Salt not only adds flavor to your favorite foods, but it is also essential for proper fluid balance and muscle function. But too much of this nutrient can lead to high blood pressure, which increases your risk for cardiovascular disease.

But just because you don’t reach for the saltshaker doesn’t guarantee you aren’t being overloaded with sodium—processed foods, condiments, and restaurant fare all tend to have high amounts. So how well do you do when it comes to salt intake? Take our quick poll to see how much you know about this mouthwatering mineral.

By Julie Upton, RD

Fiber used to be an unglamorous word for most of us, mainly because of its association with bowel movements, GI health, or “waste management,” as my girlfriends like to say. But there’s no roughing it today—not with all of the great-tasting, high-fiber foods now in supermarkets.

According to the 2009 HealthFocus USA Trend Report, nearly half of all shoppers are trying to increase the fiber in their diets, and 43% are looking for foods that are high in fiber. That should be easy, considering the hundreds—if not thousands—of new fiber-fortified foods in our groceries, such as dairy products like yogurt and milk, fruit juices, chewy granola bars, and even desserts.

The downside to fortified foods
But the problem is that nutrition scientists contend that all fiber is not created equal—and eating a diet rich in naturally occurring fiber sources (i.e., fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) will do more for your health than eating products that normally lack fiber but are now fiber fortified.

Fiber additives like inulin, maltodextrose, and polydextrose may not provide the same health benefits that you’d get eating foods with natural fibers.

We’re supposed to eat 14 grams of fiber per every 1,000 calories, but most of us get about 14 grams total for the day, or less than half of what is recommended. Fiber is important for a variety of reasons. Its main benefits include:

Improved digestive health: More than 100 studies have shown that fiber increases stool bulk, which should help speed transit time in the gut.

Protection against heart disease: A diet low in fat and saturated fat but rich in soluble fiber can help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease. Some studies have found that those who eat fiber-rich diets suffer fewer heart attacks. The Food and Drug Administration found sufficient scientific evidence to allow a health claim on foods that contain soluble fiber in certain quantities.

Cancer-fighting properties: Fiber may also help reduce the risk of certain cancers, including colorectal cancer. Some studies have found a link between a high-fiber diet and reduced risk for breast cancer, but this is inconclusive.

Blood-sugar control: Studies also show that fibers help reduce the blood-sugar response of carbohydrate-containing foods by slowing down the digestion.

Weight control: Several studies have found that those who consume higher-fiber diets weigh less than those who eat diets low in fiber. In addition, Tufts University researchers found that by adding 14 grams of fiber a day to women’s diets, their average weight loss was more than four pounds in four months.

(Istockphoto)

Natural fiber-rich foods
Registered dietitian Danielle LaFata, MA, RD, CSSD, of Athletes’ Performance in Phoenix, Ariz., advises clients to “look beyond fiber claims and to the ingredient list, to make sure that the products you’re eating aren’t too high in added sugars, artificial ingredients, additives, or preservatives. It’s better to eat a piece of fruit or have some nuts to get your fiber than eat a high-fiber food that has an ingredient list that’s 10 lines long,” she advises.

One thing no one disputes is that the new fiber-fortified foods are not a substitute for a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other fare that is naturally full of fiber, including those in the list below (and in these tasty recipes).

• 1 cup cooked beans: 10 to 13 g of fiber
• Ready-to-eat bran cereal, 1/2 cup: 10 g
• Beans, lentils, 1/2 cup: 5 to 8 g
• Berries, 1 cup: 5 to 9 g
• 2 rye crackers: 5 g
• Sweet potato, 1 medium: 5 g
• Green peas, 1/2 cup: 4.5 g
• Whole-wheat English muffin: 4.5 g
• 1 small pear: 4.5 g
• Mixed vegetables, cooked, 1/2 cup: 4 g
• Potato, baked, 1 medium: 4 g
• Stewed prunes, 1/2 cup: 4 g
• Dried figs, 1/4 cup: 4 g
• Oat bran, 1/4 cup: 4 g
• Almonds, 1 ounce: 3.5 g
• Apple, 1 medium: 3.5 g
• Banana, orange, 1 medium: 3 g
• Tomato paste, 1/4 cup: 3 g
• Broccoli, cooked, 1/2 cup: 3 g
• Beets, 1 cup: 3 g

Next week, I’ll review some of the newer fiber-fortified products on grocery-store shelves, and how their nutrition information measures up. In the meantime, start keeping track of approximately how much fiber you’re getting a day. If you’re like most Americans, you may be surprised how little it really is.

