“The smart way to 10-a-day fruit and veg \u2013 don’t just count portions, but choose the foods which are most health-protective.”<\/strong><\/p>\n You may have seen recent press headlines telling us that we should be eating a minimum of 7<\/strong> and an optimum 10<\/strong> portions of fruits and vegetables a day!<\/p>\n Actually, this is not really news. The American Cancer Society has been calling for 9 portions for some years as a preventative strategy, as have many other experts; and readers of my newsletters will know I have been urging people to eat more fruits and vegetable for years. But we have to be realistic. Most people struggle to get to even 5-a-day, let alone the 4 portions of oily fish per week that we are also told to eat in order to stay healthy.<\/p>\n There is an easier way. Concentrate on the foods and nutrients with the highest health impact. Counting portions is only part of the picture because it\u2019s not just the number of portions<\/strong> that is important \u2013 it\u2019s what\u2019s in those portions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n So the smart question is NOT “How many portions should I be eating?\u201d Fruits, vegetables and oily fish are good for our health because they all contain valuable anti-inflammatory compounds. These compounds combat \u201cchronic sub-clinical inflammation\u201d, the process which drives degenerative diseases such as heart disease, stroke, arthritis, Type 2 diabetes, dementia and many of the cancers. This type of inflammation causes progressive tissue damage which is initially asymptomatic (shows no symptoms), but eventually emerges as one of the age-related diseases.<\/p>\n The PRO-health shopping list<\/p>\n (A) Best anti-inflammatory foods<\/strong> <\/p>\n (B) And other phyto-nutrients<\/strong> <\/p>\n And finally, good health depends not just on what you DO eat; what you DON’T<\/strong> eat is just as important. Polyphenols and omega 3s are anti<\/em>-inflammatory, but many of the processed foods we eat today are pro<\/em>-inflammatory (and should be minimised or avoided).<\/p>\n Decreasing pro-inflammatory foods and increasing the anti-inflammatory elements in our diet is the smart health strategy.<\/p>\n (C) But fewer pro-inflammatory processed foods<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Increase nutrient density<\/strong> Cook at low temperatures and if you fry, use virgin or extra virgin olive oil – and then add supplements.<\/p>\n Why? Our sedentary, urbanised and mechanised lifestyles present us with a huge nutritional dilemma. In order to maintain a reasonable and healthy body shape, we have had to decrease the amount of food we eat by an average 1,500 calories a day over the last century, from 3,500 calories to around 2,000 today. But these lower food intakes mean that we are consuming less nutrients. It is impossible to achieve an optimum intake of all the key protective nutrients at 2,000 calories a day, UNLESS YOU SUPPLEMENT.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why you\u2019ll see Omega 3 fatty acids, polyphenols from curcumin, green tea, grape seed extract and soy, plus lycopene, lutein and other phyto- and micronutrients in the NutriShield supplement. It\u2019s a logical way to increase the \u2018nutrient density\u2019 of your daily diet and restore it to, for example, mid-Victorian levels.<\/p>\n Advocating supplements used to be controversial, but the latest research provides yet more support for a comprehensive supplement (especially as you get older). One-a-day vitamin pills cannot provide any significant benefit, and a supplement is never a substitute for fresh fruits and vegetables. However, a well-formulated and comprehensive anti-inflammatory nutrient programme can add vital elements to a diet, even a well-intentioned one, that falls short of that 10-a-day optimum.<\/p>\n REFERENCES
\nbut<\/em> \u201cWhat is in these foods which makes them so health protective? Which foods give will give me the most bang for my buck?\u201d<\/p>\n
\nSo which foods which have the greatest anti-inflammatory impact? Which food items would top a pro-health shopping\/cooking list? Look for foods with a high nutrient density, and containing high levels of polyphenols and omega 3 fatty acids. They include:<\/p>\n\n
\neg. Ground cloves, turmeric, oregano, grape seed, rosemary, thyme, ginger, cinnamon
\neg. Acai, coffee berries, coffee, cocoa powder (unsweetened)<\/li>\n
\nRaspberries, tart cherries, elderberries, blueberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, currants<\/li>\n
\nWalnuts, pecans, almonds<\/li>\n
\nSpinach, kale, broccoli, collard greens<\/li>\n
\nSoy beans are particularly high in isoflavones.<\/li>\n
\nfrom wild salmon and oily sea fish like sardines, mackerel, herrings
\n(NB wild fish obtain Omega 3 from the plankton that they eat. Farmed salmon tend to be very depleted in omega 3s. The omega 3s in seeds such as flax seed are next to useless.)<\/li>\n
\nIt\u2019s not all about inflammation, of course. Many other plant foods contain a range of phyto-nutrients with other protective effects; plus, of course, vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n\n
\n
\nNutrient density doesn\u2019t sound exciting, but it\u2019s the smart way to plan your food intake. Use the list above to guide you to the vegetables and fruits that pack the greatest nutritional punch.<\/p>\n
\nUniversity College London study published March 31st in The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. http:\/\/jech.bmj.com\/content\/early\/2014\/03\/03\/jech-2013-203500).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"