Simply Living Well: Avoiding Trans Fats

This newsletter has an article on Trans Fat, a recipe for Roasted Autumn vegetables, and information about my new website, www.SimplyLivingWell.net.

Please send any comments or suggestions to: Katherine@SimplyLivingWell.net
Website http://www.SimplyLivingWell.net

This month's newsletter includes:

1. Quote of the month
2. Greetings and New Website
3. Link of the month: Co-op America
4. September recipe: Roasted Vegetables
5. Article: Trans Fat in Food: As Bad as it Gets
7. 6-Month Counseling Program
8. More about Katherine Jamieson, Holistic Health Counselor

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.

George Eliot

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GREETINGS AND NEW WEBSITE

This month marks the launching of my new website, www.SimplyLivingWell.net, which provides resources for healthy living, quick and easy recipes, a newsletter archive, and information on my workshops and programs. The website will be completed within the next few days, so please check it out and send me any comments or suggestions you have. The site will be updated on a regular basis so remember to keep checking back for new recipes and upcoming events!

My incredible web designer, Nancy Taylor, has worked with me patiently through the whole process, from brainstorming logos to deciding on content for the site. Nancy holds an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons, and she has a real talent for making technology understandable to everyone. She has done work for clients in a wide range of fields, including publishing and real estate, as well as for many alternative and complementary health care practitioners.

Some of Nancy's sites are: www.MH20.com, www.janvanderlinden.org, www.kundaliniyogaparkslope.com, www.juvenexspa.com, and her promo site which is under construction, www.nancytaylordesign.com. Working with Nancy over the past four months I have been consistently impressed by her dedication and commitment to her projects, and I highly recommend her graphic and web design services. Plus she's really creative and fun to work with, which makes the whole process that much more enjoyable! She can be contacted through her website or at nancy@nancytaylordesign.com.

Enjoy the cooler weather!

Katherine

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LINK OF THE MONTH: CO-OP AMERICA

Co-op America
www.coopamerica.org

Co-op America is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1982, which works to educate people and businesses about the impact of economic systems on social and environmental problems. They are committed to helping consumers use their purchasing power to "support businesses that create jobs, care about their communities, engage in fair trade and protect our environment," as well as providing technical assistance to help those companies succeed and grow.

I have been a member of the organization for the past several years and have been consistently impressed by the quality of their publications, including consumer information newsletters, socially responsible investing information, and the Green Pages, a listing of 10,000 eco-friendly products and businesses. The website is very informative and gives a good overview of their work and the many resources available through the organization.

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SEPTEMBER RECIPE: ROASTED AUTUMN VEGETABLES

Autumn is a great time to experiment with delicious varieties of seasonal sweet vegetables that are full of important vitamins and minerals and also help to reduce sugar cravings. Besides the ones listed below you can also try cooking with delicata squash (my personal favorite) and kabocha squash, both of which are easy to prepare and make healthy snacks or sides to a meal.

Roasted Autumn Vegetables Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

* 1 small buttercup squash
* 1 pound carrots
* 1-2 parsnips
* 1 small rutabaga
* 1 turnip
* 1-2 teaspoons tamari or shoyu or 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon each fresh (if possible) rosemary, juniper berries, thyme and sage

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400*.
2. Wash and cut all the vegetables into large pieces.
3. Mix vegetables with oil, soy sauce or sea salt and herbs.
4. Transfer into a baking dish large enough to hold the vegetables in one or two layers.
5. Bake, covered for 30 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender.

Note:

Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting one kind only of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

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ARTICLE-- TRANS FAT IN FOOD: AS BAD AS IT GETS

In July, the Food and Drug Administration ruled that trans fatty acids, also called trans fat, contribute to coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity and that food manufacturers have until Jan. 1, 2006 to list the amount of trans fats on each product's nutrition label. You can find more on this story in the September 9th Washington Post article, the first of a 3-part series:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47139-2003Sep9.html

Trans fat poses an extraordinary risk to health because there is no safe level to consume, putting it on a par with nicotine. They have been called one of the "worst hidden dangers in the food supply." Perhaps Tommy Thompson, Health and Human Services Secretary put it best when he simply stated, "Trans fats are bad fats. The less trans fat you and I eat, the healthier we will be."

