Nutrition News and Reviews

In just 60 days, you could look like this!

Steve Dupont here. That’s right, folks, make a mental note — you heard it first at nutritionnewsandreviews.com — the next big diet craze to sweep our diet crazy nation will be …

The Gilligan Diet.

Go ahead, laugh it up land lubbers! But then consider bizarre regimens the likes of the Twinkie Diet, the Martini Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet and let’s not forget the infamous Tapeworm diet have garnered inexplicable cult followings in recent years. The Gilligan Diet may have a funny name (unlike its namesake, by the way), but it’s based on some serious nutritional principles. So what is the Gilligan Diet you ask?

Basically, fish and coconut. Coconut and fish. Maybe a few extra fruits and vegetables thrown it for good measure. Seaweed, wild boar, macadamia nuts, all acceptable. But mainly fish and coconut.

So let’s take a closer look at this thing. Fish. Well, we know that fish has been a dietary staple throughout the world for thousands of years. Excellent protein source, first and foremost. Also rich in heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Not too shabby a source of vitamin D, either — of course, if you’re out in the noonday sun as much as Gilligan, this won’t be a problem. Granted, different species have different nutritional profiles, and those at the top of the food chain are a double-edged swordfish — bringing ample DHA but also higher levels of mercury and other bio-accumulated toxins … but, generally speaking, few nutrition “experts” these days would throw the fish out with the fishbowl water.

Now for coconut. A little more rebellious. You might even be tempted to say, a little on the “craze-ish” side. Coconut of course was long reviled for its high saturated fat content, but in recent years a veritable Pandora’s box of scientific evidence has been unleashed, vaunting coconut oil, in particular, to bona fide “superfood” status. For example, according to Jonny Bowden, PhD, author of the phenomenal book, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, “Coconut — and its oil — is one of the most healthy, amazing things you can ingest.”

Indeed, it been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that the medium-chain (saturated) fatty acids offered by coconut are very friendly to the human metabolism and are a preferred energy source. Meaning they are less likely than some other saturated fats, and even some unsaturated fats, to be stuffed inside adipose (fat) cells and increase your adiposity (fat-assed-ness) as a result. They also tend to have a positive effect on your lipid profile — that is, your levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL), “bad cholesterol” (LDL), triglycerides (free circulating fat globs), etc. In fact, studies have been done on some of these remote Pacific islands (Pukapuka and Tokelau, in particular), where the people eat tons of coconuts (and fish), and it turns out their hearts are downright horse-like.

Of course, I failed to mention the most obvious plus for coconut as a subsistence food, which is that it offers hydration as well. Not only coconut water — which is admittedly over-hyped as a nutritious beverage — but coconut milk, both of which contain a smattering of minerals. I don’t think I would make either a huge component of the Gilligan Diet, just for the sake of practicality (and cost), but it’s still another legitimate bragging right for the coconut.

But wait! There’s more! It has also been demonstrated in multiple studies that one major component of coconut oil, lauric acid, is one of the most potent natural germ-killers around. In the body, lauric acid is readily converted to monolaurin — which, unlike penicillin or zinc lozenges, can effectively destroy bacteria and viruses. For a nice rundown of the science on coconut/monolaurin, check out this article.

Coconut just might be the ultimate survival food. In fact, now that I think about it, if I were stranded on a desert island with just one food, I just might choose coconut. How convenient!

As a final note on coconut, if you’re not crazy about the idea of eating spoonfuls of coconut oil (delicious, I must say) or piles of fluffy shredded coconut (also delish), consider that coconut sugar and even coconut flour are now available on the market. Needless to say, one will cost you an arm, the other a leg, but would you believe that coconut flour has about 50% more protein than whole wheat flour? Gadzoinks! Again, it’s not the coconut’s fault this stuff goes at such a premium … and who knows, maybe if demand increased, supply would increase even more and the price would come down … hmm, that sounds a little too voodoo economics …

So anyway, coconut and fish. Fish and coconut. The anchor of the Gilligan Diet. But, as elegant as it might be — from a marketing perspective — let me be the first to say I would have grave reservations about anyone eating these two foods alone. For one thing, vitamin C might very well become an issue, and you don’t want to hear my full lecture (2,309 powerpoint slides, approximately 13 hours long) on the perils of scurvy, which is a cakewalk in a candy store compared to the ravages of scurvy itself. THE HORROR! THE HORROR!

