Natural Choices — Health Food, Organic Produce, Gluten Free, Vitamins, Supplements — Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana

Archive for February, 2010

You may be like me, looking to limit sodium in your diet. Actually, I don’t think that much about sodium–because I limit it automatically. How? By not eating a lot of highly processed foods. That’s the key.

If you are into “health food” as I am, you know that such foods provide all the flavor and nutrition you need and crave without (on average) a lot of fat, calories, and salt. “That’s what makes it ‘health food,’ right?” someone may say. True, if a food is manifestly bad for you, then no one will label it “health food,” no matter what its source. But the fact remains that natural, minimally processed foods tend to have these beneficial qualities.

Let’s take a look at sodium. First off, sodium isn’t just good for you, it’s one of the most important minerals we take into our bodies. In fact, we need regular intake of sodium. It’s no coincidence that salt tastes so good to us and that we sometimes crave salty food.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about sodium:

Sodium cations are important in neuron (brain and nerve) function, and in influencing osmotic balance between cells and the interstitial fluid, with their distribution mediated in all animals (but not in all plants) by the so-called Na+/K+-ATPase pump. Sodium is the chief cation in fluid residing outside cells in the mammalian body (the so-called extracellular compartment), with relatively little sodium residing inside cells. The volume of extracellular fluid is typically 15 liters in a 70 kg human, and the 50 grams of sodium it contains is about 90% of the body’s total sodium content.

The most common sodium salt, sodium chloride (‘table salt’ or ‘common salt’), is used for seasoning and warm-climate food preservation, such as pickling and making jerky (the high osmotic content of salt inhibits bacterial and fungal growth). The human requirement for sodium in the diet is about 500 mg per day, which is typically less than a tenth as much as many diets “seasoned to taste.” Most people consume far more sodium than is physiologically needed. For certain people with salt-sensitive blood pressure, this extra intake may cause a harmful effect on health. However, low sodium intake may lead to sodium deficiency (hyponatremia).

So, there is no such thing as a “no-sodium diet,” obviously, and we actually need 500 mg per day–or thereabouts. In modern times, a lot of our excessive sodium intake comes from processed foods. Here is what the American Heart Association website has to say about salt intake:

Sodium can come from natural sources or be added to foods. Most foods in their natural state contain some sodium. However, the majority (up to 75 percent) of sodium that Americans consume comes from sodium added to processed foods by manufacturers. While some of this sodium is added to foods for safety reasons – the amount of salt added to processed foods is clearly above and beyond what is required for safety and function of the food supply.

The fact of the matter is that a lot of companies put way more salt in their products than is required for good taste. If you come into Natural Choices, however, we can guide you to a wide variety of foods that are delicious without being overly salty!

–Matt

I write a lot about gluten-free foods on our wee blog because we have the best gluten-free food selection in these United States!

Now I’d like to talk about a food that is decidedly not gluten free–because it’s 100% wheat gluten!

I speak, of course, of that glorious friend of veg-heads everywhere: seitan! Could this be the world’s greatest food? In winter, it warms. In summer, it consoles. In spring and autumn, it nourishes the body and the mind. In all seasons, it empowers, enlivens, and invigorates.

The only thing is, it’s not gluten-free. But it’s scrumptious.

Where does this kooky name come from? According to Wikipedia,

Seitan, a neologism of Japanese origin, is the name used to refer to wheat gluten in the macrobiotic system of cooking and health, as formulated by the Japanese-born philosopher George Ohsawa (1893–1966). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is said to have been coined by Ohsawa in the early 1960s, but its etymology is uncertain, with the most likely explanation being that it is derived from the Japanese sei- (“to be”, “to become”), or -sei (“of the nature of,” “made of,” e.g. in shokubutsu-sei, “made of vegetable”) + tan-, as in tanpaku(shitsu) (“protein”).

I speak Japanese, so I’ll add another one: it could be sei (星 = star) + tan (短 = short), meaning short star! I think that’s it, because seitan can become the “star” of your diet, yet it’s “short” on fat and calories!

