Training Diets
by Michael Pratt

1. GREEN LEAFIES:
5 - 7X weekly: spinach, Swiss chard, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce; steam (then squeeze lemon over the "greens"), blend, raw(salad), stir fry, and in soups- my favorite salad dressings are Newman's Own - olive oil & vinegar and Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegarette - Newman's Own Inc. Westport, CT 06880;when dining out - ask for salad dressing "on the side" - this way you are incontrol of how much dressing is on your salad- to your salads add red cabbage, red onions, chopped carrots, chickpeas(garbanzos), and bell peppers- ** I highly recommend ordering this book, which contains the best and mostnumerous spinach recipes:- "I LOVE SPINACH" Cookbook, 288 pages, 300 Easy-to-follow recipes; to order write:Burgundy Olivier "I LOVE SPINACH" Cookbook P.O. Box 61952 - Dept. SP, Lafayette, LA. 70596, Total cost per Cookbook (priority mail) $24.90, (book rate) $22.90 Check or Money Order make payable to Burgundy L. Olivier; no credit cards; for more info visit www.ilovespinach.com

2. BERRIES AND GRAPES:
1-2 cups most days: blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries;of 25 fruits and vegetables tested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, blueberries ranked #1 in antioxidant activity, strawberries ranked # 3 (kale was # 2, spinach was # 4) - the European bilberry is equivalent to the North American blueberry - frozen or fresh, berries are "nutrition all-stars"- Trader Joe's has an excellent selection of frozen berries; 800-746-7857 for store locations - Trader Joe's So. Pasadena CA. 91031 grapes, all varieties; however, the darker the skin, the better the health benefit- eat the seeds too.

3. HYDRATION:
At least eight (8 oz) glasses of water per day = absolute minimum- light yellow/clear urine = excellent hydration my favorite juices = Welch's 100% Grape Juice (Concord) - I like the 12 fl. oz. bottles 800-340-6870 www.welchs.com, Trader Joe's All Natural pasteurized unfiltered Concord Grape Juice - 4-8 ounces 1-2X daily, orange juice - fresh or frozen (no sugar added), Hansen's Super Citrus - 626-812-6022 www.hansenjuices.com, Kern's Apricot Nectar calcium fortified 800 637 8532, L & A Black Cherry Juice (sold at Henry's) - Langer Juice Company Inc. Industry CA. 91745, Odwalla C-Monster vitamin C fruit juice drink 800-ODWALLA www.odwalla.com

4. BEANS, NUTS, SEEDS, AND DRIED FRUIT:
Any bean product sold by Health Valley (800-423-4846), Trader Joe's Organic Refried Pinto Beans - salsa style, All Natural Laura Scudder's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter - I like the unsalted variety best (888-550-9555); PavichOrganically Grown Raisins (and Dates) - Pavich Farms PO Box 10420 Terra Bella Ca. 93270; found at Trader Joe's: raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), organic California walnuts halves and pieces, raw nonpareil variety almonds, sunflower seeds, pistachio nutmeats, non-sorbate pitted prunes, dried pitted California Bing cherries, dried apricots (unsulfered), dried blueberries - nuts and seeds: for optimum health eat a handful of raw or dry roasted nuts and seeds 5 days/week (with no added salt or oil)

5. NONFAT YOGURT (with active cultures):
Continental - fruit on the bottom nonfat yogurt (for those worried about calories don't eat the fruit syrup) - Continental Culture Specialists, Inc. Glendale, CA. 91205, Safeway Select yogurt - twice the fruit - fat-free, Trader Joe's non-fat yogurt - aim for at least one yogurt/day

6. SOY:
raw soybeans, tofu, miso, soynuts, soy protein powders, soymilk, soy hotdogs & soyburgers; eat a minimum of 25 grams of soy protein/day to capitalize on the many health benefits of soy consumption; my favorite soy powder = GNC Natural Brand Soy Protein (vanilla flavor); my favorite soy product = Edensoy Extra original organic soymilk - fortified with beta carotene, vitamins B-12, E, D, and calcium; Eden Foods Inc. 701 Tecumseh Rd. Clinton MI 49236 - my morning coffee is 1/3 coffee and 2/3 soymilk

