Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category
ANDI wants to be your friend
… but I’d be wary.
So I’m swinging by the Whole Foods Market picking up a quick morning bite of bacon … lots of bacon (see, the ‘by weight’ pricing of the buffet skews seriously well for our carnivores – not so much for the potato and bread eaters). There I come across this display touting this new system for evaluating the nutrient density of food. It’s call the ANDI system for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.”
So I say “hmm, that’s interesting” and finish chowing on my delicious bacon and think I’ll go look this up a little later when I’m online with a big screen. Then it just slips my mind. A few weeks later, I come across a much bigger display at another Whole Foods, so I decide this time I’ll actually look it up.
Seems the ANDI is the brainchild of Dr. 
Joel Fuhrman, a practicing family physician in New Jersey and author of several books on diet. When I do manage to get info about the index, I find that it’s a blatant pitch for veganism. How do I know this, well, the index goes essentially from 1 to 2000. In looking at the scale, you don’t get to an animal product until you get to salmon (doesn’t distinguish between wild/farmed) way down at 39 out of 1,000. the next animal protein you get is chicken breast and eggs down at 27. The only beef on the list is ground beef coming in at 20.
So how does he do it, Dr. Fuhrman? We’ll we will never know because it’s patented. Here’s an excerpt from his web site extolling the virtues of ANDI:
To determine the scores above almost all vitamins and minerals were considered and added in. Nutrient Data from Nutritionist Pro software for an equal caloric amount of each food item was obtained. We included the following nutrients in the evaluation: Calcium, Carotenoids: Beta Carotene, Alpha Carotene, Lutein & Zeaxanthin, Lycopene, Fiber, Folate, Glucosinolates, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Selenium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc, plus ORAC score X 2 (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity is a method of measuring the antioxidant or radical scavenging capacity of foods).
Nutrient quantities, which are normally in many different measurements (mg, mcg, IU) were converted to a percentage of their RDI so that a common value could be considered for each nutrient. Since there is currently no RDI for Carotenoids, Glucosinolates, or ORAC score, goals were established based on available research and current understanding of the benefits of these factors. (limited references below). The % RDI or Goal for each nutrient which the USDA publishes a value for was added together to give a total. All nutrients were weighted equally with a factor of one except for the foods ORAC score. The ORAC score was given a factor 2 (as if it were two nutrients) due to the importance of antioxidant phytonutrients so that a contribution from unnamed and unscored anti-oxidant phytochemicals were represented in the scoring. The sum of the food’s total nutrient value was then multiplied by a fraction to make the highest number equal 1000 so that all foods could be considered on a numerical scale of 1 to 1000.
1 Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient density food rankings, scoring system, and point determinations of foods and it dietary application to individual medical needs is patented. The patent is held by Dr. Fuhrman and Kevin Leville of Eat Right America.
Any scale of nutritional value that asserts salmon has approximately 1/20th the nutritional value of kale has to be suspect. One quick read above makes it clear that Dr. Fuhrman also doesn’t believe there’s any value in amino acids or any dietary fat at all.
My sense is this ANDI scoring system is there to promote a veg*an agenda (notice the all veg*an book selections adjacent to the display) and should be looked at with a great deal of skepticism as a way of ensuring optimal health.
Know your foodstuffs
They are so ubiquitous now, it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t have these little indecipherable blobs on our food packaging. Believe it or not, these ‘Nutrition Facts’ Labels were not required in the US until May 8, 1994. Ok, I guess that’s been over 15 years, but it sure seems like longer than that to me.
What I have found recently, though, is there are a number of web sites that have obtained the FDA database and allow for you to enter a food item (packaged or not) and get the relevant macronutrient and vitamin/mineral breakdown for that item.
Let’s say, for example, you wanted to know about those ‘country ribs’ you at a couple of evenings ago (man, they were good). You could guess, or you could go to the NutritionData.com site and get the real skinny (ok, there was a lot of good-tasting fat in those country ribs, but they’re keeping me skinny).
So you go to the site, an you enter ‘country ribs’ in the search. You might get this:
… a list of many of the possible ways you might prepare and eat such a dish.
