Despite my own quest for a slim torso, I haven’t read this book. But I have read and recommend the one that comes in at # 10 on Amazon’s list, The Abs Diet for Women: The Six-Week Plan to Flatten Your Belly and Firm Up Your Body for Life.  Like the Flat Belly! series, this book has its own franchise of books, DVDs and  handbooks by the author, David Zinczenko, editor in chief of Men’s Health.

What I like about this book is his explanation and guidance for a high-protein diet of six small meals each day (3 main meals with 3 balanced snacks) and a workout program that aims to “burn fat day and night.” This is accomplished, he says, by emphasizing weight and resistance training over cardio exercise,  though that is important too for weight maintenance and wellness as we age.  He just sees more value and better outcomes from circuit training in the gym over an hour on the treadmill and he includes pictures of core-strengthening and toning exercises that you can do in the gym or at home.

The Abs Diet approach is not unlike the one promoted a decade earlier by Bill Phillips in his excellent book, Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength.  An updated edition for women,  Body-for-LIFE for Women: A Woman’s Plan for Physical and Mental Transformation, was written by Dr. Pamela Peeke, and published this year.

Finally, another book I recommend is From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life — the Medically Proven Way to Reset Your Metabolism and Reshape Your Body. It is co-written by Genie James and Dr. C.W. Randolph, a physician who specializes in hormone balancing.

What diet or exercise books have you found to be particularly helpful for fighting menopausal weight gain?

The latest issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter hit my doorstep this week and there’s an interesting article, “Rooting for Fruit,” about using our fruit bowls as a medicine chest. Of particular interest to me was the explanation for why cranberries can help prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs)  if consumed regularly.

First some background:  Menopausal women are at greater risk of developing a UTI due to the changes that occur in the bladder as a result of declining estrogen levels.  Half the cases of UTIs are caused by a (P-type E. coli) bacteria, which have little hairy tips called fimbriae. These attach themselves to the bladder so that they multiply and cause an infection.

According to Amy Howell of Rutgers University, the expert source for the Nutrition Action Newsletter article, Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, which prevent bacteria from sticking to the surfaces of cells on the bladder wall.  “So you can avoid infections by stopping the bacteria from sticking to cells in the bladder and instead just wash them out in the urine.” However, she added that “once the bacteria stick to the bladder wall and start multiplying, patients need antibiotics.”

Apparently, you need to drink one to two glasses of a cranberry juice cocktail daily for it to have any preventative effect.  Dried cranberries and even cranberry sauce work just as well, Howell explained,  but not cranberry pills “since you don’t know how much proanthocyanidin is in them or whether they’re rendered inactive by improper storage or processing.”

You’ll need to choose a brand that contains as much cranberry juice as other juices that it is mixed with.

I have been a subscriber to the Nutrition Action Newsletter for years and highly recommend it. It is published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent non-profit consumer health group.  They advocate honest food labeling and advertising, safer and more nutritious foods, and they accept no government or industry funding!

Not too long ago, I wrote about a recent study that concluded that simply consuming less calories is more important than the type of diet you choose when trying to lose weight.  Portion control is a key factor in any weight loss program, but it can be tricky. Dietitians recommend portions the size of our palm, or a hockey puck. But whose palm? (Your husband’s if you’re real hungry) And just how big is a hockey puck anyway?

So you might be interested in a new weight management tool that I found online.  It’s called the Northstar Portion System, a series of 11 containers with lids in various sizes that will help you measure healthy portion sizes for everything you eat and drink.  The System also includes eight laminated cards for comparison of hard to measure foods such as a muffin, burger or baked good. There’s a helpful guidebook and a daily guide to keep track of how many portions you eat from each food group. It costs $34.95.

The Northstar System is the brainchild of Jan Defeo, a Los Angeles-based Registered Dietitian who told me via email that she’s been disturbed by the growing portions that the food industry sells to consumers. “The growing portions are hugely responsible for the growing waistlines of adults and many people are now unaware of what an actual portion of many common foods are. Pasta, ice cream and rice, for example, should be just 1/2 cup,” she explained.