7. WHOLE GRAINS:
a few of my favorites: Life Stream Flax Plus cereal (buy @ Trader Joe's) - Life Stream 2220 Nature's Path Blaine WA. 98230 www.naturepath.com, Post The Original Shredded Wheat 'N Bran cereal - 800-431-7678 www.postcares.com, Nature's Path Organic Optimum Power Breakfast with flax - soy and blueberry, Heritage, and Heritage O's cereals - www.cereal@naturespath.bc.ca, Health Valley Organic Raisin Bran Flakes - 800-423-4846, The original Bran for Life bread - Food for Life Baking Co. Inc. PO Box 1434 Corona CA 91718-1434 - 800-797-5090 www.Food-For-Life.com, Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ - 800-234-6281, Health from the Sun FiProFlax - certified organic - Health from the Sun PO Box 179 Newport NH 03773 - 800-447-2249 www.heatlhfromthesun.com, sprinkle flax or wheat germ on cereal and mix into various recipes, Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas - low carb/high fiber/preservative free (sold at Trader Joe's) - www.latortillafactory.com - 800-446-1516

8. CAROTENOID RICH FOODS:
* carotenoids are really important for healthy eyes and skin Foods high in BETA CAROTENE:
apricots, mango, peaches, cantaloupe, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots - most store-bought fruits are picked long before the fruit is ripe, however… - the amount of beta carotene will increase significantly in most fruits as they ripen, even off the vine - Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin - make pumpkin "pudding" out of the "famous" pumpkin pie recipe listed on can; suggested recipe modifications: decrease sugar, use lowfat (1%) or nonfat milk
- the nutrients found in pumpkin are really good for your skin - the data is controversial, but large doses of beta carotene may lower one's absorption of lutein if consumed in the same meal, therefore … - I only take supplements that have a mixture of carotenoids (preferably with more lutein than beta carotene), never just a large dose of beta carotene - when possible, I eat my high beta carotene foods (sweet potatoes, apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, etc.) at one meal and my high lutein foods (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, etc.) at a different meal - this is what I do because of the scientific evidence; however, there's no reason to worry about eating yellow/orange-colored foods (i.e. those high in beta carotene) and yellow/green-colored foods (i.e. those containing lutein) together in the same meal

Foods high in LYCOPENE:
Essential for healthy skin = eating the best food sources of lycopene multiple days per week tomato sauce, 1 /2 cup 23 mg of lycopene tomato puree, 1 /2 cup 19 mg " "tomato juice, canned, 6 oz 17 mg tomato soup, prepared, 8 oz 12 mg canned tomatoes, 1/2 cup 11 mg tomato paste, 2 tablespoons 10 mg ketchup, 2 tablespoons 6 mg watermelon, 4 oz (= 1/2 cup) 6 mg 1 fresh, medium tomato 4 mg pizza, 3 oz 4 mg salsa, 2 tablespoons 3 mg pink grapefruit, 4 oz 2 mg - the lycopene in uncooked tomatoes is not very bioavailable (i.e. not well absorbed) - maximum lycopene absorption = cooked tomato products plus some healthy fat - also offering a concentrated source of lycopene: guava, sun-dried tomatoes, taco sauce - my favorite = La Victoria Red Taco Sauce 800-725-7212 www.lavictoria.com, Bull's Eye Raging Bull Spicy Hot BBQ Sauce 800-548-1997 - pizza sauce is "loaded" with lycopene; my favorite is Round Table Pizza - ask for extra ("double") sauce - roundtablepizza.com