Then you pick one of the choices (in my case, it was ‘Pork, fresh, loin, country-style ribs, separable lean and fat, cooked, roasted’
… you get the whole nutrition table, breakdown of carbs/fat/protein and a bunch of other stuff.
There are other sites out there too. Will collect a few up in a subsequent post.
New Atkins – not your big-brother’s diet
Filed under: Atkins, BookNote, Diet, Nutrition | Tags: Atkins, BookNote, Diet, Nutrition
Comments (3) You remember the craze, don’t you. Back in 2003 and 2004 it was all Atkins, all the time. TV shows, packaged products lining grocery store aisles. Phenomenal stories of quick weight loss.
Then, like every other fad, it seemed to fade away. Products disappeared from store shelves, negative stories started popping up in the press and grave warnings from people who supposedly know better than you.
So, why on earth would there be anything truly new about the Atkins diet that would be worth noting? Well, let’s find out.
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New Atkins for a New You: The Ultimate Diet for Shedding Weight and Feeling Great. |
One more benefit from having attended last month’s ASBP conference in Seattle was the opportunity to meet two of the authors of this book. In speaking with Dr. Westman, I noted several of my colleagues at work had been probing to see how we could organize our efforts to increase the awareness of the benefits of carbohydrate restricted diets (and high-intensity strength training) towards the end of enabling weight loss and addressing metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Our benchmark for comparison was the very successful 20/20 Lifestyles program which was developed at the Pro Sports Club in Bellevue Washington. Without getting into tons of detail about the program, I can say that it has worked for a great many people. The challenge, though, is that it is extremely expensive and extremely time-consuming. However, it does tick all the ‘conventional wisdom’ dietary checkboxes (calorie restriction, reduced fat, etc.). We thought an Atkins-like alternative could be just as successful at a fraction of the cost and effort. Our first self-critical question was the risk. You’re always ‘safe’ if you stick with the conventional wisdom. If anything does go wrong (i.e. someone has a major adverse event while on the program) if you’re in with the crowd, you have cover. If you’re not, you’re liable to get picked off, if you know what I mean.
When I recounted this line of reasoning with Dr. Westman, he assured me that he had it covered. Specifically, a major reason why he and his collaborators wrote the book was to decisively report the overwhelming clinical evidence of the effectiveness of this approach and that he and his colleagues had been treating their patients very successfully in their clinical practice for years. Now that I’ve finally gotten through the book, I can report that he did not disappoint.
In some ways, it’s the standard fare: chapters about the principles around which the diet was based, chapters about how to actually implement the diet, meal plans, recipes. But there are two major things that make this book stand out in my mind.
Deconstructs all the potential straw-men
One of the oft-repeated characterization (caricature?) of the Atkins approach is that it’s all about eggs and sausage all the time. While this book is no exception in extolling the virtues of eggs and high-quality, full-fat protein, it explicitly calls out the value of what are referred to as ‘foundation’ vegetables. Simply described as the ‘non-starchy’ vegetables (leafy greens, cruciferous, etc.). These vegetables are part of the plan form day 1 (even in the ‘induction’ phase). They have even included options for vegetarians and vegans. That’s right: a vegetarian Atkins dietary plan – strange bedfellows, indeed.
Overwhelms you with clinical evidence
Just as the doctor stated, the big payoff for me in this book was chapters 13 and 14 which they clearly have targeted to skeptical clinicians. They reiterate all the relevant biochemistry, cite their many successful interventions and buttress their arguments by citing no fewer than 71 publications in peer-reviewed journals that support their approach. Seventy one.
In terms of down-to-earth, practical advice combined with scientific and clinical support for said advice, this book is now at the top of the heap (edging out ‘6-Week Cure’) of books I will recommend to those who want to alter their nutritional practices to benefit their overall health.
Racial Opportunities – Vitamin D (again!)
Filed under: Nutrition, PublicHealth, Supplements, Vitamin D | Tags: Nutrition, PublicHealth, Supplements, Vitamin D
Comments (2) At the risk of changing my ‘Health Man’ blog into the ‘Vitamin D’ blog, I come to you – once again – with more vital information about Vitamin D.
