Email Newsletter Summer 2004

A Dietitian's Cancer Story Newsletter: Summer 2004 Summer Greetings from Diana Dyer, MS, RD, author of A Dietitian's Cancer Story. As summer and our Michigan growing season winds down, I want to share this beautiful and inspirational quote by William Shakespeare with you. "Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners." Thus, we can really garden all year long as we choose those hundreds of baby steps each day called "lifestyle choices" that can optimize our physical and mental health.  A recently published research study highlighted that these choices really can make a big difference in cancer prevention. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic studied health behaviors in the post-menopausal women being evaluated in the long-term Iowa Women's Health Study. Those women who followed only one or none of the recommendations had a 35% increase in cancer diagnosis and a 42% increased risk of dying from cancer when compared to women who followed 6 or more nutrition and lifestyle recommendations from the American Institute for Cancer Research (guidelines listed below)!! Yes, your own daily choices can make a huge difference in your health! One of the pleasures of my summer is daily weeding of my gardens, just 10-15 minutes each day. In reality, not only am I weeding each day, I am nurturing my garden and my health each and every day with multiple choices about what I eat, physical activity, stress reduction, and spirituality.  This important research study is good news for older women, because it shows that following easy to manage, healthy lifestyle choices later in life is not too late to reap large benefits. So pick up that trowel, walking shoes, or new healthy food. Tap into your will and enjoy year-round gardening (and nurturing your health) no matter where you live, each and every day!  Diana Dyer, MS, RD ******************************** Newsletter Contents: I. American Institute for Cancer Research Diet and Lifestyle Guidelines II. Research Updates III. New Books to Suggest IV. New Recipe V. New Foods VI. New Website VII. Book Ordering Information ******************************** I. American Institute for Cancer Research Diet and Lifestyle Guidelines (http://www.aicr.org) AICR is the only non-profit organization devoted to research and education regarding the nutrition and cancer connection. Proceeds from the sale of my book, A Dietitian's Cancer Story (both English and Spanish editions), are donated to The Diana Dyer Endowment at AICR to study nutrition strategies to improve the odds for long-term cancer survival. The nine diet and lifestyle recommendations studied included in the above cited article: (1) Not smoking (2) Having a maximum body mass index of less than 25 kg/m2 (for more information on body mass index, go to http://www.mayoclinic.com) and limiting weight gain to no more than 11 pounds since age 18 (3) Engaging in daily moderate and weekly vigorous physical activity (4) Eating five or more servings of vegetables and fruits each day (5) Eating seven or more portions of complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and cereals each day; limiting processed foods and refined sugar (6) Limiting alcoholic drinks to one drink a day for women (7) Limiting red meat to about three ounces daily (8) Limiting intake of fatty foods, particularly those of animal origin (9) Limiting intake of salted foods and use of salt in cooking ******************************** II. Research Updates (abstracts for these articles and press releases can be found by searching on PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi) or even Google (http://www.google.com). A. Adherence to the AICR cancer prevention recommendations and subsequent morbidity and mortality in the Iowa Women's Health Study cohort. Cerhan JR, et. al., Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention 2004; 13(7): 1114-1120. Summarized in my opening paragraph and the above listed AICR guidelines. B. Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection. MJ Brown, et. al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 2, 396-403, August 2004. This study validates the recommendation I make in my book, in which I note that I always eat some food containing a bit of fat at the same time that I eat my fruit and veggies, especially as a snack between meals. Many phytochemicals are fat soluble, which means their absorption into our body will be increased by simultaneously eating foods that also contain some fat. Please note that this is not a recommendation to consume as much fat as possible. Emphasize healthy fats in amounts that will help you keep your weight under control. (i.e., a small handful of almonds eaten with some tomato juice is likely adequate, rather than eating the entire 1# bag!). ******************************** III. New Books to Suggest I love finding new cookbooks that promote ultra-healthy eating. All of these books are available from bookstores or from Amazon.com, with direct links available on my web site's page of suggested books (http://cancerrd.com/booksug.htm) (1) Cancer Lifelife Cookbook by Kimberly Mathai, MS, RD w/Ginny Smith - a terrific new cookbook written for people diagnosed with cancer. Contains all ultra-healthy ingredients for foods that are easy and delicious. This is a beautiful book with recipes