Foods high in LUTEIN AND ZEAXANTHIN:
KALE, COLLARD GREENS, SPINACH, SWISS CHARD, ORANGE BELL PEPPER, broccoli, green peas, cilantro, parsley, romaine lettuce, zucchini squash, yellow corn, kiwi, peaches, and egg yolk (not a large amount but very bioavailable) Foods high in BETA CRYPTOXANTHIN: tangerines, papaya, oranges, orange juice, peaches, mangos, nectarines
Foods high in ALPHA CAROTENE: pumpkin, carrots, sweet yellow/red peppers, winter squash, yellow corn, guava, green beans

9. FOODS HIGH IN VITAMIN C:
strawberries, cantaloupe, guava, kiwi fruit, papaya, oranges, orange juice, grapefruit, sweet (bell) pepper, broccoli, Hansen's Super Citrus drink, Odwalla C-Monster drink - eat the white rind of citrus fruits for additional phytonutrient boost

10. FOODS HIGH IN VITAMIN E:
sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, wheat germ, corn oil, soybean oil, wheat germ oil

11. FOODS HIGH IN FOLIC ACID:
orange juice, spinach (and other dark-green "leafies" e.g. turnip, mustard), beans, (white, kidney, soy, chickpeas, lima), asparagus, avocado, okra, bulgar, wheat germ

12. HEALTHY SPREADS, DIPS, AND SAUCES:
Muir Glen Organic Tomato Basil pasta sauce - Small Planet Foods Inc. - Sedro-Woolley Wa. 98284 - www.muirglen.com - 800-832-6345; Smart Balance Buttery Spread - non-hydrogenated (no trans-fatty acids) - Heart Beat Foods Division P.O. Box 397 Cress Kill, NJ 07626-0397; Knott's Berry Farms Boysenberry Pure Preserves (choose berry jam with seeds)

13. GREEN TEA:
green tea 2-4 cups daily; squeeze the tea bag after "steeping" for 2 minutes - this will significantly enhance the amount of antioxidants in your tea

14. "HEALTHY" FAT EVERY DAY:
I regularly eat almonds, walnuts, flax, all natural peanut butter, soy products, pumpkin seeds, and avocado, and use extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, and soybean oil, which all contain a healthy mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats - flax is an excellent source of "plant" omega-3's - Spectrum Essentials Nutrition - Cold Pressed Organic High Lignan Flax Oil (1-2 teaspoons/day) 800-995-2705 www.spectrumnaturals.com - use the most nutritious kind of olive oil (i.e. cold pressed, "extra-virgin") in stir-fry, cold salads, and with bread - enjoy avocado on toasted whole-grain bread and in guacamole, salads, and sandwiches

15. SEAFOOD (at least 2X weekly):
SALMON, ALBACORE TUNA, SARDINES, HERRING, Atlantic MACKEREL, OYSTERS, BASS (sea or freshwater), TROUT; these contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids - omega-3's help keep "aches and pains" to a minimum, secondary to their anti-inflammatory properties - this anti-inflammatory effect has been credited with reducing the pain of rheumatoid arthritis - omega-3 fatty acids seem to lower our risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrhythmia, and age-related macular degeneration - omega-3's seem to have the following additional health benefits: lower serum triglycerides, raise HDL (heart-protective lipoproteins), help lower blood pressure, prevent unwanted blood clots, promote vasodilation, benefit visual function, boost the immune system, have an "anti-cancer" effect, help retard osteoporosis, help play a beneficial role in reducing the symptoms of manic-depressive disorders - plant sources of omega-3's include wheat germ, flax, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, canola oil, soybeans, and spinach additional healthy protein sources (besides fish) = soy, turkey breast, skinless chicken breast, lean red meat (3 oz serving 1-2X weekly), non-fat milk, Dr. Praeger's California Veggie Burgers - www.drpraegers.com

