“Exercise Stress and Watercress” If oxidizing glucose to produce
energy for our bodies is so messy, creating free radicals the
way cars burn their fuel produces combustion by-products
out the exhaust, even if we’re just idling,
living our day-to-day lives, what if we rev up our lives and start
exercising, really start burning fuel? Then we create more free radicals,
more oxidative stress and so need to eat even more
antioxidant-rich foods. Why do we care about
oxidative stress? Well, it’s “implicated in virtually
every known human disease” “and there is an increasing body of evidence linking
free radical production to the process of aging”. Why? Because free radicals
can damage DNA, our very genetic code. Well if free radicals damage DNA, and exercise produces free radicals, does physical activity induce DNA damage if we don’t have enough antioxidants
in our system to douse the radicals? Yes, in fact, ultra-marathoners
show evidence of DNA damage in about 10% of their cells
tested during a race, which may last for up to
two weeks after a marathon.
But what about just
short bouts of exercise? We didn’t know until recently. After just 5 minutes of
moderate or intense cycling, you can get an uptick in DNA damage. We think it’s the oxidative stress, but “regardless of the mechanism
of exercise-induced DNA damage” “the fact that a very short
bout of high-intensity exercise” “can cause an increase
in damage to DNA” “is a cause for concern.” But we can block oxidative damage with antioxidant-rich foods. Of course when drug and supplement
companies hear antioxidant-rich foods they think, pills! You can’t make billions on broccoli, so “Pharmacological antioxidant
vitamins have been investigated” “for a prophylactic effect against
exercise-induced oxidative stress.” However, large doses
are often required and in pill form may ironically
lead to a state of pro-oxidation and even more oxidative damage.
For example, guys doing arm curls
taking 500 mg of vitamin C appeared to have more muscle damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress. So, instead of vitamin supplementation, how about supplementation with watercress, the badass of the broccoli family? What if two hours before exercise
you eat a serving of raw watercress, then get thrown on a treadmill whose slope gets cranked up higher
and higher until you basically collapse? In the control group, without
the watercress preload, which I imagine would
describe most athletes, here’s the amount of free radicals
in their bloodstream at rest and after exhaustive exercise, which is what you’d expect. So, if you eat a super-healthy
antioxidant-packed plant food like watercress before you exercise
can you blunt this effect? Even better. You end up
better than you started! At rest after the watercress, you may
start out with fewer free radicals, but only when you stress
your body to exhaustion can you see the watercress really
flex its antioxidant muscle. So, what happens to DNA damage? Well in a test tube, you take
some human blood cells bathed in free radicals you can
reduce the DNA damage it causes by 70% within minutes of dripping
some watercress on them.
But does that happen within the human body if you just eat it? We didn’t know until recently. If you exercise without
watercress in your system, DNA damage shoots up, but if you’ve been eating a single
serving a day for two months your body’s so juiced up
on green leafy goodness no significant damage after punishing yourself
on the treadmill. So, a healthy diet can
you can get all the benefits of strenuous exercise
without the potential risks? We know regular physical exercise — a key component of a healthy lifestyle, but it can elicit oxidative stress. To reduce that stress
some have suggested pills to improve one’s
antioxidant defense system, but “those eating more plant-based
diets may naturally” “have an enhanced antioxidant defense system” without pills to counter
exercise-induced oxidative stress due to the increased
quantities of plants.
Remember plant foods’ average
64 times more antioxidants than meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. And on top of that the
animal protein itself can have a pro-oxidant effect. But look, anyone eating sufficient
quantities of whole healthy plant foods could plausibly reach
an antioxidant status similar to those eating vegetarians. It’s not just about what
you’re eating less of, saturated fat and cholesterol, but what you’re eating more of,
the phytonutrients. Whether it’s about training longer or living longer, we’ve got to eat more plants.
