Diet Related Chronic Disease - latest US figures

In between my vaguely successful attempts at genotyping mice (I'm currently working in the nutrition lab in the School of Molecular Bioscience, Sydney Uni), I have been reading the new USDA Dietary Guidelines. Take a look at the stats on diet related diseases in the US, really scary stuff!

Note the figures for osteoporosis - this can be reduced if people eat more calcium containing foods and undertake weight bearing exercise. Australian women fall short of eating the recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium which ranges from 1000 mg a day to 1300 mg a day pre and post menopause respectively. Making matters worse, only 30 - 40% of calcium is absorbed from food whilst sodium, a high protein diet, caffeine and ageing increase its excretion (a whopping 150 mg of calcium is excreted with every 50g of protein ingested).

The best bioavailable source of calcium is found in dairy foods (milk, cheese, yoghurt). Milk provides approx. 230 mg of calcium per 200 ml regardless of its fat content. The same amount of calcium can be ingested in 120 g of plain yoghurt and 30 g cheese. Other good sources include nuts and seeds, tinned fish with bones, spinach and legumes. Vitamin D helps the absorption of calcium and it is recommended you spend a few minutes in the sun every day without sun screen. Osteoporotic fractures can lead to long term pain and disability, loss of independence and premature death. Simply put, you can reduce the likelihood of having an osteoporosis related fracture by eating the right amount of calcium, doing weight bearing exercise and getting a little sun!

References
USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
FSANZ Australian Food Composition Tables 2006
Samman, S. Calcium. School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Sydney

Banana and Date Smoothie

I had this smoothie at a cafe in the Middle East over Christmas. Such a perfect combination of flavours – I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it earlier. At the time I was hungry but didn’t feel like eating a large meal. This smoothie was the perfect remedy for curbing the hunger pangs. I was determined to make myself one as soon as I got home but forgot all about it until this weekend when I rediscovered it in a café in Avalon. It was a hot day, too hot to eat a proper lunch, so once again I turned to this smoothie for a quick fix. I use full fat milk and yoghurt so I get a good combination of fat, protein and carbs in one drink. You can of course swap for low fat dairy options or soy.  Dates are high in fibre, non haem iron, selenium and potassium. They can help reduce cholesterol, improve bowel function, build blood and prevent oxidation in the body. They are also rich in other vitamins and minerals such as B complex, calcium and magnesium. Dates contain lots of simple sugars making them ideal for an instant energy boost. Bananas are also high in potassium, fibre, magnesium and B6 and in simple sugars when ripe. I like to combine these fruits with full fat dairy in an attempt to slow down the absorption of the sugars into the bloodstream. You could add a couple of prunes for extra fibre if you like. This is a calorie-laden smoothie but it tastes good and its full of good stuff.

• 1/3 cup of boiling water
• 4 dried dates (pitted)
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 ½  tablespoon of organic full fat natural yoghurt
• Organic unhomogenised full fat milk

Soak the dates in the hot water for 30 minutes until soft. Then combine the dates, soaking water, banana and yoghurt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add milk to a smoothie thickness of your liking as you blend.