Tag Archives: health

Reduce 500 Calories a day, Lose 1 pound per Week

Condiment & Fats can be Substituted to achieve Weight Loss 

Add fruit to smaller size sliced cake and reduced fat whip cream in order to save on calorie intake. The body burns more calories when digesting fruit.

A deficit of 690 calories a day is an investment in losing 1 pound (.454 g) a week. Simply by cutting 500 meal calories throughout the day will reset your week to weight loss success! Add in quick pace walk (4.0 mph) for 30 minutes/day, to benefit from another 190 lost calories. Combining a decrease in dietary intake and an increase in exercise in order to help gain control of realizing your dream to a healthier and more fit You! At only takes moderation and modification to lose a total of 3,500 calories a week=1 pound weight loss.

Tweek a recipe by substituting ingredients or changing the cooking technique. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes we need to reduce the amount of fat, sodium (salt) and added sugar we consume and increase our consumption of fiber. The fact sheet below provides suggestions to decrease the amount of fat, sugar, and salt (sodium) in your recipes, optimizing a nutritious meal without the extra calories.

In order to achieve a higher fiber intake, add fruit, nuts or rolled oats to cakes or cookies, thereby, increasing total fiber intake. Remember you can experiment with recipes and change ingredients. You may also be able to find other recipes that are similar to yours that have less fat, sugar, salt, and have more additions of nutritious ingredients.

Tips to decrease total fat
Most recipes can substitute a healthy plant oil for animal fat. Use 25% less liquid oil or solid fat called for in the recipe. If recipe calls for 1 cup use ¾ cup. Use equal amounts of oil for melted shortening, margarine or butter. HEALTHY OILS: Olive Oil, Canola Oil

Shortening and butter in baking, exchanged for:
25% reduction of fat in recipe. May also use applesauce, prune puree, or yogurt to replace butter, shortening, or olive oil in cakes. May need to shorten baking time by 10 minutes to avoid a dry cake. It’s always better to add polyunsaturated fats (plant based fat) to food instead of saturated fat (animal based dairy), by doing so total cholesterol is in line with body’s needs.

Whole milk, half and half or evaporated milk
Can be replaced with skim milk, 1% milk, evaporated skim milk, fat-free half and half , or plain soymilk with calcium.

Butter, margarine exchanged for reduced amounts of olive oil to prevent sticking. Fat to sauté or stir-fry.
When sauteing foods reduce calorie intake by: olive oil, canola oil, or using cooking spray. (broth for vegetables). Use only 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil or Canola Oil at a medium temperature to fry foods.

Full-fat cream cheese
Should be substituted with: low-fat or nonfat cream cheese; or for recipes substitue low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth.

Full-fat sour cream
Full-fat cottage cheese or use 2% or fat-free cottage cheese
Full-fat Ricotta cheese or use se part-skim ricotta.
Use nonfat or reduced fat sour cream
Fat-free plain yogurt.

Cream (Whipping cream)
Try utilizing evaporated skim milk
Use nonfat whipped topping or cream (This is only nonfat if one serving size is used.)

Eggs
Use egg whites (usually 2 egg whites for every egg) or ¼ cup egg substitute.
Whole fat cheese
Use reduced fat cheese, but add it at the end of the baking time or use part skim mozzarella.

Frying in fat
Exchange for: bake, boil, broil, grill, poach, roast, stir-fry, or microwave.

Regular mayonnaise or salad dressing
Low fat, Reduced or Nonfat mayonnaise
Reduced fat salad dressing.
Top off salads: Whisk lemon juice, oil, oregano and pepper together.

Canned fish
Buy water-packed canned products.

Fat cuts of meat w skin on
Leaner cuts of meat or ground meat, remove skin before cooking.

Tips to reduce sodium:
Table Salt
Omit salt or reduce salt by ½ in most recipes (except in products with yeast). Cook foods without adding salt.
Don’t put the salt shaker on the table: try pepper, or Mrs Dash salt substitute

Frozen or canned vegetables
Choose frozen vegetables without sauces or use no-salt-added canned goods. Rinsing canned vegetables will help reduce sodium.

Seasoning Salt or spice mixes with salt
Use salt-free seasonings and spice mixes, herbs, spices, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic or Chile peppers to flavor food instead of salt.

Seasonings high in sodium include: catsup, chili sauce, chili powder, bouillon cubes, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and meat tenderizers.

