HEALTHY EATING:

 


太太's favourite dermatologist, Dr. D's suggests
Foods to Enjoy:
Almonds, asparagus, avocado, beans (black, kidney, lima), apples, bell peppers, broccoli, broccoli rabe, blueberries, blackberries, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, clams, cottage cheese (lowfat), crab meat, chicken (white meat), capon, cauliflower, celery, cod fish, coriander, cucumbers, dill, egg whites, eggplant, endive, escarole, fat-free milk, feta cheese, fennel, flounder, filet of sole, garlic, grapefruit, ginger, halibut, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, kale, legumes, lentil soup, lobster, lemons, leafy greens, lettuce, monkfish, mushrooms, mussels, nectarines, nuts, oatmeal, onions, olive oil, olives, parmesan cheese, peaches, pecans, parsley, pears, plums, radish, raspberries, spinach, scallops, Swiss chard, scallions, snow peas, smoked salmon, sardines, shrimp, salmon, salmon trout, soy beans, sour cream, swordfish, tea (black and especially green), tomatoes, tomato juice, tofu, turkey, yogurt (non-fat, unflavored), walnuts, zucchini

There are 9 simple rules to the program:  

  1. Each meal needs to include lean protein and carbohydrates (in the form of fruits and/or vegetables), and essential fatty acids from olive oil or fresh unsalted nuts. 
  2. Be sure to include up to one tablespoon of olive oil and one cup of yogurt 3x/week. (You can eat the yogurt for breakfast or as a snack between meals) 
  3. Women need to consume 14 ounces of lean protein, two servings of fruit and at least 4 servings of approved vegetables each day. (a vegetable serving is 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked. A fruit serving is one small apple or pear, 1 1/2-cup berries or 1/2 cup cut up fruit). Men need the same number of servings of fruits and vegetables, but should take in 16-18 ounces of protein/day.   
  4. Drink 8-10 glasses of water/day.
  5. Take prescribed supplements at the recommended times, rather than all at once.  
  6. Calories and quantities should be consumed evenly throughout the day. 
  7. Don't go longer than 4-5 hours without eating to keep blood sugar level.   
  8. Don't add fat to food when you cook.   
  9. Don't cheat-- it will show up on your skin before it pads your hips!  

BREAKFAST  

If you are a traditionalist, the egg white or oatmeal breakfasts will fit into your routine. If time is short in the morning, these items can be picked up at the local shop instead of the usual latte and bagel. If you tend to wake up hungry; the fish breakfast will be wonderfully satisfying. If eating is too much effort in the morning, a cool cup of yogurt will give you much needed protein and you don't even have to chew.  

  1. Egg white omelet (made with 3 egg whites), 1 serving of fruit   
  2. 1/2 cup unflavored oatmeal with skim milk, egg white omelet/
    1 serving of fruit  
  3. Fresh fish, preferably broiled or poached/serving of fruit   
  4. Non-fat unflavored yogurt, fruit salad of melons, berries, apples, pears, 1 teaspoon slivered almonds  

LUNCH
Lunches are designed to meet nutritional needs with easily obtainable foods. Don't use commercial salad dressings. Sprinkle the salads with 1-2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Make sure you get at least 4 ounces of protein at lunch. You can substitute 1/4-cup bean salad or 2 scant tablespoons of bean dip for the fruit. 

Lunch Menus: 

1.   Small can of tuna fish, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers (top with chopped onions if you wish), a serving of fresh fruit from approved list  

2.   Steamed vegetables and shrimp, chicken or tofu (season with Chinese mustard or low sodium soy sauce/ 1 serving of fruit.)  

3.   Smoked or grilled salmon (can use canned salmon, just drain off liquid the way you do with tuna) or sliced fresh turkey on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced radish, green pepper/ 1 serving of fruit  

4.   Grilled chicken breast/tossed green salad/1 serving of fruit  

5.   Grilled or poached shrimp (make sure you eat at least six shrimp) over a green salad, 1 serving of fruit  

6.   1/4 roast chicken (do not eat skin), green salad, 1 serving of fruit  

7.   Broiled salmon/green salad/1 serving of fruit  

8.   Turkey burger/ green salad or sliced tomatoes and lettuce/serving of fruit  

9.  Small can of salmon/green salad/1 serving of fruit  

10. Small can of sardines in olive oil/green salad/1 serving of fruit  

DINNER
You should be eating fish at least 10 times a week, which works out to at least one fish meal each day. To meet these goals, plan out what you are going to eat. Think about the demands of the upcoming day, and analyze what foods will be available for you. For example, if you know that you are going to be in meetings all day, try to start off with a good supply of protein. If you're going out with friends, steer them to a restaurant where you can get fish and a fresh salad rather than pizza or burgers and fries. The dinner menus that follow can be easily found in restaurants or made at home. If you like to cook, indulge your creativity with fresh fish and approved vegetables and seasonings. If you consider heating up a Lean Cuisine in a microwave, you can find appropriate foods in restaurants and take out stores. If you haven't had two servings of fruit that day, finish the meal with melon or berries.

