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estrogenic activity (phytoestrogens) which could protect the heart, prevent calcium loss that leads to osteoporosis, and reduce the risk for hormone-related cancers. The phytochemicals in garlic and onions have a cholesterol lowering, heart-protective effect, blood thinning activity and anti-carcinogenic properties. But the fruits and vegetables already mentioned are only some of the plant foods with beneficial phytochemicals. Basically, all plant foods, including cereal grains, contain some isolated or yet unknown phytochemicals. Herbs such as parsley, tarragon, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme (among others) contain them. So do spices such as cinnamon and cloves. Some, like cinnamon, seem to have other beneficial effects such as helping to modulate blood glucose. In other words, we have barely scraped the surface of what there is to know in this new area of research. What we do know from all this, and what common sense tells us, is that to gain as much health benefit as we can from food, we must eat a variety of different foods. We must also eat in moderation (more is not always better), because just as we discover benefits, we may yet discover hidden dangers. Take, for example, licorice root which contains anti-carcinogenic, anti inflammatory and anti-allergenic properties. But indulge in too much of it for too many days, and you run the dangerous risk of highly increased sodium retention and potassium excretion which can cause heart failure and cardiac arrest. Another cautionary note is directed at those who believe that the more raw or uncooked the food, the better. Foods such as soybeans and peanuts contain enzyme inhibitors and saponins that can hemolyze blood cells and cause pancreatic enlargements. These foods should not be eaten raw, but need to be heated (cooked) in order to heat-deactivate these compounds. We all know there is more to food than protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Not only are there a vast number of phytochemicals, there are also soluble and insoluble plant fibers. Fiber has been shown to be beneficial to digestion, to prevent gastrointestinal cancers, to lower blood cholesterol and heart disease risk and to improve blood glucose control in diabetics. The important point to note here is that of all of the latest health and nutrition discoveries, the major ones have involved plant foods - fruits, vegetables and grains. Our awareness of the importance of these foods in our diet has led to the development of current nutrition guidelines. No longer are we led by a model of the four food groups in equal proportion. We now have five primary food groups set up in a pyramid structure. At the base we have the cereal and grain foods of which we should eat the highest proportion each day. The next highest proportion of foods we should eat are fruits and vegetables, two separate groups, each of which provides its own set of required vitamins and minerals and each of which supplies different beneficial fibers and phytochemicals. Higher on the pyramid are the dairy and meat groups which contain foods to be eaten in portions much smaller than previously believed. And at the tip of the pyramid, we have foods that are meant to be consumed very sparingly - fats, oils and sweets. It is important to remember that the key is still variety, moderation and balance. All of the different foods are needed and necessary in our diet. When certain diet fads (either supposedly "medical" or "philosophical") propose elimination of certain foods, or even worse, total food groups, you should know that they are not scientifically solid or healthy. This is especially true of the current resurgence of the "High Protein Diet" and of extreme vegetarian diets such as the "Macrobiotic Diet". There is always danger when a whole food group is eliminated and before opting for a diet of this type, a person should consult a dietitian or nutritionist to find out which supplements must be added in order to provide missing required nutrients. If lactose intolerant people, for example, choose to avoid all dairy foods, they should be aware that they run the risk of insufficient riboflavin and calcium in their diets and should take steps to take supplements to provide them. A person choosing not to eat meat should know where to get iron in absorbable form and of the risk of vitamin B-12 deficiency. On the other extreme from vegetarian diets are the newly popular diets which recommend eating mostly fatty protein and very little carbohydrates. But our diets must contain carbohydrates which is what plant foods mostly are. Even if these advocates of low carbohydrate diets were to concede that certain plant nutrients are necessary (including phytochemicals and fiber), but suggested supplementing them with pills, common sense as well as science should tell us that this cannot be a healthy diet. If most of the nutrients we require are found primarily in plant foods, how could a diet which eliminates most of these foods be healthy? When the body is deprived of carbohydrates, is acts as if it were starving. Just one of the outcomes is that the body shifts into a more efficient use of energy, i.e., it burns fewer calories in the resting state. This could be one of the reasons people on extreme high protein/no carbohydrate diets reach a point where they can't lose any more weight. We are making new discoveries daily about colorful compounds in food which have more benefits than we could ever have dreamed of. These wonderful, hidden treasures have always been within our reach -- the fruit basket, the vegetable bin, the bean soup, nuts, seeds, herbs and the spices of our lives. Somehow, our focus in Western Civilization shifted to a singular preoccupation with meat. We must now refocus ourselves and find health and energy in the bountiful variety of the fruits of the earth. In truth and in metaphor, we must go out and "colorize" our diet. About the author: Dr. Olha Shevchuk O'Quinn is a Certified Nutritionist in private practice in Manhattan. Readers with questions may call (212) 353-9704. ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЛЮТИЙ 1997 19
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