A recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that adults who exercise more tend to be less susceptible to mental and physical health problems including depression, dementia, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

The English Longitudinal Study of Aging studied 3,500 adults (average age 64 years old) and collected data on their physical activity level every two years between 2002-2003 and 2010-2011. The participants were then categorized by the amount they exercised each week and divided into three categories – no activity, moderate activity and vigorous activity. The researchers also tracked serious health problems (including mental health) suffered by the participants and found a strong correlation between health and exercise as the participants aged.

The results showed a clear correlation between “healthy aging” and exercise level. Adults who practiced moderate or vigorous exercise at least once a week were 3-4x more likely to age healthier than adults who did not exercise. While this association is not a clear cause-and-effect relationship, the fact is that adults who were active in the beginning of the study were 7 times more likely to have fewer health problems than adults who did not exercise for the entirety of the study. Twenty percent of all participants were considered to be healthy agers, and of the 1 in 10 participants that became active over the study, 70% stayed active.

So how much exercise is enough? The World Health Organization recommends adults age 65+ do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise during the week with each session lasting at least 10 minutes. Adults should also practice muscle-strengthening activities 2-3 times a week.

Chocolate Cheesecake

Servings: 12

Serving Size: 2” slices

Ingredients:

4 oz fat free cream cheese

16 oz fat free sour cream

2 tbsp graham cracker crumbs

4 oz Neufchatel cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp chocolate extract

spray Canola oil cooking spray

1 tbsp cornstarch

8 oz fat free egg substitute

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Coat the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Dust the pan with graham cracker crumbs.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, cream cheese, Neufchatel cheese, and vanilla and beat at medium speed until smooth.

3. Add the sugar and cornstarch, beat until well blended.

4. Add the egg substitute, 1/4 cup at a time; beat at low speed just until blended.

5. Then add the cocoa powder and chocolate extract and beat until well blended.

6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and partially open the oven door. Allow it to sit for 1 hour. After one hour, remove it from the oven, cover and chill it for 8 hours.

While we all have our guilty pleasures when it comes to food, there are a number of easy food substitutions that can help make dieting and eating healthy a little easier.

Most of us enjoy our morning cup of coffee to kick-start our day and rather than making a full substitution (which may be hard for the die-hard coffee fan like me) it is easy to cut calories by ordering coffees made with nonfat milk rather than full milk. Grande nonfat Cappuccinos from Starbucks also only contain 80 calories compared to grande Caffe Latte which have 200.

One of the most common guilty pleasures, ice cream, can be easily substituted for nonfat frozen yogurt which is lower in saturated fat and calories. If you are going for ice cream, try low fat versions of your favorites and use fruit toppings rather than candy or chocolate.

Using nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream or mayo will also save you on calories and fat and is a better source of protein as well. Additionally, if you are making a salad use nuts instead of croutons to cut on salt and increase protein.

There are a number of good substitutions for using oil in your baking as well. ¾ cup to 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce as well as mango, banana or avocado puree mixed with nonfat milk can be used for 1 cup liquid oil. Cutting out oil not only helps to lower cholesterol by avoiding high fats in oils but also can help to lose weight by cutting calories and improving overall health.

With entire stores devoted to selling multi-vitamins and supplements, the headlines coming out about multi-vitamins seem to be conflicted. One day, the media can report that they are essential to preventing disease and the next day reports state these vitamins are doing more harm than good.

For example, a large observational study by the Iowa Women’s Health Study followed a group of women for 19 years and found that those women who reported taking a daily multi-vitamin were actually 6% more likely to diet than those who did not report taking a daily multi-vitamin. Researchers have hypothesized that users of multi-vitamins may be healthier because they tend to have a healthier lifestyle and diets, which lower their risk of disease and called for a randomized study to look at the cause and effect relationship of the Iowa study.

The randomized study, called the Physicians’ Health Study II, followed 14,000 men who took either Centrum Silver or a placebo everyday for 11 years and found that the risk of dying was not significant between the two groups. The study also found that taking a multi-vitamin had no effect on the risk of developing heart disease, stroke or cancer. This find has been consistently proved in other studies as well, including the Multiethnic Cohort Study and Women’s Health Iniative cohort.

