Carole Carson

Eating Done Right: Pumpkin—Food of the Week

Each fall, millions of Americans carve pumpkins for Halloween and enjoy traditional pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. But with a little imagination, pumpkins become more than decorations and dessert. A versatile and nutritious vegetable, pumpkins can be used in a variety of healthy recipes, such as pumpkin burgers, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pancakes and even pumpkin oatmeal.

The word pumpkin originates from the Greek word pepon, which means “large melon.” A hearty crop and a member of the squash (Cucurbita) family, pumpkins grow on six of the seven continents (Antarctica is the only exception) and have enjoyed multiple uses over many centuries. Native Americans, for example, dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats—as well as roasting long strips over an open fire for a hearty meal. And in the earliest version of pumpkin pie, American colonists cut the tops off pumpkins, removed the seeds and filled the hollowed-out gourds with milk, spices and honey before roasting them for a tasty treat. 

In addition to being an important cultural symbol, pumpkins boast a variety of nutritional benefits. They are low in fat and cholesterol, as well as a good source of fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin A and iron. Pumpkin seeds, in particular, contain high amounts of dietary fiber and monounsaturated fat—a type of fat beneficial for heart health.

The recipe below, a Mayo Clinic healthy variation of pumpkin soup, tastes especially wonderful on cold autumn evenings.

 

Pumpkin Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (8 ounces) pumpkin puree

1 cup unsalted vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup fat-free milk

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 green onion, green top only, chopped

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup of the water over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Don't let the onion dry out.

Add the remaining water, pumpkin, broth, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook until hot. Don't boil.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls and garnish with black pepper and green onion tops. Serve immediately.

Bon appétit!

P.S. Do you have any pumpkin recipes to share?

Create Your Own Salad Dressing: Save Calories and Dollars

If weight loss is your goal, you'll probably find yourself eating more fresh salads. Besides being nutritious, salads help us feel fuller without being dense in calories.

Incorporating salads into your diet will be easier (and less boring) if you add variety and interest by topping them with a variety of dressings. Here are four distinct salad dressings that will make your taste buds sing:

 

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

3 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, scallions, mustard and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate and use when chilled. For salad recipes with salmon, go here.

 

Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup, drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, tomatoes, garlic, mustard, sugar and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. For another version of this dressing that includes pine nuts and basil, go here.

 

Basic Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1 cups olive oil

3/4 cups apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and pepper together until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate. Serve over salad when chilled. For a garlic-flavored version of this recipe, go here.

 

Buttermilk Dressing

1 cup buttermilk

2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon horseradish

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Salt

Whisk the buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, mustard and pepper together. Season with salt to taste. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Use within three days. For a version of this dressing with feta cheese, go here. For a vegan version of the feta cheese recipe, replace the feta cheese with an equivalent amount of crumbled tofu. Use this dressing for a new twist on coleslaw.

Why pay three or four dollars for a bottle of commercial salad dressing when you can make your own at half the cost?

Bon appétit!

P.S. Do you have any salad dressing recipes to share?

Change Your Diet to Send the Grim Reaper Elsewhere

Do you eat seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day? If not, you might want to start because choosing these foods reduces your risk of dying. Can you guess by what percent your risk of dying is reduced?

1. Up to 12 percent

2. Up to 28 percent

3. Up to 42 percent

 

The correct answer is number 3. In a health survey of 65,226 people in England, researchers found that compared with eating less than one portion of fruit and vegetables, eating seven or more portions reduces the risk of death by any cause by 42 percent for seven or more.

"We all know that eating fruit and vegetables is healthy, but the size of the effect is staggering," says Dr. Oyinlola Oyebode, the lead author of the study. "The clear message here is that the more fruit and vegetables you eat, the less likely you are to die at any age."

Will Your Diet Destroy Your Health?

A diet high in carbohydrates—especially the unhealthy ones, such as white bread, pastries, sodas and highly processed or refined foods—contributes to which of the following medical conditions?

1. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease 

2. Diabetes

3. Cardiovascular (heart) disease 

4. All of the above

 

The correct answer is number 4.

Dr. David Perlmutter, a leading researcher on brain health, has concluded that "even small increases in blood sugar caused by a diet high in carbohydrates can be detrimental to brain health" and pose a greater risk for brain shrinkage, dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

In addition, following a 10-year study involving 175 countries, researchers concluded that "the prevalence of diabetes in the population increased by 1 percent for every 150-calorie increase from sugars, per person, per day."

Lastly, research reported in a National Institutes of Health publication asserts that consuming carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (the unhealthy carbs) is associated with an increase in the risk for heart disease.

