This week is Salt Awareness Week and this year’s theme is: “Salt: The Hidden Killer.” The aim of this year’s campaign is to raise awareness of the fact that 75% of the salt that the public consumes is hidden in the everyday foods that we buy. The fact that salt is hidden means that people are consuming a lot more salt than they realise. Therefore the public is being urged to read the label of all the foods they buy and select foods that are low in salt.

In order to combat the high salt content of many foods, manufacturers have been asked to take part in a voluntary salt reduction programme. This programme sets salt targets for a range of foods such as meat products, bread, breakfast cereals, cheese and more. New UK-wide targets have been published this year, these targets are a revised version of the previous targets which were published in 2012. The 2012 targets were very successful leading to a 40-50% reduction of salt in the foods covered by the targets. Despite this success, salt consumption still remains high so the new 2017 targets are more challenging and wide-ranging.

A new survey conducted by the Consensus for Action on Salt and Health has found that only one (bread rolls) out of the twenty-eight food categories analysed were on track to meet the salt reduction targets. They also identified specific products that still had a unacceptably high levels of salt, of particular note were:

• Baxters Chef Selections Cullen Skink (1.1g salt/100g), more than 1.5 times salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for soup
• Aldi The Fishmonger Piri Piri Smoked Mackerel Fillets (8g salt/serving), 4 times more salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for meal centres
• Galaxy Ultimate Marshmallow Hot Chocolate (0.8g salt per serving), 5 times more salt (per 100g) the maximum salt reduction target for beverages

In the UK, it is recommended that adults eat no more than 6 grams of salt a day (about a teaspoon) and children under the age of 11 should it less, depending on their age as follows:

• 7-10 year olds: no more than 5 grams a day
• 4-6 year olds: no more than 3 grams a day
• 1-3 year olds: no more than 2 grams a day

The World Health Organisation recommends that adults consume even less salt, no more than 5 grams a day. They have concluded that a diet of less than 5 grams of salt a day helps to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart attack.

It is very important that the black community takes steps to reduce their salt intake as the black community is more susceptible to the effect that salt has on increasing blood pressure. In order to reduce your salt consumption you can try:

• Avoiding processed foods
• Using low/no salt seasonings, like this
• Replacing salt, when seasoning food, with herbs and spices
• Reading food labels and selecting foods that are low in salt
• Not adding any salt to the foods that you cook

By reducing the amount of salt we eat, we can reduce our risk of developing a number of diseases so it is important that we stick to the recommendation of less than 6 grams a day.

This week, our wonderful guest blogger, Stacey Mensah, discusses whether blueberries are a superfood or a superscam. Tell us what you think in the comments sections below. 

Welcome back to the ​Lake Foundation! How has your week been? This week for me has been an incredibly tiring one. I couldn’t even tell you what happened on Monday because one: I currently don’t have enough energy to think that far back, and two: I honestly just don’t want to. With moving into a new place and the intensification of work and social commitments, I haven’t been consuming the beloved 10-a-day – heck, if I consumed 3-a-day that would be an achievement. On this particular day I was feeling skinny – you know, think and you become and all of that – so as I said, I was feeling skinny and so I popped into a local health food store. My plan going into the shop was to simply pick up a few superfoods, some vegetables, and poultry. Nothing too extravagant. What I was faced with when I walked in was absolute madness. The prices of the superfoods were robbing me of any dignity I had left. I proceeded to pace up and down the shop floor wondering if this was a system error or if Johnny got a bit too excited with his marker. Nonetheless, I walked out with no superfoods in hand.

It begs the question: are superfoods a super scam? I would happily agree, end this discussion here and go eat a Kit-Kat. That, of course, is because with the prices independent stores are charging one would think that these superfoods would be​ covered in gold dust. That, of course, is not the case. The superfood in question today is the humble blueberry. With its low glycaemia index and antioxidant qualities, you can definitely be prepared to pay the premium for a punnet. There could possibly be a reason behind this.

New research that has conducted by the European Journal of Nutrition found that the daily consumption of one cup of fresh blueberries can improve cognition in healthy older adults. Meaning that you will understand, learn and remember things far more easily. Not too bad when you’re trying to remember what you did last week. The study was conducted over a 3-month period, with 13 healthy men and 24 healthy women between the ages of 60 and 75 being randomly assigned to receive Highbush blueberry powder daily (the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries) or a placebo powder. The results were incredibly telling and emphasising the importance of the promotion of healthy ageing. So, we’re in agreement; yes, blueberries are fantastic for your health, but what does labelling them as a superfood do to our pockets?

