Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Diet & Nutrition
By Rhiannon Ross | rhiannon.ross@examiner.net
Blueberries instead of cheesecake, green tea instead of soda pop and broccoli instead of french fries?
These are just a few food substitutes cardiologist and medical professor James O'Keefe, M.D., recommends people make to their diets.
Is he nuts?
"Nuts make a good substitute for candy," he adds.
He and his wife, Joan O'Keefe, a registered dietitian, are authors of The Forever Young Diet and Lifestyle (www.foreveryoungdiet.com). The book offers "a commonsense plan that improves satiety; promotes wholesome, fresh, and easily obtained foods; and reinforces a rational, holistic, mind-body approach to diet and lifestyle."
Key to this approach is including foods in the diet that are rich in antioxidants.
"Antioxidants help dampen down inflammation in the body," Dr. O'Keefe says, "which prevents disease and premature aging."
Below, Dr. O'Keefe rates what he and his wife think are "The 10 Super Foods" rich in antioxidants. He also offers suggestions on how to substitute these healthier choices for "The Super Bad Foods" that many of us are guilty of indulging in, to the risk of our health.
10 Citrus fruit - "The star in respect to vitamin C and rich in fiber. The lemon is underutilized in water." Substitutes sweetened cereal.
9 Beans - "A good vegetable protein, especially black and red beans. High in folic acid, with no bad saturated fats." Substitutes fatty hamburger, ham or bacon.
8 Green tea - "Loaded with antioxidants, which can help crank up metabolism and burn belly fat. Calorie-free with light to moderate caffeine. Don't add honey, it's like sugar and too quickly absorbed. Calorie-free sweeteners just feed the sweet-tooth addiction." Substitutes soda pop.
7 Nonfat dairy - "High-quality protein, grows muscle, fills you up, helps with weight loss, a valuable source of calcium." Substitutes ice cream.
6 Red wine - "Helps reduce rate of which you absorb glucose in food, reducing the spike in sugar after you eat; helps reduce inflammation. The benefit of one glass is about as powerful as taking a cholesterol-lowering drug." Recommends one, 5 to 6 ounce glass a day but no more than two. If you can't limit it to two, don't drink at all." Substitutes beer and distilled spirits.
5 Salmon - "High in protein and omega 3-fats. Both farm salmon and wild salmon are low in mercury. One of healthiest foods you can eat." O'Keefe says it's a myth that farm salmon is high in mercury. Substitutes prime rib.
4 Berries - "Highest fruit source of antioxidants, loaded with fiber and other beneficial nutrients, especially wild blueberries." Substitute dessert or sweetened cereal with blueberries mixed with nonfat, plain yogurt, fresh, unsalted almonds or pecans, sprinkled with ground cinnamon and ground flaxseed.
3 Nuts - "Good source of vegetable protein. Boosts the immune system, lowers cholesterol levels, reduces risks of heart and other age-related diseases, helps prevents osteoporosis and diabetes." Substitutes candy. **Buy nuts on our site! Check out our new selection: http://www.healthfitlabs.com/buy/106/natural_foods/**
2 Spinach or other leafy greens - "Rich in folic acid, Vitamin C, iron and lutein. Great for eyes and brain." Substitutes mashed potatoes. "Order double vegetables. Skip the butter and add olive oil."
1 Broccoli - "Absolutely loaded with Vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, nutrients; basically calorie free. Helps prevent dementia, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease and obesity. The more you eat of this food, the healthier you'll be." Substitutes french fries or any potato. Steam it and eat with olive oil.