Lessons from a nutrition conference

Here is a sampling of what I and 5,000 other registered dietitians learned at the American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Denver last month:

—From financial guru and keynote speaker Suze Orman: “All the money in the world — if you don't have your health — doesn't mean a thing.”

—In the past four decades, the percentage of children in this country who are overweight has quadrupled. And there is a two-fold answer to this dangerous epidemic: 1) Provide kids with more nutrient-rich foods; and 2) Get them moving. One program available for schools is “Fuel Up to Play 60,” a partnership of the National Dairy Council and the National Football League (www.FuelUpToPlay60.com).

—Pregnant women who are overweight have a better chance for a healthier pregnancy if they get their weight down before they get pregnant, according to current guidelines presented by Harvard professor Matthew Gillman. An easy “4 by 3” diet prescription for pregnancy was outlined by registered dietitian Janet King, Ph.D, from the University of California-Berkeley: Eat these four foods — fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low fat milk products —three times a day. (And don't forget protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and nut products.)

—”Inflammation” seems to be the newest buzzword in nutrition research. Studies show that poor diet choices and lack of exercise trigger excessive inflammatory responses in the body that lead to chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and even type 2 diabetes. Obesity, for instance, is a “smoldering inflammatory state” according to Gordon Jensen, MD, from Penn State University. To the rescue are “anti-inflammatory” foods such as fish, flaxseed, walnuts and other foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. (Some farmed fish such as trout now provide more healthful omega-3 fatty acids than wild fish, according to researchers William Harris, Ph.D, and Penny Kris Etherton, Ph.D, RD.) And, of course, fruits and vegetables that are rich in anti-oxidant substances continue to be the darlings that also fight off excess inflammation.

By about the second day of the conference, I realized that walking to and from my hotel helped keep me from being overly “inflamed” from sitting in nutrition lectures all day and eating in restaurants all night. I would highly suggest walking to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse with a salad bar I adored, and an eating experience that made me appreciate the current recommendation to limit meat intake to no more than 16 ounces a week.

Marrakesh, a Moroccan restaurant we visited the following night, was equally incredible with food difficult to pronounce. And then there was afternoon tea at the Brown Palace Hotel with my daughter ... but I digress.

—Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin many of us do not get in sufficient amounts, is now showing up in vitamin D-enriched mushrooms. One 3-oz. serving of “Monterey mushrooms” provides 100 percent of the current daily value (400 IU) for vitamin D. And, by the way, mushrooms also contain “ergothioneine,” an antioxidant “anti-inflammatory” substance.

—In spite of inflammatory Internet scares, the safety of aspartame sweetener continues to be confirmed by more than 200 scientific studies. It is approved for use in more than 100 countries and has been determined to be safe by a variety of international food safety organizations, including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

—Finally, Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, reminded us that simple food choices turn on genetic codes that either help or hinder our health. Omega-3 fats turn down the inflammatory gene that contributes to premature aging and other diseases. Substances in broccoli turn on genes that cause cancer cells “to commit suicide.” And while extra fat around the belly is “a dangerous inflammation,” extra weight on the hips “is a dating problem, not a health problem,” according to Dr. Roizen.

(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Email her at bquinnchomp.org.)