I wept to see how inadequate the Wikipedia article was when it comes to seitan’s nutritional content (nada info, people), and thus I turned to this thread on www.veganforum.com and found this post:

From my White Wave Foods box of Wheat Meat:

Serving Size = 85g – A 16 oz. box of this provides for 5 servings, but I make three per box.

Calories = 130
Total Fat = 0%
Sodium = 270mg or 11% of the RDA
Carbs = 9g or 3% of the RDA
Fiber = 3g or 12% of the RDA
Sugar = 0%
Protein = 24g (that’s great)

Vitamin A = 0%
Calcium = 6% of the RDA
Iron = 4% of the RDA
Vitamin C = 0%

There isn’t any other nutritional information listed. Basically, this is a high protein food which is fat free. It is best to eat this in combination with veggies with high vitamin content.

No fat, tons of protein and fiber–what’s not to dig? So… perhaps it’s time to make this short star a main player in the constellation of your diet!

–Matt

Recently, I wrote a post about Wholemato Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup, which is perhaps the world’s most delicious ketchup. Moreover, it ranks a very low 7 on the glycemic index. The question then arises, however: “What is the glycemic index?”

Wikipedia has a good article on the topic:

The glycemic index or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI. A lower glycemic index suggests slower rates of digestion and absorption of the foods’ carbohydrates. A lower glycemic response usually equates to a lower insulin demand but not always, and may improve long-term blood glucose control and blood lipids.

Fascinating! But more info is required. For this we turn to Annie B. Bond (who is related, perhaps, to James Bond) and her brilliant article Demystifying the Glycemic Index. She provides a good summary of foods and their GIs:

Low GL (score of 1 to 10): Most vegetables, most beans, most fruits, most dairy products, pasta cooked al dente, nuts, bran cereals, dense and chewy bread like German pumpernickel, barley, popcorn, wheat tortillas, tomato juice, hummus, and soy milk.

Medium GL (11 to 19): Bananas, orange juice, white bread, corn tortilla, oatmeal, corn, brown rice or converted white rice, pretzels, boiled or sweet potato, navy beans, and black-eyed peas.

High GL (20 and up): Bagels, white rice, corn flakes, puffed rice, French-fried or baked potato, couscous, raisins, dates, cranberry juice cocktail and fruit leathers.

To go back to our previous example, the 7 GI for Wholemato ketchup is really nice: most ketchups are chock full o’ sugar and have a high GI.

As a general rule, whole, healthful foods have low GIs. It’s one more thing to consider when making dietary choices!

–Matt

Granola is such great food–crunchy, wholesome, fearless, and just plain fun! Yet somewhere along the line it got the reputation of being for, well, “granolas”: beatniks, hippies, and anyone just plain countercultural.

How did this happen? For answers, I turned to Wikipedia, that omniscient source of info. In the article on granola, it says,

The names Granula and Granola were trademarked terms in the late nineteenth century United States for foods consisting of whole grain products crumbled and then baked until crispy; in contrast with the contemporary invention, muesli, which is traditionally not baked or sweetened. The name is now trademarked only in Australia (by the Australian Health & Nutrition Association Ltd.’s Sanitarium Health Food Company).

Granula was invented in Dansville, New York, by Dr. James Caleb Jackson at the Jackson Sanitarium in 1894. The company formed to sell Jackson’s cereal was known as the Our Home Granula Company. Granula was composed of Graham flour and was similar to an oversized form of Grape-Nuts.

A similar cereal was developed by John Harvey Kellogg. It too was initially known as Granula, but the name was changed to Granola to avoid legal problems with Jackson.The food and name were revived in the 1960s, and fruits and nuts were added to it to make it a health food that was popular with the hippie movement.

There you have it! In time, people began to think of “granola” as for “granolas” only. But nothing could be further from the truth! Granola is for everyone. And why is that? Because granola has heart. And if you come in and take home some of the great granolas we have to offer, then you too will heart granola!