So when is it worth it to take a multi-vitamin? The answer, in short, is when it will suppliement nutrients that you may not be getting from your regular diet. For example, between 7-16% of women aged 12-49 are iron deficient and may benefit from multis that contain the recommended daily value of 18 miligrams. Additionally, persons age 50+ generally get vitamin B-12 from either fortified foods or supplements, with the recommended daily amount being 2.4 micrograms.

The important takeaway from the multi-vitamin argument is to not rely on them to keep you healthy! While multi-vitamins may be beneficial for those who have a nutrient deficiency, it is important to keep in mind that research shows that these multi-vitamins will not reduce the risk of disease and that they are not a subtsitute for a healthly lifestyle.

The link between nutrition and cancer is an important relationship to understand and one that many people today seem to forget. What many people may not realize is that nearly 35% of all cancers are tied to nutrition in some way. Consequently, there have been a number of studies devoted to the research of cancer-fighting foods and diets and the results tend towards a number of recurring trends.

The big picture of the research available shows that eating more fruits and vegetables, and less meat and highly saturated fat dairy products will improve your odds of avoiding nutrition-related cancers. Additionally, cooking methods that use exposure to high heat and charring (barbeque, grilling) have been linked to higher risk of cancer. Not to worry though, a balanced diet lowers the risk of cancer and there are a number of foods that actively reduce the risk of cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends filling 2/3 of your plate with fruits, veggies, whole grains and beans.

More specifically, dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens and Swiss chard are high in fiber, folates, cartenoids and flavonoids that protect against a number of cancers. Green tea is also high in flavonoids and polyphenols that act as antioxidants that can prevent liver, colon, breast and prostate cancer. Berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries) are also high in fiber and Vitamin C and can protect against esophagus and colorectal cancer.

In terms of food to avoid, one of the worst foods is full, fat regular bacon. It is extremely high in saturated fat and is full of nitrites and other cancer-contributing ingredients. Look instead for reduced fat bacon or turkey bacon that is specifically labeled to be nitrate-free. Look for nitrate-free labeling on other processed meats as well, such as lunchmeat, sausage and hot dogs. Also, avoid any foods that contain GMOs but beware, you won’t find GMOs on the nutrition label so be sure to look for foods that are specifically labeled to be non-GMO.

A few powerful changes in lifestyle and diet can be incredibly influential in reducing the risk of cancer. Simple changes – from being more aware of what’s in your food to including foods in your meals that prevent cancer in or diet all help in making informed decisions when it comes to nutrition and all help reduce the risk of developing nutrition-related cancers.

Pasta with Dilled Pea Sauce

Servings: 4

Serving Size: 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh dill

3 cups frozen peas

1 tbsp ginger, finely peeled & chopped

dash hot pepper sauce

1 ea leeks, thinly sliced

8 oz penne pasta, uncooked

3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth

¼ tsp salt

4 tbsp water

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the oil and the gingerroot and cook for 2 minutes.

2. Add the leek and cook for 3 minutes more.

3. Stir in the vegetable stock and dill, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and bring back to a boil.

4. Remove the sauce from heat. Pour the mixture into a blender and puree until smooth, about 5 minutes.

5. Mix the cornstarch and water to form a slurry. Add it to the sauce, return it to the heat and stir it until thickened, about 1 minute.

6. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, and transfer to a large warm bowl.