Dr. Perricone recommends a daily salad that consists of lettuce,
tomatoes, and cucumbers. To vary flavor for each meal he advises adding on raw sliced mushrooms, green pepper strips, sliced radishes, and/or slivered celery. Toss salad with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and a few drops of fresh lemon juice to taste. Use black pepper and fresh herbs, but don't add salt. Keep in mind that these menus are just suggestions. You can mix and match any of the protein and vegetable choices as long as they are on the list of approved food items. Your chicken, fish and vegetables should be roasted, broiled, grilled, steamed or poached rather than fried or sautéed. 

  1. Broiled Salmon/asparagus/salad
  2. Teriyaki salmon/snow peas/saladMussels in white sauce/spinach/salad
  3. Clams in red sauce (no pasta)/escarole/salad
  4. Sautéed scallops with garlic and parsley/zucchini/salad
  5. Pan roasted salmon/cauliflower/salad
  6. Egg white omelet with smoked salmon/sliced tomatoes/salad
  7. Roasted fresh turkey/Brussel sprouts/salad
  8. Baked chicken/green beans/salad
  9. Broiled chicken/asparagus/salad
  10. Broiled swordfish/broccoli/salad
  11. Shrimp cocktail/broccoli rabe/salad
  12. Broiled filet of sole/green beans/salad

Don't get too hungry. Use these snacks to feel energetic and fulfilled. Remember- each snack needs to contain the same components as a full meal-- lean protein, carbohydrates in the form of fruits or vegetables and essential fatty acids from olive oil or nuts.
* 1-tablespoon whole almonds or Macadamia nuts, one small apple, sliced ham
* 6 black and green olives/celery sticks/ 2 slices smoked turkey
* A grilled or poached shrimp/1 1/4-cup cantaloupe/1 tablespoon macadamia nuts
* 1 small pear, 2 slices turkey breast/1 tablespoon slivered almonds
* Raw veggies (green pepper strips, cherry tomatoes. sliced cucumbers)/ 2 tablespoons bean dip 

Foods to Avoid
Alcoholic beverages, bacon, bananas, bagels, beef, beer, brandy, butter, breads, carrots, cream cheese, candy, cake, chocolate, coffee, cookies, cereals (except oatmeal), cornstarch, corn, corn syrup, croissants, dried fruit, duck, doughnuts, fruit juice, fried foods, flour, gin, grapes, goose, granola, hard cheese (except for feta and parmesan), honey, hot dogs, ice cream, jams and jellies, lamb, mango, margarine, molasses, mayonnaise, muffins, noodles, oranges, pancakes, papaya, pastry, peas, pie, pizza, pasta, pickles, popcorn, pork, potatoes, pudding, pumpkin, raisins, relish, rice, rum, sherbet, soda, scones, sherry, sugar, tacos, veal, waffles, watermelon, whiskey, wine, whole milk - Dr. Nicholas Perricone

Did you know that even modest amounts of weight loss can provide you with substantial improvements in vitality? Use the chart below to calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI).

 

BMI

Height (in)
58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76

Wgt. (lbs)

 4'10" 4'11" 5'0" 5'1" 5'2" 5'3" 5'4" 5'5" 5'6" 5'7" 5'8" 5'9" 5'10" 5'11" 6'0" 6'1' 6'2" 6'3' 6'4'
100 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12
105 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13
110 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 14 14 13
115 24 23 23 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14
120 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15
125 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 15
130 27 26 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16
135 28 27 26 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16
140 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17
145 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18
150 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18
155 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19
160 34 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 20
165 35 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20
170 36 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21
175 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22 21
180 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22
185 39 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23
190 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23
195 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24
200 42 40 39 38 37 36 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24
205 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26 25
210 44 43 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26
215 45 44 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26
220 46 45 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27
225 47 46 44 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 30 29 28 27
230 48 47 45 44 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28
235 49 48 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29
240 50 49 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29
245 51 50 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 32 31 30
250 52 51 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30
255 53 52 50 48 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31
260 54 53 51  