–Matt

I’m such a chocoholic! I recently wrote a post on Righteously Raw chocolate bars–so scrumptious, yet so hard to find! I must say that Natural Choices in Columbus, Indiana, has an absolutely fabulous array of high-cacao (that is, dark) chocolate–your sweet tooth will be magnificently satisfied!

The question remains, however, whether Ol’ Choc is good for you. For answers, I turned to the Internet.

As it turns out, it is. I found this great blog: Dr. Shock, M.D., PhD.

Here are two great posts by the Doc on chocolate and cardiovascular health:

• How does chocolate protect the heart?
• Chocolate and cardiovascular health

In the second post above, the good doctor writes,

Impaired arterial endothelial function or impaired function of the inner layer of blood vessels has been shown to be a significant early event in atherogenesis and has been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Other diseases such as stress, ischemia (short oxygen supply), atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, can disrupt endothelial function. As a result, a dysfunctional endothelium may lose its protective effects on the vascular system. The acute consumption of dark chocolate by healthy volunteers have shown the acute dilatation of muscular arteries and an increased arterial elasticity.

Fascinating!

Dr. Shock is quick to point out, however, that not just any “chocolate” will do, since cacao is the ingredient in chocolate that provides the benefit. Thus, it’s high-cacao chocolate that you need.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t need much encouragement to chow down on chocolate. It’s nice to know, however, that my habit is pretty much a healthy one!

–Matt

We always hear that fiber is good for us, but after we’ve heard the words for the umpteenth time in a TV commercial (often focusing on how fiber helps provide “regularity”), we might have a tendency to tune the message out.

Since this is American Heart Month, however, I thought I’d take a look at how getting enough fiber is good for the heart.

It just so happens that the American Heart Association website has a page on whole grains and fiber. The page has this to say about whole grains:

Eating whole grains provides important health benefits:

• Whole grains are generally good sources of dietary fiber; most refined (processed) grains contain little fiber.
• Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease.
• Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories and so may help with weight management.

And it has this to say about fiber:

Dietary fiber is the term for several materials that make up the parts of plants your body can’t digest. Fiber is classified as soluble or insoluble.

When eaten regularly as part of a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber has been associated with increased diet quality and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. Soluble or viscous fibers modestly reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol beyond levels achieved by a diet low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol alone. Oats have the highest proportion of soluble fiber of any grain. Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries and apple pulp.

Insoluble fiber has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk and slower progression of cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals. Dietary fiber can make you feel full, so you may eat fewer calories. Foods high in insoluble fiber include whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran, rye, rice, barley, most other grains, cabbage, beets, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower and apple skin.

Please check the whole page, as it is full of valuable information!

At Natural Choices, you’ll find a store chock full of whole-grain and high-fiber foods, so come on in and stock up!

–Matt

Wow! Recently, based on Carolyn’s recommendation, I tried Wholemato Spicy Organic Agave Ketchup. Could this be the best ketchup I’ve ever had? Perhaps!

It has wonderful crushed tomato consistency, a rich tomato flavor, plus a spicy kick! Here is what the Wholemato website has to say about the product:

The Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup barbecue inspired flavor accompanies foods straight out of the smokehouse as well as a stir-fry straight from the wok. This smoky, smoldering style of Agave Ketchup combines the magic of organic agave nectar with a hint of smoke and fiery pepper for maximum piquant pleasure.

Sure, it’s healthful and rates a very low 7 on the glycemic index, but the main reason to use this ketchup is flavor! Give it a shot on your next burger!

–Matt

In my last post, I asked if you had considered hawthorn for heart health (very alliterative!). Today I’m asking the same question about garlic.

Let’s take a look at the Wikipedia article on garlic. Here is a quote:

Garlic is also claimed to help prevent heart disease (including atherosclerosis, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure) and cancer. Animal studies, and some early investigational studies in humans, have suggested possible cardiovascular benefits of garlic. A Czech study found that garlic supplementation reduced accumulation of cholesterol on the vascular walls of animals. Another study had similar results, with garlic supplementation significantly reducing aortic plaque deposits of cholesterol-fed rabbits. Another study showed that supplementation with garlic extract inhibited vascular calcification in human patients with high blood cholesterol.