When a piece of fruit or veg is more expensive I automatically think that it must be better for me. Unfortunately, the hipster-ish packaging only encourages this mentality. And, honestly, the sales clerks with their ‘love life, love food’ slogan tees are not helping the situation and giving me free food, I mean c’mon, couldn’t you just ignore me, Johnny?  So what’s left? Where can you buy cheap fruit and vegetables while still not compromising on the quality? With the rampant gentrification of London and the blow of Brexit, this is not an easy question to answer. Regardless of your budget, find what works for you. Above all else, it’s about quality and not quantity.

 

We welcome back our guest blogger, Stacey Mensah. This week Stacey reflects on the new research conducted by Imperial College London that found we need to eat more than 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day to achieve a significant health benefit.

Welcome back to the Lake Foundation!

I hope this week hasn’t been too depressing for you with the arrival storm Doris. This has been a week of great reflection for me as I look back on how I became the person I am today. I’ve been particularly looking at my eating habits and how they formed. This comes at quite an interesting time as new studies have found that eating greater amounts of fruit vegetables can lower your risk of disease. Honestly, I’ll give them an A for effort. Studies like this one are not going to comfort you when it’s a movie night and you have no food; or, when you’re coming from work and you ‘happen’ to stumble across the infamous golden arches. Ultimately, people are going to treat studies such as these as a pick ‘n’ mix or an all you can eat buffet. So, here is what’s on the menu, or rather what the study has found.

Eating 10 portions of fruits and vegetable​s every day​ could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, a new study has found. The study, that was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also identified which fruit and vegetables provided the greatest protection against disease.

The research found that apples, pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables may help protect against heart disease, cardiovascular disease, ​and early death. The foods that were found to prevent cancer were green vegetables, yellow vegetables such as peppers and carrots, and cruciferous vegetables.

Other studies have also supported this thesis, as a separate study that was published in the Thorax journal, found that a fruit and veg rich diet is linked to a much lower risk of chronic lung disease. I’m guessing this isn’t something we haven’t already heard before. I don’t know about you but what I’m particularly interested in is how we fit 10 portions of fruit and veg into our daily intake. With all the dinners and drinks the working women have​ scheduled during the week you really don’t want to be that friend who is taking out her Tupperware containers at the dinner table.

Having just lost 10 pounds from switching up my eating habits I would suggest making your meals in advance – which means making them from scratch and staying away from processed foods. At the beginning, ​it’s best not to be over ambitious as you will have lots of leftover food. Another suggestion would be to invest in a smoothie maker. Thankfully I was gifted a Nutri-bullet a while back so it has made eating vegetables and fruit much easier. The main thing to keep in mind is that you want to ​strike a balance – you don’t want to overload on sugar.

Comment down below on how you manage to eat 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

We would love to hear from you….

 

 

A few weeks ago the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and WHO announced that:

“After thoroughly reviewing the accumulated scientific literature, a Working Group of 22 experts from 10 countries convened by the IARC Monographs Programme classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.

Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.”

This was picked up by hundreds of media outlets throughout the world with headlines stating that bacon causes cancer.  Today we wanted to take a look at this and get to the bottom of the media headlines.

Firstly IARC and WHO’s announcement wasn’t really new information, a number of research studies over the years have shown that red and processed meats increases a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer and charities like Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer have been raising awareness of this fact for a number of years.

The wording of the statement and the classification of red and processed meat suggested that bacon and other processed meats were in the same league as tobacco and asbestos but this is not the case and WHO has since clarified this.  They have said whilst they have placed them in the same category “this does NOT mean they are all equally dangerous.”

If we look at global statistics about one million cancer deaths a year are caused by smoking whilst 34,000 cancer deaths are caused by consuming high levels of processed meat and red meat could be responsible for about 50,000 cancer deaths a year.

Research by the World Cancer Research Fund has shown that people who consume the most processed meat have and 17% higher risk of developing bowel cancer that those who consumed the least.

If you put that into the UK context, 21% of bowel cancers are linked to high consumption of processed or red meat, that’s 8,732 cases per year. So by reducing consumption of red and processed meats we can prevent over 8,000 cases of bowel cancer every year.

