Learning the facts behind organic foods, gluten, pesticides and genetics can help you live a better life

There are always fad diets and super foods in the media; we are constantly confused with information about changing our diets and the next new findings. There is an influx of information regarding organic food, gluten-free diets, genetically modified organisms (GMO), fitness and more. In addition, there have been misconceptions about how too much of one thing can affect us and the role nutrition contributes to chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases and nutrition

Chronic diseases are long-term medical conditions that often can be prevented; the top ones include heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity. There is no super food or fad diet to combat them — the key is eating well, getting moderate physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding smoking.

“It is important to consume a low glycemic-load diet that is comprised mainly of vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, spices and legumes. Proteins should include lean, organic, grass-fed meats and pasture-raised poultry, wild fish and/or plant proteins. Always try to avoid processed foods and trans fats and consume foods rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant fats such as omega-3 fats and olive oil,” said Dr. Brian Lawenda of 21st Century Oncology and the national director of Integrative Oncology and Cancer.

“This is essentially following the traditional Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet has consistently been reported as one of the most healthful diets in terms of preventing and helping to reverse numerous chronic diseases. This diet does not include many of the foods that are often associated with a modern-day Mediterranean diet, such as calorically dense meals with large quantities of pasta, breads, cheeses and wines.”

It is important to:

• Limit processed and prepackaged foods

• Avoid adding excessive salt during food preparation

• Cook with healthful oils such as extra-virgin, cold-pressed,

organic olive oil or coconut oils.

More fruits and vegetables

Chronic diseases, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease go hand in hand; it is common for a patient who has one to also have another. Lawenda says that it is much easier to follow a diet that is flavorful, simple to prepare, and consistent for the patient that incorporates ingredients that are compatible with a heart-healthy, anti-diabetes and anti-cancer lifestyle.

“It is important to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and legumes in a daily diet and it is about moderation,” said Lawenda. “The key is to find vegetables and fruits that are palatable and it is worth experimenting with the preparation. For instance, you may not like Brussels sprouts steamed but you may like it grilled. The preparation makes the difference. Do not disregard a vegetable because you did not like the way it was previously prepared and consumed.”

Most adults in the United States do not consume enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. Fifteen percent of U.S. adults consume the minimum amount that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends. This is still too low.

Lawenda said, “The USDA recommends that we eat 2–3 cups of vegetables and 1–2 cups of fruits per day, but the latest data suggests that we should eat at least seven cups of fruits and vegetables daily. If you are trying to watch your weight, you should minimize your intake of high-glycemic, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn and instead consume low-glycemic vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and Brussels sprouts.”

You are what you ate

We are what we eat — and that applies to what our food ate. For example, commercially raised cattle eat grain, soy and corn meal — not natural foods in the bovine menu. Cattle in their natural environment graze on grass and plants.

The difference is that conventional beef has more fat and fewer nutrients. Grass-fed cattle have significantly less total fat and inflammatory fat content (omega-6 fatty acids) when compared to commercially raised cattle.

You can find grass-fed meat at grocery stores and restaurants — it will be called “grass-fed,” but that might be for only a portion of the animal’s life. To obtain a richer flavor, the animal may be fed a cornmeal diet (called “corn finished”). Corn finishing increases the total fat and omega-6 fat content. Ask the butcher or restaurant if their grass-fed meat was “corn-finished.”

Plate size and portions

In order to have a better understanding of plate size and portions, Lawenda prefers “The Healthy Eating Plate,” created by experts at Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School (see illustration).

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen

Eating fresh produce is the best way to obtain the nutrients that support optimum health, but pesticides used on many crops remain a major health concern. By choosing organic foods, you can reap the health benefits of fruits and vegetables while limiting exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Some people believe that “organic” means “pesticide-free.” That’s not the case; food can be certified as organic and still be grown with pesticides that meet government approval (they must not be synthetically manufactured, for instance).

The reason organic food is more expensive is because it is not subsidized by the government and organic farming produces smaller crop yields than nonorganic varieties.

With regards to more common nonorganic produce, scientists who work for the Environmental Working Group (EWG) create an annual list of “The Clean Fifteen” and “Dirty Dozen.” These name the top most contaminated (“Dirty Dozen”) and least (“Clean Fifteen”) pesticide-contaminated produce from nonorganic farms across the United States. EWG scientists test only nonorganic produce from grocery stores across the U.S.

