Olive Oil and Nuts better than drugs for heart disease!

I was really pleased to see the results of this study come up - as I'm not a great fan of all the cardiovascular medications that are so over-prescribed in this country (well in most countries actually). So it is heartening to see you can make dramatic changes through diet alone.

Anyway, some really interesting early results have just been published from a large Spanish study that is due to be finished next year on the impact of certain foods have on our health.

  

They have been studying 7500 people with heart disease risk and have already seen from some preliminary results that a Mediterranean diet, which is also high in Virgin Olive Oil and Nuts is more effective in reducing heart disease event likelihood than drug treatments.

The study placed each volunteer in one of three groups:

• A Mediterranean diet along with 15 litres of virgin olive oil per 3 months.
• A Mediterranean diet with 30gms of nuts a day, including walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts.
• A Mediterranean diet with instructions and material to follow a low fat diet.

They found significant improvements in the artery narrowing of those following the first two diets: high in olive oil or nuts.   Lesions on the artery walls that causes narrowing of the blood vessels actually decreased in these groups.  

And interestingly those who had the greatest thickening of the layers in the arteries, commonly known as arteriosclerosis, had a greater improvement.

Results were seen after 3 months, but over a year the results were better than what is expected when taking many cardiovascular drugs.

It is important to note that these subjects were already on the Mediterranean diet, and that it is not abnormal to eat a lot of olive oil in these countries.  

This backs up another recent study I have discussed that showed those that consumed more olive oil in their diet had a lower risk of stroke.

When you eat nuts for health make sure they are fresh and raw.  With olive oil buy the best quality you can afford and use it in salad dressings and as a dip for bread.  

More reasons you might need magnesium

Magnesium is a basic but significant mineral that is involved with over 320 biochemical reactions in the body. Because it’s such a critical nutrient, it’s a serious problem that many are deficient in this key nutrient.

The first sign you are deficient in this nutrient is leg cramps, eye twitching, restless legs.  Magnesium deficiency can also lead to constipation, high blood pressure and menstrual cramps.

So it's an important nutrient!  

Some of the reasons for deficiency include the fact that our food has lower magnesium content due to poor quality soil, we lose magnesium when stressed, and sweating causes magnesium depletion.

There are other reasons you need magnesium too.  They are easy to remember as they all start with 'I'....

• Insomnia can be caused by many reasons, with magnesium deficiency being at the top. Magnesium calms the nervous system, relaxes muscles and counters stress. Replenishing magnesium can lead to a longer, uninterrupted sleep pattern.
• Insulin resistance is when cells don’t respond adequately to insulin’s attempt to shuttle glucose into the cell after eating, resulting in elevated blood sugar and increased fat storage. It is the hallmark of pre-diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Research shows that people with adequate magnesium levels have improved insulin sensitivity. People with the highest magnesium levels have a lower risk of developing diabetes, even if they have the risk factors such as smoking, low activity level and excessive weight.
• Inflammation is at the root cause of so many health problems, such as arthritis, heart disease and obesity. Magnesium has been shown to act as an anti-inflammatory. More than one study has shown that as magnesium levels decrease, CRP (a marker for inflammation) increases. Elevated CRP is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

A maintenance dose is around 400mg a day – if deficient you can take twice this for a week.

You can find Superfoods everywhere!

We often hear about the latest Superfoods and how good they are for us.  And while they are, they can also be very expensive.

Mustard Seeds

But it may surprise you to find out that inside your cupboards are gems superfoods you'd never suspect are really health foods. 

• Mustard believe it or not, is a medicinal paste made from the seed of the mustard plant. It's a Superfood that's been around for at least 5,000 years, and it's one of the few common sources of selenium, a trace mineral often low in our soils.   Mustard is known to help in reducing migraines, and it's a natural anti-fungal and antiseptic. 

• Coleslaw is made out of one of the most powerful natural medicines in the food kingdom: Raw cabbage.  Raw cabbage is a proven cure for stomach ulcers. Throughout the history of the civilized world, cabbage has been one of the most medicinal foods ever consumed. It's also good for you when cooked (cabbage soup) or fermented (sauerkraut).  Cabbage is rich in indole-3-carbinol (I3C), one of its many anti-cancer nutrients. 

• Raisins may not sound super cool, but if you think about what they really are, it becomes obvious how powerful they can be as natural medicine. Raisins are dried grapes, of course, meaning they contain all the natural medicine of grape skins.    It's best to buy only organic raisins, because grapes sprayed with fungicides have low levels of resveratrol. Organic grapes have high levels of antioxidants and resveratrol.  

How to add more veges to your meals!

We often try to sneak veges into our childrens food to get them to eat more, and we can get very creative with how to do this.

But adults can also get stuck in a rut with veges and end up eating the same veges, prepared in the same way over and over again. You know we should eat a wide variety of vegetables to get our complete daily dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber. I've come up with a few creative tips to help spice up your meals with extra veggies and herbs.

• Roast Vegetables - A favourite in NZ is roast potatoes! There is no need to stop eating potates but when you are roasting them add some other veges to the pan. The deep, rich flavor of roasting brings out the sweetness in many vegetables like carrots, kumara and pumpkin and they roast at the same time. But also think about other veges to roast like cauliflower, red onions, fennel bulbs, celery and many others. Coat diced veggies with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil and roast until golden brown and delicious. You can then either have them warm with dinner, or mix them all together, add a dressing, some toasted seeds and maybe goats feta. This makes a delicious and easy salad!

• Mashed Vegetables - Think beyond mashed potatoes; many different vegetables are delicious when mashed or pureed. Cook vegetables in water or stock until tender and then mash or puree in food processor with creative additions like fresh herbs, cheeses (such as goat cheese or parmesan cheese). You can use flavoured olive oils instead of butter too. Try a blend of cauliflower, parsnip and celery root, peas and mint, or butternut squash and fresh ginger.

• Add Extra Vegetables to pies, sauces and casseroles - When you make one-pot meals, think about adding extra vegetables with your usual sautéed onions or garlic to boost both the flavor and nutrition content of the dish. For example, add a little bit of chopped celery and carrot to your pasta sauces or load your lentil soup or chili with a variety of colorful veggies, like kale, spinach, peppers, squash, zucchini or corn.  A favourite of mine is to add a can of brown lentils to the mince when making pies - the consistency is the same as the mince and it adds extra vitamins, minerals and fibre to the pie. No one will even notice!

• Sneak Vegetables into baking - Carrot cake is a good example. Try the same recipe with half grated zucchini and half carrot. Zucchini loaves are really nice too. Add these two veges into as many of your baked goods as you can think of for added moisture and a hidden serving of vegetables.