Seriously though, variety is always the name of the game in nutrition, therefore you might very well run into deficiencies in other key vitamins or minerals, as well. Thus, the other fruits and vegetables as mentioned before. Tropical, or not. Just absolutely, positively no cabbage soup, no tapeworms (martinis I’ll allow) and for the love of God, no Twinkies!

Not the recommended means of consuming sesame seeds.

Steve Dupont here, to share a little info about this admittedly random food, a bag of which (whole, toasted), I happened to find the other day buried in my cupboard.

It was quite a large bag, too, a full pound I believe, and this of course prompted the question, “Why on earth did I purchase all these sesame seeds?” I vaguely recalled using them in a chicken dish a few months back, but surely there was more to the story … so I looked them up.

Well, it turns out these little buggers are quite the nutrition dynamo!

For starters, sesame seeds contain lignans (sesamin and sesaminol), which have been demonstrated to enhance fat burning, lower cholesterol and also stabilize blood pressure.

They are a good source of fiber, which is good for digestive health.

They are a good source of protein.

They contain “good fats” of the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated variety.

And finally, sesame seeds pack an impressive medley of minerals. Just one tablespoon of sesame seeds delivers 18% of your daily requirement for copper, as well as between 7-11% of your iron, magnesium, calcium and manganese. Again, that’s a lot of nutrition in just one tablespoon. Now, the one caveat here is with respect to the calcium, as they also contain oxalates, which bind to calcium and reduce the amount actually absorbed by the body. But nevertheless, not too shabby a report card for the sesame seeds.

So what I did, right off the bat, was mix a few spoonfuls into the chicken salad that I eat a few times a week for lunch — and they are barely noticeable, changing the flavor ever-so-mildly and the texture just a little more so.

Sesame seed buns, on the other hand — probably not such a good delivery system, especially if there’s four hamburger patties and eight slices of cheese wedged in there …

Steve Dupont here, with a few thoughts on the subject of “cleansing,” which has certainly been a hot topic in the nutrition and alternative medicine arenas lately.

Now, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of cleansing programs out there — from ones based around a central ingredient like green tea or psyllium husk or bentonite (clay) to juice fasts/feasts to 100% raw food diets, and everything in between. Quite a dizzying array of advice, claims and counterclaims shooting around out there … and that being said, I have no intention, at least at the current time, to point out the strengths, weaknesses, follies and indeed dangers of each and every program. Suffice it to say that, while I cannot argue with the central tenet of the cleansing approach — that is, ridding the body of toxins and otherwise burdensome substances — I remain very skeptical about even the most conservative of these programs, simply because there have been virtually no legitimate, peer-reviewed scientific studies conducted on these regimens.

Okay, with those caveats out of the way, I wanted to share a video produced by one of these people (a real medical doctor, apparently) selling cleanse products/programs, which a good friend of mine recently pointed me toward. Again, I haven’t looked at his specific program very carefully, and am by no means endorsing it — but I think this video does a terrific job of summing up the problems we face as a society as a result of our beguilement, shall we say, by the processed food-pharmaceutical complex (at least up to about the 2 min. mark, when they start selling their product):

 
Right. So I think the “tree” metaphor is just brilliant, and I agree one million percent that we would all be better served to withdraw ourselves from the chemical-laden foods and medications (in the latter case, doing so under close scrutiny of a trusted doctor). The million dollar question that remains, of course — which Dr. Junger and so many others are so eager to answer for us, in exchange for our money — is basically: “Assuming I can take all this stuff out of my diet, what do I replace it with?”

