Kale is a leafy green vegetable belonging to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables that includes cabbage, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.  Half a cup of chopped, boiled kale has only 18 calories, 30% of the daily requirement (RDA) of Vitamin C, and enough Vitamin A and Vitamin K for the whole day.  Vitamin A is required for the formation of rhodopsin, a photoreceptor pigment in the retina.  Vitamin K controls the formation of coagulation factors in the liver.

The sulfur-containing phytonutrients in cabbage, broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have been shown to reduce the occurrence of a wide variety of cancers.  It is thought that the sulfurous compounds activate detoxifing enzymes in the liver that help neutralize substances that are potentially carcinogenic.

A study found that people who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had a 29% lower risk of bladder cancer than those eating the least of this family of vegetables.[1]  Another study found reduced intestinal polyps when the diet contained sulforaphane.[2]  Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate that is present abundantly in broccoli and cauliflower.

Kale, broccoli, and cabbage should be in your menu if you are trying to lose weight while maintaining good nutrition.

Learn more about vitamins

[1] Zhao H, Lin J, Grossman HB, Hernandez LM, Dinney CP, Wu X. Dietary isothiocyanates, GSTM1, GSTT1, NAT2 polymorphisms and bladder cancer risk. Int J Cancer. 2007 May 15;120(10):2208-13. 2007. PMID:17290402.

[2] Hu R, Khor TO, Shen G, Jeong WS, Hebbar V, Chen C, Xu C, Reddy B, Chada K, Kong AN. Cancer chemoprevention of intestinal polyposis in ApcMin/+ mice by sulforaphane, a natural product derived from cruciferous vegetable. Carcinogenesis. 2006 May 4; 2006. PMID:16675473.

In the 1940’s, psychologist William Herbert Sheldon proposed a classification of human physique into three categories.  An ectomorph is a thin person with small muscles and a delicately built body.  A mesomorph has well-defined muscles, large bones, and a torso that tapers to a well-defined waist. An endomorph has a rounded stocky body.  The words endomorphic, mesomorphic and ectomorphic are still used to describe body types in association with weight training for the purpose of gaining muscle, but modern science is dispelling the idea that body shape is an intrinsic feature that cannot be altered.  Only the bones seem to remain constant as a person gains or loses weight.

When I developed the Calorie Restriction Calculator, one of the criticisms was that it does not take into consideration the body types.  If it were possible to quantify the body type, the calculation of %CR could be made more accurate.  Recently, I came across some digital human modeling work done under Professor Zoran Popović at the University of Washington.  His team has used measurements from 250 human body models and created a parametrization set that allows generation of a variety of applications for human body modeling, including: morphing, texture transfer, statistical analysis of shape, and the modification of  multiple correlated parameters such as the weight and height of an individual.[1,2]  The software makes it possible to visualize how persons look when they get fat or lose weight.

[1] Digital Humans. [link]
[2] The space of human body shapes: reconstruction and parameterization from range scans. [link]

Before and After

As the waistlines of Americans expand, so do the number of diet books in library shelves.  There is such a huge number of diet books, that it is impossible to figure out which one is the best.  Every doctor who writes a book claims to have a superior diet, and all doctors criticize each other’s diets.  The average person is completely confused because they don’t know whom to trust.  The problem is compounded because anybody, even celebrities who know nothing of nutrition, can write diet books.

The purpose of a diet is to provide guidelines for healthful eating, but most diet books also give advice about how to lose excess weight.  A basic diet is supposed to provide adequate amounts of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and trace minerals.  The total number of calories can then be regulated to allow weight loss or to maintain weight.  The differences in the diets like Atkins, South Beach, Ornish, and others, depends on the proportions and sources of proteins and fats.  The Atkins diet allows a variety of meats, whereas the Ornish diet is mostly vegetarian.  The big differences in the diets seem to be:

How much exercise should you get? Some diets emphasize exercise as a way of burning extra calories and firming up muscles.

How much protein should you eat? Protein provides satiety and makes you less hungry.  High protein diets like the Protein Power Plan or the Zone Diet say that approximately 30% of the calories should come from protein sources such as meats, poultry, fish, and dairy.

What percent of your diet should be fat? The range can be anywhere from 15% to 50%.  The Ornish diet tends toward the lower end of the range.  The types of fats are also important.  Fats are structural components of the body.  The brain, for example, consists of 60% fat.  Hydrogenated fats and trans fats are harmful for the heart and the brain.  Polyunsturated fats, like those in walnuts, reduce cholesterol levels, whereas saturated fats from animal fats and tropical oils like coconut and palm kernel, increase cholesterol levels.

