At the Obesity Society meeting new research was presented that showed people who ate an apple about 15 minutes before lunch consumed almost 190 fewer calories than when they didn’t have the apple.

Well this should not come as a surprise to many. Fruits and veggies are big on volume and fiber, and low on calories. So if you fill up on “big” low-cal foods like apples before you eat (presumably more calorie heavy foods) you’ll eat less and lose weight. Now it’s confirmed in the study.

I’m sure that this would be true of any fruit or veggie. This just as easily could have been the pear diet, tomato diet, bell pepper diet etc. Now an apple a day will keep the weight away but not the celeb diet doctor

Source

“Revolutionary Fiber Works to Help you Lose Weight – Even When you Feel Like You’re Out of Options”

“You’re about to discover the “mechanical” method to control your weight. Read on and you’ll discover a secret very few know…”

It’s called fiber and here’s how it works. Fiber is delivered in fruits and veggies and it contains practically no calories and is fat free. It’s not a stimulant, a fat blocker, or diuretic. Here’s what it does. When you eat fruits and veggies before any meal, it you fill your stomach within minutes. You will feel full and eat less, usually for hours. It’s that simple. You’re satisfied, without jittery stimulants or tonics with weird side effects.

Gastric Bypass-Fruits and Veggies™ helps you eat less without feeling cheated. You’ll have better control over what and how much you eat. What’s more, the key ingredient in Fruits and Veggies™ contains practically no calories and is safe and easy to use.

Fruits and Veggies™ is not a magic pill that makes you lose weight overnight, but it does help you get control over your eating. Combined with the dietary advice, this can be the winning solution to meet your weight loss goals. Fruits and Veggies™ gives your own willpower a boost, is safe, affordable, and is available without a prescription.

Information about ingredients: Fruits and Veggies™ is a certified natural product and contains no chemically generated compounds, fillers, or additives. Nature uses only the finest certified ingredients in their highest concentrated and digestible compounds to create Fruits and Veggies™.

“How to Use Gastric Bypass- Fruits and Veggies™”
Information about dosage: Each apple, pear or similar fruit and veggie contains fiber and is low in calories. The recommended daily dosage for Gastric Bypass Fruits and Veggies™ is to take one apple or similar fruit and or veggie 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an eight ounce glass of water.

It was widely reported this week that a diet high in fruits and vegetables provided no added benefit against breast cancer recurrence. In this study published in JAMA, more than 3,000 women (average age 53) who were treated successfully for early stage breast cancer were followed for 6-11 years. Breast cancer recurrence rates were no better for those women who consumed 9 or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables than those who consumed 5. This was surprise to many, and was viewed by the media as a “setback to the hope that better diets can prevent breast cancer recurrence.”

Flawed Study Design
The most important nutritional factor in determining cancer development was not controlled for in this study: animal protein. Without controlling for the amount of animal protein, it is not surprising that no benefit was seen by merely increasing veggie and fruit intake.

Animal Protein Promotes Cancer Development
Dietary animal protein has been shown in animal studies to have dramatic effects on cancer development. Animals feed aflatoxin, a potent cancerous compound produced by mold growing on improperly stored corn and peanuts, will develop liver cancer if fed a diet high in casein, the predominant protein found in milk. All animals administered aflatoxin and fed a diet containing 20% casein developed liver cancer and were dead, or near dead, at 100 weeks. All animals given the same amount of aflatoxin, but fed a diet containing only 5% casein were alive and active at 100 weeks. Just decreasing the amount of dietary animal protein prevented expression and development of liver cancer.

When studies were repeated with diets containing high plant protein sources (20% soy and wheat) there was no cancer development. As if a switch was turned on, cancer growth was dependent on the amount of animal protein in the diet, a finding not seen with plant protein. If you want to read more on this, I suggest you read the China Study by Colin Campbell.

Breast Cancer and Animal Protein
Breast Cancer has been linked with an increased consumption of red meat and high fat dairy products during pre-menopausal years. We also know from population studies that American women have breast cancer rates 400% higher than the Japanese. However, Japanese women who move to the United States soon develop the same elevated risk for breast cancer as Americans, suggesting that there are dietary factors at work here. A likely culprit is animal protein; Japanese women consume more animal protein in their diets once they move to the United States.

