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December 2006 Newsletter
by Beth Ley, Ph.D.
www.blpublications.com
NHL Ministries
IN THE NEWS
Top Reasons That Cause You to be Fat
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1. Poor food choices - Lack of whole foods, especially fruits
and vegetables (too many processed foods - sugar, soda, fried foods,
fake fats, etc.), causing a lack of fiber, minerals, Omega-3 fats,
and trace nutrients.
2. Sedentary lifestyles: Pretty self- explanatory - sitting in
front of the computer or television instead of doing practically
anything that gets your body moving!
3. Not enough sleep: People who sleep less than seven hours a
night tend to have a higher body mass index (BMI) than people who
sleep more. This could be because sleep deprivation alters
metabolism. Leptin, the hormone that signals satiety, falls while
ghrelin, which signals hunger, rises -- and this boosts appetite.
4. Prenatal effects: Children of obese mothers are much more
likely to become obese themselves. While this is likely due in part
to genetics, there is also evidence of "intrauterine programming."
5. New drugs: Many types of drugs, including neuroleptics,
anticonvulsants, antihypertensives, protease inhibitors, and diabetes
medications, have been shown to cause weight gain.
6. Pollution: Low levels of industrial chemicals such as
pesticides, dyes, resins and solvents can lead to weight gain. Mice
given small amounts of the pesticide dieldrin more than doubled their
body fat, and hexachlorobenzene, another pesticide, caused rats to
gain weight even when they only ate half as much.
7. Overindulgance: This one may seem like a no-brainer
(like 1 and 2), but with 2/3 of the population overweight and 1/2 of
those people obese, people obviously don't know when to say when.
Portion sizes have gotten way out of control.
Check out this quiz on portion control to see how portion savvy you
are! quiz
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International Journal of Obesity
November 2006; 309(11): 1585-1594
New Scientist November 3, 2006
Alpha Lipoic Acid (Antioxidant) Eases Diabetic Nerve Pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)
in pill form improves diffuse nerve pain or "polyneuropathy" in
patients with diabetes, researchers report in the journal Diabetes
Care.
Dr. Dan Ziegler from Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany
and colleagues compared three doses of oral ALA to placebo in 166
patients with symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Symptoms improved
significantly as early as 1 week with the highest ALA dose (1800 mg
daily) and within 2 weeks with the other doses (600 mg and 1200 mg
daily), the researchers note, and there were no significant
differences among the three ALA groups for changes in mean total
symptom score at any time point. Pain was significantly reduced after
5 weeks in all active treatment arms compared with the placebo arm.
Because the higher doses resulted in increased rates of
gastrointestinal side effects, 600 mg once daily seems to be the most
appropriate oral dose, the researchers said.
SOURCE: Diabetes Care November 2006.
Polyphenol-Enriched Tea may Double Cholesterol Excretion
Drinking a cup of polyphenol-enriched oolong tea with a high fat meal
may increase the amount of cholesterol excreted by the body by half,
says a small study from Japan and Taiwan.
Green tea contains 30 - 40% of water-extractable polyphenols, while
black tea (green tea that has been oxidized by fermentation) contains
between 3 and 10%. Oolong tea is semi-fermented tea and is somewhere
between green and black tea. The four primary polyphenols found in
fresh tea leaves are epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG),
epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epicatechin.
The new research was published in the current issue of the
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 60, pp. 1330–1336).
The scientists recruited twelve healthy aduls and randomly divided
them into two groups, one to receive 38 g of fat and 750 ml of a
placebo- or polyphenol-enriched oolong tea at three meals in a
double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design. The
Japanese-Taiwanese researchers report that faecal lipid excretion was
significantly increased during the polyphenol-enriched oolong tea
period, compared to placebo (19.3 versue 9.34 g/3day, respectively).
The polyphenol-enriched oolong tea period was also associated with a
50% increase in cholesterol excretion, compared to the placebo-teat
group (10.8 versus 1.2 g/3day, respectively).
More research with a larger study population is needed, in addition
to mechanistic studies to elucidate the underlying mechanism by which
the polyphenols appear to reduce fat absorption. But the results are
in agreement with other studies that have linked red wine
consumption, polyphenol-rich green tea or pine bark extracts to
improved cardiovascular risk factors.