More on Salt Substitutes………..Herbs and Spices
Basil Marjoram Oregano Parsley Rosemary Sage Thyme Garlic Onion
• Use each alone or mix them together. • BASIL, OREGANO, PARSLEY taste great in tomato sauces (use low sodium tomatoes or tomato sauce). Serve the sauce with pasta or rice.

With a 2 tbsp olive oil combine equal parts of ROSEMARY, SAGE, THYME, to a GARLIC clove, half ONION for your favorite beans. • Try any of these herbs in your steamed vegetables or in soups. • Try fresh garlic and onion sauté in a tbsp oil.

Chives Dill Parsley Tarragon
• Steam any one of these with your vegetables or with fish. • Tarragon is great in soup. • Dill is great in rice with vegetables and kidney beans, or in dips with yogurt and low fat sour cream. • Chives and parsley are great on top of salad, soup or baked potato. They are also good in dips with yogurt and sour cream.

Allspice Garlic Marjoram Parsley Thyme
• Mix these herbs and spices together for a terrific meat loaf, pot roast or other red meat dish.
Marjoram Rosemary Tarragon

• Mix these together, rub on your chicken or turkey (with the skin removed) and steam it.
Curry powder Turmeric Garlic and Onion

• Mix these together with tomatoes (tomato sauce), rice, black beans and corn for a delicious Spanish flavor. • If you don’t like curry, try the same recipe without the curry powder.

Tips to reduce sugar
Reducing sugar by ¼ to 1/3 in baked goods and desserts. If recipe calls for 1 cup, use 2/3 cup. Flavor Enhancers ARE: Cinnamon, vanilla, almond and various extracts. (Do not remove all sugar in yeast breads as sugar provides food for the yeast.)

Yogurt, all varieties
Plain or “lite” yogurt with fresh fruit slices.

Syrup
Pureed fruit, such as no sugar added applesauce, or sugar-free syrup.

Sugar in canned or frozen fruits
Decrease or eliminate sugar when canning or freezing fruits or buy unsweetened frozen fruit or fruit canned in its own juice, water, or light syrup.

Ways to Increase Fiber; CRITICAL to Weight Loss
Choose fruits and vegetables with skins that can be eaten, making your digestive system work for you, burning more calories as your body tries to rid itself of indigestable cellulose within the skin. White rice prepared until al dente, 1-2 minutes short cooked to done, leaves the rice more rigid. Prepare enriched grains such as: whole grain, brown rice, wild rice, whole cornmeal (not degermed), whole barley, bulgur, kasha, quinoa, or whole wheat couscous.

All purpose flour
Substitute whole wheat flour for up to ½ of the flour. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups flour: Alternate with 1 cup all purpose flour and 1 cup (minus 1 tablespoon) Whole Wheat Flour. Use “white whole-wheat flour” or “whole wheat pastry flour” for total amount of all-purpose flour.

Pasta, cereals crackers, cookies
Now the choice can be whole grain pastas, crackers and cereals, reduced –fat cookies.

White bread

100% whole wheat bread and 100% whole grain bread.
Aunt Millies bread often will have 2.5-3 grams of fiber per serving.

By: Kimberly Crocker-Scardicchio

Euphoria, Pleasure, Happiness! Which Nutrient do You Need?

Need a pick me up? Do you feel deflated, demotivated, or depressed? Such pessimistic symptoms can leave one dragging their feet, however, can also be combatted through an intake of dietary nutrients that provide a natural supplementation for enhancement of moods

Foods that Increase Euphoria & Pleasure Release Dopamine

A good reason to consume 1 ounce of dark chocolate a day is that it has the chemical phenylethylamine which releases dopamine.  Dr. Mindy Dopler Nelson of Stanford University,  states that, “The compound is thought to be  responsible for the high you experience after eating chocolate because it releases natural feel-good chemicals called endorphins in your brain.  According to All Chocolate, PEA is released by the brain when people are falling in love, and this might explain why chocolate and Valentines Day are so closely linked.”

Chocolate has a chemical that causes dopamine to be released in the brain, inspiring a sense of euphoria and pleasure.