Bottom Line
There are strong dietary links between cancer development and animal protein. Without controlling and significantly decreasing the amount of meat and dairy in this study, no improvement in breast cancer recurrence rates would be expected by merely increasing fruit and veggie intake. Only if the women were placed on a strict vegan style diet, which would include higher fruits and veggies but also eliminate meats and dairy, would I expect to see a protective effect against breast cancer recurrence.

The Chinese, who have one of the healthier diets, are getting sick and developing higher rates of breast cancer. The culprit? A Western style diet loaded with meats and sweets. New research, which specifically focused on breast cancer, has added to the growing body of evidence that a diet high in animal products and sugar will increase your risk of several types of cancer, as well as heart disease and diabetes.

Western Diet and Breast Cancer Study Results
This study examined the eating habits of approximately 3,000 women, ages 25-64. Half of this group had been diagnosed with breast cancer and are participating in an ongoing cancer study in Shanghai.  The “meat-sweet” group, who ate red meat, shrimp, fish, candy, desserts, bread and milk, had a 60 percent greater risk of breast cancer compared with the “vegetable-soy” group, who ate tofu, vegetables, sprouts, beans, fish and soy milk.

“We saw the clearest effect when we looked at post-menopausal women who were overweight, so it looks like there’s an interaction between a meat-sweet diet and being overweight,” said study co-author Marilyn Tseng, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.”

Celebrity Diet Doctor Weigh in
This research is really nothing new.  The more animal protein and refined sugar you consume the higher your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke etc.  Eat more fruits and veggies to protect yourself from having the “cancer switch” flipped on by a Western style diet.

Nothing says “summer” more than eating meaty, lip-dripping, watermelon slices on a hot humid day. You may be surprise to know that something so delicious is actually good for you too.

This summertime treat helps boosts blood levels of a powerful antioxidant called lycopene.  Lycopene belongs to a family of compounds known as carotenoids which give many fruits and vegetables their vibrant orange, yellow and red colors. Identified as heart healthy and a cancer fighter, lycopene is responsible for the red color found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit. Individuals found to have higher lycopene blood levels had a much reduced incidence of heart disease and prostate cancer.

When people think of lycopene they often think of tomatoes, but watermelon actually contains 40% more lycopene than fresh tomatoes by weight. Whereas the cooking process, by releasing lycopene from the cell walls, helps makes lycopene from tomatoes more freely absorbable by the body, watermelon lycopene is just as easily absorbed fresh from the fruit.

Here’s a watermelon recipe that is sure to be a hit around your house…

Watermelon Gazpacho
Here’s a watermelon take on a classic gazpacho traditionally made with tomatoes. Either way, gazpacho is a great way to get your lycopene fix. The extra virgin olive oil adds a silky smoothness to the dish and will help boost you body’s ability to absorb the fat-soluble lycopene.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
7 cups cut in 3-4 inch segments + 1 cup finely diced watermelon (about 6 lbs with rind)
1 cup diced cucumbers
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup cilantro

DIRECTIONS
Puree in batches 7 cups watermelon in food processor. Transfer to large bowl.
Add remaining 1 cup diced watermelon, cucumbers, bell pepper, and onion to bowl.
Stir in sherry vinegar, add black pepper and garnish with cilantro. Serve chilled.

Enjoy!

With summertime just around the corner, here’s a favorite cantaloupe recipe of mine that’s easy-to-make, incredibly elegant and will help your skin look younger too. Cantaloupe is loaded with sun-protecting betacarotene, the bright-orange pigment found in cantaloupe that is a powerful antioxidant. Better known for its anticancer properties, betacarotene keeps your skin young and healthy by decreasing your skin’s sensitivity to sunburn. Other foods high in betacarotene include carrots, mango, squash, peaches and broccoli.

Another skin-healthy compound, found in this recipe, is limonene which gives citrus peels its bitter taste and has been linked with a reduction in skin cancer. Be sure to use the zest or citrus peels in your dishes as limonene is mainly found in the citrus peels and not in the juice.

While no substitute for sunscreen, it’s good to know that you can help keep your skin young by eating right. I have always been a big fan of getting your vitamins and nutrients from fruits and veggies, especially since the health claims of some vitamin supplements have been called into question.

