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Q: What do you suggest
for people like me who love high-fat cheese?
A: Regular cheese is high in cholesterol-raising saturated
fat – three or four ounces of most full-fat types contain
a whole day’s worth – as well as a lot of calories.
One strategy is to switch to reduced-fat and low fat varieties;
if you don’t like one brand, experiment with others. Another
approach is to select regular cheese that delivers more flavor
in smaller amounts. A couple teaspoons of freshly grated Parmesan
or Romano cheese can add a surprising amount of flavor to salads
and baked dishes. When slicing cheese from a block, try using
a cheese plane, as Europeans do; it slides along the surface
of cheese and results in a thinner slice than most of us can
cut with a knife. If you eat cheese as a snack, put a small amount
on a plate and eat it slowly as you savor the taste. Then follow
it with a pear, apple or other cheese-compatible fruit. Most
of us need to boost fruit consumption and by the time you finish,
you will probably be full enough that you will not be tempted
to go back for more cheese. |
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Q: Are diglycerides
healthy or unhealthy? And what are they?
A: Experts say that diglycerides (also called diacylglycerides
or DAGs) are safe and pose no known nutritional risks or benefits
as food additives. They are simply a fat molecule missing one
of its fatty acid building blocks. Small amounts are used as
emulsifiers, thickeners or binders to keep oil from separating
out in foods such as peanut butter and salad dressings. Short-term
studies suggest that a special oil in which most of the fat is
diglycerides instead of the normal triglycerides may cause our
body to burn more fat and calories because of the way it processes
diglycerides. These fats are sent directly to the liver to be
burned instead of circulating through the body. Studies available
so far suggest that substituting one to three tablespoons of
such an oil for the oil or margarine you use now might produce
small amounts of weight loss per year, or prevent the small yearly
gains many adults experience. However, we don’t have long-term
studies that establish their usefulness for weight control. For
now, evidence doesn’t support these oils as any more effective
for weight control than a plant-based diet that limits foods
concentrated in calories (including oils) along with regular
moderate activity.
Q: As a breast cancer
survivor, is a food with soy fiber safe for me?
A: Breast cancer survivors are often concerned about
soy because of its isoflavone compounds, which are plant forms
of estrogen. These plant forms are much weaker than human estrogen.
Natural, whole soy foods (such as soy nuts, edamame and tofu)
used in moderation may not pose the risk once feared for breast
cancer survivors, though some suggest the precaution of limiting
these foods to a few servings a week if their cancer was estrogen-positive.
Soy fiber does contain isoflavones but the amount in a serving
of cereal or bread that contains soy fiber is small. Most experts
agree that it is probably safe and possibly beneficial for breast
cancer survivors to include up to three servings of soy foods
per day. If you are eating soy foods, you may want to check labels
to make sure you are limiting added soy and soy fiber in other
foods. You could also contact food companies and ask how much
soy fiber each serving contains. Doctors often advise people
taking anti-estrogen medication to avoid all soy foods during
treatment to make sure that even these weak estrogens could not
work against anti-estrogen medications. In those circumstances,
it may be prudent to avoid or closely limit the number of foods
with soy fiber as well. Survivors should discuss this with their
physicians. |
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