You may be wondering why red and processed meats increase a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer and to answer that question we have to understand what processed and red meats are. Processed meats are any meat that has been preserved for example cured, salted,  smoked or had a preservative added. This includes bacon, ham, corned beef, pepperoni, hot dogs, salami etc. And, red meat includes beef, pork, lamb and goat; these are meats that are red when uncooked.

It is not entirely clear why red and processed meat increase a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer, but there are some theories. It is thought that processed meats increase risk of bowel cancer because the methods of preserving these meats lead to the development of cancer-causing substances.  When it comes to red meat,  scientist suggest that it may cause cancer due to the molecule that  gives red meat its colour (haem). This molecule may lead to the development of cancer-causing chemicals too. Additionally, cooking both red and processed meat at high temperatures may also generate cancer-causing substances.

The recommendation is that we should all cut down on red meat and avoid processed meat, these can be replaced with white meat or vegetarian options, and we should all be eating more fruits, vegetables and fibre.

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Sources
WHO
International Agency for Research on Cancer
Cancer Research UK
World Caner Research Fund

Last week the UK government published its report ‘Sugar Reduction: The Evidence for Action’. This is an interesting report which we hope the government will follow through on and take action to ensure that we improve the health of our nation.

In the report, we get a good summary of the problem – we are all eating too much sugar and this is contributing to our ill health. The report states that all population groups are consuming above the recommended amount of sugar.  The report notes that sugar sweetened drinks are a particular problem for school children with their consumption of these drinks being very high. Additionally they state that sugar consumption is the highest amongst disadvantaged groups, and this needs to be tackled.

We learn from the report that one of the key reasons that we are now consuming so much sugar is that food is more readily available, more heavily marketed, promoted and advertised and food is now cheaper than ever before and all these factors mean we over indulge, particularly when it comes to sugar.

The report quite helpfully discusses the factors that affect our sugar consumption which is important if we’re going to tackle sugar consumption and encourage people to change their behaviour. They divide these factors into three categories – influencers,  the food supply and knowledge/education.  Influencers include strategies  that influence our consumption and buying behaviour. This would include advertising and marketing campaigns as well as product promotions. The major players in this area are the food industry, supermarkets etc. but could actually be charities, the government and NGOs who should have a positive impact on our behaviour. Next is the food supply chain. This factor looks at what food is available to purchase and how easy is it to purchase certain foods. This focuses on all food outlets including supermarkets, restaurants, schoolsand workplaces, their pricing strategies and what they choose to offer the public. Finally we have knowledge and education, this is the information we disseminate to the public which can empower people to make healthier choices.

With the above in mind the report stresses that multiple actions need to be taken to reduce our sugar consumption. They believe that by everyone reducing their sugar consumption to no less than 5% of our total energy intake, within 10 years residents of the UK can significantly improve their health and start to reverse the increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The report makes the following recommendations as to how we can begin to tackle this issues and break our addiction to sugar:

• Reduce and rebalance the number and type of price promotions in all retail outlets including supermarkets and convenience stores and the out of home sector (including restaurants, cafes and takeaways)
• Significantly reduce opportunities to market and advertise high sugar food and drink products to children and adults across all media including digital platforms and through sponsorship
• The setting of a clear definition for high sugar foods to aid with actions 1 and 2 above. Currently the only regulatory framework for doing this is via the Ofcom nutrient profiling model, which would benefit from being reviewed and strengthened
• Introduction of a broad, structured and transparently monitored programme of gradual sugar reduction in everyday food and drink products, combined with reductions in portion size
• Introduction of a price increase of a minimum of 10-20% on high sugar products through the use of a tax or levy such as on full sugar soft drinks, based on the emerging evidence of the impact of such measures in other countries
• Adopt, implement and monitor the government buying standards for food and catering services (GBSF) across the public sector, including national and local government and the NHS to the ensure provision and sale of healthier food and drinks in hospitals, leisure centres etc
• Ensure that accredited training in diet and health is routinely delivered to all of those who have opportunities to influence food choices in the catering, fitness and leisure sectors and others within local authorities
• Continue to raise awareness of concerns around sugar levels in the diet to the public as well as health professionals, employers, the food industry etc., encourage action to reduce intakes and provide practical steps to help people lower their own and their families sugar intake

The Lake Foundation is in strong agreement with the above recommendations and will do our part in taking forward these recommendations. This area is of particularly importance to the black community who suffer higher rates of diseases like type 2 diabetes and stroke which are linked to high sugar consumption.