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Hi I m Andrea Ho And I m Daphna Steinberg and we re Registered Dietitians in the Schulich Heart Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Healthy eating is an important way to maintain heart health Over the next few minutes. We d like to share answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about heart, healthy eating. I have high cholesterol, Should I stay away from high cholesterol? Foods like eggs and shellfish. Cholesterol in your food actually has very little effect on your blood cholesterol. This is because your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your body. What affects your blood cholesterol most is the amount and type of fat that you eat. The best way to lower your blood, cholesterol is to choose foods that are lower in fat. Choose leaner cuts of meat, skinless, poultry and lower fat, dairy products and limit egg yolks, the yellow part of the egg to 3 per week. Shellfish like shrimp and squid, are a low fat alternative to eating meat and can be enjoyed once a week. Scallops mussels lobster and crab are very low in cholesterol and can be enjoyed as often as you like. There are a lot of different diets out there. Should I really be limiting my fat intake Fat has an awful lot of calories. Limiting your fat intake as long as you re, not replacing the calories with unhealthy calories can be helpful for achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. The type of fat you eat can also affect your cholesterol levels, Saturated fats and trans fats can raise your LDL cholesterol or your lousy cholesterol. Foods that have saturated fats typically come from animal sources, so meats and dairy products generally have the highest amounts of saturated fats. Make sure to choose lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry and trim your meat of any visible fat Enjoy low fat, dairy products like skim or 1 milk and 0 yogurt Trans fat is primarily found in commercially processed foods. This type of fat is worse for your heart than saturated fat, so it s important to choose foods that are trans fat free Before buying any commercially processed foods, check the packaging to make sure it doesn t have any trans fat in it. Look for phrases like trans fat, free 0, trans fat or no trans fat Check. The ingredient list make sure that shortening or partially hydrogenated oil are not listed as ingredients. If they are pick a product that doesn t have these two ingredients listed, Avoid using hard margarine, which is high in trans fat, Instead use a non hydrogenated margarine, which is trans fat free and has very little saturated fat. What s the best oil to cook with Cooking oils are a good source of healthy fats called unsaturated fats. The best oils to use in your cooking are olive oil and canola oil. Even though these are healthy oils, it s still important to limit the amount of oil that you use when you re cooking Use heart, healthy, cooking methods, that don t need a lot of oil, Such as steaming poaching, baking, roasting and stir frying Avoid deep frying or Pan frying, Even if you are using a heart, healthy oil, your food will absorb too much extra oil during the cooking process. When you are adding oil to your cooking use, an oil spray or measure out the oil that you ll be using. I ve heard a lot about omega 3 being good for my heart, but I m not really sure what it is. Can you tell me more about it? Omega 3 fats are healthy fats that we need to get from food because our bodies can t make them. We need them to help, raise our healthy cholesterol and make our blood vessels more elastic. The best sources are from fatty fish, including salmon tuna, trout, mackerel, herring and sardines. You can choose fresh frozen or canned fish When you choose canned fish, make sure it s packed in water instead of oil. You should try to eat these types of fish at least twice a week. If you don t eat fish, you can also get omega 3 from walnuts, ground flax, seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and wheat. Germ. You can enjoy these nuts and seeds every day, but make sure that they re, unsalted and haven t been pre roasted in oil. I know that fruits and vegetables are healthy. Should I be focusing on anything else? Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, and they re also a great source of fibre Fibre can help to decrease your cholesterol and blood pressure. It also helps you to feel full for longer which helps with achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Of course, fibre is also useful for keeping your bowels regular. There are two kinds of fibre Soluble fibre, which is especially helpful for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure and insoluble fibre, which helps to keep your bowels regular. It’s important to ensure you get both kinds of fibre every day. Foods that are rich in soluble fibre include psyllium oat products like oatmeal and oat, bran legumes and certain fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, berries, citrus fruit, broccoli, cauliflower and squash. Insoluble fibre is also known as roughage and can be found in whole. Grain breads cereals and pastas leafy vegetables like spinach and lettuce, and more colourful, fruit and vegetables like melons and peppers. If you re not used to eating a lot of fibre, start slowly and make sure to drink plenty of water to help prevent stomach upset, I don t have diabetes. Do I still need to watch my sugar intake? Sugar can be found naturally in food, or it can be added to food. Sugar is found, naturally in foods like fruit and milk products. These foods are healthy and should be enjoyed throughout the day. Added sugars include table sugar, honey, syrups and foods that contain added sugars. Such as sugar, sweetened beverages, desserts and sweetened cereals, Eating large quantities of added sugars can increase weight and increase the risk of developing heart disease, even in people who are not overweight. So it s important to limit the amount of added sugars that you eat. Having an occasional treat is fine, just remember that if you have a treat every day it s no longer a treat it s a habit. I think I need to cut down on my salt intake. How do I do that Salt contains sodium and eating too much sodium can increase your blood pressure. Sodium is found naturally in fresh foods, but more than 75 of the sodium we eat comes from processed and packaged foods. To cut down your sodium intake limit the amount of salt you eat by not adding any to your food at the table When you re cooking, only add a pinch of salt or instead of salt. Try adding flavour with dried or fresh herbs such as basil, thyme or rosemary, or try using a blend of herbs and spices, Choose fresh foods whenever possible and limit foods that have been processed pickled, smoked or salted. If you are using canned products, make sure to rinse them well under water first, The foods I eat are healthy, but I m just not sure how much to eat. Can you tell me more about heart, healthy portion, sizes Portion control is important for achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. A simple way to do it is to follow the plate method Fill up half of your plate with vegetables. A quarter of your plate should include lean protein like fish legumes, skinless, poultry or lean meat. The last quarter of your plate should be high fibre starchy foods like whole grain, breads brown or wild rice, multi grain, pasta, potatoes with their skin still on or corn. Then you can round off your meal with a glass of milk and some fruit for dessert. Not every meal will fit into the plate method. What do you do on pizza night? Yes, there can still be pizza night, Just apply the same. Ideas Choose a pizza made with a whole grain, thin crust and topped with lots of veggies and some grilled chicken. Let that fill up half your plate Then have a big salad with it and enjoy some fruit for a sweet finish. What are some heart? Healthy tips for eating out When eating out choose dishes that have been prepared using heart, healthy, cooking methods. These include dishes that are steamed, poached, broiled, grilled, stir fried or baked Choose dishes with lean cuts of meat. Skinless, poultry, fish or legumes Choose dishes with higher fibre starch options such as whole, wheat or multigrain, pasta, brown or wild rice and sandwiches made with whole grain. Breads Ask to have your salad, dressings and sauces on the side, Choose non creamy, dressings and sauces And, of course, don t forget the veggies. We hope these tips will help you make heart healthy eating part of your lifestyle and daily routine. If you have any additional questions, please don t hesitate to let a member of your health care team know that you d like to speak with a registered dietitian