How many calories should you eat? This depends on whether you want to lose weight or maintain weight for a specific level of activity.  Sedentary people need fewer calories than people who exercise.  One hour of vigorous exercise burns approximately 400 calories.

What proportion of carbohydrates should you eat? This usually is decided by the amount of protein and fat in the diet.  The real question is what type of carbohydrates should be consumed.  Starchy carbohydrates don’t have enough vitamins and nutrients to meet normal requirements, and excess starch is stored as fat in the body.  Leafy green and non-starchy vegetables are nutritionally superior.

How do you spread your calorie intake over time? Some diets say that it better to eat five small meals throughout the day to minimize insulin spikes.  Other diets advocate taking most of the calories in one main meal to get the body into a ketogenic, fat-burning mode during the fasting period.

The success of a diet to lose weight depends being able to maintain a lower calorie intake without being deprived.  This is easier to achieve with high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets.

Learn more about weight control and diets

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a notice to General Mills, the maker of Cheerios, saying that the claims that the cereal lowers cholesterol and treats heart disease are inappropriate.  The FDA allows food labels to highlight some health benefits, but the language of those statements is highly regulated.

One of the missions of the FDA is to protect the public from snake oil salesmen who want to make a buck selling fake elixirs for health and longevity.  The FDA is heavily lobbied by the pharmaceutical industry, and the agency often rules against claims for natural products that would divert profits away from drug manufacturers.  The claim from General Mills that Cheerios can “lower cholesterol 4 percent in 6 weeks” is objectionable to the FDA because companies are not allowed to quantify the benefit of foods.

We never hear the whole story.  The level of cholesterol in the body is regulated by the balance of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in our diet.  The level is also affected by the cholesterol in animal products that we eat, by hydrogenated fats, and by the amount of soluble fiber in our diet.  Oats are a good source of soluble fiber, and it is an ingredient of Cheerios.  (Learn more about controlling cholesterol)

 Promise Fat Free Nonfat Margarine

The FDA tries to protect consumers from false claims, but it does a very poor job. The rules for food labeling have so many loopholes, that PAM cooking spray, which is basically 100% fat, can claim that it can be used for “Fat Free Cooking” by specifying an unrealistically small serving size. Also, Promise Fat Free Nonfat Margarine can claim that a serving has 0 grams of fat by hiding all the fatty acids as mono- and diglycerides.

In 2003, I wrote a letter to the FDA asking for changes to the labeling rules to prevent these abuses, but my request was denied.  You can read about it in the web pages about Food Labels.

Bamboo Shoots

After almost one week of continuous spring rains, the trees are green and the the ground is moist.  These conditions promote the growth of mushrooms and bamboo.  A nice walk in the woods will bring you closer to nature, burn up some calories and, if you are lucky, you can find some edible mushrooms, berries, or bamboo shoots.

Bamboo shoots are frequently used in Chinese cooking.  They are also a favorite food of Panda Bears.  Bamboo shoots are low in calories and contain a significant amount of B vitamins and minerals.  100 grams of raw bamboo shoots have only 27 calories and the following nutrients:

Next time that you go for a walk, keep your eyes open.  You can enjoy nature, and perhaps find a nice edible treat.

Many schools across the country have closed because of swine flu infections.  This has forced some parents to stay at home to take care of the kids.  These unexpected changes in schedules are a hardship for the parents and for the firms that employ them because it reduces productivity.

Some firms provide employees with the opportunity to work from home.  The work-at-home programs may be called telecommuting, e-commuting, e-work, or telework.  The firms that allow working from home may also provide equipment, such as computers, modems, and internet access.  The most effective way to work from home requires a connection for the computer and a separate line for the telephone so that both can be used at the same time.

When a significant portion of the employees work from home, a company is able to reduce its office space.  In addition, a company that allows telecommuting may be able to hire qualified individuals who live far away or who, because of disabilities or other obligations, may not be able to drive to the company location.

Telecommuting provides a “green” alternative to driving.  You don’t use gasoline.  You don’t have to fight traffic.  You don’t pollute and you reduce your carbon footprint.  However, you need to have discipline to get your work done in spite of the distractions that can be found at home.  You cannot just surf the internet or play solitaire and expect to get paid.