You can download the government’s report below.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle is hard and one of the biggest hurdles many of us face when attempting to turn to a healthy diet is…sugar (cane sugar). We love sugar, we put it in and on almost everything and of course there is hidden sugar, the sugar that has been unnecessarily added to many processed foods.

After years of being conditioned to depend on sugar many of us are addicted and this sugar addiction has created a number of health challenges with our love of sugar being linked to type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and obesity.

Reducing our sugar consumption is tough and many of us have tried various strategies. These have included switching from white sugar to brown sugar because we mistakenly think it is healthier but white sugar and brown sugar are very similar, i.e. they provide no nutritional benefit, consist of sucrose and fructose and provide us with quick energy. White sugar is slightly more processed because it is bleached to achieve its colour and brown sugar contains molassess but the bottom line is that high consumption of both brown and white sugar is bad for our health and should be avoided.

Other strategies many employ to reduce their sugar intake include switching to other sweeteners like honey and synthetic sweeteners but again these are not ideal.  Honey is better than cane sugar in that it contains small amounts of vitamin C, vitamin B, calcium and iron (I stress SMALL amounts), it has a lower glycaemic (50 versus 64-68 for brown/white sugar) and so it doesn’t raise our blood glucose levels as fast as cane sugar and research has suggested it is good for our immune system . But, honey is 70-80% sugar and contains more calories than cane sugar so it has to be consumed in moderation. The advice from many nutritionists is that if you don’t have any underlying health issues (diabetes or any issues with your metabolism) then having honey occasionally is ok.

Synthetic sweeteners are also used by many as they have no calories and don’t adversely affect blood glucose levels. Whilst most synthetic sweeteners have been deemed safe by food regulators there are mixed feelings about these products. Early studies linked some sweeteners to cancer and other health conditions but these studies have been refuted with organisations like the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Research UK stating that they pose no danger to our health. With this in mind use of these products is down to personal preference and how confident an individual feels about the long-term effects of synthetic sweeteners. It is a good option from the point of view of blood sugar levels and calories but if you’d  prefer to stay away from highly processed products then this is not a good option.

There are some newish natural alternatives such as agave nectar and stevia. Agave nectar  has a much lower glycaemic  index (GI is 15) than both white and brown sugar (GI ranges from 65-68) as well as honey (GI is 50), but there are concerns over its high fructose levels which can lead to insulin resistance, diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome. Therefore there are questions over whether the benefits of its low glycaemic index are cancelled out by its high fructose content (70-90%) so it’s probably best to avoid agave nectar altogether because as Dr Johnny Bowden has said “Agave syrup is basically high-fructose corn syrup masquerading as health food”

Stevia-based sweeteners are made from the stevia plant and contain no calories. Their sweetness comes from the presence of glycosides which are not stored in our body and are rapidly excreted.  Stevia-based sweeteners have a glycaemic index of zero and hence have no negative effectives on our blood sugar or insulin nor does it contribute to obesity and cardiovascular disease with researchers  writing in The Open Obesity Journal  that “Stevia leaf extract and their constituent phytonutrients promote caloric balance and can be beneficial components of a  healthy dietary lifestyle”

The main components of stevia-based sweeteners are stevia glycosides and safety tests have shown that they pose no harm to our health. There have been concerns over the long-term effects of whole-leaf and crude extracts of stevia, the misrepresentation of stevia-like products which are not stevia but highly refined stevia preparations and the additives that are included in some stevia products.  The recommendation is: if you are going to try stevia  do your research and opt for a high quality product.  A high quality stevia-based product appears to be one of the healthiest alternatives to sugar.

Finally, we’d like to talk about coconut palm sugar which we were recently introduced to at a health and wellbeing day by Mother Nature. Coconut palm sugar is made from the sap of the coconut. It is healthier than cane sugar due to its significantly lower glycaemic index (GI is 35 versus 64-68 for white/brown sugar). It also contains small amounts of fibre, zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, short chain fatty acids, phytonutrients and antioxidants, but it does contain fairly high levels of fructose (35-45%). As mentioned previously high levels of fructose have been linked to diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity and metabolic syndrome. The levels of fructose in coconut palm sugar are lower than white sugar (50%) and agave nectar (70-90%) so in this respect it is also better than white sugar and agave nectar. If you need a sweetener and you’d like to have it from a source that is unprocessed then this is a better and  healthier alternative than white cane sugar, but should be consumed moderately due to its fructose content.