“We wanted to provide consumers a tangible system that did not include measuring tools or scales. The Northstar System is not a diet -  it’s a “weigh” of life. Eat what you want, just eat less. Smaller portions equal fewer calories, equals weight loss.”

Jan’s website offers lots of good information about portion control and you’ll find her contact information there if you have any questions.

I searched the internet to find more details about the report and lo and behold I found that tart cherries also may lower the risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol levels, triglycerides, insulin and fasting glucose levels after 90 days.

But that’s not all.  According to the report, “cherry-fed groups had lower levels of a plasma marker of oxidative damage and increased blood antioxidant capacity – not surprising since cherries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants.  Additionally, the cherry-enriched diets reduced “fatty liver” or the accumulation of triglycerides and cholesterol in the liver.”

Can you guess who funded this study? The Cherry Marketing Institute, of course, and their public relations firm, not the research facility, is the contact for information.

This is yet another example of a research study reaching a conclusion that the funder is seeking.

Researchers at Harvard have confirmed what we’ve really known all along. If you want to lose weight, eat less! That’s it.  Exercise helps too.  You can pick any diet – Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig,  Zone, South Beach, or Atkins.  It doesn’t matter because, as the researchers concluded, any diet that reduces your caloric intake will work.

The study, called “Pounds Lost” (short for Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies) was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the NIH.   Researchers at Harvard University School of Public health relied upon overweight volunteers who enrolled for a two-year diet, activity and counseling program.   Participants were assigned to one of four diets that differed in proportions in three major nutrients. They were also given personalized calorie goals, and were required to do moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 90 minutes per week.

On average, they lost thirteen pounds at 6 months and also shrunk their waistlines by 1-3 inches by the end of the study.  Craving, fullness, hunger and diet satisfaction were all similar across the four diets that they enrolled in.

The researchers’ bottom line? Choose a weight loss approach that you think you can live with and stick to it.

“The chocolate kind is loaded with calcium, vitamins, and minerals just like the plain stuff, but new studies confirm that milk with a touch of cocoa is as powerful as commercial recovery drinks at replenishing and repairing muscles.”

The list includes some other delicious foods such as:

Hummus – If you don’t eat a bowl of it and keep your portion to a neat 70-calorie, 3 tablespoon portion, you’ll get all the complex carbohydrates, protein, and unsaturated fats you need to fuel activity.

Eggs - a whole egg, in fact. The yolk is a good source of iron, and it’s loaded with lecithin, critical for brain health, says nutritionist Kleiner.

Chicken Thighs – I always thought dark meat poultry had too much fat for my diet. But Dr. Kleiner explains that “dark-meat poultry is significantly lower in fat than red meat yet has all the iron, zinc, and B vitamins that women need in their diets.”

If your sweet tooth is sabotaging your diet or daily work-outs, take some advice from Dr. C.W. Randolph,  the author of From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life — the Medically Proven Way to Reset Your Metabolism and Reshape Your Body. In his current newsletter, he suggests these snacks when you’re experiencing food cravings;

• Tangerine slices -  Citrus fruits contain a substance called D-Limonene, which has been shown to promote the detoxification of extra estrogen.

•  A low-fat yogurt smoothie with 2 tablespons of flax seed – Flax seeds are part of a food group called lignans that reduce estrogenic activity at a cellular level.

• Carrots & Cukes – Toss slighty steamed carrots with sesame seeds and cucumbers and sprinkle with rice wine vinegar. The tart taste will help eliminate sugar cravings.  Since carrots, cucumbers and seeds are all insoluble fibers, they help decrease your extra estrogen load by binding to the estrogen itself and moving it out of your body through the bowel.

You can subscribe to Dr. Randolph’s free newsletter on his website.