But you needn't give up all carbs to avoid these health risks. Simply focus on the healthy options, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and unprocessed or minimally processed whole grains. These carbs provide your body with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients.

Is Mindfulness the Latest Fad? Are the Benefits Too Good to Be True?

Would you be skeptical if I told you that without taking a pill or seeing a therapist, you could lower your blood pressure, raise your self-esteem, experience equanimity in the face of stress, improve the quality of your sleep, reduce chronic pain, get greater enjoyment from eating even while eating less, increase your energy and make better decisions? That you could be happier and see the world around you more positively?

The practitioners of mindfulness make these and other remarkable claims—and their claims are not without merit! Research is pouring in from a variety of disciplines, such as neuroscience, psychology, medicine and business, validating these significant benefits of mindfulness. (You can find a comprehensive publication database here.)

What exactly is mindfulness? Some describe mindfulness simply as "moment-by-moment awareness." Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, best-selling author of Wherever You Go, There You Are, describes mindfulness as "paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally, to the unfolding of experience moment to moment." Bodhipaksa's straightforward definition is my favorite: "Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience."

Anyone who is willing to practice the gentle art of being present has the key to unlock the benefits currently being validated by research. The question then becomes where and how to begin. Here are three options:

1. Study a dog. Dogs are great practitioners of mindfulness, according to Jonathan Kaplan, PhD, author of Urban Mindfulness: Cultivating Peace, Presence, and Purpose in the Middle of It All. Besides being nonjudgmental (dogs think their owners are great no matter what kind of bad hair day they are having), dogs live only in the present moment. What happened a few minutes ago is of no concern, and tomorrow does not exist. Clearly, a dog is a sound role model for staying in the here and now.

2. Read a book, specifically, Jon Kabat-Zinn's definitive work, Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Besides articulating the theory of mindfulness and sharing the remarkable stories of how his patients are benefiting from its practice, Dr. Kabat-Zinn also provides a detailed program to help readers begin their own journey "along a path that ultimately leads nowhere, only to who you are."

3. Try a gentle experiment in mindfulness. Marty Cottler, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in teaching mindfulness in Grass Valley, California, recommends a three-minute practice for beginners:

At least once a day, check in with yourself. Intentionally pause for 10 seconds while you become aware of your breathing. Don’t try to change how you are breathing. Breathe naturally but with awareness.

For the remainder of this exercise, cast your eye-gaze downward to minimize visual distractions, and if possible, close your eyes and proceed.

Next, for approximately 60 seconds, move your attentive awareness from the top of your head down throughout your body to your toes and back up to the top of your head. As you scan your entire body, note areas of unpleasantness and pleasantness, such as tense shoulders or a full belly.

For another 60 seconds, focus your attention on your breathing at one of the following locations: your nostrils, lips, chest or belly. Practice awareness of your breathing at the part of the body you selected as your focus. Your attention will wander. Notice this and gently escort your attention back to awareness of your breathing at your selected body location.

For one more 60-second interval, practice being attentive to whatever grabs your attention: internal or external sensations as well as inner feelings and thoughts. Just notice—don’t chase after any of these sensations, feelings, or thoughts.

Lastly, open your eyes, raise your gaze, reestablish your connection with the outside world and carry on with your day. After following this routine for a few days, ask yourself if you are notice any difference in your daily experience.

We can easily lose track of our sense of self given the pressure of an increasingly hectic world where we are continuously bombarded with information and demands for instant decisions. Mindfulness is a way to cope—and even thrive—in this environment.

Steve Goodier, a Methodist minister and founder of an online support system, sums up the joy of practicing mindfulness in his motto, "Wherever you are, be there. If you can be fully present now, you’ll know what it means to live.” Echoing this theme, Dr. Kabat-Zinn says that mindfulness is neither a philosophy nor a religion; rather, it is "a way of being, a way of living your moments and living them fully."

What greater loss could we experience than dying without ever having been alive? And what better gift could we give ourselves than to be present during our numbered days, to live each moment fully? Be assured that in whatever time I have, my goal is to show up and be present.

Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

Which of the following statements about humor are true?

1. Sick jokes make you ill.

2. Dry wit causes dehydration.

3. Jokes in bad taste trigger dysgeusia (distortion of sense of taste).

4. Laughter reduces arterial wall stiffness, lowers the risk of heart attack, burns calories and enhances fertility.

 

If you picked number 4, you are correct. What you may not know, however, is that laughter can also have an adverse impact.

Intense laughter can cause the heart to rupture or the gullet to tear. Asthma attacks and inhalation of foreign bodies can also occur, and laughing sometimes triggers incontinence and hernias. Keep laughing—but laugh carefully!

