Nuts! To Health

September 2010

Nuts (and seeds) are healthy foods that are rich in unsaturated fats, magnesium, and copper, with smaller amounts of protein, fiber and iron.  But they’re also high in calories, a quarter cup (about one ounce) providing over 200 calories, with almost eighty percent of their calories coming from fat.  So how can this high fat, high calorie food be good for your health?  And your waistline?

A recent review of scientific studies showed that people who ate a one-ounce serving of nuts on five or more days of the week had a reduced risk of heart disease compared with people who consumed no nuts (British Journal of Nutrition, 2006).  The nuts in the study were those commonly eaten in the US – almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and peanuts.  On average, these nuts contain mostly monounsaturated fat (59%), some polyunsaturated fat (27%), and just a little saturated fat (14%).  Unsaturated fats are the healthy fats that help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and improve overall health.  Health benefits were especially associated with walnuts and almonds.  In numerous studies, when walnuts or almonds were substituted for other fats in the diet, participants LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and total cholesterol levels dropped, and some showed a rise in HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

Nut eaters tend to be leaner, non-smokers and more active than non nut-eaters.  There is some preliminary evidence from studies that eating nuts regularly may lower triglycerides (fat in the blood), raise HDL cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and relax artery linings.  Nuts may protect against heart disease and other chronic diseases by providing fiber, vegetable protein, and the antioxidant vitamin E, as well as other phytochemicals that act as antioxidants.  Antioxidants clear out the free radicals and other damaging substances that are by-products of our metabolism of food.

The recommended amount of nuts to include in your daily diet is about one and a half servings, or a quarter cup.  This will add 250 calories to your daily intake, so make sure you compensate by eating less of something else.  The type of nut you choose doesn’t seem to matter, but limit the amount of Macadamias and Brazil nuts, since they have a higher ratio of saturated fat to polyunsaturated fat.  Try to choose raw or roasted nuts with little or no salt added.  Roasting nuts in oil doesn’t appear to change the calories or the amount of saturated fat in them, so roasted either with or without oil is fine.  Portion control is key – don’t buy a large tub of nuts if you can’t stop at a quarter cup.  Or place premeasured nuts in a bowl for a snack.  Be careful with nut mixes, as many have added ingredients that increase the calories, sugar and salt content.

Nut butters, including peanut, almond and cashew butters, haven’t been studied to measure if they impart the same health benefits as whole nuts.  Plus, many add in other ingredients and unhealthy hydrogenated oils, so read the label before you buy.

Homework:  One of the cheapest and easiest ways to eat nuts is to buy them raw from the bulk section of the grocery store, and dry roast them at home in your oven.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, set raw nuts on baking sheet (you can also lightly coat the nuts with vegetable oil and add small amount of salt if you like) and roast for 5 – 10 minutes.  Be careful not to over roast as nuts keep cooking after you take them out of the oven because of their high fat content.  They should be fragrant and lightly brown when done.  Enjoy!

Now is the time of year we send our students off to college laden down with microwave ovens, tabletop grills, and mini-fridges. Many don’t know what it takes to protect themselves from “stomach flu” –in reality foodborne illness. Whether one is a kitchen-clueless freshman or a grill-savvy senior – here are a few basic guidelines.
Before moving into new lodgings, students need to know the rules about cooking in rooms. Some schools allow students to cook with a variety of appliances while others limit equipment. Some schools ban dorm cooking. Regardless, students need to be concerned about fire safety and food safety issues.
The grocery store is exciting for the newly emancipated student but there are a couple of things to remember. Place meats as well as produce in bags separate from other food items to lower risk of cross-contamination. Purchase cold items last and get your groceries directly home. Be sure to wash shopping bags at least monthly to diminish bacteria growth.

The first rule is important – Clean! Wash ones hands, cooking surfaces and utensils often with hot, soapy water.

The second rule is Separate. Separate raw meat, poultry and egg products from cooked foods and from raw vegetables to avoid cross contamination.

