Magnesium and Gallstones

About 10-15 percent of the U.S. population (20 million people) have gallstones, and 1 million new cases are diagnosed yearly according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. New research indicates that higher magnesium intake may decrease the risk of gallstone disease.
Read more about this research below.

Quick Info on Magnesium Sources: Think Beans, Greens, Nuts, Seeds & Whole Grains! We should all be getting all of these in our diets every single day!

Magnesium deficiency has been associated with alterations in blood lipids (cholesterol) and insulin hyper-secretion, which can lead to formation of gallstones. In addition, gallstone disease is an important risk factor for gallbladder cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology analyzed the effect of long-term consumption of magnesium on the risk of gallstone disease. Researchers studied magnesium consumption and risk of gallstone disease in a group of 42,705 U.S. men from 1986 to 2002. Magnesium intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and newly diagnosed gallstone disease was determined twice a year.
During 13 years of follow-up, 2,195 cases of gallstones were documented. The average intake of magnesium was calculated to 352.8 milligrams per day for the study population. Men with the highest average levels of magnesium intake (454 mg/d) were 28 per cent less likely to develop gallstones, compared to men with the lowest average intake (262 mg/d).

It is not yet known whether higher magnesium intake protects against initial formation of gallbladder stones, or whether it simply decreases the likelihood of the already existing gallstones becoming symptomatic. However, since surveys show that most adults do not meet the RDA for magnesium (320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men), improving the diet and supplementing magnesium may prove to be an effective means of reducing the progression of gallstone disease.

Tsai CJ et al. Long-term effect of magnesium consumption on the risk of symptomatic gallstone disease among men. Am J Gastroenterol 2008 Feb;103(2):375-82.

Dinner Analysis

Tonight, we had an exceptionally healthy dinner, and I have to say that it was very tasty as well. How do I know this? I know how I always know: my 11 going on 20 year old ate everything without one complaint. Because her mother is a dietitian, she typically wants the opposite of what is offered to her at home. Yes, The Gourmet Healer deals with the same issues all well-meaning parents do. But sometimes, I/we get it right. And tonight was one of those nights.

The child isn't completely a loss when it comes to veggies, because she's been exposed repeatedly to them. This really makes or breaks a child's relationship with healthy foods. Even so,I will say (while holding back tears) that she does not like chard, spinach or broccoli. But she does, however, love beans (presented as a soup), my roasted beet salad, Brussels sprouts and asparagus fries. And tonight, she ate the lightly steamed (over-cooking is a major turn-off for kids, BTW) zucchini and carrots that my husband tossed in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVVO if ya didn't know--crazy good health benefits), sea salt, pepper and our (my) chopped homegrown basil. She also devoured the roasted Brussels sprouts, which were thinly sliced and then tossed in EVOO, chopped homegrown sage leaves, pre-roasted chopped garlic (done the night before), sea salt and pepper.
She ate the veggies, no problem, but as usual, her fave was the meatloaf. This was very simple to make. I mixed 1 pound of grass fed (hey--you are what you ate...ate) ground beef with two free range eggs (the difference is obvious and worth it), about 1/2 cup oat bran, 1/2 cup Eden Organic Pizza Sauce (BPA-Free Can!!), a couple pinches of sea salt and 3 large chopped artichoke hearts; I baked it covered (uncovered for the last 10 min) at 315 for 40 min in a 8x8 inch pan (greased with a small amount of expellar-pressed grapeseed oil; meat spread evenly and packed), alongside the Brussels sprouts, which were spread evenly in a large roasting pan for even and quick cooking. I added just a slight amount of EVOO and sea salt to the sprouts when plated, and they were lovely.

In addition to a tall glass of filtered water, I enjoyed our dinner with about 5 oz of Frey organic, sulfite-free (no headache or stuffiness for me) red table wine. It was delicious, and at $9.99/bottle, very affordable. It will last me the whole week or a little longer.

Notice that I cooked the meatloaf and sprouts at a lower temp and extended the cooking time a bit. This is important when it comes to making sure that fats don't oxidize during cooking and turn harmful, simultaneously losing their health benefits. It would be a shame if all of your efforts to make wholesome real food went to waste because you didn't know about this...This is especially true for eggs (which I used in the meatloaf) and plant oils like EVOO, which are very heat sensitive and lose benefits/oxidize at temperatures above 325 F.

RECAP

• lower cooking temps and longer cooking times: keeping those healthy oils and fats healthy
• High fiber/low starch/low glycemic index: 2 servings of veggies and high-fiber oat bran and artichoke hearts slipped into the meat loaf; high fiber=healthy cholesterol levels and proper detoxificiation; low-glycemic index=less of a blood sugar spike, which means less need for insulin. lower insulin production means less fat cell generation/storage, no extra insulin circulating to feed cancer cells, no re-bound low blood sugar and subsequent food cravings.
• Grass-fed/free-range animal products: better ratio of Omega 6:Omega 3 fats due to natural diet, meaning less resulting inflammation.
• Healthy + Delicious = YUM

I planned what I would make for the week and made a list before I shopped over the weekend. I planned according to what I already had, in order to stay within budget and avoid wasting food. Knowing what you're going to cook and that you have the ingredients needed BEFORE you get home and start cooking saves a lot of time and stress. Try it!