Cantaloupe with Lemon Zest
I find that the simplest recipes most often taste the best. This elegant summertime favorite is deceptively delicious contrasting the sweetness of cantaloupe with the tang of lemon juice and zest.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 medium cantaloupe
Juice and zest of 3 lemons

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut cantaloupe in half and remove seeds. Cut each half into 6 slices. Using a paring knife cut away rind in one piece. Re-assemble each cantaloupe slice, putting flesh with rind, and carefully cut each slice into 1/2 inch segments leaving the rind intact.

2. Drizzle lemon juice over each prepared cantaloupe slice. Top with zest and serve. Enjoy

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but eat it with the peel. In apples, up to 25% of all antioxidant activity is contained within the peel. New research also shows that apple peels are rich in phytonutrients that have potent anti-cancer properties against breast, colon and liver cancer cells.

The skins of fruits and vegetables contain the highest antioxidant levels. Smaller fruits, which have a larger skin to weight ratio, have higher concentrations of anti-oxidants than larger fruits of the same species. Similarly, in green leafy vegetables the outer leaves, which are exposed to more sunlight, have higher concentrations of anti-oxidants than the inner leaves.

Organically grown produce also contains higher antioxidant concentrations than conventionally grown. Grown without protective pesticides, organic produce is under greater environmental “stress” stimulating greater antioxidant production. These antioxidants, which are so good for us, are used by plants to build up their protective defenses.

So have several small, organically grown apples to get the biggest antioxidant punch… and keep the doctor away. The smaller ones are much tastier too!

With summertime here, it’s time to dust off the grill. Before you do, consider this. While barbeque sauce may not come with a surgeon general’s warning on the label, it does promote the formation of Heterocyclic amines (HAAs) which are the same substances found in cigarette smoke. Beef marinated with barbeque sauce and grilled showed an almost 3 fold increase in HAAs compared with beef grilled without barbeque sauce. These mutagenic compounds, formed when meats are grilled under high heat, have been linked with increased cancer rates so it is reasonable to limit their consumption. Studies suggest that it is the fructose content, found in high fructose corn syrup and honey in many prepared barbeque sauces, which is responsible for the greater HAA formation during the grilling process.

For healthier grilling vinegar and soy based marinades are excellent choices, drastically reducing HAA formation while adding flavor. A vinegar-based marinade (mixture of brown sugar, olive oil, cider vinegar, garlic, mustard, lemon juice and salt) reduced HAA formation by 90% in chicken, compared with un-marinated. Likewise, teriyaki and tumeric-garlic marinades reduced HAAs formation in beef.

Pre-cooking meat in the oven and finishing off on the grill will also help cut out HAAs. You can avoid many of these harmful chemicals and still get great grilled flavor by grilling veggies and fruits too. Fire up the grill and use these simple tips to get your grilling season off to a healthy and flavorful start.

Organic produce is more expensive than conventionally grown produce, so why buy organic? Organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Traditional farming methods such as crop rotation, mulches and tillage are used to control weeds and natural fertilizers are used to enrich the soil. Besides limiting the pesticide residues you consume, organic farming methods kick up the nutritional value of the food you eat.

With no protective pesticides, organically grown produce is under more environmental stress from insects and competing plants compared to conventionally grown produce. Fruits and vegetables respond to these environmental stressors by producing greater amounts of antioxidants to build up their protective defenses. Organically grown blackberries, for instance, have 50% higher antioxidant levels compared with conventionally grown. Similarly, organically grown corn was found to have 58 % higher levels of antioxidants including Vitamin C. Often tastier than their conventionally grown counterparts, this is another good reason to go organic.

We’re not listening to mom when she pleads to “eat your veggies.” Despite government campaigns and slogans, a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine shows there has been a small decrease in veggie intake and no improvement in Americans’ fruit consumption.

The study compared dietary survey data from almost 15,000 adults during 1988 to 1994 with a later survey from 8,900 adults during 1999 to 2002. The results for the average American are sobering:

• only 28 percent meet USDA guidelines for fruits
• only 32 percent meet USDA guidelines for veggies
• less than 11 percent meet USDA guidelines for both fruits and veggies
• 62 percent did not consume any whole fruit servings
• 25 percent reported eating no daily vegetable servings

Practically all the disease-preventing antioxidants in our diet come from fruits, veggies and whole grains. Besides being nutritionally rich, fruits and veggies are also low in calories. Unfortunately, the refined processed-foods that are so pervasive not only are nutritionally poor but also calorically dense. Little wonder that we are witnessing an epidemic of obesity and chronic diseases in this country.