is a disorder caused by the deterioration of neurons. AD—an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly erodes memory and thinking skills—is the most common cause of dementia among older people. The hallmarks of AD are changes in the brain that include neurofibrillary tangles in the entorhinal cortex, amyloid plaques, and the loss of connections between neurons that lead to widespread damage in the brain tissue. The current treatments for this devastating disease have proven to be inadequate at best.