The fourth rule is Chill. Refrigerate promptly. Keep cold items below 40°F.  If food is left out for more than two hours, just throw it away. Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40°F and 135°F and double in number every 20 minutes. Leftovers stored in the refrigerator generally keep for three to four day.

The fourth rule is Cook. Raw meat, poultry and egg products need to be cooked thoroughly. An instant read food thermometer is handy to check that foods have reached the recommended temperature.

Different kinds of meat require different minimum internal temperatures so a food thermometer will determine internal temperature. Beef, veal, and lamb need to be cooked to 145°F, ground meat and all cuts of pork should be 160°F; and poultry requires 165°F. Taking the internal temperature is especially important when grilling meat, as the grill can cause the meat to brown prematurely. Limit the risk of cross contamination by using one plate for raw meat and a clean plate for cooked meat.

When defrosting meat, poultry, egg products and fish in a microwave, it’s important to then immediately cook the food.  Allow the food to stand for two minutes after microwave cooking so all parts of the food reach the right temperature. Thanks to Vicki Borgialli.

Like many of you, I have stressed over my garden this year. As I mentioned in a previous article, my garden was not growing – even with silver bells and cockle shells – like I wanted it to. But then came the rains, along with the emails and phone calls full of suggestions, and the garden seems to have taken an all-or-nothing attitude and is growing at full production.

So as I sit on the front porch writing this article, I am distracted by the gigantic squash plants and imagining gallons of zucchini-green chile soup and loaves upon loaves of bread. As the mind continues to wander, I start thinking in a larger-scale about local foods and how all of us can help support our local food economy.

One thing all of us can do is to find time while we are at the La Plata County Fair and visit the animals. Many of the kids – 4-H and FFA, alike – devote hundreds of hours into taking care of the animals. But we also need to see, and promote, the larger picture of agriculture in our area. These young adults will hopefully be one of the faces of agriculture in the future and we need to let them know that we support the idea of local production.

After the Fair, CSU Extension and Healthy Lifestyle La Plata will be putting on a number of events to showcase local food.

On Saturday, August 28^th Chris Crowl from Cosmo’s and Vera Hansen from Cyprus Café will compete in the first of two cook-offs at the 3^rd Annual Iron Horse Chef Competition at the Durango Farmers Market. One of the best spectator events of the year, the Iron Horse Chef is all about having fun. We also try to show off the spectrum of local goodies you buy (Farmers Market), how to prepare them (amazing chefs), and how to support local agriculture (farms and ranches).  The winner of that event will go against the defending champion, Ryan Lowe of the Ore House, on September 11^th.

In its fourth year, the Tour de Farms, which highlights what is unique, healthy, and homegrown about our agricultural community, takes place on Sunday, September 5^th. This year we will have two separate rides, an in-town, 5-mile ‘family friendly’ route, visiting local public and private gardens, and a 30-mile leisurely ride through the Animas Valley to visit James Ranch, Linnaea Farms and more. You have to register (best to sign-up early, as it typically fills up quickly) to ride, which can be done at www.healthylifestylelaplata.org.

The Eat Local Challenge, which runs September 5 through 12, is a celebration of local food – our gardens and farms, our local restaurants and chefs, and our locally owned, independent retailers. Think of the Eat Local Challenge as a pledge drive to support the local food economy.  After this weekend, visit www.local-first.org to read about all the ways to step up and make a difference.

Share the food, share the bounty, and share some of that hard-earned dollar.

Locally.

And don’t be surprised if you find zucchini on your doorstep.

My high school reunion starts tomorrow. And other than deciding on what to wear (needing to draw attention away from the bald head and ever-so-slightly expanding waistline) I am quite looking forward to it. It has been 20 years since I left the halls of Durango High School. And now, as I work a couple hundred meters from its front doors, I can reflect on what I have learned since my tenure there.

