Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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 Whenever possible, I purchased organically grown fruits and vegetables. I ate no meat but had some seafood. I did not consume any caffeine or refined sugars in any form. The goals of my eating plan were to increase and normalize my energy levels (no more "ups and downs"), strengthen my stamina, and lower my weight. o Exercise: I began my exercise program slowly and gently by taking 20-minute walks and doing a simple stretching routine every other morning. |
Neal Barnard, M.D.
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 They can undo much of the good your fruits and vegetables provide.
• Avoid fried foods and added vegetable oils.
• Avoid iron supplements unless prescribed by your physician.
As powerful as they are, foods will not avert or reverse every problem. The restoration of the Sistine Chapel ceiling was not perfect either. It revived 335 human figures. The remaining half was lost in 1797 when a gunpowder explosion caused the midsection of a male nude figure to fall from the ceiling. Likewise, Michelangelo's Pieta was damaged, not by an accident, but by a man wielding a hammer. |
Earl Mindell, R.Ph., Ph.D.
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 Only 10 percent of all Americans actually eat the five servings daily of fruits and vegetables as recommended by the National Cancer Institute, and in all likelihood, few supertasters even come close to meeting this goal.
What are these supertasters missing? Cruciferous vegetables are chock-full of several important cancer-fighting compounds, including indoles, natural free radical scavengers that can deactivate potential carcinogens. In addition, indoles can weaken potent estrogens which can promote the growth of estrogen sensitive breast tumors. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 Results of this case-control study found an inverse association between dietary intake of beta-carotene, vitamin E supplements, raw fruits and vegetables and the risk of lung cancer in nonsmokers of both sexes.
—ST. Mayne, et al., "Dietary Beta Carotene and Lung Cancer Risk in U.S. Nonsmokers," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 86(1), January 5, 1994, p. 33-38.
This study examined the effects of vitamin A on tumor establishment, growth and metastasis in rats with N-2-fluorenylacetamide-induced solid tumors. |
The Editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
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 Yet while we're waiting to find out, one thing seems absolutely clear: Those folks who take supplemental antioxidants or who enrich their diets with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables certainly seem to be preventing development of the diseases that can accelerate the aging process.
More than 50 studies conducted during the past decade demonstrated that high intake of foods rich in beta-carotene reduces the risk of cancer. More than 40 studies indicated that vitamin C does the same. |
| And that's why you probably need to add at least three more servings of potassium-rich fruits and vegetables to your diet every day, says David McCarron, M.D., professor of medicine and head of the Division of Nephrology, Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.
Why not simply take a supplement? Dietary sources of potassium are better tolerated than pharmacologic preparations, experts agree, although potassium supplements—available over the counter or, in larger doses, by prescription—may be necessary for those who take diuretic medications. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Foods particularly good at promoting regularity include figs, prunes, blackberries, bran, almonds, and apples. Avoid foods made from low-fiber, highly processed grains, such as grocery store cereals, crackers, and pastries.
þ Monitor your magnesium. This mineral can have a laxative effect. Good food sources of magnesium include nuts, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, soy, and seafood. If you do take magnesium supplements, most nutritionists agree that you should balance them with two times as much calcium. |
| Eat cooked fruits and vegetables, particularly cooked carrots and applesauce. Bananas, active-culture yogurt, and low-fiber grains such as white rice and flour are also good choices.
Attapulgite (Diar-Aid, Diasorb, Fowlers Diarrhea Tablets, Rheaban, Parepectolin). Function-, absorb gasses, irritants, toxins, and some bacteria and viruses. Side effects: none common.
Kaolin and pectin (Donnagel-MB, Kao-Con, Kaolin, Kaopectate, Kapectolin, K-Pek). Function: make loose stools less watery and may also help absorb toxins. Side effects: none common.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Helidac). |
Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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| Taking Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
I recommend taking supplements when you cannot eat a variety of foods every day, including five servings or more of different fruits and vegetables each day, and at least three servings of calcium-rich foods each day. All supplements should be taken on a full stomach or with meals.
It is often difficult to consume enough of the right foods to get adequate amounts of the essential vitamins and minerals that we need for optimal health. |
| I will add more fruits and vegetables to my diet.
Effectively Phrased Goals « I will reduce my weight by 15 pounds, o I will develop a new eating plan to lower my cholesterol in six months.
* I will add two fruits to my diet each day.
* I will walk two miles a day.
Ineffectively Phrased Goals
* I want to be thin.
* I have to control my cholesterol and blood pressure.
* I must de-stress.
Take a moment now to fill in the Goal Chart below. This is an important step because when you write down your goals you acknowledge them concretely and underscore your desire to achieve them. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
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 Buy organically grown fruits and vegetables for higher nutritional content.