that I would eat myself without needing to alter! (2) The Amazing Flax Cookbook, Jane Reinhardt-Martin, RD, LD - Do you want to know what to do with flaxseeds in addition to putting them in my soy shake recipes? This cookbook will show you how to incorporate ground flaxseeds into nearly anything you can think of, from sausage to pesto sauce (recipe below). You'll be buying and eating many more flaxseeds after purchasing this book! (3) Café Max & Rosie's: Vegetarian Cooking with Health and Spirit, Max & Rosie Beeby, 10 Speed Press, Berkeley, CA, 2000. Not new, but new to me! A terrific all vegetarian cookbook of recipes from the famous café in Asheville, NC. A great emphasis on whole grains, beans, juices, and some of the restaurant's top secret recipes, including Rosie's World-Famous Tangy Tofu Salad Dressing. (I hope to receive permission to post this recipe on my web site in the future.) ******************************** IV. Recipe Flaxseed Pesto reprinted with permission from The Amazing Flax Cookbook by Jane Reinhardt-Martin, RD, LD 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese 4 Tbsp. ground flaxseed 1 clove garlic 1 Tbsp. pine nuts 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves 1. Place all ingredients except basil in blender, food processor, or small chopper/grinder. 2. Pureed until paste is formed. Make sure you add basil last, or after you have made a paste to prevent discoloration or darkening of the basil. Makes ~8 Tbsp. Use to increase flavor of any pasta dish, lentil or vegetable soup, as a base on top of pizza dough, or on baked potatoes instead of butter. Be creative and see how many ways you can find to increase your flaxseed intake this way! I freeze this in 1 tablespoon portions for later use. ******************************** V. New Foods To Try (A) Brown Basmati Rice by Lundberg - found in my regular grocery store. Yes, this takes 50 minutes to cook, but I always make extra to use later in the week or freeze, and the house smells absolutely wonderful during that entire time. It is worth it! (www.lundberg.com) (B) Rapini (Broccoli rabe) - fresh in the produce section. A slightly bitter green leafy vegetable with an edible, tender stem. I try to eat some dark green leafy veggie every single day. Although it is a cruciferous vegetable, it is actually more related to a turnip than the broccoli plant. I washed it, cut off the end one inch, then steamed it for 2 minutes, cooled it, and then added it to a curry stir-fry. Yum, yum! Dozens of great recipes can be found at the following web site: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/BroccoliRaab.htm (C) Found at Trader Joe's: (1) Artichoke Hearts - found in the freezer section, not the canned foods section. Just frozen artichoke quarters, no added salt. They do need to be cooked for a few minutes and then cooled, but again, this time is worth it to really taste artichokes, not all the salt that is in canned artichokes. They will have much more interesting texture than canned ones, also. Toss them into salads or stir-frys. (2) Pita Chips (Multigrain, Parmesan, Garlic, and Herb seasoning, other flavors, too) - these have significantly less fat than potato chip, are tasty, sturdy, contain no trans-fats, are relatively low in salt, and contain fiber! Be careful not to eat the entire bag in one sitting :-) (3) Frozen avocado halves - so easy to have on hand to make guacamole or thaw and mix with tofu for a tasty sandwich mix (see recipe on my web site at http://www.cancerrd.com/recipes/tofuavocadosand1.htm) (4) Whole Wheat Pizza Dough - a ready-to-use dough found in the refrigerated section. Finally, a real whole grain pizza dough is available that tastes great and is only 89¢. ******************************** VI. New Website (A) Male Cancers - www.malecare.com This site has in-depth information about all male cancers, including male breast cancer (including dozens of pages in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Hebrew). ******************************** VII - Book Ordering Information Both editions of A Dietitian's Cancer Story, the updated and revised edition published in April 2002 (new ISBN is 096672383X) and the Spanish edition published in 2000 (ISBN 0966723821), can be ordered from any bookstore, library, Amazon.com, and directly from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) by calling 1-800-843-8114 or going to their web site http://www.aicr.org. Discounts for orders of 10 or more copies are available for both editions by calling AICR at 1-800-843-8114 - asking to speak to Candi Navarrette. Many cancer centers, health care professional offices, and places of worship have ordered books in larger quantities to have available to give as as educational and support information or to resell. Bookstores and libraries may order directly from the book wholesalers Ingram or Baker & Taylor. ******************************** I send my best wishes to all of you for health, healing, and hope!  Diana Dyer, MS, RD ******************************** Diana Grant Dyer, MS, RD - Author A Dietitian's Cancer Story (English and Spanish editions) Available from AICR (1-800-843-8114) "Information and Inspiration for Cancer Survivors" Proceeds donated to the Diana Dyer Cancer Survivors' Nutrition and Cancer Research Endowment at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)