While in high school I had no idea what I wanted to be “when I grew up”. Nary a clue and I can guarantee you that I probably never heard of the word “horticulture”. So I went off to university, a small scholarship in hand, and plenty of classmates to ease the homesickness that would surely ensue. But I hated where I was at and promptly returned home after one semester.

Still, with no idea what path I wanted to follow, I decided that I would journey down the all-too-common path of most young adults in the area: work two jobs, attend some school locally, get very few hours of sleep, and play. Fortunately, I am blessed with parents that didn’t see the need to push. They realized (hopefully) that I had some initiative, some brains, and that I was a kid living in a giant playground.

I worked a couple of summers at a local nursery, but I don’t think that I was a plant-prodigy while employed there. In fact, after one attempt at operating the front-end loader (still have nightmares about that machine) and trying (and I stress trying) to back up the trailer, I was more than likely a horticulture-hindrance rather than a plant-prodigy.

But I liked the plants, so I figured what the heck, why not look for a horticulture program in a college that was close to a ski hill. I found Montana State University, and as it just so happened, I had a friend that lived right across the street from Bridger Bowl. This must be destiny – right?

So seven years after graduating high school, I realized that I really liked plants, especially the ones you can eat. But then a number of events guided me towards Extension:

-          Our first kid was on the way;

-          My wife was getting sick of supporting my schooling habit;

-          I really didn’t want to get my PhD, although I figured it would help prolong the “what I am going to do with all this education?” question;

-          Farming is incredibly rewarding; but it is a ton of work, you have to be in good standing with the weather gods; and the pay is pretty paltry;

-          I realized that I was a pretty good teacher with a fair amount of enthusiasm towards food.

So thank goodness for Extension – it’s in every state, I can get a couple of hours in an air-conditioned office every day, and what I do can be so rewarding.

So all you doctors, lawyers, and professors in the class of 1990 top that!

In honor of those that participated in the 2010 La Plata County Fair, here are some suggestions of things that you can do to support the local food economy. 

Plant a garden and grow as much of your own food as possible. Ever had a tomato, carrot or pea straight from the garden? If that doesn’t sell you on the idea, then nothing will.

Shop weekly at your local farmers’ market (Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, and Eon8) and farm stands (James Ranch, Rylee Mac’s and Native Roots, to name a few). When buying directly from the producer, more than 90¢ of every dollar you spend goes back to them, thus preserving farming as a livelihood.

Support local restaurants and stores that carry local foods. Just yesterday on Facebook I got updates from two restaurants about their excitement in showcasing local foods. Most restaurants that utilize local goods like to advertise it, so read the menus.

Support the groups that support local agriculture. CSU Extension, Healthy Lifestyle La Plata, the Garden Project, Growing Partners, and Local First put on many events and workshops – Iron Horse Chef, Tour de Farms, Eat Local Week, and Apple Days (formerly Homegrown Festival).

Educate yourself on food preservation. Learn about and start drying, canning, freezing, jamming, or otherwise preserving for winter.  It will save you a bunch of money and make those dark days of winter oh so tasty.

Get dirty! Join or start your own school or community garden. Contact the Garden Project of SW Colorado or visit the SASCO website (www.sustainableswcolorado.org) for a list of more than 20 school and community gardens in our area.

Try to spend $10/week on locally produced or manufactured products. This will create a significant impact on your local economy and for family farmers in your region. And no, you can’t spend the whole thing on beer.

Growing Blueberries

By Joel Reich

Horticulturist, Boulder County Extension

Many Colorado gardeners have long lamented their inability to grow blueberries.  The problem stems from the fact that most of Colorado’s soils are alkaline – their pH value is somewhere above 7.0 (neutral).  Blueberries must have acid soils – preferably a soil pH of about 5.5.  Unfortunately, there is just no practical way to manage Colorado soils in order to produce a pH that low.