Friends Don't Let Friends Fat-Talk: Become a Fit-Talker

What we say to ourselves and others about ourselves triggers a double whammy.

Intrapersonal communication is the ongoing dialogue we have with ourselves as we move through our day. The conversation takes many forms—from an internal monologue to keeping a diary, from communication between body parts, such as "My head is starting to hurt," to day dreaming.

For those of us trying to lose weight and get fit, the negative self-talk frequently begins in the morning when we start getting dressed. We view ourselves in the mirror critically, and a voice tells us we're too fat, our double chin is ugly, our stomach sticks out where it should be flat, our hips are oversized and so on.

As if these comments weren't hard enough on our psyche, we ascribe character flaws to these conditions. We say, "If only I weren't so undisciplined, I could lose weight" or "Why try to lose weight since I always fail anyhow?"

Dr. Michelle Cleere, a physician who helps athletes break emotional patterns that hold them back, says, "Negative self talk is a self fulfilling prophecy. It provides negative messages to your brain: I can't, I won't, I am fat, I am not attractive, etc. What we think and feel about ourselves comes through in thoughts and actions."

But the damage doesn't stop there. The negative talk hurts our relationships. Alexandra Corning, research associate professor of psychology and director of Notre Dame's Body Image and Eating Disorder Lab, found that women who fat-talk are liked less than the women who engage in positive body talk. And that sentiment holds true whether the fat-talker is thin or overweight. Instead of helping us bond with others, negative fat-talk drives friends away.

Changing fat-talk to fit-talk can be a challenging task, especially if making self-abasing comments is a lifelong habit. But knowledge is power. And once we understand that fat-talk is toxic for both the speaker and the listener, we have a strong incentive to change our words.

If you are ready to give up fat-talk and switch to fit-talk, here are three practical steps you can take (FIT):

F: Frame one authentic, constructive comment about your body and make the statement your mantra. For example, "I appreciate my body and the precious gift of life." Each time you have the impulse to criticize yourself, repeat the positive statement.

I: Inventory your commonest self-criticisms. Write them down and keep adding until the list is complete—usually a dozen or so will pop into your head. Then go back and reframe each statement. For example, replace "I hate the way my body looks—I'm so fat!" with "I am learning to make better choices about what to eat." This homework will not be a quick or easy task because you are reprogramming habitual ways of thinking. Review the constructive statements again and again until you own them.

T: Team up with a good friend (maybe a colleague at work or a family member) to replace fat-talk in your conversations with fit-talk. As teammates, resolve to recognize and eliminate patterns of careless self-criticism. As partners, agree to teach each other how to defuse fat-talk whenever it occurs and instead infuse fit-talk into your conversations.

Whoever came up with the children's rhyme "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me" was dead wrong. The ugly words we privately or publicly tell ourselves injure us and, according to researchers, injure our relationships as well. Even worse, destructive comments hold us back—they keep us from making constructive changes.

William Carleton, a nineteenth-century Irish writer, summarizes the power of words in his clever two-line poem:

"Careful with fire" is good advice we know.

"Careful with words" is ten times doubly so.

Knowing that we have total control over our choice of words—from the time we rise in the morning and look in the mirror to the time we retire—is comforting. However challenging the task each day, we know that changing negative fat-talk to constructive fit-talk will define the person we become tomorrow.

Among Kids, Is Cardiovascular Fitness Improving or Declining?

Researchers analyzed 50 studies on running fitness during 1964 and 2010 to see if today's kids are more or less cardiovascular fit than their parents were as youngsters. They based their analysis on studies of over 25 million children ages 9 to 17 living in 28 countries, including the United States.

 When compared to their parents when their parents were youngsters, from a cardiovascular standpoint, researchers concluded that today's kids are:

1. Fifteen percent more fit
2. About the same as their parents
3. Fifteen percent less fit

 

 The answer is 3. In a one-mile run, researchers found that worldwide "kids today are about a minute and a half slower than their peers 30 years ago." Moreover, in the United States, the cardiovascular endurance of kids declined an average of 18 percent in the three decades between 1970 and 2000. Researchers attributed the decline in cardiovascular fitness by the increase in fat mass and incidence of obesity among kids.

 If you're a parent, you need to make sure your child gets 60 minutes of daily exercise that involves big muscles, such as those used for running, swimming or cycling. This regimen will protect your child's fitness today and assure a healthier body tomorrow. And just as importantly—you need to set an example by your own consistent exercise program.

Intensity Beats Duration in the Battle of the Bulge: The Seven-Minute Workout

Are you leading a sedentary life? Are you among the 40 percent of Americans who have yet to incorporate any exercise into their daily routines? Are you among the majority of Americans (80 percent) who get less than the 30 minutes of daily exercise recommended by the US Surgeon General?