In a previous post, I make reference to mindboggling degree of Vitamin D deficiency among African-Americans – 97% are deficient. While we focus on African-Americans due to the relatively large population of Americans of African descent, these issues should be of concern for all people living in temperate climates with melanin-rich skin pigment.
Little did I know that in February of 2005, the Vitamin D council offered a publication titled: Racial Opportunities. In a very brief six pages, it wallops you with fact after fact, study after study that strongly correlates the much higher incidence of mortality and morbidity among African-Americans with their relatively poor Vitamin D status.
In the hopes of piquing your interest in reading this, here area a few stunners:
- Blacks are about ten times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than are whites.
- Vitamin D deficiency in African American mothers may explain the fact that black babies are more than twice as likely as whites to have low-birth-weights.
- Breast milk of black women often has undetectable levels of vitamin D.
- Fourteen diseases/conditions that have a higher incidence among African-Americans (eg, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity) also correlate with Vitamin D deficiency
This will take so little of your time to read. I hope it leads you to take ACTION.
Vitamin D Council Newsletter, February 12, 2005, "Racial Opportunities”
Healthier Without Wheat – Redux
Filed under: BookNote, Diet, Nutrition, Seattle | Tags: BookNote, Diet, Nutrition, Seattle
Comments (4) In an earlier post, I mentioned having attended a talk given by Dr. Stephen Wangen, author of Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance.
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Healthier Without Wheat: A New Understanding of Wheat Allergies, Celiac Disease, and Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance. |
In that post, I said I’d follow up after having completed the book, so here’s the post I said I’d write.
The short summary is it should be an eye-opening book for anyone. Dr. Wangen has taken up this issue in a previous book entitled The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Solution as well in his clinical practice where he has become a ‘go-to’ person for those with wheat allergies, gluten intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Given I’ve been on the dietary fringe for some time, it’s easy for me to underestimate the extent to which this book pierces deeply entrenched notions about what’s ‘good’ and ‘healthy’ for you. Think about it, this book essentially makes the assertion that this staple of life (bread of life) should be treated more like a toxin and should only be consumed as a last resort, given its metabolic effects on the body.
As is often the case with books written by clinicians in active practice, it has more then its fair share of testimonials/case studies. While I understand this approach appeals to lots of people and makes the whole thing less dry for most, I skip over most of them. But they’re there for you if you want them.
Found his explanation of the origin of cereal grains and the differences and commonalities among them fascinating. He includes a ‘family tree’ of grains that include all the ones we find in common use today: wheat, oats, corn, rice, spelt, etc.
Having known very little about IBS, celiac disease and the like, it was enlightening to have him clearly delineate the differences among these conditions and state categorically that these ‘conditions’ only persist as long as you consume the offending item (wheat or gluten as the case may be).
The only major issue I had with the book is the repeated reference to an extremely wide range of symptoms that might lead you to consider whether you might have an allergy/intolerance. There were instances where, after I read the list, I wondered what adverse condition was left out. So that’s where I’d include a gain of salt. He also spent a lot of time describing the diagnostic methods he uses to make a determination as to what might be at the root of issues you’re seeing. Got a sense that these sections were more directed at his peers whose patients might pick up the book and ask their doctor’s about it. Wouldn’t want to leave out stuff that would clearly show you knew what you were doing since the book is likely to wind up in the hands of other physicians either directly or indirectly.
So, the bottom line is it is well worth the read if you or someone you care about has issues with wheat or gluten. It is also of interest to those who are not so wedded to our revered food staple (bread) that they might be considering giving it up to better their health.
21 Life Lessons from Jimmy Moore
Filed under: Blogging, BookNote, Diet, Nutrition | Tags: Blogging, BookNote, Diet, Nutrition
Comments (2) About a month ago I had the privilege of meeting the internationally known low-carb blogger Jimmy “Livin’ la Vida Low-Carb” Moore. This opportunity to meet was afforded to me in connection with the American Society of Bariatric Physicians conference about which I wrote at the time.