The take home message is we should really be avoiding sugar no matter what form it comes in due to its negative effect on our health. If we do need to sweeten the food we eat then a healthy option is using high quality stevia. Alternatively, if you have no underlying blood sugar problem you could occasionally opt for a good quality honey or coconut palm sugar.

Today’s blog post comes from Orvel Douglas a Nutrition and Diet Specialist at Body Sculpt of New York. This post follows Orvel’s previous post, A Plant-Based Diet Will Give You Optimum Health.

Mr Douglas is a Certified Nutrition and Diet Specialist in the United States where he has worked as an independent nutrition consultant for various organizations and companies. He has provided nutrition counseling and workshops for the following organizations: Medgar Evers College Empowering Youth to Excel and Succeed Project (“EYES”); United Federation of Teachers; DC 37 and 1199 SEIU.  Mr. Douglas is currently providing nutrition workshops for the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) for their Access to Recovery Program (ATR) in Brooklyn, New York.  Mr. Douglas is also the Lead Nutritionist for Body Sculpt of New York’s Six Weeks to Fitness programs.

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In last month’s blog I encouraged everyone to think about adopting a plant-based diet and highlighted some of the benefits of such a diet.  Many studies have shown that animal proteins are causing many preventable diseases. What I have found is that when a person removes all animal protein from their diet many ailments tend to disappear.  The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine have been doing a lot of work in this area with the sole purpose of refocusing our efforts on prevention over pills. In this blog I wanted to take the time to summarize some of their work on identifying some of the dangers of a diet high in meat.

Meat-Eating is a Risk Factor for Developing Diabetes

February 21, 2014- Doctors should consider meat-eating to be a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, according to an article published in the journal Nutrients. Researchers from the Physicians Committee evaluated studies that examined different levels and types of meat consumption and the risk for developing diabetes. Meat-eaters had significantly higher risk of developing diabetes, compared with people who avoided meat. Meat’s effect on diabetes risk appears to be due to its content of saturated fat and haeme iron, among other factors. The authors recommend that consumption of meat products should be part of any screening for a patient’s risk for diabetes, alongside other established risk factors.

Animal Protein Linked to Early Death

March 4, 2014 – A diet high in animal protein leads to an earlier death, compared to a diet where less is consumed, according to a study analyzing data from 6,381 American adults aged 50 and older. Participants who ate the most animal protein had a 5-fold increase risk of death related to diabetes. Those younger than 65 who ate the most animal protein had a 74 percent increase risk for death from any cause and a 4-fold increase in death related to cancer, during a follow-up of 18 years. Risks for death were diminished or absent when protein sources were plant-derived.

Cholesterol Levels Lower in Vegans

February 10, 2014 – Those who consume vegan diets have better cholesterol levels than people who eat meat, fish, dairy, and/or egg products, according to a study published this month in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers examined data and blood samples from 1,694 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford (EPIC) study. Participants were categorized as meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. Those who ate a vegan diet consumed the most fiber, the least total fat and saturated fat, and had the healthiest body weight and cholesterol levels, of all the diet groups.A previous analysisfrom the EPIC study found that vegan and vegetarian groups had a 32 percent lower risk of hospitalization or death from heart disease.

The Physicians Committee For Responsible Medicine’s Stance on Meat

 

PCRM promotes a vegetarian or vegan diet, together with aerobic and weight-bearing exercises and exposure to sufficient sunlight for vitamin D production. It writes that vegetarian diets are low in saturated fat, high in dietary fiber, contain phytochemicals that PCRM argues help prevent cancer, and contain no cholesterol. Its website cites several studies that it says show that vegetarians are less likely than meat eaters to develop cancer. It argues that a vegetarian diet can help prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure, can prevent and may reverse diabetes, and that it may improve the symptoms of a number of other conditions.^[6] PCRM runs the Cancer Project, which suggests a vegan diet will help with cancer prevention, and that offers nutritional assistance to cancer patients.^[7]

PCRM argues for the health benefits of avoiding dairy products—Barnard has called cheese “dairy crack”^[8]—and campaigns for vegetarian meals in schools.^[9] It also runs a website that collects reports of adverse health effects experienced by people on the Atkins diet. The New York Times writes that it was PCRM who in 2004 passed Dr Robert Atkins‘s medical report to the Wall Street Journal. The report, obtained by Dr. Richard Fleming of the Fleming Heart and Health Institute, showed that Atkins himself had experienced heart attack, congestive heart failure, and weight problems. Atkins supporters countered that there was no reason to think that his heart problem (cardiomyopathy) was diet related, and that his weight at death was higher due to fluids pumped into him in the hospital.^[10]

