‘You are what you eat.’ This has never been truer than today, as health experts discover more and more about how diet and health are closely related. Our food options are greater than ever before, with quick, on-the-go processed foods competing with plant-based, whole-food diets. But what, exactly, is the impact of things like GMOs, preservatives and other alterations to our food supply?
[reducing risk for disease]
There is no magic diet or miracle food that will ensure we won’t face ailments like cancer or heart disease. However, reducing risk for disease or increasing the ability to fight disease lie not only in what we eat, but also in how we eat it.
don’t blame the food
“Except for a few diseases under certain conditions, such as vitamin C deficiency and scurvy, foods in general do not cause disease,” says Dr. Yikyung Park, Washington University associate professor in the division of public health sciences. “A healthy diet together with a healthy body weight, physical activity and no smoking lowers the risk of cancer, as well as other chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease. The key words to remember are variety, moderation and balance.”
Cancer is a heterogenous disease with many different causes that have not all been identified, Park says. The interaction of many factors, including genetics, some viruses, obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, sun exposure and more may increase our risk for the disease. “There is no study proving that certain foods cause cancer; however, consuming a high amount of certain foods increases or decreases a likelihood of getting cancer,” she says.
So, in this sense, making conscious choices about the foods we consume may help in reducing our risk for cancer. “There is convincing evidence that foods containing dietary fiber lower the risk of colorectal cancer, while red and processed meats increase the risk,” Park says. “Studies have found that people who have a healthy diet pattern (more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and fewer animal foods) had a lower risk of cancer.”
Other foods to limit include energy-dense foods such as those high in fat, high in added sugars and low in fiber, as well as sugary drinks and sodium, Park says. And if you choose to consume alcohol, it should be limited to one or two drinks daily for men and one for women. “A healthy diet lowers the risk of death among cancer survivors too,” Park notes. “So, it is never too late to make a healthy lifestyle change in terms of diet, body weight and physical activity.”
build a healthy heart
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. Considered the most common form of heart disease, coronary artery disease occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, eventually weakening the heart muscle.
“Coronary artery disease is complicated, and there is no surefire way to get it,” says Dr. Michael Lim, SLUCare cardiologist and director of cardiology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. Genetics can play a role, including among people who are at risk for high cholesterol and pre-disposed to high blood pressure or diabetes.
“We can’t alter our genetics, but we can do things through diet and nutrition that may play a role in reducing our risk,” Lim says. “It’s important to remember that a diet for weight loss is not necessarily the diet for lowering your risk for coronary artery disease.” In addition to increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet, Lim recommends minimizing the number of processed foods, meats and starches, as well as limiting fat intake.
“People develop plaque in their coronary arteries over time. There is no such thing as a sure thing and no instant gratification when you eat this way,” he says. “You have to be committed to making changes over the long haul and start small to get small successes.”
[the growing gluten-free trend]
You’re probably hearing it more and more from people you know. They’re going gluten-free. But why and what does it mean?
choice or necessity?
Individuals on a gluten-free diet avoid foods containing the protein gluten, which can be found in grains like wheat, barley and rye. Some have celiac disease, which means they are unable to digest gluten due to the damage it can cause to the small intestine. According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, an estimated one in 133 Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, has celiac disease.
However, there are many others who avoid gluten because they have found avoidance can make a difference in their health. “It is true that the majority of those eating a gluten-free diet are not formally diagnosed with celiac disease,” says Afua Bromley, L.Ac, NCCAOM, an acupuncturist and owner of Acupuncture Saint Louis & Wellness Center. Bromley says she sees a range of individuals suffering from migraines, digestive issues, unexplained GERD (reflux) and women with thyroid issues who have experienced improvements when they eliminate gluten.
something about our grains
Because of the increasing trend in gluten sensitivities, Bromley believes there may be an issue in the wheat supply in the United States. “I’ve had a number of clients who can’t tolerate gluten products like wheat, barley and rye but have gone overseas to France, for example, and eaten bread every day without an issue,” she says. “Some people just may not be able to process the gluten from the wheat that is grown here.”
