Health for life

Results of two studies presented at the American Diabetes Associations 71st Scientific Sessions last week described risks of consuming diet soft drinks.

The first study found that users of diet soda, on average, experienced a 70% greater increase in waist size compared with non-users. Those with the greatest consumption - two or more diet sodas a day - experienced waist size increases that were 500% greater (5 times greater) than those of non-users:

Diet Soft Drink Consumption Is Associated With Increased Waist Circumference In The San Antonio Longitudinal Study Of Aging

There were 474 participants, aged 65 to 74, who were followed for approximately 9.5 years. To lessen the effect of confounders, results were adjusted for gender, age, beginning waist circumference, diabetes and smoking status, education, ethnicity, leisure-time activity, neighborhood, and length of follow-up.



The authors concluded:

“The promotion of diet sodas as healthy alternatives [to sugar-sweetened drinks] may be ill-advised: they may be free of calories, but not of consequences.”

The second study found a link between artificial sweetener consumption and blood glucose in mice:

Aspartame Consumption Is Associated With Elevated Fasting Glucose In Diabetes-Prone Mice

After three months of eating aspartame-spiked chow, mice had higher fasting glucose levels (144 vs. 105 mg/dl) and lower insulin levels than control mice.

As to mechanism, Sharon Fowler, coauthor of both studies, said in an interview with the Daily Mail:

"Artificial sweeteners could have the effect of triggering appetite but unlike regular sugars they don’t deliver something that will squelch the appetite."

It was noted that artificial sweeteners may also damage or inhibit brain cells that are involved in feelings of satiety.
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Sweet readers, this one was born of a backyard barbecue conversation. It got unexpectedly (and excitedly) in-depth, and it could help to determine future content of the blog (especially recipes).

Q: What are your top five favorite vegetables, and why?

A: Seems like an easy question, right? But my list took awhile. Eventually I came up with:

1. Sweet potatoes. The candy of the earth.
2. Red bell peppers. So versatile, so delicious.
3. Tomatoes. In any form, any time.
4. Swiss Chard/Kale. Who knew leafy greens could be so tasty?
5. Onions. Is there food that exists without them?

Eggplant would have been #6. I dont care for radishes (which is why you almost never see them here), and cauliflower has to be pretty heavily doctored for me to dig in.

And with that, I throw it to you. I wonder what will win? We can even post the results on Friday.

Want to ask the interweb a question? Post one in the comment section, or write to Cheaphealthygood@gmail.com. Then, tune in next Tuesday for an answer/several answers from the good people of the World Wide Net.

(Note to self: When trying to psyche self up to blog, do not listen to Radioheads OK Computer right before beginning to write. Its a bit like watching the first ten minutes of Up before playing in the Super Bowl.)

(And yes, blogging is just like playing in the Super Bowl. Think of the carbs!)

Hey you guys! So, were trying something new here at CHG, in which we de-emphasize calorie counts a little (as theyre not the decisive measure of a foods healthiness) so as to better focus on the overall nutritional value of any given recipe.

(Did I just make that up just now, so this post would fit into our stated thematic parameters? Yes.)

(Does it have some merit to it? Yes.)

(Did I have a large glass of red wine before beginning this post? I think you know the answer to that.)

Anyway, youll see that todays dish, Apple-Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata from The Kitchn via Opera Girl Cooks, is a little higher in calories than our usual recipes. This is okay, though. Because A) its warm and appley and delicious – like non-cloying French toast, B) the fiber and protein counts are super-high, and C) all the ingredients are dang wholesome. Combined, all that makes for a healthy breakfast.

(What also makes for a healthy breakfast: grapefruit, oatmeal, not Lucky Charms, not skipping breakfast, escaping a pack of roaming ninjas to successfully get to work on time.)

I changed very little from OCG/The Kitchn’s original recipe, and the alterations made were mostly for economic reasons. A regular supermarket loaf of bread substituted for a fancier loaf. Dark brown sugar was chosen over organic cane sugar. Honey went in for agave syrup.

(That last ones not just financially motivated. Its just - agave syrup tastes like really thick tequila to me. And if the words "really thick tequila" dont automatically make you a little nauseous, then you may never have had a tequila-induced hangover. In which case, I salute and envy you.)

Theres a bonus to the strata, as well. Step #2 requires you to saw off all the crusts of a loaf of bread. At first, this seems wasteful. BUT WAIT! By toasting said crusts for a few minutes, then crushing them in your mighty grasp, you come up with 1 1/2 cups handy, dandy whole-wheat breadcrumbs! Imagine what you can do with those!

(Coat chicken!)

(Top casseroles!)