In the two years plus until the labeling laws go into effect, it is up to the individual consumer to try to avoid trans fat as much as possible. The following article from a year ago provides a good overview of the issue and some tips on avoiding trans fat at the end. Another great resource is the trans fat advocacy website:

www.bantransfats.com

TRANS FAT IN FOOD: AS BAD AS IT GETS
SCIENTISTS' WARNING LIKELY TO BRING LISTING ON NUTRITION LABELS

Kim Severson, Chronicle Staff Writer Thursday, July 11, 2002

A long-awaited federal report on trans fat, a processed fat pervasive in cookies, crackers and fast food, finds there is no safe level and recommends that people eat as little of it as possible.

The National Academy of Sciences study, released Wednesday, is likely the final step in an eight-year process to get trans fat listed on nutrition labels. The issue of whether food labels should contain trans fat levels has been before the Food and Drug Administration since 1994.

In light of the new study, FDA food labeling chief Christine Lewis Taylor said her agency could create a new labeling rule by next spring.

Dr. Jeffrey Aron, UC San Francisco professor of medicine and one of the nation's leading experts on fatty acids, called trans fat one of the worst hidden dangers in the food supply.

"There should be a warning on food made with this stuff like there is on nicotine products. It's that bad for you," he said.

As it stands, consumers have no idea how much trans fat is in food because it isn't one of the kinds of fats required on nutrition labels. Even products marked "low in cholesterol" or "low in saturated fat" might have high levels of trans fat.

Trans fat is created when ordinary vegetable oil is processed into partially hydrogenated oil. It's why margarine and Crisco stay solid at room temperature and what makes cakes moist, cookies fresh and crackers crisp. Partially hydrogenated oil is in about 40 percent of the food on grocery store shelves, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It also occurs naturally in some meat and dairy products.

PREVENTING DEATHS

According to the FDA's own research, providing information about trans fat on labels could prevent 7,600 to 17,100 cases of coronary heart disease and 2, 500 to 5,600 deaths every year -- not only because people would be able to choose healthier foods but because manufacturers could choose to reduce trans fat amounts rather than list high levels on nutrition panels.

The latest government study confirms that trans fat is directly associated with heart disease and increases in LDL cholesterol, the kind that can clog arteries. Because of that, the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, declared there is no safe amount of trans fat in the diet.

A generation ago, when cardiologists waved Americans off saturated fats such as butter and beef tallow, partially hydrogenated oils became a preferred alternative. But during the late 1990s, researchers started to discover that trans fat could clog arteries as readily as saturated fat.

Some of the nation's leading medical researchers, including many in the Bay Area, also believe that high trans fat levels in the American diet may be why childhood obesity is on the rise, why diabetes is at record levels and why some people develop cancer and other related health problems.

"The only defense people have is to eat good fats and oils and fruits and vegetables," Aron said.

BAN CALLED IMPRACTICAL

Wednesday's study reported that since trans fat occurs in so many types of food, including dairy products and meats, an all-out ban would be impractical and could lead to other nutritional problems. Instead, the study says trans fat consumption should be "as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet."

The report is one of the most strongly worded and influential documents on trans fat ever issued, since it is what the government will use to change nutritional regulations and recommendations.

The bill is a victory for consumers, said state Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey, who sponsored a bill that would have made California the first state to require food manufacturers to list trans fat amounts on nutrition labels. Bowen said she introduced the bill earlier this year, after a Chronicle story detailed the health dangers of trans fat, because the federal government had been slow to act. The bill was killed in the Assembly Agriculture Committee late last month.