Table 4.2
Changes in the Mineral Content of Vegetables
1963-1992 (per 100 grams)
CARROT
1963
1992
Calcium
37 mg
27 mg
Iron
0.7 mg
0.5 mg
Magnesium
23 mg
15 mg
Phosphorus
36 mg
44 mg
Potassium
341 mg
323 mg
POTATOES
1963
1992
Calcium
7mg
7mg
Iron
0.6 mg
0.76 mg
Magnesium
34 mg
21 mg
Phosphorus
53 mg
46 mg
Potassium
407 mg
543 mg
CORN
1963
1992
Calcium
3mg
3 mg
Iron
0.7 mg
0. |
Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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| Also keep in mind that even if organic produce isn't available, the benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables certainly outweigh any risk from pesticide residues.
Fiber Shopping Tip: When looking for fiber-rich fruits, a good rule of thumb is to buy those that have edible skins and seeds, such as apples and strawberries. Dried fruits are also high in fiber because they are dehydrated, and therefore more concentrated. But eat them sparingly if you are watching your weight, because they are also high in calories. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
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| The vitamin content of fruits and vegetables varies widely within a season depending on when they are picked. Vitamins are also less susceptible to depletion than minerals because the plant can make its own vitamins, while it must take minerals from the soil. According to table 4.1, vitamin A and iron have been the most depleted in the past thirty years. Table 4.2 shows mineral changes in various vegetables over a thirty-year period. Leafy green vegetables are promoted in many nutrition books as a good source of calcium, but depending on growth conditions, that may or may not be the case. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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| Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, especially the colorful ones.
Sources of Vitamin C
þ Bell peppers
þ Citrus fruits
þ Parsley
þ Strawberry leaves and fruit
þ Turmeric
Herbs High in Antioxidants
þ Rosemary
þ Shepherd's purse
þ Turmeric glaucoma, each having a slightly different way of working. If drug treatment is ineffective, laser therapy or surgery is then used to reduce the pressure in the eye. drug treatment
Beta Blockers
Timolol (Timoptic), betaxolol (Betoptic). Function: decrease the amount of fluid made inside the eye. |
Earth RightH. Patricia Hynes
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| Many health advocates advise buying domestically grown produce in season, because imported produce generally contains more pesticide residues than domestically grown fruits and vegetables. They also caution that developing countries do not have sufficiently stringent pesticide regulations.
In fairness to developing countries, I would warn that the circle of poison that returns pesticides to us in imported food, begins in the United States. The U.S. pesticide law allows U.S. pesticide manufacturers to manufacture for sale in developing countries pesticides that are banned in the United States. |
| Taking Action
Pesticide residues cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted in your fruits and vegetables, your meat, fish, and dairy products any more than most contaminants can in your drinking water. You can take immediate steps with food, however, to begin to ensure that pesticide residues are minimized in what you are serving and eating. First, take a look at our national food supply.
The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed data from the FDA and California Department of Agriculture pesticide monitoring program, between 1982 and 1985. |
| For example, one-third of fruits and vegetables grown nationally are treated with a group of fungicides known as the EBDCs (ethylene bisdithiocarbamates), which the FDA has classified as a potentially high hazard. Yet EBDCs cannot be detected with the FDA's routine analysis, and only rarely is a special scan capable of detecting EBDCs used. Thus a limited overall sampling program is further limited by the number and types of analysis done routinely by the FDA. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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| Whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables also contain zinc, but processed foods are often low in the mineral.
þ Caffeine. If your sweetheart's thoughts turn to dreamland just as yours turn to dalliance, a cup of coffee with a chocolate bar on the side just might keep him or her awake long enough to make the most of the evening. But caffeine does more than simply keep the sandman at bay. One study found that regular coffee drinkers are considerably more sexually active than persons who don't drink coffee.
þ Chocolate. Finally, an excuse to indulge! |
The Editors of PREVENTION
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 Do this, and you'll be well on your way to meeting some of the AHAs dietary goals: at least five vitamin- and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables and six or more whole-grain breads, cereals, or starchy vegetables daily.
Throughout lunch, chat with your buddies. Make plans to see the Charlie Chaplin film festival together next Sunday. Laughter is also an antidote to stress, Dr. Williams notes.
12:50 p.m.: Make a date with your doc. Call your doctor and make an appointment to have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked. |
Henry Pasternak, D.V.M., C.V.A.
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| Numerous studies have demonstrated that people with the highest intake of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables and/or high blood levels of specific carotenoids usually have the lowest risk of certain types of cancer. In one study, serum concentrations of total carotenoids, cryptoxanthin, and alpha-carotene were lower in cancer patients than in controls.45 In another study, increased dietary beta carotene consumption was associated with a lower risk for endometrial cancer. |
the Editors of FC&A Medical Publishing
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 And whenever possible, eat the skins of fruits and vegetables. That's where you'll find the most fiber.
Substitute brown rice for white. With that switch, you'll triple the fiber. Try some less-familiar unprocessed grains as well, like bulgur, couscous, or kasha.
Add beans to soups and stews. Replace meat a couple of times a week with dishes like bean burritos or red beans and rice. To prevent gas and bloating, don't cook dried beans in the same water you soak them in.
Sip some psyllium. Sometimes dental problems make chewing difficult, and you have to choose soft, low-fiber foods. |
Gayle Reichler, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.
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| The special bags used for premixed salads and other fruits and vegetables help retain their freshness, but they usually aren't as flavorful or as nutritious as loose produce. Both light and heat can enhance the loss of vitamins and minerals in foods.
The produce section is also where you will find excellent vegetable protein sources, such as tofu and tempeh, low-fat salad dressings, and fresh vegetable and fruit juices.
Buying Organic—Is It Better?
Although it's difficult to determine whether organic produce is more nutritious, certified organic produce should contain less pesticide residue. |
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.
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 Try juicing your fruits and vegetables. Start out with the basic— carrots, celery, and apple—then venture into more exotic combinations, such as carrot, ginger, parsley, and garlic. The combinations are endless!
• Cut sweet potatoes into V2-inch strips and roast for a tasty alternative to French fries.
SATISFYING YOUR SWEET TOOTH
Origin recommendation: Sweeten foods with honey, maple syrup, date sugar.
What's a serving? Limit daily intake to 6 teaspoons. |
Jean Carper
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 So it's one more way fruits and vegetables ward offheart disease.
Thumbs Up: THE HOT CHILI PEPPER EFFECT
Hot chili peppers are clot busters. Evidence for this comes from Thailand, where citizens eat capsicum chili peppers as a seasoning and as an appetizer, infusing their blood with chili pepper compounds several times a day. Thai researchers reasoned that this may be a primary reason thromboembolisms—life-threatening blood clots—are rare among Thais.
To prove the theory, hematologist Sukon Visudhiphan, M.D., and colleagues at the Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok did a test. |
| Thumbs Up:
CURE YOUR CHOLESTEROL WITH STRAWBERRIES
Give your blood an injection of vitamin C, vitamin E and other antioxidants by eating fruits and vegetables. They are anticholes-terol superfoods. Vitamin C combats cholesterol dangers two important ways. It acts as a bodyguard for HDLs that constantly cleanse your arteries of the bad stuff. And both vitamins C and E are potent at blocking transformation of LDL cholesterol that destroys arteries. |
| If I had to tell people just one thing to lower their risk of heart disease, it would be to reduce their intake of foods of animal origin, specifically animal fats, and to replace those fats with complex carbohydrates—grains, fruits and vegetables."—Ernst Schaefer, M.D., USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University
Drink alcohol moderately, if you drink. A drink or two a day discourages heart disease, according to a couple of dozen studies. One study declared two-drink-a-day imbibers 40 percent less likely than nondrinkers to be hospitalized for heart attacks. |
Laurie Deutsch Mozian, M.S., R.D.
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 It is among the fruits and vegetables with the highest known antioxidant capacity with about 1,800 ORAC units. Being a cruciferous vegetable, kale provides the phytochemicals sulforaphane, dithiolethione, and isothiocynate, and the precursors to indole-3-carbinol. It is also a good source of lutein, zeaxanthin, and quercetin and a significant source of the phytonutrients calcium, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid. Fresh kale is most plentiful and least expensive in the winter months. |
| Including five servings of fruits and vegetables daily in our diets ensures that we obtain an adequate intake of health-providing phytochemicals. We should also consider frequently selecting our protein from plant, nut, and legume sources, since they come with a bonus in the form of phytochemicals.
Research indicates that recommendations for optimal phytochemical intake might vary based on personal health status. |
| Studies designed to measure the effects of supplementation with the antioxidant beta-carotene on the prevention of both lung and colorectal cancer have been disappointing for supplement advocates and have demonstrated the superiority of fruits and vegetables as a method of disease prevention. Although high serum levels of beta-carotene and increased fruit and vegetable intake are markers of decreased risk of lung and colon cancers, supplementation with beta-carotene did not decrease cancer in clinical trials designed to test its effectiveness. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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 Fresh fruits and vegetables provide the most vitamins and minerals, plus fiber and enzymes in proper balance: phytonutrients, working together (syner-gistically) to enhance each other's healing qualities. Try to cultivate a taste for them.
2. Whole grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes are also necessary in a balanced diet. They provide fiber to keep your body's digestive tract regulated. These are better sources for your proteins than meat, yet still supply all of your amino acid requirements. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. |
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