Dr. Nelson explains, “Chocolate is a stimulant that will release the dopamine that creates that pleasure feeling. It’s in the cocoa. There’s more of it in dark chocolate than in milk chocolate. But there’s something about the fat in the milk that also will make you feel good. Some people associate a comfort food with a high-fat food. There also are antioxidants in the dark chocolate, but watch the dosage! Excess can be harmful for your liver and pile on the pounds. Dopamine has an amphedamine effect, hence the term chocoholic. You also cannot ignore the fact it contains mucho caffeine that will keep you up at night. (And if you don’t get enough sleep it will effect your serotonin level.)

Other food sources of phenylethylamine are: Almonds (can promote migraine headaches if too many are consumed.) and Cheese should be consumed in 1 ounce or 28 grams per day, Red Wine (4-6 ounces or 125-200 ml per day) and Tomatoes.  An apple a day contains tyrosine which also converts to dopamine.

Eat to Improve Mood, Memory, & Sleep: vitamin B6 & Trytophan

If diagnosed with depression, try pursuing some dietary changes before starting medication, or implement in addition to the intake of medication.  Facing depression head on, incorporating walking twice a day along with new nutritional choices and professional help can give you a new perspective on life.  Your daily dietary intake should consist of 2-3 of the following through out the day:

  • Nuts (1 ounce, or 28 grams a day) Cashews or Brazilian Nuts are also linked to reducing coronary, depression, and diabetic symptoms in addition to promoting weight loss.
  • Bananas (1 banana per day)
  • Poultry for protein (tryptophan. 4-6 ounces)
  • Salmon
  • Tofu
  • Milk  (8-16 ounces or 245-490 ml per day)
  • Yogurt (4-6 ounces a day or 125-200 ml day)

  • A plate of Sri Lanken Chicken Cashew has nutrition properties to reduce symptoms of depression.

Cashew nuts are very rich source of minerals. Minerals especially manganese, potassium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium are concentrated in the nuts. A handful of cashew nuts a day in the diet would provide enough of these minerals and prevent deficiency diseases.

 “Vitamin B6 and Tryptophan”.   Foods such as turkey, chicken, quail, banana, and even milk can fight depression symptoms. All contain Vitamin B6 (which helps create serotonin) and have the protein Tryptophan  that can be converted to the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which is linked with happiness, or known as a “Mood” enhancer.  In simplified terms, a Neurotransmitter (serotonin for example), is like the super-autostrada of information in your brain that allows different parts to talk to each other!!!

Tryptophan can be found in a variety of foods to help fight depression, they include: chocolate, bananas, poultry, meat, whole grain pasta, fennel seeds, figs, fish, peanuts, milk and cottage cheese.  A list that many can pick and choose from and find health and comfort.                                                         

Artificial sweeteners are often found in beverages and processed foods; such sweeteners depress pleasure hormones dopamine and interfere with the production of serotonin.

Foods to AVOID.  Any foods or drinks (Diet) with artificial sweetners should be avoided.  Multiple studies have shown this aritficial sweetner to depress serotonin levels. Those with a history of mood disorders or depression have been linked to a severe reaction after consuming aspartamine. Additional weight gain is attributed to aritificial sweetners, as they interfere with an individual’s “internal calorie counter” causing the hormones ghrelin (go eat) and leptin (stop eating) to malfunction. While consuming a diet drink with a meal of 700 calories, the leptin hormone does not respond to the feeling of satiety because the internal calorie counter thinks that only 300 calories have been eaten; that kind of deficit adds up to weight gain and to depression.

Stay on the medication.  Do talk to your doctor about how you can work with them in pursuing necessary dietary changes that will nutritionally benefit you as well.

Nutritional Facts:  Include foods in your diet with B Vitamins. They contain two amino acids: Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, which are precursors to noraepinepherine and tryptophan, which are precursors to the neurotransmitter, serotonin.

Other vitamins which may contribute to mood enhancers are: zinc, selenium, calcium, Vitamin D, iron and magnesium.

By: Kimberly Crocker-Scardicchio

Literature Research

Low-Acid Food Diet

Watermelon is at the top of the list of the Low Acid Diet

Each individual’s “bio-chemistry and predisposition” to disease is unique and  are continuously being explored in the medical world. While a new diet is not designed to be a monthly fad, the Low Acid Diet can be applied to most individuals, especially those who may combat stomach discomfort.

The normal bodily pH of 7.35- to 7.45 keeps our bodies in homeostasis. Water has a neutral pH 7; all  foods and beverages can then labeled as more basic, for numbers higher than pH 7, or they maybe be classified as acidic, for numbers are lower than pH 7.