7. To serve, add the salt and hot pepper sauce, toss with the pasta, and enjoy.

This week’s episode of Food Exposed with Jackie Keller is all about sports nutrition for the recreational and professional athlete. This week’s guest is NCAA All American Runner, Maggie Vessey, who shares her best nutrition and fitness tips and her favorite foods when training. She and Jackie also prepare Jackie’s recipe for healthy Pasta and Turkey Meatballs, straight from the NutriFit kitchen. (Recipe posted below)

Watch the full episode of Food Exposed here:

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs
Pasta with Turkey Meatballs (3 servings)

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
½ cup fat free egg subsitute
½ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
¼ cup onions, chopped
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp NutriFit Mediterranean Spice Blend
2 cup marinara sauce
1 cup, pasta cooked al dente

Directions:

Meatballs:
1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick skillet with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray., add the onions and cook until translucent or lightly browned.
1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except the pasta and marinara sauce) and mix thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 1″balls.
3. Saute the meatballs until lightly browned and cooked 3/4 of the way through (about 10 minutes). Add the marinara sauce and finish cooking the meatballs in the sauce.

Cook pasta until al dente. Serve with meatballs.

The upcoming FDA ban on trans-fats has garnered a lot of media attention over the last few weeks and with that attention many questions on the effects of trans-fats on health and diet. So what are the dangers of trans-fats and why should they be banned from our foods?

Trans fats, or trans-fatty acids, are “created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid” (American Heart Asosociation, heart.org). Eating trans-fats lowers HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels blocking arteries and increasing the chance of heart attack and stroke. Trans-fats, like all fats,  also carry a whopping 9 calories per gram – nearly twice that of carbohydrates and fats. Diets high in trans-fats have also been linked to an increased chance of developing type-2 diabetes.

Trans-fats can be found in a number of everyday foods including shortening, tub butter, stick margarine, Crisco, Bisquick, fast-food French fries and hamburgers as well as certain ice creams and fried Ramen and Asian noodles. Deep-fat fried and highly processed foods are among the highest in trans-fats There are small amounts of trans-fats that occur naturally in meat and and dairy products, however the effect of these trans-fats on cholesterol is unclear compared to the effects of those produced by the food industry.

Companies use trans-fats because they are generally less expensive to produce and last longer and give a certain texture and taste to food that consumers have become used to for decades. However, there are many good alternatives to hydrogenated oils including saturated vegetable oils as well as corn, sunflower and safflower oils.

The FDA ban on tran-fats is a step in the right direction towards curbing obesity and improving the health of all Americans. Hopefully the FDA will continue to pursue restrictions on other harmful ingredients – including GMOs and high fructose corn syrup!

Have a marathon coming up? Here are same training and race-day tips to help keep you in top marathon shape. At NutriFit, we share these tips with those athletes who are using our Sports Specific Meals.

As the saying goes, “not planning is planning to fail” and this holds especially true for marathon runners. To keep energy levels up and avoid crashing, ensure that you have a hydration and nutrition plan for race-day. Eat a small meal or two four hours before the race – make sure that you do not try any new foods to avoid any unexpected reactions. On runs longer than one hour, make it a habit to bring and eat small snacks that are high on the glycemic index. It is important, especially on longer runs, to not wait until you are hungry to eat – know your body and your needs to know when to refuel before waiting for a rumbling stomach as a cue to eat. The body stores a maximum of 2000 kilocalories of glycogen, which it quickly burns after 90 minutes or so.  Research shows that the typical 145 lb male burns 100 calories/mile with 80 of those calories coming from carbohydrates and 20 from fat.

Another way to keep energy up is with caffeine – but only use this if you regularly consume it and have a plan in place to balance caffeine intake with water and carbohydrate intake. Energy gels and sports drinks also contain carbohydrates and, when used properly, are a good supplement to your GI snacks. Incorporate these energy gels in your race-day plan, and consider using them as a chaser after re-hydrating with water. NutriFit also makes a wonderful Mighty Muscle Mix, which is a great recovery snack.

It is also important to take race-day conditions into consideration – high humidity and heat will affect your energy and run. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stop at aid stations along the marathon path. Pay attention to the color of your urine and bladder to identify possible problems and know the affects medications you may be taking might have on your body during the race.

Pomegranate Smoothie

Servings: 3

Serving Size: 16 oz

Ingredients:

2 cups pomegranate juice

½ cup extra firm lite tofu

1 cup apple juice

1 ea banana

Directions:

1. Put the juices, tofu and banana in a blender. Process until completely smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.