A Healthy Lifestyle Beats Statins Hands Down

We are bombarded almost daily with news reports extolling the virtues of this drug or that. When it comes to Statins in particular, we now know that it may be best to first take a look at lifestyle issues. Our recent results show that lifestyle changes alone can truly make a dramatic difference!

All the news reports about the great success of Crestor lately, a statin drug used to lower cholesterol, look more like a marketing campaign than a research result. While Crestor can be effective, it is certainly not a panacea. By simply addressing diet and lifestyle changes, we have seen remarkable results through our Transformations program (our 11-day lifestyle "immersion" program) in not only a significant drop in hs-CRP - a measurement of inflammation associated with cardiac risk - but also big drops in cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, glucose and weight. We have seen the same result with many of our One program clients as well. If needed, we can always add a low dose of a statin to the mix, but the lifestyle change has a more powerful and far-reaching effect.

I presented these results to a group of doctors at the April 2009 Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference, held in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America and Harvard Medical School. One physician commented, "All of my career I have felt that I was missing something; this weekend I discovered exactly what it was."

We have been tracking CRP levels since 2003. From the statistical analysis of the first 300 Transformations participants, we see a consistent 29% drop in hs-CRP in just 9 days! Remarkable! Most statin drugs show only a 13% decrease in 12 weeks. Exercise and good eating are indeed very powerful. We not only see the big drops in cholesterol, triglycerides (-31%), blood pressure, glucose, and weight while these participants are in the program, but we also are gathering evidence that the success is long lasting.

-Heather Peña, M.D., Medical Director, St. Helena Center for Health

 

Singing the Praises of Broccoli
Unexpected protein sources help reduce calories and saturated fat

Broccoli, the superhero of the vegetable kingdom, retains that title for good reason. Did you know 100 calories of broccoli has more protein than 100 calories of beans, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more iron than prunes and more potassium than bananas?

“Eating more broccoli is really a good idea for many reasons,” says Vicki Saunders, nutritionist the St. Helena Center for Health, “although it is only part of the answer when it comes to adequate protein.” She explains that a widely varied diet that uses mostly plants—beans, soy, vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds—will provide enough protein for most. When choosing protein sources, she suggests evaluating them “by the company they keep.” The best proteins are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in fiber and antioxidants.

Another perk of a varied diet is that when you eat plants, you can eat more while still reducing your calories and fat. “So, you’ll feel fuller and are less apt to overeat,” Saunders says. And we can all benefit from that advice!

- Vicki Saunders, MS, RD
 

Healthy Spirit, Healthy Body

Apparently, it’s never too late to adapt healthy lifestyle habits! The good news comes from a UCLA sponsored study on successful aging that looked at a group in their 70’s from 1989 – 1996. Incorporating exercise and an active social life were key components found to be responsible for a long and healthy existence. Even participants who had chronic conditions when they began the study, and then began to incorporate some of these healthy habits, experienced the protective effects of exercise and socialization. Along with a healthy diet, another key component that appeared to help ensure a healthier existence was that of a positive mental attitude. The researchers reported that these factors, when grouped together, predicted both better cognitive and physical functioning as we age.

- Russ Melgar, Fitness Coordinator, St. Helena Center for Health
 

Exercise Your Stress Away

While our intellect has developed rapidly as a species, the physiological mechanisms that maintain our survival mode have comparatively evolved very little. Unfortunately, the body's traditional fight-or-flight response to stressful situations rarely offers the best way to deal with our daily challenges. And when the stress response is prolonged, unhealthy and often chronic physical symptoms result.

In searching for a remedy, it may be surprising that much needed relief can come simply from regular exercise. There is now a sound scientific basis for the effectiveness of exercise in counteracting stress – and it can be valuable in a number of different ways:

First, when we look at the importance of balance in the areas of body, mind, and spirit for “inoculation” against stress, perhaps the most important aspect of the body component is exercise. While the fight-or-flight mode often taxes the immune system by preparing it for physiological warfare against an outside force, studies show that moderate physical activity can successfully bolster the immune response. It also helps us maintain an appropriate weight for our height. The self-confidence that comes from achieving appropriate weight and healthy body image affects our outlook, and so our interactions with others, which in turn further improve our mood. It is equally important not to overlook that exercise also promotes a much-needed good night's sleep.

Second, when we talk about the fact that even if we are well-balanced and “inoculated” against the effects of stress, it will inevitably enter our lives. Having a repertoire of effective vents for stress is so necessary for that reason. Exercise, even regular stretching, can be a very effective vent for the build-up of muscle tension, thinking distortions, and spiritual weariness that can result from being under chronic stress. Since the fight-or-flight response is designed for physical action, exercise is a great way of dissipating the physical manifestations of stress hormones in the body.

Time to hit the gym or go on that walk. Exercise . . . ‘it does a body good’ in so more ways than you may have been aware!

- Lisa Hinz, PhD

 

Back to the Summer 2009 Newsletter

Simply Delicious Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup red onion, sliced
2/3 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 cups fat-free mayonnaise dressing
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup Splenda or Agave Nectar

Preparation:

Salad:
Peel broccoli stalks with a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer skin. Then, cut the broccoli flower and stalk into bit size pieces. Blanch them in boiling water for 15 seconds and then plunge them into cold water. Place them in a large bowl. Next, add grated carrots, onion, sunflower seeds and raisins. Mix well.

Dressing:
In a separate small bowl, mix fat-free mayonnaise, vinegar and Splenda (or Agave Nectar). Blend well.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss until well-coated. Chill overnight for best flavor.

Yields 10, 1/2 cup servings.

Nutrients per serving:

Kilocalories 118
Sodium 372mg
Protein 3g
Vitamin A (RE) 391 RE, 34%
Carbohydrate 17g
Vitamin C 45mg, 70%
Fat, total 4.5g
Calcium 47mg, 4%
Cholesterol 0.0mg
Iron 1.2mg, 5%
Saturated fat 0.5g
Dietary fiber, total 2.9g

Recipe developed by the St. Helena Center for Health.