The good news for blueberry lovers is that, with a little extra effort, there is a way to grow blueberries in your Colorado garden.  The key to success is to plant the bushes in a medium that is primarily (or entirely) composed of sphagnum peat moss.  This readily available material has a pH of approximately 5.5.  Make sure that the root zone always stays moist (even during warm, dry spells in winter) and protect the bushes from dry, desiccating winds during the winter by wrapping the bushes with burlap or old sheets while they are dormant.

Keep in mind that you will need to have at least two blueberry plants of different varieties (for cross-pollination purposes) in order for the plants to set good crops.

For each plant:

-          Dig a hole that is 20” deep, 30”long and 20” wide.

-          Get a plastic-wrapped bale of sphagnum peat moss (3 cubic feet).

-          Punch about a dozen holes in the bottom of the plastic wrap.

-          Drop the bale, holes down, into your pre-dug hole.

-          Cut an 8”x 8” “X” in the plastic on top of the bale and fold back flaps.

-          Plant a bare-root blueberry plant directly into the peat moss (Do this in early-mid April).

-          Re-close the “X” using tape, leaving about a 3” hole in the middle to accommodate the trunk of the bush.

-          Install drip irrigation line by cutting a small hole at either end of the bale and feeding the line through the holes, resulting in an irrigation line that runs on top of the peat but under the plastic.

-          Fertilize in early May and early July with a balanced fertilizer for acid-loving plants.

Joel Reich is a Horticulturist with CSU Extension in Boulder County.

4 Ways to Spice Up a Garden

If you find yourself observing your garden and reviewing its performance thus far into the season and feeling a sense of dissatisfaction, wistfully sensing it could be more, do more, perform better, but you don’t know how, read on.  The following introductions into a garden can really spice things up and put the life back in the performance.

Vertical Accents

So many of our beloved garden plants have a rounded, mounding form – wider than they are tall.  Adding plants that are taller than they are wide (and often strikingly upright or narrow,) can go a long way to add interest in a garden setting.  Ornamental grasses rule the roost in this arena.  Vines trained up trellises are another way to achieve verticality.

Significant Pots

Use large, striking containers that make a statement.  One large pot does so much more than any number of small ones could ever do. 

Bulbs

In my humble opinion, bulbs are earth’s gift to gardeners.  They are the easiest, and generally, most affordable, way to get loads of colors coming back in your garden year after year.  It will soon be bulb planting time!

Yard art

As in any other venue, here too “art” is in the eye of the beholder.  Garden art ranges from the contentious pink flamingo to artfully placed rocks.  In between, there are reclaimed materials, shiny metal sculptures, birdbaths, antlers, bamboo stakes, and metallic balls.  Think in broad terms when considering art for your garden.

If budget is an issue I’d recommend choosing just one of these elements to add in multiples at a time.  When the budget allows, choose the next element to introduce, or add yet more of the first you chose.  Enjoy the results now, next spring, and for years to come.

Eve Gilmore was a Colorado Master Gardener in 2005.  She lives in La Plata County.

