October Breast Health

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and although I have written about breast health and nutrition in the past, a new study published in BMJ (British Medical Journal) is shedding new light on food and breast cancer.  This study showed that there is an association between higher fruit intake and lower risk of breast cancer. Food choices during adolescence might be particularly important. What does that mean?  Make sure that fruit is incorporated into a healthy diet, and the earlier you start, the better.  Teens should be having three servings of fruit a day and women should be having two servings of fruit. Easy and delicious! But what else can we do to reduce our risk?  We can not eliminate risk of developing breast cancer (or other disease states), but we can reduce risk and there are three easy modifiable changes we can make to reduce risk.

• Maintain a healthy weight: A study published in Cancer Causes Control showed that  generalized obesity is an important risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer, but only among women who have never taken HRT. Lifetime weight gain is also a strong predictor of breast cancer. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and stay within a normal BMI. More important, pay attention to abdominal fat. For women, do not have a waist circumference over 35 inches.
• Move your body: Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days. Studies have shown that exercise reduces risk of developing breast cancer.
• Reduce alcohol consumption: Alcoholic drinks increases the risk of both postmenopausal and premenopausal breast cancers. If  you are going to consume alcohol,  consumption should be limited to one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men. (One drink = 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces. of wine, and 1.5 ounces. of liquor). Women do not metabolize alcohol the same way men do so the impact is greater on the body.

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It is also important to note that early pregnancy and breast feeding reduce risk of breast cancer. So stay at a healthy weight, exercise, don’t drink and eat that fruit to stay as healthy as possible! Roasted Grape and Pear Kuchen Recipe from Cooking light       Ingredients 1/2 cup warm 2% reduced-fat milk (100° to 110°) 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 large eggs 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and divided Baking spray with flour 1 1/2 cups seedless red grapes 2 firm peeled pears, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1/4 cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed Preparation 1. Combine milk, yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.

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Let stand 5 minutes. 2. Add remaining granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon oil, vanilla, rind, salt, nutmeg, and eggs; beat with a mixer at low speed until well combined. Add flour; beat at low speed 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add 5 tablespoons butter, 1 table­spoon at a time, beating after each addition.

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Smooth batter into a 9-inch springform pan coated with baking spray. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours. 3. Preheat oven to 450°. 4. Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, grapes, and pears; arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. 5. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Combine grape mixture, butter, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Arrange mixture over dough. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and place on a serving platter. Serve with whipped topping. Recipe Time Hands-on: 27 Minutes Total: 3 Hours Nutritional Information Calories 281 Fat 12.4 g Satfat 5.5 g Monofat 4.4 g Polyfat 1.7 g Protein 4.6 g Carbohydrate 39 g Fiber 2 g Cholesterol 47 mg Iron 1 mg Sodium 124 mg Calcium 39 mg  

Why We Should Eat A More Plant Based Diet

It has been long established that eating a more plant based diet can lower risks of heart disease, reduce blood pressure and decrease risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke. There is also a correlation between animal proteins and cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends eating a healthy diet with an emphasis on plant foods. It is also easier to lose and maintain a healthy weight when you consume a more plant based diet. Fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts and seeds have fewer calories and saturated fat than animal proteins (and cost less too!). A recent study in JAMA found that there is a direct link between mortality and  a high animal protein diet and that a high plant protein diet had an inverse relationship to mortality. This study focused primarily on red meat. So do you need to become a vegetarian to live a long healthy life? NO, But reducing red meat consumption, increasing fish and poultry and significantly increasing vegetable protein such as nuts, seeds, legumes and tofu are highly recommended. I say, start with one day a week that you commit to being meatless.  The governments started a campaign called “Meatless Monday” many years ago. Check out the website for great recipes and ideas for reducing animal protein and getting creative with food. Some easy ways to start:

• Try a tofu stir fry with tons of veggies for dinner
• Swap out that hamburger for a bean burger (recipe below-not entirely meatless as there is yogurt, but super yum)
• Make a vegetarian taco salad with black beans and pinto beans
• Cook a big pot of hearty lentil soup
• Swap out your regular cheese for soy or nut cheeses in your recipes
• Add beans or tofu to your salad instead of the usual animal protein
• Snack on hummus or nut butter on a rice cake

Even eating meatless one day a week can make great benefits to your health. Reduce red meat as much as possible and enjoy all the benefits that plant foods provide! You do not have to be a vegetarian or vegan to live a long, healthy life. Practice moderation with animal protein and increase those veggies!

Chickpea Burgers & Tahini Sauce

EatingWell Magazine August/September 2006

• Chickpea burgers
• 1 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
• 4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 6-1/2-inch whole-wheat pitas, halved and warmed, if desired
• Tahini sauce
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons tahini, (see Ingredient note)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• Ready In 25 min

1. Place chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, oregano, cumin and salt in a food processor. Pulse, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, until a coarse mixture forms that holds together when pressed. (The mixture will be moist.) Form into 4 patties.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until golden and beginning to crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes more.
3. To prepare sauce & serve: Meanwhile, combine yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, parsley and salt in a medium bowl. Warm pitas, if desired. Divide the patties among the pita halves and serve with the sauce.

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the uncooked burger mixture and tahini sauce for up to 2 days.
• Ingredient Note: Tahini is a thick paste made from ground sesame seeds. Look for it in the Middle Eastern section or near other nut butters in large supermarkets.

Nutrition information

• Per serving: 400 calories; 15 g fat(3 g sat); 9 g fiber; 54 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 133 mcg folate; 48 mg cholesterol; 3 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 809 IU vitamin A; 19 mg vitamin C; 148 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 715 mg sodium; 494 mg potassium
• Carbohydrate Servings: 3 1/2
• Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat