Let Food Be Your Medicine

Television’s Dr. Oz frequently tells his audiences to “let food be your medicine,” which echoes advice first given by Hippocrates in 400 B.C. Many Americans still don’t fully embrace this message, despite recommendations from doctors, the internet, magazine articles and television programs.
This year, instead of jumping on another diet bandwagon, why not try a different approach for better health and longer life? Dieticians from Forsyth Medical Center say that adopting a diet rich in whole, fresh foods can help you lose weight, prevent some health issues and help in the treatment of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and depression.
Kathie Sigler and Penny Riordan, registered dieticians and licensed nutritionists at Forsyth Medical Center Diabetes & Nutrition Services, are experts in how certain foods can play a role in disease prevention and improved health.
Sigler says, however, that no single food is a cure-all for what ails you.   “Follow a healthy diet with whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and proteins, and whole unprocessed foods,” she says. “By including a regular schedule of physical activity and adequate hydration, you have the best opportunities for optimum health.”   
Sigler, an expert in dietetics and the importance of hydration, says that, ideally, consuming half of your body weight in fluid ounces, preferably water, will help flush toxins from your system each day (e.g., a 120-pound woman should drink at least 60 ounces of water daily).
“A better, well-rounded diet helps to prevent and/or control diabetes that can lead to heart disease,” says Riordan, who specializes in nutritional advice for patients with diabetes. “With diabetes now affecting one in 20 Americans, having an understanding of a good, balanced diet is more important than ever.”
Here are some specific dietary ideas and recommendations that Riordan and Sigler suggest will help with issues such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease and depression.
Get More Fiber
Dietary fiber fills you up without packing on the pounds, keeps blood sugar levels in check and helps prevent diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Riordan recommends 25-35 grams of fiber a day with half from whole, unprocessed grains like whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, and beans, and the rest from fruits and vegetables.   One way she likes to start the day is with a breakfast of steel-cut oatmeal, with a little added nut butter for additional protein, topped with walnuts and blueberries.  “That is a balanced meal with the right amount of protein, good carbohydrates and healthy fats that will keep you full longer,” she says.
Choose Unprocessed Fruits and Vegetables
In general, eating fresher, unprocessed fruits and vegetables will amp up the nutrients in your diet because they are loaded with antioxidants, which are powerful disease-fighting chemicals that help counteract damage from free radicals in your body that can lead to cancer and heart disease.  “The key is that they aren’t processed, because the extra chemical additives used in processing may cause unwanted side effects on our bodies,” Sigler says.  Fiber-rich fruits such as berries, dark cherries and apples are good choices. Vegetable selections include those from the cruciferous family like broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, as well as colorful veggies like sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, winter squash, chilies and tomatoes.   “Dark leafy greens such as kale, collards and spinach, which are high in folic acid, have the extra bonus of helping curb depression because they affect serotonin levels in the brain,” says Riordan.
Choose Foods with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Riordan says that salmon, sardines, olive oil, nuts and seeds are rich sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for your heart health, joint lubrication and even eye health and anti-aging (see Bahamian salmon recipe).
 Drink Up
Besides water, some beverages, like green tea and red wine, help enhance other antioxidants in your diet. “But keep the sugar out of the tea and limit the wine to one four-ounce glass a day,” says Riordan.
Preferred Protein Sources
In addition to fish and lean poultry, both Riordan and Sigler agree that beef or eggs in moderation are fine.  Sigler advises limiting egg yolks to three per week.   “They can help you stay on a diet,” says Riordan.
New FMC Classes Offered
Forsyth Medical Center offers a number of classes on nutrition, and one-on-one counseling services, including a brand new weight-loss program starting this January called “The Meaningful Weigh,” combining expertise from dieticians, exercise physiologists and counselors.
For more information, visit www.forsythmedicalcenter.org, click on Services and choose Diabetes and Nutrition Services from the drop down menu, or call 336-277-1660.

Side Bar: 

Recipe for Bahamian Salmon
Try this easy salmon entrée from Forsyth Medical Center Diabetes and Nutrition Services and enjoy the benefits of a food packed with Omega-3 fatty acids and great for your heart. Serve with a baked sweet potato and a green salad with strawberries, walnuts and low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing for a complete meal low in calories, but packed with nutrients and fiber.