The organization’s founder, Neal Barnard, M.D., has published dozens of peer-reviewed papers on nutrition in journals such asThe American Journal of Cardiology, The Lancet Oncology, and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.^[11] Naturewrote in 2006 that PCRM had become “an endless source of vexation for federal nutrition-policymakers,” but that Barnard’s position had some support within the medical community. William Roberts, a PCRM adviser, executive director of the Baylor Cardiovascular Institute, and editor of the American Journal of Cardiology said of Barnard. “He’s a superb man. Anybody who devotes their life like he has done to getting us all on the right dietary track, I admire.”

There is mounting evidence that turning awary from a meat-based diet is the best option for us and will significantly improve our health and wellbeing. We encourage everyone to take a look at their diet and cut out meat where they can, your health depends on it.

Today’s blog post comes from Orvel Douglas a Nutrition and Diet specialist at Body Sculpt of New York. Mr Douglas is a certified Nutrition and Diet Specialist and has worked as an independent nutrition consultant for various organisations and companies. He has provided nutrition counselling and workshops for the following organizations: Medgar Evers College Empowering Youth to Excel and Succeed Project (“EYES”); United Federation of Teachers; DC 37 and 1199 SEIU.  Mr. Douglas is currently providing nutrition workshops for the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services(OASAS) for their Access to Recovery Program (ATR) in Brooklyn, New York and is also the Lead Nutritionist for Body Sculpt of New York’s Six Weeks to Fitness programs.

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What I have noticed in the last 20 years is that we are getting sicker and sicker. Some of the diseases that are prevalent amongst the older generation are showing up in teenagers. One thing I can say is that we are eating way too much processed and junk food.

Many studies are showing that animal proteins are causing many preventable diseases. What I have found is that when a person removes all animal protein from their diet many ailments tend to disappear.

I have seen people’s type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis disappear, just to name a few.

One of the leading doctors in this field is Dr Colin Campbell. Dr Campbell is an American biochemist who specializes in the effect of nutrition on long-term health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University.

Campbell has become known for his advocacy of a low-fat, whole foods, vegan (plant-based) diet. He is the author of over 300 research papers on the subject, and two books, Whole (2013), and The China Study (2005), which became one of America’s best-selling books about nutrition.^[1] Campbell featured in the 2011 American documentary, Forks Over Knives.

Campbell was one of the lead scientists in the 1980s of the China–Oxford–Cornell study on diet and disease, set up in 1983 by Cornell University, the University of Oxford, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine to explore the relationship between nutrition and cancer, heart and metabolic diseases. The study was described by The New York Times as “the Grand Prix of epidemiology.”^[2]

There is a group of doctors in an organization called Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and what they are doing is putting a new focus on health and compassion. The Physicians Committee combines the clout and expertise of more than 12,000 physicians with the dedicated actions of 150,000 members across the United States and around the world.

They are changing the way they treat disease such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer and arthritis. They are putting prevention over pills.

We at Body Sculpt have been promoting a low fat, plant-based diet and what we have seen are some of our participants are no longer on medication through this small change.

My advice to anyone who is reading this and are suffering from ailments I would strongly suggest that you do some research and try a plant-based diet. The only thing you have to lose is your ailments.

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The Lake Foundation would like to thank Orvel Douglas for his guest blog post. If you have any questions for Orvel please leave them in the comments section below and for more information about Body Sculpt’s Six Weeks to Fitness program click here

We get a lot of questions from women about what they can do to prevent fibroids. This week’s blog post follows our recent post on exercise and fibroids prevention. Today, we’ll look at diet.

Fibroids are non-cancerous tumours that develop in or around a woman’s womb. They can cause a number of symptoms including pelvic (tummy) pain, infertility, heavy and/or painful periods, back pain, anaemia, constipation, frequent urination and pain during sexual intercourse.

The exact cause of fibroids is unknown but research does suggest that they are caused by a combination of genetic, lifestyle and hormonal factors.  Those most at risk of developing fibroids are: black women, those who are overweight, women of child bearing age (particularly women who are 25-45 years old), those with a family history  and women who haven’t given birth.