Omega-3 fatty Acid May Reduce Dementia Risk
Increased bloods levels of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenioc
acid (DHA) could slash the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,
suggests a new study from the US.
“Subjects with baseline plasma PC DHA levels in the upper quartile
experienced a significant 47% lower risk of dementia compared with
participants with levels in the lower three quartiles,”
wrote lead author Ernst Schaefer, from Tufts University, Boston.
The research adds to a growing body of science linking intake of the
omega-3 fatty acids, mainly DHA, to improved cognitive function and
slower cognitive decline. Only last month scientists from Sweden
reported in the same journal that supplements of omega-3 fatty acids
may slow mental decline in people with very mild Alzheimer’s disease,
but no effect was observed in people with more advanced forms
(Archives of Neurology, Vol. 63, pp. 1402-1408).
The new prospective follow-up study, published in the November issue
of Archives of Neurology (Vol. 63, pp. 1545-1550), looked at
the association between DHA levels and dementia in the blood of 899
men and women (average age 76) who were part of the population-based
Framingham Heart Study. The participants, who were free of dementia
at the start of the study, provided blood samples and underwent
neuropsychological testing, while subgroup of 488 also filled out a
semi-quantitative 126-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to
assess their diet, including fish consumption. After an average of
nine years of follow-up, the researchers documented 99 cases of
dementia, including 71 with Alzheimer's disease.
After controlling for other known risk factors for dementia,
including age and homocysteine levels, and dividing the study
population into quartiles based on levels of DHA, the researchers
found that men and women in the quartile with the highest DHA levels
(eating an average of 2.9 fish servings weekly) had a 47% lower risk
of developing dementia and 39% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease than the other three quartiles with lower DHA levels.
Participants in the other quartiles ate less fish
(between 1.3 and 2.3 servings per week).
"In our study, the correlation between [blood] DHA content and
fish intake was significant, indicating that fish intake is an
important source of dietary DHA," wrote the authors. DHA is
involved in the membrane of ion channels in the brain, making it
easier for them to change shape and transit electrical signals.
Breast Cancer Risk Raised by Too Much Red Meat
First study to focus on younger pre-menopausal women finds an
increased risk for hormone receptor-positive breast tumors
The results of an innovative study affirm the dangers of excessive
red meat. While they don't mean that women can’t eat red meat safely,
these findings indicate that it may make sense to practice moderation
and stick to grass-fed beef.
The authors of the study--led by Harvard's Eunyoung Cho, Sc.D. noted
that while high red meat intake is considered conducive to breast
cancer, none of the previous studies included substantial numbers of
young, pre-menopausal women. Dr. Cho's group set out to look for any
links between red meat consumption and breast cancer on
pre-menopausal women: specifically, 90,659 members of the Nurses'
Health Study II (average age 36). In addition, the Boston-based team
were looking for any differences in risk between the two major types
of breast cancer:
Key Points
• Rates of hormone receptor-positive breast tumors are rising in the
U.S.
• Pre-menopausal women's risk of hormone receptor-positive cancer was
twice as high if they ate more than one and one-half servings of red
meat a day, compared with those who ate three or fewer servings per
week.
• Red meat consumption did not affect their risk of breast cancer
overall or hormone-receptor-negative cancers.
• “Hormone receptor-positive” tumors in which women's sex hormones
(estrogen and progesterone) bind to receptor proteins on the surfaces
of the tumor cells.
• “Hormone receptor-negative” tumors in which this does not occur.
By the end of the study, the women reporting the highest red meat
intake were not at significantly greater risk for breast cancer
overall or for hormone-receptor-negative cancers, but did show an
increased risk of hormone receptor-positive cancer. In fact, the risk
of hormone receptor-positive cancer was twice as high among
women who ate more than one and one-half servings of red meat a day,
compared with those who ate three or fewer servings per week.
Why would red meat cause hormone receptor-positive breast cancer? The
researchers noted three reasons:
• Cooked or processed red meats contain known cancer-causing
compounds that increase mammary tumors in animals and are suspected
of causing breast cancer in humans.