Well he seemed like a fun and engaging enough fellow based on his blog, podcast and YouTube channel (busy guy!), but it’s nothing like meeting a person face to face. It’s hard to imagine anybody who wouldn’t like Jimmy. He’s fun, doesn’t take himself overly seriously and, at the same time, has a real thirst for knowledge which he shares with his readers. And, by the way, managed, through diet and perseverance, to rid himself of over 180 excess pounds by switching to a carbohydrate-restricted diet back in 2004.
So you can imagine my good fortune to be offered a signed copy of his most recent book 21 life Lessons from Livin’ la Vida Low-Carb.
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21 Life Lessons From Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb: How The Healthy Low-Carb Lifestyle Changed Everything I Thought I Knew |
The book book is organized around 21 lessons. Some about diet and nutrition (“Low-carb is much more than a diet” and “Low-carb is not even close to being a fad diet”). Others about life lessons (“If you put yourself out there on the internet, people will judge you” and “If you put yourself out there on the internet, people will love you”). Anyway, you get the drift. Weighing in (heh, he said ‘weighing in’) at 471 pages, he could have benefitted from the deft hand of a skillful editor, but the passion and the sincerity surely come through.
Throughout, Jimmy is his open, self-critical, yet always upbeat self. He’s been through a lot in life and you can’t help but admire his optimism. He’s become a friend now (thanks for the mention on your blog, by the way) and while I had admired him from afar and wished him health and success, having met him and gotten to know him, I can say that great things couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Keep it going, Jimmy!
Pregnancy and Vitamin D
Filed under: Health Disparities, HealthCitizen, Hormones, Nutrition, Supplements, Vitamin D | Tags: Health Disparities, HealthCitizen, Hormones, Nutrition, Supplements, Vitamin D
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Who needs to see yet another vitamin D post from me? Seems like I covered it all before. You may be saying ‘I get it already.’ Well, this time, the focus is a little more specific – it’s about giving our mothers and children their best shot at a healthy delivery.
In the April journal of the Obstetrics and Gynecological Survey, there was an alert put out to all Obstetricians, Gynecologists and Family Physicians regarding the mounting evidence of a a strong association between some common complications related to pregnancy and child birth (preeclampsia, spontaneous preterm birth, gestational diabetes, and fetal growth restriction) and the mother’s vitamin D levels.
In fact, they highlight the “significant, intractable disparities” that exist in rates of major pregnancy outcomes between black and white women. Given, as I have noted before, that only THREE PERCENT (3%) of black people in the US have sufficient levels of circulating Vitamin D, it should not be surprising that these scientists believe there may be a connection. You may recall that this ‘sufficiently’ level is 30 ng/mL which is still not optimal (50 ng/mL). While we do not have broadly-collected data on this statistic, one would expect the percentage of black people in the optimal range to be very close to –0-.
There is a summary of this report available on PubMed. Also, our just slightly offbeat, but always on point Dr. Joseph Mercola has a very comprehensive write up on the topic entitled "How Sunshine Can Prevent Birth Defects". Here’s just a sample of the things Dr. Mercola covers in this eye-opening article:
- Birth Defects
- Vitamin D Deficiency and Brain Damage
- Maternal Vitamin d Deficiency Causes Learning Disabilities
- Dyslexia, Poor School Attendance, Low Apgar Scores And Low Birth Weight
- African-Americans Are at a Much Higher Risk
- Severe Vitamin D Deficiency More Than 20 Times More Common in Young Black Women
You don’t have to wait for all the studies to come in. Hopefully I’ve convinced you to alert all those who are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant need to get their Vitamin D in to the optimal range (remember, 50ng/mL).
Scientific American – going low-carb?
Filed under: Diet, GlycemicLoad, Lipids, Nutrition | Tags: Diet, GlycemicLoad, Lipids, Nutrition
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One more bit of evidence that we may yet see the worm turn as it regards the complex of misconceptions and falsehoods surrounding diet. None other than Scientific American has published in its May issue an article entitled: Carbs against Cardio: More Evidence that Refined Carbohydrates, not Fats, Threaten the Heart.
The central study cited was originally published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It was a meta-analysis (combining data from a number of studies) that found “no association between the amount of saturated fat consumed and the risk of heart disease.”
No association.