And this is where I would argue that “getting clean” is, at best, half the battle. We need to adopt long-term, healthy and sustainable eating habits. In other words, if you do your homework, and in fact do choose to undertake one of these cleansing programs (a proverbial “shock and awe” campaign on your body), it’s vitally important that you have some sort of practical, nutritional exit strategy. Not a diet, not a program, but a lifestyle. An overarching philosophy of “clean” living that informs and guides your food choices going forward. And, most importantly, one you actually enjoy!

What about you? Have you tried one of these cleansing programs? If you’re willing to share your experience, please do so in the comments section or on facebook, etc.

Do you have "Wimpy" will power?

Steve Dupont here, with the first of many short essays on the subject of nutrition.

Today we’re going to look at the big picture, and while I think financial analogies are overused and often overstretched, there are a few basic principles that work pretty well here, so why look a gift horse in the mouth, eh? I’m going to talk about three basic concepts that everyone is likely familiar with, in terms of investing strategies, and explain how these can also be applied to managing your “nutrition portfolio.”

The first is diversification. This is the one that all financial advisors, good or bad, hit you over the head with like a dead mackerel — and then, in the same breath, they tell you to put all your money into mutual funds … but that’s beside the point. Of course the “balanced diet” we always hear about is basically the same concept. Eat a wide variety of foods and not only do you better ensure you’ll receive a full complement of carbs, fats and protein, vitamins and minerals, etc. — but you better avoid toxins, allergens and even good solid nutrients that may be concentrated in certain foods. That’s not to say that if you fantasize about eating walnuts, or mangoes or even potato chips, that you shouldn’t fulfill your desires every day, in modest quantities. You just have to use your common sense.

Which is one good thing about nutrition, that being that most people have a good common sense when it comes to knowing what foods are good for them, generally speaking, and what foods are bad. The problem is, just like we often ignore the advice of our financial advisors (the ones who don’t just push mutual funds), we too often ignore the advice our own brains are doling out. After all, some evil bastard is always pushing donuts around the office, and the smell of cheeseburgers and fries at lunchtime turns you into a drooling moron like that Wimpy guy from the old Popeye cartoons. In other words, you have “Wimpy” will power. Join the club.

Okay, onto the second tenet of both good money and nutrition management: think long term.

The main area where this applies is “diets.” If you want to lose weight, for example, and are thinking about choosing a diet plan, one of your top criterion must be the overall practicality or sustainability of the plan. The main reason is that many studies show — and most of us know from experience anyway — that short term diets may produce results, but inevitably the weight is coming back. Often with souvenirs from its vacation. So, just like you should avoid having an abundance of volatile, flash-in-the-pan sort of stocks in your financial portfolio, you should avoid diet plans that are totally incongruent with a “balanced diet,” and one containing foods you actually enjoy eating. And, regardless of what course you choose, do not expect to lose 10 lbs. a week like the people on a certain TV reality/game show, because it ain’t gonna happen. Much more could be said about adopting a long-term vision of your health, but in the interest of time, let’s move on to the final point.

And here’s where we may veer slightly from common financial orthodoxy — and for that reason, this strategy may seem to contradict the previous one. The advice is this: stay on top of your portfolio and make changes when your gut tells you so. In other words, do not take the Ronco rotisserie oven approach advocated by many financial advisors — “set it and forget it.” This is a recipe for ruin, financially or nutritionally. Just like it’s important to stay informed about the sectors where your investments lie, as well as the individual companies, funds, etc. — it’s likewise important to monitor nutritional news and trends.

Thank God you have nutritionnewsandreviews.com!

Seriously though, if you eat a certain food every day that you understand to be healthy — say, sushi — and, oh I don’t know, a massive nuclear reactor explodes and melts down over in Japan, spilling huge quantities of radioactive isotopes into the sea, then you might want to trade some of your sushi for turkey or catfish, at least until the situation improves. Unfortunately, few such swaps are going to be even-steven, nutritionally, so you also need to keep tabs on where your shortfalls (i.e., omega-3s) may occur and do your best to cover them with other foods or supplements.

Do you have another proven strategy not mentioned here? Please share.