“There are numerous studies published that support the fact that nonorganic foods are higher in pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals and often contain lower concentrations of micronutrients and phytonutrients than their organic counterparts. This is indisputable,” said Lawenda. “The real controversy is — does it matter? If you eat nonorganic produce every day, does that mean you will have a greater risk of developing cancer from the chemicals in these foods? The Environmental Protection Agency, the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration are the organizations that tell us whether or not pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and hormones are safe to use in food. To date, there are little to no strongly supportive data that state that the use of chemicals approved by these organizations are definitively linked to an increased risk of developing cancer or other chronic diseases in the amounts that are sprayed on food. The Environmental Protection Agency is the organization that tells us whether or not if it is safe to use and they say it is safe. There is no data that supports the use of pesticides is linked to cancer or other chronic diseases in the amounts that is sprayed on food.”

Lawenda added, “However, there are concerning data from populations of farm workers who are exposed to high amounts of these chemicals over years that suggest that these chemicals may not be entirely safe. Epidemiologic data from farm workers have found that they have a higher incidence than the general population of developing many types of cancers such as, leukemia, lymphoma, sarcomas, gastrointestinal, brain and other cancers. We are exposing ourselves to lower amounts — does adding toxins matter?”

GMO and gluten-free foods

“We have been genetically modifying our foods by cross-breeding plants and selecting the most and least desired qualities in plants and animals for thousands of years,” said Lawenda. “Food scientists are now splicing genes into plant DNA so that the plants grow faster and are more resilient to pests, drought and temperature extremes.”

Is this dangerous? Lawenda said, “This is the area of controversy we do not know. GMO now allows us to grow plants more hardily but it also withstands toxins that we spray on them. Therefore, fruits and vegetables have more toxins sprayed on them because they can tolerate it.”

Gluten is a wheat protein. About 1 percent of adults in the U.S. have a true gluten allergy or celiac disease and 20 to 30 percent of the population may have gluten sensitivity. Having gluten sensitivities goes not mean you have gluten allergies and “gluten-free” does not equal “healthy.”

“Whether it is actually the gluten or some other factor in these foods that causes their symptoms is not known,” said Lawenda. “One things is for certain: just because a food is “gluten-free” does not mean that it is healthy. Often, food manufacturers add extra sugar, fat and salt to enhance the flavor of these products, making them more calorically dense.” With anything, people should research and understand what are the benefits and detriments.

How does ‘too much’ affect us

Moderation is important and too much of anything — red meat, grain, starch, etc. ­— can be bad for us.

• Red Meat — Until recently, dieticians and nutritionists told us that consuming red meat increased serum cholesterol levels. However, the latest data reveals that dietary fat and dietary cholesterol do not significantly impact serum cholesterol in most people — being overweight or obese does. If you frequently consume larger servings on non-lean cuts of meat, which are calorically dense, you will gain weight. Therefore, it is best to limit the total servings of red meat you consume and preferentially choose leaner cuts and grass-fed varieties whenever possible.

• Grains — Whole grains are not much of an issue. Most people do not eat whole grains, instead they eat processed or refined grains, which convert instantly into sugar. Whole grains are less calorically dense and raise blood sugar to a much less extent than processed and refined grains such as, white flour and rice.

• Salt, Fats and Oils — If you do not have high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease, salt is unlikely to cause hypertension. If you do have any of these conditions, limit your salt intake. Consuming fats and oils are mainly a concern due to their calorie density. Make sure to minimize your intake of inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids (such as vegetable oils) and avoid trans fats (such as those found in margarine) entirely. Preferentially select healthy monounsaturated (such as olive oil) and anti-inflammatory omega-3 oils (such as fish oil).

• Starch — Similar to processed or refined grains, this converts instantly into sugar.

• Processed Foods — This has too much sugar and unhealthy fats and chemicals.

• Fruits and Vegetables — Most people do not eat enough of the recommended limit per day. If you did eat too much, it would be too much sugar. Try to consume at least 3 cups of vegetables and 1–2 cups of fruit per day. People should also be careful with juices even though it has 100 percent fruit juice because it still has loaded sugars. Although it may be natural sugars, it is still sugar which still leads to obesity.

Lifestyle modifications

In addition to moderation, the most important elements in reducing your risk of developing numerous chronic diseases are:

• Eating a healthy diet

• Being physically active

• Maintaining a healthy weight

• Avoid smoking

And if you have any dietary questions or concerns, please consult your primary care physician.