Tag Archives: dinner

Carvings June 15, 2026

Posted on by
2

In the news

Multivitamins – again!

            It’s a never-ending controversy – is it worth taking a daily multivitamin/multimineral? A recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among about 1,000 healthy adults showed that taking a daily multivitamin/multimineral for two years slowed down the biological aging process. The improvements were small but statistically significant. The effects were greater among those whose aging markers were less healthy.

            There are so many variables in this type of study that make it difficult to interpret. Perhaps an AI program will ultimately come up with a clear answer but that might be asking too much even for AI. How the human body utilizes nutrients in the diet and supplements varies not only according to one’s genetic pattern, but even according to one’s microbiome, the vast numbers of microorganisms that live in and on our bodies.

            More than twenty years ago the American Medical Association, in two articles in their journal (JAMA), acknowledged  that everyone would benefit from a daily multivitamin/multimineral. In the two decades since then do you think that the Standard American Diet (SAD) has improved?

            I take supplements for one reason: I can’t be sure that my diet includes what I need every day. I sometimes skip meals and I don’t always get the recommended ten servings of fruits and vegetables. How about you? Taking a supplement that contains the recommended amount of vitamins and minerals – and avoiding excess amounts — is simply insurance.

            NOTE: I have noted in past posts that today’s supermarket fruits and vegetables have fewer nutrients that those of a half-century ago, a phenomenon that has been documented by agricultural colleges and described in the book by Jo Robinson, Eating on the wild side, available (of course) on Amazon.

Lifestyle

            During a two-month stay in Italy I couldn’t help but notice that Italians are noticeably thinner than Americans. The difference became quite obvious when I watched groups of tourists follow their pennant-waving guide (who was aways slender). Invariably, they spoke English or German.

            The food was, as expected, marvelous, but only rarely were the restaurant portions so large that there was no room for dessert. Those desserts weren’t very big either, and often consisted mostly of fruit.

            Pasta? Of course, but pasta – even in the United States – does not raise blood sugar as much as you might expect. And in Italy it is often just a small side dish. I had pizza at least once a week. Typically the crust was about as thin as a crepe, topped with tomato sauce. The whole thing had about as much cheese as a single slice of an American pizza. Our favorite place had the aforementioned wafer-thin crust topped with slices of prosciutto cotto – cooked ham- that was sliced so thinly that I could literally see the tomato sauce underneath.

Note: a touristy pizza place, obviously catering to Americans, had a thick crust and loads of cheese.

            I walked, and walked, and walked, usually two or three miles a day. My apartment, on the third floor, had no elevator, a rarity in those 500-year-old buildings in Tuscany. Bicycles, few of which were electrified, were everywhere. It was common to see persons who were clearly in their seventies or older, breezily threading their way among the crowds of tourists. However, teenagers rode motorized bikes and scooters, making me wonder if they will be as fit as their grandparents in the future.   

Carvings December 15, 2024

Posted on by
1

In the news

A deadly trend

          There have been several articles in the past couple of months about the rise in colon and rectal (colorectal) cancer among younger persons, even those in their thirties, actually doubling since the 90s. As a result of this trend, some medical authorities now recommend that screening for colorectal cancer should begin at the age of 45, or even earlier.

            The gold standard for the identification of colon cancer is a colonoscopy, not a trivial procedure but hardly a painful or risky one. Even the so-called “bowel prep”, which sometimes requires long sessions sitting on the commode, has become less onerous. New methods of non-invasive screening that identify blood and abnormal DNA in a stool sample are convenient and cost a fraction of that for a colonoscopy.

            I have read several media articles describing this worrisome trend, and those writers who point to diet blame junk or highly processed food. This is probably one cause but more important, I believe, is what is not in the diet: plant food. Everyone is aware that the fiber in fruits and vegetables promotes bowel activity but few understand why that matters. Simply put, when fecal material that may contain cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) stays in prolonged contact with the lining of the colon it may initiate DNA damage that leads to cancer. But there is another factor. Plant foods contain salicylates, one form of which is aspirin. The inflammation-reducing effect of aspirin/salicylates is obvious; we have used it for centuries to reduce the inflammation of infection and injury. Such inflammation promotes cancer, and it may explain why vegans are at lower risk of colorectal cancer than consumers of the Standard American Diet (SAD).

            Young persons are notoriously lax in their intake of fruits and vegetables. The average teenager eats less than one serving per day – a documented 0.9 servings – instead of the recommended ten, thus losing out on the myriad of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that our bodies have evolved to require.

            We can seriously slow down this cancer surge by making some simple dietary changes, educating people about the nature of the disease and promoting early screening. Is that asking too much?

Lifestyle

Pizza – the good, the bad and the ugly

            Would it surprise you to learn that I consider pizza a health food? With caveats, of course.

            First – the good. The toppings make all the difference. The crust, usually made of refined flour, is not a great source of nutrients but the (usually) most common topping is tomato sauce, sometimes with chunks of tomato as well. Cooking tomato enhances the absorption of lycopene, a carotene, and some studies have shown that it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer.

            Other nutritious toppings include bell pepper, which is rich in antioxidants, and onions, which are also rich in antioxidants and may be helpful in preventing cancer. Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D and are known to improve immune function, possibly because of the vitamin D content and numerous phytonutrients. Olives are a Mediterranean staple for a good reason. They are rich in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E; the latter is associated with a documented reduced risk of osteoporosis. Eggplant, very much underappreciated, is rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Pineapple is a newcomer to the pizza world but it is rich in fiber. And of course, there is garlic, whose cardiovascular and anticancer benefits have been studied for decades.

            The bad: cheese (Sorry!) The amount of cheese on a single slice of American pizza would be enough for a Mediterranean family of four for a couple of days, because they use it only as a garnish, not as a main meal ingredient. You’ll find a standard serving of cheese in only two slices, with plenty of saturated fat. And if you’ve wondered why you’re so thirsty after eating pizza it’s because of the salt. A single slice of pizza contains more than 500 milligrams of sodium, so two slices (without the sausage or pepperoni) will provide you with nearly half of the recommended dietary allowance. Is it any wonder why more than half of Americans have high blood pressure?

            Pizza without cheese?? No way! But if you ask for half the usual amount of cheese, you’ll still enjoy the full flavor of America’s favorite comfort food, and if you ask for a “no cheese pizza” you’ll certainly confuse your server but you’ll still enjoy it if you add all those other veggie toppings.

            The ugly: sausage and pepperoni. These processed meat products have been classified by the World Health Organization as a Group 1 carcinogen, and strongly associated with cancer of the stomach and colon. Their high concentration of nitrites and nitrates has the European Union pushing for their reduction in food products.

            Putting pizza in perspective. As mentioned above, the toppings make all the difference. Ask for lots of the good, less of the bad, and none of the ugly.

            And here’s a bonus for readers in San Diego’s North County: Jay’s Gourmet Restaurant in Carlsbad (at the intersection of Carlsbad Village Drive and Carlsbad Boulevard), has the best pizza in town: seafood pizza loaded with fish, scallops, mussels, calamari and clams. All excellent sources of lean protein and omga-3 fatty acids. You’ll never again miss the pepperoni.