THE FICKLE FINGER OF FOOD FACTS

The Diabetic Reader Page 18 Fall/Winter, 1996/97

The Fickle Finger of Food Facts
In what strange, new direction is it pointing now?



Avocado Advocates

Avocados have long been a feared fruit. Yes, they are a fruit and, along with olives, they have a higher fat content than any other fruit: 71 - 88%. That makes them dietary bad guys, right? Not necessarily. ! Researchers are rethinking this tasty treat from a health standpoint and finding that it benefits people with heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Here are the startling new facts about this protective disease fighter, as detailed by Jean Carper, author of Foods,Your Miracle Medicine, in USA Weekend, May 31-June 2, 1996

  • In an Australia study, eating avocados daily for 3 weeks improved blood cholesterol in middle-aged women better than a low-fat diet did. And avocados improved the good HDL. cholesterol ration 15%. The expected outcome is that by eating avocados heart patients can cut their risk of heart attack by 10 - 20%.
  • In 1989 Dr. Scott Grundy of the Center for Human Nutrition reported that a diet high in monounsaturated fat may offer more health benefits for Type 11 diabetics than the then recommended low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Recently, Gerald Reaven, a diabetes researcher at Stanford University, has reaffirmed this study. He found that the higher fat diet (45%, of calories) rich in avocado-type monounsaturated fat does not create the hazard of the 30% fat, high-carbohydrate diet, which can raise blood sugar, insulin and triglycerides.
  • That's not all. Avocados are high in fiber, have 60%, more potassium than bananas and are rich in the anti- oxidant, glutathione. As a special gift to diabetics, their sugar content decreases as they ripen.

California and Florida are the only 2 states that grow avocados. The California variety (mostly Hass) is richer and creamer but higher in fat and calories than the Florida type. Because 90% of the US crop is from California. it looks as if most of us are condemned to the luxury of a richer taste.

A personal recommendation: for years there have been only 2 types of oil on our shelves: avocado and olive. Avocado oil has an edge because it has a high smoke point (less is absorbed when frying) and is a good emulsifier for making salad dressing. It has a mild, buttery flavor. Use it also for marinades, sauces, and baking. Unfortunately, it is expensive and not easy to find.

Avocados are versatile. Use them mashed as a substitute for butter or margarine on breads and crackers. Serve 1/2 a small one filled with tuna or shrimp salad. Chop them into salads instead of cheese (cuts fat by 1/2). Add slices to sandwiches, and don't forget guacamole or cold avacado soup.

To calculate how avocados can fit hits your diet plan, remember that they have the highest percentage of artery protecting monounsatured fat (80%) of any food except hazelnuts (81%). Here is the California avocado's nutritional profile: 3 1/2 oz = Calories 177, CHO 7 gr, PRO 2 gr , FAT 17 gr. Potassium 634 mg,. Magnesium 41mg, Vitamin A 6l2 IU. This a partial analysis from the Univ Of California Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition (1992)

The Good and the Bad about Chocolate

God bless those scientists who keep returning to us all the good things of life. USA Today in their International issue ol 9/23/ 96 reported that doctors advise having a big piece ol chocolate along with a glass of red wine because they're both good. Researchers at the University of California at Davis, where they have an oenology course and therefore are interested in wine, say both wine and chocolate contain phenols, chemicals believed to help stop arteries from clogging up. "The pleasant pairing of red wine and dark chocolate could have synergistic advantages beyond their complementary tastes."

W'e've also read recently about a claim that there is a link between chocolate and marijuana in the sense that chocolate gives you the same kind of high as marijuana. Far out! All we can say is that if you eat too much chocolate you may get an unwelcome high-high blood sugar.

Changing Your Tuna

According to the June issue of Enviornmental Nutrition "tuna in water" may have no less fat than tuna in oil. Sometimes the tuna in water even has more calories. Marian Burros, the N.Y. Times writer who reported this, examined the labels of two cans of Star-Kist albacore solid white tuna in water. One can contained I gram of fat per 2 ounce serving; the other 5 grams of fat. The fish fat content varies depending on the depth and temperature of water where it is caught. The message is, always read the label.

The New Basic 4 Food Lists Eat Some of Each Daily

Call-in radio doctor, Dean Edell, recently reported that a committee of learned physicians have devised a new BASIC 4 to replace all the past, outmoded lists. The New Basic 4 are:

  1. Good for you but tastes lousy
  2. Tastes good but is bad for you
  3. Will make you fat and ugly
  4. Eat it and die

'Bon Appetit