Previous posts by Julie Upton, RD:

In a shocking surprise to most of us dietitians, the American Heart Association (AHA) stood up to the food industry earlier this month and essentially made eating and drinking a lot of items in the supermarket off-limits.

Why? Because sugar has just earned a spot on the AHA’s black list, joining saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium as negative nutrients that need to be limited for your heart’s sake.

The AHA’s new recommendations on added sugars in our diet are the strictest of any major health organizations’ guidelines. Added sugars, by the way, are sweeteners that are used primarily in processed packaged foods and beverages—think sodas, cereals, and desserts. Added sugars are not the same as natural sugars, which are naturally present in fruit, 100% fruit juices, dairy products, and vegetables.

The AHA recommends that added sugar intake be limited to 100 calories (25 grams, or 6 teaspoons) per day for women, and to 150 calories (about 37 grams, or 9 teaspoons) per day for men.

Why the change?
Most of us now eat about 355 calories (88 grams, or 22 teaspoons) of added sugars each day, which is almost a 20% increase over the past three decades. When you consider that a 12-ounce can of soda or one cup of frozen yogurt packs in 8 teaspoons of sugar, meeting the new restrictions will make many foods and beverages off-limits.

  

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The sour truth to all this sweet stuff in our diet, according to the AHA report, published in the journal Circulation, is that several studies have linked high amounts of sugar intake to insulin resistance, hypertension, high triglycerides, and type 2 diabetes. While most food manufacturers would argue otherwise, the bottom line is that sweets may taste great, but they don’t add positive nutrients to our diet. In a nation of overfed and undernourished individuals, sugary foods need to be limited.

The AHA’s conclusion: There is sufficient evidence to link excessive sugar intake to the pandemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Tricks to limit added sugars
If you have a sweet tooth, you can probably make use of these tricks I use to limit added sugars and make sure I don’t blow my overall daily calorie budget.

• Eat natural, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, as added sugars are primarily in processed foods. This is especially true for snacks, as between-meal noshes are often sugar-laden.
• Since added and natural sugars aren’t distinguished from one another on nutritional labeling, it’s not possible to calculate exactly how much you’re getting each day. But as a general rule of thumb, the more processed a food is, the higher percentage of its sugars are added—especially if it’s not a fruit or dairy product, which may contain a mix of both.
• For a better idea of the added sugar content, look at the ingredient list on packaged foods. If any of these are among the first three ingredients, the food is sugar-rich: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, sugar (dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose), high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, raw sugar, syrup.
• Choose foods labeled low-sugar, sugar-free, or sugar-reduced.
• Pay particular attention to the foods and beverages listed below, as they are the most common sources of added sugars in the diet.

Major sources of added sugar in Americans’ diets

• Regular soft drinks: 33% contribution to total added sugar intake
• Straight sugar and candy: 16%
• Cakes, cookies, pies: 13%
• Fruit drinks and “-ades” (not 100% fruit juice): 10%
• Dairy (watch out for sweetened yogurt and ice cream): 8.5%
• Grain-based foods (watch out for cinnamon toast and sweetened cereals): 6%

A fascinating study published earlier this month in the Archives of Internal Medicine came to some surprising conclusions about some of the foods we normally consider to be heart-healthy (or unhealthy). It wasn’t a single clinical trial but rather a review article that looked at the results of more than 140 randomized and controlled human clinical trials—the research gold-standard—published between 1950 and 2007.

Based on the evidence provided by these studies, researchers from McMaster University in Ontario divided dietary interventions (or nutrients) into three categories: strong, moderate, or weak causal relationships between consumption and decreased—or increased—risk of developing heart disease.