"What did surprise me was the finding that there is no safe level of trans fat. That's fairly extraordinary," she said. "This will cause a lot of people to re-evaluate how they manage their diet."

FERRETING OUT TRANS FAT IN FOOD

Trans fat is invisible on today's food labels. Only three types of fat -- saturated fat and, in some cases, poly- and monounsaturated fats -- must be listed under the total fat content. To figure out whether trans fat is in the food, you have to read between the lines.

-- Look for the words hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated or fractionated in the list of ingredients. The vast majority of trans fat comes from hydrogenation. The higher up partially hydrogenated oil is in the list of ingredients, the more trans fat the product contains.

-- Figure out how much fat you need every day. For an average healthy person who eats 2,500 calories a day, about 30 percent or less should come from fat, according to the USDA. That translates to about 80 grams a day.

-- Note the amount of total fat listed on the nutrition label and compare it to the breakdown of specific fats. A box of reduced-fat Triscuits, for example, has 3 grams of fat per seven-cracker serving. Saturated fats make up 1/2 gram of that and monounsaturated fats 1 gram. The crackers have no polyunsaturated fats, so the remaining 1 1/2 grams must be the only other kind of dietary fat -- trans fat.

-- A study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest showed that foods with partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredient list contained 1 gram of hidden trans fat for each gram of saturated fat. That means that Chips Ahoy cookies, for example, with 2 grams of saturated fat per serving also contains 2 additional grams of trans fat.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. E-mail Kim Severson at kseverson@sfchronicle.com. Read her in-depth story about trans fat that appeared in the Jan. 30, 2002 Food section by logging on to sfgate.com/chronicle/special/.

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6-MONTH HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELING PROGRAM

Nutrition is a fundamental aspect of health. The food we eat becomes part of our blood cells, which then feed our tissues and vital organs. When we eat food that has limited nutritional value, our cells weaken. When we eat quality foods our bodies reflect that nourishment through vitality, balance and joy.

Whole, natural foods--vegetables, whole grains, beans, fruits--are quality foods. By shifting your diet to healthy, balanced, quality foods, you can support your body to heal itself and prevent future disease.

My fully supported 6-month program includes:

** Two individual counseling sessions a month
** Private yoga classes
** Food and supplement samples
** Easy to cook recipes
** Books, tapes, and articles on health and wellness
** Health Food Store Tour
** Meditation and breathwork
** Group hands-on cooking classes
** Reiki and massage

Working together, we will discuss all the issues that contribute to your relationship with health and nutrition. Often our health concerns arise from a lack of attention to our mental, physical, spiritual and emotional needs. Holistic health care addresses all of these needs equally. As a result of our work together you will feel healthier, more energized, and you will have the skills to maintain this state of wellness for years to come.

Call or e-mail to schedule a one-hour initial consultation about the 6-month Holistic Health Counseling Program.

Consultations are held in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Simply Living Well
80 E. 11th St, #336
Between Broadway and University
347-661-2143
Katherine@SimplyLivingWell.net

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ABOUT KATHERINE JAMIESON, HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR

Katherine was trained in Holistic Health Counseling through the Professional Training Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York, and certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She was certified to teach yoga in 2001 through the New York Open Center Prana Yoga Teacher Training, instructed by Dr. Jeffrey Migdow, MD. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Wesleyan University.

Her practice combines cutting-edge, holistic nutritional theory and yoga breathing and postures, to help people address their health concerns and attain optimal wellness. She has taught yoga and Holistic Health practices with the New York City Department of Health Wellness at Work program, the Hospital for Joint Diseases, and Beth Abraham Health Services. She maintains a private practice in Manhattan and Brooklyn, as well as lecturing and presenting at Health fairs and seminars.

This fall she will be conducting an 11-week series of lectures on Holistic Health and Lifestyle at the United Nations.

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THANK YOU FOR READING AND BE WELL!