The Low-Acid Diet has benefited: weight loss, treats those suffer from Acid Reflux, GERD, curves Osteoporosis, and improves Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. This diet is safe for those who like to change their dietary routine and/or introduce some new foods into there meals or snacks.

A salad with the Low Acid Diet ingredients can benefit anyone!

Watermelon ranks the highest on the list of basic nutrition, other foods are: beans, nuts, olive oil, lettuce, celery, broccoli and grapefruit.  Interestingly, many of these foods are also contributors to keeping the liver healthy by synthesizing bile salts and secreting bile acid so that toxins do not build in the body and regular bowel movements occur daily. Those who suffer from IBS will also be able to follow this diet.

Complete nutrition includes both basic and acidic foods and should be a part of 3 square meals. Acidic foods have been listed as the following, consume in moderation: processed foods, coffee, alcohol and animal proteins found in dairy products, red meats, chicken, fish.

Researchers have explored acidic food’s impact on bone health, having shown that “dairy products do not have a negative impact on bone health”, Department of Community and Health Sciences, University and Calgary, Canada; confirmed by Researchers at Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center.

In conclusion, all foods can be eaten in controlled amounts, those with specific needs should review individual concerns with your doctor or dietitian before adjusting your dietary intake.

By: Kimberly Crocker- Scardicchio

Additional Reading at Eat Know How:
Fennel Seeds to Soothe and Restore Health
Fast Food: Fatty Liver
Gas Pains, Drink Lemon Water

Visit Recipes for ideas on how to supplement your meals.
Fava Bean Soup
Vegetable Couscous
Lentil Soup with Natures Cure

Reference

Chard or Kale Saute`

Saute` Kale topped off with parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

3 Cheers for Cruciferous Vegetables! They are proving to be an added health factor in dietary intake. Exciting studies link the kale power house to inhibiting tumor growth “at the top of the cancer-related research for colon cancer and breast cancer, but risk of bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer have all been found to decrease in relationship to routine intake of kale.”  While all of this is promising, it is also important to note that some digestive tracks can be more sensitive to the the large amount of Vitamin K and fiber that is present, and therefore is linked to diarrhea as a side effect of kale.

The AARP promotes Kale for nutrition and age related disease, stating the 4 following facts:

“For your eyes: Kale is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals found in the retina, which could help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older people. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation says research has indicated that eating red, orange, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables, which are high in phytochemicals, seems to have a protective effect against vision loss.

For your immune system: Kale is rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), a powerful antioxidant that may help boost the immune system and possibly protect against some chronic diseases and cancer. At least one study also found that long-term consumption of beta-carotene had cognitive benefits.

For your bones: Kale is is one of the few vegetables with a decent amount of calcium, but it’s especially high inmagnesium — just a cup contains 40 percent of the RDA — which is very important for bone health and to protect against osteoporosis. Magnesium has a crucial job working with vitamin D to help your bones absorb calcium. In addition, research has shown that the vitamin K in kale also contributes to bone health by improving bone density.

For your heart: While recent studies have found that antioxidant supplements, like vitamin E pills, don’t protect against heart disease, foods like kale that are naturally high in antioxidants are definitely heart-healthy, says the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, kale’s magnesium and potassium help lower blood pressure, and its high fiber content can help lower cholesterol — all beneficial factors in lowering your risk of cardiovascular illness.”

Kale maybe substituted for a variety of spinach dishes. Steamed and sautéed are the optimal way to maximize the nutrients within kale and let it work for your body. However, it can be boiled and then seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and served on the side.

Green or Cruciferous Vegetables of all types are a key source of specialized chemical signals that our immune systems use to self-communicate. Four servings of cruciferous foods throughout the week will enrich the overall health of your body and promotes a sound mind.