3-day detox plan
By Sandra Cabot (author of 'Ultimate Detox & Liver Cleansing Diet')

Avoid the following foods: 

  • Alcohol
  • Sugar
  • Coffee
  • Dairy products - no cow, sheep or goat milk, or any products containing these.
  • Gluten - this is found in wheat, rye, oats, spelt and barley, and all foods containing these. Gluten is hidden in many foods, so you will need to read food labels carefully.
  • Food additives such as artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, MSG, etc.
  • Vegetable oil that does not state cold pressed or extra virgin. Avoid all margarine, partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated vegetable oil.
  • Red meat, chicken, fish and eggs. For three days, you will obtain protein from vegetarian sources such as legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. You should also drink two litres of pure water - spring, mineral or filtered - each day. Also take one or two glasses of raw vegetable juice each day. You may include regular tea, green tea and herbal tea in your diet. Tea should be free of sugar, artificial sweeteners and dairy milk. You can use stevia or xylitol to sweeten tea.

  • Use beneficial fats such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, coconut milk and raw, unsalted nuts and seeds. You must have one raw vegetable salad each day, either for lunch or dinner. You may include sea salt in your diet; it is preferable to regular table salt. In place of dairy milk, you may use rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, quinoa milk or coconut milk.

Meal plan

Upon rising, drink two large glasses of purified water with the juice of half a lemon or lime. Fifteen minutes later eat breakfast.

Breakfast options

  • One bowl gluten-free muesli with non-dairy milk and a chopped pear.
  • One bowl rice porridge with 2 tablespoons chopped nuts sprinkled on top, with non-dairy milk and fresh berries.
  • Two pieces gluten-free toast with baked beans, served with a chopped apple.

Lunch options

  • Pasta with herbed vegetables (see recipe below), served with a small salad
  • Brown rice and red lentil salad with tomatoes and cucumbers.
  • Sandwich using gluten-free bread, with hummus, grated carrot and sultanas.

Dinner options 

  • Chick pea curry, served with brown rice (see recipe below)
  • Kidney beans with sauted spinach, served with brown rice.
  • Brown rice pilaf served with garden salad.

RECIPES

Pasta with herbed vegetables
(serves 4)

Ingredients 1 packet gluten free pasta
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 button squash, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup diced pumpkin
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
3 very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
Sea salt & black pepper to taste

Method

Cook the pasta according to packet directions. Saute the onion, garlic and pumpkin in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except the pasta; cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve the vegetable mixture over warm pasta.

Chick pea curry
(serves 4)

Ingredients

1 tin chick peas
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp grated ginger (optional)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 Swede or turnip, cubed
2 cups cubed pumpkin
2 button squash, chopped
1 can tinned tomatoes, chopped

Method

Cook the onion, garlic and ginger in oil for 5 minutes. Add spices and cook a further 2 minutes. Add all the other ingredients except the squash; simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add the squash and simmer a further 10 minutes. Serve with brown rice and garnish with fresh coriander.

Skin clearing juice

This vegetable juice will help improve the detox abilities of your skin.

2 apricots
1 carrot
1 green apple
1 handful endive or spinach
1/2 lemon, peeled
1 handful parsley

Who shouldn't do a detox at home?

Most people who are in relatively good health can perform a detox by themselves at home. There are some groups of people who should not do a detox without supervision - they include diabetics, people with liver or kidney disease, cancer or other serious disease. Pregnant or lactating women should not undergo a detox.

High-fibre diet linked to lower risk of breast cancer

We're told repeatedly to get more fibre. It's advice that can keep you regular and help ward off heart disease, type 2 diabetes and possibly colon cancer. Now, according to a new study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, increasing your intake of fibre can guard against breast cancer.

More than two decades ago, scientists hypothesized that dietary fibre could reduce breast cancer risk based on findings that vegetarian women had lower levels of the female hormone estrogen compared to their meat-eating peers. (It's thought that the female hormone estrogen promotes the growth of mutated breast cells.)

Fibre is also believed to guard against breast cancer by curbing the effects of insulin resistance and insulin-like growth factors, both of which have been linked to a greater risk of the disease. (Insulin-like growth factors are hormones thought to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells.)

Some - but not all - studies have found that a higher fibre diet reduces breast cancer risk. These mixed findings may be due to the fact that only certain types of fibre - rather than total fibre - protect from the disease.