Enjoy,
The Gourmet Healer

Food As Medicine and Fiber

I am back from Food As Medicine. It was a whirlwind trip, with training all day. Early mornings and late nights. I did not get to visit Restaurant Nora--it was too much to fit in. However, I did experience the best Ethiopian food I've had to date. After a full day of being reminded just how important fiber is in our diets, I was very pleased to have a restaurant meal from many colors of the rainbow and all whole food. According to a couple of our teachers at FAM, the average human in Paleolithic era consumed anywhere from 110-130 grams of dietary fiber each day. Can you imagine? The average intake of Americans is between 5 and 12 grams per day. No wonder there is so much illness. One of the reasons we need fiber is that it interrupts the bile acid re-circulation process. Contained in this bile is both cholesterol and toxins that have been cleared by the liver. If there is insufficient fiber in the GI tract, both cholesterol and toxins get reabsorbed and put back into circulation. Not good!! Fiber also slows down digestion and absorption of sugars, therefore keeping blood sugar and insulin levels steady, which decreases fat storage and keeps the appetite in check.
Just getting 50 grams of fiber each day can reverse many "dis-ease states". You can track your intake online at www.livestrong.com, which will tell you your daily fiber intake, among other nutrients. Try it out!

We had Chef Rebecca Katz' amazing dishes for lunch everyday at FAM. This was important piece. Even those of us who eat really well can learn more about how to continue optimizing. I have made a commitment to change my diet to include less grain and more veggies and beans for carbohydrate. I'll be passing this onto my clients and patients as well.

I will leave you for now with this:

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us." ~unknown

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer

Food As Medicine and Clearing The Path

I am heading out to Washington D.C. (actually Bethesda) next week for the Center for Mind-Body Medicine's Food As Medicine Training. This is one of the ultimate trainings on my list of must-do's. I am very excited to be learning more about how to use food as medicine so that I can integrate new holistic clinical pearls into my practice. My current clients and future clients will be the real winners as a result of my attending this training. I also plan to work some of this new information into a presentation I am giving for Global Nutrition Services' annual training. Apparently Food As Medicine is something that GNS dietitians want to know about, and I am honored to have been asked to speak to them on this topic. Perfect timing--everything always works out just as it should.

I wish that I could be an activist while in D.C., but hopefully next time. Recently I've been planning an improved professional path. One free of clutter and projects that don't serve my creativity and passion. I am doing this so that I can clear the way for what matters most to me. My well-being, my purpose, my family and serving the local, national and global community on many levels. Teaching clients and professionals how to achieve/facilitate optimal health and wellness as well as being an activist for sustainable food policies are at the top of my list as a professional and as a good food citizen. As a spouse and a mother, my priorities are to be fully present with my family and to make time each day to meet everyone's needs (including my own!).

These are big goals, but with commitment and coaching, I can achieve this and so much more. Yes, I said coaching. My style when working with clients is that of a coach as well, meaning that I do not just tell my clients what to do (that is so 20th century). A coach teaches you explore your motivation for reaching your objectives and guides you in setting small, achievable goals that will get you there. You meet with your coach regularly to follow up on what is working and not working, and are guided through problem-solving sessions so that you can continue to move forward in reaching your desired end result. I believe in this way of working with clients so much that I have my own coaches who are helping me to reach my personal and professional goals. Coaching works, and it's the wave of the future in health care, so get on board!

Something I will be doing in D.C. is voting with my fork.
I will be dining at Restaurant Nora--the world's first Certified Organic Restaurant. I've checked out the menu, and I will most definitely be having the Applewood Smoked Amish Duck Breast. I am a sucker for duck. Can't resist it if it's on the menu, and I'm guessing that I won't be disappointed. I love a good, sustainable dining experience!

Stay tuned for my critique of Restaurant Nora's when I return from Washington.

My Garden--almost ready

Here are some of my babies--not such babies anymore! They are almost ready to eat. I keep thinking it is getting too hot for them, but each time I get ready to harvest them we have another cold snap. This week is the week, though. It's almost sad to think of eating them! Then again, I feel that they are a gift from the Earth and Mother Nature. What a blessing!

My Garden--first glimpse

These are my babies--lettuce, beets and chard. They are a part of my first garden in New Mexico. We always had a garden growing up in hot, humid East Texas, where gardening is pretty easy compared to the high, dry desert.

Conditions Associated With Food Sensitivity

Besides Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Migraine, which are most definitely associated with food hypersensitivity, there are other conditions that may be associated with food hypersensitivity as well. The more conditions a person has, the more likely food sensitivity is involved. The LEAP Diet is shown to be effective when food sensitivity is the underlying cause (or one of) of disease. The diet is developed for each individual, based on his or her MRT results. MRT is a blood test which shows what foods and food chemicals a person is reacting to (a various levels and through non-IgE immune regulated pathways). It is clinically proven to be an accurate and reliable method of identifying food hypersensitivities. No guess work needed.

Conditions That May Be Associated with Food Sensitivity:

• Celiac Disease
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Crohn's Disease
• GERD
• Asthma
• Migraines
• Interstitial Cystitis
• Tinnitis
• Rhinitis/Sinusitis
• Secretory Otitis Media (ear infections)
• ADHD
• Urticaria (hives)
• Angio-edema
• Rheumatologic Disorders (ie., arthritis, lupus)
• Atopy

I can guide patients through the LEAP Diet and arrange for MRT both LOCALLY and at a DISTANCE. All one needs is good internet and phone access. Skype is great, but not totally necessary. The initial consultation to determine LEAP candidacy is based on a sliding scale and very affordable, so please inquire. If nothing else has worked, OR if things are just starting to get bad and you don't want to go down that road, contact me today. LEAP WORKS, where the current standard of care, in most cases, does not. LEAP is the use of Food as Medicine at its best!

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer

Angie King-Nosseir MS, RD, LD
Master Sci Nutrition
Integrative Registered Dietitian
Certified LEAP Therapist-In-Training
Gourmet Healer LLC
gourmethealer@gmail.com