Most American’s don’t eat enough, if any, dark leafy greens except for lettuce (iceberg doesn’t count) and spinach. But leafy greens are nutritional powerhouses full of vitamins A, C, and K, folate, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, and fiber. Dark leafy greens are also rich in the phytochemical family of carotenoids – containing beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Their high fiber
content helps the body eliminate toxins and possible carcinogens, and the phytochemical quercetin has anticancer and antioxidant properties.
People who eat higher amounts of leafy greens tend to have a lower risk of diabetes, stroke, colon cancer, cataracts, bone loss, and memory loss. The high nutrient and fiber content of leafy greens is thought to protect against chronic diseases and the phytochemicals may support the immune system and prevent disease initiation. A 2006 study in the journal Neurology showed that people who ate two or more servings of vegetables daily—especially leafy
greens—had the mental focus of people five years their junior.
The family of dark leafy greens includes kale, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens, bok choy, broccoli (florets, stems and leaves), arugula and Swiss chard, in addition to dark leaf lettuce and spinach.
Because many of the nutrients in dark leafy greens are fat soluble (theyonly break down in the presence of fat so your body can absorb them) it is important to always eat greens with a fat source – this means salad dressing, cooking oil (monounsaturated is best, like olive or canola oils) or small amounts of butter, cheese, and nuts. However, only a small amount is needed to unlock
the nutrients, so a teaspoon of fat is enough. Also, keep in mind the darker the green, the healthier the vegetable because a richer color translates into a higher phytochemical and nutrient content.
Leafy greens are easy to grow yourself, and can also be found in
supermarkets and farmer’s markets, especially in the late summer, fall and winter, their prime growing season. If you haven’t cooked them before, start with kale, which is a mild tasting green (some, like mustard and turnip greens, have a spicy, strong taste).
One of the main reasons most people don’t eat dark leafy greens is
because they may not know how to prepare and cook them. One pound of greens will cook down to about one cup, so it may seem like you have too much to start with, but they loose volume with cooking and wilt into a much smaller amount. Remove and discard any tough stems and the center ribs, wash the
leaves thoroughly and chop.
Dark green leafy vegetables can be eaten raw or cooked; blend a variety in salads, saute in olive oil, add to soups, omelets, and casseroles. Make them a part of your daily diet, and pass on the good advice – go green and eat your dark leafy greens!
Homework: Here are a few quick and easy greens-cooking suggestions to get you started:
• Make a salad: Leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach
and arugula taste great when mixed in a salad with different
kinds of veggies, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and
lettuce.
• Wrap it up: Make a wrap with tuna, chicken, or turkey and
add romaine lettuce, spinach, arugula, and other veggies for
some extra flavor.
• Add to a soup: Try mixing leafy greens such as collard
greens, kale or mustard greens into your favorite soup.
• Stir-fry: Add chopped leafy greens or broccoli to your stir-fry.
Chicken or tofu stir-fried with olive or canola oil and your
favorite dark green vegetable is delicious!
• Steam it: For something new; steam collard greens, kale, or
spinach. Add water to a pot and place a steamer with the
vegetables into it. Next, bring the water to a simmer, cover
with a lid, and wait a few minutes until your vegetables are
slightly soft.
• Saute it: In olive oil and garlic until slightly tender, about 5-20
minutes, depending on what type of green, then add a splash
of lemon juice and a splash of wine vinegar, and salt and
pepper to taste (my favorite way, and really easy too!)

American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that over 100 million adults have cholesterol values greater than 200 mg/dl with 1/3 having levels greater than 240! For the first time, deaths from heart attacks is actually decreasing due to rapid improved treatments.  Baby boomers are looking for a “natural” approach rather than prescription drugs. Options are being offered by lay clerks of health food stores or are seen on the internet.  Claims seem to increase as our aging boomers start realizing the affects of inactive lifestyle, high fat intake, and high stress.  No treatment should be undertaken without input by your medical provider!

Eating high fat fish twice a week is recommended by AHA (though one needs to be selective of source).  Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids helps to decrease risk of arrhythmias (abnormal heartbeats), decreases triglyceride levels, and slows rate of atherosclerotic plaque deposit. Some prefer instead to take Fish Oil (DHA and EPA)doses at 1g daily reducing triglyceride levels and recurrent heart attack.

Garlic has been purported to help the heart.  At this point the recommendation of one clove daily (5400 mcg of allicin) can certainly be part of the increased fruit and vegetable intake to increase phenols though research is not adequate to make claims.  Garlic supplements may also thin blood creating conflict with other medications.

Niacin taken in high doses (1-4 gm/day) can raise HDL, lower LDL by about 10%, and decrease triglycerides by about 25%.  At this level it can also have some side effects which include skin tingling, elevated blood sugar levels, heat flashing, less tolerance to alcohol ingestion, and potential inflammation to liver.  Long acting Niacin may avoid some of these side effects and is available by prescription.