Ashley Nanney agrees. She is the founder of Feed Your Vitality, a locally owned business that prepares healthy, convenient anti-inflammatory meals (gluten causes inflammation, a culprit in many ailments). “We see a lot of people who travel or have lived overseas and aren’t having the same reactions when they are here,” she says. “Our landscape and how and what we eat is just so different.”
beyond digestion
Nanney works with a number of physicians who care for patients with a variety of inflammatory diseases that may be triggered by food. When foods with gluten have been eliminated from their diets, she has seen an improvement in sleep patterns, bronchial troubles and a decrease in the need for medications. “We are seeing dramatic results that I wouldn’t have expected,” she says.
For those who choose a gluten-free diet, the American Diabetes Association recommends eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products (those that do not have gluten-containing additives), beans, eggs, nuts, lean meat, poultry and fish.
To help determine what is causing the problem, both Nanney and Bromley recommend eliminating the targeted foods for up to 30 days and then slowly adding them back in to determine the true triggers or to see if symptoms return.
focus on healthy
“Reducing or eliminating gluten from your diet does not mean just eating gluten-free foods that you find in the store,” says Bromley, because many of those foods are still processed and may have higher simple carbohydrate content. “Going gluten-free is not inherently good if you are not eating healthy.”
She uses the analogy of an overweight patient who prides herself on being a vegetarian for more than 20 years. She was proud of not eating meat but that doesn’t automatically imply her diet is healthy.
“We are becoming more and more a convenience society, leaning to heavily processed foods that might trigger food allergies,” Nanney says. “We need to shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where we will find the fruits and vegetables and foods for an anti-inflammatory diet. Cutting those things out that aren’t natural will help us function better.”
[migraines & food]
No matter how much you crave chocolate, long for a glass of wine in the evening or look forward to a hot dog at the ballpark, if you find yourself suffering a severe headache or migraine, even five to 10 hours after consuming these items, you may have uncovered your headache ‘triggers.’
the food diary
The main thing about food triggers is that although there are some more common ones, they can vary for individuals,” says Dr. Jo Bonner, a neurologist with Mercy Headache Center.
Bonner recommends that patients keep a diary of their headaches and log the foods they are eating. They should isolate one thing they would like to eliminate and eventually try adding it back into their diet to determine if it is a single trigger or if there are other triggers contributing to their pain.
Triggers can be stackable and, when they occur at the same time, may lead to a migraine or headache, Bonner adds. A change in the barometric pressure or hormonal changes for women during their periods are common triggers that might go along with food triggers. In addition, there are other related triggers that can lead to migraines in individuals, like skipping meals, lack of proper hydration or a constant inflammatory state due to obesity.
“About 90 percent of people can tell what their triggers are, but tracking can help them identify when they might occur in conjunction with others,” Bonner says.
survival mode
When a person’s body is sensitive to foods and reacts through a migraine or headache, it is trying to go into survival mode, says doctor of chiropractic Adam Hughes of Kingen Chiropractic Wellness Center. “There is distress on your body, and when it is exposed, it can go into a stress response,” he says. “I recommend people try to control stress as much as possible, and that may include removing those types of chemicals their body doesn’t like.”
In addition to eliminating migraine triggers, Bonner says individuals generally need to improve diet and learn to take better care of their bodies. “Our society as a whole has gone to eating more and more processed foods. It’s always better to eat more fresh vegetables and fruit, exercise regularly and get the sleep your body needs,” she says. “Treatment for migraines is totally individualized, from medications to adding things like yoga and exercise. And once you understand your triggers, you can have more control.”
trigger notes
>>Each person’s specific triggers are personal.
>>People typically get a reaction within a half-hour to an hour
some sample triggers:
- sulfites in wine and other alcohol
- chocolate
- the tyramine found in some cheeses and meats
- caffeine
- MSG
- processed meats
- gluten