Here’s another salient quote:
The finding joins other conclusions of the past few years that run counter to the conventional wisdom that saturated fat is bad for the heart because it increases total cholesterol levels. That idea is “based in large measure on extrapolations, which are not supported by the data,” Krauss says.
Check out the article. One more nail in the coffin of the lipid hypothesis.
An evening with Dr. Eenfeldt
The hits just keep on coming!
Due to the vagaries of life in the wake of the aforementioned volcano (which, by they way is more than a simple inconvenience for many thousands of people), I had the opportunity to spend an evening with a great physician and blogger, Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt. In fact, a mention on his blog sent my traffic to heights it had never seen (hope there’s more to come of that).
Here we are, just chillin’ at our place after dinner. With his unfailing politeness, he managed to endure my incessant prattling on about subjects quite far afield. We managed to touch on Jonas Colting, Malcom Gladwell, Gary Taubes, Michael Eades, Jackie Robinson, Jeremy Rifkin, Marcus Borg, Jimmy Moore and more. come to think of it, he did catch the next thing smokin’ out of Seattle on Tuesday. Coincidence or something more 
?
But is wasn’t all just talk. We managed to get Andreas through his first Super Slow/Body By Science workout at the PRO Sports Club. It’s clear he hits the gym on a regular basis, because he nailed it the first time through. I won’t reveal his weight and times under load, but I will say he may need the XL weight machines if he wants to follow up with this at home. Remember Andreas, give yourself a good recovery time.
… and to all my new readers from Sweden, Välkomna!
Hangin’ with the Bariatrics
Filed under: Diet, Nutrition, Seattle | Tags: Diet, Nutrition, Seattle
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I mean, how silly can you get. I’m spending a perfectly glorious, warm, sunny Sunday morning/afternoon in Seattle (yes, I said ‘sunny’ and ‘Seattle’ in the same sentence – in April, no less) indoors with a those who are inclined to attend an obesity conference convened by the American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP). This I did of my own volition and with specific intention. I did not simply stumble upon this crew while rollerblading the Burke-Gilman Trail. If the term ‘weirdly obsessed’ comes to mind, no worries. Gary Taubes used those exact words to describe me.
But there I was. Loving it, and regretting that I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend more time with this group during their time in Seattle. For one, I had the opportunity to meet a whole host of authors whose works have greatly contributed to my thinking about diet, nutrition and wellness – without whom my current state of health and fitness would have been considerably less. I certainly would not have started this blog. The ASBP is a medical professional association (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, clinical researchers, etc.) focused on treatment and management of overweight patients. In addition, however, it has become a magnet for those who are actively seeking to re-orient our dietary priorities world-wide.
The majority of the (admittedly self-selected) clinicians who I heard speak and with whom I spoke directly, are convinced that significantly-restricted carbohydrates is the ‘front line’ of obesity treatment and prevention. This is not to say there is not a diversity of thought on many issues. One issue that engenders a great deal of discussion is the extent to which pure ‘energy balance’ contributes to lipogenesis. My sense this is an issue that will continue to rage, but I was very surprised to see a near consensus that restriction of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugars/starches) is a major contributor to obesity (more specifically, lipogenesis). Before you go ‘well, duh!’ a scant few years ago this view was literally scoffed at by anyone with a string of initials behind their name (save the very few and proud), so don’t start with the ‘everybody knows this’ stuff.
I had an opportunity to meet and speak with meet Michael Eades (missed Mary Dan by a whisker), Eric Westman, , Mary Vernon (both principles in IMS along with Gary Taubes), James Wortman, Stephen Phinney, Andreas Eendfelt (careful, it’s Swedish), Jimmy Moore and Nora Gedgaudas. Wow, that’s a lot for one day! Even got an opportunity to experience some sloppy ‘Protein Style’ burgers at the local Red Robin with Jimmy and Christine Moore, Andreas and friends. A very fun group!
… and that’s not all. Owing to the ongoing bizarre activities of a certain Icelandic volcano, Andreas gets to enjoy a bit more of our hospitality. Perhaps a super slow/Body by Science workout this evening. Stay tuned.
Thanks to all of you for your warmth and hospitality. This weekend was just the inspiration I needed to step up my efforts. Watch out!