Sterols and stanols are naturally occurring substances interfering with cholesterol absorption.  Studies have found that these substances may reduce total cholesterol and LDL by 10-15% without much impact on HDL or triglycerides intake of 2.7-5.1 g/day range. Sytrinol , acording to preliminary studies, reduces total cholesterol by 20-30%; LDL by 19-27%, and triglycerides by 24-34% based on preliminary studies at a typical dosage of 300 mg/day.  Soy is now considered safe when consumed as a food but concentrated extracts may cause hormonal imbalance particularly in post menopausal women.

Then the more unique and less tested treatments include Guggulsterone marketed to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides though preliminary trials found that it actually increased LDL with potential skin irritations. Pantethine(pantothenic acid) is another that is suggested to decrease total and LDL cholesterol/triglycerides and elevate HDL though side effects could be increased risk of bleeding.  Poliosano (from sugarcare) purports the same claims though have not been able to be duplicated in research outside of Cuba.  Fermented red yeast rice naturally contains lovastatin has been said to lower total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides with no effect on HDL levels.  It is thought to have the same serious risks as statin drugs and should not be used in conjunction with statins, niacin, etc.  It is no longer marked in the US due to legal issues actually.

There is no simple solution and no treatment should be initiated based on a neighbor’s recommendation or a clerk.  This information is merely to advise you of options as well as conflicts.

Such a variety of bagged salads! So handy, so quick and getting more and more popular. Don’t have to even wash them because they are prewashed! Really? What about those “prewashed”
and “triple-washed” bagged salad greens -squeaky clean? Wrong! There could be more “goodies” than you planned on. Don’t get me wrong –the more produce you eat the healthier you are
but some precautions are needed. To start with use packages as far from their use-by date as you can find. Even if the bag says “prewashed” or “triple-washed,” wash the greens yourself. Rinsing
won’t remove all bacteria though may remove residual soil. Prevent cross contamination by keeping greens away from raw meat. For more information, go to www.ConsumersUnion.org/safefood.
Four years ago the first multi-state public alert due to E.coli outbreak was linked to fresh spinach grown in California. Over the last eight years, there have been eighty-two reported food
borne illness outbreaks) associated with the consumption of fresh produce. The leafy greens outbreak involved 24 states accounting for 949 illnesses and 5 deaths. Most of these outbreaks
(85.7%) were caused by E. coli. Cyclospora and Salmonella have also caused of outbreaks linked to leafy greens. Cut leafy greens were recently added to FDA’s potentially hazardous
foods requiring time-temperature controls. Colorado is considering adding them to our list of  potentially hazardous foods. If added, items such as spinach, salads, coleslaw and cut lettuce will
be required to be held under refrigeration (less than 41°F) to prevent growth of serious pathogens such as EColi and Salmonella as well as other coliforms and bacteria such as enterococcus
“Leafy greens” involves lettuce, leaf lettuce, escarole, endive, spring mix, spinach, cabbage, kale, arugula and chard (cut, shredded, chopped or torn). Herbs such as fresh basil, cilantro or parsley are not included. What makes fresh-cut greens more susceptible is also what makes them convenient: the cutting and bagging that eliminate much of the work of salad preparation. That processing allows pathogens to get into the leaves, where they can flourish. The machinery used and the mixing of greens from various farms contributes to danger, not unlike the risks associated with processing ground beef. Even greens put through a chlorine wash can be contaminated. Chemical sanitizers and water rinses are only
marginally effective in killing or removing bacteria. In farming areas, especially in areas near cattle farms, it is not unusual to find E. coli in the soil. As always, the severity of reaction is determined by amount of the offending item consumed, one’s personal immune system at the time, and how much of the organism is attached to that product.
Tuesday, Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food regulatory body, set new rules on preparing bagged salads. Animal manure shall not be used to fertilize lettuce and other fresh vegetables sold “ready to eat” and contaminated water must also be kept away from bagged produce that is not heat-treated fixing new benchmarks that could change production and harvesting norms across the world. Though our preparation standards include this, it sets some standards from produce we receive from outside the U.S.