The researchers concluded that only a few foods or dietary patterns have a significant impact on your risk for heart disease, whereas the vast majority of things that we dietitians typically recommend have only weak associations—or may even lack sufficient evidence to say that these foods impact heart disease at all.

For example, I’ve always recommended that individuals use fats and oils rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in place of saturated fats to reduce risk of heart disease, but this study suggests that only monos have been sufficiently studied and reduce risk and at this time there’s not enough evidence around polys.

Another example is eggs, long thought to have a negative impact on our heart health due to high cholesterol levels. This analysis found insufficient evidence to suggest that.

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The only superfoods that did live up to their heart-healthy reputations included vegetables, nuts, monounsaturated fat, and a Mediterranean-style diet.  Unfortunately, the typical American-style diet was found to be equally bad as these items are good.

Bottom line: Isolating specific foods or nutrients is probably not the best way to eat yourself to a healthier heart. Instead, focusing on a Mediterranean-style diet rich in nuts, vegetables, seafood, and many nutrients suspected to reduce cardiovascular risk is probably the best advice until we know more.

Here are some of the foods with strong, moderate, or weak associations with heart disease, according to the new study:

Strongest heart healers
•    Vegetables
•    Nuts
•    Mediterranean-style eating
•    Monounsaturated fat

Strongest heart hurters
•    Trans fats
•    High glycemic index foods or high glycemic load diets
•    An “American” diet high in meat, dairy, and processed foods

Moderate heart healers
•    Seafood and marine omega-3 fatty acids
•    Whole grains
•    Fruit
•    Fiber
•    Diet rich in folate, beta-carotene, and vitamins E and C
•    Alcohol

Insufficient evidence of either helping or hurting
•    Vitamin E and C supplements
•    Total fat
•    Saturated fat
•    Polyunsaturated fat
•    Meat
•    Eggs
•    Milk

Previous posts by Julie Upton, RD:

If you want to put some sizzle back into your sex life, food can help you set the mood this Valentine’s Day.  There’s nothing better than a romantic, home-cooked dinner, featuring some R-rated foods to help turn up the heat.

“There’s a growing body of evidence that some of the vitamins and components in foods can enhance sexual function and sexual experience,” says Jennifer R. Berman, MD, director of the Berman Women’s Wellness Center in Beverly Hills, Calif.

And if you’re sporting a little extra pudge, incorporating these in-the-mood-foods into a healthy, plant-based diet is one of the best ways to help you get back to your sexy self. If you’re overweight, research shows losing just 10% of your body weight can improve the quality of your sex life, explains Martin Binks, PhD, of the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center. “We find that among overweight women, they bring their negative self-talk and body image issues to the bedroom, and it negatively impacts their sexual well-being.”

Here are some of the food ingredients (and my own favorite recipes) that have been major players in aphrodisiac history and lore—and also have modern-day science to help back up their claims.

Almonds
Topping my of feisty foods, almonds have long been purported to increase passion, act as a sexual stimulant, and aid with fertility. Like asparagus (another one of my favorite sexy foods), almonds are nutrient-dense and rich in several trace minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction, such as zinc, selenium, and vitamin E.  “Zinc helps enhance libido and sexual desire,” says Dr. Berman. “We don’t really understand the mechanisms behind it, but we know it works.”

Avocados
The Aztecs referred to avocados as, ahem, testicles, because of their physical shape. But the scientific reason why avocados make sense as an aphrodisiac is that they are rich in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat, making them good for your heart and your arteries. Anything that keeps the heart beating strong helps keep blood flowing to all the right places; in fact, men with underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED).

Strawberries
The color red is known to help stoke the fire: A 2008 study found that men find women sexier if they’re wearing red, as opposed to “cool” colors such as blue or green. Strawberries are also an excellent source of folic acid, a B vitamin that helps ward off birth defects in women and, according to a University of California, Berkley study, may be tied to high sperm counts in men. This Valentine’s Day, try making dark chocolate–dipped strawberries. And while we’re on the subject, there’s a reason we give chocolate on Valentine’s Day: It’s full of libido-boosting methylzanthines.

Next page: Seafood and citrus and figs, oh my!