INGREDIENTS  1 bunch is 6 servings

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch of Kale (cut into bite size pieces.)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt  to taste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 6 teaspoons pine nuts (optional)

In a frying pan add olive oil, garlic and onion. Place on medium heat and allow

Saute` onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.

onion to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile,  wash kale leaves and remove access water. Cut leaves into bite size pieces. (May remove or keep center stem.) Add kale to frying pan, rotate leaves, combining with oil until well coated, add salt, reduce temperature to medium low, add water. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Serve on side of meal by itself or with parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

By: Kimberly Crocker Scardicchio

References

  • AARP “Hail Kale why you should….eat it” http://blog.aarp.org/2013/03/25/hail-kale-why-you-should-or-shouldnt-eat-it/
  • Indole-3-carbinol inhibits the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-6 and induces a G1 cell cycle arrest of humanbreast cancer cells independent of estrogen receptor signaling.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9461564      “A component of cruciferous foods inhibits growth of mammary tumors”.
  • Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer prevention: role of nutrigenetics. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.
  • Angeloni C, Leoncini E, Malaguti M, et al. Modulation of phase II enzymes by sulforaphane: implications for its cardioprotective potential. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jun 24;57(12):5615-22. 2009.
  • Banerjee S, Wang Z, Kong D, et al. 3,3′-Diindolylmethane enhances chemosensitivity of multiple chemotherapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer. 3,3′-Diindolylmethane enhances chemosensitivity of multiple chemotherapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer. 2009.
  • Bhattacharya A, Tang L, Li Y, et al. Inhibition of bladder cancer development by allyl isothiocyanate. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Feb;31(2):281-6. 2010.
  • Bryant CS, Kumar S, Chamala S, et al. Sulforaphane induces cell cycle arrest by protecting RB-E2F-1 complex in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Molecular Cancer 2010, 9:47. 2010.
  • Carpenter CL, Yu MC, and London SJ. Dietary isothiocyanates, glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), and lung cancer risk in African Americans and Caucasians from Los Angeles County, California. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(4):492-9. 2009.
  • Christopher B, Sanjeez K, Sreedhar C, et al. Sulforaphane induces cell cycle arrest by protecting RB-E2F-1 complex in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Molecular Cancer Year: 2010 Vol: 9 Issue: 1 Pages/record No.: 47. 2010.
  • http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

Nutrition for the Colon

An abundance of flavonoids from fruits and vegetables are the best way to nourish the colon. Specifically, tomatoes, sauces, and salsa are cleansing and important for colon health.

Each organ must be properly nourished and cared for through daily meals, snacks and beverages. Likewise, each organ has a list of foods to avoid that have demonstrated the ability to inflict harm,  lead to malabsorption, food intolerance, disease, or cancer. It is important to note that there are variables to colon health, in addition to nutrition, which should all be discussed with your doctor.  (Genetics, Habits, Lifestyle, Vices)

The colon (large intestine) functions as an internal sewage system, has 4 sections and connects to the anus for excretion of feces.

The Large Intestine, or Colon, has four sections: the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon and the sigmoid colon. It is about 6 ft in length and due to its diameter in width, it is called the large intestine ending at the anus where the feces is excreted. The small intestine is 26 ft in length and much smaller in diameter and therefore, bears the name of small intestine.

The purpose of the large intestine is to carry the sewage (digested or undigested foods) from our bodies.  As modern society has “developed”, the food consumption has changed from: fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and oils, to food that has been engineered such as: cookies, chips, candy, and soda.

Toxins and Mucus.  The human body was not designed to digest toxin filled foods. When consuming harmful foods, a signal is sent from the stomach, to the intestine, to alert the colon as to what is coming down the line.  The colon produces a mucus to protect itself from the harmful foods and toxins.  Overtime an accumulated thick layer of hardened mucus has lined the colon that can weigh between 5-11 pounds! The mucus production should disintegrate on its own through occasional use, over use leads to toxemia and disease.

Weight Loss.  Choosing to “diet” can further a problem by introducing fruits and vegetables  to an already blocked system.  Before changing eating habits, a doctor may advice the patient to fast and then to flush their bodies of the toxins by taking a laxative (colenema). This is a safe cleansing that can be done in the privacy of one’s bathroom.  For a natural cleansing: Cut a lemon in half, squeeze the juice of both lemon halves into a glass of water.  Drink twice a day; once in the morning and after dinner. (Just as a car engine would not have new oil added to the old filthy built up oil, a clean engine is often the best way to begin a new dietary lifestyle.)

American Cancer Society Identifies Risk Factors

Type 2 Diabetes.   According to the American Cancer Society, “People with type 2 (usually non-insulin dependent) diabetes have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. Both type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer share some of the same risk factors (such as excess weight). But even after taking these factors into account, people with type 2 diabetes still have an increased risk. They also tend to have a less favorable prognosis (outlook) after diagnosis. Nourish the Colon with optimal choices.”

