A Shortcut to Heart Health?

Q: Does belly liposuction help prevent diabetes and heart disease?

A: Perhaps you’ve heard that excess fat in the belly region is the worst kind when it comes to heart disease and diabetes risk. This is true- people with an “apple shape” are at much higher risk for these diseases than people who carry extra weight in their hips and thighs (“pear shape”).

Given this, it would seem logical that having fat sucked from the abdomen would reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. You see, the kind of fat that causes health problems lies deep in your body, surrounding vital organs like the heart and liver. This visceral fat secretes various inflammatory substances that negatively affect your cardiovascular system; it also makes your body less sensitive to insulin, a hormone involved in blood sugar control. Liposuction removes only subcutaneous fat, the type that’s located right under your skin. Subcutaneous fat may be undesirable, but it’s more a cosmetic problem than a health problem.

So, diet and exercise are still the way to go if you want to lose weight and improve your health. Unlike liposuction, which only sucks out subcutaneous fat cells, diet and exercise shrink fat cells all over, making them more sensitive to insulin and less capable of releasing those damaging inflammatory substances.

Joy Bauer

Trudy’s Comments:

It is strange that liposuction does not do a great job of changing body chemistry to lower diabetes and heart disease. We can with nutritional changes!

Come in for testing and nutritional plans! – Natural healthy weight loss!

For each serving, arrange the ingredients and add no more than 2 Tbs. of dressing.

Pear & Cranberry

3 cups mixed salad greens

¼ cup pistachios

2 Tbs. dried cranberries

½ pear, cubed

½ cup red grape halves

1 oz. Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar (or other light cheese)

2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Spinach

3 cups spinach

½ cup chopped boiled or roasted beets

½ apple, diced

½ cup canned chickpeas

2 Tbs. sunflower seeds

1 oz. reduced-fat soft goat cheese

2 Tbs. Classic Vinaigrette

Nicoise

4 oz. grilled tuna or salmon

3 cups mixed salad greens

½ chopped bell pepper

1/8 red onion, diced

5 cherry tomatoes

2-3 boiled baby potatoes, chopped

5 olives (or 2 anchovies)

2 Tbs. Classic Vinaigrette

Citrus

3 cups Bibb lettuce or mixed salad greens

½ avocado, chopped

1 orange, in slices

4 oz. broiled salmon or ½ cup canned white beans

2 radishes, sliced

2 Tbs. Creamy Citrus Dressing

Southwest

1 cup mixed salad greens

½ cup cherry tomatoes

½ cup corn kernels, fresh or thawed from frozen

½ cup scallions, chopped

4 oz. cooked chicken or ½ cup canned black beans

¼ tsp. chili powder

2 Tbs. Creamy Citrus Dressing

Asian Crispy

2 cups, mixed salad greens

1 cup finely shredded red cabbage

½ snow peas, thinly sliced

1 carrot, shredded

½ cup edamame, thawed from frozen

2 Tbs. Sesame Ginger Dressing

DRESSINGS

Put all the ingredients in a small container with a tight lid and shake vigorously. Each recipe makes about 1 cup (16 Tbs.). Save the extra for your next salad.

Classis Vinaigrette

2 Tbs. Dijon Mustard

3 Tbs. red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. honey

1 small shallot, minced

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. fresh thyme (optional)

1 Tbs. dark brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Creamy Citrus

¼ cup orange juice

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp. salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup canola oil

Sesame Ginger

1 Tbs. sesame seeds

2 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbs. rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1 Tbs. minced ginger

1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil

1/3 cup canola oil

- Kate SherwoodS

Trudy’s Comments:

Almost everyone like 1 or 2 of these recipes!

Let me know what you think!!!

Here are some great healthy veggie-centric main dish recipes for you to try! Each one delivers roughly 4 of your 11 daily servings of vegetables and fruit.

Main Dishes

-Each of these four variations of a basic stir-fry evokes a different cuisine. The instructions:

1. Sauté vegetables, spices, any garlic, and the protein in the oil.

2. Season with salt (if listed) and toss in any herbs listed.

3. Garnish with any raw vegetables, lettuce, or Parmesan listed.

CURRY

1 tsp. curry powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. grated ginger

1 large ripe tomato

2+ cups veggies (bell peppers, cauliflower, onions, carrots, mushrooms, peas)

6 oz. chicken or ½ cup cooked lentils

1 tbs. canola oil

1/8 tsp. salt

½ cup cooked brown rice

STIR-FRY

2+ cups veggies (snow peas, broccoli, carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery)

6 oz. chicken or 4 oz. extra-firm tofu

1 tbs. reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce (or other stir-fry sauce)

1 tbs. peanut oil

½ cup cooked brown rice

FAJITAS

1+ cup veggies (onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini)

6 oz. chicken or ½ cup canned black beans

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tbs. canola oil

1/8 tsp. salt

4 sprigs cilantro

½ cup raw veggies (tomatoes, avocado. Onion)

Fresh lime juice to taste

½ cup shredded cabbage or romaine

1 6 inch whole wheat tortilla

RATATOUILLE

2 cloves garlic

1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

2+ cups veggies (eggplant, bell peppers, onions, zucchini)

½ cup diced tomatoes

½ cup canned chickpeas

1/8 tsp. salt

2 sprigs basil

2 tbs. freshly grated Parmesan

½ cup cooked bulgur

-Kate Sherwood

Next week we’ll have some Main Dish Salads for you –

The week after that, we’ll have Healthy dressings.