If you answered yes to those questions, odds are your excuse is that you lack the time. Your schedule is too busy. Your responsibilities are too demanding. You simply can't find an unbroken block of time each day that you can dedicate to exercise. I can relate to your predicament.

During August, my home experienced a welcomed invasion. My son and his wife, who live in Montpellier, France, along with their two boys, ages 8 and 5, joined us for an extended vacation. For most of the 30 days they lived with us, I cooked two or three meals, washed two or three loads of laundry, vacuumed and picked up clothes, toys and other belongings that seemed to scatter themselves when I wasn't looking. In between these tasks, I planned family outings and played games.

Each morning, I awoke to the sound of "Grandma, what's for breakfast?" followed by "What are we going to do today?" spoken in French-accented English. And each night, I eagerly went to bed like a tired little puppy.

The month-long effort was a labor of love. But I was reminded that once I had an extended family to care for, finding an unbroken block of time for focused exercise was out of my reach. My guests were easy going and more than willing to help with household chores. Still, I felt lucky if I was able to shower, brush my teeth, get dressed and put on makeup before the demands of the day began.

After my company left, I was delighted to learn about researchers' findings that only seven minutes of intense exercise a day can keep our bodies fit. In addition, the seven minutes do not have to be continuous—they can be broken into two or three intervals. And since body weight provides the resistance, the exercises can be done almost anywhere. When completed, the exercise routine is comparable to "a long run and a visit to the weight room."

Using body weight, a chair and a wall, the 12 exercises can be completed in about seven minutes and are designed to

• promote strength and balance for all major muscle groups;
• use body weight to create resistance and aerobic intensity;
• be flexible, adaptable and safe;
• take advantage of exercise opportunities in the surrounding environment (stairs, benches, walls); and
• allow an easy transition to rest between the intervals of intense exercise.

Thirty seconds of each intense exercise is followed by 10 seconds of rest. By following the order of the routine, some muscles are able to rest while others are being taxed. You can also repeat the circuit. (Find photographs that demonstrate each exercise here.) The 12 exercises and the focus of each are as follows:

1. Jumping jacks—total body

2. Wall sit—lower body

3. Push-up—upper body

4. Abdominal crunch—core

5. Step-up onto chair—total body

6. Squat—lower body

7. Triceps dip on chair—upper body

8. Plank—core

9. High knees/running in place—total body

10. Lunge—lower body

11. Push-up and rotation—upper body

12. Side plank—core

Though the workout takes only seven minutes, the exercises are highly intense. In effect, what you gain in time efficiency is offset by intensity. (During the short routine, you will be pressing yourself to the point of discomfort.)

If these 12 exercises are too daunting, consider tackling one minute of brisk exercise several times a day. In a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey involving 2,202 women and 2,309 men, researchers concluded that "even taking the stairs, leaving your car at the far end of the parking lot and walking briskly to the store count towards making a positive health difference." Every bit—even a minute—of intense exercise counts.

Before you undertake intense exercise, however, proceed with caution. If you are taking medication that could make you dizzy or accident prone or if you have a medical condition that compromises your ability to exercise, discuss your plans with your physician first. Don't let these conditions stop you, but do seek professional advice on where and how to begin.

Our body's need for exercise is far too important to our health to disregard. Exercise can help us lose weight, improve our outlook, increase our energy, improve our sex life and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Exercise can even improve our finances by improving our health to the point where we can reduce the amount of prescription and over-the-counter drugs we are taking (and paying for).

The benefits that come from incorporating exercise—whether an intense workout or a brisk walk—into our daily routines are so persuasive that I simply must turn off my computer and go outdoors for a beautiful fall hike. Will you join me?

In Managing Cholesterol Levels, Is Weight or Fitness More Important to Your Health?

Researchers at the American Physiological Society studied 90 men between the ages of 18 and 30 to see whether weight or fitness was more important in maintaining healthy HDL levels. Before the experiment began, the authors of the study took basic physical measurements from the volunteers: height, weight, waist size, blood pressure and body composition. Researchers also analyzed the blood of participants for cholesterol, insulin and other markers for heart disease. What were the results of the study?

1. Participants with normal weight who engaged in a regular weightlifting program had HDL levels that functioned better than overweight participants and nonexercising participants.

2. Participants, independent of their weight, who engaged in a regular weightlifting program had HDL levels that functioned better than nonexercising participants. 

 

The answer is number 2. The critical factor in maintaining functional, healthy HDL levels was regular exercise—in this case, weightlifting. This conclusion is encouraging to those of us who may be overweight but still seek to be healthy.