Diet and Risk Reduction

When trying to understand what we can do to reduce our risk of developing fibroids diet is an interesting and important factor.  As obesity is a major risk factor then logically if we adopt a healthy lifestyle and lose weight then we can reduce our risk of developing this condition. But, are there particular foods that contribute to fibroids development and are there foods that are protective? Let’s take a look at what the research tells us about this.

Red Meat 

When it comes to foods that increase risk of developing fibroids, research suggests that red meat plays a major role. One research  study has shown that frequent consumption of beef and other red meat increases a woman’s risk of developing fibroids by 70%. This finding is similar to a study conducted in India which found that women who consume red meat are three times more likely to develop fibroids compared to vegetarian women or women who are mostly fish eaters.  This is in stark contrast to a recent  study that found no association between meat consumption and fibroids, although in this study researchers looked at all meat and didn’t look specifically at red meat.

Fruit and Vegetables 

The Black Women’s Health Study conducted in the US explored the impact of fruits and vegetables on a woman’s risk of developing fibroids. In this study, 22,583 black women were monitored from 1997 to 2009 and their food intake monitored.

This study found that overall fruit and vegetable intake was associated with a reduction in risk and the strongest reduction in risk was associated with a high intake of citrus fruit.  Additionally, they found that vitamin A from animal products (liver and dairy) was linked to  a reduction in risk too.

These findings were similar to that of a small Chinese study which explored the association of fibroids with diet, physical activity and stress.   This study took place between 2009 and 2011 and researchers found that fruits and vegetables significantly reduced risk of developing fibroids with women consuming the most fruits and vegetables (eating fruit and vegetables more than three days a week) being 60% less likely to develop fibroids.

Finally, a study conducted in 2009 found that a high intake of green vegetables  reduced the risk of developing fibroids by 50%  and fruit consumption reduced risk by 20%.

Vitamin D 

In 2013, one of the first studies looking at whether vitamin D is linked to fibroids was conducted and this study found that women with sufficient levels of vitamin D were 32% less likely to develop fibroids than women who are vitamin D deficient. Furthermore, another study published in 2013 found that women with fibroids had significantly lower levels of vitamin D compared to women not affected.  These studies suggest that vitamin D is protective.

Conclusions

It is clear that diet is very important in the development of fibroids. By adopting a healthy diet we can reduce our risk and women should pay attention to their fruit and vegetable consumption, reducing their red meat intake and making sure they have enough vitamin D.

It’s important to note that surveys conducted in the US have found that African Americans consume less fruits and vegetables than their white counterparts, it is important that we change our lifestyles and work on increasing our fruit and vegetable intake, our health depends on it.

Welcome back to our health journal. It has been months since we updated you on our efforts to get healthy. It’s been hectic but we’re still gradually changing our diet and routine to a healthier one.

Our latest success has been replacing dairy milk with cashew milk; a delicious, creamy and healthy alternative which is extremely easy to make – it’s just cashews and water! In this journal entry we discuss the benefits of cashew milk and give you a step-by-step guide on how to make it.

The Benefits of Cashew Milk

Cashew milk contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, manganese, selenium, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin and vitamins B1, B5, B6, E and K. In addition, it also contains protein, a small amount of carbohydrate and has a fairly high fat content but most of this fat, 75%, is monounsaturated fat (oleic and palmitoleic acids) which helps lower harmful LDL-cholesterol.

The presence of all these vitamins and minerals means that cashew milk can contribute towards maintaining a healthy heart, reducing your risk of stroke, building strong bones and teeth and supporting your immune system.

Cashew Milk Recipe

Cashew milk is extremely easy to make, it’s just water and cashews, and you can be creative by adding your spice of choice to add some additional flavour. You can try nutmeg, cinnamon or vanilla pods.

Ingredients

300g cashews
4 dates (acts as a sweetener)
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5 cups of water (divided into two)

 

Directions

Soak the cashews overnight in cold water. Drain the cashews and then rinse until the water runs clear.

Remove the pits from the dates and then add these and the cashews to a blender with 2 ½ cups of water.

Blend until nice and smooth and then strain the mixture (you can use a strainer, cheesecloth or nut milk bag). Collect the milk in a jug and retain the pulp.

Put the pulp back into the blender and add the rest of the water (2 ½ cups) and blend. Strain the mixture, collect the milk and add it to your jug.

Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence to the milk and stir. Cover the jug and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

And, that’s it!

You can use your cashew milk in place of dairy milk, so it can be used for breakfast cereal, porridge, baking, in smoothies or as a lovely drink.

Enjoy!