The article goes on to cite studies that claim there are benefits and other studies that claim there are few or no benefits to garlic in the diet. As with just about anything in the world of health, if you can find one person that says that something is a good idea, you can find someone who says the opposite, right?

On the other hand, herbalists around the world have been using garlic for millenia. Further, garlic has no side effects unless you have a rare garlic allergy (okay, one side effect is garlic breath, but there are supplements formulated to prevent that, too). Finally, garlic is a pretty inexpensive supplement.

Thus, based on the advice from your doctor, herbalist, or other trusted medical professional, garlic is a good supplement to try to see if it helps you personally–that’s what really matters.

Should you have any questions about the garlic supplements we offer, we will be happy to answer them!

–Matt

As I noted in my last post, February is “American Heart Month.”

There are many vitamins and other supplements that are good for your heart. Of course, nutrition and health practices that are good for the body as a whole are also good for the heart. We are fully ready to support you in that regard here at Natural Choices with healthful foods and supplements of every variety.

One herb that has been in use for over a thousand years is hawthorn (Wikipedia article). The ancient Chinese recognized hawthorn as essential in the treatment of various ailments, and modern studies bear out their wisdom. According to the Wikipedia link above,

Several pilot studies have assessed the ability of hawthorn to help improve exercise tolerance in people with NYHA class II cardiac insufficiency compared to placebo. One experiment, at (300 mg/day) for 4 to 8 weeks, found no difference from placebo. The second study, including 78 subjects (600 mg/day) for 8 weeks, found “significant improvement in exercise tolerance” and lower blood pressure and heart rate during exercise. The third, including 32 subjects (900 mg/day) for 8 weeks, found improved exercise tolerance as well as a reduction in the “incidence and severity of symptoms such as dyspnea” and fatigue decreased by approximately 50%.^[13]

In the HERB-CHF (Hawthorn Extract Randomized Blinded Chronic HF Study) clinical study, 120 patients took 450 mg of hawthorn extract twice daily for 6 months in combination with standard therapy and a standardized exercise program. “No effects of hawthorn were seen on either quality-of-life endpoint (Tables 1 and 2), or when adjusted for LVEF“.^[14]

One research program, consisting of 1011 patients taking one tablet (standardized to 84.3 mg procyanidin) twice daily for 24 weeks, found “improvements in clinical symptoms (such as fatigue, palpitations, and exercise dyspnea), performance and exercise tolerance test, and ejection fraction“.^[15]

As is usual, Wikipedia tends to be on the skeptical side and underemphasize the potential benefits. You can find plenty of websites and blog posts on the Internet raving about hawthorn.

The important thing is whether it can work for you as an individual. When it comes to heart health, hawthorn definitely will come up close to No. 1 in any herbalist’s book. We invite you to discuss this important herb with your doctor or herbalist and come to your own conclusion.

As in every case, we will be happy to answer questions about our supplements containing hawthorn–or about any of our products!

–Matt

February is “American Heart Month.” The American Heart Association website has a bit of information on how this month came into being:

Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, are our nation’s No. 1 killer. To urge Americans to join the battle against these diseases, since 1963 Congress has required the president to proclaim February “American Heart Month.” (Note this is not “Heart Month” or “National Heart Month.”)The American Heart Association works with the administration to draft and sign this annual proclamation.

During American Heart Month, thousands of our volunteers visit their neighbors. Their goal is to raise funds for research and education and pass along information about heart disease and stroke.

If you are interested in establishing and maintaining a lifestyle that is more healthful for your heart, then Natural Choices is the place to shop! We have low-fat, low-carb, low-sodium, and high-flavor foods of every type! Plus, we have an extremely wide range of supplements that are good for cardiovascular health and overall health! If you have any questions, just ask.

We can’t wait for you to visit!

–Matt