Fiber is an important part of digestion—that’s not news. But did you know that certain types may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and colon cancer? And good news for people watching their weight: Fiber takes a while to digest, so it helps you feel full longer. The Mayo Clinic recommends 21 to 25 grams of fiber a day for women and 30 to 38 grams a day for men. But that doesn’t mean you have to stick to bland cereals and basic oat bran to get your fill. View this slideshow of five fiber-rich recipes.

Holidays are a time to indulge. But instead of beginning a feeding frenzy with fatty, cholesterol-loaded foods, indulge in delicious heart-healthy cooking. This menu is so rich-tasting, no one but the cook will know it’s good for your heart. View the slideshow.

This week I’m at the American Dietetic Association’s annual meeting in Chicago, attending seminars and hearing from nutrition experts and scientists. One of my favorite parts of these conferences, however, is the expo: It’s always packed with delicious samples, healthy cooking ideas, and useful food facts. Here’s a quick review of some of the conference news so far—plus some great recipes I picked up from the exhibitors.

Plant-based diet lowers blood pressure
On Sunday morning, I listened to Cyril Kendall, MD, of the University of Toronto, explain how eating a diet rich in soluble fiber, nuts, soy, and plant sterols (aka the Portfolio Diet) lowers total and LDL cholesterol levels; in one study, the results were virtually the same for those on the diet and those taking statins, a cholesterol-lowering drug. The diet, however, also lowered blood pressure and promoted healthy weight—something that statins don’t do.

The Portfolio Diet included almonds, and Dr. Kendall says that when almonds are consumed, not all of their calories are absorbed. This may help explain why individuals who eat nuts are not as likely to be overweight compared to non-nut eaters. What’s more, new research is showing that almonds have a prebiotic effect in the gastrointestinal tract, which means that almonds help healthy bacteria grow. This prebiotic effect not only helps the GI tract keep healthy, but it may help reduce cholesterol and manage inflammation. Plus, we already know that almonds are included in the Food and Drug Administration’s health claim for nuts and heart health. Check out almondsarein.com for more information.

The benefits of whole grains continue to grow. The problem remains, however, that most of us don’t get much more than a serving of whole grains a day—and people still have a hard time recognizing which grains are whole grains, according to a new survey by the USA Rice Federation. Research presented at the meeting showed that people who eat rice have healthier diets overall, with more fruits and vegetables and less saturated fat and added sugars. Brown rice is a 100% whole grain, and at only 10 cents per serving, it’s affordable too. The Tutti Fruitti Brown Rice Salad is one of my favorite recipes from the expo, because it shows how you can combine rice with veggies and dried fruit for a delicious, filling meal.

Tutti Fruitti Brown Rice Salad
Usarice.com
3 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 mango, chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup raspberry vinaigrette dressing
1/4 cup plus two tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, divided

In large bowl, combine rice, cranberries, mango, pecans, pepper, vinaigrette, and 1/4 cup parsley. Toss well. Garnish with remaining parsley. Makes four servings.

Per serving: Calories 302; Fat 10 g; Sodium 281 mg; Carbohydrate 50 g; Protein 4 g; Fiber 5 g

Next page: Cost-conscious chili and dried plum dessert bars

(PHOTO: FOTOLIA)

I’m a strong believer in trying dietary solutions before—or, if needed, in conjunction with—pharmaceutical approaches. Compared with a daily pill, lifestyle changes can be cheaper and just as effective, without the fear of unwanted side effects. This is especially relevant now, as scientists speculate on the safety and effectiveness of Vytorin, a popular cholesterol-lowering drug. 

Some of my clients come to me thinking that diet and lifestyle changes are just too difficult or not worth the hassle. But I learned firsthand the impact of sudden death from a heart attack when my father passed away at the age of 62—and you’ve likely had a personal experience with the disease, considering the following:

•    One American dies every 37 seconds from heart disease
•    In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 26 seconds
•    The annual U.S. health-care costs to treat heart disease are more than $450 billion

That’s why I’m passionate about daily, drug-free adjustments you can make to help lower your cholesterol. I’ve written about these changes as part of Health.com’s in-depth cholesterol center. Check out my tips here, and let me know your own heart-healthy strategies.

By Julie Upton, RD

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