Fibre's protective effect may also differ by breast cancer hormone receptor status. Studies examining the effect of fibre on total breast cancer would miss this association.

Doctors test breast cancer cells to see if they have hormone receptors. Hormone receptor-positive tumours are fuelled by the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Hormone receptor-negative cancer cells are not affected by estrogen and progesterone.

The current study - the largest of its kind - set out to determine the link between fibre intake and breast cancer by hormone receptor status in 185,598 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 71 years.

After seven years of follow up, women who consumed the most fibre (26 grams per day) were 13 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than women who consumed the least (11 grams per day). The official daily recommended intake for fibre is 25 grams for women aged 19 to 50 and 21 grams for older women.

A higher fibre diet was linked to a significantly lower risk of ER/PR-negative tumours, but not ER/PR-positive tumours. Women whose diets provided the most versus the least fibre had a 44 per cent lower risk of developing hormone-negative breast cancer.

Soluble, but not insoluble, fibre intake was protective from breast cancer. Both types of fibre are always present in varying proportions in plant foods, but some foods are rich in one or the other.

Soluble fibre dissolves in water. Once consumed, the fibre forms a gel in your stomach and slows the rate of digestion and absorption.

Soluble fibre has been shown to be more effective than insoluble fibre at controlling blood sugar, insulin and insulin-like growth factors, all of which have been linked to a greater risk of breast cancer. Insulin may impact breast cells directly or increase the growth of cancerous cells.

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that diet has a stronger effect on reducing the risk of hormone-negative breast cancer than hormone-positive tumours.

Current evidence suggests that the following nutrition strategies may guard against the disease.

Boost soluble fibre

Add soluble-fibre-rich food to your daily diet such as oats, oat bran, psyllium-enriched breakfast cereals, barley, legumes, citrus fruit and apples.

Choose low-glycemic carbs

Postmenopausal women whose diets contain mainly slow burning, or low-glycemic carbohydrates, have been found to have a lower risk of breast cancer, especially estrogen-negative tumours, compared to women who eat mainly high-glycemic carbohydrates.

High-glycemic foods such as white bread, refined breakfast cereals and sugary drinks lead to higher blood glucose and insulin levels, which in turn increase breast cancer risk.

Low-glycemic choices include grainy breads, brown rice, pasta, sweet potato, bran cereals, steel-cut or large flake oatmeal and most types of fruit.

Add flaxseed

Studies suggest that consuming 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed each day helps reduce breast cancer risk. Natural compounds in flaxseed are able to bind to estrogen receptors on breast cells and, in so doing, block the action of the body's own estrogen on breast cells.

Add ground flaxseed to hot cereal, yogurt, smoothies, applesauce and baked-good recipes.

Curb fat intake

The Women's Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial, the largest long-term trial ever conducted, found that a 20 per cent fat diet reduced the risk of breast cancer most notably in women who had a high fat intake at the start of the study.

A low-fat diet has also been shown to improve survival in women diagnosed with estrogen-negative breast cancer.

To reduce fat intake, choose skim milk, yogurt with 1 per cent milk fat or less and cheese with 15 per cent or less. Choose lean, skinless poultry, fish and beans more often than meat. Use added fats and oils sparingly.

Increase cruciferous veggies

Several studies hint that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower are protective from breast cancer. These vegetables contain phytochemicals that help rid the body of carcinogens by regulating detoxification enzymes in the liver.

Cruciferous vegetables include bok choy, broccoli, broccoli sprouts, broccoflower, broccolini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, rutabaga and turnip.

Limit or avoid alcohol

The evidence is convincing that alcohol, even in moderation, increases breast cancer risk. The Million Women Study published in 2009 found that for every additional drink consumed per day, the risk of breast cancer jumped by 12 per cent. Wine, beer and spirit increased the risk equally.

Alcohol may make breast cells more vulnerable to the effects of carcinogens or it may enhance the liver's processing of these substances. Alcohol may inhibit the ability of cells to repair faulty genes and may also increase estrogen levels.

If consumed at all, limit your intake to one drink per day or 7 per week.

Control weight Gaining weight after menopause is clearly linked with a higher risk of breast cancer. Obesity is thought to influence a woman's risk by increasing circulating estradiol, the most potent form of estrogen in the body.

Take steps to avoid or limit adult weight gain and increases in waist circumference. If you are overweight or have gained weight since menopause, take action to lose excess weight.  - 2009 September 2   GLOBE & MAIL

 


 


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