GREEN EGGS AND TUNA

By Marie Dufour, RD – At first, I thought it was a take on Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham.  Then, I realized that I had read it wrong. The headline was GREENS, EGGS, and TUNA… Among the Riskiest Foods in America.

Now, you’d tell me wild mushrooms or puffer fish, my ears would perk up and I’d put down my fork.  I’d certainly expect to inspect oysters and clams for norovirus and I’d make sure not to eat shellfish between the months of May and September. I might question my sushi server on the freshness of  tuna, afraid of scrombotoxin contamination.  But the news of potatoes and berries being dangerous to my health had me a bit puzzled.  What was that FDA report about?

On the heels of the Food Safety Enhancement Act passed last July, the Centers for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) just released a food safety report.  How common is food-borne illness? One in 3,000 to 4,000 meals, with the most common pathogens being Norovirus, E.coli, Salmonella and scrombotoxin.   The ten top foods that made the naughty list are: leafy greens, eggs, tuna, oysters, potatoes, cheese, ice cream, tomatoes, sprouts, and berries, accounting for nearly 40% of all outbreaks among FDA-regulated foods.

BUT, what is not on the list is what the FDA does not regulate: Meat products.  While the media scare the public away from healthy foods by labeling them “RISKY,” they blissfully ignore the multiple recalls of beef and meat products, contaminated by the deadly E-coli.O157:H7.

The risks for food contamination are well known to food producers, processors, restaurateurs and other foodservice professionals.  HACCP protocols have long been in place to regulate provisioning, storing, cooking, and serving foods.  Standards have been developed and are followed in order to avoid time-temperature abuses.  This new FDA rule focuses on high-volume food processors (i.e. lettuce farms) to design and implement food safety plans.  It’s a good thing for the consumer.   You may feel that you’re doing your body a favor by purchasing the expensive bag of “organic greens,” but are just as much at risk for E. coli, and Salmonella as if you purchased a regular lettuce (and even more at risk as if you grew that lettuce yourself, I might add.)

How do we keep our foods safe in the home?  FIGHT BAC! Store food at the right temperature, cook it thoroughly, and, for crying out lout, don’t let that chicken thaw on the countertop!  See more tips at Fight Bac!

Defensive cooking, it’s a Healthy Thing!

Filed under: Lifestyle, community nutrition, prevention , e.coli, food contamination, food safety, healthy eating, Marie Dufour RD, norivirus, nutrition, Organic, public health, raw food diet, salmonella, scrombotoxin, tuna contamination, women's Health

LIVER DISEASE IN TEENS

 By Marie Dufour, RD - Non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) refers to a disease with various stages, from fatty liver (steatosis), to non alcoholic steatohepatitis (inflamed and scarred liver), to irreversible cirrhosis and final liver failure.

This kind of fatty liver disease is different from the alcoholic liver disease and is caused mainly by obesity. In fact, all of the stages correlate to insulin resistance and obesity. The greater the BMI, the greater the liver damage. Almost 30 million Americans have non alcoholic fatty liver disease. While this used to be a disease found typically in adults, the rise in childhood overweight is now making NAFLD an alarming pediatric problem, especially among overweight adolescent boys.

In a data analysis of adolescents and teenagers, the risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was not only associated with obesity, but also was 16 times greater in subjects with the metabolic syndrome. However, researchers found that the metabolic syndrome affected boys more than girls, increasing boys’ risk 20-fold while girls had about a threefold increased risk. They also found a wide difference in risk according to ethnicity: Hispanics showed a five-fold increased risk, while non-Hispanics showed a 34-fold increased risk. This implies that, in addition to obesity and metabolic syndrome, NAFLD is affected by environmental, biological, or genetic factors.

Why does it matter? NAFLD, if not stopped early, will progress into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), causing further irreversible liver scarring, up to irreversible cirrhosis. While it was conceivable for an adult to develop NAFLD in mid-life and slowly develop into cirrhosis in late years, say 70 to 80 years old, it is a shock to have teenagers develop the disease. What is the life expectancy of children so affected? What quality of life will they have? What will be the cost to their families and to society?

Fortunately, they are ways to ENTIRELY PREVENT the disease and its progression. For teenagers, it is more than ever crucial to:

1 – lose excess weight

2 – be physically active

3 – control high blood pressure

4 – maintain a healthy weight

5 – follow a plant-based diet with lean animal protein (egg whites, skim milk, fish & poultry), avoid saturated fats, and limit sweet drinks and refined sugars.

Ref: Graham RC, et al “Ethnic and sex differences in the association between metabolic syndrome and suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents” J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2009.

Filed under: Lifestyle, diet, prevention , childhood obesity, community nutrition, diet, fatty liver disease, Health Nutrition Blog, healthy lifestyle, kids' health, Liver disease diet, Marie Dufour RD, NAFLD, non alcoholic liver disease, nutrition, obesity, teenage liver disease, weight control, women's Health