(Sprinkle on macaroni and cheese!)

(Use as confetti at a mouses birthday party!)

And thats it.

(Really!)

~~~

If this looks good, you might also quite enjoy:

• Breakfast Couscous with Custard
• English Muffin Strata with Ham and Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal

~~~

Apple & Cinnamon Whole Grain Breakfast Strata
Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from The Kitchn.


For the strata:
1 (24-ounce) loaf good supermarket whole wheat or whole grain bread
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch wedges
8 large eggs
2 cups 1% milk
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

For the glaze:
3 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons 1% milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1) Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish ever-so-lightly with butter

2) Unpack bread. Place ends aside. Cut crusts off each piece. Set crusts aside.

2.5) IF MAKING BREADCRUMBS : Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread crusts out on baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes, until bread is completely toasty. Remove from oven and let cool. When totally cool, run through a food processor or beat senseless with rolling pin. Store crumbs in an airtight container. Should make 1 1/2 to 2 cups breadcrumbs.

3) Line bottom of baking dish with half the crustless bread. Layer apple slices on top of bread. Layer apples with remaining bread.

4) In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over bread. Cover and rigerate a few hours, or overnight.

5) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

6) Cover strata with tin foil. Bake for 35 minutes (45 minutes if coming straight from the fridge). Uncover. Bake for additional 15 minutes.

7) Mix cream cheese, honey, milk, and vanilla in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until cheese is melted and glaze is formed, stirring constantly. Pour over warmed strata. Spread glaze with back of a wooden spoon until pretty evenly distributed.

8) Let sit 10 minutes. Serve, with syrup if perred.


Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price Per Serving
Seven servings: 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

NOTE: Calculations are for Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Triple Health (I don’t know what that means, either) bread, which is what I used. Since there’s no real way to calculate nutrition for crustless bread, I subtracted 30% of the totals. It’s not scientific per se, but that’s why we write “approximate.”

Calculations
1 (24-ounce) supermarket loaf whole wheat or whole grain bread: 1050 calories, 21 g fat, 63 g fiber, 42 g protein, $2.50
3 medium baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4-inch wedges: 184 calories, 0.4 g fat, 5 g fiber, 1 g protein, $1.36
8 large eggs: 588 calories, 39.6 g fat, 0 g fiber, 50.3 g protein, $1.00
2 cups + 2 tablespoons 1% milk: 224 calories, 5.2 g fat, 0 g fiber, 18.1 g protein, $0.66
1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar: 229 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.22
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract: 30 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, $0.20
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon: 9 calories, 0.1 g fat, 1.9 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.06
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg: 6 calories, 0.4 g fat, 0.2 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.03
3 ounces cream cheese: 297 calories, 29.7 g fat, 0 g fiber, 6.4 g protein, $0.56
2 tablespoons honey: 128 calories, 0 g fat, 0.1 g fiber, 0.1 g protein, $0.32
TOTAL: 2745 calories, 96.4 g fat, 70.2 g fiber, 118.1 g protein, $6.91
PER SERVING (TOTAL/7): 392 calories, 13.8 g fat, 10 g fiber, 16.9 g protein, $0.99

My previous post, "Treat The Depression, Extend Life", discussed how treating depression could reduce the risk of dying in patients with diabetes. I was curious about what constituted "depression care management". What was the specific treatment?

The intervention which sought to decrease depressive symptoms was spelled out in the 2004 JAMA study below, also known as PROSPECT (Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial):

Reducing Suicidal Ideation And Depressive Symptoms In Depressed Older Primary Care Patients

The treatment guidelines consisted of:

1. Formal screening using established depression scales.
   
2. ".. a first-line trial of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). The protocol specified citalopram because it is equally efficacious with other antidepressants, has limited drug interactions, low potential for central nervous system activation, and an insignificant withdrawal syndrome."
   
3. "When a patient declined medication therapy, the physician could recommend interpersonal psychotherapy."
   
4. "The depression care manager interacted with patients in person or by telephone at scheduled intervals, or when clinically necessary, to monitor depressive symptoms, medication adverse effects, and treatment adherence."

Citalopram is marketed under the brand name Celexa.

So, to achieve the benefits seen in both this study (which found that symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation could be decreased), and the previously posted study (which found that diabetes patients lives could be extended), an intervention involving formal depression screening in the primary care setting, deployment of medication and/or psychotherapy, and regular follow-up - both scheduled and as-needed - by trained clinicians would have to be implemented.

Its also important to note that:

"Research funds covered the cost of interpersonal psychotherapy and citalopram."

So, cost and insurance coverage are also considerations.________