Genetics: Increased risk factor is tied to familial Colon cancer “with a history of colorectal cancer in one or more first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, or children) are at increased risk. The risk is about doubled in those with a single affected first-degree relative. It is even higher if the first-degree relative was diagnosed when they were younger than 45, or if more than one first-degree relative is affected.

People with a family history of adenomatous polyps or colorectal cancer should talk with their doctor about screening before age 50. If you have had adenomatous polyps or colorectal cancer, it’s important to tell your close relatives so that they can pass along that information to their doctors and start screening at the right age.”

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP): “FAP is caused by changes (mutations) in the APC gene that a person inherits from his or her parents. About 1% of all colorectal cancers are due to FAP.

People with this disease typically develop hundreds or thousands of polyps in their colon and rectum, usually in their teens or early adulthood. Cancer usually develops in 1 or more of these polyps as early as age 20. By age 40, almost all people with this disorder will have developed colon cancer if the colon isn’t removed first to prevent it.

Gardner syndrome is a type of FAP that also involves benign (non-cancerous) tumors of the skin, soft connective tissue, and bones.”

Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC): “HNPCC, also known as Lynch syndrome, accounts for about 2% to 4% of all colorectal cancers.  The cancers in this syndrome also develop when people are relatively young. People with HNPCC can have polyps, but they only have a few, not hundreds as in FAP. The lifetime risk of colorectal cancer in people with this condition may be as high as 80%.

Women with this condition also have a very high risk of developing cancer of the endometrium (lining of the uterus). Other cancers linked with HNPCC include cancer of the ovary, stomach, small bowel, pancreas, kidney, brain, ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder), and bile duct.”

Recommended Dietary Intake

  • Water, or water with juice of fresh lemon twice a day
  • 2-3 cups Green Tea (decaffeinated) a day
  • Daily Aspirin
  • Raw Plant Foods (fruits and vegetables)
  • Aloe Vera (beverage) http://aloe-verajuice.com/
  • Broccoli & Kale. Butyrate is formed in the colon through bacteria fermentation, in the presence of carbohydrates rich in fiber.  Known to have a number of anti cancer effects, certain foods  are recommended for preventative colon care.
  • Sweet Potatoes (Vitamin A, C, E, Pantothenic Acid, Manganese, Phytosterols) increased motility of bowels so toxins move quickly through, protection against cellular mutation.
  • Mushrooms, Onion, Garlic allows for the immune system to work more aggressively.
  • Yogurt:  Returns balance of healthy bacteria and resident flora, which promotes bowel movements and waste elimination.  Yogurt is rich in Vitamin D and Calcium, both are imperative to organ health.
  • Tuna (Omega 3 for cellular reparation)
  • Turmeric (gives color to Curry. Can be placed into a spice shaker and used on vegetables, soups, salads, poultry, fish, pasta, rice) anti-carcinogenic
  • Cinnamon: anti carcinogenic
  • Dried Fruit, Beans, Brown Rice all have fiber that remove toxins from the intestine.
  • Flavonoids are antioxidants and should be consumed daily; found in all fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices
  • Foods that produce Butyrate to remove toxins are: green vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, sweet potatoes, whole grains.

What has shown to Harm the Colon should be Avoided or limited.

  • Red Meat (1’c a month: Men 3 ounces and Women 2 ounces)
  • Lamb (1’c a month reduced amounts)
  • Pork (1’c a month reduced amounts)
  • Processed Meats
  • Excessive Processed, Snacks, & Fried Foods
  • Alcohol (1 glass of wine or 1 beer once a week)
  • Smoking (Avoid!)

What has been linked to Polyps

  • Over cooked foods
  • Dairy, Cheese (no more than 1 ounce 3 times a week)
  • Red Meats
  • Fried Foods
  • Processed Foods (chips, crackers, candy, cookies, fried foods)

Foods to Avoid if a colostomy has been performed

  • Asparagus
  • Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Celery
  • Corn
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Popcorn
  • Raw onions or raw garlic

Nutrient balance is critical to colon health. The daily recommended intake (DRI) of 4 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables, Vitamin D and calcium all promote healthy organs.

Families who have a history of colorectal or colon cancer should discuss genetic testing and review a dietary and exercise plan with their doctor.

Kimberly Crocker-Scardicchio BASC DTR

References