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal offers a list of ten fruits and vegetables that, along with apples and pumpkins, are abundant this time of year and provide numerous health benefits, which are summarized below.  See the entire article, by Pervaiz Shallwani, for a lot more information about each food along with suggestions for cooking:

• Concord grapes – They’re as high in natural anti-oxidants as blueberries
• Kabocha – Also known as Japanese squash, or just plain “winter squash.” Its orange flesh is especially rich in beta-carotene, which may help prevent cancer and heart disease.
• Pears – Low in calories, but high in fiber and vitamins C & K.
• Pomegranate - The nectar is regarded as a great source of anti-oxidants and has been found to reduce cholesterol and the risk of prostate cancer.
• Quince – It’s high in fiber and vitamin C.
• Rutabaga- Low in calories and a good source of thiamin and vitamin B6.
• Tuscan kale -  This is one of the healthiest vegetables around and it’s loaded with vitamins A, C and K, along with significant amounts of calcium, iron and manganese.
• Thyme – An anti-oxidant with high amounts of vitamin K and iron.
• Pine Nuts - High in calories, but also high in protein, vitamins E & K, niacin and thiamin.
• Sheeps Milk Cheeses – High in calcium and more easily digested than cow’s milk cheeses.

If you have your own list of favorite fall foods and healthful recipes, please share them here!

I found a terrific list of 100 healthful foods that every woman should include in her diet. Compiled by Alissa Miller on her blog at Nursing Degree.Net, she has grouped them into nine categories and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by some of the foods on her list:

• Overall health: Flax seed tops this list
• Skin Health – Includes foods with high concentrations of vitamins E and A and anti-inflammatory properties such as avocados, hazelnuts, olives and spinach

• Cardiovascular System – Onions, grapes and raspberries were a surprise to me!

• Cholesterol- Oatmeal, almonds and garlic are among 10 foods in this category
• Bone Health – Sesame seeds, beans and eggs are some of the foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium, calcium and other nutrients essential for bone health.
• Weight loss – Dried papayas, watermelon and fruit smoothies are excellent foods that will fill you up and add some sweetness – not calories – to your diet
• Nuts, Beans and Grains – Foods such as lentils, quinoa and barley provide lots of protein and a great substitute for red meat.
• Antioxidants - Cherries, artichokes, blueberries are on this list of foods that are high in antioxidants, which can help reverse the damaging effects of oxygen on our bodies’ cells.
• Super Foods – Acai and Goji berries top this list of 11 foods that are incredibly packed with important nutrients. Can you guess what else is on this list?
• Healthy Snacks – Pretzels, pistachios and graham crackers are recommended here for low-cal in-between meal snacks.
• Healthy Desserts - An oxymoron? Not according to Alissa who explains, “dark chocolate with at least 60% cocoa can reduce blood pressure and is full of antioxidants.”

Cruciferous vegetables are the centerpiece of Dr. C. W. Randolph’s anti-estrogenic diet that he suggests in his book, From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to Your Waist and Subtracting Years from Your Life — the Medically Proven Way to Reset Your Metabolism and Reshape Your Body.

Why? As he explains in his book, these types of vegetables can help decrease the body’s load of unhealthy estrogens and reduce an overall unhealthy condition of estrogen dominance. (For an explanation of estrogen dominance, see my previous blog post just below). Dr. Randolph also states that a “very noticeable benefit” of eating more cruciferous vegetables will be decreased abdominal circumference of the waist.

Below are examples of cruciferous vegetables that Dr. Randolph says will improve the production of “good” estrogen. He recommends 2-3 servings a day, cooked by steaming, stir frying, baking or boiling. Eating excessive amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables has been linked to hypothyroid, so if you want to eat them raw, he recommends limiting yourself to 2-3 servings per week.

• Broccoli
• Asparagus
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Spinach
• Brussel Sprouts
• Celery
• Beet root
• Cabbage
• Parsley root
• Radish Turnip
• Turnip, collard and mustard greens
• Rutabagas
• Bok Choy
• Chard
• Alfalfa