16. CRACKERS, PASTA, SNACKS, AND CHIPS:
ak-mak 100% Wholewheat Stone Ground Sesame Cracker - ak-mak Bakeries 89 Academy Ave Sanger CA. 93657-2104 559-875-5511, Westbrae Natural Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna 800-769-6455 www.westbrae.com, Health Valley Blueberry Cobbler Cereal Bars - Health Valley 16100 Foothill Blvd Irwindale CA. 91706 800-423-4846, Nature's Choice Multigrain Blueberry Cereal Bars www.barbarasbakery.com; healthy chips: Guiltless Gourmet Baked Chili Lime or Baked Mucho Nacho - Guiltless Gourmet Inc Austin TX, Kettle Crisps Baked Potato Chips 800-453-8853 www.kettlefoods.com, Poore Brothers chips - try to eat chips made with canola oil & high in monounsaturated fats - avoid snacks and chips that contain partially-hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils = major source of "heart-unhealthy trans-fatty acids

17. CRUCIFEROUS VEGGIES MOST DAYS:
choose from broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, collards, mustard greens, rutabagas, turnips and turnip greens

18. EXERCISE:
Don't forget to exercise 30-60 minutes most days, sleep 7-8 hours/night, laugh, commit time to spiritual development and relationships, and on occasion treat yourself to any food you desire.

19. HAT WITH A BRIM AND WRAPPED SUNGLASSES:
sunglasses that block 100% UVA/UVB plus blue light - ** check out the Lumineyes in our office Optical Shoppe

20. SUNSCREEN - SPF 15-30 WITH UVA/UVB COVERAGE:
apply every 1 1/2-2 hours while in sun

21. ICE CREAM:
Henry's Lite ice cream - vanilla (4 grams fat/1/2 cup) - Santa Cruz organic chocolate flavored syrup, 916-899-5000, Santa Cruz Natural, Inc.
- nuts and seeds are wonderful on ice cream Haagen Dazs sorbet: mango, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, orange, peach, or chocolate

22. VARIETY:
"Variety is the spice of life", and eating many different kinds of foods and beverages is important for achieving maximum health.

23. SUPPLEMENTS:
1. Maxi Vision Whole Body Formula (2-3/day) or Maxi Vision Lutein Formula, 888-290-6294, Medical Ophthalmics Inc., 40146 U.S. Highway 19 N., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 www.maxivision.com
2. Bone-Up Superior Calcium Formula, Jarrow Formulas Inc., Los Angeles, CA.
90035-4317 www.jarrow.com
3. Trader Darwin's Molecularly Distilled Omega-3 Fatty Acids Dietary Supplement 500 mg/pill - 1/day (Total EPA & DHA), Trader Joe's
4. Trader Darwin's Grape Seed Extract Dietary Supplement, 95% Proanthocyanidolic units per capsule, 50 mg extract per capsule, Trader Joe's
5. Trader Darwin's Pycnogenol (French maritime pine bark extract), Trader Joe's and GNC; www.pycnogenol.com
6. Vitamin E Factor 100/100, 1-4/day, Yasoo Health Inc., www.yasoohealth.com,
888-469-2766 - "supplements" are an insurance policy that you are getting all the known
essential nutrients - supplements are not a replacement for whole foods - take all supplements with meals - for maximum bioavailability, there must be some fat present in the meal

24. CONCLUSION:
My top 3 "Nutrition All-Stars": BLUEBERRIES, SPINACH, and SALMON.

25. EXCELLENT "HEALTH & WELLNESS" NEWSLETTERS:
Bottom Line Health 800-289-0409
Consumer Reports on Health 800-234-2188
Environmental Nutrition 800-829-5384
Focus on Healthy Aging 800-829-9406
Food & Fitness Advisor 800-829-2505
Harvard Health Letter 800-829-9045
Harvard Men's Health Watch 800-829-3341
Harvard Women's Health Watch 800-829-5921
Health News 800-848-9155
Nutrition & The M.D. 800-787-8981
Nutrition Action Health Letter FAX: 202-265-4954, cir@cspinet.org
Nutrition Research Newsletter 800-825-7550
Running & Fit News 800-776-2732
Tuft's Health & Nutrition Letter 800-274-7581
U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter 904-445-6414
Whole Health M.D. 877-212-1933

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