• Cattle in the United States are treated with hormones to promote
growth, which could influence breast cancer risk.
• The form in which iron occurs in red meat may promote tumors.
It’s probably safer to stick to certified grass-fed beef, whose fat
profile leans heavily toward anti-cancer omega-3s, with many fewer
cancer-fueling omega-6 fats than occur in standard, grain-fed beef.
Source: Cho E, Chen WY, Hunter DJ et al. Red Meat Intake and Risk of
Breast Cancer Among Premenopausal Women. Arch Intern Med.
2006;166:2253-2259.
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In Beth's Kitchen!!!
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Black Beans!!!
Researches have found at least 8 different flavonoids in the dark
coating of black beans! Flavonoids are color-producing phytonutrient
pigments that provide great antioxidant protection. They work closely
with the vitamins found in black beans to protect against free
radical or oxygen-related damage to your cells. And one cup of black
beans also contains small amounts of those hard to find omega-3 fatty
acids - more than 3 times the amount of these protective fats
available in other beans and about the equivalent of the amount found
in one ounce of cold water fish like halibut. Like other legumes,
black beans are also a rich source of dietary fiber, plus one cup
contains the same amount of protein found in two 8-ounce glasses of
milk (31% of the daily value) and even more usable calcium!!
Spicy Black Bean Soup
This tasty, spicy recipe is filling, healthy
and has a low
glycemic index
1 medium chopped onion
1 -5 cloves minced fresh garlic (I like lots)
3 chopped jalapenos or other type of pepper
(optional)
(Green bell and Anaheims are milder, cerano's are hotter)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely diced red bell peppers
4 cups vegetable or beef stock
3-4 cups cooked black beans
(I prefer to cook my own dried beans, but if you are using canned
be sure to rinse and drain them)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Cajun seasoning to taste
Sea salt to taste
Dried black bean flakes
(optional)
- amount depends how thick you like your soup.
2-3 tablespoons each chopped cilantro and green onions
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil or coconut oil on med heat,
stirring, 3 minutes until soft but not browned. Add carrots and bell
peppers, and cook 5 minutes.
Add stock, beans (I like to mash them up a little for a thicker soup),
cumin, coriander and cajun seasoning and cayenne and bring to boil.
Lower heat to medium and cook 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.
If you prefer a thicker soup, about five minutes before serving, add
some crushed dried black bean flakes - (available in the health
section of your grocery store).
Serve with cilantro and green onion on top - also good with a
spoonful of sour cream.
Serves 6-8.
NOTE:
January's newsletter will be a little late as I will be traveling
during the holidays.
Wishing you all the best this season as we celebrate the birth of our
Lord Jesus!
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FEATURED BOOKS
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How Did We Get So FAT!?
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UPCOMING EVENTS
BEATING DEPRESSION CONFERENCE
Feb 23rd - 24th
First Convenant Church,
Downtown Minneapolis, MN
810 S. 7th St.
(across from Metrodome)
Free Parking
SPEAKERS:
Beth Ley, NHL Ministries
Marjorie Cole, Life Recovery
Healthy Lunch Prepared by Beth Ley
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ANNOUNCEMENT:
NUTRITION COUNSELING with Beth M. Ley, Ph.D. is now available in the
TWIN CITIES area
When: First Friday & Saturday of every month
(other arrangements can also be made)
Where: Life Recovery, 7671 Old Central Ave. Fridley, MN
How: Call 763-785-4234 to make an appointment or for
more information
Also taking appointments in ALEXANDRIA, MN
When: First Thursday of every month (other arrangements
can also be made)
Where: House of Prayer, 3020 Rosewood Lane SE Alexandria, MN
How: Call 762-0828 to make an appointment or for more
information.
Download PDF for questionnaire before you come to your appointment here:
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COMING TO
YOU...
We would like to come to your city and teach on biblical nutrition
and minister healing anywhere in North America.
If you are intested in setting up a workshop or for us to be part
of a workshop, etc., please contact us by e-mail at
blpub@tekstar.com | |
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