Having gluten sensitivity doesn’t mean that you can’t have snacks. Not only are more gluten-free products available, but there are many do-it-yourself ways to stay healthy.

If you have recently been told you have a gluten sensitivity, you’re probably still getting used to big dietary changes. Once upon a time it was easy enough to toss Goldfish crackers into a child’s lunch box or grab a bag of pretzels from the vending machine at the office. But having a sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in many grain products including wheat, barley, and rye, can make a healthy snacking challenging.

Take heart: As more people have gluten sensitivity, there has been an explosion in the variety of gluten-free foods available.

Snacking: Top 10 choices

As with any health diet, “fresh fruits, veggies, (unprocessed) raw meat, and fish” should form the basis of a gluten-free diet, advises Julie Miller Jones, PhD, a distinguished professor of nutrition in the department of family, consumer, and nutritional sciences at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. Most dairy products are gluten-free as well, though some processed yogurts, cheeses, and other items might have traces of the offending protein, so it is important to read labels carefully.

Some tasty (and healthy) gluten-free snack options include:

Ants on a log. Made by spreading natural peanut butter (nothing but ground peanuts) onto celery stalks, and topping with  raisins, “ants on a log is good because it has all the components of a healthy snack,” notes Dana M. Ellis, MPH, RD, a dietitian at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. “Peanut butter is a good source of monounsaturated fat and protein, raisins are a great source of carbohydrates and celery adds fiber”.

Fresh Fruit and a handful of nuts. These gluten-free foods also provide a healthy mixture of carbohydrates, fat, and protein.

Baked corn tortilla chips with additive-free guacamole. These gluten-free foods combine healthy fat from the avocado, carbohydrates from the corn tortilla chips, and a little bit of protein. Watch out for the guacamole, though – it should only contain avocado, onion garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and tomatoes.

Natural peanut butter and jelly on gluten-free bread. This favorite of kids and adults alike is easy and simple to make, plus it provides good sources of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Trail mix. Combine nuts, raisins, and dark chocolate M&Ms for a sweet and salty snack.

Air-popped popcorn. Enjoy air-popped popcorn by itself or add dried cranberries and almonds for a snack full of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats.

Small baked potato with low-fat mozzarella cheese and chives. This treat provides everything from fiber and carbohydrates to protein and fat.

Carrot sticks with gluten-free dressing. This veggie and dip combo serves as good source of vitamin A, carotenes, fat, and carbohydrates.

Low-fat yogurt mixed with high fiber gluten-free cereal (or a rice cereal) and fruit. Experiment with different yogurt flavors and cereals for variety while receiving a healthy dose of calcium, protein, and fat.

Gluten-free treats. Gluten sensitivity doesn’t have to mean the end of traditional snacking. Browse the gluten-free foods aisle at the local grocery store for special pretzels, crackers, and cookies and stock up.

While it may mean keeping an extra supply of special snacks in a desk drawer rather than raiding the office refrigerator, rest assure it is possible – and even pleasurable – for someone with gluten-sensitivity to maintain a gluten-free diet.

BY: Kristen Stewart and Niya Jones, MD, MPH

Dr. E says-

If you have no idea if you are gluten-sensitive or not – Call us! (702) 363-9260

We’ll find out for you!

1) Don’t Tell Them It’s Healthy:

For children, the term “healthy” quickly develops a negative association. They will automatically assume anything you call healthy is not going to be sweet, and won’t taste very good. It creates a situation when you struggle to get your children to try anything healthy for them. You can re-establish a positive association by placing healthy snacks in special containers like cartoon characters. Making the special containers exclusive to their healthy snacks can add to the positive association.

2) Make The Food Interesting:

A creative way to improve children’s eating habits is to arrange the food in a new and interesting way. Cutting up vegetables and using the pieces to build an animal or vehicle will shift their focus away from the food, and onto the object you’ve created. Your kids will take great pleasure in destroying your creation one healthy piece at a time.

3)  Let Them Choose A Healthy Snack:

Children are told what to do all day long, which feeds into their need to capture some control of daily activities. You can take advantage of this desire by giving them the authority to choose a healthy snack. Give them two or three options, all healthy, and tell them they can choose whichever they want. A good trick is to add a healthy snack you know they hate. Introducing the snack they hate first, will make the subsequent choices more appealing Ashley Green.

Trudy says It’s always good to find out specific healthy foods for your child through a blood test done with their own blood cells. Then, you will know the best choices and the worst choices for them in particular!